Chapter 102: How Not to Be Consumed by Malice

“Wait! Wait. What’s that?”

“It’s a spirit body summoning scroll. It can call all the vengeful spirits in the area.”

“You’re going to tear that scroll in the labyrinth? We haven’t even finished dealing with all the heretics yet.”

“We need to gather souls and put them into those bastards’ bodies while there are still heretics left.”

“No, that might cause tremendous chaos, do you think you can handle it? Looking closely, this person seems a bit strange. Executioner!”

The Saint called Rosie, who was swinging her axe at the heretics.

“Yes?!”

“Here. Come over here for a moment.”

At the Saint’s call, Rosie put down her axe and ran towards us.

“Did you call me?”

“Yes. Look at this person’s eyes.”

“Hmm.. They’re more clouded than yesterday.”

“This is it, right?”

“Yes. I was thinking his condition was getting strange. It looks like he’s being consumed.”

“Huh. Porter. Porter!”

“Uh. Yes?”

“You know you were about to act recklessly, right?”

“Well. That is.”

Is it that bad?

I thought I could control it well enough even if I used spirit summoning.

“The labyrinth is a place where you die if you let your guard down. Are you sure you can perfectly handle your ability right now? What if you go berserk. What if you go berserk? You were about to do something impulsive. That’s not good.”

“I won’t go berserk…”

“You can’t guarantee that, can you? If you summon the vengeful spirits piled up in the labyrinth in your current state, it’ll be a disaster. You absolutely can’t handle it. Even with that helper over there. It’ll be impossible even with her.”

The Saint pointed at Helena, who was forcing death upon the heretics.

I wanted to object to the Saint’s opinion that I couldn’t handle it even with Helena’s help, but before that, Rosie grabbed my hand.

“Your eyes don’t look good. It seems to be early symptoms. Porter-ssi, look straight into my eyes.”

“No, why have you all been like this since earlier? Why do you keep saying something’s wrong with me?”

“Look. You’re strange, aren’t you?”

“Aggressive tendencies have been maximized. Baseless confidence is gushing out. There’s only one explanation. Porter-ssi, reflect on yourself.”

“I.. I’m normal….”

Before I could make my case, Rosie hugged me.

My face was buried in Rosie’s soft chest. Rosie’s scent. Being embraced by her motherly chest made my mind a bit more stable.

“…..”

“Stay still. Porter-ssi, you’re on the verge of collapse right now.”

“Collapse..? Me?”

“Yes. The labyrinth’s malice is slowly rising from you. You’re one step away from plunging into death, having lost all fear. We’re stopping you before you become a moth drawn to flame. The labyrinth not only toys with adventurers through fear and despair, but sometimes it also instills excessive confidence and recklessness, making them rush towards death.”

“Why.. Why me of all people…”

“Because you’re the easiest prey among us. The labyrinth is cunning and breaks down the weakest first.”

Rosie said the labyrinth’s malice was enveloping me.

“As I said before, the labyrinth’s malice not only breaks down mental state but also eats away at people in various ways. For example, that baseless confidence you’re feeling right now. Or recklessness disguised as courage. It’s urging you. To leap towards death on your own.”

“Damn..”

I was in that state?

I didn’t even realize it myself. No, I probably couldn’t have realized it on my own.

No matter how objectively you try to examine your own state, it’s not easy.

Until the people watching from the side notice something’s wrong, I would just keep thinking I’m in a normal state.

This is why companions are important. Wandering the labyrinth alone means taking on too many risks.

“Now, it looks like you need to clear your mind a bit.”

“Yes, Porter. You’ve received too much shock. You need to rest a bit.”

“Let’s get out of this dark place first. Let’s quickly deal with the remaining heretics.”

“That sounds good. You executioners over there! Start picking up the pace!”

At the Saint’s shout, Sasaro and Raphael began reducing the heretics more quickly.

“Um, Executioner..! Here, a strange book…”

“Oh no. Record keeper. Don’t touch that. It looks extremely dangerous! For now, Rosie, look after Porter. I think I need to go help over there.”

“Yes, Saint.”

The Saint ran towards Paramel. It seems they found a cursed book under the altar while executing the heretics.

“Porter-ssi, let’s sit and wait for a while.”

“Yes. But Rosie-ssi. You can let go of my hand now.”

“Ah, I was holding it too tightly without realizing.”

Only then did Rosie let go of the hand she was holding tightly.

It was a bit awkward. In fact, I had been quite close to her for the past week.

She was my guard, and I was her guard subject.

We were almost always together. Perhaps that’s why the physical distance between us was strangely close.

“Um, Porter-ssi, you said you have a wife, right?”

“We haven’t registered our marriage yet, but I’m living with my fiancée.”

“I see. If you’re not married, you probably don’t have children yet?”

“Yes. No children yet.”

“Then I’ll dare to give you some advice. It’s better to have children to keep your mind anchored in the labyrinth.”

“Children? Huh…. But how do you know that, Rosie-ssi? Are you married by any chance?”

“No. That’s not it. I don’t have any experience with men yet.. Ahem. This is just something I heard from Sasaro.”

“Ah. Since Sasaro-ssi said he has children. I see.”

Sasaro is the only married person among our party members.

He probably gave the same advice to Rosie that she’s now giving to me.

“Anyway, our order also actively encourages marriage. Thinking that children are waiting on the surface gives you the strength to stand up even in moments when you feel like you’re about to die. Paternal and maternal love sometimes work miracles.”

A way to maintain mental stability for a long time without being easily swallowed by the labyrinth’s malice.

‘Have children.’

To have children, it means I ultimately need to impregnate Yuria.

Yuria still wants to be active. She also wants to go down to the 7th floor with me.

That’s why we haven’t thought about children yet. If she gets pregnant, she can’t enter the labyrinth, and even after the child is born, we can’t leave before they can even walk. If I die, Yuria will become a widow, and the child left behind will grow up in a single-parent home.

We need to take care of the child at home until at least 8 years old, around when they enter elementary school. And even if Yuria and I die, we need to create an environment where the child can survive. Like leaving an inheritance.

Anyway, to summarize all these complex assumptions briefly, it means that from the moment a child is born, you’re tied down to childcare for about 8 years.

It wasn’t an easy choice. Taking care of a child isn’t always easy. Even if we have slaves, we can’t raise a child without parental love.

“As expected. Children still seem a bit difficult for now.”

“You seem to have a lot to do.”

“Yes. It seems like I have too many tasks given to me. My fiancée too.”

“Hmm. I see. Then besides maintaining mental strength through paternal love. There’s one more method.”

“Another method?”

“Yes. Most adventurers prefer this method.”

“What kind of method is it?”

It obviously won’t be something like gambling or drugs.

What could be a healthy way to maintain mental stability?

“It’s to associate with as many people as possible.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you know the word harem?”

“Of course I know. I know, but why is that…”

“If you’re in a situation where you can’t have children, it’s best to create as many attachment relationships as possible to avoid being consumed by the labyrinth.”

“You mean…”

“It’s better to increase your connections with those who will remain on the surface. For those who can’t receive the Goddess’s blessing by being deeply immersed in religion like me or the other inquisitors, having children or increasing lovers is the most effective method.”

“You’re saying I should increase the number of women…”

“Yes. That’s right. Do you blindly believe in monogamy?”

“That’s… not the case.”

Polygamy is good, actually.

It’s not like I’m some Confucian scholar.

“Then that’s fortunate. Increase the number of women. It’s better to sleep with as many as possible and form as many attachment relationships as possible.”

This is embarrassing.

To hear that I need to increase the number of women to avoid being played by the labyrinth’s malice. And to hear it from Rosie, a priestess of the Goddess and heresy inquisitor.

It seemed like a very immoral situation. I wonder if this is also information that Sasaro shared with Rosie.

Anyway, if ‘having children’ and ‘multiple lovers’ are ways to avoid being easily consumed by the labyrinth’s malice, increasing the number of women is easier for me than raising children.

‘Right now, I have Yuria. And I also have the Young Lady and Moira.’

Should I increase from here?

It’s already overwhelming to handle Yuria and Lady Lea? Moira feels like a partner so it’s comfortable, but since we’re in an attachment relationship, I can’t completely ignore her either.

‘I guess it’s fortunate that I don’t have any “something” with the members of the Young Lady’s party.’

Rather, I’m more deeply entangled with Moira, who could be called a partner relationship.

It seems like it would be overwhelming to manage human relationships if the number of women increases to more than three.

Olivia is also constantly flirting with me. If I include her, that’s already four.

Moreover, among these four, only Olivia is a slave.

I, a slave fetishist, have already embraced three women who are not slaves.

‘Even these four are more than I deserve.’

Yeah, I need to rest properly when I go up this time.

Last time, I was too caught up in incidents and couldn’t rest properly.

Let’s take Rosie’s advice to heart.

Play around with women thoroughly.

Increase the number of women and have lots of children… Ah, is this not right?

Well, anyway, I miss Yuria and Lady Lea.

“Thank you for the advice.”

“This much isn’t even advice.”

Rosie patted my shoulder and then stood up.

“I’ll go help over there too. Then.”

The Saint and Paramel were arguing over a book emitting black energy.

Rosie ran to the scene, and soon Helena approached me.

“You almost got consumed by the labyrinth.”

“That’s right. I didn’t even know I was full of confidence.”

“You did seem to have strangely high self-esteem. Well, it happens often, so don’t worry too much. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal? But, for it to be no big deal, even the Saint was flustered just now, and Rosie advised me to have children and increase women?”

“She advised you to increase women? Was there perhaps that kind of atmosphere between you and that woman? That kind of thing between a man and woman…”

“What? Not at all. Nothing happened between Rosie and me. She just took good care of my meals. And gave me some snacks… Um. If I have to recall, we did stick close when it was cold, but. That’s it.”

“…..”

Helena, in the Blue Apostle’s body, looked at me somewhat pitifully for some reason.

“Haah, nevermind. Just think of their words as something they say because they consider you a protection target. If you’re aiming for the Platinum Badge, it’s better to cut ties with the secular world and throw yourself into the labyrinth, whether you live or die.”

“Huh.. That’s extreme.”

“But it’s true. Most of those who act extremely end up wearing the Platinum Badge. They don’t even know where your goal destination is in the first place, do they? If you’re aiming for the deepest part, you need to be bold sometimes.”

“Boldly…”

“When you used spirit summoning, there was an 80% chance you would have lost control of the spirits and turned into a living cursed doll. But if you had succeeded with a 20% chance?”

“What would have happened then?”

“You could have made all the remaining heretics here your slaves. Conquering the underground city would have been possible. Am I wrong?”

“That’s…. certainly correct. But I would have died with an 80% probability.”

“Well, I’m not necessarily saying to throw your body into death. Just remember. Sometimes you have to challenge. There will definitely come a moment when you have to jump in believing you won’t die, even while knowing you might die. The labyrinth’s malice leads adventurers to death, but if you endure without dying, you can surpass your limits. So what I’m saying is, don’t be too timid.”

Combining Rosie and Helena’s advice leads to this conclusion:

Sometimes you need to act boldly when the opportunity comes. Also, increase the number of women and have lots of children.

No, is this telling me to live the life of a rogue?

“Thank you for the advice.”

“Alright, then hurry and put that man’s soul into that heretic’s body over there.”

Helena pointed with her finger.

There stood a heretic with a sturdy-looking build.

If I put the swordsman’s soul into that heretic’s body, I could use him as a worker.

Let’s steal that man’s body, and slowly go back up. The labyrinth’s poison is too thick.