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

(Narrated from the viewpoint of Simon, the leader of Thunder Pike and a Knight.)

Things were going poorly.
Was it because of the new member we temporarily added to the team? Perhaps we should have spent more time coordinating before the expedition.
"Barry! There’s reinforcement monsters coming from the west corridor! Hold them off!"
"Don’t be ridiculous! I’m already at my limit over here!"

This was bad. At this rate, we wouldn’t hold out against the onslaught of monsters.
We were going to be overrun.
"Newbie, Cork! Block their advance!"
"No way I can manage that!"

The new member was a B-rank Ranger/Thief. He should’ve been far more useful than that good-for-nothing Red Mage Yuke, but so far, he wasn’t pulling his weight.
Still, even so, the monsters were unusually strong today.
This was the Ruins of Aurias Castle Labyrinth, a dungeon we’d explored many times before. Our best record was reaching the 17th floor. Yet here we were, struggling on the 4th floor.

"Something’s wrong! The monsters are way too strong!"
Barry, our Warrior, was struggling as well.
The monsters we were fighting were Dial Wolves, crocodile-headed wolves we’d encountered countless times before. They should have been manageable opponents, but these were different—faster, tougher, and deadlier.

"What’s going on? Are the monsters here getting stronger?"
"What are you all even doing here if you’re this underprepared?" Cork muttered, his face twisted in disbelief.
A scream rang out.
"Kyahhh!"

One of the Dial Wolves broke through the front line and sank its teeth into Jemmy, our Mage.
How could they breach the vanguard so easily?
"Damn it! Jemmy!"

I wanted to rush to her aid, but three Dial Wolves blocked my way. If I turned my back to them, they’d pounce on me in an instant.
But I had to do something—Jemmy was already limp, being shaken around in the jaws of one of the wolves.
"Camilla! Use a healing spell!"
"I’m out of mana!"
Impossible! We’d only been in the dungeon for a short time. We usually breezed through the first five floors without breaking a sweat.

What was different?
Why was everything falling apart?
Yuke had been a deadweight, or so I thought, and replacing him with a more aggressive fighter should have given us an advantage.

"To hell with this!"
Barry swung his battle axe wildly, managing to hold the line temporarily.
Now was my chance. I had to take out the Dial Wolf attacking Jemmy.

"Cork, cover me!"
"I’m already trying!"
I lunged at the Dial Wolf as it prepared to leap at Camilla. My horizontal slash struck true.
(Got it!)

Or so I thought. Despite my full-strength attack, the Dial Wolf wasn’t killed. It should’ve been enough—this strike would’ve finished them off before.
Still, I managed to push it back, away from our rear line. Now was the time to retreat.
"Fall back!"

I hoisted the still-breathing Jemmy onto my shoulder and sprinted toward the stairs.
"Cork, cover our retreat! Use your arrows to slow them down!"
"Are you trying to get me killed?!"
Ignoring my command, Cork ran alongside me instead of holding the rear. Behind us, Barry and Camilla were fending off the pursuing Dial Wolves. Somehow, we made it to the staircase, driving the monsters back just enough to catch our breath.

Panting heavily, I lowered Jemmy to the ground. Her breathing was shallow, her face pale.
"Camilla, can you heal her now?"
"I need time to meditate and restore my mana," she replied.
"What about mana potions? Do you have any left?"
"I don’t have any on me."
Something was definitely wrong.

Camilla running out of mana on these lower floors was unheard of. And usually, she would use a mana potion if she was running low.
"Urgh… g-gah…"
Jemmy coughed up blood, her breathing growing shallower.

"Someone has to have a healing potion! Who has one?"
"I don’t. That kind of thing was always the errand boy’s job," Barry grumbled.
"Cork! Do you have one?"
Reluctantly, Cork pulled a small vial from his pouch.
"Thank you. Hand it over!"
"Listen, this is my potion, bought with my own money. Why should I just give it to you?"

"What are you saying?! A teammate is dying!"
Cork sighed heavily and passed me the vial.
"How can you be so indifferent when someone’s life is at stake?" I demanded.
"You were the one who told us consumables were self-provided when I joined. Don’t act like it’s my responsibility now."

"Damn it… Fine!"
I poured the healing potion over Jemmy’s wounds, praying it would buy us enough time for Camilla to recover her mana.
Hours later, we managed to stabilize Jemmy and return to Finis. By the time we arrived, night had fallen.

This was the first time since the formation of Thunder Pike that things had gone so wrong.
And it was all because of this selfish and unreliable new member. As the leader, I had to address his behavior.
"Cork, your attitude is unacceptable for a teammate."
"Yeah? Well, I’ve had enough of you lot. I thought Thunder Pike was some hotshot team, but you’re just a bunch of amateurs who don’t even know your own limits."

How shameless to blame his own shortcomings on us. Even that so-called deadweight Yuke had more self-awareness than this.
"If you want to stay on this team, you need to change that mindset."
Cork paused for a moment before shouting:

"I’ve had it! I’m leaving!"
His words echoed through the tavern, drawing everyone’s attention.