"..."
When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar tent.
"How many hours did I sleep...?"
My body felt oddly stiff, yet refreshed, which meant I'd probably been out for quite a while.
"You're awake?"
As I rubbed my aching body, Aiz opened the tent flap and stepped inside.
"How many hours was I out?"
"Ten."
"I really slept that long. Where are we?"
It was quiet, so this didn't seem like the 59th Floor...
"The 18th Floor."
"..."
How had we climbed this far already?
After leaving the tent and checking on the expedition party, I could roughly tell what had happened.
"Looks like it was pretty rough on the 59th Floor."
"Yeah."
From what Finn said, after I passed out, more plant-type monsters had swarmed in, and every single one of them had been after the swords I carried.
Seeing the plant monsters keep closing in, Finn had sensed that something was off and decided to retreat.
"And on the way up, monsters with poison attacked too, so some of the members, including the support team, are poisoned."
"What about antidote potions?"
"Bete went to buy some."
"Then it'll be handled soon enough."
He was the fastest on foot among them, so he'd be back soon, probably.
"Oh, by the way, Bellf?"
"What?"
"Do you have anything like a magic sword with a healing effect?"
"No."
"What a shame."
"I can project a few resistance-type magic tools instead."
Whatever the process, this mess had happened because I'd passed out.
I should at least give them something.
After entering the tent where the poisoned adventurers were groaning, I handed out the resistance-type magic tools I was wearing.
The adventurers, who had been breathing in ragged, uneven gasps, quickly began to steady their breathing after equipping the tools.
"Good. At least they work."
"...These must be worth a lot outside, right?"
"A million valis."
"..."
"Don't worry, I'm not taking them back. I won't charge you for them either."
"That's a relief."
As I downed a mind potion to ease the headache, the tent started getting noisy.
"...?"
"Did we get visitors?"
And a moment later—
"Bell?"
"Bellf-nii?"
Familiar white hair came into view.
"Ahaha... I got caught in a Pass Parade, so..."
Bell awkwardly laughed as he explained what had happened.
Beside him sat a brown-haired Pallum, demurely folded up in place.
"No one else with you?"
"There are, but..."
"But?"
"They said they weren't ready to meet Bellf-nii yet, so they're waiting outside."
"?"
What kind of big shot did they think I was, needing to prepare first?
"Just tell them to come in."
"Ah, yes."
Bell went into the borrowed tent, and—
"Ah...uh..."
he brought back a trembling woman with sky-blue hair.
"...Who?"
"Ah, I-I'm Selena Al Andromeda!"
"...Oh, Aspi's younger sister?"
"Y-yes!"
Aspie had mentioned her before.
If I remembered right...
"Um... if it's not too much trouble, could I see your magic sword?"
She apparently held Crozzo's magic swords in tremendous admiration.