Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Nymph Cultist and Pluto's Underground Labyrinth
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Our group of five sat in a circle around the blazing bonfire at the center.
An abandoned temple, long forgotten.
Amid the rustling reeds swaying under the light of two moons and the whispering wind.
Sitting like this around the fire, it felt as though we'd stepped into the heart of some savage superstition or clandestine gathering—my chest tingled with the thrill of it.
Crackle, crackle. Whoosh.
Belmina, the ice mage with her usual prim expression, fed branches into the bonfire.
Only when the flames roared high enough did a faint smile finally curve her lips, as if she were satisfied at last.
"Good. This should be enough. Paranoya, have you ever done hearth divination?"
"..."
Paranoya simply shook her head in silence at Belmina's question.
In her crimson eyes, illuminated by the firelight, some emotion—curiosity, perhaps, or fear—seemed to glimmer.
I felt that same strange mood myself.
"What's hearth divination?"
"It's a privilege reserved for Vesta's priestesses. They create a barrier centered on the bonfire, ensuring a peaceful night."
Belmina began reciting a brief incantation.
"Lady Vesta, I, Belmina Prudence, beseech you in my name. Grant your blessing to this gathering—"
Listening closely, it sounded less like a spell and more like a prayer. We watched with bated breath, wondering what would happen.
...
Even after a few seconds—ten, maybe twenty—passed since the prayer ended, nothing seemed to change. Belmina let out a derisive snort.
"As expected, prayers from someone who's not a Vesta follower are useless. Paranoya. You try reciting the prayer just like I did. You're the only true devotee of Vesta here."
"M-me? I've never prayed to Lady Vesta before. I've prayed to Lord Pluto plenty of times, but I've never once received a response from him..."
"Hurry."
Urged on by the ice mage's icy tone, the nymph cultist Paranoya hesitated, glancing nervously at everyone around her.
Sweat beaded.
Drops formed on her forehead, tense as she was.
"Whoa! Paranoya's sweating buckets!"
Luna, as if she'd been waiting for just this, uncorked her leather waterskin and scooped it up. The sight shattered the mystical aura of this bizarre ritual, and all my tension melted away.
Paranoya seemed to feel the same. She let out a small sigh, then began mumbling the incantation under her breath.
"I... I am Paranoya, daughter of Demeter... Please hear my prayer. Grant peace and safety to our... our night..."
Her words came out in a mosquito-like buzz, stumbling here and there, her pronunciation sloppy. She looked embarrassed, having to lead the prayer in front of everyone.
It was right then.
Whoosh.
The bonfire, burning ordinarily until that moment, suddenly surged into massive flames—without a whisper of wind, without adding more wood.
"Eek, eeeeek!"
Paranoya screamed and panicked as the fire swelled, as if it might consume everything around it. Didier the dwarf burst into hearty laughter.
"Looks like it's true what they say—nymphs really are beloved by the gods. The goddess has answered your prayer."
"M-my prayer...? Did the goddess... accept my prayer?"
Didier's laughter helped ease Paranoya's terrified shoulders.
"I... I..."
On the other hand, she fixed her huge eyes on the devouring flames, unable to believe what she'd done. Her expression was just like a child's beholding fireworks for the first time.
"Lord Pluto never answered any of my prayers."
"Anyway, the hearth divination preparations are complete. This flame won't die out until morning."
An unquenchable bonfire.
One of the night watch's key duties in this world was tending the fire to keep it alive. No need for that now—quite convenient.
With it blazing like this, wild beasts or field monsters wouldn't dare approach the campsite. Most nocturnal creatures feared fire, after all.
"So, whose divination shall we start with?"
"Me first!"
Luna, who'd been staring at the bonfire, shot her hand up at Belmina's question. Then she scooped up a handful of dirt and sand from the ground and sprinkled it into the fire like seasoning.
What on earth was she doing?
Whoosh.
In that instant, the flames began emitting black soot, soon turning a pitch black.
Black flames. They were so ominously eerie that chills raced down my spine. It felt like I'd stumbled into some wicked cultist's dark rite! Shit, what was this?
"Hmm..."
Belmina's blue eyes narrowed as she watched. She even waved her palm back and forth over the black flames.
"All the flames turned black. That's night mana, no doubt. Looks like the goddess of night favors you quite a bit."
"As expected, it's Lady Nox!"
Luna beamed with joy at the sight of the black flames. As for me, I was utterly baffled, having no idea what was going on.
Noticing my clueless expression, the dwarf Didier sitting beside me leaned in and murmured an explanation in a low voice.
"Everyone in this world receives affection from the gods. It's just a matter of how much. This divination reveals which god loves you the most."
"What does that have to do with finding your attribute?"
"Because you have the best affinity with the gods who favor you. It helps when handling mana. Of course, if you're not a mage or someone who can wield mana, it's just for fun."
"Then I'll give it a go," Didier said curtly. He grabbed a handful of dirt and sand from around the bonfire, then tossed it into the black flames like sprinkling salt.
Swish. Swish. Whoosh.
The flames, which had been burning black just moments ago, reverted to their original red glow, taking on the familiar shape of a bonfire.
"No change?"
"Tch."
Didier clicked his tongue at my question. Then he scooped up another handful and tossed it in.
"Lady Ceres, didn't I just polish your statue? Remember your son, Didier of Troglzir...!"
Swish.
The moment he finished sprinkling the sand, the crackling of embers grew fierce. Soon, firefly-like sparks shot up into the sky in a frenzy.
Belmina held her palm over it, just as she had for Luna's.
"...It's faint, but I can sense earth and seasonal mana. Lady Ceres isn't one to easily bestow her favor on her creations..."
"That's how she is. Until just before last winter, she was one of the most benevolent. Ha, I'm satisfied knowing she remembers my name. Alright, next up—party leader?"
"I'm curious as well. A Samaritan from distant lands. I wonder which god holds you dear."
"Me too. Hassan! Bet it's the god of light?"
All their eyes turned to me, and suddenly my face flushed hot. I just wasn't immune to being the center of everyone's expectations.
Still, I was curious about my own attribute.
Maybe the god of light was watching over me, like Luna said. Or perhaps it was Lady Nox—potential mother-in-law material—who favored me.
Half tense, half excited, I grabbed a handful of sand and sprinkled it toward the bonfire.
Swish.
The scattering white grains fell into the flames like snowflakes.
I held my breath, staring at the fire to see what would happen.
Fizzle. Fizzle.
The bonfire's flames shrank, as if its task were done—like a juicer sputtering out—then pitifully extinguished.
What the hell? Shit, why did the fire go out?
As curiosity hit me, Didier pawed at the ashes with his palm, looking baffled.
"Hey there, mage. The flame's gone out. What god does that mean I'm favored by?"
Belmina furrowed her brow at the question.
She touched the dead ashes herself, sounding baffled.
"Well... whether we can call that mana... Didn't you sprinkle too much sand?"
"Hassan, got a bit too eager there."
"Yeah. Embarrassing."
It was like I'd doused the party's rising spirits with cold water, leaving me feeling awkward. I'd thought I'd taken the same amount as the others, but maybe my big palms had overdone it.
"Paranoya's sweating again! Whoa! This waterskin's gonna fill up! Heehee!"
"The bonfire went out..."
All the same, it had been a pretty entertaining way to pass a lonely night.
* * *
Mornings spent among the trees and forest are always damp.
We'd pitched tents with that in mind, but the dew from last night had thoroughly soaked the canvas and the ground beneath.
Where'd Luna wander off to this time?
Pushing through the dew-kissed grass in all directions, I stepped out of the tent. Paranoya, gazing at the bonfire with hollow eyes, looked up at my face.
"Eek...!"
"What the—shit."
"N-night watch was proper! Didn't let the fire die!"
"Yeah...?"
Her sudden formal speech caught me off guard.
Was she finally starting to respect me as party leader? But she looked so dazed and out of it—not well at all.
"Hey, did you seriously not sleep a wink?"
"Y-yes! The sacred bonfire... I had a duty to guard it...!"
"Hmm."
Ever since she'd learned the hearth goddess had answered her prayer, Paranoya hadn't been quite right. She'd been stunned and overwhelmed by the god's response.
Even so, staying up all night just to tend the fire was abnormal—beyond what I'd expected.
"Hey, we're heading into the labyrinth soon. How're you gonna manage without sleep?"
"I-it's f-fine... I can go three days without... no problem..."
Come to think of it, Paranoya's level was higher than mine.
Level 20 or something like that. And she'd endured days starved in an underground prison without breaking—tough as nails.
A single night without sleep should be fine, then. Still, I'd have preferred everyone entering the labyrinth in top shape.
It was morning already, though. No helping it.
"Let's get breakfast ready."
"Leave breakfast to me, party leader. Caught a wild pigeon while cleaning the temple yesterday—prepped it overnight. Boil it in clear broth, and it's delicious."
"Then handle it."
A weight lifted off my mind, knowing I wouldn't have to prep the meal.
I pressed my shoulders and legs against the dew-slick rocks, stretching out long and slow to work the kinks from my cramped body after huddling in that tiny tent all night.
"Hassan! Check this out!"
Just then, Luna appeared in the distance, waving her arms.
"Night canary! I caught it! Isn't it amazing?"
In her hand dangled a bird shimmering with crimson and red hues. Frogs yesterday, a bird today?
Cheep.
Birds had wings, after all—hard to catch without a bow or sling. How'd she manage it?
"What's that? How'd you catch it?"
"I followed the dawn moonlight, and there it was, all docile! Must be a gift from Lady Nox! Definitely!"
"A bird just sitting still? That's weird."
My stomach growled at the thought of a hearty bird-meat stew. Who knew Luna had a knack for hunting.
"Bird meat sounds tasty."
"It's not for eating, Hassan!"
"Not for eating? Then why catch it?"
"You make threat-detection totems with night canaries."
"What kind of totem?"
Rather than answer, Luna snapped off a bunch of reeds growing beside the Ceres temple ruins. She began weaving the tough, sturdy stalks into a cage-like structure.
"Making a birdcage?"
"Yep. Put it inside. Night canaries screech like crazy if monsters get close."
So she was using the bird like those old miners' canaries—an early warning system.
Come to think of it, I'd heard adventurers exploring Pluto's labyrinth tamed beasts like this to fight alongside them.
Dungeon difficulty scaled by party size for humans only. Hunters who tamed hordes of animals to conquer labyrinths existed, too.
Anyway, after breakfast, we pushed our way through the reeds tall enough to obscure our heads.
After quite some wandering, we finally spotted it—the entrance to Pluto's labyrinth, where we'd clashed with the cultist Koma last time.
In the morning-lit reed fields, the earth yawned open like a grim maw: the ruins' entrance.
Ooooo.
A gloomy, beastly howl seemed to echo from within. The entrance was sealed with chains and stakes hammered in place, like a mask barring the way.
The lock bore the Mars Guild's sword emblem—clearly a sealing ritual cast by the Mars Guild.
I unlocked it with the key from Hippolyte. With a heavy clank, the chains fell to the ground.
And so.
The labyrinth's seal was broken.
"Hassan, but... this is my first time entering a labyrinth. You think it'll be okay?"
"Honestly, mine too. Hell's gateway and all—scares me straight."
"Dungeon delving is usually Silver-tier adventurer work. I've read about it plenty in books."
So we were all newbies? That meant I was the only one with any labyrinth experience? Sure, mine was just as a porter. But I knew the basics.
"Alright, one quick rundown, then. Listen up. In a labyrinth, watch out for monsters and traps. And fruits... and chairs."