Side: Meena
Today, along with all the members of the Wing Crest, Emperor Reinhardt, H.R.H. Elis, H.R.H. Maruca, Ciel, and Sayuri, we have come to the Krater Labyrinth.
The reason, as discussed the other day, is for Emperor Reinhardt to evolve into an Ancient Human.
Originally, H.R.H. Maruca, who had discovered her pregnancy, was supposed to stay behind. However, as she had no health issues whatsoever and hadn’t noticed it herself until told, it was decided that she could participate on the condition that this would be her last time and accompanied by Sayuri, without engaging in close combat.
She was extremely happy about this, but her brother, Marie, Muse, Miranda, and Delfina, who accompanied her as guards, had expressions that were hard to decipher.
Initially, it was said to be the Royal Order, but I never imagined that five members of the Ancient Order would be assigned as guards.
However, given the location and circumstances, they made thorough arrangements to prevent any possibility of even the slightest incident involving Sayuri, and even Emperor Reinhardt could do nothing about it.
Furthermore, from Feel, Lucas and Lyra, who were decided to relocate to Float as our communication liaisons, are also accompanying us.
“Is this the volcano where the Grand Staircase to the third floor is located?”
“Just as I heard, it’s completely a Water Mountain.”
“It’s truly amazing, this is.”
A little over four hours after entering the Krater Labyrinth, we are standing before a volcanic waterfall.
This time, our objective is not investigation or conquest, but for Emperor Reinhardt to evolve. Therefore, we have been hunting monsters even on the first floor, and on the second floor, we descended into a difficult volcanic area of rocks and lava.
We are progressing through the second floor while hunting.
“It’s beautiful water, but is this seawater?”
“Yes. Therefore, the monsters that inhabit it are all sea monsters.”
The monsters inhabiting the volcanic waterfall are Sahagins, Water Spiders, Thunder Squids, Lance Merlins, and Mosasaurs.
“There are Sauruses even here?”
“I’ve heard it’s not uncommon depending on the labyrinth, but G-rank monsters on the second floor? Isn’t that just cruel?”
Lucas and Lyra, seeing the Saur species for the first time, have faces contorted slightly in fear.
The Saur species is a type of dragon, and it’s not uncommon for individuals to rival monsters of a rank higher than their own.
“G-rank monsters are said to appear occasionally. The problem in this labyrinth is the appearance of P-rank monsters.”
“Really?”
“Yes. In the rock and lava volcano, there was a P-R rank Spinosaurus. It doesn’t seem to be here today, though.”
While some labyrinths have G-rank monsters on the second floor, P-rank monsters have never appeared.
The existence of Anomalous Species can be cited as an exception, but they rarely appear.
Anomalous Species are born very rarely, and it is said that if they do appear in lower floors, it is only one at a time, so they can usually be defeated if an Alliance is formed.
The problem with this Krater Labyrinth is not the Anomalous Species, but the Rare Species, specifically the Saur species.
Rare Species are said to be born with a moderate frequency, so it’s possible that a Spinosaurus will appear again.
What’s more, it’s entirely possible that not just one, but multiple might appear.
“Whoa, that’s troublesome.”
“We can’t just not conquer it because of that, so if I have time, I plan to do some investigation.”
“Being a Hunter must be tough.”
“No, you say that as if it’s someone else’s problem, but since you two are joining the Wing Crest, you’re also decided to accompany the investigation, right?”
“No way!?”
Lyra is surprised by Prim’s explanation, but unfortunately, it is the truth.
Moreover, Emperor Reinhardt is not only aware of this, but it is also a request from His Majesty, so not only Lyra but also Lucas have no escape.
“That’s good.”
Furthermore, my brother, who will be the next Grand Order’s Master, also approves of Lucas and Lyra joining the Wing Crest.
Well, the reason my brother approves is probably because he wants them to quickly surpass his own level.
“No, Rex. I’m sorry, but in some cases, you may have to enter the labyrinth with them?”
However, that hope seems to be about to be shattered by His Majesty’s own words.
“Huh? N-no, Your Majesty? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s simple. There aren’t many Orders and Sabers who are likely to evolve into Ancient Classes. And there are future considerations as well. That’s why I want to secure materials from high-rank monsters while I can. High-Class Coats are made with existing materials, so if we evolve, problems will arise.”
“A-are you saying that we, who are already wearing coats made with materials from high-rank monsters, are the only ones who can do it?”
“Delfina will be appointed Grand Soldier’s Master, and it’s problematic for both the Grand Order’s Master and the Associate Order’s Master to enter the labyrinth simultaneously. So it will be one or the other.”
At Emperor Reinhardt’s words, my brother’s face twists into a look of slight despair.
Well, Marie and Muse look that way too.
If my brother enters the labyrinth, his wives, Marie and Muse, will accompany him, which will increase stability.
“If that’s the reason, then it can’t be helped. Please do your best, future Grand Order’s Master.”
In contrast, Miranda and Delfina show genuine relief.
Delfina is scheduled to be appointed Grand Soldier’s Master, so she will be excluded first.
While Miranda is not without possibilities, her chances will be fewer compared to my brother and the others, so perhaps that alone is enough to relieve her.
“While that is the case, it will be easier for us too, so we welcome it, but is it alright with the Order’s Guild?”
“If there’s Traveling, moving won’t be a problem, and material collection is a proper task. Besides, thanks to the Alloy, even High-Class individuals can handle monsters up to around P-rank more easily. I think we’ll eventually stop having trouble with materials.”
I see, you believe this is a problem that can only be addressed now.
Indeed, Alloy is becoming widespread, and I’ve heard that many people are using it in Amister.
However, whether they can use it effectively is questionable.
Especially for the elderly, their existing fighting styles are deeply ingrained, and they cannot be easily corrected.
The ten Unions that participated in the Alliance have experienced battles where failure to adapt would result in death, but ordinarily, such dangerous battles would be avoided.
There’s no point in dying during a trial run.
“That seems likely. Well then, Take that!”
“Hah!”
Mid-conversation, two Tyranosauruses appeared, and I dealt with them using my Mace Quake and Flam’s Tidal Blaster.
Mosasaurs are not supposed to move in herds, so it’s unusual for two to appear at the same time.
“G-U rank in one hit…”
“Meena, and Flam too, when did you guys get so strong…”
Lucas and Lyra look surprised, but Flam and I are filled with a sense of accomplishment.
“I-I’m so sorry, Your Majesty…”
“I only intended to create an opening…”
“Don’t worry about it. While I can’t say I’m not feeling pressured, your levels have increased. If things go well, you might evolve today.”
Today’s hunting objective is for Emperor Reinhardt to evolve into an Ancient Elf.
Therefore, His Majesty must fight as many monsters as possible and use his magic power.
However, if we defeat those monsters, and with a single blow at that, His Majesty will not be able to fight or use his magic power.
“Exactly. If Rai is anxious, it’s my fault.”
“Or rather, why did Maruca evolve before you?”
“That was also unexpected for me.”
Emperor Reinhardt appears a little anxious, and one of the reasons is the fact that H.R.H. Maruca has evolved into an Ancient Aldri.
As a result of hunting on the second floor, Emperor Reinhardt reached level 65, and H.R.H. Maruca also reached level 61. Surprisingly, H.R.H. Maruca, using the prohibition of close combat to her advantage, devised and practiced unique magic using wind and lightning attribute magic.
Perhaps because it had taken some form, she evolved into an Ancient Aldri simultaneously with reaching level 61.
It’s true that H.R.H. Maruca had the potential to evolve, but I thought she would suppress her magical support because she had just discovered her pregnancy, so I was truly surprised.
“I cannot deny it, but Maruca also had the potential to evolve, so I simply congratulate her. I didn’t expect her to evolve during her pregnancy, though.”
Of course, Emperor Reinhardt was surprised, but he also offered his congratulations.
It has been confirmed that evolving during pregnancy does not affect the child in the womb.
Many women, both past and present, have evolved without realizing they were pregnant, so Sayuri is not particularly concerned. However, upon hearing that it was the first time for someone to evolve into an Ancient Class, she examined H.R.H. Maruca’s condition with Healing Magic: Examining, just in case.
“Not only H.R.H. Maruca, but at this rate, H.R.H. Elis’s evolution seems imminent as well.”
“I believe Ciel will also be able to evolve into High Class in the not-too-distant future.”
Ciel looks somewhat speechless, but as H.R.H. Elis says, evolution into High Class doesn’t seem too far off.
Well, for the time being, she will be overwhelmed with preparations for the wedding ceremony with His Majesty, which will be held concurrently with the coronation ceremony, so it will likely be several months away.
“They’re coming again. This time it’s Sahagins… Hmm? They’re big?”
“Indeed. ‘Questing.’ It’s not a Sahagin Princess.”
Yamato and Prim, who were on watch from the observation deck, confirmed several Sahagins this time.
However, it appears that a G-I rank Sahagin Princess is among them.
I also confirmed that there are Coral Sahagins of B-U rank, as well as Merfolk Sahagins with long spears of S-R rank.
“Oh, a Sahagin Princess and a Merfolk Sahagin?”
“The rank alone isn’t strange, but considering they are Anomalous Species of Demi-humans, it’s odd.”
“I-is that so?”
Ciel, with a pale face, spoke bravely despite trembling.
Demi-humans in the labyrinth are equivalent to one rank higher, and Anomalous Species are equivalent to another rank higher. Therefore, the Sahagin Princess approaching us is a monster equivalent to M-rank.
Even if Anomalous Species are born occasionally, the monsters equivalent to P-rank were the most frequent, so considering this is a low floor like the second floor, it’s an impossible monster.
“There are five Merfolk Sahagins and four Coral Sahagins. We’ll hunt all the Coral Sahagins, but what about the Merfolk Sahagins?”
“If there’s room, I’d like to defeat one, but it’s probably too difficult.”
“Even the Sahagin Princess, you can’t beat her alone, can you, my brother?”
“Indeed, it’s impossible for a High-Class individual to defeat an M-rank equivalent monster alone. I’ll need support, but I’ll focus on the Sahagin Princess.”
That’s how it is.
Sahagins, who are aquatic demi-humans, do not decrease in rank even when they come ashore, unlike Mosasaurs.
Like Sirens, another type of aquatic demi-human, fighting them near water is difficult.
Not only can they dive underwater, but it’s also common for them to attack unilaterally from underwater, and in some cases, escape might be the only option.
Moreover, this is a volcanic waterfall, a volcano surrounded by water, which is a far too advantageous terrain for Sahagins.
To deal with this Anomalous Species of Sahagins, at least a few High-Class individuals with Alloy weapons would be necessary.
“Then I will take on the attacks of the Sahagin Princess.”
“I’m sorry to trouble you, but please do.”
It seems my brother will be in charge of the Sahagin Princess’s attacks.
He is an Ancient Human like myself, Yamato, and Mako. His sword is custom-made from Lapis Lazuli, his shield is handcrafted by Aiver using Jade Silver, and he is clad in an Arc Order’s Coat made from Gryphon leather. Therefore, his equipment will not be a match for his magic power, and he can fight in perfect condition.
As proof, my brother completely blocked the Sahagin Princess’s attacks.
Emperor Reinhardt delivered the finishing blow, but unfortunately, he did not seem to be able to evolve.
There is still time, and since there are Garums and Amazones on the third floor, I believe he will likely evolve today.
As expected, Emperor Reinhardt defeated the P-R rank monster Stella Garum on the third floor and successfully evolved into an Ancient Elf.
Emperor Reinhardt’s level is 66, H.R.H. Elis’s is 59, H.R.H. Maruca’s is 62, Ciel’s is 28, and Sayuri’s is 60.
As for the Orders, my brother is level 73, Marie is level 66, Muse is level 69, Miranda is level 65, and Delfina is level 68. Lucas and Lyra also reached level 60.
Therefore, we returned to Float with triumphant spirits, but the Chancellor, Laina, nearly collapsed upon hearing the results.
The reason was H.R.H. Maruca.
She had not expected H.R.H. Maruca, who was pregnant, to evolve and return.
She looked extremely tired, but perhaps I should bring her something next time?
