"I Was Reincarnated Into Another World So I Want to Teach Them a Lesson in the Dungeon." ~I May Have Been Expelled as a C-Rank Sorcerer, but Since It Seems Everyone Wants My Cheat Skill, I Think I'll Teach Them a Lesson~ - Chapter 14

Reflecting on the encounter with the Mercredi Investigation Team…

The dungeon completes its area reconstruction at noon, and it is around this time that members of the investigative teams begin to trickle into the Magic Association’s mansion.

It seemed as though everyone was eyeing us with suspicion. In hindsight, the reason was as I had explained before; they were covetously eyeing my Unique Skill.

Strega seemed indifferent to the schemes of others, enjoying the remnants of the steak she had devoured earlier with a relaxed expression.

I understand that it’s more convenient for them to acquire my Unique Skill than those that are temporarily available to individuals.

I should be grateful to Strega for acting as my personal bodyguard, fending off anyone who gets too close, but in reality, no one knows she’s exhibiting a level of laziness that requires care. Publicly an aloof S-rank known as the Demon Hunter Elf, she’s not someone the investigation teams would dare to challenge easily.

It’s unclear whether there’s a pattern to the summoning points in the area; I suspect they’re probably random.

At the start of our exploration, no other investigation teams are in sight.

Ideally, we would be the only ones in the area, but given the number of areas, that is unlikely to happen.

We don’t know how many areas there are, so there’s no point in calculating.

This time, Strega has been granted the Unique Skill of [Continuous Magic Recovery].

Even though it’s a small amount, it could turn the tide in a long battle, making it a hit skill.

I’ll have it transferred from Strega before the reset.

On the other hand, I drew another hit skill, [Continuous Health Recovery].

If this were the horoscope segment of a morning news show, I’d be ranked first.

It’s another gem that continuously recovers health, albeit in small amounts.

The downside might be that the recovery might not keep up against a superior opponent.

Against someone like Strega, it would obviously be a useless skill.

Three hours into our exploration, we came across the first signs of human activity.

It was the charred corpse of a goblin, representative of the low-level monsters.

It had been disposed of by magic, with no signs of cutting wounds, so it was likely magic alone.

There were also traces of magical particles in the air, a remnant of the spell cast.

“Hmm, the spell formation is unstable. No, maybe they didn’t even form a spell at all.”

“Like that clinic, perhaps?”

“Yes,” Strega confirmed.

The presence of magical particles indicated that no spell formation (similar to a magic circle) had been used, and that the area occupied by the goblin had probably been scorched into barren land.

The smoke from the scorched earth and the temperature nearby indicated that the marks were still fresh.

Strega glanced at the goblin corpse and welcomed the magical particles into her palm.

Though my magical prowess is close to S-rank, I lack the experience and fieldwork, so Strega is much better suited for detective-like deductions and investigations in matters of magic.

“Cough. It looks like an excessive amount of magic has been used on a goblin.”

“Does that mean they’re a C-rank novice?”

“No, using magic to that extent suggests A-rank abilities at the very least. The only C-Rank capable of such a feat is probably you, Soma.”

Being praised so suddenly made me feel a little embarrassed.

I decided to study magic formally like Strega one day.

“Please… help me…”

A faint, wavering voice approached.

It belonged to a young girl (though not really), barely propped up by a large staff that showed off her naturally slim and delicate figure.

She wore a classic witch’s hat, wide-brimmed and triangular, with two large red buttons and a decorative sash.

“Are you all right?”

Strega stopped my approach with her arm, a sign of caution.

“It seems cruel to ignore someone injured…”

“Cough. If Soma says so… Let’s start with healing.”

As usual, Strega asked for her name as she placed a low level healing stone on her chest.

“My name is Mana Valpurgis. I’m a C-rank sorcerer.”

The large staff, the classic hat, and even her clothes screamed ‘witch.’

Her outfit, mostly black and white, included a cape with a standing collar. The tunic was tied at the chest with a bow, and paired with a miniskirt and knee-high socks, her thighs were noticeably exposed.

“So, what happened here?”

“An area boss, a high-ranking demon, came and burned the goblins with fire magic… I got caught up in it and was expelled from the investigation team. You know, being C-rank means I’m just a burden. Funny, right?”

“Yeah… C-ranks are often treated that way.”

Mana’s situation was too similar to my own recent experiences. Higher-ranked individuals either seek to profit from the novice support funds or use them as skill gacha material like Ryner.

I’ve experienced this malicious practice firsthand.

“The healing is done. It’s just low-level healing magic, so don’t push yourself.”

“Thank you! You two are really kind. You’re the S-rank Demon Hunter Elf, Strega, right? Ahh, if only there were more people like Strega…”

“If you become a solo specialist like I was before, you can solve such problems.”

“No, no… I don’t have that kind of talent.”

I didn’t want to disappoint Strega, who was brimming with confidence, but the fact is that true solo specialists are rare. It’s hard to reach that level of ability.

Someone with the talent to explore the Necronomicon on their own, starting at rank C, wouldn’t be expelled like this.

Those like Mana or my former self have no choice but to leech off higher-ranked teams, no matter how hard the role may be.

“Yeah. So, what’s the name of the investigation team you were with?”

“The Mercredi Investigation Team.”

“Ah, the Mercredi Investigation Team, huh…”

The meaningful tone of her words was accompanied by a mischievous smile.

Seeing Strega’s face, she seemed to have some insight into the matter.

“Does Strega know them?”

“Yeah. They’re an investigation team who have recently been promoted to A-rank. They’re quite large, and running an operation of that size would require considerable resources. Too much for poor me.”

“They must be recruiting for the support funds.”

“We settled that issue a long time ago.”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

Our casual conversation seemed amusing from an outsider’s perspective, as Mana giggled and joined in.

“You two seem to get along really well.”

“Cough. Of course, we are the best partners. The discomfort of being in a large investigation team comes from overly complex relationship building.”

Whether we’re the best partners is debatable, but I’ve certainly experienced first-hand the difficulty of building and maintaining relationships within a large organization like a “public high school.”

It’s normal for relationships to form with a variety of hierarchies.

In other words, a hierarchical structure or a caste system.

“Um… could I join you guys?”

“Well, since you’re injured and have been abandoned, I’m fine with it…”

I looked to Strega, the leader, for her decision.

Even if we’re the best partners, it’s important to respect the roles of leader and member.

After all, even in a close relationship, manners are important.

“Sure. You probably have some knowledge about the movements of the Mercredi Investigation Team.”

Permission granted, Mana jumped around happily for a moment, shouting “Yay, yay!”. When she realized her white panties were showing, Strega’s staff came down on my head.

“Cough. Your lower lip seems to be drooling a little.”

“I-I’m sorry…”