221 - Cartaphus
――The dungeon in the castle of Cartaphus.
Within it, in a room used for torture, Queen Ludmilla of Cartaphus was restrained in an obscene manner, forced into black, skin-tight restraints and gagged.
Two maids stood by to attend to Ludmilla. While torture implements were placed around the room, Ludmilla herself bore no wounds.
She was locked in the dungeon simply to fuel her fear and tear her pride to shreds.
As footsteps approached the room, Ludmilla opened her eyelids and glared at the door. Her long reddish-purple hair clung to her skin, and the dungeon was dimly lit, the candlelight flickering and swaying.
The very person who had restrained Ludmilla.
Larc Meyard had come to the dungeon, bringing his companions――his subordinates.
Upon confirming Larc's face, Ludmilla bit down hard on her gag.
Larc, who usually wore a wolf cut with his grey hair flowing back, was not in his adventurer's attire today, instead, he was dressed like a nobleman with his hair slicked back.
With his collar loosened and chest exposed, Larc directed a vulgar smile toward Ludmilla.
"Yo, Ludmilla-sama. How are you feeling? Restrained in such a state, exposing yourself so shamefully. It seems you underestimated me... Now then, shall I hear a favorable answer from you?"
Knowing that his skill was highly effective specifically against women, Larc had surrounded himself with women.
When the maids removed Ludmilla's gag, she spat and glared at Larc.
"You speak with quite a lot of confidence. Did you think I wouldn't know that it's been made to seem as though I cannot move due to illness? You seem to have gained status by ingratiating yourself with the people of the castle, but I imagine that status is fragile beyond belief, isn't it?"
Larc glared back at Ludmilla. Whether he was using his skill to try and make Ludmilla fall for him, Ludmilla's gaze was forcibly drawn toward Larc.
Due to the skill, she saw the image of her ideal man... in Larc's form, but she suppressed it with her mental strength and looked away.
Larc looked frustrated.
"A piece of trash who underestimated me and ended up restrained in such a state has some nerve acting so high and mighty!"
Larc was right. Ludmilla did not argue that point. Instead, she was becoming disgusted by the movements of Cartaphus, which still had not been able to rescue her.
(Honestly, to prioritize discipline so stubbornly. How troublesome.)
Ludmilla had seen through Larc's plan, having charmed those around him to gain status, he now intended to charm her and become the King of Cartaphus.
However, at the same time, she understood that he could not afford to harm Ludmilla herself for that purpose. Understanding that he could not kill her, she decided to use that to her advantage.
"A man who is too afraid to lay a hand on a single restrained woman is acting quite arrogant, isn't he? What's the matter, is there no further humiliation? You... are quite a small man."
As Ludmilla said this, a vein popped on Larc's forehead. He grabbed a nearby whip and struck Ludmilla.
Intense pain assaulted Ludmilla, but she uttered no sound. Instead, she looked at Larc with a smirk and continued to provoke him. Seeing this, Larc grew breathless and ordered the maids.
"Treat her with medicine!"
With that, Larc left the room with his subordinates, and after the maids bowed to see them off, they closed the door and one stood guard.
The other approached Ludmilla, released her restraints, and began treating her injuries. Then, she spoke to Ludmilla with a worried expression.
"Your Majesty, such things should no longer..."
To the worried maid, Ludmilla replied with a laugh.
"Is it not fine? Besides, I can only laugh that there were subordinates who showed a gap in their vigilance by letting Larc deal with the castle maids just because it was the rule. When things get this bad, they won't understand until they've suffered a bit."
Stretching herself, Ludmilla sat back in the chair she had been restrained to and crossed her legs.
She had told them to deal with Larc, but she had never imagined they would move only according to the rules.
That was why Ludmilla had allowed herself to be captured on purpose. The two maids were women Ludmilla trusted, and they were pretending to be charmed under Larc.
However, the maid seemed unable to endure it.
"But at this rate, the country will decline."
At those words, Ludmilla said,
"Even without the matter of Larc, the country will eventually perish due to this excessive nature. There are too many people who prioritize rules to escape responsibility. Until now, that was a strength, but when taken too far, it is simply a flaw."
Cartaphus was a nation with a tendency to overemphasize rules. While that had sometimes brought good results, it had now begun to tilt in a bad direction. I acted according to the rules, so I have no responsibility.
It cannot be helped because it is the rule. Such things had become prominent. Even if they increased the rules, how many people actually understood them?
Though she was called the Queen, Ludmilla was a Queen who was more like a proxy, having succeeded the previous King based on those rules.
Cartaphus was patrilineal, and eventually, a son-in-law would become the King of this country. And Larc was aiming for that throne.
"Honestly. They could just choose a male from a branch of the royal family instead of me. My father was moving in that direction, but the discussion fell through before it was decided."
Perhaps it was the national character, but the branch families of the royal house did not oppose Ludmilla's accession as Queen. Since becoming Ludmilla's husband would effectively make them the next King, they likely didn't see it as a problem.
But from Ludmilla's perspective, it was a tedious affair.
"...Is there anyone who finds my absence suspicious?"
When she checked with the maid, one of them nodded and reported.
"Most people have noticed something is suspicious. However, whether there is anyone who will actually move..."
Ludmilla was exasperated by the maid's answer, but she continued.
"Then, let the one who rescues me from here be the next King. Spread that rumor. If they still don't move, then just give me to Larc. Pathetic."
While the maid was bewildered by Ludmilla's decision, Ludmilla looked up at the ceiling.
"Hmm, not bad. Not a princess, but... a prince or a hero who rescues me. As a woman of the royal family, I have a longing to marry such people. Should I even recruit from outside the country? I need the men within the country to feel a bit of urgency."
As Ludmilla spoke with an amused expression, the two maids obeyed as if they had given up――.
I was pouring a liquid called Holy Water onto the katana in my right hand.
It was a transparent liquid, but it glowed faintly, and when applied to the katana, it looked as if it were emitting light within the dark labyrinth.
Gripping the katana with both hands, I threw the small bottle that had contained the Holy Water, and Shannon, who held a basket, caught it.
Shannon, staying behind everyone as the luggage carrier, caught the small bottles thrown by her comrades one after another and tucked them into the basket.
The innermost chamber of the labyrinth that had appeared in the fortress was a great hall on the fifth basement floor. It was a wide room, but the ceiling was not particularly high, and many pillars seemed to support the ceiling irregularly.
The undead before us was a skeletal knight wearing full armor. Its size... was it perhaps three meters?
The sinister armor, shield, and sword were made in an indescribably haphazard fashion. Rather than a sword, it looked like a lump of iron.
Miranda, Aria, and Monica were in the vanguard, and behind them were I and Valkyries Number One, Two, and Three, with Shannon at the very back.
Aria, holding a spear, crouched low and then leaped forward.
The skeletal knight, holding a greatsword in one hand, swung the sword in a horizontal sweep, scattering sparks as if it had scraped the floor.
Aria jumped to avoid it, and the opponent tried to blow Aria away with its shield. However, Miranda's dagger flew in and struck the shield, causing the knight's movement to become awkward.
Miranda was emitting threads from the fingertips of her left hand, which were pulling the skeletal knight's shield using a pillar as a relay.
"Aria!"
When Miranda shouted, Aria brought her spear down on the skeletal knight's left arm, which had been left open. Lightning fast――indeed, Aria's attack, which packed multiple skills into a single strike, deserved that description.
As a result of Aria, who was not skilled in magic, polishing her skills and martial arts――she had now become an important vanguard for the party.
The skeletal knight, whose left arm had been torn off, opened its large mouth and roared, making my ears ache.
Shannon, among others, covered her ears with both hands.
"Where is this thing making that sound from! It's not just bone and armor!"
She shouted that it was unreasonable while looking at the monster. I agreed with that opinion. And as the skeletal knight tried to swing its greatsword at Aria, Monica swung a large hammer horizontally.
Fire seemed to be erupting from the opposite side of the hammer, increasing its power.
"This is a romantic weapon! Take the strike of Monica, the strongest maid who understands romance!"
The skeletal knight, having lost its greatsword and its right shoulder and armpit, let out a low growl now that it was unarmed. Then, fragments of white bone and armor began to gather toward the skeletal knight, but...
Seeing this, I noted,
"As expected, regeneration is slow due to the effect of the Holy Water. Sorry, but I'll end this quickly."
As I dashed forward, the Valkyries provided cover fire with their guns. While its regeneration was not proceeding as intended, the skeletal knight headbutted me with its helmet.
I, along with the skeletal knight's helmet――
"――Cut."
――A single vertical flash. A line appeared, and the skeletal knight shifted vertically before collapsing into white powder.
It was a help that I had applied Holy Water, which is effective against undead, to the blade. Otherwise, I would have had no choice but to continue attacking until the opponent fell or blow it away with magic.
However, this time there were many corridors and narrow rooms within the fortress, and I struggled because the conditions to use magic were not met.
Even in a wide room, using Holy Water like this is more effective.
Seeing the boss vanish and leave behind a magic stone, Aria said,
"If you don't care about the materials, undead are convenient. Collection is easy, which is nice."
It certainly helps not to have to put on gloves and cut open the monster for collection after defeating it. It is a tedious job, so many adventurers leave it to the support.
While wiping the blade of the katana with a cloth, I said,
"It was tough back when I was a rookie. I messed up, and Zelfie-san yelled at me not to waste them."
When I shared that failure story, Aria also remembered.
"Ah, I couldn't touch blood at first either. Zelfie held her head in her hands seeing that... I can understand that feeling a bit now."
While I was talking with Aria about the new era from a while ago, Miranda approached. It seemed she had collected the treasures of the innermost chamber while we were talking.
"Reminiscing is all well and good, but could you check this too? Liel, this is the reward for this time. I don't think it's bad."
There was silver—a metal that had been bathed in magical power—a rare metal. It was a considerable amount, and if sold, it would probably fetch between one hundred and two hundred gold coins.
The price depends on negotiation, but looking only at the treasure, it might have been a decent labyrinth.
However, this time we had purchased Holy Water, so the expenses were high.
A while ago, this would have been enough to maintain the party. However, my honest impression now is that spending this much time and effort for this level of earnings is not enough.
"It's not bad, but there's only a small profit with this. It'll be a pain if this continues. Alette-san and the others are being introduced to labyrinths with good payouts."
It's no use comparing us to others, but I clearly feel the guild's intention.
Monica, having checked the surrounding situation, reported to me.
"Chicken coward, preparations for withdrawal are complete. It seems no more monsters have appeared."
Inside the labyrinth, I had deployed the Valkyries and had them collect magic stones. Their external batteries, or rather, their source of energy, are magic stones.
They use them in liquid form.
As the atmosphere of the labyrinth became quiet, I confirmed that the subjugation was over and decided to go outside.
Number One carried the magic stone of the large boss, the skeletal knight. Number Two, who received the silver from Miranda, carried the luggage.
Shannon, checking the contents of the luggage, said,
"There are still quite a few with contents left. These are pretty expensive, right? And they have expiration dates. To think that some with short expiration dates... are more expensive than my allowance, I can't forgive this."
Shannon spends wastefully. Or rather, she pours most of it into elven songs and storytelling.
When I take her out to play, she mostly listens to songs, and when it comes to meals, she prefers places where she can eat while listening to music or storytelling.
Miranda smiled and rubbed Shannon's head vigorously.
"If you can learn to use it more plannedly, I'll increase it for you. Start by stopping the habit of spending it all on the day I give it to you."
Shannon is useless as always, but I feel... she has grown a bit since meeting Mireia-san. This time, even if it was as a helper, she participated in the boss subjugation.
As I left the great hall, I thought,
(Now then, I have to return to Beim once. As for the subjugation report of the labyrinth... I'll watch the situation a bit longer.)