Chapter 148: The Victims' Association
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148: The Victims' Association
The Council that manages the Labyrinth City is composed of the city's internal nobility and the heads of each major institution.
They exist to decide on the city's significant affairs and to coordinate the most critical matters regarding the Labyrinth's exploration.
For instance, the formation of raid forces or restrictions on Labyrinth entry are decided by this Council. It is a place where the highest-ranking individuals of the Labyrinth City gather, and it is also where those most knowledgeable about the Labyrinth assemble.
Consequently, many people who are normally extremely difficult to meet attend these sessions.
So that person is the Librarian. And that old man is Marigold's Guild Master...
The woman with glasses was likely the one called the Librarian. The benevolent-looking, white-haired old man was probably Marigold's Guild Master. And the man beside them was likely the Master of the Martial Arts Hall.
All three were people one couldn't meet through ordinary means.
In particular, the woman known as the Librarian was considered a walking library—a half-elf with profound knowledge in various fields. While she was often consulted on many matters, she rarely left her residence, likely due to her being a shut-in.
She was also famous as a bibliophile and a "text addict" who read every piece of writing she could find. She was called a linguistic genius, capable of reading and writing everything from Eastern scripts to extinct ancient languages.
The old man next to her was known by the epithet "Golden Fragrance." Like me, he possessed a subspace pocket and was the owner of Marigold, the largest merchant association in the city.
He was one of only three known owners of subspace pockets in this city. If one had to pick the wealthiest person in the city, it would likely be that old man.
I wondered what was inside his inventory. I’d heard he carried all sorts of goods with him. He was essentially a walking merchant guild.
The Master of the Martial Arts Hall is no joke, either.
That hairy man was an active Platinum Badge adventurer and a monster known as a Weapon Master. The prevailing opinion was that if he and Moira ever fought, one of them would definitely die.
His gaze is terrifying.
A battle maniac and a weapon collector, he would challenge anyone who looked interesting to a fight. If he won, he would take one of the opponent's weapons, pieces of armor, or accessories. There was a rumor that one of the swords Moira owned originally belonged to him.
If I had something he liked, he might challenge me to a fight as well.
If I beat him, I could take something from his armory in return. But there’s no chance of me winning.
To defeat a monster like him, one would need skills surpassing Moira's. Therefore, fighting him now would be nothing but a loss.
Anyway, quite a crowd has gathered.
All the city's big shots were here. I even saw a few other Platinum Badge adventurers. I’d heard that usually only the regulars showed up, but was every single member of the Council present today?
Over there, I saw Guild Master Moira, Tower Lord Mabel, and Saintess Freya. Beside them were city nobles I hadn't seen before, the head of the Alchemist Guild, and the Druid Club President.
Seeing familiar faces made me feel a bit more at ease.
That said, if I did anything weird here, my head would probably be off my shoulders in an instant.
Just peeking into the conference hall made my hands tremble. I was scared to go in.
"Ugh..."
"Lafnel, are you okay?"
Was she scared like me?
She was shaking like a leaf.
"It is deplorable that I must face those eyesores again."
"Ah..."
She wasn't shaking from fear.
She was trembling with rage. She looked absolutely frustrated.
"I wonder what nonsense they'll spew at me this time..."
This was likely that irritating sensation one feels when facing a mortal enemy.
Since the people who had stripped her of her rights were huddled together right there, Lafnel seemed to be under immense stress even before entering the hall.
I couldn't let her anger meter max out before the main event even started. The one who loses their cool first is the one who loses the argument.
I decided to calm Lafnel down quickly.
"It'll be fine. I've bribed half of them."
"Is that true...?"
"Yes. From the Guild Master to the Tower Lord and the Saintess. Even the Druid Club President over there is on our side. Besides them, several nobles will take our side under Moira's influence. The most influential people are all with us."
"My, what a reliable child you are. It makes me want to depend on you for the rest of my life."
"No, let's not go that far."
Depending on me for the rest of her life? That sounded like she just wanted to mooch off me. I couldn't have that.
"Why! Why are you rejecting me again?! Even if it's a sweet lie, tell me I can depend on you!"
"What sweet lie? If I give you an inch, you'll try to take a mile and stick to me forever."
"What?! Hey! It's not 'sticking to you,' it's mutual aid! And didn't you say you bought a house? When are you going to give me a housewarming tour? Do you have any spare rooms?"
"Good grief, woman."
Lafnel had been trying to get involved with me at every opportunity lately, subtly clinging to me whenever we met—either by leaning in close or throwing out sudden flirtations.
This was why you could never give an "old maid" an opening. She would immediately take up residence and refuse to leave my side. Above all, a romance with a long-lived species was a sad prospect. I would grow old, while Lafnel would have to watch me age while staying exactly as she was.
It wasn't just my problem. The real issue would be after I died of old age. She would have to live the rest of her long life on nothing but memories of me. Wouldn't that be a tragedy?
I believed it was best for long-lived species to date, marry, and have children with their own kind.
"You two over there. Could you please enter the conference hall now?"
"Ah, yes. Lafnel, let's stop joking around and head in."
"Tch... It's no use avoiding it forever. Our fates are already intertwined."
"Seriously, stop. If you keep saying weird things, I'll..."
"Are you going to hit me...? That is fine as well. This lady is generous. I shall accept it all."
"What are you even talking about!"
She was clinging to me because she was anxious. Still, I was glad her expression had brightened a bit thanks to our banter.
My own tension had also vanished thanks to her.
—Hmph. Quite a... suffocating lineup.
I agree.
Helena, who had been observing the surroundings from inside the Bracelet of Growth, sighed as she saw the familiar faces.
Seeing the city's big shots up close was even more intimidating.
It's my first time seeing most of the city nobles. They're all incredible.
There was a rumor that to hold a noble title and exercise authority in the Labyrinth City, one had to raise their adventurer rank to at least Gold Badge. It seemed the rumors were true.
Every single person sitting there felt powerful. Their expressions were grim, and judging by the scars they all bore, it felt like they had clawed their way to nobility after years of struggling in the Labyrinth during their youth. To inherit a house, one had to be that strong.
In particular, I felt a sharp, murderous aura from the middle-aged man sitting in the seat of honor, staring only at his documents.
That man must be Tirahan.
Among the internal nobility, he likely held the most influence.
I also knew he was terrifyingly strong. There were rumors that he had reached the ultimate mastery of the sword, though I didn't know if they were true.
People from his generation simply said he was as strong as a monster.
In my book, Moira is the strongest. Compared to her... hmm.
Maybe not now, but perhaps in his prime? Regardless, he was a frightening man. I watched his face as I sat in the chair prepared for me alongside Lafnel.
Being sandwiched between the people split into two sides made me feel like I was at a public hearing.
Actually, it wasn't just a feeling; this was essentially a hearing.
"Well then, today's protagonists have arrived."
One of the nobles sitting in his chair adjusted his glasses and spoke. He seemed to be the moderator for this meeting.
"Let's see... So, you've requested that Lady Lafnel be allowed entry into the Labyrinth, along with a guarantee of autonomous exploration rights?"
I didn't answer. I had been advised to stay quiet until told to speak.
"Very well. Let us discuss this agenda. First, why on earth do you intend to take Lafnel back into the Labyrinth? Answer now."
Finally, the permission to speak was given.
Now the real work began. Since the moderator had allowed me to answer, I just had to respond to their questions and persuade them.
"First, it is because I have judged that Lafnel will be of great help in exploring the Labyrinth. With her abilities, she will surely be able to break the deadlock in our current progress."
"Of great help in exploring the Labyrinth, you say. I suppose she would be."
A stern-looking noble with a goatee cut in, sounding displeased with my answer.
"Young man, you wouldn't know. You don't know how drastically that woman changes once she enters the Labyrinth."
"Ugh... Lepil. Are you still bitter? That was a long time ago."
"You! Lafnel! You wretched woman! Because of you... do you have any idea how much agony I had to endure?!"
"But you got your Gold Badge because of it!"
"What good is a Gold Badge?! For seven years—seven whole years, I had to live as a woman! My family wouldn't recognize me... I had to wander the Eastern District!"
The Eastern District... there was a red-light district in the eastern part of the Labyrinth City.
Good god. It was a euphemism, but he was saying he lived as a prostitute?! That old man with the goatee... was a prostitute? Damn. Just imagining it made me want to gag.
"Ahem... it was the price for power..."
"You never said there would be such a rotten side effect! Do you even know the pain of pregnancy?!"
"Urgh... I said I was sorry! I didn't know what the side effects were back then either!"
The goatee noble and Lafnel began to argue, their voices rising.
From what I could gather, back when Lafnel was obsessed with the Labyrinth, she had apparently made some kind of medicine from plants gathered there.
And she had tested it on that man. That goatee old man must have been young back then.
"It wasn't just Lord Lepil! I had to live as a pig for five years! Do you know how terrified I was when I was almost slaughtered?!"
"I'm still living with the aftereffects! My family line almost ended because of you!"
"Kuh... everyone agreed to it back then. I clearly told you there were side effects."
"Before the side effects, you tempted us by saying we'd gain immense power just by drinking the medicine!"
"Exactly! You spread false information, saying we could easily become Platinum Badges if we just drank it. I barely even made it to Gold Badge, let alone Platinum!"
"That's right! Always spouting sweet talk, using false advertising and exaggerating the effects of the drugs. Ugh. I couldn't speak for two years because of the side effects of the medicine that woman made!"
This was insane.
Half of the nobles were people who had suffered from the side effects of Lafnel's potions.
Still, seeing as they had gained enough power to sit in these seats... the effects of the medicines Lafnel made must have been genuine.
"Whoa, whoa. The atmosphere seems a bit too heated. Everyone, let's calm down."
The nobles, who had been shouting while contemplating how to crush Lafnel, fell silent all at once.
It was because Moira had stepped in to settle the situation. However, they didn't seem inclined to let Lafnel into the Labyrinth easily.
"Tch. It's not just the side effects of the medicine. If we don't keep Lafnel on a leash, there's no telling what she'll do next."
"Don't you remember the Botanical Garden incident? The garden went berserk while she was synthesizing some strange plant."
"She said she was making a resting area, but she ended up mass-producing monster nests instead."
"No matter how good her intentions were, the result was that countless adventurers suffered."
"I oppose Lafnel's return to the Labyrinth."
"I oppose it as well."
"Same here."
Dammit.
As a few people swayed the mood, an opposition party formed in an instant.
The funny thing was that the opposition wasn't against Lafnel's return because of personal gain or group interests; they were casting 'no' votes because they were genuine victims who had suffered because of her.
Beyond general political interests, they were sincerely terrified of Lafnel entering the Labyrinth.
I had come expecting a dirty political dogfight, but in reality, this was just a Lafnel Victims' Association.
"Just what on earth have you been doing?"
"Well... as I told you before, I did things quite... flamboyantly."
She really must have gone all out.
If half the conference hall was composed of Lafnel's victims, that said everything.