Chapter 236
Chapter 236
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: Chapter 6-1. Iris
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'I was thinking of taking it easy and wandering around a bit.'
That wouldn't be easy. Judah let out a long sigh.
He had recorded the locations of all the labyrinths in this world using 〈Memo〉 when he first arrived. The labyrinth locations, the types of sealed demons, their patterns, skills, traps, and the items or codes obtainable upon capture.
It wasn't perfect, but since his memory was at its sharpest then, he had noted everything down as meticulously as possible. However, those records had now become useless. The labyrinth locations were exposed, and with the Empire directly commissioning guilds, adventurers and mercenaries would flock there, making conquest only a matter of time.
Hoo—
He exhaled a long breath, like blowing out cigarette smoke, when a sudden thought struck him.
'Wait, this might not be such a bad thing after all?'
It was certainly regrettable that he couldn't conquer the labyrinths he had mapped out. But there weren't just one or two labyrinths. Naturally, mercenaries and adventurers would scatter to labyrinths across various regions. The Empire, needing to put out the most urgent fires first, would offer greater rewards for those near major cities, pushing remote labyrinths to the back burner.
Fortunately, the Iron Labyrinth that Judah targeted was in the southwest of the Byron Empire, right on the border with the Ahman Kingdom. Even if monsters swarmed there, they wouldn't see it as an immediate threat.
Judah's reason for aiming for the Iron Labyrinth was simple. It held a fragment.
The Iron Labyrinth sealed one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Asmodeus, by the 〈21st Fragment, the Binding Rudmillan〉. Long ago, the Empire had suffered great losses to Asmodeus. Lust proved utterly devastating against humans. Those who inhaled the scent of her desire lost their minds, and even seasoned soldiers routinely lost their reason and rampaged. While numbers usually prevailed over the few, that logic didn't apply to a high demon like Asmodeus.
The Empire dispatched an elite few, and by a stroke of luck using the fragment Rudmillan they had acquired, they succeeded in sealing her. Ironically, without the fragment dropped by a demon lord into the mortal realm, they couldn't have captured the demon.
Deeming it impossible to seal such a dangerous entity within Empire territory, they built a labyrinth in the then-occupied Ahman Kingdom lands and secretly imprisoned her there. To prevent the labyrinth from becoming known, the Empire locked the mobilized laborers inside or executed them on the spot. Knowledge of the Iron Labyrinth faded, and now almost no one knew of it. So there was no need to be so anxious right away.
'My mood swings this much over one fragment.'
He really didn't like it. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, and Arhil immediately poked her head in from the side.
"Judah!"
"Yes?"
Her face, thrust forward abruptly, brimmed with curiosity.
"Are we going to a labyrinth too?"
"A labyrinth?"
"Yeah!"
Seeing her respond so energetically, Judah gave a wry smile. Labyrinths weren't as romantic as the interest they garnered. Sure, they offered easy money, but they were claustrophobic and oppressive. If trapped inside, you'd more likely go mad than die to monsters. Lime had surely explained this to her, yet she seemed excited about labyrinths.
"…Well, if I may give my personal opinion. It wouldn't be bad to go once. It'd be a good experience. With an Astral Sword owner and a high mage together, it shouldn't be too dangerous."
Lime subtly voiced his desire to go as well. Labyrinths weren't commonplace, and without this chance, they might never get another. Of course, once all dangers inside were cleared later, they could tour it as a sightseeing spot, but it would hold no thrill.
"Sure."
He replied with a ready smile. Even if they refused, he planned to drag them along. Why else recruit a high mage who wielded ice magic among all attributes?
To cross the scorching lands?
That was just an excuse. In truth, he had brought Lime to make conquering the labyrinth easier.
He had worried what to do if they showed no interest, but since they were eager, he could happily take them.
"Alright then. Let's find a carriage to cross the border."
Within the Byron Empire, spatial transfer magic from the Magic Tower was rarely permitted except for nobles or royalty. Thus, travel was by foot or carriage. Walking across the border took too long, so carriages were standard, but with so many adventurers and mercenaries now, securing one wasn't easy.
Yet, as the saying goes, there's always a way even if the sky falls. This world had its share of resellers who bought cheap and sold dear. Spotting their intent, one approached amiably, humbly offering a ticket for a carriage arriving tomorrow morning and departing back to the Byron Empire in the afternoon. Interested?
The price was five times the standard fare—a sum that would make others curse—but trivial for Judah.
In these times of overwhelming demand over supply, snagging a carriage at that price was heaven-sent, he insisted. Suspicious of a scam, Judah said he'd verify at the operator first. They agreed and followed. It checked out, so Judah paid on the spot, bought the tickets, and boarded the Byron-bound carriage the next day.
The border-crossing carriage, enchanted with various magics, was remarkably comfortable. Comparable to Pierchen's carriage as lord of Serenia Castle or that of Count Jenuear, a great noble of Uruun. Moreover, no major incidents marred the trip to the Byron Empire.
No monsters appeared, no bandits struck. Adventurer or mercenary groups kept their distance, avoiding clashes. Not even a broken wheel troubled anyone. How could there be? Committing robbery or heinous crimes in Byron territory was akin to begging for death. The Empire was especially strict on murder. All commoners in Byron lands belonged to the Emperor, so even nobles couldn't kill them arbitrarily. Of course, that didn't mean they couldn't kill—just that sparing lives avoided major issues, so nobles' power remained formidable as elsewhere.
In any case, they arrived at the Empire's border city of Aitram without incident.
"It's like… we got here so comfortably."
Arhil murmured in disappointment, gazing up at Aitram's high walls.
The journey offered nothing but chess games with the set Judah bought at a general store to kill time, or watching Lime demonstrate magic inside the carriage.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"It is, but… yeah. It is good."
Arhil nodded awkwardly at Judah's words. What should she say? Traveling with Judah often led to unexpected situations, so she had naturally assumed something would happen. Incidents would mean heavy use of holy magic, depleting her holy power and building lust, allowing intimacy with Judah.
'Am I crazy?'
Blushing at how her thoughts concluded that way, Arhil bowed her head. Unaware of her mind, Lime and Judah walked to the line for gate passage and waited. The procedure was straightforward: inspect possessions, show the adventurer guild badge, get briefed on Empire cautions, and pass right through.
"Heh heh heh."
Lime chuckled oddly, striding ahead with excited steps.
"Indeed, to scout labyrinth locations, shouldn't we visit the guild first?"
He turned back to ask Judah. But Judah shook his head without a moment's hesitation, finding the suggestion unworthy of thought.
"No, no rush. I don't know when the labyrinth appeared, but if it's conquered before we arrive, it's not worth visiting."
"I see. You won't settle for a mediocre one. Excellent."
That wasn't his intent. But seeing Lime nod contentedly, Judah saw no need to correct him.
"If not the guild, where are we headed?"
Watching Lime eagerly lead—only for Judah to tug his collar or call him back when he veered off—Arhil asked Judah curiously. They weren't just wandering; they seemed bound somewhere specific.
"Of course, to find lodging."
"Lodging?"
Arhil echoed incredulously. Whatever top-notch place he sought, they'd passed over ten inns already.
"There'll be a good one. Trust me and follow just this once. If you don't like it, I'll buy whatever you want for dinner tonight."
Confident without revealing more, Judah replied.