Chapter 156: The Second Underground City Campaign
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 156: The Second Underground City Campaign
The day of the final battle had arrived.
Today was finally the day we would pacify the Underground City.
“Olivia, keep a good eye on the house.”
“Yes... but next time, definitely...”
I had decided that Olivia wouldn't be coming along on this expedition.
She seemed to want to enter the Labyrinth, but I didn't plan on taking her until the Underground City was fully brought to heel.
“Right, right. We’ll go in together next time. Marin, you keep the place safe too.”
“Understood, sir!”
With Marin and Olivia in charge of the mansion, I was sure they would protect it well.
I wasn't so sure about Olivia, but Marin was a sharp and clever girl.
“The rest of you, make sure to listen to Marin and Olivia.”
Ali, Telun, and even A2.
These three would assist Olivia and Marin. None of them were likely to act out, so it should be fine.
The lizard-girl Ali was a bit rebellious, but she was completely powerless against Marin. It seemed lizards and slimes just didn't get along.
At any rate, while my slave maids guarded the house, we planned to enter the Labyrinth and pacify the Underground City.
We were set to depart today.
Our destination: the Adventurer’s Guild.
A raid force had been recruited for the Second Underground City Campaign, and from the numerous applicants, a team was formed consisting only of those with particularly good reputations.
Moira had filtered out anyone who might resist or rebel against the orders of the command team. In total, twelve parties were selected.
Excluding the command team, which included the Saintess, and the support team, which included the Tower Lord, a total of ten parties—including our supply team—would be heading down.
Furthermore, our group was split into two parties: one consisting of myself, Yuria, Lady Leah, Rosier, and Lafnel; and another consisting of Roy, Rien, Rika, Erika, and Ainhel. This meant there were eight teams composed purely of outside adventurers.
“Now then. From this moment on, you will bypass the upper levels and enter the Underground City directly. The command team is a heretic-hunting team composed of the Saintess and the Inquisitors. The core objective of this campaign is to turn the Central Section into human territory and subjugate the Underground City according to the command team’s orders.”
The command team consisted of the Saintess and three Inquisitors. Rosier didn't join them this time because she was part of my party for this expedition.
The Saintess looks the same as ever.
Freya looked as fine as always, and the Inquisitors included Raphael and Paramel, just like last time.
However, Sasaro was nowhere to be seen. A new person had taken his place.
Where did Sasaro go? Did he really retire?
“Once everyone is ready, proceed immediately to the Eastern Underground Waterway. There is a transfer stone there connected to the 5th floor. I wish you all the best of luck.”
Moira’s short speech ended.
Led by the command team, the adventurers moved toward the Eastern Underground Waterway, where the transfer stone to the 5th floor was located.
“Excuse me, Mr. Raphael.”
“Hm? It’s the fledgling. Have you been well?”
“It’s been a while, Raphael. But where is Sasaro?”
“He retired as soon as he was resurrected. Said he was going back to his hometown last week.”
“Ah... so he really did retire.”
Raphael and Sasaro had died during the last heretic subjugation. It seemed Sasaro had decided to lay down his duties after this latest resurrection. Raphael, being younger, was apparently sticking with the job.
“Sasaro is getting up there in years. It’s about time he rested. He said if he pushed himself any further, he might not even be able to be resurrected next time.”
“Then I assume that person is Sasaro’s replacement?”
“Yeah. He’s a rookie, but he’s quite capable. Ask him his name yourself.”
“I see. And Paramel, it’s been a while.”
“Haha... yes, it has...”
Paramel still seemed as shy as ever.
I passed Raphael and Paramel and approached the young man walking behind the Saintess.
“Saintess.”
“Hmm? Oh, it’s the Porter. It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has. Have you been at peace?”
“Haha! Why are you being so formal with me? Thanks to you, Porter, I made a killing selling that giant’s corpse. My pockets are quite full.”
“Haha... I’m glad to see you’re happy.”
Watching the Saintess speak so bluntly, I thought once again that she was a truly pleasant person.
“By the way, the person next to you is...”
“Ah, he’s a new recruit. Come, introduce yourself. This is the Porter, the only owner of a subspace pocket in the Labyrinth City, who performed brilliantly during the last heretic subjugation.”
“It’s Sion, not Porter.”
“Ah, right. It’s Sion.”
This woman still gets my name mixed up.
Well, whatever. 'Porter' does feel more familiar.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sion. I am Abram, an interrogator participating in this subjugation in place of Sasaro.”
He was a white-haired man with perpetually squinted eyes. Something about him felt a bit suspicious, but his tone was very gentle.
Of course, being an Inquisitor meant he probably wasn't entirely sane, but there were no visible issues on the surface.
The fact that his eyes were always closed just made me a little uneasy.
“Nice to meet you, Abram. I look forward to working with you.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
After greeting Abram, I returned to my party.
“So that man has come.”
“Do you know him?”
“Yes. He is quite famous. Famous for his cruelty.”
“Ah...”
Rosier knew Abram. Perhaps because she was also an Inquisitor, she recognized him immediately.
But to be famous for cruelty... he smelled dangerous.
But it doesn't matter.
Sasaro had also been renowned for his cruelty. However, that was only toward enemies; to me, he had been a kind old man.
Abram also seemed kind to those around him. I would likely only see his cruel side when we encountered heretics or monsters of the Labyrinth.
“Alright, we’ve arrived. We’ll go in first, so follow in order.”
There was a temporary station set up in the underground waterway.
After showing our adventurer badges, we were allowed to use the transfer stone.
The first group to enter the Underground City was the command team, including the Saintess. Next was the support team, consisting of Tower Lord Mabel and the mages, followed immediately by our party.
The first two teams would sweep away any monsters in the Central Section, and then our team would enter and immediately begin the supply work.
Since my party was strictly the supply team.
“Whew. I’m nervous.”
“It’s nothing. Just relax.”
“I know, but I’m still nervous.”
The Lady was still tense, while Rosier silently stared ahead.
Even the usually playful Yuria was quietly glaring at the transfer stone. She became particularly sharp whenever we entered the Labyrinth.
“Next group, please enter.”
Following the instructions of the guild staff member checking badges at the station, we stepped in front of the transfer stone.
We would be transported directly to the Central Section. Even if there were enemies, the Saintess’s party and the Tower Lord would have already cleared them out.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Phew. Let’s do this.”
As the team leader, I activated the transfer stone.
With me in the lead, our party entered the Labyrinth.
Finally, we were going to completely conquer the Underground City.
*
“Ugh...”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes... I’m fine. The air is just a bit heavy...”
As soon as we entered the 5th floor of the Underground City, Lady Leah felt the pressure of the dense mana.
It was likely because it was her first time here. The mana concentration was incomparably higher than in the upper levels.
“Hey! Porter!”
“Yes!”
“Give us some torches!”
At Raphael’s shout, I immediately pulled out torches and began planting them around the Central Section.
Light was important. Only with light could we fight monsters on equal footing.
“Quite a few are already dead.”
“Indeed.”
In the Central Section, quite a few corpses of Hob Goblins were visible. It looked like the vine beans had taken care of them.
There was no monster wave this time. It was proof that the heretics' momentum had been completely broken.
Normally, they would have tamed the monsters by offering heretics as living sacrifices to occupy the Underground City. However, we had killed the Blue Apostle who presided over the rituals along with the Saintess, and we had slaughtered all the heretics used as sacrifices, completely cutting off their foundation.
Perhaps because of that, there wasn't even a trace of the heretics to be found.
They had likely hidden themselves deep below the Layer Division of the Underground City.
Although two more Apostles and the Saint in Black remained, their usable forces had been almost entirely wiped out. Their ruin was already a foregone conclusion.
The Yeti tribe remains, but in terms of combat power, they’re on par with Dungeon Trolls.
There were many tamers who could control monsters, but since the heretics who supported them were mostly dead, it didn't matter.
We just had to find them and hunt them down.
“Raid Team 4 has entered!”
“Raid Team 5 has also entered safely.”
Afterward, adventurers began entering the Underground City one after another.
“We will begin construction of the forward base.”
“Hey, give me some tents and poles!”
I unloaded all the supplies I had received from the guild in advance.
Simple tents were erected in the Central Section, and a base camp was established.
From here, only the permanent staff would remain, while the other teams would roam the Underground City starting from the Central Section.
“Our command team will head below the Layer Division to hunt heretics. From now on, the Tower Lord will manage and command everything above the Layer Division.”
The Saintess’s party left the Central Section. They would now roam the labyrinthine depths below the Layer Division of the Underground City.
I heard that the new interrogator, Abram, specialized in tracking. He would likely find every last remaining heretic.
I could collect the corpses of the heretics they hunted later.
“Food supplies are finished. Extra weapons are prepared here, so feel free to use them.”
“Understood. Then we will move to the Spire District now.”
“Let’s all meet again alive!”
The adventurers began to move. From now on, what I had to do was work with the mages of the support team to summon the Three Villainesses of the Labyrinth.
That was the top priority.
It was the best measure to prevent a cataclysm in the Underground City, create a breakwater against disaster, and control the monster spawn rate to prevent random spawning.
“Let’s get started.”
From now on, the Underground City would be very different from before.