Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 9 - E-Rank Labyrinth – Fire Ant Nest (1)

Chapter 9 — E-Rank Labyrinth – Fire Ant Nest (1)

 

The labyrinth we would be exploring this time was located inside the Cultist District itself.

That meant we could enter without going through the troublesome process of obtaining permission from the Harmony Church and waiting several days.

“Is… that really the entrance?”

Marlin asked cautiously, her expression slightly stiff with nervousness.

“It is.”

“It doesn’t really look like a labyrinth.”

“It doesn’t.”

In the middle of a quiet, deserted street…

There was simply a narrow hole in the road, just large enough for a human to pass through, though far too small for a large orc.

That was the entrance to the labyrinth we were about to conquer… Fire Ant Nest.

Even considering that my new assistant was a complete beginner, it certainly wasn’t what most people would imagine a labyrinth entrance to look like.

“You’re here to challenge the labyrinth, right? I’ll need to verify your identities!”

A smiling priest of the Harmony Church emerged from a nearby house, apparently having been watching us.

I nodded and handed over my identification badge.

Marlin hurriedly took hers out as well.

“Twisted Truth Cultist Kar.”

“District Six civilian Marlin.”

“Yes, confirmed!”

“Have you come knowing the strategy?”

“I know it. My companion doesn’t. Would you mind explaining it to her?”

“Of course! I’ll explain everything in detail!”

The cheerful priest turned toward Marlin with a bright smile.

“This place, Fire Ant Nest, is an E-Rank Labyrinth… the lowest rank. The difficulty isn’t great, and it’s not particularly dangerous either. So you can enter without worrying.”

Perhaps seeing how tense Marlin looked…

The priest wasn’t merely explaining the strategy.

She was also taking care of a beginner explorer’s mental state.

It was first-rate service that proved why the Harmony Church had become one of the six great powers that ruled Pletika.

“The completion condition is extremely simple. Our tiger friend, can you guess what it is? You simply enter through the entrance… And come back out through the exit.”

“Oh? That’s simple.”

“Exactly!”

Thanks to the veteran labyrinth administrator’s reassuring tone, Marlin visibly relaxed.

“The labyrinth itself is about as large as a decent-sized city. The passages are incredibly complicated. But you don’t have to worry about that either! Because there’s a map!”

“A map…!”

“That’s right! Normally it’d cost five silver… But you’re listening so attentively that you’re simply adorable. So I’ll give it to you for free!”

It was actually free in the first place.

“Wow…”

But did the truth really matter?

She was this happy.

“What do the fire ants look like? They’re ants, so they’re probably disgusting, right?”

“They’re fine. Compared to other insect-type monsters, they’re actually rather cute!”

The smiling priest secretly winked at me while Marlin wasn’t looking.

I discreetly answered with a thumbs-up.

“Marlin. Ready to go in?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go. I’ll head down first.”

As I slowly descended the ladder installed inside the hole, my vision began to sway.

Leaving my body to that strange sensation…

The blurry world gradually returned to normal.

‘Tap.’

Before I knew it, I’d landed from midair inside a narrow tunnel.

Since the curse from the God of Nature hadn’t activated yet, I was still capable of movements like this.

Drawing the ritual dagger from my robes, I surveyed my surroundings.

A cramped tunnel.

Warm air rising beneath my feet.

‘Beautiful…’

To think I could enjoy such breathtaking scenery for free.

Was I really allowed to be this fortunate?

It was only a shame that I couldn’t take a picture to preserve it.

 

[E-Rank Labyrinth – Fire Ant Nest]

[The habitat of the Level 1 monster, Fire Ants. It is tediously vast, yet already perfectly explored in every respect. Why have you entered such a labyrinth? The Wise One is disappointed.]

 

As it said…

This labyrinth had already been completely conquered.

The monsters that appeared.

The treasures obtainable.

Its hidden traps.

Every aspect had been thoroughly analyzed.

Naturally, it wasn’t to Lidni’s taste, who always sought new and stimulating experiences.

Of course…

Using the Hidden Piece could transform it into a labyrinth exciting enough to make anyone break into a cold sweat.

“Lord Lidni. Please stop grumbling and simply watch. I, Kar… Am not the sort of Cultist who settles for ordinary strategies.”

That was enough to build anticipation.

If I kept talking, I’d end up spoiling everything and ruining the surprise.

Sometimes, restraint was a virtue.

“So it really is an ant nest.”

Marlin lightly landed behind me.

“But it’s so dark I can’t really read the map.”

“Take out the candle set.”

“Oh. So that’s why we bought it.”

Marlin pulled out a candle from the leather bag and lit it with a match.

Made by an Artisan-class craftsman, it illuminated the surroundings far better than an ordinary candle.

“Hand it here.”

Taking the candle from her, I placed it atop her head.

Then I produced Spiderweb That Binds All Things from my right index finger and firmly secured it in place.

“There. Now you won’t get lost because it’s too dark.”

“…Is there a particular reason it has to sit on top of my head? I could just hold it. You’re not messing with me, are you?”

“That hurts. If you hold the candle, you won’t be able to fight properly.”

“…Oh. You’re right.”

“Aren’t you going to apologize? My feelings are hurt.”

“So… Which way is the exit? There are five different passages.”

Ignoring me completely, Marlin quietly studied the map before pointing toward the left tunnel.

“This way.”

“You figured it out already?”

“Of course. We have a map.”

Even with the provided map, first-time explorers usually struggled to navigate Fire Ant Nest.

As expected…

Someone with 19 Sense possessed truly remarkable spatial awareness.

Exactly why she had the makings of an excellent explorer.

“…Kar.”

Still checking the map, Marlin suddenly crouched down and stared at a tunnel opening near the bottom of the right-hand wall.

“They’re coming. The monsters.”

Her tail became rigid.

“What should we do? I’m really nervous…”

The tension that the kind Harmony Church priest had eased immediately returned.

Marlin’s pupils trembled violently.

Naturally.

This would be her first real battle.

She was probably remembering the ghoul effortlessly punching straight through the rookie orc warrior’s chest.

“It’s fine. Relax.”

Looking after the mental health of one’s companions was the leader’s responsibility.

I gently massaged my capable assistant’s stiff shoulders before placing my ritual dagger into her hands.

“Take this dagger.”

It was a cheap item I’d be replacing after only a few uses anyway.

There was no reason to hesitate.

Besides… Unless you were a thief, fighting monsters with such a short-ranged dagger was hardly practical.

Cultists had their own way of fighting.

“Handle it carefully. It’s a ritual dagger. It isn’t very durable.”

“Understood.”

As we prepared ourselves…

The owner of the labyrinth emerged from the dim tunnel.

‘Grrr…‘

A giant red ant.

Larger than most humans.

A Fire Ant.

Apart from its enormous size, it looked almost exactly like an ordinary ant.

Except…

Instead of eyes, flames flickered inside empty sockets.

 

[Fire Ant (Level 1)]

[A monster that overwhelms enemies with sheer size and numbers. Somewhat threatening, but ultimately nothing more than an unintelligent insect.]

 

Ten Fire Ants slowly crept toward us together.

Marlin grimaced and tightened her grip on the dagger.

“The priest lady lied! She said they weren’t disgusting!”

“She didn’t lie. If you judge insect grotesqueness comparatively… Ants rank fairly low.”

Inside a labyrinth…

Even a hideous appearance functioned as a survival strategy.

After all, it reduced an explorer’s willingness to attack.

‘Grrrk!‘

The Fire Ants, which had been observing us from a distance…

Suddenly charged.

Across the floor.

Along the walls.

Across the ceiling.

A simultaneous assault from every direction.

Beginner explorers usually panicked and died in the confusion.

“Stay away!”

However… A tiger beastkin, born with a predator’s blood, would never be intimidated by mere insects.

Marlin drove the dagger into the head of the first ant that reached her.

Then immediately swung her arm to the left.

‘Slash!‘

The monster climbing along the wall had its head cleanly severed.

Next…

She dispatched the ant charging from the front with a spinning kick.

At the same time, the one dropping from the ceiling met her claws.

This wasn’t a battle.

It was a one-sided hunt.

No matter how many of them there were…

Mindless insect monsters could never match a beast.

‘She really fights well.’

She hadn’t mastered using a dagger yet.

But aside from that…

There wasn’t much worth criticizing.

If anything…

She fought so messily that I’d have to buy her another new set of clothes.

For someone experiencing her very first labyrinth battle…

She was more than capable.

It also suggested she’d been in plenty of fights growing up in the slums, not just burglaries.

‘Why did she have to become a thief?’

If she’d become a Warrior or Hunter instead…

She would’ve been absolutely outstanding.

It was regrettable that her Class prevented her from fully utilizing her natural talent.

‘Grrk…‘

It took barely three minutes for every Fire Ant to ascend to whichever heaven or hell the insect god happened to run.

Only then did the exhausted Marlin crouch down to catch her breath.

“…Phew.”

“Good work.”

Using a handkerchief, I carefully wiped the blood from her face.

This much was the minimum expected of a proper sponsor.

After resting quietly for a moment, Marlin raised an eyebrow.

“They’re weaker than I expected.”

“The ghouls we saw before were monsters. They were incredibly strong and even resurrected. That’s what’s normal. The Hidden Ghouls were far too strong for monsters appearing in an E-Rank labyrinth. Normally, you’ll mostly encounter Level 1 monsters like these.”

“What level were those ghouls?”

“Level 3. They’re monsters you’d usually only meet inside D-Rank labyrinths.”

“…Now that I think about it… We really did something incredibly reckless.”

Realizing it now was enough.

“Marlin. Now that you’ve rested, collect the materials.”

“Collect?”

I looked over the scattered Fire Ant corpses.

“Cut open their abdomens with the dagger. You’ll find blue stones inside. They’re mana stones.”

“Take every one of them… Oh! Mana stones!”

Mana stones… Stones imbued with mana.

Their uses were too numerous to list individually.

They were fuel.

Materials.

Currency.

The universal resource that kept labyrinth cities functioning.

“Then why didn’t we collect any in the previous labyrinth?”

“Mana stones only appear inside monsters that are actually dead. The ghouls weren’t dead. They’d only been chopped into pieces.”

No wonder Hidden Ghouls had earned their reputation as the perfect cure for low blood pressure.

“And… If you carefully dig into their eye sockets, you’ll find a small organ that produces fire. It’s called a Fire Spring. It’s hot, so be careful.”

Even while faithfully following my instructions, Marlin tilted her head.

“What are you planning to use these for?”

“They all have their uses.”

Since her Dexterity, a thief’s essential stat, wasn’t particularly high…

Marlin’s harvesting took quite a while.

It would’ve been better to leave before more Fire Ants arrived.

Still… I waited patiently instead of rushing her.

“I’m done.”

“Then let’s move.”

“It’ll become troublesome if more show up.”

“We’re heading toward the exit, right?”

“No.”

“…Huh?”

Marlin’s drooping ears immediately perked up.

“What’s with that surprised look?”

“If not the exit…”

“Then where are we going?”

Rather than answering immediately, I pointed at our destination on the map.

 

[Garbage Dump]

 

“We’re going here.”

“…Garbage?”

“The way you said that makes it sound like you’re insulting me.”

“Why are we going somewhere like that?”

“This isn’t a garbage dump. Not at all. To me… It’s a treasure vault.”