Labyrinth Renovation – 030 | Sousaku – 創作

Episode 30: A Tale of a Novice Explorer ①

My name is Ares.
Ever since a dungeon suddenly appeared near my village, I've been exploring the Great Labyrinth of Melquodia in the hope of becoming a full-fledged explorer, but I can't even challenge a new floor, much less earn enough to get by. So, it's like this, and I'm only able to dive during the farming off-season.

At first, it was good.
I was able to easily find people to explore with, and I learned a lot from explorers from other regions.
But one by one, these explorers began to disappear. These days, there are hardly any of us left, and without a proper vanguard, we can't even get to the second layer.

Today, we're hunting slimes on the first floor from the morning.

"I wish we could at least get a magic stone. The only monsters that appear on the first floor are slimes……"
"What's the point in complaining about it? We're lucky we were able to make a magic contract, aren't we? Even pure warriors have a hard time against slimes."
"But still."

The noisy one next to me is my childhood friend Tina.
But Tina is right, you can't defeat slimes without being able to use fire magic.
Apparently it's not impossible to defeat them with swords or clubs, but it's impossible for me and Tina, who don't have the Warrior's Blessing. To begin with, we don't have any decent weapons.
Iron swords and spears are the kind of thing that you couldn't afford to buy used even if you had to spend three months of your living expenses on them.

"I should have asked my seniors when they were around and tried to get them to give me some second-hand stuff."
"There's no point in saying that now!”

There were lots of rookies like us in the old days.
Tina and I started diving when we were 11, and it seems that third sons and third daughters from various villages who had no work would gather in this dungeon, dreaming of striking it rich.
Since none of them had any money, their weapons were things like sticks they picked up off the ground, or at best, knives. Looking back on it now, it was a reckless thing to do, but I guess I was just dreaming about dungeons.
The dungeon here doesn't have an administration office, so if you're lucky you should be able to make a fortune, my seniors said.

However, the reality was different.
The kind seniors were also killed by the monsters, caught in the traps, and one by one, their numbers dwindled.
Some of the novices who were close to our age also died in their reckless search, or returned to the village having lost an arm or a leg.
The reason that Tina and I are still able to do this is because we were lucky. Both Tina and I could use fire magic in the back row, so we were able to hunt safely in the first layer. However, it is not suitable for the second layer, so it is basically only used for the first layer.
At the time, a senior who taught us many things told us that we should just keep training by hunting monsters until we got stronger, and we kept following that advice.

After three years of training, I think both Tina and I have become more accustomed to the labyrinth and have become stronger.
The number of spells I can use has increased…… Or so I think. But I can't pay a donation, so I still don't really know what rank I've reached.
I've had a few growing pains, so there's no doubt that I've gotten stronger……

"Ares! There's slime over there!”
"Oh, got it. 『Oh, Fire! Heed my call, and become a spear! 』"

Through these mighty words, a spear of flame shoots out and evaporates the slime.
The first layer is a piece of cake.
The Flaming Spear is a rank 2 offensive spell, and it boasts a power that is incomparable to that of the Fireball.

"Whoa, Ares. That's amazing. I think your magic power has increased a little. "
"It's because I've grown used to the Flaming Spear. Don't you think we can manage if we go to the second floor?”
"Without a vanguard, if three monsters appear, it's all over, you know? Still want to go?”
"Sorry. I guess not."

In the end, two mages alone cannot do much.
The only reason we're making any money at all is because this dungeon only has slimes on the first floor.

"Hey, Ares…… do you want to go to another dungeon? I don't think we're all that bad."
"I mean, even I can't keep hunting slimes forever…… I know that, but is there really a party that would let two mages join? Besides…… We can manage because we can commute from home, but if we go to another dungeon, we'll have to find somewhere to live and pay rent, too, right? And apparently the food is also expensive……"
"But even if we stay here forever……"

Thinking about the future, we have to make a decision at some point.
Do we go down to the second floor or set up a proper party in the Labyrinth City?
When things are busy at home, I help out in the fields, but that's not enough to earn my keep.

"At least if there was a vanguard…… Ares, would you like to try playing vanguard now?”
"M-Me!? Without the Warrior's Blessing, it's impossible…… And above all, I don't have the money to buy the equipment."
"I guess you're right. Ares…… Let's go to the Labyrinth City after all. It's impossible for the two of us to handle the second floor anyway, so it's the only option. I too……When I think about the future, I know things can't continue like this. I think that if we work hard together, it will definitely work out. Right?”

Tina's face looked very pensive.
I too know that things can't go on like this.
But I'm also worried about whether we, as novices, will be able to make it in the Labyrinth City.
I've heard from a senior explorer before that many novice explorers are deceived by malicious explorers and end up being used as bait and dying.
However, it seems that well-managed dungeons are not as unwelcoming as this one. Some temples can even revive the dead, weapons and armor are sold cheaply, guilds do their jobs properly, and if there are explorers who don't return, search parties are even formed.

To be frank, this place―― The Great Labyrinth of Melquodia is a dungeon that is already over.
There are sporadic cases of new explorers arriving, but they either get eaten by slimes on the first floor or never come back after diving to the second floor.
If we stay here, we might end up like them.

"……Should I tell my parents? I think they'd be happy about it."
"I'll try talking to mine too."

Neither I nor Tina can stay at our parents' house forever.
There will come a time when you will have to make a decision. And that was today. That's all.
When this dungeon was created, I could still dream.
You can get stronger, earn money, eat good food, and even build a house. That kind of dream.
But in reality, there are only one or two other groups of explorers in the dungeon, and they are just scraping by day to day, barely making enough money to survive.

As if to blow away any worries about the future, Tina used her magic to evaporate the slime.

We entered the dungeon in the morning and I think we killed about 10 slimes in total.
Our magic power is almost at its limit.

"Shall we go home soon? We didn't get any magic stones, but we got two slime crystals, so it should be enough to pay for dinner."
Oh, why are explorers such poor earners……? It's no wonder everybody quit."
"Apparently you can make money if you organize a party and make it to the sixth floor. Even here."
"Yeah, and Fiona-san, the person who said that, is now dead."
"You're right……"

Fiona-san was a fellow explorer a year older than us who was kind to us, had a talent for being a magic warrior, and was someone we looked up to, but she was caught in a treasure chest trap a while ago and never returned.
As we were the only party that was actually working properly in this dungeon, the impact was huge, and it was around that time that the innkeeper and the general store owner both said they were going to close up shop.
Now, the only person left is the old, eccentric blacksmith in the store in front of the dungeon.

On the first layer, slime may suddenly pop out, so you need to keep a lookout on the way back as well.
I've seen explorers who were choked to death by a slime they accidentally encountered.

"There aren't many slimes around today, I wonder if there were any other explorers?”
"There's no one else hunting on the first floor beside us, right?”
"But…… Doesn't it feel a little different?”

Tina's words made my skin crawl.
The senior explorers often said that in dungeons, the people who are insensitive to these changes are the first to die.

"……What should we do……??”
"Well, we've come quite a way today, so we'll just have to leave as usual――"

And then it happened.
In the distance, a thundering roar like that of a beast struck my ear.
There were sporadic sounds of something being struck, like a drum.

"W-What is it……?”
"Could it be that this is that thing called Labyrinth Collapse……? They said that if there are no explorers in the dungeon, the monsters will spill out from the lower levels."
"But it's not been that long since this place was created, so it's still okay――"

Even while they were arguing, the sound was getting closer.
The footsteps of several monsters were definitely coming this way――

"……Ah."
Was it me or Tina who uttered those sigh-like words?
What appeared around the corner was a four-legged, giant dog-like monster.
Following closely behind was a magical beast that looked like a cat. And behind that, a giant lizard―― No, that's probably a mythical creature called a dragon.

(It's over――)

There was a thud next to me. Tina was so startled that she fell to the ground.
My magic is…… If I push myself, I wonder if I can manage two more shots. Tina can't be relied on for help.
There's no way to escape.

While I was thinking about this, the three monsters came towards me with an air of leisure.
Huge. It's not a size that humans can deal with.
So there are monsters like this in the lower levels? If I had known, I would have gone straight to the Labyrinth City.