Chapter 46: Townsperson A Challenges the Great Orc Labyrinth with the Villainess

About two weeks had passed since the start of the new year when Ana paid me a visit.

"Hey, Allen. I’m thinking of challenging the newly discovered Altomunt Labyrinth. Would you act as my guard?"

"To the Great Orc Labyrinth? I don’t mind, but how deep do you intend to go?"

"The 'Great Labyrinth'? What are you talking about?"

Oops, damn it. I had answered without thinking. It had only just been discovered, after all.

That said, trying to clumsily cover my tracks would probably only make things worse, so I decided to confess.

"Actually, a while back, I stumbled upon an undiscovered labyrinth deep in the Altomunt Forest and cleared it."

"Wait, what? Allen, you mean you’ve been to more than just the Goblin Labyrinth?"

"Well, even if it was technically undiscovered, the boss on the bottom floor was just an Orc King. There weren't any noteworthy traps, and since it wasn't that big a deal, I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

Upon hearing my explanation, Ana pressed a hand to her forehead, looking utterly exasperated.

"Honestly. They say there’s a thin line between a genius and a madman, and I think you fall squarely into that category."

How rude. I’m no genius, so there’s no way I’m teetering on that line. Back in university during my previous life, there were plenty of guys way more "out there" than me.

"Anyway, I used to do high-speed laps through there. As long as you can manage the bare minimum of self-defense, Ana-sama, we could probably clear the whole thing together. What do you think?"

"Wait, Allen. What do you mean by 'high-speed laps'?"

"Oh, you know. It’s just the process of clearing a labyrinth and teleporting back to the entrance over and over to grind levels."

"..."

Ana put her hand to her forehead again. As I thought, she must have been pushing herself quite hard back when she was forced to be the Crown Prince’s fiancée.

Personally, I thought she was much more charming now, with her expressions changing so rapidly. As I watched her, she suddenly locked eyes with me, staring intently.

I didn't have much of an immunity to women, so being stared at by such a beautiful face made me feel incredibly self-conscious.

"No, well, whatever. You are who you are. So, will you take the job?"

"Yes. With pleasure."

And so, I ended up heading off to play in the Great Orc Labyrinth with Ana.

We set off for Altomunt, traveling by carriage for the first time in a while. It was a bit of a hassle considering a distance that would take a few hours via Vuitol took several days by carriage, but the journey had a certain retro charm to it.

After a long trip, we finally arrived at Margaret’s family estate.

"Hello, Allen-kun. It’s been a while."

"Margaret-sama, it is a pleasure to see you again."

I knelt and offered a formal greeting.

"Oh, stop that, Allen-kun. You’re a classmate, aren’t you? Besides, you’re the Knight who rescued Ana-sama."

"I wouldn't go that far..."

"Sigh, honestly. You completely shut out the five strongest students in our year, yet here you are acting humble. If you weren't Ana-sama’s Knight, I would have scouted you for our house in a heartbeat."

"Hey, Margaret."

"I know, I know. I’m not about to snatch away Ana-sama’s precious Knight. I’m not like that slut."

"...Yes, quite. Besides, Allen isn't that sort of man."

Wait, what? What was that exchange about? Was she actually expecting...? No, bad idea. The Duke had made it very clear that we were "friends." If I tried anything, my head would roll.

And I didn't mean that metaphorically; I meant physically.

While navigating those awkward social waters, I was provided a room in Margaret’s mansion. They even assigned a maid to look after me!

I was grateful, of course, but a noble’s mansion was pointlessly spacious and luxurious. It was the kind of place that made a commoner like me feel restless.

And for the record—no, I did not spend a "dizzying night of dreams" with the maid. Just so we’re clear.

The following day, I headed for the Great Orc Labyrinth accompanied by Ana, Margaret, and five Knights acting as guards. We finished the registration and entered. Unlike the time I found it, the place was now teeming with adventurers.

"Alright, let's move through this quickly. However, I want to get a feel for everyone’s combat abilities, so if an Orc appears, please try to handle it individually. I’ll step in immediately if things look dangerous."

The five Knights clearly thought I was suspicious, but they obeyed the orders of their master, Margaret, without complaint.

"I’ll take the first one."

I readied Nikov and fired a shot at an Orc emerging from the shadows. With a sharp crack, the bullet flew true, piercing the beast between the eyes. The Orc collapsed instantly, dead before it hit the floor.

"Huh?"

"Wait... what was that?"

Ana and Margaret stood there, speechless. The Knights were equally stunned, their eyes wide as they froze in place.

"It’s an application of Wind Magic. I use it to propel steel slugs at high velocity. This is a magic tool I built to assist with the process."

"I-I see. As expected of Allen. I’m certainly glad you’re on our side."

Ana was the first to snap out of her daze, offering her praise.

"Thank you, Ana-sama."

After that, things moved quickly. Since the Knights followed my instructions, our progress was effortless.

Briskly advancing through the Great Orc Labyrinth—a place I already knew like the back of my hand—we reached the bottom and made short work of the boss.

"And there we have it. The Great Orc Labyrinth has been conquered. Congratulations."

"Right... yeah."

"We were basically relying on Allen-kun for the last half, but... yeah. Thanks."

Thus, we cleared the Great Orc Labyrinth with ease. A bit late to the party, but the achievement of "Conqueror of the Great Orc Labyrinth" was finally added to my Guild Card.