Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Rat in the Wall, Madman's Castle (1)
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So Broken Spear being Yeopo only in Threshold is because of ability range?
Why can't she block even one bug with that bullshit OP ability? They collapse super fast whenever Threshold gets raided.
Broken Spear Castle's basement.
The secret room located beneath it.
A platinum blonde girl scribbling something on parchment.
The parchment listed simple personal info on five people, and the girl crossed out their names one by one with X's.
'Rapinel Beans, dropped out of Magic Tower, multiple counts of fraud and manslaughter.'
- Heh heh heh... Kyahaha! Dead is dead, that's it! I win! I win!
Died by suicide on floor 24. No atonement on the remorse floor. No revival needed.
'Zamof, ran a bandit gang outside, fled to 'Threshold' evading the army. Multiple arson, murders, human trafficking.'
- My eyes! I can't see! Nothing! Aaah! Neurgahthtan! Ahusmratas! Aaa!!
Died on floor 49 after gouging out his own eyes, excessive bleeding. No atonement on the remorse floor. No revival needed.
'Waldo, serial killer wandering between outside and 'Threshold', slicing up civilians.'
- Faaal, clothes, ooh!
Died on floor 68, waist bisected by a giant centipede. No atonement on the remorse floor. No revival needed.
And finally,
'Extraus, former inquisitor.'
A zealot who turned countless villages into hell to purge heretics.
A man who, infamous for slaughtering men, women, and children at the slightest hint of heresy, was dishonorably discharged and sought 'Threshold'.
'Lost left arm and exhausted... Floor 92, near death. Effectively dead.'
The girl finished her records, then tossed the new parchment onto the bookshelf piled with countless others.
'This batch all wiped out too... Sigh...'
Marie Broken Spear.
Lord of Broken Spear Castle, owner of the guild of the same name, and the de facto manager of 'Threshold'.
Disappointed by results far below expectations, she let out a sigh.
'Good to have a 90-floor breaker after so long... but too uncompromising temperament... Awkward to revive.'
The most important qualities to hand over Broken Spear Guild: mental fortitude and包容力.
They had to withstand the outer god's mental interference on contact, and cooperate with it for the greater good of 'Threshold's' peace.
'So I had high hopes for the top graduate after so long... but he wouldn't even wake up.'
The minimal condition: the outer god's power sprinkled as a trial.
Yet the man named Will couldn't overcome even that and stayed asleep, never entering the labyrinth.
From Marie's perspective, the disappointment was immense.
'Is the real top graduate just luck? Like stumbling on a weakened Blood Rafflesia...'
Grumbling, Marie's fingers scraped the bottom of the plate beside her.
'Huh, snacks gone... Gotta go up and grab some.'
Noticing the fruit she'd been munching was out, she stood and opened the door to her hideout.
And then,
"Whoa, Marie?"
"Eh?"
The man named Will, who'd come down at some point, was looking down at her from the doorway.
Unable to grasp the situation, Marie blinked.
'I've been overworking lately. Hallucinations now.'
She closed her eyes.
Opened them. The man was still there.
'Really tired, huh.'
She shut her eyes again.
Opened them. The man was still in place.
"Ah, uh, your clothes..."
The man averting his eyes upon seeing her.
Only then did Marie check her attire.
A single silk slip barely-there nightgown.
Stretched out to hell, hanging loosely off her shoulders.
Which meant things that shouldn't be seen were-
"E... eee... eeeee..."
Realizing it, Marie's face flushed bright red,
"Euaaaah-?!!!"
And soon, a shrill scream echoed through the labyrinth depths.
"May I come in?"
"...Do so."
After the brief awkward moment.
I waited outside while Marie inside fixed her disheveled clothes, then entered her room.
"Remarkable. How did you reach here?"
"What's with the sudden archaic speech?"
Marie gave a relaxed smile and raised her right ring finger.
"Hehe, thanks to this 'Ring of Arrogance'. It amplifies the wearer's arrogance, creating self-esteem and courage."
"Oh, uh, sure. If that's more comfy for you."
"...Should I take it off?"
"Yes."
Honestly, it was super awkward.
Like seeing your studious nerd friend show up to school with a delinquent regent haircut.
"..."
-Pop.
With the ring off, Marie reverted to the crumpled, timid look from our first meeting.
I thought the timid act was fake, but this seems to be her real personality.
"S-so, um... Will... how did you get here... No, you were clearly s-sleeping..."
"There was an Elly... no, a passage in the wall, so I came through there."
Right after map-hacking and spotting 'something' in the mansion basement, I returned to my body and took the elevator down.
Seemed like the castle wouldn't react if I just looked without touching.
"P-passage...?! D-don't tell me you could see that? No, more than that, h-how did you even think to ride it down..."
She's talking about the elevator.
Thinking about it, this is medieval times.
Few would think of it as a passage.
"Yeah, I'm pretty curious by nature. Touched it a bit and it went down."
"C-curious enough for that doesn't seem like your level..."
Keep talking like this and my possession might get exposed.
I changed the subject.
"Anyway, what were you doing down here? And you're the castle lord too, right?"
Face beet red, Marie nodded and stammered out the situation.
"...So, you held the exam to find someone to share the castle's secrets and split the work? And you approached me knowing I was top graduate."
"Y-yes. My... situation is... hard to believe... Plus, what's underground is surprisingly timid..."
Misunderstanding.
I recalled the sight in the castle basement.
At the elevator's end in the castle basement lay a massive natural cave hidden under the cliff face.
World Cup stadium-sized, high-ceilinged like an underground city.
Don't know how, but blue grass grew on the floor.
"Yeah, no one'd expect you'd raise something like that under the castle."
Between rocks, houses carved out,
and inside...
[Censored.]
Golden hamsters with orange fur—hundreds of Marie's little ones—munching sunflower seeds scattered on the ground, frolicking happily in the meadow.
Hamster paradise. Hamster Dreamland.
Adorably cute, insanely so.
That's why I rushed down as soon as I woke up—to see them for real.
"...Huh."
Hearing that, Marie stared at me in shock.
"Th-that's all... you saw?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
These hamsters are probably guardians like Elenaia.
"'Timid' means scared of people paying attention, right?"
"...Yes. That's part of it, but... the backlash when exposed..."
I didn't fully get it, but somewhat understandable.
If they said 'Your guild fees go to hamster chow', it might piss people off a bit.
Plus negative impact from nosy tourists.
"Anyway, if it's okay with you, mind if I take a quick tour?"
"Sure, of co— Y-yes?!?!"
Marie was outright shocked this time.
Maybe rude? Since they're people-shy.
"Too much?"
"N-no! It's fine... W-welcome even...! R-really okay?"
Worried about germs?
"Should be fine. I don't get sick easily."
"Th-that's not the issue... Ugh..."
Marie agonized over my answer for a while, but
"A-alright... You passed the ordeal anyway, so mental fortitude... B-but! Tell me immediately if you feel off even a little!"
Finally resolved, she led me to Hamster Dreamland.
'Passed the ordeal' caught my ear, but whatever.
"Whoa, seeing them live is a whole different vibe."
Anyway, I got to enjoy the hidden hamster paradise under Broken Spear Castle.
Astral projection dulled my senses, so kinda missed out.
"Hehe, tickles."
Hamsters were scared at first, but soon swarmed me, realizing I wasn't scary, putting on a show.
High-end castle tour with lavish treatment, underground city exploration, healing with cute hamsters.
'Perfect.'
Looks like today updates my isekai tourism peak.