Side: Meena
Today, we came to the Krater Labyrinth with my father-in-law and mother-in-law.
The group included Prim, who is pregnant, and Flam, as well as Lady Rika, who just gave birth, along with all of Yamato’s wives, Butler Eos, Marisa, Viola, Lumina, and Uni. Oh, Saki and Asma are here too. I thought it might be a bit much to bring a newborn baby, but my father-in-law and mother-in-law are returning tomorrow, so I persuaded Yamato and my father-in-law, who were worried, by saying this was truly our last chance. Sir Yuri and Aria also took time off from school today for this reason.
“Wow… amazing!”
“This must be the waterfall volcano Yamato and the others were talking about. It’s certainly worth seeing.”
The Krater Labyrinth has various levels. That’s why we chose this place, but our destination for this trip is the 4th Level. We actually want to go to the 7th Level, the one with islands floating in the sky, but since my father-in-law and mother-in-law are returning tomorrow, we really don’t have time. That’s why we’re heading to the 4th Level, where the entire area is the sea.
“This 2nd Level really does have all sorts of volcanoes.”
“There was a snow-capped mountain, and a sandy mountain too.”
“A level with such a complex environment is rare, perhaps only comparable to the 7th Level of the Solpreza Labyrinth. There might be others if we searched, but we don’t know of any.”
Mana-sama is explaining, and it’s true that the Solpreza Labyrinth in Valentia is one of the few labyrinths with such diverse environments. In fact, besides the Solpreza Labyrinth, the only other labyrinths we’ve entered are the Instant Labyrinth in Amister and this Krater Labyrinth.
“Hearing you talk makes me want to visit other labyrinths too.”
“We don’t have time for that. Today, we were only able to come here because Yamato somehow managed to make time for us, right?”
“I know.”
It’s true that we came to the Krater Labyrinth today to guide my father-in-law and mother-in-law. Fortunately, everyone had their schedules cleared for today and tomorrow, so it wasn’t a problem at all. I know it might be a lot for Mana-sama and Lady Rika, who just gave birth, and for Prim and Flam, who are pregnant, but since this is also our first and last family trip, none of us can say anything.
“F-fuwaaa!”
“Whoa! Saki, what’s wrong?”
Suddenly, Saki, who was being held by my mother-in-law, started fussing. Saki is only 3 months old, but it’s very easy to tell if she needs milk or a diaper change. Judging by her crying, it’s definitely milk.
“I’m so sorry, Mother-in-law. It seems she’s hungry.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Yes. Excuse me.”
“Okay.”
Mana-sama took Saki from my mother-in-law and went down to the Mirror Room. While we have powdered milk, it’s believed that breast milk is better for health and growth, so Mana-sama and Lady Rika try to breastfeed them whenever possible.
“Fuwah…”
“Oops, this one too.”
Now it’s Asma, whom my father-in-law is holding. Asma is only 4 days old, so ideally, he shouldn’t be out and about. However, the Tree-made Multi-functional Beast Carriage is equipped with a Barrier and Tenma Stones, so it’s unaffected by any harsh external environments. Still, there’s always a possibility of the unexpected, so Lady Rika, Sir Yuri, and Mako are all taking the utmost precautions.
“It’s not milk, so could it be a diaper? Father-in-law, I’m so sorry.”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry to trouble you.”
“Yes. Lumina, could you help me for a moment?”
“Understood.”
Lumina is also Uni’s mother, so she’s very reliable in situations like this. However, if Lumina leaves to help, Uni will naturally be left behind.
“Come here, Uni.”
“Coming!”
But my mother-in-law kept Uni company. My mother-in-law has been doting on Uni for the past month, and Uni has grown quite attached to her.
“Oh, here comes another one.”
“You’re right. Failnaught.”
“Indeed.”
Just as Uni sat on my mother-in-law’s lap, a school of Sahagin, inhabitants of the waterfall volcano, appeared. However, in front of my mother-in-law’s innate S-rank non-elemental magic Silverio Disaster, they were instantly turned into silver statues and then shattered. Since it’s a waterfall volcano close to the sea, I had thought my mother-in-law might struggle a bit, but that was not the case at all.
“It’s like an aquarium, but everything living here is a monster, and they could attack at any moment. This seems quite challenging.”
“Even if you say that, Father, it lacks credibility.”
“I agree. But apparently, many Hunters get stuck here.”
Yamato and Mako are exasperated by my father-in-law’s remark, but given his level, I can understand his sentiment. However, the only portal to the 3rd Level is in this waterfall volcano, so we can’t proceed without passing through it. Therefore, as Mako said, many Hunters, even High Class ones, get stuck here. It’s understandable, as there are even G-rank monsters. Like this.
“Now it’s Lance Merlin.”
“A Marlin, huh? It looks quite delicious.”
“It is delicious. Wait, did I not give you any when you first arrived?”
“Twice, when you first came. But I didn’t know what it looked like, so I was expecting some kind of monster. I certainly didn’t expect a marlin.”
A marlin, you say? Is it a fish, rather than a monster native to Earth? I mean, Lance Merlin *is* a delicious monster, and I like it too, so if it appears here, I intend to hunt it thoroughly.
“Hmm, as expected, when the entire area is the sea, it takes some effort to defeat them.”
“What do you mean…”
Yamato is visibly annoyed, but the Lance Merlin heading towards us was instantly frozen by my father-in-law’s Engraving Magic, Blue Coffin. I understand how my father-in-law feels, as the monsters in this waterfall volcano can indeed be troublesome even for us, but to be defeated so easily, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of effort he was talking about.
“More importantly, Father, and Mother too, please leave some for us.”
“Ah, sorry, sorry. It’s my first time in a labyrinth, so I got carried away.”
“Saying that while holding Uni, isn’t very convincing, is it? Right, Shirayuki?”
“Gauu!”
“My apologies.”
Of course, we brought our familiars with us, but except for Jade, who is pulling the Beast Carriage, the others are relaxing in the central garden. However, only Shirayuki, Mako’s summon, and Luna, Mana-sama’s summon, are out on the rear deck. Luna followed Mana-sama, but Shirayuki is good friends with Uni, which is why she’s currently by my mother-in-law’s side.
“It’s a little strange to be friendly with a tiger.”
“It’s not strange anymore, is it? Besides, Shirayuki is a Snow Mirage Tiger, but she’s basically a big cat.”
“She’s too big to be a cat! But she’s cute, so it’s fine.”
“Gauu!”
Perhaps because she was being petted by my mother-in-law, Shirayuki let out a happy purr. Then, she conjured an ice spear and suddenly threw it towards the sea. When I followed the spear’s trajectory, I saw a Water Spider there, and in the next moment, it was impaled and killed by the ice spear.
“Amazing, Shirayuki! Even though it’s in the water, you found a spider so far away.”
“You’re amazing, Shirayuki!”
“Gau gau ♪”
“She has good eyesight too. But Shirayuki, not only Uni but Maoh is here too, aren’t you being a bit too cocky?”
“Gauu!?”
“Just kidding. Keep it up, and protect Uni properly, okay?”
“Gauu!”
Shirayuki flinched for a moment when Mako glared at her, but with Uni and my mother-in-law present, she seems to be trying harder than usual. She’s also the most affectionate of them all, so she’s happy to be praised. On the other hand, my familiar, Breeze, is a docile creature, and she won’t fight unless I do. Considering the location, it’s not a problem, but still.
“Shirayuki’s getting fired up too. This means we won’t have any chance to act.”
Indeed. However, our objective today isn’t hunting, but since we haven’t been hunting much recently, I’m worried our skills might be getting rusty. Therefore, we’d like to fight if possible.
“Do you want a chance to fight?”
“Yamato and Mako often go hunting to create Engraving Divine Artifacts, but not everyone else does. We need to hunt periodically to keep our skills sharp, don’t we?”
“That’s true. In that case, we’ll leave this level to you.”
“Thank you, Father-in-law.”
If our skills become dull, even experienced Hunters can lose their lives. Therefore, regular hunting is essential for Hunters. Of course, injuries and pregnancy are exceptions. However, injuries can be healed quickly with healing magic, so it’s not much of a reason.
“We’ve climbed quite a bit. But I don’t see the summit.”
“No, we will reach the summit soon. Although the waterfall volcano is difficult to navigate, we have been here several times, so we remember some of the terrain.”
“Is that so? Oh, you’re right.”
As Lady Hilde said, the summit of the waterfall volcano came into view. There’s also a Safe Area at the summit, allowing us to safely view the entire panorama of the waterfall volcano. It’s a magnificent view, a sight worth seeing at least once.
“Oh, already at the summit?”
“Ah, Mana-sama. Lady Rika too.”
“Are Saki-chan and Asma-kun okay now?”
“Yes. They calmed down after drinking their milk. They don’t seem sleepy yet, though.”
“Asma too. He seemed to cheer up after his diaper was changed.”
Just as we were about to reach the summit, Mana-sama and Lady Rika returned. Saki and Asma are in good spirits, and perhaps because they know they are out, they are particularly energetic today. Usually, after milk or diaper changes, they would fall asleep.
“They are energetic, aren’t they?”
“They are. But it’s better that way.”
“Indeed. Well, I don’t think they’ll remember today.”
That’s true. They are only 3 months and 4 days old, so there’s no way they would remember. However, there’s always a sliver of hope. Even if they do remember, it will be many years from now.
“I don’t know if they’ll remember, but shall we show these children the view too?”
“Yes, let’s.”
I agree. Even if they don’t remember, we can always come back. Although my father-in-law and mother-in-law won’t be here, there’s no doubt that their siblings will have increased. We’re almost at the summit. Let’s enjoy the scenery together during our break.
