Chapter 32 - Labyrinth (1)

Chapter 32 - Labyrinth (1)

Today, in Edward's class, I was able to receive an item called 'Magic Tent' as a reward.

A class reward that I received after a long time.

If it weren't for the labyrinth essentials that all other cadets received equally, he would have been a little more excited.

The day before entering the labyrinth.

There were enemies in the labyrinth that had to be defeated, so it wasn't as exciting as the night before the picnic.

Class ended early.

It was Edward's consideration to ask him to rest well since he would enter the labyrinth for the first time.

'I'm going on a trip with my wife for a while.'

It reminds me of Edward's last limb.

It may have been an excuse rather than consideration.

For the time being, there was no class by the instructor in charge, and labyrinth activities replaced it, so it could be seen as a vacation for the instructors.

However, not everyone took a vacation, and it seemed like they took turns taking a break.

Reina's expression, which she had met earlier on her way, was dark.

Perhaps she didn't get a vacation this time. I must have lost the bet.

Because Rayna was on the unlucky side.

After class, I was in the middle of preparing for the time in the labyrinth.

The labyrinth was lined with monsters and traps.

But this time, the enemies to face were not the monsters created in the labyrinth.

If I had to question it, I had to regard it as an 'impurity' that accidentally got mixed up in the labyrinth.

The game needs to have a story, so the academy naturally notices this fact late.

I just thought it was a slightly stronger monster, so I was slow to deal with it. It's about giving players time to act.

However, it was also very similar to a monster.

The enemy you have to deal with this time is 'Lycan Slope'.

He's what people call a werewolf.

He was both a human and a beast, so he could easily be mistaken for a monster. It is also because the lycanthrope was not common.

In the absence of proper eyewitnesses, there were a series of injured people escaping from the labyrinth with sudden damage.

Of course, it creates a sense of incongruity for the player, letting them know that this isn't normal.

Since I already know this fact, there is no need to create a sense of incongruity.

This lycanthrope was probably the first 'boss' the player would encounter.

Werewolves have a highly developed sense of smell.

It's an advantage, but sometimes it's a weakness.

Mushroom powder, which has a paralyzing effect, has a fatal effect on him because he sniffs it like a habit.

Helong Mushroom.

Although this mushroom is used to catch medicine or monsters, it is also sometimes used for crimes.

It was not easy to obtain because of its high utilization.

But, I don't have a quest.

Coincidentally, there was a herbalist quest, so there was an easy route to get mushrooms.

[I think our disciple seems to be well-prepared. ]

Sierra, who was floating beside her, spoke to me.

She didn't question my actions.

She had complete trust in me.

He said that his disciple would at least not do anything useless.

It's annoying to ask each and every one of them now.

I pass by Sierra and see Ram, the son of Rumbo, the only herbalist active in the academy, walking next to me.

At this time, when you go to the house of the herbalist Rumbo, his son Ram comes out to meet you, not Rumbo.

It was because Rumbo, who was an excellent herbalist, fell ill and was unable to work for a while.

I talked to Rumbo, who was lying there, and agreed to escort Ram, who came out to get some herbs to help heal him.

Anyway, it was a forest located inside the academy, so there wasn't much danger, but isn't that what a father's heart is all about?

Rumbo must have needed something reassuring.

As a reward, I can get one of the medicines I want for free.

Ram's escort, one medicinal herb as an optional reward.

This was the Rumbo and Ram quest.

As I was following Ram, he turned around and looked at me and opened his mouth.

"Jetto hyung! How does hyung walk around so well? Hw! Would it be rude if I asked you something like this..."

"Haha, it's okay. I get asked that question often."

As I walked through the forest, I recited an explanation of the feeling to Ram, who was ahead of me.

After hearing the explanation, Ram's eyes shone brightly.

"Feeling...! That's amazing..."

To Ram, it seems that feeling is very wonderful.

Although he resembled his father and possessed extensive knowledge of herbs, he was still a child.

There were not many children in Academy City, so it was a rare innocence.

"Will Ram grow up to become an herbalist with Mr. Rumbo?"

The forest was quiet and deserted, so I asked Ram. Usually, children of this age have at least one grandiose dream.

"Well... I want to become a cool academy cadet like Zeto hyung, but cadet isn't my job, right?

"..."

I was speechless at Ram's realistic answer, which was hard to believe came from a mere nine-year-old child.

[Oh... The young guy is giving a pretty good answer. ]

Sierra muttered while listening to the conversation.

Certainly, Ram seemed to be full of filial piety.

It may be because he lost his mother early.

"What is Jeto going to do after graduation?"

Ram jumps over the protruding tree roots and asks me a question.

'Graduate?'

In the game's happy ending, the scene where the player's character is having a graduation ceremony came out as an epilogue.

Can we go back to reality?

Should I continue to live here?

I do not know.

There were a lot of things to do before the ending.

I didn't even have time to think about it because I was busy moving.

"Graduation... Well, where should I join a rich family and become a knight?"

I answered Ram's difficult question as a joke.

"Puhahaha! Money is the best."

The sound of Ram's laughter echoed loudly in the forest.

Is this really a conversation with a nine-year-old boy?

It was in the middle of walking in the woods with Ram.

Suddenly, Ram quickly runs somewhere.

As if a beekeeper was going to catch a wasp that was trying to harm his precious bee, Ram ran as fast as he could.

I don't know why, but since I was his escort, I hurriedly pursued him.

When I followed Ram's direction, he was squatting in a corner of the forest, gathering grass nearby.

"...What if I run away without a word?"

"It's inside the academy anyway, so what's the danger?

"A herb to cure Mr. Rumbo?"

"Yes!

Ram muttered as he put the collected herbs in a basket.

"Whew...Then the business is over... Zeto said he needed something?"

"...Helong mushrooms. Can I get them around here?"

"Helong? It's hard to find, but luckily you can find him around here."

"It won't take too long, will it?"

"Sounds obvious! I'm Ram, the son of legendary herbalist Rumbo!"

Ram raised his forearm and spoke to me in a confident voice.

"Let's see, if it's Helong..."

Ram, who was muttering his own unique name for Helong Mushroom, looked around.

So Ram and I wandered around the forest a little more to find the Helong Mushroom.

"By the way, why are you looking for Helong?"

Ram, who was suddenly looking for mushrooms, asked me.

Looking at his bright eyes, he seemed genuinely curious about how to use them.

"Hmm... There's an enemy you need to defeat, but you want to spend less effort in the process?"

"Hehe~. Well, Helong has a great effect on monsters too... Oh, by the way, the labyrinth will open tomorrow, right?"

"How do you know that?"

"When you're doing business in the academy, you have to know what you're doing at each season to make it easier to do business. My father told me."

"Ah..."

Even in real life, it must feel like the owners of the stationery store in front of the school knew what classes were being held and sold supplies.

I couldn't think of anything else to say in response to Ram's overly realistic answer.

A long silence then follows.

There was nothing particularly dangerous, so it was more like a walk than an escort.

The sound of birds chirping.

A fragrant grassy scent that refreshes the nose.

Greenery everywhere gives a comfortable feeling.

After a long time, I felt like I was being healed.

"Oh!"

As he slowly followed Ram, he shouted as if he had discovered something.

Soon after, Ram runs out again.

Having gotten used to Ram's sudden movements, I calmly pursued him.

At the place where Ram and I arrived, there was a fairly large rock.

A narrow space was visible under the rock.

"Helongi grows well under a rock like this. Be careful because there may be poisonous creatures around you."

"Poison?"

"Helong is a mushroom that contains a little bit of poison from those guys. Isn't it amazing?"

Ram kindly explained to me.

Near Ram's legs, who had been smiling so brightly, he saw something silently approaching him.

I immediately pulled out my urethra and slammed his head down.

"Wow...!"

Ram was startled by the momentary movement and fell backwards.

Upon closer inspection, it looked like a snake. However, there were a lot of legs that the snake should not have.

His legs wriggle here and there.

It was a pretty gruesome sight.

"This, this guy is also one of the guys who spill the poison I mentioned earlier... When he dies, he doesn't spill the poison anymore... But he can't eat it."

Ram continued to explain to me, as if he was trying to calm his startled heart.

It's poisonous... Seeing that all plants and animals are from a different world, everything about the stars seemed strange to me.

I splattered the guy's blood on my urethra and led me.

"Thank you... I didn't even feel it coming... But it feels great. But could you keep this a secret from your father...? I'm sure you'll scold me."

Ram bowed down to express his gratitude, then asked me with a bitter smile.

"It's nothing special. This was my job. You'll just have to be more careful next time."

Still, she was still a child, so she lacked caution. I will have to learn more from his father in the future.

"But the fact that this guy is here..."

Ram looked around him with a little more cautious movement, then lowered his head to peer under the rock and murmured.

"... As expected! You'd better cover her nose from now on."

Ram picked up a tongs-like object from his waistband, and he covered his nose with one hand and dug under the rock.

As Ram said, I covered his nose.

He must have found a Helong Mushroom.

Then, Ram stood up.

At the end of the tongs was a mushroom with a strange yellow pattern.

Ram kept his mouth shut and pulled out a small pouch from his chest and put the mushrooms in it.

Then he pulled the string of his pocket all the way to seal it.

"Huh... That's it. The Helong that hyung wanted. If you carry it like this, there won't be any leakage of powder."

Ram let out the breath he had been holding in and handed me his pocket.

"The service is fine."

"Then please buy more herbs in the future!"

"Haha, let's do that."

I laughed out loud with Ram.

Ram was a good-natured and sociable kid.

When he grows up, he might be a better trader than Rumbo. Because Rumbo was on the blunt side.

With all our work done, we moved towards Rumbo's house. The end of the quest was to take them to Rumbo's house.

"Oh, by the way. If you're going to use it against monsters, maybe you'd better prepare a cloth to cover your nose and mouth? I have a nice one in my house... But can I get you one? In return for the previous time... Instead, I'll keep it a secret from my father."

"That's nice."

Luckily, there was an extra reward.

I was about to prepare a cloth for a mask like that.

It is said that Lycan slopes are vulnerable to Helong mushrooms because of their developed sense of smell, but I also have developed senses with 'excellent senses'.

From what he said, it must be a cloth used by herbalists for professional purposes... It should be much more effective.

I was walking around the city chatting with Ram.

A little further from here, we could reach Rumbo's house.

Then I met someone I knew on the street.

As she tilts her head, she moves with her pink pigtails.

It was Caen.

'Is it a coincidence that she met here and now because she wanted it...'

When will I be able to take off that stupid face mask? It will reveal its true color someday.

As if Kaen had finally recognized me, she naturally approached me and greeted me.

"Uh, Cadet Zeto?"

"...Miss Kaen. Long time no see."

"Hehe, you can recognize me just by hearing my voice. Who's the boy next to me...?"

"This is Ram, the son of Mr. Rumbo, the herbalist."

"Hey! Did Mr. Rumbo have a son?"

Kaen puts her hand over her mouth and looks surprised.

She seemed to know Rumbo too.

Well, since Rumbo is the only herbalist in the academy, it might be natural.

"Jetto hyung must be popular. It's like the female students staring at me... I met a girl I know on the road..."

Ram, who was receiving Kaen's gaze, puts her hands behind her back and looks at me with envy.

[The main woman agrees with that boy. Quite a bit of women are twisted, our disciple...]

Even when she was quiet, she narrowed her eyes and listened to Ram's opinion.

"We're just normal friends."

"Yeah... Just friends."

Kaen agrees with my answer.

It was vague that she was particularly friendly with her, but she seemed to have sensed my intention to get over her.

"Rather than that, the sword has changed...?"

Kaen asked me, glancing at her urethra with her head facing forward.

"Ah, it's the sword my master gave me... I've only gotten to the point where I can use it now."

"Aha... Master..."

She feels it every time, but Kaen seems to be on the poor side of her acting.

Even she didn't know until the reverse heaven, but she had already watched her sword change from afar.

She started to ask me if there was anything else she was curious about.

"What are the pockets on the waist?"

"This..."

"I brought it to you! Jetto said he needed a hare!"

Ram, who was suddenly quiet, raised his hand and shouted.

"Helong...? Are you talking about the Helong mushroom? It has a paralyzing effect..."

Ram's cry raises Kaen's doubts.

He seemed to know what Helong Mushroom was.

"Yes! There's an enemy that needs to be defeated, but I heard that using Helongyi would make it less difficult?"

Ram's pure answer follows.

...Wasn't wrong.

Helong Mushrooms were hard to find, but having them wasn't against the law, so there was no problem.

However, upon hearing Ram's answer, Kaen's focus begins to waver.

[ Hmm? That woman named Kaen, her eyes full of doubts. It's like watching our student from a distance recently... It's very suspicious. ]

Sierra, who has been watching this, tries to read Kaen's intentions.

If Sierra already found out that Kaen was a disciple of the Sword Saint, she wouldn't know what kind of demands she would make of me, so that was difficult.

"It's an enemy to be defeated... Ahaha, you mean the labyrinth that will open tomorrow...?"

Just in time, Kaen spoke to me, scratching the back of her head, as if she had understood even if it was late.

"Yes."

She shrugged and replied.

Judging by the look in Sierra's eyes, you'd better get out of here quickly.

She had nothing more to say to Kaen.

She wasn't in the same class, and we didn't even talk a lot.

"Then I have something to look at."

I said that and naturally went to each other's way.

As she hurries out of her seat, Sierra's low voice echoes in her head.

[She's been curious about something for a while...]

Eventually, Sierra headed back in the direction I was walking.

It was the direction Kaen was.

'What are you going to do...?'

Sierra's actions, her intentions unknown.

But it was impossible to stop her on this crowded street.

Sierra couldn't stray very far from my side, so she walked as fast as she could.

As she walked, Sierra was back by my side.

[I don't know what that woman named Kaen is thinking. ]

Sierra, who seems to have been watching Kaen, throws her meaningful words at me in her low voice.

I couldn't answer right away.

She knows that too well, so she goes on with her words even when there is no answer.

[She stands with a serious expression on her face, muttering about her grandfather's swordsmanship, saying that if she continues like this, she will be attacked or that her virginity will be taken away. ]

Sierra's words that followed made me question a lot.

'Chastity? Attack? Who?'

Something... Seems to be going strangely