Chapter 259: Labyrinth City Inbrand
We successfully completed our tasks with the executives we had scheduled appointments with via smartphone. As for the deliveries to those we couldn’t contact, they also went off without a hitch. As expected of high-ranking officials, they didn’t panic at our sudden appearance, nor did they underestimate us as mere children.
“Next, we need to deliver to the locations where we finished with the smartphones, right?”
“That means we’ll be heading into the city, I suppose?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I see. Until now, we had mostly been dealing with those traveling along the highways, so I hadn’t paid much attention to the specifics. However, delivering smartphones to certain locations might lead us right into the heart of dens like the Thieves’ Guild or the Assassins’ Guild. While I believed we had rehabilitated the Assassins’ Guild’s headquarters, I doubted the message had reached the lower ranks.
I attempted to contact them via smartphone, just like before, but there was no sign of anyone answering.
“Why aren’t they picking up…?”
“Could it be that they’re hiding it away carefully?”
“That’s certainly possible… It is a national treasure-level magic tool, after all. They might have hidden it in a place no one would dare touch.”
Mesaria-san voiced her serious speculation in response to my words. While calling it a national treasure might be a bit of an exaggeration, there was no denying that it was an innovative tool.
“I guess we have no choice but to charge in.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Then for now, I’ll open a portal to a less conspicuous spot nearby.”
With that, Rio, who had been focused on locating our contact, opened a Dimensional Rift, and the four of us stepped through. We emerged in a grassy field far off the main road. Looking around, it was clear that there was nowhere to hide. In the distance, I could see the outer walls surrounding the city, and I could sense the location of the smartphone imbued with Spatial Magic from there, so I was certain we were in the right place.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Rio took the lead, walking straight toward the city entrance, and we followed behind her. It was probably nearing evening, as adventurers and merchants were lining up at the entrance to return to the city.
“Hey, that’s the entrance for nobles, isn’t it?”
As we walked toward the clean, less crowded gate, I heard Mesaria-san’s confused voice from behind.
“S Rank Adventurers can enter through the noble’s entrance, so it’s fine.”
“Oh, I see.”
Accompanied by the bewildered Mesaria-san, we headed toward the open gate. If we had to stand in that line, we might not make it in before nightfall, so it was best to get inside quickly. I didn’t know which city this was, but since we weren’t planning to establish a base here, it wouldn’t matter if we stood out a little.
As I pulled out my Adventurer’s Certificate from inside my clothing to show the gatekeeper, I was promptly stopped.
“Hey, wait.”
“What is it? S Rank Adventurers are allowed to pass, right?”
“S Rank… you say?”
The gatekeeper looked skeptical, calling over another guard behind him. After a nod of confirmation, the second guard dashed into the city.
Emphasizing my Adventurer’s Certificate at my chest, the gatekeeper hesitated but approached to examine it closely.
“Ah… It seems to be genuine. You may pass.”
“Thank you.”
I had expected some sort of trouble, but it turned out to be a letdown. If there was nothing to worry about, that was for the best. As we passed through the gate, the Main Street was bustling with people. It appeared that many were dressed like adventurers. There were street vendors calling out to those who had exited through the general entrance, but none approached us, who had come through the noble’s gate.
“This is… Labyrinth City Inbrand, isn’t it?”
Mesaria-san, who had been looking around curiously, confidently identified the city’s name. We had merely jumped to the location where the smartphone was detected, so I had no idea where we were heading. I could determine the direction and distance from where we had come, but since I had never been to this city before, it wasn’t registered in my Map Skill.
“It’s been a while since I last came here, but it hasn’t changed much.”
El seemed to recognize the city. After a quick glance around, she appeared to lose interest.
“Wow, I didn’t know there was a city like this.”
“Ah, right. I remember there’s a dungeon here, isn’t there?”
Hearing the name of a city I vaguely recognized reminded me of the discussions about dungeons.
“Really? Is that so?”
“Yes. This city thrives because of the dungeon.”
It seemed that Rio was unaware of this, but it was unusual for me to remember something like this. I couldn’t recall where I had heard it, but the mention of a dungeon had left an impression.
According to Mesaria-san, this city is located to the east of the Arclight Kingdom. It seems the city grew large due to the trade of materials brought back from the dungeon at its center. Therefore, both the Adventurer’s Guild and the Commercial Guild are quite substantial, which is why various underground organizations like the Thieves’ Guild also exist in different sizes.
“…The Arclight Kingdom, huh? I don’t know what this city used to look like, but it seems relatively normal.”
“Since this city is fundamentally built around the dungeon, it hasn’t changed much even if the kingdom’s core has transformed.”
As I furrowed my brow, Mesaria-san explained with a wry smile. I wondered if other cities had undergone changes.
“We’ll gather information about the other cities as we go.”
“…Understood.”
Considering that it took this long for the smartphone to reach this city after we submitted the information-gathering request, it seemed our real activities were just beginning. While I was curious about the dungeon, I needed to take care of the immediate matters first.
“Well then, I’d like to get started… but this city has three major underground organizations, doesn’t it?”
Just as I was about to ask for guidance, Mesaria-san remarked with a perplexed expression. I realized I hadn’t asked the executive we delivered the smartphone to which organization it had been handed over to.
As for those organizations, they were the Thieves’ Guild, the Information Guild, and—
“The Adventurer’s Guild?”
I repeated the name of the guild that I hadn’t expected to be mentioned as an underground organization.
“Yes, very few are aware, but the best way to get the first-hand information about the dungeon is to ask adventurers.”
“I see… Since we can locate the smartphone using Spatial Magic, we should head directly there.”
“Yes, please do.”
With that, we led the way through the bustling streets until we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild, which had a sign depicting a sword and shield above a Magic Circle.