Chapter 29: Run, Little Mouse
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29: Run, Little Mouse
“I’ll take the corpses and run to where the Transfer Stone is. The rest of you head to the building with the stone first, clear out the Hati pack, and wait for me there.”
“Are you out of your mind, you crazy bastard?! I’m asking how the hell you plan to break through a horde of High Orcs by yourself!”
“With this. I’m going to use this.”
I pulled out a glass bottle, trying to calm the agitated Yuria.
It was the potion I had received for free at Lafnel's Atelier.
“If I drink this, I’ll turn into a mouse for about an hour. It’s supposed to keep my intelligence intact. I’ll drink this, sneak into the building where the corpses are hidden, retrieve them all into my Subspace Pocket, and then run to the Transfer Stone.”
“Look, Sion. I cannot allow that. It is far too dangerous.”
Rohan shook his head in disapproval when I said I’d dive into the Orc horde alone.
From his perspective, he probably felt guilty. He had come here to recover the corpses, but he’d ended up with a concussion, leaving me to do the heavy lifting.
But I was fine with it.
When we were rescuing Rika and Erika, Rohan had done more than his fair share of the work. This was just mutual cooperation.
“Does such a medicine even exist?”
Hachi, who had been listening to my plan, chimed in. He looked like he couldn't quite believe a Mouse Transformation Potion was real.
“It’s... possible...”
“Is that true, Horaru?”
“Yes. It’s possible if one uses a secret art that only the highest-ranking Druids who have mastered alchemy can perform.”
The highest rank among Druids, huh?
So, was Lafnel’s true identity an alchemist Druid?
“But Sion, who made that medicine?”
“An elf living in the Eastern Red Light District of the Labyrinth City.”
“The Red Light District?”
“A courtesan from the district made something like this?”
“No, how could a woman from a brothel... Wait, is it for collecting semen? Or is she some eccentric alchemist obsessed with men?”
“Sion, do you actually frequent those places?”
“No! It’s not like that. There’s a hole-in-the-wall shop in the neighborhood where the brothels are gathered.”
“A hole...?”
“No, not that kind of hole! And Yuria, don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t go to those places.”
“Really? I’ll believe you... for now.”
Yuria let out a sigh of relief. I had to set the record straight before she jumped to any more weird conclusions.
“An elf. Hmm. Probably an ancient one. Truly, you have met a person of great significance.”
Whether the others were misunderstanding or not, Horaru was simply marvelling at the potion in my hand.
Then, Rohan, who had been silently listening, spoke up again.
“I feel like we are placing too heavy a burden on your shoulders.”
He seemed to be feeling something akin to guilt. I waved my hand dismissively, telling him it was no big deal.
“If you really feel bad, just give me three of the Hati corpses you caught, Rohan.”
“Huh?”
“That should be more than enough payment for turning into a mouse.”
“Is that so? Hahahaha! Fine. I shall transfer the rights to all the monsters I’ve hunted during this Labyrinth run to you.”
Rohan laughed heartily.
“W-wait. I’m not getting swept up in the mood and giving up my share, so make sure the math is right.”
“Yes, sir. Of course.”
Lewis quickly staked his claim, worried that everyone would get caught up in the moment and start donating their earnings to me.
Right, this is how an adventurer should be. Rohan is just excessively generous.
“Alright, let’s get started.”
Before drinking the Mouse Transformation Potion, I downed two bottles of Tonic at once.
I knew it was a crazy thing to do, but I had no choice. I couldn't afford to stop or collapse halfway. I had to maintain my consciousness until the party picked me up.
“Phew. I might pass out afterward, so I’m counting on you all then.”
“I am sorry for entrusting you with such a heavy task.”
“It’s fine. Thanks to you, Rohan, I was able to get Erika and Rika out. Besides, the Young Lady is the one paying for this job. Don’t worry about it too much.”
The Young Lady said she’d pay the price of their lives. As soon as I get back up and get the money, I’m going straight to buy a slave...
“Be careful, Sion.”
“Oh? Uh, yeah. I will. I’ll be back.”
I was getting excited at the thought of buying a slave when Yuria suddenly grabbed my hand.
This girl... her physical affection had increased since we entered the Labyrinth. She was expressing her feelings for me quite blatantly. She was radiating affection so clearly it was impossible not to notice.
To be honest, it was a bit of a burden.
Of course, that didn't mean I disliked Yuria. I didn't hate her. In fact, I respected her as an adventurer and even had some romantic interest in her.
That was the problem.
‘I have no intention of dating an adventurer.’
Furthermore, Yuria wasn't even my slave. She was an adventurer who could die at any moment, and since she wasn't a slave, she could betray me whenever she wanted.
I’m sorry, Yuria, but... you aren't qualified to be my wife.
That was why I kept putting up walls. Even when she made her feelings obvious, I pretended not to notice until the very end. If I let myself get swept up in her emotions, we’d inevitably end up dating, and I didn't think I could handle the consequences.
Yes, I’m a coward. That’s why I kept avoiding her.
‘But...’
I felt that continuing to ignore her feelings while knowing exactly how she felt wasn't respectful. I should probably find some time to make things clear.
“Yuria.”
“Yeah?”
“When this Labyrinth run is over... let’s have a serious talk.”
“A serious talk?”
“Yeah. A serious one.”
“I-I mean, even if you make such a serious face with that... pfft.”
“Huh? Oh. Dammit.”
Yuria looked at my crotch and laughed.
I was fully erect. It was a side effect of the Tonic.
“Goddammit.”
“S-Sion... are you perhaps... the type of pervert who enjoys dangerous situations?”
“No! I’m not! It’s a side effect of the Tonic! Stop slandering me, Lewis!”
If I tried to explain the medicine’s effects any further... I felt like I’d look pathetic explaining why I had an erection.
Let’s just get out of here. I need to get out of this damn Labyrinth. I feel like I’m going crazy after being in here for so long.
“Ugh, whatever. I’ll be back soon, so just get the Transfer Stone ready!”
I drank the Mouse Transformation Potion. It tasted like sweet melon soda.
“Squeak!?”
Soon, my body began to shrink rapidly. There was a strange sound, like muscles and bones snapping, and my field of vision dropped significantly.
It really was magic. Just by drinking one bottle of potion, I had become a mouse.
Looking at it now, the effect was instantaneous. If I used this right, I could probably feed it to an enemy and turn them into a rat. For instance, what if I threw it into a Dragon’s mouth? Could I turn a Dragon into a mouse? Maybe not.
But she did say there were side effects. I didn't feel anything specific right now. Perhaps it was the type where the side effects appeared after the potion wore off.
“Squeak!”
I stuffed my discarded clothes and gear into my Subspace Pocket. Since I had turned into a mouse, the clothes I was wearing had become too large and fallen off.
‘I can still use my Abilities even as a mouse.’
Mapping was still active. Good. I had lost the ability to speak, but I was going to be running alone anyway, so I didn't need it.
“Squeak!”
“He really turned into a mouse...!”
“Let’s get started before Sion’s potion wears off!”
Rohan opened the building’s entrance. They ran toward the Transfer Stone. I ran toward where the corpses were.
‘The scenery looks so different from this low angle.’
Even my senses felt a bit strange. Antennae? Whiskers? Yeah, whiskers. The whiskers near my snout sensitively detected the flow of air and the presence of monsters. It seemed like I even had a bit of night vision. I felt no discomfort even though I was running through the darkness.
Avoiding the monsters, I ran to the building Rohan had mentioned.
‘Is it that building?’
I soon reached the building where the corpses were supposed to be hidden. Nearby, Orcs were sitting around a fire, tearing into animal meat. If I had come with the party, the Orcs would have definitely spotted us.
I carefully looked for a mouse hole to avoid detection and slipped inside the building.
‘Somewhere in here... Found them!’
There they were. Six bodies buried under a pile of dirt. I quickly scurried over and tucked them into my inventory. The decomposition didn't look too severe yet. At this rate, they could be resurrected.
‘Done!’
Corpse recovery successful. Now I just had to run toward the Transfer Stone.
‘Nothing else is going to happen now, right? This is really the end? Stop the bad luck.’
Please. I’ve been put through enough. Putting me through more would be crossing a line.
‘Huff... huff...’
I kept running, coaxing and pleading with the Labyrinth in my mind. I was incredibly fast because I was a mouse, but my stamina was draining just as quickly.
“Squeak... squeak!”
I pulled out some dried fruit from my inventory and chewed on it. If I didn't consume something periodically, I felt like my heart would explode.
‘I really feel like I’m going to die.’
My erection had subsided. The effects of the Tonic were wearing off. Even though I had drunk two bottles, my eyes were already starting to close. It was probably because Sakya had drained so much of my life force earlier.
Damn Labyrinth. Once I get out this time, I’m going to recuperate for at least... at the very least, two months.
‘So hang in there. Just a little further...’
I forced myself to run. With my eyes half-closed, relying on instinct and my senses. I ran and ran.
“Oh! Over there! I sense the presence of a small animal!”
“Sion! Over here!”
Soon, I saw the party waiting for me in front of the Transfer Stone. The Hati corpses were piled up in a corner.
“Squeak...!”
I lunged toward the pile. As my tiny mouse paws brushed past the corpses, the stacked Hati bodies were all sucked into my Subspace Pocket.
“Huff. Huff...”
With this, my mission was truly, completely over. Couldn't I be called the best corpse recoverer in the Labyrinth City at this point?
“Sion!”
“He’s exhausted! Quick, take him and let’s go up! The monsters will be swarming here soon!”
Someone scooped me up. I could finally pass out now, right?
Soon after, I felt my body passing through the Gate. My consciousness gradually drifted away.
I hoped that when I opened my eyes again, I’d be outside the Labyrinth.