123 - Jewels
A dark labyrinth corridor.
In that cave-like place, the sound of flowing water could be heard from somewhere.
Looking up at the ceiling with the light Clara had lit on her staff, stalactites were visible.
The ground was uneven, and the width of the labyrinth was likely less than five meters.
Because of the stalactites, the ceiling felt low.
Aria, having entered the labyrinth, exhaled a white breath.
"It's freezing in here."
She wasn't dressed thinly, but because she wore clothes for ease of movement, her cold-weather precautions had been neglected.
I also felt the cold, and it was harsher than I had expected.
Clara spoke.
"Water is dripping from the stalactites. Also, puddles have formed in some places. We've turned several corners in the corridor, but... as expected, Porters cannot enter."
Currently, we, dispatched by the guild, were walking through the first basement floor of the discovered labyrinth.
The cave-like entrance had started abruptly with a flight of stairs.
Having entered, Aria, Miranda, Clara, and I were inside for the purpose of investigation.
Miranda said,
"The things coming out are creepy bat-like monsters, and the rest are frogs, I wonder? I wish they'd give me a break."
She said she wished they'd give her a break.
However, neither Aria nor Miranda raised a scream during combat, they fought the monsters dispassionately. No, it would be better to say they were processing them.
As for me, using the skills [Map] and [Search], I was watching the movements of other adventurers while looking at the map of the first basement floor.
"...Let's turn right next."
Avoiding the corridors that led to dead ends even if we went forward, we turned right.
Further ahead, there was a party different from ours, and they were in the middle of turning back.
On the first day.
The party led by Albano-san had taken the lead, and other parties had entered the labyrinth afterward to engage in combat.
If I listened closely, I could hear the sounds of combat and voices.
(It's narrow and a maze. That's fine, but is the boss the type that doesn't respawn?)
Upon entering the labyrinth, there was no reaction from a boss.
The room leading to the second basement floor was wide, but no boss reaction was displayed there.
Albano-san and the others seemed to have descended to the second basement floor first, so we walked as if to investigate the first basement floor thoroughly.
(True, they prioritized moving ahead to monopolize the treasure chests... but they've left a lot behind.)
They seemed to prioritize advancing, and in the process, they were disarming traps. If it was impossible, they left marks to indicate the danger.
Aria, walking in front, stopped and pulled out the dagger she kept at her lower back.
Judging that the opponent didn't require her to prepare a short spear, she took a stance with her left arm, which held the shield, in front.
As I also drew my saber, I heard the flapping of wings.
Miranda reached into her robe, held long needles between her fingers, and threw them toward the ceiling.
In the dim light, the sound of several things falling—
"Tch, two got away. Liel, Aria, please."
Miranda sounded frustrated, but she had taken down three.
Aria swung her dagger in a wide arc, cutting down a large bat that had lunged at her.
For my part, I held my saber ready and stabbed the one that attacked.
Piercing its torso, the bat let out a high-pitched shriek and then stopped breathing.
While keeping a lookout for the surroundings, Clara, who had a Mini-Porter with her, let go of her staff and attempted to strip materials and magic stones from the bats.
Since Clara let go of her staff, the light began to fade.
I turned my right palm toward the ceiling and prepared light, then Clara said,
"Thank you."
Saying so, she began her work.
Aria kept watch in front, and Miranda took over the rear guard.
I looked down at the monster.
"When it spreads its wings, it's over a meter. There are probably individual differences... but these things have really creepy faces."
I wasn't seeking cuteness from monsters, but the Jewel Orb hanging from my neck was different.
Even now, the Fifth Generation—
'That's a monster, that's a monster... but if I look closely, I feel it might be cute...'
To that, the Fourth Generation responded.
'No, there's no way this is cute.'
They spoke in an exasperated voice.
As I was lost in thought, Clara called out to me.
"Liel-san."
"What?"
Looking at Clara, she held up a monster to show its size. With its wings spread, it was large enough that the petite Clara could almost be hidden by it.
"This is the largest one today."
Being told that, I gazed at it as well.
"Did Miranda take it down? I'll have her recover the needles... the individual differences are incredible."
Clara agreed while proceeding with the butchering.
"Yes. The small ones are very small. The size of the magic stones doesn't differ much, and as for the materials, how much the price changes based on size..."
It was troublesome that I couldn't easily calculate a price per unit, but as long as I expected a minimum price, there was no problem.
I looked at the Mini-Porter into which Clara had inserted her staff.
The Mini-Porter was just a deep box with wheels and legs for descending stairs attached, but its head alone had two small round glass beads embedded in a cylinder.
Monica had insisted that if it was to call itself a Porter, this was absolutely necessary.
I agreed.
"Come to think of it, Porters had a simple build at first. They've become quite splendid now."
Clara looked a little displeased.
"It would be troublesome if they became any more splendid. I'm nearing the limit of my operational capacity."
As she spoke, Clara tucked the recovered materials and magic stones into the Mini-Porter.
They were stored separately by type, and once finished, Clara took her staff in hand to resume movement.
I extinguished the light and confirmed the next destination on the map.
However, most of the monsters had been hunted by the same adventurers, so there was no way other than to move forward.
(Maybe I'll go collect the treasure chests that Albano-san and the others missed.)
Even though I called them treasure chests, they weren't in the shape of boxes.
Some were embedded in the walls, and many were difficult to discover.
However, I could easily find such places with the skills [Map] and [Search].
Starting to walk, I spoke to everyone.
"Let's take a break at the next large room we find."
Aria looked pleased.
"That helps. I mean, it's way colder than I thought. We brought firewood, and you're preparing the fire, right?"
We had brought a suitably sized can, and we planned to put firewood in it and light a fire.
There were tools for such things, but I also wanted to test the usability.
Above all, while one could easily keep warm using tools like magic tools, this way was cheaper.
As for firewood, I had collected fallen branches during the move, so there was no need to use magic stones like with magic tools.
"We'll eat too. Today, once we find the entrance to the second basement floor, we'll return immediately."
Miranda said,
"Wouldn't it be better to see the state of the second basement floor?"
I shook my head.
"We could probably go, but I don't want to overdo it. Besides, it feels like every party today just came for a preliminary look."
On the map floating in my head, many of the other parties were turning back once they discovered the entrance to the second basement floor without pushing themselves.
There were also many parties, like us, who had started searching for treasure chests.
And so, as planned, I entered the large room where a treasure chest was located.
When we returned from the labyrinth, the sky was still blue.
Stepping outside and stretching, I could feel with my skin that the inside of the labyrinth had been colder than the outside.
"Now, I wonder how much we earned this time."
Looking at the contents of the Mini-Porter, many monster materials and magic stones were piled up.
It was certain that a larger quantity could be transported than if someone carried them on their back.
However—
"We defeated quite a few, but at this rate, the luggage will be full by the second basement floor. Even if we avoid combat as much as possible, the luggage will be full by the fourth or fifth basement floor... I'd like one or two more."
When Clara let out that impression, Aria agreed.
"That's true. I want to reduce my hand luggage, but if we load this much, we won't be able to put anything else on."
Miranda said,
"Wouldn't it be fine to make it so tools can be hung on the sides? It's not like we're using it as a shield like a Porter."
I said,
"So there's room for improvement. I'll consult Monica, and for today, we'll take the luggage to the tent... huh?"
Near the entrance of the labyrinth, guild staff had hired manpower to set up tents.
And yet, for some reason, a building was standing today.
Thinking I was tired, I rubbed my eyes several times, but the result was the same.
Looking around closely, it had developed more than yesterday.
"What is this..."
Aria was equally surprised.
Clara said,
"As expected of the adventurers of Beim. They are quite efficient with these things. I now understand the meaning of saying a town would be built."
Only Miranda looked amused.
"Heh, it's grown quite a bit. I mean, I didn't think they'd go this far. Also, hasn't the number of people increased?"
In the Jewel Orb, the Third Generation whispered.
'It's just like a village of wizards. That's a cautionary tale about things you mustn't do.'
It was good that there was vitality, but I tilted my head, wondering what this was about.
Heading toward the building managed by the guild, merchants and staff were buying materials and magic stones.
Since it was fine to sell things other than magic stones to merchants, we first took the magic stones to the staff.
Since few adventurers had returned yet, we were able to sell them immediately.
"Thank you for your hard work. Now, let me confirm them."
As the staff member looked at the magic stones and weighed them, I asked,
"It's quite... are you really planning to build a town?"
Then, the staff member looked at my face.
"Ah, is this your first time participating? Or rather, it's more correct to say we are actually building it. It's not that we've decided to make it a town, but I think it'll be fine if it can be used in the future."
While I was wondering, the purchase price for the magic stones was presented.
Nodding, I received the money and joined Aria and the others, who had gone to sell the materials.
Around us, multiple merchants were waiting to make purchases.
For the most part, they were all young.
I asked Aria and the others,
"How did it go over there?"
Then,
"It's cheaper than in Beim. I mean, they said from the start that it'll be cheaper because transporting and guarding costs money."
Since we could defeat monsters near the labyrinth, the earnings would be a larger plus than usual.
Because we enter a limited space where there are many monsters, the encounter rate jumps.
As earnings for four people for one day, we've sufficiently made our money back.
"...Well, at this rate, we won't be in the red."
Looking at today's earnings, I nodded, thinking we wouldn't be in the red.
Then, Clara said,
"Liel-san, what will you do about that?"
I started walking and led everyone back to the Porter.
"I'll put it on hold. There's a use for it, and it won't be too late to decide after hearing everyone's opinion."
The "that" Clara mentioned was treasure.
In other words, the treasures discovered in the treasure chests.
They were types of gemstones, but they weren't raw stones, they were gemstones that looked polished from the start.
If sold, they would be items worth several to dozens of gold coins.
Depending on the quality of the gemstone, many of the treasures discovered in labyrinths store magical power. The price differs from ordinary gemstones.
As for their use, like rare metals, they are often materials for magic tools.
Clara, adjusting her glasses, said,
"Even so, for a labyrinth that was just discovered, it's quite seasoned. To think high-priced treasures can be found on the first basement floor."
Even if it was just discovered, it's not uncommon for it to have actually existed for a long time.
The discovery might have been delayed, and it might have been on the verge of spitting out a massive amount of monsters.
"Were they stalactites? Those take decades or centuries to form, right? Labyrinths really have many mysteries."
My impression after entering was that managing one's physical condition seemed difficult due to the cold and getting wet.
Also, because it's narrow, there's a possibility that even with many people, not everyone can participate in combat.
Additionally, when using magic, it's necessary to confirm if other parties are nearby.
"Tomorrow, I'll have Aria and Miranda rest and take the remaining members. Novem, Eva, Mei, and... I wonder what to do about Monica."
Miranda gave a wry smile.
"Shannon is out of the count from the start, huh. As her older sister, I want her to realize it soon, so I want her to enter the labyrinth."
Hearing that, I said,
"Then, shall I take Shannon the day after tomorrow? Ah, I can add Monica then."
To see the state of the labyrinth, we challenged it with a small number this time.
However, from tomorrow, five or six people should be no problem.
As we spoke, we walked through the town, which had increased in liveliness, and arrived at the Porter.
Looking, Monica was making something in a large pot—a stockpot.
Aria saw it.
"Ah, just looking at it makes me feel warm. I want to eat soon."
She had a happy expression, and indeed, a delicious smell was wafting.
(It's also hard to prepare things after returning, so having comrades is a blessing. In that case, I should organize parties by splitting up those who can do housework. ...Somehow, it's gradually becoming complicated.)
When the number of people was small, there was a different kind of hardship in that.
But as the number of people increased, I felt a different kind of hardship increase.