15-9. Phantasmal Labyrinth

 

Satou's here. I think I first learned yobai from a manga about nobles of Heian era. The figures of the main character of a shoujo manga who shouted molester and kicked the head of a noble and the dumbfounded expression of the kicked noble left an impression on me.


◇


"Good evening, thieves here."
"Stop saying unnecessary things."

After whacking the head of Arisa who's dressed up like a thief, I walk to the bedside where Miss Wiyaryi is sleeping.
This somehow feels indecent, like I'm a man doing yobai.

I'm not intruding a woman's room in the middle of the night to do lewd things.
It's to restore the limbs of hero's companions.

"Advanced mind magic is amazing isn't it. You can prank them all you want."

Arisa says some impolite thing while poking the long ear of Miss Wiyaryi who's in a deep sleep.
Miss Wiyaryi isn't the only one sleeping, everybody in the inn including the hero's party has all fallen asleep.

"Still, you wouldn't need to make them sleep if you just used 『Geass』 to keep it a secret you know."
"It's less troublesome this way right?"

Moreover, my purpose is restoring their limbs, I don't intend to make them indebted to me.

"Let's begin--"

While rejecting the idea, I put Miss Wiyaryi onto a transparent bed made from [Magic Mold] and ask Arisa to take off her clothes.
Of course I've asked her to cover her with a cloth since we're not going to do anything perverted.

"First, I'll cleanse the miasma."

I activate [Miasma Seer] and look at Miss Wiyaryi's stumps.
I can see ominous black mist coming from the stumps binding Miss Wiyaryi's body.

I've taken off her cloth in order to see her whole body, but during the activation of the Miasma Seer, my view becomes like a negative film on top of being monochrome so there's nothing lewd to it at all.

I tear off the miasma aka the demon lord's curse like untying entangled thread.
It was quite firm and complexly intertwined but I succeeded in about 10 minutes.

"Collecting samples."

I reproduce Miss Wiyaryi's limbs from the blood collected from her.
With advanced force magic, cloning is not a problem even without the pluripotent cell as long as it's from the person themselves, though people who know the particulars from modern science will probably look at it scrutinizingly. As expected of fantasy.

"Reopening the wound."

Using Magic Edge extended from my finger, I cut the stump and reopen the wound.
It'll be dangerous if she bleed too much, so I press the wound with a transparent cover made from force magic [Magic Mold].

"Lost limb, rejoining."

Once I press the limb I made earlier on the stump and sprinkle an elixir on it, it's stickied properly.
Using the advanced soul magic [Perfect Possession] I posses Miss Wiyaryi and check the connected arm.

"Success."
"Uwaah, I thought she woke up."

I inadvertently talked with Miss Wiyaryi's mouth since I was too delighted for the success.
I go back to my original body and apologize to Arisa.

"--Sorry, I forgot to come back. Let's continue, Arisa."
"Okay!"

I connected Miss Wiyaryi's remaining limbs and then went around to restore Rusus's and Fifi's lost limbs.
Of course, I had also restored Fifi's eye.

"Next, let's just leave a letter."

I put a letter with hero Nanashi's signature regarding the limb loss restoration and the way to rehabilitate for them afterward on secretary Nono's bedside.
Once we got back to our room I released the magic, called the girls who had evacuated to the solitary island palace back here and then we slept in the bed.


◇


"Satou! It's serious!"
"Get up! This is serious!"

Early in the morning Rusus and Fifi rushed into my room half naked.

They're only wearing low-rise pants and short shirts with exposed navels.
The lively dynamic movement is peculiar to no-bra.

"Good morning. Rusus-san, Fifi-san--You two, what happened to those arms and legs!"

While pretending to be surprised, I get up from the bed and walk toward the two.
Nana and the children in the bed raised their heads while rubbing their eyes.

In addition, Liza who has already woken up is swinging her spear in the courtyard, while Lulu seems to be doing morning exercise beside her.

"They were already restored when we got up this morning!"
"We thought you did something."

The two who are in high tension caught my arms and swung them up and down.
I'm troubled where to see due to the masses that are swinging together with the arms.

"Fuh, you two are fast!"

Miss Wiyaryi showed up from behind them.
She looks unsteady, it seems her limbs are still weak.

As she stagger, I extend my hands to support her.

"Thank you, Satou."

Even the calm Miss Wiyaryi seems to be happy with her restored limbs, she's overflowing with smiles.

"By the way, did Satou cause this miracle?"

After saying that, Miss Wiyaryi hugs me without even waiting for my reply.
She's the least sexy member of the hero party, but it appears she's simply the type who looks slender in clothing.

"W-wait! What are you doing to Master!"
"Mwu, guilty."

The impregnable fortress pair tried to crawl out of the bed, but it seems they're still sleepy, they can't move well.

"What are you doing this early in the morning."

Secretary Nono scolded the three with a sharp expression.
Despite being early in the morning, she's properly wearing her uniform--huh?

"Nono, skirt."
"You forgot it you know?"
"Fumu, so Nono has reached the age where she wants to seduce youngsters."

Nono couldn't understand what the three were talking about and had a face that seemed like there was a question mark above her head, but her face turned red when she looked below.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll go fix it right away."

Nono screamed and rushed out.
Apparently, she has airhead element too.

Nono who came back after a while told the three girls that it was hero Nanashi who restored their limbs, and the morning uproar came to an end.


◇


"It's such a shame~"
"Are you still going on about that?"
"I mean, it's a chance to increase Master's sympathizers."

Arisa grumbled when we were on the ferryboat going to the islet where the labyrinth is.
What am I going to do with having sympathizers in the first place.

Only the members of Team Pendragon including Lady Karina are going to the labyrinth.

Rusus and the others are doing rehabilitation in the training school at the verge of the town.
They said that they would return to form before the hero came back.

"Arisa, leave it at that."
"Nn, rivals unnecessary."

Liza reproved Arisa, Mia nodded at her.

The ferryboat arrived at the labyrinth islet when we were talking as such.

"Fish~?"
"There's a lot of small fish nanodesu."

From the wharf you can see a school of Sardine-like fish swimming in the sea.
Feels like you can get a lot just by casting a net.

"Oy, you guys over there, new faces right?"

A rugged middle-aged man who looked like a fisherman came over to us.

"You're being rude to Master."

Liza points her magic spear at the man.

"Whoops, what a scary Anee-chan. Lower your spear, I ain't here to pick a fight."

The middle-aged man took a surrendering pose at the threatening Liza and stepped back one step.

"The labyrinth entrance is over there, but first timer must go to that Adventurer Guild's assembly hall following the procedure."

After pointing at the volcano in the center of the labyrinth islet, the man jerked his chin at a gray building at the end of the harbor.

"There's a lot of adventurer applicants making trouble at the simple reception desk in front of the labyrinth so I'm telling this to first timers."

I see, both are quite far apart.
I can see many people complaining.

I thank the man, and make him grasp one silver coin worth of swen as thanks and apology for Liza's hastiness.

"Whoa, Nii-chan knows his stuff~. Talk with the racoonkin wearing ocher overcoat in the middle of that hill--he's a former adventurer and know a lot 'bout monsters ya know."

After saying that, the man charges at a nearby bar while swinging the swen paper money gleefully.



◇


"That really was the template wasn't it."

Arisa reminisces the things at the adventurer guild assembling hall while holding a guild license satisfyingly.

"Adventurer rank that goes from F to A, the long line for the beautiful receptionist, the old man receptionist who turned out to be the guild master, and the many requests on the bulletin board! Everything that should be in an adventurer guild~"

The other girls are looking warmly at Arisa who's chattering like singing.
Lady Karina is the only one who's in high spirit besides Arisa.

"It seems to imitate Saga Empire's adventurer guild desuwane."
"Hee, is that so?"
"Yes, it was written in father's literary work."

Lady Karina and Arisa had that conversation as we were climbing the mountain path to the labyrinth.
Lady Karina's father, Earl Muno is a guru of hero research so one of his research subjects was probably about the adventurer guild created by the first generation hero.

There's a racoonkin wearing ocher overcoat in the middle of the hill road to the labyrinth.
The racoonkin taught us about the main monsters of the labyrinth when I told him that were referred by a man in the harbor.

"--Well, that's mostly it. First, approach with wait and see attitude. Don't forget to bring Return Stick and Disturb Ball with you. Don't rely on maps."

I paid the information with swen notes and left the place after thanking him for the kind advice.
Besides Magic Cores, it seems there's only a few things that can be exchanged for money in the upper layer, and the enemies are mostly of Living Dolls and Iron Golems from beginning to the end of the upper layer.

"Potatoes~?"
"Grilled salted fish nanodesu."
"It seems there aren't any meat even though we're in front of the labyrinth are there?"

The beastkin girls are peering at the food stalls lined up in front of the labyrinth.

"Noble-sama over there! How about a map? 20 maps for 1000 swen, only for today!"

A peddling man came to sell a bundle of paper.

The path structure of Dejima Island [Phantasmal Labyrinth] changes everytime, so there's a lot of people who try to rip off beginners by selling maps.

"Guess I'll buy it if it's nicely made."
"Hehhee, our maps are awesome y'know."

The map he's showing full of confidence is filled to the brim you wouldn't have thought it was a fake.
There's not only the pathways, even room locations, danger zones, watering holes and many kind of information are written.

Doing this far, it's amazing even though it's a fraud.

The girls are looking at me with questions in their eyes, so I tell them that I have an idea with eye contacts.
Arisa replied with an awkward wink, but I continued without retorting her specifically.

"That is because they're made by a B-rank adventurer who's working as a mapper in Saga Empire."
"Looks good, I'll buy it."
"Thank you for your business!"

I put the map into the Storage through the storage bag.

"Why did you buy it even though you knew that it was a fraud?"
"Besides the passage ones, the information might be useful."

Even if it was a fraud, I only lost 1000 swen of money that can't be used anywhere but in Weasel Empire.

"Buy a Disturb Ball! They're a bargain cause they're made of volcanic ash!"
"Do you have Monster Wards ready? Ya can't take a break if you don't have them!"
"Phantasmal Labyrinth beginners absolutely have to bring a Return Stick! Or else you won't be able to go back!"
"We're the branch shop of Bosu Magic Store! Magic potion is currently 300 swen!"

Merchants are flooding to me with their goods, perhaps due to me buying the maps.
I might as well buy various local products.

They were overcharging the goods, so Arisa and Lulu quickly haggled it down.

Further, it seems Return Stick isn't a teleportation item that returns you back to the labyrinth entrance often appearing in games, but an item that lights up at the direction of the exit.

"Aren't they the same things as the ones in the labyrinth city Selbira besides this Return Stick?"
"They probably are."

I affirm Arisa's question.
These are souvenirs for Echigoya Firm's craftsmen.

Perhaps there are hints of unexploited technology in them.


◇

"How is it?"
"The hero seems to be fine. None of his companions have serious injury either."

After registering at the entrance, we went through the gate advancing through a downward slope.

Checking with All Map Exploration, it seemed the hero party was in the middle of the way to the supply base in the middle layer from the lowest layer.
It's confusing because this Phantasmal Labyrinth's structure resembles that of tree branches.
It's similar to the Seryuu City [Demon Labyrinth] where I made an escape with the beastkin girls.

The difference with tree branches is the existence of rhizome-like big empty holes here and there in the branches that extend to the middle layer.
The majority of the enemies are golems and undeads, they were clogging the passages in places of walls that have been broken down even while I was observing them.

I thought it would be like the [Trazayuya Maze] after hearing that the passages changed at fixed intervals, but unlike the Maze that somehow felt mechanical, the structure change feels like labyrinths in stories with Dungeon Masters.
The demon lord who's become this labyrinth's Dungeon Master might be someone who loves stories with Dungeon Masters.

If he acquired the figurines we saw the other day by using Dungeon Point, I'd like to ask if he is able to get the latest issue of Dradra Magazines.
I sure want to read the continuation of the currently serialized [The Golden Legend of Army Only] and [Saeteru Kanojo no Trinity].

--Whoops, my thought wandered off.

I tried to search the map but I couldn't find the Dungeon Master.
I've expected this since I also couldn't find it in Seryuu City's [Demon Labyrinth] and Selbira's Labyrinth.
The Dungeon Master must be hiding in a different map.

And, the demon lord in question is still surviving even with wounds all over his body, he's in a different lowest layer where the hero party were.
His level is 64, slightly low, and just like Arisa, his skills are hidden, shown as [Skill: Unknown].
In addition to the orthodox [Demon Lord] title, he also has hidden titles; [Chased One], [Oppressed One], [Small Rebel], and [Artist].

Did this guy became a demon lord due to oppression?
I'm slightly intrigued by the demon lord's origin.


◇


"It sure is crowded."
"It's the same as Selbira right?"

Several adventurer parties are fighting against monsters in the hall we arrived at the end of a narrow downward passage.
Varieties of Mad Golem called Ash Mud Golems and Silent Ash Golems seem to be the starting enemies here.

There's a constant color-changing fog in this labyrinth, so the view is bad even in the hall.
Moreover, there are infinite varieties of projected phantoms inside the thick fog, ranging from realistic images to dim silhouettes, so even adventurers who are used to Phantasmal Labyrinth can get surprised by the projections.
Sometimes Silent Ash Golems slip in the fog and attack with no footstep, so it's quite a repulsive labyrinth.

I have Radar, so I know where the enemies are coming from, but it must be hard for common adventurers.

"Fiire~?"
"Lots of magicians nanodesu."

Tama and Pochi point at the firing line beyond the fog.

It seems there are magicians among the adventurers, red flames sometimes illuminate the dim cave.
Most of those flame users must be using Fire Wands since there's only a few who have Fire Magic in their skill compositions.

"This seems ideal for friendly fires to happen..."
"Nn, dangerous."
"Ah, the shield user was shot with a small fire ball from behind."

There's a lot of people who are used to it, maybe because we're near the entrance.

"High so~?"
"They're fleeing here nodesu."

Unable to watch the fleeing party, Liza turns toward me.

"Master, may I intervene?"
"Okay."

When I nod back, Liza throws a stone below into the air upward with her tail, and then Pochi strikes the stone with her sword still in the sheath.

The stone defeats the Ash Mud Golem in one strike, and the stone that pierced it is caught by Tama who has circled around before anyone knew it.
Tama announced, "Striike~", but if I have to say, I think it's a dead ball.

"Master~?"

Tama came back with a small magic core and an ocher colored stone.

"Uwah, it's a Golem Soul...."
"So something like that can pop up in this shallow place!"
"Alright, let's get one too!"

The adventurers who saw the stone Tama was carrying became noisy, and then the attack against the Ash Mud Golems became more furious.

Since the adventurer party that we saved had already left the room, there was no one who disputed the ownership of the mysterious Golem Soul item.

"T-thank you very much, elf-sama."
"Nn."

The female bearkin whose back was burned by the friendly fire thanked Mia for giving her healing magic.
It seems she's been abandoned by the party earlier.

I took a pity on her a bit so I presented her half a year worth of diluted healing magic potion as a charm.
They were something I hoarded in my Storage since I had no use of them, but with her level, one of them should be enough to recover her from a dying state.


◇


"Footsteps~?"
"Doka doka sounds nodesu."
"Looks like some enemies are chasing after adventurers."
"Geh, bringing Train here, what bad manners."

The radar shows monsters of varying sizes chasing after two adventurer parties.
As we advance while defeating some Ash Mud Golems, an agile-looking male scout shows up running in the corridor in front of us.

"You guys, run! Iron Golem is coming!"

Middle-aged adventurers carrying swords and wands who seem to be his companions run past us.

"Not good, it's catching up."

The second party seems to be adventures with heavy knight-like armors.
Since their movement was slow due to their heavy equipment, the Iron Golem almost caught up to them.

The Iron Golem is big enough to have to bend over in this three meter high passage.
Pale red driving light leak out from its inside.

"Damn it, I'll get one hit at least!"
"Fool! Don't stop!"
"Tsk, that idiot!"

The heavy armor party whose companion was trampled under the golem's foot stopped and turned back at the golem.
They tried to challenge it with a huge axe and a fire wand, but they got trampled under the feet just like their comrade earlier.

It seems they're still alive, so we can't desert them.

"Liza."
"Understood."

The Magic Edge Cannon shot by Liza pierces through the Iron Golem's head before it could trample the last heavy armor adventurer.

The golem producer here doesn't seem to know the true joke material as the golems aren't so easy as to be defeated just by erasing a letter.
Of course, Liza's Magic Edge Cannon would destroy it in one hit no matter where it hit, but--.

"KARINA--KIIIIIIIICK"

Clad in blue light, Lady Karina sunk her sure-death kick at the chest of the Iron Golem.
The red driving light inside the golem disappears.

"Goodjob~?"
"Karina, you're great nodesu."

It was actually an overkill, but Tama and Pochi praised Lady Karina without minding it.
Lady Karina turned around while looking like it was not all that bad.

"May I ask about the technique earlier?"

Lady Karina's smile froze at the owner of the voice who appeared from behind the Iron Golem.
Well now, how to get through this.

I refreshingly smile back at Lady Liedill's party who show fearless smiles.






























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