Thanks to the cooperation of the two Guardians, we quickly reached our previous stopping point.
Unlike last time, we entered the sixtieth floor, made of shining marble, without much exhaustion.
As long as Nosfy was friendly, it was a space that could be called a resting point.
“Well then! The golden rule of travel! Rest when you can! Don’t think you can always set up camp—!!”
“It’s more like dungeon exploration than travel…”
Soon after entering, Lord proposed a rest. She cheerfully asserted a completely different rule with pride.
“However, Lord’s point is well-taken. Shall we take a short nap, Lord Uzun?”
Nosfy agreed with the rule. Rainer, who was silently standing behind, nodded as well, so we decided to take a break here.
“Certainly, we’ve been walking non-stop…”
“Alright, Kanamin. Bring out the stuff I gave you before we departed.”
“Ah, that. …Here.”
Lord’s luggage was included in our “Inventory” as it was said to be necessary for dungeon exploration. We took out all the hemp bags and bags and spread them on the marble floor of the labyrinth.
“Let’s see, spread out the sheets first, and then assemble this table… ”
What came out of the hemp bags and bags was a picnic set. Lord set it up on the sixtieth floor with efficient movements. In just a few minutes, the preparations for a tea party, as if one held in the castle garden long ago, were complete.
“It’s almost lunchtime. Let’s have lunch and drink some tea.”
Efficiently, she had even brought a thermos with hot water.
“Speaking of which, it is almost lunchtime…”
Although we had hardly fought, we had cleared six floors. That alone was a great distance. Since we hadn’t been running, about five hours had passed.
Lord’s proposal was natural, so I also took out the labyrinth food from my “Inventory.”
In response, Rainer stepped forward from behind. He picked up the teapot and was about to prepare tea for everyone.
Thinking he was going to serve us again like before, I lightly cautioned him.
“Rainer, we can prepare tea ourselves without any trouble.”
“Don’t worry, Christ. I won’t be standing and serving tea anymore. I simply want to help. So that we can have lunch together quickly.”
“…Is that so. Thank you, Rainer.”
Rainer’s expression was completely different from before. I could see his understanding of his own bad habits and his will to change.
Moved by my junior’s growth, I took my seat at the table Lord had prepared.
Although the four of us could walk for a whole day in terms of stats, we weren’t completely un-tired. Each of us let out a big sigh and took a sip of the tea that had been served.
Then, Lord began to make small talk as if we were on a picnic.
“Haaah. By the way, this floor is Nosfy’s, so the room and air are clean. Just staying in Viais city gets boring, so it might be nice to come this far once in a while.”
“No, we’re not here for a visit.”
“Kanamin and the others might be here for dungeon exploration, but for me, it’s a picnic. I’m enjoying my vacation. …*munch munch* ”
Despite being in a labyrinth, Lord was completely relaxed. She was stuffing food into her mouth with a smile, as if she had come out to eat for the first time in a long time.
“Hey, hey, you’re eating too much, Lord.”
“But this is my usual amount of food!”
“What’s with eating the same amount as usual in the labyrinth… You’ll throw up if you move. Just stop.”
“For me, the meal here is the main event, so I won’t stop.”
“You idiot… really, stop…!”
Even though she was just eating, Lord’s movements were agile and devoid of waste. She skillfully dodged my attempts to stop her, her mouth full of food. The food that Rainer and I had brought was rapidly diminishing.
With a sigh, I gave up.
“…Well, it’s fine, I guess.”
Even though things were going smoothly, I didn’t expect to return to the surface immediately.
I’ll bill Lord for what she ate when we get back to Viais and buy more.
Calming myself, I took a sip of my tea to recover my stamina.
Rainer and Nosfy did the same. They didn’t stuff their stomachs too much, preparing for the next battle.
A few minutes later, Lord, the only one who was full, stood up from her seat, rubbing her stomach.
“Haaah, I ate so much! It feels good to eat in a different place than usual. Well then, good night~”
“This woman…”
I was dumbfounded as I watched Lord lie down immediately after eating.
Rainer and Nosfy looked at her with the same expression, so Lord looked genuinely puzzled and asked.
“Eh? Don’t you take a nap after eating?”
“Well, yes… but I don’t like your attitude…”
“Eh!? That’s just plain mean!?”
“No, anyone would think that seeing you so boldly eat and sleep.”
“But you said it was about eating and sleeping! It’s not my fault!”
“You’re fully intending to fall into a deep sleep with a full stomach, aren’t you…”
“Perhaps!”
“You said it was a nap… *sigh*”
Sighing, I also got up from my seat. Then, I sat down against the wall near where Lord was lying down. Nosfy, who had finished eating, followed suit and joined me.
“As Lord says, shall we take a nap too…? Then—”
She followed, or rather, sat right next to me.
She then leaned her weight against me, intending to sleep. Again, within a breath’s distance.
“N-Nosfy, you’re too close…”
“Is that not alright?”
“It’s not that it’s not alright, it’s just… inconvenient. In many ways.”
“………”
Nosfy stared at me silently.
It seemed she wanted to sleep next to me like this. However, if that happens, not only would my stamina not recover, but various other things about me would be whittled away. My mental strength, my stomach lining, and other things essential for living…
“I-I won’t be able to sleep, so please, really.”
“Lord Uzun. Why won’t you be able to sleep?”
Nosfy smiled enchantingly at a breath’s distance.
Realizing that accumulating useless excuses would only worsen the situation, I honestly confessed my inner thoughts.
“It’s… because Nosfy is a cute girl, I can’t help but feel restless…”
Hearing that, Nosfy’s smile deepened.
“Heh heh, he heh heh… Thank you. If you say so, then I can’t help it…”
She slowly stood up and moved away from me, my face twitching. Then, she moved closer to Lord, who was beckoning her, saying, “Nosfy, come here, come here.” It seemed the two girls would sleep holding hands.
Once I saw that, I immediately looked for my last companion for my own safety.
—Where did Rainer go…? Huh? So far away!?
Rainer, having finished eating, had discreetly closed his eyes about a hundred meters away, pretending not to know. I jogged over to Rainer and began to beg.
“Rainer! For cushioning—”
“I told you, I don’t want to.”
“S-Settle for being nearby at least…”
“Haa, just being nearby, alright…”
Seeing my desperate state, Rainer reluctantly agreed.
…Okay, I’ve got my shield.
Thus, Lord and Nosfy lay down next to each other, while Rainer and I closed our eyes with our backs against the wall.
The sixtieth floor was filled with light, but it wasn’t a harsh, burning light. Instead, it was a comforting, warm light.
Even if an enemy were to intrude, Nosfy, the guardian of this floor, would sense it. Therefore, we didn’t need much vigilance, and we were able to rest peacefully for about thirty minutes.
Then, after waking from our short nap, we woke up the deeply sleeping Lord and resumed our dungeon exploration. Thanks to this, what could be called a purified floor, our stamina and MP had recovered more than we expected.
“—Haaah. Alright, this is enough. Let’s go now.”
Leading everyone, we headed in the direction of the fifty-ninth floor. From here on, it was entirely an unknown world. We increased our Dimensional Magic with caution.
“Rainer, Nosfy, are you ready? For the sake of the future, I’d like to proceed by defeating as many monsters as possible…”
I confirmed our strategy.
We hadn’t fought until now, but that was also thanks to us understanding the characteristics of the enemies in our previous dungeon exploration. Considering the long journey to the surface, it would be more certain to fight monsters and test our strength.
However, Nosfy shook her head and denied it.
“Even so, I don’t think the monsters near my floor need to be defeated. Generally, monsters with light attribute magic do not act hostile to other beings. It would be a waste of time to confirm. If there’s a need to defeat them, it would be when we approach the fiftieth floor and the monsters’ attributes change again.”
—Light attribute monsters are not enemies.
It was something I had vaguely felt.
The shining monsters, all of them, seemed to lack fighting spirit.
“Why don’t the light attribute monsters attack us…?”
“It’s the nature of their attribute, but… As I briefly explained earlier, the basic principle of the light attribute is ‘Talks.’ Not ‘Conflict,’ but ‘Talks’—that is the ideal of the ‘Principles of Light.'”
This probably applied to Nosfy, the ‘Thief of the Principles of Light,’ as well. I could read from her expression her pride in having peacefully resolved the battle a thousand years ago with that power.
“Then, is it better to leave the light attribute monsters alone?”
“Yes, that is the wisest choice. We can probably walk to the fifty-fifth floor.”
Nosfy, being an expert in the light attribute and the guardian of the labyrinth, her words were reassuring. I went up the stairs leading to the fifty-ninth floor.
However, a dissatisfied voice leaked from the rearguard of our party.
“U-Ugh, ugh… This is bad. Dungeon exploration is easier than I thought. If this keeps up…”
Lord was saying something ominous.
But she’s the one who voices her thoughts, so it’s better that way. It’s much better than keeping something hidden with a steady smile.
Honestly, Nosfy, whose thoughts I can’t read, is scarier.
With a flawless smile, Nosfy took Lord’s hand.
“Come on, let’s go. Lord, if you space out, I’ll leave you behind, okay?”
“U-Uh… Ugh… I wish you all could stay in Viais forever…”
Lord was acting like a spoiled child, but the magic she exuded was formidable. As we approached the surface, her magic felt like it was intensifying.
Unlike Rowen, whose lingering desires had faded, her lingering desires seemed to be growing, increasing her presence.
Pursing her lips, Lord muttered.
“I wish this light atmosphere could last forever…”
These were words that confirmed she believed she couldn’t do as she pleased once we reached the surface.
While hearing them, I continued walking in silence.
For Lord’s sake, reaching the surface is a necessity. If I don’t quickly bring someone who understands her, her magic will likely continue to grow.
“Lord, that’s enough complaining. Come on, let’s go. We shouldn’t bother Lord Uzun.”
However, even Nosfy, who appears to be understanding, can’t be underestimated. Like Lord, she has been accumulating formidable magic since yesterday. Although she’s been trying to resolve her lingering desires in various ways, it feels like it’s having the opposite effect.
It seems our relationship with Nosfy will be long-lasting. We won’t be able to find the cause of her lingering desires in isolation underground; we’ll need the surface, where there are more things she can do.
Reconfirming that the two guardians behind us need the surface, we proceeded through the fifty-ninth floor.
The corridor on the fifty-ninth floor was no different from a normal floor. It was made of the usual stone construction.
The only difference was that the stone was shining.
Being the floor directly above the sixtieth floor, the light was so strong it restricted our vision. However, I have 《Dimension》, and the two who use wind magic can grasp the location of most things with 《Wind》. Most importantly, Nosfy’s presence as a light expert lowers the difficulty of this floor.
“—《Light》”
Adjusting light seemed to be as natural to her as breathing. With just a single word, a basic magic spell, the eye-burning light was gently neutralized, just like on the sixtieth floor.
This made the fifty-ninth floor more comfortable than a normal corridor. It became as bright as daytime on the surface, and the dimness that hid the distances in a veil of darkness disappeared.
The path ahead was also neatly leveled, making it easy to walk. It felt like walking down a grand cathedral hallway rather than in a labyrinth.
Of course, the monsters were also not a problem.
Luminous spirits floated around again, but there was no combat. We avoided them as much as possible with 《Dimension》, and if any were in our path, Nosfy would perform ‘Talks’ with them using light magic as a precaution.
There were no weaknesses.
We had an unprecedented amount of leeway.
We had so much room that we were tempted to go treasure hunting instead of taking the shortest route to the surface. This was likely an untouched domain. There was a possibility that ancient items useful for blacksmithing were scattered around.
I, who had become hooked on equipment creation, almost succumbed to the temptation.
However, remembering my current objective, I managed to hold back.
This floor was a battle not against monsters, but against my own small desires.
Thus, without any further obstacles, we passed through the fifty-ninth floor and proceeded smoothly through the fifty-eighth and fifty-seventh floors. Along the way, we found rooms with magnificent pillars and temples with open ceilings, but there were no particularly troublesome paths. The paths were all well-maintained, so stamina depletion was minimal. Even if we encountered new types of monsters, if we left it to Nosfy, combat could be avoided.
Truly.
Truly—
“—This is easy. I think we can reach the surface like this.”
The fifty-seventh floor we were walking on now was the prime example. Any explorer on the surface would not think this was a labyrinth. After all, a corridor about fifty meters wide continued in a straight line to the next staircase. It felt like walking down a city’s main street. Although there were various monsters at the edge of my vision, they only felt like a lively backdrop.
However, due to trauma from our sea voyage, the fact that things were going too smoothly made me anxious. I proceeded cautiously, with a stern expression, watching my surroundings.
Seeing my demeanor, Nosfy smiled wryly.
“Lord Uzun, there’s no need to worry. I had some ‘Talks,’ and all the monsters were understanding. Perhaps my gentle nature is reflected in the monsters’ personalities.”
Nosfy patted her chest, guaranteeing our safety.
Indeed, her abilities were powerful enough to promise that.
It was undoubtedly thanks to Nosfy that we had come this far so smoothly. If the guardian of the sixtieth floor hadn’t been a ‘Thief of the Principles of Light,’ we would have been blocked by aggressive enemies and wouldn’t have advanced even halfway.
“Thank you, Nosfy. If we can reach the thirtieth floor like this and place a 《Connection》…”
“《Connection》… Your teleportation magic, Lord Uzun? However, if that’s the case, I think we can place it on this floor as well?”
Nosfy spread her arms wide, indicating the space on the fifty-seventh floor.
Indeed, if I wanted to place a 《Connection》, I could do it here. I remembered the reasons why I hadn’t been able to place a 《Connection》 anywhere other than the former guardian’s floors.
First, the barrier of ‘Seidō’ was an obstruction. Second, monsters would destroy the 《Connection》.
“Certainly, we can place it, but won’t the monsters touch and destroy the 《Connection》 if we place it somewhere like this…?”
“That’s what I’m here for. If I have ‘Talks’ with the monsters in this area, we can even have them guard the magic gate.”
“Eh, is that true…?”
‘I never lie. It is true.’
She stated an astonishing thing so casually.
This was information that would overturn my labyrinth exploration plan from its foundation. It was so important that I wanted to recruit one student who used light magic from Eltralyu Academy as soon as we returned to the surface.
Naturally, my face brightened.
“I’m sorry to hear you’re so happy, but this only applies to the vicinity of the sixtieth floor, okay? Beyond that, it would only work in places with particularly gentle monsters…”
Basically, it seemed to be only in this vicinity—meaning, near the floors of the ‘Thief of the Principles of Light.’ Still, the benefit of shortening the journey was immense.
Originally, I thought I couldn’t shortcut to the thirtieth floor, which is a floor without a guardian. However, if I could place a 《Connection》 on the fifty-fifth floor, it would shorten the journey by ten floors. At this pace, we might be able to reach the surface in just a few more days.
“That’s more than enough. Thanks to Nosfy, I can see the end in sight.”
“Heh heh. I’m glad if I can make Lord Uzun happy.”
Hearing that good news, laughter burst from the bottom of my heart. Nosfy rejoiced as if it were her own joy.
However, there were some who would see this as bad news.
“The e-end…?”
It was Lord, walking behind us.
Her face, which had been clouded by advancing through the labyrinth, contorted as the clear end was hinted at.
