Chapter 38

From the 13th underground floor to the 14th. There wasn't much difference here, but as they went further down, a clear change was visible in the structure of the labyrinth.

First, the stone-built labyrinth changed to resemble a natural cave, with earth and rock, and the ceiling became higher. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, and moss growing on the walls emitted a faint light, allowing them to see even without a light source.

—The sound of water could be heard, and the air was humid.

"The higher floors are quite different from this one," Ashley remarked, sounding impressed.

"Hmm... I can understand this level of change," Grace responded.

The water flowed from the lower part of the path. It was quite clear and could be purified with a life magic spell for drinking. The wastewater branched off to a higher floor and flowed into the Great Corrupted Lake from the sewer system that had become a labyrinth.

This water was probably originally an underground stream that had been transformed into the labyrinth, but in BFO, it was simply called the Cave Area.

"By the way, when the scenery changes, the monsters that appear also change significantly. Should we search for the stone tablet on this floor and call it a day? We have enough transference stones now."

"Understood."

The two nodded. Since this was Ashley's first labyrinth exploration, it was better not to overexert herself. After getting a feel for the Cave Area with Grace, they should return and prepare properly before attempting to conquer it again.

Now, in this Cave Area, the light-emitting moss allows them to see a certain distance, but this can be a double-edged sword.

The structure is more chaotic than the higher floors, so enemies can hide in the shadows of rocks, deeper water, or the dark parts of the ceiling. Because they can see, they are more susceptible to ambushes.

Therefore, it's better to cast a dark vision spell and not rely too much on the light source.

"Be careful of the shadows because there are monsters," Grace warned.

As if on cue, a large bat attacked from the darkness above. It was a Blood Bat, a giant vampire bat.

"Silence Field!"

Wind magic silenced the surroundings. These creatures rely on echolocation using ultrasonic waves, but since their eyes have degenerated, this makes them almost blind.

Grace easily knocked it down with the flat of her axe, and Ashley countered with a Water Cutter, a basic water magic spell.

From what I could see, Ashley seemed to be skilled in water magic as well as healing magic. It's a type that she has a high affinity for.

They stripped the bat's wings and added them to their loot. These would be used as materials for alchemy. The image of a witch boiling them in a pot came to mind, which was quite fitting.

As they progressed through the cave, they saw slimes clinging to the stalactites. Thanks to the dark vision spell, they could clearly see them, but with the light from the moss or a torch, they would often be invisible.

When they approached directly below, the slimes attacked by falling freely. Dodging, they countered with a fireball, which quickly made the slimes bubble and shrink, turning them into magic stones.

It was rather anticlimactic... but since they were liquid monsters, physical attacks were less effective, making them somewhat troublesome.

"What should you do if a slime attaches to you and you can't use magic?" Ashley asked.

"Apparently, you should shake it off vigorously and scatter it," Grace replied.

When broken into pieces, they lose interest in attacking larger targets like humans and easily lose their will to fight and detach themselves. Higher-level slimes in the lower layers are more troublesome, but these slimes here are not much of a problem. Even the stronger slimes are only as strong as those in Caduceus.

"There's an enemy in that puddle too," Grace noted.

As they approached, a large frog called a King Frog leaped out of the puddle. It whipped its tongue, which had a knob at the end, but when Grace threw her axe, it shattered the tongue along with the frog.

The part to strip from the King Frog is its tongue, but since it can be eaten, it's fine to take the whole body. With the transference stones, it's better to transfer them quickly.

With Ashley using the Round Guardian spell, they were less likely to be ambushed, but without it, the Cave Area would be somewhat troublesome. They needed to be vigilant from the ceiling to the floor.

It was just a matter of dividing the roles. This time, I was watching the ceiling, and Grace was watching the floor.

There were small and large rooms, just like on the higher floors.

They opened wooden doors in the rock and checked the rooms.

Even though it looked like a natural cave, it was still part of the Great Labyrinth. The structure and terrain of the passages changed with the phases of the moon.

A set of intricately decorated gauntlets came out of a treasure chest. When they held them up, they could feel some magic power, but the details were unclear. It would be best to have them appraised at the guild later.

Whether to use or sell them would depend on their performance, but finding such equipment at this level was quite lucky.

"Who prepares these things? The monsters?"

"It's a mystery, isn't it, the Great Labyrinth?"

Grace and Ashley's questions were valid, but I didn't have the correct answer either.

"They say they flow in from the lower levels of the labyrinth or the other side of the boundary. Perhaps there's something in the deeper layers that synthesizes and sends these items, or pulls them from another world."

The image is something like a control system for the boundary labyrinth.

Using the transference stones from the stone tablet on the 15th underground floor, they returned to the temple.

They immediately headed to the adventurer's guild to hand over their loot and get it cashed in. The gauntlets were sent for appraisal, and the results would determine what to do with them.

They felt somewhat noticed, but they ignored the surrounding gazes.

"You seem to have made quite a bit again. Did you dive into a monster room?" Heather, the receptionist, asked, and they nodded.

"I wanted to experience the trouble of a monster room in a shallower floor," they replied.

"…Well, it's not that surprising with you and Theodore," Heather said, slightly frowning but not pressing further. She seemed to be exasperated.

"By the way, have you heard about the Cardiff family?"

They decided to gather information while making small talk. It was important to understand the situation.

"The body of the Earl of Cardiff was found. I won't go into the details, but...," Heather said.

"Yes, I know about the Earl," they replied.

They had heard from Rosetta that Maurice had been killed by a demon. The people who fought the demons at the Cardiff estate were in a terrible state. Maurice had been hit with a miasma bullet that ensured he wouldn't die immediately but had no hope of survival... He must have suffered a great deal before dying.

He was probably a collaborator, but it seemed he had somehow angered the demons. Should they accept that demons are like that?

"The eldest and second sons are being talked about, not the head of the family?"

"Yes..."

Heather's expression darkened.

"The second son didn't fail the magical inquisition, but it seems the eldest son knew something."

They had wondered how much information had spread since yesterday.

Because it involved the black transference stones, the adventurer's guild had received various pieces of information.

"Is that so. Then the Cardiff family—"

"The confiscation of the title and the seizure of the territory seem to be the most appropriate course of action."

That's right. If the heir knew and remained silent, it would be tantamount to treason against the kingdom.

In that case, the eldest son would be arrested... The second son, while innocent of the kidnapping and demon-related charges, had been disowned and was now on the path to restoring his honor. The Cardiff family would be in decline, if not extinct.

The royal family would seize the Cardiff territory and win... But since Maurice had failed in managing the territory, it would be difficult to recover. Whether to see it as a liability or an increase in power was a tricky matter.

"What about the second son?"

"He has been disowned from the family. His custody is now with the royal family, and the person who offered to take care of him has stated that they believe in his innocence. Thanks to this, his mother's life has been spared, and he will be taken care of by that person."

Prince Albert—by framing it as a good deed, he made it easier to avoid further investigation. If Talcott was innocent, it would be difficult to punish him further.

There was also the practical benefit of not having to give up a card.

The royal family also wanted to show leniency to the nobles and the public if Talcott was indeed innocent. It seemed that the interests of both parties aligned.

However, this would not worsen Talcott's position. He might be criticized behind his back, but at least it would be difficult to criticize him openly, given Prince Albert's strategy. Even as the fourth prince with a weak power base, he was still a member of the royal family.

As long as Prince Albert did not change his policy of taking in Talcott... there should be no immediate problems.

Talcott would have his share of struggles, but it didn't feel right for me to comment on his situation or feelings.