Chapter 112
"Actions within the Empire are restricted. You must wear this bracelet at all times and never remove it. When leaving the Empire, you must return it. If you leave the country with it still on, a very loud alarm will sound. The bracelet's loan will be recorded on your Guild Card, and that information will be erased when you return it."
The bracelet handed to me by the Lef had a hinge on one side, and once it snapped shut, it was the sort of thing that couldn't be opened without a key.
It looked silver, but I confirmed with 【All Creation】 that magic had been engraved on the part that touched my arm.
(...This has a function like GPS. And it's recording the wearer's—what should I call it? Emotions and vital signs?)
It reminded me of a smartwatch, but in terms of some functions, it was far more advanced.
Amazing. They've developed something like this.
(...But it feels kind of bad knowing it's collecting my information.)
I wrapped a bandage around my arm, then fastened the bracelet over it.
"This way, please."
The elderly Lef Adventurers Guild clerk looked more like a scholar than a guild employee, and he seemed to be wearing a deep-navy robe. The beard growing from his chin was pure white, presumably a sign of his advanced age. So Lef had beards, too. I was inexplicably impressed by that trivial detail.
We stood before a towering wall. An iron gate had been installed there, guarded by about five Lef guards. A tunnel wide enough for wagons to pass with ease yawned open.
While the guards watched us warily, the Silver Balance party entered.
The tunnel was about fifty meters long, with magic lamps installed at five-meter intervals.
(The wind...)
A dry wind blew toward us from the other side.
The light was so bright that I narrowed my eyes.
"...Welcome to the Lef Magic Empire."
The Guild clerk turned around at the exit and spoke.
——I nearly let out a cry.
Red-brown cliffs stretched out to our left and right, continuing all the way around into the distance.
The land enclosed by those cliffs was the Lef Magic Empire.
Dozens of magic airships flew through the sky, though they seemed to be carrying goods rather than people.
Most of the buildings were at least five stories tall. They were probably made by mixing something into the earth taken from the red-brown cliffs and hardening it, because nearly everything was a dark reddish-black.
Window glass, a rarity in other countries, was apparently commonplace here, as it was used lavishly to reflect the sunlight.
And then—traveling along the paved streets were not horse-drawn carriages, but automobiles.
"It's not steam-powered... Is this running on magic...?"
"Oh, you know your stuff. Six-wheeled automobiles powered by Magi engines serve as transportation for the Empire's citizens. And it looks like your ride has come from over there."
From the direction the scholar-like Guild clerk pointed, Muge-san came toward us on Cat-chan, waving and calling, "Heeey!"
...Yeah, the other Imperial citizens were frowning at Cat-chan. There were no other steam-powered automobiles on the road—and, oh, Cat-chan had gotten grumpy and stalled.
"...Well, whatever you do, please don't cause any trouble. Farewell."
The scholar-like Adventurers Guild clerk smoothly looked away and headed back through the tunnel.
We approached Muge-san—.
"Whew, that was a big help. Dantes-san, you're strong."
In the end, Dantes-san had to push Cat-chan, which had fallen completely silent. The stares from those around us were rather painful, but in any case, we made it to the shop run by Muge-san.
This shop stood near the outer edge of the city. A huge warehouse stood behind it, containing Cat-chan, coal, and various goods. Out here, the roads weren't paved, and the trees and grass grew unchecked. The cliffs were also very close.
(They're digging holes in the cliffs over there.)
Cranes had been installed atop the cliffs, and I could see them raising and lowering cargo and people. Scenes like that could be seen all over the cliffs. There were holes in the middle of the walls, so there must have been something inside them. Storage rooms, maybe? Who knows... Maybe they used the cliffs because land was limited. No, if that were the reason, they could just dig holes in the ground...
"More importantly, Muge-san, why did you call us here?"
There was an old table inside the warehouse, so we put small chairs around it and sat down. Muge-san brought us a pitcher filled with ice and water. The iron pitcher was covered in condensation, and when Dantes-san poured the water into an iron cup, he downed three cups in a row.
"...We sold the Gigaboar, but its price had shot up to an unbelievable level."
"? Then that's good, isn't it?"
"Yes, it was good, but—oh, incidentally, I didn't buy it from Dantes-san for a pittance, you know?"
"I know that."
Dantes-san gave Muge-san a wry smile as he dutifully explained himself. Muge-san took a drink of ice water and continued—Lef people probably weren't very good at regulating their body temperature, just like reptiles, so apparently they needed to stay hydrated like this.
"A major incident occurred while we were away with the caravan."
"An incident?"
"Yes—the nation's strategic weapon, the magic airship 'Moonlit Beauty,' was stolen."
"Oh...?"
Dantes-san raised his eyebrows and looked at us, but I honestly didn't know how to react either. Had Muge-san really paid the Guild a fee to bring us all the way here just to tell us that?
"It was the newest model among the magic airships. Its silver hull was both sensuous and beautiful, and after its completion, nighttime flights held as demonstrations became so popular that people even took to drinking while gazing at the ship."
"So such an impressive thing was stolen. And now—could you get to the point soon?"
"...The perpetrators appear to be a band of thieves, but leaving that aside, His Imperial Majesty was furious about it... Apparently, an imperial edict was issued."
——Build a new airship equipped with technology surpassing the "Moonlit Beauty."
"Do you know that the Lef Magic Empire's technological development has been made possible by nine dungeons?"
"Dungeons?"
Dantes-san seemed to be hearing that for the first time, too.
According to Muge-san, the Empire's magitech was being developed by imitating and analyzing magic items found in dungeons.
There were nine such dungeons.
"Labyrinth of Adoration" ○ Cleared
"Labyrinth of Hatred" △ In progress
"Labyrinth of Worship" ○ Cleared
"Labyrinth of Grief" ○ Cleared
"Labyrinth of Wrath" × Collapsed
"Labyrinth of Madness" △ In progress
"Labyrinth of Yearning" × Undiscovered
"Labyrinth of Sympathy" △ In progress
"Labyrinth of Awe" △ In progress
"These are collectively called the 'Labyrinths of the Nine Emotions,' and they are located within the cliffs surrounding this country—the 'Cliffs of Lef.'"
I exclaimed, "Oh!"
"Is that why there are holes in the cliffs?"
"Of course, some of the holes are used for dungeon expeditions. But most are used to cultivate the 'Maika mushrooms' that form our staple food."
I learned for the first time that the Lef people's staple food was mushrooms.
But they were only a staple because they were easy to cultivate, and apparently Muge-san liked bread and meat just fine.
"We've decided to tackle the four labyrinths of 'Hatred,' 'Madness,' 'Sympathy,' and 'Awe' all at once. To do that, the Empire's forces alone weren't enough, so we recruited adventurers from outside. We offered them a great deal of money."
"Those are the many adventurers who were outside?"
When Dantes-san said that, Muge-san nodded.
"Apparently, Sections 1 through 4 of the Labyrinth Expedition Bureau have been assigned to handle these four labyrinths, respectively. And so, Reiji-san..."
"What is it?"
"What was the name of the person you wanted to meet?"
"————"
It hit me.
Hinga-san's daughter was already dead, and his granddaughter couldn't meet me "by order of the authorities."
If those so-called authorities were tied up with official duties, perhaps they didn't have the time to arrange meetings.
"Lulusha-san."
At that, Muge-san said,
"That person is half-Human and half-Lef... correct?"
"Yes."
"As I thought."
He nodded as if that confirmed his suspicions.
"I hear that the head of Section 4 of the Labyrinth Expedition Bureau is a half-Human, half-Lef person named Lulusha-san. Apparently, she's currently inside the Labyrinth of Awe."