Chapter 17: Labyrinth (3)
Sometimes in life, you run into situations that make you wonder, what the actual fuck is going on? Like, for example, getting chewed out by strangers because you didn't leash a dog that wasn't even yours, or catching flak as a math tutor for not teaching English. Sure, most of those are just misunderstandings or mix-ups—best-case scenarios. Worst-case? Someone totals your car, or you get reported via Bluetooth just for taking a piss in the bathroom.
So why am I bringing this up? Simple. Because of the pint-sized lady right in front of me.
More precisely...
"Hic! Save Shallet!"
The one bawling her eyes out, snot and tears streaming down her face as she begs me.
Sigh. How the hell did things end up like this?
To understand why this was happening to me, we need to rewind about an hour.
Three days had passed since Lilia put me to sleep.
In that time, I'd gotten a proper explanation from her about why she hadn't knocked me out sooner, along with some training. Before long, I was sleeping like a baby again. On top of that, I'd been hunting hard, amassing more cash than a newbie adventurer had any right to.
Still not quite on par with my alchemy days, though.
Of course not. Back then, I supplied the Mage Tower—the kind of place whose wealth rivaled the Arend Empire's imperial family. Running low on funds would've been the real problem.
This wasn't small money by any means. Compared to what average beginner adventurers scraped together, it was a fortune. Even if we split it down the middle.
If I'd wanted to get rich, I'd have signed an exclusive contract with the Mage Tower from the start.
What I really wanted was to conquer the Labyrinth. That's why I'd ditched the supply deal with the Tower and come here.
No point griping over the amount.
With that resolve, I dove back into slime hunting.
For reference, the first floor was mostly slimes, but goblins popped up rarely too.
"Lilia, shall we take a break?"
"Yes, let's do that."
We'd been grinding hard and were just about to rest when...
[Waaahhh!!]
A woman's wail shook the nearby woods like they were about to collapse. It was more of a sob, really, but to my sharp half-elf ears, it rang out loud and clear.
Curious, we rushed toward the sound and found...
"Waaahhh!!"
...a girl in tattered, ripped-up clothes, bawling her eyes out.
More precisely, it was the girl I'd seen near the Labyrinth entrance last time—the one on horseback. She was half-hidden in the bushes, barely visible, but I recognized her.
Unlike before, she was alone and crying in those torn clothes, so I started toward her.
-Thud.
But unexpectedly, Lilia blocked me.
I was about to ask why when...
-Whoosh!
Something streaked through the air.
-Crunch!
It embedded itself in the tree between me and Lilia.
I whipped my gaze to it. The object was...
An arrow?
No first-floor monster could wield one. Which meant...
Bandits!
Plunderers—the classic novel bandits—lurked nearby.
The moment I realized it, I hurled everything from my pouch: scent neutralizer, capsaicin-packed spices, and old experimental vials filled with monster shit.
I also unleashed one of the few spells I'd learned from the Magic Tome: Dark Erosion.
It wasn't the overwhelming version my master described—drowning foes in darkness—but it worked fine as a smoke bomb.
With their vision obscured, I snagged the girl with a Black Hand and...
"Lilia, take her!"
"Y-Yes? Oh, right!"
...shoved her onto Lilia's back before bolting.
-Whoosh!
The bandits gave chase, but good luck with that.
Think I'd leave the scent for them? Capsaicin powder already ruined their noses.
We fled hard for a bit.
"Huff! Huff! Let's... catch our breath."
"Y-Yesss..."
We'd shaken the pursuit—for now. Not fully clear yet. Any trace, and they'd be on us. But we had some time.
As we panted, the girl on Lilia's back stared at me. Her eyes welled up, pupils dilating like saucers, and she...
No, she screamed.
"Waaahhh!!"
-Slap!
The noise startled me into slapping her cheek.
"Shut it!"
Even with my patience, I wasn't babysitting a whiner in a crisis. Truth be told, I was still amped from nearly dying—not horny, but the cold-sweat, shaky-pupils kind of fear.
Yeah. I'd saved her out of some half-assed morality, but I was scared shitless. Legs wobbling, vision blurring, soaked in sweat. You get it.
So her noise—risking another death sentence—was unforgivable.
Luckily, slapping her jogged my memory: she was somebody important. I dialed back the rage.
Though if she whined again, I'd have no qualms slapping her bald.
But my worries were for naught. The shock therapy worked; she clamped her mouth shut, stifling sobs desperately.
I sighed, patted her head like a good girl.
She relaxed, sniffling softly.
Watching her, I asked,
"So what happened? Weren't you with mercenaries or adventurers as guards?"
"W-Wellll..."
She hesitated, then spilled everything.
It was a hell of a story.
Simple version: She was joyriding, trampling monsters brainlessly, when arrows flew. She fell from her horse; presumed mercenaries fought back, but she was the only one who escaped.
And in the chaos, she overheard...
'Attacked by my mother's enemies.'
Her assailants were her parents' foes.
Her folks had major pull here—inevitable, really.
The mayor of Labyrinth City's daughter.
Labyrinth City had a mayor? Yeah, but it was neutral ground. Not democratically elected—nobles from various nations rotated the seat.
In short...
You're nobility too, huh.
This girl was a noble. More precisely, daughter of a powerhouse noble faction strong enough for the mayor gig.
Translation: I'm fucked.
Injuring nobility's gotta be beheading, right?
Unfair as hell, but medieval rules.
For a split second, I considered ditching her back there. Too late now.
Plus, she seemed sorry.
Anyway, not the priority. Her enemies targeted her parents—the mayor's faction. Motives unknown, but assassination attempt.
Hearing it, my gut screamed:
Shit, stumbled into the wrong mess.
Dragged into noble infighting. Not just any—assassination!
This wasn't bad luck; it was suicidal.
Dump her? My conscience twinged. And even then, those killers might still hunt me.
Checkmate. Totally fucked.
As I pondered our doom...
She tugged my sleeve, sniffling.
"Hic! Save Shallet!"
Looks like this spoiled brat hadn't fully snapped out of it.