Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Objective (1)
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[Labyrinth closing in 3 minutes and 17 seconds.]
The labyrinth, which had felt longer than usual, was almost over.
As always, my companions were sad to part, but three of them seemed particularly so.
“Thinking about it now, it feels a bit unfair.”
“Timi? What is?”
“They get to go twice in a row.”
Milli and Elaine, who also looked disappointed, nodded in agreement.
It couldn’t be helped.
The labyrinth was open from the 1st to the 10th and the 21st to the 30th of each month.
Because of this, the break periods alternated between ten days and one day. If we switched every time, the amount of time we spent outside would differ.
“You little fox, want to switch then? I’ll go next time instead.”
Rina teased Timi, but Timi just scowled.
“No way. The next break is ten days long!”
“Then don’t bring it up. You guys get to go twice in a row next time anyway.”
Seeing this made me want to reach the 100th floor as soon as possible.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“We’ll be waiting.”
“You’ll record it for us this time too, right?”
“Of course.”
The moment I answered, the time must have run out, as my vision changed with a flash of blue light.
I was back in the central plaza where I had entered the labyrinth ten days ago.
[Hyeon-ung is currently ranked 1st among surviving Summoners for reaching the lowest floor of the Kramis Labyrinth. The Pioneer title is maintained.]
[You have acquired a Random Item Box.]
Come to think of it, it's been a while since I opened a Random Item Box.
I've been so busy after returning and summoning my companions that I kept forgetting.
I think I have about three or four of them. I considered opening them at Kabisa, but it's probably better to do it in the labyrinth.
Unlike mimics, I'm not sure if luck actually affects the boxes, but if I don't know, it's better to just raise my luck before opening them.
This break is short and I have a lot to do, so I need to hurry. As I thought this and started to walk, huh?
“Where is Summoner Oh Hyeon-ung?”
“Make way, everyone. We are the Lord's Royal Guard.”
The lord's knights, mounted on horseback, were parting the crowd of returning Summoners, looking for me.
It must be because of Alice.
I was planning on going to the lord first instead of Kabisa anyway.
“I'm over here.”
Up close, I recognized him as Kasat, the Knight Commander who had escorted the new Summoners with me and stood with the lord when the special envoy arrived.
“There you are. You must be tired, but could you come with me to the castle right now? The lord has ordered me to bring you to him.”
Sending the Knight Commander meant he must have high expectations. I really hoped the summoning would work outside the labyrinth.
“Understood.”
I summoned Red Hare and mounted him.
Summoning a mount within the inner city is illegal unless you're picking up new Summoners or have special circumstances, but I have permission.
With the knights clearing a path ahead, we arrived at the lord's castle in about five minutes.
Perhaps because I was with the Knight Commander, we bypassed the usual security check.
“This way.”
We were able to ride our horses even within the inner city.
Kasat led me not to the office where we usually met, but to a different area.
His living quarters?
Spreading my senses, I detected only one presence inside, presumably the lord's. There seemed to be no other guards.
He opened the door and we entered a study.
Seeing a bed in the corner, it seemed he also slept here.
For the residence of the most powerful man in Kramis, it was quite modest.
“I've been waiting for you!”
The lord, who had been sitting at his desk, rushed over.
“Greetings.”
“Never mind the pleasantries. How did it…”
“The binding was a success.”
“R-Really? Then quickly, summon her… no, wait a moment.”
The lord went back to his desk, and with the sound of a click, a section of the floor sank down, revealing a staircase.
“Let's go down. I trusted you, so I've been making preparations.”
It seemed to be a place built to avoid the angels' eyes.
Following the lord down, we came to a blue stone door.
Opening it revealed a fairly large cavern.
It seemed to be about the size of a World Cup stadium, and its walls were made of a peculiar blue stone.
“Now that Alice is a Harpy Queen, it needed to be this spacious, wouldn't you agree? And to avoid the eyes of those damn angels, I coated all the walls with the Bluestone I've been collecting.”
I didn't know what Bluestone was, but it was clear the lord had been making his own preparations to welcome Alice.
“The binding was a success, but she might not be summonable here.”
He's prepared so much; I worried he would be terribly disappointed if it didn't work.
“I know. Even if it fails, I will not blame you.”
I nodded once and, with a desperate heart, called out.
“Harpy Queen Alice.”
Thankfully, just like in the labyrinth, the Harpy Queen appeared in a flash of brown light.
“Benefactor, where is this?”
“Alice…?”
“Almondeu!”
The Harpy Queen immediately transformed into her human form and ran to the lord.
The lord also ran straight to Alice.
Without a moment's hesitation, they rushed into each other's arms.
“I missed you so much.”
“Me too… I really…”
Even though they had exchanged news through me, seeing each other in person seemed to unleash a flood of emotions, and they both burst into tears.
Their faces were a complete mess, but it didn't look ugly at all.
Instead, I felt a sense of satisfaction, and the corners of my own eyes stung, so I turned my head away.
It occurred to me that this might be what it's like when I reach the 100th floor and free my companions.
After calming myself a bit, I turned back to find both the lord and Alice standing right next to me.
“Thank you. It's truly thanks to you that I can see Alice again…”
“Benefactor, thank you so much. I can die without any regrets now.”
“Die? Who's dying! I'll never let that happen.”
“It was just an expression. Don't be angry, Almondeu.”
“How could I ever be angry with you?”
Uh… um… It was a little cheesy, but nice to see.
“You two must have a lot to talk about. I'll take my leave now.”
“Huh? But if you leave…”
“As long as I'm within Kramis, the summoning will be maintained.”
I had already tested this inside the labyrinth, assuming the summoning would work.
As long as we were on the same floor, she could be summoned no matter how far apart we were.
I tested it up to a distance of about 400 kilometers, so it shouldn't be a problem within Kramis.
“Couldn't you just stay at the castle this time?”
I explained to the lord that I had already tested it in the labyrinth, but he still seemed anxious.
“I have a lot to do… and this break is a short one.”
“About the preliminaries for the martial arts tournament… ah, I gave you a seeded spot, didn't I? Then what about the reward I promised you…?”
“I need to organize my questions as well, so I'll come back tomorrow afternoon.”
I didn't want to disturb the reunion of two people who had been separated for at least a hundred years.
If it had been anyone else, I would have demanded my reward immediately, but the lord is different.
There's the kindness he's shown me, but more than that, the lord himself isn't the type to go back on his word and run.
And even if he did, Alice is my familiar, so I could just unsummon her.
I said my goodbyes, left the castle, and returned to Kabisa.
“Oh? Sir Hyeon-ung, you're a little late today. Rumor has it you were summoned to the lord's castle. Is everything alright?”
“Of course. He asked me for a favor. Nothing unusual happened here, right?”
“That's right… Ah, that young lady who visited before came by. She's probably still waiting for you now.”
It seems Ha-young came.
When I went inside, I saw Ha-young sitting in the dining area.
“Ha-young?”
“You’re back!”
“Why didn't you go to the guild house? What brings you here?”
“I heard you were dragged away by the knights… Are you okay?”
So she came because she was worried.
I suppose to ordinary Summoners who don't know the situation, it could have been misunderstood as some kind of trouble.
“I'm perfectly fine. Didn't you hear from Tae-soo? The lord and I are on very good terms.”
I gave her a brief explanation to put her at ease, then headed up to my room… but stopped by the counter first.
I had to pay for the room extension.
“I'm in the Royal Suite. I'd like to extend for another month.”
“Just a moment… Ah, yes, understood.”
I was about to take out my money when the staff member hastily stopped me.
“The owner of Kabisa has instructed us not to accept any payment from the Pioneer, Oh Hyeon-ung.”
“Oh? Alright.”
The lord didn't mention it, but what a sweet deal.
My funds were running low after spending my entire fortune on that myth-grade item.
Ah, of course, I still had enough to pay for the room, but Kabisa's rates are by no means cheap.
I went up to the room with Ha-young and summoned my companions first.
“Sir Hyeon-ung, why so… this time…”
“Thank you for summoning us.”
“Rina! Hanna! Alpen!”
“Oh? Ha-young's here too.”
They had all lost their memories, so I would have had to explain everything one by one, but thanks to Ha-young, I was spared some of the trouble.
We bought plenty of clothes last time, so there was no need to go shopping.
We needed to eat dinner first. I was about to order room service, but at Ha-young's suggestion, we ate at the Golden Lion Guild instead.
Seol-hwa showed off her skills and prepared a variety of Korean dishes, and even though it was Korean food, all my companions loved it.
“The duck bulgogi is so delicious.”
“I liked the galbi! It was sweet and tender, the best.”
“I could have eaten more…”
“I'll ask her to make it again sometime.”
After returning to the room and taking a quick shower, Rina and Ha-young approached me.
That kid Ha-young followed us back even after dinner.
Seol-hwa had objected, saying it would be too much of an imposition, but Ha-young really wanted to come, and my companions like her, so I said it was fine.
“Mister, what are we doing tomorrow?”
“I have to meet the lord in the afternoon. How about we go to the reservoir park in the morning and then a dessert cafe?”
This break is short and I have a lot to do, but I can't just keep my companions cooped up in the room after they've finally come outside.
“Let's play a game. The one we played last time.”
Ha-young brought out a board game, and everyone showed interest.
“Ah, I have some things to prepare for my meeting with the lord tomorrow. Can you guys start without me?”
“Okay. Rina, Hanna, Alpen, come over here. I'll teach you.”
I watched my companions and Ha-young go to the table, then took out a quill and paper from the desk beside the bed.
As I thought of questions one by one and wrote them down, I soon filled over three pages.
The lord won't know everything, but it would be great if I could get answers to at least half of them…
“Sir Hyeon-ung, are you still not done?”
“Mister, I think Ha-young is cheating! I keep losing!”
“I'll be right there.”
****
The Lord's Castle.
I spent the morning on a date with my companions, had lunch, and then left them with Ha-young.
They said they were going to watch the martial arts tournament preliminaries that start today. I was a little curious myself, but meeting the lord was the priority.
After completing the now all-too-familiar Pioneer verification process, I entered the lord's castle.
I walked for about twenty minutes and arrived at the lord's bedchamber, just like yesterday.
“Welcome.”
The lord greeted me with a happy smile, his expression brighter than I had ever seen it.
“You're looking much better.”
“It's all thanks to you. Wait just a moment.”
As soon as the lord finished speaking, the air trembled violently before settling down. A faint blue barrier appeared in a one-meter radius around the lord and me.
“This barrier was made using the last of the Bluestone left over from making the cavern.”
“What is Bluestone?”
“It's a very rare substance found in monster carcasses. Using this Bluestone allows one to evade the angels' surveillance.”
“I see. Is there perhaps a time limit…?”
“Sharp one, aren't you? This amount will only last for about twenty minutes. Ah, but of course, I'll use any more I acquire for you.”
That was a relief, but I had prepared a lot of questions. I probably wouldn't be able to ask them all in twenty minutes.
“What is the objective of those angels?”
It was the same question I had asked the emperor on the 65th floor.
He hadn't given me an answer.
“Well. I'm not certain, but I believe their goal is to obtain the Orb of Wishes.”
The angels' goal is the Orb of Wishes?
“What? Weren't the angels administrators?”
“Not quite. They're a bit different from us, but they are outsiders as well. I've heard, however, that they were the first to arrive in this world.”