Chapter 110
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Joining the Heracles Expedition
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Of course, unlike a large-scale teleport gate, there's no way I could build a small teleport gate with the materials I currently have on hand.
But.
If I incorporate 7th Circle necromantic magic into a device forged from the Heart of the Machine God, I could create a permanent passage that even one person could easily traverse back and forth.
Regular mages can use teleportation once they surpass the 7th Circle, but necromancers have special requirements in this field.
Without the materials, I'd have to resort to another method.
It would have been impossible in the Labyrinthos, but now, with the memories of various halls intertwined, it was definitely worth trying.
"Leon, why are we here?"
"I need a catalyst."
To force open the pathway ahead of schedule, I'd need proper preparation.
In the eyes of the public, one might say that necromancers and mages are essentially the same thing.
I admit that the only real difference is whether they use mana or necromantic mana, and there's not much else distinguishing them. But without knowledge of mages, that's all I can infer.
Right now, Luna and I are in Revella, a city in the Holy Kingdom, accompanied by Head Maid Misha.
Why are we here?
The reason was simple. Just as the capital of the Bata Kingdom has its capital dungeon, this city in the Holy Kingdom has long been home to a famous massive dungeon.
And I needed a specific mana core from a particular region in the depths of that dungeon.
It's something that's notoriously hard to obtain, only occasionally found in the ecosystem of the dungeon's depths. So, there was no choice but to go myself.
These things only appear in such rare environments, with no steady supply available, so money couldn't solve the problem.
Moreover, hardly anyone even knows the value of that catalyst, so no one's trading it.
If I can get it for free by harvesting it myself, that's what I'll do.
Revella's dungeon is primarily divided into the upper, middle, and lower layers.
However, if you meet certain conditions in the lower layer, a rift opens to an entirely different environment—one that adventurers commonly call the "deep layer."
Naturally, the deep layer is infamous for spawning monsters far stronger than anything in the previous middle or lower layers—monsters that can't even be compared.
That's why entering the deep layer requires a permit or assistance from the relevant guild.
Unfortunately, that led to a problem right from the start.
"No, absolutely not. Regulations strictly prohibit it."
To obtain the target catalyst, I needed to go below the deep layer, but apparently, that required permission from the Adventurer Management Department.
This was a matter governed by Holy Kingdom law, so even nobles rarely got exceptions.
And here's where the issue arose.
Deep layer entry conditions:
Minimum party size: 40 people or more.
Requirements: Individuals of a specific rank or higher managed by the Adventurer Guild.
Our total party: three people.
Rank: none.
It was annoying from the get-go.
"We don't need a full 40! What kind of manpower do you need for swamp exploration?"
"Do you even know how dangerous that place is?"
The clerk slammed the table in frustration, apparently dumbfounded.
Given that this was a life-or-death profession, people in this line of work tended to be tough and no-nonsense.
Plus, most of the administrators here were hired directly by the Holy Kingdom, so even nobles showed them a degree of respect.
Of course, since I wasn't dressed in noble attire right now, I probably just looked like an ordinary adventurer.
Luna and Head Maid Misha were dressed similarly to regular adventurers.
However, raising her voice like that probably wasn't the best move.
"Ahem... Excuse me. I didn't mean to react so strongly."
"Is there no way around it?"
I could ask Saintess Nadia for a favor, but if word got out that she was bending rules for someone, I'd end up tangled in the fallout.
I've established a few rules in life.
Stay far away from fanatics.
The memory of those clear-eyed folks approaching with lines like "Your eyes are so pure" to proselytize made me shudder.
Of course, I wasn't sure if it was like that here.
"Absolutely not. I can't compromise on matters involving lives. I get that you're young and full of vigor, but remember—if I let three people break the rules and something goes wrong, I'll lose my job too."
"Hmm..."
"Besides, the deep layer rift can only be opened with a special magic stone found in the lower layer. You three don't even have one of those, do you?"
The clerk wasn't wrong.
In other words, to get the mana core I wanted, someone would have to enter an already-opened deep layer rift and harvest it.
"What now?"
At Luna's question, I flipped through the booklet I'd grabbed from the guild on our way out.
Then pointed to something inside.
"Perfect timing. A large mercenary group is recruiting for a deep swamp expedition. All we need is a way to join them."
"Is there a way? Mercenaries with strong pride won't be easy to negotiate with using money."
Head Maid Misha's point was valid.
"No need for a transaction. There's a win-win solution."
What I'd pointed to was a notice from the large-scale Heracles Mercenary Group urgently recruiting multiple porters for their expedition.
Whether they were short on numbers or for some other reason didn't matter.
The mercenary group challenging the deep layer: Heracles.
A fairly famous large-scale group in these parts, sponsored by nobles from various countries.
Though called mercenaries, many of their officers were at least Expert-level in strength, with even Masters among them.
"Luna goes without saying, but what about you, Head Maid? It's grunt work."
"I'm confident in my strength."
She calmly touted her physical power.
"Good. Then let's go."
Revella is home to countless mercenary groups.
Among them, the Heracles Mercenary Group is a top-tier powerhouse, boasting hundreds of members and using a massive mansion as their headquarters.
However, deep layer expeditions are life-risking endeavors, and even porters aren't guaranteed safety, so applicants for porter roles weren't overflowing.
"What brings you here?"
On our way to the Heracles porter recruitment office, a cheerful girl with short, crimson hair and a bright impression approached with a sunny smile.
"We're here to apply as porters."
"Porters? Hmm... Sorry, but we're only recruiting people with real strength. If you burn out in an emergency, it puts us in a tough spot."
Her implication was clear: we didn't look particularly strong.
"Carrying loads is no problem."
"Hmm... Well, why don't you try lifting that?"
She pointed to some crates nearby.
They didn't look light at a glance.
"We won't be carrying those exactly, but you'll often need to haul similar weights in backpacks or move cargo around."
She flashed a cute, playful smile, gesturing as if to say, "If you can, give it a go."
Luna strode over casually and lifted the crate with ease.
"Light."
Whoosh!!
She hefted it like a twig, making the girl's eyes go wide.
"It's a manageable weight. Back during training, I carried heavier loads up mountains."
"Even maids from noble houses do that sort of thing?"
"We... do."
Even as she declared it proudly, her averted gaze showed Head Maid Misha had a bit of an endearing clumsiness to her.
With the slender-looking Head Maid Misha lifting it effortlessly too, the crimson-haired girl turned her eyes to me.
I lightly picked up a crate, and she clapped her hands.
"Wow... All three of you are seriously strong. Are you former adventurers?"
"No."
"Wow... How is that even possible? Wait here, okay? I'll go talk to someone."
She jumped up and dashed inside.
Soon after, she returned with a man who looked like an officer. After some chatter, we smoothly completed the porter contracts without issue.
Assault team: 40 members.
Total porters: 15.
It should have been over 20 porters originally, but with low turnout, they had no choice.
Luckily, we joined just hours before the rift entry, so we could head in right away without waiting days.
The method to enter the deep layer was straightforward.
As you progress through Revella's dungeon, you find magic stones imbued with a specific power. Using one below a certain floor opens the door to the deep layer.
The deep layer zone is a unique area accessible only from Revella's dungeon, having existed for a long time.
It took about two hours to descend the path cleared as a safe zone.
While waiting for the rift to open, I took a moment to scout the surroundings when other porters started approaching, eyeing us curiously.
A boy traveling with two delicate-looking women—it was bound to draw attention.
All three of us were in inconspicuous clothes with hoods pulled low, so there shouldn't have been any real issues, but eyes were eyes.
"Hey, kid. First time here?"
"Yes."
At my calm reply, the middle-aged dwarf man chuckled heartily.
"You look tense—relax. Heracles are pros, so porters like us rarely get hurt."
From what I could see, most of the others besides us were veterans who'd contracted with Heracles multiple times or were group affiliates.
"For pros, your numbers seem low."
"Truth is, some weird rumors have been circulating lately. Nothing major, but folks are cautious—who wouldn't be when their own life is on the line? Still, you three coming helped us avoid a real headache."
Excluding us, there were only about two newbie porters who'd signed on.
The numbers were just barely scraping by, fortunately.
"Porters! Check your gear—we're heading in soon!!"
At that moment, the cute girl with orange hair bounced around, explaining the proceedings.
"That kid's going too?"
"Huh? You don't know? Rebecca's the group's mascot. Heh."
Mascot? Do mercenary groups need one?
"Leon, spiritist."
Luna's brief explanation made me nod.
Fair enough—spiritists were one of the rare classes that could grow strong regardless of age.
Individual talent mattered, of course, but their innate affinity was an insurmountable advantage.
In any case, the girl named Rebecca seemed to be a supporter the group was deliberately nurturing.