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

“Yuke, you can use Mana Refresh?”

“Well, I am a Red Mage.”
Mana Refresh is one of the enhancement spells unique to Red Mages—or perhaps it’s better categorized as a support spell.
The magic works by absorbing ambient mana from the surroundings and gradually restoring the caster’s magical energy.

While it’s not instantaneous, it’s incredibly effective for significantly improving the endurance of magic users in prolonged battles.
“Wait, wait! Is it some kind of amazing magic?”
Marina’s excited voice prompted a small nod from Rain.

“It’s a very rare spell. Just being able to use it could get you into an A-rank party.”
“That’s an exaggeration,” I said with a chuckle.
Having this spell alone wouldn’t make breaking into A-rank that easy.

“Red Mages are an underappreciated class. We have to pick up all sorts of tricks to stay relevant.”
Learning Mana Refresh wasn’t easy, but I apparently had the knack for it. Getting my hands on the spellbook was a challenge too—it wasn’t exactly cheap or readily available.
Back in Thunder Pike, no matter how much I supported the team with enhancements, they were either too dense or just didn’t care.

“Well, enough about me. Let’s keep moving.”
“Okay!”
We advanced cautiously through the second floor.

Encountering another large group of undead like before would place too much of a burden on Rain.
“What are you doing?”
Silk’s curious gaze fell on me as I occasionally stopped to sprinkle holy water on the ground.

“Laying down holy water to block undead. It prevents flanking or ambushes pretty easily.”
“That’s… quite an idea.”
“Of course, doing this normally would be expensive, so I wouldn’t recommend it. But since I make my own, it’s no big deal.”
“Wait, you make your own? Even though you’re not a Cleric?”

“It’s not exactly something to brag about.”
Silk looked surprised, but holy water is, after all, a type of alchemically crafted potion.
Churches typically create it using Light Crystals, but it can also be made from Purification Ash left behind after using Turn Undead on low-level undead.

It’s essentially a “black-market recipe.”
I had already collected the ash from the Dead Miners earlier, so sprinkling holy water now wouldn’t put me in the red.
“…It seems that high-rank adventurers really do have a wealth of experience,” Silk said.

“Well, five years in the field teaches you a lot. Take whatever lessons you can from me.”
“Yuke, that sounded weird,” Marina pouted from behind, puffing out her cheeks.
“Hm?”

“You made it sound like you’re going to leave us someday. You can’t!”
“Did I? If it came off that way, I’m sorry.”
It seemed I hadn’t quite shaken off my “teacher” mindset.

“Good! Apology accepted!”
“Still, please teach us more, Sensei,” Silk teased, lightening the mood.
Smiling wryly, I led the group further into the dungeon.

We encountered a few more monsters on the third floor but cleared them without issue, eventually reaching the fourth floor.
“Let’s take a break and have a meal.”
From here on, we’d be searching for the magical iron ore deposit. A proper meal was necessary to keep our energy up.

“Dungeon meals are always so depressing…”
“They can’t be helped,” Rain murmured softly, sighing as she and Marina pulled out dried meat and hardtack from their bags.
That’s normal for adventurers, but eating cold, flavorless food in a dim dungeon is bound to dampen anyone’s spirits.

Luckily, they’d forgotten something important—I was here.
“Hold on. I’ll handle the food this time.”
From my Magic Bag, I pulled out a frying pan, a portable stove, and a small folding table, setting them up efficiently.

“Wow… Is that a Magic Bag?”
“First time seeing one?”
Rain’s eyes sparkled as she nodded repeatedly, glancing between me and the bag.

“Well, they’re not cheap, but you’ll come across one eventually if you keep adventuring.”
Magic Bags are one of the more common magical artifacts.
While their cost makes them inaccessible for most rookies, they’re widely available in shops and occasionally found in dungeons.

For someone like me, who relies heavily on tools for support, a Magic Bag is indispensable.
“Alright, let’s start cooking.”
Lighting the stove with a mana stone, I heated the frying pan and prepared a small pot.

I pulled out some baguettes, eggs, sausages, and cheese from my bag, then placed the pot on the ground and tapped it twice with a ladle.
Steam began to rise as the pot filled itself with soup.
“Whoa! What’s that? That’s amazing!” Rain clapped her hands in delight, clearly impressed.

“This is a magical artifact I picked up in the Ruins of Aurias Castle—the Everlasting Stock Pot. Fixing it cost a fortune, but it’s pretty fun to use.”
While Rain admired the artifact, I cracked eggs and threw sausages into the frying pan, letting the enticing sizzle fill the air.
“…I can’t believe it.”

“What’s wrong, Marina?”
“I never thought I’d get to eat proper food in a dungeon… Am I dreaming?”
“It’s not that big of a deal. Here, dig in.”

Marina’s face lit up as she took the plate and began eating happily.
It wasn’t anything fancy, but seeing her enjoy it made it worthwhile.
“…?”

Silk stared intently at her plate.
“Yuke-san, is this food… imbued with mana?”
“Well, yeah.”

I forgot Silk, being a Dark Elf, would be particularly sensitive to mana.
“How can eggs and sausages have mana?”
“Well, cooking is a kind of alchemy, don’t you think?”

“It’s not.”
“Anyway, with a bit of training, you can infuse food with mana. It’s useful for keeping everyone’s stamina up during long tasks like mining.”
“Wait… so cooking is… love? And love is mana?”

Silk buried her face in her hands, seemingly overwhelmed.
It wasn’t that complicated, but Rain gently patted her back.
“Silk, don’t think about it too hard. Just go with the flow, okay?”

A mage telling someone to rely on instinct? Oh well.
I bit into a freshly cooked sausage, savoring its warmth in the cool dungeon air.