Chapter 258: Can I Take Her Along?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 258: Can I Take Her Along?
After crushing the Antonio Brotherhood, I expected to be summoned here and there for a while. Surprisingly, that didn't happen. I’d even prepared myself a bit, thinking the Guild Headquarters would call for me again, but here’s why things turned out differently.
“It means you’re no longer the kind of person people can just bark orders at.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is.”
Currently, I was being treated as a provisional Orichalcum-grade explorer. That didn't mean I was actually busy with various duties like other Orichalcum-grade individuals, though.
“There are officially only six Orichalcum-grade explorers in existence. Do you have any idea how many explorers there are in this world?”
“Mmm...”
Lady Lymain’s tail was wrapped fluffily around Yura’s waist. Yura seemed to like it, sitting quietly on the lady’s lap and kneading the tail with her hands.
Well, it worked as a substitute for sensory play. Lady Lymain didn't seem to mind, so I figured it was fine.
She explained that there are roughly 120 places across the surface world called Labyrinth Cities, all under the Guild's management. Among them, only eight cities house a Great Labyrinth that goes beyond the 50th floor.
And of those eight, Calax is one of the three Great Labyrinths that no one has ever seen the end of. The other two are Hechituk and Roanmarie.
Calax is a relatively new Labyrinth City, about 200 years old, while Roanmarie is an ancient one, over 500 years old. Roanmarie’s population is around 110,000—about 2.7 times larger than Calax’s 40,000.
While Calax has about 3,000 registered explorers and roughly 4,000 active ones, Roanmarie has about four times that number.
And Hechituk? It boasts a staggering 800-year history and a population 1.5 times larger than Roanmarie’s.
“There are two Orichalcum-grade explorers in Roanmarie.”
“Then there are two more at the Headquarters... is the last one in Hechituk?”
“No, the last one is in Wispales. Hechituk has its own independent explorer management system. They feel no need to follow a system created by Roanmarie, which has only been around for 500 years.”
That made sense. I’d heard that Roanmarie and Hechituk didn't get along very well. Although Roanmarie, the latecomer, had better scalability and its system had become the standard, if Hechituk’s unique structure had been working fine for 800 years, there was no reason to change it.
“Then I suppose there must be plenty of people at the Orichalcum level there.”
“They use an eight-tier grading system. Currently, there are five '8-Star' explorers, which is their highest rank.”
“Eight tiers? That’s fewer than the Headquarters' system. Are they weaker, then?”
“Quite the opposite. The low-rankers the Headquarters calls Brass or Lead wouldn't even be considered explorers in Hechituk.”
“I see how it is.”
It seemed that outside of Hechituk, you had to be at least Iron or Silver Grade to even be called an explorer there. The basic prerequisite for an explorer in Hechituk was being a 'person with skills.' You had to grind in the labyrinth for at least a month or two and obtain a skill before they’d even give you a 1-Star tag.
“Now, now. You mustn't lick the tail.”
“It doesn't taste good.”
“Indeed. Fur is not meant for eating.”
Lady Lymain wiped her saliva-covered tail with a tissue, set Yura down, and stood up. She then called for someone to bring an item.
Click.
The object the servant brought was familiar to me.
“Ah, this is...”
“It truly is a greatsword made entirely of Orichalcum.”
“What did you think of it? I believe it’s a well-made blade.”
“It... seems it would be difficult for me to use. It consumes far too much mana.”
“Ah, right.”
I had forgotten just how thick and intense Hersha’s aura was. Since it would drain dozens of times more mana than most rare metals, it might be difficult to exert full power with it.
“Still, I think it’s best if you keep it. I don't really use it anymore.”
“Why? A swordsman leaving his sword behind?”
“Well... I’ve gained another ability that lets me create weapons.”
In any case, once I coated something in Hersha’s aura, the durability was about the same whether it was a wooden stick or an Orichalcum greatsword. Whether it’s a hundred million or a hundred billion, it’s equally unbreakable against 100 damage. If anything, the sword felt like a bit of a waste of aura. Besides, having a sword in each hand meant I could cut twice as much.
It sounded a bit like something a madman would say, but it was the truth.
“The Guild Headquarters will likely notify you in some way once they’ve settled on how to handle you. Adding an Orichalcum-grade explorer isn't something done lightly, so it will take some time.”
“I’ll finally be a son-in-law you don't have to be ashamed of.”
“Listen to you. You are more than enough. Thanks to you, there’s much to do within Calax. I’ll likely have to stay here for a while to handle things personally.”
Since the Southeast had practically fallen into her hands, the workload had suddenly increased beyond what Theodora, who was originally in charge of Calax, could handle alone.
The Golden Glove Syndicate was also watching these events very closely and supporting them. Many were stepping forward to help with Lymain’s affairs in Roanmarie.
They were already the top family, but this incident had firmly established them as the most powerful faction within the Golden Glove Syndicate. Lower-tier families would surely be lining up to join them.
“So, what do you plan to do now?”
“I don't have any specific plans. I intend to focus on some things I’ve been neglecting for a while.”
“You mean the child.”
Lady Lymain looked at Yura, who was nestled in my arms. Yura didn't quite understand what we were talking about and just stared back at her with wide, round eyes.
“Yes, yes. You are quite adorable. Would you like a candy?”
“Yes, please!”
She wasn't her biological grandchild, but she was a grandchild nonetheless. And children are always cute. She really was adorable. She was my daughter, after all.
“I will contact you again if I need anything. Do you require a carriage?”
“No, I’m fine. Yura likes flying.”
“I see. Being of Horus’s bloodline, that makes sense.”
* * *
After dropping Yura off at the inn, I paid a quick visit to the magic item shop. The atmosphere felt slightly gloomier than before, but since Iris was always like that, I didn't think much of it.
“Welcome.”
“Have you been getting some rest?”
“Yes.”
The Succubus Queen, Lilith Astaroth, was currently sealed in my subspace due to my ability. Inside, time didn't flow, she couldn't move her body as she pleased, and even her consciousness couldn't react properly.
“What do you think?”
“Yes.”
“Wait, no. I’m asking what you think. Will I be able to handle the Succubus Queen’s abilities?”
“I don't know.”
“Well, you’re honest.”
Could I actually use Lilith Astaroth’s powers? To put it bluntly, the Succubus Queen had lost all her mana. She was so weakened that the version of her I had 'consumed' was essentially just an ordinary woman with broken limbs.
Of course, if I let her out, she might recover her mana, but Iris believed it would be impossible to perfectly restore the Succubus Queen who had displayed her full power while connected to the Demon Realm.
“If you brought your Treasure or whatever, Iris, would you become much stronger than you are now?”
“Yes.”
“Have you tried?”
“No.”
“I see.”
Iris was powerful within the subspace, but in the end, she wasn't the same Monarch who possessed the full power she had in the Demon Realm. It seemed she could summon her Treasure through a ritual similar to the one Lilith used, though the method differed slightly.
“Who is the next target?”
“What?”
“The... Legion Commanders. You mentioned I needed to consume a few more.”
Lilith Astaroth was the Succubus Lord and served as a Legion Commander for the Demon King. Recalling what Iris had said before, there were likely more Legion Commanders.
Come to think of it, she said she was a Legion Commander too.
Iris Albresto, the Vampire Lord, was also apparently a Legion Commander of the Demon King. According to Lilith’s memories, the Legion Commanders were supposed to oppose me.
I still wasn't sure why Iris was helping me.
“There are none.”
“Huh? None?”
“Yes. You have to wait.”
Surprisingly, there were no other Legion Commanders available right now. More accurately, it was impossible to find them. Even the Succubus Queen, who used the pseudonym Mystery Antoinette, wasn't someone we found by searching; we just happened to be in the same city.
“They aren't lurking nearby, are they?”
“No.”
“True. If they were, they would have come out to help the Succubus Queen before she died.”
In any case, there didn't seem to be any Legion Commanders for me to deal with immediately. Even if there were, I doubted they’d be easy to find.
The Succubus Queen had spent 200 years preparing and even pulled her Treasure from the Demon Realm to attack, yet I had won. The next opponent would undoubtedly be even more meticulous in their approach.
“Rest for about two months.”
“A vacation, then?”
And so, I suddenly had a long break. It wasn't that I planned to do absolutely nothing, but since there would be discussions at the Guild Headquarters and other matters to attend to, I didn't think I’d be that idle.
“Well, Iris. I’m heading out.”
“...Yes.”
“Is there something you want to say?”
Iris seemed lost in thought for a moment, but the words that finally came out were quite useless.
“Show me your body.”
“Hmm...”
* * *
“There we go. That’s it. Don't grip it too hard; keep it soft like this.”
About three weeks had passed since the incident, and things had settled down to some extent.
“Yoo Eon? A letter arrived for you.”
“A letter?”
While I was playing with Yura, giving her a small, well-crafted wooden sword, a letter arrived at the Mounted Goat Inn.
“Thanks, Sera.”
“Sure, it’s nothing—eek?!”
As Sera delivered the letter to the backyard, I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed her. After a moment of letting our tongues entwine, a flustered Sera lightly tapped my chest.
“Yu-Yura is watching...!”
“Haha, so what?”
“Honestly...”
Her face turned bright red as she stumbled back toward her room. I sat down on the dirt in the backyard, pulled Yura onto my lap, and showed her the envelope.
“Here, Yura. Can you open this envelope with magic for me?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
She was still a bit clumsy, but the blood of Horus didn't lie. She extended her tiny index finger and made a swiping motion across the top of the envelope. A blade of wind sliced through the paper, albeit a bit jaggedly.
“Who’s my clever girl? You did so well.”
“Daddy’s girl.”
“That’s right.”
I ruffled the hair on top of Yura’s head and pulled the letter out of the torn envelope.
“Guild Headquarters...”
They’d kept me waiting long enough, but it had finally arrived.
“'We shall escort you with the utmost respect,' huh...”
Their tone and treatment had changed significantly. Carriage support, expense coverage, full-course hospitality, and more. I suppose it was expected. It wasn't as if my last encounter with the Guild Headquarters had been particularly pleasant.
“Hmm. I wonder if I can take my daughter along?”
“Me?”