Ch.177Chapter 177 – Labyrinth (1) (Revised)

‘Cold.’

I felt the cold air.

As I got up, wondering when I had left the window open, something suddenly fell from on top of me.

Looking down to see what it was, I found it was a woman’s arm.

‘…Right.’

Only then did I remember why the window was open.

When I pulled back the blanket beside me, I saw Eve, a familiar woman with silver hair.

She made a slight moaning sound and shifted her body a bit, perhaps disturbed by the sudden change around her.

Normally, there would be no reason for her to be asleep on my bed.

‘…So we really did it.’

Looking at Eve’s exposed white shoulder on the bed, I realized that neither she nor I was wearing any clothes.

So yesterday wasn’t a dream after all.

“Kay…”

Eve murmured in her sleep with a happy expression.

I watched her with a smile, seeing a face I don’t usually get to see.

And the next moment, I felt the cold wind again.

“She’ll catch a cold at this rate.”

I carefully approached the window, trying not to wake the sleeping person.

I quietly closed the window without making a sound, then looked once more at Eve, still asleep.

‘Should I prepare a bath?’

The room had been ventilated, but both Eve and I needed to wash up.

I went straight into the bathroom and started filling the tub.

When I activated the magic device installed at the bottom of the tub, appropriately heated water began to fill it.

‘I wonder where they got the idea for these devices.’

I pondered such trivial questions while watching the warm water fill the tub.

Just as I was wondering about how they might have recreated something they’d only heard about without knowing the principles, I heard rustling sounds from behind.

“…Where am I…?”

“Did you sleep well?”

When I carefully spoke to Eve, she turned her head to look at me.

She seemed a bit disoriented, staring blankly at me for a moment, then looking down at her own body before quietly murmuring.

“…So it wasn’t a dream.”

“Well, of course not.”

Eve smiled as she picked up a towel that had been left on the floor.

“So, how was it?”

“How was what?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Eve smiled as she slightly extended her body toward me, partially covered by the towel.

“You were soft.”

“Is that all?”

“You were warm.”

“Is that the end?”

Eve was still smiling brightly, perhaps wanting to tease me a little.

“…It felt really good.”

“I see.”

Eve nodded and smiled, then quietly said.

“I felt really good too.”

After saying that, Eve slightly averted her gaze.

I too felt my face getting hot and couldn’t look at her face, so I turned my head away.

After a moment of silence, when the embarrassment had subsided a bit, Eve cleared her throat softly and said.

“May I wash up first?”

“Of course.”

As I looked at the now perfectly filled bathtub, Eve thanked me and approached me.

“Kay.”

“Yes.”

I kissed Eve as she turned her face toward me.

After feeling our body heat mix once more, I carefully pulled away to see Eve’s face had turned red again.

“…If you liked it, then next time too.”

Eve spoke in a small voice close to my ear.

Then she lowered her head and said.

“…Well then, I’ll wash up quickly and come out.”

With those final words, Eve entered the bathroom.

+

Next, I also washed up thoroughly, tidied the room, organized my weapons, and left.

Though we hadn’t committed any crime, as a precaution, I went out first to check the surroundings, and after confirming no one was around, Eve followed and locked the door.

“I didn’t realize it was still dawn.”

“We both tend to wake up early.”

Among our group, only Christina wakes up around the same time as us.

According to Eve, Christina might come to see me after finishing her prayers, but it seemed she was still praying now.

‘…She’s really something.’

I was thinking about Christina, who prays without fail every day, even after hearing that the god she believes in is dead.

I don’t know what she prays for.

Perhaps it’s simply a habitual routine that her body performs automatically.

“Ughh…”

“Are you in pain?”

When she suddenly let out a slightly pained groan, I quickly asked, and Eve smiled apologetically.

“…My waist hurts.”

“…I see.”

“…And my lower abdomen hurts all over too.”

The culprit was all too clear.

“…I’m sorry.”

Eve smiled brightly as I apologized cautiously.

“Kay doesn’t need to apologize. For me, it might even be like a medal of honor.”

Eve smiled as if trying to reassure me.

“A medal?”

“How should I put it… a medal showing I’ve become a proper woman?”

I chuckled at Eve’s words.

“Who would be happy about such a medal?”

“Me. And if there’s anyone else, maybe Rachel?”

That name came up again after a long time.

She was originally Eve’s maid, but she left with Eve when Eve ran away from home, and now she’s proudly become the head of a merchant group.

“Come to think of it, Rachel would be happy too.”

“Why Rachel?”

“She often complained that she couldn’t date because of me.”

Eve added with a laugh that Rachel might secretly be meeting men behind her back.

Then she looked slightly surprised.

“Oh right…”

“What is it?”

Eve looked at me.

“I forgot. A few days ago, I received a message from Rachel.”

“What kind of message?”

“Do you remember the red stone you showed me in the mine before?”

“Ah, the one from the Rock Turtle.”

It was a stone I had obtained when I had just met Sera.

“The appraisal of that stone has finally been completed, and it turns out it’s an extremely rare gem that’s been offered a good price. A few days ago, I received a message asking whether to sell it or not, but I forgot to ask you.”

“That’s tricky.”

If we were still living there, it wouldn’t matter whether we exchanged it for money or kept it, but now this issue has arisen.

‘What should I do?’

It would be a shame to just leave it when it could bring in a decent amount of money.

After thinking about various options, I looked at Eve’s face and came up with an idea.

“Since I can’t receive the money right away anyway, how about entrusting it to Eve’s merchant group as an investment?”

“I’d be happy with that. Let me know when you decide.”

Eve smiled even more brightly as she spoke.

After all, she’s a merchant.

It can only be good for her if someone invests in her merchant group.

Perhaps that’s why Eve walked more cheerfully.

Or rather, she tried to.

“Mmm…”

Eve’s steps were still unsteady.

Even though she had heard good news, pain was still pain.

‘This won’t work.’

Today was the day we were supposed to go to the holy site.

A place where, like last time, that strange priest might appear and pick a fight.

A place where we could potentially get seriously injured.

‘Besides, the place where the holy site is supposed to be…’

Looking at the World Tree, I recalled the location where the holy site was said to be hidden.

I’d heard that we might find it quickly if we were lucky, but there was also a possibility we’d have to spend days there, which was problematic.

‘It would be better to leave her behind.’

The problem was that Eve wouldn’t listen if I just told her directly.

She would insist on coming along out of concern, rather than staying somewhere safe by herself.

Only if someone else stayed behind might she reluctantly accept it.

‘Should I ask Sera…?’

Christina needed to go as she was directly involved, and Beatrice needed to come along to deal with potential traps and various situations.

By process of elimination, that left Sera, but I wasn’t sure if she would listen.

Like Eve, Sera would probably insist on coming along out of concern for me.

“…Kay?”

“Yes?”

“What are you thinking about?”

I smiled and shook my head at Eve, who was looking at me with slight unease.

“Nothing.”

“I see.”

After saying that, Eve began descending the stairs with her still unsteady gait.

I quietly followed her down and walked toward the place where we had agreed to meet in the morning.

+

And a short while later.

I found myself in an unexpected situation.

“…I’m sorry, Kay.”

Sera bowed deeply to me.

“…I’m really sorry, but could I skip going to the holy site?”

‘I didn’t expect this.’

When we arrived at the meeting place, Sera had already requested to stay behind.

I had been worrying about how to convince Sera to stay behind so Eve could remain, but that concern became meaningless.

“First, let me ask, is there a reason you want to skip it?”

“Well…”

Sera hesitated for a moment and looked at Beatrice.

Soon, Beatrice seemed to notice her gaze and nodded quietly before speaking.

“It’s because of the core research, right?”

“Yes.”

Sera said with slumped shoulders.

“…Just a little. If I work just a little bit more, I feel like I’ll see something. So…”

“Can’t you pause and come with us?”

“That’s a bit…”

Sera rolled her eyes slightly as she spoke.

‘This is good for me, but…’

Sera’s attitude was a bit concerning.

It felt like she was pretending things were working out when they weren’t.

Soon, Christina carefully offered her opinion.

“I also think it would be better for Sera to stay behind…”

“Why?”

“We need to think not only about the holy site but also about the fight with the demon race.”

After saying that, Christina looked at Sera and continued.

“If Sera’s research goes well and she can use that core to create golems, wouldn’t that help in the fight against the demon race?”

I nodded at Christina’s words.

As she said, we needed to keep the fight with the demon race in our sights.

The lich would make his own preparations, and the elves, including Pine, would also step up, but we should also make as many preparations as possible.

Finding the holy site first was part of that effort.

“Then Sera will stay behind.”

“Yes, and I’ve brought medicines and tools that might be helpful.”

Sera showed us the backpack at her feet.

Looking inside, I saw various tools including medicines.

“That’s a lot.”

“It’s never bad to be over-prepared.”

Sera said with a smile.

Then she bowed her head again and said.

“Still, I’m sorry I can’t accompany you.”

“No, this alone is a huge help.”

Since Sera made the tools, their quality was certain.

Moreover, she had included brief notes about each tool, perhaps thinking we might forget what they were for.

While looking at that, I glanced at Eve.

‘Should I say it now?’

Thinking that now was as good a time as any, I quietly spoke to Eve, who was standing somewhat unsteadily.

“Eve, I’m sorry, but could you stay behind with Sera?”

“Me too?”

I nodded as I looked at Eve.

“Kay, I…”

“Christina needs to go originally, and we need Beatrice’s help for potential traps. We can’t leave Sera alone either.”

Then I moved closer to Eve and said.

“And I can’t take you to a dangerous place.”

“…Kay.”

Eve tried to say something.

But seeing that I was looking at her legs, Eve seemed to give up.

“I wanted to go with you.”

“Please take care of Sera.”

After exchanging glances for a moment.

Eve finally nodded.

“Eve, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Actually, I’ve been feeling a bit unwell since this morning.”

Eve smiled as if to reassure Sera.

“And I had some things I wanted to talk about anyway.”

I heard Eve say that quietly.

At the same time, Pine approached us.

“So, there will be three of you going?”

“Yes.”

Pine smiled and said.

When we first met her, she was wearing leather armor and carrying only a dagger, but now she was wearing metal armor and had a large bow slung over her back.

That must be her proper equipment, and she probably wore the minimum when she came to greet us.

“Then, let’s depart.”

“We’ll be back.”

I said, looking at Eve and Sera.

“Be careful.”

“Please come back safely!”

I waved goodbye to the two who were smiling and seeing us off, then left the lodging.

+

“By the way, how are we going to travel?”

Beatrice asked Pine.

Pine smiled and replied.

“Well, the place we’re going isn’t easily accessible. You know that, right, Kay?”

“Yes.”

I nodded at Pine’s words and turned to look at our destination.

“The top of the World Tree, right?”

That was the destination Lich had first told us about.

“Surely we’re not going to climb the tree all the way up there?”

“Are you good at climbing trees?”

“Do you think I could climb well?”

I immediately shook my head.

Pine joined the conversation with a smile.

“Even we elves can’t climb a tree that high.”

“Even elves can’t?”

“It gets colder as you go up.”

After saying that, Pine narrowed her eyes slightly and said.

“And do you think elves would look kindly on someone climbing our sacred World Tree with dirty feet?”

Pine said she had remained quiet only because she knew it was a joke.

‘That’s a bit scary.’

I knew the World Tree was sacred to elves, but I didn’t expect such a sharp reaction.

Pine suddenly put her hand to her waist and pulled out a horn, which she then blew.

-Pwooooo!!

A loud sound spread around.

And shortly after, with the sound of flapping wings, griffons began to descend from the sky.

-Keeeeee!!

“Good, good, well done, well done.”

Pine smiled as she stroked the neck of one griffon.

It was the same griffon she had been riding before.

Behind it, another griffon stood quietly, watching us.

“Are we going to ride griffons?”

Christina asked, trembling slightly, and Pine smiled brightly and said.

“Yes. These children will take us to our destination.”

Then Pine looked at us for a moment, seeming to calculate something in her mind.

She must have finished her calculations quickly, as she smiled and continued.

“Hmm, Beatrice will ride with me, and Kay will need to ride with Christina.”

“But I don’t know how to handle a griffon.”

“It’s okay. They’re smart, so they won’t let you fall.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. You don’t need to worry about falling. I’ve calculated the weight.”

Pine added with a smile.

“And even if you fall, it’s the griffon’s fault, not mine.”

“……”

“That was a joke.”

Pine said with a laugh before climbing onto the griffon.

“Will it be… okay?”

“I think so.”

As I looked at the griffon for a moment, it slightly lowered its body.

‘Is it telling me to mount?’

I put my foot on the saddle and climbed onto its back.

Then Christina hesitated for a moment before looking at me and asking.

“May I sit in front of you, sir?”

“That would be better.”

If I hold the reins tightly, it should prevent us from suddenly falling.

As Christina entered my embrace, the griffon stood up on its own.

“Well then, let’s go! To the top of the World Tree, to the labyrinth inside!”

-Keeeeeeee!!

Pine raised the reins as she energetically announced our destination.

And as if responding to her, the griffons let out loud cries and began to take flight.

“Wh-whaaaaa!! It’s high! It’s so high!! Aaaah, aaaaaaah!! Kyaaaaaaaa!!!!”

At the same time, Christina’s screams also began to echo.