136 - Chapter 8 Epilogue
Having conquered the labyrinth, we were eating and drinking in a town caught up in festival fever.
If I had to say something was bothering me, it would be the ambiguous expressions on Alette-san and her companions' faces upon their return from the innermost chamber, but overall, this labyrinth conquest could be called a success.
Considering the costs spent on preparation, as well as the number of days and expenses here, the labyrinth conquest was more profitable than usual.
We also obtained peridots—gems that apparently held some meaning.
Aside from that, the fact that we managed to defeat eleven bosses on the eighth underground floor was a significant achievement.
Even though it was only for magic stones, we received a substantial amount of money.
We were notified that the labyrinth conquest was complete during the day, but the commotion started then and it is now night.
Listening to the surrounding clamor, I was preparing for tomorrow's withdrawal at the place where we were camping.
Eva was singing songs with her fellow elves.
Mei seemed busy eating and drinking the food provided.
Clara, perhaps exhausted by the overwhelming heat of the crowd, was lying down among the porters.
Aria was talking with some adventurers she had apparently met outside.
I saw Miranda walking toward Alette-san and the others, taking Shannon with her, as if there was something on her mind.
Monica was organizing tools and cleaning the surrounding area.
I was using a wooden box as a desk, with the provided dishes of food set upon it. I also had drinks and some paper there.
I had to calculate the balance for this expedition and decide what to do with the peridots.
In the end, we discovered eight peridots within the labyrinth.
Despite the noisy commotion around me, I didn't find it annoying.
"So, this is what a festival feels like."
Until now, whenever there was a festival, I had only watched from afar, this was my first experience actually participating.
From within the Jewel Orb, I heard the curious voice of the Third Generation.
'Huh? Weren't there harvest festivals or other celebrations? We had them in my time.'
The Fourth Generation explained it.
'Well, once you rise to the rank of Earl, you probably stop participating. Even at the big festivals, you just give your greetings and return to the manor.'
Drinking and eating with everyone at a festival was something I had no connection to. I remembered being taken by my father to give greetings when I was small, and returning immediately after seeing the scene.
The Fifth Generation said,
'...If we were there, the people who wanted to make a fuss would be too considerate.'
Only the Sixth Generation sounded like he was enjoying himself.
'If Liel were just a little more of an adult, I could teach him about alcohol, gambling, and all sorts of things... In fact, shall I teach you about women for the sake of your future?'
As the Sixth Generation burst out laughing with a "Gahahahaha," the Seventh Generation cut him off.
'Coming from the Sixth Generation, who failed miserably in his relationships with women, there isn't a shred of persuasiveness. Liel, many people ruin their lives through pleasure. You must be careful as well.'
Smiling slightly, I reached for the food on the desk.
There were thinly sliced potatoes fried in oil, and sausages fried the same way. My hands became greasy from the oil, but it was delicious.
When I tried to wipe my hands with a towel, Novem offered me a wet towel.
"Will you not join in the festivities?"
I took the towel, wiped my hands, and placed it back on the desk.
Seeing the paper I was using for notes, Novem looked at me, and I explained.
"I want to get this finished first. Then, I'll enjoy myself at the end. I've given everyone enough reward money to have some fun, so Novem, you should go enjoy yourself too."
It may be a festival, but it's meaningless if you don't have money.
I had given everyone enough money to play around. Of course, I had also told them that it would be deducted from their rewards later.
"Calculating the rewards? What about the gems?"
When asked by Novem, I replied regarding the gems.
"I'll have them appraised after we return. It might be good to keep them as assets. Well, we made a huge profit this time, so I think I'll keep them for emergencies."
I'll check the price and sell them if it's better to do so.
And it would also be good to keep some on hand for a rainy day.
In my notes, I was writing down who challenged the labyrinth how many times, and how I would evaluate them to determine the rewards.
I considered distributing it equally, but if I did that, Shannon, who had done almost nothing, would benefit the most.
I would give Shannon's share to Miranda, but she might not be satisfied with that.
My idea was to give a base reward equally, and then add more based on their effort.
(This really is a pain.)
As I thought that, the Fourth Generation, sensing my thoughts, spoke up.
'Liel, if you aren't thorough about money, you'll be in trouble when it counts. Paying too much is bad, but paying too little is also bad. You have goals for the future, but rewarding hard work with money is important, even among comrades.'
When the Fourth Generation said that shortcuts must not be taken, the other former heads seemed to agree, as no one countered him.
Before handing out the rewards, I would also need to explain the funds used by the party.
And I'd have to tell everyone the total earnings this time, and further, how I decided the rewards from that.
Even after it's over, I'm busy.
(No, it's just that I hadn't thought through the fine details. There were many things to learn this time.)
Looking at it as a party, it's a small number of people.
Yet, I'm struggling even to move that many people.
Novem looked at me with an expression that suggested she wanted to say something.
"Is something the matter?"
"...Will you not ask? About me and Octo. And Septem... Celes-sama."
I reached for my drink, and as I took a sip, I felt as if the light of the lantern placed on the desk flickered in the wind.
It wasn't actually the case, but I felt that way.
(...To be honest, I want to ask desperately. I want to, but...)
I wanted to ask, but only after the party's dissatisfaction had been resolved to some extent. I also felt that I didn't want to bring up old wounds.
"...Do you want to talk?"
When I said that, Novem looked down with a troubled expression.
"Then, you can tell me when you're ready. Right, let me confirm one thing."
"What is it?"
I looked at Novem.
"Novem, who are you acting for?"
Upon hearing this, Novem pinched the hem of her skirt with her fingertips, lifted it slightly, and gave a graceful bow.
"...For Liel-sama. There are no lies, no falsehoods in these words."
"I see. Then it's fine. A lot happened this time, and I have secrets too. Right... let's talk properly. However, for now, I want to savor the festival atmosphere a little longer."
Drinking and making a fuss... I, too, wanted to make a fuss and forget about this incident—the problems I caused after my growth.
Though I doubt I'll ever truly forget.
(Or rather, a lot happened this time and I'm exhausted. I just don't have any mental leeway left.)
With the immediate tasks at hand, I turned my gaze back to the paper.
――Beim East Side Guild.
When the news arrived by fast horse, an emergency meeting was held at the guild.
Only the staff who could be gathered were called, and since it was held during normal business hours, the staff seemed worried.
They had heard things were going smoothly, but had some problem occurred?
As everyone entered the meeting with such expressions, the staff member in charge entered.
The chief, whose usual 7-3 side-parted hair was disheveled as if he were in a hurry, entered the meeting room and announced the success of this labyrinth conquest to everyone.
"First, sorry for gathering you during work. Also, I know everyone is anxious, so I'll say this first. This labyrinth conquest was a great success. I've heard there were few casualties, and the amount of magic stones and treasures was high relative to the scale. The guild is very pleased."
The staff felt relieved.
Tanya, who had recommended Liel and the others, felt the same.
However, the chief's expression didn't look very happy.
"At the same time, there was a report regarding the treasures found in the innermost chamber. They were acquired by the party led by Alette Baie. This in itself is not a problem. However, the treasure discovered is a considerable amount of mithril."
Mithril.
Among rare metals, it is a metal called truly rare. Normally, it is discovered in labyrinths of the 20th to 30th underground floor class.
Yet, it came out of a labyrinth of about ten underground floors.
Tanya adjusted her glasses with her finger and waited for the chief's explanation. The surrounding staff were talking with the staff next to them, but eventually, they began to fall silent.
Mithril certainly has the possibility of appearing in labyrinths of the 20th floor or deeper. However, just because there is a possibility doesn't mean a lot of it is found.
"Many of you probably know Alette Baie's circumstances. Once she returns to her country, she is a member of the knights. Naturally, she cannot go against the intentions of her home country. If she says she has no intention of selling it, that would be the end of it, but..."
The big problem was that, of all people, Alette and her group had discovered mithril.
Normally, guilds and merchants would want to buy mithril, but if the owner has no intention of selling, the guild withdraws.
The rights belong to the adventurers who defeated the boss in the labyrinth. If they tried to force it, they would cause problems with capable adventurers.
"...The knights she belongs to. In other words, there are also national circumstances. It seems it might become a bit of a problem. Please keep that in mind."
The country the knights Alette belongs to serve is classified as a small country in the region.
However, despite being a small country, they had an excellent knight order that emphasized practical combat, such as having their knights gain experience as adventurers.
Since the surrounding countries were larger than their own, they tried to compensate with quality rather than quantity.
As for Alette's country—
"Honestly, it would have been better if any adventurer other than Alette Baie had discovered it."
The chief said this and dismissed the staff.
Tanya recalled the circumstances of Alette's country.
(Of all things, just when there is a country seeking mithril due to the succession of the Saint.)
The country Alette belongs to, Rolfis, was located next to the religious country Zain, with whom it had a delicate diplomatic relationship.
And the succession of the Saint, the symbol of the country of Zain, was occurring, and they were gathering mithril.
Considered a holy metal, mithril is deemed fitting for the Saint of Zain to possess.
While diplomatic relations were delicate, Rolfis was also a country that had repeated wars with Zain.
The current situation was calm, but it was a place like a powder keg that could explode if any problem occurred.
And the mithril Alette found. Moreover, if it's a considerable amount...
(I hope it just ends somehow as a diplomatic issue.)
Tanya thought this as the staff stood up and returned to their respective departments after the dismissal.
――Inside the Jewel Orb.
In the room they had returned to from the arena, the former heads were sitting around a round table.
This labyrinth conquest ended in a result that was very profitable for the former heads.
The Fourth Generation stood up, prepared a blackboard, and began writing a summary of this time.
'Now, I think you all have your thoughts on this, so shall we summarize them around here? Liel is still depressed, so he probably won't move for a while.'
Unfortunately, Liel—who was not Riel-san—was greatly lacking in proactiveness.
Regarding this incident, it was obvious no matter how you looked at it that there was something about Novem.
The Third Generation said,
'...Novem-chan is a good girl. There's no mistake about that.'
He stubbornly refused to blame Novem.
The Fourth Generation also didn't want to blame her in his heart. She was the daughter of the Foxuz family, who had taken care of them, and Liel's former fiancée.
And she had been devoted to Liel until now.
'We can't just turn a blind eye to some problems, though. Shall we make our respective opinions clear?'
Amidst the subtle atmosphere, the Fifth Generation, leaning his elbow on the table, spoke.
'Octo, was it? One who shows the eighth, yet is in the depths of the labyrinth. No matter how I think about it, I can't go meet them, but there is one existence that overlaps in my mind.'
The one who agreed with that opinion was the Seventh Generation.
'Indeed. Rather than the eighth, the depths of the labyrinth. In other words, if we think of them as the one who creates the labyrinth, there is only one overlapping existence. Namely, the Evil God who gave birth to the labyrinth and became the enemy of mankind.'
The Sixth Generation, looking up at the ceiling, said,
'Seven Goddesses, and two Evil Gods. In terms of numbers, that's nine. If the automaton's words are correct, from zero to nine. Ten gods, then?'
Originally, there was nothing in this world.
Then the goddesses descended, creating the sky, the earth, the sea, the forest, living creatures, and humans, and finally, there is a myth that they bestowed wisdom.
The reason gods are female is because this world was created by goddesses.
The Third Generation placed a hand on his forehead.
'That's quite a large-scale story. Well, of course... such things have nothing to do with us.'
The Fourth Generation nodded.
'That's right. Making the problem bigger won't solve it, and above all, it's not a conversation about doing something to the world.'
The Fifth Generation also agreed.
'True. Our goal is to defeat Celes, who took over Vanseim. Moreover, in a way that leads to a good result for Liel.'
The Sixth Generation said,
'It would be troublesome if gods started showing up. Or rather, I'd prefer they just watch without interfering.'
The Seventh Generation added,
'However, relying on the gods is important. It affects the morale of the soldiers. Well, for now, it was Novem's problem.'
The Fourth Generation took off his glasses and wiped them with a cloth.
'Honestly, if an Evil God told us to trust Novem, then no matter how you look at it, Novem-chan would be on the Evil God's side. Yeah, isn't she a cute Evil God? Celes is more suited to be an Evil God, though.'
The Fifth Generation, while exasperated, continued the conversation.
'It's troublesome to be told about gods. Well, once we have some leeway, we can just have Liel investigate. Though no one will be here by then.'
Everyone's faces became strangely lonely.
The Sixth Generation said,
'...We've become a bit too involved.'
The usually aloof Third Generation placed a hand on his chin.
'That's true. Originally, it should have ended once we taught him how to use his skills. But for my part, I want to believe there was meaning in this encounter.'
The Seventh Generation said,
'How timid. If there is no meaning, you just have to create one. Like, we are here to make Liel win.'
Looking at the confident Seventh Generation, the Third Generation smiled and said, "That's true."
Then, he straightened his back.
'Now, we've gathered a fair amount of funds. While we gather information, from now on, we have to make sure Liel has an army capable of fighting a country. Or rather, if we don't, it won't even be a contest.'
The Sixth Generation said,
'The knights and soldiers of the Walt family are on the other side. How troublesome. The elite who have been trained will be our enemies.'
Hearing that, the Fourth Generation said,
'Well, look at it this way... you could say we know their weaknesses inside and out.'
The Fifth Generation added,
'You can't win a war just by having high quality. The one who prepares to win, and finishes those preparations, is the one who wins. We have to do that much for him.'
The Seventh Generation said,
'If we could at least use the soldiers of one country, the story would change. If he has to do everything from scratch, Liel won't have enough time.'
The Third Generation also said,
'To add to that, money alone won't solve it. You can't seriously lend soldiers to some fool who says "I'll pile up money, so lend me your soldiers." Nor would I want to borrow soldiers from someone who does such a thing. Man, this is a problem. Even though I said so confidently that I'd make him win, I have absolutely no plan.'
Looking at the Third Generation raising both hands in surrender, the Sixth Generation was exasperated.
'Please don't give up so suddenly. It will take some time, but there's still the method of starting a mercenary group and taking over a country.'
The Fifth Generation said,
'No, I'm passing on that.'
The Seventh Generation also said,
'Mercenaries... I can't trust them.'
At that moment, the Fourth Generation, putting his glasses back on, said as a joke,
'Why not just have Liel seduce some princess? In terms of bloodline, if he can prove it, it's decent enough, and he has a good face, so if he hooks two or three, he can get a country as a bonus. Just kidding—'
Having said that much, the Fourth Generation, who was about to say it was a joke, gasped.
Everyone around the round table was thinking deeply with serious expressions.
The Sixth Generation said,
'...Wait, isn't that actually a good idea? Or rather, if he's motivated, it seems possible using skills or whatever.'
The Fifth Generation said,
'No no, I wonder about that as a human being. It seems doable, but if he does it, it's just that Celes became a man, nothing changes. He'd be doing the same thing.'
The Seventh Generation said,
'It is an emergency, so if push comes to shove, everyone as a wife... no, I think that's impossible.'
The Third Generation said,
'...Damn it, if it were Riel-san, he might have been able to seduce that princess of Fanbayle. We missed a huge opportunity.'
After saying that, everyone looked at each other's faces.
They had thought about it, but they didn't think such a thing was possible.
The Seventh Generation said,
'Well, it's impossible. Though I feel like it might be doable.'
The Sixth Generation also said,
'Indeed. If he did such a thing, he'd have his head chopped off in the country he tried to ingratiate himself with.'
The Fifth Generation, wiping away cold sweat, said,
'R-right. It's impossible, right?'
The Fourth Generation adjusted his glasses and wiped his sweat, smiling.
'That's right. Basically, Liel can't do such things. Besides, he's usually shy. Well, let's gather information and then consider this topic.'
While everyone forced a laugh to blow away the strange atmosphere, only the Third Generation had a serious expression.
'...If he were always Riel-san, he could definitely do it.'
He was certain of that—.