Chapter 194: Haphazardly Put Together
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 194: Haphazardly Put Together
“What is with these clothes?”
“Not your style?”
“When have you ever seen me like this?”
“If not, then whatever.”
I had asked her to dress me, but she’d scavenged some bizarre outfit from somewhere. It was a maid uniform that completely ignored practicality, clearly designed to cater to a man’s fantasies.
“Just put me back in the clothes I brought.”
“Those are battle gear. They’re enchanted.”
“Ah.”
As it turned out, the clothes I’d been wearing were Battle Attire with magical sub-effects. It wasn't that she was being contrary; she had a reason for not putting them on me.
I hadn't realized it because of my ability to nullify mana.
“I see you obtained the mana core of the Anti-Magica Colossus.”
“I did.”
“Throw it away. It’s just a derivative of Amelia’s mana core anyway.”
“Now that you mention it...”
It was an artificial mana core created by extracting mana from Amelia, the Knight Lord’s younger sister. In the end, the ability to nullify mana must have been derived from her power as well.
“Do you want it?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then, well.”
I crushed the murky yellow mana core in my hand, shattering it. Now, it was time for a little interrogation.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“....”
“No answer, huh?”
“Want some truth serum?”
“You have something like that?”
Iris stood up, went into the storage room, and returned holding something hideous.
“What is that?”
“Truth serum.”
“How do you use it?”
“You just insert it into the vagina.”
“Good grief.”
I thought it looked like that. As expected, it was just Iris’s usual nonsense.
“I’m serious.”
“Don’t you have something... proper?”
“Just watch.”
“What are you doing now?”
Iris waddled over the table and forced the legs of the nameless woman tied to the chair wide apart.
“Ha... What the—”
“Ugh...! S-Stop!”
“Oh, she speaks. I thought she was a mute.”
“See?”
Surprisingly, it worked. It wasn't exactly the method I wanted, but what could I do? I wasn't particularly fond of tortures that involved bloodshed either.
“It’s a magic tool. It forces your thoughts out of your mouth.”
“That’s terrifying...”
I had no idea why Iris had such a thing, nor why it had that specific shape and method of use...
“Hey, lady. What’s your name?”
“Siv.... Ugh!?”
She looked surprised by her own words. Wow, this thing really works.
“Right, Miss Siv. The Small and Medium Clan Alliance sent you, didn't they?”
“No. Urgh...!”
“What? You weren't a mercenary?”
Since I hadn't seen her face among the Clan Alliance, I assumed she was a mercenary hired from the outside. Apparently, that wasn't the case.
“Then who? Who’s the one trying to kill me?”
“...The Antonio Brotherhood.”
“The Antonio Brotherhood...?”
Weren't they those criminals from the Southeast? I thought they were just playing neighborhood boss in their own territory. How did they join hands with the Clan Alliance in the Northeast?
“And what’s their reason?”
“To... to retrieve the Clinging Butt.”
“What is she talking about?”
“I think she means the Clinging Death.”
It was a truth serum that made her say whatever she was thinking, but that didn't mean it provided facts she didn't know. It just dragged whatever was in her head out through her mouth.
She must have had the name wrong.
“What’s that? Do you know?”
“Not exactly.”
“Iris, do you know what it is?”
“Yes.”
“I’m asking you. Please explain.”
According to Iris’s explanation, the Clinging Death was a type of artifact. When used, ominous mana would—as the name suggested—cling to a specific target’s body, causing them to die within three months.
“They’re trying to kill me to retrieve the Clinging Death? What does that mean?”
“Because you killed the Megido Serpent.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It seems the Clinging Death was attached to the Megido Serpent. That artifact has a property where it transfers to the person who kills the host it’s clinging to.”
“To the Megido Serpent... Who were they ultimately trying to kill...? Ah. Wait, could it be...?”
At the time the Irregular Megido Serpent appeared, the 1st Party of the Mayerbridge Union was returning to the surface.
According to Sepira Eclair, Orion Aura, who was on their way back, had been planning to subjugate the Megido Serpent.
Which meant...
“They were planning to kill the leader of Orion Aura.”
“Right. Solas-chi.”
“Soles Getia.”
As Iris corrected the information from the side, Siv’s eyes began to roll.
“She says it’s Soles Getia.”
“...I don't remember the name.”
This girl might be stupider than I thought.
“Then you must belong to the Antonio Brotherhood.”
“No.”
“Then what? Are you saying you’re from the Page of Arcana or something?”
“Yes.”
“What? For real?”
“For real.”
When I turned my head toward Iris, she looked back at me as if it were no big deal.
In my mind, the Page of Arcana was a fairly decent and prestigious organization. Weren't they the ones who achieved the technological advancements of Roanmarie?
The explorer plates, and various systems used in daily life and exploration—I understood that they were all created by the Page of Arcana. Why would people like that bother with criminals from Calax...?
“You just said the Antonio Brotherhood was trying to kill me.”
“Because my master didn't want to kill you.”
“The Page of Arcana?”
“No. Ma—Urgh...!!”
“Whoa, what’s happening?”
It was a similar feeling to when I captured that Cobalt-grade explorer before. That sensation of dying the moment they tried to say something...
“Iris. I’m breaking the chair.”
“Do as you like.”
—Crash!!
Before Siv could die, I pulled her into my body and swallowed her. Since most activities are suspended while stored, the magical restriction placed on Siv’s body should stop as well.
“Iris. Do you know anything about that magic just now?”
“There are many types of speech-prohibiting magic and skills. Their effects and power vary wildly. I can't tell what it is just by looking.”
“So there’s a chance she’ll die if I bring her out again.”
“If it’s a powerful skill.”
“Phew, what should I do about this?”
I spat out the pieces of the wooden chair and the unsightly maid outfit that had entered my internal space.
“Ah, and this...”
And the truth serum that had been inside Siv.
“You’re unskilled.”
“At what?”
“Using your abilities.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
Iris watched me from the side and tossed out a comment. She was still resting her chin on the table, observing me nonchalantly. Come to think of it, I had one question.
“Iris. Are the Labyrinths connected?”
“You can move between them using portals.”
“You know that’s not what I mean. The Knight Lord was on the 8th Stratum of the Labyrinth where you were settled on the 9th Stratum, right?”
“Correct.”
“Then why is the Ancient City associated with that Knight Lord here in Calax? Isn't every part of the Labyrinth... a different world?”
At my question, Iris looked at me with half-closed eyes for a moment. She suddenly let out a long, deep sigh before finally answering.
“You’re slow.”
“I don't think even the Scholars know this.”
“What would those people know?”
“Where is it? The Labyrinth. Is only part of it connected? Or is it that all Labyrinths are actually one world?”
“It would be the latter.”
“I see....”
Then, to some extent... no, there was still a part I didn't understand. If all those environments inside the Labyrinth were the same world, wasn't the ecosystem a bit excessively diverse?
“And what did you mean by 'unskilled'?”
“I mean you’re unskilled at using your abilities. You.”
“Do you seem to know something about my abilities?”
“Yes.”
She said it so naturally that I couldn't even get angry. Come to think of it, it made sense. After all, Iris was the one who had generously supported me with monsters so that I could reach the 40th Floor to fulfill my promise to the Knight Lord. I should have realized she’d recognized my ability from our first meeting.
“Have you seen my ability before?”
“I have.”
“Who was it? The one who originally used my ability.”
“Did I mention there is a Master of the Great Labyrinth?”
“...You did.”
I’d heard it just moments ago. That the three Great Labyrinths currently on the surface had original masters, and unlike other Labyrinths, they were friendly toward humanity.
“Don't tell me... it’s the ability of the Master of the Calax Great Labyrinth? Something like that?”
“Correct. Your ability... is his ability.”
“Who is he?”
“It’s useless even if you find out.”
“Why?”
“Go meet him yourself. Even I can't tell you more than this.”
“...By 'go meet him yourself,' you mean...”
“Yes. That.”
So it comes to this in the end.
“You mean I have to see the end of the Great Labyrinth.”
“You don't want to?”
“...No, it’s not exactly that. It’s just... it feels so absurd right now.”
“Why?”
To be honest, I had become incomparably stronger than before. I, who had barely survived fighting wolves on the 3rd Floor, was now strong enough to fight and win against twelve Cobalt-grade explorers at once.
It was like the difference between heaven and earth, but even so, I still...
“Can I really reach the end of the Great Labyrinth?”
“You have his ability.”
“You said I’m not using this ability properly.”
“Yes.”
“What am I supposed to do? How did the original owner of this ability... use it?”
Iris stared at me for a long time before finally straightening her posture.
“The Great Labyrinth is under his design.”
“Under his design...?”
“It means that from the 1st Floor to the 100th Floor, monsters he selected are in place.”
“Then... does that mean I have to devour them with this ability?”
“You could look at it that way.”
From the 1st Floor to the 100th Floor, huh? Actually, I only just learned that the Great Labyrinth goes up to the 100th Floor from what Iris said. Since no one has ever seen the end of the Great Labyrinth yet.
“Could it be... that I was chosen? Something like that?”
“Why do you think so?”
“It was called an unidentified skill. That must mean no one has had the same skill as me before. And this ability... you said it’s a skill the Master of the Great Labyrinth possesses?”
“That’s right.”
“Then... doesn't that mean I’m meant to go to the end of the Great Labyrinth?”
“Well, that’s correct.”
“Why of all people....”
In the end, no matter how much I pondered all of this right now, I couldn't reach a conclusion. Iris seemed to know something, but she didn't seem inclined to tell me.
Ah, wait a minute.
—Clatter....
“Does this work on you too, Iris?”
“....”
“It does.”
Don't I have the truth serum? That long, strangely pink, rod-like truth serum.
“Y-You won't be able to find out anything even if you do that.”
“Why not?”
“The reason I can't speak is because it’s a much higher concept.”
“Sigh, fine. I wasn't actually planning on using this unsightly thing on you anyway.”
“That’s a relief.”
Iris’s expression changed subtly as she rested her chin on the table again. Come to think of it, what happened to the Clinging Death attached to my body? If what Iris said was true, didn't that mean I would die within three months too?
“It’s been neutralized. Thanks to Hersha’s mana.”
“Ha, you again. What a great teacher you are.”
That part seemed to be fine. Thank goodness.
“Just tell me what I should do with this Siv person first.”
Originally, I planned to find out information about the people trying to kill me through Siv and then completely crush them. To be honest, I felt like I could take on the Small and Medium Clan Alliance.
That’s why I didn't say anything to the Guild, but the situation was a bit different now.
'The Antonio Brotherhood, huh.'
Now that I knew it was related to this criminal organization located in the Southeast, things were getting complicated. Even the Page of Arcana was involved. Fighting the Page of Arcana alone... seemed like a pipe dream.
“Things are getting awkward.”
Before long, the Guild would notice something was wrong. Twelve Cobalt-grade explorers were dead. They were high-grade explorers, of which there were few even in Calax. As for what to do...
“Come back later. I’ll try to come up with a plan.”
“...Understood.”
In the end, I didn't feel like I’d really found out anything substantial. Even if I was chosen by the Great Labyrinth, it didn't spark some sense of mission in my heart.
Suddenly, the road ahead felt much longer. I’d always intended to see the end of the Labyrinth eventually, but still.
“Phew, I’ll come by again later.”
“Okay.”
Just as I was about to open the door of the magic item shop and leave, something occurred to me.
“By the way, what is the original owner’s name?”
“No one knows his name.”
“There must be a way people refer to him. Like Demon King, or something like that.”
“That’s someone else.”
“What, so there really is a Demon King?”
After appearing to contemplate for a moment, Iris finally spoke.
“The Emperor of Sinew.”
Did that mean the Emperor of Flesh, Blood, Bone, and Skin?
“That’s a name that sounds like it was just haphazardly put together.”
“He’d like it if he heard that.”
“I’m leaving. Make sure to lock the door.”
“Yes.”