Chapter 33
Thirty-Third Episode~ Vallaida Insect Shrine
Before going to Babon’s shop I should look for an inn .
While I am at it I can look around the city .
I leave the popobumu behind at the stable and walk to a nearby place along main street on foot .
A large number of carriages come and go along the main street .
It is like a scene from a big city .
On the other side of the street I am walking on there are various stores lined up .
Oh, I discover a wooden building appropriate for a cheap inn .
The name carved on the wooden signboard is Saika .
The appearance of the inn is like a collective housing apartment .
Its position may as well be next door to the guild .
Since the adventurer’s guild is nearby it is the candidate for the inn to stay at .
But, I have not decided yet . I still intend to look around the area more .
I am not looking for enemies or monsters, but I am walking while using <Pheromone Touch> and presence detection .
Through search with smell I am able to detect the smell of blood and the pheromones a person emits .
It is convenient since I could somewhat distinguish the type of a person .
With Rollo on my shoulder, I walk along main street will flaring my nostrils and sniffing *kun-kun*
And, before I cross main street, I see a church-like building made with white stones .
It might not be but since there is a cross shape and a small room with a bell hanging inside it is certainly a church .
While walking along main street in front of the church, I use <Pheromone Touch> and presence detection, unconcerned .
As I am comparing people’s actual size with their magic essence I make eye contact with a woman .
She looks like a female adventurer human wearing black leather armor .
Her brown hair that looks like wind with its perm is swaying in the wind .
Her eyes are brown and she is glaring at me .
On her ears she is wearing earrings with pretty white jewels .
The bridge of her nose is high, and her lips are small and faintly red .
She is a beautiful young woman . She is tall for a woman .
The two handed sword on her back is almost the same height .
Her blood smells healthy too .
The blood streaming through the blood vessels in the nape of her neck is rhythmic .
-Looks delicious .
…A dangerous thought .
Recently…it is strange looking at a beautiful woman after embracing Yui .
However, for some reason- hatred is felt in those brown eyes .
She is glaring at me .
Why in such a place on the other side of main street?
People that look like believers of the church are there and block the gaze of the woman .
A group wearing dark blue canonical robes are led by a person wearing a green tunic type canonical robe into the church .
There is a circle and a yellow cross on their back .
Aah, they must be believers of the Sacred God .
I heard about them from Achilles-shisho .
The Sacred God religion believes in the god of light, Ilodis .
Since the glaring woman is praying at the church, should I go?
However, with all the busy pedestrian traffic why was she only glaring at me?
Normally that would be unlikely .
I have no memory of such a beautiful woman with a grudge…
Ma, it must be an accident .
Idiot, I might just be absentminded .
I do not know . I will leave it be .
I do not mind it and keep looking around .
As I advance down the street I find a side street with a pub and restaurant .
This alley has a good feeling and the place is crowded .
It is like the bar street downtown; the atmosphere is good too .
It is also near the apartment inn, this area is good for spending time drinking some liquor .
When I think of it, I immediately move to do so .
I stop my tour midway and retrace my steps back to where I came from .
To the small inn near the guild called Saika .
Deciding to stay in Saika I open the small door .
I talk with the inn owner and pay to borrow a room .
“Your room is the furthest back . ”
The innkeeper says so with a wrinkled face like a shriveled persimmon and I leave for the back room .
There is no door, it is a small poor-looking room .
…This is a cheap inn; I cannot store much luggage here .
There is only a solid bed and a large tub .
When I eliminate the bed the pail takes up most of the space .
The innkeeper told me I can bath and wash with this tub .
I was told in a blunt manner that if one cannot use life magic, then water can be freely drawn from the well next to the big willow in the first floor courtyard .
MA, I can understand from the blunt manner of the inn oyaji that this inn is a worn-out cheap housing complex .
Naturally there is no meal . It is not so bad since I have a pail .
Appearing the like the worn-out room, Rollo is jumping up and down on the hard bed .
I hope there are no lice on the bed…
Since I have money, I can probably stay at a high-class inn if I look for one, but this is enough for now . Ma, I just started living in the city .
It is near the guild and an eating and drinking street, so I will enjoy myself .
Well then, I should take a bath .
I pour hot water into the tub using life magic .
I wash my body lightly with gyoza grass since I smell a little .
…Water is a good attribute . It would take time to draw the water .
This life magic…I wonder if I could use it to attack, I have tried it in various ways so far, but the only difference is if the force the water spouts out with .
When I had just learned it I remembered the image of a water cutter using the image of pressure, I had such a dream, but it is impossible with this life magic .
I hope that with the magic like the ancient crest one I learned the other day, the magic of the water attribute may be made according to an image as the source .
Ma, I have the spear .
Even if such an illusion exists as I hope for, I do not know whether such a “thing” really exists .
I still need to learn the sword, it cannot be helped even if I am impatient and learn it shallowly…
First of all, the spear, I should aim even higher .
Including the other ones with magic, I will learn it if I come across the opportunity .
Thinking about such a thing, I hear a *pachan-pachan* sound coming from the surface of the water, and am distracted .
I pay more attention to the sound .
The actual source of the sound is Rollo .
She is swiping her paw at the surface of the water from the edge of the tub .
She looks cute . Amusing, she is slapping down with her paws going *pachan-pachan* and playing .
“Rollo, you may be playing but I can tell you smell bad too . ”
“Nya . ”
I grab the scruff of the playing Rollo and put her in the hot water .
I am removing the dirt from her legs and also making her paw pads clean . Rollodinu seems to understand that I am washing her body and is extending her body out comfortably .
I soak Rollo in the hot water of the tub .
Rollo shakes her body with a *buru* in the hot water and begins the smoothly swim around the tub when she separates from my hand .
She is surprisingly good at swimming; she is swimming happily by rowing with her feelers across the surface of the water .
She is good at using the feelers underwater .
After a while Rollo gets tired of swimming and gets out of the tub .
Over by the bed she shakes her body *furufuru* and splashes the water around .
“Oi, oi, don’t splash the water around here .
“Nya, Nyaa . ”
Rollo sings lively and jumps outside on her own accord .
Where is she going…
I quickly get out of the bath too, get dressed and leave the inn .
I head to Babon’s shop that receptionist-san told me about .
As I walk along the street .
“Nn, Nya . ”
Rollo calls and jumps onto my shoulder from behind .
“Where did you go?”
“…”
Rollo only moves her tail .
Did you need to pee?
I walk with my eyes fixed on the street with Rollo placed on my shoulder .
I quickly arrive at Babon’s shop on the other side of main street .
This shop…is a general store, just like receptionist-san said .
The impression of a lot of goods put out .
There are different types of potions to the front along with medicinal herbs . Dry meat, raisins, seasonings and a bunch of bottles with something like blueberry jam are also being sold .
Snack like foods are also set up in a line, when I look they are the kind you find in cheap candy shops .
When I enter the shop, there are bronze swords in places lengthwise and a pot like an umbrella . There is leather armor on display and bulky armor, hanging from the ceiling, knee-length leggings are on display .
For some reason, a barrel and an iron pan used for cooking are placed in the protective gear section . There is also a bag to place at the waist hanging from the ceiling .
There are kinds of small accessories like wooden brushes, oil lanterns, and clean clothes all being sold together .
Rollo seems interested in the smells of the new articles in the general store, she is going *kun-kun* with her nose while stretching out one leg .
“Rollo, no playing around…”
Rollo remains silent but seems to understand the tone of my voice and pulls her foot back .
At such a time, my eyes come to a stop on the backpack hanging from the ceiling on display .
I recall the durable magic bag I got from Shisho .
I might as well get the latest magic bag .
I see someone that looks like a shopkeeper in the back and try to talk to them .
“Excuse me, are there items here necessary for the labyrinth and magic bags?
“Aah, there are . It’s this and this…”
The kind shopkeeper helps me choose things I need; I gather them together to purchase .
I have a light backpack for traveling and I bought a backpack for combat work .
Afterward, the simple lantern is attached to the belt at my waist . I buy field rations, a pan and a magic bag . I also buy a wooden brush for brushing my teeth and I bought a bag with a leather belt that covers my chest .
I buy several pieces of leather .
Since I have <Night Visions>, the lantern was not necessary but I want to go for an adventurer like appearance first so I bought the lantern .
Buying it, I immediately put the bag with the leather belt over my shoulder .
I load up the backpack and leave the shop with it on my back .
There are metal fittings on the new back pack so I fix the black spear to my back with them .
With this the preparations are complete .
Should I take care of a request quickly? I return to the guild .
I come back to the guild and walk over the side with the metastasis magic formation .
A small pedestal is placed in front of the magic formation .
There are large words engraved on the top of a wooden pedestal .
This, is it something like an advertisement?
A brief explanation about each labyrinth seems to be written on the piece of wood .
I got it . The wooden tag is thin so it seems to tear immediately .
I guess this is normal since it is free .
Aside from that, this metastasis formation is shining white .
Is it really all right? I feel a little uneasy .
Eeh, waa!
I set foot in the magic formation with Rollo on my shoulder .
At that moment- a *gua* sound in my ear, the scene in front of me is replaced in an instant .
This sensation, aah, it is that .
The sense of entering a tunnel by car .
Is it the pressure change? Or, probably because of metastasis?
After I am attacked with the lump of air in my ear, the transfer succeeds .
The magic formation at my feet is shining faintly .
And, properly, Rollo succeeded in warping with me on my shoulder .
Good . The horror film metastasis with combining does not happen…
I do not want to become a fly-person .
While thinking of such an old movie I exit the magic formation and its color changes from blue to white .
As an experiment I turn back and place my foot in the magic formation again .
The moment my senses are clogged up with air again, I return to the guild .
The metastasis formation of the guild is blue .
When I exit the magic formation it returns to its white color .
When I use the metastasis formation it is like a bunch of small LEDs shining with a blue light .
While I am observing the magic formation with fascination, I am pushed to the side by another adventurer . I am in the way and they enter the magic formation forcibly and disappear .
I belatedly enter the magic formation as well .
When I appear in the Insect Shrine again, the adventurer who pushed me aside joins other adventurers and walks into the labyrinth .
I intended to complain, but I do not .
Let us look at this labyrinth .
The area around the metastasis formation opens into a round space .
However, rather than where the adventurers are gathering, my eyes go to the ceiling .
The impression I get here is completely different from the name Insect Shrine that suggests insects gather .
It is fantastic and magical .
Such romantic words are imagined .
The gray ceiling has numerous holes that the ants can go in and out of, a light similar so sunlight is filtering through the holes .
The light illuminates the dust, and I see a fantasy illusion of silver flowers floating in the light .
The natural source of light illuminates the upper levels of the insect shrine . A truly beautiful labyrinth .
When even dust creates a fantastic natural painting, I will think about it some other time .
Black walls with silver beams of light above constitutes this labyrinth, black fibers are shown in detail .
I approach a wall of the black fiber and see how it feels .
Hard . Instead of black fiber, it is more like it is made of entangled branches .
Innumerable long branches and twigs are gathered together and entwined making it look like fibers .
When I pull on the them forcibly, chi, a splinter is stuck in my finger .
Ite, is this a thorn?
A stinging black thorn .
This black thorn seems to form Vallaida Insect Shrine .
Around the circumference of the transfer formation I came out of it becomes a circular open space surrounded by the black thorn walls .
There are several tents in the middle of the open space .
This seems to be the gathering spot of adventurers and merchants .
Without going there, I walk around along the thorn wall .
Then, thorns entwined in the form of big statues stand in a row between the thorny wall .
The labyrinth wall is not only made of thorn .
The image looks like it is hewn from bedrock, and the big statue looks like it is made of a mineral like copper .
There are a lot of people praying to the statue .
If I pray to this god will I receive benefits?
I walk away from the believers with such a trivial doubt in my heart and go to the center of the open space
“-I am selling a map from the mid to lower levels, does someone want to buy it?”
To the adventurers standing in the area, such words are being thrown .
In addition, there are also merchants selling items, those offering to invite people into their party, and other noisy sounds .
In this place outside of the guild, such an invitation is directed to me .
Passing through the open space I go ahead through the passage where adventurers are going inside .
I see stairs from the right side of the passage .
These big stairs seem to be doorways of the labyrinth .
I guess I will try looking along these stairs .
Since there was no feeling of movement in the metastasis formation I go outside to actually check .
I run up the stairs and easily arrive outside the labyrinth .
Outside, the forest spreads outward and the base of Mt . Burdock is nearer .
The earth around the labyrinth seems to swell up and the place I am standing is on a slope .
When I look up I can see the shape of a domed roof like a huge ant hill, there are a lot of holes .
The holes are a source of light and where the monsters go in and out of .
Now then, what should I see .
While I feel the dazzling sunlight…
I begin to read the wooden tag about the labyrinth .
□■□■
The Vallaida Insect Shrine labyrinth is separated into an upper level, middle level and lower level .
Many ant and insect type monster live there, and threaten the forested area nearby .
Occasionally, with the dragons coming from Mt . Burdock, the place is famous for territorial disputes when they visit . Furthermore, an S rank monster called the Vallaida Great Queen Ant dominates the lower level . A Queen ant protection squad called the Imperial Guard ants exists to protect the queen .
The Imperial Guard ant is an A++ rank of considerable strength .
Without exception the unit defending the queen is strong .
It is famous for existing as the unit that protects the Queen by all means in a labyrinth of other similar ants . There are few adventurers who have broken through this defense and looked directly upon the queen .
Incidentally, the imperial guard ants of this labyrinth will always join together as a three-man platoon, and even now have not been subdued .
□■□■
There is more information but after reading properly, with that timing, I turn away from the wooden tag and shift my focus to the labyrinth .
Shisho talked a lot before about rank A +
It is slightly different from an adventurer’s rank when it is dividing the strength of the monster .
Well then, I will go-
I toss away the wooden tag I was looking at and take the stairs back into the labyrinth .
There are a great many adventurers in a variety of armor under the stairs going to the upper level .
Adventurers are still appearing one after another from the metastasis formation .
That metastasis formation is convenient .
I was told Kuna-san established the metastasis formations…
They must be an amazing magic user .
They are probably in great demand from the guild .
…Even if I can create one I may stay quiet .
While thinking such a thing, I line up with the adventurers to challenge a level of the insect labyrinth .