Chapter 14 - The Enemies on the First Layer
The first layer of the Labyrinth of No Return.
This is a long, wide passage that stretches from left to right and seems to be about ten meters wide. The ceiling is about four meters high.
The walls are carved with intricate emblems, and candestick are lit at even intervals. If only it had a red carpet, it would look like the inside of some castle. I was told that it was a maze, but it was a little different.
「Okay, we'll go from the left.」
Alec instructed.
It seems there are no monsters here yet.
「「「 Roger that 」」」
The cobblestone pathway was clean, flat, and easy to walk on. Lily was illuminating it with a magic lantern, but even without it, we could see all the way to the other side.
「It's a little different from what I expected, isn't it?」
I said.
「Yeah, I was imagining a maze like the west tower, too.」
Ione seems to have thought the same thing.
「Well, it's just a little further and it'll be a normal maze. Where did you guys come from?」
The adventurer from earlier asked us as we walked in the same direction. It's a gray-haired man with a blue bandana wrapped around his head. His equipment is not that good, with leather armor and a dagger. He has dog ears, just like Meena.
「We're from Vernia.」
Alec didn't say anything, so I answered.
「Hee~, The East huh. I came here three years ago from the southwestern kingdom of Portiana. I'm still at the C rank, but take care of me, bro.」
「Yeah, it's nice to meet you.」
After about a hundred meters of straight passageway, I turned to the right along the road, and it seemed to be a normal maze from here on. Even so, the passage was quite wide, about four meters wide.
After a short walk, Alec stopped.
「You can go ahead.」
「Oops, don't be so cautious. I was just trying to see if my junior colleague, who was a beginner, could handle it well. I don't have any other intentions.」
The man with the dog ears said, and the female warrior in the party interrupted him.
「I thought it would be something like that anyway, but Ralph, don't be so meddlesome. They're not the kind of people you want to mess up in one layer, no matter how you look at it. They've even got dog ears.」
They're all wearing blue bandanas, as if for good luck.
「I know, but there's a way for them to fight.」
「So, once we show you how to fight, you'll go away, right?」
Alec confirms.
「Yeah. You seem to be annoyed with us, and well, the first time is always a nervous. We'll see how you fight, and if you're okay with it, we'll leave you alone.」
Ralph said kindly.
「Hey, Ralph, how's it going?」
As we were talking, another party passed by.
「Same old, same old. We're still stuck on the third layer.」
「Kehh, you guys would have been fine on the fifth layer, but I like that. See ya.」
「Yeah!」
『You're no good, Serina-san, don't hesitate to use [Appraisal!] and [Description!] here!』
『Ehh?』
For some reason, Heruko only appraised Ralph.
〈Name〉 Ralph 〈Age〉 28 〈Level〉 36
〈Class〉 Thief 〈Race〉 Dog-eared 〈Gender〉 Male
〈HP〉 372/372
〈Status〉 Healthy
【Description】
An adventurer from Portiana.
His personality is friendly and sometimes active.
Yeah, he's got a friendly personality.
「That's fine. Now, follow me a little further.」
「All right, buddy.」
Alec said, and Ralph replied with a pleasant smile.
We proceeded to the first layer of the Labyrinth of No Return.
「The formation is Nene in the middle. You don't have to be in the front.」
「Y-yes.」
「Don't worry. We'll be here.」
Nene seems a little nervous, so I'll talk to her.
「Yeah, that's right. Well, you wait and see how the rest of us work.」
「Yes, sir!」
「We'll get a look at the enemy here.」
「「「Roger」」」
「Master, I smell goblins from the left. Their numbers are multiple.」
Meena, who's walking in the lead, tells us.
「Alright, then, let's head to the left. Nene, you don't have to do anything, just observe for now」
「Y-yes.」
As we turned left down the passage, we could see the goblins straight ahead.
They noticed us, too. Gehh! Gehh! They shouted and drew their swords.
They were armed with armor, but they looked basically the same as the goblins in the west tower.
「There are five of them!」
I used the [Enemy Counter] to figure out the total number of enemies. There are three enemies in the vanguard and two in the rear. One of them has a bow and arrow as its weapon.
To prevent Nene from being targeted by the archer, I quickly cut in front of her. Meena and Ione also stepped forward.
If it's a goblin――
「「「 Gyaaa! 」」」
「Easy peasy!」
「We can go! Master.」
「Looks like you're okay.」
「Okay, just hold on... hmm?」
I thought Alec was going to tell us to take them down as they were, but he got stuck in mid-sentence.
One of the goblins in the rear guard was standing upright with its eyes closed, and he seemed to notice that it looked different from the others.
「Don't kill that one that's not moving. Bow first.」
「Roger that.」
I dodged the goblin's arrow and took down the archer.
「Hey, maybe you know what you're doing, but it going to attack you, too.」
Ralph says from behind. It's to see what's going on, so Alec raises his hand to signal him to shut up.
For twenty seconds, we waited, doing nothing, until finally the last goblin turned to attack.
「Gah gah gah! Gars!」
A goblin in a robe stretched out its hand toward us, and a small fist-sized fireball flew from it
Wow, goblins use magic too, don't they?
Alec grabbed the fireball with his left hand without avoiding it. What? Are you okay?
「Alec!」
「Ouch, ouch. Damage is 6 HP. That's not much. We can take it down.」
Your hand seems to have turned a little red, but with that kind of damage, it's nothing to worry about.
「What, is that it? Is magic so weak?」
I say, easily putting away the last one.
「No, goblins' magic is weak, but there are also things like "Specters" in this dungeon. You should think of them as exceptions.」
Ralph warned me with a knowing look.
「Yeah. But that's enough, right?」
「Yeah, that's right. You seem to be protecting your own party, and I'm sorry, I was wrong.」
Then Ralph waved his hand and went on his way.
「Fufu, looks like you've been accepted.」
I said, and Alec snorted unhappily.
「I don't need him to tell me how to fight. Then we'll level up here.」
「「「 Roger 」」」
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