Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Chapter 2 - Floor 2 #4
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“Pardon the late introduction. My name is Aris. I serve as the village chief.”
The village chief—Aris—bowed her head once more to introduce herself.
Typically, a village chief would be an elderly man, but Aris was remarkably young and beautiful.
Of course, only the size of a hand.
“Hmm.”
Cheon-ho gazed at Aris with slightly complicated eyes, while Lucille smiled brightly and said,
“I’m the angel Lucille, who serves the Five Goddesses. And over there is Combat Angel Saschiell.”
Lucille had a way of earning anyone’s favor, not just Cheon-ho’s.
Aris smiled back before turning in the direction Lucille indicated.
Saschiell was growling as she trampled a single ratman, apparently interrogating it.
“And this is Holy Sword Mitra.”
When Lucille pointed to the heat dagger hanging at Cheon-ho’s waist, Aris’s eyes widened.
“You mean Holy Sword Mitra, the Empire Guardian Sword... the holy sword of the first hero who defeated the Demon King?”
Her voice mixed awe and surprise.
“Yes, that’s Mitra herself. She’s with our hero.”
Pride she couldn’t hide filled Lucille’s face.
No, she was proudly boasting from the start.
“Ahem.”
Cheon-ho cleared his throat awkwardly yet not unpleasantly inside. Aris blinked and tilted her head.
“Um... But isn’t Holy Sword Mitra supposed to be a longsword?”
The legendary—no, historical—Holy Sword Mitra was a greatsword with a black hilt and white blade.
Yet the heat dagger at Cheon-ho’s waist was clearly a shortsword to anyone’s eyes.
Lucille flinched for a moment and pursed her lips before replying,
“W-well, there are some circumstances...”
[Yes.]
Instead of long words, Mitra spoke briefly like Cheon-ho, making him twitch involuntarily.
Satisfied by that, Mitra chuckled softly and said,
[O wielder, draw me and show Aris. She’ll believe once she sees the gem embedded in the hilt.]
Cheon-ho obeyed without hesitation.
Aris examined Mitra’s gem skeptically at first, but soon her eyes widened in admiration.
“It really is Holy Sword Mitra. I’m truly sorry for doubting.”
“No need. It’s natural to be curious. Don’t worry about it.”
“How magnanimous. I’m impressed.”
As Cheon-ho responded gentlemanly, Aris looked up at him with sparkling eyes, just like Lucille.
Of course, she was only hand-sized.
“Hmm.”
Still, she was a beauty—and being looked at that way by someone felt good to Cheon-ho.
But Lucille unconsciously furrowed her brow and quickly changed the subject.
“Ah! Saschiell’s coming over.”
Perfect timing. Lucille wasn’t sure why it felt perfect, but she was relieved anyway.
“Saschiell, this is Aris, the village chief of the Forest Elf village.”
Cheon-ho introduced Aris, and Saschiell nodded lightly.
“I am Combat Angel Saschiell.”
“I am Aris. Pleased to meet you.”
Aris remained politely courteous, but her voice trembled slightly.
That made sense—Saschiell approaching up close embodied terror itself.
‘She’s freaking huge.’
She’d been big even lying down, but standing with wings spread, she resembled an armored vehicle—no, a tank.
Her shoulder height alone seemed over two meters, and her body length much more.
Even Cheon-ho felt intimidated by Saschiell’s size, so for hand-sized Aris, it must have felt like a mountain approaching.
“Saschiell, did you get any information?”
When Lucille asked, Saschiell nodded with a stern face.
“Ratmen are cowardly scum who spill everything under a little threat. Not just this village—other villages too... even the Forest Elf queen and princess seem captured by them.”
“We heard something similar from Aris just now.”
“Then this will move quickly. To the fairy folk, the queen and princess mean something different from human royalty. They determine the tribe’s fate—the tribe’s present and future, without exaggeration. We must rescue them.”
Cheon-ho already knew from the hidden quest but waited instead of saying so. Saschiell seemed to have more.
“They’ve gathered the captured Forest Elves at the altar’s center, waiting for the ritual day. They plan to sacrifice the fairies to the Plague God for the ritual’s power. Truly vile creatures.”
Aris’s face paled. She’d known, but hearing it from another made her heart sink anew.
“The queen and princess are held in the same place. The ritual is in about four days... when the moon’s fragment rises.”
Moon’s fragment.
New to Cheon-ho, but he could guess—it was like a full moon or new moon with special meaning.
Instead of asking if the labyrinth world had sun and moon, Cheon-ho focused on the key point.
“Four days... That gives us some leeway. The hidden quest shows a 102-hour limit.”
They wouldn’t kill sacrificial victims before the ritual.
“But it won’t be easy. The altar crawls with Plague God’s swarms—hundreds at least.”
Unlike the first floor’s newly built altar.
The second floor already had an established force.
[With hundreds of enemies, our current forces fall short.]
Only Cheon-ho and Saschiell could fight among the group.
This mission was rescuing Forest Elves. Even two who could handle a hundred each lacked manpower.
“Um... I have an idea.”
Just then, Aris raised her tiny hand.
Saschiell asked,
“You don’t mean to fight with us? Appreciated, but impossible.”
“No, not that... I know somewhere we can seek aid for this.”
If short on hands, gather more.
“Oh... Are there Treants nearby?”
With living trees like Treants helping, it’d be much easier.
Aris nodded.
“Yes, the Treant tribe. But there’s another we must ask.”
“Who?”
“Forest Dragon... the Great Guardian of the Woods dwells not far.”
“Ooh.”
Saschiell exclaimed in admiration, Lucille’s eyes sparkled, and Cheon-ho inwardly gasped.
‘Forest Dragon!’
He knew nothing of its appearance or nature, but excitement was inevitable.
A dragon, no less.
Dragon.
Essence of fantasy.
Flower of fantasy!
“But Aris, if a Forest Dragon is nearby, why not seek help sooner?”
At Saschiell’s question, Aris looked gloomy.
“We did. But strangely, the Forest Dragon hasn’t responded. Neither have the Dragon Shrine Maidens attending it. But if angels request aid... there will surely be an answer.”
Like the earthbound spirits in the first-floor tower, angels held great significance to labyrinth world inhabitants.
‘Makes sense—they’re literally God’s messengers.’
In a world where gods were unquestioned, angels as divine envoys received due respect.
Cheon-ho glanced at Lucille anew, and feeling his gaze, she turned and smiled brightly.
‘Hmm.’
Lucille was the best, after all.
But separately, one part of Aris’s words caught his attention.
“Dragon Shrine Maidens?”
Aris nodded at Cheon-ho’s question.
“Yes, fairy tribe sisters who attend the Forest Dragon.”
So, Forest Elves then.
“They’re fairy folk like us... but different. They’re Shadow Elves.”
“Shadow Elves?”
“Yes, that’s what I know.”
[Shadow Elves are fairy folk especially nimble, skilled in dark magic.]
[Among companions adventuring with Leon, there was one Shadow Elf...]
As Mitra entered reminiscence mode, Cheon-ho recalled a talk with his father.
‘Dad, one thing I’m curious about.’
‘What is it, son?’
‘From your stories, why are they all women?’
Everywhere he went, women: fairy queen, some kingdom’s princess, staple saintess, even occasional dragons or demons—women.
To young Cheon-ho’s innocent question, Father smiled manly, gazed afar, and said,
‘Who knows why.’
Maybe adult circumstances.
Young Cheon-ho couldn’t grasp it, just thinking Father’s distant gaze was cool.
And actually, Father’s tales had plenty of men—Cheon-ho just skimmed those memories.
“Hmm.”
Cheon-ho nodded gravely and asked Aris again.
“Aris, how far to the Forest Dragon?”
“A few days by our steps... but for hero and angels, less than a day.”
“I see. Then let’s eat first.”
“Yes... Pardon?”
Aris reflexively asked back, and Saschiell blinked.
“Eat?”
“Yes, it’s lunchtime, and we fought hard. Plus, time till the ritual.”
Rushing wasn’t always best.
For peak performance at crucial moments, maintain top condition: sleep well, eat well, rest well routinely.
“Th-that’s true.”
“The Forest Elves must be exhausted too. Full belly first for strength to work. Let’s eat.”
Cheon-ho turned to Lucille, who reacted differently from Aris and Saschiell.
She was used to it.
And Cheon-ho’s cooking was always welcome.
“Yes, Hero.”
Lucille grinned and opened her inventory.
&
Same time.
Aurael, following the Light Spear, bit her lip and let out a low groan.
The guiding Light Spear had vanished.
[Rescue Request]
[Rescue signal lost.]
One of three: target dead, escaped alone, or rescued by another.
“Wh-what do we do?”
Eizel asked anxiously. Raguel paused silently before Aurael resumed walking.
“Keep going.”
If rescue impossible, avenge comrade; if escaped or rescued, join them.
Light Spear gone, map too, but rough location remembered.
“Yeah, best choice.”
With Raguel agreeing, Eizel hesitantly nodded.
Raguel stroked Eizel’s head.
“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes, Senior—.”
That was it. Eizel’s stomach suddenly growled loudly.
Embarrassed by the volume, Eizel blushed. Aurael smiled sadly.
Raguel stroked the bowed Eizel’s head once more, then pulled emergency rations from her bosom.
“Eat.”
“B-but that’s yours...”
“I’m fine. Leftover since I’m full.”
Obvious lie.
Eizel’s eyes welled up. Raguel placed rations in her hand.
“Aurael, let’s move.”
“Yeah.”
Aurael’s voice sank deeply.
Not just the situation. Seeing teary Eizel eat rations reminded her of Lucille.
Poor Lucille, alone—how scared? Third day already—how hungry?
“Let’s go.”
Raguel urged, and Aurael nodded.
Clutching aching heart and empty stomach, she stepped forward.
&
“Burp.”