Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 16: The Noble Perspective on Resurrection

It was late afternoon outside.

The sky was on the verge of sunset.

The air was cool, and the blowing breeze seemed to announce that this was no longer the Labyrinth.

The victims of the Labyrinth Eruption who had gathered outside the entrance were being managed to some extent. The injured had likely been moved to the relief station, and the bodies sent to the Church.

The adventurers who had been slumped at the entrance in despair were mostly gone now. They had either headed to the guild or ventured back into the Labyrinth.

'Judging by the lack of pain in my body...'

It seemed I hadn't undergone mana adaptation. Since Rohan and Hachi had defeated most of the monsters, I hadn't gained much experience, aside from the few I killed on the 4th floor.

"Urgh...!"

Just then, Erika, who was standing beside me, clutched her chest and collapsed.

"It—it hurts. It hurts. My body... Uuugh...!"

"Erika, it's just mana adaptation. Don't panic. Everyone goes through it. Just stay calm."

"Ah... ugh... okay..."

Since I had expected this, I was able to immediately grab her shoulders and steady her before she could spiral into a full-blown seizure. Even if one knows about mana adaptation intellectually, experiencing it firsthand is a different matter entirely.

Especially for those who have just escaped a brush with death, the realization that there are still unknown variables even after leaving the Labyrinth can trigger a panic attack. In such moments, it’s best to reassure them quickly. Having someone nearby tell you it’s no big deal makes a surprising difference in calming the mind.

Come to think of it, the Young Lady had been quite panicked as well.

I wondered how Rien had handled it.

"Rien, weren't you flustered during your first mana adaptation?"

"Me...? I... well, I was, but I didn't have time to be flustered..."

Perhaps it was because she belonged to a mage-type class where meditation was a daily routine, but her mental fortitude was on par with a monk's.

Rien had reportedly woken up alone in the Underground Graveyard and was rescued while being chased by the departed. She had even mentioned getting her arm slashed by a skeleton back then. In that state, she had undergone mana adaptation as soon as she got out, gained an ability, and then dove straight back into the Labyrinth—all to save the Young Lady and me.

Furthermore, immediately after rescuing us, she had jumped into the operation to save Rika and Erika. Her mental strength was truly remarkable. She had almost reached her breaking point in the middle of it, but her singular focus on saving her comrades had pushed her into a state of semi-awakening.

To be honest, while Rien herself loathed the Labyrinth, her talent was overwhelming. You could tell just by the fact that she kept surviving a Labyrinth she had been thrown into to die. She was a natural-born talent suited for the Labyrinth.

"Mmm... It's starting to hurt for me too..."

It seemed Rien was undergoing mana adaptation as well. She must have gained quite a bit of experience wandering down to the 4th floor at Level 1.

Meanwhile, there was no change in me, Rohan, or Hachi. Despite the two of them taking down the boss of the 4th floor, they didn't trigger an adaptation. It meant they had reached a point where monsters from the upper levels could no longer trigger further adaptation for them.

"Aaaagh...!!!"

Erika, who was mid-adaptation, suddenly clutched her head.

A headache. That meant she had gained an ability.

"Congratulations, Erika."

"Some—something entered my head."

"You've gained an ability."

"I'm envious."

"An ability on your first trip to the Labyrinth. You're lucky."

Hachi and Rohan, who were watching from the side, each added a comment. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gaining an ability on one's very first Labyrinth run was indeed quite lucky. Not everyone gets one right away.

The Young Lady was a prime example. It was her first trip as well, but she hadn't gained an ability. In my case, even the mana adaptation itself had come quite late. Since I had entered as a porter, I rarely had to fight monsters.

Regardless, Rien and Erika were exceptionally lucky cases.

"You there! Are you survivors?"

The guards stationed at the Labyrinth entrance came running toward us.

"If you have injuries, we can provide basic first aid here."

"If you're having trouble moving, we can call a transport team to take you to the relief station."

An older-looking guard and a younger man who looked like a rookie asked if we needed medical attention.

'I'm fine for now, but Rien and Erika...'

Rien still had wounds on her arm that hadn't fully healed. Though they were treated with medicine and wrapped in bandages, blood was still seeping through. She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠needed a proper Holy Incantation. As for Erika, she didn't seem to have physical wounds, but she was mentally pushed to the limit. She seemed better now, but she clearly needed rest.

"I think I should head to the relief station," Rohan said.

"Same here," Hachi added.

"Then let's all go to the relief station together."

Rohan and Hachi's injuries were quite severe. Both had pushed themselves too hard in the fight. Rohan, in particular, having raged on the front lines, looked to be in a precarious state.

"Since it seems no one is unable to walk, we shall return to our posts."

"Thank you."

Once the guards determined there was no one they needed to personally escort, they returned to their positions.

For now, I had about three immediate tasks.

First, taking Rien and Erika to the relief station.

Second, finding the inn where the Young Lady was staying to report the situation.

Third, taking Rika's body to the Cathedral with the Young Lady.

Beyond that, I had to go to the Adventurer's Guild to hand over information regarding the Labyrinth Eruption and turn in the bodies of adventurers recovered from the Labyrinth. I also needed to discuss with Rohan when and where to meet before heading into the Underground City tomorrow, and hand over the monster carcasses we brought back to the guild.

Finally, I had to collect the reward for this successful commission from the Young Lady.

'Busy, busy.'

I didn't like putting things off. It was better to handle everything I could in one go.

"Let's head to the relief station first."

As we moved toward the relief station, I spoke to Rohan about when we would enter the Underground City. In exchange for helping with this rescue mission, I had agreed to follow them into the Underground City.

"Originally, I planned to go in tomorrow, but I've changed my mind. Entering the Underground City with just Hachi and myself is suicide."

"True."

Of course it was. This man couldn't have possibly thought the three of us were enough, right? We obviously needed to recruit more comrades to go with us.

"Let's take tomorrow to regroup. We'll recruit people to join us. We need to go in better prepared."

"Sounds good. I'll post a recruitment notice at the guild later."

"You'll do it personally?"

"Yes. If I write that we're accompanied by a porter with a Subspace Pocket... quite a few people will probably show up. There must be plenty of people besides you, Rohan, who want to save the comrades they left behind."

"That's true..."

Some time had passed since the Labyrinth Eruption swept through the Labyrinth City. Adventurers who had regained their composure would start heading back into the Labyrinth. There would be various reasons—to find dead comrades, or perhaps to gain an early advantage in the Labyrinth that had been "renewed" after the eruption.

Of course, more people would likely be leaving the Labyrinth City than entering it. There would be a vacuum left by mid-tier and novice adventurers, excluding the high-ranking ones. Unless there was a new influx of people, the city's economy would be stagnant for a while.

However, that vacuum of mid-tier and novice adventurers was essentially a golden opportunity to make a fortune for those who had no intention of leaving.

Anyway, back to the recruitment...

'Rohan and Hachi are strong and reliable, but the darkness of the Underground City is too deep for just two front-liners to handle.'

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a non-combatant. Since I was hyper-focused on support, I couldn't be counted as a fighting member. Therefore, I wanted to add at least two back-liners and a priest to the team. That would be the bare minimum for a stable run through the Underground City.

"It might even be better to form a proper raid force. Since I have the Subspace Pocket, logistics won't be an issue."

I could carry enough supplies to sustain however many people joined. Forming a formal raid force seemed like it would yield a higher survival rate.

"A raid force would certainly increase stability. We'll talk more about that at the guild tomorrow. Forming a raid force isn't something we can just decide among ourselves. The scale is too large."

Rohan was right. In a way, a raid force was akin to a 'private army.' An armed group stronger than the city guards? If adventurers started forming raid forces at will, the city's high-and-mighty wouldn't be pleased.

'If we form a Labyrinth raid force without going through the Adventurer's Guild, there will definitely be sanctions or suppression. Not that we have the money to form such a large force anyway.'

To those running the city, a group of superhumans with abilities was nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen. We might even be accused of rebellion, dragged off, tortured, and beheaded. The mere thought was terrifying. At that scale, it was better to receive guild support or join a raid force organized by the guild.

"Yes. Let's discuss that separately at the guild tomorrow. We'll also handle the White-ak's carcass then."

"Fine."

As we coordinated our schedules, we soon arrived at the relief station. Rohan and Hachi went into the intensive care unit, while Rien and Erika were taken to the examination rooms.

"I'll go report to the Young Lady first. Get your treatment."

"Okay... thanks, Porter."

"Thank you for saving us."

Leaving the two of them at the relief station, I headed straight for the inn where the Young Lady was staying. She was probably waiting for news with bated breath, likely sick with worry. It was best to deliver the news quickly.

...And I had to tell her about Rika.

"It's a high-end inn."

Being a noble, she seemed to be staying in quite an expensive place. The neighborhood itself was where the wealthy congregated. Then again, since it was an all-female team, it made sense to stay in a secure area. It wasn't like they were short on cash.

"What is your business here?"

The inn's receptionist glared at me with sharp eyes. I looked quite a mess right now—covered in blood and dust. It was only natural for them to be wary of a stranger bargaining in like this.

"I'm here to see the Young Lady. Here, this."

I briefly showed him the Lionel family seal I had received from her as a token of our contract. The receptionist's expression changed instantly. He must have been told something by her beforehand.

"Ah! Are you the Young Lady's porter?"

"Yes."

"I will relay the message immediately. Would you mind waiting in the first-floor parlor?"

"Sure."

I was guided to the parlor. It was my first time in such a luxury inn. Honestly, if I had the money to stay in a place like this, I'd rather spend it on survival gear. I wasn't some famous noble's child. A porter just needs a decent place to eat and sleep.

"Whoa, they even give you coffee."

They provided free coffee and cookies so I wouldn't be bored while waiting. As I was sweeping the free sugar cubes and cookies into my inventory, the Young Lady entered the parlor.

"Porter! You're safe!"

"Yes. I'm exhausted enough to die, but I'm safe."

"Thank goodness... You didn't come up, so I was so worried..."

As soon as she saw me, she ran over and hugged me. Oh boy, I must smell pretty bad right now. The mix of sweat and blood must have been unpleasant, but she didn't seem to care, hugging me tight and expressing her joy. She was quite physical in her expressions. It just showed how glad she was to see me. There was probably nothing more to it than that.

"But where are the others? D-don't tell me..."

She finally pulled away and sat across from me, realizing her other comrades were missing.

"Rien and Erika are safe. They're likely receiving treatment at the relief station right now."

"Phew. Thank god... Wait. Only Rien and Erika? What about Rika...?"

"I came here to talk to you about that."

The Young Lady's expression darkened visibly. She seemed to sense what I was about to say.

"Rika... died on the 4th floor, in the sewer zone of the upper levels."

"...Ah."

Upon hearing the news of Rika's passing, the Young Lady covered her face with her hands and bowed her head. A whirlwind of emotions must be crossing her mind. Rika hadn't entered the Labyrinth of her own will; she had been dragged into this disaster because she went along with the Young Lady's stubbornness.

Of course, she could be brought back through the Resurrection Spell. She would live again.

However...

From a 'noble perspective'—that is, from the Young Lady's point of view—Rika was essentially socially dead. In noble society, resurrection was synonymous with the corruption of the soul.

In the Labyrinth City, resurrection was something anyone could do as long as they had the money. But outside the city, resurrection was seen as an act of desecration, forcibly dragging the dead back to the world of the living. Especially for the conservative and stiff-necked noble class, resurrection was something even harder to accept.

The reason for this negative perception of resurrection could be seen in the succession struggles of noble children or the power plays for the throne among royalty. It was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠simple: it would be incredibly inconvenient if a political rival you had painstakingly assassinated was suddenly brought back to life. It was a way of saying that if you couldn't even protect your own life, you should just exit the stage. The moment the public found out someone had been resurrected, they would lose all political standing. It was a system designed to ensure people didn't die in the first place.

Furthermore, the moment resurrection became widely accepted, the influence of the Seonghwang Kingdom and the Church would become far too great. Both the Royalist and Noble factions of the kingdom likely opposed resurrection for these reasons. If the Church's power grew too much, it would be a headache in many ways. Everyone was keeping each other in check.

Of course, the Labyrinth City, where the interests of 'various groups' were entangled, used the Resurrection Spell without caring at all about the opinions of outside nobles.

Regardless, for a knight like Rika, the moment she was resurrected, she might never find a husband, let alone return to her family. If Rika's family was a noble house of knights and on the conservative side, her identity would be effectively tethered to the Labyrinth City forever.

"Rika... is dead."

"The body is in good condition, so we can bring her back. What would you like to do, Young Lady?"

"I..."

The Young Lady obviously wanted to save Rika. But Rika herself might not want to be resurrected.

"I'll have her resurrected. I'll take responsibility for the aftermath."

"Understood. Then let's head to the Cathedral immediately."

"Okay... wait, Porter, aren't you tired? Is it okay for you to keep moving?"

"I prefer to finish everything before I sleep so I can rest easy."

"Right. Then let's go."

I headed to the Cathedral with the Young Lady. I'd see Rika's resurrection through, then go back to my lodgings and pass out.