The Maiden Called Hero or Monster - Chapter 3 - What Stirs in the Dark

 
    Three days had passed since Matari had awoken.

    "Your body seems to have completely healed now. Wouldn’t you say it’s about time we head back into the labyrinth?"

    The hero decided that Matari had fully recovered and announced the resumption of their labyrinth exploration. Matari immediately cried out in joy.

    "Finally! My body couldn't take this anymore!"

    "Noisy, boar. Be quiet while you eat."

    "...... Sorry."

    Matari, who was just shouting, shrunk down and bowed her flushed face in apology to the people around her.

    The hero, who finished eating her bread, called for the waitress.

    "Hey, tell the master to get me some apple wine. He'll know what you mean."

    "Understood."

    "Oh, and make sure he puts in plenty of honey."

    The waitress bowed and went on her way.

    Apple wine wasn't actually on the menu but the hero asked for it, and so, the master made it for her. But it turned out to be quite tasty despite his initial reluctancy. It probably wouldn’t be long before it made its way onto the menu.

    "Are you drinking alcohol before you go into the labyrinth?"

    "I'm feeling a little slow, so I thought I'd get myself back on track. Apple wine with honey’s my favorite but I don't know why."

    "I'm sure it's related to you somehow. Maybe it might help you get your memories back."

    The hero replied with a deceptive, "Yeah, you might be right, " and after some time passed, the waitress arrived with her glass. Lightly taking in the aroma, the hero drank the apple wine in a single swig.
    
    As Matari said, it brought back memories of nostalgic days in the hero's mind. She recalled drinking this apple wine after collapsing from rigorous training when she first became a hero. A woman named Mina said it was good for relieving fatigue - "So nostalgic, I really miss those times. Back then, everyone was there for me."

    "How can you drink something that looks so sweet in one go?"

    "I'm not a fan of anything too sweet, but this is special."

    "Is it because it tastes good?"

    Matari asked as she took a bite out of a large piece of meat. It was so large that just looking at it almost gave the hero heartburn. She wiped her mouth with a napkin to deter her eyes from the sight.

    "The sour and sweetness combine to make a taste that's perfectly reinvigorating."

    "Ish that sho?"

    "...... You should chew the food in your mouth before you speak."

    When the hero stared at her in disgust, Matari quickly lowered her head. Her cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel's as she had taken a mouthful at once.

    The hero, who was tired of eating, pinched Matari's swollen cheeks as hard as she could.
    

    And after finishing breakfast, half an hour had passed, so the two returned to their room and prepared to explore the labyrinth. Once preparations were complete, fully geared up, they quickly descended the stairs and left the Paradise Pavilion. ──But before they could leave, they were stopped by a familiar voice near the entrance.

    "Hero, I have a favor to ask..."

    ". . . . . . . . . . . ."

    "Hero, Matari, I have an urgent request!!"

    The hero pretended not to hear, but the voice grew louder and more insistent.

    "...... What should we do? This is annoying."

    "I don't think we have a choice now that we've stopped...... Whether you accept it or not, we should at least listen to what she has to say."

    "I know, but I'm not really in the mood for this. You can't blame me for asking. This is a real pain in the ass."

    "Yes, I'm afraid it can't be helped."

    "I can hear everything you're saying. I've got a super easy, super tasty, and super lucrative deal, it's absolutely terrible!"

    A brown-haired woman pretended to be angry with a sullen and slow voice. It was a woman named Limoncy. She oversaw general affairs at the Paradise Pavilion. She wore a good-natured smile on her face but her eyes however, had no such benevolence. And with flashy makeup and provocative clothes that would catch the looks of men, despite not working as a waitress in the tavern, the hero had the impression that she was an unsavory, hard-to-stomach woman. Unfortunately, they had already met before, and as a token of their friendship, the hero was given hardened stale bread.

    "I don't know about your offer, but I do know about your bread that's hard enough to kill someone."

    "It was a mistake, it's the truth, Hero."

    She clasped her hands together in apology.

    Although she did apologize for her mistake, one must not be fooled by her frail appearance,  she had not even replaced the petrified bread. She must have been having trouble disposing of the forsaken bread and thought it would be a waste to just throw it away. So, she gave it to everyone who noticed them. Customers throughout the Paradise Pavilion all collectively frowned as they bit into their bread.

    "So, what were you going to ask?"

    The hero decided to ask what she wanted before she got caught up in Limoncy's peculiar small talk.

    "Well, I'd like to ask you to escort these two individuals, a scholar and a sorcerer."

    "Wait a minute, I made the request first. I do not understand why I have to be paired up with this guy."

    "...... That's my line. And first and foremost, why are you introducing these novices to a great sorcerer like me?"

    A nervous woman bearing glasses and a young man who looked to be a sorcerer were both repulsed.

    "It doesn't matter, you're in this together. Even if you split up, you'll still converge at one point. These two are perfect for you, and they're both promising newbies on the market right now."

    "Sure doesn't look like it. If they're really the ones, I'll just hit up another bar."

    "That is very convenient, it would be too depressing to work with a sorcerer. Goodbye, have a nice day."

    With a click of his tongue, the sorcerer cloaked in black along with his black hat turned to leave, and the bespectacled woman's mouth twisted in delight.

    The hero felt a headache coming on, and here she was the one feeling depressed.

    "You can go somewhere else if you like, but leave the referral fee. We're not a charity, and I made the referral, so I'll be taking the money."

    The man sighed and turned around, looking frustrated when Limoncy stopped him in a commanding tone.

    "Then introduce me to someone adequate, at least someone worthy of being at least a meat shield."

    "If that's the case, then you'll like these two even more! After all, she's the one who defeated Salvadore!"

    At Limoncy’s loud proclamation, all eyes gathered on her. The hero regretted getting into this mess, and Matari seemed completely lost.

    "...... These two?"

    "So it was you who defeated Salvadore. That's really impressive. I'd love to know more about the details later──"

    Interrupting the bespectacled woman's words, Limoncy went on.

    "Yes, these are two of the most promising adventurers at a huge discount. They still have their provisional permits so don't be rough with them, okay?"

    Limoncy spoke as if she was cat-calling and gave a wink.

    The hero involuntarily got goosebumps from how uncomfortable she was, and the bespectacled woman also frowned. They seemed to be getting along surprisingly well.

    "...... Hmm, then these people will do. I don't have much time."

    The sorcerer gave Limoncy the money, and the bespectacled woman followed suit, repositioning her glasses.

    "I really do not want to be with this sorcerer."

    The woman in glasses clicked her tongue, and after a brief pause, she continued.

    "It is truly a horse from a gourd to be able to work with you, who has killed Salvadore. I am sure it will be worthwhile to put up with this."

    "What does that mean?"

    "That I am very happy with this unexpected turn of events. If you like it, you are free to use it."

    "I'll think about it......"

    The bespectacled woman was a scholar, so she must know of many sophisticated things. The hero decided to let it go.

    "Aha, thank you very much, the money has been received. Hero, Matari, please escort these two for me. The place they’re going is on the seventh floor so it's very close. It'll be a piece of cake."

    "I never said I'd accept it. Hey, Matari."

    "Y-Yeah, I don't know what's going on."

    "Well then, I'm going to speak now, so listen carefully. The job is simple. I'm going to perform an experiment on a slime on the seventh floor, meanwhile, you'll act as meat shields to protect my rear. I'll take care of any demons along the way, so even if you can't use magic, you should be able to do a job as simple as this. After my experiment feel free to die, I don't care."

    The mood of the hero immediately worsened as the pretentious man looked down on them arrogantly.

    "There's something about the way you talk that makes me angry."

    "Sorcerers are notorious for their bad personalities. It's best to not involve yourself with them too much, it's contagious."

    The hero had no idea if she was joking or not. Though despite the woman having whispered as she spoke, the sorcerer ended up hearing her anyway.

    "Hey, what are you talking about? You're a scholar, and yet you’re making a fool of yourself.  It's not polite to describe it as an infection, so correct yourself."

    "I'm sorry, sir. I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart."

    The bespectacled woman reversely bowed her head away from the sorcerer. When the hero burst out laughing, the sorcerer's eyes became notably sharper.

    "...... Well, while an experiment like this isn’t particularly necessary, they are tantamount to achieving perfect results. So, let's get going. I feel awful sitting around here wasting my time."

    "I'm the one who feels awful. If you want to go, you can go by yourself."

    "Come on, Hero. we can get paid just for tagging along, and you can also see two ground-breaking experiments, so why don't we give it a shot?"

    "My goal is also to experiment with a slime, and as you could assume, looking to be escorted to the seventh floor as well. I don't want to be lumped together with this sorcerer but, if you two don't mind, I'd appreciate your help."

    The bespectacled woman turned to the hero and firmly bowed. She seemed to be polite to everyone but the sorcerer.

    "Matari? What do you want to do?"

    "...... Yes. Slimes seem to be tough, so I'd like to see one once for the experience."

    "Then let's take care of it. It'll only be for three hours anyway, it's going to be a shitty three hours, but I'll put up with it."

    "My name is Norman, and as you can see, I'm a sorcerer. Oh, there's no need to say your names, I won't remember them, and there's no need to become acquainted with meat shields. Let's be on our way then."

    After saying what he had to say, the hero and Matari, stunned, watched Norman quickly leave the Paradise Pavilion. Limoncy was already busy dealing with another quest and didn't seem to care.

    "Don't you think that it was a mistake to stop?"

    "...... I strongly agree."

    "I think so, too."

    Before she knew it, the bespectacled woman was standing in agreement next to her, and the hero immediately retorted.

    "No, you can't say anything, you got dumped on us too."

    "This is true, you are correct. You're quite perceptive."

    The bespectacled woman nodded as if to indicate she was expecting that.

    The hero wondered if this was her way of communicating or if it was just instinctual. In any case, she felt as if there were going to be more headaches following her now than just Matari.

    "Sorry for the delay in introducing myself. My name is Lulurile, and I'm a member of the Scholars Guild. My hobbies include reading, collecting ores, and thinking of ways to harass sorcerers."

    Lulurile, the bespectacled woman, introduced herself while messing with her glasses. The hero was tempted to get into the latter part of her hobbies but managed to resist, as she felt she was about to get into a quagmire of unpleasantries. So instead of the fidgety hero, the Wild Boar Matari replied to her.

    "My name is Matari, and this is Hero. She has amnesia, so she doesn't have a name yet......."

    "That is quite unfortunate. By the way, is there any particular reason why you call yourself a hero?"

    Lulurile asked, and the hero answered from her heart.

    "Because I'm a hero."

    "I see. That is a really convincing argument."

    "Really?"

    Ignoring Matari's prodding, the hero decided to leave as quickly as possible.

 

    

    "Hmm, the upper levels are as insipid as ever. All there's been so far are Earth-Scraping rats. This is why ignorant idiots get killed so easily when they reach the upper floors."

    Norman muttered in disgust after wiping out a swarm of rats with ice magic.
    
    Their current location was the seventh floor of the labyrinth. Most of the demons encountered so far have been Earth-Scraping rats. But, a Virulent Earthworm and a Vampire Bat appeared for the first time, though once only. Before the hero and Matari could ever attack, Norman would finish chanting and instantly kill any demons in sight, leaving Matari disappointed as she wanted to try her hand. All the while, Lulurile would use her pickaxe she brought to mine ore sporadically. They really were a haphazard group.

    "The demons can't even reach us, there wasn't even a point in us coming."

    "Meat shields don't speak for themselves. Just follow my instructions."

    "I-I'm sorry."

    Matari, who wasn't the one that spoke, apologized on behalf of the hero.

    "So the sorcerer has a bad personality after all."

    "It's nothing that's indicative of a bad personality, it's just a fact. There's no value for a person who can't use magic other than being a meat shield."

    Just as the hero decided to kick him in the back, a rabbit with sharp claws jumped out in front of her. Its eyes were bloodshot, and it had a body full of gray hair.  Its most distinctive feature was a long claw protruding from its right forefoot. The claw from its middle finger jutted out like a sharp knife. 

    Jumping up and down as if to a rhythm, it began to look for a chance to strike.

    "This is a Head-Hunting rabbit. They’re efficient in attacking prey from behind while a decoy takes their prey's attention. Their claws are also quite hard, so they're difficult to break."

    As she said this, Lulurile took a hold of her pickaxe, which looked entirely out of place coupled with her scholarly attire. Despite it being an indefinable combination, she seemed serious.

    "Meat shield, stand in front of me, and the other behind. I'll use my magic to clean this up."

    "Matari, you're upfront. I'm gonna go kill the ones behind us. There's three of them hiding around that corner."

    "Yes, understood!"

    As Matari and Lulurile stepped forward to protect Norman, he raised his staff and began to chant. And drawing her cheap sword, the hero began to run as fast as she could around the bend.

    "Kshaaaaaaaa!!"

    Raising a bizarre shout, the Head-Hunting Rabbit leaped for Matari's neck.

    Matari managed to catch it with her newly bought shield. With the impact being less intense than expected, she thrust her sword at the Head-Hunting Rabbit, but it evaded with a seemingly derisive gesture. The rabbit then began to strike the shield with a series of blows, each consecutive strike gradually growing more force, causing the shield to shake violently from side to side. Matari's expression contorted with pain, and the headhunter rushed forward. Though suddenly, a pickaxe was driven into the rabbit’s lateral.
    
    "Gye!?"

    "Sorry to keep you waiting. 'Freezing bullets."

    The rabbit received a sharp blow and was knocked against the wall and following, a flurry of ice shards crashed into its face. And the headhunter, who had its face pierced through by the fragments of ice, fell forwards. It was convulsed on the ground, but there was no doubt it would die in a few moments.

    "Oh, well done."

    "I would've killed it in one strike. You didn't have to waste your magic."

    "Who would be stupid enough to be conservative with their magic in the labyrinth? Well, I guess there’s no way someone who can't use magic would understand that much."

    "Is that so? Excuse me."

    "The extraction part of the Head-Hunting Rabbit is its long claw. Feel free to do whatever you want with it, I don't need them."

    " Y-Yes, thank you!"

    Matari took aim and swung her sword down to cut off the long claw from the base.

    Putting the claw in her leather bag, she shook off her sword to clean it of blood.

    "Where's that empty-headed meat shield at? I told them to watch my back."

    "She told me three of them were around the corner and so she was going to kill them."

    "...... Hmm, I don't really care if the meat shield dies or not. But oh well. Let's go see."

    When Norman was about to give the order, the hero lazily walked out from behind the corner with three headhunters impaled on her sword. The heads each skewered together like strange meatballs.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting.  When I killed two of them, the last one suddenly took off running."

    "...... What kind of fight was it?"

    "I baited them and crushed them. The moment you attack is also the moment you're most vulnerable. But with the last one I just threw my sword at it while it was running away."

    "Oh, well done."

    "Head-Hunting Rabbits are agile, and even the most experienced adventurers would have a hard time taking on a group of them. Yet, you managed to kill them all in such a short amount of time. As expected from the one who defeated Salvadore."

    "Heh, you're pretty useful for a meat shield. But, in the face of my magic, you would be powerless."

    Norman chuckled at Lulurile's words, but the hero decided to give it no attention, as she knew she was going to kick him by the end of this.

    "What do I need to cut off this rabbit?"

    "Oh, he said it was the long claw. Please, wait a moment."

    Matari swiftly removed the meatballs from the headhunter shish-kabob and severed their claws.

    "Hey, you think we could eat this rabbit?  Or maybe I should bring them back for the master as souvenirs?"

    The hero bent over and poked the rabbit’s declawed corpse with her sword. Ordinary hare meat was often eaten as food.

    "We’d best not. Who knows what this rabbit’s been eating. I'm afraid it would give me a stomachache."

    "You think so? Well I don’t blame you, demons are vile, their stench is awful and I doubt they’d do your stomach any good.” 

    The hero who had no intention of eating them to begin with, stood up with indifference. Thinking if it was up to the strange girl she met before coming to this town, she would have happily tried a bite.
    

    Norman shook his head in disgust and began to move on alone, letting them know he would go on ahead beforehand.
 

 -
    

    Norman walked in a completely different direction from the stairs leading further down into the labyrinth. The lights along the path dimmed, and darkness grew as if adventurers dared not tread here. Along this moss-riddled trail there were no demons to be found. Instead, only a strangely hot and oppressive atmosphere reigned, as the humidity grew slowly thicker. Moss enveloped not only the ground, but swathed even the walls and ceiling as well.
    The hero began to fan her face with her hands complaining that it was too hot and stuffy, while Matari used a hand towel to wipe the sweat off her face, and though Lulurile seemed to be entirely unconcerned, her face flushed to a greater or lesser degree.
    Eventually, the group arrived at a strange-looking dead end. A translucent green mucus filled the space between the floor and the ceiling, and noxious colored blisters constantly bubbled on the surface. Where the green liquid was concentrated, a human corpse could be seen, deteriorated to the point where age and even gender were indiscernible. Now, the poor victim caught by the slime was now being slowly digested. Even the rats that were known to clear floors of the labyrinth wouldn't dare come near this place, as this green demon would attack without prejudice, be it a human or demon.

    "This is where we'll conduct the experiment, it's a dangerous place where slimes form. Also contains rare, highly concentrated magic crystals. Using them as bait, they lay in wait for their prey. But they’re quite slow, so if you keep your distance, you should have nothing to fear."

    Norman set down his leather bag and began to make preparations for the experiment. The slime continued to devour its prey without any particular reaction to them. From time to time, an eerie sound of something evaporating could be heard.

    "You want to experiment on this? Hey, since we've made it this far, why don't we turn around?"

    Matari began to back away, but the hero grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back.

    "What are you gonna do? Just run away now after all this time? Hey, can we just kill it now?"

    "Wait, I'm here for the experiment. Tall meat shield stands in front, short meat shield behind me. I don't want to get caught in the middle of my experiment by another demon."

    "I'm going to stand in front of you!? Oh, I don't know, I really don't like this."

    "You're the one who said you wanted to see it. This is your chance to get a closer look."

    While appeasing Matari, the hero kept in mind that he had called her short, and made sure to increase the power of the kick she would deliver to him later.

    "...... I've seen enough today so I'm more than satisfied. Now, let's go somewhere else! Uh, because I don't want to be eaten like that."

    With the digested corpse in her sights, Matari turned pale. The hero was dismayed to see that she was now crying in her new magic-resistant armor.

    "It can't be helped. This is a special situation...... I'm not gonna sweet-talk you, alright? You're in front, and I'm in the back, come on, get up!"

    “Hey, I get it, don't push! Hey, that's close too close! Too close!"

    "Keep your shield up, and keep your eyes on it!"

    "Y-Yes, I get it, please don't push me anymore!"

    Matari lowered her back and raised her shield, and the hero stood behind Norman. She was prepared for a pincer attack, but she also kept her eye on the slime. The slime watched their every movement. Despite seemingly preoccupied with decomposing its prey, it by no means could hide its murderous intent. The second it had a chance it would pounce, underestimate its speed and it would definitely kill you.

    "So, where are we with the experiments?"

    "Okay, now I'm going to try out the prototype magic grenade──"
    

    "We will now begin testing the prototype Lulurile type grenade."

    Pushing Norman out of the way, Lulurile pulled out a pin and threw a small sphere at the slime.
    
    The sphere landed next to the slime and began to smoke, but before it could take effect, the slime quickly sprinkled mucus over the sphere and encaptured it.

    "...... Is there something wrong with it? Why isn't it working? My theories and formulas should've been perfect. Again!"

    Yet again she threw another sphere but alas, it was absorbed and neutralized before it could activate. Lulurile was more distraught now than ever before.

    "Did you try to create a freezing effect similar to my magic by mixing chemicals? I don't really understand the specifics, but it must have been a pain-staking effort to create, I'm impressed. But, you’re in my way."

    Norman, ridiculing Lulurile, brushed her off to the side.

    "I don't believe it, any experiments I've conducted above ground were a success. So why isn't the freezing effect working!?"

    "There's no use for a weapon that you can't use in battle. As a scholar, you should be able to understand that much. The result is, as you can see, the slime isn't even recognizing it as a threat. Your experiment is a complete failure. Take a good look now──"

    When Norman told her the cold reality of the situation, he threw a small sphere at the slime, deliberately making it absorb it. Unlike before, the slime must have recognized it as a threat and dropped from the ceiling to the floor, against the stone walls and straight for Matari, the vanguard. As Matari screamed, Norman snapped his fingers lightly, and the sphere that the slime had absorbed burst open, sending a freezing chill through the air. The slime was completely frozen in the same position, its jumping state. The ice spread to the corpse, immersing it in ice, causing it to look like a strange statue. And Matari, who stood in front right before it, was stunned by the sight.

    "The experiment is over. The prototype grenade was both powerful and detonated without any problems, and it succeeded in both freezing and destroying the slime."

    Norman opened his notebook and began to write something down. With a look of contempt in his eyes he looked down at Lulurile, with contrasted empty eyes, she was crushed and helpless.

    "...... So you're saying it's useless if it isn't magic? I guess my efforts were in vain."

    "Obviously, no matter how hard scholars try, there's no way they can replicate magic. Your research is just a waste of time."

    "Everything I do is pointless, a wasted effort. Do I not have any value in existing?"

    Lulurile seemed to be completely devastated and the hero didn't feel like comforting her. Matari was completely out of it, but the hero hadn't relaxed yet, as this fight wasn't over.

    "Mr. Norman, if you had something so amazing, you should’ve told me first. I needed to be mentally prepared!"

    "There's no need for a meat shield to know the details of the experiment, it would be a waste of time to explain. Hmm, I guess we didn't need the three hours. Let's get out of here immediately."

    When Norman withdrew Matari followed, her face twitching, and the hero sheathed her sword.

    "Hey, chick with the black hat. You were preaching to round-eyes over there like a hotshot, but hasn’t anyone ever told you you’re too careless?"

    "...... What the hell are you talking about? And what's being a chick with a black hat supposed to mean?" 

    Norman closed his book with a miffed look on his face.

    "Because that black hat is a black hat, and you're a little chick. The moment you carelessly show your back that ice cube is going to pounce on you."

    "How can you be so stupid? It's completely dead."

    "So why don't you bring your face closer to it to test? Wouldn't your reflection on a slime make your face look even more beautiful?"

    Norman, at the hero's provocation, approached the slime, exclaiming that her words were absurd. The moment he approached the frozen slime, a green light was emitted from within the ice without warning, and the core of the slime let off a monstrous red glow of anguish.

    "The nucleus is still intact!? This is ridiculous!"

    The slime was still alive, and the green liquid attacked Norman. At that moment, the hero kicked Norman to the side as hard as she could.

    "Ugh!!"

    "Get out of my way, chick with a black hat. You've been talking big game this whole time but yours didn't work either, it's a complete failure too."

    The slime that evaded the attack began to slither and spread across the stone floor, the red light vanished, and the location of the nucleus was lost. Thrusting your sword into the slime would only result in it being dissolved by the slime's acid, but, if left alone, it would reposition itself and attack - these reasons were why the slime was regarded as a powerful enemy.

    "Now──"

    The hero plunged her hand into the green liquid, the slime's acid quickly dissolved the hero's arm, melting her skin and exposing her blood vessels as it ate away her flesh. White bones began to become exposed but despite this, the hero showed no signs of concern, and continued stirring and probing through the liquid.

    "Hero, what are you doing!? Hurry up and pull it out! Your arm, your arm is melting!!"

    "Oh, there it is. Hold on a second."

    The hero pulled out the core of the slime and crushed it with her half-melted hand. The impact caused the blistered flesh and skin to mingle and intermix, as blood continued to flow from her arm.
    

    The slime's mucus turned from green to black and eventually evaporated, disappearing completely. All that remained was the body of the unfortunate victim.

    "...... It's really hard to understand what this meat shield is thinking. Do you have a desire to harm yourself? No amount of healing magic could ever reverse what you just did to yourself."

    "We need to bandage your arm! B-But where are the herbs!? Wait no, we have to bandage it first, bandages!"

    Matari was trying to wrap a bandage around the hero's arm with tremendous speed and went so quickly that she barely covered her wounds at all. Laughing, the hero quieted Matari.

    "Don't panic, Matari. Lend me a hand towel."

    "You can't just use a hand towel! Just bandages! I'm going to grind up some herbs right away, so please wait a moment!"

    "Ah well, bandages are fine. Wrap it around like this."

    The hero snapped her fingers as if she was performing a magic trick, and a pale light enveloped her gravely marred right arm. Thoughtfully unraveling the bandages, her right arm appeared without a scratch. Norman, who witnessed the miracle, was taken aback and left breathless.

    "Are you a priest? But, you don’t look like one to me. To be able to use such an advanced healing spell...... No, there's no such thing as a healing spell capable of healing such a severe wound instantly."

    "Heroes can do anything because they're amazing. They're different from chick's with black hats."

    "Hmm, it's definitely healed. Does this mean that despite your dull appearance, you're actually quite skilled? Although I'm not very knowledgeable in specialized areas like this."

    "No, it can be that simple. This is clearly outside the realm of any modern healing spell. It's like a complete resurrection out of legend.──" 

    Lulurile continued muttering to herself.

    Perhaps it was the hero's imagination, but she felt as if her eyes were sparkling. And when their eyes met, the hero had an unpleasant feeling, so she quickly looked away.

    "S-She's really unharmed. What's going on?"

    Matari, who smeared on the disheveled bandages raised a question.

    "Maybe it was thanks to your bandages. Thank you, Matari."

    "Um, does it hurt anymore?"

    "Once you get used to it, the pain won't bother you."

    "...... Is that how it works?"

    "Yes, I already told you. Heroes don't lie about things they don't care about."

    After taking a breath, the hero and Matari sat down. Norman also bent down silently. Taking one look at the dried-up corpse, he turned to the hero.

    "Thanks for saving me just now. And to be able to use such an advanced healing spell, you must be a priest of some renown. What's your name, if you don't mind?──"

    "There's no name for me to tell you, chick with a black hat."

    The hero nastily refused, sticking out her tongue. Norman snorted, smiling bitterly.

    "Let's just stick with the meat shield and the black hat until the end, shall we? We've only got about an hour left anyway."

    "You know what, Matari? He's still annoying. You can go kick him once too. He seems to have a habit of looking down on people who can't use magic, I'll forgive you if you do."

    "I'd rather not. I don't want to get hit with a spell."

    "Just hit him before he can chant. That's how you deal with chick sorcerers, you just hit them with your fists."

    As the hero clenched her first, Norman threw something her way. Catching it reflexively, she found that it was a silver coin.

    "I'll give you your reward first. It was originally three hundred copper coins, but I threw in some extra."

    "How about that, thanks."

    At the hero's seemingly indifferent response, Norman snorted and turned away.

    The four of them sat in silence while watching their surroundings, the hero and Matari would be automatically transferred above ground when the time came.

    "...... The purpose of this experiment was to reduce the burden put on sorcerers."

    "Matari, the black hat's starting to talk to the meat shield. What do we do now?"

    "W-What am I supposed to do? I was told meat shields weren't supposed to speak."

    "I'm talking to myself. You can choose to listen to it or not if you want."

    Norman threw a sidelong glance at the hero, and she smiled with a huff.

    "Then I'm going to sleep, so wake me up if demons come."

    "W-What!?"

    Ignoring Matari, the hero closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

    "A sorcerer exercises magic by taking magic essence into their body and converting it into magic power. In other words, in the underground labyrinth filled with a miasma made up of magic essence, we can use magic as much as we want. But as a price, many sorcerers are eaten away by the magic essence."

    "...... Is that right?"

    Norman replied with a nod to Lulurile's question.

    "Just because you can use magic, it doesn't mean it will be a blessing. However, if magical weapons were put to practical use, the burden on us sorcerers would surely be reduced. Since it would be impossible to manufacture such weapons without sorcerers, even if magic weapons were to see widespread use, it still wouldn't devalue sorcerers."

    "I'm sure I'll end up a cripple from being overworked in manufacturing."

    The hero teased him with her eyes closed, but Norman continued undeterred.

    "My ultimate goal is to end the sacrifice of sorcerers. The power of magic should be put to good use in fields other than the military. Let the incompetents do all the fighting."

    "That's a very noble idea, it brings tears to my eyes."

    The hero muttered with a yawn.
 

    The hero felt like he was saying good things, but this felt somehow different. She thought that this man was honest with himself, for better or worse, and with his personality, he must have made a lot of enemies for himself. That was what it meant when a sorcerer, while sorcerers are in great demand, goes through the trouble of paying someone to ask for help as an intermediary. His attitude to those who have no magical abilities was very apparent. When he found out that the hero could use magic, he eased up on his bad mannerisms and became more talkative. Though, he still paid no attention to Matari and Lulurile, neither of whom could use magic.

    "Sorcerers have always had to take the brunt of battles, which is ridiculous. And I know the guys in the Scholars Guild seem to be putting a lot of effort into developing weapons for use against sorcerers, but that's never going to happen. Because soon, Sorcerers won't be appearing on the battlefield.”

    Norman looked at Lulurile.

    "So, does that mean your dream is coming to fruition?"

    "I'd say it's getting close. The magic mines I've proposed caught the eye of the Keyland Empire, and I've been chosen to serve in their military and help in its development. Eventually, my name will be known across the country."

    "Good for you, black hat. Then you might be able to graduate from a baby chick."

    After listening to his story, the hero opened her eyes and stretched herself out.

    "I don't appreciate being praised by a meat shield. ──Well, it's about time to go."

    Norman stood up and took out his transfer stone. And after pondering for a moment, he pulled out a ball from his leather bag and threw it to the hero.

    "There's a surplus, so you can have it. It's a timed explosive, after pulling the string it will trigger after five seconds."

    "Hm? What kind of wind is blowing around down here?"

    "It's just a whim. You should be careful not to abuse your magic, at the very least, it'll be too late once your body has eroded away from sickness."

    "You should be careful during the final moments of battle. You seem to have a habit of letting your guard down."

    "Thanks for the advice, but it's none of your concern...... Thank you for accepting my request. Farewell."

    As he raised his transfer stone, a white light enveloped Norman's body. And after ten seconds had passed, Norman's figure disappeared completely.

    "...... Now, if you'll excuse me. I will deliver my thanks to you later. Although the experiment failed, it was a very worthwhile time."

    "Oh, yeah, well. You shouldn't get too obsessed with something. People like that usually fall down the wrong path."

    The hero was reminded of those who betrayed humanity. Those who in the pursuit of power, fell onto the path of evil. Of course, without a shred of mercy, the hero annihilated them.

    "Thank you for your advice. You're absolutely right. Thanks to you, I have found a new target for my research. Well, see you at the Paradise Pavilion."

    With a long smile, Lulurile also returned to the ground with a transfer stone, leaving only the hero and Matari.

    "They both left."

    "You know, there's a lot of weirdos in this city, just like you."

    "I think you're weird enough as it is──"

    The hero pinched Matari's cheeks without letting her finish. This was a powerful technique that consisted of pulling while twisting. After a while she let her go, and with tears in her eyes, Matari complained of the hero's atrocities. The hero, of course, ignored the words of Matari and threw the sphere Norman had given her to Matari as she wouldn't stop her grudge-ridden grumblings.

    "Hey, I'll give you this so fix your mood."

    "...... Are you sure you want to give me this? I can't believe you're giving me something so precious."

    "I don't need it. I think it would be more useful for you to have it anyway. So keep it."

    "Thank you very much! It's kind of exciting to think that even someone like me can use magic too!"

    Matari, now in a better mood, happily tucked the ball away into her waist bag.

    The hero leaned up against the wall and watched the scene and thought to herself - Ironically, the ones who’ll probably be the most pleased with the research of the chick with a black hat would be those who can't use magic.

-

    ──The house of the Arte family, the only remnants of their former glory. The current head of the family was Reken Arte, Matari's half-brother.

    

    "Master Reken, Master Sidamo has just returned"

    Reken who was holed up in his studies, was approached.

    "...... Sidamo? Take him to the waiting room. I'll be right there."

    "Certainly."

    When Reken answered, he put a grimoire back into a drawer and locked it tightly. This was a grimoire passed down from generation to generation, to each head of the Arte family. All knowledge on the Great Barrier was gathered inside. Blessed with a talent for magic, Reken had mastered its contents before he was in his mid-twenties, as a result of his talent and his unyielding determination. Officially recognized as the head of the Arte family by the Star Church, Reken took complete control over the Great Barrier that covered the labyrinth.
    Shortly after he succeeded the head, his father who had fallen ill, passed away with an air of peace resting on his rested face. Originally the city was ruled by the Arte family - the administrators of the Great Barrier. However, after the death of their great ancestor, G.Arte, the Star Church, which was provided protection by the house of Arte, began to strip the Arte family of their power. Drowning them in a life of opulence and luxury, they turned them into foolish decorative trinkets and gradually turned the Arte family into rulers in name only. And while the Star Church continuously gained momentum, the Arte family was under their thumb. But despite having lost their authority the Church left them with control over the Great Barrier, a fictitious gesture of pity from the Church. The proud Reken couldn't stand it, knowing people ridiculed and laughed at him as a fallen nobleman.

    "Who was it three hundred years ago that prevented the invasion of the demons from underground and preserved peace on the continent?"

    "To whom do we owe the fact that the Great Barrier is still maintained to this day?"

    "It's thanks to us, the Artes'. Not to mention, the Arte family protected the Star Church when they were a weak and powerless religion."

    It was only through the prestige of Arte that those who were regarded with suspicion as a group of pagans were able to spread their message with impunity. Reken wouldn't allow them to look down on him because of their expansion of power. Jealousy, anger, shame, and reprisal formed a whirlpool of dark emotions in his mind.

        "If you've forgotten, I'll remind you. Of just who rules this city."

    Walking into the waiting room, Reken stifled his anger, and a young man who was seated stood up and bowed. This young man was Reken's brother, Sidamo, who moved to the Yuuz Kingdom province.  He left the house voluntarily out of concern for Reken, who succeeded him as the head of the family. Reken merely waved his hand and proceeded took sit in the head seat.

    "It's been a long time, brother."

    "Yeah, I'm glad to see you're okay."

    "Older brother has lost some weight, hasn't he? And your complexion......"

    To Sidamo's point, Reken stroked his own cheek.

    "When you're the head of the family, there's no time to rest. I have heavy responsibilities to bear. As the heir of the head of Arte, I need to push on. I can't afford to leave anything to chance."

    Reken's cheeks were flattened, and dark circles formed under his eyes. His body was worn thin, his complexion had paled, and with gray hair, it was hard to think that he was in the middle of his twenties. Reken pushed himself to the edge, compromising his own well being and forcing himself to train. He abused magic potions to learn to cast the Great Barrier spell as quickly as possible, even depriving himself of sleep. He wholly devoted himself to his studies in an effort to become one worthy of being the head of the family. Even now as the head he has been repeatedly interacting with aristocrats and executives of the Star Church in order to increase his network, which has worn down his nerves and self-esteem to their limits. Reken's body and soul were eroding and yet, he still wouldn't stop.

    "I think you should take some time off.  Even if you push yourself to the limit, the results won't come any faster."

    "Don't worry about it...... So, how are you? I've been informed that you've been recruited by the Kingdom of Yuuz."

    "Yes, I'm currently assigned to the third army of the Yuuz Kingdom. Despite being as young as I am, General Yaldar took an interest in me and added me to his chief of staff, though I'm only in charge of menial tasks."

    "There's no need to be so modest, be proud of yourself. You might not be capable of using magic, but you're much smarter than I am. Keep up the good work. I'm sure you'll do a fine job living up to the Arte name."

    "Thank you."

    "It's been a while since I've heard some good news, I'm glad to hear it."

    Reken's face relaxed, and a little color returned to his morbidly blanched face. After some small talk and discussion about recent events, Sidamo switched subjects with a serious expression on his face.

    "......Brother. Do you know what sister is doing now?"

    "Sidamo! She's no longer one of us! Be careful not to call her "sister" again. She is a concubine's daughter, her very existence is a disgrace to the house of Arte."

    "Our mothers may be different, but my sister is still my sister."

    "The blood of a filthy concubine flows through Matari's veins, she is a scourge to this family - the worst legacy left behind by father! Don't ever speak of her again!"

    "...... I'm sorry."

    At Reken’s strong remimanding, Reken clammed up.

    Breaking eye contact, Reken turned his gaze to the ceiling. This was how he treated his only close relative.

    When did he become like this, such a nasty person? He wasn't always like this, when he was a child the three of them, Reken, Sidamo, and Matari, were very close siblings. The three vowed to each other that they would work together to make the house flourish.

    "......Sidamo. Don't come back here anymore. There's no place for you in this city anymore."

    "Brother, what did you just say?"

    "You have a new home. And perhaps that filthy girl will too. As the head of this family, you can leave everything to me."

    "B-Brother?"

    As Reken spoke, Sidamo gasped. Something was eerie about the look on Reken's face.

    "Do you understand? You are to leave the city of Arte as soon as possible. This is the last order from your brother."

    With a cold dismissal, Reken quickly got up and left the room. Shaking off Sidamo's words of reluctance.

    Sidamo had joined the army of the Kingdom of Yuuz, and found a new home for himself by utilizing his abilities. Matari, who was disowned and exiled, had grown up into someone capable of surviving on their own. It was also Reken who was giving money to the housekeeper to take care of Matari. No matter how good-natured, the housekeeper wouldn't be able to support a single human being. But from then on, it would be up to Matari to decide what path she should take towards the future. She shouldn't be bound by the vain name Arte. But Reken couldn't leave the name Arte behind -- it was the only thing he had left to be proud of.

    "...... The time will come soon. It will be my job to break the last dam, this is something only I can do. I will overcome the torrent and bring back glory to the house of Arte once again."

    To this end, he abandoned his pride and interacted with the Star Church. Just as they had used the Arte family to expand their power, now he would use them to his advantage. Soon, the "Star Sphere," which would be the centerpiece of his plan, would be completed. The time of his uprising was near.

    Reken tightly clenched his fist.

    "Once I have the Star Sphere, I'll have nothing to fear. The days of feigning obedience to that piece of shit Ilgachev will soon come to an end. As soon as I obtain it, I'll uproot the Star Church immediately!"
 

  

    "Is this enough for today? We've reached the ninth floor and it's almost time to go."

    The hero called out to Matari, who was walking ahead of her.

    "Yeah, you're right, this is probably enough for today. I want to try and reach the tenth floor next time."

    Matari sheathed her sword and checked the time with a pocket watch.

    "Now that we know the way, you think we can make it next time?"

    "Yes, I think we’ll be able to!"

    Upon reaching the ninth floor, one can find many groups hunting at fixed locations. This was where one should gain experience and work to graduate from their temporary permit. According to Rob, you'd barely be able to make it past the tenth floor within the temporary permits allotted three hours. On this floor, Headhunting Rabbits and Vampire Bats roamed, but, if you were to hunt from a fixed point, there wouldn't be a need to worry about being surprised. As long as you were not careless, there wasn't a need to be afraid. But Instead of hunting from a fixed point, the hero and Matari kept on the move, running to the seventh floor as fast as they could and afterward proceeded cautiously.
    Two weeks had passed since they began challenging the labyrinth, and the hero could say she was making good money. Things were most dangerous during the period where one was still getting accustomed to the labyrinth. But since the hero was helping Matari, there weren't any big complications since the incident with Salvadore. Matari gradually gained experience and was beginning to develop her skills as a warrior. Her fear of demons was fading, and she had begun fighting in her own style.

    "Alright then, let’s just rest until it's time. I'm hungry."

    The hero spun her blood-coated sword around and shook it off, and sheathed it. Sitting down on the ground, taking a deep breath, she took out a hand towel from her waist bag and wiped off her bloody face. Until now, she had always fought alone, so she wasn't quite used to fighting together with someone.

    "──Phew, I'm pretty tired."

    Matari also took a breath and sat down. It seemed that moving while constantly remaining vigilant caused considerable fatigue to accumulate in her body. It was difficult always being so tense, even more so in her circumstance as she wore heavy armor.

    "You're too tight, you should try and relax a little more. There's no need to be in such a rush."

    Though the hero often gave her similar advice, it seemed difficult for the bound and determined Matari to figure out. Taking a small piece of bread from her bag, the hero threw it into her mouth. It had no flavor, but it was chewy and would relieve your hunger, but its disadvantage was that it would make your throat dry.

    "I'm not in a rush, and besides, it's not that easy to be so relaxed here."

    "A little more experience and you'll be fine. The more you gain the more comfortable you'll be, I was like that too."

    "......You, too?"

    "Well at first, I was inexperienced and weak. I don't think there's anyone who's strong from the start."

    "...... That's right."

    Yes, even the hero was trained and honed her skills with help from others at first. Swordsmanship, the healing arts, sorcery, the foundations of battle were carved into her body; and before long, she had mastered them all, and took them into battle to save the world. These people were her teachers, her few friends, and her invaluable companions - the hero really believed that.

    "Hero, are you all right?"

    "Hmm, yeah, you want some?"

    The hero snapped out of her thoughts and offered a piece of bread to Matari.

    "No, I'm fine. I don't want anything to eat right now."

    "Well, alright then."

    Matari sat looking rather depressed while the hero continued to chew her way through the bread. As the taste was rather dull, she tossed some dried meat into her mouth from her emergency rations. When the salty taste spread throughout her throat complained of an even greater thirst. So, the hero took out a bamboo-like pipe and drank the water contained within in a single gulp.

    "Ah, I wish this was alcohol. I know it's not a good idea to drink in the labyrinth but still. Guess I'll just have a drink when we get back."

    "......Um, Hero."

    "Hmm, what?"

    "W-Well......"

    "If you have something to say, say it clearly."

    "Um, no, never mind."

    Matari stammered, but the look on her face reminded the hero of something. The look on the faces of her former comrades. How could she have forgotten? Lately, her memories of the past were becoming blurry.
    
    The hero pressed hard into her sore temples - this is what Matari must have been thinking.

    "She's younger than me and has a poor physique, but has no problem with the demons in the labyrinth at all. She has mastery of healing magic, sorcery, and even her technique with a sword is better than mine. I'm no use to her at all, so why are we even working together?"

    The hero could roughly tell what she was thinking by the look on her face. She could see self-deprecation in Matari's eyes and knew what words would follow. Would they come sooner than she thought? Or later? The hero waited in silence for her following words, wondering what they would be. Either way, there was only one outcome.
    The hero quietly watched Matari as she struggled with her thoughts when something was approaching from the back of the aisle. It was about a size larger than an Earth-Scraping Rat. The hero guessed it was about a bit larger than a boar. The natural enemies of rats, the so-called "Cat," this terrestrial carnivore had a habit of making fun of humans.

    "Neow."

    "Hey, isn't that a cat? I didn't know there were cats in a place like this. It's a little big, but it's got a cute face."

    Matari's uneasy tone turned into a cheerful one, a complete turnaround from her prior mood - Apparently, Matari liked cats.

    "I wonder if it's a little too big…"

    "Oh, he's coming this way!"

    This girl truly is a boar.

    While the hero watched helplessly she continued vigilantly watching the cat. It rubbed its face with its paws and was depicting a friendly face. If it were any smaller, it would be no different from an ordinary cat. The cat meowed sweetly after spotting the dried meat in the hero's hand.

    "Maybe it wants some of this dried meat. Hey, do you want some?"

    Holding up the dried meat the cat squinted and meowed again.

    "Hero, can you give me the meat? I love cats!"

    Matari looked really happy and had a smile across her face. It seemed like Matari was a cat person, though that really didn't matter to the hero, but she seemed to have completely forgotten where she was right now. If it were only Matari, she would've died within three days for sure.
    The hero was on the verge of holding her head in her hands upon witnessing her optimism but just summed it up as another one of her character traits.

    "Of course… Not. Kill that fake-cat now!"

    "Eh, what!? Why!"

    "There's no way there'd be a normal cat in this shithole. Think about it. If you're not careful you'll lose your head."

    "Yes, that's true, but… Hmmm."

    Matari stared at the cat with a face of disbelief. Its dull black eyes widened as it tilted its head.
 
    The hero pulled out the dagger she took from the outlaw and pointed it at the cat.

    "How long will you pretend to be a cute cat?"

    ". . . . . . . . . . . ."

    "I'll cut off your annoying whiskers first. Maybe then you'll reveal your foul nature."

    "......Gurulu"

    The cat's mouth slowly distorted, and an eerie red mixed into its dull black eyes.

    "H-Hero. You're scaring the cat."

    "Look closely. You see? That’s it looking for an opening. Focus and feel the cat's murderous intent."

    "Y-Yes!"

    Matari did as she was told and began to observe. She seemed to sense something and hurriedly grabbed her sword and shield - the optimism on her face had completely vanished..

    "──Th-This cat."

    If Matari still didn't notice, the hero would never bring her to the labyrinth again. And if she protested, she would break her limbs and instill a fear in her that could never be wiped away. The hero would be resented for it, but it was better than being food for demons.

    "No matter how you look at it, it's a demon. Don't be so naive as to let your guard down around such a thing. It'll be too late to do anything when your head gets bitten off."

    "I-I'm sorry."

    "Well, this cat's act was pretty good. I can smell it on you, the stench of demons. Come on, get on with it!"

    When the hero threw the sharp dagger at the cat, it lept backward and dodged it, revealing its true nature.

    "Gurururururu!!"

    The cat bared its teeth and its sharp claws. This was a powerful enemy that appeared in the upper levels -- the hellcat. It catches its opponents off guard and then bares its fangs. It possesses the strength and speed needed to feed on the labyrinth cleaners', the earth-scraping rats. Be especially wary of its claws, as they can tear through iron armor.

    "I'll cover you, so take it down. You need to adapt to dealing with faster enemies. It'll be annoying if it gets away, so aim and kill it with a single strike... Are you ready?"

    "Y-Yes! I'm ready!"

    Matari held her shield in front of her and drew her sword back, this was her usual fighting stance. Using her shield to hold off the enemy's attacks, she would then use her sword to kill them. Although she was still rough around the edges in many respects, the hero believed she would continue to grow in the future. She was blessed with a good physique and potential to become a warrior. Her swordsmanship and footwork were remarkable for a novice. All that remained was for her to cultivate her character into one befitting a warrior. The hero thought this would be the most difficult task for her to overcome.

    The hero turned her sword to restrain the hellcat, who was ready to take the initiative and pounce on Matari. The sword filled with a tremendous killing intent made the cat's body cower for a moment, and the hero, capitalizing on the opening, fired an improvised fireball - a small ball of fire covered the cat’s face.

    "Ginyaaa!!"

    The cat began to struggle. Unable to endure the pain caused by the flames, it held its face down. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Matari launched a full-scale assault.

    "Haaaaah!!"

    Matari bashed into the cat's head with her shield causing it to stagger and lose its posture, then, the exposed abdomen was met with a fatal strike from her sword. The cat-like made one last stand, running claws down Matari's right arm, tearing it apart.

    "Ginyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

    "Tch, damn it!!"

    The armor seemed to have mitigated the damage, but blood still oozed from within.
    Pulling her sword from within its abdomen, Matari thrust it into the cat's head to finish it off. Wiggling the blade as if to carve out its brain, blood spurt out onto Matari's black armor. Tinged with a viscous plasma, the armor glistened a lukewarm sheen. The cat let out a loud scream but eventually, its strength faded, and it stopped moving.

    "Ha-a, ha!"

    "Great. That was a pretty good attack, especially the wiggle after the stab. It works, it's happened to me before, the shock goes straight to your brain. It's not really a laughing matter, but you know for some reason I find it kinda funny."

    The unique sensation of having your insides gouged out was difficult to describe. Though it certainly wasn’t anything you would get addicted to. Laughing lightly, the hero walked up to Matari, took her injured arm, and quickly applied healing magic.

    "──Ow, Hero, what are you doing?"

    Matari frowned when the hero touched the wounded area.

    "Wounds heal quickly. Even if it's torn apart, I can put it back together. Though I don't know if you'll ever get used to the pain."

    The healing light enveloped Matari's right arm and healed the wound instantly. As the wound itself didn’t seem to be anything serious, the hero assured Matari there wasn't anything to worry about.

    " ──Tsu!"

    Matari's face contorted as if in pain, but it soon turned into a look of surprise.

    "The wound, it's closing."

    "It won't scar so don't worry. It's pretty convenient, but its drawback is that you have to experience the same pain over again."

    The hero had once tried to heal someone who was severely injured, but they died from shock. It seemed that even though their body was fine their mind couldn't withstand the pain. Since then, she's tried not to do anything that would unnecessarily recreate that situation.

    ". . . . . . . . . . . ."

    "What's wrong? You're really quiet. I'm not gonna charge you a treatment fee."

    The hero peeked at Matari's face from below, the same look of distress from earlier loomed over her face.

    "Ah, um, I was trying to say this earlier."

    "...... Yeah?"

    "Why did you team up with me? You're so strong, you can use magic, and can even use an advanced healing spell. You can fight just fine on your own, right?"

    ". . . . . . . . . . . ."

    "So, I guess, maybe I'm just a burden, you know? ── Ahaha"

    Matari let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

    The hero wondered if these words were her true feelings. Though this time she wondered if it would go better if she wasn’t denounced as a monster.

    "...... Why did I team up with you? Why? I'm not really sure either. I guess it just kinda happened."

    "I mean, if it bothers you, just let me know! You don't have to worry about me, I've been on my own before so I'm used to it."

    Matari smiled sadly. If it weren't for the hero, Matari would've been on her own this whole time. Maybe being a former member of the Arte family was weighing down on her.

    "Even if you're a burden, there are times when it's better to have two people instead of one. The enemy's attacks will be split between the two, and you can cover each other's gaps. Besides, if you really think you're slowing me down, you just have to get stronger."

    The hero's eyes wandered as she spoke while Matari was hesitant to respond.

    "...... But."

    "No 'buts.' If you can't use magic, then just keep honing your swordsmanship. You have good instincts, you'll only get stronger with more experience.──"

    After saying so much, the hero wondered why she was even trying to hold her back.

    "Why should I care about what happens to this naive girl? She could die in the labyrinth happily of her own accord, I wouldn't be near her, so I would have nothing to worry about."

    "...... Hero?"

    ". . . . . . . . . . . . And."

    The hero choked on her words for a moment.

    "And?"

    After a few moments of hesitation, the hero squeezed out her words in a hushed voice.

    "Even if by some chance I was incapacitated, you'd be there to help me, right?"

    The hero involuntarily put her hand to her chest. She had no idea why but it was burning hot. Her heart beat wildly from inside. A sword hadn't pierced her, and looking at her hand, she found no blood.

    "If someone had been there for me then, would I have changed? Or would I still have ended up like this?"

    "During the days I kept running, they appeared again, frightened. They fearfully led me to a place filled with memories. And then... the bled red."

    "H-Hero?"

    "...... If you still don't like it, do what you want. We were never a real group to begin with. I don't chase people who leave, that's my principle. I'm used to it so it's fine. I'll just go back to the way I was before."

    The hero left Matari and walked to the corpse of the demon, swinging down her dagger with all her might, she sliced off the tail of the cat-like creature and violently stuffed it into her leather bag. Matari, who was watching, bowed her head toward her with tremendous momentum. Surprised by the intensity, the eyes of the hero widened involuntarily.

    "W-Where did that come from?"

    "I'm sorry I've been so weak and complaintive! I may be a burden for a while, but I'll catch up soon! I will get stronger, I promise!"

    "O-Oh, I see. Good luck."

    "Yes! It’s somehow all behind me now so, I've decided to continue pursuing the path of the sword!  I'll give it my all!"

    "Well, that's great."

    "Yeah, I've been worried about it for a good while now. I was wondering if I could really go on like this. Thank you very much, Hero. And I look forward to working with you!"

    As she said this, Matari firmly grasped the hero's hands. Her good mood continued gaining momentum, almost as if the bleakness moments prior never happened. The hero frowned involuntarily, her clenched hands screaming.

    "You’re kinda hurting my hands. No, you’re really hurting them stupid boar! Come on, get the hell away from me! It's too hot!"

    "You said that pain wouldn't matter once you got used to it──"

    "I'm not used to this kind of pain! Where else in the world would you find an idiot who makes people suffer when they shake hands!?"

    "I'm sorry. Oh, please wait a moment."

    The hero, freed from the hellish vice grip, was unaware of the forthcoming of a second hell that awaited her: The Head Restraint. Matari's large hand firmly grasped the hero's head. The moment the hero believed she was depressed, she suddenly began raging like a wild boar - And now, there was no stopping her.

    "You really have a hard-to-grasp character, stupid girl...... I don't know why she's grabbing my head so tightly."

    "There's a little blood on your face. I'll clean it up, so don't move. I'll be done in a second."

    "H-Hey."
    
    Matari began to wipe the hero's face with a cloth, her face was being transformed into an interesting shape. The hero hoped that Matari would show some restraint, as if it was someone else's affair.
    
    "──Yes, everything's all right now. You're back to your usual cheeky hero self!"

    Along with a snide remark, the hero's head was released.
    
    "Oh, you, there's a right way to do it! And I can wipe my own face!"

    "Uh, well, I'm sorry."

    Matari scratched her head with a blank look on her face.

    "You don't really feel bad at all, do you? It's written all over your face."

    "That's not true! I wash my face and teeth every day without fail!"

    Matari held her hands out in emphasis of how outrageous the hero's claim was. It seemed as if the distressed boar had evolved into a rampant boar - The hero felt as if she had just thought about something unnecessary. In this short period, the hero's mental strength had been severely depleted. Although, she felt somewhat better.

    The hero arched her back and let out a deep breath.

    "Phew, I'm kind of tired. I'm going to drink to my heart's content tonight and get a good night's rest. Of course, all the drinks are on you."

    "Hey, come on, let's split it. We're friends!"

    "Noisy. It's a nuisance fee for going off and making a fuss by yourself. I'm a light eater, so you can relax."

    "That's a lie."

    "Did you say something?"

    "No, I didn't say anything!"

    Matari shook her head back and forth, hurriedly denying it. And the hero found it so amusing that she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
 
 

 
"...... Hey, if you want to sleep go to your room. You're bothering the other customers. This is the perfect time for making money."

    Looking unhappy, the master made sure not to raise his voice as he spoke to the hero.

    "...... You don't have to tell me."

    The hero pouted,  claiming that he was being ridiculous in response to his unreasonableness. Though, what was really unreasonable was the drooling boar that was happily snoozing away next to her.
    When they got back to the Paradise Pavilion, while eating and drinking, the two raised stories of the past in a good mood, and by the time she finished, she had passed out. No matter how hard the hero shook her, she showed no signs of waking up. Pinching her cheeks had no effect, and pulling the tail of the golden horse back didn't amount to anything either.

    "If you're her friend, take care of her. But, only after you’ve paid for your food and drinks. I hear you guys are doing quite well for yourselves these days, so I won't let you go without paying."

    From Matari's story, the master heard about her new armor and precisely hit the nail on the head. The hero let go of the golden tail and shrugged.

    "It's funny. She was the one who was supposed to be buying. I don't know why I'm the one who has to pay now."

    "It's your fate. Just give it up."

    "No, I don't believe in fate. You have to choose your own path, so, here's what I'm gonna do."

    "...... What are you going to do?"

    In response to the master's question, the hero held out her empty glass.

    "Pour me another round."

    "No more refills. Do you think you can skimp out on paying if you pass out too? You can't fool me. Pay up and go back to your room, and take this girl with you."

    He glared at the hero with wary eyes.

    The hero wondered if there was a time in his past where he was stupidly got stiffed. She thought about making fun of him but quickly changed her mind, thinking it was time to head back and put the boar beside her to sleep.

    "Okay, okay, I'll leave for today. Here, the money, I don't need the change."

    "This is a nice tip for someone as pompous as you, isn't it?"

    "I'm in the mood."

    The hero got off her seat by the counter and raised the completely exhausted boar onto her shoulders, all of her unconscious falling onto the hero.

    "...... You guys look like sisters when you're like that. It's like you're the younger sister who takes care of her alcoholic older sister. I'm jealous of how close you two are."

    "Shut up."

    The hero squinted at the master, causing him to become slightly startled, mumbling the frivolous words, "Scary-scary."

    "...... Haha, don't be so upset. It was just a funny sight, I was just giving my impressions."

    "Yeah, yeah, bye."

    As the hero started to walk away, the master called out from behind her. Though, unlike earlier, his tone was somewhat more grim.

    "I'll give you a heads-up. I've heard that some of the bounty heads have taken an interest in you. You better watch your back."

    "Huh? I wonder what kind of rotten bastards they might be? Maybe I’ll get to see another interesting spectacle."

    Despite her words, the thought of having to deal with more rotten trash made the hero feel depressed. Though, leaving them alive would make her feel even worse. She needed to exterminate those who bore the stench of rot as soon as she crossed them. As this was her mission as a hero.

    "Who was it again? The Puppeteer, or The anatomist, right? The heads of bounties are always crazy people, but I've heard these guys are more insane than the rest. Though, I only heard about it from Limoncy."

    "Limoncy? Oh, that girl with the bad personality and the thick makeup."

    "Don't say that in front of her. The other day, she threw a knife with a smile at a customer with a bad attitude. That bitch is ridiculous."

    The master's face paled as the scene was brought to mind.

    "I won't say anything because she seems like the persistent type. Well, if I see any of them, I'll kill them, so don't worry."

    "Ha, I'm really counting on you. Just make sure you don't die too soon. You might be cheeky, but you're a good customer."

    "Thanks a lot."

    Raising her hand to the master, the hero slowly began to climb the stairs, Matari seemingly still haven’t woken up. She was more excitable than usual today. Perhaps she was truly able to relax after letting go of what had been lodged in her heart. From now on, the hero was sure she wouldn’t hesitate to show her true character as the Boar Warrior without holding back. With the image in mind, the hero thought now she’d get dragged around more than before, but for some reason, she felt that it wouldn't be so bad - she felt that it might be more fun than being alone.

    Opening the door to her room, she found there was already someone there.

    "Welcome back. I got tired of waiting,  I know it's rude of me, but I apologize for bothering you."

    "...... Oh, did I get the wrong room?"

    The hero twisted and turned, she was sure she came back to the room they were renting. She was confident because the door had opened with her key.

    The woman in glasses that looked familiar to the hero closed the book she was reading.  

    "No, you're in the right place. I spoke with the receptionist, Ms. Limoncy, and she helped open the door for me. Today, I came to pay the fee, as promised from the other day."

 

    The hero corrected Matari who was falling from her shoulders and looked carefully at the bespectacled woman before her, and realized it was Lulurile, the woman who had asked them to act as her escorts a few days ago. The hero recalled that she said she'd deliver her payment at a later date. Hence for that reason, she had been seemingly waiting here for the opportunity to do so, but she wondered how going into someone's room without permission was synonymous with that purpose. Though, she didn’t have anything in their room that she wouldn’t want stolen even if that was her aim. The hero couldn't figure out what Limoncy thought when she unlocked the door. And so, the tired hero just assumed she wasn't thinking and decided to wrap this business up quickly.

    "Then I'll take our payment quickly. You know, you could've just left it here so you didn't have to sit here and wait this whole time."

    "Yes, that's why I've left it properly placed right here. It's an excellent gem that's impervious to the hands of man."

    "...... There isn't anything here."

    The hero didn't understand, so she asked while scanning the room. Looking around she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

    "That is why, the reward is me. I look forward to working with you from now on. Please take good care of me."

    Lulurile laughed smugly, playing with her round glasses as if to say, "Well, what do you think?"

    The hero, who couldn’t comprehend the situation, felt as if her vision were going completely dark.

    "...... Yeah, I'm sure I'm drunk. That's why I'm hallucinating a vision of Round-Eyes. In cases like this, it's best to just go to sleep."

    So, without responding, the hero walked inside and collapsed onto the bed with Matari. If this were a man and a woman, the hero wondered if this would be some kind of amorous story. She had such trivial thoughts. And the phantom of Lulurile covered them with a blanket, thanking her, the hero drifted off to sleep.

-

    Under the protection of the Star Church, the bustling city of Arte was one of the most prosperous cities on the continent. Merchants filled the streets by day and adventurers by night. But the brighter the light, the darker the casted shadow, and that shadow was cast over the northwest section of Arte. In this shadow was an area isolated from the rest of the city by armed church soldiers and a tall firm fence, commonly known as the slums. This area still bore the scars of battles fought three hundred years ago, and the corpses from those defensive resistances time were cruelly dumped here, be it human or demon. Those who feared the stains of death never dared to tread near this place.
    Once the Great Barrier was constructed and the fighting had ceased, the dead bodies were slowly replaced by the sick and wounded, even children who'd lost their parents. As time went by even these inhabitants were gradually replaced. The slums were a perfect hideout for outcasts, wanted men and bandits, and as a result, the security around the slums slowly deteriorated. Even after the Star Church took control of Arte’s restoration, it was left behind from the prosperity of the rest of the city, and public order never returned. At present, the influx of people from varying backgrounds and circumstances have led to the creation of a completely different way of life from the rest of Arte. The slums were like a maze crowded with dilapidated houses, and the exchange of stolen goods was rampant, no one could even say for sure just how many people lived here. Church soldiers came to patrol the area on duty from time to time, though they couldn't care less about the bodies of the dead out in the open, as their purpose was not to maintain order, but to do something else.
    

    ──Protect yourself, attack first if you do not want to die - This was the unwritten rule of the slums, and those who failed to follow it were naturally weeded out.
 

-
    

    In a corner of such a slum laid a terribly desolate shop that looked as if it would collapse at any moment. With tarnished cracked windows and spider webs strewn about, it made for a sorry sight. Its shelves were cluttered with magical tools and utensils with unknown purposes, all of which were glazed with dust. But despite all of this, the shop still remained open for business. Although it got no real customers, many people still came and went, as it met the demands of a peculiar type of people. As one could assume, they didn’t come here to buy junk.

    A man with a violet cloth hood over his face entered the shop. He wore a purple cloak and his hand rested on his sword's hilt at all times, ready to draw it at any moment. He's what you'd call a sensible person.
    Placing a sack on the counter, the man rang a rusty bell, its dull ring echoing throughout the shop. The deserted shop was filled with a strange smell of incense, the cloying odor caused the man to frown, but he put up with it as usual.

    "Oh, welcome. Well, well, well, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

    A man emerged from the darkness in the back of the shop and spoke with a hoarse voice. This eerie man was the owner of the shop. He wore dark green robes with a hood, and though one couldn’t see his appearance, you could tell he was quite old.

    "Yeah, I've been pretty busy with work lately."

    "Well, that's very enviable, isn't it? Hehe."

    The shopkeeper smiled, speaking in an eerie tone. The man usually didn’t engage in idle chit-chat, but he chose to indulge in some small talk, as it had been a while.


    "Will you extract this for me? Sorry, there's quite a lot."

    "There's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't matter how much you bring, it's my job. I'll be with you in a moment."

    The shopkeeper took the large sack and returned to the back.
   
    He was working behind the scenes to extract magic essence. Those who were expelled from their guilds had no way to exchange their demon parts - for one reason or another. This was mainly due to the fact that a guild was the only place where extracted magic essence could be exchanged for money. But, even those who've been expelled from guilds are human and need money to survive. Even if one were to resign themselves to targeting adventurers, the demons in the labyrinth would still attack without regard. Whether you were a bounty head or an adventurer, you’re nothing but prey from the perspective of demons.
    As one killed more and more demons the parts would accumulate, but, there wouldn't be a way to exchange them for money. This was where illicit appraisers not sanctioned by the Star Church come in. There were a good deal of illicit appraisers, most of which had gone into hiding in the slums, as if the church were to find them, they would immediately be branded a heretic and sentenced to death. However, the upper echelons of the church have turned a blind eye to this area of the slums in particular. Rumor has it that they were using magic essence for things that they did not want revealed to the public. The patrolling guards had a purpose: to come to this area and collect magic essence. The higher-ups of the church could collect magic essence, people can cash in their useless demon parts for cash, and the appraisers make money just for doing their job. With this system, everyone wins.
    However, the ideas of the Star church weren’t entirely unanimous. Cardinal Ilgachev, who was second in rank only to Pope Elena, was of the opinion that the gathering of magic essence should be their top priority and that some things should be overlooked. He was a representative of the more radical faction of the church's conservatives. And on the contrary, Bishop Nikarag, a representative of the reformist faction, insisted that the church should crack down on the distribution of magic essence to ensure that it's thoroughly controlled.

    "The existence of unmanageable magic essence is extremely dangerous." - As he's always said.

    This was because many illicit appraisers accumulated extracted magic essence for their own purposes. ── Like the owner of this shop, for example.

    "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Here is the extracted magic essence. There was quite a lot, and it took a lot of work."

    " Yeah, I guess I got a little carried away."

    "As usual, the extraction costs have been deducted in advance. Please be advised."

    "I know."

    In this store, you pay with extracted magic essence. Customers never had to ask, "How much did you extract?" or "How much did you deduct?" as the prices were usually fixed. If you had any problems, you find a different appraiser. Even for illicit appraisers they would still lose customers and even put their own lives at risk if they overcharged. As they mainly dealt with lunatics who couldn't give a damn about killing people. In the case of this shop owner, he would be among these lunatics.

    "Well, please. See for yourself."

    The shopkeeper showed the man a large bottle packed with shiny black crystals that emanated a suspicious luster. These were the crystals of magic essence that were extracted from demons. Adventurers continuously dove into the labyrinth and hunted demons to collect them. Magic essence could even be kneaded into weapons and armor during their creation to produce special effects, it could also be melted and mixed to create magic potions that restores one's magic power, and as a prized ingredient for crafting tools of sorcery, with its many uses, the demand for it was endless. 

    Magic essence was the sole reason the Star Church was able to expand its power in the first place. As the only place one can find it, was in the underground labyrinth. Which, the Star Church had a firm monopoly on, so it would continuously bring them enormous profit.

    "Will it be cashed here? Or do you want to take it home?"

    "I don't want to deal with any more of these annoying cult soldiers, so just get me the money."

    The shopkeeper weighed the crystals of magic essence and came up with the price. When the shopkeeper told him the price the man nodded, indicating that there were no problems. After receiving the money, the shopkeeper stopped him with a whisper before he could make his way out.

    "Do you have any interesting stories to tell? It's hard to hear anything about the outside world when you're stuck in here. I've become very out of touch with the ongoings of the world."

    The man would've ignored it, but since he was a normal patron, he figured he'd entertain him with a bit of conversation.

    "There's nothing out of the ordinary that’s happened. It's still the same wonderfully corrupt world....... By the way, I heard that the trapper, Salvadore, was killed."

    "...... Ho, that trickster? What a surprise."

    The shopkeeper's interest seemed to have been piqued, and the man continued to speak.

    "It was apparently a young girl who was just starting out that killed him. It's all they talked about in the tavern. I haven't seen her myself, so I can't really say for sure if it was her."

    "A young girl? A little fledgling girl killed Salvadore? Oh, this is wonderful!"

    “I heard from my informant that she calls herself a hero. Is she that confidant in her abilities or is she just an idiot? Well, a dumbass certainly couldn't have killed Salvadore."

    "A hero? Is that girl really a hero!? Oh, this is great!"

    The shopkeeper’s shouts of delight caused the man to take a step back, nevertheless, he continued.

    "...... Well, even though she calls herself a hero, she still seems to have a temporary permit. I also heard she's been acting with the disowned daughter of the Arte family"

    "Hmm, I see. So that means they will be in the upper levels of the labyrinth for the time being. This is excellent information."

    The shopkeeper repeated the information he's gleaned over and over as if he was burning it into his mind.

    "What, are you really that interested? That's quite unusual for you."

    The man couldn't remember a time where he's talked with the shopkeeper for this long, and naturally couldn’t hide his surprise.

    "No, I'm very curious to see what that hero girl looks like. If she's good enough to kill Salvadore, then she must be brimming with talent. This really is wonderful! I wonder, how beautiful is the sparkle in her eyes? I'm very excited, oh, wonderful! How wonderful!"

    The shopkeeper scratched his head in delight along with erratic jeering. His hood fell off, revealing the face of a man with grayed hair, the eyes of the old shopkeeper were filled with insanity.

    "I don't really care about it. But, I'm pretty sure she’ll have a lot of money from the bounty reward, so I'd be interested in that. I'll go with you too. I'd like a piece of that.

    "Gold? For gold!? I don't care about measly coin! What I care about is that girl's wonderful eyes, her eyes! What kind of beautiful eyes will she have!? That's what's most important! Oh, I'm very curious. I wonder what kind of shape and color they have! I'd love to hold them in my hands and observe every inch! I want to lick them to see if they are truly suitable. Oh, no, I can't take it any longer!"

    The excited shopkeeper muttered and grumbled spitting everywhere, and gestured as if he was playing with the eyeballs in his dry palms - as if the real things were right in his hands.

    "O-Oi!"

    "Kekeke, I'd love to meet you right now, if I could! Oh, I'm so anxious, I can't stand it!"

    With a shout the shopkeeper’s body began to move busily. And the man feeling rather creeped out, decided to leave. He didn’t have time to listen to the ravings of a madman. The smell in this place was too strong, and he had reached the end of his patience.

    "...... Now that you're satisfied, I'm leaving. See you next time."

    "Thank you very much for the great information. Next time you come, I'll give you lots of extra so look forward to it!"

    Suddenly, his face returned to normal, and he smiled. The madness that warped his face a moment ago was completely gone. If he remained silent, he would have seemed like an old gentleman.

    "Well, that’ll be fun."

    "I look forward to seeing you again!"

    When the man left the store, the owner quickly ran to a room at the back of the shop. This room was used for storing materials and was filled with an odorous concoction of the burning incense and something else, it was a smell that would make any normal person swoon.
    
    After taking out a key, he opened the door quietly and entered the Doll-Making Room. It was a room completely blocked off from the light of the outside world, and only a single candle was lit. The room was spacious, with various tools and magic instruments laid out on a desktop and materials lying everywhere - these were all used to create dolls. 

    In the center of the dimly lit room a particular magic circle was drawn on the floor with runes written in blood. Atop the magic circle, a special doll near and dear to the shopkeeper was placed respectfully. More materials used to create dolls were haphazardly arranged at the edge of the room emitting a foul stench. The smell of incense was supposed to mitigate the odor, but one could hardly say it made a difference. 

    The untouched material stood around with hollow eyes and were used to obtain any necessary materials and would be re-used as dolls if the shopkeeper so desired. If not, they would be disposed of. If they happened to break, they would be discarded as is, as when certain parts were harvested from the material it was inevitable that they would sometimes break. About thirty separate lumps of material were arranged at equal intervals, and the shopkeeper glanced at them indifferently showing not a hint of interest.
    
    He took the special doll tightly into his arms, putting all his strength into his embrace so that no one could take it away from him.

    "Fufufu, soon, very soon you will be complete. My dear Katarina. My only beloved daughter. Your soul is already here, I can feel the heartbeat of life. But it's not yet complete, not quite yet. Oh, I can't wait to hear that lovely voice soon."

    After holding her for nearly an hour, the shopkeeper, finally satisfied, carefully laid her on the magic circle. He Folded her hands at the center of her chest and gently stroked her hair lovingly.

    The shopkeeper's face softened.

    "Oh, no. Isn't it time to eat? I was so caught in her beauty I almost forgot. Now, here's your freshly extracted magic essence."

    The shopkeeper took out the magic essence and concentrated magic power in his palm. And when he uttered a single word of incantation, the crystals melted, and a miasma began to flow into the doll. The shopkeeper had been doing this seemingly menial task every day for three years.

    "Hehe, now for the eyes. I've tried many sets of eyes, but I haven't found the right ones. They have to be great, a wonderful pair of eyes to suit my daughter. However, now I finally have a clue. The girl who claims to be a hero must have some amazing eyes. Oh, I can't stand around like this, I have to gather more information right away. I'll find out from an informant and see for myself with my own eyes. Oh, busy, busy."

    The shopkeeper quickly mumbled to himself, scratching his head as he began to make preparations. He gathered his favorite staff, a catalyst from his broken materials, and dozens of summoning cards for his dolls.

    "Let's get to it. To bring back those wonderful days again."
    
    The shopkeeper, now dressed as a sorcerer and in a good mood, left his doll-making room.

     ──This man's name was Russ Nubes. Also known as Russ, The Puppeteer. He was a sorcerer who specialized in the basic art of manipulating and strengthening objects. He used handmade dolls as his weapons, and manipulated them as if they were human beings, earning him the nickname: Puppeteer. His remarkable talent and tireless endeavors have allowed him to reach the pinnacle of the art of puppetry. He’s also acted as an excellent mentor who’s raised up a number of sorcerers. Having earned a great deal of trust from his guild, he was named as the leading candidate for the next guild master.
    However, at a certain point in his life, he became insane, and his once kind character had become completely warped. He fell onto the unholy path and was expelled from the guild once they put a bounty on his head due to the many atrocities committed by his hands. Though, he successfully killed all of his pursuers and went into hiding in the slums. While earning his living as an illicit appraiser he gathered materials in the city streets and accumulated magic essence from the depths of the labyrinth, all so he could repeatedly conduct horrific experiments. Among the many bounty targets, this man was one of the most feared, as not only were his abilities master-class, but his character was beyond cruel.

 

     
     ──The Paradise Pavilion, morning.

    The tavern was crowded with adventurers eating their fill of breakfast, and the hero and Matari were also nourishing themselves with bread and vegetables that were sat atop their table. Matari's eyes looked like she had something to say, so the hero decided to ask them instead.

    “I've got a lot of questions, but first, why are you here?"

    "Yes, I promised to give you a reward as thanks for helping me before. So, that's why I'm here as the reward."

    "I see, I get it now!"

    The hero took it as a sign that the idiot Matari somehow came to a realization. Despite being a wild boar she could comprehend things a few hundred steps ahead of her. Something like this was completely incomprehensible to the hero.

    "Yeah but I don't have a single idea. You're the only one who gets it."

    "Is that so? It's not uncommon for people to pay with their bodies. It happened to me once before when I didn't have enough money, so I had to wash dishes!"

    "Talking to you will tire me out before I can even fight, so let’s eat first."

    Shoving a large loaf of bread into Matari's mouth, the hero turned her gaze to Lulurile. The boar was trying to mumble while chewing on a mouthful of bread, but the hero didn't care.

    "So, you don't want to pay with money, but by coming with us?"

    "To simply put it, yes. I'm sure I can be of use to you. I'm confident in my knowledge of the labyrinth, and I am capable of fighting on my own."

    Lulurile touched her round glasses.

    The hero thought she looked like a weak scholar, but there was no denying that her moves with a pickaxe the other day were quite impressive. However, she couldn't really judge if they would be useful or not.

    "So you mean you're going to tag along with us just for today, right? I don't mind if you do."

    "No, I'd like to stay with you for a while if I can. There's no need to split your spoils with me. As long as you let me mine for ore once in a while, that will cover my living expenses."

    The hero eyed her suspiciously, but Lulurile remained unphased. Who in the world would be dumb enough to fight without being rewarded? If the world was filled with fools like this, we'd achieve world peace much sooner. The only thing these types could do was impose on others.

    "...... So, what's your real aim? You don't seem to be of the type to go through the trouble of coming with me without being compensated. You're busy with your experiments and research, right?"

    "Yes, my objective is to observe you. I've become very interested in you, and so, I would like to study you. I feel as if studying you, the hero, rather than trying to make substitutes for magic will lead to more fruitful developments . Yes, true enlightenment."

    "Go home now."

    "It's said that whenever three women gather, thing’s become boisterous. So with the addition of me, this clique would be complete."

    The hero thought, "What's the point of being so witty?" But Lulurile just smiled invincibly. And now, there was another one who wouldn't listen to the hero.

    "A boar and a round-eyes. Just what the hell is coming next?"

    The hero took a sip of water to calm herself down.

    "Isn't this great, hero? With the three of us, we can kill even more demons now!"

    "You're forgetting I'm the one who's been made the subject of research. Besides, the more boots on the ground to slow us down, the more dangerous it’ll get."

    "So, how about a test? If you see my work firsthand and still find me useless, I’ll leave quietly."

    "Alright, alright, it'll be quicker that way. You better keep your word."

    The hero bit into the bread and pressed her finger into Luluriles glasses, her fingerprint stuck on the surface. Though, Lulurile didn't seem to mind at all. A warm expression was present behind her round-framed glasses, which gave off an eerie vibe.

    "Even though she's a hero, she's surprisingly childish, isn't she? I've learned something."

    "Yes, that's right! She's always really bossy, and can sometimes be very selfish and childish!! But whenever I point it out, she freaks out, without showing mercy."

    "You're really loose-lipped. Here, let me tighten them up for you."

    Matari not only betrayed her but agreed with Lulurile. So the hero quickly punished her to teach her of her wrongs.

    "Hi -ya!"

    "Sanctions for traitors. So it is true, there is no mercy."

    Lulurile nodded deeply as Matari was completely in tears.
    
    "Well, it's because I'm a hero."

    "I see. This was enlightening indeed."

    ──The three girls who reached the ninth floor of the labyrinth were resting and checking their spoils.

    "It felt like we were hunting rats today instead of rabbits. This’ll be quite a bit of money don’t you think?"

    "Yes! Thanks to Lulurile, we were able to hunt really efficiently today. It should be okay if we treat ourselves to something extravagant today."

    As Matari said, Lulurile had done a pretty good job. Once they determined a fixed location to hunt, they scattered around bait for the rabbits and set up a death trap in the same area, which proved very effective. Instead of using her pickaxe in battle, Lulurile used the crossbow hidden on her right arm and shot the demons dead one after another. It seemed that her arrows were also coated in a poison of sorts. After all the arrows had been fired, steel bolts would be loaded into the crossbow re-strung with a magic essence enhanced bowstring. Lulurile noted that If one were to touch it as it fired inadvertently, it would tear through their flesh. The hero felt that she was crazy to have such a thing strapped to her arm.

    "Today, I tried using a crossbow that can fire continuously. The advantage is that the number of arrows you can fire increases, though its firepower vastly decreases as a drawback. There's still room for improvement."

    After touching her bloody glasses, Lulurile filled out her notes.

    "Is your real weapon the crossbow?"

    "The pickaxe is just in case they get close, as it's the scholar’s way to fight without letting the enemy get too close. Though, there aren't many scholars who can fight to begin with. By the way, this masterpiece, the crossbow, is something I've developed and improved by myself. It's a gem that won't ever disappear from this world."

    She wasn't wrong to praise herself. The arrow displayed enough force to pierce the head of a headhunting rabbit.

    "Indeed, its power is something you can be proud of."

    "...... So, what are the results of the test?"

    Lulurile asked with the same expression, though the hero thought that she saw traces of anxiety in her face. Matari and the hero ended up working together because that was just the direction things went. So if one more person joined, it probably wouldn't cause any problems. Since she seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders, there wasn't a need to worry about getting shot by stray arrows. And, most importantly, she didn't need any reward. She could even prepare cumbersome traps. She would likely do them good.

    "I'll just have to put up with it. You can stay until you feel like leaving. However, as per your word, your rewards aren't guaranteed."

    "Of course. Thank you. Let's do our best together to rid this world of the abominable sorcerers."

    Lulurile suddenly stood up and declared so, and a loud echo rang throughout the labyrinth. While the hero was stupefied, Matari walked over and whispered to the hero.

    "...... Hero, did you have a goal like that?"

    "I don't know...... You're the one who said to let her join us, so you take responsibility."

    "Why!? You were the one who said she passed the test!"

    "I'm fine, because I'm a hero!"

    "That's tyranny! You can't just get out of this by saying you're a hero!"

    The hero invoked "Hero Privilege," to quickly bring the topic to an end, while Matari let out a "Booo," in response. All the while, Lulurile was immersed in her own little world. 

    The hero felt as if she had formed a group whose composition she couldn't quite understand, but, for the hero’s purpose, there was none other than the annihilation of the demons. So, would it be okay for her to stay with them as long as she wanted? 

    The hero had nothing, in particular, she wanted to do, but she didn't care if they had a reason for acting together. Even those who said, "Let's fight together to save the world" abandoned her and ran away on their own. They were the ones who taught the hero how to fight, and yet they were the first to run away. With that in mind, the hero believed it would be simpler to just say that you wanted to work together for your own benefit. For the sake of the world, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of peace - the hero couldn't believe justifications like that anymore.

    "Alright, as soon as we cash this out, I'm going to eat delicious food. I'm starving."

    "Oh, if you want to eat at a good restaurant, leave it to me! This city is like my garden!"

    Matari, who was revitalized, stood up. The time to return was approaching.

    "Well, this is your hometown. Lulurile, you can head back first since we'll get sent back automatically anyway."

    "Understood, then I'll wait for you above ground."

    Lulurile raised her transfer stone and returned above ground, and after some time passed, the hero and Matari were wrapped in a light and sent back to the earth. The hero felt like it would be the middle of the night when they got out, but the sky was still bright as ever, and adventurers could still be seen challenging the labyrinth. Blood from the demons was stuck to the hero's new armor, though as a hero, it didn't bother her, but she had to clean it off before she could get back into the city. This was because the gatekeeper would reprimand her for “Violating public order”. So, the hero tried wiping it off with a rag.

    "Hm, I don't think I’ll be able to wipe this off with a rag. It’s barely coming off."

    The hero felt that she wiped off enough to be let go by the gatekeeper, but she hadn’t wiped off even half of it.

    "We’ll just have to wash them well when we get back. It's important to care for your armor."

    "Ugh, the master’s probably gonna yell at me again."

    "Then just wash it with this. It's a stain remover developed by the Scholars Guild. Its effectiveness is guaranteed."

    Lulurile took out a vial filled with a white liquid from her pocket.

    "Say, you're really well prepared."

    "Well preparedness means no worries. This is my favorite proverb."

    "There's a place to wash off at the Warriors Guild, so let's go wash off and head home!"

    "Yeah, after we clean up,I want to eat some delicious food."

    The hero wiped off the blood adhered to her hair, and the white rag she was using immediately vanished, turning a dark red.

    "By the way, why don't you ever wear a helmet?"

    "I don't need a helmet because they're heavy and stuffy, and they'd narrow my field of vision."

    "And I don't have enough money to buy one. Though, if it narrows your field of vision, wouldn't it be better to stay helmetless?"

    "It's true that helmets narrow your field of view, but a helmet's protective capabilities cannot be ignored. I only keep my head protected. You should consider the benefit of being able to prevent a fatal injury."

    As Lulurile said this, she removed her scholar's cap to reveal a steel plate that lined the inside. It seemed quite heavy, but she looked cool. Was she perseverant, or just a natural? The hero could not yet judge.

    "I think it would definitely be better for Matari to wear one. So you won't just hit your head on some random wall and die."

    "...... I'm not dumb enough to just hit my head on some random wall and die! And where's the wall at!?"

    Matari tried her best to deny it, but the hero didn't care. A helmet would be indispensable for this boar, who recklessly charged forth. 

    It couldn't be said with certainty that she wouldn't inadvertently smash into a wall after dodging a devastating attack from the enemy; besides, a normal human being would die from a blow to the head, so its best to keep your head covered. As a bonus, it would also make your headbutts stronger. 

    The reason why the hero didn’t need a helmet was partly because it would narrow her field of vision, but largely because it was more convenient for her to fight without one. Exposing vitals makes it easier to read where your opponent will aim. It was surprisingly difficult to land an attack on the head, so it would not only be easier to catch your opponent off guard, but also take advantage of their openings. In the event that the hero's head were wounded, she need only heal it with magic and she'd be fine. And so, the hero chose not to wear a helmet.

    "Then my next objective is to find a helmet that suits you. What kind of tough look do you want? How about one with a big horn on top?"

    "No, no, I'd like a plain and unobtrusive one, please. I don't need any horns."

    "I can put one on later if you would like. Whether it be one or two, as a scholar, I can somewhat imitate a blacksmith."

    "Then let's make it five horns with one on the front, two on the back, and two on its sides. Fufu, this'll make shopping for one more fun!"

    "Hey, you two, listen to me....... I've never seen anyone with a five horned helmet!"

    While Matari desperately tried to stop her, the hero walked onward.

    And, shortly thereafter, they would arrive at the Warriors Guild where they served alcohol. There should be no problems with having a light drink, since today the hero didn't have to fight anymore,  and could drink to her heart's content and get drunk.
    

    Lost in thought, the hero noticed a boy sitting in front of the guild. He seemed to have seen them and came running to them, waving his hands cheerfully, and the hero squinted at him wondering who he was. Matari was seemingly able to distinguish him first and responded to him with an equally energetic wave of the hand. The hero assumed it was the boy who tried to pickpocket her wallet and failed, and tried recalling his name. 

    — "I'm pretty sure his name was…"

    "Molon, right?"

    "It's Colon, that's completely different."

    Matari corrected her, dumbfounded.

    "What the hell does he want? Maybe he's gonna come at me with a knife, to get back at me for last time."

    When the hero muttered something disturbing, Matari denied it with a laugh.

    "That's not true, he's got such an innocent smile on his face."

    "I've seen too many people stab others with a smile on their face. I'd still be wary."

    "Hide your blade behind a smile. It's the basis of surprise attacks."

    "Why are you two thinking so much into this, especially about him cutting us down and murdering us!?"

    The hero had braced herself for an unexpected attack, but her worries were completely baseless. And when Colon came to a sudden stop in front of them…. He greeted them with a cheerful, childlike voice.
    

    "Hey, big sisters Hero and Matari, and a big sister with glasses I don't know! I just went to the Paradise Pavilion, but the old man at the bar said you were in the underground labyrinth. So I was wondering if you would show up if I just waited here."

    "What do you want? Are you having trouble with food again?"

    When the hero asked frankly, Colon shook his head with a "No, no."

    "I'm not in any trouble at all right now. The new friend who joined us is awesome! They've been giving us so much good food that we can't even eat it all. That's why I thought I'd give some to all the people I've bothered. So, here!"

    Colon offered her a large bag, which the hero accepted.

    When the hero opened it, she found a green ball that looked like a fruit of some kind. Its distinct feature was a mesh that covered the outside of the fruit. Matari, who peeked from the side, shouted in surprise.

    "Oh, isn't that a Belta Melon!? They're a very scarce and luxurious item, I've only ever eaten one once myself."

    "Is it really that expensive? But is it any good?"

    "It's something ordinary people would not be able to eat. And, since they can only be grown in the highlands of Belta, they are not that common. That is why the price for them has grown so much."

    "Huh, they're that rare?"

    Hearing Lulurile's explanation, the hero took a Belta Melon in hand. The fruit was quite heavy, and seemed to be tightly packed.

    "You can eat it with a spoon little by little, or you can just take big bites out of it. Oh, I miss the good old days."  

    Matari was off to her own distant world so the hero talked to Colon.

    "Hey, are you really sure you want to give these to us? If you want, you could just sell them to help with living expenses──"

    "Uh-huh, I'm really not in any trouble right now. And besides, the guy kept telling me I needed to apologize. It's only natural to apologize if you do something wrong. So, I'm sorry!"

    Colon bowed deeply.

    "I don't know what's going on, but that's enough. You didn't actually steal anything."

    "Thank you, big sister Hero! I'd better get going. It's getting late!"

    "Say thanks to your new friend for me. After all, he gave us something really expensive."

    "Yeah! He's got a scary face, but I'm sure he'll get along with my big sisters! See you later!"

    Colon waved and ran off.

    Matari, finally back from her own world, muttered with a smile.

    "Perhaps a wealthy and caring person decided to take good care of them. Or I wonder if a new orphanage might’ve been built. I guess there are still good people in this world!"

    "Compassion isn't easy for people to show, is it? It's easy to say, but difficult to show."

    "Well, the fewer pickpockets, the fewer people affected by them there'll be, and less of a chance of them getting caught and having to suffer the consequences. A happy ending this time huh, is it the end of the world?"

    The hero felt a bit lighter. Maybe humanity wasn't worth giving up on yet. She really felt so, just a little bit.

    "I'd love to visit them sometime!"

    "Once we get our exploration permits maybe we can go kill some time. I think we'll get something tasty."

    "Isn't it a little strange to keep getting things from children? Wouldn't you say it's a bit pathetic?"

    "Then I'll bring them a gift next time. I wonder if it would be okay to bring a little rabbit meat?"

    "That rabbit meat will definitely make them sick to their stomachs!"

    The three of them entered into the guild while lightly chatting, and once they cashed out their parts, they asked Rob if he could cut the Belta Melon for them.
    
    In the meantime, the hero and Matari went to the baths to wash off the grime. They cleaned off their armor and along with all the sweat, and Lulurile seemingly used some obscure cleaning chemical to cleanse herself. She really was a hassle-free person. She could just throw away her cheap pickaxes when they were worn, all she ever needed to do was refill on bolts when needed. And when the three returned, the melon had been neatly sliced, and cold alcohol was already prepared. Melons weren't a good snack paired with alcohol, but it would make for a good topic of conversation.

    "Oh, so that's why he came here with such a big gift. There’s some weird rich people out there."

    "You can have one if you want. It's too sweet, and it's giving me heartburn."

    "Thanks....... that kid was a little too much for me. I knew he'd get in trouble one of these days so I tried giving him a good talking to, but he just ran away whenever I tried. But, if he gives a good enough apology, he'll probably get let off with just a light beating."

    Rob picked up one of the evenly sliced melons and bit into it. Matari was readily prepared and secured her own portion in advance. Half the melons ended up taken by this woman. The hero reaffirmed that she was indeed a woman full of surprises, and had a feeling that she would become a menace if she were angered over food.

    "It's really delicious, isn't it? I'm really happy."

    "Jeez, I'm jealous of how happy you look."

    "Ms. Matari, there's a saying, 'fortune and misfortune are like the twisted strands of a rope.'"

    "What does that mean?"

    A puzzled Matari asked.

    "It means that with happiness, unhappiness will follow later. Fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin, like the strands of a rope."

    "...... I'm a little unhappy now."

    A shadow crossed Matari's face, and on the contrary, Lulurile looked happy. While the hero was taken aback by their exchange, Rob suddenly shouted loudly towards the entrance.

    "Hey, Excel! You haven't shown your face in the last three days! What the hell is wrong with you!? I was worried about you!"

    A young man named Excel, who had just returned, was trudging towards them. He wore fine armor and carried a helmet at his side. The glaring Rob’s arms were folded in a pompous manner, with his brow furrowed.

    "Well, there's a little situation."

    Excel scratched his brown hair with a friendly laugh, and Rob stared at him quizzically.

    "...... Is it lady trouble again? You never learn, do you?"

    Rob held his head in his hands.

    The hero put the melon in her mouth without paying them mind, its rich sweetness spread in her mouth. It certainly had an addictive taste.

    "No, it's not a new girl! You see, it's with the three members of my group."

    "A three-way is too much, you stupid bastard! I told you to only focus on one person before things got messy!"

    "No, I'm serious about all of them."

    "Shut up! I won’t care if they stab you in the back in the labyrinth!" 

    As Rob yelled at him, Excel atrophied.

    "Ah-ah-aha, you know, I almost got stabbed in the back the other day."

    "I don't care what you have to say! So, did you get your story straight? Running away from your problems won't solve everything."

    "No, actually, well, you know, I think I'm having a baby."

    Excel spoke with a fading voice. And Rob, with an exhausted face and holding his brow, asked.

    "...... With who? The sorceress?"

    "N-No."

    "So, the swordsman?"

    "N-No."

    "So then it's with the fucking priestess? That's going to be a whole lot of trouble, won't it? The Star Church is gonna have their eyes on you."

    "...... Yeah, it's actually all of them. It seems that all three of them are due around the same time."

    Rob stared at Excel with blank eyes as he chuckled. The hero and Matari glanced at him with disdainful gazes.

    "They say that 'sex is a recipe for disaster......'"

    "Lulurile?"

    "The meaning of this proverb is that if you have mindless sex, you will end up with unwanted children. The ancestor's teachings are very instructive. Hero, Matari, do your best to be attentive to this fact."

    "I don't know why, but this is just unbelievable."

    The hero chuckled and downed her drink. She wanted to throw the empty glass at Excel, but she held back. He was an asshole, but he was a complete stranger to her -- it was someone else's problem. It would be a waste of time to get involved.

    "...... I've been thinking about this for a while. Your skills as a swordsman are first-class, but as a human being, you really are the worst."

    "I-I think that's a bit harsh, Mr. Rob."

    Excel's face scrunched up, but the hero agreed in her heart. He really did hit the nail on the head.

    "Well, it's your life, so do whatever you want. I don't even know anymore. I'll at least congratulate you, congratulations, really. But you better stay away from my wife and daughter. My daughter's only five. If you go near her, I'll kill you."

    Rob turned away and began to eat the rest of his melon.

    "Um, uh."

    "I don't know, and I don't want to hear it."

    "In the end, I couldn't narrow it down to just one of them, so I decided to live with all of them. Now that we're having kids, I can't leave them alone."

    "I don't care."

    "So, since I need money, I decided to join a group of bounty hunters on my own. Since they're pregnant, they’ll be too slow. I can't take the girls in battle as they are."

    'How can you say that when you were the one who got them pregnant while exploring the labyrinth?' The hero rambled in her head.

    "Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's none of my business....... A bounty hunter? Are you sane?"

    "Of course I'm sane. It's a great way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time. Fortunately for me, my name is fairly well known, so I was able to join up with a group easily. So, I was wondering if you had any advice for me, I'd love to hear it. Rob, you're the only person I can rely on in this town."

    The hero glanced to the side and noticed Excel had his hand on his beloved sword. The sword itself looked well crafted, and his armor was likely to be worth a great deal. And in spite of his character, his body looked disciplined. Rob recognized him as a first-class swordsman, there was no doubt that he was truly skilled. The hero turned back to the front, and as if it didn't concern her, gulped down her cold drink.

    "Ugh, it can't be helped. I've taken care of you up to this point, and if you're serious about bounty hunting, you need to be well prepared. Be too careless and fail because of your own negligence, you'll be rewarded nothing but death. An insane bounty head will surely torture you and take your life. I'll tell you all about it in the back, so follow me."

    "Ah, yes. Sorry to bother you, Rob."

    "...... This dumbass is gonna be the father of three kids and have three different wives. It really is the end of the world."

    Rob and Excel walked together to the back, where inside the training grounds and an office could be found, so they would probably be discussing something there.

    The hero finished eating her melon and looked at the satisfied Matari. It seems that she was blocking out the unpleasant story in the middle of the conversation, though Lulurile seemed to have been listening to everything.

    "Even Master Rob’s saying it’s the end of the world. Hey Matari, are you a fan of his type? I mean, sure, he has a nice face, but…"

    Excel was young, and he seemed like a capable swordsman. Furthermore, his face could be of the so-called handsome type. The hero thought aristocratic clothes would suit him.

    "I don't like people like that. I would need someone more dependable, taller, a skilled swordsman, and someone who could pull me along── Wait, why are you even asking me this all of a sudden!?"

     Matari blushed and became flustered.

    While thinking it would be a challenge in itself to “Pull her along” such a boar, the hero with a “Now, now” appeased her in a deceptive manner.

    "I see, good to know. So, has this hero guy of yours ever shown himself?"

    "Of course not, there's not a single person like that in reality. People like that only exist in fairy tales."

    Matari held a distant look in her eyes.

    "What about you, Lulurile?"

    "My lover is my research. I have so many things to discuss, though it's a shame that I can't talk to them about it."

    "...... That's just the way of the world."

    "Such is life."

    As the hero raised her glass with a twisted smile, Matari and Lulurile responded in kind. With smiles on their faces, they lightly clinked glasses and down their alcohol all at once.