"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 15

“Soma, I’ll leave this with you,” Strega said as she handed me a gem before parting ways to explore the area further on her own.

When I asked what it was, she jokingly referred to it as a “charm she crafted with care and imbued it with heartfelt prayers for safety”, though it was clearly a magic stone.

We exchanged names, and although I asked to be addressed without formalities, Strega seemed content to maintain them, perhaps for her own satisfaction. In the end, I was addressed as ‘senpai’.

From Strega’s aloof behavior towards Mana, I guessed she didn’t like this type of person. I wasn’t particularly fond of it either, but perhaps a sense of kinship had blossomed due to our similar circumstances of being outcasts and burdens because of our C-ranks.

As soon as Mana Valpurgis was allowed to join us, she eagerly began to close the distance between us. Despite being a stranger, she was extremely forward with her closeness. With Strega gone, there was no way to stop Mana’s incessant chatter.

“Hey, hey, Soma-senpai, your staff must be really powerful, right? It’s a hot topic in the Necronomicon Investigation Community. What was its name again?”

“Exagone.”

“Yes, Exagone! I’ve never seen it before. Let me see, let me see!”

“It’s not that big of a deal, really.”

“Please… is it… no good?”

Mana’s expression was the epitome of cunning charm. Even mundane words became magical as they passed her soft-looking lips, causing an unexpected flutter in my chest.

She clasped her hands behind her, leaned forward slightly, and tilted her head at a 45-degree angle, completing the golden ratio of her beguiling beauty.

“Wow, it’s quite heavy and substantial!”

Mana’s eyes sparkled as she caressed the staff. Exagone, in its true form inside the dungeon, was a rare sight, given its mischievous nature of appearing as a mere stick elsewhere. The staff’s menacing appearance matched its power-boosting trait, and Mana’s excitement seemed to grow.

“Before the sun sets, I’d like to search for more traces.”

Assuming the Mercredi Investigation Team had gone after the boss, any traces of battle would make our search easier. Whatever the purpose, I couldn’t ignore Mana’s situation.

I couldn’t leave Mana to fend for herself, whether that meant transferring party permissions or finding a way for her to rejoin the Mercredi Investigation Team.

Large teams with high-ranking members often cover two or three areas in a week’s limited time.

Conversely, Strega would obliterate an area in short order to indulge in her lethargic days off. Despite this, her reputation as the “Demon Hunter Elf” commanded respect.

Apparently, the Mercredi Investigation Team had aggressively climbed to A-rank using their numerical advantage.

“I’d rather stay with Soma-senpai than go back to the Mercredi Investigation Team. It seems so relaxed and fun here, right?”

“If I just took over the party authority, I’d be in big trouble— Wait, are we being made fun of?”

“No, no, I just think it’s nice to be so friendly!”

It’s painful not to be able to deny it outright. Perhaps our laziness is that transparent.

“With Exagone, I could become a powerful sorcerer…!”

Mana seemed to cast some kind of spell, but of course it didn’t activate.

Shame overwhelmed her, and her pale skin flushed red with embarrassment.

“Unfortunately, Exagone is a Unique Skill, so only I can use it.”

“You should have said that before! Now I’m embarrassed!”

“Besides, it’s mainly used to increase magic power. It only shows its true value with this magic stone, which is also a Unique Skill.”

“Is this also a Unique Skill?”

“Well, yes.”

“This is so boring! Luck as a stat is so unfair! The world is so unequal!”

Luck is also part of skill, as some would say.

Another distant explosion thundered.

The trees swayed in the blast wave, the ripple reaching us.

“Is it the work of the area boss?”

“Definitely! That explosion is the area boss’s doing!”

“Then the Mercredi Investigation Team must be there too! Let’s hurry!”

◆ ◆ ◆

When we arrived at the explosion site, there was no one there.

The battle had probably ended, but the remains of the goblins were concerning.

“It is certain. This is the work of the boss of the area—a high-ranking demon.”

“Hmm, but something feels different than before.”

After comparing this scorched area with the one Strega had examined, I noticed some discrepancies.

“If this fire magic is from the boss of the area, it’s too well done compared to before. There are no magic particles floating in the air… The spell formation is remarkably stable.”

Taking a leaf out of Strega’s book, I continued to investigate meticulously, looking for even microscopic traces like a famous detective.

The similarities were the goblin corpses and the overuse of magical power in the explosions, but this time the method seemed different.

“I’ll look around the area for injured people. Soma-senpai, please wait right here.”

“Thanks.”

But with an explosion like that, any traces on the ground would have been incinerated.

Strega must have had a reason for suggesting we split up—maybe she sensed something was wrong.

Maybe I should analyze the magic stone Strega gave me, there might be something hidden in it…

Wait—what is this?

I puzzled over the strange sensation in my body, physically unable to turn my head. Mana had told me to wait here, and I could still move if necessary.

My nose itched excruciatingly, as if tiny flies were crawling over it. But my arms wouldn’t respond.

I couldn’t even reach for the magic stone in my pocket.

“Look at Soma-senpai, staying put like a good little boy. Heehee. This is too funny!”

Somehow, Mana’s behavior had changed upon her return.

But my lips were sealed, and no words could escape.

“My Unique Skill this time is… ‘Enchantment.'”

The effect, oh… She teased as she approached me, hands clasped behind her back and walking in an exaggerated, sweet manner.

“It restricts the target’s actions. Basically, it prevents them from moving. The catch is that it only works if the target’s level is lower than mine.”

Standing just a breath away, Mana stretched up on her toes.

To be precise, she seemed to be standing on tiptoe.

“Heehee. That means Soma-senpai is at a lower level than me.”

Mana, covering the direction of her breath with a hand to make sure it hit my face, said,

“You’re a lowlife, Soma-senpai. A pig-human orc, a worthless lowlife.”

Her provocative behavior and childish insults stretched my patience to the limit.

The insolent words flowed without hesitation.