Chapter 33


    Thirty-Third Episode~ Vaida Insect Shrine


    Before going to Babon’s shop I should look for an inn .


    While I am at it I can look around the city .


    I leave the popobumu behind at the stable and walk to a nearby ce along main street on foot .


    Arge number of carriagese and go along the main street .


    It is like a scene from a big city .


    On the other side of the street I am walking on there are various stores lined up .


    Oh, I discover a wooden building appropriate for a cheap inn .


    The name carved on the wooden signboard is Saika .


    The appearance of the inn is like a collective housing apartment .


    Its position may as well be next door to the guild .


    Since the adventurer’s guild is nearby it is the candidate for the inn to stay at .


    But, I have not decided yet . I still intend to look around the area more .


    I am not looking for enemies or monsters, but I am walking while using


    and presence detection .


    Through search with smell I am able to detect the smell of blood and the pheromones a person emits .


    It is convenient since I could somewhat distinguish the type of a person .


    With Rollo on my shoulder, I walk along main street will ring my nostrils and sniffing *kun-kun*


    And, before I cross main street, I see a church-like building made with white stones .


    It might not be but since there is a cross shape and a small room with a bell hanging inside it is certainly a church .


    While walking along main street in front of the church, I use


    and presence detection, unconcerned .


    As I amparing people’s actual size with their magic essence I make eye contact with a woman .


    She looks like a female adventurer human wearing ck leather armor .


    Her brown hair that looks like wind with its perm is swaying in the wind .


    Her eyes are brown and she is ring at me .


    On her ears she is wearing earrings with pretty white jewels .


    The bridge of her nose is high, and her lips are small and faintly red .


    She is a beautiful young woman . She is tall for a woman .


    The two handed sword on her back is almost the same height .


    Her blood smells healthy too .


    The blood streaming through the blood vessels in the nape of her neck is rhythmic .


    -Looks delicious .


    …A dangerous thought .


    Recently…it is strange looking at a beautiful woman after embracing Yui .


    However, for some reason- hatred is felt in those brown eyes .


    She is ring at me .


    Why in such a ce on the other side of main street?


    People that look like believers of the church are there and block the gaze of the woman .


    A group wearing dark blue canonical robes are led by a person wearing a green tunic type canonical robe into the church .


    There is a circle and a yellow cross on their back .


    Aah, they must be believers of the Sacred God .


    I heard about them from Achilles-shisho .


    The Sacred God religion believes in the god of light, Ilodis .


    Since the ring woman is praying at the church, should I go?


    However, with all the busy pedestrian traffic why was she only ring at me?


    Normally that would be unlikely .


    I have no memory of such a beautiful woman with a grudge…


    Ma, it must be an ident .


    Idiot, I might just be absentminded .


    I do not know . I will leave it be .


    I do not mind it and keep looking around .


    As I advance down the street I find a side street with a pub and restaurant .


    This alley has a good feeling and the ce is crowded .


    It is like the bar street downtown; the atmosphere is good too .


    It is also near the apartment inn, this area is good for spending time drinking some liquor .


    When I think of it, I immediately move to do so .


    I stop my tour midway and retrace my steps back to where I came from .


    To the small inn near the guild called Saika .


    Deciding to stay in Saika I open the small door .


    I talk with the inn owner and pay to borrow a room .


    “Your room is the furthest back . ”


    The innkeeper says so with a wrinkled face like a shriveled persimmon and I leave for the back room .


    There is no door, it is a small poor-looking room .


    …This is a cheap inn; I cannot store much luggage here .


    There is only a solid bed and arge tub .


    When I eliminate the bed the pail takes up most of the space .


    The innkeeper told me I can bath and wash with this tub .


    I was told in a blunt manner that if one cannot use life magic, then water can be freely drawn from the well next to the big willow in the first floor courtyard .


    MA, I can understand from the blunt manner of the inn oyaji that this inn is a worn-out cheap housingplex .


    Naturally there is no meal . It is not so bad since I have a pail .


    Appearing the like the worn-out room, Rollo is jumping up and down on the hard bed .


    I hope there are no lice on the bed…


    Since I have money, I can probably stay at a high-ss inn if I look for one, but this is enough for now . Ma, I just started living in the city .


    It is near the guild and an eating and drinking street, so I will enjoy myself .


    Well then, I should take a bath .


    I pour hot water into the tub using life magic .


    I wash my body lightly with gyoza grass since I smell a little .


    …Water is a good attribute . It would take time to draw the water .


    This life magic…I wonder if I could use it to attack, I have tried it in various ways so far, but the only difference is if the force the water spouts out with .


    When I had just learned it I remembered the image of a water cutter using the image of pressure, I had such a dream, but it is impossible with this life magic .


    I hope that with the magic like the ancient crest one I learned the other day, the magic of the water attribute may be made ording to an image as the source .


    Ma, I have the spear .


    Even if such an illusion exists as I hope for, I do not know whether such a “thing” really exists .


    I still need to learn the sword, it cannot be helped even if I am impatient and learn it shallowly…


    First of all, the spear, I should aim even higher .


    Including the other ones with magic, I will learn it if Ie across the opportunity .


    Thinking about such a thing, I hear a *pachan-pachan* sounding from the surface of the water, and am distracted .


    I pay more attention to the sound .


    The actual source of the sound is Rollo .


    She is swiping her paw at the surface of the water from the edge of the tub .


    She looks cute . Amusing, she is pping down with her paws going *pachan-pachan* and ying .


    “Rollo, you may be ying but I can tell you smell bad too . ”


    “Nya . ”


    I grab the scruff of the ying Rollo and put her in the hot water .


    I am removing the dirt from her legs and also making her paw pads clean . Rollodinu seems to understand that I am washing her body and is extending her body outfortably .


    I soak Rollo in the hot water of the tub .


    Rollo shakes her body with a *buru* in the hot water and begins the smoothly swim around the tub when she separates from my hand .


    She is surprisingly good at swimming; she is swimming happily by rowing with her feelers across the surface of the water .


    She is good at using the feelers underwater .


    After a while Rollo gets tired of swimming and gets out of the tub .


    Over by the bed she shakes her body *furufuru* and sshes the water around .


    “Oi, oi, don’t ssh the water around here .


    “Nya, Nyaa . ”


    Rollo sings lively and jumps outside on her own ord .


    Where is she going…


    I quickly get out of the bath too, get dressed and leave the inn .


    I head to Babon’s shop that receptionist-san told me about .


    As I walk along the street .


    “Nn, Nya . ”


    Rollo calls and jumps onto my shoulder from behind .


    “Where did you go?”


    “…”


    Rollo only moves her tail .


    Did you need to pee?


    I walk with my eyes fixed on the street with Rollo ced on my shoulder .


    I quickly arrive at Babon’s shop on the other side of main street .


    This shop…is a general store, just like receptionist-san said .


    The impression of a lot of goods put out .


    There are different types of potions to the front along with medicinal herbs . Dry meat, raisins, seasonings and a bunch of bottles with something like blueberry jam are also being sold .


    Snack like foods are also set up in a line, when I look they are the kind you find in cheap candy shops .


    When I enter the shop, there are bronze swords in ces lengthwise and a pot like an umbre . There is leather armor on disy and bulky armor, hanging from the ceiling, knee-length leggings are on disy .


    For some reason, a barrel and an iron pan used for cooking are ced in the protective gear section . There is also a bag to ce at the waist hanging from the ceiling .


    There are kinds of small essories like wooden brushes, oilnterns, and clean clothes all being sold together .


    Rollo seems interested in the smells of the new articles in the general store, she is going *kun-kun* with her nose while stretching out one leg .


    “Rollo, no ying around…”


    Rollo remains silent but seems to understand the tone of my voice and pulls her foot back .


    At such a time, my eyese to a stop on the backpack hanging from the ceiling on disy .


    I recall the durable magic bag I got from Shisho .


    I might as well get thetest magic bag .


    I see someone that looks like a shopkeeper in the back and try to talk to them .


    “Excuse me, are there items here necessary for thebyrinth and magic bags?


    “Aah, there are . It’s this and this…”


    The kind shopkeeper helps me choose things I need; I gather them together to purchase .


    I have a light backpack for traveling and I bought a backpack forbat work .


    Afterward, the simplentern is attached to the belt at my waist . I buy field rations, a pan and a magic bag . I also buy a wooden brush for brushing my teeth and I bought a bag with a leather belt that covers my chest .


    I buy several pieces of leather .


    Since I have <Night Visions>, thentern was not necessary but I want to go for an adventurer like appearance first so I bought thentern .


    Buying it, I immediately put the bag with the leather belt over my shoulder .


    I load up the backpack and leave the shop with it on my back .


    There are metal fittings on the new back pack so I fix the ck spear to my back with them .


    With this the preparations areplete .


    Should I take care of a request quickly? I return to the guild .


    Ie back to the guild and walk over the side with the metastasis magic formation .


    A small pedestal is ced in front of the magic formation .


    There arerge words engraved on the top of a wooden pedestal .


    This, is it something like an ?


    A brief exnation about eachbyrinth seems to be written on the piece of wood .


    I got it . The wooden tag is thin so it seems to tear immediately .


    I guess this is normal since it is free .


    Aside from that, this metastasis formation is shining white .


    Is it really all right? I feel a little uneasy .


    Eeh, waa!


    I set foot in the magic formation with Rollo on my shoulder .


    At that moment- a *gua* sound in my ear, the scene in front of me is reced in an instant .


    This sensation, aah, it is that .


    The sense of entering a tunnel by car .


    Is it the pressure change? Or, probably because of metastasis?


    After I am attacked with the lump of air in my ear, the transfer seeds .


    The magic formation at my feet is shining faintly .


    And, properly, Rollo seeded in warping with me on my shoulder .


    Good . The horror film metastasis withbining does not happen…


    I do not want to be a fly-person .


    While thinking of such an old movie I exit the magic formation and its color changes from blue to white .


    As an experiment I turn back and ce my foot in the magic formation again .


    The moment my senses are clogged up with air again, I return to the guild .


    The metastasis formation of the guild is blue .


    When I exit the magic formation it returns to its white color .


    When I use the metastasis formation it is like a bunch of small LEDs shining with a blue light .


    While I am observing the magic formation with fascination, I am pushed to the side by another adventurer . I am in the way and they enter the magic formation forcibly and disappear .


    I btedly enter the magic formation as well .


    When I appear in the Insect Shrine again, the adventurer who pushed me aside joins other adventurers and walks into thebyrinth .


    I intended toin, but I do not .


    Let us look at thisbyrinth .


    The area around the metastasis formation opens into a round space .


    However, rather than where the adventurers are gathering, my eyes go to the ceiling .


    The impression I get here ispletely different from the name Insect Shrine that suggests insects gather .


    It is fantastic and magical .


    Such romantic words are imagined .


    The gray ceiling has numerous holes that the ants can go in and out of, a light simr so sunlight is filtering through the holes .


    The light illuminates the dust, and I see a fantasy illusion of silver flowers floating in the light .


    The natural source of light illuminates the upper levels of the insect shrine . A truly beautifulbyrinth .


    When even dust creates a fantastic natural painting, I will think about it some other time .


    ck walls with silver beams of light above constitutes thisbyrinth, ck fibers are shown in detail .


    I approach a wall of the ck fiber and see how it feels .


    Hard . Instead of ck fiber, it is more like it is made of entangled branches .


    Innumerable long branches and twigs are gathered together and entwined making it look like fibers .


    When I pull on the them forcibly, chi, a splinter is stuck in my finger .


    Ite, is this a thorn?


    A stinging ck thorn .


    This ck thorn seems to form Vaida Insect Shrine .


    Around the circumference of the transfer formation I came out of it bes a circr open space surrounded by the ck thorn walls .


    There are several tents in the middle of the open space .


    This seems to be the gathering spot of adventurers and merchants .


    Without going there, I walk around along the thorn wall .


    Then, thorns entwined in the form of big statues stand in a row between the thorny wall .


    Thebyrinth wall is not only made of thorn .


    The image looks like it is hewn from bedrock, and the big statue looks like it is made of a mineral like copper .


    There are a lot of people praying to the statue .


    If I pray to this god will I receive benefits?


    I walk away from the believers with such a trivial doubt in my heart and go to the center of the open space


    “-I am selling a map from the mid to lower levels, does someone want to buy it?”


    To the adventurers standing in the area, such words are being thrown .


    In addition, there are also merchants selling items, those offering to invite people into their party, and other noisy sounds .


    In this ce outside of the guild, such an invitation is directed to me .


    Passing through the open space I go ahead through the passage where adventurers are going inside .


    I see stairs from the right side of the passage .


    These big stairs seem to be doorways of thebyrinth .


    I guess I will try looking along these stairs .


    Since there was no feeling of movement in the metastasis formation I go outside to actually check .


    I run up the stairs and easily arrive outside thebyrinth .


    Outside, the forest spreads outward and the base of Mt . Burdock is nearer .


    The earth around thebyrinth seems to swell up and the ce I am standing is on a slope .


    When I look up I can see the shape of a domed roof like a huge ant hill, there are a lot of holes .


    The holes are a source of light and where the monsters go in and out of .


    Now then, what should I see .


    While I feel the dazzling sunlight…


    I begin to read the wooden tag about thebyrinth .


    □■□■


    The Vaida Insect Shrinebyrinth is separated into an upper level, middle level and lower level .


    Many ant and insect type monster live there, and threaten the forested area nearby .


    asionally, with the dragonsing from Mt . Burdock, the ce is famous for territorial disputes when they visit . Furthermore, an S rank monster called the Vaida Great Queen Ant dominates the lower level . A Queen ant protection squad called the Imperial Guard ants exists to protect the queen .


    The Imperial Guard ant is an A++ rank of considerable strength .


    Without exception the unit defending the queen is strong .


    It is famous for existing as the unit that protects the Queen by all means in abyrinth of other simr ants . There are few adventurers who have broken through this defense and looked directly upon the queen .


    Incidentally, the imperial guard ants of thisbyrinth will always join together as a three-man toon, and even now have not been subdued .


    □■□■


    There is more information but after reading properly, with that timing, I turn away from the wooden tag and shift my focus to thebyrinth .


    Shisho talked a lot before about rank A +


    It is slightly different from an adventurer’s rank when it is dividing the strength of the monster .


    Well then, I will go-


    I toss away the wooden tag I was looking at and take the stairs back into thebyrinth .


    There are a great many adventurers in a variety of armor under the stairs going to the upper level .


    Adventurers are still appearing one after another from the metastasis formation .


    That metastasis formation is convenient .


    I was told Kuna-san established the metastasis formations…


    They must be an amazing magic user .


    They are probably in great demand from the guild .


    …Even if I can create one I may stay quiet .


    While thinking such a thing, I line up with the adventurers to challenge a level of the insectbyrinth .