Rising Life Volume 1, Chapter 47

Episode 47 Quest: Obsidian to Rose II

　Kian followed Serena and jumped into the distortion of space.

　Francisca was following behind, holding Roses, whose body had become smaller.

　The moment he touched the distortion, a floating sensation hit his whole body as if he were falling from the sky.

　There was an illusion that his body was shrinking ― and within a second, Kian was on his feet on an abandoned farm road near the wilderness.

「Kian-kun!」

　Arueno rushes up to him as she passes Serena, who has made a spectacular landing.

　She raised the hood of her raincoat and began to touch Kian's body.

　She seems to be checking to see if there are any injuries.

「I'm fine, Arueno-san.」

「...... looks like it. But I was surprised. The wall of roses suddenly thickened and blocked my perception. The familiar I had released was also crushed――」

　Arueno cut off her words there.

　Her green eyes looked at Roses and Francisca, who were huddled together in an embrace.

「........Unfortunately, I could not save any lives except theirs. They both surrendered to me, so I protected them and healed them.」

「I see......」

　Arueno looked at them and raised an eyebrow.

　She exhaled thinly and shook her head loosely.

「You have no choice. They were trying to kill you. It's a sad ending...... though, it's probably better than being wiped out. Where are the bodies of the other kids?」

「The labyrinth ate them.」

「Oh, so that's why I didn't find any bodies.」

　Serena comes up beside Arueno and interjects.

　She looked over Kian's shoulder at Francisca and Roses with an indescribable look on her face.

　Before the fight, she had insisted that they should be killed, but after all, they were former party members.

　It shouldn't be that she has zero feelings for them.

　Serena looked down with a difficult expression on her face.

　Kian looked alternately at the two women, who had suddenly fallen silent.

「We must leave first. I'll explain as we go.」

　Kian changed the mood by saying in a firm tone.

　Arueno looked up and Serena nodded.

「You're right. The evil spirit is still alive, so it's dangerous to stay here.」

「I can't use transfer. If I use long-distance transfer, all sides will notice and scold me. I'm sorry, but you'll have to ride home, too.」

「Is there a horse that Funnelwing and the others rode on? If not, then I and Serena will have to share the ride, and Francisca and Roses-Pitt will have to ride too.」

「But first, we'd better worry about whether the horses we rode were killed.」

　Serena shrugs as she says this.

　She looked back toward the wilderness and wrinkled her nose.

「I can't smell them because of the rain, but I haven't heard the horses whinnying at all since a while ago. I think they've either been killed or, at best, turned away by the guild.」

「In that case, I'll make myself an impromptu golem. It won't be as fast as a horse, but it should be more efficient than carrying those ladies over there.」

「I'm sorry for troubling you, Arueno-san. I'm counting on you. ――Okay, then, we'll retreat as quickly as possible. We'll head back to the East End town......and head to 『Pig's Foot Pavilion』.」

「That's the inn where Kian is staying, right? As I recall, the place is located on Central Street ....... The one I'm staying at, 『Pumpkin Pie Pavilion』, is at the end of East End Street, so this one looks closer, right?」

　Kian shook his head at Serena's suggestion.

「We are going to talk to the members of the subjugation team from over a decade ago to break one of the wards, right?」

「That's right. The story almost blew my head off once when Funnelwing and others broke in.」

「I have an idea.........I caught a glimpse of a female evil spirit's face earlier on and that convinced me. That brown hair, that dainty good looks, she looked just like Esther. I can already see the truth of it somehow in my mind.」

「Esther?」

「That's the name of the signboard girl at the 『Pig's Foot Pavilion』. ――Arueno-san, this is a complete hunch, but could it be the man named Robert Pigfoot who defeated the boss of this labyrinth, 『Lyanancy』, more than ten years ago?」

「Yes, that's right, but ......」

　Arueno looks puzzled.

「You knew his name, Kian-kun. Or did you hear about him from someone else?」

「The owner of the 『Pig's Foot Pavilion』 where I'm staying is that Robert Pigfoot.」

「What ......, are you certain? I see......, I had heard that he ran a tavern after he quit his adventuring career,....... What a coincidence」

「Yes. I'm glad we can talk to him. If it had been someone I didn't know at all, it would have been very difficult just to talk to him.」

　Kian then looked toward the labyrinth.

　The dark rose walls were rippling with a thumping sound.

　The magic power seemed to be increasing.

「Anyway, let's go. It's not good to stand around here talking forever.」

　　×　　×　　×

　Unfortunately, both horses had been killed.

　Kian had no choice but to ask Francisca where the horses were parked, and to his surprise, she told him that they had come on foot. Apparently, they had no money and had set up a makeshift hideout in a nearby cave to guard the 『Rose Labyrinth』.

　As was the case with Griffin, Funnelwing has a tendency to allocate a great deal of effort in strange directions. Now that I think about it, his sensibilities were probably very different from those of the average person.

　Perhaps that is why he was able to raise the 『Falcon Clan』 to a mid-level party while making good use of Roses and Francisca.

　Anyway.

　Arueno created two golems instead of horses.

　They were nearly three-meter-tall gorilla-like dolls made of rock.

　To be honest, just one of them looked ten times stronger than the Funnelwing.

　Kian left Francisca and the others to Serena, while he rode with Arueno and the other one.

　They didn't waste any time moving.

　While in the golem's arms, Kian explained to Serena and Arueno what had happened in the labyrinth.

　Kian omitted the part about him killing all the adventurers and the part about Glasses saying something disturbing, but both of them listened to him silently and didn't really press the issue.

　The golem was ridden off back to the plains before the East End.

　Even now, the knights and guards are on edge looking for the missing Sophie.

　Riding into town with the golem was like asking the soldiers to get involved.

　The east drawbridge at the East End had already been raised, so Kian asked Arueno to make a Transfer Gate and they moved a short distance into the town.

　The transfer took them to a back alley on East Street.

　From the dark alleyway, they could see many drunken adventurers coming and going in front of East Street.

　It was evening when they left the town, and now it seemed that dinner time was just about over.

　Kian and the others parted with Francisca and Roses in the alleyway.

　They are unnecessary for the adventure ahead.

　Kian orders them to go home and depart from the alleyway first.

　Once the luggage was gone, Kian headed for the 『Pig's Foot Pavilion』 accompanied by Serena and Arueno.

　They passed through the dimly lit East Street to the brightly lit Central Street.

　Passing through the clothing stores on Central Street, they came to an area with many bars.

　Among them.

　Kian stopped in front of a small, neat store that was quite large and was packed to capacity even today.

「Here it is.」

「It's full. There are still customers in there.」

　Serena said as she peeked inside.

　Arueno, on the other hand, looked up at the magnificent sign of 『Pig's Foot Pavilion』 with her eyes slightly wide open.

「Is something wrong, Arueno-san?」

「Ah, no. ......」

　Arueno shook her head and smiled.

「Kian-kun, I've never seen the inn you live in before. You live in such a nice place. I think you live in a place more, you know ......」

「You think I live in a terrible place?」

「Oh ....... Uh, ......」

「Please don't give me that look. I am the one who was sold the medicine by Arueno-san at a very reasonable price. There's no way I could stay at such a nice inn under normal circumstances.」

「....Robert-kun, you were successful in running your business........Even though you were in such a wrecked state of mind that day,....... I knew the human race had a strong heart.」

　Arueno said and squinted dazzlingly.

「Let's go in. Follow me.」

　Kian said and stepped into the 『Pig's Foot Pavilion』.

　The hot, muggy air rushes in with the strong smell of alcohol.

　Kian approached the counter at the back, skilfully slipping past the drunken, frolicking adventurers so as not to hit them.

「Esther.」

「――Ah, Kian-san, welcome back ...... Huh, who are those people over there?」

　The pretty brown-haired waitress ―― Esther put down the glass she was polishing and looked up.

　Her hair, which she had pulled into her usual ponytail, swished in a twirl.

　Kian half-shifted his body and pointed at Serena and Arueno.

「The silver wolf tribe over here is called Serena. She is an adventurer and my companion. And this is Arueno-san, an ale inspector at a monastery on the outskirts of town.」

「Hello」

「Nice to meet you, I'm Arueno. I'm temporarily accompanying the party now. Pleased to meet you.」

「Ha, haa. ....... I'm Esther Pigfoot, the daughter of the manager of this tavern.」

　Esther looked at Serena and Arueno with round eyes, then looked down at her stomach wrapped in her serving clothes.

　Her bright smile darkens a bit, and she looks anxiously at Kian.

「Actually, I need to talk to you and Robert-san. It's something that's hard to talk about here, ah―.」

　Kian turns around and looks behind him at the adventurers who are having a drink.

「If you can cut out your work for a moment, I'd like to change places.」

「Ah, yes. That's fine. I'm done with the heavy work, and I just need to add a little bit of alcohol.」

「Well, then, I'm sorry.」

「It's fine. ――Melissa-chan! Sorry, I'm going to go somewhere for a minute, can you take my place?」

　Esther calls another waitress to take her place at the counter.

　She shakes her ponytail and comes out on the hall side.

「Is the location in the main house okay? I think my father would be in his room.」

「Thank you.」

「No problem.」

　Esther smiled faintly and then stole a glance at Serena and Arueno's faces, still looking anxious.

　Serena has a question mark on her head, and Arueno takes a casual step toward Kian.

　Kian pretended not to notice Esther and Arueno's stares and started walking toward the back door.

　　×　　×　　×

　When I entered Robert's bedroom, he was standing in front of a desk in the center of the room with an unhappy look on his face.

　On the desk were plates and mortars for various spices.

　A bowl of almond milk and a basket of oranges could also be seen on a chair beside it.

　It seemed that he was researching a new pastry.

「Hmm ......? Ah, Esther, huh. And Kian, too. Is the store closed?」

「Not yet, Dad. Kian and the others want to talk to me and Dad.」

　Esther said and moved her body to the back of the room.

　Kian walked through the doorway and Serena and Arueno entered behind him.

　Robert looked at Serena and raised his eyebrows, then looked at Arueno and his eyes widened.

「T-the "Magician of Thorns"!?」

「Robert-kun, please don't call me by that name. Call me Arueno.」

「.....! Ah, the fact that you came here, I knew it」

　Robert puts down the cinnamon mortar and backs away with a blue face.

　Esther watched her father anxiously.

　Kian stepped forward.

「Robert-san, I came here to talk to you about the defeat of 『Lyanancy』 more than ten years ago. Actually, my party is currently accepting quests in the 『Rose Labyrinth』.」

「Did that guy came back to life!?」

　Robert interrupted Kian and crowded into Kian's words.

　He smelled sweet cinnamon.

　He grabbed both of Kian's shoulders with his thick, bear-like arms.

「That guy ...... 『Lyanancy』 wasn't dead, was she!?」

「――――」

　Kian turned and looked at Serena and Arueno.

　They nodded at each other and turned their faces back to the bear man.

「You know something about that labyrinth, don't you? I'm sorry, but would you mind telling us the whole story from the beginning? Oh, I wonder if this time is all right with you, though?」

「There's all the time in the world! Kian, if you're willing to listen to me, that's an offer I can only hope for. I was even wondering if I should ask you to do a quest for me, though.」

「Come to think of it, you said something about that before.」

「Yeah, that day, I had a dream that I was called to the 『Rose Labyrinth』. I heard that guy's ...... "Lyanancy" voice ......」

「Um, I'll get you something to drink.」

　Esther, perhaps thinking she was the only outsider, said this and was about to leave the room.

　But before she could put her hand on the door handle, Robert's voice rang out.

「Wait, Esther. You stay here and listen. ...... You have the right to listen. I've been lying to you all this time.」

「Eh ......?」

「Esther.」

　Robert sat down on the back bed with a *poof*.

　His strong face was grim, and he looked like some kind of big, unfriendly bear doll sitting on the bed.

　He raised an eyebrow.

「Esther, it's about your mother, she didn't just leave home as if she evaporated. ...... It's the other way around. I ran away from her. On the contrary, the story that she later delivered you as a baby is completely false. ...... you were taken from her by me. I killed her.」

　　×　　×　　×

　Robert began to babble on and on over the sound of drunken adventurers making silly noises in the distance.

　The room seemed strangely quiet, despite the loud ambient noise.

「Seventeen years ago in the spring, I was an elite adventurer with an individual rank of 4th class and a party rank of 3rd class. It's hard to believe I'm saying this myself. Since there was no "monster" like Lynn, the hero of the "Order of the Lion," as there are now, I was very much valued by the guild. It was a daily occurrence that I was entrusted with dangerous quests from the top.」

　He continued.

「The owner of the request was a nobleman from the royal capital. They couldn't tell me his name, but I was told it was someone of high rank. His agent asked me to take care of the evil spirit in the 『Rose Labyrinth』. He wanted me to kill her and take her hair. After hearing the story firsthand in the guild's guest room, we set out immediately. However, the entrance to the 『Rose Labyrinth』 would not open, and even if we blew it up with explosives or burned it with oil, it would regenerate immediately. Our party couldn't even attempt the maze.」

「I can imagine that. That's how powerful the warding was hanging there.」

　Arueno muttered to herself.

　Robert nodded and opened his mouth again.

「Then it occurred to me. The North Wind and the Sun. If you try to force people to pull off their clothes, it won't work. 『Lyanancy』 is an evil spirit, but she is also intelligent and loves singing and the arts. I thought that if I wooed her fervently with a song, saying, "I love you, I want to meet you and talk to you," she would show her face. ...... I started studying old love letters at the library that day, and began frantically researching what makes a letter attractive to women, with the party members nearly shitting their pants in astonishment at my genius idea」

「Yep ......, hmm ......? Eh? Somehow, there's something wrong with this story.......?」

　Serena, who was listening with a serious face, tilted her head in the middle of the story.

　If she says it's strange, it all seems strange.

　The idea of sending a love letter to a monster is strange, and the passion with which he even goes to the library to study is also strange. But perhaps the strangest of all is the fact that this bear-like muscle man was writing a love note for the beautiful evil spirit 『Lyanancy』.

　It is almost impossible to imagine him sitting at his desk, moistening the tip of his quill with his tongue and sighing languidly for the text of his love letter.

　Kian and the others were all puzzled.

　But it was a serious matter.

　Robert spins the rest of the story.

「Even my friends laughed at me. You're an idiot. But I had studied love letters so much, it was like I had mastered the art. Two weeks later, I was able to write the most romantic love letter that would make a noblewoman blush, and I gave it to 『Lyanancy』. I dipped the letter in cologne, added a pretty flower, and delivered it to the 『Rose Labyrinth』. Then ...... half a day later, the entrance to the labyrinth suddenly opened, and the letter was gone.」

　Robert let out a deep sigh.

　He licked his lips and shook his head.

「Here was where the tragedy began. ...... 『Lyanancy』 wasn't someone we could defeat.」

　Robert looked up at Kian.

「Our party was.......helplessly beaten by her and the hordes of ghosts she brought with her. There were too many of them, but she was even more powerful. The vanguard, with its low magic resistance, could not even move, and the magicians in the rear guard suddenly found themselves in the firing line」

「Is it the Art of Spirit Absorption?」

「Yeah, it seems to be the magic of the lost vampire. I've been studying love letters so much that I neglected to do some research on the most important enemy of all......and in the end, I ended up wiping out my entire crew」

　Robert rubbed both cheeks and covered his face with his hands.

　He sniffled, and Esther, who had been listening in silence, fearfully urged him to continue.

「But then why is Dad still alive?」

「...... She kept me alive.」

　Robert looked up.

「All my friends were miserably sucked to death. But only I was saved by that guy. ...... I was too serious about my love letter. 『Lyanancy』 had read my love letters and had fallen in love with me. She was convinced that I loved her.」

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