Chapter 242: Familiar and different Parties (1)

Chapter 242: Familiar and
different Parties (1)

The
blood scent was spread shallow and wide, as if those soaked in blood
had frequently passed through.

Among
the explorers in the Explorers’ Union, it was easy to see those
covered in blood or those with bloodstains stuck to their clothes.

Although
explorers dying and getting injured wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence,
this time it was more severe than usual.

If
there were five people, three of them had bloodstains on their
clothes, so it seemed like something had happened again.

“Balkan!
You’re here!”

In
the distance, I spotted Lammel, the harpy mage, waving her hand.

As
I headed straight to the table where she was sitting, I saw her face
was flushed red.

Getting
closer, the strong smell of alcohol suggested she’d had a drink
before coming.

“It’s
lunchtime, and you’ve already had a drink?”

“Does
an explorer choose when to drink, whether it’s morning or evening?”

“Lammel
usually doesn’t drink much. I thought you might have had something
troubling you.”

At
those words, Lammel briefly touched the back of her head and
explained as if making an excuse.

“…Well.
Not much, just had a little.”

I
felt something strange about those words but continued the
conversation without dwelling on it.

“That
just now. It sounded like Joy Hog.”

“…Did
I sound that much like a dwarf? Oh, Denshi’s here too?”

Lammel’s
eyes caught sight of Denshi who was sticking close to my side.

“I’m
a slave who guards my master’s side. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah,
yeah. Ah. Don’t just stand there, sit down.”

Denshi
had become acquainted with my party members during our stay at
Idelbert’s mansion.

We
had met at the 12th floor too, but she became a bit closer with us at
the 15th floor, Eden.

Lammel,
who had confirmed Denshi’s abilities while ascending to the surface
together from Eden, welcomed her warmly.

Denshi,
who was quite prickly with others, showed proper manners knowing
Lammel was my party member.

“But
what happened here?”

As
I carefully asked while sitting at the table, Lammel answered
casually.

“Smells
like blood, right? There are a lot of explorers who crawled out of
the labyrinth injured this time.”

“Injuries?
Getting cut and torn up is everyday stuff, isn’t it? The smell seems
a bit strong for that though.”

“This
time that everyday occurrence turned into something like a
battlefield. You know those monsters we saw before. The ones whose
shadows rippled like pools, stronger than other monsters. The ones
with magi, weren’t they called?”

“I
remember. They’re really tricky bastards.”

Depending
on the situation, it can be harder to kill one monster that handles
magi than dealing with four or five normal monsters.

“They
say those monsters possessed by magi have been popping up a lot since
last week.”

Last
week was when the demon worshippers attacked the royal palace.

Of
all times, such changes in the labyrinth occurred from then?

“Lower-rank
explorers are taking heavy damage, and quite a few from the middle
ranks have crossed the Jordan River too, apparently.”

Whether
it’s monsters or people, beings that handle magi are much trickier to
deal with than ordinary ones.

Just
look at Gott, the Wrath demon worshipper who left a clear impression
in my mind.

The
magi leather that Minotaur wore dispersed even Professor Manko
Steel’s lightning magic and blocked all the sword strikes of Marquis
Rohart, known as the Sword Saint.

“Here
it’s just the smell of blood, but I heard the temple is extremely
busy, healing injured explorers, sending out temple knights and
paladins to the labyrinth…”

However,
even such tricky magi hesitate before the light of holy power.

It
has a relationship of opposing forces with my Radiance Blessing too.

While
it wasn’t good news that many magi-possessed monsters had appeared in
the labyrinth, it wouldn’t greatly change our upcoming schedule even
so.

“What
about the other party members? I met Rubia recently and she said
she’d officially join.”

“That’s
good news. Jubeel is still locked in solitary, and Hitolis isn’t
responding so she seems really busy.”

Well.
If explorers flood into the temple injured, the ones who suffer most
are the lower-ranking priests.

I
figured our party’s priest was probably running around healing
explorers while sweating profusely right now.

Thinking
I should give Hitolis her share of the compensation when I go to take
the promised lessons with Serif, I handed Lammel a coin pouch.

“This
is the compensation settled this time.”

“Ha!
Finally giving this now! I really thought you ran off with it since
you didn’t give it for so long. Oh! It’s quite heavy!”

She
immediately checked the pouch and exclaimed in admiration while
grinning as she confirmed the amount inside.

Ever
since becoming party leader, I feel a strange sense of fulfillment
whenever I see such expressions from party members.

“How
could I do such a thing? I’ve been too busy lately to find time to
meet. I added more since it’s late.”

“Heh.
Getting this much makes the wait worth it.”

Looking
around at her smiling, I asked:

“Are
there any worthwhile requests? Since there are lots of magi-handling
monsters appearing, I thought there might be related extermination
requests.”

“The
one with the highest reward right now is the Elder Lich on the 19th
floor, and as you said, most are extermination requests…Don’t tell
me you’re planning to enter the labyrinth in this situation?”

I
tilted my head at her tone that seemed to ask why I would enter the
labyrinth.

“…Of
course.”

“Oh.
Balkan.”

Why
was it?

The
moment Lammel called my name while grabbing her head, I felt a
strange foreboding.

“I
was thinking I should tell you soon anyway but I ended up saying it
earlier than expected.”

“Why,
what’s the matter?”

“Balkan,
you. You know your growth rate is incredibly fast, right?”

“Well.
I’ve heard it occasionally.”

It’s
already been almost a year since I fell into this world.

When
I first fell here, I fought dozens of goblins until I was beaten to a
pulp, but now I can easily take a goblin’s head with just a gesture.

My
master Idelbert and others filled with jealousy had said my growth
rate was fast too.

“Occasionally?
No. Your growth rate is really fucking fast. Remember when we first
met on the 5th floor?”

“You
saved me when I was about to die fighting a hobgoblin.”

“Right.
Honestly, even then I couldn’t believe you were only a few months
into the labyrinth city, but looking at you now, you’re at least
twice as strong as then, so honestly it seems like that’s real
talent.”

From
her slightly intimidated voice, I could vaguely guess what Lammel was
going to say.

“Can
I be honest? These days, I’m a bit scared to enter the labyrinth.”

Lammel’s
eyes trembled with fear.

“Back
then when some crazy monster came out at the fountain on the 5th
floor and took both my legs. Sometimes I still wake up thinking about
it like a nightmare.”

I
remember how Jubeel had taken care of Lammel and Hitolis who were
hesitating to enter the labyrinth right after that incident.

-Shudder.

[……]

Bunny
strapped to my back trembled slightly.

It
seemed to at least remember the things it had done but right now I
focused more on Lammel in front of me than on Bunny.

“Balkan,
you’re…really brave. That bitch Jubeel is just crazy with no backup
plan but you’re not like that. The times you’ve nearly died would
already fill both hands. It’s honestly amazing that you continue such
a journey.”

“……”

It’s
hard to smile comfortably even hearing pure admiration and praise.

Surely
because I anticipated what she would say next.

“But
I’m…honestly a bit scared. Not just that I might die, but what
scares me most is…”

-Sigh.

She
carefully said after exhaling.

“That
I might soon become a burden to you all.”

Harpy
mage Lammel is an ordinary labyrinth mage.

Just
a few months ago, the 8th floor was her highest reached floor.

She
has both the ambition and skill to want to advance to middle rank…
but at the same time, she’s an explorer who feels hesitation.

“My
talent can’t catch up to you all. I’m envious and jealous of that.
You’ll continue heading towards the end of the labyrinth, but with
talent like mine, I can’t join that ranks.”

-Fwip.

She
raised magical power at her fingertip as if trying to imitate the
flame that Ellie had raised at her fingertip before, but compared to
that, it was too small and shabby a flame.

After
briefly looking at her own hand with a bitter expression, she lowered
her head.

“I’m
sorry. Now, going to the labyrinth with you all…”

She
pressed her lips shut, unable to finish her words.

What
words were originally going to come out of those lips?

That
she’s scared? Or that she’s sorry she can’t continue together?

Looking
at Lammel’s expression, I could tell it was a mix of both.

What
answer should I give her?

Should
we wait to get good blessings while continuing to explore the
labyrinth?

While
continuing labyrinth trips where we could die at any time?

Even
if she falls behind a bit, should we say let’s grow together while
riding our bus?

‘Is
that really, what’s best for Lammel?’

After
briefly collecting my breath inside, I opened my reluctant lips.

“Thank
you for telling me first. It must have been a difficult decision.
…I’m sorry.”

“What’s
difficult about it? And what do you have to be sorry for? I should be
sorry for not being able to keep up with you all.”

“If
it were me, I couldn’t have said such words first. It’s something
only Lammel could say. We won’t find another mage like Lammel.”

This
was sincere.

How
many mages with proper common sense like her are there in this crazy
city?

“When
you say it like that, I feel grateful again.”

Lammel
smiled bitterly with a wry smile.

Just
the fact that she didn’t immediately pounce on a man already put her
in the top 1% of explorers in the labyrinth city.

Regret
naturally welled up.

It
won’t be easy to find a sensible mage like her.

“Then.
When are you thinking of leaving the party?”

“Since
I’ve already said it, I think it’s right to just leave now. Sorry for
suddenly creating a vacancy in the party. Should I introduce you to
some mages I know?”

“It’s
okay. How many mages are there like Lammel? I’m wondering if I should
bring in upper rank personnel like Rubia…thinking about the long
term.”

A
mage is one of the important personnel who becomes the core of the
party along with priests.

It
won’t be as easy to find one as it was with Rubia.

“What
are your plans going forward? Do you have any plans?”

“Well.
Since I have some money saved up. I’m thinking of opening a magic
herb shop over in the commercial line. It’s the typical explorer
retirement course, right? If Joy Hog returns later, maybe I’ll just
earn some pocket money in the upper floors.”

She
seemed to have prepared how to make a living even after leaving the
party.

I
smiled bitterly, took out a coin pouch I had kept ready and placed it
on Lammel’s hand.

“…What’s
this?”

“When
a party member leaves, as party leader I should at least give
severance pay, right?”

“No,
which explorer party in the world gives severance pay when a party
member leaves? If you die you just become strangers.”

“Are
we strangers? We’re comrades who faced death together.”

At
my words, Lammel’s expression suddenly became choked up.

Lammel,
who wiped her eyes with her harpy wing hands, laughed with a sobbing
voice.

“You
don’t look it but you’re quite sentimental. That’s why women try to
pounce on you when you wag your tail around everywhere.”

“Heh.
Don’t joke. Don’t cut ties just because you left the party, let’s
meet occasionally. When you open the herb shop, contact me too. If
you give me herb gathering requests, I’ll do them cheaply.”

“Thank
you. Really.”

I
patted the back of Lammel, who was now too overcome with emotion to
hold back tears.

Today,
the party’s mage left.

***

Yonel
Freya, vice president of the Explorers Union, thought as she watched
Balkan coming up to her office.

“Waah,
ttutta, puhuhu…”

This
was an opportunity to pass on the ill-fated dark elf mage who had
fallen into corruption beyond even her own control.