Chapter 34

#34 Episode: The Tin Knight and the Mysterious Underground Labyrinth (3)

The next morning.

With the guarantee from Lorenz, the Tin Knight, Dorothea, and Adelheid were allowed to enter the labyrinth.

“Guild staff, you had such sour expressions until the end. Did you really dislike us entering so much?”

As they pulled the wagon along the narrow passage, Adel tilted her head. Even though it was a rather large wagon, she seemed unfazed and calm, likely a testament to her diligent physical training.

The first floor was completely empty, so there was no one to question why a noble lady was pulling such a wagon.

[“If the ‘Tin Knight’ dislikes you for no reason, then create a reason for them to dislike you!”]

“Uh, no, you don’t have to go that far.”

In response to the Tin Knight’s comment, Adel awkwardly laughed it off. She thought it was an overly radical theory.

But it wasn’t just Adel who heard the Tin Knight’s words.

“That’s right, it’s more reasonable to be disliked for a reason than for no reason at all. Good to hear you have some sensible thoughts for a change.”

Dorothea seemed quite fond of the Tin Knight’s suggestion. Well, honestly, it sounded like she was already intending to do that regardless of what the Tin Knight said.

Typically, Dorothea would knock some sense into the rampaging Tin Knight, but when the two teamed up, Adel found herself unable to intervene.

She cautiously asked, “So, specifically, what do you plan to do?”

“We’re going to sweep up the treasures inside the labyrinth.”

Dorothea replied nonchalantly.

“Isn’t that going to take too long? We’re short on numbers, and since we’re from different guilds, getting information might be difficult….”

Adel hesitated as she spoke, but surprisingly, Dorothea nodded along with her.

“Indeed, it’d be tough without any information.”

Dorothea lifted her wooden staff.

It was a fine piece made from high-quality wood purchased with the bounty she received from Franka, crafted over several days while it had been packed in the wagon.

“So, we’ll call for a guide.”

With a thud, as the tip of the staff struck the floor, a black wave spread out around them.

Thud, thud, thud.

Just like poking a hand in a puddle and making ripples, every time Dorothea’s staff hit the ground, her magical power spread throughout the labyrinth.

After about ten seconds of this.

From the ceiling, the walls, and the floor,

Black, mud-like substances began seeping out.

The sludgy, amorphous mass wriggled toward the group, evoking a primal sense of unease in those who saw it.

At that moment, Dorothea raised her left hand.

As if to swing something, she spun counterclockwise twice.

In the blink of an eye, a chain ring in Dorothea’s hand transformed into a cage.

Holding the cage with her thumb and middle finger, Dorothea gently tapped it with her index finger.

—Kooong.

It didn’t seem particularly strong, yet a heavy impact radiated out as if a massive bell had been struck.

It was not a simple sound but a tremor that seemed to resonate deep within the body.

As the muddy creatures halted their movements, Dorothea spoke up.

“Anyone who claims to know this maze inside and out, step into this cage. The reward is magical power—and a little peace.”

The mud creatures began to wriggle again.

In contrast to their earlier instinctive revulsion, they now seemed confused by the situation.

“Don’t want to? Then stay trapped in this labyrinth. Just so you know, the only reason you’ve recovered some basic cognitive ability is thanks to my magic and this cage. Without that, you’ll revert back to your original state—just mindlessly clinging to whoever you can find, not even knowing what you once were or what you wanted.”

Some of the mud creatures moved forward, wriggling.

Adel watched this scene with half-closed eyes.

Why was that?

The mud that had just moments ago inspired fear and a primal caution now seemed to resemble workers protesting against an unfair contract.

And the wicked boss—or rather, Dorothea—declared, “Five.”

The muddy creatures froze in place.

A question mark floated above their heads.

“Four.”

Regardless, Dorothea calmly continued her countdown.

Only then did the creatures seem to grasp the meaning, and they all started to panic.

“Three.”

The mud creatures desperately attempted to approach the cage, but their wriggling bodies moved agonizingly slow.

“Two.”

Finally, the souls began to shed the dark, murky parts that constituted their bodies, transforming into translucent wisps like will-o’-the-wisps and soaring into the air.

They all dove into Dorothea’s cage without a second thought.

“One.”

With a click, the door of the cage closed.

The souls, which had been flailing inside the narrow cage, soon merged into one, forming a human skull.

The skull began to sing.

《Witch! Ask anything! Great Witch!》

Ignoring the stunned Adel, the Tin Knight nodded along.

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ is impressed by the great Witch’s wickedly clever schemes!”]

“Shut it. It’s tough to manage when all these different thoughts mix together, so unless we have a relatively calm one to base things on, it’s going to be a hassle, okay? It’s not because I’m fond of it or anything; it’s a necessity.”

Dorothea forcefully countered.

Her voice was sharp, suggesting she felt a bit embarrassed by her explanation.

Adel stammered a question. “U-um, you collected those souls from inside the labyrinth, right? But they all merged into one—is that okay?”

“I’ve purged the accumulated grievances and curses, and once the cage’s effect wears off, the souls will separate automatically, so it’s fine. Once we’ve covered all the necessary points, I’ll release them under sunlight, and our contract will be complete. They’ll probably enjoy a bit of sunbathing before going their respective ways.”

After answering, Dorothea took out something that looked like a large cloth and covered the cage with it.

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ questions what that’s all about!”]

Dorothea raised an eyebrow, as if the question was absurd. “There are probably other adventurers around in these ruins. What do you think they’ll think if they see me carrying around a cage full of skulls?”

“……”

Both the Tin Knight and Adelheid—and even the temporary guide, the skull—shared the same thought.

Hadn’t they already surpassed an acceptable level for that?

Dorothea was as bizarre as ever, not caring where the line was drawn.

***

Adelheid was a girl who loved books.

Though she mainly read romance stories, due to her older brother’s influence, she had also read her fair share of adventure tales.

Among them were books related to labyrinths, describing the difficulties of exploring them in great detail.

The protagonists were constantly getting lost, falling into traps, and struggling with the threats of monsters, along with exhaustion of body and magical power.

Thus, when she heard their next destination was inside a labyrinth, Adelheid became quite tense.

Yes, she used to be tense.

《You must go right here! The other paths lead to dead ends or are filled with traps!》

《If you look in the wall crevice here, there’s a mechanism leading to a hidden room! While the treasure has already been looted, it’s a good spot to rest!》

《The monsters that appear on this level are weak to strong light. It would be great to have magical devices with flash spells, but those are expensive, so usually, it’s better to carry several torches around!》

《This place doesn’t have anything special! Originally, there were monsters roaming around, but adventurers launched a thorough extermination operation last time! Just walk through comfortably—》

– Kishaaan!

Rustle!

– Cough!

《…….》

“…Didn’t you just say it would be a comfort to walk through?”

《Long live the Witch! Long live the great Dorothea!》

As the monster was immediately smashed to bits in the Tin Knight’s grasp and the skull desperately flattered them to avoid the witch’s fierce gaze, Adelheid pondered.

Isn’t something a little off here?

Sure, it’s comfortable, but is this really okay for an exploration of a labyrinth?

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ marvels at how this is like an experiential attraction!”]

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ evaluates that if developed into a tourist spot, many people would flock here!”]

Since they were following the guidance of the skull, there was no chance of getting lost, and Dorothea used magic to light the way. The occasional monster appeared, but the Tin Knight mercilessly smashed it.

All Adel did was pull the wagon while following the two. There was no need to even draw a weapon.

Of course, the souls weren’t omnipotent, so there were times when they didn’t have information, but even that wasn’t a significant problem.

“There are a few nearby as well.”

Whenever Dorothea occasionally stopped and tapped the ground with her staff, new souls would appear in response.

There were those muddy souls they first saw, as well as relatively brighter-souled ones.

Dorothea proposed contracts to them as well, and the skull with new souls absorbed into it became more distinct, providing even more accurate information.

How much further had they gone?

“This layer has a pretty simple structure.”

The small dome-like floor had just three elements.

A staircase leading upwards.

A staircase leading downwards.

And a large door at the front.

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ assesses this as a boss room!”]

Having grown accustomed to the Tin Knight’s bizarre terminology, Adelheid agreed.

In the book she had read, it was customary for such meaningful spaces in a labyrinth to house powerful enemies threatening the protagonists or hidden treasure vaults.

On the gravestone next to the front door were some strange symbols written in a language Adel did not recognize.

“Witch, can you read this?”

“I don’t know.”

After responding, Dorothea shook the cage side to side.

The skull quickly opened its mouth.

《To those seeking treasure. Offer the giant centipede’s poisonous claw, the black knight’s sword, and the fairy’s wing powder in front of this stone to prove your valor. That’s what it says. Great Witch!》

“Well done.”

《An archeologist dispatched by the guild made an interpretation, and it was shared with guild members. Great Witch!》

“But there aren’t any signs the door opens or closes?”

《Adventurers exploring the maze have encountered those monsters, but the party that defeated the giant centipede and the party that defeated the black knight were originally on bad terms, so they refused to cooperate! As for the fairy, it hasn’t been discovered at all in this explored layer! So no one has been able to open it. Great Witch!》

“That’s kind of pathetic. Do such doors exist on other layers?”

《There’s one each on every fifth layer! Some got lucky and gathered the needed materials to secure the contents of the room inside, but more than half still haven’t been able to open them. Great Witch!》

“I see.”

A wicked smile formed on Dorothea’s face.

She approached the front door and caressed its surface.

“I can definitely feel the magic here. Naturally, if the door opens in reaction to specific materials, then that would make sense.”

Dorothea pulled out the ‘Opium Key’ from her pouch.

As Adel looked at the key, which was about the size of a finger, she expressed confusion.

“Are you planning to use that? But there’s no keyhole or anything.”

“It doesn’t matter. I studied it while carrying it around, and it’s not meant to be used that way.”

Like this, Dorothea brought the key close to the door.

Then, astonishingly, the key began to tremble and rose into the air.

Around the key, various geometric patterns began to materialize.

The intricate, tangled designs became clearer over time, and the moment all the patterns were organized perfectly,

Guugugugugu.

With a sound like moving a heavy stone, the previously closed door swung wide open, revealing the scenery beyond.

A solemn room.

At the center, there was a treasure chest.

While Adel was rendered speechless by its gleaming, Dorothea sneered.

“It’s funny, labyrinths really are bizarre. They set traps and monsters to prepare for uninvited guests, yet they also prepare rewards for those visitors. I just don’t get the purpose.”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that that’s how dungeons work!”]

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ proclaims it as the principle of the fantasy world!”]

“Ah, you love those principles of the world, don’t you? You always seem to find a way to slip in concepts like ‘principles’ or ‘divine will’ whenever you’re cornered and need to avoid a proper explanation. This structure has its reasons. Be it the creator’s twisted preferences or some necessity—whatever it is, what matters now isn’t that.”

Looking at Adel, or rather, at the wagon she was pulling, Dorothea stated.

“Load it.”

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