episode_0135

That place where the jewel turtles we saw while running away were gathered.

There was a giant jewel in the center, and it seemed like there were quite a lot of jewels compared to other places.

Even then, I thought it was a slightly strange terrain.

To think that place was the jewel zone.

“…I see, that was the case.”

Grace, who was beside me, nodded her head.

Perhaps she also thought that place was suspicious.

“But we discovered the jewel zone… didn’t we?”

However, the investigator who heard my hopeful observation quickly refuted it.

“How will you prove that? Think about that carefully.”

“More hints….”

“Let’s move on to the next.”

A reaction that indicated they couldn’t tell me more than this. I decided not to be greedy.

“You can find jewel flowers if you search the crevices of the cave.”

“Is there nothing else?”

“Yes. This is truly all I think I can tell you.”

It seems we have to find it by chance.

At least we know the place where it appears, so that’s a relief.

Because it’s a completely different level from just wandering around knowing nothing.

“Lastly, you will be able to tell the jewel frog’s poop if you observe jewel frogs for a long time.”

“Is that all…?”

The investigator would absolutely not allow it, even if I hinted for them to give information.

It seemed difficult to extract any more, so I gave up.

Now it’s a battle of what to do with this information.

However, since fatigue had accumulated too much to move right now.

“Let’s rest here for a day first.”

“Yes. There were more things than expected, so I am a bit tired.”

You could say it was a slightly early rest.

Fatigue had accumulated, sure.

More than anything, there is no place in the labyrinth where you can rest with peace of mind except for the safe zone.

Even if we just made walls of earth right now, we’d still have to stand night watch at night.

Sometimes monsters approach, and we have to fight.

Perhaps because of that, explorers are sensitive sleepers at night.

To the extent that they wake up from sleep even if they hear just a slight sound.

Of course, not me.

So, if a situation where we can rest like this arises, it’s better to rest even for a moment.

We quickly pitched the simple tent we had stored well in that wide open space.

And just as we were about to finish the day while also cooking things like stew or soup.

“Haha! May we join you?!”

Our veteran knight came leading the knight order.

It was a bit burdensome, but.

There was nothing bad about making a good impression on the knight either.

This time, we had also brought quite a generous amount of food, so we decided to take care of their share as well.

“Wowww…. It’s fresh food.”

“After only eating dry bread every day, dipping it in soup and eating it, it’s truly heaven itself!!”

While the stew was boiling, they dipped dry bread in soup and ate it.

As if saying it was delicious with just that.

The reactions of the knight order were so good.

What on earth do they usually eat?

Indeed, even on the 5th floor, the knights didn’t particularly eat well, so how much worse would the 7th floor be where supplies are more difficult?

Even without that, as you go up the floors, the time knights stay increases, and if it’s long, it exceeds half a year, so don’t they have to eat only preserved food during that time?

…Indeed, there is a reason why they try not to enter the labyrinth as much as possible.

Meanwhile, to think they came here nearing retirement, I also thought it was too much, didn’t I?

“May we join you?”

The guild’s investigator and hired explorers who were just watching from far away approached.

No, you guys brought some food, didn’t you?

“Although we don’t have anything, if we put this in the stew, it seems it will be more delicious….”

The investigator taking out raw meat from subspace.

No, on earth how did they bring this fresh meat?

It’s a pass immediately.

Like that, our party, the investigator, the knight.

And everyone who happened to be in the safe zone gathered, and a small party was held.

“To think we’re eating such food on the 7th floor of the labyrinth.”

“So, so soft meat!! It’s not hard jerky!!”

The impact of the meat the investigator took out was tremendous.

Because with just that, they won the hearts of the explorers who were around and the hearts of the knights.

Indeed, is it true that food is important in captivating people?

However, I was curious how they brought such raw meat that spoils even within subspace.

“We put an artifact that emits cold air inside the subspace.”

It was a simpler method than expected, but.

In this era, it is not a simple method.

In the first place, unless they are a mage proficient in ice magic, it is too inefficient even if it costs too much money.

“The guild’s investigators dispatched to higher floors can receive this. The effect is…. well, as you see, it’s excellent.”

By making a slight investment, they make the explorers cooperative with the investigators.

Truly, a very rational method.

Even if the guild hears this and that, there is a reason why it has survived until now.

The investigator began collecting information from the explorers who had become cooperative.

At that, the explorers responded enthusiastically.

Indeed, being a guild investigator is not something just anyone can do.

*

The next day arrived.

Just as we finished preparations quickly and were about to leave the safe zone in order to move forward once again.

The veteran knight and the guild’s investigator were also getting ready to leave.

“Surely you’re not leaving your post?”

“Monsters don’t come to the safe zone, do they. And the 7th floor safe zone, as you see, there’s nothing, so even if you completely leave the spot, nothing special happens.”

Indeed, even when we fought the looters, two teams came together, so they might be investigating together.

Since it has come to this, shall we wander around together until halfway?

“First, let’s go find the jewel zone.”

“Do you remember the location?”

“Yes.”

Since Grace remembered the location, there is no reason not to go there.

However.

“If it’s like this, it’s the exact opposite, I see.”

“Please, I hope you achieve good results.”

“If by chance any information comes in, please come to the safe zone. We return to this place once every 2 days.”

Because the knight and the guild’s investigator had no intention of going to the location we had already gone to.

We naturally split up.

*

It didn’t take a long time to return to the jewel zone.

After defeating one or two groups of jewel soldiers encountered in the middle and walking for half a day, we finally arrived… but couldn’t.

“……Erm.”

Sniff sniff.

Grace sniffed her nose again, but she still couldn’t find the exact location.

“It’s roughly this way, but. It’s difficult to find the exact location.”

“No, just reaching a similar place is enough. Now let’s start exploring slowly. Anyway, besides the jewel zone, there’s a mountain of things to find, isn’t there?”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems we’ll have to spend at least a month wandering around.”

“In the first place, what the guild wants is probably something like that. If you meet these promotion requirements, it means you’ve already seen everything there is to see on the 7th floor.”

Descending the wall of the cave, which was like a cliff.

We also defeat jewel soldiers encountered occasionally.

Now about one group of jewel soldiers didn’t become any problem in a fight.

Have we started getting used to the 7th floor gradually now?

“More than that, in order to find jewel flowers too, shouldn’t we search the crevices of the cave too?”

“Until now, we passed by a few, but. This time, let’s stop by.”

Immediately, Grace discovered a crevice of a cave.

We went inside, but.

There was still nothing.

However.

Sniff sniff.

Grace suddenly sniffs her nose.

And Luka too immediately moving her head, sniff sniff.

It clearly means they found something.

Quickly spreading my senses, I examined the inside of the cave crevice, but nothing particularly revealed itself.

But here, Noah tilted her head.

“This is….”

Noah, who ran over, touched the wall, and soon her body slid in.

“Ohh! It’s a hideout!!”

“A hideout?”

“There are so many black mages, how could they all live outside? Most live in the labyrinth. From their perspective, the labyrinth would be the safest.”

Of course, it’s not that the labyrinth’s monsters don’t attack black mages, but black mages can move to hidden areas of the labyrinth.

It seems to be one of those places.

“Thankfully, it seems there’s no one inside…. No, there is one person.”

Noah’s voice rapidly turns cold.

We too immediately enter inside.

Sniff sniff.

Grace was immediately certain.

“1 person inside. It seems they discovered us too.”

A hideout hidden by black mages in the labyrinth.

The single human who is there.

Anyone could see at once that he was a black mage.

“First, it would be better to capture him, wouldn’t it?”

“…Yeah.”

Immediately, I activate one magic circle carved on my body.

[Deep Roots]

Tree roots spouting out from under my feet immediately.

As they were, they advance towards the narrow hideout.

Even if it’s called a hideout. A cave that has a small entrance.

The tree roots go in through that entrance.

Whoosh-

At that moment, flames burst out hugely.

Flames that completely burn the tree roots approach this place following those roots.

Fire against fire. It’s a counter-fire.

Quickly infusing mana into the Ifrit that was in my arms, I unleash fire.

An intense collision of two fires.

The surroundings trembled momentarily, but fortunately, the two fires are extinguished without leaning anywhere.

As a result, nothing at all happened, but.

In reality, something big happened.

“…A mage?!”

“It could be the power of a card.”

Whether it’s a mage or the power of a card, the fact that the enemy is not a black mage.

If so, what on earth could it be?

“I’ll just break it!!”

Kairek shoots an arrow, breaking the narrow door of the hideout.

And Luka and Grace, and Noah running through that place.

If it’s these three, the opponent too won’t be able to easily withstand it.

Soon after, someone, one person, popped out from inside.

One male who seemed to be about the same age as me.

He was holding a sword in one hand, and a shield in the other hand.

If so, it doesn’t mean the opponent is a mage. Those flames were, after all, the power of a card.

Running simulations in my head about what move he would make, I use the card I was holding.

[Temporary Pause]

Mana that flowed out from my body momentarily held onto the male’s body, and.

“Huh?!”

Saying that, I succeed in subduing the male, who was standing foolishly, in an instant.

Squawk. The male making a sound and putting down his weapon dispiritedly.

“It ended sort of boringly.”

“Well, because it’s one person. But.”

All of us looked around the hideout.

What could be known at a glance was the point that there seemed to be many blood-stained trophies.

In other words, this place means it is the space of looters.

“Was he a looter?!”

“No!!!”

A voice strongly showing signs of injustice/wronged feeling.

“No, then why are you here?”

“To loot what the looters looted and brought….”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

Probably, even if the looters put things in, because someone is needed to manage it, it must be someone like that. Someone whose combat ability is a bit lower, such a person.

Perhaps he might know about the incident happening on the 7th floor right now.

“First, shall we freeze him?”

“Then wouldn’t he die? Let’s electrocute him.”

“That’s good too.”

While contemplating how to capture him, the male shouted loudly.

“Re, Really!! I too received the invitation but I betrayed them!!! Over there is the corpse of the kid who originally guarded this place!!”

“…….”

I silently looked at Luka, and Luka brought out one corpse from inside the hideout.

“But with this, how will you prove it?”

“In that guy’s pocket, there will be a crescent-moon shaped coin. He said only the guys trying to commit a big crime this time received it.”

“You know too well, don’t you? Because you want to live, you’re just betraying them, aren’t you?”

“Then why would I kill this kid?”

“Well, either way, it doesn’t matter. Let’s take him to the guild’s investigator.”

“I, Ivan Arcana!!”

The male suddenly calling my name.

Why is he doing that?

“It seems you’re trying to get promoted to the 7th floor, but I can help. Even though I look like this, I’m an 8th-floor explorer, he said. Furthermore, while searching for hideouts, I also found out where the jewel flowers are, so I can help.”

No, isn’t it stranger that an 8th-floor explorer was caught by us?

Or maybe not. Did we get stronger? Or by pushing by sheer numbers?

At that moment, he showed a gold explorer’s badge from his pocket.

It doesn’t seem like a lie, but.

…No matter how I think about it, con-artist tendencies are visible, you see.

“Come on, come on, this is a good opportunity, you see. Therefore, a deal….”

“Ah!!!”

At that moment, Grace suddenly realized something, and began looking at the male’s face here and there.

“For now, this person’s words seem to be correct, don’t they?”

“Is he someone you know?”

“I was unsure, but this person, he’s Gambler Jack.”

“……Gambler?”

“Oh!! Do you know me?”

“He’s a petty criminal who committed minor crimes like theft, fraud, etc. He’s famous in our circles, isn’t he?”

Ah, that’s why he said he didn’t want to be interrogated by the guild’s investigator, I see.

Looters also make suggestions like let’s make a big score.

“The story of how he was going to fleece a sucker together, but then flipped the entire gambling table, betrayed them, and blew away all the gamblers, it’s quite an interesting story, isn’t it?”

“Ah, he’s a guy who only cares about himself, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He’s a guy who will probably betray the looters even if they say let’s make a big score.”

“Then he’ll betray us too, I guess.”

Indeed, it seems correct to hand him over to the knight order or the investigator for now.

On the way, let’s take a look at the jewel zone once too.

Immediately, I activated one magic circle.

[Electrocution Area]

“Wa…!!”

Crackle-

Guhk.

Because it seemed I might be tempted by those words if I listen any further, I knocked him out for now.