After convincing the other parties, I spent the next five days carefully planning a strategy to attack the Dungeon Boss.
We also practiced coordinating with each other.
We used S-rank Floor Bosses as our training dummy.
Scarlett, the 3rd Floor's Boss was especially helpful in our practice.
I even wondered if the magical beast existed for that very purpose.
We were going to challenge the Dungeon Boss the next day.
It was the night before the day of the battle.
We had a party that day like five days ago, so raise our morale and be
energized for the next day.
The Ten Heroic Beasts were particularly too big, so after reflecting on the fact that the dining room was too small when we held the first party, we decided to do it in the garden of the base.
The dwarves drank as a joke.
Admiral Galara had returned.
That alone seemed to give them a reason to drink.
I was secretly told by Admiral Galara's fellow dwarves that they were truly grateful for this battle, whether we won or lost.
"More fruit juice, please."
"Here you go."
I got another glass of fruit juice from Helmios' servant.
The servants who came with Helmios' party were working quietly as always.
I was very grateful to them.
After conquering the Dungeon Boss, I planned to continue hunting Iron Golems.
I was hoping to level up to unlock <Kingship>.
"Can I have some more fruit juice too?"
"Here you go."
As I pondered about my future plans, Admiral Galara got a glass of fruit juice from a servant.
"I've prepared some nice drinks for you, but you are not drinking?"
"It's okay. I've had enough to drink. I'll save it for tomorrow's victory drink."
Admiral Galara was no longer the swearing Admiral Galara he used to be when he used to stay in the base.
I was counting on Admiral Galara who had regained his composure.
For the past five days, Admiral Galara had not had a drop of alcohol.
"Then tomorrow, we will have a victory party?"
"Yeah. Allen. Whatever tomorrow's battle turns out to be, I'll say thank you first. Thank you."
"Let's not ruin the mood."
"That's right."
I rebuked Admiral Galara, who was determined to sacrifice himself.
Admiral Galara entered the circle of dwarves with a radiant expression on his face.
Lepe, the Musician, was playing the biggest flute I had ever seen to set the mood for the occasion.
But he suddenly stopped playing the flute, took two mugs of alcohol from a servant, headed over to Cecile.
"Hello, beautiful lady. Would you like to have a drink with me?"
"Oh? That's very thoughtful of you. I'll take it."
Then she took the mug and tried to leave.
"Oh, come on. That's not cool."
"I'm only interested in strong men."
Saying that Cecile left Lepe.
But Lepe seemed to be happy with those words too.
By the way, I had heard Prince Zew say that there were many strong-minded women among the beastmen.
Maybe Lepe just enjoyed courting ladies.
Once again, he started to play the flute.
I came back with fruit juice to where Kurena was eating like a demon.
Then Prince Zew came to me.
"Have you planned everything, Mr. Allen?"
Prince Zew, who was one of the four party leaders for the past five days, came to confirm our strategy.
His party was named "Prince Zew and the Ten Heroic Beasts".
The Ten Heroic Beast who were already in another party were asked to leave once and join this party.
This party's joke-like name made sense.
Who was at this party meant more than a cool party name.
If we were able to defeat the Dungeon Boss and successfully conquer the dungeon, then the party name would be the best.
"I don't think our coordination is perfect. To be honest, the Ten Heroic Beasts' Talents are too special. It is not feasible to have perfect coordination in just five days."
If you asked me if my plan was perfect, then it was not.
The Ten Heroic Beasts had special Talents that I didn't fully understand.
That said, they didn't fully understand my skills as well, and I wouldn't have let them either.
However, we were able to share a kind of common understanding necessary for the battle over the five days of practice.
We didn't understand the details of each other's skill perfectly, however, all four parties were made up of experienced warriors with ample experience in actual combat.
That was what I was thinking at that moment, just hours before our battle.
"Is that so? I've seen them fight in the Martial Arts Tournament."
The Martial Arts Tournament in the Albahar Kingdom was held in the presence of Beast King and Royalty.
Prince Zew had seen many of the Heroic Beasts fight who had won their respective divisions many times. So, he didn't think their Talent and skills were anything special.
(This alone is a good reason for Prince Zew to lead the Ten Heroic Beasts. It also helps that though some of them hate Royalty, they don't hate Prince Zew.)
It was because for two years, he kept moving for the safety of the beastmen as he was ordered to conquer the unconquerable S-class dungeon.
So, Prince Zew was well-liked among the beastmen.
''Do you think they will be willing to do what I say, like Mr. Lepe?"
I had a small concern.
I wanted to check with Prince Zew to see if there would be any problems regarding the discipline because of someone free-spirited like Lepe.
''That shouldn't be a problem. He's also a fierce fighter who's been chosen as one of the Ten Heroic Beasts for three years in a row. Ten Heroic Beasts have great battle discipline."
"That would be great."
"When this is over, I will owe Mister Allen as much as I owe Rosenheim."
"Is that why you have started calling me 'Mister Allen'?"
"Hmm. Well, I'm no Marshal Sigur, but please go easy on me."
Prince Zew had started calling me "Mister Allen" after he decided to participate in the raid.
His perception of me had changed a lot.
Marshal Sigur was also there.
Marshal Sigur had brought the Ten Heroic Beasts from the Albahar Beast Kingdom, and his job was to return them to the Beast Kingdom as well.
I wondered if it was just my imagination that he wasn't getting too close to me.
I looked at Sophie who was beside Marshal Sigur to see if maybe I had caused some trauma.
"No, no. There's only one thing I want to ask the Beast King Zew, so..."
"What? You want something? I have no choice, do I? What do you want, by the way?"
Prince Zew asked, quite alarmed but even more scared what would happen if he didn't ask.
''Yes. If you ever have a child, I want him to have a three-syllable name."
I was told that Prince Zew was already married and had a wife, but no children.
Her husband, Prince Zew, had been sent to the S-class dungeon to conquer it and hadn't returned for about two years.
And I had heard that Prince Zew's wife had a pretty rough temper too.
He said that every once in a while he got a letter from his wife asking when he would return to the Beast Kingdom.
"Another big thing."
"No, no. It's just naming your child. By all means, please give him or her a name that will leave a legacy in the future."
I had made that request for various reasons.
It had been about 1000 years since the Albahar Beast Kingdom was established.
Due to the beastmen's past history with the Giamut Empire, when the Albahar Kingdom was established, a law had been passed that the names of beastmen, including Royalty, could only have two syllables.
I had asked Prince Zew to change the history of Alabahar Kingdom's hatred of the Giamut Empire.
"Together, I mean."
"Yes."
Prince Zew was deep in thought at my words.
He had a look of someone with deep resolve in his heart.
Then another beastman came to me.
He had been following me around for the last five days.
"Oh, Summoner of Beginning. There you are. Care to join us for a moment?"
"Again?"
"Mm. Maybe. Because I have to go home tomorrow."
Temi, the Astrologer, came to me.
Then he took my hand and sat me down in a vacant spot.
He started some kind of spell after that.
I didn't know if they were ores or gems, but he scattered them randomly on the ground.
"I still don't know. No, it's more like the fortune-telling results are changing."
Mumblingly, he tried to divine my future.
(It's probably because of my Talent.)
It was when Helmios appraised me at the Academy that I learned that I couldn't be appraised.
I was told by Angel Merus that even a special skill of an A-rank summon wouldn't be able to appraise S-rank magical beasts.
Astrologer Temi probably couldn't see my future because I had an 8-star Talent which was higher than hers.
I wondered whether it was an advantage or a disadvantage that my fortune couldn't be told, as I watched Temi, the Astrologer with his head in his hands.
"I'm looking for something. Can you help me find this?"
"What? What kind of stuff?"
"I'm told that there's no set shape, but that it's a vessel of some sort."
And while I was at it, I asked if he could find the Divine Artifact.
I was very near to conquering the S-class dungeon but hadn't found any information about the Divine Artifact.
"What the hell is that?"
"That's why I'm in trouble. I really need to find it."
"Okay."
He snarls and continues divining, picking up and throwing the gems and ores.
"Ko, this can't be happening. I can't find it. Are you lying? No, it's the same."
He wanders around looking at his hands.
"There are things that I, who have been called the best Astrologer in the Beast Kingdom, can't find? I can't see his future and can't even find the object he is looking for?"
For a moment I was suspected of lying and giving her wrong information, but I wasn't doing that.
"It's a shame. By the way, what about what Dogora is looking for?"
I had found a skilled fortune teller, so wanted to extract as much information as I could.
"What? Me?"
"That's right. Can you see how Dogora can activate his Extra Skill or something?"
"Yeah?"
Dogora asked me what I was talking about, and reminded him of his inability to activate his Extra Skill properly.
I wanted Dogora to ask for some advice.
"I see. I see. Mmm-hmm. This, this is coming out! I didn't lose my powers too? Hm? But..."
Astrologer Temi's face clouded.
"Oh, you figured out why I can't activate it properly?"
Dogora grabbed Astrologer Temi's shoulders.
"Yes, I don't know why, but if you go southeast from here, you'll find the answer."
"The country southeast of here is the Latash Kingdom. Is there anything in there?"
There were several countries in the direction that Astrologer Temi had mentioned, including the Latash Kingdom.
I wondered if there was something in that area.
"Seriously? Yes!"
Dogora shouted in a loud voice.
He had finally gotten a clue to how to activate his Extra Skill that he hadn't been able to even once since the battle against Demon General Razel.
(Uuha. Evin with just this, he is worthy of being a Heroic Beast.)
"I see. No."
But Astrologer Temi's face clouded again.
"What's wrong?"
"If you try to seek that power, you will most likely lose your life. That's how much danger you will have to go through."
"Oh, no! Seriously?"
According to Astrologer Temi, Dogora would have to risk his life to be able to use his Extra SKill.
There was talk of a severe trial against Dogora at the end of the party.
The party on the night before the raid to defeat the Dungeon Boss soon ended afterwards.
