Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Preparing for the 6th Floor (2)
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"By any chance, have you met Ethelburt Adelrine?"
'How the hell did she know that from the smell?'
No, she's a cat beastkin, so maybe it's not impossible? But how does Seriph even know Ethelburt's scent?
Pinpointing someone just from a lingering body odor is no easy feat.
You'd have to be intimately familiar with that scent, the kind of closeness where you recognize it instantly. Otherwise, it's next to impossible.
'Are the two of them connected somehow? Come to think of it, they share the same last name.'
Adelrine. Not a common surname. No way.
'Are they sisters?'
"Yes. She's my master."
"Your master?! That woman?!"
"Yes."
"Ugh... uh...!"
Her perky cat ears and tail drooped, mirroring her frustration.
Seriph ran her hand over her divine power dispenser as if trying to swallow back harsh words.
Bzzz...
She flinched at the sudden vibration from the necklace.
"Eek...!"
Realizing just how close she'd gotten to me, she flushed red and jumped back in surprise.
"S-Sorry! I can't believe I made such a blunder..."
"It's fine. I'm pretty used to this sort of thing by now."
Maybe it was all the intense training with Ethelburt lately, but I'd built up a slight tolerance to the sight of her wildly jiggling, all-natural breasts.
Of course, it was only a slight tolerance, and even tightly wrapped in her priestess robes, Seriph's magnificent bosom couldn't be fully hidden—its proud swell offered a different kind of allure that was plenty stimulating.
"Ah..."
My words only deepened the apology on Seriph's face.
Her gaze held a pitying look, like she was staring at a rape victim.
'Now that I think about it, Seriph's been laboring under some ridiculous misunderstanding about me.'
"More importantly, do you know my master?"
Feeling a bit stung, I changed the subject, and Seriph's expression darkened again. She gripped her necklace tightly, muttering under her breath as if venting her anger.
"...A fiend who abandoned her faith, a vile traitor..."
'Doesn't sound like a good relationship.'
Whatever had happened between them, her trembling voice didn't bode well.
"...We're just vaguely acquainted, that's all. She hasn't been up to anything suspicious, has she...?"
"Suspicious?"
"W-Well... using training as an excuse to... you know... do things that go against the teachings of the Earth Mother God...?"
I wasn't part of the temple, but I knew the Earth Mother God cult—forbade all manner of debauchery, from Yas to everything else.
Things against the Earth Mother God's teachings? Obvious enough.
I recalled my training sessions with Ethelburt.
'She chokes me with those thick thighs now and then and gives killer lap pillows, but nothing overtly sexual.'
"Nothing like that. If anything, thanks to her lately, I can feel myself getting stronger than before. She's a bit rough around the edges, but she takes good care of me."
With the axe at my waist—the one Ethelburt had gifted me—peace of mind came naturally.
"I-Is that so? Th-That's a relief... yes..."
Seriph looked like she'd just suffered a bitter defeat.
"I-I can take care of you just as well as Ethelburt—better, even! If you ever need a miracle or a blessing, come find me anytime...!"
"Ah, sure..."
Her voice was so earnest that I nodded without thinking.
Her ruby-red eyes sparkled as they locked onto me.
She looked like a cat clutching a cherished stuffed toy, terrified her butler might snatch it away.
"Lady Seriph. It's almost time. There are so many injured explorers from the forewarning..."
At that moment, a paladin in golden armor appeared behind Seriph.
She must've leveled up a lot from the last labyrinth run—now even mid-level explorers showed fewer censored bits in their status windows.
I could see the count of blessings and curses, even if not the details.
"Ah... Got it. I'll head over soon. Balkan, could you extend your hand for a moment?"
I hesitated briefly before holding out my hand, and a warm light settled at my fingertips.
It felt similar to the Blessing of Radiance, yet different.
"It's the Miracle of the Mental Barrier. Just once, but it'll block all mental attacks below intermediate level. Always be careful. You're a precious person, Balkan."
More than the sudden miracle, her following words struck deeper.
Precious person? I was just a no-name junior explorer from the labor pools.
'Is this what an upper priestess of the Earth Mother God cult is like—one who serves and respects all?'
Growing up in an orphanage without parents, I'd never been treated like someone's cherished child. It was a fresh shock.
I believe you, Seriph. You're a true devotee.
"Thank you, Lady Seriph. I'll definitely come see you again."
"Yes! I'll be waiting!"
Seriph flashed a bright smile, her cat ears and tail swishing happily as she headed into the grand temple with the golden paladin.
I watched her go quietly, then made my way to the library.
Sigh. Time to read. My head's already starting to hurt.
Isn't this a mental attack in itself?
"Lady Seriph! Why waste such a precious miracle on a man like that?!"
The temple paladin in golden armor, Nate Elin, couldn't comprehend the situation at all.
"Over a hundred mid-level or higher explorers are lined up for your miracles alone. And that's not all—those haughty nobles pull every string just to catch a glimpse of you!"
Seriph Adelrine. Upper priestess of the grand temple.
She wasn't someone people came to on foot—she was the one others sought.
Dozens, hundreds of explorers waited endlessly each day for temple approval to receive her dazzling miracles.
Nobles and elites showered her with gifts and bribes, desperate for even a moment of her time.
And yet, what was this?
Seriph Adelrine herself, leaving her assisting paladin at the temple counter to greet some no-name junior explorer—rushing out barefoot the moment he arrived!
'Even I haven't received that miracle yet!!'
This was an unprecedented shock for Nate Elin, who'd served as Seriph's paladin for years.
"Hmm... Nate, I know all that. How many clingy people are there?"
Seriph smiled softly.
But that smile was slightly different from the one Nate had seen moments ago.
No. This is the real Seriph's smile, the usual one.
It was so subtle he almost missed it.
Still beautiful, radiant, exuding noble compassion.
But it felt like a mask, ever so slightly forced.
Others wouldn't notice.
Only Nate, after a decade at her side, caught the tiny difference.
'...The expression she had looking at that man was far more vibrant and natural—'
"He's a precious person. Far more valuable than someone like me."
Seriph's quiet murmur halted Nate's thoughts.
What did that even mean? In this labyrinth city, who was more valuable than Seriph?
"He's just a junior explorer, Lady Seriph!"
"Yes. Right now, he's just another dime-a-dozen junior. But will he stay that way?"
Seriph beamed—that natural smile again. Who was she thinking of now?
The answer was obvious.
"Someday, he'll shine as a grand blessing, a brilliant light."
With that murmur, Seriph clasped her hands tightly in prayer.
Her cat tail and ears drooped slightly, then perked straight up.
Crunch...
An ominous sound echoed from her prayer-clasped hands.
"So I can't let that vile fiend take him away."
Seriph gripped her faintly trembling cross necklace over her chest, steeling her resolve.
"Never."
Thinking of the fiend who was once her sister—and who betrayed the temple and her.
The temple library was vast. I'd never seen one in the modern world, but it felt twice the size of a public library.
Yet, for the number of books and the building's scale, there were few readers.
A handful of temple staff at most. With the librarian's help, I found a few books on what I wanted.
[Proper Sexuality Between Men and Women]
[Why Monsters Are Dangerous: Male-Corrupting Pheromones Edition (With Illustrations)]
The book on male-corrupting pheromones from goblins and other monsters (with illustrations) was so dog-eared the cover was falling apart—clearly checked out countless times.
The librarian eyed me suspiciously, so I grabbed a few others too.
[Mysterious and Amazing Labyrinth Tales]
[Earth Mother God and the Myth of Light]
"Any books on portals?"
"Specialized stuff like that would be in the academy's grand library."
Fountains or portals were what I needed most, but the temple had nothing on them.
'How am I supposed to get to the academy...'
Practically impossible.
I sat and read for a while.
[Proper Sexuality Between Men and Women] was full of baffling, head-spinning nonsense beyond common sense—I returned it.
[Why Monsters Are Dangerous: Male-Corrupting Pheromones Edition (With Illustrations)] made my head spin too.
– Male-corrupting pheromones drive men mad with pleasure if violated by monsters.
– Men who can't overcome it become lifelong monster fucktoys or suicide from ecstasy. No man has ever overcome it.
That explained the men begging for pussy from goblins.
– The stronger the man violated by a monster, the stronger its seed grows. Seed maturation period max...
Thank goodness my pure brain wasn't tainted—some pages were torn out from there on.
Given the content, probably someone ripped out the naughty illustrations.
No porn in this world, so it made sense. Even isekai kids were the same.
[Mysterious and Amazing Labyrinth Tales] was just fanciful adventure fluff full of labyrinth fantasies.
If labyrinth diving was really that bright and hopeful, I'd have plunged deep already.
I wanted to read [Earth Mother God and the Myth of Light] picture book, but time was short. Had to make evening market.
Paid the silver half-coin fee—classified as luxury, so pricey—and checked out the books.
As I went to return [Mysterious and Amazing Labyrinth Tales] to the desk after a quick skim...
"Mister."
A unfamiliar voice came from right beside me.
I turned to see a red-haired, red-eyed elf girl staring straight up at me.
Long, pointed ears, oversized mage hat and robe, white dress shirt with tennis skirt—a sharp yet rounded, mysterious elven girl.
"If you're not gonna read that book, give it to me."
It sounded casual enough, but I'd already been scratched.
'Mister?'
Me? Mister? I'm only 22! Haha.
I opened my mouth to school the bratty elf...
"But mister... are you an explorer by any chance?"
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as we locked gazes.
"Then have you ridden a labyrinth portal too?!"
My eyes naturally drifted to the book in her hands.
[Ellie Ordia: Portal and Dimensional Magic Research Journal 1]
