Chapter 66

Yuta stood at the entrance of the labyrinth, took a deep breath, and firmly held the secret letter his mother had given him.

As he advanced through the labyrinth and reached the forty-fifth layer, a volcano, he heard that there were adventurers pushing the front lines of exploration ahead. What should he do?

He imagined it. Yuta suddenly appearing alone at the front lines of exploration. He would probably be asked many questions. Hmm. If he returned to the guild, they would surely talk about him... It would be a bit annoying if his information spread to the Adventurer's Guild.

He would prefer if the materials from the labyrinth, which the Adventurer's Guild couldn't obtain, suddenly appeared on the market, causing them to panic. It would be more dramatic if they frantically investigated and eventually found him. The guild master would be surprised. This would definitely be more dramatic.

"Silphy, can we proceed without being seen by the adventurers?"

"Wait a moment. ...The adventurers are choosing a route that avoids dangerous areas, so if we take the shortest route, we shouldn't be seen. By the way, the detour route involves circling around the back of the mountain and then climbing. It will take quite a bit of time."

Did the route search finish during that time? Silphy seems more capable than a car navigation system.

"What kind of danger is there in the dangerous areas?"

"Places where toxic gas is emitted, rivers of magma, and the area around the Firebird's nest."

So, there's volcanic gas and a river of magma. And a Firebird—truly a fantasy setting. A bird of fire sounds so cool.

"Can we pass through without any problems?"

"Yes, it should be fine."

She's so reliable. I feel like I can entrust everything to her.

"Then, please guide us on the route that avoids the adventurers."

With Silphy's guidance, they moved forward.

***

"Ah, Yuta. There's pepper growing over there. Should we gather it?"

"Eh? That's pepper? Hmm, let's gather it. Just a moment."

Why is there pepper in a volcano? I know it grows in warm places, but a volcano is too hot. It's a bit hard to understand. The Firebird and such are part of fantasy, but maybe this pepper is also a product of fantasy.

In an area where almost no plants grow due to the volcano's influence, the lush green leaves stand out. It seems that the pepper in this world is very resilient.

However, I've only ever seen processed pepper. I didn't know it grew like this. The fruits are clearly visible and stand out, so they would usually be gathered, but maybe no one comes this way because they follow the established detour route?

The fruits grow in clusters on the vines, like grapes. There are green and red ripe fruits... I think it's okay to take the green ones too. The color and processing method should produce different types of pepper. Should I leave some fruits behind in the labyrinth?

...I'll leave a few. Resources are important, but in the labyrinth, they might grow back quickly.

"Bel will help—""Kyu""Take""Kuuu"

Bel and the others will help. Each one uses their own method to bring the pepper fruits. I receive each one, pat their heads, and store them.

Every time I pat their heads to thank them, they get excited and go back to gather more pepper. It's heartwarming and makes me forget that we're in a dangerous labyrinth.

I remember doing the same thing when harvesting in the fields. I had repeated the same conversation in front of the great spirits, so I think the fields are fine, but I wonder how they are. I hope there's something to harvest when I return next time.

"Everyone, thank you. I'll leave some fruits behind and finish here."

I thanked Bel and the others for their help and finished gathering. I can never have too much pepper, so I'll gather as much as I can when I find it. The problem is how to process it. I don't want to sell it to the Adventurer's Guild, even though it would be easy.

I'll ask Marie at the general store. She's definitely the type who would be interested in a profitable deal, so she might help me. I'll visit her when I leave the labyrinth.

While I'm at it, I might as well ask her about good business opportunities and the materials from the labyrinth. If it's too much, I can take it to the Commercial Guild. If I go directly to the Commercial Guild, it might attract some trouble, so I'll ask Marie first.

We climb the volcano while occasionally gathering pepper fruits. Does the volcano in the labyrinth ever erupt? The labyrinth is unreasonable. When you reach the top of a mountain, there's a staircase, and when you go down, you start climbing another mountain. It's demoralizing.

However, it's been quite a while since we entered this layer, and no monsters have appeared. Maybe they don't come this way because the adventurers are using the detour route?

"Yuta, that's a river of magma."

In the direction Silphy pointed, I could see a red, glowing river. It's the first time I've seen magma, but it looks beautiful from a distance. I approached the river of magma, thinking about trivial things. It's only about two meters wide, smaller than I expected.

"Silphy, if it's this narrow, adventurers could jump over it. Why is it considered a difficult spot?"

"You're cool because you're wrapped in my wind, but it's very hot without it. Want to try?"

...I had forgotten how hot magma is because I was so comfortable. How hot is it? It might be a good idea to experience it once for a story.

"I want to experience it, so can you stop the wind for a moment?"

"...Even though I said it, are you really going to try?"

Her eyes said, "You should stop."

"Yes. It seems amazing, and it will make a good story."

In my mind, people who have interesting stories are popular. Stories come from experiences. I need to be prepared for future encounters.

"Okay, I'll stop it, but it's dangerous, so let's move a bit further away."

This distance is dangerous. I'm starting to feel a bit scared. We move about two more meters away.

"Okay, I'll stop it."

"U, uh. It's hot! Ow! Silphy!"

Silphy quickly wraps me in wind again. I underestimated the magma. I'm sorry for saying it would make a good story. The exposed parts of my skin are a bit tingling.

"Phew. Magma is dangerous. I understand now. Where are Bel and the others?"

"There they are."

"Um, are they okay? They're spirits, after all."

I'm finally getting used to the fact that Bel and the others are spirits.

"Yes, they're fine."

Bel is riding Rain and racing along the river of lava. Tulu and Tamamo are also chasing after them, looking like they're having fun... Let's take a short break.

"Silphy, let's take a short break here. Do you want a drink?"

"I don't need one."

"Got it."

I'm afraid to sit directly on the ground, so I make a rock and sit on it. It would be a shock if my butt got burned. I drink tea and talk with Silphy.

"Hey, Silphy, can other adventurers not cross the river of magma?"

There are mages, so they should be able to make a bridge, right?

"They might be able to cross if they try hard enough, but there are Magma Fish in the river. It seems that just being able to withstand the heat isn't enough."

"Magma Fish? What are those?"

"An adventurer on the detour route said they're fish that wrap themselves in magma and spew it out. They're apparently a rare delicacy."

Fish live in magma...?

"Hey, can fish that live in magma be eaten? And do they cook when you prepare them?"

...Maybe they're already cooked by the heat of the magma? It might be possible to eat them raw, but it would be hot.

"I don't know. The adventurer didn't talk about it in detail."

That makes sense. After all, I'm just picking up on conversations, so they won't tell me everything I want to know.

"If it's a rare delicacy, it should sell well, and adventurers might come this way."

"They have to get through the toxic gas area, block the heat of the magma, and catch the Magma Fish. It's quite a challenge with magic."

...Did you just say something surprising?

"Silphy, you said 'get through the toxic gas area.' Did I also get through the toxic gas area?"

"Yes, you did."

She tilted her head, as if to say, "Why are you asking such a thing?"...I feel a bit excited.

"When?"

"Early on. Just before we gathered the pepper, I think. There were a couple more places after that. Should I have told you?"

Ah, that's why no one came to gather the pepper. It makes sense.

"Hmm. I was surprised to hear it now, so maybe you should have told me?"

I feel like I could have walked normally without knowing, but it's a bit sad to miss out on an event-like scene.

"Got it. I'll tell you next time."

"Thanks. I was thinking about leaving soon... but the Magma Fish are intriguing. Should we look for them?"

If it's called a rare delicacy, I can't leave without checking.

"I want to try it too."

Since Silphy is also interested, we'll look for the Magma Fish. Fishing is impossible because the line would burn. How should we look for them? It's hard to understand that fish live in magma.

"Silphy, can you find them?"

"I'm not an expert in lava. Tulu might be able to, but it might be difficult for a lower-level spirit. The simplest way is for a human to cross the river of magma and get hit by the magma spewed out by the Magma Fish. Yuta can be the decoy, and I can catch them easily."

"I see. I'll be the decoy, and Silphy will catch them. ...Let's try it. Will Silphy's magic not be broken by the fish?"

"Of course not. I think a wind cocoon would be enough, but I'll add a wind barrier too. Do you remember how to use the wind cocoon? Don't put in too much magic."

"I've studied it well, so it's fine. I just need to fly across, right? When they come out, Silphy will catch them."

Silphy won't let them escape once she sees them, so it should be safe. I'll do my best as a decoy to eat something delicious.

"Got it."

"Let's go."

I carefully put in magic and float across the river of magma. Nothing happens, and I reach the other side. They don't always attack, I guess.

I move a bit and cross the river of magma multiple times. I'm getting a bit bored. Bel and the others pass by, laughing. ...Huh? Is there a fish-like shadow chasing them?

Silphy must have noticed too, as she captures the shadow. Ten fish are sealed in a wind sphere, floating with the magma.

Those are... Magma Fish? Why are they chasing Bel and the others?

"Silphy, the Magma Fish were chasing Bel and the others. Can spirits see them?"

"I don't think so. They were probably drawn by the sound of the magic interfering with the magma while they were swimming."

Ah, I see. They were drawn by the sound. I feel a bit disappointed that I crossed the river of magma multiple times. I look at the Magma Fish, feeling a bit annoyed. They are about one meter long, with a body like a sea bass and a large mouth that spews out magma.

We caught ten rare delicacies. I wonder what they taste like? I'm very curious, but I have no idea how to cook them. I'll store them and gather information in the city.

When I stored the Magma Fish, the magma cooled and turned into rock. Can they really be eaten?

Thank you for reading.