Last time I visited, the villagers had been quite overbearing toward Roxanne and me, but they were practically groveling before Lutina. She was a high-born lady, after all. Perhaps she could summon that air of authority whenever she chose, or maybe it was just something that naturally seeped out of her. Still, the fact that she was an elf probably carried the most weight. It was enough to make me feel like I had no dignity at all—not that I ever claimed to have much.
Lutina and the villagers exchanged several sentences in a language I couldn't follow.
"It seems there is someone who can move to a labyrinth near the relay point," she told me.
Oho. A hit. That was found surprisingly easily. It really was easier than I had feared. Obaba-sama might have found out easily enough if she had investigated it herself, but this is what happens when you try to delegate everything. Though there was a possibility she knew it could be easily discovered and purposely sent us to let us take the credit. Even if that were the case, I wasn't going to be grateful. It wasn't like I had asked for the task.
They continued their conversation as we were led quite far toward the outskirts of the village. If there hadn't been six of us, I would have suspected a scam. It felt like being led to a deserted place to be jumped by a gang. Even if that were the case, a group of villagers with single-digit levels wouldn't be a match for us. There was also the possibility they were just completely beguiled by Lutina's charms. I wouldn't allow that.
Inside the house the guide brought us to, an adventurer was waiting.
"Ho. You're the ones who want to go to the labyrinth near Taricau?" he asked in Brahim.
So the name of the relay point was Taricau. It was subtly different from Tachikawa, yet subtly close. It was a bit ambiguous.
"Rather than just the labyrinth near Taricau, we are ultimately looking for the way to Grinia," I replied.
"Grinia, eh? I have never actually been to Grinia myself. There probably aren't any adventurers left who can even make the trip anymore."
"Even if we can't make it all the way, we would be happy to learn whatever you know."
The elderly adventurer and Lutina spoke for a moment. In the middle of the conversation, the adventurer crossed his arms in front of his chest and pressed his left palm against the back of his right upper arm.
Oho. The sign of the Empire Liberation Society. To think it would appear in a place like this. I performed the same gesture to show that I was also a member.
"I see. Put me in your party. I shall take you to a few places."
The adventurer offered his services as a guide, much to the shock of the man who had brought us to the house.
"Apparently, he rarely goes to the labyrinths near Taricau these days," Lutina whispered to me. "It is rare for him to guide people so willingly. We were lucky."
I didn't think luck had much to do with it. It was more likely a case of a senior member looking out for a fellow Society brother. For once, I was actually grateful to Duke Harz—the man who was essentially the arch-enemy of Lutina's family.
"Ah— then, I'm sorry, Vesta, but could you wait at home?"
My party was currently full with six members. Since a party could only hold six people, someone had to step out for this adventurer to join. Sherry was indispensable for her knowledge, and considering we might fight monsters, I wanted Milia along for her ability to neutralize enemies in one hit. Roxanne was a pillar of combat, and I could rely on her to hold the line if things went south. While Vesta was equally reassuring as a guard, Lutina had been the one leading the negotiations so far; it would be strange to leave her behind.
"I believe that will be fine," Vesta said.
"Could you handle the maintenance of the rosemary I was planning to do later?" Roxanne asked.
"I understand."
Vesta agreed and took her instructions from Roxanne. Looking at Vesta's attitude, weren't her responses to Roxanne actually more polite than her responses to me? Well, I suppose it couldn't be helped. It was Roxanne, after all.
"Then, we'll be gone for just a bit. Is there a place where I can use Field Walk?"
"Use that carpet there," the old man said, pointing to a rug hanging on the wall.
So they really did use them like that. If I swapped it for a different carpet or even just shifted its position later, Field Walk would probably fail. Since I was in front of the adventurer, I also went home via Field Walk rather than Warp. I didn't want to be viewed as an anomaly. If the adventurer made a fuss about my return speed later, I could probably just claim he was senile. He was an old man; there was a good chance his family already didn't trust a word he said. Still, there was no need to push my luck.
"I'm counting on you then," I told Vesta.
"Yes. Please take care, Master."
Once I arrived home and removed Vesta from the party, I returned immediately. It hadn't even taken a minute; in fact, it took less than thirty seconds. It was just the simple task of popping home and back. On the return trip, since no one was watching—or rather, only Vesta was—I used Warp.
The distance between Quratar and Tale was significant, but it definitely felt like Warp consumed less MP than Field Walk. I couldn't be sure of the exact amount, but the difference was noticeable.
"Sorry for the wait."
"No. It's fine," the old man replied.
I returned and added the adventurer to the party. He and the village guide exchanged a few more worried-looking sentences.
"The guide is worried about him," Lutina translated. "Apparently, the other day, the old man went out and got lost."
Was he already starting to wander? Looking at the guide's face after hearing that, the man looked genuinely distressed.
"Is he really going to be okay?" I asked.
"No problem," the old man snapped. "An old skill is never forgotten."
"I see."
I really hoped he wasn't senile. Rather than worrying about whether people would take his words seriously, I had to worry about whether he actually remembered the labyrinth layout. I wondered if we’d be alright. Well, there was nothing I could do even if we weren't.
"Then let us go. There might be monsters. You go out first."
The adventurer used Field Walk. I suppose we had no choice but to follow. Even if he was senile, we should arrive somewhere. It wouldn't be a direct gate to hell or anything. Probably. The relay point had been abandoned because it was no longer habitable, which meant there was no doubt that monsters would be thick on the ground.
"Then, I shall go," Roxanne said.
She took the lead and stepped through the exit point. Well, it was Roxanne. Even if there were monsters on the other side, it wouldn't be an issue unless they were already mid-swing. Even then, there was a good chance they wouldn't even be able to graze her. I waited a beat, but since she didn't come rushing back, I followed after her with Durandal in hand.
Oho. Roxanne, who had gone out first, was already engaged with two Pig Hoggs. She was dancing. Or rather, she was effortlessly weaving through the monsters' strikes, though it looked more like a joyful performance than a fight. She really did seem to be enjoying herself.
If you're surrounded, come back! But since she lacked any sense of danger, I suppose it couldn't be helped. Even now, she effortlessly dodged a tackle from a Pig Hogg coming from her blind spot. Did she have eyes in the back of her head?
I cut down the monster she dodged with Durandal, then took out the second one while I was at it. Pork belly for tonight's dinner—get!
"Are there any more?" I asked.
"It seems this is all of them," Roxanne replied, sounding disappointed.
When I asked if there were more, it was for vigilance, not because I wanted a bigger fight. I didn't need any "surprises." I wasn't being ironic, either. Seriously, don't push me.
"It hasn't changed," the adventurer said, finally stepping through and looking around nonchalantly. We had just exerted ourselves to clear the area, but he didn't seem to notice. "That over there is the Taricau South Labyrinth."
Roxanne was still looking around, clearly unsatisfied with the meager skirmish.
"The South Labyrinth, eh?"
Since it had "South" in the name, there were probably several labyrinths nearby. I suppose they wouldn't abandon a whole relay point over just one.
"Shall we go to the highest floor I can reach?" the old man asked.
"Sure."
When I nodded, the adventurer shuffled quickly into the labyrinth. Was this extra service included? There was no explorer stationed at the entrance of a discarded labyrinth to collect fees or offer guidance. Unlike with Field Walk, I couldn't exactly tell him to go in first.
Come to think of it, we hadn't discussed his fee. I wondered how much he’d demand. Between the transport and the floor-skipping, it wouldn't be a cheap bill. Since there weren't many adventurers capable of reaching this place, I wouldn't be surprised if he asked for a gold coin. If it came down to it, I could always escape with Warp if he tried to fleece us. Since we hadn't negotiated beforehand, that was a valid exit strategy. It would be fine, right?
I followed him and found myself inside the labyrinth. Then, we immediately doubled back and exited.
"Next is the Taricau Labyrinth. I don't really want to go there, though. You go first."
"Yes."
I was about to ask why he didn't want to go, but Roxanne had already charged in. No hesitation whatsoever. When I followed, I found her surrounded by three Marbrims. I rushed over and finished one off immediately.
"Marbrim... desu," Milia noted.
As I started on the next one, Milia handled the third. I was glad I had brought our Assassin; her Estoc of Rigidity was putting in work. I defeated the remaining one with Durandal. Surface monsters could usually be killed in a single hit, but being surrounded still made my heart race.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yes," Roxanne replied. "I only wish there were a few more of them."
"I-I see." Still not satisfied, I see.
"Even though they went through the trouble of being outside the labyrinth," she grumbled. I ignored her and used Durandal to return the Marbrim Milia had paralyzed to smoke.
"White fish... desu."
Milia, predictably, pounced on the drops. She brought them to me with sparkling eyes. I already had the main course for tonight, but she clearly had other plans.
"U-Umu. How about we make mayonnaise today and have fried fish for tomorrow's dinner?"
"Will make... desu!"
Milia was practically vibrating with joy. She was definitely planning to dump the actual work of making the mayonnaise onto Vesta.
"Sigh."
In contrast to Milia’s excitement, the adventurer sighed heavily as he caught up. It wasn't because of the mayonnaise. Looking around, we could see ruins stretching out in every direction. This was the discarded relay point, the abandoned town. For this man, it was a familiar place. It might even have been his home. Seeing it like this must have been agonizing. That was likely why he’d been hesitant to come.
"Is this Taricau?" Sherry asked, trying to bridge the awkward silence. Good girl.
"It is."
"It seems to have been quite a large town. One can still sense its former prosperity."
"That's right," the old man said.
Sherry was reading the room and trying to offer comfort, so try to meet her halfway, old-timer. It was a trip home; I'd have thought he'd be more engaged. Still, it was incredible that a labyrinth had appeared right in the middle of a town. If that happened, subjugation was usually the only option. The fact that they couldn't do it was why the town was lost.
"Still, a labyrinth appeared in a truly unfortunate place," Lutina said.
She said it. She actually said it. Lutina, completely failing to read the atmosphere, landed a verbal blow right to the adventurer's gut. It was a total fireball of a comment.
"If a labyrinth appeared in a location like this, I suppose abandoning the town was unavoidable," Sherry added, trying to soften the blow.
"No. This labyrinth appeared toward the end," the old man explained. "The evacuation was already well underway. I think I had already been taken away by my parents by then."
Oh, so that was it. In that case, he probably didn't have many traumatic memories of the town's fall. I really had given him a chance for a nostalgic visit.
"I see, I see."
"The Taricau South Labyrinth and the Hawk Forest Labyrinth were there first. There were several others that were successfully subjugated back then, but the situation was dire. Taricau being forsaken was the final blow."
"I... see."
"And because it appeared inside the town, many people made reckless, desperate charges. It caused a staggering amount of death. My father was among those who never came back from Taricau."
"I... see. I see."
Wow, this was getting dark fast.
"Even so, people kept coming to support us. Even after Taricau was abandoned. The one who stayed until the very end was the man who taught me that sign. The Taricau Labyrinth had been cleared up to the 55th Floor. Finally, he realized his strength was failing and prepared to retreat, but he said that if someone who understood the sign ever came, I should show them every consideration."
I see. So that man had been the Society member. But it was interesting that he was also aiming to liberate abandoned land. He probably felt he owed the man, and anyone trying to save his hometown was a hero in his eyes.
You don't get a noble title for clearing a labyrinth in inhabited territory. But if you clear one in abandoned land, you can become its lord. As a Society member, the process would be smooth. That was undoubtedly why he had been there. He came because the land was abandoned and up for grabs; he wouldn't have cared while the town was still fighting for its life. Well, that's just the way the world works. No need to tell the old man that, though.
"Is that so?"
"Since it’s the newest labyrinth in the Taricau area, if you’re looking to clear one, this would be your best target."
It was already confirmed to be at least the 55th Floor decades ago. That sounded impossible for us right now. Besides, we weren't here for a crusade. We’re on the same page that our destination is Grinia, right? Had his senility made him mix up the details?
Well, I’ll take the shortcut to the 55th Floor regardless. I certainly wanted all the consideration I could get.
"Well, let's head there for now."
"Acknowledged."
"Is the next one the Hawk Forest Labyrinth?" I asked.
"It is."
I had him take us to the Hawk Forest Labyrinth as well, but if it had grown even more than Taricau, then clearing it was out of the question. The location was deep in a forest that looked like it had been deserted long before the monsters arrived. Perhaps hawks had lived there once, as the name suggested. They might even still be there, but they weren't the type to show themselves to humans.
"We actually wish to go to Grinia, however," Lutina spoke up.
Finally, she steered him back. We had said from the start we wanted Grinia. Taricau was just a waypoint. This guy really was slipping.
"To reach Grinia, you must head west from this Hawk Forest Labyrinth. If you travel west and reach the coast, they say an island can be seen. If you move from island to island, you will reach the next relay point. There probably aren't any adventurers left alive who have actually set foot in Grinia. I have never been there myself. The relay point itself should have survived even after Taricau fell. I don't know if it's still there now, but you'll just have to find out for yourselves."
That was a terrifyingly vague explanation. Was it like traveling from a mainland through a chain of islands to reach a distant continent? It sounded like an epic, daunting journey. I wondered if we’d really be okay.
"I see. Is that how it works?"
"I suppose we have no choice but to go and see," Lutina said, her voice tinged with resignation.
"U-Umu..."
"That is exactly right," Sherry added, delivering the cold reality as a final blow. Thanks, Sherry. I knew that, but hearing it out loud didn't help.
"Well... I guess that's that."
"This is as far as I can guide you," the old man said. "Since I was asked by a brother, and I was able to see Taricau again after all these years, I don't need payment. This was a fine souvenir for my final days."
It really did seem like giving him the trip home had been the right call. When you finally head to the afterlife, old man, feel free to take Obaba-sama with you. Better to have company on a long journey, right?
"I see. Thank you. Well, take this pork belly and white fish. Please, at least take them home as a souvenir."
When someone refuses payment, my Japanese instincts make me feel like I have to give something in return. It wasn't much, just some fresh drops. I opened the Item Box and handed them over. I didn't give him everything, and I had plenty more in storage, so it wasn't a loss. Even as I gave away the white fish, Milia didn't look despairing. In fact, she looked rather smug, as if she wanted him to know exactly how delicious the food he was getting was.
"Gratefully accepted. My apologies; I said I didn't need a reward, yet I've taken one. Let me give you one more thing. South of Taricau, there is an island that almost no one knows about. It was originally within Taricau's borders, but it’s been forgotten. The labyrinth there appeared after the one in town fell. It would be a prime target for anyone looking to make a name for themselves. Exploration only reached the 46th Floor, but as far as I know, no one has challenged it since. If I were younger, I’d have taken it myself. I intended to tell my son or grandson if they ever showed promise as adventurers."
"Ah."
The adventurer warped us from the Hawk Forest Labyrinth to one final location: a labyrinth in a forest right by the coast. Since we could see the ocean, it was definitely on an island. I had him take us to the 46th Floor there as well.
"That is every labyrinth I can take you to. There might be others I visited once or twice long ago that are still standing, but I've long since retired. I'll take my leave now. My time is short, but I look forward to hearing that somewhere has been liberated."
Leaving us at the labyrinth, the old man made his exit. As I suspected, he completely misunderstood and thought we were here to liberate Taricau. I wonder if Lutina had actually explained it properly, or if he just heard what he wanted to hear. Maybe it was just the obsession of an old man longing for his home to be saved.
Actually, since we’d had so much trouble finding anyone willing to take us this far, Lutina might have just told him whatever he needed to hear to get him moving. If so, she was more capable than I thought.
"Thanks to Lutina, we reached Taricau safely."
"No. I did nothing special," she demurred. "This much is expected. If I couldn't manage at least this, I would never be able to face the Council of Lords."
Whoops. It really seemed she had used a convenient pretext. Well, the result was good, so I wouldn't complain.
"U-Umu. Let's head home for now."
The thought that Lutina was growing into a terrifyingly clever woman was a bit scary, so I averted my eyes from the truth and warped us home. Then again, she was a noble’s daughter. This was probably just how they were raised. In noble society, if you let your guard down for a second, you’d be swarmed by leeches and sucked dry. It was a den of monsters. These were people who would pluck the eyes out of a living horse. Even her father, the former Earl Selmer, had been a master of political maneuvering against Duke Harz, even while he was slacking on his labyrinth duties.
Lutina, you scary child.
"It seems Vesta is outside. I will go call her," Roxanne said as we arrived. Since I had removed Vesta from the party, she wasn't with us.
"Let's rest for a bit then. Lutina, do you want to take off your equipment?"
"N-No."
She didn't need to be modest. I understood—she wanted to keep the Body Clip on as long as possible.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Roxanne said, returning with Vesta in tow.
I added Vesta back to the party. She was drenched in sweat. It seemed she had been working hard outside in the heat, unlike us, who had been moving through cool forests and labyrinths.
"It's fine. You two should rest as well."
"The rosemary is almost done," Vesta said. "Would it be alright if I went and finished it up?"
"I understand."
"Then, we shall go as well," Sherry added. Milia and Lutina followed them back outside.
This is exactly why I told her to take her equipment off. If there's a chance to be comfortable, take it. That’s the golden rule. Since they were busy, I went to prepare the bath. I didn't fill it to the brim, just enough lukewarm water to wash off the grime.
"Are you finished?" I asked when they finally came back in.
"Yes."
"You must be sweating. The bath is ready, so let's all wash up. Drink some water, too."
I handed them the ice water I had prepared. After working in the heat, it had to be heaven.
"Thank you so much... Ahhh, this is unbearable. It’s so good!"
Thank you for the compliment. It really was "unbearable."
"Alright. Everyone to the bathroom. Lutina, you too."
"Yes."
We headed to the bath area and stripped down together in the changing room. I personally removed Lutina’s equipment. No modesty allowed. I was removing it because it was "necessary." I was removing it because there was an "opportunity." Those were the basics.
"Ngh..."
Thanks for the reaction. Truly unbearable. In the bathroom, I washed away the sweat while enjoying a bit of a "burst."
"From here on, we’re aiming for Grinia. I don't know if we'll make it, but I intend to go as far as possible."
"Yes!"
"We'll do our best."
"Will go... desu."
"I believe we can do it."
"...Yes."
After the bath and getting dressed, it was time to move. But first, I needed to secure my MP. Between the Warps and preparing the bath, I was a bit low. We’d be handling surface monsters with Durandal along the way, so it shouldn't be an issue.
"First, we go to the Quratar Labyrinth. Roxanne, find us some targets."
"I understand."
After topping off my MP in Quratar, we flew back to the Hawk Forest Labyrinth.
"Hmm. How are we going to handle this?"
"We'll just have to push through bit by bit," Sherry said.
"We might find a clearing or a high point eventually."
The Hawk Forest Labyrinth was buried in thick trees. The visibility was terrible; in some spots, you couldn't see more than a few meters ahead. It made Warping ahead almost impossible. Cutting through the brush on foot was going to be a slog. We really were just going to have to take it one step at a time, alternating between Warp and hiking wherever we could.