Rising Life Volume 1, Chapter 44

Episode 44 Despicable Challenger I

　It was early in the morning when Kian returned to the Pig's Foot Pavilion from the monastery.

　He returned to his room in time to see the adventurers in the other rooms, who were just beginning to wake up, and attached a letter to his crow's feet and sent it to Serena.

　In the letter, he wrote that he had obtained the cooperation of Arueno and that they would meet in front of the monastery on the outskirts of town this evening.

　Serena could read and write, as he recall, so this should not be a problem.

　If anything happened, she would visit the Pig's Foot Pavilion.

　With that in mind, he jumped into bed and closed his eyes.

　Of course, he kept his glasses on.

　The glasses were saying something, but he ignored it and let his consciousness sink into the darkness, and after a few seconds, he fell asleep.

　And so it goes.

　The next time he woke up was at twilight.

「Hmm......」

(Just in time...)

　Kian raised his upper body from the bed and stretched.

　His room at the Pig's Foot Pavilion was filled with orange light.

　The smell of supper soup wafted in from outside the window.

『You're up?』

「Yeah.」

　Nodding at the sound of his glasses, Kian picked up the water bottle he had left on his desk.

　He opened the lid and stir up the water inside.

「...... I feel like I'm kind of screwed up. My days and nights are reversed.」

『What's wrong with that?』

「All of them.」

　He answered and got up from the bed.

　The floor creaks a little.

　Outside the window, he could see the stores on the main street, which were about to start thriving.

　Kian rested his elbows on the window sill and squinted down at the view below.

「This is a common occurrence in this profession. Especially when you're on an expedition to a distant hunting ground, it's almost impossible to be active while the sun is out.」

『The night is good. It's quieter, there's more elegance, the air is cooler and clearer, and everyone is asleep, so you can walk outside.』

「Plus everyone is asleep, so I don't have to worry about meeting anyone when I walk outside. ...... Maybe I don't like people.」

　The murmur dissolves and fades away in the bustle of the evening.

　He did not say it to his glasses, but it came out of his mouth as if to confirm it to himself.

　Kian spent some time observing the adventurers coming and going along the main street until his brain awakened.

　Elves, dwarves, beastmen, and humans.

　Occasionally, brown-skinned humans and desert elves, who appeared to be visitors from Azrair, would rush toward the stalls as if pressed for time.

(Even if I were to die here and now, those who come and go below would probably greet tomorrow with a nonchalant look on their faces. My existence will disappear into the void of time without leaving a trace in anyone's mind. ......)

　If it were Jibril or Sara, I'm sure there would be a big house-wide funeral, and the whole town's gatekeepers might be in mourning for a while.

　Not in the least that it will leave no claw marks on this world.

(Can I rise? Where am I going from here?)

　Kian asked himself as he raised himself from the window sill.

『A great future. As long as you are with me, you will eventually become the top of your race.』

「In order to reach such a future, you must first tell me where the ancient equipment that lies in the 『Rose Labyrinth』 is. Once I have the equipment, I will be able to become even stronger.」

　Kian replied and picked up his backpack from beside his bed.

「It's time to go. Time to get dressed and leave the inn. If I complete this quest, I will almost certainly be promoted to an 8th-class adventurer.」

　　×　　×　　×

　It was about half an hour after he had jumped out the window onto the main street so as not to disturb Esther.

　Kian was heading north up a familiar farm road toward the abbey.

　The undulating terrain and vineyards came into view, and soon the curiously shaped building of the monastery came into view.

　There were already two figures in front of the building.

　One was Serena.

　The other was Arueno.

　Serena was wearing her usual light leather armor, shorts, and leather boots that covered her thighs.

　Arueno was wearing the Western Church's battle uniform.

　White cloth armor and white pants.

　Inside, she seemed to be wearing chain mail, which made her usually thin silhouette look a little bulky.

　As for weapons.

　While Serena carried only one longsword at her waist, Arueno carried multiple weapons on her back.

　They seemed to be held together by sturdy-looking leather holders.

　Her weapons included a long sword as tall as he was, a short spear of about the same length, and an iron staff with a large white jewel on it.

　Kian could feel tremendous magic power from each of these weapons.

　Perhaps it was a Magic Sword or a Divine Sword.

(I'm finally starting to wonder what Arueno-san is.)

『Say, Kian. Why don't you ask her if she can sell you either a sword or a spear?』

(That's ridiculous. It looks like a dangerous piece of equipment. It would be more practical to buy the entire staff of the Pig's Foot Pavilion.)

　After replying to the glasses, Kian smiled at the two women who were waiting at the entrance.

「Good evening, Arueno-san, Serena. From the looks of it, you've already introduced yourselves.」

「What does it mean that the introducer is late? You should come earlier.」

「Ufufu, good evening, Kian-kun. I didn't expect your companion to be such a pretty girl.」

　Serena looks grumpy, and Arueno is smiling as usual.

　Kian looked at the two of them alternately.

「I had to carefully check my equipment. Serena, you wouldn't want the weapons of those who fight shoulder-to-shoulder with you to be poorly cared for, would you?」

「From what I see of your armament, it looks like there is no care or anything.」

「...... Kian-kun, are you going on a quest dressed like that?」

　Even the smiling Arueno frowned at Kian's appearance from top to bottom.

　She was mainly looking at the wooden sword on his back and the two clubs on his waist.

「As I told Serena, the monsters that appear in 『Rose Labyrinth』 are ghosts such as Rain Wraiths and Night Wraiths. Physical attacks won't do any damage to them.」

「I'm really sorry about that. I haven't been able to get the magic language re-carved due to lack of money.」

　Serena said with her dog ears down.

　Her words were more than apologetic; they were filled with frustration.

　For a woman whose raison d'etre is to fight, it must be humiliating to have to do nothing more than hold a torch and act as a light bearer.

　She muttered in a small voice, "If only I could use magic a little ......."

　Arueno let out a sigh.

「It can't be helped. ...... If you have any extra weapons that you can handle, I have these two. I'll lend them to you.」

　She pulled out of her backpack a dagger made of silver and a small white branch. The branch was probably a staff, with a magic language engraved inside, and the magic power inside it would activate on its own if you put magic power into it.

　It was not that expensive, and some mid-level adventurers and above were using it, but Kian and Serena could not afford it even if they wanted it.

「The dagger is made of silver and can cut through ghosts and undead monsters. It is a work of art made by elves, but it might break if it cuts through hard bone or if it strikes against a steel sword. This white branch, which looks like sugar candy, can release a mass of magic power that can dispel the evil spirits of the departed. However, the magic in the branch will not be activated unless magic power is put into it.」

「I appreciate the offer very much, but ......, this equipment alone looks very expensive. Who the hell are you?」

　Serena gave a slightly wary glance to the elf sister.

　Her light blue eyes were shimmering in the evening darkness as if probing.

　But Arueno, with an air of nonchalance, simply replies, "If you live long enough, you will have enough money".

「Serena, stop prying. Arueno-san is a goddess, the incarnation of beauty and kindness. Isn't that enough?」

「I've been thinking that sometimes I don't understand what Kian is saying.」

「Ufufufufu. A woman has many secrets. Now, you two talk and take whichever one you like. No fighting.」

「I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need it. Serena, you're going to use them both. It will probably strengthen your forces the most.」

　When Kian said that, Serena raised her eyebrows.

「Are you insane? Are you going to swing that club against a ghost?」

「I am the vanguard, the one who lights the way. Besides, I can at least drive away the ghosts by applying pine tar to my wooden sword. Nothing wrong with that.」

「There's a big problem! What are you going to do when you're alone in the maze? Kian-kun, you might have to fight the ghosts.」

「In that case...I will use the 『Art of Spirit Absorption』」[TLN: 吸精 can also be translated as Art of Semen Sucking/Absorb]

　Kian answered shortly to Arueno, who raised her eyebrows and worried.

「Ah ......」

「Absorption......?」

　The elf sister looks dumbfounded, and the silver wolf girl tilts her head.

『I guess. You have sucked a tremendous amount of magic power from the High Elf magician there. You can even twist the magic resistance of your opponent and suck the magic power out of them without having sexual intercourse.」

(The magic power balance would be negative, though. Because the magic power used to break through magic resistance will certainly be greater. .....But it's so much magic power that I don't even know how many bathtubs it would take to fill it. I should use it as much as I can.)

「Serena, watch this for a minute.」

　Kian said and picked up a spider that was crawling on the ground at his feet.

　The spider, perhaps sensing something disturbing, bit Kian's hand.

　But it did no damage to his skin, which had been reinforced.

　While Serena watched with furrowed brows, Kian held up his hand to the spider.

　With a "zooo" sound.

　Something like white steam rises from the spider's body.

　This is the life force.

　The spider writhed as if to scream.

　It must be desperately resisting the sensation of its life being sucked out of it.

　Kian does not relax his hand, but rather releases more magic power from his hand, forcibly breaking through the spider's magic resistance.

　Incidentally.

　A creature with reason and intelligence would be mentally beaten when this magic resistance is broken through. Magic resistance can be replaced with mental resistance for humans.

「Wha......」

　Serena, who had come up close to Kian, opens her eyes.

　The spider that had been sucking its magic power finally stopped moving, turned on its back, and squeezed its legs together.

　It was dead.

　All of its energy had been sucked out, and the spider was no longer a living thing.

「Umu ......, it's not so good after all」

　Kian licks his lips and gives his impressions.

　He drops the spider carcass to the ground and pampers his hands with it.

　The poor insect, which had broken off, tumbled into the grass, blown by the evening breeze.

「W-What did you do!?」

「I sucked the life out of that spider」.

「Sucked the life ...... out of it?」

　Serena asks back with wide eyes.

　He thought she might be frightened, but it seems she is simply surprised.

「It is the magic of the lost vampire.」

　Arueno explained in a quiet voice from behind Serena.

　She continued.

「Simply put, it is the opposite of recovery magic. Recovery magic sends magic power to the target to make it heal by infusing it with life force, right? The opposite. You've connected the paths and forcibly sucked the life force out of the person you're trying to heal.」

「That's ...... ridiculous. This is just like the instant death magic in the stories.」

　Serena muttered and turned her sticky eyes on Kian.

　Kian shrugs.

「Unfortunately, this is not the same as the 『Playing Instant Death Spells』 that children play for fun. I can't cast spells on those with high magic resistance, and I'm exhausted. I can't absorb all of the life force from a person with a large amount of magic power like Serena or Arueno-san. It's a flawed technique in its current state.」

「Still, it's amazing. With an earth spear or a wind blade, you can stop it with a sword or avoid it with a step ― but this one has killed you just by looking at it, just by turning its murderous intention(?). I couldn't even read the signs of its activation, and a mere swordsman with no knowledge of it would be unable to resist. They would be killed while trying to close the gap by swinging their sword. ...... Apparently, I have to revise my opinion of you again」

　Serena concluded and her eyes became stern.

「What? You can't party with someone who uses this kind of crazy magic?」

「Don't worry, that's not what I meant.」

「Then what do you mean?」

「It's a long story, so I'm prioritizing the quest for now. I'll talk to you later.」

「I see. I hope it's a good story for me.」

「I wonder. ....... I'm the one who's asking.」

「Hmm?」

「So, we can assume that Serena will be using both pieces of equipment, right?」

　Arueno forcefully broke the conversation by comparing Kian and Serena's faces.

　She had a smiling face on her beautiful face, but today the atmosphere was somewhat intimidating.

「Yes, I don't mind. Excuse me, but could you lend it to me?」

「Thank you, Arueno-san. I'll use it carefully.」

「You don't have to use it carefully. Put your life first, even if you're using it roughly. If your weapon breaks, that's when it breaks.」

　Arueno handed the dagger and staff to Serena with a serious look on her face.

　Serena took them with both hands and nodded.

「Yes. But if I break it, I'll never be able to pay for it. ......」

「I'm sure you'll be able to get it back with your work then. I'm also a herbalist, so come to the workshop at night for a part-time job. I think you can pay me back in two months.」

「Thank you for everything.」

　Serena said, politely bending her back.

　Arueno looked down at the girl with a complicated face. In a whisper, she muttered that she had to stop her childish attitude.

「......, It's okay, Serena-san. I don't hate a cute and polite girl like you. Well then, I'll be your temporary member for the day, but let's get to know each other.」

「It's nice to meet you too.」

「Now then. Is that enough of a greeting? Arueno-san, do you need to say anything about the dangerous weapon on your back, or any precautions?」

「Oh, this? It's fine for me to use, so don't worry about it.」

「Roger that. We'll try to avoid touching it as much as possible.」

「I'd appreciate it if you would.」

　When Arueno said that, Kian nodded one.

　He also looked at Serena's face, but she didn't seem to have anything in particular to say at this point.

　Kian flipped on the Coat of 『Twilight』 and gave the order.

「Let's go, then. Horses have already been arranged. Arueno-san, please ride behind me.」

　　×　　×　　×

　At a training stable outside of town, the group picked up the horses they had borrowed since yesterday and began to move.

　It took two hours from the East End to reach the 『Rose Labyrinth』 by horseback.

　By the time they arrived at the 『Rose Labyrinth』, which took twice as long as usual, the sun had already set.

　Fortunately, the moon was bright tonight.

　The three dismounted from their horses in the field in front of the labyrinth and took out their rain gear.

「I'll put up some wards to keep the beasts away.」

　Arueno, fully clothed in her raincoat, began to chant a spell as the howling of wolves echoed in the distance. Soon a pale blue circle appeared around the two grazing horses.

「Holly branches on wedges」

　Arueno said and thrust a branch with spiky leaves on the line of the circle.

　When she was finished, she turned to Kian and Serena.

「Okay, let's go.」

「Amazing ......」

　The Elven sister laughed at Serena, who let out a small exclamation.

「Anyone can do this kind of thing with practice. If you have the will to practice it.」

「Is this magic of the elves to ward off beasts?」

　Kian asked, and Arueno shook her head.

「Druidic ritual magic. When I was young, I was fascinated by ritual magic and traveled around the continent, compiling oral traditions of magic from all over the world. I even had a qualification as an adventurer, though it has since expired.」

「I've never heard of it」

「Because I never told you.」

「Kian's selection was the best.」

　Serena said quietly.

「I'm glad this person joined us. I don't think there would have been a million people more likely to come than Arueno-san even if we had recruited someone in the guild.」

「Ufufu, I'm kind of tickled to be praised so much. But you can judge whether or not it was a good idea to hire me after you break the labyrinth's wards.」

「I believe in you, Arueno-san. ....... Let's go. It's nighttime. We must watch out not only for ghosts but also for beasts.」

「Hmm」「Right」

　The three of them nodded to each other and started walking.

　The sky soon became overcast and the smell of rain began to fill their nostrils.

　The moon in the sky was hidden and the vision was all darkness.

　Serena and Arueno have no problem in the darkness because of their race, but Kian, a human, needs a flame.

　He lights a torch and holds it in front of him as a weapon.

　The darkness brightened a little, and he could see the dead grass under his feet swaying in the damp wind.

「............」「―――」「............」

　They proceeded in silence for a dozen minutes.

　The sound of water droplets falling on the rain gear worn by the group began to echo.

　It's raining.

　Kian saw his breath turning white.

　The drops of water on his face were cold.

　It's like ice.

「I'll raise the temperature.」

　Arueno's voice.

　The air around him immediately becomes warmer.

　It is probably the magic of molecular motion control.

　She is using advanced magic without chanting and continuously.

　Without a doubt, this High Elf Sister is a magician of the very highest order.

「I won't let the rain dissipate. This cloud, it's called forth by a powerful curse.」

「A curse? This rain, it was some kind of curse. ...... I mean, if there was no curse, does that mean you can manipulate the weather?」

「Like I said, I have a little knowledge of ritual magic. It's a little tricky, but relatively easy.」

「Is ...... that right?」

「I'm about to lose track of you, Arueno-san. But even if you are a terrible evil witch, you are still a kind and beautiful goddess to me!」

「Arueno-san, is Kian always like this in front of you?」

「Huh? I don't know. ....... Kian-kun is usually very shy and doesn't give me compliments like this, but maybe he is nervous before a battle. Kian-kun, relax.」

　Arueno smiles, clenching her fists tightly in front of her chest.

　Kian happened to be looking back so he could catch a glimpse of her adorable figure.

『Ha, you old hag, you're trying too hard』

「Beautiful ......」

「He's emotionally unstable.」

　Serena muttered with a disgusted look in her eyes.

　Arueno chuckled, then looked forward and tightened her expression.

「We can see it, The 『Rose Labyrinth』」

　Just as she said, there was a black shadow that seemed to rise up in the darkness of the night.

　It was a wall made of roses.

　Several meters high, it stretched endlessly from east to west.

「I still don't see the ghost.」

「That's because we are not invited in the true sense of the word.」

　Arueno said and stepped forward one by one, slipping past Serena and Kian.

　Kian quickly lined up beside her and held the torch in front of her.

　In front of her is a stunning wall of plants with black roses in bloom.

「Thank you....... I'll check it out in a bit.」

　Arueno said and began to touch the black roses to see how they felt.

　She bent down in place or stood up and shifted a little to the side.

　Kian held up the torch the whole time.

　Serena checked to see if there were any openings in the walls, and at the same time, she kept a patrol on the perimeter.

　After a while, Arueno left the rose wall.

　Serena, who was looking for the entrance, also returned.

「We're going to take my time with the capture of the labyrinth, so if you could just give me a brief personal observation for today, that would be sufficient.」

「No, Kian-kun. I understand most of it. ...... First of all, this labyrinth, it's alive. ...... there's something in the back.」

　Arueno's green eyes narrowed as she said this.

「What is it?」

　The sister shook her head at Serena's question.

「I can't foresee the details, but it's probably a ghost. A powerful evil spirit. The guardian of this place was supposed to have been defeated more than ten years ago, but what does this mean.....?」

「So the Lord of the labyrinth――『Lyanancy』, is still alive in the back.」

「I don't know if it's 『Lyanancy』 or not, but there is an evil spirit in the back. I don't know how big it is or how strong the haunting is, but the labyrinth's wards are preventing me from seeing it.」

「――――」「…………」

「So, there are two kinds of wards in this labyrinth. One is very old and powerful. The other is not old, but it is very strong, almost like a grudge. The origin of the wards is from one evil spirit and the other from this rain. To skip the complicated explanation and just conclude ― first, by stopping the rain, you weaken the curse of the labyrinth and draw out the evil spirits. And only by defeating the evil spirit will it be possible to break the powerful illusionary and self-healing magic that hangs over the labyrinth.」

「...... I see. But when you say stop the rain, this rain isn't normal rain, and you can't manipulate the weather, right?」

「Good question. It is impossible to break the curse of rainfall by brute force. You need to know why it started raining in this labyrinth and then solve it.」

「Hmm.....What do you mean by that? Isn't it the evil spirit in the back that is making it rain with a curse ......?」

　While Serena was getting a difficult look on her face, Kian, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, had an idea.

　Arueno told Kian a story in the bedroom about a party to defeat 『Lyanancy』 more than a decade ago.

「Serena, I heard that this rain was not the first rain that fell in the 『Rose Labyrinth』. There was a party of adventurers who went to defeat the master of this labyrinth more than ten years ago―」

「It has been raining here ever since the day the leader of the adventurer party returned from defeating the master of the labyrinth, 『Lyanancy』.」

　Following what Kian had said, Arueno said.

「......The cause of the rain is definitely the incident of defeating 『Lyanancy』 more than a decade ago. To break the curse of the rain, we first need to know exactly what happened more than a decade ago. We should go back to the city and talk to the people involved. This curse is based on the intense craving and desire of the person who cast it. If we can satisfy the caster's craving and desire, there is a good chance we can break the curse with a ritual.」

「So, to sum up, there are two types of wards in this labyrinth, and the procedure is to weaken the curse-type wards to draw out the evil spirit, and then destroy the wards that form the basis of the labyrinth by defeating the evil spirit.」

「Yes, that's correct. In order to draw out the evil spirit, it is necessary to break the curse-type ward. To do this, we need to find the cause of the rain that is the starting point of the warding. So now we need to go back to the city and visit the man who defeated 『Lyanancy』 more than a decade ago. I believe he is still alive. If we can get him to tell us what happened here in the past, we will be able to find the magician who created the cursed ward, and we will be able to get a better understanding of what happened―We may know what the evil spirit is craving.」

「If we know what the evil spirit is craving, we can weaken the curse by satisfying it ― is that what you are saying?」

　Serena asked, looking alternately at Kian and Arueno.

「There's no problem with that understanding. It's complicated, but to put it simply―, if we can get rid of the unresolved feelings left by the evil spirits, the first ward will be lifted and we will be able to fight the evil spirits ― that's what I'm saying.」

「I'd like to avoid fighting evil spirits as much as possible. ......」

　When Kian said this with a reluctant face, Arueno shook his head.

「If we don't defeat the evil spirits, we won't be able to search for treasure in the labyrinth. It's too dangerous. We should subdue the evil spirit and break the second ward, and then go on another treasure hunt.」

「I see. Then we have no choice. So, the person who defeated 『Lyanancy』 is...」

　　Who is it ― Kian was about to ask when Serena and Arueno looked behind Kian at almost the same time.

「...... That's...」

「Oh my, a group of people? What are they doing here ...... at this hour of the night?」

　The two muttered, and Kian looked behind him.

　Then he saw nearly twenty figures walking toward him from the wilderness.

　There is a clatter and a noisy clatter of iron.

　They were armed.

　In addition, they were wearing black raincoats sold at the guild store.

　They were adventurers.

「............」

　Kian turned to them.

　The group of nearly twenty men and women were all familiar faces.

　Adventurers from the lowest to the lowest ranks ―

　They were not a very admirable group of people with whom Kian had hung out a few times.

　They were the kind of people who killed people and monopolized requests with impunity.

　As he recall, the guild had just rounded up several adventurers who, like Kian, were supposed to have been fired from the guilds.

「Yesterday's beastmen.」

　Serena was standing right next to Kian, her hand on the hilt of her longsword, muttering to herself.

　She looked to see the two canine beastmen who had been watching Kian and the others yesterday, standing among the group.

「What's all this fuss about? What do you want from me?」

　The group members were all staring at Kian, so he raised his voice on behalf of the three of them.

　Then the man in the front of the group spoke up.

「What sort of business do we have? One man trying to steal a march isn't going to get you anywhere, you 『Garbage Scavenger』!」

「What are you talking about? Stealing a march?」

　Kian raised his eyebrows.

　The woman standing beside him with her arms crossed raised her voice.

「Ha, you're a lucky guy! You think we won't notice that you're cheating, earning points, and trying to save yourself!?」

「Points――you mean guild points?」

「That's right!」

　The man barked.

　The beastman who had been watching Kian and Serena yesterday stepped forward.

　He had lost his right arm.

「Everyone gets cut off by the guild and sent to the mines or the Great Ice Wall. So why are you the only one who hunts Griffins and Spoon Wings to save points!? You're just trying to save yourself!」

「Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about.」

　Kian says this while stopping Serena, who is about to draw her sword.

「You're just the same as we are!」

「You monopolized a lot of the guild's requests! You should have monopolized them so we wouldn't find out(?)! Because of you, we're being judged! You sent us to the coal mine!」

　The one-armed beastie snarled, baring his canine teeth.

「We're all avengers, 『Garbage Scavenger』!」

「That's right! It's a duel!」

　The man in the lead shouted and took a piece of paper out of his pocket and threw it at Kian.

　It was the official dueling book of the Adventurers' Guild.

　If both parties to the duel signed it, they would be allowed to kill each other.

　The nearly 20 adventurers present at the scene pulled the document out of their pockets one after another.

　Kian's brow furrowed at the bizarre sight.

「......You look like you don't know what's going on!」

　At that moment, a familiar voice interrupted the murmur of the adventurers.

　The group of adventurers lined up in front of Kian split in two.

　Emerging from among them was.

　Funnelwing, a handsome cat-haired swordsman.

　The delinquent monk Roses-Pitt.

　And Francisca, a flamboyant blonde female magician.

　Funnel Wing, in the lead, twisted his mouth into a grin and took out his dueling papers like the others.

「9th-class adventurer Kian! Tonight, all of us will judge you! It's a duel! Twenty-three against you, let's kill each other!」

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