第７５掘：わんわんおなめんな！！ (Part4)
"Huh? Do Kobolds even have special abilities? Don't they just carry clubs or whatever weapons they can find? Ovik, do you know?"
So Lari doesn't know. Well, that's to be expected; things like this don't usually happen.
"Kobolds are dogs, just like they look. They have a strong sense of pack mentality and territoriality. They also have keen noses, so if they catch the scent of blood and realize one of their own has died, you'll end up facing a massive swarm if the pack is nearby. Well, the same could be said for Goblins, I suppose."
"Ah, I see. It’s fine if they just die, but the problem is if we make a scene and it gets out that we were the ones who killed them, right?"
"That's the gist of it. If you defeat them and make a racket, you might end up attracting unexpected reinforcements. Basically, don't get carried away. In the wild, packs don't exactly explode in population unless something extreme happens. Kobolds and Goblins are relatively weak monsters, after all."
As we were talking, a vibration began to travel through the floor of the path.
"...What's that? An earthquake?"
"No, that's the sound of a large horde on the move."
"Wait, a large horde... could it be..."
"I see them!! And wait, aren't those guys...?"
From the depths of the path, the adventurers who had gone ahead were sprinting toward us, fleeing. Two of the six were being carried on their comrades' backs. And right behind them, a swarm of nearly a hundred Kobolds was charging our way.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"...I guess they made a scene."
"They were getting carried away, after all."
"What do we do? We could take them on, but we'd have to be prepared for some injuries, you know?"
"I think we should retreat immediately. There's no reason to get hurt on the first floor."
I agreed with my partner. This was a blunder they invited upon themselves. There was no reason for us to get dragged into it. But why weren't they using their Return Rings? Had the panic caused them to completely forget?
"...We're retreating, but I'm going to tell them to use their Return Rings first. Lari, use a large-scale spell to slow the Kobolds down for a second."
"If they forgot about the rings, honestly, they aren't even Rank 6. They're at a beginner level."
"...I know what you mean, but please. It might save their lives."
"Fine. I'm starting the chant."
Lari finished her incantation and unleashed the spell behind the fleeing group.
"FIRE STORM!!!"
A vortex of flames erupted, consuming the Kobolds and ending them. However, because of their sheer numbers, those in the back avoided the Fire Storm and kept pushing forward. But that brief window was enough.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"H-help us!! O-our friends are...!"
"Use your rings!! The Return Rings!!"
"Ah!?"
Had they really forgotten? I’ll have to report this to the Guild Master. As I thought that, the fleeing group vanished in an instant.
"Good, they got away."
"Ovik, we need to go too, quickly!"
"Yeah!"
We cut our exploration short after only an hour and headed back to the guild. By the time we returned, the group was already receiving treatment from Rurua. Ah, that’s right, Rurua was here, wasn't she? What a luxurious level of healing.
"Excuse me. You're the team that was diving in the dungeon with them, right? Could you tell us what happened?"
Just as we were about to report the situation to the Guild Master, someone else called out to us.
"Wait, isn't that Tori!? And Riel!? Why are you two here?"
Lari shouted in surprise, and I realized it too. Their attire was much higher quality than before, but there was no mistaking those faces. They were the Rank 6 adventurer duo. We hadn't been able to get in touch with them lately, but...
"Wait? You two weren't here when we arrived, right? Did you come later?"
"Um, Ovik, Lari... and you two, please stay calm and listen..."
"The dungeon everyone entered was created by me, Riel, Tori, and Kaya!!"
"...Hello."
"Ehhhhhh!?"
I suppose I must be a big-hearted person to think that Riel is as unpredictable as ever.
How was that? That is the mechanism of the adventurer guild in this world. Oh, and don't worry about Tanaka. If he ever meets Torino (Yuki), it’ll be an apocalyptic-level showdown. The two of them won't be crossing paths for a while. Besides, even "Woof-woofs" are strong if they gather in numbers!!