Chapter 989: The Second Holy Beast Festival 10
With the dance party and cooking contest winding down and the atmosphere warming up,
“We will now begin the Labyrinth Walk Rally”
Diel solemnly declared.
“So it’s turned into a walk rally……”
“We don’t want any strange accidents to dampen the mood. We managed to cover it up last year, but this time our main focus is on eliminating unforeseen incidents as much as possible. I’ve placed lighting spells throughout the entire labyrinth and on top of that, I’ve clearly marked the route. Collect commemorative arrowheads from our villagers stationed at various points, then show them at the deepest part to receive a medal, that’s all it takes to complete the challenge. You can go through the whole thing alone, or split up into groups to collect the arrowheads”
“It’s gotten pretty laid-back, hasn’t it……”
“Let’s save the competition for the events on the surface”
I’m starting to think we might as well just cancel the dungeon event altogether, but I guess that’s not really an option. It is the Dungeon Village, after all.
“That said, Priest. I’m counting on you to lead the way”
“Even though I had an accident last year!?”
Memories of surviving in the dark with Naris, who wasn’t wearing any pants, come flooding back.
“That’s exactly why, if you can dash out of there quickly, it’ll prove how safe it is, right?”
“Stop pretending like that. I’m the type whose luck skews toward disaster”
“It’ll be fine. I’ve carefully selected your companions”
With a snap of his fingers, Diel caused his companions to line up in a flash. Or rather, Breakcore, Dianne and Neia. You guys are really into this, aren’t you?
“If something goes wrong with this lineup, go ahead and try”
“……Unless a devil shows up, that’s not going to happen”
“I figured”
To be precise, even if a devil did appear, they’d probably be able to defeat it.
“If you want, you can even bring a dragon. I’m not counting it toward our headcount”
“At this point, even a mediocre army wouldn’t be worth worrying about……”
“If an actual army showed up, though, we’d be in a bit of trouble”
“That doesn’t sound like you at all, Dianne. I could handle a hundred or so”
“You wouldn’t call that an army”
“Come on. In this labyrinth, I’m practically invincible, so I can take on a thousand or even ten thousand”
Their scales of combat power are both off the charts. Well, Neia’s 「A hundred or so」 is a pretty conservative estimate (in tight spaces, an Ace Knight is generally considered to be on par with that many) and since Neia doesn’t have much experience fighting human troops to begin with, she probably just said that off the cuff.
“I’ve also prepared a little item just in case you get lost. I’ve named it the 『Thread of the Call』”
With that, Diel took out a small, thread-spool-shaped wooden carving and handed it to me.
“If you get lost, just cast a light spell on this. It’ll react with the guide stones placed throughout the labyrinth and a light like a thread will appear. If you follow that, you should be able to find your way to the exit. It’s Gant’s latest creation”
“……What about humans who can’t use magic?”
“…………”
Diel froze for a moment, then looked away. ……I guess he hadn’t anticipated that. Yeah. Since this is Elven territory, that’s usually fine and I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it.
“……If it comes down to it, maybe I’ll use it”
“Thanks……”
I’ll leave it with Dianne. Breakcore gave a wry smile.
“Well, as long as I’m tagging along, there’s no way we’ll get lost. It’s been my home for thousands of years, after all”
Exactly.
And so, the Labyrinth Walking Rally begins. Though, really, it’s just a regular walk. As Diel said, the labyrinth is so thoroughly lit with light orbs from illumination magic that there aren’t even any dark spots. This way, there shouldn’t be any surprises like a monster suddenly appearing from the shadows with a thud!.
“Hmm? Wait a second”
“What’s wrong, Breakcore?”
“A monster has appeared. Well, it’s bound to happen after a while. I’ll go take care of it”
She suddenly turned a corner and ran off……a moment later, Breakcore returned immediately after a loud thud sounded.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“I wasn’t waiting, but……can you actually sense that kind of thing?”
“It’s the flow of 『Qi』……if a single monster appears in an otherwise monster-free area, it’s bound to disrupt the flow. If it had been left alone like usual, it might have blended right in”
“……Looks like there really isn’t even the slightest risk here”
Not just Breakcore, even if everyone except me were caught off guard, this group isn’t the type to be outmatched by a monster. Besides, from their perspective, a single monster isn’t much of a threat. I can’t think of a single thing to worry about in this situation.
I greet the elven attendants stationed throughout the labyrinth and receive an arrowhead.
“Why an arrowhead, though?”
“In Elven culture, I suppose it’s a symbolic trinket that’s just the right size. I’ve seen southern elves hang arrowheads from their sashes before, too”
When Dianne said this, the elven attendant gave a wry smile.
“Well, that’s about it. There’s no particular reason we chose this design, though”
“……For us, it’d be like making miniature knives or shields out of habit, I guess”
Or maybe a church’s sacred emblem. You know how there are certain shapes you just end up making on a whim when you’re crafting a small item without any particular design concept in mind? I’m more of a knife guy, if I had to choose. Of course, I don’t add a blade, just the shape. I guess it’s a bit of a complex of mine that I wasn’t properly taught blade smithing during my apprenticeship. I also tend to make skulls. Some people say it’s in bad taste, but that’s exactly the kind of thing that appeals to young people.
“Do they also serve a practical purpose, like being usable as arrows in an emergency?”
“I don’t think that’s the case. They aren’t sharpened, after all”
Glancing sideways at Neia and Breakcore as they debated while examining the arrowheads, we walked away from there.
As we wandered, we came upon a place that brought back memories. Well, memories is a bit of a stretch, it was only two years ago.
“Ah, this is the hole Anzeros and I cut here”
“So you cut a hole in the labyrinth……”
“……Well, we did calculate it properly, at least”
I made that excuse because Neia gave me a slightly disapproving look. Since Neia probably fights inside the labyrinth a lot, I’d think she’d have experience destroying things……but I guess causing enough destruction to change the flow of the dungeon really is that difficult.
“Outside this forest, that’d be a capital offense. In Celesta, it’d be punishable by death”
“……W, Well, I suppose you’re right”
Dianne-san grinned wickedly as she threatened me. Destroying a labyrinth causes the surrounding environment to change dramatically. If things go wrong, it could even become monster territory, so of course that would be an outrageous crime.
“But since that’s what saved me, that courage should definitely be passed down to future generations”
Breakcore is incredibly boastful. Whenever the topic turns to my achievements, Breakcore gets even more proud than I do. Meanwhile, Neia tries to read something written on a board nailed to the wall next to the hole, but gives up.
“……I wonder what it says”
“Ah, that’s the 『Smithson Hole Bypass』. It’s the name of this place”
“……A place name”
“It’s practically a famous landmark now. Just so you know, I didn’t name it. It just came about naturally”
Thanks to Breakcore’s explanation, I learned for the first time that my name had become a place name. But a famous spot, really?
“It’s a monotonous labyrinth landscape, so a sudden vertical hole really stands out. People naturally want to give it a name and many make doing something here a goal of their exploration. ……Apparently, they say anyone who jumps down this hole without spraining their ankle is considered a true adventurer or something like that”
“Are you kidding me!?”
Well, there were spots like that in the capital, too. Like, if you can cross this bridge (or whatever you call that pile of lumber), you’ve got guts. People kept getting hurt, so the adults found out right away and everyone who was watching got beaten up.
“That’s just how the elves here are. They live in such a peaceful environment that they never grow out of acting like kids”
“……That changes my perspective a bit”
Well, they’re all still young, after all……in a way, maybe they just don’t have a reason to grow up and settle down.
And at the very back, in what used to be the 「Holy Beast Chamber」, Gant, a blacksmith from the Gold clan, was waiting with a bored look on his face.
“Oh, so the priest is first! Here’s a souvenir for you”
I managed to catch the medal Gant flicked toward me, juggling it in the air.
“Aren’t you supposed to count the arrowheads or something before handing this over?”
“We’ve got the holy beast herself here, the one you can trust with anything inside the labyrinth, so I doubt she’d make a mistake, right?”
“Well, yeah”
“Anyway, it’d be rude to hold things up by nitpicking. No one’s going to complain if one or two are missing. Just be careful on your way back”
It’s just so sloppy or maybe I should say rough around the edges. I looked at the medal with a wry smile. ……Considering how carelessly it was handed to me, it’s actually a very intricate, exquisite piece.
“It’s not bad, is it? I think it turned out pretty well for someone who’s never made a medal before”
“Don’t you make them?”
“We don’t need things like that in our society. Barter and credit are the basics”
Well, I thought it might end up being worth a fortune, so I carefully tucked it into my pocket. Not that I plan on selling it, though.