Chapter 122: How Are You a First-Year?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: How Are You a First-Year?
In the game, a resurrection scroll changes your health from 0 to 1.
Meaning, now that I'm revived, my health is so low that even a slight touch could kill me.
"There's significant damage from your esophagus to your stomach."
That was Priest Mikhail's diagnosis.
It was because I had chewed a poison capsule.
"You'll need intensive care."
To be honest, my insides were killing me.
"Please do."
My voice was cracked and hoarse when I answered.
After that, I was carried on a stretcher to the Nathaniel Temple.
I lay like a corpse for half the day.
My body was too exhausted to move an inch, but my mind was still racing.
"What happened with the Labyrinth Eruption?"
I checked on the situation outside through Yernil.
"They said they've caught all the monsters."
"Were Aimus or Back Attack hurt?"
"No... They both have minor injuries, but they said they're fine."
"What about those two?"
In the hospital room where I was admitted, Gildal and Soyul were lying side-by-side in the two beds across from mine. Gadozumi was looking after them.
"They said they're past the critical stage."
That's a relief.
When I pressed Yernil for more details, it seemed the battle near the Guild Village had been quite chaotic.
Since most of the Deep Layer adventurers had been deployed to capture the White Lion, the high-floor adventurers were the strongest forces left in the Guild Village. They must have formed the command, with the mid-floor adventurers as the main fighting force.
That was why Hijikata's party, which had only just dipped its toes into the 4th floor, suffered considerable damage.
"But they're saying this Labyrinth Eruption didn't have a clear reason or target," Yernil said.
Of course it didn't.
It was highly likely that the eruption 12 years ago during Henry's incident wasn't because of him, either.
Henry had probably just stepped into the Labyrinth for a moment using Lilweed's simple elevator before pulling back out.
He would have followed the two-week rule.
If not, what was he doing at the Mist Cliffs? Having a picnic with Lilweed?
I needed to discuss the Labyrinth Eruption with this city's leadership.
"What happened to the White Lion?"
"They said he's locked up in the basement prison of the Public Security Headquarters. And the constables are probably interrogating him."
"...Hmm."
Capturing that beast alive was a bigger prize than I'd expected. To be honest, I hadn't anticipated this much when I positioned Nimue and Rococo on the stairs.
I had told them to set up powerful magic in advance and subdue the White Lion the moment he arrived, but I thought they would kill him.
"I can't believe they captured him alive."
It was good news and bad news.
The good part was that we could extract more information from the monster—about the Labyrinth's conspiracy, the identities of the Assembly members, and so on.
And the bad part...
What if the Dagger Raptor comes to rescue him?
I was worried.
There were other Inter-floor Lords on the surface besides the White Lion. And the Assembly was also a problem. It seemed the Consul, Krom, and the professors had clashed with the Assembly's mages in the structurally altered annex.
If so, it was safe to assume those mages were on the White Lion's side.
What about Isel?
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
It was Isel, looking terribly pale.
Speak of the devil. How did she know I was just thinking about her?
"Um... Caleb."
She was terrified.
And for good reason.
The university and the Public Security Headquarters were in an uproar right now, going on about some Chihuahua and some broccoli.
She must be on edge, thinking she could be interrogated at any moment.
Or, given the circumstances, the Assembly might have given Isel a difficult order.
"Do you have a moment?"
Isel gestured for me to come outside.
"Yes. Let's go."
I was in a six-person room, so it wasn't a suitable place for an important conversation.
A groan escaped my lips as I got out of bed. My body was still far from recovered.
"Caleb! Where are you going!"
Yernil jumped up in surprise.
"I'm just going to talk somewhere quiet for a bit."
"Can't you talk here?"
"It's a secret conversation..."
"A secret...? J-Just the two of you?"
"Miss Yernil."
Isel also excluded Yernil.
"Please wait here for a little while."
"Wha-?"
"I'll be right back, Yernil."
"Caleb! If you move around carelessly, Priest Mikhail will scold you! You know how much that man nags..."
"Just make up a good excuse for me."
Leaving a slightly dejected Yernil behind felt strangely like leaving my girlfriend to go talk business with my "work wife."
Even though neither of them was anything of the sort.
*
We moved to a secure conference room in the Nathaniel Temple.
Considering which god the temple served, renting the room must have cost a pretty penny, but for Isel, it was probably pocket change.
"Owl's Hunt."
She cast a soundproofing spell on the room and locked the door.
Click.
Then she turned off all the lights.
"This way."
She led me to a desk in the dark recesses of the conference room.
And then...
"Caleb!"
She suddenly dropped to her knees.
"Wh-What? What are you doing?"
"I know what you must be thinking of me right now."
A terrified Isel began to ramble.
"You think I was colluding with the White Lion because I'm a member of the Assembly, don't you? A-And this time, the Assembly came out in force to block the professors. And the timing of my return from Wyndham right as this mess was happening... It's sus...picious, isn't it?"
Ah.
So you're jumping the gun.
"It would be too hard to believe if I said it was a coincidence, I know. I understand. But... but I really didn't know anything about this..."
Her eyes, looking up at me worriedly, were filled with sorrow.
Tears welled up.
She was indeed a smart wizard.
She had a quick mind, always considered the worst-case scenario, and thought about future developments in a negative light.
Isel probably imagined it like this:
Caleb, having risen from his sickbed, would kick off his blankets, run to the university, grab Meldini and Isilof, and shout:
'You're looking for the White Lion Assembly's Chihuahua? The bitten apple? The broccoli dipped in red chili paste? Haha. I don't know about them, but I know one person. And that is... the Koi Carp! And her identity is, ta-da, Isel!'
The university would be in an uproar, and Edward Berten would clutch the back of his neck and collapse.
The professors would then seize Isel, sit her in a chair, and a red-faced Meldini would point his wand at her and yell:
'If you're innocent, then swear it under a Lie Detection spell!'
Isel's identity would be exposed, and the university would use her as a starting point to hunt down and purge the Assembly.
But they would still have a hard time finding them. Because Isel herself didn't know who they were.
Instead, Isel would be thoroughly screwed.
And where would this whole chain of events begin? From my mouth.
"Ca... Caleb. Please. Please believe me. I really... I didn't know anything."
So that's why Isel was acting like this.
Honestly, from an objective standpoint, Isel was indeed suspicious.
Look at the information she had given me so far.
The White Lion? I don't know who that is.
The other members? I'm just a low-ranking member, so I don't know who they are.
Professor Enver said something before he died? That you can go home if you're in the top ten? I don't know what that means.
A Labyrinth Eruption occurred in Sohen, and the White Lion is trying to kill Professor Dalstream? I don't know anything about that, either.
She had just denied knowing anything.
Isel had given me zero information. In other words, she had done a good job of protecting the Assembly's secrets.
So why suddenly show up now, saying, 'I was worried because I heard Caleb became a target of the slave-hating murderer?'
I was facing death about once a week in Sohen, so why the sudden concern?
You're hiding something! Just be honest!
'...is what you're afraid I'll say, right?'
Isel trembled, wringing her hands.
She had acted this way back at the Berten estate when I mentioned Enver. It seemed she was always in a position of being scared of me.
I'm not going to eat you, Isel. Calm down.
"I really didn't know anything about this incident! Please believe me."
"I believe you."
"Of course you don't... huh?"
"I believe you, so get up."
I never thought I'd live to see the day a woman knelt and begged me. And a superstar of high society, no less. I was afraid of the rumors if anyone saw this.
"Y-You really believe me...?"
"Yes."
Because your trust in me is at 100%.
That's on the same level as Aimus, Back Attack, and Yernil. I can trust you.
And one more reason.
"You want to kill the Labyrinth Master, don't you, Isel?"
"Th-That's right."
"The White Lion is a Labyrinth monster, so you wouldn't cooperate with him."
The Labyrinth Eruption 12 years ago was a traumatic event for her. Her grand dream of secretly killing the Labyrinth Master and shutting it down was, ironically, in opposition to the Assembly.
Isel was gathering information on the Deep Layers, and the Assembly was likely just using her background. That must have been their relationship.
"More importantly, please tell me about the current situation."
I helped the bewildered-looking Isel to her feet.
"What's the plan now that the White Lion has been captured?"
That was my bigger concern.
"...Umm."
Isel quickly composed herself.
"First, the Assembly has ordered everyone to lie low and keep quiet for a while. Oh, and I received a note from the Chihuahua telling me not to interfere with the White Lion during the battle."
"Really?"
"Yes. But I ignored it and fought. And I made an excuse that I had no choice because my father, Clorence, and a bunch of other adventurers were around."
"Good work."
"Um... Should I... maybe turn myself in to the university?" Isel asked with a worried expression.
Hmm.
This was something to think about.
"Before you decide that, let's cross-verify what you know about the Assembly with me."
"Yes, of course."
"First, the Dagger Raptor. Do you know him? Or was there a member who wore an eagle mask?"
"Dagger Raptor...? I've never seen an eagle mask."
"What about the talk of the Labyrinth having a great eruption and building a tower?"
"There's talk like that?"
"That the Labyrinth will devour the entire continent?"
"..."
"Or that the Labyrinth Master is after the Ethereal Galaxy?"
"I... I..."
Isel's face turned bright red.
As a proud genius wizard from a prestigious family, she seemed embarrassed that despite being in the Assembly for much longer, and even being a member, she knew less than I did.
"Sh-Should I ask? The Chihuahua."
Feeling pressured to do something, Isel fidgeted with her fingers.
"No. Just stay put for now."
Moving rashly could just backfire.
"And don't turn yourself in to the university, either."
Even if she did, there was almost no information Isel could reveal.
It would only be a loss, as the Assembly might exclude her.
"If the Assembly contacts you, let me know then."
"I will."
"When are you returning to Wyndham?"
"Ah, about that..."
Isel scratched her cheek.
"Caleb. I'm... going to be staying at the university for a while."
"What? Why?"
*
Emergency situation number one.
The dean of the university was a monster!
Emergency situation number two.
University professor Dalstream was dead.
The university was facing an unprecedented manpower shortage, and it had come to the point of inviting the famous wizard from a prestigious family, 'Isel Berten'—a 10th-floor adventurer qualified for a tenured professorship—to be a new professor.
"Wizards who have cleared the 8th floor or higher are eligible for a university professorship. Someone of Isel's caliber could even be a tenured professor," Professor Isilof explained when I visited his research lab the next morning.
"I see."
I had originally planned to keep Isel in Wyndham, so this was a bit of a shame.
She was perfect for the position of digging into my past—or rather, Caleb's past—and keeping an eye on Bipa and Mugol.
Hmm.
Maybe Bipa and Mugol will also stay near Sohen because of the elevator?
If so, this might have turned out for the best.
"This isn't just about Isel, Caleb."
Isilof suddenly changed the subject to me.
"You need to skip grades, too."
"Pardon?"
"Clorence, a 5th-floor wizard, is in his fourth and final year. Usually, fourth-years make it to the 3rd or 4th floor."
"..."
"The Labyrinth is so difficult that Clorence, who reached the 5th floor, is considered a genius. The vast majority of undergraduate students graduate without ever seeing the 4th floor."
But I was a wizard who had already cleared the 4th floor.
"So how are you a first-year?"
Hearing him say it, I couldn't argue. He had a point.
"Let's finish the grade-skipping process together, and then this afternoon, let's go to the Sohen leadership meeting."
"Yes, sir."
In fact, I had come to see the professor about that very meeting.
"There's something I'd like to tell you all there about the Labyrinth Eruption from 12 years ago."
Perhaps the two-week rule never existed in the first place.