Chapter 15

Well, I don't think a map of the boundary labyrinth is all that useful, but that's compared to a regular labyrinth where, once you've made a map, you can use it semi-permanently. The usefulness of a map depends on the situation and the person. There is a demand, and even if there is an expiration date, it doesn't mean there's no way to use it. In fact, there are specific ways to use a map because it has an expiration date.

In other words, the vanguard members start their attack from the day after the new moon and try to clear as much as possible by the full moon, creating a map in the process. The latecomers can then buy the map made by the vanguard and take the shortest route to the next area.

This is to avoid hunting grounds that don't suit them and to reach the ones that do. Or, if they need a certain material, they might want to clear the intervening areas early. This is how the demand and supply are established. However, outside the peak periods, it's often difficult for the demand and supply to match, and maps often expire before they can be sold. Therefore, in BFO, adventurers would often request map-making services from each other at the new moon, and those who accepted such requests would create the maps. It's a kind of custom order production.

Now, in reality—because maps have an expiration date, a business can be made by continuously creating and selling maps of levels that you can reliably clear. An adventurer was calling out, trying to sell shallow-level maps at the entrance of the guild. Selling maps to new adventurers who just arrived might earn them a decent day's pay.

"Can I buy a map?"

"Of course! Which floor's map do you need?"

He answered brightly.

"Let's start with the first basement floor."

The first basement floor of the labyrinth doesn't change structurally. By looking at the map of that area, you can see how useful his map is.

"In that case, it's free."

"Really?"

"The first floor doesn't change. It's a service. If you like it, I'd appreciate it if you could buy maps of the lower floors. They'll expire in three days."

In other words, he's confident that if you see the first basement floor, you'll buy the maps of the lower floors.

The map he showed me was quite detailed. It seemed well-thought-out for the user and beginner-friendly. I was quite satisfied, so I bought four maps up to the fifth basement floor. The total cost was 16 kirig.

I looked at each map one by one as I walked out.

"Oh, you bought a map?"

"Since Rosetta said she would come with us."

Outside the guild, Rosetta was waiting for us. She said this to me.

If it were just me and Grace, we could have easily cleared the shallow levels with sheer power. However, I didn't want to be seen as overconfident, so I decided to be thorough this time.

"Yes, sticking to the basics does make a good impression."

I don't know if it's a basic or not... but I'm just doing normal things normally.

"Doesn't matter in this outfit, though."

I'm still in my usual clothes, and Grace is in her maid outfit.

"Shouldn't you buy a robe or leather armor?"

"It's a hassle to come back, and I don't like makeshifts. I want to choose carefully."

"Grace, what about you?"

When Rosetta asked about her outfit, Grace tilted her head in confusion.

"Is this outfit not good? I think it's easy to move in and functional."

"It might be functional, but—"

Actually, armor would just hinder her movement. It would only restrict her and might even end up breaking as she moves. Rosetta seemed to give up on persuading her, perhaps remembering Grace's race.

"Besides, I think Theodor's outfit suits him well."

"Um, it's not about whether it suits him or not."

Rosetta looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Well... Grace is actually capable and has a certain presence, but she can also be quite natural. Her mother, who taught her reading, writing, and arithmetic, is a rather laid-back person, and the Gartner family is quite different from the norm. So, Grace has been somewhat isolated from the world.

At least, I want to make a good impression on Rosetta, who is a lecturer at the academy, by sticking to the basics in the labyrinth. So, I decided to prepare properly even though I don't plan to go too deep today. We headed to the market adjacent to the square. The market in front of the temple sells supplies delivered directly from the guild and items for adventurers about to enter the labyrinth. We equipped ourselves with the minimum essentials like water bottles, backpacks, portable food, and emergency rations. We took out a staff and an axe from the carriage parked in the stable, laid a cloth with a transfer magic array inside the carriage, and finally set out for the labyrinth. The entrance to the labyrinth is the temple next to the guild.

"What deity is enshrined in this temple?"

"The moon goddess Shuas."

The labyrinth is influenced by the phases of the moon, and Shuas is known to protect travelers and sailors, so it makes sense that it's a moon temple. Shuas is a popular goddess among adventurers because she is considered to have a gentle nature and doesn't have any particular bad compatibility with other deities. This makes her suitable for a place where multiple races come and go.

As we stepped into the temple with its thick pillars, we saw a large statue of the goddess and an altar at the front, along with the figures of priests and priestesses. In the center of the temple was a large vertical shaft, and a spiral staircase leading down to the lower levels followed the inner circumference of the shaft.

The three of us descended the long spiral staircase together and eventually reached the bottom of the shaft, a circular plaza. There, the entrance to the labyrinth opened wide, and a green phosphorescent stone monument stood there. The monument is supposed to teleport you to a floor or area you've been to before, but it didn't react at all when we approached it. It didn't work. I thought maybe it would take us to the floors we reached during BFO, but since we can't open our inventories, that's not possible.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the group of adventurers from earlier approaching. They must have already descended to the plaza at the bottom of the stairs. They were a group of six, ranging in age from their early to late twenties. They didn't seem like good people. They looked like troublemakers.

They passed by me and disappeared into the labyrinth through the monument.

I wonder what that was about. They didn't do anything to us, just passed by. It was just a coincidence that they teleported when we arrived. Individually, it's not a big deal, but the combination of events was unsettling.

I should warn Rosetta. I don't know her true strength.

"Be cautious about that group. It might be nothing, but—"

Their expressions tightened.

Waiting for us to descend and then teleporting into the labyrinth is a typical tactic used against new adventurers. There are many stories of new adventurers being robbed in the shallow levels. Similarly, in the game, this area is a common spot for player-killing.

"Should we reschedule?"

"If they're targeting us, rescheduling won't help."

In reality, it's quite difficult to target a specific person in the great labyrinth. You can teleport to any area you want from the monument, so it's impossible to chase someone without information. On the other hand, new adventurers must pass through this level. Once you go deeper, the risk of being targeted by such people decreases.

If they had a reason to target us, what was it? Our outfits? Because I'm a child? Or because we just completed our registration?

Regardless, I don't feel the need to consider whether others might act maliciously. It's a different issue from being cautious. If they have such a low level of conscience, it's not our problem. We just happened to be there.

"Would you give up traveling because goblins might appear on the road?"

"That's quite radical... Who are you like?"

"My mother is my mother, and I am me. If they interfere, I'll eliminate them."

I kissed Grace's ring to release her and entered the labyrinth.

That said, there's no need to be overly cautious about an attack from that group here. The entrance area is well-lit, and you can run out if needed.

The entrance was very wide, but the passage soon became narrow and low, branching off in several directions. The white stone walls were made of the same material used in the central buildings of Termwill.

However, I already have this area memorized, so I don't need a map. I plan to take the shortest route to the fifth basement floor.

"Lightball"

I used a second-class light magic, Lightball, to illuminate the surroundings. As the name suggests, it creates a ball of light.

"Can't you use a dark vision spell?"

"I can, but—"

Rosetta tilted her head. I understand her point, but it depends on the situation.

"Why not? Won't we become targets?"

"The monsters around here are just goblins, kobolds, and killer ants."

I sent the Lightball ahead. After a while, as we progressed through the labyrinth, the light ball turned a corner and cast shadows of two goblins on the floor.

"I see."

Rosetta sounded impressed. The moment the shadows appeared, Grace's axe whirred and decapitated a goblin. The sound of water splashing was heard from the other side of the corner.

The other goblin froze in shock, but I incinerated it with a Fireball cast without incantation. These monsters are no threat at all. I have no worries about facing them head-on. Ambushes and unexpected encounters are more troublesome. Not using light to be cautious would also slow us down.

The problem is—those adventurers. I hope they have good judgment and a sense of right and wrong.

"If anything happens, I'll be the shield. They had bows."

For Grace, who is in her released state, there's no such thing as a bad hit, but pain is still pain.

I don't like that. Just thinking about it makes me angry. I don't want them to do anything rash. I narrowed my eyes and stared into the darkness of the labyrinth, where the light hadn't yet reached.