Chapter 1: Makoto Takatsuki Departs for Labyrinthos
“Ahhhh!”
Flee! Flee! Flee!
The goblins, orcs, and ogres that were chasing us all had looks of rage on their faces. I guess I’d also be pretty pissed if someone firebombed my house.
Regardless, I kept running, and I could see Lucy standing in the distance.
My role was to draw them back into Lucy’s range.
“Ground Magic: Boulder! Fire Magic: Imbue Flame!” Lucy cried, raising her staff. A massive boulder appeared in the sky, burning scarlet.
The monsters noticed that something was up, but it was already too late.
“Meteo! Blow them all away!”
At least Lucy was enjoying herself. By the way, there wasn’t a spell called Meteo—Lucy just had decided to nickname it.
Whoops, now’s not the time to space out!
Dodge!
The massive crash of the flaming boulder blew the monsters away. Dust erupted into the air as the blast flattened everything, leaving only a crater behind.
“Man, Meteo’s as overwhelming as ever,” I said.
“Good work, Makoto! You dragged in fifty monsters today. Was it a close call?”
I laughed feebly. “I’m fine.”
“Let’s get back to the guild then! We’re gonna make bank today!”
“We need to put the fires out first.”
The aftereffects of Lucy’s spell had ignited several fires that were now burning around the vicinity, so we’d need to put them out before they developed into a full-blown forest fire.
This was all that my water magic had been used for recently. Thankfully, I could now generate water, even away from an actual water source, because of elemental magic. Not that I’d learned that technique for firefighting, though.
Later, I was with Lucy at the skewer stall.
“Another ale, Chef,” I ordered.
“Coming up,” he responded. “You’ve been drinking more recently, Makoto.”
“I get how tasty it is now.”
Not that it was any less bitter. No, enjoying ale was about the actual drinking (or so someone had once said).
“Ha ha,” the chef laughed. “Well, you’re a full-fledged adventurer now that you know the joy of ale.”
“Hmm, I’m not a fan,” Lucy said.
She was drinking a fruit cocktail. It hadn’t been part of the stall’s menu before, but the chef started making it for Lucy once she became one of his regulars.
“Hey, Lucy, come drink with us!” an adventurer called.
“Forget that apprentice mage and party with us tomorrow,” added another.
“Your magic was crazy today,” a third one joined in.
No one would’ve suspected that, until just a little while ago, Lucy had been a problem child that no party had wanted to touch, even with a barge pole.
But mages that could use strong spells were in demand by every party, huh?
“I don’t want to party up with anyone but Makoto!” Lucy cried out faithfully.
“Phew,” I sighed, draining about half my glass of ale.
“Drinking it like water, huh?” a middle-aged adventurer asked.
“Oh, Lucas,” I answered. “Nice work, by the way.” Apparently, yesterday he’d taken out a water dragon that’d been harassing the fishermen of Lake Chimay.
In all the time I’d been in this world, I’d never seen a dragon. I wonder if they’re strong. Will I ever be able to fight one? I pondered these questions before tilting the glass and draining the rest of my drink.
Bitter, I mused as I looked at the bottom of the empty glass.
“Come on, Makoto. You’re lookin’ pretty gloomy for someone that set a new record—fastest to reach iron rank in the Macallan adventurer’s guild!”
That’s right, Lucy and I were iron rank now, commonly called mid rankers.
“I bet that bastard’s just mooching off Lucy’s magic.”
“He’s got it good for an apprentice.”
“Shh, he’ll hear you if you’re loud.”
I can hear you anyway...
I had the Listen skill, so I could hear even that. I’d honestly prefer it if they would keep the gossip further away.
“Hey! Makoto’s great! Don’t accuse him of stuff!” Lucy yelled at the other adventurers, angry at the slander that her sensitive elven ears had enabled her to hear.
“It’s fine, leave ’em be,” I told her.
“But...” Lucy argued. Judging by the look on her face, she was not willing to let it drop.
“They’ve been stuck at bronze for two years, so they’re just jealous of Makoto, and they’re venting. Pathetic,” Lucas had added that last word scathingly, but his overall message seemed sympathetic to me.
“Makoto!” Mary cried out, hugging me. “I’m so glad you’ll drink with me now!”
“I still can’t hold my booze, so I’ll only have two or three,” I told her.
I hadn’t gotten any better with my alcohol tolerance, even after drinking regularly. Lucy held her liquor fairly well, so did it have anything to do with her stats?
Either way, I wasn’t actually all that fond of alcohol. The only reason I drank anyway was...because of my mood.
“You’ve got the face of someone with worries, so why don’t you talk to your guild receptionist?” Mary whispered this into my ear, her arms still around my neck.
“Mary! He’s in my party, so I’ll talk it out with him!” Lucy shouted.
“Don’t you think it’d be easier for him to talk about his troubles with someone older?”
“I’m older than him too!” protested Lucy.
“Only by a few months though, right? You’re practically the same age. By the way, what do you think about trying out some dungeons for mid rankers?”
But Lucy wasn’t having it. “I already told you! We’ll decide that together!”
“Chef, another ale!” Mary called. She’d finished hers really fast!
Lucy cried out competitively, “I’ll have another as well!”
I was getting crushed here.
“You sure are popular,” Lucas laughed.
These arguments had become routine recently. They weren’t really fights; it was more like Mary was teasing Lucy.
I guess I did look pretty popular from an outsider’s perspective. And, thanks to that, the male adventurers were sending some pretty harsh glares my way.
Sigh...
“Lucas, how do I get stronger?” I asked, quietly putting my recent worries into words.
“Hmm?” he said. “I think you’re already strong enough. You took down a griffin and an ancient chimera. The other bronzes have gotta be jealous.” His facial expression implied that he thought I was being ridiculous.
“Jean took out the griffin, and the chimera was Nina’s kill.”
“They couldn’t have done it if you weren’t there though, right?” Lucas asked. “That’s what I heard.”
“Well, I don’t know. I think Lucy’s stronger than me.”
Lucy’s fire magic had been the deciding factor in both of those fights.
“That’s what parties are for though,” Lucas assured me. “You need attackers and support—both are important.”
“I mean, I understand that, but...” I trailed off and drained my drink. “Another ale, Chef...”
“Sure thing, but don’t overdo it.”
“This’ll...be...my last tonight...” I was actually pretty wasted... The world seemed to be spinning. Damn, I didn’t control myself well enough.
Recently, I’d left offense entirely to Lucy and had just been on bait and cleanup duty (aka, firefighting). The last strong monster I’d taken out had probably only been an ogre. And even that’d been done with a trap.
“What level are you, Makoto?” the chef asked.
“Level 20 now.”
“You haven’t even been an adventurer for a year, but you’re already iron rank and level 20,” Lucas pointed out. “So, what are you complaining about?” Lucas and the chef exchanged bemused looks.
“I wouldn’t say I was complaining, exactly,” I answered, opening my Soul Book.
“Ooh, Makoto’s Soul Book?” Mary asked, perking up.
“Peeking into someone else’s is rude, Mary.”
“I work for the guild, so it’s fiiine, eh heh heh.” No good, Mary’s completely drunk. “Hmm... Still, these stats at level 20? You’re right. They’re too low. Hang oooooonnn?!”
“What’s up, Mary?” Lucas asked, joining her in peering at my Soul Book.
“L-Look! That water magic mastery!”
“Let’s see... Wait...99?”
“I’ve never seen someone get their mastery to 99,” the chef added, impressed.
The three of them gave me looks like I was an utter weirdo.
“See, Makoto’s amazing!” Lucy insisted. I don’t know why she was proud of it. She already knew I’d hit 99.
“This is why I’m worried,” I told them.
“Why?” Mary seemed confused.
“I hit 99 mastery, but I’m still not much stronger.” Even with my low mana reserves, I could train my mastery. The maximum value was 99, so mine could go up no further.
The precision and speed at which I could cast had risen some, but my spells were still weak. For all the effort I’d put in, it was honestly pretty disappointing. I’d been hoping to get some kind of bonus for hitting the maximum level.
“O-Oh, right. What about elemental magic?”
“I’m at my limits there as well.”
I’d even borrowed that book from Mary, and I couldn’t at all see spirits like the giant had said. Would I really be able to do it?
Later on, someone called out, “Hey, Makoto! You good?”
“Lucy, your clothes are showing off as much as ever, I see.”
“Got a problem with that, Emily?”
It was Jean and Emily, adventurers that we’d partied up with before. Behind them was an unfamiliar male fighter along with a female mage. I guess they were new party members.
That’s kinda shocking too, I thought. I was almost certain we’d carry on working together pretty frequently, but Jean and Emily had already formed another party.
I guess it was our fault for not calling out to them, though.
“Yo, Jean,” I answered.
“Thought we could eat together, but it looks like this place is full,” Jean said in disappointment. The skewer stall didn’t have much room.
Lucy, Lucas, Mary, and I were all present, along with a few other customers, and that was all that this stand could seat.
“Looks like you’ve been doing pretty well for yourselves,” he added, putting a hand on my shoulder. Was he always this nice to be around now? Guess that swordsman I used to clash with is long gone.
“It’s Lucy that’s doing well,” I told them. “I’m just behind the scenes.”
“That’s not... Well, I heard the rumors saying that, I guess,” Emily conceded, her expression saying that she couldn’t find another way to put it.
Emily could read the mood, so maybe she realized that I wasn’t all too happy.
“Let’s all aim for silver rank then!” Jean cheered with a laugh before heading off to another stall.
The fighter and mage both gave bows. They were probably new rookies that Jean had lent a hand to. A spellsword, fighter, mage, and cleric. It was a good party composition.
“Huh, I thought Jean wanted to party up with you,” Mary mused. So did I, to be honest.
“No way! I know I can’t work in a party with Emily,” Lucy griped. She had been in their party before but had left.
It might be better now, though. Lucy had improved her magic, and I’d seen her and Emily having lunch together every so often.
She’d be way better off with them than in my two-person party.
I caught my thoughts spiraling down. That’s no good.
“I’m heading to bed,” I said. “Night, Lucy.”
“Huh? R-Right. See you—”
“Let’s take a break tomorrow,” I interrupted. “We’ve made a fair bit of money.”
“Y-Yeah. Maybe we can go shop—”
“I’m gonna go to Fujiyan’s tomorrow.”
“Right, okay...”
With that, I tottered back toward my room.
“Shot down, huh,” came Mary’s voice.
“Shut up!”
“Right, another glass!”
—The next day.
“I’m sorry, Mister Takatsuki, the boss isn’t here today’h...” Nina told me apologetically. I’d gone to the Fujiwara Trading Company’s store, but Fujiyan wasn’t in, so she greeted me instead.
Guess I shouldn’t have turned up out of nowhere.
“Do you know when he’ll be back?” I asked.
“He’s making a big deal, so he isn’t planning to be back for two or three days’h...”
“Oh, right.”
Damn, the one guy I could complain to was gone. Oh well, maybe I’d go hunt some goblins solo.
“By the way, Mister Takatsuki, look at this’h!” As thoughts of goblin slaying passed through my mind, Nina smiled and showed me something shining on her chest.
“A gold badge?”
“Yes! Thanks to the divine protection of that deity, I managed to become gold rank’h!”
“Wow...congratulations.”
That was incredible. The gold badge was the highest rank that branch offices of adventurer’s guilds could give. Platinum ranks and above had to be issued at the main office in the capital. In other words, Nina had reached the highest rank in the Macallan adventurer’s guild.
“I never thought I’d get past silver rank on my own. Guess you never know what’ll happen’h.”
“Well, your martial arts were incredible.” That footwork must have been what earned her the rank increase.
“The boss has been super happy with the deals he’s gotten thanks to that magicite—that’s thanks to you too’h!”
Nina was praising me with a wide smile on her face, but I honestly felt more lifeless than happy about it. Everyone else was doing great, but I...
“Give Fujiyan my regards then,” I said.
“Sure! Come again’h!”
Nina watched me leave with a smile.
I’d now lost my plans for the day.
And so, I decided against goblin hunting and just spent the day training in the town plaza. I’d hoped that Lucy might’ve been around, but she wasn’t.
Once I finished up my training, I offered my daily prayer to my goddess.
“Phew,” I sighed, falling back and checking my Soul Book.
Lifespan: 11 years.
Looks like I’d survive a little longer, probably due to the daily hunts.
Water Magic Mastery: 99.
I’d maxed it out. Nothing had changed in the month since I’d done so, despite me thinking that its level might even go past 100. But, no.
After those two entries, the rest of my unimproved stats were listed.
I don’t get it.
When I had first arrived in this world, I’d been so excited. But back in the Water Temple, when I’d found out how low my stats were, it’d been a big shock. I’d trained for a year after that but hadn’t gotten much stronger. Even so, I’d managed to train my skills and had become an adventurer.
I’d even grown pretty well-rated lately. I didn’t have any huge problems, but... I guess this is how it is...
I’d enjoyed everything until recently.
There was the first monster I’d killed.
My first nickname, even if it was crap.
The first friend I’d made.
The first time I’d nearly died and had gotten my goddess’s protection.
The first adventure I’d had with a classmate.
All of that had been stimulating, but recently...everything seemed boring.
As those thoughts swirled through my mind, I felt myself drifting off.
◇
I was standing in a place with nothing. Actually, that was a bit rude—let’s call it the goddess’s space.
“Oh, Goddess. It’s been a while.” I wasn’t even surprised at this point, so I just put my hands together in a familiar movement and bowed.
I hadn’t seen her for some time, and the last time I’d heard her voice had been back with the giant.
She didn’t say anything.
“Uh? Goddess?” I asked, lifting my head at the lack of response. She was standing right next to me.
Whoa. She was close enough that her hair brushed against me. Her eyes were cold as well. Had I made her angry?
I’d been playing things pretty safe recently...
“U-Umm.”
“Say, Makoto?”
“Yes?”
“You’re my believer, right?”
“Of course,” I replied. “I pray to you every day.”
“I know. I’m watching.”
That figures. Still, her expression was cold.
“Do you know what a goddess’s job is?” she asked.
“A goddess’s job?” I parroted. That was a weird question. Well, their churches seemed to benefit from all the donations at least. “Gathering donations?”
“Not even close! Why would I need money like that lot in heaven?! I don’t!”
“Oh, I was wrong?” Guess I didn’t know, then.
“Idiot, my job is to guide my lost lambs! You’re all fidgety and worried, so talk to me! Rely on me!”
She was now giving me a noogie. It didn’t hurt at all, but in this position, her chest...
“U-Um...your chest’s touching my face.”
“It’s on purpose.”
And she just comes right out with it! This seductress!
“Uh, I’m sorry, Goddess,” I said, pulling away from her...attack?
She was always quick to lure me in.
“Why won’t you ask me for help when you pray every day?”
“Well, it’s sorta a last resort.” To be honest, I was scared of incurring debt from relying on her too much.
“It’s fine,” she soothed, “go right ahead. Don’t you worry about debts. You’re my only believer.”
Noah seemed like she’d have a high interest rate though...
But she was right. I had discounted asking her for advice.
“Can you make me stronger?”
“Hm? I already gave you my blessing, didn’t I? I can’t do anything else.”
“Huh?” That doesn’t help at all, then.
“We can do this, though.” She grinned, suddenly holding something.
“Got my Soul Book again?” This goddess was a total klepto.
“Just a little something-something,” she said. Was she writing? “Look at this, go on.”
She grabbed hold of my head and showed me my Soul Book. Again, she was way too close!
“Just look already!”
“Right... Huh?!”
Water Magic Mastery: 103.
“G-Goddess? What did you do?”
“You’re the type to level up to 99 in your RPGs, right?” she asked. “But then, you hit the level cap and got burnt out.”
She’d seen straight through me. Well, she is a goddess.
Noah chuckled before carrying on.
“One more hint: if you raise that proficiency to 105, you’ll be able to see water elementals.”
“Huh?!” I-It was that simple? But I’d done all that training in the rain, under waterfalls, even spent the whole day in the water.
“You’ve sure worked hard at that training...even though it was pointless.”
“You should have told me!”
All she did was laugh at me. She had a real problem! Wait, no.
“Thank you, Goddess,” I said, clasping my hands together and bowing deeply.
Now I can keep training my water magic mastery!
“Oh, my. That’s much better,” she said. “Yup, work hard.”
“I was struggling this time, so you’ve really saved me.”
“I’m just glad you’re happy. You’ll need to be careful though.”
“Why?” Was she going to come right out with some unreasonable demand?
“Nope, it’s just that those deities in heaven were the ones who decided that the stats in the church Soul Books should cap at 99.”
“Oh, I see.”
“There’s actually no limit on how much you can raise mastery—it depends on the work you put in, but it’s just not shown in numbers. All I did was change your Soul Book a little to reflect levels over 100.”
Now that was what I wanted to hear. It depends on the work I put in, huh? I’m all fired up now!
“Modifying a Soul Book is illegal in the churches of the Sacred Deities,” she warned. “You might end up getting interrogated if they find out.”
“What? Hang on!”
“Also,” Noah added, “worshipping a wicked deity carries the death penalty in Highland and Roses. Savages that they are.”
“Th-The death penalty?! Really?!”
“You didn’t know?”
No, I didn’t! I’d spent the whole time avoiding the church. I’ll need to be careful.
“Well, that’s all we have time for.” Her figure soon started to fade.
“It’s always so rushed,” I commented.
“Oh, you wanted to chat for longer?”
“I’d definitely like to have a relaxed chat sometime, yeah.”
She giggled. “You’re getting much nicer. Feel free to keep going and fall for me.”
Quit it with those sidelong looks, it’s bad for my heart.
“Oh! One last thing!”
“What is it?” I asked, expecting her usual vague instructions.
“Head for Labyrinthos next. A fine encounter awaits you.” As she spoke, the goddess vanished.
Huh... That’s really specific.
Maybe her personality was changing.
◇
“Hey, Makoto, you’ll catch a cold sleeping outside.”
I opened my eyes to find Lucy in front of me. Our surroundings were already dark.
“My bad... Huh? Guess I slept for quite a while.”
“What are you playing at?” she demanded. “You didn’t even show up for dinner... I was worried.” Her expression was somewhere between anger and sadness.
“I was just talking to my goddess.”
“Oh?! What’d she say?”
I didn’t know what to say right then. I figured I’d give her a simple answer now and tell her about the Soul Book later.
“Go to Labyrinthos.”
“The huge maze?” Lucy asked. “That’s great! I’ve been itching to try my skills out.”
“You’re coming too?”
“Huh? Y-You don’t want me to?” She looked on the verge of tears. I’d really rather she not give me that kind of face.
“Well, you’re not one of her believers,” I pointed out, “so you don’t have to obey her, do you?”
“It’s fine! The monsters around here aren’t enough anymore!”
Her spells had been just blowing everything away recently. It was almost enough to make me feel sorry for the beasts.
“Let’s go inform the guild about our expedition then.”
“Sure!” she agreed. “You seem happier now too.”
“Oh? I do?”
“Well, you’ve seemed real down recently.”
I must have made her worry, huh? I scratched at my cheek as I realized that our positions had been reversed.
We wandered off, returning to the adventurer’s guild.
“What?! Why are you heading to Labyrinthos all of a sudden?!” Mary demanded, her voice echoing throughout the guild. “There are other dungeons! There’s the Valley of Fire Rats in the Nation of Fire, the Forest of Dryads in the Nation of Wood, and the Cavern of Tundra Tigers closer to home in the Nation of Water.”
“Those dungeons are fine mid rank ones, yes,” I answered.
“Right! You should go for one of them!”
“I’ve already made up my mind, though. We’re headed for Labyrinthos.”
“Lucy, say something,” Mary prodded.
“Makoto’s our party leader, so I’ll follow his lead.”
First I’d heard that I was the leader. Anyway, apparently, Mary agreed.
“Can you deal with the arrangements, Mary?”
“Ugh... You’re both iron rank, so it’s not against the rules...” she muttered before sighing. Despite her complaints, she started work on our excursion.
I guess she didn’t want to encourage me going there.
“Hey, Makoto! I hear you’re heading for Labyrinthos?” Lucas called from a stall next to the guild where he was drinking with Jean.
“We’ll be lonely,” Jean added.
News sure traveled fast.
“Hey, Jean. Where’s Emily?”
The cleric was normally always with him, but right now, she was nowhere to be found.
“She said she was heading off to eat with Lucy.”
“Makes sense. I haven’t seen her either.”
The original bad blood between those two had all flowed away and now they seemed to get on pretty well.
“When are you heading out then?” Lucas asked.
“We haven’t decided yet.” I sat next to them and addressed the stall assistant. “An ale, please.”
I may as well eat with these two.
This stall made stuff like fried chicken, grilled meats, and really flavorful noodles, generally along the lines of Chinese food. An ice-cold ale went perfectly with that fare.
“Have you ever been to Labyrinthos, Lucas?” I asked.
“’Course. You ain’t gonna find a gold ranker that hasn’t. It’s a dungeon that every adventurer in Roses goes for at some point.” His answer came as he gnawed at a big chunk of fried meat on the bone.
“How far did you get?” Jean asked. I wanted to know as well.
“Hmm, Labyrinthos isn’t like a normal dungeon. There aren’t ten or twenty floors, only five. There’s the upper floor, middle, lower, the depths, and the abyss. I went as far down as the depths...but you shouldn’t go that far in yet.”
“I know, past the lower floor, there’s the Nest of Dragons, right?”
It was a famous place, and I’d even learned about it in the Water Temple.
“Yeah, it’s teeming with earth, water, and fire dragons.”
“I’ll pass on that,” I decided.
“The upper floor has quite a few pushovers, though. About all you need to do is keep an eye out for the minotaurs.”
“They’re the guards for the upper floor of Labyrinthos, right?”
“You and Lucy should be able to take one on.” Lucas drained his glass. He sure was tossing them back.
“What about the middle floor?”
“Variety is that floor’s characteristic. There are goblins, orcs, man-eating giants, along with undead monsters, like zombies, skeletons, and vampires. On top of that, there are lamiae, arachnae, harpies...and more besides.”
“None of those are very strong, though,” Jean said.
It looked like he thought he could take them on. Maybe he’d come with?
“Don’t be naive—they all come in swarms,” Lucas told him.
“Huh, swarms?”
“Each group has a boss, and that boss orders the whole swarm to attack or retreat. An average adventurer’d get surrounded and eaten in seconds.”
Neither of us replied. Well, that wasn’t terrifying at all... It stands to reason that the biggest dungeon on the continent would be difficult.
I had never come across monsters that worked together in a group like that. I’d need to gather more info before we went.
“But that’s not all you’ve got to worry about,” Lucas added.
“There’s more?”
“It’s important. They hunt new adventurers there.”
“Uh, like older adventurers coming down on cocky rookies?” I thought that was something that happened in pretty much every town.
“Not even close. Labyrinthos is something that adventurers aspire to. They raise their confidence in local dungeons and then splurge on equipment to challenge it, right? Those adventurers get hunted down.”
Well, there’s the darkness of human society. Maybe people are scarier than the monsters.
Neither Jean nor I said anything before Lucas continued.
“Mid rank adventurers with cash are easy marks, and the expensive armor makes them obvious. It’s pretty common for higher rank adventurers to pretend to be friendly at first...and then they lure low rankers out to somewhere secluded and take everything they have. The victims are then left for the monsters.”
That’s illegal! Well, a lot of illegal stuff happens in dungeons...
“Makoto! You can’t go!” Jean cried out. Guess the scare got to him.
I was now distinctly less eager as well.
“Best not go if you’re scared,” Lucas cackled. “I tell everyone that wants to beat Labyrinthos the same thing.”
It worried me, honestly. After all, mid rank though we were, Lucy and I still had our fledgling coats on.
Still... I thought. My goddess had given me some concrete instructions for once, and I couldn’t pass up this event. Plus, there’d be a new encounter! I had to try.
“I’m still gonna go,” I said.
“I’ll support you then, but make sure you’re prepared,” Lucas said seriously. “I’ll tell you the main things you need to know.”
“Got it,” I answered. I honestly admired him a lot. He was like a second father to all the adventurers in Macallan.
He spent the next while regaling me with tales of his exploits and scary stories about Labyrinthos.
Lucas and Jean headed off for a second round and I stepped out for some training. But then, Mary grabbed hold of me.
“Come with me, Makoto,” she insisted.
◇
Mary took me to a bar called Asakusa. The name was... Well, forget about it. The place was probably run by some full-on Tokyoite from my old world.
“Cheers,” we toasted together.
It was a quiet bar with a more refined feeling than the Catgirl Cantina or the stalls at the guild. The other customers were all elegantly enjoying their drinks.
I don’t get how to behave in a bar like this... I thought to myself.
For now, I’d decided to order the pretty blue cocktail that the bartender had recommended. The alcohol content of this drink was a little high, and I could feel myself getting tipsy.
“You talked about Labyrinthos with Lucas, right?” Mary asked me.
“I did. He had a lot to tell me. Sounds like a pretty dangerous place.”
“So you’re going, no matter what?”
“Are you against it, Mary?”
She didn’t answer my question, just drained her strong cocktail before muttering something.
“I had a little brother.”
“O-Okay...?” She hadn’t mentioned him before. “An adventurer?”
“That’s right,” she confirmed. “He went off to Labyrinthos three years ago.”
I had no response. Was this going to be...a dark tale?
“It was right after he hit iron rank. He marched off, declaring that he was going to make a name for himself.”
“And...what’s he doing now?”
I could more or less guess, but I asked anyway.
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard from him in ages.”
I lapsed into silence as Mary ordered her second cocktail and quickly gulped about half of it.
An adventurer brother...that she has not heard from in years...
“He promised he’d come back to Macallan at least once a year to see me. At the time, he was called one of the most promising rookies.”
“Oh...he was?”
“He even took down a griffin while in a party of four iron rankers. It was pretty remarkable at the time, don’t you think?”
“R-Right.”
She chuckled. “Though I suppose recently we’ve seen a party of four bronze ranks take one down. Guess you beat his record...”
Argh, what do I even say? I can’t think of anything appropriate. Social anxiety’s awful like this.
“Makoto, are you going to Labyrinthos no matter what?” she asked again. No, this wasn’t a question—she wanted to stop me. I could probably dodge around a response, but she was serious and I wanted to answer her in kind.
“I’m going. I won’t be reckless though.”
“But, aren’t you trying to make a name for yourself?”
“I don’t care about that,” I answered. Fame didn’t matter much to me. I’d take some strong equipment in a heartbeat though.
“Liar! You’re going to Labyrinthos, yet you say that you don’t want fame? You’ll overdo it and never come back! You adventurers are all the same!”
“M-Mary?”
“No, I hate it!” she exclaimed. “I don’t want to wait for people that are never coming back! Don’t go!”
Mary’s shouts were attracting looks from all the other patrons.
“Huh, a lover’s spat?” one asked.
“She’s a looker, but the guy’s just a brat,” another added.
“Would you quiet down, perhaps?”
“You two are making a right racket. Take it outside.”
I could hear the complaints coming from all the customers.
“B-Barkeep! The bill!” I called. After I quickly settled our debts, we left Asakusa.
Mary was weeping and sniffling, and it sounded like she was calling someone’s name. I suppose it was...her brother’s?
We sat down on a bench by the canal so she could calm down. Neither of us spoke for a while, but eventually, I broke the silence.
“Mary, I’m a coward, so I plan on sticking to the top floors. I’ll be coming right back.”
“Why are you so insistent on going?” she asked eventually.
“Someone I know is there,” I explained. Or, well, someone I would know, according to my goddess.
“Someone you know... A woman?” Mary asked.
“Huh? No, no, no, it’s not...”
Right? It’s not, is it, Goddess?
Annnd Noah ignored me. Maybe it is a woman?
“You should have said so from the beginning then,” Mary told me, her expression softening. Guess she was happier again. “I’m sorry that I got so worked up, though.”
“Don’t worry. I get where you’re coming from now that you told me about your brother.”
“Hmm, well, we left the bar, so what do we do now?”
“It’s pretty late. How about we head back?” I suggested.
“Aww, but we’re finally alone,” she complained, grabbing onto my arm. Yup, she was back to normal, phew. “Oh! I know, since we left in a hurry, we can drink at my house instead! Think of it as an apology—I’ll even cook! That’s my specialty, you know?”
“Wh-Whaaa?!”
Going to a woman’s room at this time of night? Well, actually, it was the first time I’d been invited into one at any time!
“U-Uhh...” I sputtered.
Wh-What do I do? Can I go through with this?
“That settles it! Come on, let’s go!”
Mary proceeded to drag me along. She’s way stronger than she looks!
I was a bit tipsy too, and I couldn’t exactly say no, considering what she’d told me earlier. If I refused, she’d probably spend the night drinking alone and thinking about how her brother was never coming back.
The thought made me feel like I was abandoning her, so I decided to humor her for a while. Staying until morning would be too much, though.
“Hurray, we’re here!” Mary cheered after a short walk from the bar.
She lived in an apartment building with a brick exterior. It looked rather old-fashioned but still fairly stylish.
“Come on, in you go!”
“You don’t need to push,” I protested. “I can walk...”
Just as I was letting myself get shoved toward the door, someone called out and stopped us.
“H-Hey, hold it right there!”
I turned and found a red-haired elf standing behind us.
“Lucy?” I asked. What was she doing here?
“Ugh, Lucy,” Mary added.
“Where do you think you’re taking my Makoto?!”
“Calm down, Lucy,” I said. “Mary was just lonely about her brother not coming home. Let it go.”
“Her brother? Kyle? The guy living it up in the capital after he made a name for himself in Labyrinthos?”
What? That wasn’t quite what it’d sounded like...
“Mary, your brother passed away, didn’t he?” I asked.
“What are you talking about?” Lucy scoffed. “Her brother is a member of the famous Golden Talon party. He’s known as the Emperor of Night in the capital!”
Uh? What on earth? I thought, looking to Mary.
“Wahhh... My cute little brother is nowhere to be found,” she wailed, faking tears.
“Hey! Your brother’s fine, isn’t he?!” I was pretty worried, but you tricked me!
“You need to be a bit more skeptical,” Lucy told me.
“I didn’t lie!” Mary said, defending herself. “I just worded the truth differently!”
That sounded like my goddess all over again. I suppose she hadn’t said that he was dead!
“Anyway, what are you doing here, Lucy?” I asked my elf companion.
“M-My inn is around here! I just heard you and Mary, so...”
Mary then spoke up. “Lucy...are you a stalker?”
“I am not! Don’t accuse me of things!”
“Uhh, I’m just gonna go to bed,” I said. “I’m tired.”
“Hold it right there,” they commanded in unison.
“Whaaa,” I moaned as the two women grabbed my arms. I just wanted to get some rest.
In the end, the three of us wound up drinking until morning around Mary’s table.
Well, more accurately, I passed out drunk after about an hour.
My head hurts...
◇
Lucy and I were waiting in a plaza outside Macallan’s eastern gate.
“Is here fine?” she asked.
“Hmm, well yeah, according to Fujiyan at least.”
When I’d told him that we were going to Labyrinthos, Fujiyan had immediately insisted on handling the transportation. He’d told us to meet him at noon; Lucy and I were here, but there was no sign of him.
“Maybe he told us the wrong date?” Lucy suggested, but I was sure that wasn’t the case...
“We have five more minutes until the time he told us.”
“Isn’t it a bit weird for him to not already be here? Especially if he’s getting us a carriage or something...”
“You’ve got that right,” I replied. The grassy plains offered an uninterrupted long-distance view, but there was nothing to see. “I guess Fujiyan’s busy, so maybe something came... Huh?”
“What?”
Our surroundings suddenly went dark as something appeared, looming above us.
“Whaaaaaat?!” Lucy cried out.
“Whoa...” I managed.
It was an absolutely enormous flying ship.
Its massive sails were full of air, and they puffed out and fluttered in the breeze. As the craft floated above us, the white hull glistened in the sunlight.
“An airship?!” Lucy exclaimed.
“Hey, Lucy, do boats fly in this world?”
“Like hell they do! But only royals and the military have airships...” she managed to say while staring up, agape.
To own something like that... Fujiyan sure was doing well for himself.
“Yahoo!”
Someone jumped off the ship?!
I was worried that they’d break their legs, but the figure landed elegantly.
That was damn cool. The person turned out to be a rabbit-eared female beastman.
“Nina!” I called out.
“Mister Takatsuki, Miss Lucy. I came to pick you up’h!”
“Where’s Fujiyan?”
“He’s on the ship—ah! That’s dangerous’h!”
Fujiyan jumped out too?! Unlike Nina, though, he didn’t drop naturally. Rather, he drifted to the floor, as if he was using some kind of item, before landing with a thud.
“Fujiyan!” I yelled out to him. “What a ship!”
“Aha ha, truly, truly. I maintained its secrecy for the surprise it would cause. My esteemed Tackie, Lucy, you will be aboard for its maiden voyage!”
“Wooow! We should be able to get all the way there on this,” Lucy marveled.
“Sorry about the trouble,” I apologized awkwardly. “I didn’t want to ask so much of you.”
“Perish the thought!” Fujiyan said, dismissing my concern. “The locomotion of this vessel is provided by the huge magicite that your giant acquaintance gifted us! Without it, the ship would languish, incomplete!”
Magicite, more like the giant’s finger...
“Oh, so that’s how you’re doing it.”
I’d noticed that he had been pretty busy recently, but I suppose he’d just been building this airship.
As we chatted excitedly, a crowd from town gathered around us.
I guess it does stand out a bit.
A fine carriage soon appeared, parting the crowd of milling people, and a noble-looking woman stepped out. She approached Fujiyan and greeted him with a smile.
“Mr. Fujiwara, congratulations on the completion of your airship.”
“Oh, Ms. Christina. It is only due to your kind assistance that the ship was completed. I shall use this ship to allow Macallan to develop even further.”
“That is heartening to hear, but please, call me Chris.”
“A lowly merchant such as myself could never do such a thing,” Fujiyan countered politely.
“Does our relationship mean nothing?” she replied.
The two of them continued their conversation. I guess she was an acquaintance of his?
“Hey, Lucy, who’s Fujiyan talking to?”
“What? You don’t know?” Lucy asked in shock. Was this woman famous or something?
I could tell she was fairly high in society at least.
“She’s Lord Macallan’s second daughter. Her name’s Christina Macallan’h. She’s a hussy that’s after the boss’h,” Nina explained unhappily.
Oh, a lord’s daughter? That would make her a noble. That’s Fujiyan all right—friends in high places.
Plus, Nina was blatantly jealous that he was getting all the ladies.
“Fujiyan sure has connections!” Lucy exclaimed easily.
“Boss, shouldn’t we get going’h?” Nina urged.
“You’re quite right. Farewell, Ms. Chris. We can continue our discussion upon my return.”
“Indeed, I look forward to hearing your tales,” the noble’s daughter answered. She shook his hand with a smile.
“Booosss, come on’h,” Nina exclaimed, growing angry at the sight and tugging at his arm.
With a smile, Chris said to her, “Nina, please take care of Mr. Fujiwara on your travels.”
“I will. I won’t let anyone lay a finger on him’h,” Nina replied with a grin of her own.
The two of them chuckled.
They both looked fairly amiable at a glance, but if you kept looking, it was obvious that wasn’t the case.
Ugh, terrifying.
I couldn’t see Fujiyan’s face from where I was, but I wondered what kind of expression that Casanova was sporting.
Don’t build your harem in this world!
“Let’s head off then, Lucy,” I offered.
“Yup, I’m looking forward to it!” she exclaimed as we boarded the ship.
◇
“Whaaaa, we’re so high and flying so fast!”
Lucy was standing at the airship’s prow, spreading her arms in the wind. Was she in Titanic or something? Also, that didn’t seem very safe...
“Miss Lucy! Please don’t stand so close to the edge, it’s dangerous’h.”
Must be, since she got a warning from Nina.
I kept my hand on the railing as I enjoyed our trip through the sky. The rushing wind felt incredible.
“How is the ride, my esteemed Tackie?” Fujiyan asked.
“It’s quiet. The whole ship barely rocks at all.”
“Well, it is powered by magic. Defensive sorcery means that we need not concern ourselves with harsh winds either,” he said proudly.
This ship was honestly worth the pride; it was a big accomplishment.
“Who’s piloting, by the way?” I asked.
“The beastmen I hired for that purpose, of course. You see the winged one over there, correct?”
There were several beastmen around the ship with wings on their backs. All of them were girls, by the way.
Fujiyan...your fetish is showing.
“A mere coincidence,” he insisted.
I guess he read my mind.
“Lying is wrong, Fujiyan.”
“Well,” he admitted eventually, confessing readily, “I was the one that hired the girls, true.”
Ha ha, I see right through you. “Oh, you lothario. You were living it up with that Chris woman earlier as well.”
Back in high school, both of us had lamented our lack of interaction with girls. My, how the tables turn.
When he heard my comment about Chris, Fujiyan’s face became conflicted.
“Matters with Lady Christina are slightly more complex than they seem,” he told me.
He explained the circumstances within the Macallan family: the lord had three daughters, but his heir was currently undecided.
“Wouldn’t the eldest usually inherit?” I asked.
“That depends on the family. It seems that for the Macallans, the heir will be the one who most develops the town.”
“I see. So that’s why Chris is friendly with you—she wants results.”
“She’s a gold digger’h! The rumors are that Boss has more money than the lord right now’h!” Nina exclaimed, cutting into the conversation.
Her long ears must make her hearing rather sharp.
Lucy had pretty sharp hearing too, now that I thought about it, so I couldn’t let anything slip. Those keen-eared girls!
“Building this ship wasn’t the only thing. We also had to secure the routes, which in turn required speaking to the people that own the rights. Otherwise, I would be unable to trade,” Fujiyan explained while scratching his head.
“Still, thanks to your efforts, the country’s first passenger airship is now a reality’h!” Nina added excitedly, before growing sadder. “Even if you did end up in a lot of debt to that woman’h...”
“Lady Nina, I cannot have you denigrate my sponsor,” he warned her.
“You’ve got it tough, don’t you,” I mused. Speaking both in terms of his business and about his relationships with women.
“By the way!” Lucy called, cutting across the conversation. “What’s this ship named?”
“Aha ha, I am glad you asked!” Fujiyan cheered. He’d obviously wanted to change the subject. “Her name is Saint Kanon! The white wings that soar across the continent!”
“That’s a wonderful name!” Lucy replied.
“That’s my boss!” Nina added to the praise.
Saint Kanon... Considering that “Hijiri” and “saint” were written with the same character in Japanese, he probably got the name from one of his favorite waifu game heroines, Kanon Hijiri.
Those thoughts passed through my mind, and Fujiyan met my gaze before averting his eyes.
“It’s a good name,” I offered.
“Well, I suppose it works,” he deflected.
I did think it was a good name, though.
“Won’t monsters attack the ship?” Lucy asked.
“A good question, milady! The airship’s prodigious size is a measure against them. We plan to use it as a passenger ship in the future, so the rooms were needed, but it was also built to such a size so that wyverns and griffins would not attack it.”
Makes sense. It wasn’t just to house the number of crew.
“What about dragons, though?” I asked. I’d heard that dragons were the pinnacle of monsters, beasts that knew no fear and simply destroyed all in their path.
“Our routes have been planned to avoid dragon territory. The ship as a whole is protected by magic, and the winged beastmen are also combatants, so we can fight back if monsters were to assail us.”
“Oh, well thought out,” I told him. I could relax then.
“How long will it take us to get to Labyrinthos?”
“Approximately another day. I believe we should arrive tomorrow, in the morning.”
“Wow! It’s about a week from Macallan by horse.”
“Well, we are unhindered by the road and may simply take a straight path, so our pace is only natural,” he explained.
That’s great!
“Now,” he continued, “allow me to give you the tour! We will be providing a lavish feast tonight as well.”
“Yay!” Lucy yelled out, cheering like a child.
Honestly, I wanted to follow suit. For a while, we enjoyed ourselves on our trip through the skies.
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