Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 75: Plant Some Beans in the Labyrinth for Me

After finishing my bath with Yuria, we shared some drinks to unwind.

Since we had returned safely from the brink of death, drinking was only natural. The alcohol I drank at home always seemed to hit me faster than usual.

"Siooon..."

"Yuria. You’re hammered. Let’s go to bed."

"Jussst... one more... drink..."

"No. Stop drinking and go to sleep."

"Ueegh."

The alcohol must have finally gone to her head, as she started acting out her drunken habits and clinging to me. I forced her up and dragged her toward the bed.

It seemed she had abstained from drinking while we were searching for the transfer stone, because once her limits were off, she drank without restraint. She had kept going until she was completely wasted and incoherent.

I only managed to stop her once she reached the point ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠where the alcohol was practically drinking her.

"Sion... don't gooo..."

"Whoa! Yuria."

I tried to leave to clean up the table after tucking her in, but Yuria wouldn't let go. I was pulled right onto the bed with her.

"Marin, clean up for me."

"Yessir!"

Left with no choice, I left the cleanup to Marin and spent the night held in Yuria's arms.

"Sioooon..."

"Ugh. You smell like booze."

"Hehe..."

Yuria slept with a completely relaxed expression.

Her body didn't have a natural scent, but she definitely smelled like alcohol now.

She was completely out of it. I don't think I've ever seen her this drunk before.

She probably went through a lot of stress during the expedition. It sounded like they lost a few people and went through hell just to make it out alive.

Honestly, it was a miracle she didn't have PTSD.

The humans in this world all seemed to have strangely high mental fortitude. They lived with a level of grit that was on a different dimension compared to the fragile people of modern Earth.

I suppose that was the medieval sensibility for you.

'I should sleep too.'

Since Yuria was dead to the world, I figured it was best to turn in early.

Tomorrow, I planned to pick up the items I had ordered and head to Lafnel's to get the Ring of Intangibility, so I needed my rest.

'And I have to stop by Lady Moira's place for dinner in the evening.'

The day after that, I had to meet the Young Lady to receive my reward.

I had a lot on my plate.

*

Before I knew it, the sun was up.

As I was getting ready to head out, Yuria finally woke up, looking like a mess.

"Uuu... Sion... give me some water..."

"Here."

"Thanks... my head hurts..."

"I told you to drink in moderation. You were running like there was no tomorrow last night."

"But... on a day like that, you have to raise a victory toast."

"I guess that's true."

"Hehe... ow... my stomach."

"I'm heading out for a bit. I need to prepare for the Labyrinth."

"Mm... okay... see you..."

"Oh, your mother said to come over for dinner tonight."

"Really? Mom did? Hmm. Okay. I have to stop by the guild later anyway. Until then... five minutes... just five more minutes of sleep."

Yuria crawled back under the covers.

She was a reliable comrade inside the Labyrinth, but at home, she was an incredibly lazy woman.

Not that I intended to nag her. I knew she had just come back from a grueling ordeal yesterday. Besides, Yuria was pretty even when she was being lazy.

'Now, the places I need to go...'

I'd stop by the grocery store first, then head to the hole-in-the-wall shop.

I planned to be back before dinner, so I had to move fast.

Tinkle.

After packing the items I had pre-ordered from the grocery store into my inventory, I arrived at Lafnel's hole-in-the-wall shop.

Every time I came here, I couldn't help but notice the gloomy atmosphere of the place.

"You've come."

"Yes. Good to see you."

"Right, right. Come over here."

Lafnel seemed to be in a good mood.

She had been all mopey the last time I visited. Did something good happen?

"The thing is, I've gone and made something incredible."

"Something incredible?"

"Yes, yes. Look at this."

Lafnel pulled out a small pouch to show me.

Inside the pouch, which was made of red thread, were several mysterious-looking kidney beans.

"Do you know what these are?"

"No. Not a clue."

"Fufufu. These are... well, what should I call them? They are a type of vine. They grow by consuming magic source."

"Oh. And?"

"Can you guess what would happen if you scattered these in the Labyrinth?"

"Uh, they'd grow by eating magic source?"

"Exactly. They grow. Very big and very strong."

Just how big and strong was "very big and very strong"?

Would they grow enough to cover the entire Labyrinth?

"Well, they might grow until they swallow an entire floor. Or they might just grow enough to dominate a small area. That's why I'm asking—would you mind planting these for me? I heard a Plaza Section was established in the Underground City. That seems like a good spot."

Out of nowhere, Lafnel shows me a new experimental product and asks me to plant it in the Labyrinth.

Is this old lady sane? She's asking for a favor empty-handed? First, let's question the safety of the item.

"That sounds like a pretty dangerous item. Am I right?"

"W-well, yes. Of course, it could be dangerous depending on the user. If someone with malice used it, the Labyrinth would become an even more horrific place. But! If used correctly, you can create allies within the Labyrinth. What do you think? Isn't it great?"

Creating allies in the Labyrinth. Allies implied they had the intelligence to help me. Furthermore, it meant they lived in the Labyrinth.

We call creatures that live in the Labyrinth "monsters." Yes, these kidney beans were no different from monsters.

"Don't tell me... those beans... are monsters?"

"Correct!"

Lafnel, this woman, was proudly admitting she created a monster? Had she finally lost her mind?

Now she's creating monsters?

"Wait, you're always complaining about not having a man. Did you create a monster to replace one?"

"You brat! Men are a separate issue. This is an innovation!"

"Innovation? It looks incredibly dangerous. You're sure this brings innovation and not ruin?"

"No! If handled well, it will definitely be a massive help for Labyrinth expeditions! The Labyrinth is too difficult right now! My incredible Labyrinth Vine Beans will surely solve this problem...! Then I'll gain fame in the city, and countless males will come to woo me... Ah, just the thought makes my heart flutter. If the influx of people to the Labyrinth stops, my future husband might never come. So, these must be planted..."

She's definitely crazy.

This woman is not right in the head.

Consumed by her desire for marriage, she's now trying to build social standing.

All to lure in a high-quality male...

Well, whatever her motives were, I understood how badly Lafnel wanted these beans planted.

Now, it was time to negotiate.

"But Lafnel, you can't enter the Labyrinth."

I had heard a rumor that she was banned from entering.

"T-that's... exactly! That's why I'm asking you to plant them in my stead."

"No, wait. What exactly do you have to do in the Labyrinth to get banned from entering?"

"...I tried to create a sanctuary."

"A sanctuary?"

"Yes. I tried to make a nice place where people could rest. But it ended up becoming a nest for monsters..."

"Don't tell me the monster population spiked because of that sanctuary?"

"...Yes. It was a major incident back then. They wiped everything out with a subjugation campaign... but I've been banned from the Labyrinth ever since."

"Gah. Lafnel! You already suffered for it once, and you still haven't learned your lesson!? Throw those beans in the trash right now. Don't ask me to plant weird things in the Labyrinth."

"N-no! This is a truly stable, revolutionary item! Please, Porter. Believe in my words. Please...!"

"No, I'm not doing it. How could I plant something like that? I'm not crazy. I'm not buying it."

"I-if you plant these... fine! I'll give you the Ring of Intangibility for free."

"Huh?"

Hook, line, and sinker.

"I'll give you the Ring of Intangibility, so please plant the vine beans and find out if they really help adventurers. I'm begging you."

"Are you really giving me the ring for free?"

"Yes. If you fulfill my request."

"I was coming to buy the ring anyway. I'm heading into the Underground City soon. Give me the ring first. And if you throw in some potions, I'll be happy to plant those beans for you."

"Really?"

"Yes. But you're sure this is verified and safe?"

"Yes! If you feed it your blood before planting, the vine beans will recognize you as their master."

Planting a few beans in exchange for a Ring of Intangibility and free potions. This was a profitable deal.

More importantly, although I made a fuss about it being dangerous, I already knew that while most of Lafnel's items were eccentric, none of them were actually life-threatening.

"By the way, Lafnel. Once I'm the master of these vine beans, can I give them orders?"

"You should be able to make them distinguish between what they can eat and what they shouldn't."

"Which ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠means..."

"You can make them recognize monsters as prey and designate humans as targets to protect. See? Simple, right?"

"And you said you're not sure about the range of expansion?"

"That's right. But they probably won't be able to grow beyond a single section. The further the vines get from the central core bean, the weaker their power becomes."

She told me to stick them between walls or rocks and give them water, and they would grow on their own by consuming magic source.

"There are five in total. If you plant one in each section, it'll be like having a safe zone in all five sections of the Underground City."

"If it's such an excellent item, shouldn't you tell the Guild Master?"

"T-that... Moira and I are on awkward terms. I'm afraid to run into her. And the Tower Lord is tracking me too... I don't want to get involved with the city's leadership. If they find me... ugh. They'll definitely lock me in a back room and make ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me do nothing but research."

"Hah."

Lafnel shuddered at the thought.

"Those bitches are ruthless. They'd lock me up, suck all the ideas out of me, and then use them to get popular... Ugh, it makes me lose my mind just thinking about it. Please understand."

"Sounds like you've been through a lot."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Oh, child. Don't even get me started. You have no idea how vicious they were when we used to go into the Labyrinth together."

"Wait, the three of you went into the Labyrinth together?"

"That's right. Moira, Mabel, and me. Ah, and there were two others."

"Who were the other two?"

"Saintess Freya. And the other one... died in the Labyrinth."

What kind of party was that?

Moira, the current Guild Master and the strongest in the Labyrinth City. Mabel, the current Tower Lord and the leading authority in the magic world.

Lafnel, the thousand-year-old shopkeeper. And Freya, the mad Saintess who was feared even outside the city.

Plus one mysterious person who died in the Labyrinth.

"Wait, that sounds like a Hero's party. Were you guys hunting Demon Kings or something?"

"Not a Demon King. Back then, the 7th Floor was a bit rowdy."

"The 7th Floor..."

The place you reach after passing the 5th Floor Underground City, the 6th Floor Crystal Cave, the ancient mines, and the abandoned ateliers.

The 7th Floor of the Labyrinth, Utopia.

"A Dragon appeared there once. It was trying to come up to the surface."

"Wait, there are Dragons in the Labyrinth? A Dragon in a cramped Labyrinth? Wow."

I had only heard about the 5th and 6th floors from Olivia.

Hearing about anything below that was pointless at the time.

"The 7th Floor is a place where all sorts of strange things pop out. And the 7th Floor isn't cramped. How should I explain this... right. Have you heard of the Hollow Earth Theory?"

"The Hollow Earth Theory?"

"Yes. The theory that the area beneath this continent is empty, and there's an unknown continent we don't know about."

"Ah, I think I know what you mean."

If this were Earth, it would be the Hollow Earth Theory. The idea that there's a land very similar to the surface inside the hollowed-out Earth, where extinct dinosaurs and plants still survive.

"The 7th Floor is that kind of place. A place full of the unknown, mysteries, miracles, and monsters. Would you believe me if I told you it's a Labyrinth with no ceiling?"

"Unless I see it for myself... it's a bit hard to believe."

"Once you see it, you'll have no choice but to believe. And you'll understand why the Gold Badge adventurers aim for the 7th Floor. It's teeming with things that can absolutely never be obtained on the surface anymore."

So that was why adventurers headed down.

The 7th Floor, Utopia. It was full of dreams and hope.

"And despair and nightmares lurk there just the same. I told you before, didn't I? That there are things trying to regress."

"Right."

"The floor with the most things trying to regress is the 7th Floor."

It was a place far more dangerous than I had imagined.

Especially since everything below it was still unexplored territory.

The Labyrinth was estimated to have ten floors.

What on earth could be on the 8th, 9th, and finally the 10th floor?

One thing was for sure: I had obtained the Ring of Intangibility for free.

"You're sure these seeds aren't dangerous?"

"Yes, just trust me. And you must feed them a drop of your blood. If you don't, they'll be impossible to manage. Understood?"

"Got it. I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Come back alive this time too. Oh, by the way, what happened with your Spiritual Eye?"

"That..."

I explained the situation with my Spiritual Eye to Lafnel. I even told her about the contract I ended up making with the Three Villainesses of the Labyrinth.

"Ah... so those women had those kinds of circumstances."

"Yes. It looks like I'm forced to go all the way to the end of the Labyrinth."

"Hmm. The end of the Labyrinth, huh? When the time comes, I shall help you."

"Huh? Really?"

"I'm curious about the end of the Labyrinth myself. If you're going down anyway, let's go together."

"You make it sound like we're going on a picnic. We could die."

"Whatever. I've lived so long I don't have many regrets left. Still, dying as a virgin would be pathetic, so you'd better take responsibility for me when we head to the Deepest Part. Understood?"

"...I'll have to think about that."

"You brat! Fine. Get going."

"Yep. I'll be back."

"Right. Stay safe."

After saying goodbye to Lafnel, I stepped out of the shop.

She said she'd go with me when I headed for the Deepest Part.

She'd probably be a huge help. Even if it was just a verbal promise, it felt reassuring.