The Royce siblings were responsible for leading the way, with Roland walking in the middle of the group and Leonora trailing at the very back, carrying her backpack.
After passing through the entrance, their vision was swallowed by darkness, save for the ever-burning mana-crystal lamps hanging on the walls. With only this source of light, they were able to discern each other’s positions and see the path ahead.
Driven perhaps by curiosity, Leonora quickened her pace to ask Royce and Cameron why they became adventurers.
“Why did you two choose to become adventurers?”
Royce scratched his head awkwardly, clearly finding the reason a bit embarrassing to talk about. It was Cameron who took the initiative to break the silence: “Because he didn’t want to farm. An adventurer visited our village once, and my brother thought being an adventurer was cool while farming was pathetic, so he ran off to become one.”
“Ohh~~ I see. And what about you?” Leonora asked again.
Cameron explained, “I originally planned to become a nun, but I didn’t trust my brother. I was worried he’d die one day without anyone even knowing, so I followed him.”
“You two get along so well, I’m so jealous.”
“How is this ‘getting along’? He just gets lazy and waits for me to cook. By the way, why did you become an adventurer?”
“Ehehe, because there were too many rules at home. I couldn’t stand it, so I ran away.”
“Are you a noble?”
“No, I’m not!” Leonora hadn’t expected her identity to be guessed so easily. She was so rushed to deny it that her voice even cracked.
Cameron chuckled, then said, “If you have your reasons, I won’t ask.”
To the side, Royce sighed and brushed his hair back in a way he thought looked cool before saying, “It can’t be helped. Who told the God of Wandering to give me such a handsome face? I have to let more people see it.”
“Narcissistic big brother, if you don’t speak, no one will think you’re a mute!” Cameron used the staff in her hand to block his mouth, leaving him only able to make muffled whimpering sounds.
From the rear, Roland looked at Leonora, who had already become friendly with these strangers, and felt a sense of confusion.
Are girls always this friendly with strangers?
Should I say something too?
Just as Roland was thinking this, Cameron, who had pulled her staff back, turned to look at her and asked, “Why did Miss Roland become an adventurer?”
Suddenly becoming the center of attention caught Roland off guard. Realizing the girl was indeed asking her, she pointed at Leonora and replied, “Because I have to be this idiot’s bodyguard. I’m afraid that after a slime eats her, she’ll have to run back to town with no clothes on.”
“Haha, nobody loses to a slime.”
The four chatted as they walked, soon passing through a long corridor and arriving at a spacious, bright room.
Judging by the overall layout, this place looked like a hall specifically for receiving guests. Moss crawled everywhere, and thick circular pillars supported the entire underground space. The walls and ceiling were covered in bright mana-crystal lamps. Green plants grew out of the dilapidated cracks, making the place look like a corpse that had been left for months, though this didn’t stop adventurers from using it as a resting place.
Many who didn’t want to spend money, or had none to spend, chose to pitch tents and sleep directly on the hard, cold floor. Some had even set up fires, bringing pots and pans to cook at any time. As for ingredients, besides what was bought from vendors, most were sourced locally; roots, lizards, insects, and even slimes could become food.
“Wow, it’s so lively.” Leonora’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the scene she had dreamed of.
Cameron said, “After all, being an adventurer has always been the most popular profession. Let’s organize our things; carrying too much isn’t good for raiding the labyrinth.”
The experienced Royce quickly found a good spot to put their things down. Leonora followed suit, setting down her backpack and pretending to look the part as she picked out items needed for the descent.
While they were free, Roland asked Cameron how they should tackle the labyrinth.
“Tackling the labyrinth? Explaining that is a bit of a hassle. Let’s start with the labyrinth itself.”
“Labyrinths are generally divided into two types: Dungeons and Eco-gardens. The main way to clear a Dungeon is to follow a set route and challenge bosses until the final boss is defeated. Eco-gardens focus on exploration, puzzle-solving, and recording. Strictly speaking, you have to collect and record information on the entire labyrinth to be successful, though by individual standards, just reaching the deepest part is enough.”
After listening to this, Roland nodded to show she understood. She then asked, “What type does the Anides Labyrinth belong to?”
“It’s an Eco-garden. My brother and I have been here several times, but we’ve never reached the deepest part.”
“Why? Is it dangerous down there?”
“That’s not wrong to say, but compared to Dungeons, the dangers in an Eco-garden come more from the environment. Without the means to cope, it’s easy to die. The most famous feature of the Anides Labyrinth is water. Neither my brother nor I are very good at swimming. To stay safe, we don’t dare get too close to places with too much water.”
Water?
Roland remembered the ice magic she had learned while studying Elias’s notes last night. It happened to have special effects on liquids, including water, so reaching the deepest part shouldn’t be difficult.
“How many floors are there in total?”
“That depends on whether you’re asking about the whole labyrinth or the explorable areas.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Anides Labyrinth is divided into upper and lower sections. Adventurers usually raid the upper section, which has three floors. Because the lower section is entirely filled with water, no one has been able to enter it yet.”
“It also has a very special feature: it rotates about once every six months, just like an hourglass. All the water inside flows back and forth. Since the structures of the two sections are very similar, people often get confused.”
“There were people who failed to escape while the labyrinth was rotating and ended up drowning. Just thinking about that scene is terrifying; I don’t want to die such a miserable death.”
Roland put herself in that position and imagined it, finding it indeed quite pitiful.
If she were submerged in water, would it be possible to use magic to escape?
For example, making mana react with water to produce oxygen or something similar? That way, she could breathe underwater. In extreme cases, she could even compress the gases produced by decomposition to use as a bomb, so she wouldn’t be defenseless in the water.
If it were possible, what category would that kind of magic fall under?
But these were just theories in the end. If she were to actually practice them, she couldn’t do it in such a dangerous place.
“I’ve asked everything I wanted to ask.”
“Mm.” Cameron called out to the two who were still organizing their things. “Are you two not done yet? You’re so slow, be careful or someone will kick your butts.”
“Don’t rush me, don’t rush me! My canteen is stuck!”
“Oh, how are you so useless?” She immediately went over to help Royce.
Roland also turned her gaze toward Leonora, noticing that her backpack was still bulging. Compared to before, hardly anything had been removed. She complained, “Just what did you pack in there that you’re so reluctant to take out?”
Leonora replied righteously, “The clothes I need to change into every day, of course! And my mirror, comb, hairpins, and things like that. I have to change my clothes at least three times a day.”
“You really need to change those habits from when you were a noble.”
Without hesitation, Roland reached into the backpack and pulled out all the things she mentioned, leaving only the spare clothes and dry rations.
“My clothes! Noooo!”