The grandmother of Souya Family, was in short, a broadminded person
A little different from insensitive. She was curious about small things. She had an unpredictable personality, and was like a natural enemy to the original owner of my body.
Therefore, when I thought of her, my body trembled.
Retaining old memories vividly, wasn’t always a good thing.
Anyway, in this world, women normally did physical labor.
Of course, there were many types of women.
Even in the original world, there were women like that once in a while. But here, it was normal.
I still got a shock when I saw a young woman wearing only a tank top carrying ready-mixed concrete on my way to and from school.
Grandma’s occupation was a truck driver. With a rice ball in one hand and a steering wheel in the other hand, she would bring supplies from town to town.
In the land transportation business, it seemed that physical strength was important, so, even that slender body of hers was filled with overflowing energy.
“I’ll be here for a while.”
On the morning of the first day of the Golden Week, when I showed my face in the living room, she was already there.
“I-it’s been a while…”
My voice trembled. The body apparently remembered the trauma of meeting her.
“At times like this, say good morning first, Taketo.”
“G-good morning, grandmother.”
“Yes, good morning. Well, aren’t you getting slightly tougher than before?”
“I-I wonder… ah, hahaha”
My body wanted to turn right, to run away.
My body? What are you doing?
“What’s about Aki?”
“Sis hasn’t woken up… she seems to be working hard every night studying for her exams.”
“Humm. Weakling.”
Grandma poured another cup of tea from the teapot and drank it up with a small slurping sound.
The time is just 6 am in the morning.
Let alone Sis, even Mom is still sleeping. Since it’s a day off, there’s no need to get up early, right?
But… why is she here already?
It’s possible that she came last night…or rather, late at night.
She must have contacted Mom by phone and entered the house without ringing the doorbell.
“Grandmother, aren’t you going to rest?”
“Older people sleep less. More than that, you’re wearing jerseys. Training, is it?”
“Tha-that’s right, but….. ah, no way.”
“Well, I’ve been sitting all the time and my body is getting tired of staying still. Let’s run around town.”
Just five minutes after we met, we decided to run side by side.
◇
The grandmother of the Souya Family, Satoko Souya, seemed to be in her late fifties, but she looks ten years younger.
Of course, her hair was white and wrinkles were conspicuous.
But her tanned skin looked healthy and her toned body looked like an active athlete.
“You woke up at this kind of time. Seems you have a route you usually run, right?”
“Well… yes”
“Then, I’ll follow you, so run as you please.”
When I was doing warm-up exercises, Grandma said something like that.
It was almost a month since I started training with the new body.
One thing I realized was that this new body had a high spec, and I was able to run fast and for a long time like me in the original world even after just a month of training.
Well, in the original world, I was short-footed and slow-footed, so it might be not a fair comparison.
The outer edge of the residential area of the house was just 4 kilometers. Leaving the house, making two laps around the outer edge, and coming back, should make it about ten kilometers. That was my usual route.
When I run, Grandma followed me without losing pace.
It bothered me at first, but as I ran, it got easier to not mind her.
After finishing the usual course, we took a break in the garden of the house.
“You didn’t slow down your pace until the end, eh? Not bad.”
Ah, right, she’s here…
Grandma was only slightly out of breath, and there was no sign of fatigue. After all, she was a monster in terms of physical fitness.
“Grandmother too, you still have a lot of energy.”
“All long-distance truck drivers are like this. So, what are you going to do next?”
“Ah…… umm, it’s calisthenics.”
“What kind? Let me assist you.”
With the help of Grandma, I bent my body deeper than usual.
She was silent and did what I say. To be honest, it freaked me out.
“Even though it’s hard for teens to gain muscle, you seem to have a little. Did you start training recently?”
“That’s right. Before I entered high school.”
“If that’s the case, you’re excellent. Your core is still nah, but your limbs are starting to get stiff. If you don’t put a certain amount of stress on it, it won’t be able to look like this.”
“Thank you”
For a month, I did a training set up by a professional advisor that I arranged to suit this body.
The knowledge I got in the original world was very useful for training as efficiently as possible and not damaging the body.
“So, what’s next?”
Normally, I would do karate training, but this time I decided not to. After all, I couldn’t imagine what Grandma might say and do.
“No next, this is the end. So, next is time to take a shower and have breakfast.”
“……Is that so?”
Grandma said nothing else and went back inside the house.
I dissolved protein in a glass of milk and drank it, then headed to the bathroom for a hot shower.
“But, why suddenly?”
Normally, when the grandmother of the family came to visit from the countryside, she would give the grandchildren some pocket money, and souvenirs, and take them somewhere.
“Well, I wonder what comes next…”
But, the grandmother of Souya family is completely different from the norm.
She even accompanied the grandson, me, to training together. So, should I expect something beyond a normal exchange between a grandmother and her grandchild…?
As I was thinking about that, I heard voices from the second floor.
Walm threw his limbs to the ground. The cold of the cobblestones softened the heat of the body.
So refreshing…
As Walm exhaled, the exhaustion he had been holding back burst forth all at once. It was the second time he had reached the 35th floor, but he could tell that the path was steeper and harder than the first time when he encountered the dwarves and the beastman.
“I’ve completely run out of mana.”
In hindsight, the dwarves’ attracting and exterminating the monsters should have lessened Walm’s burden. Besides, the troublesome monsters had also been buried in the large room and this time there was nothing left. In a way, it could be said that they helped him behind the scenes.
After a few minutes of lethargy from exhaustion, Walm straightened his body.
As expected, Walm couldn’t sleep. At least not when his armor which had faced countless monsters along the way was dirty and damaged everywhere. If he didn’t take care of it, it would only accelerate the deterioration.
The dirt caused by monsters was carefully wiped off and a thin layer of rust-preventing oil was applied. If a mistake was made in this care, the oil would no longer fulfill its function as a protective film and would instead attract dust and dirt.
Walm continued to work diligently and was finished with one task. After completing it, he wanted to light a cigarette, but was reminded that his mana hadn’t yet recovered. He had taken magic for granted, but was reminded of how inconvenient it would be to be without magic.
“Seems, I’ve to use it after a long time.”
The presence of flint, which he had used often until his encounter with Willart, came to Walm’s mind. It was completely forgotten in the magic bag like a useless decoration. Sure it wouldn’t suddenly be able to make a bonfire, but a small fire was what Walm needed.
The cloth that absorbed the dirt and oil could be called a fuel, which also served as an appropriate ignition agent.
Walm cut the hemp cloth with a dagger and made a small hole in the center of the cut cloth. Then he covered one of the flints with the cloth and exposed the surface through the hole. Then he crossed the two flints to scrape them together.
With a dull sound, sparks scattered. Fortunately, after several repetitions, the flame spread to the oil-soaked hemp cloth.
Walm wrapped the feeble fire in both hands like a treasure, and blew on it to nurture the fire.
Cigarettes weren’t filled with much combustible material in this world, so they were difficult to burn, but the fire spread safely, so Walm brought it to his mouth. The purple smoke that was blown out floated and disappeared here and there in the air.
“Fuhh… ha, haha, that’s modest.”
Comparing its magnitude to that of blue flame, which normally manifests itself almost instantaneously, how small was it? Even such a fire was an indispensable light for Walm today. However, since it had served its purpose, it would only be a waste of cloth. And holding the burning hemp cloth was enough to extinguish the small flame.
As Walm scattered the ashes, he gave himself over to a feeling of emptiness.
Such a momentary rest should be enjoyed, but unfortunately, Walm had to throw away the cigarette in his hand, grab the halberd and stand up.
The cause was a soft sound of footsteps that Walm couldn’t escape. Moving into a defensive position, he listened carefully, but the footsteps were loud and artificial. The sound grew louder, as if it was about to enter the room. Some people made their footsteps on purpose because it was a good way to kill any sound.
And the fact that those who came into the room did so, knowing that it was the 35th floor, had to be a very disciplined party. Well, people had to show off sometimes.
The fatigue that enveloped Walm’s entire body protested and demanded a longer break, but he chose to ignore it.
The door opened slowly and the face peeking out didn’t match the Labyrinth. It was too bright.
“Hey, we meet again.”
After Merrill’s greeting, the rest of the party members appeared in the safe room.
“This time, it’s you guys huh?”
Following the dwarves and beastman, the next party Walm met on the floor deeper than the 30th floor was the Trimagitack. Why did he meet a lot of lively fellows lately? He didn’t know.
“If you keep talking like that, people will run away from you.”
Seeing the indignant Merrill, Walm honestly felt bad.
“I’m just, a little worn out. Really, I’m grateful for Faust’s case.”
“I wish you’d have told me that from the beginning.”
Merrill immediately walked happily toward Walm after hearing the mood-changing words.
Although they were different, the lack of sense of distance that Walm felt made him suspect that Merrill was the same type as the dwarves.
“So, what’s your business? Did you come to have a party to deepen our relationship?”
“Well, let’s just say, it’s not that far away.”
What a straightforward answer. As a reward, Walm gave an honest word.
“Thanks for the trouble you’re willing to go through, but…”
“It’s true. Just when I thought you were going to stay quiet for a while after being under house arrest at the guild, I heard that you immediately dived into the Labyrinth shortly after. Also, you managed to reach the 35th floor alone. People often tell me that I’m always “busy.” But apparently, you’re “busier” than me.”
“Well, a circumstance doesn’t let me stop for long.”
“In other words, you came to the labyrinth looking for something. And you haven’t obtained it yet. Could it be that you can’t even get it on the 35th floor?”
It was a one-step, no few steps deep question. Walm, who had no intention of answering, avoided giving an immediate answer.
“What do you think?”
“Seriously, you’re tiring to talk to.”
Merrill, laughing dryly, glared at Walm. But the really serious look on Merrill’s face then let Walm know. That he couldn’t avoid the question.
“People who dive into the Labyrinth have their own aims. Overflowing wealth, honor to be admired by all, power beyond one’s own limits… I’ve affirmed all of them. In the labyrinth, everyone struggles, stretching out their hands and risking their lives in order to obtain something. To think which one’s purpose is superior or inferior is pointless, boring…… So, Walm, what do you want from the Labyrinth? What do you wish for?”
“……What a strange fellow. What’s the point of asking me that?”
“That is――”
The tense atmosphere broke down in an instant. Merrill frowned seriously, and Walm also frowned bluntly. After all, a wild noise was heard.
“What the hell, were you guys fighting?”
“That’ll be a nice show.”
“Sure it will. Don’t worry, we’ll see to the end, so do it, do it now!! Ah, please no weapon.”
Without any consideration when entering the room, a group of dwarves sent by the Aleinard Forest Alliance entered the room and spoke in a distinctive way of talking. Would it be impossible for them to live humbly and quietly? Sure enough, it would be as difficult as teaching art and science to the goblins.
The only exception was the beastman who lowered the animal ears as if to apologize to Walm and Merrill.
“Seriously, can’t you all at least read the air better? We’re in the middle of a fun chat you know!?”
The angry Merrill resented the dwarves and glared at them.
“Hah, that’s it? How boring.”
“Can’t be helped. Guess it’s time for a meal.”
“Alcohol, quick, take them out.”
The dwarves, who had lost interest in Walm and Merrill, turned their attention to the food surprisingly quickly. One of them had even sat down and was eating the hard-baked bread.
“This is why the dwarves are… aahhh… you ruined the moods. Walm, let’s change the place. Don’t worry, I’ll treat you to a nice meal. I really want to know your answer after all.”
◆
Back on the surface, they entered a store that was on a side street off the main road. Unlike the tavern Walm knew, this one used sturdy stone material. And as he looked at the interior of the store, he understood the significance of its features. The room, separated by a thick outer wall and an inner wall, was created with the intention of being an important place for secret talks and business negotiations.
Walm leaned his halberd against the wall and sat down.
Unlike Walm, who tried to keep his distance, Merrill leaned forward and began to speak.
“I’m glad you have agreed to come here. First of all, I’d like to deepen our friendship by making small talk and talking to everyone about their upbringing, but I guess, it would be quicker to speak frankly.”
After taking a deep breath, Merrill continued.
“I, was born in this walled city. I never had any problems with life, and I’ve nothing to do with poverty. However, I’ve no house to inherit, and my opportunities to make money here are limited. So I went to the labyrinth to earn a living. Yes. I’m such a boring person.”
It was a common story. Whether Merrill was half forced or not, people had their own circumstances, but the only difference was that Walm earned his living on the battlefield and Merrill in the Labyrinth.
“Even such a boring person managed to dive deeper and deeper, and when I met these current companions, my greed came out. Maybe it’s what you call the adventurer’s spirit. Or maybe it’s just my curiosity. Either way, we want to be a conqueror. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in wealth or fame, but more than anything I really want to reach the bottom of the labyrinth, that’s my current dream…. laughable, isn’t it?”
Merrill smiled wryly. However, what a serious look. The same was true for the group members standing nearby.
“No, it’s not. Without dreams, hopes, and goals, it’s hard to say that people are alive. Really, it’ll be hard to tell if they’re dead, or alive.”
It would be too sad if people claimed that they were alive only by breathing. Walm, who had been drowning in alcohol and depressing days for a year, couldn’t laugh at people’s dreams. No matter how small or low they might be.
“That’s heavy…… We saw the recruitment and called you out. Many were hesitating and waiting for further developments. In time, I’m sure they won’t be able to avoid seeing your true value. It may be unconscionable to say this, but I was lucky to have met you then. Yes, Faust paid the price, but it convinced me of your abilities. I’d like to invite you to the party. But first I’d like to know what you really want. Walm, what are you looking for in the labyrinth, what do you wish for?”
It would take a long time to explain the situation. It would be quicker to show than to hear. With this in mind, Walm then said,
“…… Right… to see is to believe. I’ll use mana, but don’t worry, no bad meaning.”
The eyes from which mana flowed changed, and the world reflected in Walm’s eyes changed. It was weaker than when 《Demon Fire》 was used, but the piercing pain and heat came through.
“Those eyes… demon eyes?”
The warrior monk named Hari, who had kept his mouth shut until then, let the words seep out. Walm nodded in agreement.
“I’m a defeated soldier of Highserk who lost his homeland in an outbreak. I lost both eyes in a battle, but to stand in a fight once again, the eyes of a high-ranking monster were transplanted.”
Walm stopped the mana supply to the eyes, assuming that the confirmation was sufficiently complete. Still, even as the eyes returned to normal, the effects persisted. Slowly, he closed and opened his eyes until the waves of pain subsided.
“These eyes will rot in the not-too-distant future. As the mana flows, the eyes will heat up and feel like they’re melting. To heal them completely, I’m searching for what they call, the crimson grass on the deepest floor. That’s what I wish for.”
“I understand very well what Walm wants.”
“I put on a facade in many ways, but it’s all about self-protection.”
“Well, my dreams aren’t big either way. So, Walm, are you willing to join my party?”
For Walm, who had no personal connections and limited time, it would be best to join the Trimagitack, which had made a name in Belgana, the Labyrinth city.
“Sure, let’s conquer the Labyrinth together.”
“Great! That’s it. Let’s celebrate the joining.”
“Wait, Merrill! We, we haven’t talked about the details of the conditions yet. That goes for you too. As a mercenary, you should be stricter about the conditions.”
The adventurer named Marianthe reprimanded Merrill, who was busily preparing the alcohol. Things were quickly decided, but increasing the number of group members wasn’t so easy. That should be the case, but it was not what happened.
Walm, who felt that he didn’t think long enough and reacted immediately, had no words to say.
“Sometimes it’s all about momentum.”
“That attitude of being so easygoing, really, you’re not in a position to laugh at the dwarves.”
Even though Walm hadn’t exchanged a lot of words yet, it was faintly conveyed to him that Marianthe was a coordinator, the hard worker within the party.
“Marianthe, calm down. We can tell him the details from now on, but now, it’s important to welcome him first.”
Hari told Marianthe to calm down. His demeanor was unfazed and calm, perhaps due to his training as a warrior monk.
“… Hari, I know that you just like Walm’s eyes. Your overwhelming interest in eyes is truly like a pervert.”
“Even though you complimented me so much on how beautiful my eyes are, are you going to be distracted by someone else you’ve just met?”
Saying so, Merrill’s face contorted with sadness. The movement was like someone playing a role in an opera. So theatrical.
Walm was confused and couldn’t understand the situation.
“That’s not true. Merrill’s charming eyes are everlasting. But, but, that supposedly golden eyes, feel dark and muddy. Such eyes of Walm are just….. unbearably charming.”
“Huh――!?”
――What did I just feel?
Hari didn’t even try to make an excuse anymore. His gaze, which was directed downward, definitely lingered on Walm’s eyes and didn’t seem to let him go. His rustic, unadorned and simple clothing and his well-toned body, which gave a hint of his training, left Walm in no doubt that he was a man of common sense. In reality, however, he was a weirdo who surpassed Merrill, in short, an eyes pervert.
“Stop it, Hari!!! What if he runs away?”
Walm, who had goosebumps and body hair standing up, tried to raise his hip, but was forced to sit by an arm that stretched out from the side. That was the hand of Merrill. Although young, Merrill was really quick-witted. A really suitable action by someone who held a title. Even more startling was, that the arm was placed in a position that would relax someone.
“Where will the main character go? Rest assured. Hari isn’t on “that side”… perhaps.”
With a glimmer of hope, Walm sought help from a remaining party member, an archer named Yuna. For some reason, she was staring into the void, but luckily, she heard Walm’s voiceless call and returned from her silent journey.
“…Walm seems hungry, so let’s get started.”
No, no, that’s not it…
Walm was crying inside. He was tormented by the fear if it was really the right decision to join this party. Where was the determined attitude when he faced Faust? Of course, it wasn’t visible on Walm’s face.
“You’re right. Walm, welcome to the Trimagitack!”
Said Merrill, whose hand was still digging into Walm’s shoulder with a broad smile.
Really, this is why adventurers are…
The sorrow Walm felt disappeared without reaching anyone.
The Cyclops, having lost another brethren, swung the club wildly, smashing the cobblestones and scattering the pebbles around the area. At first glance, it looked like the one-eyed giant had the upper hand in the fight, but in reality, it was cornered.
Every time the Cyclops’ limbs moved chaotically, some parts of its body were scraped away. On the other side, the dwarves and beastman attacked accurately without losing sight of the one-eyed giant in the sea of dust. The battle became one-sided after the Cyclops’ ankle muscles were severed by the faintly glowing blade of the battle-axe.
The resistance ended in vain, and the limbs were scraped by the 《Strike》. It looked like a bunch of adults playing a Daruma-Otoshi. [TN: Daruma Otoshi, is a traditional game played with a daruma doll in five pieces, usually in the colors of the rainbow, from top to bottom]
It wasn’t long before the head was severed along with the only eye. The turmoil turned the room red, and the demon’s guts, exposed to the atmosphere, gave off a strong, foul odor.
Even if it was a floor that wasn’t regularly thinned of monsters, if so many were defeated, there should be no reason for more monsters to appear by chance in front of Walm for a while.
Walm watched the battle to the end, and he was forced to come out from the spectator seat.
“What the hell are you!!! Staring at us since a while…”
The bearded dwarf raised his eyebrows as he used a cloth to wipe the axe blade clean of fleshy fat and blood, and complained to Walm.
Although Walm was in line to pass the room, he watched the fight without averting his eyes. He didn’t intend to stare, but the dwarf’s remarks weren’t far from the truth.
“I’m sor――”
“Uhm? Haven’t seen your face. Which party are you?”
Walm wanted to apologize and make an excuse, but he was interrupted. And perhaps to properly judge the spectator who suddenly came, the dwarf, with his battle axe in hand, closed the distance
Walm was confused as to how to react. The Fausto case wasn’t so long ago. So he wanted the dwarf to stop approaching him too much.
Nevertheless, Walm was at a loss as to what to say after the great spectacle he had witnessed. Fortunately, another dwarf, who was busy dismantling monsters, rescued Walm from this predicament.
“Whatcha slackin’ off!!! Hurry up, help!!”
“How loud. Can’t you even give me a minute?! Look, there’s an unfamiliar guy over there.”
“You, did you drink the alcohol alrea――who the fuck is that guy?!”
“Not that I know! He was suddenly there when we were fighting.”
“Oi, y’all, look, there’s a new face!”
With the beastman following behind, the scattered dwarves gathered under Walm as if they had found a strange object. Although the dwarves were no taller than Walm, the thickness of their bodies gave him a feeling of oppression. Moreover, their voice was so loud that even Walm couldn’t believe that they were in the labyrinth.
No wonder the monsters from the surrounding area gathered. Walm didn’t even have to think much about the reason.
“Are you alone?”
After a short noisy quarrel among themselves, their interest turned back to Walm again.
“Yes, I’m alone.”
In response to Walm’s reply, the dwarves yelled in a way that he couldn’t tell if they were angry or mocking him.
“Cocky yet calm, eh?!”
“Hah! Better than suddenly crying.”
“For a scout, you sure have a bulky halberd, eh?”
Albeit late, Walm understood. That it was just how they spoke, not that they were angry or making fun of him.
“So, where are the other companions?”
“I’ve no companions”
“No? Hell, why did you abandon your companions?”
“No, that’s not――”
The beastman who kept more distance than the others and remained silent suddenly interrupted the conversation.
“That guy must be the one who fought Fausto’s party. He smells like death.”
Although Walm was in the labyrinth, he intended to keep his appearance in order and did what he could. However, for the beastman, who had an excellent sense of smell, he stank in many ways. Nevertheless, the dwarves didn’t care about the warning of the beastman.
“Ooh, so he’s that mercenary? And there was a person who tried to hunt someone who can come this far alone? Fausto, you sure were a fool.”
“But, that’s an unusual armor you are wearing. Where did you come from?”
“Wait, that design… Northern countries?”
Walm moved only his eyes at the dwarf who gave the correct answer.
“Ahaha, look who’s a good guesser, this guy who’s familiar with armor.”
The dwarf, who had noticed Walm’s gaze, puffed out his chest proudly. With the thick beard and puffed chest, it became a dignified appearance.
“Stop acting like a fawn. Don’t need to be that alert. If you keep this up, the irregular won’t be attracted. Besides, we’ve got our proud equipment, no one needs something that you have.”
The dwarves laughed at Walm, who didn’t let his guard down. And even after they knew of his conflict with the Manhunts, they still spoke without restraint. Whether it was a trait that they developed after diving into the depths so many times or because of the roots of their race, whatever the reason might be, the dwarves didn’t give any unpleasant atmosphere.
And after all, Walm had been born in a peasant village and had stood on the battlefield. Of course, he wasn’t of noble blood, nor did he care so much about what they called “courtesy.” As a soldier on the battlefield, he hadn’t shown any consideration, not even a glimmer of modesty, as these had meant nothing for the army. Having experienced that, he saw the trust in the dwarves who were bantering with each other, even in the middle of the room with foul flesh and blood, and their laughter as something nostalgic.
“It’s rare to see a new face these days. Even those greedy big fellas of Maylis pulled up their units, and have stopped dispatching younglings.”
“Are there few people who dive beyond the 35th floor?”
“Both hands are enough to count those parties. And most are like us, someone dispatched from other countries.”
“Thirty, forty years ago there were guys with guts.”
“The veterans who experienced the Unification War and those who had those people’s teaching were good. People these days only think ‘bout money, they’re drowning too much in fake power.”
“Did you forget that we were also dispatched after the last ones? And, it’s only been 30 years. For those who know the Unification War very well, we’re like a young chick.”
“Hmmph, how noisy… well, let’s stop talking nonsense here. We’ve been talking here for too long. We’ll go after dismantling them. There, you can move on.”
“Yes. This place isn’t suitable to have a nice talk.”
If this were a tavern, Walm’s mouth would be lighter, but this place was on the high-rank floor of the Labyrinth. It wasn’t suitable for holding conversations and deepening friendships.
“Hah, listen. Sure, I’ll praise your fighting ability, but let me give you some advice. No offense. But, give up going deeper than the 35th floor. It’s kinda breaking point. The deepest of the labyrinth ain’t something manageable with one person’s skills. Even if we manage to go, can’t think we all five will return alive. And, if you don’t have comrades with the courage to jump into a deadly place, you will die in vain. Such foolishness ain’t something I recommend.”
“I’m grateful for the advice, but unfortunately, I’m not blessed with fruitful encounters.”
“Hmmm, you sure give those vibes. Well, just remember, “don’t rot, don’t rush”.”
“… Yes, I’ll be patient.”
After finishing the words, the dwarf ended the conversation as if he had done his business. The only exception was the beastman, who pricked up the animal ears even though the hands continued to work.
To stay longer would be futile. So Walm quietly left the room alone.
As Walm walked down the passage, he murmured about the things mentioned in the earlier conversation.
“Don’t rot, huh?”
Even if Walm’s heart wouldn’t rot, his eyes certainly would if he continued to wait.
“Really, it’s a world where things don’t go the way you want. That I’m living in.”
Walm’s monologue disappeared without being heard by anyone.
Walm had undergone significant changes as a result of the deadly fight with Fausto. Whereas previously some who passed him in the labyrinth had given him a scrutinizing look, now it had become worse, and such a look extended even when he was in the waiting area. The stares, which were a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, continued the entire time. As expected, it was uncomfortable to be watched like this all the time. When Walm looked back, they immediately diverted their eyes. But not long after, another unpleasant glance would fall on him. There was just no end to it at all.
Another change was the train of thought in the battle. After the fall of Highserk, Walm had given himself over to laziness for a year, which left him both physically and mentally rusty. Even with some self-training and fighting, he couldn’t regain the momentum of his military days, and these negative effects continued. This dullness was being scraped away day by day, but in a fight with Fausto’s party, he reached a point where it was completely scraped away. His thoughts were relaxed, and his body responded obediently to his demands.
In this current situation, there was another concern, and that was the party members. It had been seven days since Walm had started recruiting, but there was no news about it. Although he had prepared in advance for this outcome, the reality was harsh, as expected.
With this in mind, Walm, who couldn’t afford the luxury of waiting too long, threw himself once again into the labyrinth. As he advanced deeper and deeper, he defeated the monsters on the way and now was about to rest in a corner of the safe room. Dropping to his knees, he looked down at the floor. The cobblestone was nothing unusual, but it meant a lot to Walm.
“No stains or scratches?”
There were no traces of the battle Walm had fought. Must have been completely cleaned by the Labyrinth’s self-cleaning. If he had made even one step wrong then, Walm would have died instead of the two Manhunts. And his death would leave nothing behind and cleanly disappear from this world
After taking a breath, Walm directed his gaze straight ahead again. Fortunately, there was no one lingering in the safe room. So there was no one to question him for his eccentric behavior.
Walm, who had rearranged his train of thought, aimed for the door to the next floor. He pressed his hand gently against the door. A balmy breeze caressed his cheeks as he peered through the door, which opened after a slight resistance.
There was no change in the interior. The walls and ceilings remained as usual. Still, Walm was confident. According to the previous rule of thumb, the monster’s difficulty level would definitely change before he reached the next safe room.
As Walm swung the halberd lightly, he could hear the reliable weight and sound of the wind splitting.
The legs stepped over the stone pavement and the agility of the body felt perfect.
Exhaling lightly, Walm resumed his exploration of the labyrinth.
The welcome came quickly. The pebbles that had accumulated at the end of the passage trembled, and the vibrations were transmitted through the soles of Walm’s shoes whether he liked it or not.
What emerged from the darkness was a heavy cavalry. It was a familiar presence on the battlefield, and the pincer movement that made use of its power had the power to decide the battle situation.
Due to the luminous moss, the appearance slowly became visible.
“That horse’s half-body is… is that “Centaur” ?”
Of course, it was impossible for a heavy cavalry to appear in the Labyrinth, and its true identity was a group of Centaurs.
Centaur, was a monster with the lower body of a horse and a humanoid upper body. The upper body was covered with armor. Thinking logically, it would be more difficult to deal with it than with heavy cavalry, because there was no need for communication between man and horse.
Walm immediately kneaded mana.
The overwhelming difference in mass and speed would create a powerful and unparalleled attack. In no case would he be allowed to use any superficial tricks or half-hearted magic.
To deal with a Centaur without going on the defensive would require attacking it in a group of spearmen or defeating it from a distance with a bow or magic. And the only option left for the lone Walm was to use magic. Unfortunately – or fortunately – there was only one escape route from each other in the straight passage.
Walm created a fireball and shot it at the leading Centaur.
The fireball hitting the abdomen bent the Centaur’s armor, sending its guts, smeared with a foul odor, into the atmosphere.
The Centaur lost its balance, its forelegs broke and the whole body crashed to the ground. But the result was far from what Walm wanted. Although the thick body and armor blocked the way, the two following Centaurs still rushed at him.
The gap was already closed, which meant that the second shot would be the limit. When the next centaur was only a few steps away from reaching Walm, he shot the fireball again.
The effect of the magic hitting directly on the Centaur’s chest was tremendous.
The body, wrapped in blue flames, was pulled onto its back along with the armor around its chest, and the neck was now connected only by a few muscles and skin. The lifeless horse lost control and rolled, hitting a wall and coming to a stop. The flames engulfed it to the end, and Walm hoped that the result of this would extend to the last Centaur, but it emerged from the flames.
The Centaur was somewhat burned and had lost its body hair, but the threat was still there. There wasn’t enough time to make another fireball, and Walm, who had decided to fight head-on, consolidated his stance and prepared to extend his halberd.
As the centaur approached, Walm could see how big it was. The spear, which was far above Walm’s head, thrust sharply at him.
The distance of the powerful spear was long enough to match its large body, and Walm had no choice but to be passive. The tip of the spear grazed the tip of the halberd, and off it went in another direction.
Although Walm handled the spear, there was still the body. And he already knew that mass and speed, when they came together, became a force. The centaur, which had a horse’s lower body, also tried to impose its characteristics.
The Centaur tilted its body, and turned its course. If Walm was kicked or pushed by those legs, he wouldn’t escape unharmed.
Immediately, Walm changed his stance and shifted his center of gravity backward. He slid across the ground as he angled one of his legs. The smell of the Centaur’s burnt fur rose to his nasal cavity as the horse’s legs passed in front of him. After it passed, he fixed his stance with the underside of the halberd and his other free arm.
In fact, the Centaur reversed its position as it sent the horse’s hooves against Walm. In the truest sense of the word, it was a magnificent performance displayed by a rider in unison with the horse. The skillful movement deserved praise, but it was a risky move for a “cavalryman”. How much strength would remain in such a cavalry that threw away its speed?
No matter how strong the legs were, the initial speed couldn’t be very high. So Walm quickly closed the gap to 《Strike》 the Centaur.
The Centaur thrust the spear as if refusing Walm’s approach, but the spear, which had no speed, was lighter than before. When the spearhead was cut by 《Strike》, the Centaur pulled the saber at its hip with its hand.
Just as the blade came out of its scabbard, the Centaur’s head fell to the ground of the Labyrinth. The body, frozen by the loss of its control, collapsed with its limbs outstretched. If this battle had been fought on a wide plain, Walm would have had to struggle even more, but the good qualities of cavalry were barely visible in the narrow passage of the labyrinth.
Walm, wiping the blood on the halberd and reaching out to quickly scavenge the corpse, clicked his tongue.
The next challenger was already approaching. According to the information Walm had, there were almost no parties that could dive beyond the 30th floor. Compared to the previous floors, the monsters hadn’t been regularly thinned out. In this case, it was obvious that the burden per party would increase rapidly from this floor.
“Of all things, it’s armed Trolls.”
The name of the unwanted visitor was Troll. It had ugly skin full of bumps similar to goblins, and a bloated abdomen about the size of an infant or adult. Most importantly, its regenerative ability was extraordinary for a humanoid monster. The torn arm could be reconnected by simply attaching it, and the torn throat would close over time. Such a monster wore armor.
Mud fights were inevitable in close combat. On the other hand, if Walm defeated it with magic, the sounds and smells would cause one raging monster after another to rush in. What a lovely situation to be in. And from now on, this would be the norm. There was no other way but to get used to it.
Walm welcomed the guest without a smile.
◆
A pillar of fire extending from the ground engulfed half of the armed Ogre that carelessly closed the gap. Without even waiting for a breath, the skin burned down to the muscle and bone. Walm, who had killed the armed Ogre, moved his gaze as he shook his head in response to the threat.
“Hm, mmph!!”
Using the pillar of fire and the burned corpse as a shield, Walm thrust his halberd into the fourth armed Ogre. The thrust was aimed at its soft neck, but it was deflected by the longsword. It seemed he had learned the distance and speed of a thrust when he saw the spearhead of the halberd pierce the throat of the other Ogre. And the diligent armed Ogre gleefully stepped in.
Walm drew back the halberd with a speed that surpassed the Ogre’s advance as he spun it. Although the Ogre had become sensitive to the thrust, it had no idea that Walm would pull back the halberd midway.
The halberd’s claw-like blade cut into the neck from behind, wildly agitating the spinal cord and aorta. Profuse blood spurted from the throat and mouth, and the heart immediately gave out.
At the same time, an unpleasant and distorted wind noise approached from the side. The source was a war hammer with an asymmetrical head. Walm quickly jumped back in the posture inclined for evasion. A conical mass of metal penetrated the space where Walm’s chest had been until now.
The weight of the two-handed war hammer was concentrated on the head, and the blow, swung obliquely from above, had both weight and speed. The force of the blow alone would be enough to shatter even cobblestones. If such a blow hit Walm, his guts would be destroyed along with the armor. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit Walm, but the corpse, which collapsed on the ground.
“You’re, too late.”
The fifth armed Ogre tried to pull up the head of the war hammer that had bitten into the corpse of its brethren, but Walm’s sole was faster in stomping the war hammer. The Ogre clearly made a wrong choice. It clung to the war hammer instead of concentrating on mowing Walm down. And the result was that the spearhead went into its head from its chin and pierced its brain.
The hustle and bustle stopped abruptly, leaving only the sound of Walm breathing and the dull sound of the last armed Ogre collapsing.
“Hurry up. I’ll give you one minute.”
Although Walm should have enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment, he chose to search the surroundings for enemies and loot the corpses. Walm had experienced firsthand what would happen if he spent his time here luxuriously.
At the first contact with the group of armed Ogres, Walm blew one away with a fireball. Meant, he only needed to check four. What a time saver. Of course, as he examined the body, he didn’t forget to twist the spearhead to collect only the metal.
Since the capacity of the magic bag had reached its limit, the bulky weapons and armor were thrown away and the items Walm considered valuable were put into storage. Although it wasn’t as rewarding, he also found a small gold coin, six silver coins, and a silver fork and spoon.
“Why did an Ogre have tableware?”
After all, many didn’t like bulky luggage when they dived into the labyrinth, and Walm was no exception. He had lived a life in the Labyrinth that had nothing to do with tableware. Picked up food with his hands, crushed it, and threw it into his mouth, that was the norm. And now he found an Ogre, a monster, with tableware, which in a way indirectly meant that his eating culture was lower than that of the monster.
In any case, Walm, leaving the place after the looting, found that the pattern of attack that had been repeated until now hadn’t begun at all. Finding this strange, he thought of the possibility that monsters were gathering somewhere, an unusual situation was occurring, or a rare species like the Bone Collector he had encountered was the reason.
Walm continued to think, but the answer soon came to him. Not that the answer suddenly came to him. Just that he saw a chopped Troll to the left in the passage. There was also a Centaur lying there that had been cut in half.
Cannibalism among monsters didn’t occur in the Labyrinth. There was no such information. And logically, they shouldn’t be interested in killing each other, since this wouldn’t be profitable for them in any way.
Walm looked at the corpse and found traces that indicated that the body had been scavenged.
“There’s a party ahead?”
Although it was the first human trace Walm had found since he went deeper than the 30th floor, he felt no great joy. He still couldn’t quite put the incident with Fausto out of his mind
Looking closely, Walm noticed that the blood hadn’t yet dried, and considering the Labyrinth’s self-cleaning, the unknown party ahead of him shouldn’t be too far away.
Walm decided to carefully follow the traces left behind. He had experience in tracking down people in a skirmish with the Liberia Trade Federation. The Squad Commander, who had a rough personality, was more concerned about footprints than anyone else. When Walm accidentally stepped on the soft grass and destroyed some of the footprints, the Squad Commander hit his helmet hard. Such a memory so bitter yet nostalgic came to his mind.
However, tracking wasn’t Walm’s specialty, so he could only use the methods he had learned. Following footprints and the corpse of a monster that had apparently been hit by a storm, he moved on.
Slowly, a sound of battle could be heard, which meant that Walm would soon catch up with the unknown party. In the Labyrinth, there was a room with a rather large open area, which was different from a normal room. Most of these rooms were like a crossroads that anyone had to pass in order to continue. And the deeper such a room was found, the greater the chance that it was true.
In such a big space, a big battle was happening,
On the monster side, there were Ogres and even Cyclopes. On the other side, there was a party of five.
What surprised and amazed Walm was nothing but the way they fought.
A battle axe and the Ogre’s mace crossed. The mana infused battle axe gained a lopsided victory with a blow that seemed to fail. Clearly it was 《Strike》, a skill seen on the battlefield and in the Labyrinth, but still, Walm couldn’t help but be amazed at the fact that everyone in the party could use 《Strike》 and fully demonstrated its power.
Ten monster parts lay scattered on the stone pavement. Considering their large number, the surrounding monsters must have been attracted. Moreover, the party hadn’t stopped fighting either, and now they were dealing with a Cyclops in the large room.
Four out of five had physical characteristics in common. A body size that was about Walm’s eyes, but the chest was so thick that it could be seen even from the top of the armor. In Walm’s vision, a fierce battle unfolded in which they fought in a way that could be called a storm of steel.
“…Is that “Dwarf” ?”
Anyone who saw the scene would say the same. If the warrior before Walm wasn’t a dwarf, what else could be called a dwarf?
Humans and monsters weren’t the only races that lived on the continent. Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen also lived there.
Besides the four dwarves, there was one with a tail and ears reminiscent of a beast. This must be a beastman.
The armor they wore had the emblem of a large tree with four intertwined trunks. Even Walm, who came from the northern countries, knew the emblem. Elves, dwarves, beasts, and humans – four different races had pledged in unity, a unity in the name of the forest, that was the meaning of the emblem. Right. It was the national emblem of one of the three major powers, the Aleinard Forest Alliance.
When I asked about how far had Atsushi thought of the future, the girls began to go panicked. Their face became pale.
“Souya-Kun, what’s with the sudden question? Well, I haven’t thought about anything yet.”
“Is that so? I’m sure, you’ve thought about it even a little, right?”
When I was talking like that, the girls started leaning forward.
Atsushi tried not to look at them and while looking at me, he said clearly,
“It’s about the future, isn’t it? I think it’s still early to think about it.”
“T-that’s right. W-well, it’s still too early, isn’t it?”
One of the girls said so while glancing at Atsushi.
Even though they were all interested, they pretended as if they were not.
Then, I asked the girl again.
“That aside, what kind of high school life do you all want to have?”
I asked so because I was interested in the “youth” envisioned by the girls of this world.
“Of course, to be help of Kunou…”
“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, what do you want to do?”
I knew that in front of a boy the girls would be hesitant, but I still wanted to hear about their ‘greed’, so I tried to ask.
“What do I want to do…?”
“Like, studying hard to become a doctor in the future, or getting good grades in club activities, or chasing after your favorite idol…… is there something you want to do in your three years of high school?”
When I asked them, they began to seriously think, and then, one muttered,
“To prepare for getting a job that allows me to stay in the special ward…”
“Do you want to use your three years of high school for that?”
The girl nodded.
“Now that I’m in the same group as Kunou-kun, I want to do my best for him this year. But if, if that’s not the case, I think I’ll hone myself so that I can get a decent job here.”
It was too solid of an answer, but other girls had a similar opinion as they nodded.
Apparently, it was their “desire”. Or rather, they seemed to be afraid of the outside of the Special Ward.
“I see…… By the way Atsushi, what kind of person is your type?”
PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!!
Atsushi and the girls made shocked faces at the same time.
As expected of being in the same group, they really get along very well.
“So-Souya-kun…. What’s with the question just now…?”
“I’m just curious. By the way, I prefer those who aren’t too fragile. It’s better if they look healthy. I mean, if she looks like someone that might break just by my touch, I’ll be too nervous just by getting close to her.”
“I-I see…”
Said one of them while looking at me as if she had found something unexpected.
Atsushi, on the other hand, had a troubled face.
“Are you okay with saying that so openly?”
“Yeah, I want to be open.”
“I’m sorry, Souya-kun. I can’t do it. For this question, let me say no comment.”
“I see……”
It’s Atsushi, I guess I shouldn’t force it too much. Then, it’s better to ask other things… Ah, right…
“Come to think of it, the girls in class seem pressing you about something, but are you okay?… If you don’t like it, tell me. I’ll try to help.”
“Thank you, but it’s okay. I guess. It’s not really a big problem.”
“Is that so? Please consult me before it becomes too troublesome. I may be able to help.”
“That’s, thanks. Well then, can you listen to my story? It’s about my family.”
“Yeah, of course. We’re friends, right?”
You’re the only boy close to me. If you’re in trouble, I can’t leave it alone.
“Friends… I’m happy to hear that.”
Said Atsushu shyly. Then, he slowly told me about the circumstances of his house.
Atsushi’s mother seemed to work for a certain company that was affiliated with a huge conglomerate.
And the conglomerate’s business was various and numerous.
“The company had its own bank, so I think there’s almost no field that the company hasn’t entered.”
“Amazing, as expected of a Zaibatsu.”
In this world, there was no World War II, so there was no dissolution of the Zaibatsu (conglomerate).
It stayed to the present age while still having power.
“My mother works for a huge portal site management company that mainly sells online, and right, the girls here have parents who are working for one of the affiliated companies.”
“I see, that’s why you decided on them right away.”
They probably have a connection through their work through their mothers.
“Because the company has guaranteed their identities. And if something happens, their mother will be contacted immediately.”
Atsushi said that it was much safer to be around them than with girls he didn’t know at all.
“So, what about the girls who were approaching Atsushi yesterday?”
“Even though there are many affiliated companies, there are factions in such a big business, also there are business partners too, right?”
“I see… I can understand somehow.”
The girls outside the faction and the girls whose parents are working in the company of business partners must have wanted to get closer to Atsushi.
In short, all of this is related to the work of his parent, their parents.
Thinking that far, Atsushi decided to keep his group members away at that time. To avoid direct confrontation.
“You’ve it hard too huh.”\
Precisely because they are an existence that can’t be treated badly, he’s in a dilemma.
But, that means, the cause isn’t exactly the girls, but the parent behind the girls.\
“……But well, I guess you can say, this is the fate of men.”\
What a philosophical statement, but yeah, I understand your feelings.
Men in this world are easily influenced by women in authority. And numbers are power, one mess can easily become a violent storm.
Of course, if you want to walk the thorny path, you can stand on your own feet.
Don’t just be behind those in authority, and carve out your own destiny.
However, how many men in this world have the will, and can do that?
If possible, I would like to help Atsushi, but it’s difficult since it’s involving others parents’ work and I’m just a child, but…\
“Hey, Atsushi. When you’re really in trouble, tell me, I’ll try my best to help.”
“Thank you. Just hearing those words made me happy.”\
He’s the only male classmate…
Should I stock up on information so that I can be of help when Atsushi asks?
“Ah, what kind of company do your parent works for?”
“My mother works in the game sales department of Jura company.”
“I see. Well, I like games too… But, if I’m not wrong, I haven’t played that many titles.”
Since I rarely went out with friends, I often had too much free time in the original world.
Like everyone else, I played games, just in a more moderate manner. But the real “Taketo Souya” hadn’t played a game in this world yet, so I didn’t have much knowledge.
“That’s an interesting way of saying it… So, Jura is under the company called Nanahoshi, and among the girls who approached me, there was one whose parent works as the executive of Shintendo, a company which is a business partner.”
“Aaah… I see. In the game industry, it’s a big company.”
Luckily, there’s a memory about Shintendo. But I see, no wonder he’s in dilemma.
Atsushi chose the girls that he considered as safe as group members, but the scale of the parent company is too large and there are many factions. And with the addition of business partners, the situation has become even more troublesome.
Alright, I understand the situation. For the time being, let’s ask Yuuko about this.
Having more knowledge will come in handy in times of need after all.
After that, we continued to talk, but since they were members of Atsushi’s group, I could only ask general questions. They seemed to be hesitant in other questions.
Well, since they all probably wanted to be liked by Atsushi more than me. It couldn’t be helped, there were only two boys in class after all, so as expected, they must have thought that it was better to get liked by one than none at all.
Thus, the talk with the third group came to an end.
Tomorrow would be the start of Golden Week, so the next one would be after that.
And in Golden Week, my grandmother, who lived in the countryside of Nagano, would come to visit.
My heart was restless, but I couldn’t avoid meeting her, so I had no choice but to prepare myself.
The tavern was an indispensable presence for those who risked their lives day and night to challenge the labyrinth. To heal dissatisfaction and fatigue caused by the labyrinth they drank liquor, which they sometimes called the water of life. Also, it was used as a way to nurture new interactions. Occasionally, when it wasn’t effective enough, fists would be used for communication, which from the side looked like impromptu entertainment provided to the other guests.
Peyrouse’s party, which was trying to get out of being called a novice, used the tavern as a restaurant, since it was open when the others had already closed at night, and as a place to interact with others and gather information.
Peyrouse was a frequent visitor to the tavern, but in recent days he felt that the atmosphere in the tavern had changed significantly.
Of course, as in the past, there was a lot of fuss and no lack of conversation. Except that lately a rumor about Manhunt’s appearance in the Labyrinth was the hot topic.
According to what Peyrouse had heard, this rumor was caused by the one that caused a series of unnatural annihilation starting from the mid-rank floors, the phenomenon that only monster corpses were swallowed when a battle took place, and the battle scars that were found in the safe room on the 30th floor.
Just a rumor.
Some people laughed and said not to worry too much about something just a rumor.
However, the fact that it wasn’t only a rumor was exposed by the Trimagitack, and the guild was indeed thrown into chaos as if bees were coming out of a honeycomb. Above everything, the Manhunt was the veteran adventurer Faust.
As the oldest active adventurer in the Belgana branch, Faust also served as an instructor and had a sympathetic ear for the problems of the stagnant juniors. As an adventurer, he had given much to the city. Since his real identity was a Manhunt, it was inevitable that people would get restless. And Peyrouse was one of those people.
“Have you seen that? I mean the poster.”
“The one with “that mercenary”?”
Although it was a brief exchange between two mid-rank adventurers, Peyrouse was able to understand the story. Speaking of “that mercenary” in the Labyrinth City, it was a wandering soldier named Walm.
“Right. It seems he’s recruiting people who aim to dive to the deepest floor.”
“Recruiting huh… But that man named Walm, is a mercenary and not even an adventurer. Rather than recruiting for a party, it must be a porter or a guide kind of employment relationship that only the wealthy could afford. Besides, the guild doesn’t know his abilities or background. It’s just too much to handle.”
“But, he’s a guy who managed to dive to the 30th floor, alone. Considering the profit that he may make, it’s not strange if he wants to form a 3 or 4-man party.”
“I wonder if everything will go well. Remember, he’s the guy who killed two people.”
“It’s a legitimate defense, isn’t it? And both were Manhunts. Are you going to defend those bastards?”
“That’s not it… I understand the reason. Whether that wandering mercenary is good or not, he just did what need to do to protect himself against possible danger. But, the one who helped me when I didn’t know this and that, was Faust. Huff, why does it have to be like this.”
“Rambling an old story to let your guard off, and the profits won’t need to be shared, don’t ya think so?”
Could it be the influence of alcohol? In any case, one drunken adventurer was trying to fool the other.
Peyrouse didn’t miss the sharp look in the eyes of the nearby adventurers who were talking. And sensing these unfavorable signs, he immediately put the bread in his hand into his mouth at once.
“You…… Is that the only thing on your mind? Regardless of being a Manhunt, Faust is a first-class adventurer. Sure enough, he’s not short of money.”
“Hah, then he must have made a mistake in choosing a target. I hope he’s quickly hanged and exposed to the public… This is why, you’re easy to fool. Dumbass.”
“You know that once words are spoken, they can’t be taken back.”
“Think I’m afraid? Of a dumbass who just talks and does nothing like you?”
The two switched from a verbal exchange to a physical exchange. Yes, a fistfight. As they made a move, they scattered iron cups and the like on the floor, turning them into musical instruments that signaled the start of a fight. Onlookers noticed the commotion and instead of stopping it, they incited the confrontation.
Peyrouse, who was eating at the nearby table, instructed his party members to not get involved.
“Oi, take the table and move it to the corner.”
Leake and Donna grabbed the table in one breath, and Peyrouse carried the easily toppled liquor bottle. And Matthio, as usual, cared only for his food. He stuffed as much food as he could into his mouth and held the tray tightly.
Donna’s face turned purple with anger.
“Matthio, till when are you going to keep eating?!”
“It’s useless, he’s a hardcore when it comes to food.”
Peyrouse agreed completely with Leake’s words. He half-seriously believed that Matthio was possessed by a hungry wolf or some kind of evil spirit because of his gluttony.
Just a few seconds after being done with moving the table, the mid-rank adventurers who began to wrestle came into the place where Peyrouse’s table was.
“Just in time”
“Well… weren’t there other people fighting over the same topic yesterday?”
With cold eyes, Donna followed the two rolling around on the floor. She had seen this one ugly side of a mid-rank adventurer who was usually a role model, more than enough.
Faust was also a mediator in the tavern. But now his existence was just oil for a fire. And no one could control for the time being how far the fire would spread.
“Guess this topic won’t end for a while.”
“Right, more than that, that mercenary is recruiting.”
Leake muttered something meaningful, but even Peyrouse could read his simple thoughts.
“Don’t waste your time. We aren’t good enough.”
Thinking only about profit, there would be no more reliable person than the mercenary. But after adding the disadvantages, it would be a different story.
First of all, there would be an unequal distribution due to the difference in abilities, and if they had to deal with a monster from the mid-rank floors, Peyrouse and others who were classified as fledglings could only imagine a future in which they would die immediately. And if a quarrel with someone else arose, they wouldn’t be able to help suppress it. Above all, no one in his party had ever made contact with the mercenary Walm.
Even Faust, who was trusted and collected achievements, deceived the guild and the citizens. No one could trust the mercenary who had recently washed ashore.
Although it was just a formality, Peyrouse, who was in charge of the party, couldn’t agree to the proposal of joining the mercenary. In the first place, it was hard to say that they were attractive as companions. They might get rejected even before they could say anything to the mercenary.
“I understand. Still, such a thing as recruiting people who will go to the deepest floor of the labyrinth. Even I, would like to say these words one day.”
“It’s a distant, hazy dream… If I’m not mistaken, I heard there was a such recruiting in the past.”
Peyrouse searched for faded memories. A village elder, who had served in the military, telling old stories at the harvest festival endlessly came to mind. Right. The pitiful Peyrouse, fell prey every year. Among those many stories, there was the story where at the time the army disbanded or had a break period, the soldiers were given permission to go into the newly robbed labyrinth, so they went in to get money for travel expenses to their hometown or to buy gifts for their family.
“If I remember correctly, right after the end of the “Unification War”, the militia who had finished their military service and the soldiers who had time off due to disarmament were said to have earned a living in the labyrinth.”
“I don’t know the details, but the Unification War was over 80 years ago, right?”
“During the Unification War, Belgana was the most fiercely fought area among the battles that took place within the archipelago. It’s said that about 100,000 soldiers died. That’s the only thing I know.”
The battle, which even involved urban areas, was extremely cruel, and even when the village elder, whose words flowed like a river in telling the story, slowly turned the river into muddy water. It was such a dark history.
“Even if we talk about old stories, it won’t help us anything.”
Leake exhaled deliberately and shook his head. His strangely annoyed face tempted Peyrouse to poke his head with the liquor bottle.
“Don’t lump me in with you.”
Said Donna, perhaps she felt the same way Peyrouse did.
After a struggle between temptation and self-control, Peyrouse’s mind, which narrowly won over by reason, placed the liquor bottle on the table, which had been evacuated to safety. The battle that was going on nearby wasn’t yet decided, and it looked like the dirty fight with intertwined hands and feet would go on for a while.
Thus, another day of commotion passed in the tavern.
I never thought that Rie would come to my house with Mom.
But that was a good experience.
I further learned that women in this world begin to seriously think about their future around middle school or high school.
Men were slower. Perhaps they were procrastinating it, since it was an important decision.
As for me in, I seriously thought about it since I was in elementary school in the original world.
I seriously thought about the future and moved to action. It didn’t work. I failed.
When I reached middle school, I gradually understood the world better.
I came to think that my best future would be to get a job that would make use of my physique, and so I could go to a high-class bar where a well-dressed woman would sit next to me about twice a month.
However, that Goddess appeared, when I started to get uneasy thinking, “What if even a girl in a bar won’t get attracted to me?”. That was my last option after all.
◇
When I go to school, Atsushi looked troubled as he was surrounded by women.
“Good morning, Atsushi. What’s wrong?”
“Oh, Souya-kun, good morning. It’s nothing. Just… it’s about my family.”
“…? Is it better not to ask?”
“Perhaps?”
“I understand. Anyway, it’s almost Golden Week. Are you going to go out somewhere?”
When Atsushi and I started talking, the women dispersed.
There was a saying “Interrupt a conversation between men, and you’ll be unpopular”. That must be the reason.
When the two of us were talking about the holidays, the chime rang and the homeroom teacher came.
The girls went to their seats.
Ah, the girls who surrounded him. No one was a member of his group…
But, what about his group members?
…I guess Atsushi kept them away from this matter because it’s useless to talk about it to them.
Well, I also understand the feeling that he doesn’t want me or the members to hear about the internal affairs of his house.
Now, I’m curious as to what they are usually talking about…
In the end, I decided not to think much and took the classes as usual.
◇
“Alright, school is over. Today is group two.”
It was the second day of the extracurricular exchange. I was really looking forward to hearing what kind of story the girl would tell me this time.
……Hmm? Isn’t this like going to a “hostess club” that I saw in my dream?
I went to the common room.
“… Hoo, a group with students from inside and outside the special ward? Interesting.”
“That’s right. At first, I was worried about whether we could get along well, but we quickly became close.”
The girl named, “Minori Yoda”, cheerfully answered so.
She was a student in the Special Ward who was the leader of the group two.
“The three of us have never been outside the special ward.”
“It’s troublesome to get the certificate of residence……”
“And renewal for it is every year, also, it costs money.”
” ” “Rightー” ” “
The three girls living in the Special Ward said in unison. What a good relationship.
Anyway, the government office would issue a certificate of residence proving that you were living in a Special Ward.
The certificate would be valid until the end of the following fiscal year and must be renewed annually.
Also, since the issuance fee costs about 5,000 yen, it seemed that about half of the students didn’t apply.
When people who lived inside the Special Ward went outside the Special Ward, they needed the certificate, but it seemed that there was a lot of dissatisfaction from the people living in the Special Ward as to why they had to go through the trouble and money to get such a thing.
In short, it was like a tax.
Like it or not, people must enjoy it as one of the expenses of continuing to live in the Special Ward.
“That’s why, we’re thinking of going outside together next time.”
It was hard to believe that girls looked at the girls from outside the Special Ward with prejudiced eyes, becoming closer as a member of the same group in quite a short time, and I couldn’t see these prejudiced eyes anymore.
“That’s good.”
Really, it’s good.
“On the other hand, we always thought that all the girls who’s living in the special ward are arrogant, so we were quite terrified the first time we came here.”
“My mother is worried that I would be treated like a slave …”
Saying so, the two students from outside the Special Ward looked at each other.
“So, how do you think now?”
“I think there are people like that, but now I know that’s not all are like that.”
“I’m glad I came to this school.”
The faces of the two students outside the Special Ward were cheerful.
I guess they really thinks so…
“That’s good. But I wonder why you have such a prejudice. Why such a misunderstanding is widespread?”
“Well, you can say, it’s the influence of TV? They often broadcast something like how amazing a special ward is.”
“And said that just being able to live there means that you’re chosen.”
“The residents like us who lives outside, are quite timid after all. Such words would of course overwhelm us.”
In the media, the so-called “Special Ward Promotion”, such as “the Special Ward is amazing” or “this store in the Special Ward is wonderful”, seemed to be normal. Probably because it was necessary to maintain society.
It seems that another reason why they don’t mind shouldering the burden of living in a special ward is, because they’ve been told that “the special ward is amazing”, and by appealing the goodness of the special ward, it’s also fueling the competitiveness of people who live outside.
But, surely, the way they’re brought up has a big impact too.
In this way, the second exchange was successful.
◇
The next day.
It was the turn of group three, the group where Atsushi was a member.
When I asked Atsushi in the morning, he said that he would, of course, participate.
So once again, I went to the common room after school.
“Umm… is it really okay, to not give him a present?”
One of the group members timidly said so.
“As I’ve told, I don’t accept that sort of thing.”
“……Y-yes”
The fact that she’s a group member chosen by Atsushi, means that she must be from a good family, and the other girls must be too…
There seemed to be something like a family lesson that a girl should give a proper reward to a man when he troubled himself to do something for her.
I was asked in advance, and told the girl that I wouldn’t receive it. Not this time, not in the future as well.
“Well, Souya-kun is an unusual type. Personally, I think it’s more convenient to just receive it.”
I know it’ll make both of us feel better, but I can’t just accept it, otherwise, if a rumor spread, others will start doing the same…
“I understand that it’s normal, but well, just think of this as my stubbornness. I said it already, and it was my real thought about this.”
“If that’s the case…”
“We, we’ll follow Souya-kun’s word.”
There was a kind of unwritten rule in this world, where men could say or request something a little strange or out of the norm.
“There are many things I want to hear, but what did everyone think of this?”
“It’s peculiar… COUGH!! I mean, it’s a very wonderful way of thinking……”
I wanted to know what the students who are raised in a good family inside the Special Ward thought of this interaction.
And when one girl answered, the others nodded. Their expressions were in sync.
“Personally, it’s a lot of help. It seems that I can spend a year peacefully.”
After all, the topic of the class seemed to be focused on me.
“But, well, I guess other classes have already started to move, so you may need to be vigilant.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“In every class, many girls couldn’t be in the same group as the boys. They seem to envy those like us, and especially our class.”
“Oh, I see… jealousy, is it?”
I didn’t think my action was already being talked about in other classes. But I figured sooner or later this information would go viral, so yeah, as expected…
“It has never been to this extent, so I don’t know what they will do, but I think that you can expect some kind of action in the near future.”
As expected of someone from a special ward. She understands the situation very well.
Probably, but there’ll be a certain number of girls who think it’s “unfair”.
I don’t know whether the target will be directed at me, the members of my group, or all the girls in the class.
“If something happens, I’ll stand in front. I’ve already factored in a certain number of things, so can you let me know right away if something happens?”
When I said that, there were voices of admiration saying “Oh my” or “Ara”.
I don’t intend to be hostile to other classes, I want to be familiar with everyone if I could, but I would prioritize the girls in my class regardless of whether you’re from inside or outside…
“By the way.. Atsushi.”
“What is it?”
“How far have you thought about the future?”
PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!!
When I asked, all the girls here immediately had nervous faces.
Fausto, whose true identity as Manhunt was revealed by the Trimagitack after he failed to finish off Walm, erased the tracks and returned to the base of the hidden guild. Even if it was caused by some external factors, there was no excuse for such an embarrassing failure.
So, Fausto knelt down and reported to his master the information he had obtained at the price of two bodies.
“Old man, I’m sorry. The attack failed. We lost Medardo and Nero.”
“I’ve got the information from the others. But, those two really died, didn’t they? With this, the old compatriots are becoming fewer and fewer.”
The old man gazed into space as if recalling a distant memory. He paused for a while before asking Fausto about the details of the battle.
“So, did you manage to confirm it?”
“No. Although it was a surprise attack, those two got killed in a straightforward fight. We managed to get that person to be covered in wounds, but it took too much time. And before we could see the end, the Trimagitack interfered.”
Surprise attack. Sure Fausto’s party surrounded the mercenary, but they couldn’t kill him.
However, that didn’t mean Fausto went away empty-handed. After facing him, Fausto was able to guess his ability. The one-to-many movement he showed was something that could only be achieved when murder became a daily routine. That was Fausto’s assessment of him.
“So, that’s how much he had developed as a soldier huh?”
“I think he’s a rare talent in recent years. But, there are two things that bother me… First, he didn’t use《Demon Fire》. We all wore fire resistance equipment and conserved our mana, but it was useless.”
“Did he run out of mana?”
Fausto denied the old man’s words.
“No. He was quite worn out, but I think he still had some mana left.”
“He couldn’t use it for some reason? Or was the attempt seen through?… I can’t properly judge.”
“Next is, his eyes when he was cornered. Definitely, they were demon eyes.”
The surrounding air grew colder. A brief silence followed, and the old man asked Fausto for confirmation.
“……perfect fit?”
“No, they were muddy. It’s not perfect.”
Immediately after killing Medardo and Nero in quick succession, Fausto witnessed the mercenary’s eyes that wouldn’t let him go. The pupils were colored gold. But they looked so dark and muddy.
“Of course that’s the case… That’s not something you can achieve in a short time after all. But demon eyes… Demon eyes, huh. So there’s someone with demon eyes in this peaceful and relaxed era?”
Said the old man who rubbed his fingers together.
There was no way Fausto would forget the habits of his master, whom he had served for a long time, when he thought about something
The old man then continued with his words.
“The cataclysm of the northern countries, the great outbreak, the demon eyes, regardless of the scale, it’s convincing enough. After all, it’s the path that the driven group will go through.”
The old man who came to this conclusion smiled with a look of regret.
“Before the main event, that good body is something I really wanted to have.”
“I’m deeply sorry. If only we hadn’t failed…”
The old man held back Fausto, who had repeatedly apologized and repented.
“I forgive you, it’s in the past… The preparations have been completed. All that’s missing now is the timing. But so what? I’m used to enduring and waiting… and now, just a little more.”
Unconsciously, the old man’s last words were emphasized. He had the same thoughts as Fausto. The shameful memory that suddenly forced itself upon them made them both shudder, although they had restrained themselves.
“Old man, Fausto, old tales are all well and good, but he’s my younger brother’s enemy.”
Whether or not these words were said after reading the atmosphere, Giesel, the ostensible ruler of the hidden guild, said this with a frown.
Unlike Fausto and the old man, Giesel wasn’t accustomed to waiting
The old man then spoke in a manner that admonished Giesel.
“I know. The purpose won’t deviate. Revenge, isn’t always something that’s better to be done quickly. Like a curse, the more time passes, the stronger these feelings will reside in you. And the greater the joy you’ll get when it’s over.”
“Well, if the old man says so, then it must be so. But, in this case, if Walm leaves the labyrinth, it’ll be hard to catch him. No matter how much I want to follow your order, I can’t overlook my enemy.”
“Don’t worry. That guy can’t leave the labyrinth. What those with rotting demon eyes are aiming for is the crimson grass, the flower of life that comes from sucking the blood and flesh of those who’ve been swallowed by the labyrinth. In the language of flowers, it means, compensation, balance. Kakakaka, that means, put something in the balance, once you chose, you’ll be compensated.”
Half of the old man’s body trembled in an inhuman way, as if he was another creature.
In the darkness where the sun couldn’t reach, only the eyes of the old man, who was consumed by delusion, shone mysteriously.
◆
Four days had passed since Walm was half-forced to stay in the free accommodation facility. Although under constant guard, there were three hot meals, and even daily bathing was allowed. What a perfect place to get rid of accumulated fatigue and lack of sleep. On top of that, a healing magician cast healing magic on him every day. This went so far that a reversal phenomenon occurred, where the injured was the healthier one.
That said, two days of rest would give everyone a surplus of stamina, so Walm used the time to diligently organize the content of his magic bag.
Maintenance of the weapons that continued to be abused had been done. So after doing everything Walm could, such as polishing his armor and washing his clothes, he began to take care of his mask, but he soon gave up polishing it as the vibration persisted. Well, even if the mask was bathed in blood and mud on the harsh battlefield, for some reason it had already cleaned itself by the time he took it off. And even if he wanted to expose the mechanism, the mask had no vocal cords. He couldn’t even question it, so he had given up thinking much.
What should I do in my free time today?
Last night Walm spent his time polishing his half-boots, but he finally ran out of things to do.
Walm sat down in an armchair and wanted to think, but he sensed a presence in the hallway. Although there was no window, he had gotten accustomed to being in the enclosed space of the labyrinth, and so he could roughly tell time. It was still early for lunch, and the time for a changing of the guard, which he had grasped in four days, was still ahead.
Finding it strange, Walm grabbed the longsword leaning against the wall and focused his attention. Not long after, there was a small bang on the only door.
“What?”
“I’ve got a message.”
It was the familiar voice of the guard. And the guard peered through the open door as he said this.
“After a long discussion between the higher-ups, you are free. Pack your luggage. The procedure will take place in another room.”
Luckily, Walm, who had run out of options, didn’t have to come up with any more ways to pass the time. This meant that the days for the guard to stand in the hallways were coming to an end. Perhaps that was why the guard spoke in a slightly cheerful tone.
“Understood. I’ll prepare myself right away.”
The poison of boredom had eroded Walm’s mind to the point where he was lining up his equipment next to the bed. In short, all he had to do was put them on in the right order, and he was ready to go.
Waiting for Walm in the corridor weren’t only the guards, but also Lisi, to whom he was always indebted. As an employee of the guild, she must have other duties besides her reception duties. That must be the reason why she came here.
“Follow me”
Walm tried to follow Lisi, but his eyes followed the guard who was walking in the opposite direction.
“What?”
The guard, catching Walm’s gaze, asked suspiciously.
“Nothing, I was just wondering why you weren’t coming with us.”
“You’ve been cleared of suspicion. And Lisi told me that it’s not necessary. Or what? Do you perhaps have something you feel guilty about?”
“No way, I’m a man of integrity.”
“Hah, then go quickly. Don’t make her wait.”
Walm, who was laughed at, followed Lisi silently.
No conversation took place. Nevertheless, Walm didn’t feel awkward.
After passing through several hallways, Walm was asked to enter a room. It was an interview room for adventurers.
Walm sat down on the chair as it was suggested to him.
“First of all, congratulations on your return to the surface.”
“……Thank you”
For some reason, Walm felt embarrassed by Lisi’s innocent smile, and could only honestly thank her.
“Next, it’s about the Manhunt, Fausto-san… No, Fausto was an instructor in the guild. His guidance to the juniors was well received, and when it was discovered that he was a Manhunt, there was a great tremor within the guild. The vice-guild leader and the guild leader went to the marquis’s residence to apologize and formulate countermeasures, saying that it was mismanagement. The guards were searching for Fausto, but they haven’t been able to find him yet. His residence was burned down before the guards got there. It’s our incompetence. We’re really sorry.”
Walm, learning what happened next, was convinced. Fausto was indeed a skillful actor. That his true identity couldn’t be detected by the guild while he was in the guild, wasn’t at all far-fetched.
As for the failed capture of Fausto, it could be said that this labyrinth city was a perfect hiding place since it had a large population. It wouldn’t be surprising if the skillful Fausto, who had been active in the area for a long time, had fled to outside the country by now.
“I understand the circumstances. It’s something that happened in the labyrinth. Having a hard time catching him isn’t that strange.”
“……I’m glad to hear that. Then next, Walm-san killed two Manhunts. Basically, the belongings of the Manhunt eliminated in the labyrinth belong to the one who killed them. However, this time there’s also the achievement of the Trimagitack, so it’ll be necessary to sort this out with them. In addition, one medium gold coin will be given by the guild for each Manhunt.”
“I’m fine with 50%. It’s true that I killed them, but in reality, I was seriously wounded. Fausto decided to run because of the restraint of the Trimagitack. If they hadn’t come, I might’ve been buried by now.”
“Are you, for sure?”
“Yeah.”
After reaffirming Walm’s decision, Lisi laid out the documents on the low table and added detailed information.
Walm signed it, and so, the handling of the belongings was decided.
“This completes the matters required by the guild. From here on, it’s personal.”
Lisi tightened her expression. Her expression betrayed her strong will. Walm sensed this and changed his posture and turned to face her properly.
“Walm-san, surely will dive into the labyrinth again. Immediately after reaching the 30th floor, you managed to make Fausto’s party run away. Even so, the casualty rate jumps after the 30th floor. Even Fausto’s party hasn’t reached the 35th floor and beyond. Even the Trimagitack is blocked on the 35th floor, and hasn’t managed to dive deeper. The same is true for the selected party from other countries. No matter how strong Walm-san is, you can’t continue diving alone. Probably, no, surely, Walm-san will die.”
It was a rather harsh word, but it was convincing enough.
Walm listened without interrupting.
“…Walm-san’s goal is to conquer the labyrinth, right? There must be some circumstances. Is it because of an obsession for recognition? Or a bitter memory of the past? I don’t know. Even so, you should gather or join a party. It’s a selfish request. But, this is because I don’t want Walm-san to die.”
When was the last time Walm had heard such intense yet kind words? Just hearing that was enough to make his deceased family and former squad members flashed in his mind.
Walm felt that he couldn’t simply ignore Lisi’s generous advice.
“…… You’re, right. It was harder than I thought. I think I’ll look for a party.”
Indeed, the monsters on the 26th floor and beyond had forced him to use up mana. With each level, the monsters got tougher and more vicious. Walm wasn’t arrogant enough to claim he could do it all on his own. He couldn’t. After all, his powerlessness had become apparent in the defense of Dandurg Castle and in his hometown.
“Thank you for giving me a good answer. I’m glad. Really.”
“No no, it’s me who should be grateful. Thanks.”
“Then, let’s write a paper for recruitment immediately. Posting will cost a fee, but don’t worry, I’ll deduct it from the reward.”
Walm told Lisi what conditions he wanted the companions to have.
Age, gender, or nationality, didn’t matter. Only those who had the goal of reaching the deepest part of the labyrinth, and were persistent to get there.
That was the kind of companion Walm was looking for, and the only condition he couldn’t give up.
“Well, I’m the one who instigated this, so I’m a bit hesitant to say something like this, but I need to. Walm-san isn’t an adventurer, and besides the condition of aiming for the deepest floor, it’s just been a few days after the incident. I think it’ll take quite a while to recruit.”
Lisi spoke like a person in charge of selling defective properties. It was so funny that Walm couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fufu, kukuku, it’s okay. I’m aware of it. I’ll wait patiently for the weirdoes to show up.”
Money was accumulating in Walm’s coin bag day by day, but it still wasn’t enough to buy medicine. It was a bit inconvenient that he couldn’t use the 《Demon Fire》 as he pleased, but if he kept diving into the labyrinth, the coin bad would be filled up with enough money to buy medicine, and maybe he would even make friends along the way.
In this way, the bloated impatience that had been growing in Walm was soothed by Lisi.
『”Atsushi-san. You know, I’ve never been to prison in my life. This is my first time. So I’ve never seen the inside of a prison, and I don’t even know how to meet people in prison. The only knowledge I have about it is from manga, anime, and dramas. So, I’m fully aware that I’m not in a position to say what is right.”』
Atsushi thought it was normal.
There was no way an ordinary person, especially a first-year high school student, would know the details of a prison. And just like Yuri said, most ordinary students’ knowledge about it would only come from manga, anime, and drama. On the contrary, if they knew, there must be something unordinary that had happened to them.
『”But, still, let me say it… As expected, I don’t think this is right…”』
As usual, Yuri was expressionless, but she was… in a state of reluctance due to the current situation.
『”Eh? What do I mean by that? I’ve never thought that to go inside a prison, you’ll be forced to go through checkpoints and luggage inspections more than ten times, and on top of that, you’ve to take the elevator down to the basement? Really? No, let’s assume taking an elevator is normal. But it’s going down, you know? What’s more, there’s no indication of the number of floors. Is this really a prison? Besides, we’ve been a while and it hasn’t stopped. It can’t be the B 2th or B 3th, right? It’s completely on the B 20th or B 30th, right? Eh? Perhaps, is this Imp〇〇 d〇wn? Are we going straight to LEVEL 5?”』
『”Calm down Shirasawa. Your parable is going astray again.”』
While saying this, Atsushi also had his own thoughts about the situation.
He understood that prison was a foreign place for him and Yuri. But even so, it was clearly strange to have such a strict check, and to take an elevator that they didn’t even know where it would take them.
『”… but, well, as you said, this isn’t normal.”』
『”No, no, Atsushi-san. It’s not just that level. Well, there are psychics like us in the world, and there are people who use hypnosis, and people who somehow can get every information. But as expected, this is breaking the worldview…”』
『”Alright, stop. I mean, don’t call it a worldview. Your words are getting hard to understand.”』
Above all, Yuri was still expressionless. To be told that it was breaking her worldview… of course, Atsushi wasn’t convinced.
Right after that conversation ended, the elevator finally stopped.
“It’s here”
The door opened. They followed Kirishima.
It was literally a straight path. There were some surveillance cameras on the walls and ceiling, but that was it, nothing else.
And at the end of the one-way road… there was something that looked like a cell.
What… is this…?
Involuntarily, Atsushi thought of such a thing.
That should be the case. What he saw was definitely iron bars. However, inside it was like a room in a super high-class hotel, with a bed, TV, bookshelves, and many more.
It didn’t look like a cell inside a prison.
『”Atsushi-san. I withdraw my previous statement. Apparently, this isn’t the world of “One p〇〇ce”, but the world of “B〇ki the Gr〇〇pler”.”』
『”Stop it. I’m having a hard time following.”』
As Atsushi replied, the man who was inside the prison raised his face.
He looked like in his early thirties. His long black hair reached the floor and his bangs hid his eyes. His body was so thin that Atsushi thought it would break if he twisted it.
Delicate. That was Atsushi’s first impression of the man.
“―――Yo. You finally came, Sumi. I miss you.”
“Yes. It’s been a while, father.”
To the man who greets him with a smile, Kirishima replied naturally.
This man is…
The man was Kirishima’s father, the former leader and also the founder of Father’s Lake, named “Touya Kadokuro”.
“You’re not alone today”
“Yes. I’ve caused trouble to these two., also one of them wanted to meet you.”
“Hmm. That means… you must be the son of those two. I see, I see. Well, you sure look like them.”
The man looked at Atsushi intently while stroking his chin, as if he were observing something unusual.
And ironically, even though it was the man who was in the prison, Atsushi felt like he was the one under surveillance.
“Hello, I’m Touya Kadokuro. Nice to meet you, Atsushi Yamagami-kun”
“……”
“Oho. You don’t need to be on guard.”
“Of course I need. I mean, can you get along with my parents?”
“Hahaha. Don’t be so harsh. But, yeah, you’re right. It’s because of your parents that I’m here now. It would be natural to hold a grudge against your parents… But don’t get me wrong, I’ve never held a grudge against you or your parents. Rather, I respect them.”
“What did you say?”
Atsushi unintentionally uttered a question at the unexpected words.
The organization that Kadokuro had created was destroyed by Atsushi’s parents. Even if he said that he never held a grudge against them, or even respected them, there was no way Atsushi could believe him.
“They destroyed the religious group I created. Only two people, and yet managed to do that. Both physically and mentally. They completely overthrew the trust of the believers, and even the “soldiers” I sent were completely destroyed. And they even threw me here. From a general point of view, I should’ve held a grudge against them. But actually, I have my own thoughts. I thought that their skill was amazing. That’s all. If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear about their current situation…”
“I’m sorry, but father, could you talk about that next time? I just came here today because I wanted to ask you something.”
When Kirishima interrupted her father’s words, her father spread his hands with a troubled look on his face.
“You want to ask something? I see. What is it? We’re father and daughter, aren’t we? Ask me anything. Any question, I’ll answer my daughter’s question.”
There was no hostility in Kadokuro’s words. Perhaps, it was because he was dealing with his daughter, still, Atsushi couldn’t help but be suspicious of him, since he was the founder of Father Lake.
To such a father,
“Then let me ask you straight ―――why did you attack us, can you tell us the reason?”
Kirishima said so in a monotonous and straightforward manner.
TN: I know this is sudden but, this is the end for now, the author has been on hiatus from writing anything since last year, I don’t know whether this’ll be continued again or not.
Walm, who had returned to the surface, saw that a group of bloodthirsty guards had been waiting for him as his vision suddenly cleared. At least, that was how they looked in his eyes.
Merrill, who had returned to the surface first, told Walm that there was no threat of an attack, but he couldn’t let his guard down immediately and so he kept his halberd ready.
“W-we’ve no weapons in our hands, you know!?”
“Please put your weapons away.”
As a result, it became a situation where his weapon was pointed at a large number of guards who came to pick him up.
Walm looked around and then replied without raising his voice any more than necessary, while apologizing in his mind to Merrill, who wasn’t present.
“I didn’t mean to be hostile. I was attacked in the safe room and was just on guard.”
Fortunately, because of the blood spilled, Walm was extremely calm and far from hot-tempered. The only one who seemed excited in this situation was the mask.
Walm slowly lowered the halberd and covered the spearhead with the leather sheath. He paused for a moment, and the guards also dropped their alert.
“Walm, right? We’ve prepared a private room for you. Come with us.”
A one-sided statement that did not call for a response. Nevertheless, Walm followed silently, partly because of the bad first impression he had made, he wanted to improve it at least a little bit.
The passage leading from the transfer room to the waiting area was surrounded by guards. Walm, who passed through the passageway and reached the waiting area, was speechless. The waiting area, already full of people, had been transformed into a chaotic crowd by a series of disturbances.
“Open the way!! And stay away!!!”
Walm was transported while the guards kicked off the onlookers away. Although he had the experience of guarding an important person, Walm had no experience of being the one getting guarded. It was as if he had become an important person or a criminal.
When Walm turned his gaze to the reception desk across the open path, the reception staff, including Lisi, had a dumbfounded look. This must be a major interruption to the work. Once again, he got Lisi in trouble. Regardless of how she felt, at least that’s how he felt.
Exposed to countless gazes, Walm was led deeper and deeper into the guild house he normally couldn’t enter.
Although Walm pressed on the wound and suppressed the bleeding with the magical barrier, the blood still oozed out.
Walm began to feel sluggish, but just as he was about to complain about how heavy his body felt, the guard leading him finally stopped.
“You’ll be treated inside. Let me help you carry your luggage.”
Said the guard. Walm, however, clearly rejected the guard’s suggestion to disarm him in a roundabout way.
“Thanks, I’m happy that you want to help, but I feel uneasy letting it go. I’ll keep it by my side.”
The guard blatantly frowned at Walm’s words, but didn’t press him further.
Walm walked into the room and was seated on the examination table and asked to undress in front of many people. For some reason, he felt that he wasn’t much different than an exhibitionist or a stripper.
“Did you, seriously make him walk in that condition? What was the stretcher for? Without his magical barrier, he might’ve died before he got here.”
Luckily, the healing magician seemed neutral and expressed disgust at the guard who had let Walm walk this far
Walm wanted to applaud, but he didn’t want to further degrade his image, so he held back.
Diagnosis combined with palpation exposed wound after wound. Walm’s ribs were still broken, even though he was wearing the armor. Apparently, not only Faust but also the other Manhunts possessed the ability to skillfully destroy the human body.
Healing magic was applied, and the pain disappeared along with the warmth. Nevertheless, it couldn’t be said that the wounds were completely healed, and if Walm moved carelessly, the wound might open.
After the treatment, Walm wanted to give in to his tiredness and take a rest, but what awaited him next was an interview with the guild’s staff.
How the fights had happened, the history of the contact with Faust, and sometimes the same questions were repeated. It was to the point that Walm was tired of their persistence. The situation was a situation, and even if it was driven by necessity, it was a momentum that could eventually lead to unnecessary questions, such as about his fetish and the three sizes. Of course, he intended to remain silent if those questions were asked.
After an hour, Walm was finally allowed to take a break and he could rest, albeit under surveillance. He brought the cup of water to his mouth to quench his thirst and exhaled the purple smoke from his cigarette. Every movement attracted attention, and even though he had permission to light a cigarette, the guards looked tense. Not that he minded. Walm could probably work in a circus right now without worrying about the audience.
Half an hour later, the closed door was opened. Walm did not recognize the man who entered the room. The paper in his hand, however, was a form filled with details from the interview. It was large and the bulges around the abdomen were intense. The tailored uniform was well maintained and the breastplate that hung from his chest indicated that he was a high-ranking employee of the guild.
As if to confirm Walm’s suspicions, the man had an attendant behind him and his arrogant movements showed that he was indeed an important person. If he were a weak authority, he would have behaved more servilely.
“I’m Raffaele, the vice-guild leader of the Adventurer’s Guild Belgana Branch. In the time when the guild leader is absent, you sure have given me trouble.”
It was as if Walm had done something wrong. But this way of speaking made him curious about what words would be hurled at him next.
“I had read the interviews. Faust’s party is a party of Manhunts? I can’t believe it. They have always taken care of their juniors and have been exemplary adventurers. Their contribution to the guild is also great. Even with the reports given by the Trimagitack, I can’t feel that it’s the reality.”
The body had noticeable old scars, and the slightly rough fingers and soft palms indicated that Raffaele was a civilian. If he was in Walm’s situation, it would be a spectacle to see how he would fight back with that slackened flabby body.
“And, you killed two of the five oldest and most prominent adventurers in the Labyrinth City, all by yourself? The more I hear about it, the more I find it hard to believe.”
So far Walm had responded obediently to the interrogations. Even if some of them lacked courtesy and endlessly asked the same question. He didn’t know what was written in the report, but he was getting frustrated.
“That prominent group has been hunting people. That must be why they managed to become the oldest members of the guild.”
“Wanderer, shut your impudent mouth.”
Walm’s word must have hit a sore spot. It wasn’t enough to stop him, and instead, he reacted with even more anger toward the vice-guild leader who harbored suspicions.
“I’m sure you have something on your mind, but still, it’s a terrible way to deal with a person who was about to be beheaded and have his whole body chopped off. Next time, will you strip me and throw me in jail? And you think I’ll obey obediently? You sure have a lot of soldiers serving you, but is that enough?”
Said Walm, narrowing his eyes and staring at Raffaele.
Apart from the mask which seemed to be excited for the second round, the hand of the guards who were watching him reached to their waist, while silence reigned.
For a sarcastic civilian official, Raffaele seemed to have a lot of courage, and even while holding the guard with his hands, he didn’t take his eyes off Walm.
“Hmmph…… I didn’t say it was a lie. That’s why I’m documenting it.”
Raffaele’s demeanor softened slightly, which was probably because they were looking at each other so passionately that their friendship and affection for each other deepened. At least there seemed to be a rule that wouldn’t punish him just because there was suspicion while arguing.
Hypothetically, if Faust and his party were the victims, why didn’t they protest even though they had lost their companions, and hide instead? If it was because Faust was afraid of Walm and was only hiding temporarily, Walm would have no choice but to applaud the performance that was so bad and yet so good.
“Well, aren’t you so thoughtful? Truly wonderful. Still, it’s hard to keep saying the same story more than a few times. I’m an injured person. Deeply injured…”
Walm showed the new scar on his neck. Even Raffaele, glancing at him, understood that there was nothing more to say.
“I can’t judge whether it’s black or white yet. Until the next step is decided, I’ll have you stay in a room inside this guild.”
“And what kind of room? Cell?”
“Hmph, if you wish, I can put you in a cell. You should be grateful. It’s a guest room for guests. It should be more comfortable than the labyrinth floor you usually sleep on or a bed of a cheap inn. You won’t be restrained, but please respectfully hold yourself from moving too freely. Of course, in consideration of safety, I’ll add an “escort”. Oi, guide him.”
As Raffaele left the room before the others, the guards and guild staff escorted Walm like a princess. After all, the people of adventurers’ guild were kind.
Walm, accepting the “courtesy,” was led into a room without windows. There was only one door through which he could enter and exit, and when he tried to hit the wall, only a very reliable sound bounced back. Truly, a room suitable for secret talks and to protect the target of protection.
Ironically, by repeatedly explaining the situation, Walm was able to sort it out in his head. And concluded that perhaps the reason Faust targeted him was that he was easy to target, since he was always alone, and seemed to have a large amount of money as he had a magic bag.
“Guess he didn’t act impudent for nothing?”
Walm sat on a chair and leaned over. He was reluctant to admit Raffaele’s words, but even a leather armchair felt like a bed of better quality than the floors of the labyrinth and bed in a cheap inn.
In the end, the habit of to sleep whenever he could, which he developed when he was an active Highserk soldier was still deeply ingrained, and thus Walm let go of his consciousness without ever touching the bed.
