**Side: Mana**
The day after Yamato and Mako split the Br mountain range with an Engraving Divine Artifact, we arrived at Olden Island.
I’ve been here a few times before, but only for brief investigations. Today, we plan to conduct a thorough survey.
It’s something we should have done beforehand, but we confirmed there were no Demise Species, and as long as it wasn’t a Labyrinth, we believed development wouldn’t be hindered, so it was put off. Today, we plan to thoroughly survey not only Olden Island but also two smaller islands.
The small islands don’t have names, so we’ll need to name them too.
“Names for the small islands, huh?”
“We also need names for the towns we’ll be building, so it’s a tough decision.”
“It’s also a Lord’s duty, so I have to think of them, right?”
“Certainly. I’ll help with suggestions, but the final decision rests with Yamato.”
Once the development of the Lapis Lazuli Heavenly Baronetcy begins, I’ll have to do the same, but since this is the Fraydlancia Baronetcy, I’ll help Mako brainstorm name candidates, just as she said, but only Yamato can make the final decision.
Though, I don’t think we need to rush it. There’s the option of conducting the survey first and then coming up with names based on the results and the planned facilities and equipment.
“Ah, that’s a good idea. Still, we should think about the town names in advance, shouldn’t we?”
“Indeed.”
The town to be built on Olden Island is the only town in the Fraydlancia Baronetcy, and it will also be the capital. Therefore, a name is essential even before construction begins. While it’s undeniably better to decide sooner, it’s also important not to rush and end up with a strange name.
“That’s true. In that case, I’ll think about it carefully.”
“All we can do is wish you luck.”
“Right. Shall we head out then? Since I’ve been to Olden Island a few times, let’s go to the small islands first.”
Regarding the capital’s name, Yamato needs to think of it, including proposals, so there’s nothing we can do. Besides, the survey is the priority right now, and we’ve never surveyed the small islands before, so I agree with Yamato that we should start with them. One of the larger small islands has a mountain that’s about 600 meters high, but the rest is flat. The smaller island has a small hill and a forest surrounding a pond. The forest seems to be of considerable size, and the pond is also quite large, so surveying the larger of the two islands first should finish faster. Since everyone else agreed, we decided to land on the larger small island.
The larger small island is basically flat, so visibility is good. However, perhaps because it’s a small island and only a few hundred meters from Olden Island, the monsters inhabiting it are primarily those that can fly. We confirmed T-rank monsters, but the most common were B-rank Aqua Rocks and Air Snakes.
However, as we landed on the island and hunted monsters while heading towards the foot of the mountain, the moment we reached the base of the mountain, Yamato collapsed to his knees. I understand how he feels.
“I wonder why it’s here.”
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it? It might depend on the composition.”
“Regardless, we need to conquer it quickly.”
Before us stood a familiar temple-like structure. Yes, there was a Labyrinth. I don’t know what kind of Labyrinth it is, but the existence of a Labyrinth itself isn’t a bad thing. However, an unconquered Labyrinth can cause Labyrinth Flooding or Labyrinth Rejection, and if it’s on a small island, we might not even be able to build a village, let alone a town. Furthermore, Yamato had planned to create farmland and pastures on this large small island, so he had to reconsider his plan. As I was thinking this, Yamato suddenly stood up and began generating his Wing Bit Liberator.
“Wait. What are you planning to do?”
“Destroy the Labyrinth Core.”
“Don’t say it so casually. The existence of a Labyrinth alone can enrich a territory, so destroying it is out of the question.”
Mako is stopping Yamato with Telekinetic Magic and wind-based Engraving Magic, but what she’s saying is entirely reasonable, and even I envy it. Yuri and Rika, who don’t have Labyrinths in their territories, would surely feel the same.
“G-that’s true, but…”
“According to Yamato’s plan, we were supposed to create farmland and pastures on this island and an academy on the other island, but why not reverse them?”
“We were planning to cut down the forest there anyway, and with the pond, wouldn’t this other small island be more suitable for farmland?”
Lydia and Ludia are also trying to appease Yamato, but I agree. Especially as Ludia said, there’s no pond on this island, so the other island with the pond is undoubtedly more suitable for either farmland or pastures. We can manage with water using magic tools, but it would still be costly.
“Ah, that’s true. Sorry, I didn’t expect there to be a Labyrinth, so I got a little flustered.”
“Well, indeed, it is unexpected.”
“It is. However, I’m curious about what kind of Labyrinth it is, so why don’t we go in for a bit?”
“Ah, true. I also need to report to my brother and the Hunter’s Guild, so let’s go in for just a little bit.”
“Yeah.”
Now that we’ve found a Labyrinth, reporting to the Hunter’s Guild is a Hunter’s obligation, and reporting to my brother is a Lord’s obligation. It’s like a new resource has been born for both the country and the Hunter’s Guild, so the priority for investigation and management is high. Not only for the Monster material that can be obtained but also as a source of income. Of course, it depends on the Labyrinth. To confirm that, as Lydia said, we have no choice but to go inside, but even setting that aside, it’s something a Hunter would be interested in. I wonder what kind of floor structure it has and what monsters inhabit it? I’m looking forward to it.
**Side: Yamato**
I came to Olden Island for the development of the Fraydlancia Baronetcy and was about to step onto the larger of the two small islands next to it, but I never expected to find a Labyrinth at the foot of the mountain. This island has a lot of flat land, so I was considering developing it as farmland and pastures, and perhaps even as a breeding ground for marine monsters in the inlet. However, the presence of a Labyrinth means that plan is scrapped. After all, a Labyrinth means Hunters will come, and Orders will be stationed there for public safety. Furthermore, depending on the size and difficulty of the Labyrinth, many Hunters might stay, which could necessitate inns, eateries, and even weapon shops. If that happens, we won’t be able to create farms, let alone pastures, so the original plan would have to be significantly altered. That’s why the evil thought of destroying the Labyrinth Core and turning it into pristine land sprouted, but Mako stopped me, and everyone else reasoned with me. I’m also grateful they stopped me before I did something rash.
That aside, we can’t proceed with development without knowing what kind of Labyrinth it is, so I decided to go inside, even if only for a little while.
“So, it’s a grassland huh.”
“I can see mountains in the distance too. It’s probably best to say it’s just like the environment of this small island.”
As Ludia and Lydia said, the first floor is almost identical to the small island where this Labyrinth is located. The only difference is the presence of the sea around it.
“I don’t know how large it is, but if it’s similar to the environment on the surface, it might not be that wide?”
“Judging by the map, it doesn’t seem to be that wide.”
Hunter Magic Mapping is a magic that records a map of the Labyrinth, and by linking it with Supplication Magic’s Stare Ring, it can be displayed in the air on an operator, which is like a control panel and touch panel. Stare Ring is a magic I cast myself, and it can also be used to register and use towns and villages that can be teleported to with Long-distance Teleportation Magic’s Traveling, as well as color patterns used with Craft Magic’s Coloring, so it’s quite convenient to use. And actually, it has benefits for mapping, as it allows us to know the width of the floor even on our first visit to any Labyrinth or floor. Of course, it’s only approximate as it can be zoomed in and out, but being able to estimate the width is extremely helpful for investigations.
“In any case, let’s move forward. If possible, I’d like to see the second floor too.”
“Yes. Let’s proceed on foot for a while, and then change to flying.”
“Yeah.”
We didn’t plan to enter a Labyrinth today, but the Tree-made Multi-functional Beast Carriage is in my Inventory, and for the beast carriage, I can summon my Jade, Flam’s Flo, Mana’s Spica, and Mako’s Kaede. However, since it’s not a full-scale investigation, we decided not to use the beast carriage this time and move on foot and then by flying. It might be a consequence of evolution that it’s faster than using the beast carriage.
After about 20 minutes of proceeding, the first monsters appeared.
“These guys…”
“So it’s like this.”
The ones that appeared were T-N rank monsters, Slimes. Even if defeated, they only yield water-attribute Magic Stones, and a level 1 child can easily defeat them. They are the weakest monsters in the Helios Orb. Moreover, they didn’t attack us; they were just crossing in front of us, and as soon as they saw us, they ran away.
“I don’t feel the need to chase after them and defeat them.”
“Especially since they’re T-rank, not high-rank.”
“Yeah. Oh, there are more over there. Is that… a Blink?”
“Caffa Blink and Cacao Blink. They’re not only profitable but also beneficial for the Fraydlancia Baronetcy.”
Right. Blink species are also T-rank monsters, but they are plant-type monsters. As their names suggest, they yield coffee, cacao, soybeans, and other beans, making them indispensable for a rich diet. Their attack methods include shooting beans or extending vines, but the attack power of these T-rank monsters is lower than a tantrum-throwing child’s punch. For higher-ranked or rare species, their attack power certainly jumps up, but at the same time, the quality of the beans improves, making them monsters that even high-rank Hunters actively hunt when they see them. There are also Crafters and Traders who have Summon Contracts with them. In particular, the owner of a famous coffee shop in Float has succeeded in evolving them into mutant B-I rank monsters, the True Sweet Blink and True Bitter Blink, so we’ve visited several times, and even Emperor Reinhardt and his entourage always stop by after a hunt.
“Blink, huh. I’ve been wanting to make a contract, but I just can’t.”
“When they see us, they run away. Even if we forcibly capture them, they try to escape, and some even faint, so there’s nothing we can do.”
The sweets made from mutant beans are quite delicious, so Mana and Mako have considered forming a Summon Contract with Cacao Blinks. However, Cacao Blinks, which are only T-rank monsters, flee at the sight of the two of them, and even if we try to capture them and offer a Summon Contract, they desperately try to escape, and some even faint. At the time, both were Ancient Class, but their enormous Mana likely scared the Blinks, preventing a contract. In fact, it was the same with other T-rank monsters, so Mana and Mako reluctantly gave up on the Summon Contracts with Cacao Blinks.
“Well, well, if there are Cacao Blinks and Caffa Blinks, there might also be Soy Blinks and Beans Blinks, so isn’t that good news for the Fraydlancia Baronetcy?”
“Y-yes. And rare species might appear too, so perhaps you two might be able to form contracts.”
Lydia and Flam offer words of comfort to Mana and Mako, who seem a bit dejected. It’s true that there’s a possibility, but those are nothing more than cash cows for Hunters, so the pattern is typically to hunt them upon discovery. While capturing rare species up to a certain point isn’t impossible, they only yield earth-attribute Magic Stones and various beans, even if they are high-quality products, so the買取 price is modest. Capturing them alive carries a high risk, so the reward has to be high, and whether the return is sufficient is questionable or even negative for both the client and the contractor. That’s why neither of them has issued a capture request. I, too, would prefer them to appear, but realistically, it’s difficult to say. However, when it comes to food, I would prefer them to appear.
