Temporary Comrade
by Afuhfuihgs
Before entering the Labyrinth, I was able to confirm the information about the guinea pig that I had asked Ember for. There was no record of Nelson having a child, but there was a record of him giving one up for adoption.
Unfortunately, it was a long time ago, so there were no documents related to the adoption, so it was impossible to confirm whether the guinea pig was the one Nelson adopted… but the record of the adoption showed that it was a female, so the guinea pig’s words were likely to be true. It was also revealed to be true that Nelson met and talked with Bella before Luna died.
,I didn’t expect to meet you here. And I especially didn’t expect you to be waiting for me.”
Not everyone can go to Paradise. Depending on special conditions, you can enter Paradise, which exists between the 4th and 5th floors. So, the guinea pig’s words that she gave up Paradise, where everything is fulfilled, and waited for me here were enough to arouse my suspicion.
,I know what you want. I thought it would be good to help you, even if it’s just to ruin Nelson’s plan.”
The guinea pig said with a smile.
,And I wanted to see Nelson’s disciple with my own two eyes. To see if they really deserve to be a disciple.”
Ellie couldn’t just stand by at those provocative words. Ellie appealed with her eyes as if expressing her anger, shining her obsidian-like eyes and speaking in a cold voice.
,Even the World’s Coordinator, the Archmage, doesn’t doubt my skills, so it’s quite funny for an unknown magician to talk about qualifications.”
,Heh, didn’t Ross tell you about me?”
The guinea pig’s scoff made Ellie’s knife-like gaze turn to me. I scratched my chin because I didn’t like that gaze.
,Do you know her?”
,Not really, we just had a brief conversation in Paradise. She’s the one who claimed to me that she was the adopted daughter of Headmaster Nelson. She said she was Nelson’s hidden first disciple.”
At my short explanation, Raelan showed interest in the guinea pig, and Ellie openly scoffed and stared at the guinea pig.
,Ah, I see. You’re someone who’s trying to insert yourself into the Archmage’s reputation to look bright. How pathetic. A talent of a commoner who can’t even emit light on their own unless it’s the light left by someone who’s already dead.”
At that moment, the guinea pig and Ellie simultaneously raised their magic power. They weren’t pointing their wands at each other, but they were already ready to blow each other’s heads off. Raelan laughed and whispered to me at the strange standoff.
,We need help since we have a small number of people. But the appearance of the guinea pig is a variable. Even if everything she says is true, the fact that she left Paradise and joined us to help us means she has another motive.”
Raelan, who put his hand on my shoulder, continued.
,If you don’t want to receive the guinea pig’s help, the safest option is to join forces here and kill her to eliminate the variable. What choice are you going to make?”
Raelan’s voice, recommending a choice, was filled with pleasantness. Raelan is definitely the type of person who would just watch even if I made the wrong choice, saying that it would be an important experience for me. After thinking for a moment, I asked the guinea pig.
,What exactly can you do to help us?”
,I know what races are on each floor of this tower. Just that information alone can increase the probability of going up to the 6th floor.”
This time, Raelan asked the guinea pig, who was looking at Ellie.
,How do you know that information? I know that the information you get in Paradise disappears from your head the moment you leave Paradise. I actually confirmed that the information I got disappeared completely.”
,It’s not information I got in Paradise. I experienced it myself. I didn’t know about the existence of Paradise and went up to the 6th floor of the Labyrinth, got information about Paradise, and went back to the 1st floor to go to Paradise.”
The guinea pig, who finally took her eyes off Ellie, raised the corners of her mouth and gave me an attractive smile.
,It’s true that I sincerely want to help you, but of course, there are conditions for me too. You can think of it as a kind of mercenary contract.”
,What are the conditions?”
,The method you guys used to enter Paradise as official guests. I’d like you to tell me that. After all, official guests can enjoy Paradise perfectly more than illegal guests.”
Raelan, who had his hand on my shoulder, tapped my shoulder with his finger without the guinea pig noticing, sending a signal.
,She noticed our suspicion and revealed a plausible purpose. It’s such an attractive deal that it’s suspicious. An equal deal is when one side is eventually deprived of everything. When I see her, she’s attractive. If she knows that you’re predicting her actions, she’s a venomous person who tries to overturn the entire game itself, like me.”
Raelan seems to want to kill the sudden variable called the guinea pig. Because he hates people who have the same tendencies as him. Raelan, who likes to manipulate people, instinctively hated people who were difficult to control.
,But if that explanation is true, we can get to the 6th floor quickly.”
The way to check if the guinea pig’s words are true is simple. Just ask what enemies will appear before going up to the floor and check. So, the fact that she knows information about the 5th floor of the Labyrinth won’t be a clumsy lie. As if she noticed my worries, the guinea pig tilted her head from side to side and said.
,I don’t just know the races that live on each floor. I also know how to safely go to the next floor without having to fight, and I also know a little bit about the 6th floor of the Labyrinth. Isn’t that enough for a deal? To be cold, I’m actually at a loss. It’s good to get the qualifications of an official guest, but the biggest reason I left Paradise is to interfere with Nelson’s plan.”
Like Raelan said, the guinea pig’s offer was too sweet.
,Okay. Join us.”
As Raelan said, there was a possibility that the guinea pig would betray us. But until then, she will definitely be a great help to us. There is also a possibility that she will not betray us until the end, unlike our suspicions.
Above all, I was sure that I could kill her in an instant with my own hands if the guinea pig betrayed me. I secretly created a dimensional passage in the guinea pig’s blind spot, but she didn’t notice it at all.
If the guinea pig is trying to use us, we can just use her too. If I can reach the 10th floor of the Labyrinth, I can do anything, whether it’s slaughtering young gnomes or grabbing a double-edged sword.
Ellie didn’t like my choice, but she didn’t bother to express her feelings out loud. She just glared at the guinea pig and said she would watch her. The person who can’t stand the other person’s provocation is Ellie, who I know.
,Okay, since our liege has chosen, I won’t object anymore. Let’s hear the explanation about this floor.”
The guinea pig raised the corners of her mouth at Raelan’s words, as if he was going to examine the abilities of his temporary comrade.
,There are orcs here. The combat power of an adult orc is two stages below a transcendent, but the number is enormous due to the orc’s unique reproductive power. But they’re stupid, so they can be easily lured. They’re stupid, so it’ll definitely work.”
Suddenly, the guinea pig put her hand into her cleavage and took out her wand. It seems she stores her wand in such a place. Ellie scoffed at the sight, but Raelan just nodded silently.
,My specialty is illusion magic that I learned from Nelson. If we create our doppelgangers with elaborate illusions and lure the orcs to the other side, we can safely move to the pillar with the stairs.”
As the guinea pig swung her wand as if flicking it, suddenly the guinea pig increased to two. I know it’s an illusion, but it was so elaborate that I couldn’t tell the real one from the fake one.
,…It’s really Master’s illusion magic. The proficiency of this useless magic seems to be okay.”
It was an elaborate illusion magic that even Ellie, who was trying to point out the guinea pig’s magic, had to admit after observing it coldly.
,Pfft, you know it’s not just a simple illusion magic. It’s a high-level illusion magic that can act out a certain amount of substance.”
The guinea pig tapped Ellie’s head with her palm. Ellie, who pointed her wand at the guinea pig who hit her head, said coldly.
,No matter how elaborate an illusion you create, I can tell right away what kind of bitch you are.”
Even with Ellie’s momentum as if she was about to use magic, the guinea pig just shrugged her shoulders. Somehow, her actions felt like she didn’t know the fear of death.
,It’s a joke, but you’re quite sensitive. How did you become Nelson’s disciple with such a personality?”
I thought another argument was about to start, so I quickly intervened between the guinea pig and Ellie.
,Stop it and let’s move to the next floor.”
The guinea pig, who shrugged her shoulders at my words and moved the illusion to the opposite side of us, led the way at the front. She hid her body in a place where she could see the huge orc’s palisade, and waited for the illusion to cause a commotion for a while.
Soon, the magic created by the illusion caused a roar, and the gate of the palisade opened with a huge drumbeat that sounded like the ground was shaking. The orc advance party riding hideous-looking wolves and many orcs armed with armor and swords rushed towards the illusion that caused the commotion.
,That’s it. Now’s the time.”
Before the gate closed, the guinea pig swung her wand and blew the head off the orc who was trying to close the gate. As a signal, we ran straight into the palisade. There were not many orcs left inside. Thanks to that, we were able to reach the pillar without any obstacles. I grabbed my spear thinking there would be enemies blocking the stairs, but strangely, there were no orcs guarding the stairs.
,I told you, they’re stupid.”
At the guinea pig’s words, we nodded and went up the stairs to the 4th floor.
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