Chapter 31: D-Rank Labyrinth — Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds (1)
Chapter 31: D-Rank Labyrinth — Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds (1)
Pendrick could not answer immediately.
“…Could you give me a little time?”
It was indeed a difficult choice to make on the spot.
Since I already knew what decision he would eventually make, I nodded readily.
“As I mentioned earlier, we plan to stay at this inn for about five days. Think carefully and give me your answer. For reference, we will cover any penalty fees, so you don’t need to worry about financial burdens.”
Rising from my seat, I demanded that the red-haired elf demonstrate the exemplary attitude an elder should show when meeting someone younger.
“Big sister, pay the bill.”
“….”
Rosalia took out ten gold coins.
Far too much for the cost of food and lodging.
Pendrick hurriedly waved his arms and accepted only two gold.
“I’d feel guilty taking eight gold as a tip, so I’ll just take this much! Hehe… though if you feel generous, you can always give more.”
Even though his mind must have been troubled by the proposal I had just made, he spoke lightly and smiled without showing it.
As an apology for throwing a troubling matter at him during work hours, I took out one more gold coin and pressed it into his hand.
“Thank you!”
Bowing deeply, Pendrick handed over two keys.
“Just use the rooms with the numbers written on the keys. If you need anything, please let me know.”
After taking the keys, we left the inn.
My stomach was comfortably full, so it was time to get to work.
I strolled leisurely through the lively city like someone enjoying a walk after a meal.
Crunch.
“Fruit from District Five really is the best, you know?”
While chewing an apple I had bought from the eastern market street, I headed toward the area where the client was waiting.
The northern part of District Three.
The district packed with guild headquarters—the “Thorny Path of Diligence.”
Advancing through the street where flags fluttered wildly above the doors, I found the building of the guild listed in the request document.
《The base of the Gemlord Guild, a jewel-crafting guild. They’re not particularly successful, just a group of mediocre people earning a modest living. A place that has no reason to exist—so we should burn it down when the opportunity arises.》
The guild’s emblem—a wine bottle filled with colorful gemstones—stood out clearly.
As I approached, a stout dwarf with a solid build who had been anxiously scanning the street turned his head sharply.
“Are you the cultist who was supposed to come today?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Oh, Solmiran be praised!”
The client shouted the name of the Goddess of the Sun and Craftsmanship before hurriedly pounding his chest.
With their short arms, dwarves often greeted others this way instead of shaking hands.
“Welcome! I’m Tavirek, the guild master of the Gemlord Guild!”
《Tavirek (Eastern Continent Dwarf, 78), guild master of the Gemlord Guild. Ever since a young guild member he cherished died in a labyrinth recently, he has been restless every day. Watching the little fellow fidget helplessly would be amusing—ignoring him might not be a bad option.》
Tavirek, who would only be in his mid-twenties by human standards, extended his left hand.
His gloved palm faced upward, bearing a small symbol of a hammer inside a sun.
Vwoong.
The mark glowed faintly, and a photograph fluttered out as if printed by a magical device.
“That ugly fellow is the guild member who died in the labyrinth a few days ago.”
The photo showed a young human with a bright smile.
An explorer who could not have been more than his mid-teens.
“To be honest, he was terrible. No talent at all. Whatever I told him to do, he made mistakes. Completely hopeless.”
Tavirek stroked his thick beard and sighed.
“But he was kind.”
“He must have possessed the most important virtue within himself.”
“Exactly. We dwarves of the Eastern Continent hate incompetence, but he was the exception. Even though he was scolded every day, he never lost heart and kept smiling bravely… it was admirable.”
The dwarf, briefly lost in memory, shook his head and looked at me.
“I’m begging you. Please retrieve his body today. Because of the nature of that labyrinth, if it’s left alone it will be damaged.”
“I understand. Very well. I will return as swiftly as the Goddess of Peace and War who rides a winged horse across the world.”
“If you complete the job successfully, I’ll add one tool crafted by our guild to the payment.”
Items categorized as “tools” were inferior to artifacts or masterpieces, but their quality still surpassed ordinary equipment.
The guild was not large enough to offer extremely valuable tools, but there was no reason to refuse a bonus gift on top of the payment.
“The Church of Harmony said you just became a Bronze-Rank explorer. Do you need someone to guide you?”
“That won’t be necessary. Lidni knows everything.”
After placing the photo into the leather bag Marlin used to carry, I gave Tavirek a reassuring nod.
“I will complete the job safely and return. Please rest easy until then.”
Since the client was desperate, I immediately headed toward the labyrinth that had swallowed the young explorer.
After passing through the southern district filled with lodgings, the eastern market district, and the northern guild district, we now arrived in the western street known as the “Challenging Mountain Trail.”
It was a street where labyrinths appeared with unusual concentration.
Was it because of the mana resonance phenomenon?
Developer Kato Roger had once explained it on his MiTube channel, which contained countless small bits of game lore.
I had listened to it before.
But since it was long, tedious, and boring, I mostly ignored it.
In truth, it was probably just an excuse attached to support the concept of District Three, where each street had a unique theme.
Still, it’s quite a spectacle.
Stepping onto the Challenging Mountain Trail, I slowed down and looked around.
A door placed suddenly between buildings.
A suspicious goblin statue standing rigidly by the roadside.
An inn that shimmered like an illusion.
Different shapes and sizes—but all of them were labyrinth entrances.
Simply observing them filled my chest with excitement.
A festival of dopamine, stimulation, and anticipation.
“Sister, if I collapse while walking, please don’t be alarmed. It will only be because I’m too happy.”
“….”
Rosalia looked at me and shook her head.
Why that expression of disbelief?
“Everyone ready?”
“Let’s make a fortune!”
“Please let a Mystery Tome drop today…”
Listening to the chatter of explorers preparing for expeditions, we arrived near the labyrinth entrance in question.
A back alley between large buildings built in exotic architectural styles.
A place that would normally attract shady characters because of its gloomy shade was now illuminated brightly by magic-stone lamps.
Judging by the long line of explorers, we had found the right place.
“One at a time! Hey you, sir! No cutting in line!”
The queue was long like a grand-opening rush, but fortunately we did not have to wait long.
“Next!”
I presented both my ID tag and Rosalia’s to the labyrinth management officer wearing a uniform bearing a gray wolf emblem on the shoulder.
He glanced at them lazily and pointed behind him.
At the end of the alley—
A rotten animal head lay on bare dirt, emitting a foul smell.
《Entrance to [Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds].》
“Yeah, go ahead.”
The employee jerked his head roughly and immediately called the next explorer.
Unlike District Six, which was managed by the Church of Harmony, labyrinths in District Three offered no friendly services such as explanations of clear conditions.
The policy was simple: if you entered without learning the strategy beforehand and died, that was your fault.
The Gray Wolf Guild that governed District Three was famous for its loose regulations.
No wonder beginners die like flies.
It was true that learning through direct experience sharpened one’s thinking and judgment.
But even so, there were far too few safety measures.
Because labyrinths had effectively become unofficial crime-hiding places, I did not like the management style of the Gray Wolf Guild.
“Let’s go.”
When I stepped on the rotten soil beside the decaying animal head, the scenery instantly changed.
Before we knew it, we stood in an open grassland.
《D-Rank Labyrinth — Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds》
《A popular labyrinth due to the valuable rewards it yields. Competitors are numerous, so carefully eliminate them one by one in secret.》
“Let’s do our best today.”
“Let’s help each other a little.”
“May it be a fair competition!”
Because combat between explorer teams was openly permitted, the expedition teams who entered before us spoke polite, public-service-announcement-like words before dispersing.
If you earned someone’s grudge, you might be buried in the labyrinth without a trace.
Everyone was being extremely careful with their words and behavior.
“….”
Watching them, Rosalia pointed at the explorers and gave a thumbs-down.
“You think they’re cowards? That can’t be helped. Exploration is usually about making a living.”
Of course, I hadn’t entered the labyrinth merely to make money.
“Now then, shall we have an enjoyable expedition?”
Why waste time watching each other instead of enjoying the labyrinth?
[Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds].
A labyrinth recreating the era when the human-founded Valterium Empire waged conquest wars to subjugate the Northern and Eastern Continents.
It depicted part of a mountain range where numerous peaks rose like competitors striving to reach the highest point.
The clear condition itself was simple.
Eliminate the leader specimen.
However, unlike the Grave of the Earth Elf, only one monster appeared.
The leader specimen—Bloodbird.
And that single monster was the reason it was classified as a D-Rank labyrinth.
Where would it be right now?
Standing on the plain at the entrance of the mountain range, I looked up at the sky.
At this time in history, Sue’je had already declined into an outdated deity, so the sky was brilliantly clear and blue.
The sun, unchanged across past and present, leaned slightly toward the west.
“Lady Rosalia, the Bloodbird is probably on the mountain farthest from here right now.”
The assassin tilted her head slightly.
“You’re asking how I know? This labyrinth takes place right after a war between the Imperial Army and the Beastman Alliance resistance. The Bloodbird is flying across the mountains eating the hearts of those who died in battle. That’s its staple food.”
That was why it was called Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds.
The entire mountain range was basically an all-you-can-eat buffet prepared for it.
Rosalia pondered my explanation for a moment and turned slightly toward the mountains.
“You want to hunt it immediately? Let’s not waste our strength yet.”
The Bloodbird’s level was three—same as the Sneaking Ghoul.
But because it was a leader specimen, it ranked among the strongest monsters at that level.
Rosalia could certainly defeat it easily.
The real problem was the number of competitors.
“The Bloodbird carries a valuable gemstone called a Bloodstone, which explorers are eager to obtain. Everyone here came well prepared, so even you might have difficulty killing it first. That part isn’t urgent, so we can ignore it for now.”
There was something more important to do before hunting the Bloodbird.
“Let’s retrieve the young jeweler who died in the labyrinth first. The sooner we bring him back, the sooner he can rest peacefully.”