Chapter 19 Are You Okay With This?
It had been a week since I went drinking with Lion, and I was now at the [Seal Temple], where the entrance to [God's Remains Labyrinth] was located.
This time, I wasn't going to explore the labyrinth alone like I usually did. Instead, I was going to form a party and clear the floors from 1 to 45 with them. And to make things more complicated, I had 4 people to protect.
Needless to say, this was going to be a very tough journey.
The explorers gathered here were all famous in Necronia, and they were drawing attention from other explorers who were about to venture into the labyrinth.
"Is that... the Sword Saint?"
"There's even the Sage and the Hermit!"
"Whoa, it's the Iron Wall Alliance! They look amazing!"
"I've never seen the Sword Dance Maiden up close like this..."
"Who's the other guy?"
"Wait, isn't he from the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫?"
"No way, are those people from the [Four Great Families of the Seals]?"
"What? Seriously? Why are they here?"
Many people seemed to have noticed that we were from the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫. They were whispering to each other, casting sidelong glances at us, and creating a faint buzz.
We were currently inside the [Seal Temple].
The [Seal Temple] had a massive structure with numerous pillars arranged in a circle, topped with a dome-shaped roof. The scale was enormous, with the pillars forming a circle with a diameter of at least 300 meters.
Inside, the floor was made of a material that resembled polished marble, but it was unclear what it was really made of. At the very least, it wasn't marble.
And at the center of the [Seal Temple] was the entrance to [God's Remains Labyrinth].
That sight was a massive vertical hole, 50 meters (≈164 feet) in diameter, with a spiral staircase built along its walls. Anyone who wanted to descend to the first layer had to go down this staircase.
Looking down from the top of the hole, I could see a complex and intricate magic array spread out to seal the hole. This was the divine barrier maintained by the [Seal Temple] and the [Four Great Families of the Seals], and it was impossible for monsters to pass through.
However, anyone who wasn't a monster could pass through.
The official entrance and exit of the labyrinth was this massive vertical hole, but there were other ways to enter and exit the labyrinth besides this. Those were the teleportation circles, which were magic arrays set up on the floor inside the [Seal Temple], on the east and west sides of the hole.
The teleportation circle on the east side transferred people to the inside of the labyrinth, while the one on the west side allowed people to return from the labyrinth to the outside.
Using the teleportation circle would save one from having to climb down the long staircase, but that wasn't an option today. That's because the teleportation circle required user registration at the destination teleportation circle inside the labyrinth.
Right now, there were still people who hadn't registered at the 6th floor's teleportation circle, so the teleportation circle couldn't be used.
"Alright, everyone, are you ready?"
"""Yeah!"""
"""I'm good!"""
Logan looked around at the gathered explorers and their escorts, confirming their readiness.
Each of us explorers, including myself, nodded or responded to Logan's question.
By the way, the explorers gathered for this labyrinth conquest expedition, dubbed the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫, were as follows:
≪Sword Saint≫ Logan Abrams.
≪Sage≫ Io Suleiman.
≪Hermit≫ Ail Hermit.
These 3 people were once party members who conquered the 45th floor and reached the 46th floor, legendary explorers. Despite being in their mid-40s, they show no signs of aging.
Io is a man who holds the Unique Job of "Sage," capable of controlling all attributes of magic except for spatial magic. He wears a white robe with golden embroidery and wields a long staff called the "Sacred Tree." He has a gentle face and appears to be a kind man.
Ail is a scout with the Unique Job of "Hidden One," exceling in stealth and assassination techniques. He is dressed in black attire, and his skin is tanned from being out in the sun. His short, trimmed hair has a mix of white, giving it a grayish appearance. Although he looks older than Logan and Io, his body is as tough as steel, evident even under his clothes.
Logan's former party had 6 members, but 3 of them died during the 45th floor's guardian battle. That's also the reason why Logan and the others retired from active duty.
There are 8 explorers remaining, excluding Logan and the others. Among them, 2 are me and Fiona.
The other 6 are expert explorers from the party "Iron Wall Alliance." They are also one of the few teams that have broken through the 40th floor, with a unique formation of 3 shield-type Unique Jobs.
During our journey, we'll have the "Iron Wall Alliance" focus on guarding the protectees, while Logan and the 5 of us will take the lead in defeating monsters and advancing.
By the way, the leader of the "Iron Wall Alliance" is a man named Garon Gasterk, who is around the same age as me. The other members are all in their early twenties, with 4 men and 2 women.
These 11 explorers will work together to protect the 4 protectees and aim for the 45th floor.
――And now, about the protectees.
"Ugh, I'm expected to be protected, but I have to hide in this hole... it's so frustrating."
A refined young man with silver hair, who looks like a noble, lets out a sigh of frustration.
Kyle Aron, 18 years old. He's the 4th son of the Aron family and is known in Necronia as a prodigal son.
"Ah, ah, I don't wanna die... I don't wanna go...!"
The one with tears welling up in her eyes, looking scared, is 16-year-old Chloe Caduceus. With her long black hair tied up in a single braid and glasses perched on her nose, she gives off a mature atmosphere.
Originally from a branch family of the Caduceus, she was adopted into the main house due to her strong [Four Great Families of the Seals] blood.
"I was forbidden from entering the labyrinth by Father. And now that I can finally fight monsters... my blood is boiling!!"
The one who's eager to fight despite being protected is Ryan Gridavor, 17 years old.
With his red hair cut short and his large build, he's a hot-blooded young man. The third son of the Gridavor family, a lineage of magicians that dates back to ancient times, yet he's strangely obsessed with swordsmanship.
"Ryan, you're the one to protect, so you can't just go out and fight. Our job is to protect until we reach the 46th floor without doing anything unnecessary."
"But, Miss Eva! That means I can't fight at all!!"
"Don't fight, please."
The one warning Ryan with a pained expression is Eva Kirke, 22 years old. A woman with golden hair and golden eyes, and a bewitching figure, but today she's giving off a strange, hardworking aura.
Like the 3 mentioned earlier, Eva today is not dressed in a dress or a skirt, but in gear suitable for exploring the labyrinth.
Not that it's heavy armor, but rather a flexible outfit that allows for easy movement.
It's not necessary to explain again, but the 4 of them ―― Kyle, Chloe, Ryan, and Eva ―― are all from the [Four Great Families of the Seals], as evidenced by their golden irises.
The mission assigned to the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫ is to take these 4 mages to the 46th floor and have them set up a new teleportation circle... or so it is.
"Eva, are you okay with this?"
"Don't ask me, Fiona."
We're exploring the labyrinth while protecting non-combatants, which is something even Logan hasn't experienced before. On top of that, seeing 3 members of the [Four Great Families of the Seals], excluding Eva, makes us explorers uneasy ―― it's a unanimous feeling.
Fiona furrowed her brow and asked Eva, but Eva seemed unsure of the answer as well.
"But, lady. Are you okay with this?"
"What's wrong, Logan?"
Eva tilted her head in response to Logan's question.
"Of course, but considering the teleportation circle setup this time, the other 3 families sent people who aren't their next-in-line successors. We'll do our best, but anything can happen in the labyrinth. Wouldn't it be better for the Kirke family to send someone else instead of you, Miss?"
The other 3, excluding Eva, were not their families' next-in-line successors. To put it bluntly, they were people whose deaths wouldn't cause a big problem.
On the other hand, Eva was the top candidate to succeed as the next head of the Kirke family, and if she were to die, the family would be temporarily thrown into chaos.
Normally, Eva shouldn't be here. However――
"This time's teleportation circle setup and the establishment of the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫ were both initiated by my Kirke family. We can't show them that we're not serious or sincere."
Eva replied.
Well, in reality, there were other reasons, which Logan, I, and Fiona were all aware of. This conversation was just for show, meant to be heard by others.
We tried to gauge their reactions, but there was no one who overreacted or seemed suspicious.
It's not like we'd reveal our true intentions so easily, anyway.
Or maybe they really didn't know anything?
"Alright, then I won't say anything more."
Logan nodded in agreement.
"Well, it's about time we set off. For now, our goal is to reach the 21st floor in 3 days. The ≪Iron Wall Alliance≫ will focus on escorting the [Four Great Families of the Seals]. We'll take down the monster with a team of 6, including me. Sounds good?"
"Roger that!"
The ≪Iron Wall Alliance≫'s Garon and the others nodded like soldiers, and we ended up diving into the labyrinth.
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