After Leaving the A-Rank Party, I Aim for the Deep Part of the Labyrinth With My Former Students

A week had passed since the not-so-distant memory of a drunken mishap.

On this morning, well-prepared for adventure, we stood before the entrance of the Aion Ruins Labyrinth.

This labyrinth was located near the city of Qualot, a fair distance from Finis.

The reason why we’d traveled from Finis to tackle this small labyrinth—a lesser dungeon—was because Clover had received a direct request.

The client was Arshees, a venerable weapons workshop based in Qualot.

The request? To conduct a dungeon expedition live stream while wearing their new equipment.

“How is everyone feeling?”

“Yeah, it’s really comfortable! Light and easy to move in. I think it’s great!”

Marina twirled excitedly, her short skirt fluttering up just enough to reveal a peek of her thighs.

Well, the design, which included shorts paired with greaves, seemed intended for such a display, but it still left me feeling a little uneasy.

“It feels a bit unfamiliar, but I think it’s fine,” Silk said, finishing her equipment check and offering a shy smile.

Her outfit consisted of a form-fitting black bodysuit overlaid with a jacket-style leather armor similar to Marina’s. The exposed shoulders appeared to be a deliberate design choice.

“This is good. Very good. The magic artifact… it’s wonderful,” Rain murmured contentedly, pinching the edges of her poncho-like cape with a satisfied expression.

“They’re giving us all of this gear and paying us? Generous, huh?”

“This is perfect for the live stream!”

While Marina and Rain appeared carefree, Silk looked a bit anxious.

“I’m nervous… Are we going to be okay?”

“You’re fine. It suits you well.”

“...! That’s not what I meant! It’s our first time entering this dungeon!”

Oh, so it wasn’t about the live stream’s visuals.

Given Silk’s personality, though, it made sense that a new dungeon combined with unfamiliar equipment might be a source of stress for her.

“Alright then. Let’s quickly review the details of this request and the dungeon itself.”

“Sure! What kind of place is this?”

“Well…”

The Aion Ruins Labyrinth was a fairly old, lesser dungeon.

It spanned four underground levels, with its deepest point serving as an entrance to the Au-Dread Abandoned City Labyrinth, a main dungeon.

In other words, the Aion Ruins Labyrinth functioned as a pathway to the main dungeon beyond.

“Got it so far?”

“Yes, I understand. So, we’ll need to reach the deepest part, right?”

“Exactly.”

The task was to clear the Aion Ruins Labyrinth and reach the entrance to the Au-Dread Abandoned City Labyrinth.

The client, Arshees, had designed a new line of magical protective gear tailored for female adventurers. Their theme for the season was “A Stylish and Safe Adventure for Women,” and they aimed to market armor with specialized enhancements for various roles at an accessible price.

Clover was an ideal match for this campaign, given Marina as the frontliner, Silk as the lightly armored scout, and Rain as the magic user in the rear guard. Combined with our recent popularity as streamers, we received a direct request to showcase their products.

“Difficulty-wise, this dungeon is easier than the Paintal Abandoned Mine Labyrinth. The armor’s performance is excellent, so let’s keep it relaxed and approach it as usual.”

“Yuke, have you been here before?”

“Yeah. I’ve even been to the Au-Dread Abandoned City Labyrinth beyond. This labyrinth cluster is said to have been an ancient commercial hub, so it’s known for yielding magical artifacts. Even after we finish the request, we could try tackling the main dungeon.”

“Ooh, I want to go there,” Marina said, her eyes sparkling.

A treasure chest opening stream could be fun, too.

…A so-called “Opening Ceremony” stream, which was one of the more popular types of content due to its inherent thrill.

“Well, in any case, this time the stream itself is the job.”@@novelbin@@

“Question!”

“Yes, Marina?”

“Um, what is Arshees planning to do with our stream? Are they checking for flaws in the armor?”

So that’s what she was wondering.

I thought I’d explained it already… but it’s fine. Confirmation is important.

“They’re going to edit the footage and use it as promotional content for their new armor series. I don’t mean to make you nervous, but in a way, all of you are becoming the image characters for Arshees’ new products.”

“Huh?”

“You know those ads that pop up during streams? That’s basically what this is.”

Marina’s face went blank for a moment before she burst out in a loud voice.

“Whaaaaat!?”

“...Didn’t I already explain this?”

When I glanced at Silk and Rain, they nodded in unison.

See? I definitely explained it.

“What am I going to do!? I haven’t even been taking care of my skin! Or my hair!”

“You’re already cute enough. Don’t worry about it.”

“...!”

“Alright, let’s get moving.”

From the magic bag, I pulled out the [Lantern of Insight].

Even though the stream would be edited later, falling for traps and looking foolish wouldn’t do us any favors. And while this was a low-level dungeon, it was still a dungeon—letting our guard down wasn’t an option.

“…? Marina, why are you frozen? Let’s go.”

“Eek! Y-Yes!”

Her movements were stiff and awkward. Realizing the stream would be used in promotional content must have made her nervous.

“I’ll take the lead, with Rain and Silk in the middle, and Marina in the rear. The GoPro drone will be moving around to capture different angles, but just ignore it.”

“Understood. Please guide us during combat,” Silk said, nodding and adjusting her new composite bow.

The bow, purchased from Arshees for this request, was a pre-release magical composite bow. Silk had already mentioned its impressive performance.

“Rain, if you have enough energy, try using fire-based magic once. Flashy visuals would look good on camera. Besides, many of the monsters in the Aion Ruins Labyrinth are weak to fire.”

“…”

“Rain? What’s wrong?”

Rain stared at me with narrowed eyes.

Did she dislike using fire magic?

“…What is it?”

“You’re so dense.”

Rain, still wearing the same expression, lightly tapped my chest.

…What did I do wrong this time?