Chapter 2
Chapter 2
It all started with a game.
What was it called? Something-something Labyrinth, something-something...
I don't remember the details.
It wasn't exactly the kind of game where you'd bother remembering the name.
All I remember is that it was just some game about clearing a labyrinth in a generic, medieval-style world.
But there was one part I remembered.
For example, the character customization.
Unusually, the game allowed for character customization.
Of course, it wasn't exactly free-form, and there were plenty of fixed elements.
As I always do when customizing, I created a tall, blonde female Paladin. The game seemed to run for a bit, and then it crashed.
I tried running it a few more times, but it was no use.
I went to the convenience store, ate an ice cream, and went to sleep.
I had to go to work the next day.
And when I woke up, this was the state of things.
What happened after that is too long to explain right now.
I'll have time to tell it later...
Anyway.
"Have a safe trip! And bring me back something to eat!"
"Sure thing."
Stepping out of the inn, I wasn't in a snowy kingdom, but a medieval-style city.
The 'style' part is important.
As far as I know, the actual Middle Ages weren't this beautiful, nor did they have everything you could possibly want.
I thought that maybe this was proof that this world was a game.
Anyway, the city floor was paved with white stone.
Apparently, it was made with some ancient architectural technique.
The rows of wooden buildings all had their own unique charm, which was nice to look at.
The voices of the merchants setting up stalls on both sides of the road or at intersections, shouting at passersby to make a sale, were beyond lively—they were practically deafening.
Passing all that, Hera stopped in front of the Explorer guild, 「Silver Needle Guild」.
She swung the guild door open without hesitation.
The inside was noisy as always, and as always, there were plenty of people I didn't want to deal with.
"Hera."
"Roark."
"Could you please... hurry up? Everyone is already gathered, so what are you... doing coming so late?"
"Our princess was a little late. You know what they say, beauties need their beauty sleep, right?"
"So I have heard."
Unlike his half-balding head, he was wearing a leather jacket and chainmail.
The middle-aged man, dressed to the nines, opened his mouth with some nonsensical, baseless speech pattern he must have picked up from somewhere.
It was so nauseating that I gagged, and Roark looked over at me.
"Lian. You are beautiful today as well. That figure..."
"Fuck off, or I'll gouge your eyes out."
"...Even if you say that, that vulgar tone of yours cannot hide your beauty..."
"Ugh, stop with the bullshit. Let's just get to work, please."
His behavior made me shake my head.
He was already a piece of shit to begin with, but using that speech pattern he picked up somewhere made him even more insufferable.
It seemed I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as the guys behind Roark were also pretending to vomit.
But Roark stubbornly kept using that tone.
"Then, shall we go to make a killing... no, conduct our business today? Is everyone gathered?"
Crazy bastard. I shook my head.
Fortunately, while his speech was trash, his actions weren't.
Roark lined up the explorers gathered behind him and inspected their equipment.
As expected, one or two were excluded, and when those excluded guys tried to argue with Roark, they got punched in the gut.
"Fuck, what kind of attitude is that, trying to make money without even bringing proper equipment? Get lost."
Of course, even among those who remained, there were some who looked poorly equipped.
For example, the guy on the far left, trembling like a leaf—it was obvious he was entering the Labyrinth for the first time.
He might have passed Roark's standards, but in my eyes, he was a no-go.
He was wearing a leather vest, but with just a single shirt underneath, it looked like he'd been thoroughly scammed in the armor district.
Seeing that, I impulsively spoke to him.
"Hey."
"Y-yes?"
The guy looked at me, startled.
He was a boy with red hair and noticeable freckles, looking like he wasn't even in his twenties yet.
I approached him and whispered in his ear.
"You look like a Labyrinth beginner, so I'll give you a good tip."
"W-what is it..."
"I'm only telling you, so listen well. Don't tell anyone else. When you enter the Labyrinth..."
Perhaps because it was advice from a senior, he gulped, looking extremely nervous.
I could see his Adam's apple bobbing. I smiled and whispered softly.
"When you enter the Labyrinth for the first time, you have to jump as you go in."
"J-jump...?"
"Shh. Don't tell anyone else. Always enter the Labyrinth with a jump. Got it? That's how it's done."
Entering the dungeon requires a jump.
I chuckled as I watched the kid take the 'good advice' to heart.
Hera came over and gave me a look that said, 'Are you doing that again?'
"Are you tricking the kids again? With weird stuff?"
"It's not weird. It's common sense."
"Whose country's common sense? You're from the same Servel as me. Plus, you came from some countryside near Bern. Is that the common sense there? A place without even a Labyrinth?"
"There are things you don't know."
I didn't answer further because it would just get complicated.
Seeing us talking earlier, Roark shot a jealous look at the rookie.
Does he know that acting like that makes him feel even more like a piece of shit?
Then again, if he knew that, he wouldn't be acting like such a prick.
"Let's go!"
Roark stood at the front of the line and opened the guild door.
The explorers followed in a line behind him.
Hera and I were at the very back.
Everyone must think alike, because a group of explorers came pouring out of the 「Valeon Explorer Union」 guild in the alley over there.
Roark started a pointless war of nerves with them.
"Hey, let's not overlap."
"Bullshit. We always go at this time. You guys are the ones who are late, you assholes."
"Shut your trap. You smell like shit."
"Crazy bastard, you're the one who started talking. Is your mom dead? Oh, wait, did you say she died a long time ago?"
"I did crack both your heads open while you were fucking your dad."
What the hell are they doing?
Two middle-aged men exchanging insults that wouldn't even come out of the mouths of kids who play too many fatherless-behavior games—it was pathetic to watch.
"Anyway, you lucky fuck, living off party members you got through connections."
"Are you living like a beggar because you don't even have that luck?"
While the two were bickering, the procession kept walking and stopped in front of a building.
A towering, magnificent tower, temple... anyway, something like that, which felt grand no matter how many times, hours, minutes, or seconds I looked at it.
I don't know how big it was, but the clouds were caught on the building.
While looking at the 「Great Labyrinth」, which stretched out far to the sides, a soldier standing in front of the entrance stood up and leveled his spear.
"Halt."
Halt.
The party from the 「Valeon Explorer Union」 turned to the right at that point.
"Hope you die on your way!!" After exchanging pleasantries like that, Roark raised his hand to greet the soldiers and took out some documents from inside his coat.
It was the Labyrinth entry permit.
"16 members of the 「Silver Needle Guild」, same-day permit confirmed. You may enter."
"Hmm, thank you for your hard work."
Did they forget they were trading insults about each other's parents just a moment ago?
As I was thinking that, Hera gave me a look as if to say, 'Why are you acting like this is new?'
We bowed slightly to the guard at the entrance and went inside, which was much more magnificent than the outside.
Of course, the people and structures inside weren't.
"We'd like to use Central Entrance 3."
Along one wall, there were stalls and merchants lined up like a chaotic marketplace.
On the other side, there were neatly arranged counters and receptionists in tidy attire.
Roark approached one of them and showed the documents.
While the paperwork was being processed, the party members collected their identification documents and handed them to Roark.
Hera and I didn't.
There was no need to.
"Confirmed. The next opening for Entrance 3 is in 4 minutes and 39 seconds. Please wait in the hallway."
We passed the reception desk and walked a bit until we reached an entrance marked '3'.
As the rest of the group went in, Hera suddenly said something out of the blue.
"By the way, what does this say? I've always been curious."
"Entrance 3. Learn to read."
"Why would I learn to read when you read it for me?"
"Ugh, you trash. Am I going to be by your side forever?"
"You should be by my side forever, what are you talking about?"
What a load of bullshit.
Actually, we're standing, not sitting. Hahaha~ After having some insane thoughts at her absurd comment, I entered the waiting room.
Inside, the gate, which was rippling with a *kwareuk* sound as if it were about to open soon, greeted me.
"Since we have newcomers today, I'll explain again. Once you enter the Labyrinth, absolutely do not separate from each other. Always stick together, and always keep an eye on your surroundings."
"Yes."
"If you do something stupid to earn a daily wage, get separated from the group, end up isolated, and die, it's only your loss. Always keep in mind that you can earn money tomorrow."
"Yes."
"Today's goal was explained before, and as I've always said, it's the Treasure Room. We'll regroup at the fountain, then enter the Treasure Room to defeat monsters and claim the rewards. Remember that if you're too late to regroup, you'll be abandoned, and even if you do regroup, remember that you can die in the Treasure Room during the battle."
"Yes."
I haven't counted, but it felt like I'd heard this hundreds of times.
As I was staring listlessly at the ceiling, the gate shook.
It was a sign that the gate was opening, but there were people coming out.
"Healer!! Where's the healer!!"
Why are they looking for a healer at the Labyrinth entrance?
The people who came out were two people and, um. Two things that were either corpses or something else.
The two people had quite a few lacerations, and the two things they dragged out were... to be precise, one person and one thing.
Seeing an arm cut off and blood flowing from it, it looked like it would become two things soon enough.
"Healer!!"
Anyway, the two glanced at us and shouted as they passed by.
The blood, which was now drying up and barely flowing, left a trail on the floor as it dragged along.
"Ughhh."
Hearing the shout, someone's footsteps approached in a hurry.
Maybe because it was his first time seeing this, or maybe he was just weak-willed by nature, the rookie groaned.
To help him relax, I approached him again and whispered.
"You know, right?"
"Ughhh... yes?"
"Jump. Don't forget, okay?"
"We're going in! Get ready!"
Roark's shout.
I gave his back a hard pat, and the rookie nodded, dazed and confused.
After smiling once more at Hera, who gave me a look telling me to stop it, I adjusted my helmet.
It was time to work.