《Manuke FPS》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    [Nuuh..]

    With cold cheeks and the feeling of grass in the hand, I slowly opened my eyes on a map different from the sky garden.

    [Where is this? A hidden map?]

    Usually you need tond on an ind at the sky garden, if you fall outside of the map it should be an instant death and I should be transferred home. However I was asleep on grasnd where a gentle breeze was felt.

    [Ive never heard about getting sent to a ce like this..Wind?]

    I watched my surroundings. Even in the sky, there were no inds like in the sky garden. The clouds were moving like the grass. However, that is strange. There shouldnt be any elements like wind in VMB. Also, when I was lying idle on the ground a short while ago, my cheek was cold. I could feel the temperature.

    [This isnt VMB? No, thats impossible.]

    I checked my body in confusion in the uneasiness that this isnt a game. I had the MP5A4 which i used a while ago, three magazines on the belt, the sub weapon on my waist, grenades, a knife, on my gauntlet of my left hand i had the tactical support system (short TSS) with a variety of functions. When deploying a screen monitor, the menu is disyed as always.

    However, when I try to open news or mails from the management an ERROR is being disyed. The map function of the head goggles only indicates my position. Also the CP i saved until now.. The SHOP function where i can purchase weapons, ammunitions and equipment seems to work. I can also choose the support weapon summon function, too.

    [I dont understand the reason why i cant contact anybody. Maybe its because its a hidden stage? For the time being, as its a secret stage, maybe i can do something. I should try to advance.]

    The VMB PVE mode and the stage rewards such as the CP and firearms which werentacquirable in the SHOP. I was interested in them and got addicted in collecting them in that mode.

    [Even if I say that, which direction should i go?]

    While looking around atndmarks, I could not see a suggested goal for the map. I only knew the map directions reflected on my head goggles. Even if I look around, there is a forest in the north, mountains to the east and in the west and south only grasnd.

    [Well, seems like there is nothing to the west or south. Considering the map configuration of VMB there is no warfare in the mountains. I guess i should go north.]

    Without information of the stage, I dont know where an enemy may appear from. Though enemies are disyed on the map as a red point, the information of an enemy cant be seen without exploring the map.

    I set the MP5A4 on my waist to the 3-Shot-Burst mode. With the powered suit, which increased my leg strength, I started to jog towards the north.

    While approaching the forest, no enemy appeared till now. However, i saw something unexpected with my eyes.

    [An insect?! Huh?]

    Though I did not notice while running through the grassy in, when entering the tall woods, they seemed to be alive.

    In the world of VMB no insects existed. In naturals maps, such as forests and grasnds only the yer or enemies existed. There were no NPCs like harmless MOB characters.

    [Its not VMB after all.? Then why am i here in this outfit or better said where is this ce?]

    There is nobody here who can answer my questions. My voice disappeared in the woods with the calming wind. I unintentionally grasp the grip of my MP5A4 to realize the rigid iron mass which weights only about 3 kg, but it feels heavier than that. Also the weight of my head goggles which i have never felt so far. I touch the switch on the ear pads of my orange head goggles, which feels real.

    The color of nature in my eyes, by all odds, was reality. When judging with naked eyes, and not with the goggles, i understood immediately that this isnt the game world of VMB. ..The TSS does not react at all when i try to log out.

    Without looking around too much, I still saw a figure approaching me which was walking unsteady.

    [An Enemy?!]

    Perhaps because you have the same appearance as in the game and because I believe the one moving towards me is an enemy, I hide behind a tree immediately. I use my goggles again and touch the ear pads, while my hand trembled a little.

    I look at the direction where ites from. I try looking in front while leaning on the tree.

    [A person? Is it a yer?]

    I saw 3 humanoids shapes about 200m away. But something is wrong, why dont they have hair? Clothes.. a loincloth? I cant see very well over the orange goggles. I raise the transparency of the goggles and adjust them to limit where i can still see the HUDs like the map. I move from tree to tree with a low posture. I repeatedly move while hiding and follow the 3 humanoids.

    [Hey, isnt that.. a goblin?]

    When i first watched them from 100m away i understood that they dont have human colored skin. They were green They did not have any hair, had enormous ears and were about 120cm tall. All 3 had a club-like stick in the hand.

    By all odds that is not a human being. There never were such enemies in VMB and i never heard of them. I can only associate them with the name [Goblin].

    [Where on earth have ie to and how can i return?.]

    A reality different from the reality i know is obviously shown. I waspletely confused. I thought about this reality while chasing the goblins while hiding.

    [Isnt this earth? Isnt this that Did i get teleported to another? Or is it more like time travel? No, no, no, goblins did not exist on earth before. Then, where am I? Where is this ce? Different from the reality and the virtual world. A different world. another world?]

    I liked games, anime and novels. Frankly i enjoyed them without a big difference, but my favorite were FPS games.

    [Transported to a different world, it couldnt be. I was ying a VRMMO, werent I?]

    The fantasy like theme of being transferred into a different word became a trend in recent light novels. I also read some of these. The VRMMO genre was also used for these.

    Im not ying a virtual reality shooter like VMB. I wonder if this is a virtual reality RPG. A western fantasy RPG world. The story of a hero transferred into a different world.

    [Wasnt I ying an FPS? Transferred to a world of sword and magic with a gun. No, I dont know if magic exists here.No, its better to think there is, others may have some projectile weapons. I should think how to deal with it..]

    I continued chasing the goblins for about 30 minutes while muttering things like that. I heard sound of water flowing from the depths of the forest. No, I heard it falling. It saw a waterfall between the gap of the trees. There isnt much water, but there is a waterfall on a 10m high cliff. In front of the goblins 3..3 small animals were walking? They entered a hole that was in the waterfall.

    [I wonder what I am doing.]

    I pulled myself together while looking at them disappearing into the hole. Apparently, the three animals returned to their nest.

    Where is the ce I can return to.I was not able to move. I did not know what I should do. Return to my old world? How and where can I return, or should I live in this world? What should I do and where should I live?

    At that ce I could only stare at the nest.

    [End of Chapter 1]

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    How much time had passed since I started watching the cave? Before I had noticed it the sky had turned red and through my head goggles I could see multiple red points moving.

    These head goggles were flexible and had the potential to hide the head mounted disy (HMD) and could also shield the eyeballs. In VRFPS you can view various types of information through the head goggles that you werent able to see on the TV or monitor, but it was all possible inside the game.

    The map information included both the armament and friend or foe identification disyed together. Also, to adjust for various environmental stages andbat conditions it can be changed to infrared thermography FLIR-mode (TL: Forward-Looking-Infrared, or heat sensor to be urate) as well as having a night vision NV-mode. (TL: He exins them and calls them FLIR- and NV-modes. Sounds a bit strange.)

    On top of that the rounded map disy can reach a maximum radius of up to 150m. Then there is the sound sensor, which gathers every sound in range and indicates their location. Enemies are disyed in red on the VMB and allies are in blue.

    In the game you could tell if something was an enemy visually, or through a hostile action. Even though it had simr information automatically disyed as a red dot, this world wasnt a game. While the 3 goblins being pursued were marked as red dots on the map, the goblins were natives of this world, it was possible that they werent enemies, though it was unthinkable that they were allies.

    [The other side of the river]

    In order to identify one of the dots on the map, I move towards a position with better visibility and take cover behind a tree.

    [That is..a goblin]

    Multiple red dots, another group of Goblins of the same height and size were spotted. However, one of them was wearing something differentA coat, simr to a Hanten, and something like an Obi was wrapped around it. Unlike the other goblins, this one had a long club in one hand, it looked like a magician or a shaman. (TL: This is a /images/hanten_navy.jpg. And this an /type/obi.html)

    These goblins were dragging something behind them. It looked like some type of livestock had been wrapped up in some cloth by the goblins and was being pulled along on a straw mat..

    [A foot? Is that a person?]

    The thin foot could be seen sticking out from the edge of the cloth the goblins were dragging. It looked more feminine than masculine. It seemed like some woman had been hunted down like a pig. Strange and inhuman voices could be heard as the group disappeared into the hole of their nest.

    What is this situation?

    I continued to watch the hole while trying to understand the situation, and begun to sink deeper into my thoughts.

    Though I should be in the virtual word of VMB, I could tell that I am actually in apletely different world. I found some goblins and a foot attached to what is probably a kidnapped person. Are they still alive? Was I brought here for some reason Is it so that I can rescue that person?

    Unconsciously, strength flows into my grip. I can feel the mass of iron that is the MP5A4, a lethal weapon. Though it looks just like it does in VMB, whether this gun will actually shoot hasnt been confirmed yet. CP (Crystal Points), TSS (Tactical Support System) and the SHOP all exist, but I havent tried buying anything yet.

    There is no guarantee that I will be able to replenish my ammunition and equipment once used.IfI can fire my weapon, andifI am able to replenish my ammo without any troublecan I actually beat the goblins? Will 9x19mm parabellum bullets be powerful enough?

    My head is filled with uneasiness and doubt. Before noticing it the sun had gone down and my surroundings were cloaked in the darkness of night.

    [Lets go..At the least I will try and confirm if that person is alive and whether they can be saved. If bullets arent effective, though Ill feel bad for the victim, Ill run away.]

    With this I persuade myself, set the monitor for my head goggles to a night vision device and turn on NV mode. Moving in short intervals, I follow the goblins into the hole.

    This hole isrger than I had thought. Its height is roughly 3 metres and its about 4-5 metres in width. I am advancing towards the depths using zigzag movements. Inside this area of the cave there is a small shining flower growing, its actually producing light. Ive never heard of such a flower before.

    However, thanks to the NV-mode functions, I can see everything clearly. The map on the head goggles is updating itself with the areas Ive been to, but the sound sensor isnt currently showing anything. I am sure the sensor is working though, I can hear a strange voice through the headphones ,I believe its the sound of one of the goblins up ahead.

    Itsing closer! I think there are. two of them?..My hand instinctively touches the MP5A4. If it turns into a situation where I have to fire, even more enemies could be drawn by the sound of the shots, and Im still not absolutely sure whether this weapon functions yet, which is bad

    Without making any noise, I slowly withdraw a little and sling the MP5A4 onto my back using the shoulder strap. I pull a M1911A1 Colt Government, a sub weapon, out from my waist holster. I also take out and attach a silencer from the pouch next to it.

    The M1911A1, designed by John Browning (TL:https://en.wikipedia/wiki/John_Browning, M1911A1:https://en.wikipedia/wiki/M1911_pistol), developed and improved in the United States. It has the power to stop the movement of an enemy with just one shot. Its a handgun that usesrge-caliber bullets known as 45ACP. Inparison, theyre 3mmrger than the 9x19mm parabellum bullets. If these arent enough to take down the goblins, then the MP5A4 wouldnt work either

    The firing sound will be suppressed by the silencer, however there are demerits to it too. The drawbacks are that the bnce (center of gravity) is harder to adjust in VMB, the uracy drops, and power drops over long distances  dealing less damage to your opponent. The center of gravity is also decreased during hipfire. (TL: Hes talking about the recoil with the bnce probably, but did not want to change it too much. Makes no proper sense in english.)

    However, the reality is that Ive fallen into another world. I cant be sure of the demerits here, all I can do is shoot and find out.

    I release the safety from the M1911A1 and confirm that the crosshair appears in my head goggles. I lean against a curve in the wall to hide myself while preparing a one-handed firing stance. I can use the NV mode to see clearly, but how well can the goblins see in this poor light?.I suppress the exposure of my body as much as possible and lie in wait for the goblins.

    Goblins..I call them that, but are they really goblins? With one head shot it will die, without a cry of agony or a chance to fight backWhat if they are the prime race of this world? Id just be a murderer.

    I wonder what the state of the woman I saw is?? I could at least confirm that and use it to decide if I need to be hostile. Theyve already done something quite cruel though, but maybe it isnt seen the same way here  after all I am pretty sure that this is a different world. My thoughts were going around in circles as I stare into the darkness.

    Theyvee, and as expected there are twoThey are asrge as childrenUu!

    Even now that they are in sight my heart is still agonising over whether they are enemies or not. They have the face of a MOB, easily recognisable as something to be shot.

    What is with that face!? It looks like a monsters no matter how I try to look at it! With that thought a sound like something being crushed escaped two times.

    Without missing, two heads were pierced by my gunfire. The weapon had worked the same as in the game, and because of the silencer the shots hadnt made a noticeable sound.

    However, the silencer in VMB only silences enough sound of the shot and prevents it from being shown on the MAP of an enemy, it doesnt stop the sound of the empty shell falling onto the ground.

    After being shot the two fall to their backs. I slowly approach them while holding the M1911A1 and gaze at their faces.

    They definitely seem to be dead. It should also be possible to kill them with a headshot of the MP5A4. However..

    While continuing to holding the gun ready, I stay still and look at them closer. The ears are too big for their face, the nose extends outwards like an eagles, the eyes are red and its mouth is wide the teeth visible inside their opened mouths look canine.

    Those guys, even if they are the native people, I could never get along with them.

    I killed these two, but..I dont feel guilty at all. Is it because the face is too different from a humans?

    Will their corpses disappear? If they stay like thiswill I be able to get CP??

    New questions are emerging as soon as old ones are resolved. Even if I beat an enemy, a crystal to gain CP doesnt appear. Ive been watching the TSS and it isnt increasing either. If this continues I will be unable to resupply and will lose my only way of fighting

    I froze. My feet, as if they had spreading roots into the ground of the dark nest, wouldnt move. If I continue to press forward and help that woman, I will be using up my limited supply of ammo.

    My feet refused to advance any further.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    Guh-Guh

    n nu

    (This Where is this? I cant see the dim light of day nor the light from magic power is thisthe faint white light of the grass)[0]

    Guuuu Gyy [TLN: In Raw, with those exacttin characters]

    (Its difficult to open my eyelids, and the flooris hard itis painful sleeping here)

    I was awakened from unconsciousness quickly. Both hands and feet were tied down to something, and as both eyelids slowly opened, the rock wall of the cave could be seen. Other than that, there was nothing but the voices of more than one sub-race audible in the background.

    ( Oh yeah, the seniors, some aplished adventurers from Mairaru vige, and I were investigating around the West River area, when something attacked us. I cant remember what happened before and after I cked out.. As forhere, is this anestofpeople?)

    Bing aware that I was rising, the sound of the sub-race moving was approaching.

    Guhhhh

    As forthefemale,itis notinthesub-race, goblin. Goblins,whicharethekindto have no other choice but kidnap females,designatesthefemales ofotherracesasthat walking wombsin orderto increasethe poption. It mainly carries offprotestant races and beast races, impregnates them, and increase the poption.As forthechildofgoblin, from impregnationtochildbirth takes about1month, andthenewborn babybestheadult in1month. Theirgrowth rate is quick and terrifying.

    Withthispropagationspeed, if anesthole is madeandthefemaleis enclosed inside,they reproduceat amazingspeeds, tosuchextent that it sprinkles harmthroughoutthe surrounding areas, and spreads rapidly. Becauseofthat,when a goblin group thatis movingin orderto makethenewnestholeis discovered,one must remove itrapidly.

    Adventurers have been issued numerous such requests from the guild. In order to confirm the presence or absence of what hunting missed and burrows that may form from letting some escape a nest hole, investigators are dispatched from the guild. This time one was found in a region that had not seen a goblin up until this point, and my investigator apprentice, who was sent to a survey after the stray Goblin was subdued, had been visited by two of the senior investigators.

    The riverside forests to the west of Mairaru vige wererger than expected, but in a short time, it had been divided to the seniors who formed two groups. While fascinated by the flow of the river, we were struck from behind, and then we fainted.

    (I was brought to the Goblins burrow, no doubt. As for the purpose)

    Responding to the footstepsing up from behind, I was lying on the ground and watched slowly while looking back.

    KYAAAAAAAAA!!!

    I unintentionally screamed. Immediatelytherewasthe faceof agoblin justin front of mine. The face had thin, red, fish-like eyes. It opens its mouth, as ifughing, to show off its canine-like teeth.

    Thesalivawhich dripsfromitsmouthfalls ontomybody. I was intent on hitting it in the face as it approached, with both hands, but they were involuntarily tied.

    Guhhhhhh!

    The goblin that had approached opened its mouth that was lined with canines, raised a strange voice in order to sound more menacing, and swung the Club it had in its hand.

    Kuu !

    I instinctively averted my face and closed my eyes. Club it swung lowered towards me. Based on the inclination of the club, I was certain that by lowering my head, I would die from having my head crushed in the first blow. The moment that I thought so, it impacted directly behind my head.

    The club bounced on the back of my head and drummed it into the ground with a dull sound. Thevibrationis transmitteddirectly into myskull.

    Gyahaaaaa!

    (Hemissed! No Hemissed on purpose) [1]

    The club was swung again, now just in front of my face. The earth was depressed by the strike, as the dust, soil and rubble struckmyface. I could not open my eyes.

    Three times, the club was swung, I was hit repeatedly in the ground before me. The vibrations of it resound in my head. Goblins had a very cruel personality, and felt pleasure from tormenting the weak, turning them into their toys.

    Its presence, as well as its personality, is so evil, it can never coexist with races other than the sub-races, the species that exist only in order to constitute harm to people, it was a sub-race, the Goblin.

    (Im In this state, to be killed by being these guys sex ve or toy)

    Goblin that swung down the club, again and again, mmed the club into the ground. I was trembling with fear each time the vibrations resonate in the ground to my head. In addition to the Goblin across to me, there were stillmany, that wereletting out increasinglystrange voicestogether. Theirughing was easily audible.

    The sounds of eating and repeated loud chewing, the goblinsughing and the club striking the ground in anger Itstopped.

    Eh?

    I found my voice.Whenthe vibrationsstops,thesoundwheresomething copsingechoes. The strange voices of the other goblins had stopped, and simultaneously, the sound of copsing continued, one, two times.

    I again opened my eyes, and slowly gaze toward the back, were three Goblin had dropped to the ground. Yes, it was dead.

    (W- What is going on?)

    Just past the three dead corpses were 10 animals near goblins that had made a wheel. Individuals in the center had long wooden clubs and canes. One had a belt like strap that one would usually attach to their coat or jacket.

    (They had this many of them in here?! And thats a Goblin mage? It is an individual that can use magic, this is not some collection of strays!)

    The Goblins who were part of those who had fallens family were taken aback, but it seems that the Goblin Mage was the leader of the crowd. He stuck out his cane to the exit of the nest hole and seemed to have ordered something. The other goblins squealed. They seemed to be in disbelief, but tried to move towards the exits.

    From the exit came a red sh, followed by the sound of something exploding, a bursting sound, which continued to happen three more times. With each sh, a goblin simultaneously died, its head dyed in blood simr to the red shes.

    (This, is it magic? But Ive never seen an attribute attack that eliminates goblins to precisely! Seniors magic attack is far less urate. Ifon the other handthatpersonwas swinginga two-handed swordOh!)

    Goblin fell one after the other in order to shield the Goblin mage who was concentratedly chanting something, poised before a cane. Then I saw a huge air mass bepressed in front of the Goblin mage, and fly towards goblins that are in front of the Goblin mages upper body. It collided with them from behind, and headed towards the exit where the red shes wereing from, covered in the red blood of the goblins.

    (Thats the wind magic, airball! How could goblins shoot suchrge spells! ) [2]

    The Goblin mages airball was close to 50 cm in diameter. The goblins were only 120 cm tall, so it was quite strange that it was able to create one so massive.

    Thesectionofthewallofthe corridor whichleadstotheexitis shavedandburst with adeafening roar.

    The Goblin mage raises a strangeugh. It thenmanded the goblins who had survived being prated by therge ball of air to go in pursuit of something. In the next moment, the Goblin mages head was blown off instantaneously with a red sh from the section of the cave housing the exit. [3]

    (W-Wow it is said that the goblin mages strength is hardly different from normal, its magical barrier is noughing matter to pierce that in a single stroke)

    When the goblins were dead and quiet, the dead Goblin mages dead eyes had ceased to move. While thinking about this, the light shes had stopped, and it sounded like the explosions had as well. Thatpersonappearedslowlyfromthe roadofthedarkness,walkedtowards me.

    [0]  )

    After help fromDawg I fixed this. Before it was her wondering where the light wasing from. I had trouble with it.

    [1]  Fixed after help from Dawg.

    [2] Shoot Large Balls seems out of ce.

    [3] Here I couldnt help myself. It doesnt have as much humour to it, though

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    POV  Manuke

    Overlooking the two goblins that had been eliminated with theM1911A1,Iwastroubled.

    In the game, VMB, CP (Crystal Points) would drop when one defeated an enemy, and when one approaches the corpses, the CP would automatically be recovered. CP is one of the various elements of VMB that are integral to the game.

    The regeneration of health, to recover from physical attacks, as well as the ability to purchase weapons and replenish ammunition, reduced the destruction of items, weapons and the exoskeleton to a matter of having the necessary CP.

    But, after falling into this strange world, and defeating enemies for the first time, it seems there are no circumstances in which crystal points will appear. In other words, I have no choice but to make do with the crystal points currently in my possession, which I have amassed over the course of 3 years of dedicated gamey. Several times, version updates [VerUp in RAW] andrge expansions had increased the amount of. VMB had be a monstrous title, due to that and its rapidly expanding yer-base and CP earned by yers.

    Theres no use thinking about returning to my original world, even if I did, itmighttakeyears,decades,toreturntothere.Im goingto give up on that,toliveinthisworld. As for thisVMBpower,it will, ineveryaspect,helpme. Iought tobeembarrassed, because honestly, Imconstrainedin theuse ofitspower.

    I use the M1911A1 to try to touch the goblin that had a hole opened in its head, but nothing happens. Not only was it just a corpse, the powered suit had no function to conveniently absorb the corpse.

    There should still be people, who seemed to have been kidnapped, as well as goblins, inside. How should I do this I narrowed my eyes and squatted to think next to the Goblins corpse, and stared into the darkness in the back of the burrow. The extermination of Goblins surely is not difficult, as long as Im shooting from a distance before approaching. However, I cant lose too many bullets.. I havent tried weather or not I can buy bullets in the SHOP yet.

    Istart theTSS, which isseatedonmy left, armandtouch the monitor,continuingthroughtothe ammunitionpurchasescreen.However,the gears of war had begun to turnbefore thepurchase could bpleted.

    KYAAAAAAAAAA!!! [TLN Google = Cowabunga ah ah ah ah !!!]

    A womansscream echoedfromthedarknessat thebackofthenestholeinvoluntarily. I immediatelysuspendedtheoperationoftheTSS, andpoint theM1911A1towardthedarkness.

    Someones being attacked! Now, I should have the equipment and ammunition to ovee this situation!

    With my stance corrected and my M1911A1 poised to kill, I check the map on my goggles and reaffirm the surroundings. Strangely, there is a small portion of the map towards the inside.

    With the gogglesanNVmodeon again,Islowlyresumedmovingtowards thebackofthehole.

    Advancing100metersfurthertothefinaldestinationpointwasreflectedinthemap. Theroadofthenesthole which hadspread quite broadly,has beadead end.

    There was loose curve on the way. There was still distance, but there may be goblins beyond that point, so I hid behind the curve. I tucked the M1911A1 into its waist holster and switched to my primary, the MP5A4.

    Togglingthesafetyswitchto 3-bulletburst fire mode, I got into a kneeling position and looked down the iron sights that had been peeking out. I lined up the crosshair of the goggles with the iron-sights in a straight line with the head of a Goblin. The goggles react, and zoom in while centering the crosshair.

    In VMB, the basic equipment was the head goggles. Therefore, there were various boresights for firearms as well as features tobat the reduction in function and vision. In addition, as an auxiliary function to the y style of using no sights, known as Iron sect all, the goggle has a telescopic function built-in. However, it was also taken into consideration to not make it too versatile or omnipotent, so the telescopic function requires some time to activate and use.

    That goblin is hitting just to the side of that womans head?! 3 ugly animals Other than those to the side of the woman wait a second, arent there too many? There are 13 First, I had to eliminate the three near the woman at once. By then, their attention had been drawn towards me.

    I turned on the safety on the MP5A4 and swapped back over to the M1911A1. I leave the silencer attached. There should be 5 rounds in the clip. Immediately I begin, because the women is close by, but I have to adjust the sights carefully. Whenthe headofgoblin,thefront sight, thecrosshair andmyaimbe settled,butbarely, itzooms in.Whenusing the handgunsystem, magnificationisonly1.1times.

    WithouttheM1911A1in my handstrembling,I point the barrel at theGoblinshead.Although lifeprobably will be mowed downagainand again from now on,I feel nothing. After all,itseems Imunexpectedlycold-hearted. Thinkingsuch a thing,Ipullthetrigger.

    Along with the sound of the passing air, the goblin who was yelling in an increasingly strange voice and the one that had brandished a club towards the woman copsed. Subsequently there were two shots, as the crosshair moved to two animals that were in the vicinity, here because it was at a low angle, so there was the possibility of misfiring.

    Their consciousness taken, the three goblins copsed. I switched back to the MP5A4 and switched to the 3-bullet burst fire mode. I held it close to my face and aimed, the stock to my shoulder.

    GyaGuGyaaaa

    Within the circle of goblins, one particr Goblin raised its voice, and the 12 other goblins turned in this direction. The funny thing is, not that with the trigger pulled, the muzzle shes red, but that there is little to no recoil, firing blur, or shaking of the sights due to the exoskeleton (powered suit). It was like this in VMB, so it is likely that the recoil of this MP5A4 is due to it being an MP5A4 from VMB. It is not a real MP5A4, and the same recoil as in the game urs here, where is kept to a minimum, and sliding the crosshairs to the next target of the head happens with ease.

    Verifying the crosshairs spread as I shoot, I ensured that the cross was intact and pulled the trigger again, which caused the crosshair to spread to the size of a head, indicating a decrease in uracy.

    Thisspread alsodecreases quitequickly. Especiallywhen the distance betweenopponentsand uracy is required to ovee it, the use of the 3-bullet burst is incredibly valuablepared to fuuto.Thbusted propent of the3-bulletburstsandthe shesandmuzzle-shdanceinthedark.Suddenly, the bodies of many of the goblins ruptured and split in half.

    What?Whatisthat?

    The goblins blew up, and a lump of something like blood, sprayed the liquid everywhere, while flying towards me.

    Firearm?! Magic?

    Ifellfromthewall and immediatelywentintohidingfurtherback.Indedon therocksat thesametimeIretreated, andwitharoaring st, the wallwas destroyed.With its enormous power, could it possibly be a frag grenade?

    The first thing thates to mind ismagic.Thisis a different, strange world, so the existence of magic is possible, and the idea of it is certainly floating around in my mind. I didnt think goblins could wield this much power because they didnt seem very bright, but if it can shoot this power freely and consecutively, I may have lost my advantage. I thought to immediately go back to fighting, but I should not be impatient. I rece the MP5A4s magazine. I check to verify that no more of those bullets fly towards me and ready the MP5A4 again, then searched for the person who began shooting magic.

    Is it the one shaking the long stick? I am wearing clothes that looked something like his. I raise a war-cry, because it was a survival instinct, and pierced the head of the Goblin at the other end. I adjusted the crosshair to the rest of the animals, few of which survived intact.

    After I checked the map to ensure that all of the dots representing the goblins that had once been visible were now gone, I saw a new dot appear. It wasnt approaching me from behind, and so I advanced slowly into the nest.

    Woman, you arent dead, are you? I was a bit restless, but there was a light spot on the map, so it shouldnt be a corpse. But it could be the goblin who was shooting magic just a little while ago.

    Oh,its.I saw a person here,nodoubt.I set the gogglesNVmodebacktonormal,slowly moved towards her to speak.

    Ano,are you all right?

    The womanshows aquestioninglookfor a moment, but eventually answered.

    I couldntunderstand a word she said.

    Equipment

    M1911A1

    Usinrge-caliberbulletsthatsoughttostopenemymovements, a variantofthe M1911,designedby JohnBrowning anddevelopedbyColtintheUnited States, it isa one-hit, 45ACPhand gun

    MP5A4

    Germany-madeHeckler&Kochsub-machine gun,this sub-machine gunismostusedinthe world,andthereare manyvariations. Used invariousapplicationssuch asthe military,police andanti-terroristforces.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    5I removed the group of goblins from the depths of their den, a small, room-like space. Everything was fine now, but when I tried to call out to the kidnapped women, the words would note out.

    Of course, I cannot understand the words of the other party. We looked at each other in silence.

    Seriously I didnt think transferring worlds would be this hard. For replenishing CP, there is no hope, and I could not establish a conversation. In this different world, though I cannot understand thenguage, perhaps I couldmunicate!

    There was a slight light being emitted from white flowers in the room. The woman clearly doesnt know what to do. [TLN: Bing has a potty mouth: Keep unclear too, little white flowers that emit light but not room in this situation it was towards who bitches cant.]

    What should I do Because Im a foreigner, words will not go through Foreigner?!

    I started up the TSS, turning away so that it is not seen, and tried to turn on automatic trantion from themunications settings. This feature was essential to VMB, with more than 5 million yers worldwide. It assisted the voicemunication between foreign yers. If this feature was turned on, words spoken to other yers was automatically tranted into thenguage of that yers country, ornguage of choice if the default was changed.

    At the very least, this function should work She again calls out, and I turn back to her with uneasiness.

    ,  Ano, are you alright?

    It was a miracle. Indeed, it had tranted her words so that I could understand.,,, but the other party does not have this kind of function, so she will not be able to understand my words.

    N-No, Its nothing, is it all right over there?

    I called out to her while waving both hands aside to indicate there were no problems with my body.

    D-Do you speak the shared Ondonguage? That most foreign adventurers speak? Do you understand what Im saying?

    Ondo? And adventurers use it? Well, I guess that adventurers learn multiplenguages in order tomunicate wherever they go.

    I returned a nod to show I understood, and I realize that it is impossible to speak.

    I guess that you know what Im saying? Good, Oh, thank you, I was thinking another one would be useless

    I nod at her words, and notice that there were vines binding her limbs, which I tore, and she woke up the limbs that had fallen asleep due tock of cirction

    The woman was very beautiful up close. She was light skinned with a medium length bob, Her blue eyes and glossy blonde hair shine even in this dim light I wonder if she was a model, though she wore leather armor.

    The she was wearing was the type for females, with a small round shoulder guard as a substitute for the sleeves. At the waist was a skirt, however there were pants underneath that. At first nce, it looks like the way a woman warrior would dress.

    She was trembling, little by little it increased. I helped her, but she must still be frightened. I guess it would be like that, to be caught by a group of goblins and have one of those animals bring its club down just beside her head I dont know how different the goblins of this world are inparison to those of the fantasy setting I know of, but I dont know of many in which women are carried off to a ce like this. [TLN: Google = My God youll have smooth a woman in a ce like this.]

    Im all right now, okay, all right, perfectly fine

    I wish she could understand my words. Still, I couldnt help butfort her. While being careful not to touch her in a sexual way, I pped my hand on her shoulder and patted her on the back.

    She clung onto my arm, trying to rectify her abnormal breathing and trembling with her head down. I wonder how much time we spent like this. Maybe 10 or 20 minutes, might have been just a few minutes. In the dark, dim, dank room, her quivering ceased as I rubbed her back gently. She lifted her face and stared into my eyes.

    My name is Ashley Zepanell, a Guild Investigator from the General Guild in the Curt Merga Kingdom. And you are?

    She asked me for my nameI my name.

    My name is Saito Ren (Saito  family name), age 25, single, no girlfriend. [TLN: Either his girlfriend is a pear(fruit) , or his girlfriend is nonexistent.] I especially loved FPS games. I continued ying from my school days, and was so absorbed that, before I knew it, I went as far as to go to some major worldpetitions, and I became hooked on the prizes. But to make ends meet with this kind of hobby is difficult, and so I got a job with a peripheral device manufacturer that made products for PC. I had to working in the semi-professional industry as well as being employed in a PC peripherals manufacturer, it was hard to get up to go to work every day.

    FPS tournaments were individual games rather than team battles. VMB also has several tournaments and leagues. I was active as the starting yer, ck for the team P0wDer, too, but I usually yed solo during the off period.

    The woman identified herself as Ashley Zepanell, but I was troubled as to whether to give my real name or IGN.

    ck.

    I chose to use my IGN. Rather than the Japanese Saito Ren, It feels as if the one who hade to this world was ck, the FPS yer from VMB.

    ck-san? I havent heard of that name before, but you are obviously a high rank adventurer. I have no excuse, you just helped me, but could you apany me to Miral vige? I, as an investigator of the General Guild, but came here after a Goblin was subdued in this area. We divided the area among us and I was attacked and brought to this ce. I must report this incident, so I have to get there as soon as possible.

    Ashley looked to be about 20 years old, but she was extremely enthusiastic. Even though her life was put at risk moments before, she seemed to only look ahead. I nod to convey my approval.

    I have no reason to disagree, because I need to get to a ce where there are other people, and this proposition is mutually beneficial.

    I stood and turned to the exit to set off towards this Miral Vige, until I was restrained by Ashleys words.

    Oh, ck-san, please wait a little. My tool bag wasnt brought here? We have to collect the evidence of the subjugation. The mage ss also drops a Magic Stone that we should take.

    Proof of subjugation? I give up, I dont understand that part, moreover, whats a Magic Stone? No, it couldnt be, its a crystal!? It may still be possible to acquire CP!

    Ashley was walking around the dim room, but didnt seem to notice my confusion and desire.

    u~n. Whats over there thats so dark? Its-!

    When she seemed to have hit her head on something, she put one hand before her chest and grasped a fist. She closed her eyes and begun concentrating on something.

    ~~~~,~~~~, Light

    With her hands open she chanted something that I couldnt understand, even with the automatic trantion feature. Before her rose a softball-sized orb of light. It hovered above her palm, and she lightly threw it. It was hollow, and the ball of light lit up the room like an incandescent bulb. The state of the room was now clear.

    The light that the magic could put out was extremely bright, I was stunned to see magic up close. But Ashley kept facing to the sack of cloth towards the back that used to be a Goblin Mage, and went to it with a trot.

    I got it! Im so d its here.

    While saying so, Ashley pulled out a single dagger from the cloth bag. In a moment of high alert, I reflexively pulled out the M1911A1 , but realized I had not reced the magazine. The hammer struck the firing pin sounded out with a faint tut-tut.

    I dont know what Ashley intends to do, but if she directs that towards me, with the MP5A4, Ill I kept my aim trained on her. She pulled the dagger from its sheath, and plunged it into the chest of the Goblin Mage, then cut it open in one stroke.

    What is she doing! Anyone who can stick a dagger into a body is super scary, regardless of whether or not its dead!

    I was terrified and shocked by her bizarre behavior, as she opened its chest cavity and rummaged around inside, producing a white-ish stone about 2-3cm in diameter from within. When she pulled off the sash it had around its neck, she brought it over here.

    ck-san, here is the proof of suppression and the Magic Stone. Unfortunately this magic stone is a non-attribute, seeing as the goblin used airball before. But this band is quite good.

    I-is that so Was the Magic Stone the suppression proof, or did we just pick it up because we killed it However, this Magic Stone really resembles a crystal. But I cannot collect it as CP by holding in my hand and what should I do with this Obi (The band/sash)?

    I nkly stared at the stone and obi and pushed them into the magazine belt on my pouch. I pulled the M1911A1 out of its waist holster and pretended to be looking around, while stealthily reloading out of her sight. When I was done recing the magazine, I put it back in its holster.

    Im left with just two magazines for the MP5A4, and to summon the Ammunition box, I must hide, because this kind of power is unknown to this world.

    Ashley must have noticed my suspicious behavior and was looking at me from head to toe in the light of the magic she had cast.

    By the way, ck-san, that Goblin just now what magic did you use? You seem to be a Magician, but you dont have a Magic Wand or equipment, or is there one inside? Or is that short ck stick of yours a magic weapon?!

    She provides me with a variety of keywords Magician, Magic weapons, Magic Equipment?

    She tried to describe the MP5A4 that I had on me and pointed at it, to which I nodded, and showed it to her.

    Awesome! [TLN: Systran= Its Enormous!] Its the first time Ive seen such a powerful magical weapon! There are something called Mage Weapons in the Baishuban Empire, does ck-sane from Baishuban? [TLN: Please rmend English readingfor the empire. Its weird.]

    As Ashley was excited, I couldnt help but return a wry smile, to have her interpret it as Excuse me, but please dont pry for answers, so that she wouldnt seek them out. But, the name of an empire came out, and it was new to me. I wonder if it would be a good disguise to use around here.

    Equipment

    M1911A1

    Usinrge-caliberbulletsthatsoughttostopenemymovements, a variantofthe M1911,designedby JohnBrowning anddevelopedbyColtintheUnited States, it isa one-hit, 45ACPhand gun

    MP5A4

    Germany-madeHeckler&Kochsub-machine gun,this sub-machine gunismostusedinthe world,andthereare manyvariations. Used invariousapplicationssuch asthe military,police andanti-terroristforces.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    Along with Ashley, I began moving towards the exit of the small room. If there was a survivor among the goblins outside, I would kill them without hesitation. The two of us came to the entrance of the den.

    Its pitch ck, isnt it

    The time disyed on my goggles was was 22:34. I dont know whether a day in this world was 24 hours or not, but there was no moon light or starlight, only Ashleys light orb spell that she had used.

    We hurried back to Mairal vige. But, although I say that, I didnt understand the dangers posed by walking on the rods during the night. It could be too dangerous. I wonder if it would be better to wait for the sunrise, or to walk though the forest and along the riverside during the night? Although I wanted to suggest that, it would be impossible for my words to get through to Ashley.

    The two of us lined up near the riverside, which was gently flowing, as we stared at the flow of the waterfall. I saw a faint light shaking downstream.

    Ano, could that light be an acquaintance of yours, or a search party?

    I pointed at the light and tapped her shoulder because she was still staring at the waterfall.

    That light orb! Surely, Senpai came searching for me!

    Ashley shook her light left and right to call to the one downstream. The other side seemed to have noticed, too, and the light had begun shaking left and right, only.Its probably the same kind of light as Ashleys Light spell. Though, the the color was a somewhat different hue.

    Ashley~! Thank god~!

    From downstream came a woman soldier who had short hair, and was slightly taller than me. The two women ran to each other to verify mutual safety. Rather, Ashley seems to have scolded her. I was a bit troubled staring at them from the front of the den wondering how I should talk to them from now on.

    ck-kun, I hope everything was fine? For helping Ashley when she needed saving, we are very grateful, thank you. I am Remi, a General Guild investigator of the Kurt Merga Kingdom. In the back of the burrow there seems to have been a Goblin Mage, would you show me the proof of suppression?

    The woman warrior who identified herself as Remi was slightly taller than me, I was 176cm, so Remi was certainly above 180cm, and Ashley was much shorter than me, probably about 160cm.

    Remi carried arge sword on her back an had red leather armor. This person was also beautiful like Ashley, and furthermore, it was brow She was simr to one of the Amazons, but not wearing a bikini like armor.

    I retrieved the obi of the Goblin Mage from the pouch and handed it to Remi.

    Certainly this is a Goblin Mages That a superior species appeared in such a ce Has abyrinth appeared?

    When Remi finished confirming the obi, she returned it to me. A search of the nest hole is ordered to two men who were holding a torch in the rear, probably her subordinates?

    ck-kun, I think I heard that Ashley asked you to apany her to Mairal vige, I hope you will support her in making her report at the Guild Branch Office.

    I nodded and expressed my approval, and begun to walk with Ashley and Remi downstream. From Mairal vige to here was not that far, only about a one hour walk.

    Shall I hear you report?

    I arrived at Mairal vige and had ck stay in the only inn in the vige. For the vige to stay in demand, it is the General Guilds responsibility to pay a fee. Remi-Senpai, members of the Residence Guild, Barorudo, and Kieth, and I, gathered at the General Guild Branch Office in the vige.

    The General Guild Branch Office, unlike the General Guild Branch in the vige or city, had a smaller number if staff, patrolled the vige, and used the eptance andpletion proof procedure for requests.

    To begin with, the original General Guild itself was managed by the nation or state for domestic security, maintenance, subduingbyrinths, securing resources, training of personnel, and dispatching talented personnel.

    After parting with Remi-senpai, I reported having been taken away by surprise to a Goblin den and being rescued by ck-san, then were joined by Remi-senpai and the others. Barorudo and Kieth who investigated the nest hole reported that it was confirmed to be a nest hole.

    In the back of the innermost room, there were two Goblins in the middle of the room, and 16 others, including the Goblin Mage. It was confirmed that there were 18 Goblin Corpses. I thoroughly searched the small room, but it seemed that there were only the remains of some of their meals, no other recognizable victims.

    We investigated the goblin corpses, but the wound in the head was cause by something circr piercing it and leaving an open hole, which ismon. I opened the wound just in case and examined it, but nothing was left. In Zepanells report, melee weapons were not used. With that, it seems that we are definitely dealing with magic attacks or attacks with magical weapons simr to that.

    When Remi-senpai heard that, she closed her eyes and made an expression as if thinking. Originally, we were issued the Goblin quest from the General Guild, and visited Mairal Vige to survey after the report of stray goblins being subdued, and the result was the discovery of not only arge number of goblins, but the discovery of a higher species, the Goblin Mage. Since ck-san killed them, I gave him what had been looted from the corpse, but we must investigate the cause of therge number of Goblins and Higher species urringter.

    The higher species of sub-races, unlike normal species, have magical power, intelligence, high strength, and the ability to use magic and skills.

    And the higher rank species are not naturally urring species in nature. To say that a higher species is present is to say that there is a ce where magical essence has umted and be rich and dense. Sub-races will evolve into higher species by absorbing the magic essence.

    Magic essence has a tendency to umte and collect, and the cause could be many things: veins of demon ore and demonic water, a being having great magical power, the nest of a dragon, or abyrinth.

    Labyrinths are a kind of monster that has existed since ancient times, confirmed in earliest of human records, and are malicious. They are said to send an advance guard for and evil deity in order to destroy the world ording to old traditions and myths brought from abyrinth.

    byrinth spreads deeply every few years, creating more powerful monsters and sub-races to release into the outside world, all of which were hostile to the surface-dwellers

    However, many years of fighting against thebyrinth has taught the surface dwellers go into thebyrinth for magic stones that can be taken from monsters after battle as a method for securing resources.

    Once again, it is necessary to widen the search area around Mairal Vige. I dont think there is a dragon, and maybe it was just an ore vein, but perhaps there may be a newbornbyrinth. I will go back Keith Ashley to the fort city Barga, Barorudo and Keith both should arrange for eptance.

    Remi-senpai changed the talk to the topic that concerned me the most

    So Ashley,what do you thinkabout ck-kun?

    I dont think that he is a foreign spy. Truthfully I am unable to understand his words, but, looking at that short staff, I cant tell what kind of attribute it has, and he has protective gear I have never seen before. He should not be allowed to unnecessarily contact the locals. The behavior of a spy is difficult toprehend. He seemed to have smiled bitterly when I told him the name of Baishuban Empire, but he may have been fleeing from that area. And as a traveler, he did not seem to have a tool bag either. [Basically they think he may be a spy.]

    I wonder, have you seen the inn yet? Would you like to?

    Well consider it. Although he had been observing the surroundings since entering Mairal vige, he had a tourist-like atmosphere rather than that of onemitting espionage. It seems he is very ignorant and from the look on his face, perplexed over the use of the word inn.

    I am also of the same opinion. There is no spy, just a boy with nomon sense. Because I understand courtesy, it is noble behavior than to act act as the peasants and plebeians, Id say heis probably a youth who escaped the purges of the Empire.

    Certainly the severity of the Ice Wolf Emperor of Baishuban reaches even this remote Kurt Merga Kingdom from far away, I dont know whether it reaches over here, but there probably is no damage as a result.  So you will have to apany him to Barga. He hasnt registered to the General Guild, and in the future we need to watch his movement in case he tries anything.

    We decided on our n for the future and then separated. I want to wipe my body before going to bed even though it is already night the odor from the gobllins was smelly.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    On the second day after falling into this strange world, though without regard to my intentions, my destination was decided for me.

    With this settled, ck-kun, shall we go to the fort city Barga?

    When I was brought to the vige for the first time, it was pitch-ck, and I, the penniless, was guided to the inn along the dark street. The innkeeper was a an aunty who described the inn as having Meals every morning and night, for the low price of just two silvers! I didnt have money, much less two slivers Barorudo, who had guided me here, immediately payed the money.

    The next morning, I managed to get up in time for breakfast and consumed a meal for the first time in this world. Remy and Ashley also met me in the dining room on the first floor of the inn and took a seat nearby so we could talk while eating together.No, I had heard the story, so I didnt listen.

    Fort city Barga? I was apanied to this vige in order to confirm the Goblin den, so I wonder what I had to go there for. An arrest, possibly. Last night I only had to do simplemunication, but I still do not have any identification or anything simr to it, so I am really suspicious.

    ck kun, you dont have even an adventurers registration? Well you dont look in any way to be a merchant or craftsman, so the closest ce to get identification is Barga. Therefore you must get proof of identification, and then you can cash in the goblins obi (band) and get some money, as well as some Guild Points after you get registered.

    Adventurers I somehow can understand that, but I wonder what the difference is from an explorer? But it seems I wont be arrested. Certainly an ID card would be good to have, and to collect knowledge early on will be important in this world. I also need to know as soon as possible if it is feasible to return to my original world.

    I nodded to Remi and approved her suggestion. In the meanwhile during us talking, Ashley had consumed her meal silently and calmly. Or perhaps I should say refined and elegantly however she was truly a beautiful person. Her blonde, medium length hair was illuminated by the morning light. She gave off a divine brightness, and I thought I had seen the original world again.

    Yeah, please apany me, but eat first and we will leave immediately afterwards. ck-kun, can you ride a horse?

    I denied her while shaking my head. As expected, there arent horses in VMB, but motorcycles and bikes.

    Then, Ashley, please arrange for a carriage. We should keep the carriage light so we can get there in half a day, but with the extra luggage and tool bag well have to leave as early as possible so we can get there before dusk. And borrow something like a picture book from the Vige Chief. Along the way we should teach ck-kun how to pronounce and read Ondo so he can be able to speak directly, eventually.

    Hai, understood. Then I will go immediately, and Ill be backter.

    Ashley finished her meal and left the dining room. I could hear thanks to the automatic trantion and the tranted sentence was disyed in the head goggles. This is thanks to the trantion function for text chat as well as voice chat in VMB. It is only a matter of time before I am able to speak properly.

    Originally I was not only in VMB, but I had shown my face in internationalpetitions of other FPS titles, including European ones, and learned to speak some of the words just fine, mainly English. Thats why, I had the automatic trantion turned off at first.

    Remis eyes became sharper just a little while ago, and I saw this after I had confirmed Ashley had left. She had short brown hair and was also a very beautiful woman, but there was a very strange atmosphere.

    I will be teaching you to speak Ondo and somemon words through various stories that consist of these words. That short cane of yours, what is your purpose foring here with that?

    The possibility of being arrested apparently still does not seem to be zero

    I hardly think that you would believe what I am saying even if I spoke. I myself dont know why I am here. I sort of fell into this alien world on my own, so Im just kind of.. lost. And fir my purpose, I am going to live here and get back to my world if it is even possible. But I dont think you would believe me, even if you could understand me.

    Istared at Remi as she seemed to be turning it over in her mind to try and understand what I said.

    The shaking is amazing. For now, I have gotten into the carriage, rather, we are loading the carriage. Remis sitting in the drivers seat and is operating the carriage.

    Ashley and I are loading hay into the wagon to feed the horses, and sat side by side with it as a cushion to read one of the picture books, a childrens fairy tale. Or rather I was being read to and told what it means.

    However the road on which we are driving is not neatly paved, and the carriage bounces and vibrates, asionally leaping in the air giving the feeling of weightlessness, with the book following along with it through the air. It doesnt seem to be car sickness, I guess carriage sickness?

    The books that we are reading were borrowed by Ashley from the vige head, and told of the building of the Kurt Merga Kingdom. At least one of these books were put into every vige and city, and the vige head would read the book to the viges children. Its like some kind of patriotic education?

    Summarizing the founding of Kurt Merga, one of the adventurers born in the old days, about 500 years ago, was determined to help the popce suffering from the oppression and tyranny of the time. Thend for and funds were gathered by diving into newly discovered undergroundbyrinths to the southwest of Ondo, and after cleaning and purifying thend, he established a new country there. The country epted many who suffered from the tyranny of the other countries, and resisted pressure from those foreign entities who got angry at another country stealing its citizens.

    In other words, the adventurers who work on the ground is different from an explorer who dives intobyrinths? I think it is all the same as hunting monsters, but there is probably some other clear distinction.

    Ashley taught me the pronunciation and intonation of each letter one by one as we headed to the fort city Barga. It seems we have arrived without incident in Barga, but I would not be surprised if something did go wrong.

    The sound of multiple somethings running could be heard, but there was no indication on the map of anyone else nearby, so it seems they were farther off.

    Hey, itesincreases.

    I put my hand on the drivers seat and told this to Remi and Ashley while standing up.

    ck-san? I dont see anything around us, though.

    Running, I hear, increases.

    Ashley! ss Wolves have attacked in this area! It is likely that they will attack the horses!We should stop here and fight them.

    Remi judged the situation and decided to stop, then leaped from the coachmans stand. Remi lifts the sword that hadin across the drivers seat and unsheathes it. The sword was a wide, two-handed de about 1m in length, double edged, also known as a ymore.

    From the sack Ashley had stuck into the carriage, she also

    Out of the sack came a sword longer than it. and then a round shield, also longer than the sack.. As for that? Its generally known as a item box or an endless back, but isnt it simr to using a different dimension for storage?

    Ashleys weapon was a short sword about 70cm in length and a round shield that was a buckler. Ashley pulled it from her sheath and was increasingly vignt towards the rear of the wagon.

    ck-kun, I dont know how you fight, but Ill have to rely on you for guarding the middle. Which direction are theying from?

    I kneel in the wagon and set the mode on the MP5A4 from safety to 3 bullet burst fire. I pointed to the forest on the north side of the highway. On my map I could now see the dot.There were three of them, and they were moving incredibly quickly! Behind the trees, a ck dog came into sight. The length of just one of them Probably about 5 meters in length They passed through the forest quickly.

    They, attacking!

    I dered this and opened fire, aiming at the animals and pulled the trigger twice to hit their torsos. It had very fast movement speed, but I couldnt aim that fast, not even the best yer in VMB could, even with VMB having high speed movement. I shot ahead of them where I expected them to be and hit the first, then the other two continued ahead, unaware that the one ahead had died, and tumbled and fell over its corpse.

    Thats amazing (or after all, its that magic attack of an unknown attribute from that magic weapon that was in the report.). ck-kun, that was wonderful skill, do you want to skin it? We can sell its hide.

    N-no. First, hurry, lets.

    I have never skinned an animal before In this world something like that is natural andmon, but it is not possible for me, nor is it the norm for someone from my world. It isnt possible to do it, because I dont have the knowledge of how it works; It seems thatmon sense is not enough anymore, and it cannot further my knowledge. There is no point to umting knowledge when I cant understand it. In that way we re-continued our journey and arrived at Fort City Barga without incident.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    The Fort City Barga is the central city of this area, and is enclosed by a 5m high stone wall. It is in the shape of arge rectangle with 2km sides, though it seems somewhat skewed and distorted in parts. The poption surpasses 60,000, and it seems to be the metropolis of the western Kurt Merga kingdom.

    The reason the city extends to here and is surrounded by walls is due to demonic beasts and the sub-races, as well asbyrinths. There arebyrinths to the north, south, and east of the city, and adventurers gravitate to the city to fend off the monsters and gather materials from thebyrinths. The merchantse to make money off of the adventurers findings, and trade with them. Knights were stationed here in order to deal with the overflow of of sub-races, monsters, and demonic creatures, and in the castle resides the feudal lord.

    And now that a newbyrinth had been discovered near Mairal vige, there was now abyrinth to the west as well. Remi said that there was abyrinth to the north, west, east, and south of the city. This city was likely to continue to undergo radical development, moreso than ever before due to the new discovery.

    I worried whether any problems would arise when I entered the city, but Remi, who was a guild investigator, could enter without a hitch and get by the gatekeeper. She appeared to have shown some sort of ID, but Ashley and I went unverified.

    The wagon rocked as we rode through arge, wide street that seemed to be the main road to Barga. Looking at the surroundings, the road was lined with stone houses and merchants. Masonry seems to be important or a symbol of wealth, because there were only wooden buildings in Mairal vige, and this city was absolutely beautiful, like the French Carcassonne.

    Our destination in this city, the General Guild, was in the center of the city near the White Castle, where the feudal lord resides. It is also known as Barudejyu Castle. After looking at the castle, I look over to Ashley to verify my action n.

    Ashley, I, in the guild, what, do?

    Yes, first lets do adventurers registration, because ck-san needs an ID card. Because it would lower the evaluation and strength of the guild, adventurers must have proof of experience and/or exploration or else they will be rejected. You have proof of defeating the Goblin Mage, so you should be epted. After that, for a while, stay in Barga? There are more chances to live here and work as an adventurer, even merchants and craftsmen flock to here. It is a city with much opportunity. I dont know about merchants or craftsmen, but ck-san can give in the results as an adventurer immediately.

    Ashley, Im going to the Director to give a report. In the meantime, guide ck-kun and find an inn and a ce to eat, So then, a good inn Somewhere with good meals, and is close to the guild.

    Thank you. Ashley, to, ask, assistance, please

    Well, so be it. Ill make Ashley do it. We should eat dinner together, theres only dried meat on the wagon and Im hungry.

    Ok, I understand. We have arrived. ck-san, this is the Barga branch of the General Guild.

    The general guild was not just a single building. There were many wide andrge buildings that seemed to be for different purposes. Remi operated the wagon and went towards the back of the site where there was a sign saying, Fork ahead. Maybe stables or a parking lot? It is probably something like that, and I followed after Ashley and entered one of therger one-storied houses.

    This building is the General Guilds Main Building for adventurers and explorers. Here, orders for new registration and requests can be done. Do you see that receptionist over there? You can sign the forms to register as an adventurer there.

    In a nutshell, the general guild was like a bank. Something like a bulletin board stood to my left and right, andrge numbers of adventurers swarmed around them looking for requests.

    Some reception desks and counter windows were to the front and there were many staff working there, moving around. The window where Ashley told me to go to was the window with a chair in front of it at the edge of the line, so I assume this will take a while.

    Wee to the Kurt Merga Kingdom General Guild, Barga Branch. Are you here for adventurer registration today?

    Sitting at the window was a receptionist, a slender and fair-skinned beauty. Her ears were long and small, covered by straight silver hair. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue I had ever seen. She was a woman from the Elf race.

    Hello, Mirimaria. This is ck-san, hes here to be an adventurer.

    It seems she and Ashley were acquaintances, Well, Ashley is a guild investigator It isnt all that mysterious for her to be acquainted with those working in the same guild, nor to encounter them while in the guild.

    Oh, Ashley, you returned! Wee back! As for that guy, are you sure hes the right person for you? To apany someone to register, not that it isnt unusual?

    It is, but its not that kind of rtionship! I met him while investigating and we came here together.

    Ashley was being made fun of by the elf Mirimaria while her cheeks were dyed red. Mirimaria smiles as if it was funny and interesting.

    Speaking of Elves, they tend to live long lives, but is is difficult to tell their age from their appearance, and their life expectancy is unknown. In an older sister like manner, Ashley began to feel for something but I want to hurry up and register

    Aside from that, lets register quickly! After this, present the evidence of subjugation so we can go to the inn earlier.

    Yes yes, so ck-san? Please fill in this paper. Can you write letter? If you cant I can do it for you. And if is not necessary to fill in everything, however the information cannot be modifiedter on, so please take care not to make any mistakes.

    On the paper was issued were several entries. There was name, age, hometown, main weapon, main magic attribute, main skill, and if I had a tax certificate or not, adding up to a total of 8 items.

    ..Please write it for me.

    It seemed that it was to be written with a brush rather than a pen, pencil. I was likely to make a mistake because I dont have experience in writing with utensils like the brush or quill.

    So I should write ck only for your name?

    Ashley was takes the feather pen and was about to write, but the word only bothered me. I wonder if she suspected that it was a pseudonym? That reminds me that Ashley identified herself as Ashley Zepanell when we met. Up until now, people whose names I new had first andst parts, possibly born as aristocrats and nobility? And people inherit their families name?In other words, they are suspicious of whether or not I was an noble or something?

    Yes, Yes, ck is fine, please.

    Okay, then age and birthce.

    I, 24 years old. Hometown, nk.

    24 years old, thats older than me. And the main weapon of use and magic attribute?

    nk, both.

    Yes. And what about for skills and abilities?

    I dont know what skills or abilities I have! What about fencing? I dont know if my skills from VMB count, nor if I even have them right now.

    So, there also, nk.

    .. Yes. Then do you have a tax certificate from thest ce you lived?

    No, I dont.

    After all, having someone else write it, my name and age were the only information I could provide. However, it may be bad that I dont have a tax certificate.

    Mirimaria who had been listening to the exchanges between me and Ashley were now, clear, sharp, and doubtful. Apparently I was a suspicious individual.

    Excuse me, ck-san. Do you not have any experience in taxes? In the Kurt Merga kingdom, those over 15 are obligated to pay taxes. It is 30 silver, or 30,000 Oru a year until you are 20 years old, and from 21 it is 1 gold coin, so a tax of 100000 Oru is necessary for a year. When you left your hometown or parents house, did your parents say nothing about a tax payment record?

    I had casually confirmed the currency of this world before arriving in Barga in the wagon on the way here.

    The gold Oru.

    1 Stone : 1 Oru

    1 Copper : 10 Stone : 10 Oru

    10 Copper : 100 Oru

    100 Copper : 1 Silver : 1000 Oru

    10 Silver : 10000 Oru

    100 Silver : 1 Gold : 100000 Oru

    10 Gold : 1M Oru

    100 Gold : 1 tinum Coin : 10M Oru

    This was the value of the coins. However, I dont know what to do I fell into another world, just to pay taxes?

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    The current conversation so far tells me that those who approach in order to be adventurersare expected to pay taxes

    I, who fell into a different world, paying taxes? How do you expect me to do that?

    This may be rather bad. I may end up incarcerated for tax evasion. That being said, tax payment records are necessary to be an adventurer. Why in the world is it so hard to be an adventurer [tear/tearschrymal secretion/sympathy]?

    Seeking freedom, from country to country, the world perfects the art of hunting demons. Though there doesnt seem to be many local officials? Or do adventurers hold that sort of qualification? The name Kurt Merga is attached to the front of the guild, and in this alien world, the adventurers guild was an institution separate from the country. It was created by the country, but is not managed by it, so this is essentially the Public Employment Office? Well, this does make some sense.

    Honestly, of my, parents, ident, death, it does, not heard, the story around that.

    Oh, I am terribly sorry, that was rude of me. Then, for now will you act as an adventurer and pay the tax in the future?

    Yes, intention, is.

    So, the 10% from the rewards will be turned in as tax and thest year worth of taxes amounts to 100,000 Orr, and a total of 200,000 for this years taxes, and the 10% tax on rewards will continue until the taxes are paid off. But please be careful and note that this years tax deadline is 12/30, in 3 months. If it is not paid by the deadline, please be careful, because you may face jail time or public humiliation AND execution.

    Oh. I took that pretty well. Iya, but should I put my faith in this lie? But with age it is obvious that one must be an adult and mature, and tax payment is usually left to the parent unless there is a case like this, but since I saidmy parents died in an ident, it would be convenient for others to believe that excuse.

    No Perhaps death in this strange world is not umon.

    Dangerous monsters live throughout the world, whether it be from abyrinth, or people insisting on causing strife, security and safety in this world is fundamentally bad. And now, with the current conversation, it seems that one year is 12 months and January is 30 days. If anything, I will have to ask Ashley.

    Yes, I understand.

    I replied to all of Mirimarias questions and maintained a straight face. When I looked to the side, I saw Ashley staring at the registration form. There were so many nks. I wonder if there was something wrong with that.

    Ashley, the paper, please. ck-san, please register with your biometric information with this crystal. Its fine if you just drip a drop of blood on top of it. Please use this needle.

    Mirimaria produced a crystal about 20cm in diameter on top of a pedestal of wood. I couldnt see it well from here, but it seemed that there was some sort of operating panel on the other side. I watched as the paper was inserted into the control panel. I took the needle and readied the hand I intended to stab. I probably have to stick it at the skin of my fingertip, and it only has toe out of the glove, but.

    This body was this body evenhuman? When I stab myself, and blue blood pours out, would I be hated?

    I prick my finger. While a bit puzzled by this, I gingerly stick it into my finger,. My blood seems to be red, somehow or another, and I dropped it onto the crystal, which blinked white when it received the drop. The light quickly subsided. The bleeding stopped immediately.

    Eh?

    Eh?

    What, why are they doing that? Did I do something funny? The air solidified and a card about the size of a pass came out of the pedestal from where the crystal rides.

    ck-san, it is the adventurers registration card. Please verify that there arent any mistakes, and please be sure that the nks are filled inter.

    I picked up the card and verified the information on it.<table><tbody><tr><th colspan="2">~~ ADVENTURER REGISTRATION CARD ~~</th></tr><tr><td>Name</td><td>ck  Powder</td></tr><tr><td>Age</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>Birthce/Hometown</td><td>VMB</td></tr><tr><td>Main Weapon</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Main Magic Attribute</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Skills</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Abilities</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Tax Payment Method</td><td>Adventurer Reward</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>G (0/20)</td></tr></tbody><tr><td colspan="2">~~~~~~~~~~~</td></tr></table>

    What is this My name became ck Powder. How did theye up with my team name from my original world, P0wDer?! And my hometown is VMB! That is to say, this world has acknowledged the existence of VMB? And although my weapons, magic attribute, skills and abilities should be known, it is listed as none..?

    Is there a problem? If not, your registration isplete. Then, do you want a description of adventurer terms?

    Y, yes, problem, no, regards, thank you.

    So then, the adventurer system is easy to exin. Adventurers can ept an order or request in the general guilds main building, but each request is given a set rank. This prevents reckless adventurers from being injured or killed by taking too highly ranked requests. There are 10 ranks, from the bottom there is G, then F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS.

    In order to raise in rank, requests gives guild points uponpletion, also set for each requests, and they are also added upon presenting proof of subduing monsters and sub-races. Please note that you should sell it to the general guild. In addition, there is a rank up examination from D rank. When one reaches rank D, they can also apply to be an explorer. Is everything fine up till that point?

    The ranking system was a popr temte. However, I wonder if the presentation and sale of suppression proof is in order to prevent repeated presentation of items by many people? Well, there is no point in worrying about it. And bing an explorer at rank D, I wonder why it is limited?

    Why, explorers, rank, D?

    Exploringbyrinths underground is dangerous, and those who die have their soul and magic stolen to sustain thebyrinth. Thebyrinth brings a variety of benefits, but we must subdue the evil it produces. To prevent reckless challenges by those inadequate or people trying to get rich quick, and in order to prevent the sub-races and magical beasts from overflowing, the general guild manages it and does not recognize ability below rank D as capable, so they are not permitted to enter.

    I see, understand, I do.

    But, to continue, it can receive requests in this building, givepletion reports in, and you can receive a receipt of remuneration from the sale of loot next door. Thank you for listening, Im finished describing it. I an looking forward to ck-sans sess.

    Its over! ck-san, lets quickly go and sell the obi, then lets go eat!

    Listening to that speech had gotten me tired, and I hastened when Ashley said this, got up, and headed next door to the annex. My ear buds captured Mirimarias muttering, and she had likely seen the back of them, but didnt understand their meaning.

    Truly an idiot

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    After finishing registering as an adventurer, we went to the General Guild Annex room.

    There were artisan shops lining themercial center, and what seemed to be the Main Guild buildings for the Magic Guild, the Magic Hall, the Commerce Guild, having the Commerce Hall, and there was a museum, a training school, a management ridge, and many other buildings. It felt like a general office building.

    In the annex, it was simr to the main building. There was a check in counter with tables to spread out the materials, and there was a waiting area.

    The presentation table is over there

    Ashley pointed to a table that we went to. Behind the window was an old gentleman with a mustache and a monocle.

    Wee. I am the appraiser Lesmond. Please present your guild card and suppression proof.

    Yes, thank you.

    I passed the guild card and the Goblin Mages obi to Lesmond. Lesmond put the card at the base of a crystal on a pedestal on the counter and spread out the Goblin Mages obi, touching it lightly. Will you know from doing just that?

    Lesmond has the Appraisal skill. Besides, at level 3, it bes Analysis.

    Thanks to Ashley I understood what was going on. But it was Appraisal? I wonder if such a thing would develop in me? And it evolves after reaching a certain level

    It is a stunning Goblin Mages arm band. The purchase price in 55 silver, 55000 OL?. You will receive 300 points for defeating a Goblin Mage, so ck-sama will be promoted from rank G to rank E. Congrattions.

    E? What about F?

    Yes, from G to F requires 25 points. However, from F to E it is 250 points.

    I see, from 300 there would be enough for the 275 from G to E, and 25 left over on the way to D.

    Thank you very much

    ck-san, you are now rank E! Though, please do try not to overdo it.

    Ee, thanks, Ashley.

    I epted the card from Lesmond and checked it.<table><tbody><tr><th colspan="2">~~ ADVENTURER REGISTRATION CARD ~~</th></tr><tr><td>Name</td><td>ck  Powder</td></tr><tr><td>Age</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>Birthce/Hometown</td><td>VMB</td></tr><tr><td>Main Weapon</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Main Magic Attribute</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Skills</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Abilities</td><td>None</td></tr><tr><td>Tax Payment Method</td><td>Adventurer Reward</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>E (25/500)</td></tr></tbody><tr><td colspan="2"></td></tr></table>

    So it seems for E rank I will need 500 points, and I will confirm tomorrow if I can do it in a single request.

    So, shall we go the the inn? [Raises/lowers eyebrows] The sun has already begun to set, and Remi is probably tired waiting.

    ck-sama, I look forward to your return.

    Ashley showed me the way out of the annex, and to the inn Remi rmended.

    *Knock*

    Ah, the key isnt working.

    Excuse me, its General Guild Investigator Remi. A stray goblin was suppressed in Mairal Vige.

    After I separated from Ashley and ck-kun, immediately went to the Office building of the General Guild, hade to the Director of the Research Office.

    The office was very simple, just an office desk and bookcase. But on the wall hung ance, used by the Director during his adventures.

    Indeed, I understand. An investigationmittee will be dispatched to Mairal Vige, and perhaps a troop of knights depending on when they set off and the severity of the problem. If it was just a low ss monster, it should be tasty prey.

    The Director raised his head andughed. Garubasu Byuritsu, He was a beast-man, with brown hair, pale yellow eyes, in his 50s. Though his body didnt seem to be getting any weaker. So he pressed Remi to continue.

    So, this man called ck, is he a matter of concern?

    Yes, he has no armor, has never seen magic, doesnt know about the Kurt Merga Kingdom, and has nomon sense. He is likely a fallen aristocrat from another country.

    Dont be so roundabout. Which one?

    Excuse me. Judging from the performance of his tools, the short walking stick, his weapons look like the musical instruments from the Baishuban Empire.

    The Ice Wolf Emperor has crushed more than half of the upper nobility, and the fallen have beening to the Kurt Merga Kingdom.

    Is it all right?

    The Ice Wolf Emperor will not interfere with a boy who fled from the former nobility. As for Mairal Vige, organize an investigationmittee and find thebyrinth!

    This inn, is this the ce Remi rmended?

    Yea, its the White Labyrinth Flower Cottage. Lets go in.

    The inn that Ashley had brought me to was distinctive: it had 3 stories, white walls of masonry, and stone floors. We went inside and immediately in the front were the reception desks made of wood. There was a aunty sat down at the desk with a cute smile.

    Wee, would you like to have a meal? Or would you like lodging? [or perhaps]

    Good evening, Mna-san

    Ara, Young Lady Ashley, wee! Would you like a meal?

    Yes, also, please stop saying youngdy! And I would like a meal and a room, please.

    Yes, yes. Lodging with a meal is 1500 OL. One week will be 10000 OL and 1 month will be 40000 OL due to discounts.

    1 Month was quite a discount. Because I only have 55000 OL.

    Then, one week please.

    Yes, You are in room 203. Breakfast is between the 6~9 bells in the morning and dinner is between the 18~21 bells in the evening. In the morning at 7 oclock, the wash water will be warmed and again at 19 oclock for wiping.

    OK, please, take care, of me, thank, you.

    So, lets go eat. The uncle heres cooking is very tasty.

    Landy? When the money is paid to Mna, we received the key and went to the dining room on the first floor

    The dinner served in the dining room was certainly delicious. In this alien world, reminiscent of medieval Europe, in both building and in culture, though it is unlikely that the spices that were so valuable at that time would be valuable in this different world.

    There were many spices, including pepper and sugar. Perhaps, the level of the cooking skill of this inns chef is high, but regardless, future meals at this in may be what I look forward to every day.

    Ashley and I had not had a decent meal since leaving Mairal Vige in the early morning, and she quickly finished her meal in silence. Ashley doesnt seem to talk too much during a meal, and just watches while munching silently, smiling when she took a bite.

    Ahh~~! Its prettyte.

    Remi-senpai! Thank you for your work today. Im sorry, ck-san and I have already finished eating.

    Must be tired, you look.

    Waa~ It cant be helped. Ill just eat alone. Ashley, return to the dormitory first, Well be re-investigating the area around Mairal Vige tomorrow.

    Tomorrow?! The Directors decisions are always well, after all, it is abyrinth

    I am sorry that I invite you during a meal, ck-kun. Going to Mairal Vige will be a hassle tomorrow, so rest tonight, you must be tired.

    Than you, investigation, take care.

    Remi and Ashley were going to Mairal Vige tomorrow, and I must raise my guild rank and make money, though for the time being I will rx and inspect the VMB system I brought into this world.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    *Knock Knock*

    Ashley, are you up yet?

    Yes, Remi-senpai Preparing for our departure will take a bit of time.

    I see, so, how was it?

    ck-san? He registered himself as an adventurer without problem Perhaps Im just a bit hesitant to say

    I went through the events that urred at the General Guild while ck-san was registering as an adventurer to Remi-senpai Remi-senpai was also concerned about the information that showed up during the biometric information registration.

    Fumu, Ashley, you dont have to apany the investigation group tomorrow, instead.

    I went back to the room after dinner at the inn, and turned back to the TSS, the Tactical Support System. In order to continue work as an adventurer in this strange world, It all boils down to whether or not the VMB system will work or not, and I must ascertain this swiftly.

    As usual, Management news and email are impossible, and logout as well. Avatar customization is possible, I verified this back in Mairal Vige.

    After falling into this strange world, and lodging in this ce which I had visited for the first time, I had a strong feeling to urinate and went into a frenzy. [Must pee.] Its because I dont know how to take off the Power Suit!

    It was a one-piece suit, and I couldnt find either a zipper or eject button. There was no feeling to urinate within the game, so there was no reason to have to take off something you dont have to. I reeled and twisted, turned and squirmed, all the while navigating the TSS to the Avatar Customization menu.

    Avatar Customization was a feature allowing the changing of the design of the Power Suit. A yer could also change the avatars hair or clothes, and there were even costumes distributed during events or sold as paid items, so it was not only limited to the Power Suit.

    And wearing no underwear was possible too. You could say that this feature was the only reason I seeded in taking off the power suit, and I, a 24-year-old male, avoided disgrace.

    Modification of equipment and supplement of ammunition should be possible. but it ends there?

    I nned on replenishing my ammunition and changing out my secondary in order for tomorrows ns. Compared to the M1911A1. the FN Five-seveN  had more bullets per magazine; The M1911A1 only had 7, whereas the Five-seveN had 20. It is an excellent handgun with superior pration, using a 7x28mm bullet. I selected the Five-seveN and three magazines, and particles of light gathered before me. They congregated into a single point, and when the light faded, a ck supply box appeared in its ce.

    The appearance of the supply box and the whole particle shenanigans didnt change from inside the game.

    When I opened the box, thereid a Five-seveN and the 3 magazines I had chosen. I retrieved the MP5A4 and the M1911A1, which I substituted for the original contents which I took out. I closed the box, and it disappeared with dispersing particles of light that dissipated, as if nothing had happened in that spot prior to me being here.

    From the TSS, I verified the items and equipment was all in order through the inventory, and there they were, added into the item-box like ce.

    Good, returning to the inventory.. Now that Ive confirmed a way to replenish ammo, today were sleeping in~

    I removed all of my equipment and, through the Avatar Customization menu, stripped down to my underwear and dived into my bed,pleting the night of day two in this world.

    *Knock Knock*

    Customer-san, are you awake?What time is it? Probably morning This was the voice of Mnasndy.

    Hai, Im up

    Good morning, ck-sama. Hot water and a washcloth is avable by the bucket near the barrel, and after you finish washing, you should eat breakfast because it is already 7:00.

    Thank you, Ill go wash my face and then eat.

    Since there was already hot water, I went along with it and washed my face, and there was delicious food at this inn, and the service was impable, I am lucky that Remi rmended this ce. I intend to continue my operations based here, buying equipment and handling daily necessities and requests in various ways, but the money I have on hand is not reliable, soI will probably have Mna introduce me to some good shopster.

    Breakfast had a light morning-specific menu. The standard in this world was two meals, one in the morning, and one in the evening. Though the amount in breakfast was rather plentiful. I wasnt familiar with the diet and thought this, enjoying the rxing after-meal atmosphere, until Ashley came in from the front.

    Good morning, Ashley. Arent you leaving for Mairal Vige today?

    Morning, ck-san. Youre starting to speak Ondo very well, and its much more natural too. Your learning speed is really amazing.

    Oh, that is because I continue to hear the words in both Ondo and the tranted sentences, which are also disyed in deep blue.

    Thank you, though I might be a bit awkward and clumsy, and if it does not inconvenience you too much, would you go shopping for swords with me?

    Is that so. I am apanying an investigationmittee to Mairal Vige, but there is a two day rest because the apprentices need to rest. So, what are your ns for today, ck-san? [GUYS, HE DID IT!]

    ns..? Well, Im probably going to buy some daily necessities and some equipment for when I go take requests.

    Is that so, do you want to go together? This city is veryrge, and by the time you find the shop selling the things you want, it will already be dark. I will guide you to the shops you want to find.

    Thank you, I am grateful for your help. Then, I will go to my room to prepare.

    I immediately went back to the room and changed into the Marine Corps military jacket and pants through the avatar customization menu. I included the Five-seveN in a holster, and a magazine belt with the magazines inside, before leaving to shop with Ashley.

    So, what do you want to go buy first?

    Today Ashley, rather than her leather armor, was wearing a one piece turtleneck dress with a leather belt and pants. Ah, was this a date? No, no, this is probably different. Maybe.

    Well, I want to buy daily necessities first, then look for equipment.

    Yes, lets go to the convenience store first, then. The managers a nice Dwarf Lady.

    After she said this, I was guided to the convenience store. Perhaps the aunt thought we were preparing to live together? Perhaps that is why her face was flushed a deep red, as was the man selling us and other adventurers skewers of mysterious meat at a street-side stall that was spit-roasted. This was the perfect date [0]

    And the store we were currently at sold tools to adventurers. There was a lot of adventurers in the shop, which was quiterge. People were negotiating and inquiring about the price ofmodities.

    What kind of tools do you want to buy?

    I need tools for removing proof of suppression and subjugation and bag for them. When you

    go to Mairal vige, Ill need one. Yours was pretty well designed, it fit into the armor. Though, the size doesnt really matter.

    Eh? A tool bag? Can ck-san use it?

    Eh?

    Eh?

    involuntarily said Eh?. Though Ashley also made the same noise. so it seems its about the bag. So did I need some skill to use it?

    Im sorry Ashley, I havent used one up until this point, but are there any skills necessary for using the tool bag?

    When she heard this she seemed hesitant to say something, and averted her eyes, and seemed puzzled.

    Oi Oi, Nii-chan, you came to an adventurers store and you dont know how to use a tool bag?

    While waiting for a reply from Ashley I heard a deep voice from behind. When I looked back to find the source of the voice, there was a tall creature, about 2m in height, with what looked like fake cat ears on its head. No they had to be attached. There was a rat-faced guy and roon-like guy that followed behind him. It was probably an adventurer party.

    <strong>FN Five-seveN</strong>

    This handgun was developed by FN in Belgium, with a 20-round magazine utilizing 5.7x28mm ammunition, with excellent pration.

    [0]preparation of living together in the bottom of the aunt. Why google, WHY. Also, HE DID IT GUYS!

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    At the store where adventurer equipment is sold, I asked Ashley for a tool bag. The bag can hold objects whose volume isrger than the bag itself, and is a ssic example of an item appearing in young-adult fantasy novels.

    Hey, Nii-chan, you came to a store for adventurers, yet you dont even know how to use the tool bag!

    He had cat ears, but therge mans voice was deep and loud [not cute at all] And the cat-eared giant took a small cloth bag that had been lined up on the counter and threw it lightly to me.

    Come on, its a tool bag. It will open the storage space if you just put in a little bit of magic. Youre an adventurer, right? Can you do it?

    I caught the bag and the mouth of it hung open, though the storage space didnt seem to be as well, because I could see the cloth bottom.

    I guess that means I need to put magic into it? How do I do that? Surely I should be able to But neither my original world nor VMB had such a thing. Would I even be able to use it?

    N? Whats wrong, dont tell me, you dont know how to use magic? No, its probably that you are just stupid?

    Ashley seemed to be upset by this and opens her eyes wide. She pulls on my sleeve to indicate we should leave this ce. [KAWAII DESU]

    I dont know what is wrong with this cat-eared giant, I dont know how to use magic and he simply deres that I am an idiot.

    GA~AHHAHH! This is probably the first time Ive seen a bastard as stupid as you! Truly the first time! What an idiot!

    Yes! This is the first time, leader!

    Although they can be an adventurer with motivation, an idiot isnt useful, theyll just get their fellow adventurers killed!

    Oi, Oi, what is with this course of events? I head something before about stupid, but what are they saying?

    I cant understand what this threesome isughing at. Ignorant, stupid and foolish, and didnt know how to use the tool bag is what they said? But I just dont know how to use the tool bag. And Ill kill my fellowpanions with my ipetence?

    My mind was full of questions, but I was brought back to reality by Ashley tugging on my sleeve. Ashley grasped on my sleeve and pulled it while trembling.

    You guys,e on! Even without magic, ck-san has the power to fight! He isnt ipetent!

    Haa? What did you say, youngdy?! Youre this dunces party member? It must be difficult! Having to take care of him and do all of the work! How about you leave this blockhead and join my party? Break up with this stupid bastard! This stupid bastard cant satisfy you at night? GAHAAHAA!

    Thats a good idea! Leaders body strengthening skills are enough to fight an orc!

    Of course it is! Leader is way morepetent than this magic-less idiot!

    I refuse! ck is way morepetent than you, and there is no need to leave!

    Ah, perhaps, she isnt trembling in fear, but anger? In addition, to insultsomeone simply for having no magical power? Its just so.

    Hoh? What did you say! You cant see that I am more reliable? Hey, Dunce! Lets go outside! Senpai will teach you a little something about magic. If you lose, Ill be teaching this youngdy all night!

    Haa~ This kind of thing didnt happen at the general guild, people trying to assault me. (then again, this is a different world.).

    Stop mumbling! Come with me!

    Ashley, the cat-eared giant, and I left the store and went off the main street to a side road. I became aware of the Rat and Badger faced guys behind us, likely to keep us from escaping. After walking for a little, the cat-eared giant stopped and turned around.

    This ce is good. Dont use any weapons and kill this nuisance, we wont get in trouble.

    In other words, you want to say it isnt a crime if its just injuries?

    Ashley, in this city, if you hurt an opponent in a fight, what happens?

    If adventurers,moners and craftsmen fight, the adventurer gets punished. But if adventurers kill each other, it is almost ignored. Ashleyreturned an answer in a low voice. Sorry for the inconvenience.

    Come on, you stupid bastard! What do you think youre doing, dont you think its time you stopped relying on others!

    The cat-eared giant spread his hands in a pose that said Bring it on. It this a hallucination? his eyes glowed red and his giant body swelled. I wonder if this is that body enhancement magic.

    What to do now To be honest, I am just a simple FPS yer. I didnt go to a gym or do martial arts and have some special skill passed down like some secret grappling technique. I have never even fought in my original world. I wasnt a tall child, and had little physical strength, so I wasnt good at ball games or at athletics and sports.

    The cat-eared giant already said they wouldnt use weapons, but I dont think I could beat the man in a battle of fists. Then again, just because he said he wouldnt use one doesnt mean I cant. I n to end this farce quickly.

    I pull the Five-seveN out of the holster and switch off the safety, and then swiftly shot both of the cat-eared giants knees. The recoil from shooting from the shoulder wasnt that much, and with both knees destroyed, the cat-eared giant fell to the ground with intense pain. Behind me, the rat and badger faced guys rushed over towards the cat-eared giant.

    IDEEEEE!

    Too disappointing It seems to be missing magic, but was able to prate the knee

    Y-you.. what did you

    Adventurers dont expose their tricks that easily. Then, Ashley, shall we return? To continue shopping with this kind of atmosphere, I think it wouldnt be a good idea. If there is still time, how about we go have dinner together?

    I used a light tone and left the alleyway, leading Ashley along. This time, for certain, it was the long-awaited date-like atmosphere, and I hoped to end it with dinner.

    After being in the adventurers tool shop and being carried away, then firing the Five-seveN, I left quickly in order to avoid people who would either connect the two events, and or follow the noise. While inviting Ashley to dinner, we decided to return to the White Labyrinth Flower Cottage.

    To be honest, I would like to go to the rice hose, but with my present funds, and the fact that there may be no rice houses.

    While eating dinner at the White Labyrinth Flower Cottage, Ashley said not a single word. From sharing several meals, I could tell she wasnt someone who talked during a meal, but with this atmosphere, such a thing

    ck-san, I want to talk to you a little.

    Ashley said this while we finished the meal and enjoyed drinking the fruit juice that had been ced on the table.

    Of course you can, I dont mind. What is the matter?

    About those adventurers we came across earlier who called you an idiot [Manuke]. It can also mean someone who has no magic. [ Ma = magic Nuke = not present ]

    Ma nuke? Whats that? [Ma also means devil. And nuke can mean omission, and the kanji is also used in ejacte]

    Yes, Ma nuke, it is something that is extremely rare to find, and it means someone who is unable to absorb magic from the outside. Skills involving magic be impossible to obtain.

    Magic power dwells in not only people who absorb it from the world, but all people and things present in this world. This table and the road both have magic. Even the sky is full of magic.

    I dont know what kind of ce ck-san has lived, but in the Kurt Merga kingdom, magic is used in all sorts of ces and in various equipment.

    However the Ma nuke cannot make use of them at all. I understand ck-sans fighting ability, but to continue living here will very

    Ashley then cast her gaze downwards. Indeed, I certainly was not born in this world, and as I fell to here, brought along with me the power of VMB.

    The fact that I have no magic is no excuse, I am a foreign alien in this world. In this world, Im not only a foreign object.

    <strong>FN Five-seveN</strong>

    This handgun was developed by FN in Belgium, with a 20-round magazine utilizing 5.7x28mm ammunition, with excellent pration.

    Google was adamant about Fucking. Fuck the previous adventurers in the mouth.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    After finishing dinner at the White Labyrinth Flower Cottage, I was told by Ashley about the Ma nuke, those without magic power who are not epted in this world and shunned, although this is the only evidence to this I havee across so far.

    In this strange world, I am a foreign body, and I may be rejected. However, without a doubt, this woman before me is willing to ept me. In thisst few days, we havee to properly understand each other, that I am certain of.

    Ashley, do you remember what I wrote when I registered at an adventurer? That you said putting only ck was fine, and you had to write it for me?

    Eh? Yeah, I remember.

    Well, my name wasnt recorded as ck, but as ck  Powder.

    ck  Powder Powder

    Although I have both a first name and ast name, I am not a noble from anywhere, nor part of the imperial family. [1] And, us Powder its out House, the Powder House, that cant use magic. Up until now, I havent witnessed, felt or touched magic. That is the kind of ce I have lived in. Therefore, living here would not be an inconvenience. In addition, I have this.

    Saying that, I lifted the Five-seveN out of the shoulder holster and held it in front of me. I left the safety engaged and put it down on the table, then continued to talk.

    This is the Five-seveN. In addition, I have several others, but Arms are a general term. This, those that have or could get their hands on these, its probably limited to just those of the Powder House. Even without magic, with the power of arms, I can live and fight. I will be alright.

    Arms? I have never heard of them, but may I touch?

    Sure, go ahead, theres no danger.

    Ashley extended her hand towards it timidly and attempted to lift it, but as soon as she touched it, it dispersed into particles of light and vanished.

    Eh?! The Five-seveN is gone?! What does this mean

    This this is a bloodline skill!?

    Bloodline skills? Did I misunderstand something? How should I deceive her

    Yes, its a bloodline skill, Arms. Probably because of this skill, I dont have magic.

    Wow, a family that has bloodline skills, in the Ondo continent, even within the countless countries there are only a handful of families with them. Even in the Kurt Merga Kingdom theres only the imperial family are you sure you arent Royalty?

    Its different, really. I, this body has neither a country nor vige to which it can return.

    I hope that this decision is not yet final, but

    Is that so Im sorry, I was just a little relieved. Those without magic, the Manuke, I have head go through much discrimination and difficulty, and I havee across several such people in the past, but for them to have gone through such hardship and keep living is even more difficult. But, ck-san, if youre okay with it, well, I will also help you, so if you need anything, please tell me.

    Thank you. You are already helping me, Ashley. I am very grateful for that.

    I seemed to have been able to sessfully fool her, and listened story of the Ma nuke, I responded to her, so as not to worry her. And even if it was a lie, I didnt want to see Ashley with a worried or uneasy expression on her face.

    Well, it might not all be a lie. The power of VMB may gave been converted into a Bloodline skill, or may have already been one, though it is quite a cheat. I became aware that while we were having a good time, there was no one around us, and realized that the meal was now over.

    That was a considerably long talk. So, shall I see you to your lodgings?

    Thank you.

    In that way, I enjoyed a walk at night after a meal, while taking Ashley to the dormitory for the guild staff within the General Guildspound,

    The next day, in order to receive a new request as an adventurer, I hade to the building of the General Guild. Bulletin boards were located within the building, and I looked for E ranked requests, which had arge variety of different ones. They ranged from the collections of medicinal nts and minerals, and subjugation of demonic beasts who had been attracted by the magic of thebyrinth, to escorting people to other cities and viges within Barga, and various merchant requests.

    Now, which should I take Unless I earn 2 years worth of taxes within the next three months I have almost no money left after yesterdays shopping, so I first must make money to afford the cost of living.

    I peruse the reward amounts and the achievement conditions of each requests, but it seems that they have little direct danger, and I wont even need to consume ammunition or use my firearms toplete them. But I still have no means to increase CP, so I have to find a way to either increase it or make money without decreasing it

    I have a feeling that the tool bag is the main deciding factor on the quantity requirement for collection requests. The reward changes based on the quantity collected, but with the stock tool bag, it doesnt seem possible to be able to make a great amount of money.

    My eyes naturally gravitate towards the demonic beast subjugation requests. There are higher rewards and fewer time restraints.

    ss wolf suppression ck Wolf was attacked when they came towards Barga near thebyrinth in the East Woods. Suppression proof  Fang. Quantity  5 or more. 10 silver forpletion, 1 silver for every additional fang, and 15 guild points. When I saw this, the reward for the Goblin Mage didnt seem abnormal. Could it bee that they were a strong sub-race?

    I took the ss wolf hunting request and went to the reception desk, and presented it along with my Guild Card. The receptionist at the desk epted it and when she was done, she returned my guild card and said, Have a nice day, please be careful. The girls age was considerably excellent, and also her personality.

    After leaving the General Guild, I headed towards the horse drawn carriage station. In Barga, carriages appeared traveling to and from thebyrinths early in the morning to about noon. The map of Barga had hardly been filled at all, and I couldnt understand the part of the map over thebyrinth to the east. Though I had little money on hand, I decided to ride a horse-drawn carriage. The carriage was arge wagon with an attached top that shook terribly.

    After being shaken in the carriage for about an hour, it stopped. We were on the road, and to the east I could see the forest where thebyrinth was.

    Customer-san, if you look to the east, we have arrived.

    Thank you. Are you sure thebyrinth is in that forest?

    Yes, in that forest is thebyrinth of the east, the Labyrinth of the Fanged Wolf. If you walk in that direction you will find it.

    I paid the coachman and then moved across the street towards the east forest.

    After traveling a little ways into the woods, i activated the TSS and selected my main weapon. This time, I took a MP5A4 with 3 magazines, and summoned the supply box. It was possible in the inn to summon my weaponry due to the fact that I was alone in a room out of the way, but to avoid attention and unnecessary inquiry, I had so summon it here at thest minute.

    I saw some adventurers in town wearing a coat I wonder if I could try to hide a gun in one of those

    While I murmured this, I turned the safety off and set it to 3-bullet burst. I followed the road that branched off towards thebyrinth and entered the forest.

    I started searching for the ss wolves, and within approximately 30 minutes, I head footsteps and running through the earphones attached to the googles.

    Surely, those were the footsteps of a ss wolf. Or are there two?

    I wasnt sure yet, and it didnt appear on the map, but I had certainly heard them. In FPS games, recognizing the diverse sounds of enemies over the distracting sound of the environment is extremely difficult, and is a sign of one growing into an experienced yer from a beginner. It is an essential technique for ying such games.

    Movement and footsteps, whispers, the sound of empty clips being ejected and reced, the sounds of these all aid in telling the direction and distance, and can help create advantageous situations for oneself  this is the powerful charm of the FPS genre.

    It doesnt sound like running, probably walking an assault from the rear!

    As I listen, I should be cautious of other parties in the area. If its a wolf it will have a good sense of smell; Of course I should try to keep the sound as low as possible, but I wont have to care about smell due to the direction of the wind.

    However, I dont know if I am the best judge of this, because this is the first time Ive gone hunting. I dont know how well the wind will mask my smell. Now, I should focus on attacking from the rear.

    On the map appears two dots of light.

    The radar in VMB has a maximum range of 150m and shows location and proximity with a glowing dot on the screen, in rtion to the center. However, the sound range was muchrger, and can pick up sound 300-500 meters away.

    There was no formal distance, and the range was discovered by yers who investigated the topic independently. Based on the fact that knowing the whereabouts of other yers would ruin thepetitiveness of the game, the radar range was dictated in order to retain bnce.

    There it was. Arge, 1.5m long dog-shaped ss wolf.

    After confirming that this is the same beast I had killed no long ago, I came to a knee about 100m from it. I put the cross hair over the ss wolf and set up my stance, then pulled the trigger once.

    Three bullets left the MP5A4, and hit the joint of the wolfs hind leg, which proceeded to buckle and copse under the wolfs weight. Verifying I hit the mark, I moved on to the next wolf and trained the cross hair on it. Already, one of the ss wolves was surprised by the sudden copse of itspanion and became cautious, taking a bit of distance and looking around warily. Hitting it in the head could result in the destruction or loss of the fangs, so I aim a bit lower, at the neck, and pull the trigger..

    Did I hit it?

    The wolf fell back in reaction to the impact and copsed. Keeping the cross hairs stationary on the ss wolf, I cautiously approached.

    I was still listening to the surroundings and checking the map. If I am too focused on the wolves, the loud sound of gunfire could attract other demonic beasts who could attack me while Im distracted, and that would be foolish.

    The two wolves were no longer making any noise, and no longer were reflected on the map as glowing points. After verifying that they were dead, I stripped them of their fangs.

    Maybe the biggest fang would be best? How do I take it out? Should I pull it out?

    I grabbed the mouth of the close wolf and opened it, then grabbed and pulled at its fang. With great effort, I was able to ovee the resistance and extract it. I dropped it into a bag hanging at my waist. I pulled out the other in the same way, and seeded in the collection of the first two.

    Fuu~ I wonder if I can continue on in this way

    Then I continued hunting for three hours, eating some dried meat halfway through without stopping for a lunch break or rest. When I checked the time, my goggles said it was past 15:00 (3:00).

    I dont know what time the carriage returns, but it will be night soon, and the sun may set before I return. I decided to return to Barga. I had hunted 6 wolves, including those that I killed in the first attack.

    Yet I still hadnt seen the entrance to thebyrinth. Going there would be a waste of time, as the adventurers who go into thebyrinth would hunt ss wolves in the area surrounding the entrance. I returned to the highway and begun to walk towards the walls of Barga.

    From todays hunting I understand that, for the punitive system, searching for the enemy takes too much time

    If this was a game, I was walking back and forth within a small map to find and hunt enemies. However, to look for prey, there surely must be some specialty knowledge that I dont have.

    One would have to examine the ss wolfs ecology and know their activities and behavioral patterns. I had nearly no knowledge of how to hunt animals in the woods no knowledge of the flora and fauna living in this world.

    But I cant be an adventurer if I cant kill a ss wolf. Its a great upation.

    No, wait What about thebyrinth? If I hunt there I will need to know things such as the ecology and the environments. In thebyrinth, specific knowledge is required

    I intently walk towards where the road into the east forest meets the highway, which connects Barga and the Imperial City. I advance towards Barga, and can faintly hear the footsteps of a ss wolf. An also the sound of a carriage.

    Turning around to face the sound, I could see it considerably far of in the distance From the Imperial City came a single horse-drawn carriage. The sound of ss wolves running was about 500m from the back.

    Is that carriage being attacked?

    It seems my first request hasnt ended just yet

    <strong>Equipment</strong>

    MP5A4

    German-made heckler & Koch sub-machine gun, now the most used sub-machine gun in the world, with many variations. There are many different applications, from military to police and anti-terrorist forces.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    Hey. The adventurer there! Run away too!

    Riding the coachman seat, a little roundish silhouette of an uncle? He shouts towards me whos ahead to where the carriage runs. The number of ss Wolf who are chasing the carriage is five so I guess, the rhythm of the sound though being the same, the feeling of the weight differs from the one that is emitted.

    Please go ahead!

    When I shout that much, I set up my MP5A4 in a knee stand as I look at the rear side of the carriage There is a huge ss Wolf, is it a high-ranking kind?

    Watch out! Its a Dire ss Wolf!

    Shouted the old man sitting on the drivers seat of the carriage, at the moment he ran through by my side. Dire ss Wolf? High-ranking kind still, a body bigger than the usual ss Wolf, it exceeds the length of 2m. I fired in 3-bullet burst at the lead ss Wolf first of all.

    Kyan!

    Its not possible to imagine because of the ss Wolfs appearance, a scream simr as a dog rose, the lead rolling ss Wolf stopped moving. The Dire ss Wolf who saw it barked once, the remaining four decided to aim at me, spreading from the highway, trying to encircle me.

    To avoid being encircled, I began to run to the right at once toward a ss Wolf. The others are lured this waying near to here.

    While running toward the nearest ss Wolf lining up the cross-hair, I take a stance with the gun at my waist, in Hip-fire, shooting one bullet then shooting two.

    Though one target was removed, I adjust a second one still rolling.

    However, fundamentally the ss Wolfs speed is faster than mine.

    With a powered suit, though my leg strength is far faster than the standard of this world, still its not faster than the wolf group. The Dire ss Wolf took some distance, it seems to look on the state of the hunt. Three remain, one draws near with a jump stretching its fangs.

    The three sensed behind, when checking it visually while turning slightly around, I break into the bad situation in a dash, to make the best use of the performance of the powered suit I change to High mobility and movement.

    I step in forcefully as it is and jump to the left front, while looking back at the same time. Setting up the safety device of the gun on full auto, in the left front and with the inertia jump in the air, matching the ss Wolf approaching and the cross-hair, I pulled the trigger.

    The sound of the consecutive firing shots changes into a roaring sound, from a dot to a line various bullets swallowed two ss Wolf. Thennding vigorously as it is, to the right side front I move and jump again. Theres one left on the middle, turning my line of sight to the left, matching the cross-hair to the ss Wolf without pausing I pull out the trigger.

    Can I still do it?

    That jump, a technique made to seem natural in the game called VMB, there were mutters of confirmation of its reproduction even so in the real world.

    That jump, the Axel Jump, also called the Circle Jump, the ultimate most effective move, also called Strife Jump. Using the eleration of the movement speed ording to game specification and movement point of view, with higher speed, longer jump technique, the one closest to the technique reproducible in the VMB, was simrly called Strife Jump.

    With this high mobile move, instead of FPS ending in a long range firearms match, avoiding bullets, slipping through, sometimes bringing forth gunfight at close range when jumping over and nearing the enemy, VMB wasnt just a FPS with a direct gunfight, it became an evolved stage.

    With five ss Wolf down and the remaining Dire ss Wolf being cautious, I rece the emptied magazines. Then the empty magazines thrown away be particles of light and disappear before falling on the ground. Its fivepanions killed, the Dire ss Wolf opens wide its eyes while baring its huge canines, ruffling its fur and ring this way.

    I judged that I should make a pre-emptive attack attack while theres some distance, took a standing shooting stance and peeked through the sight, matching the cross-hair and setting on full auto, as I fired five shots. However the Dire ss Wolf lept on the side, quickly evading.

    It avoided too? If so what to do

    Even shooting from the front, since it sees as theres some distance it evades. Did the opponents stance break? I decided theres nothing but thrusting into that gap, now lets see how far can I get close and if it evades, advancing and stepping in a little in an instant the Dire ss Wolf opens its big mouth more and more, facing over here as its mouth raises a roar

    Now!

    Its mouth seemed for a moment a shine pale green light, it released a shot over here with a thunderous roar.

    I jumped to the side and seeded evading it while rolling. When checking the front, the Dire ss Wolf has already running over here. I somehow merely returned into a half-rising stance, the Dire ss Wolf already had approached in front of me, swinging downward its right w.

    Uooo!

    I grasp my MP5A4 in my left arm, raising it at the same time overhead as if to repel the Dire ss Wolf right w, and push a button in the base of my gauntlet index finger.

    While pushing the button of my Gauntlet, another element why VMB doesnt end because of long range gunfight, the Circle Barrier Shield (CBS) has been deployed.

    A round energy shield of an energy consumption type, with a diameter from the fist to the elbow, this CBS is able to stop all attacks in VMB.

    However, the energy dries up at once when continuously deployed, so with a high CP consumption, reusing it is impossible unless waiting cool time to end or using replenishing items.

    To remove the sure line of fire shot of the VMB jump technique, this shield was deployed over a short interval, it was a general technique to prevent being shot.

    Deployed from my left arm, a pale shining invisible shield brushed off the right w of the Dire ss Wolf, though the CBS repellence of the opponents strike it seems it didnt understand what happened, because it was amon counter action in VMB PvE mode although breaking the shooting posture. I cant overlook such a chance.

    Great!

    Its right w repelled, the Dire ss Wolfs belly right before me became defenceless, I shot one handed pulling the trigger with my right hand. The MP5A4 spouts fire before the belly that receives 9x19mm Parabellum bullet. I keep on firing into the Dire ss Wolf until it copses, it will be surely an overkill hereafter magazine are emptied, I didnt yet grasp its life ran out, together with the sound I sensed a thick and heavy feeling, the Dire ss Wolf was dead.

    Fuu! Though it was good because of the shield protection, I could withstand this guys power but it was dangerous

    While looking down at the copsed immobile Dire ss Wolf, I rece the magazines. With this, spare magazine consumed, the earlier five ones killed included, none seemed to be moving any more.

    However, that roar a little while ago? That surprised me, the superior kind can use naturally offensive magic-like?

    The Dire ss Wolfs roar, a mass of magical power hurled on the the impact ground, imagine that power. The ground has been gouged, to the point of forming a crater Well, the carriage a little while ago ran away quickly, when turning my gaze towards city fortress Barga, I see from a long distance one carriageing this way. Before long, driving sounds can be heard too. That chased carriage, did it return?

    Boy are you safe? As I saw from a distance I was worried. Are you injured? Since I have medicine

    No, Im not hurt, is the uncle also alright?

    No injuries?! A Aa I am alright, I was saved thanks to you. As I was on the the way from the royal capital to city fortress Barga, I was unexpectedly attacked by ss Wolf, since magic beasts dont usually appear in the vicinity of the highway the guard got careless too, I really was saved.

    Well, in that situation, I became the target. The sparks that had fallen onto me were paid. (TL: couldnt really grasp the meaning of this: )

    No, no, however killing a Dire ss Wolf while unhurt

    While talking to the old man in the drivers seat, I pulled out thebat knife from my leg sheath on my thigh, I thrust it into the Dire ss Wolfs chest, cutting through it. Blood isnt spouting out as I thought, as I was removing the (demon) magic stone buried inside that appeared.

    Still warm, I hear Ashleys yesterday lecture, superior material of sub-race magic beasts, in the natural world demons using magic possess a magic stone in their chest huh.

    Hou! A magic stone of wind of a wonderful size.

    I noticed the old man hade down by my side from the carriage. A magic stone of about 5cm taken out shines in green, to me even without magic, I understand also with its radiance it possess some power sealed. I put the magic stone in my pouch, and pulled out the fangs of the ss Wolf and Dire ss Wolf as subjugation proof, is the Dire type as good as any fang?

    Do I only need to collect the magic stone and the subjugation proof?

    The old man who was looking at the collection work, listened to the question thinking, can something more be collected?

    No, no I too have a tool bag , it cant take any more.

    I dont have a tool bag, though I cant use, I dont think necessary saying Im a Manuke, so I deceived him.

    Its a waste! Theres no useless part in magic beasts! Theres a use for skin, meat, and the bones too. Could I buy it in this ce if you cant take it?

    Im thankful, please if it is possible to buy it after all I would simply throw it away, eeto

    This is rude of me adventurer dono, not introducing to the one who rescued me, I am called Malta, a merchant. I manage the Marida firm, mainly in the king capital.

    Pleased to meet you Malta san. My names Schwarz, I am still a beginner adventurer.

    I was thankful of the old man named Malta for its honest offer. For me who cannot use the tool bag, the amount of luggage I can hold is extremely insufficient, even small firearm such as MP5A4 and the ammunition carried, excepting the subjugation proof collected theres little room left.

    Actually I should be the one to thank you, Schwarz san. First, let me do the retrieval to my tool bag, then lets go towards Varga, well carry out the deal there while the day is set. Please Schwarz san also should get on the carriage, well only decide general things while going towards it.

    And, I sit on Malta sans carriage, returning to the city fortress Barga while deciding a quick amount of money for the trade.

    Equipment used MP5A4

    Germany sub-machine-gun made by thepany Heckler & Koch, the most used sub-machine-gun in the world, with also extraordinary numerous variations. Military forces, police and counter terrorist units etc, a famous instrument ying a broad active role. Circle barrier shield (CBS)

    VMB original barrier shield, there is a deployment switch at the base of the left index finger, as long as energy issting, the circle shield-shaped barrier stretches to prevent any attack in VMB. Consumed energy is recovered by natural recovery or time recovery items.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    When I returned to the city fortress Varga with Malta san, I went first to the guild reporting thepletion of the request. About selling to Malta san the materials from the Dire ss Wolf and the like, Ill meet Malta san again at Maridas branchpany tomorrow so we separated. When I entered the general guild annex in the evening, It overflowed with adventurers settling todays earnings there.

    Naa lots of row, do I line up in a spot with short queue for the time being? Though there are two or more counters at the reception desk, I wonder why theres a difference in the rows lining up in the counters, I queued up in a random and long line too, there were counters where several people didnt line up too.

    My turn has turned while I was minding the next row, seems like the one in charge of this counter is a fast working person. When turning towards the next counter I look over there, there was sitting a cute beast woman receptionist.

    As expected, speaking of guild receptionist and beauty, its the pretty faction receptionist woman! After surviving life and death requests and searches, it is necessary to heal the mind and eyes, thus by talking for a while, the raging mind is appeased by exchanging the life. (TL: what the author meant here is about surviving after risking its own life in a guild request and whening back to the counter to be healed by the vision of a beautiful receptionist)

    The queue next to me, the purpose of miss receptionist, I understand well that feeling, talking about ones adventures to the lovely receptionist, getting her admiration, besides the request reward it seems that receiving this might be a hard to get reward, thus the reception here

    Wee, pleasee, I am receptionist Lesmond. Please show me your guild card and the written request.

    He was sitting there the other day, it was Lesmond san the small mustache old gentleman who appraised the goblin mages obi.

    Oh, was it Schwarz san? Wee back.

    Lesmond san seems to have remembered me. The present me can be said to have an indescribable expression. Iya, this person never brings dissatisfaction, polite interaction, he has certain skill, he might be a splendid staff member.

    But, however that sort of passion behind an expressionless outside, while Lesmond san checks my guild card and request, he operates the crystal pedestal with a stream like elegance handling.

    I returned just now, today to the reception desks.

    While seeing his splendid work, I want to praise my willpower for returning me to normal.

    Yes, because this period of time is very crowded, I also am sitting here helping. The request is subjugation of ss Wolf, subjugation proof please.

    Yes, 11 in all, and then I also hunted a Dire ss Wolf, with the fang matching too?

    To Dire ss Wolfs name, I felt the edges of Lesmond sans small mustache went up slightly, though I might have made a mistake. Lesmond san without breaking his gentle smile, the subjugation proofs are confirmed one by one, his movement stopped at the noticeably big fang of the Dire ss Wolf.

    Yes, Diamond ss Wolf is a simr fang. This is certainly a Dire ss Wolf, as expected, Schwarz san. When encountering Dire ss Wolf in the nature, it is in a herd without exception, however Schwarz san doesnt seem to be injured by. As one would expect of a G rank who hunts goblin mage.

    Ahah, I was able to simply aim at the small number of the herd by chance.

    Fufu, Modesty Im sorry to have kept you waiting, thepletion of the request has been confirmed, thank you for your effort. Remuneration in ordance is 16,000 Oru with 16 silver coins, and 15 guild points. Dire ss Wolfs subjugation proof, 25,000 Oru with 25 silver coins, and 200 guild point. Furthermore 1,600 Oru are taken for the tax collection of the current year, I will return the guild card.

    <strong>Adventurer Registration Card</strong>

    <strong>Name</strong>:             Schwarz Powder

    <strong>Age</strong>:             24

    <strong>Home</strong>:    VMB

    <strong>Main Weapon</strong>:     none

    <strong>Main Magic Attribute</strong>:   none

    <strong>Skill</strong>: none

    <strong>Skill</strong>:  none

    <strong>Payment of taxes method</strong>: adventurer remuneration

    <strong>Rank</strong>: E (240/500)

    Checking the Guild Card, the Blood skill Arms made up yesterday evening wasnt registered. From the start the blood skill wasnt recorded, or that is so as I requested for it not to be recorded, or something like that. I received the reward, after parting with Lesmond san in the general guild I went towards the inn.

    After eating diner at the inn I went to my room at once, I checked the CP consumed for todays request.

    Even so, the consumption speed is fast, as it is I can hold one year or not?

    Currently, how will I use CP without an aim of acquisition from now on? Investing it as if it grows on tree on ammunition replenishment and equipment purchase, though I saved arge amount of CP, I cant be relieved.

    Since by killing enemies crystal cant be obtained, I should also consider theres no alternative for it, regarding this world I am here as a foreign substance, there thinking over a good idea that had note out, the only possibility is this magic stone

    During my return from todays request, while touching the wind magic stone I harvested from the Dire ss Wolf I encountered by chance, the screen monitor of TSS from the Gauntlet of the left arm was inactivated, I try to operate it like a tablet terminal.

    Resolutely no small firearms, theres not a lot of melee weapon gathered left? No, however an amateur may not understand the hair has grown with the level of technology, its unreasonable hunting such things as magic beast sub race.

    The answer doesnt emerge from the problem, its useless no matter how much I touch the TSS. So I thought, when operating the TSS switched off, the wind magic stone touched by the right hand slips down from the fingers into the monitor screen of the TSS It went into.

    ERRORThis crystal cannot be converted into points.

    Cancel conversion? (Y/N)

    What?! The magic stone is also a crystal?!

    I couldnt take my eyes off the error message on the screen monitor of the TSS. For now I choose cancetion of the conversion, the wind magic stone that sank in the screen monitor has fallen on the back side of the monitor.

    In other words I can convert magic stone by dropping it on the monitor, am I able to get as many crystal as I can? I search in the pouch of the magazine belt, choosing another magic stone, I take out the no attribute magic stone collected on the goblin mage. I dropped it on the screen monitor.

    Conversion This crystal will be converted into points? (Y/N)

    There. It was impossible with the wind magic stone, its possible to convert a non attribute!? I convert it at once, and checked the number of acquired point It is few, the number of points was about the amount for one magazine.

    Th this Though CP was certainly obtained, After all, it bes minus if I thinks about the frequency to acquire magic stones No, if I think about the replenishment of materials, not everything needs to be obtained directly. Or theres the way of buying and trading magic stones too, but wont it turn into a substantial amount of money then?

    Among the stories I heard Ashley san talking, there was a story about how making use of magic stones. Magic stones seem to support various life infrastructures in this other world, the energy source operates in the same way various magics.

    In other words, magic stones are like the electricity in my former world, the gas, or the fossil fuel. It is difficult to imagine an offer with a reasonable price actually, however here the fortress city of Varga is enclosed by abyrinth

    I see, thebyrinth? Ashley san said, in nature it is difficult to obtain magic stones, reversely inbyrinths when killed magic beasts and even sub-races disappear immediately absorbed in thebyrinth, and their core bes a magic stone falling down there

    In other words, the activity in thebyrinth ys a central part in gathering magic stones. I should be an explorer out of an adventurer, when promoted to D rank Ill immediately be promoted into one, its necessary to obtain the authorization for entering thebyrinth. Thinking up there, I noticed the moment the date starting to change.

    I must go and see Malta san tomorrow, above all to confirm the means to obtain CP, as the excitement hasnt lessened yet, or do I go to sleep soon today?

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    (<strong>TL Note:</strong>I decided to change demon beast to magic beast since Im already using magic stone instead of demon stone)

    I received my first request as an adventurer andpleted it the next day. I am in the business district spreading in south of the city fortress Varga, I came to the Marida branchpany in Varga. While returning from yesterdays first request, since I unexpectedly rescued Malta san from a herd of magic beasts, I agreed on selling the corpses of the magic beasts.

    Maltas Maridapany faced the Main Street where the city fortress Vargas business district was running through, it was a big building three stories tall. When helping yesterday, traveling without an escort with the carriage, I thought it was a merchant of the peddling center, if this tradingpany building is a branch, it can be expected that the headquarters is arger big tradingpany.

    The first floor of the tradingpany is selling armors and tools intended for the adventurers. Rather than a store selling various articles, they deal with high-level armor and items, theres an atmosphere simr to brand-name shops aimed at experienced people.

    When I entered inside, a store employee has approached at once with a radiant smile.

    Wee. What can I help you with today?

    Eeh, is Malta san here? Its about the matter of the sales of raw materials of magic beasts we still have left.

    We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you foring. Ill go and call him right away, could you wait in the reception room?

    While going towards the reception room the employee gave me some guidance, when asking if this tradingpany was selling magic stones, it seems the Maridapany is a tradingpany that originally started with magic stones trades.

    Magic stones were collected and brought back from variousbyrinths, transporting and carrying to ce with theres demand for it. So performing together transportation and sales, to ces with higher demand, selling cheaply, keeping on raising profits, soon it came to deal with goods other than magic stones, thepany had grown up greatly.

    Im sorry to have kept you waiting, Schwarz san.

    In the reception room the employee guided and left me, I listened to stories of thepany while sipping tea I was served, and Malta entered the room while his plump stomach shook.

    No, since I got some delicious tea.

    Did it suit your taste? Tea of eastern countries arent easily obtained even in the royal capital. Come now, lets settle the business talk. Though Schwarz san killed five ss Wolf and a Dire ss Wolf, theres few damage on every fur, so it was skinned very neat.

    Well, though on the part of the belly there was only a hole in the Dire What kind of weapon, or magic did you use? Though such scars were never seen before.

    Though Malta san had a smiling face till then, his eyes, the moment he made an allusion to weapons and magic, were shooting a sharp light. As a merchant he may be thinking of something profitable. However, he wont be able to understand even if I honestly exin it.

    Aah, well, that thing, its a secret.

    I decided that I couldnt honestly say it, and frankly made it secret.

    This is harsh, no, even so I was rude. The secret of an adventurers strength is his biggest asset, I shouldnt have asked such as to easily splurge it, please forget it.

    Once again Maltas face was smiling again and gave out the impression of a gentleman. And, from the bag he carried when he entered the room, he began to take out the purchase money.

    Lets go and proceed, ss Wolf is three silver coins for one, though I would buy the Dire for 60 silver coins, how about it?

    Yes, I have no problem with it. By the way Malta san, I heard that Maridapany is focused on carrying out magic stones trading.

    Yes, also mying from the royal capital to Varga, the purpose is for buying magic stones. I heard of a rumor that a fourthbyrinth was discovered. If a newbyrinth is discovered, then the amount of transactions of magic stones will increase more and more in Varga too. Its a disqualification for a merchant if he fails to notice this business opportunity.

    Though I havent entered thebyrinth yet, may I ask you the trading price of magic stones as reference?

    Yes, I dont mind. If it is Schwarz san, youre likely to greatly y an active part in thebyrinth as soon as you enter it.

    And I heard the story of the magic stones from Malta san, it will be of great use as a reference. However, since the story was long enough tost till lunch so I was treated to a feast, it became impossible to go and take a request today.

    For magic stones, with the six basic attributes that are fire, water, wind, earth, darkness, and light, thosebined called the four rare attributes that are thunder, ice, wood, space, adding the non attribute there are 11 attributes in total, theres variation with the kind of attribute imprinted due to the magic beasts core. (TL: I used space for  (sora) which means sky, the air, heaven)

    Furthermore, it bes an energy source that runs the tool bag and the transfer device, as never empty magic stones of space attribute were taken from magic beasts and sub-race, it can only be found inside thebyrinth where it drops, it is said that it cant be acquired.

    Thus the actual value of the transaction is, basically many non attribute are harvested because of argely amount supplied, the price isnt that much, it seems also there are dealings by several silver coins for the six basic attributes.

    However, as the four rare attributes cant be obtained easily, its even more expensive because it can be acquired only by picking it up as empty magic stone, the price is also ording to the size of the magic stone, theres extensive dealings from tens of silver coin to a gold coin.

    Hence, basically the price of magic stones changes easily, at a general guild too that has dealings in the lowest average price, it was strongly rmended to deal directly with a merchant like Malta san. The Maridapany is strong, thats why it was strongly rmended, yet

    Back from todays negotiation, I checked at once the price of non attribute magic stone, the sale money earned is of 75 silver coins inside, theres as many as 40 non attribute magic stones bought, I returned to the hotel and I converted everything into CP.

    And by the next day I received the request centered on the subjugation system, even though struggling hard hunting in nature with insufficient knowledge, guild points will still be saved little by little.

    Within the premises of the general guild, theres also a facility simr to a library called Archives, my one days cycle, receiving early in the morning a request, I will achieve it by the afternoon and return to Varga.

    Ill stop by the archives after thepletion report,mon sense in this different world and knowledge on magic beasts sub-races, are likely to turn out as target of collecting request, I gather knowledge of medical herbs and minerals, and I return to the hotel in the evening, I kept living like this.

    Well the archives, as one would expect of the information volume it cant be memorized normally, there its not quit a trick, theres the screen capture function in the head goggle, by using it I began to save magic beasts picture books and medical herbs picture books one after another. This capture image, because its possible to look at TSS at any time, it was greatly useful for checking the stuff gathered and the like on spot.

    And, after three weeks, I was reporting todays request achievement in the general guild annex. The receptionist is Lesmond san this time too. Although theres many of annex counters, the queue of the mans counter and the waiting time are short, working politely, after all I get in line here every time. Thereupon a beautiful and lovely woman receptionist is nice if it admired from the side.

    Thank you, what should I do to take the promotion examination?

    Well, theres expectation for further activity of Schwarz sama.

    With this after passing the examination I can enter thebyrinth! I can see approaching my way of life from now on. I renewed my thanks, and went toward the adventurer registration counter.

 Chapter 17: (unedited)

    Chapter 17: (unedited)

    <strong>TL: kamisuzaku</strong>

    At the general guild annex, I knew that I got the qualifications for the D rank promotion test, I immediately enter the main building of the general guild and proceed to the adventurer registration reception counter, its there that I was being taken in charge for my adventurer registration, and the elf Milimaria was sitting.

    Wee to the general guilds branch of Varga of the Kurt Merga kingdom, oh youre Schwarz san, wasnt it?

    Hello, Milimaria san. Saved up guild points increased atst. I request the application for the promotion test.

    Finally, how Schwarz san is youre a Manuke isnt it? Finishing saving the guild points without one month passing yet

    You know that Im a Manuke right? (TL: not sure about this: )

    Milimaria san, thereupon looking slightly embarrassed, when I did the adventurer registration, talked about what the crystal referred in the biometric record.

    That crystal, when copying biometrics data into the guild card, first blink white then colored in ordance with the number and attribute of abilities and skills ones hold, I hear that it repeats the blinks. However, when my date were copied it only blinked once with basic data, from that long task Milimaria san understood at once that from my magical power theres no magicing out.

    Which reminds me, at that time Ashley san and Milimaria were surprised with something Therefore Ashley san noticed it too.

    Its that sort of reason, maa however theres really no problem. Actually its like this because I repeated and increased request achievement.

    Such thing right, still Im honestly surprised, the reason being for Schwarz san to have that much of strength. Well then for Im also the staff member responsible of the registration counter, Ill do my best to carry out my duties. However for the promotion test to D rank, the test subject is in the eastern forest of Bargas fortified city, youll go towards the Wolfs Fangbyrinth together with the examiner, and youll have to travel the 1st underground floor and reach the 2nd underground floor.

    Eh? Is that it?

    Schwartz san, although its thebyrinths first floor, its by no means an easy ce. Besides, this test, rather than a test of aptitude of D rank, while adding a D rank raising of status, it forces the way of a training-like nuance for the sake of the requirements of abyrinth explorer.

    I see, I understand now. And what does a typical schedule of the test sound like?

    It takes one day for preparations of an examiner, pleasee to the general guild main building the day after tomorrow in the morning. Also, in the level applied for the application test of D rank raising of status, youll be able to browse the materials rted to thebyrinth at the Archives.

    Since youll return on the same day of the appointed day, preparations for camping arent needed, test begins after gathering necessary goods and tools for thebyrinth exploration such as food and so forth. Please, check up by yourself what you need.

    I understand, the day after tomorrow is it?

    Thanking Milimaria san, I left the general guild main building and returned to the White Flower Pavilion of the Labyrinth.

    The next day preparing for tomorrows test, I went first to the general guilds grounds at the Archives. These Archives have three floors, theres an uncertain underground floor, and in the primarily floors above ground, various documents and books on nature are ced, in the uncertain underground floor it is said theres rted data on thebyrinth.

    Rted data on thebyrinth arent generally opened to the public, easily exploring for being sure ones life isnt hunted in thebyrinth, it seems they limit information. (TL: note sure for this part:  )Though the nature of the danger should be well known, still theres many reckless adventurers that are eager for a challenge, a group of low rank made a reckless attempt in the past, it seems it wasnt able to suppress it after being excited by thebyrinth.

    Hence, basically they kept away general information concerningbyrinth, and also its said that those who explorebyrinth are told not to make public information of easybyrinth. However, those people are curious beings who want to know about these secrets, conversely the adventurer with interest in concealing arent few either, for this type of fellow that bes D rank there isnt also any restriction, rather say what is less than adventurers who also dont be D rank, turning into such typical position as privilege rank, those less than adventurer aiming at that privilege, for not less than D rank dont look down and keep awareness of the value of that privilege easily. (TL: should get an editor for this part :s)

    The authorization for entering the underground floor for the D rank promotion test was left, currently it was the opening of nothing but the space concerning the fundamental knowledge of thebyrinths first floor underground.

    It seems other is opened after passing. Several books are brought to the reading space, necessary stuff for exploration, checking fundamental knowledge and so forth.

    I use the screen capture function of the head googles, and save with the capture the too many ces I cant memorize. There was also the map of the first floor underground of the Wolfs fangbyrinth bing the future test.

    Apart basic knowledge that was known in rtion to thebyrinth, the area of each level changes to the extent of thebyrinths growth, the Labyrinth also exists for hundreds of years without being captured, the bottomyers deep limits are not known, however it is said theres only 10yers in newbornbyrinths.

    Passage width ofbyrinths inside is 8 ~ 10m, with a small room in the way theres also a wide room exceeding 20m. Because theres basically no light in the passage, explorers always bring a kind of white light grass at the time of abyrinth exploration, go and treat as only a job the thing of sowing seeds in dark ce.

    The sown seeds grow with thebyrinths magic, when the flowers bloom shining in white it brings light in the passage,byrinths magic beasts and sub-races, since showing no interest in the white light grass, its said it keeps on blooming and continues to absorb the magic.

    Magic beasts and sub-races in thebyrinth, thebyrinth creates it using magic power into cores of magic stones, a kind of illusion, thebyrinth spits out magic ingredient in the nature, summoning magic beasts and sub-races in the surroundings, reading this information, it seems it creates the same one within thebyrinth.

    Because, in order to subjugate thebyrinth from the inside while destroying or collecting therge magical stone, in thebyrinths surroundings a powerful seed must be gathered so that a superior kind should not be created, its necessary to keep on subjugating it.

    Magic beasts and sub-races in nature can of course use raw material of corpses, fundamentally when specimen of inside thebyrinth are defeated only magic stone are left behind. However, inside magic materials are thoroughly absorbed, the specimen it took hold are transformed bing superior kind, besides magic stones parts with high magic seems sometimes to fall as drop item, thats a feature corner encountered, if living armors are summoned, from the moment it was created it carries a sword or a shield.

    Still, equipment and belongings of explorers that died within thebyrinth are also absorbed in it, that is sucking magic material of thebyrinth, it seems sometimes are spit out as magic items inside thebyrinth, and doesnt fall into the wayside, there happens to be in arge room inside of thebyrinth a pedestal, it seems to appear in a concealed passage inside a wayside shrine.

    Why do something like this appear? Its a mystery. Among researchers concerningbyrinths predation target aremon races and beasts races, its said its bait to draw people inside thebyrinth, its said also its a game.

    Life struggle of adventurers with thebyrinth, I dont feel strictly unrted more than I thought

    Murmuring so, I closed the book I was reading and swiftly I remember that I am hungry.

    I was hungry, Ill go back and buy tools for tomorrows aim.

    Ill equip for tomorrows D rank promotion test, for today I should quickly go to bed.

 Chapter 18: (unedited)

    Chapter 18: (unedited)

    Going back a little in time, one week before Schwarz promotion taking ce, Ashley hade to the general guild in Mairal vige.

    Schwarz Powder?

    Senior Remi, hearing the full name of Schwarz san, has an expression just like me like having heard it.

    Yes, inquiry by the office crest of the royal capital, as well as Kurt Merga kingdom, received confirmation of noble lists from neighboring countries, but presently both royalty and titled nobility the Powder house doesnt exist.

    I see, he didnt necessarily have fled from Baishuban empire

    Remi senior was surprised only a little that her own thought was above all off the point, so where fromes Schwarz san? Before thinking about that question, theres a point that couldnt be reported yet.

    Well maa, a bloodline skill because of Manuke? However, we can leave him unattended as the general chief says that it can happen.

    Yet, with the investigation of the newbyrinth I discovered in the west of Mairal vige, I cant afford to leave here, for Ashley continuously close to Schwarz to see how things are, and when theres something I ask to report it.

    Yes, I understand. But he is in no way a bad person, rather

    N? What, did you fall in love?

    With a single word of senior Remi I opened my eyes wide, my face became exalted as if in fire, I felt oppressed as if my the inside of my chest tightened. However, I stared straight at senior Remis smirking and smiling face

    Its its wrong! Its not that sort of thing!

    Fuu, for the sake of one unknown woman taken away into a goblins den, a man that isnt an adventurering for help alone, I would end up falling in love in that case too.

    B but, the me now is a general guild investigator Im an apprentice. I cant receive a request as an adventurer and travel together

    Wont Schwarz be handling the requests? And theres the timing when you can go together.

    Th thats

    I understood what senior Remi was trying to say, that day I prepared for the return to the fortified city Barga from Mairal vige within the same day, to check the state of Schwarz san at the general guild.

    The appointed day of the promotion test, when going to the main building of the general guild, Milimaria san and Ashley san were waiting.

    Good morning Schwarz san. Ashley san was appointed as todays promotion test examiner. Please listen to the details of the test from her, with this excuse me since I have my normal duties.

    Saying so, Milimaria san immediately went to the other side of the reception counter. When passing by Ashley san, my ear pads picked up her whispering Do your best, theres something too for Ashley san with this test?

    Good morning Ashley san. My best regards today.

    Good morning Schwarz san. As the examiner of the D rank promotion test today, please treat me well.

    Test contents are amounting to run the first floor underground here, reach the second floor underground, and to return to the fortified city Barga.

    Fight ability inside thebyrinth and survival ability, ability to gather information and so forth, are evaluated in more than one aspect, and tested whether or not theres a problem as abyrinth explorer.

    All my preparations areplete, Ashley san too says theres no problem, we then promptly went toward thebyrinth. Im asked by Ashley san what you do for transportation?, first riding on a tour carriage, I decided to go in front of the east forest.

    Schwarz san, did you prepare the map of the first floor underground of the Wolfs Fang Labyrinth?

    Yeah, at the Archives I ask if I could read the basic information of thebyrinth, yesterday I went and checked it. Even if I say its a map, is it all right with something of the level of a scribble?

    The map of the Wolfs Fang Labyrinth was drawn, yet how many years ago, alsobyrinths map doesnt change?

    When an explorer sells to the general guild abyrinths map he drew, also for an explorer that excelled in cartography, there were situations for requesting drawing up from the general guild. However, in both cases, basically because its drawn by the explorers sense within thebyrinth, it bes distorted.

    In this other world, still measurement technique doesnt seem to truly make progress, surely didnt also go for exploring thebyrinth as craftsperson, still it says explorers possessing measurement skill are also nothing but negligible.

    While exchanging idle chat inside the tour carriage, they carried out the check of presence or absence and so forth of goods, tools, provisions for thebyrinth exploration due to Ashley.

    Well I wont fight in thebyrinths first floor underground. If Im attacked Ill deal with it, basically Schwarz san will go and deal with it by himself, is that all right?

    Todays Ashley was wearing a leather armor like when we met the first time, shell battle most likely when attacked, she was carrying a luggage bag thats considered as tool bag, and hasnt taken out arms. (TL: not sure ifst two sentences are about her or him)

    In these three weeks, I epted many requests, I was outstanding going in many ces disying different apparent small arms, powered suit and magazine belt. Hence, nowadays above my usual equipment, with a new customized avatar I configured, I was wearing a ck napoleon long coat.

    When I was ying VMB, yet I ignored this sort of image for fashion items that dress up an avatar that will copse, in reality I also didnt go out withbat uniform anywhere, on the other hand I was anxious going out without carrying weapons. Also luckily because I could remove and install one long coat easily when managing the TSS, I can take it off immediately in battle times.

    Of course. But I would like to hear one thing, way of fighting and ability of the adventurer observed in the test, to what extent it is recorded and is the information shared in the guild? I think my way of fighting is a type considerably different, and I dont want to spread it too much.

    Please be relieved there. Because the result of the test it entrusted by an examiner, what is observed during the test isnt told to other guild members. Moreover, this D rank promotion test isnt a test to drop, since its close to training, it doesnt investigate too much deep.

    Basically is it? I got it. I feel relieved.

    Getting off the tour carriage, we go towards the entrance of the Wolfs Fang Labyrinth walking on the highway. Situated in the middle of the east forest is the Wolfs Fang Labyrinth, even if we get off the carriage tour, from there its even more necessary to walk not less than 30 minutes. With Ashley san, when advancing while having an idle chat not rted with the test, atst the building managing the in and out of thebyrinth came into sight.

    The administrative building of the Wolfs Fang Labyrinth has appeared. First well carry out the exploration registration in there, dont forget to buy there the white light grass seed.

    Well thebyrinth administrative building can control the ins and outs of explorers, and can carry out sorting of exploration schedules andbyrinth information. Theres also rest areas and shops, selling restorative medicines and white light grass seeds. Taking the records of explorers who enter thebyrinth, from the number of explorers who passed away inside, it seems they can to some extent predict the periods magic beasts and sub races overflows from thebyrinth.

    Ashley san and I submit the exploration n of the test at the administrative building, and receive the exploration approval to thebyrinth through the check of the guild card, and we stepped forward an artificially openedrge hole in the ground in the middle of the forest.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    The entrance of the Labyrinth was arge cave on the side of an unnatural looking mountain with guards keeping watch around the entrance to deal with any monsters that could wonder out. Ashley and I greeted the guards as we passed them on the way in. Inside the cave, we were greeted by the sight of many small bright white flowers that often grew in goblin dens. I kept note of it as we continued on through into a small room, inside there were stairs leading down to the lower levels.

    Down these stairs is the first level of thebyrinth, you ready?

    Ashley stopped for a moment to check with me. I held for a moment as there were signs of others on the map. Using the T.S.S, I unequipped and stored my long coat. Keeping that this was a D-Rank promotional exam, I swapped out my H&k-MP5[*1] for an FN-P90[*2] Submachinegun. The P90 is the Five-SeveNs big brother, both made by FN Herstalpany. Its ergonomics are fairly great which make it easy to handle while employing FN 5.7x 28mm caliber rounds[*4], boasting exceptionally t trajectory and armor-piercing of level IIIA Ker vests that stop other small calibers. Even though its armor-piercing, its ability to pass through a body is limited by design and even if I were to miss, it was also designed to limit ricocheting. This with its bullpup design made it must use in thebyrinths narrow spaces since I want to avoid hitting other people as much as possible.

    Read this

    After setting up the P90, I test out the sights by peeping in and returning, so forth. The integrated reflex sights were removed and in its ce was iron sights[*5]. After confirming that there wasnt any difort in transitions, I took out a shlight attachment and attached it to the P90. Then I took out two surpressors[*6] from my waist pouch, attaching them to the P90 and Five-SeveN. I returned my pistol to its holster on my waist.

    Ready. Lets go.

    I said to Ashley, who was smiling at how I was checking my equipment before we both headed down into the first level.Read this

    Read this

    Read this

    As the name suggests, Wolfs Fang Labyrinth mainly had Grass Wolves and other monsters living in the forest to the east. The first-floors path was continually changing from 6 to 10 meters, so inside of walking side by side with Ashley, I decided to take point with Ashley watching the rear. While keeping an eye on the surroundings, I detected movementing up from a bend in the path further up.

    Ashley, back up a little. There seems to be a bending up and about three thingsing towards us

    Ah, yes, please take care.

    From the sounds of the footsteps, it appeared to be a Grass Wolves. I switched the safety off, switching it to automatic, on the P90 with my finger while taking a knee and aimed it at the bend in the path that was about 20 meters ahead. After a few moments, the footsteps got louder and louder, then a wolf head popped into my sights. The moment my crosshairs aligned with its body, I pulled the trigger for a split moment, firing off around five shots. Then, a second and third one came around the bend, both quickly slid into my crosshairs and I pull the trigger again.

    Read this

    With the effect of the silencer, the concussive sound wasnt so loud and with that, our first fight in thebyrinth was only asted a few seconds.

    Mr. Schwatzs skill is amazing! Beginners normally struggle with the Grass Wolves since they have a hard type fighting as a group in these confined spaces. If you fight this way, you can take them out before they even have a chance to reach you!

    Despite what she said, I didnt take my eyes off the wolves and still had my weapon aimed at their bodies thatid on the stone floor while I slowly approached them. As I approached them, their bodies began to be wrapped in a ck fog and slowly faded only to leave behind three small mana stones where their bodies once were.

    Ah, those mana stones have wind attributes.

    These sized stones are pretty great for me since I wont need a bigger bag and since these paths are narrow, it makes it hard for them to avoid my attacks. I think thisbyrinth pretty great.

    While saying that, I collected the mana stones and put them in the bag hanging off my belt.

    Certainly an adventurer can make an incredible amount of money, especially for someone as strong as you, but you have to be aware that its also extremely dangerous if you are by yourself. You could get injured with no one to help you and youd never make it home

    Well, there isnt anyone whos willing to part up with me and considering my fighting style, having anyone who uses melee would only put themselves in danger. Its fine so please dont be anxious..

    I turned around to Ashley with a troubled smile. In the beginning, when I first arrived in this world, I didnt know anything else. So I fought. Im sure there are other ways of life in this world, but with my skills; this is the only thing I can do for now. In this world though, its not such a bad thing.

    Well Lets keep going. Since we still need to finish the exam.

    Yes, thats right. Lets go on.

    We both wrapped up that awkward situation and continued on with the exam, keeping a lookout for more monsters and when we did. Each time we detected them, we waited for them to approach us before I would wipe them out the moment they came into range then collect the dropped stones. Then when we about reached the center, we found arge room.

    Mr. Shwartz, ahead in thatrge room, there should be around 10 demons. How do you n to deal with them?

    Ah, there are demon beasts in this room? is it true they wont attack unless you enter?

    Yeah, the monsters in there are resting rather than keeping guard of the pathways.

    Then that would mean there were high ranked monsters in there then. This level of thebyrinth, a passageway, and arge room. There didnt seem to be a lot of monsters in the end, but therge room would probably be a little tricky. In this situation, the best course of action would figure out how to reduce the difference in numbers.

    I have a tool I want to use, but its loud so I ask that you cover your ears before I throw. When I throw it into the room, please dont look at it either or youll go blind.

    Sound? How does it make a loud sound? What do you use it for?

    Well.. to put it simply, it causes them to be disoriented and then we can swoop in and deal with them while theyre panicked.

    MTLN > Ashes: Notes for guns will only be done once, so keep note of them.

    Note that ther are no such things as an Assault rifle, unless refering to the ww2 german rifle. Rifles arebeled as, Rifle, Shotgun, Machinegun, Submachinegun & pistol. Semi-Auto[ 1 round per trigger pull], Burst [2,3,4,5 etc. per trigger pull], and automatic [ Will continue to fire when holding down trigger].

    Now then it breaks down into details [ Supact, sniper, PDW etc.] Ill try and exin, leaving out any political bias. What Ill try and leave you is just details needed to exin the actual firearm.

    *1:MP5 H&K Submachine Gun[PDW]; 9mm; 1960s.

    I havent had to pleasure to operate one, but have held one in store. They wanted 1k+ for a Semi 16inch Barrel Model. Fairly light even with a 16 inch barrel. There are Pistol variants though, which none of my local stores carry.

    *2:P90 HN Herstal BullPup Submachine Gun; intergrated sights;FN 5.728mm ; 1990s.

    Bullpup rifles are where the magazine and action are behind the trigger[Traditionally, actions & mag are infront] This allows shortening of the rifle, since where the action can be ced in the stock where as itd normally just be a solid piece of stic/wood. Great firearm, havent owned one, but feels nice to hold.

    *3:FN Five-SeveN FN Pistol; Same caliber as P90; 1990s.

    Made as theplimenting sidearm to the P90.

    *4:5.7x28mm caliber Round designed from the ground up for the P90 by FN Herstal.

    *5IronSights

    Dont ask why one would remove the reflex sight, which offers better visibility of the target considering theyd have to get a aftermarket rail and irons Sight is for PS90, different model but close enough.

    *6Silencer/Surpressor Orignially called silencer in the book, changed to surpressor.

    Surpressors dont make firearms silence, but damper the sound in the same way a muffler works on a truck.

    Sound can do such a thing?

    Yes, if you look at it when it explodes, youll be blinded and youll hear a deafening sound that. Both of thesebined will

    The thing I was going to use was a special hand grenade called an M84 Stun grenade[*1] also known as a shbang. For my basic loadout, I always carry two of these, but until now there hasnt really been a situation where I could use it since every battle had been in the open. This time though, the enemies were in a big room, so I thought I would try using this to see if they would effect monsters.

    ashenfeather.wordpress

    The shbang is meant to temporarily stun the opponents sight with the sh and hearing with the bang, which is around 175 decibels. Because of the MMOs P.v.P had gear such as head googles and earpads, it wouldnt affect the yer very much unless their character didnt wear those, but this would be considered PvE or yer vs enemy. So of course, theyre not wearing any sort of protection for their eyes and ears so that should make it quite effective against them.

    ashenfeather.wordpress

    Ashley and I approached the entrance to the room while I exined the shbang to her. I could hear a kind of bizarre voiceing from the room and with the entrance to the room on the right side of the pathway, Ashley had to wait behind me as I took cover right next to the entranceway.

    1.. 2.. 3.. 11 monsters. Appears that theyre all ordinary goblins

    In my head, I confirmed the number of monsters that were in the room; cross-referencing it with the number of red dots on my Maps Disy. I peeked inside and saw that they all were huddled close to one of the walls, resting. They appeared to be socializing, but I couldnt understand what they were saying. Since I confirmed my targets, I had Ashley cover her ears while I put on my earpads and took a shbang from my grenade pouch on my belt.

    Doubled checked that Ashley had covered her ears then I pulled the pin from the top of the grenade and threw it into the room aiming for the center of the group of goblins. There were many types of grenades in the MMO, but most of them would explode after around three seconds.Bang~!.I heard it explode and could see a faint sh from the entranceway so I rushed in, quickly taking aim. When the goblins came into sight, some were standing up and some were huddled on the floor, but all of them had their hands covered their ears and their eyes closed

    ashenfeather.wordpress

    The mouths were open like they were screaming, but no voices came out. As I didnt know how long they would be stunned, I pulled the trigger, dispatching them one by one with the P90. Because I was afraid that one wouldsh out, I kept my distance at the expense of uracy. Because of that, I spent the fifty rounds in the box-magazine and switched to my Five-SeveN sidearm, finishing off the goblins I hadnt killed yet.

    Ive never seen magic like that could that I felt the air tremble and I still heard the explosion even though I covered my ears. To be able to deal with so many monsters, so quickly

    Ashley, who came in after I killed all the goblins, said towards me. One by one the fallen goblins dissipated, leaving behind their mana stones. After I collected all of them I turned to Ashley

    ashenfeather.wordpress

    Well, its that I came up with a n of Attack as soon as I had enough information. I simply made small adjustments to my n of attack to suit the situation I found my enemies in, thus allowing me to do this alone.

    Well Yes, but please do be careful.

    Yes, I will. Well, let us go on.

    With that, we continued on and made our way to the second level. We continued the same n. Detecting the monsters first, let theme to us and then dispatch them quickly before they can reach us. Thus after finishing up thisbyrinth, we walked back to the surface. After today, it would take a while for monsters to respawn so we didnt encounter anymore after we cleared it.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    Ashley and I returned to Vulga [* 1] after leaving the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, meeting up with Mirimaria back at the guilds main hall.

    Wee back, Mr. Schwartz, and wee back to you too as well, Ashley!

    Hello, Maria[* 2], since we finished our objective, is the D-rank exam done?

    So how was thebyrinth exploration for you two?

    I judged that Mr. Schwarts was able to prepare properly and was able to calmly deal with situations ordingly on the first level. I judged that there is not a problem with advancement to D-Rank.

    Then I will ept Mr. Schwartzs advancement results.

    Thank you!

    Now that I had my new D-Rank, I could start exploring dungeons and thus solving my problem with how to earn CP [* 3]. With the issue of CP out of the way, I do not have to worry so much about This certainly gives me a lot more breathing room. How Im going to replenish my ammunition and I do not have to worry.

    Congrattions, Mr. Schwarts, you are free to explore the Labyrinth, but please do not push yourself too hard. Let me see your guild card so I can update the rank. The items you find in thebyrinth are yours to keep, but you can sell them here.

    Thank you both, but Ill be selling the stuff I find to Marida Trade Company who I already know.

    Eh? You already know them?

    Yes, Ive gotten acquainted with Mr. Malta before so Ive been doing business there.

    Mr. Schwarts, Marida has their Headquarters in the Kingdom of Kurtmelga Kingdom and Mr. Malta is the chairman

    Chairman of thepany? a chubby man who always smiles?

    [*4] There was further talk about the conversation, but I didnt understand. If hes really the chairman, why was he moving alone without escorts to this city? Certainly, someone as high up would use escorts when traveling. Ive been frequenting their business and I would never have guessed who he was other than a salesman.

    Well, I understand and on another note, Id like to speak with Ashley. Now that youre an official guild investigator, make sure to write your report properly.

    Maria!

    With that being said, Ashley protested against Maria with a blushing face and Maria handed me my updated guild card.

    _______________________________

    <strong>Name :</strong>Schwartz Powder

    <strong>Age:</strong>24

    <strong>Origin:</strong>VMB

    <strong>Main Weapin:</strong>None

    <strong>Main Magic Attribute:</strong>None

    <strong>Skills:None</strong>

    <strong>D- Rank</strong>

    (0/3,000)

    Labyrinth Qualified

    __________________________________

    The cards disy was easy to read, but what shocked me was I needed over three-thousand points just to move up to C-Rank! However, after thinking it over, I didnt need to rank up to C-Rank since I already been qualified to enter Labyrinths. After saying our farewells to Maria, Ashley and I left the guild and went off to Marida Company to sell the mana stones. Once we had left the receptionist desk, I recalled the Ashley being promoted

    Ashley, was this exam a promotional test for you as well?

    Yes The investigation of Mural Vige the other day was supposed to be my promotional exam But I ended up getting caught by the goblins..

    Well, then lets celebrate your promotion ending without a hitch this time then, how about we both go to dinner together?

    Yes, its definitely good, I cant today, but I have time two days from now.

    Alright then, Ill be waiting in front of the guild on that day then.

    It seemed like a lot of the anxiety I had when I fell into this world began to gradually go away after I solved this problem. It may be because since Ive gotten here, most of everything had been smoothly resolved with my gear from VMB, my invitation to a very beautiful woman for dinner got epted as well. With these pleasant thoughts, Ashley and I parted ways with me heading towards Mirda Company.

    Hello, I came to sell some more mana stones.

    Yes, please hold one while I call for Mr. Malta.

    When I came into the store, it seems the employee recognized me and I was directed to a guest room and I was served tea. After a few moments, Mr. Malta came in with his signature smile.

    Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Schwartz. Do you like the tea? Its a good tea that been fermenting during the summer.

    Hm, its very mellow and a deeply rich tea. Its quite good today.

    Im d that you like it. I was told that you came to sell some mana stones, correct?

    Yes, I was recently promoted to D-Rank and I wanted to sell the stones I got while in the Labyrinth and also purchase more none-attribute mana stones.

    I removed the pouch from my waist and put it in front of Mr. Malta. Mr. Malta took it and pulled out mana stone after mana stone while appraising them. While he did, he was able to ascend what monster and whichbyrinth it came from, but that was all. The attributes were basic, but he still bought all of them.

    We chatted about skills used to identify the stones and its information along with its shorting while promising that Id give preferential treatment to Miradapany and sell my goods here. Since I was here already, I decided to have them prepare a set of tools specifically for exploring Labyrinths. Mr. Malta even did me a favor and rmended a restaurant in the city of Baga.

    Ashes-MTLN; Im sorry friends, I tried to rely on previous chapters, but the first ones are too badly mangled MTLs, so I have to redo it, I may or may not revisit these chapters if I do. Cut some dialogue since I couldnt make it out, but kept the giest of it. Eventually when I rack up more experiene with how the MTs poop them out, the more I can leave in. Most of it isnt anything of meat, mainly filler. I tried to keep the meat, trim fat that wasnt good. p.s its making me want to write a story like this but with more detail. more gore i geuss?

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    The day after my exam, I took a carriage by myself to the Wolf Fang Labyrinth so explore it again. While the carriage rocked back and forth, I was using the Avatar Customization. After thinking further on everything that happened in thebyrinth the first time, it was apparent that my 5.7 and P90 wouldnt be enough to deal withrge groups quickly enough before the status effects wore off. As anyone who yed shooters knows, most firearms shoot one bullet at a time, thus logically, can only deal with one target at a time. What I needed now was something that would deal a killing blow immediately to a good portion of targets when they are in a group

    It was a bit of a pain to choose equipment while having to keep the CP in mind. Was the cost to return ratio worth it and then I have to keep in mind the amount I can reasonably carry. In the avatar outfits, I kept tinkering with my loadout. Belt, vest, and other clothing configurations. The end results were that I chose to keep my firearms the same along with keeping the shbangs, but I also an M67 Fragmentation Hand Grenade[*1] and TH3 Incendiary Grenade. [*2] I also picked out a Powered Battle Suit that was form fitting like underwear but with a rugged design. On top, I wore an M-1965 field jacket[*3] over the suit and attached a utility belt that had magazine pouches and other stuff.

    Hello, Id like to enter the Wolf Fangbyrinth

    After arriving at the Labyrinth, I went forward to the management building and I was greeted by a receptionist, using the term loosely. It was a man in full guard gear sitting at the reception desk.

    Wee then, please hand over your guild card and fill out your form with all the relevant information.

    The guard-ceptionist handed over a form to me as I handed over my guild card. On the form were sections for my name and exploration details such as how many days, and floors I was nning on exploring. I filled out the details and put down for the time frame for 1 day and floors 1 to 5. After I handed thepleted form back, my thoughts wander towards the evolution scale of this world and felt a little ufortable with it.

    The form I filled out was made on paper that I could onlypare to Washi paper[*4] or traditional Japanese paper by the texture. I havent seen anything like the modern white paper Im used to in my original world and even the writing utensil I used was a feather pen. There were Flush Toilets as well and baths, but just not for themon people. There were also different variations of board games about that Ive seen in my world. To be exact, the reason I feel ufortable is that I think they may be other people from my world here with such disparities in technology in certain sectors.

    Well, hes your card back and doesnt push your self in there by yourself. The most important thing if thating back alive.

    He gave me some advice after finding out I was exploring for the first time on my own. I thanked the Guard-ceptionist for his advice. It was a given that recklessly exploring ces such as abyrinth would lead to certain death, but I kept it in the corner of my mind as he was kind enough to say something to me as I felt the building and entered the Labyrinth

    Heading down into the Labyrinth, I pulled out my P90 and 5.7. Their loadout was the samest time with tactical light and suppressor on the P90. The pistol only had a suppressor. However useful these attachments were, they added a little bit of weight to the front ends of the weapons making them awkward to hold, but it was something that could be fixed over time as I got used to the weight.

    Todays n was to explore the entirety of each floor from B-1 to B-5[*5], filling in my map of each level. In the VRMMO game, VMB, maps were a matter of winning or losing. Being able to have the information about the environment the battle would take ce in would certainly give thergest advantage in winning. Being able to know the various key positions such as choke points, areas that would make perfect ambush points, and even positions that would make great sniper vantage point would allow you to utilize them way before a team that didnt have that information on hand. That didnt change just because of the Labyrinth was an enclosed space, but actually made it a matter of life or death. If you were running away, you wouldnt want to run into a dead end and have your escape cut off.

    From whats been exined to me, there doesnt seem to be a gimmick such as an Instant Death Trap anywhere within the Labyrinth so I can rest easy about moving slowly throughout the Labyrinth to check my environment traps. Since Im by myself, I dont have to worry about anyone else, I can focus on the monsters and lighting up my map. With that, I went on in a good mood.

    Since I already had a portion of the map filled in from yesterdays exam, so I decided to take another route close to the filled in portion so to fill in the map route by route. Up ahead I could hear somethinging from a room on the right side. After posting up at on the wall next to the door frame, I peaked in and saw Horned Rabbits

    In the small room, there were rabbits about 50cms long with a long horn growing out of their heads and beady glowing red eyes. Fundamentally, the monsters ofrge rooms wont attack unless you enter the room, but after I stuck my head out, they began to charge at me, so it doesnt apply to small rooms. I took the initiative to strike while there was still distance between us. I trained my iron-sights on the front-runners main body then fired in short 3  Round Bursts. The sound of dampened gunshots filled the room and hallway as the first Horned Rabbit tumbled to the floor before sliding and stopping dead, but that didnt faze the other two as they continued charging towards me.

    I came out from behind the door frame and charged forward before jumping to the left and sliding low. Although there wasnt any clear terminology, in VMB, power would be channeled into the power suits leg allowing you to slide forward with speed. I called it a Jump Slide for simplicity. With this, I slide about 4 to 5 meters out, then I slide to the right while striking the rabbits.

    Fuu

    I let out a sigh unconsciously as thest two fallen rabbits were wrapped in a ck haze before they slowly faded into thebyrinths floor leaving only their magic stones. I checked the rest of the room after collecting the stones, but I didnt find anything. It was just an empty room now. In thebyrinth, regardless of the room size, there was a change for magical items to be found, but they were rare. I continued on with mapping the first floor. When I came along any monsters moving my way in the corridors, I would ambush them. For groups that were found in the small orrge rooms, I made quick work of them using abination of ngbangs, fragmentation grenades, and incendiary grenades. I ended up falling into a rhythm by the time I finished mapping the first level before I left for B-2.

    It was simr in the corridors size with the first level, bringing up the map I got from the Guild. It held only a roughyout of the floor leading to the third level, so I continued with my method of mapping, route by route. It seems that the Labyrinth would always make fiveyers in the beginning, but as it devoured more and more lives, it could possibly add anotheryer.

    In thisbyrinth, there were around fiveyers that were popted only by Goblins, Grass Wolves and Horned Rabbits that lived in the nearby Eastern Forest, but apparently

    There was one more monster residing here.

    Leaving the main corridor, the number of Light Grass began to slowly decrease. As began to get too dark till eventually, I reached the end of the light grass trail, thus telling me that no one went this way. I stuck my hand into a small cloth bag that was attached to my utility belt. I then pulled out a little seed of light grass then threw it into the darkness ahead. The path ahead wasnt transversed, which meant anything could be down this path.

    To my surprise, a glowing bud sprouted from the seed in the darkness at a visible pace before my eyes, first a stem and then within a few minutes, it began a fully matured white flower glowering in the darkness, illuminating its surroundings. The best way I could describe it is like those timepse videos where they show the nt growing all the way till its mature. It was such a moving scene that I let out a small voice of surprise, but it didntst long.

    In the distance, the sound of heavy footsteps and rough breathing reached my ears.. It didnt match the sound of the other monsters Ive found here, but there was a possibility of another monster, one that I heard them mention, but not really confirm

    A Red Bear

    <strong>1.M67 Fragmentation Grenade</strong> A thrown explosive that when on detonation, sends shrapnel in all directions

    <strong>2.AN/M14 TH3 Incendiary Grenade</strong> A Despite popr belief and how its portrayed in video games, the TH3 is a support item used in the case to destroy materials by melting it with thermite [ think really, really hot sma torch. ] end result of the deployment of the M14 is molten iron. It can even melt through an Engine Block!!

    <strong>3.M-1965 Field Jacket</strong> Military jacket made for cold weather, now a very hipster jacket [which Im guilty of owning]

    <strong>4.Washi Paperor Traditional Japanese paper</strong> Original it just said Japanese paper, and we all know how I get when authors just try to exin things such as  Because Im Japanese, or Japanese h h. I think because theyre Japanese, they should exin themselves better, how bo dat.

    <strong>5. B- [insert number]</strong> Basement floor level, think of the number system a in a tower 1, 2, 3 and 4.So it would go as10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6- -7 -8 -9 -10.0 being ground level.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    After the light flower bloomed, I could hear heavy footsteps ahead of me. Neither Goblins or Grass wolves were heavy enough to have such steps, leaving the only possibility

    A Red bear.

    That guess, unfortunately, was right. Arge monster withrge red eyes slowly stepped out of the shadows, itsrge body and me red fur, stared at me. It didnt look like it was going to attack yet, but it had me in its sights. A threatening snarl appeared on the bears face, but the bear was already in my attack range. Quickly, I went down to one knee while readying my weapon, taking the initiative to attack first. With my sights trained on the Bear, I fired the P90. The bear, as if knowing what was going to happened, turned its head to the right and the bullets made contact with the left side of its face. Even though it tried to protect itself slightly, I managed to take out its left eye. The bear let out a deep roar in a mix of pain and rage as blood began to gush out of its obliterated eye, its roar echoing through the hall before charging at me.

    Crap!

    Its speed was faster than I thought it would be, but before he reached me, I ran towards the right wall of the hall, just like in VMB, I wall ran over the charging Red Bear.

    VuOOOOOOOO !!!

    The bear, blinded by rage, tried to change course to catch me, but only ended up crashing into the wall. Inded behind the bear with the help of the Powered suit, taking advantage of the bears mistake and I unleashed a rain of fire onto its rear end, managing to disable its hind legs. It didnt let out a roar of anger, but more of a cry of pain this time as its legs buckled, its read half crashing into the floor under all its weight. I didnt give it a chance to catch its breath though as I ran up to it and jumped onto its back,nding just behind its head. I pressed the suppressor attached to the P90 to the neck area just behind its skull and held down the trigger.

    I emptied the rest of my magazine into the back of the Red Bears head, and for a moment the only sound in the hall was that of the spent casings falling and rolling. Then as if a spell released the bear, its body fell straight down with a loud thud then fading away, dropping me onto the ground. I had some grievances in my heart there, I didnt actually know if that would work like it did in VMB, but it did. I kept those thoughts to my self though as I picked up the Red Bears stone. As I reced the spent magazine in the P90, I heard the familiar heavy footstepsing from in the dark again, on the map it actually show two bears!

    I could feel from the steps that they were rushing my way. Their spend was way faster than I thought there even could be a possibility of a monster that was faster than my reaction speed and could kill me the moment I met them, but I quickly clear these thoughts from my head as I had two monsters heading my way and I only had a few moments to set a trap.

    Before they could reach here, I summoned the supply box with M18 ymore [*1] Landmines in it, in front of me, light particles instantly converged and formed a box that held the ymore mines in it. I quickly got to work and set one up in the center of the corridor. These ymores were one directional use Anti-Personnel mines used by the United States Of America military and they were box-shaped with a slight curve with a with of less than 20cms. On detonation, it unleashes as many as seven hundred iron balls that are held inside in a fan shape.

    That said, its rumored that the real thing can even reach up to 250 meters, but in VMB, we didnt really have distances like that. In thebyrinth was a different story though, it should be enough to cripple or even kill the enemys feet and stop them from escaping. The mine had two ways of detonation, by wire or remote control by a handheld trigger. Unfortunately, VMBs ymores could only be detonated by remote control. Even so, I would have reservations about setting a wired trap since anything could set it off and I didnt get unknowing adventurers in the mix.

    Done.

    I installed the ymore and stayed back a little bit to wait for them. The sounds of the heavy footsteps because louder, shaking the floor slightly. In the game, waiting behind your trap was actually quite dangerous because once it went off, everyone within earshot would be alerted, but it had its pros and cons. Suddenly, the footsteps got quicker and quicker! Did they detect me?

    Smell!

    In that case, I readied myself for a fight. They footsteps got closer and closer until two bears plunged out of the darkness at breakneck speeds.Click. The detonation trigger was squeezed. The ymore exploded almost instantly and shook the entire hallway sending dust everywhere, obstructing my view. Crap! There was never any dust that would roll up in VMB! Dust lingered in the air, making it almost impossible to see the bears so I quickly turned my heads-up disy to Thermo-vision.

    Two giant bodies of red and yellow appeared in my eyepiece, the chest areas were burning a deep red, possibly because that was where the mana stones were located. The two bears faces were covered in blood and so was their front legs. They had couldnt move at the moment due to shock from their injuries and the explosion. Without giving them a moment to catch their breath, I lined the first bears head in my crosshairs and squeezed the trigger. Deep red floors bloomed in the thermo-sight, my guess from the blood stter before it slowly began to cool off as the bear dropped down. I then quickly switched to the other bear and finished that one off in the same fashion

    Afterward, both the bearsid lifeless on the floor, but then a dark fog began to wrap around them before they bodies began to sink into thebyrinth, leaving only the mana stone in their ces. I picked those stones up, but sadly they werent attributeless. They were red as fire.

    I took out some of the mana stones in my pouch and found that the attributeless had no head signature, the wind was slightly red and the bluish had a slight signature. This was interesting information and after looking over the stones for a while, I ced them all back in my pouch and finished up with mapping the second floor before heading down to the third floor to map it.

    1.M18A1 ymore Anti-Personnel Directional mines

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    I dived down into the third floor of thebyrinth. Following the same procedure I did above, I left the mapped path that headed down towards the 4th floor. After studying the map ahead of time, I found there was a room called  Spring of Purity which was the only safe zone in thebyrinth on the 3rd floor.

    In this world, abyrinth attracts monsters into them to use as their life force. Despite this attraction, it had a restroom where the monsters couldnt enter. I wondered why it had such a thing, but there is an old tale thatbyrinths were created by an ancient evil spirit. Apparently, the reason was to destroy all the living races above ground. Although the tale doesnt say why the demon wanted to do such a thing.

    Even why such an entity that wishes to destroy all living beings, a being against God, would have a thing such a safe room in its trap. Many Labrinthologist has also given up on this point. Maybe there was a reason somewhere but was lost to time. Even in the end though, thebyrinth constantly supplies mana stones and if you managed to conquer it, youd get arge dungeon core.

    With these thoughts, I headed towards the safe-room while making contact with several monsters along the way. That was the n, but

    Oddly.. I feel a little hungry, but I dont feel tired. Ive been running around and fighting since I got here though

    It started to nip at the edge of my mind about why I havent been getting tired. What is going on with my body? Was it that so-called cheat ability you get for going to another world or was it a unique skill? Out of curiosity, I pulled out mybat knife that was attached to my right leg. I hesitated for a moment before I took the knife and made a small cut across my fingertips. Crimson blood overflowed from the cut, swelled up and began to drizzle down my hand.

    I feel the pain and I bleed

    However, the blood stopped flowing. I put one of the fingers that had blood on it in my mouth. When I did, I tasted the expected iron taste of blood. I was slightly relieved that it was actually blood and not something else. Staring at the wound, I noticed something

    The wound Is closing itself?

    Theceration I made with the knife healed itself, not even leaving a scar in its ce. If I hadnt done it myself and watched it, I wouldnt have ever believed I cut it. I didnt speak about it anymore. This body isnt my original body and even then. I couldnt call this body human. I felt a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach and my legs began to tremble. Then my one of my legs gave out, leaving me kneeling on the floor

    I couldnt feel fatigue and my body had a quick regenerative ability. It wasnt a cheat ability or a skill. Neither was it something I acquired the moment I was transported into this world It was simply this body.

    Not limited to just VMB, in most basic FPS games, your character would auto-regenerate health over time. Granted there was Hardcore, which one you couldnt recover health, but that wasnt the base setting. yers never run out of stamina, your arms and legs couldnt be amputated; health lost from taking hits and falls would eventually recover so long as you didnt die. VMB had a lot of things going in it such as acrobatics, precision shooting, and evenrge-scale fights. In order for all this to happen, the game never implemented Stamina stats so yers to dash and jump as much as they wanted.

    Even now that Im in this world, the character parameters are still the same. Thinking about it, I never had a date with someone in years, but if I cant return to my old world. I may end up settling down here and try to start a family, but now another question wasCould I even produce offspring with this body? Could I even have sex?

    In the first ce, I didnt even understand how Im even still alive.

    While I was distracted by all this revtion and the shock of it, a goblin hade upon me. Seeing me kneeling, it thought I was but weak prey. The club in its hand was raised and then swung down at me with a cry

    Kkyaaa!

    The club made contact with my CBS or Circle Barrier Shield and from the bottom. I thrusted the muzzle of the P90 into its unprotected belly before squeezing the trigger. It died quickly after that and fell to the floor. I watched the face of the goblin as it faded into thebyrinth, leaving behind a single mana stone. I honestly was startled. I had to stop thinking. Undoubtedly, whatever this body was, I was alive. I felt hunger, I felt sleepy at night and I felt pain. I was still living and breathing. Logically thinking, it was a convenient trait to have

    I cleared my mind and continued on towards the Safe room.

    Entering the safe room, I noticed it was quite small. Only 6m x 6m. Even then, it still had a different atmosphere from the rest of thebyrinth so far. In the center of the room was a small spring that kept boiling up. This was the Fountain of Purity. There wasnt a single light flower growing anywhere in the room, but it was still well lit.

    In my original n, I should have arrived here by the afternoon, but I already past that. Each level was wider than the previous one, which I didnt expect. It took much more time to map out the floorpletely. With that, I had to alter my ns a little so thats why I decided toe here.

    I guess I should get some camping equipment

    Although I didnt build up fatigue while fighting, I dont believe Id be immune to sleep. If I didnt sleep, itd affect me drastically. Causing my aim to be off and eventually, that would cause a fatal misstep. Calcting the number of floors, which was 26. There was a transfer gate every 10th floor. Each gate needed its defender killed with its blood and a little bit of magic to activate it. Since I couldnt use magic, that meant I wouldnt be able to use those gates. Thus I would be even longer and would need to pack ordingly.

    Theres also the fact that the 25th-floor boss hasnt reigned undefeated, so no one knows how much further thebyrinth expanded. If it did that is. Its said that when a new floor has been added, you could feel the vibrations, but so far no one could confirm if its happened or not.

    Wouldnt that mean its impossible for me? No, I felt a desire to conquer this dungeon. Like it was calling out to be, sparking something in me I felt like Ive finally found a purpose. A clear goal if you will. With the power I gained in VMB, I could clear this Labyrinth. For a normal human, itd be suicidal, but not for me. With this resilience, I could conquer it

    I sat down by the edge of the spring, staring at its rippling water that kepting up. I spent about an hour or so in silence, thinking about all of it. After that, I decided to set aside the Labyrinth for now. Getting up, I turned back the way I came and decided to return to the city.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    Returning to the inn, I didnt bother to change out of mybat gear and just fell into bed with it all on. I had a date with Ashley for dinner tomorrow night, so itd be nice if I had a set of this worlds clothes, but it just left me in a weird mood thinking more. I only ended up going to bed feeling a little sick.

    The next morning, the inns maid had woke up be for the bath service. I took my bath and ate breakfast. After breakfast, I returned back to my room and decided to test out a concern I had for a while now. No question that the TSS system came with me when I fell into this world, with the only change being how I gained the currency. Though it took me a while to figure out the conversion, it ended up working out in the end.

    But that wasnt just the only function for the TSS. It also had an Inventory section. In the beginning, it didnt have much space to store items, but investing a small amount of real-world money I was able to expand it. As a note, it didnt have a limit. As such, I had plenty of items stored away. With that in mind, the concern was Could I store items from this world in it?

    I held a wooden cup in my hand and dropped it on the inventory screen. Instead of being absorbed in, it only fell through it to the floor.

    Right

    It would be great if I could store items from this world into it. Disappointed, I tried the other sections of the TSS screen such as the top menu, mail, and news. None of them epted the cup.

    Even after changing the function of the currency system to ept magic stones, you cant even ept a little cup?

    Currently, it seemed impossible for me to put items from this world directly into the inventory. Changing pace, I went back into the TSS and entered the shop tab. I began to look at fashionable items that I could wear out with Ashley tomorrow night. They say that it wouldnt snow in winter in this town. Even then, its still going to be cold so I want to get a thick coat or something simr in case.

    Although I have this coat, there was plenty of clothes in the shop, making me want to try them all out. While I was selecting items to buy, something popped up that caught my eye. Gift box. It was an icon to put said item into for giving it to other yers. By attaching the gift box, it was possible to gift other yers. Another interesting part was that the box actually appeared in the virtual space, allowing multiple people to put items into the box.

    Having an idea. I picked the gift box and finished my shopping. Afterward, I summoned the gift box onto the inns floor. Particles of light gathered in front of me, glowing brighter as it converged into a single point forming pink gift wrapping paper.

    Well, the design is a little But the gift box stilles out..

    The gift box was a rectangr box about 150 cm x 90 cm x 60. If you pushed the button on the side, the lid would automatically open up. Inside the box was like an endless void. Almost like there was a different space inside. Moving on to the experiment, I ced the 5.7 inside. The catalog screen on the backside of the lid came up, disying the 5.7. So far it was like in VMB.

    Moving onto the next part. I tried inserting the cup into the gift box. I stared intently at the catalog. Instead of cup, it was disyed as Unknown. Well, I guess its to be expected if you put an item that wasnt in VMB inside. However, it was possible to rename the items in the box so I tapped the name on the list and renamed it to Wooden cup. I was also able to pull it back out.

    Huh, so I can pull it back out too.

    I then put it back in and found that it disyed the name I had put in on the Catalog screen. It seemed that the name was saved properly in the TSS. Next, I closed the lid and ced the gift box into my inventory. The box disappeared into light particles. I then resummoned it and opened the lid. Inside was my 5.7 and the wooden cup.

    Fuu Its a bit inconvenient, but it still a solution to my problem.

    I took out the items, cing the 5.7 back into the holster and the wooden cup on the table.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    VMBs system regarding Giftboxes is like a miniature item box. You can buy any items and then put them inside the box then you could send it to another yer. You could also just leave it in your inventory. By the time I noticed, it was about noon on the day I promised to go to dinner with Ashley. Before I went to pick her up, I stopped by Maridas Trade Company to pick up equipment.

    Since I didnt have to worry about carrying equipment now in regards to the amount and size. Since items can be stored inside the gift boxes, I can just properly prepare things Id need.

    Hello.

    Wee back, Mr.Schwartz.

    Greeting the employees, which have be more familiar with me. I for Mr. Malta and went into the, back towards the usual room. Since this was a Fortified city, with a nearby Labyrinth, there were plenty of weapon shops, supply stores, and others. Even so, Ive only ever used Marida Trading Company after I met Mr. Malta.

    Well, its not to big of a deal. I get to drink delicious tea every time Ie by. As I thought this, an employee brought in tea for me. It was a dark-green tea that was sweet and savory.

    Do you like todays tea? Its high-quality leaves that have been carefully steamed!

    Mr. Malta came into the room while saying that. Hisrge round belly shook as he smiled.

    The scent is pretty good.

    So did youe to sell some Mana stones? Its fine if you just came by to drink some tea.

    Well that too, but I also came to buy camping equipment.

    Ah, yes. I have all the necessary tools and I even got a Waterbottle that can replenish its water with a magic stone. It just arrived from the kingdom.

    Food and water are necessities that one must have when exploring a Labyrinth. Theyre also the more important expendable items. You have to have meals and you have to drink to keep your body healthy, so you need to have a good amount. However, for me who couldnt use magic, meant I couldnt use a tool bag. So that meant I had to prepare special order equipment like a water bottle that can automatically fill itself by using water-attribute mana stones. They were popr with Adventurers but had to be special ordered from the capital.

    I sold the mana stores I gained from yesterdays Labyrinth exploration. Then used it to pay for some equipment right now, but kept it tame. I had to hold onto some money to pay for the dinner date tonight. So that would have to wait for another time.

    When the equipment was brought, I asked Mr. Malta to dismiss the other employees in the room and when they left, I took out the gift box in the room.

    Is this Mr.Schwartz Toolbag?

    Yeah, theres another name for it though. For now, lets just call it a Toolbox.

    Where did ite from..?

    Please just think of it as a skill

    Im surprised.. How much does this Toolbox hold by the way?

    Well, there are 30 slots. Ignoring size, it can hold one item per slot. Each slot can hold 99 of the same items.

    What?! Thats too much for such a little box!

    On top of all that, I could have multiple gift boxes. So I technically have an infinite item storage. Mr. Milta had listened to my exnation with the sharp eyes of a merchant. I was told Mr. Malta possessed a high pedigree for a merchant, his skills allowing him to read between the lines. However, that was just Mr. Malta. I refused to deal with anyone else.

    Mr. Schwartz, you were still a D-Rank, right?

    Ah, yes. Im going to be focusing on the Labyrinth in the future, so I dont think Ill be taking on much work as an adventurer. Ranking up would probably be far in the future.

    Thats a shame. When you be a C-rank, you can get nominated requests. Those are requests where someone can request a particr adventurer. With your toolbox, I definitely would have liked to nominate you. Ah. Such a convenient box. You wouldnt have to worry about the weight or quantity of the delivery. Youd also be targeted less. If you ever rank up, please let us know. Wed definitely love to cooperate with you in the future regarding transporting goods.

    Well If the opportunity presents itself

    Having given my answer, Mr. Malta kept his wolfish eyes on my toolbox until it disappeared into light particles.

    At thergest tower in the city, theres arge bell that rang out three times a day. Morning, noon and evening. Our dinner date was promised for the evening bell. So I ended up waiting in front of the General Guild just before the evening bell rang out. Having waited for about 30 minutes, the evening bell rang out across the city. The time on his HUD disyed 17:00. Watching the flow of people in and out of the guild.

    It seemed that human beings weremon, but there were other races as well. I wondered if I could live in a world had so many different races such as Fey like elves and dwarfs and others. [MTL: Chill, your Japanese Nationalism is showing.] While contemting such a thing, I saw Ashleys blonde hair shining beautifully in the sunlight as she stepped out of the guild.

    Did I keep you waiting?

    Ashleys tone was chipper than usual. While taking my eyes off her hair, I responded in the same tone.

    Nope lets go eat.

    Okay, but where are we going? As soon as the evening bell rings, almost every shop gets crowded.

    I asked Mr. Malta for a rmendation to a shop with good food. I made reservations just beforeing.

    That said, Ashley and I walked together off to eat.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    The 7 oclock morning bell resounded over Citadel Balga. I weed the morning in this other world, as I had done for the past month, from the room I booked at the Inn White Flower Pavilion of the Labyrinth.

    I crawled out of the wooden bed. The bed was a little small even sleeping alone. I poured myself a cup of water from the jug sitting on the table beside the bed and drank it. Soon after, Mrs. Mirna brought the hot bathwater up.

    Did you drink too much yesterday?

    Yesterday was the celebration of my D-Rank promotion and Ashleys promotion to an official Guild Investigator while having dinner. We met by the General Guild in the evening after I had booked a table at the Cenote, a high-ss restaurant.

    The upscale cuisine of this world was rather good, but not as refined as my original world. Being able to enjoy a delicious meal with Ashley was more than enough. We also drank wine after eating our meals.

    As an FPS yer, it was naturally prohibited to y while drinking so I didnt drink much. I limited it too social drinking for celebrations such as team victories, with colleagues, or with my boss. So only once in a while, I guess.

    While we enjoyed our after-dinner drinks, I spoke with Ashley about different topics such as the Labyrinth, the guild, and the fortified city of Barga. There wasnt an end to the topics, but we never touched on our pasts. Im not interested in Ashleys past, however, if I listen without thinking, I may end up poking a hos nest.

    No doubt it was a fun time with good food and conversation with a goodpanion. Furthermore, I was overjoyed because I realized that I was drunk. After we talked and drank enough, Ashley was able to walk herself back to the General Guilds Staff Dormitory.

    Moving on, the n today is to create a map to sell to the Guild for their archives, adding in the sections I explored the other day. I was annoyed by the poor quality of the map I got from the Guilds archive, but when I was talking to Ashley she said I could get guild points for bringing in a better version.

    Id rather spent my time exploringbyrinths than taking on requests so I was thankful that I could earn rewards by just mapping. As an adventurer, if we dont take the form to receive our rewards from the guild, wed have to pay tax separately.

    Therefore, I went to the General guild to look at the specifications for the map.

    Remi, what happened with that newly discovered Labyrinth?

    Ah yes, the undergroundbyrinth found west of Miral Vige was called  Labyrinth of the Emerald Demon. We already sent a survey team that entered the first floor, but weve yet to proceed further.

    All we could report right now was the location of the Labyrinth and that the first floor wasplex and wide, unless the other Labyrinths.

    Thebyrinth also only appears to have goblins. Ive been exploring the first floor for around a weak, but Ive yet to encounter anything else.

    Thebyrinth of the green demon, which appears in the basement first floor seems to be only a subspecies goblin, I have been exploring the basement first floor for about a week, but I have not encountered any monsters other than goblins

    At the same time as thisbyrinths discovery, there was a Gatekeeper subjugation in a differentbyrinth. Because of that, there werent enough people to proceed with thisbyrinth. Gatekeepers are the names given to powerful monsters that defend the entrance lower level entrances, but only every 10 levels and in front of thest floors entrance.Once a gatekeeper is killed, it wont appear again. In that same respect, it wont leave its post until its killed. Subjugating the gatekeeper is necessary if to capture abyrinth.

    What a pain. Give out a nomination request to the adventurer who can draw a map. We have to collect a team before more adventurers rush to go ahead.

    Following the life of the General Manager, I headed to the archives. Its up to you to issue nomination requests to adventurers, however, the Labyrinth near the Fort city of Barga, there hasnt been a gatekeeper subjugation all year. Already the upper floors have been mapped out.

    This morning, I had an inquiry about map creations this morning. I gave them the specifications for maps and arranged the tools. They gave me aplete map of Wolf Fangs first level. Its quite a splendid map, do you want to see it?

    Oh? Definitely.

    The map brought out by the employee in the archive was a pristine map. The lines were orderly and cleaner more than any map Ive seen so far. The lines were straight, the routes were uniformly scaled, and gave an easy understanding of distance. Such maps werent something that could be drawn with just a Skill earned, but a learned skill.

    Please introduce me to the one who drew it!

    I can do that, but hes a D-Rank, so he cant take nominated requests.

    A D-Rank drew this?

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    The General Guilds archive didnt have a detailed map. It wasnt too clear on locations of stairs, nor the safe room, as well as other small details.

    The General guild archive employee confirmed thebyrinths map, but it wasnt very detailed in that it needed icons, but we only needed to add icons for the stairs and safe room. Thebyrinth wasnt that detailed so we had to mark the map with icons, indicating the stairs and the safe room.

    I only knew the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, but there seemed to be other undergroundbyrinths that are like the outside world above, but the Wolf Fang Labyrinth isnt like that. Thats why they wanted the notations on the maps too.

    So I borrowed a private room in the archives. I decided to draw out Wolf Fang Labyrinths basement levels, purchasing paper, special ink and a writing utensil. Bringing up the map on the Tactical Support System within the room, I looked up the first level in Wolf Fang with a map search.

    The size of the TSS screen could be scaled freely, even with the map. I scaled the screen to the papers size and ovepped them. All that was left to do was trace the map onto the paper. In my original world, I worked for a PC peripherals manufacturer as a salesman, but sometimes we were involved with assisting the design team. I had often used CAD, but sometimes I drew coges and very basic designs by hand. So I was ustomed to drawing free hand.

    With the above, I was able to trace beautiful straight lines with a steady hand. The floors themselves werent thatrge, so I was able to finish the map within an hour.

    I want you to see the map I drew.

    You already drew the map? Thats quite fast, but I wont take a poorly done map.

    When I presented my map to the archivist, he thought I was too fast and had the map prepared in advance.<strong>Comparing the two maps, the line seems to left and left and left and left</strong>

    Its wonderful workmanship! Is the distance between this pathway and this one the same distance?

    He wanted to know if it was scaled properly, but I traced it with the TSS Screen ovepping the paper, so there may have been some distortion

    Yeah, I dont know how far it is actually on the map, but the distance between the two rooms are the same.

    Ive never seen such a wonderful map! Ill definitely buy it. Unfortunately, the money and guild points for the map remain the same. Although the content is wonderful, I cant change the remuneration, is that okay? If this was a nomination request, it would change.

    I dont mind, I just drew it as a test.

    Sorry. That will be 50 silver coins and 100 guild points for the map. Please give me your guild card.

    I handed the card over to the Archivist and started to think of the future while he processed my reward. The amount per map wasnt that much, but even dust can build a mountain over time. For just exploring thebyrinth, it was perfect. When I return to the Inn, Ill also draw up Wolf Fangs level 2.

    While doing such a quick calction, the Archivist returned with my card. I purchased plenty of map paper and ink, then I returned to the White Flower Pavilion.

    By the time I had finished drawing up level 2s map, it was lunchtime. However, the people of this world had only 2 basic meals. Although theres plenty of things to snack on for lunch, the inns fee only covers breakfast and dinner. Lunch is a separate fee in of itself.

    I paid my lunch fee and entered the dining room. The room was vacant. I took a seat while I waited for my meal and Remi, not the cook, came in.

    Hey Mr. Schwartz, the stay here is pretty nice.

    Its been a while, Mr. Remi, how youve been?

    Theres something I wanted to ask. Remember that map you drew in the Archive? I wanted to borrow your mapping skill.

    My mapping ability?

    Remi looked around the dining room after a long pause. He then asked if he could take a seat after seeing anyone nearby. Since there wasnt a reason to refuse, I agreed and he began to give me the details.

    A newbyrinth, thebyrinth of the Emerald Demon, was discovered. It appeared west of the first vige I visited when I first fell into this world. However, it seems that the first floor was quiterge. The mapping couldnt keep up.

    Furthermore, there was a shortage of maps and people who could map. Itd been decided to hand out nomination requests for adventurers who could map. So he had looked at the map I drew and brought a favor rather than a nomination since he couldnt nominate a D-Rank.

    So it wasnt a formal request via the guild, theyre asking for a favor. This meant that I wouldnt receive guild points for epting, but theyd purchase the map at a premium price.

    I dont mind, but there are some conditions.

    Im saved, thank you. The conditions are?

    One, I want your name as the map creator in the future. Two, I want to explore thebyrinth with only one person or a small number of trustworthy people. Third, I dont want it getting my kills and methods getting out.

    I didnt dislike what he was asking itself, but as simr requests would probably increase in the future  itd make it hard to aplish my goal. The creation of a clear map, of course, leads to suppressing thebyrinth. Its just I want to do it with my own power.

    I didnt want my powers from VMB getting out too much, thus my thoughts with the second and third conditions. Of course, something others will see it in thebyrinth, but I didnt want to show off too much.

    I never thought that map would stand out so much. So much that I already received a request within a matter of hours. In the future, Ill need to be careful. The performance of the gift box, as said by Mr. Malta, could be used to help transport merchandise for merchants sometimes. With the Map creation, it was convenient since I wouldnt have to move along with the merchant. So its probably better I dont move from D-Rank.

    I understand, I ept the conditions.

    Remi seemed a bit worried, but he epted all three conditions. After that, while eating lunch. I confirmed the schedule and other details. I then told him Id head to the vige immediately and stood from my seat.

    Youre going now?

    Earlier the better.

    Before you leave, go to the general guild. Well give you documentation of the request. Give it to the staff at the viges branch.

    Remi was surprised, but he still arranged what I needed right away. What a smart person.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    It had taken me about half a day toe to Fort City Barga from Miral Vige by wagon, and it was already noon time now. Even if I were to go right now, it would still be around midnight when I reached Miral Vige, but

    Mrs. Mirna, I have to leave Barga for a while due to some work, so I will check out today.

    My, such a sudden departure! Thank you for staying with us! But are you leaving Barga right away?

    Yeah, I want to start the job as soon as possible.

    Is that so? Please take care then. Im looking forward to having you stayed with us again!

    I handed back the key to Mrs. Mirna at the reception, and, leaving behind the room at White Flower Pavilion of the Labyrinth that might as well be my home in this other world, I headed for the Marida Trade Company.

    Good afternoon~

    Wee, Mr. Schwarz! Unfortunately, the Chairman has left

    Is that so? Then, please tell Mr. Malta that Ill be leaving Barga for a while on a job.

    Certainly!

    While asking the usual staff at Marida Trading Company to pass on the message, I also bought arge quantity of non-attributed mana stones. CP (Crystal Point) would be difficult to purchase in Miral Vige, so better to stock up while you still could.

    I then turned up at General Guilds HQ, and after exchanging some greetings and having my identity verified with the Guild card, I received the letter Remi had left for me. Seemed like it would be enough just to pass this letter to Mr.Varold orMr.Keithat the Guilds branch in Miral.

    Leaving General Guild, I wanted to catch a wagon to the west gate, but there was no time so I walked instead. At the gate, I let the guard checked my Guild card, then saying goodbye to Fort City Barga, I headed for Miral Vige.

    I walked for a while, then after checking the surroundings to ensure that I could not be seen from the gate and that there was no one else close by, I activated TSS and selected Support Weapon.

    There were several support weapons in VMB: stationary remote-control heavy machine guns like the Sentry Gun, small unmanned reconnaissance nes like the RQ-11 Raven Offensive weapons, reconnaissance machines, even mobile vehicles like what I was about to summon, all were avable.

    There was not much use for support weapon summoning in the Labyrinth, but it was a big help for traveling andplete quest in nature. When I first fell into this other world and did not know how to obtain CP, I avoided using support weapons since they cost arge number of points. But the thing I bought during my VMB gaming time only consumed CP for fuel, so I thought going to Miral Vige would be a great opportunity to use it.

    I called up Support Weapon from TSS menu, moving to the Garage, and among the mobile vehicles I owned in there, I picked the military motorcycle called Kawasaki KLR250-D 8.

    There were no military vehicles among VMBs support weapons, but mobile vehicles were abundant, both 4-wheel and 2-wheel types. I especially liked running around VMBs map with a 2-wheel. Ahhh, I had never ridden a bike in the original world  that was why I wanted to run around in the VR world riding one. And so, to travel in the vastnd of this other world, it had to be a 2-wheel, not 4-wheel!

    After KLR250-D8 was selected, light particles simr to the Supply Box materialized, and as they convened, a dark green off-road bike, the KLR250-D8, appeared before my eyes. I got on immediately. There were two meters between the handles, and in the middle where you usually inserted the key, there was a starter button instead. Pushed it, and the engine would start.

    Vehicles summoned through TSS had the same shapes as those in the real world, but their control was absolutely game-like. In other words, there were noponents to control gear change; it worked like an automatic transmission car instead. Twisting the throttle would increase the speed, and gear would change automatically.

    I twisted the throttle, and together with the engines roar, still loud despite being suppressed by the muffler, I made a run for Miral Vige on KLR250-D8.

    Uwaaahhh the feeeellll! Ohohohoho-wa wa woaa!

    KLR250-D8 was running on the road as if tearing through the clear air of nature, but it was still quite bumpy even with the suspension working properly. Moreover, as I got caught up in the moment and went full throttle, the speed gradually picked up and ended up at nearly 100 km per hour. Going at such a speed without a helmet, and on a bumpy road to add, was really frightening.

    Even after slowing down, I was still heading to Miral Vige at a speed overwhelmingly fastpared to that of a wagon. It took me only two hours to reach the vige vicinity, and I overtook two wagons on the way.

    Approaching from the back, I was mistaken for a demon, and while I passed the wagon with its hard-whipped horse, I caught a glimpse of the coachmans dumbfounded expression from the side mirror. But he couldnt see my face, so it probably wouldnt cause troubles even if we ran into each other in Miral.

    The helmet could be equipped through character customization, but you could get various functions from the head goggles in VMB  that was why not many yers wore helmet, and I also didnt. But I did wear the once-popr Tactical Ker Mask, a Jason mask with only eye holes that were used by Taiwans and Bolivias Special Force before This extremely intimidating mask was bulletproof and could withstand 9mm FMJ bullets as well as magnum bullets. In the real world, the eyes parts were empty, but in VMB, lenses simr to those of the head goggles were put in ce, and so you could have the same functions as the goggles. But the mask limited vision field, so less and less people were using it. By the time I fell into this other world, it was hardly seen anywhere.

    Miral Vige could now be seen from the road. I moved KLR25-D8 to a ce where it wasnt visible from the gate, then put it back in TSSs Garage. Vehicles could be repaired and fueled in the garage by consuming CP, so I let the bike be brought back to its perfect condition and walked into Miral in the twilight.

    When I arrived at General Guild Branch Office of Miral Vige, the person inside was Mr. Keith, if I was not mistaken: tall, short hair, with a gentle aura. He was wearing leather armor, same as Remi and Ashley. So it was standard for Guilds investigators and personnel to have the same equipment as adventurers?

    Good afternoon. Are you Mr. Keith? I was asked by Remi toe here from Fort City Barga to take part in some work.

    Oh, you helped Ashley before

    Im Schwarz, D-rank adventurer. Im entrusted with this letter from Remi.

    I handed the letter I received at the General Guild to Mr. Keith. He immediately opened it and read the paper inside.

    I see Thank you for your coboration, Mr. Schwarz. First of all, please take a room at the viges inn today, and please let thendy know that amodation fee will be taken care of by the General Guild. To exin the situation simply, the mapping of Labyrinth of the Green Demon has been suspended for the time being. We are currently working on subjugating the demons and sub-humans that are drawn to the Labyrinths vicinity. I was told that the mapping should be for one person, maybe more if can be trusted, so Ill bring two from the camp in front of the Labyrinth. Pleasee here at 8 tomorrow morning, and well head to the camp together.

    Understood. See you tomorrow morning.

    I left the General Guild and went to Mirals only inn, Creek Pavilion of the Clear Stream and booked a room for one night. The innsyout was simr to White Flower of the Labyrinth, with a dining hall on the first floor. Was this the typical style of inns in this other world? It was exactly time for dinner, and so I had a meal in the dining hall.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    Simr to the Fort City of Barga, Miral Vige had arge bell hanging by the Mayors house. It sounded at specific times; morning, afternoon, and evening. The day after I arrived in the vige, I awoke to the bells morning chimes at 7 oclock. I had breakfast in the dining hall on the first floor. Afterward, I made my way over to the General Guild branch office.

    Three wagons loaded with wooden crates andrge cloth bags were in front of the guild. They were most likely for the Emerald Demons Labyrinth camp. Near one of the wagons, Mr. Keith was signing documents that another man handed him. The man appeared to be one of the Guilds staff.

    Good morning, Mr. Keith.

    Good morning, Mr. Schwarz. Were just about to depart. How are your preparations going?

    Im ready. I can leave anytime.

    Then, please sit and wait on the front wagons coach seat. Well set out soon!

    I sat on the coachmans seat on the front wagon. Of course, I couldnt drive the horses, so I sat to the side. Soon after, Mr. Keith also joined me.

    Were leaving now. Itll take around 2 hours to get to the camp.

    2 hours? Thats closer to Miral than I thought.

    Yeah, we were lucky to secure the entrance before monsters could overrun it.

    During the trip, I was able to check the camps situation and the area surrounding thebyrinth with Keith. So far, only the first basement level had been explored. On that level, only goblins were found.

    Speaking of goblins, there were also many different variants of them. Aside from the usual, there were goblin mages like the one I killed earlier. ording to Keith, there were also goblin fighters, goblin archers, and goblin assassins, etc. There was a possibility that hobgoblins and Ogres were on lower flowers. That being said, so far, it seemed to be just a possibility.

    The wagons kept on going as I listened to Keith. Finally, the camp came into view. As the name suggested, the camp was a collection of tents of various sizes. The tents werent triangle-shaped types like I imagined, but were quadrteral-shaped, like cubes and rectangr prisms. Simr to those in the military, they were all neatly and orderly, like a vige.

    Here we are, this is the front-line camp for the Labyrinths exploration team. The biggest tent is the headquarters.

    As Keith said, there was a tent twice asrge as the rest, and if you paid close attention, youd notice that all the other tents encircled it. The three wagons from Barga parked some distance away from the headquarters at a designated collection point.

    Mr. Schwarz wille with me to the headquarters. Everyone else, please take the packages to the warehouse.

    After Keith gave instructions, the men disembarked the wagons after replying cheerfully and began working, unloading and carrying the loads to the tent that was designated the warehouse. I followed Keith into the headquarters tent. Inside, several desks lined up, a board with thebyrinths map pasted to it stood to the far end.He led me to the desk in front of the board where Mr. Varold, a staff member I met in Miral, sat.

    Wee back, Keith. The one with you is Mr. Schwarz, I believe?

    Yes, Im Schwarz. A D-rank adventurer.

    Mr. Remi asked him to work with us in mapping thebyrinth. Thats why I brought him.

    Mr. Varold wore sses and was of small stature. {Proofer:aka short}

    So the other world also has sses

    I thought curiously. Varold and Keith were the two in charge of the branch office in Miral along with the camp. I listened to their detailed exnation while looking at the half-constructed map of thebyrinth. It was then decided that wed start the exploration just past noon.

    Until the map ispleted, please stay in camp. Someone will show you to the sleeping quarterster. We have to share sleeping quarters here, so please understand. On the other hand, the cartography area is exclusive. Its small, but well prepare a curtain.

    I understand, thank you for the consideration. About the exploration, will I go alone?

    No, youll take two people from camp. I know of Mr. Schwarzsbat skills, but I cant send you alone in there. Keith, could you please call Mitche and Frau here.

    Sure, Ill go now.

    Alright. Not disclosing them was my condition, but it starts to hinder the job, then it wont matter.

    Thank you. While were on the subject, how muchbat ability do you possess?

    Thats difficult to exin. I havent explored any lower than the 3rd floor of the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, but I didnt have any injuries getting there. So that much.

    Not injured? Thatll be enough for the 1st level for thisbyrinth.

    At that point, Keith and two other women entered the tent.

    Here they are, Mitche the beast-woman and Frau the elf.

    Im a B-rank adventurer, Mitche from Sasanqua. Nya~

    Im also a B-rank adventurer, Frau of Sasanqua.

    Im Schwarz, D-rank Adventurer.

    Of the two women that came, one was a Beastwoman called Mitche. She appeared to be a cat-hybrid. She had ears poking out from her red hair, and her body  slender and supple  contrasted against the two huge breasts protruding from her chest.

    Frau, on the other hand, was a slender Elf with long, straight blue hair that reached her waist. Unlike the leather armor Mitche had, she wore a belt fastened robe, showing off her slim waist. Her sleeves, long and fitted, gave off a delicate impression.

    Weve been waiting for you two. Id like both of you to go with Mr. Schwarz into thebyrinth as his guards. Hell help us draw up a map. Just one thing though; What you see of his methods or skills. You will not tell anyone other than me and Keith. Is that okay for you guys?

    I wont disclose anything since its a part of the request, nyaa~, but protecting a D-rank is problematic. So I want my reward increased, meow.

    Aside from cartography, can he fight? I dont see him carrying a weapon.

    Dont worry. He hasbat skills. Now I want you to get your things ready ande back. You all will head out just past noon.

    Hearing those three talking back and forth, the only thought that came to mind.

    She meows! She adds a nya to the end of every sentence! Unbelievable! My other world fantasy has started!

    My mind was totally full of that ending, nya~

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    I was heading west from the camp on foot. There werent any roads, leaving us to walk through the woods to our destination. Since I didnt know where exactly our destination was, I simply followed the two women of my party.

    So, Schwarz, what can you do, nya~?

    Mitche asked me. Her long red-and-brown striped tail flicking side to side.

    What can I do huh? As mentioned before we left, Im a Manuke. I basically cant use magic or magical items. But

    Manuke, nya! Its the first time Ive ever met a Manuke, nya! but youre a D-rank, right, nya? What did you do to get that rank?

    I have many different skills that dont need magic. Thats why I was able to get my rank.

    So, what can you do with these skills, nya?

    Mitch, dont talk about the subject. The mission requires us not to disclose his skills. That also means we shouldnt inquire too much into it.

    Frau said while eyeing me suspiciously. She walked beside Mitche, wearing a magician robe and carrying a long wooden staff.[1] It seemed like Frau had a lot on her mind, but didnt probe because of the mission requirements.

    I also have questions. The Sasanqua you mentioned earlier, what is it?

    Its our n.

    Sasanqua is a female-only n, nya~. Its a mid-level n based in the Royal Capital, nya~.

    n here most likely simr to my world. A gather of like-minded people andrades. I also belonged to one in FPS called P0wDer. Thats why I picked it as my family name in this world.

    So a n name, I see. Do many Adventurers join ns?

    Beginners cant join ns, nya. To be recognized as a member, you have to be at least D-rank, nya. But Ive never heard of a Manuke being allowed in a n, nya.

    Being a part of a n had many benefits. For missions too difficult for solo-ers, you could form a team with other n members. Thus, lowering the Difficulty level. Making a party with non-n members also had the same perks. Also, missions requiring arge-scale party, such as a raid, itd help lower it as well. But in those cases, the reward is still split among the participants. So therger the party, the fewer rewards each individual got.

    In the case of a n, the reward would be consideredmunity property, and your payment secured. This was one thing a non-n team couldnt provide.

    Furthermore, there still the fact that the Sasanqua n was female-only. I wasnt aware of what kind of social positions women in this world hadpared to mine. Just thinking about it though, theyd have to not only pay attention to the mission  theyd also have to be wary of their male counterparts. So it was a better option to join a female-only n.

    While on the topic of ns, the entrance to the Labyrinth gradually came into view. It was simr to Wolf Fang, with a wide hole unnaturally in the middle of nature, an eerie drafting from the darkness.

    Here we are, nya. Schwarz, you take the lead from here, nya. Well return to camp in 4 hours so start exploring, nya.

    Understood, lets go in.

    I pulled the P90 off my back to my front then mounted both the tactical light and silencer from my waist pouch. I also mounted the 5.7s silencer and pulled down my head goggles. Thus, I was ready.

    What, nya-?! Whats growing out of your helm, nya-?! And whats with that short stick, nya-?! What can it do without magic, nya?!

    Ms. Cat brimmed with curiosity, her tail flicking wildly with sparkling eyes Staring at my submachine gun I could only reply its a secret. and move on.

    Inside the Emerald Demons Labyrinth, it was quite different from Wolf Fang. While Wolf Fang felt like a dirt tunnel, this ce felt like an underground passage with stone bricks. The passage was 6ms wide but was only 3m high. With stone arches and paving, it felt more like a European dungeon rather than a ce were monsters and hostile races lurked.

    However, due to the confined spaces, it was a difficult ce for melee fighters with swords and longer weapons. Even the White light froming from the white flowers, the passage was dark. I turned on my rarely used tactical light, which was a mini-weapon mounted shlight and switched to my NV Mode.[2]

    ~~~,~~~~, light.

    It sounded like Frau. I turned around and floating before her staff was a ball of light. As expected, I couldnt understand the magic-charged words while she chanted since I was a Manuke. I thought Mitch would make a fuss about my light, but as expected of a B-Rank. Her expression changed the moment we entered. She was calming surveying the surroundings Ah, no. Her tail was still flicking wildly.

    First, lets head towards ces that havent been explored yet. Its a waste of time to survey whats been mapped.

    Understood, nya.

    They simply said and followed behind a few meters. Varold had given me a small version of the iplete map that I checked while walking. Using my HUD to identify the differences between the map and the actual passage, I headed towards the unmapped parts. I also made sure to spread the White Light seeds around as I walked.

    There are 3 just beyond the left turn ahead.

    You know, nya?

    Mitche, did you catch that?

    Havent smelled anything yet, nya.

    Their footsteps are light. I think theyre just ordinary goblins.

    My earpads caught their low voices perfectly. I gently switched the P90s selector from safe to full auto. Quickly leaned on the left corner and peeked out. As I thought, they were goblins  same look as the ones I met before. There werent any other dots on the map.

    3 Goblins confirmed. Attack?

    Eh, Schwarz, what are you doing from over there. nya?

    Once they see my light, theylle. Attack them.

    There were almost no light sources in the passageway. My tactical light and Fraus orb were pretty eye-catching. The moment they spot our light, theyll rush us. Before that, we could strike first from this distance

    Mitch didnt reply, only smacking her tail against my legs.

    The goblins came into my crosshairs. Their ugly faces zoomed closer with the long-range function. Seeing my light, they shouted something. Not caring what they said, I squeezed the trigger and fired at them. 3 shots in each one. I was in good form today, firing 3 neat consecutive shots. Smoothly gliding the crosshairs left to right, leaving holes in each of the goblins heads.

    Three down, lets move on.

    ncing at Mitche and Frau for

    whats that, nya !

    And I didnt.

    [1]. Reworded with connected sentence removed ->magician-like robe

    Connected sentence-> No doubt she was a magician.

    Reason: Because fucking obviously.

    [2]. A s h e s  Night vision goggles cannot work inplete darkness. They require ambient light to function, even a small source such as an IR, Infrared light not visible to humans. I dont own one, though I hope to in the future  along with a Thermal sight for my rifle  I read that very rarely they wont see inplete darkness as objects give off radiation, The<strong>radiation</strong>from<strong>bananas</strong>measures out as 3,520 picocuries per kilo.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    N-no matter what you say, i-its my skill.

    Firing my sub-machine gun really made Mitche exited. She asked me a lot of questions, including about the non-disclosure condition; about how my armors and weapons work; about how my shlight emitted light simr to Fraus orb of light despite not being a magical item. Her cat-like curiosity totally surpassed the self-control and self-awareness of what I expected of a B-Rank Adventurer.

    Schwarz, I want to know too. I chided Mitche for prying too much earlier, but after seeing your skills, I also cant let it go. Its not out of simple curiosity or intellectual pursuit. To continue being your bodyguard during this exploration, I want to have an urate understanding of your abilities. Besides, that was no ordinary skill. Do you know what Skills are or what abilities are?

    And here we had another B-rank adventurer who couldnt restrain herself No, more like she wanted more information so she could do her job properly. Frau was looking at the monsters corpses, but gave a sidelong nce to me and started asking questions.

    I dont know exactly what they are, but its said that skills are active while abilities are passive, right?

    Well, thats the gist of it. Skills are activated at the owners will. While abilities are always active regardless. The skills youve disyed are far superior to those we know.

    So, what are they, nya?

    Either bloodline skills, or something fundamentally different.

    Giving up, I was thinking about just dering them bloodline skills, but I had also hinted that they were something different. Bloodline skills had a nice ring and could mislead people  but I wasnt sure how long that excuse wouldst.

    Its a bloodline skill called Arms. Its both an ability and a skill. Please dont reveal this.

    Ah, you talked about it so readily, unlike what I expected. I definitely wont reveal this. Mitche, you too.

    Of course not, nya. Make the General Guild keep an eye on you and youre good as dead, nya.

    Can you exin a bit more to me about it? Especially that magic-like thing you used to kill the goblins and how you tracked them?

    I was worried about how to exin it for a moment, but Id been expecting this day (TN: the day sb confronted him about his abilities). I had been rehearsing the story of the bloodline skill Arms every night before bed. I used expressions of fantasy worlds to describe the functions of my VMB system: The summoning ability that makes objects appear, simr to conjuration; the ability to change the surroundings and the ability to increase strength etc I concealed the truth that way.

    The two were more or less content with my exnation. So we discussed which role each of us would take, as well as how wed work together during battles  thus resuming the exploration. Things went on smoothly afterward with no more needless chatter. I was in charge of scouting and preemptive strikes. If the enemy surrounded us, Mitche and Frau would each take care of one side.

    Mitche used a small shield and short-sword. Fast attacks were her strong point. Frau was a magician, water and wind magic as her forte.

    And I personally witnessed a magic battle for the first time.

    Normally, magic is invoked by chanting magically charged words. However, once you became a skilled magician, you could directly tap into the power of your specialized magic attributes by calling their names. Just reciting these names could materialize their power. Magic invoked this way was less refined than magic invoked through chanting in terms of scope, strength and behavior. On the other hand, you could activate the magic with just a mental image you yourself constructed. Each method had its own pros and cons. Magics degree of freedom was actually higher than you could imagine.

    Theres a big room ahead, with multiple enemies inside.

    Actually, there were 12 supposedly-hostile humanoids in the room  I could hear their voices and the sounds of their movements. But I wanted to hide how urate my knowledge was, so I simply said that to them.

    What now, nya?

    Illunch a wide-range magical attack. Schwarz and Mitche, you two follow up after me.

    Understood. After your attack, Ill strike from the rooms entrance. Mitche, please watch the rear.

    Got it, nya.

    Therge rooms inside the Labyrinth were rectangr and not just simplyrge. They seemed to span the whole width of the passage. 12 goblins took up positions at the rooms entrance with 3 more in the room center. Those 3 had bigger bodies than the other goblins though. Goblin fighters, nya. Mitche said.

    Therge goblin fighters howled and 9 of the surrounding goblins charged towards us. At that moment, Frau chanted her attack.

    ,,, Storm Dance Cyclone!

    With Fraus chanting, a huge tornado appeared between the goblins and us  moving in their direction. The tornado blew them away while the wind cut at them and their blood swirled into the colorless storm as if dancing. A red storm swept through therge room.

    The storm gave the goblins minor injuries, so I knelt down by the rooms entrance and began firing at them. The goblin fighters club-holding hands were blown away as they had crossed their arms across their face to shield themselves from the storm. I shot them in their abdomens and knees. For the one with uncovered faces, I gave them some holes in the head.

    Between the storm and my barrage, the goblins were immobilized. After making sure that I was attacking, Mitche ran out and went head hunting. When we were finished, the goblins became nothing but a pile of corpses.

    Lets rest for 30 minutes here, then return to camp.

    Well. Its already time to return. You dont need to do any mapping?

    I cant go into details, but its not a problem. The mapping is going well.

    Itd been only a few hours, but I could more or less draw up a map of thebyrinthsplex inner structure already.The full picture was still unclear, but at this rate, wed probably reach the 2nd level staircase within the next few days. Hearing my reply, Frau gave me a suspicious look.

    Im hungry nya~

    From a cloth-wrapped pack that was in her equipment bag, Mitch took out something like a bread roll filled with grilled fish and started to stuff her mouth with it. Seemed like a fried fish sandwich I then took some jerky from my bag and chewed on it. I wanted to eat something better too, but I couldnt cook. This was a fatal fault for an adventurer, but I had no choice. I could only bear with it.

    Frau took a sk from her bag and poured it into a ss. It was steaming.

    Does time stop inside your bag?

    Notpletely. Its only slowed down. Inside, the ck tea made in the morning will still be hot at night.

    Is that so? So convenient! Im jealous. My bag is not useful at all.

    I was able to get something to use in ce of the Gift-box, it surely wasnt a match for a Travelers Bag. Besides, if I just shamelessly summoned everything I wanted, even down to a measly Gift Box, then what would people say about me?

    So, you should form a party, Schwarz. If its you, then anyone will do.

    But itll be difficult for a Manuke. Its impossible for others to take my skills into consideration, even if I can tell them everything from A to Z. Besides, going solo is a lot more flexible and convenient.

    Parties and teams could probably go on exploring more efficiently, but I needed to consume arge quantity of non-attributed mana stones for VMBs System. VMBs power aside, I could already see myself shing with others over the reward distribution and battle method.

    Besides, I didnt want others to know about my so-called resilience. A.k.a, my non-exhaustive regenerative ability. Humans tend to fear what they dont understand. I was also worried about being treated like someb rat. I couldnt think of anything gooding from that ability being discovered.

    Lets get back then. Just aim for the surface.

    I took the lead so they couldnt sense my fear.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    Upon returning to camp, we reported back to Varold and Keith at themand tend.

    Youve worked hard. How was the mapping?

    It wasnt me who answered the question.

    Schwarz is a very capable explorer, nya. But today we only explored. Nothing rted to mapping yet, nya.

    Eh? No mapping today yet, Schwarz?

    Yes, I did some mapping today. I cant exin how I do it, but after this, Ill note down the area explored today. Have you been able to set up a ce for me to do up the map?

    Varold seemed a bit perplexed thanks to Mitches unnecessary reply, but I denied the remark with a wry smile. In thebyrinth, I didnt say anything about mapping at all to Mitche and Frau. So from their points of view, we probably were just exploring the area.

    Its ready, Ill take you there. Varold, lets leave the detailed report until after the mapping is done.

    When I first entered the camp, I heard from Keith about the tent that was being set up for drawing the map. Mitche whispered to Frau, Have you checked it, nya? Of course, she hadnt, since they werent to inquire about my methods. Frau whispered back, I havent, but seems like there wont be any problems.

    Schwarz, how long will it take you to draw the map?

    If I have 1 hour, I can draw something simple.

    Well then,e back here in an hour. Dinner will also be brought here.

    Understood. Then, if you please, Keith.

    I bowed lightly to the other 3 before following Keith to the mapping tent.

    Mitche. Frau. Thank you for your hard work. How was he?

    He had no problems exploring thebyrinth. Rather than that, he was so capable that we had it quite easy. About the mapping, you can see for yourself once its done.

    Schwarz wants to hide his skills, but its useless, nya. Rumors will spread soon and then thepetition to recruit him will start, nya.

    Competition? Hes just a D-rank with no achievements, isnt he?

    His ability to track enemies is on par with Beastmen, and his ability to see in the dark is better than the average Beastman. His long-range attacks are powerful, faster and stronger than a bow. He can even draw maps. Of course, there will still be PT, but the number of ns that want him wont be small.

    (T/N: Probably probation time)

    If Schwarz was female, Id definitely recruit him to Sasanqua, nya.

    I see

    Unaware that my worth was being discussed, in the tent Keith led me to, I was mapping. The tent was rectangr and about 4 tatamis wide. Aside from a desk, they also prepared several candle-litnterns in consideration of me being unable to call up light with magic.

    Looking at this, the Labyrinth is just like a maze at a theme park

    The Emerald Demon Labyrinth was wide and full of weird turns, many of which led to dead-ends. Youd just get lost in some dead-end if you didnt go in with an urate map. No wonder they couldnt even explore the first floorpletely.

    But it was different in my case. The auto-mapping function could automatically disy the area within a 150m radius. I didnt need to take a turn to know if it led to a dead-end or not. We probably wouldnt have any trouble getting to the 2nd level staircase.

    Actually, we had avoided all the dead-ends during todays exploration: As I understood, what they expected from me was to extend the exploration range ASAP, even if it was just a little bit further into thebyrinth. (T/N: meaning he deliberately avoided all dead-ends so they wouldnt waste time wandering around).

    The map waspleted in exactly 1 hour. Once done, I headed to themand tent along with the finished result: a map of the area explored today.

    Ive made a map what was explored today.

    Varold, Keith, Mitche and Frau were waiting for me inside. They took the map from me immediately and checked it out together  humming their approvals all the while.

    As expected from someone whose assistance Remi has specifically requested. It is the first time Ive seen such a detailed map. Schwarz, well rely on your help again tomorrow. Andter too. Dinner is on the desk over there, please eat while its still warm.

    Thank you.

    I moved away from the group to the desk with dinnerid out on. Seemed like it was bread and soup today. It was some kind of stew that reminded me of tojiru. (T/N: Pork & vegetable miso soup) The broth was white with big chunks of vegetables and some kind of meat. The other 4 were still standing around the map, talking in low voices when I started to eat. Normally, you wouldnt be able to hear anything from this distance, but my ear-pads picked up their conversation perfectly.

    Seems like theres no question about this maps effectiveness, Varold. The ones we have so far are unsatisfactory

    Thats also my thought, Keith. Weve been asking the monster-sweeping teams to map for us, but its unreasonable to expect something so detailed from them. Were going to have to rely on Schwarz to map the whole ce.

    We didnt take this path at all.

    This one too, nya.

    What do you mean? He can map a route he did not take?

    Well, Schwarz took the lead while exploring. At this intersection, he was the one who decided to take this path. But ording to this map, all the other paths were dead-ends.

    The map is full of dead-ends, but we didnt run into any of them  not even once, nya.

    In short, you mean that he knows where a path leads without taking them?

    No. Its possible that we just had good luck, and the dead-ends were drawn based on his guess. We need to verify how urate his map is.

    I see. Ill have the map copied before tomorrow. Aside from Schwarzs Exploration Party, Ill send another group down into thebyrinth to verify it.

    Its better to send some other cartographer and his guards to verify this map. They can confirm the uracy themselves and they wontin if they have to adjust their maps.

    That They became suspicious of me, didnt they? We were able to avoid all the dead-ends because I knew where the paths led to using the mapping function, but it indeed seemed weird that we didnt meet any dead-ends at all. Should I deliberately lead them to some dead-end tomorrow? No, lets not consider that. I had been insisting on not talking about my mapping skill, and making people uneasy about my obscure method was not good. Maybe it was better to let them think thatI had the ability to somehow know a paths destination without actually walking it.

    Thank you for the meal. What should I do with the dishes?

    Ah, please put them over there.

    Understood. Ill be in your care tomorrow too. Lets start exploring in the morning. Now, if you please excuse me.

    You know the sleeping quarters, right? Beds arent specifically assigned so just pick whichever you want. Rest well.

    Of the 4, it was Keith who responded to me. I gave him a light bow before exiting themand tent.

    On the way to the sleeping quarters, I thought more about my ability. About the VMB system and its power. From their point of view, my mapping method was probably cheating. Cheating, huh? It was something FPS yers avoided and hated. The so-called program tampering, which destroyed the games bnce purposely, also led to the demise of many yers.

    To this other world, I was a foreign existence, a cheat rather than a bug. I was not someone who used bugs to dupe, but a cheater who intentionally used external tools to alter the world

    I felt nauseated

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    On the second day of the exploration, Mitche, Frau, and I headed for thebyrinth after breakfast. The area we explored yesterday was added to the map, and we pushed through the 1st level with it. When we were leaving camp, we heard from Varold and Keith that a survey team would be entering thebyrinth after us to verify my maps uracy  the one mentionedst night.

    From what I heard, I was to re-draw the parts that had already been mapped before I came, but we had to proceed with our exploration regardless. Once through the first level, wede to arge 2nd level. The route I had mapped yesterday was on the opposite side of the route done before. So, we needed to confirm as soon as possible whether this route led to the 2nd level, to the same destination as the old one, or intersected with it

    Lets pick up our pace a bit and not stop until we reach therge room from yesterday, okay?

    Sure, nya.

    Okay. Since we dont know the size of thisbyrinth, its better to check out the unexplored areas as soon as possible.

    Both Mitch and Frau agreed with me. P90 at the ready and muzzle pointed down, I picked up my speed. I moved forward at a steady pace, faster than walking, but slower than running. My body wouldnt tire out at such a speed. As expected of B-Rank adventurers, the other two moved with ease without being out of breath. Even Frau, a magician, didnt seem to have any difficulties at all. She probably knew some kind of martial arts, I guessed.

    Stop.

    I signaled for Mitche and Frau to stop. I heard 5 pairs of footsteps ahead, most likely goblins based on the lightness of their steps. And a thudding sound A staff?

    5 goblins ahead, normal types. There may be a mage too.

    Sure smells like goblins, nya.

    If theres a mage, then that will be our priority. Ill set up a magical barrier.

    Magical attacks in this world had strong offensive power. In case of a battle between magicians, attacking first didnt mean having the advantage. Things werent that simple.

    The attacking magician also had to set up a magical barrier to defend themselves from the others magic. ording to Frau, magical barriers were invisible and their sizes depended on the magicians ability. At the very least, it could cover the magician themselves. A skilled magician could set up a barrier to protect the other members in their party, or even to cover an area the same size as a small room in thisbyrinth.

    Magical barriers could repel all magical attacks once activated. To break a barrier, you either needed tounch an attack with greater magical strength than the barrier or get close and physically attack the magician who conjured it. Of course, you could just use ranged attacks such as archery, but even an inexperienced magician wouldnt forget to ward himself against arrows.

    Ill take charge andunch a preemptive strike. Mitche, youll be the backup. Take that mages head.

    Got it, nya.

    Crouching down while lowering my gun, I watched out for the goblins. Turning off the tactical light, I threw some light grass seeds forward. The seeds sprouted immediately, emitting thin shreds of light. The night view mode in my head goggles gave me full vision even with the low light.

    Before long, the ugly faces of the goblins came into view from the dark passage in front of us. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! The mage was that one.

    1 mage, in the center!

    I told Mitche, who was positioned diagonally behind me to the right. I opened fire on the goblins, focusing on those on the right since Mitch would charge from that direction. Firing at the right-most goblin, I pierced a hole in its head. At the same time, Mitche charged. Seeing theirrades suddenly taken down, the goblins didnt look in our direction at all but screamed out something in their strange voices instead. They couldnt see in the dark?

    The goblin mage was the only one that looked at us. He lifted his staff slightly and shouted. With my goggles, I could see the air around him distort for a moment. Seemed like he set up his own barrier.

    Still watching the mage, I glided the crosshairs over the group and continued shooting the other goblins. They were shouting and kicking around, making it difficult to shoot at their heads. Instead, I aimed for their torsos and sessfully stopped 3 of them from ever moving again. After taking down the leading goblins, I noticed the mage was chanting something. A fireball formed in front of his long staff, ready to fire at us.Just as his magic was about to bepleted, his head fell sideways unnaturally, and the fireball dispersing.

    Mitche had snuck behind the mage and took his head. Literally.

    Done, nya.

    Picking up the mana stone, Mitche went back to us. All the mana stones acquired during the exploration were divided equally among the 3 of us. It wasnt an exactly equal distribution, as we couldnt exchange them for money at camp, so we just made our own estimation based on their conditions.

    Well, lets continue on then.

    Actually, I knew the mages barrier wouldnt have been able to repel a round from the submachine gun. Before, when saving Ashley, I was able to pierce a goblin mages barrier with just a single 919 parabellum bullet.

    Whether the bullet was more powerful than a goblin mages barrier, or if it was simply a sessful long-range physical attack, I didnt know for sure. Regardless, if I had broken the mages barrier, the girls would have considered it an act of magic, so I didnt.

    Afterwards, the 3 of us continued down the passage, each with their own role. When we reached therge room from yesterday, we took a short break. From there on, todays exploration started.

    After the brief break, we headed towards the unexplored central area of the 1st floor. There wasnt a single source of light, so we dropped light grass seeds around as we went. Looking at the map my goggles disyed, thisbyrinth had the same intricate structure as the entrance.

    ording to Mitche and Fraus talk during our break, in other regions,byrinths with such big 1st floors were all ancient ones built hundreds of years ago. However, thisbyrinth wasnt ancient. Based on the number of monsters in its vicinity, it was built very recently  but then, why was the 1st floor this big?

    We continued to advance further into the underground passage while killing differently ranked goblins. Deep and deeper we went, then my map disyed

    Whats wrong, nya? Goblins, nya?

    As I stopped, the two girls got ready for battle, but I was just standing still. There wasnt a sign of enemy movement either. I stopped because I had seen something I didnt expect and I was surprised by it.

    Schwarz, its not an enemy, right?

    No, its Well? Its just a possibility, but The Spring of Purity is ahead of us.

    (T/N: Reminder: In this world, eachbyrinth has a safety zone called Spring of Purity, where no monsters could enter.)

    Indeed, my map disyed a small square room, smaller than the usual small rooms in thebyrinth. It was the same size as the Spring of Purity in the Wolf Fang Labyrinth. But this was just the 1st level! From what I had learned in the General Guilds library, the Spring could be on any level of thebyrinth, but there had not been a case where it was on the first level.

    The Spring? On the 1st level, nya?

    This is rare Ive never heard of a Spring of Purity on the 1st level.

    The other two were also surprised at this. So it was truly unusual?

    Be it really there or not, lets continue for now. Go on a bit more, then turn right.

    Speeding up a little, I went on. And just as expected, the moment I took a right turn, it was there.

    It was bright. In a darkbyrinth where my tactical light, Fraus orb, and the white light from the glowing grass were the only sources of light. The whole room was shining dazzlingly. This was, without a doubt, the Spring of Purity.

    It really is the Spring

    This is nasty, nya.

    Nasty? You mean the Spring being on the 1st floor?

    In normalbyrinths, there will be a Gatekeeper 2 levels below the spring, but if theres another final spring, the Gatekeeper will be 1 level below. Then the Dungeon Master will be below them.

    In short, if the spring is on the 1st level, then the Gatekeeper will be on the 2nd level and the Master on the 3rd level?

    No, nya. Thisbyrinth is way too bigpared to others, nya. If it was anotherbyrinth, we would have reached the 2nd level already with the distance weve covered, nya. If we continue, its very likely that well cover 2 more levels, nya. In short, its very likely that the Gatekeeper and the Dungeon Master are ahead of us, nya.

    Its better to return to camp and report it to Varold and Keith about the Spring.

    Agree, nya.

    I understand. Lets get back to camp.

    There was also a possibility that the Emerald Demons Labyrinth didnt have a multi-level structure like the otherbyrinths, and instead had all of its elements crammed into one level. That would exin why it was bigger than others. With this, we hurried back to report.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    A Spring of Purity on the 1st floor?! Is it true?!

    When we got back to the headquarter, Keith greeted us while he was doing paperwork. Varold seemed to be eating in the dining tent, but came back when he was notified of our return.

    We have no doubt about it. Its about a 5-hour walk from the entrance.

    5 hours? With otherbyrinths, youd reach the 2nd level in that time

    Exactly, nya. We believe that thisbyrinth is a big maze with only 1 level.

    Schwarz, please hurry with the mapping of the Springs location. Our attack n will be based on that map. Mitche and Frau, please arrange for a full 6-person party, including Schwarz.

    Ill start drawing the map immediately. But about including me in the party, you mean Ill also take part in the attack?

    Yes. In normalbyrinths, the closer to the spring you get, the higher ranked the monsters be. We also need you to search for the route to the Gatekeeper, which will increase the danger of your trip. Not to mention the confrontation with the Gatekeeper Are you scared?

    No, Im fine.

    It really was alright. The reason I fell into this world The purpose and meaning of my existence that I had vaguely yearned for while sitting in the Spring of Wolf Fang Labyrinth It was to conquerbyrinths. This was a good opportunity. I could confirm how my power, the VMB system, fared against the monsters in thisbyrinth. Such knowledge would surely be useful when I confronted the Gatekeepers and Dungeon Masters by myselfter.

    (T/N: Plurals since I think he was talking about the future, when he would conquerbyrinths by himself.)

    Keith, well go to Barga tomorrow to get some Sasanqua members. Well be back the day after.

    Understood. Ah, Frau, while youre there, please bring our report to the General Guild. Ill write it after dinner.

    I understand. Mitche, lets go have dinner. Schwarz, therell be no exploration tomorrow, so see you the day after.

    Okay. Please excuse me, Ill go draw the map now.

    Exiting the headquarters, I went to the tent especially prepared for me to map. I drew the area we explored today on a new piece of paper, then I made a simplified version that only focused on the route from the entrance of thebyrinth to the spring. When I was done, the sun had already set and the fires had been lit.

    Keith and Varold were waiting for the map in the headquarter. I gave it to them, and went to the dining tent to take care of my hunger.

    Mitche and Frau rode to Barga on horseback the next morning. As for me, I went back to the mapping tent. Not to map, but to check and organize my equipment for the attack tomorrow. The tent was the only ce where I could stay out of the public eye. I didnt change my main or secondary weapons. Instead, I packed more powerful small-arms in case we met enemies that the 5.728 rounds couldnt deal with.

    VMBs small-arms didnt have power settings themselves. What could be adjusted were the initial velocity of the bullet at the time of firing and the RPM (Round Per Minute). If the numerical values like RPM were set close to that of a real gun, then the offensive power of a firearm would depend on the bullet size.

    Offensive power tended to increase with bullet size and cartridge length increased. With real guns, you could also choose from different types of rounds with different characteristics, from full metal jacketed rounds to hollow-point bullets. However, this was not possible with VMB.

    (E/N: See notes below on my exnation of above.)

    For example, to increase the piercing strength, bullets used with the P90 and 5.7 were small caliber rounds, 5.7x28mm. However, most other guns used full metal jacketed bullets. (E/N: Every caliber has FMJ son, chill.) The 5.728 was specifically produced only for the P90 and 5.7 pistols.

    I needed something more powerful than the 5.728 round, either the 7.6239 or 7.6251 NATO would be appropriate

    (E/N: If were going this route, why not.224 Valkyrie,.30-30, or.338 Lapua? I hate this dude. .)

    I opened the small-arms tab in the TSS Inventory and began choosing. Among all the firearms I collected during the 3 years I yed VMB and the ones I purchased from the SHOP  I had quite a lot of choices. So I summoned my favorite rifle.

    The FN SCAR-H, ck model, an ARF battle-rifle from FN, the samepany that developed the P90 and 5.7. This rifle was specially developed for the US Special Forces. The H in its name stood for Heavy and was chambered in 7.6251 NATO. Its magazine factory standard magazine could only hold 20 cartridges, but it boasted high offensive power. I decided to choose this gun to use in case the 5.728 were not enough.

    There was also the L-type, but I passed on it this time since I chose to use the 5.5646 NATO rounds. Also, I really liked the ck color model. You could only get it in VMB.

    (E/N: Ill just stopmenting...) (PF:brain.exehas stopped working)

    If this SCAR-H wasnt sufficient, I wouldnt have a choice but to take some expensiveser rifle or an RPGuncher (Rocket Propelled Grenade). VMB didnt only have fights simted from famous battles in history, but also ones from futuristic and PvE settings where you could fight with alien monsters.

    There were all kinds of equipment for those battles, even things that didnt exist in real life like Laser Rifles. But FPS yers tended to prefer real-life firearms more. I was one of them. There were more realistic firearms to choose from and theser rifles energy packs consumed too much CP due to their stronger power. They werent something to use in every single battle. The RPG-7, an anti-tank weapon, not only consumed a lot of CP, but were also inconvenient to carry around so they werent to be used lightly either. This might be the right time to use them though.

    I also took out the SCAR-Hs magazine from the supply box and inserted it into my magazine belt. I put my P90 into the now-empty box and shut the lid. It then became light particles and faded away. With preparationspleted, I exited the mapping tent and headed outside the camp. The SCAR-H had stronger recoil than the submachine gun so to avoid being surprised by the amount, some practice was necessary.

    I left the camp and walked for about 15 minutes, avoiding the direction of the Labyrinth. Then I came upon a field that offered a nice open view with some hills here and there. Even if I made a mistake, I wouldnt identally shoot someone here. I then looked for a spot where I could shoot at the hills slope. While thinking it wouldve been nice to bring a target along, I picked a slope that felt good and drew a humanoid shape about the height of a goblin with a small rock. I also drew more rough outlines of goblin fighter and goblin mage.

    Now, lets see how the SCAR-H feels in this world, shall we?

    I crouched down and switched the safety to semi-auto. I was going to fire one shot then change positions. I aimed down the sight, the crosshair disying on my goggles ovepped with the guns iron sights. Since the target was a slope, the long-distance function didnt activate. I aimed at the goblins outline head regardless.

    A sound simr to that in VMB boomed, apanied by a mechanical nk of the spent casing being discharged. The familiar noise lifted my mood and I continuously fired at the slope after changing targets. The recoil was strong as expected, but you wouldnt have the qualification to use the SCAR-H if you couldnt control it.

    (E/N: 7.62 doesnt have strong recoil...) (PF:looks at above editor noteO.o)

    I changed the magazine, switched to full-auto and began firing. The sounds of the shots echoed in the area. Even in full-auto, the shots were close to the slope. The uracy wasnt bad. The magazine could only carry 20 rounds might be a worrisome point in a group battle, but I nned to take both the P90 and SCAR into thebyrinth.

    You could only equip 1 main weapon in VMB, but that limit didnt exist in this world. I had confirmed this when I carried 2 at the same time. Having to carry more magazines might be a struggle, especially in a situation that required high maneuverability, but you could make do by slinging them over your shoulder.

    I spent about two hours practicing handling the rifle while changing attachments and position before returning to camp.

 Chapter 35-36

    Chapter 35-36

    Its Schwarz, you needed me?

    After shooting practice, I returned to camp. When I was having ate lunch, a guild staffer told me that Varold and Keith were looking for me. I finished my food in a hurry and went to headquarters. Aside from them, there were arge number of Adventurers and guild staff inside the tent.

    You finallye, Schwarz. Seemed like you werent in the camp. Whered you go?

    Sorry to keep you waiting. I went out to do some practice.

    Heh, Ive heard about your mapping. Such an admirable attitude you have.

    The one who spoke was an adventurer standing by Varolds side. He wasrge with short brown hair and wore te armor. He seemed to be in his thirties, and among the adventurers in the tent, he was the burliest with an energetic aura.

    You are?

    Im Linel, an A-Ranked Adventurer of Rafflesia.

    Nice to meet you. Im Schwarz, D-Ranked adventurer.

    An A-rank Mitche and Frau were B-Rank, but there were even higher ranked adventurers in the camp? And Rafflesia It was probably a n name. I only knew of two Rafflesia. One was a nt in Southeast Asia with big red flowers that smelled like rotten flesh, and the other was a white flower used as an ingredient in some soup I had eaten when in China for a tournament. It was said to be dragon fruit flower or something. I was sure it was written as Night-Blooming Cereus, but called Rafflesia.

    Will you also join the attack party, mapper?

    This guy

    Yes. The n is for me and some Sasanqua members to form a full party.

    Those she-foxes huh! Aint that nice mapper, youre the only guy allowed in the party, you-

    Linel, lets end our business here. Schwarz, we called you here about the attack tomorrow. The Sasanqua members wont be able to join us until tomorrow, and were not sure if theylle in the morning or afternoon.

    Linels snide talk was stopped by Keith, but I couldnt stomach the guy. As if he still hadnt said enough, Linel clicked his tongue while moving away from the desk.

    Keith and Varold were looking for me to discuss tomorrows schedule. I would have to wait for the Sasanqua members, but tomorrow morning, two other parties would go into thebyrinth ahead of our team. One was the Rafflesia members party and the other was a party of General Guild Staff.

    The Guild party would stop at the Spring and set up a base there. The Spring wasnt very spacious, but we still didnt know the true extent of thisbyrinth and having a ce to recover our strength was necessary. The Guild would be in charge of this. Once the base wasplete, they would return to camp, gather supplies and go back to the spring.

    The Rafflesia party would go past the Spring, explore deeper into thebyrinth as well as make another map. They would take a day of rest at the camp every 3 days during the exploration. Our attack party would start the day after tomorrow and would follow the same schedule as Rafflesias party. At the same time, a group of knights that formed up to conquer thebyrinth woulde from Barga. Theyd also follow the same schedule to ensure there would always be one attack party in thebyrinth.

    While we were discussing these things, Linel was talking to the other members of Rafflesia. Their lineup was like this: Linel as the Vanguard and the two female mages as rear guards. Of the remaining three members, two were in light equipments and the third was a guy who was almost 2 meters tall in te armor. He looked even bulkier than Linel. All the Rafflesia members were human.

    One of the guys in light armor approached us when he noticed our discussion had finished.

    You must be Schwarz. Do you have a minute? Im an A-ranked Adventurer of Rafflesia, Will. Im the one in charge of mapping in our party. Ive seen your map.

    He extended his hand to me.

    Does this world also have handshakes? Well, probably

    I sped my hand with his. We agreed on a mutual provision of the map, shared some information about cartography and confirmed a non-interference agreement with each other.

    (T/N: They acknowledged and respected the fact that both of them would draw the map of the Labyrinth.)

    Unlike Linel, this young man Will had good manners and seemed quite smart. His short brown hair was well cared for and had a shine that didnt suit an adventurer at all.

    So such an adventurer also existed But deep down he probably was like Linel. He kept talking as if Linelsck of manners earlier was nothing. Seemed like it was a normal thing for these fellows.

    Will, please feel free to use the Spring to draw your map. I will clean up a small room in front of it to use.

    Is it alright?

    No problem at all. I cant concentrate when being watched, so Ill prepare some quiet ce to work. Varold. Keith. Excuse me, but is it alright if I bring some tools from my mapping tent into the Labyrinth?

    Ah, Remi especially prepared them for you, so use them however you want.

    Thank you. Then please excuse me.

    The Rafflesia and Guild parties headed to thebyrinth the next morning. I was to leave the day after, and I also had some free time until the Sasanqua members arrived. I used that time to sweep the area around thebyrinth in ce of the Rafflesia team, crushing the monsters being called in by thebyrinth.

    I also took this chance to get some practical training with the Scar. How it felt maneuvering while carrying the P90 and how to switch magazines; whether or not a goblin could be killed with a single headshot; how the guns prating power is. I needed to verify those things to see if the rifle was a good choice or not.

    In my original world, everyone in the hunting scene knew that intermediate rifles werent sufficient forrge beasts, but 7.6251 NATO rounds in VMB were surely more powerful than anything a real gun could fire.

    How do I know this? Because goblin heads would burst open when Inded headshots. Human heads didnt get blown clean off the necks when you shot them using a real firearm with the same caliber. I found its power reliable, but frightening This couldnt be used on people. That time in Barga when I had gotten into a scruff with a group of adventurers at the second-hand shop, I had shot them in the knees with my 5.7.

    5.7s used the 5.7x28mm NATO rounds, which had decent prating power, so they went cleanly through the knees. If I had used the 7.62x51mm rounds, there was no doubt that not only would the knees have burst, but the whole leg would also have been blown off

    Not just this caliber, but I also had to confirm the power of my shotguns and sniper rifles as soon as possible. I had so many small-arms that I didnt even remember the amount anymore. To choose the most suitable firearm, not only for thisbyrinth but others I would conquer in the future, I needed to fully grasp the power of the VMB system.

    With these thoughts, I hunted the monsters in thebyrinths vicinity. I didnt take any of the raw monster materials though. I tried to skin a ss wolf, but my hands and the surroundings were covered in blood half-way in  I ended up vomiting. So I swore to take only the mana stones. I cleaned thebyrinths surroundings for the whole morning before returning to camp at noon for a break. There I found a group of female adventurers in the dining tent, two of whom I recognized.

    Ah! Hes back, nya!

    Wee back, Mitche, Frau.

    We just arrived a little while ago. Let me introduce you to our Sasanqua members. Marinda, a heavybatant; Ruu, a swordswoman; and Lapitilica Barga, a magician.

    Im Schwarz, a D-Ranked Adventurer. Nice to meet you.

    Im Marinda, A-ranked adventurer of Sasanqua. Nice to meet you, Schwarz!

    It was rude to say, but it was difficult to think that Marinda was a woman. She was even taller than me  probably 190cm in height or so- with close-cropped red-hair and tanned skin. Maybe she was from the same town as Remi? She had well-defined features, but exceptionally big physique. Her arms were several times thicker than mine

    Ruu, A-ranked adventurer from Sasanqua. Nice to meet you.

    Ruu, on the other hand, was slender, with long ck hair pulled together to rest at her back. She felt like a Japanese ck-eyed beauty She had an intense gaze when she looked at me. She was a swordswoman, but the sword at her waist didnt look to be Western style. There was a slight curve to it  so maybe a katana?

    Im Lapitilica Barga, C-Ranked adventurer from Sasanqua. Please call me Lali. Nice to meet you, Schwarz.

    Lapitilicia was the youngest of the group. Everyone including myself being over 20, but she still looked to be in her teens, and not even 150cm tall. She had short blonde hair and wore a white priestly robe.

    And her name was Barga? She used full name so maybe she was from a noble family. Was the Barga in her name the same as the Fort City of Barga? So this girl was the daughter of a Lord.

    Lali is the third daughter of Bargas lord, Duke Franklin Barga, nya. But she is training with Sasanqua so dont care too much about that, nya.

    I-Is that so Nice to meet you.

    Mitche probably had sensed my astonishment and decided to mess with me. We discussed the exploration in the tent, confirmed each others skills, and the teams lineup. When arrangements werepleted, the sun had setpletely.

    We headed out to the Labyrinth the day after the Sasanqua members arrived. My role in the party was to scout. I would lead the way and keep an eye out for enemies as I walked through while reading the map disyed on my goggles. The others were checking the map the Guild staff had copied from mine to verify the uracy.

    Schwarzs map is amazing! This is the first time Ive seen something like this! It doesnt only show the shape, but also helps us grasp the distances!

    Our cartographer should learn from him.

    Marinda and Ruu talked while reading the map. The current line up was 1-2-2-1 with me leading, Marinda and Ruu next, followed by Frau and Lali, and Mitche at the rear. I wasnt sure if this line up was correct or normal, but it had been decided that I would take the lead. So the Sasanqua members naturally followed behind in their usual formation.

    In order to ustom ourselves with fighting in thebyrinth, we fought with Marinda, Ruu, and Lali as the core until we reached the Spring of Purity. Marinda was a heavybatant as well as the shield of the party. She used a short-handled double-edged ax and arge shield about 1m tall. The shield was a Scutum-styled shield, arge but slightly curved on the sides shield  popr during the Roman era. She used the shield to stop goblin attacks and knock them down, then finish them off with the ax.

    Ruus sword definitely resembled a katana, but it wasnt an actual katana. The guard was different and there was no hamon, but the swords shape was definitely like a Japanese katana, single-edged and narrow with a curve.

    Ruus sword gave off a very strange feeling, as if the sword smith had intended to forge a katana but abandoned his work half way and consented with a katana-shaped sword. Regardless, Ruus swordsmanship was truly amazing. She seemed to favor killing opponents with one sh, cutting the goblins head with one sword stroke before giving a final stab to the heart; all of which flowed smoothly together.

    As for Lali, she seemed to y the support role, providing support buffs to Marinda and Ruu. These buffs had a lot of effects from helping the targets magic circte more effectively, increasing physical strength, to forming magical barriers.

    By the way,st night, we had a heated discussion about whether to include Ls title when talking or not. I had a habit of calling everyone I was acquainted with -san, and I had almost never called anyone by name only.

    Basically, speaking courteously could be considered a part of my character, but Lali thought that I was calling her that way because she was a Lords daughter. She insisted that it was not necessary and that she was younger so there wasnt a need to use any title.

    In the end, we agreed with using -san to simplify things.

    The Spring of Purity is just past this small room.

    We finally arrived, nya-

    We passed the room and entered the Spring. ording to the Guild party, there would be necessities inside to set up a camp like tools, materials and food.

    So small.

    Ruu muttered. And she was right. The Spring was being used as a temporary base for both Rafflesia and our parties. The division was clear; Rafflesia took up half the space and the other half was for us. However, on our half, the spring swelled up and formed a small pond that took up about 1/4 of our intended space. A member from the Guild party was staying in the Spring as a caretaker, and he rushed over to us and started to exin. He talked a lot but the long story short was:

    Rafflesia had disregarded the division decided by headquarters and forcibly divided the ce on site themselves.

    Theyre even more high-handed than expected.

    Rafflesia is the oldest n in the country, famous for being established by the Kurtmelga Royal Family. Even now, theyre still reigning on top of the other ns.

    Frau mentioned while bringing her bags over to our side. The schedule was to take a short break then start exploring.

    Just resting well is enough! Lets rest and get ready for the exploration in the afternoon!

    Thats right. The sooner we conquer thisbyrinth the better. Theres tea, do you want some, Schwarz?

    Lali fetched water from the spring, moving like a small animal. The other members also seemed to have gotten over the division issue and began setting up camp. I wanted to unpack too, but

    I should just give up. The conditions I gave Remi couldnt be kept after all

    The 3 conditions I had asked for when I took the job this time were: to not credit me as the cartographer; to set up a small research party only and to not disclose my mapping method and other skills. These 3 conditions were proposed so I could avoid being restricted in my activitiester on, but how had things been in reality?

    In the guise of idle chit-chat, I myself did tell the Sasanqua members about my abilities. Of course, I asked them not to tell anyone else. But the fact I was the Cartographer had already been known, not only to the Guild staff in camp but also to the top n of this country. Joining the assault party was a good thing, but it would result in attracting too much attention.

    So troublesome!

    Schwarz, you didnt bring anything to set up camp, nya?

    Mitche, noticing that I had not taken off my meager equipment, asked.

    I did, but nothing for a proper camp, only some nkets and food. Ill take them out when its time to sleep.

    After that, we drank the tea that Lali made and entrusted our equipment to the caretaker. We then resumed our exploration into the depth of the Spring. The nned exploration time was 3 hours including the return time. So we would walk for about 1.5 hours, then return to the camp. From this point on, all 6 of us would take part in battles. The map disyed on my goggles showed that the road ahead was no different from what we had walked so far  still full of corners and dead ends.

    At the crossing ahead, the left is a dead end with 3 goblins. The right is the correct route with 2 goblins.

    Hearing the amplified sounds in my ear pads and the light points on the map, I could more or less grasp all the enemy movements. Up until now, I hadnt encountered any enemies that were not disyed on the map or picked up by my earpads. I didnt think all enemies would be like this, but they surely had been easy to spot.

    Marinda, Schwarz  take care of the right. The rest, take the left.

    The arrangement was that I would report my scouting and Frau would give orders as the leader. Even though Frau was B-ranked while Miranda and Ruu were A-ranked, she held more seniority in Sasanqua. So, it was natural shed be the leader.

    I switched the P90 to full-auto and resumed walking while aiming down the sight. Marinda walked beside me, shield at the ready. We turned right at the T-shaped crossroad, continued a little and saw our goblins. They were goblin fighters, not normal ones. Goblin fighters were twice the size of normal goblins and carried big clubs. I remained in ce while gliding the crosshairs to trace them and fired two consecutive rapid two-shots.

    Marinda stiffened when I started my ranged attacks. Seeing the goblins falling down, she raised her shield in caution. In the end, the two goblin fighters dropped dead before they managed to do anything. With the right path cleared, I looked behind me and saw the other three goblins were also taken down. They also appeared to be goblin fighters.

    Schwarz, youre amazing!

    Patting my shoulders heartily, Miranda praised. It hurt a little

    Having Schwarz is fun, nya. Mitche also said while collecting mana stones and bringing them over to Lali. She was in charge of safekeeping of the stones we got. When she received the mana stones of the two goblins I had killed, she said to me cheerfully with sparkling eyes: Youve worked hard! This kid is so cute.

    Thereafter, we continued on while avoiding dead ends. We went through a series of small rooms andrge rooms, killing goblins along the way. In the depths of the Spring, there seemed to be almost no normal goblins. There were mainly just groups of Fighter Goblins along with others like Mages or Assassins in the mix.

    I saw 10 light points moving around in some dead ends on the map. They were probably the Rafflesia party. Seemed like they met a dead end on the way back to camp. I didnt want to meet them so I said nothing and led everyone down the right path, going deeper into thebyrinth.

    Theres a small room ahead with perhaps 3 goblins inside I dont remember hearing this kind of sound before. The footsteps are heavier than the fighter goblins.

    Hobgoblins?

    Probably. Hobgoblins are a little bigger than fighter goblins in size, but in strength, theyre not just a little stronger. Were counting on you, Miranda.

    Leave it to me! Ill crush them properly!

    We moved closer to the small room. Even from the entrance, their shapes were unmistakable. Fighter goblins have the same green skin as normal goblins, but the ones we saw had reddish-brown skin. They were a head taller than the fighters and carried double-edged swords rather than clubs.

    They have bio-armors*! Schwarz, take the left! Miranda to the center! Mitche and Ruu to the right! Lali, support them!

    We moved with Fraus instructions. I tracked the left hobgoblin with my crosshair and shot at his head. The hobgoblin managed to dodge two of my shots by tilting his head, but the third shot was impossible to dodge. The bullet went into his right eye, bursting it. With one eye lost, and blinded by rage, the hobgoblin let out a roar  charging at me. I fired 2 rapid shots, both went into his chest. The hobgoblin jerked backward with each shot, stumbled a bit then fell down, face up.

    The light point on my goggles went out, and I didnt hear the hobgoblin breathing. After confirming that he was dead, I glided my crosshair onto the other goblins that the team was fighting. But their battles were alsoing to an end. Marinda cut her hobgoblin in half at the waist. Frau and Lalis fireballs struck thest hobgoblin as Ruu killed it with a two-handed sh.

    I changed magazines out of my firearm while thinking that even though the 5.728 rounds were not as effective as with the usual goblins, they were still good enough for these hobgoblins. Seemed like it would soon be time to use the SCAR. Everyone returned to their normal positions and we continued on our way.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    With the first day of the Labyrinth conquest ending, our party returned to the Spring. ording to the Guild Staff, the other party  Rafflesia  had already returned ahead of us. They upied half the spring, luggage in one corner and campfire at the other. They talked and ate around it.

    Finally back huh, mapper? Hm-? Wow, you not only keep she-foxes on leashes, but you also babysit now?

    Linel greeted us the moment we came in. This guy looked down on the Sasanqua members and since I was working with them, I couldnt stomach him, but babysitting? I turned back and saw Lali hanging her head.

    All of these women are wonderful and reliable adventurers. That aside, Linel, whats with you defying the campsite allocation decided by Headquarters?

    To be honest, I didnt n to mention it at all, but it just came out of my mouth. I also wanted to give him a warning about his rude behavior.

    What are you talking about? Didnt you say you didnt need mapping space down here? So were only making proper use of the space.

    That How was it eptable because of that?! I was about to retaliate, but Frau grabbed my shoulder from behind. Just leave it, she chided.

    Im sorry Frau, seems like Ive said more than I should have.

    Dont worry about it, Schwarz. But where do you n to draw your map?

    I n to clean up the small room just before this room and draw in there. I dont want others to see my mapping space.

    Our talk didnt reach Linel, so he thought I was ignoring him and raised his voice to continue the conversation.

    Hey, Mapper! Youre going to draw your map right? Show us how you do it. Letting the she-foxes see your mapping is a waste. At least teach Will your drawing technique!

    Linel the stupid, whatre you saying, nya? Disclosing Schwarzs mapping method is forbidden. Didnt Varold and Keith tell you, nya? Or did up forget because youre too stupid?

    Mitche retorted sharply. That said, Line the stupid Could it be that Rafflesia and Sasanqua have some sort of connection? Behind me, Ruu looked like she was about to blow up any minute, her face red with puffed-up cheeks. She still kept her countenance expressionless though and it made her look rather dreadful. Lali and Miranda were making tea while ignoring uspletely. No, Lali looked a bit concerned, but Miranda was all smiles and kept chatting while preparing ingredients.

    Shut up, cat woman!

    Linel, just as Mitche said, didnt Varold say not to mention anything about Schwarzs drawing technique or the man himself? Besides, sharing mapping intel is fine, but there isnt a need to go as far as sharing mapping techniques.

    The one who said this and abated Linel was Will, Rafflesias cartographer.

    Well Schwarz, wee back. From now on, well stay here together for a while, so lets stop these useless quarrels. Youre going to draw your map right? After, lets share what we found with each other. I also want to know what kind of goblins you found and such.

    I agreed with Will, but I still felt ufortable. For now, I returned to our campsite and drank tea with Lali and Marinda. The sound of Linel clicking his tongue echoed loudly in the space

    We rested by the campfire sipping tea, for half an hour. Then I went to the small room just before the Spring to do my mapping. The other members proposed to help, but I politely refused and asked them to rest. The others would prepare dinner while I worked on my map. Since I couldnt cook at all, the arrangement really saved me. Even in my world, I had mostly eaten out at restaurants, but I always looked forward to a homemade meal prepared by a woman.

    There were 3 goblins in the room. I killed them before they could do anything, then activated the TSS. I summoned the Gift Box from my inventory and took out the desk and tools I brought from the tent back at the main camp. While I was working, some goblins appeared again. Kept on hiding my abilities like this was useless, but on the other hand, I didnt want to be seen by Rafflesia. I gave up*

    (*T/N: He wanted to use the VMB to be able to draw the map without interruption, but hesitated at first because he didnt want the Rafflesia to know about the things he could do. In the end he just gave up and used it, as seen in the following part.)

    To secure a safe working environment and to also test my security measures, I made up my mind to summon a vehicle. I selected the Garage in the TSS and picked arge vehicle with a sealed cabin, the AEC Armored Command Vehicle Dorchester, a vehicle manufactured by the British during World War II. It was all green, with a short anteater nose. You could say it was an armored bus.

    It was an old model and wasnt manufactured anymore. I chose it for two reasons: One, it was welded with 9mm thick rolled steel* with no ss windows aside from the one in the driverspartment. You could only see through the small peephole, but it was very secure. The other reason was that it wasfortable. 4/5 of its 6m length was living space, there were 3 chairs surrounding an L-shaped desk and 2 more outside. The interior design was like a military camper and it had enough space to draw maps.

    Avoiding the room center, I summoned the car at a spot by the wall and climbed in through the rear door. The interior was the same as when I saw it in VMB. The shelves and cupboards also operated properly. What if I put things in there and returned it to the garage? I thought. I took out a mana stone from my waist pouch, put it in the cupboard, then exited the vehicle and put it back in the garage.

    I watched the vehicle be wrapped in light particles and disappear. I paid close attention to see whether the stone would drop, but nothing was left where the vehicle had been sitting. I summoned it again and checked the cupboard. The stone was still where I had ced it. It seemed like I could put things inside and stored them along with the vehicle.

    This gave me a smile. I summoned the Gift Box, took out all the mapping tools and put them in the cupboards and storage space of the car. I sat down at the desk inside the vehicle and began drawing the map of what we explored today. Tracing the area didnt take much time, but there was the party member part, meeting General guild staff part, and the Rafflesias part. It took more time than I thought.

    ( E/N: I do not understand what he is talking about here, therefore I cannot change it.)

    (T/N: Im not entirely sure tbh, but heres my guess: The word used in the original text could also mean segment, so I think Schwarz drew map by calling up the recordings of the days events and re-traced the routes on paper. There were a lot of things happened that day, not pure exploration, so he had to scroll through those un-rted events.)

    Listening carefully, I heard strange voices outside of the car. It seemed like goblins hade again. I peeked out through the peephole and saw 3 goblins having some sort of conversation (?)* while seemingly ignoring the car. It looked like these goblins didnt understand that the car was something peculiar. If they noticed any presences like human or beast-men, theyd be hostile.

    This was a discovery.

    (*T/N: This question mark was in the original text btw Probably to emphasize that it was only his guess since he didnt know goblins speech.)

    I picked the P90 from the shelf I had ced it down on earlier, released the safety, and opened the side door. The moment the 3 goblins turned their head at the sound, I opened fire. I picked up the dropped stones and saw 2 light points moving this way on the map inside my goggles. There wereing from the Spring, and by the sounds of their steps,one heavier and one lighter,it was Marinda and Lali.

    Schwarz! Dinners ready!

    Seemed like they came to call me for dinner. Ah, the Dorchester was still out

    Schwarz, has the map-

    They entered the room, stiffening when they saw the car parked by the wall. Lalis mouth hung open.

    Ah- uhm, I just finished drawing the map

    Schwarz, what is this?!

    Marinda shouted while pointing at the car.

    This is yours, Schwarz?

    Lali also pointed at the car and asked.

    U-hm, well yes, its mine. Lets not go into details now. Please head back first, Ill clean up and follow right after.

    I hadnt thought of how to exin this. So I took them by the shoulders, turning them around and pushed them back the way they came. They both eximed in confusion Eh? Eh? while being pushed back to the Spring. I immediately took theplete map from the car, then put it back into the garage and headed to the Spring.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    I returned to the spring and ate dinner with my party. Todays meal was soup with ck bread and some yellow fruit I hadnt seen before.

    Okay Schwarz-san, please help yourself.

    Lali-san handed me arge wooden bowl full of meaty soup and vegetables inside. It was simr to a soup I had eaten during a campaign in Russia called Shi or Shchi* something

    (T/N: For those curious:Shchi.)

    Thank you, Ill be eating now.

    I started to dig in with the spoon that came with the bowl. The warm soup and wheat-vored bread were delicious. The yellow fruit was called Namy. It was juicy with an edible skin, like pears. After the meal, Marinda and Lali asked about the Dorchester. I lightly answered with a finger on my lips. (T/N: In a shushing manner.)

    While we were chatting and sipping tea, Will came over from the Rafflesia side.

    Schwarz, is now okay?

    Yes, it is. Lets ask the Guild staff to join us and talk over there.

    The staff member was sitting alone bundled up in a nket. I invited him over, then showed them both the map I had drawn earlier and exchanged intel. Of course, Will had also prepared a copy of the area Rafflesia had explored. With the maps, we verified in which direction thebyrinth extended. We also talked about which types of goblins we met, how they appeared, and from which point we began to encounter hobgoblins.

    When wepared maps to consider which routes to take tomorrow, it appeared there wasnt just one path leading to the center of the Spring. It also showed that the paths branched out in aplex pattern before merging back together, then repeating. There wasnt a point in both groups taking the same route, so we decided which route each group would take. At the points were our routes merged, the group who arrived first would use the light grass to g which path they took. The group that cameter would take the other path.

    We also asked the Guild staff to inform the Knight grouping tomorrow about this rule as well.

    After the exchange, I went back to the party and handed them my map. I told them about tomorrows n as well as the information I had gotten from Will. Then it was time to sleep.

    There were 13 of us in the Spring, including the Guild staffer, but we couldnt afford to not keep watch just because of that. There also wasnt enough trust between our parties to leave the watch to only one side.

    Well change shifts every 3 hours. Schwarz and Mitche will take the first shift, then it will be me and Ruu. Afterwards, Marinda and Lali. Use this to keep time.

    Saying so, Frau-san took out an hourss. It was an ordinary hourss just like those I had seen in my world with a ss body fitted into a wooden frame. Mitche-san and I took the first shift, passing the time by chatting. Of course, I also checked my goggles map for any light pointsing our way and kept track of any suspicious moments from Rafflesias side.

    I chatted with Mitche-san on a wide range of topics, but what interested me was 2 things: Their connection with Rafflesia and why a Lords third daughter like Lali not only joined Sasanqua, but was also participating in a Labyrinth conquest. Mitche-san wasnt particrly secretive, but to keep the other party from overhearing, she sat next to me. She leaned on me, the distinctive fragrance of women mixed with the smell of sweat became captivating.

    (E/N: Gag.)

    (PF: Ugh.)

    Mitche-san, thats too close.

    Nights in thebyrinth are cold, nya. If we get cold, itll affect tomorrows exploration, nya.

    Isnt the temperature inside thebyrinth stable? What factor makes the temperature change?

    Rather than that, lets talk about Rafflesia, nya.

    Yes, yes.

    ording to Mitche-san, the rtionship between Sasanqua and Rafflesia was not thatplicated. Rafflesia had been a high-profile n for a long time and in its long history, established that male adventurers would be above female adventurers. This was also due to the fact that the Kurtmelga royals who joined the n from time to time were all males. (T/N: I have a feeling that Will was royal btw)

    On the contrary, Sasanqua was founded by a group of female adventurers who disliked being looked down on and being used by male adventurers. Its history was as long as Rafflesia, and if male royals joined Rafflesia, many female nobles joined Sasanqua. Lali was one of them. Why would noble girls like Lali be adventurers and join Sansanqua to participate in its activities? The answer to this was also simple.

    To train to be a bride.

    There were 2 types of nobles in this country, normal ones and sorcery ones with powerful magical lineage. To protect their magical lineage, these houses needed fertile women with high magical power. Once a girl reached adulthood, she would go out to receive training to strengthen her power and gain experience using magic. She would mature while umting experience and then get married into another sorcerer noble house  maybe even royalty.

    One of the noble sorcery houses that cultivated their magical lineage like this was the Kurtmelga Royal Family. Lali-sans Barga family was also such a house. When she became an adult, she was sent to Sasanqua to receive training. She then joined this Labyrinth Conquest to earn proof of her maturity.

    (T/N: In short, women from sorcery noble houses needed to prove that they were aplished powerful magicians to get married.)

    This tradition of those houses sending their barely grown daughters out for bride training must be kept?

    I dont know, nya, but without powerful magicians, this country would be swamped bybyrinths, nya. It is impossible with just adventurers, nya. We need someone to take the lead at the front line and thats the duty of noble magicians.

    Perhaps I shouldnt view things negatively just because of some temporary emotions. I still didnt understandpletely. This country, this continent, or this world  all of it. I wanted to know more. I felt another purpose in life, another aim, born inside my heart.

    We rotated our the watch then weed the morning without incident. We aimed to reach the Gatekeepers room today, so our exploration started early in the morning. We had a proper breakfast so we wouldnt get hungry halfway through, then prepared for the exploration. Rafflesia also seemed to have nned for an early departure. They would have some rest days at the camp so they were tidying up their side. Linel was also working briskly. He was nasty to female adventurers, but he did do his job properly.

    Time to go.

    With Frau-sans words, we resumed our exploration.

    We went straight up to area we had explored yesterday. With Rafflesias map, I had confirmed we had not passed the Gatekeepers room yet. For a singleyerbyrinth with no lower levels like this one, it was unthinkable for the Gatekeeper to be somewhere in the middle. Hed most likely be at the innermost area or centered somewhere around here. Anyhow, we must move forward.

    We avoided goblins when we could, but killed those we couldnt. We reached the small room with the hobgoblins in less time than half the time it took yesterday.

    There they are, five hobgoblins. Frau-san, can I do a preemptive strike?

    Youll go ahead by yourself?

    Yes, Ill start outside the room.

    Okay then. After Schwarz strikes, Ruu and Mitche will follow. Marinda will be in the middle. Lali and I will take the rear.

    The rooms entrance would be right ahead of us after we turned the corner. Based on their footsteps, the 5 hobgoblins were inside. I stopped just before the turn, and asked Mitche-san and Ruu-san not to get too close.

    The weapon Ive been using is not very loud, but the one Ill use from now on is. So please keep some distance from me. Ill crouch down when attacking, so advance after I stand up.

    Understood (nya).

    So from now on, I wouldnt be using the P90 anymore. Id use the firearm I had prepared for the Springs depth, the Scar-H.

    I jumped out of the corner, crouched down, aimed down the sights, and smoothly readied the rifle. I glided the crosshair to the hobgoblins heads in the center of the room. The distance was less than 20m. They immediately noticed me and red while growling. At that moment, I fired at one of their heads. The sound of the gunshot reverberated through thebyrinth and the head burst open.

    Nya!!

    It wasnt only the gunshot that reverberated in thebyrinth. To someone from a race with excellent hearing like Mitche-san, the un-muffled gunshot was too loud. My earpads automatically adjusted anything too loud down to an eptable volume, protecting my ears from the ear-splitting sound. Mitche-sans ears were pressed t to her head and her hair stood on end. The scene was unexpectedly captivating.

    This time, it was goblin roars that filled thebyrinth. I immediately turned back around and saw 2 hobgoblins charging this way,rge swords at their hips.

    [E/N: insert Jackie Chan confused meme here.]

    [T/N: Since Mitche and Ruu were behind Schwarz, him seeing how Mitche reacted means he had turned back to look when he heard her scream. He was mesmerized by Mitches reaction (because it looked too much like a startled cat, or because he liked her and found it charming, take your pick), so he didnt notice the 2 hobgoblins charging over until they roared. And by then it was toote.]

    There wasnt any time to aim for their heads. Gliding the crosshair left to right, I shot at their torsos instead, with 2 consecutive shots each, but I went too quick. The left hobgoblin caught both bullets in the chest and fell dead, face up. The right hobgoblin, however, was only hit once in the left shoulder  the other shot missed. His momentum fell slightly, but he was still charging towards me.

    GuOooooo!

    The hobgoblin roared and pulled his sword in one smooth stroke. My left hand was in his swinging range.

    Sweet! (T/N: or Not so easy!!)

    I activated the CBS (Circle Barrier Shield) on my left hand and met the sword. My shield stopped it, but I could feel the violent force of the impact through it. While my arm was still shaking from the impact, I twisted around and thrust the Scars muzzle into the hobgoblins mouth and pulled the trigger the moment it touched its upper jaw. The 7.62x51mm bullet exploded the monsters head, leaving only the lower jaw intact.

    Are you alright?!

    Ruu-san rushed over. Mitche-san and Ruu-san were in the corner and hadnt seen the hobgoblins. Normally they would have been able to hear the footsteps, but it seemed like even Ruu-sans ears were also ringing. So dealing with a sword-swinging hobgoblin charging from their blind spot was impossible.

    (T/N: Schwarz was reasoning why Ruu couldnt help him.)

    (E/N: Maybe if he wasnt so inconsiderate to fire off arger caliber inside confined spaces, maybe they wouldnt be deaf.)

    Seeing the half-blown hobgoblins head, she immediately understood the situation. She circled towards me while keeping an eye on the 2 remaining hobgoblins inside the room.

    Marinda, forward! Mitche, hold on please! Lali, check Schwarzs arm!

    Frau-sanmanded. With Marinda-san beside Ruu-san, they faced the hobgoblins one on one while Frau-san and Lali-san went to my side.

    Schwarz, give me your left hand please, Ill cast healing on you!

    As Lali said that, she took my left hand into hers, her right hand carrying a mace to act as a derivative for her magic. She then began to recite the magical incantation.

    healing water, Aqua Heal.

    A spray of pale liquid wrapped up my hand, shimmering, but the light went out in an instant as if a bubble was popped.

    Eh?!

    As expected, somehow the bestowal of magic or healing magic of this world, those worked with the recipients magical power like strengthening or restoration didnt have an effect on a Manuke like me

    Th-This is

    Lali immediately understood what had, or rather what hadnt happened, but that didnt mean she wasnt worried.

    Its alright, Lali-san. My left hand isnt injured, theres no problem.

    Eh? But the sword

    Its alright, so can I have my hand back?

    Lali-san was still holding my left hand in hers. Noticing this, she let go of my hand but still looked like she didnt understand what was going on. I made some space between us and activated the CBS. I didnt make it fully transparent so one could see something was there  creating a spatial distorting in the air.

    Th- this is a magical barrier? Eh, but isnt Schwarz-san a Manuke?

    Its not a magical barrier, but something simr. I used this earlier, so I wasnt injured at all.

    Eh? Eh?

    It seemed like Lali-san still didnt understand. She looked as if multiple question marks were popping over her head.

    While we werent paying attention, the remaining monsters were defeated. We were derailed from our ns a bit, costing us some time, but from here on we could re

    What is this!!!

    We couldnt resume our exploration after all.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    N- No matter what you say, i-its just my skill.

    I remembered going through this before, but I still couldnt say anything else in response. I had no intention of telling them about VMB or the fact I fell into this world from another one. Only a few families possessed bloodline skills, and none of them had publicized any information regarding their skills. Even the Kurtmelga only proimed their skill as The Royal Familys Skill. I couldnt do anything besides sticking to this story.

    Whats wrong, Mitche?

    Ruu-san was the first toe back after dealing with the remaining hobgoblins in the room. Marinda-san and Frau-san also came to check on how I was doing.

    Ruu-nyan, listen, nya. Schwarz isnt injured at all, nya.

    Eh? Wait a minute Ruu-nyan? Not Ruu+ her usual ending word, but Ruu-nyan? Ruu-san didnt talk much during party discussions and she didnt seem to be the type whod like chatting with other members. She usually just stood around with a poker face. Yet, she was close enough with Mitche-san to be called like that

    [T/N: The way Mitche called Ruu, -nyan (no not nya), is equivalent to an affectionate pet name. In Japanese culture, only those in close rtionships call each other like that.]

    Mitche, stop doing such things during exploration.

    Yeah, nya

    Schwarz! I saw you deflect the hobgoblins sword, but you really werent injured?

    Even Marinda-san got worried  she was looking at my left hand intently.

    No, Im not. My skill [Arms] can be both offensive and defensive.

    Bloodline skills really are mysterious things huh. Maybe its capable of other things besides attacking and defending too?

    It was Frau-san who said this. Her words were not only sharp enough to sting, but her jade-green eyes were also boring into me, demanding an exnation.

    Frau-neesama, my healing magic doesnt work on Schwarz-san

    [T/N: -neesama is a very polite and respectful way to call an older woman.]

    Lali-sansmentation ended Frau-sans questioning, not a confession from me.

    Because hes a Manuke?

    I think so. Lali-san, could you cast some physical boosting magic on me?

    Eh? O-Okay.

    At my request, Lali-san began chanting.

    , , Strength Boost.

    When her magic was cast, a thin film of light began to envelop my body, but halfway through it suddenly scatteredas if being burst open.

    Hah~~

    Seeing her magic failed to work on me again, Lali-san sagged down to her knees.

    As expected, bestowal magic and healing magic dont work on Schwarz.

    No, they dont. Both bestowal and healing magic work by interfering with the recipients magic, right? For a Manuke, someone without magic like me, theres nothing to interfere with. So they cant work.

    I havent tried, but I think debuff magic also wont work since they work on the same principle, though in a negative way.

    I considered Frau-sans reasoning while consoling Lali-san, who was still moping about her magic failing on me. What the hell was a Manuke anyways? In a world were every little thing required magic, how did people with no magice into existence? Well, thinking about it wasnt going to help anyway. We must move forward first.

    [T/N: I think manukes are people who came from other worlds like Schwarz, or their descendants]

    We regrouped and continued deeper into thebyrinths depths, but I avoided any risky pre-emptive strikes this time  I wouldnt be able to heal if I got injured. If healing magic didnt work on me, healing items also wouldnt. Since my body did have natural healing power, I could still heal myself if I got injured after some rest though

    We passed the small room and went further into thebyrinth. Looking back on the battle just now, even though I had been distracted by Mitche-sans scream and missed my shot, the Scars offensive power was still satisfactory.

    However, the gunshot was too loud for a beast-woman like Mitche-san. Itd be best to give them a warning next time. In VMB, a suppressor could be attached to submachine guns like the P90, but not to AFRs like the Scar. Offensive can be used, but attachments like suppressors could not. This was so the game would have bnce.

    By the way, I dont smell any gunpowder at all.

    Once again, I switched to the P90 and continued walking while keeping tabs on my goggles map. ording to what Id heard from Will, once we passed that small room and went deeper, there would be a higher-ranked monster in the area. Sincehobgoblins were the norm here,that higher-ranked monster was no doubt the Gatekeeper.

    We continued walking, killing goblins on the way. Then arge room showed up on my map. With multiple blips inside of it, of course. I also heard multiple heavy footsteps.

    Take a turn here, go forward a bit, and there will be multiple enemies ahead. Its arge room.

    If its arge room, then were near the inner sanctum.

    [E/N: Ive always wanted to say that.]

    Frau-san nodded and gave outmands. This time, Frau-san and Lali-san will use ranged magic attacks. I would also attack from a distance, leaving the other 3 to advance in on the enemies and crack down on them. I told Mitche-san beforehand that Id be using the Scar-H again.She said OK, and ttened her ears to her head.Looked like she wouldnt be hearing anything directly.

    [T/N: The author did use direct here (). I guess by ttening her ears, Mitche could muffled the sounds somewhat.]

    The rooms entrance came into view, and we caught sight of the hobgoblins inside. There was a total of 7 of them, 3 were in the center, and 4 were just loitering around. Frau-san and Lali-san were right behind me, but they didnt look like they nned to attack at the moment.

    There are mages. Even if they donte out of the room, theyll set up a barrier once they notice our chanting.

    You mean those 3?

    The 3 hobgoblins in the rooms center were wearing something Id never seen on any of the other hobgoblins. Normal hobgoblins left their upper-bodies bare, but these 3 wore something like knee-length tunics with nes.

    Thats right. Lali and I probably can nullify the barrier, but with those 3 in the fray, I dont know how much damage we can cause. Schwarz, focus your attacks on those 3.

    Understood.

    Marinda, please take care of the other 4.

    Leave them to me! Ill charm you all properly with my performance!

    The hobgoblins had also noticed us, and were growling while readying themselves for battle. I didnt know why monsters gathered in these rooms, but it seemed as if someone was insisting on having group battles no matter what.

    ,,, Storm Dance Cyclone.

    ,,, Whirling Tides Waltz Aqua Dance.

    Frau-san and Lali-san began their magic attacks. At the same time, the hobgoblins started to harp something and the air in the room distorted  they had set up a barrier. I watched the tornado and the disk of water swirling around the monsters like a vortex. If such magic were directed at me, how would I deflect it? Flee with a slide-jump, defend with CBS, or prevent them from casting in the first ce? While thinking on future tactics, I went down on one knee and aimed my crosshair at the storm and whirling water.

    The magic attacks came to an end and after the area cleared up, it was confirmed that the 3 mages still lived. Out of the 4 normal hobgoblins, 1 seemed to be outside of the barriers range and had been torn to pieces  he wasying face down on the ground. The other three had only sustained some minor injuries. Since the mages hadntunched their counterattacks yet, I put them in my crosshairs and began to finish them off. Flipping the selector to semi-auto, I aimed at the one in the center and squeezed the trigger. He looked to be the leader of the group.

    [E/D: Remember kids, squeeze. Dont pull.]

    [PF: So most of the novels Ive read are wrong then T-T]

    Three shots rang out, the sounds ovepping with each other. Metallic ngs rang from the discarded shells and three monster heads exploded.

    Once they had confirmed that the mages had been killed, Marinda-san, Ruu-san, and Mitche-san charged out from their positions by my side. My duty was to deal with the mages. Even though I had enough bullets left to deal with the normal ones, there wasnt a need to do so.

    I ced my crosshair on the normal hobgoblin that was lying face down from the first magic attack earlier. After confirming he was sinking into the ck mist, I then watched the other 3 fighting through my iron sights.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    After having dealt with the hobgoblins, the girls and I took a short break.

    Frau-san, I need to go back and take care of something.

    Okay, but be quick. Well be leaving in about 10 minutes.

    I went back out of the rooms entrance a bit, then activated the TSS. I didnt n to separate from the partypletely. Since I was working with the girls, when we took our breaks, I would take the time to step away from the group for a bit to reload my ammo. To make it a normal thing to them, I would step away even when there wasnt a need to reload.

    Separating from the group, in and of itself, was dangerous, so normally parties would not allow it. However, considering my tracking andbat ability, I was allowed to do so in this party. That said, the girls could also manage by themselves when I did. While working with the TSS, I thought back on the exploration so far and this job. This time, Id been requested to draw thebyrinths map, but the request had been swimmingly changed tobyrinth conquering. I had also given Remi-san three conditions for epting this job

    First, to not name me as the cartographer. Second, the exploration party should only consist of me, or a few other reliable and trustworthy people at most. Third, to not disclose my mapping method or any of the skills that Id use during the exploration. Looking back though, I had a feeling that none of these terms could be kept. That said, if I thought about it carefully, I had received this job directly from Remi-san, not through the General Guild

    It was not like I had set these terms because I thought Id be in trouble without them. But in the future, they would need to be set to prevent any restrictions on my movements or limitations of my freedom for any job requiring direct coboration like this one.

    [Ashes E/N: No, what? Just solo everything. You already John Wick everything might as well go full Wick.]

    Id have to ask Remi-san to have some stronger words with the General Guild. As for Rafflesia and the Knight Order that wed meet soon, what should I do? I needed to sort through what information could or could not be made public. Small arms, transportation vehicles, mapping, tracking  these were the ones that could be revealed. But the TSS, Hearing Sensor, Gift Box, Machine Trantor, other supporting equipments aside from transporting vehicles as well as the real capacity of these vehicles, and this body that never tired and healed any woundsThese were the things that just couldnt be revealed. Aside from the people I trust 120%, I had no intention to talk about or show off any of these. These were the absolute rules, at least until I know why I came to this world.

    Im back, is it time to go?

    Ah, Schwarz is back, nya~

    Schwarz, our preparations are finished. Our goal is to get to the Gatekeeper before the day is over. As soon as we meet him, well begin our attack.

    Understood, Frau-san. Im ready to go anytime.

    When I entered the room again, the girls had gotten everything ready, so we resumed our exploration into the depths of the Labyrinth. Afterwards, we began to meet even higher-ranked monsters than before. There was no doubt that we were near the inner-sanctum.

    [Ashes E/D: Always wanted to say that again.]

    [Saphiras P/F: Small problem, it was spelled wrong.]

    Then it appeared before our eyes.

    The gate.

    Ruu-san murmured. In the depths of the Emerald Demon Labyrinth, we came across another structure other than stone walls for the first time.

    Its been a while since I fought a Gatekeeper!

    Marinda-san has fought a Gatekeeper before?

    Ah! Ruu and I have fought a Gatekeeper! Thats one of the conditions to be an A-Rank!

    Stop chatting, please. We still have some time, lets keep walking.

    The gate towering over us was made from pure-white stones. Carvings covered the gates posts and the door. It depicted humans, beastmen, and maybe elves in a formation as if they were fighting monsters. On top of the gate, in the center, was a small throne-like stone chair. With no one sitting on it

    How to say, it looked like Auguste Rodins Gates of Hell*

    [*Lizzzs T/N:The Gates of Hell]

    ording to what I could see on my map, there was arge room on the other side. The Gatekeeper was probably there. Itd be one party versus the Gatekeeper and the Dungeon Master each. Since one party had 6 members by standard, it was 1 versus 6. Sometimes if the party had more members or if it was a n-raid, there would be more than 6 people joining the fight.

    Of the partiesmissioned by the General Guild, the ones that fought the Gatekeeper would be decided on a firste-first-serve basis. The Dungeon Master would be subjugated by the Guild Investigators and the Knight Orderbined; such was the custom for these jobs. While listening to thismon knowledge, I pushed open the gate standing in front of our eyes.

    The room was spacious, with no pirs at all  just a vast space. In the center of the room was a monster with emerald green skin. His upper body was much bigger than a goblin and his legs, though short, were bulging with muscles. He was over 2m tall. He wore a leather breastte to protect his shoulders and chest, as well as worn cloth pants. His right hand was covered by arge hand protector and he carried arge war hammer with detail engravings. He also wore an iron helm that hid half his face. The only things visible were his fierce red eyes andrge tusk-like teeth protruding from his between his lips.

    Thats an Ogre A fighter

    I heard Frau-san murmur. A high ranking Ogre, which was superior to Hobgoblins and normal Ogres  that was the Gatekeeper of the Emerald Demon Labyrinth.

    Vuvooooooooo!!

    The Gatekeepers roar reverberated throughout the room. Our group spread out, with Frau-san and Lali-san started chanting. Marinda-san stood at the front with Mitche-san and Ruu-san by her side.

    Preemptive strike.

    I crouched down by Marinda-sans side, aiming the P90 down range and ced the crosshairs on the Ogres head. It was still howling its threats at us from the rooms center. I squeezed the trigger and fired 2 rapid shots. The bullets hit, but with a dull metallic sound.

    Repelled?

    I didnt know how thick its helm was. If 5.728 couldnt pierce it, how big would be sufficient

    But not all the shots was repelled  I didnt only aim at his helm. One bullet grazed his cheek, and the wound bled slightly. The Ogre seemed angered at being attacked and let out another roar.

    Careful! Its his skill [Roar]! If you get close when he roars, you wont be able to move!

    Marinda-san shouted out. A skill? So monsters could also use skills. At that moment, Frau-san and Lali-san finished their chanting and bestowed something on our 3 vanguards  I could only to hear Strength Boost and High Agility at the end. After receiving the bestowal, the 3 advanced and the Gatekeeper readied his war hammer, running towards us.

    My chance to attack had decreased, given the situation. There was a possibility of friendly-fire no matter what, so I just couldnt shoot with ease. With this battle formation, I was a bit off to the side with 3 members ahead and 2 behind. I then moved towards the Ogres right side.

    I aimed for his leg as the 3 in front advanced in an arrow formation. I crouched and aimed down the iron sights. While paying attention to both the Gatekeeper and the threes movements. I ced the crosshairs on one of his knees. The three attacked and while the Ogre was defending himself, I fired at his knee.

    Guaaaaaaaaa.

    The Ogre pressed on his right knee and crouched down. I wasnt sure if I hadpletely destroyed the knee, but the rounds looked like they caused enough damage to the Orges flesh*.

    [Ashes E/N: was Flesh Armor  deleted armor because no real exnation by the author to keep it.]

    [Lizzs T/N: Not bio-armor. It simply meant that the ogre skin was not thick enough to repel those bullets. But the author did use flesh armor so]

    The Ogre looked in my direction, his red eyes growing redder as if they were bursting into mes.He let out a growl. However Should he be distracted by me? As he was preupied with his knee and motionless, the 3 girls advanced on him with Frau-san and Lali-sans magic attacks descending on him.

    Within a blink of an eye, our attacks mercilessly rained upon the Ogre. His body bing bloodied and while listening to his angry roars turn to a hitching groan, I shot his right knee again,pletely destroyed it.

    Guuuuuu GuGAaaaaaaaa!!!

    The Ogres groans turned to an angered roar again; he was using his skill [Roar]. The air-shaking vibration ran through the 3s bodies and mine, but I didnt feel anything strange. It seemed like the skill also worked by interfering with the targets magic power. I did feel something run through me, but that was it.

    The other 3 were affected by it, however, and stopped moving. The Ogre was still holding his busted knee while he raised his war hammer to bring it down on Miranda-san, who was frozen in the middle of raising her shield. Before he could swing, however, I fired a shot,and the hammernding by Miranda-sans side. I had shot at the monsters face again, but I hadnt aimed for his helm this time.

    I had aimed for his wide-open mouth.

    It was to both prevent him fromnding an attack on Miranda-san and stop his troublesome Skill. The beast let out something simr to a scream, or maybe he was trying to say something? Whichever, he let go of his war hammer and pressed his hand on his face.

    Mitche!

    Nya-!

    Ruu-san and Mitche-san, who had recovered from the monsters skill, advanced on it from in a pincer attack. Mitche-sans short sword dug into the Ogres nape and the monster, shocked at such an attack, moved one of his hands from his face to his nape. In conjunction with Mitche-san, Ruu-san had unsheathed her sword and shed the Ogres defenseless neck in one smooth stroke.Blood burst from the wound  the monsters neck was cut off halfway.

    Uoooo!

    Marinda-san, who stood right before the Gatekeeper, had recovered from the Skills effect and brought her double-edged sword down on the Ogre. Her swing split the monsters neck apart exactly where Ruu-san had cut him. The force from the swing sent the Ogres head flying upwards toward the ceiling.

    [Lizzzs T/N: I kinda feel bad for the ogre. He couldnt do anything at all]

    [Lizzzs T/N: There was an exnation for FN P90 here, again Please Google it by yourself if youre curious.]

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    As expected of the A and B-ranked adventurers of Sasanqua. The Gatekeeper battle ended without any major hups, despite there being some close calls. The monsters strength and the armors defensive power was great intel for future solo-fights. The only thing left was for the Labyrinth Conquest was to defeat the Dungeon Master, but I didnt n on pursuing that. We would return to the Spring where the Knight Order from Barga, the final party of this conquest, would be.

    I managed to keep the General guild staff and the Rafflesia members stay silent about my mapping, but if we were to go to the Dungeon Master alongside the Knight Order, I would be revealing more information than just that. Remi-san had no influence over other organizations so I would have to make them keep the secret on my own. I watched the Gatekeepers body sink into thebyrinths floor while thinking. His war hammer wasnt wrapped in the mist and remained behind.

    Seems like weapons* are left behind.

    [*T/N: , tranted as bio-arms in an earlier chapter. I still dont understand what they are (living things weapons? bio-arms?), so Ill just use weapon from now on.]

    Nya-

    Frau-san and Mitche-san were also next to me as we watched the ogres body disappear. Ruu-san and Lali-san were checking on Miranda-san. Though thest attack had missed, she was the partys tanker and had already taken multiple hits before that  there was no way she hadnt gotten injured.

    The weapons are used as proofs of the conquer. Schwarz, take it if you want.

    Mitche-san went to collect the war hammer. ncing at her, I refused Frau-sans offer. Bing a C-ranked adventurer meant I could receive nomination missions, Id be qualified to enterbyrinths*, earn more money and live afortable life. But the promotion exam and the nomination missions were so troublesome I just wanted to avoid them. Besides, I wanted to conquer monsters in the wild, but my knowledge was stillcking. To acquire more knowledge, rather than studying, fighting inbyrinths would definitely be more fun.

    [T/N: on his own]

    Thanks to Lali-sans magic healing, Marinda-sans health was restored. We lingered in the room for a while and watch the white stone gate leading to thebyrinths Master once more before we headed back to the Spring. As we expected, there were people who wearing knight armors everywhere in the Spring. What we didnt expect was rather than 1 party with 6 people, there were 3 parties with 18 people.

    Oh, Lapitilica-sama! Youre back!

    One of the knights busily working within the crowd called out. He was noticeablyrger than the others, andeven though his full te mail looked simr to other knights, it was more detailed in its design. He was old, with his white hair swept back and his white beard neatly trimmed.

    Vice Leader Caymon! Did youe for the Labyrinth Conquest?

    The Knight Orders official name was the West Barga Knight Order of Kurtmelga Kingdom. The leader of this dispatched group was Viscount Butler Caymon, Vice Leader of the Barga Knights. I introduced myself as a D-ranked adventurer who apanied the Sasanqua group as a cartographer. Leaving the detailed exnation to Frau-san, I went back down to where the Guild Staff was. I received the map Will had made today and exited the Spring to draw my map.

    On the way back, I had reminded the girls once more not to disclose anything rted to my skills or my mapping ability. I also let them know I wouldnt be apanying them to fight against the Dungeon Master tomorrow. They easily epted the non-disclosure request, but were quite reluctant to acknowledge the fact that I wouldnt be going with them to fight the Dungeon Master.

    For cautions sake, I didnt use the small room yesterday, but instead went further out to a hidden corridor. There, I summoned the Dorchester and drew up the map inside. It took about 1 hour to map todays area. From the drivers seat, I checked for monsters in front. I didnt hear anything, but it didnt hurt to be cautious.

    I put the Dorchester back into the garage and walked back to the Spring.When I got back, there were only 12 knights in the Spring. They couldnt n to continue with the conquer through the night, could they?

    Schwarz is back, nya-

    Im back.

    Mitche-san and Ruu-san noticed me immediately. The others, Frau-san, Marinda-san, and Lali-san were at the knights side. They were sitting at a round wooden table together with Caymon, the vice-leader, and sipping tea They even brought such a table here

    There are less knights than before. Did they go into thebyrinth?

    They went to sweep the area around the Spring.

    Ruu-san answered. She was pouring soup from the pot that was heated on the fire into a wooden bowl for me. Taking the bowl from Ruu-san, our dinner today was Vegetables, thinly sliced meat and Was that rice?

    My hands shook when I held the bowl It was such a surprise attack It had been a month since I came to this world. During all the meals I had eaten at the White Flower Pavilionof the Labyrinthin Barga, rice hadnt appeared even once. I had thought about asking for it, but I was afraid that they would tell me it didnt exist or they didnt know about it. So I hadnt asked. I had thought rice didnt exist in this world and I would never be able to eat it again, but it wasnt something I had paid attention to in my day to day life. Now it suddenly appeared before my eyes like that

    Whats wrong nya? You dont know rice nya?

    N-No J-Just that its been a long time since I saw it

    [PF: apparently all isekai MCs are obsessed with rice]

    [T/N: Rice is an irreceableponent in the daily meals of many Asian countries, including Japan. A typical meal always = rice + some side dish. Rice also appears extensively in a number of snacks and desserts. So, suddenly being unable to eat such a staple of your diet like these MCs It wont affect day-to-day, but it surely will feel like something is amiss.]

    Rice is expensive, nya. Its not something you can have whenever you ask, nya. The knights brought it here today, nya.

    Rice is expensive? Is it something luxurious?

    Its brought here from the East of Ondo through transporting magic circles. The fee is high, so naturally its expensive.

    Is that so I see

    The soup was simr to congee. It was a bit oversalted.

    After dinner, I got together with the Guild staff and Johan-san, the Knight Orders scout. I handed them the map to this area as well as the map that lead to the Dungeon Master. We also discussed things such as the appearance rate of monsters and the expected versus actual arrival time.Then Viscount Caymon came to our group.

    Johan, do you have an idea for our course tomorrow?

    Yes. ording to Schwarz-donos* map and his information, I believe well arrive in 3 to 4 hours.

    [*T/N: A honorific used by inferiors for their superiors.]

    Can I see the map?

    Yes, here it is.

    The Viscount looked at my map. In the next instant, his eyes moved to me.

    Schwarz-kun, you said that youre a D-rank? I wonder when you n to move up to C-Rank.

    With all due respect, I have no other talent aside from cartography. Im just scraping by shutting myself inbyrinths. I am saving guild points to take the advancement exam, but thats still a ways off.

    Is that so? In that case, why dont you join our Knight Order? You can have a better life than being an explorer.

    I cant use swords or magic. I believe I am not qualified to carry out a knights duty.

    Is that so If you change your mind,e to our headquarters in Barga.

    I will, thank you.

    The Viscount left Johan-san with some instructions before heading back to the Knights camp. The exchange earlier To be honest, I wasnt sure if it went well or not. It seemed like with just one nce at the map, he deemed my mapping ability useful and wanted to secure it, but was it just a light-hearted invitation or did he just reveal his hand? If I joined the Order, I would work as a cartographer for real. This was probably another path, but for now, I still hadnt changed my lifes goal here.

    Wolf Fangs Labyrinth would be the first. I will conquer it myself.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    The next morning, 12 knights from West Barga Knight Order and the Sasanqua members, led by Viscount Caymon, headed into thebyrinths depth to conquer the Dungeon Master. The 6 knights in the remaining party also headed deep into thebyrinth, but not to the inner sanctum. They followed another route to sweep thebyrinths depth.

    Once the Dungeon master was defeated, the Dungeon Core  arge magic stone  could be removed. The magic in thebyrinth would gradually decrease afterward until itpletely disappeared within a month or so. Monsters wouldnt appear anymore. nk mana stones*, something that wasnt obtainable frombyrinth monsters, would surged up instead. Then when all of its magic had disappeared, from the lowest level, thebyrinth would close up as if it was shriveling away.Finally, the entrance would close up and it would disappearpletely. That was the Labyrinths death.

    [*T/N: probably the non-attributed stones?]

    [E/N: Sounds more like just empty mana stones.]

    In addition, if there were fields imitating nature inside, the trees and any minerals found there could be harvested as resources. And then, there was the Transportation Magic Circles. They existed in the innermost area of the lowest level and every 10th level like the Gatekeeper. These transportation circles were stone tiles that could be torn off and brought out of thebyrinth. Then the circles could be replicated and things could be transported from the original circle to the duplicates, no matter the distance. Not only the Kurtmelga Kingdom but other countries on the Ondo continent also used this method of transportation. At first, it had been used for cooking ingredients such as spices; now it was also used for raw materials, human resources and intelligence. These magic circles were controlled by the government as they were rted to national defense, but they were opened for merchants to use for a high fee. However, when transportingrge packages,nd routes were still the mostmon method.

    [T/N: The author did not specify here where a magic circle was on one title, or made from multiple titles.]

    Conqueringbyrinths served two purposes: to stop it from spreading harm to any living creatures near it, and also to make use of all its resources. This was why one of the knight parties went to clean up thebyrinth instead of joining the Dungeon Masters battle. This was also why I had beenmissioned to map out thebyrinth. It was so that once the Dungeon master had been killed, they could retrieve the mana stones and such as smoothly as possible.

    I left the Spring and went to map the passages we hadnt explored yet. I had multiple fights on the way, and even now, I could hear 4 more monsters heading towards me. I threw down some light Ggrass seeds to add some light to the passages, then turned off the P90s shlight. In the newly-formed shadows, I crouched down while readying my gun as I waited for them to appear in my crosshairs. Before long, a goblin appeared in my night visions green field of view. I squeezed the trigger and a hole appeared in his head.

    The first one appeared to be a normal goblin, but the following 3 were Goblin Assassins. They were agile in thebyrinth passages so it would have been a pain if this turned into a melee fight. I also got the second one as the remaining 2 spread out to rush both my sides. From my position, I did a slide-jump backward to dodge the attacking from my right side. I shot at his torso and killed that one. The goblin on the left side had kicked at the wall and came at me from above, but I had moved back nearly 6ms with the slide-jump. So I watched himnd t-footed and shot his head, ending the battle.

    Afterward, I continued my mapping while fighting more battles. When I thought of returning to the spring, I heard a wail reverberate through thebyrinth. At the same time, the air in the windlessbyrinth quavered. It seemed like they had defeated the Master or removed the Core. Whichever it was, the Labyrinths death had begun

    The original n was that the Sasanqua members and I would leave thebyrinth to head back to the main camp today. However, the situation changed after the Gatekeepers battle, so we were to stay another day. Simrly, the Rafflesia  who should have gotten back inside thebyrinth today  was now on standby. The Guild staffer who was posted in the Spring had run up to tell us about it in the middle of the night.

    At the Spring, I waited for the knights and the girls. The first toe back was the knight party tha hadnt taken part in the battle. They also returned after hearing the wail.

    After a couple of hours, my headset picked up the footsteps of 10-odd people.

    [E/D: Changing Earpads to headset. Not exactly the same, but makes more sense.]

    Theyre back.

    Just as I spoke up, the other knights raised their voices. It looked like they had also noticed them. Then the 12 knights and 5 Sasanqua members came in. No one was missing, neither did anyone seem injured. They also didnt look like they had defeatedthe Master, rather, they looked unhappy  as if unsatisfied with something.

    Theres no Master?

    No. Theres nothing beyond the Gatekeeper room.

    Theres no one sitting on the throne, only the Core stone there, nya.

    First time like this.

    ording to Frau-san and other girls, after they had opened the white gate-of-hell lookalike inside the gatekeeper room, there had only been a vast empty space behind. The Core stone had been ced on a pedestal, so they had taken it, and the Labyrinth had reached its end. The wail had been from removing the Core. Where was the Labyrinth Master?

    Mitche-san had mentioned a throne with no one sitting on it. An empty throne just like the one on that gate. Maybe thisbyrinth had no master since the beginning? It was Frau-san who answered my question.

    A Labyrinth could exist precisely because there is a Dungeon Master. Its unthinkable to say that there is no Master, but thisbyrinth has only one level, unlike the others. Maybe its not impossible to have no Master here, but we cant conclude anything until tomorrow. after weve searched through the entirebyrinth to confirm it.

    Of course, we couldnt make a conclusion right here and now. The Emerald Demon Labyrinth itself had already reached its death after the Cores removal. We discussed our n for tomorrow onwards over dinner. The first thing to do was to return to the main camp in the morning. The Knights led by Viscount Caymon would remain inside thebyrinth and hunt the remaining monsters while searching for anything that could be the Labyrinth Master.

    We went to sleep soon after dinner to ensure we would be in good condition for tomorrow, with the watch keeping being entrusted to the knights.

    [T/N: There was a paragraph about FN P90 here.]

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    LizManuke FPSApril 28, 20196 Minutes

    I finished adding the new areas we explored in thebyrinth onto the map the day I returned to camp. With the harvest festivaling closer, we quickened our pace of mapping the rest of thebyrinth. To be more specific, Frau-san, Mitche-san  my two bodyguards  and I headed into thebyrinth then split into two groups. The two girls headed in the direction of the Spring, sweeping monsters on the way. I headed for the unmapped areas,moving in high speed..

    There were light grasses blooming here and there, but I still turned on the NV to ensure adequate visibility in the dark passages. I made use of the high-speed movement technique frequently used not only in VMB but in other SF shooters also  consecutive strafe jumps  to literally fly around thebyrinth.

    Strafe jumps, to put it simply, were jumping in the direction you wanted to go while slightly leaning to either left or right. If you wanted to turn right while jumping, then you slightly rotate to the right mid-air. Since you could change the direction where you were going just by changing your angle, you could cover a longer distance and move forward faster. With consecutive strafing, you could change your direction from left to right alternately without stopping so you could move even further and faster.

    [Lizz: I hate hate hate these gaming exnations T__T]

    [Ashes: I literally couldnt figure out how to edit it. Nothinges to mind when I read it. So I cant exactly touch it. ]

    While performing consecutive strafes, I also kept an eye on my map and listened to the noises around me. Where I currently was, the only enemies were a mixture of normal and higher-ranked goblins. Strafe jumps werent just a movement technique  you could charge right into battle and spray bullets to take down enemies. Itd be as if you ran them over.

    A few dots appeared on my map just after the left turn up ahead. I put my finger on the P90s trigger on my chest, adjusted my angle, and took the left turn, descending upon the monsters.

    I flew by the corner at the highest peak of the jump, making use of a spare moment mid-jump to ce the crosshairs on the goblins head. There wasnt a need to aim carefully one by one. When I passed over their heads during the jump, I squeezed the trigger. I fired 3 rapid shots, then continued strafing without confirming if they were dead. There wasnt a need to  I had killed enough goblins to be able to sense when I made a kill. I also left the mana stones forter. For now, I wanted to 100%plete the map as soon as possible.

    In the end, it took me an entire day topletely finish the map. Still, it was shockingly fast to have it mapped, drawn up, and delivered to the Guild only two days after thebyrinth was conquered.

    When I stepped out of the mapping tent, holding theplete map, the sun had already set. However, campfires were lit here and there throughout the camp, enveloping everything in red light. They all gathered here: adventurers from Barga, as well as traders and workers who had heard of thebyrinths conquer.Thebyrinth harvest festival had already started, beginning with the sleepless white nights.

    When I entered the HQ tent, Varold-san was still working even though the day had ended. There was one other person inside; the one who had sent me on this Labyrinth conquest, Guild Investigator Remi-san.

    The map of Emerald Demon Labyrinth has beenpleted.

    Schwarz-kun, youve worked hard.

    I gave the map to Varold-san. With this, my job this time hade to an end.

    You did it Schwarz-kun, just as expected. Looked like I was right to rely on you.

    Thank you, Remi-san. But it probably was not right for me to ept this job.

    R-Remi-san Ill have my staff reproduce this map. S-see youter, Schwarz-kun.

    Varold-san seemed to dislike the disquieting atmosphere between Remi-san and me, and he exited the tent with haste, leaving only the two of us inside.

    Schwarz-kun, do you have any questions?

    I do

    I brought up the questions Id had since I epted this job. The job changed from mapping tobyrinth conquest was to my own wish, so it wasnt a problem. The questions were about if my identity as the cartographer was really hidden, and Rafflesia.

    I think Rafflesia wont leak your information since theyve invited you to join them. If they give out your information, therell be morepetition.

    Remi-san sat down at Varold-sans desk and listened to me. Of course, since Rafflesia wanted my mapping ability, they wouldnt spread information about me to keep invitations from other nsing.

    Regarding your identity as this missions cartographer, Ill take the responsibility of concealing it.

    Your phrasing is somehow worrying.

    Dont you understand? Schwarz-kun, would you like to providebyrinth maps for the General Guild from now on?

    Really If I do that, wont it be meaningless to hush things this time? Itll bring me some nice pocket money, but Im quite worried about the reactions if I ept it myself.

    In that case, what about not epting it by yourself?

    You mean Rafflesias invitation?

    Yes. I know why you dislike them, but its not good to make them your enemies. Theyre the number one n in Kurtmelga in both name and practice. Their current Master is second in line to the throne, Prince Kirik Kurtmelga. Hes the Master with the second-highest status in Rafflesias history after the Founder. It could even be said that their power is now stronger than ever.

    I heard that royalties do join Rafflesia, but a prince? No wonder

    If you want to rival the current Rafflesia, you should have some sort of backing yourself.

    Which means?

    Remi-san got up from her seat and came close to me. No, not just close, but too close; she was a bit taller than me, and she was standing with her nose almost touching my eyes.

    Would you join the Guild?

    It sounded like the loving chirping of a small bird. Remi-sans chirping resounded in my ears and my heart alike.

    I didnt say this just for fun. To be honest, I think your maps are dangerous.

    Dangerous?

    My voice also lowered down to a whisper spontaneously. The distance between Remi-san and I became even shorter. She was beautiful, with her short red hair and tanned skin. The eyes that bore into me were pale red; her lips were plump and pink.

    You havent drawn any maps for anything other thanbyrinths, but you can map the natural world with the same precision, right?

    That Surely I could. I just needed to trace it like I had done with thebyrinth maps.

    Then, a map was, in short, a bundle of information. I didnt know much about the level of this worlds military affairs, but there were no specifically named armies  only Knight Orders. I didnt know what kind of organizations the Orders were, but ording to thebyrinth maps Ive seen in the Guilds Archive, I had the impression they did not possessrge scale surveying technology.

    If I used trace to draw the maps, this whole world would be an over-specified tactical map.

    This silence means yes, doesnt it?

    I couldnt answer Remi-sans question. I couldnt decide what the right answer would be.

    This must also be why Rafflesia wanted me. Not just as a tool for Labyrinth conquests, but beyond that.

    Yes, I can.

    I didnt want to utter those words, but it was useless to lie now. That aside, it once again came apparent how foreign VMBs powers were for this world. The word cheater crossed my mind. Cheater  The word that we FPS yers were most averse to To this world, I was not a strange object, but just a cheater

    You dont look well. Are you alright? I dont n to condemn you or anything.

    Remi-san put her hand on my back and gently rubbed it. It must have looked like two lovers embracing.

    Yes, Im alright About the invitation to join the Guild Please give me some more time.

    Its OK. Youll receive the remuneration for this job from Rezmond. Just show up and you should be able to get it.

    Remi-san said and moved away from me.

    I stood still, alone in the tent. I didnt know what I should do. Should I continue using VMB? If I continued living in this world, should I give up this power and live my life as a normal human? No Why did I have to live in this world to begin with? Why was I here? I didnt get it, I didnt understand.

    Someone, anyone, tell me

    Why am I here.

    [T/N: He asked the correct question atst.]

    [E/N: After acting like a horny kid who never seen a woman before.]

    Ping

    In the tent with no one besides me, VMBs mail ringtone rang.

    [T/N: Theres another paragraph about P90 here.]

    [Ashes:See it for yourself. Youtube link to the P90 break down]

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    Proofer: Saphira

    In the empty HQ tent, the VMB mail ringtone rang up, as if answering the question I had muttered to no one specific earlier.

    A message?

    Just as I moved my hand to activate the TSS on my left arm, someone entered the tent.

    Eh? Schwarz-kun? Youre alone? I heard thebyrinth map waspleted. Youve worked hard.

    It was Keith-san.

    K-Keith-san, thank you for your hard work.

    Do you know where Remi-san went?

    No. She was here just a moment ago, but she went out

    Is that so. Shes probably gone to the sleeping quarters. Thank you. Shouldnt you go to bed as well? You were in thebyrinth the past two days, werent you?

    Thats right, I should also go to bed

    I exchanged a few light-hearted greetings with him, then I exited the Headquarters tent. However, I didnt head to the sleeping quarters, but walked out of camp instead. I went to the field where I had practiced my marksmanship just a few days earlier. I gazed at the tiny specks of twinkling stars and the radiance of the moon, and btedly realized that this other world also had a moon. Sitting down on a hill, I took a quick look at my surroundings. Aside from the sounds of small insects, I couldnt hear anything else.

    [E/D Ashes: Surprise! Habitable nts have moons! Muahah!] {Saph: You mean<strongs</strong>? Habitable nts would be so weird.}

    With a shaky hand, I activated the TSS and opened the mailbox.

    Here are the unread mails

    There were a dozen or so new messages,and the subject of thetest one was I couldnt read it. It wasnt written in Japanese or Latin alphabet, but with weird hieroglyphic characters. After being distracted for a few seconds by the mysterious characters, I remembered there was the Automatic Trantion function. I put on my goggles and focused on the characters. The tranted text appeared under the unreadable characters.

    Subject: Answer

    Sender: ERROR

    I could feel my heart beating faster, and my chest felt tightened as if being crushed by some force.I opened the message with a trembling finger. The content was also written in those strange characters, but after a few seconds, the trantion appeared.

    Lost child from another world, I am ERROR.

    You were dropped into this world by ERROR.

    He had, but one purpose for you; to turn you into a Labyrinth Master.

    However, I had prevented that.

    That was how you fall here.

    You have been epted by this world.

    You cannot return to your world anymore.

    Live as you like here.

    W-Why was it in archaic script

    The mail was written in a script I had never seen before, be it in my world or this one. Since the trantion was in my worlds archaic literature, these characters must be written in the ancientnguage of this world? No, the most important part was the content. The trantion machine put ERROR where the names were Names probably also carried power like the magic chants.

    I hadnt really touched any ancient writing since my days as a student, but I could somehow understand the meaning. In short, I was dropped into this world by someone to be a Labyrinth Master, but the sender of the message had interfered And since this world had already epted me I couldnt return to my world. I should live here as I like from now on Something like that?

    What is this!?

    My scream was swallowed by the night sky. A lot of things came to my mind. It was as I had suspected when I saw the words VMB appear on my guild card as my birthce. This world recognized VMB. I fell into this world from there, so that was my birthce

    The Emerald Demon Labyrinth was a newbyrinth that had formed near the area I had fallen at Was its Dungeon Master missing because it was supposed to be mybyrinth?

    Who did this to me What being decided who to be the Labyrinth Master?

    Was it an evil god who created thesebyrinths..? So that meant the sender of the message was the adversary to said evil god I looked up at the night sky and searched for the existence of gods. However, things such as that werent supposed to be discovered. What I could see were only the stars and the moon, and the only thing I heard was the insects and flowers fluttering in the wind.

    I had been epted by this world? I couldnt return to my original world, so I should live here as I liked?

    What about this superhuman body that cant get tired and possesses super-healing power?! What about all these powers from VMB!? Does this world ept all of them too?!

    I shouted at the sky, but nothing came, not even a new message. My heart was bursting with different emotions. Anger towards the being that dropped me into this world; Sorrow of not being able to return to my original world; Joy that I was not a foreign being or a cheater in this world as I was epted by it; Anticipation to use the powers of VMB freely.

    I kept staring at the sky as a dryugh poured from my mouth. What I wasughing at, I wasnt too sure myself.

    Eventually, my eyes moved back to the TSS where dozens of new messages waited. Once I confirmed this, my hand stopped moving. The subjects were about the search for me. The mourning of my death. The news of my teams victory And my funeral. Somehow, it wasnt my physical body that fell into this world, but my soul or consciousness, together with my VMB avatar. So, my soulless orignal body had died  that was why I couldnt return.

    I checked each message with a trembling finger. My teammates in P0wDer, my friends in VMB, and my colleagues So many mourned my death. I couldnt let them know I was still alive. No. The Japanese man named Saito Ren had already died. The person I was right now was Schwarz Powder, one who would live in this world from now on.

    The next morning, I told Varold-san and Keith-san that I would return to Barga for a short while. First, I would travel to Miral. Remi-san wasnt around  she seemed to be going back and forth between Miral and the camp. I put my response to her invitation on hold for now. It was an option, but my position after joining was uncertain, so I couldnt reply immediately. I could just confirm things with Remi-san but right now, conquering Wolf Fang Labyrinth was more important to me.

    If this world had truly epted me and I could live freely, then I would be as much of a hindrance as I could possibly be to the one that had brought me to this world. I would conquer thebyrinths and make that being regret ever bringing me here. It was a small purpose, but I thought it was enough for now.

    I said goodbye to the two Sasanqua girls and promised to be back in time to see thebyrinths death, then headed to Miral vige. Frau-san and Mitche-san stayed in camp, collecting air mana stones and taking some bodyguard jobs in the neighborhood.

    As soon as I reached Miral, I got on a wagon to Barga.

    I could have used my own vehicles, but due to the harvest festival, there were plenty of wagons and people going back and forth between Miral and Barga:adventures and workers, traders on horsebacks and patrol wagons. If I stood out for no reason, itd be more troublesome to get into Wolf Fang Labyrinth, so I had to be careful.

    I arrived in the Fort City of Barga a little before sunset. I was going to pick up the quests rewards at the guild tomorrow; the first thing now was to find some lodging. So I went to the [White Flower Pavilionof the Labyrinth]inn.

    Wee. Would you like a meal or a room?

    A room, please.

    Oh, Schwarz-san. Wee back! Thanks foring to us again.

    Mirna, thendy, greeted me with a smile as always.

    Do you have any empty rooms?

    Yes, we do.

    I paid for a weeks stay, took the key and went to my room. It was a different room fromst time, but the interior was the same. I sat down in the only chair in the room and made the n for tomorrow onwards. Emerald Demon Labyrinth would shut down in about a month. The harvest festival would peak then, and I nned to be there to witness it.

    First thing to do tomorrow was going to the General Guild and got the rewards for this job from Rezmond-san.Id like to say hello to Ashley if she was there too. There wouldnt be time after leaving Barga, so if I couldnt do it now, I probably wouldnt be able toter. Next was Marida Company. I needed to sell the mana stones collected this time and buy some non-attribute ones, as well as camping necessities and such.

    Then there was food. Since I was a Manuke, I couldnt use the transportation circles. The lower I went in thebyrinth, the harder it would be to return. There was water in the Spring, but the food was a must. What should I do about the food, really Should I cook myself, or buyrge quantities of pre-made food like bentos and store them in the gift box? Lets discuss this with Malta-san too.

    Then I slept alone in the inn bed, and let my life in this world started with a new mood.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    When I was preparing to go to the Guild the next morning, the mail function of TSS went back to giving me an ERROR again. I was a little sad that my only link to my world was brokenpletely, but I had already decided to live here in this other world  no, this world.

    I closed the TSS screen, exited the inn and headed to the General Guilds annex. The first step in the n was to get the reward for mapping the Emerald Demon Labyrinth.

    It felt like it had been a long time since I wasst at the Barga Branch. Due to requests rted to the harvest festival, the ce was flooded with adventurers since the early hours. These requests were not only about collecting air mana stones. There were a lot of traders and workers travelling between Miral, Barga, and the Royal Capital. They carried many goods as well as money and mana stones, so it was necessary for them to have guards during the trips. Bandits that targeted said merchants were increasing as well.

    I nced at the crowd of adventurersing and going at the main building and I went into the annex. Compared to the main building, the annex was having a normal early morning with not too manying to settle requests.

    Wee, Im Appraiser Rezmond. Oh, its Schwarz-sama. Wee back!

    Yes, Im back, Rezmond-san.

    Do youe to take what Remi-sama left for you?

    Yes, if you please?

    Of course. Please wait a bit.

    Rezmond-san disappeared into the back of the reception counter then immediately reappeared, carrying arge bag. Since I hadnt received the mission via the Guild, I didnt need to show my card. Instead, I was required to sign a receipt. With this, I now had plenty of funds.

    I thanked Rezmond-san and left the annex. On the way back, I searched for Ashley-san in the main building, but I didnt see her. Whether she was in the office or out for work, I didnt know.

    The pleasure quarter, as well as the shops on the south side of Barga were bustling with people thanks to the festival. To the average citizen, the death of abyrinth was simply a happy event. In broad daylight, the bars in the quarter were full of people nursing drinks, not only adventurers but also men who could find some spare time from work. Cheers over thebyrinth conquest could be heard here and there.

    To this country, or rather this world, werebyrinths such an anathema? I nced at the hustle and bustle and stepped into Marida Company.

    Wee, Schwarz-san. Has your jobpleted?

    Yes, without any troubles. Is Malta-san in?

    Yes, Ill call him over right now. Pleasee inside.

    The store was tended by the usual clerk. I was guided to the parlor and offered the delicious tea I hadnt had the chance to drink in a while. During the Labyrinth Conquest, Lali Barga Lords Daughter, Lapitillica-sama had also brewed some tea, but the tea here was exceptional.

    This light color and aroma Is it coarse tea? Sweet but not sharp No, not coarse tea, but fermented tea.

    Just as expected of Schwarz-san. You know of the difference?

    Malta-san had entered the parlor. I was so absorbed in the tea that I hadnt noticed

    The tea today was made from first-grade summer leaves, ground and thoroughly fermented for one month. The sharpness has faded, leaving the sweetness toe out  that is its trait.

    It is very delicious. Its been some time, Malta-san.

    Yes, Ive been waiting for you. Toe back at this time means you participated in thebyrinth conquest, didnt you?

    Yes. I wasnt able to witness the final victory, but I was able to put my humble abilities to use.

    Youve worked hard.

    Thank you. Today Ivee to sell the mana stones collected during the conquest. And the camping equipment I asked forst time, were you able to prepare them?

    I was, of course. I would also dly ept the stones.

    Among the stones I had collected, I kept the non-attributed stones and the few water-attributed ones, then sold the rest. The water stones would be used as materials for the water sks. I used part of the money from selling the stones to pay for the camping equipments and more non-attribute stones.

    The ammo charge of P90 and Scar-H that I often used were bnce thanks to these mana stones.The costs would increase once I went solo and I might even take a loss, but if I didnt splurge using rocketunchers andser guns like water, Id probably be able to maintain a bnce. That being said, I would also be able to collect more arms and magical materials in the lower levels of the Wolf Fang Labrinth.

    By the way, does Marida Company deal in groceries and cooking utensils?

    Groceries and cooking utensils? Unfortunately, we dont handle them here at Barga branch, but we do at our headquarters in the Royal Capital.

    I see. Could you please refer me to some stores in Barga that do?

    Yes I can introduce to you some ces, but the timing is a little bad.

    Is that so?

    Yes. Due to the harvest festival, a lot of food is being transferred to Miral. It depends on how much food you need, but you might be turned down if the quantity is too much. For us traders, the harvest festival is a chance to showcase our businesss capability. If our businesses meet a shortage during the festival, theyd be consideredcking in capability and our credibility would fall sharply after the festival.

    I see. How many days 2 to 3 weeks, 3 meals per day, so about 63 servings.

    You will need to pre-order for such an amount

    I was wondering if Malta-san would show his thinking face this time when something like an illusion happened right in front of my eyes: Malta-sans mild face became trader-like sharp, and his eyes shone brightly.

    Schwarz-san, I have a proposal.

    W-What is it?

    Three days from now, Ill return to our headquarters in the Royal Capital and bring back arge number of goods to sell during the festival. What do you think about being the guard for the merchant party, as well as helping us with the transportation of goods? Aside from the usual rewards for guards and transportation, Ill send a horse to the Royal Capital beforehand to ask for 100 portions of food to be prepared. Of course, Ill also offer you a discount for the charge.

    Hmm, what should I do? There wasnt a better chance to obtain food cheaply, and I also wanted to see the Royal Capital. Not just for the scenery, but also to find out more about the General Guild. This was also a good chance to see another big city aside from Fort Barga.

    Could you confirm these things, please? The size of the party, whether there will be other guards besides me, and the details of the trip. Also, about the goods transportation, do you mean to use my toolbox?

    Yes, I would like to use Schwarz-sans toolbox. The party will travel with 3 wagons. The first team carrying goods from the capital is expected to arrive in Barga tomorrow. We have our own guards, but theyll be watching the warehouse here so we n to hire some adventurers.

    I see I confirmed the details of the trip with Malta-san. As for the goods, there was a limit to what he could tell me, but I was able to verify some details about those I would carry. It would take us 3 days to reach the Capital. Wed stay there for 2 days before heading back to Barga in 3 days. I would have time to tour the Royal Capital.

    [E/D: Yeah, we read it]

    Understood. I ept your proposal.

    Oh, thank you.

    However, please understand I will use a disguise. I dont want information about mybat skills or toolbox to spread. Its more convenient, and itd also be troublesome if invitations from the ns came.

    Certainly! I will keep that in mind.

    If I was to live on in this world, VMBs powers would be widely known in the near future. But if people thought that the person who had it was someone other than Schwarz, then I could conquerbyrinths in peace. First I needed to hide my face, and if I used the voice change function in voice chat It was time to use that mask!

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    I had breakfast at the inns dining hall the next morning. Todays n was to stay in the Wolf Fang Labyrinth for one night and start the conquest. I had asked Mirna-san to prepare a bento yesterday and at first, I hadnt been able to properly convey to her what a bento was, so I felt troubled. But once I had exined clearly that I needed one serving of cooked food packed into a box so I could eat it inside the Labyrinth, she had finally understood. She had prepared 4 servings of bread and side dishes for me right away.

    Adventurers usually used a magical utility bag that could carry more than its size and slow time down on the inside. However, the concept of time did not exist for my gift box. Whatever was put inside would stay in the same condition when taken back out. This I had confirmed. The 100 portions of food I was to receive in the Royal Capital could also be stored without ever spoiling.

    I had also told Malta-san about the bento. Rather than carrying around portable foods like jerky and bread, adventurers in this world normally stored ingredients in their utility bags to cook some simple meals on site. Carrying pre-cooked foods like I had requested was not amon practice, and Malta-san had listened to me with bright eyes and obvious interest.

    The problem with the food I ordered was their containers. This world didnt have the technology to produce things like aluminum lunch boxes, and neither could I exin it. stic containers also didnt exist of course. After I discussed it with Malta-san, we had chosen the containers made from nts, simr to bamboo baskets. I asked for lids to be made with them, and for food that didnt leak. I would like to bring soup eventually, but there was not enough time to prepare the materials or make boxes with partitions.

    [E/D: Start a war. Most innovations were created for war. The inte was a product of the military. War =Fox-girls. This is how we get our funding.]

    Malta-sans face when listening to my exnation and the example of lunch boxes had been so sharp that it was kind of scary. But if they immediately started gatheringfood in the Royal Capital, storing the 100 portions of food wouldnt be a problem, so it came down to the carrying method. That said, the 4 servings of food I received today was stored in a bamboo basket I bought to test. It didnt have a lid so I had to cover it with a cloth. Once I put it inside the gift box, there shouldnt be a problem though.

    I was enjoying some tea leisurely in the dining hall while waiting for my bento when Ashley-san appeared at the inns entrance.

    Schwarz-san, wee back.

    Ashley-san, long time no see. Im back, somehow.

    Hahaha, I heard you were quite busy.

    No no, all thanks to my guards, the Sasanqua members.

    I urged Ashley-san to sit down and until my bento was ready, we entertained ourselves by talking about the Emerald Demon Labyrinth and the camp. While I had been in the Labyrinth, Ashley-san had gone north of Barga on Guild Investigator business. We talked about a lot of things, but when Remi-sans invitation to join the Guild came up, her eyes turned sharp.

    [E/D: She was NTRing you bro.]

    Remi-senpai said Guild, and not General Guild?

    Yes. If Im not mistaken, she did say Guild. Is something wrong?

    If she said General Guild, that means she invited you to join the General Guild as staff. But if she used Guild, she probably invited you to some division of the General Guild. The one she is involved in, to be specific

    Ashley-san held her tongue then. It was probably some kind of division that couldnt simply be put into words.

    Thank you. I will confirm things properly before deciding to ept the invitation or not.

    I wasnt sure if I should say the timing was good, but when our chat wasing to an end, my bento arrived. Ashley-san said she was going to have breakfast, so I excused myself to go back to my room first.

    When I was leaving my seat with the bento in hands, Ashley-san said to me in a casual tone:

    Schwarz-san, did you have some kind of breakthrough? You look much more refreshed than before.

    I could feel my heart jump. This person, only this person saw me as just me. That was what I felt.

    Yes. I was able to resolve one of the worries Ive had sinceing here.

    Is that so? Thats good. Ah, youll go to Wolf Fang Labyrinth after this right? Take care. See youter.

    Yes, see youter.

    With all the preparations in Barga finished, I went to Wolf Fang Labyrinth and started my conquest. My target was to pass the 12th level and if possible, reach the 18th level. First was to quickly get to the Spring on the 3rd level. Then I would aim for the Springs on the 8th, 12th, and finally, the 18th level.

    I went to the Labyrinths administration building, submitted my exploration schedule, and had my Guild card checked. I took the chance to ask if there were any other explorers currently inside, but conveniently, there werent any. Most of the adventurers were heading to the Emerald Demon Labyrinth for the harvest festival. With its Gatekeeper impossible to pass and its conquest left iplete, thisbyrinth was unpopr. That was why there was no need to worry about other people inside.

    I checked my equipment while heading down to the 1st level. My suppressor and tactical light were installed on the P90. A suppressor was also mounted on my sidearm, the Five-seveN. This loadout would be enough down to the 3rd level, where the map was 100%plete. The monsters from there onwards would possibly get stronger so I nned to have the Scar ready just in case.

    OK.

    I confirmed my route down to the 2nd level and dashed. Then I elerated to move forward with strafing. Then I sped up in one go by performing consecutive strafe jumps. I smashed into the ss wolves and horned rabbits that appeared and shot them dead. I didnt collect the mana stones because I nned to reach the 3rd level as fast as possible. I would proceed with more caution from there on and begin to collect stones.

    I verified the number of dots in the small room I was approaching and plunged in without stopping. The 4 dots in the room were ss wolves, sitting at the rooms center. Just as they turned around, I smoothly fired at them. I stormed into the room from the door but didnt charge at the wolves from that direction, and it confused them. They couldnt react at all except for getting up. Just like that, they ate my bullets and dropped.

    I made sure that all 4 of them were wrapped in mist and sank into thebyrinth before I glided to turn around andnded from the strafe to change my magazine. I also took the chance to have a drink, take a breather, and collect mana stones.

    The sk I ordered from the Marida Company had water stones inserted in the lower half and could automatically activate its magic circle to collect water inside. Magical tools that did not require the users magic were popr and their prices were good. I couldnt use these tools for all my everyday necessities, but the sk was greatly appreciated.

    After that short break, I continued on to the big room. There were thirteen monsters inside, a mix of ss wolves and goblins. I threw an M84 inside from the entrance, which stunned their sight and hearing. As groans rose from inside, I shot and killed them.

    I covered the 1st level in less than an hour and headed toward the 2nd level.

    I also used strafing to move forward on the 2nd level. The red bears might appear from here on, but I also nned to smash into them and knock them over like this. While checking the 3rd level stairs location, I continued to move at a rapid pace like on the 1st level. To be honest, if some other adventurers saw this, I wouldnt be able toe up with a valid excuse.

    When I explored the Emerald Demon Labyrinth with the Sansanqua girls, I had heard many talks about adventurers Skills. Skills were activated by their owners will and didnt need to be chanted like magic. A Skill could be invoked with only the will to make your body move, using the owners magic as the power source. Marinda-san moving around to act as the partys shield and Ruu-san drawing her sword, those were actually Skills in action. They were high-ranked adventurers and their magic reserves were high enough to not run out during explorations. However, low-ranked adventurers were only able to use skills sparingly while exploring or doing missions out in the world.

    There were manySkills that manipted movementsand at first nce, my strafe-jump did look like one. But continuous flight without stopping like this obviously either meant it did not require magic, or my magic reserve was very particr.

    I could hear heavy footsteps ahead and a light dot appeared on the map. A red bear I adjusted my angle of approach and moved closer to the wall. The bear came into view. It noticed me and roared, but it just cost itself some time with that action.

    I ced my crosshair over its open mouth and squeezed the trigger in one go. In a blink of an eye, its roaring mouth was choked with overflowing blood. I kicked at the wall mid-jump, turned to behind the bear and shot at the back of its neck this time. Its head was blown away from its body.

    [E/N: I didnt know FMJ had the ability to act as high explosive rounds.]

    [T/N: It might in VMB]

    Forrger beasts, you needed to use more 5.7x28mm bullets, or narrow down the aim. Next time, should I try to aim at the heart from either the front or the back, or should I blow away the head from the beginning? I could switch to the Scar, but if I used 7.62x51mm NATO on 2nd level, then itd be worrisome on the lower levels.

    I watched the bear sink as I thought of future fighting methods.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    I was in the middle of conquering the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, and currently in the 3rd levels Spring. From this point on, I would stop strafe jumping and continued more cautiously. I was considering betweenpleting the map and heading for the lower levels, but I decided to go down to the lower level first.Since I would be mapping on the way, it would take quite a lot of time, and reaching 18th level as I had targeted was unlikely.

    Once I crossed the Spring, stronger monsters would appear. ording to what I had learned from the General Guilds Archive, stronger goblins would show up more frequently from now on.

    While I was eating the bento I had received from the inn, I worked on the TSS; adding some grenades and getting the Scar-H ready. When my lunch break ended, and I resumed mybyrinth conquest.

    The next Spring was on the 8th level. If I ran through each level in one hour, it would take me five hours to get there. I headed to the 4th level stairs whileparing the guilds 3rd level map with my own.

    [E/N:Stops strafe jumping to be more cautious  Checks maps while walking through a dungeon in said area he was going to be more cautious.I dont think that word means what you think it does.]

    My headphones picked up several footsteps in the direction I was going. I had heard these footsteps before in the Emerald Demon Labyrinth  They were three goblins. Plenty of light grass was properly nted in straight rows in thisbyrinth so it was quite bright. If they kept on like this, it would be a long-distance battle and the P90s effective range was 200 meters.

    [E/N: P90s stated effective range is 200 meters (219 yd) and a maximum<strong>range</strong>of 1,800 m (1,969 yd) for the 5.728mm cartridge when fired from the<strong>P90</strong>. Calibers maximum range can vary depending on the barrel length of the firearm.]

    I crouched down while I aimed down the crosshairs a couple meters ahead. Most long-range magic couldnt reach out past 100 meters, however, the types of magic that could materialize objects and hurl them was not affected by this limit. Firing crossbows and bows up at a high-angle, you could reach out to several hundred meters. Without a scope though, the effective range to reliablynd a hit was less than 100 meters.

    Firearms had an immeasurable advantage in long-distance battles. In abyrinths underground passages, it wasnt likely to reach past the hundreds-of-meters range, but to stage an ambush where as soon as the enemy showed their faceI squeezed the P90s trigger and opened a hole in the head of the goblin that just appeared in the passage ahead. The next ones Were they goblin mages? All three were mages. I squeezed the trigger without letting myself get distracted.

    I advanced without dropping my guard, confirmed they had sunk into thebyrinth, and picked up their mana stones.

    From then on, the enemies became more varied such as high-ranked goblins grouped with other monsters. But they were all were incapacitated by the M84 and P90. The M84 was especially effective, even with therge beasts like red bears, so I only had to shoot their heads. I couldnt use it in every battle, but considering the CP* consumption, it was actually cost-effective and started to be an indispensable weapon during mybyrinth exploration.

    [* T/N: Crystal points in case you forgot.]

    I cleared out therge room on the 3rd level and descended to the 4th.

    The number of red bears on the 4th level was unusually high, so I changed my main weapon from the P90 to the Scar-H. The shots were loud and could attract the other monsters, but from my experience in the Emerald Demon Labyrinth, there was no need to worry so much. If I was with a beastman like Mitche-san or in a party, I would need to be careful about the gunshots though. In the guard mission with the Marida Company, I nned to use a weapon that was allowed to be equipped with a silencer instead of this rifle.

    [T/N: Reminder that Scar-H was not allowed to have silencer as a restriction in VMB system.]

    [E/N: How do you know its unusually high? Is there a stat? are you omnipotent? Tell me your secrets o all knowing conch.]

    Nevertheless, I used the Scar-H this time. How much destructive power did the 7.6251mm NATO have againstrge beasts? They could blow hobgoblins heads up, but what about those damn bears?

    They could as well.

    The heads were blown off with one shot and if I aimed at the hearts, they blew big holes in their chests. Just as expected of these bullets. If they had such offensive power, then I probably could manage with just the P90 and the Scar-H as my main weapons for now.

    [E/N.... No.]

    My speed rapidly increased after switching to the Scar. I moved through the unexplored areas at the same speed as the higher levels and reached the 5th level in no time. However, a magazine that could only carry twenty rounds was indeed worrisome, so I summoned the supply box and switched to a bigger magazine.

    The 5th level had the same underground atmosphere as the other levels up until now. What I learned from the archives was that the atmosphere would change from now on. Instead of regr horned rabbits, there would be higher ranked ones instead.

    I moved forward with caution and heard a footstep that I had never heard before. There were two others that, based on the heaviness, seemed to be from red bears.

    So huge

    [E/N:... * wink wink *]

    What I saw through the crosshairs was twice asrge as normal horned rabbits  about 1 meter in length. It had the same tawny fur, but the horn on its head had a spiral shape like a drill, and was muchrger than the regr rabbits horn. I was fascinated by its unexpected size, but it had already noticed me. It roared as if that was the only thing it knew. It should have closed the distance before trying to threaten me like that.

    First, I ced my crosshairs on the two red bears and aimed for their chests where they couldnt doge. Sometimes in battle, you couldnt get a clean hit if you aimed for the head due to the reaction to the shot. Since I had sufficient offensive power, I changed where I aimed since the head could avoid the shot with a small movement. A chest shot, if hit, meant immediate death.

    I glided the crosshair and shot in the semi-auto mode at each bear. They tried to dodge in response to my shots, but they couldnt evade my shots with such huge bodies. They sank with big holes in their chests. When the red bears were killed, the rabbits red eyes seemed to burst into mes. It let out a strange sound like a roar and spit out a fireball. But I had already encountered an attack like this when I fought against the higher-ranked ss wolves, the dire wolves. Of course, I remembered it and was on guard against it.

    Easy!

    I did a slide-jump forward to the left to dodge the fireball then turned and jumped more to the left side, passing the rabbit. It moved its head to follow my movements, but it couldnt match my speed. I switched my rifle from semi to full-auto and squeezed the trigger while guiding the crosshair along the rabbits body.

    A continuous burst of fire along with the metallic ngs of shells being discharged echoed throughout the underground passage. With bullet wounds all over its body, the long-horned rabbit exploded without leaving a trace of a rabbit behind. Inded from my jump, crouched down, and looked at the lump that used to be the rabbit through my iron sights. Did I overdo it? I didnt think so, but I couldnt help feeling that what I did was over-kill. However, if I made a mistake, that meant death

    From then on, whenever I came across a long-horned rabbit, I would check how many bullets were needed to kill them and what their vital points were. In the end, I was able to conclude that if I aimed for their chest and the area around the base of its horn, that would be effective enough.

    This 5th level is full of huge beasts

    The number of red bears increased here and the long-horned rabbits would always appear in big and small rooms alike. But there hadnt been any big trouble up until now.

    I finished up the 5th level and headed down to the 6th level. I noticed that the atmosphere had changed a little. First was the smell. There was a rotten smell, like some creature was decaying. Then there was the ceiling. This was underground, but the ceiling was almost 10 meters high

    Labyrinths were underground, but they were not created by digging tunnels in the earth. They were in a different dimension and if you dug down into one level, you wouldnt get to the next level. You could get into the next passage by destroying the wall, but the wall was said to be restored by thebyrinths magic.

    From the information that I had gathered beforehand, levels six to ten were the undead zone. There would be zombies, skeletons, andbyrinth bats, a bat-type monster. I switched back to using my P90 as my main for now and moved on with caution. A little whileter, my headphones picked up the sound of something being dragged along with moans.

    This is zombies?

    I stopped and crouched down. I waited for it to appear in my sights and before long, a zombie came into view. Half its face had turned into sludge and its skin ck. The clothing it wore had be rags and were extremely dirty. It walked very slow as well. I ced the crosshairs over its head and shot. The bullet blew its head away, but it didnt stop walking.

    What? The headshot didnt kill it!

    I knew a lot of FPS games with zombies as the enemies, and most could be disabled with headshots. However, the zombies in this world were different  this one continued to move. I quickly shot at both its knees to stop the legs. The bullets didnt just pierce the knees, they burst, and the zombie fell face down on the ground.

    What?

    With no head and half its legs from the knees down gone, it stilled crawled forward. I then shot its shoulders and blew away its arms. Yet, it still didnt sink and continued to wriggle forward.Was it really immortal? No, it was already dead, so it couldnt be immortal.There must be something, a core that animated the corpse A mana stone?

    I didnt know where a zombies mana stone was, so I tried for the heart. The bullet made arge cavity on the chest where its heart should have been, but it still kept moving.

    Was it in the stomach?

    I continued to shoot until it sank into the floor. I had finally found out that the mana stone was in its lower back.

    So the mana stone is at its waist?

    This zombies stone was at the waist, but I didnt think it was the same for all the zombies. I was a bit worried, but then I recalled the illustrated book about monsters in the Archive and searched for information about zombies in the captured files on the TSS.

    [E/N: That should have been your first move bro.]

    In the end, I did confirm that the undead could be killed if I separated the mana stone from its body. The stones location was not fixed and I basically just destroyed it with my weapon. It seemed like adventurers usually used weapons to knock the stones from the bodies. Should I do the same? But for melee weapons, there were only batons and the like and What about burning?

    Speaking of killing zombies, it was either headshots or burning, that was it!

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    The 6th level of the Labyrinth was the undead zone. Zombies and skeletons here couldnt be killed unless their mana stones were destroyed or separated from their bodies. This didnt suit my currentbat style where I attacked the enemies vitals to kill them. On the stairway that connected the fifth to the sixth level, I activated my TSS and selection that section for weapons against undead. Light particles assembled themselves before my eyes and the ck supply box appeared.

    I opened the box and took out arge piece of equipment. It was theType 1-1 methrower, used to burn down zombies. It was also used in real life by the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces. methrowers were used frequently during the first and second World Wars, but its use gradually decreased afterward. As a result, it had not been developed further. This methrower had been developed from the M2 that the US had used during World War Two. Its effective range was around 40 meters. It had three tanks; two for fuel, one for air.

    Its utilization frequency was remarkably higher than the M2 as normally this methrower could spray ten times, but this frequency was increased to twenty in VMB in order to keep the games bnce. Its fuel tanks could also be easily filled via the TSS, but the CP cost to fill the tanks to capacity was higher than the Scar and P90 magazines. I wouldnt have a negative CP bnce if I used it now, but the cost would definitely be high if I was trying to save up CP. I had been able to keep my CP high thanks to the mana stones I had collected mixed with the reward I received from Remi-san.

    methrowers werergerpared to the other main weapons and it was impossible to use another firearm while you used it. To use it properly, you had to hold the nozzle in your hands all the time, since it was not designed to hang on the main body of the weapon. My sidearm was in its holster so it was okay, but I wouldnt use the Scar or the P90 together with this so I put both into the supply box with their magazines.

    I also took out some grenades from the box, the TH3. It was another option I could use to burn down the zombies. They were otherwise known as Thermate Grenades. They were 15cm long red cylinders and would blow up three seconds after the pin was pulled. They looked like a big toy firework, but its damage radius reached about 2 meters in real life and 3 meters in VMB. The burning time was about 20 to 30 seconds, enough to spread to the surroundings. With a temperature over 2000C, they could even burn a hole in a steel beam.

    [E/N: 1. They do not have a Damage radius of 2 meters. the TH3 is a THERMATE canister, not an explosive. It does not release a concussive wave or shrapnel. The only thing you have to worry about is the mes and the heat as it burns HOT. It is not an offensive grenade.TH3 in action.]

    As my preparations for the undead zone waspleted, I resumed my conquest.

    I advanced while I held the methrowers nozzle in both my hands, ready to spray at any moment. The 1-1 could be fired from the hip, meaning just level the nozzle at the waist level and fire. Aiming was done with the goggles crosshairs so there wasnt a need to worry about missing.

    [E/D: If you miss with a stream of ming napalm that can you can see and adjust, you might be the author.]

    [Ashes: Its a point and spray weapon.]

    I passed the site of my earlier battle and heard the moans of zombies. Like normal firearms, methrowers were not meant to be used in close quarters so I kept the zombies in sight while I kept in mind not to let them get too close. There were three zombies. They approached so slow that I wondered if they even wanted to attack. I squeezed that 1-1s trigger, gliding the crosshairs, and spraying fire on them.

    [E/D: If you need to use crosshairs for a me thrower, youre the worst yer in history.]

    They caught fire and bathed in jellied gasoline. Their bodies burst into mes and crumbled in the blink of an eye. In thest battle, when the body parts hit by the bullets burst out, I thought the extremely soft bodies were their defense power. But their bodies were easily burned down. As soon as they crumbled down, they were wrapped in a ck mist and sunk into thebyrinth floor; leaving behind their mana stones.

    I picked the stones up while careful not to get burned. methrowers caused damage with the jellied gasoline they sprayed that was ignited when it left the nozzle, but the me itself was not that hot. The stones were a bit warm, but they didnt melt.

    I didnt feel any radiant heat while I sprayed, probably because it was a piece of game equipment and not the real thing. To test, I faced the wall and sprayed, but I didnt feel anything. Just like how I didnt smell any gunpowder when I fired the other weapons, radiant heat was an unnecessary element in the game and thus, was not included. But there was no such thing as a perfect offer. The mes had also burned away the light grass. I smiled warily as I took out more light grass seeds from my pouch and threw them to the sides of the passage while I walked on.

    It seemed like there were only zombies on the sixth level. To an average adventurer, what was the tricky part of this level? The smell was horrible, but the difficulty level wasnt high. Seeing how easy it was to extract mana stones, this was a pretty delicious level if I was only here to collect the stones.

    [E/N: Thats rich from the dude who literally bunny hopped the entire way down and conjured a weapon that spews napalm.]

    Later, I heard that just one touch from a zombie could mess with your magic and cause you to get a diseased condition. This condition gave you a high fever and other symptoms. However, the condition meddled with your magic to do it so it wasnt a threat to a Manuke like me. I went in further into the level and the zombies also became more varied. There werent just human zombies, but ss wolves, horned rabbits, and other monsters that lived in the vicinity of thebyrinth. The speed of the wolves and rabbits were the same as the living versions so I was more cautious with them, but they were put down instantly with the 1-1s spray.

    I descended to the 7th level and the Skeletons finally made their appearance for the first time. Skeletons mana stones were inly visible at the center of their chest, supported by extended ribs. As a test, I pulled the Five-Seven out, ced the crosshairs over one of the skeletons head and smashed its skull. It didnt stop so that meant it was the same as zombies.

    Compared to zombies, the skeletons were much more of a threat. It was the simple reason that they carried weapons. They didnt wear any armor and their stones were visible, but they wielded short swords and an axe, some even had small shields. I used the methrower to spray them, the lit jellied substance stuck to their bones and raged through their bodies. Once the bones supporting the mana stone had copsed, so did the skeletons like puppets with their strings cut.

    This is pretty powerful

    During my days in VMB, I hadnt used methrowers because they werent useful in PVP battles, but now I couldnt help but reconsider my opinion about them. I didnt know how it would perform against other enemies. Otherbyrinths had undead zones so it looked like the 1-1 would be a mainstay from now on.

    Some skeletons raised their shields to defend themselves from the me, but these shields were made from wood and burned in no time, leaving the defenseless ribcage to be swallowed up by the fire.

    I had to refill the tanks after every battle and that was kinda bothersome I stopped to operate the TSS and began thinking. Then my ears caught the sound of wings pping, which I didnt hear before. I immediately turned towards the sound. Something wasing from the 10-meter high ceiling! By reflex, I slide-jumped to the back as a big ck V-shaped mass struck the spot I had just been at.

    They werebyrinth bats. They were huge Their wingspans must have been about 2 meters. The bats continuously swooped down then rose suddenly. The moment they crashed down, they bared their fangs and snapped. I saw they had fox-like faces as I was dodging. I also concluded that this was their only attack method. I pointed the me thrower nozzle into the air and sprayed.

    They shrieked when the me hit then crashed down while on fire. They seemed to fall head first and I heard bones snap.

    The mested quite a long when sprayed on living monsters. A distance away from the bats, the fire was still burning unnaturally. The fire probably burned until all their health was gone. The fire wouldnt turn back to light particles, even if I was not nearby. I came up with this theory while I watched the bats be wrapped up in the ck mist and sink into thebyrinth floor as they burned. With the appearance of thebyrinth bats, I finally encountered an enemy I couldnt hear.

    [E/N: bitch you just said you heard their wings.]

    My headphones picked up sounds within 500 meters, but only sounds closer than 150 meters would show up on my map as light dots. The batsy in wait for their prey so I couldnt hear them until the moment they attacked.

    [L: what about heartbeats?] [Ashes: thats what I was thinking.]

    Since thisbyrinth was bright, I had set by goggles on normal view, but with the appearance of this monster type, I turned my NV on. I started to check the ceilings frequently. The passages were bright but the high ceilings were dark. I continued to be on high alert and checked above at every turn to guard against surprise attacks. Like this, I descended to the 8th level.

    [T/N: In ces of the exnation paragraph:

    A pic of the 1-1 methrower (since I cant find an English source)

    <img /2019/05/img_12.jpg">

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    Currently, I was on the eighth level of the Wolf Fang Labyrinth. The eighth level was also an undead zone, but the monsters here came out mixes of zombies, skeletons, andbyrinth bats. Thanks to the trustworthy 1-1 in my hands, the groups of zombies and skeletons had been burned down and I was able to reach the Spring. I took a long-ish break there to have dinner and a quick nap before I headed down to the ninth level in the middle of the night.

    At first, I had nned to make it to the 18th level, but it would be impossible at this speed. Two dayster, I had to go to the Royal Capital with the Marida Companys caravan as their guard. So the n had changed: I would only head down to the eleventh level to see the structural change before I returning to the surface.

    I activated the TSS and brought out the Dorchester out of the garage. I still camped in the Spring, but this was to get a better rest both physically and mentally. I sat a chair in the Dorchesters living space, had dinner, and slept on the chair with my legs stretched out on the desk. I wanted to lie down, but the bed was just as hard as thebyrinth floor. Next time, I would get a futon or a sleeping bag to get a good nights sleep.

    I dozed off for around four hours before I woke. I checked the surroundings outside through the peephole just in case. As before, I was the only one inside the Spring. I put the car back into the garage and washed my face in the Spring to clear away the sleep that still lingered. I carried the methrower on my back and readied my gear such as my sidearm, its magazine, and mybat knife. Then I headed down to the 9th level.

    Once passed the spring, stronger monsters appeared, as if they were leveled up. I became more cautious and got ready for surprise attacks from the ceiling. I advanced with the methrowers nozzle at the ready and kept the crosshairs pointed in the direction I was going. The enemies also seemed to have noticed me, and out of three, two ran towards me. I stopped in my tracks and waited for them to appear. They would be roasted the moment I saw them!

    Uuuuuuuuuuuu.

    Together with the moans, two ss wolf zombies jumped out from around the corner where I had trained my crosshairs on. I squeezed the trigger when I confirmed what they were, and ming jellied gasoline spewed on them. Together with the smell of burnt flesh, the zombie wolves writhed about as they frantically tried to put out the mes, but the mes couldnt be put out like that. Their bodies were slowly destroyed.Once I had confirmed they had sunk into the floor, I moved forward to check on theteer.

    I turned the corner, and what in front of me definitely was a zombie, but it was nothing like the monsters I had seen on the upper levels. Its face was swollen with a dark tinge and its abdomen was strangely bloated. It looked like it was diseased. This was a higher-ranked zombie that I had seen inside the monster book It was called an Illness Zombie. I didnt attack immediately and while I was still observing it, it bent backward

    [E/N: I asked if I could change it to Spitter, but Lizzz said I couldnt and I could just bitch in the notes like usual. So here I am ]

    [T/N: Author really did use illness zombies  (irunesu zonbi) Need to respect the authors wish :P]

    Vubeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    It spat a dark murky green liquid at me.

    Here ites!

    I reflexively turned back around the corner and avoided a direct hit, but the zombies spit attack (?) sshed into my vicinity, despite a 10-meter distance.

    [E/N: The author used the (?) and Lizzz told me to leave it so. 10M = 32.8084 feet. That AoE is some serious stuff.]

    It was the same type of attack as my methrower. The ckish green liquid sshed about in the passageway. Was it venom? At any rate, it didnt look like something pleasant to be covered in. Before it spewed again, I jumped out of the corner to avoid stepping in the liquid and sprayed mes at it. It did seem to have more endurance than normal zombies, but once the skin caught fire, it burned down, and green liquid burst outward from its body.

    I need to be careful with these things

    I unconsciously muttered. I opened the monster book in the TSS and searched for information about illness zombies. This ckish green liquid was indeed a kind of venom. It would melt skin and cause immense burning pain when it came in direct contact Was it acidic?

    [E/N:

    Venom;a poisonous substance secreted by animals such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions and typically injected into prey or aggressors by biting or stinging. Venom is a poisonous fluid secretion of certain animals; venom is useful to the animal for capturing food or killing enemies. Venom can be injected into a victims bloodstream during an animal bite or insect sting.

    Its a fucking acid attack my dude, not a venom attack.]

    How did normal adventurers take that thing down? The illness zombies had their mana stones in their heads and they could be defeated by decapitation, but once the head was cut off, the venom would burst out as the body copsed. So you had to get away in time in order not to get sprayed in the face. Even to me, someone who had a special way to attack from a 10-meter distance, illness zombies were something that needed special attention.

    The zombie sunk into thebyrinth, but the mana stone it left behind The venom still hadnt vanished. It seemed like it took some time for thebyrinth to absorb the venom it had spat out the first time as well as the pool that formed where its body had been. I gave up on collecting the mana stone thaty in the venom and went on.

    After that, there were several more battles and I burned down the filthy monsters on my way. Then I saw something like arge room with multiple light dots wriggling inside. They sounded like skeletons, but slightly heavier. I peeked inside from the rooms entrance and confirmed there were twelve skeletons inside, but the twelve of them did not stay in a group together. Six of them branched out, and the scene looked like a party of adventurers resting inside a Spring.

    I observed both groups formations and noticed they werent normal skeletons, but higher-ranked ones. Each group had two skeleton fighters that wore leather armor, one archer, two mages, and one guard carrying arge shield. What should I do If they were not undead, I would have thrown a shbang inside to disorient them before I took them down. However, skeletons didnt have eyeballs or ears. They perceived things some other way.

    I considered how I would attack them and came up with two methods. One was to attack from the entrance to cut down their numbers. The second was to use the TH3 to strike first then charged in to attack. I also wanted to gain different experiences, so maybe I should try both?

    First, I aimed at the area near the entrance and made full use of the methrowers 40-meter range.

    The first group sat in a circle as if they were resting around a campfire. I ced my crosshairs on the back of the skeleton archer and squeezed the trigger. I glided the crosshairs side to side over the circle as I sprayed. The closest ones to me, the archer and the two fighters, were burned down. The three further away were also hit, but the skeleton guards shield had deflected the me. Was it made from steel? it didnt burn.

    However, therge shield couldnt cover the guards entire body. I put the crosshairs on the feet that jutted out from below the shield and burned the area around its ankles. The guard was standing, protecting the two mages with itsrge shield, but with its ankles on fire, it couldnt maintain its stance and crouched down on its knees instead. It also couldnt hold the shield up straight, and its body was exposed. Without dy, I sprayed fire on its chest where the mana stone was located.

    Briefly protected by the guard, the two mages behind it had managed to chant their spells. ck spheres around 30cm big rose up from the left and right sides of the burning skeleton guard and flew at me. I immediately slid-jumped out of the room to dodge. The moment the sound of the spells crashing into the wall echoed, I slid-jumped back to the entrance and attacked the moment I crossed it.

    The guard had been engulfed in mes, but the moment I crossed into the entrance, an arrow from the archer in the other group flew at me. The other group was behind the two mages. Staying on the threshold with my back to the entrance, I leaned over to peek inside, then aimed at the remaining two mages and squeezed the trigger at once. I wasnt sure if they had put up a magic barrier or not, but my me didnt carry any magic and couldnt be stopped by a magic barrier.

    After I burnt down the first six skeletons, I changed my target to the other group. I peered inside the room and they seemed to have also changed their formation to be battle-ready. The guard was in the center, nked by the fighters with the other three lined up behind them. So it was one versus six! I pulled the TH3s pin, slid into the room and performed an axel jump before I threw the grenade. I then switched to a strafe jump to avoid the archers arrows.

    [E/N:Axel jump. Its official, you cant even do a cool jump. You could have done some cool ass free-runner moves, but no, you had to do that]

    The grenade exploded at the guards feet and its shield was covered in mes within moments. The fighters on its sides also caught fire, but they could still move. I moved to the left of the group with a strafe jump, then squeezed the methrowers trigger mid-air. From the height, the ming gasoline swallowed up the left fighter and created a pool of fire at the skeletons feet.

    Inded and ced the crosshairs on the mages behind the fighters, but an earth wall rose up from thebyrinths floor to block my sight.

    What!

    It looked like they had realized that the magic barrier of the other mages hadnt been able to stop my mes and to physically block the mes, the mages had conjured up an earthen wall.

    Easy!

    The wall didnt just block my vision. They also couldnt see me, right? Hiding behind objects that couldnt be prated like walls or boxes was a basic move in FPS, so there were many counter-measures to take against these moves. I took out another thermate grenade from my field jacket, pulled the pin, crossed over the wall and threw it at the ce I thought the mages should be. The moment I threw the grenade, I saw the archer on one side of the wall aiming at me. I did a strafe jump to the left to dodge the arrow, then returned to the other side of the wall.

    The mage should have burned down by now. I performed a series of strafe jumps counterclockwise and got behind the skeletons. While I jumped past them, the other mage chanted for another earth wall but missed, and the wall rose up uselessly. The archer was pulling the string on its bow when I ced the crosshair on it and sprayed. Then I glided my crosshair across them and the me swallowed up the mage and the fighter. These three remaining skeletons were also burned down in no time.

    Phew-

    I collected the mana stones as I watched the burnt ground. They had been able to use an earth wall to defend against the methrower after just one look. I couldnt hide my surprise at the intelligence of these higher-ranked skeletons.

    I refilled the methrower through the TSS. While I told myself to be more careful with intelligent enemies from now on, being able to beat a group of stronger monsters made me feel a sense of aplishment like never before. Just a bit more and I would reach the ninth level. At the thought of the return, I couldnt let myself be drunk on this victory. I gathered my thoughts and went deeper into thebyrinth.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    Level nine ofWolf FangLabyrinth was thetter half of its undead zone. Aside from the illness zombies, I also encountered another troublesome high-ranked zombie variant.

    That was close!

    While my attention was on the high-ranked zombie in front of me, the three illness zombies behind spat venom at me simultaneously. I turned 180 degrees while slide-jumping to the back and, as there was no other path, dashed up the wall with a wall-run, then went further to the back. I jumped to the opposite wall mid-run and turned around. While I was turning 180-degrees mid-air, I ced my crosshairs on the hopper and squeezed the trigger, spraying fire at it.

    Hoppers were high-ranked zombies that first appeared on this ninth level of Wolf Fang Labyrinth. They wore robes with hoods, and they leaped at their opponents with gaping wide mouths ready to bite. They were rather fast, but things would have been okay if it were just them. The venom-spitting illness zombies were troublesome. They seemed to be spitting their venom in order to block my retreat.

    [E/N: Hey, can I borrow your homework?  Sure, just change it up. *Changes Jacket of L4D Zombie to a robe.*]

    I had burned down the hopper, and next were the illness zombies. ording to my experiences from previous battles, after they spewed their venom, they wouldnt be able to do it again for a while. There were three of them, but they couldnt do anything aside from flinging themselves at me. There was no reason to go that far. I glided my crosshairs and made the fire dance wildly.

    Level nine didnt only have these high-ranked zombies; even high-ranked ss wolf zombies, the dire ss wolf zombies, appeared. They were as fast as the hoppers. As they came towards me, I moved around so as not to be cornered and burned them to ashes. They hadnt used the magic-charged roar like the dire wolf I rescued Malta-san from had. I wasnt sure if this was just by chance, or zombies couldnt use those attacks. There was no way to know unless I researched it at the Archive. I checked through the monster book, but couldnt find the answer right away.

    I continued on and burned down a mixed group of zombies in a small room. Then I noticed a stone box-like object in the center of the room

    Could it be a treasure chest?!

    It looked like a stone chest. I approached it while picking up the mana stones of the zombies I had killed. Under closer inspection, I found out that the lid was covered with detailed carvings. They looked vaguely simr to the carvings on the water sk I had ordered from the Marida Company. The chest was about 1m in length, 60cm in width and height  it was a bit smaller than my Gift Box.

    From what I had researched, the magic tools and weapons abyrinth spat out were usually found in shrines, or on pedestals inrge rooms. Could they also appear in such chests like this? No, maybe this was also a monster? I watched the chest without touching it, but without opening it, I couldnt really find out anything. I set up the CBS on my left arm so that I could activate the shield at any time. Then I slowly pushed the lid off with my left hand.

    Sounds of stones scraping echoed, but there didnt seem to be any traps. I kept on pushing and the lid fell to the ground. I peeked inside and saw a bare dagger. As I took the dagger out, the chest copsed into sand. The sand was also absorbed by thebyrinth, and it looked like there had never been anything in the room afterward.

    The dagger was more important at the moment anyway.It had a 10cm long double-edged de and a wooden handle.The de had a gentle curve to it.

    Weapons created bybyrinths like this dagger were probably magic weapons. It didnt look like the type that consumed mana stones. Did it need magic power? It seemed like I couldnt use it.

    Well, I didnt n to wield a magic weapon with an unknown power anyways.

    [E/N: i DiDnT pLaN tO wIeLd A mAgIc WeApOn.]

    I couldnt carry the dagger around with its de out so I summoned the Gift Box and put it inside. Id have to consult either Malta-san or Rezmond-san about it. It was the first magic weapon I had found during mybyrinth explorations. Having discovered another fun thing inbyrinth exploration, I went deeper inside.

    [E/N: (   ) ]

    I had reached the tenth level. There was supposed to be a magic transportation circle here, and even though I couldnt use these circles, I wanted to see one myself.

    This was also the final level of the undead zone  thebyrinth should be a field dungeon from the eleventh level onwards. The undead didnt just appear in the undead zone, but the frequency of their appearance would naturally decrease as other monster types appeared. The methrower would be relieved of its duty after this level.

    I would cover the tenth level and go to check the atmosphere on the eleventh level, then return to the surface. Lets use the 1-1 a little bit more.

    I encountered morebyrinth bats than zombies skeletons on this level. Every time I checked the ceiling at a turn,rge numbers of bats would ambush me. These ambushes were troublesome. At every turn, I would lean on the wall and peek around the corner, checking both the route ahead and the ceiling. If there werebyrinth bats hanging down, I would immediately ce the crosshair on them and spray the mes without mercy. The ming fuel didnt just burn the bats, but also the ceiling. The bats fell from the red zing ceiling with strange cries, and I moved the crosshair onto the ones still moving to burn them off.

    The methrower, with its 40m range, was an effective weapon during solobyrinth explorations, when one didnt have to worry about secondary disasters. I didnt pay attention at first, but even after continuous spraying within thebyrinth passage, the oxygen level didnt seem to decrease at all.

    Using methrowers within closed spaces like caves would consume oxygen and cause a shortage of it. Even without being hit directly by the me, living creatures could still be killed by the deficiency of oxygen. This was another effect of methrowers, a cruel one.

    I refilled the 1-1 while I waited for the mes to die down to collect the stones. As I was about to move on, I heard something rush in my direction. I had generally remembered the footsteps of different zombies, and these steps were from a group of dire-ss wolf zombies and a hopper.

    I readied the methrower and focused my crosshair on the route ahead while also breaking into a run. After various battles, I hade to the conclusion that the best way to deal with this type of mixed group was to charge straight into them.

    The first toe into view was two dire ss wolf zombies. The hopper wasingter, as expected.

    [E/N: As Expected. Fuck you. You would have said the same thing if the hopper came first. As expected is up there next to What In gear grinding.]

    I glided the crosshair and sprayed a wave of mes on the wolf zombies. They were rushing straight at me, but split outwards to the left and right when they saw the mesing. However, the mes covered the entire passage and couldnt be avoided. The zombie wolves were swallowed up by the fire in one go and stopped moving. From behind, the hopper leaped over while avoiding the ming fuel scattered about the passage.

    Hey!

    I held the methrowers nozzle in my right hand, activated my CBS on my left, and knocked the hopper to the wall. My powered suit didnt just enhance my legs strength and jumping ability, but also increased my physical power in general.

    [T/N: That was why he could do those anti-physical strafe jumps. He had a powered suit.]

    [E/N: That has to be the most bullshit reason ever, you know you can move forward, backward, or side to side. ]

    If I had been carrying small arms, I could have shot the hopper down mid-air. But with the methrower, it could have be a hurling ball of fire barreling towards me, so I couldnt do that. And if I let it move freely, it would jump in from an unexpected distance and cause trouble. With this, I could stop the hoppers movement and create a more manageable situation.

    Before the hopper could get up, I pointed the methrower at the wall and sprayed mes at it. I watched the hopper burn ck and made sure that there were none following. I still felt bewildered by all the behaviors and reactions that were different from the games, but I could do it. I had been managing well, and I was getting more confident at this.

    I broke through the small andrge rooms,and suddenly agate supported by white stone pirs appeared before my eyes. It had the same design as the one in Emerald Demon Labyrinth, but there was a wolf-head humanoid monster sitting on the throne. Was it the Dungeon Master of thisbyrinth?

    I passed the gate and entered therge room where the Gatekeeper had once been, and saw a transportation magic circle at the center.

    So this is a transportation circle

    Despite knowing it was futile, I still took out thebat knife from the sheath on my thigh and gave my finger a shallow cut. I dribbled some blood on the circle, but it didnt seem to record my biometric info at all.

    Its really no good.

    It couldnt be helped. My explorations would be easier if I could use these circles, but letting my inability to use them get to me was just a waste of time.

    I headed to the stairs leading down towards the eleventh level deep inside the room. Starting from the eleventh level,byrinths would begin to imitate their surroundings and be field dungeons, where the scenes could be mistaken as real nature. But the scene in front of me was very different from the forest east ofWolf FangLabyrinth.

    There was indeed a forest, and even some paths that could serve as passages through it. However, the atmosphere waspletely different from that of a forest. It was d in a dark mysterious mist that brought about the magic forest atmosphere with just a nce. The size of a field dungeon varied depending on the level, and if I strayed from the forest paths, it seemed like I wouldnt meet some invisible wall. The walls seemed to be at the actual edges of the level, and could be discerned clearly.

    I couldnt see the walls and didnt know the actual size of the forest. I was concerned about the forest paths, but my exploration ended here this time. It would continue after Ipleted my mission with the Marida Companys trade caravan.

    I went back to the tenth level, summoned the Dorchester in the Gatekeeper room, and took a lunch break. Unlike a Spring, there was no water source to drink from here, so no monsters would enter this room. I might have been spotted by some other adventurers who teleported through the magic circles, but lets cross that bridge when we got to it.

    I ate my meal on the chair in the cars living space, checked my equipment and replenished it, then left an hourter. I increased my pace and reached the surface in one go, so I returned earlier than expected. I had to get my equipment for tomorrow onwards ready.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    It was almost the evening when I returned to the Fort City of Barga. I wanted to ask Rezmond-san to check the magic dagger I had found in Wolf Fang Labyrinth, but it should be crowded at the Guilds annex by now. A lot of adventurers would rush there to report their questpletions or bring proof of their conquests. Rezmond-san worked fast, but the wait time would still be long. Id ask Malta-san to appraise the dagger instead.

    First of all, Id head back to the White Flower Pavillion and ready myself for the mission with the caravan tomorrow. I needed to get dinner as well since Id need to leave early tomorrow. I had to get things ready quickly and make use of tonight to heal the fatigue from my exploration.

    I had nned to go to bed early after preparations and dinner was finished, but It was already two in the morning.

    [P/N: also around the time Im proofing this]

    The preparation is so much trouble

    I hadnt taken the guard request tomorrow as an the D-Ranked Adventurer Schwarz, but as someone else, a masked man. Quite a lot of people had seen the power of VMB already, but only a few had known of its offensive abilities; people were only aware of its mapping ability. As Id be conqueringbyrinths on my own, mybat ability would be more widely known. If I was able to detach this from Schwarzs mapping ability, maybe I could devote myself tobyrinth conquests without being bothered by invitations from the ns.

    I had decided on my disguise. Id use the ker mask to conceal my face. This bulletproof mask was used by Taiwan and Bosnias special forces, and could stop 919 parabellum rounds as well as 357 magnum rounds. It was designed to have only two holes for the eyes and no opening for the mouth or nose. The eye holes were equipped with the same lens as my goggles, so I could still check the map and obtain info with no problems.I also nned to use the voice change function of VMB to change my voice and I would wear something over my powered suit to fully cover it. It was already mid November, so there was no problem wearing thick clothes. I usually wore a field jacket so the image would be different this time. Id wear a ck overcoat simr to the ck suits the German Army had worn in WWII. I couldnt wear a belt since it would be difficult to take out a handgun from the shoulder holster.

    I changed clothes in a second with the avatar customization and registered the set. ck ker mask with a ck suit, absolutely the kind of officer outfit that would aggravate those with eight-grader syndrome*

    [T/N:Chunibyo.]

    [E/N: How SS of him.]

    The next problem was the weapons. First of all, the FM69*, Manufactured by the Americanpany Magpul. It was a submachine gun built on the Glock 18C machine-pistol. Specialized for bodyguard duties*, its rectangr shape could be folded down to apact size that could fit into the back pocket. It carried 33 bullets, and could be unfolded and ready to fire in less than 0.5 seconds.

    [E/N:FMG-9Technically, its not its own weapon if Im understanding the salesman correctly. Its a frame, slide, and magazine of the 18C, like aMicro-RONI, orFolding Glock. It was designed for concealed carry and for a possible acquisition by the USA Secret Service, but MAGPUL has no intention of putting it into production.]

    [T/N: Yes, the author literally wrote Glock 18 with outer parts attached about the FMG9 (18SMG). I have no idea how to put it into English so I just go with this phrasing :sweat:]

    I prepared the FMG for close quarter battles inside the Royal Capital, but I was really troubled about what to use during the trip. I wanted somethingpletely different from the P90 and Scar that I usually used. I racked my brains over the numerous small arms and attachmentsbination in my inventory. Preparation like this was really enjoyable. It was a difficult but fun time that made me forget about sleep. Before I realized, morning was alreadying.

    In the end, I chose theAS VAl, a select-fire rifle with an integrated silencer as my main weapon. It was developed for the Soviet Unions Special Troops, and even through the 9x39mm rounds it used had a slow firing velocity, they had low sound signature. However, its magazine could only hold 20 rounds. This was used to bnce with the integrated silencer. Its bullets offensive power was somewhere between the 9x19mm and the 7.6251, enough forrge-ish monster.

    [E/N: Thats a pretty wide chasm there buddy. Like saying this is somewhere between a Honda Civic and a 2500 Truck.]

    Even though it made the gun look misshapen, I also mounted a silencer to the FMG-9, and hid it under my overcoat together with the AS VAL. To others, it would look as if I wasnt carrying any weapons.

    Lastly, aside from the small arms, I also prepared a special electromaic baton, an original melee weapon from VMB. It was an improved version of the self-defense stun baton currently on the market and could be extended to about 70cm long. If you pushed its pointed end to your opponent and pressed the switch on the grip, it would emit an electric current simr to a stun gun, and temporarily stun him.In VMB, it was the type of weapon that was joked to make people want to shoot you dead if you used it, but I had never used it before. It had beenpletely just for show.

    With this, my preparations wereplete. I brought along some luggage, told thendy Mirna that I would be away for about a week and paid the rent to keep the room without meals, then left.

    When I arrived at the Marida Company, threerge wagons had already been parked in front, and the workers were busy loading boxes and sacks into them. As I was peeking at the group to see if the usual clerk was there, the eyes of the workers were all on me. Those eyes were not for customers; they were clearly cautious and uneasy. Which wasnt surprising, as I came wearing the mask and suit.

    Wee. What business do you have here today?

    The usual clerk asked with apparent tension on his face. It seemed like he didnt recognize me.

    I am Shaft,missioned to guard this merchant party by the Chairman of Marida Company.

    Shaft was the alias I thought of for when I wore this attire. I had no time to think of a good alias, so I just picked the code name of the AS VAL.

    Could you please wait a bit? I will confirm it with the Chairman.

    No problem.

    Please excuse me.

    Ah, I had told Malta-san that I would be in disguise, but I hadnt said anything about an alias. It would be great if he could guess it Just as the clerk had said, I only had to wait a little before Malta-san appeared and approached me with caution.

    I am Malta, Chairman of the Marida Company. Excuse me, but I would like to confirm under whosemission do youe as a guard of this merchant party?

    Ie here in ce of a D-rank adventurer called Schwarz. I heard that you have acknowledged this. Is it not true?

    I apologize; of course I have known about this. Shaft-sama, pleasee inside. It will be a while until we depart.

    Just as expected of Malta-san  he had skillfully guided me to get a confirmation. I followed him to the usual parlor.

    Schwarz-san, youre really thorough in your disguise.

    A disguise is meaningless if done half-way.

    Well, the clothes and that ck mask were simple enough, but even your voice ispletely different I still cant believe it unless you take off the mask.

    This voice was much lower than my real one, and with the ker covering my mouth, it came out even lower. It seemed like Malta-san still didnt fully believe me, so I decided to take off the mask to confirm my identity first.

    Well, youre Shaft-sama now, but what about going in and out of the city?

    There is no way to disguise that, so I will go in and out of Barga and the Royal Capital as Schwarz.

    Thats better. You can have multiple Guild cards if you register with multiple guilds, but with aliases youll be taxed separately.

    Getting multiple Guild cards

    Is it unusual to double-register?

    Its not. Many people register with different guilds depending on their expertise, like adventurers registering with the Merchant Guild or the Magician Guild. Some facilities cant be used without the registration card of the specialized guild.

    I see

    Since it was not unusual, I considered registering with another guild as Shaft once we reached the Royal Capital. While we were chatting, the usual clerk entered the parlour.

    Chairman, three adventurers from the General Guild hase under ourmission. Should I bring them to you?

    Oh, they havee? Please bring them here.

    I will right away.

    The clerk didnt look in my direction once, and withdrew immediately after reporting.

    Is this look too severe?

    As youre a guard, its better than looking like a gentleman.

    Malta-san seemed to find the clerks reaction interesting as well as unavoidable. Heughed, his belly shaking.

    Oh! Is it here?

    Yes! Here, leader!

    Im opening the door!

    Loud voices wereing from outside the room. It might have been just my imagination, but I think Id heard those voices before

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    On the day of the caravans departure, I put on my disguise and headed to the Marida Company as Shaft. I was killing time with Malta-san when three adventurers from the General Guild came for the guardmission.

    Oh, I am the n Master of Patrinia Villosa, C-Ranked adventurer Maximilian.

    C-ranked adventurer from Patrinia Villosa, Volkaise!

    I am a C-ranked adventurer from Patrinia Villosa, Gotthard!

    The three adventurers that entered the parlor were the ones I had gotten into a scuffle with when I had juste to Barga. They seemed to be a fixed party of their n. When I heard of Patrinia Villosa, what came to mind was a weed that blooded around the area. They could grow more sturdy but if left to themselves, they would only grow to about 60cm  1m tall. Their small white flowers gave off a rotten odor.

    [T/N: Why are all the ns named after flowers???]

    [E/N: Because flowers are for cultured swine.]

    Maximilian was a giant with cat ears who wore leather armor. Volkaise had a mousy face and wore a hooded robe  was he a magician? The foxy face Gotthard wore light equipment, but it was difficult to imagine him as a lightweight soldier with his pot belly sticking out.

    I am the Chairman of Marida Company, Malta. Thank you for epting ourmission. This is Shaft, a friend of mine. He will also take part in guarding the caravan.

    Im Shaft.

    They seemed taken aback by my appearance. Maximilian, however, took one step forward and measured me with his re. As expected of a n Master.

    You, are you an adventurer? If yes, whats your rank?

    No, I havent registered as an adventurer. Ie here to guard the caravan as a friend of Malta.

    Not even an adventurer, can you handle a guard mission?

    Dont get in our way!

    Thats right! Having Leader is enough!

    Idiot! Ive told you many times, call me Master!

    Now now, I know of Shafts capabilities very well. He will stay with me in one of the wagons, and the three of you will be positioned at the front and rear of the party. Have you been able to prepare your horses?

    Before the other three had arrived, we had agreed that Shaft and Malta-san would not use polite speech with each other. This was a trick to clearly differentiate Shaft from Schwarz. My tone as Shaft would also be different from that of Schwarz. With the umtion of all these small details, I would be able to deceive them easier.

    [T/N: He spoke more curtly as Shaft.]

    Of course. We came here on horses.

    Then we had a light briefingregardingthe mission and discussed things like who would take which role and what the watch-keeping arrangement would be. Adventurers would get into fights in second-hand shops like these Would this be okay? I was worried, but it seemed like they hadpleted a lot of such missions before. They enthusiastically said Leave it to us!

    So, lets go!

    The cargo had been loaded and we left the Fort City of Barga. The three adventurers on horseback passed the gate first while our wagons followed after. Of course, identification papers such as Guild Cards were checked at the gate. I changed back to Schwarz inside the curtained wagon and had my card checked, then switched to Shaft again.

    During the trip, the cat-eared giant and the mouse-face guy would stay at the front of the caravan, with the fox-face taking up the rear. The wagons were driven by Marida Company staff. Malta-san and I sat inside the front wagon. There were two rest stops between Barga and the Royal Capital, with pirs and roofs to shelter from the weather, as well as ces to cook. Today we aimed for the rest stop close to Barga.

    Nothing happened on the first day of our journey. Malta-san and I chatted a lot to entertain ourselves. Of course, I didnt forget to pay attention to our surroundings since I was on a mission.

    That said, what I really paid attention to were two things: In the beginning, under the guise of helping Malta-san on some errands, I had strayed from the main road into the forests and ced some baits to lure monsters like grass wolves* out. I was checking how these baits worked.

    [*T/N: , formerly tranted as ss wolf.]

    Another was to watch for bandits. As the harvest festival for the Emerald Demon Labyrinth was going on, the traffic between the Royal Capital and Barga had increased, with a lot of goods and mana stones being transported. The wagons we were guarding right now also carried arge number of mana stones.

    There werent that many mana air stones. A lot of adventurers who had been working in thebyrinths around Barga were now returning to the Fort City to dump their spoils off to participate in the harvest festivals. Those spoils were what this wagon was currently holding. They were also the target of bandits who had been gathering around here. Knight Orders from the Royal Capital and Barga were also working day-and-night to quell the bandits, but it would note into effect until the middle of the festival. It was just the beginning now, so their work had not been effective yet.

    Simr rest stops were built on each of the main roads between Barga and the Royal Capital, and bandits basically appeared at night to attack these areas. That was their usual pattern. The stops were frequented by merchants and travellers, which made it convenient for bandits to watch and raid.

    I paid special attention for these two types of assants, listening to the sounds of our surroundings while I chatted with Malta san.

    Nothing happened during the first night either, and the threePatrinia Villosatook turns to keep watch.

    On this mission, Marida Company also prepared the meals for us guards. On guard missions, the meals were either prepared by the adventurers themselves or provided by themissioner. Rather than generosity, the Marida Company was probably preparing food for us to test the lunch boxes

    The lunch boxes they gave us were made from small boxes simr to the bamboo baskets that Malta-san and I had selected. Inside were some white bread, meat, and vegetables, sectioned by papers. I checked with Malta-san and was told that the papers had been soaked in wax so the juice from the different dishes wouldnt mingle with each other. He seemed to think of it right after my talk about lunch boxes from my vague recollections. They prepared meals for us this time to also test out these boxes with the waxed paper divisions.

    As for me, as long as I didnt have to eat only jerky, bread, and water, I would be thankful.

    The three members of Patrinia Villosa were also surprised at being able to have proper meals on a guard mission. At first, I was worried about their abilities, but it seemed they didnt lie about havingpleted many such missions before. They took turns to keep watch on the road and at the rest stop without any problems.

    However, our trouble-free moments onlysted for the day.

    On the second day, we left the rest stop near Barga and headed to the stop near the Royal Capital. When we were halfway there with a few more hours to go, I picked up some sounds I had never heard so far. They were horse hooves, probably two. They werenting from our front or rear but from the forest. Due to the distance, I couldnt pinpoint their location, but they seemed to be keeping pace with us.

    Malta, were being followed.

    Really, Schwa- Shaft?

    Two horses, in the forest. Theyve been following us since a short while ago.

    I cant see anything, but probably some bandit scouts.

    Bandit scouts?! I cant see anything at all.

    Yeah, Leader wouldnt miss it if there were any.

    Yeah, probably just some stray horses.

    I couldnt help but change my estimation of these three I asked Malta-san to get the staff prepared to move immediately if something happened tonight. If those were really bandit scouts, they would strike tonight. I didnt know their attacking method and I couldnt be sure that I would be able to respond properly.

    But there were people and things here I had to protect

    The other three adventurers preparation for the bandit attack was nothing different: theythey took turn to keep watch and rest just ast night. I asked Malta-san and the three other staff to gather and rest at one of the wagons. If the attack did happen and things went wrong, they could rush to Capital.

    I activated the TSS, prepared the AS VALs magazines and arge number of shbangs. Since I didnt know how many people they had, it was best to prepare more magazines in advance. I had considered using heavy weapons, but those would decrease the powered suits mobility  this was a technical specification of VMB. So I bargained on the VALs power and muffling property to confuse the enemies.

    It was almost time for the new day toe. I went out to the roof of the stop, watching the surroundings with caution. I listened carefully, and switched my goggles to NV mode. There it was: countless sounds of hooves rushing at us from the forest.

    Theyreing-!

    Even though they hadnt believed in my warning about the scouts, the Patrina Villosa members would still react once they actually saw the banditsing. So I thought, and I raised my voice to alert them about the attack. But their reactions were not as I expected at all.

    Idiot! With such numbers, we wont be able to do anything!

    Thats right! There are 40 of them!

    Lets run away quickly!

    Wha-!?

    What were these guys saying? Of course, there were about 40 bandits on horsebacking from the forest, but more could be seen running after those. There were about 60 in total. The riders had already drawn their swords and were charging in with war cries. Their number was nasty. While we were busy protecting the staff and the wagon, they would have surrounded us

    Malta! Run for the Capital!

    Malta-san had immediately drawn the wagons curtain and looked out with my first warning. He was staring at me wide-eyed.

    Go now! Youre a hindrance!

    I didnt know if he understood or not, but he got back behind the curtain and the wagon took off immediately. The most valuable mana stones were all on that wagon, the other two were loaded with other goods. In the worst case, even if those two wagons were taken, the loss wouldnt be too much. And it would be great if they could stop the bandits from pursuing  I could also withdraw then.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    It was the second night of my mission with Marida Company. The two horses I had noticed during the day were indeed bandit scouts. They had raided us at night, but their number exceeded my expectation. When preparing for the attack, I heard from Malta-san that a gang of bandits would have as many as ten men. I had thought this attack would have about the same number, but in reality, there were forty on horseback. This was followed by twenty more on foot for a total of sixty bandits.

    There werent manyrge scale bandit gangs in Kurtmelga Kingdom. The bigger their number, therger the base they would need for amodation as well as a matching quantity of food. They also needed to feed the horses and such. The number of goods and money needed would swell up considerably. The harvest festival had just begun and it was too early for such a big group to appear now. They wouldnt gain enough spoils from these raids.

    [E/N: I just noticed Hes innocent to the customs of the world, yet he speaks like hes lived here his whole life. What the fuck Author?]

    I had a clear disadvantage and the other three adventurers on this mission had already fled after seeing the bandits numbers. It couldnt be helped  It was the right move to run from such arge gang, but I wouldnt forget their actions. I had told Malta-san and the other staff of thepany to run to the capital on one of the wagons, but with forty bandits on horseback  it was unthinkable that theyd overlook one missing wagon.

    First of all, I needed to make an attack to make them aware that I was still here and that it would not be easy to chase the fleeing wagon. The bandits charged in while shouting war cries. I went to the back of the two remaining wagons, got my AS ready and aimed down the sights at theing riders; my crosshairs on them. They were spread out, but I aimed at the leading horses heads, guiding the crosshairs left to right and squeezing the trigger continuously. The VALs muffling property was excellent, even better than suppressors  they flew through the air nearly soundless. The bullets only opened small holes on the front of the horses heads but wreaked havoc inside. This caused their heads to explode at the riders sitting right behind.

    [E/N: Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot]

    Gyaaa!

    Uhohwa!

    The mounted bandits were more shocked at the brain matter flying at them than the sudden explosion of their horses heads. They fell down one by one together with their horses  who were killed instantly. The bandits seemed to use the campfires at rest stops as targets for theirte night raids with only the moon as a light source. As the leading group suddenly copsed, the followers were caught up and also fell down. But there was just too many of them. I had forced about ten of the leading riders to fall off their horses with my preemptive strike, but the following group split into two in order to avoid them and came at the rest stop from both sides.

    I saw their movements clearly thanks to my NV mode.

    After my attack, the bandits split into three. Two advanced to nk the rest stop and the group that was attacked halted at the back.

    What are you doing, stupid? Dont be careless! Louver, chase after that wagon! Dont let it escape!!

    As I was changing the magazine, my earpads caught a man shouting. It didnt feel right. Shouldnt they aim for the remaining wagons, which were loaded with goods? The group split up again, one group took a roundabout to run past the stop. Should I chase them? No, first I had to crush the two groupsing from the sides.

    I took out an M84 and threw it at the grouping from my right. I aimed carefully and the shbang exploded around the middle of the group. A brilliant sh of light red up the dark night, apanied by a roaring sound. Unable to see or hear, the horses became upset. The riders once again struggled not to fall off. I fired at the left group without checking the effect of the shbang, there was no need too. I knew it was effective by the sound of the explosion. I focused on my fluctuating crosshairs disyed on my goggles instead.

    The left group had moved away when the leading horses had been shot down in order not to be caught up in their fall. There was no meaning in shooting the horses again, so I put the crosshairs on one of the bandits for the first time ever in this battle. Shooting at a living human was a line I had to cross sooner orter if I decided to live in this world as an adventurer.

    It was time to cross that line.

    Taking into ount the horses speed, I shot down the bandits in the left group one by one. I had to stop in the middle to change magazines since there were only twenty bullets in one, but I had managed to kill nine of them. At the same time, the right group was still struggling with the effect of the shbang. Suffering from having their vision and hearing impaired like never before, they couldnt recover yet. I took out a frag grenade from my overcoat and threw it at the right group to blow them up. The M67 Fragmentation grenade was green in color, shaped like a pear. It would explode three seconds after being thrown, causing fatal wounds to those within a 5m radius. The fragments inside could injure and kill those within a 15m radius.

    In VMB, the fragments that flew out of the radius would disappear into light particles. After crushing the two groupsing to surround the rest stop, I changed out my half-empty magazine to ensure I had a full load while watching for their next move.

    Theyre noting?

    The next group didnte for the stop, they joined the foot soldiers and lined up at the front as if to form a shield. It seemed like they were cautious about my long range attacks. In that case

    I activated TSS and summoned the Kawasaki KLR from the garage. I couldnt afford to keep dealing with the bandits here forever. I would chase after the riders that were after Malta-san. I got on the bike, took out two TH3 thermate grenades and threw them at the two remaining wagons. They burst into roaring mes. I twisted the elerator and sped up, going for the mounted bandits.

    I drove at maximum speed. Compared to the first time I had ridden the bike in this world, it was more frightening to ride on a highway lit only by the moonlight and the bikes headlight. But it was just a trivial thingpared to the bandits that were chasing Malta-san. I used one hand to take out the FMG9 while still riding, touched the side lever and with the sound like that of a toy, the gun extended to its full size. It was difficult to control the VAls recoil with one hand.

    So I used the FMG9 which could be controlled with one hand in semi-auto.

    I could see the bandits now and they seemed to be catching up with the wagon. The FMGs effective range was not that long so I needed to get closer to take them down. The bandits riding at the rear seemed to have noticed the sound of my bike and turned around, but they wouldnt be able to attack at such a distance  be it magic or archery. I calmly aimed at them and fired. The gunshot mixed in with the sound of the running wagon and the chasing bandits.

    As the bullets hit their backs, they screamed out in pain and fell from their horses. I overtook the bandits and cut in between them and the wagon. I turned back to check the distance of the wagon then switched the FMG to full auto, gliding the crosshairs over the bandits and rained bullets on them.

    Malta! Its me, Shaft! Stop the wagon!

    It looked like Malta-san had gotten into a trance running from the bandits; he didnt notice me riding along the wagon at all. The staff driving the wagon peeked out from inside the wagon and called Malta-san. They finally noticed me. They seemed surprised at me riding some unknown item alongside them and stared at me with wide eyes. I asked them to stop once more and the wagon gradually slowed down.

    Ah, youre alright. Thats great

    Im alright. Sorry, but I burned the other wagons. I also disabled the horses, so probably there wont any pursuit. Ill also get on the wagon, then lets go to the Royal Capital.

    I see Schwa- Shaft-san No, Shaft-sama, you saved my life not only once, but twice. Thank you.

    Its just my job. Im sorry I couldnt protect the other wagons. Anyway, lets go.

    I put my bike back into the garage and went into the wagon. It was full of bags packed tight with mana stones. The staff looked pale and huddled together. I told them everything was alright now and asked the one to drive the wagon. Then I sat down at the back of the wagon where I could see outside. I told Malta-san that there would be no pursuit, but if the target was not the goods, but rather the Marida staff themselves, the attack wouldnt end here. I peeked outside just in case as we drove to the capital in during the night

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    I joined Malta-san and the rest of the Marida Company staff after I escaped from the bandits attack. We continued onward to the royal capital in the middle of the night with only antern to light our way. In the end, the bandits didnt chase after us. At dawn, we arrived in Kurtmelga, the Royal Capital of the kingdom.

    When we entered the gates, we told the guards about the attack at the rest stop near Kurtmelga. The inquiry and identification process took ce, but I entered the capital as Shaft. I told them that my papers had been left behind together with our other wagons. Entry into the capital was heavily restricted for those who couldnt prove their identities, but under the guarantee of Malta-san, chairman of Marida Company, they issued me temporary identification papers.

    The Maridapany was quite prominent here.

    We glossed over a few details of the attack. Afterward, a group of knights was quickly dispatched towards the rest stop. After the guards finished with their procedures, they released us from the guard station. Smiles returned to the staffs tired faces. A whole night of running while worrying about another attack had worn all our nerves.

    So this is the Royal Capital

    I sat down on the coachmans bench as we drove to the Marida Companys headquarters while I listened to Malta-sans stories about the capital. The Royal Capital was built at the time of the Kingdoms founding, more than five hundred years ago. It sprawled out in a circle with the Royal Castle at the Center. Its walls had been extended multiple times through the years, resulting in the three-fold shape it has today.

    The first district, with the royal castle at the center, was where the nobles lived. Businesses such as stores and the pleasure quarters gathered in the second district. The third district was the ce for ordinary citizens as well as the shops that could not enter the second district. Outside the capitals wall was a vast fertilend, providing food for the 500,000 people living within the capital and its outskirts. In addition, the river running through the capital was a convenient source for water and transportation.

    Wooden buildings weremon in the third district, but the buildings within the second district were mainly stone, like in Barga. Maridapanys HQ was in the second district, but they also had a branch office in the third district. Malta-sans home was inside the head office  where we were currently heading to.

    Shaft-sama, were almost there. How should I introduce you to my family?

    As Shaft, please. Also,ter, I have something I want to discuss with you in private.

    I had not talked with Malta-san about how Marida Company itself was probably the target of the bandit group. The rest of his staff listened to us from behind the curtain, and I had decided to not mention it until everyone had calmed down.

    Here we are. This is the head office of Marida Company.

    The head office was a three-story stone building, simr to the Barga branch, butrger. Part of the first floor also served as the parking lot, so our wagon went straight inside.

    President?! We thought you wont arrive until tonight?

    The office staff appeared and called out to us as soon as we entered. We were scheduled to arrive tonight so it was understandable how they were surprised. Hearing about the attack from Malta-san, the easy mood of the morning reversed suddenly and everyone moved in a hurry. The Barga staff went to the staff lodging at the back of the office. They needed rest after being relieved from the tension ofst night.The unloading was left to the head offices staff. They thanked me with tearful eyes.

    As for me, to put it clearly, the impact of this mission went straight to my heart. I had killed humans, but above all, I was saved by the sincere gratitude from Malta-san and the staff.

    Shaft-sama, weve prepared tea inside. Lets leave things here for the staff; we need some rest too.

    Ah, thank you, but before that

    I summoned the Giftbox through the TSS and light particles gathered, and a box wrapped in shy wrapping paper appeared. The scene attracted the staff and surprised them. I lifted the lid and reached my hand into the ckness inside, pulling out the goods of the wagons that had been left behind. I had burned the wagons with the thermate grenade, literally, but all of their goods had been put into the gift box before the attack.

    All the valuable mana stones that had been on Malta-sans wagon because if something happened to me, the gift box could not be summoned and the goods inside would be lost. To avoid that, mana stones had been loaded onto Malta-sans wagon, and I had kept the food and other less expensive materials. The decision to burn those two wagons had been made on the spot, but Malta-san had chosen which wagons to abandon based on their goods. I had burned the empty wagons to distract the bandits from my retreat and to prevent them from being used as transportation.

    I took sacks and boxes of goods out of the gift box one by one, leaving them to the staff. Then I followed Malt-san to his private quarters deep inside.

    Ah, so tasty

    In Malta-sans room, I sipped the tea a maid had brought over and I was finally able to take a breather.

    This tea is harvested from a selective ntation north of the Capital. From each stem, only the part from the tip to the first two leaves is picked. Its a first-grade tea.

    The color is very deep, but it doesnt carry any bitterness and has a sweet floral scent. Its a wonderful tea.

    Schwarz-sama, you are as well, for knowing this.

    Ah, so tasty

    In my previous world, I used to enjoy the tea of each country I had visited. Sipping tea while admiring their etiquette had also represented the countrys culture. The space to drink, the teacups, and the other tableware. It had been a kind of tranquility to enjoy after being released from the FPS world, a world of constant stress where I had to react just from a sound and only had one chance to aim and fire.

    Once my cup was emptied, I put my mask back on and brought up the topic I wanted to discuss.

    Malta, about the bandit attack. Their target probably wasnt the goods but Marida Company, meaning you yourself.

    I see. Did they say something?

    Only to not let you get away.

    Is that so. Shaft-sama, Im truly sorry about this. Seems like the conflict in the business district here has caught up with us.

    Malta-san told me about the trouble behind the scenes between the traders in the Royal Capital. On the surface, the traders in the second district were a close-knit group -behind the scenes though They sought connections to nobles and influential ns as well as specialized guilds. They also fought violently for control of the business district. It wasnt just a few that also conspired with both the assassin and bandit guilds to steal business as well. They also sought to monopolize goods and markets by getting support from influential families or ns, but Malta-san was sure this attack was rted to these issues.

    And which market was that? It was the Harvest at thebyrinth west of Barga.

    Malta-san was the first to know about the Emerald Demon Labyrinths existence, and he had shown he was capable of moving between the Capital and Barga fast and independently. He had been acquainted with Bargas lord and other influential people as well as providing goods and food for the city. The rice I had eaten in the Labyrinth had alsoe from Malta-san. So, he was able to obtain the priority purchase right to trade goods and mana stonesing from the Emerald Demon Labyrinth before anyone else.

    Therge number of mana stones he had purchased this time had been from that, this priority purchase right was equal to a monopoly in reality. In addition, Malta-san was nning to introduce the lunch boxes during this harvest festival. Adventurers and the Knight Orders would clean up thebyrinth in the opening phase of the harvest festival. After that, there would be no monsters in thebyrinth. Thebyrinth would then be dered safe, and ordinary citizens without permits could also enter.

    Malta-san had his eyes on this chance, nning to sell the boxes to those citizens and workers inside thebyrinth.

    These people didnt carry portable cookware like adventurers, and some didnt even have a utility bag, but they would stille for the air mana stones. In that case, what if they could eat delicious meals inside thebyrinth? Of course, the items used would be cheap to keep the price low, but they would still jump for it. Anyone would get tired of jerky, bread, and water. The longer one stayed inside thebyrinth, the easier one could obtain mana stones  this meant more money to make.

    Moreover, the lunch boxes on sale during the festival would also attract adventurers. After the festival ended, it was easy to see that demand for lunch boxes from adventurers would surge. Creating a new demand would turn the economy around and circte arge amount of money. All by Maridapany alone. The other tradingpanies didnt seem to know about this objective, but it was possible they were targeted simply for the priority purchase right.

    The attack at the rest stop hadnt been by one gang of bandits; they probably were a group of thugs gathered by arge sum of money. This was the hypothesis we had, but what to do from now on? At that time, someone entered the room.

    Father! Is it true that you were attacked?!

    A brown haired girl, who looked like she was not even ten, shouted as she came in.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    Meanwhile in Malta-sans room; we were discussing what was behind the attack and nning countermeasures for any future attack when the door burst open suddenly and a young girl barged in.

    Father! Is it true that you had been attacked?!.

    Minea, we have guests.

    It seemed like the name of the young girl that barged in the room and jumped straight into Malta-san wasMinea; burying her face into his big belly. Her concern for her father was enough for her to not to notice my presence. W-What?! While she was burying her head into

    Her concern towards her father was more than enough to not even notice my presence. W-What?!Mineaslowly turned her head toward me with tear-filled eyes, half her face still buried in her fathers belly. The ballistic mask that covered my whole face except the eyes had an intimidating feel to it and for a young girl who was simply worried sick about her father; it might have been too much to handle at first

    Well, should I take off my mask then? However, having her know my identity as Schwarz and letting her hear the name shaft would be problematic. Both Malta-san and I kept staring at each other while wondering what to do. The appearance of a new character in the room lifted some of the weight off our shoulders and made the situation easier to handle.

    Minea, you should not be troubling your father. Dear, wee home. Would this be Shaft-san? My name isMarida, Maltas wife. Id like to thank you for protecting Malta and the employees.

    Marida, who just entered the room, was a slender woman with long brown hair like her daughter and looked to be in her mid-twenties. She was dressed in a white blouse and blue pants which gave the feeling of work clothes.Mineashair was also brown and long, however, her clothes resembled that of a chiffon dress. Abination of a light blue skirt and a sleeveless dress.

    No, that is going to be this times job. In fact, I deeply apologize. for not being able to protect the other wagons.

    What are you saying Shaft-san?! Something as simple as a wagon is easily reced and the goods for the wagon were already received as well! You managed to protect the most important thing, something that has no recement  our lives!

    Malta, I think its about time you give Shaft-san some rest.

    You can just call meShaft;would you mind if I called youMarida-san?

    Im fine with that, feel free to call meMarida. Shaft-san, it hase to my attention that you have some very good secrets on makingrge amounts of money. During your stay in the Royal Capital, I insist that you think of this residence as your own.

    [EN: Thats either very shitty foreshadowing or thats some crappy dialogue.]

    This times caravan schedule was a two-day stay in the Capital with our departure nned for the third day on the third day to return back to Barga. The n at first was to find a ce to stay while walking around the Capital until I hadpleted my registration at the guild. However, sinceMarida-san insisted that I stay over at their residence, I couldnt just refuse the invitation.

    WithMarida-san included in the conversation, Malta-san and I discussed everyone about the escort from there; and I was going to stay at their home, I was also in charge of keeping the family safe. SinceMineawas still in the room, I refrained from saying anything that could let her know about the chance of being attacked by the group of bandits again  somethingMarida-san seemed to have realized instantly.

    Obviously,MaridasCompany had hired exclusive guards at all times, but their focus was the wagon and the storage so Malta-san himself had no personal guards. In this times escort, it was decided that there would be a trusted and exclusive guard for Malta-san. Until who that person was decided, the person in charge of protecting him would be me.

    Throughout the conversation,Mineasat quietly between the couple while trying to get a nce at me whenever she could. When our eyes met through the ck mask though, shed look away Perhaps she just doesnt like me?

    [EN: She want that Shaft.]

    After breakfast at Malta-sans home and having a small nap in the guest room. Malta-san and I went to the Capitals General Guild. The capitals general guild was considered to be the main headquarters for every single guild, where every guild regardless of their business gathered up. The guild Malta-san and I came for is one of them, more specifically, a mercenary guild.

    Malta-san came here to hire a mercenary to protect him while I hade to register myself as a member. Although being a mercenary guild, their main business was not properly dispatching people to war. Driving wagons, sailing boats, and doing their maintenance was also part of their work. Private protection for merchants and nobles, special units for any problems that involved foreign countries; and shady business.

    [EN: Its nice to know how the MC knows so much about the world but can be surprised at every turn.]

    Registering Shaft as an adventurer while I was registered as Schwarz would be a waste, but if I registered at a crafting guild, I would have nothing to do. Being a hunter was also impossible. I thought about the merchants guild, but being with Malta-san was still more beneficial in many ways I realized. After all that, only the Mercenary guild was left. It was also quite convenient due to this times request for guarding the wagon. So, I ended up registering with the mercenary guild. That was when a small issue came along.

    Practical skill exam?

    Yes, the first thing that is required of a mercenary is fighting ability. Knowledge in other specialties such as medical and other skills are also required. A mercenary that is unable to fight is unable to provide the service to a client. For that reason, we test your skills inbat when you apply. We have an examination hall at the back of the building. Well have you take the test there.

    What would happen in the case that the examiner was to get injured?

    The medical corps would be on standby, therefore, there is nothing to worry about. However, if there is a serious injury that ends up being connected to their death, the capital guards will be called. So be careful.

    So,registration for the mercenary guild isnt a piece of cake What should I do? Avoid using any guns and just take the test with the electromaic baton? Wait, no, what if I were to fail?

    The exam will begin immediately, are you ready?

    Uh Uhm Yes, Im ready.

    The receptionist guided me to the back of the building to a small field which seemed to be used for exercises. Waiting in the center was the person in charge of the examination.

    Is that the guy whos applying for the exam? You checked whats behind that mask, right?

    As they approached each other, the man seemed to check something with the receptionist.

    Hes a certificate holder of theMaridaCompany.

    Maridpany? Are you serious? Theyre the ones in charge of assuring the identity of this mask-wearing weirdo?

    He came along with thepanys chairman.

    Oh, here I was thinking they were the kind ofpany who doesnt want to get their hands dirty. Was there a change in policy?

    Theres no way I would know anything about that, just get going with the exam, please.

    I measured the examiners physical appearance as I listened to their conversation from a small distance away. If it was just an easy practical skill exam, the baton would do it, but if the presence I feel from this is simr to Marinda-san,Ruu-san, andLinel; This man is probably really strong.

    Hey, sorry to keep you waiting. Im Siegfried, former A ran adventurer, and currently a member of the Mercenary Guild.

    Im Shaft.

    A Former A-ranker Not an opponent I can beat if I make a few mistakes. Siegfried was a man in his thirties with saggy eyes and short brushed back brown hair. The guild personnel had a clean look to them, but this man had an unpleasant look with an overgrown beard, sloppy t-shirt and pants  a rough appearance.

    You dont need to win against me. I just want to make sure you have good skills. If you get hurt, theres a guild member over there who will cast healing magic on you, so dont worry. Feel free toe at me when you want, no need to hold back!

    As Siegfried said that, he held a wooden stick and the exam began. I took my electromaic baton off my waist with my left hand, lightly swung it, and it expanded. After seeing a stick about 30cm in length expand to double its size, Siegfrieds face was that of someone who was admiring an interesting toy.

    The distance between Siegfried and I was about 10m. We walked towards each other, reducing the distance; the other side seemedpletely defenseless at first nce, but I was careful to check for any movement without letting any detail escape me. Ready to react to any sudden movement.

    The moment the distance between us reached 5m, I advanced towards him with a slid-jump. With the momentum, I swung the baton at him. With the tip of the wooden sword pointed down, Siegfried stopped my swing with the grip of the sword. Despite him countering my attack, my swing was boosted by the power suit which surpassed any ordinary mans strength, even stronger due to the momentum and overpowered him.

    Woah!

    Feeling pressured by me, Siegfried jumped backward and put some distance between us. I put my right hand in my overcoat and took out the Five-seveNand immediately ced the crosshair on Siegfrieds right knee and pulled the trigger twice. With resonating gunshots, the receptionist reacted by shaking her shoulders, but I kept my pistol tight and pointed the crosshair to his head.

    Was this enough to prove myself?

    HaHaha, what is that? Magic attacks? I didnt hear any chants thought

    Shall we stop with the unnecessary questioning?

    [EN:OOoothe sudden change in personalities. Yay.]

    Siegfried kneeled down with both hands holding his right knee tight and drenched in blood.

    Okay then, you pass. Hey! I need some treatmenthere;I cant stand this pain anymore!

    Y..Yes sir.

    Upon hearing his call, afemalemember of the guild rushed towards him and began to chant healing magic on him. I put the pistol back in its holster and started walking towards the receptionist.

    Seems like I passed, hand over the guild card please.

    Right away!

    I returned to back to the reception hall of the guild along with the receptionist. Todays objective had beenpleted the moment I got my guild card. Malta-san was waiting for me over at the meeting ce.Soit seemed like he was also done with his request. As of that, we had no more business with the general guild and returned toMaridaCompany office.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    Hey, just letting myself in. Siegfried announced.

    Oh, Siegfried-san. Quite rare to see you here. Is there anything I can do for you? A guard responded.

    After I passed the neer exam for the mercenary guild, I came to the Royal Guard post.

    Yesterday, the Knight Order left as soon as they heard about the attack on Marida Companys caravan at one of the western rest stops? I didnt hear anything about that happening. Siegfried replied.

    Please hold on for just a bit, Ill bring you the report book. The guard said.

    The guard who was on standby at the post went further inside to get the book. The reason why I came here was to get information regarding the guy in the ck mask that the saidpany brought. A former A-Ranker like me to be immobilized by him in an instant despite the fact Ive been retired for so long. Theres no way someone with such power is not well known.

    However, there wasnt anything to check at the General Guild; Not even tax records. All the information that was avable was the payment collection from when the Marida Company registered at the guild.

    Sorry to keep you waiting. Heres the report book. The guard said as he came back.

    Ah, thanks. Let me take a look at it.

    What is this Seven dead bodies. All of which seemed to be from the bandits. They were all had multiple stab wounds on their back, head, and chest. All were found on the main road to the western rest stop. Eight bandits and horses who were victims of what looked like fire magic in the camp surroundings. Nine others found in different ces with severe head injuries.

    Lastly, slightly far from the rest camp were eight horses with no heads

    [E/N: LOL You sound like one of those directors who think small calibers can mutte a body.]

    The bodies had no identification and everything pointed toward them being apart of a bigger criminal group. However, there was nothing found to prove it and none of their faces corresponded to any wanted posters. Since many of the corpses had suffered great damage to their heads, there was no real way to confirm either. There was no damage done to the camp itself, just two burnt wagons No sign of any remaining bandits in the area.

    The merchant group had four guards, three of which fled as soon as the attack happened; none to be seen afterward Which meant the person behind the damage was the guy in the ck mask?

    The Marida Company got their hands on quite an interesting guy. This meant they could now both attack and defend themselves from any conflict rted to the dark side of the capital.

    I returned the book to the guard and returned to the Mercenary Guild. I couldnt help but feel that if the capital became chaotic, that man would be the reason.

    I returned the report book to the guard and left the post for the Mercenary Guild. I couldnt help but feel that the capital be chaotic  that man would be the reason.

    Upon returning to Marida Company with Malta-san, apanied by Marida-san; I went to receive the reward for the mission, which was a hundred bentos.

    Shaft-san, here are the rice and bread meals you asked for. Fifty of each with a good bnce of deep-fried and steamed food as a side dish.  Marida-san said. Along with some vegetables, the total value of each meal should be slightly above the value evening meal at a restaurant.

    Much appreciated. I was told this basket would be retrievedter on, I suppose it will be reused? I said.

    Thats right, in order to reduce the price of each meal, were still not prepared to keep producing such big baskets inrge quantities. Were also thinking about using them for the harvest festival. Marida-san confirmed.

    I activated my TSS while I chatted and summoned the gift box. Marida-san, who had just seen my sh summon for the first time, stared at it with a fascinated look as light particles converged.

    So, thats Shaft-sans toolbox. Its appearance is quite a marvelous sight. Marida-sanmented.

    Should I only take my part of the meals for today? I asked.

    Yes, the rest of the meals carried by thepanys party will be ready before the day of departure. Marida-san said.

    Two wagons were lost in the bandit attack so we ended up with only one wagon left to return to Fort Barga. The n was for me and the other three wagons to split the cargo in between us to carry, but the n changed to me carrying it all. There was the option to use the wagons from the headquarters, though if we got attacked again in route to Barga; itd be problematic. If we took only one, it would also mean the number of targets to protect would be less. This included thepanys exclusive guards we settled to head towards Barga.

    I had also thought to take a carriage for myself, but entering Barga with a carriage was something I wanted to avoid. Even if I were to hop off before I reached Barga, if I told them I walked all the way from the Royal Capital would be too weird, so I gave up on that idea.

    After I had checked nearly everything in regards to the parts escort back, a maid from Malta-sans residence brought tea.

    Sir; Madam, its about time I leave to get the Youngdy. The maid reported.

    Ah, yes. Thank you. Please dont forget to take along guards as an escort. Malta-san said.

    Yes sir, I shall take my leave then. The maid said.

    The couples daughter, Minea, seemed to have been attending the primary Royal Sorcery Academy. Only nine years old, yet shes already learning and earning experience in the field of magic, along with general education and etiquette. The Primary Academy was for children from royalty and influential merchants while the secondary was for children who belonged to the lower social statuses.

    Attendance seemed optional though it seemed most families that could afford to send their children did so. Even students that attended the second academy could be offered a schrship to attend to the primary academy; grant that they have permission and help from their guardian.

    In this world, magic was extremely important. Therefore it was understandable that people would try to have descendants with higher magical ability. After I listened to the academys story, I even wanted to pay it a visit.It wont happen today since the maid had already gone to pick up Minea, but I might just tag along tomorrow.

    However, that night, Minea never came home.

    Any leads on her whereabouts? Malta-san said

    No, she was seen on a carriage leaving the first district Academy, but there was no confirmation about them reaching the second district.  A guard from the search party replied.

    Which meant something happened as soon as they left the academy.  Malta-san said.

    Minea would normally be home before evening, but she was still not home. Three hours has already past and there was no sight of the maid or the guards so something bad must have happened. The couple asked thepanys guards if there was any progress with the search, but there was nothing. Time-wise, it would make sense the kidnapping had been done by the bandits or theirrades; however, there had been no demands sent to us or thepany.

    Two more houses had passed and the sun had set a long time ago. In the vicinity, there was the only amount of dim light generated by magic tools. I stood on top of thepanys roof with crossed arms. I concentrated heavily on the blinking spots on the map and at the same time, tried to pick up any odd sounds with my headset. I was absolutely sure theyd send someone to convey their demands, but I wasnt going to let him run away.

    Another two hours passed and nothing happened. Thepany guards in charge of the search had since returned with no changes in the situation. A group of Capital guards came to assist in the missing group and a maid plus a few guards left with them. Due to how long the bandits had prolonged the situation, there was a chance it had not been a kidnapping case so Malta-san immediately reported this possiblity to the guards. They also did not have any information.

    Another hour passed and the surrounding lights disappeared, the day came to an end. In the quietness of the night, a tomorrow; that was when I heard something that tried to approach stealthily.

    The rhythm was steady and hardly noticeable, but it was the sound of footsteps. The sound stopped in the shadow of thepany building, about a hundred meters from here. I heard the sound of a bow drawn followed by the sound of air being cut by an arrow which prated the wooden door of Marida Company. An arrow with a letter wrapped around it, quite an old way to contact someone. Atst, what I wanted was here and he could not escape my sights.

    I switched the ballistic masks mode to NV mode, jumped to the next roof to follow the suspect without thinking of the possibility of the kidnapper noticing. Even more so due to my pursuit via the roofs. After he distanced himself from thepany, the kidnapper no longer hid his presence and started to run past the second districts area.

    Eventually, he turned a corner of a remarkablyrge building and headed towards the back. He ended the building after he carefully checked for unwanted followers.

    So, this is the ce I said.

    It was a building simr to Maridas Company. Just as expected, it was due to the business conflict. A three-story building made from stone with a billboard that hung on the first floor. Yagorche Company was written on it. I stood on top of the building and I heard a conversation that came from within it.

    Did you deliver the letter? Someone said.

    Yes, I left it at thepanys door. The suspect said.

    Alright, good job. Move away. Hey! Hows the girl and the others? the mysterious person said

    Stripped them of everything they had so they couldnt escape and threw them into the presidents dungeon. another person said.

    So theyre inside the dungeon By his tone, I assumed he was thepanys president. No, wait I remember this voice from somewhere From the bandit group. He was the leader of the group that attacked us. Which meant that the building at the back was the presidents residence. Despite it at a time when the capital was asleep in silence. These men heldnterns and went about on rounds as they guarded the building I was standing on.

    [E/N: Angry ninja noises.]

    I left without having read the contents of the letter to follow the suspect. If the letter was a demand to immediately destroy the priority buyer documents for the festival. I would have to stop that from ever happening, no matter what. With just a few moments of hesitation, I decided that I had to save them right away for the best of it. Even if the priority buyer documents for the festival was lost, what was truly important for the couple was their daughter and their staff. Id have to rescue them as fast as possible

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

    I set Mineas and the others rescue as the highest priority and immediately took action. I dropped down to the floor from the roof. I hid in the shadows and headed towards the residence. I took it slow, looked around; Careful to listen to my surroundings. The target was three stories tall, colored white. The front of the building had a line of windows on each level, but only a few were lit.

    I went around to the rear of the residence, away from the lit rooms so I wouldnt be seen. I ran swiftly up the wall to the roof. ording to the assants conversation, Mina and the others were locked up in the dungeon within the residence. However, all the windows on the ground floor were guarded with metal bars. Without proper preparation, I wasnt confident in my ability to get through them.

    I chose a nting vertical window on the roof as my entry point. The windows frame appeared to be made from wood. I took a quick look to be sure no one was watching me from the Companys building across from me before I made my entry. I applied pressure to the windows lock after that. With the help of the power suit, I broke the lock. With no knowledge about lockpicking, I could only break it apart.

    I entered the room below, which appeared to be a storage room. I was ready for someone toe check out the sound, but no one came. It seemed I had sessfully broken in.

    I activated the TSS and disyed the map to check my position. With its capability to disy anything within a radius of 150 meters, I was able to instantly see the third floorsyout.

    Once I found the staircase that led to the floor below on the map, I brandished my Five-seveN along with the silencer. I attached the silencer to the pistol and then pulled out my electro-baton from my waist; extending it. I kept the batons strike surface faced up in my left hand while I kept the sidearm in my right. This was so it wouldnt affect my uracy.

    [E/N: Chuuuuunnniiiiiii.]

    The hallway had no lights on so it seemed like the floor was not used on a daily basis. Without making noises as best I could, I continued through the hallway until I reached the stairwell.

    I left the room into an unlit hallway. It seemed like the floor was not used on a daily basis. With as little noise as possible, I continued down the hallway until I reached the staircase. I peeked into it down to the second floor and it was lit. I held my breath to check for any noise. I could hear a vague conversation. If the conversation was being held in the same building, but it was hard to hear; it must have been in a soundproof room.

    I went back down the hall on the third floor to the spot above said room.

    Mr. President, it seems like Marida Company has received the message. Someone said.

    Good to hear. By tomorrow, the Priority buyer papers for the festival will be mine. Yagorches president said.

    Congrattions, Sir. By achieving this, your status will grow for sure. The person said again.

    Did Runold head there already? Thepany president asked.

    Group leader Runold left thepany not long ago, saying something about bringing back the ticket and Maltas head back by Dawn. The person replied.

    Good, good. As for the girls, sell them to Venehlls brothel. Thepany president said.

    Yes sir. The person said.

    The conversation ended there. I heard the man leave the room and head elsewhere. Yagorches president seemed to stay in the room. Maybe it was his officer or bedroom? The sound of ss could be heard from within. He may be drinking something.

    Enjoy drowning in your dream. Ill crush everything here and now.

    [E/N: Soooo chunnniiii.]

    I moved once again and headed down the stairs as I checked the map. With a slight sound, the rooms with people began to light up. There was a weird expression I heard during the conversation about Minea and the rest. He had told the person to take the girls. The maid was a youngdy, but the guards were male. There might be more women involved in this event

    It seemed like I ended up with extra work. However, once I heard they would be sold to a brothel, I just could keep myself from helping them too. The stairs that led to the next floor was separated from the previous stairs and at another spot on the floor. I carefully advanced through the hallway as I checked each room for signs of people inside.

    [E/N:............. Dont ask. I just edit.]

    I saw the stairs, but there were two guards by it. What should I do Killing them would be easy, but any patrol would notice something was wrong if they didnt see them. Until I could find the girls, I wanted to avoid a fight. The stairs were by the front door to the residence. Any sound there would definitely reach their ears. As long as I didnt step on the ground of the first floor, it would not map it so I had no idea where the entrance to the dungeon was

    I stopped halfway down the stairs. With my pistol in hand, I pointed it towards a candle stand further down the hallway. I shot the stand at 20 meters. The candle was 5cms in diameter. The candle broke and fell to the floor.

    [E/N: Look, man, Im trying.]

    Hey, what was that sound right now? One of the guards said.

    Look at that, the candle stand broke! Go and get water fast before it starts a fire! The other guard said.

    The two guards standing by the staircase panicked and went to put out the mes that were beginning to emerge.

    The two guards standing before the staircase panicked and went to put out the mes that were emerging. I went down the rest of the way down onto the first floor where the guards had been previously. Now I could map the first floor. I looked for the stairs that lead to the dungeon and found a hidden room in the furthermost room from me. After I checked the rooms one by one, I found a small one with the staircase icon.

    Luckily, the room was located in a different direction of where the guards headed. I silently avoided the guards and advanced towards the room. I reached the room beside the room, which was a hidden room; however, I heard what sounded to be a guard moving around on the inside. Its just one though. Compared to all the trouble I had to go through to reach here, it was nothing.

    I turned the doorknob slowly, not to make noise. It wasnt locked. I held my pistol in my right hand, burst through the door with my left hand on the door. The guard inside noticed me but I dropped him with two shots to the chest. The guard had been sitting on the chair drinking something. Now heid on the floor along with the chair and did not move a muscle. I kept the crosshairs on him as I approached and looked over him.

    No problems at all.

    I rxed my stance, closed the door, and searched for the path that led to the hidden room. As I thought, the door that led to the hidden room was not shown on the map. I searched the wall where the door should be; left to right.

    Then I found it.

    I checked the bookshelf and found a ring that hung to the wall behind the books. I pulled on the ring and the wall slid horizontally and opened a path into the hidden room. The hidden room was built with stone bricks. There was nowhere to go back down the stairs inside. Down it, two voices could be heard.

    Ugh Im so bored Someone said.

    Just shut up. Whatints can you have about this job? You just sit there and drink. Someone else retorted.

    I mean, we have naked women in front of our eyes and we cant even touch them. Id rather be stuck inside with them The bord manined.

    You better not touch them. Theyre going to be sold to a high-quality brothel. If you screw this up, Runold will tear you apart for sure.

    I snuck down the stairs.

    Huh? Is it already time for a shift change Wait, who are you?

    Never saw this guys face, a guard from Yargorches?

    I didnt bother hiding and stood there boldly in front of them. I finally mapped the dungeon. Its makeup was one room for the guards and three cells deeper in past them.

    I ignored the guards who were attempting to figure out who I was and looked for the keys to open the cells.

    Are those the keys for the cells? I asked.

    I pointed at the three keys that hang on the wall and asked the guards.

    Y-Yeah, thats right. Youre taking them upstairs? The guard asked.

    Yeah, I am. I said.

    Ohe on! I wanted to drink some more of their breast milk! One of the guardsined.

    Aghh, Im done with this. I couldnt stand it anymore.

    I aimed at the guard who sat in the chair in front of me, drew the full power of the power suit, and smashed his face in with a roundhouse kick. Ive never done something like that in my previous world, however, my current body acted on the actions I pictured in my mind. I was thankful I had this body now from the bottom of my heart.

    [E/N: No, son, you have a suit that does it for you.]

    The guard was kicked into the wall along with the chair which exploded and he didnt move afterward.

    Hey! Whats go-! I didnt let him finish his sentence.

    I shot him in the face then emptied the entire magazine into him. I changed the magazine and headed into the next area with the cells. The first cell had two female humans, teenagers perhaps? Aside from their panties, they were naked. Startled by my presence, they covered their breasts with their hands as they pushed further into the cell.

    I proceeded to check the next cell. Inside were two demi-humans who appeared to be in their twenties. They were in the same state as the other two girls, but they didnt slink away in fear. They didnt cover their breasts like the others and stared back with fierce-looking eyes. They appeared to be twins with only two different hair colors.

    I approached the third cell and looked inside.

    Shaft-sama! The maid called out.

    The moment she saw me, the maid from Maridas residence called out. Minea was inside the cell as well. They both were in the same state as the others. Embraced inbetween the maids breasts was Minea who hid from me. Upon hearing her the maids voice, she slowly turned her head as tears came.

    I opened the jail cell and went inside.

    Are you guys okay? Where are the guards that were with you? I asked.

    Shaft-sama, how did you manage to get in here As soon as we were attacked.. the guards The maids voice trailed off.

    I see Umm I said.

    My name is Meltia. The maid said politely.

    [E/N: You really like M.]

    Okay, Meltia, can you walk with Minea? I asked her.

    Yes, I can She replied.

    Meltia was a normal human in her mid-twenties. Her air had been tied back at the residence, but now it was unfurled. She must have had her hair clip taken off when she was put in here. With Minea holding tight to her, she seemed to have stopped crying. She still shook with fear, but it was also mid-November so she must have been cold.

    It might turn into particles like when I gave Ashley-san my pistol, but I took my jacket off and covered Mineas shoulder with it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the hand grenade and FMG9 disappeared from inside the coat. It seemed only weapons were affected. Its fine as long as the coat didnt disappear.

    I activated the TSS, summoned 4 more magazines for my pistol and AS-VAL, which entered the pockets of the german suit I was wearing.

    Lets go. Try and keep Minea from seeing the surroundings as much as possible. I dont want her nightmare to be any worst than it is. I told Meltia.

    Meltia looked me in the eyes and nodded.

    Are you guys alsoing? It seems like they want to sell you all to a brothel if you donte. Well, you can always wait for another chance to escape, but Im not sure there will be one. I directed the question for the rest of the girls.

    Who are you? Were not interest in being taken away to an assassin guild or anything of those sorts. One of the beast girls said.

    My name is Shaft, a guard for Maridas Company. Were leaving this ce and heading back there. I replied.

    Maridaspany? I dont really think they would hire a suspicious-looking guy like you there The beast girl retorted.

    If you cant trust me then Im okay with that, what about you girls? I turned to the human girls.

    Will you really save us? They asked.

    Ill take us out of here and bring you to thepany, after that I dont know what will happen I replied.

    Were happy with just that, please take us along! They said.

    These two were more than willing toe along, now what about the beast girls? I gave them another nce.

    Please take us along with you as well, I beg of you! The other beast-woman said.

    Older sister! Do you really believe this ck-masked guy?! The doubtful one asked.

    Staying here and waiting is just going to lead to our death anyway! The older sister said.

    Seems like we came to an agreement then. I said.

    I opened both their cells and let them out. With this, the part came to 6 people, but there shouldnt be any problem.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

    Once we all reached an agreement to travel together, Alm, the blond-haired twin came to speak with me on the stairwell.

    Im sorry, but could you please wait? Id like to get a weapon from one of the guards. Alm asked.

    Can you use one? I asked.

    Even though we may not look it, were both B-Rank adventurers. Im a swordswoman and my sister is a spearwoman.

    B-Rank? Youre that high, yet both of you ended up here? I asked.

    One of the guys in the group that attacked us is a former A-Rank adventurer. We lost to him and had these put on us. The other sister said.

    She pointed to her neck where a cor was wrapped around. I looked to Alm and she also had the same cor.

    Is that cor some sort of magical essory? I asked.

    You dont know it? This is a magic disturbance ring used for arrests, once you have this put around your neck you cant control your magic properly, therefore not being able to use skills or magic at all Alms said

    We cant use skills but that doesnt mean we cant touch weapons. Well take care of protecting ourselves The other said.

    I see. I looked to everyone else, but they didnt have any cors around their neck. They must have thought it was unnecessary.

    Cant you take the cor off? I asked.

    They cant be taken off unless the person who cast the spell releases it or without the proper magic releasing tools that the guards have, The Twins said

    They exined how to get rid of the cors as they took a sword and spear from the guard room. They swung them around to get a feel for them.

    Alright if theres no problem with those we should get going before the patrolling guardse. I said.

    Without waiting for their reply, I headed up towards the first floor. However, the twins had no intention of hiding their breasts. Are they not embarrassed at all? I couldnt keep myself from thinking about such trivial matters as I went up the stairs to check the situation.

    [E/N: You might be an incel if youre thinking about tits in a life or death situation.]

    We went through the hidden room and into the next, and so far, nothing indicated that weve been seen. In regards to our escape from here, there seemed to be a back door into the residences kitchen ording to the map. The n was to go outside form there, then head to the other side of the property.

    However, the kitchen was located on the opposite side of the entry hall. There must be guards by the stairs we passed by earlier. Taking them out would make it easier and faster to move onward.

    While I nned our next move, I pulled the curtains down from the window of the room the guardroom beside the hidden room. I then gave them to Amy and Prisce first, since the others appeared to have no shame being nude. The two blushed as they thanked me.

    [E/N: Werent you just going fem-nazi most of the story, but that stops at them being fine being nude?

    *OG Sentence >since the other two felt no shame at all for beingpletely naked<]

    Alright, lets move into the hallway. Keep your voices down! I said. Were heading to the kitchen on the other end of the building. Were going to use the backdoor there to go out. Were going to form a line. Meltia, get right behind me; Amy and Prisce, take the middle; Alm and Shelvara, stay in the back and lets go!

    I opened the door and no one was in the hall. I could confirm with my map and hearing, however, we should stay vignt. We silently headed towards the entry hall. There were also curtains in the hallway windows, but those were visible. If we took them, it may attract attention. Id have to wait to get some makeshift clothing for Alm and Shelvara. They didnt seem to mind anyway.

    From where we stood, the entry hall was visible. There was no light where we were, thus no one could see us. I checked the hall and, as I thought, there were two guards standing in front of the stairs. Holding my pistol, I lined up the iron sights with my crosshairs with the guards heads I could hear Mineas shocked gasp  I guess Ill hit somewhere else. I lowered it to their chest and double-tapped each guard.

    Both of the guards died without a chance to scream before they fell to the floor. I kept my pistol at the ready, the sound of their bodies falling could have alerted the other guards.

    We waited in shadows, expecting someone toe, but no one did. I couldnt even hear anything suspicious. We were safe for now. I turned my head to tell them to move, but I saw Minea being held tight by Meltia; Staring at me. Her face seemed flushed Could it be that she caught a cold?I ced my baton on the floor and gentled patted her head once again.

    Lets get going. We need to step up the pace. Also, dont look at the two on the floor. I said

    The message was passed to the rest behind me and we crossed the halls lobby. Just to be safe, I checked the bodies, and they were indeed dead. The had been hit in vital spots. The group turned their faces to avoid looking at the dead and stuck close to my behind. Alm didnt stop either, but she appeared interested in my method of attack since she kept staring at their wounds.

    From there, it was rtively easy. With the map and keeping an ear out, I knew there was no one around. We entered the kitchen, left through the backdoor and escaped Yagorches residence. We couldnt take the main street, so we took a side street.

    After that, it was rtively easy. ording to the map and after checking my sound sensor, there were no signs of people around. Upon entering the kitchen, we promptly opened the back door and sessfully escaped Yagorches residence.

    So, what do we do from here? Shelvara asked

    She had taken a table cloth to cover her body. I had already thought about that though. There was still quite a way from Marida Company, not to mention, we couldnt proceed with the girls looking like that in this weather. I essed the garage on my TSS and summoned the Dorchester.

    Wha, what is this thing!? Prisce raised her voice as the light particles converged and the vehicle appeared.

    No questions I replied.

    I opened its rear door and had everyone go inside. With only five rear seats, one had to sit in the front passenger seat. I gave Minea a few pieces of cloth to cover herself from my camping bag as well. I had everyone take a seat and warned them not to get up, no matter what. I then got into the drivers seat, started the engine with that start button, and stepped on the elerator.

    Alright, time to get out of here. Well be in Maridaspany in no time, just a bit more patience I said.

    With the deep growl of the engine and two beams of light, we drove through the sleeping capital. The roads were rtively t so the vehicle didnt shake as much as I thought it would. The five girls in the back clung to the side window, looking at the outside while they spoke to each other. Good grief Its not like they can see anything in the dark roads anyways.

    Alm, who sat in the seat next to me, keptining about the seatbelt. She tried to unfasten it so she could see more of the outside. I ignored her though. It didnt take long for us to arrive at Marida Company. I drove into their parking area on the first floor, the sound of the engine alerted the guards, and they surrounded the truck. When they say Minea and Melti exit the rear, they all shouted in joy.

    Once the girls exited the truck, I found a nearby female employee

    Is Malta-san here? I asked.

    Im afraid not, he left just a few moments ago She replied.

    Do you know where he was heading to? I asked

    He headed to the Capitals western section of the second district, where thepany storage is at She said

    Understood. Ill retrieve Malta-san. Meanwhile, ask Mirda-san to take care of the other girls. Im sure theyll exin the whole situation.  I turned to the guards. Also, guards, listen up! While I brought back the girls, I was still toote to save their guards. From this moment onwards, until I get back, increase both thepany and residences defenses. This isnt over, get help from the Royal Guards too. Meltia, Ill leave the details to you.

    Things should be alright here, for now. As for Malta-san, I needed to make sure I reached him before its toote. I returned the Dorchester to the garage and summoned the Kawasaki KLR 250-D8. Ready to meet up with Malta-san, I mounted the bike and started it.

    Shaft-sama! Tha.. thank you so much! Minea said.

    They must of noticed I was leaving and the rest of the girls thanked me. However, the situation was not over yet.

    Hurry up and get inside before you catch a cold. That and make sure you put Marida-san at ease by showing her youre safe. The rest of you girls too, as long as youre here you will be safe. Go inside and have some hot soup and rest for today I said.

    Leaving those words, I turned the elerator and let to the west.

    Upon reading the letter left struck to my door, I immediately prioritized my daughters life over that piece of paper. The kidnappers request was simple.

    Come to the second districts warehouse #13 alone, along with the Priority Buyers Certificate. We will trade your daughters life for it. The paper read.

    Just over this piece of paper, they took my daughter and Minea is most likely fearing for her life. I wanted to talk to Schwarz-san, but he hadnt returned yet. Where the heck could he have gone in this situation?! No, I cant think of him this way. He had already saved me two times already. From now on, Ill do what a father should do.

    Tears were falling from Maridas eyes when she read the letter.

    I spoke to her about the situation before I headed to the warehouse by carriage. The capital dark, I had to rely on the moonlight and amp that hung on the carriage to find my way to the location. Warehouse #13, if Im not mistaken, this was where the president of apany got robbed and had to close down their business.

    I stopped in front of the warehouse. No light was inside, and there was nothing being stored inside. Justplete empty space.

    Im Malta from Maridaspany! I brought the certificate, where is Minea! I called out

    Very well done heh, Maridas Mr. President Someone replied.

    A light within the warehouse appeared, illuminating the surroundings. Inside was most likely the men who were responsible for all of this.

    Wheres Minea! I asked again.

    First hand over the certificate, as soon as we confirm it is genuine youll get your daughter back The person replied.

    A man stood in the center ordered someone else toe and take the document. I kept looking around, but there were no signs of my daughter Could this be a trap? Even if thats the case, this is the only way to get Minea back.

    Hey fe, hand me the certificate. the mansckey said.

    He extended his hand out. Should I really do this? Will they even give back my daughter? After I dealt with my inner turmoil, I handed the man the document. I extended my hand out to hand it over, but The man was no longer there

    Huh?  AHHHH IT HURTS! Someone cried out.

    I seemed like I got there on time.

    My hand! My hand got AHHH The man screamed.

    I found the warehouse quick when I found the street. On such a peaceful night, the danger made the horse noisy, thus, alerting me to its masters danger.

    It wasnt hard at all to find this warehouse as soon as I entered the warehouse street. During such a peaceful night, all the noise gave away a sense of danger to the horse from the carriage and headed towards me in order to alert the masters danger.

    The near soundless 939 bullets shredded his arm and sent it flying.

    Malta, return to thepany. Ill take care of the rest here I called out to Malta.

    Shaft-san! But what about Minea? He asked

    Dont worry. Minea and the rest are already at the residence. I didnt make it in time to save the 3 guards but both Minea and Meltia are fine. That and 4 more girls as a bonus I said.

    [E/N: That sounded dirty.]

    Are you serious? Malta-san asked.

    Yeah, just hurry back and let them know youre safe. I said.

    Hey, hey! What makes this ck-masked guy think hes in charge? Someone asked.

    The man waiting for the document had an annoying smirk, now looked really mad, once I filled Malta in on what happened.

    That ck mask Youre the bastard who killed the people I hired, right? He asked

    So youre Runold? I asked back.

    Thats right thats me, the great Runold, leader of the Onibasu bandit group! He announced.

    Onibasu? As in the aquatic nt of those round shaped leaves that float on the ponds?

    Runold was a beast-man that resembled a lion with brown hair. Behind him, a yellow and brown spotted tail swayed. He showed off his built body as he raised his hands and flexed his chest muscles. His body swelled and ws came out of the back of each of his gauntlets to about 30cm.

    Runold Runold the Lion w! Shaft-san, hes a former A-Rank adventurer, leader of a bandit group who once went wild on the northern part of the capital and caused a lot of damage! Malta-san said.

    Malta, hurry up and get moving I said.

    But! Malta tried to protest.

    Hah, you really think you can outrun me! Runold yelled.

    Go now! Ill be fine and put an end to all of this by tonight, also I dont n on letting him escape anywhere from here I said.

    Understood. Ill be waiting for your return at thepany Malta said.

    Malta finally left the warehouse and I pointed my weapon at Runold. Runold seemed to have detected the danger of what I pointed at him, both of us ready reaction to any sudden movements.

    The injured mans screams echoed through the empty warehouse, and the steps of Runoldsckeys backing away.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

    Meanwhile, a confrontation was taking ce between Runolodo the Lion w and I on Warehouse street of the Royal capital. He boosted his well-built body with enhancement magic and extended five 30cm long ws from both his gauntlets.

    Get ready for whatsing, ck mask! He said.

    He unleashed a powerful shout as a show of superiority and charged.

    Too slow! I avoided his attack by sliding and jumping to his right. Midair, I turned towards him, trying to get an angle on him. As soon as I had my crosshairs on him, I pulled the AS-VALs trigger, three shots; and quickly jumped further away after Inded. I stayed on the move to stay behind him and to get shots in. Runoldo picked up the severed arm of the man I had shot before and used it as a shield to protect himself.

    [E/N: Your fight antics are like a five-year-old pretend fight.]

    So this is your magic ability, ck mask. He said. Its nearly impossible to see it activating. However, as long as I pay attention to that short cane, it is not impressive at all, hah!

    This guy. It only took him only a few minutes to understand the basics of a gun. However, I was already expecting to encounter monsters that would be able to.

    Lets see if you can really dodge everything.

    I flipped the selector switch to semi-auto from fully automatic. I aimed for his torso and pulled the trigger once. He immediately jumped to his right when he saw the muzzle sh and avoided the shot, but I kept him within my sights the entire time; following his every move. The moment hended, I pulled the trigger again.

    [TL/N->E: I swear this is how it was written, the author is obsessed with jumps to the right]

    [E/N -TL:<< Youtube Link >>]

    What?!

    Runoldo instantly raised his left hand to protect his chest. He avoided getting hit in his vitals, but the bullet pierced his gauntlet and found his flesh, wounding him. He was surprised to be hit. He suppressed his feelings and went on the attack, abandoning his defense as he tried to close the distance.

    I wasnt interested in a CQB battle and jumped back to create arge gap between us. But he expected that and smiled wickedly at me.

    Lion w Rend!

    The moment I was off my feet, he swung his right w and shouted. Could this be a skill?

    [E/N: No, this is Patrick.]

    A bright light suddenly shed from him and the light turned into a de that flew toward me. I held my rifle in my left hand while I faced the skill, pressed a button, and instantly deployed the CB, and shed with the light.

    [T/N  CBS = Circle Barrier Shield]

    Because we impacted midair, I was flung back further than I intended, but the CBS prevented any more iing damage. Inded on the warehouses floor with a slide before I stood on my knees. I got my rifle back into position on Runoldos face as heughed.

    With him lined up in my crosshairs, the long-distance mode began its activation. I pulled the trigger without waiting for it to finish, and from afar, I could see his eyes go wide. Could it have been an instant evasive move? Runoldo slightly leaned his body to the left just in time, the bullet barely missing him, however, that was just the first bullet. I chased him with my crosshairs and pulled the trigger again.

    [E/N: You know, just pumping him with lead would have worked, you know that right? ]

    As he just dodged the first bullet, he couldnt react fast enough to dodge the next one. Upon impact, the right side of his face was blown away and I didnt stop there. Reacting from the impact, his body turned enough to give a clear sight of the back of his jaw. I aimed at it carefully and pulled the trigger again.

    Runoldos headless body fell on the floor, face up.

    B-Boss got killed! This guy is a monster!

    Runoldos minions were in shock after he unexpectedly died. Trembling in fear, they all began to run away. Yeah, you better run scum. Take the chance Im giving you before I change my mind. Go and spread what you just saw, along with the face Marida Company is safe. Let it be known throughout the dirt of the Royal Capital.

    [E/N: Youre a little bitch and we all know it, drop the tough guy act.]

    What the heck do you mean by the child and the rest not being here anymore!!!

    B-By that I mean, someone managed to get inside, go down to the dungeon and run away with the six of them without any of us noticing at all

    Like I asked, what the heck do you mean by them not being here? What I want to know is how you managed to let this happen!

    Yagorches president yelled, the prosperity that was just within his reach, fell away before his eyes. I sure hope he didnt think this was the end. I was nowhere near done with thispany.

    After the fight in the warehouse, I headed back to Yagorche Company. I broke in, again from the third floor, and stood above the presidents room. Lets start off with your symbol of prosperity. I took out the FMG9 along with its magazines, and some extra equipment. Inside of the residence, I moved while looking for valuables silently. I avoided detection. While there were no longer any patrols around, I headed to thepany this time.

    [E/N: Important note I felt I should leave you all with.]

    [Tl/N: To Ashes (important)  Below, I refer to them being knocked out because they werent exactly killed. The word in Japanese,<strong> / muryokuka,</strong>in this case, refers to them being powerless. However, its not described in the novel as to how he did it, whether he shot them in the leg or upper body and left them bleeding.]

    I didnt care about doing any covert action against thepany nor did I have a silencer attached to my FMG9. All I needed to do was hunt down the remnants of the bandit group, Onibasu. The gunshots resounded through thepany building and throughout the Royal Capital. I incapacitated 20 members of the group who had attacked us at the rest stop.

    I made my way from the first floor to the third floor as I knocked down anyone who resisted me. I wondered if any of them had been just a regr employee. I kept that thought in mind as I made my way, but so far, there werent any signs that any of them were.

    I guess the takeover isplete

    I looked down from the third floors window and I saw arge number of guards who heard the gunfire. All of them hade from the residence. In the middle was a guy with a big belly, simr to a frog, along with a few who looked to be merchants. Could that be Yagorche? Well, time to clean up the rest. It would be too boring to kill them one by one, so I jumped from the third floor andnded in front of Yagorche. Because my legs were boosted by the power suit, jumping from the third floor was easy and I didnt get hurt.

    Who the hell are you!?

    Im Shaft, Marida Companys guard

    Maridas?! So youre the ck-masked bastard whos been messing everything up for me!

    I guess thats me yeah. However, I think youre the one creating the mess

    What are you saying! Also, what did you do to mypany!

    Who knows, I wonder what I did

    Well then, make him start talking!

    The guards around Yagorche surrounded me, swords in hand. I took out the prepared shbangs and threw them to the merchants sides.

    With the sudden loud bangs and blinding shes, the guards all dropped their swords in an attempt to cover their eyes and ears. They all fell to the ground, even Yargorche had been effected, but not as much as everyone else. I had made sure to throw them further from him. He stared at me with sharp eyes as he knelt on the floor.

    Yagorche, Ill crush all every single one of your dreams

    W-What are y..

    Hey, do you know what this is?

    I held out a small back with a single button on it, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.

    What.. What is that?

    See this part, if you push it

    I held the box right before his eyes. As soon as I did, I pressed the button. Explosions broke out in session; much, much louder than the shbangs. Fire engulfed thepany building as a wall gave way. Then the rest of the building.

    Ahh-AHHHHHH !!

    What I had done before was ced C4 around the inside of the building. First used by the US Army before it spread to the rest of the world, it was a stic explosive that required the controller to detonate it. Its unique properties allowed it to be used for many things besides war.

    Yagorache was speechless as he watched hispany disintegrate into dust. But that wasnt the end yet. I showed him another controller.

    H-Hey D-Dont you tell me!

    He probably guessed what the other remote was for and turned to look at his home.

    S-Stop..

    I pressed the button.

    Once again, explosions rang out along with fire as his home fell apart.

    NOOOOOOOOOOO!!

    As the explosions fill the air along with the sound of the building crumbling on itself, the horses whined and the rustle of armor could be heard. It seemed like the knights hade to pay us a visit. Ill hand over the mess to them and headed back to Marida Company.

    The merchant only stood between his now ruined buildings, looking between them; unable to think. Guess if I leave him there, hell probably be handed punishment by the Capital as well. Serves him right.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    On that day, the fight was felt throughout the entire Royal Capital. Everyone was roused from their sleep to the gunfire and explosions. To apany that had been leveled and its owner arrested by the Royal Guards and the Kurtmelgas Order of Knights.

    The next morning, they managed to salvage a few precious magical tools from the rubble. The luck was good or bad, depending on the perspective. As they took items from the safe, many of the tools were linked to previous crimes. Most of them were prohibited under Kurtmelgaw. It proved the involvement of Ragorche and plenty of his men with the Onibasu. In the end, everyone involved was arrested without exception.

    Judgment would soon be passed by the Order of Knights and they would either receive the ultimate punishment; or be forced into hardbor for the rest of their lives.

    One of the main focuses of the investigation was the unknown cause that destroyed both the buildings, thus closed because of no leads. It was also clear that thepany had been behind the attack on Marida Company and all our actions were deemed self-defense in light of the kidnapping.

    The guards present at the time of the copse, by their testimony, something connected to them. Getting Yagorches testimony was impossible. He had gonepletely mad and his words were nonsensical. In his case, he was given the ultimate punishment.

    I had already returned to Marida Company and checked if Malta-san had arrived. That, and also checked on the safety of everyone else. Throughout the whole ordeal, I had been surrounded by employees who wanted to show their gratitude, but after everything, I hadnt gotten any sleep. Since I couldnt continue to work this way, I had decided to get some rest first. After a while, I woke up to an empty stomach. I checked the time and it was just past midday. Since it was still night when I returned, I went to sleep since I couldnt eat.

    The bed was covered in dust and blood.

    I had killed a lot of people, including those who attacked us at the rest area. As I thought about it, I could hear my beating heart. I didnt n on regretting it all. I had just been transported to this world as Schwartz and All I cared about now was how I would live form here on out. That was how I reassured myself. I opened up the TSS and checked on the fuel levels for the vehicles. Then as I was about to switch clothing in the avatar customization menu, my finger stopped.

    I wondered if the overcoat I gave to Melta earlier disappeared or not I checked my inventory and couldnt find it anywhere. Could it have been considered a trade between us? I dont recall VMB having such a function, but it was in fact gone. I figured Id store my current outfit back in the TSS for now and take it out again. By doing so, itde out clean as if it was brand new. It was quite useful since I didnt have to wash it myself.

    I put my mask back on, something I removed before I slept, and left the room. Fist order of business, meeting up with Malta-san to check on the situation.

    Oohhh, Shaft-san! I see you have woken up Malta-san called out to me.

    He mixed in a few polite words buting from someone whos life had been saved 3 times along with his daughter, I guess I couldnt me him for it.

    Good morning Malta, is there anything to eat? I woke up to a massively empty stomach I asked.

    I shall have it prepared instantly, where would you like to eat? He said.

    Well since I cant take this off it would be great if you could bring it to the guests room, I said.

    Malta-san rang a bell that sat on top of his desk and called over a maid. He asked her to prepare a meal and tea.

    Schwartz-san, Im extremely thankful to you. I do not know how I can ever repay you for what you have done for us, please, if there is anything I can do dont hesitate He said.

    Malta-san sat in front of me with a lowed head. He thanked me by name and I took off my mask.

    Malta-san please raise your head. Theres no need for you to go that far, I just did what I thought was right. On top of that, I didnt do it expecting to get any money in return. I said

    As a guard of thepany, it was my duty to defend it. I did just that.

    But then He trailed off.

    Of course if theres anything I need from you I wont hesitate. I barely have any friends or acquaintances in this country so Malta-san, Im counting on you I said.

    Surely! Please do count on me whenever you need me. Both me and Marida, feel free to count on us for absolutely anything whenever you need! He said.

    Meanwhile, I listened to the events that took ce while I slept and we heard footsteps heading towards us. Malta-san signaled to me and I put the mask on.

    Excuse me. Shaft-sama, I heard you had woken up so I came to visit Minea called out.

    Minea entered the room as Meltia pushed the tea table.

    Shaft-sama, thank you so much for what you didst night, She said.

    Minea wore a pink dress, her face flushed red to the point she resembled a tomato. She thanked me with a beautiful curtsy, the ends of her skip held in her hand as she bent her knee. Malta and Marida were both merchants, not nobles. However, there were many cases where the daughter of a powerful merchant would marry into a noble family. Mina, whos talented in magic and attended the Primary Institute of Magic, would most likely marry into such a family when she became an adult.

    Hence the reason for being taught to behave in a formal manner.

    I also believe that her way of thanking me was one of the most meaningful ways to thank someone with etiquette. I stood up as well and returned her gratitude with a bow. Pilling back one of my feet, along with one arm on my stomach, and bending horizontally  I returned her gratitude.

    Im d youre safe. Did you sleep well since thest time we met? I asked.

    Yes, I did! I was feeling extremely uneasy until my Father came home but he came back rather fast, so I was able to rest right after. She said.

    I offered Minea a seat then said back down as Meltia offered us tea. Sadly, I couldnt drink any of it since I couldnt take off the mask now. Mineas face was bright red though. I hope she didnt get a fever. I asked Malta-san if everything was alright with her and heughed; he said she was simply embarrassed. Here I was thinking she was scared of me, but it turns out, she may actually like me.

    [E/N:<strong>Police Sirens in the distance.</strong>]

    During out chat, Meltia retrieved the overcoat and handed it back to me. She meant to wash it first before returning it to me, but she found the quality too daunting to clean herself, not wishing to ruin it. I took it back and secured it. No weapons were in the pockets. So I guess the clothing gets transferred and nothing else?

    The fact that some things didnt disappear meant that another option in their usage came. Then again, all the clothing was just in my size. I guess selling them would be impossible. Malta-san informed them that I couldnt remove my mask and that he wanted to have a private conversation with me. He led them outside, but Minea seemed she couldve listened to us talk on and on; she also looked conflicted.

    We discussed the future of the other saved girls as we drank tea. First, we spoke of Amy and Prisce since they came from the same province. They had lived to the north but left their vige to move to the capital. That obviously didnt happen as they got captured. They couldnt be sent home because they had nowhere to go, so we decided to let them stay at thepany. They could fit in as either clerks or maids.

    As for the twin demi-humans, Alm and Shelvara, they were both adventurers staying at a town to the north apparently. They had met the same fate as the other girls while out on a quest. They were used of abandoning the quest because they never returned and had to pay arge penalty, which Malta-san paid. Due to their fighting abilities, they would be guards for thepany for the time being.

    Oh I see. So, still nning on returning to Barga? I asked.

    Not just yet, the shock everyone took from these recent happenings is still being well felt within thepany so we will stay over at the capital for another day. Our previous ns were to leave tomorrow morning but were postponing it for the next morning. Is it an inconvenience for you? He asked.

    Not at all, I just work ording to thepanys schedule I said.

    Also Shaft-san, I was ordered by the Royal Capital Guards and Knights to have you head to their station. He informed me.

    Could it be that I went too far yesterday?

    . Whats the reason behind it? I asked

    Whats wrong Shaft-san? Its nothing but a simple talk and the reward delivery. He said.

    As if he saw my nervousness, Malta-sanughed as he exined. Apparently, we had the right to im the reward for killing a wanted criminal, Runoldo, and more for assisting with the Yagorche incident. That was all I got sweaty there for a moment. Well, to be honest, ites in handy. I had used up all my bullets and ran out of C4 SPO. It mightve been powerful, but the cost matched its power.

    So I set my goal for the Guard Station.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    Our return to Barga had been postponed by a day. As for me, I had ns for a walk around the Capital to enjoy the scenery. I had to go pick up my reward for having dealt with themotion from yesterday. It was a n for tomorrow though as it was midday and I didnt think Id have time for that stroll today. I had lunch in the guest room of Malta-sans residence. Then I opened my avatar menu and checked my inventory. My coat was once again stored inside.

    There was one more reason for me to check my menu, however. As Shaft, the ker mask did its job of hiding my identity, but it also brings a major inconvenience. I couldnt eat or drink if I was talking to someone during the meal, which was quite annoying.

    From the collection of masks, I picked a special limited event mask shaped like a bat. It covered my entire face to neck, but it had a hole for my mouth, thus solving both my problems.

    [T/N  Batmannnn!]

    [E/N: This just went off the deep end here.]

    Inbination with my clothes, both were ck. So I decided to leave it alone as they both had enough mobility and stealth. After having been through several actual fights, there was no doubt that it was indeed effective. I added in the bat mask and also listed it under my Set List, this way it was easier to change on the fly. As for the weapon, I couldnt list them under Set List, so I had to be careful not to drop weapons when I changed. Something that was a fun feature in VMB.

    Wannae along? I asked

    Yes I do, Shaft-sama! I heard this is the first time for you in the royal capital. As well as a way to express my gratitude, I would love to guide you through! Minea said.

    I prepared my mask before I headed down for dinner at Malta-sans residence. Minea heard my n for tomorrow and cheerfully asked. I turned to Malta-san to check if he didnt mind. It was okay with him apparently as he nodded.

    Alright then, I will take on the offer. Malta, just to make sure, did you prepare any defense for the escort? The rest of the members from Onibasu might cause some issues. I asked

    I certainly have! Both Alm and Shelvara shall apany you. He said.

    Yaaayy! Minea cheered.

    Minea, that is improper. Marida reprimanded her.

    [T/N  Uhm, I wonder what he would say if she actually did something improper]

    [E/N: Read a hentai, its well documented how to discipline your loli daughter for improper behavior.]

    Minea was really happy to be able toe along, which didntst long after Marida-san scolded her. In the end, it turned into quite a few people woulde along during my stroll. Though, being my first time in the capital, it was good to have them show me the good spots.

    The next day after breakfast and a few arrangements: Minea, Alm, Shelvara, and I set out to go into the capital in a carriage Or so I thought.

    Youngdy Minea, that way the skirt will get all wrinkly

    Its the first time I go for a walk too!

    I understand, after all that time locked in that cell

    Shaft-sama, lets finish up the business over at the guard station first

    ce 3 girls together and youve got yourself a hectic situation. Our number also increased just before we left as Amy and Prisce decided to tag along. For the sake of purchasing stuff for their new life in the capital. With that, the situation turned into a trip with six girls and one guy going into the capital.

    [T/N  Yay, harem!]

    [E/N: *Barfs*]

    Suddenly, I remember a trip to another country in my old world. A group of cheerleaders I couldnt understand made me carry their baggage. This was possibly some sort of ability to gather people out of nowhere. I wonder what theyll be giving me as a reward.

    [E/N: A none sexual death.]

    The guard station was located between the second and third districts. I headed there first, answered their questions and received a reward totaling 3,000,00 ol. While they interviewed me, the girls waited by the carriage. Lastly, the Order of Knights was located on the border of the first and third districts.

    On the carriage ride over, Minea exined the Knight order to me. They seemed to be divided into 5 different orders, on top of that, they also had the imperial guards in charge of protecting the king. The one we were heading towards was the 4th Order. This unit was in charge of keeping the area safe and where I was supposed to receive the reward.

    Shaft, we have arrived! Shelvara called out from the drivers seat.

    Well then, Ill be right back I said.

    We will be waiting for you right here She said.

    Understood, Ill be back in no time, I said.

    I left the girls behind and headed into the station where a middle-aged knight spoke to me.

    Are you the ck mask Shaft? He asked.

    Thats right, I confirmed.

    I am Oddo Samata, the leader of the fourth knight corps. Good job on handling that situation so well. He said.

    I just did my job, thats all I said.

    The middle-aged man wore no armor and had quite the rough appearance. His upper body muscles showed he was quite strong, almost enough to forget his age.

    I just want to ask something, He said.

    If its something I can answer, I said.

    After analyzing Runoldos body, we found no signs of injuries caused by either swords or spears, we suspect he got killed by magic, are you a magic-user? He asked

    Ill have to return your question with another question, is there any meaning to it? I asked

    Runoldo belonged to a race with very good vision, there are very few magic users that couldnd this kind of attack on him. Not only he could easily dodge swords and spears, he could easily dodge spells. We failed multiple times at trying to capture him so, I just wanted to know a bit more from the man who managed to deal with such a monster He asked.

    I did kill him with magic but, Im not a magic-user I answered.

    Oh? Then what are you? He asked

    Just a guard, I replied.

    [T/N  Just call me the guard, Shaft the guard]

    [E/N: That was a perfect Im Batman. Moment, I would have given him points for that.]

    Here, take it. He said.

    He grinned at my responses and handed me a bag with the reward.

    Sorry, did I make you wait? I asked.

    Not at all, but the youngdy might be tired of waiting Alm replied.

    She sat on the drivers seat. I swear I didnt make them wait long, but Shelvara sat next to her; tired of waiting.

    Shaft, what took you so long! I was tired of waiting! Shelvara said.

    Okay then, where shall we go first? I asked

    ording to the youngdy, we should go to a clothing store first Alm said.

    O-Oh, is that so. I said.

    I guess well start with shopping

    Wee back! Minea greeted me

    Did I keep you waiting too long? I asked

    No, I was just thinking of where to go next. She said

    Alright, clothing store was it? Lets head there then. I said.

    I heard and seen a lot of thetest fashion within the capital, but to bepletely honest; I didnt understand it. In terms of quality material, it was indeed incredible. The appearance didnt differ much from my old world, though.

    As we walked the streets of the capital, the buildings the feeling of medieval times, but with a touch of magic. That was unique to this world that also made it feel well developed at the same time. The streets were also clean, no trashid on the ground, or excrement, or signs of homeless people.

    [E/N: Catch up San Francisco, theyre upping you.]

    That reminded me. When I went shopping with Ashley-san, her clothes also looked more modern than medieval. I looked to the girls in the store, they were excited. They reminded me of Ashley-sans beautiful copper hair.

    I took a look around for a souvenir for her and I ended up in a section with hair essories. I kept trying to find one I thought suited her, but in the end, I bought seven of them No, I was forced to buy 6 What the After that, we went to the weapon shop for the Alm and Shelvara. They needed new weapons. Afterward, the general store for Amy and Prisce to buy their daily supplies. This was followed by a break at a tea house.

    As expected of the Capital, I got to drink a wonderful ck tea.

    I was taken to some rather great scenic views. One was a park with a bronze statue of the citys founder. Then a theater on the outskirts, etc. No need to say, that in one day, there was no way I could see all the things I wanted to. Whenever I get the chance to visit again, Id like to see the museum and the academy.

    As evening came, our trip ended and we headed back to the Marida Company.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63

    Shaft-san, wee back. Im sorry to ask, but could I have my goods now?

    Malta-san asked me after I returned from my trip with the girls. I summoned the Gift Box, and its inventory screen was filled with linesbeled as UNKNOWN. Since none of it was my personal stuff, I hadnt bothered tobel any of them, but the goods were sorted within the hour.

    The next morning, I gave my farewell to everyone at Maridas Company and left for Barga. Marida-san and Minea insisted that I should pay them a visit should I ever return to the Capital again. Amy and Prisci thanked me as well. We only had one wagon, but since I was the one carrying all the goods, it was fine. Malta-san and I had sat on the coachmens bench. The returning staff sat in the back.

    Apanying the wagon was five people on horses that acted as escorts. Of the five, two of them were Alm and Silvara. Both the girls would move to Barga to be Malta-sans exclusive escort. It would be difficult for me to go to Maridas Company as Schwarz, so I hoped they would forgive me. Its not like I could ask him to rece his personal guard. The trip to Barga had been uneventful, and we reached Barga within three days.

    Id been away from here for around a week, but I felt nostalgic the moment I saw the city-scape of Barga. When we arrived at the Barga branch of thepany, I returned all the goods I had carried. It was faster for them to take it out than it had been when I stored it. Thest thing to do now was

    Malta-san, this should be all of it.

    Thank you very much, Shaft-san.

    If I head out now, I should still be able to head out from Barga. Let me confirm this first though. Everything is done?

    Yeah. Ourpanys escort request ispleted. You really helped us a lot.

    Eh? Shaft-san, you wont stay in Barga?

    Arent you also Malta-sans exclusive guard?

    It looked like Alma and Silvara, who waited with the other escorts, had listened to our conversation.

    Thats right. I have another job, so Ill leave Barga now.

    With that said, it was just a fat lie, but I had left Barga as Schwartz on the way to the capital. If I dont check back into the city as Schwartz, some trouble mighte my way. Also, if I didnt check out of the city as Shaft, then both my aliases would technically Exist in the city at the same time.

    I gave Alm and Silvara a farewell. I also signaled with my eyes to Malta-san that Ide backter. Before the gate closed at dusk. I left Barga as Shaft, changed out loadout, and returned as Schwartz. Since there wasnt any need to fight, I only came back with my Five-seveN at my side.

    With this done, I returned to the Fort City of Barga for real.

    The next morning, I was in a private room of the White Flower Pavillion. My n was to resume my conquest on the Wolf Labyrinth. I also needed to get that dagger I found in thebyrinth appraised. I intended to get it done at the Capital, but I hadpletely forgotten about it. I also might have to give an answer about that matter with the General guild soon.

    I left for the guild and headed towards the guilds annex first after I entered its grounds.

    Wee, I am Lesmond. The Appraiser.

    Good Afternoon, Lesmond-san.

    Lesmond-san, one of the staff in the annex, was an old gentleman with a small mustache and he possessed the [Apprasial] skill. He only needed to touch the item with his hand, then the skill would tell him the details of it.

    I wanted to ask Lesmond-san

    I want to ask Lesmond-san to appraise an item today.

    Certainly. Thatll be 1,000 OL per item. Could I receive the payment with a silver coin? (Last version of the chapter it said 1,000 OL. This one says

    Sure, I want you to see this dagger.

    I handed him a silver coin together with the dagger I had found in the Wolf Labyrinth. Lesmond-san took it in his hand.

    Thank you very much. I have finished appraising the item.

    The act only took a moment. I dont know what he saw when he did it, but I guessed it gave him the information instantly.

    The dagger is called Rot Poison Dagger. Its a magical weapon that, once activated, will turn it poisonous like this. Once it touches the skin, it will begin to infect the target and their skin will begin to rot.

    After he exined that, he wiped the poison that hade from the de with a cloth and returned the dagger. He wrote the results of the appraisal on a nk report and signed it to legalize the certificate. This was the process of having the item appraised.

    If you show this appraisal certificate, weapon shops and other simr stores will be more willing to pay a higher price. However, weapons with a poison attribute are usually used by assassins. Normal folks seldom purchase weapons like these. I think it will be better for you to sell this directly to people who collect these sort of magical weapons.

    Thank you very much. You were a great help.

    It turned out that this item would be quite troublesome to dispose of. Lets consult with Malta-san about where to sell thister. I thanked Lesmond-san and moved onto

    Although it turned up that this item would be quite troublesome to dispose of, lets consult with Malta-san about where to sell thister on. I thanked Lesmond-san again and moved to my next destination, the main office building where most of the guild staff worked.

    Good afternoon.

    Good afternoon, what kind of business do you have today?

    After I entered, a receptionist at the counter called out and I asked them to call a specific staff member over.

    I made you wait, Schwartz-kun.

    Ah, Remi-san.

    The person I called for was Remi-san, the Guild Investigator. After the Green Demon Labyrinth subjugation, Remi-san had invited me to join the guild. I had not given her a reply at that time, but after the uproar in the capital; I had decided on my purpose.

    Remi-san, Im sorry to say this, but Ill have to decline.

    I see. What a shame.

    But Ill provide you with thebyrinth map. It will only be within the range I can explore, though.

    I see Thatll be a great help. Just bring the map directly to me. You wont be able to hide your name if you go through the Librarian.

    Thank you very much.

    Our talk ended. I had refused Rafflesias invitation, and now, I had refused the guild as well. With this, I had lost my backing as Schwartz. I dont want to have a position in this world, nor do I want to dominate it. If there was a purpose or a meaning in my current life, its to defeat thebyrinth.

    Someone had thrown me into this world with the intention to make me the Labyrinth Master and to try and harm this world. I nned to go against it. If this world will ept me, I will smash the one who wants to harm this world. If someone will try and hinder me, I will gun down those nuisances as Shaft. No matter how powerful and prestigious they are, Rafflesia or General Guild.

    [E/N: Say that as you drive into the sunset, youd seem less school shooter and more 80s protag.]

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64

    I arrived at Wolves Labyrinth the next day. I gave myself a one day break after I returned from the Capital, but I didnt need to physically rest since my body didnt seem to understand the concept of fatigue. It was just a mental rest and that was enough.

    Honestly,In the end, I didnt know what to do and just deciced to jack off for the rest of the day. I thought of ashleys beautiful ass, and her bountiful breasts as I shoved my cock in and out of her.

    I arrived at the Wolf Labyrinth on the next day. I only had one-day break after returning from the capital city, but I didnt need any physical rest since my body didnt understand the concept of fatigue. As long as I had enough mental rest, it was enough. There werent any videogames or TVs here so if I confined myself any longer, Id end up bored.

    Currently, I was on the third subfloor. I had passed through the spring and I was finishing exploring the floor. I had reached the eleventh floor before, but I shouldnt rush myself to clear thebyrinth. After all, I could make a fatal mistake in my rush. To give me a margin of safety, and toplete my map, I nned to take it steady. I had nned to explore for a week this time. By the end, the Green Demonbyrinth should be clear. I thought to head over once I was finished here. I wanted to take a look at the harvest festival and also see thebyrinth lunchbox boxes.

    I had entered thebyrinth in the morning, and by dinner, I had reached the sixth subfloor. I summoned the Dorchester in a small room off the main corridor for my break. After I having taken so many of my breaks in this room, I came to understand that the monsters appeared at the rooms center. A small room would normally have a 1 to 2 hour span between spawns. Larger rooms had arger number of monsters, but their rates were so long that I didnt know exactly when theyd respawn.

    As the monsters in the room respawned, ck fog rose from the ground. I watched this happen from the vehicles viewing window as I took my break. I had already ced traps around the points theyd spawn at. With the vehicle ced at the back of the room, I had a clear view of the room. Once the fog began to clear, I pulled the trigger on remote for the trip I had prepared before my break.

    Several M18 remores exploded around the rooms center, spewing hundreds of iron balls. The four zombies that had emerged were ripped apart and their cores sent flew form their bodies. I hadnt tried to attack while they were still in the thick of the fog. That was something Id have to confirm at the next opportunity.

    After my break was finished, I put away the Dorchester, picked up the magic stone, and began to map again. My current main weapon was the 1-1 type methrower. A weapon that had proven to work well within the undead-zones. From midnight to dawn, I filled in my map until I finally reached the ninth subfloor.

    I had be quite ustomed to dealing with the undead with the 1-1. Now, I could even handler the higher-ssed zombies without risking myself. I had passed the tenth subfloor at noon and stepped into the eleventh subfloor. This was my second time on the floor. I had retreated before, but this time, I nned to pass through. The current n was to make my way towards the spring on the twelfth subfloor.

    The field subfloor still had its ominous fog likest time. Aside from the woond path in front of me, I couldnt see anything else. I opened up my TSS and opened an image I had taken in the Guild Library. The map they had couldnt even be called a map. It might be because of the path was in a forest that there were not any distinctive parts. It was just a mass of lines, curves, corners, and all of it had been vaguely drawn. I closed the TSS. There was no choice but to move forward blindly. I changed out the 1-1 to a P90 and the SCAR-H as I advanced further into the forest.

    Written in the documents regarding the floor, it would be a mix of monsters from the previous floor with some superior monsters. Until now, I only had to worry about my front and rear. Now though, I had to stay vignt of every direction. The woodline path was wide and gently curved. Ahead, I heard familiar footsteps. Grass Direwolves, huh? Three of them. The zombies in the undead zone never used spells since their effects where in their roars, but a normal enemy would.

    I would just love to fuck me a undead waifu. Hard and I want her flesh to dripple over my live cock as she tries to eat me. God thats so fucking hot.

    It would be hard for them to surround me if I wall ran. I debated if I should enter the forest, but I wouldnt be able to slide jump there. Then attacks from the front I opened my TSS and took out a piece of equipment to deal with front assaults.

    Three wolves were already within sight. As they watched me, they took upbative postures. Then one ran at me as if panicked by the sudden gathering of light particles in front of me. I moved the put the monster in the P90s sight and followed along as it moved side to side. I picked a spot where it wouldnd, and fired two times just before itnded.

    The dire wolf took a round to its head and shoulder. It stopped moving. Just as I dealt with that one, the other two had taken positions with their spells. That was when I grabbed the item I summoned. Both of the wolves spells struck the ballistic shield I had pulled out. The shield was one of VMBs defenses. A bulletproof shield with a CBS. The matte ck design was 58cm wide and 92cms tall with a viewport made with ballistic ss towards the top of the shield.

    Unlike the CBS, it can only protect against standard bullets and special grenades. Not anyrge rounds or explosives. Furthermore, the shield itself could only take a certain amount of damage. Once it reached its threshold, it would destruct and disappear. There was no way to repair it either. Once it was destroyed, I had to buy a new one from the shop.While I couldnt use the shop function during a match in-game, I could buy anything without an issue in this world. The issue was that the item itself wasnt so cheap I could just use it whenever.

    After the spells crashed into it, I checked its health. It had only decreased by 10 percent with two direct hits. Did it be stronger? I dont know. They may be a difference between a magic attack versus a firearm, soparing them wouldnt make sense. What was important was that the shield stopped their attacks.

    [E/N: I wOnDeR HoW ThIs WoRks. Oh ThAt DoEsNt MaKe SeNsE tO kNoW]

    After I received their attacks, I set down the shield and propped it against my knees. Then I propped the P90 on the top rim of the shield. This was too steady my aim, and also hide most of my body from them. The two wolves roared, as if indignant that I had bothered to defend myself against their attacks, and attacked again. First, I shot down the closest one twice, then slid the iron hairs over to thest one. I fired twice again.

    The bullets urately hit their targets. They stumbled and fell down underneath my strength.Like these nuts HAAAA

    From now on, there would be times where I would not know how Id fight and there would be battles that arent in my favor. I need to quickly determine what VMB items I could use for what to prepare for the various battles ahead.I had operated my weapon with one hand, but if I had to use a weapon one-handed, a handgun would be better. The Five-seveN was a good gun, but I have to consider a more powerful handgun that I could use onehanded. My conquest of the Wolves Labyrinth had begun, and I had many things to consider.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    Currently, Im on the twelfth subfloor of the Wolves Labyrinth; at its spring. As I took my break, I brought out the lunch box Malta-san had prepared while I went through my TSS. As I looked through my weapons, I thought about the different setups I could use with the shield. I decided to put away the SCAR and summoned my supply box. I opened the box and took out anMPS AA-12.

    The AA-12, Atchisson -Assault 12, was developed by Military Police Systems after they procured the license from Maxwell Atchisson and it was based on the USAS-12. The shotgun featured a fire-group simr to the M1918 BAR. It can fire in semi-auto or full-auto. Due to its unique build that allows the bolt to travel further back than a normal shotgun, it could be fired one-handed. In addition, could be used with a 10r box mag, or a 20r or 32r drum magazine. It was designed to fire different loads of 3 or 2.75 12g rounds.

    In VMB, we use to use the FRAG-12 rounds to plug our assholes because it was a funny easter egg. However, it was still a special round that was a pseudo grenade that just liven any BDSM party on the Tokoyo strip.

    In VMB, I could select the type of round to use. The first one was the standard 12-gauge buckshot; then there was the slug round; finally, thest one was a special round that could only be used with certain shotguns. I went with the third option, which was the FRAG-12. The round was a pseudo grenade. When it hit its target, the charge inside the bullet explodes with enough force to inflict mortal damage upon the enemy. In addition, it has a imed effective range of 200m. I took out its drum magazine, along with its carry pouch and attached it to my belt. With that, my preparations wereplete.I would earn me a good zombie pussy to bring back to my hotel.

    After I passed through the Spring, I advanced through the Twelfth subfloor. Its atmosphere was that of the previous floor. And just like the previous floor, I ignored the unreliable map and relied on my goggles HUD. The Field floor wasnt an unending floor. If I kept in one direction, Id eventually hit a wall. However, the floor space was different for eachbyrinth. I may have to go several kilometers to confirm the spaces dimensions.That was as far as Id probably have to go until I saw some sort of man whod fuck my girl Ashley silly.

    A fear I had though, was that I may face arge number of monsters every few kilometers. After the spring, they should appear more frequently, and there was also the ck fog that obscured my vision.

    In the distance, a shadow, darker than the fog moved. Here ites! The shadow coursed through the fog and behind trees. I held my shield in my left and the shotgun in my right with it shouldered; training the iron sights on the figure. On this floor, I found that if I attacked the fog, it wouldnt hurt the monster, but just dy its appearance. So I waited for the moment the fog dispersed.And out camea hot-ass Pikachu with thergest tits Ive never seen in my life.

    The AA-12s gunshot was louder than the rifles, and as itnded on the bear, I heard three explosions; followed by another three. The feeling I felt when I used the SCAR for the first time in battle came back. Just how the 7.62x51mm NATO exceeded the in-game power; the FRAG-12 surpassed as well. The red bears upper body, 2m long, was blown away. All that remained was its lower body.

    So strong

    The FRAG-12s power was impable. I cantin about its power, but The rounds cost a lot of CP. The cost of a single bullet increases my aperture by a lot. If it were buckshot or a slug, itd only be slightly more expensive than the 51 NATO rounds. The FRAG-12 rounds were 1.5 times that. It was strong, but it wasnt something I could use all the time.

    Afterward, I only found a few stronger monsters, As for the fires, longhorn rats, and skeletons, they sometimes came out. I confirmed that I could also use the rounds on them. That was when I found another shoring.

    Where did the magic stone bounce to?!

    The damage was more than I expected, and the stones scattered everywhere. Although my magic stone recovery rate dropped, I still continued down to the sixteenth subfloor. Starting from the eleventh floor to the fifteenth floor, the dungeon imitated an eastern forest

    The explosive power of FRAG-12 was higher than I expected, and the magic stones and flesh were scattered around everywhere. On the sixteenth subfloor, however, it changed into a dark forest. With no moon or starlight, the only the white coronas that bloomed alongside the wooded path gave light. While it was not different from the upper floors, it did have more area to watch than before.

    I switched my goggles to night vision mode and increased my guard. This was where the rigors of solo-diving were brought forth. Though, I dont think there was anyone whod math mybat style. Id need to disclose my ability, discuss the distribution of magic stones, and also disclose my alias Shaft. I wondered if there was a friend that could match those requirements

    By now, I was on the eighteenth subfloor. The darkness was troublesome, only matched by the high appearance rate of monsters. My struggle continued. There were two Red Bears before me, and what appeared to be a Goblin. Even though I had been lucky enough to notice the fog as it appeared, the Red Bears rushed me. I held my shield as I fired rounds into the first bear. Then I slid-jumped to the right, avoiding the second one as it charged past. The bear also reacted to my move and sung its right paw out while it corrected its direction.

    The shield fended off the attack. I shot down the bear in retaliation, relying only on the crosshairs disyed on my goggles. I quickly checked the shields durability before I switched to thest monster.

    The goblin was smaller than the goblin fighters from the Emerald Demon Labyrinth but was taller than a hobgoblin. It had thick, short legspared to its upper body. Its face was covered with a steel helm, simr to what the fighters wore. Even so, it wore a red rag cloth. The goblin raised his battle hammer overhead as it roared at me. There was enough ammunition in my magazine. I knew I could easily blow him away, but the goblin moved quick.

    Its movement was simr to my slide jump, and it swung its hammer with ease as it moved left to right. I avoided him with a slide-jump, but his left hand followed me. His hammer struck my shield mid-slide. Inded and fired my shotgun in return. Its body exploded piece my piece as holes appeared. I avoided its chest, not to hit the stone. Sure to aim for the head, left shoulder, and abdomen before its body fell down.

    With the darkness, It took quite some time to gather up the fallen stones. Now that I thought about it, I switched to my goggles to its FLIR mode and searched that way. Fire and wind had quite the heat, while earth and water had little heat. I hadnt confirmed the attributeless stones signature. I looked around and picked up a magic stone that shone in my sight.

    I hadnt used the FLIR mode much in-game. I could see the temperature of people through thin objects and walls with it, but it didnt have that ability in VMB. I wondered if the monsters gave a heat signature within the fog

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    Four days had passed since I had begun my exploration. On the eighteenth subfloor, I had taken a quick break before I had set out again. My goal was to scout out the twenty-first subfloor, though, I had half-given upon conquering it despite its small size. I passed through the empty Gatekeeper. I descended down to the twenty-first floor using the teleportation circle.

    There was a loud sound as I stepped down the stairs, something that repeatedly hit the ground. It was simr to the night forest, but it rained on this level. The rain was so heavy that I couldnt barely a few meters ahead. It was like a squall that could knock out things, and the forest path was muddy. Even the corona flowers were dim in the rain.

    This is terrible

    Field dungeons mimicked weather patterns, and this rain had happened decades ago. Otherbyrinths mimicked heat waves, snowstorms, and rainfall, though not as heavy as this. The small arms I was used couldnt fire without gunpowder, and I think they could be fired when wet, but I needed to test it.

    The stairs that connected the two floors were covered by arge rock. The rock blocked the rain, so I stuck out the AA12 in my right. I held the shield in my left for protection. I pulled the trigger while keeping most of my body behind the shield; I also watched through the shields window. I watched as the rounds flew through the heavy rain.

    After I confirmed that FRAG-12 rounds worked, I returned to the twentieth subfloor. I was relieved that the AA-12 worked without any problems. After the Emerald Demon Labyrinth festival, Id prepare my conquest strategy for the twenty-first floor.

    My journey to the surface took two days, and that included rest. I had summoned the KLR 250 and passed through them since I already knew the path. I ignored all but the monsters that attacked me. Like that, I left thebyrinth with a minimal amount of battles. By the time I had reached Barga, the Emerald Demon Labyrinth had been dered safe, and the Harvest festival was about to reach its peak.

    I had some time to go to the inn, though, I had to go to the Marida Company to sell the stones I got. I also had to purchase more non-attribute stones and talk to Malta-san about the Rot Poison dagger. I was slightly worried that I would run into Alm and Silvara there, but after some thought: I had never seen a personal escort greet a guest. Even when I approached thepany, I hadnt seen them at all. Maybe they went to the warehouse or were at Malta-sans side.

    Good afternoon.

    Wee, Schwartz-san.

    I greeted the staff at the front desk.

    Is Malta-san here?

    Yes, Ill call him immediately, so please wait inside.

    This scene yed out so many times, but it still built human rtionships. I also wanted to have a good rtionship with Bill-san, the branch manager of the Barga branch. Bill-san was a man with a healthy appearance. His hair was ash-grey and swept back, and he was slightly taller than me. He had a gentle feel to him while also the firmness of a career-minded person.

    Malta-san came immediately after I called for while I waited in the usual reception area. Bill-san tried to leave, but Malta-san stopped him and even asked him to sit with him.

    Sure.

    We had already talked about this on the way back. With Malta-san frequently going back and forth between the Capital this season, he would stay for good in the capital after the festival. With Malta-san not here, it was necessary to increase the number of people I could transact with. Theyd also have to know about some of my secrets.

    That was why I decided that I would deal with Bill-san in the future. I exined to him how I was a Manuke, and also about the Gift Box. Afterward, I made him promise not to talk about it before we moved onto our other topics.

    It seems like you went to the deep bottom again, eh.

    Both men looked at the stones with magnifying sses to appraise them. It was almost like a gem appraisal.

    Schwartz-san, does this magic stonee from an ogre?

    I dont know which one I took from an ogre, but I also subjugated ogres.

    Thats wonderful! As expected from the gentleman, the chief does business face to face!

    Schwartz-san, were you already on the twentieth subfloor when you killed the ogre?

    Yes, Ive taken a look there. It seems like itd be hard to move around there.

    I heard the reason why they hadnt conquered the Wolves Labyrinth was because of the heavy rain. Visibility is too weak, and they cant hold their weapons properly. The floor is taxing, and they cant rest. Itd make their conditions deteriorate.

    Yeah, its surprising that there was a party that had reached the twenty-fifth subfloor after all, though.

    It happened twenty years ago. The part had challenged thebyrinth hade from the best Barga n, but they couldnt defeat the gatekeeper. They had to withdraw.

    Does that mean that no one had managed to reach the gatekeeper other than them?

    The n disbanded after that expedition. After that, the leader joined the Guild. There was even a time when they had banned exploration beyond the twenty-first subfloor.

    Banning exploration? Well, its certainly suicidal to go through that rain without any preparations.

    Thats right. However, they had found out that the rain that falls from the basement is magic water. Now, theyll sometimes release the ban so someone can collect some of the water.

    Magic water?

    Yes, it contains magic, and its a valuable raw material for recovery medicine and alchemy.

    I see, will you buy it if I bring some here?

    Yes, of course, we will! But how will you ah.

    After that, I sold my stones, and half of it was paid in coins. The rest was with non-attribute stones. They also prepared arge box to collect the magic water with and waterproof cloth bags. If I used my Gift box, I could ignore the limited space of the box and store it that way. There was a limit to the number of toolbags an ordinary adventurer could carry, and they couldnt move items that were toorge.

    I thought about the additional ie aside from the magic stones, but this was like having gold just fall right into myp. I wanted to dy my subjugation schedule and just start counting my chickens before they hatched, and I almost forgot my other reason foring here.

    Thats right, Malta-san. I picked up a magic weapon in thebyrinth. Its already appraised from the guild with a certificate, but Im troubled with how to sell it. Can you give me some advice?

    Oh! Magical weapons have different properties, so their values vary. Can you let me see it first?

    I had already taken the dagger from my gift box before I came and pulled it from my field jacket. Since it had no sheath, the de was covered with cloth. I handed it over to Malta-san. He asked for permission before he removed the fabric, then he carefully inspected it with his magnifying ss. For some reason, I felt like I understood how someone who had their antique appraised long ago.

    Can I also take a look at the certificate?

    Of course.

    I showed the certificate to Malta-san, and he nodded. Bill-san also examined the items.

    This was appraised by Lesmond-sama, so there shouldnt be a mistake. The de is only ten centimeters in length, so it can only be used as a concealed weapon. The design is good, though. Can you keep it for a while? Ill try asking some nobles who collect magical weapons.

    Sure, if you can do that, Ill have to trouble you. Even if I have it, I cant use it. I dont have that sort of happy, and I dont own a ce to keep it as decoration.

    With that, I finished my business with the Marida Company. Itd bete soon, so I thought of going home, but Malta-san invited me to dinner together with Bill-san. So we headed out to eat

 Chapter 67.

    Chapter 67.

    Last night I had a dinner with Malta-san and Bill-san from Maridapany in a restaurant called [Klebben]. The ce was well-reputed for its meat dishes. I may have let Malta-san to order for me, but when I sunk my knife on the steak, not only that the steak itself was thick, its also overflowing with juice that filled my mouth with sweetness from just a small piece. I had to admit right then that its so much better than any Ive ever eaten, even on my original world.

    We talked about our works during the meal, and just like I thought, since Malta-san and Bill-san are merchants, theyre fond of talking about business. The topic this time happened to be about the magic water.

    2

    My n for tomorrow was to head to thebyrinth, checking the sales of thebyrinth lunchbox, and attending the void magic stone removal ceremony. But since its still two weeks until the estimated time of the Green Demon Labyrinth to close itself, Ive decided to re-enter thebyrinth of wolves to try and extract the magic water.

    BOX

    There was one problem. The method of extraction. While discussing this matter with the Maridapany, at first we thought of making use the BOX function to store item while ignoring the size. The magic water could be stored in a waterproof bag inside a wooden frame. But I found out that there were some problems. Magic water is actually quite heavy, so there is a possibility that I wouldnt be able to lift the bag even with the power suit at its maximum output.

    So what should we do? I had that covered already. I didnt exin the details to Malta-san, only saying that I would return in five days, and they should be prepared to receive arge amount of magic water by then.

    KLR 250-D8

    Two dayster, I was already on the gatekeeper room of thebyrinth 20th floor. I realized now that traversing thebyrinth is much faster when you already know the paths. Next is an underpass and open field, so I took out the Kawasaki KLR 250-D8 and gas through the floor.

    Traversing the open field section is even faster because I just need to be careful not to crash into a tree. Demon beast or demihumans might appear in front of me, but I only have to worry that they didnt stuck on the wheels or on the bikes rear. A ck moth sprang up right in front, but I simply gassed through it.

    Its heavy rain as usual on the 21st floor, causing an endless noise to fill the floor. But in my eyes, those droplets of water are gold coins, and the noises are like the sound of coins hitting the floor.

    TSS

    I activated TSS and summoned a vehicle from my garage. A dazzling light particlester, a vehicle appeared on therge stone tform near the stairs leading to the 20th floor.

    M978 HEMTT825009500

    The Oshkosh M978 tanker. Diesel fueled, 8 wheeled American HEMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck), mainly used to transport fuel for other military vehicles. Its tank can hold up to 2500 gallon (9500 litre) of fuel.

    VMBM978

    VMB had nobat vehicles, but still included some military grade vehicles. The M978 was one of them. It was originally used to transport fuel so that other vehicles could refuel from it, but this time, Im nning to fill the tank with magic water instead of fuel.

    50cm

    First, I opened the manhole-like lid on top of the rear tank so that it could catch the gold coinsI mean rain water falling from above. The diameter of the hole was no more than 50 cm, so its a bit inefficient in terms of catching the rain water.

    BOX1m

    I summoned a BOX from my inventory, and extracted arge pan over 1 meters in diameter from it. Before leaving Barga, I bought this from the tool shop and had the cksmith made a hole at the center. And vo, a funnel.

    I ced the funnel over the tanker hole. Next, I went in the drivers seat, revved the engine and drove the truck backward just enough so that the funnel could catch the falling goldI mean, rain water.

    950011100mm

    Now I just need to wait. Even with therge funnel, itll take time for the gold coI mean rain water to fully filled the 9500 litres tank. I have no clue regarding the precipitation rate per hour, but even if its 100 mm per hour, itll still take up to four days to fill up the tank.

    1/424001200ml240012000

    For the time being, I nned to bring back only  of the full capacity, which is about 2400 litres. The bottle used to sell it can contain up to 200ml, so itll be equal to up to 12.000 bottles.

    1100,00012000

    A bottle of Magic Restoring Potion is 1 gold coin, which is equal to 100.000 ol. And well have 12.000 bottles once Im done here. Although I dont know how much is the production cost, Im pretty sure that the profit would still be great.

    1M978

    While waiting, despite otherbyrinth explorers rarely go down to this floor, I still felt the need to stay around to make sure that I could immediately pulled the M978 back into the garage, just in case. In the meantime, I would either organize my inventory, purchase equipment, or do a shooting training, etc.

    VMBM9782

    Experimenting with VMB system limitation, I tried summoning 2 vehicles at once, to no avail. And here I am, having bought 2 units of M978, thinking that using 2 trucks would make collection even faster only to find out that its impossible.

    Three dayster, I returned to the Fort City Barga as scheduled. Immediately heading back to Maridapany, I was met with Malta-san, Bill-san, and several more employees that they could trust, who in turn took me to thepany warehouse.

    From afar, I could see Alm and Silvara guarding the warehouse. So this is where they are stationed for now. My gaze met with Alms in an instance, but she immediately looked away.

    Even from a distance, both Alm and Selvara are sticking out like a sore thumb. Both are fox beastwomen, with lustrous golden and silver hair respectively, plus the bondage-style leather armor and skirt. Tail with same fur color as their hair stuck out on their behind, and its swaying around despite pretending to be uncaring.

    3

    Only me, Malta-san, and Bill-san who entered the warehouse, while the rest are waiting outside. The escorts, including Alm and Selvara, were overlooking the perimeter of the warehouse strictly. This was to prevent the guards themselves, the employees, and spies from otherpanies from seeing what was going on inside the warehouse.

    3TSSM978

    Once there were only three of us inside the warehouse, I summoned the M978 via TSS. Perhaps shocked witnessing how such arge vehicle suddenly appearing before them out of thin air, both Malta-san and Bill-san stood there wide-eyed and speechless.

    90cm70cm200

    Barrels had been prepared in advance on the warehouse to contain the magic water. The barrel itself was around 90 cm in height, 70 cm in girth, and could contain approximately 200 litres magic water each.

    M978

    I went to the rear side of the M978 and opened the rear hatch, revealing the drain hose. Just like my original worlds version, the hose had a lever and a nozzle. If I pulled the lever down, the content of the tank will be discharged from the nozzle.

    Putting the nozzle on opening of the barrel, I pulled the lever to begin transferring the magic water into the barrel. Malta-san and Bill-san rushed in as soon as they heard the noise of water magic douzing down.

    [This is, real magic water. Im really at a loss for words]

    [Chairman, Im also at a loss for words]

    12

    Seeing that both Malta-san and Bill-san were impressed, I continued filling the barrels with magic water. Eventually, all 12 barrels were fully filled with magic water. The next processes are the employees duty.

    M978

    I returned the M978 to the garage as soon as Im done, leaving no trace of its presence whatsoever. Only then the employees were allowed to enter the warehouse.

    [Alright guys! Its all up to you now! Put the lids on and load them to the carriage. Well send them to the capital tomorrow morning!]

    These amount of magic water would be enough to supply the Fort City Barga for a while without running out. So the excess will be sent to the capital, on which the magicians guild and the alchemist guild will buy it. And of course, my name will not be included in any documents.

    Finished with the magic water delivery, I returned back to the inn. Preparing for tomorrows Green Demon Labyrinth harvest festival.

 Chapter 67.2

    Chapter 67.2

    Last night, I had dinner with Malta-san and Bill-san at a restaurant called Klebben. The ce was well known for its meat dishes. I let Malta-san order for me, and when I sunk my knife into the steak; not only was it thick, its sweet juice filled my mouth from just a small piece. I had to admit, it was better than anything Ive ever eaten. Even from my original world.

    We talked about work during our meal, and just like that, we were on the topic of the magic water. Since Malta-san and Bill-san were merchants, they were quite fond of talking about business. My n for tomorrow was to head to the Harvest Festival, check on the sales of the bento boxes, and attend the core removal ceremony.

    Since there were still two weeks until the estimated time of the Emerald Demon Labyrinths closure; I decided to return to the Wolvesbyrinth to try and get the magic water. Only, there was one problem. The method of extraction. During the discussion with Malta-san, we first thought of using my Gift Box. I found there were some problems though. Magic water is actually quite heavy. So theres a possibility I wouldnt be able to lift the bag even at my power suits maximum output.

    So what should we do?

    I had that already covered. I didnt exin the details to Malta-san. I had only said that I would return in five days, and they should be ready to receive arge amount of magic water then.

    Two dayster, I was already on the Labyrinth 20th sub-floors Gatekeeper room. I realized now that traversing thebyrinth was much quicker if you knew the way. Next was a corridor and an open field. So I took out my Kawasaki KLR and sped through the floor. I would have crossed the field section faster, but I had to be careful not to crash into a tree. Monsters might also appear, though, with that, I only had to make sure they got stuck in the tires.

    A ck Moth sprang out, but I simply floored through it. The rain was heavy on the 21st floor, as usual, and filled the floor with endless noise. But in my eyes, those droplets of water were gold coins now, and they sounded like the clinking of coins hitting the floor.

    I activated my TSS and summoned a vehicle from my garage. In a dazzling disy of light, it appeared on therge stonending by the stairs leading up to the 20th floor. The Oshkosh M978 Tanker, a diesel-powered 8-wheeled American HEMMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck). Mainly used to transport fuel for other military vehicles, its tank can hold up to 2,500 gallons (9,500 liters) of fuel.

    VMB had nobat vehicles, but it still included a few military vehicles. The M978 was one of them. It was meant to transport fuel, but this time, I was nning to fill the tank with the magical water. First, I opened the manhole-like lid on top of the rank so it could catch the gold coins  I mean, rain, falling from above. The diameter of the hole was no more than 50 cm; it was a bit inefficient in terms of catching the rain.

    I summoned a Gift Box from my inventory and extracted arge pan that was over 1 meter in diameter. Before leaving Barga, I bought this from the tool shop and had a cksmith make a hole in the center. And vo, a funnel. I ced it over the tankers hole. Then, I got into the drivers seat, started the truck, and moved it forward enough for the funnel to catch the gold I mean, rain.

    Now, I just have to wait. Even with therge funnel, itll take time for the gold co I mean rain, to fill the 9,500-liter tank. I dont know the precipitation rate per hour. However, even if its 100mm per hour, itll still take around four days to fill.

    For the time being, I nned to bring the trunk back at 1/4 capacity; about 2,400 liters. The bottle used to sell the water holds 200ml, so itll be equal to 12,000 bottles.

    A potion of Magic Restoration costs 1 gold coin. This was equal to 100.000 ol. And Well have 12,000 bottles once I was done. Although I dont know about the production cost, I was sure the profits would still be plentiful. While I waited, despite the other Adventurers rarelying down to this floor I lingered around the M978; encase I needed to recall it back into the garage immediately.

    In the meantime organize my inventory, purchase more equipment, or do some shooting training, etc.

    Experimenting with the VMB Systems limitations, I tried summoning 2 vehicles at once to no avail. Here I thought that using 2 trucks would make collecting faster Only now I found it was impossible.

    Three dayster, I returned to the Fort City of Barga as scheduled. Immediately, I headed back to the Marida Company. There, I met with Malta-san, Bill-san, and several other employees they could trust. Then, they took me to thepany warehouse. From afar, I could see Alm and Silvara guarding the warehouse.

    So, this is where theyre stationed for now.

    My gaze met with Alms for instance, but she turned away quickly. Even from a distance, both the girls stood out like a sore thumb. Two fox beast-women with lush golden and silver hair respectively, plus bondage-style leather armor and skirts. Their tails  with matching fur as their hair  stuck out their behinds; swaying around despite pretending to be indifferent.

    Only Malta-san, Bill-san and I entered the warehouse and the rest waited outside. The escorts, including the two girls, strictly were to guard the perimeter of the warehouse. This was to prevent the employees, corporate spies. and the guards themselves, from seeing what was going on inside.

    Once there was only the three of us inside, I summoned the M978 via the TSS. Perhaps shocked by witnessing such arge vehicle appeared out of thin air; Malta-san and Bill-san stood there wide-eyed and speechless. Barrels had been prepared in the warehouse to hold the magic water. The barrels themselves were around 90cm in height, 70cm in girth, and could hold approximately 200 liters of magic water each.

    I went to the rear of the truck and opened a rear hatch, revealing the drainage hose. Just like my original worlds version, it had a lever and a nozzle attached. If I pulled the level, the tanks content will be discharged from the nozzle. I put the nozzle in the opening of a barrel, then pulled the lever to begin transferring the water into it. Malta-san and Bill-san rushed forward as soon as they heard the sound of water pouring down.

    This is real magic water. Im really at a loss for words

    Chairman, Im also at a loss for words

    Seeing that both Malta-san and Bill-san were impressed, I continued to fill the barrels with magic water. Eventually, all 12 barrels were filled full with the magic water. The next part was for the employees. I returned the M978 to the garage as soon as I was done; no presence of it was left whatsoever. Only then, were the employees allowed to enter the warehouse.

    Alright, guys! Its all up to you now! Put the lids on and load them onto the carriage. Well send them to the capital tomorrow morning!

    The amount of magic water would be enough to supply Barga for a while. So, the excess will be sent to the capital. There, the Magicians Guild and Alchemist Guild will buy it. Of course, my name would not be included in any documents.

    Finished with my delivery, I returned to the inn to prepare for tomorrows harvest festival.

 Chapter 67.25

    Chapter 67.25

    Last night, I had dinner with Malta-san and Bill-san at a restaurant called Klebben. The ce was well known for its meat dishes. I let Malta-san order for me, and when I sunk my knife into the steak; not only was it thick, its sweet juice filled my mouth from just a small piece. I had to admit, it was better than anything Ive ever eaten. Even from my original world.

    We talked about work during our meal, and just like that, we were on the topic of the magic water. Since Malta-san and Bill-san were merchants, they were quite fond of talking about business. My n for tomorrow was to head to the Harvest Festival, check on the sales of the bento boxes, and attend the core removal ceremony.

    Since there were still two weeks until the estimated time of the Emerald Demon Labyrinths closure; I decided to return to the Wolvesbyrinth to try and get the magic water. Only, there was one problem. The method of extraction. During the discussion with Malta-san, we first thought of using my Gift Box. I found there were some problems though. Magic water is actually quite heavy. So theres a possibility I wouldnt be able to lift the bag even at my power suits maximum output.

    So what should we do?

    I had that already covered. I didnt exin the details to Malta-san. I had only said that I would return in five days, and they should be ready to receive arge amount of magic water then.

    Two dayster, I was already on the Labyrinth 20th sub-floors Gatekeeper room. I realized now that traversing thebyrinth was much quicker if you knew the way. Next was a corridor and an open field. So I took out my Kawasaki KLR and sped through the floor. I would have crossed the field section faster, but I had to be careful not to crash into a tree. Monsters might also appear, though, with that, I only had to make sure they got stuck in the tires.

    A ck Moth sprang out, but I simply floored through it. The rain was heavy on the 21st floor, as usual, and filled the floor with endless noise. But in my eyes, those droplets of water were gold coins now, and they sounded like the clinking of coins hitting the floor.

    I activated my TSS and summoned a vehicle from my garage. In a dazzling disy of light, it appeared on therge stonending by the stairs leading up to the 20th floor. The Oshkosh M978 Tanker, a diesel-powered 8-wheeled American HEMMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck). Mainly used to transport fuel for other military vehicles, its tank can hold up to 2,500 gallons (9,500 liters) of fuel.

    VMB had nobat vehicles, but it still included a few military vehicles. The M978 was one of them. It was meant to transport fuel, but this time, I was nning to fill the tank with the magical water. First, I opened the manhole-like lid on top of the rank so it could catch the gold coins  I mean, rain, falling from above. The diameter of the hole was no more than 50 cm; it was a bit inefficient in terms of catching the rain.

    I summoned a Gift Box from my inventory and extracted arge pan that was over 1 meter in diameter. Before leaving Barga, I bought this from the tool shop and had a cksmith make a hole in the center. And vo, a funnel. I ced it over the tankers hole. Then, I got into the drivers seat, started the truck, and moved it forward enough for the funnel to catch the gold I mean, rain.

    Now, I just have to wait. Even with therge funnel, itll take time for the gold co I mean rain, to fill the 9,500-liter tank. I dont know the precipitation rate per hour. However, even if its 100mm per hour, itll still take around four days to fill.

    For the time being, I nned to bring the trunk back at 1/4 capacity; about 2,400 liters. The bottle used to sell the water holds 200ml, so itll be equal to 12,000 bottles.

    A potion of Magic Restoration costs 1 gold coin. This was equal to 100.000 ol. And Well have 12,000 bottles once I was done. Although I dont know about the production cost, I was sure the profits would still be plentiful. While I waited, despite the other Adventurers rarelying down to this floor I lingered around the M978; encase I needed to recall it back into the garage immediately.

    In the meantime organize my inventory, purchase more equipment, or do some shooting training, etc.

    Experimenting with the VMB Systems limitations, I tried summoning 2 vehicles at once to no avail. Here I thought that using 2 trucks would make collecting faster Only now I found it was impossible.

    Three dayster, I returned to the Fort City of Barga as scheduled. Immediately, I headed back to the Marida Company. There, I met with Malta-san, Bill-san, and several other employees they could trust. Then, they took me to thepany warehouse. From afar, I could see Alm and Silvara guarding the warehouse.

    So, this is where theyre stationed for now.

    My gaze met with Alms for instance, but she turned away quickly. Even from a distance, both the girls stood out like a sore thumb. Two fox beast-women with lush golden and silver hair respectively, plus bondage-style leather armor and skirts. Their tails  with matching fur as their hair  stuck out their behinds; swaying around despite pretending to be indifferent.

    Only Malta-san, Bill-san and I entered the warehouse and the rest waited outside. The escorts, including the two girls, strictly were to guard the perimeter of the warehouse. This was to prevent the employees, corporate spies. and the guards themselves, from seeing what was going on inside.

    Once there was only the three of us inside, I summoned the M978 via the TSS. Perhaps shocked by witnessing such arge vehicle appeared out of thin air; Malta-san and Bill-san stood there wide-eyed and speechless. Barrels had been prepared in the warehouse to hold the magic water. The barrels themselves were around 90cm in height, 70cm in girth, and could hold approximately 200 liters of magic water each.

    I went to the rear of the truck and opened a rear hatch, revealing the drainage hose. Just like my original worlds version, it had a lever and a nozzle attached. If I pulled the level, the tanks content will be discharged from the nozzle. I put the nozzle in the opening of a barrel, then pulled the lever to begin transferring the water into it. Malta-san and Bill-san rushed forward as soon as they heard the sound of water pouring down.

    This is real magic water. Im really at a loss for words

    Chairman, Im also at a loss for words

    Seeing that both Malta-san and Bill-san were impressed, I continued to fill the barrels with magic water. Eventually, all 12 barrels were filled full with the magic water. The next part was for the employees. I returned the M978 to the garage as soon as I was done; no presence of it was left whatsoever. Only then, were the employees allowed to enter the warehouse.

    Alright, guys! Its all up to you now! Put the lids on and load them onto the carriage. Well send them to the capital tomorrow morning!

    The amount of magic water would be enough to supply Barga for a while. So, the excess will be sent to the capital. There, the Magicians Guild and Alchemist Guild will buy it. Of course, my name would not be included in any documents.

    Finished with my delivery, I returned to the inn to prepare for tomorrows harvest festival.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68

    A day after I returned from that delivery job, I hitched a ride on a patrol carriage from Barga to Miral Vige, west of the city. It was still early in the morning when I arrived, and there were a lot of people headed in the same direction. Not only adventurers but also children. Dont tell me theyre going to the same ce

    When my stop came into view, the queue could be seen from the carriage already. There were many carriages moving between the two locations. Now, I was considering using my own vehicle; plenty of adventurers had their own horses anyways. But even if I stayed off the highway, I couldnt guarantee I wont be seen. So, I had no other choice but to hop in line.

    With the closing of thebyrinth on the horizon, Lord Franklin Barga (Lord of Barga) hade as well. Currently, he was staying within the Miral Vige Chiefs abode. This was mentioned by the skewer vendor I had met on the road. The vige wasnt the only ce with an uptick in activity because of the festival, though.

    A 2 hours ride by carriage to the west, there was the Emerald Demons Labyrinth camp. The ce was still full of tents stretching through the forested road; filled with adventurers.

    Arge tent had also been prepared for visitors who couldnt find any lodging within Miral. I too needed to secure lodging, as the sun was setting. I have to book myself a bed in arge tent before the sun went down. With so many people gathering in one ce, naturally, the crime rate would rise. I saw fully armored knights passing by; probably on patrol between the vige and the Labyrinth.

    Simply speaking, the Harvest Festival was like, well, a festival. Lanterns illuminated the street sides and houses along the forested road; just like a carnival. Apparently, this was how the night portion of the festival went. There also were otherrge tents. These ones acted as taverns or restaurants instead of makeshift lodging. I came to wonder if the people working at the restaurant sent their menu here. I had noticed some of the dishes served were authentic menu items.

    There were also tents for the children. I peered into a tent where, I think, a y was being performed. Who knew that, among these tents built for those to conquer thebyrinth, some were meant for creative ys? Some performed puppetry shows. The puppeteer controlled a cat beastman doll deftly, it was killing a goblin-like monster doll. Could that be Mitche-san?

    Drawn in by my curiosity, I watched the show alongside the parents and their children. The story was of a lords daughter whod gone to challenge thebyrinth with herpanions; conquering thebyrinth and brilliantly reaching its core Tsk I wasnt in the y though Well, I guess theyre just being creative, nothing wrong there. But then, I saw that a few dolls looked like the Rafflesia Knights, and yet, not me

    Was it that unexpected? Of course, its not unexpected, right?

    I paid the fee after the show was over and headed down the road. I caught a whiff of liquor mixed with food, and the sound of people cheering andughing. Was that the sound of a musical instrument? I heard something akin to a melodying from somewhere.

    In this world, a sessfulbyrinth subjugation was a happy asion; even I could feel it. Meanwhile, delicious scents sneaked into my nostrils. This reminded me of how hungry I was. Looking for something to eat, I went to check on several of the tents that acted as restaurants.

    Ah! Schwartz, nya~!

    I heard someone call my name from a tent, the fragrant smell of grilled fill came from it.

    Ah-! If it isnt Schwartz, nya! Here,e ere!

    The ones who called out to me turned out to be Sasanquas Mitche-san and Marinda-san. Ruu-san was also sitting with them. Ruu-san didnt say anything, nor did she have any particr expression on her face. She only simply gestured for me toe over with her hand.

    Its been a while. Never thought that youd show up here of all ces.

    Sit sit~!

    The table they sat on at four chairs. Since one was vacant, so I decided to take the seat. Meanwhile, Ruu-san was banging the table with her hand. Was she already drunk or something?

    I couldnt care less about that, I was too hungry. So, I simply sat down. The waitress came to take my order soon after. Apparently, this was one of those tents run by a well-known restaurant that sent their men specifically for the festival. Beverages ranged from liquor to fruit juice. But since I didnt want anything weird, I settled a few tes and ale to sate my hunger; I gave the waitress some silver coins as payment.

    Nothing less from Schwartz, nya. I would be surprised if you ordered fruit juice, nya.

    I notice that Schwartz has arrived a bitte here! Where have you been?

    Malinda-san raised arge wooden mug, filled to the brim with ale. She downed the contents all at once.

    Eh, I went to the capital. Explored the Wolves Labyrinth.

    But those wolves are boring!

    Thats no good, nya. Nobody has found the path to go deeper than the 21st floor, nya. Its abyrinth with too much fighting, but too little treasure, nya. Best you can get, nya, is just collecting some magic water, nya.

    I always had this slight feeling that the Wolves Labyrinth wasnt too popr I rarely saw another Adventurer while diving there. So that was the reason.

    But you can make a decent amount of money from the magic water, right?

    Magic water doesnt sell that high! Not only is there a limit to the tool bag; going there to collect some feels nothing like conquering abyrinth. Only a coward would do a stupid thing like that.

    I-I see Lets avoid mentioning I made my money by collecting that magic water then

    The waitress arrived with my order in the meantime. Thus, I joined the others in enjoying the dinner. We also chatted about the festival; how the Emerald Demon Labyrinth was slowly closing in, being engulfed by the void.

    It was estimated to closepletely in three days. By then, a ceremony would be held at the Labyrinths entrance. In addition to that, Bargas City Lord would give a speech to praise Sasanqua for retrieving thebyrinths core. It would also be the official appearance of the three daughters of Lord Barga. Mainly Lapitilica-sama; as a member of Sasanqua.

    And this harvest festival will also end then.

    Mitche-san, with a lonely expression, jokingly said.

    The next day, I found myself in the Sasanqua ns tent. We had dinner together and took our time with merry conversation while enjoying drinks. When we finally left the tent, it had been toote in the night to return to the lodging tent. I was prepared to go without sleep, but fortunately, Mitche-san invited me to spend the night in the ns tent. So I got to sleep.

    In the tent, I met some of their other members for the first time, who immediately spirited Mitche-san away from me. I was then directed back to the spot I had slept.

    You were such a bully yesterday, nya.

    Youre the one who brought a guy in!

    Nya

    Only now did I remember that Sasanqua was a female-only n. So, maybe bringing a male in was some sort of taboo? I felt bad for staying the night here. After giving a quick morning greeting and a thank you to Mitche-san; who was being scolded by the others. I hastily left the tent.

    Speaking of which, Malinda-san and Ruu-san went to the vige chiefs abodest night. It seemed that their job as Lapitilica-samas escort was still going on.

    Although it was for drinking, I washed my face with the water from the water bottle, After feeling refreshed, I walked toward the entrance of the Labyrinth. The bustling noise ofst night was gone. Reced by the shouts of people wanting to get into the Labyrinth; vendors also offered breakfast or tools for exploring. Then I heard it.

    How about a Labyrinth bento box~! Thank you very much~!

    It was the voice of the bento box vendor from Marida Company. Somehow, that voice sounded familiar to me The stall was situated near the entrance. It was a fairly wide space, and apparently, they were also buying non-attribute stones on the side. Maridapanys priority was to buy as many of them as possible. This was the only ce they were sold after all. Aside from buying those and selling the bentos, they were also collecting salmon for the bentos.

    There was already a long queue at the stall. The line mostly consisted of regr parents, their children, workers, and even some adventurers. Apparently, the bento had be popr by word of mouth. I also queued up and waited for my turn while watching the sales. It seemed that a good result had been achieved during this test run. But there were worries over how itd fare after the festival.

    When my turn came, I finally got a look at the vendors. As I thought, it was Amy and Prici, dressed in cute aprons. Of course, they didnt know I was Shaft. I ordered a box, listened to their exnation on how to get a discount by submitting salmon. The exnation was short and easy to understand. It seems like we can expect to collect some profit from this.

    Malta-san said that, eventually, theyll find a way to make a cheaper disposable paper box. In the end, I couldnt tell how high this worlds technology level was. It was because of their technology revolving around mana and magic stones, which was beyond my knowledge. But it was still faster than I expected. It was also fun to watch how the technology and standard of living in this world steadily improve.

    I was living a pretty happy life now.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69

    It was two days until the Emerald Demon Labyrinth closed itself. With the Labyrinth open to the public now, waves of people queued to enter; even if only to spend digging up magic stones. Once its core was extracted, thebyrinth wouldnt spawn any more monsters. Instead, it produced non-attribute magic stones. How? Apparently, the monsters spawned by thebyrinth turned into those stones; they were buried about 5cm deep within the walls or ground.

    Thebyrinths restorative mechanisms would sometimes push the stones. This was in order to repair itself, and these could be easily picked up. As for the ones still buried, it had to be cut and/or dugout. While, normally, thebyrinths walls and floor were hard to destroy, it was still possible. As a result, the magic stone hunt and mining became a new craze for the people.

    I didnt bring tools though. Without them, I could only pick up any of the stones thebyrinth spewed out. But seeing how crowded it was, I realized how small of a chance I had to do that. So, I decided to just watch on while I wandered around thebyrinth. Thebyrinths pathways and the structure wereplex. It basically made a veryrge maze. A map was essential to go through it safely. I saw that almost everyone had a copy of what seemed to be the map I drew. I also saw a few people carrying the Marida Companys bento box.

    By the way, there was no lighting within thebyrinth. There were still some sources of light, such as the glowing grass, but people preferred to bringnterns or conjure up a ball of light. As for me, I brought antern myself. I wondered why some rooms were brighter than the others within thebyrinth. But as it turned out, those were the ces were people gathered to rest.

    Sitting in the corner of the rest area, I unpacked the bento box I bought earlier and took a short break myself. Once I finished eating, Id head outside and maybe see if there was a vendor selling tools for digging.

    Back on the surface, I looked around and found what I needed immediately. There was one next to the Marida Companys spot. I headed there and bought myself a digging tool.

    Eh, Ashley-san? What are you doing here

    Welc Schwartz-san!

    Sitting behind the vendors table, was Ashley-san.

    Fufu, this stall belongs to the General Guild. Were open for business, especially for a certain manuke who forgot themon sense to bring tools into thebyrinth.

    Of course, being a manuke makes it easier for her to make fun of me.

    Oh, I see. Although, being a manuke has nothing to do with me being forgetful

    I saw Schwartz-san leaving thebyrinth. Getting back so soon?

    Eh, yeah, I am. My job is done, so Im thinking of taking a break and getting some fresh air.

    Thank you for your hard work. Im also going on break soon. Would you like to have some tea with me?

    Sure, why not? Ill wait for you.

    Although it was sort of embarrassing, I unexpectedly reunited with Ashley-san. Its an opportunity to finally hand her the souvenir I bought back in the capital. While waiting for Ashley-san, I moved off to the side not to obstruct business and watched her work. Next to her, there were two more people manning the stall. Most likely other members of the guild. Each wore a in-looking apron over their winter outfits.

    After a while, Ashley-san handed her apron to someone else who came in just now, most likely her recement and made her way to me.

    Did I make you wait too long?

    Nah, I was having fun watching Ashley-san work.

    Surely you jest! Anyways, lets go. The tent selling delicious pound cake is just over there.

    I replied without much thought to it, but somehow, it made Ashley-san blush slightly. She tried to hide it by looking away and walked ahead of me. I hurried to catch up to her, walking at her side to the tent she mentioned. The tent was a small tent housing a kitchen. Chairs and tables were arranged around it like an impromptu outdoor restaurant. The setup had a boutique coffee shop that felt simr to my world. I pulled a chair out to let Ashley-san sit after I picked a suitable table.

    Thank you.

    Its nothing.

    After the trivial exchange, I sat across from her, then called to the nearby waiter to order a fruit pound cake and Darjeeling tea. Ashley-san also ordered the same things. We kept ourselves entertained while we waited for our orders by talking about many random things. For instance, how we felt about the harvest festival. As for Ashley-san, she was excited since it was the first harvest festival in several years.

    The waiter arrived without our cake and tea. The cake gave off a delicate scent of dried fruit and honey. Ashley-san eyed it with a wide smile. I was more interested in the Darjeeling tea instead. It was a dark orange-colored tea, served in a simple teacup. I could faintly smell the strong muscatel vor that wafted up along with the steam.

    Ashley-san eagerly raised her fork to eat while I sipped on my tea. The refreshing vor filled my mouth with a single sip. The tea had probably been brewed using specially picked leaves during the early summer. Ive tasted plenty of teas from different cafes before, but I had to say, the Darjeeling tea served here was the best out of all of them.

    The fragrance was refreshing and the subtle astringent vor would do well to enhance the sweetness of the fruit cake. This made it some of the best to apany the cake. seeing Ashley-sans expressions, I could tell she was on the same page.

    Delish-cious.

    Ashley-san hardly spoke while eating, but she had a charming smile; sometimes purring in delight with every bite she took.

    Ah, right. Ashley-san, the other day, I went to the capital and bought a souvenir from a store I visited. Here, Ill give it to you now.

    For me?

    Yes, for you.

    I hadnt known when Id meet Ashley-san again. So, I kept the trinket in my chest pocket. I took it out and presented it to her. There wasnt paper wrapping in this world yet, so the trinket had been kept inside a small wooden box, fastened by a red string.

    Thank you, can I open it?

    Of course. Hopefully, youll like it.

    She unfastened the string and opened the lid gently. After seeing the contents, she removed the lid and pulled the gift out.

    A Ruby ne?

    Do you like it?

    Yes, thank you! This is the first time someone gave me a gift like this.

    As it turned out, she thought itd be a hair ornament or earrings. However, Id taken her position as a Guild Investigator into consideration. Since the position might require some intense movement, thered be no worries about identally dropping it on the job if its a ring or ne. So, I decided to get her a ne. It was a choker style one with a thumb-size orchid colored ruby.

    I stood up and walked behind her.

    May I?

    Sure.

    I received the ne from Ashley-san and ced it around her neck.

    Thank you, but isnt this expensive? Are you sure you want me to take it? Look, even the chain seems to be made of mithril.

    Yeah. I heard that mithril has the bestpatibility with the rubys magical power.

    The ne certainly was expensive. I wouldnt have been able to buy it if for the bounty on Yagoche Company. How many souvenirs did I buy back then? 6 more, I think? I ended up spending more money than I wanted. By the way, the others werent as expensive as this one.

    I know that it may not have been wise to spend my hard-earned money on an expensive gift. But this was the only one I thought fit with her shining red hair. And now that I see it, I was correct.

    Its really pretty. So, shall we head back now?

    Eh? Ah, yes! Its time for me to rece the other employee.

    Well then, lets head back.

    Both Ashley-san and I got up and headed out. The cake and tea had been paid when itd been delivered. Since we already paid, it wasnt a problem to leave.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70

    This day was when the Emerald Demon Labyrinth was predicted to close. Yesterday, I had bought excavation tools and participated in thebyrinth explorati non-attribute magic stone mining. These were magical stones that held no elemental properties. If one gave them a good look, theyd be able to see something like a ck vortex or ck hole.

    The morning wasnt hot.

    I thought to put the excavated stones into my pouch and continue digging. I had spent the entire day just like that.

    The ceremony would begin shortly. A crowd had already gathered at the venue, at the front of thebyrinths entrance. An impromptu stage with a podium had already been prepared. The stage itself had been decorated with a crest, an eagle and a sword. Was it Duke Bargas crest?

    The first to appear was the Western Barga Knights, signaling the official start of the ceremony. Three knights appeared this time. At the front, was their vice-leader, Viscount Butler Keymand. I saw the two other knights behind him before at the Labyrinths entrance. They were probably squad leaders, but I didnt know their names. The crowd cheering grew louder, the next ones up were the Sasanqua members. Lapitirica wasnt with them. Only Frau-san, Mitche-san, Malinda-san, and Ruu-san in their knight-like yellow uniforms; most likely their ns uniform.

    The two groups took positions on the left and right sides of the stage. Whod make the next appearance? The surrounding people also stared in anticipation at the side of the stage.

    So there you are, Schwartz-kun.

    Someone behind me called out to me. When I turned to see, I saw Barold-san, an officer from the General Guild, standing there.

    Barold-san, long time no see. What brings you here?

    True, you havent visited the guild even once recently. Not to mention, youre hard to contact. Could I have some of your time? I have something urgent that I need to confirm.

    Yes, of course. I dont mind.

    Well then, follow me.

    I actually wanted to watch the ceremony, but I couldnt just refuse Barold-san said it was something urgent. I followed him to the General Guilds tent, built behind the ceremonys stage. The tent was empty, which made me wonder what Barold-san wanted to confirm. I was told to sit at the table and Barold-san sat opposite to me.

    Schwartz-kun, do you know how long its been since a Labyrinth was subjugated in the Barga region?

    I heard its the first in only a few years.

    4 years to be exact. The previousbyrinth was a bit south of here. A harvest festival was held then also. The lord of the territory, Duke Barga, was pleased with thebyrinths subjugation this time.

    Why of course. One of his three daughters, Lapitilica-sama participated in the subjugation. She would be finishing her training period with Sasanqua soon. She would then join the circle of nobility, and be married off to another powerful noble house. I dont know the marriage age here, but Im quite sure that she had to be young to be married off. Furthering the bloodline and bestowing the houses knowledge on magic, would undoubtedly, take a long time.

    Thats why the Duke wishes to invite all who participated in the subjugation to a dinner party.

    I see, but Ill have to decline the invitation.

    I thought youd say so  but we couldnt just report back without hearing it. So I had to confirm your rejection.

    Sorry for the trouble.

    No its alright, subjugating abyrinth wouldnt have been possible without your help. Even if it were, it would have taken much longer.

    I merely drew some maps, though.

    That was certainly a great help. Records of thebyrinth would neverst long. Labyrinths expand the more adventurers tried to explore it. That said, very little is known about your contribution. We just wanted to make sure you got the well-deserved reputation for your work.

    No, its not a problem, really. I was enlisted for a request, and I simply did my job ordingly. Thats is. If anything, I dont want my reputation to hinder me when I want to do something freely.

    Very well, well add you to the absentee list.

    List? Does the duke know about me?

    No. We only have the name of the participants. We didnt list what they were responsible for. Many of the guilds employees were also invited. So, its like a job in a way  some also arent able to attend, so Ill add your name on the same list.

    I see. Thanks then.

    If I was on the Dukes watch list, the subjugation of the Wolves Labyrinth would be dyed further. Since were making money on the magic water, itll be best if I remained unnoticed. I dont want to be the center of attention here. I just dont like it.

    Afterward, I caught up with Barold-san. I could hear the cheers of the crowd outside, followed by a speech. This voice belonged to Duke Barga himself. The speechs held praises for the Barga Knights, Sasanqua, and most importantly, his daughter Laptilica-sama.

    More cheers followed afterward.

    Its closing?

    Barold-san muttered.

    I couldnt witness the moment myself, but onebyrinth had finally closed. Not only did the cheering not stop, but it also got louder. How do the people in this world feel about it? I thought as I listened.

    The Kurtmerga Kingdom was in the middle of celebrating the new year now. People here didnt know what New Year was, but they had the custom to celebrate theing of the new year. now that I mentioned it, they also didnt have Christmas, or New Years Eve either.

    I was in the Marida Companys Reception room in the Fort City of Barga. It was January 14th, and up until yesterday, Ive been exploring the Wolves Labyrinth. To be more precise, I took a break on the 3rd because it was New Years holiday. During it, I went out with Ashley-san to eat. I also checked on the sales of the magic water. To be honest, it was a busy day.

    Inside the Wolves Labyrinth, I drove the M978 around. As I mapped the floor, I was collecting the water in the process. The magic water was being sold to the Magician and Alchemist Guilds ended up at 20% less than the price of a regr magic recovery potion. Malta-san appeared to know ahead of time, but it was still a rip-off

    Furthermore, we apparently brought too much. The Guilds couldnt buy it all at once, for the time being; we had to content ourselves with signing a contract to split the purchase. The share between Malta-san and I was set at a 6:4 ratio

    Not many adventurers could get their hands on a tinum coin (10,000,000 ol) in their lifetime..

    Malta-san joked.

    Since the value of things was differentpared to my world,m I had to estimate 1 ol was equal to 1 yen. Our supply would increase after this trip as well. Weve also decided to take small orders to avoid tanking the price. Also, Id only the water to the Marida Company.

    Schwartz-san, sorry to call you all of a sudden.

    No, its okay. Is it an urgent matter?

    Yes, its the Rot Poison Dagger. Ive found a buyer.

    Ah, thats good, but why is it urgent?

    No, thats not the only thing. Apart from the dagger, have you heard about the cases of the ambushes around the Capital? The buyer also wanted to make a short term escort request and specifically asked for Shaft-sama.

    So thats why.

    After I registered myself as Shaft at the Mercenary Guild, Ive been in and out of Barga. However, if someone checked with the guild, they may have found that Malta-san was myst employer. Thus, they decided to contact him on my whereabouts.

    Ive heard that you received a rmendation to raise to C-Rank recently; is there a simr system in the Mercenary Guild?

    No, only the General Guild uses that rank system. The Mercenary Guild merely acts as a middle-man to hire their members.

    Mercenary, simply put, was a sub-profession. While guilds, like General Guild and cksmiths guild, could be considered as a main-profession. The Mercenary and Research Guilds were sub-professions. Production-based guilds are different from an adventurer in terms of their ranking. Their ranks were grades, divided by their specialty, such as ck Smith rank-3, or Leather Craftsman rank, etc.

    Shouldnt they hire an adventurer with a higher rank than Shaft instead?

    Normally, itd be sensible to do so. Any adventurer can receive a request to escort a merchant without being affiliated with the Mercenary Guild. But they wont be allowed to ess special ces without being a member of said guild.

    What do you mean by special ces?

    Banquet held within a nobles mansion or the Royal Pce.

    As if I wanted to go there.

    Who is the client anyways?

    His Excellency, Duke Franklin Barga.

    So hes the client I couldnt help but feel that this was a bad idea.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    A request to escort someone as Shaft was delivered to me by Malta-san. I had a hunch that it was impossible to turn the request down when I heard.

    No need to worry about me, but I will stop getting in touch with you if you turn this down.

    Malta-san said. As one of the prominent merchants within the capital, and one with the right to purchase the goods from the harvest festival; there was no way a mercenary like me couldnt take the request. Still, I was worried about this request, even if she had put it up. Malta-san said the client wasnt the duke himself, but the third daughter- Lapitirica-sama  I believe.

    Lapitirica-sama Or should I call her Lari-san? She was a friend of mine who had walked through the, now destroyed, Emerald Demon Labyrinth with me. If she was the daughter of some unknown aristocrat, Id only mind Malta-san. But she wasnt a stranger at all.

    Understood. For now, lets listen to the story about Shaft as we go. Two dayster, Ill go to thepany as Shaft. Please convey the message to the Lord.

    Certainly. Please, do all of the preparations here.

    Malta-san bowed his head deeply as he spoke. I figured Id listen to the story, and mostly refuse, depending on the situation. As Ive decided, Id return to the inn for the night.

    The next day, I departed from the Fort City of Barga as Schwartz, spent a day walking to the south. When dawn came, I returned to Barga as Shaft. Even though it was early in the morning, I returned to the Marida Company. As it came into my sight, I saw some people on a wagon delivering goods to the warehouse. And as they were unloading, a guard came around the wagon.

    Ah! Its Shaft!

    If you raise your voice and shout Ah! like that, guards around you will draw their swords, you know. The one who saw me was the silver-haired fox beastmen, Silvara.

    Its alright, hes a guest of thepanys chairman.

    The one who calmed the guards was her golden-haired sister, Alm.

    Looks like youve been doing well as an escort, huh?

    Its all thanks to you.

    Yep, thanks to you, I can live like this.

    Fu, while youre at it, Ive just unlocked the door. Leaving that aside, is Malta-san here? I came because I heard he called for me.

    Wait for a bit, please! Nee-san, Ill call the leader in a second.

    Amongst the guards guarding thepanys wagon, only Alm and Silvara knew of Shaft. The rest had no idea who he was. After a while, the Branch Manager, Bill-san appeared from the store. I hadnt told him about switching from Schwartz to Shaft, but I may get the opportunity to tell him.

    Please,e inside. Ive been waiting for you.

    Bill-san backed away slightly from how intimidating the Tactical Ker Mask I wore was. Itd be best if I told him about it soon

    Good morning, Shaft-sama. Ive been expecting you.

    Im sorry since its early in the morning. But would it be alright for the Branch manager toe with me?

    Eh? M-Me?

    Bill-san, who was normally gentle and calm, showed confusion Ive never seen to my question. Malta-san seemed to have caught the intention of my proposal and moved aside. Bill-san sat in front of me timidly. Malta-san smiled This person was enjoying the situation, wasnt he?

    My map and sound sensor disyed that no one was outside the room. After I confirmed that no one would hear our conversation, I removed the mask.

    Sch-Schwartz-san?!

    Bill, tone it down. This thing about Shaft-sama is also Schwartz-sans secret that you cannot tell anymore.

    Good morning, Bill-san. Im keeping this a secret for a variety of reasons. Thinking of the future though, I think itd be best for Bill-san to know too. And that youd follow along.

    Is that so? Whats the magic tool do you use to change your voice? Now I get why the Chairman fully trusted Shaft.

    Yes. Not only did I change the mask, but also the voice.

    To get my voice back, I needed to change themunication setting in the TSS. It didnt take much to get used to, I think.

    No information about Schwartz-sama Shaft-sama may be published. Either way, I dont believe youd just spill it out.

    Upon saying so, Bill-san promised he wouldnt reveal what Ive said. After that, Bill-san went to Lord Bargas home to report beforehand. I couldnt resist the castle suddenly. I had Malta-san check on things around the duke. I also checked whether or not there were any taboos and a few other things.

    Bill-san returned and told me itd be best to go around noon. Meanwhile, Malta-san and I decided to spend the time before that to confirm the job.

    As our appointment came closer, Malta-san and I stayed at Bardage castle, the white building at the center of the citadel city. Bardage Castleposed of arge castle at the sites center, and four spires around it. Several one-story buildings were also on the premises. After informing the guards at the game of my appointment, and confirming my ID, I went inside.

    We left the carriage with Bill-san as we went inside under the sentinels guidance. The duke was said to be in the middle of his duties, so we were taken to his office. I strengthened my wariness with my ck mask. The guard guided us, and from behind, I could feel another two join us. My sensors caught a voice saying Please,e in from the office. When prompted by the guard, Malta and I went in by ourselves.

    Excuse me, Im Malta from Marida Company.

    Im Shaft from the Mercenary Guild.

    The office was wider than I had expected. There was an office desk and bookcase to the front. To the side, there were two sofas facing each other with a table in between. A space for visitors. Those who were already sitting on the sofa was a man, in his prime, and Lapitrica-sama; the Third Daughter of Duke Barga.

    Lapitrica-sama didnt wear her priest-like robes from when I met her at the Emerald Demon Labyrinth. Now, she wore a long yellow dress that matched her short blonde bob hair instead. The man next to her was the Duke. In his mid-forties, you could see his brown hair mixed with a few white hairs. When I entered, I could feel him gauging me with his mustache and thin, sharp eyes.

    Was that an escort knight behind the sofa? A young man with a face that vaguely resembled the duke stood there. His armor, full silver te mail shaped like the other knights in the western part of Barga. However, the design was painted with blue lines. I could infer that this meant he was higher than regr knights.

    Ive been troubling you, Malta. And youre the ck-masked Shaft, right? Well, please sit down for now and discuss the matter, shall we?

    Yes, if youll excuse me.

    Duke Barga was a man with a surprisingly gentle demeanor;pletely different from what I thought hed be like. Since Id been offered a seat, I thought itd be better for me to sit and listen.

    You, could you please take off your mask in front of his Excellency?

    The knight standing behind the two called out to me.

    Im sorry. Because I have a scar left on my face, its not something worth exposing, especially in front of Lapitrica-sama.

    No worries, since its Lari-sama, you need not worry. Just take off the mask and show us your face.

    This knight- did he just call Lapritica by her nickname in front of the duke? Was it because of his high status? Or were they perhaps rted? I noticed Malta-san had be restless now. Certainly, this development was as expected. ording to nobles way of thinking, it seems these high-ranked people wouldnt continue with my mask on.

    For this reason, I- -put my hands on the mask, and took it off.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    Hiii!

    Lapitricia-sama, as I took my mask off, let out a small shriek. I had be an adventurer right after I reached adulthood, and she only saw me when we reached the deepest part of thebyrinth as a C-ranked adventurer. Looking at my face now across the table, she couldnt help but raise her voice.

    The face beneath the mask obviously wasnt Schwartzs face. Taking into ount their way of thinking, I definitely had to show my face. Without any preparation, I wouldnt have met with the Duke. Until the heat is off, I shouldnt take any actions yet as Shaft. And my face right now was systematically changed by customizing the avatar. This didnt mean I could just freely change Schwarts face.

    It wasnt possible for me to change the bone structure, shape of the eyes, and the nose. However, moles, scars, tattoos, face paint, and other things could be set as facial essories.

    I applied the face paint I got during a limited-time event in VMB  a zombies face. There was a bnce with the mans bat mask. Only the upper half of the face had been processed, but I changed the skins color to red. And made the eyes a cloudy white, painting the skin around it inmed. The eyeballs were pushing out from the skin. There was no outer skin on the right side, and the facial muscles were exposed. The forehead looked burnt, and I had no hair.

    Is this alright?

    A-ah, its alright for you to wear the mask.

    Just as I was about to put it back on, I caught sight of Malta-sans surprised expression. No, no, havent I told him about this before? Heres the thing, arent there magic or magical tools that cast illusion magic that can change ones face? Since such things exist, I would be able to carry on using this method.

    Shaft-kun, lets start our conversation over, shall we?

    The man who sat beside Lapitricia-sama spoke after I put the mask back on.

    Yes, I have no doubt that youre his lordship, Duke Franklin Barga, right?

    Thats right, I am Franklin Barga. The knight beside me is Steed Barga, Leader of the Western Barga Knights, And then this girl, the once I request for you to escort, is Lapitrica Barga.

    So this Knight is the leader of the knights, huh. Theres no doubt he must also be escorting Lapitrica

    Im Shaft.

    While sitting on the sofa, I lowered my head respectfully. Ive asked Malta-san about some simple courtesy before, but Im honestly not sure to what extent I could do it correctly. Well, I could only hope that there wasnt a problem since Ive shown sincerity.

    Ive heard rumors of you from my subordinates.

    Rumors?

    Yes, something like a mercenary wearing a ck mask, whopletely destroyed the Royal Capitals risingpany, Yagoche Company. Also single-handedly crushing the bandit group Onibasu. And wouldnt hesitate to destroy the Royal Capital for the sake of protecting their client. The underground in the Royal Capital is saying one shouldnt get involved with the ck-Masked Mercenarys client.

    What the hell is that Theyrepletely exaggerating

    It sounds like an overly dramatic rumor.

    Is that so? But I want to be rumored like that too.

    With that said, If I escort Lapitrica-sama, I could suppress the development of those who believed in the rumors?

    Thats right. And of course, Ill be looking forward to witnessing your own power. There are only two escorts allowed to be brought into the Royal Castle and the banquet; a man and a woman, so I wanted to request someone stronger who could influence the surroundings there.

    Your lordship, Id be the one to exin the matters in detail.

    Is that so? Then, please do.

    As he finished saying so, Leader Steed looked to me.

    Shaft, our request for you as an escort wouldst for about a month. Lari and his Lordship are going to the Royal Capital in a few days. Theyre going to stay there for a few days. Then, theyll visit a few other cities before returning to the Royal Capital again. Afterward, the request wouldst until theye back to Barga again.

    Is the important point of the request escorting on the highway?

    The highway is important, but you must always stay by Laris side. When they arrive in the Royal Capital, and the other cites, they will attend scheduled events. You have to participate as well.

    I understand Your Lordship, is Lapritrica-sama being targeted by someone? If any dangers arise, and the reason was because of me, dont you think its necessary to make a request to the Adventurers Guild since the Lapritica-sama was in Sasanqua?

    Its certainly like that. But the Knights of Barga cannot leave Sasanqua is certainly a trustworthy n, but there are a lot of noble daughters like Lari who were apart of Sansaqua. These girls would never go into high society life unless theyre sessful.

    Mitche-san certainly said that But would it be alright for an ordinary mercenary like me to go? As I thought so, I tried not to care too much about it. However, it seemed the Duke had reasons to express.

    Moreover, Shaft-kun, I didnt intend to leave Lari just for anyone to escort. Im resolute about that, so I searched for an escort who is more powerful than normal people, and it could be no one other than you.

    Duke Bargas thin, sharp eyes continued to catch my cloudy eyes behind the mask. This person was the type to judge people by their eyes, and he kept searching mine.

    Im not the only mercenary out there.

    Naturally, my eyes lock onto his and were unable to part. Contrary to his soft demeanor and tone, I could see his man had strong beliefs and confidence. He didnt seem to be the type whod simply give up.

    No, youre different. I know from Marida Company that your social status is guaranteed. Its hard to think about an ordinary adventurer who also works as a mercenary just by Maltas description. I thought that at first. But now that I see you, I know that youre a suitable candidate for this request.

    This is Making it difficult to refuse. To start with, I had no precise reason to refuse. There were, of course, other jobs for me to apply. However, were there any other jobs that took priority over a Dukes request? Since I came unprepared now, it should be fine for me to ept the request.

    Whats more, if I refuse this request, I would stain Marida Companys reputation. Needless to say, itd also ruin my reputation if I refuse.

    Alright. Ill ept bing Lapitrica-samas escort.

    Is that so? Then, Ill ask for your favor, Shaft-jun.

    Haa, but again, what should I protect Lapitrica-sama from?

    I asked this some time ago, but I needed to confirm it. I needed the information since I decided to escort her. Steed answered my question.

    From everyone.

    Everyone?

    Protect her from all the nobles, along with their daughters of adult age; living in society life who use sorcery.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73

    When I asked Duke Barga about his request to escort Lapitricia-sama, and what I was looking out for, the knight spoke. The answer was to protect her from the nobles who used sorceryAllof them? Were all the nobles with magical powers in Kurtmerga Kingdom that dangerous?

    Steed, youre exaggerating it. Shaft-kun, the people most likely to harm Lari are the nobles with magical powers. Still, not all of them are hostile, so theyre not entirely our enemies.

    To begin with, why are the magical nobles here likely to harm Lapitricia-sama, your daughter?

    Duke Bargas eyes narrowed in response. He then shifted his nce to Malta-san, who sat beside me.

    Because the Third Prince, Ark Kurtmerga, has the right to seed the throne, isnt it?

    Malta-san said in response to the stare.

    This year, Prince Ark will turn 15 years old, bing an adult. Over the course of the year, he will elect one an aristocrats daughter of this country to be his consort. If Im not mistaken, Lapitrica-sama should be the youngest of all of them. She has also seeded in subjugating abyrinth. She is also apart of the Barga Family, a high peerage, so she is one of the best candidates to be a consort.

    Thats right, of course, they wouldnt attack her openly. Even so, Im quite worried.

    I understand, but since Im only an escort for a month  wouldnt that be meaningless if something happens after?

    Haha, you need not worry about that. When Januaryes, Ive decided that Ill talk to all the nobles with magical powers.

    I could say for sure that these nobles were going to be taken care of, politically, in January. Afterward, Malta-san and I left the office. We confirmed the details in a separate room with Steed. Namely, scheduling and rewards. The escort mission would start soon. Tomorrow morning. Malta-san and I sat facing each other in the carriage on the way back.

    Shaft-sama, is it alright for you to ept? I was very surprised when you took off your mask back there. That face was

    Fufu. Since theyve seen that face, they wont be able to associate me with Schwartz anymore, right? Besides, I also thought of using different weapons during the mission.

    Since Shaft-sama has decided to ept, Ill do my best to help as much as I can.

    That would help me a lot. But I may not have enough time to buy non-attribute stones for a month. So, Ill buy up the magic stones avable in thepany.

    Well provide it for you, so you dont have to pay for it.

    No, Ill pay you ordingly. Since weve always been helping each other, please ept my money as thanks.

    If thats so, well humbly ept.

    As the carriage rolled along, he bowed his head.

    At the Marida Companys Barga branch employees lodging, a private room had been rented for Shafts personal use. There, I checked the equipment needed for the mission tomorrow. If Lapitricia-sama saw weapons simr to the ones Schwartz usually used, she could think there was a connection between the two. In order to avoid that, I chose a different loadout. I took out arge number of weapons from the supply box summoned via the TSS.

    The first was the Smith & Wesson E&E Tomahawk. This was a throw-able melee weapon, sold by the American S&Wpany. Its overall length was about 40cm, and the de was about 20cm, including the projection of the axs head. I took out four of these.

    The next one would be the Welrod ver VMB, a suppressed pistol developed in Britain. It would go on to be the main armament of this time. The Welrod was developed especially for military use in WWII. It resembled a Tonfa, because of its shape. It used the 919 Parabellum cartridge. Itd designed after the real-life version. With a capacity of 5-8 rounds, itd been turned into a semi-automatic weapon rather than a bolt action.

    It could also be used as a Tonfa because of its shape.

    For this request, Ill be using the Welrod, tomahawk, and the Special Electromaic baton as my basic loadout. Ive also prepared the FMG-9 to carry beneath my clothes. I chose the melee weapons so I could avoid firing guns in the mansion and ballroom. It was also to deceive Lapitricia-sama by using fighting techniques; which was different from Schwartzs and guard her as I fight in close quarters.

    However, a problem arose when I tried it this way. That was my CQB ability. However, when I was mapping the Wolves Labyrinth, and collecting the magic water, I had the chance to test it out. With this in mind, what would happen if I used the powered-suit to enhance my physical ability to the max? Would it increase my attack?

    To confirm this, using the baton, I thought of the melee attack from VMB. Sensing my intention, I felt power running through my body. Leaving everything to my power, I could use the move just like when I was in-game. From the side, I swung at a Skeleton I was fighting and crushed its knee. I moved to the side and swung the baton down on its neck while turning around it.

    If it were VMB, the enemy yers neck would have broken, but the current opponent would not die unless his magic stone left its body. So I hit the magic stone from its body.

    I, who lived in the previous world, hadnt learned anybat techniques, of course. However, most of VMBs yers were the same. And in order to fight in the game, support systems were required for meleebat. The system was also here as well. Since I knew about it, I had been using meleebat. I had taken out all the melee weapons in my inventory and repeated the CQC attacks I used in-game.

    The amount of practice was not enough, but that was for the future. And in the future, I nned to integrate my CQC.

    The next morning, I was in the Marida Companys carriage and about to head towards Bardage Castle.

    Malta-san, could you hold these for me?

    Haa, what is it?

    As a final test, I handed over the Tomahawk and the baton over to Malta-san.

    You can hold them, but what about these?

    I hand over the Welrod to him.

    Do I also need to hold this? Haa!?

    The Welrod turned into bits of light and disappeared. However, the tomahawk and the baton did not.

    Thank you, youve been a great help.

    Haa, if its fine for Shaft-sama then its not a problem for me.

    I wanted to confirm this before starting my job as Lapitricia-samas escort. I know that firearms couldnt be handed over to others. On the other hand, it was possible for avatar items. Well, what would happen to melee weapons? The answer was, only firearms couldnt be passed over to others.

    Youre asking why the need for me to confirm this?

    Looks like weve arrived. In that case, take care, Shaft-sama.

    Aa, see youter, Malta-san.

    I got off the carriage. Then I informed the guards out front of my appointment and went inside with the guards guidance.

    Weapons are prohibited inside the castle. The weapons sorting and tool bags are here.

    Yesterday, with Malta-san, I had the weapons I brought checked. But since Ive asked Malta-san beforehand, I attended without any. Yet, today was different. It seems that from now on, Ill be escorting her despite not having any. As prompted by the guards, I took out and ced the baton and four tomahawks on the table. The moment they saw me taking out the tomahawks, the guards eyebrows twitched.

    Isnt that the ck Masks weapons?

    I heard some murmurs from the guards around me. After Id been finished, the guards checked my body. When it was over, it was time to see Lapitrica-sama, who was waiting for me.

    Excuse me, Lapitricia-sama, Ive brought Shaft.

    Please,e in.

    It didnt seem like I was being taken into a private room. It was a salon A parlor, I think? The guards urged me through the door, but I didnt want too. The parlor was painted with a cream color. Arge window had been installed to allow light to enter. Two women were basking in the sunlight, sitting at the table.

    One had short, blonde hair; a girl around ten who wore a light blue dress. Her soft demeanor, which was inherited from her parents, embodied in her smile as she chatted with the woman. Her smiling pink lips were like small sakura petals  she was Lapitrica-sama.

    The other one sitting across from her was

    Ashley

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    There are only two escorts allowed in the Royal castle and the banquet

    Duke Franklin Barga had said this. In other words, I and a woman would be escorting Lapritrica-sama.

    Ive been waiting for you, Shaft-san. Ashley-san, hes the other escort. Shaft-san.

    Lapitricia-sama introduced me to Ashley-san. I closed the parlors door behind me quietly. Somehow, I felt like escaping as I closed it. Ashley-san got up from her hair and walked towards me. The morning like caught the mithril chair and the ruby that hung around her neck in the morning light. And her hair swayed with each step she took.

    I felt fascinated by her beauty from behind my mask, and I wasnt able to take a step; until she stood before my very eyes.

    Nice to meet you, Im Ashley Zepanell. Ill be escorting her along with you for about a month. Lets get along, Shaft  -?

    Upon saying so, her head tilted sideways as she looked me in the eyes. Her expression changed in a sh. She was clearly doubting something, because she knitted her thin, even eyebrows.

    Schwartz-san, what are you doing hiding yourself with a mask?

    There was quite some distance from the parlors entrance and where Lapitricia-sama was. So even though Ashley-san said that with a loud voice, it seems that I didnt need to be concerned with Lapitrica-sama hearing it. Wait, thats not the problem here! Why was I found out?! I havent said anything yet! Im wearing the ker mask and had the zombie face below it! Ive never wore this kind of cloths in anybination before!

    Im shaft. Did you perhaps confuse me with someone else?

    For some reason, I also replied in a loud voice. I dont think my voice was shaking.

    Ive heard that the other person whos to escort with me is the ck Masked Shaft. If you dont mind, would you please show me whats under the mask?

    She said that, in an equally loud voice. Our distance closed as she brought her face closer and forcefully peered into my eyes, which were covered with the mask.

    If I showed my face, shed have no choice but to see I was not Schwartz.

    I put my hands on the mask, and slowly took it off. I could see Lapitricia-sama flinch slightly as I did so. Ashley-sans eyes didnt part from mine, even when I showed the zombie face.

    Ahh, Schwartz, whats with this face

    Ashley-san refused to avert her gaze from my face. But what showed in her eyes were tears which reflected the morning sun. Tears that looked like theyd overflow soon  glitering

    Her right hand approached my face, but didnt touch it. Though, I immediately understood that she avoided doing so because she was concerned and mustve thought,would it hurt if I touch it?

    I put my mask out and called out to the person behind Ashley-san.

    Lapitricia-sama, would you mind waiting for little bit?

    Eh? Ehm, I dont mind

    I took Ashley-san  lightly  by her right hand, and took her out of the parlor. The guards who stood a bit away from the door shifted their attention to us. Suddenly appearing, they checked if everything was alright. I continued to pull Ashley-san and walked a bit down the passage. Taking her to a ce were people wouldnt hear us.

    Ashley-san, here should be fine, right?

    Schwartz-san, whats the meaning of this?

    Ill talk about the detailster. To put it short, Im living a double life as both Schwartz and Shaft in various ways. As for now, Id appreciate it if you could address me as Shaft.

    I couldnt say for sure if Ashley-san, who stared at me, truly understood what I was saying.

    I understand. But is your face alright?

    Dont worry, this is just a disguise. Theres nothing to be worried about.

    Is that so-  Im d

    Lets return, shall we? Lapitricia-sama is waiting for us, after all.

    Have you two finished talking?

    Im sorry to keep you waiting. Im d to be Lapitricia-samas escort from here on.

    I dered, but truthfully speaking, my heart wasnt in the situation. I wasnt sure how, but Ashley-san had figured out I was Schwartz with one look. I still didnt know where I wascking that she could recognize me immediately; Ill ask herter. If my disguise could be revised, then I should do so.

    After that, I must talk about Shaft to Ashley-san too. But thats the same as informing her about me as the Shaft that caused thatmotion in the Royal Capital. And he was a murderer who ughtered people there.

    Given that, I felt that it would much harder to tell her about that than the power of VMB

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    Of the three of Duke Bargas daughters, its nice that I got to escort Sansaquas former member, Laptiricia-sama. I will also be escorting her alongside the Guild Researcher Ashley-san. As of now, I am staying in the waiting room next to Laptiricia-samas private room. The role had been decided from the beginning.

    The male escort would apany the client wherever she goes, and protect her with force if needed. The female escort would act as a courtdy and protect the subject while she is staying in her room. As for a courtdy, their responsibilities were to assist, usually, a noblewoman and server to their needs. But unlike servants, courtdies were expected to be well versed in governmental duties.

    In short, Ashley-san was dispatched for this mission because of Laptiricia-samas need a woman with both secretarial and escorting abilities. In addition to having sufficient capacity for the job, she was also close to Lapitirica-sama.

    I couldnt freely enter or leave Laptiricia-samas private room; only being allowed to enter when summoned or if the situation called for it. Ashley-san took care of the secretarial works,ing and going from the room.

    Meanwhile, I was simply idle here. No, Im doing my job here, you know? Im monitoring the area via my map projected on the lenses of my ker mask. Im also listening to the surroundings via the sound sensor, so I could actually hear Laptiricia-sama and Ashley-san talking next door.

    Ashley-sama, how did you be acquainted with Shaft?

    That guy I met him during a survey for the General Guild.

    So, thats how! But, Ashley-sama Are you Not afraid when you look at his face?

    His face?

    Yes. During my stay on Sazanka, Ive been through various dungeons and subjugations. Of course, Ive also fought undead before, but I didnt fear them. Actually, this is the first time Ive felt scared when seeing someones face.

    Laptiricia-sama, youre about to enter the social world. You may start seeing Prince Ark in the future, but before that, youll meet a lot of magical races and nobles first. You should remember this, never be fooled by their appearance. Simrly, do not judge Shaft by his appearance. Hes trustworthy, and no matter what happens, he will definitely protect you.

    Is that so? Ive heard rumors about the ck Mask Shaft. It is said that he was the one responsible for blowing up the Yagoche Companys storehouse, killing everyone inside.

    Right, the guild does keep track of hisbat record. Looking only at the number, it was indeed an insane number of victims, but he also rescued six women during that incident; four of which, were totally unrted who just happened to be at the scene. If he was such a merciless and brutal person they made him out to be, do you think hed be willing to save someone else whos unrted to him?

    That I dont know.

    Thats why, Laptiricia-sama, you must be able to firmly identify a persons true worth; be it Shaft, or any noble you meet in the future.

    Alright, Ashley-sama.

    At one point, I stopped looking at the map and simply stared at the ceiling. What she said about me being a mass murderer and a merciless vandal, I cant refute that. Nor can I really me her for being scared of me. Ashley-sans footsteps are approaching. Apparently, she was returning to the waiting room.

    Shaft, were heading out to the terrace to freshen up.

    Roger that.

    Ashley-san told me before she headed back into the private room. I got up from my chair and left the waiting room. Standing guard in the corridor before Laptiricia-samas private room until ordered otherwise. Whenever we had the chance to be alone, I would chat with Ashley-san about my endeavors as Schwartz.

    About the zombie face, about Rafflesia, and about how I refused Remi-sans offer to join the guild so I could continue exploring dungeons solo. And that Shaft was created so that Schwartz  wouldnt be implicated with what I did. She quietly listened to all of what I had to say, and still chose to believe in me regardless.

    She only gave me on condition. That when Im acting as Shaft, I could call her Ashley. In return, she would call me Shaft. But when Im acting as Schwartz, she wont allow me to call her just Ashley.

    Of course, I agreed to it.

    A momentter, Laptiricia-sama came out of the room with Ashley-san in tow. Both the girls headed to the terrace. With the mapping process of the castle itself alreadypleted, I understood where it waspletely.

    The terrace was located on the castles third floor. It was a pretty spacious balcony, with a dome-roofed gazebo in the middle. While Laptiricia-sama and Ashley-san sat underneath it, I stood guard near the terraces entrance.

    Are theying to the terrace because its tea time? While I wondered about that, the princess took out a fairly thick book and proceeded to read it while she sipped her tea.

    From what I heard from them, apparently, its a picture book depicting the crest of the noble families. Perhaps shes learning about it to better recognize the nobles shell meet during tonights party. But can she really memorize it all?

    While looking around vigntly, I heard footsteps closing in on the terrace from within the castle. The first to enter the terrace was a maid pushing a tea cart. Right after was the Deputy Commander of the Barga Knights and Viscount Butler Caymon.

    Viscount Caymon was a knight I encountered during the Emerald Demon Dungeons conquest. Ive met him before as Schwartz, but this would be the first time hed met Shaft. Just like when we first met, he was wearing the silver full te armor, simr to what Captain Steed wore. The difference being that Captain Steeds armor was blue colored.

    Beyond here is Laptiricia Barga-sama. Would you please state your business?

    I stood in front of the door leading onto the terrace, preventing the well-groomed bearded knight from proceeding.

    Deputy Commander of the Western Barga Knights, Butler Caymon. Id like to confirm with Laptiricia-sama regarding her Highnesss travel schedule.

    A moment, please?

    I asked Butler and the maid to wait outside the terrace while I headed towards the gazebo. Ashley immediately noticed I wasing.

    Something happened?

    Deputy Commander-dono is here to confirm her Highnesss travel schedule, and a maid came to deliver more tea.

    Shaft-san, please allow them in.

    It was Laptiricia-sama who responded. She didnt seem to be that afraid of my zombie face. Maybe she has gotten over it somehow.

    As you wish.

    I bowed, cing my right hand above my leg and sliding one left slightly back before I headed back to the entrance.

    Deputy Commander-dono, sorry for the wait. Laptiricia-sama has been expecting you. Pleasee in.

    Thank you. By the way, arent you that ck Masked Shaft?

    My name is just Shaft. ck Mask is not my name.

    Hoo, I leave Laptiricia-sama in your care.

    Yessir.

    This person didnt seem to realize that I am actually Schwartz. Keeping my head down, I waited until Viscount Caymon passed through.

    When I talked to Ashley-san during our spare time, she refused to mention how she recognized me as Schwarts immediately. The only reply I got was Its a secret , as she blushed and acted like a maiden in love. I could only feel embarrassed when she looked like that.

    Ah, well~ can Ie in too?

    When I turned to the source of the voice, I found the maid gripping the tea cart handle hard, seemingly scared.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    Ive already sent in Viscount Caymon to the terrace, so whats left was just the maid who fearfully waited on me to allow her to enter.

    Follow me.

    I motioned to the maid to follow me to the gazebo. Meanwhile, Viscount Caymon had already sat at one of the vacant chairs and begun discussing the schedule. The gazebo, where it sat center of the terrace, had cylindrical pirs with a dome roof. It was kinda like a pavilion if you ask me. Other than that, 90cm fences had been built inbetween the pirs, except for the entrance.

    I didnt go inside the gazebo, and merely watched the maid serve the tea to the others. What the maid seemed to serve lemon tea. She extracted the lemons from the tea cartspartment, sliced them with a fruit knife. Took out tea leaves then started to ce them in the teapot. 1 cup. 2 cups. 3 cups. 4 cups. 5 cups.

    Aint that too many?

    Nn?

    The maid abruptly stopped moving upon hearing my unintentionalment. The hand holding the teaspoon trembled.

    Arent there only 3 people here? You should only put one teaspoon more instead of two. Is there a need to prepare extra?

    I-Indeed.

    Count me out. And first of all, the price of those tea leaves are probably 2g~3g apiece right? You do know that, dont you?

    Ye-Yes.

    Then just put enough tea leaves in the pot for the people.

    Then I noticed one other thing. When I touched the teapot, the porcelian was cold to the touch.

    The teapot should be warm to produce delicious tea, do you know that?

    N-No, I didnt know that.

    Then, you do know that hot water is required to brew the tea, right?

    Pa-Pardon me.

    No, its okay. Then, whats the temperature of the water?

    I-It should still be hot; its in the holding bag.

    Take it out.

    Ye-Yes

    The slightly pale-faced maid extracted the pot from the tool bag from the tea pots lowerpartment. she handed the pot to me, so I opened the lid to check the contents. A hot mist came up from the water. It seemed to be good enough.

    I poured the water into the teapot and waited a bit. The maid only watched, fidgeting as she waited. Its as if she became my minion. Whatever. I transferred the hot water to the teapot with the leaves in already and handed the empty pot to the maid.

    Anyways, this is fine now. Please extract the tea leaves and put them in there.

    Ye-yes.

    Scared, the maid scooped the leaves up from the pot with a teaspoon and dumped them inside the newly warmed teapot. Next was to pour the hot water into it.

    Wait, the capacity for each person should be 150ml. Are you okay there?

    The maid didnt reply. She merely shook her head with teary eyes.

    Then let me.

    I received the hot water from the maid and poured it into the teapot.

    By pouring the hot water with the jumping method, it caused the tea leaves to move around due to convection. The tea leaves were divided into those that still floated on the surface and those that had sunk. After waiting for a while, the floating ones finally sunk as well.

    All the tea leaves finally sunk after about 3 minutes. While waiting for the tea taste to melt out, I exined to the maid that she could deliver the tea to try with the lemon cutlets to the gazebo shortly.

    I never thought that the ck mask would be so thorough about tea.

    When I realized that the three people, who were supposed to be in the middle of a meeting, had stopped to watch the exchange between the maid and me I have never been so grateful that I was wearing a mask at the moment. Because the face behind the mask was burning red and sweated profusely due to embarrassment.

    I never thought that Shaft would have that kind of hobby. Is there a certain way to put the lemon in?

    Lapitirica-sama listened silently, but with a smile on her face. I sensed no fear there. Its like the gant figure of Lapitiricia-sama I saw back in the Emerald Demon Dungeon had returned.

    Yes, pour the tea inside the teacup, but only put the lemon in before drinking. Stir lightly, and extract the lemon immediately. Leaving the lemon inside the tea for too long will cause the bitterness of the lemon skin toe out and affect the taste.

    Then lets do that. La, would you please?

    Ye-yes, Mdy.

    So that is the maids name.

    From within the gazebo, I could hear remarks such as Delicious or Tasty. But I chose to ignore it. I stood guard outside the gazebo alongside Maid La.

    Now that I thought about it, the tea I drank at Maridas Company was quite delicious. But the same couldnt be said with those served in the coffee shops and the restaurants in Barga. The taste differed vastly. It was probably the difference in the tea leaves quality, but this world hasnt really developed the proper way of brewing tea.

    I spent the rest of that day thinking about it.

    During the escort mission, Ashley and I would need to stay awhile in the Bardiche Castle. Ashley got to sleep in a private room inside the waiting area since shes a woman. Meanwhile, I would be staying in a separate room meant for guards a bit away from hers.

    The room had 2 bunk beds that could actually be used for up to 4 people, but for this asion, I got to monopolize the room for myself.

    ording to the schedule, wed be leaving for the Royal Capital on the next day. Then, a few dayster, head to the next city, Venere, in the east. Its said that Venere is thergest entertainment city within Kurtmerga. I thought that Id heard the name before. Sometimeter, I remembered that Yagoche intended to sell Maridas daughter and her maid to a high-end brothel there.

    Well stay in Venere for a couple of days, return to the capital and then finally, Barga. Our journey shouldnt be too dangerous. Although there are people like Yagoche out there, very few would dare to cross the Duke.

    The problem is after we arrive in Venere. It was arge city where many nobles gathered to discuss various topics theyd otherwise wouldnt mention in the capital. Be it politics, economy, or other topics.

    Both the Duke and the knights had a simr conception that if someone wanted to harm Lapitiricia-sama, itd be during her stay in Venere. However, even if everyone knows its dangerous, avoiding Venere during a nobles social debut was regarded as a serious matter

    I really didnt understand the mysterious world of nobles. But seeing as Ashley herself is a noble, had she also debuted in Venere before as well? And just what kind of family is the Zephanel? Ive meant to ask Ashley about it for a while. However, for some reason, I felt she was avoiding that topic.

    As for today, Lapitirica-sama was scheduled for training from morning to afternoon. An instructor from the Barga Mage Guild had been invited for it. And it took ce in the Knights training grounds just outside the castle.

    Lapitiricia-sama was 17 years old already. With the great merit of conquering the Emerald Demon Dungeon under her belt, it could be said that shed graduated from her training period. Still, as a member of a noble family famed for their magical abilities, she had further room for growth. No, shell be fighting on a different battlefield. for her, as a woman and mage, shell have to put forth more effort into her life.

    I turned from Lapitiricia-sama as she was training, and patrolled the one-story house that was being used for her training. The knights training outside the training hall caught my attention.

    These knights were mainly using melee weapons, so if I were to fight them in close range, which type of CQB weapon should I use? 1 against many? What if the enemy consisted of knights and mages? I mulled those questions in my mind as I patrolled.

    Mock battle?

    Thats right. The Mage Guilds instructor wants to see just how Shaft-san would fare against a team of Knights and Mages. So, he wants you to participate in a mock battle. He said that itd also serve as a good reference for Lapitiricia-sama.

    That was what Ashley-san told me after Laptiricia-samas lessons were finished.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    As I was visiting the Western Barga Knights training facility while escorting Laptiricia-sama during her scheduled magic training, the instructor had proposed a mock battle. With me as a participant Although it was a sudden request with the unlikely event I would fight against a team of knights and mages during this escort mission

    Shaft, are you sure about this?

    Ashley-san asked me with a worried expression. Behind her, Laptiricia-sama and three who looked like mages, who appeared to be mages, stood.

    Is this sir truly the ck Mask Shaft?

    One of the three mages, a mostly bald man with gray hair and a beard that reached down to his chest, walked forward. He didnt seem to be just any random mage, as he carried himself with a dignified air.

    Thats right.

    I am the Mage Guilds Deputy Chief of the Barga branch, Garathmos Themis.

    A noble Maybe? Thankfully, Ashley-san quickly whispered Hes Count Themis to me.

    I would like to demonstrate to Laptiricia-sama on what a mage should, and be capable, of doing on the battlefield. Would you assist me, please?

    But Im here as Laptiricia-samas escort.

    The mock battle will be enacted between you and the knights. The knights, in particr, wish to know whether you have the necessary strength to be entrusted with protecting Laptiricia-sama.

    The Duke himself has personally chosen me to be her escort. Is that not convincing enough?

    The Dukes decision was based on rumors and hearsay. Please take into consideration of their feelings. Theyre worried sick that theyd have to leave the princesss protection to a mercenary.

    I guess I dont have a choice. I did want to try fighting a team of knights and mages. So, lets just take this situation as an opportunity.

    Alright. However, I wont pull my punches.

    As long as no one dies instantly, well be able to heal them.

    The other participants and I moved to the training area. Among us, there were two young mages thatd been with Count Themis. So itd be 1 against 4.

    Laptiricia-sama and Ashley-san would be spectating from a small tent thatd been specially prepared for them. Count Themis sat next to Laptiricia-sama, talking to her about something. The Western Barga Knights also gathered in the training area. Somehow, I felt like the mock battle had be some sort of attraction.

    Count Themis exined to Laptiricia-sama regarding what I would probably do, and how the mages should counteract. The atmosphere still felt like training to this point. But shes been with Sasanqua for a while, couldnt she judge something like this by herself by now?

    Well, whatever. right now, I needed to focus on the four people in front of me. Of the two knights, one was the standard type  sword and shield  while the other wielded a spear without a shield. Two mages stood behind them also carried the standard staff and were robed.

    Seeing both sides ready, the knight that acted as the referee shouted, signaling the start of the mock battle.

    Begin!

    As the same time, I ran forward. The opponent was in two rows, two deep. Knights at the front with the mages at the back. Their movements were clear in my eyes.

    In the FPS Game, one technical difference that separated regr yers from the advanced yers was the order of killing. For example, suppose a yer encountered two enemies around a corner. The regr yer would just kill anyone who entered their crosshairs first and not consider which of the enemies would be detrimental to winning or losing, that encounter.

    However, an advanced yer would quickly weigh their own position, whether theyve been seen or not. If they had, then they proceed to kill the one with the highest possiblity of killing the yer.

    To avoid this, one must be able to decide at a moments notice which enemy posed the greatest danger. The ability to do so was a strict requirement for the higher-ranked yers.

    Then, what about the four in front of me? There was still distance between us. As Im running towards them, theyre most likely on high alert. Thest two mages at the back begun to cast spells. I didnt know what magic they were casting, but it must have been offensive magic  so I had to eliminate them first.

    I quickly changed directions, heading right, but a knight readily stood between me and his mage. Ive been fighting against skeleton mages in the Wolves Fang Labyrinth. Those monsters would cast their magic even as their allies were in front of them. However, people wouldnt be able to do the same thing.

    Seeing as it was the sword and shield knight, I used the speed boost from the power suit to dash forward.

    What!?

    As I dashed forward, I heard through my earpads that the mage was flustered. The person in question had charged a 50 cm diameter fireball in front of him. I suppose it was ready tounch, but as the knight stood between me and the mage, he couldnt afford to hurt his ally just to get me.

    I covertly pulled out a pair of S&W Tomahawks, hiding the act with the flourish of my overcoat as I flipped into the air. I aimed for the mages right shoulder as he held his staff with his right hand. The lens on my mash showed me when to throw, showing a line.

    Giyaaa!

    I heard a cry as Inded in front of the knight. I didnt bother to look, as I knew I hit the target.

    Ba-Bastard!!

    Since I was bending down on my knee when Inded, the knight opted to swing his sword vertically down on me.

    I activated the CQC System. I held up the tomahawk to block the sword and diverted it to the left as I struck out with my right hand. The hit was strengthened with the power suit, andnded in the knights abdominal area.

    The knight was stunned by the blow. I took that opportunity to strick at his neck with my left hand. His head leaned to the right due to that blow and so I made use of that momentum to hit his jaw with my right elbow.

    With him taking a hit to the head, the knight fell to his knee. I rotated my body to follow the momentum and threw my second tomahawk at the other mage in the corner of my eyes.

    Id racked up countless kills with these tomahawks while I yed VMB, so I was very familiar with their usage.

    The thrown tomahawk cut into the mages leg before he could unleash his ball of water. He copsed to the ground. At that point, the knight approached at an rming speed. He literally dashed to me from the other end of the arena. Was that a skill of his? While I thought that, I jumped backward to avoid his spear thrust.

    With the other knight still out, that left only the spear knight to fight me. I took out myst pair of tomahawks from under my coat. With Laptiricia-sama in the spectator seat, I couldnt afford to fire the Welrod. I had to Either use it as a tonfa, or sing it like a baton.

    I focused on thest knight, avoiding his left and right spear thrusts, switching positions.

    What if I tried that out-  I stopped turning, deciding to try the idea that had crossed my mind. The first downed knight was still between me and him. I used the poor knight as a springboard and jumped up in time to avoid another spear thrust. I threw down a tomahawk while midair.

    The knight was skilled enough to deflect it with his spear. Well, considering its speed, someone like him shouldve been able to block it so long as he could see iting, I guess? In any case, I could use the power suit to greatly improve its speed and impact; I still had to find an opening.

    Landing behind him, I didnt miss the fact that hed already extended his spear on the attack. Deflecting the spear to the right with my other tomahawk, I moved in and tapped him hard on the ear with my left palm. His body spun midair beforending on the ground. I picked up the spear he had dropped.

    Stay down.

    Then I stabbed the spear on the ground next to his head. That should be the end.

    Its done. I suppose that was convincing enough, yes?

    I directed the question to Count Themis, who was still sitting inside the tent.

    Wonderfully done.

    But the answer didnte from the Count. Instead, it was from among the crowd of knights. Apparently, some time ago, Viscount Caymon had joined the crowd.

    Are you not going to stand up now, fools! Youre the Knights of Barga! And here you are, being taken down by a single mercenary. Youd be dead if this was a real battlefield!

    Responding to the Viscounts shout, the two knights quickly stood up. Each of them muttering That was a good lesson despite losing to me. The mages whod been hit by tomahawks had already been treated by someone who could use healing magic. Once had a tomahawk lodged in his shoulder, and the other had his leg cut off. Could healing reconnect severed limbs?

    Looking at the process, it turned out to be possible. Although, it looked like a painful experience nheless.

    Apparently worried about me, Ashley-ran to me.

    Good work, Shaft. Are you hurt anywhere?

    Ah, nothings hurt. Whates after this?

    Its training for the practical use of magic in the first ce, so theyd go back to the training room to review the mock battle.

    By training room, she probably meant the one-story building near the training ground.

    I guess the fight continues on, but its just one mock battle after all.

    Why of course. Well, youd better firmly exin everything to Lary.

    In the tent, I could sense that a different kind of battle was awaiting me. Sitting inside, Laptiricia-sama looked to me with a smile. Meanwhile, I couldnt see the meaning behind Count Themiss expression. But if I had to guess, its likely hed found something interesting.

    For the time being, I picked up the thrown tomahawks before I headed into the tent.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    After the quickly organized mock battle, everyone gathered in the one-story building near the training ground. The official name of the building turned out to be Training Room, but to me, it looked like a regr ssroom with a simple school office attached to it.

    There were no chairs or tables in the room, just arge table with a t basin filled with sand to simte the battlefield. Using the sand basin, theyd ce small models to depict an operational area, then discuss operation details.

    Interesting. I like this kind of discussion. Even during my time as a member of Team [P0wDer] in my old world, I was often involved in the discussion over who, where, and how wed move about a map. It was a discussion to decide on the best strategy.

    Well then, lets begin reviewing the earlier battle.

    Count Themis stood at what I thought was the topside of the table. Pieces representing the knights and mages were ced on the sand. For some reason, they used a demi-human piece to represent me

    From there, a Q&A session was held between him and Laptricia-sama. Like how she should move, what magic she should use, and what she should do if she was thest one standing, etc. The discussion went on with both people turns drawing lines in the sand with a thin white stick, going into deeper details regarding strategy.

    They werent the only people standing by the table. In addition to the knights and mages, Viscount Caymon had also mixed in. asionally, hed jump into the discussion.

    Earlier, I was worried about what I should do after the mock battle, but here, I was now involved in a heated discussion.

    Young man, you make me wonder about what youre hiding under that mask. Im not trying to be rude, but that tactical theory you proposed earlier  does that really look like something a mere mercenary cane up with?

    The review actually went on and on, and it actually ran over schedule. On the way back from the training grounds, Viscount Caymon took his time to ride his house side by side with our carriage to ask me.

    Nothing much, I use this mask to cover my disfigured face. No other reason.

    Then, once the escort mission is over, would you like to join the Western Barga Knights?

    I decline.

    Thats a shame. Recently, weve seen a decline in the number of young men wanting to join us, decline. Its to the point that this old me cant ever retire.

    Thats no something Id know about.

    After such an exchange, returned to the castle. There was no schedule outing today. Laptiricia-sama and Ashley-san brought in several maids, along with several employees from a luxurious clothing store into the changing room. Apparently to decide which dress she would wear during her visit to the Captial and Veneres ball.

    Meanwhile, I stood guard outside the changing room.

    At first, when I heard that it would be an escort mission, I didnt expect that the job would be this in. When I was with the Maridapany on an escort quest, I had been on alert all the time while traveling. Compared to that, this escort mission was by far calmer.

    Perhaps the situation would change once we headed to the cities. Here in Bardiche Castel, I didnt find a need to be vignt, since there was no danger with all the guards here.

    In addition to that, there was also Ashley-san who wasnt a pushover of an escort either. She was also next to Laptiricia-sama most of the time as her secretary and courtdy  in charge of schedule adjustments and other things. Meanwhile, I only needed to exert my effort only when needed.

    Tomorrow, wed leave the Fort City Of Barga and head to the Royal Capital. The Western Barga Knights would escort us throughout the journey. Apparently, Duke Franklin Barga would also be apanying Laptiricia-sama to report the Emerald Demon Labyrinths conquest. At the capital, theyll attend a lunch party and night banquet to celebrate both the new year and the dungeon conquering every day during their stay.

    Not to mention the party at Duke Bargas own residence in the capital. The schedule was jam-packed alright. My actual escort mission would start once we arrived. Despite my unwillingness, Ashley-san still urged me to also attend a good number of the events.

    As I recalled tomorrows schedule in mncholy, I heard footsteps approaching from a nearby passage. At first, I immediately stood guard right in front of the door, but upon seeing who it was, I moved slightly to the side.

    Good job. Is Raly avable?

    Yes, please wait a moment.

    I knocked on the changing room and called Ashley.

    Ashley, Lady Emerada ising in.

    Coming from the hallway was Duchess Emerada Barga. Lady Emerada was a blue-eyed elf with the same blonde hair as Laptiricia-samas. She had her long blond hair styled in a bun behind her head  in a simr fashion to chignon. Stories had it that she was very much in love with Duke Barga. Although, one would probably doubt that, considering she looked no older than a woman in her twenties.

    This world had no particr repulsions to interracial marriage. Would the children born between them be a mixed-race? A half so to speak? I dont think thats the case. The children would either be their fathers or mothers race.

    Apanying Lady Emerada as she entered the changing room, a young red-haired woman named Sierra Caymon. If it wasnt obvious already, Sierra was Viscount Caymons granddaughter. I could hear the changing room be noisy afterward. Lady Emerada was apparently acquaintanced already with Ashley-san, sounded happy during the talk.

    Also, unlike Duke Barga who could only tag along up until the capital, shed be joining us on this excursion to the capital and Venere city. Lady Emerada would be bringing her own escort, so I dont have to watch over her as well. But if the situation required I would certainly work together with her escort.

    But thats all for now. As for now, those inside the changing room seemed to be enjoying themselves as I could hear happy squealsing from inside. I also heard Laptiricia-sama eximing.Its getting bigger again? And howe youre still this slim despite that? How envious. What on earth are they talking about?

    On the next day, it was time to depart to the Royal Capital. The Western Barga Knights lined up in ceremony for our departure from the castle. Duke Barga gave a speech regarding the new year and the conquest, as well as the following efforts that would be required to further develop Barga territory for the year.

    And finally, the gate of the castle opened. The citizens had gathered up along the roadside to join the celebration. Eventually, the parade began with the escort knights marching out. A lot of citizens had gathered to see the princess whod conquered the dungeon, along with their beloved lord.

    Barga Duchess and Laptiricia-sama were riding in a roofless carriage  waving their hands to the citizens that willingly came early in the morning to watch.

    Ashley-san and I were watching the parade from a distance on foot. The one in charge of escorting the parade today was Laptiricia-samas elder brother. The eldest son of Duke Barga, making him the next in line to inherit the dukedom. Hes also themander of the Western Barga Knights.

    He would stay behind in Barga, taking care of the dukedom while the Duke was away. Viscount Caymon would take over the leading position of the escort troops on our way to the capital.

    Once the parading around the Fort City was over, the carriage headed out to the city gate to depart to the capital. Duke and Duchess Barga, as well as Laptiricia-sama exchanged their carriage with the more subtle one. Captain Steed evene to see us off. With that, we headed to the rest area east of Fort City Barga.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    Three days into the trip to the Royal Capital, and while being escorted by the Western Barga Knights Order, wed stayed at the rest spot east of Barga. However, nothing urred such as a bandit attack like during Marida Companys escort. And the city gates came into view as we went.

    Duke and Duchess Barga passed through the carriage, followed by Lapitiricia-sama. Even more carriages came in behind. Surrounding them were knights and other lords as their guards.I entered the royal pce an hour before sunset. The streets were filled with people returning home from work.

    The Dukes coat of arms was disyed on the carriage as it moved slowly through the streets. I could hear the people who saw it, its Duke Barga.. Could it be the ck Mask?. The ck One, The ck one returned.

    I Sat on the outer seat of Lapitiricia-samas carriage. Ashley was inside, and the coach was a private driver. As such, I stayed on the alert and checked the surroundings. It might be because of that, my eyes met with many of themoners around us. The carriage was at the forefront. Although there were foot soldiers clearing a path for the carriage, as one sitting on the coachs seat, I stood out. This setup had been decided on by Duke Barga. But the reason mightve been to let the people know I was serving Duke Barga.

    During the parade in Barga, there wasnt anyone who called me by ck Mask. At the very least, my earpads hadnt picked it up. However, the people of the capital hadnt yet forgotten the ruckus Id caused at the end ofst year. Rather, enough time hadnt passed for that to happen.

    Yagorche Company colluded with the bandit ground thatd been ravaging the south, Demon Lotus, to attack the main convoy of the Marida Company and abduct officials. Then, Yagorches confession and the discovery of the ck ounts in the copsed mansion had revealed their smuggling. After that, the tale of whatd happened had circted within the capital.

    The reason for it was that

    Hey, what Is That?

    A signboard came into view. Without thinking, I pointed it out to the driver and asked.

    Huh? Does Mr. Shaft not know? The ck nobleman who arrived in the Royal Capital, ck Mask Shaft! Saving the girls taken away by evilpanies, defeating bandit groups all by himself, uprooting the evil within the capital; its a very popr show within the Royal Capital.

    Wha-what?

    My eyes were stuck on the signboard, ced on top of the passing theatre. While I felt a sense of indescribable copse, the row of wagons reached Duke Bargas mansion. The mansion itself was located in the first-ss district  the nobles district  and it was a great mansion. One of a few worthy to be called a Dukes mansion.

    The building was a three-level symmetrical stone-brick structure. With brownish-red bricks andrge windows, it was impressive. Maids lined up in front of the arched gateway in front of the mansions center. In the middle was, maybe, a butler? With long silver hair, a man stood dressed in a butlers ck attire. He was not themon race  his face was too pretty. Maybe an elf?

    I got off the carriage as it stopped before the gate, and opened the carriage door for the others. The first off was the secretary anddy-in-waiting, Ashley. Taking her hand, I helped her down. The next was Lapitiricia-sama. As with Ashley, I helped her by the hand down off the carriage.

    In the carriage behind us, Duke Bargas guards were working on the door.

    Wee home, Master, Mistress, Young Lady.

    Ahh, Volker. Nothing has changed, right?

    Yes, Master.

    This eld, Mr. Volker, was apparently the steward who took care of everything in the capital for Duke Barga. Ashley and I were also greeted by Mr. Volker and were shown to Lapitiricia-samas private room, and our own rooms. The rooms were connected to the private room, so we could always be on standby.

    Can I walk freely in the mansion?

    Ye-yes! As long as you dont go into the Master or Mistresss private rooms, guards cane and go as they please.

    When I asked to confirm as I listened to the mansions exnation by the maid who led me. The still young maid looked straight at my ck mask and answered with a flushed face.

    Why am I being stared at?

    No, wait When I was a budding member of the FPS Pro team POwDer, I got such gazes too. Thoe were gazes of fans, regardless of their gender.

    ck Nobleman

    I could hear the mutterings of the Maids small child.

    Weird. In order to avoid bringing attention to Schwartz,bat acts and disy of prowess were supposed to be done in my second identity  Shaft. Somehow, the name Shaft had be incredibly famous. How did this happen? Thinking about this, I mapped the Dukes residence. After I had mapped the inide, I went outside and did the same as well.

    The thing I pulled out from therge ck supply box, was a small white cylinder.

    It was a tactical unattended ground senor called AN/GR-9 (v) 1 (T-UGS). After opening the three bottom legs, you ce it on the ground. This T-UGS would sense vibrations and sounds within a 25-meter radius around it, and disy it on my minimap.

    Going to the other side of the mansion, I set up another T-UGS. I could put up two of these T-UGSs at a time, and two smaller minimaps would disy alongside myrger one. These maps, even if over 150 meters away from me, would only show the 25-meter radius around the T-UGS.

    There was a reason to why I was doing all this work. If you adjust the size of the map topletely monitor the movements of people within the mansion, you cannot monitor movement outside. No matter what, intruders cant just suddenly appear within the mansion. They have toe from outside.

    After returning to the mansion after finishing up outside, I was told that the Duke was calling for me. Guided by the maid, I headed to the Dukes office.

    Pardon my intrusion. Its Shaft.

    Ive been waiting, Shaft.

    I seem to have kept you waiting.

    No, I dont mind. You were patrolling the premises as a guard right? Was there anything to be concerned about?

    In the officer, Duke Franklin Barga, and his steward Volker, was waiting.

    No, I only went out because I wanted to check out the property. So, what is the matter?

    About that, lets start with me.

    Apparently, Mr. Volker, the steward, had been serving the Barga family close to 200 years. Elves longevity was surprising, but their loyalty was even more so. From Volkers exnations, ns of arrivals and departures form tomorrow onwards; the mid-day and evening party schedule and more

    Oh, is it that theatre?

    Thats right. I want to watch the recently popr show. If the schedule permitted, I wanted to go watch it.

    That is

    Of course, its The ck Mask.

    As expected, its that

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    I returned from Duke Bargas office to standby-dorm next to Laptiricia-samas private room. This is the room Id sleep in and have my meals during my stay in the residence. The other escort, Ashley, would take her meals with Laptiricia-sama and the duke couple, but then return to the standby rooms.

    As such, the standby room consisted of a living room with two connecting bedrooms, with twin beds. There was a restroom, but no baths.

    In this world, bathhouses  falses simr to public baths  weremon, and only some aristocrats had a bathroom in the mansion. Of course, in this mansion, the dukes residence had a bathroom. It was for the Barga house and its guests. The maids also had a small private bathroom for their own use.

    Im the only one in the standby quarters, with no one else in the other bedroom. When I came back, I asked the maid who was cleaning Laptiricia-samas room. And she informed me that Ashley and Lapitiricia-sama went to bathe together.

    While I waited for them, I selected the Avatar Customization from the TSS, removed the overcoat and German suit. Now, I only wore the thin powered suit with pants. But I could wear a rougher outfit with the days guarding to an end soon.

    When I was called to the office, Id been given specifics on the dress code for the luncheon and evening party. Even though I was a guard, Id be apanying the dukes daughter. She was making a social appearance, and the thing called formal clothing was required. I didnt have anything of the sort, so Id been offered a loan of clothes. However, I refused due to the function since it required undercover equipment.

    I thought about a configuration that didnt vite the dress code as I searched through the shop, keeping in mind I had to carry weapons. In the end, my luncheon attire consisted of a ck frock coat, a white shirt, a grey vest, ck pants, and a grey tie. The evening part would be a ck tailcoat, white shirt vest, white tie, and ck trousers.

    In VMB, when I saw a yer wearing a tuxedo while shooting, I thought Arent they crazy?. I doubted Id ever thought thered be a time I wore formal clothing while carrying a tomahawk Life was something that couldnt be understood.

    I tried on various clothes within my TSS. Just when I thought I was satisfied, the knock came from the rooms door. It seemed like they were back.

    Shaft, Im bac

    Ashley, whod returned, was standing in the doorway. The soapy scent from the bath wafted in and reached me. Her copper hair was moist from the water. I wonder if she was going to dry her hair here?

    Are you going toe in? Isnt it cold out there? If you stay there while wet, youre going to catch a cold, you know.

    Ah, r-right.

    I wonder if shes dizzy from the bath? Ashleys face looked a little red as she came in, and began to dry her hair. I was sitting on a chair in the living room while tampering with the TSS. The daytime-use frock coat could hide weapons, but the night-use tail coat didnt have much room.

    An edged tool  the tomahawk  could be removed while in the castle, but would the baton or Wellrod be enough? I thought over whether I could still hide anything.

    So, you had those kinds of clothes, Shaft.

    When I looked up, Ashley stood in the bathroom.

    I was told by the Duke that we need to dress up for tomorrows lunch and the evening party. I dont think these clothes are suitable for guards, but I cant afford to embarrass Leptiricia-sama.

    That so, but I think that it suits you really well.

    Really? Thank you. Im not used to wearing these you see. Its a bit tight.

    But Only that ck mask doesnt suit you. I think that Schwartz suits you better than Shaft and that mask.

    Underneath the ker mask was not the zombie. The reason that I wore it in different ways after clearing the setting once when I customized the avatar. I got up from the chair and slowly removed the ker mask. Perhaps from her point of view, whether I was wearing the mask, or hiding the zombie face, such a thing meant nothing at all.

    It suits you.

    Thank

    Ashley, Shaft, would you both like to join me for ck tea?

    I heard Laptiricia-sama speak up as the door connected to the neighboring room was opened. She could only see my back. Since she couldnt see my real face  the face of Schwarts  I immediately put the mask back on, then replied.

    I will gratefully ept, Please, let me have a sip.

    The next day, the Barga couple left the mansion to attend a New Years ceremony, at the imperial castle. Lapitricia-sama attended the lunch party for unmarried sons and daughters, held at an influential nobles home. There werent any nobles with rank, and that was to say, this was like a practice before the real thing.

    The parts host was an olddy named Capsine Mastes She had already lost her spouse, and her peerage had been seeded by his son. Now, she held a small party for the next generation of noble children. And it seemed like they were learning mannerisms and other things.

    When I entered the Madrastes estate, the weapons recovery had not finished. I was uneasy as the baton and Welrod hadnt recovered. However, the maid in charge of collecting the weapons smiled bitterly as I took out my Tomahawk from underneath my frock coat.

    The lunch partys venue was held within a separate building on the estate grounds. A two-story stone mason building, but from the outside, the terraces and windows on the second floor were spectacr. If the sun went down, itd be illuminated by the lights in the room. Itd definitely be romantic.

    First, Ill take the girl to the dressing room on the first floor. From there, Id go up the stairs and stay indoors at several spaces put assign for guards. During the party, Ashley would be with Leptiricia-sama.

    Although there was a buffet, it was just basically there for others to meet and talk. Though there were only a few people within the hall and I could see the band. I hadnt properly listened to this worlds music yet. It seemed like flutes and string instruments, so itd most likely be a ssically-styled melody.

    The attendees, whod been preparing below, came to the second floor one after another. Before long, all of them had gathered. I could see Laptiricia-sama and Ashley. Finally, the host, Mrs. Capsine Mastes, entered to announce the start of the luncheon. The band began to make gentle sounds, and the boys shyly began to approach the girls  who were whispering to their attendants.

    While I watched them all, I didnt loosen my vignce. I mapped the venue in an instant and monitored the movements of everyone. I listened to sounds and voices And what I heard was a little too embarrassing, so lets keep it hidden

    On the schedules first day, we finished the luncheon and returned to the Barga mansion. Tonight, a dinner party hosted by Duke Varga would be held here. This time, it was necessary to prepare for it.

    This escort request was a busier job than I expected

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    Today is the second day of the escort mission in the Capital. The n today was for Laptiricia-sama to visit the home of an adventurer n called Camellia during the day. And in the afternoon, to watch the opera y at the indoor theater with Duke Barga and his wife The opera was called the same as it was in my previous world.

    An Opera is a y with musical apaniment,posed of ys and orchestral music. Ive never seen a full-fledged opera in my old world, but Ive been to the theater a few times. The vibration of the sound echoing through the hall, the movement of the actors on stage, and the story that wasnt just a Happy End. It was very sophisticated, no matter how it went.

    Tonights opera, if possible, wouldve also been a pleasure to watch, apart from escort duty. The work was titled The ck nobleman dancing in the Royal Capital, Dark Shaft!

    In addition to the opera, today we have to go to the n house of Camellia. Camellia was acquainted with Schwartz, who defeated the Emerald Demon Labyrinth. But it was the first time meeting Shaft. Both of them were waiting for Laptiricia-sama and Ashley to be ready, although, they dont want to face each other.

    One day had passed since I left Barga for the Royal Capital, and another passed within the capital itself. But my map hadnt shown any suspicious movement, nor has any disturbing conversationse up. After all, if something were to happen, itd probably be at Venerre  the next stop.Thinking about that, we prepared ourselves. Right then, two people approached the door.

    Thank you for waiting, Laptiricia-sama is ready. We will now head to Camellias n house.

    Following Ashley out the door, Laptiricia-sama emerged with a white cloak-like robe and a short cane with a silvery sheen. The attire was simr to an adventurers.

    It wouldnt be the only a greeting to Camellias n house. It was also to see their training area and magic. The current n master of Camellia was a female noble named Viscount Cyphria Aznavour. A story Ive heard while conquering the Emerald Demon Labyrinth said that she was a single noblewoman. Shed chosen to protect and nurture the members of her n until they grew up to protect other members  while taking in a son-inw after retiring as an adventurer.

    Riding on the carriage provided by Duke Barga, we headed towards the third district where the n house was located. Currently, I was sitting at the carriages helm. The n house was a three-story building built with brick stone. A rectangr building simr to an apartment.

    Now then, lets go.

    Ha.

    Camellia was a female-only n, and their n house also banned men. The training area was in a different location, and it seemed like it was possible for me to apany them there. Id be staying in the coach seat until Laptiricia-sama returned.

    After waiting for an hour, I could finally hear her and Ashleys footstepsing from the n house. I also noticed the steps of someone walking in front of them. It was to notice- -no, it was so silent I could barely recognize it, but I knew that it was a firm walking pace. Whose footsteps were those ?

    Thank you for waiting, Shaft. We will now head to the training area.Ashley and Laptiricia-sama emerged from the n house. Next to Laptiricia-sama was a really tall woman. She wore a knights uniform with red and yellow lines. Her red hair was nearly crimson and tied at the top of her head. It flowed off the side in a ponytail. However, it curled halfway down

    Are you Dark Shaft?

    Just Shaft.

    Are you dissatisfied that the topic about you is only told in theaters, rather than actually being announced in the Royal Capital?

    After saying so, the red-haired woman smacked my shoulder andughed.

    Im Camellias n Master, Cyphria Aznavour.

    Viscount Asnavour, who was as tall as me, smacked my shoulders before dragging me along to the training field without question. Well, she was only holding my shoulders. And yet, why did I feel like my freedom of movement had been sealed? And because of that, I gave her resistance as we went to the back of the n house.

    The training area was a one-story building that had a dojo-like areabined with an archery field. It was here that Laptiricia-sama would cast magic while aiming at targets. What kind of training is this? To me, it only looked like someone tried to hit a target with magic. Or more like, why is Vicount Aznavour giving advice right beside me, and she still locked onto me even now.

    I dont know if this was some form of skinship, but because of it, my body wouldnt move properly. Wasnt this abnormal? Well, I am a Manuke, so I wouldnt be able to detect any magical anomalies within my surroundings. In other words, it could be said that what is sealing my movements was a technique that wasnt just purely physical.

    I dont really know why I was being detained. And if I wanted to harm Laptiricia-sama or Ashley, then Id only need to use my mobile arm to do so. If I wanted out of this state, Id have no choice but to use the Ver.VMB.

    Laptiricia-samas training continued for about 1 hour, for which I was restained for.

    This is a good ce. Ille here again if I have the time.

    Thank you very much, Master?

    Did it finally end?

    Lari, Ashley, can I have some time with this person?

    Eh?

    Eh? Ashley, who was watching Laptiricia-samas magic practice, made a strange response along with me. During the training, Ashleys gaze went back and forth between me and her ward. Displeasure was shown in her eyebrows.

    What now, its just a bit of time.

    Can you give us an exnation of whyter?

    All right.

    Laptiricia-sama and Ashley went away from the training area, leaving only me and the Viscount alone. I was finally released from my restraint and we faced each other.

    I would like to hear directly from the famed Dark Shaft. From which dark guild do youe from?

    Haa? Whats this person talking about, or more like, how did she ever think of such a thing?

    Im only registered with the Mercenary Guild. I dont know about dark guilds.

    Are you sure? If that is so, then why are you hiding your magic?

    Wha

    You see, I am someone with the skill Magic Detection. I can normally see the magical flow in everyone. And those that I cant see, like you, would usually be people from the dark guilds. Just like the majority of them, they use magic tools to hide their magic, right?

    My ck doesnt have such a function, and Im only trying to hide my unattractive face. Also Isnt it normal for escorts to hide as much of their magical power as much as possible? This is also to protect those that need protection from people like you.

    Are you lying, or telling the truth?

    I am.

    Viscount Aznavour was only 3m away. However, despite the distance, I felt the air around me grow cold. It was as if I was being watched through the scope of a sniper, and that Ill be shot if I make a wrong move.

    Fine, Ill believe you for now. But remember that the dark guilds have sent assassins out for her. If anything happens to Lari, and you survive, Ill be sure to be the one to kill you with my own hands.

    Assassins, is it? Thank you for the information. Itll be fine  then Ill take my leave.

    Magic detention you say? There were two types of special talent people were born with in this world. Skills and abilities I have encountered many skill users. However, the only ability user Ive encountered was Rezmond-san with appraisal from Bargas General Guild. I wondered if the people who lived in this world could easily use not only magical powers. but also various skills and abilities.

    When talking about special abilities, my VMB was not my only special ability. The people of this world had magic, the skills to use it, and other special abilities. Monsters also had a variety of skills they could use. I had to be sure not to be arrogant nor think I was special, and steadily and intelligently, slowly pull the trigger.

    Dark guild is it.

    Haaah, it seems like the Master of Camellia found out that an assassination request had been issued on the girl.

    As soon as I returned from Camellias n house to the Barga residence, I headed to Duke Bargas office. I reported the story the viscount told about the dark guild. But I didnt say that I was suspected of being an assassin.

    Folka, do you think the dark guild that issued the request is in the Royal Capital?

    Probably not, I havent heard of any recent movements made by any of the dark guilds in the Royal Capital.

    As expected, it would be from Vener.

    Although, we also need to be vignt in the capital. Itd most likely ce for it to happen would be in Vener.

    Shaft, I wont be able to cancel the trip to Vener, but Ill be sending more escorts along the way. However, it will be you who will be escorting them to the parties and other noble mansions.

    Yes.

    It was almost dark we were about to head to the theater. Ashley, whod changed into a new outfit, was waiting in the other room.

    Shaft, how did it go with the Duke?

    It was concluded that the attack would most likelye in Vener, though, we still need to be vignt in the Royal Capital. Well need to be more alert when we get into Vener.

    Is that so I understand. Lets definitely protect Lari.

    Of course.

    The theater was located in the first district, unlike the outdoor theater in the third district. Only nobles or influential people could enter, and also had to follow a dress code.

    Ashley was like a secretary, but she was also an escort. That was why she dressed like a knight tonight. I also changed into a tailcoat in my bedroom and I was ready to go. Ashley went to see if Laptiricia-sama was ready and I went out into the hall to wait. Ive been thinking about a lot of things, but what I was thinking about the most was the opera.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    The indoor theatre was built in the first district, utilized magical building materials; otherwise known as magical architecture. The difference between it and the ordinary-buildings was that magic reinforced its strength. Its appearance was had a rich and formed arge hall. Ashley said that suchrge magical buildings were powered with Labyrinth Cores after they were removed from their homes.

    This indoor theatre was officially called the Kurtmerga Theater. On first look, it resembled a veryrge cylinder. Entering it, I presented my mercenary guild card and my escort certificate for Duke Barga. My axes were taken, but my electromaic baton and Welrod were allowed in.

    Upon entering the theater, we immediately attracted attention. People, especially the theatres employees looked on in surprise  some even stopped on the spot and stared at us. The Duke and Duchess of Barga along with Lady Emyrada smiled at the scene. Lapitiricia-sama was also smiling, but Ashley and the other escorts all had serious expressions   Though it looked like they had to force the expressions.

    Our seating was in the VIP section of the theater, where nobility and the most prominent people of the first district could enter. We went up the stairs and entered that section, which was higher than the stage. Duke Bargas male escorts stood in front of the door. And the ones that went inside were Ashley and me with the two women we were escorting.

    Looking down the stage from the VIP seats, you could see that the theaters stage protruded outward and its seating curved around it. You could also see the orchestra was lined up before the stage. After all, it was expected for an opera to have an apaniment.

    I visually checked for dangers in my surroundings. Looking over the guests before the stage, and the other guest rooms that were full of people I didnt know how many seats there were in total, but there was more than several hundred people present.

    The performance was started in the outdoor theatre within the third district. Once it became popr, itde over to the first district and it seemed that this was their first performance here. Duke Barga said that tonights performance should be gathering arge number of powerful and magically proficient nobles  following the ceremony in the capital.

    No strange gazes were seen, nor suspicious sounds heard, and no dots appeared in unnatural positions when I checked the map. After a certain level of safety was confirmed, Mrs. Emyrada, Lapitiricia-sama, and the Duke took a seat.

    The performances running time was about 2 hours, o I wondered what kind of shameful y was going to be shown. Eventually, the lights within the guest rooms and the audience seats of the stage slowly began to dim. Apparently, it was about to start, and I could see a man walking from the side of the stage. His destination was the orchestra pit one step down before the stage. He seemed to be the conductor, and the audience apuded him. That included the Duke of Barga and Lapitiricia-sama.

    The stage was still curtained off. The apuse stopped and silenced enveloped the theatre. To begin, the overture, prelude, the conductor shook his stick and an up-tempo tone that foretold a fierce battle broke the silence. The sound of brass instruments resounded through the theatre and string instruments strummed violently, leaving my body vibrating.

    I felt as if the live sound of the orchestra was, that after not hearing it for a long time, was not inferior to that of my previous world. It seeped into my body and synchronized with my mind even without knowing the details of the technology used, or how the instruments were performed.

    While being hit by the raw sound, I could feel my heart beating after, but I held my hands down by my waist. I forced myself not to be apart of the audience. Other than the light spots reflected on the lens of the ker mask, and the sound of the orchestra, I went about searching for any suspicious sounds.

    The overture was over, and the curtains rose after a short apuse. In the first act, a stage resembled the outdoors at dusk. Was this the rest area of the Royal Capital? There were no horses, but there was a hooded carriage. Apparently, the performance seemed to start from the attack at the rest area.

    The orchestra started to y a little lively song. From behind the curtain, a fat man in a merchant styled outfit went to the center cheerfully. Is that Marida? He sang along with the apaniment. A newbyrinth was found near the Fortified City of Barga, which was quickly subjugated and the harvest festival will take ce in the territory. From there, Marida Company obtained the right of First Purchase which granted further development and prosperity with the territory.

    The dialogue was spoken in song loudly, which echoed throughout the theater without losing to its apaniment.

    As the number of characters began to increase, the songs turned into a chorus and the prosperity for Barga and Marida eventually turned into prosperity and glory for the kingdom of Kurtmerga. The scene changed and dusk turned to night. The music also changed, taking on a tune that felt like a calm before a storm. So far, the protagonist of the y hadnt appeared.

    And then, the raid begins. The battlefield sounds were apanied by a solo trumpet. The next event portrayed was Marida being attacked by a gang of thieves, before managing to escape but eventually surrounded. Seriously Are they really going this direction If I look at this from my previous world standard This would already be a ssic

    From the curtains  apanied by the sound of a gong, shooting out were balls of light  Light bullets Hit the bandits that surrounded the merchant Did it really look that cool?

    Finally, the ck Mask Shaft finally appeared, dressed in a light-ck knight clothing, with a ck cloak and redlining. Of course, the mask that he was wearing was a ck   Vian mask   not!

    A Vian mask was a mask that could be work in a masquerade, so youd immediately think of it as an eye mask. ck Mask Shaft, which donned a ck cloak, flipped over the stage and light bullets were thrown around. His face was only covered from the bridge of hi nose to the top of his eyes. His mouth waspletely exposed.

    However, it seemed like the light bullets used may have been the same as the ones used as the light source. I could understand that they were chanting the spell simr to singing, but I couldnt hear them at all, because of the magic that concealed them. Its not like it was an offensive magic, so there was no way the actors would get hurt if hit.

    The first act seemed to end when ck Mask Shaft saved Marida and sung his name. The curtains than descended as if pushed by the wave of apuse and a small break was entered.

    How about it, Shaft-kun? Was ck Saft simr to what youve expected?

    As the actors descended, the apuse subsided and began to get up. Looking at it, the Duke of Barga  whom I was standing behind  asked.

    It waspletely embarrassing after all.

    Did Shaft really fight arge number of enemies?

    Thats right, Mrs. Emyrada. The assault on the area was carried out by a group of 30 people.

    My! Shaft is really a wonderful magician if he were able to repel all of them!

    No, Emyrada. He did a mock battle before this against knights and magicians. Hes a fighter that conquered them all using only melee.

    Is that true?

    Yes, mother. They did it at the Knights training grounds.

    During the conversation, I answered questions with a smile, despite wearing a mask. Before long, the curtain rose for the second act. The next scene was a mansion or a merchants house. It was different from the first act, which was only the actors. In the second act, it was a lot of actresses ying Maridas wife, Marta and his daughter Minea along with the maids. They sang in a sopranos voice, high-pitched and powerful.

    The child who yed Minea was quite young, but her voice was stilled carried throughout the building. Was she receiving help with magic? The girl sang a light happy tune. However, it ended and Minea and the maids were kidnapped. The actors representing Marida and Marta sang a song of love for their daughter in a deep quiet tune

    Probably because I was struck too much by the live music, their lyrics reminded me of my family, who were in my old world.

    My parents were still alive before I fell into this world. I had no siblings, but thats probably why they had let me do whatever I liked. I studiednguage from a young age to fit into FPS and said that someday I would go abroad. But on the contrary, I did not put the effort into anything else. As a parent, theyd probably been encouraging me to study hard, get a job in a goodpany, get a wife, and maybe create a family. I had no memories of any filial piety I had decided to live in this world, but I still had one regret that remained.

    I wish I could do something, but At least in this world, I wanted to live without regrets.

    Eventually, behind Martas voice, ck Shaft appeared and moved out of the chamber. Singing about prioritizing the familys happiness. The curtain descended on the second act, and the stage entered its climax.

    The third act was a battle scene. ck Shaft, whod sent a threatening letter to Yagoche Shokai, fought with the leader of the bandit group  the beastman Runode.

    Now, flying bullets and wire action? I dont know if its magic or a skillbination, but they were singing while firing spells. They moved freely as if flying and performing closebat. And then, when it was time to settle things. Runode was toppled and the only one remaining was Yaguchi. Yaguchis actor, who taken the girls hostage, evilly sang as he confessed.

    Then finally, after dodging, he was defeated. The stage then turned to a certain mansion Dont tell me ck Shaft sang of condemnation. The deep, low-sounding void was like Enmas judgment, echoing from the bottom of hell.

    In the darkness of the Royal Capital, I will be watching. In the darkness of the Royal Capital, evil shall be vanquished. In the Darkness of the Royal Capital, judgment shall be delivered by the darkness.

    [Kay: I am Batman.]

    Then the actor shot out arge light bullet, swallowing the mansion behind the stage. When the light subsided, only rubble remained. They knew that I destroyed it! That was a really embarrassing thing to do

    Andstly, Marta and her husband came on stage. Knowing that the daughter was saved, sang a song of delight. While watching the scene, ck Shaft disappeared, not by exiting left or right, but by jumping up to the top of the stage. As a result, Yaguchis evil plot was crushed, and ck Shaft disappeared while leaving a deration of war from the capitals darkness. The members of Maridas family sang their thanks and love. The audience gave them a big round of apuse. And ck Shaft The ck nobleman who flown down to the Royal Capital, came to a close.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    After watching the opera at the indoor theater, we prepared to return as my embarrassment lingered. A sudden call from the guard outside was heard.

    Shaft, there are people here who want to see you.

    The guest room door opened slightly as the guard peeked in. Someone wanted to see me? Within the capital, the only other person I knew here was Marida. This was Duke Balgas room, should I leave this to him? If I tell them I have a quest, theyll probably let me see them. Though, right now, Im supposed to be Laptiricia-samas escort. Just to confirm, I asked her and the duke if it were alright.

    They both agreed with me  nodding slightly  so I left Ashley in charge for a short while before I headed out into the hallway. When I walked out, I saw a man in a ck tailcoat. He looked like a white barrel with that much belly fat

    Ooh! Are you the one known as ck Shaft?

    Thats right. So you need something?

    That was rude of me. Im Frank, the director of the First Theater.

    The reason why Frank, the director, hade to see me was probably just to give a polite greeting. Maybe talk of the protagonist and the theatrical transformation. In this world, things like copyright and portrait rights seems immature. The names of the characters in tonights y were not pseudonyms, but their real names. However, this didnt particrly affect me, as I was not of this world. For those who lived here and within the kingdom, it was a great honor to have their story told in a y.

    Also, Frank didnt ask for permission, but to continue the y. Please do your best! Thats how the whole story went

    The next day was a rest day. Lapitiricia-sama spent the day slowly and would be leaving for the capital tomorrow morning to head towards Veneer. As for me I am also free with nothing to do. I am an escort, so I couldnt leave her. I couldnt go anywhere aside from my room, the living room, or the waiting room. While there are things I want to do, I just cant.

    Shooting practice.

    Aiming was different for each person. I felt that if I couldnt practice every day, especially after three, my abilities would drop. I felt dull for three days and even if I mentioned it, there was no way for me to open fire in the mansion. VMB was able to move a yer from their space into a private range to practice. Even if I activate the TSS and move to the private range, I couldnt use up my ammo.

    It couldnt be helped. I asked Ashley, who was in her room, to tell Laptiricia-sama that Id be going to look around the mansion.

    The mansion was surrounded by greenery with some of the gardens home to tall trees. That was where I was headed off to. As I walked outside, I zoomed in on the map on my screen to look for anything suspicious nearby. I also looked for a spot where the trees would create a blind spot to the mansion. Luckily, I found a ce, but I had another problem. I didnt have a target. There was no way I could shoot the trees on the property.

    I activated the TSS and searched my inventory. I then pulled out a bulletproof vest type 2. This was the one adopted by the Japan Ground and Air Self Defense Forces. Thetest was the type 3, but for now, I took out the type 2 and hung its green coloring on a fallen tree branch and positioned it so.

    Now, I only had to shoot. I took out the Welrod and its reticle appeared over the small protruding piece of metal that was its equivalent ironsight. I rxed my posture and pointed the pistol downward, aiming. Hold, release, hold release, and repeated over and over again. I made sure that I could require the target easily. Next was the actual live-fire. Teaching the body to adapt to the recoil, how the crosshairs spread, and their characteristics. And after an hour, I ended my shooting practice.

    For tomorrow, Ill have to focus more.

    I didnt know how the Dark Guild assassins would move. If theyd attack before we left the capital or after, or even before we left the mansion. There were many possible attack points. I considered using the T-UGs Id installed around the mansion grounds in Veneer as I recovered them.

    The next day, there were four carriages including Duke Balgas carriage. His own guards were escorting us to the east of the Capital where the road to Veneer was located. It took five days by carriage to reach our destination. The route followed the highway with its rest areas. The soldiers themselves would escort us and the servants to the city. From there, I would be the escort. The duke also had a vige in the city, but he wouldnt be apanying us, so we wouldnt be using it. Instead, we would have a different but still luxurious ce.

    The schedule was to depart from the capital, travel five days to Veneer. Wed stay for three days, participate in a few events. From there, wed make the five-day journey back. And then the most important time. The banquet at the Royal Castle. For the first time, wed see the third prince of the kingdom.

    After confirming the schedule without our escort, we moved onward.

    After five days, we hadnt encountered any problems. At the end of the highway, we saw the entertainment city of Veneer However, the scenery of the city was apletely different atmosphere from that of the Royal Capital. There were nobyrinths around here, the reason was unknown, or maybe it was just a coincidence. Well, it was a fact that there were nobyrinths around the city. Although there seemed to be several to the east and north, the city hadnt been attacked by monsters for a long time. So they were probably far off.

    The citycked arge defensive wall, and you could see a short fence erected to protect the city. Around that, we entered the residential area where houses were lined up. Although, I wasnt sure if they were really houses. The slums were so bad that you couldnt even see the roads properly.

    Veneer started off as an outpost, but nobles discovered that it rarely suffered monster attacks. They started to build vis and dance halls one after another, then luxurious hotels for other nobles to stay at. One after another, amusement facilities were established to lure more nobles and merchants. Veneer never had any specialty to start out with. Over time, it became a yground for the rich and the poor alike. The Lord of Veneer who governed it, despite the widening disparity between the rich and poor, pursued his policies which resulted in what the city looked like today.

    On the main street that led towards the city center, there were stone walls and gates, lower than that in the capital, but robust at that. From here onwards, wed be in this so-called city of happiness that drowned in money.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    As we neared the city gate of Veneer, you could finally see the guards that hadnt been present throughout the citys outer suburbs wed passed through. In other words, if you thought about it, you could say that they didnt check who you were outside the city. How is this rted to security? As you might think the suburbs were dark while Veneer glowed brightly. It may have been a situation that was necessary for the development of the city.

    As we approached the gate, the guards walked towards us.

    Halt, were required to verify your identity and collect an entry tax. Who is the one in charge of this group?

    This city charges an entry tax While I studied this world in Bargas library, I learned that some cities and viges charged entry taxes. But neither Balga nor the Capital did this.

    Laptiricia-samas escorts included me and Ashley. On the other hand the guards  while a part of our security team  were a different group under the escortmander. Themander talked to the guards and dealt with all the formalities needed for us to enter. I still had to present my guild card but as nobles, Ashley and Laptiricia-sama did not.

    We passed through the gate after a brief inspection as they rmended the Glorious City Pavillion to stay at. The Glorious City Pavillion seemed to be a luxurious inn thatpeted for the upper spots of the popr list within the city. It was a three-story stone building as its main building with several detached houses. The escorts would stay in the main building with a few servants  that included me and Ashley. Everyone else would stay in one of the nearby buildings.

    The detached house was a two-story wooden home. The second floor held the bedroom, a living room, and the bathroom. Everything else was on the first floor. Trees had been nted around the building to give it some privacy, so the inside gave off a different atmosphere. However, the trees hinder our ability to monitor the surroundings. The area outside would be guarded by the escort team 24/7, and the inside would be guarded by us while Laptiricia-sama was within the residence.

    I nned to check with the escortmander about our ns and prepared to rest tomorrow, but before I left, I had to set a few things up. It was the instation of the T-UGS. Although there was some room to ce them further, I decided to position them close near the main building and along the passage to our residence so I could gauge peoples movement better.

    Laptiricia-sama schedule, which started the next day, was rough. First, we had to visit the manor of Veneers managing lord. Then, we had to visit an elderly Count and his wife whod been staying in the city for a long time. At night, thered be a dinner held for all the single young nobles to socialize.

    If this were just a in noble or the third daughter of a powerful aristocrat, thered be no need to be busy. However, Duke Barga was a magical noble. Being one of the adventurers thatd helped conquer abyrinth and having magic, would want to marry her so that magic would run in their offspring. Regardless if she was a noble or an adventurer. Magic was needed to fight against the monsters of this world. And the trip wasnt just a matching making trip; it signaled the beginning of Lapitirica-samas noble life.

    One thing I noticed at the banquet that the escorts all waited in a corner.

    There were not only young men here, but young girls, yet all of them were polite to Ashley. Was it awe? Fear? It seemed like she was treated with more respect than Laptiricia-sama. The hosts showed no reactions, but maybe that was something to expect with their rank.

    That concluded the first day of our schedule. Afterward, we returned to the Glorious City Pavillion. We reported to themander about the event and asked if anything strange had happened while we were away. We also asked if thered been any changes to our schedule for tomorrow. At this time, Laptirica-sama and Ashley should be on their way to the baths.

    Of course, the escort team kept their vigil as I monitored their movements via my mask as they went Im not a peeping tom, you know?

    Shaft-dono, did you notice something?

    The escortmander asked as the meeting was over. After having stood all day, and also standing now, I wasnt physically tired but mentally because of the boredom. Was that a good reason?

    Speaking of which, the young nobles were very concerned about Ashley, did something happen?

    Oh? Shaft-dono, did you not know? Ashley-dono, no, its more about the Zepanel Family. She Sorry. I dont really remember how many generations ago, but its probably because of Prime Minister Zepanel Eisei-dono and his influence. Properly controlling the distribution of power and stopping even his own rtives to reach his goal, which is still being respected and feared by many today.

    Honorary Prime Minister Eisei Zepanel. There were few who hadnt heard of the Prime Ministers name, an elf. In Kurtmerga, he was a mastermind that strived for domestic stability as the Prime Minister since the kingdoms founding. Even to go as far as to live past the 300-year life expectancy of the elves. Although retired from the frontlines, he still held great sway among the monarch. And given the one-time post of Honorary Prime Minister of the Kingdom.

    It was said that he had even prevented the Zepanel family from gaining influence over the Royal Family, on his own. Because of that, the Zepanel family has lived in the Kurtmerga Kingdom as nobles without titles, no office, and no power. Ashley seemed to have been regarded as the next candidate for the familys head. Speaking of which, Ashley did mention she was a noble, but she never actually spoke about her family.

    But even after hearing this, it changed nothing between us.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    Laptiricia-sama should be asleep already as her first day in Veneer came to an end. After a meeting with the escortmander, I walked from the Pavillions main building to the detached house where I was staying. The meeting confirmed thered been no abnormalities to be found around Laptiricia-sama. Plus, there was an unexpected tidbit about Ashleys background.

    She was a noble thatd been forbidden to have power  despite being apart of the Honorable Prime Ministers family. Even as the family heads next candidate Even so, the candidate would be the eldest of the main family with no power. If they died, by any means, theyd just appoint another candidate from the main or branch families.

    As I entered the house while thinking back on the previous conversation, several light markers appeared on my minimap. They did not use the passage that connected this ce to the main building, but instead, came from the treeline.

    They came  -

    I was warned while we were in the capital that the Dark Guild had been requested for an assassination. It seemed that they were finally making their move here.

    Immediately after entering the house, I ordered the servants to gather before I hurried towards the second-floor bedroom. I quietly knocked on the girls bedroom where they shared a bed and called out to Ashley.

    Whats wrong?

    I found some suspicious people lurking in the dark. Ive already shot a light bullet to inform the main building, so for now, take Laptiricia-sama to the first floor.

    Understood.

    In case of an attack, wed already decided on our course of action in advance. If the remote house was attacked, a light bullet would beunched into the night sky as a signal to the guards. Also, Veneer  unlike the Capital  was a ce the Balga family held little influence, so we didnt have a grasp on our friends and enemies here. Veneer was like a foreignnd to the Duke and where its lord stood was unknown. It was better for us to create our own stronghold here rather than move about without a n.

    I moved to the first floor to check on the servants as theyd been gathered in the living room.

    I see everyone is here. I found some suspicious people moving outside. Right now. Laptiricia-sama will being down. So I want everyone to stay here for a while.

    The servants nodded at my report while they turned pale and nodded. They stared outside as a light soared into the night sky. It seemed like Ashley was able to properlyunch the warning light as I have expected. With that, the escorts should being soon. I then confirm the position of the intruders on the map on my ker lens.

    There!

    A single spot of light floated from a tree in the garden where no one shouldve been, but it disappeared immediately. It was probably because they were moving while silencing their steps. But I didnt miss the conversation and the sounds as it was lit for a moment.

    The intruders seemed to have remained stationary on the fringes of the north area of the house. They probably realized theyve been noticed. Now then, since the escort guards wereing, would they attack or pull back?

    Laptiricia-sama, are you alright?!

    Probably rushing from the main building, themander entered the house while breathing heavily.

    I am fine.

    Laptiricia-sama said as she arrived in the living room. After ensuring the condition of the detached house, themander approached me.

    Shaft-dono, are you sure they are raiders?

    Well, Im not really sure if they are, but there are several of them hiding in the garden, and in the northern area outside the house. They seem to be worried about the light signal and the teams response. For the time being, secure the ce.

    What about Shaft-dono?

    Well, Ill go greet the intruders.

    After informing the girls that the guards would be taking over, I went outside. The guards had already surrounded the house, so it wouldnt be easy for them to get in.

    I switched to Night Vision mode as I walked to the nearest tree. The visible light that Id seen earlier was 30m ahead of me. And as I approached the spot, I could also confirm their positions on the map.

    Found them! There were five of them, but I wasnt sure if that were all. However, it was fine with my current loadout. I took out my tomahawks from my coat and began my attack in order to reduce their numbers before they withdrew.

    One stood while the others squatted down in a circle while talking in inaudible voices. Just seeing them from a nce, you could already say that they were very suspicious with hooded cloaks and clothes over their mouths. It seemed like something someone would wear during a sneak attack.

    If you wore things like that to a ce where a dukes third daughter was staying, wouldnt it be unavoidable to be preemptively attacked?

    From around 15 meters, my crosshairs aligned with the necks of the attackers. I threw both my weapons and the 2 of them let out muffled screams as their heads fell. It seemed like they were confused by the sudden attack as theirrades fell. They werete in responding. I was about to throw more after I moved, if they reacted like that, then I will!

    Two more tomahawks came out of my overcoat. I threw one as the crosshairs aligned with another one. When the third person fell, the two remaining attackers finally snapped out of their confusion and tried to escape. However, I wouldnt let any of them do such a thing. I gave chase as I threw another one  cutting off his leg as he tried to climb a tree.

    Guwah!

    After I heard his scream, I switched to thest remaining one. I didnt have another tomahawk ready, but I had the Welrod on my hip. I didnt use that, instead, I used a special gun thatd been in a special holster on my rear. This wouldnt kill him immediately, but I still needed it sometimes for him to do.

    I followed him while I aimed for his back and pulled the trigger once the crosshairs aligned with it. A dull sound filled the air, then after seeing it connect with the intruders back, I stopped chasing.

    The gun I used for thest attacker was a VMB Original firearm. A GPS tracking dart. The gun was a non-lethal pistol, as such, it couldnt inflict damage upon an opponent. When used, it attached an ultra-small GPS Transmitter to the target. Then, an orbiting GPS Satellite wound the nt could be used to pick out the transmitters location.

    The light point at this time was disyed. Regardless of if a ce was mapped or not. I was worried about whether it could be used in this world, but it turned out that it could be used immediately after a trial run. In the sky, high above this world, GPS satellites would not really have been established. However, the reproduction of the games power allowed this weapon to function.

    Now then, will this person lead us to their base? Or to those who requested their services? For the time being, Ill start by interrogating the person who lost their leg. While staring off into the darkness where the person had disappeared, I made ns for the rest of the day. Then decided whether or not to leave tonight, or after tomorrows events. I then returned to the house.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    After I killed 3 of the 5 assassins while capturing one alive, I then reported back to the Pavillion and Laptiricia-ama. I let thest one escape only after Id attached a GPS tracker to them with my VMB Original Gun. Now, I dragged the captured one by the neck as I returned to the detached house. Both his hands had been tied and the leg Id severed with my tomahawk had been mended.

    As I approached, I could see guards patrolling around the house. They noticed me approaching with a prisoner and three of them rushed to me.

    Shaft-san! Is that one of the attackers?

    I went out on the northern side and killed three people. I also managed to leave one alive. For now, lets see if this one would be willing to tell us something.

    After informing them of the situation and what to do next, I left the man to them and went inside. Upon entering, I could feel that everyone still had their guard up. Once in the living room, Ashley and the escortmander approached me.

    Shaft, were you injured?

    Shaft-dono, you seemed to have returned safely. What happened to the attackers?

    I am uninjured. I encountered 5 assassins. I captured one and let another escape.

    You let one escape on purpose? Why did you do that?

    To find the whereabouts of their hideout and n on our next course of action. Id also like to ask themander to continue keeping watch of everyone for now. Ive handed the prisoner to the escort team for interrogation.

    It is our duty to guard everyone, so you dont need to ask. But will you be alright going on your own?

    Thats right. It would be easier for me to move and fighting style suits solo work. Ashley and Laptiricia-sama should rest now. There probably wont be any more attacks soon. And tomorrows schedule would be hindered if you didnt rest properly.

    Okay, but Shaft, if it involves an aristocrat, be sure to turn back and not recklessly attack, okay?

    Would it be troublesome if a noble were involved?

    That is so. After all, the Royal Family and high-ranked nobles can punish other nobles. Itd be considered legal self-defense if they attacked first, but outright attacking them is no good.

    Got it. Ill be sure to remember that.

    Blowing up the entire mansion if the raider went to a noble to report  that was my first thought to solving the problem. But it seems itd be too troublesome for me to aim directly at nobles I remember the people Ive attacked before, and even though they were high profiled, none of them were nobles. After I reported what happened to the captain, and the girls, I prepared myself before I gave chase to the escaping assassin.

    I wanted to crush those that were aiming for us quickly rather than not know when theyd attack again.

    After entering my room, I opened the TSS and took out the FMG9 along with its magazines and suppressor. Of course, my current loadout probably wouldnt be enough when it came to an infiltration after all. I then checked my map to see the current location of the transmitter. The GPS dot had stopped moving, but it was somewhere I hadnt mapped yet.

    After my preparations, I left towards the dots location. It was around midnight and I ran through the dark cityscape while avoiding others to avoid being seen. That bandit shouldve been around here, but there was only the blip on the map. It was also the ce where the GPS was currently transmitting from.

    I pulled out the Welrod from my wait and held it with both hands. Ready to fire at a moments notice as I approached. On my map, the GPS tracker wasing from the light, but the map couldnt disy anything else.

    After all, there werent any other light sources or sounds for the sensors to pick up. After closing in, a stone building appeared in ce of where both the GPS and blip was at Was this a bar or an inn? Even bars were supposed to close at this time. However, I could faintly hear the panting of both men and womening from the buildings Second floor

    The sounds made my body tense up, but I cleared my mind. I ran up to the roof of the building while ignoring the noise.

    The marker was still not moving from its spot. There s only one thing I could do now. While I hid on the roof, I looked at the spot where the GPS pointed to  something like a stockyard where bricks and nks were ced.

    I could see the silhouette of a person where the GPS pointed to. I looked around to see if there were others, but it seemed like there was no one else. Just in case, I activated my NG and FLIR to make sure.

    As I descended from the roof of the building and approached the silhouette, I found the attackerying there. It seemed like hed been disposed of by whomever they came to meet. A small circr GPS transmitter  approximately 1cm in diameter  blinked a dull red against the persons ck attire.

    Well, who in this world would ever know about what a GPS was? In other words, either the employer or members of the dark guild mightve already intended to dispose of them regardless of if the attack had been sessful or not.

    With the circumstances at hand, I touched the GPS on the map and disabled its blip using the TSS. After doing so, the transmitter on the persons corpse disintegrated into small light particles.

    Even though Id let him escape on purpose to track the culprits, I returned to the Pavillion with the thought that Id wasted my time. I would have to inform themander of what happened along with informing the one left behind. I wonder if theyd change their minds if they knew this.

    It cant be helped. And even if Laptiricia-sama didnt want to, might need to even torture the prisoner to extract information It seemed like they were interrogating the assassin in one of the main buildings room.

    I entered the room with themander. The attacker sat tied in a chair with a noose. His hood had been removed and he faced the floor as if depressed.

    So, did he finally start speaking?

    Shaft-san, Commander, this guy is quite tough. He still has not spoken a word.

    Commander, please prepare someone who can use healing magic. If we cant let him speak with his mouth, then I wonder if his body would answer.

    Thats right, lets bring in two of them. If they take turns, they wont even be that worn-out even if we go until the morning.

    Hearing this, I saw the attackers body respond to our conversation. It seemed like hed reach his limit soon.

    Hey you, do you know me?

    I crouched down in front of the assassin and turned him towards me. What he saw in front of him was my ker mask of course.

    Shaft.

    Hou, it seems like my name has been known in this city too. Yet, you still tried attacking Laptiricia-sama, despite knowing Im here?

    The mans facial structure closely resembled one with Asian characteristics. The hair was cut short and dark brown, but it was long enough for me to grab. His eyes were panicked as if he tried not to look directly at me.

    Starting now, we will be using healing magic while peeling off your skin. Especially your face, and this will continue until morning. Well, you dont really have to say anything. After all, you dont know anything, right?

    I heard the attack gulp. I could hear his heart rate increase; it sounded as if it were going to pop out of his chest.

    I dont want to hear anything anymore. Well be tearing you apart until morning. Then disy your body parts for all of Veneer to see. Ill let you feel what its like to receive the judgement of Laptiricia-samas escort.

    The assassins eyes had a terrified look in them. A terrified look that suggested I was some kind of horrible monster.

    What is it? Dont worry, we wont kill you yet. The healers will be here to ensure that you live  -

    As I said so, I took off my ker mask. With my zombie face exposed, I stared at the assassin.

    I wonder  will your face look like this after everything is said and done

    With cheeks of exposed muscles, eyeballs that were nearly popped out and a swollen red forehead, the assassin saw this horrifying face in front of him. He grabbed my hand and I could feel his hand shaking as I held his hair.

    Pl-please, dont! Ill speak! Ask me anything, Ill answer it! Please, Im begging you  I will definitely answer it  I swear!

    And he broke.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    One of the assassins who attempted to attack Laptiricia-sama was killed after hed fled. The identity of the mastermind aiming for her life is unknown. But we did manage to get information from the one assassin we captured. The first bit was the name of the Dark Guild thatd been hired which was called Cactus. The second part was carried out by one of its subordinate ns, Styphnolobium. Thest bit of information was that Styphnolobium carried out this mission with a single member of Cactus overseeing it.

    No further information could be extracted from the prisoner. But me and the escortmander had deemed it enough. The biggest catch today was knowing which group was targeting our charge.

    First of all, the raidst night was done by this Styphnolobium Or japanese pagoda trees usually seen in botanical gardens and parks. Its a tall tree with deciduous leaves and bell-like white flowers. And Cactus It was an organization that acted like a General Guild for existing dark ns. It organized various criminal requests and allocated them to its subordinate ns. Although there were actually a lot of these types of organizations, only Cactus had been named.

    As for me, I just felt odd when I heard the name Cactus.

    The next morning, Ashley and Laptiricia-sama discussed the information gathered. We concluded that it wasnt over yet. However, it wasnt possible to change our schedule now. Today, Leptirica-sama would visit famouspanies within Veneer, attend a tea party held by the city lord in the afternoon, and participate in a banquet at one of the best ballrooms in Veneer at night.

    The captured member of Styphnolobium was taken by the escortmander to the guard station; along with three dead members I killed. Afterward, itd be left to Veneers administration. After breakfast, wed begin the days events Veneer, the so-called Red Light District city, had its center surrounded by walls. It made me wonder why people gathered in this city with such a huge disparity between the rich and poor? What kind of pleasures did the city provide?

    Eachpany that we would visit today had their own trading houses. They were also staffed with entertainment facilities, and among them gambling areas, an indoor theater, a dancing strip, an arena, and even a luxurious brothel. It was like I was in Las Vegas. I thought this as I listened to the conversation between the Chairman and Laptiricia-sama. At this point, wed visited 4panies by now. And from what Ive heard as I stood guard nearby, no political matters were brought up.

    Its not like were here for actual business, so it was just a simple cordial discussion. I dont know much about the political matters of this world, so I could only hope that this would help Laptiricia-sama in her future.

    After finishing the visits, our next destination was the tea party being hosted by the City Lords wife. I couldnt actually stay with them, so I had to stay with the other male escorts in a special area away from the party. I could only leave escorting to Ashley here. While looking at the map disyed on my ker mask, someone approached me from behind.

    Yo, ck Mask. Its been a while.

    When I turned around, I found a middle aged brown haired man. He was short and thin, and his mouth was crooked with a loose smile. Coupled with his droopy looking eyes, he gave off a sense of unreliability.

    - Who are you?

    Oi oi, are you trying to bust my other knee!? Its siegfried from the mercenary guild!

    Still no idea.

    I was there when you took your entrance exam. Do you really not remember?

    Entrance exam Siegfried Knee Ah, now that he mentioned it, I took the exam in the capital. I only had a vague memory of it. This Siegfried was probably one of those people.

    Apparently you recognize me now. The Mercenary Guild has been trying hard to contact you, but you never really returned. Its been difficult because they asked me who was the one who participated in the exam alongside you, just to try and get in touch with you.

    I didnt know the Guild was looking for me.

    Normally, they wouldnt specifically look for you, but youve been quite the hot topic in towntely. You see, people in the capital love fresh new things, and your appearance was like a new toy to y with.

    A toy you say

    Either way, there are somepanies and nobles who are interested in your capabilities. You may still be busy with Duke Bargas request, but there will be more things like this in the future. So stop by the Guild from time to time.

    Ill think about it.

    I mean, my n after finishing this request was just to make Shaft disappear for some time. I wanted to busy myself with conquering the Wolf Fang Dungeon.

    By the way, what are you doing here today? Escorting someone?

    Nah, Im here on a different assignment. When I came to see the City Lord, I heard that Duke Bargas daughter was attending, so I figured youd be here as well.

    Different assignment?

    You curious? Wll, since it has nothing to do with you, I guess its fine. Do you remember the Otokoeshi n? The one who also took the escort request from the Marida Company?

    Yeah, I remember them. Although, I forgot their name.

    The n leader was Maximillian, along with two others, Volkasier and Gotthart.

    What do they have to do with your assignment?

    Im here to chase after them. Theyve been found guilty of breaching the contract and falsifying IDs. If you happen to see them, please arrest them or inform the guards.

    - Ill keep that in mind.

    Siegfried left afterward. Wasnt that guy just an employee at the Mercenary Guild? Or was every employee of that guild tasked with tracking criminals? However, what bothered me most at the moment was those Otokoeshi guys. Those three were the first to escape without helping when we were attacked at the rest area west of the capital. Idpletely forgotten about them due to the conflict with the Yagoche Company. I figured it was something that the guild would resolve. That said, this would be the final night of our stay in Veneer. The chance of encountering them should be small.

    The party was over without dy. What was left on the schedule was to attend a banquetter tonight. Many other nobles visiting the city would also attend. Since there would be a lot of noble men attending, male escorts were allowed by thedies. The banquet would be held in thergest ballroom in Veneer  a building fashioned after rose petals named Lavian Rose. Following the dress code, I donned a ck tail coat while recing my skull mask with a bat mask that had an opening for the mouth to allow me to drink.

    Shaft-san, that mask doesnt seem to go with the tail coat. Do you have another mask?

    However, the design didnt fit well. Thus, Laptiricia-sama urged me to switch it out. I didnt want to embarrass her, so I ended up taking time rummaging through the masks in the avatar menu. Finally, I went with a vian mask simr to that to what the ck Shaft actor wore in the y in the Capital.

    The mask only hid the upper half of my face, its design based off a ck panthers head. It was made from a ck and shiny material with a silver thread decor. Neither Laptiricia-sama nor Ashleyined about it, so I figured Ill be wearing this mask if I had to follow this kind of dress code again.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    Laptiricia-samas trip to Veneer would end with tonights banquet. We still did not know if Cactus and Styphnolobium had decided to give up on assassinating her. But I wasnt optimistic that they had. They were unlikely to attempt an attack during the banquet, but we shouldnt be any less vignt.

    When we arrived at the La Vienne Rose, I was first off the carriage. I then opened the carriage door to allow Laptiricia-sama and Ashley, helping them exit. Tonights banquet was more prestigious than any other Ive attended. Apparently, it was hosted by a Marquis, whose house was known for their strong magic. There was also security arranged for the venue by the Marquis. Just like me, who wore a Vian mask and a ck tailcoat, Laptiricia-sama and Ashley wore fitted evening gowns per the dress code.

    This world somehow had a more advanced sense of fashion than my old world. Despite the medieval lifestyle and atmosphere  also outdated sewing technology, the fashion design was more modern than my worlds medieval period.

    Laptiricia-sama wore a blue bare topdress while sporting what appeared to be diamond-studded earrings. It shone brilliantly over her white skin. Meanwhile, Ashley wore a red off-the-shoulder dress with a v-neck. She also wore a choker with a glowing red ruby thatd I presented to her as Schwartz. Both of them looked stunning. On the other hand, looked like a pro wrestler with my mask.

    I took Laptiricia-sama hand and escorted her to the entrance. There, I was frisked after our invitation was confirmed. Ashley attended as a member of the Zephanel house instead of an escort; she was exempted from also being searched. Ashley didnt talk about the Zephanel family. Was there a reason behind why it was difficult for her to do so? After asking the escortmander, I came to know the gist of it. Not that I cared about the noble stuff and all, but I was worried about her well being.

    Entering La Vienne Rose, we passed through a revolving door. We were greeted by the sight of red. Even the tablecloths were red. The whole room was essentially filled with red. Several men and women were already mingling when we entered and a waitress sprightfully offered us liquor.

    It would be some time before the banquet began. Until then, people would just socialize with others. Since I didnt know anyone, I turned the wine in my ss as I followed Laptiricia-sama and Ashley from behind. I hadnt drunk the wine yet, as I was still on duty. Laptiricia-sama and Ashley, however, appeared to be more well known than I thought. Be it a count or earl  even a middle-aged viscount  treated her like an old acquaintance. Meanwhile, the number of young barons and nobles soon appeared as the room became crowded.

    When I tried to listen to the content of the conversations between these nobles, I heard national politics, forecast for the next year, business, taxes, women  yada yada. Not to mention, if the person tried to settle into a corner, or whisper, my sound sensors would still pick it up.

    This year was truly auspicious. A dungeon was closed and the Barga markets are lively with trade-

    The problem is the magic transfer team. My territory doesnt have any yet. I should win some over, no matter what -

    I heard that magic recovery potions are flooding the market

    The price of magic water is in a freefall. But there shouldnt be any other vien except the one I manage. Do you know anything-

    It seems that the southern pirates are gaining momentum

    This wine is delish

    Is there any seafood-

    I will graduate from the Magic Academy this year. Next, Ill study

    My daughter had achieved sess in mere two years, you should do your best

    Have you seen that young ck noble

    Just how did Duke Barga secure the ck Masks aid

    Leader, give me another ss

    Marida Companys new food really sold well

    Last night, there seems to be a lot of noise

    The daughter of that businessman will make an appearance

    How was the card?

    Is the First Princeing to the ball tonight

    Of course~ Only here can we drink such a fine vintage

    Moreover, its like the Second Prince is ying with fire

    The Third Princes fiancee is

    Isnt it decided already?

    Beyond the Gatekeeper of the Capitals northern Labyrinth is

    The 150th floor was it? Nothing less from Raflessia

    People spoke of various topics and rumors of ck Mask had definitely reached the ear of the Veneer nobles. If the performance signboard Id seen while I rode the carriage told me anything, its that the story had circted  perhaps through bards or some other means. And apparently, the Marida Companys bento sold really well. If only I had time to visit thepanys office in the capital. But the escort request had left me with very little free time. Maybe after the request was finished, Ill give Marida a visit. I also wanted to visit the magic academy Maridas daughter attended. If only just to see how they taught in this world.

    In the end, I simply savored the wines fragrance in my ss. It smelled delicious, so I figured a sip wouldnt hurt. It tasted slightly sour with a well rounded vor. It was indeed delicious as theyve mentioned. I had the urge to drink some more, but I endured; opting to enjoy the smell instead. While I did so, I returned my attention to listening to my surroundings. This time, on what Laptiricia-sama and Ashley were talking about in front of me.

    Eventually, the curtain on the main stage opened wide. A female host appeared while saying Pardon for the wait before urging the guests to move toward the main ballroom for dinner. Thus, we proceeded as instructed. It was the role of the male escort to guide their guest to their seat. The tables and seats had been arranged in advance. Despite not having any actual influence, Ashley was seated beside Laptiricia-sama and tonights host,Marquis Venato.

    Many long tables filled the venue for the banquet with 12 chairs each. Four groups were arranged at each table. I pulled Laptiricia-sama seat for her to sit before assisting Ashley. Only then, did I sit. Next, we waited for the others to be seated. Marquis Venato would be thest to sit. So that left us to wait on two more groups If ording to the table seating lists, the two groups would be the City lord, Marquis Venner, and Lord of Dragrange Frontier Territory.

    Lord of the Frontier was a title given to a noble with territory that shared its border with another country. Although, Im not sure if that title worked simrly in this world. Kurtmerga Kingdom was a vast country, as such, I hadnt heard anything regarding neighboring nations at all. I guessed Id hear about them tonight when Ashley and the other spoke about it. Itll be awkward for the other group to show up while we were talking  so I chose to stay quiet for now.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    The banquet at La Vienne Rose  thergest ballroom in the city  was about to begin. As we waited at our table for thest group, the first to arrive was Veneers City Lord and his wife. Along with the Veneer couple, another person arrived; maybe one of their sons. Marquis Venatos group sat at the head of their tables as hosts of the event. The Marquis took the sit to my right, probably thinking the other chairs were taken. With this, the group had been seated As for Lord Dragranges group

    This should be our table, Leader!

    Please have a seat!

    Ooh-, is it here, or here?

    I heard voices behind me As the voice came closer and closer, I turned my head and found-

    A short-statured man in a tuxedo with a roon face. His white undershirt was prominent due to his protruding potbelly, while his ck jacket was made scarce as itd been pushed off to the side. And standing next to him was a woman with a. Slender rat face? Behind them was a 2-meter tall car-eared man I mean woman, in a brown evening dress. E? Was this person a transvestite? I stayed seated, making sure that I was ready to stand at a moments notice as I watched the trio warily.

    Oh, the Dragrange family has arrived. Please, have a seat.

    Marquis Veneer, whod been seated next to me, greeted the trio. So these weirdos were the people from the Degrange frontier?

    My eyes followed their movement. So far, they seemed docile, but that cat-eared woman made me wary Unaware of how I felt, Laptiricia-sama greeted her as she sat beside her. Somehow, I felt something strange. What about Ashley whod been seated closer? She didnt seem to hold any suspicion of them, or did she?

    Oo, if it isnt Laptiricia Barga!

    Nice to meet you, I am Laptiricia-sama.

    I am the eldest daughter of Lord of the Degrange frontier, Ophelia De Lagrange. This man here is my escort

    Escort Virginia Parrenberg.

    I am also an escort, my name is Edelhart!

    In return, Laptiricia-sama introduced both Ashley and I. Ashley replied without trouble, but I was at a loss for words. Because I felt stifled when Ophelias eyes and mine met. However, it was only for a moment as the venues lighting dimmed. Marquis Venato, as the host, emerged on the stage; probably signaling the beginning of the event. Ophelia had turned away, as she didnt seem to hold any interest in me anymore. She pped her hands in response to Marquis Venatos speech.

    After the greetings, a small orchestra began to y beside the stage. Their elegant and flowy music yed as the servants distributed the food. The first served was a soup. The Marquis and Laptiricia-sama spoke as they enjoyed it slowly. The Degrange trio drank it at once. One even asked for seconds. Next came the main course, dishes of fish followed by other meat dishes. Then sds andstly, desert. There were 10 or so dishes being served.

    It may have been the first time Id attended a banquet, but I knew enough to keep it simple; to enjoyjustenough of the dish. But one thing prevented me from enjoying my meal was Ophelia. I watched her and the other two eat, specifically, I kept my eye on the silverware in their hands. Id made sure that my knife was ready to be thrown at a moments notice. Unfortunately, no matter how I concentrated, the disy on the panther mask showed no guiding line. Apparently, the targeting system only worked with VMBs weapons.

    I watched them diligently, too high strung to even remember the taste of the meat I ate tasted like.

    The first time Id met them was at the Fort City of Barga. Back then, I thought they were just some adventurers. The second time Id met them was when I took the request for the Marida Company. While those guys had given themselves a cool sounding name, they were the first to flee the moment the bandits appeared. The third time was at this very banquet. I thought to myself as I watched the giant of a person, who seemed confused on whether theyd be a he or she, enjoyed the dishes joyfully.

    From their attitude, I could clearly tell them apart from a real noble like Laptiricia-sama. Dont tell me they only attended the banquet just to eat? Did they really have to disguise themselves as a giant cat-eareddy with her escorts, the rat faceddy and little roon man just for that? I didnt know which unnerved me more. Me realizing who they were, or everyone else not having the smallest inkling of suspicion of them. Not only those who sat at the table, not even the wait staff seemed to see the strangeness of these guests.

    What was going on here?

    In the end, the banquet ended without any incident. After arriving back at the inn, I finally had time for a break and asked Ashley.

    Degrange territory? Its in the furthest most north of the kingdom. If we take a carriage there, itd take two months to get there.

    Have you ever met a member of the Degrange family before this?

    No, I havent. But Ophelias beauty was famous even in the capital. Shes a beautiful elf just as rumoured.

    Elf?

    But what I saw back at the banquet was a beastkin. Meanwhile, the elf race was part of a very different fairy race So that Ophelia was a fake. But why did no one else notice? They couldnt have possibly mistook a beastman for an elf, right? Its so ridiculous it mustve been magic

    Magic?

    Of course, in other words, theyd used some sort of magic spell or tool to conceal themselves. However, it didnt work on me who was a Manuke. Perhaps it was an illusion that interfered with the sight and sound of those with magic, making them see something different. I wouldve been deceived as well if itd been a shapeshifting ability instead. But one that worked by interfering with ones magic wouldnt work on me. But what was their purpose? Just to attend the banquet?

    In any case, those were the same trio of adventurers and that I encountered during the Marida escort request. Could anyone else see through their illusion? The trip to Veneer ended with that quest in my mind. We would leave tomorrow to return to the capital. There wasnt another attack either that night. This journey might prove more difficult as we had another five days ahead.

    We had a talk with the convoy leader. Hed mentioned that the most dangerous area would be the rest area, since wed spend the night there. And it wasnt just Laptiricia-sama we had to protect. It was also the horses and carriages as they were equally as important to keep our schedule. If we failed to attend the ball held in the capital, thatd been a major blunder. No only would the meeting of the Third Prince be dyed, itd put a huge obstacle for her to be his fiancee.

    With so many other nobles attending the banquet, her chance of getting to know the prince would plummet. And regardless of her rank, another person would rece her if she missed it. Therefore, although protecting Laptiricia-sama was important, keeping our transportation intact was just as vital.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    After the trip to Veneer had been finished, we finally headed back to the capital. At present, we were gathered by Laptiricia-samas carriage as double-checked security.

    So, the second and third nights are what we should be careful of?

    I heard from the guards that they raided the bar which served as the Enjuu headquarters. But apparently it was just a front. ording to the one we captured, 10 other members  including their leader  are missing.

    They also mentioned that one of the members of Cactus was with them, right?

    Other than that, we also need to be wary of the movements of that trio, since their objects are still unclear.

    Fortunately, we have Shaft-dono who can see through their disguise. Ive sent a letter to Sieffried via the guild

    Thanks. Leptirica-sama, Im curious. Ive heard from my acquaintance that there is no such magic that could transform ones appearance. Then, how were they able to do it?

    In response to my question, Laptiricia-sama fell into a deep thought. She was the only one I could ask right now. Being the daughter of a noble family that dabbled in magic, shed know more than the average person.

    I havent heard of such magic that could alter ones appearance, let alone one that could also alter perception and the hearing of everyone nearby before. Not during my time in the academy nor during my time in Sansqua.

    Ive also never heard anything about this trio, pretending to be other people and infiltrating various ces. Perhaps, only the higher ups in the guild know about them.

    I think its safe to say that the trio wasnt a part of the assassination team. Otherwise, why would they bothering to the banquet just to eat and nothing else? But we still need to be wary of them.

    I agree with what the escort leader said. Those three had a different feeling off them. If they were the same people that fled during myst mission, Its difficult to think that they didnt recognize me back there. Even if I was wearing a different mask.

    Theres an agreement that we should keep an eye on them. Although they werent with the assassins, there were just too many things I didnt understand yet. So, lets just inform the proper authorities and leave it to them. Our duty as escorts was to protect Laptiricia-sama. We shouldnt mess up our priorities here.

    Taking a short break, the escort leader and I headed to where the cabin and headed to where the carriage and horses were parked. While keeping an eye on our surroundings, I talked with him.

    Nothing happened on the first or second night. By now, the other nobles who were staying within Veneer would make their way to the Capital for the royal banquet. Their advantage over us was they could use transfer magic to travel instantly. A Magic Transport team can only do a one way teleport from point A to point B. So, if one wanted to make a round trip, theyd need to set up another team at point B to send them back. They were mainly to transport goods and supplies. Daily essential items like food, salt, spices  along with other items needed for daily life.

    Human teleportation was limited to the Royal Family and a few select nobles. A member of themercial guild could also use the service to move their supplies for a fee. Civilians and adventurers were restricted from the service. I guessed that it was to manage the service itself, as leaving no limitation would strain the teams. Regardless, this was why these select few people didnt have to spend days on a carriage from town to town. Coincidentally, Laptiricia-sama was only allowed to use a carriage this time.

    There was another group staying at the resting area during the second night. They were apany moving to Veneer. But the third night, it was just us. Perhaps there was foul y at hand here. Somebody prevented other travelling groups from reaching this ce, isting it.

    Tonight, Ill keep watch without sleeping. Itll be bad for us if the stable was lit on fire, so divide the horses and keep them away from each other to prevent them from being taken all at once.

    Roger that. Ill make the arrangement immediately.

    Under the escort leadersmand, the guards went about their duties as they tied up the horses to pirs or trees so no more than one was in a single ce. Aside from cing guards around the area, I personally stood guard as well. For now, I didnt detect any iing or moving sounds other than ours. Eventually The sun sat with a gentle breeze blowing through the area until it became dark.

    We Installed several torches around the area to keep our surroundings well lit. Although, at the same time, it also made the darkness thicker. I switched my ker mask to NV mode and began to patrol the perimeter. There were no strange sounds at the moment. The escort leader had ordered minimal movement and sound.

    Suddenly, the surrounding darkness grew so thick that even my NV mode was having a hard time seeing in it.

    Its the Dark Mist! Enemy iing!

    I heard one of the guards shout. The surrounding area was quickly saturated in a ck mist. My field of vision was limited to only a few meters ahead. I deactivated NV mode and switched to my FLIR mode. Covered in ck mist, I saw the guard move ordingly.

    Magicians, start blowing the mist away! Theylle soon, prepare for battle!

    That was the escort leader speaking. Certainly, by blinding our sight like this, they were hiding their approach from us. Its high time for the attackers to finally make their move I immediately headed back to the cottage where Laptiricia-sama and Ashley were resting.

    Are you two alright?!

    The two were lying on the ground, throwing up as their bodies spasmed. It seems that they were awakened by the ruskus. They were, however, inflicted with strange ailment while changing clothes. Evident by how their light armor and robes were in a state of dishevel.

    Sha-Shaft-dono! Is Laptiricia-sama safe?

    While checking on their conditions, I heard the escort leaders distraught voice. Probably from having no idea how to deal with their current predicament.

    They suddenly started vomiting  is it poison?

    Ma-mage masher. It is a type of grass, if burnt, the smoke would cause severe physical troubles the more magical power a victim has.

    So its a magic based poison. Do we have the antidote?

    No! The grass is only used as ast resort during war, or to subjugate arge group of bandits. Civilians arent allowed to possess it, and cultivating it is a crime. We can only get the antidote from Veneer or the Capital.

    What will happen if theyre left without it?

    If the victim only has a small amount of magic, they wont die. But, for a magician, its extremely deadly  depending on the amount inhaled, they might not evenst a day.

    From here, Itll take two days to get to either city. No, more importantly!

    Iing from the west, 11!

    On the map, 11 dot were disyed approaching.

    Commander, keep them safe.

    I lifted the two andid them on the bed. I then had the pale facedmander watch over them.

    U-understood. If a bandites, Ill surely cut them down.

    When I got out, the dark mist had already subsided. But in its ce, I could see a purple smoke flowing about. So that was the mage masher. Looking around, I noticed that the battle had already begun. And it was a one-sided massacre. The assants were killing the incapacitated guards whod inhaled the smoke. A few had milder symptoms, but still, they were no match. I was in time to see one of the assassins kicking a robbed convoy member in the stomach. Seeing this, I felt nauseous. My worries for the girls grewrger, but still, I reached into my overcoat, and grabbed the handle of my tomahawks.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    As expected, the attack came on the third day of our trip. However, what I didnt expect was the assassins to use a chemical attack, a gas called Mage Masher, which was extremely lethal to mages. Let alone Laptiricia-sama and Ashley, the entire convoy was in grave danger.

    Leaving Laptiricia-sama and Ashleys side temporarily to the escortmander, I first went to the servant tent nearby. Raising the curtain that served as its entrance, I found the servants huddled together towards the back.

    Does anyone here suddenly feel sick?

    An elderly woman in a maids uniform shook her head.

    If thats so, please stay inside. Donte out until it calms down.

    E,excuse me What happened to Laptiricia-sama?

    Shes alright, but shes out because of the fog. The escortmander is watching her and Ill repel the attack. Ill leave the aftermath to all of you.

    I left the tent after I said that.

    I needed to take action before the enemypletely took over the campsite  to clean them all in one fell swoop!

    There were 11 bandits and it hadnt seemed to decrease. The convoy guards were almost wiped out as well. In such a short time the sound of battle began to die along with the guards.

    I tossed a tomahawk with my right hand into a bandit who had his back to me, too upied with a dying guard. Maybe because he heard something, but he turned around as the weapon lodged itself center forehead  instantly splitting his skull. It passed through with enough momentum to hit another bandit whod been behind my target.

    I got a two-in-one throw, however, now the other assassins seemed to have noticed me. I went to aim for another, I found that theyd begun to surround me whilst keeping their distance from each other. I took out another tomahawk as I began moving to avoid being surrounded. First, I slid-jumped left where their encirclement hadnt beenpleted, followed by a strafe jump forward. From there, I engaged a third target.

    I took another tomahawk from within my overcoat as I started moving in order to avoid being surrounded. Firstly, I did a slide jump to the left where theres some space left followed by a strafe jump forward. From there, I engaged my third assassin.

    What the?!

    My sudden burst of speed startled the bandit I engaged. Tossing my tomahawk halfway through my jump, and of course, he tried to deflect it with his slender longsword. He was still decapitated. His head twirled through the air for a moment  blood sshing about  before it hit the ground. I realized the bandit was wearing something akin to a gasmask. Attached to the masks sides were two cylinders. Glowing green stones were fitted to the cylinders centers.

    A magic tool, most likely using wind attribute stones to purify the inhaled air. Its a shame that my attack just now broke it. Id like to secure a few, if possible, for Laptiricia-sama and Ashley.

    With my eyes still locked on the dead mans head as it rolled on the ground, the remaining bandits took that moment to strike. They simultaneously came at me from both sides in a pincer attack. The tomahawk left my hand with the sap of my wrist. Thanks to the power suit, even that small movement produced sufficient strength. It flew sideways, passing through the bandits sword and into his now undefended torso. His chest was ripped apart as a result.

    The bandit on my left hesitated at hisrades sudden and swift death. I took advantage of that opening and activated my CQC  ending a left and right punchbination to his chest. Following up with a palm strike to his head, he bent from the impact before Iunched a knee strike to his head that neutralized him. Unfortunately, because of the suits strength, I ended up breaking the mans neck and his gasmask.

    There were a few more left as I pulled out the Welrod from my waist and entered a shooting stance. I checked the remaining bandits  two to the side and four to the front. Although there was still 10m between us, I decided to take the initiative away to avoid a melee. I spun the weapon, turning the muzzle forward. I aimed at the two at my right and pulled the trigger in two quick shots. Thanks to the silencer, it only made a small bit of noise before the 9mm rounds dug into the mens chests.

    I fired another two shots at the two bewildered men on my left, probably dumbfounded at the sudden development. Each round found their target and left them eah with a bloody hole. With that, Id dealt with four.

    Bastard, howe you can still use magic

    Of the remaining two, I heard one of the men mutter/ Like the bandit whod attacked us before, he wore a ck outfit with a hood. Only with a gasmask this time.

    ck Mask Shaft huh That mask must be a magic tool. Did that help you survive the mage masher?

    I dont have time to lose, so lets get to the point. Do you have the antidote?

    Fuhn, Id be a fool if I carried one. Its your fault that Enjuu got obliterated. Anyway, if I kill you, my rank will surely go up

    Rank? Come to think of it, Yagoche also mentioned before. Those three who snuck into the LAvian rose were also with you, werent they?

    Yagoche? Ah, that well-off merchant from the capital. As for those three, I dont know anything about them. Do you think this is me, the master of the darkn Enjuu, Leif-sama is the kind of man whod speak so easily?

    Already introducing yourself, huh  While listening to this Leif-samas rambling, I reloaded the welrod as I tried to digest the bulk of the information. First of all, none of them brought the antidote. No, infact, I dont even think they even had it to begin with. And the trio whod snuck into the banquet had no rtion with these people. It mightve been too early to assume, but as it turned out, Yagoche and Enjuu belonged to the Cactus as well. Cactus itself may also be a part of a different organization. Yagoche and Enjuu werent the only two striving to up their ranking and Cactus may not be any different.

    Like ying a magic trick, Lief pulled a broadsword from the pouch attached to his hip. Meanwhile, I was focused on something else. Who was the man in all ck behind him? A member of Cactus, perhaps? The moment that thought crossed my mind, Lief approached me with a sudden burst of speed.

    Dash !

    I heard him mutter in a muffled but strong voice.

    Using the momentum from his dash, Lief swung at me, but I simply blocked it with the welrod andunched a palm strike at his head. Unfortunately, he managed to evade using a headslip technique. He even managed to sh at my abdomen. I once again deflected the swords attack. I switched hands, aiming for Liefs throat with the pistols handle.

    Kuh!

    A muffled voice escaped the gas mask as I hit him. I quickly followed up by hitting his hit repeatedly on both sides with the welrods front. Afterward, the bandit swayed as if he was about to faith, and I ended it with a kick.

    Guboo!

    He let out a scream that sounded like hed puked in his mask before he crumbled to the ground. He barely moved as I ced a well aimed strike with the welrod to the nape of his neck. Thus, he was out cold. That left one more person.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    Nearly all of the bandits had been dealt with. What was left was one man whod stayed out of the fight the entire time.

    Dark Mist.

    The name of the organization responsible for the assassination attempt on Laptiricia-sama. The group above Enjuu. As I knocked out Leif, I heard that name muttered. The resting area was once again enveloped in a thick dark mist. I couldnt even see beyond a few meters.

    [Dark Eye]

    I didnt know what it was exactly, but I was pretty sure that it was some sort of magic judging by the chant. When I finally heard the name of the spell, I realized it was a spell to see through the darkness or night. In Response, I also switched to my FLIR-mode to confirm the location of my target.

    The man was no longer where he was before he casted Dark Mist. I simply couldnt find him. There was no one when I looked. I didnt pick up any movement or sound, neither was there a dot on the map. Did he escape? Just when I thought that, I could hear the faint sound of air being sliced from behind.

    A cold shiver ran up my spine, and I slid-jump forward. I looked back mid-slide. He was there, silentlying after me.

    You can actually dodge me? Its been a while since anyone could avoid my backstab while Dark Mist and Shadowrun are in effect.

    The voice sounded young, clear and high pitched. But at the same time, it was cold.

    Shadowrun huh

    Of course I didnt know what that was. But it was probably some sort of skill. A stealth movement to be exact. Was that a shortsword in his hand? I saw cold blue streaks extending from his hand. It was hard to judge while in FLIR mode. All I see was the outlines of the and it made CQB hard. The blue streak suddenly changed to red, signifying an increase in temperature. The heating from that short sword had somehow be a sort of beam saber.

    Kuh!

    I twisted my body to avoid the de. I readied the welrod and took aim after I found my footing

    Not here?!

    Again with the Shadowrun, the man had disappeared again. Before I could find him again

    [Dark me]

    Right as I heard the voice, a plume of jet ck me burst up behind, engulfing me. I did a slide-jump to escape the mes and discard my burning overcoat in the process. I was able to grab a tomahawk with my left hand. I wasnt able to retrieve any magazines, however. They were stashed in the inner pockets. The overcoat burned, showing up as bright particles in my vision. And with that, the magazines were gone I only had eight rounds inside the welrod.

    Even that couldnt catch you. You are more capable than rumoured, ck Mask.

    You know me, but I dont know you; isnt that unfair?

    Would an assassin introduce themselves to their target?

    Fair enough.

    I couldnt afford to take my eyes off this man. He was silent and fast. If I allowed him to get behind me, I was done. Right after our short exchange, I threw the tomahawk at him. While at the same time I also positioned the welrods crosshair on him.

    [, Dark Hole]

    At first, I thought hed use his dagger to deflect or physically decade. However, he instead responded with some sort of defensive magic. Arge circle with no heat signature appeared before him, sucking the tomahawk in. A thrown tomahawk was pretty much a long ranged attack, just like a shooting arrow. Judging that, shooting now wouldnt do any good. So I decided to attempt a melee.

    I had the electric baton hanging on my hip, but I deemed that it was better to leave my left hand free. I never tried to dual wield a baton and a tonfa before, so I didnt know what kind of movement the CQC system would dish out. In this situation, such an unpredictable move could be myst.

    As I moved into another slide-jump, I reversed the welrods grip. With the momentum, Iunched a left-right swing with the longer end of the pistol. The assassin evaded my attack by twisting his upper body backward. At the same time, he left his upper torso for attack. I gave chase by kicking forward, which the assassin attempted to block with his short sword. But apparently, my kick was far stronger than hed expected. My boot continued until it connected with his stomach. Even so, he seemed to have endured it with only a short muffled grunt. I turned the welrod around so the read faced forward and I aimed for center mass.

    Since it was center mass, it wasnt something easily avoided by just slightly moving. However, midway, I reached out to grab his shoulder with my left hand, the welrod spun around in my other hand. Its muzzle now faced forward as I readied to pull the trigger.

    Guu!

    My left hand was deflected, yet there wasnt a way for him to use defensive magic at this distance! After switching to the proper grip, I matched the crosshairs on the ironsights. Before he could react, I shot twice. Probably realizing that Idunched a ranged attack, the assassin raised his shortsword on the first shot, sessfully deflecting the first round. However, the second round managed tond on his nk.

    Got him!

    I intended to capture this one alive, and find out who hired him. I switched my grip on the welrod once again, and aimed to knock him out. Seeing my huge swing, I could feel the assassins eyes turn grim.

    Liberate!

    The moment the word was spoken, arge ck hole appeared in between me and the assassin. At the same time, something cut off my right hand.

    Guaa!

    Sinceing to this world, this was the first wound Id taken. And ironically, it was not inflicted by his sword. It was my own tomahawk thatd disappeared in the previous ck hole. My right hand, cut below the elbow, fell into the ck hole alongside the welrod. With my line of sight diverted, I wasnt able to react to the assassins next move.

    I felt a sudden sharp paine from below my armpit. It was apanied by an unpleasant sound Did my ribs break? Either way, the attack sent me rolling on the ground. Just when my body came to a stop, and Iid on my back, I felt something heavy pressed against my stomach.  The assassin had mounted me, sitting on my belly as he began to strangle me with hsi hands.

    Did you think I wouldnt use magic there? This is it, the trash thats been an obstacle to our dominance. Along with those vixens, Ill send you forth to the evil god.

    With a short sword in his hand, he stabbed my chest. Since he used his left hand to do so, it was embedded into my right side.

    Guu!

    No use to struggle

    When you meet the evil god, do tell him this  Its his fault for dropping me in this world!

    What!

    In my desperation, I pointed my finger right at his face. An invisible shield deployed instantly. The CBS was like a thin film, deploying some inches from my hand; where his head was. It was cut in half.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    I was doing okay, until I had to deal with these assassins. Now, Ive been injured. My first since Ivee to this world and fought the most exhausting battle I ever had so far. My current body isnt normal anymore. Although my physical capabilities hadnt improved that much, my body was now akin to that of a VMB avatar. No matter how bad my injuries or how exhausted I got, I would just recover from it as long as I stayed out ofbat long enough.

    And the assassins head was split down the middle, slicing the front from the back. Blood sttered over me. It came with the nauseating scent of blood, along with the blood that rushed through my own body; I was to be alive. Once Id confirmed that I was, I pushed the dead body off me.

    St

    I tried to ignore the wet sound that came from his body as I checked on my bodys status. Busted left ribs. A de wound on the right side and a missing forearm. First, while Iid still on my back, I pulled the shortsword out. It was very painful. I screamed as the shock ran throughout my entire body. After a while, I got up with with my left hand on my wound to starve off the bleeding.

    I checked my surroundings and was relieved to find there werent anymore assassins left. After all, in my current condition, I felt that even a child could kill me. Now I needed to wait for the natural recovery to take effect. After that, itll take no time to heal; just about a second. I also had to bring Laptiricia-sama and Ashley back to the capital as soon as possible. The threat of the Mage Masher was still present.

    I raised my right hand to activate the TSS.

    Ah

    And was quickly reminded that my right hand was missing, so I couldnt activate it Then, what would happen to my missing arm when the natural recovery kicked in? There wasnt a case of missing limbs in the game, as it was regted that way byw. So, I honestly didnt know what would happen in the event that a limb was cut off. Would it grow back, or would it simply close itself off and Id lose it forever?

    This is bad Now where is my arm?

    I unintentionally spoke my thoughts out loud. I tried to stand and started to look for my missing arm. My body felt heavy and weak, and a dizzy spell quickly came after. I couldnt stand up I tried to breathe in fresh air to help myself recover, but all I could smell was the stench of blood. Breathing merely caused pain to sh by my broken ribs and the wound in my side.

    I had no other choice but toy on my back to look at the sky; back in the pool of blood. Fortunately, the recovery finally kicked in. The pain in my ribs and side gradually disappeared. I also felt a diforting itching from the stump on my right arm. I lifted the stump to my eyes. I saw blood vessels and muscle tissue growing from the stump. Particles of light gathered around the bone, secondster, grew at a visible rate with everything wrapping around it. The anxiety of my missing limb finally left me, and exhaustion washed over me. But I couldnt fall asleep yet.

    The pain had subsided a while back, but my arm took a full 10 minutes to grow backpletely. Meanwhile, I had mixed feelings over the fact that my body could recover from any wounds within only 10 minutes. It was like this body was some sort of monster.

    Captain, how are those two?

    I raised the curtain to the tent where the girls were and called out to themander.

    Sha,Shaft-dono! That blood, are you injured?!

    No, this doesnt belong to me. Im not injured. Anyways, how are they doing?

    Ah, there is no way theyd be fine after inhaling the gas. Not only a high fever, theyre having a hard time breathing. Itll worsen if its left alone.

    Can this be of use?

    I showed the gas masks I managed to save from the assassins, and handed them over to the Escort Commander.

    Arent those the Air Masks? Well, it wont detoxify the poison, but I think at least it can help alleviate the symptoms.

    Shaft-dono, what about the assassins? And What of my men?

    The convoy leader asked without looking at me as he put the masks on the girls. However, even he shouldve been able to tell the results of the battle.

    The assassins have been dealt with, but Im sorry.

    No Its alright.

    The convoy leader also put on a mask. He then probably noticed something, because he stared at me with a questioning look.

    What is it?

    No, but is Shaft-dono not affected by the Mage Masher?

    Ah That. I guess it does look strange to him.

    Thi,this mask is actually a magic tool. It also provides a simr benefit to the air mask.

    I see, so thats how it is.

    Perhaps because the Escort Leader infused some magic into the mask, the wind magic stone glowed. He also infused some magic into Laptiricia-sama and Ashleys mask.

    Were heading to the capital. Inform the servants to prepare to depart.

    With that, I exited the tent and went into the next one.

    Hiiiii!

    Youre exaggerating too much. The assassins have been dealt with, prepare to depart. I need you all to go and help Laptiricia and Ashley prepare.

    The servants still seemed frightened, but I left them anyway. Will they be okay? I felt a little worried and opened the TSS to extract 3 Gift Boxes from my inventory. I put the assassins corpse, their weapons and the broken masks aside. Then, I put the bodies of the guards thatd been covered in linens to another side then I ced them into two separate boxes.

    Thest gift box was used to stash the luggage and anything that pertained to Duke Barga, leaving the carriage mostly empty. Lastly, I also peeled off the coat of arms. The carriage now just looked like a regr luxury coach. I didnt know whether it was because of the Mage Masher, or because the assassins had killed them, but none of the horses were left alive. Without them, there was no way that the carriage could reach the capital. But of course, I wouldnt let the girls just die.

    Opening the garage menu, I took out something Id never used even during the time I yed the game. A motorhome called the Continental. A motorhome, in a nutshell, was a luxurious RV. Originally it was just a stage prop for the PvE mode. yers could purchase one for a hefty price once theyd earned consecutive wins on hostage missions. yers could still use it for PVP or other modes, but summoning it usually caused other yers to just shoot at it with RPGs out of sheer jealousy.

    I never really used it since it was a bus-sized coffin and the repair costs were high. Some yers who owned them also would sometimes go into the PvE mode, and just cruise around to enjoy the scenery. I didnt have that kind of hobby though.

    Light particles gathered and created arge shape before me. Then the Continental emerged. It was a huge 12 meter long mostly silver bus. I entered my PIN code on the touchscreen on the vehicles side, in which a set of stairs extended outward. I climbed up and opened the door, sliding it to the side. This was the first time Id summoned the vehicle, so naturally, its also the first time Id seen the inside.

    I knew from the catalog that itd included a drivers seat, living room, kitchen, aplete bathroom and a bedroom. I intended to make sure it was all in working order. Electricity Check. Water? Check. Hot water? Check. I wondered if the toilet was also connected to this water. The refrigerator also worked. The TV Well, of course, it just showed a static screen. I then lowered the stairs that lead to the second floor. There was the bedroom.

    So far, it showed favorable results. When I exited the RV, I noticed the Escort Commander staring at the Continental in a daze.

    Shaft-dono? What in the world is this?

    Well

    Well?

    Well, its a magic wagon- a magic wagon to Carry people. Windowless magic carriage. Its basically a magical carriage.

    A magic carriage?

    Right. Im conducting a test on this experimental vessel at the behest of another employer. This carriage doesnt require horses, but a lot of magic stones are required to move this guy. Thats why I didnt dare to use it before. But now that its an emergency, this carriage will move faster than the horse-drawn one. Better get in and leave immediately.

    What? There was actually something like that? This is the first time Ive heard of a magical carriage that didnt need horses.

    Thats a given. This project was a secret. So, just quickly finish the preparations. Ive already secured the dead. The luggage can also be taken in. All thats left to do is for everyone to board it.

    I understand. You have my gratitude for your consideration. Lets prepare to depart immediately.

    I ended up deciding to use the Continental because the other option, the Dorchester,cked beds. Besides, there were four other servants with us. I was worried that the Dorchester would be too small if I considered space for sleeping. The necessity of having two beds for the girls, plus the fact that Laptiricia-sama had already seen the Dorchester; I was afraid shed make the connection. I had no choice but to make such an impact to hide.

    I tapped the Escort Commanders shoulder, then headed to the tent where thedies rested. Riding on the Continental, the journey to the capital would be shorter. A regr journey would take two days at most. However, if I drove non-stop throughout the night, wed arrive there by morning.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    The motorhome proceeded through the night down the highway, its engine roaring heavily. Laptricia-sama and Ashley were resting on the twinbed; the servants attended to them. Their breathing had calmed after the Air Masks Id taken were put on them. But their fevers from the Mage Masher still hadnt subsided.

    The Mage Masher caused the intricate flow of magic within ones body to run rampant. Thus, leaving the afflicted in a deadly situation. In addition to that, with the flow of magic going crazy, recovery magic loses its effect. This meant that it was detrimental for the antidote to be administered, the one only the Knights of the Royal Capital had, to calm the flow of magic.

    We just passed through the resting area west of the capital. We should arrive at the capital in in hour.

    I nced back as I drove and noticed the Escort Leader sitting on the sofa in the living room. He didnt seem rxed at all. He sat straight up, his hands on his knees and eyes boring straight Into the wall.

    Are you okay?

    I,I,I,I, I,m alright.

    He didnt look alright at all. The servants had already gotten used to the vehicle already. I figured it was because they could cook, prepare and attend the resting girls while staying indoors; and traveling at the same time. On the other hand, the man had been glued to the sofa since the ride began.

    The instrument panel on the drivers dashboard was outfitted with a built-in disy. It showed the video of the onboard cameras. This way, I could see the situation within the motorhome at all times while I drove. I kept tabs on the girls conditions and I stopped whenever their symptoms red up. I only restarted the vehicle once theyd simmered down. It was a hurried, but careful ride nheless.

    The capital is already in sight.

    Oh! Weve finally arrived

    After hearing my announcement, the Escort Commander, whod been seated like a lifeless mannequin, jumped to look through the windshield. I could see that his eyes were slightly moist. Was riding in here that scary? But this alone didnt mean that all of our problems were solved. It was already dawn and the gate was open. Although it was not crowded yet, the guards had probably already noticed us and were on the move.

    I stopped the Continental some ways away from the gate and asked themander to take the lead. During our ride, I reminded him and the servants that the Continental was to remain a secret. The vehicle was not my property, but a loan from someone of higher rank. Since it was a secret, if rumors were to spread I intentionally stopped there. I could see that this had given the intended result by their pale faces. So, I let them all off as I stated I wanted to see Laptiricia-sama and Ashley.

    Both of them seemed awake, but their faces were extremely pale. Their eyes were barely open, as if their eyelids were being weighed down.

    Weve arrived at the capital. The captain has arranged for immediate treatment. Please be patient a little while longer.

    They appeared to have replied, though their voices were too weak. Or, the air masks muffled their voice; maybe both.

    I left the rest to the servants before I got off the motorhome. I wished nothing more than to let the girls get treatment right away, but my suit was drenched in blood. It had all ckened at this point. The ker mask hadnt been exempted from the mess. The bloodstains resembled mes on the mask. There was no way I could present myself like this, right? Maybe I should get myself a change of clothes

    Several carriages came from the capital along with horses. The cavalry, raising the standard to the Royal Guard, surrounded the continental. One of the horsemen approached me before he dismounted.

    I take it that youre the ck Mask? Were here to bring Duke Bargas third daughter and Ashley Zephanel to the clinic immediately.

    Thank you. Laptiricia-sama and Ashley will unboard momentarily. Please wait a moment.

    You seem to be covered in a lot of blood yourself. Do you also need medical attention?

    No. Ill head to the Dukes manor to file a report immediately. Duke Bargas escortmander will be along to apany you. Also, the servants mightve inhaled some of the mage masher as well, so please see to them.

    I understand. Well bring the servants as well.

    After our exchange, the escortmander stood next to the continental. A momentter, Laptiricia-sama and Ashley stepped off with the help of the servants.  The squad leader and some of the royal guards helped thedies board a prepared carriage. I saw them off then prepared to enter the capital myself.

    By the way, k Mask, what is that thing?

    Of course, it was the leader of the Royal Guards that had to point at the Continental.

    This is arge magical tool entrusted to me by higher ups. I will refuse any question or investigation regarding this. If you even dare to touch it, dont me me for being impolite.

    No, no. I didnt mean to do that. I wont ask anything.

    The royal guard leader mounted his horse and rode alongside the carriage to the capital afterward. Once theyd gone some distance out, I opened the TSS and returned the motorhome to the garage. Doing so, it was automatically refueled And as expected the refueling costs were much, much higher than any other vehicles I ownedIt wasnt that I couldnt afford it, but the price itself was three times more than to refuel the Dorchester. As I walked to the capital, I decided that I shouldnt use this often from now on.

    I would hear rumors such as This morning, the ck Mask entered the Capital drenched in blood; The ck masked became the Blood-soaked ck Mask, or Another has fallen victim to the ck Mask againter on. At present, I just ran through the capital and headed directly to Duke Bargas residence in the first district. I reported on the night raid at the resting area to his guards out front before I went in to meet with the Duke.

    You have my gratitude, Shaft-kun. Then, how is Laptiricia and Ashley?

    The guards gave way and allowed me entry. Inside, I was greeted by Volker-san who guided me to the Dukes office.

    The escortmander is with them at the clinic for treatment.

    You said they used Mage Masher? How many days had passed since theyd inhaled it?

    About half a day.

    Only half a day has passed? Well, its good then. They should recover as long as the people at the clinic dont make a mistake. Volker, can you leave us alone for a moment?

    As you wish. Ill take my leave.

    Volker-san left the office, leaving me and the Duke alone.

    Shaft-kun, what do you know about the Mage Masher?

    The Dukes voice echoed through the mostly empty office was not the gentle one I was used to hearing. This time, it was clear and firm.

    I do know that its a poison that is supposedly only avable to knights to use.

    Thats correct. The management is entrusted to the knights. That thing you used to alleviate the poison, did the attackers also use it?

    Yes, I left the rest of the undamaged air masks they wore in the Escort Commanders care. Ive told him to send them to your Excellency.

    I ced the air mask Id kept in my pouch on the table. The Duke promptly took the mask and inspected it. He uncorked the cylinders where the wind magic stone was embedded. His sharp eyes became ever more narrow as he carefully examined the inside.

    This airmask is actually under the same strict management standard as the poison. If a foreign invader managed to get their hands on this, then using the mage masher as an emergency weapon wouldnt work well.

    He disassembled the mask as if he was looking for some sort of serial number.

    I knew it Shaft-kun.

    Yes.

    I have a new request for you.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    Id just finished reporting to Duke Barga on her prior request, then he suddenly threw another one at me.

    A new request?

    Thats right. What? Its not like Im going to ask something difficult of you.

    I didnt mean that. Anyways, please give me the details.

    When the Duke spoke, his sharp eyes bored into my mask. Perhaps he was trying to look into my eyes. But, of course, only his reflection would be found there.

    Very well. Originally, Id nned on not letting you refuse after you heard my request. But Ill relent. Well talk about the request first. You can make your own judgment afterward.

    Then go ahead.

    First of all, regarding the employer of the assassins that attacked Lapitirica. After securing your service in escorting her, I contacted every other magic noble all over the continent. I tried to ensure they wouldnt cause a problem until Lapitiricas wedding

    As it turned out, during the time we escorted her, Duke Barga had been negotiating with the nobles who mightve opposed his daughters marriage with the third prince, Ark Kurtmerga. Among these nobles, naturally, there were a few who remained abstinent. He hadnt been able to tell who was, but after seeing the Airmask and the Mage Masher  hed be sure of who the culprit was.

    There was no mention in the records where the knights suffered a loss where the Mage Masher was employed. Moreover, taking into consideration that the attack happened in a secluded area, and during the night, it was basically unthinkable that itd fail. In other words, there would have been no information leaking of the chemical agents usage. But after seeing the ID number on the mask, the Duke knew who the supplier of those masks was. One of the nobles hed been unable to reach an agreement with.

    In other words, you want me to enact punishment on this noble?

    Its a bit different this time. I want you to destroy this one His name is Marquis Dennis Fedorov. His residence is in the capital. I want you to destroy everything he has.

    His residence, you say?

    Its our role as nobles to judge other nobles for their wrongdoings. But we have to do so responsibly. You see, Marquis Fedorov is also a rather powerful mage. Hed certainly have many things hidden up his sleeve. Killing him wouldnt be easy.

    Then, why do you want me to destroy his residence?

    To make an example out of him.

    A-An example, huh

    Duke Barga is really upset, isnt he?

    Not only that, I also want you to search the residence. Find anything that could connect him to the Dark Guild. Also, bring back any Mage Masher and Air Masks found. Of course, you wont be alone in this tak VI]

    - Right here.

    A voice suddenly came from behind as a blip appeared on my map. I thought that there was only me and the Duke in this room. But apparently, there was one more person I turned slowly and saw in the corner of the room was a Woman? She stood in the corner and wore ck leather armor with an uneven design. She also wore a face veil with an eye mask that covered most of her face. All I could see was her lustrous ck hair. So lustrous that I could easily mistake it for silver when it caught the light.

    I could tell she was a woman by her figure and voice, but I hadnt realized she was there until she spoke.

    Shes one of my escorts, Vi. Shell be apanying you to Marquis Fedorovs residence. I want you two to collect evidence before destroying the residence.

    Can I confirm something first?

    Of course, what is it?

    If we destroy the residence as is, I believe the Marquis family and the servants will be caught in it. What about them?

    First of all, let me tell you the date when you will do it. Itll be on the day of the ball thats being held within the capital. In other words, three days from now. The Marquis and his daughter will be present. There would only be a few soldiers and servants left within. It should be easy to sneak in at that moment.

    The ball Does this mean Lapitirica-sama will not be attending?

    I cant confirm yet, but we will do our utmost to allow her to attend the ball. With proper measures, thered only been a minute amount of Mage Masher left in her body to affect her. And as the third daughter of Duke Barga, magical noble, andbyrinth conqueror, she does need to show herself among the other magical nobles.

    That means Ill be going to the residence instead of escorting Lapitirica-sama?

    The ck Shaft will still be there to escort Lapitirica. Exactly tomorrow, I will appoint someone from the Barga Knights to act as a recement. Hell disguise himself as Shaft.

    I see. The fact that I hid my identity behind the mask was also one of the reasons the Duke requested me. I do have the ability to destroy the Marquis residence in a shy manner. While also being able to create a convincing alibi The destruction of the Yagoches mansion and his trading office was certainly done by me. But I could afford to deny my involvement.

    This was aplete backdoor job. I was going to decline if the duke asked me to kill the Marquis and his family. Being Lapitirica-samas escort was just a temporary job for me. I had no intention to swear loyalty, nor prolong this contract. Since I considered it just business, all I had to do was work hard until the jobs done. However, assassinations were a different matter. It wouldnt be just business, and I never intended to take those kinds of jobs. If it was left to us on how to deal with the servants, then I guess I could take the job.

    Personally, I couldnt forgive the Marquis for harming Ashley.

    Ill ept this request.

    Thank you.

    What followed afterward was negotiating the reward, as well as the strategy. This time with Vi being involved.

    After the meeting was over, Duke Barga reminded me to clean up before I left the office.

    Shaft-kun, you should change your clothes before the stench of blood suffuses your body.

    Now that I thought about it, I headed here without changing clothes I entered the waiting room next to Lapitirica-samas private room. Then, I used the avatar editor to rece my clothes, including my mask, with fresh ones. Then I washed the blood out of my hair.  As I was done, I noticed a dot on my map; a carriage judging from its movement. It closed in on the residence. It appeared that Lapitirica-sama and Ashley had returned. I immediately left the room and headed directly to the entrance of the lobby.

    There, the Duke and Duchess of Barga along with the servants had gathered in a neat formation to receive them. As the two girls approached, I noticed Ashleys eyes immediately found me among the servants. She walked fine, but her countenance was still sickly. She walked towards me with the support of a servant.

    Lapitirica-sama, Im terribly sorry that I wasnt able to bring you home unscathed.

    I kneeled before Lapitirica-sama, and apologized for the results of the mission. I didnt know how to control the damage. I thought it was the best I could do for the moment, but I still felt I could have done better. As a result, not only did a lot of guards die, the client was put in grave danger. There was more to escorting than just having an insane amount of firepower. I realized that after this.

    I should apologize as well. Your Excellency, Laptirica-sama. As a member of Duke Bargas escort team, this lowly one hadnt been able to bring satisfactory results. My ipetence has caused my subordinates to lose their lives.

    The escortmander also spoke up and kneeled before the Duke and Lapitirica-sama.

    Shaft-san, and Escort Commander too. Please raise your heads. As a former adventurer, I feel inadequate for being unable to do anything else other than being protected. What should I say top the deceased?

    Mere words of appreciation will do. We of the Duke Bargas escort team gathered together for the purpose of protecting the family after all.

    The fact that Lapitirica-sama and Ashley survived the incident was already good enough. It was our fault after all.

    Commander, what about the bodies of the fallen? It is my duty to mourn for them properly.

    Theyre in Shaft-donos care.

    All the bodies from the fight are inside my item box. Other than the bodies of the assassins, I made sure to take great care when stashing them in

    So, you also kept the bodies of the assassins? Im interested in seeing them. Volker, please guide Shaft-kun to the warehouseter. But first, this here is more important.

    Understood.

    Please, themander and Shaft-kun should stand up already. You two did well already. Lafiri is now safe and sound back home. For now, return to your rooms to rest. Lets talk about the details tomorrow.

    The mood then shifted to a celebratory one. There was no use regretting anymore. Putting Ashleys hand over my shoulders, I supported her as we walked back to the waiting room.

    Shaft  thank you. Have you been wounded anywhere?

    Im not.

    Thank goodness.

    The waiting room where I and Ashley had our lodgings were on the second floor. Arge staircase led to it from the lobby, but I felt that climbing would be tough for Ashley. She was still exhausted from the Mage Masher. So  I took the initiative to put one hand across her back, and one behind her knees before lifting her in one fell swoop.

    Wai- Shaft

    She tried to protest with a fleeting voice. Ignore her for now, ignore her for now. I looked back as I carried her and called out to Volker.

    Ill be back after putting her to bed. You can guide me to the warehouse then.

    As you wish. Ill be waiting.

    I noticed the female servants standing behind Volker turn scarlet. Were they alright.. ? And why did Duke Bargaugh like that? I excused myself to the Duchess and Lapitirica-sama. Then I carried Ashley upstairs to the waiting room. Meanwhile, I could feel Ashley tug on my coat as she leaned into me.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    After Iid Ashley on the bed, I decided to head back to the lobby to hand over the dead guards and assassins. As I walked through the corridor, a thought crossed my mind How would I actually hand them over? Do I have to disclose my secret in regard to the Gift Boxes? I needed to find a better method Before I could solve this problem, Id arrived back in the lobby. Volker was waiting for me.

    Did you wait long?

    Not at all. Lets head to the warehouse now.

    Following the sight of Volkers long silver hair, we headed to the warehouse just outside the mansion. The Duke had several warehouses on the premises. We entered a particrlyrge warehouse that could probably hold several carriages.

    Please put the bodies, and everything else, here. We will mourn for the guards here then investigate the assassins.

    Understood. If possible, could I be left alone here for a while? I stored the bodies and luggage inside a peculiar magic tool with certain special circumstances. I wish to keep it a secret.

    As you wish. Please alert me when youre done.

    Now alone, I activated the TSS and brought out the Continental from the Garage. How nice that the warehouse wasrge enough I walked to the back of the continental and opened the rear hatch. This vehicle actually had the ability to carry another vehicle in a rearpartment. As long as the vehicle wasnt too big; like a coupe. At least, that was what was written in the catalog.

    I opened the door and looked inside There were a washing machine and a dryer. No, no. Its not the time to question why those items were inside. Anyways, thepartment was big enough to fit 3 Gift Boxes. So, I took out the gift boxes, and with that, preparations werepleted. When asked, Ill just say that the boxes were part of the Continentals features.

    When I exited the warehouse to call Colker, readily appeared along with other servants, mostly male, a wagon, and caskets.

    Preparations areplete. Inside the warehouse is a particrlyrge magical tool. Its a very valuable item thats been entrusted to me  so refrain from touching it carelessly. Also, what everyone sees inside must be kept a secret until the tool is officially released.

    As you wish, but I will need to inform these people first.

    Alright then, lets begin.

    When the servants entered the warehouse, their eyes naturally went wide at the sight of the Continental. I first took out the luggage from the gift box so the female servants could take it back to the residence. And next, I took out the bodies of the dead guards. Since these bodies had already been wrapped with cloth, the male servants just carefully ced them inside the caskets.

    Finally, I dumped the bodies of the assassins and lined them on the floor. I wondered whether it was alright to dirty the floor. However, Volker immediately chanted a spell that caused the blood to be deposited inside some jars It reminded me of how convenient magic was in this world. Lastly, the weapons were thest to be taken out-

    Shaft-sama, did this short sword belong to one of the assassins?

    In Volkers hand was a short sword one of the assassins used. He looked over the weapon quietly, just like how appraiser Resmond-san did when he appraised my weapon back in Barga.

    That did belong to one of them. What of it?

    This short sword is a magical weapon called Shadow Edge. I could see its performance because of my <Analyze> skill. The owner should be a member of the dark guild Cactus. Which person is it?

    Oh, the one that looks the worst.

    I pointed at the corpse that was in the worst condition. His head had been severed horizontally, and his face was beyond recognition. Volker took some strands of hair, then frowned. He looked back and forth to the corpse. Afterward, he showed me the strand of hair. It was a lustrous brown  a shine unbefitting someone who worked as an assassin.

    After Volker finished his inspection, he left to report the results to the duke. I was left alone inside the warehouse. The corpses had been moved to another ce. With no one around, I returned the Continental back to the garage.

    Leaving the warehouse, I spied a spring pond in the Dukes courtyard. I once heard the servants talking about delicious spring water.

    Pardon me

    When I returned to the waiting room, I found Ashley sitting on the bed while looking out the window. It was almost evening, so the sky was dyed red outside.

    So, you are awake.

    Wee back. I slept the whole time, so I cant help but be awake.

    Thats fine. I borrowed a tea set from the kitchen. Ill prepare some.

    Thank you. Ill be waiting for it.

    When I saw the spring water pond in the courtyard, the first thing that crossed my mind was I wanted to try brewing tea with it. Freshwater was the best for brewing ck tea. I boiled it, then transferred it to a prewarmed teapot. The duke had a wide collection of tea leaves. All of them had a mellow scent and were known as the finest leaves on the continent; nothing less for a rich family.

    After I checked the size of the leaves, I decided to choose one that resembled a broken orange pekoe. I also didnt forget to consult the chef and servants to find what I wanted exactly. Thus, I borrowed a tea set with some milk before returning to the waiting room. I put the milk in a dish that appeared simr to a milk pitcher. I left it there to bring it up to room temperature. Then I put the tea leaves into the warm teapot before preparing two cups for me and Ashley.

    I poured the boiling water into the pot then put on the lid to keep the steam in. After three minutes, the leaves should experience a movement caused by convection called Jumping. The leaves are probably dancing around inside the pot at the moment It was about time and I brought the set into the bedroom, I ced the cups on the table in between the beds.

    Smells good.

    I picked a leaf with a particrly strong aroma.

    I also made sure that the teacups were pre-warmed before I poured the freshly brewed tea. Its color was a dark reddish-brown, and a mellow scent wafted out as I poured. The smell filled the room with its aroma.

    Here you go.

    Thank you  Schwartz.

    Right now, its Shaft.

    Un, I know that. But I wanted to thank you properly. You know For helping me out.

    No need to feel bothered with that I, I just helped because I wanted to  just like back in the goblin nest. Nothings changed since then, I guess.

    I removed the mask,ying it on the bed next to me. The face of Schwartz was now out in the open.

    Drink while its still warm, otherwise, the vor will be lost. But be careful not to burn your tongue.

    Thanks Its delicious

    Yeah It certainly was delicious This taste I might never forget it.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    It was finally the night of the ball, and both the girls had regained their strength. It seemed that there were also some difort remaining, but theyve been recovering almost frantically so they could attend the ball.

    A young knight whod masquerade as ck Mask Shaft had arrived from the Fort City of Barga. We asked him to apany Laptiricia-sama as an escort in my stead. As for how things would work, Laptiricia-sama, Ashley and the escort knight would board the same carriage. The knight when would wear a ck mask, one prepared in advance by Volker. Because the information about me was scarce, if someone who wore a ck mask attended the ball, theyd just believe it must be the ck Mask. Of course, the n was just to convince people I was there.

    Meanwhile, Vi and I, one of Duke Bargas personal guard, were to go to Marquis Fedorovs residence. We were to find evidence of his involvement with the assassination attempts on Laptiricia-sama and to destroy the residence afterward. The reason why we needed to do so was to secure Laptiricia-samas future  to send a message to everyone else.

    As for right now, I looked over the two carriages as they left with the residence for the Royal Pce.

    Are you ready, ck Mask Shaft?

    A reflection appeared on the window I was looking out. It was of a woman in ck leather armor, whose face hid behind a veil and mask. A clear, low pitched voice heralded her appearance.

    Was that some kind of magic? Or, is it a skill?

    Why do you want to know? Ah! Dont tell me, you are not satisfied with Ashley Zephanell, so youre trying to woo me instead?! Nothing less from the infamous ck Prince. Tired of the capitaldies, that ck dagger of yours is now poised to strike at the Zephanell youngdy and me. But what a shame. This Vi, other than Frank-sama, can hope to reach the depths of my heart. It was, but a wistful thought on your part

    Excuse me.

    What is it?

    This woman Since I couldnt see her expression, I just assumed that she had the cliche nk expression of a masked character. But now she was totally different from the first time we met in the office.

    You were here to tell me that its time for us to leave, arent you?

    Indeed, we will leave in an hour. Before that, I need to check in advance, how many people are you going to kill once were in Fedorovs residence?

    Why ask? Well only kill anyone that gets in our way. No need to kill recklessly.

    Such a sweet guy  Ah?! Did I just see a gentle side of the infamous atrocious ck Mask Shaft? Is it a strategy to win my heart?! Its got to be why thedies in the capitol feel attracted to you. But what a pity, this m

    Excuse me.

    What is it?

    No, nevermind. In an hour, is it?

    Vis personality was too unexpected, I found it hard to stay around her So, I decided to walk down the hall, exploring the mansion to kill some time. The preparations on my part were already finished some time ago after all.

    An hourter, the sun had set, enveloping the outside world in darkness. I returned back to where Id been before, but VI was no longer there. Fine  I activated my masks FLIR mode and looked around.

    There.

    No blips were shown on the map, but I could see a heat signatureing from the corner of the corridor. A heat source in the shape of a person walked towards me. When I switched off the FLIR, I saw that there wasnt anyone there. I see. Its some sort of technique that cloaks your body from sight and silences your movements. However, the technique couldnt hide her heat signature.

    Is that Shadow Run?

    It might look like I was talking to an empty corridor.

    How surprising. You can see me?

    Along with her voice, Vi instantly appeared in the corridor.

    If I dont have any measure against that, someone wouldve killed me in my sleep before I noticed.

    So, its a skill after all Next time, I should use the FLIR Mode to check my surroundings more often.

    Then, lets head out. Well ride a carriage halfway and continue the rest on foot. Dont tell me the famous ck Mask Shaft cant keep up with me

    No need to worry about that.

    Fedorovs residence consisted of five square buildings. Four were ced in each cardinal direction and connected to the fifth building at the center. Vi and I observed the residence from behind the tree on the outer part of the courtyard.

    Which point are we going to enter through?

    The second floor on the left is the servants sleeping quarters. Well enter from there.

    We ran along with the trees then crossed the courtyard to a wall. Vi then took out a hook from a pouch on her waist, threw it, and snagged it on the roofs chimney. She made sure it was sound before she went up first But stopped halfway up.

    Whats wrong?

    She looked down at me and uttered,

    If you think youd see my panties from there dream on, you perv.

    I responded by doing a wall run to scale the wall, overtaking Vi before stopping by grabbing onto a windowsill on the second floor.

    Stop talking nonsense, hurry up.

    Vi used her tools to pick the windows lock and we went in. The room we entered seemed to be a servants room. When I stepped inside, the system had already mapped the entire building for me. I could see dots moving on the map. Most likely the remaining guards and servants.

    First, the Marquiss room, or the office?

    ording to the advance reconnaissance, both rooms should be on the second floor of the central building. Lets head there first.

    Exiting the servant quarters, Vi immediately disappeared from sight with Shadow Run, upon stepping into the hallway. Wasnt this a bit tricky? If there was an ability to erase yourself from vision and hearing, is there also not a skill to detect the user? Ah Maybe with Magic Detection? But then, there might be a skill that allows assassins to hide their magic signature. The more I thought about it, the scarier it became if one could mix and match skills.

    While I thought that, I moved towards the central building. I paid close attention to the movements of the blips on the map. I also asionally turned the FLIR mode so as not to lose track of VI, or to check where someone else was using a simr skill around. Perhaps because the master of the residence was absent, the servants rarely moved. The sun had already set, so there probably wasnt much for them to do.

    There were also barely any guards on the second floor. The footsteps I could hear all came from the first floor. What was wrong with the second floor? I quickly tried to catch up with VI as I let that thought sink in. Looking at the map, I had a good grasp of where Vi was heading.

    Vi, go ahead. Ill handle the other task.

    I called out to her once I was sure no one else would hear me.

    Demolishing the mansion? Do you know where Im going?

    That wont be a problem.

    Very well. Ill go first then.

    Vi reappeared as she replied, then disappeared as if her body was blending in with the surrounding once we finished talking. Again, I looked on with jealousy at how convenient the skill was. Seeing how little time it took to activate it, it mustve been a rare one.

    Once I confirmed that Vi had really gone with FLIR, I went back down the hall and nted C4 charges in hidden locations. Done with the central building, I headed back to the office where I thought Vi wouldve gone to. The map showed that there wasnt anyone in the office. I quietly opened the door and peeked inside. There really wasnt anyone inside, until I turned on FLIR mode and saw Vi standing inside the corner behind the door.

    So youre there.

    So you can still see me? Its like your eyes can see through everything. Ah? Could it be some sort of rare skill? You mustve been using it to see through my armor, checking what underwear Ive been wearing, or maybe beyond that, right! Kuh~ What a deplorable skill. But, what a shame. Even if you can see my naked body, this body is

    Excuse me.

    What is it?

    Well, do you feel off if you dont do that every time?

    What do you mean?

    Nevermind. So what did you find?

    I looked over the office. I could tell Vi had been checking the desk and the bookshelf. I didnt know what kind of man the Marquis was, but I doubted hed leave behind incriminating evidence like the assassination request, the Mage Masher, or the Air Mask in in sight.

    Nothing for now. There must be a hidden room or a magical safe somewhere.

    I see. Then how about checking behind that painting?

    How did I know? I knew because the map showed there was a cavity in the wall. Obviously built to create a space for a safe.

    Vi promptly took down the painting of a beautiful forested stream from the wall, only to find an empty wall. She suddenly turned around to me for a second before returning to the wall. I caught a glimpse of her grin for the first time as her veil swept aside for a moment.

    When Vis right hand glowed white as he touched the wall, I immediately knew that magic was involved here. The white glow struck and spread through the wall, causing some part to flicker before it disappeared. When it did, it revealed a small space filled with a metal box. Thats got to be the safe.

    Can you open it?

    No worries.

    Vi sent forth her magic once again as she turned the dial. This would be the first time for me seeing a vault belonging to a mage. Let alone thebination, it was impossible without magical powers. Not to mention that the disguise on the wall needed to be undone with magic as well. Someone like me, without magic, I couldnt help but think about cracking those security measures.

    I heard a metallic click from the safe. Apparently, Vi managed to crack thebination. Inside the safe were several documents, as well as a transparent bottle containing leaves simr to tea leaves, and an air mask.

    You got it? Is what inside the bottle Mage Masher?

    I asked Vi after looking at the safes contents. But she didnt respond to me. She was busy reading a piece of paper instead.

    Vi, is that?

    Its a written contract with the dark guild. However, its in an encrypted form and thus, I cant confirm the content yet. Whats inside the bottle should be the mage masher.

    Can you show me the ciphertext?

    Can you decipher it?

    Well

    I was curious about how the cipher in this world looked like since Ive never seen one. But once my eyes saw the string of picture-like letters, the automatic trantion function one of VMBsmunication features, suddenly activated.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    Vi and I had infiltrated Marquis Fedorovs residence. The Marquis was the one believed to have hired the Dark Guild to kill Laptiricia-sama. As of now, weve found the mage masher, an air mask, and an encrypted message within his magical safe. Id asked Vi to show me the message out of curiosity, but the VMBs auto-trantion function activated, and the deciphered text was disyed above the paper.

    No way The system could actually decipher the secret message? No, now that I thought about it, even ciphers were considered anothernguage. Just like how the system could trante this worldsnguage  it mightve been a simple task for it to decipher the messages code.

    I read the message disyed on the ker masks lenses, and it appeared to be a sort of reply from the guild regarding the kill request. It stated the payment amount they wanted, along with the additional resources theyd need to ensure the sess of the request. Thisst part probably pertained to the mage masher and the masks. The deadline had also been noted here Yesterday, which meant that the guild had failed their assignment.

    Failure meant Purging the n involved So I guess the Dark Guild itself was not directly responsible for the attempt? They probably worked like the General Guild by delegating missions to their member ns. Now I hesitated on whether to tell Vi or not, since the ability to decode messages would be quite important. After I finished this escort request, I intended to make Shaft disappear. But if the news went out that I had the ability to decode messages New requests mighte in

    How about it, ck Mask Shaft?

    I couldnt understand it. Should we deliver this directly to the Duke, or should we just ask the Marquis before we hit him?

    Truly a useless man. If its Frank-sama, he wouldve decoded this message like reading a childs picture book. It will require more than one, two, three, no, four Marquis Fedorovs to match him. Compared to that, yo

    Excuse me.

    What is it?

    Are we going to waste time here? Dont we have more things to look through?

    Mu, youre right. This is everything in the safe. Lets head to his private room.

    You go ahead. I need to do some more preparations.

    The private room is just ahead.

    Understood.

    I watched Vi disappear and leave the officer. Then, I prepared to nt C4 charge in here as well. Now that shes gone, I could freely use my inventory and take out the charges. With that done, I looked around again just in case there was something I missed. I took a gander at the books on the shelf. They all looked nd, but

    Nn?

    As I flipped through one of the books, a single letter fell from between its pages. It was already open, and when I looked at its content, it was yet another encrypted message. Like before, the auto-trantion function decoded the message. Apparently, it was a response from the Dark Guild per Marquis Fedorovs request, that they would dispatch an assassin from the guild huh?

    Unlike the previous message, this one actually had the name of the guild written. I did know that one of the guilds was known as Cactus, so I previously thought it wouldve been written as ( ) Thousand Palm in japanese Kanji. However, this message, it was written as ()Supreme King Tree

    Youre taking too long, ck Mask Shaft.

    Ha? Ah, I found another encrypted message.

    After I set all the charges in the office, I headed to the private room to ce a charge there as well. I made sure to ce some in the hallway as I passed through. It seemed that Vi had ransacked the room like a burr.

    Oi, Vi, can you at least look more carefully? This looks like a thief broke in instead.

    Hearing me, Vi stopped and turned to me. Her bodynguage felt like she was saying Whats with this guy. But I couldnt be so sure since I couldnt see her expression.

    Why do you, of all people, care about that? Ransacking the room like a thief, or searching carefully doesnt really matter. Ah!? Dont tell me that the infamous ughter Shaft, who dont hesitate to create body piles out of anyone, actually still has somemon sense? Are you trying to catch my interest by saying that? But too bad. Im only interested in Frank

    Excuse me.

    Found something in here?

    Nothing.

    Alright, then deliver this to the Duke as well.

    I handed over the letter I found in the office over to Vi, then observed the room. This room didnt seem to have a safe or something of the like. I also looked in the drawers and closet with Vi. We still found nothing.

    There really isnt anything here. Shall we wrap this up?

    Lets. Im itching to be reunited with Frank-sama again. Ill leave the rest to you, ck Mask Shaft.

    Without waiting for a response, Vi had already climbed onto the windowsill and jumped, along with those words, she disappeared. As I watched her leave, I felt a hint of admiration for this straight forward woman. Living life as she liked was something I longed for. But first, I needed to bring down the mansion. Charges had mainly been nted on the second floor, but it shouldve been enough to take out the rest. I actually wanted to te some on the first floor, but I didnt want to risk being seen.

    Once I finished all my preparations, I threw an incendiary grenade into an empty room. As the room started to burn, I observed movement on my map before I triggered a fake rm.

    Fire! Fire! Please get out!

    After the fire spread more, I raised my voice to alert the others. I then threw another incendiary into another room. Screams and yells started to echo from the first floor, and due to the size of the fire, they actually abandoned what they were doing to choose to leave. This was different from when I attacked Yagoches mansion. I couldnt let anyone know I was here. I had no intention to involve the servants, who had no rtion with the assassination attempts.

    I checked my map once more. I needed to get out as well, or Id be stuck. Once I got to the first floor, and confirmed no was inside, I escaped via the back door. Escaping the premises, my hand floated above the detonators lever. When I was about to pull, I saw a dot on my map. Probably a horse drawn carriage judging by its speed, entering the courtyard. Apparently Marquis Fedorov himself had returned home.

    Perfect timing, lets show him how his home gets blown to smithereens.

    Following the screams of a middle aged man, and the cry of a hysterical woman, I pulled the lever.

    At the same time, a huge explosion followed by a ball of fire erupted from the mansion. The second floor was obliterated, and fire now engulfed the first floor. I moved through the trees and I found a spot where I could spy on the courtyard. There, I saw a middle aged man in front of a carriage  shell shocked and on his knees. The man mustve been the Marquis, was that his wife who was fainted by his side? She was supported by several servants.

    Okay, whatll happen next? I waited a little longer before I heard the sound of a bell from outside the gates. Along with the rattle of many horses of carriages. Apparently, the Capital Guards had arrived. They rushed to the burning building with several mages in robes holding canes. They lined before the building and began to chant.

    As it turned out, they were firefighters in this world. Except, they were using water magic to douse the raging mes. So even this was done with magic.

    Could it be that Duke Barga had arranged for these guards to appear now? Telling me to demolish the residence so he could be brought to the guard station. We didnt miss out on anything since all the evidence in regards to the connection to the Guild had been collected. Duke Barga could now expose the whole picture behind the assassination attempt on his daughter. In other words, after that

    Nevermind. Even if I knew where this was going, nothing would change the job. Rather, I was more concerned about the true identity of Cactus.

    Lets just keep at it for now.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    Marquis Fedorovs home was blown up, and the capital guards had arrived to douse the fire. They brought the Marquis and his family, along with the servants, to the guard station. After the situation had been confirmed, I made my way back to Duke Bargas estate.

    When Id left the estate, I had taken a carriage halfway to my mission. Now, I could only return on foot. The explosion had shaken the capital, and the areas around the Marquiss residence were in chaos. As the sun had set some time ago, I walked down dark streets to avoid being seen before climbing up to a roof via a wall run. From there, I ran from roof to roof until I reached Duke Bargas estate.

    When I arrived, Laptiricia-sama and Ashley were there. Duke Barga had left right after he got back  perhaps because hed gotten the evidence from Vi, along with the targets residence had been demolished. Was he going to confront Marquis Fedorov right away? Well Ill just leave that to him. As of now, my duty was to escort Laptiricia-sama.

    I confirmed things with Volker. Lapitirica-sama was resting in her room, and Ashley was on standby. As for the young knight whod taken my ce in disguise, he was on standby in another room. When I entered the waiting room, I found Ashley perched on the sofa. She was reading what appeared to be a letter.

    Wee back, Shaft.

    Im back, Ashley. Were there any problems at the ball?

    Eh  since it was at the Royal Pce, Marquis Fedorov couldnt afford to do anything there. His face when he saw Latiri was truly a sight to behold.

    His residence was burnt down right in front of his face after all.

    And ck Mask Shaft is apparently, very well known in the capital. That poor young knight nearly broke down after being bombarded relentlessly with questions and all the flirtingdies.

    Whatdies! They sounded more like kids finding a new toy

    Maybe I should thank him tomorrow.

    Our conversation was cut abruptly there. Ashley didnt look too good  maybe because of the letters content?

    I took a seat on the sofa facing Ashley. Now, should I ask her, or wait for her to tell me?

    The odd silence continued on. Now that I thought about it, I hadnt spent much time with Ashley during the mission. After a few days, well be returning back to the Fort City of Barga. The mission would end, and Ill finally be able to resume my postponed ns to conquer the Wolf Labyrinth.

    What would she do when she returns? Go back to work as a guild investigator at the General Guild?

    Ashley, are you going to return to work at the guild after this?

    Ee?. Im not going back. I intend to quit the guild after this.

    Quitting? You want to quit your job as a guild investigator?

    Yes Ermm, Shaft, have you heard anything about my family?

    Yeah, a little bit.

    Un I made an appearance in the capital after a long time, and they found out about it. The elder sent me this letter.

    She waved the letter as she said so. By the elder, she probably meant the first one of the Zephanel n, who still held the position of Honorary Prime Minister of the Kurtmerga Kingdom.

    That letter, is it rted to your decision to quit?

    Indeed, it is. As soon as the request ispleted, not immediately, but after a few arrangements, I am to head south to the familys main estate. As the candidate for the next head, I need toplete one task.

    South South? I think I heard something about the south before.

    Pirates is it?

    Hearing my mutterings, Ashleys hand stopped waving the letter. Not entirely though. It seemed that shed been doing that to cover up that they were trembling.

    So you know?

    No, not in detail. Some time ago, during dinner I think, I overheard someone talking. The pirates in the south were gaining momentum, or so they said.

    Right And the task I was assigned was to defeat them.

    The Kurtmergas navy Dont they have others who should be dealing with this instead?

    They arentpletely unaware of it. Its just that Rather than the southern port where the main house is located, Kurtmergas Nazy Headquarters is on the eastern coastline. Thus, the fight against the pirates is to be spearheaded by the Zephanels. Four years ago, both sides engaged in a great naval battle; taking heavy damage from it. It resulted in fewer pirate attacks until recently. This time though, the Zephanels naval forces havent fully recovered, so itll be a tough battle.

    I see In that case, Ill go with you.

    Ee?! Wait a minute, Shaft, I didnt mean to involve you in this matter!

    Does mypany trouble you? I want toe with you on my own free will. So, no need to worry about that. Its been a very long time since Idst seen the sea, so I want to look as well. In addition, I wont be returning to Barga for a while.

    Its not that I feel trouble What do you mean you wont be returning to Barga.

    As soon as this mission ispleted, I nned to enter the Wolf Labyrinth to defeat the gatekeeper, and hopefully, the Labyrinth Master as well.

    Hearing my deration to conquer thebyrinth, Ashley dropped the letter in her hand. She reclined back into the sofa.

    The 25th floor Can you pass through that rain safely?

    No problem. If there is, would I dare to say that Ill defeat the gatekeeper and its master? However, now that I have my next goal set, I really cant afford to lose.

    Once the Wolf Labyrinth was conquered, thered be no way to hide Schwartzs fighting prowess. Ive been wondering how to avoid this, which was the reason why I picked the less popr Labyrinth. But since my name would be recovered upon entering it, if thebyrinth is conquered, everyone would know about my involvement.

    When that happened, Schwartz would be known for hisbat strength. One that allowed him to transverse thebyrinth alone.

    Ive been avoiding showing my powers off to avoid being solicited by guilds and ns; channeling that to Shaft instead But if I want shaft to take the credit for conquering thebyrinth, Id have to register as an adventurer all over again How troublesome.

    Ashleys expression told me that she was lost for words. I didnt need an answer anyways.

    Ille with you.

    un.

    The next day, Ashley and I were in Duke Bargas office for a briefing onst nights events.

    Shaft-kun, you had it hardst night. But thanks to that show, it saved me the trouble of winning Marquis Fedorovs heart over.

    d to hear it. How about the encrypted message we foundst night?

    That was a written contract from the Dark Guild. The deadline for the assassination was the day before yesterday. With the dark guild withdrawing quietly, I believe the danger hase to pass.

    And the other magic nobles?

    It was resolvedst night as well. With this, my future worries have disappeared. I guess all that is left now is to wait for the Royal Family to make a decision.

    What still bothered me was how Cactus would move next. Although its written on the contract that the failing n would be purged, it was already on the verge of destruction in the first ce. Perhaps theyll hunt down the remnants to keep up appearances. If possible, I dont want to be their next target.

    So, whats left is the return trip to Barga.

    Indeed. Well be departing tomorrow. I hope you dont mind if I ask you to stay up until the end.

    Yes. Ill keep that in mind.

    This escort mission had felt longer than Id expected it to be. In my idle thoughts, I turned on the masks FLIR mode. I thought Vi would be in the corner likest time, but she was standing right behind Duke Barga That woman is kinda scary

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    I now sat inside a carriage provided by Duke Barga as we returned to Fort Barga from the capital. The carriage was escorted by the Knights of West Barga, whod specifically came to pick us up. Two men on horseback approached the carriage, one of them was the Knight Brigade Vice Leader Viscount Butler Canyon, while the other was the Barga family escortmander.

    Shaft, I heard from the Commander. Youve done quite well in the Capital and Veneer.

    Pardon me, but we still took a lot of casualties on the return trip.

    Its impossible to have a job go perfectly all the time. The most important thing is that Lapitirica-sama is safe, and thats a fact. Otherwise, thered be no point for escorts to exist.

    As His Highness Viscount said, weve pledged our lives to His Excellency. Thanks to Shaft-dono, we were able to fulfill our mission.

    Sorry that I can stay to serve Duke Barga. After this, I guess you guys can rely on him.

    All three of us turned to the person riding at the front of the carriage, the young knight whod acted as my body double.

    That young man isnt half bad. Even among the knights, hes an exceptional swordsman. If Lapitirica-sama marriage to the Royal Family goes smoothly, I think Ill write a rmendation letter for him.

    Why, doesnt Shaft-dono apply to be a knight? Given your achievement, His Excellency Duke Barga shouldve given you an ample reward.

    Im not interested in bing a knight. But if you ask me, if there is something I want forpleting the mission, then I do have one thing.

    Hoo, here I thought you were the type that hid your gree well. If there is indeed something youd like, then please convey it to His Excellency Duke Later.

    Viscount Caymon seemed to take special note to my response. Then, I guess all I needed to do was ask. If its impossible, then so be it.

    Then

    Three days after leaving the capital, the Fort Barga finally came into sight. Through the days, thered been no sign of the Dark Guild anywhere, and nothing urred as well. Id been idle the entire time, enjoying the scenery during the journey. To be honest, it was a bit boring.

    Now that I thought about it, there was something.

    At one point during the journey, Id been too idle for my own tastes. So I decided to look around with the FLIR mode on. When wed set up camp in the rest area, Id gotten off the carriage and went to help Lapticia-sama and Ashley off. When I looked to the rear of the carriage, I saw something. Coming from the carriage I was in was the Duke and Duchess. Id seen something like a lump of heat. But why was there a lump there?

    I opened the door and helped the girls off, but I kept my eye on it the entire time. Afterward, I approached the Duke and Duchess carriage. I signaled the driver to stop, walked closer, then opened the cabin door vigorously.

    Buhii!

    Whoops, it seemed that something just fell on the ground.

    Oh? Thank you, Shaft-kun.

    We arrived at the rest area, Your Excellency.

    I waited for Duke Barga to exit, then helped the Duchess climb down. After seeing them off, I looked behind me.

    Hi, Vi.

    What in the world was that for, ck Mask Shaft?

    I should be the one asking. Have you been stalking the Duke wherever he goes like that?

    What are you saying? Im not doing anything wrong. As Frank-samas escort, I have to be by his side day and night. Whether hes going out, eating, or heading to the bathroom, I need to stay by his side until he goes to bed.

    This woman, kuuuuuuueeeeeeeeehhhhhh!

    Im going, Annoying Bug Shaft, Frank-sama is waiting for me.

    As I watched Vi leave to chase after the Duke, I noticed a man following slowly behind her. He mustve been the Dukes exclusive male escort. Whether he noticed my gaze, or not, I could see that he had an exhausted look on his face. I see He mustve struggled hard

    Yeah, of course..

    That was pretty much the only notable event during the journey.

    When we arrived at the Dukes home in Barga, Bardiche Castle, I was guided to the Dukes office.

    Shaft-kun, I hereby dere the escort request hase to an end. It was for a short time, but thank you for your assistance.

    Im d to be of help.

    As for the reward weve decided in advance, in order to prepare that something for you, I have written this letter. You can bring it to the Mercenary Guild in town.

    I received the letter and lightly scanned it. It seemed that everything I requested was listed.

    Thank you for your kindness.

    Rather, Im wondering whether its enough. Would you ept bing a knight if I increased the reward?

    No, the current reward is more than enough. Very well then, Ill excuse myself now.

    I decided to leave as soon as possible. If we talked too long, I was afraid hed ask for another favor. So, lets just receive the reward and get out of here. Being favored by the Duke was one thing, working for him was an entirely different matter. Id only do it if its in the form of a request. I excused myself and headed to Lapitirica-samas room.

    It wasnt set in stone yet, whether Lapitirica-sama would marry the prince or not. However, I was sure she was the best candidate. If theres no one else with superior ability and achievementes the third princes next birthday, then shed be his bride. Until that day, Lapitirica-sama would still need to continue training hard.

    In her room, Lapitirica-sama thanked me for my service and bade me goodbye for now. Although we actually worked in the same team to conquer the Green Ogre Labyrinth, the me who escorted her these past days was different from me then. Our social statuses were different, and so were our roles. The next time wed meet, Itll be under different circumstances as well.

    While I thought so, I left the castle.

    Ashley waited for me outside the gate. For now, wed head to the General Guild together. Ashley would resign from her position, while Id im my reward.

    As we walked down the street, we reviewed our future ns. Ashley would head back to the Zephanel familys head home in the southern parts of Kurtmerga Kingdom. Shed received her order to lead a subjugation force against pirates. Apparently, itll take two months to travel to the southern port by carriage.

    Therefore, after reorganizing her stuff in the city, Ashley would head back to the capital. From there shed join a transfer magic team that is heading there in order to shorten the time. In the meantime, Id conquer the Wolf Labyrinth. Defeat that guy, and show those who dropped me into this world what Im made of. Then Ill head south bynd. Id most likely arrive there muchter than Ashley, but it couldnt be helped. I intended to use VMBs vehicles to cut down the travel time as much as possible.

    We confirmed our ns before Ashley entered the General Guilds main office. I then headed to the Mercenary Guild.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    With the escort requestpleted, I headed to the Mercenary Guild nearby to im my reward. I went to the receptionist counter and signed the form to officially wrap up the request. Then I submitted it together with the letter from Duke Barga pertaining to the additional reward.

    Wee. Ill take the documents, and your reward will be prepared shortly. Also, the guild card, please?

    I handed my card over at her request, which she then put into a crystal ball behind the counter.

    Please wait a moment.

    The receptionist disappeared into a room behind the counter. Theres an additional reward as well, so I suppose itll take more time to prepare?

    Thank you for waiting.

    The receptionist returned, this time carrying a lot of things in her hands.

    Firstly, this is a reward forpleting the request. Secondly, as an additional reward, the Lord of Fort Barga, His Excellency Duke Barga, has granted Shaft-samas guild card with the qualification to be abyrinth explorer. Please confirm the reward.

    That was what Id ask for from the Duke as an additional reward. From the beginning, the qualifying system for the right to explore thebyrinth was meant to prevent unqualified people from entering. After all, anyone who was weak and without ability would easily die, regardless of who they are.

    To qualify as a Labyrinth Explorer, it was mandatory to be at least a D-ranked adventurer. However, I was exempted from that requirement because I had Duke Bargas rmendation. With this, I could explore normally as Schwartz, but credit Shaft with the conquest. That way, the fame wouldnt funnel onto Schwartz.

    I confirmed the reward, then waited for the receptionist toplete the paper before I left. However

    Shaft-sama, we have a lot of requests specifically asking for you. If possible, wed like you to take one.

    Perhaps taking the chance that I was around, the receptionist put an emphasis on a lot, and specifically asking before forking a stack of papers that appeared to be request forms. Although I had no intention to receive a new request so soon, the receptionists gaze was too painful to ignore. So I looked.

    Okay, lets see here.. Escort mission. Banquet escort. Business escort. Bandit subjugation. Criminal transfer escort. Executioner  oy, whats with thest few? Request for cooperating in the research of offensive magic practical usage? Judge for Knight enrollment exam? Did they mix some weird requests in here as well?

    I ept none.

    That is!

    I could tell some of those requests were from nobles and rich merchants, but thetter parts were simply something that shouldnt be entrusted to a mercenary. I mean, whats with that request to be an executioner

    Understood Then, please sign on the refusal field on the form.

    I picked up the pen the receptionist offered and started signing the refusal fields. It was an unexpectedlyrge number, but I managed to sign them all in one seating. I hurriedly left the guild before they threw more my way.

    Upon leaving the guild, I noticed that the sky had already turned crimson. I guessed that meant I needed to find lodging, then head for the Wolf Labyrinth early in the morning. Whilst devising a n, shing dots appeared on my map as I walked along the streets of Barga.

    Whats this?

    At first, I thought the thoughts were moving normally inside the house, but then they passed through the wall, moving parallel with me on both sides of the street. This is Theyre following me from the rooftops. The sky had gradually turned dark, but the street was still bustling with adventurers and workers. Most of them headed to the tavern to relieve their tiredness from working, and amidst the bustle, I could make out the footsteps on the rooftops.

    I confirmed the number of footsteps matched the blips on my map. I proceeded to turn into an alley to lure them in. Fort Barga was not a grid city, so once you moved away from the main street, the city turned into a maze. Regardless of which group these guys came from, I didnt think they were following for a peaceful chat. At the moment, I had three types of weapons: 4 tomahawks, the baton, and the Welrod. Shafts basic armament.

    Slowly, I traversed the maze-like alley with one eye on my map. There were eight light dots following, but taking into ount those that could use stealth abilities, their numbers could be more. It was something to confirmter. Now that I checked there were no additional blips, I looked for a ce where itll be hard to get surrounded. Soon, I found a dead-end that seemed suitable on the map and headed for it.

    Soon, they will have to get down to the street right? Or, will they stay on the roof? Either way, I dont mind.

    I turned around as I reached the dead end. I looked to the figures on the rooftops; all of them were ck shinobi-like costumes,plete with hoods and cloth face coverings. They looked like the assassins that attacked the rest area back then.

    You actually bothered to set up a ce, ck Mask Shaft!

    Because of you, bastard, Cactus was fucking disbanded!

    I shall avenge our master!

    By the order of Cactus, well take your life!

    I get it now. So they epted a mission to assassinate me in order to redeem themselves for their failure? Four of the eight jumped from the roof. On the roof, two held bows, while the others carried canes. The ground fighters took up daggers. I had my arms crossed, covertly cing my hands on the tomahawks inside my overcoat.

    Is your only target me?

    Why, of course! Its way toote to kill the Dukes daughter now, you fool!

    Your death is essential to us, so die obediently!

    They really talk a lot. I turned on the ker masks FLIR, and checked for hidden enemies. There wasnt, though it was best to be alert. I reverted back to the regr view. While I was used to using a button, I could do it using thought now. Its been four months since I was dropped into this world. I felt like the power of VMB, its system, had assimted with my body.

    I looked at the four assassins in front of me, aim assist disying only one trajectory, so it probably wasnt suitable if I wanted to throw two at once. So, I aligned the trajectory to the leftmost enemy, who was already itching to charge at me. I threw with my left hand before turning on the right and threw the next one without checking my results.

    Immediately afterward, I turned around and did a wall run.

    Guah!

    As I turned around, I could hear their screams along with the sound of tearing flesh.

    My wall run brought me away from the arrows that the archers fired. They drilled into the stone fairly easily, a good telling that they were enhanced by magic.

    Approaching the crest of my wall run, I somersaulted back, taking the chance to throw one tomahawk at one of the archers. Grasping myst tomahawk, I used my momentum to sh down the assassin as Inded next to him. He was quick enough to block it, but thanks to gravity along with the power increase from my suit; it broke through and cleaved through his head, down his belly, and out his crotch.

    M,monster!

    Thest ground assassin came shing at me. At the same time, the sound sensor picked up the sound of an arrow being nock along with chanting.

    I avoided the downward sh by moving sideways. Then, I hooked the assassins wrist with the handle of the tomahawk  pulling and spinning his body so I stood behind him. I grabbed the nape of his neck with my left hand and used him as a shield.

    [me Lance]!

    The arrow pierced through the assassin, striking the eyebrow area of my mask. Unfortunately for them, the mask had great ballistic resistance, let alone a 9mm, not even a. 357 magnum round could piece it.

    And naturally, a mere magic reinforced arrow wouldnt do it either. Following the arrow, two me spears came, but those didnt make it through my living shield. Even after hitting the assassins body, the arrows didnt lose their shape  continuously burning their victim.

    Gyaaa!

    My shield scream. Before they could fire another volley, I slid-jumped to the house where the archer was on top of, wall ran to the roof, and jumped up. I found the archers aim following me. Unfortunately for him, this momentary change of tactics was were FPS gamers were good at!

    He couldnt release the arrow before the tomahawk broke his bow, cutting him down by his head. The now headless archer fell off the roof.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~ [me Line]!

    The mage aimed his magic at me as Inded. A path of burning me extended from his feet toward me. I couldnt slide-jump on the roof, so instead, I crouched towards the iing me. Then, I raised my left arm and deployed my CBS. It couldnt block the heat, but the mes destructive power was nullified.

    I pulled out the Welrod while the me still tried to burn through the shield, aligned the reticle on the mages head before firing twice.

    The fire disappeared, followed by the sound of my target falling on his back and sliding off the roof. Only one mage left.

    Wha, what in the world are you!

    Dunno, but if you meet the evil god after you die, why dont you ask him?

    Welrod down-sighted, crossed hair aligned, and I fired.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    On my way back from the Mercenary Guild, I was followed by the remnants of Cactus, but I ended up luring them into a dead-end alley; where I eliminated them. I didnt feel sorry, as unless I dealt with them, theyd keeping back to try and kill me But the corpses

    Fuu~.

    I took a deep breath, then decided I had to inform the city guard about it.

    I exined the situation, even apanied the guards to the scene to retrieve them. It took a while, even though it felt like a waste. I ended up not having the time to search for lodging. So, I ended up staying the night in the guard stations lounge.

    The next morning, the verification was over, and my statement was acknowledged. I was allowed to leave without reproach. It really was a waste of time, but I was the victim here, not the assant. I needed to make that clear.

    Upon leaving, the first thing I did was head west to the West Metropolis, an inn with luxurious amodation for a ce like Barga. I didnt want to go to the White Flower Inn, where Schwartz was supposed to be staying to make a distinction. Some people may notice the simrity between the two of us. So, I had to cover all my bases as best as I could. I was just attackedst night, so Id rather spend more money on a ce with better security.

    I went inside and called out to the receptionist.

    Wee, how may I help you?

    Are there any open rooms?

    Theres an unreserved single room.

    Alright, Ill rent it for the month.

    Thank you very much.

    I paid the fee, got my key, and headed straight for my room. The rented room had one bed, a desk, a chair, and a closet. The room size was simr to the one at the White Flower Inn, however, it was much more luxurious.

    However, I didnte here to rest. I replenished my expended weapons and ammo fromst night before I immediately left the room. First off, I headed to Marida Company to purchase more non-attribute stones to replenish the CP I spent during the escort request. Aside from that, I also wanted to tell them I was finally going to proceed with thebyrinth conquest. I was going to need sufficient supplies for that.

    When thepany came into sight, I also saw a wagon stopping beside it; probably to load or unload.

    Several strong-looking fellows could be seen around it, maybe escorting it. Last time, the fox beastkin twins, Arum and Silvara, were the escorts. Were they still around? Perhaps, but I guess they werent escorting this particr wagon. One of the escorts kept eyeing me.

    I guess it was only natural to be wary since it was still early morning. There was still some time until the city came to life, so I understand why hed be cautious of seeing a masked individual approaching him.

    Hold it right there, you. What are your intentions ofing here?

    No need to get worked up. Is Chairman Marida here, or is the branch manager present? Tell them that Shaft came to visit  theyll know.

    Please wait here.

    The guard went inside the office after listening to me. This was the first time I saw the man, so he probably didnt know who I was. The other escorts were more familiar with me. They bowed and exchanged light greetings with me once I was noticed. I heard someone rushing from the inside. Marida-san didnt have such heavy steps, so it had to be Bill-san.

    Shaft-an! Pardon me for the wait. The chairman is currently in the royal capital, so Ill be serving your needs instead.

    Please do then.

    Bill-san took me to the usual room. Meanwhile, the guard came inside to report me, looked puzzled after seeing how Bill-san reacted. But the other escorts were quick to exin to him who I was.

    - That was THE ck Mask?!

    He is, and hes also an honored guest for thepany.

    Certainly, I was pretty much a precious customer for thepany. Even though they sold non-elemental magic stones on the cheap to me, Ive always bought them inrge quantities after all. Not to mention the acquisition of arge amount of magical water. Along with giving them the idea for the lunch boxes, among a few others thatd garnered them a lot of profit.

    When did you return to Barga?

    Yesterday.

    Youve been hard at work then. Will it be magic stones today as well?

    Yeah, the non-elemental ones. Also, I need food; enough for 3 to 4 weeks.

    As you wish. The stones will be prepared soon. Thanks to you, the sales of the Bentos have gone well. Recently, adventurers have also started to buy them regrly, so we n to branch out in Barga. Regarding the food, 3-4 weeks, eh? Please give me a day to prepare that.

    Okay, tomorrow morning then?

    Yes, it should be ready by then. Shall I arrange a variety of food?

    Yes, please. Make it decently varied?

    Certainly. Regarding the content Is there anything, in particr, youd like or dont like?

    No. Anyways, as soon as I get food, Ill be heading to the Wolf Labyrinth.

    Heading out again already aftering back?! Very well then, I will refrain from sending a messenger to the Royal Capital.

    Afterward, while treated with a cup of good tea, the transaction for the stones was done. During the escort mission, Id actually expended quite a lot. Especially because I didnt manage to recover the tomahawk I tossed. My CP consumption turned out greater than Id expected. In my mind, since I held back from using a lot of bullets, I shouldnt have consumed that much; but

    Theres nothing else on the schedule today, so I spent the rest lounging about.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    I spent the rest of the dayzing about my room at the inn. I wasnt sure if I felt refreshed after that.

    The next day, I visited the Marida Company in the morning to receive my food. In just one month, thebyrinth bento boxes had shown noticeable improvement. They went from a regr box to a beautifully woven bamboo box. For the time being, I asked them to bring the food to the reception room. When the room became less crowded, I deposited it all into a Gift Box.

    Conquering the Wolfs Labyrinth shouldnt take longer than 4 weeks. However, I ordered that much after taking into ount the journey south. A whiff escaped the bento boxes, the delicious aroma led me to believe they took the effort to prepare freshly cooked food for me. Im going to look forward to mealtime.

    They also prepared a variety of tea leaves But since I couldnt start a fire in the Labyrinth

    Candles andnterns were readily avable, though, since the residents of this world could easily produce fire with magic, things like flit were rare. As for magic tools, they also saw no need to consume magic stones for cooking, so such a convenient magical tool was never invented.

    There was no way Id use the methrower just to boil some water, right? In that case, perhaps I should just use the kitchen inside the Continental? Speaking of the continental, I wanted to see what would happen if I took out the bed. I nned to use the Dorchester to camp inside the Labyrinth, but unfortunately, it didnt have a bed.

    It was just in case that, if I couldnt take out the bed, I should still be able to take out the nkets, or maybe the pillows If the bed inside the continental restored on its own after I take it out Maybe I should consider opening a mattress business!

    Once the purchase wasplete, I left for thebyrinth. With it mapped down to the 20th floor, I needed to go through the magic rain and defeat the guardian on the 25th floor.

    The officer at thebyrinths administration building gave me a strange look. He saw that someone with a mercenary guild card had been granted qualification to enter thebyrinth. Since duplication or maniption of the card seemed to be a very difficult thing to do, I only had to give a brief exnation of being granted it by Duke Barga. The officer immediately understood.

    When I checked if there was anyone else exploring thebyrinth. This was, after all, a rather unpoprbyrinth. I thought some would try to collect some of the magic rain for pocket money, but since a big seller had appeared, the small-timers seemed to be on the decline. Thatmodity was monopolized by none other than me and the Marida Company! While the magic water remained an importantmodity for adventurers, it was still limited even with the presence of a big seller.

    I filled out the exploration form while I made small talk with the officer. When he read the form, his smiling face froze.

    This Shaft San? Are you really going to explore from the first floor to the 26th floor this time?

    Is there something wrong?

    No, I mean, you arent in a party. Dont tell me youre going to solo it, are you sure?

    Yes, I am. No worries, if it gets dangerous, then Ill return. I dont want to die inside abyrinth after all.

    Please do. Since the Duke himself gave you the rmendation, I dont doubt you have what it takes. But a slight mishap in thebyrinth can spell death.

    Ill keep that in mind.

    I got down to the first floor, then looked around in FLIR mode. After I confirmed that no one was around, I immediately changed my avatars outfit from Shaft to Schwartz. I activated my TSS, and unconsciously grinned. Itd been a while since Ist saw all my munitions. I took out the FN P90, stroking it lightly. It was a reliable weapon; one Ive entrusted with my life for a long time.

    I didnt hate Shafts tomahawk-throwing battle style. In-game, getting continuous kill streaks with throwing weapons felt tremendously good. However, after being dropped into this world, everything fun in-game had turned into a life-threatening act. Thus, I didnt have the same exhration anymore. On the contrary, I felt my heart grow colder with each throw.

    The same thing also happened when I was Schwartz. Each pull of the trigger, bullets flew, and my target died. I didnt feel joy. Just a coldness in my heart as I made sure I reaped the life of my enemies

    Alright, lets go. I was doing this for myself anyway, no one else.

    I continuously strafe-jumped throughout the first floor down to the fifth. Running through the tunnels, passing everything I could. The sixth to the tenth floor was the zombie zone. So, I switched my main weapon to the methrower type 1-1; burning any zombie or skeleton that came my way. It really felt dry and hot as I traveled through these floors. No, it was just that the 1-1s output was a bit too strong. Id use it all the time if I could, but obviously, it couldnt be used once I reached the 21st floor due to the heavy rain.

    The 11th  20th floor was the pseudo open field, mimicking the eastern forest environment that surrounded thebyrinth. The magically made forest was dark and foggy. From there, I switched out the 1-1 for the AA-12 to deal with therger monsters. Furthermore, with the special FRAG-12 munitions, even therge monsters were reduced to chunks when hit.

    In addition to that, I activated the TSS and took out the Kawasaki KLR from the garage. I crossed the stretch of open field with it. Even with the fog hampering my view, I could still see the road and detect monsters with the map and goggles.

    I drove the motorcycle with one hand, using the shotgun in the other. The continuous explosions filled the field with thick and heavy bass, suppressing the engine of the bike as I drove full throttle.

    When I arrived at the guardians room on the 20th floor, itd been three days since I entered thebyrinth. Ive been pushing through non-stop so far, thus I took a break in the rest hall. After I got enough rest, I intended to break through the magic waterden 21st floor. That said, I didnt mean to be stupid, but

    I took out the continental from the garage. The 12-meter long super motorhome appeared. After inputting my code, the side expanded and the staircase was revealed. When we had rushed back to the capital, Lapitirica-sama and Ashley both used the bedroom. I didnt have time to use the kitchen, thus I fully intended to do so now.

    Well, it was an all-electric kitchen, so even I  who couldnt even start a fire myself  could cook in it. Id been worried about how much gas was left when I returned it to the garage back then But I guess I couldnt afford to be stingy.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

    For three days, I made my way through the Wolf Fang Labyrinth before I arrived on the 20th floor. I decided to rest and took the Continental out of the Garage. Sitting on the sofa inside it, I looked at my bentos contents. Perhaps Billy-san, the branch manager for the Maridapanys Barga branch, knew that I preferred rice over bread, specifically packed onigiri along with fried chicken, stuffed intestines, and hot vegetables in my bentos. With all that, I prepared tea before I could finally rx.

    From here onward, it was uncharted territory. Only 5 floors remained  21st to 25th floors  though I still had to transverse the endless magical rain on this floor. Speaking of which, once I defeated the guardian on the 25th floor along with its master, will it continue to rain? Perhaps I should buy another Oshkosh M978 Tank trailer and gather an extra 9,500 liters of the magical rain before I took thebyrinths core.

    Thinking so, I opened the TSS and went to the shop to purchase it from the Vehicle Vendor. I had CP to spare, and I could recoup the losses from the water sale itself. Thus, I bought a second M978 with a light feeling Until I realized

    Ah:

    I muttered when I checked the M978s spot in the garage. The M978 Tank Trailer was a heavy-duty vehicle that transported fuel for tanks and helicopters on the go. Therefore, the new one I bought actually came with its tank filled with fuel Thus I couldnt actually gather water immediately. Id forgotten about that part. So, I decided to leave the new M978 in the garage for no. It would be a waste to just dump the fuel when it could possibly be usefulter on.

    Treating the TSS UI like a tablet while I ate, I was reminded of how I used to do this same activity in my original world. Even if I missed those days, its not like I actually wanted to go back. I just got a bit nostalgic, thats all

    After I finished my meal, I moved on to the bedroom while I looked at the UI disy. It was supposed to be a twin room with two single beds. The rooms width is equal to the length of the bed, but one could make it wider with the press of a button to make themrger. Nothing less from the finest motorhome avable in-game To be able to sleep in a modern hotel-like room while inside thebyrinth, I may be addicted to it.

    However, this vehicle was a super-sized bus without any defensive ting. I couldnt afford to summon this in a ce where a monster attack was imminent. But if we were somewhere safe, say like the guardian room, perhaps Ill use this vehicle again.

    Iid in bed, set an rm, and took a nap.

    I slept for about 5 hours before returning the continental back to the garage, then finally made my way down to the 21st floor. The floor was like the cavity inside a gigantic rock. Even from the outside, the neverending rain inside the dark passage could still be seen.

    How should I proceed from here? Walking on foot   is clearly unreasonable, so I pulled up the TSS and summoned a vehicle from the garage to go through the heavy rain. What I summoned was an LVTP-5, Landing Vehicle Personnel-model 5. It was a rectangr-shaped vehicle with the dimensions of 9 meters in length, 4 meters wide, and 3 tall. It moved via its caterpir tracks instead of tires, being an amphibious personnel carrier developed in the USA: it could transport up to 30 soldiers, and it was equipped with an M1919A4 Browning Machine Gun.

    I opened its front hatch and entered the vehicle. There wasnt a lot of space inside, only rows of small chairs where people sat withjustenough space to stand and walk. It was, after all, an APC meant to transport soldiers, or in VMBs case, yers. There was a dedicated space for the driver to the left, with the MG upying the space beside the driver. In other words, you could not drive and shoot, it required 2 people.

    I pressed the key to start the engine while holding my TSS disy like a tablet as the controller and moved the LVTP-5 forward. The roar of the engine was outshined by the racket the rain made. Currently, there was no information regarding the monsters that inhabited the 21st floor. A party had managed to make it to the 21st floor but thatd been 25 years ago. In any case, the map was disyed on my goggles.

    The forest road had be so muddy due to the rain that foot travel would be difficult. Even with the ACPs tracks, it could only go 13-15 km/h, the same speed as if it were in the water. Still, it was faster and far morefortable to travel in rather than on foot. Although Im weary of my surroundings, I could only rely on the view provided via my goggles, as, between the engine and the rain, everything else was indistinguishable.

    I kept an eye on the terrain, then I suddenly caught a suspicious noise. I immediately switched to the gun pod, which gave a 360-degree view. Several dots appeared on the map, quickly approaching my path. I controlled the machine gun and rotated it towards the approaching enemies. In my vision, several monsters appeared, each about 1 meter long with brown fur.

    What are those?

    It was easier to notice their glowing red eyes, them being monsters and all. The creatures looked a lot like otters, or maybe beavers? More of the otter monsters started to gather. Given that my focus had been solely on the gun, the APC stopped moving and it was quickly surrounded It had fairly thick armor, so I was particrly worried about the monsters breaking through.

    I could see the otter-like monsters clearly now. Their fur stood up, and their bodies began to radiate a pale light.

    Magic!

    Looking at the disy, I aligned the crosshair toward the otter to the front, then tapped the fire button; making the gunfire as the monsters let out a high pitched scream. The Browning MG spat out. 30 caliber rounds in a loud, continuous rattle. At the same time, each monster gathered a ball of water that quicklypressed into a needle shape before they shoot it into the LVTP.

    While rotating the gun pod, I tapped on the fire button whenever an otter fell into my crosshairs. The MG came with 250 bullets, and after the initial supply ran out, thered be a 10 second cool down. Afterward, the fuel would be subtracted automatically to refill the MG.

    As I created a ring of blood around me, the sound of water needles mming into the APC echoed within the vehicle. Its armor gauge gradually began to fall as well as they were certainly doing a fair number on it. I continued to spin the gun, spilling more blood as the gauge dropped down to 30% by the time I finished them off.

    After I confirmed they were all dealt with, I switched back to driving, urging the APC to proceed as fast as it could. Stopping would do me no good. Having more situations like that would only lead to the vehicle being destroyed. Against the siege of magic from all directions without solid protection, I would have little chance of survival.

    Consulting my map, I continued to progress through the forested road

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105

    Kay: Please note that I made an error in regards to the APCs caliber. Its 762, not the. 30. Apparently, NATO changed the caliber to cartridge in question, but the A4 is listed as a. 30.

    NATO forces cal-swapped the M1919s, changing them to 7. 62 from the. 30, and that was in the 90s; M1919s have been in service for<strong>a very long time</strong>and the author failed to mention this tiny little detail, the JPN gods only know why considering how much he loves to prattle on. So, I will not be editing the previous chapter to cal-swap it like NATO.

    For those whore wondering Lovely Editor Kay, how long is a long time?

    Well my little children,<table><tbody><tr><td><strong>In service</strong></td><td>1919present</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Used by</strong></td><td>Seeusers</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Wars</strong></td><td>World War IIKorean WarFirst Indochina WarSecond Taiwan Strait CrisisVietnam Warother conflicts</td></tr></tbody></table>

    __________________________________________

    Currently, I am inside the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, traveling down a forested road on the 24th floor. While it rained heavily, I used the LVTP, an armored personnel carrier (APC) while relying on my map disy. Throughout the ride, otter-like monsters had surrounded and attacked me during different points. It reminded me of the monster manual Id read in the General Guilds library back in Barga, where Id screenshotted every page, and so I pulled it up as I drove.

    Those monsters seemed to be a monster called Aquatura, often encountered within the surrounding areas in Barga. It used its small but sharp ws, as well as water magic, to attack; oftentimes inrge groups. Certainly, theyve attacked me en masse every time Ive encountered them and once theyd run out of magic, theyd resort to their ws. Their ws werent strong enough to prate the APCs armor, a scratching blow at most. Once they ran out of steam, Id just crush them with the tank tracks.

    Aquarturas werent the only monster I encountered once I got past the 21st floor. I also encountered a giant smander-like beast, known as an Aquadorias. It was 2 meters long with a ck glossy body covered in red spots. It moved as though it was swimming across the muddy terrain. They never actually attempted to attack me, preferring to down their own thing. However, sometimes, theyd stop in my path and leave me with no choice but to run them over.

    Finally, when I looked at the map, the stairs leading to the 25th finally appeared on my map.

    From the 21st to 25th floor, the heavy magical rain had been the only major obstacle  it being an environmental hazard  and despite how often the Aquaturas attacked me, they werent that strong individually. Aquradorias didnt fight and considering that I could easily run them over, firearms wouldve dispatched them easily enough.

    I drove the APC over the stone staircase before I switched to the machine gun controls. I turned toward the flock of Aquarturas thatd been following close behind, then tapped the fire button. The LVTP-5s mounted Browning machine gun was chambered in 7. 62x63mm with an effective range around 1300 meters, but of course, it was difficult to urately hit a target beyond the 1000 meter mark without a scope. In any case, it would easily take down any target since its stopping power only dropped slightly at range.

    Since I was using the TSS UI like a tablet, it made me feel like I was ying an old game. That being said, I moved the crosshairs quickly, only stopping for a moment on target before moving onto the next one. The turret moved left and right with precision, taking down the monsters as fire burst out the barrel with a roar.

    After cleaning up the monsters, I opened up the hatch and exited the vehicle before returning it to the garage. While I waited for it to recover its fuel and armor, I let myself get drenched in the rain as I collected the dropped stones. Itd been only 4 floors, but Id consume quite a lot of CP to arrive here  most of it being spent on fuel and armor.

    If it was mostly just fuel, then the maintenance cost wouldnt be so high. VMB provided a wide range of vehicles, but the CP required to buy and maintain each vehicle was noughing matter. It was to prevent yers from treating the vehicles as disposable items, like using them for suicide car bombs.

    Although I had plenty of CP left, it was only because of a one-time event. If I didnt find a regr source of ie soon, Id really need to worry about my future. Maybe I should talk to Mr. Malta-san about it No, Im an adventurer, surely there was some exploration or other requests I could undertake to make a living.

    Map-making for instance  I could sell thebyrinth map to Remy-san, the guild worker from the General Guild. But wait, if I sold a map that depicted the entirety of the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, people would find out that I managed to reach the final floor, though if I were to try and sell it after sometime before the harvest festival, itll be toote. What should I do then Fumu, maybe sell a map up to the 20th floor then take my leave?

    Ill be going south to assist Ashley after Im done with thebyrinth anyway. I wont be around for the harvest festival. I should just sell the map as soon as possible, and take what I can get. While thinking so, I walked down the stairs towards the 25th floor, the guardian room. Beyond this, there should only be the Labyrinth Masters roomEven on the 25th floor, the heavy rain was unending.

    I summoned the LVTP-5 and set out to end this.

    I traveled down another forested road for about an hour, crushing flocks of Aquatures along the way. It wouldve been quite the battle if I werent inside an armored vehicle. Now that I thought about it, even if I removed thebyrinth core to stop the monsters from spawning, itll take a considerable amount of time to subjugate the remaining monsters in order to have the harvest festival.

    There, I could see it now. The map showed an unnaturally looking square section and beyond it, arge gate supported by white stone pirs. It was the gate that led into the guardians room. I stopped the APC before the gates and checked my equipment. Unfortunately, there was no information on this floor guardian in the library. It seemed to me that the guild was hiding information, perhaps as a measure so that no random explorer could get past the guardian easily, or maybe that the guild nned to conquer thebyrinth itself one day.

    But seeing that thebyrinth has existed for the past 25 years, I doubted there was such a n

    Since this was my first time soloing a guardian, my main weapon was an MPS AA-12 with FRAG-12 shells. The SCAR-H was my back up along with 2 of each of the 3 different special grenades. The Five-SeveN was my secondary, along with a ballistic shield toplete it  Now I was ready to go.

    ording to the information I had, it was apparently possible to retreat from the guardian room. My n was to retreat and rearrange my loadout if it was foundcking. I stored the APC in the garage, then looked to the gate before me. The white pirs, and the gate itself, was decorated with carvings. Upon close inspection, I noticed the carvings depicted a battle between humans and monsters, giving a hell-gate vibe to it. On the top of the gate, there was a throne shaped ornament, on which a monster sat on while it looked down over me.

    The monsters head was a wolf, its eyes gave off the feeling that it was watching with intent. I tried to ignore it as I pushed the gate open.

    Thi-this is

    The room beyond the gate Was flooded with water. To be exact, the entire room was a pond  Huh?

    Judging from this, could it be that the guardian was some sort of monster that lived near water like the rest of the monsters I encountered so far? I thought so as I observed all the water inside the guardian room. The map disyed showed the walkable parts of the pond and I walked the obscured path covered in water  water sshing with each step. As if attracted by the racket, arge ck spot emerged from the pond.

    The guardian was here.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106

    I was currently inside the guardian room on the 25th floor of the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, and it was a particrlyrge room. It gave off a boss-room vibe, with it being entirely flooded, and judging from the map, 3/4th of the room waskes with thest remaining having transversal submergednd. And from theke area, I spotted a dot on my radar. The water was not so deep as the dark silhouette could be seen underneath the surface from where I stood.

    Arge creature then emerged from the water but I was already prepared with the AA-12, with the intent to shoot it once it broke the surface. The first parts of the monster that appeared were its eyes and nose. From this distance, about 1 meter, it seemed weird. The eyes had vertical pupils that gazed straight at me Was this a crocodile? Most of its body was still underwater, I knew that for a fact, as the distance between us was only 10 meters.

    He who strikes first will be the winner!

    Lining up the crosshairs to the space between the monsters eyes and nose, I fired. While the AA-12 was a shotgun, it was an automatic shotgun, so I held down the trigger as it kept firing. Despite it having a drum mag, it had a capacity of 32 shells, of which I expended in all of a few seconds. Thanks to the speed, the shellsnded one after another on the guardians face without a noticeable gap.

    Frag-12 rounds caused a small explosion on impact. However, I noticed that, on the first shot, it hit some sort of white film-like membrane; and due to the amount of explosions, its head was veiled in smoke.

    I pulled out another magazine from my waist pouch after I emptied the drum and reloaded. The guardian retreated back into the water with a low roar. There was no doubt that this wasnt over yet, its dot still present on my radar. Did it think that it was safe to run underwater?

    I took out two M67 frag grenades from my jacket, pulled their pins, and tossed them around where the dot was on my map. Even if it was submerged underwater, the frags, tossed with the help of the power suit,nded and exploded next to the guardian. Two explosions echoed underneath the water, followed by two geysers of water jettisoning up. They then fell down and the guardian broke through through the surface.

    The crocodile jumped.

    I saw a simr movement during a show in the wend preservation park when I went on a tour in Australia. A person would hang a piece of meat from a road and over the river. Attracted by the meat, the crocodiles living in the river would jump to catch it. Just like that, the guardians upper half rushed towards me, threatening to fall on top of me.

    I quickly did a backward quickslide to evade the hulking giant. Its body was 6 meters long after all, its scales on its face were roughed up, but the rounds didnt do much damage after all.

    The ck keratin scales seemed to possess a considerable level of protection. I thought that the damage from the grenades wouldve been enough to damage it, but I saw blood dripping from its sides. Could it be that its underside wasnt as thickly armored? The monster in question gazed at me, and I gazed back. Its emerald vertical pupils were filled with anger as it opened its maw, showing off its massive fangs.

    GuRUuuuuuuuuu!

    The low pitched roar of the monster reverberated through the room, while at the same time, it charged at me with a speed I never expected such arge monster to possess.

    Thats fast!

    While I evaded being bit, I started firing from the hip from its face to its side as I slid away. The sun of gunfire followed by the slugs explosions filled hte room. But even if all my slugsnded on target, after the first few, the explosions sounded like it wasnding in water.

    Aqua wall..

    The guardians belly was covered by a wall of water, blocking my rounds fromnding a direct hit. The monster mightve not been able to speak, but the wall formed almost instantly.

    It wouldve be easy after all  the guardian opened its mouth, and directed it at me. This was a movement I often saw during a monster subjugation, which meant a magic projectile wasing. I raised the ballistic shield, fixing it on the terrain before crouching behind it to use it as cover.

    GuuuRAAAAAAAA!

    At the same time, the projectilended on the shield and it wasnt just a simple waterball; it was a freaking water tornado. Its momentum was great as it pushed the shield backward even after I fixed it into the ground. The durability value disyed in my goggles depleted quickly, only stopping at 20%.

    This was no good. Discarding the shield, I raised my shotgun and took aim, using the opening when it stopped moving to use its magic and aimed for its eye. Perhaps noticing my where I was aiming, the guardian quickly covered its eye with a nictitating membrane. I still fired anyways.

    Three roundster, probably after it felt like it couldnt bear anymore, the monster turns its face away and raised another wall of water to protect its head. I was already running after firing those rounds, trying to protect itself and raising a water wall was well within my prediction  it was, after all, my real goal.

    I dashed forward with a slide jump to the front, then chained it with a strafe jump along the water wall; from there, I arrived right in front of the disoriented guardian. My real aim was its nostrils! Moving with such quickness, the monster couldnt react in time. Its slit pupils widened underneath the membrane, startled by the movement. At that point, Id already fired three rounds into each nostril. Following the sound of the explosions, the guardian roared in pain, then thrashed about, waving its keratin reinforced tail around as it tried to retreat back into the water.

    But there was no way Id let it do that so easily. I opened up the TSS and took out a special weapon from my inventory.

    Particles of light appeared and converged into the shape of a box in front of me. The Supply Box opened on its to reveal green disk-shaped items. I took out 5 of them and tossed them into the water after turning the knobs on their tops. After scattering the disks about, I opened up my inventory and took out a dozen TH3 incendiary grenades.

    The monsters blip stayed in the underwater area, seemingly to buy time. Probably to heal itself underwater, maybe, but did it really think Id let that happen? Lastly, while distancing myself, I took out a Gift Box as I ran.

    Now it was time to finish this. I tossed the incendiary grenades into the water where the blip was. They were thermite grenades and didnt need oxygen tobust, thus they could be used underwater. Even with their narrow area of effect, they could produce heat up to 2000c.

    The grenades exploded underwater in a bright red light, the surrounding water boiled violently and vapor rose to the surface. The guardian tried to flee, but the thermite grenades impeded its escape. I didnt know how good the power suits heat resistance was, so I prepared this gift box, and climbed up onto it in order to keep myself from being in the hot water too long.

    If the guardian refused toe out, Id just chuck more thermite in.

    The dot on the map began to move towards me now. Its body, redding in what seemed like boiling burn wounds, jumped towards me again.

    Gurryyyaaa!

    Was that an angry roar, or a pained scream? Either way, it moved onto the transversable terrain, but I was trying to lure it towards the areas where I tossed the green disks, and then it was on. The green disks I tossed, M15 Anti-Tank mines, were triggered as the monsters belly pressed into them. A chain explosion erupted with enough force to propel its massive body upward.

    The M15 Anti-Tank mine, a pressure-sensitive mine used by the US Military, was a disk-shaped item with a 30cm round diameter. In VMB, the top knob was a safety device meant to make it easier to install by turning it. A normal humans weight wouldnt trigger it, as it required something over 150kg tond on top of it to trigger. For game bnce purposes, the explosion radius was suppressed to down to 3m, but as a result, the sensing range was improved slightly to make it detonate even if the object fell near the mine. The guardian, which wasunched into the air by the explosion, sunk back into the boiling water. I held my shotgun at the ready, preparing for the monster to emerge once more from the water, but the dot on the map stopped moving before it disappeared.

    I killed it Didnt I? The body still remained underwater, so I wasnt sure about it. Then, from the other side of the room, I heard a loud clicking sound that meant the lock had been undone. As it turned out, I seeded in ying the guardian.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    In the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, I seeded in ying the 25th floors guardian. Looking back, its magic attack was quite powerful and its keratin scales were quite tough. I dont know why the previous party that managed to reach this cloud couldnt kill the guardian, if I had to guess, it was probably that they had no way to stop it from recovering underwater.

    Compared to the otherbyrinths that had more than a hundred floors, the Wolf Fang Labyrinth made up for its small amount of floors with an overwhelmingly high difficulty level. The magical rain made for aplicated environmental hazard. It forced people to fight while trying to avoid it. It was probably the biggest reason why thebyrinth hadnt been conquered over the years.

    While thinking so, I sat on top of the Gift Box and looked around the guardian room. The floating steam suggested that the waters temperature hadnt gone down after Id boiled it with thermite. The guardian had already disappeared and the door leading to the 26th floor had been unlocked. However, itd take a while for the waters temperature to go down; so I looked around idly, though it felt like the walls were closing in towards me Was it some sort of optical illusion, or was it actually happening?

    Not only the walls. Before I knew it, the previously hidden underwater floors were bing visible now Was the water level going down? After confirming that there wasnt anything suspicious, I watched the change happen.

    The guardians room was arge boos room and now itd shrunk down to the same size as the other guardian room Ive encountered before. The water that flooded the room disappearedpletely, as if the floor had sucked it away like a sponge. Even the deep submerged parts became dry, and soon enough, the room became the familiar square room.

    One had to scour through 10 floors to encounter a guardian room but perhaps since this one was right before the masters room, the guardian room was made into a unique battlefield that befitted the monster that inhabited it. I remember that the guardian room in the Emerald Demon Labyrinth, were we fought that Ogre Fighter, was just a simple square room like it was now. Then again, did the ogre need a specialized room to improve its capabilities? Id say a square room should be enough.

    Once the guardian room was finished changing and the hot water had disappeared, I got off the box and immediately opened up the TSS. I restocked my munitions, recing the shield, then went to the shop to rece my inventory. With my equipment and inventory stocked back up, I headed to the door that led down to the 26th floor. Passing the game, which was simr to the entrance, I went down the staircase.

    This was the final floor of the Wolf Labyrinth. A straight underpass instead of a room. The passage had no sources of light, so I had to rely on the tactical light on the SCAR-H and activated my NV mode as I proceeded.

    My map showed that the floor was a single straight path, with no blips appearing on it even as I went deeper, there were no enemies spawning. I guessed this floor was an exception. After walking for about 15 minutes, a rectangr roomed, narrower than the guardian room, appeared on the map. A white object that was simr to the gate could be seen by the light.

    I approached and realized that the design and the engravings were very simr to the normalbyrinth gate Id seen before. The difference only being the absence of the throne at the top. Perhaps the throne was beyond this gate

    I pushed the gates open and entered.

    The deepest part of thebyrinth, where the Labyrinth Masters room was located, was a 20m long rectangr room with a red carpetid over the floor starting from the door. At the end of the carpet, was three steps and a missing master. The throne was there But no one was sitting on it.

    Was there still more to thebyrinth? There were chandeliers installed all around the stone room, but there were no candles on them. Just floating fireballs that served as lighting. Seeing no need for the NV mode, I turned off the NV mode.

    I saw another door just behind the throne, further back It is probably the door that led to thebyrinth core. Would it really be there? I readied the AA-12 and moved for the rooms center  one step, two steps

    This smell.

    A terribly strong odor drifted past my nose. I instantly slid-jumped backward towards the entrance. The strange odor was a pungent, greasy and beastly smell. I think it came from near the rooms center, implying that there was something there. But howe I couldnt see the smells source  Anywhere?

    I promptly activated my FLIR mode and looked around There!

    On the center-right of the rooms center, stood a heat signature that resembled a 2m tall human with the head of a wolf. Its tail emitted a greater heat signaturepared to its head.

    A werewolf.

    Probably reacting to my muttering, the werewolf turned its head to me.

    VuOoooooo!

    Along with the roar, the beasts stealth was undone before it began to speak.

    So, its finally here!!

    What? VMBs auto tranting feature actually had the ability to decipher the werewolfs roar?

    Ill kill you! Ill drink your blood! Ill feast on your flesh!

    Whats with this fellow? bbering like that while I was standing here. I set the AA12 on top of the shield, aimed at it and ced the crosshairs over its face.

    Are you the master of thisbyrinth?

    VuRooooooo!

    This, can this guy even understand me?

    The werewolf replied to my question by rushing towards me. Its strike aimed centermass of my body, though it was protected by the shield, preventing a direct hit. Even with it punching with its bare hands, I felt a good amount of force from the attack It was quite a powerful creature.

    While I was being pushed back, I fired my weapon into its head. Three consecutive shots and three explosionster.

    Guaa.

    The slugs punched straight through and the werewolf jumped away while holding its left nk. A good hit  although the slug didnt do well against the crocodiles scale, it worked wonders against this one.

    Let me eat! Let it go! Let me savor it! Hand over your soul!

    The werewolf still bbered on mindlessly. Was its intelligence too low, or perhaps itd gone mad? While it frowled, the hand holding its nk started to glow. So it was capable of healing itself, huh?! Immediately, I ced my crosshairs over the beast, opting to fire from the hip this time. But the wolf was too fast. It jumped from wall to wall, avoiding every round fired.

    DId it realize what kind of projectiles were attacking him that fast? Our eyes met

    Whether it had reasoning or intelligence, I didnt know; it didnt matter though, all that mattered was that it was the Labyrinth master and I was here to subjugate it. That was all too it!

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108

    The werewolf kept its distance whilst being wary of my MPS 11-12. The pale light emanating off its left hand that was being held over its wound seemed to be healing magic. Readying my ballistic shield on my left hand, I turned off FLIR mode and my vision returned to normal so I could clearly see the werewolf now that it wasnt invisible

    The werewolfs upper body was mostly naked If not for the fur covering its body. The fur itself was probably a white silver Yet no matter how I looked at it, it looked like a dirtyb mouse. Its lower body was covered by a pair of dirty, shredded jean-like pants, muscles swelled to the point where the pants themselves seemed ready to give.

    At its rear, arge dirty tail with the same fur color as the rest of its body. The head of the humanoid was just a wolf, with no human features, other than it was attached to a humanoid body. Its eyes stained red with madness and its fangs visible as it growled. This fellow Why was he so dirty?

    Did it not have a habit of bathing like the others - Ah Is it because it lives here? No, why am Iparing it with an actual living creature? But then again, I didnt know just what manner of creature the Labyrinth Master was.

    A closer look at the map revealed that there were more rooms beyond this throne. I didnt want to assume things, but could those rooms be its living quarters?

    VuRuaaaaaaaaaaa!

    The werewolf roared as it charged forward, saliva sprinkling as its body was nearly touching the floor. Once again, I blocked its w swipe with my shield, lined up the crosshairs for a counter-attack; but the werewolf had already jumped to my left, disappearing from my line of sight.

    Its fast  but its attacks were too linear. And it was clearly wary of my gun. Was the damage on its nk that bad, or did it simply acknowledge it as something dangerous? The shields durability also went down by 10% with just that one swipe. I couldnt afford to prolong this fight.

    cing the AA-12 on top of the shield, I chased the wolf with my crosshairs. In an attempt to predict its movement, I deviated from the target and shot a little further forward. Then, I fired off 2-three shot stream.

    However, the werewolf didnt stop and instead, raised two of its fingers almost at the same time I fired. The next moment, a stone wall rose up in front of me. It was a Stonewall spell!

    So, it was smart enough to use magic to defend itself against my shots!

    I pushed away the urge to curse and opted to close the distance by slide-jumping into the wall immediately after losing my line of sight. If the other side kept moving, I needed to be just as mobile. In FPS games, yers needed to take advantage of high mobility movies aside from just shooting from fixed positions. Catching your opponents off guard was an important ability for any FPS yer!

    I vaulted over the stone wall immediately, promptly aiming down the sights where I expected the boss to be and  Its not there?! No, it mightve gone invisible again, either with [Shadow Run], or [Shadow Walk].

    Turning on FLIR mode, I quickly searched for its heat signature. I quickly found the werewolf still behind the stone wall.

    How naive!

    Without hesitation, I lined up my sight and pulled the trigger, showering the wolf in a hail of FRAG-12 from above. I could see the rounds detonation on its head and leg.

    Gyaaa!

    I jumped down, sandwiching the werewolf between me and the wal. Immediately afterward, I raised my shield and rushed ahead, smashing the monster against the wall. Its face was distorted in pain. Meanwhile, I brought the crosshairs to its face but the stonewall disappeared before the slugs could explode in its face, allowing its body to fall bodward.

    Tsk!

    I clicked my tongue after the beasts body disappeared again. Before I could find it again, a strong kick pushed my shield back. Although that much force wasnt enough to faze me, I was still pushed back until I hit the wall behind me.

    Come on! Ill definitely kill you!

    The auto-trantion feature deciphered the werewolfs growl as it got back up.

    ~~~, ~~, ~~~, StoneSpear!

    As it finished chanting and cried its name, two sharp conical objects jutted from the stone floor and pinned me to the wall.

    What the?!

    The two sharp stgmites prevented me from anyteral movements. Meanwhile, the werewolf stood before me. Only a few meters away

    I tried to line up the cross hairs, but it swiped my right arm before I could shoot. Not only did it mess up my aim, it also wounded the arm.

    [Wolf Spear] !

    It was a different attack that the wolf hadnt used before, but it managed to pierce through the ballistic shield and deep into my abdomen.

    Guaa!

    Intense pain ran through my whole body like lightning and my grip on the shield loosened. Looking at me as my face distorted in pain, the werewolfs expression, whod been filled with anger, gradually changed into a look of excitement.

    Guaa!

    The werewolf stabbed its hand into my abdomen, then pulled out something before it jumped away

    HaHaha So this body still had internal organs?

    Which organ was it that it took? The liver?

    Down on one knee, I held the gaping hole in my stomach. I held my breath, chanting calm down, calm down in my mind. Meanwhile, the werewolf hung my organ over its mouth as it seemed to be enjoying itself.

    Aaa How many years as it been since Ist ate something~ Im digging in~

    The werewolf then dropped my organ into its open mouth, then chomped messily with a bloodied, blissful expression.

    Urrp!

    The werewolfs blissful expression suddenly turned into disgust. It then vomited the organ back out.

    Really now! Whats with this! Theres no magic power at all! Urrrpp!

    This was an opportunity! Thinking so, I searched the pocket of my field jacket, and took out a 10cm long cylinder. This was the only health recovery item in VMB, the Medkit. It was shaped simrly to a needleless syringe. I pressed it against my upper right arm and pushed the button, letting the solution inside course into my body.

    I could see the solution inside decrease along with a quiet hiss. In VMB, using the medkit would cause the health recovery to trigger immediately. It also had a cooldown time of 5 minutes, during which the use of another one would have no effect. I didnt know if that function would work in this world though. The only thing I knew was that the hole in my abdomen quickly closed itself and I no longer felt dizzy. This was indeed the effect of the Automatic Health Recovery.

    Now, there was onest thing to do!

    I took out an M84 shbang from a pouch on my waist, then tossed it at the still vomiting monster. A loud explosion rang out, followed by a blinding sh of light.

    Gyaaa!

    The werewolf covered its eyes with both hands as its head was facing up in pain.

    I jumped from my kneeling position to a dash. Since it was looking up, the neck was wide open. Using the momentum of my dash, with the strength of the power suit, Iunched a kick.

    GuuOooo!

    The werewolf was knocked back into the only piece of furniture in the room, the throne. Itnded smackdab into it as if it were sitting on it. I switched to my SCAR-H, aimed, and connected the crosshair with its head. I fired one three-round burst after another while making sure that everything was hitting. Blowing off the wolfs eyes, snouth, mouth, and ears. After nine shots, I watched for any movement  keeping my vignce up while approaching it slowly.

    When I saw the body twitch slightly, I fired two more shots into its heart. The body finally loosened, losing the ability to support its own weight; it slipped from the throne with its mangled head.

    The werewolfs upper body was mostly naked If not for the fur covering its body. The fur itself was probably a white silver Yet no matter how I looked at it, it looked like a dirtyb mouse. Its lower body was covered by a pair of dirty, shredded jean-like pants, muscles swelled to the point where the pants themselves seemed ready to give.

    At its rear, arge dirty tail with the same fur color as the rest of its body. The head of the humanoid was just a wolf, with no human features, other than it was attached to a humanoid body. Its eyes stained red with madness and its fangs visible as it growled. This fellow Why was he so dirty?

    Did it not have a habit of bathing like the others - Ah Is it because it lives here? No, why am Iparing it with an actual living creature? But then again, I didnt know just what manner of creature the Labyrinth Master was.

    A closer look at the map revealed that there were more rooms beyond this throne. I didnt want to assume things, but could those rooms be its living quarters?

    VuRuaaaaaaaaaaa!

    The werewolf roared as it charged forward, saliva sprinkling as its body was nearly touching the floor. Once again, I blocked its w swipe with my shield, lined up the crosshairs for a counter-attack; but the werewolf had already jumped to my left, disappearing from my line of sight.

    Its fast  but its attacks were too linear. And it was clearly wary of my gun. Was the damage on its nk that bad, or did it simply acknowledge it as something dangerous? The shields durability also went down by 10% with just that one swipe. I couldnt afford to prolong this fight.

    cing the AA-12 on top of the shield, I chased the wolf with my crosshairs. In an attempt to predict its movement, I deviated from the target and shot a little further forward. Then, I fired off 2-three shot stream.

    However, the werewolf didnt stop and instead, raised two of its fingers almost at the same time I fired. The next moment, a stone wall rose up in front of me. It was a Stonewall spell!

    So, it was smart enough to use magic to defend itself against my shots!

    I pushed away the urge to curse and opted to close the distance by slide-jumping into the wall immediately after losing my line of sight. If the other side kept moving, I needed to be just as mobile. In FPS games, yers needed to take advantage of high mobility movies aside from just shooting from fixed positions. Catching your opponents off guard was an important ability for any FPS yer!

    I vaulted over the stone wall immediately, promptly aiming down the sights where I expected the boss to be and  Its not there?! No, it mightve gone invisible again, either with [Shadow Run], or [Shadow Walk].

    Turning on FLIR mode, I quickly searched for its heat signature. I quickly found the werewolf still behind the stone wall.

    How naive!

    Without hesitation, I lined up my sight and pulled the trigger, showering the wolf in a hail of FRAG-12 from above. I could see the rounds detonation on its head and leg.

    Gyaaa!

    I jumped down, sandwiching the werewolf between me and the wal. Immediately afterward, I raised my shield and rushed ahead, smashing the monster against the wall. Its face was distorted in pain. Meanwhile, I brought the crosshairs to its face but the stonewall disappeared before the slugs could explode in its face, allowing its body to fall bodward.

    Tsk!

    I clicked my tongue after the beasts body disappeared again. Before I could find it again, a strong kick pushed my shield back. Although that much force wasnt enough to faze me, I was still pushed back until I hit the wall behind me.

    Come on! Ill definitely kill you!

    The auto-trantion feature deciphered the werewolfs growl as it got back up.

    ~~~, ~~, ~~~, StoneSpear!

    As it finished chanting and cried its name, two sharp conical objects jutted from the stone floor and pinned me to the wall.

    What the?!

    The two sharp stgmites prevented me from anyteral movements. Meanwhile, the werewolf stood before me. Only a few meters away

    I tried to line up the cross hairs, but it swiped my right arm before I could shoot. Not only did it mess up my aim, it also wounded the arm.

    [Wolf Spear] !

    It was a different attack that the wolf hadnt used before, but it managed to pierce through the ballistic shield and deep into my abdomen.

    Guaa!

    Intense pain ran through my whole body like lightning and my grip on the shield loosened. Looking at me as my face distorted in pain, the werewolfs expression, whod been filled with anger, gradually changed into a look of excitement.

    Guaa!

    The werewolf stabbed its hand into my abdomen, then pulled out something before it jumped away

    HaHaha So this body still had internal organs?

    Which organ was it that it took? The liver?

    Down on one knee, I held the gaping hole in my stomach. I held my breath, chanting calm down, calm down in my mind. Meanwhile, the werewolf hung my organ over its mouth as it seemed to be enjoying itself.

    Aaa How many years as it been since Ist ate something~ Im digging in~

    The werewolf then dropped my organ into its open mouth, then chomped messily with a bloodied, blissful expression.

    Urrp!

    The werewolfs blissful expression suddenly turned into disgust. It then vomited the organ back out.

    Really now! Whats with this! Theres no magic power at all! Urrrpp!

    This was an opportunity! Thinking so, I searched the pocket of my field jacket, and took out a 10cm long cylinder. This was the only health recovery item in VMB, the Medkit. It was shaped simrly to a needleless syringe. I pressed it against my upper right arm and pushed the button, letting the solution inside course into my body.

    I could see the solution inside decrease along with a quiet hiss. In VMB, using the medkit would cause the health recovery to trigger immediately. It also had a cooldown time of 5 minutes, during which the use of another one would have no effect. I didnt know if that function would work in this world though. The only thing I knew was that the hole in my abdomen quickly closed itself and I no longer felt dizzy. This was indeed the effect of the Automatic Health Recovery.

    Now, there was onest thing to do!

    I took out an M84 shbang from a pouch on my waist, then tossed it at the still vomiting monster. A loud explosion rang out, followed by a blinding sh of light.

    Gyaaa!

    The werewolf covered its eyes with both hands as its head was facing up in pain.

    I jumped from my kneeling position to a dash. Since it was looking up, the neck was wide open. Using the momentum of my dash, with the strength of the power suit, Iunched a kick.

    GuuOooo!

    The werewolf was knocked back into the only piece of furniture in the room, the throne. Itnded smackdab into it as if it were sitting on it. I switched to my SCAR-H, aimed, and connected the crosshair with its head. I fired one three-round burst after another while making sure that everything was hitting. Blowing off the wolfs eyes, snouth, mouth, and ears. After nine shots, I watched for any movement  keeping my vignce up while approaching it slowly.

    When I saw the body twitch slightly, I fired two more shots into its heart. The body finally loosened, losing the ability to support its own weight; it slipped from the throne with its mangled head.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109

    On the deepest level of the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, the Werewolf Labyrinth Master was in. All that remained was to extract the huge magic stone that was the Labyrinths core. If I did, thebyrinth would begin to die. However, once I calmed myself down, I realized there were a few things to consider. As the bosss body began to sink into the slow, wrapped in a shadowy mist, the jeans that covered its lower body caught my attention.

    Ive never seen those type of jeans before in this world. Of course, that included the beastmen. So, why did I care about it? Because I had a suspicion that the werewolf had originally been an other-worlder like me.

    The werewolf finally disappeared into the floorpletely, leaving arge magical stone behind. I pocketed it. The fact that it had a magic stone meant it wasnt human, but that it was born in thebyrinth. I thought this as I went past the throne and headed to the ck door behind it.

    I couldnt find any keyhole, however, the door simply gave in once I pushed on it. Did this mean that it was possible to ignore the werewolf and just head straight in? Beyond the door was another tunnel that led into a room simr to the previous one. The only difference being that there were more floating fireballs that served as the rooms lighting.

    ording to the map disyed on my goggles, there were two more rooms to the left and right of the passage and a room at the end. The backroom should be where the core was. Then, what about the extra ones? While walking, I noticed that there werent any doors leading to the other rooms. Was there some sort of hidden switch? I gave a few bricks by nudging them and I found nothing.

    Maybe I should Force my way in?

    I went into my inventory and pulled out several C4 charges. Once they appeared in the supply box, I took them out, pasted them to the wall on the right where the doorways should have been, and then backtracked a little ways back.

    Four explosions rang out as a cloud of dust filled the passage. I heard the rattling of falling stones. I guess that did the job.

    I peeked into the rooms one by one and found that they were living quarters. Of the four rooms, one was a dining room, a bathroom with a toilet, a living room, and a bedroom  all of which were in a rough way. The dining room held furniture such as a refrigerator and necessities, though they were severely damaged. In the bathroom, the bathtub was destroyed and the full length mirror had been shattered.

    The living room was the same If I were to guess how they got that way, it would be only Despair.

    What was the exact purpose of a Labyrinth master? Here, it showed it was like being a prisoner. Not to mention that it seemed unnecessary for thebyrinth, as the green demonbyrinth had no master but it still operated. So, why create one, and also be confined to living in the deepest bowls of it?

    No matter how hard I thought about it, there was no answer. For the time being, lets head to the innermost room to extract the magic stone.

    The room was small, no bigger than the living quarters with a single object inside. The core was inside tree-like roots, probably ck tentacles, that extended from the floor to the ceiling. It floated in the air as it emitted a bright light. Were the tentacles that developed it eating the light? On a closer look, the tip of each tentacle seemed to be a dark vortex that continuously drained the light. It was a bit creepy so I tried not to touch them as I grabbed the rugby ball-sizedMarquis Cutmagic stone.

    The moment I touched it, the light grew brighter, triggering the goggles shade function. The brilliance quickly subsided  reverting back to the previous brightness. I slowly pulled the stone away from its ce. I could feel the tentacles pulling at the light as I did, and once it cleared, thebyrinth quaked as a roar came out of thin air. When the roar subsided, which sounded both far and near, I felt thebyrinth change slightly. The dark vortexes at the tips of the tentacles disappeared, leaving them look like horrid ck roots.

    Which means thebyrinths death had begun.

    Victory.

    The moment I tried to leave the core room, I felt my entire body go numb as an electrical shock run from the tip of my tips to the tip of my hair. A mail received icon appeared in the corner of my UI. I activated the TSS and opened the mailbox with a trembling finger.

    Unreadable characters It was what was shown on the disy of the unread mail. I looked at the subject, which was written in hieroglyphic-like characters. The auto trantion function kicked in immediately, fortunately.

    [Subject: Strange Sender: Error ]

    I then tapped on the mail.

    ___________________________

    The lost child from a different world, my name is ERROR

    This Me now speaks to you, who has lived in this world the way you wanted.

    This Me is but an overseer. However, is this really how you wish to deal with thebyrinth?

    Do you wish to release the negativity trapped within thebyrinth?

    In that case, This Me shall lend you a hand.

    The lost child from a different world with no magic, this Me hereby grants you this.

    _______________________________

    The trantion function deciphered the unknown text But this, what in the world is this? The mysterious sender seems to be watching me. After the subjugation of the Emerald Demon Labyrinth, this mysterious figure also sent me a simr message, telling me to live the way I wanted to in this world.

    Thats why I had set the Labyrinth subjugation as one of my goals while living in this world. I wanted to rebel against those whod sent me here But the negativity within thebyrinth? Release it? No   it isnt even hidden; the person was referring to thebyrinth master. Im not sure about the connection to thebyrinth, but the master  seems like the higher ups want them to be mercy-killed.

    Cant you save them instead? Can you not save these Labyrinth Masters instead!

    I shouted at the empty room. Are you not watching me? Are you not listening to me? However, there was no new mail Was there really no way to save them instead?

    Im not an ally of justice, nor am I a hero. Im just a mere explorer. However, when I go diving again, if it is still in my capability Lets try to liberate thebyrinth master.

    A gift box was attached to the mail. Apparently, it was the gift mentioned in the mail. After I received it, I summoned it. The box appeared before me as the gathering light particles looked more guard than usual. It was actually wrapped in pink paper wrap

    I pressed on the [ Open / Close ] button on the boxs lid and it opened automatically. What was inside was an item the system identified as a [Magic Identification Tag]. I took it out and looked at it. The so-called Magic Identification Tag was two pieces of oval tes connected to a silver chain. This Looked like a military ID tag from my previous world. It was also called a dog tag and it was one of the avatar essories avable in VMB.

    The te was engraved with my first andst name, Schwartz Powder, and a string of numbers. This was my VMB nickname and affiliated group as I belonged to a FPS Team called P0wder, and the numbers were probably my ount number in VMB. But why did that person even bother to send me this? Activating the TSS, I looked for the magic dog tag in the avatar menu. Opening the essory list, I scrolled through the items, and

    [Magic Identification Tag ]

    Even those without magic power will be able to register their biometric information that is required to use the transfer circle if theyre wearing this. However, this effect will only work when the tag is equipped.

    Wha

    I was lost for words. The inability to use transfer circles had been a great disadvantage to me. However, this item would fix that and allow me to quickly leave and enter. The transfer circle, and all the copies brought out from a deadbyrinth, were usually one way due to theck of magic. But if its used outside or inside thebyrinth, where its teeming with magic, even the copies could be used as 2-way circles.

    Selecting the tag, I ced it in my ne slot via the avatar customization. The dog tag in my hand turned into particles before reforming around my neck I sent the sender my thanks in my heart as I headed back to the upper floor  the 25th floor to be exact since that was where the circle was.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110

    After I got my hands on thebyrinth core, I suddenly got mail in my VMB Mail box even though it has been pretty much unused the majority of the time Id been here. It was the same as when I subjugated the Emerald Demon Labyrinth. This time, the mail was some sort of congrattory message for conquering thebyrinth.

    Id gotten a Magic Identification Tag along with it, and if I wore it, it should allow me to use the transfer circle even though Im a Manuke. To confirm this, I backtracked to the 25th floor.

    At the center of the Guardians room was the circle. It was round with a 4m diameter and engraved with a series of multyered runes. Looking closely, the symbols also resembled the symbols that Id received in that mail. But no matter how much I looked, the auto trantion refused to work this time.

    Was it because the system couldnt recognize the characters, or was it because it was magic?

    I stood in the circles center before I drew mybat knife from its sheath on my leg. I intended to cut myself to drip some blood for the biometric information But after I register it, do I really want to instantly transfer to the first floor?

    All the guards outside should have heard that roar. So where should I make my escape  to the administration building? Or, should I aim to go outside? I never thought Id use the circle, thus I hadnt thought about it. Just in case, I activated the TSS and went to the ACM (Avatar Customization Menu), then I switched my appearance to Shafts.

    [Kays E/N: I dont want to keep typing out Avatar Customization menu, so Im just going to shorten it to ACM.]

    I summoned the supply box and rearranged my equipment. I also made sure that all my special grenades were replenished. I set the baton and the welrod on my waist. Next, I took out the AS VAL and slung it over my shoulder, making sure it was hidden on my back. Then I put my german overcoat over it and stashed 4 tomahawks in it.

    Finally, some spare magazines and I was ready to go. I carried the bag containing thebyrinths core on my back before I used a knife from my inner pocket to make a small cut on my finger. I let three drops of blood drip onto the circle.

    My chest felt warm. Perhaps it was the magical identification tag giving off the heat. I could see the circle emit light and the blood absorbed and spread throughout the circle. Now the circle was dyed red for a moment before it sank into the floor.

    Will it really work? For the time being, it seemed to react to my blood was different from the time I tried without it.

    But nothing happened.

    I only read the simple instructions on the circle, so I wasnt exactly familiar with how it operated. Should I infuse some power into it? No way I could do that! Is there a special chant? I dont know!

    What to do now Escape! Operate! Transfer!

    Perhaps it responded to thest word I shouted  the circle glowed again and spun clockwise; once, twice, and then thrice before a curtain of light appeared and blocked my view for a few seconds. But when it dissipated, I found myself outside thebyrinth in the forest.

    Someone came out! In here!

    While I was still perplexed by the sudden change in scenery, I heard a man shouting from behind. Looking back to the entrance of thebyrinth, I could see numerous guards and administrators. Apparently, I had transferred a little bit away from the entrance.

    Oooh! Shaft! Its Shaft-san, right?!

    Did you manage to conquer thebyrinth?!

    Apparently, they saw me from the entrance so they immediately bombarded me with questions as they came at me. The guy who had called out to me was the same clerk who handled my registration a few days ago.

    Is it really conquered?!

    How about thebyrinth core?!

    While I was still processing the first question, they had already surrounded me.

    Thebyrinth was conquered. Didnt you hear the roar earlier?

    The guards and administrators instantly screamed in response to my reply. I had no idea if it was screams of joy or what. I was caught off guard by their praises as a guard urged me to the admin building, so I decided to go there first. Before I knew it, two guards had already mounted their horses and rode off towards Fort Barga.

    In the admin building, I was basically interrogated. Like, how was I able to transverse through the 21st floor and beyond. What creatures spawned there. About the Guardian and the Labyrinth Master, and how was I able to extract the core. Of course, I was under no obligation to answer. But I politely answered what I could talk about.

    I only got to leave the building after 3 hours Along the end, a gentleman who imed himself as the Director of the Wolf Fang Labyrinth invited me for a short meal. During which, he requested me to participate in the harvest festival. He also offered to buy the core from me and asked me toe along when he reported the matter to Duke Barga. He treated me differentlypared to the other administrators. Unfortunately, I had to decline almost everything.

    After this, I would be following Ashley to the southern region of Kurtmerga Kingdom. I didnt believe Id make it back in time for the festival. And I specifically asked Duke Barga for permission to explore thebyrinth as a member of the Mercenary Guild, so I think hed have expected I would have raided thebyrinth soon. I dont want to stop by his office just to say Ive done it.

    I wanted to show off thebyrinth core to the people at Marida Company, so I said that I couldnt sell it right away. After giving an appropriate excuse and telling him I had to leave, I left the admin building.

    The sun had almost set  would I make it before the gate closed?

    Thinking about thebyrinth as I walked along the forest pat, I couldnt help but feel aplished. I still had questions about the guardian and master. Next time, if I reached the end of abyrinth again, I might encounter a simr situation. With that in mind, I moved on quickly.

    Something ising.

    I could hear it through my sound sensors  a galloping horseing towards me. However, it sounded heavy, unlike those belonging to messengers. It was as if the rider and their horse was outfitted with heavy equipment.

    I stopped and watched my surroundings. My radar also hadnt disyed any blips, but i could already see it at the end of the road. A ck knight Not one of those Barga Knights Something more terrifying.

    It seemed to have noticed me and increased its speed. The ck horse was also fully armored. One hand on the rein, the knight reached for something at its side. The next moment, it held a massive halberd in both hands and the horse sped up. This had to be a skill! WIth unnatural speed, the horse and its rider approached.

    [Kay E/N: Yes, its this short ]

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111

    As I was walking down the forest path in the evening, a fully armored horse with a ck knight appeared. He held an enormous jet-ck halberd as he charged at me. Their speed only free faster as the knight shifted into his charge. I tried to move out of the knights way, but he followed ordingly so it was obvious now that he was aiming for me.

    Its big The galloping horse lookedrger than regr horses. Its head was actually taller than me The ck knight that rode on top of it was also huge. He waspletely encased in armor from head to toe. To evade the ck knight, I waited for the moment when changing the direction of his charge wouldve been impossible before doing a slide-jump. During the moment we crossed, my eyes met the knights glowing eyes that were visible through the opening of the visor.

    The ck knights te armor was decorated with protruding spikes. Almost as if the design had been based on a monster. Was that a magic stone in its chest? I couldve sworn I saw arge jewel glowing with an earthen color.

    While maintaining eye contact with the ck knight, I took out two tomahawks from my undercoat. Without charging off too far, the knight turned its horse around and faced me again.

    First of all, let me ask  are you not mistaking your target?

    ck Mask Shaft, you are but a pebble in our path of supremacy. Our master has ordered for your elimination.

    So, it is Castus again To think that youd bother to wait for me to leave thebyrinth first. Very well  Ill be a roadblock in your so-called path of supremacy.

    Facing off on the forest path, I tightened my grip on my weapons. I had resolved myself to kill. I honestly did not want to imagine whatll happen if that halbert skewered my body.

    Was my mind ying tricks on my? Not only the ck knight, but the horse also exhaled roughly. As if they both were excited for battle. The knight kicked the sides of the horse. It responded by taking a stride, then suddenly, disappeared from sight

    Wha!

    The ck knight actually urged its mount to jump into the air. Its front hives were already over my head by the time I realized. I was caught off guard for a moment by their agility. I barely managed to avoid being trampled under foot. Thending caused the ground to crack and a heavy thud echoed throughout the forest.

    I couldnt afford to be distracted by it as the knight swing quickly followed. I crossed the two tomahawks over my head, catching the halbert. I was able to stop the one-hand swing but I sunk into the ground up to my ankles as the impact was stronger and heavier than expected.

    You can ck that? Then how about this.

    The ck knight pulled its left fist back and then punched towards me, even though it wouldve have reached.

    [Heavy Shockwave]!

    The fist that swung from a far actuallynded on my chest. To be exact, the shockwave that emitted from that skill did. Having all the air in my lungs pushed out left me unable to speak. Since my feet were buried in the ground, I hadnt been able to evade, and had to take the attack head on. And the impact from that attack had been strong enough to uproot my feet and I fell on my back, leaving me in a disadvantageous position. I was only able to see the front hives of the horse as it raised them.

    I rolled to the side and avoided it before getting to my feet and slid-jumping to create distance.

    I still felt numb all over. Focusing on my hands as I still held my weapons, I waited for the numbness to go away. The ck knight wasnt going to give me that chance, however. With some distance between us, they got into a charging posture.

    I quickly looked around, realized I was standing in the middle of the road while the knight was facing the forest. At the very least, if I could pull them into the forest and hinder the horses mobility.

    If you wont let me lure you into the forest, then

    The ck knight prepared its next charge, apparently gaining that unnatural eleration via the use of [Dash]. Confirming that, I did a slide-jump further back and tossed an M84 shbang into their path. The knight knew Id thrown something and still charged nheless.

    A roar sounded, followed by a sh.

    Muu!

    The ck knight lost its bnce, then fell off his still galloping horse. Although hended on his feet, he was still off bnce. My two tomahawks flew at its head. They bothnded but only the high pitch screech of metal sounded out. I turned from the knight and tossed an M67 frag grenade towards the stunned horse. I needed to get rid of his source of mobility.

    I put my hands in my overcoat, intending to grew my two remaining tomahawks. Then, I recalled the sound they made on the knights head. Which, probably meant a ncing blow. A suit of armor couldnt be prated by the throwing force of my enhanced throw  the 9mm parabellum rounds might not be enough.

    Then, how about the 939 from the AS VAL on my back  that may be the key to this battle.

    I tossed an M67 grenade at the stunned knight as he was leaning over. Right as I pulled the pin and threw it, the knight finally rose up, its hidden eyes staring straight at me. The earth colored gem on its chest  no, the magic stone began to glow. The suit of armor started to emit ck particles that quickly converged together. The grenade exploded right before him, engulfing in fire and shrapnel. The sound of nging metal followed.

    Not working, huh.

    Neither the tomahawks, nor a point ck grenade managed to scratch that suit of armor. While I watched the groggy knight, I weighed my options This might be too difficult for what I had on my right now I could change my armaments, but the process was not instant. The ck knight wouldnt allow me such an opening.

    The knight approached me warily, step by step. Along the way, noticing the horse was still alive despite the grenade mangling one of its leg. The knight stopped next to it. The knight then cut the horses head off with the halbert.

    Somehow, you are truly more than meets the eye, ck Mask Shaft.

    And you are still not dead yet. That armor seems quite sturdy, shame you didnt make one for your horse.

    Unfortunately Ive never heard of anyone willing to make magic armor for horses.

    Magic armor huh

    But ck Mask Shaft, can you break through the protection of this Terra Chaos magic armor?

    I robbed the knight of its mobility. However, the magic armor gave me another level of difficulty Under the burning red sky, the second round against the Cactus assassin would begin.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112

    The assassin from the dark guild Cactus attacked me once again. This time, without its huge horse. Initially, Id been caught off guard by the horses high mobility. But what was more surprising was the sturdiness of the knights magical armor Terra Chaos. A direct hit from my tomahawk, along with a point ck explosion from a M67 fragmentation grenade hadnt nicked it. So, how could I prate that defense?

    The knight was decked out in full te armor. If I chose to, I think I could escape if I tried. However, that probably would not be a great option. This time, they fielded a heavy knight like this one. If I escaped, they would still be after me But if I killed the ck knight here and now, they might consider the task impossible and give up on killing me.

    Counter Offensive Counter Offensive, huh?

    The knight approached step by step, halberd in hand.

    ck Mask Shaft, lets go.

    His words echoed under the red sky. The halberd was posed to strike and the knight slid in with unnatural speed. This mustve been due to [Dash]. I also in turn, tossed the tomahawk I had in my hands and followed up with a forward slide-jump. The knight decided to rely on the sturdiness of the armor instead of attempting to evade or block.

    The sound of metal colliding violently sounded out, followed by the sound of air being cut as the halberd was thrusted forward. I evaded without a second though, slide-jumping before jumping over the knight. All while pulling out the Welrod.

    I fired the pistol, aiming for his head, neck, back, and hips while still airborne. The 9x19mm parabellum raced through the air with little sound, but that proved not to be enough to pierce the armor. An expected result and it seemed the knight had expected it as well as he swung his halberd around, then aimed to hit me with the axe head as Inded.

    Before my feet had touched the ground, I had already pressed the button at the base of my left index finger  instantly deploying the CBS. The attack had been blocked but I was still sent flying by the impact.

    ck Mask shaft What manner of being at you? I previously thought you were a warrior who fought with light weapons  but your attack just now and that defensive capability, are you a magic warrior?

    We faced each other in the open road once again. But I didnt immediately reply to the knights question, letting the misunderstanding float about as it may end up being to my benefit.

    No, it was not magic I could not sense any magical vibrations. A magic tool then

    I held the welrod like a tonga and a tomahawk on the other hand. The armors defense was so high that regr shots wouldnt do anything regardless of how urate they were. I needed to try and specifically hit the less armored parts with pinpoint uracy.

    9x19mm didnt work, and while the knight had a fairly wide reach, I needed to make some distance  but the knight had already dashed in, closing what little distance at once. I managed to evade the stabbing thrust but the axe head still nicked my side. Once my feet were on the ground, I moved in, hitting the left side of the knights helmet with the blunt side of the tomahawk. At the same time, also hitting the right side with the welrod. Metal ng, stunning the ck knight  while I lowered myself and kicked the his from behind.

    Guo!

    From his perspective, my movements mustve felt weird. The fighting method in this world consisted of magic or skills and developing power and range over time. As a result, I felt that the CQC quality was left behind. Furthermore, the existence of mealing magic meant that most wounds could be healed, regardless of body structure. This probably diluted peoples inclinations to exploit the structural weaknesses of the human body, like shaking the brain, targeting the joints, the bodys center of gravity. Theycked the awareness of all that in CQC.

    Despite the full te armor and helmet, the knight still fell onto his back. Taking that chance, I swung the tomahawk down on his neck. However, my attack had been hindered by the chainmail underneath the te, which I hadnt ounted for until now. Whileying on his back, the knight was able to swing his halberd at me. I avoided that attack with a back

    So even the parts that arent covered by the armor are protected as well?

    Kuu I made a blunder. However, this Terra Chaos is a full set of everything. Including the helmet and the chainmail. Therefore, its protection is solid. Invincible even! The only way to undo its protection is to hit it with an immense amount of magic.

    Certainly, its meaningless if you could target an opening in the armor if there was protection as sturdy under the armor However, the hits to his head still seemed to have transmitted to his head. The knight still appeared to be groggy and wary about his head as he stood back up.

    That was a move Ive never seen before, but do not it will work a second time.

    Fuh, I wonder about that!

    I tossed another shbang in front of the ck knight. This time, it was closer than before and the armor couldnt protect him from shes and loud noises. But contrary to my expectation, the ck knight actually dashed forward, approaching it mid-flight

    I said the same trick would not work a second time!

    The halberd was swung and the knight knocked the shbang away with the t of the head.

    Wha!

    The M84 exploded harmlessly in the distance and the knight continued forward  rotating in a flowing manner. That must have been a skill!

    [Revolving Style sh]!

    The motion liked like a normal rotating sh, but there was something peculiar with the axes edge. I didnt know the effect of the skill, but Id already activated the CBS to block it. It took the brunt of the hit and flung me sideways. The knight followed with a thrust of his halberd. I managed to block the first thrust with the tomahawk, but the second thrust knocked it away when the welrod on the third thrust.

    No, to be precise, I deliberately let the welrod go without going against the halberds momentum.

    I grabbed the knights outstretched wrist, put my foot into his pelvis and then rolled along the elbow with my body. Normally, hand to handbat moves like this wouldnt have been effective against heavily armored opponents. But it was okay if done at point ck when the opponent couldnt retaliate.

    Riding along with the flow of my movements, I pulled out abat knife from my pocket with my left hand, switched the grip midway, then stabbed into the opening of the knights visor. Beyond the opening, of course, was his eye.

    Guaaa!

    The ck knight released the halberd due to the pain. I quickly picked up the weapon and threw it away, I then pulled out the electromaic baton hanging at my hip. It was about time to finish up. I pressed the tip of the baton into the copsed knights throat and switched it on.

    Guoooo!

    The high voltage current that the baton released obviously affected the knight. I kept applying it over and over until the knight barely moved anymore.

    Guu, you bastard, what did you

    The knight was still somehow conscious. Perhaps the armor provided some lightning resistance.

    Ill finish it with the next one.

    Fuh, fuha, do not underestimate the Terra Chaos. Unless this armor is broken apart, the magic imbued into it will heal me back in no time.

    Whilst saying that, the knight actually pulled the knight from his eye on his own. Then, with a dull but strong flick of his wrist, the knight flew at me. I backed off to avoid the knife, once again creating distance between us. I had to show off a bit. Bypassing the defense by aiming for openings wont work. I needed to show them that I had enough firepower to pierce through even the Terra Chaos.

    The sun hadpletely set and the sky was now filled with stars that illuminated us. Right, a single blow that will dye the sky red once more

    After walking 30ms away, I found that the ck knight still couldnt move yet. I activated the TSS, then got ready to run as fast as I could back towards the knight. The next moment, I jumped as high as I could with the aid of the powersuit   10, 20  I quickly gained altitude before ending up above him.

    Arge amount of light particles started to gather around me midair. The tank trailer, Oshkosh M978, emerged! The vehicle fell faster than me due to its weight by far. As the trailers center of gravity tipped midair, casing it to fall vertically towards the knight.

    Yes, it was the full tank of fuel Id identally bought!

    Eat thaaatt!

    Using the frontside of the M978 as a springboard, I kicked away from it, creating distance as I went backwards.

    Uoooo!

    The knight raised his hands as if to catch the massive trailer. The earth colored magic stone on his chest glowing, and dark particles once again appeared to converge around the armor.

    Noting this midair, I took out the AS VAl and aimed. The trailer crashed into the knight with a loud roaring sound.I fired on it, causing its armor to hit 0 and fuel began to leak. One of the runs sparked and the fuel ignited, triggering a chain reaction that caused it all to erupt into a fiery inferno. A massive pir of mes erupted and the sky lit up red once again.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113

    I felt the need through the Terra Chaos armors defenses in order to put the Dark Guild Cactus in their ce. So, I had to finish the knight in the most shy way. And thus, I chose to drop that fuel trailer by using it like a free fire bomb. The result was a massive explosion followed by a massive pir of fire. The explosion had set the eastern part of the forest road aze. The knight shouldve been underneath it, but there was no way to confirm the kill until the me subsided.

    The wreckage of the M978 still burned at the center of the crater, the armor gauge read 0 and the system judged it to be destroyed. The wreckage would soon turn into light particles and disperse. The scattered fuel still burned as well.

    Motes of light floated up into the sky along with the fire. It was a fantastic scene so to speak, but with nothing left to burn, the fire died off. Smoke and the smell of burning earth filled the air. I doubted the knight could survive that. The heat permeating from the ground prated the soles of my shoes as I walked to the crater to check.

    Lying in the crater was the magic armor, intact and partially buried in dirt, on its back. I didnt think the AS Val would work against the armor but I still held it at the ready as I approached carefully. The magic armor was intact, so did that mean the person inside also survived?

    When I got to the knight, I finally lowered my weapon. The knights head looked lifelessly to the sky. I couldnt see his face nor his eyes through the slits in the visor. Looking closely, only the earth colored gem seemed to have been damaged. It was cracked and its color had been lost. With my foot, I lightly nudged the head Only to hear something crunch and the smell of heavily charred meat.

    That convinced me that the ck knight had truly. But as a precaution, I lined the crosshair on his chest and shot twice. With a dull sound, the bullets easily prated the armor.

    I see  losing the gem will cause its sturdiness to be lost. This had not crossed my mind earlier, so I hadnt tried attacking it. Turns out, the magic stone was its weak point. After I confirmed the battle was over, I started to walk away from the crater and back into the main road while activating the TSS. I resupplied the ammo I spent and the tomahawks as well as checking out the M987 that had been destroyed.

    The vehicle thatd been destroyed was in the garage as a garbage item. yers had the option to either perform a full repair, which costs slightly less than buying a new one, or dispose of the vehicle. Of course, I chose to repair it. Let us also refuel everything while I was at it. I took out the resupply box while I kept an eye on the surroundings. I did so because I was worry about more attackers but it seemed he hade alone

    My sound sensors had suddenly picked up the sound of horse hooves in the distance of Fort Barga. I immediately hid myself behind a tree and watched the situation.

    Although the radar hadnt shown anything, the path was wide enough to see what wasing from afar A few hundred meters away, arge group of mounted knights were escorting several carriages. Werent those Western Barga Knights?

    The armor worn by the lead riders was that of those knights. Several carriages could be seen following after them, with even more knights behind. And they were heading towards my position. Apparently, I was a bitte in hiding myself behind the tree. I went out of my hiding spot to greet the group.

    They traveled at a moderate speed as they only had the starlight as a source of lighting. My radar had already pinged 50 of them already. The calvarymen swerved around and surrounded me, while the carriage stopped a few meters before me. The carriage door opened and I wondered whode out

    I was wondering who dared to rampage around here, turns out its the ck Mask Shaft.

    Three people came out Oldmen

    I did not expect that it would happen in a ce like this, Deputy Chief Caymon.

    The first to disembark from the carriage was Viscount Butler Caymon, the Western Barga Knights Deputy Chief; followed by the head of the Magician Guild, Count Vasimo Themis. Thest one to disembark I think it was a beastman, but I hadnt seen someone with a huge body, brown hair, and yellow eyes before.

    Shaft, its been a while.

    Count Themis, its been a while.

    Shaft? Are you that Shaft from the Mercenary Guild who conquered the Wolf Fang Labyrinth.

    Yes, my name is ahft, and I belong to the Mercenary Guild.

    I didnt know who this beastman was, but since he was riding inside the carriage with the other two, and from his outfit, he must have been some sort of aristocrat. So I showed some courtesy and gave a light bow.

    Shaft, this person is from the General Guild of Barga, Count Garvas Blitz.

    Deputy Chief introduced the person as the top brass of the General guild.. No, just in Fort Barga, right?

    By the way, Shaft. Was that erupting me that reached into the sky earlier your work?

    Yes

    I briefly exined what happened earlier to the three. Count Themis promptly went to see the armor upon the mention of its name. Since Count Blitz mentioned not to mind him, I continued my recount of the events. In any case, the city gate had been closed while I had been busy with the knight. So, I decided to stay the night in thebyrinths administration building. Furthermore, the three men were curious how I managed to get past the 21st floor.

    I actually wanted to return to Barga as soon as possible, then head south but it couldnt be helped. Many tents had been set around the building even though it was dark outside. A frontline base not unlike that I saw around the Emerald Demon Labyrinth once itd been conquered.

    Originally, after hearing the news about thebyrinth being conquered, Deputy Chief Caymon had immediately dispatched a group of knights. The included fielding some of the General Guilds staff and investigators. I recounted my experience inside thebyrinth as per their request, sure not to mention what should not be mentioned But the General Guild Leader Count Blitz was quite thorough with his questions.

    As it turned out, he was a former member of that sole party that managed to reach the 25th floor many years ago.

    Sparking of which, Marta-san did mention something about that. The party had disbanded after withdrawing from there, and that one member ended up joining the General Guild

    The guardian, how did you defeat it exactly? No, how did you stop it from retreating back into the water to recover?

    Count Blitz was the only one listening to me. Viscount Caymon was busy preparing the Labyrinths operation, which would start tomorrow. Count Themis was engrossed with the magic armor Terra Chaos and was surrounded by several of his disciples.

    That crocodile? So your party had trouble fighting against it?

    Indeed we did. Once wounded, it would retreat back into the water and heal itself. After repeated attempts being stumped by it, it became obvious that it was impossible for us to continue fighting. We nned to defeat the guardian so we could return back using the transfer magic circle, but we couldnt. The journey back was like a war of attrition and our party started to copse

    Count Blitz, who stood beside me as he recounted his experience, sent a distant look at thebyrinths entrance through the window.

    So, did you pull through?

    I wounded it, then used fire magic on the water when it retreated back into the pool. Your Excellency has seen what my magic is capable of. Its not great magic or anything, but its enough to boil the water. With the waters temperature being so high, the guardian couldnt stay submerged for too long and was forced to surface.

    So, there was that kind of method.

    I didnt use any magic, but it was not like I was lying. It should be okay to provide this much information.

    Shaft.

    Yes?

    Why dont you join the General Guild?

    Count Blitz, still looking out the window, turned to me and asked.

    It is an honor to receive a direct invitation from Your Excellency, but pardon me as I have to refuse.

    I see But Shaft, Im sorry to say, you cant go on like this. This country isnt such a free country that it will let a talent who could conquer abyrinth alne to roam free for too long. And most importantly, we cant afford to let that talent fall into another countrys hands.

    That means, if I intended to leave this country to take root in another, Kertmerga Kingdom would attempt to eliminate me before I could do this? But

    I have a lot of acquaintances in this kingdom. I have no intention of leaving anytime soon.

    In that case, you should put yourself under someones wing. If not the General Guild, then a Duke or even a simple lord will do. As long as its an aristocraft under this country.

    Thank you for the consideration. Ill keep that in mind.

    Fuhn, you conquered the long standing Wolf Fang Labyrinth. This level of advice is not enough to show how grateful I am.

    The count left with augh after saying so. I should rest as well. Tomorrow I would head back to the city once the gate opened.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114

    The next day, I left the administration building during the early morning hours. The knights and the General Guilds staff had also started the days activities, heading inside the Labyrinth to clean up the monsters. Count Blitz, the leader of the Bargas branch of the General Guild, as well as Count Themis the leader of the Magician Guild, had been studying the Terra Chaos armor the entire night. They had been resting when I left.

    Count Themis asked me a lot about the magic I used to kill the ck knight. But since there was no such thing, I escaped by saying that itd been a secret technique that happened to be a forbidden curse. As for the magic armor itself, with its stone broken, it had lost all its characteristics as a magic armor and thus, was impossible to repair.

    I had been asked about whether or not I would keep my loot, but when I heard Count Themis mentioning I want to study it and It will greatly contribute to the future of magic toolcraft, I didnt have the heart to say yes. So, I decided to sell the armor to the Guild on the spot.

    I greeted Viscount Caymon who was overseeing the procession outside, then headed off toward Fort Barga. But that had just been a fluke. I originally nned to leave immediately after killing the ck knight but I ended up spending the night in the admin building instead. There was a possibility that Cactus was watching me, so I needed to be this careful.

    Once I reached the point where people could no longer see me clearly, I immediately turned the FLIR mode on and hastened my pace. After confirming there was no one watching, I activated my TSS and took out the Kawaski KLR from my garage. Then, I sped off northward. The area I was heading towards was popted with hills. Even if they could somehow trace where I was heading, itd be pointless if they couldnt physically catch up with me.

    From there, I switched my avatar setting to Schwartz, then headed to the Fort Barga through the hills. When I finally arrived at the city gate, it was just before they closed.

    Leisurely, I walked beneath the magic powered streetlights thatd be on for a few more hours. My destination was Schwartzs permanent residence, the Labyrinths White Flower. I was weed by the smiling face of Mirana-san, thendy, as usual. I returned to my room and checked if I made it in time for dinner. As it turned out, there was still some time left untilst order. I promptly headed to the dining room.

    Youve finally returned.

    I heard a familiar voice as I entered the dining room. It was filled with people enjoying their supper but there was a single table upied by one person. With some nearby vacant tables nearby, Remi tapped on her table to signal me to sit with her. It couldnt be helped, Id already thought about meeting her anyway; the timing was a bit unexpected, but there shouldnt be anything wrong with it, right?

    Its been a while, Remi-san.

    Its been a while, Schwartz-kun. I havent seen you for a month or two. Were you out on an expedition?

    Sitting across from Remi-san, I ordered something to eat from the waiter before I replied to her. I told her Id been exploring the Labyrinth as usual, then was in the northern hills area for a while.

    I see. Come visit the General Guild to take requests from time to time. Itll be good on your resume after all.

    Ill think about it.

    I took the chance to observe Remi-san while I dug into the food the waiter brought. Tonight, Remi-san wore a white shirt simr to the clerks instead of her usual armor. Whats more, she left some buttons undone, showing a fair amount of skin.

    You seem dressed differently tonight.

    Nn? Ah, its because Ashleys tenure as an instructor has ended. I havent been taking to the fieldtely, just coordinating investigations and other office work everyday.

    Then whats Ashley doing now?

    She already quit the guild. Originally, she didnt n to stay in Barga too long. She only aimed to get the investigator qualification and get some experience. Afterward, shed return to the territory where her parents lived. Its a bit earlier than expected, but I think she should be leaving the capital by now.

    I see

    Fuhn, do you want to see her?

    Yes, of course.

    Oya, you make it very clear there. But do you know what it means to be a Zephanel?

    The meaning? What about it? Although, I do know that its a family name.

    Hoo Schwartz-kun. Do you still remember what I said to you before?

    Which one?

    In response to my reply, Remi-san chugged the entirety of her ss before looking me straight in the eye and asked once more.

    Schwartz Powder. You appeared all of a sudden here in the Fort City of Barga, in the kingdom of Kurtmerga. A mysterious man with your peculiar set of skills and surname, From the time I gave you a task until now, Ive been digging around for any trace of your background to no avail. What is your goal? Why are you here?

    This question It was simr to the one Remi-san asked me when I was still new to this world, back at the Myral Vige inn.

    Youre still troubled by my peculiar name and skills up until now?

    Are you disappointed?

    Im not. Its just that its not something I kept secret to begin with. As for my purpose  Well, in a nutshell Living day by day I guess?

    Living?

    Yes, nothing special. Eat meals, drink delicious tea, interacting with someone of the opposite sex, hanging out with friends, and sleep peacefully. Get myself a job, make money, and get myself a ce to live; thats all.

    Is that really all? Then why did you appear in Barga of all ces?

    Its a coincidence, or let us just say, because of something beyond human control. By the way, I heard the Wolf Labyrinth has finally been conquered?

    Yes. I will be busy again starting tomorrow.

    I dont know how convincing my answer was, but its not like I was lying either. I just didnt say the entire truth, although even if I did, I doubt anyone would believe it. In any case, Im already a resident of this world.

    Do you want to buy a map? Unfortunately, its only up until the 20th floor.

    You already gone that far?! Thanks, I will be sure to buy it tomorrow. If possible, Id like you to draw the map for the floors beyond that as well.

    Im afraid Ill have to decline. Ill be heading on a trip soon. And I dont know when Ill visit Barga again.

    I see. Thats a shame. I have a feeling like you have more to offer, but its too bad if that time isnt right.

    Im grateful that I got to meet you though.

    Thanks to the map assignment, I finally found my goal in this world.

    Youre such a charmer. But I must warn you that women are creatures of jealousy, so you should only say that kind of thing to one person.

    Ill keep that in mind. Alright then, Ill return to my room now. Ill deliver the map at noon tomorrow.

    Alright, thank you.

    Thank you for buying.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115

    The next morning, I decided to head to the Marida Company. When I left the Inn this morning, I saw adventurers already heading towards the General Guild. News of thebyrinths conquest had already spread when I returned to Barga. Looking at how quickly the guild responded, it showed how much power Count Blitzmanded in the guild.

    The entertainment district to the south had also heard this news and began preparations for a harvest festival. Spirits were already ring as the residents worked hard to put on the festival, making the asion give off a refreshing feel.

    When the Marida Companys office came into view, there were also many carts and wagons parked out front. As I approached, one of the escorts noticed me.

    Good morning, Schwartz-san.

    Good morning. Is Bill-san or Malta-san avable?

    Yes, both the chairman and manager are in the office. Let me inform them, so stay put.

    The escort was someone who saw me often visit. Thus, the process was quickened. I didnt want to barge into someones office without permission, so I decided to wait in the reception area.

    Sorry for the wait, Schwartz-san.

    I was sitting on the sofa when I heard Malta-san and Bill-sans footsteps as I reclined. They came immediately once they heard I was here.

    Its been a while, Malta-san.

    Yes, its been a while, Schwartz-san. I thought youd visitter today or tomorrow. But first of all, congrattions on conquering the Wolf Fang Labyrinth.

    Thank you, but it was Shaft that conquered it. Id like to keep it that way.

    Yes, Ill keep that in mind. Bill, can you please tell everyone to stay away from the room for a while. And prepare some tea.

    Certainly. Ill have Alm and Silvara stand guard in the hallway.

    While we waited for Bill-san to return with the tea, we exchanged stories to keep each other up to date. Apparently, there hadnt been any major changes to thepany since the attack in the capital. Rather, as the days go by, rumour had it that thepany was the only merchantpany that could contact ck Mask Shaft. There was some trouble because some aristocrats insisted on bing partners, as well as the Great Ravensburg Trading Society whom worked in the same industry.

    By the way, in regards to the rumor, thepany would just state it was a misunderstanding or false information. Malta-sans only daughter, Minea, was currently attending the academy as normal. I was worried thered be some sort of retaliation from the remnants of the Yagoche Company, or Onibus bandits. So far however, there had been no sign of such. Probably because they were too scared of Shafts shadow.

    ording to Bill-san, the bento sales were growing steadily. By manufacturing the boxes, technology of such boxes continued to improve. Currently, they were working with the cksmith guild to manufacture metal lunch boxes. Perhaps in the future, there would be hinomaru bentos made of aluminum Although I hadnt found umeboshi in this world yet.

    The wholesale of magic water remained strong. Of course, I got my share of the sales. The magic weapon Id forgotten existed until now, Rot Poison Dagger, was finally sold. The buyer was the Duke of Barga.

    With the Wolf Fang Labyrinth conquered, the magic water in the 21st floor would be drawn more often. I exited thebyrinth without confirming what happened to the heavy rain, but even if it stopped, there shouldve been enough pooled water. Malta-san joyously said that itd be easy to pump it all out.

    At this rate, thered be a temporary decline in the sales. We agreed to stop selling the magic water until the boom subsided and the prices normalized. I then showed them thebyrinths core and asked them to sell it in my stead. When it came torge stones like this, I couldnt just bring it to the guild or any noble I founded along the way to sell it.

    Basically, wed look for buyers via an auction held in arge city. ording to Malta-san, this kind of magic stone would always be featured as a final item in an auction. The winning bid would likely skyrocket and they promised to ce it in the most prestigious auction. Acknowledging that, I borrowed a magnifying ss for the appraisal from Malta-san. Both of us proceeded to enjoy the cores brilliance together.

    Bill-san came back with a push cart with a tea set on top. This time, he was not serving ck tea but green tea.

    Pardon me for the wait. I posted Alm and Silvara to guard the border of the sales floor. That way no one will be able to hear us. I told them we would be having an important talk, so they are not to let anyone in.

    Thank you. Those girls, what about them and the two others with them?

    The fox beastkin twin sister Alm and Silvara, as well as the other two girls Presera and Amy, were rescued from Yagoche Company. Theyve been working with the Marida Company ever since then to repay the borrowed money.

    Alm and Silvara have officially joined thepanys escort team. Rather than continuing as adventurers, they said it would be safer and more profitable to work under thepany that is part of the Great Ravensburg Trading Society. Amy and Presera have also joined as a maid and seller for Marida Company.

    Now that you mention it, I did see the two during the HArvest Festival at the Emerald Demon Labyrinth.

    Yes, those two have good memories. Im actually nning to rmend them to work as maids for someones mansion Is schwartz-san interested in buying a mansion?

    A mansion? I dont think I would anytime soon. Im not going to settle in Barga for long. Im leaving tomorrow morning.

    Are you changing your base of operation?

    Bill looked very disappointed. Regardless of anything else, I decided to follow Ashley to the south  but when I looked to Bill-sans side, I realized that Malta-san was stunned by what I said.

    Whe,Wheehe, where, where are you going to to?

    To the southern area of Kurtmerga Kingdom. What was it Marine City Amar. Im heading there.

    Amar?! Could it be for the pirate extermination?

    Do you know about it, Malta-san?

    Why of course. Im a merchant doing business all over this country after all. Marida Company has a merchant ship in Amar.

    And then, I heard of the situation in Amar from Malta-san. Originally, Amars main maritime trade partners were the union of inds scattered in the south. However, the pirates started to settle on the uninhabited inds between Amar and the union. Then, four years ago, some noble families in Amar took up arms and set sail to subjugate the pirates. A naval erupted and both two severe damage. The subjugation fleet lost their gship while many of the pirates were sunk.

    However, the pirates have be active recently half a year ago and began to attack Amars fishing and merchant ships again. The citys response had been much slower this time, mostly due to the higher ups. The city was part of Count Valeires territory, but hed been more concerned with his ind territories. He had been ignorant on the seaside affairs.

    Losing their powerful nobles during the naval battle four years prior, the Amar escort fleetcked proper guidance andmand. Thus, they continued to fall behind. It was said they were having a hard time.

    I see. Thank you for this valuable piece of information.

    No, its nothing much. If you are still going to Amar, please drop by our merchant ship. I will write a letter so they will provide you with some assistance.

    Thank you for the continued support.

    Afterward, Bill-san and Malta-san continued our conversation over lunch.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116

    After chatting with Malta-san and the others, I received the letter promised by Malta-san to show to their merchant ship in Amar before I left for the General Guilds museum. I asked the Librarian there whether theyd gotten any word from Remi-san. They confirmed that they were instructed to purchase my map in secret.

    I managed to sell thebyrinth map and I now had my travel money. I could havee as Shaft and received arger reward but I didnt want to leave any trace that Shaft had been here. So, I decided to im the reward another time. On the way out, I took a peek at the guilds main building. Many adventurers had gathered around the board, peeling requests off and heading towards the receptionist area. A quick look there, and I exited the building.

    The requests seemed to be piling up. Probably just quests to exterminate thebyrinths monsters. The remaining being inside needed to be vanquished quickly so the nonbatants could enter safely. There was, of course, one month until it would die.

    Even if it was only 25 floors, mining it would take considerable time. Using human wave tactics, the cleaning would probably be over by January. Then, thebyrinth would begin to crumble after that month-long grace period, starting from the bottom. It was also imperative that they cleaned up the 20 and below levels as that was where the magic waster was.

    Not only was Bargas workers bing busy but even people woulde from the capital. Followingst years festival, the Emerald Demon, the boom still continued. Thinking about how bright the future would be for the city, I went to the carriage post near the main gate. I was ready to leave now.

    First, I would leave Barga and head toward the Royal Capital in three days. From there I would go on my own  either by walking or driving one of my vehicles. Its not possible to travel the entire journey via carriage from Barga. That was because, in order to go south, there were a few mountains I had to cross. One could cross them by hiring a dedicated carriage or by simply walking. But, youd need another carriage once on the other side.

    It was said that if you started traveling to the south right now, youll only arrive there by February. This was because of the mountains,pounded by the need to change carriages several times. But I wanted to cut this time down to only a month, though Id have to check the terrain first as I only nned to use vehicles at night on t roads.

    I boarded the carriage and left Barga in the afternoon. I wondered when I would visit again By the way, Malta-san said that he would also head over to Amar to see the situation once the Harvest Festival was over. I guess Id meet that person once again then. Duke Barga, the General Guilds staff, and thendy of the White Flower passed through my mind as I looked at the retreating fortress walls. Id be back again one day. See you all until then.

    Midnight had fallen as I drove my LAV down a dark road. This LAV was simr to the ones used by the JDF and many other military forces. It had an extra seat where a machine gun could be mounted, so it could fit up to 5 people. Unfortunately, this version did note with a built-in weapon. I had thought about using the KLR250, then reconsidered after remembering that traveling long distances on harsh terrain would only make it hard on me. Therefore, I used this instead.

    But because the engine was a bit loud, I had to make a detour every time I came across any rest area

    When dawn approached, I returned the LAV back into the garage before continuing my journey on foot. Moving through the night in the LAV had cut down my travel time by a considerable amount. I was nearing the town at the foot of the mountain as I nned to stop there before crossing the mountains.

    After walking up down the highway from dawn to noon, the town had finally entered my sight. Surrounding it was a one and a half meter tall. At the gate, 2 guards stood watch in a simr fashion to the capital.

    Halt! Are you an adventurer? If you are, can I please have a look at your card?

    When I reached the gate, one of the guards asked for my ID. While I presented it for inspection, I told them that it was just a visit and entered town. By the way, Id been taking short naps inside the LAV during the journey here, so I nned to stay overnight here to have a proper rest.

    The town had an atmosphere about it that said this was a quiet worker town. Houses were lined along the road and I asked a passerby about an inn and food. I also took a look at whichever shop caught my interest as I headed towards the inn.

    It felt like I was sightseeing. Veneer and the Capital, with theirrge stone buildings, were interesting, but this town provided a different kind of enjoyment.

    A little ways more, I saw the inn Id been directed too. It was still high noon so Id be able to sleep before the tavern got too noisy. Pushing open the doors, which reminded me of a wild-west movie, I went inside

    So  expensive! Why is it so expensive! Is it because Im a lone woman?!

    I already told you, miss. Many many times already even. The singles are fully booked. Only the twin rooms are left now.

    I. told. You. too! Im going to stay there on my own, but why did you charge me for two!

    And I already told you that the problem is not the number of people but the size of the room. If you want toin, feel free to go to another inn.

    Here is the only one with an avable room!

    Well then, if you cant pay then theres nothing I can do for you.

    When I entered the tavern, I saw a woman arguing with the man across the bar counter. The proprietor here was probably the man she was arguing with. He looked like the typical bartending uncle whose muscled body strained the shirt and vest he wore. The one yelling was a female human with knitted red long hair and faced away from me so I couldnt see her face. But from her voice, I would guess that she was at least in her mid-teens.

    The proprietor seemed to have noticed when I entered.

    Wee, the tavern isnt open yet, or are you here to book a room?

    Yes, is there any left?

    Perhaps noticing my arrival finally, the girl turned around. She was indeed young, around six or seventeen. She had a fair countenance with acorn-like eyes. Perhaps an adventurer as she wore light armor and easy to move in clothes.

    Only a twin room if youre okay with that. Its ourst room by the way.

    Yes, for one night please.

    With pleasure.

    Wa-wa-wa-wa-wait a minute here~!

    Our talk was interrupted as we both turned to the girl.

    Hey, you! I was nning on staying in that room! Howe you just waltzed in and stole it like that?!

    Well, miss, another person booked that room now, so you better go to another establishment instead.

    I already told you that the other rooms are already booked! At this rate Hey you! Its a twin room, so there should be an extra bed, right? Ill pay half the expense, so let me stay in that room!

    Swish!

    I heard the sound of whistling air and turned to see that it was the girls finger pointing right at my face.

    I dont mind but are you okay with that? Does this inn still guarantee your safety if you spend a night with a stranger here?

    Its alright. Im a C ranked adventurer, Sharle. If you try to attack me while Im asleep, Ill kill you.

    D Ranked Adventurer, Schwartz. No need to bother trying to kill me. Im here to get some sleep.

    Customer, are you sure?

    Its only for one night. Ill be off very early in the morning. The tavern also provides food, yes?

    Ah, yes. Orders start at 6 pm. Itll be a bit noisy by then, but please excuse us for that.

    Very well. Until then, Ill just rest in my room. Sharle, Im going to get some sleep, so dont you go attacking me, okay?

    Who, who, who is going to attack you!

    Sharle became red-faced as she threw a tantrum while pointing at me as I teased her. I paid the fee and received a key from the proprietor. I simply ignore the noiseing from the girl beside me. We were just sleeping for the night, so there shouldnt be a problem. For now, Ill sleep until dinner time. Leaving the cursing redhead, I headed to my room.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117

    Kay: I remembered ~!

    Along the way to the southern port city of Amar, I stopped by a small town at the foot of the mountain. I decided to share a room with a girl named Sharle, though it didnt really matter since its only for a night.

    Once I entered the room I booked, I immediately activated the TSS and went to the avatar menu to change into something lighter. It was a bit inconvenient how I couldnt take off the power suit without the TSS, but without it, I would be more or less a regr person. I reced my googles with a bluetooth earpiece. While I wore this, the amount of information that could be disyed, such as ammunition count or map information would be decreasedpared to just wearing the goggles.

    Eh?

    Even though I wasnt wearing the goggles, the map disy still floated right there just like usual In VMB, any headgear without goggles tended to have some sort of downside. Though, there were some yers who liked the extra challenge inbat. This kind of headgear was usually worn in nonbat areas. Normally, the only way to see the UI in-game without goggles or simr gear was by activating the TSS.

    Ive noticed this a while ago but due to parts of the game assimting with my body, I was now able to switch my different google views, such as NV and IR, with a mentalmand instead of switching it normally. And now, I could see the map without even wearing goggles.

    Im bing more and more like a monster, arent I

    Compared to when I first arrived in this world, I no longer felt as much disgust in regard to what I was bing. The feeling would surface a little when I noticed the inhuman changes such as these.

    Could it be, I thought to myself, and after removing my power suit, tried to exercise a little.It seemed that the power suits strengthening effect could not activate unless Im wearing it. I wondered if it was impossible to begin with, or if it needed a little bit of time to unlock I didnt know.

    You, what are you doing in your underwear like that?

    My whole body trembled upon hearing that voice. ncing at the map, there was indeed a dot in the room. When I looked toward the direction of Sharle-san who was sharing the room with me.

    A-A light exercise before going to bed?

    I see But, people only do that kind of thing when theyre staying in a single room, right?

    Youre right Are you going to take a nap as well?

    No, Im not! I just came to check the interior of the room! Im going to go shopping in the town, so keep the door locked!

    Sharle-san said before she disappeared back into the hallway.

    Time to sleep.

    I locked the door as Sharle-san advised andid down on one of the beds that were separated by a small table with amp. For the first time in a while, I slept in a bed until it was time for dinner.

    I awoke when I felt hungry. When I checked the time it was already 20:00. My room was on the second floor  but the noiseing from downstairs still reached here. It was about time. I put my power suit back on and changed into an eptable suit of clothes before heading down stairs.

    There were many round tables in the tavern, of which most were upied by men who had just finished their daily work. I looked for a vacant table and found one upied by just one person. Sitting at that table was a red haired girl, Sharle-san. Since there werent any other vacant tables, lets just join her.

    Sharle-san, do you mind if I sit here at this table as well?

    Sharle-san didnt appear to have eaten yet. She was just drinking what seemed to be a fruit wine when I called out to her. She responded by looking left and right

    There seems to be no other empty seats, so go ahead.

    I sat across from her and asked the waitress for dinner as she moved about. There was only beer and water to drink. Normally, I wouldnt want to drink alcohol when I had to operate firearms, so I rarely drank liquor. But considering I was at the tavern, itd be boring if I ordered in water. I ended up ordering beer then asked Sharle-san if she wanted to add anything. We then waited for our food.

    It was nice and all to wait for the meal Although the silence between Sharle-san and I felt a tad bit awkward. Its not that I expected that we would have a friendly conversation right away but she didnt seem to have any intention of talking. Instead, she stared at me while sipping her drink.

    What is it?

    Nothing

    And once again, seemingly isted from those around us, the silence between us continued.

    Customers, thank you for waiting patiently~

    The waitress finally came with trays with food in each hand and served us. The beer also appeared before me, ready to be drunk.

    Thank you~

    Ara, this brother. Its nice to have people thank me like this. Youre so kind.

    Is that so? Then please give me a bottle of this, I feel like drinking a little after so long. You can keep this for yourself.

    I handed the waitress two silver coins.

    Really~! Thank you kind brother~!

    The waitress put her arms around my neck and gave me a light hug as I sat. She then proceeded to ;eave after saying Ill be right back with the order~. Alright, lets enjoy dinner now. A bowl of vegetable soup with ck bread and a te of roasted thigh of some sort of bird. It must have been sprinkled with some spices as I could tell by the simting fragrances

    Guu~

    Nn?

    Sharle-san?

    What?

    I heard a muffled response.

    That ss is already empty?

    So what?

    Ah, so thats how it is

    Brother, sorry for the wait~

    The waitress returned with the bottle of beer and a stand. She ced the stand on one corner of the table andid the bottle on top of it. On top of the bottle was a wax with a sign on it instead of a stopper.

    Thank you~

    Enjoy your meal and drink slowly~

    The waitress left with a small wave and onto the next order.

    This bottle is actually bigger than I thought I dont think I could finish it alone Ah thats right, how about Sharle-san join me? Also, order some food for yourself in the meantime. Itll be on my tab, unless youve already eaten dinner?

    I made a tant attempt to cover her. Sharle squinted at me as she pretended to sip on her ss. Probably to guess what my real intention was.

    Are you by chance trying to get me drunk?

    No way.

    Im a C ranked adventurer.

    And Im a D ranked adventurer.

    Even if Im drunk, Ill still kill you if you attack me.

    Rather than you, Id prefer to attack that sister earlier.

    Am I not attractive in your eyes?

    Im not attractive in your eyes?

    Im not interested in young girls.

    You prefer mature women?

    At least the same age at minimum.

    Do you really not want to attack me?

    I wont. Are you going to eat or not?

    Guu~

    Instead of Sharle-san, it was her stomach that replied.

    Big si~s, Im ordering another serving of dinner here!~ Arge one!

    O~kay!

    While I watched Sharle stand and shout her order with vigor while swinging her empty ss, I dug into my meat after taking a sip of my beer. The bottle was pretty big, maybe two to three litres worth of beer. With the size of the ss, there was no way I could finish it in two or three chugs. But thanks to the delicious food, drinking it couldnt have been easier. It was the same for Sharle-san as she ate what I ate and chugged her drink.

    Puhhaa~! At first, I thought you were one of those ill-behaved young noblemen, but it turns out you arent! Ah, pour more beer!

    Yes, yes  sure, here you go.

    You, what is your name again?

    Its Schwartz.

    Ah, so thats your name. You said D rank, which means youre allowed to explorebyrinths already. Where have you been exploring so far.

    I was based in the Fort City of Barga

    Barga? I heard in passing that the Wolf Labyrinth has been conquered. And you left without trying to earn more money during the Harvest Festival?

    Yeah, there is another ce I need to be. Im on my way to Amar.

    Eh? Im also heading to Amar.

    Hee

    I received an empty ss from her, filled it, and handed it back.

    Here you go.

    Thank you.

    What? This girl can actually say thank you?

    So, our destination is the same huh~, I see  I see! Then, I will escort Schwartz there! Of course, there will be a charge! Crossing the mountain will be tough for the D Ranked Schwartz after all. Theres a magic mine over in the mountain, and monsters tend to appear frequently there. But its going to be fine, cause you have the C ranked me to escort you. No more worries~

    Eh? You dont have to.

    No no no, youre probably overconfident in your strength, but thats normal for a new adventurer. You probably feel strangely confident after surviving a few battles. Compared to me, you dont even know how many dead or alive situations Ive gone through.

    Ha?

    But thank goodness, youll have me to teach you the fundamentals for being an adventurer. But of course, it wont be for free!

    At that point, I realized that there was no use in rebuking her. Before I knew it, an escort contract from this town to Amar that included adventurer and survival training, such as handling prey, had been made. All I wanted was just to head toward Amar as soon as possible But I bet shell just say. Me too! I can certainly make the journey faster! if I tried to reject her offer.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118

    Come on now, you alright? We arrived at our room now.

    Its gonna be alright -! Well depart in the mo~orning! Fo sho, okay!

    Yeah, yeah. Ill wake you up properly in the morning. Sharle-san, please sleep in your own bed.

    While I stayed at the inn at the foot of the mountain, I had pleasant dinner with Sharle-san. However, for some odd reasons, we ended up agreeing to travel to Amar together. That, and it turned out she was more vulnerable to alcohol than I thought. Thinking back, the threshold to be considered an adult was fifteen in this world. Even then, it was not rmended to drink casually while under twenty.

    Iid the inebriated Sharle-san on the other bed before covering her body with the sheet. I intended to leave town first thing in the morning, since I wanted to get to Amar as soon as possible. The faster the pirates were dealt with, the less chance Ashley was in danger.

    I agreed to travel with Sharle-san out ofpassion. It was not like I needed her protection, but she could still teach me how to process animals. Thest time I tried doing it myself, it became a bloody mess.

    I took a good look at the sleeping girl then sighed. The TSS activated soon after. I didnt know the details yet, but it seemed that monsters often appeared around the mountain. With that in mind, I decided to adjust my equipment with that in mind should we need to fight. The first aspect to think about was my main weapon. I had kept a P90 strapped to my back on the way here, but I couldnt exactly let her see it.

    Of course, Ill still use it if the situation called for it but I still needed to think about the less dire situations. Should I resort to CQC? No, having a projectile weapon was my biggest advantage. In other words, I needed something that could help me in CQC while still being able to fire  I needed to consider all my options, especially not to create a simrity to Shaft.

    Taking a seat on one of the two chairs in the room, I picked mypanion for this trip from my inventory. The glow came from the converging particles of light. I was worried the girl would see it, though she was sleeping peacefully on her bed. I opened the supply box and brought out a pair of guns.

    A CZ75 SP01, one of the CZ75 variants developed by Czechoslovakia. In addition to the 18 round magazine, it was modified to be fitted with an 18cm long bay. I attached the de to them. It disabled some of the other attachment points, such as the one for the silencer sadly. If I fired it, I could just pass it off as a magic tool with the form of a pair of daggers.

    It would be less worrisome for other people if they thought it was some sort of magical tool, rather than an actual projectile weapon. And why do you ask? Cause its stylish. Sometimes, even FPS yers tended to go for style over form. In addition, I also reced my usual leg holster with special holsters that specifically amodate the bays. Normal soldiers wouldnt travel with a bay attached to their gun, rather, theyd keep it somewhere else and attach it before use.

    In VMB, however, that kind of action was bound to be omitted in the name of game flow. That is why in addition to the normal holster, they also provided a holster for when the bay was attached. I also took out some spare magazines and the silenced P90, in case I fought arger enemy.

    By the time Id finished preparing my loadout, night had arrived with its boundless stars. The lower level had quieted and silence hung over the town.

    Nn~  Big sis

    As I stared out the window, I heard Sharle-san mumble in her sleep. I turned my gaze to her bed just as she kicked off her sheet. Wouldnt she feel cold this way? I went to sleep after covering Sharle-san with her sheet

    The next morning, as expected, Sharle-san didnt wake on time. She could not even get out of bed. I walked down to the tavern on the first floor and asked the owner for a wash basin. I returned to the room, ced the heated water in the basin and a clean cloth from the table.

    Sharle-san, Ill leave the washbasin and cloth on the table. Ill wait for 15 minutes. If you donte down by then, I will be leaving on my own.

    Uu~ just hold on a second ~, Ill get up soon so please wait~

    14 minutes.

    After saying so, I left the building and waited outside. Many workers filled the street. Stalls were opening and they were selling their meals to the passerbyers. Eleven minutes left. Perhaps I should just depart now. I was only interested since she said shed teach me how to process animals  not as her caretaker. No, isnt she already an adult in the first ce? Personally, I felt that a fifteen year old couldnt be considered an adult yet but I didnt grow in this world. Seventeen. Thats as old as the daughter of my rtives daughter and my sister.

    Eight minutes left.

    I guessed she finally managed to get out of bed as I heard the rustling sound in my sensors. By the way, I stopped wearing the goggles since I could ess the UI without it. Although its just an essory you put over her eyes, it wasnt amon thing here. Why didnt I notice this faster?

    The next four minutes, I waited for Sharle-san who I wasnt sure would make it out in time. I experimented with how much I could manipte the UI with my thoughts at that time. I was already used to switching between NV and FLIR modes, so this time I tried to magnify the map. I shrunk it, then made it disappear and reappear. The numbers disyed my remaining bullets in both my main and sub weapon, as well as the number of throwables left.

    It made me feel like a cyborg, fortunately, I could disable it.

    During thest few minutes, I heard someone running down the stairs and then towards me. It looked like she made it on time.

    Sorry for making you wait! Okay, lets go, Zwarfs!

    Its Schwartz.

    I turned and inspected her to see if she was truly ready to go.

    There is still some bed hair sticking out there.

    EH? Where! Where?!

    Slightly behind, on the right. Ah, its right from my view.

    Following my words, she tried tob her hair with her hand, but it still remained.

    Excuse me.

    After saying that, I went in to fix her hair by stroking her head. She was half a head shorter than me  probably a bit over 160cm tall.

    Done. Okay, lets go.

    Having fixed her hair, I urged us to depart. Before us was the sight of the looming mountain. We didnt actually have to go to the top, but crossing the mountain would still require some climbing. So, I started walking down the street towards the towns mountain gate.

    Nn?

    Is she noting? Looking back, I saw Sharle-san standing there in front of the tavern, her face bright red.

    Sharle-san, Im leaving now. Your face is red, are you still drunk from yesterday? Its dangerous to cross the mountain under that condition, you know?

    Ah, ah, ah.

    Ah?

    All of it is your fault~!

    About that, I guess I was indeed the one who offered her beer, but is there any need to be angry with a reddened face like that?

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119

    Departing from the small town, I proceeded up the mountain road with Sha-san. ording to her, we shouldnt encounter any monsters until weve crossed the first mountain, though wild animals are still around. The wilderness wasnt full of monsters, and that could be said to be because of adventurers constantly hunting them. As a result, monsters tended to move their nests frequently. Though, they constantly gather in areas with magic ore veins so one still has to be careful.

    Magic ore carried magic power like magic stones. But attributes within the stones found withinbyrinths werent always the same. Magic ore, when it came from the same vein, would all be the same attribute. It was still unknown how the veins were created, only that they tended to be found near where monsters concentrated and wherebyrinths could appear.

    And again, all the more reason to conquer thebyrinths. There was a saying regarding natural magic springs. If abyrinth died near a body of water, it is said that all the nearby water sources would produce magic water instead of regr water..

    Sharle-san lectured me this world as we walked.

    Schwartz! Its about time to shorten the travel time!

    I dont mind. So, are we going to start running?

    Sharle-sans expression implied something else.

    We are not running! Its through  here!

    Swish! In the direction where she swung her arm so splendidly that I could hear it, was a small path next to a cut tree and the grass was somehow shorter. Zooming out the map floating in my sight, there was indeed a small path there. Was this some sort of animal trail?

    Is that an animal trail?

    Yes, it is. There are spots on the mountain road where the trails connect. We can shorten the travel time if we take this shortcut!

    Certainly, the zigzagging road would naturally increase the distance needed to cross the mountain. If there was a shortcut that didnt stray from the direction we were heading, then it was possible to shorten the time.

    Lets go, follow me!

    I followed Sharle-san from behind as we stepped onto the animal trail. It seemed to be a fairly straight path, if a bit steeper than the main road. I dont know how long until I actually tired myself out but I adjusted ordingly.

    You got good stamina for a D ranker. Whats your weapon?

    My weapon? Just a pair of daggers

    Daggers? Thats a surprisingly modest weapon. Are you a speed-type fighter?

    True I do use my speed a lot when I fight. What about Sharle-san? It seems you dont even carry a weapon?

    Sharle-san, who walked ahead of me, only what looked like tool bags on her hips and a bag on her back. There was no indication that she was carrying any weapons  could she be a mage?

    Me? Right, take a look over there.

    Wild animal?

    Todays dinner.

    Sharle-san put down the slightlyrger tools bag off her waist and took out a curved bow that looked like a Yumi. The shape looked simr to a japanese bow but the top part had a metal te with a transparent jewel ced embedded in it. Even though she took out the bow, she didnt take out any arrows. She stood still in an upright shooting stance. When she drew the bowstring, her right hand which held the string began to glow.

    Thats  a magic weapon? As soon as I identified this, she released the string. At the same time, a faint light leapt from her hand and the bow in the form of an arrow. It flew true and struck the deer in its torso.

    What do you think? This is my weapon.

    A magic weapon?

    Yep, a magic weapon called the Attribute Bow!

    I see. Instead of arrows, the bow shot mana. I suppose thats not the only ability the bow has, but thats enough to know for now.

    Schwartz, you said that despite being a D rank, you didnt know how to properly process an animals carcass?

    No, I dont.

    Then allow me to show you how to do it properly!

    Dragging the deers body off the trail and Sharle-san took out a dagger from her toolbag. She then cut its carotid artery and showed me how to drain the blood. While we waited, she prepared to store the dismantled skin and meat. In addition to what we were eating tonight, shed apparently nned to sell the remainder to the mining vige wed passter on.

    When the blood had been drained, she stabbed the dagger into the deers throat, then cut downward carefully so not to damage the innards. She showed me how to remove the bone and split the pelvis, take out the organs and separate them into edible and inedible portions. She proceeded to clean the edible portions with water magic, while I dug a hole in the ground where the inedible portions would be thrown into.

    After being washed, the edible portions were left in the air to dry for a while before storing. Sharle-san then used water magic to clean the deers stomach cavity now that its innards were out. Magic was really convenient, isnt it? Not only was it suitable for battle, people also seemed to have simplified it to be used in daily activities.

    Once the washing was done, it was time to skin it. She first ran her dagger in a circle around the neck and limbs, then peeled the skin a little along the opening across its stomach. At that point, she jung the body by tying it on the neck of a sturdy tree. Finally, she started to peel the skin off by hand; smoothly  just like that? Anyways, she made it look so easy.

    Now that the skin was offpletely, the deer looked grotesque with its red flesh. It was covered only by a thin film-likeys of white fat. Now that I thought about it, to some extent, not much of the body was wasted when properly dismantled. Itll take too long topletely dismantle it, so she cut some sirloin parts for our dinner tonight.

    Sharle-san then chilled the body with magic before dropping it from the tree and storing it inside her toolbag. What we didnt eat would be sold to the butcher in the mining vige. The hide could be sold in the next town. And with whatever we didnt take buried in the ground we returned to the animal tail and resumed our journey.

    Perhaps due to the anticipation of todays dinner, both Sharle-san and I actually walked a bit faster. Speaking of sirloin, I knew that it was the most delicious portion of both beef and pork. Though, I never had deer sirloin before, I had a feeling itd be delicious. Both of us intended to reach the rest area on the mountain top.

    Without heart as one, we rushed through the path, taking every shortcut we could along the way.

    Sch, Schwartz! Wait, wait a moment!

    Whats wrong, Sharle-san?

    Y, you, dont you even feel tired at all?

    Im not tired yet.

    Eh?! But weve been running for almost an hour though? You said you were a D rank, but why do you have the fitness level of an A rank!?

    My rank? Its just because I haventpleted any requests at all, so my guild points havent gone up. Setting aside from the so-calledparable to A rank, you should be able to tell that Im far from a newbie adventurer from the way I move.

    Like someone who couldnt even process a hunted animal could talk about that

    People Have their own strengths and weaknesses.

    In other words, youre saying that youre a muscle brain! Seeing that you havent used any magic so far, I bet you arent good at magic at all! There are a lot of skill oriented principles that eschew the use of magic for heavy warriors. For a light warrior to do the same, you must be very confident in your physical prowess.

    By the way, thanks to all that running, the rest area is already in sight.

    Looking up to the end of the mountain path, several wooden houses and huts came into sight. That should be the rest area.

    Fuhh, just a little more! Schwartz, you can cook, right?!

    I cant.

    I leave the cooking to eh?

    Eh? Dont tell me Sharle-san cant cook as well?

    The resting area was just ahead. Both of us couldnt help but stare at each other as we stood in the middle of the path. My heart was filled with anxiety. Will we be able to eat the delicious meat tonight?

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120

    After travelling through the mountains, we took a shortcut and hunted a deer. Sharle-san then taught me how to dismantle it, but we learned that neither of us could cook. Thus, we stood there dejectedly near the rest area where wed spend the night.

    Anyway, lets just head into the rest area for now. At worst, there should be something we can eat within the mining vige.

    Right. Lets secure a ce to sleep first.

    It was just dying the inevitable. This problem wasnt a one-off thing, and itd be an issue until we get to Amar. I did have a solution. I stashed a lot of bento boxes Id bought from the Marida Company in my inventory. Originally, I intended to eat them sparingly when I camped but I had to reconsider when I heard from Sharle-san that she only packed the minimum amount of food she needed.

    Probably food that couldst for a while, like ck bead or dried meat. There was no way I could enjoy the bento by myself while she had to subsist on only dried meat. No other choice  Ill just share the bento with her in exchange for subtracting her escort wage. When I presented my idea to her, she had no choice but to nod in agreement. I guessed she didnt want to spend the rest of the journey eating dried meat alone.

    There was no one else in the rest area. The ce had an outdoor kitchen, a patio that served as a dining hall, and three huts as sleeping quarters. Even though there was no one else than us two, it would be against etiquette if we used a separate hut. So, we decided on which hut wed use, unloaded out loads, and then I proceeded to prepare the meal outside while Sharle-san cleaned the hut.

    Schwartz! Dont enter the hut until I tell you!

    Does that really matter?

    Absolutely! You mustnt peek or enter at all costs!

    Wouldnt it be impolite if I still peeked after not being told to peek? Well, maybe she wants to clean herself. Sharle-san had worked up a sweat since we ran almost non-stop to the rest area. Inparison, I barely felt tired. I hadnt even broken a sweat  I didnt know whether to be creeped out or thankful.

    But this might be a chance in a way. I really wanted to eat that sirloin tonight. And I wanted to cook and eat the meat I had dismantled myself all the more. So I moved to a spot where I wouldnt be seen from the hut, activated the TSS, and went into the garage menu. I summoned the Continental, the best motorhome. I had never really intended to cook in this world, so I never bought any seasonings. I guess that was the case with Sharle-san, seeing as she only packed a small vial of salt with her.

    Inside the shelves in the kitchen, I found all the utensils as well as several small bottles and containers. Opening all of them, there turned out to be things like sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, raayu, olive oil, and various other seasonings. I checked the fridge and found mayonnaise, butter, wasabi, mustard, and other sauces. Now that I thought about it, there were only seasonings here. No ingredients.

    I saved the best forst, which was the wine storage that sat in the corner of the kitchen. I never opened the storage before this because Id been too preupied with Ashley and Lapitirica being poisoned and needed to be transported back to the capital, or being busy with thebyrinth conquest.

    Then again, there was no guarantee that the liquors inside were actually drinkable. I opened the storage and took out a bottle. I took a look at thebel, the brand name turned out to be written in random letters, but on the other hand, the alcoholic content had been written normally. Regarding the characters used, there was no sign of VMBs trantion activating, so apparently, the lettering was meant to be that way and was an in-game item.

    I opened the seal using the corkscrew among the kitchen utensils. A mellow aroma spread out in the kitchen. This seemed to be a wine of sorts I poured the content into a wine ss and took a sip Delicious. This was certainly a red wine, and judging from how delicious it was, it was probably the finest quality of wine. So, the finest motorhome actually came with the finest wine I guess? Honestly, Im not familiar with wine. Next time I have the chance, I should try to have Malta-san taste test it.

    By the way, I brought along my position of the deer sirloin with me. I took it out of Sharle-sans stuff before leaving the hut. I didnt know how to cook but I recalled the cooking programs and videos I used to watch; there were some that showed how to cook meat dishes, and if that failed, I supposed the easiest of the bunch was to just sprinkle some salt and pepper over it, then bake it.

    I heard that meat can be even more delicious if soaked in wine. But Thatd need a lot of time. At best, I only had until Sharle-san finished wiping her body after cleaning the hut.

    I started up the electric stove and heated a frying pan. cing the deer meat on the counter, I cut the sirloin into thin slices, about a centimeter thick, with a knife. I wanted thicker slices, but seeing as I was an amateur, I was afraid that the inside would not cook properly.

    The sirloin was softer than I expected. I had no trouble cutting it despite being a novice. Next, I dropped some olive oil in the pan and shook it around to led it spread evenly around the surface. Then I started cooking the meat and asionally turning them over so I didnt overcook one side Thi,this is It smelled absolutely delicious!

    There wasnt much juiceing out as the bright red meat turned a beautiful brown. I didnt forget to lightly sprinkle some salt and pepper before turning it around and repeating. After making sure that I didnt over cook the meat, I turned off the stove and transferred the cooked sirloin to a tter. The scent of the freshly cooked meat filled the interior of the motorhome, making my stomach churn even more. I had to make sure that it was at least edible before serving this to Sharle-san. That was a cooks duty at a minimum.

    I grabbed a slice with my chopsticks and gave it a taste Oho- it was soft. The texture was such that it was easy to chew, and there was a waft of aroma that remained even after I swallowed the meat. Is this how venison tasted like? The amount of salt and pepper seemed to be good as well. I guessed one could even say that it was the best an amateur could achieve? No, I still didnt know how Sharle-san would react. So, just in case, lets check if I identally overcooked one or two.

    It smells like meat!

    The door to the hut swung wide open vigorously, and a refreshed Sharle-san emerged from within, immediately heading to the outdoor dining space where the dishes were lined up.

    The continental was no longer around, and tonights dinner was spread out over arge table. The Marida Companys bento had been transferred to tes prior. A bottle of wine and wine sses from the continental and the roasted deer meat was present. I also prepared smaller ces along with a small bottle of yakiniku sauce from within the fridge. I had to remove the winebel to prevent unnecessary scrutiny.

    Not that I imagined Sharle-san could read the alphabet but I supposed itd be more suspicious if thebel was filled with unreadable characters.

    Whats this? You can do it after all!

    I can only do simple dishes that are at least edible. Anyway, there are still some ingredients left. We can only wait until we arrive at the mining vige to enjoy authentic deer sirloin dishes.

    Once Sharle-san took a seat, I ced a wine ss in front of her and filled it with wine, then poured myself some.

    Now, lets eat before it gets cold.

    Sure!

    I lifted my ss slightly to exchange a toast with her before enjoying dinner.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121

    I really wanted to taste the venison we dismantled ourselves. Although it was just an amateur dish, we had a delicious dinner that I never imagined I would ever enjoy in a rest area on top of a mountain. Sharle-san looked with interest at thebelless wine bottle Id brought out from the cooler inside the Continental. She was also fascinated with the sses as well. From my perspective, it was just a regr wine ss. But I recalled that most of the world used wooden cups.

    There were also ces with ss windows, but overall, the ssworking in this world was underdeveloped. This clear wine ss might be a little out of ce I guess?. Id have to confirmter with Malta-san, along with the wines quality.

    Since this wasnt a bar in a safe town but an outdoor resting area, Sharle-san and I didnt drink too much this time. When the sun finally set and it was dark out, we moved into the hut. Sharle-san also didnt forget to say Once we arrive at the mining vige, let me drink that wine again before we went.

    The interior of the hut was properly clean. Although a young girl, Sharle-san was still a C ranked adventurer after all. She knew what she needed to do and did it. Within the hut, there was just a firece. Sharle-san ignited a small branch with magic and tossed it into the firece.

    There wasnt much to do since the sun set, and all that was left to do was decide the night watch order; as well as keep the firece lit and sleep away the journeys fatigue.

    The next morning, we left the mountaintop and headed to that mining vige at the mountains basin, with Sharle-san once again acting as the guide. We proceeded smoothly through the road, with an asional shortcut here and there using animal trails. We passed by a caravan heading the opposite direction during lunch. Then, the two of us finally reached the Blitora Mining Vige two hours before sunset.

    Blitora was at the center of a mining site. Several ores were mined here, including a fire ore vein. Crossing the vige gate, we proceeded along the main street. Sharle-san said that the inhabitants were mostly miners with a few cksmiths who had set up shops. Looking around, countless chimneys stuck out from houses, huffing white smoke and putting out heat. From the back of one, I could hear the hammering of metal. Probably because it doubled as a smithy.

    The street was filled with strong looking people. Most of them being dwarves. It wasnt the first time Id seen a dwarf, it was just the first of seeing so many. All the dwarves were short in stature  around 150cm, but despite this, they were muscled; especially in their pectoral and upper arm area. Their faces were wide and wrinkly, and most, if not all, had long beards. Some were even styled. Whether it was braided, or left flowing, all of them gave off the sense they prided themselves in their beards.

    Schwartz, Im going to the General Guild branch office to get some information. Whatll you do?

    Ill tag along. I want to see if there is any information regarding Amar.

    Then cmon.

    Following Sharle-san, we entered a white wood building that felt out of ce among the townscape. As I entered, I felt that it reminded me of aw enforcement office from my old world.

    Wee to Blitoras General Guild office, what can I help y ah? If it isnt Sharle-san. Youve finally returned?

    Its been a while, Thor. And youre still around too!

    Taking into consideration that this is the nearest guild office to my hometown Anyways, what brings you here today?

    At that point, the manys attention fell on me.

    Im on my way back to Amar, so I wondered if there was any information about that. And about the monster movements nearby.

    The port city of Amar, huh? Do you already know that pirates are active one again?

    Thats why I was called back.

    Of course. Amars escort squad has been reorganized for some time now. I think the first team will set sail to subjugate the pirates soon. That was the only piece of information to reach Blitora. The other branch may have more information.

    Then we wont be there in time to join the first team. No matter, theyre just a recon team anyway. Then what about the area around Blitora?

    Thats a problem for me. Some orcs were encountered inside one of the tunnels. The miners managed to defeat these orcs, but we felt that some vignce is required.

    Orcs Yet another monster Ive neve seen before. Listening to the story, it was extremely vicious, and likes to particrly target women. They would kidnap and rape them to conceive their offsprings. Their characteristics were simr to that of a goblin, but they were bigger and stronger. I also heard that the mining district was troubled by their appearance, but I was more concerned with the news on Amar.

    Certainly, there hasnt been a huge battle yet, but I still had no idea what Ashleys position was in all of this. Though, it seemed that Ill make it there just in time.

    Thor, are you there!?

    Having learned all we could, we decided to leave the office when a dwarf barged. He pushed his way through Sharle-san and I to see Thor-san.

    Thor! Those pigs have routed one of the defense posts!

    Orcs!? How many and where?

    I saw up to six. The ce is the 8th mining shaft!

    Ill alert all the adventurers currently in Blitora. You tell the miners to not go in recklessly.

    Gotcha!

    The dwarf ran back out and left the office. I watched him leave before I turned to Sharle-san. There was a look of determination, one that was enough to tell me of her intentions.

    Thor, Im going. Tell me where this mining shaft is!

    Much appreciated. Ill post the appropriate request soon  and, uh, what about that guy over there?

    Ah, Schwartz Hes a D rank, hes not qualified to take this request. Schwartz, you should stay here and rest.

    I was expecting her to force me to participate, but it turned out that Sharle-san had no intention to do that. However, I didnt feel right to just ignore the attack when it was happening right in front of me.

    Ill take along, Sharle-san.

    But didnt you not want to take requests?

    I dont want to be tied with a formal request if itd take a while toplete. However, I cant ignore it when an urgent issue such as this urs right before my eyes. Im not that indifferent of a person.

    Follow me then. Well finish it before sunset, and have more deer for dinner afterward!

    After Thor-san told us where to go, we immediately headed towards it. He also told us that hed alert the adventurers in town, but he said that theyd probablyeter. They also needed to keep a vigil around the towns perimeter. So, although taking the defense post was a high priority, they still had to find someone to keep up the guard.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122

    While we stopped at Blitora, a mining town, we were informed that the towns mine had been invaded by orcs as we were looking for information regarding Amar at the General Guild Branch Office. Having confirmed the location of the 8th mining shaft from Thor-san. But for now, there was only me and Sharle-san helping.

    Sharle-san, are we going to wait for the others first?

    No need to wait. There are only six of them, well be fighting them inside the mine shaft, so theres no way they will be able to evade my magic arrows.

    Understood. Lets go reinforce the mine.

    Youre a dagger user. The orcs body is big and tough, neither piercing nor shing it with a short-de weapon will work, so aim for the joints. Once theyve stopped moving, itll be easier to dispatch them!

    Got it.

    Orcs often wield wooden clubs, so please be careful!

    Arge number of dwarves had gathered at the entrance of the 8th tunnel, all of them holdingrge pickaxes.

    Ive brought some adventurers with me.

    The dwarf who led us here joined the others. I started to hear whispers, things like just the two of them, or isnt she just a little girl?

    C rank adventurer Sharle-san here, whats going on inside at the moment?

    Six pigs suddenly appeared inside the shaft. No one was injured thus far, but none of us want those pigs to make a nest inside. So, please get rid of them immediately!

    Leave it to us! Lets go, Schwartz!

    The mine shaft was wider than I thought, about the same size as abyrinths tunnel. There was also magic lighting installed on the walls at regr intervals. I took the lead as the melee fighter while Sharle-san took the rear. She already had her bow, which resembled a japanese yumi, drawn. Also pulled out the CZ75 SP-01s from their holsters on my thigh.

    Those are strange looking daggers, and you can dual wield them?

    My daggers are actually magic weapons too, just be prepared to hear some loud noises.

    Fuhn  For a D rank to carry magic weapons.

    That was muttered by her, but I could still pick it up loud and clear thanks to my sound sensor. Was she trying to figure me up, or perhaps she had doubts about me? While her apprehensive gaze was directed to my back, I pressed deeper into the mine shaft. My radar system mapped the tunnel, and it was basically a straight tunnel. Some smaller tunnels turned up asionally on the side of the main shaft with mining tools were left unattended.

    Its pretty deep.

    Yes, but it seems were getting close to their nest.

    I could see several blips on my radar up ahead. In addition to that, my sensor also picked up slow and heavy footsteps. It was different from a humans footsteps, so it must have been them.

    I started running toward the nearest blip on my radar. At the other end of the curving tunnel, I saw a figure that looked like arge barrel. It was mostly naked, with only dirty pants to cover their short legs. Its skin was pinkish, and its huge body seemed mostly fatty rather than muscle. Its face was also pig-like, indeed.

    It held arge pickaxe in its hand. The size of the pickaxe was a bit too small for its body, so it seemed it had just picked up anything it could use as a weapon. The orc seemed to notice me approaching. Normally, I would have stopped here and started shooting. However, that wouldve beat the decision to use this particr version of the CZ75. To master this type of firearm, I needed to also be capable in CQC, so I charged in without hesitation.

    The orc swung its pickaxe horizontally as if to ward off my approach. I parried that attack with the bay in my right, dove in, and then struck with the one in my left hand. It stuck into the orcs right armpit before I pulled the trigger. The dull gunshot was drowned out by the orcs pained cry. It dropped the pickaxe as I pulled out the bay, spun around to its rear. I then shed at the back of both its knees. The orc begun to fall to its knees as it was no longer able to support itself. By the time it did, Id stabbed it eight times in its back with both hands alternatively.

    Move away!

    When the orc finally fell, I heard Sharle-sans call out. I moved away from the orc. Once I wa clear, the orcs head was developed in an explosive bright light.

    You, your rank is seriously a fraud!

    The orc fell backward as I turned toward Sharle-san whod knocked another arrow  this time, aiming at me.

    The orc is already dead, you know?

    I can see that, Schwartz. Now that I think about it, there is something I havent asked you yet.

    What is it?

    You, what are you going to do once you get to Amar?

    Is it rted to why you are pointing your arrow at me right now?

    Yes, if youre the kind of thug thatd harm Amar, then I swear on my name that I will end you right now. Answer me, Schwartz! Are you an assassin sent by the branch family? Or are you an assassin hired by the pirates?

    Being interrogated like this by Sharle-san, I considered telling her the truth. However, I didnt have proof that I was going to help Ashley. No matter what I said, it wouldnt help if there wasnt any evidence to back it up. Whilst I kept my eyes on Sharle-san, I put the pistols back in their holsters, and reached for the inner pocket of my field jacket. I took out a letter.

    Im visiting a merchant ship that belongs to the Mirada Company. This is the letter from the chairman, Malta, for the captain of that ship. Im heading to Amar to deliver this letter.

    Show me the back of that letter, there should be a magic seal.

    Magic seal? When I saw Malta-san write the letter, something like a magic circle-like wax that emitted a dull light Was that it?

    That is indeed the Marida Companys magic seal Im sorry I got ahead of myself.

    That said, the light of her bow disappeared. At the same time, the tense atmosphere that surrounded her also fell away. This girl, she wasnt just a mere C rank adventurer, was she? Ive noticed how taut she was since we left the town at the foot of the mountain. But now she was liked a stretched threat that been loosened. She truly looked like someone her age should look.

    Schwartz, Im very sorry.

    No, Im aware that my adventurer rank looks like a scam, but lets put that aside for now. We still have five left. We need to get this over with quickly so that we can enjoy the venison for diner.

    Yeah  true. Lets go.

    We resumed the subjugation and I started to wonder, did she make that orcs head explode on purpose like that?

    Kay: Please consider reading my story, yee?

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123

    We went through the orc-infested Tunnel no. 8 and managed to eliminate one orc. But Sharle-sans suspicion finally exploded due to the discrepancy between my rank, my weapons, and my abilities, along with my belongings Ive disyed so far. The thing was, she had it all wrong. To clear her suspicion, I showed her the letter written by Malta-san of Marida Company.

    As I looked at her back as she took the lead, we proceeded further down the tunnel. Finally, my map showed a circr shaped room at the end. That was probably the innermost part of the mine. In addition to that, there were also five dots within the room. Most likely thest remaining five orcs.

    Its just up ahead, isnt it?

    Yes, it seems they came all the way back here. Looks like the remaining five are grouped up. What do we do?

    This time Ill take the front. What Ill do will temporarily paralyze them, so aim for that moment.

    Got it.

    Lining myself up next to her, I saw her fish out something from her toolbag. It was a magic stone. I could tell from its color that it was one of the rare thunder-attribute stones. She brought it closer to the jewel attached to her bow. I watched as the stone seemed to melt into the stone.

    Sharle-san, whats that?

    Fufun, by absorbing a magic stone with a certain element, my attribute bow can imbue its arrow with the same element.

    I see, by feeding it a thunder stone, that magic arrow with also gain the paralyzing effect of that element.

    Yup! Its a bit expensive this way, so I cant use it often. Here I go!

    With the stone absorbed, I could see electricity running through the bow string. Just when I wondered if shed be electrocuted, she easily drew the string back without a sign of difort. With the innermost chamber finally visible, the mapped showed the orcs hugging the walls, but it was not clear what they were doing. I took a peek from the chambers entrance and saw the orcs  Eating the magic stones?

    Thats bad. Theyre trying to force themselves to evolve into a stronger species by ingesting the magic stones directly. We have to strike now!

    Roger that, Im ready to go anytime.

    Sharle-san jumped into the chamber and nocked her magic arrow. Meanwhile, I dashed in after her and along the wall toward the preupied orcs. I made sure to also not hinder Sharle-sans line of sight.

    VuHyyyyyyyyy!

    Noticing my presence, the orcs stopped their actions and raised whatever mining tools within their reach, brandishing them at me with mighty roars. I could see the madness in their eyes as I tried to nk one. This certainly was a roundabout way to approach them, however  I was deliberately trying to funnel their focus away from Sharle-san.

    Here I go, Lighting Chain!

    BuGyaaaaaa!

    Once hit, the orc screamed in pain as its body stiffened. It was electrocuted before finally falling on its back. At the same time, it jumped over and hit the other four as if guided by a mysterious force. Believing them to be paralyzed, I attacked directly. With both the pistols in my hand, the right one had a full 18 rounds while the left had 17 rounds left.

    First of all, I needed to kill the downed orcs quick. The dots on the radar indicated that they were still alive. I did a slide jump forward, then, with the help of the power suit, I soared into the air over the orcs. I aimed downward as I twisted my body in mid air. The czech weapons spewed fire one after another. The 9x19mm parabellum rounds rained from above and wrecked an orcs eyes, nose and mouth.

    Inded right behind the first o. Having somewhat ovee its state, it managed to stand while using the pickaxe as a crutch. But before it could get uppletely, Id already shed the back of its knees, forcing it down a kneeling position. I thought I could end it by stabbing the back of its neck, but seeing that the area was covered in a thickyer of fat, I refrained from doing so.

    Instead, I aimed at its left air, and stabbed through the ear canal with the attached bay. The des length was 17cms, and not all of it managed to pierce through. Once I felt a hindrance, I pulled the trigger twice and the pistol rounds punched through the skull, allowing me to push the de into its brain.

    Two dots disappeared off my radar, confirming their deaths. Now that I found another way to deal with them myself, the three remaining orcs were just waiting for their imminent deaths.

    You, are you really an ordinary adventurer?

    After I dispatched the remaining orcs and was currently in the middle of reloading, Sharle-san approached me. I might be wrong, but did I see a hint of fear in her eyes?

    Yes, just an ordinary D rank adventurer.

    But your rank is clearly a fraud Theres no way a mere D rank could execute those orcs with the same calmness you showed just now

    Alright, it seems were done here. Let us head back. If we go now, we should have time to properly enjoy our dinner in Blitora.

    Leaving the orcs behind, we headed back to the town. Itd be up the other adventurers and the miners to clean up the mess. Orc skin seemed to be a useful material, but skiing them would require a lot of time. So, I decided to put returning to the town as a higher priority and have the reward negotiatedter.

    Wait a minute, you still have the stomach to eat meat after all that? Well, whatever. With this, I shouldve earned enough money to cover the rest of the trip to Amar.

    Is that so? In that case, tonights dinner will be on me. Although, Ive been wondering why you seemed to becking in traveling expenses?

    I asked but received no answer from Sharle-san. Curiously, when I looked at her, I found her face reddening up to her ears. Perhaps noticing my gaze, she turned and met it.

    Uh, I kinda forgot to ask for traveling expenses back in the capital And then, arge stock of thunder element stones arrived in the town below. I bought them up without thinking You saw how the bow works. It consumes the stone to imbue itself with the element, so its quite the expensive weapon

    I see So thats why she returned to the tavern but didnt order any dinner.

    Honestly, I was going to try earning some spare change by teaching you the basics on adventuring. But the way I see it, you dont need it. And I even pointed my weapon at you. If only that oldman didnt call me back, I wouldnt have been making so many blunders.

    But I did find the dismantling lesson to be useful, cause I dont really know how to do it myself.

    After I replied, I noticed Sharle-sans shoulders were quivering ever so slightly. That, and she was stealing nces at me.

    Thanks.

    As I picked up on the muttering, my attention was caught by the light at the end of the tunnel. Apparently, the miners were waiting at the entrance with torches in hand.

    Oh, youve returned!

    Did you kill them all?

    Told ya, didnt I? The two will shackem and return in no time at all!

    Surrounded by the dwarven miners, we tried to answer their questions while informing them of the bodies inside. Sharle-san and I rushed back to the guild office afterward.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124

    Thor, Im back.

    Sharle-san and I returned from our short adventurer into the mine shaft, and when we arrived at the guild, there were several other adventurers there.

    Sharle-san! And Schwartz-san too! What about the 8th mine shaft?

    We eliminated all six orcs. We asked the miners to clean up. Please adjust the rewardter!

    Understood. Ill go pick up the skin. Is 6:4 alright?

    Thats enough. Ille again tomorrow morning. Ah, I havent investigated the mineshaft quite. Ah, I havent investigated the mine shaft quite thoroughly, so Ill leave the rest to you.

    Sure, Im nning to ask those buds to investigate it anyway.

    At the back of the office, there were several other adventurers standing around a simple map. They were discussing what seemed to be a survey route or something of that nature. Meanwhile, Thor-san guided us through the procedure to fill in the form for the emergency request and exined that while wedpleted the request, unlike Sharle-san, my reward could not be handed over on the spot. In this case, I could only im the reward from the main region office rather than their branch office.

    I currently didnt have any money problems and had no intention to umte guild points either. Let us just im whatever I feel like. Even if I ended up umting too many points, I could just not take the promotion exam.

    When we left the branch office, it was already dark outside. Before leaving, we didnt forget to ask Thor-san where we could find a restaurant that would cook the ingredients we brought. We also told him itd be fairly high-quality venison. Of course, itd actually be delicious when a chef cooks it Maybe I should learn to cook after all?

    The next morning, I woke up in the inn where I and Sharle-san had dinnerst night.I was able to book a separate room from Sharle-san this time, so I took my time to check my equipment before leaving. The CZ75 SP-01s bay attachment turned out pretty useful in the previous battle. Although, stabbing the target, and then firing the gun was not how it was supposed to be used.

    If it were a real gun, the action would cause various problems with the firearm itself. However, suchmon sense doesnt apply to my guns as theyre firearms materialized from within VMB. My firearms didnt give off the smell nor the heat when fired. Even if I summoned a low-cost gun, and hit it hard on a rock, there would be no warping or even a trace of physical damage; itll simply disperse into particles of light after a certain amount of damage.

    I waited for the blip of light next door to start moving as I handled my out-of-this-world firearms. There was a little time left until it was time to depart, but Sharle-san didnt seem to be waking anytime soon. Was this girl super lethargic in the morning or something?

    In the end, the dot didnt move even after the appointed time. So, I headed to the next room to wake Sharle-san up.

    Sharle-san, are you awake?

    I knocked on the door, and my sensors managed to collect a few unyuu~, and funyuu~ kind of groans.

    Im going ahead, alright!

    Leaving the sleepyhead behind, I headed to the branch office to get my requestpletion certificate. Saying hello to Thor-san, who was already super busy with clerical jobs even on this early morning, I received the said certificate. Afterward, I went around the office asking if the adventurers found anything else. It turned out that there were no other orcs found.

    However, as long as the magic vein remained, more monsters would inevitably appear again in the future. I asked why there was barely any security, but apparently, the frequency of their appearances put next to the employment costs didnt bnce in their favor. The mayor, who lived west of here along with the towns inhabitants, would usually file a request with the guild when the time came.

    As I was being briefed on the geography around Blitora, I noticed a blip on the radar quickly approaching the office.

    Is Schwartz here?!

    As expected, it was Sharle-san, kicking the door open with such momentum.

    Good morning, Sharle-san.

    Schwartz! You havent paid the escort and education fee yet, so dont you dare run away!

    So, shes more worried about that?

    But Ive been waiting here patiently. Right, Thor-san?

    Thats right, Scharle-san. Schwartz-san has been chilling around here for a while now.

    Uh, thats  Im sorry

    Alright, Scharle-san, please finish the reward procedures first. Is the amount we previously agreed on enough?

    O,of course! Thor! Just prepare the reward already!

    Sure, sure. Please wait a moment, Ill be right back.

    Sharle-san already received part of her reward yesterday, which she used to pay for her dinnerst night. After receiving the rest of her reward, we decided to leave Blitora. We said our goodbyes to Thor-san and then headed south. Our destination, the Port City of Amar, was just around the corner. Sharle-san said that if we kept using the animal trails, wed reach the citys vicinity within two days, which shouldve taken 5 days if we traveled by carriage.

    Two dayster, as nned, we arrived at the crest of thest mountain before Amar. Even Sharle-san could confidently say that we were almost there now.

    Were almost there, Schwartz!

    Even if you say that, isnt Amar supposed to be a port city? Were still on top of a mountain.

    Going through thest stretch of the road, we arrived on the other side of the mountain where I was greeted by the sight of a blue sea. What we could see below the mountain was a scene of horses and stairs built into the steep slopes, as well as the sea that stretched out to the horizon. Amazing  Buildings that resembled factories crowded a small batch ofnd on the coast, with numerous ships sailing along that coast.

    Weve finally arrived. Wee to Amar, the port city surrounded by mountains and sea!

    Sharle-san turned around to me while looking so proud that she showed this from the mountain top

    So this was Amar City, where Ashley would risk her life in the fight? Despite the beauty, I couldnt help but imagine the fierce fight that was yet toe as we went down the mountain.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125

    Its been a month since Ashley left for Amar, which means I was able to reach Amar much earlier than normal. I heard before that itd take about two months to get here. While in the early stages I drove down the t roads with VMBs vehicles, I traveled on foot through the mountains with Sharle-san using shortcuts.

    The sight of Amar greeted me as it was spread across the other side of the mountain we had climbed. Rows of houses had been built along the slope with factory-style buildings hugging the coast. And as we walked down, I took in the scenery. I found not only regr houses, but cave dwellings carved into the actual rocky slopes. It was fancy like, with beautiful carved window frames and doors. Something umon in my world, so it mustve been done with magic.

    Was it weird of me to look around in fascination like this? Sharle-san had been throwing nces at me with a proud expression.

    What do you think? Amars cityscape is amazing to look at, right?

    Eh, yes. Ive seen simr scenery before, but Im amazed by how theyre more natural and beautifully arranged within the city.

    Fufuhn, its a city built by a great number of architects whod mastered earth magic! It can also be turned into a tourist spot in the summer!

    We continued down the slope as she gushed over the city with pride. Eventually, we reached the gate that separated the city from the mountain. Two guards stood beside it, for what it seemed to be us.

    Charlotte-sama! Wee back!

    Between the two gatekeepers standing near the gate, the younger one waved his hand and called out to us. Charlotte-sama? Was he referring to Sharle-san? Looking sideways, Sharle-san waved back at him.

    Charlotte-sama, huh?

    Sharle was the name I used to register as an adventurer. The people of Amar only know me as Charlotte. This will be my first time back in four years. You can still call me Sharle-san if you want. For all we know, Im also Sharle, the C-ranked adventurer.

    Alright, Sharle-san.

    Still waving back to the young gatekeeper, Sharle-san still smiled. But for some reason, there was a tinge of sadness in her eyes.

    Wee back Charlotte-sama. And this sir here, wee to the Port City of Amar. Its the rule here, but can you please present me your identification?

    The other gatekeeper, who looked more experienced, was a middle aged man. Presenting my guild card as requested, I got permission to enter the city. Sharle-san did the same as she talked with the older guard.

    How is the fleet reorganization going?

    Its been finished. The reconnaissance ship already sailed a couple of times even. I believe the first fleet will sail in the next few days.

    Who is themanding officer?

    That would be Reizen, Viscount Drumos eldest son.

    That Piggy Reimon?!

    Calling him that is a bit

    What about my elder sister?

    Should be in themand post, or the mansion.

    Very well, I shall head home then. Can I use the elevator?

    Yes, certainly. Its still working per usual.

    Thank you. Alright then, Ill take my leave now  Schwartz! Im heading down into the city, follow me!

    I was waiting for them to finish their talk while enjoying the view with the younger guard, but apparently, they were done. I heard a snippet about the elevator. Was it really an elevator, or was it more of an esctor, or something simr? Following Sharle-san, I was taken to an axial track with floorboards that extended up the coast through the steep slope.

    This is?

    Magic elevator! With this, we can go directly to the bottom!

    The magic elevator moved via magic magic. The floorboards were about 6 meter in width so I assumed that even a wagon could fit in it. There were four of these elevators lined up next to each other. When I looked down, I saw another packed with boxes as it descended slowly.

    Get on it quickly, lets go!

    I chased after Sharle-san whod already gotten on it first. Once I got there, she ced her palm on a device that looked to be the control panel. A magic circle emerged from the top, and at the same time, the floor vibrated before we began to descend. I couldnt quite understand the principle behind the structure, but I was aware of what was happening. While it fascinated me that magic could be applied this way, I was still disappointed that it could only be used via magic.

    I wouldnt be able to use this let alone as a magic escape device. The magic tag Id gotten from the wolfbyrinth could be used to fool transfer circles, but I wasnt sure about this.

    Schwartz, well be going our separate ways once we get down there.

    You mean?

    You see that house with the red roof over there?

    Sharle-san continued to operate the control panel with her magic as she pointed out in a certain direction. There was indeed a red-roofed house that stood out taller than most others.

    Yes, I can see it.

    Thats my parents house. After you deliver the letter to the Maridapany branch ship, go there. Ill treat you to dinner.

    There was still some time till sundown. I still needed to find amodations and deliver the letter to the ship. It was quite a lot of things to do given the time frame, but since shes offering free dinner, why not?

    Ill dly take up that office. Ille over when Im done.

    Fufuhn, Ill make sure that therell be a lot of Amars seafood specialties. I havent tasted them for a while myself. The merchant ships usually dock on that side, although I dont know which one belongs to the Marida Company.

    Thats more than enough. I should be able to find them myself.

    We reached the bottom and the scent of the sea wafted past me, even though we were on the mountain.

    Were here! Alright then, Schwartz, Ill be expecting you soe over for sure!

    Yes, thank you very much, Ill visitter.

    Getting off the elevator, I walked in a different direction from Sharle0san. Right in front was the breakwater and beyond, the blue sea. The sea was beautiful from above, but it was even more beautiful from here as it glittered in the sunlight. Near the horizon, I could see what seemed to be fishing boats withrger ships which were probably the merchant boats.

    I walked toward that direction where the merchant ships were supposed to be. I saw various kinds of people along the road  marchants, fishermen, and regr city folks. They acted natural despite the fact the one side of the road led to the sea while the other led to factories. I could catch the merchants selling their wares, and some lively chatterings.

    I was wondering whether theyd suffered form the pirate attacks, but apparently, they havent attacked here. Only raiding at sea. The city was so vibrant that such anxiety meant nothing to it.

    I entered the area where many merchant ships were docked. A number of piers extended into the sea with merchant ships anchored to them. Big burly men unloaded wooden boxes and took them to warehouses. I asked one of them who looked to be free where the Miradapanys ship was anchored. They pointed to one ship and I headed there whileparing the many different ships..

    Excuse me

    On the longest pier Ive seen, I called out while looking around the lowest deck of thergest merchant ship that served as its loading bay.

    Whos there?

    A beastman appeared from the back. A dog beastman I guessed.

    D-ranked adventurer Shwartz here. Can I see the captain of this ship?

    You mean Boss? Please wait a minute . Booosss! Come down here, there is a customer!

    The beastman shouted towards the stairs that led to the upper deck. What came back was a gruff reply.

    A customer you say?  Im the captain of the Mirada Company merchant ship, Bolroy. Customer, do you need something?

    A middle aged cat-man came down. I assumed he was a cat beastman by his ears and tail. His brown hair was unkempt and the stubbles on his chin gave a different feelingpared to the others I saw that worked for thepany back in Barga.

    Nice to meet you, Im schwartz, a D-ranked adventurer. Chairman Malta-san told me to visit here. This is the letter he wrote.

    I handed the letter over to Bolroy-san. He opened the seal and read the letters contents.

    I see. Certainly. Customer, Marida Company will take care of your every need during your stay in Amar. Hey, you, run to the Seaside Lighthouse and book the best room. This customers name is Schwartz.

    Bolroy immediately ryed the order to the first beastman. Just what in the world did Malta-san write in the letter

    Customer, lets first head to the second floor. Its morefortable to talk there.

    Guided by Bolroy-san, I went to the second floor.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126

    After arriving at Amar and making ns for dinner with Sharle-san, I visited the Marida Companys merchant ship.

    Make yourselffortable, customer.

    Thank you.

    I was guided to the upper deck. There, it was a little more than a one-room office with simple partitions to separate the room. We stopped in the section that seemed to be the reception space and fruit juice was served. I then talked to Bolroy-san in regards to my objective ofing here. I then asked for information on the pirates and the state of the citys fleet.

    Did you actuallye all the way here from Barga to help crush the pirates? We really could use some help with them resuming their activities and all, but arent customers andlubber? Do you have any experience in naval battles?

    Thats not important. First of all, please give me the information regarding the base and sizes of both the escort fleet and the pirates.

    But thats very important

    The escort fleet of Amar wasnt in any better condition than from what Ive heard already. Not only was there a considerable decrease in their count due to the previous battle years ago, but the gship hadnt been decided either. The current fleetmander was a man named Reizen Drumo, the eldest son of the Viscount Drumo family. One of the two families with major influence in the city. Reizen was still in his twenties, and although he had promising talent, he still couldnt get past his own childishness sometimes.

    It was said that the recon team would return to the city by days end. The first fleet would depart to subjugate the pirates based on the information the recon team obtained.

    Next was the pirates. Amars main maritime trade partner was the collection of inds that made up the Filtonia Inds Alliance. They could be reached with a two week voyage to the south. Along the route, there were several uninhabited inds that acted as ry points. These were what was said to be the territory of the pirate group Kaidou.

    It was apparently known that their base was on one of the inds near the ry point. Many investigation teams had been sent, but other than the obvious obstructions from Kaidou, they couldnt get through the reefs that stretched between the inds. Suffice to say that their missions hadnt gone well

    Kaidou It was the kind of small tree that bore beautiful pink flowers that also sometimes developed into a small apple-like fruit

    After our conversation, Bolroy-san invited me to dinner, but I declined as I had made an appointment with Sharle-san. I promised him Id ept his offer tomorrow though. As I walked toward the Seaside Lighthouse where Id been booked a room, I started to devise my next move.

    There were several options I could take

    Join Ashley, and subdue the pirates Kaidou under her banner

    Meet Ashley, confirm her fleet, and move along to provide assistance covertly

    Or, go straight to the said ind alone, find the pirates, and crush them

    The third option was a no go. There was just too many factors thatd go wrong, and if I wanted to maximize my strength The second option would be my best bet. While I considered my options, I stopped to enjoy the sunset on the horizon. That was when I saw a mother and her child. They must have stopped to watch it as well

    Mama, sisters ship didnt return today either

    Indeed Hopefully shell return tomorrow

    Un! Shall we pick her up tomorrow?

    Sure, letse back tomorrow

    The damage caused by the Kaidou pirates was not limited to cargo and money. It also included people. I previously thought that the Kurtmerga Kingdom was a rtively peaceful one, aside from banditry andbyrinths. Basic human rights were protected in every city, despite the considerable gap between the rich and the poor. However, it wasnt like this situation was spread around the world. After I talked with Malta-san and Bolroy-san, I came to know the origin of this country.

    In the picture book that Ashley read before, it was said that this country was built by an adventurer with the help to help the oppressed. Then, how would he achieve that? Of course, by liberating ves. The country was actually built with the help of those who wished it abolished. Therefore, there were no ves within this kingdom. And there was no tendency to discriminate against other races, let alone enve them.

    But it was no small effort in doing that for the king. How could he truly liberate these people? From a standpoint, how can one truly release someone from being a family member of a former ve? The answerid with the present kingdom.

    With no ves within the country, and human trafficking heavily prohibited, the country did not recognize the word ve. It did not teach it, and prohibited its use. With years of these, the concept of very itself had disappeared. Of course, it wasnt perfect. There were still brothels where people sold their bodies. Sometimes against their will. However, the country still seeded in erasing the word ve from its peoples minds.

    Even so, that only applied to this kingdom. THe Filtonia Inds Alliance held no such policy in regard to very. And some countries to the north enforcedrge scale very due to their harsh environment. And then, the pirates also kidnapped people from the ships they attacked. It was still unknown which route theyd take, and where these people would be sent. There was no doubt that taking ves was one of their main goals.

    Looking at the duos figures from behind, I was reminded of the damage the pirates caused

    I arrived at the Seaside Lighthouse, confirmed my room and located my room before I headed to Sharle-sans parents mansion. From the coastline, I climbed the slope until I saw the red-roofed mansion surrounded by trees. It was not as big as Duke Bargas estate, just a tad smaller, and it gave off a detached feeling simr to the inn I stayed in with Lapitirica-sama in Veneer.

    There were two guards at its front gate, each wearing the same leather guard as the ones outside the city gate  could they also be city guards?

    Halt! This is the residence of the Zephanel Family. Are you visiting, or is there something else we can help with?

    Zephanel, huh ALthough its a paper-thin disguise, Sharle-san still was a noble. And a Zephanel too at that Dont tell me Shes Ashleys younger sister?

    Im D-ranked adventurer Schwartz, here on Charlotte-samas invitation for dinner. Id be pleased if you let me through.

    Let me confirm it, please wait a moment.

    One of the gatekeepers ran into the mansion. Meanwhile, I asked the other gatekeeper.

    Has Ashley Zephanel-sama already returned?

    Nn? Ashley-sama is not here yet. She is always the slowest one. I believe she wont make it for dinner at this rate.

    I see. Thats a shame.

    That other gatekeeper came back, along with a stately mannered old man; Presumably a butler, who stood by the front door. Noticing my gaze, the old man slowly bent his hip and bowed his head.

    Its been confirmed. You can enter.

    Thank you.

    The butler kept his head bowed until I reached the front door.

    D-rank adventurer Schwartz here.

    Wee. My name is Lester, Zephanel familys head butler. Schwartz-sama, please, through here.

    Guided by Lester-san, I entered the residence.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127

    As I followed Lester-san, I realized that for a family with such influence, their mansion was sparsely furnished with simple furniture.

    Are you surprised by the humbleness of this mansion?

    Yes, Ive heard of the Zephanel family before Is it because the mansion is rarely used?

    Yes, that is indeed the reason. The current masters of this mansion have been away for a long time, so the mansion has been left in its disuse. But with the masters returning, we are currently in the middle of preparing it for daily use again.

    Is that so? Does that mean Lester-san is the one usually staying in the mansion?

    Yes, I have served the Zephanels since the previous head. The current head is currently still away.

    Certainly, the interior was clean and appeared to be maintained. It alsocked a liveliness to it. Is that why the mansion was guarded by Amar city guards? Since it was rarely used, hiring dedicated guards might have been a little too much.

    Here is the dining room. As said earlier, the mansion is currently in the process of being prepared, but the chef who works exclusively for the Zephanel family is ready. Charlotte-sama will be joining soon, so please enjoy your meal slowly.

    Thank you. Ah, Ive just arrived in Amar today, so I couldnt prepare much, but here are some bottles of wine. PLease enjoy it with the other mansion inhabitants.

    Thank you for the kind consideration. We shall serve it alongside dinner tonight.

    What I handed over was wine from the Contals collection. I had two bottles ubelled beforeing in. The dining room had four tables with chairs enough for six people. A maid guided me to my designated seat. And as I approached the chair, I saw a blip on the radar closing in on the room. The maid was confused as to why I stared at the entrance of the room instead of sitting down. On my part, Id feel stupid if I were to sit down only to stand back up again.

    Youvee atst, Ive been waiting, Schwartz!

    When the door opened, Sharle-san appeared in what appeared to be a good mood. SHe was still dressed lightly as she had before, but her long red hair had beenbed and set free this time.

    Apology for making you wait, I hade as per the invitatio

    No need to be so formal! Just act like how you used to around me before.

    Is that so? Then Ill do just that.

    I waited for Sharle-san to take a seat before sitting myself. Seeing this, the maid immediately served us the appetizers.

    When I said that I would invite someone for dinner, Lester was very enthusiastic. I told everyone that youre not used to a formal dinner, so you dont have to worry.

    But Charlotte-sama, this is our first visitor in four years. Of course we are enthusiastic.

    The butler came in alongside the maid who pushed a serving wagon with the dinner menu on it. From there, Lester-san exined the dishes to us one by one. We also talked about Sharle-sans adventurers over dinner. It was a dun time to say the least, other than the little fact I had to lie about some of my own adventurers.

    From all the talk, I came to learn more about Sharle-san. In addition to that, also snippets about her parents, and also Ashley.

    Four years ago, in the great naval battle, both her parents died. Five families sent their representatives into battle, but only two families returned. Those who lost their representatives were also stripped of their titles, while the one who survived left the city. Only the Zephanel family, due to their special status, remained. But Ashley, as the eldest child, had to take the responsibility of family head.

    And then, by the order of the familys elder, the honorary Chancellor Zephanel, Ashley had to train in the Fort City of Barga. Sharle was sent to Dragrange Margrave in the north. Both the sisters got together in the capital from time to time, but neither returned to Amar in thest four years.

    Laughing at old tales, Sharle-san proudly dered Ive been an adventurer since I was a minor! while drinking the wine I brought. This country considered fifteen to be the age of an adult. Which means that shed been taking requests, and even forming partings, from a very young age.

    What caused Sharle-an to be like she was now? Was it from the anxiety of having to stand on her own as an adventurer? Or, was it out of familial love to not let her deceased parents worry in the afterlife? Or, was it some sisterly love, believing that her elder sister was also working hard when they werent together?

    Lester and I listened to Sharle-sans heroic tales with a smile on our faces. I had only pity in my heart for her, though I dared not show it. Sharle-san too, might have not liked it either, so she was recounting the more funny or light-hearted tales of hers. Time passed before I knew it, and when I noticed, there was a dot moving at the speed of a wagon that stopped in front of the mansion on the radar. It seemed that Lester-san had also picked up on this. Master has returned, he said as he excused himself to leave.

    Lester! Ill go too! Schwart, just wait in here!

    Hold on a sec! Even if you say that I actually want to greet her too.

    When I arrived at the front door, I was greeted by the sight of Sharle-san and Ashley hugging. Ashley was the first to notice me, followed by Sharle-san.

    Ah, sis, let me introduce you. He is D rank adventurer Schwartz!

    Wee back Ashley. Sorry if Im intruding.

    Schwartz  Im home. That said You really didnt pull your punches to arrive here earlier than I expected, huh?

    Eh? Eh?

    Unable to keep up with the exchanges between me and Ashley, Sharle-san could only stare.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128

    After dinner, we weed Ashleyste arrival. Realizing that Ashley and I had already known each other, Sharle started acting way different than her usual self. Was she perhaps drunk already on the wine? Or, perhaps she was just relieved to be around her only rtive, Ashley? She was already sleeping with Ashleysp as her pillow right now.

    I was informed at the headquarters about the subjugation of the Wolf Fang Labyrinth. You really did all that alone?

    We had already moved to the guest room by now. Ashley sat on the sofa while stroking her sisters sleeping hair. I sat opposite of her, sipping on the freshly brewed tea.

    Thebyrinth master was strong, but it seemed that it had gone insane at some point in time. Do thebyrinth masters take their position willingly?

    Ive heard before that the lords of Labyrinths tend to be magic beasts, and its widely known that theyre highly intelligent. But Ive never heard of one that went crazy. Perhaps it inflicted itself with a skill like Berserk, or something simr.

    So, there is such a skill Ah, enough talk about thebyrinth. Tell me more about the pirates.

    Schwatz Are you really going to join the subjugation? Roaming the seas is much different than onnd, and dont tell me youre going to do it alone?

    Ill help you, as I came here to do. However I wont be on the same ship as yours. Ill prepare my own.

    No matter what I say, I guess youll still go for it anyway

    Thats how it is.

    The first team will depart tomorrow morning. Sharle and I will depart with the second team five days from now. Thats all I can tell you for now.

    Thats more than enough. Ill leave alongside the first team.

    With our talk finished, I left the mansion for my inn. Ashley told me to stay the night, but she had her hands full with Sharle-san already, so I declined.

    The next morning, I started my preparations to follow the first team. I walked along the beach early to find an obscured spot from sight, then opened up the TSS once I found one. I scrolled through my inventory until I found the item I needed. I opened the supply bow and took out the item inside.

    I tossed a 1m long white cylinder into the water. It opened up and expanded with the sound of air being injected before it turned into a boat in no time. This orange boat was actually a four-seater lifeboat with a motor that could transverse water at low speeds for emergencies. First off, I climbed into it and started the motor before steering it to head offshore.

    Since its designed for emergencies, it was slow and noisy. But I already made sure that there were no fishing boats around here. I essed the TSS again, this time, to the dock menu. One of thergest DLCs in VMB during its long tenure was specialized around naval battles rather than ground ones. The naval battles themselves were not limited to battles on sea, but rather raiding the opponentsnd base from the sea. yers needed ships for that, and not only one or two.

    VMB might not have an actual battle tank for groundbat, so they allowed yers to own various kinds of ships, including battleships, to make up for it. The only exception was the aircraft carrier as itd give yers air superiority. Aside from the free ships made avable on missions and the likes, VMB put great restrictions on yers who intended to buy ships individually.

    First of all, the CP costs were horrible. At the same time, repair and fuel were high as well. Having one sunken would probably make the owner go into bankruptcy. On top of that, submarines were dirt cheap inparison. Most yers purchased the submarines with the intention to sink the pricey ships. In the past, Id seen how these expensive ships were relentlessly hunted down inpetitive matches.

    As such, yers started to equip their ships with anti-submarine depth charges. But in the end, the supposedly great naval battles turned out like those in history, and was a very deep money sink. Why were battleships in such an unfavorable state? It was because of its capability of extreme range bombardment, and the fact that the developers hated how snipers would just camp on the ships bow.

    For the opposing team who didnt know about the attack in advance, winning the fight would be like climbing an insurmountable mountain. Acts that broke the game. Not only the yer base hated ,the developers also shared the same feelings.

    After pressing the confirmation button on the screen, arge swathe of particles appeared on the sea. They converged and formed a U-Boat VII. With the total length of 67 meters and the width around 6 meters, the U-Boat was themon term used by the German navy for submarines. This type VII was one that saw action in WW2. The VMB version was armed with four torpedo tubes on its bow, and a 88mm cannon mounted on themand tower at the hulls center.

    Historically, the submarine was armed with far more weapons, but VMB restricted all the ships to be equipped with only two types of weapons. There were severalbinations to make, one of them being a submarine with a ballistic missile that could only be used once against the opposing yers.

    Moving the lifeboat to the submarine, I climbed to the top of the control tower protruding from the hull. I opened its hatch and entered before going through another hatch that led into themand post as it was dubbed by yers. Once inside, yers could link the control to the TSS and allow them to steer the ship easily, even from outside the ship, as long as they kept close to it. I checked the UI and confirmed control.

    First of all, I needed to have the U-Boat submerged to hide its presence. By the way, the lifeboat I abandoned would just turn into light and return to my inventory once I got too far away.

    As long as the submarine remained submerged, itll keep consuming the battery meter at regr intervals. So, I couldnt stay submerged as I had to recharge by going back to the surface. Even so, the time required to fully charge the battery was shorter than the time it took to consume it.

    I decided to stop the U-Boat after some time to check its interior. Id seen it before in VMB, but I still felt it was important to check the ce Id probably spend the next two weeks or so in.

    The living quarters was right next to themand post, and I confirmed a kitchen and toilet. I wasnt able to enter the torpedo room and the engine room, which was the same in-game. I could use one of the living quarters as a storage room, I thought to myself.

    I let the submarine surface slightly, and entered periscope mode. It used my standing position as the base point, and the periscope would also turn if I swiped the UI window around to show my surroundings. There was no problem with this mode. I returned to steering mode, resurfaced and used the lifeboat to return to Amar.

    After this, Ill head to the Marida Companys ship to inform them of my departure, and to make preparations. I should be able to find what I need there I thought as I steered toward the shore.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    Tomorrow, First Fleet would set sail from Amar to chase down and subjugate the pirate group Kaidou. I also have made preparations to track down the fleet. Among the many ships prepared in VMB, I chose the U-Boat VII. I will use this and learn about the naval battles of this world.

    I visited the Marida Company in Amar to check the operability and habitability of the u-boat, and to also secure rations for the operation. It was likely to take several weeks.

    Customers, all you need is food. How about water?

    No, I got it covered with magical tools.

    Actually, the u-boat had a water tank so I nned on using it in exchange for a fuel gauge. Basically, vehicles that appear in VMB were made to perform a little different from their real counterparts for bnce. The sea and underwater navigation speed as well, although it could move faster at sea, the speed was unified by its category of ship. So was how torpedoes worked.

    Of course, the maximum speed was raised for speed-based ships and many ships had powerful warheads to torpedoes as avable.

    Together with the captain of the Marida Company ship, I purchased my daily necessities alongside my groceries. All the fees were paid by thepany. At first, I refused their offer to do that, but it seemed to have been a strict order from Malta-san. It seemed that it would have been a problem if it became known I had paid myself. Malta-san could manage since they were one of the leadingpanies in the kingdom precisely because he was strict like this.

    After I finished shopping, and while taking a meal together as promised, I listened to the story about my target, Kaidou. I was shown a valuable ocean route map, and when I concentrated on taking screenshots the shutter sound of a camera echoed in my head.

    Just as it became possible to change the point of view, and view of UI information without goggles, it seemed I kept the ability to capture what I saw just by thinking about it.

    But customer, are you really going out to sea alone? Actually, the sea is rtively calm this time, storms can suddenly appear. I dont know what the customers ship looks like, but please be careful when sailing.

    Thank you, The escort fleet will be nearby the whole way, so if Im in danger Ill ask for their help.

    After that, I got the minimum knowledge and received advice about living at sea. I left shore that night.

    The next morning, I exposed the control tower at sea as I waited for the fleet to leave port. The preparation for the pursuit had already been made and I waited with an open ck supply box at my feet.

    After being shaken by the waves for a while, I saw a ships shadow that seemed to be the convoy fleet on the horizon. There were seven, huh I dont know if thats sufficient orcking, but they were different from the merchant ships.

    Six of them had three masts which were about half the size of my ship, and the total length was less than 30 meters. Only one ship had four masts that were almost twice the size  maybe that was the gship. While it was there in the distance still, I touched the box at my feet and took out an important item for this subjugation.

    It was a RQ-11 Raven that was a small gray unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. This drone was mainly used by the US military and its allies. It had a thin fusge with a total length of about a meter with a wingspan of the same length and a small electric propeller. It also had a camera attached to the front, and it projected in a small window in the TSS. This allowed me to control it like the U-boat.

    When I activated the raven, its propeller made a nice sound and rotated. The raven could rise up to 3xx meters to 4xx meters, although there was a possibility it would be noticed if it flew too close to the fleet. Iunched and flew the Raven from the control tower towards the fleet. After I confirmed the Raven rose high into the sky, I immediately used the window to direct the drone towards the fleet.

    They were some ways out, but I finished what I shouldve been doing today. There were several reconnaissance aircraft avable for VMB, and they could lock onto a target just by touching the target on the disy. A square frame is locked on the target, and the frame is projected into AR in the window and in my field of view. In addition, the frame color could be changed. Once the fleet was locked onto, I made their square yellow.

    I was done. To put it bluntly, I didnt know the route to the target area. So I was going to track the fleet and follow them. Although I nned to maintain a close distance I wouldnt have to worry about getting lost in the vast sea. The raven projected the fleet and would return if I pressed the return button. Since the lock will disappear if the Raven is destroyed, Ill asionally bring it back and keep it in my inventory.

    I got back into the submarine, changed my controls to it and started the voyage.

    ==========================================================

    A week has passed since I left Amar. I set up the periscope and used the Raven to navigate and observe the fleet. It was faster than I had imagined. It was not due to excellent shipbuilding technology  it was because of magic. Since the ship was driven by the wind, there often would be strong wind that came and increased its speed temporarily. It would eventually slow down and return to using normal wind. The fleet repeated this. There was a ship with a screw at the stern and I think it was rotated with magic to increase its speed, though I wouldnt know unless I dove underneath it.

    Since it seemed to have sped up, I thought they would reach the target area faster. Yet, the fleet frequently reorganized its formation. It appeared to have beenbat drills. Long distance spells seemed to be their substitute for cannons. It was a lot of training. On the contrary, what Ive been doing for the past week was not only watching the fleet but also thinking on how I would intervene in the uing battle; what Id use, what to use, and how far I would go.

    Finally, we came near the uninhabited ind where the ry point was located.

    The escort fleet was moored a short distance off the ind, and small boats were dropped with the crew heading to the ind. ording to Bolroy-san, the ind was fairlyrge with lots of fruit trees, and a waterfall where you could get water. There was also a stone building built there to be used as a campsite, though no one knew who built it. The fleet would use this ind as a forward base to determine the size of the pirate group and aim for a total subjugation.

    Looking at the small boats heading for the ind one after another through the periscope, I was somewhat excited for the naval battle toe.

    <strong>Kay  Long TL;DR story of whats been going on.</strong>                 Moved out of my previous toxic home and into my own apartment. move took an entire week, with actual moving part done in 4 hours of mad dashing back and forth across town to free myself of my situation. The rest of the week was wrangling years of belongings into ce along with my family. NO FUCKING INTERNET, BECAUSE MANAGEMENT (ISP and the Apartment management) is FUBAR. Ive been given a 22nd date of hook up, which was exined that they needed to kick my ticket to construction. Apparently my building had burned down a year or more ago, and new equipment had never been installed. Now management and the ISP are scratching their heads on how to actually hook me up. From an entire operation that requires ripping apart 60ft ofmon area to my building, to simply rigging a line from the pole 30ft away. Insurance through my S/Os work is taking 500$ from their check every month, leaving us with only 200$ at the end of the month for food, gas, and anything unexpected. They refused to let us cancel them, because apparently Obamacare allows them to refuse our request because we are TECHINCALLY required to insurance. (Resolved) I burned through my hotspot allowance updating myputer, so pages take a minute to load. Im dealing with real istion now (I lived in a mutli-gen home filled with nearly 10 pets along with daily visits from my dads customers  Old mechanic that is forced to work from home now since he couldnt afford his shop anymore. ) Now Im dealing with my twisted self all along  W .

    2020 was filled with an abusive family  2021 is gonna be the year I learn how to be an independent person that doesnt have to sit there and get berated because I didnt want my child living in the street.

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130

    What should I do? For the time being, I decided to stay on the submarine and wait until the fleet started to investigate the surrounding areas. Even though I was interested in the ind at the ry point, I couldnt do anything except ascend so I could dismount. Currently, I watched from the seas surface as the battery-recharge was happening.

    Apparently, they wouldnt move anymore today.

    While saving my battery, I sailed around the ind. The TSS turned the ship on operation mode so this way we could extend the map to its max range of 5 km. Although the submarine has the means to search for enemies such as passive and active sonar, both effects were integrated into VMB. If a ship moved on the surface or underwater, it would disy on the map if it was within range and disy its icon.

    The sonar had a cooldown time, and it was different between underwater ships and surface sailing ships. The former was longer than thetter, but submarines had a narrower field of detection. While circling the ind, I observed through the periscope while also using the sonar to make sure nothing was overlooked. As I did so, I also kept my guard up towards the ind.

    The next morning, I saw the small boat return to the fleet. The area that would serve as their base was visible. It seemed they also divided their personnel between construction of their base and investigating the surrounding area.

    Among the seven ships within the fleet, five had begun to move. This included the massive gship. I submerged and gave chase as the search for the pirate group began. Starting in the morning, they went around another uninhabited ind near the ry point; then moved forward for the ind that was the pirates base, and there seemed to be a reef around these inds.

    It was possible for a ship, simr to Filtonia Inds Alliance, to be stranded in this area. The fleet seemed to also be investigating around this area, but avoided going to ces like the reef where the gship could not advance through. From the submarines map, itid out the reeds and clearly showed where the ships would be unlikely to go through.

    When noon passed, I thought it was time to turn back, but something reflected. The pirate group Kaidou. There were a number of light pots on the edge of the extended map mode. At the same time, there was a bell that notified the discovery of enemiesing from the fleet. While maintaining their formation, the fleet steered in the pirates direction. I also went to follow from a distance, surfacing the tower.

    The sailors will be focused on the enemy ahead of them, so I sent the Raven and locked the Kaidou ships together. From themand room, I went to the top floor in the tower and opened the upper hatch then stepped out onto the ship. I then opened my inventory. A cl supply box was summoned and a gray Raven was taken out. I immediately switched it out and the propeller turned at a high rate of speed as the motor let out a high-pitched noise. If I flew this directly above them, there was a possibility that someone may notice it

    I thought of a detour through the sky and threw the Raven. Afterward, I immediately closed the hatch and returned to themand room before making the U-boat dive rapidly. Next, I changed the mode to automatic navigation that only made it move forward in a straight line. Then I switched to the Raven.

    Heading in a different direction than the pirates, the raven raised higher into the sky and then corrected course. Thus, the Kaidou were brought into view. There were 20 ships in sight, all of which were locked and targeted with a red frame. This red frame appeared in my AR view.

    Considering the images I saw with the drone`, the pirate ships appeared smaller than the escort fleet. The number of masts were two with small bodies that appeared to be simr to a boat called the Carrack from my previous world. There were a few differences. Like the escort fleet, which left a powerful wake behind them, it was possible to increase speed with magic. The characteristic feature of their appearance was that the bow protruded strangely. Body ramming  so it was probably a ram tactic.

    The speed of the escort fleet increased as their formation remained steady. But the distance between the ships grew and the wake from their stern drew a belt over the sea. The Kaidou moved in groups to block the head of the fleet. The distance between the two parties grew closer and closer, and I could see the fire line being emitted from the fleets vanguard.

    A red light-like bullets traced across the sea from the fleet, probably a magical fire-type attack. It wasnt too clear from the footage if the fleets boats were made of wood, but it was clear that the Kaidou boats were made from wood. If you were to attack with magic, it was natural to choose fire which could spread. But here at sea, if the means of attack was magic, then the means of protecting was also magic.

    The waves ahead of the pirate ships rushed up and intercepted the red lights in the form of a wall. I saw the pirate ships elerate before pushing through the wall of seawater. The ram on the bow appeared to have arge wind film. It flicked left and right so that the wall broke apart without hitting the ship.

    I felt that the flow of battle wasnt good. Since the pirate ships were smaller than the fleet ships, they outperformed them in speed and maneuverability. The seawater wall that prevented the fleet from attacking was broken apart as the pirates charged. 15 of the pirate ships went in while five orbited the fleet.

    I stopped operating the Raven and pressed the auto-return button. Waiting for its return, the fleet waspletely trapped. Looking at the ships blips, the gship had stopped in addition to the others that hadnt been rammed slowed down. Apparently the five ships orbiting them were doing something to the flow of the waves, and the area in between them looked to be a whirlpool.

    What will you do? The ship-ramming will soon turn into a melee once they begin boarding. Even if I shot a torpedo, it would be meaningless if I hit one of the fleet ships. The same result would rue with the 88mm gun on the hulls top No, there were still the pirate ships turning around.. I set a target and steered the submarine.

    Raising the U-Boat high enough to use the periscope, I prepared a torpedo. Targets painted by the Raven added a guidance function that was normally found in normal torpedoes. Target locks were originally for assisting heavy weapons such as rocketunchers.

    The vessel navigated out to a good distance. Four of the five ships were multi-locked as targets and torpedoes fired continuously from the four bow torpedo tubes

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    The pirate group Kaidou finally appeared as I tailed the escort fleet of Amar Port City. I had previously asked the director of the Marida Companys merchant ship, Bolroy, about naval battles in this world. Aside from the use of oil, the development of gunpowder was slow here with the reason being the widespread usage of magic. From this worlds point of view, gunpowder was a worthless creation that could not even substitute magic.

    If the fleet or the pirates had any fix armaments, it would be their bow ram. Although you could consider their ranged attacks such as bows and arrows, it would be nullified by defensive magic. The means of long-range attacks in maritimebat was nothing but attack magic. And whether it be offensive or defensive magic, it was enhanced in power with magical circles applied to the ships before being boosted with several chanters.

    In that case, what should someone like me, a Manuke without magic, do?

    The answer was this.

    The Kaidou pirates circling the fight were close, causing waves that made it hard for the fleet to move while under thebined siege. However, four of the five orbiting ships exploded in mes as the pirs of water shot through them before sinking into the sea.

    It was a torpedo attack from my submarine.

    Four torpedoes were loaded in tubes at the bow for a total of fourteen. Every four shots would cause the tube to reload, causing a cool down timer that made it impossible to rapid fire them. So during this time, I advanced the ship into the fight.

    What happened?!

    C-Captain! 2nd to 5th ships have suddenly sunk!

    Dont be stupid! I can see that too! Watch the surroundings! Where did the attackse from?!

    Chaotic noises could be heard through the periscope. Apparently, there was a man who apparently was the captain of this group on one of the ships circling. What do I do? Should I try and capture him? But how would I capture him from underneath the water? Hey may call himself a captain, but it may just be a single ship and not for the entire group.

    Then WHile waiting for the loading process, I continued with my n to suppose the fleet which turned into a melee as the ships locked together. My course is adjusted using the periscope so that a pirate ship attached to one of the fleet ships would be in front of the U-Boat. With a rapid ascent, the submarine broke the waters surface and made its appearance.

    Captain! 2o clock! Something from the sea!

    Oh, no way

    The enhanced sound collection function in the submarine allowed me to hear the voices in my surroundings. However, I did not surface just to hear their surprised voices. I operated the window monitor of the TSS and switched to operation mode to use the 88mm gun fixed on the vessels upper hull.

    Its 88mm cannon was an anti-tank weapon originally used for ground battles, and its fire rate was high. Moreover, because its rounds were automatically loaded, you didnt have to stop attacking while you watched for one weapon to reload and just switch to the other. And while this version was different from itsnd version. Still, its power was more than enough to destroy a wooden ship.

    However, the armor gauges for submarines, including the U-Boat, was considerably low. As soon as they got attacked, they became impossible to sail and would just wait to be sunk. Therefore, my n was for a hit and run! I aligned my sights with the pirate ship on my monitor and pressed the fire button. A roaring sounded over the water as a shell dashed over it, exploding multiple pirate ships attached to the escort ship.

    It was the first time I used it in the world, so I waited until I could see my target, which was a confirmed impact, shattered, burned and sank. Then when they changed their target to me, I had already disappeared into the sea with a rapid dive.

    What was that just now! Lookout, report!

    Reizen-sama! There are still enemies on board!

    I know that, but if the magic doesnt belong to your alley, then that ship is the cause!

    I passed underneath the Amar gship and aimed for the ships fighting on the other side. I checked and confirmed the angle on the sonar and map as not to crash into the feet ship. The 88mm cannon roared once again as I broke the surface. I dove once again and checked the situation through the scope. I found the Kaidou pirates had begun to retreat.

    They pulled from the melee and jumped onto the remaining ship and left the escort fleet. Naturally, the fleet could not allow them to withdraw easily and tried to attack with magic. The area became veiled in thick fog and the fleet lost them.

    Apparently, they had been calcting the seawater to generate the fog to use as a smokescreen to escape. From the fleets side, angry shouts such as blow the fog away!, and Catch the pirates in the water! could be heard. I didnt mean to sink them all here. The main goal was to suppress their base on the ind. From the fleeing ship, they needed to show me the location of the base which was unknown. The escort fleet may be doing that too. They didnt force themselves to give chase and instead, arrested the pirates that remained before putting something around their neck.

    That is I think that was the anti-magic cor I saw in the Capital, in Yagoches mansion. It disturbed the flow of magic of the wearer and made them unable to use skills and magic. They attached one to a prisoner, tired their hands, and made them kneel. I saw a guy check each of their faces. I thought he was a beast-man, with his stout barrel-like body, elongated head, and short tufts of golden fur; maybe I should say yellow hair and white hanging ears.

    Ah From its face A pig nose? Ah Is that the piggy Reimon that Sharle mentioned?

    The fog was cleared away with a magical wind. Once most of it was gone, small boats were lowered to begin repairs. It seemed that none of the ships took any critical damages. But it wasnt likely that they would begin their pursuit once they finished.

    Whats that ckship?! And where is your base?!

    T-thats not one of us! Rather, that one is your piggy ally, isnt it!!

    Are they referring to my U-Boat?

    Look at you guys, Im not as sweet as Zephanel! If you dont speak honestly, you wont be needing that mouth anymore!

    With a sword in hand, Reizen cut the pirates head and kicked his body into the sea. Then, he speared the rolling head at his feet with his sword and stuck it out to the next kneeling pirate.

    Now, you next. Tell me where the ck ship is and where your base is!

    Well, wait! Ill tell you the way! But I really dont know about the ck ship!

    A second body fell into the sea. This is Even though I would do something simr if I didnt know where their base was, and there was no reason to spare them, I didnt like that their deaths were because of my submarine.

    Dont neglect to watch the surroundings! If you see that ck ship, let me know immediately!

    Reizen-sama, what are you going to do with that ship? It didnt seem to be an enemy

    Hmm, you can only tell if its an enemy by capturing it. That ship isnt from the Kurtmerga kingdom. Ive never seen a ship dive into the sea, but thats a good thing. I definitely want it.

    That piggy Reizen. The purpose of their interrogation had changed Since its like this, I cant show you the U-Boat and I are together Should I finish everything before Ashley arrived at the ry point? There was no doubt that it was the only way, but Ashley would be joining the second fleet. I went to their base and finished everything Was it okay to end it like that?

    No, Ill decideter what to do in the end. First, lets head to the Kaidou base, check their strength, and if I could do it alone, finish them. If its not possible, wait for the fleet to arrive. I nned my next move while I dove lower before changing course. I followed the marked targets in my AR as I did so.

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    The pirate group that attacked Amars fleet, Kaidou, was retreating. And I was currently following them back to their base, relying on the red frame that painted them on my AR view by the RQ-11 Raven.

    What looked to be Kaidous base of operations was an ind on the horizon. It was dyed red as its surroundings were dyed in darkness. I stopped the submarine and opened the TSS, opened the map and disyed the ind. It wasnt any bigger than I expected. Its appearance through the periscope, in a word, was a rock wall.

    Only a small amount of greeny was visible atop the wall. The ind itself was a donut shape that rose from the sea with an open center. Red frames were concentrated within that open center. The inner space was apparently the base. Since it was difficult to approach, they didnt bother to investigate the ind as it was surrounded withrge rocks and reefs.

    However, it was doubtful how the ind was capable of securing food, allowing them to process materials and repair their chips. I dont think wild animals and fruits could be harvested there. Was everything gained through pirac, or were there some outside coborators?

    How should I move from here

    The location was to be known by the captured pirates, but it seemed impossible for the fleet to reach that ind through the reefs. If they switched to smaller boats, itd be weird if the Kaidou pirates didnt attack them. First of all, should I infiltrate it and check out the situation? I decided to go with that, however, there were various things to consider.

    First, itd be troublesome if the fact I was here was known. Howd I get there? Even if I answered honestly that I used a submarine, theyd likely not understand, and its possible that Piggy Reimon would intervene. Also, from a different point of view, Id likely be suspected of being a member of the Kaidou pirates. Since it came to that, should I hide my face like Shaft?

    The second reason would be that itd be unusual for my fake identity, Shaft, to appear on an ind in the south without warning. It was way too unnatural. So, I needed a third identity, neither Sachwarts nor Shaft.

    I opened the TSS and went to the Avatar Customization purchased outfits and essories. I then went to the shop. Abination of items would be necessary for this. It needed to be natural and blended with the sea while also hiding my face.

    I picked an outfit, and looked at it in the 3d preview. I was dressed in a leather pirate captain costume with a hat. But it made me look like some rundown ghost. And on the face, it was the same kind worn beneath Shafts mask, a skeleton face. This item set was included in the Ghost Pirate Pack. If you equipped the skeleton face, the head turned into a skeleton and pale blue mes danced in the eye sockets.

    The bones were visible around my head and neck, but not my entire body. I was also wearing a powered suit underneath, so I didnt have to worry about losing my mobility, but I had to make sure not to expose as much of myself as possible.

    I saved the outfit so I could change into it at any time. I registered it as Yona on my list after Shaft. Next was my equipment. I prepared several oxygen tanks and some consumable items like a lifeboat, etc. Itd take some time to swim to the ind, so I took out an underwater scooter as a means of transportation.

    All these items were used in VMBs PvE submarine base infiltration missions, which was simr to what I was about to do While being a bit nostalgic, I took out the items and waited for darkness of night toe.

    Night came, shrouding the area in darkness. With little starlight reflected in the water, I departed the U-Boat and traveled beneath the waves using the underwater scooter. While not fast, its electric motor made it an easy way to transverse underneath the water. A skeleton face with a small oxygen device on its mouth with goggles looked nothing but surreal. I dont think I even needed to breathe? I imagined that my heart had turned into a monsters heart as well, but I guess that wasnt the case

    I was a skeleton on the surface but a human on the inside. I was slightly relieved with this small bit of knowledge.

    The U-Boat submerged itself once outside my control before turning to the garage. I was worried that the little bit of light would reflect off it and alert a guard. Relying on the map, I approached the ind wall while avoiding the reef. I could see a cave that allowed entrance from the sea. This was probably how the Kaidou left, and how I entered while watching my surroundings.

    Candlesticks had been ced in some parts of the cave, their mes swaying like they were ready to disappear. There were no signs of people around, and I thought it was about time for them to sleep when I heard men making noise. To be more exact, it sounded like cheers, screams and angry voices. I also heard several smaller screams, sighs, and the crying of women that were overruled by the men.

    I thought that Id only have to wipe out the pirates, but Maybe that idea had been rash.

    The exit was dimly lit, and looking ahead on the map, it was wide. It was likely a port. I entered slowly, checking for surveince from the surroundings with only my head above the water. A port with arge number of ships was anchored. Several were the raid ships from earlier, then more ships of the same size along with several smaller types of boats. Even though Id nearly sunk 9 ships, they had a lot more huh

    I hid in the shadows of the anchored ships. As I looked around, I saw rows of huts that appeared to be warehouses around the port area before Isaw a stone staircase. I slowly looked up and saw awork of bridges that threatened to cover the sky.

    Light leaked from a cave dwelling, along with the voices of men and women. The situation was a hard move The way to it was visible to others, and it was difficult to know what kind of room or how many pirates were in there. If I were found out, there was no doubt itd turned into a big fight.

    Kyaa!

    I told you to not use your teeth! Youre useless, I dont need you anymore!

    No, no, Im sorry  Im sorry! Forgive me!

    What?

    A clear voice came from the nearby cave. When I looked up, a shadow of a sailor moved. Arge man lifted a petite woman with one hand and threw her out of the stone corridor.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133

    Wha?!

    I moved from my hiding spot as I saw a girl fall down right above me. She screamed for a moment as she was thrown before losing consciousness I couldnt see who threw her. Maybe he lost interest in her after throwing her and returned to his own dwelling in the cave. I moved to intercept the falling girl with my head and arms above the waterline. It was important to protect the head, right?

    So, I caught her  enveloping her head while being pushed into the sea as if to let the water absorb the impact. The ssh should have been loud, yet my sensor didnt pick up any changes to the environment. Either it was because I was sinking into the sea, or maybe this was a daily urrence.

    While submerged, I turned to the girl, who faced me while fainted, and grabbed her from behind. I didnt want to wake her and have her freak out while in the water. Holding her from behind, I moved into the ships shadow again. I poked our heads out of the water, checking the surroundings to see if anyone came to investigate the ssh.

    Should I return to the U-Boat now?

    Careful as to not let her head sink below the water, I moved slowly and quietly away from the ind. I checked many times using my NV and FLIR modes, yet I never saw any pirates keeping watch. Do you think anyone wouldnt find their homebase? Or were they just not using a 24-hour surveince system?

    I was grateful for that. Using the TSS I took out the lifeboat and a Gift Box from my inventory. I took out a nket and wrapped it around the girl. The lifeboat itself was equipped with a rear motor, but if someone heard an unfamiliar sound, they may investigate. Thus, I removed the oar attached to the inside of the boat and rowed away.

    While I rowed, I looked at the unconscious girl. She was a normal girl with wet chestnut hair, wearing a piece of garment that I couldnt call clothes, and no underwear. Was she in her mid-teens? The overall impression was that she was thin. What kind of life did you have on that ind?

    The sound of cracking could be heard from the oars in my hands, perhaps due to the strong resistance from the waves. After some distance, I summoned the U-Boat, carried the girl onboard and thenid her down on a bed in the living quarters. I took off her wet clothes and wiped her down dry. I then covered her with a thinforter and left.

    There was a possibility of her getting sick if she remained wet. She may also wake up confused, so I should stay close to her. There was something I wanted to do before I went to meet up with Ashley. I left the submarine and headed back to the ind.

    When I returned to the U-Boat, I saw the blip in the living quarters moving about. The girl had woken up, though I couldnt hear her, she appeared confused and screaming. She seemed to know she was in a room, or maybe she calmed down after exhausting herself. I opened the heavy door that connected to the living quarters, and the blip moved after she apparently noticed the door opening slowly because I saw the blp wandering after jumping from the bed.

    Yo, did you wake up?

    The girl would be scared after being trapped in a strange room. I entered the room slowly and gently spoke out.

    Kyyaaa!

    Oh, Im still the ghost captain Yona What should I do Could she talk in this state? The girl sat in the corner of the bed, wrapped in the nket. Her eyes were wide and trembled with fear. However, she didnt avert her gaze from Yonas skeleton face. It couldnt be helped, we couldnt keep this up.

    I sat on the opposite side of the bed where the girl escaped, and talked to her while facing her.

    Im Yona, whats your name?

    Mimi.

    Well, Mimi  do you want to eat?

    Without hearing her reply, a giftbox appeared from my inventory. I took out a lunch box and a cup as well as my magical water sk. The room was silent while the girl watched. Mimi didnt understand that had just happened.

    Here, youre hungry, right? Eat.

    I ced the lunch box on the edge of the bed, poured some water into the cup, and presented it to Mimi. Perhaps she couldnt keep up with me? Her gaze went back and forth between the items and my face. Fear of the skeleton before her, and her parched throat. After swallowing some saliva, she reached out and received the cup, but she didnt drink it. Her eyes still wandered between my face and the cup.

    Since she took the cup, it should be alright. I sat back on the other side of the bed and poured myself a drink before drinking it all in one go. She also drank her water vigorously  perhaps finding relief in my actions. Will this calm her down a little?

    Eat your bento.

    I pointed to the lunch box that Mimi, without knowing, put beside her. Sadly, it didnt seem that the lunch box had reached Amar. She didnt appear to know there was food inside of it.

    Bento?

    I opened the box Id taken out for myself and showed the beautifully partitioned food inside. Once I did so, she understood and opened her box as well, and began to eat as vigorously as she drank. I wondered if this alleviated her fear a little bit. While thinking, I cut to the chase

    I have some questions to ask.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    Mimi, the girl Id saved from the Kaidou ind, had woken up. I had made an appearance in the form of Yona the ghost Captain. I also managed to create an atmosphere where she could talk using the Marida Company lunch boxes.

    Mimi, how long have you been on that ind?

    Around two months

    Why are you with the pirates?

    T-The merchant ship I worked on was attacked, then we were taken to that ind.

    How many people were brought to the ind besides you?

    P-People besides me

    Using the voice changing function, I made Yonas voice a little scruffy. It was different from my other personas. Mimi answered my questions while slightly nervous because of that. ording to her, the Kaidou kidnapped young men and women from the crew of the ships they assaulted. Then, they were brought back to the ind. Mimi only wore only trousers and a disturbing cor around her neck.

    The other kidnapped people wore simr cors, and a few dayster, the captured men were taken to the lowest warehouse of the base and never seen again. The women were divided into two groups; one to go with the men, and the rest forced to do jobs around the ind. Cooking, cleaning, and even attending to them at night. They only rested in the early mornings or evenings.

    It appeared that this warehouse needed to be checked. Was something happening within it, or did it lead elsewhere?

    As of yesterday, seven women and five men had been captured. As I heard the story, it seems the five men were also taken to that warehouse. There were also apparently a lot of hostages, so it would be hard to save them all at once. Amars fleet would appear today or tomorrow. What would happen to these captives? Take the mto the warehouse or leave them be?

    How will the escort fleet move after they attack? The fleets sailboats wouldnt be able to get inside. And assuming that they had ayout, they might even consider attacking the entire ind with magic. It didnt feel good to do that. I also didnt have the right to help but I wanted to since I heard the situation.

    I also heard about the Kaidous leader, Kada, a lion-type beastman. He was the one whod thrown Mimi down. He had a harsh temper and bore easily enough. She had said that he had a habit of throwing his tops from his pirate room at the top of the wall.

    By the time I had heard this story, the sun had risen and it was almost noon.

    Eat your fill.

    I left the box and magic water in the room and left before heading to themand room. I hadnt slept since I had left, so I wanted to rest. However I couldnt leave Mimi on the boat forever. If there were people inside, the submarine couldnt be stored.

    Considering the remaining twelve people, itd be a problem if I couldnt pull it from the dock. Fortunately, the yellow marks that targeted the Amar fleet were not moving. I should return to the ry point and drop off Mimi before the fleet arrives. I couldnt let her stay inside forever, especially since this ce would be a battlefield.

    I switched to the U-Boats control and moved towards the ry point

    The U-Boat arrived at the ry point before sunset. When I checked on the periscope, there were ships moored on the ind. Three new ships had arrived at the ind. A ship with a hull thicker than the first caravel-styled ship, so it must have been Ashleys fleet. They perhaps had just arrived as sailors were busy about moving cargo.

    I stopped the U-Boat under the sea and brought Mimi up to themand post. She followed while looking around the narrow passages since shed been carried while unconscious. She was curious about all the exposed piping and countless instruments.

    Ah, um W-Where are we going?

    You will get on the boat that will take you home.

    Eh! I can go home?!

    You can go home.

    But But I cant go home

    And then She burst into tears while sinking down and held her knees

    Why cant she go home?  I couldnt ask.

    She eventually got up while holding herself, muttering her mothers name. Was there something I could say to her?  Nothing came to mind. But, there was still one thing I understood.

    Mimi, I think your mother is praying for your return.

    But  But

    Parents are the ones who ept all of their children, so you dont need to worry about anything.

    I lifted her up as she still cried and held her to my chest with one hand. I climbed theter that lead to the upper floor of the control tower. Among the transport ships, I moved the ship towards thergest ship which would mostly have Ashley. Hoping she was there, I surfaced.

    W-What the hell is that?!

    T-That ck ship! The one that I told you about earlier! Its a sailess ship that intervened in our battle against the pirates!

    Hm, that is

    When I surfaced about 100 meters to the side of thergest ship, I could hear the noise on board it.

    Assemble thebat sailors! Capture that ck ship!

    Reizen! What are you talking about! Everyone is still unloading!

    Sharle, Reizen, someone ising out from the top

    When I opened the hatch on top of the tower and climbed outside, I saw three people standing on the side of the ship. Sharle- Piggy Reimon, and Ashley.

    Wha! Undead?! Get ready for all-outbat! The undead are out!

    After he say me, Piggy Reimon ran to the other side of the ship  Dobon! I heard the sound of something falling into the water, or jumping into the sea

    Big sister, please step back!

    Sharle-san came forward as if she was hiding Ashley. Drawing her bow, her hand shined with light, But I stayed silent. I was just staring at Ashleys eyes with blue ming eyes Did she notice at this distance?

    Sharle- lower that bow.

    Sharle- lower the bow.

    Why, big sister?!

    Just a little bit, lets wait a little bit. Dont let thebat sailors attack! However, prepare the defensive magic to be cast immediately!

    Around them, there were a number of sailors. It seemed she bought some time. I threw the lifeboat into the sea as I left the tower and dropped Mimi into it as the sound of air jets sounded. She stopped crying and looked up to me as if she wanted to say something. I, however, just jumped back down the hatch before listening. That was because the gship Reizen appeared behind the transport ship.

    The U-Boat did a quick dive and evacuated the area

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135

    After having left Mimi at the ry point with Ashley, I returned to the Kaidou base and decided to take a break. Id lose focus if I wasnt rested, and it might lead to a fatal mistake. Even though I didnt have the time to spare, it was a good time for a rest.

    The TSSs rm woke me two hours before dawn. ording to the story I heard from the girl, this should be around the only time the women could rest.

    I ate some fruits Id bought back in Amar and then checked my armaments as I considered what Id use. I didnt know if Id keep Yonas outfit, but I would like to differentiate everything Yona used from the others

    I chose an M24A2 Sniper rifle as Yonas main. This rifle was one of the M24 series manufactured by Remington Arms in the United States, and it held 10 rounds. It was chambered in 7.62 x 51 NATO rounds, which was the same as what the SCAR-H used. Furthermore, a silencer could be attached. (Kay: FYI, hes referring to the game version. IRL Standard is 5R, and silencers could be attached to any firearm with a barrel thread. Inb4 WTFs roll in)

    Until now, Ive only used self-loading weapons. Self-loading weapons were weapons that utilized the pressure of thebustion in the barrel and redirects it back to force the bolt back at a certain speed; in which it, using a small mechanism, grabs the spent cartridge and flings it from the chamber.

    This rifle, however, was bolt action. So I needed to manipte the handle attached to the bolt myself in order to load and unload the rifle. It was possible to perform this action skillfully and quickly. But it depended on the yer, and that meant their could be long intervals in shots.

    For this infiltration, the main reason for me going with this weapon system was the terrain inside the ind had range and good visibility. But the cave dwellings had small windows and the targets would be smaller if I took a position at the top of the wall. Thus, why I needed something with uracy to hit these small targets through the gaps provided.

    At longst, I would use my Five-seveN as the sidearm. With 20rnds and the ability to use a silencer, it was attractive. As for melee, I choose a machete with a long de like an undead skeleton. This was the type used by the US Military and had a total length of 60cm. It looked like a dagger or a hatchet with a wide de. It was a ck model with only a grip, de, and a cloth sheath that could be attached to the waist. I also prepared a special grenade that I could hide behind my clothes.

    Thus, I was ready to go.

    About an hour before dawn, I adjusted the depth so that only the control tower would rise above the dark sea. I prepared the same scooter and small oxygen cylinder again and began my infiltration mission from the sea. No problem presented itself during the infiltration itself this time as well. I shouldnt have been discovered either. But a problem was presented at the end.

    The base was quiet.

    First, I confirmed the positions of the twelve hostages whod been kidnapped, though contact would be afterwards. My appearance was now that of Yona the ghost captain, an undead skeleton. So, no matter what I said in Ondosmon tongue, I would not be trusted.

    That would be different with Mimi as Id saved her life. In the end, I couldnt do it directly by myself. I could buy a number of lifeboats capable of crossing the sea. Once no one was riding them, theyd turn into particles so there would be no evidence.

    I checked my surroundings with my eyes and ears. Once I was convinced no one saw me, I crawled up onto the harbor. I hid behind a wooden hut before checking again. Id entered without being spotted, and the area was automatically mapped.

    I searched for the ce that Mimi mentioned with the men and women being thrown into. A side hole in the wall with a look out hut near it Over there, huh. A little ways ahead from my position, there was a hut with a window sill. A road continued through the wall from a small room to another two rooms not so deep in.

    There was no doubt about it. Two blips inside the hut, and twelve blips split between 5 and 7 between the two rooms. I pulled out my pistol from its holster, took out the silencer, and attached it. I went in quickly, hips low and approached the hut as quietly as possible. The windows shutters were closed, sense it was still closed outside, but I could see through a small gap.

    Not much furniture inside, just two tables and chairs Two figures sitting at the table  most likely the look out. They looked asleep based on the alcohol bottle on the table itself.

    I put my hand on the door handle and it didnt seem locked. This was a pirate camp without a door lock, did they not have a sense of caution? Or, were they confident in their base? No, lets stop wasting time on pointless thoughts.

    Opening the door quietly, I slipped inside while closing the door behind me. I aimed the pistol to one of the mens chest and double tapped him. Quickly doing the same to the man opposite to him. As they died, their blips on the map disappeared. I then turned my attention to the path leading to the two rooms where a metalttice door was with a lock The key was hanging on the sidewall.

    There were three keys in total, one of which was to the lock before me, and the rest were probably rted to the back rooms. I grabbed all of them and moved down the tunnel without any light. I changed to FLIR vision.

    For the time being, I think its impossible for them to see me in the darkness but I did wonder if they could see me.

    Hey, is anyone awake?

    I called out into the dark prison.

    W-Who is it?

    A man replied.

    Dont make any loud noises. I am the one who serves the Zephanel family of Amar.

    Zephanel!

    Dont yell. I killed the look out, but if youre loud, someone else may notice.

    I-Im sorry.

    An fleet from Amar ising. They should already know this bases location. Itll soon be a battlefield. Ill unlock the door so wake everyone up and escape. Go check the table in the hut, there are three magic tools that will turn into small boats when theye into contact with water. Use them to escape.

    I-I understand. What about you?

    I have a job to do.

    I unlocked the door after matching it with the right key. Both men and women were free, and the sound seemed to awaken everyone. An air of uneasiness and fear filled the darkness, but the man who called out to be exined in a hushed voice to them. After I listened, I returned to the hut and ced three lifeboats on the table. If it went unused, it could be left for a while.

    Before they could reach here, I left and went towards my next goal  the warehouse at the back of the harbor.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136

    I snuck back into the pirate group Kaidous base. At first, I went for the twelve hostages and freed them before giving them the means to escape the ind on their own under the veil of night. Of course, that meant using my lifeboats. There was almost no watch inside or outside the ind. And if you were careful to not make much noise, there should be no issues with escaping unnoticed.

    Now that I am acting as Yona, I couldnt take care of any of them on my own. So, I wished them good luck.

    I saw the warehouse that Mimi had mentioned where men and women had been taken into and never came out of. The wooden warehouse at the back of the harbor had a fairlyrge sliding door. Was it a storage area for materials? Or, was it a drydock. Arge lock was attached to the door. It would be impossible to break it and get inside.

    As long as they were escaping the base, itd be okay to take some shy actions

    It seemed I could slip into the warehouse. So, I ran up the wall before getting midway. Then I grabbed onto a window frame and slipped into the building. There was no one inside, as I had known from theck of blips on my radar. Still, I activated my FLIR vision and checked my empty surroundings.

    There were several carts andrge boxes inside, along with arge pedestal Was this a transfer circle?

    On the pedestal were two magical circles. Compared to what I had seen in thebyrinth, one of the circles appeared to transfer circle as it glowed pale. The other must have been a replica as the pattern differed slightly. This was the first time Id seen one.

    Unlike the transfer circle carved into the stone tile, this pattern had been written on a carpet-like material. A cupboard was nearby with two clothes simr to the replicas material. When I picked one of them up and unfurled it, it held a simr circle to the previous one. I think it was a spare Only it wasnt shining.

    Did that mean that the kidnapped people were taken off the ind? There must have been someone supporting the pirates from the shadows Someone whod use these circles to transfer things back and forth

    What should I do? Should I go back and check ahead? With the magic tag I had gotten from thebyrinth, it could be used by me. If it were left unattended, a pirate could escape and possibly call in reinforcements. Thus, I took out an empty giftbox and put the spare circles into it. I then took one of the stone tes that made up the circle. When I did so, the light died away from the rest of the tes, signaling the formation copsed.

    I became a little worried and put the stone tile back. Faint light returned to the circle, which had been a far simpler process than I had expected

    The transfer circle consisted of 16 stone tiles, and even if it were to be broken apart and rearranged.

    Perhaps this is At first, I thought about prioritizing the destruction of the pirates before confirming the teleportations destination. But I changed that idea. I decided to confirm the transfer destination and conduct an experiment instead.

    I readied my Five-seveN, in case someone was on the other end of the circle. I then made a light cut on my finger with my machete. Two drops of blood dripped onto the circle where it shed a pale red, and my biometric information was registered. All I had to do now was say the words to start.

    However, I noticed blips beginning to move on the map. It seemed the twelve prisoners were moving from the hut to the harbor. There was a slight audible sound of the lifeboat expanding.

    Wow

    Be quiet!

    The men will have to paddle, and stop touching it

    I didnt know what would happen because it seemed to be a magic tool

    Well, do you know which direction?

    It should be alright

    I was relieved to hear their small voices from my sensor. It seemed they acted on my words, despite me appearing in the darkness. I also checked for the sound of pirates and any suspicious blips on my map. It appeared none of them had noticed that the prisoners were escaping.

    They appeared to have seeded in their escape. Now the rest was up to me.

    Transfer.

    When I chanted the keyword, the pattern lit up and a curtain of light surrounded me. Now two men with brooms stood in front of me.

    Wha  undead!

    One of them, who appeared to be cleaning the area around the circle, saw my skeleton face  Yonas face  and pulled a sword that hung from his waist. He never got the chance to swing as he fell down with two holes in his forehead. The other man, who faced the other direction, turned as his friend fell to the ground. He too fell backward with a hole in his head.

    The destination was inside a warehouse simr to the one I had left. The doors were wide open, and I took cover on the side before ncing outside. Trees, mountains, and a small hut. The map didnt show anything aside from the hut before me.

    Where was this?

    No matter how much I zoomed out on the map, I was surrounded by nk maps. I reopened the map from the TSS and confirmed the map information. Considering the coordinates disyed I was located quite north of the royal capital. I wasnt sure how far exactly, and there was a big possibility I was in another country. I looked to the two men I had shot dead.

    Was I too quick in killing them I identally killed the on first strike. I should have asked where I was beforehand. There also werent any more blips on the map. These two were basically the only ones here. Just in case, I searched the hut, only finding basic living tools with nothing to tell me of the location, or how it was rted to Kaidou.

    I took screen shots of the scenery around the area, as well as the lodges supplies and the corpses. I didnt know how much I could show Ashley, but it may prove useful at ater date.

    Afterwards, I summoned a Type-74 truck, a 66 7 ton truck used by the GSDF, in the warehouse. I lowered the gate and checked the bed. It was as wide and long as you could imagine. In this case, two circles could be lined up. I ced the magic circle, and the copy installed in the warehouse, in the bed. It emitted a faint light without an issue.

    I explored the warehouse and collected another spare that was not in the lodge. There were two of them here. Was itmon to prepare two spares? Just to confirm, I stored the truck. It went back in with the circle, confirming I could store it in the vehicle. I also made sure I could bring it out without a problem.

    It was fine for now.

    I confirmed that nothing was left behind before I registered my biometrics with the circle on the bed of the truck and then transferred back to the ind. There was no doubt that the light curtain could be seen inside the ind. However, the situation had changed from before. The entire base was moving around noisily. Angry shouts could be heard outside the warehouse from the top of the wall.

    Apparently, Amars fleet had appeared on the horizon at dawn.

    Captain Kada! Its ready to leave the port!

    Captain! I cant find the prisoners!

    What are you talking about! Look for them! And for the folks ready to leave, get out of the port before our exit is blocked!

    The voice of Kaidous leader, Kada, was heard from above. Perhaps because this warehouse was still locked, I didnt see anyone checking the warehouse. While I calmly analyzed the situation, I returned the truck to my garage. It appeared in my inventory, and I was relieved to find out I could return it from a considerable distance away. Finally, I summoned the giftbox and collected this circle along with the copies.

    All that remained was to eliminate the pirate fleet as Amars fleet made its appearance.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137

    After teleporting back to the ind, the base was already buzzing with preparations to meet the Amar Fleet, which hade to subjugate them.

    For the time being, I exited the warehouse the way I came in, and hid in its shadow. Looking at the harbor, 16 ships were sailing out with 4 of therge ships staying in back. I expanded my map view to check their position, but they appeared on the edge of the map before quickly leaving its range.

    I put a hand in my pocket and took out a detonator. Yes, the night I took Mimi I had snuck back in again to set C4 bombs beneath all the pirate ships in the harbor. I pulled the devices trigger, and seawater around the 4 remaining ships blew up as a series of dull explosions sounded out. There were also faint sounds in the distance as well.

    What is it!?

    Hey, its going to sink!

    What was that sound just now?!

    Pirates whod been running around the harbor along with ones in the dwellings above came rushing out. They all looked into the harbor as I leaned position from the warehouse, holding out my M2A2

    I aimed for the head of a map looking down from the top of the wall using the attached scope. Due to the bncing of VMB, when aiming with a sniper, the crosshairs disappeared. Therefore, it became necessary to use a scope, or to physically use the iron sights. This rifle was equipped with a x3.5-x10 and had no iron sights.

    I aligned the scopes crosshairs to the mans head and immediately pulled the trigger.

    Thanks to the silencer, the shot came out sounding like air. I then heard the sound of popping. I wasnt looking directly at the source as I moved back into cover behind the warehouse. I cycled the rifle, pulling the bolts handle to eject the spent cartridge and load a new one. I leaned back out to find another pirate staring at his dead friend whod just lose his head to his right.

    I crushed one pirates head after another. Their bodies fell as I began to aim for the pirates at the loweryers. Basically, for a sniper user, it was important to kill as many enemies as possible before your whereabouts were found.

    Hey! Whats happening!

    Captain Kada! Were being attacked from somewhere

    If this position was found out, I should move being being attacked

    Undead! There is an undead behind the transfer warehouse!

    I was found out. Huh. I put the rifle away and pulled out my pistol from the holster at my waist. I wouldnt need a silencer for this, and held out the pistol while pulling out the machete with my right hand. Due to the three-dimensional structure of dwellings in the walls, the base didnt show the exact cement of enemies in my view. So I wasnt aware of the remaining targets, but I didnt n to let any of them go.

    Why is there a skeleton here!

    Do you know? Which sunken ship this guy came out of?

    Did you wander out of the deep-sea prison?

    The pirates standing before me tried to keep their distance as I slowly walked toward them. They didnt seem like they were going to attack, so I just kept my pace. I held my machete while relying on the crosshairs for the Five-seveN in my left hand. I then began to down the pirates with two shots each. Thest pirate looked at his friend as he copsed to his knee, stunned by the appearance of the cane like object that spewed fire.

    Eh?

    I ran forward and slid, using the momentum to aim for the fallen pirates neck with my de. Using the momentum, I cut the mans head off as I soared straight up while spinning.

    [~~~, ~~~,Fireball]

    [~~~, ~~~-]

    I started running before the first spellnded. The voice of Kada could be heard from above. The only way to get up there was to run up the stone stairs and bridges No I ran up a set of stairs and then ran up a piece of rock wall that had no obstacles.

    I had fourteen rounds left in my pistol, and shot at abat sailor mage on an upperyer. Perhaps they noticed my intention as the air before them began to shimmer. I wondered if they deployed a magical barrier

    Its useless.

    Wha! Oh sh

    The magical barrier was to prevent magical attacks, but the 5.7x28mm bullets had no magical power. They pierce the barrier without any sort of resistance.

    Telve , ten, eight

    It was not just the map that was on my disy but the number of remaining rounds in my firearm. While I checked my remaining rounds, I shot an obstructingbatant before running up the cliff.

    Its really an energetic skeleton

    I ran up near the top, kicked off and jumped onto the top level.

    Are you the leader of Kaidou?

    So you can talk, huh.

    While I exchanged magazines, I called out to the beast man who stood before me.

    Yeah, Im Kada, leader of Kaidou.

    Im Yona. Its time for you to sink into the sea. Ill pick you up from the bottom, and guide you into the deep sea, close to the eternal darkness.

    Dont joke with me, skeleton! Youre the only one who will sleep alone at the bottom of the sea!

    In Kadas hand was arge double edged hatchet. Was it a viking axe? From the loweryers, I could hear footsteps and shouts from peopleing towards us. At the top of this not-so-wide area, it would be a hassle if more pirates joined the fight.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138

    On top of the wall consisted of the cave where Kada lived, its size different to the other caves inside. However, it was notrge enough to deal with a 1-v-1 situation. The harbor rested several tens of meters down, and if you fell from this height, youd die instantly

    I brought my machete for CQB, but it seemed rather difficult to use in here without careful timing. Kada also hid his body behind hisrge double-edged viking ax like a shield, maybe weary of my Five-seveN.

    Are you ustomed to fighting with directional magic tools simr to firearms?  If I moved the muzzle to aim for the unprotected parts, would you notice what I was aiming for? He dexterously rotated the ax to cover where I aimed.

    Perhaps he understood that the muzzle indicated the direction I was aiming. His mouth was distorted.

    Whats happening Skeleton? I think you said your name was Yona? It seems like youre a ridiculously high-ranked undead with a name, but youre still a skeleton after all!

    Do you think your ax can prevent my attack?

    The loweryers were getting louder and louder. I wanted to incapacitate him before pirates arrived and pushed me into a pincer attack. I stopped hesitating, put my crosshairs on his right foot and pulled the trigger.

    He blocked the shot with his ax, his face distorting for a moment from the concussion of the shot and the impact. At that moment, the crosshairs were on his face. Perhaps he understood where the muzzle was pointed, so he tried to block it with his ax.

    Then you cant see the next one, you idiot.

    Two went towards his head, then two more to his left thigh.

    Guaa!

    Kada prevented the shots to his head, but due to not being able to see where I aimed next, I hit his thigh as the 5.7x28mm prated it. Aiming for this moment, I charged in with the machete. Kada took the swing with his ax and the des collided.

    Considering the weight difference between the two weapons, the machete should have been pushed back. However, it is embedded with VMBs durability and assisted with the power suit. Perhaps he was frustrated by how I was able to meet his strike with such a small thin weapon that he brought the weapon down with an overhead string.

    I evaded the strike and shot the mans elbow in his swinging arm. I wont kill him yet because I needed to get more information from him.

    Kuu!

    Kada almost let go of the ax because of the pain that shot through his limb. But he managed to immediately switch to another hand and tried to shake me off. I jumped some distance back before shooting again. I aimed for his left shoulder and pulled the trigger twice.

    His battle ax seemed quite hard and received the shots without seeming to take much damage. However, with his thigh and elbow damaged, he couldnt hold out.

    Gu, guu.

    I aligned the crosshair with his right foot as he moved back, shooting twice to disable his foot.

    Captain Kada!

    Captain!

    The pirates came up from behind. The blips were not disyed due to them being on a different level, but I could hear them as four people came up.

    I aimed at them and shot twice, blowing the heads of two of them. I immediately dashed towards the stairs, kicked one of the downed pirates and pushed him down onto the ones behind on the stairs.

    Woah!

    It hurts!

    They were crushed by the bodies of their friends who fell on them. I looked down at the two whod fallen and pressed them down. I then executed them. With two rounds left in the magazine, I reloaded. The Five-seveN alone would not be enough to wipe them out, however, for the time being it would be okay.

    What?!

    When I looked back as I exchanged the magazines, Kada was trying to support himself on the railing  no, he was trying to get over the railing.

    Bastard, what

    Yona! You underestimated me too much. You did not want to kill me the pirate fleet is in the sea, and if there is water, I cant lose!

    Kada shouted and threw himself over towards the harbor. Some unpleasant premonition overcame me. I immediately switched to the M24A2, aimed at the falling man, and fired. It seemed I got the hit just before hended, but I couldnt see exactly where. Arge column of water shot up, and the water turned red. And the red shrunk rapidly.

    It was regrettable, Yona. It was only my right hand that you blew away.

    Kadas scream could be heard from the water where one of the half-sunk ships stuck out. His right hand emerging,pletely mangled. No, to be precise, it had taken the hit and began to assimte with the seawater before swelling into a tentacle.

    Are you really a beastmen? You look like a demon in my eyes.

    I dont want to hear that from you, bonehead! Here, this is my skill [Water Flow Operation]; if I can touch water, I can manipte it as I see fit!

    Whats that Even though I rarely saw people with unique skills, it seemed that they were a troublesome lot.

    Kada made a throne of seawater. Sitting there, he looked up at me andughed. The torn hand flowed into the water tentacles, returning to his body and shining. It reattached to his forearm.

    So, its like a fish that was given water, only that it was a lion instead, huh. So, you could also heal using magic water?  Its okay to act calm and all, but howd you prevent being shot by my sniper? Everything is over once your head gets blown away with a single hit, isnt it? At the moment our eyes crossed, in that instant, I aimed down; aligning with his face and firing.

    I thought I had to interrogate Kada to know where the circle led. Where the people went, and who was sponsoring them. But now it seemed like a pipe dream  First of all, I needed to fight for my life with all my might

    I thought the 7.62x51mm NATO round would have blown his face away, but Kada sunk into the throne along with the round. Its trajectory flew off to the side of his head This bastard

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139

    I was attempting to stop Kada, the leader of Kaidou, and interrogate him on his activities along with people who were connected to the kidnappings. However, he had distanced himself using his skill [Water Flow Operation].

    The 7.62x51mm NATO round from the M2A2 was deflected by the seawater that wrapped itself around Kada. Heughed from within it. He seemed to have noticed that I had been using something to attack from a distance. That bastard

    I pulled the lever of my rifle, ejecting the spent casing and loading a new cartridge. The ejected casing dematerialized and disappeared into light particles. Perhaps realizing I stopped attacking, Kada came out of the water while grinning.

    The water protected him by covering his body. Since it had the ability to divert the bullet, that meant my Five-seveN would be useless as well. However, that meant that I just needed to make another n. Fortunately, I was the one on top.

    I tried to change my aramments by opening the TSS, but Kada moved to intercept me

    ~~~~~,~~~~~,~~~~, Whirlpool dance  Aqua dance!

    A water-type magic Id seen somewhere before was chanted. Water in the shape of circr saws flew at me while spinning.

    Tch!

    I moved away from the top rail and descended backwards. The des cut not only into the railing but also the rock itself. It destroyed it. As I was descending Kada used that opening to cast another spell.

    ~~~~, ~~~~, ~~~~,~~~~~,~~, Tide Supremacy!

    The seawater in the loweryer converged. It collected into a single column of water that quickly became a mass of violence that was released. It pierced the top level and the floor I stood upon crumbled. The water did not stop there and swung toward the cave dwellings as if it were a massive sword of water.

    It was a tremendous spell!

    I evaded it by sliding, jumping to the side, and then wall-running on the inside wall. The water came down, chasing after me while shaving the rock wall. The magic effect was long It didnt look to be subsiding immediately. The water beneath Kada was feeding the torrent. So It seemed the only way to stop it was to attack Kada.

    I held the rifle in both hands, turning to run down the wall and towards his position. From there, I slid out of my run and rotated my body 360 degrees at a position near the wall. When Kada became visible, I pulled the trigger the moment the reticle was over him.

    I didnt know if Inded the shot, but I reloaded and once again shot at him, which was none as a one-turn shot jump shot, or a trick shot.

    By the time Inded at the bottom, the huge column of water scattered and sea water poured everywhere. With the momentum ofnding, I shifted into a kneeling position while sighting in and catching Kadas body. It was in the water and arge hole in his abdomen and both his right foot and tight had been blown away.

    However, the wounded parts were shining faintly as the tentacles of water that caught the blow to his right foot shined a bit out.

    Hey, bone bastard W-Who the hell are you? Youre not a normal undead.

    Kadas face appeared out of the water as he spat out blood with hateful eyes that stared at me. I ignored the question and squeezed the trigger when I saw his bare face. The water covered it as the bullet flew. It was aimed for his forehead but ended up piercing his cheek instead. It diverted it But its power was weakening.

    I opened the TSS and selected a surekill firearm to rece my current one.

    Who am I, you ask? I already told you. I am the one who will guide you to the deep seas bed. Requiems bell rings, and you will be seaweed in the ocean soon.

    Ha! No matter how many times you release you magic, you wont be able to break my [Water Flow Operation]!

    While both of us tried to buy time, I changed my weapons as he started to heal himself. It was unfortunate that I was the first to be ready. Light particles converged before me as the supply box appeared and I lifted arge weapon out of it  a GE M134 Minigun.

    It was a portable weapon made by General Electric Company of the United States. An electric gatling gun that shoots 7.62 x 51mm rounds with six rotating barrels. The maximum speed was 100 shots per second, and its belt capacity was 4,000 rounds. It was one of the higher cost items in VMB.

    Originally, this weapon would be mounted to a helicopter, and it was not a weapon an individual could carry. But due to the assistance of the power suit, and it being a game, it could ignore the issues of weight and the power source. I held the M134 in my left hand while I gripped the trigger in my right, aligned my crosshair on Kad, who was unable to grasp the situation.

    Lets see if you can prevent this barrage!

    I pulled the trigger. The barrels whirred to life as they rotated at a high rate of speed. Then the muzzle was dyed red as if it breathed fire. Kada tried to deflect the rounds again, but the storm of bullets ignored the water flow. It broke through the water protecting him and blew him to tiny pieces.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140

    The miniguns barrels rotated at a high rate of speed, spitting out 4,000 7.61x51mm rounds before it eventually whined down. By then, the pirate fleet, Kaidou, was before me and the harbor had turned red. [Water Flow Operation] had deflected as many rounds as it could have

    I chose the M134 because it could bring a violent torrent of bullets in an unyielding quantity and cause irreparable destruction. Kadas body had been blown to bits after receiving this violent attack. Those bits of meat and armor floated in the harbor.

    Ca-Captain Kada has died.

    U-Uwaaa!

    The remaining pirates in the base were scared from the disy, of their leader who floated in pieces in the bay, and of Yonas appearance. My line of sight floated around the base as I checked the remaining number of enemies, including nonbatants. But they had run away from the sight of my pale me eyes.

    Those in the upper cave dwellings tumbled down to the loweryers. Some even jumped into the harbor below before attempting to swim out of the base. However, beyond that, a small group of boats; probably from Amars fleet, already awaited them on my map, each of them heading towards me from the cave entrance.

    Those near the warehouse rushed to where the transfer circle had been located. They broke through the lock and rushed inside  only to despair Yes, I had collected the transfer circles so they could not leave, nor could reinforcementse.

    A blip passed through the cave and appeared in the harbor on my map. Thus, my role had ended.

    I activated the TSS and picked up another rebreather, the small oxygen tube, along with the waterscooter. I then returned the minigun back to my inventory. I dove into the water before the fleet could see me and swam out of the harbor and into the open sea.

    After leaving, I lurked behind on a nearby reef underwater. The number of visible ships was six and it appeared that the ships Ashley and her friends were on had not been brought. But I saw Ashley onboard one of the escort ships.

    Apparently, they had switched ships beforeing. Amars fleet, which was scattered around and anchored, was investigating the hulls of the half-sunk pirate ships. There were also pirates awaiting capture butbeled rescued at sea.

    I looked back on my actions during the subjugation. The battle may have cost more than I had originally expected. It consumed a lot of expensive ammunition and fuel. I had a headache thinking about how I was going to recover the spent CP.

    Finally, Ashley showed her face and I could go back to the port city of Amar.

    I operated the TSS underwater and summoned the U-boat. Of course, it was impossible to open underwater. So, I touched the control tower and used the TSS to control it before moving it closer to Ashleys ship. Afterward, I let it surface slowly.

    Ze-Zephanel! There is a ck ship on the sea!

    The first person who noticed me was the sailor standing on lookout on one of the battleships. Upon hearing him, Ashley and Sharle-san rushed to the side of the ship. The other crew members on board were also watching me with caution. It would not be good to talk to Ashley and connect her to Yona.

    I made eye contact with Ashley to tell her I would return first. Was my meaning conveyed? I felt like Ashley nodded slightly. Since it was unnatural to keep staring, I opened the hatch at the foot of themand tower and entered. The moment I went into the first floor of themand tower and tried to shit the U-Boat, the entire hull shook.

    What?!

    That kind of shock meant I was being attacked. Submarines, including U-Boats, had very low armor values. If its armor bar was halved, its maneuverability was halved. There was also the possibility of being scuttled.

    I checked the window monitor and made the U-Boat dive quick as I checked the armor value. Fortunately it was more than a little over half by a few percent.

    Brought the submarine to a depth I could use the periscope and rose it as I switched to auto nav before switching the monitor to the periscope. Who was it that attacked me? Was there still enough pirates to attack

    Where did the ck ship go?!

    It seems that it headed west under the sea!

    Chase it! Throw in the magic stones into the formation!

    In response to the calls, I turned the periscope and I saw Piggy Reimon on the gship of the fleet  I couldnt remember his name. I returned to the controls, canceled the navigation and turned back.

    The gship sailed parallel to Ashleys ship. She screamed at it as it passed the anchored ship.

    Reizen! Are you listening! The mission isnt over yet!

    The mission is almost over! That ck ship! The undead must be killed first!

    What are you doing You are themander of this fleet!

    Then follow mymand! I will chase that ship! So, Zephanel, you gather the rest of the fleet and seize Kaidous base! Or, are you saying that we should let that ck ship run away!? Just because that one girl had been turned into a pirates toy, you want to say its okay for it to get away?!

    Reizen!

    Which once was correct  from an objective point of view, the correct one was Piggy. My appearance was definitely that of an undead and should be subdued. Especially since I could move freely on the sea in a ck ship that sailed beneath the water. They should make a move to immediately subjugate me. Ashley, of course, was aware of his position, but because she knew it was me, she wanted me to leave.

    Furthermore, I was already nning to leave and head back to Amar.

    But now what did he just say?

    If you want to challenge me, feel free to do so. I will attack if youre in my way.

    Among the four torpedoes that were loaded in the bowsuncher, I set them their target and fire. Guided by the ships system, they swam through the sea. I surfaced as theynded on their target.

    The ck ship was in the direction of the bow!

    Its there! Allbat sailors, ready to attack!

    I could see thebat-ready sailors gathering on bow in a hurry. None of them had any intention to attack. In this case, if I took another hit, the armor bar would fall below half and so would my movements. So before that happened

    I switched to the gunmode to operate the 88mm gun which was installed on the upper part of the hull, and aimed at the ships fusge. The moment the torpedoes hit their hull, I aimed and pressed the trigger.

    A roar echoed over the sea just as the gship blew up. Its entire hull shook and shattered into two parts as water rose over its center. The entire ship in its 60 meter length, began to sink into the sea. With the bow and stern reaching into the sky, the crew jumped into the sea screaming.

    Confirming its destruction, I made another rapid dive, and thus once again, turned back to Amar. Ashley and herrades will rescue the gships crew. They would also clean up and capture the base as I left the area.

    The seas tranquility returned.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

    The pirate fleet, Kaidou, had been annihted. I left the remnants to be hunted and their home base investigated by Ashley and the others. Now, I was heading back to Amar.

    During the subjugation, I had originallye to Amr to support Ashley. However, when I had sailed out, I started to fuel the U-Boat, replenishing torpedoes, and then used the GE M134 Minigun. Including 4,000 rounds of 7.62x51mm NATO rounds. The SCAR-H, which used the same munition, had a 20cp consumption per magazine. Using that as aparison, the M134s cost was 200x bigger.

    When I thought about it now, the leader of Kaidous skill,[Water Flow Operation], was indeed troublesome. Still, using the M134 may have been overkill My current CP had gone down. Not enough to hit 0, but I needed to get more non-attribute mana stones to cover the costs, so I needed to earn more money to buy them in bulk.

    There was a way to get money In my inventory, there were barrels containing 95 liters of magical water in the Oshkosh M978s tank trailer. That was also the same amount I had entrusted to the Marida Company. Moreover, there was also a more profitable route. Selling the dungeon core I got from the Wolf Fangs Labyrinth.

    The sale of the water shouldve been outsourced to Marida Company, and they would proceed with selling it in small amounts at a time. Regarding thebyrinths core, Malta-san said hed put it up in arge prestigious auction. But I wonder what has happened since then. While going over how to replenish my CP in the future, I returned to Amar without stopping.

    ==================================================

    Compared to the speed of the escort fleet, the submarine was faster. After three days at sea, I could see Amar in the distance. I would prefer, if possible, to surface after dark, but there was still some time until sunset. I wanted to return as Schwartz under the cover of night in a lifeboat

    It waste in the night when I took a room at the Seaside Lighthouse, an inn in Amar. My ns for the future was to wait for Ashley and the others by sightseeing around the city. Afterward, honestly, I didnt think about it. If there was abyrinth nearby, it would make for a good raid and a ce to secure more stones.

    The next morning, I returned to the Marida Company ship first.

    Ah! Did the customere back? Please wait a moment  Boss!

    A young beastman whod been cleaning the storefront on the ship noticed me. He quickly rushed to the warehouse on the first level and called out into the office on the second level.

    Did hee back?!

    Director Bolroy, also a beastman in his middle ages, ran down. He had an unshaven face with unkempt hair popping out of his cat ears. Despite this, he had a unique and dependable mans atmosphere.

    Oh! Customer, Im d youre okay! Although, I have been told that the customer would be alright, I was still worried

    I got back safely.

    Yes, yes, however; since youre back, does that mean the subjugation has been finished?

    Yeah, the pirate group Kaidou, has been destroyed. I returned early, so I think itll still take some time for Amars fleet to return.

    Oi! Oi, you there! Go to the guild office and tell them that the pirates have been subdued!

    The director instructed the young man from before to send a message to the Guild. Maybe its a group of traders and fishermen who use the port? If so, then I should tell him one more thing.

    Bolroy-san, please tell the guild one more thing. A girl had been reduced from the pirates base, along with twelve men and women who escaped from the base. I think they were rescued by the fleet during the battle.

    Is that true?! Maybe its the Filtonia group Tell them that too!

    After receiving his instructions from Bolroy, the young man screamed Im off!, and ran out.

    Dear customer, Maridaspany boss hase to see the customer. Lets go there for the time being.

    Malta-san is here?

    Yes, he has been waiting for you to return since four days ago.

    Bolroy then led me to thepanys office in Amar.

    Schwartz-san, wee back.

    When we got to the office, I was led to the reception room. After enjoying a citrus fruit water for a while, one of Amars specialties, Malta-san came in while shaking his belly.

    Im back, Malta-san.

    From there, I gave the two an overview of the vents during the subjugation. Of course, I kept the parts about the U-Boat and Yona secret. While listening to my story, Malta nodded and responded with a smile; despite noticing the unnaturalness of the events at some ces. Bolroys face was the opposite of Maltas.

    I received a part of the money from the magical water sales from him, and I bought a lot of non-attribute mana stones from Malta. Furthermore, regarding the Labyrinth core, he told me that it had been decided to be exhibited as the highlight at arge auction during the spring next month. It would be held in the Royal Capital.

    The auction was said to attract arge number of aristocrats and powerful people from tradingpanies, and royalty. It also wasnt an auction that the adventurers andmoners could participate in due to the dress code and pretty entry fee.

    For the time being, I was told that I coulde in as the co-exhibitor of the featured products. If we used the transfer circle in the mountain city of Valeria, the central region city, we could return to the capital immediately. Malta asked if Id like to join him on the return, however, I put my reply on hold. First of all, I wanted to see Ashley and the others first. But I also wanted to go to the auction.

    For the next few days, I enjoyed sightseeing with Malta-san as my guide around the city and the surrounding area. We did this as we waited for the fleet to return. It wasnt until five days after I returned did theye back in the afternoon.

    With their appearance on the horizon, the city became noisy. Crowds gathered on the coastline. Sailors who hadnt joined the fleet and the city guard gathered at the harbor. I heard the news while I had tea at the Marida Company office, so I also went to the coastline to meet them.

    The first fleet came in first, unloading the crew and pirates. Afterward, the transport ships came in. The crew and the captured people came off them. I watched this from a distance. The people of Amar wee their heroes with screams of joy. It felt like the cheers I heard during VMBs tournaments, which seemed like an old story now. The sound was slightly different, but it felt nostalgic.

    There was also a circle to wee those whod been kidnapped. As Bolroy-san said, it seemed that some of the people whod been brought here were from the Filtonian Inds Alliance. Amars trading partner. It seemed theyll be moved elsewhere with the city guard. I also saw Mimi among them. I wondered if she was with them, but she seemed to be looking for someone.

    Mama, Onee-chan is back.

    As I watched, from my back, to blips on the map passed by me. A woman being pulled by a small child running towards the pier.

    See

    I saw Ashley and Sharleing off as well, so I went to them. On the way, the couple was reunited with a blip ahead.

    It also appeared that Ashley and Sharle-san noticed I was going to them as well. Sharle-san waved.

    Well, its like I said, right?

    I raised my hand and responded to Sharle-san as she smiled. Ashley also smiled.

    Thank you!

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _

    Wee back, Ashley, and also Sharle-san too.

    Im home, Schwartz.

    Wait, Schwartz! Why do you say it like Im a bonus!?

    Wee back, Sharle-san.

    Somehow its wrong, but whatever.

    After I weed them both and checked with them on their ns; they returned to the fleets headquarters, and did some paperwork. Handling the prisoners, and dealing with the rescued people. Once all that was done, theyd return to the mansion. And since I couldnt go, I promised to have dinner with them at the Zephanels mansion. Until then, we decided to part ways for now.

    Get the work done quickly! Deputy Captain! Send a messenger to my house! After reporting the subjugation, well immediately set sail for the Yona Subjugation!

    Oh, so he was still alive. Huh Well, I wasnt aiming directly for him, and Good luck on chasing a ghost youll never find.

    That night, I had supper at the Zephanels mansion. I was able to hear from the girls about the subjugation. Though, there were some parts that I only knew, and some parts that only Ashley could talk about. In the end, I was able to walk with Ashley after Sharle-san copsed after drinking. Lester, the butler, took her back to her room.

    So, what happened to Kada, the leader? I only heard from the captured pirates at the base that he was erased by an undead.

    I definitely killed him. I shattered his body before he dropped into the sea. At first, I aimed to capture him, but I found out I couldnt do it.

    Yes. Im sure youd say that, and I heard that there was a transfer circle there.

    I recovered it. I only know that it teleported far to the north of the Royal Capital, but there was only arge warehouse and a hut in the mountains.

    I talked about the mountain lodge I checked out. The characteristics of the men who guarded the location, then we discussed where the location was. AShley predicted that it was in the Margrave of Dragrange, the northernmost part of the Capital, or the Kingdom of Drak, which border that area.

    That kingdom was andlocked country with a history longer than Kurtmerga. It seemed that it was a country of dragon knights who tamed Alrasu, a small subdragon that lived there. Both nations had a ceasefire treaty, but until several decades ago, Drake went south many times in search of the sea and continued to fight.

    However, it must have been calm because of the transfer circle Or so Ashley thought.

    Not to mention that the border was not on the sea. Their borders existed acrossnd, while ambiguous, that meant neither owned anynd at sea. That made the treatment of the uninhabited inds quite ambiguous as well. They never hit just one nations ships. They attacked both the Kurtmerga and Filtonia Ind ships, so it was difficult to judge if they were just aiming at Kurtmerga.

    Eventually, the problem ended up being delegated. In other words, it was reported to the Eternal Honorary Chancellor Zephanel, the suzerain of the Zephanel family and thats it.

    Well, the Suzerain had already been of the story from the captured pirates. The story is not different from the story I heard on the way home. Schwartz, if possible, I want you to keep the transfer circle. That is not something that can easily be put on the market after all.

    Is it okay to keep silent to the Chancellor?

    Maybe hell see through it right away. But then Can you talk to me?

    We talked on two different sofas that faced each other. A small table separated us, the only people in the drawing room with the after-dinner tea. I knew what she wanted to say. I ced the cult and saucer on the table.

    Im sorry.

    At dinner, when we were alone, Ashley was reluctant to talk about Yona, my boat, and Kaidou. I knew I was involved in all of that, but she waited for me to speak.

    A long time ago, I used to deceive people about my power. I called it a bloodline skill [Arms]. Since then, I had shown various powers to Ashley, and I had no regrets about it and I dont think I failed. However, it seemed that my deception was reaching the limits of being called a bloodline skill.

    But I could say I needed to say everything, if I couldnt  its just half truths.

    Its alright. Ill take Sharle-san to the Royal Capital in about three days. What are you going to do?

    Three days? Actually, Ill also be going to the Capital, but my purpose is to go to the auction.

    Auction?

    Yeah, I asked Malta-san to put up the Labyrinth core. It seems that the auction ising soon.

    Itsing soon Is it the Kings Festival sponsored by the Royal Family?!

    Well, I dont know the name

    The Kings Festival is not only hosted by the Royal Family, but it is the only auction that the king may go to depending on what is being exhibited. If you put a Labyrinth core, maybe the king himself wille

    Since it is said that status is most prestigious, I wonder if the participants would also be elite members of the kingdom. The king of this country, huh. I was a little interested, but will it happen?

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143

    Kay: In my defense, I am onlyte by 43mins in PST

    I weed Ashley and her sister back, and we talked about the subjugation during dinner. The whereabouts of Kaidous leader, Kada, was unknown at first, though they heard from the captured pirates of his death. The reason was because of how I killed him, however, my testimony confirmed it.

    This was something I heard from the butler, but it seems that Kada was the sworn enemy of the Zephanel family, and Ashley and Sharlen as well. He was the target of revenge for their dead parents. Though, when she heard about his end, she looked a little sad and closed her eyes.

    It was said that the fleet had captured the base and found the hostages escaping. Apparently, the total number of people kidnaped by the pirates exceeded the three digit mark. But the pirates who captured them didnt know what happened to them afterward. We only knew about the transfer circle that led further north. It would be impossible to search further. Especially when we didnt know the destination, their faces, nor their names. This included for both the Inds and the Kurtmega Kingdom.

    This world was not so peaceful that it was possible to pursue kidnapped people, broadening a search nationwide. I didnt know the groups behind Kaidou, but without a doubt, the two sets of transfer circles were their most valuable items. It was likely the biggest counterattack against whoever was pulling the strings.

    And regarding Yona, Reizen Drumo, themander of Amars fleet; had registered him as a first-ss dangerous demon beast in the guild. Demon beasts and monsters that spread harm to all living things in this world were divided into 1-5 grades, ording to the degree of danger and influence.

    It wasnt towards any species but towards specific individuals in specific areas since no graded was done towards demons and monsters.

    (***Kay: Basically normal threats have no grades. Sore thumbs do.)

    The ck ship that had appeared in the southern sea of Amar, and Yona, would be registered as first ss beings. And their subjugation would go on forever.

    After we spoke, I lost my chance to return and spent the night there.

    The next morning while I was having breakfast in the dinning room, Sharle-san came in drowsy.

    Good morning, Sharle-san.

    Good morning, eh? Oh, you stayed here.

    Yes, I was talking with Ashley and we realized it waste.

    He, is that so

    Sharle-san, who sat down and took some water for her throat, pressed it to her mouth.

    Then, Schwartz!

    It seemed that Sharle-san, who was fully awake now, mmed her cup down and acknowledged my existence again.

    You had a long talk with my sister untilte. What kind of rtionship do you have with my sister?!

    What do you mean?

    Yeah! Even if I ask my sister, she wont tell me!

    I see, then I wont tell you either.

    Yes, so if you could tell me, it would be the best solution you wont!?

    Rather than that, does Sharle-san not have to go to the headquarters? Ashley seems to have already left.

    Eh? Is it that time already?! But , mou! Schwartz, you better tell meter!

    She pointed to my face with a wave of her hand so splendidly, it felt like one could hear the sound of being pointed at. Then, she ran in the direction of the fleets headquarters. I couldnt bother them forever, so I thanked Lester and left.

    As I left, I noticed that the gatekeeper had changed. Perhaps he was a bodyguard rather than a dedicated guard when I first came. I gave a polite courtesy before I headed back to the Mirada Company.

    I joined Malta-san and decided to leave the city before Ashley and her friends headed for the capital. First, five days by carriage to Biltora, and two days to the west were Valeira, the capital of the regions lord.

    Then, taking a transfer circle, we nned to move to the Royal Capital. Anyone with an aristocratic title and theirpanions could use it free of charge, Alternatively,mercial guild members and theirpanions could use it with a fee. In addition to that, if an adventurer used it, permission from the guild was required.

    I pretended to be his escort instead of apanion. When we teleported, I was nning to go under the name Shaft, so there would be no problem regard the escort, but there was one worrying thing  the Dark Guild Cactus. So far, the n had only sent an assassin directly at me.

    But I was re-entering the capital again. It was likely theyd take some action. Not to mention Malta-san, and I didnt want to bother thepany because of me.

    After entering the capital, I decided to split from him for a while and link up at the auction. When I had to n it to some extent, Malta-san offered me a suggestion.

    Minea wants to see me?

    Thats right. Since the incident with Yagorche Company, I have stopped by the mansion. Every time I returned, I was asked when is Shafting?.

    But, you didnt know what would happen if Shaft appeared in the capital, you know?

    I fully understand Schwartz-sans concerns. However, I also have escorts, and ther was also That

    Hmm? Was there something wrong?

    No This is just my expectation, but I dont think its possible to say that someone will attack as soon as the number of people iming to be shaft increased. Since I was asked to participate as an exhibitor, I understand I will be targeted from here.

    The person Has increased You said?

    Hey, Malta-san. What do you mean by the Royal Capital increasing the number of shafts?

    E-Eee

    That feeling Youre not alone, you see?

    Since Shafts looks are simple, anyone could use a ck mask, coat, and dual wield one-handed axes; several popr production guilds have joined hands to create The ck-Masked Shaft impersonator set. They sold it in public.

    What?!

    Kurtmerga is a country of adventurers. A country built by a hero who saved the people. The poprity of ck-Masked Shaft, which defeated abyrinth alone, while leaving without boasting, is not limited to the Barga regions. The Royal Capital and even in Veneer, even.

    I-Isnt there any otherbyrinth subjugators and gatekeepers!

    Its because Shaft is a solo adventurer. Of course, major ims are still popr. However, I dont think it will beparable with the ck-masked Shaft, which is not only popr with men and women, but even children.

    I was really embarrassed when he told me about this boom For the time being, I decided to have dinner at Malta-sans residence before the news of the real deal arriving in the capital spread, and the days discussion was over

    I was unable to talk more because of mycking spirit

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144

    Kay: Currently experience some health issues that, minor in the health department, are causing some serious issues in regards to getting sleep. Allergy reaction. Nothing major, but its on both sides so Im losing sleep over the fact that Im ND with sensory issues. Hence, Im getting little sleep while the swelling goes down.

    Edit: In my joyus and profound tiredness, I released this chapter as a page instead of a post.  w  This is why itste.

    After making arrangements with Malta-san, I rented thepanys warehouse. I opened my TSS and summoned the Continental. After I took out all the stored items, such as the wine with unreadable letters, I returned the continental to the garage. Then I called over Malta-san along with someone else who worked closely with the liquor thepany sold. My purpose was to check the quality of these wines that I could just replenish with the fuel costs.

    Company Chairman, may I know where this is from? It has a fluffy and mellow scent that Ive never had before. Its also well refined and not overstated. I can also feel its smooth and has a deep taste, its delicious.

    A

    This is indeed delicious. The colors are deep and the fragrance is quite elegant. When it goes down, it still lingers Definitely the finest wine.

    Malta-san and the person in charge of liquors opened dozens of bottles. They checked their condition and confirmed their taste. By the time they had checked all the wines, they had bright red faces. But as expected from the chairman of thergest tradingpanies in Kurtmerga and his liquor associate. Apparently all the wines in the Continental were judged to be the finest. Since theirbels were unreadable, neither their origin or harvest year were known, and itd give the opinion that they could not be sold.

    However, itd make a good gift if you were ever invited somewhere.

    After that, it turned into a banquet. Although I could keep them in the giftbox because of the time-freezing function, it would be a waste after opening dozens of bottles. With the additional employees, and the director of the merchant ship who came to visit finished the rest of them. Well, I wasnt a strong drinker, so I watched everyone else enjoy the wine.

    That night, I visited the Zephanel manor again to spend myst night in Amar. Sharle-san was a tough opponent tonight. I brought a few bottles so they could try it as well. However, she red at me and Ashley as we enjoyed them. As if to say she would not get drunk tonight.

    In the morning, I would leave and tell Ashley Ill be heading to the Capital. Though, we can only move on foot or carriage overnd, which usually took a month. Since Shaft moved using the teleportation circle, thered be a time difference until Schwartz arrived. There was a Kings festival in the meantime, so the situation where Shaft and Schwartz staying in the capital staying at the same time would be avoided.

    I didnt n to stay at the manor tonight, so I left after having a good time. I didnt know how long Ashley and her friends would be staying here, so said my goodbyes to Sharle-san. Afterward, I returned to the Seaside Lighthouse where the room I had booked sat unused this whole time.

    The next morning, I checked out and headed to the Marida Company. For the time being, I was supposed to escort Malta-san alone, and for the journey, I prepared a CZ 75 SP01 and the P90.

    Good morning, Malta-san.

    Good morning, Schwartz-san. We are ready to leave at anytime.

    A two-horse wagon was parked at the front of the store. As usual, since I couldnt control a horse, Malta-san would hold the reins and Id sit with him. Inside the hooded bay, tool bags with camping and fishing equipment were loaded. And director Bolroy-san came to see us off and pray for our safety. I was grateful for him, even though he helped on Malta-sans request. But he did everything he could do for a stranger with no questions asked.

    Without his cooperation, I would have been behind in terms of information. I promised to meet him again in Amar. Then Malta-san and I departed the port city. Just like when I first visited, the wagon transverse the city via the magic elevator. As I stared off into the southern sea, I said my goodbyes to Amar.

    The journey to the Capital was peaceful. There was neither any sights of bandits or monsters as we zig-zagged up the mountain road before a rest at the rest area and at the mining town Britora. Afterward, we headed for Valeira.

    The mountain city of Valeira was a city built along the gentle slope of the mountain. It was a resource rich city with marine products to its south along with wood and ore resources that could be obtained from the mountains. A lot of this was sent to various ces via magic circles.

    Most of the poption were spirit dwarves, and there were also many demi-humans that worked the southern seas. Almost all the buildings were made from stone with a unified red-brown brick roof that created a sense of unity.

    After entering the city, we went to the center of it where the lords mansion looked to be at the top of a mountain. The teleportation circles to each city, including the Royal Capital, were located at the headquarters of the Valerias Mountain Knights Corps. Which was located in front of the Lords building.

    We submitted some documents to the Transfer Management Office, which managed the circle, and paid the fee. Our cargo was checked to be carried and so on. The identity verification was also performed as well, with guild cards presented.

    Show me your guild card so we can see your name, here.

    I presented my guild card to the official and waited for confirmation.

    Yes, the mercenary guild, Shaft  Huh?

    Shortly before entering the city, I had changed my outfit to Shaft in the back of the wagon. Right now, I was wearing a ck tactical ker mask, Waffen-SS ck clothing, and an overcoat. The officials movement stiffened, and his line of sight went back and forth between my mask and my card.

    What? Is there a problem?

    No, no, nothing! P-Please, please pass!

    Now, Shaft, lets go.

    Malta-san urged me to go ahead as he turned his face to hold back hisughter. Before I went to the Capital I wanted to let out a sigh as I thought about what happened there. However, I put up with it and headed through the circle.

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145

    Kay: it hase to my attention that it is in fact monday. No one has told me this.  _

    _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __

    The journey between Amar and Valeria went smoothly. We arrived at the transfer management office. It was located at the Valerias Knights base. I left all the procedures to Malta-san and just showed my guild card.

    Shaft-sama, although you said its okay, but can you really jump even with a Manuke?

    After all the formalities werepleted, Malta-san quietly asked me this as we walked to the transfer circle.

    No problem. Ive already jumped several times, not only in thebyrinth, but also in the transfer circle I took out recently.

    Okay. Then, Im the one who will initiate the metastasis. So please register your biometric information.

    Understood.

    The circle was located in a building separate from the office. Once inside, we showed our permits and entered a one-story building that was simr to a gymnasium with our wagon. Once inside, the circle was in the center with copies which were divided into sections on the left and right in an orderly manner.

    Malta Can those horses jump?

    Of course, these children already have their information registered. So if you activate the circle, theyll jump properly.

    I se

    I cant jump without the magical tag Id gotten from Garos Labyrinth, but I wondered if horses could jump without an issue after their information was registered. As I pondered this a little, I pulled out thebat knife from my bosom and dripped my blood onto the circle  And I felt the tag around my neck radiate power. When I was convinced it was registered, Malta-san chanted the activation word and we transferred to the Royal Capital along with everything else.

    A curtain of light ran along the circles edge, and for a moment, my view was obstructed as the scenery changed.

    Wee to the Royal Capital of Kurtmerga. Please show your permit and guild card.

    This ce was nearly identical to the one in Valeira. The only difference was the outfits of the Central Knights before me as Malta-san and I handed our cards over.

    Yes, here you go. You too, yes, are you an escort?  Huh?!

    The knight behind the reception table stiffened, his eyes glued to my guild card. Even in this ce too, huh We were being stopped like this everytime I presented my card, so I couldnt imagine what would happen in the Royal Capitalter

    Its alright, Shaft-sama. No need to over react in the Capital.

    Malta-san whispered from the side, penchant noticing my anxiety. Still, I was worried.

    Ah, Im sorry. Ive confirmed it, so please proceed.

    With permission, we left the building. The building we were in was called a transfer building, and it looked like the management building was located in the first of the three capital districts. We pulled the wagon out and I apanied Malta-san on the coachmens seat as we headed down into the second district where the Mirada Company was located. I nned to stay at his mansion tonight, but when I noticed the wagon hadnt moved I looked to him.

    Malta, what are you doing?

    Eh? Please wait. I have to prepare something before we leave.

    While he said that, Malta took out a ck mask from the tool bag at his waist that looked like my mask Then He wore it on his head and said alright.

    How about it, Shaft-sama? This mask is sold by the Marida Company.

    So, it was you who sold the ck Mask Shaft set in coboration with the production guild!

    No, Malta. First of all, dont you have something to say before that?

    Ah, of course, we also prepared a share for Shaft-sama. Let us get into the details after we arrive at the office.

    No.. Not really that The sk mask that Malta-san wore was simr to my mask, but the open mouth part was open, so he was able to eat and drink normally.

    No, why do you need to hide it?

    Ah, about that? These masks and eye masks are popr in the capital right now, but if there is an escort-like person with a ck mask next to me, that is, Shaft-sama. Some people might notice hes the person himself. So to try and prevent that, I thought itd be better to wear one so I prepared it ahead of time.

    I-I see

    Yes, lets go. Both Marida and Minnea are waiting for Shaft-sama toe.

    With that said, Malta-san moved the reigns and we went into the Capital.

    The transfer office was located at the very end of the first district. In front of me, I could see the castle gate that led into the second district. We passed through under the scrutiny of the gatekeeper. From there, we headed to the main store while going through main street What I saw was hard to describe.

    If I hadnt closed my eyes, I would have screamed and felt embarrassed enough to shoot myself with the P90.

    Various masks avable~, popr ck Shaft is in stock~! There is also a blushing silver side too~!

    Hey, oldman! DO you have any one-handed hatchets for throwing?! Ill buy as much as I can!

    Oh, what would you do if you buy those axes? That kind of person who wants to show his skill with the back target.

    Leader! That ck mask is so cool!

    Hey, did you hear? The ck Mask seems to know a lot of martial arts, right?

    Gahaha! From tomorrow, my name Gabriel of the ck Mask will roar in the Capital instead of that Shaft of the ck Mask!

    For close quarters, there is that Overlord Flower Rafflesia Felix, right? Which one is stronger?

    As expected of our leader! Then Im Augustine of the Green Mask!

    A new work will start soon at the open-air theater, this time , its about the tragic love between the ck Nobleman and the Duke Princess.

    Then, Im the Blushing Balthazar!

    In the first ce, The ck Nobleman and the Garo Labyrinth is being prepared for the performance. Ah, I want to go see it once.

    As we passed the shops, the women at the teahouse on the open terrace talked, even though I didnt want to listen. But I passed with a light grudge against the sharpness of my ears. However, if you call it ck Nobleman, you will feel like you cant say anything to the theatermunity. Regardless if it were true or false.

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    Kay:I remmebereddd.

    In the second district of the Capital, I sat on the coach seat with Ma-san as he held the reigns. We proceeded through the district to the Marida Company headquarters

    At first, my purpose for creating my second persona, Shaft, was to hide my first persona, Schwartz, for when I did things publicly. But what about this current situation? The impact of Garos Labyrinth being subjugated alone was great. However, the poprity of masks simr to the ker mask had be insane. Also the increase in theatrical performances too Wasnt it a little overkill?

    Somehow, feeling the hyped-up atmosphere, I saw the Marida Company headquarters.

    As expected, the guards who stood by the warehouse on the first level did not wear a mask. They wore coats simr to what I was wearing. As far as I can remember, I hadnt worn it when I came through before though I couldnt speak for others, but spring was approaching and the days temperature was rising, so it shouldnt be so cold that youd want a coat.

    We arrived.

    Company Chairman! Thank you for your hardwork!

    One of the guards who stood in front of the warehouse noticed Malta-san and approached us. He looked at me sitting beside me. I think I was meeting this one for the first time, so he didnt seem to know who I was because of the mask covering my face.

    Do you know where Marida is?

    Yes, she is in the store.

    Tell her that Shaft hase.

    Yes, Mr. Shaft, underst

    The guards mouth went stiff mid sentence

    Its been a while, Shaft-sama.

    After I was brought through the reception room of Malta-sans residence, Marida, Malta-sans wife, came. It seems she was working by the look of her appearance as she put her long brown hair down as she wore a white blouse and blue trousers. Behind her, the maid Maltia pushed a tea wagon. I had met her before, she had long straight ck hair and was in her mid-twenties. She was in charge of the familys care.

    Both the Malta couple and I sat on the sofas in the drawing room, with a table between us while the maid prepared tea.

    Its been a long time, Shaft-sama. I heard that you like tea very much, so I brought you freshly picked tea shipped from the production area.

    Meltia talked about the tea and poured it into the tea cup. It was a transparent light orange, simr to Darjeerling tea. The mellow scent of the flowers and fruits had a strong scent, which I enjoyed. The taste of tea tends to be light, but if you steam it slowly in hot water, the taste will strengthen. The tea culture in this world was still developing, but meltia seemed to have steamed it slightly longer.

    Here you go.

    Thank you.

    Though I replied, I still wore my mask. I didnt pick it up right away and waited for Meltia to leave the room. Perhaps she realized I didnt want to show my true face, she left the room after she poured a portion for the couple, saying If you need anything else, please let me know..

    Below the table, I secretly opened the TSS and removed the zombie face beneath the mask through the avatar customization. Afterward, I removed the mask and exposed Schwartzs face to Marida. I hadnt met her as Schwartz yet, but considering the future, it would be more convenient if she knew who I was. I had already taught Bil-san, the manager in Barga, thus I didnt see a reason to hide it from Marida.

    Oh my, your real face is more normal than I expected. In the Capital, Shaft-samas face is a hot topic, especially among women.

    I usually show a different face with the help of magic tools. I showed my real face now after thinking about the future. My real name is Schwartz, not Shaft. Please keep it all a secret.

    Marida, Schwartz-sans magic tool is amazing, usually  to put it simply  looks like the face of an undead. There is a good reason why he wears a mask. Among thepany, only Bill and I know of this matter.

    I understand, I swear Ill never speak of what is under teh mask, Shaft-sama and Schwartz-sama, however I recalled I heard that name somewhere Oh, maybe its that map shop Schwartz?

    Map Shop Schwartz At the Garo Labyrinth Harvest festival, thebyrinth thatd been left unattended was suddenly subjugated. And itd been done under the power of a single mercenary. Without saying, it attracted a lot of attention. Moreover, the mysterious mercenary Shaft had suddenly reappeared again and made the capital prosperous, but disappeared after the subjugation. He did not appear at the festival. Thus, it furthered the mystery and brought more attention.

    The map that was distributed for it was as urate and clear as anyone had ever seen. And it covered up to the 20th floor. Since the creator was also shrouded in mystery, it was secretly attracting attention like Shaft, which seems like there was a search for the marker in the shadows.

    Eventually, a man named Schwartz, an adventurer, was mentioned. It seemed that was the conclusion the investigators who worked for the bigpanies managed toe to. Before, no one knew of the adventurer and it seemed to have been changed to Map Shop Shwartz. It seems that was the name that circted in circles, despite it being inurate.

    I see Im sure I provided the map for Garos Labyrinth, but I have no intention of acting as a map shop. I nned on exploring and subjugatingbyrinths in each area. However creating the map is a different issue.

    I see I understand. Lets end this matter. Minnea will be back from the academy soon, so Id like to talk about some business by then, is that okay?

    After we took a break with tea, the talks began.

    Some theater-themed performances were being performed on their own, but the idea of the portrait rights and personality rights were still in their infancy here. Simrly, trademark rights were considered sparse, but the products rted to Shaft sold by the Marida Company had a seven-percent share prepared.

    I was curious about the product, but the lunch box was sold as abyrinth lunch. They even sell a ck bento, a ck painted box, now. It is said that they also produced cheap baskets of lunch boxes and the ck box was the more luxurious version. For the time being, I got the new ck bento box.

    Furthermore, there were different face masks that imitated my ker mask. At the beginning, only ck ones were made. As time went on, it seemed like the otherpanies followed suit before masks began to change in shape and color.

    And it is said that masked balls had be a popr time of party with the nobles. They hide their face and identity while dressing up bright and indulge in gossip and small talk. The kind they normally could never speak of in public, even the kind that included secrets rted to the kingdom.

    From here on, it was a new type of business. Ma-san and Marida-san asked a question, such as where my tomahawk was made. That kind of question.

    I was at a loss for this question. They say demand for throwable hatchets like the one I used was growing. However, the cksmith guild had many things to research, such as weight, material, and the weapons center of bnce. Apparently, it was far from being close to Shafts hatchet.

    Then, their idea was to trade directly with my supplier. However, my business partner was the VMB shop.

    I did not want to be a weapon merchant in this world. I knew that anything other than a firearm could be handed over, even the hatchet, but it was still a weapon. So I decided to fell one to Malta-san as a research sample. We continued our talks with a few more topics being brought up but Marida-san was interested in the wine Id brought out of the RV. She argued that if the taste was high-ss, itd be wasteful to leave it be. So she suggested I sell it.

    But how do you sell a wine with an unknown origin and harvest date?

    Lets say its wine born in thend where the mysterious ck Nobleman was born and raised. You dont need abel. If you are aware of the alcohol content, we can sell it with a ckbel attached. As for the brand name, how about wine from Shaft  Shaft Wine?

    No, its certainly the wine from the RV from VMB, born in the world I was from, but shaft wine Felt like a counterfeit

    Malta-san also started to consider this idea, and decided to sell it as a hidden alcohol that would be known among the aristocrats and wealthy. To recover my CP that had been exhausted in the battle with the Pirate fleet, I needed to earn a stable ie  This situation made me realize once again that the Marida Company was indeed one of thergestpanies in Kurtmerga.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    Kay: Wasnt me!

    _ _ _ _ _ _

    In the reception room at the Marida Companys headquarters, I was able to discuss may things with the Malta couple. Apparently, thered been various products made in regards to Shaft that were selling well. But it was also extremely embarrassing. Even in the previous world, the PC Peripherals and controllers I used were sold with the Schwartz model names.

    Manufacturers often made equipment with attached pro-teams for fans. The products that took advantage of Shafts poprity were no different, so it was easier to ept it.

    And what remained was the Kings Festival, which was the purpose of my visit.

    First of all, the Kings festival will be held a week from now, in the first district at the auction house Hirashia. It will be in three days to sell a wide variety of weapons, magical tools, fine arts, and magic stones, etc.

    I listened to Malta-sans exnation about how the festival was arranged. The participation fees and goods were divided daily throughout the three-day auction, sponsored by the Royal family. Participation was not restricted by social status but their participation fee on the third day was set quite high, which eliminated any low status person. Naturally, many expensive items would be put out every day.

    The dungeon core I collected and exhibited by Malta-san was scheduled to be put out on the third day. It seemed that the list of items to be auctioned were posted in the lobby at the auction house. The aristocratic messengers and merchants were already checking the list for when they wanted toe.

    The auction format, which wasmon in my old world, was that people would bid on an item and the highest bidder would win. When you paid the participation fee, youd be given a wooden tag with a number on it, and it seemed that youd need to raise it and say the amount of your bid. There were also other rules, but you had to check with them directly at the Hirashia Auction House.

    When we were almost finished with our talk, I saw a light spot rushing towards the reception room on the map. I looked at Malta and Marida who sat in front of me, then put on my mask and switched my consciousness to Shaft. The light spot stopped at the door and I heard my sensors pick up taking a small breath.

    Knock Knock.

    There was a modest knock on the door. Both Malta and Marida smile. No, I did as well.

    Excuse me!

    The voice was clearly tense, but it was Minnea, the couples only daughter, who entered.

    Father, mother, Im back now. Shaft-sama, i-its been a long time!

    Minnea showed me a curtsey, picking up the hems of her skirt slightly with a small bow. Since it was done, I returned her greeting. I stood, pulled one leg and bent one arm horizontally across my chest and bowed.

    Its been a long time, Minnea.

    Yes! Congrattions on subjugating Garos Labyrinth!

    Oh, thank you. It seems youre using that brooch.

    Minnea wore a blouse with a pping blue bird brooch on her chest. I bought it for her during our sightseeing tour of the capital after the kidnapping case was resolved.

    Yes! I wear this every time I go to the academy.

    It seems you like it very much.

    Minnea, go change your clothes for the time being. Shaft-sama, will you be staying here tonight?

    Yeah, Ill be out tomorrow so Ill be in your care only for tonight.

    See, Shaft-sama said that too.

    Yes, Ill change my clothes at once.

    With that said, she left the room.

    That night, I had supper at the mansion. We talked about the academy, the spread of Shafts poprity, the story of the maids Amy and Prisera that I knew. After I listened to the story of Alm and Shilvara who worked with thepany now, Minnea asked about the subjugation. I skipped a few parts here and there. I also spoke about some of my adventures. Once she got tired and went to bed, I went to Malta-sans private room and talked untilte night.

    The next morning, the four of us had breakfast and afterward, since Minnea needed to go to school, I ended up apanying her. The First Magic Academy was a white-stone castle-like school, and it was said that there were various facilities and training sites on the grounds. Including an experiment site.

    It is said that children of powerful merchants, high-ranked adventurers, nobility, and royalty attended here. Seriously, when I stay in the parking lot, there were many carriages that passed through and dropped off students.

    Then Shaft-sama, Ill go.

    I hope you will study hard today as well.

    Yes!

    When I saw Minnea off, she kept looking back again and again as she waved. I noticed the light spots slowly surround me and Melta from a distance. I could hear whispers such as Is that really the ck Mask?, Eh? Is heing to the Royal Capital?

    If I stood out too much, I may attract unwanted attention so I began to move to my next errand.

    Meltia-san, Ill walk to the General Guild. You can go back to the Marida Company.

    If its the guild, Ill guide you there.

    No, I dont want to travel too much in a carriage with thepanys crest. Tell Malta-san that Ill be there the night after tomorrow.

    Understood. Please be careful.

    The reason I wanted to go to the guild from the academy was to get the reward for subjugating Garos Labyrinth, which Id put on hold on iming. I didnt know how much the reward would be, but as long as it works as Shaft, I want to collect it before something happens. No I hoped nothing would happen, but The capitals General Guild library was another ce I wanted to visit.

    I needed to gather more information on the nextbyrinth raid. I also wanted to find more information about this world and the sender of that email. There was also the northern part of the kingdom. The ce I was teleported to by the circle, where it was. I needed to search for that information, even if I found only a little. There was a lot of stuff to look up and things to do thatd probably keep me until the sun went down.

    With this in mind, I walked down the main street of the capital.

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148

    The General guild in the capital was the headquarters for the branches within the kingdom. As of now, I was walking to the guild in the 2nd district from the 1st district where the First Magic Academy was located. With many of the citizens beginning their daily activities, the main street that ran through the middle of the capital was bustling.

    Many of them wore adventurer/explorer-styledbat clothing. The main street was also full of merchants and workers. I had the impression that this world had a mixture of medieval and modern styles simr to my world. Itd been half a year since I fell into this world, and while Ive been here, I had one certainty.

    There were other people from my world here besides me. That I was sure of.

    However the number of people here couldnt be that much, and their impact had been little on this world. What was the major influence on my old world was analog technology and a desire to improve the standard of living. This included toys, entertainment, and fashionable clothing.

    The influencing factor here was magic. Fields such as politics, the government structure, science and medical care revolved around magic. I didnt feel the ideals behind my world here. Spread out before me, the buildings in the center were made from stone. And where the quality of life began to drop off, wooden buildings began as a cheaper alternative. Though, it was typical ofrger cities to use stone.

    This was the influence of magic on construction. Stone was a building material bolded by magic and then shaped into a building. Given the influences of the humans of my old world, it wouldnt have been weird to see reinforced concrete structures. However, I had yet to see any such building.

    As I walked, I thought about such things before I saw the guild.

    I entered the premises of the guild and went to the main building to confirm where I could receive my reward for subjugating Garos Labyrinth. The main building was a ce where people registered with the guild, held promotion exams, and received and gave out requests from their bulletin board. The information desk was also there. And simr to Barga, the guildsyout reminded me of a bank with teller-like counters.

    It was full with adventurers who came to receive their requests. I waited out the rush and then moved to an open desk where I was greeted by a receptionist.

    Can I ask something?

    Ah, yes, good morning. How may I help you?

    I came to receive a special reward Ive yet to receive. Where should I go?

    Do you mean something other than the usual request reward? Please let me see your card first. Before I can confirm any rewards, I have to confirm your identity.

    I handed over my mercenary card. She took it and inserted it into the pedestal of the crystal ball thatd been ced behind the counter.

    What kind of magical tool was this? Did it work like a personalputer?

    While the receptionist operated it with a connected keyboard-like object, she paused and looked over to me to see my face.. But I wore my mask. After confirming my appearance, she returned to the ball.

    Ah, umm Are you the person himself?

    No doubt.

    In response to my short reply, the receptionists face instantly flushed.

    Please wait a minute! Ill report to my supervisor at once!

    She jumped away from the counter and ran over to another where a woman was sitting. With the sound sensor, I heard Sha-Shaft-sama is here!, Shaft-sama? You mean that ck Nobleman?. I then heard Yes, thats right! Its real! as they excitedly whispered.

    The supervisor turned to me. Our gazes met. Was she from the elven race? The elf woman stood up and walked over. You could see her long green hair, golden eyes, and long ear tips pushing out of her straightened hair. Even though the elves were grouped together with the Dwarves as fey, they had no connection between the two. In addition, fey included people such as sirens of the open ocean and Dryads of forests.

    Although they were clearly different from demons and the beast race, they were not evil like monsters. Despite being grouped together as fey.

    Im sorry to have kept you waiting. Im Valvara, Deputy Guild Master of the General Guild of Kurtmerga. We will prepare a room in the back, may we talk about the rewards there?

    Alright, its fine anywhere.

    Thank you. Then, she will be your guide, so please wait.

    I will guide you!

    When I noticed the receptionisting back, the flushed woman guided me through the door behind the counters and away from the throng of adventurers. The moment of the door closed, the hustle and bustle of the reception area changed.

    Hey, did you see that just now?

    Yeah, maybe hes the real ck Shaft?

    He looked more normal than I expected.

    Isnt it like the aker whos always at the bar?

    I dont know, but its Valvara, the deputy herself who called him in?

    Hey, contact the n master. If he hasnt joined, this is our chance.

    That Shaft has appeared in the Royal Capital.

    The bustle fell away with each step. Apparently, news that Shaft was in the capital would spread now. If I wanted to avoid getting entangled with some bothersome people. I had the option to change back to Schwartz, or use apletely different mask. However, I didnt want to keep the fact that Shaft and Schwartz were in the same ce at the same time.

    Besides, if I kept pretending I was a different person with different masks, Id be required to remove the mask and expose my real face for identity verification. There was the zombie facade for that, but if It were also exposed that it was fake as well, I wouldnt know what to do after. Itd be a messter on.

    Here it is, the Deputy Guild Master will be here soon, so please wait.

    Thank you.

    ! N-o problem!

    The receptionist, whod been calm a moment again, suddenly turned bright red and sprinted back to the lobby. The room Id been guided to was an ordinary reception room with sofas and a table. I sat on one sofa and watched the blips on my map move around It was strange There were four blips that I thought would head to this room, but they all entered the adjacent room immediately, and one of them moved towards this room.

    Three of them remained unmoving while the fourth got close to the wall separating the rooms. When viewed from my spot, there was a painting on the wall. A picture of a man and woman who sat around a fire eating. How to say. This was really old-fashioned..

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    Im sorry for having kept you waiting, Shaft-san.

    The one who came in from the other room was Valvara-san, the Deputy Guild Master. She had brought arge bag with a bundle of documents in hand.

    No problem, I havent waited that long.

    Thank you. Before giving you the special reward, might I ask some questions about the subjugation?

    Of course, I dont mind.

    Thank you. Then

    The question from Valvara-san was simple. Beginning with the confirmation of the start date and exploration time, it switched to questions about the guard on the 25th floor, then the Labyrinth master, the innermost room, and where was the core ced. While the questions seemed okay, I was curious about the questions that were casually inserted.

    No, I remember it was just a straight road, but it wasnt the same for the knights after that?

    When thebyrinth dies, the space between the thrones and the pedestal room begins to disappear. So only the subjugation party can investigate the bottom floor.

    I see.

    I answered the questions as urately as possible while obviously concealing my powers However, I clearly lied for herst question. In the innermost part of thebyrinth, between the throne and the pedestal rooms, it wasnt just a passage. There had been four living quarters mapped out. I wondered what it meant? He That werewolf had lived there, hungry, despaired and suffering.

    Hed gone mad.

    You could see the shadow of the human in him. A former human from my world set at the very bottom. Then there was me whod been epted by this world as someone had broken my chain.

    However, I could vaguely see the rtionship between the humans of my old world and this world. However, I could not confirm it Maybe it had been my imagination

    ***Kay: Please dont ask, I had a stroke just trying to decipher what the hell as well.******

    Maybe the fact that the Depute Guild Master asked meant that the guild knew of their existence as Labyrinth Masters. Or, maybe they didnt see them as just an evil entity.

    Thank you, it was helpful.

    No, I wanted to ask something too.

    Yes, what is it?

    It was my first time seeing the Labyrinth master. Are mostbyrinth masters humanoids?

    No, there arent manybyrinths where the monsters in thebyrinth dont match the master. As far as we know, the sculpture atop the guardians gate imitates the lord. Most of the monsters will be simr to that image.

    There are more?

    May I ask you something too?

    Is there something else?

    I heard that therge mana stone brought back from thebyrinth will be sent to the auction, is that correct?

    Yes, why do you ask? I heard the list of items have already been posted at the Hirashia Auction already.

    Although the items have already been posted, to avoid unnecessary crime, only the seller knows the buyer.

    When the topic of the stone came up, the three light spots floated to the wall bordering this room. I also stared at the painting they hid behind through my mask. Perhaps they were looking through that picture. The adventurers eyes in the painting seemed to be peep holes.

    The slight movement was captured with my sensors and their positions reflected on my map. Perhaps the painting itself was transparent in the room over there? Something simr to a one-way mirror?

    I see. Thats why there are so many people interested in the stone I want to sell?

    ?!

    Valvara-sans expression changed for the first time since she entered.

    You noticed it, Im sorry.

    With that said, Valvara-san gestured to the painting toe. I watched as all three of them began to move on the map. After a light knock, all three of them entered the room. I noticed a familiar face among the three while the other two were new faces.

    As expected of the ck Mask Shaft. Despite us already gutting off our presence

    Out of the three people who entered, the only one I knew was Siegfried, of the guild Id met at the Mercenary headquarters. His slender and droopy face, tall and thin body with brown hair hadnt changed at all. The impression he gave was that he was unreliable.

    Siefried So, what about those two?

    This gramps is Duke Marlen Verdaline, Guild Master of the General Guild of Kurtmerga.

    Dont call me gramps, you fool!  Ehem! I am Marlen, the Guild Master who handles the guild. Although my title is Duke, Id prefer my official position instead, so you dont need to be formal.

    Shaft, you dont need to use honorifics for this grandpa, and this woman is Ophelia Dragrange.

    Ophelia Dragrange. ck Mask Shaft, I wanted to meet you at least once after I heard about your story in the Capital. So, Im d that it came true in an unexpected way.

    Im Shaft of the Mercenary Guild.

    Two aristocrats with surnames I stood from the sofa and showed only the bare minimum necessary for a greeting. The Duke, an old magician who was said to be the Guild Master, had a long white beard that reached down to his waist but had a bald head. It was to the extent that he showed his worries by touching his beard constantly. His wrinkled face held a smile but his slender eyes had a sharp color and he seemed to try ande up with something.

    On his side was a tall female knight standing who introduced herself as Dragrange. She was more like a princess knight rather than an ordinary knight. The great aristocrat who governed the Margrave territory to the north. A eld with long pale pink hair, blue eyes, and a slender figure held in knight attire.

    However, with Ophelia Dragrange? That name  I heard it somewhere before

    Through the escort request made by Laptricia Balga, the third daughter of Duke Balga of the Fortress City of Balga, where I visited Venell. There, we encountered a suspicious trio, and the name used by them to deceive others was Ophelia Dragrange

    What ever happened to the trio at that time? The trio whoughed and left without being seen by none other than me. Their unnaturalness should have been reported with a sealed letter and sent to Siegfried.

    So, it seems that you were interested in the stone. Do you have anything to say to me?

    Oh, thats it. Actually, it turned out that a little Phantom Thief entered the Capital and theyre aiming for the stone at auction.

    Phantom thief?

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    At the Capitals General Guilds main office, I was supposed to receive the reward for subjugating Garosbyrinth. Once in the reception room Id be brought to meet Siegfried, the Guild Master of the General Guild, Duke Verdaline, and the Magrave of Dragrange, Ophelia Dragrange. From them, I heard about a thief that came for the Kings Festival

    Phantom Thief..?

    Yes, the Phantom Thief Nekoyanagi, a.k.a Rose-Gold Pussy Willow. A group not as big as a bandit group, just rumored to be three people.

    Nekoyanagi The shrub that grows naturally on the riverside. It is characterized by having flower ears that resemble a white bushy cat. ording to Siegfieds exnation, Nekoyanagi was a group that had stolen widely throughout Kurtemerga and the neighboring countries. And they had be a wanted group throughout the continent of Ondo.

    Theyd stolen various things such as magic stones, jewels, fine arts, antiques, magic technology, grimoires, magical weapons, and magic tools. All the items had been, so far, of the highest quality. However, Nekoyanagi had not killed anyone during these crimes. And the next thing they were aiming for was what Malta-san and I were to exhibit at the auction, thebyrinth core. Well, I had nothing to say besides that it was a really confident action. The Kings Festival was an auction hosted by the Royal Family of the Kurtmerga Kingdom. Their security would, of course, be of the highest level.

    I followed Nekoyanagi from the Margrave of Dragrange to the Royal Capital. They often appeared in the Margrave. It seems that theyre using it as a gateway into the kingdom. Such a disgrace is unforgivable. They must be arrested and atone for their sins.

    I see, so Ophelia came to the General Guild to strike a cooperative alliance?

    Thats why, Shaft, I knew immediately that the seller of therge mana stone was Marida Company, but their source was still unclear. Thats why I wanted to confirm it.

    Therefore, I have a proposal for Shaft-san.

    Proposal?

    Thats right. Originally, it would have been extremely rude to make such an offer to the seller, but considering the strength of the individual, it was inefficient to waste Shaft-san, one of the prominent powers of the Kingdom.

    In another word?

    We would like you to cooperate in capturing the group Nekoyanagi.

    How far do you expect me to cooperate?

    Its simple, if something happens inside Hirashia on the third day, you can deal with it as you wish. In short, you can protect your exhibit yourself, in the case when they escape, we will track them.

    The basic guard for the festival will be carried out by the Central 4th Order Knights. Even though there will be a notice for the thieves, it is not possible to dispatch armed personnel from the guild. Even if it was possible, the knights cannot give up the honor of escorting the Royal Family.

    All we are looking for is someone strong who knows the circumstances that will be participating in the festival. And to help capture them. Please, we can only ask you for this.

    After I listened to their exnations, they wondered if I would receive their request, which could not be considered a request. However, you dont have to worry about my answer. I was just told someone was aiming for mybyrinth core. As a response, lets take appropriate measures. Lets work together after all.

    Understood, lets cooperate to capture them.

    After that, I took my reward for subjugating Garos Labyrinth and heard all the information they had on Nekoyanagi. Then, got up to head to the library.

    Oh yes, Siegfried. Did you read the letter I sent in Veneer?

    Hmm? Ah, that. Were still investigating the matter. The behavior of the trio disguised were just eating then left. We only know this much, moreover, the Veneer staff are too busy with other work to go chasing food thieves, so no progress so far.

    Ophelia raised her voice after she waited for Siegfried to finish.

    Shaft, can I ask where you are staying in the capital?

    My lodging? I havent taken any yet.

    I see, then its good. In the first district of the capital, there is a luxury inn called Pavilion of Tranquility. If you tell them that youre using my introduction, you will get a room right away. If people know that the ck Mask Shaft is staying at a second, or third rate inn, youll soon be surrounded.

    While saying that, Ophelias expression loosened. From the time shed entered this room and until now, shed always talked with a serious expression. There was something like a feeling of impatience. Maybe it loosened because I agreed to cooperate with this capture.

    Thanks, thats helpful. I was nning to search for an inn in the evening. At worst, Id probably wouldnt get an inn at all.

    I see, this might bring a lot of convenience.

    Then please excuse me.

    With that said, when I tried to leave the room, the positions of the blips on my map were strange The light near the door leading from the reception lobby of the main people to the corridor leading to this room The light spot seemed to harden, like a wall of light. This It seems that it was revealed that I was here.

    Siegfried, can I get out of this room from the backdoor rather than going through the lobby?

    Oh, you can leave from there. I see, so you noticed the people in the lobby?

    Then, I will guide you. Siegfried should stay with the Guild Master and Ophelia.

    I was guided by Valvara-san and headed away from the lobby. I could still hear the conversation of the remaining three in the room as we moved away.

    I feel relieved with this, there wont be any mistakes if its him.

    If possible, Id like them alive and arrested, but he is the man who is called The Headhunting Shaft behind the scenes after all. Even so, Ophelia, havent you given up on looking for a husband yet?

    What do you say, Duke Verdaline. For the future of Dragrange, for the sake of peace, I will wee any man to be my husband. However, if that man is stronger than me

    If so, thats settled then! It is said that no matter Sword Princess Ophelia did, she would not win against a man who walks through thebyrinth himself.

    It would need to be

    What the hell are they talking about.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    In the drawing room of the General Guild, I heard about the phantom thief group Nekoyanagi, aka, Rose Gold Pussywillow, that aimed to steal mybyrinth core. Nekoyanagi was a mysterious trio of thieves who were wanted in all the nations on the continent. I agreed with their request for cooperation after I received my reward for subjugating thebyrinth then left out the back door.

    There is an emergency exit if you go straight ahead.

    Sorry for the trouble.

    With the guide from Valvara-san, the deputy guildmaster, I left via the backdoor of the main building. There was a wall of light waiting for me toe out the front. This must have meant that my presence was known within the city now. It would be difficult to leave the guilds campus so I decided to head to the guilds library as I had originally nned.

    The library itself was three stories tall, with underground floors as well. Though, considering the scale of the city, it was probably just as deep. The first order of business was to investigate the geography of the kingdom on the first floor. I wanted to collect as much information as possible about the location in the north where Id been teleported to via the transfer circle at the pirate cove.

    It might be helpful in the event of rescuing the kidnapped people. Not to mention that we should do something about the mastermind behind it.

    However, if I ever did go north one day, I wanted to do something about it.

    I checked with the librarian if the library had a map of the entire kingdom. He confirmed and I borrowed a terribly simple map of the entire kingdom. I rented a private reading room and then spread out the map. From there, I took screenshots of the map and then examined the map.

    The royal capital of the kingdom stretched from east to west with the seat located to the south, and undeveloped forests to the west. The ins spread until the end in the east, and the north had mountains. That was the terrain of the Kurtmerga. And in the north, was the Kingdom of Drak which bordered Kurtmerga. While neither were officially at war at the moment, a ceasefire treaty existed and they had a history of repeated skirmishes.

    It was said that the Bashburn Empire was further north of the Drak Empire, but it was only marked as a simple icon. So was the Draks topography.

    When I looked at the way the mountains ran on the map, I tried to guess where the magic circle took me. The kingdom may be the mastermind but that was a dangerous thought. In the first ce, there was a high chance that the home of Kaidou would ever be found normally. But there was a transfer circle set up and the destination was within the Kingdom of Drak. Though, even with the destination known, it was likely impossible to find the mastermind.

    I returned the map to the librarian, then looked for books on myths and folklore. Especially the old literature from the kingdom and all of Ondo.

    What was the purpose of the sender of that email? Who dropped into this world and tried to make me abyrinth master?

    In the end, there was nothing. The history of this kingdom was short. After its founding, it had fought often with its neighbors and hadmitted itself to self-defense. The only literature dated back to the founding of the country itself. If someone wanted more information, theyd have to check outside the country as they had longer histories.

    However, I did not have any such ns at present. So, I decided to suspend my investigation into this matter, and move to the basement floor. There was another thing I wanted to find out about which was about thebyrinth.

    There were two greatbyrinths around the capital. This was the Labyrinth of the Demonic Beast King, where thergest number of explorers in the country dove and brought back achievements  while also holding a great many deaths. The other was the Labyrinth of the Snake Head. Which also had caused many deaths and its subjugation had begun to stagnate. So far, based on the exploration, the Kingbyrinth had reached the 150th floor, and Snakehead was on the 55th floor.

    Should I go explore the Snakehead Labyrinth? If possible, it was better to have as few people around, but being next to the capital, the number of explorers exploring it was not small. I did not know if I would attack thisbyrinth all-out, though I would go once the festival was over.

    I collected information on the Snakehead Labyrinth, taking screenshots on the monsters and maps avable. Since it was called Snakehead, were there a lot of lizard-type monsters and variants?

    After that, when I left the library, I realized the sun had set. The library was not open 24/7, so when I came out the librarian kicked me out since it was past closing time. I reluctantly left and headed towards the first district using mainstreet. The sky was dyed red, and there were no swarms of light spots waiting for me.

    Did they give up since I didnte out of the main building, or did the staff tell them I had already left? For the time being, I headed to the Pavillion of Tranquility that had been introduced by Ophelia Dragange for the night. Upon entering the first district, I was able to confirm the location of the inn with the guards and got there without issue.

    The inn itself was a four-story stone building with a mouth shaped courtyard. The stone architecture in this world was often three-stories at the highest. The fact that this went above that meant itd been built by someone with a high degree of skill, or that magic had been used in its construction.

    Wee, how may I help you? Would you like to take a meal or a room reservation?

    I entered the lobby and went to the receptionist at the desk. Apparently, the inn used a reservation system.

    I came here with the introduction of the Margrave of Dragrange.

    The Margrave, is it? Please let me confirm it, but is it correct that the esteemed guest is Shaft-sama of the Mercenary guild? If there is no mistake, please present your guild card.

    Sure, I am Shaft.

    I handed my card over and the man checked it. He then rang a small bell from behind the desk.

    Wee to the Pavillion of Tranquility, Shaft-sama. We are honored to be used by the hero of Kurtmerga.

    If possible, I would like it if you kept it a secret that I am here.

    I understand. You can use the restaurant on the first floor for meals, but if you wish, we can also bring it to your room. Also, Ophelia Dragrange-sama has given us a message to pass onto you. Lets have dinner together tonight, that is all.

    Understood.

    When the dinner is ready, we will send the person in charge, so please wait in your room. Also, all the amodation fees from today and until thest day of the Kings Festival have already been handled by the Margrave.

    I understand. Thank you.

    Youre wee. Then the person in charge hase, she will guide you to your room.

    From the back of the front desk, a young beast-woman came. She appeared to be a youngster in herte teens or early twenties.

    Dear esteemed guest, I am Koti, Im in charge of your room. I will guide you to your room, nyan.

    Is it like a waitress attached to the room? I followed Koti and headed for the room. Apparently, the room prepared was on the 4th floor, and that all the rooms on the floor had been rented out by the Margrave.

    The room I was guided too wasrge and spacious, with a king sized bed, toilet, and bathroom. For some reason, the bath culture had not spread to the general public in this world. Ive only seen it a few times in noble andrge trading houses, not individual homes. And there were only a few ces simr to public paths. It seemed it was uneptable to use hot water with others.

    The bathroom in Malta-sans house had a bathtub with magic runes that consumed magical power, simr to the one here. Only, this one used mana stones. This was very nice.. After I received a brief exnation from Koti about the magic circle in the room, I decided to take a short break until dinner was ready.

    However, Ophelia looked for me

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    After talking to the front desk, I was guided by Koti to my room. When I used the provided bathroom, the bathtub apparently used water and fire mana stones to provide hot water. I spent some time enjoying the bath before dinner.

    While soaking, I yed with the TSSs window, and chose a mask to wear for dinnerter. The mouth part would have to be open since I have to eat, should I use a bat-like mask, or a ck panther vian mask? I didnt know the atmosphere of where wed eat, but I heard that masquerade was bing popr within the capital, so I wondered if I should go with the panther mask.

    I got out of the tub and wiped myself with a cloth.

    It seemed that textile technology was not advanced enough to produce something close to a towel. Incidentally, there must have been some bath towels in the Continentals restroom. When I bring it out to collect more wine, should I also collect the bath towels too? With that in mind, everything that was ced within the living area of the Continental was high quality. The sofas, tableware, utensils and toiletries. Furniture, tools, and items were all luxury. For this world, there were exceptionally high quality.

    A dot on my map began to approach the room. With the speed of movement and the light steps on the rug in the hall, it was likely Koti wasing.

    Knock Knock.

    Shaft-sama, the preparation for dinner was ready, nyan.

    I opened the door and entered the hall. Koti was standing there, in a different outfit but still neat.

    Im sorry to have kept you waiting. Normally, the first floor is the venue for meals, but tonight, we prepared a special lounge on the fourth floor.

    The room that I stayed in was on the 4th floor and the lounge itself was located further back on the floor. I walked down the hall that overlooked the courtyard. When I looked down, I could see that the courtyard also had tables and chairs. Most likely an outdoor restaurant.

    I heard this was a high-inn restaurant, but what was different from an ordinary inn? In that case, not only the interior and setting of each room, but also the luxury of the space where you ate. You could enjoy the perfection while you ate and drank.

    This is the room, nyan.

    It seemed that the innermost side of the mouth-shaped building was the lounge. Two men in knight-like attire, based on the deep green color, stoof on either side of the double door. Were they knights of the Margrave?

    I have brought Shaft-sama, nyan.

    Wee, Shaft-sama. I believe Ophelia will being soon. Please enter and wait. If you have any weapons, we will keep them here.

    This might be natural. When I came before, I was only wearing the ck german Waffen-SS outfit without the overcoat. Although I didnt have the weapons I carried as Shaft, I took out a simple knife I kept in my chest pocket for emergencies before handing it over.

    The inside of the lounge was wide, and it was likely a ce to use for arge number of invited guests. But it seemed that tonights guests were just me and Ophelia. It was illuminated by magically lit candlesticks. Two chairs faced each other from opposite ends of a table.

    I sat in the chair Koti had pulled out. She then bowed and left for the room assigned for the waiters.

    I thought I was saved the trouble of looking for an inn, so I came here after Ophelia introduced me, but the flow up to this point It felt like a date hotel.

    I received the aperitif wine from Koti once she returned to the lounge. She waited as I stirred the wine but didnt taste. The map in my view already showed three light spotsing towards us The first had child-like steps, the second was probably Ophelia, and the third must have been their escort knight due to their position on the map.

    I ced the ss down on the table, and got ready to stand to greet them. Koti approached me at my sudden movement, but I held up my hand to stop her. I waited for the door to open.

    I wonder if Ive made you wait too long, Shaft.

    No , I just got the wine.

    I see, that is good then.

    Ophelia-sama. I shall wait outside. Please let me know if you need anything.

    A woman, who seemed to be the escorting knight stood behind Ophelia, said to her and then left the lounge. At that time, she looked at me for a moment, but I didnt know what she was thinking behind her expressionless face.

    There was someone else in the room, an elf boy. No, I didnt know who he was but he was petite. He pulled the other chair out for Ophelia. Seeing that, I also sat down as well.

    The introduction to the inn was helpful. Thank you Ophelia.

    Tonight, Ophelia wore a dark green backless dress. Her exposed back was draped with her long dressed up pink hair.

    You also seem to have a mask with an open mouth for eating. I was hoping to see our real face, so its regrettable.

    I apologize for that. My real face isnt something that should be seen by ady.

    Are you not confident? The thing that a woman wants from a man is not only his appearance, some women already are if that man has enough power.

    Maybe that is the case, but isnt it still better to have a good face? Especially if they spend a long time together. How much can you love another when an unpleasant partes into their view whenever they see each other. That will determine how much love they have and whether you really love the other person.

    Behind the scenes, being called ck Masked Shaft, ck Nobleman, and yet he said something as if a maiden. So, I cant think of you as a man who is feared as the Head hunting Shaft.

    Im not really interested in those marriages made purely just to continue a bloodline, like the magical aristocracy.

    Thats a shame. The Margraves are looking for a strong man. With the monsters and beasts, paired with the friction with our neighbors, it is imperative that youd need to have blood with strong magical power to handle all of them.

    The elf boy and Koti quietly brought in our meals. Of course, there should have been some exnations of the dishes, but the conversation between Ophelia and I went uninterrupted. So, to avoid obstructing it, they quietly carried the food and cleared away empty dishes as we talked.

    Shaft, what purpose do you intend to use your power for? For a man strong enough to subjugate abyrinth alone, what you going to do in this country without being affiliated with anyone?

    Ophelia, my back isnt as wide as youd expect. I can only hide a little of it. And besides, I have no intention of being involved in the conflict between countries. If I were to be under someone, thatd attach me to some kind of organization. In other words, attaching me to a country. I am someone who has lost their homnd. I have no intention of gaining a new one.

    Then how will you use your power in the future?

    Thebyrinth  I will continue to subjugate thebyrinths, and I will protect those who I want to protect, putting them behind me to protect them as much as I can.

    Hmm You are really a maiden, Shaft. But  I like you even more. I definitely want to be the one behind your back.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    _ _ _ _ _ _

    Dinner with Ophelia Dragangested for about two hours. After it was finished, we moved from the table to the sofa, drinking from the sses as we talked about various things; including the situation in Dragrange, the northernmost part of the kingdom, located in a high-altitude mountain range that crossed into the neighboring Kingdom of Drak. There were several viens of magic ore within the mountains, which meant that monsters descended from the mountains and went on rampages within the territory.

    Although a truce existed with Drak, they were unable to manage the mines properly because of the treaty. In turn, meant that the monsters to do as they pleased.

    The possibility of an undiscoveredbyrinth within the mountain range border, which was called the Demons Mountain Range. In the Margraves territory they wanted as many people as possible to help maintain the security of the area, not to mention with a possiblebyrinth subjugation. As such, Ophelia asked me to include the Margraves :Labyrinth as a candidate if I would like to continue exploringbyrinths.

    As our conversation went on, the female escort knight from before ended.

    Ophelia-sama, its about time.

    Is it that time already? Shaft, Ill stop it here. I have to go to the castle tomorrow morning. I still want to talk with you more, so let us do it another time.

    It was fun tonight, next time, Ill bring my treasured wine.

    Hmm, Ill look forward to it.

    After seeing off Ophelia with her escort, I was escorted by Koti back to my room.

    Shaft-sama, where would you like to have your breakfast prepared tomorrow, nyan?

    Please prepare my meals in the room.

    I understand. Please have a good rest, nyan.

    The next morning, I was woken by Koti whod brought breakfast. I washed my face and then nned my activities for the day as the food was being prepared. The King Festival would start the day after tomorrow. It was a three day event, but I was only here for thest day so I would be free all before then. For the time being, Id stay here today. I needed to n and make preparations for confronting Nekoyanagi. The group said to be aiming for thebyrinth core I would be auctioning on thest day.

    Since Ive already promised Id be going to Malta-sans house tomorrow, I dont have anything before then. It was probably a good idea for the buyer to see what to do when the festival started.

    I decided my ns, left the washroom, and sat at the table to eat.

    Koti, Ill be working from this room today, so stay away until I call for you.

    I understand. If you need something, please call me with the bell on your desk, nyan.

    Koti left after I finished my meal and cleared the table. Afterward, I started up the TSS, checked clothes and masks Id wear on the auction day from the avatar menu. The auction had a dress code so I set-up a set list of costumes with tailcoats and ck panther vian masks so I could change immediately that day. The next thing was armaments.

    I knew that the group was aiming for the core. So, some kind of armament was required. However, before you could enter the auction, you had to check for weapons. Any edged tools was impossible. That said, firearms were too different, so theyd stand out. The first thing I took out of the many things in my inventory was the GPS tracking darts.

    This allowed you to shoot a GPS transmitter, and keep the targets location on the map. The purpose of this was so I could find their hideout in the event they escape. In the event of a battle, I selected the FMG-9 that could be disguised, as well as a taser to prioritize capture.

    A taser was a type of stun gun, a less-lethal weapon that can stop the movement of the target by pulling the trigger, simr to handguns. It blew two-wired electrodes from the muzzle part that passed a current of 50,000 volts to its target The range was about 8 meters, and it was necessary to rece the cartridge in the muzzle where the electrodes were stored after each shot.

    (Editor Kay note: FYI, Stunguns/tasers are often considered Non-lethal, as the author had put. However, that is horribly incorrect. They are LESS-Lethal, meaning less lethal than a firearm. You can still kill someone with a taser. Either by the electrocution, or the lock up afterward. Please do not treat them like toys. They are weapons.)

    Compared to other firearms, the taser hada modest firing sound. The target would pay more attention to the electrical current-induced sh at the moment of injection. While the actual real life weapon would not sh, the VMB version did. I wondered if people had already seen something simr in this world, and instead of iting from a firearm, theyd think it was some magical weapon. Id like to test it during the day.

    I took out the taser gun and FMG-9, spare magazines, and spare cartridge from the supply box. I prepared a gun holder and holster to attach to the back of my waist on my belt. I then wore a tailcoat and checked if it felt unnatural.

    It bulged slightly, probably within the eptable range, however, since I fell into this world; I had hardly practiced shooting to prevent my aim getting bad. It was a perishable skill that you could lose quickly if you didnt practice it even a little. When I was in my old world, I had the time to stay in the VMB target range. I could not do that here. In the real world, it would be impossible to secure as many shooting exercises as youd like without anyone seeing.

    I cant go back and forth to a ce I didnt know, where no one was

    Wait

    It was possible to move discreetly to a distant ce. I still had the transfer circle. It was necessary to set it up at the destination, if I made good use of this, then I might be able to create a training ground in this world as well

    No, rather, what state was the circle in now? A set of transfer circles and copy circled were in the back of the type 74 truck stored in my garage. Meanwhile, there is another pair in the gift box.

    If I took the circle out here and transferred it to the duplicate magic circle stored in the garage, maybe I could fly directly to the garage?

    With that in mind, I couldnt help but give it a try. However, it was quite unpleasant to spread the circle inside this room. Moreover, it was almost lunch time. The preparations for the festival should be finished. Even in this world, with two meals a day as basic food culture, it didnt mean you wouldnt drink and eat from morning till night. I didnt know when Koti woulde back to check if I wanted tea or snacks.

    So, for the time being, I decided to leave the inn. I handed the room key to the desk employee and entered the city. My destination was Marida Company. I moved from the first district to the second and made a beeline for it.

    When I asked the guard if Malta or Martha was avable, they said she was out but Malta was inside. For the time being, when I asked about rying a message to him, two girls came running form the back of the building.

    Ah! Its really Shaft-sama!

    Hey, Amy! Its because Shaft-sama rarelyes!

    Its been a long time, Amy and Prisera.

    Two of them were ordinary human girls I had once rescued. Currently, they were working at thepany and the residence of Malta as migrant workers. Perhaps they worked at the headquarters today as they wore outfits that seemed to be sales uniforms. Amys long brown hair had a brown threeted catchusha, while Priseras blonde hair had a white flower corsage.

    Both the items I bought once.

    Yes, Shaft-sama. Its all thanks to you that were both working well.

    Shaft-sama, Malta is waiting for you. We will guide you.

    I was guided by both of them to the office.

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    Good morning, Shaft-sama. I heardst night that youd be visiting today. Is there anything you need?

    I was guided into a room in the office. Marida-san greeted me and asked for my reason foring.

    Actually, can you rent me a room where no one can watch, or maybe a warehouse?

    A room or a warehouse? In that case, we have a room at our mansion that you can use

    Thanks, but I would like a ce that nobody other than myself is allowed to enter so long as I rent it. Would that be possible?

    Yes, of course. Ill have Amy or Presera guide you there. Please wait a moment.

    Soon, the two girls whod guide me to the aforementioned room arrived.

    Shaft-sama, the Madam has asked me to guide you, so I will.

    Hey, you little  Presera! I was also asked to guide Shaft-sama!

    These two were always together, arent they. While I watched the two with a hidden smile, I went to confirm the room.

    The two guided me to the mansion. From there, they escorted me to one of the guest rooms, in which I confirmed with them that nobody else but me would be allowed to enter the room. Afterward, I asked them to leave. Although reluctant, they left with Please call us if you need. Once I was alone, I began to make preparations.

    I set the sofas and tables aside to make room for the transfer circle. Then, I activated the TSS and brought out a gift box from my inventory. I took out the circle and installed it on the floor. The circle lit with a faint glow that indicated that it was ready for use.

    As Ashley had told me, in order to use it, it required a space-attribute manastone to power it. The faint light signified that there was enough fuel to execute a transfer. If the light went out, that meant it was out of mana. I will have to replenish it.

    Now that preparations werepleted, I stood on the circle.

    Transfer.

    For a moment, a curtain of light blocked my view for a moment, then I found myself inside VMBs garage. The sight was nostalgic. A quick check of my surroundings confirmed I stood on the secondary transfer circle in the bed of the type-74. The garage remained the same as thest time Id been here. The garage was dedicated to vehicles with one car per space. Here, you could take perform various functions such as take screenshots, recover fuel and armor, as well as change the color schemes. The interior of the space could also be changed, and my garage interior had wooden panels.

    I jumped off the loading bay and walked toward the door that connected to the rest of the space where I could operate a keypad. I could apparently change whaty beyond. Something like a pirate room, a shooting range, dock, etc, was selectable. However, the choice that led to the briefing room was diabled. It was not connected to the VMB world. It was pretty much a perfect replica of my VMB section that was isted from the world before and the world I was living in.

    I selected the destination for it to open to my private room. The door in front of me slid open on its own, revealing my old private room. It was a white concrete interior with a simple interior design. There were several chairs, tables, sofas, a ck desk, etc.

    In this room, up to 6 people could enter, including myself. That said, there was not much one could do in the room. It was basically just a social space. yers could also change the interior as well and freely move around the furniture.

    I looked around the sparsely decorated room, pulled out a magazine from a nearby bookshelf. I tried to read it, but all the pages were a mozaic of censored pictures and lines of unreliable characters. Still, in the original game, the magazines were fixed objects that could not be interacted with. The fact I could pull them proved I was not in the game.

    The next thing I checked was the notebook PC at a desk. In addition to having the same functions as TSS, the PC also functioned as an inte connection to the previous world within the game. You could also watch friends y games with a birds eye view perspective The only additional function was the shop functions for the private rooms and garages. But that was enough for me. Consumable items such as furniture and vehicle color changes were not in the regr shop like the material box.

    This material box was a loot box in function. You didnt know what youd get and you could get up to 6 items. It could be a mobile vehicle, an avatar costume, a firearm, and so on. There were many weapons and vehicles that could only be obtained from this box, and most had a special design. Some super rare guns, like the futuristicser gun PHaSR (Personnel Halting and Stimtion Response Rifle)

    Ive purchased the box plenty of times in the past.

    I thought about buying some more, but I came to the royal capital to earn money and CP. To splurge it on a loot box Eh, in the end I didnt buy it. I ended up leaving and going back to the keypad and selecting the shooting range.

    The door opened to a small wooden hut built on a private ind. There were several different ranges on the ind, a mix of outdoor and indoor. The coastline was connected to a TSS dock where you could practice maneuvering and naval gunfire. There was an unmannered target drone that patrolled the sky so you could practice with anti-air weapons without worrying about the cost of ammunition since it was simted.

    After I confirmed the training grounds I was used to had manifested, I checked the first hut. This hut had a magazine for practice, which had no offensive power. It was not a live bullet, but was an energy-type round that traveled the same as an actual bullet. The area had a function that left a temporary bullet hole that faded over time on the targets. Basically acting as a normal round. The magazine would also refill once you removed and reinserted it, simting a reload.

    All kinds of simted ammunition was prepared in the hut, including some boxes with rockets inside of them. When VMB was a game, it wasnt possible to take this ammo out of the range.

    It was a perfect replica of VMB And I could easily store the magazines in the TSS Inventory without an issue. With this, it would be possible to fire the simted bullets in the outside world as well. I dont know what would happens until I tested it on something.

    When I checked the time, several hours had passed, but it should be okay to stay a few hours longer. Thinking so, I took out a training magazine and headed out into the training grounds.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155

    When I moved back from the training grounds, I noticed that there were four dots on the map that were close to the door Well, if the transfer circle I installed had stopped working, I wouldve been stuck inside the private space. In order to hide the existence of the circle, and prevent any unexpected idents, I set up a T-UGS around the circle to warn me about trespassers. Id also have to set up some traps as well. I also recognized the danger of being transfered to my VMB space, so I also stored away the transfer circle in a gift box.

    Once finished, I exited the room without a sound.

    Kya!

    Waa!

    Eeh!

    As the door swung out, the three girls close to the door fell like an avnche. The fourth who stood furthest away was Meltia who looked disappointed.

    I told you , didnt I, Minnea-sama? If we dont inform him first, hell be mad.

    Sha,Shaft-sama! H,Hello- Good evening!

    Mi,Minnea-sama~

    PResera, why are you so heavy~

    The ones who fell just now were Amy, Presera, and Minnea. Minnea was still in her school uniform A quick check of the time did show that it was certainly around the time shed return home. I got too absorbed in shooting practice that I forgot the time.

    So, what are you people doing here?

    Oh, well, when I arrived from the Academy, I heard that Shaft-sama was staying in the Mansion. So, I knocked on your door to greet you. But there was no answer. As if no one was inside. So

    Pardon us, Shaft-sama. We have already informed the Young Miss to not disturb you, but

    Seeing Meltia bow apologetically and Minnea ontop the dogpile, I couldnt really be mad. Well, as long as they didnt enter the room, there was nothing wrong with it.

    Im gonna die~

    Amys pitiful cry echoed in the room as the orange light of the setting sun shined in.

    It was decided that todays dinner would be provided by Malta-sans residence. I was guided by MInnea, who was now in a casual outfit, to the dining room. Malta-san was already waiting for us as he returned earlier from work.

    Shaft-sama, have you finished with your business? I heard you have been secluded in your room since noon.

    Both Malta and Marida-san where in the dining room. They even had sses of liquor in their hands.

    Im sorry for troubling you, Malta. But thanks to your help, I was able to confirm many things.

    Thats good to hear. Lets have some dinner. Also, I went to the Royal Castle, and had something entrusted to me. Ill tell you about itter.

    Nn? Understood.

    After that, I ate with Malta-sans family. I listened to Minnea talk about her days in the academy until she was too sleepy to continue.

    I asked if the Academy would hold some sort of tournament but apparently, there was no such thing. However, there was once an event in Dragrange Margrave up north. They held a tournament in order to gather strong people from all over the country.

    After Minnea excused herself and headed back to her room, Malta and I moved to his private office to speak on the matter he brought up during dinner.

    At the Royal Castle, when I was delivering something, a messenger from the Zephanel Family approached me and asked if I could get in touch with Schwartz. I was entrusted with this.

    I received an envelope from Malta. I inspected it and found Ashleys signature on the back along with a magic seal. The design on the seal clearly belonged to the Zephanel family. I opened it and pulled out the letter, which caused the seal to disappear.

    Simply put, the content was a report. Ashley and her sister would arrive soon in the capital to report on the sess of the subjugation of the Kaidou pirate fleet. Ashley also reported on the transfer circle we found at the base as we previously agreed upon. She also asked me to join her in the royal castle to help confirm the report.

    The festival would start the day after tomorrow, so I would only after tomorrow.

    Ill be departing from the capital tomorrow. PLease tell Minnea that I wont be joining her for dinner.

    Its as I expected. What are you nning to do during the festival? I will be at the auction as a buyer on the first day.

    Then, Ill go with you. However, if I show myself around Malta-san too much, Im afraid itll invite unnecessary trouble to your door. But theres something I want to check on the third day.

    Might as well then. Please visit our office on the third day. We can enter the venue through the sellers entrance.

    Alright, Ill meet you then.

    I reorganized my schedule and left the mansion before I headed to the Pavilion of Tranquility. Upon arrival, I saw Koti, Ophelia, and the young elf in the lobby talking to The cook? He wore a white cook coat and held a cook cap in his hand.

    Is it time?

    Alright-nya.

    The equipment has arrived.

    All that is left is to wait for the day.

    Whatnguage were they talking in? They were talking quietly, but the voice on the sensor didnt manage to catch what seemed to be spoken in the Ondomon Language. Even so, the auto trantion entered teh fray by reading the tranted text in a machine voice.

    Whats the situation over there?

    It appeared to be in dire need of help.

    But, with this We still might be able to save it.

    They finally noticed that I was here. The cook and elf immediately retreated inside while Koti came to greet me.

    Wee back, nya. There is still time left to order for dinner. Should we prepare food for you?

    No need. I already had my dinner. Rather, Ill be leaving the capital tomorrow morning for a request. I will probably stop by after I am done. Please take note of that, okay?

    Certainly, nya.

    The next morning, when the sun had just risen, I made my preparations so I could leave when the gates opened. I brought minimal equipment and only a simple bag. I noticed a dot approaching my room on the map. I was already familiar with Kotis footsteps.

    Good morning, Shaft-sama. Weve prepared a light meal. Please eat before you depart, nya.

    Good morning, Koti. Ill tkae you up on your offer then.

    Yes, todays breakfast is a sandwich with ham and vegetables using fresh white bread by a famous baker in the capital. It is a well known bread, nya.

    Hoo Is Koti familiar with famous restaurants from around the capital?

    Yes, I always go around and check for any good restaurants, nya.

    Then, were you born around here?

    Yes, Ive lived in the capital since I was born, nya.

    I see. Then can you tell me where I can enjoy delicious tea?

    Certainly, nya.

    While having such a trivial conversation, I had an enjoyable breakfast.

    When I moved back from the training grounds, I noticed that there were four dots on the map that were close to the door Well, if the transfer circle I installed had stopped working, I wouldve been stuck inside the private space. In order to hide the existence of the circle, and prevent any unexpected idents, I set up a T-UGS around the circle to warn me about trespassers. Id also have to set up some traps as well. I also recognized the danger of being transfered to my VMB space, so I also stored away the transfer circle in a gift box.

    Once finished, I exited the room without a sound.

    Kya!

    Waa!

    Eeh!

    As the door swung out, the three girls close to the door fell like an avnche. The fourth who stood furthest away was Meltia who looked disappointed.

    I told you , didnt I, Minnea-sama? If we dont inform him first, hell be mad.

    Sha,Shaft-sama! H,Hello- Good evening!

    Mi,Minnea-sama~

    PResera, why are you so heavy~

    The ones who fell just now were Amy, Presera, and Minnea. Minnea was still in her school uniform A quick check of the time did show that it was certainly around the time shed return home. I got too absorbed in shooting practice that I forgot the time.

    So, what are you people doing here?

    Oh, well, when I arrived from the Academy, I heard that Shaft-sama was staying in the Mansion. So, I knocked on your door to greet you. But there was no answer. As if no one was inside. So

    Pardon us, Shaft-sama. We have already informed the Young Miss to not disturb you, but

    Seeing Meltia bow apologetically and Minnea ontop the dogpile, I couldnt really be mad. Well, as long as they didnt enter the room, there was nothing wrong with it.

    Im gonna die~

    Amys pitiful cry echoed in the room as the orange light of the setting sun shined in.

    It was decided that todays dinner would be provided by Malta-sans residence. I was guided by MInnea, who was now in a casual outfit, to the dining room. Malta-san was already waiting for us as he returned earlier from work.

    Shaft-sama, have you finished with your business? I heard you have been secluded in your room since noon.

    Both Malta and Marida-san where in the dining room. They even had sses of liquor in their hands.

    Im sorry for troubling you, Malta. But thanks to your help, I was able to confirm many things.

    Thats good to hear. Lets have some dinner. Also, I went to the Royal Castle, and had something entrusted to me. Ill tell you about itter.

    Nn? Understood.

    After that, I ate with Malta-sans family. I listened to Minnea talk about her days in the academy until she was too sleepy to continue.

    I asked if the Academy would hold some sort of tournament but apparently, there was no such thing. However, there was once an event in Dragrange Margrave up north. They held a tournament in order to gather strong people from all over the country.

    After Minnea excused herself and headed back to her room, Malta and I moved to his private office to speak on the matter he brought up during dinner.

    At the Royal Castle, when I was delivering something, a messenger from the Zephanel Family approached me and asked if I could get in touch with Schwartz. I was entrusted with this.

    I received an envelope from Malta. I inspected it and found Ashleys signature on the back along with a magic seal. The design on the seal clearly belonged to the Zephanel family. I opened it and pulled out the letter, which caused the seal to disappear.

    Simply put, the content was a report. Ashley and her sister would arrive soon in the capital to report on the sess of the subjugation of the Kaidou pirate fleet. Ashley also reported on the transfer circle we found at the base as we previously agreed upon. She also asked me to join her in the royal castle to help confirm the report.

    The festival would start the day after tomorrow, so I would only after tomorrow.

    Ill be departing from the capital tomorrow. PLease tell Minnea that I wont be joining her for dinner.

    Its as I expected. What are you nning to do during the festival? I will be at the auction as a buyer on the first day.

    Then, Ill go with you. However, if I show myself around Malta-san too much, Im afraid itll invite unnecessary trouble to your door. But theres something I want to check on the third day.

    Might as well then. Please visit our office on the third day. We can enter the venue through the sellers entrance.

    Alright, Ill meet you then.

    I reorganized my schedule and left the mansion before I headed to the Pavilion of Tranquility. Upon arrival, I saw Koti, Ophelia, and the young elf in the lobby talking to The cook? He wore a white cook coat and held a cook cap in his hand.

    Is it time?

    Alright-nya.

    The equipment has arrived.

    All that is left is to wait for the day.

    Whatnguage were they talking in? They were talking quietly, but the voice on the sensor didnt manage to catch what seemed to be spoken in the Ondomon Language. Even so, the auto trantion entered teh fray by reading the tranted text in a machine voice.

    Whats the situation over there?

    It appeared to be in dire need of help.

    But, with this We still might be able to save it.

    They finally noticed that I was here. The cook and elf immediately retreated inside while Koti came to greet me.

    Wee back, nya. There is still time left to order for dinner. Should we prepare food for you?

    No need. I already had my dinner. Rather, Ill be leaving the capital tomorrow morning for a request. I will probably stop by after I am done. Please take note of that, okay?

    Certainly, nya.

    The next morning, when the sun had just risen, I made my preparations so I could leave when the gates opened. I brought minimal equipment and only a simple bag. I noticed a dot approaching my room on the map. I was already familiar with Kotis footsteps.

    Good morning, Shaft-sama. Weve prepared a light meal. Please eat before you depart, nya.

    Good morning, Koti. Ill tkae you up on your offer then.

    Yes, todays breakfast is a sandwich with ham and vegetables using fresh white bread by a famous baker in the capital. It is a well known bread, nya.

    Hoo Is Koti familiar with famous restaurants from around the capital?

    Yes, I always go around and check for any good restaurants, nya.

    Then, were you born around here?

    Yes, Ive lived in the capital since I was born, nya.

    I see. Then can you tell me where I can enjoy delicious tea?

    Certainly, nya.

    While having such a trivial conversation, I had an enjoyable breakfast.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156

    I received a letter from Ashley during my stay at Malta-sans mansion. The content was a request for me to meet her at the castle. It was most likely rted to the transfer circle I took. With the festival around the corner, I decided to go the next day.

    After breakfast, I left the inn and headed to the castle as Shwartz, not Shaft, as requested. Therefore, I must make sure there was some record of Schwartz entering the city. And there was also the assassins to worry about. Since entering the capital, Ive kept an eye on the map to see if anyone trailed me. So far, I havent seen anyone yet.

    Did they give up on me, or did they n something more borate this time? I didnt know. But as long as I took on Schwartzs identity, I had to be vignt.

    I left the capital through the highway while I took note of the radar. No one left after me. I double checked using thermal and it corresponded with the map. I checked the sky just to be careful, but there was not even a bird. I couldnt be too careful. Afterward, I slowly swerved into the overgrowth of trees. From there, I found a ce hidden from view and set my avatar to Shwartz.

    Because I would return to the capital as Schwartz, I needed to make sure that no one saw me switch personas.

    I attached a silencer to my Five-seveN and inserted one of the magazines I smuggled out of the training ground. I wanted to confirm the nature of the training rounds and their effect in this world, or if itd just be simr to the training grounds.

    First, I went up to a certainrge tree and shot one round. Since the silencer was attached, the sound came quiet like a small wind. It left a bullet hole in the tree. I approached and examined it and I found it didnt fade away. How about its attack power? Was it zero? I changed my target to a leaf on the three. I fired and it bursted into pieces.

    So It did have some power.

    From there, I started testing it on various objects of different sizes and thicknesses so I could figure out its properties. As a result, it showed that the training rounds had a low pration and packed about the same force as a barehanded punch.

    I eventually tried it on my own. It became numb for a while due to the shock and pain when the bullet struck. It had no killing ability but it may be useful enough as a long-range disabling weapon. At least, for a semi-auto weapon. If I were to use it in a full auto setting, itd pose a threat. Overall, it would be useless against monsters, but may prove useful in an urban setting.

    After I confirmed what I wanted, I holstered the pistol. Another thing that had to be done before I head back was to summon the TYPE-74 and collect the second transfer circle on its bed then ce it in a gift box. I did that then returned to the capital. From there, I went to the castle in the first district.

    The festival had an entry fee that would rise with each day with the first days charge being rtively cheap. So, many of the citizens participated in the festival as well formemorative purposes. Merchants from the 3rd and 2nd districts would also set up stalls in the 1st district, mainly centered around Hirashia. All along the main road where people filled with expectations for the festival tomorrow.

    Who will be attending tomorrow?

    Last year, it was the prince. Maybe His Majesty will make an appearance this year?

    Gahaha! You guys, can you see? Come get some of my perfect stuff!

    The Rafflesia will return for this asion! So, I guess it might be the second prince?

    Did you hear? ck Mask Shaft ising to the capital!

    That magic stone and weapon, suitable for a leader role!

    Then the huge mana stone thatll be exhibited on the third day was really unearthed by Shaft-sama!

    It seems that many good magic weapons will be up on the second day!

    Thats right! We should try and get our hands on the Shadow Edge!

    Where is the ck Prince staying? Id like to at least get a nce at him.

    Ara, should I just go look for him? I hope I can apany him overnight.

    I heard the people on the street talking of the festival and of Shaft. The Kings Festival was well known as thergest auction of the year. Many of the items exhibited were expensive. Above all, what the people looked forward to owas the appearance of a member of the royal family, the festivals sponsor.

    KIng Kurtmerga and the Princes rarely left the castle. But one of them will parade around the Hirasia venue for this asion to attend the third day. Many of the people would take this opportunity to connect with the royals, and the royals also wanted to create an opportunity to meet those of different walks of life.

    Of course, for the 4th Order of Central Knights, whom were in charge of security, this was a period were failure would be unforgivable as well as their busiest three days.

    What was the name Surely Was it Aude Samata? The vice-leader of the 4th knights who I met whe nI received a bounty for killing the leader of the Onibus bandits. The middle aged knight went down the street that led to the castle. Surely to make sure that his security ns went properly.

    Halt! Beyond here is the Royal Pce where the Kurtmerga family resides, what business do you have here?

    As I approached the castle, I was intercepted by a guard stationed in front of a suspension bridge that led into the castle. He didnt seem to be informed about me. Would it be alright to name drop since I was here?

    D-Ranked adventure Schwartz. HEre under the request of Ashley Zephanel to enter the castle.

    I handed over my guild card.

    Confirmed, please wait.

    The guard received my guild card and headed to the lookout hut by the bridge. I could see a booklet-like file inside. The guard came back once he confirmed.

    You appointment is confirmed. You can proceed now. Show your guild card after you cross the bridge. Also, please leave any kind of weapon and tool bag here.

    Got it.

    I took my card and crossed the bridge.

    I received a letter from Ashley during my stay at Malta-sans mansion. The content was a request for me to meet her at the castle. It was most likely rted to the transfer circle I took. With the festival around the corner, I decided to go the next day.

    After breakfast, I left the inn and headed to the castle as Shwartz, not Shaft, as requested. Therefore, I must make sure there was some record of Schwartz entering the city. And there was also the assassins to worry about. Since entering the capital, Ive kept an eye on the map to see if anyone trailed me. So far, I havent seen anyone yet.

    Did they give up on me, or did they n something more borate this time? I didnt know. But as long as I took on Schwartzs identity, I had to be vignt.

    I left the capital through the highway while I took note of the radar. No one left after me. I double checked using thermal and it corresponded with the map. I checked the sky just to be careful, but there was not even a bird. I couldnt be too careful. Afterward, I slowly swerved into the overgrowth of trees. From there, I found a ce hidden from view and set my avatar to Shwartz.

    Because I would return to the capital as Schwartz, I needed to make sure that no one saw me switch personas.

    I attached a silencer to my Five-seveN and inserted one of the magazines I smuggled out of the training ground. I wanted to confirm the nature of the training rounds and their effect in this world, or if itd just be simr to the training grounds.

    First, I went up to a certainrge tree and shot one round. Since the silencer was attached, the sound came quiet like a small wind. It left a bullet hole in the tree. I approached and examined it and I found it didnt fade away. How about its attack power? Was it zero? I changed my target to a leaf on the three. I fired and it bursted into pieces.

    So It did have some power.

    From there, I started testing it on various objects of different sizes and thicknesses so I could figure out its properties. As a result, it showed that the training rounds had a low pration and packed about the same force as a barehanded punch.

    I eventually tried it on my own. It became numb for a while due to the shock and pain when the bullet struck. It had no killing ability but it may be useful enough as a long-range disabling weapon. At least, for a semi-auto weapon. If I were to use it in a full auto setting, itd pose a threat. Overall, it would be useless against monsters, but may prove useful in an urban setting.

    After I confirmed what I wanted, I holstered the pistol. Another thing that had to be done before I head back was to summon the TYPE-74 and collect the second transfer circle on its bed then ce it in a gift box. I did that then returned to the capital. From there, I went to the castle in the first district.

    The festival had an entry fee that would rise with each day with the first days charge being rtively cheap. So, many of the citizens participated in the festival as well formemorative purposes. Merchants from the 3rd and 2nd districts would also set up stalls in the 1st district, mainly centered around Hirashia. All along the main road where people filled with expectations for the festival tomorrow.

    Who will be attending tomorrow?

    Last year, it was the prince. Maybe His Majesty will make an appearance this year?

    Gahaha! You guys, can you see? Come get some of my perfect stuff!

    The Rafflesia will return for this asion! So, I guess it might be the second prince?

    Did you hear? ck Mask Shaft ising to the capital!

    That magic stone and weapon, suitable for a leader role!

    Then the huge mana stone thatll be exhibited on the third day was really unearthed by Shaft-sama!

    It seems that many good magic weapons will be up on the second day!

    Thats right! We should try and get our hands on the Shadow Edge!

    Where is the ck Prince staying? Id like to at least get a nce at him.

    Ara, should I just go look for him? I hope I can apany him overnight.

    I heard the people on the street talking of the festival and of Shaft. The Kings Festival was well known as thergest auction of the year. Many of the items exhibited were expensive. Above all, what the people looked forward to owas the appearance of a member of the royal family, the festivals sponsor.

    KIng Kurtmerga and the Princes rarely left the castle. But one of them will parade around the Hirasia venue for this asion to attend the third day. Many of the people would take this opportunity to connect with the royals, and the royals also wanted to create an opportunity to meet those of different walks of life.

    Of course, for the 4th Order of Central Knights, whom were in charge of security, this was a period were failure would be unforgivable as well as their busiest three days.

    What was the name Surely Was it Aude Samata? The vice-leader of the 4th knights who I met whe nI received a bounty for killing the leader of the Onibus bandits. The middle aged knight went down the street that led to the castle. Surely to make sure that his security ns went properly.

    Halt! Beyond here is the Royal Pce where the Kurtmerga family resides, what business do you have here?

    As I approached the castle, I was intercepted by a guard stationed in front of a suspension bridge that led into the castle. He didnt seem to be informed about me. Would it be alright to name drop since I was here?

    D-Ranked adventure Schwartz. HEre under the request of Ashley Zephanel to enter the castle.

    I handed over my guild card.

    Confirmed, please wait.

    The guard received my guild card and headed to the lookout hut by the bridge. I could see a booklet-like file inside. The guard came back once he confirmed.

    You appointment is confirmed. You can proceed now. Show your guild card after you cross the bridge. Also, please leave any kind of weapon and tool bag here.

    Got it.

    I took my card and crossed the bridge.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157

    AAt the center of the Kurtmerga Kingdom was the Robust Sanctuary Gravo Castle that towered over the city. Although the castle was located at the center of the capital, it was built on an artificialke and surrounded with huge 20m high walls that gave it more of a fortress style. ording to the materials found in the library from the founding, when the castle was first built, it was dered a country of freedom and peace by adventurers.

    The powerful adventurers who agreed with it took the lead to fight off the neighboring countries and monsters  recognizing and protecting the country. Eventually, those who fought for the country were eventually weed into the nation as aristocrats. From there, they were separated into magic nobles and regr ones. The castle had continued on throughout history since that time.

    I passed over the bridge and presented my card while I mentioned the purpose of my visit again. The guards then guided me to a waiting area and instructed me to stay there until my guide came.

    The inner area of the ramparts had grass and cobblestone roads that spread out. Beyond that, there were a number of spires and pce-like buildings. All of which I could view through a small window from where I waited as I kept an an eye on my map.

    Then I noticed a dot that headed towards mre. This might be the guide the guard mentioned.

    You came earlier than I thought, Shwartz!

    Hi there, Sharle-san. Didnt think youde personally toe guide me in.

    First of all, its a secret that the Zephanel family is visiting the castle. Gramps also told me to socialize, but I mean, why did no one tell me why Schwartz was visiting the castle?!

    Was the person mentioned the Honorary Chancellor Zephanel? Of course. I only told Ashley about the defeat of the pirates and the discovery of the teleportation circles. Sharle-san was not privy to those details, but since she knew me, she came here to guide me.

    Ill tell youter For now, please guide me in.

    Alright. Neither gramps nor sis told me anything about this. Really now, really now!

    We left the waiting area as Sharle-san mumbled herint. We walked across the castle courtyard. I could see the grounds were surrounded by huge walls from corner to corner. The surroundingndscape changed from awn only courtyard to a garden lined with trees. Voices reached my sensors from all over the castle that gradually disappeared, reced by the sound of flowing water.

    The t stone turned into cobblestones and a house could be seen through the gap in the forest

    That!

    Nn? Whats wrong Schwartz?

    N,Nothing

    Hearing what I said, Sharle-san turned around and asked. But my eyes were focused on the house in the forest.

    Ah, looks so foerign, doesnt it? Thats something that the ancestors built here. Its called Tiled Roof, I think? Anyway, its been renovated continuously for the past 400 years, so it looks a bit of a mess.

    That name

    The building seen through the forest was a one-story wooden building with a tiled roof. As you got closer, you could see the whole picture of the building on the map that came into view. You could see that there were several rooms in a row that made you think it wasrge. A samurai residence. Unless you step inside the building, it was hard to see the floor n.

    The entrance must be here.

    Without waiting for Sharle-san to guide me in, I proceeded on my own with the sliding door entrance.

    Hey, hold it right there! There are some rules you must abide before entering the main house! If you dont, everyone will get angry!

    Sharle-san overtook me and entered. She pulled the front door and politely asked me to take my boots off. But I wore thruster boots, a pair of shoes that assisted with high jumps and softened thending, Taking it off manually was not easy.

    Whilst Sharle sat at the front door, I faked loosening my boots while I secretly activated the TSS. I removed the thruster boots and left my shoes equipment slot [None], revealing the white socks I wore.

    Are you done? Thats quick. Anyway, you cant enter the house while wearing shoes.

    Of course. Since I arrived in this country, this is the first time Ive seen a house like this.

    Of course, I mean, this is the only one in the whole country.

    Is that so

    By stepping into the building, I mapped out the mansion in an instant. I could see the rooms arranged in a mouth shape, with rooms connected to the northeast and southwest so to protrude in the shape of a mouth. It seemed that Sharle-san would guide me to the room that jutted to the southwest. Maybe it was a drawing room.

    Excuse me. Ive brought the D-Ranked adventurer Schwartz here.

    Come in.

    We walked down the wooden corridor while I marveled at the interior design, only to be stopped again in front of a shohji. I heard Ashleys voice reply.

    When the shoji was set aside, I saw Ashley with an old man at her side, matching the number of dots disyed on the map. The room seemed to be a japanese-styled reception room,plete with tatami mats and wooden chairs and tables. An elderly man sat at the upper seat with Ashley next to it and an empty seat at the lower position.

    Charlotte, thank you. Can you please bring us some tea?

    Understood.

    She nced at me a little dissatisfied before she disappeared down the corridor.

    Thank you for making it here, Schwartz-kun. I am Robert Bergman, the Chancellor of Kurtmerga Kingdom.

    Chancellor Bergman? Not the honorary Chancellor Zephanel? Bergman was a petite bodied old man with a stern, wrinkled, narrow eyed and had a little round face. The word strict was probably the best way to describe him. He was a man with such an impression.

    First of all, please have a seat. Itll be rude if we talk while one side stood up.

    Then, excuse me.

    Prompted, I sat and faced the chancellor. On the side, Ashley looked at me with a smile.

    I wish we can get to the point immediately, but lets wait for the tea first.

    As if on cue, two more dots approached the room on my radar. I could tell from the footsteps that one of them was Sharle-san, while the other one was A kid?

    Excuse me. We brought the tea.

    Appearing from behind the shuji was Sharle-san. She brought a tray filled with cups and green tea instead of the usual ck tea. Quietly entering from behind was a little girl. Shiny white hair with ears that protruded out. She was obviously an elf or fairy of some sort. She walked on the tatami mat and took her seat at the corner of the room.

    Thank you for the hard work, Charlotte. Now, please excuse yourself. I will call you when we need you.

    Eh-!

    Sharle

    Understood.

    With not only Bergman but also Ashley urging her to leave, she reluctantly left the room. The only ones left were me, Ashley, Chancellor Bergman, and  the little girl?

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158

    Now that the tea is here, lets get started.

    Ashley, who received the tray that Sharle-san brought in, poured tea for everyone in the room. Once she was done, Chancellor Bergman began.

    Ashley Zephanel reported that your aid was impably important to the subjugation of the Kaidou pirates, is that correct?

    Yes, Your Excellency. I may have acted alone outside of my jurisdiction, but it was just to help Ashley Zephanel.

    Humu. I wonder how you managed to sail the sea by yourself, but most importantly, I would like to thank you for your deeds. Then, I would like to ask about the transfer circle you collected at the base. You confirmed the circle worked, is that correct?

    Yes. I dont know the exact location of the transfer, but my prediction was the mountains north of the capital, slightly further than Drangrange Margrave.

    Regarding that circle  no, let us rify things. First of all, regarding the ownership of the circle. The country where the transfer circle was recovered can im ownership of it. But then, the base magic circle you discovered was on a masterless ind. Not within any territory. In other words, no country can im ownership to it, and it solely belongs to you now.

    Fumu Thanks to the circle, I can gain ess to my private space in VMB. But I thought Kurtmerga Kingdom would demand that I hand it over. Cause who knows if it contains the secret of another country, and how valuable it was. Thankfully thats not the case.

    Alright then, allow me to have a look at the transfer circle and its twin.

    Inspect it?

    Well, the technology to adjust the circle was recovered from thebyrinth so that it can be used outside, as well as how to create a copy is top secret. It varies depending on the nation. I just want to know whether the Drak Kingdom was involved in this.

    I see. By examining the magic circle, someone knowledgeable on the topic will be able to tell which country its rted to. And since hes familiar with the Drak Kingdoms technology, hed know immediately.

    Naturally, I will reward you for it. If it is left as it is, the moment the magic circles internal magic power was cut off, and the connection to the copy was cut, it may be connected to a different circle. There may be a clue to the transfer destination, but it cannot be done if there is the possibility of traps and an unclear means of return.

    I didnt know the rules behind how it works and all, but ording to him, if the power was cut off, there was a chance another circle would be connected to it if they had a simr signature.

    But as long as the energy remained steady in both circles and remained undamaged, the possibility of this happening was unlikely. The reward prepared by the Chancellor was because there was a risk of destroying the circle in the process, thus rendering it inoperable. That, and also because they nned to overwrite the circle with the Kurtmergas technology.

    To be clear, it seemed unlikely that I could decline it, and there was no reason to decline it. If I own the circle, itd be better to have it adjusted.

    I understand. I will leave the transfer circles here.

    Thank you for your understanding. It will take about a week to investigate and overwrite the circles, but with the Festival starting tomorrow, it will take a few days more.

    I understand.

    Umu. Regarding the matter with the pirate subjugation. I will leave that to Ms. Zephanels discretion. Will that be fine?

    Yes, Chancellor Bergman.

    Well, I shall return to my office. I leave the rest to you

    He stood up, nced at the little girl who silently sipped on her tea in the corner. Also stood up and waited for him to leave the room. Once his figure disappeared in the hall, I turned around and saw the girl watch me intently.

    A-chan, go to Sa-chan and inform her to prepare a meal.

    .. Understood.

    I want it to be prepared in the living room, along with this little ones portion. Well join you when we are done, so please wait for us.

    Yes.

    My eyes met Ashleys as she went to leave the room. Why was the little girl so interested in me? She returned the gaze with eyes full of trust.

    So, you are called Schwartz Powder, are you not? Have a seat. We are about to talk about the real topic.

    The little elf made her way to one of the chairs. Seeing that, I sat in my previous chair.

    I am Zephanel, Kurtmerga Kingdoms Eternal Honorary Chancellor.

    [ And Im Schwartz Powder.

    I already guessed from the beginning. It was Zephanel who ordered Ashley to subjugate the pirates, not Bergman. Bergman was just here for the transfer circles. If he was the one I needed to meet, then it didnt need to be here. Moreover, there was no point in him showing nobody like me a house that was built away from prying eyes. In other words, aside from the circle, I was brought here specifically to allow me to see the tiled mansion, which resembles a building from my world. But why?

    Are you not surprised to hear that I am the Honorary Chancellor?

    I already had a feeling the moment Your Excellency entered the room.

    You actually believe that a woman, a very young one that that, is the Chancellor?

    Its a surprise, but Im convinced. Honorary Chancellor Zephanel is only known by the surname, and not much else. Probably because if one heard the full name, theyd easily guess that Your Excellency is a woman. Not to mention that after retreating from the frontline, the number of people who could meet you keeps decreasing. Although, when I first heard about the Chancellor, I thought you were a man.

    And yet, you believed me so easily?

    Well of course, anyone else might not believe it immediately. But I believe more in Ashley, rather than taking your words at face value.

    Ho, did A-Chan tell you about this one already?

    No, she hasnt. But I could feel it when she left just now.

    Ho! It seems A-chans spring time has finallye!

    Ha, springtime?

    Well, let us put that aside for now. Without a doubt, this one is truly the Honorary Chancellor of Kurtmerga Kingdom. Preserving the belief over which this kingdom was founded, while not disturbing the current reigning government as much as possible.

    I have not been long in this country, but I can honestly say that it is a wonderful one.

    Un, that is it. That is exactly why I summoned you here.

    pardon me?

    That, where did youe from?

    The moment she asked that question, the white hair of the little elf became even more brilliant and her jade eyes stared sharply at me. The air gave off an aura that would not allow anyone to life to her.

    I dont understand what you mean

    Do you know the true meaning of Magicless person? It actually refers to a person from a different world. A Trespasser Who managed to cross the border between worlds.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159

    Do you know the true meaning of a Manuke? It refers to a person from a different world  a trespasser who managed to cross the border between worlds.

    From what Zephanel said, she knew I was a Manuke, and she deduced that I was someone from another world because of that? I had thought it was just a derogatory term here. But for her to call those who came from another world a trespasser, there must have been someone big thatd happened in the past that stemmed from another otherworlder.

    I could feel the magic power that shook the air around the Chancellor. If I had the ability to see and feel the mana, I mightve trembled from the pressure. And I heard the faint sound of something shifting overhead. Instantly, I looked to the ceiling, I changed my view to thermals, and saw a heat source behind a small gap in the ceiling board Was that some kind of ninja? Looking around the reception room, there was indeed only me and the chancellor. But in the next room, separated from this room by a fusuma, was the presence of someone else.

    Rx, Im not going to harm you just yet.

    Yet

    Indeed. It will be decided once we know where you came from, and what youre going to do in this world. Everything you say here will not spread outside. Nor what I will do to you here. It is all under this ones jurisdiction.

    Is being a trespasser really that dangerous?

    What is dangerous is the person. Power is neither good nor bad. With the will of man, it can lean either way. Therefore, I want to see whether you are a trespasser at heart.

    I Maybe, maybe I came from the same world as the founding king did Maybe. But perhaps its a slightly different world.

    What do you think of this mansion?

    It looks so much like a building from my homeworld

    I see. Do you recognize the name ESO?

    ESO? No, I dont. I dont think there was such a name in my homeworld. But if you insist I came from VMB.

    ESO I believe there mightve been a game with that abbreviation a long time ago. When VRMMO had just started to be a trend. Perhaps the founding king was sent to this world while ying ESO, simr to what happened to me. I dont know what led to the establishment of the country afterward, but he was probably convinced that someone like he would appear again. Thus, probably entrusted the matter to Chancellor Zephanell.

    I heard that His Excellency had lived far beyond the life of an elf. Furthermore, your appearance. Is it rted to ESO?

    This one is immortal, but not always. Do you seek immortality?

    No, I dont want it.

    Then What about your two identities?

    Did Ashley tell you about it?

    Do not me A-Chan. This ones order is absolute in her n. Was it Shaft, or something along that line?

    Yes, thats right.

    Then what exactly happened when you conquered the Wolf Fang Labyrinth?

    Was it about the sender of that email? The [ U N K N O W N] who behaved like some sort of god in this world? It was a mysterious existence that only contacted me after I cleared thatbyrinth.

    I received a letter. Probably from the existence that controls this world.

    Then, let this one tell you this: this one was given immortality by that existence.

    Just what in the world is that existence?

    No idea. This one did not know either. However, be wary about it, and be careful of what you wish for.

    Be careful of what I wish for Itd certainly sent me a lot of useful advice and items. However, I still didnt know the reason for it. Perhaps it was dangerous to simply think of it as some sort of bonus forpleting thebyrinth.

    Now let us return to the main topic. Schwartz Powder, being a trespasser, you should possess a special power. What do you intend to do with that power?

    My current goal is just to live in this world. I cant return to my world after all. So, I have no choice but to stay. What I intend to do is conquer all thebyrinths. Someone sent me to this world and intended to use me as abyrinth boss to harm this world. Id like to put a stop to that  if possible.

    Are you saying that you will use that power of yours for this world? Are you saying that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the peace of this world, is that it?

    I never intended to make such a sacrifice. Neither do I have the desire to be some sort of hero  All I can do is wield my power for my friends, which happens to benefit this world. And perhaps, find a way to return home.

    Friend Ah, A-chan!

    Its not just for Ashley

    But you did subjugate the pirates for A-chan, did you not? You said that youd only wield your power, but there is something else you can do. Leave your blood and wisdom.

    Blood and wisdom?

    Indeed. The power of a Trespasser also resides in their descendants. It is what we call Pedigree skills, as it can be inherited through generations. Meanwhile, the knowledge of the otherworld can be used to help develop the world and this country. That is what I mean.

    Pedigree skill Special skills and skills inherited by only a few families on Ondo, and their power came from other worlds such as VMB But as time goes on, the family tree expands, why is it only a few families had it?

    But aren;t there only a few families that possess pedigree skills?

    At the beginning, how to wield the powers properly were only taught by word of mouth so that only the legitimate sessor could wield it properly. This is true for those families with it. However, as time goes on, their bloodline thins and spreads, and manifests into the skills people use at present.

    In other words, all the skills that people use nowadays originated from Trespassers of old?

    That is correct. I do not know when the Trespassers starteding to this world. Their powers mingled with the magic of this world, blending and integrating. After generations, the power will be able to be handled freely by most people.

    But if the power of VMB turned into skills

    That didnt make any sense. VMB was a VRFPS, so it was useless to those without basic knowledge of FPS and firearms. No More importantly, could I even leave an offspring in the first ce? This tireless monster of a body that could regenerate any wounds, as well as slowly integrate VMBs functions into itself. Does this kind of body have the capability to reproduce?

    But

    I am not going to align myself with Kurtmerga, or any country for that matter.

    So, you wish for freedom?

    Well, you can put it like that. As I said before. My goal is to conquer all thebyrinths. If I take root in a country and build a home there, wouldnt I lose the will to continue? Also, once I put myself under the asylum of a country, would they not be interested in using my Trespasser powers to their own ends? Even if I limited it to knowledge, my freedom would still be lost.

    Well, indeed, that is certainly true  Very well then, you may do as you like.

    Chancellor Zephanel acknowledged my reply quite easily. She had the shadow ninja surround me in the case I wanted to pick a fight. But she seemed unwilling to resort to force before she ascended by goal.

    Do you not wonder why I acknowledged you so easily? Well, that is certainly the case, however, he told this one that if the Trespasser seeks freedom, then this one should give it.

    I should thank the founding king.

    That was all I could say. Zephanel was faithful to that person  the founding king. She had continued to watch over the nation and guided it in the direction that person wanted all this time. Therefore, he had also entrusted the matter of the trespassers to her. I doubt that I was the first person to be asked those questions. There mustve been more in the past that were taken here and asked the very same questions.

    I didnt know the results of the judging, but before I knew it, Zephanel had already retracted her power. The signs of the people who guarded the room next door had also disappeared. This was the end of it.

    Speaking of which, A-chan is a good woman. If you want her, you should just go and tell her.

    Ah, she said something outrageous as she walked out.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160

    The meeting with Zephanell, the Honorary Chancellor, hade to an end. To start with, the true meaning of what Manuke meant in this world, I was able to know about Trespassers, and I had also admitted I also Shaft.

    I followed behind her as we moved to another room as she said she wanted to eat. I also confirmed that AShley and Sharle were on their way by the movements on the map. Now that I had a rough guess of our destination, I decided to ask once more.

    Chancellor Zephanell. There are two things Id like to confirm.

    Nn? What is it?

    Who else knows about me?

    Ahh, rest assured. Many people may be familiar with the term Manuke, but not many know about the trespassers. Other than myself, only Ron-chan and the little young-un are aware of that particr matter. Ron-chan has to report ot the little youngun after all.

    Eh Ron-chan? Could that be Chancellor Roberto Bergman? Then what about the little youngun.

    The little youngun, if of course, the current king of Kurtmerga.

    The King?

    If you wish to hide that information, know that the conversation we had will never reach the publics ears. And you should not be worried about your cover as Shaft is blown. There are magic tools that sharemonality with the ones you are using.

    I appreciate the advice So, is it correct to say that both Ashley and Sharle are not aware of it?

    Neither A-chan nor Sharle-chan knew anything other than we had a private talk. However , if A-chanes to visit and sits with me, I do tend to talk about a lot of things. So, what is the second one? The guest room is just ahead.

    - This mansion. Ive never seen this type of architectural style in other ces in the kingdom. This mansions existence feels like a sore thumb.

    This mansion was created with his skill. I remember him saying Maihom or something Unless it ispletely destroyed, the mansion will slowly repair itself. The only inconvenience would be that there is no way to change the floor n or furniture. But it is more than enough since only I live here.

    Maihom? I see now

    In MMOs, especially the RPG types, there are some that allow yers to own in-game private houses. VMB, a VRFPS, had a private room that all yers could ess, but on some MMOs, private housing tended to cost arge amount of money in game and sometimes real money. And in recent years, VRMMO-based homes have services and types that met a wide range of needs, such as real or existing buildings restored to the VR World, or yer-designed homes.

    This mansion may have been one of them. It was mainstream to purchase one that could be put anywhere within the designated area. Bying to this world, the restrictions of the area were lifted and thus, allowed it to be ced here. I dont know the specifications of ESO, but because it had an automotive repair function, the mansion had survived till now.

    We are here. Lets have lunch before you leave.

    Ill take you up on that offer.

    Actually, there were a lot of other things I wanted to ask. Whether there are any other trespassers in Kurtmerga, or in any neighboring countries right now, and what kind of life did people like me live in the past. However, asking for this information maye with a price. The Chancellor recognized my wish to be free, but that freedom onlysts as long as I stay within the kingdom. There was no telling what would happen if I moved to another country, and I havent been given any authority myself.

    The information about the trespassers should be confidential. Just because I was one myself, didn;t mean she could tell me everything. But while staying in this kingdom, I was allowed free movement to some extent. First of all, it may not be bad to get some foothold in this world while I captured the domesticbyrinths.

    Have you two finished your talk?

    Indeed, we have. This boy looks like a good person, A-chan.

    So, is he going to be added into Zephanels protection detail?

    Not until we get to know him better. Schwartz,e in quickly. And Sharle-chan, would you please prepare lunch?

    Alright, alright, got it!

    Saying yes once would suffice.

    The guest room we came too was more like a japanese-style living room in a general house than a room for weing guests. A wooden table was ced on tatami mats surrounded by sliding doors. The room didnt have chairs like the other room, but instead had cushions for people to sit on.

    Well done, Schwartz. Ill go prepare lunch, please wait here for a moment, okay?

    Thanks, Ashley

    The table wasnt so big, about the size of an oval four-seater perhaps. The cushion across from Zephanel was designated to me.

    By the way, the food is brought from the royal castle. Both Ah and Shall want to train to be good brides, but that hasnt happened since their parents passed away. Right, I forgot something important.

    With that said, she stood up and moved to my side.

    As the lord of Zephanell since the founding of the kingdom, I thank you for defeating the enemy of my n.

    At that moment, the dignified brilliance of her eyes, which I could not imagineing from someone with her appearance, tone downed and she bowed before me. Although it was shallow, it conveyed her feelings.

    Please raise your head, Your Excellency. It was just a by-product of me killing the pirates. Even if I hadnt, either Ashley or Sharle would have. I was just there to start the fight preemptively.

    Still, you have my gratitude, Schwartz Powder.

    Our gaze met for a moment, but I saw the glow in her eyes return. She stood up and returned to her cushion as the girls returned to the room.

    Sorry for the wait -! Good grief  with how sloppy the predecessor is, howe theres not a single maid here?

    Because only our n and temporary guests can enter this mansion.

    Sharle, please carry it quickly. Schwartz, can you please help us carry the food in? There was more than I expected.

    Let me help.

    The lunches prepared were japanese-style subdivided dishes as if they were served at an inn. It was not exactly Japanese food but it was traditional home-cooked food. Perhaps the menu was recreated by the founding king. Afterward, it was normal. Nothing political or the like. Sharlene-san asionally made small talk and the chancellor would listen while Ashley smiled.

    After such time spent, the teleportation circle and its twin, along with the spare, would be stored in a warehouse for investigation and adjustment. Once over, the circle would be mine to freely use. But due to the special circumstances behind it, it would not be something used publicly.

    Actually, since it was connected to my VMB Room, I couldnt let others use it.

    Id love to test whether people or animals in this world could go to it though. But I also needed a secure house to ensure safe exits. Perhaps I could ask Malta-san for help with this. With that in mind, I left the castle and left the capital to change. The festival would begin tomorrow and I didnt know the exact identity of Nekoyanagi, the people who were said to be aiming for the dungeon core I would exhibit. I would not let anyone steal it.

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161

    By the time I had finished changing back to Shaft and returned to the Capital, it was near sunset. It would be a nuisance to go back to the Marida Company now, so I returned to the inn while I kept an eye on my surroundings. On arrival, I picked up my key while I asked for dinner to be delivered to my room.

    The festival would start tomorrow, but the dungeon core would be exhibited on the third day. I was concerned about what to do on the first and second days. In addition, I nned to have a house, or warehouse, within the capital with consideration given to the teleportation circle and the sim-rounds. I would need to return to the Marida Company to talk about it.

    [[[Kay: Simtion rounds shorted to sim-rounds.]]]

    Maybe Ive visited the Marida Company too often given that I didnt know whether or not Cactus was still after me It was a hassle, but maybe I should switch back to Schwartz for this visit, or should I switch after? While I worried about that, a light spot appeared in the hall apanied by the sound of a cart being pushed  which may cain supper  was apanied by a person. But the footsteps did not belong to Koti.

    An unfamiliar person brought me food. To be on the safe side, I readied the Five-seveN after I was sure to load a sim-mag.

    Knock knock.

    Shaft-sama, Im bringing your dinner.

    The voice seemed to belong to an older woman. Definitely not Koti I kept the pistol concealed behind me, unlocked the food and allowed the female employee in.

    Excuse me.

    I watched her as she entered with a cart. It seemed that she was really just here to bring dinner.

    Is Koti off?

    Koti? She is currently on leave due to a problem at her parents house.

    I see Well then, Id like to get in touch with Ophelia-dono. Can you inform the boy who stays in her room?

    Do you mean the elf, Flick? Pardon me, but Flick is currently unavable due to poor physical condition. Another person is temporarily filling in for him. Should I inform them?

    I see Yes, please, and thank you.

    After the meal was arranged, the female employee bowed and left the room. The light spot moved towards Ophelias private room towards the back. As I kept an eye on the map, I removed my mask and picked up the dinner on the table.

    Koti and the elf boy  Flick I believe  were off at the same time. This couldnt be a coincidence, could it? What was worrisome about it was the conversation I heard between Koti, Flick, and the cook yesterday. It was spoken in a differentnguage other than the onemonly used in Ondo All I could discern was that they were nning for something, and that it would be bad. The following morning, Id asked about Kotis birthce, but she said she was born and raised in the capital.

    Then why did they need to speak in a foreignnguage? And why were people fluent in thatnguage gathered at this inn?

    The answer that came to mind when I considered whod need to deceive anyone was the trio.. Nekoyanagi.

    Knock knock.

    Shaft-sama, Ophelia-sama is waiting for you in her room.

    Alright.

    Was I right ,or was I just overthinking? Ophelias cooperation was needed to determine that.

    From the heap of fruits on the table, I took a small red fruit and threw it into my mouth then put my mask back on and headed to Ophelia.

    I see, its suspicious if you just look at the situation.

    I dont have any proof. Thats why I wanted to ask you about the whereabouts of the two who are absent. I also saw that the cook had a close rtionship with them.

    Of course, lets find out. The reason we originally came to the capital was to capture Nekoyangi. Thank you for your information, Shaft.

    Maybe shed just returned,as she wore the same knight outfit I first met her in.

    Virginia, Im going back to the General Guild. ANd let the escort knight look into the cook. If this lead is correct, well have a big catch tonight.

    Absolutely, Ophelia-sama.

    Shaft, Im sorry. I thought I could invite you to dinner tonight, but as you just heard, Ill be leaving for the guild shortly.

    No worries. I didnt bring the wine I promised either.

    Nn, Im really looking forward to that wine. Alright then, its time to depart. Excuse me.

    Yeah, hopefully youll get good results.

    She left the room with her escort knight> I followed suit until the end of the corridor. I was not sure yet if the inns employees were not the thieves, and that included Koti. However, I could not let them steal the dungeon core. I didnt know their goal and I didnt care, all I knew was that I needed to protect it.

    The next morning, when I checked my map after I woke up, there was no light spot in Ophelias room. In other words, she hadnte back sincest night. If the problem was solved, some sort of contact wille.

    And the festival started today, so I didnt have anything to do for two days. On the other hand, Id get my teleportation circles back in 10 days after its been investigated and adjusted. Itll be necessary to first consider its future use and where itd get installed.

    The destination was the VMB Garage. From there, I can ess my private space. For now, thatd be treated as my secret base, not a space formunication. I could also train with my firearms, and if I brought in food, I could use it to temporarily disappear from this world.

    The prerequisite for that to happen was to secure a ce where the teleportation circle could be installed safely. Otherwise, Id be trapped in that private space. Furthermore, Chancellor Bergman said that the ownership of the circle belonged to the nation it was found in. That meant that if I could conquer abyrinth in an area that is unimed or unclear who has im, I may be able to obtain multiple circles.

    That was another reason to conquer thebyrinths. If I could get more and use the private space as a transfer base, I would be able to move freely around this world. It was certainly not easy to conquer one alone but it was worth the effort. What would I see and what would happen in this world as I expand? When I thought about the future, I felt excited.

    But first, a base that would serve as a foothold. So, I went to the Marida Company to ask if there was an affordable property.

    I ran through the dimly lit capital at sunrise. I kept an eye on my surroundings, careful of anyone who may be watching. There was no problem. After confirmation, I switched to Schwartz.

    It wouldnt matter much whose appearance I used when I went in and out, but itd be awkward to buy property as Shaft. So, it was better to do so as Schwartz. Afterward, I bought breakfast while I walked along the main street as the festival started to kill time.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162

    I ate breakfast on my way to the Marida Company and watched the festival as I went as it started today.

    In front of thepanys trading house, the employees weed the early morning deliveries. Several wagons entered and left the parking lot which doubled as the receiving area. One of the escorts noticed me.

    You are The chairmans confidante

    D-ranked adventurer Schwartz, has the chairman already left?

    No, still in the factory, I think?

    Outside the building as an escort was the blonde Arum, a fox-type female beastman. She knew shaft, but this was her first time with Schwartz. Did she see the image of Shaft in me somewhere? She walked into the factory, saying shed guide me in. All the while her head was tilted. Her expression told me that she couldnt understand why she recognized me. With that, I headed to the usual reception room.

    Good morning, Schwartz-san.

    Malta-san, good morning. Sorry foring this early.

    Once in the room, I took a seat. Malta-san came soon after, and Arum who guided me from the loading area.

    No, no, Schwartz-san can visit at any time freely. So, I thought that youd be here on the third day. Are you nning to participate?

    No, thats not what I came to bother you this early. Actually, theres something I need thepany to look into.

    Oh, is it a magic item?

    No, what I need is a house or warehouse.:

    So, a mansion! We also handle some real estate properties. What kind of mansion are you looking for?

    No no, it doesnt have to be a mansion. Its not like Ill be living there permanently The conditions are as follows

    The conditions that followed: A low traffic or inconspicuous ce. A basement of a certain size. Also detailed the condition of the property and equipment I wanted on it, such as it being a stone building that would not burn down easily.

    Un un. If thats what you need A factory or workshop may be more suitable than a house or warehouse. Unfortunately, the properties ourpany dabbles in are housing. However, there is a building that I used when I first started out as a merchant on the outskirts of the second district. It is a small brick building with two floors above ground and one below, I think it almost matches your conditions.

    Do you mean Marida Companys first store?

    Thats correct It was built a long time ago, and I no longer use it anymore. But I still send people to clean it regrly. The store on the first floor can still be used, so can the office on the second floor. The warehouse is in the basement. I think it matches your requirements.

    But since you still own it, does that mean that it means a lot to you?

    Clearly Its where I started out as a merchant. Nowadays, thepany is sometimes touted as one of thergestpanies in Kurtmerga, but that building serves as a reminder of how I began and how I should run the business. However, despite managing to maintain it until now, if the building is not used, then it will lose its purpose. I will not ask what youll do with it, but if you can find use for the building, then I will be happy too.

    I understand. Thank you, I will purchase the property.

    Im d you say that but you should still check the building with your eyes first. I have to go to the festival, so Marida will guide you in my stead.

    The property thatd serve as my base was found. After talks, Malta-san decided to ask Marida-san, who came to the reception room with tea, to act as my guide after informing her of the situation. She looked surprised upon hearing I bought their first store, but that expression changed into a smile. Malta-san parted soon after, but Marida remained and gave a brief exnation regarding the building.

    As I listened, we were informed that the carriage was ready. So, we headed out.

    The carriage was parked out front of the office. Arum sat in the coach seat. By the way, I havent seen her twin, Silvara, so far.

    Arum, do you know the location?

    Yes, Madam. Ive been there several times with the maid.

    Then thats good. Lets hope inside, Schwartz-san.

    Yes, after you.

    Arum looked at me until I boarded. She didnt look as bewildered as before though.

    The capital wasrge, and even within the second district, it took a long time for the carriage to arrive on the outskirts. Looking at the map, I found that I was on the outer circumference of the capital. The amount of people had changed drasticallypared to the center.

    The outskirts are pretty quiet, arent they?

    Isnt it? Still, the ce will be livelye afternoon. Most of the shops here belong for fledgling individuals. Whatever theyre selling, theyd hunt it themselves from morning to afternoon. There are quite a lot of merchantsing to buy here.

    Did both of you do the same?

    Malta was a merchant through and through. He had never hunted even a single wild rabbit before. But I am a former adventurer. I had to return my card, but I was a C-ranker before.

    So, thats the case Then, Minnea mustve inherited her talent from Marida-san.

    That child possesses even more magic than I do. By the way, shes selected by school to attend the festival. Silvara is with her currently.

    Tour? So there was such a thing.

    Yes, its an event where excellent students are allowed to have an audience with the Royal Family.

    On the way to the building, we talked about the festival.

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163

    Marida Companys old store was built on a narrow street that went further into the outskirts of the second district. It was a small two story building, with a sign board brack over the wooden door. I supposed since it was currently unused, it was natural that there was no sign board? A curtain was drawn over the small window, so I could not look inside. As I looked at the exterior, Marida unlocked the door.

    Please check inside.

    Arum stayed on the carriage since the vehicle could not fit through the narrow street. The neighboring buildings seemed to belong to fledgling merchants and craftsmen that doubled as their homes. Even when I looked at the map, they mostly kept to themselves with a few people who walked on the street. I guess it was true that this ce was rtively quiet until evening.

    The first floor of the store was a shop space. Wooden shelves and counters were ced here and behind the counter were the stairs that led to the second floor and down to the basement. I was not interested in the shop space itself as I didnt buy it to run a business. But if I came in and out of here, it might raise some suspicion since there wasnt a business here. I might need something as a front, but

    Next I went upstairs. The floor was also furnished with six wooden desks lined up back to back and one desk along some distance away at the top. There were more shelves that gave it a look of a library. Malta-san said he regrly sent people to clean. No wonder the first and second floor looked clean without any dust.

    And atst, I went down to the cer. It was the room I wanted the most. It was where the teleportation circle would be installed. I also wanted a ce with one way in and out. Furthermore, I wanted a building as a base, but I had no need for a living space. Because I already had the private space and the finest motorhome.

    The entrance down was blocked by arge iron door.

    All the locks in the store can be unlocked with this magic crest. Currently, only the magic power consumption type is avable, but if the transaction goes through, we will prepare the magic stone type.

    With that said, Marida showed me a magic tool called a magic crest in her hand. At first nce, it looked like a slightlyrge stamp. When the magic power was applied while it pressed against the keyupart, the semicircr magic crest engraved on the key and the lockbined to form one magic circle that unlocked the door.

    While I watched it work, I wondered if there was another way to open the door without the crest.

    When I asked her if it could be destroyed, she said it could be destroyed by supplying more magic than it could handle. There was also magic and skills that could unlock it as well. That was why it was not safe to only rely on the magic lock, thus metal locks were also widely used.

    Currently, we dont have anything here. What should we do with the lights? We can also preparenterns that consume mana stones.

    There really was nothing but exposed brick in the darkness, however, the size and height were perfect.

    Yes, if you could prepare some hangers fornterns, that would be great.

    It seemed that some renovation would be needed to use this as a base. In addition to light, I would need to order recement for the interior walls and floorboards, as well as direct the workers so I could get the desired oue  such as recing the furniture. Itd take a few days before it could be used, but my schedule would be full with the festival. Also there was the adjustment of the teleportation circles. There was also thebyrinth subjugation. There were plenty of things to do while I wanted.

    Itd be nice if the base waspleted once I finished everything.

    After I confirmed the building, I decided to return to the Marida Company for the time being, but as I approached the main street, I saw a wall of light.

    Madam, it seems that the parade is about to pass through.

    A small window opened and Arums face peeked through. She informed us that the parade that the Royal Family presided over was in process. Rather than head straight from the royal castle, the parade slowly headed to Hyrasia while it passed through the second district. Many say that you may see the appearance of the King and his family whom themon people would normally never see. It seemed that the citizens of the capital gathered along the parade route.

    I see. I wonder if itll be over soon? Given the nned route, it seemed difficult to return to the office without having to wait for them to pass. Schwartz-san, do you want to see the parade?

    Sure. Im also interested in the Royal Family. If were going to wait, why not go and watch while were at it?

    Alright then  Arum, listen to me. Ill watch the parade with Schwartz-san. So, please watch the carriage.

    Yes, Madam. Wont you need an escort?

    No one would dare to make a fuss in the street while the Royal Family was watching. And Ill be fine since Schwartz-san will be with me.

    I see

    Arum nced to me but immediately returned to Marida-san, gof off the and moved to the cabin food. She opened it and I got off and helped Marida-san off before we went toward the crowd.

    Around the crowd on both ends of the street, I heard cheering from the direction of the castle. I could not see it yet, but I think theyll pass soon. It was drowned out in the cheers, but the sound of horses and carriages could be heard.

    Marida-san, which member of the Royal Family is participating this time?

    My best guess would be the second prince, Kilik. To many, itd be their first time seeing a member of the royal family in person. Still, its predictable to some extent whod attend the festival.

    The second prince The Rafflesia n master

    Indeed. It seems that the Rafflesia members are gathering in the capital.

    Gathering? How many members do they have?

    I dont know the exact number but I hear its in the hundreds for the main n. Thats not to mention the dozens of ns, mercenary groups, andmercial groups working for them as their subordinates.

    What about the Marida Company?

    We do business with adventurers and explorers indiscriminately, so we dont have a special rtionship with them, or any n.

    I see  I think we can see them now.

    A big cheer echoed through the street.

    Were those the Central Knights at the front? Mounted knights and infantrymen carrying royal banners walked at the front, then arge carriage followed behind. A four-seater roofless carriage was used. Inside, a man and girl were in the cabin. The man was a middle-aged human, while the girl appeared to be in herte teens.

    Thats. His Majesty the King and the Fourth Princess, Cyril.

    Furth Princess?

    Yes. The king has three sons and four daughters. The first, second and third have been married off to other noble families. I heard His Majesty is very fond of Princess Cyril as shes hisst remaining daughter in the castle.

    I listened to Marida-san while the carriages passed.

    So, that man Was a descendant of the person who was like me, someone who came from a game. I dont know if he has any bloodline skills, but I think Ashley said a long time ago that the skill only runs in the Royal Family. The question was, does everyone in the family have it, or just a few select members? I was more interested in skills they might have rather than the people themselves.

    A littleter after their carriages passed, another group came. There was no carriage, only infantry and cavalry.

    I thought so, its Prince Kilik. Do you see the silver haired elf riding at the front?

    So, thats the n master of Rafflesia. Prince Kiliks elven descent was obvious with his hair coupled with his beautiful looks. Aside from his slender body, he did not look frail in his silver-white armor he wore. The armor also had arge shining magic stone on his chest. Was it also magic armor?

    The crowd cheered even louder Or to be more exact, it was the women who cheered. But my sensors picked up a not-so-small mutter.

    Map Seller

    The source of the muttering was Reinel, an A rank adventurer of Rafflesia. The one I met in the Emerald Demon Labyrinth.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164

    Kay: Sorry about theteness. Been trying to winddown my tightrope walking in fiances. >.< I ended up cutting it really close in the red. Still in the red, but not self-destruct red. Anyho, since double chapter today since its nov.

    ___ _ _ _ _ __ _ _

    On the way back to see the property that I had nned to purchase from the Marida Company, we ran into the festival parade while on the way to the auction venue. Since it was a big deal, I decided to observe. Only, there was only one person who referred to me as Map Seller

    Linel from the Rafflesia n. When I mapped the Emerald Demon Labyrinth, I came across them when I was with the Sasanqua n who Id been hired with to help conquer thebyrinth. Sasanqua ended up conquering thebyrinth in the end and got the core. Linel recognized my mapping ability and tried to recruit me. However, I did not like the basic idea of that n so I declined them. Besides, the only n I would be a part of was P0wder.

    Its been a long while Map Seller

    Indeed, Linel-san.

    Linel was dressed for the parade in te armor that was clearly a rank higher than I remembered. He stood in front of me away from the procession. He was huge  even though he was a human-like me, he was almost as tall as most beastmen. Scars ran across his face and disappeared in his brown short hair that spoke about the battles he has survived.

    So, youre here in the capital as well. Now feeling up to join Rafflesia?

    Not at all, I just stopped by for business-rted matters. And I still have not changed my decision.

    Chi, says the man who walks around the capital with a woman next to him.

    As he said so, he looked at Marida-san who stood next to me.

    Shes my business partner. So, wheres the rest of the party? I can see the mage and the light warrior, but wheres Will and the bigger warrior?

    In an attempt to distract Linel away from Marida-san, I asked about his old party. Five members had been sent to subjugate thebyrinth. Aside from Linel himself, there were two female mages, 2 light-armored warriors; one of which was Will, their mapper, and a heavy-armored warrior who wasrger than Linel.

    Since Linel left the parade, two female magicians and a light-armored warrior waited some distance away. I didnt remember much about their faces but they acted like his party members. Thats why I was a little worried about the other two.

    Will and Gc are dead.

    Nn?

    That reply had been unexpected. Gc was probably therge warrior I see  theyre dead.

    My condolences.

    Chi, theres no happiness in death. Only when were alive can we get everything.

    Even though he looked at me, a faint murderous aura came that felt itd been directed at some else rather than me who stood here.

    So, Map Maker, let me say this again. Join Rafflesia. Your ability is much better than that of Will. If you devote that ability to Rafflesia, we will be unstoppable, and youll gain everything you want.

    I decline.

    Y,you

    The vague murderous aura was now directed at me. Linel grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it.

    Linel, dont disturb the line.

    The moment I was about to pick his hand off myself, I heard a low-pitched voice. Looking for the source, a horse came towards us  a knight who Ive never seen before was on top of it. But I quickly realized from his outfit that he was a high-ranking person.

    Chi, pardon me, deputy leader.

    Return to the formation immediately.

    After saying so, the knight, who Linel referred to as the Deputy Leader, rode back.

    Chi.

    He clicked his tongue as he left.

    Nothing less from the Map Maker Shwartz. Even Rafflesia wants you, and yet you easily declined.

    Marida-san said in a low voice after shed watched me from behind.

    Do you know the elf guy he called Deputy Leader?

    Yes, of course. Rafflesias leader is Prince Kilik, but the n is run jointly with Deputy Leader Felix Mendoza. He is the eldest son of Count Mendoza and is better known as the magic swordsman Thunderstorm Felix.

    I wonder  Felix himself never gave a single nce towards me. But there was something in the air that made me unable to take off him.

    As the parade passed it became possible to finally cross so we returned to the carriage and the office.

    Once we returned, I checked the process for the purchase of the old shop and the funds. Although there were additional costs due to the renovation, the expected total would still be considered a profit for me as I was pretty much investing in the Marida COmpany. Then, we discussed whether to pay in installments or in full.

    Given that the old shop in question was old and the environment could be considered second or even third-ssnd It was the Royal Capital. Setting up a front as a shop may not be easy considering it was the capital. The story may have been different if it was a smaller city or even a vige far away, or in a different territory. Even if it was not in a good location, it was still the Capital.

    It may be necessary to join themerce guild as camouge considering all the costs rted to it Themerce guild, huh I already joined the General Guild and the Mercenary Guild. If I joined one more guild, should I register Shwartz or Shaft? Or, should I prepare a new alias?

    No The avatar customization was limited to changing the appearance with face paint. The avable appearances were only undead types such as skeletons and zombies, and if I wanted to be deemed an active merchant, I couldnt exactly wear a mask as Shaft does. If I registered Schwartz Word would spread and there would be no point in preparing a hideout and I may have to prepare something to sell  but that may not have to be decided right away.

    After the talks were concluded with the Marida Company, worried about Koti and the others, I returned to the inn early. But not only was Koti and the three other employees hadnt returned, Ophelia and the others hadnt returned either.

    On the second day of the festival, I stayed at the inn without going out while I waited for contact from Ophelia.

    It wasnt until evening a report came my way. The whereabouts of Koti, the elf boy flick and the cook Garrad could not be confirmed. Ophelia and the others had also found the house that was supposed to be Kotis parents house was just a shell, and that another person lived at the address of Flick and Garrad. The three had been identified as suspects of Nekoyanagi. The authorities would continue to pursue their whereabouts.

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165

    The third day of the festival had arrived. The first and second days were open to the public and merchants to freely participate. However, the third day was only for nobles and the most influentialpanies so it was a special auction. It was necessary to prepare early in the morning and change into formal attire ording to the dress code. Thus, I wore a ck panther Vian mask Id used in Veneer and a ck tailcoat to adhere to the code.

    Weapons were not allowed in the venue, but in consideration that Nekoyanagi would strike, there was no way I could abide it. Malta-san had informed me that our seats would be in a special room for sellers. So, under that premise, I nned to bring three ranged weapons: The FMG69, GPS Tracking Darts, and a taser. For melee, I had the electric baton. I couldnt bring my tomahawks as itd be obvious.

    I am in a position where the general guild has requested cooperation in regards to the capture of the thieves. But that was only from the guild. It was the 4th Central Knights duty to guard the venue. There was no way they would allow participants to take voluntary crime prevention measures on their watch due to their pride and honor. I had no intention to cross them, but now that my stuff was in their sights, I could not leave the matter to others.

    The sale of the stone would be critical in funding my future activities.

    Once my preparations werepleted I left the Pavillion of Tranquility and hitched a ride to the Marida Company office.

    Weve arrived.

    Thanks.

    Good morning, Shaft-sama.

    Morning, Malta-san.

    It seems to me that youre ready to go. Let me get the carriage ready, then Were head to Hirashia.

    Malta-san seemed ready as well. He wore a luxurious robe with more embroidery than his usual outfit. It had been decided that the Great Labyrinth Core would be put on auction as the final time of the festival. If we entered the venue in the morning, there would be quite a long wait. But on the other hand, nobody could enter the venue after the Royal Family. However, I had no idea what time the thieves would strike. Thus, I wanted to enter the venue early so I could catch them.

    Soon afterward, I was on a carriage with him as well. Arum rode coach, and since we hadnt seen each other in a while, as Shaft, we had a light exchange before we headed to Hirashia while I discussed the rest of the matter with Malta-san.

    Stalls filled the roadside that led up to Hirashia. Since it was still too early for business, many of there were still in the process of setting up. There was also a group of street performers that yed outside the venue. No, more exact to call them a group of clowns? I was not aware that there were clowns in this world, but I could see a six-man group with white-painted faces and red round noses as clowns as they performed.

    Our carriage slowly passed through the group of clowns. I broke into a smile as I looked at their makeup. However, one particr clown struck me as odd.

    Once at the venue, Malta-san and I separated from Arum and headed to the sellers entrance. Arum would pick us up after the auction.

    Security in and around the venue had been practically left to the 4th Central knights. Of course, this not only included the Royal Family and the sellers, but also the merchants and aristocrats whod bid. Therefore, the escorts employed by the nobles and merchants would wait outside Hirashia as not to cause security confusion. But that didnt mean that nobles and merchants would go in on their own. They always had a secretly skillful person act as their attendant.

    Within the private room prepared for us, I organized my equipment while I waited. I then saw a light blip approaching the room on the map.

    Knock Knock.

    Excuse me. My name is Jack, Hirashias executive manager. Id like to greet the sellers before the opening of the auction.

    If it isnt Jack-dono. Thank you again for this time.

    No no, Ive been indebted to Marida Trading Company every year. Always offering valuable items to exhibit, especially this year

    Also, this man here is Shaft

    Ahh, thats right. Then, let me offer my greeting once more. To think that I did not recognize the owner of thest item thatd be auctioned here today, the ck Mask Shaft. I am extremely sorry. I am the executive manager of this venue, Jack.

    I am Shaft of the Mercenary Guild. Thank you for taking the time to greet us today.

    The man who called himself Jack was a slender-bodied man with neatlybed grayish short hair and a silver monocle on his left eye.

    Yes, the greatbyrinth core will be exhibited today belonged to abyrinth that remained unconquered for a long time. The stone itself is a rare item obviously. It will definitely fetch for an astronomical price.

    But, there seems to be people nning to steal it

    The phantom thieves Nekoyanagi, is it? However, the magic vault of Hirashia is not so easily cracked. No only is the vault protected with a tripleyer of anti-magic formations, we also use thetest model of Lock Crest that wont open without the proper biometrics.

    I see. So, it should be safe so long as it remains inside the vault.

    That is indeed the case.

    Before the auction starts, may I go there and look at the core once more?

    Normally, no even the seller may approach the vault after theyve deposited an item to auction here. But if Shaft-sama wishes so, I can make an exception and take you there.

    Sorry to trouble you.

    No, not at all. However, we cannot enter the vault. Itll be only up until the room right next to top it, will that be alright?

    Of course. That is fine.

    Then, please, follow me.

    Afterward, Malta-san and I were guided by Jack-san to the room next to the vault.

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166

    Guided by Jack-san, Hirashias manager, Malta-san and I went to the basement level where the vault was located. A look at the map, I noticed that the floor mustve been constructed with security in mind as the stairs and passageway were narrow. There also was no other way along the passage either. However, whatid outside the wall was not soil. I could see that there was an empty space around the wall. As if the basement floated inside a cavity underground. I had no idea how itd been done, though it mustve been magic.

    Jackson stopped ahead of us once he noticed Id been staring at the wall.

    Shaft-sama, did you notice something?

    Yes, why is there a hollow space between the walls?

    To be more exact, that space is filled with water. Its designed as a way to prevent anyone with earth mastery to easily infiltrate the magic vault from outside. This passageway is the only way to ess the vault.

    So, thats how it is

    Speaking of crime prevention, one should also think about the use of magic

    Then what about the old building I bought from the Marida Trading Company? It would be impossible for me to build a simr system. And finding a simr type of building would not be easy. Or was I thinking too far ahead? Did I need to ce some security measures?

    Please wait in this room. I will bring out the core.

    Jack-san led us into a small room with a simple desk and a few chairs. There were no wall adornments or extra furniture. Malta-san sat in a chair in the rooms corner while I took the one in front of the table. I watched the movement of the dots on my radar. I could see Jack-san move further to the back with another dot, apparently the magical vaults guard.

    Sometimes, sometimes I notice that Shaft-sama moves as if youre looking somewhere else. Do you happen to have a skill that allows you to see distant scenery or something like that?

    How unusual Malta-san never asked about my power before. I thought he epted that it was just a part of who I am. I guess I was too naive

    I dont have such a thing. But I can see all the terrain around me. As well as sense humans and non-human movement in my surroundings.

    Ah.. So that was how you were also able to have a job as a map maker.

    Its as you guessed.

    No wonder Shaft-sama can conquerbyrinths on his own, and at such unprecedented speed as well.

    Well, there are many other things in y, but  Jack-san ising back.

    Pardon me for keeping you waiting.

    Jack-san returned while pushing a card that seemed to be meant to transport goods. There was a ck painted wooden box on top of it, which probably contained the core.

    Please check it.

    The ck box was ced on the small desk and its lid was removed. Inside was a magic stone the size of a rugby ball that shone brilliantly. The same magic stone that I brought back from the Wolf Fang Labyrinth.

    Malta-san, would you please?

    Will do.

    First of all, I asked Malta-san to confirm whether the core was genuine or not. He took out the spectacle to appraise it and looked at the cores brilliance. Meanwhile, I pretended to watch on as I prepared a GPS tracking dart in my hand.

    Without a doubt, it is the genuine item.

    Malta-san turned to me and confirmed it. Then, I picked up the core while I pretended to examine it closer as if to burn its brilliance into my eyes. Seeing this, Malta-san started to talk to Jack-san. Once thetter turned his eyes away, I casually stuck the GPS tracking dart to the back of the stone, injecting it with the micro tracker. I immediately concealed it afterward and covertly confirmed the shing red GPS tracker had been firmly attached to the core, then checked its position was registered on my radar.

    By the way, the dart had no attack power, so I didnt have to worry about damaging the stone.

    I put the stone back in a way the hid the shing from view, then turned to hear Malta-san and Jack-sans conversation.

    It is my pleasure. Hopefully, the auction today will garner a lot of money.

    That is a foregone conclusion. Especially with His Majesty attending this year. It can be used forrge-scale construction, and also forrge magical tools such asrge ships and magic elevators. With all the aristocrats participating this year, there is no doubt that itll sell for a good amount.

    Jack-san left once again, while he brimmed with excitement for thest day, to deposit the box back into the vault. Thats all I could do as a precaution. Afterward, we returned to the private room prepared for us while I wondered how Nekoyanagi would act.

    As we waited in the private room while we enjoyed tea, an attendant came to inform us that the auction would begin soon. I moved from the private room to the spectator area for sellers along with Malta-san. Hirashia was a two-story building simr in build to a theater with a stage and a podium on the first floor where the goods were auctioned. In the space where the bidders sat, there were many round tables that sat eight so they could enjoy the long auction as much as possible.

    We got to sit in the seller-only spectator area on the second floor. It was a small private room with a top-down counter. Multiple seats of the same design overlooked the first floor from left to right. The royal guest area, clearly for the Royal Family, was also on the same floor.

    ording to Malta-san, his only daughter Minnea, would watch from the guest room along with two other students from the First Magic Academy.

    The seats began to fill up. Malta-san then told me about prestigious nobles, the chairman of arge tradingpany, and the noted merchants who came to attend the auction. As I listened, I looked down to some of the groups I was familiar with  the top n of the Kurtmerga Kingdom, Rafflesia. Like the Marida Trading Company, Yamigasa Company was one of thergestpanies in the kingdom and the sponsor of said n.

    Then, there was the leader of the Sasanqua n  which consisted of only women, Viscount Cypria Azanavour, Duke Barga and his third daughter Laptilica,  ah, Count Themis of the Wizard Guild was also there.

    I intended to look casual, but some of them seemed to notice my gaze, thus, they stared back at me Their gazes were a mix between anger, indifference, passing curiosity, and what appeared to be interested.

    Oi, oi  dont tell me that the phantom thieves Nekoyanagi were among the people downstairs?

    The light blip of the tracker blinked firmly on the map without moving. I dont think theyre going to steal it before the auction started. Perhaps theyll have something to do during the auction? In fact, I looked forward to what they nned to do.

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167

    Kay: Been dealing with the sickies for thest few weeks. :] As far as I am aware, its not covid, so seasonal flu but more hateful.

    My child is the one that keeps getting sick (Refusing to follow instructions on care) so its been difficult to kick it. Yeah, the kid is the one that keeps getting me sick.

    _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __

    His Majesty the King of Kurtmerga, Prince Kilik, Princess Cyril, and thedies and gentlemen who participated. Thank you very much for your patience. We are pleased to announce the start of the final day of the Kings Festival!

    The tables below were full, and many sellers could be seen on the second floor. In the guest room where the Royal Family entered, all of us stood to wee the king, prince, and princess. Minnea and two other students were also there and entered along with the royal family as part of their tour. I couldnt see Silvara anywhere, but she was probably outside since she was Minneas escort.

    On this final day of the festival, from high-grade monster materials brought from variousbyrinth; there is also an assortment of masterpieces from all over the country, as well as the finest jewelry and antique works of art derived from our countrys history. I assure you that there is something for everyone here.

    On stage, a man who seemed to be the auction moderator spoke from the podium next to the stage. There was an actual list of the items shown, but despite having lived in this world this long, I had not really learned how to read or write this worldsnguage. At best, all I could do was write my own name. I could always have others do it for me, and as for reading, I had the auto-trantion system.

    As the moderator said, all of them were luxury items. I didnt recognize the names of the artists nor the titles of their works but it was easy to see how high quality they were, especially when I looked at the jewelry and antiquities.

    In addition to that, the final item for today will be the Great Labyrinth Core stone from the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, which was recently conquered. I am looking forward to seeing the final price of that item. So, lets get started! The first item is thetest work from a certain artist from Veneer

    The moderator immediately transitioned into the auction. Simple light meals were ced on the table near me and Malta-sans sitting, along with sses of liquor. There were a lot of items for sale, so it would be a while before they got to the core. Until then, I could only watch the progress of the auction while I enjoyed the food and drinks.

    Simrly, nobles and merchants tilted their sses below, If you looked closely, you could see Ophelia Dragange who sat on the edge of the venue. She stared at the auction with a stern look, along with her escort knight, Virginia, who was also present.

    Apparently, there was no progress in regards to the search for the thief group Nekoyanagi. Since they could not find them, did they intend to wait here to catch them red-handed?

    The festival proceeded smoothly. Merchants and nobles sat beside each other at the tables below and held up paddles to ce bids on the items they wanted. Or they chatted with each other.

    Catalog No. 25, the magical armor Tornado shield. This was brought back from the Emerald Demon Labyrinth. This magical Armor can use the wind attribute as protection by forming a barrier that consumes mana. The barrier itself is about the size of a regrrge shield.

    While the moderator exined, I saw the armor, which was only about the wrist to his elbow, emitted a green light. Then, the green light became a film asrge as the man in the shape of a shield. It looked simr to my CBS. I also was not the only one surprised by the show. Some of the aristocrats shouted in admiration from their seats.

    This item starting price is only thirty gold coins, only thirty gold coins, everyone! Thirty gold coins!

    After the introduction and price had been stated, the bidding started the moment it was over and a paddle was raised.

    Yes, one offer for thirty gold coins! Is there anyone willing to bid higher than thirty?

    The price then climbed steadily as more paddles were raised one after another. Was that shield really that valuable?

    Malta, what do you think?

    As for me  I would at least be willing to pay 100 gold coins.

    That much?

    Yes. Magic shields are less prolificpare to say, magic weapons. The main premise is that if a shield or armor was left within thebyrinth for a long time, theyd absorb the mana, and then theyd be a magical item. The problem is that an abandoned shield or armor from abyrinth is rarely left undamaged.

    Thats quite true.

    In addition to that is how strong the effect is. There is no real way to know how durable it is, but having arge shield while its actually only a small one is still an advantage.

    As I listened, I followed the bidding.

    We have someone bidding for 99, anyone else?!

    The price went higher than expected before I knew it

    Pakon!

    A high-pitched sound of the auction hammer being dropped echoed throughout the venue.

    Alright, we have a winner! The Tornado Shield will be sold for 99 gold coins to customer number 35!

    When the winning bid was announced, the sound of chatter gave way to the sound of pping hands. Then, the bidding continued as more items came and went.

    After two-thirds of the nned items having been sold, there was a short meal break. Simple meals like fruits and sandwiches were brought to the table. In this country, where two meals a day was basic  morning and evening  the culture of having a good lunch was sparse. In terms of time, it was more like a snack at 3 oclock rather than lunch

    Today, weve prepared a fruit muffin cooked specifically for the festival from Cole Bay, a restaurant that is currently gaining poprity within the capital. There is also a new wine provided by the Marida Trading Company.

    New wine? No way

    The muffins and wine that were brought out on carts, and their containers looked somewhat familiar. The container with only the ck paintedbel looked strikingly like the wine from my original world that Id taken out from the Continental.

    Malta

    Well, I thought about the various opportunities to show off Shafts wine, but I thought it would be best for the Royals and aristocrats to drink it at the Kings Festival. The meal break is held every year, so I thought itd gain a lot of traction. So, I sold it when you registered the stone core.

    He actually sold it since he knew Id sell the stone here When hes with me, I thought he was just an ever-smiling big-bellied uncle. But it turns out that hes still a merchant at heart.

    On the first floor, the moderator went around each table to talk about the muffin and wine.

    The ckbel did not give any clue to what kind of liquor it is, but I heard the brewery is rted to that ck Masked Shaft. Its an extremely limited liquor. We had you provide one carefully selected from among them.

    I could see some stare at the ss filled with Shafts wine with a stern look. There was no doubt about the taste. The only question was whether theyd ept the mysterious wine that involved the mysterious mercenary called ck Masked Shaft.

    However, it seemed that the background was not so bigpared to its taste. At first, they mightve been apprehensive about the wine, whose origin and harvest were unknown, but when they were faced with the mellow aroma and the clear red brick color that came from the ss, they could not help but drink it. I could hear sighs of admiration through my sensor about the wine.

    After a light meal break, the festival proceeded to the final part where the Great Labyrinth core would be exhibited. And the phantom thieves Nekoyanagi should make their move.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168

    The final day of the Kings Festival approached its end. More than two-thirds of the items had been auctioned, and all the items after the light meal went for a high price. Their starting prices were no longer measured in gold, butrge tinum coins that were equal to ten gold coins apiece.

    60 tinum coins going once! Anyone else! 70 tinum coins from custom number 11! Does anyone else have a higher bid?!

    Pakon!

    Sold! Thank you! The item has sold for 70 tinum coins from customer 11!

    That marked the end of the bidding war for number 99. Next would be thest item, and thus, the bidding war for the Great Labyrinth Core would soon begin.

    Next is the final item that will conclude this years festival. Catalog number 100, a Great Mana Stone brought back from the Wolf Fang Labyrinth!

    {E/N (Kay):Labyrinth core is Mana stone, but not vice versa. In case theres any confusion. }

    In response to the auction number being called, the ck box was brought forth to the stage. The signal from the GPS moved ordingly.

    Its my first experience to be in charge of a Great Mana Stone, including seeing it in person

    The moderator opened the lid and tilted the box so the audience could see the core inside. As expected, they wouldnt hold it by hand or move it to another pedestal. From the moment the color of the stone shone out, wonder and praise echoed out along with the pping of hands. The wave of praise grew louder, and then I noticed that the whole venue was in apuse. All of them were focused on one point.

    Shaft-sama, those are all for you. Even His Majesty is pping his hands.

    Malta-san, who was also pping his hands, told me.

    The subjugation of thebyrinth was good news that brought joy to everyone in this world. Not to mention the harvest festival, it also reduced the worry of monster overflows from thosebyrinths. In turn, that brought prosperity to the area. Naturally, the hero who cleared it would receive praise and utmost respect.

    Originally, I was supposed to receive that praise and gratitude during the harvest festival, but I instead went south to aid Ashley. Thus, all of it was channeled now to me. I stood from my seat, rested one hand over my stomach, and bowed my head slightly. It was the best I could do in response without embarrassing myself. I dont ever recall this kind of situation back in my old world. Maybe when I had won an FPS tournament before. However, the scale was vastly different.

    Alright then, this is the final item. The starting price is 50 tinum coins. We will also add 50 gold coins. Well then  do we already have a bidder? One bid for 50 tinum coins and 50 gold!

    The moderator announced the start of the bidding once the praises died a bit. It took off steadily as more and more paddles were raised one after another.

    Malta, how much do you think it will sell for?

    Lets see, I remember back when a great mana stone was sold for 130 tinum coins. I dont know how much itd sell for this time, but itd certainly go past 100.

    100 tinum coins When this auction was over, the issue with purchasing non-attribute mana stones to gain CP would certainly go away. I then noticed that the King, who was in his own seating, raise his own paddle and participated in the bidding. Apparently, Minnea and Princess Cyril, who were also present in the guest room, cheered on the king. Each time his bid exceeded someone elses, they cheered more to urge him on.

    The big amount had already exceeded 80 tinum coins, but there was no sign that the momentum would stop. Even so, the number of people who ced bids was eventually reduced to the King, a Yamigasa chairman, and two other aristocrats.

    They are Count Balmundo and Marquis Ecrus. Both are the owners of mercantilepanies.

    So, nobles are allowed to own their own privatepanies?

    Well, there are many who do not have official positions. But if you have arge magic stone, you can also managerge-scale buildings, or createrge-scale magic tools. If you wish for the prosperity of your territory, as a lord, why would you not want to own one?

    I see.

    I didnt know that a great magic stone, pulled from abyrinth, could change so much, but if Malta-san says so, then it might be the case. The bid soon exceeded 100 tinum coins. This left only the King and the chairman of Yamigasa to fight it out. The chairman was of a beast race with a rat face and a slender, tall body. Almost the exact opposite of Malta-san.

    120 tinum coins! How about that, Your Majesty!

    Upon the climax of the bidding war, both of the contestants started to show their intention to win the bid. The king raised his paddle in response to the moderators question, but the chairman raised his paddle immediately after. This exchange repeated several times until the time it took the king to raise his paddle gradually became longer and longer.

    150 tinum coins! Going once! Going twice!

    Pakon!

    Sold! The Great Mana Stone from the Wolf Fang Labyrinth is sold to the Yamigasa Company for 150 tinum coins!

    Apuse sounded through the venue at the conclusion of the bidding. The winning bid was amazing, to say the least. Cheers and praise for the winner continued as white smoke quietly pooled underfoot of the first-floor attendees. None of them seemed to notice.

    Is that part of the event?

    No, I dont think there was something like thisst year

    Sleeping mist!

    That shout belonged to Ophelia who sat at the far end of the venue.

    Not part of the event? Then, could this be Nekoyanagis move?

    Some of the nobles who heard the warning immediately raised a barrier around their seats. The smoke touched them And stopped as it was unable to suffuse through the barrier. However, not everyone was capable of conjuring simr barriers. Most of the Hirash staff members started to keel over and then fell to the floor, no longer moving. As the name implied, was it a mist that induced sleep?

    No, it was better than that. The stage was higher than the ground floor so the mist could not reach it. However, that meant movement was limited to the stage. Some of the tables managed to persist thanks to the fact that the mist was unable to get through their barriers. Perhaps it was due to the nobles presence that the situation was not total chaos yet.

    Watch the surroundings! Count Themis! Can the mist be blown away?!

    We cant afford to do that since the mist will spread outside instead!

    Prioritize His Majestys safety! Felix! Go upstairs and begin the evacuation!

    The magic nobles who attended the festival immediately took charge of the situation. The safety of the royal family members, as well as the students, had the highest priority.

    Malta, the balcony will be less dangerous, so wait in here until things settle down.

    And Shaft-sama?

    People are starting to gather near the Labyrinth Core, until the item reaches the hand of the winning bidder, it still belongs to me. I wont let anyone steal my belongings so easily.

    The map reflected my field of view, so you could see the light spots that seemed to be the staff gathering on the stage. I couldnt hear their voices due to the confusion. Still, I could hear them on whether to discuss leaving the item on stage. First of all, I should join that circle and move to protect the

    The staff on stage began to move. They closed the box so apparently, they decided to move the stone to another location.

    Shaft-sama, there are rumors that Nekoyanagi is invincible

    Theres a reason why its just a rumor. Nobody is truly invincible.

    True, but its also true they always get what they want.

    You tell me

    The cart with the stone began to move  and the footsteps of the staff pushing the cart were  This king of steps  It was Koti.

    Shaft-sama, what are you doing!?

    Malta-san raised his voice after seeing me move. It was only natural as it was the second floor and I jumped over the railing.

    Malta-san, Im going.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    Kay: Sorry about theteness. Holiday + IRL work. Dad got hurt at work and is going through some stuff with workp so I ended up being his arms for his side hustle. Revolves around towing / recovery/ transportation so chains, straps, ropes, rethreading wenches, etc etc. Basically, everything that would worsen his injury should he try and do it.

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ _ __

    On the final day of the Kings Festival, thebyrinth core Id put up for auction was sold for 150 tinum coins. The conclusion brought much excitement to the auction, but Nekoyanagi chose this moment to strike.

    Sleeping mist, an abnormal state spell, was unleashed upon the audience while they gave their apuse. The nobles among the crowd reacted immediately but the surviving staff of Hirashia chose to evacuate the core. However, among the evacuating staff, I caught Kotis footsteps. She was an employee at the Pavillion of Tranquility and also a member of Nekoyanagi.

    I jumped from the second floor down onto the first.

    Hey! What is he doing?!

    ck Mask Shaft!

    Those on the first floor who hadnt fallen asleep thanks to their magical barrier were in shock at my appearance. I did not have time to exin though. On my map, the staff was moving further and further by the second. The core had a GPS attached to it, but who knew if itd fall off, or if they put it into a dimensional bag and it stopped transmitting?

    Since I couldnt use a dimensional bag myself, I couldnt exactly test what happened if that happened. And it only crossed my mind just now So, in the event that it happens, I decided that I needed to tail Koti, preferably within a detectable distance of my map. That decided, I proceeded to tail her.

    Shaft!

    Most likely noticing my jump, called out to me as she approached.

    Ophelia, its Koti. The girl disguised herself as a Hirashi staff member.

    Are you sure?

    Without a doubt. Ill give chase.

    Iming with you  Ive sent my knight to retrieve my sword. Is Shaft going to fight unarmed?

    Ah, dont worry about that. Ill go ahead if you cant go right away.

    The staff group moved toward the far end of the building, which was about near the edge of the maps range. I couldnt stay put much longer.

    Shaft-sama!

    The moment I turned away from Ophelia and was about to go after them, I heard Minneas voice. Shouldnt she be evacuated already?

    No, theyre just starting to gather up to evacuate

    From the direction of her voice  She was being urged to leave as she waved at me. A boy and girl I was no familiar with were beside her. Princess Cyril was also there. A man then ced his hand on the fourth princesss shoulder  It was the king of Kurtmerga himself He was among the few who knew I was a trespasser.

    Your Majesty, please hurry.

    Un  Cyril,e.

    Ah, yes, Esteemed Father.

    For just a moment, I felt that my gaze was met by the king. However, he soon turned away due to a whisper that came from behind. It was Felix, deputy leader of Rafflesia. Its not like I had something against Felix, but I couldnt help but feel apprehensive.

    The sleeping mist had stopped its spread. Now, it was being dispersed after being pushed back by the barriers. Although the quick response from the nobles bore some fruit, it would take some time for the merchants to settle down. While he didnt make too loud of a fuss, I could hear the Yamigasa Companys chairman saying What about my Great Mana Stone!?

    Ophelia, Koti is heading towards the northside of Hirashia. You may try to intercept them there if you wish.

    Understood. Ill be heading out soon.

    I had enough of worrying about everything else. Using the map, I made my way to the staffs location. Not long after I started my way, dots on my map signified that theyd stopped moving. Did they arrive at their destination?  I dont think so. The terrain disyed was not a passage, room, or staircase. It was most likely a window that connected to the outside. Right then, one of the dots went through the window, but1 the other dots remained stationary.

    I ran through the interior while I checked the map for the shortest route. Once I turned thest corner, I should be able to see that  what?!

    Just around the corner, I saw the staff members on the ground.

    Are you alright?!

    I immediately rushed to the closest one.

    Suuu~

    Just to find that they were sleeping I checked another one just in case. Yes, they were sleeping. Only one dot moved away. In other words, it was Koti who cast the sleeping mist? They werent in any danger. Meanwhile, the dot moved at an increasingly faster speed. So, she wanted to escape, huh?

    I didnt know where she was going, but I would not let her go like that.

    I jumped through the same window and left Hirashia. There were about 100 meters between me and Koti The dot on my map was not moving really fast. But it was faster than regr walking speed. Perhaps she was trying not to attract suspicion from passersby.

    I activated the TSS, changed to my ck German Guard outfit since it was hard to move in a tailcoat, and itd be too conspicuous. The mask was still the ck panther mask, but it shouldnt be a problem. Regarding weapons, It wouldnt be possible to use firearms within the capital at the moment, so I proceeded with the equipment that Id prepared beforehand. The preparations were quickly done and I continued my pursuit as the Joti was about to reach the edge of my map.

    Koti chose the main street as her escape route.

    Stalls lined the street and the people of the capital celebrated the Kings Festival. I ran through the bustling crowd in order to catch up with Koti. Between the gathering and the stalls, or watching for performers, my eyes caught sight of a route thatd allow me to easily shorten the distance A rice field!

    I saw a back that looked different from the other people on the road. The other of that back  Koti  was just about to deviate to the side of the buildings, perhaps to get off the road and into an alley. Suddenly, her face turned to me, and her gaze caught sight of me as I approached.

    Why are you here?!

    She yelled with wide eyes and rushed into an alleyway. However, she was toote to notice me. I wouldnt lose sight of her now even if she increased speed. It was about time that I hunted her down at full speed. My body, which never got tired, kept on chasing her. I shook off any obstruction without trouble while on the other hand, Koti wheezed and eventually came to a stop.

    Hah, hah, are you really human nya Howe you can keep running for so long nya

    Excuse me, Im just really good at running.

    Hah, hah ~~~,~~~~,~~~~.~~, Sleeping Mist nya!

    Koti had been cornered and was out of breath, but apparently, she hadnt been ready to give up yet.

    She used her spell quickly. At the same time, a white mist released from her hand that covered the alley. But I already knew from back at the venue that this spell was a mana interference type. To me, a manuke, this kind of magic wouldnt work. The best it could do was hamper my vision temporarily. It was quickly fixed by switching to FLIR mode. I found that Kori was still there, not bothering to escape.

    I should use theck of vision to my benefit.

    I pulled out the taser from my shoulder holster, released the safety, and pulled the trigger sas I aimed for her abdomen.

    Push!

    Two wired electrodes sprung from the cartridge that was fitted to its muzzle. It produced a swish andnded on target.

    Nyaaa?!

    She may have noticed that something had attached itself to her. The real surprise came after. With a pull of the trigger a second time, 50,000 volts of electricity coursed through the wired electrode from the battery

    Nyaa!

    The shock made Koti scream and then faint. When the cartridge was removed from the muzzle, it disappeared into light particles along with the wired electrodes. The sleeping mist also dispersed. Thats good, but the moment I picked up the ck box from the fainted Koti to check the content

    Uhi! I heard that you usedrge-scale fire magic. Who wouldve thought you could also use lightning magic~

    When I turned to the strange voice, sic people stood there  the clowns.

    Master has given me a strict order to finish you off~. Gufu! I brought more people with me to deal with you, S~h~a~f~t~c~h~a~n.

    The white paint face, the big red nose, and the clowns with painted eyes and eyebrows colorfully screamed eerily.

    Theyre at it again Cactus

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    Kay: Since someone rmended I link to the weapons and vehicles used in the chapters, Ill start linking them. Links will be embedded between the ><.

    I easily caught up to Koti as she escaped from Hirashia, then incapacitated her with the >taser gun<. Everything beforehand had gone well up to that point as well. That was until I noticed there were shadows tailing me. Id nned to use the ally to corner Koti, but it ended with me being cornered instead by Cactus thugs

    They sent so many to get rid of me, and Ive managed to get rid of them every time. I guess I hadnt made myself in this matter.

    First off, I needed to somehow get rid of these six clowns in front of me. The six clowns had lined up to block off the alley  was the clown with the big red nose at the forefront of the leader of the group? The clowns who stood slightly behind him were dressed simrly, but their make-up and a few other details were clearly different.

    The big red nose at the front had a blue diamond painted over his eye. The second wore a blue jester hat with a pair of thorns that hung down, the third had a huge afro that was too yellow that it couldnt possibly be a natural blonde. The fourth was a 2-meter tall dude, and the fifth was a fatty with a colorful outfit, with thest one was mostly bald with patches of red hair on the sides.

    I recalled seeing these clowns when I entered the auction. So, it wasnt a coincidence that theyd set their show up there It was probably to set up an ambush at theter point or something.

    Uhi! Shaft-ca~~n. Do you really think that you can avoid us by getting out of Hirashia on your own? You see~, the capital is pretty much our turf.

    You people  Did cactus send you?

    Why of course~! Uhi! The guild that controls all the crime syndicates in Kurtmerga Kingdom, none other than Cactus!

    The red nose clown raised his hands as if he was gloating over the size of their organization. Meanwhile,m the other five were either groaning or showing signs of difort.

    But speaking of which, Shaft-chan~. Whats with the girl over there?

    Her? Just insignificant mud on the street.

    Mud~? Uhi! Just an insignificant mud, you say  then why is the same hero who conquered the forsaken Wolf Labyrinth all by himself, the famed ck Mask Shaft actually chase this so-called mud himself~?

    Its difficult to retort to that. I was still holding the wooden box with the stone inside after all. I couldnt afford to activate TSS to store it without knowing when well start fighting.

    Also~ I wonder if theres something precious inside that box~? Kihi! Aaah~, you dont have to tell us.

    The red nose raised his index finger and waved it left and right, clicking his tongue a few times while squinting his eyes. That gave me a bad vibe.

    Dun~geon~Core~! Am I right? Kihi! Ill be taking that along with your life, Shaft-chan~!

    There were six enemies, and all I had were abat knife, an electric baton, and a taser gun, and an >FMG9<, which unfortunately only had two spare magazines. Looking back at my encounter with the ck knife, these clowns are almost certainly more than meets the eye. If I shot blindly, Id probably waste ammunition. Moreover, I feel the need to keep at least one person alive as a warning to Cactus.

    Ignoring the red noses attempt to demoralize me, I checked the map for possible ns. It mightve seemed I was cornered, but it was not entirely true. There werent only walls around me, apparently, this was where the surrounding shops set their back doors. On the three sides other than the road, I could see a wooden door that looked to be a back door, and also the moving light dots inside.

    On on corner of the alley, there were tworge wooden boxes; probably garbage dumps. But thats it. To be honest, it would be difficult to fight with six people here. As an FPS yer, in a situation where youre alone and outnumbered, there were usually objects ced around the map that could act as cover, and usually, our spawn would never be near the enemy spawn.

    Thats not the case here, though. So All I could do was attack head-on and stir up a mess while I was at it. Create a gap and use that to switch weapons.

    I turned my attention to the red-nose clown who was shouting in a protracted tone as he stood before the five grinning clowns.

    First things first

    I slipped my right hadn behind my waist to extract the FMG9 from my back pocket, then hit the deploy button as I brought it to the front.

    What in the world are you trying to do!?

    As I caught the grip, the weapon unraveled from its concealed box shape and into its gun shape with a spin. I started spraying 9x19mm parabellum bullets in full auto at the clowns. Aiming from left to right, I emptied the 33 round magazine. Their reaction was slow, but as soon as they saw the muzzle, they understood that the fight started. As expected, they had gathered information on my fighting style. However, my preemptive attack was not meant to hit anyways.

    While they took evasive action, I put my hand on Kotis waist and lifted her on my shoulder. I slid-jumped toward the garbage boxes, lifted therge lid, and dumped her there and the box inside. Itd smell a little Oh well.

    Of the tworge boxes, the first one Id opened was apparently meant for kitchen waste. Thankfully, those wastes were collected inside paper bags, but they still smelled bad. I couldnt afford to be distracted by worrying about those two during the fight, so after a silent apology for the smell, I closed the lid.

    Shaa~~aft~! I havent finished speaking, yet you dare to start the fight~heh?!

    I dont know how he did it, but the red nose was stuck to the wall of the alley with one hand and foot. His tone suggested that he was throwing a jest, however, the glint in his eyes held clear murderous intent. I had no word to spare for them. I simply pulled a spare magazine and reloaded it, leaving one spare left.

    Switching to semi-auto, I moved it to my left hand and drew my electromaic baton, and extended it with a flick. The clowns didnt stay put to watch me like previously. The red-nosed clown stayed in his position, but the other five pulled their own weapons. The blue clown pulled a short wand, afro pulled a long sword, the tall one pulled a spear, the fatty held two daggers, and the bald one had a double-edged ax.

    ~~~~~,~~~~~, Boost strength.

    The blue clown chanted a spell, then cast the strengthening magic on the other four. That was not good. If the blue had the support role, I had to take him out first.

    Uhi! Now, lets begin the hunt~!

    Afro and Baldy rushed forward at Redsmand. In the meantime, Fatty threw his daggers at me. They flew straight at me and I knock one away with my baton while the second was easily avoided. Knocking thrown projectiles away was a fairly popr defensive trick in VMB. Thrown projectiles could be used silently. From my favorite the tomahawks to throwing knives, chakrams, and even shurikens; various items were avable.

    If theres a method of attack, it was only fair to have a method to defend. In VMB, they were much slower than bullets. By predicting the trajectory, a yer could evade or deflect the object mid-flight. By now, its a natural move to me regardless of the opponent.

    However

    Dash!

    The daggers were a distraction. Both Afro and Baldy used Dash to immediately cover the distance between us. I pointed the firearm to Baldy on the left. Since I would be using it one-handed, it would be hard to aim with the iron sight. But thats why I switched to semi in the first ce.

    I pulled the trigger three times. The recoil made the gun jump vertically, but I managed it. In the meantime, I used the baton to intercept the slightly faster Afro to make him lose bnce, then struck for his throat with the FMG9s grip.

    Guho

    Afro copsed and I immediately wrapped my arm around his neck to choke him while I turned him around. In that instance, he became a human shield against Baldy who used his ax to protect himself from my shots. Thanks to the 9mms power, one of the axs des broke off. But even with just one de, the power was still there. However, Baldy was not expecting me to use CQC and make his friend my shield.

    He was unable to halt or redirect his attack. As a result, Afro took the blow to his gut.

    Gyaa!

    Afro struggled to break free but I did not let go of him yet. With Baldys ax still in his friend, I put the FMG9 on his shoulder to use as a prop, then fired another three times. Baldy, still dazed from what happened, was unable to react in time as the rounds tore through his head and copsed. With that Left Afro, who was still somehow still alive, but hed die either way due to the fatal wound to his gut.

    I intended to use him as my meat shield while hested, and as for the rest of the clowns, they red at me with hate-filled expressions.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171

    Six thug clowns from the shadow guild, Cactus, ambushed me. One had already been subjugated by taking a shot to the face, and another was dying from a fatal cut to his abdomen he received as my meat shield. The remaining four were still unharmed. The red rose, now no longer on the wall, fumed and the same could be said about the other three clowns.

    Sha~ft Youve done it now~ Youve done it now~

    I swore I saw a blue glinte from Reds face. But I was probably imagining it. My FMG9 had 27 shots and 1 spare mag left. I hadnt gotten a chance to reload the taser due to the ambush. Though, I did bring 3 spare cartridges to capture the thief group Nekoyanagi. Retaliating sessfully against their first move, I had managed to kill one and disable another. Still, my remaining supplies appeared unpromising.

    ~~~~,~~~~~,~~ -

    ~~~~,~~~~,~~

    The blue hat clown that stood behind Red began another chant. I couldnt hear the magics name, so I didnt know what wasing next since I couldnt hear it. Then, before itsplete

    The moment I directed my FMG9 towards him from behind my meat shield, Fatty jumped in the way. They sure learned about the characteristics of my weapons. A straight line of attack from the direction of the muzzle. If you blocked that line, it was impossible to hit its intended target. But magic was different from firearms and line of sight was not always needed.

    ~~, Stone Prison!

    The moment I heard the name, a stone wall quickly approached me from the front. It was not just the front, but all sides.

    Surrounded?

    The stone wall was about 2 meters tall and about simr in width. So, what was the point of it? Its wasnt tall enough to prevent people from jumping and climbing out. The top was open after all

    I looked up and thought about escaping , but a light blip on the radar reflected that someone was rushing toward me. It was not Red, it was someone from behind him Spear guy! The rush of footsteps disappeared but the blip didnt stop and kept moving until it ovepped me.

    From above!

    The tall clown could be seen in the sky high above the walls. With the top of his spear face down, he plummeted down like a lightning strike.

    Roaring Thunder!

    A skill! Surrounded by stone walls like this, I wouldnt be able to dodge!

    Letting my meat shield go, I braced myself while stretching my left hand outward, then deployed the CBS. An invisible barrier expanded overhead like an umbre. The moment he made contact, violent lightning sparks erupted with a sound like thunder. Since the CBS was not directly attached to my hand, the sparks instead rippled around and destroyed the walls around me. Afro, who was trying to stave off the bleeding, was also hit by it. His entire body was charred ck as a result.

    The VMB shading system helped reduce the sh caused by the strike. Because of that, I saw Spear guys astonished face clearly. Id like to counter his attack but my left hand was too shaky to use the FMG9 urately. Meanwhile, the baton on my right would not reach him. Perhaps seeing my mary hesitation, Spear Guy took that chance to retreat using the recoil from the CBS.

    Hes still alive!

    Spear Guy alerted hisrades of my survival the moment he got back into position.

    Hes able to guard against that too~, how did he do it~?

    An invisible shield that resembled a magic barrier. But Ive never heard of a barrier that could guard against physical attacks before.

    Un~n, oy.

    After listening, Red began to hand out instructions.

    The CBS was my only defensive tool. Defending against skills actually costs less than automatic consumption for a normal deployment. Which meant I would not run out of shield energy anytime soon, but I wasnt also going to waste it

    I saw Fatty hold a sizable amount of daggers in his hand this time. It probably up to something after Red said something. His face distorted in a disgusting

    Show it to me too~, Uhii!

    Once Red shouted, he threw his daggers in session.

    Arge number, but not an impossible amount to dodge or guard against  should I deploy it? No, thats what they want. I slipped behind the remnant of the stone wall in front of me to use as cover. It was only a meter tall now, so I hunkered down as the daggers swished overhead. This Actually, this might be my chance. Those clowns could not see me at the moment. Checking the map, they appeared to not be moving in.

    I activated the TSS after confirming they werenting. Except for the charred body of Afro who stared at me with an empty gaze.

    While taking note of the noses made my Red, I essed my inventory, selected a spare mag for my main weapon, special grenades for closebat, then summoned the supply box. I then saw on my map they were not beginning to make their move. After all, the moment I was switching equipment was the more dangerous moment. Perhaps frustrated by how I used the wall to protect myself, I heard Red shouting at Blue to undo it.

    The wall disappeared as I finished taking what I needed. Right as the wall vanished, I slid-jumped toward a nearby building while I staying low. From there, I switched into high mobility mode immediately. I ran up the alley wall with wall run and jumped over the clowns.

    Uhi!

    Red kept an eye on my sudden shift in tactics. I didnt know what was so interesting about it, but first

    I looked at Fattys head, aimed at it from above, and switched to full auto before spraying the rest of my mag down. His neck bent, which I could not tell where it began or ended, and readied his daggers. They were enough to block a few of the bullets but since they rained down, naturally, the daggers broke and he became riddled with bullets. If Id shot from the front, there was a possiblity that fat on his body wouldve prevented fatal injuries. So, I decided that if I was going to shoot him, itd have to be headshots.

    Inded behind Tall and Blue Hat. At the same time, I tossed the FMG9 at Tall. He knocked it away with his spear, but in the meantime, I closed the distance between me and Blue.

    Hii! ~~~,~~~

    As if Id allow it!

    Blue pointed his short wand at me and began to chant as he backed up. But it was nothing to the power of the power suit.

    Uooh!

    I swatted the hand that held the wand aside and thrusted the baton at his chest. Then I pushed the button, sending electricity from the tip of it into his body.

    Gya!

    With a short scream, Blue copsed. Ill let him live for now to get information, but with this, Red and Tall . I looked behind as Tall brandished his spear while Red held nothing yet.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172

    With a lul in the fight, I was able to reoutfit my equipment. Blue was incapacitated and ready for capture. Now, all that was left was to deal with Red and Tall. In addition to the equipment, I prepared for Nekoyanagi, I took out my Shafts Basic that included the Welrod and the Electric baton. I didnt include the tomahawk this time around though.

    Instead, I took out the >AS_VAL<, which was a rifle equipped with a built-in ARF suppressor, for the first time. Both the Welrod and the VAL were simr in that they had built-in suppressors. The FMG9 I used earlier was not as it needed its own suppressor attachment.

    Therefor, I wasnt surprised to see light dots moving hurriedly inside the buildings on that made up the alley. Eyes peaked from between cracked wooden doors and I heard others calling for the guards. This meant that either the guards or Ophelia-san would arrive here eventually. However, theres a chance that more ordinary people would arrive with themotion. Therefor, I needed to keep the sound of gunshots to a low as to not attract more attention.

    Shaft-cha~n, you crossed the line you know~? Cross~the~line.

    Red said lightly, but the smile on his face disappeared.

    Shall we get this over with soon~? Uhii!

    Tall raised his spear and marched forward. Red followed behind with casting self-reinforcing skills one after another.

    Skill, [Reinforce body], [Reinforce attack], [Reinforce Agility], [Grant: Fire Attribute],

    Oy, oy, just how many times are you going to buff yourself? Ive seen many knights and adventurers do it, but not with so many at once. I had no idea whether it could be done, or if it was even effective, but seeing someone buff themselves to no end bothered me.

    I pulled out the Welrod from its holster, holding the gun in my right with my left free. Since the VAL only had 20 rounds per mag, I refrained from using it now. I had taken note that people with a certain amount of ability could dodge bullets they could see. Ive since confirmed this with the FMG9.

    As if knowing my modus operandi already, Tall tightened his grip on his spear with the spear tip following my every move as if it was locked to my center. I couldnt get around him This tall guy  hes pretty good. Even when discounting the skill he used me earlier. My fighting ability wasrgely dependent on VMBs CQV system. While I did have the initiative, I often let the system take over.

    How effective would it fare against this worlds strongest? So far, it served well, but Id eventually hit a ceiling. And Tall was giving me a sense of pressure, not just once but twice, didnt he? It was simr to when Ipeted in an FPS Tournament. Where the results could be decided with the first step  but who would take the first step? It was a moment when I would never be sure whether to jump or wait.

    Haa!

    Tall decided for me with speed.

    Kuh!

    I blocked his attack and intended to send a counter-attack to his face with the Welrod. However, he was taller than me, so I could only strike at his chest instead. But he exhibited a reflex and litheness Ive never thought someone of his height had as he managed to duck; leaving me to strike empty air. If only the attack hadnded, I had intended to pull the trigger.

    I was left open.

    This is bad

    While my upper body was still in motion, I forced my lower body to dodge the iing leg sweep Tall tried to do. I managed to backward slid-jump just in time. He didnt stop there and stepped further forward after me as I was still midair. I was able to block with the Welrod a second time,nd safely and slid-jump back once more. He gave chase but it was my turn to attack.

    I jumped, aligned my crosshair with his chest, and pulled the trigger twice.

    Naa!

    Bloody holes appeared in his chest while I aimed for a spot tond. His head. Tall looked at his chest with surprise at its suddenness and power. Red spilled from his mouth and I was sure of my victory.

    Hyahha!

    I heard a strange voice and saw Red jump over Tall from behind. The way he moved through the air

    [Furious Kick] !

    Red activated a skill that allowed him to do a plunging kick after he jumped over his 2m tall friend.

    Kuh!

    Reds kick reached my chest before I could deploy the CBS, though I was able to block it with the Welrod; his attack did not end there. The power behind the kick sought to knock me down, but I pushed forward to fight off the pressure when it disappeared. I was left to push empty air.

    Wha?

    Red switched to another kick. I only realized what happened when his foot hit my temple.

    Hyaha-!

    Following the noise Red made, his kick sent me flying into a wall. Itd been a while since Idst been hit  Ill never get used to pain. Half of my vision went dark, then realized that it was because my mask became misaligned. I fixed it and looked up, only to be greeted by the twisted smile on Reds face.

    Sha~ft~cha~n, something interesting just crossed my mind~. Under that mask~, what in the world have you been hiding~? Before you die~, show it to me~.

    Fuuh.

    His gaze gave me all sorts of bad vibes. Sitting against the wall, I allowed myself to calm down and feel the natural healing begun. Were they aware of my healing ability when I was in a nonbat state? While he gloated, I used thepse inbat to heal. But this Re He hadnt brought out any weapons. Could it be that he was an expert in bare-handed fighting?

    Thinking back, he did have that glint which was usually a cue for strengthening skill. In addition to magic, there were also skills that can strengthen yourself  recalling the story of Honorary Chancellor Zephanel, it was originally a skill from a different game. It was possible that the descendants of a Manuke like me to inherit the skill.

    Alright, the dizziness and headache disappeared. There were no gauges such as HP, or stamina in the UI information in view, but I felt it physically.

    Anyway, I didnt think he was waiting for me to recover, but he finally stopped gloating and rushed me again. He took a stance that looked like an orthodox boxing stance with both fists raised, then mes covered his hands.

    [Triple Knuckle Strike] !

    Red executed another skill again. I stood up with my back against the wall, and reacted to the iing punch that split into three. First, second, and third. I managed to take them all with the Welrod. Then, I reached out to grab the hand but it disappeared like an illusion. Three times and my counterattacks failed. My overreliance on the VMB system became apparent.

    Gotcha~!

    The burning red right hand closed in on my face at breakneck speed.

    Kuh!

    I managed to bend my neck just in time to dodge  no, it scratched me somewhat? The outstretched fist grazed the left side of my face and pieced the wall behind me. Reds face was distorted before me with the distance between our faces less than fifty centimeters as an M84 shbang entered the view between that gap.

    What?

    At that moment, Reds expression changed into that of suspicion as the shbang detonated with a sh and a deafening noise rang out.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173

    Reds strike grazed the left side of my face and pieced the wall behind me. This guy was a martial artist whose skill exceeded my CQC system. Three times they showed an opening that I always took, and left myself open to attack. It would be disadvantageous for me to continue this fight like this I took out the >M84 shbang< from my waist pouch and pulled the pin with one hand.

    I tossed it between me and Red, allowing it to explode midair fully aware Id be caught in it as well.

    Red let out a confused voice as I activated the light-shielding and noise-canceling function to reduce the effects I felt myself. They would not negate them but it shouldve been enough for me to mount a counterattack.

    Our gazes locked before the explosion and then the sh and noises came.

    Gyaaa!

    The alley was filled with blinding shes and ear-piercing bangs as well as Reds scream. I have been affected to a lesser degree thanks to the functions I activated that acted simrly to how they did within the game. It ap[peared that the status ailment also affected the inhabitants of this world differently to me. shes and explosions of the like affected them as they would a regr human, whereas I got the experiences to how they affected me in the game. And if it could be reduced to this much, itd be interesting to see how I could further use this within CQC.

    I directed the Welrods muzzle to Reds abdomen, and with the remaining five rounds, I ced two in his abdomen. He doubled back due to the pain.

    Hii, hii, I, is that what you hide behind the mask, you monster

    Monster?

    Taking note of his remark, I wondered if it was because he was still affected by the shbang. Wait That punch was meant to destroy my mask?

    I noticed my mask on the ground burning.

    In other words, Red saw it now. The avatars face-paint; cloudy white lidless eyes, skinless face, and burn marks around the left eye. Since there was no skin, the facial muscles were exposed and the forehead was burned and bald. Well, it didnt matter that much. In fact

    Look at my face all you like.Youare about to die.

    His movement stoppedpletely as he knelt from the damage. I ced the muzzle to his forehead. With this, the clowns were

    Stay away, monster!

    I caught the tall guy thrusting his spear right beside Reds head. How did he recover from  No, it didnt matter, He would not be fighting long.

    I jumped up, then used the nearby wall as a foothold to leave higher than Tall could reach with his spear. The alley walls belong to 3 and 4 story buildings. By alternating between them, I maintained a 7-8 meter height. I aimed down and shot twice. The first round was blocked but the second hit him in the >vicle< and that immobilized him. I kicked off one more wall and unloaded myst round into his head. He fell silent afterward.

    I confirmed his death when his blip disappeared on the map. There was noing back from that.

    Inded in the alley and turned to Red. He red at me while trying to stop the bleeding in his stomach with his hand. However, I noticed more blips approaching our position.

    I heard an explosioning from there!

    Close the door to the store tight!

    Send a messenger to the Deputy Leader! Knights to the front, mages to the back!

    Apparently, the Fourth Knights, whose task was to defend the Royal Capital, had begun to father. I put the now empty Welrod back in its holster at my waist and pulled out the AS_VAL and took of the safety.

    Now, all six clowns were down. Blue was unconscious, so lets neutralize Red, thest one, then collect the stone and leave. As for Koti Its a hassle so the Knights can handle her. With how the battle intensified, I barely remember how Koti and the box were still in the garbage

    Dogon!

    The box lid was kicked from inside with great force.

    Both I and Red turned to it as something seemed to struggle its way out of the box It was Koti. My sound sensor picked up her voice

    Its dark-nyaa-! Smelly  nyaa!

    Then she stopped crying for a moment as a jet of pushed ou. Kotis head popped out soon enough.

    I, I finally got out Nyaa?

    She looked around despite the odor and stiffened.

    Why, of course. There were the corpses of Baldy and Afroying next to it, with Fatty just across from them. Then, theres this person with a zombie-like face and an ugly clown bleeding from his stomach.

    Wha-What is going on here, nya? Where is Shaft-nya, and the stone ?

    The great mana stone was covered in sewage since the box was not covered with water summoned from Koti. It messed up the packing and caused the foul odor to spread It couldnt be helped, but I needed her to sleep a bit longer.

    Maintaining the AS_VAL in my right hand, I pulled the electric baton and extended it with a light shake. Koti retreated a few steps until her back touched a wall.

    Nyaa

    Perhaps looking for an escape, Koti turned her gaze up, down, left, right, and then on Red behind me. Red also noticed people were approaching and was about to escape.

    P-Please help me! Im being attacked by a monster!

    Eh?

    Red said that while he looked at me sideways. It had been out of my expectations. Should I silence him first? I thought to myself. Then, Koti attempted to use my hesitation to cast a spell.

    ~~~,~~~,

    Would it be the mist again? In that case, it wouldnt work on me. I really should incapacitate Red first, the Koti.

    I took aim with my firearm at Red whod just called me a monster.

    ~~, Leap-Nyaan!

    What?

    It was not the sleeping mist. I turned around and saw Kotiunch to the sky with the wind on her feet.

    I will never forget this humiliation- nyaaa!!

    I could only watch as she flew in a parabolic trajectory into the sky as my sensor picked up what she said.

    The 4th Central Knights are here! Stop fighting now!

    So, theyre here I checked the map and I saw them converging on the alley.

    Help me! I was suddenly attacked by a monster!

    You in the back! Turn around slowly! If we see you chanting magic or activating a skill, well take action immediately! Raise both hands and stick out your tongue, then turn around!

    I slowly did as instructed. The tongue part was probably to prevent magic chanting. I still held the baton in my left, as I was not told to drop my weapon.

    Eh..

    A demihuman?

    Looks more like an undead to me?

    The knights were understandably confused by my face. However, I was more surprised at who was among them. Felix Mendoza of Rafflesia was at the forefront. Behind him was Viscount Cypria Azavour, master of Sazanka. Wasnt Felix responsible for escorting the Royal Family? Did he delegate it to the knights in order to arrest Nekoyanagi? And why was the master of Sazanka here?

    The situation was not what I expected, and Red seemed to feel the same. He stopped screaming and instead, focused on his wound. Meanwhile, Felix stepped forward as the other knights were too confused to act.

    An undead And a thief disguised as clown. Both of which shouldnt exist in the capital.

    As I heard him mutter that, he drew his sword. A faint sh of the sword passed through Reds head. His upper pat of the head disintegrated, whether by skill or technique, I didnt know how it happened as it only left the lower part. When he finished his swing, he shifted to face me. In his hand was not a western-style sword, but it was a sword. Single-edged and simr to my worlds version of a katana. Lightning-like engraving decorated the silver de.

    A tendril of electricity ran through the engraving up to the des tip.

    [Lightning de ].

    A blinding sh filled the alley as he swung. The moment I was about to get hit, I knelt and activated the CBS. My vision became filled with light as the shading function went to work. Thunder sounded out quickly after. The shields energy was halved and the thunder even triggered the sound dampening function.

    It was not over yet as from behind the semi-transparent shield, I saw Felix continue his attack. He closed the gap with what seemed like [Dash]. But he was so fast that I could barely see him. So, I retracted the shield before redeploying it to parry his sword at the right time. At the same time, I directed the VALs crosshairs to a fatal spot under his hair and pulled the trigger.

    Enough!

    However, neither mine nor his attack reached their target. Someone else intervened.

    A crimson sword had bloated his de while the persons left hand caught the AS_VALs barrel. It made the shot fly far off the mark. The person who intervened was the master of the Sazanka n.

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174

    The n master of Sazanka, Cypria Aznavour, intervened in the fight between Felix and me. Her crimson greatsword, the aptly named mes of Cypria, blocked his sword with a screech. The guy was still on edge even now.

    But it wasnt like I was any different. Cypria mightve held down the barrel of the AS_VAL so that its muzzle faced the ground, but I was still applying upward force inorder to ce it on Felixs chest. In the meantime, my left hand slowly reached up to my chest pocket where mybat knife was.

    Stop it. If you insist on continuing this, I will not limit myself to just stopping you.

    Cyprias crimson eyes looked to Felix, then me.

    Who are you?

    Felix asked me. His cold jade eyes bored into me.

    Shaft.

    Hearing my response, the knights who watched us became noisy.

    Shaft? The ck Mask Shaft?

    He doesnt look human to me.

    Is that why he always wears a mask?

    In contrast, the other two looked calm.

    I thought so. My [Magic Sense] perceived him as such. A real ugly face there.

    Felix, on the other hand, sheathed his sword and left, disappearing among the knights. I really dont know why he was even here.

    Keep your killing intent down, and dont move your left hand.

    Fuuh~

    I took a deep breath to calm myself. The fight seemed over. I looked to the alley and saw that the ground had been scorched, cracked, and destroyed by the skill Felix released. Not only were the dead clowns caught in the attack, but also Blue, whod been incapacitated, had been caught up in the strike.

    With all of it destroyed, I could no longer extract information.

    Have you calmed down?

    Yeah. Its alright now. You can let go.

    Once Cypria let go of the barrel, I straightened myself and engaged the safety before I slung it over my back.

    Should I be grateful for your intervention?

    No need to, dont mention it. I dont even know what will happen next.

    Is that so

    It would be unpleasant to leave your face exposed. Please keep it covered.

    She reached into her red knight uniform, then offered me a long, thin silk-like cloth. I checked the map as I received it. I could see more blips behind the Fourth Knights.

    Open the way! Commanders, please report the situation!

    I heard this voice before I forgot his name, but it belonged to the Deputy Leader of the Fourth. Following that, I heard the familiar steps of Ophelia.

    Shaft! Are you al

    She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, but stopped when she saw my face. It was a normal reaction Given the nature of the face paint I was using right now. So, I began wrapping my face with the cloth I was given. I covered everything but my right now to see. The cloth, it smelled good, and was a little warm. It made me wonder where itd been stashed before.

    Ophelia-san, pardon me, but Nekoyangi managed to escape.

    I-I see Then they got away with the stone?

    No, its over there.

    As I said that, I pointed to the garbage box at the end of the alley.

    Do you mean Inside the garbage container?

    It is. Koti used water magic while inside. Its gotta be a mess there now.

    The garbage container had a foul odoring out from the now oily water mix Koti made. The dot on my radar signified that the transmitter I attached to the stone was still in there. But

    Now, how do we take it out?

    Two days passed since the alley fight.

    I originally visited the capital to sell the Great Magic Stone. However, I had since also learned about the truth behind Manukes as being people from different games other than VMB. Then, I had ended up in that alley when pursuing Nekoyanagi and ended up being ambushed by the clowns. Eventually, had a short exchange with the Deputy Leader of Rafflesia.

    These past ten days had been filled with all sorts of idents.

    Afterward  the stone had been forcibly recovered by blowing up the garbage container. I was temporarily detained by the Fourth Knights for questioning. Questions such as whether I was truly Shaft. What happened while I was pursuing Nekoyangi and my rtion to the dead clowns.

    The questioning was carried out by the Deputy Leader of the Fourth Knights himself, Ode Samantha who appeared at the end. Not that I had much to lie about. I was most definitely the ck Mask Shaft, and I had been attacked by the clowns while I chased Koti. That was all I could say. I also mentioned that the clowns were actually assassins sent by Cactus. He seemed more concerned with the fact I had shed with Cactus assassins within the Royal Capital during the Kings Festival.

    Cypria Azanvour went elsewhere after the alley, but Ophelia tagged along to the station and was also surprised after hearing my story. About my face  Ophelia no longer appeared upset when she was with me and was slowly acting her normal self when she talked to me.

    However, she still showed ire when Cactus was mentioned. Even to the far reaches of her homnd, Dragrange Margrave, Cactus, who had control over the other dark guilds within Kurtmerga, was known there. ording to the Deputy Leader, it was rare for Cactuss intention to be so clear. The dark ns beneath them could be tracked down, but the people behind them, Cactus, were difficult to get.

    It had been charred, but there was probably a lot of information that could be obtained from the corpses sent from the Overlord Tree Cactus.

    To verify my identity, I had asked Duke Barga, who Id saw attending the auction, to cooperate. Since he happened to be at the station as well, things went smoothly. Al5though, I had to show my real face to many more knights and nobles present.

    In addition to the fourth knights, many young nobles, mainly from magical families, had gathered at the station. There had not been anything major damage, but it seemed that the attack on the venue where the Royal Family was attending caused quite the uproar.

    After the questioning, Ophelia immediately headed north to pursue Nekoyanagi as Koti and three of her colleagues had been seen north of the capital in a vige. Meanwhile, the nobles went out with the knights to crush the dark guilds still hiding within in the capital. I, on the other hand, promised Ophelia wed meet again before, and returned to Hirasha.

    Malta-san and the chairman of Yamigasa waited for me there. Thebyrinth core had been recovered and its buy finally received it. The bid for it had been the highest in the auctions history at 150 tinum coins. Of that, Hirashias portion was 10% of that and Malta would receive 20% of it. The remaining 70% was mine.

    Despite not getting the full amount, I had received 105 tinum coins and 100 million gold coins.

    In the guest room where the item had been handed over, I saw the chairman, a rat beastman, happily sniffing at the stone.

    To be real honest, the stone had bee soaked in sewage for quite a bit, so it smelled. However, the handover could not be dyed any longer, so I simply wiped it with a cloth before I brought it here.

    Chichihi  so this is the scent of a Great Mana Stone! It reminds me of the evilbyrinth, how it disgusts me still even now! But this brilliance! This amount of power! Truly amazing!

    He was practically smooching the stone as he spoke. Naturally, I couldnt tell him what had happened to it

    And now I rested in the guestroom of Malta-sans mansion. I had stayed there since yesterday, taking note of how the crackdown by the knights was going while I dealt with Minnea. It had not resulted in anything notable, however, though Im sure the hunt for Shaft would reside for the time being.

    With that gap, Shaft would disappear while I nned for my next destination. Yes, thebyrinth subjugation that I had set as my goal to live in this world. I will head to the Snakehead Labyrinth.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175

    Kay: () I was mentally repulsed from work after dealing with holiday drama. Lot of familia tried guilting me because I decided for once in my life not to be forced to attend Christmas out of a perceived duty to attend. It was glorious and I think the family is not finally understanding Im free. (Also one Christmas event imploded after due to my abuser turning her ire on my parents, te he.)

    I can honestly say Im enjoying view.

    _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _

    Once the festival was over, and I had my much-needed two-day rest at Malta-sans mansion, I prepared to head to my next destination, Snakehead Labyrinth. Abyrinth conquest. It was two days out by carriage to the southeast. It was named for its distinctly shaped entrance that looked like a giant snake amidst the wilderness.

    The Snakehead Fortress was built in front of thebyrinth, and it was meant as a barrier between it and the capital. At the same time, It also served as a hub for those who delved into it. Within it, many different shops and amodations were provided. The Third Knights were also headquartered there. Their main function wasbyrinth conquest within the kingdoms borders. Other stores were also smiths, brothels, and other services just outside the fort.

    I left the capital as Shaft, only switching to Schwartz outside before I headed to thisbyrinth. The exploration schedule was about 3 days, which was short. But I nned to conduct a field survey of thebyrinth first, as it was different from the previous twobyrinths.

    Lets take it easy this time.

    Two days of travel, three days to explore, and then more days to return. By the end of that schedule, the transfer magic stone Id entrusted to Chancellor Bergman should be ready to be returned to me, and the administrative work to pass the shop over to me should also be finished.

    I took a carriage to Snakehead Fortress along with another party of adventurers that were headed that way as well.

    The fortress itself was arge U-shaped fortress built to iste thebyrinths entrance. It had four floors, which was tall for this world, but only the first floor was avable to regr adventurers. The rest of the floors were for the knights, and naturally, were off limits.

    Guards stopped the carriage at the fortresss entrance. From there, I had to walk with some checks required before entering the fortress proper.

    First, amodation.

    The fortress itself had no inn itself. It had free amodations for adventurers, but there was just one tatami mat wide with a single bed. They were also separated by curtains rather than a wall in arge hall.

    It looks like a hospital room.

    After I submitted an application for amodation, I was given a single key for a magic safe to ce my valuables in and a room number tag. Having checked the room myself, that was my impression.

    The U-shaped fortress had an entrance and a za at the center of the curve. Amodations to the south side and various stores on the northern side. I passed not only adventurers but also knights who seemed to be members of the Third Knights on the way to the cafeteria on the north side.

    Like the room, the dining room was free. There was a bar outside the fortress, but you could only get free food here. Laughter and bustle could be heard from outside the fortress, so it seemed explorers were more likely to eat outside. Most of the explorers I passed seemed to be going at it solo like me.

    The next morning, I awakened to the sound simr to an army trumpet, which was different from the bell I was used to in the capital and Barga. I checked my UI and found it was five in the morning. It was early, but outside the partition, I could hear other adventurers waking and preparing to depart.

    I also activated the TSS and began preparing my weapons and items I nned to use. My main would be theFNP90. For my secondary, itll be the bay mounted CZ75 SP-01. I also brought grenades and spare ammo, along with a sledgehammer.

    The sledgehammer was arge striking weapon with a 90cm long handle and a 6cmx17cm head. It was a more obvious weaponpared to the portable melee weapons Ive used so far. Why did I n to use a hammer this time around?

    Because thisbyrinth was also thergest source of crystal in the kingdom. It was pretty much impossible to burrow through the walls and structures inside, but it was possible to collect mineral resources such as crystals and ores. nts could also be harvested from the vegetation. While it was actually a lure for humans, it was still a source of materials should you be able to harvest it and get out.

    When I left the capital, I was asked by Martha to collect this crystal. With the tool bag that normal adventurers used, you couldnt take it home without crushing it into pieces. Apparently, some explorers brought carts to transport the mined crystal. However, it was not a realistic n given the dangers thaty inside.

    However, my GIFT BOX ignored all that.

    Quartz, which was a material for essories and quartz ss, was in great demand. I got a lot of money from the Great Mana stone, but considering the future, it was better to have even more money.

    The hammer was for this purpose.

    With my equipment, I went for food first then thebyrinth.

    Next to the gate leading to thebyrinth, there was a booth that functioned as the administration building. A queue of party representatives were lined up to submit their exploration ns. I joined, submitted my ns, and purchased the light grass seeds before I entered.

    Passing through, a huge crack was spread out before me. A crack that resembled a snake. Snake valley stretched two kilometers east to west. I walked the beaten road to thebyrinth, which had been trampled over the number of years as many people used it and earthen stairs were built. A cave that served as the entrance to thebyrinth seemed to open in the rock wall at the end.

    When an explorer lost his life inside, it became food and power for thebyrinth. The power gave substance to the phantom-like monsters within and once the power rose to a certain extent, they poured out.

    Overflow. It was a metaphor. The monsters did note out politely. Just as

    Just as the monsters were defeated in thebyrinth, were wrapped in a ck mist and disappeared, they sprang up again from the mist on the surface. That was the phenomenon.

    Once at the end of the stairs, the entrance was concealed in darkness.

    The moment I stepped in through the darkness, I felt the world change. The structure was indestructible. No matter how hard someone tried to dig, they would never be able to burrow through to the lower levels. As an isted world within. It was almost a different world.

    Thinking so, I began to explore.

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176

    After beginning my exploration of the dark otherworldlybyrinth, which limited my vision, I finally stepped into a dimly lit room. Inside, I saw several other adventurers had gathered here. There was a transfer circle here that allowed instantaneous teleportation to the lower levels. I saw several adventurers gathered in the corner before they disappeared in a swirl of dazzling light one after another.

    Once all had left, the room was once again filled with silence.

    Transfer circles were installed every 10 levels and this enabled users to transfer back to the top, or down to any of the circles theyve used before. Being as it was, meant I had to transverse thebyrinth from the first level down as I hadnt been here before. Thus, I had not registered my biometrics with the lower levels to transfer to them.

    As no one was here, I took out a silencer and shlight for the P90. The sledgehammer I picked for crystal extraction was slung over my shoulder, beside a backpack. If I encountered an enemy, I could easily drop the backpack to enter abat stance.

    Once I fitted the silencer, I switched to the shlight. Up until recently, Ive always preferred to keep the shlight usage to a minimum as it could give away my position. That was why Ive been using it on pinpoint capacity. But this may change in the future. During the attack in the capital, where I battled the assassins sent by Cactus, I had finally been shown the limits of VMBs CQB system.

    Even so  the core of my fighting force would still be VMBs systems. I dont think I could train my body any further nor teach myself any swordsmanship or martial arts from this world. My power could only be improved by honing only what I could do. So  I had to do just that, hone myself.

    First order of business was to improve my FPS skills. There was at least one method I could think of. The exploration this time was for this very reason.

    I exited the room with the P90 at the ready. It was another cavern passage. Like otherbyrinths, the interior of the passage was around 6-10 meters. Clusters of hexagonal crystals were scattered here and there along the path. The crystals could only be harvested once thebyrinth was cleared however.

    When I tried crushing one with the hammer, the fragments were immediately wrapped in a ck mist. The fragments turned to mist immediately. As expected, only the stones the monsters dropped could be taken.

    The map for thebyrinth was simple and while I mapped it, Ipared it to the screenshot of thebyrinth map Id seen back in the capital. Then, I proceeded to the second level.

    I took my time and proceeded with caution. Two dots appeared on my map Were they monsters? There were four confirmed types of monsters. Quartz snake, quartz spider, fat scorpion, and snakeheadbyrinths naga.

    With this in mind, I switched my weapon to full auto, dropped the backpack quietly and waited. Normally, I would push to engage them. But the light from the shlight would warn them of my presence. So, I kept the muzzle down, and waited for them to enter my field of view. It was through the sensor that I heard them move. It did not sound like footsteps. It sounded more like crawling with bits of scraping mixed in.

    I can see it now

    What entered my view was a moving crystal. It was some distance away and it slithered along the ground, so my guess was that it was a quartz snake. With two, it might be a pair of snakes. The 1 meter long snake appeared on my radar about 30 meters away.

    Among the blue crystalline body, a pair of glowing red eyes could be seen And they were heading for me.

    I raised my gun to enter ADS and aligned the crosshairs with the pair of eyes before I pulled the trigger. The sound of air swishing followed the pull of the trigger  two bursts. It was difficult to hit a narrow body, but three rounds from my two burst shots managed to find their targets as the crystal body shattered. Yes. Their body actually shattered. No blood.

    So, there were actually these king of monsters too

    I was fascinated for a moment by the corpse as ck mist began to take it, but I recalled there was another. I could see its body was folded like an S, obviously umting force.

    Could this be

    I quickly switched to my CZ75 and stood back up. The snake sprung forward as the pistol left its holster as the snakes maw opened up. VMBs CQC system kicked in. I left the control of my body to it as it responded to the enemys movement. Therefore, it would react quickl to the snake.

    The bay attachment of the CZ75 was thrusted into its open maw to intercept it. It tore through its mouth until the trigger guard touched a lower fang. It attempted to swallow the gun as something began to ooze from its upper fangs atop the slide. Once I saw that, I swung the snake around and mmed it to the ground and pulled the trigger.

    The recoil pulled the gun free where I then immediately stomped its head a few times. I reced the guns mag as I watched the snake disappear into the ck mist.

    By the way, the liquid it oozed should be some sort of paralyzing venom mentioned in the information I got from the museum. There were quite a lot of venomous creatures in thebyrinth. In addition to magic-interfering types, there were also physical timers that could cause serious damage. For a manuke like me, the magic interference types held no effect. But the body types were a different matter.

    It was still unknown how venoms and poisons would affect this body. But it was not like i could just test it since that could prove lethal. I also investigated antidotes, but what was avable for the masses were drug-type antidotes. Countermeasures to cure monster venom was a spell called [Cure] magic.

    In other words, body-type poisons and venoms were effective against me as I had no way to purge it. But if it damaged my body, I could still probably heal with a medical kit. A type of recovery tool in the game. There was also no guarantee that the kit could purge any of it. I was rarely hurt but I should still be wary of negative effects attached to attacks.

    On the contrary, I felt such tension indeed needed. I would never improve if I ckened if I thought I could deal with any wound. The same went for an FPS. How did I get so good? That question was often asked. I only had one answer. I learned from my death.

    I remembered my losses, understood the causes and effects, and improved. But it was impossible to do that here. Even if this body was from VMB, I had no way of knowing if I had more than one life. The mistakes made with the clowns were something I promises never to let happen again.

    I picked up the dropped stones and delved deeper into thebyrinth.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    Kay: Early release before I forget *again*_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    Wrapping up the first encounter of my exploration, I heard people talking as I delved deeper. However, no one appeared on my radar yet, so they were most likely some ways ahead. I slung the P90 over my shoulder and took out the sledgehammer. The P90s performance would most likely be noticed by the other adventurers as I explored. I would like to dy that oue as long as possible.

    Shaft had established his fame as a mercenary that only a few dared to approach, let along associate with me. But on the other hand, Schwartz was only starting to make his name as abyrinth mapper, evident by the nickname Map Seller Schwartz. If I were to add the impressive fighting prowess under Schwartz name, theyd begin to expect me. Which would probably hinder my goal of conquering all thebyrinths.

    If I had to lie, I had to make it convincing.

    The source of the voices eventually appeared on my radar. There were three of them, probably a party. It seemed that they were doing something, not fighting, in a small room at the end of the corridor.

    How about that one?

    Seems okay.

    Next, the one over there.

    Yosh, get ready to chant the magic! Go!

    I peeked into the room from the corridor. One of the noticeable things about the three was that one of them was carrying a ridiculously long stick. Judging from their height, the stick was about 3 meters long. It didnt seem like a weapon, just a regr wooden stick with a small iron attached. What were they going to do with that?

    I continued to observe them as they apparently hit a cluster of crystals one by one with the wooden stick to check something.

    This was probably.

    Among the monsters I knew lurked within here, the quartz spiders were known to camouge themselves as crystal clusters. This was written in the materials I had read. Back then, I thought itd be easy to identify one as long as I carefully observed it. The crystal clusters in the room didnt appear to be one as the radar only detected the three. But when the stick hit the cluster, it rose up and transformed into the shape of a spider with a gritting noise.

    There was no additional dot on my radar until it transformed and let out those noises. This meant that my radar would not detect their presence while in a camouged state. It was simr to the bats from the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, where they silently waited up in the dark where my sensors could not detect them at all.

    Meanwhile, in the room, a battlemenced between the adventurers and the monster. The spider turned and shot a needle-like hardened thread from its tail. The tank of the group moved to intercept it while the caster used [Stone Spear], and attacked the spider from below. Thest one dropped the long stick, then moved in to crush the spiders head as ity suspended in the air by the stone spear.

    Magnificent teamwork I observed.

    I moved away from the room as it was a dead end. The path to the next level was through another turn backways.

    Going to the next level, the corridor was the same as before. While I checked my surroundings for any noises. I also switched between my normal vision and FLIR mode to check the clusters for any heat signatures  Just in case.

    The clusters here all showed a low blue temperature. I then spotted one with a slightly red color in its center. The corridor was 5-6 meters high. I couldnt reach it with my hammer, but I didnt want to walk over to the suspicious cluster.

    Shoot it

    It was only a guess that the cluster was a monster. It was a good time to test that guess, so I held my PDW (E/N: p90s are Personal Defense Weapons cag) and aimed upwards before I let out a four shot burst.Compared to the quartz snake, the spider turned out to be more durable. The protruding crystals were shattered, but the cure was otherwise undamaged. It also had been enough to undo its camouge.

    The shattered pieces dropped to the floor as the cluster transferred into a five-meter long spider. It clung to the ceiling as it turned away and directed the tip of its tail at me. I saw this more already.

    I moved away from where it was aimed with a slide jump and returned fire upward. Three shot bursts. They managed to damage the legs, through the damage to its torso was underwhelming. The 5.7x28mm bullets that hit the torso seemed to have dug into it rather than crushing its targets. Still, with damaged legs, the spider could no longer hold to the ceiling, and fell. Without its legs, it could notnd properly and that gave me an opening to fire some more.

    Lets do a little experiment here.

    I switched the P90 to semi-auto. I shot the spiders cephalothorax, abdomen,pound eyes, and mouth to see if the round had any effect. After all this, I found that the cephalothorax and its abdomen were too thick. Shooting it was not effective. If it was a normal monster, it would have been fatal shots. This monster was made from crystal though. It was only when I shot the area between the head and the cephalothorax that it died. Most likely as it pierced the brain.

    So, headshots still work. Simple enough.

    Though, this meant that I was going to need more pinpoint uracy when dealing with this kind of creature. At least I knew how to deal with this kind of monster now

    I picked up the mana stone left behind and reloaded my firearm. I continued down the corridor while I switched to FLIR mode.

    After I transversed through the second and third levels, I finally arrived on the fourth level of thebyrinth. It was there I found the first spring. By now, Id already found a scorpion monster with a thick abdomen called a Fat Scorpion with a huge yellow body. The fat scorpion was a regr monsterpared to the other monsters. For regr adventurers, engaging the fat scorpion with its ws and stinger in melee would be daunting.

    Actually, I saw another group of adventurers fight one. I observed, but it was mostly defensive while using magic to whittle it down. They broke the legs, amputated the tail and wore it down before it couldnt fight back. They then gave the killing blow.

    ording to what I read, the poison received from the tail of the scorpion was a deadly venom. So deadly that even a scratch could prove deadly. When I encountered the monster myself, I tried copying their method. Shooting the legs to impair its mobilities, dismantling the ws, and once it was incapacitated, I aimed for the head until it was dead.

    While I rested in the spring, I looked to the entrance when I heard a voice.

    Oh? I was wondering why there were fewer monsters on the third level. Did someonee here before us?

    I told you, didnt I? We should just head down directly without taking a detour.

    Excuse us.

    The movement of the dots in the radar showed me that three people were approaching the spring. Turned out it was the trio with the long stick from the first level. Calcting the time, it shouldve been evening by now. Judging from their pace, I believed they were nning to stay the night here.

    Good job there. Now, if you excuse me, feel free to take your time here.

    Eh? Going already?

    Are you serious, moving out by yourself? Without a good rest, you might end up dead.

    Thanks for the tip. But Ive had enough rest. Ill be fine.

    Well, if you say so. Just dont get yourself in trouble and involve others in it.

    Yes, of course. See ya.

    Originally, I didnt intend to stop by the spring. A little further ahead, there was a road that led to a dead end chamber where I nned to camp. The bag on my shoulder contains only the minimum amount of food and tools. nkets for sleeping and other supplies from the Marida Company were all in a GIFT BOX. But that wouldve been too eye-catching if I were to unload everything in front of the adventurers. Not to mention safety and prep Id need to do before going to sleep.

    In that sense, its better for me to camp at the dead end where other adventurers rarely went. I experienced it many times while I explored the Wolf Fang Labyrinth. Although thebyrinth was different, I didnt think there would be arge change in the habits of the monsters. But to confirm that, it was necessary to camp someone other than the spring.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178

    It was now evening of my first day exploring the Snakehead Labyrinth. Having just left the spring on the 4th level, I finally arrived at a small dead-end room. Instead of lurking monsters within, I only saw clusters of crystals.

    I activated FLIR mode and I saw all the crystals had heat signatures. Five of them Not only were they on the floor, but there were some on the roof as well. They did not react to my presence upon entering. Did they undo their camo and attack if someone entered a certain range?

    Now that I thought about it, those adventurers used a 3 meter long stick to lure the spiders out. Did that mean the detection range was around that far? If the spiders only reacted upon entering that distance, or when theyre attacked, then itd probably be possible to deal with them one by one using ranged attacks.

    The spiders were quickly eliminated and I secured the room.

    I activated the TSS. For tonights camp, I first summoned theAEC Armored Command Vehicle, Dorchester.Next up, I opened my inventory to take out some special equipment. Three M18 ymore mines and four C4 charges. Sooner orter, monsters would spawn near the middle of the room after all. The mines would secure the ground level while the C4 would be used on the ceiling. A lot of those spiders I encountered so far hid themselves as clusters on the ceiling. Those charges were for them.

    A SUPPLY BOX appeared. I opened it and took out a surveince camera  a spy camera. It was a portable surveince camera, simr to the box-shaped cameras found in parking lots and retail stores. The only difference being a single telescopic arm beneath it. The bar could be attached and fixed anywhere on a floor or wall. It would then open a mini-screen next to the map in the HUD with a real-time feed.

    The max amount you could use at once was two. It was the same as AN/GSR V 1 T-UGS. But the camera was more suitable for monitoring the corridor. I stuck the camera in a dark ce in the corridor and adjusted the direction of the camera so I could monitor the room and then turned it on.

    With the spy camera fixed, the feed appeared in my HUD. Then I tried switching back and forth to the night vision mode and FLIR Mode to see if the function worked as intended. Preparations werepleted. Even if it was found by someone in this world, itd be impossible to be connected to me. Best of all, they would not even understand what a machine was, not to mention its function.

    I returned to the Dorchester, summoned a GIFT BOX, took out the ck valve and bedding. Then I sat in the provided chair in the living space to rest.

    After I finished a meal, I drew theyout Id already mapped on a nk map sheet. I didnt n to sell it yet, but if I could draw it little by little, Id have more time in the future. While I made these for my own satisfaction, It would also be a cover for Schwartz. The act of solo diving was extremely dangerous. One mistake may cause you to be prey for thebyrinths inhabitants.

    Still, I had map-making as my reason to go solo. I reckoned no one else would be able to create such a precise and uratebyrinth map while exploring. Since Id been given the nickname Map Seller Schwartz. Might as well make it useful for me.

    While I was drawing a map up to the 4th floor, then looked at the state of the small room through the video feed. There, I saw a ck mist rising from the center of the room. Its time for the monster to respawn. There were four mists, which formed themselves into shapes of quartz spiders.

    Here I thought they could respawn on the ceiling? Once the mist solidified in the shape of a spider, it cleared up the there it was. I held the ymore remote in my hand but didnt pull it yet. I observed the movements of the spiders that had just spawned. I had experienced it many times before in the Wolf Fang Labyrinth. Even in this ce, the monsters did not move immediately after spawning.

    They seemed not to be weary of the Dorchester, which was parked in the room. This meant that they did not know I was inside as well. Once I confirmed this, I pulled the trigger. The ymores roared in three consecutive sts, and a total of 210 iron balls shattered the crystal spiders that had begun to move.

    The next morning, when I woke up because of my rm, I checked the cement of the monsters, then detonated the ymores and C4 charges to finish cleaning the interior of the small room. The spy camera continued to record even in the early morning, and broadcasted into my HUD. There was no shadow of an approaching adventurer and it seemed that the camera hadnt been destroyed as well.

    I made preparations to begin my exploration. If I were to go down to the 5th level, I should start encountering the Naga. It was a monster with the appearance of a snake with a human torso, and cobra head. Unlike the other monsters, which had one gender, these were separated into males and females. The males were warriors and handled a variety of weapons, and the females were mages.

    It was great that I could reach the spring on the first day without an issue. With consideration to the next part of my journey, it would be a problem to reach the next spring on the 11th floor.

    Thebyrinths cavern zone stopped at the 6th level. From there, it became field zones. The hexagonal crystals requested were also avable starting from this level.

    I ran through the 4th floor without a problem before I arrived on the 5th. From there, I prepared a ballistic shield as a counter to Naga magic.

    (Kay~: Ballistic shields range in designs and build, and since its a VMB shield, I have no link for it. Do with that as you will)

    With this, I proceeded through the corridor, passing through a small room while eliminating quartz snakes and spiders along the way until I saw arge room ahead. I had not encountered a single Naga so far. Rather, there seemed to be an adventurer party ahead of me with a few monsters surrounding them.

    I was not the only one exploring. If there were other people around, wed eventually run into each other. If this was the popr Beast King Labyrinth, how many people would be lurking about at the same time? If there was already another party hunting ahead, should I just take a detour and look for another room?

    I decided that.

    I changed course to aim for arge, dead-end room. After a short while, my sound sensors picked up the noise of a fierce battle. Apparently, there was another party there too  despite me aiming for an out of the way room. But apparently from the sounds, screams, angry voices, and yelling, it did not sound too good

    Should I rush in?

    As a matter of fact, I didnt know who was fighting there. But dying in thebyrinth was an important thing to avoid as an adventurer. Their souls would be food for thebyrinth and was a factor in which causes monsters to overflow into the outside world. In this world, if you lived as an adventurer of this country, you had to save the lives you could save.

    It was about 400 meters till the room. I ran through the corridor and focused on the noises until I grasped the situation correctly.

    There was about four people, and about five strange ones which could be the monsters. From the voices, I realized one was either dead or incapacitated Was Ite?

    Room appeared on my map, showing nine dots. Five of the light dots floated around while the four were cornered by a wall. I stacked up next to the entrance to the room and peaked in  at the same time, I switched the P90 to full auto.

    As expected, the monsters were Naga

    The strange appearance of the half-human half-snake from the back, and their tails made them look quite tall. With a height of more than two meters, the Nagas shook their purple-skinned upper bodies in a dance-like motion. I looked to the four adventurers  their appearances briefly seen between the gaps of the monsters. They were blood-stained and struggled to dy their deaths as much as possible.

    Although the Nagas exact genders couldnt be determined from the rear, at least the three of the four held spears and a spiked mace. The remaining two wielded something akin to avajra. A quick deduction said I needed to eliminate the two who held vajras, as they were the female mages.

    I aimed down sight while I leaned. As the nagas yelled and moved closer to their targets, I fixed my crosshairs on their head. I didnt know if this round would work against them given that they resembled a King Cobra. At worst, theyd just be redirected their attention to me. If it didnt work, I could just hide and take out the SCARH.

    Deciding on the n, I predicted their movements and pulled the trigger twice for two short bursts; moving to the next target without checking the results, and shot at the other.

    Gyaa!

    Gya!

    Short, strange voices called out as the two mages fell as blood squirted from their heads. Its working  Hearing the death throes of theirrades behind them, the three weapon-bearing monsters turned and saw me.

    I heard snakes had poor eyesight, but had good tracking with an infrared sensing organ called a pit-organ that allowed them to see temperature. Maybe they had the same organs There was a moment they just red at each other and

    Kaa!

    Kaa!

    One threw itssasumata-shaped spear.

    Thats bad!

    I leaned back behind the wall. Shortly after, the spear crashed into the wall with an echo. I lifted the ballistic shield against my feet, used it to hid my body, and stood at the entrance of therge room. The male nagas raged due to the killing of their females. In anger, they left the other four adventurers alone and charged me at a high-speed pace.

    Theyre fast  but!

    I ced the P90 atop the shield, aimed for their upper bodies that moved more vigorously than before they moved in. I changed where I aimed, briefly examined them and noticed that the midsection between human and tail moved the least. The way it acted was as if it were the **fulcrum of their movement.

    (Kay~: **the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots.)

    The muzzle jumped as I opened fired, and with some control, managed tond every bullet on that area. Then, I slide jump to the front left immediately. The nagas body split over as if it had folded. I strafe jumped in order to make the remaining two intersect, then turned 180 andnded in front of the adventurers, who were still unable to grasp their current situation with my sudden intrusion.

    Hey You are

    Please tell me the situation before you ask anymore. Are the injured okay?

    As I listened, I fished out two fragmentation grenades and threw them at the nagas after pulling the pins.

    Ah One of us was killed. But the body hasnt been absorbed yet, so weve been protecting it. As for the injured

    Theyre alive. I heal her now.

    Thebyrinth preyed upon human life, and their souls used to nourish it. The act was, however, divided into two stages. Firstly, of course, to kill. Second was to wrap the body in the ck mist and absorb it. In other words, the moment you died, you were quite literally devoured. There was no magic or potion capable of reviving the dead.

    But, as long as the body was not absorbed into thebyrinth, the soul was safe. This party had resisted it till the end despite the crisis.

    Good job  leave the rest to me.

    [T/L Note: He says Good Job in english.]

    Eh? What?

    Involuntarily remembering the old days I said the phrase I usually used tomend another yer. But I wondered if people in this world understood it?

    The frags exploded, covering the questioning voice of the adventurer. The sound reverberated and distracted the adventurers, and the nagas screamed. Shrapnell splintered their bodies, but tried to crawl towards us even with parts of them blown off.

    A look at their damaged bodies, it seemed their lower bodies had a high level of defense. However, their humanoid parts took the brunt of it. I already knew a headshot could kill them so there wasnt anything to worry about with this.

    I reloaded, put up the shield upfront and aimed the P90. I lined the crosshairs up with the closest ones upper body-  their heart in particr. I opened fire and finished them off. With this, I confirmed their weak points were simr to that of normal humans. I finished thest one with a headshot.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179

    -I had caught the noise of a fierce battleing from therge room on the 5th level of the Snakehead Labyrinth off the main corridor. It turned out that a group of adventurers were caught in a bad situation and so, I headed there to back them up. I wiped out the nagas that had cornered them, five in total. Once I took some time to look around, I saw more corpses wrapped in ck mist.

    Four of them. This meant that thered been nine nagas at the start. The damage to the adventuring party was one dead, though, they managed to prevent thebyrinth from taking their soul.

    W-Were saved

    When they saw that the nagas were dealt with, I heard a voice of relief and the sound of someone sitting down behind me.

    Tha-thanks for saving us

    No, its not a big deal. As a fellow adventurer, I also dont want to die in thebyrinth.

    No more light dots were visible on the radar. I checked the crystal clusters with FLIR and found nothing. After I confirmed my surroundings, I looked back at the adventurers and reconfirmed the situation there. The surviving adventurers were two men and two women. The female was being carried on the back of one of the males. I couldnt see her expression, but the other female adventurer was crying as the other maleforted her.

    Can you go back to the surface?

    We can still move, but the one who fell was the scout The nagas fire magic burned his lower body, so

    The man who seemed to be the leader spoke before trailing off. The other adventurers began to heal their wounds, despite grieving over the loss of theirpanions. Although their numbers were down, it was only just the 5th floor, just below the 4th. If they managed to avoid the fat scorpion, it wouldnt be difficult to return to the surface. So, what was the problem?

    Well

    We dont have a map of thebyrinth, so we dont know how to get back.

    Perhaps concerned about their hesitant leader, another of their group replied. Apparently, the party left the map to the scout. Taking another look at the woman being carried, her lower half was wrapped in clothes. Burned  along with their map.

    Then you can use my map.

    Wait! But what about you?!

    I remember the route to get here. So, dont worry about it.

    That was a lie, of course.

    Well, I have screenshots of the drawn maps stored in the TSS, so there was no way Id get lost. I went to pick up the bad I had left at the entrance and presented them with the unfinished map Id started.

    Its an unfinished map, but if youre just heading to the surface, there should be no problem.

    Are you sure? And this map Ive never seen such an exquisitely drawn map

    If its this amazing, I bet you have the [Survey] skill? I could tell from a nce. But can we really receive such an amazing map?

    Who said Id give it up for free? I did help you earlier out of necessity, but this and that are different matters.

    Well, thats right Were still grateful either way. How much is it?

    Right All the non-attribute mana stones youve gotten during your search.

    Non-attribute you say No, never mind. Hey, collect the non-attribute mana stones.

    Okay, wait a minute.

    Actually, it was okay if it was free of charge. It was natural for adventurers to save each other when in distress. Even if we werepeting with each other, this was still abyrinth. In the face of ourmon goal of subjugating thebyrinth,bat assistance and reinforcement was not an action to shy away from. There was no need for great rewards or grand words.

    However, the human mind will always doubt any help given freely and tends to avoid it. Even if there was only a small amount ofpensation, there was still a sense of security. Despite this, I was still happy to gain the stones.

    One of the male adventures returned with a small pouch filled with non-attribute stones. I gave them a brief check and thus, the transaction waspleted.

    Then, Ill go on ahead. Please be careful and return safely.

    Yeah. You really saved us there. If we can meet again outside, please let me treat you to a drink.

    Sounds good. Ill look forward to it.

    Given that this was thebyrinth, even if one secured their safety for the short term, no one would waste their time with introductions or look back on their previous fight to go over what was seen nor heard. Well.. I may do so after I left thebyrinth.

    I left the adventures and moved from the room. When I left, the tension broke and I could hear the crying voice of a female. It seems that it was a tight-knit party. Because they trusted her, they probably left the map to her. And in this situation, it was not possible for them to just leave their fallenrade and withdraw.

    Companions, huh

    I felt a little lonely when I thought about it as I proceeded through thebyrinth  alone.

    But it couldnt be helped. It was not easy to find someone who could walk side by side with me after learning and understanding me, as a Manuke and a Trespasser I walked faster so by the time my focus came back, I could no longer hear them and moved to the 6th floor.

    Three days had passed since I started the exploration. I reached the 10th floor. In front of me was the Gate. It was carved with the same sculptures Id seen so far. A sculpture of a monster that guarded ahead, and then a multi-headed snake-hydra on the throne, as if watching them from above. For a short time, I gazed at the Labyrinth Master before I proceeded to face the gatekeeper.

    This search will only go this far. I had also collected the requested crystals from the 6th level. Smashing the base of a 1-meter tall crystal cluster with the hammer and collecting it within a GIFT BOX. It was said that there were only a few crystals on one level, but it was also not possible to get so much. Adventurers could not bring the crystals back unless they crushed them down into a manageable size. It made for great souvenirs.

    Therger the crystal block, the higher its price. In the meantime, I had collected over a total of 18 hexagonal crystals. It was up to Malta-san on how hed sell it in the end, but I wont have to worry if it was him.

    The gatekeeper area was silent. Many years ago, the gatekeepers of this level were subjugated. When I looked around, I saw the transfer circle near the center of the room. This was todays goal.

    Originally, I, who was magicless, could not use the transfer circle that required magic to use. However, after subjugating the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, I was able to use it with the help of a mysterious magical tag given by the mysterious sender.

    I stood in the center of the transfer circle, pulled out my knife, and knocked one of my fingertips. A drop of blood dropped onto the circle. It registered my information, and we were ready to go

    Teleport.

    When I chanted the keyword that activated the transfer magic circle, it lit up, and all the patterns lit up. As it became a curtain of light and ran through my vision. Thebyrinth disappeared and turned to wilderness.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    KAY~: If I make a mistake, please message on the discord server. I no longer frequent this site outside of posting chapters. So, I wont actually catch a mistake like previous until I revisit.(I used to edit everything on this site until they changed the editor, which makes it 100x harder for text, but easier to add photos. oddly.)

    ______

    At the old shop on the outskirts of the second district, I stone in the basement where the old floor had been reced with hardstone. Confirming that the pir-less room was spacious, I looked back and nodded and we moved to the office and breakroom on the second floor with Marida-san.

    How was it?

    Sufficient, Marida-san. Thank you.

    I sat alongside Malta-san and the others in the offices reception area while Amy went to prepare some tea for all of us.

    Im d if its to your satisfaction. So, have you decided on the products that Daikokuya will handle?

    Well, my n is not to ovep with the items covered by yourpany, so I thought I would handle furniture, simple hair care products, and bathroom equipment.

    Haircare? What is that?

    Ah.. Like the liquid soap mainly used in the bathroom.

    Then, how about Shaft Liquor? We received many inquiries after serving the royal and aristocrats at the Kings Festival.

    Ill leave that one for the Maridapany to distribute. I can bring out some suppliester, so you can bring it back on the carriage.

    The supplies are fine, but how about furniture

    With that said, unlike his usual gentle smile, Malta-san maintained his merchant persona as he drank his tea.

    By the way, you saw the real face of the ck Mask Shaft. Its been talked about among the nobledies.

    Has it be that widespread? But I wonder why the situation in the capital hasnt changed that much.

    It doesnt seem to have spread to the public yet. Rather it has, but just not in a malicious way.

    But why, I wonder?

    From word of mouth, the Knights may have kept their mouths shut about what happened, but they would eventually still tell parts to their family or loved ones. It then became a hot topic for gossip among the women, mostly concerning why Shaft kept his face that way.

    Gossip?

    Yes. Like, why didnt you heal your face with magic? Is it a curse? Or, maybe because of a vow you imposed upon yourself? Something like that.

    What the Hey

    ording to Marida-san, among the nobledies, Shaft was now seen as a mercenary dressed in ck who conquered the Labyrinth while keeping himself ugly for a secret vow only he knew.

    Then, a letter from Chancellor Bergman from the Royal Castle reached me. It seems that the adjustment of the transfer circle and its copy waspleted. He asked me toe by the castle to collect it, but at the time, I had to call myself via Chancellor Zephanel.

    After that, while talking to the Malta-san and Marida-san about various things, we finished the inventory and took everyone home. Amy and Presera were scheduled to work at the shop starting tomorrow afternoon.

    Tomorrow, Id pick up the magic circles and prepare to open the store. To be honest, I had no intention of making a profit with Daikokuya. Im not going to be here to see how the shop is managed as Ill be busy with thebyrinths.

    For the furniture to be sold, I could use the TSS to ess the SHOP ced within the private room of VMB and purchase the interior for the private room. We nned to take it out to this world via the GIFT BOXES and disy it at a much higher price than ordinary luxury furniture. As for bathroom products, I noticed when I thought about what I could restore and take out with the whine from the Continental. We nned to bring out high-ss duvets.

    All of them will be the same as the furniture in the shop and we nned to create a high-ss interior shop with only shapes.

    After seeing them off, I installed a spy camera in the store space on the first level and at the entrance of the underground warehouse. With this, the image of the stores insides was always in view. I could also hide the video image with a thought. Although, hiding the image was not something you could do in the game.

    I entered the warehouse and summoned the Continental in the same and headed to bed.

    The next day, I headed to the Royal Castle.

    Crossing the suspension bridge leading to Gravo Castle, I told the guards the purpose of my visit today. I was sent to the waiting room afterward until Sharle-san picked me up again.

    Wait, lets go to the mansion first. Granny willeter.

    Following Sharle-san, I walked along the cobblestone pathid in the courtyard among thewn. We headed to the old Japanese residence with a tiled roof where the Honorary Chancellor Zephanel resided.

    Schwartz, what have you been doing these past ten days?

    Sharle, who walked in front of me, looked back and asked as if she was tired of walking silently.

    Attending the Kings Festival , no, thats Shaft

    Went to the Snakehead Labyrinth. I just came back yesterday.

    Labyrinth huh ~, I hate that dark narrow feeling. While magical bows are difficult to avoid and are effective, the number of monsters appearing in thebyrinth makes it tight on arrows.

    Sure, that may have been the case. On the other hand, what does Sharle usually do?

    Me? Escorting my sister and the old predecessor. Spending every day guarding and training here. Sometimes, I want to go out of the castle, but my sister is always attached to the predecessor while the old granny barely leaves here.

    And what about Ashley?

    Shes been receiving teachings from the predecessor in preparation to be the next head of the family.

    Certainly The subjugation of the pirate fleet in the southern sea must have been like a test to be the head of the family. The pirate fleet itself was mostly destroyed by me, which also counted as Ashleys achievements. Thus, made her eligible to be the next Zephanel family head. It was nice to know Ashley had a bright future ahead of her, but the education to be the next head was taught by that immortal little girl  Chancellor Zephanel.

    Which meant that there was a chance shed learn about the Manukes and the Trespasser stuff As well as the fact I am one of them. I wondered how shed react when she learned that.

    When such anxiety and fear began to circle in my head, the house became visible.

    Do you remember the room you went through before?

    Yes, of course.

    If so, Ill go ahead to call my sister and the predecessor.

    Alright, but can you just do that without my permission in the first ce?

    I took off my shoes and went up to the front door, acting like I was visiting a friends house. I didnt expect to take my shoes offst time I visited here, so I had changed my outfit in a hurry with the Avatar Customization menu. I had taken off the powered suit in advance this time and was able to go up to the door without an issue.

    Sharle went away, heading to the back of the mansion. Meanwhile, I walked down the corridor overlooking the courtyard to the drawing-room.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    At the old shop on the outskirts of the second district, I stone in the basement where the old floor had been reced with hardstone. Confirming that the pir-less room was spacious, I looked back and nodded and we moved to the office and breakroom on the second floor with Marida-san.

    How was it?

    Sufficient, Marida-san. Thank you.

    I sat alongside Malta-san and the others in the offices reception area while Amy went to prepare some tea for all of us.

    Im d if its to your satisfaction. So, have you decided on the products that Daikokuya will handle?

    Well, my n is not to ovep with the items covered by yourpany, so I thought I would handle furniture, simple hair care products, and bathroom equipment.

    Haircare? What is that?

    Ah Like the liquid soap mainly used in the bathroom.

    Then, how about Shaft Liquor? We received many inquiries after serving the royal and aristocrats at the Kings Festival.

    Ill leave that one for the Maridapany to distribute. I can bring out some suppliester, so you can bring it back on the carriage.

    The supplies are fine, but how about furniture

    With that said, unlike his usual gentle smile, Malta-san maintained his merchant persona as he drank his tea.

    By the way, you saw the real face of the ck Mask Shaft. Its been talked about among the nobledies.

    Has it be that widespread? But I wonder why the situation in the capital hasnt changed that much.

    It doesnt seem to have spread to the public yet. Rather it has, but just not in a malicious way.

    But why, I wonder?

    From word of mouth, the Knights may have kept their mouths shut about what happened, but they would eventually still tell parts to their family or loved ones. It then became a hot topic for gossip among the women, mostly concerning why Shaft kept his face that way.

    Gossip?

    Yes. Like, why didnt you heal your face with magic? Is it a curse? Or, maybe because of a vow you imposed upon yourself? Something like that.

    What the Hey

    ording to Marida-san, among the nobledies, Shaft was now seen as a mercenary dressed in ck who conquered the Labyrinth while keeping himself ugle for a secret vow only he knew.

    Then, a letter from Chancellor Bergman from the Royal Castle reached me. It seems that the adjustment of the transfer circle and its copy waspleted. He asked me toe by the castle to collect it, but at the time, I had to call myself via Chancellor Zephanel.

    After that, while talking to the Malta-san and Marida-san about various things, we finished the inventory and took everyone home. Amy and Presera were scheduled to work at the shop starting tomorrow afternoon.

    Tomorrow, Id pick up the magic circles and prepare to open the store. To be honest, I had no intention of making a profit with Daikokuya. Im not going to be here to see how the shop is managed as Ill be busy with thebyrinths.

    For the furniture to be sold, I could use the TSS to ess the SHOP ced within the private room of VMB and purchase the interior for the private room. We nned to take it out to this world via the GIFT BOXES and disy it at a much higher price than ordinary luxury furniture. As for bathroom products, I noticed when I thought about what I could restore and take out with the whine from the Continental. We nned to bring out high-ss duvets.

    All of them will be the same as the furniture in the shop and we nned to create a high-ss interior shop with only shapes.

    After seeing them off, I installed a spy camera in the storage space on the first level and at the entrance of the underground warehouse. With this, the image of the stores insides was always in view. I could also hide the video image with a thought. Although, hiding the image was not something you could do in the game.

    I entered the warehouse and summoned the Continental in the same and headed to bed.

    The next day, I headed to the Royal Castle.

    Crossing the suspension bridge leading to Gravo Castle, I told the guards the purpose of my visit today. I was sent to the waiting room afterward until Sharle-san picked me up again.

    Wait, lets go to the mansion first. Granny willeter.

    Following Sharle-san, I walked along the cobblestone pathid in the courtyard among thewn. We headed to the old Japanese residence with the tiled roof where the Honorary Chancellor Zephanel resided.

    Schwartzs, what have you been doing these past ten days?

    Sharle, who walked in front of me, looked back and asked as if she was tired of walking silently.

    Attending the Kings Festival , no, thats Shaft

    Went to the Snakehead Labyrinth. I just came back yesterday.

    Labyrinth huh ~, I hate that dark narrow feeling. While magical bows are difficult to avoid and are effective, the number of monsters appearing in thebyrinth makes it tight on arrows.

    Sure, that may have been the case. On the other hand, what does Sharle usually do?

    Me? Escorting my sister and the old predecessor. Spending every day guarding and training here. Sometimes, I want to go out of the castle, but my sister is always attached to the predecessor while the old granny barely leaves here.

    And what about Ashley?

    Shes been receiving teachings from the predecessor in preparation to be the next head of the family.

    Certainly The subjugation of the pirate fleet in the southern sea must have been like a test to be the head of the family. The pirate fleet itself was mostly destroyed by me, which also counted as Ashleys achievements. Thus, made her eligible to be the next Zephanel family head. It was nice to know Ashley had a bright future ahead of her, but the education to be the next head was taught by that immortal little girl  Chancellor Zephanel.

    Which meant that there was a chance shed learn about the Manukes and the Trespasser stuff As well as the fact I am one of them. I wondered how shed react to when she learned that.

    When such anxiety and fear began to circle in my head, the house became visible.

    Do you remember the room you went through before?

    Yes, of course.

    If so, Ill go ahead to call my sister and the predecessor.

    Alright, but can you just do that without my permission in the first ce?

    I took off my shoes and went up to the front door, acting like I was visiting a friends house. I didnt expect to take my shoes offst time I visited here, so I had changed my outfit in a hurry with the Avatar Customization menu. I had taken off the powered suit in advance this time and was able to go up to the door without an issue.

    Sharle went away, heading to the back of the mansion. Meanwhile, I walked down the corridor overlooking the courtyard to the drawing-room.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    Kay: Sorry for the dys, piecing together my new(very very used) vehicle while juggling one car for fam.

    _)

    I sat cross leg inside a Japanese-style room while enjoying the fragrance of the tatami mats. I noticed the three dots that appeared on my radar as they approached the room.

    We are here

    Before the wooden shoji curtain to the drawing-room was opened, I stood up and sat on one of the chairs to wee the three. The first to enter was Sharle-san, followed by Ashley, andstly, the Honorary Chancellor Zephanel.

    Schwartz-dono, it has been ten days.

    Yes, Your Excellency.

    Ron-chan wille soon, so until then, enjoy some tea while you wait.

    Thank you.

    Its been a while, Schwartz.

    Its only been ten days, Ashley.

    Ashley called out to me after the brief greeting between me and the Chancellor. Zephanel looked at us with a grin that should not belong to a little girl. Sharle-san puffed her cheeks, perhaps thinking she was left out.

    What was going on here

    Schwartz spent hisst ten days exploring the Snakehead Labyrinth.

    And, is it over already?

    No, I just went in to scout. Thebyrinth has been explored down to the fiftieth level. Theres no way I could go that far within such a short time.

    I suppose exploring thebyrinth was not the only thing you did during the past ten days, yes? I also heard that instead of an inn, you have been spending the nights at the Marida Trading Company ever since you returned to the Royal Capital.

    Yes, I havent reserved any lodging in the capital, but thats mainly because Ive bought an old shop from thepany. I may not always be in the capital, though it will serve me as a permanent living quarters.

    What? Schwartz, youre also a member of the Commerce Guild?

    No, I wasnt, Sharle-san. I only registered recently after buying the old shop.

    (KAY E/N: I wanted to change it to Yes, I registered after xxx but decided to leave it as is. You know. To please the true to text heathens.)

    Then what are you going to do with that shop? Are you going to sell something there?

    About that, Your Excellency I was nning to sell furniture and bathroom products.

    Ho Bathroom products? Like bathtubs and the likes?

    Not bathtubs, maybe buckets or bath chairs Other than that, liquid soap for washing skin and hair.

    Liquid soap? No way! Shampoo?!

    Are you already familiar with it? Yes, shampoo, conditioner, etc.

    I do not know about this conditioner, but I know what shampoo is  he used to say.. I want to wash my hair with shampoo

    Thats also why I decided to sell bathroom products. Since I fell into this world, Ive been to bathrooms with tubs and even public baths. But I could never find any shampoo or conditioner. There was only soap.

    Unlike the soap used in the previous world where soft and odorous soap was widely used. There were only the hard and non-odor soaps only seen in the aristocratic mansions and Maltas mansion. The manufacturing technology around here was still underdeveloped. I dont know how to make modern soaps and shampoos, but the Continental had a lot of products in the bathroom with spare stock.

    Many of them were written in un-eligible characters, just like the wine. When I used them, I was able to figure out which was shampoo and conditioner. There were some things I didnt understand, so I couldnt sell them. I have also discovered more like shaving agents and nned to sell them as well.

    Both Ashley and Sharle, with the chancellor, showed interest in the shampoo. When the conversation reached the topic of Daikokuya opening, I noticed that another dot had appeared on my radar.

    Why, it seems that all of you have be fast friends while I wasnt here.

    Ah, Ron-chan. Did you bring it?

    Ive been telling you not to call me with that nickname, havent I?

    What are you talking about? In this ones eyes, you still are always the cute little Ron-chan.

    With that, Robert Bergman, another Chancellor of the kingdom, entered the room while exchanging a few words with Zephanel.

    I heard you called me, so I came to visit.

    Schwartz, you really dont make people wait. But first Charlotte, can I ask for a cup of tea?

    Eh! You couldve informed me beforehand so I wont have to backtrack like this!

    Come on now, just do it.

    Really now!

    Chancellor Bergman was talking to Chancellor Zephanel about the phantom thief, Nekoyanagi, from the festival. Sharle-san puffed her cheeks in protest as she left. Apparently, he didnt want Sharle-san to hear about the transfer circles. However, the fact that the thieves had invaded the venue where the 4th knights should have locked down could not be understated. He exchanged views on increasing the knights and budgeting for exercises.

    Then, once Sharle-sans dot was far enough, Bergman got to the main topic.

    The transfer magic circles and the copy that you entrusted to me have been investigated and adjusted. They are loaded in a cart outside. You should collect themter.

    Thank you. By the way, can I ask the results of the survey?

    Hmm, of course. Though I cant tell you everything, the most important part is that we deduce the technology did not originate from the Drak Kingdom. Another third party mustve been involved. Were still investigating.

    Is that so? Thank you.

    The Drak Kingdom was located to the north. It was by no means close to Kurtmelga and was currently locked with an armistice treaty. But in the past, the two nations had been engaged with many skirmishes. A third-country other than the Drak kingdom provided a transfer circle to the pirate fleet Kaidou and instructed them to harass the southern sea. Simply put, that would be the case. We didnt know their intentions yet, neither did we know if Drak waspletely irrelevant.

    The only thing I could say is that the surrounding countries around Kurtmerga were creeping in.

    When the discussion with Bergman settled down, I could see a dot on the radar closing in on the room.

    Here it is.

    Sharle-san came back with a tea wagon. It wouldve been troublesome to go back and forth between the rooms.

    She put a cup before Bergman and sat down on a chair. Seeing that the Chancellor did not say anything, the talk about the transfer circles was over.

    By the way, Schwartz, when will your shop open?

    After pouring tea for Bergman, Sharle-san asked me. The teapot held the ck tea and Ashley took it and refilled the emptied cups.

    In the afternoon, though I will not be there myself until sometime before sunset. I have other things to do.

    What items is the shop going to sell?

    It is the Shampoo, Ron-chan! Schwartzs shop will be selling Shampoo!

    What is this shampoo for?

    Liquid soap to wash your head.

    My Scalp?

    No, its for hair. Though, there will also be products good for scalps and regrowing hair.

    Hoo

    Chancellor Bergman was by no means bald, but his hairline had certainly seen much better days. I guess he worked hard. The hard-working Bergman began to consult Zephanel. They spoke quietly but thanks to my sensors, I heard it.

    What about my works?

    Just delegate some to your officers, that way you will have some free time.

    And the Kimikage?

    No problem. They will escort us on the way to his shop.

    Although I pretended not to hear anything, I noticed they nced to me when they said his shop.

    Kimikage It was the name of a perennial nt that bloomed in the hignds and mainly bloomed small bell-like white flowers. It had a strong flora scent and was quite beautiful. But it was a highly poisonous nt. Maybe it was still faintly heard around the room as sounds that seemed to be their escorts  the name clearly pointing to their n name.

    Apparently Tomorrow we will be weing customers the moment the shop opens

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    The next morning, the day after I went to pick up the transfer circles from the Royal Castle, I woke up on the bed in my VMB private room. Checking the time and the feed from the two cameras in the state of Daikokuya. There were no problems in the sales floor space on the first floor and at the entrance of the underground warehouse.

    Next, I wished the feeds to be hidden, and reced it with the projected with two mini-maps projected by theAN/GSR 9I installed after returning home yesterday.

    The shop I purchased, Daikokuya, was a three-story building with one level below ground. I monitored the passage in front of the underground warehouse on the first floor with a spy camera, but I could not confirm the situation on the second floor or the basement level 24 hours a day.

    The number of spy cameras installed was limited to two. This limitation has not changed even in this world. When the third unit was installed, the first one became particles of the light and vanished. Therefore, I changed it up to the two AN/GSR-9, which were both long-range radars and made it possible to monitor the movement in the office and underground warehouse.

    The two mini-maps floating next to the map continued to show the map of the empty office and warehouse. There was no problem.

    I got up from bed and drank a ss of water in one go. Still in my underwear, I got out of bed and sat in front of theptop in my private room. It was a notebook PC with more options in the TSS Tactical Support System. And I could ess the SHOP functions in regards to room customization, vehicles and the garage. Originally, it had other functions as well, but they now showed ERROR messages.

    The furniture avable in this world, antique chairs and tables with simr design, a work desk with a bookshelf, a set of sses and tea cups on a dressing table and cupboard. I also bought enough furniture to fill my private room, such as arge bed andrge three-seater sofa. Next, I activated the TSS and summoned a GIFT BOX. The furniture I bought was meant to be directly installed in the private room, so it wasnt sent to my inventory.

    In order to carry it to Daikokuya, it was necessary to put it in the GIFT BOX and then leave the VMB world. Opening the box, I lifted the bed lightly and pushed it in, which immediately sucked it in. All while still in my undies.

    Yes My assimtion with the VMB system had gone even further now, to the point where I could use the assist system without having to wear a power suit. It was now possible to activate the TSS and CBS by thought alone.

    I noticed this at the Royal Pce yesterday.

    In order to be able to enter Chancellor Zephanels residence smoothly, I went to the Pce without my power suit so I could take off my shoes. But when I went to retrieve the transfer circle, I was able to lift them without much trouble as I stuffed the items in the GIFT BOX. Naturally, Chancellor Bergman was surprised.

    Despite your look, you are actually really strong, arent you? That stone-board looks lighter than it actually is, yet you carry it around so easily Guess people really are made different from where you came from

    I responded with a wry smile back then. Once I returned home and set up the circles, I immediately headed to the gun range. There, I confirmed the changes in my body. I also felt a slight fear and anxiety about my body even though it was not the first time. I fell into this world with unnatural healing and regenerative power.

    Soon after, I was soon able to see my map without my goggles, and my hearing began to gain the ability of my collecting sensor. My vision could also switch between FLAIR and NV modes with a thought. And this time, it was the powersuits strength. All of which had something to do with thebyrinth, so I had an idea.

    Either I was right, or it was something else I couldnt talk about it to someone however. No, there was only one person who could answer this question. But in order to askl it, it was necessary to have a suitable ce and timing. I couldnt do it now, but when the time came

    Making sure that all the purchase furniture was in the GIFT BOX, I closed the lid and stored the GIFT BOX in the inventory. After this, I would line them up in the shop. But first, breakfast

    After noon, they were lined up on the first floor sales floor, and all the bathroom items from the continental were disyed. My ears caught the voice I just heard yesterday from outside.

    It is here?

    Where! Whereisit?!

    Youre getting too excited, remember how old you are already.

    What are you talking about! What if other people buy it all out before this one could get one!

    If youre that worried, we already confirmed that therell be very few customers visiting Daikokuya in the morning. So, they should not be running out of the item even if we take our time.

    Elder, Bergman-sama, please calm down. Even though wee here stealthily, this much noise will only attract attention.

    It seemed that Chancellor Zephanell, Chancellor Bergman, Sharle-san, and Ashley were already out front. When I unlocked the entrance to the store, opened the door a little and someone peeked inside, then I saw Sharle-san and Ashley in knightly clothes. Next to them, there was a little yukata. A bucket and a towel in her hand, and an old man wearing a purple hood which made him look like a suspicious person to me.

    Ah, thats schwartz.

    And of course, Sharle-san noticed me immediately

    Sorry, Schwartz. Due to my work, we could only visit this early in the morning.

    For the time being, please go inside. Pleasee in immediately.

    Oh, Schwartz! Show me where you disy those shampoo already.

    If theres any more noise at the stonefront, I dont know who would see. Many fledgling shops of simr size are lined up on the narrow street where Daikokuya is situated. From the afternoon to the evening, many young adventurers and explorers who were financially unable to shop in the main streets and specialty stores would pass through here.

    If rumors start to fly about suspicious customers visiting the store before it opened, I had a feeling that the shop would be hard pressed to make a profit regardless of the quality of the items.

    Eyy~, this is a pretty nice establishment! What is with this lounge chair? It is soft, yet, has enough firmness  eh, it is 30 gold?!

    This cupboard and the tableware inside are very beautiful Hey, Schwartz, is this a total of 80 gold coins?

    Ah, yeah. The tablewares inside are sold separately, one ss is one gold coin, and one tea cup is ten gold coins.

    Furniture brought in from a private room is lined up on the first floor of the store, creating a space simr to a model room, just like a luxury interior shop. The original interior was old fashioned, so it seemed dated. I nned to eventually cover it with wallpaper.

    Sharle and Ashley screamed at the quality of the furniture one after another, but at the same time, screamed at the price. I answered the question while watching over the two people moving together, I saw another two people posted in front of the product shelves at the back of my vision.

    Hnhnhnhnh. Thi-This is the shampoo

    Hnhnhnh Thi-this is the hair tonic

    The two of them spaced out for a while

    Schwartz! Prepare the bath!

    Chancellor Zephanell turned around with a big smile, making me wonder if she noticed my gaze, and, Bisi! She shouted out instructions while pointing her index finger so splendidly that I almost thought it produced a sound effect.

    There is no bathroom here.

    N-no way

    Its like being dropped from heaven to hell. The bucket fell from Chancellor Zephanels hands, before she herself fell to her knees on the floor.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    Kay: Tehe~?

    But there is no bathroom here.

    N-no way

    Zephanel, who looked like a little girl, fell on her hands and knees, stared at the floor while wallowing.

    500 years I have been searching 500 years I researched the manufacturing methods with only a small amount of information. I made many mistakes, and finally Finally

    It cant be helped.

    Fine My personal living quarter is in the basement. There is a small bathroom there.

    Huh, really! Please show me there!

    Sure, but please pay for the item first.

    In the end, Chancellor Zephanel bought shampoo, conditioner, medicated soap, and cleanser, put them in a bucket, and waited for the other three with a big smile. Ashley and Sharle-san also bought soap and shampoo. Afterward, I brought all four to the underground warehouse. The shampoo and conditioner they purchased were in a beautiful ss container that could be sold by itself. The soap and cleanser was in a neat container. Shaving oil and hair tonic were also in their own special ss bottle.

    For containers, I didnt sell anything with unreadable characters. But I assumed there were also milky lotions and perfumes that I assumed were cosmetics for women. Itd be too conspicuous unless the containers were reced.

    Since I was finishing that when the group arrived. The entrance to the basement was left unlocked, and the lights were still on. The transfer circle is already installed, hidden by a wooden box filled with wine to be delivered to the Marida Trading Company. It shouldnt catch the eye of Sharle-san, who wasnt aware of the circumstances.

    This is my private living quarters.

    While saying so, what I pointed to the continental. I left the vehicle here.

    This is a warehouse, isnt it? Did you remodel a part of the warehouse into a private room?

    Sharle-san stood next to me and stared at the vehicle while looking around.

    Yes, the second floor is an office, so naturally, this became the warehouse and private room.

    Where is the bathroom? Where is it?!

    Overtaking Sharle, who stopped at the entrance, Chancellor Zephanell rushed into the warehouse and screamed.

    Bathroom , well its probably much smaller than a regr bathroom. But its there. The entrance is through here.

    The four people who entered the warehouse were in turn, guided to Continentals steps. Fortunately, I kept the door open. Otherwise, I didnt know how Id exin the electronic lock.

    Hmm, its a very borate structure. The lounge chairs lined up above were also very well made, but the furniture here is different.

    There is also a kitchen, didnt you say you couldnt cook?

    Yeah, there is. But I rarely use it since Im still not good at it.

    Come on, Schwartz! Where is the bathroom?

    Through here, Your Excellency.

    Going up the stairs, we entered the living room and kitchen space. On the drivers side, an elevated spare bed was put down with luggage. So, it was not possible to enter. The space was divided into a living room and a kitchen space with a table. Chancellor Bergman sat on the sofa in the living space, but his hair tonic on the table. He stared at it with a grin. The strict rock-like image when I first met him shattered. And now he was just a regr old man.

    I took Zephanel and Sharle-san to the bathroom space between the living room, kitchen, and the bedroom. It was a private bathroom, with a toilet. The interior of the Continental was unified with a modern interior design based on white. The bathroom reflected this as a space of fully white cleanliness.

    Hmm~, the bathroom is cleaner than I imagined.

    Put your clothes off here, close this door after you enter. The other side is a mirrored wall, so you can use it as a full-length mirror.

    I taught the chancellor how to use the bathroom and bath towels. How to turn on the shower and use it, and how to pour hot water into the bathtub. It would take some time for the hot water to umte, and both the girls seemed amused and opened the storage door in the bathroom, cooing in admiration.

    Schwartz Could it be here

    Ashley stood just outside the bathroom.

    So, you remember Keep it a secret, okay?

    This is not the first time someone other than me had been on the Continental. I used it as Shaft when I escorted Lapitirica, the third daughter of Duke Barga. Back then, when Ashley and Lapitirica were poisoned with Mage Bane. I had summoned it as an emergency measure to rush to the capital to be treated.

    Ashley was sick then, but seemed to remember this interior.

    Of course, I wont tell anyone, but it was yours after all.

    How should I exin? Eventually, Ashley would know the truth of Manukes and Trespassers as head of the Zephanel family. Then, she would naturally realize I came from a different world. Before that, should I tell her everything? What would she think of me if I never told her the truth?

    I returned a bitter smile to her words as my heart began to crawl.

    Ah-chan, why are you still outside! Come in quickly!

    Yes, predecessor! I will join you soon!

    Looking back after I heard the chancellor behind me, I realized she had taken off her clothes and stood in a towel to hide her front. The beauty of her long silver hair and transparent white naked body couldnt be hidden with a small towel. But at the same time, I felt Like she was some sort of doll.

    Schwartz!

    Eh? Ah! Excuse me!

    Ashleys voice pulled me back to reality, giving me the chance to escape. I heard Ashley scolding the Chancellor behind me for her actions.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    Still a noisy n after all these years.

    Chancellor Bergman was waiting into the living room where I escaped to. Perhaps he was content with the hair tonic so much that he sat on the sofa in a very rxed manner.

    Schwartz-dono, do you have anything to drink here?

    Pardon me for neglecting. How about some fruit wine?

    Ah, Id love that.

    I took out a bottle from the wine cer in the kitchen, pulled out the cork, and returned to Chancellor Bergman with a wine ss.

    What a nice scent , could this be the fruit wine that was served at the Kings Festival?

    Yes, the same one. How did you know?

    Its been the talk of the pce. The Marida Trading Company has monopolized the distribution since the source is currently unknown, but I guess that the knights and nobles didnt exaggerate things.

    Chancellor Bergman enjoyed the wine, but his gaze moved to the bathroom to the bathroom for a moment. When it came back to be, the atmosphere around him changed.

    By the way Schwartz. How are you going to use the transfer magic circle?

    The rxed air around the old man disappeared and the strict air of the man who controlled the affairs of the kingdom returned.

    One set will be installed in this store and will be the gateway.

    Where will it connect to?

    I havent decided yet, but I think I will link it to differentbyrinths.

    So, its just as old Zephanell said. You you want to conquer all thebyrinths, dont you?

    Yes. Thats my current goal in life.

    I see, then

    Bergman stopped there. Whether or not he should continue was probably not decided yet. I closed my eyes and allowed the silence between us to continue.

    Then, dont you think youll need more transfer circles?

    The words were muttered softly and what I wanted.

    Although I was able to secure two sets of transfer magic circles. There is only one ce where I can go back and forth, my private VMB room. In consideration of my goal, there would be more transfer circles. However, because it was too convenient, the transfer circles ownershipnded in the hands of the nation that controlled the surroundingnd. The manufacture of their copies was also controlled by those nations. The subjugation of thebyrinth does not mean the circles belonged to the subjugator.

    I was only able to gain the circles because I got them from an unowned ind, and their origins were unknown. It was a lucky break in itself But since Bergman said such a word

    You mean Are therebyrinths situated in unowned ces?

    Im not quite sure yet about the details, since it was in Kurtmergas territory. However, there is indeed one that I know of.

    So Should I go conquer it?

    It wont be just you though. Its a secret, but a party has been sent to explore and conquer thisbyrinth. However, if one powerful person is enough to conquer it alone, the sess rate should be much higher.

    So, are you ordering me to join the party that precedes it and co-operate?

    Pretty much, but rather than an order, its a business deal. And you dont have to join the advance party. On the contrary, I want you to act from a distance to support your own subjugation. Also, I want you to report your progress.

    Business deal? Support and report?

    Thats right. There will be a reward if its a sess. If the preceding party seeds in subduing, I will attach a copy-circle to your circle and give you a pair. If its you who conquers thebyrinth, two sets of those.

    With that said, Chancellor Bergman raised two fingers up.

    Lets talk about the situation in more detail

    ording to him, the ce where thebyrinth was located in a mountainous area known as the Devils Mountains. It was north of the Margrave of Dragrange. The mountain range acted as the border with the Drak Kingdom and was an unimed buffer zone. However, its believed there was an abundance of magic ore veins in the area. There were also a lot of monsters about too. The exact location was not known, but there was no due of its existence due to the higher frequency of monster appearances stemming from the mountains.

    But it was reckless to explore the mountain range on the scale of a single party, wasnt it? When asked, it seemed that the estimated location was guessed in a preliminary survey. Afterward, thebyrinth had to be conquered on the smellest scale so that the Drak Kingdom would not be alerted. Its because the knights of the Margrave were prohibited from advancing on the mountains due to the treaty with the Drak Kingdom.

    Also, sending arge number of adventurers and explorers may also be regarded as a military action itself. We had to avoid unnecessary conflicts with the adjacent kingdom, including the control of thebyrinth after the subjugation.

    Well, I understand the gist of it, but why do I have to move in secret?

    - Because you are a Trespasser. Its only this country that allows trespassers to move freely. All the more because their blood and wisdom are sought after. When it bes known that a magicless has appeared in the Margrave of Dragrange, Im sure Ill give it a little bit. In addition to that

    In addition to that?

    If it bes known that we have allowed individuals to own transfer circles, other aristocrats and ns will not remain silent. Even though there was no country iming ownership, allowing personal possession is a special case among special cases.

    Certainly The most valuable thing that can be obtained from thebyrinth is said to be the Great Mana Stone that was the Dungeon Core. There was no doubt that the transfer circle was the second most valuable thing. Aristocrats who governed each territory were entrusted to the transfer magic circle recovered from thebyrinth in their territory to the country, who collected and distributed them collectively.

    There was an exception called me.

    It seemed that it was necessary to keep it a secret that I owned transfer circles, and that I was a Trespasser.

    There was a monitoring system in ce for the warehouse. Should I also add a defensive system be established as well?

    Well, how about it? If the preceding party gives up on subduing it, this request will end there, and the reward will be paid in the form of money.

    Chancellor Bergman asked for a reply, perhaps because he realized that I understood the general situation. Perhaps, it was a case where there was not much time to spare.

    Alright, I ept.

    So, youve decided? Then, the day after tomorrow, you should jump to the Margrave of Dragrange through the transfer management office in the first district. Here is the special use permit.

    He had that prepared I guess he didnt think that I would refuse it from the beginning. Of course, what reeled me in was mostly the reward. There was at least one set of transfer circles and copies. Another pair if I subdued it. The deadline has not been clearly expired, but if the party that was there gave up, that was it. I would only get money.

    I dont think a single party will continue to attack abyrinth for months. It wont be a long job. However, there were some concerns.

    May I ask you some questions?

    Yes, of course.

    If the preceding part abandons the subjugation and leaves. What will happen to the subsequentbyrinth capture?

    In that case, we will share the information with the Drak Kingdom, and the Knights of the Margrave of Dragrange will be dispatched to conquer thebyrinth. However, in that case, the knights of Drak will also move to do the same.

    In other words, itll turn into apetition against the Drak Kingdom?

    I dont know what will happen inside thebyrinth, but one thing I could say was that there was almost no peaceful solution, such as a joint subjugation. Between the two kingdoms, the treaty only applied to the suspension for an actual war.

    Of course And who are the members of the party that went there in advance?

    Four people from Sazanka, Ophelia Dragrange, and her escort knight.

    Ophelia? Wasnt she in the midst of chasing after the phantom thief Nekoyanagi?

    The destination of the phantom thief was the Devils Mountains. There were sightings in a town north of the capital and headed north immediately. But Nekoyanagi returned to the Royal Capital and used the transfer circle to Dragrange. I only know that they went to the Margrave and then to the Devils Mountains.

    Is there a rtionship between the escape destination of Nekoyanagi and thebyrinth?

    This is not clear from the information from the merchants who operate between the Margrave and Drak Kingdom. But apparently, there was a group that was building a vige inside thebyrinth in the Devils Mountains. That should be Nekoyanagis home base if I had to wager on it.

    So, is the purpose of the preceding party to search for the home of Nekoyanagi in addition to conquering thebyrinth?

    Yes, but you dont have to take any action on the ground in this matter. Focus on reporting the status of your search and conquering thebyrinth.

    Got it.

    From there, we discussed the more detailed stuff, especially on how to report, the amount of mary reward, and such. Afterward, the secret talk was over.

    Well, to be exact

    Kyaa!!

    My body responded reflexively to the scream that sounded like she was in pain, and jumped into the bathroom area.

    Are you okay?!

    When I opened the door that separated the toilet and washroom from the bathroom, what I saw was a little girl drowning in bubbles and two older girls around her.

    Kya!

    My eyes! My eyes hurt!

    For the time being, I quickly grabbed the nozzle of the shower while trying to avert my eyes from them. I held Zephanells head and poured warm water over. While I took charge of Zephanell, Ashley and Sharle-san, covered in bubbles, jumped into the narrow bath at the same time.

    Sch-Schwartz!! Youre prohibited to look this way!

    Uh, but Im not looking, Sharle-san.

    It feels good~

    Zephanells rxed voice drowned under the chaos

    My line of sight was directed at the mirror on the wall, and it showed Ashley as she sank down until half her bright red face showed in the tub; and Sharle-san who stood up in the bathtub while swinging something up

    Tha-Tha-Thats right!

    Ouch!

    The shampoo container thrown by Sharle-san hit my head.

    Shwartz~, Shampoo feels very good. The scent is nice. This one loves it, but I wonder why it stings the eyes. What can I do about it?

    Theres a shampoo cap to prevent it from entering the eyes. Ill prepare some after this.

    Waaa how nice of you.

    Hey, Schwartz Isnt it about time for you?

    That was Ashleys voice and it sounded a little A little angry, and I felt the fear that her whole body would shrink.

    Ah, yes. Youre right, Ashley Alright then, Chancellor, Im outta here

    Sharle-sans cry echoed throughout the bathroom.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    Its the next day after Zephanell and her entourage visited Daikokuya on the opening day of the shop. Although we didnt do anything special, it was necessary to prepare the appearance of a store. Its close to business hours, and I began to clean the sales floor and checked the inventory ordingly.

    In a little while, Amy and Presera shoulde over from the Marida office to help. Until then I had to finish arranging the interior furniture and replenishing the products that those four people yed with.

    Yesterday, I talked with Chancellor Bergman in secret about the subjugation of a secretbyrinth. I had epted it. Immediately afterward a girls scream came from the bathroom. The following aftermath was literally a scene from a pstickedy. After that, I exined how the products the girls had bought were used over cold drinks. Then, I exined in detail how to use the hair tonic to Chancellor Bergman. I also exined about the other products I nned to put out.

    In this world, there were many products that could not be produced or developed due to technical or academic issues. So, the four returned to the sales floor and bought more products and furniture. Chancellor Bergman decided to purchase an office desk and a genuine leather office chair. He seemed to like thefort of it in particr, but he was also interested in the casters and rotating seats.

    Seeing the explosive buying spree of those four, I was busy writing out price tags.

    Excuse me

    Around noon, after a light meal, I saw four light spots on the map. Amy and Presera may have arrived outside, but there were four blips The extras may be escorts.

    When I opened the front door, Amy and Presera were there. Behind them were the twin fox beastmen Alm and Silvara who came as their escorts. Amy and Presera had their usual maid outfits, while Alm and Silvara each had a spear in a scabbard and a more exposed outfit that seemed to be in clothing.

    Wee aboard, and Im looking forward to working with you two.

    Yes, Shop Manager!

    And what are you two doing here?

    We were ordered by the Chairman to escort the two youngdies while also acting as security guards for Daikokuya.

    I see Well, you can keep guard on the first and second floors. However, leave the basement alone since thats my private room.

    I weed the four people into the store and exined to them about the store and its products. I first met them as Shaft, but rarely did I meet them as Schwartz. As of now, it seemed that they had no idea that I was Shaft. From their point of view, I, Schwartz, was just an adventurous merchant doing something with the chairman and his wife.

    Hey hey, store manager. Its not my ce to talk about business as the security, but why are the items here very expensive?

    This chair looks amazing Ah! Why is it so expensive?

    Amy and Presera were preparing for the opening, but Alm and Silvara, who had free time, looked around the furniture section that was arranged like a model room.

    Manager, what is the difference between this Shampoo and the best soap on the market?

    As I thought, the two girls were more interested in the bath products. However, considering what happened yesterday

    Compared to the soap on the market and public baths, the foam and scent are different. The degree of dirt removed is also different. And if you use the conditioner or tonic here, it will have better results.

    Themoners in this world also washed their scalps and hair with soap, so this was to be expected. If this was a noble or wealthy merchant, they would apply an oil that protected the hairs quality, butmoners did not use that.

    Your hair is a little damaged. In order to work as a saleswoman at my store, you need to actually use it, not just the knowledge of the product.

    A-Are you serious?

    Presera, whose hair was touched by me, said in a shy voice. Her vermillion hair rested over her white nape. Her face seems simrly red.

    Thats right. I want you girls to both be the salespeople and models.

    I reached out to the shelves, grabbed a small bottle of tonic and conditioner in addition to shampoo, and handed it over to Amy, who was beside her.

    This and this, and this towel Ill leave the cloth. First, wash your head with shampoo.

    Next, I exined the basic method of hair washing, tonics, and conditioners. Afterward, instructed them to use it in the employee dormitory of the Marida Trading Company.

    Because it was a high-price product, no one would buy it unless the effects were proven, or something like that? Having gone acted as such, I noticed. Why did I make such an effort to sell in a business I didnt intend to profit from? Looking at the four people yesterday, and the four today. I remembered the time when I sold peripheral parts for PCs as a salesman in the previous world.

    It was a worthwhile job to select and rmend the most suitable parts and peripherals to meet the needs of various users. I remembered my feelings at the time just a little

    And opening time was finally here

    On the narrow street on the outskirts of the second district, people who finished their days work, adventure, and exploration gathered one by one. This street, where the Marida Trading Companys old store was situated, was a famous ce for fledgling merchants who joined the kingdomsmerce guild to begin. In the past, Malta-san also used this area as a foothold to do business before eventually growing into one of thergest tradingpanies in the country.

    A store set up on this street attracted the attention of many adventurers. It was even more so since the store, which belonged to the Marida Trading Company and had been closed, opened.

    The newly opened Daikokuya seemed to have already attracted attention before even the opening day. As I turned the sign on the door from closed to open, lots of people walked off the street and into the store  then exited without buying anything.

    Store manager~, at this rate, we wont sell anything.

    Most of the customers entered the store, checked the price tags on the products, and immediately walked out due to the high prices. Some of them were surprised by the quality of the furniture and asked on the discounted price. We repeatedly responded with If youre not satisfied with the price, please pick it up.

    Since nobody came to the counter to checkout, Amy put her elbows on the counter to support her chin and watched the customers as they came and went.

    Hey, store manager, its not my ce to talk business, but isnt it really bad that we cant sell at all?

    Alm sat at the corner of the counter andughed as she shuffled her long shapely legs. The sox girl seemed to notice already. I never intended to sell the items I disyed here at a decent price.

    This is fine, but just be careful not to let anyone steal the small items. Those are very valuable and expensive items.

    Hearing my reply, Amy let out a long Haaa~ while the fox girlughed.

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    Thank you for your hard work today. The next business day will be in three days, so thank you.

    Well be back in three days!

    We got some days o ff, sis.

    Right Though, I feel like working here is no different from having a day off.

    Alm, Silvara, watch over them.

    Of course. Thats our original task, to begin with.

    Daikokuya wrapped up its first official day. After seeing off the four employees, I started on my preparations for tomorrows departure.

    By that way, we sold 0 items today Yes, not a single item was sold.

    While I would be away from the store, the spy cameras and the T-UGS would alert me of any intruders. In addition, as an additional defensive measure, I used VMBs support weapon system to deploy a stationary remote-controlled heavy machine gun  the Sentry Gun.

    The weapon system was a VMB original support weapon simr to those installed on armored military vehicles and ships such as the general >RWS< (Remote Weapon System). The 12.7mm heavy machine gun was installed on a rotating pedestal, but in the name of game bnce, held only 400 rounds. It also could not be replenished and had a range of 200m.

    Theck of range made the gun hard to use in openbat but was sufficient for indoor battles. It was often used as a support weapon in-game. However, it was a weapon with many restrictions. It had a high CP cost for a single-use item like this, and once installed, it was impossible to move.

    I set it up at the back of the warehouse, overlooking the entrance. Afterward, I screen monitor on my HUD became the controller, thus making it possible to attack intruders remotely now. Well, its not like thieves would likelye to rob a newly opened shop After testing the system in this world, I put it on standby.

    Now I was ready to go.

    I locked up the store and began my trip to Margrave of Dragrange whichy in the northern part of the kingdom. I headed to the transfer building that was situated between the first and second districts.

    Destination is Margrave of Dragrange

    At the transfer control station, the special license Id gotten from Chancellor Bergman made it possible to jump smoothly without any other hoops to jump through. I thennded in the forest city of Dragrange, which was the center of the Margrave.

    In front of me, after leaving the transfer station, was a tree with a thick canopy that blocked out the sky. There was also a bigke that served as the citys water source. At the base and middle of the tree, which was thick, many wooden dwellings had been built. The first city of Dragrange was a city built in therge forest of Dragrange, where fairy elves lived at the center.

    The city was built in the midsts of forests, with no clear barriers. Instead, the city of Dragrange itself was situated inside severalrge-scale magic circles that prevented monster attacks. It stretched out to the edge of the Devil Mountains on the edge of the southern forest.

    However, thisrge scale barrier magic alone could not stop the southward movement of monsters. There were still many that managed to avoid the barrier and invade. In other to eliminate it and deal with thebyrinth on the border, the Margrave of Dragrange was recruiting as many adventurers as possible, even the strongest

    Now then The instructions were to head to the former Marquis who lived in the central administrative building Okrug

    We couldnt conserve in detail because there were Ashley and the others back in Daikokuya due to the girls. So, here I was to look for Adrar-san, the former Marquis of Dragrange to gather more information on the region and the advance party that consisted of Sazanka and Ophelia.

    The transfer station was built near the Central administrative building and from there, I headed toward the area where the aristocrats lived.

    Oh, a lot of young men have been sent.

    Adrars house was located immediately after asking for directions a few times. There was no gatekeeper at the mansion as it stood quietly surrounded by overgrown trees. A ring on an elephant-shaped statue of a fairy(?) was attached to the wooden door  I used it to knock several times.

    Right then, I could hear a voice from behind the door before it swung open.

    I came from the capital. My name is

    No need to say your name. I have note here, and I have not met you. Good?

    While saying so, the woman turned around and walked to the back of the mansion. Did this mean I could enter? The beautiful woman who appear Brown skin, small long ears, and glossy ck hair that was tied and swayed along the back of her dark blue tight long dress.

    She was an elf  I didnt know if the race was called that in this world, but with the knowledge of my world, she would have been a bewitching and dangerous woman. She was a dark elf.

    She took me to the drawing-room and told me to sit and wait before leaving. The moment I stepped into the building, Id mapped the first floorpletely. There was only one light spot on the first floor, however. The second floor could be mapped, and I also didnt hear anyone else moving at all.

    Did she live alive here?

    I had heard from Chancellor Bergman that Marquis Adrar deied without anyone to pass on his title. It became null and void while his family remained here as former nobles. But how unlikely was it to have no servants at all? It was a big mansion to maintain alone Moreover, she answered the door almost immediately. As if she knew that Ide here in advance.

    Are you fine with just tea?

    Looks like shes back. She carried a tray with a tea set on it. As she entered, I stood and took over the tray and set everything up on the table to help.

    Ah, how kind. That is rareing from someone who reports directly to Roberto.

    Roberto You mean Chancellor Bergman? Im not working directly under him. Mrs. Adrar.

    Just Ultimira is fine . Right, you are part of Kimikage, are you not?

    She , Ultimira Adrar-san replied to me as she received the tea I poured for her

    Nah, Im just an Adventurer.

    Fufu, Roberto sent an adventurer because he cannot move in directly.

    Ultimira-san held the cup close to her chest as she sank into the sofa and crossed her legs in front of me Turned out that long dress had a slit on it. And a rather deep one at that

    Looking away from there, I dropped my eyes on the tea and took a sip

    The strong scent of flowers whiffed from the cup And the deep clear red Was this rose tea? Sweet maybe rose jam was added, but this was delicious.

    This has a nice scent. What flower was used here?

    It is rosie. I did not know that Roberto had a man who is interested in tea.

    Its my personal interest. So, Ive heard from Chancellor Bergman that I can get information from here, Ultimira-san.

    That would be this.

    She ced an envelope on the tea tray and slid it towards me. I received it and found it had a seal belonging to Chancellor Bergman on the back.

    Thank you very much. I shall excuse myself now, and thank you for the hospitality.

    Oya? Leaving already?

    I have jobs to do.

    What a shame. I do not have many peopleing to enjoy tea with me. Will youe again at ater date? Or Do you prefer to enjoy some liquor with me at night.

    Ill stop by again to enjoy some tea with you.

    Fufu, Im going to look forward to that.

    I slightly bowed to Ultimira-san, who rearranged her legs while she took a sip of her tea. Then I exited the mansion after leaving the drawing-room.

    Before I could catch up to the advance party, I had to be close enough to grasp their movement. The tea was very good, but now that I had information, I headed for the Devil Mountains.

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    Kay: Sazanka is actually Sasanqua, the all-female n from the first conquests.

    After leaving the Adrars mansion, I left the city and opened the envelope I received from Ultimira-san to check its contents.

    So, its them again Those four Sasanqua n members are participating

    I already knew these four n members, along with Ophelia Dragrange and her escort knights, participating in this mission. Sasanqua was an all-female adventurer n based in the Royal Capital. I worked together with them to map out the Emerald Demon Labyrinth once before.

    The names of the four participating members  Frau, Miche, Malinda, and Ru were written on Chancellor Bergmans letter. And Ophelias escort knight, Virginia Parrenberg Its that emotionless female knight, isnt it? In addition to the information about the preceding party, the letter provided some ces where thebyrinth was likely to exist. They had simr information, so if I went around there Id most likely.

    At the end of the letter, it was written that the information should not be seen by others, and it was to be disposed of as soon as I confirmed the content. I felt like a became a secret operative Well, what Im going to do wasnt much different from that

    The approximate location of thebyrinth written in the letter was saved as a screenshot. The letter was discorded into a smallkushiyakis fire I saw along the way. I bought a kushiyaki to have a light meal before I headed north.

    The forest city of Dragrange was not surrounded by walls like the fortress city of Barga and the Royal Capital. That didnt mean that you could freely enter or leave the city. There was a huge gate was built at the end of the main street that led outside to control ess to the city. Even now, like me, the trio, who seemed to be an adventurer party heading north, was being checked by the gatekeepers.

    How many times must I tell you! Were going out to subjugate monsters in the Devils Mountain!

    Right, but to do that, you need to have a formal subjugation request from the general guild.

    And Ive said it many times too! Weve decided to go voluntarily because there hasnt been a subjugation request posted for days!

    Thats right! If you leave it to our leader here, I can bet that the monsters living in the Devils Mountain will be wiped out!

    Gahaha! Very true! Thats why! Give us a pass permit already.

    Haa-, no matter what you say, we cant issue a pass permit here. Let me tell you this in advance: if you go north without a permit, youll be treated as leaving the Kurtmerga Kingdom. During re-entry, all of you will be subjected to strict examination. Of course, if it turns out that you escaped to the north without permission, the various guild cards created in the General Guild will be void. You will not be reissued or issued new ones in Dragrange.

    If youre found that you do not have it, you will be arrested as a smuggler.

    Apparently, getting out from the north great gate was a bit tricky.

    No record of my entry was made in the city. As Mrs. Adrar said, Im someone who isnt actually here. Therefore, I couldnt make a record of leaving the city, thus, there was no way I could have a pass permit. Maybe I should avoid the gates altogether?

    I entered an alley off the main street to avoid the public eye. I watched the movement on my radar and disappeared into the forest when no one was looking at me. I was now in the forest full of coniferous trees, crossed over the hills, and entered the mountain area north of Dragrange.

    No longer did I look like Schwartz, or Shaft. I now wore a conical Viking helm with chainmail, fur backs and insteps, and a fur cloak. A very old-world-looking avatar. This was a VMBs avatar costume set, the Scandinavian pirate pack. The helm had googles built-in and back of the gauntlet had the TSS, so the VMB functions could be used without issue, simr to other costumes.

    I was also using Ghost Captain Jonahs appearance again. The skeleton-faced avatar I used during my trip to the southern sea where I also used this costume. This time, the powered suit was changed to a skeleton suit, so I resembled an undeadpletely from top to bottom.

    I was fortunate to be able to take off the powered suit. The assimtion of my body with the VMB system had progressed and allowed me to reproduce the same athletic performance without the assistance of the suit. And I used this appearance for the same reason asst time.

    Neither Schwartz nor Shaft could be here in such a short time without a transfer circle. Besides, Im supposed to open Daikokuya in parallel with this work. This was not the purpose of operating the store, but to use Daikokuya as a ce to connect with Chancellor Bergmans liaison.

    It would be unnatural for me to exist in Dragrange and the Royal Capital at the same time. If the sightings of two ces were found without documentation of the circle being used  the answer of transportation would eventuallye to light. The fact I had my own personal transfer circle as a special case among special cases was not a good thing to reveal. I cant use Shaft since he was too famous as ofte. And if Shaft appeared here, and was seen entering and leaving the Devils Mountains, someone would predict that there was abyrinth here.

    Besides, there were adventurersing and going into the mountains not only from Drangrange but also from the Drak Kingdom.

    Bergman told me to avoid contact as much as possible, but in case of an emergency, I decided to use the appearance of a monster as not to make the Kurtmerga look suspicious.

    While the pale mes floated in the fundus (Interior of the eye) swayed as I checked the map floating in my field of view along with the terrain spread out before me. I stared at the spots that moved around me. I could hear footsteps  the pace of movement on all fours, simr to that of a grass wolf. Was it the same kind of monster? There were five of them .

    I reached out to my back and grabbed the riot shield, a small circr shield that hung between the fur cloak and the chainmail. The riot shield was inferior in durability to the ballistic shield. However, it was a circr shield with a diameter of 50cm. Made of polycarbonate in the setting, except for the handle. It was also transparent and offer good visibility.

    I then pulled a single ax that hung from my waist. It was a one-handed hatchet with a total length of about 40cm, but it was different from Shafts signature tomahawk. Unlike the throwing ax with a wooden handle, the handle of the ax was a metal cylinder with borate metalwork.

    I shouldered the top of the de to my shoulder as if I was shouldering a rifle. I also took up a shooting stance. I held the handle in my left hand and metalwork simr to a hammer was triggered upon taking up the stance. At the same time, in my field of view, a circle with a 2m diameter spread out to a parab and its destination  a reticle different from other firearms  emerged.

    The distance is about 100m. Then, the blips on the map appeared to be drawn in the circle  Grass Wolf? No, the fur color is different. Those are two forest wolves. Their body was covered in white fur, the opposite of the ck fur of the grass wolves.

    One was behind me, another one on the left and right to surround me for a total of five. The moment the two to the front filled in the circle, I pulled the trigger on the ax handle. Along with a light vibration, a stupid sound simr to air and a puff of white smoke came from the handle, and the next moment, the end of the parab exploded.

    This ax I prepared was a grenade ax that was an original weapon from VMB. It was a firearm that looked like abination of a flintlock grenadeuncher and a one-handed ax. It had an explosion range of around 1m.

    The two forest wolf bombed by the grenade ax had their limbs blown off and could be seen on the ground dying.

    Releasing the shooting posture, I headed for the one that appeared on the left, slid-jump from the dash, kicked up the ground; and flew into the sky before I kicked off a coniferous tree and swung the grenade ax over the wolfs head. They should have surrounded me but the two remaining wolves were surprised that more than half of their force was instantly crushed. They retreated into the shadows of the trees. So, they escapedThe wolves were on the move, clearly recognizing me as an enemy. As the Ghost Captain Jonah, I may look undead, but the monsters should know I was a normal human.

    While I kept an eye on my surroundings, the column part of the grenade ax was slid clockwise to empty the pods. Then, I took out the 40x46mm grenade from the belt attached to the back of the fur cloak and loaded it.

    The Grenade Ax was designed to imitate the flintlock but didnt actually adopt the ignition method. The design imitated the shape of the flintlock, though the hammer was just a safety device to prevent idental fire.

    I left the dead wolf there and headed to the dying ones.

    Jonahs armament was nned to be operated with thebination of Grenade Axe and Riot Shield, with the addition of the M24A2 and GE M134 Minigun (Simted bullets) I used in the battle with the pirate fleet. And finally, I prepared a PSS Special muffling pistol as an easy-to-use secondary weapon.

    ThePSSwas a pistol developed in the Soviet Union during the US-Soviet Cold War and was a small secret mission pistol that muffled its sound without a silencer. Due to its characteristics, the ammunition used was 7.62mmx43mm. It held seven rounds and had an effective range of 50m, making it a close-quarter firearm.

    The PSS was pulled out from the back holster of the waist. With an exhale that seemingly could cut off at any moment, I shot the forest wolf who red at me with its bright red eyes. I wondered how much damage the PSS Special ammunition could cause, but looking at the hole in the head, it seemed that there was no problem if you shot it in its critical point.

    If this were a normal human, it would be powerful enough too. Satisfied with these achievements, I reced the magazine and returned the gun to its holster.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    Kay: Sorry for theteness.

    _ _ _ _ ___

    A few hours passed since Id taken the appearance of Jonah and proceeded through the Devils Mountain. The sun had already set and the surroundings wentpletely dark, however, my eyesight was secured by the slight starlight and night vision.

    The world was dyed in a light green light, and I walked through the coniferous forest at midnight. Only the sound of a few nocturnal insects echoed as I searched the whereabouts of the four Sasanqua members, Ophelia, and her escort knight.

    It seemed like was not the area either

    I was checking the approximate locations of thebyrinth in the Devils Mountains one by one, starting from the one nearest Dragange. But if I still couldnt find it It would be necessary to expand the search to the side closer to the Kingdom of Drak.

    After that, I spent another day looking for the spots near Dragrange. I couldnt find a gathering of light spots that looked like an adventurer party or something that looked like the entrance to thebyrinth. On the contrary, when I observed the moment of the monsters I encountered, I got the impression that they moved slowly toward a certain direction. South, which was the same direction as Dragrange.

    And that direction coincided with the approximated location that was closest to the Kingdom Of Drak.

    Naturally, I confirmed that direction was thest spot on my list so it may be the correct answer.

    On the map in my HUD, I saw six light spots lumped up. They were further away, around the coniferous forest. For these two days, except for getting sleep, I made the best use of my resilient body and stayed on the move.

    The preceding girls were different. In the letter, All four of the Sasanqua were listed as A-rank. When Ive previously met them, Miche and Frau were still B-ranks. They may have been promoted after the conquering of the Emerald Demon Labyrinth. But no matter how high their ranks went, they couldnt continue after the sun went down. There was a limit to the time when they could act naturally, making the distance between them and me, who was not impeded by that same limitation, was shrinking.

    ording to the terrain reflected on the map, after passing through the coniferous trees, I should see a mountainke. The six light dots stay on the banks of theke. Maybe it was a campsite. The height and thickness of coniferous trees were muchrger than in the previous world. I leaned back and looked into the mountainke in a leaning position

    People Not.

    Humanoid body covered in hair. Large with a long tail that swayed side to side, and its head was that of a dogs head. Kobolds A child-like physique simr to a goblin, smaller than a werewolf, but with a wide sword-like weapon stuck on their hands. Six Kobolds faced each other in a circle, bent over and eating something?

    Activating TSS, I opened the monster files from the screenshot collection, and checked the kobold section

    It is a monster with fast-breeding species almost on par with goblins, and a very aggressive personality. Each individual was born with a sword growing in their hand, kind of like a biological armor, and if it was damaged, the vitality of the monster would weaken and eventually die.

    As a species, it was a male-only race, and it preyed on animals in the wild to give birth to their offspring. Also, it had a very strong appetite and its favorite foods were human and beastmen Therefore, when I looked at the center of the group where a lump of meat Reddish ck that pooled beneath it

    Looking closely, I realized they were chewing on was that a mans arm?

    It was enough at this point, I turned theM24A4on them and aimed in a firing position. I aimed for one of their heads, the one that gnawed on the mans arm. I aligned the reticle with its red eye and pulled the trigger. It was equipped with a silencer. As soon as I pulled the trigger and I heard a faint sound of air erupted from the muzzle. The next moment, his head popped off.

    One by one, their heads exploded and only thest one had noticed something was happening. It dropped the thing ht had been slurping up. Its expression showed confusion. As it tried to figure out what was happening, its head exploded too.

    I exchanged the magazine while I focused on the map and sound sensor to see if more were nearby None.. Alright.

    I put the rifle back and moved from my location towards the Kobolds to check out the situation. I dont think it was one of the Sasanqua members or Ophelias party, but there werent any viges around here either. S, who was these poor guys?

    The ce was dyed dark red and it reeked. When I stepped over the pond of blood and confirmed the carnage. There were pieces of clothing that did not belong to an adventurer. They came in a variety of sizes, but there were also small clothes that looked like childrens clothes How many people was this? It was not just one or two people, but not enough for double digits.. Either way, quite a lot of people were attacked.

    Thankfully it was midnight. NV Mode made the murky and tinted in a green light, so I was able to observe the entire thing calmly.

    If this was broad daylight, I might have spit out without being able to see directly. But.. What should I do? Should I at least cremate them? No, if you burn them at this time, the brightness would be noticed But it would take too long to bury them all I felt guilty about leaving a dead person, but I could only ask for their forgiveness. I decided to leave the ce and prepared to return to the Royal Capital for Daikokuyas business day.

    I could return to the Royal Capital using the transfer circle that I personally owned. Therefore, I headed to the area I was checking out and summoned anLVTP-5(Landing Vehicle Tracked, Personnel Model 5) from the garage.

    The LVTP-5 was an amphibious armored personnel carrier that I also used during the Wolf Fang Labyrinth subjugation. In preparation for jumping to and from the Margrave of Dragrange, the transfer circle, as well as its copy, was installed on the vehicle. Furthermore, using the function of the garage, the camouge pattern was applied to the vehicle.

    I moved it to the cliff where the stratum was exposed. I then covered it in branches and leaves cut from the surrounding foliage toplete the camouge. Someone could discover the vehicle, the Sasanqua, or someone else, so I had installed the circle in the tank rather than on the Type-74 as a countermeasure.

    Even if someone discovered the LVTP-45, unlike the truck, they could not get into the steel-armored LVTP. I also installed a T-UGS underneath so I could know when someone approached it. By installing this third one, the one that monitored the inside of Daikokuya disappeared. This also changed the configuration of the minimap disy.

    Now, I was ready to move

    I looked to the mountainke once more before I teleported back to the capital.

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    After teleporting away from the Devils Mountains to Daikokuya, I changed from Jonah to Schwartz and went up to the office as I yawned.

    Since I could not summon more than two vehicles at a time, the motorhome couldnt be summoned with the LVTP-5 set up in the Devils Mountains. Once in the office, Iid down on the sofa and wrapped myself up in a nket. I was able to get some sleep in the Devils Mountains, but it was only for a short time each time.

    I ended up oversleeping and it was already noon.

    While I ate a bento box and tea, I heard a voice from outside the store.

    Good day

    I think the store manager is not at home. Is the shop closed?

    Didnt we have a spare key?

    Ah, indeed. its in the toolbag somewhere Here it is.

    Apparently, Amy and Presera, as well as Alm and Sylvara, arrived from the Marida trading Company. I cleaned up and went down to the first floor to unlock the door to let them in. The shop would not be open while I was not here, but the building and products still needed to be cleaned regrly.

    Come in. Thanks foring to work.

    Ah, Manager! Good to see you!

    Good to see you all too.

    Amy and Presera gave a beautiful bow in front of the door and stared at me. It made me wonder if they were waiting for something.

    Dont you have anything to ask? Didnt you instruct us to try out the products?

    Alm spoke up.

    We were allowed to use it. Such a good item, too bad its very expensive.

    Next came her sister, Silvara. But what did you say again? Oh.

    Then I noticed their fur. Previously, it was kinda difficult to say that their fur was beautiful. Even as apliment. Dont mistake me. They were good women nheless. But as adventurers, and escorts, their fur was far from glossy. You could even use unkempt.

    It was different today.

    Both Alms blonde hair and Sylvaras silver hair gave off a brilliant luster as their hair stretched down to their shoulders. Their big foxtails were also smooth. The difference was like heaven and earth

    Looking back at Amy and Preseras hair, it also gave off a beautiful luster  unintentionally, I reached out to the long-haired presera and touched it. Previously, it was stiff. Now it was smooth andfortable to feel. Howe they changed so much after only a few days? I mean, the changes shouldnt have been this fast normally

    I didnt know what they normally used, but it seemed that I wasnt the only one who was empowered in this world. Shampoos and conditioners also had a better performance here than in my previous word. Perhaps  the very nature of keeping clean and healthy may be embodied in this world.

    Eh, excuse me

    Manager, you are disturbing Presera now. Arent we supposed to work now?

    Only after hearing Alms voice did I notice the reddened face in front of me. I was so absorbed in checking her hair and thinking about the changes that I hadnt noticed Id done it for a few minutes.

    Whoops, my bad. Both of you are quite beautiful.

    Beautiful (x2)

    What? Here I thought the manager liked Amy more.

    Sylvara grinned, but Amy and presera still looked like teens. From my point of view, they were no different than little sisters.

    Thats enough talking. Amy, Presera, please prepare to open the shop.

    Ye-yes! (x3)

    Returning to Silvara with a bitter smile, Amy and Presera immediately set about cleaning the store so they could open. Although I was free on the first day of business, I think I actually liked the job of selling something.

    However, the sight of them move with such crity reminded me of the people who were devoured by those kobolds I encountered. Among the carcasses were small arms and legs  most likely children. Of course, most of the remains were adults.

    Are you worried about those kids? Youre still young, but do you think youre doing enough?

    Alm said this as she stood next to me.

    Hey, Alm. What kind of country is this country from the perspective of ordinary people other than aristocrats and adventurers?

    Thats a first. I think its a good country? There are some people who arent living well, but its basically afortable country to live in. My sisters were born in the north, but there were only a few stories from other countries.

    Alm lowered her voice.

    You You know I was a ve before, dont you?

    Yeah I heard.

    Until a while ago, ves were reluctant to speak in this country. Nowadays, the feeling of inferiority is gone and itsmonce to not have one. But in the Drak Kingdom, its different. In that country, all the poor and sinners fall into very. People buy and kidnap people. Not just in Drak, but in the Viceburn Empire. Who knows what kind of treatment is being received there.

    Why wont they leave?

    Because the Devils Mountains between Drak and Murtmerga are dangerous. Even for the adventurers, its dangerous, and theyre not allowed to enter or leave unless they are inrge caravans. This country is friendly to people, but tough for smugglers.

    I see.

    The story went awry. It was about this country

    No, thats enough for now. Ill be in the office. The security of the store is in your hands once more.

    Thats like basically doing almost nothing, but at least I get a sry for it.

    I called to the others and returned to the office. However, what I heard from Alm was quite interesting. Maybe the identities of those remains I found, given Alms story, were refugees from the Drak Kingdom. An adult dressed in clothes didnt looked to be an adventurer, and the child seemed to have only trousers. I didnt know why they were there but now I had a clue.

    Poverty  or runaway ves  they wanted to go to Kurtmerga. Even if they knew it would be considered smuggling. But they were caught by the Kobolds passing through. However, how many people actually left the country? How many managed to survive the journey?

    As I was in thought, I heard someone climb the stairs.

    Manager? Were still cleaning, but it seems there are customers

    Already? Are you sure theyre customers?

    Well They look like nobles as they have attendants with them, but theyre wearing hoods and are looking to meet Schwartz

    It was Amy who came up, but did Chancellor Bergmane again in a hood? Its been decided that the liaison would be done while mixing in with the customers during business hours of the store to report the progress of the work. But I hadnt heard hede today. Besides, she said nobles as in plural?

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191

    A few customers came early while we were still preparing to open Daikokuya when I was temporarily returning from the Devils Mountains. Amy reported that the hooded customers were actually nobles. Since they were only looking for me, I guess I should just meet them and see what they want.

    Pardon me for having kept you waiting. Im Schwartz, the shop owne

    When I went down, there were no customers in front of the counter. Instead, four hooded figures and a man who appeared to be an attendant were in front of the bathroom supplies.

    Youre here.

    Looking at one of the four, I recognized them as Chancellor Bergman. Why was heing when it was supposed to only be the liaison? That was also before the store opened No, there was only one other reason

    I-is this really the miracle water you spoke of?

    Sir Bird, Sir bird! Is-Is it really true?

    Ive never heard of such an item even when I traveled abroad

    The four hooded people, to be more precise, wore triangr hoods simr to thedisaster prevention hood.Something I recognized better as the disaster prevention hood and a sheet of linen to cover their nose and mouth. Personally, I think that people could still recognize them from their eyes and voices. I recognized Chancellor Bergman from his voice, along with the other voice which belonged to the General Guild Master, Duke Marlen Verdaline.

    Bergman and his attendant seemed to notice that Ide down, but the other three did not. They were still wrapped up in their conversation as they whispered. They seemed to be talking about a miracle water for a while now. Was it really about the hair tonic in this hand?

    You guys, the shopkeeper is here. Ill be talking with Schwartz for a bit, so wait for me.

    Having said that, only Chancellor Bergman and his attendant moved to me while they left the others.

    Is it fine here?

    Well, lets talk upstairs. Amy, Presera, please take care of the customers.

    Ye-Yes! (x2)

    Amy and Presera stood in the row with the high-end furniture, a little creeped out by the three-hooded figures who enthusiastically talked about the hair growth agents. For the time being, they also exined how to use the hair tonic and its simple effects. If the tree had any more questions, the girls shouldnt have an issue answering.

    When I nced at Alm and Silvara, they also looked at the three in dismay. Perhaps noticing my gaze, Alm smiled and shook her hand. Perhaps signaling me to go already.

    Please follow me.

    I guided Chancellor Bergman and his attendant to the office upstairs and urged him to sit on the sofa.

    Here I thought you wouldnt being today, Your Excellency

    I wasnt nning to, Schwartz-dono. It is just that, the effect of the hair tonic I bought here was too great My colleagues forced me to bring them here.

    What do you mean?

    Well, have a look

    Having said so, Chancellor Bergman removed his hood and showed newly grown flourishing ck hairs where a once barren scalp was. When I first saw Amys and Preseras hair, I had some expectations of something like this with the hair tonic. I then congratted him without much thought for some reason.

    Oh Congrattions, Your Excellency.

    Thankfully, he was in a good mood.

    Call me Sir Bird for now. It will be a hassle if it bes known that a kingdoms chancellor is visiting this shop.

    Now that you mention it

    Thats wonderful Sir Bird.

    Indeed it is, Schwartz. So, how was the situation over there?

    The topic shifted to the report on the exploration status of the Margrave of Dragrange and the Devils Mountains. Originally, I was supposed to report to a liaison. But since hes here personally, he might as well hear the report directly.

    I see  so thebyrinth might be closer to the Drak Kingdom.

    That is my best guess. I havente across Sasanqua yet, but I have no doubt theyre heading in the same direction.

    [And a group that seemed to be not adventurers. Its as you may have guessed, either runaway ves, or people from another Kingdom.]

    I also heard that the kingdom was having issues with smugglers

    Are you aware of the kingdoms origins?

    Yes, I am.

    Even after epting the people and ves who suffered from oppression and the founding of the country, we continued to ept escaped ves and those who had left the country for a long time. There was no choice but to limit it since unwanted individuals could mix among them.

    Next time, if I see another group Ill

    When I said that, Bergmans eyes, who looked through me, changed.

    Hold it right there, Schwartz. Even if youre currently working as the Kingdoms spy, I cannot allow you to meddle in our national affairs.

    Pardon me

    Good

    The conversation fell into an awkward silence. But the voicesing from the first floor quickly dissipated the atmosphere.

    Is Sir Bird here?

    Where is the owner of this shop?

    The price is so expensive, much higher than what Sir Bird told me.

    Apparently, the three we left below began to make a ruckus.

    Good grief. Theyre making trouble again Schwartz, let me introduce you to the three downstairs.

    When I went back down to the first floor with Bergman, the three were lined up in front of the counter. There was a lot of hair tonic and shampoos on the counter Did they want to buy everything?

    What are you making a ruckus over? Shopkeepers, Im sorry.

    Sir Bird, where have you been?

    Didnt I say that I had an important matter to discuss with the shop owner? Schwartz, from right to left, Sir Veil, Sir Thesis, and Sir Kood.

    Chancellor Bergman introduced me to all of them while the attendant whispered additional information about the three only I could hear. Sir Veil, as I already knew, was Duke Marlen Verdaline. Sir Thesis, who looked rtively young, was Count Lloyd Teisen, the kingdoms treasurer. And it seemed that Lord Kood, who wore a disproportionate hood on hisrge body, was Count Arley Crude. He stood at the top of the Central Knights and served as an adviser to the king.

    The Chancellor. Secretary of Treasury, Chief of Military Affairs, and a Guild Master. All looking for hair tonic Were the inhabitants of this world really that prone to balding? I heard the voices of Alm and Silvara as they looked at me from a distance as I was being introduced.

    Hey, sis, that old man with the long beard Isnt he the Guild Master of the General Guild?

    I thought so too, but why would the guild mastere to an unknown shop that just opened recently

    Of course. Both of them mustve gone up to B-Rank, therefore they mustve seen his face somewhere before. That characteristic long beard that reached down to his chest could really give his identity away. Anyway, taking that aside The atmosphere had turned into where any of the three men could take off their hoods and use their tonic at any moment now.

    Sir, Bird, and the three Sirs. Lets talk more about all the products you want to buy upstairs.

    At my invitation, all three went upstairs with a smile that could be seen even under the cover of their hoods.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

    In the office reception space, Chancellor Bergman, Advisor of Knights Arley Crude, and Guild Master Marlen Verdaline sat side by side on the couch. I sat across from them while I exined how the shampoo, hair tonic, and conditioner was used correctly.

    Hmm, I understand how to use them now. But I still have one question.

    Pray tell, Sir Veil.

    Sir Bird used it for only three days, and Ive never heard or seen of an alchemical drug that had such surprisingly short and visible effects. Could it be that you concocted it yourself?

    Err  an alchemical drug? It was a little unfamiliar, but was it amon phrase used in the Alchemy guild, which was not very relevant? No, its more than that. How should I answer this question The producer was definitely me. No one else could make one with the same performance. Should I say it was purchased elsewhere, or made by me?

    Initially, the n was to say that everything sold in Daikokuya was purchased through a channel I only knew of. But now that it became known about how its too effective, even with the shampoo and conditioners, it wouldnt be easy to go through with that n.

    I cant speak in detail about the materials or manufacturing methods. But I made them myself.

    My Not even first or special grade alchemists could formte something like this And youre telling me that you can?

    Sir Veil, this Schwartz is just that talented. Otherwise, it would be impossible for a previously unknown merchant to open a store in the Royal Capital.

    Even so, lord Bird. Its impossible to treat something normal like deterioration due to aging, even with recovery magic. And neither is it possible with alchemy. Themon agreement is that its impossible, right?

    Something that was normal for aging? I see, its something that peoplemonly ept as normal in this world. For example, the aging phenomena, such as losing hair with age, spots and freckles, was seen as normal. Therefore, recovery magic would not be effective against it.

    Also, that first and special grade Certainly, unlike adventurers, production-type guilds mustve grades rather than rank. I had asked Malta-san a little before. I didnt know the detailed breakdown, but I could tell that first and special had to be the highest grades.

    While I listened to Bergman and the Guild Master discuss the basics of alchemy and theorem on the human body, I resumed answering questions from Teisen and Crude. It seemed that it was more important for them to confirm the usage and effects rather than the form. Their hoods were already removed, as if they were itching to use it.

    Secretary Teisen seemed to still be young  by my own standard, in thete thirties to early forties. But despite that, hes already losing a sizable amount of hair. He seemed to be an ordinary noble, not a magic noble. He was a talented man who reached the top with his fiance skills at a young age, but he was still single. It was hard to tell why he remained single.

    Was it because he was balding, or because he didnt have the confidence to talk to a woman, or both. I mean, that sounded like a topic he shouldnt talk about so frankly

    Meanwhile, Advisor Crude suffered from a high M-shaped hairline. He was an old warrior in his fifties, but apparently, hes been in a sense of crisis since it receded yearly. I dont want to be like them  he said while ncing at Bergman and Guild Master Veil You know, you dont have to let your thoughts out loud like that.

    At this rate, I was likely to be asked about various topics and worries. But I heard the attendant whisper if we dont leave soon, it will affect work. to Bergman. He replied with a nod, then promptly finished the payment and left.

    Of course, all of them said random partings such as Ill be visiting again, or Ill make you tell me how to concoct it, so that I wont run out, or Many knights are worried since the helmet gets stuffy, or At least you can hand out some sort of gift next time. before leaving.

    Manager, those people are.

    Amy, Presera, and both of you listen to me. Next time a hooded person  or someone that looks like theyd work as a servant for a noble is visiting the shop, I will personally be in charge of them.

    Yes, understood  (All)

    Well, as long as they dont act suspicious, we wont do anything.

    Amy and Presera were relieved that they didnt have to deal with customers who were obviously high-ranking nobles, while Alm and Silvara replied with a bitter smile. But if it was me tending to them personally, it would be less suspicious. And it wouldnt be strange if I invited them upstairs for a secret talk.

    Today we weed customers before business hours, but the official opening was just around the corner. I had to hurry to resupply the hair tonics and bathroom supplies that the group had bought. Then, the opening hour came

    Todays business was also full of window shoppers and no purchases. However, there was a different flowpared to the first day, which was the line of sight of the customers who came to the store.

    Silver-haired Silvara stood at the entrance, with her shiny and smooth hair which was thanks to the shampoo and conditioner. On top of that, she had a good sense of fashion and it showed how she dressed. Silvara was eye-catching even when she worked as an escort member of the Marida Trading Company. She was more eye-catching now.

    And its the same with Alm, who patrolled around the inside of the store. After customers were drawn by her and entered the store. The next person they say was Alm and her beauty. At first, it was only male adventurers, but these girls were not easy to talk to. Attracted by the many adventurers, more curious shoppers also stopped in. These people quickly surrounded Amy and Presera as the two were simrly sporting beautiful hair as the other two were far less sociable.

    Will this really make my hair look just like you girls?

    Ah, yes! The effectes out immediately after using it once. The scent is also good!

    So expensive! A gold for this bottle

    Oh, the store manager says that the listed price is only the current market price? It seems that the price may change on the next business day.

    What does that mean?

    The listed price is only valid for today. The price may change during our next business hour, or something like that?

    What in the Its not like its armor forged by a first ss cksmith.

    Amy and Presera answered questions while being surrounded by female adventurers and middle-aged aunts.

    While I watched this, I waited at the checkout. Of course, ordinary customers would not buy today. The main reason was that the price was too high. Since there was a limit to the amount that could be taken from the Continental at one time. Id be in trouble if too much was sold.

    To Amy and the others who were disappointed nothing was sold despite arge number of customers, I said it will sell soon. and soon on. But my thoughts were different, as not selling anything was my real aim in the first ce.

    The next business day would be in three days. By then, I would like to locate thebyrinth that was thought to be situated in the Devils Mountains. After seeing off the girls, I returned to the Devils Mountains via the transfer circle.

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    After closing Daikokuya, I transferred back to the LVTP-5 back at Devils mountains. From there, I decided to head out once I confirmed my surroundings were safe.

    ording to the information Id received from Bergman, there were a few locations thebyrinth was suspected to be situated. I would need to travel all day tomorrow to transverse the mountains before reaching the Drak Kingdoms side. It was important to locate the Sasanqua members and Ophelias team. Activating the TSS inside the vehicle, I switched back to Jonah before resting for the day.

    The next day, as the sky was still dyed red by the sunrise, I left for the Drak Kingdom.

    While I focused on the sound sensor, I also watched the movement of a blip on the radar as it floated on the edge of my sight. I was determining whether it was human or monster as I rushed through the forest.

    On the Kurtmergas side of the mountains, there was arge coniferous forest that was in a different league in terms of height and thicknesspared to my original world. But once on the ridge, the forest was cut off, reced by rocks, grasnds, and shrubs.

    This scenery is way too good.

    The scenery below was illuminated by dawn light, and it was anything but gloomy or evil. It was beautiful to the point I wondered why it was called the Devils mountains. Although I was fascinated by the sight, I checked my surroundings. I checked the way I came, and down each side of the ridgeline, and somehow  I felt it was familiar.

    Where did I see it? In my original world? No  It was not.

    I activated TSS and rummaged through my saved screenshot folder and then I found it. It was almost the same as the scene before me. The POV was different, but the visible ridgeline was simr. This ce

    Was this where I got transferred from the pirate base

    I got my transfer circles while I helped Ashley subjugate the pirate fleet in the southern sea. However, the destination the circle led to was a mountain I didnt recognize. Now, it was simr to what I saw now.

    I used the TSS to disy an erged map of the area and searched for the small patch of area Id recorded when I first came here I know it. It was on the mountain northwest of here Over there. It was just beyond an expansive meadow. Most likely within the Drak Kingdoms territory.

    Back at the pirate base, I was able to rescue some captured civilians. But a number of them had already been taken to this unknownnd Which was the Drak Kingdom. Its been a long time since then, I wouldnt be able to track them in the kingdom. Besides, there was a possibility they were taken to another country instead It was useless to think about it now I guess.

    Moreover, theres supposedly abyrinth nearby which means a magic ore deposit. Monsters would be attracted and wouldy havoc on their surroundings. Anyways, I needed to focus on whats in front of me. And as if to prove my point, I could see a flock of monstersing toward me.

    Monster-riding kobolds?

    I was again fascinated, this time by this strange sight. Traveling across the beautiful meadow was a giant boar  an Elyman Boar. Its body wasrge enough that I could still see it clearly from a distance. Perhaps 4-5 meters long? Looking at the four protruding fangs from its fur covered mouth and its ferocious looking eyes that burned bright red that were obviously looking at me.

    Three kobolds rode on top. One sat at the forefront with a whip-like weapon. The other two had bows and arrows.

    VuOooooo!

    The Elyman boar rushed toward me along with the three kobolds on its back. In addition to the intimidating feeling of the rushing Elymanboa, the kobolds barked excitedly. As I expected. My undead Jonah could not fool them. They immediately recognized me as their enemy But how did they detect me as one of their enemies in the first ce?

    While I calmly watched the approaching violence, I pulled out the grenade-axe from my waist and pointed the muzzle at the rushing boar. Adjusting the parabolic line in my FOV, I set the other end tond right on top of the approaching monsters and pulled the trigger. The grenade was fired, flying through the air with its distinct pop. Itnded right on top of the Elyman Boars head and detonated.

    Gyuoo!

    However that was not enough to stop the monster.

    The boar emerged from the dust cloud despite half its face missing. Meanwhile, the kobolds continued to whip at the boars body while barking and roared madly.

    I slid the grenade pod out from the ax chamber. Then loaded another 40x46mm grenade in. At the same time, the distance between me and the monsters kept decreasing.

    Eat this!

    Dodging the arrows they shot at thest moment, I fired another grenade after checking it wouldnd directly on the boars passengers. The explosion engulfed the kobolds, sending them spiraling through the air before it hit the ground. But the boar continued to rage, surviving the second hit and rushed towards me without the egging of its dead riders.

    In that case As I leapt back to make distance, flipped my fur coat and revealed the >GE M134 Minigun< hidden underneath.

    Earlier today, before leaving the LVTP-5, I switched the M24A4 with the M134. This was because I nned to evaluate the performance of the simtion bullets from the training ground somewhere. The only practical test Ive done so far was firing a few bullets at a tree with a Five-seveN. Although it had no prating power, it still had a punch. With that in mind, what if it used in a rifle, or a simrly powerful firearm?

    Lets begin the test!

    I held the trigger grip with my off-hand and fired away. The six barrels rotated at a high-rate of speed and fired red tracers so that its trajectory could be seen. The snarling electric motor spewed out the simted rounds like a solid redser due to spewing out more than 4,000 rounds in less than a minute.

    It acted like normal ammunition.

    Once I emptied the entire ammo back hidden beneath my coat, I detached it and then reattached the belt to simte reloading. With just that, the backpack was full with ammo again. My target had also stopped moving. With a confirmation there was no other target on the map.

    Fake bullet holes riddled its head and body. The graphical effect quickly disappeared though, leaving a pristine body  aside from the missing part of its head. But when I checked the head, I found its skull and everything else had been turned to mush. The body was the same, retaining its shape only thanks to its stiff hide and the air inside. Once I poked a little harder, the surface gave way easily.

    When I conducted a practical test with the Five-seveN, I judged that the simted bullets had a slightly stronger striking power than a fist. Looking at the results on the M134, it could be determined that the power of the ammo was not consistent. It couldve been because of the 4000/minute ROF, though each bullet shouldve been hitting harder than a bare hand.

    At this power scale with no cost?

    The fake skeleton face showed no expression, but I was actually excited and grinning ear to ear. Although, not everything was well.

    My sound sensor began to pick up a faint sound of people running. Not a monster, but the nking sound of armor along with bipedal steps  a party of adventurers Did they hear the noise from the M134? Its alright if its a group of monsters as I could kill them. However, it was apletely different problem if it was the Sansaqua group. From an ordinary persons point of view, I was just an undead. Worst oue was a battle.

    Looking around, I saw a shrub forest a little ways ahead and hid within them.

    I saw-nya.

    What did you see, Miche?

    One Elyman Boar and three kobolds. But none of them are moving anymore.

    The voices I heard belonged to Sasanquas busty cat girl Miche and the blue haired elven girl Frau. Its been a while since I heard their voices.

    I swear I heard a battle, but theres nobody else here?

    I also heard Ovelias voice. Keeping hidden, I peeked out to see them. The four members I was familiar with  Miche, Frau, Malinda , and Ruu, all looked like thest time I met them. Actually They were dressed in better gear.

    Next to them, I could see Ophelia Dragrange and her escort Virginia Parabern. Ophelia had her long pale pink hair tied together and wore the green light armor which apparently was the standard equipment for the Dragrange Frontier Knights. Her escort, Virginia, wore simr armor but was equipped with a wand strapped to her belt instead. I guessed this meant she was a support fighter.

    She was now looking around, her short blue bob hair swayed slightly. She had her usual expressionless face too. I didnt think shed notice my presence from this distance, but I decided to lean back into my cover and observe through the sound the sensor picked up.

    Kobold tamer and two archers.

    Take a look at this boar! It lost part of its head, and it seemed to be dying from taking heavy beatings all over its body!

    It sounded like the other two, the drowsy ck-eyed japanese style beauty Ruu and the short red haired giant Marinda, were inspecting the corpses of the monsters I killed.

    I guess this answers the question of which one is the superior species between the kobolds and the elyman boar.

    Miche, where is the closest expected site from here?

    Through the grasnd and into those rocky mountains

    Ophelia, Frau, and Miche seemed to be considering which path they should take. Meanwhile, I also operated the TSS to confirm the expected site for thebyrinth. Of course, there is an open area in that rocky mountain that looks to berge enough for abyrinth. Unfortunately, that area was the Drak Kingdoms border, and despite being some way away, there was a surveince fortress instead of a checkpoint.

    Since they were here, did that mean they investigated the other sites?

    Those noises though I thought it was that guy.

    Yeah, I could hear it clearly as well, but if its him, there should be small holes in the corpses, but this one was obviously caused by fire magic!

    That guy?

    A low ranker, but very talented.

    How unusual for a Sasanqua member to praise a male adventurer.

    Ah, Virginia, despite how we look from the outside, we dont really judge people by their gender. Unlike some other ns we know.

    Frau  the blood is still warm.

    From the dots on the map and their voices, I could tell that all six people were gathering around the boar. That guy who Marinda and Frau mentioned that was probably me. They still kept my name a secret, as per our agreement. That put a relief in my mind, but then the atmosphere changed.

    Miche.. (is there) anyone?

    I dont smell anyone else-nya.

    From the temperature of the blood, they may have judged that the kill was too recent and the person would still be around.

    Lets move out.

    Okay!

    Roger that.

    Got it-nya.

    Lets do so.

    Yes

    Measuring the distance to the girls as they moved, I slept some distance as I followed, about 400-500m, which was about the maximum distance that the sensor could still pick up their voices.

    As the sun fell over the rocky mountain, the dots signifying the six people in front suddenly stopped. It didnt look like they were in battle

    Up to this point, they encountered a one monster. So, I was able to observe their current fighting strength. The four Sasanqua members were as strong as ever, but the one that caught my attention was Ophelia. She fought with a silver rapier that glowed with magic.

    Her sword handling itself was splendid and urate, so much that I could see how amazing it was from a distance. She pierced the critical points urately, evading as if she was dancing through the opponents attacks, and countered with consecutive shes instantly.

    The part that stabbed and shed froze over. Did this mean that her swords function was to suppress the enemys movement? Combining her own swordsmanship and the effect of the magic weapon, any enemy before her would end up frozen before being carved one by one.

    Her participation was most likely Bergmans idea for a small ground to conquer abyrinth. Ophelia was clearly the strongest, as well as the prettiest of the group.

    (E/N Kay: Im sorry, but I cringed hard enough to want to leave a note about it)

    The six stopped behind the rocky mountain before disappearing as if they were swallowed by the mountain They were gone? No.. They entered thebyrinth!

    I went to the approximate spot where they disappeared from the map. There, I found arge hole seemingly carved out of the mountain. It looked like a cave But humans certainly had a hand in it. Wooden nks installed on the walls to prevent it from copsing, and the light of white grass extended far end

    Rather than a cave, it was a tunnel instead However, if its just a tunnel, the dots shouldnt have disappeared from the map. In other words, the entrance to thebyrinth was up ahead.

    What should I do It must have been a while since they left Dragrange. There was a possibility that theyd choose to return once the location was confirmed. If I followed them in, I was afraid wed cross paths inside As I was busy weighing this, the dots reappeared on the map. Apparently, they turned back after confirming the existence of thebyrinth. I was just about to enter the tunnel, so I immediately turned and hid behind some rocks.

    Miche, have you mapped the path to this ce?

    Already done-nya.

    Then lets go back to Drangrange. Rest, replenish our supplies, and contact the capital and the Lords pce  ah, thatst one will be up to you, Ophelia.

    Alright. I shall report our findings to my father.

    Finally, well be sleeping in an actual bed again!

    And eat delicious food!

    If we dont start moving soon, we may have to camp in a dangerous spot.

    True. Lets make a camp a little away from thebyrinth. Well head back down the mountaine sunrise.

    The sun had already set. They were preparing to return to the forest city of Drangrange, using a light ball for their source of light instead of making fire. essing the TSS from a position they couldnt see, I summoned a GIFT BOX. Inside was a GPS tracking dart. Since she was the groups scout, I aimed for Miches back. And since the darts had no attack power, she shouldnt feel a thing. Looking at Miche moving away from the tunnel and the group behind her, no one seemed to notice she had been shot.

    Now, I should be able to track them on the map wherever they go.

    Secretly seeing them off, I went inside the tunnel to explore thebyrinth ahead of time.

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    After secretly seeing off Ophelias group as they left the Labyrinth, I walked down the clearly man-made tunnel.

    The wood that reinforced the walls seemed old. Much of it was decayed and discolored. However, when I touched the wall, it seemed as if there was a recently dug spot. It was narrow, less than 3m in height and a little over 2m in width. Anyone going in would have to go in a single file to enter.

    There was indeed a magic ore vein in the mountains. That was one of the reasons why monsters gathered here. Though, I hadnt heard that they began to dig up the magic ore veins. But seeing the tunnel, it may have formally been a mine. Though If it was an old mine, why was there a new tunnel?

    As I went through the tunnel, I arrived in a dim area where the only light was the white light grass. Not a slight smudge of light could be seen before me. It was the entrance to thebyrinth. The mine had be abyrinth, which was confirmed by the system mapping what had once been nothing here. This includes the surrounding area. As I recognized what this was and looked again, the small space looked like itd be a little wider.

    Looking back on my experience so far, there shouldve been a transfer circle in this area There it was. There was only one transfer circle here Someone had gone in already, as I suspected with the tunnel. ording to the General Guild, the transfer circle to the lower levels only appears once the first gatekeeper is killed. So, someone had already defeated the gatekeeper on the 10th level.

    The request from Bergman was to secretly support the party in their conquest of thisbyrinth and report on it. Simrly, there was another situation I heard of. That was of the Phantom Thief group Nekoyanagi and the possibility of their base within thebyrinth. There was no doubt that the ground was the ones who went down to the 10th level before me and Ophelias group, enabling the transfer circle. I did not know how much of thebyrinth had been cleared, but if anyone wanted to use it as a base, the gatekeeper room is normally quiterge. There was also the spring room on the 8th floor. Those two spots would be the best locations for a base.

    As I walked into thebyrinth, which wasrger than the previous tunnel, I assumed that someone other than me was there. I pushed on with my search as my sound sensor picked what sounded like quadrupeds. Three of them, backed by the dots emerging on the edge of the mapped area.

    I took a knee, and readied the grenadeuncher-ax as I waited for the dots toe closer. Once they entered my field of view, I fired it. Along with the familiar pop, the grenade followed a low parabolic trajectory. At the same time, I turned the weapon around to prepare for meleebat and charged in after the explosion.

    I confirmed the situation once I jumped in. Most of them were already incapacitated by the grenades ssh damage  with the closest one being the most hurt.

    Switching the ax to my left hand, I pulled out the PSS from its holster in my waist and fired a five-round burst. The enemy was quickly dispatched with a headshot. Not stopping, I slid-jump toward thest forest wolf and slit its throat with my ax.

    Fuh

    I let out a relieved sigh, turned around, and headed to the one closest to the point of detonation. I fired twice as a coup de grace. While I reloaded, I stared at the wolf as it sank into the floor, wrapped in ck mist. I felt that the engagement distance was extreme given the current loadout. At this range, I needed either abat rifle or an SMG. But the Sasanqua members would recognize me with those types of weapons.

    There should be something Something I could use that wouldnt give out my identity Lets see. Activating the TSS, in the firearm inventory, I scrolled to a ssification Id never used before  Laser weapons. The light particles converged, forming the supply box before me. I opened it and extracted a VMB original Phase Rifle.

    Simr to conventional rifles, there was a slot to load an energy pack at the bottom of the barrel and a dedicated optic. The capacity of the energy pack, which was shaped like a dry cylindrical cell, was 1000. It could be charged up to 100 with each shot. Upon pulling the trigger, it shot aser that could instantly kill someone. And when it killed someone, it only consumed 90 of 100.

    In other words, I could shoot up to 11 fully charged shots with a single pack. It could also be used to shoot less powerfulsers at the cost of 30. The features ofser weapons were ammunition management and their no-travel-time shots. In in-game application, pulling the trigger, the reticle would shrink to the minimum size. This judged that the shot hit its target.

    That should make for an overpowered sniping weapon, right? Well, to bnce it out, VMB systems allowed yers to hear an rm, whenever they were targeted by this weapon. A warning message would appear in their FOV. This would allow them to deploy the CBS or another physical shield.

    Since we were not in-game, the power of the Phase Rifle was still unknown, but if I locked onto an enemy, they shouldnt receive a message. Besides, even if a member of Sasanqua saw me use it, it used a unique sound and shot a red beam. It could easily be mistaken for a regr magic attack rather than be familiar to Schwartz skill [Arms] that they were familiar with.

    The number one factor for why I had refrained from using it so far was their steep CP cost in regards to their ammo. But in addition to the winning price for the great mana core and the sales from the store, I had more than enough money to spare.

    Three spare packs were collected from the supply box, conversely, I stored the minigun and its ammo. With that, I was reequipped.

    From here, I could map the floors in full. I would only move on once each floor was 100% mapped. This was because Id be in deep trouble if I didnt have a firm grasp of thebyrinth and the possible locations where I could hide from Ophelias group and Nekoyanagi. Even more so to avoid Sasanqua. Battle would be unavoidable as I couldnt introduce myself as Shwartz or Shaft.

    essing the GPS from the TSS, I confirmed the group was still on their way to Drangrage. In other words, there was plenty of time to spare. I would return to the Capital tomorrow for a report, but afterward, Id spend my time exploring thebyrinth.

    While I explored and pondered future ns, a small room appeared on the map. There, four dots were inside. Kobold judging from the footsteps.

    I can finally test the Phase Rifle.

    There were a lot more things to check. The power of a fully charged shot, whether its the no-travel-time projectile was applied here, the power of a minimally charged shot, etc. Four targets wouldnt be enough to test all that though. I readied the rifle and headed into the room, prepared to attack at any moment

    I killed the four inside and reviewed my experience using the phase rifle. First of all, the charged shot was more damaging than I thought. While its size wasparable to ARF category, its damage wasparable to the sniper rifle category.

    Theser had no travel time, like in the game. The moment the trigger was pulled, a red light shed, and when my vision returned; there was a clean circr hole in the targets body, in addition to that, theser pierced anything in its path. The firing was only a slight vibration. The light effect was the same. Even the minimum charge was simr to a 7.62x51mm NATO Bullet. I also checked the charge time required for a full shot. In my calction, the intervals were still good enough for a multiplebatant fire.

    I continued my exploration through the night until morning. By then, Id mapped down to the 4th floor. Summoning the LVTP in a small room I secured after calcting the spawn timer, I ate a bento and returned to the Royal Capital. There, I found myself in the basement of Daikokuya, my secret base in the capitals second district.

    I looked around for a bit, noting that there was no particr change. There still was some time until the opening of the store. I needed to do something first before Amy and Presera arrived.

    While I changed avatar sets to Schwartz, I moved to the office. What I was about to do was draw the map for thebyrinth  lets call it the mine dungeon for conveniences sake from what Ive mapped so far.

    Even if thebyrinth conquest was proceeding smoothly, it would not be possible to hold a harvest festival in the Devils mountains, as it was the buffer zone between the two kingdoms. Besides, it was also close to the Drak Kingdoms border. If a lot of adventurers and workers approached the border to bring out thebyrinths resources, it may end up provoking a response. A small unit with the smallest number of people possible being dispatched was much easier. However,byrinths were unpredictable and there was the Nekoyanagi.

    With an urate map of thebyrinth, sending reinforcement would be easier. And I could n out an escape route in the event I encountered Ophelias group.

    The map didnt take long to draw. When I checked the time, it was almost time for those two to show up. I thought I should move, I heard the sound of the front door being opened.

    Hello there.

    Store manager! Were here!

    I could hear the energetic voices of Amy and Presera at the front door. There were four people in total, so the others must be Alm and Silvara. I immediately went down to the first floor and greeted them on the first floor.

    Wee. The products are all prepared, so can you two please clean the store?

    Yes! (x2)

    Amy and Presera moved to the side immediately. Alm and Silvara came close to me. They always stood guard at their own position but

    What is it

    We were given an order slip from the master of the Commerce Guild.

    He said to deliver it immediately once the items were avable.

    Order slip?

    Reading the paper that Alm brought to me, it turned out to be arge order of Shaft Wine to be served at the uing celebration of the Third Prince Arks birthday anding of age.

    So its time already

    Prince Ark was supposed to spend some time after hising of age to find a girl who is excellent at magic. In this event though, the candidate has already been chosen. The third daughter of Duke Barga  Lapitilica. She participated in the Emerald Demon Labyrinth conquest as a member of Sasanqua. I was there as well as a mapmaker on request. Afterward, I spent some time with her again as Shaft. I acted as her bodyguard until the time when the candidate for Prince Arks bridge had been solidified.

    Along with this celebration, she would be officially recognized as the top candidate for the princes bride. And my wine was chosen for that asion. It just gave a sense of superiority.

    Alright. I have some stock in the basement. Let me bring it here in a bit.

    No need. The boxes downstairs are unmarked and all in simr-sized boxes. Itll be a problem if you take the wrong one.

    I see Although I dont really mind helping

    While saying so, Silvaras light of sight turned to the basement stairs. Ive kept everyone away from it. Telling them that it was the shops warehouse as well as my workspace. But it seemed to have made it out as some sort of secret room Which made it even more interesting.

    It was impossible today, but perhaps Id let them into the basement after I removed the transfer circle. Hopefully, thatd nip their curiosity

    Before opening the store, I took out arge amount of wine that had been moved from the GIFT BOX and repacked it into a wooden crate as I went back and forth from the basement and sales floor.

    Alm helped stow the wooden crates onto a carriage waiting on the street, and Silvara delivered it to the Marida Trading Company. However, the amount is not enough to fulfill the order. So I guess Ill just prepare it once the stuff with the Mine Labyrinth has settled.

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    The third day of Daikokuyas opening was different from the previous two days. A little after opening, the number of customers visiting to purchase had clearly increased. The products were mainly shampoos, conditioners, and other bathroom products. The customer base varied from adventurers, merchants, and craftsmen; though, they were mostly female.

    On the second day, many females had noticed Amy and Preseras hair, kindling their interest in the supplies. What stopped them was the steep price. Perhaps they earned extra coins to purchase them in the interim? There were several groups of female adventurers and craftsmen that left the store while enthusiastically saying Lets go!

    Where were they going? Was there some sort of public bath house here in the royal capital?

    Amy and Presera, who was busy until now, responded to the customers questions in detail about usage and effects. Meanwhile, I saw a certain figure among the crowd. Well then ?

    Here is the map leading to the destination. The other party has also reached the destination, but are retreating to resupply.

    Understood. I shall report to Lord Bird immediately.

    It seems that he couldnt afford to leave the office today. After the liaison received the letter and heard the report, he left immediately to report to Chancellor Bergman.

    Then, three new female customers entered the shop.

    This should be the shop, Young Miss.

    Thank you, Sierra. A decent looking shop. Now, which one is this shampoo?

    I shall ask the store employee.

    Please do, Miss Vi.

    Oi oi, that was actually Duke Bargas third daughter, Lapitirica. And that was Miss Vi, a female escort always by the Dukes side. And that red-haired girl dressed as a maid Was the granddaughter of Viscount Simon, the deputy leader of the Knights of West Barga.

    Do you happen to be the owner of this shop?

    Leaving Laptirica and her maid to inspect the shops interior, Vi approached wearing the same veil she wore when I met her as Shaft. I couldnt tell at first because she hid her body from the neck down in an expensive cloak, but she may be wearing leather armor underneath. But why was this woman here? I thought she was supposed to stay beside the Duke?

    Wee. My name is Schwartz. I am indeed the owner of this shop. What can I do for you?

    I came to buy magical soapy water so that I can captivate Frank-sama.

    There was no such thing, you idiot! Uh, hopefully I didnt say that outloud-.

    Pardon me, but we do not sell something like that.

    Ha, what did you say!?

    All the women in the store turned around to us after Vi raised her voice despite my reply.

    Schwartz-san, its been a while. Is this store really yours?

    Its been a while, Lapitilica-sama.

    She approached with her maid.

    This is the store I just opened the other day in cooperation with the Marida Trading Company. Maybe Lapitilica-sama came here after hearing about me?

    Sierra wore the same white outfit she wore at the Barga residence, but Lapitilica wore a knightly-style coat of the Barga Knights, a short skirt, and a light blue beret.

    I came to the royal capital for the uing banquet, but when I met an acquaintance who lived here, I noticed her hair was very beautiful. So when I inquired about it, I was introduced to this shop.

    Lapitiricas acquaintance who lived here and knew about Daikokuya? Must be Ashley. Perhaps she visited Ashley and learned about it there? The uing banquet should be Prince Arks birthday party Could she still doubt herself, despite being the first candidate to be his bride? I guess she wants it to get ahead of the other candidates.

    There were a few nobles who were using the shampoo and conditioner. Of those few were the girls of the Zephanel family But

    Are you looking for Shampoo and conditioner?

    A, yes Indeed. It seems to be a popr item. Do you have one?

    Lapitilica asked anxiously while looking around. It was hard to say to say it was popr, but today a lot of people did buy them. Seen from the side, it looked like a popr product with a flood of buyers.

    Of course, we have some in stock. However Is it really needed?

    You are aware? I cannot be too optimistic. There are still many unconqueredbyrinths in this kingdom. There is still a possibility that someone else may rival my achievement. Besides  I want Prince Ark to recognize me as a woman. We women of magic do not consider ourselves as just tools for leaving offspring.

    Thats right. I also want Frank-samas approval.

    Would you please shut your trap, Vi?

    When I first met Lapitilica in the Emerald Demon Labyrinth conquest, she was just a pretty adventurer. Iter found out that she was a dukes daughter while I worked as her escort as Shaft a monthter. And now, meeting her again as the owner of Daikokuya, she wanted to improve her womanly charm.

    Very well, I will prepare the necessary supplies right away, including Shampoo.

    Thank you very much!

    Dont mention it  and thank you for making the purchase.

    Owner, please prepare three sets. One for the Young Miss, one for myself, and one for the Duchess.

    You dont need one Actually, Vi, I thought you wanted to woo Duke Barga so much, so why would you ask for another set for the Duchess?

    One for The Duchess?

    Yes the sight of Frank-sama loving his wife was what captivated my heart!

    O,okay

    Lapitilica smiled without any disgust. Does she believe that her father wouldnt fall for this homewrecker, or was it that the Duke himself has acknowledged this? Well It has nothing to do with me After that, Lapitilica and her entourage ended up buying more than three sets of supplies before leaving. Her escort knight waited in a carriage parked on the mainstreet.

    That same day I returned to thebyrinth, essed TSS, and confirmed the location of Miche andpany. Still in the city of Dragrange? The location signified that she was in the middle of theke  the Lords residence, which I hadnt mapped yet. The GPS transmitter was attached to her light armor. Was it possible she took it off and changed into a different piece of equipment? As long as the dot was up, it meant that it hadnt been discovered and removed.

    Even if they noticed it, they wouldnt be able to answer what it was, its effect, and how it got there. Zero knowledge of my worlds technology There was no way theyd know, let alone figure it out themselves.

    There was a five-day grace period until the shops next opening. In these five days, my n was to aim for the gatekeeper on the 10th floor. But it was already dead, so that must be the base for Nekoyanagi. Other than that, I couldnt think of a ce where they could hide in thebyrinth. Although the clean spring was safe from monsters, it was too narrow to be a home base. That left the gatekeepers room. As long as the gatekeeper was defeated, nothing else would respawn there. And one could easilye and go via the circle.

    If they closely managed the gate leading to the gatekeepers room, it would be possible to drive monsters and other people off. My current location was a small room on the 4th floor, and I had already mapped it. I changed my avatar to Jonah along with my loadout. With that, I continued my exploration.

    After passing through to the 6th floor, the scenery didnt change, but the atmosphere clearly did. Compared to the tunnel outside thebyrinth, the width and height doubled. But when I dug into the wall with a skeleton finger, I could actually dig. An open field floor, huh It was the kind of floor that mimicked the outside world and used it as a sort of obstacle. As I proceeded, I noticed that the inner wall was filled with a substance that looked like ore.

    Although it varied in size, I could see swaying lights such as red and blue in a shiny dark color simr to obsidian. Of course, there should be a vein of magic ore in this mountain range and I had never actually seem it before, but this mysterious ore was probably it. Since it appeared inside thebyrinth  a former mine, did that mean it was possible to mine on this level?

    The ore was crystalized magic and it attracted monsters. As long as it continuously pooled in a certain area, itd produce more ore. With proper management, it was possible to mine it for long periods of time. The same was true for thisbyrinth. Its power solidified, and produced this. If someone managed thebyrinth and the veins after subjugation, it would certainly be a massive profit.

    But considering this ce was close to the Drak Kingdom, itd be difficult.

    A few days passed since then and I mapped up to the 7th floor  moving on to the 8th floor. There was a clean spring on this level and the monsters were the higher-ranked versions. However, they were still kobolds, so they werent that strong individually.

    They did not have a magical means of attack and instead, relied on their biological weapons. At this level, it shouldnt be too difficult to reach the 10th floor if there were a few explorers with somebat experience It would be easier with arger number.. There. The map showed that there was a small room ahead. In addition, the sound of trickling water.

    When I entered the room, there was obvious camp equipment  not as good as it sounded ,but it had mining tools, a cloth that seemed to be bedding, and a structure that looked like a bonfire Its clear some group had settled thisbyrinth.

    However, it was trampled and destroyed.

    When I checked my feet, in addition to human footprints, there were many three-fingered hoofs. All of them were still new  there seemed to be a group moving ahead of me apart from the group using these tools. Did this mean these three-fingered hoofprints belonged to a pack animal or something?

    Organizing the information I had so far, I made a guess that the phantom thieves made their camp here. There were also pickaxes and shovel-like tools for moving, so they were likely digging the ores here.

    Then, whose prints did these belong to?

    When I checked on Miche-san, I noticed they had left the city, but moved along the mountain. If it was not Sansaqua, it might be another adventuring group Perhaps one that originated from the Drak kingdom.

    What to do the purpose of this request was to subdue thebyrinth without alerting the Drak kingdom and to prevent the monsters from moving south. The other was to catch up to Sasanqua and Ophelia to support their subjugation. There was also the search for Nekoyanagi. And to report it all to Chancellor Bergman.

    These were my two rolls.

    However, if the powers and parties other than us were involved, the story was different.

    It was still good if it was an explorer on the Kurtmerga side, but if the existence of thebyrinth was known on the Drak side and these were their people; it could be a battlefield. Aiming for the space between the gatekeepers while crossing the spring, and mapping the 9th and 10th floor, there were several more hoof marks.

    Considering how the steps sank into the ground, it seemed to be bipedal and heavy. The stride was long and quite fast.

    And then, before the gatekeepers room appeared on the map, I heard it. A high-pitched cry, a fierce swashbuckling, and screams  the sound ofbat. It was not a battle. It was a one sided ughter.

    I increased my speed.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196

    As I approached the guardian room on the 10th floor of the Mine Labyrinth, which shouldve been used as the phantom thief Nekoyanagis hideout, the sound sensor picked up the sounds of battle. What I could hear were the sounds of swords, magic, screams, and heavy footsteps.

    My map began to cover the gatekeepers room. The gates that resembled something out of hell were opened, and my radar showed dots inside. It couldnt be anything good.

    Who were they?

    I moved quickly and hid behind the pearly white gate. By the time I got there and peeked inside, the situation was almost over. There was no pir inside the room. It was a spacious room with many spacious tents and tables simr to a refugee camp, but most of it was broken and burned. A number of corpses were strewn around. The sizes were not limited to adults, but Smaller ones They all looked worn

    And, among all this, there were many armed dead that looked to be explorers.

    It seemed that those who served were arrested. They were all tied together with ropes, and ced in the corner of the room. Apparently, the losing side belonged to Nekoyanagi

    Are those all of them?

    Thats right. 10 remaining fugitive ves and 5 surrendering Nekoyanagi members.

    Good. Not to mention we have one princess here as well. What a catch  What a catch right?

    Ha, ha

    Standing near the transfer circle were knight-like men dressed in unified brown light armor. Rather, more like warriors than knights. The number of people was nine  and as many . Was that a dinosaur?

    Here were small dinosaur-like creatures with brown skin with ck stripes simr to a velociraptor seen in that ssic dinosaur park movie. Perhaps they were small tamed dragons from Drak  the Hiryu? There were 8 of them and one that was bigger than the rest, more likely belonging to themander of the group.

    Nine in total  currently eating at the moment. No wonder they won.

    So, Princess. What on earth were you doing in thisbyrinth?

    That has nothing to do with you-nya! And Im no longer a princess-nya!

    Ah  right, right. Now, its the phantom thief Nekoyanagi, isnt it? Princess Cortine.

    Dont call me by that name-nya.

    No matter where you go, you will still be Princess Cortine. No, I should probably say Dirty Beastkin ve Made Princess instead.

    The conversation between the man who seemed to be the leader of the dragon rider group and a catgirl kneeling next  Isnt that Koti? I didnt think she was dressed like a princess, nor did she act like one before Even looking closely, she was just a regr beastkin girl in the same attire as the others the riders referred to as fugitive ves.

    I didnt understand the situation. This was definitely Nekoyanagis hideout, but why were there so many fugitive ves hiding here? Moreover, howe Koti was referred to as both Princess Corti and a ve? I knew that kingdom allowed very, but the situation was a bit sketchy!?

    Supposed that Sansaqua and Ophelia were to encounter either the thieves or the dragon riders here, they would end up arresting the thieves along with the princess in the buffer zone It could probably be considered kidnapping a member of the royal family. On the other hand, fighting their dragon riders could be problematic as well. If it became known that a bunch of adventurers defeated a group of Drak Kingdom dragon riders, Drak may end up sending the army in  most likely triggering a war.

    No, no really  nobody wouldve thought that wed find you in this kind of ce. In thisbyrinth of all ces! Thats great! Really great!

    While saying that, the slender-bodiedmander in histe thirties fanned his arms out andughed.

    Not only did I discover the lost 17th Princess, if I can manage thisbyrinth and raise funds from the mined magic ore, I could probably quit being the borderline divisionmander and still live a good life!

    While the Commander and Koti spoke, the other riders carried and piled the ores into wooden crates. I grabbed one of the ores, then looked at it under the light where no one could see me.

    You guys stay here and watch the ves continue mining. As soon as I return to the fort, I will send reinforcements. The troops blocking the entrance will remain. You guys make a base here  the rest, find a good mining spot.

    Yessir!

    Themander turned his eyes to the captives who knelt in the corner. Then, of the nine, the Commander, his adjutant, Koti, who was still tied up, and three Hiryus transferred together.

    I suppose there were three fewer people there now, but judging from what I heard, there were probably more outside thebyrinth. What do I do now ?

    I couldnt let the sasanquas and Ophelia encounter the riders on their way back here. Neither could I afford to let these people manage thebyrinth as it would hinder me from getting to the next circle And

    I recalled that I was still in the form of the undead pirate Jonah.

    Surely both Kurtmerga and Dragrange could deny their involvement, as these soldiers were decimated by an undead. Drak could not justify a war. Moreover, considering the Commanders n to manage thebyrinth privately, he would need to keep it a secret from his higher-ups. But eventually, more people would know of thisbyrinth.

    Before that could happen

    I checked the situation inside once more  six Hiryus were resting in one corner. Two dragon riders stood guard beside them. Two more stood by the circle while another two watched over their captives.

    The first order of business was to get rid of the Hiryus. Ive never seen them fight before and their riders might prove troublesome once mounted. They needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.

    I took out two M84 shbangs from my pouch, pulled the pin, and tossed one center of the Hiryu pack. Another flew towards the guards around them.

    Guruu?

    What is thi

    The beasts and riders looked at the grenades with curiosity  a dazzling sh and bang engulfed them momentarily.

    Uaah!

    Gyaa!

    The targets were stunned  convinced of such, I immediately stormed in. The explosion and the appearance of an intruder attracted the eyes of the other guards further away, along with the captives. But my targets were the stunned enemies.

    I readied the Phase rifle, aimed through its dedicated optic, and pulled the trigger once the reticle locked on the head of a Hiryu. It fell to the ground limp. I saw a redser followed by a vibrating sound, then confirmed my target  its head  vanished, and the belly of another Hiryu in the trajectory had also been pierced.

    What was that just now!

    What the hell is that?!

    An undead is attacking!

    The other riders began to shout after seeing what happened, though I ignored them momentarily. Not waiting for it to charge up, I shouldered the rifle and took out the grenade ax. I brought it up into a firing position.

    Prepare for battle! We will prepare the system while the undead is distracted by Al! Mir and Al, put up a magic barrier! It might not be a dark knight, be careful of that red magic!

    Oy, its doing something again!

    The moment the grenade wasunched. I let go of the grenade ax and switched back to the rifle. This time, for a fully charged shot. The two stunned riders were blown apart in the explosion while two more Hiryus fell from the phase rifle.

    Fuck, our precious Hiryus  Loyrd, go rescue the Hiryus!

    The remaining warriors began to move. The difference in their roles could not be distinguished from their armor, but the two standing beside the captives muttered something and the air around them distorted. Did they just conjure up a magic barrier? But that meant little against VMB firearms.

    The other two dragon riders took out some sort of whistle made out of bone and blew it. I couldnt hear it despite seeing they were blowing with all their might. Could it have been some sort of magic whistle? In response to the inaudible sound, the remaining Hiryus, who was just recovering, jumped back up and took some distance from their fallenrades.

    They were faster than I expected. I kept the rifle trained on them but didnt fire yet to observe. It was impossible to take them all out just from the first strike. So, I was not gauging their physical capabilities.

    The two Hiryus darted across the room to the riders, letting them mount. At this point, Id seen enough. I fired on one monsters head that was mounted by the man called Lloyd. The red beam evaporated the target as well as punching through the riders belly.

    Oy! What happened to the barrier!?

    Its already been deployed, but it didnt work.

    The two dragon riders standing guard by the circle were shocked by the fact theirrade had been hit. The same went for the other rider who was conjuring the barrier next to mytest victim.

    I-Impossible! Just what the hell are you!

    Their expressions changed. The one givenmand after their leader left turned to me and pointed a trembling sword. Following the cry, everyones eyes gathered on me.

    Monster demihuman undead, call me what you like. Just know my name is Jonah.

    An undead who can talk? Dont tell me its a first ss monster like that those who guard each of the ten floors

    No way! I heard the gatekeeper was already defeated?!

    I-I had no idea I never heard of that kind of undead before either.

    What.. could it be, could it be the master of thisbyrinth?

    What a terrible misunderstanding. But at least all of you are aware of where you are now.

    The Dragon Riders and the ves were stupefied by the appearance of an undead who could speak and understand. Even back on the southern sea, Noah was also referred to as a 1st ss monster. Perhaps only 1st ss monsters are capable ofmunication. Just maybe they had something to do with the Trespasser. Perhaps they were just monsters with higher

    If youre neither the master nor the gatekeeper what the hell are you, where are you from?!

    Were inside thebyrinth. You lot shouldve watched the gate more closely, for an existence like mine could barge in at any moment.

    Uh

    The remaining three dragon riders, one of whom was already mounted, seemed to be aware that they were totally outmatched at the moment. Their eyes alternated between me and the transfer circle. Perhaps my existence was too mysterious to them to continue fighting.

    Wha-wha do we do?

    Miller, you go and join the others outside to report this. Ill do something to hold that thing here

    But Can you really do it?

    Well, obviously not but Ill try to buy enough time until the troops outside can march here. Given the strength of the creature, perhaps its impossible to escape here.

    The riders whispered to each other. Unfortunately for them, I could still hear them thanks to the sound sensor. If my  Jonahs existence became known to the outside, the existence of thebyrinth would also leak. It was much better to leave that greedymander clueless.

    With both sides strategies decided, we started to move at the same time.

    Go!

    Following the shout from the only mounted dragon rider, Miller rushed to the circle. Onest spell chant came. Since I couldnt let any of them escape, I aimed at Miller, and fired a charged shot. I watched as he dropped with arge hole in his abdomen before I aimed at Al. The rifle began to charge once I pulled the trigger. I released it once it exceeded 30. His head shook as the round interrupted his chant. No different than a fully charged round.

    Since I didnt know how many shots were needed to kill a human, I shot at his chest with another 30 charges. The headshot took a good chunk of his head, but he was still standing for a second until the second shot. He fell and no longer moved.

    Jonaaaah!

    Thest rider charged on his mount with a scream. Perhaps furious I killed hisrades before he had the chance to act. His mount was agile as it moved side to side in order to avoid being hit. The rifle was not suited for close range anyway. Holding it in my left, I reached under my coat with my right. I pulled out the PSS rifle. I directed it at the Hiryu while I slid-jump to keep my distance and fired several shots.

    The 7.6232 rounds bounced off its scales like it was just scratches.

    It was just a deterrence and distraction. The moment the rider and mount reached myst position, it lost its head from a fully charged shot. It lost its bnce and copsed.

    Oo!

    Unable to control his mount any further, it fell on one of his legs, pinning it beneath its body. But he wasnt out of the fight yet. I rushed in and kicked him straight to the noggin. It wasnt enough to kill, but enough to knock him out. I had some things to ask him, thats why I didnt kill him.

    With this, all the hostiles were taken care of.

    The rest were the captives, ten fugitives and 5 nekoyanagi members. All of which looked at me anxiously. I ignored it as I retrieved the grenade ax. I then reloaded all three weapons.

    Now then

    I activated the TSS and took out two empty GIFT BOXes. The captives remained silence as they turned to the pink box that appeared. From their point of view, they probably couldnt understand why they hadnt been killed or what I nned to do.

    It would be impossible to know anyway.

    With the grenade ax in one hand, I approached the bound captives. They trembled with wide teary eyes. Five beastkin men and 3 women. The remaining two were little girls.

    Eh?

    Did he think I would kill him from behind? A man who had closed his eyes slowly reopened them to check if he was still alive.

    Can you understand me?

    Ye..Yes..

    Go untie the other men. Before thebyrinth takes the bodies, help me stash the soldiers bodies in this box. Can their mounts be eaten?

    Uh, yes, parts of it at least.

    Then it should be processed before being stored. Be care with that knife, will you?

    He didnt catch my intentions but slowly understood as I released another person.

    B-But

    No question, do what I said quickly. If you try to run or misuse that knife I lent you, you understand what will happen, right?

    With thatst part, work proceeded.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197

    The gatekeeper room, originally the home of Nekoyanagi, was ransacked. The released captives work quickly to clean it up. The rider I incapacitated was tied up in one corner. Before I interrogated him, I wanted to address the captives first. With all the things known now, straightening out the situation was at the top of the list.

    The remaining members of Nekoyanagi only stared dumbfounded as the corpses of the people who attacked their home were packed one by one into the boxes. Besides the beastkin ves, the members of Nekoyanagi included dwarf and elf.

    Two of the members I was already familiar with. Flick, the little elven boy and the dwarf cook from the Pavilion.

    So tell me, little elf, what are you all doing here?

    I stood in front of Flik so as to hinder him from looking at the ves. I bent forward so we were eye level, letting him stare into my pale mes that served as eyes.

    Hiding from the Drak Kingdom.

    Why do you have to hide?

    .

    Flik looked straight back into my eyes but was otherwise unsure whether to answer. After some silence, the dwarf beside him spoke up.

    Because we were fugitive ves.

    Ho Then that girl who left via the circle was also a ve?

    Shes different from the rest of us!

    I thought the dwarf would be the one to answer my question, but Flik butted in. I turned to him once more. He did not seem scared of my appearance. More so that he was indignant to how I spoke of Koti.

    Then, what is she?

    The Princess of Drak Kingdom. She rescued us ves and hid us here temporarily for our safety.

    Temporarily? Then where are you going?

    Kurtmerga Kingdom. We earn money from what we mined here, for the fee to enter the country But why would an undead want to know about that?

    Moreover, why didnt you kill us? You killed those dragon riders, as well as their mounts Are you going to eat us?!

    Ignoring the prattling of Flik and the dwarf, I processed the information I got. Apparently, Koti and her troupe were against Drak Kingdoms very. They could earn money through stealing and mining ores. Which was used to smuggle ves to their connections in Kurtmerga.

    The magic ores alone should normally sell for quite a sum, but considering their reasons and goals, they mustve been forced to sell the ores cheaply. However, this didnt justify their crimes regardless of their intent.

    I am, as a matter of fact. So, why was that girl taken away?

    Thi-This undead!!

    The dwarves also forgot they were in captivity and began to bark with bright red faces  of the five remnants, it was clear the elven boy was the leader. The other two and Gerard, who I saw with Koti, remained silent.

    She Princess Koti was used of treason against the kingdom. Anyone who brings her back would get a fair bounty.

    Then who is the man who took her?

    The man who took her away He is Captain of the Cesium Division of the Drahm Fortress. He is a greedy man who has been chasing us for a long time.

    Was Drahm the same fortress situated on the border?

    In order to conceal the existence of thisbyrinth, I may have to do something about that..

    Oy! Dont make us afraid, skeleton-man! Just tell us if youre going to release us or not already!

    The old dwarfs question didnt only concern himself. They all were waiting on the oue.

    Consider me being lenient. Im going to release you all. But I will be iming this ce for myself.

    This ce? Dont tell me youre going to rece the Labyrinth master?

    Im not going to be tied up with it. I seek to conquer it.

    At my statement, everyone went wide-eyed. It was only natural. An undead told them it would conquer thebyrinth after all.

    Wh-Wh-what the hell are you talking about!? An undead is going to conquer abyrinth?!

    The old dwarf leaned closer to me as he shouted. This old man, hes too noisy.

    A-And what are you going to do after conquering thebyrinth? Whyd you even release us?

    I still need you all to mine the ores for me. Shouldnt you feel happy that I let you live?

    W-Well we are happy And its not like we could live anywhere else but here But what about Koti-sama?

    That  Has  Nothing  To do  with  me.

    What use are the ores to an undead anyway?!! Are you going to eat it like those pig dudes?!

    Pig dudes Now that he mentioned it, I did see the orcs eating magic ores when I encountered them before. I suppose the act of eating ores was amon habit of theirs

    Oy, are you listening to me, Skeleton-man! If thats what you want, you can dig them yourself!

    The mans face was dyed bright red and he was spitting saliva as he shouted. But Ill ignore it for now. While he was being noisy, I focused on Flik. He stared straight back at me. Hisplexion was bluer than when he was captured by the Dragon Riders and he was sweating. It seemed he had something to say, but hesitant to the point he forgot to blink.

    What? Is there something you want to tell me?

    W-Why dont we make a deal

    A deal  what does he think of me, who is in the form of an undead.. No, it must be something very important then.

    Flik! What are you trying to do!?

    Ill hear it out.

    Please rescue Koti-sama.

    And in return?

    Ill help you mine the ores. You can all the ores I mine.

    If It can save Koti-sama, Ill do the same too!

    Y-Yeah, me too!

    Following the offer, the others followed suit. Wait Hold your horses there.. I did say I wanted to im this ce for myself, but all I want is the actual transfer circle. Mining the ores would be a good source of funding, but I would have to deal with someone to convert it to gold. Its unlikely that I can trust the person theyve been dealing with.

    If its another merchant. Perhaps Malta-san? Maybe Considering the situation

    Flik, what are you doing! That guy is an undead! You cant just strike a deal with an undead like that!

    But, Glim If hes just another undead We wouldnt be talking to him right now.

    Of course, I know that we canmunicate with this guy! But to strike a deal with him, just what kind of response are you ex!

    Sounds good.

    See! Hell just reply with non-se- eh?

    The bright-red dwarf lost his voice as if time stopped when he heard my answer.

    However, youll need to do something more in return for that.

    What else should I do?

    Look! This guy is nning to use Koti-sama as a hostage to get whatever he wants!

    First of all

    I decided to do business with the ves, including Flik and the Nekoyanagi members  offering a number of conditions beside mining. One of them being the gatekeeper room should be cleaned and returned to its previous state. The living space had been ransacked anyways, and I could see Miches dot steadily approaching on the map.

    It was impossible to keep them in the gatekeepers room. Ophelia joined the advance group partly to track Nekoyanagi. If they were to meet, Id lose my workforce. Ophelia mightve decided that they made their base on the 10th floor.

    First of all, I need to make it so that they think that it was just a false prediction by moving their living space.

    Jonah, were ready now. What should we do next?

    When all the materials of the base had been put into the GIFT BOXes, and preparations to depart were roughly prepared, Flik called out to me. Id already introduced myself as Jonah. Despite looking to be a teen, Flik was over a hundred years old already. Apparently, hed taken care of Koti since her youth. Therefore, he was the acting leader in her presence.

    You need a safe ce to live. And warm clothes are required to cross the devil mountains. Get ready.

    Just enter that over there and use the circle inside.

    I pointed to the LVTP-5 that I summoned while they cleaned. The front hatch was already opened and the circle had been taken out andid on the rooms floor. Of course, it is connected to my store in the capital.

    Fifteen people were moved to the basement of Daikokuya temporarily. I didnt tell them where this basement was, and I had no intention of letting them out. If we went directly from the entrance of thebyrinth, there was a separate corps of riders waiting. Not to mention monsters drawn to thebyrinth.

    With all those factors, I decided this was the best choice.

    Who wouldve thought that an undead owned a transfer circle. Jonah, where is this?

    The basement of my mansion in the undeadnd. But make no mistake, your safety will only be guaranteed for as long as you dont leave this basement.

    Oh, okay Well do just that

    The fugitive ves looked over the room which was not enough space for 15 to live in.

    I took out the meat of the Hiryus previously stored and tools necessary for amodation, like furniture that could not be showcased on the first floor. Soon enough, the basement was turned into a decent living quarter. I also prepared Marida Trading Company bentos. However, there wasnt a kitchen or toilet.

    If so, I had to prepare for it as well. Considering the future, it may be needed. essing the TSS, I summoned the motorhome right in front of the basement door to prevent entry and exit.

    Im convinced of your reluctance in rescuing Koti-sama despite our offer. But, this is

    Precaution. I dont believe you enough to keep your curiosity in check and keep that door shut, especially while knowing that door will lead you outside this room.

    Dwarf Gilim, who had a long beard with gray braided hair, watched the motorhome and stroked it, closing the door. And the same was true for the others. Perhaps they were right in their choices, or they realized the ridiculousness of the undead man.

    However, I did not have the time to get rid of their anxiousness. By operating the electronic lock key on the side, the boarding stairs popped out.

    Gerard, follow me.

    Eh? Me?

    I entered with him. He lost his voice as the splendor of the clean interior. I didnt want him to be amazed. I taught him how to use the equipment inside, where to cook, and how to use the toilet, bath, and allowed him to manage it. I left him inside as I prepared to return when I saw two young girls just outside. They were wearing  forck of better words  rags. While they looked to be in their teens, I was not so sure if they were that old.

    What is it?

    Princess Princess

    You-you are- you are going to rescue the princess Right?

    The girls asked while looking up and down, probably scared of my appearance. I put my white bony fingers on their heads and stroked their damaged hair.

    I am. Shell be here by tomorrow. Now go wash up and eat.

    I called out to Garrad, who was checking the kitchen, and pushed the girls to go inside.

    Are you Are you really undead?

    I heard a voice addressing me from behind.

    Why do you think so, Flik?

    First, you speak themonnguage. You didnt attack us immediately. You own a transfer circle and your Behavior has warmth in it-

    Only fools prattle on foolish things. If you cant keep your mouth shut, know that it may lead to your own demise.

    Perhaps feeling threatened, he took a step back with a pale face. As I stepped closer to him, I rested my hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

    Kuh!

    No more snooping around. Even after our deal is over, the consequence will not be your shoulder alone.

    I-I understand

    Good.

    Is-Is there anything else?

    Youll return to thebyrinth with me to help rescue the princess.

    Eh?

    The only thing I will do is wreck the fortress. Rescuing your princess will be up to you.

    It seemed he didnt catch it at first, but the second time looked at me with suspicion.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198

    ..With my preparationspleted, I left them in the basement of Daikokuya and returned to the Mine Labyrinth with Flik. It was about midnight and time to head for the Drahm Fortress for the rescue operation. But I had a few things to do.

    First of all, I checked Miches location. They were still in the Devils Mountains. Considering the time, they may have set up camp. From their position, it should be impossible for them to reach the 10th floor before I finished.

    I summoned a GIFT BOX and set up the transfer circle Id taken out of the LVTP. Now I could transfer between this ce and the store freely. To prevent people from the otherside transfering here, I took the copy out and stashed it in the GIFT BOX. In the end, having only two pairs of circles and a copy was a bit inconvenient. I needed another pair or two if possible. I should get a few once I conquer thisbyrinth

    Jonah  The dragon rider, it seems that hes awake.

    Hearing Fliks voice, I turned to the corner of the room where the gagged and blindfolded rider was. Hed been buried in dirt so he couldnt move. I left one alive here. Before we transferred, I had him confined with magic so they couldnt escape or move. Since hes woken up already, should I interrogate him now?

    I removed both the gag and blindfold.

    Buhhh ha, ha

    Howdy there, are you good?

    What do you mean by good? I was detained, and why is that ve elf standing around calmly!

    Once he was freed from his gag and blindfold, the rider seemed more concerned by Flik than the undead me. His line of sight juggled between me and Flik before he caught onto the situation, although I was worried by how he referred to Flik. I guess it couldnt be helped.

    Thats something you need to know. More importantly, you merely need to answer me.

    I grabbed him by his head and fixed his line of sight to me. I needed to know a lot from this guy. The number of groups that guarded thebyrinths entrance, the number of troops stationed in Drahm Fortress, and where in the fortress she was most likely to be held in, etc.

    At first he was unwilling to speak, but once Flik used magic to strain his mind, he spoke rather easily. Flik was an active member of Nekoyanagi and was good at mind magic. As long as he dealt with one person, he could use his magic to control their mind. Naturally, it wouldnt work on a Manuke such as myself, but I imagine that it was a useful magic to have in their line of work. We managed to wring out information revolving around the fortress, as well as the structure of it. There were also a lot of interesting stories about Drak Kingdom. This might be useful in the future.

    But first things first, I needed to rescue Koti. Leaving the rider with Flik, I left the room via the thisbyrinths circle and headed to the entrance to deal with the guards.

    A monster sighted!

    I heard the moment I was transported to the first floor. If monsters overflowed, their spawning positions could be anywhere within a certain distance of thebyrinth. However, it was possible to monitor certain spawns in order to prevent that. ording to the rider, 6 riders with their mounts and 6 infantrymen guarding the entrance.

    Just as the other party was waiting for the monster that sprang up, I already assessed the situation. The fight began the moment I transferred.

    One undead type! Weve never seen this before, be careful!

    Wake the Dragon Riders up! Be wary of the surroundings, there might be more!

    So, the infantry was the night guards

    While I listened to them, I watched as the map filled in and I got a grasp of my location. At the front of the forest, slightly off from the tunnel. I spotted 18 dots on the map. Not an ideal situation for me. But if I used the cover of night, I could probably manage their number. Before I got surrounded, I immediately jumped into the woods where the riders and infantry couldnt see me.

    Its in the woods! Get some [Light ball]s up, its too dark here!

    The troops guarding the entrance had turned the surrounding area into a campsite, so the number of bonfires were low. Even if it was a guard at midnight, it would be unpleasant to make people think that there was something around because it was too bright. Going through the woods while keeping myself hooden  using the game manuevering called take cover  I observed the enemys deployment of troops while preparing new weapons.

    H&K UMP45, a submachine gun developed by the H&Kpany in Germany at the request of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The main goal was to increase the caliber of the MP5 series, which was a widely weapon at the time, in order to incease its power. As a result,.45 ACP was used at the cost of a slightly reduced bullet count at 25. The gun also came with an intergrated suppressor.

    Firstly, I activated NV Mode to have a better view as I leaned from behind a tree. I looked for the men chanting. I could spot four from my position. Two of them seemed to be chanting magic spells. I aimed, shot two vollies of burst fire  the muzzle rose higher than the MP5 due to itsrger caliber.

    The VMB system did not allow recoil to be reduced to 0 by default. There was a limit no matter how good the yers recoil control was. Meanwhile, I turned the muzzle to the remaining two soldiers.

    The UMPs recoil made it unsuited for precision shooting. Evne so, if a yer ced their crosshair on the targets chest area, the muzzle would rise, hitting the chest, neck, or head. Seeing the infantry fall, I could gauage that it floated between the 9mm and 7.62mm in terms of offensive power.

    After confirming that I shot two infantry casting the magic, I moved to another spot after killing the remaining two and shooting at the bonfire.

    Its aiming for the light, be careful!

    Try to track it with the Hiryus [Nights Eye]! You there, go!

    As the bonfire blew off, the lights in front of the tunnel died down, making the surrounding be darker. However, it seemed that the Hiryu had a skill called Nights Eye that allowed them to see in the dark. However, since I hid myself in the woods, itd still be hard for them to find me even with the skill.

    But despite the silencer, the muzzle sh would give me away eventually. There was an attachment for that, but it could not be used in tandem with the silencer. The darker the surruojndings, the more noticeable the sh would be. The rider should be able to locate me with it.

    The infantry doing to the back was shot and killed first. I also shot at the riders in my line of sight before I left two C4 explosive chaerges that I brought for the fortress behind the tree I was behind.

    Its hiding behind those trees, chase after it!

    The two Hiryus pounced into the shadows, but I was no longer there. The Hiyrus may or may not have seen me leave my position, unfortunately they couldnt speak the humannguage and tell their riders

    I pulled the lever, blowing away the riders and their mounts.

    The battlested less than 10 minutes. No one else moved into the area. Meanwhile, I checked the weapons effectiveness against the Hiryus.

    Their outerskin was pretty touch. 9mm could not pierce it with a few shots. Inparaison, the.45ACP punched through with enough power to wreck their insides. It was not the level of the Phase rifle, that pierced right through and more. At least it could kill one. I decided to use the gun for when I assault the fortress and headed back to the 10th floor to meet up with Flik.

    So, Jonah. You told me that rescuing Koti-sama would be up to me, but what exactly do I need to do?

    Just tag along with me until the area of the fortress. After that, you must infiltrate the fortress while I rampage about.

    Only me recusing Koti-sama?

    I could guard you the entire way there, but how much time do you think you could afford to waste in order to exin why you allied yourself with an undead before you could get her out?

    He was anxious about infiltrating alone, but the current situation of being undead, this was the only viable option. If I were Shaft, a method of secretly recusing by relying on the map and sound couldve been considered. But my goal was not to rescue her. It was to help me focus on thebyrinth. In consideration of my futurefort, I needed to demolish Drahm Fortress and shut themanders mouth. He knew too much.

    I know that the waters to the south of Kurtmerga, there were some who were dying with ves. I knew of a girl who was crying, hugging herself, and calling out for her mother. I know of the people caught in the harsh reality of this world, even though they were going through their country and aiming for a new world.

    Never have I forgotten the difort when I saw them.

    It was not known to what extent the Drak Kingdom was involved, but it was also known that it was not irrelevant. Thats why I had no hesitation in demolishing the drum fortress  including those who defended it.

    Im sure I guess Ill go alone, that way I can get Koti-sama out quickly Then where should we go next? Back to thebyrinth?

    Yes. Run back to thebyrinth and rejoin your friends using the circle.

    Normally, Id be too worried to let Flik go alone, but thanks to the captured rider, we have a good idea where Koti might be confined. The underground dungeon. Its entrance was not located inside the fortress, but at the end of an underground stairs on the corner of the site. In other words, regdarless how much damage I inflicted to the fortress, its unlikely for Koti to be harmed in the process.

    Furthermore, if the attack on the main building causes a huge turmoil, the guards stnadning by on the entrance might leave their post to reinforce.

    After convincing Flik, I activated TSS and brought out several GIFT BOXes. I couldnt let Ophelia andpany find the corpses around the entrance. Only the undead Jonah will go against the Drak Kingdom. Thats it, theres no need for the contingent from Kurtmerga Kingdom to be involved.

    While cleaning up the corpse, operated the TSS at the same time to summon a number of ck supply boxes. Flik was wandering in the brilliance of the particles of the light that suddenly appeared in the dark of the night, chasing each particle as if he had forgotten his words.

    Tha-That is

    He muttered after seeing a number of high-powered weapons and magazine I took out, including special grenades and equipment. I didnt want to exin them though, not that he would understand anyways.

    I was about to attack Drahm Fortress alone. Naturally, the corresponding weapons and ammo was needed. There was a limit to the amount you could carry, but it was not convenient to take it out in an empty space. If such a thing could be done, the bnce of the game wouldve copsed and it would have been branded a shitty game. Restrictions on summoning a supply BOX was required to take out munitions.

    Besides, I also needed to make a shy demonstration so Flik could rescue Koti as safely as possible. The time was about 2o clock in the middle of the night.

    It was time for the undead to attack.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    I moved from the mine to somewhere I could see Drahm Fortress. It was built to block the wilderness road between the rocky mountains and the Drak Kingdom. There was no greenery around, only rocks, sand, and soil. It had a good overwatch. There wasnt light now, but during the day, youd be able to see things far away.

    The fortress was box-shaped with tall walls, probably over 10 meters. The outer walls of Barga were also high as well as the capital, but this was expected for a border fort.

    Beyond the wall, I could see a watch tower. Looking at the ce where the light came, it seemed they monitored 24 hours a day. Could they see through the darkness? How far could they see? Bending over, I took out a 12x scope, a sniper scope, and looked at the tower. I could see something like a big bell inside the watchtower. The guards inside did not look to be taking their watch seriously. Probably because there was a truce with Kurtmerga and the time of night.

    While paying attention to the movement of the guards, we moved. Flik was instructed to lurk about until I attacked. I ced a GPS Dart on him so I could track him. The wilderness needed to be a wild battlefield until they were evacuated and escaped to thebyrinth.

    Lets attack with the big one

    The distance between the tower was 750m  not close, but it was arge target. I pulled out arge rectangr box, removed two covers on both ends, and a charging level was pulled. It extended from 70cm to 90cm. The trigger and sighting device deployed and I set it on my shoulder in aunching posture.

    It was anM202Auncher. Developed in the USA, circa 1960, it had a payload of 4 66m incendiary rockets loaded into four individual tubes. It was capable of firing them one after another, and the AOEat the point of impact burned at 1200C.

    I looked down the sight while I took a knee and pulled the trigger once the crosshairs lined up. A roar and dazzling sh of light sparked in the dark wilds before it jumped forward at the tower. A tail of line followed and then an explosion. Sparks erupted like fireworks and the tower copsed inwards.

    The power was enough.

    Three remaining shots were fired, aimed for the wall in session. In real life, it could be used any number of times by reloading the tubes, but VMB did not allow such. I dropped the device and moved on while preparing another valley from another prepared. The discardeduncher dissolved into light particles once it hit the ground. The first wall I attacked was crumbling, but there were another four.

    I fired at the wall opposite. Since I made sure the first two attacks were as shy as possible, my position after this wont matter. Activating TSS, I essed my inventory and pulled out more munitions. Light particles converged into a cylindrical anti-tank missileuncher mounted on a tripod, atype-87guided missile. Used by the JGSDF, and originally came with a separateser pointer. It was possible to carry it and operate it without it, but the biggest advantage of this weapon system in VMB was that the TSS Screen doubled as aser-pointing device.

    In other words, if it was within 200m, it was possible to aim,unch and guide via TSS. In addition, the number of warheads was twelve with auto-reloading at 1-minute intervals.

    While moving, I summoned twounchers and installed them in intervals. It was a specification of VMB that up to two support weapons of the same type could be controlled remotely.

    My sound sensor began to pick up activity from the fortress.

    What was that explosion!?

    The watchtower is copsing?!

    Is it an attack from Kurtmerga!? Or is it a monster attack?!

    They had no grasp on the situation yet. Alrighty then, lets make you even more confused. While I advanced on the fortress, I switched the TSS monitor to aim more and operated it like a tablet to control theunchers. A missile 1m in length from the first unit installed at the rear flew in my FOV. Then, I switched to the second one  fired. A roar and white smoke came from the fortress.

    It was the first time for me to actually use the remote-controlled weapon in this world and I was relieved it worked. When the second-third shortnded, light balls rose from the fortress, illuminating the wilderness in bright light. The front gate that was left unattached slowly opened and Dragon Riders on their mounts rushed out.

    Enemy sighted, one undead type!

    Was all this his work?!

    Dragon Rider corps, to battle!

    The number of dragon rider units that came was more than ten  but the divisionmander was nowhere to be seen. Was he not participating in the defense? Infantry  mage corps  spread out to the copsed wall. Judging from how the view was distorted for a moment, it mustve been a magic barrier deployed. It had no effect on me.

    The dragon riders unit should be dealt with first. Both the hiryus and their riders opened their mouth wide and let out roars. However, the path they were treading was more than meets the eye. It was a path I specifically wanted them to go through since Id turned it into a death trap.

    Having guessed their movement, I pulled out the grenade ax and took position. The parabolic line was disyed and I lined it up with the riders before I pulled the trigger.

    Its releasing something. Raise the magic barrier! Push through!

    The forefront rider shouted. The space around them distorted for a moment, signifying a barrier was erected. But the grenade Iunched wasnt the usual 4046 grenade as instead of exploding, it released a lot of white smoke  it was a smoke grenade. At the same time, the riders ran through as the traps I set began to trigger.

    A cylinder jumped from the ground, a S- mine, exploded with a slight jet sound indicating the trap. It shot more than 300 iron balls around waist height.

    TheS-Mine (bouncing Betty)was one of the anti-personnelndmines used by the German Army in WW2. Unlike ordinarynd mines that exploded underground, the S mine was a jumping mine aimed at damaging the surroundings. It was activated by an ignition tactile branch attached to the upper part of a cylinder with a 10cm diameter and a height of 13cm. It jumped up about 1.5m from the ground and scattered iron balls outward beyond 10m.

    Due to the specifications of VMB, even if you did not touch the ignition stick, it would activate upon approaching. However, the killing range was moved down to 5m.

    This mine was buried on both sides of the highway, and the smoke blocked their few to hide their activation.

    One mine after another exploded. From within the smoke that blew up into the night, the cries of terror followed. But that was not the end. I summoned another supply box from TSS. What I summoned was a Sentry gun, a stationary remote-operated heavy machine gun that was also installed in the basement of Daikokuya. I also took out an MG34, a general purpose machine gun, but in many FPS games, was ssified as a Light Machine gun (LMG).

    A bipod was attached to the bottom of the barrel as it wasmon to shoot prone. The VMB counterpart reduced yer physical abilities when equipped for bnce over its exceptional magazine and firepower. There was also a trick to using it without the bipod. When shooting, the barrel jumped violently when firing. Strong recoil made you make full use of the power suits ability to perform precision shooting.

    A sentry gun was installed on the paths center and while switching in the TSS, I operated both the Type-87 and Sentry. When in VMB, how quickly, and urately the FCS via TSS could be operated was based purely on skill.

    I wasnt aware of it until this battle started, but before, I had to touch the monitor. Now with the suits strength assimting with my body, I could use it with my thoughts. As a result, my FCS uracy now far surpassed my previous skill.

    The Sentrys vision was turned to FLIR with a thought. It showed most of the survivors from the initial attack were mainly Hiryus. I had already expected it would be less effective against the mounts than their riders. Using the M15 anti-tank mines to blow away their feet might have been more effective. But the damage to the riders would be small. Between the riders or their mounts, the riders were more important to take out. Thats why I chose the S-Mine rather than the M15s.

    Operating the sentry, red tracers raced down the dark road. It perforated the smoke and the sound of thunder rang out. I ced the screen into the corner of my FOV with a thought.

    Although I felt ufortable and anxious about the change, I put the MG stock aside and grasped the barrel. I aimed with only my reticle rather than the guns sight and opened fire as I concentrated on recoil control. I aimed for the mage corps. Theyd deployed a barrier in front in order to prevent more damage to the fortress, but this would not stomp VMB armaments. As I fired, I used my thoughts to fire the type-87, with perfect grasp on its reload time.

    The magicians forgot about the riders being attacked and looked back to the fortress as missiles broke through. They could only stare helplessly. Following my crosshairs, I swept it over the magicians front left to right.

    (E/N: Removed overly-reiterated rant on how strong VMB weaponry is.)

    While exchanging the MG34s drum mag, I switched the TSS screen to the map and checked on Fliks position. While I couldnt see the details inside the fortress,it showed him descending into the basement and stopping, then returning back up. It seemed he got her and now they were leaving the area. I should probably buy them some more time.

    The screen floated away and changed as I selected new weapons and ammo from the inventory to summon. It was still a few hours to dawn. I wanted to finish my work. While the supply box spawned, I checked my surroundings. It was a few hours from dawn and I wanted to finish my work and return before it grew bright.

    The dragon rider unit had already been annihted by the S-mine and sentry gun. The mage corps had been mowed down by the MG. The roar from the fort had stopped and tranquility returned to the night. The road had been dyed red with the few survivors moaning. Except beyond the front gate.

    Quickly! Extinguish the fire!

    Captain! The food store is copsing!

    Evacuate the injured and the emergency team, I dont have them anymore!

    Were done for !

    It was a mixture of anger, sadness, and despair at the fact that the fortress was crumbling around them.

    What the fuck are you fools doing! This kind of damage.. Not even capturing that ve princess can make up for this

    Division Commander Casium, the undead-type is approaching!

    Split the infantrys equipment in two, respond with heavy equipment and magical barrier equipment! Identify its mean of attack! And bring me my Argyrus!

    The remaining targets voices were heard over the sound sensor. Drahm Fortress was copsing from the assault. Perhaps the VMB system no longer judged it as a building, so it mapped the upon approach. Following the movement of the dots on the map, it seemed that most of the nonbatants and soldiers began to escape towards their kingdom.

    I had no intention of ughtering nonbatants. Besides, the fortress copsed by the hand of an unknown undead. If this fact was not properlymunicated to Drak, it may turn the ire towards Kurtmerga.

    The supply box opened, and I picked out a grenadeuncher with a revolver-like rotary cylinder called Milkor MGL. Made by Milkor of South Africa, it had arge selection of ammunition such as Anti-personnel, anti-tank, tear gas, and smoke bombs. It could be used for a wide varity of purposes.

    So, how did I want to finish it?

    While I looked into the small site attached to the top of the gun, I pulled the trigger. Smoke grenades fired with a pop, which was noticeably different from firearms. The smoke screen hid the wall facing the dungeon, masking Koti and Fliks escape. I also used it as a smoke screen to invade the fortress.

    Division Commander! Princess Cortine cannot be found inside the dungeon!

    What the fuck are you saying, you stupid shit?! Go find her, she should still be around the fortress perimeter!!

    Ye-yessir!

    This is bad This is really bad Losing Drahm Fortress This kind of blunder cannot bepensated just by capturing the ve princess  Oy! Whats with the white smoke?!

    The Fortress was now wrapped in smoke, as if all the plots of themander were painted on nk paper My targets were themander and his lieutenant. I couldnt let any of them escape.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200

    Iunched a night attack against the Druhm Fortress, which monitored the Drak Kingdoms border. As of now, it had copsed and there were a great many casualties on their side. I finished with a smoke grenade, dying the fortress white.

    Oy, whats with this white smoke?!?

    It was the frustrated voice of the Division Commander from beyond the smoke. His frustration could be felt. The fortress he was entrusted with copsed, the majority of his men were dead, and Koti had fled. I was sure that the Drak Kingdom would not let this go unpunished.

    However, the same went with me.

    Falling into this world  into thend of Kurtmerga, I met many people. Ashley, the General Guilds staff, Malta and his family, and others. There was not much I could do right now aside from using this power to dispel the danger that fell upon the kingdom.

    I didnt have time to carefully return the items to my inventory. I dropped the MGL and MG34 to the ground and pulled the grenade ax from my waist. Even if I left a weapon here, itd turn to light particles the moment someone else tried to hold it. They also dispelled after a certain distance from me, returning to my inventory.

    The smoke would disperse in a few seconds, but before that

    It was I who spread the smoke.

    Who is it?!

    I walked through the smoke with thermal and sound to find my way. I approached my target from behind. Themander turned around upon hearing me, and found that one of his two lieutenants had already been decapitated. Meanwhile, a lone undead stood before him as the white smoke began to disperse into light particles.

    A-An undead that speaks human?!

    This fortress is done for.

    Calcium gave his lieutenant onest look before he jumped away. I thought he was just a desk-type who could only talk big, but apparently, he was definitely the warrior type. At a distance, he immediately pulled out his longsword from his waist and went for a stab.

    Im still here. It was a miscalction that caused me to lose the fortress and Cortine A high-ranking undead who could speak human tongue. If I bring you back, all these mistakes will definitely be pardoned.

    Even livestock would go home on their own initiative once theyre done grazing. However  I suppose there will always be one or two who continue earring without knowing the limit of their belly.

    Wha Are you implying that Im lower than livestock! Damn undead!

    I could clearly see that the tip of Casiums longsword trembled with anger. Well, I did just taunt him. He actually got it and taunted me back. I suppose hes not stupid, but still an idiot for sure.

    Argyrus!

    Casium angrily shouted. At the same time, the map and sound sensor captured heavy movement from behind. I didnt need to turn my head. I simply distanced myself with a slide-jump to the side to avoid it. As I jumped, something heavynded where I was. I turned my eyes to check mid-air.

    A huge hiryu.

    Perhaps this huge one was Argyrus. It was the same mount he used when I saw him leaving the Labyrinth.

    Many footsteps could be heard afterward. The sounds of metal rubbing against metal and clothes. Looking for the source  beyond the burning fortress, infantry in heavy armor and infantry in vestment-like robes. All of which wereing towards us. Their total number was 20. One half carried arge shield and halberd while the robed ones with wands stayed behind them.

    Argyrus stopped next to Casium, who promptly climbed onto its back. With this, I was pinched between the two. However, the expressions on the infantry were dark. In front of them was an undead whod smashed their fortress and killed many of theirrades. Their formation was filled with fear and anxiety.

    Dont kill it right away. Its a high-ranking undead and it can also speak human. Incapacitate and capture it! Capture this guy so we can get information on the monster world. Otherwise, all of you will be held as ountable for losing the fortress as I am!

    Their expression changed.

    Honestly, I dont think theyd be held responsible for the fortress, but the infantry didnt know that. Whatever they felt before was blown away as recklessness took over.

    Deploy the magic barrier! Heavy infantry corps, ready the <Vajras shield>!

    Behind the formation, I could see the adjutantmanding. One of the lieutenants I saw inside thebyrinth. Now the location of all the targets was known. One of them was already dead at my feet. The onemanding the troops and Casium were aware of Kotis existence here. There also may be others who knew. However, judging from how much time psed and how greedy themander seemed, it was unlikely hed share the intel to someone other than his direct subordinates.

    The spaces in front of the shield infantry distorted. A magic barrier. Something like a shell began to shine white around the infantry and disappeared. Most likely the effect of this Vajras shield. I didnt know its effect though it most likely raised their defense. If I didnt start the battle, theyd probably have time to apply another buff on themselves

    I took out two shbangs from my waist pouch, tossed one at Casium and another at the troops behind me.

    It threw something, careful!

    Two consecutive explosions rang out along with bright shes that overpowered the light of the fires.

    Uwoo!

    Guaah!

    I saw one of the dots on the map move a lot just before the bang. It was Casiums mount. While the infantry braced themselves, the lone rider chose to stay away Lucky bastard. But trying to stay away might be the right answer. The infantry who chose to brace themselves had to suffer from visual and hearing impairment.

    I drew the UMP45 hidden under my cloak and fired as I moved forward.

    The front liners were unable to maintain their defensive posture, copsing to their knees. In addition to their tes, the skill mustve been good. But they still had an exposed section  their faces. Some of them vomited. I aligned my crosshairs on their exposed faces and fired.

    The moment the round connected, a white-shell-like effect was seen did it catch it? At the same time, there was a crushing sound that was different from a gunshot hitting metal, simr to shooting through ss and the projectile disappeared. The helmet had no scratch on it. I wasnt the only one who heard it be nullified.

    Physical attack!

    Casium called out.

    Spells were chanted as the mages seemed to have suffered little damage from the M84, and quickly regained their bearings. The lieutenant also seemed to be monitoring quietly behind as quell.

    ~~~,~~~, Stonewall!

    Thest lieutenant chanted the spell himself as a thick stonewall rose between me and the infantry, providing a physical barrier between me and them.

    Mage corps, remove the magic barrier. Let the troops take it down -. It seems that there is no need to reorganize the formation. Physical defense is all we need!

    The lieutenant spewed out instructions.

    Kukuk  even if one animal has the power to destroy the fortress, it can be dealt with if the species is known. After all, it is only the undead that we will subdue. Thats it!

    I heard Casiums sinister voice but if thats all

    What was that? Thinking you won just from being able to block a few attacks?

    Protection of this level wouldnt stop me.

    Reloading the UMP, I reached out to another pouch at my waist. This time, instead of shbangs, I threw fragmentation grenades.

    All is fair, undead! Thest one standing is the winner!

    As Casium red, the grenades went over the wall and I pulled the grenade ax with my left hand. Now I wielded both the UMP and grenade ax.

    Argyrus, <Demi-Dragon Breath>!

    It was only too a moment, unlike spell casting. It was a torrent of concentrated magic power. The breath attack ended up hitting the wall, and probably because it sustained damage from the grenades, it broke down.

    Eh

    Ignoring the startled voices of the soldiers, I shifted my crosshairs to Argyrus with the intention to shoot it mid-air.

    It wasnt there.

    Dieee!

    Apparently, Casium had also jumped into the sky the moment I avoided the attack. His position on the map signified that he was higher than me. I swung the grenade ax to meet his attack. His sword and the ax collided.

    As it turned out, themander was better at fighting than I thought. The crosshairs followed the man as he was repelled. Raising the UMP, I was about to pull the trigger when I saw his mount charging toward me. It let out a growl from its own maw.

    I quickly switched to it, aiming for its mouth. I didnt use burst fire but auto fire. Despite it having tough skin, the meat beneath was not. A single shot smashed through its throat, ruptured its neck muscles inside, and smashed out the cervical spine.

    Argyrus!

    Casium squealed as his mount fell beside me. It gave no response and neither did I. I reloaded the whole I operated the TSS to summon a sentry gun. This time, installing it in the direction of the confused infantry. The muzzle turned ording to my will and its 12.7 heavy machine gun started shooting in earnest.

    Wha-What the hell is that

    Whe-where is the stone wall

    When the heavy infantry saw the object appear, they knew they were dead. It was toote to deploy another wall and the protection of Vajras shield would not be enough to stop them from the unstoppable violence as I operated it with my thoughts.

    After several shots, Casium seemed to grasp the way firearms worked. It was an atrociously simple means of attack. Point and shoot. An attack neither magic nor skill, released with just two actions. However, the sword was theoretically faster as it required one less action to execute. He reacted firmly, didnt force himself to attack, and kept the weapon in check by swinging the sword while moving to prevent standing in the line of fire.

    Meanwhile, my melee attack was mainly a VMB auto action. A close-quarters move that made the opponent incapable of fighting in such an instant. But it required the opponent to enter my reach first. Perhaps its disadvantageous for me to continue this type of fight. The sentry had a remaining 209 rounds. The infantry nowid facing the night sky and I was slowly moving Casium into the sentrys range.

    Undead, just what rank are you? Dark knight? Duhan? Berserker? Or are you an even higher rank?!!

    Here I thought you would ask something more All you should know is that I am Jonah, and nothing else.

    Jonah? Ive never heard of that

    Casium was clearly agitated with how the fighting had ended yet. However, that was just him. The moment I managed to line up the sentry guns attack radius with Casium, the gun spewed bullets at his back. He looked back at the thunderp  and a bloody hole formed between his eyebrows, followed by one, two, three A storm of fire rained over his upper body. Without a doubt, he was now dead.

    I endured the storm of projectiles with the CBS. As long as there was energy, itd prevent all VMB-based attacks. While this happened, I operated it so as not to deviate from CBSs boundaries Shooting at yourself and catching it all. Haha, you can do it..

    Killing Casium and his lieutenants, destroying the fortress. Now it would be impossible for the Drak kingdom to maintain a foothold in this area. Furthermore, it would be reported by the nonbatants that escaped that an unusual undead was wandering the mountains. It was not possible for them to deploy their forces immediately after losing the fortress, which was their front base.

    Up until that It was all ording to n.

    Illuminated by the embers of the copsed fortress, the sun began to rise and dyed what remained of the fortress in orange. I was fascinated by the view as six new dots appeared on the map opposite of the Drak Kingdom, from the mountains. Maybe I made too much noise. Six adventurers I never intended to summon appeared.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201

    Lets turn back time a little.

    While Schwartz, disguised as Jonah, was returning to Daikokuya with the ves, let us see what happened to the members of Sasanqua who received the join request from the Genereal Guild and the Margrave Dragrange. Frau, Miche, Ruu, Malinda, and their colleagues Ophelia Dragrange and her knight Virginia Barrenburg.

    Lets camp around here. Miche, please scout the surroundings. Ruu and Malinda, start preparing food.

    Go it, nyan.

    Sure, leave it to me!

    Rogar that.

    The group had left the forest city and headed for the minebyrinth again. Frau has thought that if they left at sunrise tomorrow, they could enter thebyrinth by early morning. But

    Frau, something is wrong.

    ording to the report of Miche, there was little to no signs of beasts or monsterspared to their first pass. In that case, there was one possibility. Something was nearby that both animals and monsters were trying to avoid.

    Is it Drak riders?

    Ophelia guessed.

    Theres a possibility. However, just like the Frontier Knights are prohibited from entering the mountains without good reason, so are the Drak soldiers.

    Drak hasnt informed us about them entering the mountains. Moreover, its our turn to clean up the mountain anyway.

    Youre right, Virginia. Then, what couldve happened?

    Im going to increase the lookout tonight to three people in the rotation. Anything suspicious, let me know immediately.

    Fray determined the night watch policy. An existence that both animals and monsters were avoiding was wandering somewhere in the mountains. Judging by the surroundings, it was nearby. And a few hourster, they heard something. A continuous explosive sound that roared loudly throughout the mountain. So loud, one mightve mistook it for a true dragon.

    What is that? This is the first time Ive heard something like that.

    Ophelia and Virgina noticed first on their watch.

    This sound

    Virginia heard Ruu mutter, who was the third watch.

    Ruu-dono, have you heard those sounds before?

    Ive heard something simr before this. Its a skill so urate and unrivaled in long distance, difficult to see through and difficult to survive once being hit by it.

    What kind of skill is that

    Wake everyone up.

    Indeed I may havee here to the Devils Mountain to track Nekoyanagi, but I also have to investigate what is happening

    Frau, Miche, and Malinda were asleep but woke up to the distant sound.

    What is going on?

    A fight.

    This sound.. Ishefighting?

    No no no! He cant possibly be here all the way in Devils Mountain!

    But Malinda, no matter who is fighting, we still need to investigate, Miche!

    Its not that far-nya Thebyrinth No, it seems to have originated from Druhm fortress.

    Get ready to leave.

    While the four members of Sasanqua discussed, Virginia cleaned up the camp and lit a torch. There was some time before sunrise and the six people would have to share it. Led by Miche, they started to move to the source of the still-echoing explosions.

    Shortly after the move, the six saw the early morning sky dyed red. The sky  which should have been dark  was illuminated from the opposite direction the sun shouldve rose from. They had a grasp of what that implied. Naturally, they increased their speed, ensuring their footsteps to be silent as they neared the area. The vegetation eventually thinned, giving way to a gravel wastnd. So Miche hid behind arge rock.

    Druhm Fortress Its on fire

    Its dark, so I cant see clearly, but theres a battle out front.

    Following Miche, Frau came with the rest of the group.

    Is it him?

    Ruu muttered, but Ophelia had another opinion.

    The fortress wall has been demolished Are they being attacked by a swarm of monsters?

    It seems like the battle is ongoing.

    They couldnt peer inside the fortress from their location. But its obvious to them that the fortress was badly damaged.

    What is it, Frau?

    We should be the only one with permission to traverse the mountains, right?

    Indeed, we are. In order to keep this investigation and thebyrinth a secret, the Margrave had stopped other adventurers from hunting monsters. We have also advised the merchants from using the mountain road.

    Is there any other adventurer who received the same request as we did?

    Not that I know of. If there was, then my father would most likely know

    After talking so far, Ophelia and Frau noticed the fortress had gone silent. Miche and the others had already noticed and were staring as well.

    Is the battle over? Ophelia, lets put that matter aside  for now..

    Yes, lets investigate what is really going on inside

    =+=+=+=+

    Standing before me was the adventurer party with their weapons out and beginning to chant their spells. I mustve fought too shily.. Between the M202A1, the missiles, and the sentry turrets, the sound mustve been loud. They may have came here due to that. No one to me but myself. However, to meet them face to face like this Its a bit too early.

    Its not him.

    I could hear Ruu-san muttering

    Im curious, who is this he youve been mentioning?

    After the chanting was over and the spell was casted over their group, asked Ruu. But Ruu stared at me without answering.

    An acquaintance, but I cant talk about him in detail.

    Instead, Miche answered while keeping her eyes on me. It seemed they were still keeping their promise.

    Dont tell me that undead did all that by itself!

    There mightve been more, be careful.

    Ruu is right, Miche, watch for our surroundings.

    Other than that one, I have yet to smell another monster!

    Fray An undead that could cause this much destruction on its own, it might beparable to a gate guardian, or even abyrinth master.

    Ophelia-sama, Frau-sama, there is no way we can defeat that undead on our own

    But Virgina, what if we leave this guy alone here and ites to Dragrange? If we dont defeat it here, it will definitely harm the people who live in Dragrange!

    Aiyah theyrepletely in battle mode What to do now?

    My UMP only had 8 bullets with one spare mag left. I still had the silenced pistol with two spare mags. There were also three grenades for the grenade ax, but I had no intention to fight them in the first ce. Maybe If I had some simtion bullets ready, but there was no time to switch. If battle broke out, itd most likely end with dead on both sides. There was some distance between us If I want to run, this would be the time.

    I tossed the M18 smoke grenade art Malinda who was about to attack. Using the moment the smoke came out, I retreated back to the fortress behind me.

    What is this?!

    Malinda, be careful! It might be a corrosive haze!

    I heard Frau-san calling out. It was just colored smoke though.

    Its escaping!

    Ophelia-sama! Its too dangerous to go in alone!

    Only one light spot came after me. I tried to return to the mountains from behind and hide myself in the wilderness, but it was annoying to move. I stopped and looked back at who was chasing me.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    Posted byKayJuly 5, 2022Posted inUncategorized

    ^^

    <img /wp-content/mu-plugins/w-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/2764.svg">

    ________________

    Hum  What do you intend to achieve by chasing me alone Do you want to die?

    Not only did you destroy the Druhm Fortress alone, you seem to understand ournguage. In any case, you have no ce to escape to, undead!

    The adventurer party had unexpectedly appeared near Druhm Fortress. Most likely due to the noise and smoke clouds. Ophelias pale pink hair fluttered in the wind while it reflected the rising sunlight. She slowly pulled out her rapier from her waist. She stood proudly and truly looked like a Valkyrie.

    Face with this much destruction  even in the face of inevitable death  she still stood before me. I wouldnt im that I knew how she mustve felt, but at least I understood that, as the daughter of Margrave Dragrange, she couldnt simply let an undead with enough power to destroy a border fortress alone to be left free to roam.

    I knew her strength because I have been observing them for a while as I followed them. If we fought at medium to long distances, Id have the edge. But when it came to close quarters, I honestly doubt I could keep up with her.

    So, you can speak ournguage. Undead, did youe from thebyrinth in the Devils Mountain?

    What if I did?

    Nothing. I merely wanted to confirm something. Perhaps you stumbled upon humans who lived inside thebyrinth?

    Ah, indeed. I saw humans settling down on the 10th floor.

    I see

    However

    However?

    They were overrun by these soldiers. None survived.

    Ah.. And you simply watched from the sidelines, undead?

    Of course. Why would I need to interfere in the first ce, this Jonah, the enemy of all that live?

    I held the grenade ax in my left hand, observing Ophelias movement. In response, Ophelia raised her rapier as it was covered in flutteryhoarfrost. She began to slowly approach me.

    Jonah? Fuhn  Of course. Then, why are you here now?

    To preemptively strike them down, for they were trying to get down into thebyrinth that will soon be mine.

    An undead conquering abyrinth? Just how crazy are you, undead , no, Jonah!

    With that, Ophelia moved in first to strike.

    <Blizzard Ssh>!

    At the same time as the piercing strike, the hoarfrosts that fluttered around the de came flying as icicles around pinky size. At that instance, I grabbed the riot shield hidden beneath my cloak with my free right hand to defend myself. The attack was stronger than I expected. The shields durability gauge fell quickly before it burst into particles of light. Her attacks didnt stop there, so I tried to restrain her by stretching my right arm to grapple her neck while at the same time, redirecting her rapier with the ax. But she dodged, even covering herself with a stab as she did so.

    This was bad If this went on too long, the others would get here. The dots on the map had already started to move. Theyd be here in a few minutes. Once they did, itd be hard-fought to escape. What awaits at the end would be just a full-blown fight. But right now, I would only have to take down Ophelia

    I slid-jump away from the attack. Once Id looked back at her, shed brandished the rapier again From my perspective, she mightve used something opposite of <Dash>. My melee attack wont hit her if I made a mistake, so I approached in a way that I could defend myself reliably and swung my grenade ax with all my might.

    ~~~,~~~!

    Ophelia muttered something just as I swung my ax down. The hoar frosts that floated around the de gathered and formed a thin ice de over the rapier. She used her now erged rapier to block my attack and prevent me from overpowering her with my enhanced body. But the result was within my expectation  Ophelias feet were slightly buried in the ground due to receiving the full  Ophelias feet were slightly buried in the ground due to receiving the full brunt of my power suits strengthened ax swing. This means that her next action would be slightly dyed.

    I reached out to the PSS silenced pistol in my holster with my free hand.

    In response to my movement, Ophelia attempted to retreat back like she did just now. But, since her feet were lodged inside the soil, she ended up losing her bnce.

    Right there

    I took another step to close my distance with Ophelia, pushing my grenade ax against her crumbling posture.

    Wha

    There were only our weapons, locked into each other, between our bodies. We were pushing at each other, but actually, I was using that to hide my pistol from Ophelias sight

    Pardon me. ytime is over.

    What are yo ?

    Ignoring Ophelias words, I shot her thrice on her leg before disengaging and taking off to escape.

    Kuh

    Somebody jumped up from behind and over Ophelia, who was at the same time moaning in pain.

    <Spider Crash>!

    When Virginia, who jumped over Ophelia, struck the ground with her wand, thend cracked in a pattern simr to that of a spider nest.

    Ophelia-sama, are you alright?!

    Virginia stood like a shield in front of Ophelia, who was kneeling on her knee as she was shot through her left foot.

    I-Im alright.

    There were four light dots just behindI really dont have time anymore. Ophelias unyielding eyes remained bolted at me. However, the injury she suffered wont allow her to move right away. As soon as Inded, I flew further back and made more distance, then disappeared from both Ophelia and Virginias sight.

    The undead has escaped.

    How is Ophelia-sama?

    Y-yes, Frau. I was stabbed by something, but otherwise alright.

    This wound just what did that undead use as a weapon?

    A one-handed hatchet. I couldnt see what hurt my leg, but its probably a dirk or a dagger.

    I see. Did you hear anything when you were hurt?

    Excuse me? It was silentno, I think I heard the sound of swishing air.

    I see

    While keeping a distance from them, I made a big turn around what was the Drum Fortress, and ran through the wilderness at once and returned to the Devils Mountains. Although their voices were heard halfway, it may have been wasteful to shoot through the legs without showing the firearms. They wouldnt think that the undead Jonah was the same person as Schwartz, but she might have guessed that the undead used a simr skillthe pedigree skill <Arms>.

    Despite such concerns, I set my priority on returning to the royal capital and running through the wilderness towards thebyrinth of the mine. Switching the information that was disyed in my field of view on the way to the mini-map that was recorded by AN / GSR-9 (V) 1 (T-UGS). What I saw on the small screen was the underground warehouse of Daikokuya.

    I counted the number of dots wandering on the minimap as I continued running. Checking whether Flik had sessfully brought Koti in. One extra dotstaying still at one end of the Continental, the bedroom area, was probably Koti In that case, all I had to do now was to return to the Capital

    My original n was to move between my store in the Capital and the guardian room on the tenth floor of the Minebyrinth with the transfer circle. However, when I recalled Ophelias gazeshining with such a strong will that I couldnt even miss it if I wanted to.

    Recalling that gaze of hers I cant afford to let the transfer circle that I installed in thebyrinth stay unguarded. Ophelia and her group would probably be forced to retreat back to the forest city Dragrange first after witnessing the destruction of the Drum fortress. But I have no idea what she will do next. She may just do as I expected, or instead choose to chase after Jonah right away. I dont want my transfer circle to be found if thetter happens.

    In the endI chose to take a safety measure. All the while taking note of the time while making my move. I recovered the transfer magic circle from the Minebyrinth and headed to the forest city Dragrange while watching the GPS reaction from Miche-san. I decided that its safer to just use the transfer office in Dragrange. Switching back from Jonah to Schwartz, I infiltrated the city without being noticed, then secretly transferred back to the Capital, making sure that my passage was not registered by making use of the special permit I received from Chancellor Bergman.

    It took several days to return to Daikokuya. Fortunately, I made sure to leave a sizable amount of food in the warehouse, be it Hiryu meat or Maridapanys bento. But being trapped in a closed space like that basement without nowhere else to go isnt good for anyone.

    Setting up the transfer circle to Daikokuya second floor, I proceeded to do a seemingly wasteful very short distance transfer from the second floor to the basement.

    A curtain of light ran through the field of view, and a dim basement spread out in front of me.I looked around and first checked if there was a problem with the basement that I had been away from for a few daysmaybe they were saving light, so they kept the warehouse dark..

    Ah, Jonah-san, youre back!

    Youre right! Hes back!

    The remnants of the fugitive ve and the phantom thief Nekoyanagi were silent as if they had forgotten to breathe when I suddenly appeared on the transfer circle. The only moving dots were only from the inside of the Continental. Then, two ve girls ran down with a loud voice breaking through the silence. However, perhaps because they realized about the air in the basement, their momentum diminished with each step they took, and in the end, they lined up in front of me with a slower movement than walking.

    I I mean, the Princess is here.

    Tha-thank you very much.

    Save your gratitude, for I only act to fulfill my part of the deal. Now it is your turn to fulfill yours.

    While returning to the words of gratitude, my eyes were not directed at the ve girls, but to Koti and Flik who were standing behind them.

    I thought you were making things up when you said you made a deal with an undead. Now I can see that you truly did-nya.

    Pardon me for taking such an extreme measure. But back then, this was the only way I could think up to rescue Princess Cortine:

    Koti closed her eyes as she listened to Fliks words.

    Jonah, is that truly your name-nya?

    Koti asked once she opened her eyes again. Her mannerism waspletely different from what I remember when I met her back in the The Pavillion of Tranquility. Princess Cortine, the seventeenth princess of the Kingdom of Drak  Why was the Princess of a country so despised that the Division Commander of the fortress called her a beast ve?

    Also, why did she go up against very, which was one of the basic policies in Drak Kingdom, even to the point of helping fugitive ves to liberate them?

    Once, the founding king of Kurtmerga kingdom established a new country for the people suffering from very, abolishing it to the point that the word ve was erased from the entire nation.

    Unless one is willing to go that far, it wont disappearpletelyboth in the system and in peoples minds. I dont know what Koti thought that she decided to help these fugitive ves, but it has nothing to do with me.

    I was just an FPS game yer when I fell into this world. Perhaps to be made into abyrinth master of some unknownbyrinth. I was not sent here to be the savior of this world. I cant save everyone, nor am I an idiot who believes that I could. Its always simplyI do what I can and only if Im sure I can.

    Indeed, I am.

    My name is Cortine le Drak. No, not anymoreits simply Koti now-nya.

    While saying so, Koti slowly approached me step by step. Only the light leaking from the Continental car was overflowing into the dim underground warehouse. The light illuminates Koti from behindgiving an impression that she has a glowing halo. If it werent for my skeleton face with a white bone that wouldnt move, I might have exposed a stunned face that was overwhelmed by Kotis appearance.

    The fugitive ve men and women who had lived in the basement for several days, including the two ve girls, were quietly moving to the corner of the underground warehouse as if they were trying to get out of sight as me and Koti facing each other.

    Have you heard of the terms of my deal with Flik?

    Yes, I have-nya. To be honest, I didnt believe him at first. But, I was indeed rescued, and I saw the Drum fortress crumbling behind us as we made our escape-nya.

    Drak will temporarily lose their eyes on the Devils mountain after the fortress copses.

    Thats right-nya. Otherwise, the presence of such a powerful undead in the Devils Mountain cannot be ignored.

    The Frontier Knights of Forest City Dragrange will invade the mountain in an emergency response. Leaving the Devils mountain, a buffer zone, to be temporarily under Kurtmergas supervision.

    Then theyll discover our secret hideout-nya

    Indeed. That ce will be recognized as the living ce for the people of Devils mountain, which does not belong to any country. And they have been making a living by mining the magic ore at thebyrinth.

    That is the scenario I wrote. Whether I was lucky or unlucky, I had an environment where things could easily go as I expected. But, its not like things can go as expected all the time.

    First, the first obstacle, the Drum Fortress, was crushed. Battling Ophelia was unexpected, but I was able to inform the Dragrange side of my existence. Recalling Ophelias gaze, I had no doubt that the Frontier Knight would definitely act.

    Regarding the phantom thief Nekoyanagi, which was Ophelias original target, I was originally intending to spread the false info to her via Schwartz, but I was unexpectedly able to tell her the lies as Jonah. Ophelia should consider that there was a high possibility that the Nekoyanagi had been destroyed, and would prioritize the subjugation of Jonah.

    The second obstacle was to create a vige in the Devils Mountains. And it has to be pretty convincing either. The biggest problem is building the vige itself. This depends on how quickly and long you can create a living environment.

    As of now even if we want to, we cannot break the deal-nya. We.. we will follow the conditions you presented. The phantom thief Nekoyanagi will dissolve, never to appear again-nya. We will also stay in the vige in the devils mountain, and provide 50% of magic ores mined from thebyrinth to you.

    Good. Girim, can you build a vige quickly with magic?

    Wha? W, well, yeah sure but itll be impossible to build a full vige from scratch alone. There arent enough hands and materials. However, we dwarves usually carve out a cave through the mountain for living space. That should be easier.

    A cave dwelling that will also make it easier to defend

    Very well. I shall provide you with what you need.

    After that, we exchanged opinions with Koti and Gilim about the preparation of the vige, and confirmed that there were no missing items or problems. Food was still okay, but there was only one problem.

    A few days ago, he heard numerous footsteps and noises in the underground warehouse. The voice of a man seeking somethingthe voice of a woman rejoicing in somethingwas echoing in a frenzied voice as if a demon beast feast was being held. Did it open on business days without me?It was true that Amy and Presera had been instructed in advance. Theyre allowed to open the shop during business days while Im not avable as I was working as an explorer..

    I handed them the key with that intentionbut probably because I had separated the key from the basement, none of them hade down here.

    I once again advised the fugitive ves that I couldnt guarantee their life once they got out of the basement, then I used the transfer magic circle to move upstairs. Reverting my appearance back to Schwartz, entering Daikokuya to ovee thest obstacle. He should be here soonthe liaison that will report back to Chancellor Bergman. They should be monitoring Daikokuya in secret despite its irregr business day.

    And notice the footsteps walking herenot the footsteps of passersby walking down the street, but the sound of footsteps that go to me on their own initiative.

    Looking at the source of that footstepI saw Remi-san, the General Guild researcher.

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203

    Standing outside the store, I waited for a liaison from Lily of The Valley who is watching Daikokuya to contact Chancellor Bergman, but what appeared before me was an acquaintance instead.

    Remi-san.

    Remi-san was wearing a white shirt with a wide-open chest, trousers, basically a working womans outfit, just like when Ist saw her in the fort city Barga.

    Schwartz, its been a while. Are you surprised that its not the usual man?

    The usual manRemi-san certainly said that. This means that she knows who I was going to meet.

    In short.

    not in particr, I was more surprised to find out that Remi-san is a member of the Lily of the Valley.

    Hearing my reply, Remi-san looked stunned for a while before saying [Lets walk a bit] and walked past Daikokuya. I simply nodded and followed suit.

    Many years ago, originallyI was part of the Intelligence guild. I belonged to a different n from Lily of the Valley, but when I was stationed in the Fort City of Barga, I was asked to be Ashleys watcher.

    Intelligence guild maybe the same guild that sent me an invitation before.

    Fufu, I bet youre thinking about when a certain guild was trying to recruit you, no?

    Yes, that just crossed my mind

    If you join Lily of the Valley, I have no doubt that our work will progress vastly. Justremember that there are three major intelligent ns in Kurtmerga.

    Three?

    Yes. The first is Lily of the Valley, a n that works under the direction of the two Chancellors of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, and now I am also a member here. I was in another Intelligence guild before. Then

    While saying so, Remi-san entwined her arm around my arm and leaned over.

    The third oneSchuldtiana*. The intelligence n that belonged to the criminals of the Dark Guild. Many of the operatives have been captured, but even so, we still know nothing about its inner workings. Better be wary about them. Many aristocrats, including the ministers, are eyeing your business. Surely Schuldtiana would as well. (TL Note:<strong>Haworthia schuldtianavar.major(Haworthia emelyaevar.major)</strong>, you can google it)

    Thank you. Ill be careful.

    So the Dark Guild actually has an intelligence n well, just as there are ces where people in various positions, such as Adventurer ns, mercenaries, andmercial unions, gather, there are also ces where people who wriggle in the dark gather. The ns that I have faced so far, the thieves Demon Lotus Onibus, the assassination n Enju, and the pirate fleet Kaidou. Theyre all coordinatedthe dark guild Cactus. In addition to that, the intelligence n Schuldtiana

    The intelligence n Lonicera that sent me an invitation was named after a vine that grows naturally in the mountains. In early summer, two tubr flowers would bloom, attached to the opposite leaves. The flower color with a sweet scent gradually changes from white to yellow. It is also known as honeysuckle. (TL Note: *<strong>Lonicera japonica</strong>)

    And, Schuldtiana. This is almost an unfamiliar name, but I faintly remember the Liliaceaeor rather, a member of the genus Haworthia, which resembles aloe and cactus. A sulent nt that stores water inside its leaves and stems. One of them, Schuldtiana, has leaves that radiate out like a rosette-shaped rose flower ced on the ground. Its a small sulent nt, but the best feature I remember was its nicknameOverlord Castle Schuldtiana.

    Nn, even when Im very close to you like this, you dont even react.

    Now that she mentioned it, I noticed for the first time that we were walking while holding hands and Remi-san was snuggling up to me.

    ..I only noticed just now.

    Even so, you didnt even show any reaction. Nevermind Well, I should start working seriously, right? So did something happen?

    Yes. Id like to meet Sir Bird as soon as possible. Along with Sir Thesis and Sir Koot as well if possible.

    Sir Bird was the alias Chancellor Bergman used when visiting my shop. Simrly, Sir Thesis and Sir Koot were also aliases used by the Kingdom Treasury Secretary, Count Lloyd Teisen and the Chief of the Central Knights and the Knights of the Kingdom, Count Arley Crood respectively.

    Sir Bird will make time if you want, but if the other two are also required to be present, I think itll be difficult if you dont have an appropriate reason, right?

    How much does Remi know about my link with Sir Bird?

    I havent been informed about it in detail, and not that I need to know. Im here just as a liaison to you.

    Of coursethen tell Sir Bird that I may not be able to sell miracle water anymore.

    From Remi-sans expression, its obvious that she had no idea what was this miracle water I mentioned. But she still replied with I will before disappearing into the crowd. While seeing off Remi-san, I followed the signs of the many dots that emerged on the map.

    While heading to the center of the Royal Capital, I searched for dots that might be tracking and monitoring my movementsanything. I couldnt hear any suspicious sounds Anyhow, I am now acquainted with someone who seems to be a member of a intelligence n.

    Like Remi-san, there is Vee, Duke Bargas female escort. That perverted woman was able to disappear, and in that state she wouldnt be detected by the radar unless she made a sound. However, there are countermeasures. If I set my vision to FLIR mode, I can see where she is by looking at her body temperature. So I switched to FLIR mode and looked around, but still couldnt find any suspicious body temperature.

    Nothing to see at presentoh, right when I thought so. I could hear soundsing from the top of the roof behind me. From near the roof of the street shop. Looking back without making it obvious, I caught the source of the sound in the corner of my eyes.

    a person.

    The humanoid figure lightly jumped from the height of the third floor and walked here. Is the sound that I heard is hisnding sound-? He probably didnt think that Im aware. Not that I feel any hostility. While walking slowly here, he wrapped around behind me. While chasing that movement in the corner of my field of vision, I waited for the next move.

    Schwartz-sama, Sir Bird is ready to see you.

    So its the Lily of the Valley turning around while faking a surprised look, I told the liaison I used to see that Ill be going shortly, and started walking toward the Royal Pce.

    =====

    Didnt we decide that the reporting should be done in your store or through liaison?

    I went to the royal castle and was immediately sent to Chancellor Bergmans office. When the Chancellor saw my face, he quickly dismissed the woman who seemed to be his secretary, leaving only me and the Chancellor in the office. The Chancellor was seemingly reading something that looked like a report before I entered the room. He put his gold-rimmed round sses on his nose and gently stroked his headstill slightly bald due to hard work, and turned his gaze toward me standing in front of the door.

    I came to the Royal Pce because there was a situation that I had to tell you immediately.

    Is it about Drum Fortress?

    So you already know

    The report came in just a moment ago.

    The chancellor tapped his hand on the report he just read.

    The information was sent to the royal capital as soon as I moved from the copsed Drum Fortress. I dont know if the party was divided and the information was carried, or if there was a means ofmunication that I didnt know. What is more important is what was written in the report.

    I believe the report came from Sazanka and Ophelias team? What do they write?

    We report that the Drum Fortress has been destroyed by a non-standard undead Jonah and lost its function. And we have given permission to move the Dragrange Frontier Knights to subdue Jonah, jointly with Margrave.

    The Chancellor presented me with the report he had in his hand and recounted the content as if hes reading it for me.

    He was willing to take it one step further and read the reportof course, he may think that I couldnt read it properly just yet. Though even if I dont know the characters, the tranted text would still automatically appear in my vision. So Id have no trouble reading it.

    Indeedthe report that Chancellor Bergman read was correct.

    So, Schwartz, lets hear yours.

    Why are you still asking for my report when you have one already? No, he mightve wanted to hear it from a different source, to hear what only I know.

    HoweverI have more people to report to before that.

    Daikokuya should be here!

    The door of the office was opened vigorously, and Count Arley Crood, adviser to the Knights of the Kingdom, rushed inside. Behind him, Count Lloyd Teisen, the Secretary of Treasury, could be seen, running out of breath. Both of them have clearly sprouts of new hairs growing ontheir headspared to a few days ago. They were hiding it with a small hat, but the hat fell to the floor due to their running.

    I heard about it, Daikokuya! Is it true that miracle water can no longer be sold!

    Isisis it true that Daikokuya will be closed?

    Count Crude and Count Teisen came in and approached me as soon as possible, with two bright red faces lined up in front of me, opening their mouths wide and screaming such as Why arent they selling! or If there isnt that, I..!.

    What is with there being no more Miracle Water! I havent heard any of this!

    Ah, there is another red face iing

    It took about thirty minutes for the three heavyweights of Kurtmerga to regain theirposure. Now we sat on the chairs, with Chancellor Bergman, Count Crood, and Count Teisen facing me beyond the table.

    Then, can we still buy miracle water without any problems?

    Rightas I said many times already, the materials needed to make hair growth products are in danger of being exhausted. However, with a little help from all three sides, not only for hair growth products, but for both parties as well. I think we can make a profitable transaction.

    Chancellor Bergman was looking at me while confirming that. The two counts are slurping the tea prepared by the secretary and chewing on the baked sweets with satisfied faces.

    So, what do you want for us?

    Count Crood, the adviser to the Knights of the Kingdom, ced the teacup on the table and stared at me with a keen eye, as if he was shooting through me, a total opposite of his smiling smile.

    First of all, I will tell you all the information that was not in the report from the Margrave of Dragrange.

    In my words, Count Crood turned his gaze to Chancellor Bergman. The Chancellor stood up with a breath and said, This is it, and handed over the report from the Margrave of Dragrange to the Count. The expression of Count Crude changed again after looking through the report. One could see that the hand holding the report trembles and is so strong that the paper was nearly crushed.

    Bergman! What on earth are you doing to the Sword Princess of Dragrange!

    and he barked.

    He mmed the report on the table, and Count Crood changed his focus to Chancellor Bergman instead of me.

    Asking her to look for something in the Devils mountain. His Majesty has agreed to this

    What in the world are you looking for?!

    It must beabyrinth, isnt it?

    Unlike the infuriated Count Crood, Count Teisen was rtively calm. He guessed the situation after reading the report himself. He didnt even move his eyes from the paper as well.

    Indeed, there is abyrinth in the Devils Mountains as expected. Right here.

    The chancellor took out the topographical map of Devils mountain that I drew.

    This map

    The moment the map unfolded, Count Crood was stunned. His eyes cannot leave the map.

    This map, is it the work of that rumored Map Seller?

    Indeed it is, Teisen-dono. As matter of fact, Daikokuya is this Map Seller Schwartz you talk about.

    Map Seller Schwartzit started with me drawing the map of Wolf Labyrinth with the help of the VMB system. Despite that I dont actually sell maps that often, thus have no shop or name for the business, apparently the name Map Seller Schwartz had be quite well known.

    I thought that the information was still circting only among the investigators of the bigpany, but the truth was unknown, but was it spread enough to be remembered by the executives of national affairs?

    Ive heard of it. In fact, Ive also seen the Wolfbyrinth map. It was a really nicely drawn map.

    Is Count Crood aware of it?

    Back to the topic ofbyrinth. I sent the Sazankas and Ophelia to conquer thisbyrinth. Ophelia also has her own reason to enter the devils mountain.

    Are you trying to conquer abyrinth with just one party? Youre being unreasonable as usual.

    Unreasonable? Maybe. But I have also sent in another team other than Ophelias. And I can guarantee this teams capability.

    I see. But anyway What is the rtion between thebyrinth conquering, the copse of Drum fortress, and Map Seller Schwartz Daikokuya?

    In the question of Count Teisen, all eyes gathered at me. The Chancellor didnt seem to be ready to exin anything. In other words, its up to me. Alright, what to say now

    I shall exin. In order to conquer thebyrinth along with Ophelia-samas team, at the behest of His Excellency Chancellor, I have sent someone from my nSpark.

    Spark? I have never heard of that n before.

    Of course, Your Excellency. Our n is made up of very few people, and we rarely give out our n name.

    How many people have you sent? I think itll take a considerable amount of talent and numbers to capture thepletely undevelopedbyrinth.

    Only one, Your Excellency

    One? Bergman, who did he send?

    That is not really important

    It seems that Chancellor Bergman is still unwilling to reveal my identity. Only a few people, including the Chancellor and the King, know about me working as their [covert].

    Aside from information such as Map Seller Schwartz, the Chancellor seems to draw a clear line in the disclosure of information about me, including the truth of me being a [Magicless].

    And even the unknown n names, Spark, came out. Of coursebecause I only came up with it just now. Even if I go to the Devils Mountains and say that Im doing business as a Daikokuya from subduing thebyrinth to escorting Ophelia, the words are too unreliable.

    The ck Mask Shaft, Your Excellency.

    That Shaft?! So hes actually a member of Spark?

    Then that sounds quite convincing. ck Mask Shaft conquered the Wolfbyrinth alone, and he also hunted down phantom thieves then engaged in a shy fight during the Kings Festival.

    That Shaft is secretly escorting Ophelia and sending reports back here. Based on his report, I drew this map. From his information, I can confirm that Druhm fortress has indeed been destroyed.

    It was a gambit to talk about the connection between Schwartz and Shaft. In order to increase the credibility of my words that I will speak from now on, I thought that it was necessary to support the actions of a clear and powerful person, that is Shaft.

    Shaft reported to me that he found two things in Devils Mountain. One is thebyrinth, which we refer to as Mine Labyrinth for convenience.

    Whats the other one?

    The Chancellor returned to his office desk, urging me to continue as he sped his fingers in front of him.

    The other one is about people who hide and settle in the Devils Mountain.

    Come again?

    Ive never heard of a vige in the Devils Mountains. That area is a buffer zone with the Drak Kingdom, and is not suitable for people to live in because monsters and demihumans are frequently attracted to it. Then how?

    It is said that they protect themselves from the monstersby carving out the mountain surface and creating cave dwellings. They make their living by relying on the resources avable on the mountain and dealing with therge caravans that travel between Kurtmerga and Drak kingdom.

    I didnt know that people lived in that mountain range, but what does miracle water  have to do with it?

    Of course there is, Howeverbefore we talk about that, I need to report on these people who were important to both countries.

    To both countries, as in Kurtmerga and Drak Kingdom?

    Thats right, Your Excellency. Most of the people who settled in the Devils Mountains escaped from the Kingdom of Drak. I have received a report saying that the Drak Kingdoms Seventeenth Princess Cortine is also among these people.

    What!

    Speaking of which, the Seventeenth Princess of Drak Kingdom is a beastkin. Shes born to a mother of a regr town girl before the current King took the throne.

    Isnt it a problem that a member of the Royal family of the Drak Kingdom is hiding in that area? Chancellor Bergman.

    This is already too much!

    Count Crood hit the table and raised his voice.

    Although the Kingdom of Drak has a strict policy on beast races, a Royal family member is still one nheless. And if it is known that she hides in the Devils Mountain, Drak Kingdom will surely field their soldiers in the mountains.

    The dragon riders had already entered the mountain and even invaded thebyrinth though.

    Thats a problem, but why is the Seventeenth Princess hiding in the Devils Mountains, can you confirm that?

    Its been done. There are 16 people living in hiding, including the Princess. 15 were fugitive ves, and the 17th princess was helping them out.

    Is the Princess denying the national policy? More importantly. What is that country doing? With their northern neighbor Bashburn Empire expanding in power, I dont think its strange that the Kingdom of Drak will be targeted at any time.

    Count Teisen, Shaft had reported that the Drak Kingdom is already in a negotiation with the Bashburn Empire and they have chosen to be a vassal state.

    This is the information I obtained from the dragon rider that I captured in the Minebyrinth. It is said that the Bashburn Empire, a great power in the far north, continues to expand its power, absorbing and merging neighboring countries one after another, while also taking measures that do not use force. Under such circumstances, the standing position of the 17th Princess Cortine was very delicate. Although seen low enough to be used of being a beast ve to the Drak Kingdom, the Emperor of the Bashburn Empirethe man known as the Ice Wolf Emperor is also a beastkin.

    Its obvious that he annexed the nation in peace, but demanded the beastkin Princess in return.

    However, theres only one beastkin Princess in Drak Kingdom. Therefore, in order to meet the demand of the Ice Wolf Emperor, its important to find the 17th princess, who by that time had already gone missing in her effort to help fugitive ves.

    But, all that is of no importance for the Kurtmerga kingdom.

    The Kingdom currently doesnt share a border with the Bashburn Empire.but its unclear when the ever-expanding Bashburn Empire will be a neighbor. It would be a problem since even the Drak Kingdom could easily be made into a vassal state. If you exin the current situation surrounding the 17th Princess of the Kingdom of Drak, and reconfirm the situation of the Drum Fortress that copsed due to the sudden action of the undead Jonah, a story will naturally emerge.

    The Chancellor and the Counts were silently listening to my proposal. But, their eyes are never silent. It seemed that they were scrutinizing the merits and demerits of my proposal to protect the hidden vige of the Devils Mountains and conceal the 17th Princess to prevent the Bashburn Empire from annexing peacefully.

    Furthermore, I think theyre trying to find out what I really mean by making this proposal.

    To be clear, I dont get much. The Hidden Vige-will be built from now on, but 40% of the mined magic ore will be delivered to the Kingdom of Kurtmerga. I will pay this from my share.

    In return, the Dragrange Frontier Knights will guard the area around the hidden vige until the Minebyrinth is conquered and the monsters and demihumans that live in the Devils Mountains are wiped out.

    Guarding the Knights of the Frontiers will not be so difficult. On the face of it, it should be enough to set up a front base nearby to subdue Jonah.

    It also reduces the chances of the Drak Kingdom from bing aware of the Minebyrinth, as there will be no need to send personnel to mine magic ore from thebyrinth.

    Hmm, we stand to lose very little.

    On the contrary, getting a mine of magic ore is not a bad thing from a financial perspective.

    Its no different from the basic task of cleaning the Devils Mountains by the Knights of the Frontiers. Its not a big burden to protect the viges. But, it would take many times more effort to subdue the undead.

    About that, we can entrust this matter to Shaft. Hell be responsible for conquering the dungeon, but I will inform him to prioritize defeating the undead Jonah should he encounter it.

    Hmm, with the help of ck Mask Shaft, this undead Jonah shouldnt be hard to deal with.

    The strict face of the Chancellor changed intoughter as he started talking to match my y.

    Ill talk to His Majesty and Zephanell. Treasury Secretary Teisen prepares a special budget for Devils mountain sweeping operation, and the Knights adviser Crood should organize the emergency response of the Knights of the Frontiers, in case the Drak Kingdom act. Please report back to me afterward.

    And finally, the Chancellor nced at me

    So, Schwartz, what if we keep this vige and the ore mining venture safe and sound?

    Yes, I think I can procure the ingredients necessary for the formtion without any problemsI will supply the hair growth agent and prepare it without running out.

    The three heavyweights nodded satisfactorily in response to the affirmation.

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204

    The secret talk with the three heavyweights of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga in the office of Chancellor Bergman ended in a way that was convenient for me. Count Crood and Count Teisen had already left the room, and after talking with the Chancellor about the details, I was about to leave the room to start the next preparation.

    Wait, Schwartz. Onest thingIve epted this proposal, but as I advised earlier, I dont want you to delve too deep into the Kingdoms political affairs.

    Of course, Your Excellency. I made that proposal after weighing both of my wishes and this countrys political stance.

    Wish If I wanted to bring it into the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, this story would have flowed. The original n was meant to keep it in the buffer zone of the Devils Mountains.

    My wishI dont really know what it was. Was it mercy for the fugitive ves, because I never want to see the tears of the girl I saw in the southern sea again, or was it a mourning for those who were eaten by the ruthless reality on thekeside of the mountains?

    Or all of these I left the Royal castle and returned toDaikokuya, confused by my uncertain feelings.

    On the way back to the store, I bought some misceneous goods that I needed from now on and prepared to return to the Devils Mountains again. From here on, its a race against time. Before the Order of the Knights of the Frontiers cane near the Mine Labyrinth, Kotis hidden vige must already bepleted.

    Returning to the underground warehouse in Jonahs form, I exined the situation to Koti and ordered him to wait for a few days. Of course, I havent talked about the secret agreement with the Kurtmerga Kingdom, and its unpleasant to give the implication that the undead and the Kingdom are actually directly connected.

    Afterward, I used the Royal Capitals transfer circle to return to the forest city Dragrange. Then scaled the Devils mountain to reach the Mine Labyrinth.

    Around here, maybe?

    Disying the map of the surrounding area with the help of TSS, I measured the distance between thebyrinth and the nearest water source, in this case ake. Then a mountainside to see which part is a suitable spot.

    Once I decided on a location, all I needed to do was start working.

    I summoned multiple Gift BOXs, then took out the materials and foods I bought at the Royal Capital, as well as the cheapest furniture I can buy on VMB. Finally, I took out the copy circle and deployed it. At the same time, I changed my avatar setting to Shaft as from here on, it will be his turn to act. Schwartz wont be scouring the mountain. It would be Shaft instead. Jonahs turn was ending here, as theres very little benefit for me to continue masquerading as the undead. Hell be gone for good after this anyway.

    Right after everything was ready, the copy circle started glowingand the next moment, the fugitive ves and everyone that will work on the hidden vige construction, including the dwarf Girim, emerged from the circle.

    Here isthe Devils Mountain? Who are you? And that guywhere is he?

    Seeing ck Masked Shaft at the other end of the transfer circle in Daikokuya basement instead of Jonah, Girim and the others understandably stood their ground in suspicion.

    Im the mercenary Shaft. Here as an escort until the work here is done.

    Then where is he?

    Do you mean that skeleton guy? I dont know. I wasnt hired to know. Instead, start working already. The Frontier Knights should be heading here as we speak. You need to turn this ce into a hidden vige before they find their way here.

    G-got it. Damn, I dont know anymorelets start working!

    Despite everything not making any sense, Girim called out to the men who had followed him to start picking up the mining tools in order to make a cave in the mountain wall. Whilst watching them work, I leaned my back into a tree nearby. Staying alert of our surroundings.

    Girims mining technique was brilliant. I couldnt tell whether its because of skill or magic, but they dug down through the mountain surface fairly easily, as if the dirt and rocks were made of tofu. The men who transferred along with him acted as his assistants. Some were taking out the dirt and rocks he dug out while others were reinforcing the walls. Taking breaks in rotation, the construction work continued even past sundown. A group of kobolds appeared in the midst of that, but I quickly dispatched them.

    Well, thats about it for now.

    Around the time when the sun was about to rise, Girim finally stopped working. A cave, created by carving and digging through the mountain, waspleted.

    From the outside, a short horizontal hole continues, and beyond that, a circr hall with a high ceiling and a meeting ce for residents is created. Around the circumference, there are private rooms and shared rooms, as well as rooms around water such as toilets and kitchens. The floors and walls were magically hardened and tiled.

    The furniture that had been taken out was carried to each room, and the living environment was set up for the time being. A copy circle will be set up again in the circr hall to inform Koti and the rest who are waiting in Daikokuya basement that we are ready.

    The transfer circle in the basement would shine dimly once its ready to use. But given the time, they shoulde in pretty soon.

    Its been prepared, Koti-sama

    Girim, thank you-nya. As expected, your workmanship isnyaa?!

    Girim greeted Koti as she arrived with the remaining fugitive ves. Her eyes scoured the interior of the cave until she inevitably looked toward me.

    W, why is Shaft here-nya

    If it isnt Koti its been a while.

    As soon as I saw my face, Koti quiveredshe quickly pinched her nose with her right hand. Does something smell so bad here for her?

    Wh-whay ish he heere-nya! Wh-whad khabbened wit Yonah-nya! (Wh-why is he here! Wh-what happened to Jonah-nya!

    The little girls who were rubbing their sleepy eyes beside them looked up at Koti as she pinched her nose and raised a protest.Behind Koti, I saw the elf Flik and the cook Garard, the only other two who could recognize me, just emerging from the copy circle.

    H, hold yer horses there! Does Koti-sama know this person?

    That man is Shaftalso known as the ck Mask Shaft, a mercenary capable of conquering abyrinth solo!

    Flik gave me the introduction rather politely instead, while Koti kept ring at me.

    No need to worry, Im not your enemy at the moment. For now, Im just an escort hired by someone we both are acquaintanced with.

    Huwha-huwhat!

    Y-yes, thats right, Koti-sama. This person has been standing watch alone as an escort while we were working.

    Well, I didnt even break a sweat.

    The men who were working to build this cave dwelling tried to reassure Koti by exining my work one after another. Listening to their story, I could see that the cautions of Koti and Flik were gradually released.

    Is-is he really not an enemy-nya? Arent you still mad afterst time-nya?

    Last timemust have been when they tried to rob thebyrinth core.

    In the end thebyrinth core is back with me. It doesnt matter anymore. More than that, I have a letter from someone. For the sake of your own future, you should probably worry about that more than you do me.

    The letter that I had inside my overcoat was a statement that I decided after discussing with Chancellor Bergman. The senders name is Daikokuyas Schwartz, and the content is about how Daikokuya will take over the transaction of magic ore mined from thebyrinth in the future. A certainpany in the forest city of Dragrange, which they had been secretly trading with until now, was sent to prison for guiding smugglers from other countries.

    In addition, for the time being to live here, it is necessary to live daily, such as setting up a front base of the Frontier Knight in a nearby ce and epting merchants whoe to trade daily necessities and food there. The notice that various things will be done viaDaikokuya is written on the letter.

    At first nce, Koti and this group may seem to have gained autonomy to live in the Devils Mountains, but the truth is that they have to deal directly with Kurtmerga Kingdomunder the guise of Daikokuya. Koti might be dissatisfied with it, but crushing the fortress alone will not release the Devils Mountain from the Drak Kingdoms influence. Its a given since the mountain was a buffer zone.

    It is difficult to avoid a conflict with the Kingdom of Drak and the Empire of Bashburn without monitoring and controlling the trends and establishing a system that can be kept in hand at any time. As soon as she regained herposure, Koti received the letter and read deeply into the content. The girl is smart, she nced at the letter and at me alternatively, and seemed to grasp my exact meaning.

    alright-nya, Ill make sure everything goes as agreed.

    Are you sure, Koti-sama?

    Its many times better than having to return to our country. And if we expand hereit should be possible for us to help more stragglers.

    That was the loophole.

    The letter I prepared has no mention about the fugitive ves or the people who have escaped from the Drak kingdom. This Devils Mountains is not exactly the territory of Kurtmerga either. There is no reason to me the invasion of nonbatants from the Drak Kingdom unless they cross the border.

    One piece of advice. Today, or tomorrow, the Frontier Knights of Dragrange city will be arriving here. And along with them, Ophelia Dragrange, who came to this mountain specifically to hunt the phantom thieves. Do not let her see you, since the phantom thief Nekoyanagi is supposed to be annihted in thebyrinth already.

    I, I see-nya. By the way, where did Jonah go-nya?

    He wont show up here anymore. Its just a coincidence that I was willing to take his request to escort this ce. I have no shred of rtion with that undead. That is all.

    Koti was awfully different today. Where did the holiness that she exhibited when I confronted her as Jonah in Daikokuya basement go to?

    It was the afternoon of that day that the Frontier Knights of Dragrange arrived at the Hidden Vige.

    The response of the GPS transmitter attached to Miche-san is also close. The Frontier Knights and Sasanqua n seemed to be acting together to search for the unique first-ss undead Jonah whose species and rank are known. Count Crood, the Knights adviser, has instructed them to search the area before subduing thebyrinth.

    The cave dwelling Hidden Vige was named Yorum in consideration of the future.

    Three frontier knights, the Dragrange branch of Daikokuya, and four unfamiliar men who im to be the branch managers came to the Yorum. This Dragrange branch will support the future life of Yorum. While it uses Daikokuya name, the contents have nothing to do with me, and the merchant directly working for Count Teisen is supposed to take charge as the branch manager. The representative ofYorumis the dwarven Girim. If Koti or Flik were to be the representatives, it would not be possible to avoid getting caught in the event of meeting Ophelia.

    After watching Girim, who is in discussions with the branch manager and Knights, I moved out to leave Yorum.

    Where are you going-nya?

    It was Koti who called me out. I thought she was hiding in the back room of Yorum to avoid the eyes of the Frontier Knights. But here she was already, without seemingly getting seen by anyone.

    With the Frontier knights in here, my job is over. There is no reason for me to stay here anymore, so I should move on to the next job.

    YesI have the next job, the task of conquering the Mine Labyrinth. Im not here just to help others.

    O-of course-nya

    I was wondering what to say after that, but Koti herself didnt seem to know what to say as well. I have nothing more to add. Ive prepared a ce for them. Whates nextits all up to them. If I would do anything else for themI guess conquering thebyrinth and thus making the devils mountain a little safer may also count.

    Sha-Shaft!

    The moment I turned around to continue my path toward thebyrinth, Koti called out to me once more.

    Im sorry for thest time at the Capital! And thank you for everything!

    .dont wo

    Leap!!

    I was trying to tell her not to worry about it, but Koti had already leapt away before I could finish.

    While seeing her leaping off, I exhaled and took the path to the Minebyrinth.

    One more thing to do.

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205

    Im currently inside the Mine Labyrinth, on the 28th floor. After leaving Yorum, I immediately headed to thebyrinth, used the transfer circle to directly go to the 10th floor, then continued from there. The gatekeeper on the 20th floor was a high-ranked Kobold, Gross Kobold Assassin. A slender, tall, demihuman wearing rags. Itsrge body belied its speed and agilitybut after blinding it with an M84 shbang and then shooting its legs, it was robbed of its mobility. Was an easy dispatch afterward.

    And here I am in my current location. The mine tunnel started from the 25th floor. In this field dungeon with a tunnelwork expanding horizontally, not only were the same lumps of magic ore as the upperyer, veins of iron ore, silver ore, and gold ore were buried here. The mineshaft was reinforced with wood intermittently. Its narrow with a low ceiling. Regr explorers would probably have some difficulties fighting here.

    On the contrary, this narrow hole with so little cover is ideal for firearms. What spawned in this level was no longer kobolds, but rather monsters made from inanimate objects, like stones or dirt,monly known as a golem. I could hear their heavy footsteps even as I continued my path. There were three types of golem Ive encountered so far; earth golem, stone golem, and the most troublesome iron golem.

    Judging from the weight of the footsteps, it might be either the stone golem or the iron golem, and an earth golem.

    Im currently using Jonahs avatar set, with the Phase Rifle as my main weapon and UMP45 as my secondary. I also carried the grenade ax as per usual, though I rarely used it as a melee weapon given that the golems are tough. Therefore, to fight against these golemsI simply got down on one knee and aimed. The moment I saw a silhouette on the optic sightmost likely the golems silhouette, I moved the muzzle ordingly.

    The golem lost its top half the moment I saw a shing red beam, copsing as the dissected part was still melting.

    After several tests, I found out that a fully charged shot from the Phase Rifle will kill the golem instantly regardless of its type. The earth golem though does not actually require a fully charged shot. I only needed to wait until the charge gauge reached thirty percenttake aim at the center of the distorted and slushy humanoid shapeand fire.

    The red beam discharge pierced through the earth golem body. The next thing that happened was its body started dissolving. Unlike the zombies and other undead, this golem would die if its certain body part suffers enough damage. Its also fairly easy to pinpoint since they have these lines that glow red with magic. The line, which glows red like the eyes, extends like a blood vessel throughout the golems body, and the intensity of the light undtes as if it were beating. When the light goes out, it means that the golem has stopped functioning.

    While picking up the magic stone that remains after the golem sunk into thebyrinth, I checked the clean fountain reflected on the map. I am the one who has explored thisbyrinth the most. There is no information below the level I advanced. In other words, I dont know if the clean fountain in front of me is the final safe area or whether thebyrinth continues further down. If its the final safe area, then what lies after the gatekeeper room would be thebyrinth master chamber. While taking a meal break at the clean spring, summoned a sufficient amount of weapons and ammunition in case of a gatekeeper battle.

    However, my preparation ended up for naught.

    Arriving at the 29th floor, and then 30th floor, there was no sighting of the gatekeeper. Let alone thebyrinth master. After the 30th floor was neither thebyrinth passageway or the tight mineshaft that it turned into once it became an open field.

    This is

    A hugeke spreads out in front of mewith no ground to step on.

    and undergroundke.

    In a dimbyrinth, the undergroundke is dimly shining. There is a suspicious purple fog on theke, which obstructs the view other than the passage that extends in front of me, also obstructing distant view.

    However, the map shows a spider web-shaped passage stretched over theke.

    When I looked into theke about two meters below the passage, I saw a glowing ore sinking in the water. I wanted to collect that ore, but a group of dots appeared on the mapanother groupand another one. These dots seem to be fishesnot. Theyre either fish-shaped monsters or fishmen perhaps this worlds merman or mermaid?

    Information about fishmen has already been investigated at the museum. I didnt think there would be a chance to meet in such a ce.

    Fishmen build nests in the sea orke, and males and females live together to carry out breeding activities. Their staple food is human fleshaiming at those who fish in the sea orke, dragging their prey into the water and drowning the prey to death. But is this undergroundke an open field section of thebyrinth? But abyrinth can only make an open field section if theres simrnd around it.

    In other words, there is an undergroundke somewhere in the Devils Mountainsbut that doesnt matter. In order to get out of this section, I have to think about what to do in the event of an underwater battle. VMBs regr firearms have little underwaterbat capability. When fired in the water, its attack power is reduced to one-tenth, which is the specification of VMB.

    If I want to fight underwater, I need to prepare suitable equipment.

    Before the fishermen detected my presenceI activated the TSS, scrolled through the disy rapidly, and moved the cursor at high speed to select what I needed. The particles of light converged and the ck supply BOX was summoned. Inside was an assault rifle for underwater use, an APS speargun.

    This gun is a special operations speargun developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The magazine can hold twenty-six 5.56 x 40 mm MPS projectiles. Of course, its usable above ground as wellbut the grouping and recoil are quite horrendous, so yers need to be very careful when handling it. Also, as VMB bncing, using it while aboveground would reduce its firepower to only a tenth.

    But this spec isnt a big deal in this world. When it was a game, I couldnt bring two or more main weapons, but in reality, its different. APS underwater rifle aside, I also set aside UMP 45 for the secondary arm, while the Phase Rifle is stored in the supply BOX. And onest thing. Since there might be an underwater fight, I also need to prepare an oxygen tankjust in case I need to stay submerged for longer than expected.

    I took out the grappling hook. Its about the size of a small shotgun, and its a specially equipped gun-shaped gadget with a cylindrical barrel. Just like a firearm, aim at the sight on the top of the barrel, pull the trigger, and the three-pronged w hook will be ejected with the rope and locked.

    If I pull the trigger again, the rope will be rewound this time and I can use it to pull myself out.

    Thispletes the preparation. I slowly followed the passage on theke while monitoring the movement of the dots reflected on the map.

    The undergroundke was huge. It turns out to be wider than the field dungeons above this level. I remember this sizeback at the green demonbyrinth.

    The dots reflected on the map indicated that there is an enemy in the passage beyond the suspiciously floating purple fog. I tried switching to FLIR mode to see whats inside that fog, but to no avail, as the fog was apparently too cold that it covered any heat signature from being seen. From this distance, I normally should still be able to use the advantage of a firearm, the range, to make a one-sided attackbut now its rather useless without being able to pinpoint my target.

    Then theres only one way to proceed. I carefully walked toward the end of the passage so as not to irritate the fish people in theke.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206

    !

    !

    The strange noise that the mermans let out mingled with the singing voice of the mermaids.

    Aiming at the center of their body, where their humanoid upper body intersects with their fish tail lower body, with UMP 45 as they jumped out to the floorI pulled the trigger. I could see four mermans in front of me and two mermaids behind them. I tried aiming at the mermaids first while avoiding the mermans to stop the singing.

    but the wriggling bodies of the four mermans kept interfering with my aimdamn, do I need to get rid of the frontliners first after all?

    A burst of .45ACP struck the merman body

    These fishmen I saw for the first time were

    simr to the Naga I met in the Snakehead Labyrinth. The upper body is a naked human body, and the lower body has a fish tail fin, which is as long as an eel. Naga had purple skin, but the fishman had light blue skin. The wet hair that falls on their shoulders sticks to their face and skin, and their sick-looking face isnt the beautiful fairy tale mermaid that was often known in my previous world.

    Their screaming mouths were lined with sharp teeth. There was nothing princessly about their monstrous appearance.

    The mermaids singing voice, which they sing behind the mermans, gradually became inaudible as their frontliners fell. Its a song that inspires herpanionsor a requiem for explorers who became their prey, bes a magical song that echoes in the undergroundke.

    Here we go again

    As soon as I proceeded through this undergroundke, the battle with the fishmen began. This magic song echoes every time. The magical song sung by the mermaid is not meant to attack, every time this inaudible song echoes

    Water columns spouted from both sides of the passage, and a number of Mermans jumped up from theke. The number is threeand there are also three monsters apanying the fishmen.That is certainly Aquadriusthe giant smander monster that I met in the open field section of Wolf Labyrinth.

    Aquadrius is over 2m long and has many red spots on its ck and slimy body. The ones on the Wolfbyrinth did not attack, and I could simply crush them with the vehicle I brought out, the LVTP-5. But this time the situation was different.

    The three Aquadrias that jumped up all had shining ferocious red eyes. They let out a low roar and threatened with their sharp fangs exposed. It looks like theyre not in a normal state. Saliva drips from between the fangs, and the red spots on the body are beating and thinning. The mermaids magic song echoes in the undergroundke. As if linked to it, the spots of Aquadrius emerge more deeply.

    Perhaps its because of that song

    This mermaids song is so fucked up. Its forcing the mermans and aquarius to attack recklessly.

    At the moment when I thought that, the Aquadrius groan became lower, and they rushed at me while curling up and rolling down a narrow passage.

    Its too narrow to do a slide jumphowever!

    Too naive!

    With a powerful step as if to step through the rocky passage that stretches over the undergroundke, the first one approaching me was knocked to the undergroundke by swinging the riot shield on the left. For the second one that came at me in session, I put the crosshairs of UMP45 I held one-handed and pulled the trigger.

    The ringing gunshot, the empty cartridge case that was ejected, and the aquadrius spewing fresh blood over itthe third one jumped over it. Its ferocious red eyes shone as it opened the sharp fangs lined mouth. Following the momentum of my movement, Iunched a roundhouse kick, knocking it back to the water.

    But Im not finished yet.

    Along with the sound of the Aquadrius body breaking the water, I switched from sprinting to doing slide jumps. Bypassing the mermans,nding behind the mermaids.

    The end!

    I pulled out the grenade ax. At the same time as the mermaid looked back, their heads flew off from their neck then I pointed the muzzle at the merman and pulled the trigger. Two out of three mermans were engulfed by the grenade explosion. I quickly reloaded the UMP45 and dispatched the single leftover.

    The undergroundke was vast.

    In this area, which has no walls and is separated only by suspicious fog, it is not possible to move around with slide jumps and strafe jumps, which were the basic moves of VMB.

    As a result, I had to stand my ground and fight, but thats why firearms have a big advantage.

    In a ce with good visibility, the shooting was started the moment the demon beast / sub-race was seen, and it was unterally excluded from the outside of the opponents engagement distance. The ce corresponding to the small room and therge room was a circr square, but since there is no wall, I can pick them off fairly easily.

    However, the field dungeon is not to be trifled with. Around the night after starting the capture of the undergroundke, the monsters and demihumans that appeared beyond severalrge rooms began to change.

    Like this cylindrical golem pir that stands to block the passage. It didnt move unless it received damage or fought in close proximity, but .45 ACP bullets couldnt do the job. But when I thought to pull out the Phase Rifle to ovee the sturdiness, I was attacked by the real identity of the dots that had been swimming around the area; a horde of eel-like monsters called Jimner. The situation was not really in my favor.

    And now, I had to face the biggest crisis Ive faced so far in thisbyrinth.

    Jimner attacked by jumping out from theke in an arc. If I avoid them, theyd just plunge into theke again on the other side of the pathway. But what bothered me the most was when they leap, they also discharge electric shock sts. The electric st would fill my field of vision with shes. But thats nothing because the system would immediately react by adjusting the shading function. The problemes if I get hit by any one of them; the electric shock numbs my muscle, slowing me down, and making me prone to get hit by the next attack.

    Since theyre small sized, their attack isnt particrly fatal on its own, but consecutive hits will eventually bring the target downI got hit enough to make me fall to one knee, forcing me to eat the rest of the onught.

    Kuu

    The CBS was deployed, repelling most of the flock, but the part that could not be hidden by the shield was still attacked. These Jimners have no limbsonce repelled, they would wriggle their way back toward the body of water, then resume their assault.

    I need to stop this repetition

    While looking at the durability value of CBS in the corner of the field of view, I took out the M67 frag grenade from the pouch on my waist, pulled out the pin and rolled it to the ce where most of the Jimner wouldnd on.

    Three secondster, a water column spouted from theke with a dull explosion, and I saw many Jimners get blown away. However, their number is still too many while theyre also too small to urately shoot. I dont have any other option but to endure their attacks and pick them off with grenades. Each time a water column rose, the number of dots reflected on the map was greatly reduced. I had four M67s with me, and when I used up all of them, there were only a few dots remaining floating in theke.

    I hadnt wiped them outpletely. The moment I thought about getting rid of the rest from the aisle, a shadow cast over my body-a golem pir stood in front of me with his fist raised.

    This is bad!

    The durability of CBS has decreased considerably due to the Jimners assault. If I receive that stone fist, the durability value may drop to zero. If that were to happen, there would be a cooldown before I could deploy the shield again.

    Cant have that now.

    At the same time as I made the decision to avoid it, I did a slide-jump backwards to suddenly leave the golem pirs attack rangebut there was no ce tond. I was aware of that when I made the move. Considering the flight distance of the slide jump, its almost impossible to notnd on water with such a narrow passage. Iwithout a doubt, fell into water like a rock.

    Due to falling into water, my vision was dyed with white bubbles. Reaching around, I took out the small oxygen tank from my waist pouch and immediately used it. Jonahs avatar face had no eyes, so visibility was not hindered even underwater. As living beings, we have to secure air supply, but why does the body that consists of only bones still need to breathe? Whileughing at my body that I couldnt understand, I picked up the APS speargun that I slung on my back.

    They mustve seen me falling into the water. Beyond the darkness of the bottom of theke, a wriggling shadow begins to appear. There is a small amount of light sourceing from the glowing oreit barely does anything to lit up the darkness, but with this small amount of light source, Night Vision mode should work.

    So I immediately switched so that Im able to see in the darkfour waving tails of mermans swimming their way toward me at high speed.

    Theyre real fast

    I immediately fixed my posture, and aimed at the iing mermans, then fired. The 5.56 x 40 mm MPS bullet, which is a special ammunition, has a length of about 12 cm, and is shaped like a pencil, cut through theke with a heavy firing sound. I shot the four approaching animals and checked the surroundings. Theke might be the territory of fishmen, but their weapon is nothing more than spears with harpoon-like barbs. The engagement distance is fundamentally different from me who handles firearms.

    On the map, I could see dots swimming some distance away from me, but there was no sign of them attacking anymore. My body was slowly sinking to the bottom of theke due to the weight of firearms and ammunition. This undergroundke is quite deep, and even if you look down, its only darknessI reloaded the APS speargun and reached for the back of my waist.

    I picked up a gun-shaped gadget in the shape of a small shotgun, the grappling hook. When I aimed at the side of the passage extending above the water at the site and pulled the trigger, a rope with ws was ejected from the thick tubr barrel.

    The hook hit the side of the passage directly and at the same time fixed itself there. Once I confirmed that the hook hadtched onto something, I pressed the trigger again. My sinking body suddenly changed directionpulled toward where the hook was fixed on. When returning to the passage, the golem pir stopped moving and returned to the pir blocking the passage.

    How troublesome

    I really must pass through this open field section as fast as possible. Taking out the Phase Rifle, I shot a huge hole through the golem pir with a full charged shot, and continued on my path.

    The destination is visiblethe map shows a square room, the clean fountain roomwhich means the gatekeeper room is also close by.

    ==========

    ***Authors weapon list:

    Weapons used

    H&K UMP45

    A submachine gun developed by H & K of Germany, developed at the request of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

    The ammunition used is .45 ACP ammunition and the magazine has 25 ammunition.

    Riot shield

    A circr shield with a diameter of about 50 cm, which is inferior in durability to ballistic shields.

    The setting is made of polycarbonate, and it is transparent except for the handle part, and visibility can be secured.

    PhaseRifle

    The shape is simr to a general ARF, but the color is all ck. There is a part to load a energy pack at the bottom of the barrel, and a dedicated optical site at the top.

    The capacity of the energy pack is 1000, you can charge up to 100 at a time, and when you pull the trigger, it consumes 90 energy and a full charge shot is fired.

    It is designed so that a low-powerser can be fired if at least 30 energies are charged.

    Grenade Ax

    A special firearm that looks like abination of a flintlock grenadeuncher and a one-handed ax.

    The ammunition uses a 40 x 46 mm grenade, which can be ejected while drawing a parab up to 250 meters ahead, and can damage objects within a radius of 1 m around the point of impact.

    Circle Barrier Shield (CBS)

    VMB original barrier shield, with a deploy switch at the base of the left index finger, as long as energy continues

    VMB can put up a circr shield-like barrier to prevent any attacks. The consumed energy is recovered by natural recovery over time or recovery items.

    M67 Fragmentation grenade

    A green pear-shaped grenade that explodes in 3 seconds after being thrown, can kill a fatal wound within a radius of 5 m and debris inside within a radius of 15 m. Due to the specifications of VMB, the scattered debris bes light particles and disappears when it exceeds 15 m.

    APS Speargun

    A special operations speargun developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The magazine can hold twenty six 5.56 x 40 mm MPS projectiles.

    Of course, its usable above ground as wellbut the grouping and recoil are quite horrendous, so yers need to be very careful when handling it.

    Also, as VMB bncing, using it while aboveground would reduce its firepower to only a tenth.

    Grappling hook

    A specially equipped gun-shaped gadget with a tubr barrel that is about the size of a small shotgun. Aim at the site on the top of the barrel like a firearm

    If you pull the trigger, the three-pronged w hook will be ejected with the rope and locked.

    If you pull the trigger again, the rope will be rewound and the handle can be moved.

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207

    Sorry for the dy, I moved across the US from the west coast to the east coast over the weekend. : 3 Yes it was as chaotic as it sounds, but also a much-needed change for mental health reasons. Now, whether that change is good or bad, remains to be seen.

    ________________________________________________________

    Two weeks have passed since the Minebyrinth subjugation was started. It took a long time to get here. Even beyond the clean spring after the undergroundke, the open field section continued deeper. But, that will be over soon. In front of me blocking the passage over the undergroundke was a white gate supported by white pirsabyrinth gate.

    Simr to thebyrinth gate that I have seen many times, it had a carved sculpture and a throne ced in the upper center. A battle between those who live in the natural world against the monsters and demihumans created by thebyrinth. A monster sat on the throne, looking down. The snake-long body dances as if wrapped around a throne, flowing from the back to the front.

    However, I saw no head whatsoever. It has no eye, ear, or nostriljust one extremelyrge maw, almost asrge as its torso. A worm It was a high-ranking worm called Lambton Worm. I cant tell from the sculpture of the small throne on the gate, but ording to the information in the museum, it should be a huge earthworm-shaped monster that is several tens of meters long.

    If this is the master of the Minebyrinth, I wonder what is waiting at the end of this gate? The gatekeeper room is usually pretty spacy, but nobody can see anything behind the gate. A mysterious purple smoke drifted up like a wall that blocked the view, obviously acting as a border.

    Then there is no choice but to proceed. I pushed the gate open and stepped inside.

    This gatekeeper room was muchrger than usual. Then, as soon as I stepped in, I felt a sense of difort. Looking at my feet, I found that the entire gatekeeper room was submerged. The water level is soaked up to the ankles, but I dont know if its the whole room. It reminded me of Wolfbyrinth. The gatekeeper of thatbyrinth was also a water-based monster. However, I didnt see anything here no matter where I looked.

    Keeping the UMP 45 ready, I carefully proceeded while looking around. The water level, initially only ankle deep, got deeper the further I went. Rightthe map showed a dot wandering around the gatekeeper room. But its nowhere to be seen. Maybe an invisibility skill?

    Thinking so, I switched to FLIR mode, andstill nothing.

    Something with a clear amount of heat is moving around in the water, which is only high enough to immerse the knees. Its small perhaps the size of a puppy?

    Returning back to normal view mode and observing, I could see slight sshes on the water. Following the movement closely with UMP45 sight set on it, I fired a three-round burst as a greeting. At the same time as the muzzle shes, a water column spouted around the moving gatekeeper.

    However, the movement speed of the gatekeeper did not change. Did it evade the bullets? And when I put my finger on the trigger again, the direction of the gatekeeper changed.

    itsing at me.

    The speed at which the gatekeeper moved underwater further increased, and a small amount of water sshes violently bounces off as its heading straight toward me. Was it a small aquatic monsterif it is, it would be difficult to shoot at it urately by aiming from chest height.

    Its a different story if I can see it, but I couldnt at this moment.

    While matching the crosshairs to the approaching water droplets, I lowered my posture and increased the area where the rays ovep as much as possible.

    If I keep this low-profile stance, I should be able to hit itagain I aimed at the hidden gatekeeper and fired a short burst. However, once again, the UMP45 .45 ACP bullet did not hit the gatekeeper directly. It didnt evade ita number of fast-spinning water shields appeared in front of the gatekeeper as it swam.

    Those circr shields repelled the bullets.

    Does that mean its immune to bullets? No, if it does, then it wont repel it. It simply recognizes the bullet as dangerous enough to be repelled.

    It didnt matter if it was repelled by the water shield, I continued to shoot in controlled bursts. At the same time, the gatekeeper prevented the ammunition with its circr shield, changing its linear movement into a meandering movement as it approached me.

    The number of remaining bullets of UMP45 in my virtual interface reached zeroI turned the slingthe band attached to the UMP45, to quickly put it on my back, I pulled out the grenade ax and swung it down. I swung down a blow that blew off the water at my feet, but just before that, the gatekeeper jumped out of the water and passed by me, and I dodged backward.

    And I saw itthe puppy sized gatekeeper.

    The gatekeeper wasa frog? Not exactly. The head resembled a frog, but it had no legs. Instead, it has a finned tail and small bat-like wings. The body was covered with slimy ck and fine spots, like a tadpole. The moment the gatekeeper passed by me, its red eyes that popped out of its head seemed to scream at me.

    Whats with this fellow?

    I willed the TSS to activate, essing, and operate the disy monitor at high speed. While looking back and following the movement of the gatekeeper, select the demon beast pictorial book that was screen-captured at the museum and find out what that flying frog is. This is aquaripper? A carnivorous aquatic monster that could control water at will. Its intelligent and has many dangerous skills, fighting it alone would be suicidal. is what was written on the note.

    The aquaripper was swimming in the water around me, keeping its distance from me.

    It pretty much stayed underwater all the time, and once it became wary of an attack, it would form the water shields. There were four shields. The circr shield that rotates at high speed, while flying water dropletsy parallel to the water surface stretched over the floor, suddenly elerated and flew. This attack was simr to the water magic Aqua Dance that Ive seen before in any case, it might be dangerous if I dont evade.

    I tried to move sideways one step to avoid the iing water circle, but the water caught my foot and slowed my movement down.

    One bit into my left hand, cutting through the riot shield. The shield durability instantly went down to zero, just from that one blow. The riot shield that has been cut in two immediately dispersed into light particles.

    Thats some powerful attack there

    While catching the situation on the edge of my sight, I stopped, then avoided the remaining three discs that flew towards me by jumpingstill in reverse in the air, I aimed the grenade ax and matched the trajectory to the aquaripper. It swam very fast, so I had to predict where it was going to go before pulling the trigger. Deviation shootingA shooting technique where one predicts the moving position from the opponents speed and direction, and shoots on it in advance. Its an indispensable technique fornding slow-moving shots such as grenades, and its also a basic FPS technique used to shoot invisible enemies through walls.

    I aligned the parab and the circle indicating thending point with the predicted movement position and pulled the trigger. Along with a faint sound of airing out, Inded back on the water while watching the grenade fired at the target position, then I jumped again without killing my momentum.

    In the air, I reloaded the grenade ax grenade and aimedI could see the spouting water column and the stunched aquaripper in front of me.

    Judging the situation in a short time while staying in the airthe first shot seems to have hit as intended. The Aquaripper was screaming and flying in the air due to an unexpected explosion and severe pain. Its slimy ck body was sttered with ck blood, and the sharp fangs were lined up as its mouth was left open, but its long tongue stuck out as it spews body fluid.

    This is it!

    Predicting where the aquaripper wouldnd back, I lined up the trajectory again and fired another grenade.

    The grenadended right on top of the falling aquaripper, striking it like a beanbag shellthen exploded in a blooming ze. Once Inded back on the solid surface, I immediately did a slide jump to close the gap with the aquaripper. The two bombings had erased the water shield that floats around the aquaripper, exposing its unprotected body. I aimed at its torsothe moment I found the right distance with a second slide jump and was readying to attack, the aquaripper suddenly halted itself in the air while sprinkling fresh blood, pping wings that resembled bats. I made a sudden stop.

    !!

    Its seemingly shouting something, I could tell that much, but theres no sounding out. Aquarippers strange shout was probably magical in nature, and it was directed at me.

    But thats it.

    Perhaps the shout was some sort of magical attackbut it didnt work on me, unfortunately. I swore I could see the confusion in the aquarippers red eyes when its magic roar didnt do anything to me. Inded from my slide jump a momentter and swung the grenade ax at the exposed belly. But I saw the aquaripper swelling its cheeks.

    Somethingsing.

    At that moment, what jumped from its mouth was a long tongue that turned purplea spear with steel-like hardness, piercing my right hand as I swung the grenade ax.

    Kuh!

    The blow pierced right through my palm and shattered the grenade ax handle. In addition to that, a strong electric current coursed through my body from the stricken spot. But, now its right in front of mewith the aquaripper releasing its tongue from my right palm, I reached out with my free left hand, grabbing its throat and choking it so that it couldnt open its mouth.

    I only noticed now that our battle had brought us near the border wall. I cant afford to let the aquaripper get in contact with water again, else it will recover its shields. This means I have to attack as isbut I havent reloaded the UMP45, and the grenade ax was lost after the handle was shattered. Even if I try to use the Phase Rifle, its size is not suitable to engage the enemy at such a close range. Meanwhile thebat knife is not that strong, and my right hand was wounded. I had no means to attack itwhen that realization dawned on me, I chose to m the aquaripper against the border wall.

    And dragged it across.

    The aquaripper dexterously wrapped its tail around my left arm, tightening the grip with each passing moment. However, my current body was that of a skeleton. No matter how hard it tries, it wont be able to tighten itself too much on my thin arm. I mmed the aquaripper against the wall once more, then ran while dragging its head against the wall. Its outer skin was harder than I expected, but I pressed on. The border wall was not that t after all.

    The rugged, undting walls scraped down the aquarippers outer skin like a natural grater, leaving bright red streaks along my path. The aquaripper still tried to strangle my left arm with its tail, in addition to making many low-pitched growls. No matter how resentful its red eyes were, I would never stop. My skeleton face, whichughed back while continuing the wall run, would probably look considerably distorted.

    The ring aquarlippers head began to give off heat and sparks from friction. Sparks  Seeing that I came up with an idea. As I ran, I reached for the pouch on my waist and took out a TH3 incendiary grenade with my right hand. Pulled out the pin and shoved it into the aquarippers mouth which opened slightly. A long time agoremembering the y of childhood-feeding frogs with firecrackers

    Three. Two one

    Three seconds after pulling the pin, I tossed the aquaripper to the ceiling, while at the same time jumping away from my current position. At the same time as Inded on the water, the ck body surface of the aqua lipper turned red from the inside near the ceiling, and from both protruding eyesa me of 2000 degrees Celsius spewed out from the big mouth. It became a big fireball as it fell back down.

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208

    Whilst watching the aquaripper burn as it fell, I reloaded the UMP45 and immediately entered the ready-to-shot stance.

    The skeletal right hand that was pierced by the spear-like tongue of the aquaripper was shattered. It didnt bleed, but it was on the verge of copsing. The severe pain that ran when I moved my fingers echoed to my elbows and shoulders. But if the aquaripper survived the internal bombing of the TH3 incendiary grenade, I would have to finish it off with the UMP45 this time. Just because Im injured, doesnt mean I have time to hurt.

    At the same time as the fireball falls on the floor, raising the water temperature at once and boiling it. The water vapor that rose up would fill the gatekeepers room, but the dot on the radar disappearedat the same time, and the water level on the entire floor dropped.

    Apparently, that did it.

    The waterpletely disappeared, and the water vapor that spouted out also dissipated. All that remained on my crosshairs was a slightlyrger blue magic stone. Lowering my gun and looking at the surroundings, I was able to locate the transfer circle. I thought it would be difficult to use if it was soaked in water, but as it turns out, I was worrying for nothing.

    I tried to register my biometric information by dripping a drop of blood on the magic circle-but I recalled that this skeleton body set by avatar customization does not allow blood to flow. Just in case, I checked again if there was anyone looking at me or something. Even changing the field of view to FLIR mode to see if anyone is hiding.

    Nope, nobody else was around. Believing that I was alone, I essed TSS and switched my avatar setting to Schwartz.

    Once the registration of biometric information with the transfer magic circle waspleted, the gatekeepers room would no longer be dangerous anymore. This level was a vast open field area of an undergroundke, but there was a clear spring here, and also a gatekeepers room. That meansbeyond thebyrinth gate, which will be the exit, there is a high possibility that it is the lowestyer with the master of thebyrinth waiting at the end of the tunnel.

    At the same time as returning the avatar setting to Jonah, I prepared more special grenades and spare magazines for UMP45.

    From the sculpture of the throne carved at the top of the gate, it can be estimated that the master of thebyrinth is a Lambton worm with a body length of several tens of meters. I dont have much experience fighting such a huge monster, but if I use a high-powered portable rocketuncher generously, I should be able to manage somehow.

    So I prepared the M202A1 that was also used when I attacked the Drum Fortress and reced the Riot shield that could not prevent the attack of the Aquaripper properly with arger ballistic shield.

    Now were ready to go. All that is left is to try facing thebyrinth master, then prepare a more suitable weapon and equipment if my current loadout couldnt kill it.

    I pushed open the gate of thebyrinth carved into the rock wall and proceeded to the tunnel where the jet-ck darkness spreads.

    A beautiful straight passage extended from the gatekeepers room. While sowing the seeds of white light grass, I am convinced that there is definitely abyrinth master at the end of this tunnel. Its simr to the Wolf Labyrinth. At that time, thest road leading to the throne room was a long straight passage. And thest gate that you can see faintly at the end. A sculpture depicting the battle between a human and a monster, the same as the gate of thebyrinth that we have seen so far.

    However, there is no throne overlooking the battle at the top of the gate at the endjust a regr gate. When thest gate was pushed open, a dazzling light overflowed from the insidethe bottomyer, and the throne room was an open field section that imitated the wilderness lit by the sun.

    This is quite spacious

    all you can see is the reddish-brownnd and the huge rocky mountains with no vegetation. But it is still a throne room without a doubtI could see a throne on top of a hill that oversees the entire room. Nobody was sitting on that throne. But thats still within expectation. Since I know what kind of monster resides in thisyer, that throne would be far too small anyway.

    While holding the UMP45 with both hands, I proceeded cautiously. Theres still no response on the map or the sound collector.

    However, something happened the moment I approached the throne. Something happened far below my feet, deeper than the throne room, which should be the lowestyer of the Mine Labyrinth.

    The ground was shaking?

    The shaking, which was only a slight vibration, gradually increased, and the sound of rock crushing echoed from the soil. A dot appeared on the radar, signifying that thebyrinth master is about to make its appearance.

    The position of the dot indicated on the radarwas right below me! Using the VMB assist system to the max, I did a backward slide jumpat the same time, the ground where I was standing just before cracked and copsed.

    !

    And then, ambton worm emerged from the ground.

    Thats huge

    Sliding and killing the momentum as Inded from the back jump, I readied the UMP45 and aimedbut the only thing I could see was the rock-covered body surface. Rocks, rocks, rocks no matter where I pointed my crosshairs. I looked up, tracing the long body surface. But only the wriggling rocks could be seen.

    When I finally found the end of that long body, I saw arge mouth as wide as the girth of that body. Three sickle-like fangs were lined up around that round mouth and a drill-like conical tongue could be seen rotating in the center.

    Ahthe UMP45 wouldnt do any good here.

    The part that emerged from the ground was over 20m in length, but considering the part that is still buried in the ground, the total length should be even longer.

    The huge body of Lambton Worm overlooking me copsed while waving.

    Keeping my UMP45 directed at the gigantic body, I did a slide jump to avoid getting squashed. At the same time spraying .45 ACP at the falling giant. Though its mostly ineffective as the bullets simply scrape at the rocky outer skin. Its no good after all. This type of ammo will do barely anything against that

    I kept my distance to avoid the dust that rolled up upon itsnding, making my way around it. Is there any weak spot I can aim at?

    Then I saw nine holes near its mouthfor breathing if I have to make a guess?

    The somites covered with rock shells stretch and contract while making a rubbing noise. The joint is hidden by a band of rock that stretches like a skirt, and it seems difficult to aim.

    The full length is still invisible, and a part of the body remains hidden in the ground.

    I reced the magazine and checked the response by semi-automatic shooting while selecting the skirt-shaped rock belt, the abdomen that touches the ground, and the point. I concluded that it was meaningless to shoot the rock fundamentally. The next target was nine holes that seemed to be breathing holes. However, the moment I put the crosshairs on here and pulled the triggerthe breathing holes were closed by ck shell-like closed eyelids.

    The ck shell, which is harder than the rock shell that covers the body surface, was repelling the .45 ACP without any scratches. It really doesnt want to be attacked thereI knew that much, at least. The Lambton Worm is slow and has poor turning ability due to its huge size. It seems that the only means of attack is therge mouth on the top of the head, and if you go around, you will not be attacked.

    However, it is impossible to subdue thebyrinth without killing this guy.

    There is no time to return UMP45 to the supply BOX. Throw the UMP45 between the thrones, take the M202A1 from the shoulder and pull the rear chamber to move it to a usable state. At the same time, activate the TSS tactical support system and summon support weapons.

    The support weapons to be summoned are two remote-controlled heavy machine guns, Sentry Gun, and two Type 87 anti-tank guided missiles. While considering the effective range of the Sentry Gun, I summoned it to a position where it would not be crushed by the Lambton Worms giant body. Then I pulled the trigger of M202A1 to raise the signal of the start of a full-scale battle.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209

    Four rockets shot from M202A1 roared across the throne room, leaving white smoke trails. 66 mm incendiary rockets were fired at the nine breathing holes near the top of thembton worms head. I was originally reluctant, but ended up firing all four at once. And they hit the markthembton worms giant body, which was 3 meter long in diameter, shook from the explosion. Perhaps the impact was transmitted to the entire giant body, it vibrated like a wave, and it reached the invisible part buried in the ground.

    GuRaaaaaaaa!!

    The angry screams echoed over the explosion that wrapped around the top of the head. M202A1 has the effect of burning at 1200  C around thending point. Now, the top of the Lambton Worm was burned by a scorching fire, like a sinner boiled in a hell pot.

    However, thats far from the end, as I opened up the FCS menu.

    The images on the screen monitor floating in the field of view change rapidly, anti-tank missiles areunched from two Type 87 anti-tank guided missiles, and at the next moment, the shooting started alternately from two Sentry guns. Every minute of automatic loading, a missile attack was performed from the Type 87 anti-tank guided bullet, while the rain of bullets did not stop and continued to attack the Lambton Worm.

    In parallel with FCS, I took out M202A1 from the inventory, fired it four times, and summoned it again. After threeps of such routine work, Lambton Worm barked again.

    Did it work?

    I involuntarily uttered the words that tend to raise a bad g in fiction. The top of the Lambton Worms head was engulfed in detonation and ck smoke and could not be seen, but the rock shell had fallen off from far above, now in tatters. The wilderness was dyed with a green liquid believed to be Lambton Worms body fluid.

    The barrage shouldve prated through its shell and inflicted some damage. Thinking so, I dropped the M202A1 from my shoulder and brought out the Phase Rifle Ive been keeping slung on my back. The FCS was temporarily suspended, and the sight of each support weapon was aimed near the top of the head.

    !!

    Through the ck smoke, the top of the Lambton Worm was exposed. About half of the sharp fangs lined up in its mouth were shattered. Dents and cracks could be seen in its ck shell hidden under the rock shell. Also, itsrge body was dyed green by its own body fluid. I can do thisthe moment I was convinced so, the Lambton Worms fangs wriggle out, and itsrge mouth changes like a thinly protruding nozzle.

    What is it going to do!?

    The moment I thought so, arge amount of earth and ore erupted from its protrudingrge mouth; Taking cover behind the ballistic shield, I also did a slide jump to avoid the brunt of the attack.

    However, the ejected sand and ore are not single shots like ammunition. It is the skill of Lambton Worm << Earth Breath >> that is sprayed without interruption like a debris flow. Just by changing the angle at which its big mouth is facing, the << Earth Breath >> that should have been avoided kept approaching. My sight was covered by the rolling sand smoke, the ballistic shield waspromised, causing me to be blown away.

    Although I was able to regain my posture mid air andnded on my feet, the disy windows in my vision were cking out one after another.

    Turning to the front, Lambton Worms Earth Breath swallowed and destroyed the support weapons I had installed.

    That does it

    Earth Breath stops, and thergemouth of Lambton Worm returns to its original size.

    The Lambton Worm roared after finding out that its long-range attack didnt kill me, and looked down from far above while swelling the ck shell. However, a red light shes in its big mouth.

    !

    The full charge shot of the Phase Rifle was so powerful that it erased most of the fangs left in therge mouth and melted the area around the upper jaw. But its still unable to prate the ck shellpletely. The greatest weapon of Lambton Worm is neither its giant body nor the << Earth Breath >>, but its ck shell that cannot be easily destroyed.

    Waiting for the charge gauge to umte to 100, I then fired a full charge shot toward the mouth again. No matter how hard its outer body, it is still possible to deal damage to its softer inside. At the same time as the second shed, white smoke rose from the mouth of Lambton Worm, and the giant copsed into the wilderness

    Its giant body violently struck the debris that it had spit out, causing a tremor that shook not just the throne room, but also the entire Mine Labyrinth. The Lambton Worm disappeared from view due to the rolling dust. As expected, it is too dangerous to rush into the dust and there is no reason for me to approach anyway. Since I found out that the full charge shot of PhaseRiffle could be an effective shot, the correct answer would be to continue shooting while keeping a distance.

    I summoned and reinstalled the destroyed Type 87 anti-tank guided missiles. CP consumption is not low, but there are many sources of funding, such as the sale of the Labyrinth Core, magic water, and the wine. In order to conquer thebyrinth safely, I must not be stingy in terms of using CP.

    The dust is clearingI rested the phase rifle on top of the ballistic shield and looked for the Lambton worm through the optic..

    Not there.?

    Thembton worm that shouldve been lying among the debris that it spat out was not there. The only thing left was the crown, which turned into a gray porous stone resembling pumice. There was still the broken off scythe-like fangleft there like molted skin or cutting the tail of a lizard.

    The moment I thought about it, I felt a slight vibration from my feet

    I knew it, that thing is not dead yet. I dont know what kind of body structure it has, but it seemed that the injured crown was cut off before it burrowed back into the ground. I thought that the top of the head was a weak point, but it seems that I was wrongthe tremor is getting biggerits rising to the ground.

    I did several backwards slide jumps, taking a distance from the epicenter, then waiting for it toe out of the ground. A part of the wilderness sank into the ground again, and Lambton Worm appeared with an angry sign instead. The rockyering on its shell, as well as the scythe fangs had been fully regenerated somehow.

    Thats strangeIve been having this feeling over and over while going down through thebyrinth. No matter how much I hurt the top of its head, if it can separate that part and create a new big mouth, there should be a main body somewhere in the core or invisible part. Is it likely that the part is buried in the ground? I thought, but maybe Lambton Worm hated being shot from a long distance, all the giants crawled from the ground, and while swelling in the wilderness, they opened their mouths and charged.

    Is the total length of Lambton Worm about 30m? In the rock shell that extends to the tip of the tail, there is no visible part that seems to particrly protect the main body. It approached while swallowing earth and sand as if scooping the earth. Moving faster than I expected, but also conveniently having such a big mouth open right in front of me.

    I aligned the reticle of the optical site with the cone-shaped tongue that wriggles in the back of the mouth and pulled the trigger.

    However, that didnt stop it. I dont know how its checking my position, but it managed to follow me despite my changing location with each shot I made. Two newly installed Type 87 anti-tank guided missiles have alsounched anti-tank missiles and continue to attack the giant intermittently. At the time of itsunch, it emits a roaring sound that isparable to the Lambton Worms roar. Its probably not the sound that determines my position.

    Heat? No, its through smell.

    It makes sense that it has nine breathing holes. However, while the other side knows the exact position of the prey, this one has lost sight of where to attack.. I dodged the iing mouth, dodged the body m, all the while aiming and shooting at the mouth and nostrils. But, every time I dealt any substantial damage, the worm would detach its crown and regenerate a new one even without having to dive underground.

    This is going nowhere. I was forced to keep my distance, forced into a battle of attrition. All the while the giant worm continued to track and follow me.

    Do not get fazed

    For once I didaiming the Phase Rifle would be a lot more difficult. So far I managed to stay away from the worms attack despite having to stop for a moment to shoot. The ballistic shield had already been destroyed, and the phase rifle was running on itsst energy pack. Im out of bulletsthe dreaded moment crossed my mind for a while there.

    The attack method of Lambton Worm is very simple. An assault that tries to swallow directly with arge mouth, a body that swells a huge body and hits a huge mass, an attack that changes therge mouth and injects a debris flow from the mouth, and so on. Aiming at the moment when the distance is wide open, I operated TSS to open the inventory. I scrolled through the screen at high speed, selecting and deciding the necessary weapons and ammunition.

    Particles of light appeared in front of me and converged into the shape of the supply BOXbut just before the summoning process waspleted, thembton worm breathed out rocks, aiming at the supply BOX. Dispersing the particles of light.

    Again with the same move!

    This Lambton worm is not just any monster. It is thebyrinth master for a reason. Evidently, its not ignorant nor ipetent. It observed the summoning process of the support weapons I did several times, and devised a way to prevent it. If the summoning process is disturbed, it will fail. Facts I didnt know are now being informed in this situationin terms of the hassle, I can only say that this is the worst.

    The remaining amount of energy pack was 300, meaning only 3 full charge shots were left.

    Take a distance and shoot at the top of the headsummoned again the moment the Lambton Worm sways to its power as the mouth shes.

    However, because the distance was not sufficient, the rear end, which can be said to be the tail, was shaken sideways while scraping the ground, and the particles of light were swallowed and disappeared. I tried shooting at the breathing holethe ck shell wriggles to protect the eyelids, but the Phase Rifle has zero travel time performance, making the projectilend on its target the moment you aim and pull the trigger.

    The breathing hole was blown off, and the crown of the head jumped up greatly. I tried summoning stuff while listening to the screaming of Lambton Worm. However, the top of the head that has risen to the sky reacts to it, and the debris flow is blown down and the summoned supply BOX is washed away and buried in the soil. I jumped around between the thrones that had be a field dungeon in the wilderness and continued fighting for a long time, but this time has finallye.

    Energy remaining 100, only one full charge shot remaining.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210

    The 30m long and 3m in diameter Lambton worm was thebyrinth master of this Minebyrinth.

    How long has it been since I started fighting this guy? 30 minutes? An hour? Maybe longer

    Every time I destroyed its head, it would simply detach the damaged head and regrow a new one. All I achieved was shortening thembton worms total length. I have gone through all of my special grenades and extra magazines. All I had left in the Phase Rifle was only enough for one full-charged shot. After that is used up, Ill only have the grenade ax to use as a melee weapon.

    It wouldve been nice if I could summon a supply BOX and replenish my loadout, but thembton worm, seemingly having learned about it, never let me summon it sessfully. I couldnt afford to use myst shot carelessly. Whenever I tried to summon a support weapon at a distance, the worm would interrupt it, canceling the summon before it could bepleted.

    Too slowand toote!

    When VMB was a game, it was natural to hide behind a shield and summon it during the support fire from friends. However, I am the only one in this world. Up to this point, we have been replenishing during battles with monsters and demihumans, but the limits have been revealed in this important battle.

    Perhaps noticing I was slowing down, thembton worm increased its speed in approaching me, opening its maw wide. Are you going to swallow me from the front?

    The supply BOX/ summoning of support weapons could be hinderedI was made to understand the reality of that. Faster, faster! Be there the moment I asked for it! The screen disyed on the screen monitor of the TSS tactical support system scrolled faster than ever beforestill too slow.

    This isnt yet the speed I wanted.

    Faster-more urately-the most basic and most important thing to win in FPS. Reacting to and shooting 1 pixel of the enemy on screen in 0.1 seconds. The experience as an FPS yer who has repeated thousands and tens of thousands is appealing.

    And I wish I had it right now.

    It catches things outside of the consciousness of recognizing, and unconsciously performs the fine movement of pulling the trigger with the mouse. This fundamental process never changes when you fall into this world. If VRFPS called VMB is the manifestation of the game system in this world!

    What I want is

    Right now.

    The moment I muttered, an unused energy pack was held in my hand. And I realized. This body, which continues to assimte with the VMB system, has gone one step further. I reced the energy pack and shot a fully charged shot from the Phase Rifle into the Lambton Worm that was approaching in front of youthe impact caused it to divert to the side of me.

    As the giant body of thembton worm passed by my side, I reached out with my left hand.

    A slight light twinkles in his hand. And what I had in my hand after the giant had passed was a small square detonator with a lever. Yesit is a detonator to detonate the C4 bomb I attached to the Lambton Worms giant body as it passed by me.

    This party is about to end.

    Pulling the lever, the C4s attached to the Lambton Worms giant explode all at once with a roaring sound. Due to the momentum of the explosives stuck side by side in one direction, the giantmbton worm wasunched into the air like a jet with a booster.

    ! !

    The rock shell that covered the giant body was peeled off, and the Lambton Worms entire body was exposed. Watching the giant worm fly in midair, I now have a good look at its entire body Then I noticedthere was a human-like bump around the center of the worms body. Its hard to perceive normally with all the ck shellsbut the bulge would glow dull red on asion.

    There!

    Jonahs skeleton face would probably look as if he was groaning right now. In his left hand, slowly raised toward the skywas the M202A1, appearing almost instantly. The aim was the core of the Lambton Worm that glows red. I urately aimed at the core of the giant that begins to descendand pulled the trigger.

    Deviation shooting that calcted the descending speed of the giant body and the travel speed of the 66m incendiary rocket uratelynded on the core. The movement that happened due to the momentum of the explosion was further calcted, and the second-third-fourth shotsnded one after another.

    The Lambton Worm crashed with a roar and billowing me. A big tremor ran through the room along with sand and smoke, but my sound-collecting sensor heard the sound of digging soil.

    Did it escape to the ground as itnded? No, the sound is approaching me.

    It may have noticed the change in me. It probably intended to end this battle without letting itself be hit by long-range weapons. In that case, Ill meet it with the biggest attack I have fitting for the finale. I know where to aim already.

    Its rock armor is no longer effective.

    Digging into the ground wouldnt hide it anymore.

    You cant hide your weak point from me.

    Ill pull it out from its hideout, turn it over, destroy its core, and end this battle.

    As it dug into the ground to approach me, I also started running toward thembton worm. In the meantime, I scrolled through the monitor in my vision, stopping at the screen to purchase the support weapons.

    It should be here.

    A stage object car that can be operated only in PvE mode of VMB, simr to the Continental motorhome. A collectors item that can only be purchased by those who havepleted the highest difficulty missions with good results. There it isand the CP price is one, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousandone billion?!

    The purchase would actually consume 80% of my current CP. Through converting non-elemental magic stones, I was able to gather almost double the amount of CP Ive hoarded in the three years of me ying the game in my original world. Such an extremely expensive vehicleIve never heard of something this expensive ever being purchased in VMB, and I never saw anyone owning this vehicle either. Was it really this expensive back then?

    I had the right to buy it, but I didnt confirm it because I wasnt interested in the vehicle itself and had no use for it. Without all themercial activities I did so far, I couldnt buy it anyway. I was surprised at the amount of CP consumed, but I did not hesitate to purchase it. I still have some left, and I have more than enough ie. I confirmed the purchase and switched to the garage.

    Then I made a huge jump forward.

    Theres no summoning hassle anymore. The moment I willed it, it would appear almost instantly. Many particles of light appeared around me who jumped, and their brilliance illuminated the destendthe next moment, a huge shadow covered the wilderness. At the same time, the Lambton Worm appeared from the groundwearing a heavily armored shell that emphasizes defense more than ever, and screams and swells while blowing off the ground.

    However, the angry roar stopped upon it recognizing the existencerger than itself sitting in front of it.. What I purchased with such an exorbitant amount of CP was the worldsrgest construction machine Bagger 293.

    This construction machine, called a bucket wheel excavator, is a self-propelled machine that operates in open-pit mining and coal mining and has a huge wheel with multiple huge mining buckets attached to the end of a long arm. The topsoil is scraped while rotating the wheel, and it is carried by a belt conveyor that passes through the arm. Of course, since it is a mobile vehicle, it can also move by itself using the huge caterpir tracks at the bottom of the car body.

    This Bagger 293 is said to be thergest self-propelled machine in human history, with a total length of 225 m, a total height of 93 m, and a total weight of 1420 tons. The bucket wheel that rotates at the tip of the arm alone has a diameter of 21 m or more. With such a huge machine, the actual speed is only about 10 meter/min, but this Bagger 293 is different from the real worlds Bagger 293.

    VMB bncing allows this vehicle to be operated by a single yer, and its arm turning and moving speed has been adjusted to avoid frustration.

    I was already sitting in the cockpit next to the Bagger 293 arm, holding the two control sticks. In front of me, the big mouth of Lambton Worm wriggled as if confused, and its movement had stoppedpletely.

    Im not stupid enough to miss that opportunity.

    I started up the bucket wheel and swiveled the arm to knock down the Lambton Worm from the side.

    Although it is a rough maneuvering method and usage, there is no concept of partial destruction of details in VMB mobile vehicles that have durability values. There are indeed damaged graphics on tires and ss that have a destruction judgment, which may affect the behavior, but all other than that are managed by numerical values as parameters the durability value.

    The wirings wont tearthe frame wont distortand it will function at full capacity until the durability value reaches zero.

    The Lambton Worm that was beaten down from the side was struck with enough force to break the wilderness, and the heavily armored shell was shattered into pieces. I increased the rotation speed of the bucket wheel, and first crushed the top of the head so that it could not escape to the ground.

    As it was, the bucket wheel was used to scrape off the debris of the rock shell and the ck shell underneath and squeezed the top of the head.

    The screaming of Lambton Worm was drowned out by the Bagger 293s engine noise that echoes low without stopping. The worm started to fight backbut I quickly control the arm that is only 30m long and mmed it down with the bucket wheel. The super-heavy blow broke through the shell, but the wheel bucket stopped spinning when it bit into the flesh.

    Thembton worm is capable of detaching the damaged part and recing its lost body part. The only way to defeat it is by destroying the core hidden underground. To do thisfirst, while holding down the rampaging torso, I controlled the arm to drag the entire torso to the ground.

    I remembered the position of the core, but the torso that I pulled out had a mark that it didnt want to expose. I think it felt a great deal of fear of being targeted there. The lower abdomen, which was thickly covered as if to say that this is an important ce, was bulging so round that it was conspicuous.

    Useless effort

    This might be the first time I operate the Bagger 293, but I am somehow able to control it so proficiently. This may also be the effect of assimtion.

    The huge bucket wheel smashed the core violently without any deviation, and while rotating, scraped off the thick protection. In a few seconds, the bucket reached the nucleus and core, arge magic stone that glowed red.

    At that moment, thembton worms entire body vibrated as if struck by lightning, and then turned into a porous gray stone that let out ck smokeit disappeared from the throne room like sand flying in the wind.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211

    From inside the cab of the superrge construction machine Bagger 293, I watched as thembton worms body turned into porous gray stones. A gust of wind blew through the throne room as if it were the world outsideand thembton worms corpse that had turned into rocks further dissolved into fine grains, disappearing in the wind.

    At the same time, the wilderness around started to distort. With thembton worm now gone, something is going to happen to the throne room. Exiting the drivers cab, I returned the Bagger 293 back to the garage and readied the Phase Rifle just in case.

    When the Lambton worm disappearedpletely, the wind that blew in the throne room became even strongerthendscape in the distance is further distorted, and dust flutters as if the earth is flipped up.

    The entire field of vision was covered with dustwhen it cleared up, there was a familiar throne room in front of me. I stood atop the long red carpet, and the throne was a mere few steps away from me. However, there was nobyrinth master on the throne. Nothing was detected on my radar. The only other thing recorded by the map was the inner chamber that was not visible when this room was still a wildernessthe core room.

    The only thing left to do is to remove the core from the pedestal to let thisbyrinth die. But before that, I had to do something first.

    See are you here?

    Theres nobody to talk to in this throne room, but I still asked either way. But theres no answer. Naturally, because Im the only one here.

    Cant you hear me? If you can then please answer!

    Someone was supposed to watch me here.

    Someone was supposed to listen to me.

    If that someone was not even watching, then whats the point of me fighting my way here?

    Answer me!!

    My angry voice echoed in the throne roomthis is the only time that someone could answer me directly. This someone did send me an email after thebyrinth started dying. I didnt know if it was after I removed thebyrinth core, or if its sometime afterwardits not up to me.

    However, this time I wish tomunicate on the timing of my choosing.

    Whats going on with my body?! And why is it assimting with the VMB system! And why does the symptoms only progress inside thebyrinth!

    I already know about how the VMB system will assimte with my body while inside thebyrinth after conquering the wolfbyrinth. However, I still dont get how that works. Whats the difference between the world outside and thebyrinth? Only someone can answer that.

    Moments of silence that seemed like an eternity passednot even an email alert sound. Is it not possible to answer me, or is it because someone doesnt want to answer me? Or perhaps I simply cant force an answer?

    It cant be helped then lets just extract the core first.

    Thinking so, the moment I took a stepeverything I could see changed. The throne room was surrounded by inorganic stones, red magic lines were stretched around like veins on a ck floor, turning into a space that looked as if it was inside someones body. The red magic line swelled like a bump in some ces and beat like a heartbeat. The air chilled my bones and was full of a rotten odor.

    Something was wrong. The throne room has never changed like this.

    A tremor runs from the bottom of the body. Somethingsomeone was looking at me in this throne room where no one else should be.

    Its not the same someone that has sent me emails a couple of times. This is an entity that is an equal or even strongerA mass of malice that creates abyrinth, hates and resents all who live in nature, and erodes this world and the one who dropped me into this world, the Evil God of myth that is so old that its name is already lost. Its now in contact with me.

    A familiar window monitor emerged within my field of view. I did not intend to operate the TSS tactical support system. The text chat window is one of themunication functions used when ying VMB as a game.

    It moves in front of me so that it floats slowly. But Im not the one who controls this chat window.

    Ping

    Then, for the first time in a few months, the reception sound of a chat message addressed to an individual rang. However, I could not read the disyed characters. Thats fineafter a while, the auto-trantion function will show a tranted version on top of it. That was the usual flow, as was the email from the existence that freed me from the wedge of the Labyrinth Master.

    It took longer because the hieroglyphic symbol was probably as old as this world. Even then, the sentence is sometimes still cryptic.

    After a while, the tranted ancient text was finally disyed on top of the original.

    =====

    Poor, poor, child

    My child was cut off by the hateful boy

    However, my child has grown up well.

    He grew up strong and came back to me

    Are you worried about yourself? Anxious? Are you scared?

    Use that power of yours

    Drown in the pleasure of power

    Be free and unshackled

    Because I am your mother

    Just like drinking my breast milk

    Draw more and more blood, in thebyrinth

    Consume and consume even more, in thebyrinth

    And then, go outside in the stead of your mother

    Grow strong and annihte her children

    Grow big and destroy her world

    Grow, and distort everything there is

    Only by then, your mother may release herself from this narrow world.

    =====

    The chat messages from the ancient evil god, which increased little by little, were tranted into more readable texts one after another.

    It was longand above all seemed twisted. Apparently, it refers to itself as a mother. Does that mean the evil god is a womana goddess?

    It seems impossible to read the meaning of the ancient textpletely this time, but I have learned a few things. I knew what was the reason for the assimtion phenomenon between me and the VMB system. In thebyrinth, kill the demon beasts and sub-races, obtain magic stones, and capture them to convert them into CP. The series of flows will umte in me as if I earned experience points in the game, and will proceed with the assimtion phenomenon.

    And the ancient evil god is a goddess, trapped in a narrow world and seeking salvation. But at the same time, she wants to exacerbate and destroy everything that lives and exists in this world. This is exactly the tradition of the birth of thebyrinth. Thebyrinth is a training ground for raising the master dungeon master of thebyrinth to save herself, and is a front-line base for destroying the natural world.

    Its distorted-its the one who grows up distorted more than anyone else. After all, all the existences such asbyrinths must be subdued. If this guy were to be released, the reality of this world would be more ruthless and cruel. Drowning in power, crazy, full of distorted people, chaos covers the sky.

    The appearance of friends and women crying in that horrid future crossed my mind I waved my left hand to shake it off and wiped out the chat window. At the same time, the throne room returned to the original stone space.

    Its over.

    I walked forward and pushed open the door leading to the core room in front of me.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212

    For a short while, I was able toe into contact with the viin who dropped me into this worldan ancient evil goddess

    I dont know if the purpose of the crazy god is to ruin the world as it says, but Im not going to be her spearhead. Rather, Ill crush, destroy, and eradicate thebyrinth.

    Lets talk about this tunnel. I walked through the throne room and the narrow passage leading to the pedestal room. In Wolf Labyrinth, there was a hidden room that seemed to be a residential area, but there was no such thing on the map this time. I guess thembton worm was just different.

    After all, the master of thebyrinth might just be a powerful monster in most cases

    Although I just crossed one door, the map only shows the space between the straight passage and the pedestal. Theyout hadnt changed, but this space is probably a different ce from the throne room.

    The core room was visible now. At the same time, I could see the one dungeon core, about the size of a marquise-cut rugby ball, floating in the air, sandwiched from above and below by the roots of a jet-ck treeor something like a tentacle. While the jet-ck tentacles sucked in the brightly colored light, it illuminated the core room with overflowing brilliance.

    However, the scene was beautifulit was terrifying.

    When I grabbed the floatingrge magic stone, the dazzling light became even stronger, but the shading function would automatically activate. Its the same as when Wolf Labyrinth was conquered. The dark-colored vortex floating at the tip of the jet-ck tentacles provided a slight resistance to keep thebyrinth core stay put.

    While watching the brilliance subsided, I tore off thebyrinth core from its pedestt the same time, the entirebyrinth trembled, and a roar echoed out of nowhere.

    This makes it the third one. Green demon, wolf, and this minebyrinth.

    While watching the brilliance of the Great Magic Stone, I turned back to the throne room. For the next month, this minebyrinth will slowly die. There will be no harvest festival, but some of the sky magic stones and mineral resources will be recovered by the inhabitants of Jormu and the Dragranges Frontier Knights.

    The profits obtained from thisbyrinth and the veins of magic ore that will be born after that. It will be the financial source of Jormu in the future and will be necessary to enter the patronage of Kurtmerga Kingdom. My interests are this great magic stone and the transfer magic circle. In order to recover it without fail, it will be necessary to create abyrinth map.

    Originally, this request secretly escorts Ophelia and reports the trend to the Chancellor. At the same time, it was to subdue thebyrinth that rested in the Devils Mountains. The reward for the sess was one set of transfer magic circles, and one more set if thebyrinth subjugation was achieved, for a total of two sets of transfer magic circles and magic circle copies.

    As a result of various thoughtsnow in the form of Yona, this great magic stone will be a sure sign of subduing thebyrinth. This makes a total of four sets of transfer magic circles and copy magic circles. The range of my actions will be further expanded and the degree of freedom will be dramatically improved.

    My cheeks loosened involuntarily at the thought of such a bright futurealthough I was quickly reminded that what I have now is a skeleton face, so it was expressionless.

    I pushed open the door leading to the guardian roomin that instance, I was greeted by twelve dots on my radar. Standing before me was Ophelia, adventurers belonging to the Sazanka n, and several Dragrange Frontier Knights.

    I found you, Jonah!

    Ophelia brandished her hoarfrostced rapier at me.

    Isnt that thebyrinth core in your hand? I didnt expect the undead to subdue thebyrinthat this rate, I cant let you do as you like anymore!

    No way, I didnt think that it would be a result that I could see each other again here. However, two weeks have passed since I started subduing thebyrinth of the mine. I may have taken too long. When I had a meeting with Chancellor Bergman in the royal capital to make time to subdue thebyrinth, Ophelia was instructed to follow Jonah and prioritize the investigation in the Devils Mountains.

    However, after spending a few days investigating, she probably decided that Jonahs hiding ce was abyrinth and came down here. There must have been white light grass on the path I passed so far to secure the light and prevent myself from getting lostprobably the shortest distance down to this point.

    She wasntpletely ignorant of the possibility of fighting them again. Because I was thinking about it, I was acting in the form of Jonah instead of ck Mask Shaft to subdue thebyrinth.

    In front of Chancellor Bergman, I made up a n called Spark and said that Shaft, a member of it, wasing to this demon mountain range.

    However, it was Schwartz who entered and exited the forest city of Dragrange and met Ultimira-san, and it was Jonah who destroyed the Drum Fortress and made a deal with Koti and others. In addition to that, the ck Mask Shaft was also temporarily mobilized. I dont want to increase the fact that these three were in the same ce even temporarily.

    It is still good to be known by Chancellor Bergman, who knows that I am a Manuke a Trespasser. Its well known at a recent meeting that he isnt willing to disclose my information more than necessary.

    However, not everyone is aware of this. From thebyrinth map drawn slightly as Schwartz, I had to confess that I was the rumored Schwartz the map maker. Its not strange to hear rumors that three people are actually the same person.

    Thats why I was moving in the form of Jonah just in case Everything just seems to fall apart now.

    We meet again, you people I have conquered thisbyrinth on your behalf. Shouldnt you be grateful to me?

    Thank you for the extra care. I will return this grace by defeating you.

    The knights who deployed around me pulled out their weapons one after another. At the backI can see four Sazanka members standing to protect thebyrinth gate that leads to the passage connecting the throne room and the gatekeeper room.

    The battle is unlikely to be avoided. But, I cant kill anyoneobviously.

    I hid therge magic stone in the fur cloak and stored it inside the gift box in the inventory so that it cannot be seen from the surroundings.

    Since I can now summon any weapon I want from my inventory, using the supply BOX was no longer necessary.I can pull what I want from my inventory at any time, and conversely, I can stash what I want in my inventory anytime I want. Instead, I had arge sledgehammer in my hand. The members of Sazanka are watchingbest I refrain from using any firearms.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215

    Would the magically made stone tunnel disappear even if the caster lost consciousness?  No, if it did, there would be no magical structures. Virginia and Ophelia, as well as the Frontier Knight, fainted. While I reced the magazine of the PSS suppressed pistol, I slowly moved to the position where the gate of thebyrinth was visible.

    That leaves the four Sasanqua members.

    No scent of blood.

    I guess he sees no point in killing. Since thebyrinth has been conquered, I guess it can no longer consume corpses.

    Arrogant.

    But, Sasanqua isnt that easy!

    I knew it

    From the time I heard that Ophelia was moving with Sasanqua, I had a feeling that I would run into them one way or another. It wasnt just because I chose the Jonah avatar costume. Even if I was the famous ck mask Shaft, or the acquaintance Schwartz, I would still run across them.

    Malinda, were counting on you. Miche, Ru, dont stand in front, surround him.

    Leave it to me!

    Nyaa!

    Copy that.

    Malinda-san stood in front of me with arge shield and Frau-san behind her. Miche and Ru slowly moved outward on my left and right. Same as the first move the Frontier Knights tried to takebut this time they cant afford tounch a first strike on the side. The strong presence that Malinda exuded took my eyes in.

    Is it some sort of skill? Or is it magic?

    Magical interference-type attacks do not work for me, who is a Manuke. Except for the attack magic that embodies mes and water by magic, it shouldnt work on me at all. However, magic was not simple, and had a lot of freedom  it would be arrogant of me to believe that Impletely immune to it, just like Ruu said.

    So troublesome.

    Perhaps hearing my muttering, Malinda-san opened her mouth.

    Your opponent is here!

    The handle of the double-edged ax in her hand was struck against therge shield, and Malinda-san barked even more. I knew it, my focus was being forcefully directed to the tank that is the shield of the party. But thats fine.

    To destroy the teamwork of the adventurer party, you have two choices: crush the support role first, or crush the tank role. After that, taking them down one by one should be a cinch.

    Although I was able to subdue thebyrinth, it was never easy along the way. Considering the future exploration of thebyrinth, it would be a joke if I could not break through the defense of Malinda-san, who is an A-rank adventurer.

    Pulling out the grenade ax from my waist, I took a shooting position and pulled the trigger. The ax was loaded with smoke grenade bullets this time. Malinda-san responded to the action of pulling out a melee weapon, holding a double-edged ax in a half-body position, but the moment she saw the grenade ejected with a strange sound when the ax head was pointedshe immediately hid behind therge shield.

    Shes wary of getting shot. But, thats within my expectationthe grenade, whichnded right in front of the shield, started expelling white smoke. I quickly jumped into the billowing smoke.

    Malinda!

    Frau-sans voice could be hearding from the back. Right as my field vision was filled with white smoke, I turned FLIR mode ondespite being surrounded by thick white smoke, Malinda-san remained calm and kept her shield up all the time.

    Its awkward to challenge the Great Shield from the front so I moved in from the right and swung down the grenade ax with the intention of cutting off Malinda-sans left hand. However, despite being wrapped in white smoke and not being able to see this figure, Malinda sensed my attack and skillfully manipted therge shield with minimal movement to defend herself.

    Hmm

    Not so easy!

    She counterattacked with an ax swingbut I was able to dodge it by making use of the recoil from hitting her shield, plus a backward slide jump.

    The attack didnt stop there. Theres a dot on the radar that approached my location inside the white smoke at high speedit was already right behind me when I heard the muttering.

    Sword drawMikazuki!

    Ruu had released her skill without me realizing

    Kuh

    The moment Inded, I immediately followed with a high jump to leap over Ruu-santhe sword sh that was supposed to cut my back ended up shing empty air. While spinning in the air, I took another grenade pod hidden in my fur cloak and reloaded my axethis one was a live bullet, but ssh damage aimed at your feetaiming at a range attack. But the moment I thought I was in a position tounch the grenade while still in midairMiche-sans dagger was already upon me.

    Gotcha-nya! Serpent Pierce!

    I couldnt dodge

    Since I was in the shooting position, I couldnt use the grenade ax to defend myself. But my left hand was free

    Nya?!

    CBS was deployed moments before I could get hitnow that Ive assimted with the power suit, I dont even need to press the button on my left hand anymore. I deployed the CBS only for an instance, enough to block the attack, before turning it off. As I fell down after the sh with Miche-san, trusting the trajectory shown on my vision, I pulled the trigger on the grenade ax on my right hand while striking the cat girls face with my left palm.

    Mi!

    Ruu-san called out to Miche-san, but her voice was soon drowned by the noise of the grenade explosion. If I remember correctly, those two were indeed pretty close. However, as much as I felt sorry for them, I wouldve died if I were a moment too slow. Miche-san was not knocked out by my palm strike. Blood trickled from her mouth, but otherwise, shes still ring at me with her beast-like eyes.

    Both of usnded back in the throne room.

    As soon as I was hit on the floor, Miche-san moved to take her distance, but on the contrary, I grabbed her by the back of the head with my left hand from behind and hugged her.

    Funya?!

    Miche-san made a strange voice, but I ignored it. Letting go of the grenade ax and pulling out the PSS suppressed pistol, I fired it under her belly where her bare skin is visible.

    Every time the trigger was pulled, Miche-sans hips would jerk. Even though it was a simted bullet, the shock of shooting through her lower abdomen at a close distance still caused her to spit out an unvoiced gasp and blood. Although she tried to free herself from me, I simply put more effort into hugging her to not let her escape.

    I kept pulling the trigger until Miche-san stopped resistingPSS can only load 7 bullets in its mags, but it and the palm strike to her chin earlier were enough to make Miche-san faint.

    Kill.

    Pushing Miche-sans slumping body away from me, I looked forwardthen immediately jumped away from my position to dodge the dagger thrown by Ruu-san.

    The dagger that was stuck in the throne room was a ck double-edged de that looked like a kunai. I guess even a swordsman keeps one or two ranged weapons on their person  I reloaded the PSS and returned it to the holsterat the same time, I reached around my back and pulled out the H&K UMP45. I also didnt forget to rece the live ammo with simted ammo.

    Ruu, its the ck cane! Malinda, take front!

    Okay!

    What about Mi?

    Her chest is still moving, shes alive.

    The moment she saw the UMP45, Frau-san immediately barked out instructions Malinda-san quickly moved in to cover Ruu-san who was still ring at me. Perhaps its due to Frau-sans support magic, but Malinda-sans great shield was coated with floating water, while her double-headed ax with whirling wind.

    I heard you call yourself Jonah, ey? Lets have another go!

    Malinda-sans confident smile was dazzling indeed. I guess the watery coat increases the shields defense? And that whirling wind, not only increases attack power, it also seems to increase range. If I were to challenge all that directly, Id just end up tilting the bnce against myself

    This is bad

    Did Malinda-san hear my muttering? She had a slightly funny expression on her face, but as soon as I took out the tubr object from the pouch on my waist, her face turned tense. I had no intention of exchanging words with them. I have no intention of fighting until one of them dies.

    I pulled out the pin, and tossed the tubr object.

    The smoke screen again!

    A special grenade was thrown to explode at that delicate distance, which is a little too much to repel with a double-headed ax. but if she were to hide behind the great shield, shell lose sight of my next movement for a moment. The M84 sh bang, which had never been shown to the four, exploded with a dazzling sh and explosive sound that covered the throne room. Under the echo of the deafening sound, I could hear Malinda-sans roar.

    With the M84s explosion temporarily paralyzing her sight and hearing, I raised the UMP45 and aimed at Malinda-san.

    At the moment when M84 exploded, I saw the water clinging to therge shield spread like a barrier and move to prevent shes and explosions. It seemed as if it had taken defensive actions automatically, apart from Malinda-sans intention. However, the sound pressure of the M84 that exploded in front of me is not something that can be prevented by a wall of water. The sound pressure generated was even louder than the explosion sound emitted by a jet engine.

    The water shield was distorted like a waveand copsed.

    I aligned the crosshair to one corner of the great shield and fired in a short burst. Malinda-san hadnt fallen yet, but she was in no condition to hold the shield properly. My shooting pushed the shield beyond the range of motion of her wristcausing Malinda-san to let go of the shield, and expose herself.

    Then I aligned the crosshair to her left ankle, and fired until Malinda-san was crawling on the floor on all four. Malinda-san was the tank of the party, so fittingly shes also the most durable. Therefore I aimed for her helmet-less head to quickly put her unconscious

    But behind her, I saw Ruu-san, already in a sword-drawing stance with her eyes closed.

    Sword drawDark Light  Eigen Grau!

    I pulled the trigger and Ru-sans single-edged sword shed almost at the same time. However, while my finger-cutting shot caught Malinda-sans head, using the delicate Aim adjustment, I directed some of the shots to Ruu-sans iing sword. It flew away and only damaged the walls.

    N, no way ca, cant see.

    Ive no idea what you cant seebut apparently, the M84 was quite effective on Ruu-san. She was able to keep standing by using her sword as a cane, but I immediately shot her to submission. Ruu-san spat out a mixture of blood and gastric juice due to the bullet impacts, before losing consciousness.

    With this, only the leader Frau-san was left.

    She wasnt that affected by the M84 explosion. A short moment after the burst of sh and noise, as well as the fall of her two remaining allies, Frau-san canceled the chanting of her support magic and hurriedly switched to a spell with longer chant.

    Summon Guardian Aqua Knight

    At the same time as the magic name was dereda huge swirling water appeared.

    Never thought I have to use this.

    Frau-san quietly muttered. She wasnt talking to me. Rather, it seemed like she was thinking out loud unintentionally. The air around swayed as she raised her staff. Whether the magical power was being sent even after the deration of the magical name, she red at me with her long wand raised.

    Aqua Mist.

    I thought about interrupting the chant, but the swirling water next to Frau-san was worrying. When arge drop fell from the swirling water polo, it began to line up to a humanoid shapea knight in armor. Yes One party, one toon, one knight corps were born and lined up in an orderly manner.

    And the fog spilled over them, making it impossible to see even a few meters away.

    Its exactly as Ophelia said.

    Frau-sans voice echoes from the other side of the fog. I could hear it from all around me, as if it was an actual echo. The map in sight was not affected, but due to the ever-increasing number of light spots on the water dolls, it was already unclear how Frau-san was moving.

    Id like to ask you, are there any other undead that use the skillArms? And do you have memories of before bing undead? An adventure that uses the same skill is my acquaintance. These people, but do you know them?

    . Thats a fast one, and also a lot. Did she reach this conclusion after watching Jonahs fighting method? Seeing that she called me an undead, I dont think she realizes that this avatar was just a disguise.

    you may ask all you like. But, I will have to kill you if you know too much.

    The increasing number of dots on my radar had stoppedabout thirty of them more or less. And theyre spreading out within the fog.

    UnI know you wont give any answer. Thats alright, Im done with my preparation here.

    At the same time as that word, the fog that was blocking the view cleared up.

    Oyoy

    My voice spilled unintentionally. The knights of the water dolls stood in front of me, and themander, Frau-san, was standing behind them with dignity.

    Aqua Knights, defeat Jonah and retrieve the great magic stone before he could devour it.

    After saying thatmand, she left via the gate. When I looked around, I could not find Ophelia and all the other people I had knocked out.

    .did she just retreat?

    Behind the scenes of trying to get information from me by blocking the view with fog, it seems that she was actually preparing to withdraw. The summoning of these water dolls did not mean that they will attack by numbers. Perhaps the purpose was to upy me while recovering the incapacitated ally. She ordered the water dolls to retrieve thebyrinth core from me, but do they have the ability to do that?

    Well, shall we check it out?

    Theres no longer any need for the no-killing rule. I took out the General Electric M134 Minigun loaded with simted bullets in each hand. A total of twelve barrels began to rotate at high speed, then a roaring sound was heard to announce the final curtain of the Minebyrinth subjugation.

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    The members of Sasanqua, as well as Ophelia and Virginia, stood in my path.

    In addition to them, there were also six Dragrange Frontier Knights. Leading the group at the forefront was Ophelia, brandishing her hoarfrost-d rapier. Next to her was Virginia with her silver staff and small shield. This time around, shell be fighting alongside Ophelia from the beginning.

    The six members of the Frontier Knights wearing green light armor slowly expanded to the surroundings while watching my movements. In the back, the four members of SazankaFrau, Miche, Malinda, and Ru formed a formation to block the gate of thebyrinth, seemingly ying a role in cutting off my escape route.

    If theres one thing to worry aboutits the equipment of the Frontier Knights.

    The green light armor may be the official equipment of the Knights, but what you have in your hand is a striking mace and a thick shield with improved defense performance thanks to the doubleyering. At a nce, you can see the purpose of the equipment. A defensive measure against my firearms and a weapon specifically meant to fight me who has selected the skeleton avatar.

    Behind the knights, I could see Frau-san watching me carefully.

    Although she didnt see my battle directly, she may have noticed that Jonahs attack method is simr to Schwartzin that hes using the skill Arms.

    Everyone, be vignt. If he grabs a strange cane, never expose the key points in your body.

    The t voice of Virginia echoes in the throne room where only the rubbing sound of armor could be heard. In response to that, the Knights replied with a dashing voice. Of course. Theyre nowpletely wary of firearms. However, can they handle my strikes with those heavy shields?

    I tightened my grip on the sledgehammers handlealternating my griprushing forward.Following the dash, I did a slide jump to my front right, and uponnding, swung the sledgehammer sideways before the opponent could surround mepletely. The rightmost knight was knocked away by the force of the blow.

    Dense formation, the undead skeleton is attacking! Virginia!

    Yes! Stone Corridor!

    When the knights saw the big shield blown away, Ophelia instantly shouted an instruction. The knights, who were trying to expand, gathered back into a crowded formation of two people in front and three people behind. At the same timewhen Virginias magic chant was over and the magic name was dered, stone walls squeezed up from the floors on my left and right, and they ovepped in an arch shape to form a stone tunnel.

    The length of the tunnel extends from the formation of knights to the rear, past me.

    Surrounded?

    Move in!

    Charge!

    The two people lined up in front shout, and with unnatural eleration, they raise arge shield and charge. Avoidance  is impossible. I guess this is why they raised stone walls around me, huh? However, in this position, Frau-san should not be able to see it.

    I stepped forward, activating CBS to receive the charge.

    What!?

    Wha?!

    The moment the assault, which seems to be a skill, hit me directly, the movement was stopped by something invisible, and the two knights were surprised. However, I had no intention of answering or exining the cause. I was pushed slightly by the power of the charge skill. Right when the momentum died down, I canceled CBS.

    Then I grabbed the upper part of their shield, and used my strength to create an opening for me to attack.

    Kuh!

    I could see the face of the knight hiding behind the shieldhe seemed to be desperately trying to hold the shield, but I, who had assimted the function of the power suit, was simply superior. I let the handle of the sledgehammer slide in my right hand so that my grip was closer to the base of the hammer head. No killingmy aim was the left shoulder. I swung the sledgehammer down into the gap that was opened.

    The light armor sunk in quite easily, and the cor bone underneath broke.

    While listening to the dull hitting sound, the feeling of crushing bones, and the soundless scream of the knight, I slid his body inward and then shoved the other knight into the stone wall.

    The two copsed as if they were crushed by the impact of a crack in the stone wall and the weight of therge shield. Trampling on their bodies as I made my way forward, I spun the sledgehammer in my hand a bit to give it more momentum before tossing it at the knights at the back. I had never thrown the sledgehammer like this back in VMB, but at least Im convinced that Id at least hit my target thanks to my experience of throwing countless amounts of tomahawks and knives.

    The three knights who were watching from the back while holding therge shield seemed astonished and immediately hid themselves in therge shield in a defensive position.

    At the momentneither the knights nor Ophelia and Virginia could see meso I whipped out the silenced PSS, then immediately reced its magazine with another one that was loaded with simted bullets. Since the PSS is now loaded with simted bullets, none of them would die if I fired at them. But I bet itll still hurt like someone has slugged them in the face

    And a high-pitched impact sound reverberated.

    The thrown sledgehammer hit therge shield on the right directly, and the impact of being thrown the strength provided by the power suit was beyond imagination. The sledgehammer bounced off, still having enough power to break through the stone wall that forms the arch. What you can see before holding the PSS was the knights who were blown away and copsed and the profile of Virginia who turned her eyes to the sudden formation copse.

    I aimed for the templeone of the humans weak points and fired the trigger twice. Then I slid the crosshairs, aiming at the next knight who was out of shape so that he could be dragged by the fallen knight and shot his chin.

    Virginia!

    Kuh! Charge!

    By the silent shooting that hit the key point, Virginia and one of the knights copsed like a doll with a broken threadOphelia was on time to catch the fall of her escort knight. Meanwhile, a knight who had a shield on the far left rushed in to protect them. It is possible to ept this skill that would bring the shield to the front and charge. However, now that Ophelias offensive stance had copsed, there was a chance to end this battle as soon as possible.

    This also ran toward the stone wall that rose in an arch shapeI did a wall run to climb it, running through the stone wall to reach the upper part.

    The knights passing underneath have not been able to keep up with my movements. However, Ophelia was ring at me, following my movements. However, since shes encumbered, she will not be able to prevent or dodge my attack.I summoned a taser gun to my left while running through the top of the arch.

    Kuh, dont run!

    What can you do to stop me when you cant even move, huh?

    Overtaking Ophelia, who was holding VirginiaI raised the Taser Gun and PSS in both hands. Ophelia, who had turned her magic weapon into a shield, realized that I was already behind her. Meanwhile, I also aimed at the knight who also looked back. The taser gun, a gun-shaped stun gun, doesnt need an exact Aim, just aim at the part that cant be hidden with a big swordtwo crosshairs danced in my sight, between Ophelias uncovered legs and the knights eyebrows. I pulled the triggers consecutively.

    Kyaaaaaah!

    Eating an electric shock of 50,000 volts, a scream that I had never heard from Ophelia echoed. Behind her, I saw the frontier knight who was shot with a simted bullet between the eyebrows lying.

    Ophelia, her body numbed, clenched her teeth while trying to endure the electric shock. She red dagger at me, I wouldve died if gaze could kill.

    Neither in the copsed Drum Fortress nor this Minebyrinth, I did anything like exchange swords with Ophelia.

    Ophelia, the sword princess, her sword skillsbined with her magical weapons are undoubtedly first-ss. I could tell when she attacked me at the Drum Fortress. But against me, wellit may have been frustrating to see me elude her the second time. I can understand that feeling well. As an FPS yer, I have had a lot of pain. Even if its in a different shape  I still had to deal with it to my hearts content.

    However, its not the time to worry about that. From now on, I might have to fight to kill.

    These four members of Sazankatheres no way I could get past them if I dont get serious.

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214

    Sorry for theteness. Been sick as a dog every other day and so has my child ; _ ; At this point I think its my new apartment thats getting us sick bc my partner hasnt been as sick as us and theyre out of the apartment most of the time.

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

    Would the magically made stone tunnel disappear even if the caster lost consciousness?  No, if it did, there would be no magical structures. Virginia and Ophelia, as well as the Frontier Knight, fainted. While I reced the magazine of the PSS suppressed pistol, I slowly moved to the position where the gate of thebyrinth was visible.

    That leaves the four Sasanqua members.

    No scent of blood.

    I guess he sees no point in killing. Since thebyrinth has been conquered, I guess it can no longer consume corpses.

    Arrogant.

    But, Sasanqua isnt that easy!

    I knew it

    From the time I heard that Ophelia was moving with Sasanqua, I had a feeling that I would run into them one way or another. It wasnt just because I chose the Jonah avatar costume. Even if I was the famous ck mask Shaft, or the acquaintance Schwartz, I would still run across them.

    Malinda, were counting on you. Miche, Ru, dont stand in front, surround him.

    Leave it to me!

    Nyaa!

    Copy that.

    Malinda-san stood in front of me with arge shield, and Frau-san behind her. Miche and Ru slowly moved outward on my left and right. Same as the first move the Frontier Knights tried to takebut this time they cant afford tounch a first strike on the side. The strong presence that Malinda exuded took my eyes in.

    Is it some sort of skill? Or is it magic?

    Magical interference type attacks do not work for me, who is a Manuke. Except for the attack magic that embodies mes and water by magic, it shouldnt work on me at all. However, magic was not simple, and had a lot of freedom  it would be arrogant of me to believe that Impletely immune to it, just like Ruu said.

    So troublesome.

    Perhaps hearing my muttering, Malinda-san opened her mouth.

    Your opponent is here!

    The handle of the double-edged ax in her hand was struck against therge shield, and Malinda-san barked even more. I knew it, my focus was being forcefully directed to the tank that is the shield of the party. But thats fine.

    To destroy the teamwork of the adventurer party, you have two choices: crush the support role first, or crush the tank role. After that, taking them down one by one should be a cinch.

    Although I was able to subdue thebyrinth, it was never easy along the way. Considering the future exploration of thebyrinth, it would be a joke if I could not break through the defense of Malinda-san, who is an A-rank adventurer.

    Pulling out the grenade ax from my waist, I took a shooting position and pulled the trigger. The ax was loaded with smoke grenade bullets this time. Malinda-san responded to the action of pulling out a melee weapon, holding a double-edged ax in a half-body position, but the moment she saw the grenade ejected with a strange sound when the ax head was pointedshe immediately hid herself behind therge shield.

    Shes wary of getting shot. But, thats within my expectationthe grenade, whichnded right in front of the shield, started expelling white smoke. I quickly jumped into the billowing smoke.

    Malinda!

    Frau-sans voice could be hearding from the back. Right as my field vision was filled with white smoke, I turned FLIR mode ondespite being surrounded by thick white smoke, Malinda-san remained calm and kept her shield up all the time.

    Its awkward to challenge the Great Shield from the front so I moved in from the right and swung down the grenade ax with the intention of cutting off Malinda-sans left hand. However, despite being wrapped in white smoke and not being able to see this figure, Malinda sensed my attack and skillfully manipted therge shield with minimal movement to defend herself.

    Hmm

    Not so easy!

    She counterattacked with an ax swingbut I was able to dodge it by making use of the recoil from hitting her shield, plus a backward slide jump.

    The attack didnt stop there. Theres a dot on the radar that approached my location inside the white smoke at high speedit was already right behind me when I heard the muttering.

    Sword drawMikazuki!

    Ruu had released her skill without me realizing

    Kuh

    The moment Inded, I immediately followed with a high jump to leap over Ruu-santhe sword sh that was supposed to cut my back ended up shing empty air. While spinning in the air, I took another grenade pod hidden in my fur cloak and reloaded my axethis one was a live bullet, but ssh damage aimed at your feetaiming at a range attack. But the moment I thought I was in position tounch the grenade while still in midairMiche-sans dagger was already upon me.

    Gotcha-nya! Serpent Pierce!

    I couldnt dodge

    Since I was in the shooting position, I couldnt use the grenade ax to defend myself. But my left hand was free

    Nya?!

    CBS was deployed moments before I could get hitnow that Ive assimted with the power suit, I dont even need to press the button on my left hand anymore. I deployed the CBS only for an instance, enough to block the attack, before turning it off. As I fell down after the sh with Miche-san, trusting the trajectory shown on my vision, I pulled the trigger on the grenade ax on my right hand while striking the cat girls face with my left palm.

    Mi!

    Ruu-san called out to Miche-san, but her voice was soon drowned by the noise of the grenade explosion. If I remember correctly, those two were indeed pretty close. However, as much as I felt sorry for them, I wouldve died if I were a moment too slow. Miche-san was not knocked out by my palm strike. Blood trickled from her mouth, but otherwise shes still ring at me with her beast-like eyes.

    Both of usnded back in the throne room.

    As soon as I was hit on the floor, Miche-san moved to take her distance, but on the contrary I grabbed her by the back of the head with my left hand from behind and hugged her.

    Funya?!

    Miche-san made a strange voice, but I ignored it. Letting go of the grenade ax and pulling out the PSS suppressed pistol, I fired it under her belly where her bare skin is visible.

    Every time the trigger was pulled, Miche-sans hips would jerk. Even though it was a simted bullet, the shock of shooting through her lower abdomen at a close distance still caused her to spit out an unvoiced gasp and blood. Although she tried to free herself from me, I simply put more effort into hugging her to not let her escape.

    I kept pulling the trigger until Miche-san stopped resistingPSS can only load 7 bullets in its mags, but it and the palm strike to her chin earlier were enough to make Miche-san faint.

    Kill.

    Pushing Miche-sans slumping body away from me, I looked forwardthen immediately jumped away from my position to dodge the dagger thrown by Ruu-san.

    The dagger that was stuck in the throne room was a ck double-edged de that looked like a kunai. I guess even a swordsman keeps one or two ranged weapons on their person  I reloaded the PSS and returned it to the holsterat the same time, I reached around my back and pulled out the H&K UMP45. I also didnt forget to rece the live ammo with simted ammo.

    Ruu, its the ck cane! Malinda, take front!

    Okay!

    What about Mi?

    Her chest is still moving, shes alive.

    The moment she saw the UMP45, Frau-san immediately barked out instructions Malinda-san quickly moved in to cover Ruu-san who was still ring at me. Perhaps its due to Frau-sans support magic, but Malinda-sans great shield was coated with floating water, while her double headed ax with whirling wind.

    I heard you call yourself Jonah, ey? Lets have another go!

    Malinda-sans confident smile was dazzling indeed. I guess the watery coat increases the shields defense? And that whirling wind, not only increases attack power, it also seems to increase range. If I were to challenge all that directly, Id just end up tilting the bnce against myself

    This is bad

    Did Malinda-san hear my muttering? She had a slightly funny expression on her face, but as soon as I took out the tubr object from the pouch on my waist, her face turned tense. I had no intention of exchanging words with them. I have no intention of fighting until one of them dies.

    I pulled out the pin, and tossed the tubr object.

    The smoke screen again!

    A special grenade was thrown to explode at that delicate distance, which is a little too much to repel with a double-headed ax. but if she were to hide behind the great shield, shell lose sight of my next movement for a moment. The M84 sh bang, which had never been shown to the four, exploded with a dazzling sh and explosive sound that covered the throne room. Under the echo of the deafening sound, I could hear Malinda-sans roar.

    With the M84s explosion temporarily paralyzing her sight and hearing, I raised the UMP45 and aimed at Malinda-san.

    At the moment when M84 exploded, I saw the water clinging to therge shield spread like a barrier and move to prevent shes and explosions. It seemed as if it had taken defensive actions automatically, apart from Malinda-sans intention. However, the sound pressure of the M84 that exploded in front of me is not something that can be prevented by a wall of water. Sound pressure generated was even louder than the explosion sound emitted by a jet engine.

    The water shield was distorted like a waveand copsed.

    I aligned the crosshair to one corner of the great shield and fired in a short burst. Malinda-san hadnt fallen yet, but she was in no condition to hold the shield properly. My shooting pushed the shield beyond the range of motion of her wristcausing Malinda-san to let go of the shield, and exposing herself.

    Then I aligned the crosshair to her left ankle, and fired until Malinda-san was crawling on the floor on all four. Malinda-san was the tank of the party, so fittingly shes also the most durable. Therefore I aimed for her helmet-less head to quickly put her unconscious

    But behind her, I saw Ruu-san, already in a sword-drawing stance with her eyes closed.

    Sword drawDark Light  Eigen Grau!

    I pulled the trigger and Ru-sans single-edged sword shed almost at the same time. However, while my finger-cutting shot caught Malinda-sans head, using the delicate Aim adjustment, I directed some of the shots to Ruu-sans iing sword. It flew away and only damaged the walls.

    N, no way ca, cant see.

    Ive no idea what you cant seebut apparently the M84 was quite effective on Ruu-san. She was able to keep standing by using her sword as a cane, but I immediately shot her to submission. Ruu-san spat out a mixture of blood and gastric juice due to the bullet impacts, before losing consciousness.

    With this, only the leader Frau-san was left.

    She wasnt that affected by the M84 explosion. A short moment after the burst of sh and noise, as well as the fall of her two remaining allies, Frau-san canceled the chanting of her support magic and hurriedly switched to a spell with longer chant.

    Summon Guardian Aqua Knight

    At the same time as the magic name was dereda huge swirling water appeared.

    Never thought I have to use this.

    Frau-san quietly muttered. She wasnt talking to me. Rather, it seemed like she was thinking out loud unintentionally. The air around swayed as she raised her staff. Whether the magical power was being sent even after the deration of the magical name, she red at me with her long wand raised.

    Aqua Mist.

    I thought about interrupting the chant, but the swirling water next to Frau-san was worrying. When arge drop fell from the swirling water polo, it began to line up to a humanoid shapea knight in armor. Yes One party, one toon, one knight corps were born and lined up in an orderly manner.

    And the fog spilled over them, making it impossible to see even a few meters away.

    Its exactly as Ophelia said.

    Frau-sans voice echoes from the other side of the fog. I could hear it from all around me, as if it was an actual echo. The map in sight was not affected, but due to the ever-increasing number of light spots on the water dolls, it was already unclear how Frau-san was moving.

    Id like to ask you, are there any other undead that use the skillArms? And do you have memories of before bing undead? An adventure that uses the same skill is my acquaintance. These people, but do you know them?

    . Thats a fast one, and also a lot. Did she reach this conclusion after watching Jonahs fighting method? Seeing that she called me an undead, I dont think she realizes that this avatar was just a disguise.

    you may ask all you like. But, I will have to kill you if you know too much.

    The increasing number of dots in my radar had stoppedabout thirty of them more or less. And theyre spreading out within the fog.

    UnI know you wont give any answer. Thats alright, Im done with my preparation here.

    At the same time as that word, the fog that was blocking the view cleared up.

    Oyoy

    My voice spilled unintentionally. The knights of the water dolls stood in front of me, and themander, Frau-san, was standing behind them with dignity.

    Aqua Knights, defeat Jonah and retrieve the great magic stone before he could devour it.

    After saying thatmand, she left via the gate. When I looked around, I could not find Ophelia and all the other people I had knocked out.

    .did she just retreat?

    Behind the scenes of trying to get information from me by blocking the view with fog, it seems that she was actually preparing to withdraw. The summoning of these water dolls did not mean that they will attack by numbers. Perhaps the purpose was to upy me while recovering the incapacitated ally. She ordered the water dolls to retrieve thebyrinth core from me, but do they have the ability to do that?

    Well, shall we check it out?

    Theres no longer any need for the no-killing rule. I took out the General Electric M134 Minigun loaded with simted bullets in each hand. A total of twelve barrels began to rotate at high speed, then a roaring sound was heard to announce the final curtain of the Minebyrinth subjugation.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216

    The unnned reward proposed by Chancellor Zephanell was permission to attend Prince Ark Kurtmergas birthday banquet as Ashleys escort. The sudden proposal took me by surprise, but first I decided to listen in detail. At this event, Honorary Chancellor Zephanel will make an appearance in public for the first time in decades.

    And Ashley attending the banquet can also serve to make herself known as the next lord of the house. However, the protagonist of this banquet is Prince Ark, who will be apanied by Lapitirica Barga, the leading bride candidate.

    Andnot only the Prince, but every attendee will alsoe in pairs.

    Chancellor Zeparnell is likely to be apanied by Sharle-san, who will be dressed as a man. However, Ashley currently has no specific partner. The Zephanell family is one of the most important families for Kurtmerga Royal Family,.though their influence does not really stretch to the other nobles.

    However, as long as the immortal Chancellor Zephanell is alive, there is no doubt that theirs is the only family that has the biggest influence on the Royal family. By marrying Ashley and bing a member of the Zephanell family, it is synonymous with having the power to influence the Royal family. It is not impossible to reach the top beyond all the noble titles of other aristocrats.

    If Ashley is apanied by a young noble at this banquet, the envy and anticipation for that person would probably prevent people from celebrating Prince Arks birthday properly. The sweet juice that herpanion will getits like a huge elephant in the room that will attract all kinds of insects.

    The attendance of Chancellor Zephanell herself will most definitely turn the eyes of the banquet participants. If the next lord of the houses spouse is introduced there, the protagonist of the banquet will bepletely taken away from the royal family.

    Naturally, Chancellor Zephanell, who puts serving the Royal family as her first priority, would like to avoid that.

    Then why not go without apanion? I thought for a moment, but then its like dering Ashley is free. Unmarried aristocratic boys from all over the country will raise their hands to be the candidate for son-inw, causing further confusion.

    Thats why I was offered the position.

    Daikokuya, as a subsidiary of the Great Ravensburg Trading Society, has its own shop in the Royal Capital. In addition to that, the shop had several important people in national affairs as customers on the opening day. It is said that otherpanies are thinking that the shop will bite the dust because the products they handle are not avable at otherpanies, not to mention that the ce of production and the manufacturing method are unknown. And Schwartz, who is the only merchant of thepany, opened a shop in the royal capital, even though he has not been an apprentice or a subordinate at anypany in the past. Somepanies have of course already investigated his true identity.

    One is D-rank Adventurer Schwartz and the other is Map shop Schwartz.

    Other than that, not much else is known about him.

    What if the mysterious merchant apanies Ashley at a banquet? The eyes of the young aristocratic men who participate in the banquet will be turned to the suddenly appearing candidate. The Royal Capitals influential people and merchants invited to the banquet will be amazed at the appearance of the mysterious merchant.

    As a result, the attention to the Zephanell family should disperse a little thus making it possible to avoid taking the leading role in the banquetbut wouldnt that make me end up in the spotlight?

    Then, I will instead call the second son of the Guard Knight Captain to apany A-cha-

    Thank you for this reward.

    Having said that out of reflexI could hear Chancellor Bergmans muttering.

    the Guard Knight Captain doesnt even have a second son, you lucky magicless.

    Unable to change my answerI say nothing, while Chancellor Bergman sits back in his chair in dismay, and Chancellor Zephanell grinned.

    If so, then it has been decided! On the day of the dinner party, you shoulde to the venue early. To enter, just introduce yourself to the guards as the owner of Daikokuya. They will lead you to the waiting area this One is upying.

    Wear some nice attire. Also, its customary for men to bring gifts at birthday celebrations, so be prepared.

    What needs to be prepared?

    The voice belonged to Ashley who came by pulling the serving table.

    Ashley, who came into the drawing room, wore the same white kappogi and a white hood as Sharle-san. The ruby choker I gave her was shining around her neck.

    Since I gave it as a gift at the harvest festival after subduing the Green Demon Labyrinth, I often saw her wearing it so I suppose she really likes it.

    Oh, it looks like dinner is ready. This One is famished.

    Its for Prince Arks banquet.

    Eh? Will Schwartz also attend the banquet?

    Thats what happened. Originally I was nning to go to the venue to deliver fruit liquor.

    He will be there as an attendant to A-chan.

    Eeh?!

    Eeeee. !!

    Following Ashleys surprised voice was Sharle, who ced arge y pot carried from the serving table on the table in the drawing room.

    Charlotte, what do we have for tonight?

    Chancellor Bergman asked with a worried look on his face.

    I made it with my sister this timeits okay!

    Its a hot pot dish. This time, she didnt make a mistake in adding seasonings or overcooking the meat.

    Tonightor if this isdoes that mean she botched a hot pot dish before?

    Looking toward Ashley, I saw her open the lid of the y pot while turning her flustered face, and silently separate it into a number of bowls with a woodendle.

    M, more importantly! Do you really want Schwartz to apany you ?! Thats what my sisterthat  that  is that?!

    Sharle, Ill ask the predecessor slowlyter, so help me divide the food first.

    Hmm! Ill be there with you at that time!

    The two Chancellorsughed, watching the exchange between Ashley and Sharle-san. My cheeks also loosened into a smile, but more because the three members of the Zephanell family, even Chancellor Bergman, sat around the table like a family. Chancellor Bergman seems to have eaten here many times, and he probably has a fairly close rtionship with the Zephanell family.

    From there, there was no talk of the Devils Mountains or the banquet. It felt like a very ordinary dinner. The y pot dishes brought by Ashley and Sharle were simr to the mizutaki from my original world. There are plenty of vegetables, mushrooms, and chicken-like meat that I have never seen. The light but elegant and clear scent of soup stock stimtes the stomach.

    Next, the white rice that was taken out from the ohitsu was lined up. There is rice in this world as well. But most people only know to cook it into porridge. Maybe its more convenient for adventurers and explorers as it can be eaten with vegetables and meat.

    However, the white rice in the bowl ced in front of me is different.

    The sweet and mellow scent of rice drifted along with the warm white steam. Each white grain gives off a brilliance, which isparable to thebyrinth core. And a sweet moment begins. I could see that Chancellors Zephanell was as impressed with how the rice is cooked as I am. Shall eloquently told us the story of how she prepared tonights dinner, but was soon spoiled by Chancellor Bergman, whoughed at it.

    Ashley was the least talkative during meals. Every time she ate a bite, her facial expression would change to a smile. I can only guess that shes satisfied with the quality of the dish.

    I also held up the bowl in my hand and took the first bite of the freshly cooked white rice.

    Delicious.

    Its a simple word, but there are no other words. Theres no better word to describe this impression The heat passes well to the core of each grain of rice, but it is not too hot and not too slimy, and even the water vapor exhaled from the mouth gives off a scent that tickles the nasal cavity.

    The rice that went into my mouth was smooth, with moderate hardness and was not watery. A slightly sweet taste spread with every bite. I want to chew it all the time, but swallow itit feels good to be warmed from the core of my body as it passes through my throat and falls into my stomach.

    This rice tastes better than the rice cooked in the rice cookers in my original world. If it was cooked in the kitchen of this samurai-styled residence, could it be cooked in a y pot? In the previous world, I dont remember ever eating rice cooked in a y pot. Is this the true taste of rice  I never thought I would eat real rice in a different world.

    Next, I tried the hot pot dish. First, I had a little sip of the soupthe richly tasted soup reminds me of kelp soup stock. I wrapped arge cutlet of white meat in leafy vegetables and carried it to my mouththe gravy spilled out of leafy vegetables as I chewed.

    This is also delicious.

    The ingredients look a little different from the previous world, but the tasteits simr.

    Isnt there any sauce for this hot pot dish?

    Is the seasoning too light?

    No, its very delicious. Because its delicious, I want to enjoy this dish with more types of seasonings.

    For example, what do you want? Waterfowl pots are generally cooked with seaweed soup stock.

    Chancellor Zephanel taught me the general seasoning. This waterfowl hot potit looks like a mizutaki. I wanted to eat ponzu and sesame seeds in this world, but it seems that those are not somon here.

    Well, for example, this.

    While saying that, I put my hand in the cloth bag I brought from which I took out thebyrinth core, and summoned some seasonings from the food gift BOX, acting as if it was inside from the beginning. Looking at the small bottles lined up on the table one after another, Sharle-san picked it up with interest, opened the lid, and smelled it.

    Chancellor Bergman was more interested in the screw caps and hinge caps than the contents, and Chancellor Zephanel and Ashley dropped a little sauce on a small te to confirm the taste.

    Schwartz, what is this?!

    Many of the seasonings I put on the table were stored in the Continental kitchen space.

    At first, there was abel with unreadable characters printed on it, but I took it out and immediately peeled it off and threw it away. Even if there is nobel, the contents can be easily identified by the color and scent. All the seasonings lined up are suitable for hot pot dishes, and ponzu vinegar with yuzu, grated, salt, ginger, etc. Other than that, there was also sesame sauce, spicy sauce, etc.

    How much seasoning do you carry with you

    Eh? Eh, eh I dont have cooking skill, so its useful for these small bottles that I can carry around to add various vors.

    The waterfowl pot is certainly delicious as it isbut in terms of seasoning, it has a light taste. Delicious rice, delicious hot pot, and various sauces lined up on small tes. I know the breadth of vors because I know various seasonings and dishes in my previous world.

    However, the people of this world are not yet aware of it.

    The food I ate at banquets in the royal castle and the entertainment city of Veneer was excellent. However, it is not only because of the ingredients and cooking techniques; the existence of the skillCookingalso improves the taste of the foodthat is just how it is in this world.

    Because the existence of these skills is widely recognized, the culture of carrying boxed food or small bottles of seasonings has not developed.

    This may be one of the reasons why the culture of bento is still underdeveloped. If a cook with excellentCookingmakes a bento, you can enjoy delicious meals wherever and whenever you eat.

    However, the skillCookingis personal. It is not possible to mass-produce mechanically uniform dishes. Delicious food is exclusive, and it wasmon for people with excellent skills to get paid handsomely for it.

    On the other hand, the product called the bento that I promoted with Maridapany is cooked by adventurers and explorers with above averageCookingskill proficiency, instead of a cook with excellent skill. Providing easy and delicious meals to people, travelers and workersthats where the value lies.

    And what about the wines and seasonings I brought out of Continental?

    The wines that are always avable in Continental are also of the highest qualityand as for the seasonings in the kitchen.

    Delicious

    This scent, is it sesame? Its an appetite-inducing scent.

    This is a bit spicybut its a taste I can get used to!

    This one has a citrus scent, so just adding it a little will make the taste so colorful

    The seasonings are, of course, also of the highest quality. Delicious rice cooked in y pots, which I didnt have a chance to taste in the previous world. A simple but full-bodied waterfowl pot made from the ingredients of this world. And a lot of the finest seasonings I prepared. The dinner with a familial atmosphere, which turned into a seasoning test halfway, continued untilte at night.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217

    I stayed too long.

    I visited the Zephanels residence in the royal pce to report to Chancellor Bergman. We had a fun dinner afterward, where the finest seasonings I took out turned it into a timeless tasteparison show. The simple dinner quickly turned into a banquet and its participants became a group of drunk people who seriously talked about which sauce would suit them best, picking meat that resembled a lightly boiled birds beak.

    I enjoyed a lively time, but I guess I enjoyed it way too much that I far exceeded the curfew.

    However, perhaps because of how often Chancellor Bergman ended up staying the night here after dinner, a futon for amodation was prepared next to the guest room. I would also be staying here tonight, and head to Maridapany tomorrow morning.

    Now, Chancellor Bergman and I are staying in the guest room, reconfirming the report in the Devils Mountains and discussing how and when to deliver the reward. Ashley, Sharle-san, and Chancellor Zephanell headed to the innermost private space of the mansion, where they stayed for the night.

    This will be the ce.

    Chancellor Bergman, who sat on a tatami room table lit by faint magical light, removed the sses that look like reading sses hanging on his nose and dered the end of the discussion. Then, he moved his gaze from his notebook and showed a page to me, who sat on the other side of the table.

    By the way, Schwartz.

    What is it?

    It seems that there are rumors floating around the nobledies that the real face of the ck Mask Shaft seems to be quite ugly.

    Its embarrassing that the news has reached the ears of Chancellor Bergman.

    Im interested in your skill to change your face, but do you mind showing me a little?

    Chancellor Bergman knows that I and Shaft are the same person. Because both use amon weapon system called firearmsrather, the existence of Schwartz, who was known from the beginning as a [Magicless], and a mysterious mercenary who calls himself Shaft who subdued the Wolf Labyrinth alone. From the point of view of those who know the truth about [Firearms] and pedigree skills, it would not have taken so long tobine that trait with outstanding fighting ability.

    I didnt actually want to hide my true identity. Originally, I didnt know why I fell into this world, so I just acted to hide it.

    As a result, I knew why I fell and never returned.

    And I sworeto foil the crazy Evil God who dropped me into this world. Subdue thebyrinth that sprinkles harm on this world and destroys its existence. So far, I have been able to conquer threebyrinths; Green Demon, Wolf, and Mine. However,byrinths exist all over the continent and are still being born as we speak. My vow may end up being a lifetime of cat-and-mouse games, but I dont mind. By the time I was forced to choose to live as a single FPS yer in this world, I felt that my life in battle had been decided.

    However, FPS is not just a simple action game. Winning the game is not as simple as just shooting at your opponent.

    The most important thing is to show teamwork ording to the game rules and aim for victory as a whole.

    I may not be the only FPS yer in the world, a unitedpanion. Stillthe map in my view has a light spot showing Chancellor Bergman sitting in front of me, and the map of the mansion also has a light spot showing Ashley and the others. Often, there is a Heros line that says, Save all the people within your sight . In other words. Live to destroy thebyrinth. But it is not going to be a sacrifice to the world for everything that lives in this natural world.

    Instead I will save everyone shown in my radarI will save my acquaintances, friends, and people who I want to cherish. Its thepanions who I live with on this different world stagethats how we, as an FPS yer who values teamy the most, should live.

    Chancellor Bergman is also a person who can be recognized as an ally to me. There will be no problem in responding to the requests for me to show the true face of Shaft. I swung my hand lightly in front of my faceat that moment my face turned into a swanky zombie face.

    !

    It must have been a faster change than Chancellor Bergman had imagined. I opened my eyes for a moment and heard a slight breathtaking sound.

    Does it hurt?

    Is itthe exposed facial muscle? Or is it the left eye where the surrounding skin is sore and exposed?

    No, what the Chancellor sees is close to an illusion. You can actually touch it, but I dont feel any pain at all.

    I see, if you can make such a change in an instant, no one will think that Daikokuya Schwartz is the same person even if they can see the ck Mask Shafts real face.

    Though I have already been spotted by His Excellency and Chancellor Zephanell.

    Because we know about Trespasser, do you think we will believe any Magicless person as useless?

    Actually, how many people know about Trespasser?

    Well, in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, there are four people: I, Zephanell, King Arsika, the current king, and Prince Khan, the Crown Prince.

    I see.

    Four peopleless than I expected. I heard Prince Khans name for the first time. Is he the number one person in session to the throne? Other than that, this is also the first time I actually heard the name of the current King. I sometimes hear rumors about Royalty in the city, but he is only referred to as King or current King.

    One thing I can say is that no country is going to spread knowledge about Trespassers. There was once a King who directly acted in response to a rumor about another world. It is rumored that he has gone mad. A stupid vassal advised him to use force to acquire knowledge and property of another world.

    Will that happen?

    Now I cant say for sure. The Kingdom of Kurtmerga has been in existence for more than 500 years, but there are nations with a longer history on this continent of Ondo, and many nations have been destroyed. It is one fact that one of the causes is that a Trespasser has been involved in various ways. The skills and skills of a Trespasser are many times higher than those we have inherited over the years. Surely you can understand that?

    Yes, but its inconvenient not to be able to use magic.

    Thats because your skill is that kind of thing.

    Then, did anyone in the past ever use something simr to magic despite being a Magicless.

    Our founding king was also a Magicless, but he seemed to have used a number of magic that is still irreproducible up until this day.

    Is that different from skill?

    Indeed, it didnt activate as quickly as a skill, but the effect was said to be enormous. Its a magic that scorches the ground, crushes mountains, and parts the sea.

    Its like youve seen it.

    There is A person who ran through the Ondo continent along with the founding king, witnessed him destroy thebyrinths in various ces, and how he always stood on the front line to protect the country. Even after the Founding King abdicated, he continued to protect the country. Only those who survived the war hundred years ago could have seen the great magic.

    Could this person be Chancellor Zephanell?

    Chancellor Bergman didnt answer my question, butthe corners of his mouth were raised and he was strangely satisfied no, he had a proud look on his face.

    I would like to give you one piece of advice. He decided to step down from the front line because he had too much power, and he chose to work to nurture the younger generation. He wanted people to not repeat somethingone thing

    One thing?

    To never try to assume the form of a magic beast. Staying in that form for too long will cause the transformation to be permanent and corrupt your heart.

    Ill take that warning to heart.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218

    The next morning after staying overnight at the Zephanel Residence, I left the Royal castle at the same time as the gate opened and returned to Daikokuya. There is not much time left until Prince Arks banquet. I must also consider the gift of congrattions that is customary for male participants as well as delivering the Shaft wine to Marida Company.

    Goods to give to the Royal family of this worldhonestly, I had no idea. Maybe a precious metal? Or is it a rare ingredient? Considering this world, magic stonebyrinth core  No, it is too unnatural for Daikokuya Schwartz to have abyrinth core.

    Its been more than half a year since I fell into this world. The values of things have be quite clear, but they are only from the perspective of the general public, or from an adventurer or explorer. Although I regretted that I should have asked Ashley or Chancellor Bergman before leaving, Iid a transfer magic circle and a copy circle in Daikokuyas basement, and first jumped to the VMB garage.

    Its been a while since I came here

    From the time I decided to protect the phantom thieves Nekoyanagi in the Devils Mountains at the request of Chancellor Bergman, I could hardlye to this garage or private room. The main reason was that I had to leave Continental out as their living base, but as long as there is a restriction that two or more mobile vehicles cannot be summoned at the same time, this inconvenience will remain unavoidable.

    Moving to the Continental in the garage, I took out the finest wines and restored the vehicles durability. Repeat it several times to secure enough stock of Shaft wine. Next, I moved to the private room, started the notebook PC that can only be used here, and selected SHOP, which has interior furniture, avatar costumes, and items that can only be purchased here.

    I took a look at a variety of luxury interior furniturebookcases, sofas, appliances, musical instruments, beds, and more. There are many types and categories, but the party I would go to is a birthday celebration. It may be quicker to give furniture if its a wedding reception, but its not a wedding reception.

    Speaking of the essentials for a birthday party cake? However, there are no ingredients or food in SHOP.

    There is no status change such as hunger for VMB. This is because that kind of stuff is not necessary for apetitive shooter like FPS. Even if I try to reproduce the cake of the previous world with the ingredients of this world, I dont know how to make one, let alone the ingredients.

    However, I feel that the perspective of food in the previous world is not bad. At the moment I thought, I saw a banner disyed on the monitor of my notebook PC.

    Limited time offer! Special material BOX! This month is a wedding fair!

    It has been updated.

    The material BOX is a lucky bag whose contents are unknown. In other wordsits a gacha. It also contains up to six limited design color firearms and limited mobile vehicles. Monthly and seasonal BOXes are also on sale other than the standard types, and could be purchased with CP. Certainly, I saw this banner before. I remembered that it was a monthly firearm BOX, but I do not know when it was updated.

    I thought, Iunched the browsing function- ERROR

    It seems that theptop is not connected to the inte in the previous world. Then why It took only a short time to get to the answer. Even if I fell into this world and lost contact with the previous world, I was able to receive it only a few times.

    When I emailed the one who released me from bing a Labyrinth Master, and when I contacted the viin who dropped me into this worldthat crazy Evil God. The lineup of notebook PCs may have been updated in that short time. I can only think of that I dont know when in the previous world it connected to. Did it adapt to the calendar of this world, or did it coincide by chance?

    Anyway, in front of me, there is a material BOX in which wedding-rted objects are randomly enclosed. Guess I have no choice but to buy it. Just in case, I checked the offer ratio and the lineup. Rarity was set for the firearms and object items enclosed in the material BOX, and the probability was set very finely.

    The lineup starts with a gift bag, a wedding costume, a wedding car, a wedding ring, a limited interior design that transforms a private room into a wedding venue, a church type, and a reception hall type. And there was an item for decoration Wedding cakes, reception food sets, flower arrangements, candle sets, etc.

    In SHOP via TSS, the type of avatar costume is fixed to the gender of the character. If the gender is male, you can neither buy nor see for females. However, the material BOX is different. It was enclosed regardless of gender, and if a costume of the opposite sex came out, it could not be worn. So it was usually used for trading with other yers.

    And cooking is an object item that is treated as furniture. It was a lump of data that could not be eaten in the game, but there is no doubt that it can be eaten with the current VMB system that is already adapted to the real world. It has been proven with wines and seasonings brought out from Continental.

    However, the rarity of wedding dresses and wedding cakes is high. That also includes wedding rings, which can be said to be the protagonists of weddings.

    There are other firearms such as bouquet-type pistols and cracker-type grenades, but the most wanted is probably the cake. The food should be prepared at the venue, and even if I suddenly bring in an entire wedding reception, it wont be epted.

    However, if it is a wedding cake, it will be brilliant just to leave it. You cant say anything unless you actually try and taste itthere is no doubt that it will have an impact in terms on the confectionery technology of this world.

    The CP consumed when subduing the Minebyrinth is enormous. If I dont go to the Maridapany and purchase arge amount of non-attribute magic stones, future activities will be hindered. But first, lets spin the material BOX to secure a gift. Well, its just a wedding cakeit should pop out if I give it a spin a few times.

    I managed to get two wedding cakes. One for the gift and another for tasting. It cost me half of my current CP though

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219

    If you guys have any suggestions for another series, due let me know.

    _____________________

    Th-the second one finally came out

    Its been about two hours since I started buying the special material BOX from theptop in my private room.

    By paying 10 CP, you can get 11 Material Boxes as a bonumonly known as 10 consecutive gacha. I bought and opened it. After opening the eleven material boxes tens of times, I was able to get the second wedding cake. I consumed more CP than I expected. The wedding cake prepared as a prize for the special material BOX was divided into normal rare legendary epic and rarity.

    I was aiming for Epics Royal wedding cake, which was the highest rarity.

    It is a cake made by stacking whole types of cakes on a circr six-tiered pedestal, and each cake was decorated with fresh cream and white chocte icings in the form of borate flower and swirl patterns. You can even feel the noble atmosphere exuding from the whole cake. Looking at the vor texts, it seems that the cake was designed by a well-known confectioner who received orders for parties hosted by the British Royal family and world-renowned artists.

    In my original world, thepletion of the full dive type VR system that realizes the virtual reality world gave the world view of the game and the construction of the system infinite possibilities. It is now possible to experience things that are impossible to experience in the virtual reality world.

    What you experience and experience in the virtual reality world is not just to immerse yourself in a shooting battle action like FPS or a game world like MMORPG. Wearing dresses made by world-renowned designers, wearing supreme precious metals loved by historical figures, and attending balls and banquets at the gorgeous pce of the distant past. Its possible.

    I was able to enjoy it at a shopping mall with an infinite level and size built in the virtual reality world. No matter how high-ss clothes or precious metals you try on, you can try them on freely, and if you visit a famous restaurant, the electronic taste information will be sent as a signal to the brain, and you will feel as if you actually tasted the food.

    In the limited-time products such as VMBs special material BOX, the ones actually designed by the first-ss designers were often enclosed as a form of advertising. The same is true for the prizes at this wedding fair edition. We could even order and rent cakes and costumes for each rarity designed by famous pastry chefs and designers, some of which were actually identical to the real-world version.

    Recalling the overly convenient social environment of the world before that, I opened the material BOX that had not been opened yet. When summoned from the inventory to a private room, the animation colors are different from the supply BOX and mobile vehiclescolorful particles of light sparkle and the movement of the particles isrge, small,rge, and small

    Forming into one container. The coloring and size change depending on the rarity and type of prizes enclosed in the BOX. What appeared to be a small green container.

    Just normal + essory huh.

    I pressed and held the open switch on the front of the container to unlock it. A light fanfare can be heard from the sound-collecting sensor, and a dazzling light leaked from the slightly opened lid. I opened the lid while sighing silently, and checked the contentsa gift bag, a gift bag, a modern reception dish set (French food, hors doeuvre), and a wedding ring (WG). The minimum number of enclosed items is four, It is aplete deviation.

    I realized it by repeatedly buying this gacha. Each reception dish also has rarity, and are further divided into courses such as sds, hors doeuvres, and desserts. In other words, in order to use the French reception set, it is not possible toplete all seven courses in a single pull, and so on.

    Once I was able to get a gift for Prince Ark, I prepared everything I needed and headed to Marida Company.

    Thest time I visited Marida Company was before Daikokuya opening day. I felt like it had been a long time, but I asked the escort standing in front of the office to let me through. All the people concerned knew that Daikokuya Schwartz was already under the umbre of Marida Company, so the escorts who I only met for the first time still sent me in without any hassle.

    Im sorry to have kept you waiting. Im d that youre safe and sound, Schwartz-san.

    Its been a while, Malta-san.

    Malta-san, who smiled as he entered the drawing room, greeted me.

    I was worried because I heard from Alms that she hadnt seen you for almost three weeks.

    I had been back for some restocking, but Ive been working in the north for thest two weeks.

    North? Is it the Margrave of Dragrange?

    As expected, information spread fairly quickly. Did he know about the copse of the Drum Fortress, or has he heard the story of the hidden vige of Yoru?

    Well, thats about it. Today, Id like to deliver the requested Shaft wine, buying arge amount of non-attribute magic stones, and one request from Malta-san.

    [Thank you for arranging the Shaft wine. And please tell me anything, for this Malta will do everything in my power to fulfill it. However

    However?

    Im sorry. I have secured some non-attribute magic stones for Schwartz-san, but about a week ago, non-attribute magic stones were sold out in the cities and towns around the Royal capital, and now they are scarce. It will be difficult to secure the quantity for the time being.

    Hoarding? Did someone find any new usage for non-attribute magic stones?

    No, not that we know of. All we know is that the merchants under the Yamigasa Company go to thebyrinths around the world to buy them

    Yamigasa Company?

    Certainly, it is the samepany that bid off the Labyrinth Core that I brought back from Wolf Labyrinth at the Kings Festival. Like the Marida Company, it is one of thergest tradingpanies in Kurtmerga. They are also the sponsor of the Kingdoms oldest andrgest n, Rafflesia.

    Non-attribute magic stones are used as the initial fuel for various magic tools, but attribute magic stones are much more efficient. It can be obtained mostly in thebyrinth and in the natural world, and its value is the lowest among magic stones.

    Unless they specifically require non-attribute magic stones like me, I dont think its possible to run out of stock around the Royal Capital

    Thats right For the time being, Id like to buy everything that Marida Company has secured.

    Very well, Ill have it ready immediately. So what about the request?

    My cheeks loosen in spite of Malta-sans question. I got up from the sofa I was sitting on and moved to a ce with some space. Malta-san chased me with curiosity as I suddenly stood upbut we had a long-standing rtionship by now. He mustve known that I have something amazing in my pocket.

    Schwartz-san, whats next?

    Actually, Ill be attending Prince Arks banquet, and Ive prepared a congrattory gift. But Id like Malta-sans opinion about it.

    Huh! Did they notice Daikokuya right away!? Ive heard that the products handled by Schwartz-san have been a hot rumor around the royal castle. How envious.

    I wonder if Im looking back at the time when I was worried about the gift of celebration with my arms folded next to me, closing my eyes and continuing to talk, repeatedly nodding, Yeah, yeah.

    But then, who will be Schwartz-sans partner?

    Ashley Zephanel. In the first ce, I wasnt invited because of Daikokuya, but as an attendant to Ashley.

    I answered while operating the TSS, but there was no response from Malta-san. Mysteriously, when I looked sideways, he was standing there, wide-eyed, and his mouth was wide open. Never seen him acting like that before.

    Ashley is just a good friend.

    No, no, no, what are you saying, Schwartz-san!! This is the Ashley Zephanel of Kurtmerga, who hadpleted her training period in the fortified city of Barga and had captured many viins in the southern pirate subjugation we are talking about. The same person who rescued the people and the people of the Union of Filtonia Inds! Are you really talking about her?!

    Well, thats what it is.

    Thats what Schwartz-san, you are

    Thats actually the goaleveryone will wonder who I am, and at least the various gazes on the Zephanel family will be redirected to me instead. Chancellor Zephanel was bothered by this problem because she wants Prince Ark to remain as the focus of the banquet.

    Well Im certainly surprised by that, Schwartz-san.

    Its still early to be surprised. This is the gift Ive prepared for the Prince.

    I took out the festive items from the inventory on the screen monitorjust like that, particles of light gathered in one corner of the drawing-room, and a circr six-column royal wedding cake was summoned.

    What in the

    As Malta-san was stunned once again, I rxed my mouth feeling like a child who had carried out sessful mischief.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220

    The Royal wedding cake was summoned in the drawing room of Marida Company. The borate flower patterns and swirls applied by fresh cream and white chocte gave the white cake a sense of purity and nobility. As soon as the summoning waspleted, Malta-san rushed to the wedding cake and moved around the cake while silently wow-ing and sighing in admiration.

    Schwartz-san, which cook made this cakehow many Skills one should have to make this cake no, can something like this even be possible to be made?!

    And he rushed to me as if something inside him had flipped. He grabbed my arms firmly, so as not to let me escape.

    First of all, Malta-san, calm down!

    I AM calm! Shaft wine, shampoo, and the items that Schwartz-san prepares do not exist not only in Kurtmerga, but also in any of the many great powers on the Ondo continent! Where did you actually get it!

    Has he actually looked at countries all over the continent? Maybe I should let him know.

    Very well. Itll take too long to talk about everything, so Ill just go straight to the main points. Ive been meaning to let someone else know. I just wanted to decide who to talk to.

    Of course I wont tell this matter to anyone elsenot even Marida!

    Calm Malta-san and sit back on the sofa first.

    By the way, where should I start?

    Does Malta-san believe in God?

    God? Do you mean the Creator God?

    Maybe thats it. Can you tell me their name?

    Im afraid I cant! Besides, the name of the Creator God was forgotten long ago. ording to the old legend, when you say their name, all the magical power in your body will be consumed, and that can lead to death, so no one dares to say it. Thus the name disappeared from history.

    Thats the first time Ive heard it. After investigating this world at the museum in the fortified city of Barga, I was devoted to various requests and exploring thebyrinth, making the time to research something at the museum reduced. Creator GodA God whose name could kill someone when uttered. That is probably the one who released me from bing abyrinth master.

    Then, what about the Evil God who created thebyrinth?

    I know that is also an old God but what is the rtionship between the Gods and Schwartz-san?

    Its a very simple story. The Evil God brought me from another world to this world, and the Creator God saved me. All the products that I sell are from a different world. My original world that is.

    eh?

    Thats how it reacts. Malta-san had a confused look on his face, and was left speechless for a while.

    However, this is the truth. Although I skipped the things about the power of VMB, whether I was originally dropped as the dungeon master of thebyrinth, or how I have a tireless game avatars body for now. Being sent here by one God, released by yet another God and left alone herethats my story.

    Sh, Schwartz are you a child of God?

    Im not.

    Then are you an Apostle?

    I dont think thats the case either.

    I replied to Malta-sans question almost as soon as the words left his mouth. That crazy Evil God called me my child. But I dont want to be a child of an Evil God. At the same time, I have no intention of bing some sort of a messenger for the Creator God. I think that being wouldnt want that either.

    Then who are you?

    Im just myselfSchwartz, and Shaft.

    And also Jonah.

    Malta-san didnt seem to be convinced yet. Rather, it may be said that to him the mystery has only deepened.

    However, I dont think saying that I am a person who has moved from the present age of the historic Earth to another world and has a VRFPS game system called VMB would be any more believablethough maybe if I say that I am a formerbyrinth master. But I dont think I can do that. Rather, it only causes extra confusion. One cannot understand what he does not have the knowledge and what he cannot imagine.

    In other words you came from outside the continent of Ondo? How do you order the products?

    Can you see this?

    Wave lightly in front of Malta-san. Whates to mind is the window monitor of the TSS Tactical Support System.

    This is something that Schwartz-san fiddles with asionally

    As expected of Malta-san-sanperhaps he already knew that it was not a magic tool? No, there arent many magic tools that I can handle as a Magicless in the first ce. And the window monitor, whose disy contents change rapidly, does not look like a magic tool.

    This was given by God Well, its a miniaturized version of the transfer magic circle. Its transferring merchandise from a faraway ce.

    Such a thing

    Malta-san terrifyingly reached for the window monitor and muttered, Can I touch it? which I nodded lightly to. Receiving my agreement, Malta-sans finger touched the screenand went through.

    After all, the VMB system continues to assimte with me. It cant be used by anyone other than myself. Originally, I couldnt hand over the firearms, and I had a clue that some kind of protection was working on the system. Malta-san is constantly poking her finger at the window monitor, which he couldnt touch even if he tried to.

    How about this?

    That said, it was the magic tag that was summoned to the table.

    This is?

    This is a magical tool given by God that allows me, who is a Magicless, to use transfer circles and copy circles.

    Is this also!

    Malta-san slowly reached for the magic tag ced on the tablebut stopped shortly before. After looking at me for a moment, he first checked if he could touch it with his index finger.

    Apparently, he could.

    I can touch this oneeh? No way this is no, thats

    Just touching the identification tag changed Malta-sans expression. The protruding finger trembles in the airit travels from finger to hand and from hand to arm. He took out a small loupe used for magic stone appraisal from his chest pocket and leaned forward without touching the identification tag and began to examine it.

    Schwartz-san I wouldnt be able to understand all your storiesbut with this one magic tool alone, Im convinced now that everything you say is true.

    Oh, thank you.

    Does Schwartz-san know what this magic tool is made of?

    No, I dont knowsilver no, Mithril perhaps?

    It looks like that at first nce, but its not. The material of this magic tool is called orichalcosa divine mineral. Im sure of it. I once appraised the Heka Staff that the founding King used habitually.

    The Founding King A person who came to this world after being dropped from the same different world as me. Considering the circumstances, it is not difficult to imagine that I made contact with the Creator God or the Evil God like I did.

    Is this magic identification tag? Even from a nce I could tell that it is made of ore that is exactly the same as the wand of the Founding King. We call it Orichalcos, and it is known as a mineral created by God.

    Malta-san didnt touch the magic tag but treated it as if it were something extremely valuablea precious thing that may melt or disappear if touched.

    Its best not to show this magic tool to anothers eye. If they see what I see, they will notice the immeasurable value at a nce.

    Ill do just thatMalta-san, lets get back to the story.

    We returned to talk about the royal wedding cake after I collected back the magic tag.

    Afterward, we invited Marida-san, Minea, and employees of thepany for a wedding cake tasting party. I knew that the cake wasnt an imitation, so the only remaining issues were its taste and means of transportation, and the arrangements to give it as a gift to the Prince. Whileughing bitterly at the voices of girls and children, while enjoying the taste of cake, which is definitely a first-ss product, I continued the talk with Malta-san, to whom I feel my trust has deepened.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221

    A few days after sharing some of my secrets with Malta-san, the ceremony was held at the Royal Castle to celebrate the adulthood of Ark Kurtmerga, the Third Prince of the Kurtmerga Kingdom. Only Aristocrats with a noble title can participate in the ceremony. And on this day, Honorary Chancellor Zephanel also entered the Royal Castle instead of staying in her residence to participate in the ceremony.

    And at the end of the ceremony, Ashley Zephanel was specially invited to the venue, and Chancellor Zephanel informed the current Kings and Royal Aristocrats that the former had been selected as the next head of the Zephanel family.

    In the evening of that day, the citizens of the Royal Capital held banquets everywhere to celebrate the birth and adulthood of Prince Ark, and therge venue in the first districtthe Flyhighs were filled with a gathering of the influential people of the Kingdom and the Royal Aristocrats.

    The Countess of Betten has arrived!

    Direct the people to the table! The carriage is getting clogged.

    Please keep the gifts with you and carry them to the waiting room, and dont forget to make sure your name tag is on it!]

    Hey, this isnt the venue, right?

    I received an additional Shaft wine from Marida Company!

    Leader! Only employees are allowed here!

    Let the maids carry it as an apritif, dont let them drink too much!

    Thats right! Lets enter the venue early and eat food!

    You can put therge furniture brought by Yamigasa Company in the back as a box, and you cant open it at the venue anyway!

    Oh! Lets go!

    I went inside from the delivery port of Flyhigh and witnessed the inspection work with Malta-san, after submitting the Shaft wine and Prince Arks gift. The Shaft wine was delivered once a few days ago, but as soon as it was decided that it would be served at the dinner party tonight, many inquiries from influential people and Aristocrats who came from the region to the Royal Capital came in, as it could also be used as a souvenir. I was asked for more deliveries.

    The confirmation of fruit liquor is over. Next, it is a gift from Daikokuya Schwartz. Whats inside?

    The contents are exotic cakes specially ordered from outside the continent of Ondo. I have already talked to the chef, so I will put them in the food storage.

    Just in case, can I take a look inside?

    Yes, of course, but Id like to see the tasterter.

    The inspection was carried out under the supervision of Flyhigh employees and the Central Knights.

    The delivery of the cake itself seemed to be going smoothly, but the noises captured by the sound-collecting sensor and the movement of the dots on my map made it feel like I was in a warzone.

    Its easy to see that they were busy guiding the Aristocrats who areing in one after another and preparing stuff before the banquet begins. I guess thebined hustle and bustle of the attendees and the employees was what made the ce look like a battlefield?

    After finishing his job as a merchant, he attended a banquet as an attendant to Ashley. Malta-san returned to the factory to pick up Marida-san, while I decided to rent a space in the Flyhigh changing room to change my outfit.

    Its the first time for Schwartz to attend a party that requires formal wear, but as with Shafts, hed choose a white vest and tailcoat from the avatar customization.

    The design of the tailcoat is slightly different from that of Shafts. It may not make much sense because its only a minor difference, but I didnt have the courage to stand in exactly the same clothes in front of Lapitirica-sama, who Ive seen many times.

    Checking the time disyed in the field of viewI decided it was a good time and started moving to the guest waiting room at Flyhigh. I have to greet the Honorary Chancellor Zephanel and pick up Ashley. Also, Sharle-san, who will be attending as an attendant of the Chancellor. It seems that the story has indeed been passed on to the guarding Central Knights. I was able to proceed just by mentioning the name of Daikokuya and showing my Merchant Guild card.

    Weapons and hidden equipment were checked at the time of initial entry, and arge magic team was prepared in the basement of this Flyhigh. Theyre to set up the barrier that interferes with the activation of magic and skills in the venue by the time the dinner party starts.

    The same magic circle is alsoid in a part of the Royal Castle. Apparently, it can not be activated all the time because it consumes arge amount of magic power and magic stones, but it is activated in an emergency or at a big party to keep the inside of the venue safe.

    However, that doesnt mean the side guarding the venue cannot use magic or skills. The official armor of the Central Knights is crafted to invalidate this barrier, which means that the venue and the Royal Castle are fully protected even with the barrier on.

    Looking at the armor of the knights of the Central Knights who I passed by, I was reminded of that story that I heard from Malta-san. The guest room of the Zephanel family came into view. Two escorts stood in front of the doorI called out to the men who are most likely members of Lily of the Valley.

    Im Daikokuya Schwartz, and Ivee to pick up Miss Ashley Zephanel.

    Please wait a moment.

    I could hear one of the escorts entering the guest room and informing the upants that Im here. There was only one voice answering; Ashleys. The number of dots on the map showed that Chancellor Zephanel and Sharle-san were not in the guest room.

    Please, Ashley-sama is waiting for you.

    Thank you.

    After being prompted by the escort, I entered the guest room. The interior was a simple room with white as the base color, but the round table and chairs ced in the center were delicate and beautifully crafted.

    And Ashley sat in one of the pairs of chairs that were facing each other.

    She wore a light blue evening dress. Her red hair glittered gold, and the ruby choker ne that I gave her was hanging on her neck. Shes more beautiful than everholding the teacup on the table with both hands, her downcast face rose as I approached. Just before I could say that the dress looked good or that shes beautiful or whatever thing that crossed my mindour eyes met.

    Ah, what an eye I think shes about to cry

    Hey, Ashley the banquet will start soon, but whats with the long face?

    There was no response from Ashley. Her mouth moved a little, but there was no voiceing out.

    I sat on the chair facing her and waited for her words. A longsting silencethe meaning of which is imaginative. Having been selected as the official next head of the Zephanel family, she probably heard a lot from Chancellor Zephanel. For example the truth behind Magicless

    You mustve asked Chancellor Zephanel about me.

    In that one sentence, Ashleys shoulders tremble.

    At that time?

    The voice that I finally heard is a question that hides what it points to. What? Im not going to ask Manuke about things like that.

    Yeah I fell here in the grasnd near that goblin burrow.

    The grasnd where I fell into this world and woke up for the first time. It may be said that that was the time I was born in this world.

    The first thing you did when you came to this world

    Thats what happens.

    Since thenIve just been helped by Schwartz

    The line of sight rises from the empty cup, and Ashleys eyes catch me straight. If I were asked what I care about the most

    Do you know what crossed my mind when I fell into this world? The strange scenery, the unknown ce, the first goblin I saw, and

    Eh? Return to your original world.. maybe?

    No.

    Then perhaps why did youe to this world?

    Thats not it either.

    Then running away?

    Its the oppositesaving you, Ashley. That was the first decision I made when I fell into this world.

    That

    Ashley was surprised at my answer, and the tremors on her shoulders traveled from her arms to her hands, even to the fingers holding the cup.

    Ive really been getting help from you all the time.

    Thats not the case

    I reached out to cover Ashleys hand and wrapped her quivering hand with mine.

    Iyour existence is what helped me to go on.

    That daysince I woke up in that strange meadow, Ashley has been the only one who has seen the essence of my being. At a nce, shed recognize me, no matter what I was. No matter as Schwartzor as Shaftor as Jonah. The existence of someone who understands me, I think is more precious than anything else. The most important person who deserves to be protected.

    Unthen Ill continue to help you. Daijo

    Ashleys words broke there for a short while. Her hand tremors visibly stopped. And her sad expression turned to a slight smile.

    Da dai jobu, daijobu

    That one word isthe Japanese I spoke to Ashley in that goblin burrow. She shouldnt know the correct meaning, but her heartfelt words made me smile.

    Ashley Zephanel, the next head of the Zephanel family, swears here. To protect you from all the Aristocrats, merchants, and ns who want to use youthe Magicless no, the Trespasser for their own self-interest.

    Then I swear too. Schwartz Powderno, I should use my real name Ren Saito swears here. To protect you from all threats, violence, and cmities.

    Ren? Fufu, nice to meet you.

    Yeah, nice to meet you toofirst of all, tonights banquet. Ill do my best to apany you.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222

    From the guest room of the Zephanel family, I went out to the aisle with Ashley, and there was a man and a woman who seemed to be members of the intelligence n Lily of the Valley, which reports directly to the Chancellor.

    Im Roy from the Lily of the Valley. Next to me is my sister Rachel. From now on, Well be exclusively guarding Ashley-sama.

    Roy and Rachel are both green-haired elves. They said they were brother and sister, evident from their simr looking faces. Although their face is youthful, the elf is long-lived and thus it is difficult to guess the age just from the appearance.

    Because she is about to be assigned as the next family head, Ashley, it may be an age that ismensurate with sufficient experience and ability.

    Nice to meet you two, Roy-san and Rachel-san.

    Just Roy is fine. Please call my sister Rachel.

    Alright, Roy, Rachel, once again, nice to meet you two.

    Yes, lets head to the venue. We will talk about our future ns while walking. We have heard from Schwarz-dono and Zephanel-sama that there is no problem.

    Well, dont worry, I wont betray Ashley Zephanel.

    Hearing my reply, Roy was only slightly rxed, but his sister Rachel, who stood behind him, blushed and Wow-ed. But I ignored it. The banquet that I attended in the entertainment city of Veneer was seated with the seating order specified, but tonights banquet will be held in a standing style.

    Not only Prince Ark, who is the main character of the banquet, the First and Second Princes will also participate. The banquet will be hosted by the Second Prince, and since the current King celebrated Prince Arks adulthood at a ceremony during the day, the banquet is mainly for his brothers to celebrate their younger brothers birthday.

    Chancellor Zephanel participated because she was invited by the current King.

    In addition, nobles children and influential merchants who have not participated in the ceremony will participate with their partners. Ashley confirmed the situation while listening to the names and characteristics of important people from Roy.

    Whilst watching the situation from behind, I walked to the venue.

    Ah, Schwartz-san? What kind of rtionship do you have with Ashley-sama?

    Rachel, who was walking beside me, asked. The rtionship between me and Ashley?

    I cant express it in one word. I think its more than an acquaintance a friendmore than that too.

    Wow so you two are lovers? No, no, no, the fact that the predecessor approved this, is, is uhhh

    Rachel turned away and muttered in a whisper in response to my reply, but the sound collecting sensor caught it either way. I know what you mean. However, the rtionship between me and Ashley cannot really be described by a single word. Is she my lover? Fiancee? CertainlyI and Ashley made an oath to each other. From each others standpoint, protect each other with the power we havemay sound like a proposal

    Schwartz, I cant enter the venuewhats wrong, your face is bright red?

    Oh, yeah, its nothinglets go.

    I came to the front of the door that seems to be the main venue. The map showed arge hall behind the door and many dots. Also, in front of the door, there were two Knights, as well as the dignified Sharle-san, dressed in a male Knights clothes, along with Chancellor Zephanel, who was standing with her hands on her hips.

    Ah-chan, Schwartz, you arete.

    Yeah, Schwartz, dont let the predecessor wait, were hungry!

    Who is hungry again?

    Sorry to keep you waiting.

    Chancellor Zephanel wore a yellow one-piece dress. Combined with her porcin-like white skin, her appearance is cute like a fairy.

    When you are ready, you may go inside.

    One of the Knights standing in front of the door called out to us. Roy and Rachel remained here, waiting for Chancellor Zephanel, Sharle-san, me and Ashley to join hands to open the door.

    I heard a voice calling the visitors names from inside the venuethe door slowly opened. I could hear cheers and pping sounds.

    The dinner party had already started. Light and graceful music is yed, and many Aristocrats and influential merchants hold sses in their hands. The conversations and celebrations were interrupted to wee Chancellor Zephanel.

    An individual who has lived with the Founding King before the founding of the Kurtmerga Kingdom, and has devoted herself to the Kingdom and the Royal Family since then. There are many people who want to cling to the prestige of the name, but a lot more have gathered due to respect and awe. Not to mention the three princes who woulde in after thisthe apuse that echoed in the Flyhigh was greater than the apuse that greeted the current King at the Kings Festival.Advertisement

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    Sorry for the dy. Lots of drama and sudden changes in schedules threw me so hard. lol.

    _ _ _ __

    The members of the Zephanell family, led by Chancellor Zephanell, were greeted with great apuse. The apuse changed sparsely when they saw meing in. Not only Chancellor Zephanell and Ashley, the next head of the family, but also Sharle-san were recognized by the participants of the dinner party  but I was not. Some people may know Daikokuya Schwartz, or map seller Schwartz, or my other nicknames. However, I barely spent any time on the sales floor after the opening of Daikokuya.

    Since I left most of the sales floor to Amy and Presera, who came to help from Marida Company, while I went on an expedition to the Devils Mountains and talked with Chancellor Bergman and others.

    Only a few actually know my face

    Oh! Daikokuya Shwartz! Never expected to see you here.

    A little distance from Chancellor Zephanell and Sharle-san, who began to be surrounded by aristocrats as soon as they entered, I was approached when I received two wine sses from the waitress.

    Good evening, Crude-sama. Im apanying Ashley tonight. And this should be my first time meeting you together with your wife. Im mostly known as Daikokuya Schwartz, a simple merchant doing his business in the Royal Capital.

    It was the adviser of the Knights, Arley Crude who called out to me. A mature woman who seemed to be his wife stood next to him.

    Good evening, Crude-sama and his wife. Are you acquainted with Schwartz already?

    Ah, Ashley Zephanell. Still gorgeous as always today. I have Daikokuya to thank for the miracle water, and look at this. This is the result.

    Daikokuya? Is this the person whom you bought the Hair Tonic from? You keep saying it was miracle water, even keeping it with you while sleeping.

    Shush, Sherry. It would be embarrassing if others know and the Knights leaders would crush my face.

    Shaking the ss with such a funny storySir Crude was embarrassed, but he was constantly putting his hand on his head. When I first met him, he was suffering from early baldness that caused him to have an M-shape hairline. But now it has changed to a beautiful full hairline.

    Oh, thats true. Anyway, Ashley-san, your hair is beautiful. It smells good. What are you using?

    As Sherry-san said, Ashleys red-gold hair was brighter than anyone else. The hair of Chancellor Zephanel, Sharle-san, and some beautiful women shining over the venue, all of which are probably due to the shampoo and conditioner sold at Daikokuya. With Sherry-san wow-ing over Ashleys hair quality on the side, there is no shortage of topics here.

    Well, its been a hot topic among the eagles who would stand next to the next head of Zephanell, but this is quite unexpected.

    There are various things

    Various or, but look behind you, slowly.

    Looking back slightly in response to Sir Crudes words, I could still see the Aristocratic sons stuck with their partners. Despite havingpany already, the eyes of the sons nced at Ashley and me.

    They are young men who havent gotten a title yet. Will they join the Order or serve in the territory of their parents? Well, they are promising but have few choices. The story is different if they can get closer to someone important. It might be one of the few turning points for them

    Even if you say so

    Thats rightbut be careful. If anything, theyll drag you down from the side of Ashley Zephanel in silent unity. For us, its a trivial matter. But, I dont want Daikokuya to be closed. ]

    I know what Sir Crude wants to say. He knows that Ive sent a ck Shaft into the Devils Mountains at the behest of Chancellor Bergman, though I feel like what he cares about is to get a hair tonic. He knows that I made arrangements to crush the Drum Fortress and hide the Princess of the Kingdom of Drak in the hidden vige of Jormu.

    But, of course not everything about that assignment, so to speak.

    But well, thats okay. It was Jonah who went wild in the Devils Mountains, and very few know that I was directly approached by Chancellor Bergman, and these will not be made public, including the fact that Shaft IS Schwartz.

    Thank you, Ill be careful.

    After giving a tentative reply, there was a voice in the hall, announcing the entrance of the three Princes.

    The elegant string music yed by the orchestra stopped, and a solemn song began to y from a keyboard instrument that looked simr to a pipe organ. The voices calm down, and the eyes of all the participants gather at one door.

    From the back of the slowly opened door, six figures approached. There were three familiar footsteps.

    First personNo, the first couple came in.

    Prince Khan..

    Prince

    I recall he was only sitting at the ceremony

    He has already recovered to the point that he could walk.

    The surrounding aristocrats saw the first group and let out their voices. Crown Prince Khan KurtmelgaThe Future King who is first in line for the throne. However, his body looks too thin Is it due to some kind of illness? He had a cane in his right hand, and he walked while being supported by a woman who seemed to be hispanion for the party. No way, the Prince, who had never seen or talked to him in the Royal Capital, was in a state where he couldnt walk without being supported

    With the appearance of the Crown Prince, one hand began to be struck one by oneit changed to cheers and apuse. Sir Crude approached next to me as I vaguely stared at the scene and tried to catch it.

    Is this your first time seeing the Crown Prince?

    Eh, yes

    Does he look unwell after all?

    Ishe sick?

    Yes. The Crown Prince was born with much more magical power than normal humans, and it is eroding his body. There is no cure or method, and the umted magical power must be consumed in the form of magic and constantly released. It is said that his body will eventually copse.

    But, isnt he the crown prince? Isnt it better to recuperate somewhere and find a way to treat it?

    Following Prince Khan, the Second Prince, Kilik Kurtmelga, appeared. Standing next to him was a woman with a very shy outfit, and while Prince Khans pair was a neat and calm woman, this one who apanied Prince Kilik was like the total opposite.

    He cannot do that.

    Why?

    Because he is the eldest son of the Royal Family, and the second-ranked sessor is Kilik. If you keep moving under Bergman, you will soon hear various things about him. If Kilik seeds to the thrhis country will change.

    Sir Crude never mentioned how it would change.

    The apuse for weing Prince Killik is sparse Rather, the difference between those who greet and those who do notis huge. Younger Aristocrats are more enthusiastic, and older Aristocrats are less enthusiastic. Speaking of Prince Kilik, he is the master of thergest n in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, Rafflesia. Near the entrance, one could see the Vicemaster of Rafflesia, the tall Elf Knight with a blonde ponytailFelix Mendoza.

    Felix was not weing Prince Kilik, his own n Master, and instead was looking elsewhere. Following his line of sight There was Prince Khanand Honorary Chancellor Zephanel. They sat on a long sofa with delicate carvings, which can be said to be a guest seat, with a ss of wine in one hand. I watched as the two people started chatting.

    Then, I looked back at Felix. His expression looked emotionless, but his eyes were ruthless and harbored a dark muddy light.Advertisement

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224

    Following Prince Khan and Prince Kilik, tonights protagonistsPrince Ark, who hade of age, and his Princess candidate, Lapitirica, entered the area. Prince Ark has just reached adulthood at the age of 15. He still looks like a child, probably because of the brown mushroom hair along with the Knights attire that is a little too big for him. A design that looks like a junior high school uniform didnt help either.

    However, he is already as good as an adult in this world. There is no sign of being frightened by the eyes of many Aristocrats and influential people. He is escorting Lapitirica with a truly dignified movement.

    Lapitirica wore the same blonde short bob and white evening dress as when I was requested to escort her. A neat and clean look suitable for a bride. The Princes sat in the guest seats, and all the gazes of the dinner party participants were focused there. The music that had been ying stopped, so I thought that Prince Ark, the main character of the party, would start his greeting speech.

    Everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart for gathering tonight at a feast to celebrate the birth of my beloved brother, Arksing of age.

    The greeting was instead started by Prince Kilik, who sat in the center of the two-seat sofa lined up in the guest seats. The silver-haired half-elf stood up with a ss in his hand and first thanked the participants.

    Tonight, my brother and sister Cyril areing, and more than anyone else, Im d to have her here today-Yuki Zephanel, the elder of the Zephanel family and an immortal loyal retainer.

    However, what follows is how gorgeous and majestic this banquet was, how much money was spent, the famous skill cooking was called, and the band that gathered the skill ying. Such a boastful story continuedzily. The story wasnt too really interesting, so all I remember was the name that Prince Kilik first said. I heard Chancellor Zephanels name for the first timeYuki as in Snow in japanese?

    The Founding King is the same as me. I dont know exactly what kind of game ESO likes, but just like me, hes a person who was dropped from the game world to this world. It seems that Chancellor Zephanel and the Founding King had been acting together since time immemorind to be named Yukiits like

    Prince Kilik should not have mentioned that name casually The elders mood would get worse.

    It was Ashley who came back next to me to mutter.

    I heard the name for the first time, but does Chancellor Zephanel hate being called that way?

    That is not really the case, Schwartz. The elder cherishes that name very much. Her name is her only remaining connection with the Founding King, so she rarely allows anyone to use that name. Only when the elder gets drunk does she mellow out and is willing to talk about it.

    Indeed, looking at Chancellor Zephanel, the hand holding the ss is quivering strangely. Although she kept a smiling expression, a frown was visibly appearing on her temples. Sharle-san, who sat next to her, was visibly angry. I dont know what to do, my eyes are swimmingpletely.

    And the bragging story continues Now its the topic of Rafflesia, given that he is the n Master. With the topic of Lapitiricas subjugation of the Green Demon Labyrinth as a side dish, he talked about Rafflesiasbyrinth-capturing effort so farhe enthusiastically talk about how much Rafflesia yed a part in the subjugation of the Green Demon Labyrinth.

    Looking at the expressions of Prince Ark and Lapitirica with a slight smirk, the men and women standing near the guest seatsthe Vicemaster of Rafflesia Felix of Thunderstorm and Princess Cyril standing next to them.

    So Felixs partner is the Fourth Princess?

    Perhaps he noticed my line of sight, Felixs line of sight moved and oveppedbut that was only for a moment, and he immediately took off his line of sight, and was silently listening to theints of Princess Cyril standing beside him.

    Apparently, Im not the only one tired of Prince Kiliks long-winded bragging. Prince Khan, who had been listening to the greetings with a smile, finally opened his mouth.

    Kilik, if you keep talking so much, your throat will soon dry up. Its unfortunate that everyone cant drink this mellow-scented fruit liquor before you do. Lets have the first toast, to celebrate Arksing of age.

    A powerful voice that goes through every corner of the venue, which I would never have thought coulde out from a sickly slender body. In a word of Prince Khan, I heard sneakingughter all over the venue.

    Pardon me. So everyone, lets moisten our throats first. Then let us celebrate Arksing of age grandly and thank you for your continued supportCheers.

    A ss was hung up in the hall to match Prince Kilik.

    When the dinner party started, the visitors started to move as they pleased.

    Starting from the one with the highest rank, they headed to the guest seats, greeted Chancellor Zepanel and the three Princes, and congratted them. Though the actual order was not clearly decided. Who is heading, who is not heading, can be swiftly guessed or not? That is the Skill necessary to seed as a nobleman and a great merchant.

    However, I dont have that Skill There are only a few Aristocrats here who I recognize. As long as Im attending Ashley, I need to say hello at some point what should I do?

    Schwartz, lets head outI dont have a title yet, and youre a new merchant. No matter who you go to, youll probably be ignored.

    Ashley standing next to me whispered softly, perhaps because I felt my hesitation.

    Lets do that, its a special dinner party, do you want to eat something?

    Yes, lets do just that.

    Beside the line leading to the guest seats, we moved between the Aristocrats and merchants who were chatting and headed for the table where the grand meal was ced. I have participated in several buffet-style parties in my original world. There are different etiquettes from the seating style, not all of which are the same as in this world, but they should not make a big difference.

    Do not eat or drink near the table where meals are served, take only the amount that can be put on one te in one hand, and move to the table for meals where nothing is ced. There was one waiter on the table. It will be a consideration to reduce the burden on the visitors as much as possible, such as exining the dishes and collecting the dishes.

    Ashley also made a quick selection while checking the ingredients and seasoning a few times. However, Im really worried about the others line of sight. The stares were not directed at Ashley, who was eating with a smile, but to me was standing next to her.

    There are three main types of guests that I noticed were watching meOne was from middle-aged Aristocrats interested in seeing a neer. Another gaze directed by a young aristocrat who is reluctant to look at neers. And finally, those who are not Aristocratstheir gaze was as if they found a money tree, directed by leading merchants near the Royal Capital.

    The banquetIts not exactly a party for eating. One manner is to reach out to those who participate in the same meeting and act to expand the circle of exchange. It doesnt matter what the reason for talking to you is, from the trivial recent situation, from the rtionship with the organizer, the exchange starts from casually talkingyes, like this.

    Have you been here, Schwartz-san? And Ashley Zephanel-sama, we finally met for the first time. I run Marida tradingpany mainly in the Royal Capital. My name is Malta. This is my wife Marida. It is nice to see you

    Im Ashley Zephanel, the next head of the Zephanell family. Speaking of Marida Company, you must be the people who are doing various business with SchwartzIve heard of you before, but its the first time weve met indeed.

    The ones who came to us were Malta-san, who was dressed as a merchant, and Marida-san, who was wearing an elegant light blue dress instead of the usual clerical dress. The first woman and first friend I met after falling into this world. Its been a long time since then, but apparently it was their first time meeting.

    With Malta-san initiating the conversation, those who were just looking at us slowly approachedthe merchants.

    If it isnt the chairman of the Maridapany and his wife. How is your business? It seems that you have been attracting a lot of attention recently in coboration with this young merchant.

    Congrattions to Ashley Zephanel for being selected as the next head of the family.

    Lady Marida, its even more beautiful today. And Ashley-samaId love to hear from you about the secret of your shiny hair.

    The Malta couple approaching us sessfully mightve been seen as a chance to strike up a convo. Immediately I and Ashley were surrounded by merchants waiting to greet the three Princes, making me feel that the banquet to celebrate Prince Arksing of age had really begun.Advertisement

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233

    we fell under under 250 o  o.

    Patreon

    _______________________________________________________

    The members of the Zephanell family, led by Chancellor Zephanell, were greeted with great apuse. The apuse changed sparsely when they saw meing in. Not only Chancellor Zephanell and Ashley, the next head of the family but also Sharle-san were recognized by the participants of the dinner party  but I was not. Some people may know Daikokuya Schwartz, or map seller Schwartz, or my other nicknames. However, I barely spent any time on the sales floor after the opening of Daikokuya.

    Since I left most of the sales floor to Amy and Presera, who came to help from Marida Company, while I went on an expedition to the Devils Mountains and talked with Chancellor Bergman and others.

    Only a few actually know my face

    Oh! Daikokuya Shwartz! Never expected to see you here.

    A little distance from Chancellor Zephanell and Sharle-san, who began to be surrounded by aristocrats as soon as they entered, I was approached when I received two wine sses from the waitress.

    Good evening, Crude-sama. Im apanying Ashley tonight. And this should be my first time meeting you together with your wife. Im mostly known as Daikokuya Schwartz, a simple merchant doing his business in the Royal Capital.

    It was the adviser of the Knights, Arley Crude who called out to me. A mature woman who seemed to be his wife stood next to him.

    Good evening, Crude-sama and his wife. Are you acquainted with Schwartz already?

    Ah, Ashley Zephanell. Still gorgeous as always today. I have Daikokuya to thank for the miracle water, and look at this. This is the result.

    Daikokuya? Is this the person whom you bought the Hair Tonic from? You keep saying it was miracle water, even keeping it with you while sleeping.

    Shush, Sherry. It would be embarrassing if others know and the Knights leaders would crush my face.

    Shaking the ss with such a funny storySir Crude was embarrassed, but he was constantly putting his hand on his head. When I first met him, he was suffering from early baldness that caused him to have an M-shape hairline. But now it has changed to a beautiful full hairline.

    Oh, thats true. Anyway, Ashley-san, your hair is beautiful. It smells good. What are you using?

    As Sherry-san said, Ashleys red-gold hair was brighter than anyone else. The hair of Chancellor Zephanel, Sharle-san, and some beautiful women shining over the venue, all of which are probably due to the shampoo and conditioner sold at Daikokuya. With Sherry-san wow-ing over Ashleys hair quality on the side, there is no shortage of topics here.

    Well, its been a hot topic among the eagles who would stand next to the next head of Zephanell, but this is quite unexpected.

    There are various things

    Various or, but look behind you, slowly.

    Looking back slightly in response to Sir Crudes words, I could still see the Aristocratic sons stuck with their partners. Despite havingpany already, the eyes of the sons nced to Ashley and me.

    They are young men who havent gotten a title yet. Will they join the Order or serve in the territory of their parents? Well, they are promising but have few choices. The story is different if they can get closer to someone important. It might be one of the few turning points for them

    Even if you say so

    Thats rightbut be careful. If anything, theyll drag you down from the side of Ashley Zephanel in silent unity. For us, its a trivial matter. But, I dont want Daikokuya to be closed. ]

    I know what Sir Crude wants to say. He knows that Ive sent a ck Shaft into the Devils Mountains at the behest of Chancellor Bergman, though I feel like what he cares about is to get a hair tonic. He knows that I made arrangements to crush the Drum Fortress and hide the Princess of the Kingdom of Drak in the hidden vige of Jormu.

    But, of course not everything about that assignment, so to speak.

    But well, thats okay. It was Jonah who went wild in the Devils Mountains, and very few know that I was directly approached by Chancellor Bergman, and these will not be made public, including the fact that Shaft IS Schwartz.

    Thank you, Ill be careful.

    After giving a tentative reply, there was a voice in the hall announcing the entrance of the three Princes.

    The elegant string music yed by the orchestra stopped, and a solemn song began to y from a keyboard instrument that looked simr to a pipe organ. The voices calms down, and the eyes of all the participants gather in one door.

    From the back of the slowly opened door, six figures approached. There were three familiar footsteps.

    First personNo, the first couple came in.

    Prince Khan..

    Prince

    I recall he was only sitting at the ceremony

    He has already recovered to the point that he could walk.

    The surrounding aristocrats saw the first group and let out their voices. Crown Prince Khan KurtmelgaThe Future King who is first in line for the throne. However, his body looks too thin Is it due to some kind of illness? He had a cane in his right hand, and he walked while being supported by a woman who seemed to be hispanion for the party. No way, the Prince, who had never seen or talked to him in the Royal Capital, was in a state where he couldnt walk without being supported

    With the appearance of the Crown Prince, one hand began to be struck one by oneit changed to cheers and apuse. Sir Crude approached next to me as I vaguely stared at the scene and tried to catch it.

    Is this your first time seeing the Crown Prince?

    Eh, yes

    Does he look unwell after all?

    Ishe sick?

    Yes. The Crown Prince was born with much more magical power than normal humans, and it is eroding his body. There is no cure or method, and the umted magical power must be consumed in the form of magic and constantly released. It is said that his body will eventually copse.

    But, isnt he the crown prince? Isnt it better to recuperate somewhere and find a way to treat it?

    Following Prince Khan, the Second Prince, Kilik Kurtmelga, appeared. Standing next to him was a woman with a very sh outfit, and while Prince Khans pair was a neat and calm woman, this one who apanied Prince Kilik was like a total opposite.

    He cannot do that.

    Why?

    Because he is the eldest son of the Royal Family, and the second-ranked sessor is Kilik. If you keep moving under Bergman, you will soon hear various things about him. If Kilik seeds to the thrhis country will change.

    Sir Crude never mentioned how it would change.

    The apuse for weing Prince Killik is sparse Rather, the difference between those who greet and those who do notis huge. Younger Aristocrats are more enthusiastic, and older Aristocrats are less enthusiastic. Speaking of Prince Kilik, he is the master of thergest n in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, Rafflesia. Near the entrance, one could see the Vicemaster of Rafflesia, the tall Elf Knight with a blonde ponytailFelix Mendoza.

    Felix was not weing Prince Kilik, his own n Master, and instead was looking elsewhere. Following his line of sight There was Prince Khanand Honorary Chancellor Zephanel. They sat on a long sofa with delicate carvings, which can be said to be a guest seat, with a ss of wine in one hand. I watched as the two people started chatting.

    Then, I looked back at Felix. His expression looked emotionless, but his eyes were ruthless and harbored a dark muddy light.Advertisement

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226

    Im trying to revive the server if anyone is interested ining to chat or hangout.

    Discord

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    The sight of the royal wedding cake being carried to the banquet hall on a trolley caught the eyes of all the attendees.

    What a wonderful shape.

    Did you know such a cake, sir?

    That is can you eat it?

    Do you think our cook can make something like that?

    Just how many gold coins do you have to umte

    No, more than that, just how far you must masterCookingskill toe up with such an idea

    The voices of surprise whispered throughout the venue were almost the same as what I heard when I let the employees of Marida Company taste the cake. And it wasnt just the participants who were robbed of their gaze. Even the three Princes, who should have seen the finest cuisine suitable for royalty, were speechless as they stared at the royal wedding cake that was being brought in front of them.

    Prince Ark, this cake is a dish that is served at a celebration that marks a milestone in life. I thought it would be a suitable dish for todays dinner party, so I had it carried over the sea for this day.

    This was made from outside the Ondo continent?

    It is indeed as you say, Prince.

    I appreciate your thoughtfulness. However, Im d you were able to make it in time for today. It must have taken a considerable amount of time to make and transport something this splendid.

    Prince Ark is only 15 years old. No matter how you look at it, hes still a young teen thats not yet a man, but his tone is that of a fine adultalthough his voice was high-pitched.

    Exactly. It took several months to bring it to this ce tonight, but Im d I was able to make it in time.

    As expected of Schwartz. So, this splendid cake not only looks good, but also tastes perfect, right?

    Of course, Your Excellency.

    I was thinking of exining how much CP that I spent to prepare this royal wedding cake, so as not to describe that its not easy to prepare this. But Chancellor Zephanel seemingly wanted to eat it quickly. There is no choice but to cut them apart.

    I send a signal to the male waiters who brought the cake and ask them to prepare. Climbing onto the tripod we brought with us, we put a knife into the topmost whole cake stacked on the six-tiered pedestal, and first Ashley received the cake that had been cut into small pieces to fit on a small te.

    As a merchant, I couldnt hand over the cake to the Royal family, so I asked Ashley for this role in advance.

    Go ahead, Predecessor-sama.

    Considering the official position of a Chancellor, it might seem disrespectful to be distributed before the Royal family, but as far as the eternal Honorary Chancellor Zephanell is concerned, even if the other side is the Crown Prince, shes an existence that should be given priority.

    Then it was handed over to the Crown Prince and his wife, the Second Prince and his wife, then Prince Ark and Lady Lapitilica.

    Before I knew it, arge number of nobles and merchants had gathered in front of the Chief guests seat. Everyones eyes were captivated by the delicate workmanship on the Royal wedding cake, and its beautiful to look at, what does it taste like? and watched as the Princes brought the cake to their mouths.

    Hohohoho, this is delicious too!

    Chancellor Zephanell provided her impression first. When people eat something that tastes too good, they unintentionally burst intoughter.

    Certainly, I dont remember eating a cake like this even in the Royal castle.

    So, there was a confectioner outside the Kingdom who could make something like this?

    Kilik, I want this for my salon too.

    Delicious

    Its really delicious, Prince Ark.

    Following the chancellor, Crown Prince Khan spoke up. Then Prince Kiliks wife Princess Be, as well as Prince Ark and Lapitirika-sama spoke up. Of course, Princess Anastasia and Prince Kilik also had a satisfied expression on their faces. Only Sharle-san, who could be considered as the onlymoner among the group, was blushing while eating under the eyes of arge number of people since shes sitting on the same sofa as the Chancellor

    How about it, Prince Ark, I think it is impossible to prepare something like this again.

    Very satisfied

    Yeah! Cant you prepare it in my salon?!

    Looking at the expressions on the faces of the three Princes, it was clear that there was no mistake in the taste. After that, it was this question, which was naturally expected.

    Im sorry, Princess Be. The confectioner who made this cake is a wandering craftsman, so I dont even know where he is currently wandering. I was able to prepare it because I managed to track the person by chance. Therefore I cant make any promises.

    Ill tell you 800 lies if I have to Ill never get stuck in gacha again.

    Its a pity. Hey, Kilie, I want that too.

    Then Daikokuya, at least tell me the name of the craftsman. My Rafflesia will find them.

    As you wish. Tonights cake was made by an old female confectioner named Filiona, amoner.

    Thats a name Ive never heard of before hey.

    Prince Kilik called out to the man behind the sofa, and immediately gave instructions to search for the confectioner. But, you probably wont find itits a random name Ive juste up with.

    Ark, everyone seems to be very interested in this cake. You should ask the waiter to divide it for the guest.

    Yes, brother Khan. I want Cyril to eat it too, Ill leave it to you.

    I heard a sigh of admiration leaking from behind me at the shout of Crown Prince Khan. Starting with the Chancellor, the three Princes and their wives all raised their voices of admiration. Its obvious that the Nobles and influential merchants wanted to taste this cake as well.

    Prince Khan, who felt the atmosphere, immediately made the call. He must have been good at reading the atmosphere around him. With Prince Arks permission, several waiters cut the Royal wedding cake into pieces, and in the blink of an eye, the six-tiered whole cake disappeared.

    It seems that everyone, including Prince Ark, was pleased. If we stay here, we will be a hindrance to all the important people, so we will withdraw.

    Schwartz, and Ashley Zephanell, thank you for your concern.

    I greeted Prince Ark from the front of the VIP seat, and Ashley and I pulled up to the back of the venue. In front of the table of honored guests, there were many voices praising the cake regardless of the Princes eyes, and I was convinced that this gift was the right answer.

    After reuniting with Malta-san and Marida-san, my cheeks rxed at the sess of the gift, but when I looked back at the VIP seats, I could see Prince Kilik and Princess Be leaving. At the same time, even looking at the map floating in my field of vision, I could see several light points moving away from the venue.

    A lot of time has passed since the dinner party started. It wouldnt be strange if some participants choose to leave, but it was a little surprising that Prince Kilok was the first. Chancellor Zephanell and Prince Khan have not been seen for a long time, and there was no end to the nobility and merchants who wanted to meet them. Prince Ark is also the main character tonight, so its almost guaranteed that he wont be the first to leave.

    When I was following Prince Kilik as he left the venue, he was calling out to Felix, the vice-master of the Rafflesiathat man, too, seemed to be leaving with Princess Cyril.

    I n to send Ashley to the Royal castle, but Ashley wont leave before Chancellor Zephanell does. The chancellor herself seemed to be enjoying this dinner party quite a bit, so Im going to enjoy it a little more.

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227

    Discord and Patreon links are now on the front page of the website. May or may not fix FPS page as well. dunno.

    _________________________

    The banquet celebrating Prince Arks birth anding of age was attended by Eternal Honorary Chancellor Zephanell, who appeared on the public stage for the first time in more than ten years, and he always fought against the disease that undermined his body because he had too much internal magic. With the participation of Prince Khan, who was present, it continued without end untilte into the night.

    Some people, including Prince Kilik, had left the venue, but most of the Nobles and merchants remained at the venue, enjoying the banquet, which will nevere again. I also enjoyed eating with Ashley, enjoying chatting, and enjoying the music yed by the band.

    However, the dinner party was only enjoyed so far.

    Ashley sat on a chair for rest prepared by the wall, and I stood in front of it and looked around.

    The name of Daikokuya must have spread quite a bit at tonights dinner party. As Chancellor Zephanell intended, this averted everyones attention from the fact that the seat of Ashleys spouse was nk, and captured the awareness of the participants with their interest in Daikokuya. Of course, the visitors were most interested in Prince Ark and his wife, Lapitirica-sama, but the sound collection sensor was picking up the sounds of new visitors who were interested in a different way.

    Beyond the delivery entrance for foodthis is the ce we stopped by before the dinner party started. A waiting room where the Nobles and merchants who came one after another left gifts for Prince Ark. From there, I could hear something that doesnt seem to be a work soundWhen you change the scale of the map floating in your field of vision and project the waiting room, there is one red dot in that room.

    Is this person doing something wrong in the waiting room?

    Schwartz, whats wrong?

    Perhaps noticing my change, Ashleys left hand grabbed my right hand and called out to me. While putting the dot reflected on the map at the edge of my field of view, I turned to Ashley.

    Something might happen.

    Eh?

    Lets go to Chancellor Zephanell. If anything happensthe aim is most likely the Royalty or the Chancellor.

    Huh?! I, I understand.

    I took Ashleys hand and headed to the VIP seat where Chancellor Zephanell sat.

    Wait, Schwartz! Why are you even holding hands with my sister!

    When we approached the sofa where the Chancellor was sitting, the first person who noticed us was Sharle-san. Even after the greetings from the Aristocrats and influential merchants were over, Sharle-san must have been quite nervous at the momentum of the Aristocrats and merchants who continued to call out to him.

    Contrary to her tone, she seems to be moving her body as if to say that we shoulde this way as soon as possible.

    Whats wrong, Schwartz, Ashley. Is there still something delicious?

    No, Your Excellency Chancellor. I saw some movements that were a little worrisome, so just in case, Ill be by your side

    The moment I said that, five dots lit up in the waiting room that had been projected in my field of vision, and rapidly approached the venue.

    and.

    Kyaaaa!

    What is this

    E-enemy

    A scream that seemed toe from a female waiter could be heard throughout the venue, followed by a mans scream.

    [What?]

    The Chancellor, the Princes, the Nobles and merchants who were enjoying chatting at the venue noticed something unusual, and all eyes were focused on the loading entrance.

    With a violent blow, the loading entrance door blew into the venue.

    Kyaaaa!

    Whats going on!

    Knights! Make sure the venue is safe

    The moment the male waiter who was in charge of security in the hall tried to summon the Knights, the mans head was instantly melted by the gushing red light, and before the blood was blown off, his neck was burned and he fell down.

    Wait, its aser?!

    It was a beam of light that could not be thought of as magicit looked like aser weapon fired by a sci-fi robot. And I was instantly convinced that my intuition was correct. A cyborg humanoid weapon entered the venue from the back of the loading entrance. Its height is much taller than that of a human, and it is about the height of an adult male. There were five of them

    Its entire body is covered in a sharp, scale-like metal suit, and the helmet on its head has two horns.

    Its overall form makes you think of a demon, but it holds a rokushaku stick with a handle in the center. I dont know the material of the stick that extends from both ends of the handle, but if you look at the slightly reddish part.

    When I changed my vision to FLIR mode, I could see that the club part had heat, and that the heat source of the five humanoid weapons that came in one after another showed a bias that waspletely different from that of humans.

    After all, its neither a human nor a demi-human, nor a magical beast.

    When I regained my sight, I could see a man with a strong physique dressed in ck standing behind the five humanoid weapons.

    At first nce at the ck robes, you realize what they really areCactus.

    The ck-clothed man slowly thrusted his right hand forward and could be heard muttering something to the five humanoid weapons.

    Demon Steel Soldier Minions, kill the Crown Prince and Ark, capture Zephanell alive. Kill everyone who gets in your wayGo!

    A familiar tone of voice that I heard somewherebut rather than its true identity.

    Before thinking about the meaning of the words I barely heard, my body moved. In order to respond to the two demon steel soldiers who jumped out at the same time as themand of the ck costumed man, I jumped in front of the Prince with a slide jump from in front of the Chancellor, instantly conscious of the inventory and summoned it at hand.

    Prince Ark was stunned by the sudden intruder and the appearance of a man who had lost his head, and waspletely unable to react to the movements of the Demon Steel Soldiers heading towards him. Even if I was able to react, there may have been no way to prevent the attack, but my eyes were glued to the trajectory of the six-foot staff that was swung straight down, and the sound of my back blocking it and the sound of the impact regained my sanity.

    Da,Daikokuya

    It was the Ballistic Shield that I summoned on the spot that blocked the Demon Steel Soldiers six-foot club.

    [Prince Ark, please step down!]

    As soon as I yelled that without looking back, I immediately focused my mind on the next responsesummoning a firearm in my right hand to drive away the enemies.

    The iing Demon Steel Soldier jumped over me, who was standing in front of its target, Crown Prince Khan. I aimed my crosshair towards the iing Demon Steel Soldier, and pulled the trigger the moment it was passing directly above me. An explosion that waspletely different from the sound that blew away the delivery port resounded throughout the venue, and I could hear the womans scream reflexively, but I ignored it for now.

    A 33-30 live ammunition fired from the Winchester M94 held in my right hand caught the Demon Steel Soldiers abdomen, and the impact pierced the ceiling of the venue and blew it away.

    This firearm that was summoned on the spur of the moment, the Winchester M94, A model developed by Winchester, can be considered a masterpiece of lever-action rifles. At the beginning of development, only low-power pistol bullets could be used, but this model made it possible to use powerful rifle bullets..

    Its greatest feature is the lever action that ejects the shell and loads the next bullet by moving the ring-shaped loop lever integrated with the trigger guard back and forth. Rotate the gun body around the loop lever to perform cockingthis spin cocking action was quite famous back in my original world.

    VMB yers all practiced lever action with this spin cocking and operated the Winchester series with only one hand. And its the same for me. In order to sessfully spin cock while performing VMBs high trajectory move, we prepared a shorter type M94 called Sawed-off where the barrel is cut short.

    The ammo capacity might be low at 7, but with the fully automatic SMG submachine gun and ARF assault rifle, there is the possibility of identally shooting at the guests. In this kind of situation, a low-powered handgun wouldnt even be an optionso naturally, I had no choice but to choose from the semi-auto rifle system.

    I rotated the M94 while paying attention to the angle so as not to hit the ballistic shield, spin-load, and immediately push the muzzle to the side of the demon steel soldier who is gathering strength within its rokushaku club in front of me and pulled the trigger.

    The moment I saw the Demon Steel Soldier knocked away followed by the sound of gunfire again, I turned aroundPrince Ark hadnt backed down yet. Lapitirica-sama was also slow to move because of the dress. However, contrary to the movements of the merchants fleeing the sudden attack, the Nobles at the venue rushed to the VIP seats.

    Protect the Crown Prince and the Prince!

    The Knights are still here!

    Duke Barga and Earl Crude spoke up. And then there were the appearances of the young Nobles as well. I let go of the Ballistic Shield, grabbed Lapitiricas right arm and pulled her off the sofa. If its Prince Arks clothes, there should be no problem as long as he starts moving.

    Hurry down!

    I shouted while my right hand spun, cocking the rifle. I then turned back to the attackers, aimed at the center of the three bodies that had not yet started to move, and pulled the trigger. However, the Demon Steel Soldier standing in the center jumped up at that moment, dodging the gunfire and at the same time jumping at me.

    Vee!

    Did Duke Bargas wordse first, or did Duke Bargas exclusive bodyguard, Vee, who was dressed in ck leather armor and hid her face with an eye mask and face veil, cut down the Demon Steel Soldier in the air first? I dont know. But the moment I heard the voice, the Demon Steel Soldier was mmed to the floor.

    And then, the guard Knights rush in from the doors in the venue. I thought that the situation had turned around, but on the MAP in my field of vision, I also caught red dots that seemed to be ck-costumed mans reinforcements.

    The venue is ispletely surrounded?

    The man in ck seemed to smile as if he heard me mutter.

    Theres no escape, map seller. Any pebblesall of you and that female fox that gets in the way of our supremacy will be ground to dust.

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228

    A banquet celebrating Prince Arks birth anding of agethe happy moments came to an end with a sudden attack.

    The assant was an ogre-sized cyborg-like being covered in steel armor that could not be imagined to have been created in this worldfollowing behind the demonic steel soldier minion, was a man. The sharp glint in his eyes distorted behind the ck hood as heughed. And he called me a map seller not many people call me by that name. That physique, that tone of voice, whates to mind isthat man who joined Rafflesia, thergest and most powerful n in Kurtmerga Kingdom.

    However, the one standing in front of me called himself part of the assassin who I fought during Lapitilicas escort requestmembers of Cactus.

    Those two things, which should never ovep, ovepped with the one word he said.

    Rynel I didnt know you hid something like this.

    After that muttering, I heard the sound of tongue clickinging from under the ck hood.

    If it isnt the witty female fox again. But Can you protect yourself from this demonic steel soldierthis wonderful magic weapon?

    After exchanging a few words with Rynel, the 4th Central Knights, who were in charge of security in the venue, rushed in. However, at the same time, the siegework of the venue was also about to bepleted.

    Schwartz, do you know that man?

    Vee, who cut down the Demon Steel Soldier in the air and knocked it down to the floor, came to my side.

    Its Daikokuya. An acquaintanceno, I dont think that man remembers me.

    Come on, you Demon Steel Soldiers, stand up! Ive never heard of you guys being so soft!

    With Lynels words, the Demon Steel Soldier stuck in the ceilingthe Demon Steel Soldier who shot through the side and was blown away as well as the Demon Steel Soldier knocked down by Vee, all stood up. The 33-30 ammunition should havended on the abdomen, but there is no visible damage now. Did it recover while lying down, or was there no damage at all?

    Are you safe, Prince!?

    Prince!

    Evacuate the visitors! Dont let any attackers escape from this ce, have you secured the underground magic barrier?

    I have confirmed it. The barrier is working without any problems, and we are the only ones who can useSkillsandMagic.

    Thats right  in the venue and part of the Royal castle, it is possible to set up barriers that hinder the activation of SkillsandMagic. It consumes arge number of magic stones and magic power, so it cant stay activated indefinitely. But, in order to ensure the safety of the Chancellor and the three Princes, it was activated before the dinner party started.

    The metal armor of the Central Knights has a function that can nullify the barrier. I dont know what kind of system it is, but they should be the only ones who can demonstrate their true power in this venue.

    But Iwe saw it. The red light runs through the venue.

    Demon Steel Soldiers, mow them down!

    The Demon Steel Soldiers who stood up at Rynelsmand stick out their left hand, and a trapezoidal object pops out from near their wrist. The Knights who protected the Princes and the young Nobles were tense for a moment, but they didnt understand what was going on.

    Avoid it!

    I could tell what it was just from a nceits theser weapon that blew off the head of the first male waiter. I immediately turned around, threw away my M94, and jumped holding Lapitilica-sama and Prince Ark in my hands. Aser beam was shot from the Demon Steel Soldiers left handit burned down the delicately decorated walls, shot down the painted ceiling, and mowed down the Knights who were unable to respond properly.

    Then, apart from theser attack, a number of explosive sounds rang out, shaking the entire Flyhigh.

    The merchants and nonbatant women seemed to have regained theirposure when the Knights rushed in, but they fell into a state of panic as they saw the venue being destroyed bysers and the Knights being cut off

    Tha, thank you.

    Thank you, Schwartz-san.

    The corner of the venue where Chancellor Zephanell, Sharle-san, and Ashley had taken refuge was chosen as a quick evacuation destination. Roy and Rachel from Lily of the Valley were already there next to them. The two must be the ones responsible to evacuate the three to this position.

    Schwartz-san is amazing. Not to mention the reaction, to use that kind of movement and skill even though its in the barrier

    Rachels eyes were filled with curiosity and vague respect, even as she stood to protect Ashley and the others.

    Your Excellency, the outside is already surrounded. At this rate, things will get really dangerous.

    But, how are we going to escape? Leaving aside Myself and Ark, Karn cant run, and

    A loud explosion sounded again, shaking the entire Flyhigh once more. Apparently, the forces surrounding the outside were tasked at more than just preventing escape. Theyre probably nning to destroy us all at once by copsing the entire building.

    Attacks from inside and outside threw the venue into chaos, while the surviving Knights began fighting the Demon Steel Soldiers.

    It seems that Rynel has temporarily lost sight of us, but I dont think this situation will naturally fix itself. Only the Central Knights have weapons andbat abilities. And yet they fall one after another in front of the Demon Steel Soldiers.

    The Demon Steel Soldiersbat ability was on par with that of the Knights, but while the venue was still in chaos, they were unable to use their firepower effectively. In that case, it will be a battle with only melee attacks. But, the armor of the demon steel soldiers was thick, and soon, the Knights were pushed back by their opponents that continued to move without fear of death.

    The Demon Steel Soldiers probably didnt feel their own wounds nor fear death at all. After all, its not a living creature with a will or feelingsits a machine. I dont know why something like that exists, but its not that I dont have a clue.

    But, lets keep it forter. Right now, the first thing we have to think about is.

    I will prepare a means of escape. However, it is impossible for everyonean attack of this scale cannot be carried out without guidance from the Kingdom. Unless we know who the traitor is, we will not be able to rescue all the visitors.

    At this time, I wont make any public statements about Rynels double allegiance to both Rafflesia and Cactus. Its because I still dont know how much the two ns ovep. If they turn out to be the two sides of the same coin, that is to say, a rebellion by the second princeit could lead to a civil war.

    I cant say something like that so easily in this situation.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rynel picking up my Winchester M94. However, the moment it is lifted, it bes a particle of light and disappears.

    Only I can hold VMB firearms. Firearms that have been touched by others would disappear into particles of light and are returned to the inventory. Summoning M94 again from the inventory to my right hand, I shot at the Demon Steel Soldier who was trying to finish off the Knight it knocked down with its six-foot club.

    Daikokuya, then at least let Chancellor Zephanell, the Crown Prince, and the women escape.

    What about Lord Crude?

    I willmand the young Nobles who can fight to let others escape. Underneath Flyhigh, there is an underground passage used toy the barrier at the time of construction, which should still be usable.

    You need a decoy to use it.

    It was Duke Barga who came into the conversation with Lord Crude.

    Ill be in charge of that role as well.

    As I fired to save the Knight, Rynel, dressed in ck, noticed my position.

    Can you do it?

    Duke Bargas narrow eyes at me. He doesnt know Im Shaft. Just like when I was asked to escort Lapitirica-sama, its as if I was peering into the abyss when our eyes met.

    Ive seen those eyes beforeI see, so thats how it is, Chancellor Zephanell?

    Perhaps realizing the connection between me and Shaft, Duke Barga turned to Chancellor Zephanell, who was watching the scene unfold.

    Vee, please work with him.

    I will do my best.

    Before I knew it, Vee was standing behind Duke Barga. Behind him, I could see Ashley looking at me with a worried look.

    Daikokuya, can you do it?

    Im fine, Sir Crude. Its going to be a bit shy, so please take care of the merchants.

    Only this time, I cant protect Malta-san and the others personally.

    I could hear Rynel giving instructions to the Demon Steel Soldier. In order to secure the Chancellor and kill Prince Ark as the Crown Prince, all five of the Demon Steel Soldiers turned towards us in order toplete their initial objectives. Were running out of time.

    Activating the TSS, I selected the pouch from the avatar customization and attached it to my waist, and at the same time selected the 30-30 ammunition that is the M94 ammunition, and summoned it directly inside the gun. The M94 needs to be manually loaded with live ammunition one by one from the ammo feed port on the top of the trigger.

    It only has seven bullets. Since Ive already fired four shots, Im manipting the TSS by my own will to fill the ammo feeder with live ammunition.

    The Demon Steel Soldiers raised their left handthatser attack ising again.

    Selecting another item in TSS, I summoned it to act as our shield.

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    Patreon

    The five cyborg-like mechanical soldiers called Demon Steel Soldier pointed their left arm at me and the Crown Prince who was standing behind me.

    In order to escape from Flyhigh, the venue where the birthday banquet was held, which was turned into an unorganized melee due to the surprise attack, I needed something that could act as a shield to protect everyone from the Demon Steel Soldiers attack. It also has to be mobile so that high value targets like the Crown Prince and Chancellor Zephanel can escape.

    Just before theser attack from the Demon Steel Soldiers could hit, it was blocked by the Typhoon-K I summoned. The vehicle crushed the table and dishes under it as itnded on the ground.

    Its official name is KamAZ- 63968 Typhoon-K. Russia deployed this vehicle as an armored personnel carrier. It had been strengthened to withstand the most recent type of mines and IED (Improvised Explosive Device), and its armor was rated to handle battering from heavy machine gun fire.Its a 6 wheeler truck, with 16 seats arranged inside the rear passengerpartment, and driver seat above the engine bay. It can be loaded with 18 people in total.

    Particles of light flooded the venue, and in the next moment, an elongated object with a turtle-like design appeared, attracting the attention of the entire venue.

    The Typhoon-K armor withstood theser shot from the Demon Steel Soldier.

    I immediately checked the vehicle durability via the UI floating in my vision, confirming that the damage would be negligible even if it received 5 consecutiveser shots. With this, I wouldnt need to worry about the vehicle getting destroyed before it could escape.

    I opened the rear hatch with just a thought while opening the door of the cockpit on the opposite side of where the Demon Steel Soldiers were.

    Wha, what is this! Why are you able to do that inside the barrier?!

    From earlier, Rachel, a Lily of the Valleys agent, continued to ask in disbelief about my capabilities. Of which both Ashley and Chancellor Zephanel chose to ignore. Im sure other people here had the same question, but theres no time to exin everything here

    Roy, enter through the front door, and after confirming the safety of your destination, please exin the situation. Rachel, no more questions! Escort everyone until theyre safe.

    Schwartz, you dont mean to

    Ashley approached from behind me and grabbed the hem of my tailcoat. She mustve guessed what the Typhoon-K is for.

    Ashley, leave things here to me. I need you to assure those who are riding it for the first time.

    There was no response from Ashley. When she looked into my eyes, her words seemingly stuck in her throat as she only managed to open her lips slightly. The red dots in my radar showed movements. With theirser shots blocked, the Demon Steel Soldiers mustve decided to close in for melee instead.

    Come on, get on quickly! Chancellor! Please get the Crown Prince and Prince Ark inside the box!

    Schwartz, are you saying we can escape in this carriage-like box?

    Prince Khan approached me as if prompted by my voice. I know at first nce, its impossible to understand that its an armored transport vehicle. I dont have time to exin in detail, but

    Khan, leave this to Schwartz.

    Hearing Chancellor Zephanels words behind him, Prince Khan turned around and said, If you say so, and got into the crewpartment with the help of Princess Anastasia.

    I, I wont let you!

    At that moment.

    One of the young Nobles who was running towards the Crown Prince as soon as the raid began pulled out a dagger from his pocket, held it on his hip, and rushed at the back of the Crown Prince who was going up the rear hatch

    What

    While the surrounding eyes were focused on the confusion and the violence of the Demon Steel Soldiers, the only one who moved to stop the charge was Chancellor Zephanels escort, Sharle-san, who was dressed like a man.

    are you doing!

    Jumping between Prince Khan and the young nobleman, she kicked up his dagger-holding hand and pushed the young nobleman away.

    Sanson! What in the world are you doing!

    Lord Crude and Duke Barga caught up with Sharlene-sans movements and subdued the young nobleman who had been pushed away.

    Who wouldve known that there are also hidden enemies nearby

    Sharle-chan, that was a wonderful response. Khan, quickly get in, Ark too.:

    Looking sideways at Lord Crude holding down a young nobleman, I leaned my back against Typhoon-Ks rear hatch, aligned my M94s crosshair to the approaching Demon Steel Soldier, and pulled the trigger.

    Your Excellency Duke, please get in as wellIm sorry to say this, but Ill evacuate the people I trust first

    Schwartz-kun, have decided on where we should go?

    That shot temporarily subdued the approaching Demon Steel Soldier. Then, I turned to the ever-calm Duke Barga.

    Originally I nned to evacuate to the Royal Pce, but

    Although he was still young, one of the Nobles pointed his sword at the Crown Prince. I dont know how far the roots of the Cactus had spread to. And when I think about the Second Prince, whose n was where that Rynel originally belonged to, I couldnt help but think that the Pce is not safe either.

    No, ratherconsidering the timing of this raid, its possible that the Royal castle was being attacked simultaneously.

    Schwartz-kun, do you know the location of my mansion? Depending on the situation, we might be able to take shelter there.

    Will that be fine

    Then, Ill get as many as possible to the underground. There may be traitors among them, but they should show themselves eventually. Ill round them up when they do.

    Perhaps realizing their aim, the survivors of the Central Knights began to form a formation to prevent the Demon Steel Soldiers from approaching the vehicle. The visitors are also moving around the venue, using us as shields. Some of the attendees managed to escape outside into the darkness of the night.

    But, then I noticed the glint of des, followed by screamsI realized that the enemy would not only kill us.

    In that case, please head to Duke Bargas mansion

    While the situation is changing one after another, Prince Khan and Princess Anastasia, Prince Ark and Lapitirica-sama, Chancellor Zephanel and Sharle-san, Rachel and Roy as escorts, with Duke Balga and Mrs. Emerada,

    And finally, Ashley boarded the Typhoon-K.

    Schwartz.

    Its alright, Ashley. Ill escape once I buy enough time for everyone to evacuate. I leave the Royal family and Chancellor in your care.

    Be carefulyou can trust me to take care of my predecessor.

    Our ovepping line of sight was blocked by the closing rear hatch. Preparations for the escape are nowplete.

    Now thenhow much should I show them the power of VMB no, I shouldnt be stingy now.

    While loading 30-30 rounds into the M94s bullet feeder, I took out several types of melee weapons while keeping an eye on my inventory. At the same time, Typhoon-K began to emit a deep bass engine sound, transitioning to a state where it could move at any time.

    Lord Crude, please take this. Its impossible to arm everyone, but its better than going underground without weapons.

    After saying that, I handed over fiverge battle machetes. Western swords did not exist in VMBs melee weapons repertoire. Even though its a substitute, a modern machete should be enough.

    Where the hell did you get all these weapons from

    Save that question forterno, just ask Chancellor Bergman

    Bergman?

    YesIll focus their attention on me. Now go underground.

    After the machetes, the next thing I took out was the RPG-7.

    The RPG-7, which can be said to be a masterpiece of portable rocket artillery, is a portable anti-tank grenadeuncher developed in the Soviet Union, and has been widely used around the world since the Vietnam War until today. One of the features of the RPG-7 is the extension of the range and high hit rate due to the addition of a rocket propulsion function to the shell, but at the same time, the disadvantage is that gas injection urs behind the barrel when fired, which can kill allies.

    However, the VMBs RPG-7 had only that advantage, and even if an ally was standing directly behind it, the only disadvantage was that the white smoke would obstruct the view. The green cylinder I summonedthe RPG-7 once again earned me a questioning look from Lord Crude, but I had no intention of exining it.

    The surviving Central Knights were being pushed back by the Demon Steel Soldiersthe opponents were too tough. The attacks from the troops surrounding Flyhigh continued. A burning smell began to drift in the air, indicating that a fire had broken out. I have no time to dawdle. I put the RPG-7 on my shoulder and pulled the trigger, aiming for the wall ahead of Typhoon-K .

    The sound of jetting and flying echoed throughout the venue, and in the next moment, it turned into an explosion.

    At the same time, the Typhoon-K, controlled via TSS remote control mode, ran toward the newly created hole that leads outside.

    Its hard to say whether the venue is level with the ground and t, but the Typhoon-K has the performance to run through any deste wastnd. The six wheels moved up and down to absorb the recoil, then ran outside and jumped out into the front yard. With the screen monitor of the TSS in my field of vision, I drove steering wheel operation with my will. The Typhoon-K breaking through with a roar from its engine caught the ambushers outside in surprise. Some of them were run over as the vehicle made its way to the center of the capital city.

    Tch! What is thatDemon Steel Soldier, dont let them escape!

    I could hear Ryner clicking his tongue and shouting. I cant let the Demon Steel Soldiers catch up to the vehicle. And neither can I allow Lord Crudes escape to be hampered. In order to keep Rynels mind glued to me and buy time, it was necessary to show him what the Cactus would hate the most.

    Taking a smoke grenade from the inventory, I removed the pin and rolled it at his feet.

    Lord Crude, please start the evacuation.

    What is that uh, alright. I understand. Were heading underground now!

    I will remain here with you, Schwartz. At least until Im sure Frank-sama can escape safely, we need to buy time here, am I correct?

    At the edge of my field of vision, I saw Lord Crude and the other magic nobles began to guide the remaining nobles and merchants to evacuate. Meanwhile I could hear Vee speak to me.

    Then, as the smokescreen billowed up, hiding both my and Vees figure

    Darkness that nests in the Royal capital, the ck Mask judgmentprepare to receive it.

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230

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    From the Flyhigh venue, Prince Khan, Prince Ark, and Chancellor Zephanel were to escape in the armored personnel carrier Typhoon-K, while I stayed behind to cover Sir Crudes group which attempted to escape underground. Duke Bargas exclusive escort, Vee, also stayed behind.

    The smoke grenade that was rolled at our feet enveloped me and Vee in an instant. The gigantic box that suddenly appeared in the venue began to move, carrying the assassination target away from the venue. The assantReiner, who was supposedly a member of Rafflesiawas unable to correctly perceive the situation.

    Tch, whats going on? Whats with that carrier that moves without a horse? And where did this smokee from?

    And the Central Knights, who were in charge of security at the venue, were also unable to grasp the situation.

    Whats that? Where did the Crown Prince go?!

    Amid the chaos of the venue, further upheaval descended. Jumping out of the billowing smoke, I tossed the newly summoned melee weaponthe sledgehammer, at one of the Demon Steel Soldiers. The Winchester M94 could not do enough damage to the Demon Steel Soldiers. Its not that the M94 is underpowered, its that the Demon Steel Soldier is too hard. In order to break through that cyborg-like armor, I decided that I needed a simpler power.

    The sledgehammer hit the demon steel soldier who stood by his side as if to protect Reiner. The simple but overwhelming mass of violence blew the Demon Steel Soldier away and buried it in the wall of the venue. And then when Inded from the jumpInded right in front of Reiner, and from the moment he saw me, he could see through his ferocious eyes that were overflowing with bloodlust and passion.

    Wh, why are you here!! ck Mask Shaft!!

    Thats rightjust before I jumped out of the smoke screen, I changed my avatar customization costume set, wearing an overcoat, a German SS ck uniform, and a ck tactical Ker maskI changed from Schwarz to Shaft.

    Thats Shaft

    ck Mask!

    Is that the ck Mask Shaft?

    The Central Knights and the visitors leaving the venue were also surprised by the sudden appearance of Shaft.

    Your ck outfit looks familiarCactus isnt it?

    Hearing those words, I could see the eyes of Reiner, who hid his face with a ck hood, distorted. And his line of sight moves left and right, trying to see whats behind me

    I see, so thats what it is Youre such an annoying bastard, map sellerno, the ck mask Shaft.

    This man is certainly no fool. Despite me changing appearance while hidden behind the smokescreen, if Schwartz made no further move and a masked man suddenly appeared instead, it shouldnt be that hard to figure out.

    It just means that we both have something to hide.

    Looks like you managed to let the Crown Prince escape, but youre just dying the inevitable. Their death is set on stone.

    What do you think? Do you really think that you can harm anyone under my protection? Magebane, the magic armor Terror Chaos, the six clowns no matter what you tried, none of them worked against me, did they?

    Ahh, yeah, youre rightboth Will and Gk failed and died

    Eh? Did I really kill a Will or Gk before? Even though I pretended to be calm, under my Ker mask I was ruminating on Reiners words. Trying to recall those names. Will was the light warrior in charge of drawing maps for the Rafflesia, while Gk was a heavy warrior who acted as the partys tank. Also a member of the same n. Then, I tried to make a connection between those two and the Cactus assassins Ive encountered so far.

    I see. Will was most likely one of the assassins during the Magebane incident. Meanwhile, Gk mustve been the magic armor-wearing ck knight who challenged me to a duel At the end of the battle, both of them had reached an end where their true faces could not be confirmed. However, looking back on that hair and body build, there were many features that matched.

    Dont tell me that Rafflesia under the Second Prince is actually one of the dark guilds operating under the Cactus

    Its not that hard now to connect the dots, but I still hoped that I was wrong. I shouldnt jump right to a conclusion.

    however, youll be sorely mistaken to think that Ill be as easy to deal with. Since we failed to kill you back at Kings festival, Felix decided to postpone the assassination order. But, who knows that I would run into you here of all ces.

    Even the Vice-Master of Rafflesia is connected to itis it really true that Rafflesia and Cactus are actually two sides of the same coin?

    While sorting out the information, I looked at the map and focused my hearing on the sound collecting sensor. Taking note of the locations of the five demon steel soldiers, the movements of the merchants and nobles escaping from the venue, and the movements of the reinforcements that were surrounding the outside.

    I can go after the Crown Princeter. I should settle the score with you firstyou, who can only obey that female fox, is not needed for our supremacy!

    At the same time as Reiner let out an angry roar, he pulled out a dagger from behind his waist with his left hand and stepped in to cut my neck. Along with that movement, I also take a step forward, punching Reiners left arm from the outside to the inside with a right palm strike, and blowing his chest with a flowing elbow strike.

    Having been struck on his chest, Reiner choked, using the recoil from the elbow strikes to fly backwards. But, it was intentional on my part. The moment our distance widened, I reached into my coat to hide my hand, all the while essing my inventory with my will.

    I instantly summoned a handgun with a silvery metallic silhouetteDesert Eagle.

    A handgun with a history of being designed and produced by multiple firearm manufacturers in multiple countries, including the United States and Israel. Its greatest feature is that in the semi automatic pistol category, it can handle heavy-duty bullets focused on offensive powerthat is, magnum bullets. Magnum bullets have the highest ss of power for handgun bullets, and were selected at the same time as the bullets to be loaded into the Desert Eagle. The 50AE bullet was the pistol bullet with the highest attack power in the VMB.

    There are also disadvantages instead. When the 50AE bullet is selected, the number of bullets is limited to 7, and the recoil and reticle spread value when firing be veryrge. If you dont pay attention to the firing interval, the bullet will not fly urately at the target.

    There were two reasons for me to pick Desert Eagle. One is to avoid friendly fire, and second, because the demon steel soldiers durability is greater than expected. Certainly, I have many other firearms that could probably shred through their armor, like the RPG-7 or M134 Minigun. But Im gonna need extreme caution since there are also allies around.

    I pulled my hand out of my overcoatReiner seemed to understand what it was the moment he saw the Desert Eagle.

    Demon Steel Soldier, protect me!

    Both Schwartz and Shaft used firearms. And I used the M94 earlier. They certainly have collected information about the weapon Shaft uses. Naturally, they know the danger of firearmseven if it should be the first time they see it with their own eyes.

    I aligned my crosshair to Reiners right shoulder and pulled the trigger. At the same time as the heavy low-pitched gunshot sound, a fire-like muzzle sh graphic was disyed on the muzzleFresh blood and screams erupted beyond.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231

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    The moment the Desert Eagles crosshair was aligned with Reiners right shoulder and the trigger was pulledthe Demon Steel Soldier minion entered as if to cut in there. However, it was impossible for the Demon Steel Soldier, who didnt even have a shield, topletely hide Reiners body from the line of fire.

    I realigned the crosshairs in an instant, gliding from the right shoulder to the right handthen pulled the trigger.

    A fiery sh came out of the muzzle, followed by a low-pitched gunshot, and then Reiners scream. The .50AE bullet caught him below his elbow. The impact not only detached his lower arm but also shredded it to pieces. That kind of woundnot even healing magic can regrow that hand.

    Reiner immediately retreated further backward. This time hiding himself behind two Demon Steel Soldiers. He took off his hood and immediately wrapped it around his wound. Since hes also wearing a mask that covers his mouth, people still wouldnt be able to see his face entirely, but theres no doubt now that hes Reiner.

    Guuh Sha, Shaft! ShaftShaftShaaaaaaaaft! I will never forgive you!

    Reiner barked at me from behind the Demon Steel Soldiers. But, I wasnt there anymore.

    While dodging the club swing from one of the Demon Steel Soldiers, I went to its side and fired once at its gigantic body. Strangely, the .50AE bullet simply vanished, as if being absorbed by the Soldiers body. That shouldnt have happened. Normally, getting hit would cause the target to recoil, get knocked back, or even down due to the power. However, the scale-like steel armor that covers the entire body is not even scratchedthis is just like.

    a Mob enemy.

    Underneath the Ker mask, I involuntarily muttered out the name that I recall as the AI enemies I had faced so many times in the VMB. Mob is a general term for NPCs that are not controlled by the yer, such as monsters and AI soldiers in the game.

    In the in-game battles, violent expressions such as missing limbs and bloodshed were refrained. At most, there would be spurt of blood when hit by ranged or melee attack. But thats all. The spatter of blood didnt evenst that long either. Especially in the mission mode where you fight against AI enemies, there are also missions where you fight extraterrestrial lifeformsso-called alien-like monsters.

    The battle with the Demon Steel Soldier reminds me of when VMB was still a VRFPS game. The Soldier swung its six-foot staff around. I lined my crosshair at its head as it attacked like a whirlwind, and pulled the trigger.

    The impact of the headshot made it lose its bnce. When the fierce attack stopped, I also jumped backwards, and at the same time reloaded the magazinerecing the mag with a fully loaded one.. The ce where Inded was a ce where several Central Knights were gathered.

    Kuh, ck Mask Shaft? Why are you here?

    My escort target was also present at tonights banquetthats all. Rather, Ill leave it to you here and Vee to hold back the enemy reinforcementsing from the outside over there.

    Vee, who decided to stay with me in this venue, was keeping the enemies outside from getting into the venue via the hole I made for the Typhoon-K.

    Fufufu, are you going to catch me with that level of swordsmanship? Inexperiencedyoure too inexperienced, you low-ss intruders!

    Against six men dressed in ck, Vee danced to avoid their onught, treating the intruders as if they were practicing. But, howe that perverted woman is still in stealth?

    A barrier is still operating inside the venue that blocks magic and skills. Its obvious when looking at Reiner, who didnt treat his lost right arm with magic, but only ties it up to stop the bleeding. Yet, Vees stealth skill and nimble movement didnt seem to be impeded by the barrier. With her wearing that ck leather armor and face mask, it would be weird if I hadnt noticed her at all during the banquet. But, I hadnt at all.

    W, we, the Central Knights, are entrusted with the security of this Fly Height. Rather, you should escape immediately. Besides, we must ensure the safety of the Crown Prince and Prince Ark.

    The Crown Prince and others have already evacuated to a safer ce. Rather, I would like the Knights to join Sir Crude and the others heading underground, and let those who cant fight to escape safely, and

    I turned my attention from Vee back to the knights, and then to Reiner who called out to my name in vengeance.

    Demon Steel Soldiers! My puppets! Ignore those small fries of knights and kill Shaft for me!

    Hearing Reiners barking voice, the four Demon Steel Soldiers who were fighting with the Knights in the venue, and the one embedded in the wall after being hit directly with a sledgehammer, turned their eyes to me. Their eyes glowed red.

    as youve heard just now, that intruder is more inclined to me.

    B, but, where did the Prince go?

    Evacuating together with Duke Barga. Quickly gather your men. There is no guarantee that there wont be an ambush waiting for Sir Crudes group. The attack is most likely not limited to this ce alone.

    What do you mean

    Just go already! And tell Sir Crude that the attackers belong to Rafflesia!

    The moment the name of Rafflesia was mentioned, the knightsplexion changed. Just by hearing that name, he seemed to have guessed what was going on. I also have no intention of saying that the Second Prince is plotting a rebellion without proof. Even if the possibility is very high, I cant say much at least until I know whats going on outside Flyhigh.

    The only thing that is certain now is the fact that the ck-d man with murderous intent in front of us is Reiner, a member of Rafflesia. At the same time as the five Demon Steel Soldiers set me as their first target and started moving, the surviving Central Knights also gathered and rushed towards the basement.

    Just before leaving the venue, one of the knights looked at me and said,<em> ck Mask, Ill leave this ce to you!.</em>

    Im getting tired of having to deal with the Cactus. Ever since the request to escort Lapitirica-sama, they have been relentlessly aiming for Shaftmy life.

    Now that I can see their true nature, I cant let them be. Even if my body has a monster-like natural healing power that makes me able to recover from any wound, if they keep hunting me with skills and magics that are supposed to have gone extinct and never letting me to heal, then my life will most likely end there.

    In addition, the aim of the Rafflesia was not only the death of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, but also the capture of Chancellor Zephanel.

    Its hard to say that Kurtmerga kingdom will remain safe and peaceful but for a Magicless and Trespasser like me to live freely, the current monarchy as well as chancellor Zephanel need to stay in power. Besides I cant handle the thought of Chancellor Zephanel, and those around her especially, being held captive by those people.

    The venue of the dinner party hadpletely changed from the calm and lively atmosphere from a little while ago.

    The corpses of knights, waiters, and guests lying miserably everywhere in the venue only added to the grim outlook. Magic attacks from outside have temporarily stopped, but its only a matter of time before the entire building copses. But from now on, theres no need to worry about identally shooting allies. It may cause further damage to bodies and buildings, but my first and foremost goal is to eliminate the enemy.

    You can see the six-foot clubs held by the Demon Steel Soldiers turning red, leaving the handle in the center. When I switched my vision to FLIR mode, I could see that both ends of the club started to umte a high amount of heat.

    Apparently Im not the only he Demon Steel Soldiers are about to get serious too.Advertisement

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232

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    I checked the dots on the map floating in my field of vision, listened closely to the sounds captured by the sound-collecting sensors, and the only ally in the surroundings was Vee, and the rest were Reiner, who had lost his right arm, and five Demon Steel Soldiers minions.

    The number of enemy reinforcements trying to enter the venue was 12no, it was 11 with Vie beheading one just now. Another window monitor that only I could see was floating in my field of vision. Typhoon-Ks first-person view with the Crown Prince and others on board was projected on that screen. Its unexpectedly difficult to control Typhoon-K in the corner of your consciousness while fighting.

    Whether they were on patrol, or whether they were rushing to Flyhigh or another ce, the group of knights and mercenaries on guard were surprised at the iron box running with a low roaring heavy engine and reproached it for running. They blocked the street and stood in the way. But, we cant stop. Driving while ring horns at the mercenaries guarding the mansions of the Central Knights and Aristocrats, who could be friends or foes, they thankfully retreated from the streets while the vehicle rushed to the residence of Duke Barga.

    The instrument panel of the drivers seat, which is reflected in the window monitor, has a monitor that disys the image of the rear passengerpartment. It is also possible to have wirelessmunication between the drivers seat and the passengerpartment, but due to the specifications of the VMB, it is done by voice chat, so even if I can send my voice to the passengerpartment, I wont be able to hear Ashleys or other passengers voice.

    On the small monitor, I could see Sharle-san clinging to the chair in fear of the shaking crewpartment, and Rachel, who was boarding as an escort, rolling onto the Crown Princes chest and onto Duke Bargas feet.

    We will soon arrive at Duke Bargas residence. Please be patient for a while longer.

    My voice suddenly flowed out into the crewpartment, and everyone onboard was surprised, and they looked around to find me, but there was no way I was there with them.

    Your Excellency Duke, there was a familiar face among the assantsa member of Rafflesia called Reiner. In addition, the conversation with him revealed a connection between the n and the dark guild Cactus. Please use this information as you may after arriving at the mansion

    For now, lets just tell him what I know. I saw Duke Barga nodding, which means hell put the info into consideration when nning for the next move.

    As for me, my first priority is to quell the confusion in Flyhigh.

    Both ends of the six-foot clubs of the five Demon Steel Soldiers emit a high level of heat, and it would be dangerous to block their attacks directlyI essed my inventory and summoned a new ballistic shield.

    Includingser attacks, ballistic shields should be able to block most attacks from the Demon Steel Soldierunless there is an attack method that has not been shown yet.

    Chih! What the hell are you! Why can you use <Skills> within the barrier?!

    `

    Thats right, barrier ignoring Shaftno, Disguised Schwartz

    Seeing that therge ballistic shield was summoned out of nowhere, both Reiner and Vee raised their doubts.

    However, I also had the same question.

    Then Vee, where did you get that long sword? No, I didnt even see you during the banquet, which means, you used <Skill> as well, didnt you?

    The thing in Vees hand is different from the sword wielded by the Central Knights and that of the attackers. Shes wielding a ck long sword.

    Theres no way I can use <Skills> within the barrier, Im different from you. Frank-sama will be participating with Emeralda-sama. Theres no way I would miss seeing his majestic figure and brilliant demeanor at this elegant dinner party! Therefore, Ive been hiding under the tablecloth in front of the empty hall!

    Vee, who was standing around against the eleven people from outside, stepped back behind me and stared at each others ck clothes and Demon Steel Soldiers while standing back to back. She pointed to the table and loudly confessed to her perversion.

    I-I see so youve been there even before the opening

    Lets put aside this perverted womans behavior

    Then, howe you can use <Skill>?

    ..probably the same reason why that Demon Steel Soldier uses something that seems to be a <Skill>, I guess.

    What?

    Even if I say the same reason, theres no way Vee knows the root of it. However, she seemed to have something in mind.

    Sameyou said?! Shaft, are you saying that what you did was the effect of a magic weapon!

    Magic weapon? Come to think of it, did Reiner say that when he firstunched an attack? NoI think I heard those words from someone else some time ago

    Nah, I dont have time to remember that now

    Two Demonic Steel Soldiers stick out their left hands, deployser units from their wrists, and their gun muzzles immediately glow red.

    Evade, Vee!

    I warned Vee who was standing back to back with me and at the same time dodged sideways with a slide jump. Irradiation-typeser, unlike the single-shot counterpart, is harder to dodge. I had to keep moving since the twosers swung around as if to chase me. Meanwhile, I peeked from the opening on the upper part of the ballistic shield, which I kept raised up just in case

    I aligned the cross-hair at the end of the front sight with the chest of the demon steel soldier and fired twice. Suppressing the recoil of the Desert Eagle on the top of the shield, Inded three more shots at the same time. This caused the demon steel soldier to lean back. itsser was also raised to the ceiling, piercing through it rather easily.

    While blocking the otherser with the ballistic shield, I jumped further, kicked the wall, flew just above the ceiling, and fired two shots at the Demon Steel Soldier directly below. Thats seven shots. Even with .50 AE bullets, the Demon Steel Soldier just bowed back. Its movement couldnt be stoppedpletely.

    However, I can feel itthe number of bullets fired, the behavior of the Demon Steel Soldier, and its existence can only be thought of as a mob.

    The Demon Steel Soldier should fall shortly

    As soon as Inded, I used the ballistic shield to cover myself, then summoned a magazine from the inventory and reloaded. Even though I was able to take out the firearm with just my consciousness, I still had to manually rece the magazine.

    No matter how much the assimtion phenomenon progresses, the ammunition capacity will never be infinite, nor will it automatically reload. No matter how far I go, Im an FPS yer, so I can be sure of that.

    This one should bea Kill!

    Keeping myself hidden behind the ballistic shield, I once again aimed. This time at the head. The bullet fired from the hand cannon hit the demon steel soldier in the head, vaporizing its head. The next moment, the center of the scale armor rapidly expanded into red

    Its gonna explode!

    Realizing what would happen the moment I noticed the change, I rushed to Vee who was still busy fighting the ck-clothed men. I grabbed her from behind and immediately did a slide jump and a strafe to escape outside. At the same time, we were still in midair due to my strafe, I confirmed the appearance of the Demon Steel Soldier as it exploded with explosive swirling mes.

    Kuh!

    I quickly raised back the ballistic shield, right in time as a strong st surged toward the ce where Vee and I hid, breaking through the crumbling wall of Flyhigh from within. Both of us were knocked to the courtyard, to witness the building that is Flyhigh finally copsing

    Activating self-destruction the moment it could no longer fightmoreover, what a destructive power. But, it made me certain those things are not native to this world. They are the same as me, from another worlda product of a game system.

    Is there a Trespasser other than me? Is it Reiner? No, if he is, then he shouldve at least recognized my guns. Besides, Reiner referred to both my firearms and the Demon Steel Soldier as magic weapons. This means that somewheresomeone is producing these Demon Steel Soldiersor something else.

    Its yet unknown whether the Rafflesia has a Trespasser among their ranks, or whether its a descendant that inherit the system via

    .

    On the other hand, defeating the remaining four of the demon steel soldiers wont be easy.

    Blowing away the rubble of the copsing fly height, one by he surviving Demon Steel Soldier emerged. And then there was Reiner, who was standing up even though his ck clothes were scorched and the half of his body that was holding his lost right arm was badly burned.

    So stubborn, arent you

    Perhaps the effect of the barrier that sealed <Skills> and <Magic> had disappeared, as I could see Reiners left hand shining faintly.

    Nnhh.

    Vee, who had fainted from the impact of the explosion and being blown outside, seemed to have regained her consciousness.

    Are you okay, Vee? No injuries

    Hya! What are you doing! Where are you touching! No, why are you hugging me!

    What are you Im just putting my hands around her waist

    Thi. this is Pervert Shaft!! No Lusty Beast Schwartz!! In spite of the situation, you actually took the chance to defile my body that I have dedicated to Frank-sama!!

    I let go of Vee, who was raging on my chest, and while listening to the consecutive volley of rash words, I thought about the battle after thishow to defeat the Demon Steel Soldiers, but there was only one thing that crossed my mind

    This perverted woman is actually a maiden!

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235

    Would ya kindly followment on my story?

    Girl Ripped From Her World

    _______________________________________________________________

    Shaft, do you know where Frank-sama is now?

    The st from the Demon Steel Soldiers self-destruction had subsided, and only the sound of the embers of the copsing rubble being burned could be heard. Vee grabbed the fainted Reiner by the cor and dragged him closer.

    He and the others have already arrived at the Dukes residence.

    Its fast is that horseless carriage that fast? Im going to take this man and go to Frank-sama. What are you going to do, ck Mask Shaft?

    While listening to Vees question, my eyes were on therge lump on the back of Reiners head who hadpletely lost consciousness and couldnt even move.

    Vee, why did you hit so hard that he got such a big lump?

    Hmm? Ah, I used the blunt weapon you lent me, and it disappeared after I used it, but its not my fault, you know?

    What I lent you was not a blunt weapon, but a shield Did you actually swing it with enough force to blow away its remaining durability?

    Im heading to the Dukes residence too, but theres a ce I want to stop by before that. Go ahead and report about the Demon Steel Soldier Minions self-destruction. I dont know how many of them are left.

    Thats right if the Knights were the opponent, they would have been caught in that explosion and suffered an extraordinary amount of damage. The third knights are with the army corps on an expedition to subjugate thebyrinth, and the second knights should be in the north of Dragrange.

    This raid seems to have been nned meticulously.

    It was a sudden attack, but it seems that it was a well-nned attack. The purpose of the attack on Flyhigh was to murder Prince Khan and Prince Ark as well as abduct Chancellor Zephanel, but what would have happened if the attack had taken ce at the same time elsewhere? The current situation is stillrgely unknown.

    However, in this rebellion, which seems to be a coup dtat by the second prince, only I understandthere is a key point that only I understand.

    Its a Demon Steel Soldier minion.

    The extent to which this attack has spread will probably be known by the time we meet up with Duke Barga. And the Knights should start moving to suppress it soon However, I have no intention of participating in iteven if I was asked to participate in the suppression, I would refuse. I think I should go after the Demon Steel Soldier rather than participate in the suppression. Besides I want to watch the progress of things in a ce where I can protect Ashley and Chancellor Zephanel.

    So where are you going?

    Yamigasa Company.

    =====

    After parting with Vee at Flyhigh, I ran straight to the trading house of the Yamigasa Company, which was built in the second district of the Royal Capital.

    The first district, where the copsed Flyhigh was situated, was filled with the sounds of turmoil. After all, they were carrying out multiple simultaneous attacks, eliminating important figures in the Kingdomor securing them. I can see the red light that looks like an explosion flickering even in the Royal Castle in the distance. The fact that the battle is continuing means that it has not yet been brought under controlthere is a need to hurry further.

    The first district and the second district are separated by a wall built in the past. In order to go back and forth between the two districts, it was necessary to pass through a castle gate built in a predetermined position.

    However, due to a coup dtat by the Rafflesia or the Cactus, the gate was closed and was firmly protected by the Central Knights.

    In this situation, I dont think I will be able to pass through the castle gates smoothly.

    I ran up the castle wall away from the castle gate, moved to the second district without passing through the gate, and marched toward Yamigasa Company. I had heard about the location of thepany while chatting with Malta-san. I didnt do any markings, but if I search for the mapped Royal Capital, I should be able to find the location immediately.

    The second district waspletely different from the first district. A lot of the people were

    However, the dots reflected on the map werent all about frightenedmbs. Inside somerge trading posts, I could see some dots clustered together so that they can respond quickly to any situation.

    I caught a glimpse of Yamigasa Companysrge trading house while feeling the faint metallic sound of scraping metal, the tension in the air and the sense of murderous intent floating in the air.

    Huge

    The trading house of Yamigasa Company was a huge trading house that reminded me of the department stores of the previous world. From several windows ced on the entire surface, I could see a room with a slight leak of light. By hiding near the trading house and checking theyout of the buildings while erging the map floating in my field of vision, I found out that there is arge warehouse behind the trading house in front of me.

    And there were many dots around the warehouse.

    If there is, its this one

    The reason why I visited Yamigasa Company before meeting up with Ashley and the others was because I thought that the person who created the Demon Steel Soldierno, the thing was here. The Demon Steel Soldier is undoubtedly a product of a simr game system power as my VMB power. Unless the origin is cut off, Rafflesia coup dtat will not stop.

    The battlefield will not be limited to the first district but will swallow the entire Royal Capital and spread to the entire Kingdom of Kurtmerga.

    There are several reasons why I thought that that was in Yamigasa Company.

    One, the non-attribute magic stones around the Royal Capital were bought up by merchants affiliated with Yamigasa Company. The magic stones that were hoarded were gathered in thisrge trading house and converted into Demon Steel Soldiers.

    Second, when Remy-san visited Daikokuya, she said that something had been brought in from the north. North of Kurtmerga Kingdom is the Dragrange Margrave territory, and the neighboring Drak Kingdom.

    Third, Reiner called the Demon Steel Soldier and my firearms as magic weapons. I didnt think much of it back then, but once I calmed down and thought about it, I remembered the words I said in the goblin den when I first met Ashley.

    A country with magical weaponsthe Viceburn Empire.

    If you think about them in reverse, you will find the answer. The Viceburn Empire made the Drak Kingdom into a vassal state and set their next target to the Kingdom of Kurtmerga. For that goal, they snuck in something that could create Demon Steel Soldiers and connected with the Rafflesia to cause a rebellion.

    If youre going to carry something across the border, the most discreet, least fuss-free, and most suspicious way is to have it carried by arge-scale merchantpany that is allowed to trade with neighboring countries.

    Its hard to imagine that something that was once brought in was moved to a different location in the Royal Capital while avoiding the eyes of Lily of the Valley. There must be something in the warehouse of Yamigasa Company, which is heavily guarded, to create a Demon Steel Soldier.

    First of all, reconnaissance is necessary, but if theyout of the site is too simple to enter directly The selection cursor runs around TSSs inventory, searching for special equipment that should be somewhere.

    There it is, this is it.

    Particles of light converged, and a small box about the size of a pencil case was summoned in front of me. I grabbed the box and first checked the surroundings. While Im using this special equipment, Ill be defenseless. A ce where away from prying eyes and safeI looked up at the roof of therge trading house of Yamigasa Company.

    After confirming that the main street in front of the trading post was clear of anyones eyes, I did a wall run and rushed up to the rooftop.

    I put my hand on the edge of the roof, flipped my overcoat, and went up to the roof.

    No one seems to have noticed. The rooftop was arranged like a small terrace, probably because it was originally designed to allow people to enter and exit this ce. When I checked the map, there were no dots around, and there was no sound of someone approaching. Having secured safety, I sat down on the terrace and opened the special equipment box.

    Inside is a small helicopter, an ultrapact reconnaissance drone codenamed ck Ho.

    The ck Ho, which is only about 16 cm long and the size of a palm, is being tested by the US and British special reconnaissance units. The silent rotors on the top and tail make it possible to fly with very little driving noise, and the three ultrapact cameras ced on the front of the fusge have normal camera mode, NV mode, and FLIR mode.

    Now that I have assimted with the game system, the image captured by the camera is reflected directly in my field of vision, and I was able to freely fly it with my will, although it was originally controlled via a tablet device.

    However, the operating time is limited to 10 minutes due to the specifications of the VMB. By turning on the switch at the bottom of the fusge, the two silent rotors began to rotate, and the score indicating the operating time reflected in the field of vision began to move.

    Now fly, ck Ho. Fly and show me this something that should be in the warehouse. The micro-helicopter floating in the dark night started its reconnaissance flight towards the warehouse of Yamigasa Company.Advertisement

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236

    I climbed onto the roof of Yamigasa Companys trading house, where I controlled the summoned ultrapact reconnaissance drone ck Ho with only my thoughts. Under the cover of darkness I began reconnaissance of the warehouse behind the trading house. The two silent rotors made only a very faint driving noise, and the guards patrolling the warehouse didnt notice the ck ho flying around in the dark night.

    These guysarent mercenaries.

    The images sent from the ck Ho are disyed on my field of vision, and I could see them as if I were actually there. The guards were excessively equipped to protect warehouses or trading posts. I also noticed some mages wieldingrge shields that are supposed to be anti-monsters and anti-humans, along with a robe that seems out of ce to be worn by mere guards.

    The n members of the Rafflesia huh As expected, whats in the warehouse isnt a decent thing.

    The ck Hos operating time limit is 10 minutes. While looking at the time limit counter disyed in my field of vision, I switched to reconnaissance inside the warehouse as top priority and searched for an approach to the interior.

    This is it.

    There were several woodenttice doors without ss on the upper side of the warehouse. It is a small door that is impossible for a human to get through even if thettice is removed, but the ck Ho was able to enter without breaking thettice. The inside of the warehouse, which was the size of a school gymnasium, was dimly lit. There were few moving figures. On the contrarythere were countless unmoving silhouettes lined up.

    Lined up enough to fill the warehouse, was an army of Demonic Steel Soldiers. They were standing quietly like a silent doll, with a six-foot stick sticking out.

    Too manyand if this number of Demon Steel Soldiers self-destructed, the Royal Capital could be wiped out. The ck Ho flew between the unmoving Demon Steel Soldiers, slowly proceeding in stealth flight to the only ce in the warehouse that emit light.

    Two moving figures could be seen beyond the Demon Steel Soldiers. They seemed to be talking about something, but the ck Ho only has a camera. There is no choice but to try to eavesdrop with a sound collection sensor from the roof of the trading house. But considering the distance, it would be difficult to hear the sound clearly.

    In that caselimit the sound collection range of the sound collection sensor, give it a direction, and have it focus on capturing sounds from farther away.

    With this, we have handed over all the non-attribute magic stones that we can prepare.

    With this many Demon Steel Soldiers, it should be no problem to take down the Royal Castle and control the area around the Royal Capitalthe rest.

    Oh, I know! Princess Cyril has already been secured, all thats left now is to get Yuki Zephanel from Flyhigh!

    Its already past the scheduled time, isnt it? If only you lend out any more of the Demon Steel Soldiers, their custody will surely be a foregone conclusion

    The person was the chairman of Yamigasa Company, the slender rat-type beastkin, and a man who was also a beastkin but still unknown to me. I wonder what line that is, a blue-haired dogno, a wolf-type beastkin. While listening to the story of the two, I captured the source of the light enshrined behind them with my camera.

    This is.

    A gigantic group crystal cluster shines therebut the arrangement is regr and looks like something designed.

    No, rather, these are not naturally urring crystal clusters, but can only be seen as objects created by the game system.

    While listening to the conversation between Yamigasa Company and the blue-haired wolf beastkin, I controlled the ck Ho to bypass them and observed the crystal clusters a little more closely. Inside the six crystals extending from the hexagonal pedestal was a skeleton humanoid doll. And at the center of thergest and thickest crystal that extends from the center of the hexagon, its emitting a richly colored lightThebyrinth core.

    I see theres a limit to your boldness.

    The conversation between the two, the crystal clusters reflected in front of them, and the countless Demonic Steel Soldiersthe answer was too simple and fearless.

    So, youre producing Demon Steel Soldiers in the Royal Capital, and whats more, the cost is a non-attribute magic stone and arge magic stone.

    I couldnt help but let out a voice, but the question was who was the one who created this crystal group, was it a <Bloodline Skill>, or was that blue hair a [Trespasser]?

    At the moment theres not enough informationshould I capture that blue hair alive? No, more important than that is to do something about the Rafflesia coup dtat. For that reason, what is the right thing to do here?But as aTrespassering from a game like VMB, I know what to do. My knowledge, my experience, my heart is appealing that it is the correct answer.

    Walking on the roof of the trading house while looking at the image inside the warehouseI resummoned the Mag-Fed 20mm in both hands, put the barrel and one foot on the edge of the warehouse and looked through the scope.

    What you can see is only the roof of the warehouse, but if you judgeprehensively from the live image sent from the ck Ho, the shape that can be read from the map, and the voice of the conversation captured by the sound collection sensor.

    here.

    Even if I couldnt see it directly on the scope, I can still tell everything beyond it.

    When the trigger was pulled, an explosive me and an explosive sound were released from the muzzle of Mag-Fedthest shot that was loaded made arge hole in the roof of the warehouse andnded where it was aimed.

    Uwaaa!

    In ck Hos camera, the blue hairs head was blown off right in front of the chairman. That scream belonged to the chairman of thepany, who got blood sshed all over his body. And thenMag-Feds 20mm caliber bullet destroyed the central part of the crystal cluster that had been enshrined at the back, the crystal pir where the brilliant magic stone was floating.

    What was that explosion just now?!

    The roof of the trading house is on fire!

    Hey, look. Theres someone over there!

    Check inside the warehouse, you guys get him! Kill him, dont let him escape!

    After hearing Mag-Feds gunshots, my location was immediately known to the adventurers around the warehouse. The muzzle sh when firing is also considerable, so there is no reason not to find it. As I continued to look inside through the ck Hos camera and the scope through therge hole opened in the warehouse, as expected, the crystal cluster pedestal vibrated and turned red.

    In the same change as the self-destruction that I saw many times when I killed the Demon Steel Soldier, I manipted the ck ho to escape from near the pedestal.

    The chairman of Yamigasa Company must have sensed the danger. I can see him running to the exit of the warehouse on all fours without being able to get up. Right after thatthe crystal cluster pedestal was swallowed by the fireball, and exploded into a swirling pir of fire that pierced the ceiling of the warehouse.

    When I involuntarily took my eyes off the scope due to the amount of light that exploded through the scope, I saw the figure of the adventurer who should have been in front of the warehouse in the midair in front of me.

    Die!

    The adventurer kicked into the empty space, and the long sword in his hand swung sideways to cut my neck in two.

    Kuh!

    Involuntarily, I lifted the Mag-Fed to defend myself, using it to block the cut in on the side-shhowever, this adventurers swordsmanship must have been of a high level. The Mag-Fed was bisected by its characteristic long barrel and disappeared from my hand as particles of light.

    Oi, this is extremely expensive stuff here!

    Using the moment that I bought with Mag-Fed as a shield, I did a backward slide jump on the rooftop to gain distance. At the same time, summoning Smith & Wesson E&E Tomahawks in both hands to face the adventurer.

    Who are you?

    The adventurer was d in light armor, and the long sword he held in his hand had a special decoration and brilliancepared to mass-produced products. This man must be quite skilled even in the Rafflesia. Without answering the mans question, I reconfirmed the map in my field of vision and the ck Hos camera image.

    The dots were moving around the trading house, and I could hear many footsteps running up the stairs. And then, the inside of the warehouse in question progressed as expectedthe Demon Steel Soldiers one after another turned into particles of light and disappeared from the warehouse.

    With only a few seconds remaining on ck Hos camera, the image cut off when the chairman of Yamigasa Company desperately tried to collect the particles of light.

    Ten minutes of the operating limit time had passed.

    But, as expectedif the crystal cluster pedestal is destroyed, the Demon Steel Soldiers that were created from it will also disappear. Considering the game system, this is a very likely chain reaction.

    I dont know if the game system that created the Demon Steel Soldiers was an MMORPG series, a MOBA series, or an action online game, but it was clearly a control unitan objective that needs to be destroyed.

    If this were a game, destroying the crystal clusters would have cleared the stage or won the match, but this is the real world.

    The battle is still going onfirst, how to close this ce.

    That man is ck Mask Shaft.

    Suddenly, I heard a voiceing from a different direction than the man facing me. At the same time, a single dot appeared on the map.

    Schuldtiana huhI see, this man is the ck mask that has been hindering us.

    A disappearing <Skill> huh

    Just in case, I changed my field of view to FLIR mode and looked around the roof, but it seemed that there was no one but the ck clothes that had newly appeared.

    He came out from the direction of Flyhigh, but I didnt think he woulde here when I chased after him. Thanks to that, it seems that this has also be quite troublesome.

    From Flyhigh? What happened over there, are things going ording to n?

    No, the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and even that fox Zephanel have escaped, the forces of Cactus have been almost wiped out, and even Reiner has been captured.

    SchuldtianaI believe it was the name of the intelligence n affiliated with the dark guild that Remy-san had informed me.

    Captured? That stupid bastard still messed up, huh In that case, it seems that you have to pay back the many debts you have umted, ck mask!

    The adventurer never took his eyes off me. Even while he was talking to the man in ck, if I showed him a chance, he would have attacked me instantly.

    I could feel the bloodlust, and my grip on the tomahawks involuntarily tightenedThen, the door connecting the roof and the inside of the building was opened with great force, and arge number of adventurers rushed in.

    This is badI often fought while outnumbered nowadays, but the opponent this time was thergest and strongest n in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, the Rafflesia. This rooftop is too small to deal with those n members at once

    Oops, I wont let you escape. I dont want you to get in the way of our supremacy any more. Your life will end tonight.

    Perhaps sensing my movements, the ring adventurer man took a step forwardat the same time, the n members who came up to the rooftop spread out to surround me, each with their own weapons ready for battle.

    What is the purpose of you, Rafflesia? Is it to take over this Kingdom? Or do you intend to be a vassal state of the Viceburn Empire and obtain even just the right to control it?

    In order to buy a little time, I tried probing into their still unclear purposebut,

    Pu! Ahahahahah! Kingdom? Empire? Did you really think that we would rise up for something like that? Country is nothing more than a convenient way to bind people to our hegemony. What lies ahead of the supremacy is not that small!

    Their goal is not to control the country? Then what are these guys intended to

    Youre a man Id hate to killbut since youre going to get in the way of the supremacy, Ill get rid of you right here!

    With those words, the elites of the Rafflesia attacked all at once.Advertisement

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    Shameless self-promotion : Girl Ripped From Her World

    ____________________________________________________________________

    Wesson E&E Tomahawks. Even though I can instantly summon another firearm, even that moment can be deadly when dealing with the likes of Rafflesia members.

    Besides, my purpose foring here to Yamigasa Company wasnt to reduce the number of Rafflesia.

    I came to Yamigasa Company, which I thought to be deeply involved in the revolt, in order to do something about the Demonic Steel Soldiers that would self-destruct when incapacitated; and also their troublesome magic weapon. My prediction was also correct, and I shot through a man who seemed to be a spy of the Viceburn Empire with a Mag-Fed 20mm along with the Demon Steel Soldiers production equipment.

    As a result, in exchange for returning the Demon Steel Soldiers to particles of light, I was surrounded by the adventurers of the Rafflesia who were attached here as escorts. But, what should I do after this

    Among the approaching adventurers, I tossed the two tomahawks in a row at the two light-armored warriors who were running in the leadpreventing the rushing movements, I stepped backward and jumped lightly.

    The tomahawk was repelled without difficulty, but the adventurers movements also stopped slightly when I backed off. Inded on the edge of a high-rise trading building that could be called a department store, then summoned firearms and special equipment in my hands the moment I gained some distance.

    What are you doing, Shaft!

    One of the adventurers raised a voice of caution as he saw the particles of light shining in my hand. But, that one voice gives me time to spare.

    I dont have time to deal with you guys.

    Saying that I took a step back from the veranda and fell back onto the main street.

    What?!

    I could see the astonished expressions of the adventurers, and in the next moment, the wall of the trading house, the glittering starry sky, the shining blue moonand the faces of the adventurers trying to peer down from the edge.

    I summoned the FN P90 in my right hand and directed the crosshair at the head that popped out like whack-a-mole, then pulled the trigger.

    I managed to pop three defenseless protruding heads before the other adventurer realized that I was baiting them. They disappeared back onto the roof terrace.

    I exhaled through my ker mask and fired the grappling hook I summoned in my left hand toward the edgeThe three-pronged w hook was locked on the edge, and my falling body jerked to a stop.

    Kuh!

    I grabbed the grip of the grappling hook in my left hand with all my strength, put my legs against the wall of the trading house, and adjusted my posture. It stopped at a height near the center of the trading post, but my surprise attack didnt end there.

    Using the ce where the hook locked as a fulcrum, I kicked the wall of the trading house with all my might. My body, which bounced like a pendulum, reaches a height where the roof terrace can be seen againno, it reaches a height beyond that before stopping.

    On the rooftop terrace overlooking me, I could see the adventurers widening their eyes when I suddenly appeared in the night sky.

    I picked an enemy to target instantly.

    Those who can react to my movements, those who have the means to attackfrom among the adventurers, I confirmed the position of the mage and the light warrior with the bow that can attack from a distance, and once again, using the hook as a fulcrum. While surrendering to the movement of the pendulum returning, I started firing.

    I could see the figures of the magicians and the light warriors sshing blood for just a moment, but I didnt have the luxury of worrying about the results of the shooting.

    Due to the pendulum motion, my body was going straight toward the wall of the trading house at a tremendous speed. Pulling the trigger of the grappling hook held in my left hand several times, I adjusted thending pointand broke through the window of the trading house with both legs and rolled inside.

    Stopping in a kneeling position, I aimed down sight with the P90 and instantly cleared the surroundingsconfirming that there were no enemy shadows.

    Phew

    The moment Inded, the grappling hook that I let go of changed into particles of light and returned to my inventory.

    Upon entering, the interior of the trading building was instantly mapped, and at the same time, sound sensors were used to detect moving sounds from the upper and lower floors.

    Is this a merchandise store for adventurers?

    From the map information, I confirmed that there were no moving dots on this floor. I even checked the surroundings in FLIR mode just in case. All the sounds picked up by the sound-collecting sensors were only on the upper floor, and the sound of breaking the window must have been heardmany footsteps running down from the roof terrace echoed.

    It seems that there is no personnel other than adventurers from Rafflesia in the trading hall. Thats right, on the day of the coup detat, theres no way theyd leave an unrted employee at one of those bases.

    Then

    With the monitor of the TSS floating in my field of vision, I selected the garage menu and picked one of the two duplicate purchases, the Oshkosh M978 tank trailer full of fuel. Before deciding to summon that, I opened KamAZ-63968 Typhoon-Ks viewpoint monitor and confirmed that no one was on board.

    I cannot summon more than one transport vehicle at the same time. If M978 is summoned here, Typhoon-K would return to the garage after dispersing into particles of light.

    I dont know what would happen if someone is still on board there. Will they be sent to the garage along with the vehicle, or will they lose their footing and end up outside the vehicle? I know I can bring inanimate objects from this world into the garage, but I havent tried anything alive yet.

    Should I try it soon?

    With that in mind, I decided to summon M978. The summoned M978 barely fit the sales floor inside the trading building, I attached C4 bombs to its body afterward.

    And one more thing. I set up the AN/GSR-9 (V) 1 (T-UGS) in the shadow of the car body and kept the mini-map that appeared in the field of view open so that I could always see it. Preparations are nowplete. While summoning a P90 magazine and reloading the gun, I started walking towards the opposite side of the main street where I broke the window.

    Aiming for the warehouse shot through by Mag-Fed 20mmthe chairman of Yamigasa Company should be there. Borrowing one of the long ropes for adventurers on disy in the shop, I opened the closed window and swooped down to the back of the trading house with my overcoat pping in the air.

    Confused by the surprise attack from the roof of the trading house and the pir of fire that shot through the crystal clusters, most of the guards seemed to have gone up to the roof aiming at me. There are three shadows in front of me, and there are no other dots detected on the map.

    One is the chairman of the target Yamigasapany. A mage who lends his shoulder beside him and supports him, and a light warrior left alone as an escort.

    Who are you!

    Who was it that swooped down into the darkness of the Royal Capital?

    ck nobleman

    Thats how it is

    I walked slowly toward the warehouse and waited for the right time while making jokes.

    Y-you, do you know what youve done!

    The chairman of thepany, realizing that it was I who had attacked the warehouse, shouted out loud.

    Do YOU really understand what youre doing? A n led by a Royal family connected with another country, recruited soldiers, and started a rebellion

    Shut up! Do you know who you killed!? You blew the Imperial Prince away!

    Imperial Prince? The spy whose head was blown off by my shot in the warehouse was the Royal family of the Viceburn Empire?then the thing that created the Demon Steel Soldier wasnt a Trespasser, but the <Bloodline Skill>.

    This guy has a considerable amount of information after all. I dont know how much information can be dug out from Reiner, but if its this man who is the source of the money for the Rafflesia, I might be able to understand their purpose.

    If necessary, whether its the Empires Prince or your trading house, Ill blow it away as often as needed.

    Huh? My trading house?

    Not only the line of sight of the chairman of the tradingpany, but also the line of sight of the mage lending his shoulder and the light warrior who had pulled out his stiletto were directed to therge trading house towering behind meAt the same time, there were many dots detected on the T-UGS minimap that I had set up.

    I could see the adventurers of the Rafflesia deploying around M978 while remaining vignt, investigating the unfamiliar objects.

    Nothing is blown away, what the hell are you talki

    Click

    Then, I pushed the lever on the detonation switch in my hand.

    At that moment, the C4 bomb attached to the M978 detonated, causing the fuel-filled M978 durability value dropped to zero and in turn igniting arge explosion. The roaring sound of explosions and bursting mes overflowed from the windows of the summoned floor. The explosion pressure was not enough to blow away the walls from the inside, but the entire floor was engulfed in mes.

    Uwooooooo!!!

    And then, screams rang out as the ever-dark night sky turned bright red.Advertisement

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289

    The explosive mes that raged in the high-rise trading building of Yamigasa Company blew away every window, destroyed the walls, and the explosion pressure not only spread on the floor that became the epicenter. It broke through the upper floors, pierced the roof, reached the heavens, and dyed the night sky red.

    Beneath the red-hot night sky, the scream of the chairman of Yamigasa Company resounded. As I aimed down-sight with FN P90, I saw him and the adventurer of Rafflesia, with the heat wave on their back. They were caught by the copsing trading house, which incapacitated both of them.

    Aa! M, mypany

    When I turned my gaze slightly backward, I was able to see the light particles mixed with sparks disappearing in the burning and copsing trading house. The wreckage of the Oshkosh M978 tank trailer and the burning fuel that was scattered must have changed into particles of light over time after the system judged that the vehicle had been destroyed.

    The pir of fire as well as the slowly disappearing particles of light, melding together in the night sky, presenting a fantastdscape to my eyes. This should make for a good warningof what would happen if you were toy a hand on what the ck Mask Shaft is protecting. Noperhaps they didnt even think that I would be in the Royal Capital at this time.

    WellIll have you tell me everything. What is the n of the Rafflesia and what is its purpose?

    I grabbed the face of the chairman who couldnt take his eyes off the copsing trading house and forced him to face me.

    Whu han ho huck houhelf hih he huh!

    I didnt get what he was talking about. I took out the adventurers rope I borrowed from the floor where M978 was summoned, pressed the chairman of the firm to the ground, tied both hands, and tied up his entire body so that he wouldnt act violently.

    I also gagged him with the rope so that he wont yell. Then I noticed arge number of dots on the map floating in my field of vision and heard the sound of an approaching carriage, followed by the sound of bells ringing.

    Yamigasapany is in fire! Ready the fire brigade! Prepare to cast water magic!

    Rescue team, dont forget to cast fire resistance magic and body strengthening magic! See if anyone in need of rescue!

    So the dots were the capitals fire brigade Thats a lot of them. Multiple dots wrapped around the trading house that was no longer a high-rise.

    The number of bullets left in the P90 disyed in my field of vision was sufficienthiding the P90 behind my waist, I stood up and turned around.

    You! What are you doing there!

    This is the general guild headquarters patrol unit. Please show us your ID. If you resist, you will be regarded as the main culprit of this fire and will be detained!

    The ones who came here wore familiar uniformsThe armed General Guild staff.

    However, how many of them came in such a short amount of timeperhaps they started moving after shooting through the crystal clusters, so it was a very quick response. The number of general guild staff who called themselves the patrol unit was greater than the number of dots that started firefighting activities. They must have been on high alert so that the fire of rebellion urring in the first area would not spread to the second and third areas.

    In such a situation, if an explosion were to ur at one of thergest firms in the Kingdom, it wouldnt be surprising if they woulde in droves.

    Hey, the one tied up behind you is the chairman of Yamigasa CompanyDaikan?

    The eyes of the general guild staff were directed to the person behind me, toward the chairman of Yamigasapany, who was groaning breathlesslyso this mans name is Daikan

    It looks like you dont even need to show your ID card you, why dont you settle down so we could apany you to the guard station?

    The staff members drew their swords one after another, and I could hear the chanting of magic words in the background.

    This is bad I dont have any intention to tussle with the general guild, and I dont have time to follow them to the office and exin things. I have to get as much information out of Daikan and join Ashley and the others.

    Oh wellno other choice but to run away.

    I returned the P90 that was wrapped around my waist to my inventory, and instead summoned a smoke grenade and an M84 shbang in my hand.

    After a little while, the general guild staff who followed joined the previous one.

    Is that guy the culpriteh? Isnt that the ck Mask Shaft?

    A familiar voice called my name just before I joined the patrol force in front of me.

    Its a relief to see a familiar face, Siegfried.

    The one who pushed his way through the patrol guards was Siegfried, a tall and slim General Guild employee with slightly droopy eyes and a stubbled chin. At the mercenary headquarters in the Royal Capital, he was working as a mock battle examiner. While in the entertainment city of Veneer, he was chasing an adventurer who vited the contract.

    What the hell is this man

    Captain, is that ck masked man really the ck Mask Shaft?

    YesI thinkis there a doubt?

    Should I present my Mercenary guild card? Or should I remove this ck mask and show my face to you?

    Oh no no no no! Your true face is quiteI heard about it, but theres no way to confirm it even if you show me something Ive never seen before. I havent fully grasped whats going on here, but if I knew you were biting me, that would be a different story.

    Siegfried turned to the patrol guards, ordering them to help with the firefighting and rescue of the injured. Then, he put his arm around my shoulder and led me to a position a little further away.

    Shaft, whats going on in the Royal Capital? The general guild has been requested by the 4th Knight Order and the 2nd Prince to maintain security and emergency alerts in the 2nd and 3rd districts at the same time. I know that a battle is taking ce in the first area, but I dont know who is fighting who.

    The 4th Knight Order and the 2nd PrinceI guess this is through the Rafflesia, but the reason why they both shut out the general guild is to avoid the adventurers of the Royal Capital from participating in this rebellion.

    From the perspective of the 4th Knight Order, it would be impossible to defend with an adventurer whose connection to the Rafflesia is unclear. From the point of view of the Rafflesia, it is best to have fewer hostile forces.

    They were keeping their distance from the adventurers, in order to protect the Royal Capital and eliminate the Royal family.

    Then, let me brief you What I know is that the Rafflesia and the Cactus are two sides of the same coin, and they are attacking the Royal family tonight. On the way here, there was also a battle going on at the Royal Castle. I dont know what the result was, but in a nutshell, the Second Prince has rebelled.

    With the Yamigasa Company having a direct rtionship with the Royal family of the Viceburn Empire, it is difficult to imagine that the Royal family of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga was not involved in tonights rebellion.

    Although there is no evidence yet, I had no doubt that Prince Kilik was the mastermind.

    It was a simple exnation, but Siegfried opened his eyes wide and put his hand over his mouth to restrain himself from leaking out his voice. He must have been quite surprisedthe Cactus is a huge organization lurking in the darkness of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, while the n Rafflesia pretty much represents the nation.

    In addition, there was also the betrayal of the n Master, Prince Kilik. Its not a problem that the general guild, which is one of the Kingdoms organizations, will go on a business trip to solve.

    If thats true Where did Prince Kilik acquire backing? Even if he rebelled in this way, the Nobles of the country wouldnt ept the usurpation of the throne.

    The Viceburn Empire. I dont know if its enough proof, but there should be a headless corpse lying in the warehouse behind me. The corpseif what I heard from Daikan is true, should belong to a member of the Viceburn Empire Royal family.

    Viceburn Empire?! Headless corpse did you do it?

    I didnt know he was a Prince. If I had, I mightve considered crippling his legs or arms instead. But, in order to stop the rebellion, its necessary to remove the user <Bloodline Skill> to prevent him from creating more soldiers for the rebels.

    <Bloodline Skill> I didnt know about it No, thats not for me to judge. So, what were you nning to do with Daikan tied up?

    I was nning to bring him to Duke BargasI was about to answer immediately, but some members of the police were listening to the conversation between me and Siegfried on the spot.

    I dont know how far the roots of the Cactusor Schuldtiana have extended. Judging by Siegfrieds heartbeat, I dont think hes acting surprisedthis man isnt on the Rafflesia side.

    But, the same cant be said about the other patrol guards around

    This time, I put my hand on Siegfrieds shoulder, brought his face closer, and continued talking in a low voice.

    I will take Daikan to the residence of Duke Barga. Rafflesias goal is to kill the Royal family and detain Chancellor Zephanel. We have escaped and taken refuge in the Dukes mansion. We can consider moving from there, but right now its the most important point along with the Royal Castle.

    Detaining the Chancellor? Why do they need to let only the Chancellor live?

    Thats what Im trying to find out by keeping this Daikan here alive.

    What about the Prince of the Empire?

    I want to leave that matter to you. Including whether or not to cover up the death.

    Uwaa, youre forcing the troublesome part on meoh well, Ill just give the old man a visit.

    With that, I left the cleanup of this ce and the task of collecting the evidence of crime done by Yamigasapany to Siegfried. With Daikan on my back, I started moving to Duke Bargas mansion.Advertisement

 239

    239

    Last one was just missedbeled :3 Its the right in the order. Ignore it.

    __________________

    With Daikan, The Chairman of Yamigasapany tied up on my shoulders, I ran through the second district of the Royal Capital. Aiming for Duke Bargas mansion in the first districtthe same way I moved from Flyhigh, the venue for the banquet, to the second district, I did a wall run andnded on top of the castle walls.

    The sky above the Royal Castle in the center of the Royal Capital was burning red.

    The Royal Castle was surrounded by solid walls, but even from a distance, I could see that many of them had copsed. In front of the suspension bridge that lead to the main gate of the Royal Castle, I could also see many bonfires burning. However, I didnt sense that the battle was continuing across the castle gate.

    The main gate had already been broken through, and the stage had shifted to the interior of the Royal Castle

    Was I toote in destroying the Demon Steel Soldiers?but the results werent bad, considering that there was no guarantee that the defender would be able to do something about the Demon Steel Soldier. There is no doubt that Ive dealt a huge blow to the strength of the revolting Rafflesia.

    Turning my gaze to a ce other than the Royal Castle, I could see several other red-burnt ces. It is certain that multiple attacks were carried out at the same time, but I couldnt judge the situation properly from this ce.

    Lets hurry.

    With that in mind, the moment I turned my gaze to the bottom of the castle wallsthunder roared in the sky above the Royal Castle. Every time thunder roared, the outer wall of the Royal Castle was blown off and the spire copsed.

    Felix the Lightning sh..

    For some reason, I was convinced that he was behind the lightning strikes. Felix Mendoza, the Vice Master of the Rafflesia.

    During the Kings Festival, when I chased the phantom thief Nekoyanagi, I was attacked by assassins sent by the Cactus. I managed to thwart them, but right afterwardI was mistaken for an undead and had to fight Felix for a short time.

    I had not forgotten the cold jade eyes staring at me at that time.

    A dazzling light shed in the sky of the Royal Castle again, and a littleter, a roar of thunder rang out. The fact that the thunder continues to roar is proof that the battle is still going onI wonder if its from the sh between the Royal Guards and the Rafflesia.

    Should I head to the Royal Castle to help instead of heading to the Dukes mansion?

    Standing still on the castle wall, I hesitated a little about whether to go to the Royal Castle or the dukes mansion, but a change urred in the Royal Castle I was staring at. A gigantic explosion of mes and a column of water appeared in the sky, which was previously filled with nothing but thunder.

    In the next moment, a storm blew away the thunderclouds covering the sky of the Royal Castle, and the earthen walls rose up as if blocking the copsed castle walls.

    Someone is fighting Felix?

    Was it the Royal guards, or one of the magic noblesor is it the current King himself? In any case, it appeared that the Rafflesia wasnt one-sidedly controlling the battle. If theres still a little bit of time left, I should give priority to obtaining information.

    Thinking that, the moment I tried to get off the castle wall to head to the Duke of Bargas mansiona number of dots entered the map that floated in my field of vision, and they approached me on the castle wall.

    Whoa there! Trying to cross the district wall by taking advantage of darkness, aint you? Cantin if anyone attacks you now!

    Could it be, the ck Mask Shaft-nya?

    The Nobleman in ck.

    Notify Master that we have found a suspicious person, Malinda, Miche, dont get too close.

    These voices are the four female adventurers of n SazankaMalinda, Miche, Ruu, and Frau. There was one dot leaving the castle wall after Frau-sans instructions, so it must be a member of the Sasanqua that I dont know yet.

    But, what to do now?

    In the throne room of Mine Labyrinth, under the guise of Jonah, I shed with the Sazanka. I havent seen them since then, but I got the gist of the level of their abilities already. However, to face each other again in the form of Shaft this timeNo, this might be a good opportunity if you think about it the other way around.

    Rafflesia, Cactus, Schuldtiana. With the Second Prince at the top, who knows how far their roots have extended. There are immeasurable numbers of adventurers, merchants, and nobles entwined in its roots, both seen and unseen.

    However, these roots seem to ignore the likes of themfemale adventurers.

    The adventurers working in the Royal Capital would naturally seek to be connected to the Rafflesia. However, only the girls of the n Sasanqua are different. Their membership is strictly female-only, including noble daughters who are undergoing bride training. Right nowthe only adventurer n I can trust in the Royal Capitalmaybe only the Sasanqua.

    The one youre carrying on your shoulder is Yamigasa Companys Daikan, isnt it? Where are you going to take him?

    Are you involved in the battle at the Royal Castle too-nya?

    Kidnapping.

    Come on, say something!

    A tense air flows over the castle walls, and the siege of the four people gradually narrows, but I have no intention of arguing with them. So instead

    Indeed, Malinda-san.

    I switched off my voice changer so that my original voice could be heard, then I slowly removed my ker mask and exposed my real faceSchwartzs face to Malinda-san.

    Schwartz? You are Schwartz, arent you-nya!

    Good evening, Miche-san.

    Miche-san was the first to react after I removed the Ker mask. The other three immediately noticed, and the tension that had been floating around quickly dissipated.

    The true identity of the ck Mask Shaft is Schwartz what exactly is this?]

    Frau-san, about the details

    The moment I was about to answer Frau-sans obvious questionthe thunder roared in the Royal Castle again, and a pir of fire erupted with a roar to match it. Due to the excessive roar, everyones eyes on the castle wall turned to the burning Royal Castle.

    I will tell you the details at Duke Bargas residence. Can youe with me now?

    ..I understand. Ruu, you should stay to inform Master about the situation.

    Ruu-san nodded in response to Frau-sans instruction. We then descended from the castle wall and headed for Duke Bargas residence. Duke Bargas residence was quiet. However, there are more guards than usual standing on the border of the site, patrolling and guarding the gates.

    Looking at the faces of the guards, its easy to tell the rising tension in their facesbut at the same time, there was also a sense of pride and tion.

    No wonder. In this Duke Bargas mansion, some of the most important people in the Kingdom, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, the Third Prince, and the Eternal Honorary Chancellor, are hiding. The honor of protecting the nobles who unexpectedly visited mustve made them feel excited. With the capital being in a tight situation, the more meaningful it is to protect this ce.

    The guards guarding the gate had already noticed us approaching the Dukes mansion. He didnt panic, he didnt make a fuss, and even while he was sending one of the guards to the mansion, he started to prepare for a quick response by gathering patrol guards in front of the gate.

    Stop there, this is the mansion of the lord of Barga, the Duke of Barga. Why did you visit at such a time?

    One of the gatekeepers came to visit with a slightly trembling voice.

    After reuniting with the four Sasanqua, Ive been moving with my Ker mask off. If only I came here still wearing Shafts mask, I might be able to get through to Duke Bargas mansion, which Ive visited for Lapitilica-samas escort request. But as of now, I have no way to prove to the gatekeeper that Im the real ck Mask Shaft.

    Its possible that it was discussed in advance, but the counterfeit of my ck mask is in cirction in the Royal Capital. Since there is a possibility that the assassins from the Cactus will wear a ck mask and visit, the gatekeeper should not let them through easily.

    Thats why it would be faster to act as my real self.

    I am Daikokuya Schwartz. The three behind me are Frau, Miche, and Malinda from the n Sasanqua. As for this fainted man well, lets just say its a souvenir.

    While I was carrying him, the Yamigasa Companys Daikan fainted because he had to experience the slide jump and wall run repeatedly. It wouldve been troublesome if he made a fuss, so it is actually more convenient not to wake him up.

    [SchwartzIve heard the story, but why is Sasanqua apanying you?]

    I met them on the way here, and considering the current situationIsnt there a shortage of guards and escorts?

    I lowered my voice and whispered to one of the gatekeepers. The gatekeeper widened his eyes for a moment, cleared his throat once, and turned back as if to re-partition.

    Hmm, just in case, please present your guild card.

    When I turned my gaze behind me, Frau-san and others, who had followed me almost silently, presented their guild cards and began to show them to the gatekeeperAt the same time, I heard the sound of the mansions front door opening slowly and slightly

    Schwartz!

    Ashleys voice echoed in the tense, quiet front yard of the Dukes mansion. The front door was opened with great force, and Ashley rushed straight up to me.

    Don

    And, jumped into my chest.Advertisement

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240

    Schwartz!

    Raising her voice from the entrance of Duke Bargas mansion, Ashley rushed overno, instead of justing closer, she jumped right into my chest.

    A, Ashley..?

    With that kind of momentum, Daikan of Yamigasa Company, which I tied up and carried on my shoulder, fell to the ground. I could hear a faint voice like a crushed frogbut that didnt matter.

    Im d you were safethat moving iron box disappeared, so I wondered if something happened

    Apparently, Ive caused Ashley to worry a lot.

    Im fine, no injuries. Besides, I swore to protect youI wont be able to do that when I die, so I wont push myself too hard.

    Schwartz

    Burying her face in my chest, Ashley looked upwhat was ahead of her gaze was me gazing back at her.

    As our gazes ovepped, and the distance between us naturally shrunk. The next moment what ovepped was not just our gaze.

    Nyaa, nya they are doing it nyaaa!!!

    Miche-san pulled my hair from behind, forcing my downward chin to face upwards.

    Aww, Miche-san, that hurts!

    Schwartz, can you stop flirting with your lover after you finish showing us around?

    Schwartz~! At first, I thought he was a young man who had just be an adventurer, but he draws borate maps, wears a ck mask, and exterminates viins, and furthermorethe next head of the Zephanel family is his lover~? , No~ so saucy.

    Malinda-san grabbed Miche-sans neck so that she stopped pulling at my hair. However, this time she looked at me and Ashley with a knowing smile.

    In the meantime, Frau-san headed to the front door, overtaking the rest of us, and started talking to Volker-san, the housekeeper who came out to follow Ashley. I could hear them talking about the fact that the girls are members of Sasanqua and that Ruu-san and Malinda-san used to be the escorts for Lapitirica-sama.

    S, Schwartz, for now, lets go inside the Duke and predecessor are waiting.

    Ashleys face was dyed bright red, perhaps because of the words said by Frau-san and Malinda-san. Seeing that, Miche-san gasped even more and said, Shah shah

    Its a little scary.

    Tha, thats right. Miche-san, Malinda-san, lets go inside first. Ill provide the details there

    Hold it right there, nya! Tell me about your ties with that cat thief-nya!

    Seeing Miche-san getting angry, Malinda-sanughed and pushed Miche-sans back as she walked towards the mansion.

    Its frustrating to have my favorite boy being taken away~. But well, invite us out for a drink and everything will be forgiven.

    S, so noisy-nya!

    While arguing with Malinda-san, I couldnt help but smile bitterly at the sight of Miche-san walking to the entrance while ncing at me, but I cant stay in the front yard forever either. The gazes of the gatekeepers and guards who were watching everything from the side hurt

    Ashley, lets go.

    yes.

    Following Miche-san and the others, Ashley and I entered Duke Bargas residence.

    Wee back, Schwartz.

    Volker-san guided us to the lounge. It was originally a room used for having conversations with multiple people. But now that the furniture had been reced, it had be a bit like a VIP room. Waiting for my return there were Chancellor Zephanel, Crown Prince Khan, and Duke Barga.

    It looks like everyone managed to evacuate here safely.

    All thanks to your moving box.

    Im sorry for pushing all that without ample exnation, Your Highness.

    Schwarz-kun, I have heard about what happened in Flyhigh to some extent from Vee. After that, it seems that you took independent action. Are these girls behind you the reason?

    After fulfilling my goal, we met again by chance on my way here. Considering the current situation we are in, I felt that we needed their strength, so I asked them to apany me here.

    Im Frau of the n Sasanqua. The two in the back are Miche and Malinda, too.

    Miche-san and Malinda-san were staying at the entrance of the lounge. Only Frau-san was standing right behind me as a representative. After the return report and a brief introduction to the members of the Sasanqua, I reported on what I had seen at Yamigasa Company and the arrest of Daikan, the chairman of the firm. Then I heard from Duke Barga about Reiner whom Vee brought back.

    Reiner was quite tight-lipped at first, but apparently after spending some time in the servants basement made him vomit some informationno, Vee is still doing her best to extract new information as we speak.

    From around the time I entered the mansion, the sound sensor continued to pick up screams that I could not believe were human voices. Daikan was also brought into the basement by the guards. The amount of information avable should increase dramatically with his addition.

    However, arge amount of information has already been obtained, such as the intervention of the Viceburn Empire, the Second Princes rebellion, and the rtionship between the Rafflesia and the Cactus. Some of the reasons behind the riots have also been rified.

    And above all, the greatest good news is that we were able to neutralize the Demon Steel Soldiers, which was the biggest reason why we were forced to lose ground in the first move. The fact that there are very few nobles and merchants at the moment was bad news..

    Chancellor Zephanel already knew from Reiner that the purpose of the rebellion was to kill the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, and to secure the custody of the Chancellor. However, it seems that even she couldnt hide her surprise upon finding out the Empires involvement behind the scene and the Prince who had secretly entered the country.

    You say your name is Frau, yes? I want to ask you to protect this mansion and Khan. Will you do it?

    As you wish, Chancellor Zephanel.

    Thank goodness. As Schwartz said, the only n in the immediate area that can be relied on in the current situation is Sasanqua.

    I will send a messenger to the n house immediately. Miche!

    Frau-san called out to Miche-san who was waiting at the entrance. Thetter nodded once in response and left the room.

    A-chan, would you please guide these two to Anna-chans ce?

    Yes. Frau-san, Malinda-san, my name is Ashley Zephanel. Let me guide you to the room where Princess Anastasia and Prince Ark are waiting. Lafiri is also there, so please keep them safe.

    During the debriefing, Ashley took the role of an attendant instead of having a maid serve that role. Its not that the maids at the Dukes mansion werent enough, but if the other party was the Crown Prince, his wife, and even the Eternal Honorary Chancellor and the Third Prince, who suddenly visitedte at night, even they would crumble under the tension. I guess there was no satisfactory personnel to take the role other than her.

    Now that Frau-san and Malinda-san left with Ashley, only me, the Chancellor, the Crown Prince, and Duke Barga remained in the room.

    SoSchwartz-dono. How is the Royal Pce?

    Before I came here, I only saw it from afar, but various magics such as fire pirs, water pirs, storms, and earth walls were being fired in rapid session to match the intense lightning strikes.

    Father

    There is no doubt, only that kid can cast that many elemental magics.

    I answered Duke Bargas question as I saw it, but judging from the reactions of the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, Im pretty sure it was the current King who was fighting Felix.

    Chancellor, we should go to the rescue as soon as possible. If the King falls, he will be taken to the Empire at once.

    But, weck forces.

    Isnt it the same for the enemy? If Schwartz-donos story is true, those steel knights are no more. If we move the Fourth Knight Order together with the Sasanqua as the center, we might be able to sandwich them with the royal guards at the Pce?

    The reason why the Rafflesia attacked various ces simultaneously with the help of the Empire is probably to concentrate the strength of the main force on attacking the Royal castle. I dont think Kilik will let soldiers from other countries enter the Royal Pce.

    The total strength of Rafflesia is equal to or greater than that of a single Knight Order. With only the Fourth Knight together with the Sasanqua, it might still be enough. Even in the worst case scenario where it devolves into a war of attritionwe should be able to annihte them.

    Besides, the problem is whether or not there is a Trespasser among them

    Pardon, Your Excellency? Trespasser? ]

    Yes, the Trespasser, Frank.]

    Chancellor Zephanel briefly exined to Duke Barga about the Trespasser. That said, she didnt mention anything about theming from another world but described it as someone possessing Skill, which is the origin of Pedigree Skill.

    I see. So thats why Drak Kingdom is hunting them.

    And also what the Empire is aiming for using Pedigree Skill as one of their pawns to bolster their strength.

    Killing me and Ark, targeting the Chancellorthe Empire is definitely trying to obtain our Kingdoms

    . Taking them into the country Kilik must be blind.

    Indeed. However, we do not have enough numbers to go to reinforce the Royal Pce while ensuring your safety.

    Chancellor Zephanel, Crown Prince Khan, and Duke Barga continued to discuss the matter. But why am I still here?

    Then, there is no choice but to withdraw to the Barga territory at once. Consolidate the safety of His Highness, send the knights from the Western Barga Knights and the neighboring territories, and return to the capital.

    Certainlythis may be the only way to quell this rebellion while ensuring the safety of the Royal family.

    But then

    I unconsciously blurted out.

    That is right, Schwartz. Therefore

    We need your power.

    Chancellor Zephanel immediately followed through my blurt. The three, including Crown Prince Khan and Duke Barga turned their attention to me, who had been silently listening so far.Advertisement

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    We need your power.

    When Prince Khan said so, both Duke Barga and Chancellor Zephanel focused their attention on me.

    But Your Highness, and Chancellor Zephanell. Even though Schwarz-kun is the ck Mask Shaft, wouldnt it be too much of a burden to leave His Majestys rescue to him alone?

    Duke Barga has not been told that I am a Trespasser here. But, from Lapitirika-samas escort mission or from preliminary investigations, he should know that ISchwarz is a Magicless. Duke Barga may not be able to correctly connect the lines between Magicless and Trespasser, but he should understand that I own a

    .

    However, it is certainly impossible to rescue the current King with just that

    . Thats what Duke Barga wants to say.

    Also, should I only save the King? What about the other Royals, such as the Queen?

    Chancellor Bergman should still be in the Royal Pce. And even if the rescue was sessful, would he tell the remaining Knights of the Guard to join the death squad?

    Your Highness, and Your Excellency. I will do my best if I can, but as His Excellency the Duke said, there is a limit to what I can do alone. Specifically what should I do?

    Let me ask this back Schwartz the Trespasser. What can you do with your power? No, how many can you save?

    Prince Khan was staring at me intently. He was emitting an unbelievable presence that betrayed his sickly and emaciated body. Chancellor Zephanel sitting next to him didnt seem to have any intention of adding anything to Prince Khans question. How I answer with a faint smileI even feel like Im enjoying it. What can I do with my powerin other words, what VMB is capable of No, what the Crown Prince wanted was a rescue mission. He asked me how many people in the Royal Pce I can rescue.

    How many I can save How many I can save

    The firearms, weapons, and vehicles that I currently possess, and the remaining CP that I need to use them. The magic stones obtained in this worldand my body that was in the process of assimting with the VMB system.

    Fighting in the Royal Pce is the main force of Rafflesia against the royal guards led by the current King. In addition to the soldiers, there are also many attendants in the Royal castle. Its impossible to rescue them all away.

    In that casewhat about annihting the Rafflesia side instead? I know that the n master, the Second Prince Kilik, should be there, and the vice master, Felix Mendoza, as well. If I crush the two heads, I should be able to bring this rebellion to an end all at oncebut theres no sure way, just a clear target.

    Thenhow about making it my goal to achieve at least half of each objective?

    I understand. The maximum that His Highness desires is probably impossible, but I will aim for the maximum that I can do.

    Lets leave it at that. This Zephanel is fine with that.

    The Crown Prince turned his gaze to Chancellor Zephanel sitting next to him, and the Chancellor nodded and turned his gaze to me.

    Kurtmerga Kingdom will not force anything on a Trespasser, that is we believe. Now matter what happens, this one will not say anything, and will not force anything. Frank, you also need to listen carefully. You shouldnt covet the power of a Trespasser and try to bind them. Its fine to ask for help, but it must be on equal terms.

    Ill keep that in mind.

    Regardless of the oue, I will prepare an appropriate amount of gratitude for your assistance this time. But, it will have to wait until this is settled. Although I do not know if I can provide anything worthy of your help.

    I wont be asking for a reward, since Im taking action for the sake of our convenienceit might be better to keep it that way.

    Yesit might be better to keep it that way. My powerthe power of the VMB, which continues to assimte, is too different. In particr, thebyrinth creation, which has just been unlocked, is too different in many ways. I dont know if I should call it that, but this is not something I can handle, unlike firearms and vehicles I probably wont use it.

    However, if I started wielding those powers under the Royal family banner, I would be forced to use those powers constantlythats how I felt. At the same time, I might turn into something that cannot be undone.

    Thats how I felt.

    Your Excellency, I have one request.

    What is it? Pray tell, Schwartz-kun.

    The Sasanqua wille to aid us soon. I would like you to use their strength to retake the transfer circle control building.

    The transfer circle control building? Certainly, at this moment in time when the defense power has decreasedbut I dont know if Sasanqua and a few guards will be able to retake it

    I can understand the Dukes concerns. The transfer circle control building is a facility that manages both the transfer magic circle and the copy circle that connects the Royal Capital and the major cities of Kurtmerga Kingdom. For the Rafflesia holding the facility down will not only block the escape route from the Royal Capital but also prevents reinforcement from other cities.

    From the information obtained from Reiner, we knew that the Rafflesia upied and defended the transfer circle control building with a formation centered on the Demon Steel Soldiers. Which meant that since the crystal cluster had been destroyed, their main force, the Demon Steel Soldier; should have disappeared as well, weakening their defensive power.

    If we can recapture the transfer circle control Building, which is an important facility in the Royal Capital, before the main force on the Royal castle sends troops, it will be easy for the Crown Prince and others to escape from the Royal Capital, and we will be able to summon the knights from all over the Kingdom.

    Worst caseif the transfer circle is destroyed, it will be possible to dy the spread of rebellion throughout the Kingdom. As for the counterattack on our side, it could be said that recapturing the transfer circle control Building was the best move. The Duke narrowed his eyes even further and hesitated a little, but it was Chancellor Zephanel who broke the silence.

    In that case, this one will also leave. Anyway, let us all head thereKhan, as the Crown Prince, you must show the power of the Kurtmerga Royal family.

    Very well. Duke, make preparations immediately After a sessful recapture, we shall set up headquarters in Barga territory and wait for Schwartz.

    Understood but both of you, please do not let the transfer circle be damaged. The building can be rebuilt, but not with the transfer circles.

    Why of course, we are not so foolish as doing things like releasing great magic in the middle of the Royal Capital.

    His Excellency Duke, can I borrow a bit of the warehouse in your mansion? Before heading to the Royal Castle, I would like to make various preparations.

    Of course, I dont mind. feel free to use it.

    Thank you very much. Your Highness, Chancellor, I will depart as soon as preparations areplete.

    We are counting on you.

    Schwartz, just try not to make A-chan sad, will you?

    Naturally.

    Everything about what to do after this has been decided. At the same time that I left the room, Volker-san, the housekeeper, was called by the Duke and entered the room. I feel sorry for Frau-san and the others that I had to drag them into this situation. Besides, the n master of n Sasanqua is Viscount Cypria Aznavour.

    The Sasanqua, where many daughters of magic noblese to train, is a little different from the many ns that mainly focus on fighting monsters and exploringbyrinths. The nobles are the ones who are obliged to take the lead and lead the people, and the magic nobles are the ones who lead even those regr nobles.

    Cypria, as a magic noble, should not be able to overlook this situation. Even more so, Duke Bargas third daughter; Lapitirica-sama, was trained in Sasanqua. When I, as Shaft, was appointed as her escort, Cypria even said that if something happens to Lafiri, shell kill me herself. And now, Lapitirica-samas life is in danger yet again, since shes betrothed to Prince Ark, one of the targets on the kill list. But, they were unable to do anything when Flyhigh was attacked.

    The Sasanqua will not refuse to cooperate in recapturing the transfer circle control building. I was thinking of stopping by to say a few words to Ashley before heading out, however at the same time I went out of the room, I saw her walking down the hallway.

    Schwartz, have you finished your report to the predecessor?

    Just in case

    Just in case? Yesafter this?

    A faint moonlight shone through the thince curtains, and Ashley slowly approached the hallway wrapped in silvery white light. Perhaps noticing something through my short murmur, her expression darkened.

    Im going to the Royal Pce.

    Hearing those words, Ashley stopped.

    Ashley, please dont worry. Both the Crown Prince and His Highness have said that I can escape immediately at my discretion, and I wont push myself too hard either. I have no intention of solving all the rebellions that are happening in the Royal Capital by myself.

    Ashleys gaze, which was looking straight at me, turned to the outside of the window. Her swaying red-gold hair glittered in the moonlight. I was momentarily fascinated by the brilliancethe side view of her face. And then she turned to me. The sunken expression she had until just now disappeared, and she was staring at me with determined eyes.

    Im going too.

    Yeswait? No, its dangerous!

    I unintentionally answered yes, but I couldnt bring Ashley with me

    I know its dangerousit was the same back then, but you still follow me to the south anyway.

    The Southwhen Ashley went to subdue the pirate fleet that was ravaging the southern seas on the orders of Chancellor Zephanel. I pushed my own will and followed the subjugation operation, and secretly destroyed most of the pirate fleet. If she brings up that time, I certainly cant refuse so easily. But having Ashley apany me is different. Ourbat range is very different, as well as our movement speed. However.

    Indeed, I went to the south while knowing the danger. Its cowardly to say that you cant do the same for me now

    Thats right!

    I could see that Ashleys expression was loosening as if she sensed that I wouldnt refuse herpany.

    Not to mention even if Schwartz went to the Royal Castle alone, you wouldnt be able to tell who is who in the Royal Pce, would you? Simrly, the royal guards and the Royal family wouldnt know who Schwartz is, so they would be confused if you suddenly show up in front of them. Isnt that just enough reason?

    youre right.

    Thenwhose help do you need?

    I need your help. Come with me, Ashley.

    There was no verbal response from Ashleyonly a dazzling smile that rivals the sight of her glittering under the moonlight.Advertisement

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242

    Deciding to take Ashley to rescue the Royal Pce, the two of us headed to the warehouse built on the premises of Duke Bargas mansion. There, I checked the firearms that Im going to use and exined their characteristics to Ashley. We rified each others roles, confirmed the means of rescue and where we would end up moving and if we could move.

    No problem in the preparation stage. After that, I wondered what the situation was on the ground. What if its toote when we arrive thereI hope thats not the case

    The walls surrounding the Royal Pce, built across an artificialke, are nearly 20 meters in height, and the only way to enter the pce is through a single suspension bridge. However, a group of adventurers were guarding the bridge, and a lot of bonfires were lit around the area.

    As if the battle had already ended, the faces of the adventurers showed triumphant satisfaction. From inside the castle walls, there was no longer the sound of swords shing or magic attacksing out as a sign that the battle was still ongoing. In contrast to that, many knights and soldiers were lying on the main street. The Fourth Knights and the capitals security guards rushed in to reinforce the Royal Pce.

    The battle was over, and it was pretty clear who the winner and loser were.

    Ashley, theres a group of adventurers at the front. But, well break through.

    Understood.

    Ashleys response was picked up by the sound collector sensor, telling me that she was ready. Now I wonder whether the King is alright Selecting the tactical ker mask from avatar customization, I changed my appearance from Schwarz to Shaft, and took action.

    Oy, something ising!

    A carriage? No, it has no horse to pull it. Be careful, it might be hostile!

    LVTP-5 (Landing Vehicle Tracked, Personnel-model 5), an amphibious armored personnel carrier, barreling through the main street leading to the Royal Pce, raising the adventurers alertness.

    Its rushing in! Dont let it cross the bridge, put out a wall!

    , , Stone wall!

    A number of stone walls emerged as if to block the main street.

    I stood on the roof of the three-story building opposite the royal castle, overlooking the spread of the adventurers and their means of defense.

    essing the inventory with my mind, the M202A1 appeared in my hand. LVTP-5 slowed down its running speed as I concentrated on operating the Browning machine gun M1919A4 mounted on its upper hatch.

    I set up the M202A1 to aim at the wall while pulling the trigger.

    The 66mm incendiary rockets fired from the quadruple rocketuncher exploded and pulverized the stone walls one after another. The mages were blown away by the impact of the explosion and the spreading radiant heat, and I could see some of them jumping into the artificialke to escape the heat.

    The scattered adventurers gazes turned to the stone wall that had been blown away, causing turmoil.

    Magic attack from the rooftop ahead! Deploy the magic barrier!

    No useyour barrier cannot block VMBs bullet.

    The muzzle of the M1919A4 shot out a line of fire as if it were spitting fire, and at the same time, I peered into the scope of the summoned sniper rifle M24A2 and blew off the surviving mages head. The long suppressor covering nearly half of the M24A2 barrel allowed for a silent kill with each shot, while the strafing from the M1919A4 with its loud gunfire and conspicuous lines of fire spread confusion among the adventurers. Their celebration had suddenly turned into a ughter.

    Fuck, why cant the barrier block that attack?!

    Ra, raise your shie

    Heal me please, Im wounded hey, hurry up?

    , , . Aqua He

    M1919A4 targeted mainly the adventurers with full-te metal armor andrge shields, while I used the M24 to blow off the heads of mages who try to use support magic behind them. I didnt let any of them finish their chant. I may not be able to understand their chantbut it only made things easier for me since I only needed to target anyone who spoke something that I couldnt understand.

    Even though the running speed has been reduced, if LVTP-5 receives a direct attack, its durability value will decrease, and in the worst case, it may explode. I have insurance, but its too early to lose it here.

    Howeverwe need to go all out!

    I reced the M24 magazine, wrapped it around my back with a sling, and jumped down from the sniper nest. At the same time, the LVTP-5 started running at full speed, knocking off the surviving adventurers and rushing into the suspension bridge. While chasing after the vehicle, I summoned FN P90 with a spare magazine and finished off the adventurers who were still able to move.

    If I dont reduce the number when I can, they would eventually return to the battle line thanks to healing magic. It may be cruel, but these adventurers participating in the rebellion should have resolved themselves to die if things go wrong.

    Even if that resolve was loosened by a fleeting victory.

    LVTP-5 passed through the castle gate and stopped. The operation monitor that floated in my field of vision showed the front yard that had been trampled by many people, greatly gouged out by skills and magic, and the copsed spires and buildings.

    And in front of the particrly important pce within the Royal castle surrounded by the castle walls, we could see the figures of adventurers cleaning up the corpses of many royal guards.

    Among the adventurers who continued to work, some were wary of the direction of the castle gate. They must have heard the sound of battle in front of the suspension bridge. When the adventurers saw the moving iron boxLVTP-5 passing through the castle gates-they couldnt understand what it was, and stopped moving in a state of vignce.

    I ran through the suspension bridge in that gap, ran up the outside of the castle wall with a wall run, andnded on the corridor. As it is, I lowered my posture and ran along the corridor, moving to an effective sniping point while the alert adventurers eyes were focused on LVTP-5.

    Ashley, theres a group of adventurers in front of the LVTP-5. I think its fine as long as theyre just looking at it, but if the situation changes, please do as we nned.

    Understood.

    I ran along the corridor while keeping just enough distance to still hear Ashley.

    I set the barrel of the M24 on the uneven parts called battlements on both sides of the corridor and look into the scope. How many hours have passed since tonights uproar began in Flyhigh?

    Midnightthat hours had long passed, looking at how the edge of the sky had started to glow white. Being dropped into this world as the dungeon master of thebyrinth, my body never gets tired. Even if I feel slightly drowsy, my body will not feel sluggish.

    However, the adventurers standing at the end of the scope are different. Although theyre wary of LVTP-5, they had already won the battle at the Royal castle. After that, theyd want to have a pleasant morning without any counterattackssuch thoughts were floating on the faces of these adventurers.

    Ipared the number of people I could see with the number of dots on the map that appear in my field of vision. Considering the arrangement of the adventurers, they were divided into one that prevents intrusion into the pce and one that monitors the one-story building nearby.

    I couldnt pick up any sound from the building due to the distance.

    Ashley, what is that big one-story building in front of the pce?

    That should be the guard station. Its a building with only arge room in addition to a small kitchen.

    I see

    The only reason for that building needing to be monitored is gotta be because the people who should be monitored are gathered there. If thats the case, then lets check from there first. I dont think theres a Royal family or an important figure in national politics here, but hopefully, well get some information.

    Initiatingbat.

    Be careful.

    Ill be fine.

    I slid the scope and aligned the cross reticle disyed ahead with the head of the adventurer standing at the entrance to the waiting areathen pulled the trigger. It is possible that the muzzle sh from the top of the castle wall can be seen due to the muffling effect of the silencer, but every adventurer was currently distracted by the LVTP-5 in front of the castle gate.

    The head of the adventurer in front of the waiting room shook, and he copsed on his kneesMeanwhile I pulled the bolt handle to eject the shell, turning it to load the next bullet. Peering through the scope again, I moved the muzzle direction and fired once more. shooting through the guards one after another with an old FPS technique called drag shot.

    Even though it was near dawn, it was difficult to see the surroundings without the light of the bonfire. The adventurers, who had been fascinated by LVTP-5, eventually noticed the incident behind them when several guards, who had been shot through the head, fell over the bonfire.

    Hmm? Oi, whats wrong? What is going on!

    Once they noticed, the situation would changeitll be all out battle.

    I summoned remote controlled sentry gun and installed it on the sniping point, telling it to fire from the top of the wall, all the whilemanding the LVTP-5 to continue firing its M1919A4

    Multi-tasking the FCS (fire control system) of multiple guns at the same time almost effortlessly, I jumped down the wall and switched to the P90.

    I went around to kill the adventurers hiding behind the copsed spire and the crumbling rubbleces that would be blind spots from the two gunports.

    It didnt take long to conquer the front of the pce. I used sniping and preemptive strikes to reduce the number of people, but after all, the adventurers were tired. It is difficult to re-tighten the tension once loosened. Even if theyre the main force of the Rafflesia, it seems that it wont change.

    After confirming that the moving dots in front of the pce had disappeared, I moved LVTP-5 forward to the front of the waiting area. Only the sound of many people moving can be heard in the waiting room. However, I cant hear any voices, and I dont feel any kind of murderous intent.

    The only thing I could feel wasfear.

    Ashley, Ive cleaned up the front of the pce. Pleasee out and go inside the waiting room.

    Saying so, I slowly opened the front opening of LVTP-5. LVTP-5 can carry more than 30 soldiers inside. Ashley stood alone in therge interior space, waiting for the opening to open. I was worried about how Ashley, who came out, would see the devastation in front of the pce, but she only had a slightly sad expression. But, that expression disappeared quickly and she came straight to my side.

    Lets go in.

    Any time.

    While holding the P90 on my waist, I opened the door of the waiting room then immediately slipped my body in and aimed down sight. My finger on the trigger reacted to the shadow and moved for a moment, but I quickly removed my finger and released my stance.

    Shaft, these people are the maids and servants of the Royal Pce.

    Ashley, who followed me into the waiting room, looked around and said so.

    Are there any royalty or dignitaries

    Right

    I stayed nearby while Ashley extracted information from the frightened maid. It seems that the people who were packed into this waiting room were kept alive to keep them working for the Royal family and the Royal castle even after the Second Prince of Kilik obtained the throne.

    However, most of the royal guards were killed, and it seems that the members of Rafflesia will take that position in the future.

    The current King, who was defeated in the duel against Felix, headed to the underground temple in the depths of the copsed pce with Prince Kilik. The rest of the Royal family remained in the castlealong with the dignitaries, including the Queen and her rtives.

    However, the underground temple is not that big. The site of thebyrinth that was subjugated by the Founding King once remains, and it seems that it has been renovated into a temple.

    Why to that ceI wont ask.

    The Founding King was also a Trespasser. In other words, a person who was dropped into this world as the lord of thebyrinth and had that wedge cut off just like me. Its no surprise that he seeks his roots in the ruins of thebyrinth. But, what are you doing there? I thought, but Ashley told me the answer.

    Its the ceremony of session to the thronebut they dont have the necessities

    Necessities?

    The predecessor. Session to the throne of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga requires an oath in the underground temple and the presence of the predecessor Zephanel.

    But, the chancellor is not even there.

    E, excuse me

    When I was asking about the session to the throne, one of the maids called out to us.

    Before Kilik-sama took His Majesty to the temple, I saw the cavalry heading outsidemaybe theyre meant to pick up Her Highness Chancellor?

    I hadnt seen this cavalry she mentioned Did we somehow miss them?

    Felixwhere did Felix Mendoza go?

    I, I think that man is apanying Kilik-sama in the temple

    Felix is here then I suppose I could only hope that Chancellor Zephanel, Prince Khan, and the members of Sazanka will somehow manage.

    Ashley, take them to the LVTP-5, then lets head to the underground temple.

    UnderstoodNow everyone stands up! We have prepared means of escaping from the Royal Pce outside.

    Prompted by Ashley, the maids head outside. What is there is LVTP-5and the teleportation magic circle set up inside.

    Teleport with the magic circle. Theres no need to worry about an attack over there. Itll probably be a camp, but Ive made preparations.

    Come on, hurry up!

    The destination connected by the transfer magic circle wasthe VMBs shooting range.

    Before heading to the Royal Castle, in the warehouse that I was allowed to use at Duke Bargas mansion, I confirmed the feasibility of escaping by teleportation. I have confirmed whether anyone other than me could enter the shooting range through animal experimentsand it was a sess. After that, I asked Ashley to teleport, and I was able to confirm that it could be used as an escape destination.

    The shooting range is a solitary ind surrounded by the sea. You can conduct shooting training and vehicle operation training in various situations, and you can also conductbat training indoors as well as outdoors.

    The copy magic circle, which is the exit of the transfer magic circle, was set up in the urban battle area, and the surrounding rags could be used as a resting ce. I brought water and food. Cooking will be difficult, but they should be able to satisfy their hunger for a while.

    Giving top priority to saving the lives of those left behind in the Royal castlethats what I can do. And to return to the original world from the shooting range, it would be pointless if I didnt set up another set of transfer magic circles in a safe ce. I mean, I cant die here. It is necessary to act without overdoing it, assessing the extent to which it can be helped, and then escaping.

    I dont have the time to thoroughly search the ruined pce. The same goes for other buildings.

    The reason why he kept the other Royals and dignitaries nearby was probably to make sure that he could seed the throne despite the absence of Chancellor Zephanel, just in case.

    Back at the Yamigasapanys trading house, Rafflesia members told me that its not about ruling the Kingdomyet, Kilik is seemingly aiming for the throne. Even though I felt something strange, I also resumed my movement after seeing the transfer of the maids.Advertisement

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243

    Sorry. I hyperfocused on D2 raid contest x . x

    Running through the corridors of the copsed pceAshley is following behind me.

    With LVTP-5, it was impossible to run inside the pce where the rubble was scattered. Considering the width of the passage, I dont even know how far it can go. Once I returned the vehicle to the garage, we aimed for the underground temple in the back of the Royal castle on foot.

    There were no moving dots on the map floating in sight. However, the red blood that overflows from under the rubble, the bodies of the royal guard, uniformed soldiers, and maids lying on the walls and passages. It was immediately clear that the maids and attendants we protected outside the pce were the only few survivors.

    This is horrible

    I heard Ashley muttering quietly behind me.

    I thought so toobut now is not the time to mourn.

    The mapping inside the pce has already beenpleted because Ive visited Chancellor Bergmans office before, but the map doesnt even show the copsed rubble. While detouring the passage blocked by rubble with Ashleys guidance, we emerged on the garden surrounded by walls on all sides.

    Theres a small shrine here, and a staircase leading down to the underground temple.

    The garden was beautifully maintained, but tall nts were intentionally nted to hide the center.

    Ashley, wait. There are other people in this garden besides us, they might be guards.

    Six dots appeared on the map. I said its probably the guard, but when I saw that the dots were not moving, it might be the dignitaries or Royalty. Holding the FN P90 with both hands and looking slightly behind, Ashley also took out a stiletto and a round shield from the tool bag on her waist.

    Our gazes ovepped, and we silently nodded and descended into the garden. The garden was still dark, with the four walls and tall flowers blocking the dawn light. Change the field of view to NV mode and proceed quietly and slowly.

    Ahead, a small wooden shrinea building resembling the shrine I often saw in the previous world came into view. Six figures could also be seen nearby. There were two women and two men, both of whom looked mature and did not seem to be adventurers.

    Two adventurers stood by to watch over the four of them.

    Ashley, do you recognize those four?

    One of the women is The First Queen Milinia-sama, and the other is the Third Queen, ire-sama. The man is Commander Cyrus of the Royal Guard, and the other is

    Chancellor Bergman.

    Both of the Queens were sitting with their hands tied behind their backs and wearing casual clothes that look like nightwear. Chancellor Bergman was dressed in what seemed to be his usual government uniform, but he seemed to be tied up as well.

    The problem was the middle-aged Commander Cyrus. His armor seemed to be the standard of the Royal Guard, but it was heavily damaged and stained with blood. But, whats even more eye-catching is that his right armits nowhere to be seen .

    Perhaps its been cut off. Healing magic may have closed the wound, but attaching the arm back will be difficult then. I could see him holding his arm, most likely worried about it. Commander Cyrus wasnt tied down, but he sat down quietly while ring at the two guards, wondering if he had given up on resisting, or if he was putting the safety of the women first.

    Just to be sure, I looked around, and when I checked the area with FLIR (infrared thermography) mode, I confirmed two heat sources monitoring the six people like us.

    There are other people in stealth here.

    Hmm?

    To my murmuring, Ashley reacted in a low voice and looked around. However, she didnt seem to have a way to detect people with stealth skills.

    On the right side of the shrinebehind that big leaf.

    I dont see anything how do you see them?

    I can see them due to their body temperature. Even if they could mask their presence, their body temperature cant lie.

    So, you can do something like that

    The other side seems to have noticed us as well.

    A mass of heat in the shape of a human slowly approaches here. Seemingly not intending to attack, he turned around to face us while maintaining a position invisible to the adventurers watching over Chancellor Bergman.

    Stop right there. If you keep yourself stealthed while getting closer, I can assure you that youll die where you stand.

    Raising the P90, I threatened the stealthed people with a voice only they could hear.

    Were not hostile. Ill undo the stealth.

    Along with the reply to the warning, two people approaching became visible. Lurking about five meters ahead were two male elves, both dressed in the same uniform, with rapiers hanging on their hips.

    Shaft, they are members of Lily of the Valley.

    As Ashley-sama said, we are members of Lily of the Valley.

    Lily of the ValleyIt is an intelligence n under the direct control of both Chancellor Zephanel and Chancellor Bergman. Theyre supposed to be the two Chancellors direct guards, but I remember seeing corpses with the same uniform lying down in the corridor among the guards in the pce.

    ording to the two of them, Lily of the Valley and Chancellor Bergman, sensing the disturbing movements of Rafflesia, remained in the Royal castle and were busy confirming and scrutinizing the information.

    However, they realized it toote The simultaneous attack on important facilities in the Royal capital by the Rafflesia and the rebellion aimed at the Royal family were carried out on a scale far exceeding the total force of the Rafflesia itself.

    The biggest reason for this is the support of the Viceburn Empire and the existence of the Demon Steel Soldier.

    Lily of the Valley participated in the defense with the Royal guards to fulfill its role, but they were cut down along with the Royal guards by Felix, the greatest fighting force of Rafflesia. In parallel with the defense line, some of them were guiding the Chancellors safety and the evacuation of the parliamentary officials who remained in the Royal castle. However, Chancellor Bergman was among the high-priority targets in the capture list of Rafflesia.

    And the end result was this.

    Chancellor Bergman and the Queens were captured, and the number of people who could move was too low, and the Lily of the Valley was in a situation where it was impossible to seed in escaping even if they took rescue action. Until they joined us, they were monitoring the situation and were on standby with the intention of jumping out if the hostages life was in danger.

    And then, who is currently inside the temple?

    His Majesty King Asca, Prince Kilik, and Felix Mendoza.

    I heard that it is impossible to seed to the throne without Chancellor Zephanel?

    Thats right. In fact, receiving the magic that only Zephanell-sama can wield

    is considered to be the ceremony of session to the throne.

    Then, what are the three of them doing inside?

    I dont know Maybe waiting for Zephanel-sama to be brought in, or nning to proceed only with the ceremony of session to the throne?

    Theres no way to know unless we go inside

    However, the entrance to the underground temple is sealed so that it can only be opened by the Royal family or Zephanel-sama.

    I can dispel it. I learned how to do it right after I was selected as the next Head of the family.

    Immediately after the ceremony celebrating Prince Arksing of age, Ashley was officially recognized as the next Head of the Zephanell family. After that, she must have heard about how to enter the underground temple and the ceremony of session to the throne. But, if thats the case

    Ashley have you been taught that magic called

    ?

    Hmm, no, I havent. And maybe I couldnt use it since its a

    Ashley shook her face sideways with downcast eyes.

    She hasnt been taughtno, more importantly, its

    , so how could she not use it? Ashley should have been a member of the Zephanel family, so shouldnt she inherit the

    ?

    Certainly from what Ive researched,

    are inherited within the same lineage, and if there are people who manifest them spontaneously, they can manifest with the help of those who have already learned how to use it.

    Over a long period of time, the lineage spreads, and over time

    changes to a general <Skill>. The Zephanel family also has a long history, so it wouldnt be strange if it had already changed to <Skills>, but Ashleys way of saying is like.

    Are you not rted by blood?

    thats right. Only the predecessor is able to use that magic. The Zephanel family was born after the Kingdom was founded. I heard that the family was created by weing orphans into the family and raising them to support the country. Moreover

    Moreover?

    Do you think the predecessor can bear any child with the body of hers?

    I couldnt really answer that. Chancellor Zephanel looks like a young girl of 12-13 years old.

    Of course then, do you know what the effect of that magic is?

    There was no answer to that question. Both Ashley and Lily of the Valley seem to know the name of the spell but dont know the effect. Is that magic why Rafflesia wanted to detain Chancellor Zephanel? No, it doesnt matter Chancellor Zephanel is still on our side right now.

    The current King and Chancellor Bergman should be rescued. Lets focus on the situation at hand, and start by helping the four people in front of me escape.Advertisement

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244

    Having learned the situation in front of the underground temple, with the cooperation of the two Lily of the Valley members, we resumed our n in order to evacuate the Queen, Chancellor Bergman, and the Commander of the Royal Guard to the VMB firing range.

    Chancellor Bergman and others were still sitting in front of the shrine. The two adventurers watching over the four of them had proud faces on their faces, and they were triumphantly vignt of their surroundings.

    I attached a silencer to the FN P90 muzzle, and turned the safety from full-auto to semi-auto. Lining the crosshair to the head of the first adventurer, I started firing. A moment after my finger pressed the trigger, I moved the muzzle toward the other adventurer. Seeing the first adventurers head recoiling from the bullet impact at the edge of my vision, I pulled the trigger once more.

    The two 5.7x28mm bullets struck their heads without missing. The two adventurers fell to their knees like marites whose strings had been cut off.

    Even when they saw the two adventurers suddenly copse, the four who had been captured didnt raise their voices or scream. They must have expected that the Lily of the Valley or the surviving members of the Royal Guard were hiding nearby and waiting for an opportunity to rescue them.

    Even if they clumsily screamed, they couldnt do anything. Even so, the two Royals turned their faces away from the adventurer who had be an immovable corpse.

    No more hostiles nearby, go get the Queens.

    I couldnt see any more dots around the shrine, but that doesnt mean that nobody else is silently watching in stealth. Continuing to guard the surroundings, Ashley and Lily of the Valley ran up to the Queens.

    Ahh, Ashley?!

    Millinia-sama, ire-sama, are you both alright?

    Ashley, shouldnt you be back at Arks dinner party What about him? Is Ark safe?

    Ashley went to the Queens, and the two Lily of the Valley went to Chancellor Bergman and others and untied the rope that binds their hands.

    Prince Ark is safe. All thanks to that person

    The eyes of the two Royals turned to me as if guided by Ashleys gaze. Since Im still watching the surroundings for threats, I simply bowed my head in greeting. However, Chancellor Bergman, having been released from restraint, immediately came to my side. Commander Cyrus, who lost his right arm, seems to be under the care of Lily of the Valley, receiving healing magic.

    I couldnt see it well when I looked before, but when I looked closely, all four of them were wearing familiar cors around their necksmagic disturbance rings to prevent them from fighting back.

    The fact that you came here means that the Crown Prince and Prince Ark are safe, right?

    By now, they should be attacking the transfer circle control building alongside Chancellor Zephanel. Theyre escorted by Duke Barga and members of Sasanqua, so they should be fine.

    Transfer circle control building? I see, the situation has gotten that bad Schwano, Shaft, can I leave the rescue of His Majesty to you? Once we leave safely from here, we should join up with the Crown Prince.

    Of course. But first, your Excellency we need to bring the Queens out of here.

    Is there a way? Not even the Lily of the Valley can secure a safe passage.

    Chancellor Bergman seems to have been able to guess why Lily of the Valley didnt take action. Rubbing his bound wrists, he looked around, but the garden was still surrounded by tall flowers. The gaze wandering around the garden stops in front of me.

    In the depths of my vision, the eyes of the two Royals, who would have received an exnation from Ashley, are also directed here.

    Of course, we have prepared an escape route. We have already evacuated the confined maids and servants. They are waiting for His Majesty and the others toe.

    I see, there are survivorsbut where are they?

    Through here

    When I said that and pointed behind me. There was only a narrow path around the garden, but Chancellor Bergman can probably see arge number of light particles gathering there.

    Is this the power of a Trespasser

    Chancellor Bergman muttered that much, his eyes glued to the appearance of LVTP-5. It goes without saying that the gazes of the Royals, Commander Cyrus, and Lily of the Valley members were also directed at LVTP-5.

    The front hatch opened, revealing the teleportation magic formation set up inside.

    I never thought that the magic circle I gave you as a reward would be useful in this way

    Alright, hurry inside. I can guarantee the safety of the teleported destination.

    Chancellor Bergman entered the LVTP-5 that was forcibly summoned in the garden, and then Commander Cyrus passed by me while being supported by Lily of the Valley members.

    Thank you for your help.

    Commander Cyrus wasnt much for words it seemsno, in his condition, speaking mightve been difficult for him given his condition.

    Even if the wound is treated with healing magic, the right arm that was cut off will not regenerate. If he had the right arm that had fallen on the spot, they would be able to reattach it at the same time as the treatment, but there was no way that what he had lost before he was captured would be here.

    Besides, if he couldnt prevent the rebellion of Rafflesia, the pce was ruined. The Royal Guards were annihted, and even the current King couldnt be protected, there would be almost no words he could say.

    In front of LVTP-5, the two Lily of the Valley members remained on guard until the Royals boarded.

    I heard from Ashley. Thank you for your great contributionjust one more thing

    His Majesty please save him.

    Queen Millinia and Queen ire, both were ordinary women. Queen Millinia is in her forties, and Queen ire is probably in herte twenties. Both of them continued to look at the shrine that was the entrance to the underground temple but was being urged by the two Lily of the Valley members.

    Ashley, please wait over there after you release the seal. The maids who were teleported to the ce they saw for the first time must be worried, and it would be a problem if they moved around poorly.

    I understand. Ill be waiting for you over there, so pleasee back safely

    Of course. After rescuing His Majesty and moving to a safe ce, Ill pick you up.

    This is it for the restif I dont act solo starting from here, it might be more difficult for me to secure an escape. Raid the underground temple, rescue the current King and leave at once. After that, I will have to decide whether to head to the transfer management building or move to the fortress city Barga on my own.

    With the Crown Prince, Chancellor Zephanel, and the might of Sasanqua, it shouldnt be difficult to recapture the transfer circle control building now that the enemy no longer has the Demon Steel Soldiers. The time it takes to set up the headquarters in the fortress city Barga and release a counterattack will be considerably shorter.

    This also means well be surrendering the capital to Rafflesia, albeit only temporarily. The more time it takes, the more the sess of the rebellion spreads to the nobles and the citizens living in the Royal Capital.

    Besides, were not the only ones who can take advantage of time. The Rafflesia side will also be able to prepare a defense system, and there is a possibility that reinforcements will be drawn in from the Viceburn Empire.

    Speed is one key to winning a battle. From here on, the key is how quickly we can build up our forcesand how much confusion we can bring to the opponent.

    The two of Lily of the Valley had also been transferred, while Ashley had begun to break the seal on the gate. Chanting an inaudible magic word, she then traced the magic formation that floats on the tightly closed gate. At the same time as she finished chanting the magic word, light ran through the magic crest drawn on the magic circle, and it disappeared with a burst.

    The seal is broken.

    Thanks. Leave the rest to me.

    Ashley nodded once, brushed past me, and headed for the transfer magic circle, while I gently pushed the gate open.

    In the depths of this room, there should be the current King, the Second Prince of Kilik, and Felix, the vice-master of the Rafflesia.

    Involuntarily, the hand holding the grip of the P90 tightened.

    Felix ability is not to be trifled with. It is clearly disadvantageous to fight while protecting the current King, and there is no choice but to go with a hit-and-run approach.Advertisement

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    The entrance to the underground temple was a heavy gate that would only budge after I pushed it with both hands. A slight squeak and an unpleasant metallic sound resounded. I dont think Felix and the Second Prince Kilik, who was supposed to be inside, would hear me, but I couldnt let them know that Im intruding.

    There is nothing inside. Its a building with wooden frames and mud walls that looks like it might break if you poke it. But its protected with magic, so it cant be easily demolished. The only thing here was the stairs that lead down to the basement. At first, there were wooden stairs, and after going down about one floor, there was a dark cave.

    I summoned a tactical light attachment for FN P90 from my inventory and installed it. Having a light source will make my presence known to the surroundings, but NV night vision mode will not work inplete darkness. Without a light source, even the slightest, I cant see through the darkness.

    The light illuminates my path as if it were the only shining hope in despair. The inside of the cave, which is colored in two colors of green and white, draws a gentle descending line and curve. It went deeper and deeper.

    Only one road was disyed on the map floating in my field of visionI saw the stone steps after going a little further. Slowly and quietly, I walked through a silent cave, along a long, narrow path, and down the stone steps. The underground temple was built on the site of thebyrinth, and the royal pce was built above it, but this cave may have been thebyrinth itself.

    I dont know how many floors Ive gone down, but when I got down to that floor, I was convinced that this was the lowest floor.

    Straight path

    The single road on this floor stretched unnaturally straight. But, this road looks familiarthe passage just before the throne room. With a straight line thats as easy to understand as this, theres no need for a tactical light anymore. Besides, I noticed light at the end of the straight lineand voices.

    Father, isnt it okay if you just tell me? Dont you think its unfortunate that your cute son doesnt know the full extent of Pedigree Skills?

    Dont make me say it again. Only the King and the Crown Prince know the full details of the Pedigree Skills of the Kurtmerga Royal family ss Change.

    Then make me the Crown Prince! It seems that my brother escaped from the attack on Flyhigh, but could he escape from my Rafflesia? And that ailing body of his wontst for years. Father, you should know that too!

    Think again, Killik. I ept your track record of leading the Rafflesia, but there is a difference between putting together a n and putting together a country.

    You think I dont have the capability to rule a country?

    Not only that, you are overconfident in your power, arrogant, and conceited. ss Change is a skill that shows possibilities its a double-edged skill.

    How unfortunatedont you think so too, Felix!? My father doesnt appreciate me at all. In factI think he doesnt even consider me a decent recement for Khan.

    Give up, Kilik. Its a fleeting illusion that will vanish the moment you think youve grasped it.

    Hey, Felix what are we going to do with this Kingdom again?

    What? It no longer has anything to do with you, <em>Your Majesty</em>. Even if you dont recognize Kilik as the Crown Prince, it doesnt matter. Once we have confirmed the nature of

    , you will have no value anymore

    What a vain excuse.. Do you really think that that person will lend her power to Kurtmerga so easily?

    I dont think so too, father. However, there are many ways to convince her! First, I will kill the women of the Zephanel main family. Then, the branch family. If she still wontply, then Ill kill every woman in this Kingdom.

    What a foolish thing to do. The people of the country will die out!

    Thats not enough, Father. In order to govern the world of the new supremacy, inferior species such as women are unnecessary. At best, I will let them live as livestock to producebor.

    If you dont let the people give birth to children, raise them, and inherit them, how are you going to keep the country alive? Are you nning to turn Kurtmerga into and of the dead!?

    No need to worryit is now Zephanels problem, not yours anymore! Its time to spread our supremacy to the world! For that reason, it was the quickest way to obtain the throne of Kurtmerga, but if father doesnt approve of it, there is nothing I can do about it. At least in the end consider yourself lucky to be beheaded by your sonFelix, sword.

    No way, your true aim is

    As if ignoring the current Kings words, Kilik raised the over-decorated longsword that he held in his hand with both his hands and stopped above his head. All that was left was to swing down and cut off the kings head with a single strokebut the longsword never reached the current Kings neck.

    Gyaaaa!!!

    I shot through Kiliks raised arms from the elbow forward. VMB set the 5.7 x 28mm bullet used for the FN P90 as a bullet with excellent pration power. However, by falling into this world, its power was fundamentally enhanced, and the 5.7 x 28mm bullets not only pierced the opponent, but the energy contained in them rampaged around the point of impact, destroying everything in its path as it went.

    In other wordsKiliks arms exploded from the elbows down, and his blown hands couldnt withstand the destructive force and were torn all the way to the tips of his fingers. The final destination of the straight road is a ce that is neither a cave nor an underground temple. Its a ce that I have seen several times nowthe throne room.

    At the same time as I shoot, I dashed down the road and tossed the M84 shbang and smoke grenade with all my might. But right after I shot through Kiliks arm, Felix cut in my line of fire. The special grenade took three seconds to explode after the pin was pulled out. The grenade was thrown at the attack target within that slight margin of error, but it was cut in half a few seconds before it exploded.

    A lightning-fast counter sh. Felix shed away the special grenades that I threw with my physical strength, which was strengthened with a powered suit, and immediately stood in front of me as soon as I turned my gaze to Kilik for a few seconds.

    ck Mask

    I could hear him muttering, but immediately his mouth was closed, and his jade eyes, which seemed to be freezing cold, caught my whole body. However, that didnt faze me, as I rushed through the straight road and into the throne room. The current King, with his hands tied behind his back, was kneeling in front of the throne a few steps up.

    He was supposed to be beheaded by his own sonhis eyes widened at the screams, and his eyes followed the now armless, writhing Kilik.

    The throne room was a wide space with no pirs, but a red carpet was spread in front of the throne. The current King, Kilik, and Felix were just aheadThe two types of special grenades shed away by Felix turned into particles of light without demonstrating their effect, and Felix smoothly sheathed his sword from the iai sh. Then, the waist falls slightly.

    Sword drawLightning sh.

    Felix drew his sword with a lightning-like speed and swung sideways. I instantly understood what the words and actions meant, thus transitioning from sprinting to low-slidingwhile aligning the crosshairs with Felix and squeezing the trigger.

    As the silenced shot was fired from the muzzle, the sh of sh passed over my head. The 5.7 x 28mm bullets made their way toward Felixbut at that instance

    Thunder Drive.

    Felixs entire body seemed to blur, then he jumped to the right with a movement that gave the illusion of the speed of light.

    Hes fast.

    The bullet that should have caught the area around the waist shot through the phantom andnded on the pedestal leading to the throne. It was clear from the movement of the sh that Felix moved to the right, and it was definitely a high-speed Skill.

    He suddenly stopped sliding on the carpet and rotated his whole body. I moved the crosshair to the right, and searched for Felixthere!

    Felix hunkered down to kill the momentum of his fast movement, his hand resting on the floor with his free hand. I pulled the trigger the moment the crosshair matched the body. Five bullets approached, but Felix dodged the attacks by spinning his body as if dancing.

    Could he dodge continuously then?

    I moved the crosshair to follow his movement, focusing the spread of .7x28mm bullets around the center of Felixs body where it was unlikely to misshowever, this proved to be a bad move. Felix held up his sword like a shield, and just like in the manga or anime, deflected all the concentrated bullets.

    Is that even possible.?

    It doesnt look like a bow or crossbow, but its more like a projectile after all. Theres a limit to the number of attacks that can be fired at once. How many more do you have?

    Felix stared at the fake graphics of bullet holes on his sword and stood up as he watched them disappear. As Felix said, the number of bullets remaining in the field of view was 0/50. Still, I havent lowered the P90.

    I shot too much when I was dodged by that high-speed movement but I cant easily rece the magazine. Its not a good idea to show it to Felix now. Once Felix sees it, he will immediately understand the guns greatest weakness.

    In a game called FPS, you were most defenseless when you were reloading magazines. Even after bing a virtual reality shooter called VMB, that didnt change. In order to shorten that gap by even one second, the yers have thoroughly investigated various elements such as the position and timing of the spare magazine attachment, movement, feints, and so on.

    However, the time was never zero.

    If its me now, I should be able to reload faster than when I was a VMB yer. I also have the option of returning the P90 to my inventory and taking out or summoning another fully loaded firearm.

    However, as expected, that time is not zero, and I would like to avoid showing the summoning process in front of an enemy. I wanted to give him as little information as possible. If I dont do that, all my means will be dodged, I will be repelled, and I will be cut down by that katana-like sword he has.

    Besides, now is not the time for a decisive battle. In addition, there is also the question that only the throne room remains as it was in the ruins of thebyrinth that should have diedno, I can imagine the answer to this.

    What I have to do first and foremost is.

    Felix!!! What are you doing, help me quickly! I cant stop bleeding, Im going to die from blood loss at this rate!

    I was focused on how to avoid Felix who didnt easily fall to my attacks, but what interrupted the confrontation was Kiliks heartrending scream.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246

    Our nces were drawn to Kilik, who was screaming and wailingFelix, who was facing me, also did the same. Predicting each others next move, repeating slight movements to counteract the opposite.

    Kilik and the current King were in front of the throne a few steps up the pedestal, and Felix was a little further away. The one closest to them is me.

    the next move has been decided.

    Throwing away the FN P90 and jumping over the pedestal in a single boundat the time I decided to use Shafts avatar, four Smith & Wesson E&E Tomahawks hidden inside the overcoat I was wearing. I grabbed the tomahawk in both hands in the air and aimed at Kiliks corbone.

    Lightning Drive.

    The next moment when the sound-collecting sensor caught Felixs voiceing from behind, a sh of light ran across my field of vision, and Felix, with a light-speed movement skill, intercepted the powerful blow that wouldve cut Kilik vertically from his corbone. He used his sword as a shield to block it while on one knee.

    A katana with a beautiful de pattern reminiscent of a thunder sh met the two ck tomahawks. The first time he showed this light-speed skill was only a few minutes ago, a minute or two, and his light speed skill definitely had a cool downa period of time before it could be used again.

    You move differently from that time.

    Are you looking down on me, monster?

    By that time, right after chasing the phantom thief Nekoyanagi at the Kings Festival, I was attacked by six clowns, assassins from the n Cactus. Felix saw my zombie face and attacked without question. Now that Felixs speed-of-light movement skill is in cooldown, its the greatest opportunity.

    Your Majesty, escape aboveground. Ill catch up soon.

    Kilik, heal your woundter. Get deeper.

    We stopped on our track as we pushed each other as hard as we could. Now is the time to let the current King escape above ground. Even from Felixs point of view, I guess its time to move the screaming Kilik to a safe ce now that our weapons are locked with each other and our movement has stopped in a back-and-forth situation.

    But, what did he mean by Get deeper? Looking at the map, there is only one small room behind the throne. Did he want Kilik to go there is there something there?

    Leave this ce to me.

    Go ahead Dont worry!

    He must have recognized me as an ally. However, as a King, he may not easily say words of gratitude or apology. The current King stood up with his arms bound and staggered a little as he began to move toward the entrance to the throne room.

    Felix! Father is running away, kill him! If you dont kill him immediately, the throne will never be ours!

    Give it up. We must retreat. Get treated and wait for a better chance.

    Th, thats. Kuuuuh! You are the ck Mask Shaft, arent you!? The frustration from you denying me my ambition I will never forget it!!

    Kilik, who barked behind Felix, ran into the depths of the throne room with tears of pain in his eyes. Maybe its difficult to bnce because he lost both hands, but he walked away with a more wobbly step than the current King.

    Only me and Felix remained in the throne room. About two minutes after the battle began, Felix started to move first.

    Lightning Drive.

    Felix, who should have stiffened his movements with his strength, instantly disappeared from my sight as soon as he activated his skillbut I could already predict his movements. The skill activated by chanting Lightning Drive is not apletely invincible movement technique. Its weak point was already visibleeven if you ignore your posture and move at the speed of light, the direction of movement is literally indicated by a band of light.

    In addition, it seems that this <Skill> has a fixed movement distance or a movement limit distance. The target I was applying force to push and cut disappeared, and the moment the band of light ran, my vision followed it, and the tomahawk on my right flew to its final destination.

    A loud, dull metallic sound resounded.

    Hes a lucky guythe Tomahawk flew to the position of Felixs sword, which stopped it. The knocked-out Tomahawk pierced the ceiling of the throne room as I once again red at Felix.

    However, I will not rx my attack. For about two minutes until the cooldown of <Lightning Drive> ends, the short period when he can only avoid gunfire with martial arts is his biggest weak point.

    Up to this point, he had used Lightning Drive for evasion and defense. I dont know how far my CQC (Close-Quarters Combat) will be able to respond if the skill is used for offense. And if Im caught off guard, its most likely instant decapitation.

    I also roughly understood the movement distance of the Lightning Drive. I should maintain a sense of distance greater than the maximum movement distance, always attack from here, and not let him get me.

    I threw the tomahawk I held in my left hand sidewaysat the same time, I pulled out Five-seveN from the holster on my waist with my right hand.

    The metallic sound resounded in the throne room with a clearer tone than before. It wasnt a sudden collision, it was bounced off by techniqueno, the tomahawk that bounced back flew straight toward me.

    Kuh!

    I sent the crosshair toward the tomahawk with just a sensory aim, and almost unconsciously stopped suddenlyI realized that the tomahawk and the crosshair were perfectly aligned, and fired the trigger twice in rapid session at almost the same time

    The first shot didnt match the timing of the rotating tomahawkthe second hit the handle, and the tomahawk changed to a sharp angle and pierced the floor in front of me. But, my shooting didnt stop. Five-seveN has 20 bullets. After firing two shots at Tomahawk, I slid the crosshair over Felix again and pulled the trigger.

    Felix deflected a 5.7 x 28mm bullet with his sword while moving sideways, bending his upper body to dodge, and swinging his sword as if scooping it up again. Regardless of whether he was looking at the bullet that flew in, or where the muzzle was pointing, Felix foresaw the trajectory and dodged it, even though I was aiming at the center of his body.

    Then

    Hiding my left hand inside my overcoat, I summoned the M84 shbang and Smoke Grenade again. I flicked the pin away with my finger and threw it away as soon as I took it out.

    The Five-seveNs crosshairs were still ovepping with Felix. I fired three times as follow-ups to the two types of special grenades. However, Felix doesnt seem to have any intention of waiting for <Lightning Drive> cooldown to be on the defensive.

    Felix took a step forward and repelled a 5.7x28mm bullet, stabbing his sword into the floor and spinning around it like a top to dodge the second and third bullets, and at the same time, he kicked away the two grenades.

    Sword Draw  Shiden Issen! (TL Note: Purple Lightning sh)

    At the moment when hended smoothly from the spinning top move, he seemed to have sheathed his sword at the same time and chanted the Skill name. His figure faded. Felix moves so fast that he couldnt be seen

    Kuh!

    I couldnt read his movement!

    I immediately deployed the Circle Barrier Shield with just my intuition while bracing myself to protect my body.

    A sh of light pierced right beside me, wiping out about 30% of CBSs durability with a single blow. A special grenade that was kicked a little further away exploded, and an explosive sound, a dazzling sh, and a smoke screen began to spread in the throne room.

    Felix should be behind me now. I turned 180 degrees to follow him and prepared the Five-seveN

    This is the end.

    When I turned around, Felix was standing behind me, readying his sword at exactly a one-sword distance away from me.

    I used the Five-seveN as a shield to dampen the momentum of the sword that was swung down. But there was no way I could block this blow with a handgun. Five-seveN was cut in two, while I pulled back to dodgebut the tip of the sword still grazed the Ker mask.

    Felix, who should have passed through, shouldnt be there anymore. Right after running right beside me with Shiden Issen, did he activate Lightning Drive ande back behind me?

    A coordinated attack using a skill that I, a non-human of this world, cannot learnI cant let this flow continue. While pulling back my upper body, I put strength into my lower bodyI was able to dodge a direct hit while losing my bnce with a sudden backward slide jump.

    However, as the distance increases, the Ker mask was cut and torn, revealing the true face of Schwartz instead of a zombies face.

    It was only for a moment, but my gaze ovepped with Felix in front of memy body jumped backwards and jumped into the smoke screen that spewed out from the smoke grenade.

    Its not the ugly face you used to have, is that your real face?

    Felixs voice echoes through the smokescreen. Is he wary of the smokescreen, or is he just waiting for me to pop out? I switched to FLIR (infrared thermography) mode to confirm Felixs heat source.

    Are you not going to answer?

    No chance. If I answer, its like telling him where Im hiding in a smoke screen. About a minute left until the smokescreen disappears In this stalemate, the battle will be decided.

    Activating TSS with my thoughts, I selected the support weapon section and summoned it. What I intended to call were two heavy machine guns and remote-controlled sentry guns. Quickly scrolling through the SHOP, I purchased and summoned the firearms immediately.

    Two GE M134 Miniguns were summoned in both arms akimbo. No matter how much Felix swung his sword, there was no way Felix would be able to repel the barrage shot by these two electric Gatling guns, which fired 4,000 rounds at 100 rounds per second. Theres no way he can keep dodging. Not to mention the two Sentry Guns.

    I have to defeat this man when I can, even if I have to take the chance to face him one-on-one in this confined space

    I adjusted my crosshair to the heat source that showed Felix standing still beyond the smokescreenbut Felixs surroundings began to blur.

    The area near the ceiling of the throne room rapidly turned blue, indicating a low-temperature state, and red streaks rising from the floor area, indicating a high temperature, increased in number, and began to swirl around Felix. .

    The Minigun began to rotate, and a roaring electric sound echoed through the smokescreen. As if to counter it, thunder began to roar from around Felix. At the same time, Felix, who had been visible until then, was hidden by a vortex of cold and hot temperatures.

    Roaring Thunder InvitationDivine Sword manifestation

    A roar of thunder resounded like a dragons roar, and the area beyond the smokescreen was enveloped in high temperatures. This is bad. This attack is bad news. Felix may have felt the same way as we faced each other in a stalemate inside this confined space.

    Sword DrawThunder God Dragon Kanna Kamui!

    Relying on a voice faintly heard beyond the thundering smokescreen, I aimed my crosshair and sentry gun and started firing. As time passed, the smoke screen disappeared, and at the same time, two Miniguns and two Sentry Guns fired, as the jaws of a giant thunder dragon approached me.

    Uwooooooo!!

    Normally, I need to hold the Minigun with both hands, but I only used one hand to forcefully control the recoil and fire at Felix, who was supposed to be ahead of the thunder dragon. Circling fire from two sentry guns from the left and right.

    Even if the smoke screen cleared, the scene was shrouded in lightning and nothing could be seen. Even with the light shielding function activated, I couldnt see beyond the sh of light.

    Adjusting my aim by relying on the expansion and vibration of the crosshair when the bullet hits, at the same time I deployed CBS in front of me with my willHowever, the shape of the deployment is distorted into an oval shape that hides the center of my body.

    CBS took in all the attacks, including attacks from the user themselves. Unless I do this, the 4000 bullets fired from the minigun wont reach Felix.

    However, there was no way the bullets could defeat the incarnation of the approaching Thunder Dragon. Not only my vision, but my hearing was disturbed by the thunderous thunderp. And then, I was swallowed by the thunder dragons jaws.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247

    Been sick a lot this month

    __________________________________

    In the innermost room of the underground temple, in a space that can only be seen as the throne room of thebyrinth, I shed with Felix Mendoza, the Vice Master of the Rafflesia.

    Both of us fired a blow intended to defeat the opponent, and I was swallowed by a mass of lightning that covered my field of viewthe chin of the Thunder Dragon. Even with the light shielding function activated, my field of vision was covered in dazzling light, and the sound-collecting sensor malfunctioned due to the thunder like a dragons roar.

    How long did it take for my vision to start recovering? It could have been five, ten minutes, or perhaps just a few seconds.

    Looks likeIm still alive

    Losing my sense of bnce and feeling disgusted by the still ringing in my ears, I bent my kneesI put my forehead on the floor, and checked my entire body as if kneeling on the ground. The CBS protected my head and legs, mainly the torso. But the shield durability value was zero now, and it was in the cooldown period before it could be used again.

    However, its also thanks to CBS that I was able to survive my overcoat and the ck German SS uniform were torn apart. The skin exposed was badly burned.

    Theres also something wrong with my headI wonder if most of my hair was burnt, since I can feel the heat of the burn, but not my hair.

    But, it was my arms that took the worst.

    My arms that were supposedly holding the GE M134 Miniguns were nowhere to be seen. Felixs blow had carbonized the GE M134 Minigun, causing it to crumble and scatter into bits.

    As I pondered over my condition emotionlessly, I realized that Ive been leaving myself defenseless. I immediately looked into the radar and tried to focus on any other sound that the sensor picked up other than the ringing on my ears.

    Where did Felix go? Did I manage to kill him?!

    There was not a single moving dot on the map. I also couldnt hear anyone else other than me in this throne room.

    I whipped my whole body, which was still weak, and managed to turn my gaze to the front and search for the ce where Felix should have been What remainedwas a pool of blood, as well as traces of copious amounts of blood leading to the depth of the throne.

    He also survived.

    Thats what it means that there is no corpse. Considering the amount of bleeding, there is no doubt that I had inflicted considerable damage. But, I have to confirm the reason why he went to the back of the throne in that state.

    I slowly got up as I felt that it was getting easier to move my body.

    As time passes in a nonbat state, my body heals all wounds and activates a natural healing power to regenerate. Particles of light drifted around both shoulders, each cell rapidly regenerated, muscle fibers undted like tentacles to form internal tissues, the particles of lightbined into bones, and the lost arms are back to normal.

    Particles of light enveloped my whole body, healing the burns, and the itchy feeling on my head must be proof that my hair is regenerating.

    I looked over the entire throne room again while feeling my body slowly regenerate over time. Despite all the attacks, there wasnt a single scratch in the throne roomno, I saw the floor and walls gouged out several times during the battle with Felix. All of them have been repaired just like my body.

    This is definitely abyrinththen the small room behind the throne is the pedestal room.

    After regenerating both hands and touching the entire body to check for any abnormalities, I fished out the Five-seveN and a magazine from the inventory, reloading the ammunition. There was no dot in the small room, and not a single sound could be heard, but it is just a precaution.

    The door that led to the small room was a simple wooden door, and the door handle didnt even look like its locked.

    I turned the door handle quietly and slowly, inserting the Five-seveNs muzzle into the slightly opened gap, and peeked inside

    so thats why.

    In the small room surrounded by stone walls, there was only one teleportation magic circle.

    Is this why Felix sent Kilik here? I dont know where the transfer magic circle connects, but considering that there is no copying magic circle that will be the exit and that this is an underground temple where only men of the Royal family or Chancellor Zephanel can enter, this ce must have also served as an escape route for the King or the heir to the throne to escape from the castle in case of emergency.

    The destination of the teleportation magic circle should be far away from the Royal castle, otherwise, there would be no point in escaping. Looking at how the magic circles magic crest was no longer illuminated, it seems that it was made unusable on the exit side. Its impossible to pursue them now

    However, I was able to repel the head of Rafflesia and its strongest enforcer away from the Royal Capital. The rebellion that the Rafflesia shouldve won, now should turn around in our favor now its two leaders had been driven away.

    When I returned to the throne room from the small room, I remembered that my clothes were in tatters. Activating the TSS with my thoughts, I opened the avatar customization and selected the costume again. Purchasing the missing items at the SHOP and replenishing the equipment. Since the current King had evacuated above ground first, I left the throne room and started walking.

    Im running low on CP.

    Ive been ying VMB for three years, and Ive gotten CP by converting magic stones after falling into this world, but Ive progressed from thebyrinth subjugation in the tunnel to this point with almost no resupply, and on top of that, I have continued to use it like cheap candies, such as extra purchases of firearms and support weapons, and splurging in the BOX. I have no regrets about that but if I dont quickly collect non-attribute magic stones and convert them to CP, my future activities and battles will be greatly restricted.

    Yamigasa Company, an underling to the Rafflesia, had its affiliated merchants buy up non-attribute magic stones around the Royal Capital. But, it may calm down with the capture of Daikan, the chairman of the firm.

    However, since it turns out that there are Pedigree Skills that require non-attribute magic stones as fuel, there is a possibility that they will continue to be in short supply.

    If its difficult to collect all of themthen I have no choice but to earn it on my own.

    Once this is over, Ill have to shut myself up in abyrinth somewhere

    I sighed and elerated my pace following the dot that appeared on my radar. There is no doubt that it is the dot that indicates the current King, but it is not moving. Its a little bit more to the ground, but did his legs stop due to injury or fatigue?

    Lowering my gun while maintaining a ready-to-shoot posture, I moved forward while keeping vignce

    Your Majesty, are you okay?!

    The current King sat down on a pitch-ck road, leaning his back against the wall.

    ck Maskno, the trespasser Schwartz?

    Yes, Your Majesty.

    What happened to my idiot son and Felix?

    Both of them were heavily injured, but they managed to escape through the teleportation magic circle behind the throne room. Where does the circle connect to?

    Lending my shoulder to help support the current King, I lifted him up and slowly started walking towards the above ground. The current Kings breath was weakened, and arge amount of blood seeped out of the tattered clothes. Perhaps the results of a fierce battle.

    I wonder if he had not received any healing magic in the interim, but I noticed that he had a magic disturbance ring around his neck just like Chancellor Bergman and the others.

    It connects to a forest around two miles southeast of the Royal Capital. There are only two guards, and from there its possible to go out to sea or cross to another country while traveling north.

    Is it an escape route after all? But

    Yes, thats right. That idiot son and Felix have left the Royal Capital. Whats going on outside, Roberto, Millenia, and ire helped, right? Yuki, Khan, and Ark, are they safe?

    Yes, they are all safe. After escaping Flyhigh with Duke Barga, theyre going to retake the transfer management building as a counteroffensive against the Rafflesia.

    I see, then it would be a good idea for us to head there as well.

    Yes, I will escape the royal castle and aim for the transfer control building. However, I would like His Majesty to evacuate to a safer ce.

    A safe ce? Where is a safer ce than a ce near you, who could even repel Felix? In addition, if Yuki and Karn arent here, how did youe down to the underground temple?

    I had Ashley Zephanel break the seal on the shrine. Ill exin the safe ce after we arrive outside.

    Ashley  I see, so the next Head of Zephanel family helped?

    After we cleared each others doubts, we returned to the shrine from the underground temple. Having confirmed that there were no suspicious dots on the map floating in my field of vision, I went outside and summoned LVTP-5.

    So, this is the power of a Trespasser

    The current King muttered that much, but he didnt look that surprised. It seemed that the current King, who knows the truth about Magicless and Trespasser, was only interested in the summoning process, which was neither <Skill> nor <Magic>.

    Your Majesty, please evacuate to a safe ce using the transfer magic circle first. Chancellor Bergman and the Queen are also waiting there. Ashley and members of Lily of the Valley are also in the area, and some maids have also been evacuated.

    A transfer magic circle. If I remember correctly, you were given special permission to use the magic circle because it was obtained outside of our territory. However, the rebellion of the Rafflesia must be suppressed as soon as possible. Assuming that you evacuated temporarily, how long will it take you to pick me up?

    The current King looked curiously at the inside of LVTP-5, where only the transfer magic circle was spread and went up the ramp.

    It depends on the situation in the transfer management building After transferring to the fortified city of Barga, we will set up our headquarters there andy out a copy magic circle.

    If thats the case, it wont take long. Yuki has joined the fray, right? Im more worried about whether or not the Transfer Management Building will remain functional

    With a wry smile, the current king turned around, looked around LVTP-5 again, and added the words in a soft whisper.

    Thank you for your help.

    The current King just said that, and without waiting for my reply, he poured blood on the transfer magic circle and transferred to the shooting range.

    The King of the country had spokennot as a member of a Royal family, but as a man who speaks words of gratitude. Even I, who lived in the previous world, can understand the significance.

    The current King may have known me as a Trespasser and viewed me as an equal. If he had taken that attitude in front of Kilik and Felix, he would have given them crucial information about the ck Mask Shaftme.

    The Viceburn Empire treated Pedigree Skill holders as one of its pawns. If you turn it over, it shows that there are plenty of pieces with Pedigree Skill.

    Returning LVTP-5 to the garage, escaping from the Royal Castle and heading to the transfer management building, I thought back. The Fourth Princess Cyril was nowhere near the Royal castle or Felix. Im sure she was taken somewhere elsefor example, by the Viceburn Empire?

    After the Kings festival involving the phantom thief Nekoyanagi, which was also my first sh with Felix, the existence of the 17th Princess Cortine of the Drak Kingdom was revealed, and she was requested to marry into the Viceburn Empire.

    At first, I thought it was one of the conditions for making the Kingdom of Drak a vassal state, but there is no doubt that behind it was the intention to obtain the Pedigree Skill of the Kingdom of Drak.

    In the past, the Kingdom of Drak also hunted the magicless in its own country, and wanted the blood and wisdom of the Trespassers.

    However, the Viceburn Empire wasnt satisfied within its own country, and while conquering other countries, they started collecting Pedigree Skills and gathered daughters of that lineageno, did they conquer other countries in order to gather them?

    I dont know which one came first and what the real purpose is, but I can see the purpose of the Viceburn Empire.

    But, what about the Rafflesia. Come to think of it, the current King seems to have some idea about it Shall I ask him about it when I pick him up?

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248

    The rebellion of the Rafflesia, which turned into a fierce battle, had reached a turning point. After transferring the current King to the shooting range, I ran to the Transfer Circle Control building while looking back on this rebellion.

    Dawn had already passed, and the Royal Capital was facing a quiet morningno, a too quiet of a morning.

    However, as I approached the transfer circle control building, I heard arge number of controlled footsteps. And then, what came into sight was the transfer circle control building, about half of which had copsedthe main street and unrted buildings around it had clear traces of destruction left behind.

    Chancellor Zephanel and Prince Khan seemed to have violently rampaged but seeded in recapturing the transfer circle control building.

    Halt! You need special permission toare you the ck Mask Shaft?

    The familiar knights wearing silver full-te mail formed a formation to surround the transfer circle control building. They were careful not to allow anyone toe near it. When one of the knights saw me approaching the transfer circle control building, he shouted, but he seemed to immediately guess who I was.

    Its only natural. After leaving the Royal Pce, I put on the ker mask and Shaft avatar again. Besides, the knights guarding the building were the Barga Western Knights. The members of Barga Knights wouldnt soon forget meas I was Lapitiricas savior while I was working as her escort.

    In any case, they let me in the transfer circle control office building when I told them I was working at the behest of the Duke. But just in case, two knights escorted me to the building, and I had to leave behind my weapons.

    Duke Barga, along with his eldest son Commander Steed Barga and Deputy Commander Butler Caymon, had converted the Directors Office in the Transfer Circle Control Building into a meeting room.

    One of the knights knocked on the door of the Directors office, and I heard a voice asking for permission to enter.

    Your Excellency, mercenary Shaft is here to report.

    So hes back! Let him in immediately!

    Commander Steeds voice came from inside.

    Come in.

    The knights who had apanied me up to this point returned to their posts as I entered the Directors office. The Directors office wasnt that big. Duke Barga sitting at the office desk in front of me, and Commander Steed and Deputy Commander Caymon standing in front of me, were waiting impatiently for my return.

    Im d you returned safely, Shaft-dono. So, did it go well?

    His Majesty the King, Queen Millenia, Queen ire, Chancellor Bergman, and Commander of the Knights Order, Cyrus, have evacuated to a safe ce.

    Ohh! Nothing less from the ck Nobleman! It looks like youve done a wonderful job this time too!

    Shaft, where is this safe ce?! With the rebellion not yet over, there is no safe ce in the entire capital!?

    Steed, calm down a little.

    However, esteemed father, we must confirm His Majestys safety as soon as possible and put an end to the Rafflesia rebellion.

    Thats why Chancellor Zephanel and Crown Prince Khan sent him to the Royal castle, right? Shaft-kun, will you be able to bring His Majesty here immediately? And what about the Second Prince Kilik?

    Of course. First of all, I want all of us to transfer to the fortified city of Barga with the transfer magic circle here, and join His Majesty and the others there to prepare the system. The master of the Rafflesia, Kilik, and the vice-master, Felix, have transferred away from the Royal castle. He transferred with a magic circle to escape from the Royal Capital.

    I gave a simple answer to Duke Bargas question, but this area was decided before I left for the royal castleset up the main camp in the fortified city of Barga, prepare a counteroffensive system, and suppress the rebellion.

    However, the necessity to do thatthe person is not here. The fact that I came here alone is obvious when you see that I didnt bring the current King with me. Not only Duke Barga, but also Commander Steed and Deputy Commander Caymon both tilted their heads at the statement that they would join the current King after transferring to Barga.

    However, there is no time for a detailed exnation of the procedure for weing the current King.

    Duke Barga seems to understand that, so he instructed Commander Steed to speed up the start of the suppression operation, and for Deputy Commander Caymon to guide me, transferring to the fortress city of Barga.

    Its been a while

    Hmm? Did you say something, Shaft?

    No, its nothing.

    The transfer circle control building in the fortified city of Barga is one of the Western Barga Knight Order offices. A mutter leaked out from my mouth at the sight of the townscape of Barga, which I looked up for the first time in a long time, and the white castle of Valdge.

    So, Shaft, where do we go from here?

    If there is arge warehouse near the headquarters, I would like to borrow it for a while.

    Okay. The main camp is being set up at Valdege Castle, so you should use the warehouse inside the castle.

    We got on the carriage driven by the knights who were waiting in the office and moved to the castle of Valdge. The appearance of Barga seen inside the carriage had a slightly different atmosphere from the Royal Capital.

    Many horse-drawn carriages were running between the office and the Valdge Castle early in the morning, and the moving knights and guards had tense expressions on their faces. Looking at the situation, the people of Balga, who should have felt the beginning of a refreshing day, were wrapped in indescribable anxiety.

    Even though it is the Barga territory adjacent to the Royal Capital, the news of the rebellion has not reached the level of the general public, and something is just happening. Is it the rampage of thebyrinth, the annihtion of a prominent n, or the discovery of arge demi-human settlement? The city of Barga was greeted with a quietmotion in the morning due to the anxiety that could not be given an answer.

    When we entered the castle in a carriage, the inside of the castle waspletely different from the city, and it was full of noise.

    Shaft, do you want to meet Prince Khan and Chancellor Zephanel first?

    No, I want to wee His Majesty and the others as soon as possible.

    Very well. Lets head to the warehouse.

    Following Caymons orders, the carriage headed for an empty warehouse on the castles outskirts.

    Inside the castle, not only the members of the Barga Knight Order, but also several groups wearing knight armor with different designs were visible. Inside the Valdege Castle, where the counterattack headquarters was set up, the nobles of the feudal lords gathered from various territories of the kingdom, and a small number of knights who could be called their adjutants had gathered.

    As expected, they move fast.

    Its a matter of course for the Kingdom. No one thinks that this rebellion will end with just Rafflesia. However, the Third Knight Order is on standby at Snakehead ready to respond.

    Ive been meaning to ask before, but where is the First Knight Order?

    The First Central Knights Order is an intangible order of knights. You can say that its the Kingdom of Kurtmerga itself. His Majesty is the leader of the Knights Order, and the Magic Nobles are listed as members of the Knights Order.

    I see.

    I thought it was weird that I havent heard anything about the First Knight Order, but turns out the kingdom itself is the knight order. If I remember correctlyI heard before that the original magic nobles and nobles were also adventurers who went around crushing thebyrinth with the Founding King to protect Kurtmelga, who had just founded the country. It changed little by little, and it probably fit into the form of the Central First Knight Order.

    I dont know how many knights are participating in this headquarters, but looking at the colorful knight armor, I can see that this counteroffensive operation has taken on the appearance of an all-out war.

    here.

    The carriage stopped, and I got off with Deputy Commander Caymon.

    Is there no people inside?

    Should be.

    Then the deputymander, please gather the guards in front of the warehouse. Im the only one whos going inside, so please wait here until His Majesty and the otherse out.

    His Excellency the Duke has asked me to respond to your request as much as possible. I shall prepare ordingly.

    Deputy Commander Caymon probably wont follow everything I say, but he kindly agreed to wait outside.

    Now then, all thats left is to transfer to the shooting range and pick up the people who have been rescued from the Royal castle, including the current King. However, there is one thing Im worried about I wonder what the people waiting at the shooting range will think when they see the buildings and facilities there

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249

    :3

    Having borrowed the warehouse inside the Valdege Castle, Duke Bargas resident, I summoned the LVTP-5, activated the copy magic circle, and transferred to the shooting range.

    !

    Immediately after teleporting, the two Lily of the Valley, wielding longswords and staff as weapons, appeared in front of me.

    From the copy magic circle that was the exit of the transfer, I immediately jumped backwards with a slide jump, pulled out the Five-seveN from the inside of my overcoat andnded while brandishing itbut I stopped before my finger squeezed the trigger.

    Wahold it right there!

    The two who were holding their weapons raised their hands and dropped their long swords and staff to the ground to show that they had no intention of fighting. I didnt remember saying anything like Hands up! or something like that, but apparently, the gesture of surrender in this world is simr to my original world.

    I returned the Five-seveN back to its holster and stood back up.

    As it turns out, the two members of Lily of the Valley were monitoring the transfer circle. After confirming the presence of the maids and servants, as well as the current King, Ashley, and the rest with them, I reactivated the copy magic circle in the shooting range.

    At the same time, the transfer magic circle that links to the copy magic circle that wasid in the Valdege Castle was reactivated, and the preparations to return wereplete.

    It seems that the maids and servants were waiting in a separate building from the current King, so I told the two Lily of the Valley to go inform the current King.

    The urban area of the shooting range is a section with a motif of an overseas residential area, with houses lined up around the main street. Even though it was called a house, only the outsides were real, and the inside had onlyrge pieces of furniture, and there were no essories or tableware at allthat was supposed to be the case.

    When I walked through the city area relying on the voices that I hear from the sound-collecting sensor and the light points that appear on the map, I felt a sense of incongruity.

    The streets of the world where I fellOndo Continent, mostly on the Kurtmerga Kingdom and the streets of this city area were too different, so I didnt use this area to practice shooting or simte fighting.

    Moreover, there is no reason to enter the house.

    Ashley, Im back.

    When I entered the one-story building I heard about from the Lily of the Valley, and headed to the kitchen area where the dots in my map gathered, Ashey immediately noticed me

    Ah, Shaft! Thank goodness you are safe

    Standing in the dining room connected to the living room, Ashley rushed over and jumped into my chest.

    Yeah, Im fine. Look, Im perfectly okay.

    In response to the feeling of Ashleys hands wrapping on my back, I also hugged Ashley tightly.

    To see you unting your intimacy with the daughter of Zephanel right in the presence of His Majesty. you certainly have guts, not to mention your own ability.

    Over Ashleys head, my gaze ovepped with Commander Cyrus of the Knights of the Guard, who was sitting on a chair in front of the kitchen aisle. While stroking Ashleys head, which was buried in my neck, I moved my gaze from the kitchen to the living room. Chancellor Bergman sat on a single living chair with the Queens sitting on the sofa and the current King in between.

    It looks like youve returned safely. What happened to the Transfer Circle Control building?

    The wounds of the current King, who is sitting on the sofa, had already been treated, and the clothing that he was wearing was different from when I helped him in the underground temple.

    He was wearing the T-shirt and pants from my original world Where did those thingse from no, more importantly, I cant let the current Kings question go unanswered.

    The building is secured but the surrounding area has been considerably destroyed.

    I see but with this, we managed to recapture the most important transfer circle control building, although Felix and Kilik managed to leave the Royal Capital.

    Your Majesty, it is truly a miracle that he has fallen into this country.

    Indeed, it is almost as miraculous as regrowing your hair.

    Uu

    Hearing the current Kings words, Chancellor Bergman involuntarily stretched his hand to his head, but the two Queens smiled quietly at that.

    Is everyone ready to transfer out?

    Yeah, everyone is waiting for His Majesty to return to the fortified city of Barga.

    Then, let us head out immediately. Ill ask the two of you first.

    YessirAshley.

    I called out to Ashley who was still hugging me and asked her to guide the two Queens and Commander Cyrus. The two Queens and Commander Cyrus left the living room, but the current King and Chancellor Bergman continued to talk in low voices as if they were discussing details.

    So, you cant read the letters in this book at all?

    It will be impossible to decipher. It looks more like a picture than text.

    What are these small boxes and the soft protrusions it lined up with, what are they used for?

    Hmm, isnt it something that stimtes pressure points on the soles of your feet?

    Is it possible to reproduce the animal paintings on this cup with Kurtmergas technology?

    I have to show it to the craftsmen The coloring technology for pottery is in the process of developing, but first, how to bake this shape

    Theyre talking about TV remote and character mugs no, more importantly! Why are there even remote and mugs here

    While preparing to move, I looked away from the two who continued to talk in whispers. When I looked around the house again, I saw a lot of small items that I had never seen before, even though I knew them.

    All of them were small items that weremonce in my original worldstarting with the TV remote control, many DVDs and Blu-rays were leaning against the TV rack. Arge number of tableware and cooking utensils could be seen in the kitchen. There was an air conditioning unit on the wall. Andline phone on one of the wall panels.

    If you think about it again, the equipment inside the Continental, which is a transportation vehicle, can be used in this worldit has be a real thing that one can use or consume. In that case, it wouldnt be surprising if not only the furniture but also the small items that were nothing but rough fake graphics were urately reproduced and existed in the houses that lined the shooting range.

    Shaft, once this rebellion is quelled, can you bring me back here?

    Just before the two of us finally started to move out of the living room, Chancellor Bergman approached and called out to us.

    May I ask why?

    I replied while continuing to walk outside.

    This ce is neither in the Kurtmerga Kingdom nor the Ondo Continent, am I correct?

    ..Yes, pretty much.

    Im not telling you to teach me all of your knowledge as a Trespasser, but as long as you allow us to study it ourselves, we can certainly glean something out of it. Kurtmerga is facing a crisis due to the rebellion of Prince Kilik, but we cant let something like this stop the progress of the kingdom. Beginning with His Majesty, those who lead the country must also be able to look at what is ahead of them.

    Its certainly difficult for those who lead the country

    What are you saying, Shaft? No, Schwartz, you have already been recognized by His Majesty as a candidate for Ashleyspanion, and you will probably be recognized by many magic nobles with your work this time.

    Eh?

    Thats right. There is no way someone, who has protected the Royal family and the Chancellors of a country from an attack and even saved the life of His Majesty the King on his own, will remain unnoticed. Schwartz and Shaft might be officially two different people, but each has their own achievements worthy of praise.

    The current King, who was walking toward us, silently nodded his head.

    Has Yuki not acknowledged you already? Ashley will not seem to mind considering the scene unfolded before us earlier. Even if my country allows the Trespasser to go wherever they wish, we cannot simply ignore the possibility if they choose to stay.

    The current King looked forward again, but his steps are strong. I felt a strong will in his words.

    But first, I have to clean up after my foolish son.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250

    Kay: Back to our scheduled chapters ^^; Nearly went off the deep end for a little bit. But Im back. (for those wondering what happened)

    ________________

    Your Majesty, I have been waiting for your safe return.

    When I transferred from the shooting range to the Valdege Castle with the current King and the Chancellor, many dots appeared in my map, in an orderly manner in front of the warehouse. As if waiting impatiently for the current Kings return. Lined up before us were the Knights of the Western Barga, the representatives of the Knights from all over the Kingdom and the Nobles leading them, as well as Crown Prince Khan, Prince Ark, Chancellor Zephanel, and Lapitirica.

    Everyone, thank you for gathering here. As Im sure youve already heard, My foolish son Kilik has led a rebellion with the help of the Viceburn Empire. You cante back after transferring from the teleport portal. Khan, how much is our total strength gathered?

    Yes, Your Majesty. Thirty-six knights out of fifty-two in the country have responded to the gathering.

    So, the remaining 16 have been swayed by Kilik?

    We have no confirmation yet Also, we have received a message from the general guild master, Duke Berdaline, that many adventurer ns under the umbre of Rafflesia have cut off contact.

    Yuki, has the Viceburn Empire dered war on us?

    It shouldnt havee yet. When we return to the Royal Castle, there may be a letter lying around, but first we need to calm the country down.

    The movement from then on approached the rebellion of the Rafflesia.

    Leaving the fortified city of Barga with the Queen and its defense forces, the Western Knights of Balga headed for the capital. We recaptured the temporarily upied important facilities of the Royal Capital one after another, forcibly investigated the n house of the Rafflesia and its affiliatedpany, andwiped out the remnants of the Rafflesia remaining in the half-destroyed Royal Castle. By the evening of the day after the rebellion, we regained control of the Royal Capital.

    However, the suppression of the rebellion did not end there. Dispatching the knights to the Noble territories that had refrained from gathering in this emergency, and temporarily restrained them.

    They would be questioned in various ways, to glean whether or not they were involved in this rebellion and their connection with the Viceburn Empire.

    However, although we were able to capture most of the main force of the Rafflesia, Kilik and Felix, who transferred away from the underground temple, disappeared. And the adventurer ns under their umbre were scattered and unable to be followed.

    The biggest reason why we couldnt follow them is that we cant confirm the individual. There is an identification card called a guild card, but it is only one of the many means of proof. The Guild issues guild cards but does not store duplicate information.

    By presenting card information that can only be presented by the person themselves, it is possible to verify the persons identity.

    In that case, we had no choice but to interrogate them and collect evidence after arresting them, just like we would normally do to maintain public order, but we couldnt do that to all the adventurers in the Kingdom. Doing so will cause the adventurers to leave Kurtmerga and move to a neighboring country.

    A few days after the suppression of the rebellion, the Viceburn Empire and the Drak Kingdom, which had be a vassal state, remained silent. We never received any war deration, nor an inquiry about the Imperial family that I killed at the Yamigasa trading house. They continued to take a wait-and-see stance, as if all the things about the rebellion were irrelevant from the beginning.

    And, as for myself

    Shaft-sama, dinner is ready.

    After transferring the current Kings party to the fortress city of Barga, I moved to the oceanic city of Amar at the request of the current King. I wonder why

    Where are Prince Khan and Prince Ark now?

    Having a conversation at the salon with Princess Anastasia and Lapitirica.

    Ashley and the predecessor still at the Fleet Headquarter?

    Yes, but I think the two will be home soon.

    Is that so? Then, please get the Crown Prince and the others to eat first.

    What about Shaft-sama?

    Im fine. Ill wait for Ashley and the others to return.

    As you wish.

    Please, Lester.

    When I saw Lester-san, the butler of the Zephanel familys main residence, leave my private room, I took off my Ker mask and took a breather with my true face as Schwartz.

    After rescuing the current King from the Royal Castle, I didnt participate in the operation to suppress the rebellion. Of course, I was asked to participate in the war, but I continued fighting all night, and decided to take a rest in Barga, arbitrarily arranging that I was at the limit of my physical strength and morale.

    The real reason is that my remaining amount of CP was no longer enough for protractedbat. Considering refueling vehicles, and resupplying ammo, its just impossible to continue fighting. Therefore, I decided

    While the suppression operation was in progress, I visited Marida Company in Barga, met with the branch manager, Bill, and secretly asked him to buy non-attribute magic stones. Bill-san felt uneasy about the appearance of the Knights of each territory overflowing in Barga, and so asked about the information of the Royal Capital and the safety of Malta-san, but there was a limit to what I could convey.

    I couldnt talk too much about the details of the Royal Capital, the rebellion, and the suppression operation, so at that time I only told him that Malta-san escaped the first attack safely. After that, Earl Crude began contacting the knights in Barga as general advisor to the knights of the Kingdom, so I was finally able to hear the story after the attack on Flyhigh.

    Earl Crude, who escaped through Flyhighs unused underpass with the Nobles, women, and merchants who could not fight, immediately secured several carriages and rushed through the first district to secede to the second.

    The Rafflesia did not aim to destroy the Royal Capital. The fighting was concentrated in the first district, and the second district, which has manymercial facilities, while the third district, the residential areas, were rtively quiet.

    And this is the current situation.

    The current King, having suppressed the rebellion of the Rafflesia, widely informed the people about Kiliks rebellion, stripped him of the right to seed to the throne, and dered that the remnants of the Rafflesia must atone for their crimes of treason.

    However, the scars of the rebellion carved into the Royal Castle are deep. Therefore, it is difficult to takemand of the Kingdoms governance and live a daily life. In addition, Prince Khan, who continued to shoot powerful magic in the counteroffensive, fell ill due to the magical power that overflowed in reaction, and needed rest.

    Therefore, it was decided for the Prince to take a rest at Zephanels mansion in the oceanic city of Amar, far from the Royal Capital and the Viceburn Empire, and impossible to directly board with the transfer magic circle. Since Prince Ark could still be targeted, he was also sent here, apanied by Lapitirica.

    The current King asked me to protect the two Princes, their spouses, and the Zephanel family. I felt a sense of indebtedness for not participating in the suppression operation, but there was really no reason to refuse when I think that it is an asion to protect Ashley.

    Ashley exchanges information with the Royal Capital almost every day at Amars escort fleet headquarters, and under the supervision of Chancellor Zephanel, she is being educated to be a symbol of nobility as the next head of Zephanel family.

    Well, I was able to restore my CP a little with the non-attribute magic stones that Bill-san prepared for me and some that I bought in Amar. In the future, I n to buy non-attribute magic stones from the Filtonia Inds Alliance, which is doing ocean trade with Amar, and umte more CP.

    Personally, I would like to explore the nearbybyrinth, but there is nobyrinth within a day trip distance near Amar. Besides, considering the escort of Crown Prince Khan and others, I cant afford to leave for a long time.

    Heres a silver lining, I could just take a rest along with Prince Khan and the others.Advertisement

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251

    The Kingdom of Kurtmerga has regained itsposure after the rebellion caused by the Rafflesia. Meanwhile, I was still staying at the main residence of the Zephanel family in the oceanic city of Amar with Crown Prince Khan. It would take some time before the pce ispletely rebuilt. Chancellor Zephanel also prepared an office at Amars escort fleet headquarters and kept in touch with the capital while educating Ashely.

    My current job was to protect Prince Khan and Prince Ark, but so far there were no signs of assassins or spiesing. AN/GSR-9 (V) 1 (T-UGS) and spy cameras were installed in Zephanels mansion so that I could detect any suspicious movements immediately.

    By introducing other new emergency response measures, I no longer had to shut myself up in the Zephanel mansion and had some free time. I used that free time toe to the shooting range again today. One by one, I investigated the one-story buildings that stand across the main street in the urban area.

    The harvest was too much.

    First of all, all the furniture in the house exists as something that can actually be used. When I opened the closet, I found a closet full of not only mens items but also womens items such as jackets, shirts, pants, ties, boots, etc. When I opened the storage furniture, I found small items, precious metals, daily necessities, and even a familiar aspirin in the medicine cab.

    I was able to open all the books that fit on the bookshelves, butI couldnt read them.

    It was the same as the wine from Continental, a top-ss motorhouse. The numbers indicating the alcohol content were written with the familiar characters, but everything else, such as the ce of origin were in mosaics and could not be read. The automatic trantion function didnt work either, and it seemed impossible to reconfirm the knowledge of the previous world as text. But I was able to see the encyclopedias and photo collections without any problems.

    Up until this point, I had expected this due to the Continental equipment, but what piqued my interest the most was the home appliances.

    When I turned on the TV, there was only static on the screen, but it was strange that it could be turned on. I should have noticed this much sooner since the Continental lights were on and the system kitchen was in motion. I then found out that the home appliances actually had a fuel gauge instead of a power source, and can operate without electricity until the fuel gauge runs out.

    The fuel gauge can be replenished with CP. In other words, I can probably take it out to the outside world, and it will continue to function for as long as I can replenish the fuel gauge.

    But well, theres no point in bringing out a TV that doesnt work

    This is nostalgic

    The DVD that was on the TV rack is different. Even if I couldnt read the title, I could tell what DVD it was by looking at the package. After confirming that the yback deck is connected to the TV with a cord, I inserted the DVD and pressed the y button.

    It was an old movie DVD. I was reminded of the vibrancy of the previous world that I had almost forgotten, but strangely, Im not sad. Because I have already decided to live in the present world.

    I pressed the stop button without finishing the movie and moved to the next area.

    I gained a lot in the city area, but the search never ends. This shooting range can freely change the configuration of the facility by the operation of the yer. The default configuration consists of an outdoor shooting range, an indoor shooting range, a training hut called the Kill House, and a field battlefield where you can practice driving a mobile vehicle.

    However, the VMBs stage is not limited to battlefields with motifs from past world wars. There were various stages such as world-shaking terrorism and hostage incidents, important facilities of hostile countries, space satellites set in the near future, and virtual areas centered on battles against extraterrestrial life forms. And this shooting range is also a training hut with the motif of those stagesit is possible to set up a training area that is toorge to fit in the world.

    For example,rge shopping centers, high school buildings, giant chemical nts, skyscrapers, airfields + jumbo jets, missileunching bases, and so on, the list goes on and on.

    Originally, this function would have AI bots a simted enemy controlled by the CPU, ced in a set practice area. Using simted bullets to run through a predetermined course, a time attack, a kill zone in which endless AI bots continue to spawn, and a monitoringwork of AI bots. It is apetition for scores and times ording to several prepared rules, such as moving to the goal without being spotted.

    I can still ce the AI bots. It doesnt consume anything, and there are no disadvantages in changing the configuration of the shooting range.

    I tried changing theposition several times, and checked what can be taken out and what cant. Arge shopping mart had just been set up for that reason. By the way, I couldnt take the jumbo jet out. I was able to fly it, but I guess since its an airne, it cant be stored in my inventory no matter how I tried.

    Therge shopping mart was a one-story building with a high ceiling, and was pretty wide. This was also the first ce I checked when I started exploring the shooting range.

    Various overseas brand shops are lined up in the tenant space, and there are all kinds of shops such as clothing and jewelry shops, watches, interior goods, household goods, stationery, hobbies, music, video, and sporting goods. In the food court, I could see signs that look like nostalgic burger shops and coffee shops, and sweets and donuts.

    And what intrigued me the most was

    When the tenant space came into view, the inner pocket of the ck clothes vibrated little by little. While enjoying the long-forgotten feeling for no reason, I put my hand in my pocket and took it out, pressed the green button, and put it to my ear.

    Hello

    Ah, Schwartz? Its meAshley. Can you hear me?

    Yeah, loud and clear.

    Good, Ill be home soon.

    Okay, Ille pick you up.

    Un, thanks. Also, predecessor asked you to bring ice cream and juice.

    Roger that. Ill bring some.

    Appreciate it. Ill be waiting.

    The call was cut off, and I pressed the button again to finish.

    Yes, I got a prepaid mobile phone disyed in the tenant space in front of me and was able tomunicate with remote locations in real time. However, its shape was neither that of a screen touch type like the TSS nor a tablet-type smartphone, but a button-touch mobile phone, which was already obsolete in my original world.

    There is a clear reason for choosing this type. There is no way its disy can be read as it is, thus Ashley and others cant use it. Of course, I cant read either, but since I know that, I can operate it even if I cant read the characters. The numbers on the button are readable and easy to understand. If you open a brand-new box, youll find your cell phone number listed, and if you enter the 14-digit number and press the call button, youll be connected.

    When used, the fuel gauge would decrease slightly, but I was able to restore it, and the rate of decrease was such that I could talk continuously for dozens of hours before it ran out.

    Even so, the number of units taken out is still small. Five have been handed over so far. One each for Prince Khan, Prince Ark, Ashley, Chancellor Zephanel, and Chancellor Bergman.

    This way, I secured an emergency means ofmunication to the Princes, and it can also be used for directmunication between the Royal Capital and Amar.

    By no meansI didnt want to create a hotline where Ashleys voice could be heard at any time, even if I was deep in thebyrinth, wherever I was in Kurtmerga Kingdom, at the shooting range or in my private room.

    While storing the unopened prepaid mobile phone box in the inventory, I went to the food court and collected ice cream and juice, plus beer and sweets that Sharle-san would want in a box, and left the shooting range. Transferring back to the Zephanel mansion.Advertisement

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252

    Its been two months since I started living a calm life as if I were on a vacation in the seaside city of Amar. The rebuilding of the Royal Castle had only just begun, and the carefree days of escorting the Crown Prince and others continued.

    Today, Im visiting the Maridapanys merchant shipyard in Amar.

    Its good to see you safe, Malta-san.

    Its all thanks to Schwartz-san.

    In one corner of the office space on the second floor of the Merchant Shipyard, I was facing Malta-san in a reception space separated by a simple partition, enjoying green tea brewed with Japanese tea leaves I brought from arge shopping mart.

    But, this tea is really deliciousIs it the tea leaves from Schwartz-sans world?

    Perhaps he was worried about the other employees doing clerical work in the office space, the second half of his sentences was a whisper that only I could hear.

    Yes. This melty richness and mellow sweetness is the best, isnt it?

    This powdery and dark green color looks cheap at first nce, but this strong scent is definitely the mark of the best product.

    Its been a while since I had a tea party with Malta-san, but there are many things I want to confirm.

    So, how is the situation in the Royal Capital?

    Its going to be amazing.

    Huh? Is it Rafflesia again?!

    Eh? Youre wrong, the Royal Capital itself is peaceful.

    My and Malta-sans eyes unintentionally locked into each other. I was worried that the Rafflesia or Viceburn Empire had started to move again, but Malta-san immediately burst outughing and corrected me

    No, I mean, Schwartz-san, right now the most talked about topic in the Royal Capital is about the ck Hero Shaft who saved the Kingdom from its predicament.

    Those words made me want to facepalm.

    Again with that

    Againindeed. Rescuing the Royal family members from Flyhigh, repelling the attackers, and immediately after that, raiding the Yamigasa Company even though all those are amazing already, he also infiltrated the Royal Pce and rescued His Majesty the King and the captured Royal family members. At first, Schwartz-sans name was also mentioned, making the story a bit confusing. But nowadays, the info that circted around, not only in the Royal Capital, but also throughout the Kingdom, is that ck Hero Shaft did all that by himself.

    .So, what about the stuff I ordered?

    Those who are quick-witted merchants and influential people should already know, but the transfer circle connecting the Royal Capital and the mining city Baleira has been blocked

    Yes. In order to increase the safety of the seaside city of Amar, which is far from the Royal Capital, the transfer management office in the mining city Baleira, which was the nearest city, was closed. Malta-san only got to visit here two months after the rebellion of Rafflesia because he was unable to transfer and had to travel ovend.

    Boss, I apologize for interrupting. The shipment from Filtonia has arrived.

    The person who showed his face in the reception area was Bolroy, the Director of this merchant shipyard. A middle-aged cat-type beastkin, with an unkempt head and stubblerather than a merchant, hes more of a genuine man of the sea. Director Bolroy was holding arge wooden box in both hands. There is no doubt that it is the item I ordered.

    Thank you, Bolroy. Please put it on the table.

    With his thick arm that is as big as an adult males thigh, Director Bolroy lightly ced the wooden box on the table. Contrary to his light movement, it could be seen that the wooden box was of considerable weight.

    Director Bolroy left the wooden box behind. Malta-san turned the wooden box so that its front was facing me, then slowly opened the lid with a smile on his face.

    Oh!

    Arge amount of non-attribute magic stones were inside the wooden box.

    What do you think, Schwartz-san! These are the magic stones we imported from the Filtonia Inds Federation as soon as you contacted us.

    Thank you very much, Malta-san.

    I dont think the market in the Kingdom has calmed down yet. Now that the Rafflesia, which was the vanguard of thebyrinth subjugation, has disappeared, and adventurers has taken a major hit to their reputation in its wake, the distribution of not only non-attribute but also attribute magic stones will also be dyed.

    Due to the involvement of many adventurer ns in the rebellion of the Rafflesia, the distribution of permission to use the Transfer Circle Control Building to adventurers is currently annulled, and requests with high urgency and importance are no longer sent to the general guild.

    I suppose its going to be difficult to secure non-attribute magic stones for now?

    The domestic harvest will definitely decrease, but Yamigasa Company and many of its affiliates have been arrested, so I think the supply will increase and stabilize after a little more time.

    Until then, it looks like we will have to rely on imports from overseas. Im thinking of diving into thebyrinth myself, but is there abyrinth with reasonable value nearby?

    Well why dont you try crossing over to Filtonia? In the Filtonia Inds Federation, which consists of small inds of various sizes, it is not umon for the inhabitants of the inds to be annihted by the rampaging stampede from thebyrinth.

    Stampedes dont happen that often, do they?

    Thats right, but there is a sacrificial faith in Filtonia, and there are times when thebyrinth is allowed to run amok on purpose, causing an ind to be a nest for monsters.

    On purpose?

    Yes. the magic beasts cant cross the sea, so there is this tradition in Filtonia to feed ves and criminals into thebyrinth, so that they could hunt the overflowing monsters on the coastline.

    Filtonian Inds FederationTwo weeks of traveling south through the ocean on arge ship from Amar, one will reach the ship city of Bigship in the northernmost area of the Federation territory. Around 200rge and small ships gather in the ship city of Bigship, forming an artificial ind and a living environment. Bigship is the gateway to the Filtonia Inds Federation and a trading port that conductsmercial transactions with foreign countries.

    Merchant ships from Kurtmerga can only enter Filtonia up to this floating city, and formal immigration procedures are required tond on the actual inds.

    Malta-san said that there seems to be a small ind full ofbyrinth monsters about two days further south from Bigship, and there are about five other ces, but in fact there should be somebyrinths that are not known to foreign countries.

    Deliberately run thebyrinth out of control, and hunt the monsters that spill outside. If you think about it normally, its an extremely dangerous method, but there were several reasons why Filtonia took this method.

    That isthe Filtonia Inds Federation cannot meet its various domestic needs with their own domestic production alone, and foreign tradeespecially with Kurtmerga Kingdom and its neighboring countriesis essential. Filtonia did not have a strong domestic product to trade with other countries, thus had no choice but to rely on the collection of magic stones, which has an unchanging value in any country or region.

    However, its difficult to continue conqueringbyrinths reliably. Moreover, once thebyrinth has been conquered, their source of ie will temporarily disappear. Veins of magic water and ores would usually appear where abyrinth used to stand, but it takes a lot of time and money to develop and maintain them to the point where they can be shipped as a product.

    Rather than spending time and money on its development, the Congress of the Filtonia Inds Federation chose to effectively utilize unnecessary human resources and obtain magic stones with the minimum risk and effort.

    Its pretty muchusingbyrinths as some sort of livestock.

    However, even though it is easy to say, there are cases where it is actually unmanageable, isnt it?

    Its a question that naturally springs up after listening to the story. Ive never actually seen a stampede, but if its something that can be controlled by humans, it wouldnt be called a stampede in the first ce.

    Exactly. In addition, Filtonia does not allowbyrinth exploration by adventurers other than those registered in domestic guilds, and all collected magic stones are obliged to be wholesaled to the adventurers guild.

    If thats how it is I guess theres no point for me to go there?

    Thats true for the inds that Filtonia still manages. Howeverthere is an ind that has been abandoned due to the stampede being unable to be controlled.

    Abandoned ind?

    Yes. among the popce, it is known as the Labyrinth Ind.

    Malta-san, who raised the corners of his mouth as he said that, had a gleam in his eyes that a merchant usually doesnt show so often.Advertisement

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253

    <em>*rings a bell while standing in rags* </em> ALMS FOR KAY, ALMS FOR KAY  SIR/MAAM, ALMS FOR /BurningFeathers

    I met Malta-san again in the seaside city Amar, and I was able to hear various stories while having some tea. Its mostly about where to get the magic stones that I need the most right now, but its also interesting to hear about how ordinary people and merchants who dont have a connection to the higher-ups like Chancellor Bergman in the Royal Capital move about.

    To be honest, I was surprised that the fame of Shaft had skyrocketed, and I was a little surprised at the hero-loving people of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, but

    The night after I talked with Malta-san, I talked to Chancellor Bergman about how to handle Shaft via the mobile phone. The achievements of the ck Hero Shaft that saved the Royal family and the current King were already widely known, and at the same timethere seems to be a deep-rooted voice that the achievements of Daikokuya Schwartz, the new merchant who created the opportunity for many Nobles and merchants to escape from Flyhigh, should also be praised.

    Chancellor Bergman tried to focus this achievement on the ck Hero Shaft, but he couldnt get everyone who saw me in Flyhigh to shut their mouths, and the name of the mysterious merchant Schwartz was secretly spreading.

    As for me, no matter how much Shafts reputation grows, as long as my freedom as Schwartz is secured, I dont care. That freedom is already diminishing now, but Im not willing to be surrounded by strangers of the Kingdom.

    Chancellor Bergman also agreed with my idea. However, the rumors and reputation that had spread could not be stopped. On the contrary, tail fins are added, and even Schwartz, who should be a mere merchant, could be a Hero who saved the country.

    If the situation progresses further, people will see that the mysterious merchant who attended the party alongside the next head of the Zephanel family is more approachable than Shaft, who has already been taken over by the Royal family.

    In other words, the next time Schwartz, who is currently hiding his figure, stands on the stage, it is impossible to imagine the number of insects that will flock to him.

    Chancellor Bergman agreed with this, but what should we do? Thats what were discussing now

    n Spark?

    Thats right, Ashley. As a result of talking with Chancellor Bergman overnight, it was decided that the fictitious n that I invented as a disguise for my link with Shaft would be a real n.

    But, how does the existence of Spark connect with Schwartzs free movement?

    It was also noticeable in the movement of the Rafflesia this time, but behind the execution unit there is apany that provides logistical support. Behind Spark, there is Daikokuyas Schwartz.

    Ah, certainly

    Yes, and the two Chancellors of the Kurtmerga Kingdom will collectively be in charge of itin other words, just like the intelligence n Lily of the Valley, Spark will be formally announced as the execution unit under the direct control of the Chancellors.

    Then, it should be alright. There arent many people who want to butter up Chancellor Bergman and predecessor Zephanel directly. They both hate that kind of thing the most, so even if anyone tries to butter up with them, they will simply ignore it.

    Walking side by side with Ashley through the corridors of the Royal Pce, which was being rebuilt, we headed for the audience room, which was one of the purposes of our visit. That said, the main throne room was destroyed during the rebellion and has not been restored to this day. Were heading towards a private room for an audience that has been prepared in a hurry.

    The audience room is just around the corner from here. Im going back to the mansion. Im worried about Sharle since shes staying alone.

    Today, its not only me and Ashley who came to the Royal Pce. Prince Khan, who was recuperating in the seaside city Amar, Prince Ark, who evacuated to the same city just in case; Chancellor Zephanel, Sharle-san, as well as princess Anastasia and Lapitirica-sama who were apanying the Princes, all of them had returned to the capital.

    The residence of Chancellor Zephanel, which resembled a Japanese samurai residence on the outskirts of the Royal castle, was notpletely destroyed by the fire of the rebellion, but the interior was ravaged by the Rafflesia. I dont know what Rafflesia was looking for there, but Chancellor Zephanel said she didnt have what they wanted.

    However, she was more angered by the fact that the rebels ransacked the house that the founding King built. And the anger was yet to subside. She made me promise to take her to the shooting range after the meeting today.. Normally I wouldve expected it was for the free shoppingbut because everything is free over there, Chancellor Zephanel is actually nning to let loose with Great Magic to vent.

    While I was attending the meeting, Ashley and Sharle were joined by Roy and the other from Lily of the Valley to wait for us to return while cleaning up the mansion.

    Separated from Ashley and proceeded alone on the red carpet. The red carpet that I stepped on was brand new, but I could feel through the soles of my feet that there was still some damage under it.

    On each side of the aisle, new Royal Guards stood at regr intervals, watching me silently. They are young Knights selected from reliable Knights throughout the Kingdom. The Knight Commander was also reced, and hes now in charge of the Royal Castles security under a new system.

    Im Schwartz from the n Spark. I was summoned by Chancellor Bergman

    I presented the newly prepared guild card to the royal guard standing in front of the audience room.

    Everyone has been waiting. Please proceed inside.

    One of the Royal Guards confirmed the guild card, and after a simple physical check, I was let inside.

    Looks like weve got this all set.

    In the audience room, five people were waiting: Chancellor Bergman, Chancellor Zephanel, the current King, Crown Prince Khan, and Prince Ark.

    I seem to be a bitte

    Dont mind it, kid.

    Its just as Yuki says. I owe you a favor for saving the Kingdom from a crisis, but in terms of position, you are the same as us, someone who owns a territory that he himself rulesone of the Kings.

    In front of the room, the current King sat on a temporary throne, which was thought to be equivalent to the upper seat, and the two Chancellors and the two Princes sat on the sofas on either side.

    Your Majesty, it is too much to say that I am a King.

    Kukuku, from the perspective of those who know your true identity, no one here would think that its too much.

    The current King looked around to the people on both sides, but none of them showed an expression of disagreement to the current Kings words. Including Prince Ark, who shouldnt be in a position to know exactly what I ama Trespasser.

    Perhaps he heard it from Chancellor Bergman, or from the current King himself? Also, did the King say, those who own territory that they themselves ruleI guess hes pertaining to the master of thebyrinth?

    However, rephrasing it as a King doesnt seem to be certifying me as a magical beast. It may be that he is telling me to go out with him on an equal footing.

    Besides, you dont have to respect me. You are on an equal footing with Aashika Gotoh Kurtmerga, the king of this Kurtmerga kingdom. Please, have a seat now, Trespasser Schwartz no, King Schwartz!

    The current King stood up from the throne, spreading his hands and urged me to take a seat facing himbut that name he uttered to refer to me was more embarrassing than anything Ive ever been calledAdvertisement

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254

    I was in a meeting with the current King in the Royal Castles audience room, or rather a debriefing? Chancellor Bergman acted as the facilitator. The main topics were about the intent of the Viceburn Empire and the whereabouts of both Kilik and Felix, who remain unknown up until now.

    From intelligence agents who are collecting information in the Kingdom of Drak, we have received reports that the Dragon Knight unit stationed in a town near the border has returned to the center.

    Are they nning to go south, in line with Viceburn?

    I will give instructions to the Second Knight Order in the Dragrange Margrave territory to continue to be vignt.

    How about the case of the Viceburn Imperial family who entered the Kingdom?

    The guild master, Duke Verdaline, is directly in charge of investigating the background, but nothing has been found so far. We need to investigate the current situation and the blood rtionship of the Imperial familyTherefore, I have one request for Schwartz.

    The current King and the two Chancellors proceeded with the discussion, but the conversation was suddenly directed to me.

    Dont tell me you want me to go to the Empire?

    Dont worry, I just want you to arrange one of your mobile phones. In order to safelymunicate with Remi, who has infiltrated the Empire, it is desirable to use a method beyond their imagination.

    I seeits true that if you use a mobile phone, you can report every piece of information you get from infiltration work. Besides, it would be easier to ensure the safety of Remi-san if it was a means of information transmission that the Viceburn Empire is unaware of.

    If thats the case, Ill be happy to prepare one. Theres a limit to how long it can be used, so you should probably bring more than one just in case.

    Thank you. So, about the whereabouts of Prince Kilik and Felix Mendoza in question, as well as the missing Princess Cyril

    In addition to Kilik and Felix, who transferred away from the underground temple of the Royal Castle, Princess Cyril, the fourth Princess, was also missing after beingst seen in Flyhigh.

    Most of the Lily of the Valley, the intelligence n under the direct control of the Chancellors, died in battle in the Royal Castle. For that reason, the personnel who had originally been conducting intelligence activities in various parts of the Kingdom were pulled back to the Royal Capital to conduct search activities that could not be made public.

    Remi-san was one of these surviving members. During the night of the rebellion, she was on duty in Nobles territory in the far northeast part of the Kingdom. And this Noble territory was one of the bases of Rafflesia, as well as the birthce of Kiliks deceased biological motherthe second wife of the current King.

    The second wife died when giving birth to Kilik, and he grew up without knowing the love of his mother. Surrounded by arge number of servants, from an early age it was natural for Kilik to give orders to peopleto women, but he ended up never growing up properly. The current King showed remorse for that, but I think that the King should be the King of the nation before being the parent of a child.

    No matter how Kilik grew up, no matter how much the n called Rafflesia encouraged his character further down the depth, he himself should be held responsible for his actions.

    Kilik and Felix fled north from the forest to the southeast of the capital and escaped into this Noble territory, and it was thought that Princess Cyril, who had disappeared, was also in this Noble territory. However, after the rebellion was suppressed, the Central Knights conducted a search, but all they found was the self-destructed figure of an old nobleman who was also Kiliks grandfather and the lord of the Noble territory.

    A search of the lords mansion revealed that a number of cargoes had passed through the territory via the north. There is no doubt that this ce was deeply connected to Viceburn.

    Perhaps the crystal pedestal that produced the Demon Steel Soldiers was smuggled through there?

    Perhaps, indeed. I really wanted to collect it and have everyone in the alchemy guild research it, but I cant find a single fragment of a magic tool that seems to be in the ruins of the warehouse you blew up.

    The crystal pedestal that produced the Demon Steel Soldier seems to be a game system tool or an in-game object embodied by Pedigree Skill. If thats the casejust like VMBs firearms and vehicles, it would have disappeared with a particle of light or simr phenomenon at the moment it was destroyed.

    It must have been the product of a Pedigree Skill. Since the caster, the Imperial family member, died, it should also disappear without a trace.

    Fumu then King Schwarzwill that cell phone of yours disappear when you die?

    Everyone sitting in the audience room was at loss for words at the casual remark of the current King.

    Well yes. There is a possibility. But, I cant try it

    It would be a problem if Schwartz died. I have not eaten all the ice cream from the home center yet.

    Chancellor, we have different things to worry about.

    For a moment, the atmosphere of the ce froze, but then it changed due to Chancellor Zephanels carefree words and Crown Prince Khans gentle reprimand.

    Good grief well get back to that. Daikan of the Yamigasapany and Rafflesia members that have been captured to find out their motive but apparently their answer would differ depending on their position in the ranks.

    Pecking order? Come to think of it, there was a guy who said something like that a long time agoif Im not mistaken, it was the Yagochepany

    On the lower ranks, they only know that the purpose was to seize the real power of the Kurtmerga Kingdom and make it the foundation for iming hegemony over the Ondo continentbut when ites to the higher ranks, the story doesnt mesh.

    Daikan and the adventurers guarding the Prince of Viceburn dismissed the rule of the country as a small thing, but looking back on the movement of the Rafflesia so far, their main goal is

    Saying that, the King turned his gaze to Chancellor Zephanel. In turn, her silver hair swayed as the corners of her mouth were raised.

    Without a doubt, he is after me.

    But, why?

    The

    .

    The current King answered my question. Leaning his back on the throne, he looked up at thetticed ceiling as if looking up at the heavens.

    A Great Magic granted only to the King of the Kurtmerga Kingdom, its effect is so great that it can change the fate of the nation After all, when an unforeseen deathes to the person who received it, it defies the irresistible principle of life and calls the soul back from the world of death.

    A magic that could revive the dead?

    Thats right. By having the magic cast on you in advance, youll be able to avoid death just once. Furthermore, this Great Magic can be given to anyone any number of times. If there is one drawback, it is that it can only be granted to one person at a time.

    I have never heard of such Great Magic before. Can it not cure Brother Khans illness?

    Unfortunately, it cant, Ark. Its not a magic that heals in a normal way, nor can it cure ailments. This Great Magic is used mainly to avoid death in battle That gentleman, who once ran through the continent with me, has returned from the world of death many times because of this Great Magic>=. Without that kind of insurance, it would have been impossible to achieve enoughbat results to destroy everybyrinth.

    Chancellor Zephanel spoke quietly with downcast eyes, as if recalling something nostalgic. It must be about the Founding Kings days.

    The Founding King, who fell into this world, vowed to build a nation in order to help the weak people who flooded the Ondo continent. He demonstrated his power to the maximum and subdue numerousbyrinths. It was a fund-raising for the founding of the country, and an unavoidable challenge in order to obtain a safe and peacefulnd.

    However, the Founding King is not an invincible superhuman. Deep underground in thebyrinth where he descended with hispanions, he would meet his demise an uncountable amount of times. Either by the monstersby the gatekeeperby the master of thebyrinth.

    However, Chancellor Zephanel was always by his side. Having obtained the insurance of resurrection from the dead, he used his own life as a shield to save his friends, and destroyed numerousbyrinths.

    Its like a game.

    However, in the end, that act led to the Founding Kingsplete death. The Founding King, who cane back to life even if he dies, must have done a lot of unreasonable things. At some point, the damage that could not be healed umted in the body, and it stayed for good.

    The Founding King was unable to live longer, and left the world shortly after the founding of the country.

    Then, why did Kilik want to obtain such Great Magic?

    That shouldnt be the only thing Promised Blessing can only be granted to one person, and it shouldnt be able to be used yet for people in this world. It is necessary to acquire our blood and spread it as Pedigree Skill. Its a long road that will take years decades even.

    Then, what else?

    Chancellor Zephanel looked at her thin, porcin-white palm. Slowly rotated her hand, looked down at the back of it, and rotated it again.

    .Immortality.

    With those words, the atmosphere in the ce once again froze. Everyone who was quietly listening to Chancellor Zephanel instantly realized everything.

    Rafflesias goalwas to be immortal.Advertisement

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255

    At the debriefing session held in the audience room, the goal of Rafflesia was surmisedwhich is Chancellor Zephanels great magic and her secret of immortality that allows her to not age at all despite having lived beyond the average lifespan of elves.

    I previously thought that it was just Kiliks nonsense, so I didnt think that he was really aiming for immortality. Why would, even having the lifespan of the elves, he still seek after greater immortality?

    most likely something that only those with a long lifespan like the elves could do. Their goal, very little that we know of, must be something that cannot be achieved overnight. Only with a very long lifespan can the leader continue to hold the reins and see the goal to a fruition.

    The nonsense that the current King muttered about was probably the conversation between him and Kilik that I overheard back in the underground temple. Kilik despised women as an inferior species and dered that they are unnecessary in the new world of supremacy. However, Chancellor Zephanel seemingly holds the key to his goal.

    As Prince Khan said, both Kilik and Felix have elf blood and therefore they have their race long lifespan. Elves are a race that can live for 2,300 years without worrying about dying of old age. Because of his long life, he can wait for the time to reduce Chancellor Zephanels Promised Blessing to amon skill. And if he were to be ageless on top of that, it might even be possible to wait for eternityhowever

    But, Im pretty sure that Chancellor Zephanels agelessness has nothing to do with skill

    My conjecture was met with Chancellor Zephanels nod. I continued after confirming that everyones eyes were on me.

    This power of agelessness is neither a Pedigree Skill nor great magic. If I have to make a guess, its actually a curse.

    Curse?

    Indeed it is, Ark. This one couldnt even die alongside that person even if we wish to, and we will continue to live to see hundreds, thousands, ten thousand lives die, devoting themselves for this country

    The Kingdom of Kurtmerga has been established for over 500 years. It was before that that Chancellor Zephanel devoted herself to subjugating thebyrinth with the Founding King. I dont know how long it took to establish the country, but it shouldnt have been easy.

    Kilik foolishly made this mistake. It might be possible to eventually reduce the Promised Blessing into a normal skillbut not with this agelessness.

    Yuki, you said that the power of agelessness is a curse Then, who put that curse on you?

    The current Kings question is at the heart of this story. Whether it was to prevent the Rafflesia from achieving their goal or to protect Chancellor Zephanel, it was impossible to take measures unless it was clear.

    But, that power

    Chancellor Zephanels jade eyes were looking at me as if they were piercing through me.

    A God.

    Right. When I first met Chancellor Zephanel, she gave me some sort of a warning. Ivee into contact with two beings, one each after conquering thebyrinth. Now, I know that one of them is the God of this world called the God of Creation, and the other is a mad Goddess who was isted by the God of Creation. But, I had no idea which one of them gave Chancellor Zephanel her agelessness.

    God?! Where on earth did you meet such a being!

    In the deepest part of thebyrinth, the throne room. That was where I made a wish I wanted to be able to heal not only the wounds on that persons bodybut also the wounds of his heart. Even though I, who had no will, no ego, and was only a mere doll, I wished to be hisrade, to be hisrade, and to be his family.

    Ah, as expected

    The current King and chancellor Bergman couldnt seem to make sense of Chancellor Zephanels monologue, given that they only knew about this world. However, I immediately understood the meaning of her monologue. Even though I know in the truest sense that the founding king is also a Magicless just like I who came here when I was ying VMB, I know that he also came here while he was ying some kind of a game.

    Chancellor Zephanel once mentioned about ES   ~The story with you that will be spun for eternity~, which I recall existed during the early days of VR games. In that game, yers should have been able to create a partner NPC that will act as a guide andpanion while traveling through the game world.

    NPCsIn other words, AI-controlled characters. But this type of character creation has a high degree of freedom, and can be created in a wide variety of forms ording to the yers tastes, such as appearance, age, race, special skills, and personality.

    The little elfwas a character temte that remained popr since.

    When I saw Chancellor Zephanel having a good time in the bathroom of the ContinentalI felt that <em>Its somewhat artificial</em>, and that intuition was not wrong.

    Yuki Zephanel, who never ages and always pine for the Founding King no matter how much time had passed, was the Founding Kings former partner NPC. She, too, was an existence that surpassed the world and defied reasona trespasser so to speak.

    The debriefing session in the audience room ended with Chancellor Zephanels monologue. The current King and Chancellor Bergman had ns to dine with the Knight Order executives and magic nobles, which couldnt be dyed any longer. But, the most important thing was that in thetter half of the discussion, the existence beyond human knowledge such as God came out.

    At the end of the debriefing session, Chancellor Zephanel answered Prince Arks casual question and kept his mouth shut.

    Will the Gods grant the wishes of those who conquered thebyrinth?

    It is up to their whimthat is all there is to it.

    Theyve most likely tried

    The Founding King conquered a lot ofbyrinths in his lifetime. After chancellor Zephanel gained sentience and life of her own, he mustve gone to the deepest part of thebyrinth many times to confront those beings. Because he wished for something. Return to his original world? Enormous wealth? Or maybe absolute power?

    But, his wish was never fulfilled.

    An encounter with God, and a miracle of wish fulfillmentPrince Ark asked Chancellor Zephanel for affirmation with his eyes shining, but the Chancellor denied it so as to gently persuade him.

    Schwartz.

    After the debriefing session, we went shopping at the shooting range. But before that, in order to join Ashley and the others, Chancellor Zephanel and I headed through the courtyard of the Royal Pce to the Chancellors residence.

    Prince Khan and Prince Ark were heading to the garden to call Queen Anastasia and Queen ire, who are supposed to be having a tea party with Lapitilika-sama.

    Chancellor Zephanel walked in front of me and called my name without looking back.

    What is it?

    You didnt seem to be surprised after hearing about me.

    Really? .Well, I had a hunch.

    It mustve been aughable story, yes? A foolish puppet that wished to be human for the sake of a certain man, only to gain it from the same hand that tormented the same man.

    Not at allto love and pine for someone, is a proof of your existence as a human being.

    is that so?

    it is so.

    The Chancellor continued her pace without looking back. Perhaps reminiscing about her past, which is pretty much the entire history of the Kurtmerga Kingdom. I thought so as I followed her, noticing that her shoulders were slightly trembling.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256

    After the debriefing session held in the Royal Pces audience room was concluded, I, along with Chancellor Zephanel headed to the japanese samurai style residence on the outskirts of the pce. We joined Ashley and the others, who were cleaning up the ruined rooms. We then headed to the first rebuilt protective facility in the Royal Castle that was still under reconstruction.

    The protective facility is about the size of a small warehouse, but it has been rebuilt with a strength that prevents it from copsing easily even if attacked from the outside. A guard knight stands at the entrance to the facility, and soldiers stand guards around it.

    And now there is only one thing in itthe copy magic circle that is the exit of a certain transfer magic circle.

    This protective facility, which can be said to be a lump of concrete, protects the exit of the transfer magic circle that I own. Its mainly a ce to connect with the seaside city of Amar, and its also a ce to set up a transfer magic circle for emergency evacuation after being contacted by mobile phone if the capital is attacked again while were in Amar.

    Ron-chan and the others are still not here.

    Why is the old mans meeting going on so long?

    It was a meeting with the Knight Order executives and the magic nobles, right? Isnt it time consuming?

    Thats right, Sharle. The chaos around the capital has subsided, but we still need to be careful about the movements of neighboring countries, particrly the Drak Kingdom.

    LVTP-5 is already waiting inside the protective facility, and the front hatch is open so that people can be teleported at any time. The destination is at therge parking lot of arge shopping center set up at the shooting range.

    Chancellor Zephanel sat in the crew seat of the LVTP-5, restlessly iling her legs while waiting. Looking at that figure, it seems that the depressed emotions that she showed after the debriefing session have disappeared.

    No, shes just trying to not let Ashley and Sharle-san see it

    She despised herself as a doll and expressed disgust at her agelessness, calling it a curse. But, she never said a word about herself being a former NPC of a game.Perhaps its a fact that even the current King and Chancellor Bergman arent aware of.

    After thinking about it for a moment, it seemed natural. Even if I say that I am neither a human nor an elf, but an NPC in the game world, there is no way the people of this world will understand me. Furthermore, who would believe that she was given sentience by the God of Creation, or the Goddess of Madness, and obtained a life as a human?

    It would probably be more believable to say that she was an Apostle of God. The reason why Chancellor Zephanel exposed her heart so much was probably because it was in front of me, who fell into this world under simr circumstances as the Founding King.

    I want them toe quicker! Schwartz going on an expedition means that I wont be able to drink Beer while hes away, so Im going to bring a lot of it home today!

    Yeah, thats right! Were going to collect a lot of chocte as well as ice cream.

    Looking sideways at Sharle-san boarding the LVTP-5, Ashley, who was standing in front of me involuntarily let out a wry smile.

    How long are you going to stay in Filtonia?

    I dont think Ill be able to return for at least two months. A normal merchant ship would take two weeks to get to the entrance of the Filtonia Inds Alliance. My ship would probably be faster, but it doesnt mean Ill be able to get there in a day or two.

    I have already told Ashley and Chancellor Zephanel that Ill be going to thebyrinth ind abandoned by the Filtonia Inds Alliance. Although they were opposed to the idea at firstsince arge amount of magic stones will be needed for my future activities, the fact that it became noticeably harder to obtain not only non-elemental magic stone, but other kind of elemental magic stone in Kurtmerga Kingdom could not be ignored anymore.

    In the first ceWhy do I want non-elemental magic stones again?

    I didnt exin the exact reason, but just like how using magic tools requires magic power and magic stones, I exined that it I need non-elemental magic stone in order to use my pedigree skills because I am Magicless. I got them to understand the importance of collecting the stones directly on thebyrinth ind.

    Also, the people who have the pedigree skills like those at the Viceburn Empire will need to pile up non-elemental magic stones just like me, so with the intention of interfering with that, the whole kingdom will gather magic stones from all over the Ondo continent. From now on, Kurtmerga Kingdom and Viceburn Empire will secretly fight over the distributionwork of magic stones.

    In order to avoid that conflict, it is necessary for me to collect magic stones directly in thebyrinth.

    However, doing so within the Kurtmerga Kingdom would entail even greater danger than exploring thebyrinth. If I act alone in thebyrinth exploration, the adventurers under the umbre of the Rafflesia hiding all over the Kingdom will aim for my life.

    In order to avoid trouble and obtain more magic stones, I decided to leave the Kingdom and go hunting the magic beasts and demi-humans that overflowed on thebyrinth ind.

    But Will you be alright on your own?

    Its safer if Im alone. Andif the situation gets out of hand, or if I need reinforcements, Ille back to Amar via the transport circle as soon as possible.

    Yes, without that safety measure, Chancellor Zephanel and Chancellor Bergman wouldnt have agreed to the expedition. Because of the consent of the two, Ashley was convinced, and the current King willingly agreed to let me leave the duties of escorting Prince Khan and Prince Ark.

    However

    Haaso depressing. While Schwartz is gone, the person in charge of security in Amar will be that pig lemon

    I heard Sharle-sans murmuring from inside LVTP-5, as if she could hear our conversation.

    Who is this pig lemon?

    I didnt remember ever meeting anyone named pig lemon, so I had to ask Ashley.

    Leichen Drumo, the eldest son of Viscount Drumo and themander of the Amar escort fleet. Theyve remained quiet up until now, because the Spark n that is serving as the escort for Prince Khan and Prince Ark is under the direct control of both Chancellor Zephanel and Bergman. Now that they know youll be gone, theyre getting a bit too excited.

    Ahthe noble who desperately tried to capture Jonah and the U-boat

    Its alright, Sharle-san. Roy and Rachel from Lily of the Valley will remain in the mansion. And if anything happens, please contact me through the mobile phone.

    I entered the LVTP-5 with Ashley, sat down on the legless chair in the passengerpartment, and continued the conversation.

    Mobile phone huh~ well, my ears are sore. It feels strange to hear voicesing very close to my ear.

    Youll get used to it if you keep using it. Ahbut please refrain from using it while Im not here. If you use it too much, you wont be able to refill the fuel gauge.

    Ah, hello, Ron-chan? It is us. How long are you going to drag the meeting? Come quickly!

    I had no choice but to restore the fuel gauge that had just decreased due to that call. Even though it has dozens of hours of call capacity, if you keep using it for small talk repeatedly, it will be gone in no time. Both Chancellor Zephanel and Chancellor Bergman were amused by the emergence of this new and convenient tool, and often used it for small nonsense talk.

    But if used like that, the fuel gauge will deplete faster.I unconsciously directed my gaze at Chancellor Zephanel, which was mimicked by both Ashley and Sharle-san.

    Ron-chans meeting is already over. Its about timeis there anything wrong?

    After finishing the call with Chancellor Bergmann, Chancellor Zephanel stopped moving when she noticed the stares from the three of us.

    Predecessor, please refrain from using mobile phone while Schwartz is away on thebyrinth ind. If it runs out of power at some important juncture, wouldnt that be a big problem?]

    UhI understand.

    Chancellor Zephanel nodded, slightly embarrassed. At about the same time Chancellor Bergman, Crown Prince Khan, Lady Anastasia, as well as Prince Ark and Lapitirica-sama entered the protective facility.Advertisement

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257

    Lets go, Sharle-chan! Next, let us conquer that area!

    Yeah!

    Chancellor Zephanel and Sharle-san slipped past in front of me, using shopping carts akin to a scooter. The carts were each loaded with boxes of beer and carbonated drinks, apparently also used as counterbnces to prevent them from tipping over.

    Wait a minute. Its unfair since only the two of you have the cart. Wait, what the hell is this music repeating like youre making fun of this person!

    The two people riding the cart gained momentum by kicking the floor and zoomed through the aisles of the shopping center. Chasing after them, Rachel of Lily of the Valley ran through with a shopping bag full of delicacies in hand.

    Why dont you use the magic bag or something?

    When I saw Rachel running through, I muttered a frank question.

    Because it wont work here.

    Eh?

    Prince Ark, who had been chasing after the three of them as they ran through, answered my murmur with a curious word. Looking back at those words, Chancellor Bergman was also behind Prince Ark.

    Its not just the magic bag. Magic is very ineffective in your realm. Even when His Majesty joined us, he had a hard time healing his wounds.

    Come to think of it, Ive been to thisrge shopping center several times, and when I bring out food and goods, I collect them in my inventory. Chancellor Zephanel and others are not taking out arbitrarily, even though they have arge amount of supplies. They had to ask for confirmation and permission from me before they could take anything out, so naturally I was the one carrying the luggage.

    When I asked Prince Ark and Chancellor Bergman about the details, they said that the magic tools did not work at all at the shooting range, and the magic was less than 10% effective. At first, the chancellors didnt even notice that fact, but they seemed to try various things every time they visited this space.

    There is magic in the space of this shooting range created by the VMB system.but its fundamentallycking. I still dont know what it means, but this is essentially the third world, neither the previous world nor the world Im living in now.

    Maybe theres some kind of special logic in this ce.

    Rather than that, Schwartz, Ill be moving quickly. Theres a lot of things I want you to exin

    Ah, so here you are. I left Roy to apany Nasha and the others.

    The one who camete after saying that was Crown Prince Khan. It seems that after going to the shopping centers fashion booth with Anastasia-sama and the other womenAshley, Lapitirica-sama, and Roy, who is carrying luggage, he decided to join us.

    Brother Khan, is it really alright for you to move alone?!

    Prince Ark rushed over to Prince Khan and assisted him in supporting the arm opposite to the one that thrust the cane. Although Crown Prince Khan had recovered from his rest in Amar, it was still difficult for him to walk around alone. He was once suggested to use a wheelchair while he was recuperating, but he refused, saying that as the heir to the Kingdom, he must stand on his own feet.

    If you look at the clothes and essories rted to Schwartzs world, theres no way those girls will stop. They might not know how to use it, but theyre interested in things like Beauty Lotion and Milk Lotion.

    Chancellor Bergman breathed a sigh of exasperation and walked over to Crown Prince Khan.

    Today is thest shopping day before I leave forbyrinth ind. Chancellor Zephanel and Sharle-san are hunting for a lot of food and beverages, while Ashley and others are hunting for clothing and cosmetics. And we, the men, are nning to hunt around for various essories and tools so that I could exin how to use them.

    We brought back tools that could be reproduced in this world as samples, and conveyed the techniques to the heads of the capitals workshops and various production guilds in the form of transmission, including the clothing rted items that Ashley and the others went to see.

    Its a little troublesome procedure, but I dont intend to spread the existence of this shooting range any further. Ashley also agrees with my opinion, hiding my existence, the shooting range, and technology it provides, under the guise of hidden knowledge obtained from the Zephanel family, while providing techniques and tools that can be reproduced in this world.

    But, of course its not for free.

    As the price for providing technology, Schwarz and Shafts position within the Kingdom of Kurtmelga will be guaranteedthis is achieved by announcing Spark as an execution unit under the direct control of the Chancellor. Then, there is also a fee for providing information. I will have a part of the non-elemental magic stones that the Kingdom manages to secure.

    In thest shopping trip before the expedition, I secured arge amount of tools that I would also need. Things like cooking utensils and portable stoves. Up until now, its difficult to start a fire outside without using the Continental kitchen. But with these tools, I would be able to have a hot meal while camping.

    I also secured tools such as portable LEDnterns and folding camping chairs that could cover fields that were slow to develop due to magic, a skill unique to this world. Then, I decided to collect ingredients, processed foods, and perishable foods that are almost impossible to obtain in this world, to prepare for a long-term expedition.

    So, Schwartz, what is this tool with continuous rings used for?

    Its a whisk. Its a cooking utensil that you use to stir eggs and add flour and ingredients.

    Sharle-chan, next is the candy store!

    Hmm I see, these rings help mix the ingredients.

    Chocte! Bag it!

    Schwartz, what is this ingredient? It smells good, but it doesnt seem to be Chocte.

    Ah, Prince Ark, its curry roux. I dont know how to make it, but I would heat flour with butter, mix it with the whisk I mentioned earlier, add several spices, then bake it until the moisture is gone put it in a pot with vegetables and meat and use it to season the soup.

    Wait for me. Are we really going to take all that back home

    Hey, is that delicious?

    Yes. Its basically a spicy dish, but the taste can be addictive. There are already simr dishes in the Kingdom, but this one is easy to use and store. Adventurers and travelers might appreciate it when they need to camp

    This dress is cute. And the sewing in this uniform is it made using special tools?

    Schwartz, is this shopping center run by a singlepany?

    Not exactly, Crown Prince Khan. Some are indeed managed by one body, but in most cases, each sales floor is operated by a differentpany. The owner makes a profit by leasing the floor to thesepanies.

    Lapiri, take a check on how amazing this cloth feels like. Schwartz said its called silk, but I dont think there is simr animal fiber with such luster and texture in this world.

    Bergman, do you think Kurtmerga can build a simr facility?

    Land is a problem if we want to build it in the Royal Capital, but if we use the vacant trading house in themerce city of Melka in the southeasthowever, I think it will be difficult if we dont manage itprehensively in the Kingdom.

    Ashley, Im pretty sure you use face lotion, beauty lotion and milk lotion in that order, right?

    There are many merchants and craftsmen who are smoldering in ts without having a trading post. Why not give them a chance?

    Isnt that a good idea? Melkas economy has been stagnant for a long time, but the copse of Yamigasa Company has created a big business opportunity. If we proceed with this generalmercial facility n, a new surge will be born.

    Prince Ark and Chancellor Bergman seem to be interested in the many products lined up in the shopping center, but Prince Khan seems to be interested in thismercial facility itselfthe concept itself. With a cane in his right hand supporting his body and a body eroded by overflowing magical power, Crown Prince Khan was unable to walk around alone, but he may be the one who thinks about the future of the Kingdom more than anyone else. .

    Its about time

    Thats right. It seems that Ashley and Chancellor Zephanel have also headed for the parking lot.

    Todays shopping was divided into three groups, but I could grasp the situation through listening to everyones voices collected by the sound collection sensor.

    After this, only Chancellor Bergman will be transferred to the Royal Capital, and the rest will be transferred to the seaside city of Amar. With that, my duty of guarding the dignitaries will end, but I cant leave anyone behind at this shooting range. While making a final check on the map floating in my field of view to see if there are any people left on the floor, I turn my feet to the parking lot while listening to the in-store music that I heard somewhere.

    Hmm?

    On the floor where there should be no one left, I heard someone speak outor so it seemed. I turned around and looked around the floor, which should have been empty, but there was no one there. Just in case, I searched the map and counted the number of dots lit up in the parking lot, but.

    Theyre all there.

    I heard it againit wasnt just my imagination or a misunderstanding. Someonesomething is there.

    Until recently, the floor of therge shopping center was bustling with the voices of Chancellor Zephanel and others scavenging for goods, but now the repetitive and cheerful music could be heard eerily on the contrary, and the chilly air of the air conditioning caressing my cheeks made my body warm. I feel the illusion that my body temperature is rapidly dropping

    Everything looked different from just a few moments ago, from the lights that colored the floor to the gond where products were disyed so much that it was impossible to see into the back.

    I shouldnt stay for too long here.

    I forced myself to suppress my anxiety and rushed to Ashley and the others who were waiting in the parking lot without looking back.

    Youve finally arrived, so hurry up and set up the transfer magic circle! The ice cream will melt!

    In the parking lot, Chancellor Zephanel was waiting for me in a standing position.

    I, uh, Im sorry. Ill prepare it right away.

    Activating the TSS with my thoughts, I took out a gift BOX from the inventory, then fished out the transfer circle I had stored within when I pointed my hand toward the parking lot, light particles began to gather, and the teleportation magic circle started to appear. Two of them.

    Chancellor Bergman is on the left, and the one connected to Amar is on the right.

    Alright, lets go home! Sharle-chan, lets go, were having a dinner party tonight!

    Ohhh! I will ask Lester once we arrive home!

    Chancellor Bergman briefly greeted Crown Prince Khan and Prince Ark, before transferring back to the Royal Castle. Chancellor Zephanel also transferred one after another, and Ashley was the only one left at the end.

    Ashley tooyou better transfer quickly

    A little awkwardthats what I said, but Ashley stared at me and didnt seem to move.

    Schwartz Did something happen?

    N, nothing

    The anxiety actually didnt go away even after leaving the shopping center in fact, the momentum that wells up is increasing. I wonder if it was on my expression, Ashley immediately noticed a slight change in me

    That noise again.

    Its okay, its just that the preparations for thebyrinth ind took a little time.

    Thats right I cant see it, but

    I grabbed Ashleys worried shouldersturned her around and pushed her out into the magic circle.

    Go ahead, clean up the magic circles and Ill be there soon.

    Ashley seemed to have given up on asking, saying<em> [I understand.]</em> as she entered the transfer circle.

    When I was left alone in the parking lot of therge shopping center, the intervals between the strange noises I heard earlier began to shorten rapidly.

    Ping

    And an electronic sound echoed in my brain. It was the sound of a personal chat message from VMB that I heard for the first time in a long time.

    Right now, there is only one person who can send chat messages to me

    Iprehensible hieroglyphs disyed in the text chat window disyed in the field of vision. Then, it was tranted by the automatic trantion function so more familiar characters emerged, and at the same time.

    The sky over the shooting range, which was supposed to be sunny, quickly clouded over, and shadows began to cast over me.

    Found you

    The log in the chat window floating in my field of vision was filled with those words.Advertisement

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    Found you

    The log in the chat window floating in my field of vision was filled with those words.

    Arge shadow was cast over the sunny parking lot in front of therge shopping center, and I sensed something big in the background. But, there were no bright spots on the map. Its a story that can be done in retrospect, but it shouldnt be the case nowfor some reason it felt like that.

    However, the chat log disyed a dizzying list of hieroglyphs, and the automatically tranted sentences that filled my field of vision Why is this Evil God contacting me at this timing? And what does she mean by [Found you] did she find me?

    The pressure I felt from behind stiffened my body, making it difficult to speak and breathe. And then the list of the same words stopped, and another character string began to flow.

    My cute, sweet, child

    My child who was cut off from parent by that hateful one

    However, I know that my child will find their way back to me

    Take your life and grow strong

    Now, time to open a hole in the narrow world

    Now,e save your mother

    Now, lets restore the bond that was severed

    Now

    Now

    Now

    Together, bring woe to her children

    Together, bring turmoil to her world

    Together, bring chaos to her world

    Now

    Now

    Now

    I held my breath, without making a sound or making any noise no, I was just unable to move at all due to the suffocating pressure, but the Evil Gods appearance gradually changedI could see that she was going insane.

    The sound sensor continues to pick up something that cannot be heardIs this the voice of the mad Goddess herself? I wonder if the reason why I cant hear anything is because magic dwells in every word she speaks.

    The moment she felt that, the entire air of the shooting range shook.

    my child

    Where is my child?

    Let me hear your voice, my child?

    Remember the wave of my power?

    where

    where

    where

    where are you?!

    wheeeeere?!

    where are you?!

    The shadows that covered the sky shook violently, and the air in the entire shooting range shook over and over again. Its likethe realm itself is being hit from outside.

    It was clear from the reaction of the maddened GoddessTo be honest, the pressure and the madness felt from the trembling of the air became even stronger, and I even felt fear. It may be the first time Ive fallen into this world and felt definite fear.

    The mad Goddess kept demanding that I show some movement. VoicemovementVMB powersomething roaring madly to show my presence.Thats probably because she could no longer sense me

    Thinking about it, my trembling fear eased a little. The jet-ck shadows swaying greatly faded little by little, and the vibrations of the violently hitting air gradually weakened. The momentum of the chat log had weakened, and before I knew it, the sky in the parking lot had returned to clear skies.

    Itsgone?

    The pressure disappeared, and the mad Goddess disappeared. Even if I turned around and looked up at the sky, there was no shadow or shape. Even when I looked around the unmanned parking lot, I no longer felt the eerie or cold feeling I felt in the shopping center. HoweverI couldnt linger here for too long, even if the chance of her reappearing is unlikely. I collected the transfer circles, moved from the shooting range to my personal quarter, then transferred back to Amar.

    Schwartz, what happened?! Your face is pale!

    Ashley was waiting for me when I transferred to the basement of the Zephanel mansion where the copy magic circle was ced.

    Im finemaybe.

    Maybe you said Did something happen?

    Ashleys worried face came right up to her eyes and nose. Should I tell her about the chat log? No. me going alone on an expedition to thebyrinth ind is already making her anxious. Adding more worries is But, Ashley already knows my secret. That I wasnt born in this world, but aTrespasserfrom another world. Moreover I dont want more secrets between me and Ashley.

    Lets change ces I have something I want to talk to you about.

    After that, Ashley and I moved from the basement to my private room in the Zephanel mansion to see how much she knew about how I fell into this world. I hadnt really talked to Ashley about that. Weve talked about the previous world, but weve never talked about VR games or FPS.

    No matter how I look at it, its impossible to understand in such a short notice. Besides, there was too little information about the existence of Evil God and Creation God.

    The fortified city of Balga, the Royal Capital of Kurtmerga, and wherever I searched, I could find almost no literature about Gods. Even if there is any et al, all the documents are simr Its the origin of the Evil God that created thebyrinth, and how the Creation God sealed the Evil God somewhere. Information about the names of the Evil God and the Creation God has already been forgotten, and no proper lore remains.

    Ashley didnt know why I fell into this worldwhich was originally to be abyrinth master. However, she had heard a simr story from Chancellor Zephanel. I also dont want to say that I am the former master of thebyrinth because thats an uneptable fact. And it makes me wonder if its really original.

    However, when I thought about the Evil God that appeared at the shooting range, I couldnt help but touch it forever.

    Evil God Something like that in that realm?

    No I think its outside the realm to be exact.

    Ummthis Chatlog you talked about, can I take a look at it?

    Personal chat logs are stored in the VMB system. I floated the TSS window monitor in the air toward Ashley, who sat facing me in the private room, and disyed the chat log on the entire surface.

    Th, these are the messages from the Evil God?

    Just in case, you shouldnt say it out loud. Its what Malta-san told me, but he said that if you speak the name of Evil God or Creation God, it will consume the magic power in your body and it may lead to death.

    Eh.

    Ashley, who was about to read out the hieroglyphs aloud, froze. Her cute little mouth moved slightly, and her voice stopped responding to my words.

    That saidcan Ashley read it?

    I, I cant

    Needless to say, that statement caused a strange silence between me and Ashley.

    I, in any case I will tell the predecessor and Chancellor Bergman to refrain from using the Shopping Center even after Schwartz returns frombyrinth ind.

    I also agree with that. I only have a little information, but its easy to imagine that Evil God is sealed outside my territory, the shooting range. That world is neither my original world nor this world, its another world entirely. Evil Gods must exist in the interstitial worlds that are the boundaries of each.

    In addition, judging from the automatic trantion of the chat log, there are passages in which the Evil God reacted to the conversation at the shooting range, the use of the VMBs power, and the restoration of the supplies obtained from the facility.

    Of course, the collected mobile phones, food, and other suppliesno, not only the area of the shooting range, but the VMB system and power itself were given by the Evil God. Using itor consuming it might have sent a wave of power that is transmitted to the Evil God.

    If I consume supplies or act in that area, the Evil God will follow my movements. Its better to think of it that way, and I dont think I can do anything about it now.

    That wasthe pressure and fear that I felt at that time, and the conclusion that I could directly sense its presence. That mad Goddess is sealed in the interstitial world, There is no need to open a hole in that boundary and challenge her in a reckless battle.

    As originally intended, I will destroy thebyrinth that was created in this worlddestroy itannihte it. That should be one of the ways I can make the mad Goddess regret, and lead to an eternal seal.

    But, its difficult to stop the techniques and tools that have been circted.

    There is no need for Schwartz to solve everything, and regarding the techniques and tools that have begun to spread, I will firmly manage them in the name of the next Head of the Zephanel family, Ashley Zephanel. Thatsour vow after all.

    Very well. Ill leave that to Ashley.

    Thats righton that day at the dinner party in Flyhigh, Ashley and I made a vow to each other. Ill try to use the shooting range as infrequently as possible and keep my distance so that the evil god cant find me. It would be fine if I leave the rest to Ashley.

    Fufu, leave it to me!

    Perhaps satisfied with my reply, Ashley smiled broadlyAdvertisement

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259

    After discussing with Ashley about the future handling of the shooting range, our conversation turned into casual chatting, and we lost track of time just talking.

    <em>knock-knock</em>

    Such a peaceful and enjoyable time ended by a polite knock on the door.

    Excuse me. Ashley-sama, Schwartz-sama, dinner is ready. Also, Lord Drumo is here to greet you.

    The person who came to my room was Lester, the old butler of the Zephanel mansion. It seemed that it was time for dinner.

    Today, at the request of Predecessor-sama and Charlotte-sama, we have prepared a small dinner party.

    Alright. Thank you, Lester.

    Ashley-samas change of clothes is prepared in the room, so please go there first.

    Alright. Ill head out first.

    Although it is called a dinner party, it is actually a dinner party for inviting guests. Since Prince Khan and Prince Ark, as well as Chancellor Zephanel, have been staying in Amal, such sudden dinner parties have been held frequently. Its held on a whim by Chancellor Zephanel for no particr reason, but if you dont create an opportunity to meet the nobles and influential people around the seaside city of Amar, it could be a seed that gives birth to rebels like Rafflesia again.

    Ashley returned to her room with Lester to change clothes, and I operated the avatar system to change clothes in an instant.

    However, there is no need to change into dress code clothes such as a tailcoat. The dinner party at the Zephanel mansion is more casual in nature, so I change the set costume from Schwartz to Shaft, change the tactical Ker mask to a ck panthers Vian mask, and take off the overcoat.

    The outside world only knows Schwartz and Shaft as different people, but as Schwartz, I can walk around in Zephanels mansion fairly freely, as the servants here are more than trustworthy. Even though they knew that I am both Schwartz and Shaft, the sound collection sensor never caught a voice mentioning that.

    When I descended from the second floor where the private room was located to the first floor, there were already several dots floating in the dining room map.

    SchwaShaft, youve finallye down. Where is my sister?

    Going back to her room to change clothes.

    The first person who called out to me when I entered the dining hall was Sharle-san. Instead of the light adventurer clothes that she usually wears, she was wearing slightly fashionable mens formal clothes. Sharle-san doesnt seem to have any intention of wearing feminine clothes. Holding a ss with a yellow bubbly drink in her handthe contents must be the beer that she brought from the shopping center.

    The guests invited to the banquet were not yet seated. With fruit wine and beer served as an aperitif in hand, they gathered around Prince Khan and Chancellor Zephanel, chatting while sitting on the sofa. Malta-san could be seen in that circle. While greeting the Crown Prince and the others, I also wanted to talk with Malta-san about the expedition tobyrinth ind, but

    Hoo, so you must be the ck Hero Shaft.

    Standing in front of me, hisrge barrel-like belly shook as he did, was a man with blond hair and pig-like nosePig Lemon.

    .Please refrain with that ck Hero moniker, Lord Drumo.

    Hmph, youre right Even though its under direct control of the Chancellor, its just too much to give a person from a simplebat unit such a moniker. But that doesnt evenpare to me, the suprememander of the Amar Escort Fleet, Sea God of Leitzen.

    The pig lemon pointed his short and thick finger at me. But, my interest was directed to the person behind him

    What is more important is that Sharle-san, who was listening to our conversation behind Pig Lemon, was trembling with a bright red face as if she was about to vomit beer. I turned my gaze to Sharle-san and silently advised her, who was smiling mischievously, <em>Please dont</em>Ah, its toote.

    Excuse me.

    Dodging and overtaking Pig Lemon, I took out a towel from my inventory while pretending to put my hands inside the German SSs ck clothes, and pressed it onto Sharle-sans face.

    Blehhhhh.

    Sharle, thats no good.

    I caught the vomit with the towel and cleaned the area around her mouth so that her formal clothes didnt get dirty.

    Th, thanks

    Her face was dyed red, either because she was inebriated by the beer she drank, or because she was holding back another wave of vomit.

    Its no good to drink too much before a meal.

    Uu..

    Its not good to drink beer on an empty stomach. Its amon knowledge in my original world, since carbonic acid would make the stomach act up. On top of that, all the alcohol will be absorbed by your body, making you get drunk faster. I made Sharle, who was just beginning to finish, sit on her usual seat at the long table and look at the maids standing in the corner of the dining hall.

    With just that, one of the maids bowed her head lightly and brought a jug of water from the wagon ced in the corner of the dining hall.

    Charlotte-sama, please.

    N, thank youreally, that pig lemon is looking for trouble. Suddenly saying all that!

    He was indeeda little infuriating.

    When I turned my gaze to the self-proimed sea god, lured by Shale-sans gaze, I saw the guy continued to point to the void while trembling his shoulders.

    Lets ignore him.

    At the same time that I made up my mind, Ashley appeared at the entrance of the dining hall. She was wearing a dark blue long dress made by a seamstress from this world, referring to a chiffon dress she brought from arge shopping center.

    Sewing techniques tend to be influenced by the skill level of <Sewing>, but when ites to design, it is possible to incorporate things from my original world as they are. As for the finish, if the research into basic sewing technology progresses, it will be possible to produce high-quality products inrge quantities regardless of skill proficiency.

    Even soAshleys white bare skin covered in a transparent thin fabric looks very sensual.

    With Ashley joining us, the participants for the modest dinner party have gathered.

    The Prince and the guests, who were having a chat as if urged by the maids, sat down at the long table, and I also pulled out the chair next to Sharle-sanAshleys reserved seat.

    Thank you.

    Ashley, sitting on the chair, whispered, and I whispered in her ear in response.

    That dress looks good on you. But, isnt it a bit too attention-grabbing?

    The men sitting at the long table nced at each other, but the women who apanied them stared intently at Ashleys clothes.

    Fufu, thank you.

    Ashley blushed a little. Sharle-san, who was sitting next to her, picked up the edge of the dress and curiously checked the texture of the fabric.

    Ashley-samas dress is a design that I dont remember seeing in the Royal Capital. Where does it originate from?

    Malta-san, who sat rtively close to Ashley, asked questions as if representing the guests. Since the gaze was directed not only at Ashley, but also at me moving to the opposite seat, Malta-san himself must have guessed that the origin of the dress was me.

    But, it has nothing to do with thedies who are waiting impatiently for an answer to their question. Ashley lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled, then dared to answer the question with a clear voice.

    This dress was made in the Zephanel familys craftsman workshop where they conduct technical research. Its still a long way from reaching the level of quality needed to be released to the market, but the Zephanel family takes the lead in managing it, including the design.

    [Oh, it looks like its already done well enough in my eyes.

    The craftsmen will be happy to know that the chairman of Marida Companyplimented their work.

    While chatting like that, she let the guests know that the Zephanel family runs a craftsmen workshop. If this spreads, it will be a cover for the techniques and tools obtained from me.

    After the dinner party began, the conversation centered on Ashleys craftsmans workshop. This craftsman workshop, to be exact, is mostly the child care of Chancellor Bergman, but from now on, while changing its appearance, it will contribute to the improvement of various techniques and culture of the Kingdom of Kurtmerga.

    After the dinner party endedI invited Malta-san to my room and we talked about the n after I leave forbyrinth ind.

    Well then, I will dispose of the collected elemental magic stones here.

    Please. Also, is it possible to secure a ce to set up the magic circle?

    Certainly. One of my trading ships is returning to the port. Once it drops anchor at the port, you can install it in the hold, and you should be able to transport supplies without any suspicion.

    We sat facing each other across the table, and proceeded with the discussion while drinking tea after the mealWhat I discussed with Malta-san was mainly about supply lines.

    With my CP at the bottom of the line, I cant go on expeditions while relying only on non-elemental magic stones that can be collected from magic beasts and demi-humans. There are also magic stones imported from the Filtonia Inds Alliance, but I dont know what will happen to the abandonedbyrinth ind where the runaway stampede is repeated.

    Emergency escape route, supplies such as magic stones and food, emergency response for Prince Khan and Prince Ark who are staying in Amar, considering all of them, I will keep the fact that I personally own the transfer magic circle a secret.

    A set of magic circles that I ownthe transfer magic circle that connects the Zephanel mansion and the Royal Capital is nned to be left in the basement, but for the time being, the marines dispatched from the escort fleet will manage it.

    For this reason, the instation location of the magic circle connected to thebyrinth ind and Amar cannot be done at the Zephanel mansion.

    So I asked Malta-san to prepare a ce where I can freely transfer, and in addition to securing a supply line, it is also where I could report on the activities on thebyrinth ind to Ashley and the others. This is to keep the marines unaware of the use of cellphones, and because Ashley is worried if a clearmunication procedure is not established.

    In this way, the conversation between the two of us continued untilte at night, when Malta-san was picked up by the carriage from the shipping dock of Marida Company. The day of departure finally arrived.

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260

    Summer blues are hittin

    _____________________________

    Its the day I depart to Labyrinth Ind. In addition to food and supplies, Malta-san prepared all other necessities for traveling to the Filtonia Inds Alliance. It takes about two weeks by ordinary merchant ship to reach Big Ship, the gateway to the Filtonian Inds Alliance. I dont think it will take that long because Ill be sailing on a U-Boat Type VII, but unlikest timeI wont have anyone to follow.

    Malta-san showed me the nautical chart used by the Marida Company Shipyard, and I did save it as a screenshot, but to be honest, there wasnt much information that ayman like me could glean from that chart, let alone knowing how to actually read it.

    Even soif I rely on the solitary inds and reefs marked on the chart, and if I use the small unmanned reconnaissance aircraft RQ-11 Raven to find passing ships, I should be able to somehow navigate the open sea.

    In the worst case scenario, I could always makendfall on a suitable small ind and teleport back to Amar.

    Are you ready, Schwartz-san?

    Yes, Malta-san. All preparations areplete, including the emergency evacuation n. Ill sail slowly and rest on a small ind in the south.

    As expected, always so well organized.

    Schwartz, dont overdo things, alright? Dont forget to contact us regrly!

    I know, Ashley.

    It waste at night in Amar harbor the blue moonlight was reflected on the surface of the sea, making the blue sea glitter, illuminating the numerous anchored ships fantastically.

    Ashley and Malta-san were the only two people who hade to see me off. Roy and Rachel of the Lily of the Valley were a little further away, but these two were here as Ashleys escorts.

    I took out a disposable lifeboat from my inventory and tossed it to the sea. As soon as it touched the seawater, air started to fill and expand it, transforming it into an orange rubber boat. I jumped off the quay into the lifeboat and looked up at Ashley and Malta-san.

    Wish me luck!

    I raised my hand lightly as I said so, while pressing the ignition button of the outboard motor. The sound of the spinning rotor ovepped with Ashleys and Malta-sans voices, shouting Be careful on your way!.

    Once I entered the open sea, I switched from the lifeboat to the U-boat. Then began the sailing trip by heading south.

    I navigated underwater during the majority of the day, then shifted to surface navigation to recover the drained battery. During those times, I would fly the RQ-11 Raven for recon. The sea swayed quietly without being rough, and the dots on the radar that indicated something swimming in the sea moved away as if to avoid the huge U-boat. The voyage to the Filtonian Inds Alliance was actually rather uneventful.

    Thus the days spent in the submarine were pretty much boring. During the first few days of the voyage, there were many things to do, such as confirming supplies, maintaining firearms, and checking the amount of ammo stored in the inventory. But if thats all I have to do, then itll be over in no time.

    I ended up having too much time on my hands, so I decided to take the U-boat to the surface level, went up to the conning tower and headed outside.

    Phew, its hot

    Leaning my back on the upper deck of the conning tower and looking up at the brightly shining sun, I involuntarily muttered those words. This world is just like my original worlda spherical. The Filtonian Inds Alliance is probably situated near the equator line.

    Activating the TSS and essing the avatar customization, I picked a sailor-like clothing that is fitting for tropical countries.

    I think there was something like that in the ghost pirate costume set packFound it.

    The newly selected costume is a pirate sailor style consisting of a white shirt, light trousers, and a sleeveless jacket. Itll be difficult to conceal an ARF assault rifle in this getup, but a handgun can be carried with a shoulder holster.

    While moving around the upper deck of the conning tower, I checked thefort of my new clothes. All I could hear was the sound of the U-boat turbine and the waves. While sweating with the sea breeze caressing my cheeks, I remembered the tropical countries I visited in the previous worldSoutheast Asian countries I visited at the FPS World Tournament.

    It was hot over there too huh?

    At that time, I saw a ck shadow in the blue sky looking up. cksomething big, an ellipse with wings on the left and right sides, and a faint tail. The moment I thought I could see it, it disappeared beyond the pure white clouds. It was flying higher than the clouds.

    Something was flying far above the U-boatthe moment I realized that, the sweat that ran down my cheeks absorbed the heat from my body, and a chill ran through my body.

    Rapid dive!

    It might seem like I was talking to no one, but it was themand for the U-boat to submerge. I immediately slid back inside and activated multiple windows of monitors via TSS. The image of the periscope, and the map information of the current location. Also, I disyed the nautical chart that has been mapped so far and checked what is in the direction where the ck flying object flew.

    Unexplored territory huh but it really exists a dragon.

    The silhouette of the ck object that disappeared beyond the clouds could only remind me of one thingthe strongest monster in this world; the dragon, known as the ruler of the surface world.

    From the ck silhouette, all I could tell was that it was a Western dragon type with a fairlyrge body, four legs, andrge wings. ording to the materials I found in the general guild museum, it is a rare monster that only a few have been confirmed to inhabit the continent of Ondo where I fell.

    Dragons have a habit of building their nests in ces where mana is more concentrated, and it seems that they also spread mana themselves to attract magical beasts to feed on. Is it also heading for thebyrinth ind?

    However, the traditional magic stone hunting method of the Filtonia Inds Alliance is to intentionally run thebyrinth out of control and hunt the overflowing magic beasts and demi-humans. If it bes the cause of summoning greater threats, it is too dangerous to be a traditional culture.

    Then, did that dragon just happen to be flying over the sea?

    While getting lost in thebyrinth of thoughts with no answer, the U-boat continued to sail south.

    It was 12 days after leaving the seaside city of Amar that I finally caught sight of the port city of Big Ship, the gateway to the Filtonian Inds Alliance. Considering the speed of the U-boat on the water, it took too much time, which was the result of my anxiety at the time of departure.

    I lost myndmark in the middle of the ocean and continued sailing by relying only on the direction, but it was too difficult for an amateur like me to navigate long distances.

    A normal sailor would probably figure out their current location from the position of the moon or stars shining in the night sky. But in my case, the only thing I could do was to fly the RQ-11 Raven to look for ships sailing in the direction of Filtonia. I was never really sure of my exact location.

    As a result, thetter half of the voyage was spent diving behindrge, slow-moving merchant ships.

    The Big Ship, which consists of 200rge and small ships that float on the sea like a single ind, is recognized as a country within the Filtonian Inds Alliance. However, even if it is called a country, it does not mean that it has a monarchy like the Kingdom of Kurtmerga. It seems that most are governed by the beastmen, and that each of the inds that make up the allied nations has a simr system of government.

    While monitoring Big Ships situation with a periscope, I quietly waited for the passage of timefor the darkening of the night.

    After the lights on the ship had dimmed and the city had fallen asleep, I boarded the lifeboat from the U-boat and approached the stern of therge merchant ship that I had been tailing.

    The immigration inspection for the Filtonian Inds Alliance is not that strict. As a trading port, trade with the Ondo continent in the north is the main source of ie, so businessmen are allowed to enter the capital if they present a guild card and a merchant ship crew certificate.

    At the entrance examination, I n to present the guild card of themercial guild as Daikokuya Schwartz, but without a boarding permit, I will be considered a stowaway. This was resolved by asking Malta-san to prepare a crew certificate for the Marida Merchant Ship, but it was still necessary to blend in the waves of people only at the moment of entering the capital.

    Then, early in the morning, when therge merchant ship was docked at the Big Ship dock, I boarded the ship and headed to the immigration office along with the triumphant disembarking sailors.

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261

    Joining the sailors who have disembarked from some merchant ship, they line up in the entrance examination line. From the content of the review I heard, I confirmed that there was no particr problem likely to ur, and waited for my turn while looking around.

    The section that serves as the dock isnt that high above the sea level, but the city area where the actual residences are built is about 3-4m higher, and there are several gigantic ne-type ships reminiscent of disaster prevention floats. joined together to form the drynd. Unlike the disaster prevention floats in my original world, the structure of the Big Ships ne ships seem to be mainly made of wood, but judging from the size that can be seen I think its close to 100m.

    Considering that such a huge thing was built and floated on the sea, its more like a magical building than a shipbuilding technology.

    Its my turn. The officer conducting the examination quickly confirmed the guild card and crew certificate, and asked about the purpose of the call and the length of stay. m here to explore thebyrinth ind! Now if only I can say that upfront, but what I n to explore is the <em>abandoned</em>byrinth ind. Of whichnding there is prohibited, and its exact location not announced to the general public.

    When I told them that the purpose of the port call was formercial transactions and the length of stay would be one month, I was charged for the issuance of a permit formercial transactions in addition to the entrance fee for that period.

    In exchange for a fair amount of money, I received a permit formercial transactions and entry into the capital. Then I was finally able to officially enter Big Ship.

    Inside the city, the center of the t ship is the main street, and wooden houses are lined up on the left and right. However, some buildings were solid from the ground up, while others were improvised huts, almost like barracks. The length of the main street is still nearly 100m, and the width is about 30-40m.

    From where I stood after entering the city, the view was blocked by the buildings. But if one were to look down from the sky on this Big Ship, eight t ships are anchored in an octagon formation, and inside that formation, are four ships around a solitary ind that acts as the heart of the city. The tribe that rules the city lives on this only piece of actualnd.

    Then, to fill the gaps between the twelve t ships, ships of various sizes were moored to form a shipboard city.

    A t ship that you can walk across from the dockif you look at the ces where there are signs with 12 written on them, is it the number of the ship?

    This 12th ship was mainly lined with warehouses, direct sales shops, and culinary business such as bars and food stalls. The scent of the sea and the smell of fish in the air made me frown, but when I saw the female beastmen passing by, I was relieved.

    Most of the people living in the Filtonian Inds are beastmen. There are a lot of humans too, but most are brown skinned, though I dont know if its tan or just the color of their skin. And everyone wears light clothes Many men wear only a sleeveless thin jacket on their bare skin, with nothing else on top.

    Then what about the women? Their breasts and waist were covered with a piece of cloth that invoked the illusion of wearing bikinis, with a long pareo-like cloth wrapped over it.

    Beside me, the sailors who have finished their immigration examinationsnded for the first time in a long timeare running through, enjoying their arrival on the ship, aiming for the tavern they havent seen in a long time. They disappeared as if it was sucked into the store where women were waiting.

    Simply ncing at that scene, I headed down the main street toward the merchant that I had heard about from Malta-san. Before heading to Labyrinth Ind, I entered Big Ship to gather information, buy magic stones, and set up a supply route.

    At the twelfth ferry boarding point, I asked for the location where the merchant ship that I was aiming for is anchored, then boarded the adjacent number boat.

    The view of Big Sheep from the ferry reminds me of the floating city of Venice, but if you ask me which one is more beautiful, its Venice. However, no matter where you look, you can enjoy the scenery full of life in Big Ship and the slightly mysterious feeling of having a house built on top of a ship.

    This is the sixth ship. The shop youre looking for is on the left after going up.

    Thanks

    As I climbed the stairs from the sixth ferrynding, I found that most of the houses lined up there were shops of some kind. This No. 6 ship is probably argemercial ship where Big Ship stores gather. I quickly found the shop I was looking forSierras Shop. The house is reminiscent of a simple souvenir shop or candy store, and the storefront is lined withrge and small attribute magic stones. In the dimly lit interior, I could see fangs and furs packed in showcases, probably materials of magic beasts.

    Excuse me.

    The store didnt seem to have any signs of people, but on the map floating in my field of vision, I can see two dots clearly floating in the back.

    Yes.

    Only one of the dots raised its voice and began to move.

    The room at the back of the shop seems to be a private space. A thin sliding door like a shoji door was pulled.

    Wee, may I help you-nya?

    The one who came out from the back was a tall female beastman with leopard-like ears and a long speckled tail. She had a feline personality like Miche-san from Sansaqua. She has sharp eyes and a slender but supple body, and she was exuding with a strong sense of natural sex appeal thanks to the even more sensational pareo dress.

    My name is Schwartz, and I am doing business in Kurtmerga. I heard from Maridas Malta Commerce Chairman that I could buy what I wanted here, so I decided to stop by.

    Malta, huh Im Sierra, the owner of this store. As you can see, we sell everything, but most of it you can also buy elsewhere. But the fact that Malta purposely directed you to usonii-san, Ill listen to the details in the back.

    Saying that, Sierra turned around and walked into the dimly lit store. I tried to follow her, so I took a step forward to match her movements, but.

    Even from the front, Sierras pareo look was sensational, but the back was even more amazing Her back was wide open, and the base of her swaying tail was just a thin pareo, and the line of underwear she was supposed to be wearing underneath waspletely invisible.

    Theres nothing under there?

    What are you standing there for? I wont eat you.

    Perhaps noticing that I wasnt following her, Sierra lightly nced over here, smiled lightly, and quickly walked back into the room.

    Afterwards, I realized that I was fascinated by her appearanceor rather, on purpose It was a smile that made me think so.

    Then, the story changes. From now on, I have to proceed with the negotiations lightly. Using this Big Ship as one of my bases of operations, I will go on an expedition to Labyrinth Ind. I need the cooperation of the people who live in this city to build the scaffolding.

    Besides, Malta-san has not expanded the branch of Maridapany to this country yet. As long as Im active in the Filtonia Inds Alliance, I need to keep in touch with the merchants of this country.

    The first candidate is the owner of Sierras Shop.

    On the other side of the thin sliding door like a shoji door was a wooden living room. And then, besides Sierra, there was another beastman just like her, only much older.

    Sit down as you please, this old man is our appraiser and former sailor Garda. Except when working as an appraiser, its not much different from an ornament, so dont worry about it.

    I slightly bowed to the old beastman called Garda, but from his wrinkled and wrinkled face, I couldnt tell if there was a reaction. For the time being, I turned my attention back to Sierra, who was the negotiating partner, and sat down on a cloth bag ced on the wooden floora cushion.

    Sitting facing each other, Sierra threw her long legs out and sunk into the cushion. I rested myself on the cushion, sitting cross-legged in the attempt to make myself rx. But the cushion was surprisinglyfortable to sit on. It felt like a bead cushion from my original world, but the contents of the cloth bag are either pumice stone or beach sand.

    Now thenlets hear your story since weve both calmed down.

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262

    Sierras Shop has a store on the sixth ship, one of therge t ships that make up the ship city Big Ship. The business negotiations that began in the back of the store went surprisingly smoothly, contrary to Sierras bold outfit.

    Nautical charts around Big Ship, information on thebyrinth ind that is the hunting ground, fifty gold coins worth of non-attribute magic stones. Is that all? In addition to wind magic stones, we also have rare thunder and dark attributes in stock.

    No, I only want non-attribute magic stones. Also, I would like you to prepare other things.

    Youve already ced quite arge order, but you still need more? Fufu, what is it now, magic beast material? Or is it something else that only I can provide?

    We were sitting facing each other on the cushions ced on the wooden floor. Sierra often rearranges her legs and takes a bold stance, but my heart wasnt so shaken.

    I was surprised by the outfit itself and her boldnessbut somehow since I fell into this world, my mind and body have had almost no ups and downs of emotions such as lust. Even if my heart reacts temporarily, I will immediately look at the other person with calm and collected thoughts.

    I still do. It soon became clear that Sierra had considerable influence as a merchant. Even when I ordered such arge amount of non-attribute magic stone, she said that she would prepare it with a smile. And although she shouldnt have provided me, a person from another country, with the nautical chart of Big Ship surroundings and the location of thebyrinth ind, once I piled up gold coins aspensation, she said that my orders will be prepared without problems.

    In the middle of that business meeting, Sierra was trying to create a gap in my consciousnessthats how I felt. What is her aim? Is it a trick to draw out more profitable deals, or is it just ying with me, whatever it isit has no effect on me.

    I consider this change, theck of emotion, to be a detriment of being dropped into this world as the master of thebyrinth. Lust, carnal desire, inferiority, and affection for peoplethere are many ways to call them, but all of them are unnecessary emotions in nurturing abyrinth to destroy the human world. Rather, it could turn into sympathy and be a shackle.

    When the creation god released the wedge, it wasnt clear if I had regained some of those emotions, or if the suppression had loosened, but the way I felt things was clearly different from the previous world.

    I heard from Chairman Malta that if its youno, only you can get it.

    Really, that man is really good at getting people on board, and unlike me, he does it unintentionally. Hes such a bad egg sometimes. So what do you want?

    I heard that Big Ship has a rental warehouse for adventurers and merchants. I would like you to arrange a warehouse that can be secured with a magic stone consumption type magic lock crest from the most reliable vendor among them. Also, Ive heard that some of thebyrinth inds were abandoned because they couldnt control the rampaging Stampede.

    Sierras expression didnt change that much when I specified the specs for the rental warehouse. However, when ites to the abandonedbyrinth ind, her expression bes cloudy in a blink of an eye.

    The location and size of the destroyedbyrinth ind, the entrance to thebyrinth, the data on the monsters and demi-humans that have appeared, the scale of the supposed rampage, and any other information, if any.

    Im sorry that information is expensive. Not even if I double the price of items youve requested so far, including arranging a rental warehouse.

    Sierra put her hand on her forehead, covering her face. Seemingly doing various calctions in her head.

    The money wont be a problem. If you can prepare what I want, I will pay you in full immediately.

    Im not short on money. I received arge amount of money as one of the rewards for stopping the rebellion of Rafflesia, as well as the proceeds from the sale of the dungeon core, and the profit from sales of Daikokuya. Its not arge amount of money, but one or two tinum coins for information is not much.

    .I was wrong the bad egg is not Malta, but you.

    Sierra said with a sigh and astonishment, but this is nothing more than a business. I have no intention of letting money do the talkingfor the time being, I dont.

    Alright. Sierras Shop will take responsibility and prepare everything. However, I need two days time, so until then, please book a room in an inn on the seventh ship. I rmend Blue Ocean Inn

    Blue Ocean Inn? Ill keep that in mind. I also have various things to do here, so Ill wait for your contact there by the way, are you a long acquaintance of chairman Malta?

    With Malta? Ive known him for a long time. I think I first met him around the time I nned to expand my sales channel to Kurtmergas Amar. At that time Maridapany was just starting to build their merchant shipyard. Through a strange coincidence, we ended up buying a merchant ship in a joint investment.

    She gave off the feeling that shes strangely close to Malta-san. Turns out they have known each other for a long time.

    I see. No wonder Malta-san rmended your shop. Alright then, Im going to look around the town before booking a room.]

    When I stood up from my cushion, the old man, who hadnt moved too much since I entered the room, and Sierra bowed their heads lightly. I walked out of the wooden room and left the store. Passing through the dimly lit store, I went out to the main street where the smell of the sea breeze drifted again.

    Grandpa, please collect information about the abandonedbyrinth ind. Also about that merchant named Schwartz.

    After looking around and waiting at the storefront for a while, the sound sensor caught Sierras voice. Of course, even though it was by Malta-sans introduction, she couldnt help but feeling curious about the merchant who is willing to buy information regarding the abandonedbyrinth ind.

    However, how much information about me can she obtain in this Big Ship.? After Spark n, a unit under Chancellor Bergman and Chancellor Zephanels direct control was established, information regarding the n members and ranks registered in the general guild has been blocked. Finding out my ties with Daikokuya alone can be considered good already. If she can find my connection with the Spark n, then Sierras informationwork can certainly be trusted.

    I turned my gaze slightly to the back of the dimly lit store, and immediately started walking along the main street as if to get lost in the flow of people. After that, I went shopping and sightseeing as if I was making up for the boring time spent on the boat trip, and before the sun went down, I headed to the designated inn Blue Ocean Inn.

    Is there any vacancy?

    Wee. Im sorry, customer, but we are fully booked at the moment

    The Blue Ocean Inn was a two-story building, with a bar on the first floor and a rental inn on the second floor. I called out to the young man standing at the bar counter, but

    Sierra from the sixth ship rmended this inn to me. But if its fully booked, then

    Its Sierras rmendation? Then, there IS a vacant room. Please wait a moment.

    As soon as Sierras name was mentioned, the young mans responsepletely changed, and he took out one magic lock crest from under the counter and ced it on the counter.

    If possible can you make it a magic stone consumption type?

    The magic lock crest ced on the counter was the regr magic consumption type. I cant use it. Im not intending to spread the word that Im a magicless, but I cant even unlock it if its the regr magic consumption type. The young man once again put his hand under the counter and this time took out a magic stone consumption type magic lock crest as a recement.

    .here you go. It might be Sierras rmendation, but youll still have to pay the fee. Its five silver coins per night, paid in advance. If you want to order food, you can order through here, or somewhere else to eat.

    Thanks.

    I ced one gold coin on the counter to reserve the room for 20 days. I could use this inn as a base during my stay in Big Ship.

    Oh, one more thing. The room next door is also used by a customer with a long-term contract. Theyre a bit creepy, but please dont cause trouble.

    After receiving the magic lock crest, the young man added it as if he just remembered it.

    Ill keep that in mind.

    After saying that, I went upstairs to check the room first.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263

    There were five rooms on the second floor of Blue Ocean Inn. Judging from the dots shown on the map, there are two rooms in use. The room just up the stairs and the room at the far end. The room I rented was the second one from the back, so the customer that the young man at the counter called creepy must be the customer at the back.

    There were three dots in the room, and the sound sensor picked up their conversationbut what I heard was the innocuous impression of Big Ship. I had no intention of sleeping in the rented room anyway. Even if I was told not to cause trouble, the reality would be that there is no way to do so.

    While thinking so, when I unlocked the door and went inside, I heard an inaudible voice that seemed to be a magic word from the next roomI couldnt hear anything. The three dots were still there. But apparently they noticed that someone had entered the room next door thus they cast soundproofing or silence magic.

    I didnt know why they had to be so wary, but it has nothing to do with me.

    After checking the time, I took out the transfer magic circle and the copy magic circle from my inventory and ced them in the room. As a reward for preventing the rebellion of Rafflesia, I was ostensibly given arge amount of reward. Behind the scenes, I also received two sets of transfer magic circles obtained by the Kingdom of Kurtmerga in subjugation of Mine Labyrinth, that is, magic circles for two round trip routes.

    With this, I have obtained a total of four sets of magic circles. The route currently connected is between Amar to the capital and the Big Ship to Marida Companys trade ship. From now on, I will connect the Labyrinth Ind and the Big Ship, and save thest pair for emergencies.

    When the preparations wereplete, I boarded the transfer magic circle and teleported to the trading ship.

    Youre right on time.

    At the transfer destination, Malta-san was already waiting for me.

    Is that so? I thought it was a little early.

    Today was the day of the regr liaison meeting that had been decided in advance. I had set the date and time in case I arrived at Big Ship a littlete, but I never thought that I would arrive at thest minute

    In the dimly lit hold, there was a transfer magic circle and a copy magic circle. A magic lightntern and tea set were ced on the wooden table. Malta-san, who was sitting on a chair, poured tea into a cupI also sat on the opposite chair, and first took a sip while enjoying the fragrant aroma of tea.

    Delicious

    So, did you make it to the Big Ship safely?

    Yeah, I was able to enter the city today

    Today? Did you lose your bearings during the voyage, I wonder?

    Haha at least I managed to get there.

    What about the shop that I rmended?

    Ive visited there too. I was a little surprised by the proprietress, but she said that she can get everything I want, including the magic stones.

    Thats good to hear. Sierra often uses womanly guile as a weapon during first meeting, but changes her attitude once she learns that the other person is trustworthy. I think it was necessary to thrive in a closed space city such as Big Ship, but I knew that such tricks wouldnt work against Schwartz-san.

    Malta-sanughed merrily. I mean, he couldve warned me about Sierras penchant. But, needless to say, Malta-san knew that it wouldnt work for me.

    I sipped my tea while feeling happy in my heart for the recognition that could be called trust.

    By the way, Ashley-sama was not able toe today due to urgent business, so its just going to be a letter this time.

    I received the thick sealed letter that Malta-san took out of his pocket. When I turned it over, I could see that it was stamped with the magic seal of the Zephanel family.

    Excuse me

    When I opened the envelope and checked inside, there was indeed a letter written in Ashleys handwriting. Starting with an apology for leaving Amar due to a sudden summons to the Royal Capital, my daily life since I set sailshe also wrote about the current situation with Chancellor Zephanel and Sharle, Prince Khan, Prince Ark, Anastasia and Lapitirica. As if incidentally, the article about Pig Lemon and the newlyid security situation was added.

    The content of the letter was almost like a diary describing such daily life, but at the end was a written instruction to call Chancellor Bergman.

    I can easilymunicate with Chancellor Bergman by mobile phone, but it is not always possible to talk easily when we are in battle or in a meeting. For that reason, I decided to make a phone call at night to contact Chancellor Bergman.

    Perhaps Ill call him after the liaison meeting.

    After reading the letter, I changed the topic to the recent report so that Malta-san didnt need to wait for too long.

    Schwartz-san, this one is fromDaikokuya, from Amy and Presera who are in charge of the shop while you are away. They are requesting to restock the products.

    Already? The basement should be filled with enough inventory tost for a while.

    After Prince Kiliks rebellion, rumors spread among the aristocrats that Schwartz-sans Daikokuya was the liaison of Spark. As a result, the number of customers seems to have increased at once.

    Is the product that needs to be replenished rted to cosmetics or hair tonics?

    Of course, but it seems that the high-end furniture that was on disy has also been sold.

    Really?! The price for that was set quite high

    I only heard about this from Alm, who was on guard duty, but I dont know if its true or not. It seems that King Asca came to the store incognito, andplimented the furniture he had purchased at that time.

    What the hell is the King doing?!

    Since the castle was destroyed, most of the main rooms in the castle that is being rebuilt have Schwarz-sans high-end furniture. Rather, they even told me to get in stock as soon as possible because there wasnt enough

    I couldnt help thinking about it, but Daikokuya should continue to operate as a source of Spark ns funding. Even if I buy arge amount of magic stones in the future, if there is no clear source of funds from anyone, I will eventually reach a dead end.

    In this transaction with Sierra, the existence of Daikokuya should serve as coteral that Schwarz is a reliable merchant.

    I understand. Can you please make some space here? If you can, I can take out the stock for replenishment.

    You can unpack here. Ill do the rest, including transporting to the Royal Capital.

    Please do. Please subtract the fee from the profits Daikokuya earned.

    Yes, Ill do just that.

    Malta-san and I may be friends, and I am also a lifesaver for him. But, that is a different story. We are also cooperating with each other to make a profit as merchants.

    Pay what you have to pay. Thats why we can consult each other without hesitation.

    After finishing the regr liaison meeting with Malta-san, I first cleaned up the transfer magic circle and took out the interior furniture stored in the inventory until the hold was full. Beds and tableware were particrly requested.

    However, there are not many beds in stock, and CP crystal points are required to replenish them. Since Im going to attack thebyrinth ind soon, I cant afford to consume it. I moved to the captains room with Malta-san when the space was crowded with storage furniture, small items, and makeup shelves, which we have a lot of inventory.

    Well then, till the next regr report meeting.

    Yes, the furniture will be transported to the capital soon.

    Thank you. Well then

    The magic circle that was previouslyid out in the hold wasid out in the captains room, and I transferred back to the room of the inn in Big Ship.

    When I returned to the room, the dots in the next room had disappeared. Must have gone somewhere.

    Just right, its about time.

    I took out my mobile phone and called Chancellor Bergman

    Its me

    Its Schwartz.

    Chancellor Bergman has be more proficient in using mobile phonesor rather, he has be ustomed to it.

    Oh, Ive been waiting for you.

    Ashley asked me to contact you, did anything happen?

    Yet nothing has happened. However, Cortine, the Princess of Drak Kingdom, whom you supported from the Dragrange Margrave territory, ising to the capital.

    Coty? Dont tell me. Is she still going around as the Phantom Thief?

    Cortine, the seventeenth princess of Drak Kingdom. Rebelling against the very policy of the Drak Kingdom, she fled and hid in the Devils Mountains that was located on the border with the Kingdom of Kurtmerga with several ves. After that, in order to continuously attract ves who were suffering in Drak Kingdom and earn money for living expenses and smuggling into the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, she acted as a phantom thief Nekoyanagi based in thebyrinth created in the Devil Mountains.

    Later, I subjugated thebyrinth, and had Coty build a hidden vige in the Devil Mountains and dig magic stone, but

    No, she followed the formal procedure and came to the meeting. I asked Ashley toe here about that, but I thought Id tell you too

    Coty went to meet the chancellor? Did something happen in the hidden vige? Or

    Viceburn seems to have taken their next move. The Royal family of the Drak Kingdom has been issued an imperial decree, to transfer all the pedigree skill owners to the south.

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264

    Viceburn seems to have taken their next move. The Royal family of the Drak Kingdom has been issued an imperial decree, to transfer all the pedigree skill owners to the south.

    Chancellor Bergmans words made me feel that he had finallye.

    Finally, huh?

    Thats right, I have continued to support Princess Cortine of Jorum with the title of Daikokuya Branch of the Dragrange Margrave Territory, but in return, I have asked her to investigate the internal affairs of the Drak Kingdom.

    The result is the news this time but toe directly to the Royal Capital

    Even though it is in the form of Kurtmerga, she probably does not want the pedigree skills of the Drak royal family to leak to the outside as much as possible.

    I wonder if its because of her obligation to the Drak royal family, or if there is some other information.

    I see. So since the report said that theyre moving south, does that mean theyre targeting Amar?

    I dont know the details of the decree. Thats why Im meeting Ashley to discuss the situation. The transferred Royal family is the eighth Prince Zagir. He is Cortines only real brother, and it seems that their features are quite simr. Hes, however, a human, instead of a beast race.

    Is that a big reason why she came personally? Its easier to deal with an enemy whose face you know than an assassin whose identity you dont knowbut what worries me is

    If I may ask, what is the Drak royal familys pedigree skill?

    Of course, the pedigree skill hidden by the Drak royal familyFellow System. Even if I listen to the story, I dont really understand the details yet, but in a nutshell its the ability capable of enving monsters.

    The pedigree skill Fellow System that Chancellor Bergman told methe details were intuitive, and even when he heard Cotys story, the Prime Minister could only understand the outline. However, for me, who understands that the origin of pedigree skills is some kind of game, just listening to the outline is enough information.

    Enving monsters, that is to saya system that allows yers to tame monsters as pets or battle partners.

    Its no wonder Coty wants to keep it hidden. Originally, monsters were the enemies of all living things in the natural world. A skill that allows one to enve them from the outside, it could be regarded as the same ability as the master of thebyrinth. For the Royal family to have the same ability as the master of thebyrinththe people would only feel fear.

    I dont know what the former Drak royal family thought, but it can be inferred that they seeded in creating a knight corps unique to the Drak Kingdom called the Dragon Knights, passing down the skills while only partially degrading them, keeping the fact that its originally a Pedigree Skills. .

    I changed the names and outlines of the pedigree skills into easy-to-understand words for Chancelor Bergman.

    I see, from what you said, their aim is to have monsters attack Amar, right?

    Besieged by monsters or humans, I dont know which one theyll use more. Either way, I dont think that Prince will be allowed to lead arge army on his own. That leaves only one

    Understood. Ill contact the general guild around Amar and mobilize all the adventurers to hunt monsters in the surrounding area. If there is no monster to enve, no matter what they n, they will not be able to carry it out.

    Thats about all we can do from now on. The Zephanel mansions guards are well-staffed, regardless of the presence of assassins. Worst-case scenariouse the transfer magic circle set up in the basement. The important thing is to calmly deal with any disturbances and not cause chaos.

    With that in mind, Ashley and the crown prince shouldnt be stuck in a risky situation

    After that, I talked with Chancellor Bergman about my arrival on Big Ship and the high-end interiors sold at Daikokuya. Chancellor Bergman told me that he would buy up all the furniture as soon as it arrived.

    Originally, craftsmen from the Royal Capital should be gathered to craft furnishings suitable for the castle where the King lives. But with the location of the Rafflesia has not yet been grasped, it is necessary to limit the number of people entering and exiting the Royal Castle as much as possibleit would be troublesome if magic tools were installed in the delivered furniture. In that sense, the quality and safety of the furniture that I prepare is perfect.

    That said, I warned Chancellor Bergman that it would be impossible to prepare that much furniture.

    After finishing the call and taking a breather, my eyes fell upon the swaying light shining through the closed wooden window.

    When I took off the key hanging on the wooden window and looked outside.

    A band of light stretched out and rotated like a searchlight from the tower built on the small ind located in the center of Big Ship.The band of light that illuminates the night sky not only informs distant ships that Big Ship is here, but can also be used for long-distancemunication using timed flickering like Morse codesaid the men who were having a st at the bar on the first floor..

    Two dayster. The promised day has arrived, but I havent heard from Sierra yet. It was already noon and the sky was dyed red.

    Customer, would you like another drink?

    Please.

    A young man standing at the counter poured distilled liquor into a new ss, added citrus juice, and gently slid the ss in front of me.

    A familiar cocktail for sailors called cloak. Liquor is drunk as a substitute for water during voyages. For sailors, it can be said to be the water of life. Its to the point that theyd still drink cloak regrly even when on drynd, and wont be drunk from it. The men making noise in the tavern were proud of their achievements during the voyage, celebrated their safe return to port, and sang prayers for the safety of their next voyage.

    As I listened to the song, I was slightly intoxicated by the noise and cloak, waiting for a call while confirming the number of people entering and leaving Blue Ocean Inn.

    Finally here, huh

    It waspletely dark outside, and when the tavern was about to reach its peak, the old sailor named Garda, whom I had met at Sierras shop, was standing at the entrance of the tavern. He looked around the bar with narrowed eyes that I cant tell if its open or closed. When he saw me, he slowly walked towards me.

    The young man standing at the counter should be able to see this old sailor Garuda, but didnt show any signs of treating the old sailor as a customer. Apparently, this old sailor is a frequent visitor here as a liaison.

    11th Ship, 36th Warehouse.

    Garda, who came in front of me, said just that, then ced a magic stone-consuming magic lock crest on the counter and waited for my reaction.

    Is he waiting for the payment?

    When I nced at the young man at the counter, he seemed to sense something and moved to the other side of the counter. The sailors making noise in the tavern didnt seem to be interested in us, and more than half of them fell down on the table after getting drunk.

    I suppose its okay to hand over the payment now.

    The information fee this time reached a tinum coin and a half. Im worried whether itll reach Sierra safely if I hand it over to this old sailor, but thats nothing to do with me.

    I put my hand into the pouch hanging from my waist and took out the small bag containing the money from the inventory. After picking up the small bag on the counter, Garda quickly put it back into his tool bag and silently walked out of the bar. I also collected the magic lock crest, stood up from the counter, and headed to warehouse number 36 on the 11th ship.

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265

    Even after the sun went down, the Big Ship ferry continued to operate. Relying only on the moonlight and the faint light of thenterns hanging from the bow, it paddled through the gaps of therge ships. The eleventh ship that I arrived at was a t ship exclusively for rental warehouses. When I climbed up from the ferry terminal, I saw uniformed armed men who seemed to be guards who were not on the other boats.

    Itste at night. This is a ship that only users of the rental warehouse can board. If you have a key, show it to me, and if you want to rent a warehouse, the reception is over there.

    After presenting the magic stone consumption type magic lock crest received from the old sailor Garda, the security guard checked the number engraved on the side and wrote something on a stack of paper that looks like a ledger.

    Is he checking the people who boarded the ship?

    Warehouse 36, rented by Daikokuya Schwartz, yes?

    Yes, thats right

    You are without anypanion. You can go, number 36 is a little further to the right.

    Thanks

    While walking in the direction of Warehouse 36, I turned my gaze slightly back and stared at the ledger held by the security guard.

    He referred to me as Daikokuya Schwartzdoes the fact that she rented a warehouse under that name mean that Sierra has done so much research in thest two days? I wonder if she was able to dig to the point where she found out about Spark, and how it is abat unit under the direct control of the chancellor of Kurtmerga Kingdom?

    Rows of rental warehousesthat said, the basic structure seems to be an earthen storehouse with hardened walls painted with what looks like ster. I lightly knocked on the wall while walking to check the feel.

    Its like a storehouseIs this thick mud wall for fire prevention and anti-theft measures?

    The 36th warehouse that Sierra rented came into view. Its exactly the same as the many warehouses that stand side by side, but the thirty-six numbers printed on the door indicate that its the one rented for me.

    I unlocked the magic lock by aligning it with the magic lock on the door, then went inside and immediately closed it.

    There was no light inside the warehouse, and the inside can only be seen through the starlight that shines through the small window at the top of the wall. Originally, the renter was supposed to illuminate the interior with a light ball or magic light so that there would be no fear of fire, but I cant use that.

    However, a faint starlight is enough for meI changed to night vision mode and checked the interior. There were several wooden boxes lined up.

    Inside the wooden box were the non-attribute magic stones I ordered from Sierra, a nautical chart around Big Ship, and a bundle of paper with information on the location of thebyrinth ind that will be used as my hunting ground, as well as information on monsters and demi-humans.

    As for the information I wanted most, it was tightly sealed in a leather bag that looked like a document case. As per my orderthe location and information about the monsters are listed. And there was also a note written in handwriting that was clearly not the information about the runawaybyrinth ind.

    After confirming the information, be sure to burn the leather bag and throw it into the sea

    Does it mean to leave no evidence behind? I saved each piece of paper that had the location of the ind written on it as screenshots, and recorded all the hunting grounds and nautical charts. I dont have time to check it while hunting, so itll be easier to see it on the window monitor. When I finished saving all the materials, I took out the lighter I had brought from the shopping center from my inventory and lit it.

    The leather bag and a paper bundle of materials were burning vigorously in the rental warehouse it seems that the leather bag had been soaked in oil.

    Because the floor and walls are made of earthenware, the fire does not spread inside the warehouse. If that happens, it will just extinguish the fire, but right now Im watching the burning mes while superimposing the monitor windows floating in my field of view,paring the position of thebyrinth ind with the map, and confirming the route and distance.

    Its closer than I thought if its on a U-boat, it should take three daysno, two days.

    Although it was abyrinth ind that went out of control, its been a long time since it was out of control. The overflow of monsters and demi-humans from thebyrinth has stopped, but what will happen after that is unpredictable.

    Among the materials, there was also a report that sent an investigation team, but it seems that the rampaging magic beasts have resorted to cannibalism, causing the entire ind to be in a vtile state. It doesnt say what happened as a result, but theres no doubt that the monsters that lost thepetition were absorbed by the winning side along with their magic stones.

    The monsters that are active inside thebyrinth act as subordinates of the master of thebyrinth, so there is no chance of out of control cannibalism.

    Even after the rampaging stampede, the monsters are still targeting all living creatures in the natural world. As the vanguard of the mad goddess and the master of thebyrinth, to spread hostility and evil to the world.

    However, if the rampaging stampede state takes a break, the monsters sanity willno, sanitygain a wildness that can be called their own ego. Thats when cannibalism started. And the victor will evolve its existence. On the abandonedbyrinth ind, the monsters that survived the insect poison are now in a fiercepetition for survival.

    Originally, control of rampage meant that adventurers would thin out monsters so that their evolution would not progress to the point where they could not be subjugated. In other words, on the ind we are heading to, there are monsters that have evolved beyond the control of adventurers.

    I collected all the ordered items, and set up a transfer magic circle and a copy magic circle in the empty warehouse. I can connect this to thebyrinth ind and use it as a resting spot or an emergency evacuation route. Using Blue Ind Inn as a base might be very risky. Thats why I requested Sierra to rent a secure warehouse in the first ce.

    As requested, this eleventh ship was checked by a security guard, and even now, two security guards are patrolling outside.

    Its ready now.

    After confirming that the magic circle is working without any problems, I decided to go back to the inn for thest sleep in preparation for thebyrinth ind hunting that would start at dawn.

    My tireless body doesnt even need sleep. Rest is just for maintaining mental focus.

    From tomorrow, I will sleeplessly hunt monsters on thebyrinth ind to recover therge amount of CP I have lost all at once. The target amount has already been decidedno, the best result would be to return it to the target amount plus the amount of CP that can be used with peace of mind.

    When I got out of the rental warehouse, sea fog was forming around me. It was so white that it was impossible to see even a few meters ahead, and the blue darkness was spreading.

    If I dont walk while looking at the map, I wouldnt even be able to proceed properly. While watching my step, I walked to the ferry dockI noticed three bright dotsing out of the rental warehouse in front of me while paying attention to the surroundings. And then, a big beat like a heartbeat can be heard from the rental warehouse.

    However, I could tell from the sound that the three were securely locking the rental warehouse.

    Do you really think you can do it?

    No guarantee

    But if you dont

    I know.

    The three of them didnt seem to notice that I was walking beside them in this sea fog. The voice was picked up by the sound collection sensor, but I dont know what it is because I didnt listen to it. No, I dont need to judge.

    The three of them seemed to have noticed me. The conversation stopped and I could feel their eyes turn towards me. Naturally, my line of sight also turned in their direction, but I couldnt see them well due to the sea fog. The only thing I knew was that all three of them were wearing deep hoods.

    While sandwiching the sea fog between them, our gazes slightly ovepped, before they quickly turned and moved away.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266

    I took a nap at the Blue Ind Inn and set off again before dawn. Moving to the dock of the 12th ship, I nned to go out to sea with a lifeboat, then transfer to a U-boat. The sea fog was getting thicker, and as usual I could only see a few meters ahead. But on the contrary, this sea fog will hide my figure and the light as I summon the U-boat.

    As I was walking along the dock while checking the map to see if there were any dots floating nearby, I saw three sitting on the quay.

    Are they the hooded men I saw in the rental warehouse area?

    In order to go out to sea discreetly, it is convenient in various ways to know where people are. Many unloadedrge wooden boxes were ced on the pier, hiding my figure even if anyone looked down from the ship.

    Well, fine I guess

    I should just ignore them even if they notice me. With that in mind, I proceeded along the quay and headed to the pier. As the dots approached, three silhouettes came into view beyond the sea fog.Onerge silhouette, one round and one thinhmm? Its not the three hooded men. These guys

    The moment I saw those three, I stopped walking towards the pier.

    Sitting on the quay, staring at the sea blocked by sea fogwas the trio who got involved in the fortified city of Bargathe trio who joined in the escort of Marida Companys merchant fleetat a dinner party in Veneer. It was a trio that had the same face as all of the three people who were present, but who were different people.

    However, the big cat-eared man, the slender mouse face, and the chubby roon faceall three had hollow eyes and were drooling from the corners of their open mouths. Its hard to believe that the three of them wereughing so loudly, they werepletely soullessno, they were sitting there like living dolls without a soul from the beginning.

    .Oi, what are you guys doing here?

    I couldnt help calling out to them since they looked strange. Perhaps hearing my call, the cat-eared giant slightly turned his face my way.

    Aa

    That was the only replythe cat-eared giant once again turned his gaze to the sea mist, and stared fixedly ahead.

    All three of them mustve gone insane one could say that.

    I stopped and hesitated for a while. Should I help them? Or maybe call someone else to help? Orjust ignore it?

    In the end, my decision was to leave a small amount of food and one gold coin and head for the pier. If they have normal intentions, they should be able to make a stopgap. Even if I protect them, I wont be able to take care of them. Even if I give them a lot of money, in this state they will only attract malice.

    For now, I just gave alms if only to satisfy the slight pity, sympathy, and warmth I felt, and moved on.

    Boarding a U-boat on the sea, it took two days to reach the abandonedbyrinth ind. The target ind came into view. First, I shifted the U-boat from underwater navigation to sea navigation, climbed up to the conning tower, and confirmed it with my own eyes.

    Its huge

    The coastline is likely to be three to four kilometers long. It is surrounded by rock walls, but perhaps because it is covered with shrubs, at least its not entirely barren. Activating TSS with my thoughts, I took out the RQ-11 Raven, a small unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, from my inventory.

    Lets begin with recon first.

    With the information I received from Sierra, Ive roughly grasped the overall view of thebyrinth ind. The part surrounded by rock walls is a caldera that was created by past volcanic activity. ording to the information, volcanic activity had stopped before thebyrinth was born, and it had be a dormant volcano.

    A forest of shrubs spreads to the south of the caldera, and there is a gentle slope from there to the coastline. Beyond that is the hunting ground, the ce I assume as thending point. Raven flew high in the sky, at an altitude of over 300 meters, and I checked the current status and information on the screen monitor floating in my field of vision.

    There was no need to operate Raven directly. I could fly it with my will, gradually lowering the altitude and showing the state of thebyrinth ind.

    This one is big too

    What Ravens camera showed was arge monstera wild boar monster I hunted in the Devils Mountains, Eryman Boarbut with different colors. The one I fought in the Demon Mountains had ck fur, but the one captured in Ravens camera was red.

    I alsopared the list of the monsters with the one I saw through the recon camera

    me Boar huh this one seems to be a fairly high-ranking specieshmm?

    While checking the terrain while chasing the me Boar, I discovered a ce that seemed to be the traces of a brand new battle.

    Is it a trace of monsters battle?

    In addition to therge monsters, I also discovered a group of burning dog-type monstersHellgaze, which is also a high-ranking species that can manipte mes. Although it is a dormant volcano, there are many fire-attribute monsters that are closely rted to volcanoes. Does the information mention this?

    The moment I felt that the uracy of the information was at a certain level, I saw a red glow in the shadow of the shrubsthe live footage of Raven stopped. Apparently, it was shot down by a monsters attack.

    I originally wanted to check the center of the caldera, where the entrance to thebyrinth should be, but now Ill have to go inside and check it out myself. Thending site was already in sight. I madendfall and secured a base while knowing that there are no monsters around.

    I prepped the main weapons that will be my partner in thisbyrinth ind exploration from the inventory. What I wanted was the power to contend with the higher-ranked species, the ability to continue fighting no matter how many opponents I had at once, and the portability to fight while moving around the ind.

    The weapon I ended up picking wasARX-160.

    A modr ARF assault rifle manufactured by the Italianpany Beretta. By rearranging optional parts, it can be fitted with an under-rail grenadeuncher, or, by attaching a heavy barrel, bipod, and arge drum magazine, it can be used as a squad support weapona machine gun so to speak.

    Its configuration can be changed to load multiple type ammunition, but I chose a 5.45 x 39mm bullet with a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. The capacity rises to 100 rounds when using a drum magazine. With this ARX-160, I can deal withrge monsters and more. In addition, even with the folding stock deployed, it is about 400mm in length, making it easy to carry and highly portable.

    I changed from the U-boat to a lifeboat, approached thebyrinth ind while keeping vignce, including in the sea, andnded on the sandy beach that was set as thending point.

    As soon as the lifeboat ran aground, I started running, kneeling on the beach and readying the ARX-160. Originally, a scope sight could be mounted on the barrel, but it was a matter of personal preference, so I left it as it is with an iron sightwatching the surroundings while sliding the crosshair floating at the tip of the front sight.

    Clear

    Judging it so, I tried to rush into the bush forest in front of me, but the moment I moved a step or two further, a dot appeared on the map. However, there is nothing at the position indicated by the dot on the radar. It was still a sandy beach, and even when I looked up, I didnt see anything flying. The number of dots increasedthere were five now, and they fanned out around me as I began to hear the sound of bristling sand.

    Its underground!

    I aimed at the sandy beach and aligned the crosshair on the spot where something was clearly about to crawl out of the sand. Pushing through the sand, a hermit crab-like monster with arge conch on its backPugroider. With a body of about one meter in total length, and carrying a simrlyrge conch on its back, it looksrger than I thought now that Im facing it from the front.

    Red eyeballs protruding like tentacles red at me, and sharp fangs were lined up in the mouth below them. The reason why theres no visible monster around this coast is probably. I assessed the situation immediately, and before the five bodies could crawl out of the sandI started firing ARX-160. The magic stone hunt on thebyrinth ind began.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267

    Four days have passed since the start of magic stone hunting on thebyrinth ind. On the sandy beach set as thending point, I shot all the hermit crab monstersPugroiders, then invaded the forest and chased the dog-type monster Hellgaze while heading to the caldera.

    About 150 meters behind the map floating in my field of vision, a dot appeared along with heavy footsteps.

    Judging by the sound, its a me boar. Like the Elyman Boar, it uses its huge body to attack while knocking down shrubs. Even more troublesome is its special ability that seems to be a <Skill>. A burning me-like pattern wriggles and spreads mes as it rampages around.

    The me spreading on the shrubs might develop into forest fire. But thisbyrinth ind is not only inhabited by fire attributed monstersthere are water attributed monsters toothe water keeper and water fox also inhabit this ind.

    ording to the information I got from Sierra, I was advised not to hunt these two. Even inside thebyrinth, these two wont attack unless provoked. After they regained their beastly instinct, they remained as a passive species. It is said that these two types, Water keepers and Water Foxes, control forest fires and extinguish them.

    Even now, several small sounds can be heard following the me boar.

    The me Boar seemed to have noticed me and was heading straight towards me while knocking down the trees. Readying the ARX-160, I took a kneeling position directing the GLX-160 grenadeuncher attached to the ARX-160 under rail toward the me Boar.

    When I put my finger on the GLX trigger, the grenadeunchers parabolic trajectory was disyed in my field of vision.

    lets see.

    The moment I saw the red fur of the me Boar beyond the treesI aligned the trajectory with the me Boar and pulled the trigger. A 40mm NATO grenade was ejected with a sound of popping out air, speeding right toward the me boar andnded right on its head.

    Explosive mes erupted with the sound of an explosion, and the me Boars roar resoundedHowever, it wasnt a weak beast that could be killed with just one shot. I slid the GLXs barrel forward to eject the spent shell, and reloaded it with another 40mm NATO from the pouch on my waist. Sliding the barrel backI pulled the trigger once more.

    The second shot managed to stagger the me Boar, through its thick fur

    Switching to the ARX-160 trigger, I waved the crosshair around the me boar front legs and started spraying bullets.

    Fighting in close range with a me Boar is extremely dangerous. I couldnt grasp the range of the scattered me, and it may end up burning my avatar costume. The me may burn me, but as long as its not an attack that would kill me outright, I would be able to recoverpletely after a while with my natural healing ability.

    However, it would be an unnecessary expense to burn the costumes in every battle. So I decided to stop its charge, shoot through its legs to block its movement, and kill it from a safe distance.

    I kept shooting at its head and mouth, which I believed to be its vital points, until the dot that represented the me boar disappeared from my map. All the while making adjustments so as not to overkill.

    When the me Boars dot disappeared, multiple others approached, aiming at the corpsethe fire fox and the water fox. Its purpose is to eat the mes scattered by the me Boar and its huge body itself. I can leave the cleanup to them, but before that, I need to collect the magic stone.

    Afterpleting the fifth days hunting, I returned to the base I had created on the Labyrinth Ind. Nheless, using therge hole in the rocky mountain opened by the monsters magic attack during the battle, I created a space inside where support vehicles such as LVTP-5 and Continental could be summonedactually, scoops and so on. I just expanded and shaved with explosives.

    In the midst of this, I rested my mind while taking a meal break, and obtained a temporary peace of mind away from the fight for life.

    How is it going over there?

    In addition to the area around Amar, the mining town of Britra, and the mountain city of Baleira, the general guild of the three cities has issued a request for monster hunting and continues to be vignt. What about Labyrinth Ind?

    The Continental was summoned inside the hole in the rocky mountain, the entrance was hidden using fallen trees, vines, and mat rolls taken from arge shopping center. Now Im talking to Ashley, who is in Amar at the moment, on my cell phone while drinking a soft drink in the living space.

    There are monsters roaming around at a frequencyparable to the loweryers of thebyrinth. Most of them are high-ranking fire-attribute species, and theyre allrge.

    Can you manage?

    I think its not a problem for now. Because each individual is a superior species, they dont flock, so theyre hunting safely at a distance. Of course, its not like theres no problem

    In reality, a group of Hellgaze approached me before I could kill one of them, so I had to end the battle as quickly as possible, collect the magic stones, and leave the area.

    Hellgaze is a dog-type monster whose whole body is engulfed in mes, but it could not be killed with regr gunfire. I expected it to be the same undead type as skeletons and zombies, but since it was covered in mes, the position of the core magic stone could not be determined even in FLIR mode.

    If its a normal adventurer party, they probably deal with it with water attribute magic and magic tools, which are the Hellgazes weak points, but even if you look at the current equipment and firearms lined up in the SHOP, there are no cheap and effective weapons. If I encounter one, Im going to run away.

    For the time being, it can be defeated by blowing everything away with C4 explosives or RPG-7, but the magic stones will be blown away somewhere without being able to collect them, and the consumption of CP crystal points is ridiculous. In addition, there were many of them because they formed a group, making them the most troublesome opponents.

    Hellgaze is a monster ssified as an astral type even among the undead. Ghosts and wraiths are also mentioned in the discovery reports, but weak point attribute magic attacks are said to be effective in defeating them. However

    Yeah, thats a no for me. Thats why I run away when I encounter it. Is there any other effective means to kill it?

    Hmm, some adventurers use weapons with a wide-hitting surface to knock out the magic stones in their torso, but they need special weapons.

    I guess thats the only way.

    I also thought of this method. The undead moves with magic stones as their core. If you somehow separate the body from the core, at that stage the undead will revert back to a corpse. However, in Hellgazes case, the location of the magic stone is unknown. But if you have a weapon that could cover the whole thing, knowing the location bes unnecessaryI dont have that kind of weapon.

    If there is another way Blow it away with a shock wave Skill?

    Thats impossible too.

    I sunk my body into the sofa, looking up at the ceiling before covering my eyes.

    Fufu, then you have no choice but to run away. Dont get caught

    Ill do that Well, its time to go back to hunting. There are also monsters that only appear at night.

    Im d we talked. I shall be waiting for your next call.

    Yeah, me too. Ill contact you again. Bye.

    After finishing the call, I finished my soft drink and left the Continental again.

    Hellgaze also be more active at night. Since its body is engulfed in mes, its approach can be seen even from a distance. There are many ways to kill it, but this time its meaningless to collect magic stones.

    Now then, lets resume the magic stone hunt while chasing each other

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268

    Subscribe to Patreon? ;3 /BurningFeathers

    Also, if you know any interesting series, Im down to look at it.

    _______________________________________________________________________

    Thick clouds covered the night sky of thebyrinth ind. It rains a lot on this ind, noit might be a regional feature, but the ce was hit by squalls several times over the past five days. Thanks to that, Hellgaze can be easily scattered, so its not all that bad, but the poor visibility caused by the squall reduces the efficiency of hunting. As a countermeasure against rain, I took out a new hooded jacket from my avatar costume so that I would be fine even if I was hit by a squall at any time.

    Proceeding in the darkness without a single starlight, I had the ARX-160 equipped with a silencer and a tactical light. I had also switched to Night Vision mode, so the amount of light offered by the tactical light attached to the side of the barrel should be good enough for the operation.

    The whole field of vision was covered in greenish white, and I could distinguish between the sound of insects sitting in the shade of the trees, the rustling of grass and trees in the wind, and the footsteps of magic beasts.

    gotcha.

    I can tell the weight and speed from the sound of footsteps, and the sound of chewing something. It belongs to weak monsters that are forced to eat dead meat and fruits under the cover of darknessit was definitely a night rat.

    Night rats are cowardly monsters. It senses the magical power of other monsters and adventurers, and runs away if approached. However, since I am aMagicless, I can hunt without being noticed by its sensing ability.

    Furthermore, this night rats tail was prized as the finest fur material, and in the information I bought from Sierra, there was a scribbled request that she will purchase all of the tails if the hunt was sessful.

    A night rat living in the natural world rarely produces magic stones, and it would be difficult to obtain the materials in thebyrinth. However, if it is a monster that has been materialized in the natural world by the rampaging stampede of thebyrinth, it is possible to obtain both magic stones and materials.

    It is understandable that hunting methods using intentional rampage have be a tradition in the Filtonia Inds. As long as it is properly managed, the range of damage caused by the rampage can be confined to a single ind, and moreover, arge amount of magic stones and materials can be obtained.

    I reduced the amount of light from the tactical light down to the minimum amount of light necessary for NV mode to move through the bush. Hide my presence, suppress the bloodlust, and close the distance without making a sound.

    The disy range of the map is 150 meters in radius. At the veryst minute, I found three night rats eating something.

    What are they eating?

    The night rats fur color is a striped pattern of ck and glossy white hair, but in my green-white tinted field of vision, it looks just green. The three night rats are chewing on white humanoids. I havent found any traces of adventurers other than me havingnded so far, but if they arent demi-humansthats what it means.

    First, I lined the crosshair to one of the night rats, then aimed down at sight and connected the front sight, crosshairs, with the night rats head. I pulled the trigger, slid the crosshairs before checking the impact, and shot the second and third in rapid session.

    A 5.45 x 39mm bullet sped toward the night rats body with only the slightest air noise emitted by the silencer. The dot that was floating at the edge of the map disappearedI was convinced that it was killed, so I slowly approached to collect the tail and magicI stopped just shy of their position.

    Eh?

    The humanoid that Nightrat was chewing onthere is no doubt about it, but something is wrong. When I returned my vision from NV mode to normal mode and looked at it again with only the light from the tactical light.

    its simply white skinned, but its not human.

    The humanoid had pure white skin from top to bottomnot to mention, the lower half of its body didnt even have genitalia. I thought that its clothes and armor had been devoured by Night Rat, but there was no such wreckage around.

    Its neither human nor elf is it a kind of demihuman? However, in the information Sierra gave me, theres no mention about this white-skinned demihuman. Its highly possible that its a not-yet known type of demihuman, but other than the skin color, it looks normalthe hair, the red blood dripping from its wounds, and bitten off tailbeastmen.

    When I turned the tactical light to its head, I found that half of its face had already been eaten and was in a messed up state. I could barely make out its face. No, to be more precise, I was able to tell who it was because I recognized its face.

    This faceno way.

    That pure white-skinned beastman had the same face as the cat-eared giant, one of the trio I saw all over the Kingdom of Kurtmerga. Since theres a big man with cat ears, does that mean theres also a mouse face and a roon dog face? With that in mind, I looked around and found scattered pieces of meat left behind in the shadows of the nts.

    Which one has a mouse face and which one has a tanuki face?

    I no longer had the mentalposure to carefully cut off the night rats tail. When the corpse was thrown into the inventory, a number of dots appeared on the map in sight.

    When I turned my gaze in that direction, the other side of the trees was dimly shining pale light. HellgazesI returned my gaze to the white cat-eared big man for a moment, and immediately reced the ARX-160s magazine.

    The moment I turned around to move, a drop of water fell on the tip of my nose.

    Is it raining?

    The water droplets that began to fall quickly turned into a squall in the blink of an eye, further worsening the visibility that had already been shrouded in darkness. However, it also hid me from the HellgazesI put on the hood of my jacket and moved to another ce.

    Theres something on thisbyrinth ind No, there definitely is.

    I switched my vision to NV mode and ran through the green-white world again. If something exists, it can only be thought of as abyrinth. The target is the center of the caldera, the ce where the entrance to thebyrinth is said to be.

    By the time the calderas rocky surface came into view, the squall had weakened to a drizzle. I hid myself at the boundary between the forest and the calderas rocky surface and observed my surroundings. Its the first time Ive made it this far. I have to reconfirm the information about the monsters and prepare for an unexpected encounter.

    A number of dots were already floating on the map, but due to the drizzle, it was not possible to see very far. Its not as bad as the sea fog, but its necessary to proceed with caution. Holding the ARX-160 with both hands, I set it in the low-ready position with the muzzle slightly lowered and passed through the forest.

    There is still some distance to the top of the caldera, but there arerge rock masses and uneven rock surfaces, making it difficult to clear safely. Since collecting magic stones is my primary goal, I intended to kill as many dots as I can while moving forward, but if I cant take a preemptive approach, I may end up in an unexpected crisis.

    For that reason, I have to instantly grasp the location with my eyes, not just the dots in the map and sounds. Thus I get into a shooting stance.

    I moved towards the four dots floating on the map. ording to the information, the monsters living around the caldera should be me lizards. A lizard-shaped monster with a body length of more than 1 meter, covered in brown scales that resembles the surface of a rock. At night, it hides among the rocks and stops moving, and when its prey approaches, it turns red with mes inside its body and emits a high temperature as it attacks.

    If all four dots were me lizards, the moment I thought that it would be a suitable ce for an ambush, I heard a sound that sounded like something had been smashed.

    it disappeared.

    One of the four dots disappeared. I approached the remaining three dots to about 30 meters, leaned my back on a rock big enough to hide my body, and peeked ahead.

    Thats

    What I saw was the white-skinned beastman I found earlier. And this one was no corpse, as its standing and alivethree of them. Furthermore, there were several burning humanoid corpses lying around.

    A big man with cat ears, a mouse face and a roon dog face. None of the three were wearing clothes, and they were looking down at arge lizard that looked like a me lizard, with their pure white skin exposed.

    A rock the size of a drum was pummeled into the head of the giant lizard. From there, I knew immediately what caused the crunching sound from earlier. That white trio are hunting monsters. Moreover, there are many with the same face. With a lifeless expression and a mouth that opens as if it forgot to close, its like a living doll.

    The hand holding the ARX-160s grip tightened. Should I attack and eliminate them now? No matter how I look at it, its not human, and I dont think its controlled by humans. It would be more correct to see them as a kind of monster, but then what about the trio that I met in Kurtmerga? Are they the same thing?

    Unanswered questions flooded in, and when I couldnt decide what to do next-the cat-eared big man removed the rock, and the mouse-faced and roon-faced trio began to lift the giant lizard.

    Are they going to carry it somewhere?

    As expected, the trio walked towards the center of the caldera while carrying the giant lizard.

    I had no choice but to give chase.

    The answer to what that thing is might be just beyond thereno, it must be. Thinking so, I chased after the trio.

 FPS

    FPS

    I noticed something when I was chasing a trio of pale-skinned humanoids heading to the center of the caldera carrying a me lizard. The trio climbed straight up the caldera, but another me Lizard on the map showed no reaction.

    If the me lizards ecology is as per the information, it should react to magic other than from its own kind and attack. In my case, theyre unable to perceive my magic power because I am a magicless. This same w also exists in the Night Rat.

    But I dont think those three are magicless, yet the lizards werent attacking themwhats going on here? After chasing the trio while maintaining a sufficient distance, the other side of the summit began to enter the range of the sound collecting sensor.

    What I heard was the sound of footsteps walking on two legs, and theres a lot of themsomethings not right. I stopped chasing, took out the RQ-11 Raven unmanned reconnaissance aircraft from my inventory, and flew it high into the sky. First, lock in to the me Lizard that the trio carries.

    With this, a red frame will be disyed in my field of vision to inform me of the locked-on items location, and I can always check where it will be carried.

    Overtaking the trio, I looked down inside the caldera from above to find the owner of the footsteps.

    The inside of the caldera was covered in more greenery than the outside. However, if I switch to FLIR (infrared thermography) mode, the camera will capture the heat source and disy it in red. From the gaps between the branches and leaves, I could see arge amount of red heat sources wriggling.

    What a number

    Switching to NV mode, I confirmed my suspicion. Wriggling in the caldera were the pale-skinned humanoids, and not just one or two of them. Continuing recon while circling Raven around the area, I made screenshot images from the video feed the Raven provided.

    .withdraw.

    The number of pale-skinned humanoids was beyondprehension. If I go inside the caldera, I will be surrounded instantly. Escape is possible if I shoot them all down, but I dont know if it is even possible to collect magic stones from them. Theyre not monsters, nor are they ordinary demihuman. I didnt even know if they originally belonged to thebyrinthno, I can only think that theyre not part of thebyrinth.

    I need more information. Return to Big Ship to find out more about the pale-skinned humanoids. Besides, all this made me curious about those three that I saw at the dock.

    After retrieving the Raven and returning to the rocky mountain base, I summoned LVTP-5 with a magic formation that connects to Big Ship, and transported back to the rental warehouse. I wanted to start collecting information as soon as possible, but the time was still before dawn. The Big Ship should still be shrouded in deep darkness, and no one would be awake to see me.

    Besides, since the information I got from Sierra didnt mention anything about the pale-skinned humanoids, I might not be able to get any information about them at all.

    I set up another set of teleportation magic circles in the rental warehouse, and this time teleported to the Marida Company trading ship anchored in Amar coast. Even when I returned to Amar, it was still midnight. There are still a few days left until the date and time for the next liaison meeting, but I will put out each attribute magic stone that I have collected so far in the hold.

    After that, by dawn, we will review the battles on thebyrinth ind so far, how to efficiently kill the monsters that I have encountered so far, and scrutinize for advantageous positioning on the ind. and the next morning. In front of the entrance of the Zephanel residence, I caught Ashley and Chancellor Zephanel on their way to themand post of the Amar escort fleet.

    Schwartz!

    Morning, Ashley.

    So, you came back so early, did something happen?

    Yes, actually theres something that I would like the Chancellor to see

    Ashley headed to themand post because there was a morning meeting that couldnt be missed, but the Chancellor made time to hear what I had to say. In the mansions salon I essed the TSS, let it visible in midair, and showed the screenshot of the pale-skinned humanoids I had taken from thebyrinth ind.

    what kindof Skill is this? No, putting that aside

    Chancellor Zephanell sank into the sofa in the salon, and while poking the screen monitor floating in front of her with her thin, white fingertips, she traced the image of the unknown humanoid on the screen.

    I cannot see their faces well because its too small in the picture, but you are saying that you have seen these faces often in Kurtmerga?

    About thatyou can magnify the image by moving your finger like this.

    Wow, it really erges!

    Chancellor Zephanell was amused and dexterously scaled the image, using her fingertips to confirm each individual pale-skinned humanoid, but her curious smile gradually faded and her eyes narrowed slightly as she began to speak.

    Still Its a story from before the founding of Kurtmerga

    Chancellor Zephanel and the Founding Kings party were traveling to abyrinth created on a certain coastline. However, what they saw there was a herd of monsters attacking thebyrinth. A single monster took up a position in front of thebyrinth, sent many of its followers into thebyrinth, and attacked the living creatures of the natural worldpeople and animals.

    Arge insect-type monsterEmpress Ant. Later, it was a monster that would be designated as the first first-ss threat in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga.

    The Empress Ant is arge ant-type monster, but its characteristic is its erged abdomen that makes it impossible to walk independently. In addition to taking in people, animals, demi-humans, and monsters as nutrients, it reproduces their abilities and appearances to the eggs itys. This spawning ability is the only ability of the Empress Ant, and apart from this, it does not even havebat abilities.

    However, thervae that are created are the greatest means of attack, and in addition to thervaes original abilities, they possess the ability to duplicate nutrients, giving them a certain amount of freedom and releasing themthe purpose is to secure food.

    Empress Ants are monsters with voracious appetites. Even if limited to what Chancellor Zephanel knew, some had managed to devour cities and evenbyrinths. Incorporating manyrge magic stone dungeon cores, it continued to grow by evolving its existence as a species.

    Then, are you saying that these pale-skinned humanoids are its offspring?

    They have simr characteristicsTheservae are just as troublesome as the Empress Ant. Using a skill called Mimicry, they can disguise themselves. The odor emanating from their body causes those around them to see and hear hallucinations, making their prey let their guard down.

    Disguisethemselves?

    Yes, they can. That man, as you might expect, was not affected by the mimicry, so he was able to chase thervae away but thats it. We didnt know where they escaped 300 years have passed since then.

    Their hallucination inducing body odor was imbued with magic power. Therefore, the mimicry didnt work for me and the Founding King, as were both Magicless.

    From the beginning, I knew from several encounters that the trio looked like someone I knew. I could have predicted that there would be some form of magic power working there, butI didnt think it was a being created by a monster.

    However I have seen the same face as this monster many times in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, but are they also juveniles? They are not white though?

    That can be exined easily. Unlike the puppets of the Empress Ant, thervae have a certain degree of willpower. And while repeatedly hunting to bring food to their parents, it will eventually evolve into an adult if that happens, it will gain freedom as an individual and leave the nest.

    I wonder whyall those characteristics of the Empress Ant, strangely simr tobyrinth

    Thats rightthat is the most annoying thing about it. They move in search of food and flee when they sense danger. And then theyy down thervae all over the ce and devour them.

    The entire body of the juvenile is white, and it seems that it doesnt change whether it takes the shape of a humanoid or a monster. However, when it bes an adult, its color changes. The Chancellors prediction is that the trio that I saw in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga were the already evolved adults.

    The actions of adults who have gained freedom were mostly based on thest actions they took. Those who hunted in thebyrinth became an adventurer, those who were guarding the Empress Ant became an escort, and those who were bait for hunting became a gluttonous eater. The trio, who were monsters that could live longer than humans or beastkin, were probably unconsciously pursuing this set of motives.

    Having obtained good information about the pale-skinned humanoids, I immediately returned to thebyrinth ind to confirm it. I have an idea of where to lookthebyrinth that should exist in the center of the calderaits probably hiding in the Caldera Labyrinth.

    It is necessary to hunt them downthe Empress Ant is only a hindrance to the smooth collection of magic stones that I nned to do.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270

    Kay: if you know any good romance novels, send them my way. I have the cheesey romance bug again.

    ___________________________________________________

    After hearing from Chancellor Zephanel about the identity of the pale-skinned humanoids the Empress Ant and itsrvae, I immediately returned to the Labyrinth Ind from Amar.

    On the way, I went to the dock in Big Ship, the ship city, and tried to find out if the trio were still there, but they were nowhere to be seen. I tried to talk to the sailor who was working, but it seems that he saw a trio of vagrant people, not a trio of pale-skinned humanoids.

    The vagrant was probably a juvenile, but it seems that the trio had also gone somewhere. I gave up on the search and moved back to the rocky mountain base I made on thebyrinth ind, but as soon as I left the base, I felt a sense of incongruity.

    .whos there?

    The sound sensor picked up the faint noise. Besides, I heard a high-pitched sound of hitting wood.

    I went in the direction where I could hear the sound and went up to a hill with a good view while watching out for thervae. There, I saw a sailing ship floating on the coastline. The course was the opposite direction to Labyrinth Ind. Was it returning to Big Ship? In other words, someone was dropped off on thebyrinth ind

    In order not to irritate the overflowing monsters around thebyrinth ind, it is basically forbidden to approach the nearby sea. Still, there are adventurers and explorers like me whond in with the goal of getting rich quickly. That sailing ship must have carried such a daredevil up here.

    In the direction of the murmuringas I approached the coastline, I found several men who appeared to be sailors a little further inside from the sandy beach.

    Several small boats were washed up on the beach, and sailors were carrying out the wooden boxes that were piled up there.

    All of the sailors had bodies that had been trained like strong warriors, and I could see them carrying many weapons with them. Apparently, the work of these sailors is not only to set up the campsite, but also to hunt on thebyrinth ind.

    The armed sailors were looking for something while tapping the beach with long sticks. Are they wary of pugroids? The hermit crab monster could be easily identified by the sound of digging on the sandy beach, so it was a pretty tasty monster as prey.

    They got carried away and hunted in a wide area while advancing along the coastline, hunting almost all the pugroids that lived on the sandy beach near thending point. Hiding in the bushes and watching the mens movements, I took note that the leaders were three people wearing deep hoods.

    Their number made me involuntarily think, are they the juveniles? But through the scope I used, I could see their faces under the hood.

    They arenot.

    Hidden under the deep hood was a face different from that of the Empress Antsrvae. In fact, the person is not even a beastkin, just a regr human who seemed to be younger than the trio I knew. I could only see the face of one of them, but I imagined the two would be different as well. The three men in the deep hood had the sailors build a simple house, a protective fence, and a small building that looks like a hut.

    Are they nning to catch something on thisbyrinth ind?

    If their goal is the same as mine, hunting magic stones, then theyll bepetitorsbut I cant just kick them out of thebyrinth ind. If I could at least find out their fighting strength and range of action, I would avoid them and work hard on my hunt, as I move to confirm the location of the Empress Ant.

    If possible, I dont want others to know that Im here. It should be the same on the other side. If they were foundnding on thebyrinth ind, they will be punished by the lord of Big Ship. Even if I dont feel like it, there is a possibility that it will develop into a silence due to fear of being discovered.

    By the way, should I change my appearance to Jonah by avatar customization? No, if they find me then things will devolve into a battle. I should keep myself from being found instead after all what is that?

    The sailors and the hoods were carrying thestrge cargo while keeping a close watch on their surroundings. But its not a crate or a packing bagits an egg. Its size is about two meters. The color is a clear light blue like ice yes, its translucent. A white object was floating in the center of the egg, and a glistening blue liquid resembling capiries was circting around it.

    The translucent egg was carefully transported and ced inside the newly built fence that looked like a breeding hut.

    Are those men going to hatch that egg here?

    For half a day after I first discovered them, I continued to monitor the mens movements. Im also curious about the Empress Ant, but its hard to take action until I can clearly see the purpose of these men. Moreover.

    A hooded man came out from a simple log house. The man was holding a bag that looked like a tool bag and walked towards the transparent egg. And thenthey put their hand in the bag, took out a stone that looked like a magic stone, and threw it into the egg.

    Its like feeding. The thrown magic stone slowly sinks into the egg and dissolves while bubbling as it is digested inside. Each time, the egg flickered in rich colors and shone as if it were happy.

    The reason why I was watching for half a day was that I was worried about the eggs reaction. The hooded manes out of the log house every hour and throws magic stones into the eggs. It was clear that he was nurturing it up.

    Armed sailors also form parties and set out from camps surrounded by protective fences to hunt monsters in the surrounding. I tried to track them down, but even if they hunted monsters, they only collected magic stones and ignored the materials.

    An ordinary adventurer or explorer would not ignore those materials as they can sell for good money. I think its wasteful that they ignore the materials, but its obvious that their goal was purely collecting magic stones.

    When the chasing party returned to the campsite, I eavesdropped on the voices of the other sailors discussing the results of the search

    How was it?

    There are no monsters at all. Its useless if you dont go deeper.

    thats strange. There arent any Pugroiders, so maybe there are other adventurers on the ind, or maybe theres a superior species lurking nearby.

    It might be quicker to go directly to the crater Ill tell you. You guys should re-explore the surroundings.

    They must be nning to redo the search around the campsite-if they continue like this, theyll find me, so I slowly retreated and left the campsite.

    While moving through the shrub forest, I organized what I saw and heard at the beach campsite. Those sailors were hired by the three Hoods. The purpose is to hunt magic stones on thebyrinth ind, and it is to feed the mysterious egg they brought inso far its easy to read.

    Then what is the purpose of the three hoods? What are they going to do with the egg once it hatches?

    I dont know if that egg belonged to a monster or a natural animal, but I guess theyre treating it like pets or something

    When I thought about it, an idea ran through my mind

    An ordinary manunknown eggpetraisingthe fellow system. No, but why are they here?

    The true identity of the hooded trio, one of whom is probably the Eighth Prince of the Drak Royal family, Zagir? The remaining two are either guards or direct retainers. I dont know what kind of egg that egg is, but if you n to enve the baby that was born and make it a pet, its a reason to raise it.

    The Kingdom of Drak chose the path of bing a vassal state of the Viceburn Empire, and in response to that Imperial Order, the Royal bloodline pedigree skill holders went south. The information was brought in by the 17th Princess Cortine, who ran away from the Drak Royal family. It was thought that the target was the Kingdom of Kurtmerga. But turns out, they crossed the sea andnded on abyrinth ind.

    However, this is just my guess. If theres any way to be sureits the real face.

    It seems that Prince Zagir and Princess Cortine, Coty, look alike. I got a glimpse of the true face of one of the three, but he was a middle-aged man who waspletely different from Coty. I need to check the faces of the remaining two, and if they look like Coty, that man must be Prince Zagir.

    I stopped and leaned my back on one of the shrubs to think about my next move. The movement of the Drak Royal family is the movement of the Viceburn empire. The Rafflesia, which caused a rebellion in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, was also connected to the Empire. The rebellion was ousted, but the ringleaders Kilik and Felix are still out there.

    The territorial expansion of the Viceburn Empire will not stop. The Imperial decree to the Drak Royal family may not have been a direct attack on the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, but they may have been ordered to gain power for further use.

    Thena lot of adventurers and general guild staff are moving around Amar in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga. I asked about the progress before Ashley went to work at themand post, but they didnt even find Prince Zagir. Is it necessary to confirm whether the movement is a waste of effort, even in the sense of deciding it?

    Empress Ant, thervae, and arge number of armed sailors under Drak Royal family employment. Even though I came to thebyrinth ind to focus on magic stone hunting. I let out a sigh at the appearance of obstacles one after another. I looked at the map floating in my field of vision, confirmed the sailors party, and returned to the sandy beach campsite.

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