"Yeah. You were kneeling on the ground, surrounded by people who looked like delinquents. Even when you were spat on, had drinks thrown at you... even when you were trampled on, you kept kneeling. And in the end, those people who looked like delinquents went back dumbfounded."
"Again, you saw me in such an awkward situation..."
Hajime felt a bit suicidal. It seemed Kaori had witnessed a scene of utter embarrassment, a scene that rivaled even the dark past of her chuunibyou days. Hajime could only chuckle. He had laughed the same dry laugh when his mother sorted the hidden collection of 18+ doujinshi onto the bookshelf.
But Kaori showed a gentle look, without any contempt or ridicule on her face.
"No, it's not ugly at all. After seeing that scene, I actually think Nagumo-san is a very strong and gentle person."
"……what?"
Hajime couldn't help but doubt his ears. He shouldn't have such thoughts after seeing such a scene. "Does Shirosaki-san have a special fetish?!" Hajime imagined something extremely rude.
"Because Nagumo-san is kneeling for the little boy and the old lady."
Hearing this, Hajime finally remembered. If memory served him correctly, something like this did happen in junior high.
A little boy bumped into a group of delinquents and accidentally spilled his takoyaki onto them. Faced with the enraged delinquents, the boy burst into tears, while an elderly woman cowered in fear. The situation was extremely tense.
Hajime, who happened to be passing by, originally planned to turn a blind eye, but after accepting the few bills the old lady took out (most likely for laundry fees), the bad boys continued to threaten her and finally took away her entire wallet. At this moment, Hajime's body finally moved.
That said, Hajime's life wasn't one for fighting. His chuuni special moves could only be used at home. With no other options, he knelt and begged for mercy. Kneeling in public was certainly humiliating, but the one being knelt upon was also unexpectedly embarrassed—perhaps incredibly awkward. As expected, the delinquents returned.
"Strong people tend to resort to violence. Kouki-san, for example, often intervenes in disputes and defeats others... But I believe there are few weak people in the world who are brave enough to stand up for others, or willing to bow down for others... In fact, I was so scared at the time that I didn't do anything... I just kept saying that I wasn't as strong as Shizuku-chan and the others, secretly hoping someone would come to my aid."
"Shirosaki-san..."
"That's why Nagumo-san is the strongest person in my heart. When I saw her after entering high school, I was really happy... I wanted to be like her. To get to know her better, I kept looking for opportunities to strike up a conversation. But Nagumo-san always fell asleep so quickly..."
"Ahahaha, sorry."
Now he finally understood why Kaori cared about him. After hearing Kaori's unexpectedly high praise, Hajime smiled wryly, feeling embarrassed and ashamed.
"That's probably why I'm feeling uneasy. I have a feeling that Nagumo-san might do something ridiculous in the labyrinth, just like when he stood up to the delinquents... But, well."
Kaori stared at Hajime with a determined look.
"I will protect Nagumo-san."
Hajime accepted Kaori's determination. He looked back at her and nodded.
"Thank you."
Hajime then let out a wry smile. This way, the roles of male and female actors were reversed. Tonight's handsome man award undoubtedly belonged to Kaori. In that case, I guess I'd be the heroine, right? As a man, I always found it hard to accept. Hajime could only laugh at the current mood.
After a brief chat, Kaori returned to her room. Hajime lay in bed, lost in thought. He had to find something he could do, to clear his name from the stigma of incompetence. He couldn't allow himself to remain the heroine. Hajime, resolute, drifted off to sleep.
After leaving the room they had started in, Kaori slowly walked back to her own room. Someone was lurking in the shadows beneath the moonlight, silently watching her from behind. Their expression twisted into an ugly, distorted expression... but no one else knew about this.
The next morning, not long after the sun rose, Hajime and the others had already gathered in the square at the main entrance of the Orcus Labyrinth.
Everyone's face was filled with a touch of nervousness and curiosity about the unknown. However, Hajime alone displayed a somewhat complicated expression. Although Hajime shared a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, the sight of the entrance to the Great Labyrinth of Orcus before him immediately dampened his spirits.
I'd imagined a typical cave entrance, dark and eerie, but in reality, it was a formal museum entrance, even with a window like a regular government office. A uniformed older woman, smiling, checked in and out of the maze. I heard they checked the status board and recorded everyone entering and leaving to accurately track the death toll. With war looming, this was probably a measure to prevent a significant loss of life.
The square near the entrance was packed with vendors, and the fierce competition among the vendors made it as lively as a temple fair.
The shallow depths of the labyrinth are a popular place for merchants to make money, attracting crowds. Many rogues have reportedly lost their lives in a fit of rage, using the labyrinth as a base for crime, like a dark alley. With war looming, the kingdom, anxious to prevent domestic unrest, partnered with the Adventurer's Guild to establish this entrance. A window near the entrance allows for the sale of materials, making it a popular spot for infiltrators.
Hajime scratched his head and pulled himself together, then looked around like a country bumpkin like the other students, while following behind Captain Meld like a duckling.
The labyrinth is cut off from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Though the passages, over five meters long and wide, are devoid of light, they glow faintly, allowing for some visibility even without torches or magical lighting items. This area appears to be rich in a special mineral called green light stone. The Great Labyrinth of Orcus was created on this vast vein of green light stone.
The group marched forward in a continuous procession. After a while of smooth progress, they arrived at a domed hall with a ceiling about seven or eight meters high.
At this moment, in front of the crowd who were looking around curiously, a gray ball of fur suddenly jumped out from the crack in the wall.
"Alright, Kouki, you guys step forward, everyone else, stand back! I'll have you take turns, so get ready! That's a monster called a Nezumi. It's a bit tough, but it's not a big deal. Stay calm!"
Just as Captain Meld had said, the monster called Ratman pounced at them at a breakneck speed.
Living up to its name, the Ratman resembles a rat. They have gray fur and dark red eyes that radiate a terrifying light... but their upper bodies are muscular, and they walk on two legs. The only hairless parts are their eight-pack abs and bulging pectorals, as if they're showing off.
Kouki and the others standing directly in front of the Nezumi—especially Shizuku, the vanguard—were all frozen. It was truly disgusting, wasn't it?
Kouki, Shizuku, and Ryuutarou attacked the ratmen that entered their range. Meanwhile, Kaori and two other close friends, the bespectacled Eri Nakamura and the lively and lovely Suzu Taniguchi, began chanting together, preparing to cast their spells. Their formation was as solid and steady as if they had practiced.
Guanghui swung the heavy sword that flashed white light at an incredible speed, killing several ratmen in one go.
The sword he wielded was one of the sacred artifacts of the Kingdom of Heilig, unsurprisingly named the "Holy Sword." The weapon possessed the properties of light, weakening enemies caught in its path while also automatically enhancing the wielder's abilities. For a "holy object," its boasted abilities were truly despicable.
Ryutaro's vocation as a "boxer" is exemplified by the karate club's style, so he wears hand and ankle guards. These divinely-designed guards can unleash shockwaves, remaining indestructible. With a steady stance, Ryutaro unleashes a relentless barrage of punches and kicks, denying his foe a single step. Though unarmed, he possesses the air of a heavy warrior, serving as a protective shield.
Shizuku's calling is a swordsman, a true samurai girl. Using the art of katana (drawing a sword), she wields a blade somewhere between a katana and a curved sword, splitting her enemies in an instant. Her movements are so refined and refined that even the Knights are amazed.
Just as Hajime and the others were fascinated by the heroic fighting figures of Kouki and the others, a chanting sound echoed around them.
““Dark flames surge, burning my enemies to ashes, returning them to the earth. ‘Snail Flame’.”””
The three of them simultaneously unleashed a spiral of flames, sucking the ratfolk in and gradually burning them to ashes. "Ah—" the ratfolk wailed in agony as they perished, their charred remains scattering in all directions.
When they came to their senses, the ratmen in the hall had been completely destroyed, leaving no other students to fight. Judging from the strength of the summoned team, the enemies on the first floor seemed too weak.
"Ahh~ Well, well done! We'll let everyone play later, so don't let up!"
Seeing the students' outstanding performance, Captain Meld smiled wryly and warned the others not to slack off. However, since this was their first time in the maze to defeat monsters, everyone was incredibly excited. "I really can't help you," Captain Meld shrugged, looking at the beaming students.
"Also... this is just training, but remember to collect the magic stones. You're clearly going too far."
After hearing what Captain Meld said, Kaori and the other support team members realized that they had gone too far and their faces turned red.
There were no major problems after that. Everyone took turns fighting, smoothly advancing to deeper levels.
Then, they reached the twentieth floor, which determined whether one could be promoted to a first-class adventurer. It was said that the current highest level reached in the maze was the sixty-fifth floor, but that was a feat achieved by adventurers over a hundred years ago. Nowadays, reaching the fortieth floor is considered super-first-class, and reaching the twentyth floor is considered first-class.
Although the students, led by Guanghui, did not have much combat experience, they had a surprisingly easy journey because everyone had activated cheats.
But the scariest thing about the maze is the traps, and sometimes there are even a large number of them that are deadly.
Regarding traps, there's an item called the Phil Detector that can be used to prevent them. This item can sense the flow of magical energy and thus detect traps, making it a truly remarkable item. Since almost all traps within the maze are enchanted, over 80% of them can be detected with the Phil Detector. However, due to its limited search range, successful progress requires the user's experience to refine the search area.
Therefore, Hajime and his companions were able to advance quickly underground thanks to the guidance of the Knights. Captain Meld also emphasized that they must not venture into areas without first checking for traps.
"Alright, listen up! We won't just be attacking from one type of monster next, but multiple monsters will attack us together. Even though we've easily won so far, don't let your guard down! We'll finish our training on the 20th floor today! Keep working hard!"
Captain Meld's voice was loud and clear.
So far, Hajime hadn't done anything special. Although he had used monsters weakened by the Knights as opponents for training, creating holes in the ground and letting the enemy fall into them to assassinate them, and had defeated a dog-shaped monster in this way, that was all he did.
Basically, Hajime didn't team up with anyone, just hiding in the back under the protection of the Knights, waiting for orders. It was really embarrassing. However, frequent use of transmutation in actual combat helped increase magic power. As his magic power increased, Hajime's level also increased by two levels, so actual combat training did help.
(I’m basically a parasitic player, alas~)
As the monster weakened by the Knights once again flew towards Hajime, Hajime sighed and stepped forward, resting his hands on the ground as he continued to refine it. He also drew his sword and pierced the monster's abdomen to prevent it from suddenly moving without warning.
(However, the accuracy of the forging is gradually improving... Let's continue to work hard...)
Hajime held the magic recovery potion in his mouth while wiping the sweat from his forehead, completely unaware that the other members of the Knights were looking at him with admiration.
Honestly, the Knights had no expectations of Hajime. They only cared about Hajime, who was standing idle, because they still had some strength left in the battle, and tried to lure the monsters over. Of course, they were weakened monsters.
The Knights initially expected Hajime to fight with a sword he couldn't control. However, he actually used his forging to securely block his opponent's movements before delivering a fatal blow, steadily defeating him with a tactic the Knights had never seen before. A forger is typically considered a blacksmith, so it's unlikely they'd actually use it in combat.
Hajime believed he was useless, his only weapon being refinement. Since he could manipulate minerals, he figured he could do the same on the ground. So, Hajime continued training in this direction, ultimately achieving this result. However, the people around him were incredibly powerful, while he had to go all out to defeat even a single monster, which only reinforced Hajime's conviction of his own incompetence.
Incidentally, this tactic was revealed to the public for the first time. It was thought up by Hajime after he made a fool of himself during actual combat training outside the royal capital.
During the short break, Hajime glanced forward and happened to meet Kaori's eyes. She smiled at Hajime. Just like the "protection" declaration last night, Kaori was always concerned about her. Hajime felt embarrassed and couldn't help but look away. Kaori immediately showed a slightly annoyed expression. Shizuku, who was standing beside her, chuckled and said in a low voice:
"Kaori, why are you and Nagumo-san staring at each other? You're really taking it easy, putting on a romantic comedy in the middle of a maze."
Hearing Shizuku's teasing tone, Kaori blushed and angrily retorted:
"Hey, Shizuku-chan! Stop saying weird things! I was just checking if Nagumo-san is okay!"
"Isn't that just a romantic comedy?" Shizuku thought to herself, but if she continued, Kaori would really get mad. So Shizuku shut up, but she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. "Hateful," Kaori muttered, getting upset.
Hajime, who had been watching this scene from the sidelines, suddenly felt a gaze on his face, and he straightened his back. The gaze was thick with negativity, making him feel quite unpleasant. Although he had felt similar gazes in the classroom before, none of them could compare to the heaviness of this one.
This gaze wasn't the first time today. Hajime had already experienced it several times since this morning. Every time he looked around for the owner of the gaze, the sight would instantly vanish into thin air. This situation had been happening repeatedly since this morning, and Hajime was already getting fed up with it.
(What happened…did I do something? For someone so incompetent, I think I’ve been working pretty hard…could that be the reason? Is he warning me not to be so arrogant…sigh~)
Hajime sighed deeply. Kaori had said she had a bad feeling about this, and now Hajime was beginning to feel it too.
The group explored the 20th floor.
Each level of the maze is several kilometers long. If you want to thoroughly explore the unknown levels and draw a map, it usually takes dozens of people half a month to a month to complete the task.
However, the maps up to the 47th floor have been drawn, so you won't get lost or worry about falling into traps.
The deepest chamber on the 20th floor features a complex topography resembling a stalactite cave, with numerous molten icicle-like objects protruding from the walls. It's said that further inside, there's a staircase leading to the 21st floor.
Once they reached that point, today's combat training would be over. Since modern times weren't as convenient as the Age of Gods, teleportation magic wasn't available, so returning home would require a regimented process. In a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, the group, constrained by the protruding wall and unable to form a horizontal line, had to advance in columns.
At this moment, the group led by Kouki and Captain Meld stopped in their tracks. Ignoring the surprised faces of their classmates, they immediately entered combat mode. It seemed a monster had appeared.
"The monster has been camouflaged! Be extra careful around you!"
Captain Meld offered advice.
The next moment, the wall protruding from the front suddenly changed color and began to rise. Its body, now completely assimilated to the wall, had turned completely brown. It stood on two legs and began to beat its chest violently. It seemed to be a gorilla-like monster with the ability to mimic a chameleon.
"It's a rock monster! Be careful of those two incredibly powerful arms!"
Captain Meld's voice echoed. Kouki and the others seemed to be dealing with the monster. The rock monster swung its mighty arms, but Ryuutarou's fists deflected it. Kouki and Shizuku tried to double-team the rock monster, but the stalactite cave's terrain made it difficult to maintain a firm footing, and they were unable to do so.
Perhaps because he thought he couldn't get through Ryutaro's human wall, the rock monster took a few steps back, raised his body and took a deep breath.
Immediately afterwards——
“Gugagaa ...
The rock monster roared violently, enough to shake the entire room.
“Wu!?”
“Wow!?”
“Ahh!?”
A tingling sensation shot through my body. Though I wasn't injured, my entire body froze. This was the rock monster's unique magic, 'Intimidating Roar.' This roar, imbued with magical energy, temporarily paralyzes the opponent.
The vanguard group led by Guanghui and others was hit head-on by the magical attack, and their bodies froze for a moment.
I thought the rock monster would seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, but unexpectedly, it took a side step, picked up a nearby rock, and threw it towards Kaori and the other rearguards. What a perfect shot put! The rock flew over the heads of the instantly immobilized forwards, heading straight for Kaori and the others.
Kaori and the others raised their staffs engraved with magic circles, intending to counter the attack with their prepared spells. After all, they weren't sure if there was enough space to dodge.
However, just as they were about to cast the magic, a shocking scene made Kaori and the others freeze.
The thrown rock was also a rock monster. After a beautiful mid-air flip, it spread its arms and lunged towards Kaori and the others. It looked like a hungry tiger pouncing on a sheep. Someone could almost hear it calling out, "Kaori-sister-sister!" The rock monster's eyes were bloodshot, and its breathing was rapid. "Eh!" Kaori, Eri, and Suzu couldn't help but scream, halting their magic.
"Hey, hey, hey, we're still in the middle of a battle, what are you guys doing!?"
Captain Meld quickly swung his sword to kill the swooping rock monster.
"S-Sorry!" Despite their verbal apology, Kaori and the others remained livid, seemingly feeling quite disgusted. One young man, seeing this, was furious. That young man was our righteous and self-righteous hero—Amanokawa Kouki.
"This guy... How dare you do this to Kaori and the others... I won't let you off!"
Kaori and the others' faces turned pale because they were nauseous, but Kouki seemed to mistake them for a sense of death threat. "How dare you threaten them!" Kouki's anger was subtle. Pure white magic surged out, and the holy sword shimmered in response.
"Wanxiang flaps his wings, reaching for the sky, 'Sky Flash'!"
"Ah, this idiot!"
Ignoring Captain Meld's warning, Kouki swung the holy sword raised above his head in one breath.
In an instant, the intense light condensed within the sword's blade by the chanting transformed into a slashing blow. The rock monster had nowhere to escape. The incredibly sharp, curved slash, without even a hint of resistance, split the rock monster vertically in two, then completely destroyed the wall behind it before finally coming to a stop.
Debris rained down from the walls of the room. Guanghui sighed, then turned back to look at Kaori and the others with a handsome smile. "It's all right! I defeated the monster that was threatening Kaori and the others!" Just as Guanghui was about to say this, Captain Meld approached with a smirk that showed veins on his face and punched him.
“Ugh!?”
"You idiot. I understand your feelings, but you can't use that trick in such a narrow place! What if a landslide occurs!?"
Facing Captain Meld's rebuke, Kouki awkwardly apologized silently. Kaori and the others approached him with wry smiles, trying to comfort him.
At this moment, Kaori inadvertently looked at the collapsed wall.
"...Strange? What's that shiny thing..."
After hearing this, everyone looked at the place where Kaori pointed.
The walls were covered in minerals emitting a bluish-white glow, resembling crystals containing blue tourmaline. All the girls, including Kaori, were captivated by this beautiful scene, as if in a dream.
"Oh, that's Granz Ore. It's quite large, so rare."
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