61 - The Pursuer
"Are we being followed?"
We had entered a break on the sixteenth basement floor, and the third day was nearing its end.
Even though we had pushed to the eighth floor on the first day, our pace had dropped before a labyrinth that had become completely different compared to before.
Since we had planned to break through the fifteenth floor by the third day, we were technically on target.
On the first day, other adventurers had taken the resting spot.
From there, the gears didn't quite mesh. Although we were ahead of schedule, we hadn't been able to take breaks properly.
Poyopoyo and Shannon, who had been watching our party, clearly seemed to sense something.
"They are maintaining a certain distance and tracking us within a range where they won't be noticed. I was conflicted on how to handle it, but I don't think this is a coincidence."
Just when I thought Poyopoyo was quietly competent, Shannon proved to be competent as well.
"They're with this piece of junk, but they're focusing heavily on us. It seems they aren't even recovering loot even if there's a battle."
Miranda and Aria, who were on break, were lying down asleep.
Aria, who had been out front scouting, had the most severe exhaustion. Clara and Novem, who were at the entrance on watch, were people I originally wanted to let rest.
However, since we were short on numbers, I couldn't say that.
Shannon spoke.
"They were at the mansion before we departed, too."
Hearing that, I grabbed Shannon by both shoulders.
"Why didn't you say anything!"
Then—.
"Eh? But Novem and Big Sister noticed it too..."
Poyopoyo looked at me and snorted.
"You hadn't noticed, had you?"
I couldn't talk back, but I thought about it upon hearing that.
(Maintaining a certain distance? What does that mean... are they planning an ambush? Targeting us while we're loaded with luggage? I can't imagine there's someone who can move a Porter, though.)
The Third Generation spoke to me from the jewel.
『So Riel and the others are the targets... that's troublesome.』
The Fifth Generation spoke of what to do in case of emergency.
『Riel, if things become dangerous, abandon the task. I'll let you use your skills. In fact, do you want to use them starting now?』
I fiddled with the blue jewel with my fingertip to signal my refusal.
The Seventh Generation said.
『This is why I hate adventurers. Riel, I'm sure you know, but it's dangerous if you get sandwiched.』
If we were sandwiched in a narrow passage, it would be a disastrous situation if the vanguard were in combat.
(The Porter's shield can be deployed in the back too, so should I do that from now on? If they're targeting us...)
I looked around, seeing the sleeping Aria and Miranda, and then Novem and Clara on watch.
Finally, I looked at Poyopoyo and Shannon.
"What is it, chicken coward? Please don't get excited in a place like this, honestly..."
I slapped Poyopoyo, who had begun to take off their clothes with a shushing sound, and wondered whether to use Shannon's power.
(It's not my skill, so is it okay to use it?)
The condition for clearing the task was that I must not use my skills.
"Shannon, do you know the number?"
However, Shannon shook their head.
"Eh, I don't know. They're keeping their distance, and I'm not interested. I mean, moving around in a labyrinth is tiring. I'm lying on the Porter's cargo bed, so move it a bit more quietly—Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Grabbing Shannon's head with an Iron Claw, I spoke.
"Make sure to check properly next time, okay?"
"I will! I will, so let go!"
I released Shannon. Out of breath, Shannon said to me.
"But it's hard to see inside the labyrinth. It's kind of thick, and there's all sorts of information making it all squiggly. And..."
Shannon looked at the corner of the room.
An insect was flying there.
Perhaps it had followed the light of the lantern attached to the Porter.
The Second Generation shouted.
『Riel, crush that insect!』
I immediately threw a knife I had on hand, and a slightly large moth fell.
(What is it?)
When the knife hit the wall, I felt as if the gazes in the room had gathered.
Then, although I hadn't noticed it until now, as I approached and looked at the moth, Poyopoyo spoke.
"Another eerie creature."
Shannon had a different impression. They weren't surprised to see an eerie moth-like insect.
"Really? This thing isn't a living creature."
Since Shannon, who hates insects, said it, there was likely no mistake. As I approached, the eerie-looking moth disappeared.
Shannon spoke.
"It was a strange lump of magical power. I could see some thin threads, so there might be someone manipulating it from somewhere."
While I was wondering why they didn't say that sooner, Shannon looked at me and puffed out their cheeks.
"You just thought I was useless, didn't you?"
"Wrong. I thought, 'Why didn't you say it sooner?' So, why didn't you?"
Shannon made an excuse.
"I only found it just now! I didn't see it on the first or second day."
Poyopoyo also spoke.
"I imagine so. Today is the first time."
As I fell into thought, Clara came to announce the rotation.
"What happened? It seemed noisy."
Aria had also woken up. She glared at me, but her hair was messy and she seemed irritated, perhaps because she was sleepy.
"You're noisy... let me sleep."
Novem was monitoring the vicinity of the entrance and wasn't looking this way.
Miranda raised her upper body and stretched.
"It was about time for me to wake up, so the timing was good... but did something happen? We promised that if an enemy came, you'd wake us by saying 'enemy attack,' right?"
While apologizing to everyone, I explained the situation.
Entering the fourth day, we took a break on the twenty-first basement floor.
Since then, we discussed whether to turn back or proceed. In the end, we chose the option to proceed.
I wouldn't have minded if we didn't this time, but Novem and Miranda desired to continue.
Surprisingly, Aria chose the option to turn back.
This surprised me as well.
Since Clara was a temporary member, she didn't offer an opinion. She only warned that we needed to be careful even if we turned back.
I gave instructions on the twenty-first basement floor.
"Aria and Miranda-san, get back! I'll go forward. Novem, prepare your magic!"
I drew my saber and ran toward an Orc whose shield had been knocked down by an explosion from a bow and arrow.
Goblins ran past the Orc in the center of the passage.
Ignoring me, they were trying to launch an attack on the members in the rear.
"You guys are underestimating us too much."
By the time I was about to slash the Orc, the Goblins had been cleaned up by Aria and Miranda-san.
Miranda-san defeated three, and Aria finished off two.
As for me, I slashed the Orc, cutting its arm as I landed. Without slashing the opponent again, I ran behind the Orc.
Looking back, the Orc was bursting into flames.
It was Novem's magic.
"It's powerful no matter when I see it."
As I muttered that, the Second Generation spoke.
『Don't let your guard down. Pay attention to your surroundings. You were delayed... the distance to the people following you might have closed.』
While looking at the burning Orc, I scanned the surroundings.
It didn't look like there were any adventurers nearby.
Sheathing my saber, I muttered since no companions were nearby.
"Maybe we shook them off and they can't follow?"
The Third Generation spoke.
『Riel, you're naive. Think about how many skills you possess. In this world, there are plenty of people with skills more troublesome than ours.』
In other words, the possibility that the opponent possessed some kind of effective skill regarding tracking could be considered.
Battles between adventurers aren't decided simply by strength of power.
If one has a skill, that can be the deciding factor. I looked at the Porter, which had stepped over the Orc and overcome obstacles.
Thanks to its legs, it had been able to proceed without problem even within the labyrinth.
"Reliable."
Then, Novem approached.
"Are you alright, Riel-sama?"
I nodded.
"Yeah, no problem. Still, hasn't your power increased quite a bit? I can't beat Novem when it comes to magic."
When I said that, Novem brought a lightly clenched fist to their mouth and spoke with a smile.
"It was worth the effort."
Clara, who generated water with magic, recovered magic stones and materials from the Orc.
I began to worry a little about myself for becoming accustomed to the sight of a little girl dismantling an Orc.
Novem asked.
"Are you still worried about the people following us?"
"They're troublesome people. It's the twenty-first basement floor. Just being able to come this far should be enough for them to make a living as adventurers."
Adventurers who target their own kind to steal their earnings certainly exist.
Especially in the labyrinth, they don't have to worry about disposing of corpses.
This is because the labyrinth absorbs them over time.
The reason it isn't littered with trash and corpses is because of such a mechanism.
Among researchers, there were those who believed that the labyrinth grows and becomes deeper by eating corpses and such.
"...Shall we turn back?"
I shook my head.
"We'll continue as we are. Since that's what was decided, we'll keep going. Though we'll turn back if it becomes dangerous."
Because Shannon had agreed with Miranda, the decision to continue had been made.
I wonder what they were thinking...
Poyopoyo, much like Clara, didn't try to voice an opinion.
They simply followed what was decided.
Is it because they're an automaton? I wish they were that reserved normally.
From around the time we passed the twenty-first basement floor, our progress became incremental.
During the break, I was creating a map with Clara for the return trip.
By the light of the lantern attached to the Porter, the two of us wrote on the map while looking at the notes Clara had written.
Today, Miranda-san was on watch.
Aria was asleep, and Novem was sleeping beside her.
Shannon was sleeping near Miranda.
"...The twenty-sixth basement floor looks like this."
Looking at the completed map, I also nodded. The labyrinth changes little by little. The frequency varies depending on the labyrinth, but in Alamsars, it's not useless to write it down like this.
Even if there are some changes, it will likely be mostly the same when we return.
"Tomorrow is the twenty-seventh basement floor."
"It seems we can reach the thirtieth basement floor by the seventh day. Still, the Porter is amazing. It's for the Alamsars labyrinth, but if modified, it could be used elsewhere."
I spoke while looking at the Porter.
"It doesn't get much speed. If using it outside, a carriage is still better. However, as a labyrinth tool, it's certainly convenient."
Clara nodded and carefully folded the written map and put it into the luggage.
When returning, we would look at that to go back.
Depending on the situation, it could be called a lifeline.
I spoke to Clara.
"Hey, why don't you just join our party? Not as a temporary member, but as a formal companion."
I had been thinking about inviting her for a while.
The Third Generation, in particular, had been urging me.
『You're finally inviting Clara, chicken coward Riel!』
(This guy is imitating Poyopoyo's words.)
The Third Generation had been telling me to invite her for some time, but the timing hadn't been right and there had been no opportunity to speak.
Since I had already spoken to Novem and the others, it wasn't my sole decision.
However, Clara cast her eyes down.
"Thank you. But I think it's no good."
"Why?"
While I was wondering about the reason for the refusal, Clara began to talk about herself.
"Previously, I attended an academy."
"Come to think of it... I think I heard that."
A voice came from the jewel.
It was the Third Generation.
『Riel... could you be quiet?』
Since the voice was a bit low, they were likely serious. I shut my mouth.
"I think I was on the better side when it came to studying. I liked books, and I think my knowledge is more abundant than that of an average person."
I nodded. Thanks to that, I had been helped many times.
However—.
"My skill... the third stage, 'Walking Library,' is me herself. That's why I think it's better to stop."
I tilted my head.
Thinking that I didn't understand, Clara explained politely.
"A walking library. Even if I forget the books I've read so far, only the skill remembers them. And if asked a question, I produce an answer from the knowledge I've acquired."
"No, that's normally amazing!"
However, Clara shook her head.
"I cannot extract information myself. I am asked a question by another, and I answer... and moreover, if there's a bias in the books I've read."
The Third Generation spoke.
『I see. She doesn't necessarily give the correct answer. For an adventurer... it's subtle, but I still think she's competent.』
I felt the same.
"But isn't that an amazing skill?"
Clara took off her glasses and began to wipe them with a cloth.
"...In the library, there are people with even more superior skills. People who don't forget the books they've memorized. People who summarize the information they've obtained and produce applied answers. From the perspective of such people, I'm likely a degraded version."
"No, that's surely..."
Clara shook her head.
"It's fine. I've always been good at absorbing knowledge, but I was bad at applying it. I'm clumsy. That's why I earn money by doing only what I can do. Even so, I'm serious about my work, so there are people who often hire me."
Clara, who directed a smile at me, looked a little lonely.
The Third Generation spoke to me.
『Why are you silent! Invite her more passionately! If it were the grown-up 'Riel-san,' he would have definitely made the other person fall for him in this scene!』
The Sixth Generation also spoke.
『That's where you're supposed to nail it.』
It's troublesome to be looked down upon.
While thinking that, Novem, who had risen slowly, approached Clara. Their expression wasn't visible in the lantern light, which was a bit scary.
Then, they grabbed Clara's hand.
Novem was smiling.
"You are wonderful, Clara-san."
"Eh? Um..."
Clara was also bewildered.
Since she directed a gaze toward me as if seeking help, I shook my head with a smile.
I couldn't stop Novem, whose eyes were sparkling with a smile.
"Until now, I had misjudged you. To be able to use a skill up to the final stage at that age, and your achievements so far... they are certainly understated, but they were wonderful. You should be more proud of yourself."
"T-thank you for that... please let go of my hand..."
"And so!"
"Y-yes!"
Novem spoke to Clara in a loud voice.
"Please join Riel-sama's harem members. Riel-sama also seems to be fond of Clara-san. There are no problems."
The Third Generation also agreed.
『There's a problem because you're ignoring the person's own opinion, but if this girl joins, that's fine with me. It's not a problem if one or two more people increase at this point, right, Riel?』
Since the troubled Clara directed her gaze toward me, I was also troubled.
(What? Is this person telling me to increase my harem members for the sake of their own desire? No way.)
I spoke to Novem.
"Novem, that kind of coercion isn't good, and as for me, you and—"
"Riel-sama!"
Novem looked at me. There was power in their eyes, and I straightened my back.
"Y-yes!"
"Even though the other person is giving this many signs, there's a limit to how dense one can be. Clara-san doesn't dislike Riel-sama either. No, rather—"
"No... you mustn't say any more than that..."
Looking at Clara, who clung to Novem with teary eyes, I felt a subtle emotion.
(Eeeh, Novem, who doesn't understand my feelings, is saying such a thing? But she's cute, so I'll forgive her... wait, that's not it!)
"Listen, Novem. I think this kind of thing isn't good. A harem or whatever, I can't maintain that. Look, I'm still just a rookie as an adventurer."
I said that, but Novem shook their head.
"No. Riel-sama will eventually achieve great success. For that time, her power will surely be necessary. Besides, after going this far—"
When they said that much, Clara, wearing her glasses, desperately intervened to stop Novem.
"Wait... it's not... it's not that it's not, but wait a moment."
Then, Novem spoke with a smile.
"Then, regarding the matter of becoming a companion."
"I understand, so. Therefore, any more than that is..."
Novem directed a smile at the clinging Clara and rejoiced.
"We did it, Riel-sama. Now Clara-san is our companion too."
While I was standing there dumbfounded, Poyopoyo clapped.
"Congratulations, chicken coward. To think you'd resort to the despicable means of using a woman to make the object of your affection your own... Poyopoyo is always prepared to fall prey to your venomous fangs."
I shouted.
"I didn't! You saw the flow just now! Piece of junk, you did that on purpose!"
Then, Miranda-san clapped along with the sleepy-looking Shannon.
"I thought something with a good atmosphere was happening in the labyrinth... as expected of Riel."
"A bit... I'm sleepy... don't wake me up for something trivial."
I looked toward Aria.
Then, she clapped with an expressionless face and spoke.
"As expected of Riel. Making the women you target yours one after another... you're the lowest."
Saying that, she covered herself with the blanket and went to sleep.
"Hey! It's not like that! This is, look! That was!"
Ignoring me as I made excuses, everyone returned to their places.
Clara sat down on the spot and hid her reddened face with both hands.
The Fourth Generation spoke.
『Riel-kun, you're the lowest.』
The Second Generation said.
『That's it. Just give up already.』
The Sixth Generation also spoke.
『Hmm, I don't know about this flow... but Miranda should be next with this momentum. Shannon too, for good measure.』
The Seventh Generation said.
『Good for you. Or rather, that's all I can say.』
The Fifth Generation spoke.
『I suppose it was good for the Third Generation and Novem. Make sure to follow up with Aria.』
The Third Generation spoke excitedly.
『A walking library is amazing. Before I met my wife, I definitely would have called out to her! Riel, take good care of her.』
I thought.
(No, I did call out to her... but not in that sense!)
Along with the red-faced Clara, I spent the time there in an awkward atmosphere.