Book 3 - 3-1. To Daily Life

3-1. To Daily Life

Satou's here. Not wanting to experience the real dungeon attack again, Satou's.

The arm demon who's missing with the appearance of the labyrinth is on my mind but...

For now I'd like to enjoy a peaceful life for once.

◇

We've come into a vacant lot about as wide as a school yard when we come out of the labyrinth.

Surrounding the edge of the lot, are two-meter high fences. It look to be hastily made.

Since the outer wall can be seen from there, it seems that this is the square where the commotion was.

Looking back at the labyrinth's entrance, it's a 3 meter high of sharp jet black rock with a hole. I wonder if it's made of obsidian?

There are 3 turrets 50 meters away surrounding the entrance. Wooden barricades with sharp pointed tips lined up on the places where they don't obstruct the turrets' line of fire.

"Satou-san, come here please."

Zena-san is calling from a tent across the fences.

When we reunited, Zena-san hugged me without letting go, but her co-worker, Lilio, who was late, teased her so she jumped out in panic. ...She was definitely very worried. Did she favor me that much~?

While Pochi and Tama hanging on both of my hand, we go toward the tent. Liza follows 3 steps back from me. Are we a master and his pupil.

I give our luggages to the woman official on the entrance and go inside the tent. Liza didn't want to leave her spear, but once I urged her, she reluctantly let it go.

The inside of the tent is unexpectedly wide. It's about as wide as a school classroom.

The handsome middle-aged priest who got out earlier is inside, being questioned by officials while getting medical treatment.

The viscount and his daughter aren't here. Are they on another tent?

Since Zena-san beckons me, I head to her.

The handsome middle-aged Garleon priest, Nebinen-shi and the slave trader, Nidoren are also over there.

. The last person is a gray haired knight with bulging muscles and metal armor. The knight looks over here, and laughs. His expression looks like a mischievous boy even though he's already middle-aged.

"Hoo, so you're magician Zena's dearest."

"N, no."

Zena-san attempts to cover and deny the knight's word, but the knight ignores it and continues.

"She was haggard until your safety was confirmed you know. If her squad didn't watch over her, she was sure to jump into the labyrinth alone, it was that dangerous."

"That, for all the trouble I've caused, I'm very sorry."

I think it's a bit strange for me to apologize, but it's better than being awkwardly silent.

"Hahaha. You don't need to apologize. I just want to look at the person who got the straight laced having-no-interest-beside-magic-training to fall."

"L, like I said I don't..."

Zena-san tries to intercept again, but in the middle of the way, she begins to murmur her words and hangs her head while looking really embarrassed. Experiencing romcom in this age is painful ...No wait, my body is that of 15 years old.

The knight looks at Zena-san amusingly, places his hand on his chin, and turns his head to me with appraising gaze.

"However, even though he does look nimble, to be able to break through a labyrinth with such small number of people, even a great man can't dot that."

"If the girls weren't there, far from escaping, I'd have been in the belly of a monster by now."

And so I said that to make a good impression of Liza and co. Pochi and Tama who are quietly crouching beside my feet look up curiously, I pat their heads to deceive them. Liza quietly bows but wisely chooses not to say anything.

"They sure looks strong. I would like to make them my subordinates if they weren't demi-human."

This knight, even though he looks like a nice-guy who doesn't care with racial difference, the discrimination against demi-human is really deep-rooted~

I respond while smiling wryly.

"They're good comrades who've been together with me though."

"Fumu, if they weren't, it'd be impossible to break through the labyrinth. I'm sorry, this territory's people are always at odd with demi-human tribes, so they're incompatible no matter what."

So it wasn't just simple prejudices but disputes between race huh... no wonder it's deep-rooted.

"Commander! The preparation is complete."

A woman who wears magician-like robe call out.

What preparation?

There's a lithograph put on the pedestal. Yamato stones again after 3 days huh? It's bigger than the one I've seen back then.

Commander-san calls out people who has escaped from labyrinth with loud voices.

"I know that this might be rude, but everyone who has escaped from labyrinth need to be checked with this Yamato stone. This is the original Yamato stone specially loaned from the earl. Even abnormal status will be displayed. This is for the sake of proving that no one is possessed by the demon."

Everyone initially looks displeased, but they become quiet after being told that it's to find out whether they're possessed by demon or not. Since everyone here saw the moment when the demon arm came out of Uusu in the square back then.

Still, leaving my level to 1 and no skill even though I've broken through a labyrinth is bad.

It's been a while since I operate the menu with thought, I open the exchange tab. Since the beastkin girls are level 13, let's make me a bit lower at 10. Make the skills merchant-like with [Arithmetic] and [Estimation]. Would it be strange to have no battle-related skill? Let's put [Avoid] then.

◇

When my turn come, I put my hand on the Yamato stone. Yep, the stats has been updated with the previously set information.

"Indeed, the [Nimble Merchant] huh."

"...You heard that from Zena-san right?"

"That's right, you know well. Still, even though you're not a soldier or an explorer, to have that level at that age, you must've been through a lot."

"It's not that amazing."

Humility? It is.

In fact, this person is level 30 at 29 years old. Being level 10 at 15 years old is nothing to brag about. Is it because that it's hard to level up beside for combat-related professionals?

Small shouts are raised from behind.

They seem to be surprised that a slave is so high leveled at level 13 and even has 4 skills.

Liza is wearing a hard to read expression like always, but her tail is twitching a bit. She's probably a bit proud.

Next is Pochi. Since her hands didn't reach, Liza lift her up from behind. She looks really happy having her hands and feet loose in the air.

The Yamato stone official tells her to place her hand. Shouts bigger than the time with Liza are raised. For 10 years old to be level 13 is probably amazing. Her skills are 4 too.

Pochi's tail are waving with a buzz. She looks over here and make a noise with her nose.

The last one is Tama. Just like with Pochi, Liza lifts her. Did she also want to have her hands and feet loose in the air? she looks really happy her tail swinging on Liza's legs.

When her stats are displayed, the shouts are quieter than the one with Pochi. Her stat is as good as Pochi, but since it's the third time already, the surprise factor is already fading. Tama looks dissatisfied.

"It must have been hard to train demi-human slaves to that degree."

"It's not that much. Because the girls are excellent."

It's true that I struggled, but the girls' excellences is a fact too. Although I wouldn't die even without them, I would undoubtedly have an unpleasant time with the traps.

The inspection with Yamato stone end with Tama's turn.

It seems that everyone except Nebinen-shi who's in deep talk with the white-haired official is allowed to go home.

"Now then, since the inspection is done, is it fine for us to go home?"

"I'm sorry, I'd like to hear the time when the demon appear from you for a bit more."

◇

Me, Zena-san, and Nebinen-shi, the three of us tell the event which unfolded until we were swallowed up by the labyrinth in detail to the commander and white-haired official.

I was embarrassed when Zena-san excessively praised me for the handling of Uusu. Even Nebinen-shi concluded that I've subsided the possibility of rebellion and dealt with the agitator inside the crowd... Well, it's the truth though.

Since I remember the words of the demon when we got into labyrinth better, Nebinen-shi passed it to me to convey.

"For the sake of full revival huh..."

"I don't know how much magic power is needed for demon's revival, but here is close with the dragon line."

"Right, since it's near the earth veins... Even then, it would still take several months right?　Before that let's call high level explorer clans from the labyrinth city, Ceribila, and bring it to an end."

Yup, lots of unknown words making it hard to follow the story. On the side, Zena-san who's clenching her fist is nodding with serious expression.

Let's summarize the words that I understand for now, it's fine to leave the demon alone for a few months, before that, defeat it by calling the high level explorers? It's like that, OK?

After that, what kind of monster appear in the labyrinth? How many of them appear at the same time? What kind of traps are there? various things like that were asked.

I only report half of the battle we've been but I don't hide the type of enemy of who came out.

At first it was just common fact checking, when the story arrived at the time we meet viscount Belton just before the bone hall, the official's face became strange.

"What's wrong?"

"No well~. Did you really fight that many battles without a spellcaster? Furthermore judging from the time the labyrinth appeared to your escape, each battle's time is really short I think?　Did you properly take breaks?"

"Of course. Since we're not machines."

"Yeah, of course you are." (Most likely Zena)

"Yes, we took 3 rest, each for about 3 hours."

"It doesn't look like you're just bragging."

Huh? Did I make a mistake?

"It must be a party with exceedingly good cooperation. You did well not to get annihilated fighting to the bitter end even with that high pace."

"That's right~ If even one people incur serious injury, you'd have been annihilated... If I was with you then I could have became the role of support or healer."

Ah, Zena-san's eyes begin to turn teary.

"Along the way, we've found an alchemist hideout, and we found a lot of magic potions. It's partly thanks to that~."

I'll sully myself to stop a girl's cry. Deception skill come on~.

"Umu, as expected if there were no means for recovery, that many battles would have been impossible."

Yep, we went through hardships.

Whenever the beastkin girls were about to surely got hit, I immediately dash and parry the attack. If they are about to get surrounded, I aggro the enemy.

I really want provocation skill. Let's try to see if I can get it or not next time.

◇

Oh right, I should confirm it before I forget.

"Um, can I ask something?"

"What would that be? I don't mind as long as it's not military secret.　By the way, my daughter is 15 years old with beautiful buttock and very popular."

What is this person saying? Let's magnificently ignore!

"It's about the labyrinth, I think it's spreading considerably. Is it fine to just let the labyrinth spread out like this?"

"Oh, did I not explain it?"

You did not.

"The labyrinth won't spread to anywhere beside to the outer wall of this square. I can safely declare that there is no danger of the city collapsing."

"I want to hear the reason for that safety if possible..."

"Umu, right. The army, collaborating with the town's magicians and alchemists have set up barrier. A consecration ceremony involving all the town's temples is being held. With this double shields, the labyrinth has been restricted from encroaching the city's underground."

I see.

Still, I thought the temple and magicians look like they're on bad term.

"I understand what you're thinking. For the temple and magicians who are in bad terms to cooperate together so quickly, it's because of the earl's edict. Even so, this quick isolation of the labyrinth is thanks to the fast report of magician Zena."

"That was thanks to Satou-san giving priority to reporting."

Then, me and Zena-san's concession and credit passing continued, but the white-haired official and the commander skillfully dealt with it. If left alone, I don't know how long it would continue... GJ white-haired official.

"That's why, As long as the barrier is seriously maintained, the labyrinth won't endanger the city. Have you understand that?"

"Yes, I'm relieved."

What a relief. Since I'm afraid if the inn collapse while I'm asleep!