Chapter 102: How Not to Be Consumed by Malice
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 102: How Not to Be Consumed by Malice
“Wait! Wait a minute. What is that?”
“It’s a Spirit Summon Scroll. It can call forth all the vengeful spirits in the area.”
“You’re going to tear a scroll like that in the Labyrinth? When we haven’t even finished dealing with the heretics yet?”
“While the heretics are still around, I need to gather the souls and put them into their bodies.”
“No, do you have any idea what kind of chaos that might cause? Do you really think you can handle it? Looking closely at you now, something is definitely off. Executioner!”
The Saintess called out to Rosier, who was busy swinging her axe at a heretic.
“Yes?!”
“Over here. Come here for a second.”
At the Saintess’s call, Rosier lowered her axe and ran toward us.
“You called?”
“Yes. Look at this man’s eyes.”
“Hmm... They’re even cloudier than yesterday.”
“It’s that, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I thought he was acting strange. It looks like he’s in the process of being consumed.”
“Hah. Porter. Porter!”
“Uh, yes?”
“You realize you were about to act without a backup plan, right?”
“Well, that’s... I mean...”
Was it really that bad?
I felt like I could have easily controlled things even if I used the Spirit Summon.
“The Labyrinth is a place where you die the moment you let your guard down. Can you be absolutely certain that you can perfectly control your Ability right now? What if you lose control? What if you go berserk? You were about to do something purely on impulse. That is not a good sign.”
“There’s no way I’d go berserk...”
“You can’t guarantee that. Calling forth the vengeful spirits piled up in the Labyrinth in your current state would be a catastrophe. You absolutely wouldn’t be able to handle it. Even with that supporter of yours, it would be impossible.”
The Saintess pointed at Helena, who was currently forcing death upon the heretics.
I wanted to protest her opinion that I couldn't handle it even with Helena’s help, but before I could, Rosier grabbed my hand.
“The look in your eyes is not good. These are the early symptoms. Porter, look me straight in the eye.”
“No, why is everyone acting like this? Why do you keep saying something is wrong with me?”
“See? You’re acting strange.”
“Your aggressive tendencies have been maximized, and you’re overflowing with baseless confidence. There’s only one explanation for this. Porter, take a good look at yourself.”
“I... I’m fine—”
Before I could finish my argument, Rosier pulled me into an embrace.
My face was buried in Rosier’s soft breasts. I could smell her scent. Being held against her maternal chest, my heart began to steady.
“.....”
“Stay still. You are on the verge of a breakdown, Porter.”
“A breakdown...? Me?”
“Yes. The Malice of the Labyrinth is slowly creeping out of you. You’re one step away from losing all sense of fear and leaping into your own death. We’re stopping you before you become a moth to a flame. The Labyrinth mocks adventurers with fear and despair, but sometimes it breathes excessive confidence and recklessness into them to make them run toward their demise.”
“Why... why me of all people...”
“Because you are the easiest prey among us. The Labyrinth is cunning; it breaks the weakest first.”
Rosier claimed the Malice of the Labyrinth was coiling around me.
“As I said before, the Malice of the Labyrinth eats away at a person in various ways, not just by breaking their spirit. For example, that baseless confidence you’re feeling now. Or recklessness masquerading as courage. It goads you. It makes you want to leap toward death of your own volition.”
“Shit...”
I was in that state?
I hadn't even realized it. No, I probably couldn't have realized it on my own.
No matter how objectively one tries to examine their own state, it’s never easy.
Until the people watching from the side notice something is wrong, you just keep assuming you’re perfectly normal.
This is why companions are important. Roaming the Labyrinth alone involves far too many risks.
“Now, it seems you need to clear your head a bit.”
“That’s right, Porter. It’s because you’ve been through such a shock. You need some rest.”
“For now, let’s get out of this dark place. Let’s finish off the remaining heretics quickly.”
“That sounds like a plan. You Executioners! Pick up the pace!”
At the Saintess’s shout, Sasaro and Raphael began thinning out the heretics even faster.
“Um, Inquisitor...! There’s a strange book here...”
“Uh-oh. Recorder, don’t touch that. It looks extremely dangerous! Rosier, you look after the Porter for now. I think I need to go help over there.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
The Saintess ran toward Paramel. It seemed they had discovered a Cursed Book beneath the altar while executing the heretics.
“Porter, let’s sit and wait for a moment.”
“Yes. But Rosier, you can let go of my hand now.”
“Ah, I didn't realize I was holding it so tightly.”
Only then did Rosier release her firm grip on my hand.
It was a bit awkward. In truth, I had been stuck to her side for quite a while over the past week.
She was my guard, and I was the one she was protecting.
We were together almost constantly. Perhaps because of that, our physical distance felt strangely close.
“Um, Porter, you mentioned you have a wife, right?”
“We haven't officially registered the marriage yet, but I am living with my fiancée.”
“I see. Since you aren't married, I assume you don't have children yet?”
“Yes. No kids yet.”
“Then, if I may, I’ll give you a piece of advice. It’s easier to keep your sanity in the Labyrinth if you have children.”
“Children? Huh... But how do you know that, Rosier? Are you married?”
“No. It’s not that. I have no experience with men yet... Ahem. This is just something I heard from Sasaro.”
“Aha. Sasaro said he has children. That makes sense.”
Sasaro was the only married member of our party.
Rosier was likely giving me the same advice Sasaro had given her.
“In any case, our Church also actively encourages marriage. The thought of a child waiting for you on the Surface gives you the strength to stand up even in moments when you feel like you’re dying. Paternal and maternal love can sometimes work miracles.”
A way to maintain one's mental state for a long time without being easily swallowed by the Malice of the Labyrinth.
‘Have children.’
To have a child, I’d eventually have to get Yuria pregnant.
But Yuria still wanted to be active in the field. She also wanted to descend to the 7th Floor with me.
That was why I hadn't thought about children yet. If we had a kid, we couldn't enter the Labyrinth, and I couldn't just leave a child behind before they could even walk. If I were to die, Yuria would become a widow, and the child would grow up in a single-parent household.
At the very least, Yuria and I would need to be home to look after the child until they were about eight years old, around the time they enter elementary school. And we’d have to create an environment where the child could survive even if Yuria and I died. Like leaving behind an inheritance.
Anyway, to summarize all those complicated assumptions, having a child meant being tied down to childcare for about eight years.
It wasn't an easy choice. Raising a child isn't exactly simple, either. Even if I had slaves, I couldn't let a child grow up without a parent’s love.
“As I thought... a child seems a bit difficult right now.”
“It seems you have much to do.”
“Yes. I have too many tasks assigned to me. My fiancée does as well.”
“Hmm. I see. Well, besides maintaining your mental strength through paternal love, there is one other way.”
“Another way?”
“Yes. Most adventurers prefer this method.”
“What method is that?”
It obviously wouldn't be gambling or drugs.
What other way was there to healthily maintain one's mental state?
“Dating as many people as possible.”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you familiar with the word 'harem'?”
“Of course I am. I know it, but why are you bringing that up now...?”
“If you aren't in a position to have children, the best way to avoid being consumed by the Labyrinth is to create as many deep attachments as possible.”
“Are you saying...”
“It’s better to increase your bonds with those who will remain on the Surface. For those who aren't deeply devoted to religion and receiving the Goddess’s protection like myself or the other Inquisitors, having children or increasing the number of lovers is the most effective method.”
“So you’re saying I should increase the number of women...”
“Yes. That’s right. Do you happen to be a firm believer in monogamy?”
“Well... no.”
Polygyny was fine by me.
It’s not like I was some strict Confucian scholar.
“Then that’s a relief. Increase your women. It’s best to sleep with as many as possible and form as many attachments as you can.”
This was quite flustering.
To hear that I shouldn't let the Malice of the Labyrinth play with me by increasing my women—and to hear it from Rosier, a Priestess and Heretic Inquisitor.
It felt like a very scandalous situation. I suspected this was also information Sasaro had passed on to her.
Regardless, if the methods to avoid being easily eaten by the Malice of the Labyrinth were ‘making babies’ and ‘having many lovers,’ then increasing my women was definitely easier for me than raising a child.
‘Right now, I have Yuria. And I have the Young Lady and Moira, too.’
Do I need to increase it further?
It’s already a struggle to handle Yuria and Lady Leah. Moira feels more like a partner, so she’s comfortable, but since we have an attachment, I can’t exactly ignore her either.
‘I suppose it’s a relief that I don’t have any real flirting going on with the members of the Young Lady’s party.’
If anything, I was more deeply involved with Moira, who could be called a partner.
If the number of women increased beyond three, managing the relationships would probably become overwhelming.
Olivia was also constantly hitting on me. If I included her, that would already be four.
And out of those four, only Olivia was a slave.
As a slave fetishist, I was already in a position where I was likely to sleep with three women who weren't even slaves.
‘Four is already more than I deserve.’
Yeah, once I go back up this time, I really need to get some proper rest.
Last time, I was so caught up in various incidents that I couldn't rest properly.
I should take Rosier’s advice to heart.
Play around with women.
Increase the women and have tons of kids... wait, was that it?
Well, anyway, I missed Yuria and Lady Leah.
“Thanks for the advice.”
“It was nothing.”
Rosier patted my shoulder and stood up.
“I should go help out over there now. Well then.”
The Saintess and Paramel were arguing over a book that was emitting a dark aura.
As Rosier ran toward the scene, Helena soon approached me.
“You were almost eaten by the Labyrinth.”
“So it seems. I didn't even realize I was so full of myself.”
“Your self-esteem did seem unusually high. Well, it happens often, so don't worry too much about it. It’s no big deal.”
“No big deal? But the Saintess was panicked, and Rosier was advising me to have kids and more women.”
“She told you to increase your women? Was there some kind of vibe between you and that woman? You know, between a man and a woman...”
“What? Not at all. Nothing happened between Rosier and me. I just... made sure she was fed well. Gave her some snacks... Hmm. If I had to think of something, we huddled together when it was cold, but that’s it.”
“.....”
Helena, in the body of the Blue Apostle, looked at me with a somewhat pathetic expression.
“Sigh, never mind. Just think of their words as coming from people who view you as someone to be protected. If you’re aiming for the Platinum Badge, it’s better to cut ties with the secular world and throw yourself into the Labyrinth, whether you live or die.”
“Hah... that’s extreme.”
“But it’s the truth. Most of those who reach the Platinum Badge are the ones who act extremely. After all, they don't even know what your goal is. If you’re aiming for the deepest part, you need to be bold.”
“Bold...”
“If you had used the Spirit Summon, there was an 80 percent chance you would have lost control of the spirits and turned into a living cursed doll. But what if you had succeeded in that 20 percent?”
“What would have happened then?”
“You could have turned all the remaining heretics here into your slaves. You could have conquered the Underground City. Am I wrong?”
“That... is certainly true. Though I would have died with an 80 percent probability.”
“Well, I’m not saying you should just throw your life away. But keep this in mind. Sometimes you have to take the challenge. There will definitely come a moment when you have to jump, believing you won’t die even though you know you might. The Malice of the Labyrinth leads adventurers to their deaths, but if you endure without dying, you surpass your limits. So, what I’m saying is, don't be too discouraged.”
Combining Rosier’s and Helena’s advice led to this conclusion:
When an opportunity comes, you must sometimes act boldly. Also, increase your women and have tons of kids.
Wait, was this telling me to live the life of a total rogue?
“Thanks for the advice.”
“Right. Now, hurry up and put that man’s soul into that heretic’s body.”
Helena pointed her finger.
A heretic with a sturdy build was standing there.
If I put the swordsman’s soul into that heretic’s body, I’d be able to use him as a worker.
Let’s take that man’s body and start heading back up. The Labyrinth’s miasma is getting too thick.