Chapter 17

"Guuoooooooh!?"

The men dropped their weapons, clutched their ears, and thrashed about on the floor. Though one of them had been thrown against the wall with considerable force, it seemed the damage to their ears was even greater.

"Wha-!? Why are you guys coming from behind!?"

The man with the bow, his face contorted in pain from his ears, screamed hysterically. Well... that line pretty much confirms he’s the bad guy.

"Hey! What was that sound!?"

"That brat! Damn it! Kill him!"

Suddenly, the corridor was illuminated by the light of a lantern. A lantern, huh. If the group ambushing us from the other side can’t use magic, they’d have to secure their vision through other means, like night vision. Relying on tools means they’re also exposing a fatal weakness.

"Flame Absorb"

A third-tier dark magic spell. I launched a faintly glowing dark purple sphere down the corridor. It’s one of the counter-spells against fire. The flame from the lantern was unnaturally dragged out and absorbed into the dark sphere.

"Wha-..."

For them, it was as if they had been plunged into darkness. Not only would they be unable to use their martial skills, but they wouldn’t be able to counterattack or resist. Grace and Rosetta took this opportunity to charge in.

Grace’s movements were simple. Because they were simple, there was no waste. Maintaining a low stance, she swept the legs of the man she charged at with a single swing of her arm, breaking them. She then grabbed the man’s collar as he collapsed and slammed him against the wall like discarding a piece of paper. To her, it was like a gentle pat. She didn’t use her axe not out of leniency, but because she disliked the unnecessary spilling of human blood.

As for Rosetta, her movements were very refined.

She knocked down the first opponent, rolled him over, and stepped on him, immobilizing him. Then, while the other man was still disoriented in the darkness, she lightly touched his chest and calmly cast a spell.

"--- Roten Blood"

The reverse of the water magic Clear Blood. A spell that creates toxins in the opponent’s bloodstream.

"Gurgh!?"

I don’t want to know what sensations the man was experiencing from the Roten Blood, but he let out a muffled cry, clutched his chest, and collapsed to his knees. Before he hit the ground, Rosetta had already stomped on the head of another man who was writhing on the floor. It’s unclear whether he’s alive or dead, but at least he’s not moving.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on---"

The man’s words, in the midst of confusion, were cut short. Grace had run up and punched him in the chest, sending his body flying parallel to the ground and crashing into the wall.

"Flame of---!"

The mage, raising his staff, tried to cast a Fireball, but---

"Too slow"

A spear of lightning burst from the magic circle at my fingertips, piercing the mage’s body. The sound of an explosion and the blue sparks illuminated the maze’s corridor. Fourth-tier lightning magic. Electro Lance. A spell with sufficient killing power against humans. Even though mages have some resistance to magic, the mage fell and stopped moving after a single hit. Since mages might have hidden cards like non-verbal casting or magic circles, it’s not safe to simply capture them. As long as they have consciousness, they might still be able to use magic. Putting them to sleep with a spell is an option, but it’s not reliable. Such spells can be resisted with mental strength if the target knows they’re coming.

Rosetta’s healing magic, on the other hand, is different. It acts directly on the body and, because it requires contact, it doesn’t allow for resistance.

"J-Just kidding... this... in an instant?"

The fallen archer muttered in shock. His pronunciation was a bit off, probably due to ear damage, but it was still understandable.

"Light Bind"

"Ah!?"

With the archer restrained, the battle ended anticlimactically. No one was left standing. We didn’t care whether they lived or died. After all, they would be handed over anyway.

The reason I specifically restrained the archer was to confirm if there were any companions outside the maze. It was necessary to keep one or two of them alive to get that information.

They would have seen in detail what happened to their companions within the duration of the night vision. It would be helpful if they loudly proclaimed what happened to us outside. It would reduce the number of unnecessary interferences and make similar tactics less likely for a while.

"It’s not like that! We, we were just---"

A man on the ground let out a whining cry.

I wondered what he was going to say. After all, we had set everything up so meticulously.

He was desperate--- because crimes of this nature inside the Great Maze carry a death sentence. He couldn’t lie his way out of the questioning, which would be conducted with magic to detect lies.

As I silently lowered my gaze, the man’s eyes darted around. Eventually, he seemed to give up and pleaded with me.

"Y-Yeah! I, I didn’t mean to kill anyone! You guys aren’t even hurt, so can’t you just let us go!?"

"… I won’t say this again. Stop talking."

"…!"

I floated a magic circle in my palm and said this, and the man finally fell silent.

Trying to act weak and appeal for mercy after losing a failed robbery attempt... His tactics targeting newbies and his current plea for his life were both unpleasant.

The purpose was either money or pleasure. The means were either threats or murder. It didn’t matter how they intended to handle it. Once they set up an ambush, there were only two paths: resist and fight to the death, or submit and be robbed. The option of letting them go or showing mercy was unrealistic, considering the potential for secondary damage and revenge. Even if the targets were legitimate adventurers like the Forest Birds instead of newbies like us, it wouldn’t have been any different.

So--- insisting on not getting my hands dirty would be dishonest and harmful to everyone else. The act of crushing them, though annoying and unpleasant, was necessary.

"Rosetta, can you go to the stone marker and call for help?"

It would be best for her to go to the stone marker and call for help. There are plenty of adventurers who can teleport to the third underground floor, and since it’s still a level where they can return directly to the surface, it wouldn’t be a problem even without a transfer stone. Guild staff might even come directly.

"… Is it okay?"

"Yes."

Rosetta looked at me for a while before running in the direction of the stone marker.

… You don’t have to worry so much.

"Yes, it’s fine now."

After returning from the third underground floor, we were called to a room in the guild to give our account. The receptionist seemed sympathetic towards us. After a few questions and confirmations, she freed us with a sympathetic expression.

I thought it would take a bit longer, but it was surprisingly quick. Maybe because of Rosetta’s connections, or because she had already undergone a magical interrogation on our behalf.

"They were part of an adventurer group called Snake Bite. They had a bad reputation and were often involved in conflicts."

"… Is that so?"

Our sympathy was partly due to their usual behavior.

"Once the facts are clearly established, there might be a reward."

A reward, huh. I became an adventurer, not a bounty hunter.

As the receptionist saw us off, Grace and Rosetta had also returned. Rosetta took a deep breath and smiled, as if to change her mood.

"Good work, both of you."

"Thank you, Rosetta."

"Yes. So, Theodor, what are you going to do now?"

Are we going back to the maze?

"… I think I’ll go home quietly, for now."

"… That makes sense. Yes, I’ll go home too."

"Would you like a ride in the carriage?"

"No, thank you. I feel like walking a bit alone."

I offered to take them, but Rosetta shook her head.

"Whenever you feel like it. I’d be happy to see you again. If you have any troubles or concerns, feel free to talk to me."

"… Understood."

… I feel like we’ve caused a lot of trouble with the aftermath. Rosetta might have some regrets about her mother. She smiled and left the guild. At the entrance, she turned back and said:

"Oh, by the way. They had some kind of black transfer stone."

"… Black? What is that?"

… It’s something that didn’t exist in the BFO.

"I don’t know either. The guild staff said it was a new item, and they’re currently interrogating to find out its purpose. Depending on the results, they might share more details later."

We quickly subdued them, but if they had used that, it might have been more troublesome. Without knowing its capabilities, it’s hard to say. If it’s something like a teleportation trap, it could be quite dangerous.

I watched Rosetta leave the guild, lost in thought.

"… I’m a bit tired."

"Hmm."

Grace tilted her head and narrowed her eyes slightly. I smiled and nodded in agreement.

There was almost no bloodshed when we defeated them, and there didn’t seem to be much of a backlash after the curse was lifted. She mentioned feeling a bit uneasy, but not much.

Ah… right.

We have to cash in the materials we brought back anyway.

I might as well buy a magic stone for the bath. A hot bath would probably improve my mood. It’s important to change my mindset.

When I shared this thought with Grace, she smiled warmly.