Chapter 111: Exploration Preparation Part 1
Translator: Soafp
When I woke up in the morning, it was still dim outside, and it felt freezing cold, typical of midwinter. I immediately activated the air conditioning magic to ensure a comfortable temperature.
Stepping out of bed and slowly walking to the window, I found everything outside painted in white.
“Ah, it snowed quite a bit.”
The snow that started falling last night had covered everything within sight, asserting that this world was now purely white. Its beauty aside, the cold accompanying the snow must have claimed many lives overnight.
Today is January 1st. In Japan, it would be New Year’s Day, a joyous occasion with special TV programs and women in their finest attire strolling the streets, making it one of the most auspicious days of the year. However, in this world, it’s just a numerical reset without any special significance.
Come to think of it, this country doesn’t even have holidays. While villages may have harvest festivals or local celebrations, there’s no national festival to speak of. Whether it’s due to lack of information dissemination or simply cultural differences, it’s a bit lonely.
Starting today, we’ll be entering the Labyrinth. Whether I’m captivated by the scenery outside the window due to fear or joy…
I gazed at the snowscape outside the window for a while, then moved as breakfast would likely be ready by now.
El wasn’t at the breakfast table. I could somewhat understand El’s thoughts.
After hastily finishing breakfast, I went to El’s room.
“El, it’s me. Can you open the door?”
After waiting for a while in front of the door, I heard the sound of the key turning, and the door slowly opened.
Entering the room, I saw El, looking tired, with a face that seemed on the verge of tears.
“Don’t worry like that. We’ll just get used to the shallow levels first. We’ll be back by evening.”
There might be various things that El couldn’t reconcile… Back in the distant past, during what is called adolescence, I was also there.
Right now, El seems to be caught between beloved family and Marl.
“El…”
“…”
“El…”
“…”
“Haa…”
“…”
“Elphus von Blue Ring!”
“…Yes?”
“El… Your choice is the right one. Marl will be the only one who will be with you till the end.”
“Nii-sama…”
“Don’t make that face. No matter what happens, you and I are siblings. Even if we become enemies, that fact won’t change.”
“Even if we become enemies…”
“It’s just an analogy.”
“…”
“Sometimes we’ll meet and be glad for each other’s safety. The one who’s always been by your side will just be a little farther away. That’s all.”
“A little farther…”
“That’s right. I didn’t mention this last time, but… El, you’ll also have to choose your path in life in a year and a half.”
“Choose…?”
“Whether to aim for lordship or choose a different path… If you choose a different path, Clara will inherit. It’s good to discuss it with Marl. But, as repetitive as it may sound, you and I are siblings even if we die.”
“…”
“…Yes… You’re right, Nii-sama.”
El smiled ever so slightly. With that, El should be okay. Unlike me, El should be able to walk forward firmly, facing the future.
I checked my equipment in my room. I made sure there were no bends or chips in my dagger. Is the contents of my backpack okay?
After confirming everything, I muttered to myself, “Alright.”
I headed to the living room, where Mother and Ashera were drinking tea. Both of them were in robes, so they didn’t need much time to prepare their equipment.
“I’m ready.”
I didn’t intend to sound nervous, but I ended up speaking louder than I thought. Mother glanced at me and murmured as if she were going for a stroll.
“Alright, shall we go?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Yes, Sensei.”
The three of us headed to the adventurer’s guild, our meeting place. Mother and Ashera seemed as usual. Only I couldn’t contain my excitement.
(But it’s a labyrinth! A dungeon!! It’s the stage for countless adventures, manga, novels, and anime I’ve seen in Japan! Anyone who isn’t excited about this must not wish for an isekai reincarnation.)
Singing “Dancing Pomplin” in my heart, I followed behind Mother and Ashera.
Arriving at the guild and opening the door, I was met with stares that seemed to lick over Mother and Ashera. I don’t care about Ice Witch-san, but don’t look at Ashera!
Being careful not to emit killing intent, I looked around and saw Naga-san in the tavern. Mother also noticed, and the three of us moved to the tavern. As usual, a group of three came over to us… Haa.
“Hey, you’ve got a face we haven’t seen before. We’ll teach you the ways of this guild.”
With a nasty expression, they kept glancing at Mother’s chest. Not cool.
The guy behind him looked at Ashera’s neck and widened his nostrils… Condense Ray’s single-point irradiation…
I must have emitted killing intent after all. When the men saw me, they started making excuses with surprised faces.
“W-We didn’t mean anything by it. We were just being kind. Right?”
“Y-Yeah, that’s right.”
“W-We just thought if there was any trouble…”
I sighed and started talking.
“She’s my mother and that is my fiancée. Thank you for your kindness.”
The men nodded vigorously, their faces turning blue.
I had nothing more to say. I turned on my heel and started walking towards the table where Mother and Ashera had already gone to Naga-san.
As I turned away, I heard the men talking.
“You idiots! You were about to be slaughtered by the Shura!”
“You were also keen on her being a ‘good woman.'”
The two men were blaming each other, but the third one muttered quietly.
“His fiancée’s supposed to be stronger than him, right?”
All three of them looked at Ashera again.
When Ashera noticed their gaze and turned to face them, there was a moment of “predator and prey,” “hunter and hunted,” making them understand that they could never match her as beings.
Meanwhile, Ashera, frightened by the terror, just glanced at the three with disinterest before turning back to me.
The three of them didn’t say anything and fled from the adventurer’s guild.
Their escape was slow but steady, without provocation. It was the right way to flee when encountering a formidable enemy, suitable for intermediate adventurers.
As I, Ashera, Mother, and Naga-san were having tea, the last person, Joe, rushed into the guild in a fluster.
“Sorry, I overslept!”
A skilled adventurer soon to be ranked B-class bowed like a newbie. People around us looked puzzled, but upon seeing my and Naga-san’s faces, they decided to turn a blind eye.
It was just a few minutes late. Mother and the others were saying things like, “Did we even set a meeting time?”
Naga-san seemed to judge it was appropriate to speak up, so he called out to Joe for support.
“Joeguna-san, we’ve just gathered. Don’t worry about it.”
“No, I insisted on accompanying them, so being late is… “
I asked Joe what caught his attention.
“Joe, why were you late?”
“Uh… I couldn’t sleep because I was looking forward to it…”
Are you in elementary school or something?! I mentally retorted, then looked around, only to find everyone giving Joe lukewarm looks.
Joe himself seemed embarrassed, shrinking his large body.
“Joe, you’re carrying the luggage today.”
I joked, and everyone chuckled. Joe was the only one who forced a smile.
Now, we’re about to dive into the labyrinth, but there are many things to decide.
First, we need to decide on a leader. As the saying goes, “Too many captains will sink the ship,” so choosing a leader is crucial.
I proposed to everyone.
“I think it’s best to decide on a leader first.”
Everyone seemed to agree, with no one opposing. If there was anyone opposed at this point, they’d be crazy.
Ice Witch was asserting herself by avoiding eye contact. I think you’re definitely not suitable!
“Who do you think is suitable as the leader?”
No one spoke up against Ice Witch attitude. It was inevitable… Either I’ll take the hit…
“I think Naga-san is the most suitable, followed by Joe. What do you think?”
Ice Witch blatantly showed dissatisfaction, puffing up her cheeks.
I couldn’t help but find her a little cute.
Since I didn’t know what she might do if left alone, I decided to follow up.
“I’d like Mother to take on a supervisory role higher than the leader.”
Ice Witch took the bait.
“Supervisor?”
“Yes. The leader has many tasks such as gathering enemy information, determining the schedule for exploration, and dealing with various minor matters.”
“And?”
“Mother can’t handle such trivial matters! Here, as a supervisor, she can determine the policy, and the leader can adjust things to Mother’s liking.”
Ice Witch looked pleased with my words, puffing up her nostrils in satisfaction. With this, the biggest obstacle has been removed.
Naga-san and Joe looked at me with respect.
“Naga-san, could you please be the leader?”
“If you’ve managed to gather everyone like this, wouldn’t it be better for Aldo-kun to do it?”
I shook my head slowly.
“I only know about the labyrinth from books. Formations, split-second decisions, necessary preparations… I’m not suitable as a leader with all these halfway measures.”
Naga-san chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
“What do you think, Naga? About my son.”
“From Rafina’s perspective, it’s a mystery how Aldo-kun was born.”
The leader has been decided as Naga-san. Next is the sharing of our information.
It’s important to know each other’s combat styles, strengths, and weaknesses, as they will determine our strategies and formations.
Especially for someone like Joe, who wields a large sword, we need a certain amount of space. I also want to know what other weapons he can use.
To confirm these details, we’ll start introducing ourselves to each other on the first floor of the “Claw Fang Labyrinth.”
Well, it’s not exactly dungeon exploration, but let’s go explore some dungeons!! Yeehaw!