Chapter 121
Well... in any case, that's how it is. —Wait, what's wrong, Muge-san?
After I had explained everything I'd been thinking, Muge-san stood there in a daze.
I-is that really true? Really, really, really?
Yes, more or less. We won't have proof until we analyze the magic... But unless it was a trap that implanted magic power in our bodies beforehand, it couldn't have changed our emotions so easily. I'm almost certain.
That's an incredible discovery!
...Huh?
Muge-san, looking excited, leaned forward and grabbed me by both shoulders.
Every place where we've repeatedly failed in our attempts to conquer the labyrinth has been because we've lost to our emotions! If your theory is right, Reiji-san, we'll be able to make rapid progress in all the places where we've been stuck!!
Wait, but... didn't you realize that?
I don't know, but I've never heard of anything like what you just described, Reiji-san. Everyone was too focused on figuring out how to overcome their emotions.
...I see.
I realized something.
It was true that my way of thinking might be close to that of modern people on Earth. It was a scientific way of thinking.
It was the kind of idea that people in this world, where magic existed, were unlikely to consider.
But I realized there was an even more important factor.
Talents... right?
The Lef people didn't possess Talents. So they must not know about 【Human Magic】—after all, even I only remembered Old Man Hinga mentioning it in passing.
The magic tools from the 'Nine-Emotion Labyrinth' had made the Lef people wealthy, but it seemed almost ironic to me that the Lef people, unable to use Talents, had to painstakingly conquer this dungeon themselves.
Speaking of which... why can't the Lef people use Talents?
I don't know. Naturally, I was interested too, so I tried all sorts of things myself, but...
Muge-san said this dejectedly.
Apparently, Muge-san had bought Talent gems outside the Empire and repeatedly tried to absorb them. But none of the attempts had worked.
This is why they call us a 'Cursed Race,' I suppose~. Ugh, I hate it.
Muge-san shrugged and joked, but I couldn't see it as someone else's problem.
('Child of Taboo,' 'Child of Calamity'... I'm the same.)
People are persecuted simply for having black hair and black eyes.
I pinched my bangs. At Mimino-san's earnest request, the hair at the center was currently a somewhat orange blond. "We're matching again!" she'd said, but Mimino-san's was more of an amber color.
But, putting that aside!
With a clap, Muge-san smacked their hands together.
Now then, everyone from the 'Silver Scales.' I seem to have made a pretty good haul, all things considered. What will you do?
Huh? You made money? We burned quite a lot of it with magic, though...
The wheel's drive mechanism is still intact, and the cracked magic stones will fetch a decent price. We could bring it down easily with Sorcerous Lightning, but that would destroy all its magical components.
Ah.
I'd heard that the Labyrinth Strategy Division had weapons like that, too.
Indeed, electricity was the way to go against machines...
However, 【Lightning Magic】 was famous for being difficult to use. Once fired, it couldn't be controlled. Well, if the opponent was carrying something like a spear, it would act as a lightning rod and be easier to hit.
Could I make it work by touching them directly in close combat and firing it into them?
But then again, it was also known for having weak power relative to the magic power it consumed.
I'd dealt with them using 'Firestorm' until now, but maybe I should think of other methods. Bind them with 【Flower Magic】? But there weren't any plants...
—While I was thinking that,
Hee-hee-hee. I make more in a single day here than I would after spending months traveling with a caravan~. I can't get enough of this labyrinth.
Oh, this was bad.
Muge-san's eyes had turned into gold coins.
...Yes, but this is essentially gambling. The chips we're betting are called our lives, after all.
But before I could say anything, Non-san said with a smile,
Y-yes...
Muge-san nodded obediently. So you understand now, Muge-san. Non-san is scary.
—But, Muge-san. If you want to turn back, we'll do so here. We've accepted a guard job, after all.
The fee itself wasn't much, but the proceeds from selling the magic tools would be split between us. Even so, if Muge-san was saying this, it must have amounted to quite a large sum.
I see... What do you think, Reiji-san?
Me?
Yes, yes. If you could come up with that brilliant deduction just now, you must have thought about how things will go from here, too, right? Tell me, tell me~!
......
Muge-san was becoming annoyingly flippant.
...Well, I do want to continue, since I'd like to test the trap theory.
Then let's go! I'll make an even bigger profit on this expedition and finally renovate the shop I've dreamed of for years!
Hmm, that sounds like a flag, so please don't say things like that...
Hell yeah! I'm gonna make a killing here and pay off every last bit of my debt to Young Master!
Jelly-san leaped into the air. Hmm, I felt like we were steadily heading toward failure!
＊ Rurusha ＊
The enemies are all down...
Did we finish them all?
Rurusha nearly sank to the ground.
They had been forced to use all their Sorcerous Lightning, but had somehow managed to repel the additional Automatons.
Far more Automatons than expected had been deployed, and many of their own people had been wounded as well.
Wondering if this meant retreat, Rurusha looked up at the sky.
(I was naive...)
Honestly, Rurusha had thought their sorcerous armaments would be enough.
Rurusha had even thought they might be able to conquer the 'Labyrinth of Awe'—as long as they had reliable supplies.
But once the catalysts ran out, there was nothing left they could do.
—Phew... thank goodness. It's finally over.
—I truly thought I was going to die.
—You're better off than we are, since adventurers are protecting you, aren't you?
The Lef people from the trade company who had come along were going on about one thing and another, but Rurusha had no room to deal with them.
Treat the wounded! Hurry! Squad leaders, check how many people are still able to move!
Chief, what about the spoils...
Leave that to the trade company.
As far as the eye could see, not a single combatant remained uninjured, and smoking Automatons lay scattered everywhere. It was obvious that continuing the battle was impossible.
But—Rurusha couldn't give up.
(Was this really how it would end? So this was what the labyrinth was like? No, if only we'd had supplies. No, if only we'd had more experienced combatants. No, was it a mistake in my command? No...)
Aimless thoughts spun round and round in Rurusha's head.
Chief, enemies!
What did you say...?
Another group of enemies—despair began to creep into Rurusha's heart, but when Rurusha saw the Automaton emerge from the far end of the passage, a small sigh of relief escaped.
It was smaller than any Automaton seen so far.
Until now, only animal-type Automatons had appeared. They simply charged straight at them, and Rurusha had even thought, "What kind of 'Labyrinth of Awe' is this? It's more like a zoo."
It's an unusual shape, but... it's small. How many shots of Sorcerous Lightning do we have left!?
Twelve.
Then we can finish it off.
Rurusha let out a small sigh of relief.
What had appeared this time was about one and a half meters tall, with four spear-like arms, no head, and three gems embedded in the center of its torso in a triangle.
All right, let's clean this up.
Rurusha raised one hand toward the combatants who were still able to move.
'......'
Rurusha failed to notice the gems lighting up with a shrill keening sound—it never occurred to Rurusha that this was the beginning of a nightmare.