Chapter 58

Before I knew it, I had returned to the deepest part of the labyrinth, between the statues of the goddess.

Well, I was relieved to hear that Mili was doing well, and although I didn’t obtain the skills or items I aimed for, it’s better than coming back empty-handed.

"Master Ichino, I have acquired the skill of Deciphering. It’s a rare skill, though its uses are limited."

"I seem to have a magic bow. It’s a very good bow. I haven’t used a bow since I was a child, so I’m worried my skills have rusted."

Caro smiled, and Haru wagged her tail as they each reported their results.

Come to think of it, Haru also had the skill to equip a bow.

It seems the results aren’t bad.

"I got a life magic skill. The level of my life magic has increased to II."

"Your life magic level has increased? That’s good luck."

"Is it good luck?"

"Life magic has a 1 in 100 chance of being obtained on the first try. It’s highly valued because it includes many convenient spells."

Caro explained.

Indeed, in a world without vacuum cleaners or washing machines, purification is the best magic.

"Magic List Open"

I checked what spells I had learned.

Puchi Ice, Puchi Dark, and Puchi Light are ice, dark, and light magic spells, respectively.

And one more spell has been added.

"Silent... Room?"

If it were Silent Move, I would understand. It’s a spell to walk quietly—eliminating footstep sounds.

But it’s not Move; it’s Room. Silent Room?

"Silent Room—yes, I think it’s best to try it out. It’s not a dangerous spell, and it doesn’t consume much MP."

"Okay, I understand."

After listening to Caro’s explanation, I decided to try it out.

"Silent Room"

As I chanted, a thin, rectangular membrane of light spread out. It was like a room made of light.

The light membrane seemed to expand as I willed it to, and it would shrink when I thought it should. However, there seemed to be a limit to how large it could become, and it appeared to expand centered around me.

"What effect does this have?"

I asked Caro.

But there was no response. Moreover, it felt like my voice was echoing.

When I looked at Caro, she was opening and closing her mouth, as if she were saying something.

Then, Haru slipped through the light membrane.

She could easily pass through it.

"Master, can you hear what Caro is saying?"

"Huh? Caro is just opening her mouth—oh, so that’s the effect."

In other words, if you’re inside this room, you can’t hear sounds from outside.

"Caro, raise your right hand if you can hear me."

I shouted.

But Caro only continued to speak and didn’t raise her hand.

It seems that sounds from inside don’t leak out either.

In a sense, this light membrane is the ultimate soundproof wall.

When I willed the light membrane to disappear, it dissolved into the air.

"Did you understand the effect of Silent Room?"

Caro’s voice came through.

I understood it well.

It’s a spell that can be used when the room next door is noisy and you can’t sleep.

"Yeah, but compared to Purification, it seems a bit dull."

"Yes, but as you improve your proficiency, the range will increase. If you reach level 5, you can create a space that can envelop a large theater, and theater professionals will offer you work. I heard that in one town, someone rose to prominence with just Silent Room."

That’s impressive.

Indeed, with the sound resonating properly, musicians and opera singers would find it easier to perform.

It’s also useful for confidential discussions.

Given my line of work—though that might be a bit misleading—I often have things I don’t want others to know, so this spell will be very useful.

"Let’s aim to escape—"

Since I couldn’t obtain spatial magic, I have to walk down.

But it’s better than having to climb stairs like last time. Going down is still better.

Just as I thought that,

"Master Ichino, this labyrinth has a little secret that other labyrinths don’t have. Please come this way."

Caro said and led us to the back of the goddess statue.

The statue of Lady Koshamare was so large that we couldn’t see the back, but there was an open door, and beyond it, a small room, and another door beyond that.

When the three of us entered the small room, the door we came through closed.

"This is a prepared exit."

"An exit?"

"Yes, this leads directly outside. I heard from a merchant yesterday, and it seems to be true."

Then, the door at the back opened.

Light streamed in.

We were already outside.

And we were—

"Did we climb this high?"

We were at the mountaintop.

Below, I could see Gomaki Village.

"What a view."

The air was clear, and I could see far into the distance.

"Master, you can see the Sadness River."

Haru said with a cool expression.

Looking in the direction she pointed, I could see a river far away.

It was quite wide, and I could clearly see it from here.

"It’s the river that forms the border between the three countries: Dakat, Korat, and Arandel. The other side of that river is Dakat."

The river originates from the western mountains and the eastern forest, and converges at the point where the three countries meet, forming a single river.

I wanted to enjoy the view, so we decided to have lunch here.

After a short rest, we descended the mountain.

It felt like a hike.

Since we only walked through the labyrinth, I didn’t have the feeling of having climbed a mountain, so it felt like a hiking trip to just go down. I did climb up with my own feet, though.

Haru said she wanted to take care of the horses and headed to the stables, while Caro went to the village’s only store to gather information.

During that time, I had nothing to do, so I decided to work on turning iron ore into iron balls in my single room at the inn.

The efficiency of my alchemy work improved significantly after my Alchemy skill upgraded to Alchemy II.

Amazingly, it took only one minute to turn the ore into an iron ball.

Moreover, the iron seemed purer than before.

[Ichino’s level has increased]

The levels of my Alchemist and Apprentice Alchemist skills are also increasing steadily.

However, even though the efficiency has improved, the MP consumption per ball hasn’t changed, so it’s still quite draining.

Well, I’m just going to sleep afterward, so I might as well use it up to the limit.

Just as I thought that, I felt a sense of fatigue.

My head started to feel fuzzy.

Checking my status, my MP was down to 12.

Yeah, I can probably make a few more.

My brain, which hasn’t been working much, issued the command to make the next iron ball.

And then—I lost consciousness.