Chapter 122: They Weren’t Friends?
Butler Sergius was the head of the Pale Shadow agents under the young master.
He planned to pass the position on to Marlin, whom one could call his future disciple, but that was still a story for the distant future.
“Welcome, Sir Kar.”
In the basement, which was absolutely never used for sinister purposes, Sergius greeted me while organizing the information gathered by the Pale Shadow agents operating under false identities throughout District Six.
“What brings you here? Has Rachel caused trouble, or is she failing to obey orders?”
“Not at all. Lady Rachel is, on the contrary, an excellent housekeeper.”
Thanks to Rachel taking charge of all sorts of household tasks, the quality of life for both me and the siblings had improved quite a bit. Abel in particular, who had originally been the one handling the housework, seemed extremely satisfied now that he could focus only on cooking.
“I see. Then I should raise Rachel’s wages a little.”
Nodding to himself, Sergius spoke again.
“So, what business brings you here?”
“Do you happen to have any spare Mage Tower communication devices?”
“Of course. I’ll give you one.”
From among the tightly packed supplies, Sergius brought over a small object shaped like a book and handed it to me.
A communication device made by the Devourer Mage Tower.
It was an expensive product compatible with every other communication device made by the Mage Tower.
“As expected of you, Butler. Thank you.”
“It is nothing. If something is merely expensive, then it presents no great difficulty for us.”
Well, the Brites family’s wealth far surpassed even that of the Ashen Wolf Guild. Even though Odilon had been cast out of the family, he was surely still receiving a steady allowance. After all, he had not been banished because of any wrongdoing on his part.
Before leaving the basement, I casually asked a question.
“But Lady Michelle still hasn’t returned today either?”
“……”
Letting out a long sigh, Sergius needlessly adjusted his tie.
“…I do not really know where she is either. Lady Michelle wanders from city to city enjoying herself and only comes back when she feels like it.”
Michelle Brites, Odilon’s mother.
An eighth-level thief ranked eleventh among the Twelve Heroes.
If she joined us, she would truly be a dependable team member, but in reality, it was hard even to meet her.
“I did receive word from her not long ago. Apparently, she got drunk and hit someone again….”
Michelle was living proof that skill and character were not proportional.
The reason she lived in a villa in District Six instead of at the main house was not because of bullying or political pressure. It was simply because she caused trouble all the time, and her innocent son had been driven out together with her.
“Sir Kar. If you know any way to fix a dissolute personality, please teach me.”
“Give up. That is an incurable disease. She absolutely doesn’t even listen to her own son, so how could any advice from me possibly help?”
“…That is regrettable.”
As though memories of supporting an extreme troublemaker were drifting wistfully through his mind, Sergius stared into empty space for a moment.
“In any case, I should return to my duties now.”
“Understood. After this expedition is over, there may be something that will require your assistance. Would that be all right?”
“Of course.”
“That’s a relief.”
After saying farewell to the butler, I went straight to the room at the far end of the second floor.
It was a room fragrant with the scent of nature, furnished with a soft bed and sofa, along with snacks and a tea set for refreshment. On the ceiling was a drawing of a character shaped like a crescent moon with cute eyes, nose, and mouth.
《Location — Moon Expedition Lounge》
《A lounge for you and your team members furnished with the wealth of the Brites family. Just staying quietly in this room gradually relieves fatigue.》
“Kar, you’re here?”
“So you’ve come.”
The siblings, who had been quietly chatting with Pendrick, flicked their tails at the same time.
“Captain, are you done with your errand? Should I gather the team members now?”
“If you do, I’ll reward you with a kiss on the cheek.”
“Ugh! I’d rather decline that.”
Laughing breezily, Pendrick left the room.
I sat down on the soft sofa, lightly tapped Marlin on the head for no reason, then took out the communication device I had just received.
The method of use was simple.
You opened the book-like device and entered a number made of combined digits and letters.
“The Devourer Mage Tower is always with the citizens of Pletika!”
After the connection tone, which doubled as Mage Tower advertising, passed—
“So you finally decided to contact me.”
A dry voice came from the communication device.
Hunter Pierre.
The third of the “Le” siblings.
“Are your preparations complete?”
“Yes. Of course.”
It was time for the Copy Alliance’s first collaboration.
“Our expedition will be entering the labyrinth tomorrow morning. Does the timing work for you?”
“It’s perfect. We’re planning to send in a total of thirteen men. Can you handle them?”
“Of course.”
“Very well. Then please receive them properly.”
Pierre calmly ended the call.
Marlin, who had been listening with her ears perked up beside me, tapped my shoulder.
“Kar, who was that?”
“A friend.”
When I patted the back of her head, Marlin narrowed her eyes.
“Kar, you have a friend?”
“Didn’t you ask me that before? Of course I do. We’re not close yet, but still.”
“…If you’re not close, then that’s not a friend.”
“Really? I didn’t know.”
Then did that mean the neighbors in Cultist Town, who flinched every time I merely greeted them, were not “friends”?
Today, Kar’s world collapsed….
“Our sponsor wouldn’t be leisurely hanging out with a friend, would he?”
Abel quietly spoke up.
“Are you perhaps going to be exploring with another explorer?”
“Something like that, but a little different.”
I took out Spirit Water from the Mage Tower-made refrigerator artifact and sipped it as I continued.
“My friend is going to lead a whole bunch of outlaws over to plunder us. Then our expedition just has to deal with those outlaws.”
“…What?”
“…Excuse me?”
The siblings’ tails went stiff at the same time.
“We can’t have you getting muscle aches at a crucial moment and being unable to fight the outlaws properly, so let’s all rest well today. Sounds good, right?”
“Not at all!”
Marlin grabbed my right arm and shook it.
“What are you trying to do this time?!”
“Marlin. I am getting dizzy.”
“You overdid it during the guild war, so please take it easy for a while!”
“How could I do that?”
I too was a person, so I could not live without proper rest.
But I did not want to rest for too long.
Prolonged peace made me feel as though I myself did not truly exist in this world.
“Didn’t I tell you before? I’m going to keep running nonstop toward my goal from now on, so even if it gets hard later, no complaining.”
“…You did.”
The Moon Expedition had to race fearlessly toward its goal.
“Marlin. That wasn’t just a joke I made to lighten the mood, you know?”
One day, I would conquer [Nightmare Dungeon].
Together with the team members I had personally gathered one by one.
The labyrinth we were about to enter next would become a means of taking several great strides toward my ultimate goal.
“…Even if it’s hard, there’s nothing we can do.”
Letting out a small sigh, Marlin soon straightened her shoulders bravely.
“Now that I think about it, I already decided to accept hardship gladly back when we were clearing [Fire Ant Nest], so there’s no reason to be shocked. Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do my best!”
“Well done.”
I roughly rubbed Marlin’s head and waited a little while, and then the team members came into the lounge one after another.
“What’s going on?”
Bartimir, who had come from the training room after exercising, trudged over and sat down on my lap.
“……”
Then Rosalia entered through the door in the normal way and sat on the chair near the sofa.
She had Maengmaengi perched on her right shoulder.
“Kkii!”
And on her left shoulder was a plump, pure white pseudo-slime I had never seen before.
“Noona, what is that one’s name?”
“…Silsil.”
“That is a splendid name. Noona is the best.”
When I held out my palm, Rosalia, unlike the young master who always threw tantrums, gently gave me a high five.
“I’ve brought everyone, Captain!”
Last of all, Pendrick arrived together with Lucius, who was slightly late because he had come from Artea Monastery.
“Greetings, Sir Kar.”
Lucius seemed slightly short of breath, perhaps because he had run.
I waited until our priest had rested enough, then moved Bartimir aside and went to the center of the lounge.
“From now on, I will explain the Moon Expedition’s next schedule.”
I had already thought out roughly a year’s worth of future activities.
That said, the schedule was not yet completely fixed.
I was a “J,” so I had a planned and systematic sense of purpose centered on changing my mind however I pleased depending on the situation.
“First of all, there is good news. We are entering the labyrinth tomorrow morning, and my outlaw ally will be coming in after us to plunder us.”
“Oh!”
“……”
Bartimir, who understood the true flavor of an expedition, cheered, while the other team members fell silent.
“Um… Sir Kar?”
Astrimia, who was being held in Pendrick’s arms, carefully spoke up.
“Since, after winning the guild war, outlaws are going to flock to you even if you do nothing, why are you going out of your way to lure them in?”
“I’ll explain that now. Am I not a cultist especially gifted in logical explanation?”
After popping an apple-flavored candy into Marlin’s mouth, I spoke.
“As I said at the Ashen Wolf Guild victory banquet, your current abilities are still far from sufficient. Ah, of course, Noona is excluded.”
When I gave a thumbs-up, Rosalia quietly nodded.
“So this time, I selected a labyrinth focused on strengthening the expedition’s combat power.”
Without Rosalia, a level-six assassin, our current state became seriously weak. Therefore, it would be impossible for us to even approach a high-rank labyrinth.
Therefore, the next schedule was an expedition for training, intended to gradually raise the specs of the team members.
“Please look forward to it. Heaven Training, prepared for all of you.”
“Captain, wouldn’t that normally be Hell Training?”
“Why would I send my precious team members to hell? If it’s going to be hard anyway, then you should sweat in the peaceful environment of heaven.”
“Ah, that’s true! What an unexpected shift in perspective!”
As positivity-monster Pendrick shrugged his shoulders, Astrimia let out a hollow laugh.
“So what exactly do outlaws have to do with training…?”
“The two have no direct relation to each other. They are separate matters. So this expedition will also be divided into two groups.”
As I spoke, I waved my hand like a conductor.
Rustle.
Soon, four small and lovely golden crows appeared in the air and began flying around the lounge.
[Illusion].
The fifth-tier Mystery of Cataclysmic Genesis that I had obtained as the price for offering up an Eclipse Wyvern, whose Soul Rank was far higher than mine. It consumed an extreme amount of Mental Energy, so I could neither use it for long nor use it often.
“The team members chosen by the lovely golden crows are Group One.”
The crows, which had been flying in dazzling patterns, each landed on one of the team members.
Marlin, Pendrick, and Bartimir.
The members who had learned martial Mysteries from the vice guild masters of the Ashen Wolf Guild.
To that lineup, I added Lucius.
“All of you safely received your Mysteries from the vice guild masters, but you still won’t be used to them yet.”
Martial Mysteries took some time to fully internalize, so constant practice was necessary.
“So train yourselves properly in this labyrinth. Priest Lucius, please support the other team members.”
“Then are the remaining team members Group Two?”
“That’s right.”
Myself, Abel, and Rosalia.
We were the team members who did not particularly need intensive training at the moment.
I needed to raise the tiers of my growth-type Mysteries, but it would be more efficient to do that after reaching level five.
“Group One will train, and Group Two will deal with the outlaws. Not difficult, is it?”
“Mom, so which labyrinth are we entering?”
The demon, visibly excited all by himself, asked.
“It feels like ‘that place,’ right? Am I right?”
“You are probably right. Surely we are not thinking of different labyrinths?”
“Want to say it at the same time?”
“Gladly.”
We counted one, two, three, then spoke.
“[Tower of Trials].”
“[Tower of Trials], right!”
As expected, our hearts were in sync.
I sat on the armrest of the sofa beside Bartimir and put an arm around the shoulder of my good-natured demon daughter.
“It certainly is a very grueling labyrinth, but one well suited for training.”
Lucius, as a labyrinth-management priest belonging to the Inquiring Lantern and familiar with information on countless labyrinths, muttered calmly, and Marlin cautiously asked,
“What kind of labyrinth is it?”
“Sir Kar, may I explain in your place?”
“Of course. In times like this, it is better for the labyrinth-management priest to step forward rather than me.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Smiling gently, Lucius began to explain in a pleasant, soothing voice.
“[Tower of Trials] is a labyrinth managed by our Harmony Church. Its rank is….”
The sleepy-eyed priest paused briefly before speaking.
“B-Rank.”
The next expedition would become the Moon Expedition’s first conquest of a B-Rank labyrinth.