The international conference concluded.
After that, Prim suggested that we should conquer a labyrinth to help everyone evolve into an Element Class. Both she and Emperor Reinhardt agreed with this proposal.
However, the issue was that Mina and Lyra were nearing their due dates, and it wouldn’t be long before Neige also reached the same stage.
Lyra was Lucas’s wife, but she was of the same Order as Mina. Neige was also the Vald Beast Duke, so I wasn’t planning to move until all three of them had given birth.
Therefore, we decided to go on an expedition around December.
The problem was which labyrinth to choose. Personally, Gagun Labyrinth was the most likely candidate.
Gagun Labyrinth was located in the Vald Beast Duchy, which meant I had a connection to it. Furthermore, two years ago, it had produced an immense amount of high-quality materials due to a labyrinth flood.
However, that was also why some predicted it would be safe for at least a few more years.
Conversely, we predicted that Galiya Labyrinth and Temellario Labyrinth could wait.
Many Hunters explored these two labyrinths. Galiya Labyrinth, in particular, was said to yield popular materials in its lower levels, so it was always bustling with Hunters.
Temellario Labyrinth was also popular, but I heard that few new Hunters attempted it because the Temellario Great Sky Wall was inhabited by Valkyries, including the Demise Species Valkyrie Empress.
Regarding the other two labyrinths mentioned during the international conference, Enigma Labyrinth and Maldosso Labyrinth, the number of Hunters attempting Enigma Labyrinth had significantly increased, perhaps because the Demise Species Nidhogg, which used to inhabit the vicinity, was defeated by Father.
Enigma Island, where Enigma Labyrinth was located, seemed to have the Divine Metal Mine, as it was inhabited by Orichalcum Puppets. These had been defeated several times in the past, leading to an increase in Hunters seeking Divine Metal.
Even so, because weapons and armor were made of alloy, the Divine Metal was primarily exchanged for cash rather than used by the Hunters themselves.
As for Maldosso Labyrinth, located in the eastern part of the Valentia Dragon Kingdom, few Hunters entered it.
The reason for this was the eastern nobles of Valentia, a topic that had been raised at the international conference.
These eastern nobles forcibly collected half of the materials gathered by Hunters who entered Maldosso Labyrinth.
Of course, this was completely illegal after the establishment of the Federation Heavenly Empire. However, in the past, it had been left to the discretion of the local lords, and they used dragon knights loyal to them to extort materials, particularly targeting Hunters with low levels.
Naturally, the Hunter’s Guild and the Valentia Dragon Royal Family couldn’t stand by idly. After several audits, the lords were dismissed, and the area became a direct territory of the Dragon Royal Family. However, even after the establishment of the Federation Heavenly Empire, some Dragoon and Hunters who had tasted success continued to engage in similar activities behind the scenes. Traders were also involved, making Maldosso a near lawless zone until very recently.
The Hunter’s Guild and the Dragoon’s Guild took serious action, apprehending and punishing these undesirable Hunters and Dragoons. However, a considerable number of them had sensed the impending crackdown and fled. These individuals became thieves, disrupting the peace in Valentia.
Because they were former Hunters or Dragoons, these thieves were highly skilled and cunning, making them difficult to eradicate completely.
There were rumors that some eastern nobles were supporting these thieves. As a result, the eastern part of Valentia had a high incidence of thieves and suffered significant damage.
They frequently appeared even near Maldosso, and the damage was increasing.
Consequently, there were whispers that Maldosso Labyrinth might be the next to experience a labyrinth flood, and as if to prove this, there were rumors of monsters being sighted that were believed to have been expelled from the labyrinth.
Therefore, for Maldosso Labyrinth specifically, hunting thieves might take precedence over conquering the labyrinth.
Currently, the Dragoon’s Guild was gathering information for thief subjugation and simultaneously identifying the nobles who supported them.
Since Maldosso was located in the Valentia Dragon Kingdom, my presence as a Heavenly Noble of Amister required a justifiable reason.
As a Hunter, I would need to receive a request.
While I wouldn’t mind conquering Maldosso Labyrinth, the accompanying issues could escalate into international problems, which I would prefer to avoid.
Therefore, I apologize, but let’s postpone Maldosso Labyrinth until the issue with the thieves is resolved.
This was what we all discussed and decided.
After considering various information, we decided that Gagun Labyrinth or Galiya Labyrinth would be good choices.
“Galiya Labyrinth is a popular labyrinth, but it’s quite deep. Although it hasn’t experienced a labyrinth flood, an early conquest is still desirable,”
“I believe it’s been confirmed up to the 32nd floor, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. A pack of Sauruses, though I forget the exact species, was confirmed to be inhabiting it, and that’s where the exploration stopped.”
“Ah, I believe those were Pteranodons. And if I recall correctly, it was mostly the higher species, led by rare ones, wasn’t it?”
The reason for the halt in Galiya Labyrinth’s conquest was the confirmation of a pack of higher and rare species of Pteranodons on the 32nd floor, and they had indeed attacked.
Pteranodons were S-N rank monsters, with the higher species Sternberg being G-U rank, and the rare species Aerotitan being P-R rank.
It was said that a pack of over twenty Pteranodons and Sternberg, led by an Aerotitan, had attacked.
The party that confirmed this was an alliance of several Hunter raids, who made the immediate decision to retreat and escaped using Escaping Arts.
That alliance was formed nearly 20 years ago, and since I knew some of the participants, I had heard the details.
“Back then, there were no Ancient Classes, nor was there alloy, so dealing with such a large number of Pteranodons was impossible.”
“Now that we have alloy and many Ancient Classes, I believe raids and unions could have advanced further. I wonder why no one has progressed with the conquest?”
“Galiya Labyrinth is popular, so the possibility of a labyrinth flood or expulsion is low. Therefore, Ancient Hunters prioritized investigating high-risk areas and conquering labyrinths.”
“I see.”
As Mana said in response to Athena’s question, judging by the trends in other unconquered labyrinths, the possibility of Galiya Labyrinth experiencing a labyrinth flood or expulsion was practically zero.
The reason for this was that the monsters inhabiting up to the 8th floor alone were sufficient to earn a good living.
Galiya Labyrinth had the same structure for two consecutive floors, and the monsters inhabiting them didn’t change much.
Furthermore, since only up to I-rank and C-rank monsters resided there, accidents were unlikely even for rookie Hunters, making it beginner-friendly in its lower levels.
Of course, complacency could be fatal, but the number of rookie Hunters in Galiya was said to be second only to Float.
“Whether it’s related or not, the Crest Protector Coat is also complete, so this timing might have been fortuitous.”
“Indeed.”
“As a backup weapon, I’ve equipped a dagger, and Ludia has knuckle dusters, so we’ll need to confirm their usability properly.”
As Prim and Athena mentioned, the new equipment, the Crest Protector Coat, was also completed at this timing.
The basic design was the same as the Crest Defender Coat, but with minor changes to the details. The primary materials were from the guardian of Krater Labyrinth, Leviathan, along with materials from Demise Species like Nidhogg and Hanuman, O-C rank Dragoons, and Royal Silk Cloth.
Instead of Tenma Stones, gems with magic enchants were incorporated, and the armor was made of Hihishirokane, resulting in a significantly increased defensive power.
As a common equipment, a sheath for a dagger with mirroring attached, called Mirror Sheath, was incorporated into the arm opposite the dominant hand. The dagger itself was also made of Hihishirokane.
For individual equipment, the gauntlets on both arms of myself, Rika, and Mina were designed with a small shield-like motif to enable Shielding. Prim’s, Mana’s, Hilde’s, and Athena’s left-arm gauntlets were also enchanted with Shielding. Ludia had Hihishirokane knuckle dusters, processed to look like accessories, attached to both sides of her waist.
These were backup weapons, as Ludia’s Flare Grapple was quite bulky and difficult to use in confined Spaces.
On Flam’s lower back, a large-capacity quiver with a tenfold mirroring enchantment, the Mirror Quiver, could be attached. Furthermore, all the arrows stored within were custom-made using Hihishirokane, Cherry Tree, feathers from the M-C rank monster Rud, and amber enchanted with Telekinetic Magic. Fifty arrows each were prepared for Flam and Rebecca.
These arrows, named Flarelight Arrows, were not disposable. By using the affixed Telekinetic Magic, they could be easily retrieved.
However, the range of Telekinetic Magic was limited to 300 meters, so if used for long-range sniping, they would have to be retrieved manually or, in the worst case, would become unretrievable.
Yuri, Lydia, Aria, and Mako were equipped with Mirror Sheaths on their right arms, also containing Hihishirokane daggers.
Only the parts for my wife and me were completed; the parts for everyone else were still being manufactured.
The priority was Eos, who often accompanied us, followed by Lucas and Lyra, then the student group like Raus, and finally Ed and Butler.
However, Mina and Lyra were close to giving birth, so their fittings were scheduled for after delivery.
In any case, these were actually completed yesterday, so we had only just finished the trial fittings and final adjustments.
Therefore, we needed to make time soon to test their usability in actual combat.
I knew the skills of Marina and Fiana, who had tailored them, and there were no major issues during the trial fittings, so I believed they would be fine.
In fact, they were comfortable to wear.
However, personally, I was hoping they would be completed by the time of our advance into the Gradia Continent, so their completion at this time was greatly appreciated.
We were already using Hihishirokane weapons, so with this, our armor also reached the pinnacle of quality.
Our advance into the Gradia Continent was scheduled for summer, so the minimum preparations were in place.
Now, all that remained was for me, for us, to become stronger.
The quickest way to do that was by entering labyrinths, so I wanted to conquer several labyrinths or venture into the deeper layers of Krater Labyrinth.
I owed a debt to the Divine Emperor, and more importantly, he was a criminal from my world, so I intended to defeat him to take responsibility.
Although I had duties as a Heavenly Noble and needed to assist my wives, I would find time. Everyone was cooperating, too.
Therefore, I would become stronger and definitely defeat the Divine Emperor.
To achieve that, the development of Fraydlancia Baronetcy would come first.
I had originally wanted to start around October, but preparations took time, so it would begin after the New Year.
Traders and Crafters, as well as Preachers, were already on the move.
The development of Lapis Lazuli Heavenly Baronetcy and Count Fallheight Territory was planned after defeating the Divine Emperor and after the Fraydlancia Baronetcy had progressed to a certain extent. Currently, we were in the stage of finalizing the details.
This was for the prosperity of the Philia Continent and for the children, including Saki. I would put my best effort into that as well.
