An Expensive Reward
Two days had passed since we returned to the Labyrinth City with the corpse of the hydra once known as the Master of the Labyrinth.
The moment we set foot back in the city, the cheers that greeted us were more than a hundred times louder than the ones that had seen us off. We were treated like royalty. The local lord had prepared everything imaginable for our return.
Even the lodging he arranged for our month-long stay was absurdly extravagant. The inn we had been staying at on credit had already been decent enough, but the place the lord secured for us was the most expensive hotel in the entire Labyrinth City—two gold coins a night. Considering our previous room had cost two silver coins a night, we had suddenly jumped more than tenfold in luxury.
Not that any of us could appreciate the glittering façade or the gourmet meals. All three hundred members of the expedition were on the verge of collapse. Without a word, everyone simply staggered into their rooms and passed out cold.
And now…
None of us could even remember how we had made it back to the city the day before. Waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling left the entire party thoroughly confused. One after another we came bolting downstairs for an explanation, and only then did the memories of yesterday’s lavish welcome come flooding back.
"For a second I thought the hydra had dragged us into its temple. Mother always said the Masters of the Labyrinth raise humans like livestock and eat them."
"You too? I was thinking the exact same thing!"
The expedition members around us roared with laughter as they dug into a delicious breakfast. Since the lord had rented out the entire hotel, we were the only guests—meaning no one was around to lecture us about manners or decorum.
Putting a bunch of adventurers in a hotel full of other nobles would have been less of a reward and more of a torture session. The lord clearly understood that much.
"Esilly-nim, please eat."
"You too, Lumine. Dig in."
After how thoroughly I had "enjoyed" Lumine last night while she slept, my appetite was practically nonexistent. Still, I managed to spoon some soup into my mouth and sip it down. Even with infinite mana recovery, the backlash from overusing magic was unavoidable. My hands kept trembling from the aftereffects, and I ended up dropping the spoon mid-lift.
"Are you all right?"
"Don't worry. It wasn't that hot."
"Honestly… let me wipe that for you."
Muttering that I was hopeless, Lumine came over and sat right in front of my chair. She was grumbling, yet she couldn't quite hide the smile on her face. No need to point that out.
She pulled out a handkerchief and carefully dabbed at the soup that had spilled onto my skirt. I was wearing something thin, and the warm breath—whether from her nose or her lips—kept brushing against my lower body.
"I'm fine, really…"
Lumine looked almost like me, yet she was nearly twice my age. That was probably why she was always so determined to look after me. Did she see me as a little sister? It felt like something between an object of admiration and a younger sibling.
"This won't do. We need to go upstairs and get you cleaned up."
"At least finish your meal first…"
"Absolutely not. I refuse to leave Esilly-nim looking like this in front of all these men."
Come on, we still needed to eat. We had a lot to do at the Adventurer Guild today! Bathing could wait!
I tried to argue, but the memory of what I myself had done not long ago sealed my lips. This was the exact method I had used on her. I distinctly remembered dragging Lumine into the bathroom, stripping her bare, and devouring her on the spot.
"Come on, let's go."
This was clearly Lumine's counterattack—payback for me pouncing on her while she was exhausted and asleep last night.
After enduring a thorough round of Lumine's sexual torment, we finally stopped by the guild. The moment we walked in, every adventurer present broke into applause. Fair enough—our achievement this time had been enormous. We had frozen a hydra solid, the kind of monster that regenerated even after you cut off its heads and burned the stumps.
Lumine and I offered polite thanks to the clapping crowd and headed for the reception desk. Sure enough, the staff member led us straight to the Guild Master's office rather than a reception room.
The door opened, and there he was, waiting for us.
"Ah! There you are! Though you both look more worn out than I expected!"
"Ahaha… something came up…"
I could hardly admit that Lumine had dragged me upstairs mid-meal and thoroughly ravished me. Being tossed onto the bed, skirt and underwear yanked off—no, never mind. I just gave an awkward smile and brushed it off.
"The lord went to the trouble of booking you a fine hotel. You should have slept properly! Kahahaha!"
"Looks like you slept well yourself, Guild Master."
"Mmm… I didn't get much rest either, which is why I'm saying it."
Or maybe not. He had spent the night with Enge, so anything could have happened. Erna might be getting a little sister soon.
"Speaking of which, Erna isn't here?"
"She went shopping with my wife today. After nearly a week alone at home, she must have been bored out of her mind."
"I'll take her out myself tomorrow, then."
"Please do. She seems quite fond of both Hero Esilly and Miss Lumine."
We had already promised to go out together once we got back. But first, we needed to hear about the follow-up to this whole affair.
"Well then, to business… Thanks to Hero Esilly, this expedition ended without any serious injuries. You have my deepest gratitude."
"This feels a lot like the first time we met."
He had started with thanks back then, too. Hard to believe that was only two weeks ago.
"Haha, true enough."
He flashed a broad smile. Not that I particularly wanted to see a middle-aged man's grin, but he was the Guild Master—best keep that thought to myself.
He let out a long sigh, stood up, and walked over to a small bar counter behind him where bottles and glasses sat. He dropped ice into a glass and began pouring what looked like whiskey.
"Damn… force of habit. I started preparing a drink without even thinking."
"You'll be resting for a while anyway, right?"
"Haha. A Guild Master has far too much work. I start again tomorrow. Still, there are things that must be done first, so the drink can wait."
There was a reason he had called us here today. Sure enough, he picked up a large box sitting beside the liquor and carried it over with both hands.
"Don't tell me… is that our reward?"
"No. This is something I personally want to give the two of you."
Something for us? Lumine and I exchanged glances and tilted our heads. Seeing our expressions, the Guild Master told us we could look forward to it and opened the box.
With a metallic click, a faint light spilled from the gap. Inside were what looked like two large stones—slightly translucent, but still just big rocks at first glance…
"Rocks…?"
"E-Esilly-nim! These are Mana Stones!"
My slightly disappointed look made the Guild Master's shoulders droop a little, while Lumine shook my shoulders hard as if to ask what on earth I was talking about.
Mana stones? The ones I knew were fist-sized at best.
"They look like rocks to me."
"Rocks don't look like this!"
"Haha… These are the two Mana Stones taken from the body of the hydra whose life Hero Esilly ended."
The Guild Master backed Lumine up, insisting they were Mana Stones, not rocks.
"They're so much bigger than the Serpent Dragon's Mana Stone!"
"They came from a monster that lived for ages. Far older than the Serpent Dragon you defeated, Hero Esilly."
"Whoa… But why give them to us?"
Weren't Mana Stones guild property? I had only asked for the hide, fangs, and horns.
"Of course we've prepared everything you requested as well. But these two Mana Stones… the guild would rather the two of you have them."
"M-Me as well…?"
Lumine looked faintly flustered, clearly wondering why she was receiving such a massive, precious Mana Stone. She still hadn't realized that without her, not a single member of the expedition would have returned safely.
"Miss Lumine is a contributor as well! Without you, our vanguard would have been turned into barbecue long ago."
"B-Barbecue…"
"Exactly. You worked incredibly hard, Lumine. I think you've more than earned it."
"Esilly-nim…"
Her eyes grew a little misty, but she forced the tears back and wiped them away. I almost reached out to stroke her head, then stopped myself—doing that would probably make her cry for real.
"The glory of this expedition belongs to the two of you! Please accept them without hesitation!"
"Yes! Understood."
"Then we'll gratefully accept."
Lumine and I each lifted a Mana Stone from the box. The blue one went to me; the red one to her.
And just like that, we each obtained one of the only two SS-rank Mana Stones in existence.
Maybe I should have a staff made with this…