episode_0109

Normally, for a mission to escort a client, it’s customary to hire explorers who are at least one floor higher than the destination floor.

This is because you need to hire explorers who can not only protect themselves but also have extra capacity to protect the client.

So even if you hire explorers at least one floor higher, it’s just the *minimum* of one floor. For Floor 6, wouldn’t it be better to have explorers from an even higher floor, perhaps Floor 8?

That’s why Erica’s party could step forward with a bit of confidence.

“You hired a team of Floor 7 explorers to save money. Didn’t you expect this much? We’ve talked about it multiple times.”

By the way, the fact that Erica’s party, which was said to be fluctuating between Floor 6 and 7, had suddenly reached Floor 7 was a bit shocking.

But for Erica’s party, who were until recently somewhat ambiguous to be called high-floor explorers, to have reached Floor 7 so suddenly. Of course, we’ve now also reached Floor 6, but.

In fact, our party is currently gaining a reputation for climbing the labyrinth at an unprecedented speed. This part showed why Erica’s party, which has a similar speed, was famous enough to be called a supernova.

Our party hasn’t even been a year old yet, and a party that’s just barely over a year old reaching a high floor is nonsensical.

In terms of the population distribution of explorers, where more than half are explorers stuck below Floor 3 due to bad luck or lack of skill, this progress is illogical.

Anyway, they must have already known that it was an unreasonable request.

However, after actually coming in and getting hit once, they came to their senses.

Ah, I should have spent more money. Something like that.

That’s why the client sent a signal for help to us, who happened to be nearby.

“…First, let’s hear what this is about.”

Well, honestly, it’s not a bad proposal.

Not only can we learn about Floor 6 while acting with Erica’s party.

We could also earn some money by taking on the commission while we’re at it.

Of course, we’d have to play a little hard to get to get the maximum amount of money.

Just as I was about to listen, Erica clapped her hands.

“Well, since it’s come to this, let’s take a short break. I happen to know a good spot.”

So, I had no choice but to listen to her words.

*

There was a cave not far away.

After arriving there and unpacking, the sun had already begun to set.

This was natural, as we had come up to Floor 6 in the late afternoon, anticipating that if Floor 6 was difficult, we would escape outside the labyrinth after wandering around for the first few hours.

We set up camp appropriately and started preparing dinner.

Kylek was chatting with old comrades, and Grace was giving bribes to the Floor 6 guide to extract information. That kind of situation.

Noah and I arrived in front of the client.

“Could you explain?”

“No? Honestly, I didn’t quite understand what he meant.”

I thought Erica’s attitude was too rude towards the client, but the client didn’t seem to mind it particularly.

Judging by the fact that the client, for someone who entered the labyrinth, was dressed like an explorer, he doesn’t seem like the type to care about unnecessary formalities.

Then, what kind of person could he possibly be? Is there any reason for a commoner to come all the way to Floor 6?

Usually, there are two types of people who make requests to be taken into the labyrinth.

Either they come in for research like mages, or they have developed some curiosity about the inside of the labyrinth.

However, the former is usually done at the unit level of magic towers or factions, like the Head of the Blue Faction we met on Floor 5. It’s difficult to secure a large quantity of samples for research without that many people in the first place.

As you know, all monsters in the labyrinth disappear when they die and cannot be taken outside the portal, so a special method is needed. If only a small number of samples are needed, you can just put in a request.

In the end, it must be the latter case, where an individual has great curiosity.

However, even so, they don’t usually make requests to come all the way to Floor 6.

At most, lower floors like 1 to 3 are suitable for commoners to wander around. Beyond that, it’s truly not easy for a commoner’s body.

Unless nobles or wealthy people spend a fortune and put in a request at the clan level.

Here, isn’t there only Erica’s party? And explorers who are only about 1 floor higher.

In other words, it’s an opportunity they painstakingly prepared by emptying their wallets.

To look at it coldly, no matter what proposal we make, they would accept it even by taking out a loan, so we could ask for a lot. But that would also be too heartless.

“…First, take a look at this.”

The client immediately pulled something out of the bag on his back.

A small, old book.

However, I couldn’t tell which book it was just by looking at it.

As I waited quietly, the client immediately began to speak.

“Do you know of a treasure left by a certain Black Mage?”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

The moment the words ‘Black Mage’ came out, I momentarily considered whether I should call Noah.

Seeing the change in my expression, the client suddenly looked surprised.

“Do you have some idea what it might be?”

“Ah, that’s…”

After a moment of thought, I brought Noah, who was munching on jerky far away.

“What’s going on…”

Noah, who was suddenly called over by my hand, suddenly saw the client’s book before his eyes and frowned slightly.

Instead, the client’s face brightened even more at that sight.

“Do you happen to know anything?”

“Well, a little bit…”

Noah was evasive with his words, but it seemed to be a great piece of luck for the client just by that.

“Let’s sign the contract right away!! I’ll match your demands as much as possible!!”

“No, first, we need to hear what this is about before we can talk, don’t you think?”

“Ah! My apologies.”

The client immediately began to tell his story.

The client was born in a small city outside the labyrinth city.

He had a grandfather who had lived a long life as a mercenary. After he died, he found this book in the warehouse. To decipher this book written in an unknown language, he searched everywhere.

The result of his painstaking search was that this book was written in the language of Black Mages.

Thanks to that, he had a hard time for a while after the church searched his house.

“Then, how do you still have this? Normally, wouldn’t they confiscate this book too?”

“Fortunately, the church just returned it, saying it was a book made by some low-level Black Mage.”

“That’s strange, though.”

Wasn’t the church supposed to erase every single trace of Black Mages?

Thinking like that, I realized that while they fight like enemies on the surface, they secretly interact internally and fight based on subtly reading each other.

So, isn’t it possible they just overlook small things like this?

“Did they tell you exactly what the content was?”

“I only heard the words, ‘[When you reach the highest point of the 6th Floor, the door will open],’ so I came into the labyrinth so painstakingly and hired explorers.”

“But, do you necessarily have to do something like that?”

“My grandfather used to tell me stories about his mercenary life traveling the continent when I was young. Among them were stories about the labyrinth, and also about Black Mages he defeated. If such a person kept this book preciously, wouldn’t you feel some curiosity?”

The client pleaded as if asking for empathy, but I didn’t particularly empathize.

In the first place, entering the labyrinth for just that reason doesn’t seem like a rational thought.

Noah had a similar impression. However.

“Of course, we have to find it!!”

Erica empathized.

Well, everyone has different personalities.

Perhaps the request came to Erica because most people likely rejected the client’s request with the thoughts we just had.

“Anyway, if you help us, I’ll give you a generous reward! Here…”

The client immediately took money out of his bag.

Just by looking, the bag was full of gold coins.

At that sight, I was startled.

“What, you brought money into the labyrinth?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, well… If Erica’s party were like plunderers, it would be a matter of quickly getting rid of the client with the cash in the labyrinth and wiping their mouths clean.”

“……What?!!”

At the client’s reaction, Noah and I clutched our heads.

Even by a rough look, he seemed like someone who didn’t know much about the world, but I didn’t expect him to be this clueless.

Still, it seems he’s paying enough, and Erica’s party has already brought him to Floor 6. Furthermore, it seems we can naturally learn about Floor 6 from Erica’s party.

Honestly, it’s a proposal with no downsides for us.

Moreover, without needing to play hard to get, the other party promised reasonable compensation.

It must have been key that they knew Erica’s party, who had accepted his request.

This is why it’s not for nothing that people say connections are important and you should meet the right people.

Once again, I gave thanks to Kylek in my heart.

*

One night passed.

During the night, there were 5 instances of localized heavy rain and 2 monster attacks, so we woke up a few times in between.

But the labyrinth is originally like this. It’s a situation we’ve become quite used to by now.

Especially on Floor 5, avalanches occurred constantly, so escaping while sleeping was a daily routine.

Even the client, who was on his first trip to the labyrinth, had gotten used to it, so there was no need for words.

However, I didn’t feel refreshed. It had been a while since I realized that humidity and temperature play a crucial role in the quality of human life.

The labyrinth city’s summer had only strong sunlight. It was dry and not suffocating.

Now, Floor 6 felt like looking at the temperature of Daegu during its peak in South Korea, so for this body that had experienced the taste of the Middle Ages, it wasn’t as easy to bear as I thought.

“…Ugh, it makes me think of home.”

Noah had a similar impression to me.

Humid and steaming hot labyrinth exploration.

Furthermore, perhaps because we were here after being in a place cold enough to freeze to death just two days ago, the feeling was even more real.

Although it hadn’t been long since we set off, it’s human nature, I guess, to want to rest more. I immediately headed towards the two guides leading the way.

“So where are we going?”

“Ah, the client said the highest point. So we decided to try going to the highest volcano.”

“…I guess we have to.”

Conversely, it meant we had to keep climbing mountains until we found the right location.

Fortunately, since the volcano was constantly spewing out small amounts of lava in real-time to the point where it couldn’t be covered in grass, we wouldn’t need to cut through a forest.

But that doesn’t mean we can go straight.

“Ah, it’s burning again.”

Whenever we could move forward a bit, the ground covered in flames blocked our path.

Even if we tried to go straight, we had no choice but to go around in winding paths.

The silver lining, perhaps, was that the frequency of monsters was a bit lower?

It was surprisingly difficult to find monsters.

We had been climbing for quite some time like that.

Suddenly, my head throbbed-

“……Are you okay?!”

Adell quickly grabbed me as I swayed, but Noah, who was next to me, suddenly collapsed with a thump.

As everyone was panicking at the sudden situation.

Suddenly, space tore, and monsters began to appear uncontrollably.

“What’s happening? Why are you two collapsing…”

Leaving aside the fact that only Noah and I were damaged, the situation was that monsters were being summoned endlessly.

Erica surveyed her surroundings and soon made a quick decision.

“It’s a monster outbreak. Let’s move to a suitable location for now!!”

Naturally, Erica became the leader of the two parties and began clearing the way forward.

The party members followed behind.

I also quickly came to my senses and started following.

KWA-A-A-ANG!!!

A huge sound strongly hit my ears and seemed to cover up the other sounds following behind, making my ears go numb.

I turned my head to look.

The volcano was exploding spectacularly.

…It seems I’ll have to give up on the future where I finish the commission comfortably.