The adventurer Kraze, who told me to “go home,” stands before me, and I ponder.
I could just ignore him, but this kind of guy is persistent. He’d probably stick around until he’s satisfied.
“Kraze, don’t you notice anything about these two?” the old man asks.
“Huh?”
At the old man’s words, Kraze looks back and forth between me and Arcelia. Then, as if he’s understood, he nods deeply.
“I see. You two must be noble kids, huh?”
“Hey! Calling us kids is a bit much—”
“Old man, if these were just regular nobles, I’d show more respect. But these two are different, right?”
As the old man begins to panic, Kraze glances at me and Arcelia.
“Coming to an adventurer’s guild with that attitude? I figure it’s fine to treat you as I normally would. Am I wrong?”
Kraze shifts his gaze to me.
Honestly… I get it, given our positions, but this back-and-forth is such a waste of time.
“Like I just told the old man, we’re here as adventurers. Treat us like you normally would. It’s more of a hassle if you get all formal.”
I stifle a sigh. It’s not really Kraze’ or the old man’s fault.
“I figured as much,” Kraze’s says with a nod.
“Still though, you really jumped into that confrontation right from the start. Gave me a bit of a scare,” the old man says, relaxing now that the tension has eased.
Well, that seems to settle things. This took longer than I expected. I still have time, but I want to start asking about the labyrinth.
“Anyway, about the labyrinth,” I say, bringing the conversation back.
The old man suddenly makes a face, as if he’d forgotten.
Hey, old man, did you seriously forget?
“You want to know about the labyrinth? I can tell you,” Kraze;s says nonchalantly.
Honestly, I don’t care if it’s the old man or Kraze who explains it, as long as I get the information. But since I asked the old man first, I glance his way.
The old man nods once.
“Kraze is a seasoned adventurer when it comes to the labyrinth. He knows a lot more than someone like me, who hasn’t gone down there in ages.”
“Exactly! The old man’s right. Oh, by the way—here.”
Suddenly, Kraze throws something at me. I catch it with my fingers and examine it closely.
“Hmm.”
It’s an adventurer’s ID, engraved with personal details like name, age, and rank. Seeing his rank, I nod in understanding.
From what I can tell, Kraze is quite capable as an adventurer.
Even without sensing magic, you can gauge someone’s skill by how they carry themselves.
“So you’re legit, huh?” I say, showing it briefly to Arseria before tossing it back to Kraze.
“Yup, fourth rank. I’m the only one in this town with that rank.”
The adventurer’s guild building has a small tavern attached. It’s meant to cater to adventurers who return from their quests, loosen up their purse strings after getting their rewards.
Experienced adventurers enjoy themselves in moderation, but for newcomers or fools, it’s different. The thrill of completing a quest makes them overconfident, numbing their judgment. They blow through all their money.
It was a common sight in my previous life, and it hasn’t changed much in this one either. Even after decades, humans—especially adventurers—are still foolish creatures.
“Haaaah…” Kraze lets out a satisfied sigh.
Due to the time of day, there aren’t many people in the adventurer’s guild or its tavern. Kraze, having finished a job, is drinking heartily, clearly enjoying himself.
Normally, this would be the time to sweat it out and complete a quest. But this is the kind of ease that comes with being a fourth-rank adventurer.
Here I am, still not having had a drink in this life, watching Kraze gulp his down. Alcohol is a cause of decline, so I’ve been abstaining, but it’s starting to feel like I’m reaching my limit. I’m fifteen now, so maybe it’s time to have my first drink.
That said, I need to get information about the labyrinth right now. Arcelia looks like she’s about to lose her patience.
“Can we get to the point? Tell me about the labyrinth.”
I held down Arcelia’s knee, which had started bouncing restlessly, and asked Kraze, who was already on his second drink.
“Hmm… yeah, sure.”
After letting out a crude belch, Kraze wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“First off, how much do you know?”
“Twenty levels in total. There’s a boss every five levels. The first ten levels are relatively easy, but from the eleventh level onwards, the danger increases dramatically. That’s about it.”
After I shared what I knew, Kraze stroked his chin, contemplating for a moment before finally nodding.
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
“To be honest… as you said, up to the tenth level isn’t much of a problem. Even if you’re just kids, you’re nobles, and that makes you special. You won’t have any trouble with eighth-ranked monsters.”
Kraze’s added, “But.”
“Like you said, things change after the tenth level. Seventh-rank monsters are the norm, and while sixth and fifth-rank monsters don’t show up often, they’re still around. And the final boss is fourth rank.”
“Have you cleared it before?”
When I asked, Kraze let out a snicker.
“Of course. The first time I cleared it was… about eight years ago.”
“Your first time?”
“Yeah. Since then, I’ve cleared it five times.”
“…I see.”
Kraze spoke as if it were no big deal. To him, clearing the labyrinth five times probably wasn’t anything special.
But in reality, it was quite the feat.
“I didn’t plan on clearing it five times, you know? But new adventurers kept dying, not knowing how to navigate the labyrinth. That’s when the old man asked me to at least teach them the basics.”
“Were there no other adventurers who could help?”
“There weren’t… or rather, they were gone. The adventurers who clear this labyrinth usually move on to other labyrinths. No one stays behind. But I’m getting off track.”
I wanted to ask why he stayed, but decided to stick to the original plan and focus on learning about the labyrinth.
“If you plan on going beyond the eleventh level, make sure you don’t let your guard down. And… do you know about the black-robed sorcerers?”
The black-robed sorcerers.
At first, I didn’t know what he meant, but then I remembered, and I was shocked.
A few years ago, at the king’s birthday celebration, I first saw Arcelia. Suddenly, a window shattered, and a black-robed sorcerer broke in and kidnapped one of the princesses—though I forget which one.
I think I chased them down and rescued her. It was the first time I fought a skilled sorcerer, and I remember enjoying the battle.
Later, my father told me about the black-robed sorcerers, how they had been secretly active for over a decade. I didn’t really care back then, but now I was recalling it clearly.
“Are you talking about the sorcerers who don’t just wear black robes but are up to something suspicious?”
“Yeah, that’s the ones.”
“In that case, we know about them. Both of us.”
For a moment, I thought it might be a different group, but it turned out not to be. Kraze looked serious as he heard my response.
“I figured you might know since you’re nobles, but I didn’t expect you to actually know.”
“What’s going on with them?”
“A few days ago, I saw them in the labyrinth. Unfortunately, I lost track of them right away, so I don’t know much. But whatever they’re up to, it’s definitely no good.”
This was good information. I was right to come here. I don’t care much about their schemes, but it wouldn’t be wise to ignore them entirely.
“I see. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the information.”
“Just don’t get too cocky. Though, considering how you two fought in that magic duel, maybe I don’t need to say that.”
Kraze chuckled as he spoke.
“You knew about that?”
“I didn’t realize at first. I figured it out just a little while ago. It’s been, what, four years? Five years? Even though you’re a noble kid, there aren’t many like you swinging a sword.”
There aren’t many noble heirs who use swords. As Kraze said, I’m probably the only one.
“Make sure to protect each other, kids. Dying together is one thing, but if one of you dies and the other survives, it’ll be hard.”
His words carried weight. I wondered if he knew from personal experience, or if—
“Shut up, musclehead. That has nothing to do with us, so keep your unnecessary advice to yourself.”
Kraze tilted his head at Arcelia’s “musclehead” comment, chuckling.
Since it was getting late, I stood up and grabbed Arcelia by the collar.
“Time’s up. We’ll be going now. Thanks for your help.”
I thanked him while enduring an elbow to the stomach from Arcelia.
“Don’t mention it. Adventurers are obligated to help each other.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Well then, see you.”
Just as I was about to leave, feeling good about the conversation with a proper adventurer for the first time in a while, Kraze called out, “Hold up.”
“This isn’t too important, but… when you head into the labyrinth, you might come across a certain adventurer. If you do, tell him to go home.”
“…Not sure I get it, but alright.”
“Sorry to keep you. Thanks.”
“It’s fine.”
With that, Arcelia and I finally left the tavern and the adventurer’s guild building, my thoughts lingering on the black-robed sorcerers I hadn’t thought of in years.
