Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 126 - B-Rank Labyrinth: Tower of Trials (2)

Chapter 126 — B-Rank Labyrinth: Tower of Trials (2)

 

The third floor of the Tower of Trials is recreated as an open grassland.

Bartimir and Team One of the Moonlight Expedition were locked in fierce combat.

— Blackie, run to the left!

An order transmitted directly through the mental link created by [Yay Yay, Friends Forever!].

— Understood!

Pendrick dashed forward.

He was wielding an ordinary single-edged sword instead of Astrimia. It was the masterpiece-grade blade once used by the demon monster warrior who had ambushed the Moon Expedition in Cherry Cherry Hill. It had no special abilities… it was simply absurdly durable.

“Come at me!”

The pig beastman swordsman serving as this floor’s opponent swung down his greatsword.

Pendrick immediately raised his single-edged sword to meet it.

Whoosh!

With the sound of slicing wind, Pendrick’s sword traced a clean, elegant arc.

A systematic swordsmanship completely unlike the clumsy, unsightly style he’d used until now.

It was [Raging Gale Swordsmanship], the martial-type Mystery taught to him by Brunelda, the wild swordswoman of the Northern Continent.

Clang!

The single-edged sword collided with the greatsword.

BOOM!

“Ngh!”

The resulting shockwave exploded outward.

Unable to withstand it, Pendrick was blasted backward.

“Trainees! Is this truly all you’ve got?!”

Roaring, the pig beastman swordsman brought his greatsword crashing toward the fallen Pendrick.

“Ah!”

Bartimir immediately rushed in, coating both arms in the hardened demonic energy created by [Flow Condensation Syndrome] while taking a defensive stance.

Slash!

Both of Bartimir’s hands were severed at once. By twisting the trajectory of the greatsword, he’d avoided a fatal injury, but the pig beastman didn’t let up and immediately raised his weapon high again.

“Big Bro!”

Marlin, who had been hiding with [Brites’ Stealth Technique], panicked and threw her throwing dagger. The pig beastman casually knocked it aside with his thick forearm before bringing his greatsword down toward Bartimir’s head.

“…We forfeit the challenge!”

At that instant, Lucius, who had been supporting everyone from the rear, urgently shouted.

— A trainee giving up over such a trivial hardship?!

A deep voice, presumably that of the Fist King Graik, echoed from the heavens.

The next moment, every member of the Moonlight Expedition found themselves standing before the tower’s main entrance once more. They had declared defeat midway and been expelled.

“…This isn’t easy.”

Bartimir muttered while flexing the hands that had already regenerated thanks to the curse [Treacherous Best Friend].

This was already their eighth failed attempt.

“…I’m sorry. I think I got too greedy.”

“Yeah. You did make a mistake.”

Bartimir patted Pendrick on the back as he apologized.

“But we’re getting better little by little. So don’t get discouraged.”

“Understood! I’ll do better next time!”

“You can do it, Pendrick!”

“Asmi, keep watching me!”

“I will!”

Marlin, exhausted enough to be sitting on the ground, watched the lovey-dovey couple pressed close together before quietly turning away.

She had grown fairly close to Pendrick and Astrimia by now… but scenes like this still weren’t exactly easy to watch.

“Lady Marlin. Are you feeling all right?”

While she sat there catching her breath, Lucius, the priest everyone thought would become the Moonlight Expedition’s greatest hope, approached her.

“My wrists ache a little.”

“Shall I heal them?”

“No. I’m still fine.”

“If the pain gets even slightly worse, please tell me immediately. Healing Mysteries aren’t all-powerful.”

“…Okay.”

Lucius sat down beside Marlin.

“How does it feel? Challenging a B-Rank labyrinth. Isn’t it difficult?”

“…Honestly… It’s incredibly difficult.”

The Tower of Trials worked by immediately teleporting challengers to the next floor every time they defeated the current opponent. As a result, they had to fight exhausting battles continuously without any chance to rest.

“The enemies are already so strong that even all of us together barely stand a chance… And we don’t even get to rest properly…”

Marlin unconsciously imagined herself collapsing beneath an enemy’s attack. She shook her head and sighed.

“If Father Lucius hadn’t been here… I might already be dead. Just like Karr promised, the Tower of Trials really, really is an incredibly difficult labyrinth.”

Even though beastkin were naturally sturdier than humans, Marlin was still young. This expedition was far from easy for her.

She had prepared herself to suffer… but that didn’t lessen the burden on either her body or her heart.

“But… It’s okay.”

Marlin clenched both fists tightly.

“I’m sure we can overcome it. That’s why Karr brought me here.”

Karr enjoyed his own suffering… but he wasn’t the sort of pervert who laughed while watching other people suffer.

…Probably.

“You truly have unwavering faith in Lord Karr.”

“I’m sure everyone else feels the same. Don’t you?”

“…Of course I trust him too.”

Lucius flinched slightly before smiling gently.

“Lord Karr is someone who will one day conquer the Nightmare Dungeon. I firmly believe that.”

“…”

Marlin silently stared down at her dirt-stained hands. Conquering the Nightmare Dungeon still felt completely unreal to her.

“…More importantly… I’m a little worried about Sir Bartimir.”

At Lucius’s words, Marlin quickly looked up at the kind-hearted but slightly sinister-looking demon.

“…”

Bartimir stood silently. His eyes were narrowed slightly. His lips tightly pressed together.

“I’m concerned that, after so many consecutive failures, he might be feeling the heavy responsibility of serving as acting captain.”

“…I don’t think that’s it.”

Marlin immediately denied the priest’s conclusion without even thinking.

“There’s absolutely no way he’d go quiet because he’s discouraged!”

How would Karr react in a situation like this?

He’d probably say something outrageous like:

“A labyrinth where we can keep challenging it and suffering until we finally win? Isn’t this the greatest labyrinth ever?”

Therefore… Bartimir, who shared the exact same temperament, was surely thinking almost the same thing.

“Everyone… Listen.”

After remaining silent for a long while, Bartimir finally spoke.

“I think the Fist King’s will that’s left inside this tower hates trainees who give up halfway. You all felt that too, right?”

“Yes.”

Every time they’d declared defeat, they’d heard furious shouting echo from the heavens.

“But whenever we challenge it again… It never says anything. It probably doesn’t want to discourage people from climbing the tower. Since it’s a facility built for training.”

The corners of the demonkins mouth, partly hidden beneath bandages, curved upward.

“So let’s do this. We’ll keep challenging the tower until the third floor… our current limit. And then surrender.”

“…Huh? Then what about breaking the record?”

“I’m not saying we’ll stay there forever.”

Bartimir held up the stack of papers Karr had given them before entering the labyrinth.

“Until the three of us become completely accustomed to the homework Mom assigned us… We’ll keep repeating the climb to the third floor.”

“Let’s focus not on conquering the labyrinth… but on the purpose for which the Fist King built this tower.”

“A wonderful idea.”

Lucius smiled softly.

“Strengthening the expedition. That was the reason Lord Karr wanted to challenge the Tower of Trials in the first place.”

Karr had never ordered Team One to discover the hidden piece. He had simply told them to train properly inside the labyrinth.

“We became so fixated on the hidden piece… that we nearly forgot our real objective. Training.”

“You… You knew all along and just kept watching, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I believe Lord Karr intended for Sir Bartimir to grow mentally as a squad leader as well.”

“Hmm. I think you’re right.”

The demonkin readily admitted it before turning toward the rest of the team.

“Anyway. For now, let’s focus solely on the homework Mom gave us. We’ll keep climbing to the third floor… fight that pig beastman… then surrender and repeat!”

Seeing the lively determination burning in Bartimir’s eyes, Marlin nodded.

‘As expected…’

Bartimir wasn’t an explorer who would surrender to hardship. If anything… The more difficult the path toward success became… the more he enjoyed it.

Just like Karr.

“All right! We’ll rest for ten more minutes, then challenge it again!”

Only then did Bartimir finally flop onto the road and begin resting.

“…Ugh.”

Watching the demonkin already asleep thanks to [Sudden Nightmare], Marlin quietly asked,

“Father Lucius… If I want to conquer the Nightmare Dungeon alongside Karr… do I have to become like Big Bro?”

“Hmm…”

Lucius pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

“There’s no need. It’s actually unhealthy if everyone in the same expedition shares the exact same temperament.”

“Why?”

“If the entire team encounters an ordinary-looking trap that’s actually incredibly dangerous… and everyone reaches the exact same conclusion… wouldn’t the whole expedition be wiped out? That’s actually one of the most common causes of accidents.”

The well-prepared priest looked toward Pendrick, who was cuddling Astrimia.

“Just as Sir Pendrick naturally lifts the expedition’s spirits through his friendliness… Lady Marlin should fulfill the role that only Lady Marlin can. There’s no need to become another Lord Karr.”

“…Besides… I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”

“Exactly. Which is why you should discover your own path.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Absentmindedly taking out her dagger [First Breath], Marlin slowly sank into thought.

‘Something only I can do…’

Nothing came to mind immediately.

But strangely… She didn’t feel frustrated.

Instead… She felt slightly at ease.

‘…Why do I feel so good?’

Only now… Marlin was finally beginning to grow into a true explorer.

 

***

 

“Take this!”

A massive orc swung his hammer straight at me. A blow powerful enough to beautifully explode my head if it landed.

Slash.

Rosalia burst from my shadow, sliced clean through the hammer’s handle with her dagger… and immediately kicked the orc square in the solar plexus.

“Ghk… Not bad…”

The orc never finished speaking.

CRACK!

Rosalia’s axe kick struck his shoulder. Unable to endure it, the orc collapsed. That single attack had surely shattered his shoulder blade.

“…Today’s trainees are impressive!”

Not long afterward, the orc slowly got back to his feet, laughing heartily. The people of the Northern Continent weren’t so narrow-minded that they’d complain merely because a trainee had broken a few bones.

“I’ll guide you honestly. Follow me.”

The orc smiled warmly, as though he’d never attacked us in the first place, and led the way.

“We’re here. It’ll be through here.”

We soon reached our destination. A building built in the rough architectural style characteristic of the Northern Continent.

As I looked at its sturdy door, Truthy hurriedly displayed some text.

[Entrance to the Trial Sewers.]

“Inside this building lies a sewer system constructed by an ancient kingdom. The terrain has changed greatly since those days. And because of the influence of the Tower of Trials, it has itself become a labyrinth, now serving as a training ground for trainees.”

The orc grinned.

“As you proceed inside… Enemies will occasionally appear, just like inside the tower.”

It was a unique phenomenon caused by the tower’s stored information flowing into the sewers alongside mana. It had only been rated C-Rank because its difficulty was noticeably lower than the Tower of Trials.

“Unlike the tower… The opponents here will be roughly your own level, or slightly weaker. Defeat every enemy that appears and make it all the way to the end. Then you’ll return outside. Explanation over!”

“Thank you.”

After bowing to the kind orc, I stood before the entrance.

“Let’s go.”

The moment I grasped the doorknob and turned it… my vision distorted violently.

When it settled… I found myself already inside the building.

 

[C-Rank Labyrinth – Trial Sewers]

[A small-scale labyrinth that can only be accessed from within the Tower of Trials. The orc already explained everything, so we’ll skip the details. Do your best.]

 

“So it really is exactly like entering an ordinary labyrinth.”

Standing beside me, Abel’s tail swayed gently.

“Has this building and the sewer itself become a labyrinth?”

“That’s right.”

Keeping a hand on Abel’s shoulder, I looked around.

The room was completely empty. Only about the size of a modest cavern. A staircase leading downward lay in the center.

“Sometimes you’ll find labyrinths like this hidden inside other labyrinths. They’re much smaller than ordinary labyrinths. Isn’t that adorable?”

Clunk. Clunk.

Rosalia tried forcing open both the door and the windows. They didn’t budge an inch.

The labyrinth’s boundaries were limited entirely to the building and the underground sewer.

“Big Sis. Come over here.”

Calling Rosalia away from the window, she was glaring at me with a dagger in her hand. I headed downstairs.

“As we continue forward… Enemies will appear one at a time. If we defeat twenty of them consecutively without losing even once… we clear the labyrinth.”

The victory condition was identical to the Tower of Trials… except there were twice as many opponents.

The differences were: There was no need to fight them back-to-back. The enemies were easier. And because it was a small-scale labyrinth… It was among the weakest of all C-Rank labyrinths.

‘Which was why it wasn’t particularly fun.’

Even Yoonji, who had always watched me play, used to criticize it as:

“A labyrinth that’s too easy for Oppa’s tastes.”

“It’s a little dark…”

After descending for a while, a long, straight corridor with arched ceilings stretched before us. Its original purpose had long since been forgotten. There wasn’t a trace of water left.

“Could you carry this?”

I handed Abel the mana lantern I’d prepared beforehand and continued walking.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The three of us walked side by side.

Then…

Fwoooosh!

Smoke erupted from the floor. An enemy suddenly appeared.

A muscular lizardman carrying a spear over one shoulder.

“Greetings, trainee.”

 

[Spearmaster Knight Sraks (Lizardman, 38). A fellow with fairly respectable skill.]

The lizardman knight, Sraks, stepped into the center of the passage while looking at us.

 

“Come.”

“Very well. But please wait just a moment.”

“As long as necessary.”

Intelligent enemies were so convenient. Monsters usually attacked the instant they appeared.

“Big Sis. Please learn this.”

I took out a Mystery Tome from my Estate Subspace and held it out to Rosalia.

 

[First-Tier Mystery Tome – Indifferent Calves]

[Learning it slightly strengthens your leg muscles, though your calves become a little slimmer.]

 

One of the Mystery Tomes obtained from the Library of Sin.

It couldn’t have suited Rosalia who relied heavily on kicking any better.

“…”

After I explained what it did, the silent assassin accepted it and quickly read it through.

“Are we fighting now?”

“Please wait just a little longer.”

Then I turned to Abel.

“I want you to watch Lady Rosalia fight carefully. Especially her kicks. That’s the technique you’ll be learning in the future.”

“…I’m supposed to learn kicking techniques?”

“That’s right.”

A proper chef should fight using nothing but his legs. If flames eventually burst from those kicks, all the better.

“As for martial Mysteries related to kicking… You’ll learn them later from Lady Charlotte. So for now, simply get a feel for how that style of combat works.”

“…I’ll pay close attention.”

As I stepped forward, Sraks gripped his spear with both hands.

“Finished preparing?”

“We’re ready. Thank you for waiting.”

“Good. Then here I come!”

The lizardman charged straight at me. I calmly walked forward to meet him.

Thrust!

The spear pierced directly through my solar plexus. An overwhelming pain that instantly made breathing difficult.

“…Ahahaha!”

Unable to hold it in, I burst into laughter.

At that exact moment… Rosalia appeared behind the lizardman.

Slash!

Caught completely off guard, the lizardman’s head was cleanly severed and dropped to the floor.

“Excellent work, Big Sis.”

Our first opponent was already defeated. Now all we had to do was repeat the exact same thing nineteen more times.

“Shall we continue?”

A labyrinth that could be cleared simply by diligently taking attacks with one’s entire body. Thus began our conquest of the dopamine-detox labyrinth… The Trial Sewers.