Chapter 268: One Party Left
After that, we continued smoothly and sent a party to the glasses. One group returned safely, while two others did not. And on the twenty-fourth layer, we caught another group.
The one that returned safely had their fire extinguished and failed to relight it, leaving them in a half-crying state. In complete darkness, it’s no wonder they couldn’t return.
“It’s going to take time to go back up, and it’s a bit of a hassle,” I said.
“From here, the path to the twenty-fifth layer is close, so it feels even more so,” Dinoss replied.
Dinoss and Retze were talking while binding the people possessed by the Black Spirit with ropes received from the glasses.
Ash stood guard, while everyone else was tying them up. But Retze and the Butler, please stop using Kikkou Shibari. I was the one who demonstrated tying up luggage before, but don’t apply it to people, please. Well, it’s not wrong since it’s a method from the Edo period for criminals, right? Am I being impure?
Once they were bound, we attached a talisman inscribed with a Magic Circle, and it was complete.
“You’re sticking it in a weird place,” Dean said, looking at the one holding the end of the rope.
Everyone else had it stuck around their chest area, but I accidentally slapped it on their forehead. The talisman doesn’t use glue; it sticks for two days due to the power of the Magic Circle.
The people with the talismans stuck to them began to walk in the direction the rope was pulled. It was vacant and a little scary.
“I sense a presence,” the Butler said.
“Yeah,” Dinoss replied.
As they started walking, the Butler and Dinoss spoke.
When we stopped and listened closely, we could hear footsteps and the clinking sound of equipment.
“Ah, looks like we have some early customers.”
“Let’s boldly head to the twenty-fifth layer, right? There are no Demon Beasts.”
“Oh, nice lantern. It’s quite bright; is it the latest model?”
A cheerful voice echoed.
It seemed they had moved to this mining point. There was no sign of the Black Spirit, but a small Fire Spirit was attached to one of them.
Chris explained the situation.
“Wait, so it’s like this all the way to the fortieth layer? Then getting the Magic Crystal from the twenty-seventh layer isn’t just a dream!”
“Let’s market ourselves as adventurers who have conquered the fortieth layer!”
The adventurers we encountered were a bit of a hassle. Even though they mentioned the Black Spirit, they seemed to have a weak awareness of the invisible, only worrying about the Demon Beasts, and they didn’t listen when asked.
Hey, little Fire Spirit, when we go back up, won’t you come to me? If you don’t like me, I recommend Retze or someone else.
After a bit of discussion, we pushed the responsibility of escorting them onto the Butler, who seemed to have convinced them with his gentle explanation.
Before the explanation, though, Dinoss had directed a killing intent at me, and Karn had picked one of them up.
We showed them the state of the people possessed by the Black Spirit to scare them, hinting that we might receive a reward for bringing the possessed back to the glasses, and we sent them off.
“Isn’t it a bit weak for adventurers to be swayed by authority?”
I thought maybe I could sneak back while Dinoss and Karn weren’t looking, but I was surprised to see the Vice Guild Master had come, making me suddenly eager to return.
“Adventurers based in the Fortress City are like that, I guess,” Dean said, looking as if nothing was strange.
“The Fortress City is, of course, a place created under the leadership of the country. The hierarchy and roles are clear, and the bonds between guilds are strong. If you do something that doesn’t sit well with them, not only will they refuse to buy your materials, but at worst, you won’t be able to buy anything from the shops in the Fortress, and you’ll be kicked out of the inns,” the Butler explained politely.
“It’s nothing for adventurers who are just passing through, but for those who are based there, being looked down upon from above is tough.”
“There aren’t any outstanding profit opportunities, but there’s no place as free for adventurers as Kanum!” Dean and Chris chimed in.
“In places where there are disciplined soldiers, the residents rely on them. If adventurers don’t act according to the rules, they’ll be treated the same as thugs. Conversely, if the soldiers are terrible, adventurers might be relied upon,” Ash said.
So, the soldiers in the Fortress City are well-behaved? I’ve been to various places, but most officials in the countries were tyrannical.
Maybe I’m being influenced by the impressions I’ve seen. The image of adventurers is strongly shaped by Dean, Retze, Dinoss, and the others.
“There’s no problem as long as you live normally in the Fortress City,” Retze said while checking the map.
Today, we decided to advance to the first base of the twenty-fifth layer and call it a day. It seems there’s a lot of Magic Silver in the twenty-fifth layer, but there’s also a high possibility of finding Magic Crystals in the twenty-seventh layer.
By the way, both Magic Silver and Magic Crystals are influenced by the silver or crystals from places where Demon Beasts have lingered for a long time. It’s similar to Spirit Silver.
If we don’t purify them with the Spirit’s Branch, there’s a possibility of being affected by the remnants of the Black Spirit.
“Tonight, let’s avoid flipping over stones, okay?” Karn warned once we arrived at the base.
“Stones?” Retze asked.
“Last night, I was searching for Pill Bugs.”
“You…”
When I answered, Dinoss looked at me with half-closed eyes, slightly pulling back.
“Gene, you’re so innocent!” Chris and Ash said.
“Did you know? There’s a Demon Beast that’s a Pill Bug, and if you sleep in the Labyrinth at night, it’ll crawl into your ear!” Dean said with a grin, changing his tone.
“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard that rumor before. I haven’t heard it recently, though.”
“Yeah, they’re kept at bay by giving them magic power,” I replied to Retze.
“Huh?” Several voices echoed in unison.