Chapter 324 Bear-san Enters the Labyrinth.

Karina holds on Swaying Bear as we carefully enter the passage.

[It’ll be difficult if you drop the crystal plate, so let go of Swaying Bear instead.] Yuna

[……Yes.] Karina

Karina reluctantly put Swaying Bear down.

Then we proceeded on entering the labyrinth. The order of entry was Karina in the front, followed by me then Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear are both at the back.

The passage is narrow and it feels even more narrow due to my costume.

[Karina, are you okay even if I’m not the one in front?] Yuna

[Yes, I’m okay. There is no danger unless you make a mistake on your steps.] Karina

On the contrary, it is dangerous if you make a mistake on where you’re going. Karina being in the front is in the most dangerous position.

[Please don’t make a mistake.] Yuna

[Yes, I’ll never make that same mistake again.] Karina

Karina grips the crystal plate tightly and repeatedly look at the crystal plate map.

I use detection magic to check if there are monsters nearby, just to be safe. I heard from Balima-san that there are no monsters on the labyrinth path, but I can’t feel relaxed unless I check it with my own eyes.

There were monster reactions when I used detection magic, but not many. Well, the monster in the display were Golems.

Am I going to have to fight a golem if we make a wrong turn?

But a golem huh… As I thought, Mithril Golems are rare weren’t they? I wanted a Mithril Golem, but I’m a little disappointed. It was horrible.

(TN: (ハリボテだったけど。) can’t find the meaning but it is the closest I can get.)

As we progress, the path gradually widens.

Wide enough to make Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear return to their normal size.

[Karina. Doesn’t the passage feels less narrow?] Yuna

[I don’t know because the path changes every time. But when I came before, I don’t think that was the case.] Karina

[Then, I’ll return Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear to their normal size. Even if Karina made a wrong step, you’ll be safe.] Yuna

[I’m not going to repeat that same mistake!] Karina

She puffed her cheeks.

Why does it feel like I want to push those cheeks with my finger whenever I see her puff them? Holding down the , I cast a spell on Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear.

[Turn big! Turn big!] Yuna

Of course, I don’t need to chant a spell. I did it when I made them small, but it’s weird if I don’t do it this time.

Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear returns to their original size. I made Karina ride on Swaying Bear and I climbed on Hugging Bear.

[Swaying Bear, follow Karina’s instructions.] Yuna

[Yuna-san. Can you turn Swaying Bear-chan and Hugging Bear-chan even bigger?] Karina

[No, I can’t. I can only choose either cub size or normal bear size.] Yuna

By the way, there’s no middle size. I can only turn them into cubs.

[Is that so?] Karina

Karina looks like she’s feeling down like when she found out that she can’t get smaller.

[I thought that the overgrown Swaying Bear-chan could defeat the big monsters.] Karina

If I can make him bigger, it will be easier to fight, but when I imagine the scene of the fight, I’ll end up watching a battle of large monsters. Above all, it’s no good because I wouldn’t get my turn. Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear will protect me.

Swaying Bear was walking, but he stopped when he arrived at a fork-road.

[Swaying Bear-chan, take the right.] Karina

Swaying Bear turns right according to Karina’s instructions.

[Come to think of it, how did you come back when you lost the crystal plate map?] Yuna

We already passed a lot of fork-roads. It would have been a disaster when they didn’t have a map at that time. If they went the wrong way, they wouldn’t be able to go home.

[Because we haven’t advanced that far.] Karina

Karina said she was happy to receive the crystal plate from Barlima and when she went a little further, she got on the wrong path. So that’s why they were able to return.

Karina, who took the wrong path, then triggered a pitfall trap. They said that Balima-san quickly grabbed Karina, so she would not fall. However, the crystal plate seems to have slipped from Karina’s hand.

And the crystal plate fell deep underground to where we found it later on.

Karina cried because her father got injured and she dropped the crystal plate that had been handed down for generations.

But Balima-san said he’s not angry.

[My father said he was glad that I was safe, but at that time, I thought he would reach out to the crystal plate, and not me.] Karina

[Don’t say that. Karina was more important to Balima-san than the crystal plate. It would be a pity for Balima-san to deny such feelings. Certainly, Karina may have failed. But Balima-san saved your life. The lost crystal plate has been found. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but Karina worked hard to get it back. So we should never fail again this time.] Yuna

[Yes.] Karina

Karina has a very bright smile. We absolutely must replace that magic stone.

Karina, who has become energetic, didn’t make a mistake in the path, she confirmed it with the crystal plate when a split path came and advanced cautiously. People learn from their mistakes and grow. Of course, there are people who never learn. But Karina is definitely the former.

Balima-san’s injury was not wasted either. It’s a cheap price to pay knowing it helped your daughter grow up.

[Karina. Can I see the crystal plate for a bit?] Yuna

[Yes, here you go.] Karina

Karina, riding on Swaying Bear, lined up next to Hugging Bear, holding a crystal plate in her hand and stretching it out so that I could see it from the side.

The crystal plate has a blue dot in the center of the map. Is this our current position?

There is the path we just passed.

This map doesn’t seem to show the whole map. The map is displaying only up the path ahead.

The yellow path shows us where we came from and where we are going. I see so that’s how we proceed. In this case, there is no problem in returning.

However, if there is a problem, the map is zoomed in and I can’t see the whole map.

[It can’t show you the whole thing?] Yuna

[Yes, you can only see it up close.] Karina

I used the Bear Map.

Yeah, this is clearly displayed. I can see the way we came. When you look at it like this, the path goes up, down, left and right. There are fork-roads in places.

I would never want to try this labyrinth without a map. I am confident that I will get angry and destroy it. (TN: Bloody Bear Smash!)

There is a saying, you will not get lost in a labyrinth with no walls.

However, if I randomly destroy everything, I might destroy the water amplification magic circle, so I cannot do it this time and there is no need to do it anyway because there is a map.

If I have to challenge it without a map, I will definitely bring Mumroot-san. The question is whether Mumroot-san remembers how to solve the labyrinth. That was hundreds of years ago after all. He must have most likely forgotten it.

It might be a good idea to ask if Mumroot-san remembers it.

[Swaying Bear-chan, head straight.] Karina

Karina went straight at the crossroad.

Then, after going through the passage, we came out in a slightly wider space. At the end of the wall, we can see the stairs. I had a bad feeling and when I looked up, there was a spiral staircase on the wall.

It’s the kind of stairs I wouldn’t climb If I don’t have the Bear Equipment or Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear. I can’t climb it with my poor body. Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear will carry us while climbing the spiral stairs.

There are series of entrances and passages here and there. While looking at the crystal plate, Karina calmly gives instructions, so we go up the spiral stairs. Then, on the way to the spiral stairs, we pass a side passage.

I would definitely get lost here.

Going further along the passage, it will be a fork-road. However, it is different from any normal fork-road.

The right side is illuminated brightly and the left side is dark like an abyss. As a normal person’s psychology, I want to go to the bright side on the right. I don’t want to go to the darkness on the left.

But Karina’s word says [Left.]

[I will turn on the lamp now, so please wait.] Karina

[It’s okay.] Yuna

I transfer some magical power to the Bear Puppet and create light. A light with a Bear’s face appears in front of me.

[… Bear-san.] Karina

[Hey, come on, let’s go.] Yuna

We took the dark passage. A Bear-faced light illuminates the dark passage. Karina is gazing at the Bear-faced light floating in the air. Be careful, if you look so much, it will make your eyes worse.

[Karina, look at the crystal plate properly.] Yuna

[Y-yes. I’m sorry.] Karina

Karina immediately shifts her line of sight to the crystal plate.

[Uh, why it isn’t an ordinary light?] Karina

[The Bear is cuter.] Yuna

[Yes, it is!] Karina

Karina agrees with my words.

Of course, I can also create ordinary light balls. But if I don’t pay attention to it, it will become a ball of light with the Bear’s face to it. I wonder why?

I shake the Bear Puppets like I’m waving my hands.

We advanced under the light of a bear.

When we turn to the corner, we can finally see the light ahead. And again, a fork between a bright path and a dark path appears. This time, we took the bright path. The third time is divided into a passage going down and a passage going up.

Below is bright and above is dark.

After all, I want to pass under a bright light. But the destination that Karina pointed to is the dark path above.

After going up the path, we found ourselves in a slightly larger room.

[Did we arrived?] Yuna

[Not yet.] Karina

Not yet?

I don’t think I’ve walked for an hour, but it’s a hassle to have another fork-road.

When Karina looks at the crystal plate, she walks into the room without warning.

[Are you okay? ] Yuna

[Yes, I’m okay. This time it’s choosing an entrance.] Karina

I looked at the room and was stunned. There are five passages on each of the four walls. That would be 20 in total. The wall we entered was one of five.

Again, if there is a fork, there will be no adventurer who would want to try this.

It was a great challenge for Karina’s ancestors and Mumroot-san

Karina, looking at the crystal plate, walks to the fourth passage from the right on the right wall without hesitation.

I want to see what happens if I take the wrong way, but I can’t do such a dangerous thing because Karina is with me.

Then, as we proceed, we found a large door.

[Yuna-san, we arrived.] Karina

In front of us, was a large door about the size of the Bear Gate.

I get off Hugging Bear and touch the door.

Will it open if I pushed it?

[Please wait, Yuna-san. I will open it now.] Karina

Karina also gets off from Swaying Bear. Then she put the crystal plate in the niche next to the door and touch it.

Then the door opens slowly.

Author’s Note:

The labyrinth is safe, even on the door. (The crystal plate map is for that)

To tell you the truth, I wanted to write about traps and other things, but I refrained from doing it because Karina is there.

I want to try the labyrinth someday.

Next time is the replacement of magic stones.