episode_0025

Upon returning from the labyrinth, we held a small celebration at the Lord’s castle.

However, the atmosphere was far from light-hearted.

“Ugh… such monsters…”

Buarno groaned, his arms crossed.

“If such dangerous beings roam free, instead of recruiting adventurers from the people of Brigal, isn’t it impossible to even maintain the existence of the Labyrinth City?”

“At the moment.”

I sipped on pumpkin-colored honey wine in a transparent glass.

Sinigia Honey Wine.

Though momentarily distracted, I tilted my head slightly and focused.

“Gathering all adventurers of Mithril grade or higher in this city might be a solution. Of course, aside from the funds needed to mobilize such a group, significant losses must be anticipated.”

“Even so… won’t they weaken once they ascend to higher levels?”

“The main body probably hasn’t moved from the 50th floor. It merely controls puppets to send upwards. The puppets moving on upper floors aren’t much different. However… the issue lies in how the structure of the labyrinth has changed.”

As we defeated the boss on the 10th floor, it likely sent even stronger puppets than before.

Its operational radius may have expanded.

“What should we do… hmm?”

Next to Buarno, who pondered with his arms crossed, a young girl tugged at his sleeve.

As he leaned down to listen, she whispered something.

After she finished speaking, he nodded solemnly.

“Everyone, Count Maze would like to have a more in-depth discussion about this matter.”

“The Count? Wait, you mean the Count?”

“…Yes.”

Could it be that the Count is coming here?

Well, considering that a significant problem has arisen in the Labyrinth City, which serves as its foundation and heart, there might be nothing more crucial for the city’s lord.

“So, where is this Count…?”

Buarno took a step back.

Then, the girl with a hat beside him stepped forward.

“Oh, no way.”

“…Hello.”

She curtsied lightly, lifting the edge of her skirt, displaying noble etiquette.

“I am the Count of this city, Dmitri Pesto Maze.”

“Unbelievable.”

Truly.

I never imagined this.

Despite living a long life and thinking I had a good eye for people, that girl, or rather, the Count, seemed utterly ordinary.

Honestly, I still can’t believe it.

“Such a young…!”

Spect also seemed surprised, forgetting himself and speaking out of turn.

“Even though I look like this, I turned twenty this year.”

Count Maze said.

“What!? Oh, uh… really…?”

Spect widened his eyes in further astonishment.

Quite an amusing fellow, different from his appearance.

“A curse?”

Linde cautiously asked.

“Yes. I was cursed as a child, so I stopped growing.”

The Count nodded.

“Ah…”

Indeed.

So that’s why she couldn’t come forward in front of people.

I truly failed to notice because she looked like a child, but her body is that of a child, so it didn’t register.

“Please keep this a secret. The citizens of the city might worry.”

“O-Of course!”

“Linde, are you a half-Eboni… no, a half-Eboni hybrid? Then you must have lived much longer than me.”

“Oh, yes. I haven’t aged since fifty…”

“I see.”

This time, the Count turned towards me.

“Five hundred and twenty-seven.”

Probably?

Seems like more than that.

“What?!!”

Spect almost dropped the glass in surprise.

However, the Count, who had asked the question, just smiled faintly and nodded.

“In this country, once you pass the age of seventy, it is customary to speak informally even in front of the king. You can feel free to speak comfortably, Mr. Rashwood.”

“Well, isn’t that based on the standards of ordinary humans? Well, even saying this is quite amusing.”

I shrugged my shoulders and took a sip of mead from the cup.

Despite the abnormal lifespan of the Evony tribe, we are considered human.

Because the goddess who summoned us five hundred years ago decided so.

Or rather, it was also fitting for ordinary humans.

“Hoho, indeed, you seem far beyond five hundred. The reason I mentioned this is because I hoped that Mr. Rashwood, who has the most experience in this gathering, would freely express his opinions without hesitation.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that.”

I lightly clapped my hands.

“Actually, the problem might be not having an opinion tomorrow.”

“I see… You said that even if Mr. Rashwood, Spect, and Krisha combined their strength, they couldn’t defeat that monster, right?”

“Yes. Well, if we gather all the adventurers in this city above Mithril rank and attack together, there might be a chance, but…”

“…What kind of casualties are expected?”

“About one out of ten…”

“Even with that level…”

“…They will survive. Unless it’s really a life-threatening situation.”

“…”

The issue lies in the uniqueness of the location.

The labyrinth is a closed space, constantly spawning monsters.

Of course, if high-ranking adventurers form a group and roam around, it won’t be too frightening. But if you descend deeper into the labyrinth, there are things that are not easily resolved.

“Gathering all the Mithril ranks as meat shields, preserving Oryharcon and Adamantite, and ending it with a short-term battle without considering losses. Then probably more than half will die. Of course, unless they are exceptionally lucky, most Mithril ranks will die.”

“…Indeed, such losses are absolutely unacceptable. There’s no point in arguing.”

Naturally, that’s how it is.

It doesn’t make sense to me either.

Moreover, there’s no guarantee that things will go as planned.

“So, I’ve been a bit stuck as well…”

At that moment, someone entered the room.

He said something to Buarno and then left.

Buarno also whispered the story he just heard to the Marquis.

The Marquis’ identity was still a secret even to those working internally, and the person who shared information with him didn’t seem to care about the real Marquis at all.

“I see…”

The Marquis’ lips curled up slightly.

“A rough investigation of the changes in the labyrinth has just been completed. And, it seems there are no monsters or demons that appear dangerous anywhere.”

She clapped her hands.

“And the change we were expecting, the overall number of monsters has increased significantly, but each individual has weakened. So, it seems we can proceed with the labyrinth development project as planned.”

“But, what about that monster…”

Linde cautiously brought up.

“As for that, we can probably ignore it.”

“Pardon?”

“I thought it was strange from the beginning. Why does that monster only appear to Rashwood?”

“Well, it targeted me as prey from the start… Oh.”

I pointed at myself, realizing what the Marquis was trying to say.

“Yes. That monster is only interested in Rashwood. If Rashwood doesn’t enter the labyrinth, it won’t appear.”

“Wait a minute. Then where do I earn money…”

“Rashwood, does that mean you have no other source of income besides being an adventurer?”

“It’s not exactly like that…”

“Then why are you adventuring? I know very well where you stand in this city. If you’re okay with it, how about working at my castle? I could hire you as my bodyguard. Of course, the salary will be more than sufficient.”

The viscount’s speech quickened slightly.

“I made a promise.”

“A promise?”

“I promised the elven mentor that I would live as an adventurer for three hundred years. A hundred years ago.”

It was a promise made in exchange for Misty training me.

Why she wanted such a promise, I do not know.

But both she and I have plenty of time if nothing else.

Finding a more reliable mentor than an elf is difficult, so I accepted that promise from a hundred years ago.

After touching that creature on the 50th floor underground, there was a reason why I stubbornly wandered near the entrance to the labyrinth, even though it didn’t bring in any money.

“So, I plan to live as an adventurer for two hundred more years.”

“Two hundred…”

Well, it might be hard for ordinary people to grasp such a sense of time.

Honestly, I can’t say I understand it all either.

Born as an ordinary human with a lifespan of less than a hundred years, even now, one day is just one day, and one year is just one year.

I simply know that time passes somehow.

It seems a bit different for races like elves, born with long lifespans.

“I see… Even so, what will you do? I cannot allow you to enter the labyrinth. Of course, it may seem unreasonable and absurd to you, but I have a duty to protect the peace and stability of this city. You understand, don’t you?”

“Well… If there really is no other way, then I have no choice but to leave this city.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Adventurers are not originally people who mine mana stones in labyrinths. If not in the labyrinth, I can explore elsewhere.”

Misty, who can be considered the origin of labyrinth adventurers, was a true “adventurer” who roamed various parts of the world.

What wind blew to make her give up being an adventurer and become a receptionist, I do not know her motives and thoughts, and even if I ask, she won’t tell me…

Perhaps if I wander around here and there for about three hundred years like her, I might find out.

“That… would be risky. Isn’t it a priority for the Evoni tribe to live quietly?”

“A promise is a promise. Rinde, Krisha. You can continue living in that house. I’ll transfer ownership or something.”

Almost all adventurers and nobles who could claim rights to that mansion have retired or passed away.

Of course, their descendants could also live in that house, but no one has come looking until now.

Although it hasn’t been repaired for long, the promise with the living outweighs the loyalty to the dead.

And no matter how much the viscount is cursed not to age, he must have a lifespan.

He could quietly return when the viscount ages and dies in about a hundred years.

“If that happens, I’ll follow suit…!”

“I would do the same.”

Rinde and Krisha said.

“Hmm…”

The viscount pondered.

“Losing a capable adventurer like you and Brighal’s dragon slayer at the same time would be unacceptable. In that case, we must think of another way.”

“If you say there’s another way?”

“The most important thing is information. Since that monster only responds to Mr. Lashwood, I will send someone else to investigate. Please wait for a month, no, a week. That should be fine, right?”

“To reiterate, even if you try to defeat that creature without causing serious harm…”

I shook my head.

Of course, investigation is crucial.

I am well aware of the importance of information.

However, realistically, it is impossible to defeat it without causing serious damage.

“Absolutely.”

The viscount subtly smiled while shaking his index finger.

“I will negotiate with that monster.”