With Suzuki handling the heavy logistics and maintaining absolute control from the shadows, the expedition went incredibly smoothly. Previously, they had just been a group of sheltered teenagers. Now, under the dual leadership of Kouki's heroic bravado and Captain Meld's tactical experience, the class confidently carved their way down to the 20th floor of the Great Orcus Labyrinth.
"O Divine Wings... Soar to Heaven!"
Kouki held his holy sword horizontally, the blade erupting in blinding, righteous light.
"Celestial Flash!"
A massive Rockmount—a terrifying, heavily armored gorilla monster—was cleanly bisected by Kouki's attack, instantly decapitated.
"As expected of Amanogawa-kun!"
"You're so strong!"
"Hero, you're amazing!"
The majority of the class, acutely aware that their own combat potential was vastly inferior, eagerly flocked to Kouki, showering him with praise to ensure they stayed under his protective umbrella.
"Hmph! It was easier than I imagined," Kouki smirked, his ego swelling massively. As they ventured deeper, the constant worship fed his Hero complex. He subconsciously glanced toward the backline, seeking validation from Suzuki.
But Suzuki wasn't even looking at him. The Merchant was entirely focused on managing his inventory interface, treating the raid like a mundane corporate audit.
"....." Kouki frowned, a flare of petty annoyance rising in his chest. Why did Suzuki's total indifference bother him so much?
Before Kouki could open his mouth to cause trouble—
BOOOM!
Captain Meld ruthlessly smacked the back of Kouki's head with his heavy gauntlet.
"Do you want to get us all killed by collapsing the entire cave on top of us, you arrogant bastard?!" Meld roared.
"S-Sorry, Sir..." Kouki mumbled, rubbing his bruised head.
Suzuki completely ignored the drama. He was entirely focused, acutely aware that the timeline of the original plot was rapidly approaching its breaking point. To be completely honest, Suzuki hadn't entirely decided what to do. Even if they didn't clear the dungeon, his financial stranglehold on the capital meant he could practically conquer the world from a boardroom.
Kouki could play his delusional Hero role, Nagumo could eventually transform into an edgelord with modern weaponry, and the rest of the class could enjoy the stability Suzuki's backend management provided.
Yet, when Suzuki thought about the ancient, reality-bending Magic hidden at the absolute bottom of the labyrinth, he had to admit he was deeply tempted to claim it for his own high-yield portfolio.
Well, I have my trump card anyway, Suzuki thought, feeling the immense, multi-class power of his [Manager] system thrumming beneath his bespoke suit.
Suddenly, Kouki's reckless attack caused the cavern ceiling to shudder violently. Several heavy stalactites crashed to the floor, breaking open a section of the rock wall to reveal a massive, brilliantly glowing gem.
"Whoa! Check out that jewel!"
"It's so pretty!"
Kaori couldn't help but stare at the beautiful, crystalline luster. She subconsciously glanced at Suzuki, hoping he might notice she liked it. But Suzuki was busy calculating the floor's total loot margin. Kaori pouted slightly, though she didn't actually complain. She knew that if she really asked for it, Suzuki was the type of man who would just casually buy the entire mining rights to the mountain for her.
I'll just have to punish him a little bit for ignoring me tonight~ Kaori giggled internally, a very dark, lewd thought crossing her mind.
"........." Suzuki.
"Oh, that's a Glanz Crystal," Captain Meld observed, stepping forward. "It's incredibly rare to see one that large. They don't possess any magical power, but the high nobility absolutely fawn over their luster. Still, enough of that. Let's head back to the surface. I've had enough fighting for one day."
Just as Kaori was taking one last look at the jewel, a deeply arrogant voice interrupted.
"I'll get that jewel for you, Shirasaki."
"Hiyama-kun?" Kaori blinked in confusion as her classmate puffed out his chest, looking incredibly smug.
"You want it, right?" Hiyama didn't wait for her response. Desperate to prove his worth and win her affection, he recklessly leapt onto the rocky incline, scrambling up the wall toward the crystal.
Captain Meld's eyes went wide with pure panic. "Stop it, you idiot!"
"Chill out, old man, I'm great at climbing!" Hiyama yelled back.
"That's not the point! Get down from there right now!"
"Yeah, yeah. Just shut up."
"It's a trap, you fool!"
Hiyama completely ignored the veteran knight. He reached the top, smugly wrapping his fingers around the massive gem and yanking it free from the pedestal. "Look? It's easy, right?"
The very second the gem was dislodged, the air in the cavern violently froze. An immense, suffocating surge of magical energy instantly flooded the room.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF THAT THING, YOU IDIOT!" Meld roared.
A gigantic, blinding magic circle suddenly erupted beneath the entire party's feet.
"...What an absolute idiot," Suzuki muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as an intense migraine spiked behind his eyes.
He had just wanted to go back to his penthouse and enjoy his girls. But he knew perfectly well that even the most flawless corporate organization was constantly threatened by the sheer, catastrophic liability of human stupidity.
As the teleportation trap flared, Suzuki didn't panic. He moved with blinding, [Assassin] speed, instantly closing the distance to Shizuku and grabbing Kaori by the waist, pulling them both firmly against his chest.
When the light faded, the claustrophobic cave was gone.
They had been violently relocated. The party was now standing on a massive, crumbling stone bridge, surrounded by an endless, pitch-black abyss.
"W-What's happening?"
"A stone bridge?"
"W-Where the hell are we?!"
The panicked students frantically looked around, instinctively turning toward Suzuki for guidance. Suzuki was already staring dead ahead into the suffocating darkness.
"W-What's wrong, Suzuki-kun?" Kaori whispered, trembling against him.
"...Well, our profit margins just took a massive hit. The situation is vastly more dangerous than we anticipated."
A split second later, a colossal, pitch-black magic circle ignited at the end of the bridge. From the depths of the magic, a monstrous, demonic figure towering over ten meters tall dragged itself into the dim light. It exuded a feral, apocalyptic brutality, its burning eyes locking onto the terrified teenagers.
A Behemoth.
Ah... we're all going to die here, the collective, horrifying thought paralyzed the entire class.
But as the "Heroes" stood completely frozen in terror, Suzuki merely let out a long, deeply exhausted sigh. It was a feeling of pure, unadulterated burnout—the exact kind of exhaustion a CEO feels when his employees completely burn the factory down. He wasn't even getting a salary for this babysitting gig.
But he knew perfectly well that if he didn't intervene, Kouki's massive ego and Hiyama's staggering idiocy were going to get his women killed.
It was entirely too early to give up.
Releasing Shizuku and Kaori, Suzuki smoothly stepped past the trembling vanguard, adjusting the cuffs of his bespoke, spider-silk suit.
"Alright, shut up and listen to me," Suzuki commanded, his dark eyes locking onto the Behemoth.