Now that Ingrid—formerly "Ms. Ingrid"—has officially joined our party, it's time to start leveling her up right away.

  "Liberta-sama, what is this?""A weapon.""Liberta, even for you, that’s a stretch.""Yeah, no matter how you look at it, that’s just a bamboo broom, right? I’ve used one before, so I know.""We have one at my house too.""My brother used to swing it around as a joke and broke it, then got scolded by Mom.""Boys always do stuff like that."

  A maid outfit and a bamboo broom—a bit of a mismatched combo, but this is the most efficient weapon for a support-type maid, so there’s no helping it. I completely agree with Nel and Amina, but what can I say? This is the most effective weapon for the job.

  This bamboo broom was also a custom order from Ganji-san.

  Of course, when I requested it, he yelled, "This is a weapon shop, you know!?" But after some persuasion (and a hefty payment), he made it for me.

  Well, if someone asked for a fishing rod and a bamboo broom, any weaponsmith would be mad.

  "It counts as a weapon if I say it’s a weapon!! It’s properly reinforced and even has the ‘Mark of the Weak’ synthesized into it. Firepower-wise, it’s no problem! Plus, I’ll upgrade it ter to make it even stronger!!""Is that so?""And trust me, it hurts like hell if you get hit with it.""Well, obviously."

  A bamboo broom is usually an outdoor cleaning tool for sweeping up fallen leaves. As Amina said, kids might py-fight with it, pretending it’s a sword, but if warriors, swordsmen, or even knights carried one, it’d feel like a comedy sketch.

  As Nel and Amina pointed out, by normal standards, this thing could hardly be called a weapon.

  But for some reason, in FBO, it’s cssified as a legitimate weapon.

  And its category? Staff.

  Yeah, I knew staff weapons had the loosest cssification in FBO, but this is ridiculous.

  Is it because wizards ride them or something?

  I tested it with a friend during the Kagamimochi Death March, checking various weapon cssifications, so I’m sure of it.

  The moment I defeated a Kagamimochi with a bamboo broom, I unlocked the Staff Mastery passive skill.

  Therefore, a bamboo broom is a staff.

  "Just follow the strategy I told you. If you fight like that, you’ll win without a problem.""Understood."

  At this point, arguing is pointless. First, Ingrid needs to secure a skill slot at Css 0 / Level 0 before we can really get started.

  "Nel, Amina, you two should at least carry your weapons too."

  I pull out the Mochi Dungeon key like usual and check everyone’s equipment.

  "Got it!""Do we really need these against mochi?"

  Aside from Ingrid, the rest of us—myself included—are all properly equipped with leather armor and our new weapons.

  Despite everything, thanks to Ganji-san, who kept working even during the stampede, we’ve got fresh gear.

  My new partner, repcing the bamboo spear confiscated by Esmeralda: a steel scythe-spear.

  I haven’t used it in battle yet, but it feels good in my hands.

  "Nel’s is super heavy. If she swings it normally, she’d probably ftten the mochi, right?"

  Nel’s new partner, upgraded from the bamboo spear: a full-steel halberd.

  "Probably."

  Though it looks unbanced in her still-growing hands, Nel wields it effortlessly, clearly excited about its power.

  "Amina’s weapon has a weird shape.""Liberta-kun said this design fits my style the best."

  Amina holds a magic-crystal staff that looks like a microphone stand. Ganji-san must’ve crafted it exactly as requested because Amina seems very satisfied.

  Add Ingrid in a maid outfit with her bamboo broom, and that’s our current party.

  If it were just me, Nel, and Amina, we might look like kids pying at being adventurers, but with a maid in tow, we’ve got serious gimmick energy.

  "It’s open! Ingrid, from here on out, it’s the dungeon. Stay sharp.""Yes."

  Even facing her first dungeon challenge, Ingrid’s stoic expression doesn’t change. Is she nervous? Or completely unfazed?

  Her poker face gives nothing away.

  "Hey, Liberta. What about the mochi on the way?""Ignore them. Waste of time. Just grab the herbs.""Got it!"

  We breeze through the familiar Mochi Dungeon, collecting herbs without taking a wrong turn, heading straight for the boss room.

  "Alright, let’s make this quick.""Understood."

  From here, Ingrid fights alone.

  She steps into the boss room with her bamboo broom, looking more like a maid coming to sweep the pce than a warrior.

  And what she’s sweeping? The room’s master—the Kagamimochi.

  Same as always, its bouncy, doughy movements feel weighty. At this point, I’ve seen this thing more than my own parents’ faces.

  "Would Nel take it out in one hit?""If I ssh downward, maybe?""Can I just whack it with this?"

  For me, four attacks. For Nel, one strike. Amina would need some creativity and about ten seconds.

  But how does Ingrid, at Level 0, fight?

  "Then, I shall begin."

  She swings the bamboo broom in a sweeping motion, aiming low at the Kagamimochi.

  And—oh, wonder of wonders—the mochi flips over.

  "Huh? What was that?""It just… fell over?"

  Different weapons have different attack traits.

  Thrusting weapons (like spears) excel at piercing.

  Bded weapons (like swords) specialize in sshing.

  Blunt weapons (like hammers) focus on striking.

  So, what’s the bamboo broom’s specialty?

  Sweeping.

  Originally a tool for sweeping leaves, when weaponized, the broom’s sweeping motion becomes absurdly effective.

  By sweeping the enemy’s feet, it disrupts their attacks and deals damage.

  The damage output is lower than other weapons, but its slip effect—restricting enemy movement—is top-tier.

  "It doesn’t even feel like she’s fighting…""Yeah, more like she’s cleaning."

  Normally, a flipped Kagamimochi would split, forcing you to lure and whittle it down safely. But with the broom’s slip effect, it just stays down, completely locked in pce.

  Sweep → Mochi flops → Damage.Try to move? Sweep again → Movement denied → More damage.

  Against heavier, rger, or higher-level enemies, the slip effect weakens, but with the right technique, even a final boss could be tripped.

  "It’s done.""Great work!!""That was fast!""Yes. And as Liberta-sama said, I gained a skill without leveling up."

  Sure enough, Ingrid acquired a status at Level 0:

  [Ingrid Glühe — Css 0 / Level 0]

  Base Stats:

  HP: 0 | MP: 0

  BP: 0

  Skills:

  1/1 Slot

  Staff Mastery — Css 1 / Level 1

  A familiar sight.

  "Perfect, you got it!""The treasure chest’s normal.""Contents were rice water."

  With that, Phase One is complete.

  "Alright, let’s move on."

  Once she’s learned the skill, the rest is easy. We exit the Mochi Dungeon, return to the warehouse, and—

  "Finally, we can officially use this guy.""Did you really need to give it a straw hat?""Aesthetic purposes.""What about the shield on its back?""Essential equipment."

  There it is—the Angler, now sporting a big straw hat. The only changes are the hat (purely for fir), the Mythril Fishing Rod in its right hand, and the shield strapped to its back.

  "We’re taking this too, right?"

  Next to the Angler sits a massive bear trap.

  "Yeah, we can’t start without it."

  Too big for rabbits. If it snaps on a bear, it’d bite clean through its torso.

  "Oh, and we’re bringing that thing too.""This too? What’s it even for?"

  The other item is an iron pte with springs—a contraption known in FBO as the Tatami Flip.

  So, our loadout:

  Bear Trap

  Shield

  Tatami Flip

  Angler

  Mythril Fishing Rod

  Mochi Dungeon Key

  With all this, we’re not just giving the devil a golden club—we’re handing him Excalibur.

  I double-check the ropes securing everything to the Angler.

  "Alright! Everyone, board the Angler!""I call top spot!""Should we stand on its legs?""Yeah. Ingrid, you too.""Yes."

  Once everyone’s on, we’re ready to go. I step onto one of the Angler’s legs and offer Ingrid a hand up.

  "Okay, everyone on?""All good!""Amina, you sure you’re fine?""No issues here."

  Amina clings to the Angler’s shoulder with her talons, Nel stands on the right leg, and Ingrid and I take the left.

  I confirm the bear trap and Tatami Flip are securely tied to the Angler.

  "Let’s move out."

  I pull out the Pendulum of Teleportation from my pocket. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to use this, and now’s the time.

  "Destination: Lake 1!"

  Back before I met Esmeralda, I marked this area with the most unimaginative name possible.

  (What? The pendulum makes you name the location! Cut me some sck!)

  Nel shoots me a look questioning my naming sense as the pendulum activates.

  Light floods the warehouse, blinding me momentarily.

  A brief sensation of weightlessness—then the Angler nds with a thud, the impact vibrating through my feet.

  "—!?""Whoa.""Ah, thank you.""Y-Yeah.""……"

  I kept my bance, but Ingrid, with her no stats, nearly toppled off. I grabbed her hand and pulled her back—maybe a little too close.

  For a second, I thought she’d fluster, but she just gave a tiny eyebrow twitch, thanked me politely, and smoothly stepped away.

  …Wait, does she dislike me?

  "Liberta! What now?""Ah, right. First, check if everything teleported properly.""Got it! Hey, Liberta-kun, help out too.""Fine, fine."

  Shaking off my brief moment of insecurity, I focus on the mission.

  "I’ll move the Angler. Ingrid, hop off.""Understood. What should I do after?""Untie the bear trap and Tatami Flip.""Yes."

  …Huh. She’s acting normal. What was that earlier?

  "Right, no time for overthinking. Back to work."

  I climb onto the Angler, set the fishing rod aside, and start with the bear trap setup.

  Having a golem makes manual bor so much easier.

  "Nel, I’m testing the trap. Hold that rope!""Got it!"

  Dangerous tasks are no problem when the golem’s arms do the heavy lifting.

  I pry open the vice-like bear trap and lock it in pce. It’s designed to snap shut when something steps on the trigger pte, but I’ve added a mechanism.

  A small ptform sits on the pte, weighted with a heavy rock. A rope tied to the ptform’s leg leads to Nel.

  "There we go."

  Once everything’s ready, I back the Angler away.

  "All set!""Pulling now!"

  At my signal, Nel yanks the rope hard.

  The ptform’s leg jerks free—the rock tumbles—

  THWACK!

  The bear trap snaps shut with enough force to bisect a person.

  "Perfect. It works."

  Now, where to pce it?

  This spot overlooks the ke from a small cliff—prime real estate.

  Cross-referencing my FBO knowledge, I pinpoint the ideal location.

  "Yeah, here."

  The trap’s position is decided.

  "Let’s finish setting up by lunch."

  And so, right under the field boss’s nose, we diligently prepare for battle.