"We found the boss room easily again. As I thought, perhaps this labyrinth is a bit on the smaller side?"
Even detouring to the Quratar Labyrinth hadn't stopped Roxanne's rapid advance. Our exploration of the Nesco Labyrinth was proceeding with terrifying efficiency—mostly because Roxanne definitely had the navigation data pre-installed in her head. She didn't seem to be doing it consciously; it was likely an unconscious reference. Roxanne simply wasn't the type to forget details about a labyrinth.
Still, it wasn't like the Nesco Labyrinth was particularly small.
"It's not especially small, is it?" I asked.
"……No," Sherry agreed.
What was I going to do? Forget taking a whole day to clear a floor—it was still morning, and we were already done. The pace was too blatant.
"Should we continue farming boss battles here in Nesco today, or... no, would it be better to move to the Quratar Labyrinth?"
Even if I suggested farming bosses, Roxanne would probably just find the next one immediately. She had that look in her eyes—the look of someone who was determined to locate the next room.
Moving to Quratar seemed like the safer bet for stalling.
"Hmm."
"It would also be good to go to the Quratar Labyrinth and try the next floor soon," Roxanne added.
That was the catch. Going to Quratar just meant we’d progress through the floors there instead.
"The pace of exploration is too fast. To help us adjust, wouldn't it be better to spend one day on normal combat and one day on boss farming in Quratar?"
"That would make sense if monsters appeared that required practice to handle," Roxanne countered. "But so far, I haven't felt even the slightest need for that."
Please, I thought. Feel the need. Just a little bit.
"Mmm."
"Well, it certainly is fast," Sherry remarked.
"Right? See?" I turned to her. As expected of Sherry. She was the voice of reason in this party.
"However," Sherry continued, "I don't think it's something to be overly sensitive about at this stage."
"You think so?"
"Even if we go up a floor, the monsters only get slightly stronger. It’s an incremental change."
"I... I see?" Was this what they called rational thinking?
"Exactly," Roxanne chimed in. "Instead of the monsters getting stronger in such small steps, it would be better if they got significantly stronger all at once. Then the necessity to adapt would actually arise. At this stage, the difference between the floors is essentially a margin of error."
I suspected the difference between three floors would be quite noticeable to me, even if it wasn't for her. By the time Roxanne felt the need to "get used to things," I’d probably be long gone.
Because Sherry was being so strangely rational, Roxanne’s mindset had completely solidified. It seemed impossible to stall for several days in the Quratar Labyrinth. In that case, we should stick to Nesco. No, if we did that, she’d break through the floors immediately. Maybe I should spend a day in Quratar and pray for a miracle that her memory might fade.
It wasn't a good bet. She definitely wouldn't forget.
"Good morning. You've been inside since quite early this morning as well, I see."
When we stepped out of the labyrinth, the Clan's Receptionist Explorer greeted us. He was a regular at this entrance now, and we were on speaking terms.
I suspected Lady Cassandra was using him to monitor us. By shifting his arrival times, she could see exactly how early we were actually starting. It was a clever way to root out people who were just pretending to be diligent. She probably hadn't considered that someone could warp directly into the labyrinth, though.
"Yeah."
"By the way, I have a message from Lady Cassandra. She says she is pleased with your hard work and wishes for you to show your face."
"Understood."
So, she used the receptionist as a relay. Since he was part of her clan, it was easy to give him a message and check the records to see if I’d actually been in the labyrinth.
"Please do," the receptionist said.
If I didn't go, he’d probably be the one to get reprimanded. I didn't want to cause him trouble, and I didn't care much about the clan's internal politics anyway. I was likely considered part of the Duke Harz faction. If there was a Cassia faction or a Rutina faction, I doubted they’d be getting many messages. Knowing Lady Cassandra, she probably maintained her position as Clan Head by navigating these factional conflicts. She was a terrifying old woman.
"She wants to see us. Sooner is better, right?" I asked.
"I don't know the customs of nobles, but probably. He’ll report that he delivered the message, so if we wait too long, it’ll leave a bad impression," Sherry answered.
"I see."
"I also believe sooner would be better," Rutina added.
Even Rutina was in favor of it. I’d have to bring her along to act as a shield. I wouldn't let her pull a Gosler and stay behind. I knew she was uncomfortable with her family’s history with the Elder, but going wasn't optional.
"After breakfast, Rutina and I will head out. I'll leave the rest to you, Roxanne."
"Understood."
Heading out after the meal was normal for us. But first...
"Rutina, should we take off your equipment before we go?"
"Ah, yes. Please."
There was no need for her to wear that specific accessory while visiting the Elder.
"Alright."
"……Nnh."
I removed the Bodyclip for her. It wasn't an issue to leave it off for a short time, but the act of taking it off was important. I wanted to be the one to do it. The fact that I could reach inside her clothes and feel her while she was still dressed was a significant perk.
The right to remove Rutina's equipment belonged to me alone. I had no intention of yielding it to anyone—not even Rutina herself.
"My name is Michio. I'm here for an audience with Lady Cassandra."
I warped to the castle with the now-unburdened Rutina. We were made to wait in the same room as before. It was a proper system, unlike the Duke’s house where you could just walk in. Soon enough, we were guided to her room.
"Oh, it's you two. Good of you to come."
"Yes."
You summoned us, I thought, but I kept the pleasantry to myself.
"I have received the reports. You're working hard."
"One must make a living," I replied. We were cheating with warps, of course, so I kept it vague.
"I hear you have been in the labyrinth for long hours every day..."
"Well, there's not much else to do."
Most people in this world took breaks or slacked off, but our party was essentially a black company. Still, without other entertainment, the labyrinth was the main event. Though if I used my Sex Fiend skill more often, I could probably find better ways to spend my time.
"And for Rutina—is everything alright?"
"I am fine. Thank you for your consideration."
"Make sure you work hard for the sake of the labyrinth subjugation. Your family history being what it was, you have much to prove."
"Y-Yes."
The old woman really couldn't help but add a barb to everything. She could have just said she was worried. There was no point in bringing up Earl Selmer’s failures now.
"The reason I asked you to come today is because I have a request for you."
"I'm listening."
"Across the sea from Nesco, there is a land called Grinia. When I was a child, the relay points were still active, and it was part of the Empire. Some of our kin crossed over. They are likely dead now, of course."
She was 107. When she was a child, that was a century ago.
"Grinia, huh."
"If you're lucky, their descendants might still be alive. I want you to cross over to Grinia and see what has become of it. For a powerful adventurer, it shouldn't be impossible."
"Is it currently inaccessible?"
"There might be a way. I haven't heard of any clan adventurers doing it, but it's not something I'd officially order. It's just a personal whim. I'd like to hear about them while I am still alive."
She didn't look like she was dying anytime soon, but she was using the "dying wish" card anyway. Neither I nor Rutina were close enough to her to be moved by that.
"It is the first time I have heard the name," Rutina said.
"If you are an excellent adventurer, it shouldn't be impossible. If you are excellent, that is."
She was really leaning into the provocation.
"I think it’s more about having a map than being 'excellent.' It'll be tough without any clues."
"Hmm. I suppose so. Within the Harz Duchy, there is a village called Tale. The Duke Harz from two generations ago settled refugees there after the relay points fell to monsters. There might still be people there who know something."
"Tale, huh." I had been there. It was the place with the arrogant village chief. So they were refugees? Maybe they acted superior to hide the trauma of being driven out by monsters.
"The Duke Harz from back then was truly excellent. The quality has been declining ever since. The future looks precarious."
"Absolutely," Rutina agreed. She really enjoyed that specific point.
"Perhaps it was a mistake not to oppose Cassia's marriage," the old woman sighed.
"Maybe the next generation will be better," I offered. Why was I defending the Duke? He was a flighty nuisance who made Gosler’s life miserable.
"Perhaps. But enough talk."
"Well then. We'll start by looking for information regarding Grinia."
"Hmph. I'm counting on you. I'm busy, so be off."
"Quite right," Rutina muttered.
They had been bickering the whole time, but we finally made our exit.
"Welcome back, Master."
Roxanne greeted us at home. She was a true source of healing.
"Listen, everyone. We've decided to investigate a place called Grinia."
"Grinia? I've never heard of it," Roxanne said.
"Grinia, is it?" Sherry looked thoughtful.
"Do you know it, Sherry?"
"Only the basics. It was part of the Empire, but labyrinths near the relay points made it inaccessible. It’s a common story."
"I see."
"There were several relay points. One was Tatsukawa, or maybe Tachikawa. My grandfather mentioned an old man from there. That's why the name stuck."
Tachikawa? I wondered if there was a Hachioji nearby too.
"So, that's our main focus now. We'll be working on the Grinia request. As for the labyrinths, we'll still go, but floor progression is officially on hold."
This was exactly what I wanted. A legitimate reason to stop Roxanne from dragging me to higher floors.
"Mumu."
"No, it's fine. we'll still enter the labyrinths," I assured her.
"Then why can't we progress?"
"Because we need to focus on the request, and we need time to adjust to the current floors. We shouldn't be greedy. Since we accepted a task from the Elder, we should prioritize it. I want to be cautious."
"Hmm. I see."
"We'll settle things one by one," I added.
"Understood. That might be for the best," Roxanne finally agreed.
Sherry siding with me had been the deciding factor. I was grateful for her logic. Pushing through floors without a map was reckless anyway. My only fear was that Roxanne would build up so much "exploration stress" that she’d want to clear ten floors at once when this was over.
"Alright. Let's get ready. Is everyone set?"
"Yes. The chores are done," Roxanne replied.
"Let's put on our gear just in case. Rutina, yours too."
I handed out the equipment. When it came to Rutina, I personally helped her with the attachment.
"Nnh..."
The sound made me want to cancel the trip and stay home, but I had to endure. Endure until tonight. I’d just have to finish early today.
"Do you have a lead? The Adventurer Guild probably won't have much on a place that's been lost for so long," Sherry asked.
"Apparently, there are descendants of the relay point residents in Tale Village."
"In the Harz Duchy? Where the labyrinth is?"
"Exactly."
"Then we should start there," Sherry said. "And if that fails, we can check with the Empire Liberation Society. They might have records of abandoned lands."
Sherry really could handle everything herself, couldn't she?
"Also, the people in Tale tend to look down on non-elves. Rutina, I’m leaving the talking to you."
"Understood."
"Wait, is Tale the place with the Love Shrubs on the thirteenth floor?" Roxanne asked.
"Was it?"
"Yes, and the people there definitely had that attitude," Roxanne remembered.
Her memory for labyrinth details was impeccable. We finished our preparations and warped to Tale. From there, I let Rutina take the lead.
Rutina began questioning the villagers in her own tongue.