"Now that I think about it, why is the monster's weak point at the base of the neck?"

I recalled something that had been bothering me and asked Reflair.

"I thought it might be because there's a spirit stone in the neck,"

"No, it's because that's where the vital core concentrates. Spirits stones are born from the 'proof of life,' so they only appear at the core of the vital essence after death, not while alive."

"So that's how it is... Wait, what exactly is the vital core?"

"There's a spiritual current flowing through the body—spirit veins, if you will."

According to Reflair, both humans and monsters possess this flow of spirit power within their bodies, with the central point located at the base of the neck.

If that point is destroyed, there's nothing that can be done—the creature dies instantly.

That’s why I was scolded to at least wear armor on that part. Honestly, once I heard about it, I got scared and decided I’d make armor once I saved up enough money.

Upon closer inspection, both Reflea and Grapeflour have full protection at the base of their necks.

It must be rare for someone like me to be completely exposed.

"I thought there must be a reason you weren’t wearing armor… I never expected you didn’t even know about it… You should probably study more, Hikaru."

"Is there a book about explorer basics in the guild?"

"I’ll teach you myself instead of a book. Don’t worry. Feel free to ask me anything."

Reflea thumped her chest proudly.

Honestly, having someone to teach me is a huge relief.

This is a world different from Earth. Without guidance, the differences in common sense are so extreme that you wouldn’t even realize they’re different.

Honestly, she didn’t even know what she didn’t understand. That was the state she was in.

"Hey… while we’ve been exploring the labyrinth, I’ve been wondering—what exactly is Reifrea? Is she an explorer, or just a knight apprentice? If she’s aiming to become a proper knight, does that mean she’s been training here until the exam?"

I asked while eating the second helping (......) that had been brought over. It was a pretty questionable question, especially if prying into fellow explorers’ affairs was strictly forbidden, but I really wanted to know about her.

To be frank, Reifrea’s presence among explorers was quite unusual.

Occasionally, you’d see veteran explorers who, like Reifrea, wore fine equipment and calmly ventured deep into dungeons.

But she was, at best, a mid-level explorer whose main focus was the third floor.

I get that being a novice of the Sacred Order means you'd have better gear, but I don't really understand why you're mimicking an explorer... it just doesn't connect.

"Reflia's here for a reason too, so I was wondering if there's anything I could help with. ...If asking was the wrong thing, it's fine if you don't answer."

"A purpose, you say? ...Well, I have two. I came into the labyrinth for one of them. One of them is money—exploring labyrinths is risky, but that's why it pays well."

"And the other?"

"Didn't I mention I'm a novice of the Sacred Order? That's the other one."

"Huh? How's that related?"

"Ah... so you didn't know anything about the Sacred Order, huh?"

Maybe the Sacred Order is common knowledge in this world.

Being a knight is just one profession, after all. I wouldn't say it's common knowledge.

"To become a Sanctum Knight—guardians of the shrine dedicated to the Great Spirit—two abilities are required. First, basic combat strength, which refers to martial skill and rank. The second is 'Spirit Magic.' Since I aim to become a Sanctum Knight of the Temple of Light, I must be able to wield Light Spirit Magic."

"Then, aren't you already qualified? Your rank is pretty high, isn't it, Refrea?"

"Yes, my rank and combat ability are certainly above reproach. …But you understand, right, Hikaru? I just can't handle Spirit Magic well."

Refrea says this with a somewhat pained expression.

I was told I'd understand, but I didn't really grasp it. I didn't see any practical use for it, and my own magic had been enough on its own, so I'd only tried Refrea's magic a few times early on out of curiosity and hadn't used it during later explorations.

Do they think I dismissed her spirit magic as useless?

...No, that's probably just how it is in reality.

It's true that darkness and light aren't exactly compatible.

"So, you're saying spirit magic hasn't reached the level required to become a Holy Knight... is that it?"

"Yes. To become a Holy Knight, you must be able to wield the fourth technique, Photon Ray. My family has produced Holy Knight Commanders for generations, and as the eldest daughter, I was naturally expected to follow that path... yet here I am, still not even a full knight at my age—just a failure."

"Refrea..."

I had been using her in the party as a "warrior" without knowing any of that.

I'm completely unfit to be a party member.

"My younger sister was incredibly skilled in spirit magic, and her dazzling spells were called 'Flora of Radiance (Kōki)'. In contrast, I was known as the 'Reflia of Dull Color (Nbi-iro)'—someone who couldn't shine at all..."

I'm an outsider who gained my abilities through cheating, not through effort.

How could I possibly soothe her sincere worries just by saying a few comforting words, when I myself was born into this world through such unfair means?

　

So there's only one thing I can do.

To train her spirit magic. That's all.

"Reflia. Is it enough just to master your fourth spell?"

"Wait? Yes... but even though I've been using spirit magic all along, it still didn't work. It's already been a year since I entered the labyrinth, you know? Normally, my magic rank should have improved by now."

"No, it's still too early to give up. I just felt uneasy about getting help for free. But there are only nine days left—I'll support you so you can master the fourth spell within that time."

"But you said 'support'... I can barely use magic five times a day before reaching my limit."

Whether they know it or not, magic follows a 'proficiency system.'

That means it gets stronger the more you use it.

Furthermore, proficiency increases faster when used in actual combat. For example, the proficiency of my Darkness Fog has stopped rising just from hiding in the dark, but it does improve when I use it to engulf enemies in darkness during battle.

The Reflair technique should also be trainable along this route.

Probably, she's never used light-based magic beyond simply serving as a light source.

After all, it's difficult to gain proficiency unless it's actually used in combat.

"Well, anyway, let's give it a try. By the way, I've been wondering—how do you even know if your technique, or even the user themselves, has advanced in rank? How do you tell?"

Actually, could it be that the status board appears for everyone...?

"You ask the Great Spirit for guidance, right? But you can't just ask Hikaru, can you? Ah, I see... being beloved really is inconvenient."

"Ah, no, that's fine. No problem at all."

So the Great Spirit is that kind of convenient presence.

A god who tells you your level... now that's truly fantasy.

"Wait... But Hikaru, even though Ken's rank is 4... How did you find out?"

"Well, I'll explain that part eventually."

Explaining that would require going back to the moment of the world transfer.

Let's talk about it once everything is settled.

While we were talking, Grapeflour, who hadn't joined in, had become full and was now sound asleep.

Definitely might be a cat.