**Side: Flam**
Having successfully reunited with Yamato, we decided to press onward. However, we had to return in just one hour, so our objective was to move away from the transfer array on the third floor. Few monsters inhabited the area near the transfer array, and most of the powerful ones didn’t live there.
“Is that… a Gryphon? No, that’s not it?”
“It’s an Eagle Leo. It wouldn’t be strange to find one since Gryphons live here.”
“Ah, so that’s an Eagle Leo.”
About fifteen minutes into the fourth floor, Yamato spotted a monster. It appeared to be a winged Leo species. Yamato momentarily mistook it for a Gryphon, which was understandable as Gryphons are a rare species of Eagle Leo. Eagle Leos have the face of a Leo species, while Gryphons have the face of an Eagle species, very different. Yet, their overall feel is similar.
Eagle Leos are P-U rank monsters, and there’s also a monster called Feather Leon in the G-N rank. Gryphons are M-R rank, and above them, at A-I rank, is the Gryphon Lord. Catastrophe Species, which are O-C rank, and the highest-ranked Demise Species are unknown, as no one has ever seen them, let alone knows their names.
“P-U rank, huh? There’s only one, and it’s convenient. Can I have it?”
“Be my guest, but I’ll step in if anything seems off.”
“Understood. Then, here I come!”
With that, Prim donned her Blazing Wings, readied her Scarlet Wing, and leaped from the Beast Carriage. I wished I could have done the same, but this time it was Prim’s turn.
Prim, now clad in Flare Penetrator, charged at the Eagle Leo. The difference between Flare Penetrator and Seraphim Penetrator is whether lightning magic is imbued or not, making it easy to distinguish visually. The speed difference is also immense.
“Even as a higher species, that’s what happens at P rank.”
“Naturally. Besides, Flare Penetrator has been improved, and it was an easy opponent.”
As Yamato and Mana said, the Eagle Leo, hit directly by Prim’s Flare Penetrator, crashed down with its right shoulder and rear leg gouged out. The intense flames that had been burning its body vanished the moment it hit the ground.
“Your use of Blazing Wings has improved. Were you thinking about how to handle it since you couldn’t hunt while pregnant?”
“Probably. She heard a lot from Yamato and Mako, and I think she’s applied it.”
Apparently, Prim has also learned to use the effect of her cascading Wing Blasts to wrap the defeated monster in wind and extinguish the flames, so as not to completely burn it with Extreme Flames or Blazing Wings. While difficult in melee, it can be somewhat compensated for with Accelerating Magic, and it prevents materials from being unnecessarily damaged. The ability to extinguish the flames at will is particularly useful.
“There’s… nothing around us.”
“So it seems. Prim’s back too, shall we proceed a little further?”
“Yes.”
Aside from the Eagle Leo that Prim hunted, there were no other monsters in the vicinity. Therefore, we proceeded after Prim returned to the Beast Carriage.
It may be late to mention now, but the fourth floor of the Instant Labyrinth is a mountainous region. It consists of a chain of mountains roughly 300 to 500 meters in altitude, with many steep and rugged terrains. There are also many trees, and snow sometimes accumulates near the peaks, making the environment similar to the average mountains of Amister. Nevertheless, there are complete mountain trails, and there are no issues with traveling by Beast Carriage. There are also several bridges connecting the mountains, but they are not particularly wide, so being attacked by monsters there can be a bit troublesome.
“We’re not going to the fifth floor, are we?”
“No. We don’t have time, and besides, that place…”
“If we’re going to hunt on the fifth floor, we might as well stay on this floor or even go to the sixth floor.”
“That’s right.”
We couldn’t reach the fifth floor in less than an hour, but if no more monsters appeared, it might not be impossible with the movement speed of Ancient Class. So I asked, but neither Yamato nor Mana intended to hunt on the fifth floor.
It’s no wonder, as the fifth floor of the Instant Labyrinth is a maze. While it’s possible to proceed by Beast Carriage, the surroundings are enclosed by stone walls, and most importantly, the monsters that inhabit it are all undead. Since undead form a single race, there are no Anomalous or Catastrophe Species among them. However, at higher ranks, it’s not uncommon to encounter individuals that surpass the Anomalous or even Catastrophe Species of other races. On the fifth floor of the Instant Labyrinth, the monsters inhabiting it are mostly P-rank and M-rank, and A-rank monsters have even appeared from Monster Traps. Furthermore, the only material that can be obtained from undead is Magic Stones, and their attribute is fixed as dark, making them unappealing to Hunters. Therefore, as Mana suggested, it’s better to continue hunting on the fourth floor or proceed to the sixth floor, which is a desert area. However, the fifth floor, being a maze, is intricate, and it takes time even for Ancient Class or Element Class to navigate through it. If it takes that much time, it’s better to stay on the fourth floor.
**Side: Yamato**
I rushed to the rendezvous point after handing over the punks to the Order’s Guild outpost in front of the Instant Labyrinth and undergoing a brief interrogation. It was quite troublesome, even if it was just a brief interrogation, Knight Magic: Hearing was used. Since I had nothing to hide, it posed no problem. By the way, the punks, as expected, had prior offenses, so they were fined and banished from the Torti sea Marquis territory, including the Instant Labyrinth. If they are seen within the territory, the worst-case scenario is becoming criminal slaves, and they would never be freed, so it’s a severe punishment. If they had worked diligently, their ban from entry might have been lifted over time, but given the severity of their crimes, including prior offenses, it’s probably impossible.
“Time is almost up, but Prim and Flam, as well as Mana and Rika’s rehabilitation, seems to have gone well, and the results are excellent.”
“Yes. We hunted two Gryphons, in addition to the Eagle Leo.”
“There are no Sauruses in the Instant Labyrinth except for Monster Traps, but we activated several of those too, so we hunted quite a few, didn’t we?”
It’s been about an hour since I rejoined them. In that time, we’ve hunted monsters including the Eagle Leos and Gryphons that inhabit this floor, as well as rare Rock species. On the third floor, they deliberately activated several Monster Traps, so it seems they hunted quite a number of Sauruses and Drake species that shouldn’t normally inhabit the Instant Labyrinth.
“Honestly, I wanted to fight the Guardians of the Solpreza Labyrinth or the Roukula Labyrinth. Both offer valuable materials and are A-R or A-C rank, so we could fight with a sense of tension.”
Prim said this, while shouldering her beloved spear, the Scarlet Wing. I understand her feelings, but fighting A-rank monsters right after starting rehabilitation is too reckless. She’ll likely regain her skills by next month, so if we go, it’ll be after that.
Oh, speaking of the Scarlet Wing, it reminded me of something.
“By the way, Prim, haven’t Mana and Flam had their Hihishirokane weapons made yet?”
“I already asked Ed. But Hihishirokane is difficult to smelt, isn’t it? Ed and the others are busy with their work, so they said it would be completed around the end of the month at the earliest.”
So she had already asked. Currently, only I and Mako use Hihishirokane weapons. The reason is, as Prim stated, it’s difficult to procure Hihishirokane. Hihishirokane is made by first creating Lapis Lazuli ingots, and then mixing in Divine Metal ingots half the size of the ingots. This process uses Craft Magic like Melting and Deforming, and it’s more labor-intensive than making ordinary alloys. Both Lapis Lazuli and Divine Metal consume a considerable amount of Magic Power to handle. A Normal Crafter might not be able to do anything else for the rest of the day after making a few. Because of this, it is said that with Hihishirokane, an alloy of Lapis Lazuli and Divine Metal, a Normal Crafter would consume so much Magic Power that they could barely make one. That’s why we concluded that one needs to evolve into at least a High Crafter to make Hihishirokane. Even with High Crafters, it’s said that a few pieces are the limit, and for Ancient Crafters, around 20 pieces seems to be the limit, so just making it requires an enormous amount of effort, time, and Magic Power. I and Mako are Element Crafters, but even for us, about 50 pieces is the limit. Furthermore, although the stable supply of Divine Metal has begun with the liberation of Enigma Island in the Alegria Beast Kingdom, it has only been a year since its liberation, so the supply is not that large. My Father liberating Enigma Island allowed us to receive a considerable amount of raw Divine Metal as a reward, but refining it reduces the quantity by half to two-thirds. We also use it for Beast Carriages and armor, so while it’s not critically scarce, the overall amount is less than one-third.
Moreover, since Prim and Flam were pregnant, and Mana had just given birth, the matter of Hihishirokane weapons was completely postponed. However, since the births are over, and especially since Prim is seriously aiming to evolve into an Element Foxy, updating her weapon sooner rather than later is ideal.
“Regarding that Hihishirokane, the method hasn’t been disclosed to the Crafter’s Guild, has it?”
“It hasn’t, and we don’t intend to. Although reports are likely sent through His Majesty, the Crafter’s Guild likely has a headache just dealing with High Crafter matters.”
“That’s certainly true.”
I answer Rika’s question, but it will be a long time before the method for making Hihishirokane is publicly disclosed. It might be okay to make them with Hihishirokane for the Celestial Emperor’s royal authority or the Grand Order’s Master’s equipment, but even Element Class can ordinarily use Lapis Lazuli, so there’s no need to rush. Rather than that, it’s more important to renew the equipment for our wives first. She seems to have already asked Ed, but when we get back, I’ll put in another request to Ed.
“Well, it’s almost time, so let’s head back.”
“Yes.”
“I was able to hunt to my heart’s content for the first time in a while, and I feel like my senses are returning.”
“Yes. If we’re going to tackle the labyrinth, I’d like to hunt a bit more.”
“That’s the plan.”
It’s not a reckless idea to clear it in a day or two. It’s their first real hunt in a while, so I want them to relax today. Ah, but before that, I need to sell the monsters at the Instant Labyrinth. Even with the increase in Ancient Class, the Instant Labyrinth is considered an unpopular labyrinth, and there are almost no Hunters who willingly step on Monster Traps to hunt Sauruses. Therefore, the Hunter’s Guild will gladly buy them. Despite being unpopular, there are many monsters that are easy to fight, so many Hunters are close to High Class.
