Chapter 70: A Balance Patch is Needed
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: A Balance Patch is Needed
Being able to soak your body in warm water is a blessing.
If I hadn't started living at Yuria’s house, would I still be miserably washing myself with cold water at the well in the lodging's backyard?
I realized once again just how much of a blessing it is to have a home.
‘Going in and out of the Underground City will make me level up fast, but I have no idea how hard it’s going to be.’
I’ll be entering the Underground City with the heretic hunting team to recover bodies, and if I help out with the hunt, my level will rise. That part is good.
The problem is how to survive among the heretics crawling out from every direction.
‘Is it really possible to massacre heretics with only six people?’
The party heading down for the hunt this time consists of six people in total, including the Saintess and me.
One might say the number is too small, but they judged it wouldn't be an issue since every single Inquisitor is a powerhouse on par with a Gold Badge adventurer.
I heard the Saintess suggested going with a small elite force to sweep them all away, arguing that mediocre adventurers would just end up as sacrifices for those bastards. It makes me incredibly uneasy.
It didn't seem like she suggested it just to protect the adventurers. In my opinion, the Saintess wanted a small elite group because she was afraid someone would steal her prey.
That woman... her eyes were stained with madness.
I don’t know how someone like that holds the position of Saintess, but she certainly looked powerful.
She’s likely strong enough that even Moira can’t treat her lightly.
Well, they’ll handle the fighting.
I should just focus on doing my job properly.
My task is to recover the bodies quickly and prepare the supplies so the party members don't face any inconveniences.
Since I currently have almost no supplies, I need to fill my inventory first.
‘The Watcher stripped me of everything I had.’
As a result of opening my inventory to draw its attention, all my belongings were shredded.
I did receive a reward from the guild for helping to subjugate the Watcher, but it barely covers my losses, which breaks my heart.
"Sigh."
All the Labyrinth exploration supplies I had painstakingly prepared vanished overnight, leaving me feeling quite empty.
There were many items I had used for a long time and grown attached to, but now they’ve all become scrap metal and ended up in a junkyard.
Still, I have some spare funds left, so let’s prepare the supplies with a fresh mind and a new start.
I should stop by the hole-in-the-wall shop to stock up on potions and ask about the Ring of Intangibility.
The owner said they would improve the side effects and effectiveness before giving it back, so I’m looking forward to it.
‘By the way, I need to prepare food for six people.’
The guild will handle the costs if I bill them. Since I don't know how long we'll be down there, I should buy enough food for six adult men and women to last two months.
I’ll have to make the rounds of my usual grocery stores and restaurants tomorrow.
Sandwiches are good. I’ll probably need to buy soup by the pot... or should I buy the ingredients and ask Marin to cook? That seems like a good idea.
Now that I have a housekeeper to cook for me—and Marin is a great cook—I don't think I'll need to buy from restaurants.
"I'm going to be busy."
I sank deeper into the bathtub.
I won't die this time, right?
Anxiety continued to bloom in my heart.
*
I headed out as soon as the sun rose.
There was a lot to do.
I had to go to the guild, discuss future plans with the Young Lady, and place advance orders for various types of relief supplies.
In particular, it was better to order ingredients in bulk ahead of time.
Everything becomes harder to find if you try to buy it suddenly.
Each of these preparations would increase my party members' survival rate.
"You're here!"
"It's been a while, Edwin."
"The Guild Master told me to send you up immediately."
"Immediately?"
"Yes, she said to bring you to see her as soon as you arrived. It seems she has something to tell you."
At Edwin's words, I went straight up to the Guild Master's office.
I knocked and opened the door to find Moira buried under a mountain of paperwork, reading some report with dark circles under her eyes.
"You're here."
"Yes, I heard you called for me."
"Right. Freya said she wants to enter the Labyrinth next week."
Next week... that’s only a few days away.
It looks like I’ll have to move even faster than I thought.
"Understood. Is it possible to know in advance who I'll be going in with?"
"The Saintess is a definite. And four Inquisitors under her command will likely follow. I don't know the details, but they're said to be at least Gold Badge level. And this is just my personal opinion..."
"Yes?"
"None of the Inquisitors are sane."
"Uh... is that so?"
I expected as much, but hearing them described as outright insane makes me nervous.
"I'm extremely worried that you might be influenced by them. Sending you into the Underground City with those lunatics... my heart is restless."
"Are they really that bad?"
"Yes, they are. You might even have to hold their reins."
"Wait, they're the Church's monsters. Why are you telling me to hold the reins? Entering a field of heretics is crazy enough. Do I have to do that too?"
"You have no choice. If you don't hold the reins, you'll die."
"I'll die?"
"Think about it. The Inquisitors are all warriors who can use Holy Incantations. You know that, right?"
"Right."
"That means they're entering a limitless hunting ground in a state where they can heal themselves. Even if they get hurt, they'll just blast themselves with Divine Power and keep going wild like maniacs. If you get swept up in their pace, you'll die. The heretics aren't the problem. They are the problem. They might hunt heretics for a week straight without sleeping. Can you handle that?"
"..."
"Do you understand what I'm saying now? If you want to survive, you absolutely must hold the Inquisitors' reins."
"So, I probably won't die at the hands of heretics, but to stay alive, I have to manage the Inquisitors' tempo."
"Exactly. No matter how many heretics crawl out, neither the Inquisitors nor you have to worry about dying to them. They are experts at hunting heretics. They're monsters who could be thrown into hell and still beat the demons to death to get out. But you're not like them. If you try to keep up with monsters, you'll tear yourself apart."
If I don't hold the reins to keep the Inquisitors from going wild, I'll die of overwork.
"Ah, this is driving me crazy. I have no idea how to hold their reins. Please give me some help. No, just come with me. Mama Moira, help me."
"M-Mama... Ahem. I'm sorry. I can't go with you. I want to help you, but... there are various circumstances. Please understand."
The Demon Eye, the Magic Sword, and Labyrinth Assimilation.
Those "various circumstances" probably included those three reasons.
I knew that, but because I was scared, I ended up acting like a spoiled child.
Mama Moira, help me.
"I'm so worried about you that I ordered a set of armor. Wear that when you go in. I spent quite a bit on it, so it'll be light and sturdy. I even had two magic engravings put on it."
Armor with magic engravings?
To think she prepared something like this for me...!
As expected of Mama Moira.
She’s as generous as she is seductive.
"Mama...! Thank you."
"It's nothing. No need for thanks for something like this. If anything, I'm the one who's grateful. Thank you for working for the city. I'm sorry for giving you such a difficult task."
Moira gave me a tight hug.
Burying my face in her chest made me feel a bit more at peace.
Right, this is the kind of comfort a bosom provides.
"Now, cheer up. And if there's anything you need on this list, just write down the budget. You can give it to Edwin."
"Yes. Then I'll be going now."
"Ah, right. Yuria is coming back soon. She'll be here tomorrow or the day after."
"Really!?"
"Yes. I received word that they've located the Transfer Stone. The problem is..."
"Is there another problem?"
"The Keislan Kingdom had already set up camp in front of the Transfer Stone. The situation has become complicated in many ways."
After executing everyone who was in league with the heretics, the Kingdom's army was now stationed in front of the entrance leading to the 5th floor of the Labyrinth.
The Transfer Stone search team, including Yuria, was apparently on their way back without even getting close to the stone, as the army they brought was too large for them to push through.
"It's a headache for me too. There might even be Keislan Kingdom troops inside the Labyrinth besides the heretics. They might have been dragged away as sacrifices. The Underground City is saturated in many ways right now."
"Wait, do I have to deal with the Kingdom's army now too? The difficulty level just keeps going up."
What a trash game.
Someone give it a balance patch.
"No, that probably won't happen. Most of them are trash who haven't achieved Mana Adaptation, so they likely died within a few hours of entering. So, I don't think you'll have to fight the Kingdom's army."
"That's a relief, at least."
"Still, be careful. There might be veterans from the Labyrinth City in the Keislan Kingdom's ranks. There's no telling what kind of tricks they might pull. It's best not to run into them at all."
"I really, truly hope I don't run into them. Haaa..."
"You're going through a lot. Now, go and get ready. Oh, and if Yuria returns, stop by my house with her for a bit. I'll have Lin prepare some food to boost your energy."
"Oh, yes. Lin's cooking is delicious."
"Right. I'll have her prepare traditional dishes that suit an Easterner's palate. You can look forward to it."
Is this a chance to eat proper Chinese food after a long time?
I should visit once Yuria arrives.
Lin, the Guild Master's exclusive slave and maid, is an excellent cook.
"Then I'll really be going now."
"Alright. I'll have the armor sent to Yuria's house."
"Yes. Thank you. You're the only one I can count on, Guild Master."
"What? Only me? Hehehe."
Leaving the Guild Master's devious laughter behind, I went down to the first floor.
I saved money on armor. Sweet.