Chapter 15
“Sir Aruel.”
“Ah! Aren’t you that famous rookie Cleric, Raine?”
“Haha, that’s me.”
It wasn’t hard to find Guard Aruel.
The guards had their names written on their chests, and they often crossed paths with adventurers, so they generally knew one another by face and name.
Besides, most of the guards knew Raine—in other words, Seonghyeon.
A rare Cleric was an asset to the Labyrinth City, practically its shining light.
Perhaps the Labyrinth City had even arranged things so Seonghyeon could join a good party.
“Um, here. The captain told me to evacuate everyone, so I think I should help lead them.”
“Hmm… I see. This is serious.”
Aruel was a level-eleven Fighter.
He’d lost an eye to a Dire Wolf, and a deep scar ran vertically across his face.
He went around boasting that it was a warrior’s scar, but the memory of that day had ultimately made him give up adventuring and join the Guard in search of a safer life.
“Understood. I’ll let everyone know.”
Aruel filled his voice with [Warrior’s Cry] and shouted to everyone.
““Everyone, listen up! We’ve received word that a Dire Wolf is roaming the second floor! The strong should protect the weak, and everyone should gather here to join the evacuation! Anyone who heads for the stairs out of order will be swallowed by the darkness, so gather here and follow the order of departure! You have two hours! Hurry up and gather your things!””
Aruel’s shout rang through the clearing at the camp near the entrance to the second floor.
Seonghyeon had covered his ears before Aruel shouted, but Suyeon, on his back, hadn’t been able to.
Suyeon let out muffled burbling sounds, her bleary eyes regaining their spark as she shook her head rapidly from side to side.
“…Hic. Ugh, my ears are going to fall off!”
“What, you’re awake?”
“Did a war break out?”
“We’re evacuating now. Just go back to sleep on my back.”
“I can’t just laze around without doing anything! Didn’t you see me use magic?”
“You’ve already used your one level-one spell slot. You can’t recover it unless you sleep through the night. I’ll lead the way back, so just stay on my back.”
“Hey… hic, aren’t I heavy?”
“No.”
While Suyeon and Seonghyeon chatted, the bewildered rookie adventurers packed their belongings and began gathering in small groups.
Even the veteran adventurers preferred to gather in front of Aruel rather than risk encountering a Dire Wolf, which took extensive preparation to hunt.
Unlike the adventurers who traveled light and could pack quickly, some people took a long time to get ready.
The sort who carried around a lot of goods, like merchants.
They asked people nearby for help, but the unscrupulous merchants who charged exorbitant prices couldn’t expect much sympathy.
Meanwhile, the guards under Aruel’s command kept a close eye on everyone to prevent any theft.
A few adventurers wandered around looking for lost belongings or trying to find something, but overall, things proceeded in an orderly fashion.
“That’s amazing.”
“What is?”
“How everyone’s gathering like this, as if it were all planned.”
“Your hiccups stopped.”
“Oh, right.”
Something felt strange to Suyeon.
Seonghyeon, the resident explainer, wasn’t saying anything.
“Wait, shouldn’t you say something?”
“Say what?”
“Like, explain why everyone’s gathering like this and all that?”
“Why?”
“Just explain it to me.”
“Ugh… Fine. It’s their livelihood, after all. The Labyrinth City runs on mutual trust. People might squabble over little things, but when a major crisis hits, they usually face it together.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Otherwise, they wouldn’t survive.”
“It’s like a documentary.”
“This isn’t a game.”
Aruel, standing nearby, looked at Seonghyeon strangely.
“Mr. Raine.”
“Oh, yes? What is it?”
“What are you muttering about with that elf on your back?”
“Ah, we met in the Eastern Labyrinth.”
“A slave?”
“Yes.”
“I never thought you’d buy an elf slave.”
“Haha, there’s a story behind it.”
“Be careful with that elf. The moment you lose that mark, you’ll be in serious danger. That elf will be killed.”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind and be careful.”
Suyeon couldn’t understand what Seonghyeon and Aruel were saying, but she could tell Aruel was glaring at her with deep hostility.
The sight of a beastlike man with a claw-scarred face glaring at her was terrifying.
Trembling, Suyeon shrank down toward Seonghyeon’s bag.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay. He didn’t say anything much.”
“But… he was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me.”
“He won’t kill you. He was just repeating what I told you before.”
“Mmm… I’m going to hide in here.”
“Go ahead. That’s probably for the best.”
Since Seonghyeon didn’t have the tent set in his bag, there was quite a bit of room left inside.
Suyeon had gotten small enough to fit snugly in that space.
This reminded Seonghyeon that the people of the Labyrinth City didn’t exactly look kindly on elves.
The chains constricting Suyeon were practically her lifeline.
““All right, it looks like everyone’s just about gathered. Listen carefully! Raine will join me at the head of the evacuation line. With the two of us there, none of you should be in serious danger! Our captain will bring up the rear, so keep order as we retreat!””
Everyone responded to Aruel’s [Warrior’s Cry] in their own language, raising their clenched fists in the air.
After saying that, Aruel turned around, and Seonghyeon fell into step beside him.
Even though they were only passing through the first floor, it was still a nerve-racking task.
“Mr. Raine, do you know why Dire Wolves are frightening?”
“Yes… I heard about it from my former party members. Dire Wolves have a habit of pursuing their prey up the floors until they capture it.”
“That’s right. If that Dire Wolf made it all the way here, someone must have provoked it and led it up this far.”
Who could have done such a thing, and who had failed to report it?
Aruel gritted his teeth, gripped the hilt of his sword, and tightened his hold.
“Or else…”
“Or else…?”
“Right, it could be a monster wave. There have been rumors that fewer monsters have been appearing on the second floor lately.”
“…We’ll have to be careful.”
“Yes. You know why there are signs of civilization on these surface levels, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
Aruel climbed the stairs shrouded in darkness.
Seonghyeon remembered the stories he’d heard and learned at the Adventurers’ Guild.
The Labyrinth had a tendency to expand at regular intervals.
It expanded by swallowing up the world outside and turning it into part of the Labyrinth. Those traces of civilization were actually remnants of people who had lived here long ago.
The cycle was regular, and rumors had been circulating that the time for the next expansion had come.
“It would be better if it were just a monster wave.”
“Yes…”
Seonghyeon climbed the dark stairs in step with Aruel.
A few steps up, a few paces across level ground, then more stairs.
Behind Seonghyeon and Aruel, the rookie adventurers followed with their hands on the shoulders of the people in front. Seonghyeon led the line, climbing the stairs slowly and steadily.
“Seonghyeon…”
“What?”
“It’s dark.”
“We’re climbing the stairs, so be quiet.”
“Mmm…”
Did the darkness seep into the bag, too?
Having discovered another unknown function of the Veil, Seonghyeon felt the light slowly drawing closer.
Or, more accurately, they were moving toward the light.
Climbing these stairs always gave him the feeling of being born anew, and it felt wonderful.
Descending them, as if heading toward death, was a miserable experience.
As the two of them and the line of rookie adventurers emerged from the stairs, a guard stationed on the first floor came over.
“Aruel! What happened on the second floor?”
“Take a look. A Dire Wolf appeared on the second floor.”
“Gasp… Understood. I’ll spread the word.”
When Seonghyeon showed him the Observation Compendium, the guard was startled and shouted for everyone to evacuate.
There was some commotion this time, too, but the guards kept things orderly, and no one was trampled to death.
That day, around three hundred adventurers, merchants, and guards on the first and second floors were evacuated safely.
**
“Aaaagh…! My ankle! It’s swollen!”
“Let me see. Is it really swollen?”
“Ow! Ow! Aaaagh!”
When Seonghyeon touched Suyeon’s swollen ankle, she howled like an orangutan.
How could such a tiny body produce such a full-throated scream?
Maybe Suyeon would’ve been better off as a Fighter, after all.
“Sheesh, this won’t do. Here, [Heal].”
“Ugh… Thanks…”
With a cool sensation, Suyeon felt the swelling vanish from her sprained ankle like a miracle.
Neither of them knew how she’d managed to sprain her ankle inside the bag, but at least they’d both made it back safely.
The guard’s request counted as a quest from the Labyrinth City, and Seonghyeon received a little fame along with about a thousand ducats.
But his high-performance tent set had cost five thousand ducats, so he still had a long way to go before he could make up the loss.
“Go wash up first.”
“Ugh… Is that really okay?”
“You said you pissed yourself earlier.”
“Ugh… Right.”
Suyeon whipped off her magical-girl outfit and stood naked in front of Seonghyeon.
You were shy like a real girl on the first day, so why are you so fearless today?
Even though they were friends, maybe she didn’t realize what her body looked like now.
Seonghyeon covered his eyes with his right hand and groaned.
“Hey, Kim Suyeon.”
“What?”
“Why’d you hit my thigh yesterday?”
“I said I was sorry! Anyone would be startled if you shoved an elephant right in front of their eyes.”
“So you’re not embarrassed now?”
“Not really?”
“Ha… I don’t know. Just get in there and wash up already.”
“Why? Want to see my body? Hehehe.”
“What is wrong with you? Has the effect of the Mouraguga powder still not worn off?”
“Oh, it felt good. Can you sprinkle some on me one more time?”
“I said to go wash up right now.”
“Eek… Fine, I’m going, I’m going.”
Another commotion the moment they got back to the inn.
Seonghyeon sent Suyeon to the bathroom and looked at the invitation to join the hunting party he’d just received.
Once you stripped away all the flowery language in the invitation, it said that only ‘Raine’ should come to the hunting party.