Chapter 115: I’m Not Human
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: I’m Not Human
“You were trying to make wings...?”
Theodora’s expression made her skepticism painfully obvious. Her face practically screamed, That thing?
To anyone else, it might have looked like a hideous monstrosity of stitched-together bone and flesh, but I had put a lot of effort into it.
“Haaaah...”
“I guess it’s hard to find wings that can lift this much weight.”
In Calax, if you asked someone to think of a typical giant flying monster, most would name the Red-Feathered Eagle Owl. They could be found even on the lower floors, and even a sub-adult had a wingspan of over two meters.
Among birds, they were indeed massive. However, the average weight of a fully grown Red-Feathered Eagle Owl was less than 10kg.
They had hollow, lightweight bones and massive pectoral muscles designed solely for flight. Since carrying food in their stomachs would increase their weight, their digestive tracts were short, and they possessed almost no defensive capabilities to speak of.
In contrast, I was built with a high-density endoskeleton covered by thick, heavy, and hard scales. My skin was packed to the brim with muscle fibers, and in combat, I even sported a two-meter-long tail.
To actually fly using wings, they would need to be able to lift at least 150kg with ease. In manga, you often see demons fluttering around perfectly fine with tiny wings barely a span wide attached to their waists, but I wasn't expecting that kind of fantasy logic.
Even though they don't exist in reality, I thought that wings the size of those typically depicted on humans in fiction would be enough to lift a person.
“It’s not easy.”
“One thing does come to mind, though.”
“Really? What is it?”
“A Gargoyle.”
“A Gargoyle...?”
When I thought of Gargoyles, I pictured those stone statues sitting at the entrance of a demon’s castle that suddenly spring to life when an intruder appears.
“What stratum do they appear on?”
“The 3rd Stratum, I think? Not in Calax, though. In Roanmarie’s Great Labyrinth.”
“Ah.”
So it was a story from another Labyrinth City. Besides, the 3rd Stratum... I hadn't even reached the 3rd Stratum in Calax yet, where I’d started my career as an explorer. The 3rd Stratum of another city felt like a distant dream.
“It’s not quite like that. Roanmarie is a city that is incredibly advanced magically.”
“So, what, do they summon Gargoyles with magic? Surely it’s not that simple.”
“Actually, it is.”
“Are you serious?”
After Hechituk’s Great Labyrinth appeared 800 years ago, Roanmarie was the first place where a Great Labyrinth exceeding 50 floors was observed on the surface.
As one of the three unconquerable Great Labyrinths, Roanmarie served as the headquarters for the ‘Page of Arcana,’ a group of scholars established across dozens of Labyrinth Cities.
Unlike Hechituk, which failed to develop a systematic approach for 300 years, Roanmarie had an organization called ‘Aether Labs’—originally a magic research institute—from the very beginning.
They researched the Portal Pulse, which acted like a calendar for the portals, surveyed internal ecosystems, and overhauled the outdated skill appraisal magic from Hechituk. They even replaced the expensive ‘Labyrinth Compasses’ sold in Hechituk with the ‘Explorer’s Plate’ system, reducing production costs and distributing them to a vast number of explorers.
It was said that after Roanmarie’s Great Labyrinth appeared, the convenience of labyrinth conquest surged, and the number of explorers increased tenfold.
“There’s a special magic scroll that prevents the petrification magic of the Gargoyles found on the 3rd Stratum from being dispelled. Thanks to that, many Gargoyles have been brought to the surface as specimens for researching Demon Species monsters.”
“I see.”
Roanmarie was much larger than Calax, which was only 200 years old, and it could be considered the place with the best infrastructure for explorers.
Hechituk had a bit of an Egyptian feel to it. It was filled with ancient artifacts, and the people living there had a slightly Middle Eastern appearance.
Among the three unconquerable Great Labyrinths, Calax was the one that lagged behind the most.
“I’m curious about something. Why do people enter the labyrinths in the first place?”
“Huh...? Well, obviously to obtain skills...?”
“No, I mean the people who first discovered the labyrinths.”
“Hmm... Well, curiosity about the unknown is a trait of the Human Species. Of course, if you look at the history books written in Hechituk, the ultimate reason is that.”
“That?”
Hechituk’s Great Labyrinth was one of the oldest among those with written records.
However, there was another Labyrinth Portal known as the very first. It was the Labyrinth of Eobort, discovered in Masteris—the desert region where Hechituk is located. The maximum recorded depth observed there was the 26th floor.
Records stated it was a unique environment filled with gold, but that can no longer be verified.
“The lord who ruled Eobort controlled the Labyrinth Portal and allowed only the miners he hired to enter so he could monopolize the gold inside.”
“And then?”
“A ‘Labyrinth Opening’ occurred, where the monsters inside crawled out onto the surface, and the area around Eobort was completely devastated. The Golden Labyrinth of Eobort no longer exists.”
In short, if explorers didn't constantly visit and thin out the number of monsters inside, the labyrinth would become overcharged with mana. Eventually, the inside of the portal would flip out onto the surface, and monsters would come pouring out.
“Gaining skills, acquiring wealth, fame, and fortune—those are all well and good, but you could say the ultimate goal is to prevent a Labyrinth Opening.”
“Theodora, you’re surprisingly smart.”
“It’s more surprising that you live in a Labyrinth City and didn't know this...”
That was why the Page of Arcana, headquartered in Roanmarie, periodically checked newly formed labyrinths and surveyed their internal environments.
If a labyrinth was deemed to have no utility or lacked the infrastructure to attract new explorers, they would block entry and intentionally induce a Labyrinth Opening. Then, they would summon high-ranking explorers from various cities to slaughter the outpouring monsters in an event called a ‘Labyrinth Wave.’
They judged it better to intentionally block access and force an early opening to be safely contained by a gathered subjugation force of powerful explorers, rather than letting a Labyrinth Opening happen unexpectedly.
“The explorers who stop a Labyrinth Wave must be incredibly strong.”
“They only call explorers of at least Cobalt Grade. A Labyrinth Opening is dangerous, but since the monsters from inside are pouring onto the surface, it’s also an opportunity to make easy money.”
It sounded like content reserved for veterans. I wondered if I would ever reach Cobalt Grade.
“Well, the conversation drifted a bit. To summarize, if you go to Roanmarie, about a dozen Gargoyles with anti-petrification-reversal magic are put up for auction every month.”
“Are they expensive?”
“You could probably buy one for around 50 gold coins. If you only want the wings, which have less utility, it might be even cheaper.”
“Hmm.”
Another Labyrinth City, huh? I’d heard they existed, but I’d never really thought about going. Still, hearing that Calax was unexpectedly lagging behind piqued my interest.
“Is Roanmarie far?”
“It’s quite a distance. You know Calax is located in High Nordish, right?”
“...Does that mean the far north?”
“Yes.”
The reference point was ‘Relm,’ the center of the surface continent. Though it wasn't a Labyrinth City with its own portal, it was the oldest city and served as the de facto capital of the surface.
From there, the north was called Nordish, the south Southish, the east Eastish, and the west Westish.
Prefixes were added based on the distance: ‘Low’ for near, ‘High’ for far, and ‘Middle’ for in between.
Calax was in High Nordish, Roanmarie was in Middle Eastish, and Hechituk was in High Southish.
“From Calax to Roanmarie, it takes a month by carriage.”
“A whole month?”
“Or... you could use a Teleportation Gateway. It’ll cost a bit, though.”
“How much does that cost?”
“20 gold coins. Anywhere on the surface.”
“Good grief.”
In other words, to go to Roanmarie and buy a Gargoyle, I’d need 90 gold coins. 40 gold for the round-trip gateway fee, and 50 gold for the Gargoyle itself.
“I’ll keep that in mind for now. Theodora, you’re quite the teacher.”
“A-A teacher? Um... well, yes! You can ask me anything you don't know.”
“Why are you so pretty? Who gave you permission?”
“W-Wait! What are you saying?!”
When I playfully leaned my face closer, a flustered Theodora reached out and pressed her hand firmly against my face.
“Ahem, anyway... if you ever want to go to Roanmarie, let me know. My mother travels all over the surface managing the Golden Glove Syndicate. Up to five people can use the gateway for the same cost.”
“Then if five people go together, the price per person gets cheaper.”
“You could say that.”
Even so, I still needed the money to buy the Gargoyle. That was a price I’d have to think long and hard about.
More than that, the fact that Calax was a lagging Labyrinth City made me curious about the others. Even if it was the underdog, it wasn't called a Great Labyrinth for nothing.
Under the title of one of the three unconquerable Great Labyrinths, it was the newest city with the shortest history.
In a way, it was like a new server meant to attract newbies. Naturally, there was a high influx of new explorers.
“Wait, then your mother must have been to Roanmarie or Hechituk before.”
“Of course, and so have I. I think you’re misunderstanding something—I wasn't born in Calax to begin with.”
“No way.”
“You’re a Calax native, aren't you?”
“No... I don't think so.”
“Ah, that’s right. You said your real name was unusual.”
Theodora, the youngest daughter of the Lymain family—the number one family of the Golden Glove Syndicate—was currently managing the business in Calax. Her eldest brother was managing a city called Wispales.
And Theodora’s older sister was managing a city called Elkon, which wasn't a Labyrinth City. Of course, the scale of business in Calax was the smallest and its history the shortest. It was a suitable position for the youngest, Theodora, to handle.
“It’s time for me to head back. Do you want anything else to eat? Should I order something before I go?”
“No, I’m good. I’ll pay this time.”
“It was pre-paid, so I already settled the bill.”
“...Thanks.”
* * *
Since I was already in the Northwest, I decided to keep a previous promise. I stopped by a dessert shop to buy some cookies and cake before heading to the magic item shop in the Northeast.
Even if she was a bit unusual, it was clear that I was indebted to Iris. Last time, she had replaced a magic crystal worth 20 gold coins for free, so I felt it was only right to bring her something to eat.
—Knock, knock.
“Iris? Are you inside?”
There was no answer despite my knocking. Wondering if something was wrong, I pressed my ear to the door, but I couldn't hear anything specific.
“Hmm, what’s going on?”
I tried the handle, and the door wasn't locked. I figured she might have stepped out for a moment and decided to wait inside.
—Creeeeak.
As always, the shop interior was dark and devoid of sunlight. Well, it was dark outside now anyway, so there wouldn't have been any sunlight regardless.
“What, you are here.”
But Iris was there. I’d thought she’d gone out since she didn't answer, but that wasn't the case.
“Iris? Why aren't you answering? Iris?”
Quite unusually, Iris was standing with her back to me. Both the fact that her back was turned and the fact that she was standing were rare sights.
But what was that?
Her snow-white hair had grown so long it almost touched the floor. And, poking out from either side of her hair, matching her pale skin tone, were...
‘Ears...?’
They were long ears pointing out to the sides, like Delbaheim’s. Looking closer, she had something like an accessory attached to her waist that hadn't been there before. It looked like...
“Uh... Iris...?”
Small bat wings sprouted from her sides. They were tiny, barely a span wide. As she turned around, her crimson eyes glowed with a bright light.
“Aven, you’re here?”
“Iris. Are you okay? You look a bit different than usual.”
“I’m fine. It’s just my estrus.”
“What are you even talking about?”
Wait, hold on. This wasn't a joke; something was definitely strange.
“What on earth do you mean by estrus?”
“You could also call it my fertile period.”
“Then you should have just said that. Why would a person use the word estrus...”
“I’m not.”
“Not what now?”
Iris blinked her glowing red eyes and pointed a forefinger at her own ear.
“A person. I’m not one.”
“...Then what are you?”
The tiny wings on her back fluttered. Iris floated into the air as if swimming through the void, tucked her knees in to drift over the desk, and landed lightly in front of me.
“A Succubus.”