The streets were broad, and public safety seemed decent enough. Since gold and silver coins were kept in the Item Box in this world, pickpockets likely found little opportunity for profit.
The Adventurer Guild sat at the heart of the Imperial Capital’s bustling commercial district, surrounded by a dense array of shops.
In Quratar, the storefronts catered almost exclusively to Explorers, resulting in a limited selection of goods. Aside from general sundries and daily necessities, the area was dominated by weapon shops, armor shops, and food stalls that doubled as collection points for monster drops.
By contrast, the shops in the Imperial Capital exuded an air of luxury. If the clothing stores in Quratar were rural boutiques, the ones here were the equivalent of high-end flagship brands in Ginza.
Everything looked expensive.
Even the architecture was intimidating; the ground floor entrances were raised by several steps, expensive mats were laid out at the doorways, and the interiors were vast and airy.
Rolls of fabric were displayed deep inside the shops. It was the realm of haute couture.
I wasn’t sure if this was standard for the Capital or if the neighborhood surrounding the guild was simply a hub for high-end commerce. Regardless, it had led me to a shop selling luxury carpets, so I couldn't complain.
The shop, located on the first floor of a prominent building, was hushed and serene despite facing the main thoroughfare. Carpets were displayed across the expansive floor, and the atmosphere was one of quiet, unhurried elegance.
"Welcome."
A middle-aged clerk gave a polite, shallow bow, watching over us from a respectful distance.
There were few other customers. The space was open, allowing for a clear view of the entire floor. Roxanne and I walked among the displays, examining carpets draped over walls and laid out on low platforms.
"How about this one?" I asked.
"I think something slightly more vibrant would be better," Roxanne replied.
"Then how about something like this?"
We looked through several carpets featuring geometric patterns. They were beautiful and clearly well-made. Every piece had a unique design, though none were particularly garish. Instead, they favored sophisticated, warm tones.
"How about this one?"
Roxanne reached out to touch a specific carpet. It featured an intricate geometric design where reddish-brown, deep chocolate, and a pale tan bordering on yellow intertwined in a circular motif.
"This one?"
"The craftsmanship appears very sturdy," Roxanne stated after a serious evaluation.
If Roxanne gave it the green light, there was no reason to doubt it.
"What about the ones over there?"
"Let me see..."
"What sort of item are you looking for?" the clerk asked, stepping in with perfect timing. Her customer service skills were clearly top-notch.
"A carpet to hang on the wall at home."
"I see."
"How much for this one?" I pointed to the one Roxanne had selected.
"That is a luxury item specially sourced from Dobrow, a region famous for its carpets. It is priced at five thousand Nahl."
That was a relief. I wouldn't need gold coins after all.
It wasn't exceptionally large, though. Covering a whole floor with it would have been impossible.
"Do you have anything more affordable?"
"These pieces here were crafted by local artisans. They lack the prestige of the Dobrow imports, but they are still of excellent quality. They are three thousand Nahl each."
The clerk gestured to a display behind me.
So, the platform in front held the imports, while the one behind featured local goods.
"Is this the standard size?"
"In order for an adventurer to roll them up and transport them, they generally must be kept to those dimensions."
I wondered if that was a restriction of Field Walk. Apparently, one couldn't just haul anything of any size.
Would Warp be okay? I worried its restrictions might be even tighter than Field Walk's. If worst came to worst, I could always hire an adventurer at the guild to carry them to Quratar for me.
"Roxanne, what do you think of this?"
"This one?"
From the local selection, I picked a carpet with a checkered pattern in dark brown and a warm, orange-tinted tan. It looked interesting and had a certain charm.
"That piece was made by a promising young artisan. It is one of our shop's recommendations," the clerk added.
"Still young" likely meant their technique wasn't quite perfect yet, but Roxanne seemed to like it.
"I think it’s a fine carpet," she said.
If it passed her inspection, that was enough for me.
"Then I'll take this one and the other one from before."
"Thank you very much. Since you chose one of our recommended items, I can offer a special discount. I will provide both for five thousand six hundred Nahl."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
Even with a thirty percent discount, buying multiple items at once was a hit to the wallet.
The clerk carried both carpets to the counter. We followed and paid the balance in silver coins. She rolled the carpets tightly, tied them with cord, and handed them over.
Roxanne and I took one each.
They were surprisingly heavy. The clerk had made carrying both look effortless; she must have been stronger than she appeared.
"As long as they are rolled to that size, you should have no trouble transporting them via Field Walk. While our building uses shielding cement, you may use the sample carpet hanging in the back to facilitate your travel. You are more than welcome to use it; we rotate our samples daily."
On the far wall, a carpet was suspended from the ceiling like a curtain. I hadn't realized they could be used that way. Apparently, as long as it was away from a wall, Field Walk worked.
The fact that they changed the sample every day meant that once replaced, the old "anchor" would disappear. You couldn't return to the shop via a carpet that was no longer there.
I walked toward the hanging carpet. The clerk stayed at the counter, simply watching. I moved my lips as if chanting a silent incantation and focused on the word "Warp."
The worry that Warp might not handle the carpets crossed my mind, but failing at the Adventurer Guild would be even more awkward. The guild was always crowded, and I wanted to maintain my reputation there. Here, only the clerk was watching.
If she started a scene, I’d just have to deal with it—violently, if necessary.
As those dark thoughts crossed my mind, the black void of the Warp gate manifested on the surface of the carpet. I stepped inside.
I emerged into the living room of our house. Success.
Warp worked perfectly. I had likely been overthinking things; it hadn't failed me yet, after all.
"How do we use this Coral Gelatin?" I asked, setting the carpets down and pulling the item from my storage.
Roxanne took the gelatin to the kitchen. She dissolved it in water and set it in a pot of hot water to start a double boil.
"If we add just a bit of charcoal embers to this, it will be ready."
"That’s surprisingly simple."
I wasn't sure if it was simple or just tedious, but if it worked as an adhesive, that was all that mattered. A little double boiling wasn't much trouble.
"Once we let it cool for a moment, we can fix the carpet to the wall."
"Let's hang the one you chose. We'll use the other one in the bedroom."
"Understood."
"Give me a hand with this."
Roxanne and I carried the checkered carpet into the bedroom and laid it beside the bed.
It was always dark when I woke up in the morning. If I placed my change of clothes on the carpet, it would serve as a tactile landmark. I’d likely memorize the dimensions of the carpet in no time.
It was just about the right size for someone to roll around on.
A person lying down.
I felt like I was on the verge of discovering a new way to spend our time.
"Laying a carpet like this feels so decadent," Roxanne remarked.
"It looks like it'll feel great to lie on. Come here, Roxanne."
I stretched out on the carpet and motioned for her to join me. She lay down beside me.
"Yes... oh, it's so soft and wonderful."
I took that as a green light.
I had indeed discovered a new way to spend our time.
Even on a carpet, a person can truly become a fish.
At some point, I realized I had unlocked a new job: Cook.
Cook Lv 1 Effects: Dexterity Increase (Small), Vitality Increase (Slight), Agility Increase (Slight) Skills: Rare Ingredient Drop Rate Up, Item Box Operation
To be honest, I wasn't sure how useful it would be. For the effects, I really would have preferred Intelligence Increase (Small).
The Rare Ingredient Drop Rate Up skill had potential, though. I just hoped it wouldn't make Kobolds drop nothing but Kobold Salt. Then again, salt wasn't a rare drop, so it should be fine.
Despite being called "Cook," there weren't any skills that actually helped with the act of cooking. It was clearly designed for Labyrinth exploration. Its only culinary benefit seemed to be the ability to store ingredients in the Item Box.
When I tested the Cook job, my Item Box capacity was 30 types x 30 items. When I activated the skill, the capacity suddenly doubled, which gave me quite a shock at first.
With both Explorer and Cook equipped, the total capacity reached 60 types x 30 items. My Explorer Lv 30 provided 30 slots, and the Cook job provided another 30.
When using the Item Box skill, the system didn't seem to care which job provided the slots.
However, it did distinguish based on the contents.
I couldn't unequip the Explorer job while there were items in its specific portion of the storage, but I could remove the Cook job as long as the new slots were empty. If I filled those extra slots, the Cook job became locked. The storage was definitely partitioned behind the scenes.
Of course, the Explorer's capacity was 30 types x 30 items only because I was Level 30. At Level 31, it would likely expand to 31 slots. It made sense that the system kept track of where the space came from.
The Cook's capacity, however, seemed fixed at 30 slots regardless of its level. I couldn't imagine it would increase to 31 slots at Level 31, though I couldn't rule it out entirely.
Given the capacity, I assumed Cook had unlocked because my Explorer reached Level 30. There might have been an additional requirement, like actually preparing a meal.
I tried fighting on the 5th Floor of Vale with the Cook job active, but the Cheap Sheep didn't drop any rare ingredients. The Minos were equally stingy. Useless cattle. You’d think sheep or cows would at least drop something edible.
"Are there monsters that drop rare ingredients?" I asked Roxanne as we explored.
"Yes, there are."
"None on these floors?"
"No. You have to go to the higher floors for that."
So, I’d have to wait. The Cook job was going on the back burner for now.
"Even though Minos are basically cows."
"The cattle that drop ingredients are a different species found on much higher floors."
"I see."
So there were ingredient-dropping cows. Good to know.
"If you go to a butcher, they should be able to sell you rib meat or belly meat," Roxanne suggested.
"Belly meat, huh?"
"I don't think it's considered a rare ingredient, though."
I had only ever bought ham or meat scraps at the butcher.
Come to think of it, those shop clerks are often Explorers. I’d assumed they were just failed adventurers working part-time, but maybe they have a more specialized role.
Food items could be stored in the Item Box, and they wouldn't spoil.
"Maybe I'll buy some next time."
"Yes. Once the herbs in our garden have grown a bit more, that would be perfect."
"Right."
Spices were the other issue. I had Pepper in my inventory, at least.
In this world, ingredients likely had specific cooking methods. Pepper was a boss drop, so it was a hassle to acquire. I decided to leave the culinary details to Roxanne.
I unequipped Cook and focused on exploring.
We blew through the 5th Floor of Vale quickly. The boss of that floor was the Beep Sheep, which I had already defeated before.
The combination of floor monsters and bosses seemed to be consistent across all Labyrinths.
I couldn't let the Beep Sheep use its skill. I stayed glued to it, constantly hounding it with Durandal to trigger the Chant Interruption effect. When it tried to kick, I parried with my blade rather than jumping back, leaving it no openings.
As long as I blocked its skills, it was an easy fight.
Of course, it was only "easy" because Roxanne held the front so perfectly.
With the skills sealed, I just had to trust Roxanne and hack away at its back.
The next morning, map in hand, I cleared the 5th Floor of Quratar.
The boss there was a Kollagen Coral. Since it had no discernible front or back, it was a bit of a struggle, but with two of us, its attack frequency was effectively halved. I swung Durandal until we eventually emerged victorious.
"I'll return the medicine to you now."
Roxanne lowered her rucksack.
I had given her the medicine before the boss fight just in case. It was a lesson learned from the Beep Sheep; it would be a disaster if I were put to sleep and Roxanne were hit with a status ailment like poison.
Though with Roxanne’s skills, she’d likely dodge any poisoned attack without breaking a sweat.
"Shouldn't you keep it until we see what's on the 6th Floor?"
"It’s fine. The 6th Floor of the Quratar Labyrinth should have Minos."
The monster on the 6th Floor of Vale was the Naive Olive, which we had already encountered on the 2nd Floor of Quratar. It was much more relaxing to fight enemies we already knew.
Level 6 monsters went down in four magic spells, so hunting on the 6th Floor was going to be a breeze.
To celebrate clearing the 5th Floor, we took another bath.
Filling the tub was a massive chore. I had to create the water and then heat it manually. It wasn't as simple as turning a tap or flipping a switch.
Every time I exhausted my MP, I had to run to the Labyrinth to recharge. The nearby Quratar Labyrinth was too crowded, so I had to Warp to Vale, but the travel cost made it inefficient. Having to constantly change into my gear and move the magic crystals to my rucksack was another headache.
Maybe things would get easier as my level and MP increased, or if I could find a quiet spot on the higher floors of Quratar. Or perhaps I'd eventually be strong enough to fight without armor or rich enough to stop worrying about magic crystals.
Until then, I had decided that baths were for special occasions only.
Advancing a floor was the perfect excuse.
Perhaps it was the motivation of the bath or just lucky RNG with the boss room locations, but we finished exploring the 6th Floor of Vale remarkably quickly.
It felt a bit contradictory—I had limited baths because they were a hassle, but then I worked twice as hard to reach the milestone that allowed me to take one.
Life is full of such ironies.
Since the boss pairings were consistent, the 6th-floor bosses were both enemies we had already defeated. We cleared Vale's 6th Floor without a hitch.
As we moved into the 7th Floor, we encountered two monsters I hadn't seen before. They looked like goats.
I used Appraisal: Escape Goat. Definitely goats. I started things off with a Fire Storm.
"I’ve heard that Escape Goats have a tendency to flee," Roxanne warned just as the magic activated. "It might be better to use Master’s sword instead of magic."
Bit late for that. So they really were "Escape" Goats.
However, these two didn't flee; they charged straight at us.
Roxanne stepped forward to intercept them while I readied Durandal.
They didn't look as vicious as Minos, but they had stern, unpleasant faces. They certainly weren't cute. Their horns were larger than a Cheap Sheep’s, curving upward in an ominous, wicked-looking arc.
I circled to the left and slashed into one with Durandal.
It didn't go down. At Level 7, it seemed a single magic spell plus one strike from Durandal wasn't enough to finish them off.
The Escape Goat lowered its head.
I braced for a charge, and it lunged forward as expected. I pivoted and dodged easily. I’d grown quite accustomed to monster movements; I was definitely getting better at this.
As I basked in my self-satisfaction, the Escape Goat sprinted right between me and Roxanne.
It didn't stop. It broke through our line and kept running.
Wait, what?
Crap.
The Escape Goat was escaping. I swung Durandal, but it was already out of reach. There was no way I was catching it on foot, so I had to rely on magic.
"Fire Storm!"
Sparks erupted as the second spell triggered. It caught the fleeing goat even as it tried to vanish into the distance.
The monster, engulfed in flames mid-retreat, collapsed and died.
Thank goodness. I must have already dealt significant damage with the first spell and the sword strike.
The other goat, which Roxanne had been tying up, didn't flee even after a second magic spell. I slammed Durandal into its side, and it went down.
One hit for that one? No, the total damage was the same: two spells and one sword strike. The monster dissolved into smoke.
Having them run away was going to be a pain. I didn't really have a countermeasure for it yet, though maybe there was a trick to it.
Next, we encountered a lone Cheap Sheep Lv 7. I met it with a Fireball. It took five spells to take it down.
That was one more than at Level 6.
"The fights are getting longer starting from the 7th Floor."
"It seems so. But this level of difficulty shouldn't be a problem," Roxanne said.
Easy for her to say.
Longer fights meant more time spent in close quarters with monsters. More time meant more opportunities for the enemy to land a hit.
Roxanne could dodge all day, but I couldn't. I didn't have her superhuman reflexes.
I decided we should take the 7th Floor slowly and carefully. We had blazed through the 5th and 6th Floors, so there was no harm in pacing ourselves now.
The next encounter was another lone Escape Goat. I tried magic again.
After the third spell hit, it turned on its heel and bolted.
Three spells, then. It probably wasn't random; they likely fled once their HP dropped below fifty percent. For an Escape Goat Lv 7, two spells were safe, but the third was the trigger.
I had been close enough to use my sword when the third hit, so I should have been able to finish it off with one or two more spells before it got away.
Or so I thought, but it actually dodged the fifth Fireball. Even with its back turned, the damn thing had moved out of the way.
It managed to escape. Dealing with them at the three-hit mark was going to be annoying. Using Storm-type magic might be the only reliable way.
"What a nuisance."
"Shall we try to avoid them?"
"Yeah. Ideally, we’ll prioritize other monsters if the conditions are the same."
This was where Roxanne’s tracking skills really paid off. She could sniff them out and lead us around them.
"Understood."
"You really are a lifesaver, Roxanne. Thank you."
"No... it is I who should be thanking you."
"I'm counting on you."
That said, I could always just use all-target magic, or switch to Durandal after two spells to finish them. It was a matter of balancing MP and efficiency, so I didn't need to stress over it too much.
At least Escape Goats just ran away; they weren't particularly dangerous.
The next morning, I entered the Quratar Labyrinth with my map.
We cleared the 6th Floor of Quratar as well. Roxanne held the boss's attention, leaving me with the easy task of hacking away from behind. The Hachinosu had a rear kick, though, so I stayed at a diagonal angle rather than directly behind it.
I was casually hammering it with Durandal when the boss began to shift its position, trying to line me up directly behind its hind legs.
The bastard was baiting me.
It was surprisingly clever.
I backed out of its range, repositioned to its side, and resumed the attack. We defeated it without taking a single hit.
We moved up to the 7th Floor of Quratar.
"There are fewer people here. I think it’s safe to use magic at this depth," Roxanne noted.
"I see. The real test will be the evening, though."
As we climbed higher, the crowds definitely thinned out.
The question was what the traffic would be like in the evening when I needed to refill the bath. There were always more people around at dusk than at dawn.
If I hunted with Durandal without magic, I might be fine even during the evening rush. The day when I could use Quratar for MP recovery was fast approaching.
"There will certainly be more people in the evening, but we won't know for sure until we see it for ourselves."
"True. For now, lead us to the monsters."
"Yes. This way."
Roxanne led the way until our first encounter.
The 7th-floor monster in Quratar was the Slow Rabbit Lv 7. I’d fought those in the forest behind the First Village. It was a nostalgic sight.
The presence of Slow Rabbits there meant there was likely a Labyrinth somewhere in that forest, with the rabbits serving as the 1st-floor monsters. Since I hadn't seen an entrance, it must have been a fledgling Labyrinth that hadn't yet reached fifty floors.
They were slow, weaponless, and only used body slams. They were incredibly easy to handle. I figured the 7th Floor was going to be manageable.
Or so I thought, until the monster spotted us and came hopping toward us with surprising speed.
It wasn't a happy reunion. In the Labyrinth, every monster was an active predator.
I roasted it with a Fireball. It seemed to have about the same durability as an Escape Goat or a Cheap Sheep of the same level.
The Slow Rabbit dissolved into smoke and left an item: a Rabbit Pelt.
"A Rabbit Pelt. I sold these to the village merchant, but I think the price was about the same as the guild’s."
"I have heard that if you take them directly to the clothing shops in the Imperial Capital, they will pay a higher price," Roxanne said as she handed the fur to me.
"Really?"
"Yes, so I’ve been told."
"I wonder why they'd buy Rabbit Pelts specifically."
Low-level monster drops were common. Anyone could get them, so the guild likely had an endless supply.
I hadn't heard of shops having a special interest in other common drops. Why just the fur?
"Coats made of Rabbit Pelt are excellent for the cold and are very popular among noblewomen. Since it takes a vast number of pelts to make a single coat, there is always a shortage."
"Huh. Interesting."
"I also heard that because they have to stitch so many small furs together, the labor costs are high, which leads to greater profits. The high-end workshops and boutiques are always competing to set the latest fashion trends with these coats."
It seemed the fashion wars were just as fierce in this world.
And there were likely no animal rights activists here. Nobody was going to stand up for monsters that actively tried to kill people.
"Do you want a Rabbit Pelt coat, Roxanne?"
"Not particularly. The Wolf-kin are naturally resistant to the cold. Besides, it isn't the sort of thing a slave should wear."
"You’re resistant to cold?"
"Yes."
Which meant she was fine with revealing clothing.
Revealing clothes really suited Roxanne. Anything that showed off her skin or the curves of her chest was a win in my book.
"Well, let's hunt some Slow Rabbits then. Roxanne, find us some more."
Since it was relatively quiet, we spent the time until breakfast hunting on the 7th Floor of Quratar.
Since I had the map at home, I didn't need to explore new territory. I just had Roxanne lead us from one rabbit to the next in the quietest areas she could find.
We spent the morning racking up furs. My Explorer level was high enough that the Item Box had plenty of capacity.
After leaving the Labyrinth and having breakfast, we headed back into the Imperial Capital.
There was a clothing shop just a short walk from the Adventurer Guild. It was a grand building with an imposing entrance. The doors were pinned open, revealing a ceiling that must have been nearly three meters high. The interior was bright, with a polished stone floor that gleamed under the light.
It screamed "high-end." I almost hesitated to walk in.
"There’s a notice over here about Rabbit Pelts," Roxanne noted, stopping near the entrance.
"What does it say?"
"Customers wishing only to sell Rabbit Pelts should use the side service entrance. Purchases are made in lots of one hundred."
I wondered if there were other people as intimidated by the front door as I was.
Or maybe it was just their way of telling scruffy-looking Explorers to stay out of the main showroom.
Either way, they only bought in lots of a hundred. I didn't have that many yet, so today was a wash. My Item Box made it easy to keep track of the count, at least.
"I don't have a hundred yet, so let’s come back later. Let's take the long way back to the guild."
"Understood."
I didn't want to just head back immediately, so we took a detour through the side streets. It was a good chance to scout the area.
In the back alleys, we found several smaller shops.
"What’s that? A mushroom shop? Or a food stall?"
One shop had a massive mushroom displayed by the entrance. Behind it were things that looked like fish bones, along with various jars.
"It looks like a medicine shop," Roxanne said.
"A pharmacy? Do they sell magic items too?"
"No, I don't think so."
Peeking inside, I saw things that looked like dried lizards, frogs, and shriveled salamanders. It was pretty disgusting.