Chapter 224 Invalidation
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I felt a gaze upon me, and the hair on my arms stood on end.
It wasn’t until I saw that everyone else had lost their words that I realized the dread I felt was the awe of standing before a god.
Even Marina, who had initially mistaken it for some kind of apparition, seemed to grasp from that overwhelming presence that it was indeed the [Goddess of the Labyrinth]. She released her pathetic grip on my body and offered a bow befitting a shrine maiden of Shelm.
”Just confirming, but that’s Mataaha-sama, right?” Ashley asked, her voice steady despite the tension.
”Aye. Like I told ye before, I was lucky enough to be graced by her presence in the divine realm of Shelm,” I replied.1
We had only crossed paths once, and for a mere moment at that.
Yet, the reason she left such a powerful impression wasn’t solely because of her calm beauty, which stood in stark contrast to the flamboyant Shelm. Having been bathed in this terrifying divine aura at close range, the insurmountable gap in our power had been carved into the very marrow of my bones.
Furthermore, being stared at by the infinite concentric circles of her “divine eyes”—the hallmark of a transcendent being—made me feel as if my entire self were about to be swallowed into those tiny pupils. Perhaps this was a result of the [Goddess of the Labyrinth]’s mastery over distance; even here, a kilometer away, the effect persisted without the slightest attenuation.
”Y-Yuuri. Did we, perhaps, do something to offend her!?” Ashley stammered, her voice small and trembling with childlike uncertainty.
”Nah, if anything, she’s likely holdin’ back her power. If we shrink away from just this level of presence, then it just means we ain’t qualified to partake in the works of a god,” I said, his tone blunt and bracing.
Thinking about it, there’s no way the power of someone capable of placing Labyrinths across the entire world could be limited to this.
The same goes for Shelm, who manages and operates what must be hundreds of millions of “skills” simultaneously. It makes me realize that, despite having been toyed with incessantly, we were being coddled quite a bit. Still, by resisting this serene majesty with the grit gained from so many experiences, the iron-masked look visible in the distance seemed to soften just slightly.
”Huh, ah…? Did she ease up on the pressure? Even so, you’re surprisingly calm, Yuuri,” Marina observed, her tone crisp and professional.
”I’ve already had the difference in our stature beaten into me once. Once you understand what kind of person she is, there’s no need to be scared out of your wits every single time,” I stated, keeping his composure.
No matter how many “skills” one might wield, it is impossible to stand equal to a god. Even after gaining the power to sweep away a horde of monsters, being exposed to this divine aura makes one realize just how minuscule a human being really is.
Because of this, Suzuri knelt as if resigned, though her toes remained poised so she could spring away at full speed at a moment’s notice. Ashley, however, likely recalling the time she was forced into becoming a servant by Shelm, turned even paler than usual and shook uncontrollably.
”Ashley too. Don’t ye fret, she’s not gonna just grab and eat ye. Well, she might actually do that, but she’s just askin’ if ye have the resolve for it,” I remarked, his voice steadying.
”Uuugh. Are you trying to reassure me or threaten me, Yuuri? Which is it!?” Ashley cried out, her voice shaky.
The act of reaching the bottom of the Labyrinth is, at its core, merely a process to earn the qualification to acquire the Labyrinth itself. On top of that, if one is about to move to the stage of signing a contract, it is only logical that one would be pressured by someone with a stern face.
It’s only natural that being in the presence of a god would stir up fear from the depths of one’s soul, but if one merely shrinks away from it, one might be judged as unworthy of being entrusted with a Labyrinth. So, as I preached that state of mind in a slightly playful tone, my beloved childhood friend glared at me with resentment.
”――Geez, Yuuri-kun. Mataaha is patient, but you shouldn’t keep a god waiting too long,” Yui chirped, her tone hyper-cute and playful.
As I stroked the back of Ashley, who I had pulled into a hug, Yui—who usually hides away in the Workshop—appeared outside for once. And not only that, but she appeared directly above my head and draped herself over my face, as if to disrupt my embrace with Ashley.
”Hey, you. If you want to rush things, don’t you go clinging to me either,” I grumbled, keeping my tone neutral and firm.
”No, no. From here on out, it’s a sanctuary second only to her divine realm. The power of the Goddess Shelm is heavily restricted here,” Yui explained with bubbly enthusiasm.
As I reached out to peel away the annoying, clinging Yui, the goddess herself took advantage of Ashley pulling away to tuck herself neatly into that very spot. She then activated [Divine Grace], and its effects vanished cleanly at the boundary of the hemispherical surface right before our eyes.
The one most surprised by this terrifying clash of divine power was, unexpectedly, Suzuri.
Why would such a calm and collected girl be so flustered? That bothered me, and Yui’s preachy explanation went in one ear and out the other. However, from her suspicious behavior and the way she kept checking everyone’s expressions, it was clear that today’s shinobi attire was a “skill” specification via [Darkness Wrap]. If she had approached the ‘dungeon core’ like that, she would have narrowly avoided ending up completely naked.
Without even showing that I’d noticed Suzuri’s state, Yui tightened her embrace. When I gave a quick signal with my hand to Suzuri, who was looking at me with a desperate, clinging gaze, the shinobi girl, who valued agility, offered a deep bow and quietly retreated to the Workshop.
”――It’s what they call ‘courtesy even between friends.’ Since we’re heading into her territory, if she stayed in the Workshop(inside), she’d be under house arrest until it was all over,” Yui said, her tone light and airy.
”Hm. True, perhaps if you were by my side, I might be able to understand her words more deeply,” I remarked.
Unaware that such a bizarre incident had just unfolded behind us, Yui preached about the etiquette between goddesses with a smug look on her face. Even if she has lost her power now, it was undoubtedly Yui who led us here. And yet, there is no way she would not be present at the very moment the goddesses’ schemes come to fruition. She was so desperate for us to conquer the Royal Capital Labyrinth, so surely her goal wasn’t just to resolve a friend’s bad debt.
As if to prove that guess right, Yui flashed a grin and pressed her body even closer against me. When Ashley grabbed the handles of the restraint gear and poured strength into them, trying to peel her off, Yui stubbornly refused to let go.
”Muu. Even as the head servant, I can’t yield this seat. From here on out, we can’t fly, so Yuuri-kun has to carry me all the way to the ‘dungeon core’” Yui giggled, brimming with playful energy.
Now that she mentioned it, if “skills” are sealed, the ones that simulate a goddess’s flight would be sealed as well. I thought it would be an easy enough task to just carry her, but Ashley, who had intended to go on her own two feet from the start, was angered by the minion’s smug face and dug her heels in even harder.
”In that case, Yui-san can just walk too!” Ashley protested, her tone sharp and confrontational.
”It was our Master who put me in such difficult clothes to walk in. Since you made a goddess into a tool, you’ll have to carry me yourself♡” Yui teased, full of bubbly, playful defiance.
In fact, Yui’s restraint gear didn’t even expose her ankles. Since it was designed from the start to prevent easy escape, even if she rolled up the hem, there was nothing but bare feet underneath. On top of that, I worried whether this goddess, who always relied on flight, could traverse a kilometer-long athletic course of stepping stones; if it meant risking her getting hurt from forcing her, I’d be much more at ease just carrying her from the start.
”Then, then, if you would just order me to carry her…” Ashley whimpered, sounding small and needy.
”Ashley. Let me look cool here. Even like this, she is a friend of Mataaha-sama. If I leave it to a servant and just stand there empty-handed, it wouldn’t be strange if it were taken as a slight. I sealed her into a human body by chance, so it’s only polite that I be the one to introduce her,” I told her, my tone steady and instructive.
Sometimes this childhood friend, mad with love, gets a terrifyingly narrow perspective. Her attachment is troublesome to the point of being cute, but in the presence of a god where a slight could mean execution, she had to be willing to put her own emotions second.
When I told her that, realizing she had been acting too selfishly, Ashley hung her head. Conversely, Yui, who had won, rubbed her body against me, but since her behavior was so annoying, I connected the belts of the restraint gear and slung her over my shoulder. Even though she was treated so roughly, she turned into a carry-bag and began to shriek.
”If you’re not going to fly, this hair is in the way too. Well, shall I have Suzuri make a bag to store it?” I asked, keeping my voice matter-of-fact.
”No! ♡ That alone is a no-no! ♡ This hair is proof of being a god! ♡ No matter how much you want to show Mataaha that you treasure it, you can’t have a god looking so lacking in dignity! ♡” Yui squealed, her tone hyper-enthusiastic and playful.
She’s okay with being carried like luggage, but not okay with having her hair hidden. I don’t quite understand that difference in values, but Yui’s virtue is that she honestly speaks out about what she truly cannot accept. Since I had no choice, I carefully gathered her rainbow-colored silver hair—which was almost as long as she was tall—over her stomach, and for some reason, she seemed to like that; she actually relaxed and squinted her eyes.
”Alright, then. Bite the bullet and let’s go. …By the way, what happens to your Divine Protection?” I queried, maintaining my steady pace.
”Ah. Disputes over ownership could lead to violence, after all. It would be a loss for her if a qualified candidate dropped out, so she’s making an exception for Divine Protection alone. Also, there are humans whose lives are tied to ‘skills’, so some passive skill effects should continue to function as is,” Yui explained, her tone light and informative.
No matter how much we treasure caution in the Labyrinth, we cannot keep a goddess waiting forever.
That is why, once I waited for Suzuri to return, I braced myself to finally move toward the ‘dungeon core,’ but once I envisioned the procedure, concerns kept bubbling up one after another. One of them was whether Divine Protection would also be canceled within the hemispherical domain; if that were the case, crossing over the columnar crystals would involve significant risk due to reduced physical ability.
Furthermore, I realized later that if all “skills” were invalidated, Ashley and the others who had been turned into servants via [Familial Workshop] might also lose their lives.
Sure enough, even if I was impatient in front of the goddess, losing caution in the Labyrinth is strictly forbidden. I confirmed this again with Yui and managed to avoid any trouble, but if one is to approach danger, one must have every possible countermeasure in place.
”Alright. If Divine Protection is safe, everyone should be able to jump across, but [Agility] should have its effects nullified. To ensure you don’t fail by using your usual amount of force, get your body accustomed to the transition before jumping to the next foothold,” I instructed, my tone concise and procedural.
”Ah, I see. I had been relying on it since I didn’t have to worry about the weight of my armor, so it was a big help. Come to think of it, I’m the one in the most danger, aren’t I?” Marina said, her voice analytical.
Gaining strength through “skills” or Divine Protection isn’t a bad thing, but it doesn’t just come with benefits.
The biggest drawback is that it’s just borrowed power after all; if it’s suddenly invalidated, a major discrepancy occurs in one’s recognition of their own physical ability up until that point. In this instance, the Divine Protection remained, but I had to take several of the invalidated “skills” into account when moving my body.
”Then, let’s go for real this time,” I announced with a firm nod.
”A-ah, don’t shake me too much,” Yui begged, her voice sounding unusually vulnerable.
After I got used to it a few times and gave the order to head toward the ‘dungeon core’ again, Yui, who I had tied to me, looked up at me anxiously. That was probably because she wasn’t being carried in my arms, but from the one doing the carrying, having both hands free makes it easier to avoid danger in an emergency.
”Relax. I’ve increased the anchor points, and those (restraint gear) are designed to handle being hoisted up too. It won’t break easily even if some force is applied. I’ll jump as carefully as I can, but you’ll have to endure a little bit,” I reassured her, my tone calm and steady.
”Uuu…, I never thought I’d be grateful for this (restraint gear) in a different sense. Well, I’m the one who suggested it, so I’ll just enjoy the feeling of Yuuri-kun’s chest for a while…” Yui purred, her tone playful and flirtatious.
The distance between the columnar crystals is one that I could easily jump across with a running start, even before I had Divine Protection. Now, even with the added weight of Yui, it won’t be a problem at all. Still, as I gently stroked the cheek of the goddess who had spectacularly self-destructed and become my baggage to soothe her, I felt her tense body finally relax.
And so, amidst the divine aura still blowing like a storm, Suzuri was the first to leap to the adjacent columnar crystal. I followed after her, Marina, and then myself, carrying Yui, with Ashley jumping lightly behind us.
”There is a slight sense of discomfort in the jump, but it’s no problem at this level,” Suzuri reported, her voice formal and deferential.
”Hmm…. I have to put as much force into my legs as the weight of my armor, so the way it feels is quite different,” Marina added with a thoughtful tone.
”I have no problem. I remember the feeling from before I had Divine Protection, and the addition of Yui’s weight alone is light,” I declared, feeling confident.
”Haaah♡ Yuuri-kun…♡” Yui sighed, her voice dripping with affection.
”As I am light-armored to begin with, I feel little difference,” Suzuri stated, ever the composed servant.
We entered the domain where the effects of “skills” do not reach, and the impact was indeed different for each of us.
However, the fact that everyone was able to jump across the columnar crystals without issue remained, and we nodded to one another that a pilgrimage to the goddess was possible. Without letting our guard down until the very end, we continued across the platforms, heading to rush into Mataaha’s presence.
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Summary:
Yuuri and his party approach the goddess Mataaha-sama, feeling the intense pressure of her divine aura. They navigate through a domain where their skills are invalidated, forcing them to rely on their raw physical abilities and caution. As they jump between columnar crystals, the party members adjust to the loss of their augmented capabilities while Yui, acting as their guide, clings to Yuuri.
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Trivia:
Suzuri’s shinobi attire is a ‘skill’ specification and would have left her naked if she had entered the core without precautions.
Yui’s restraint gear is designed to be difficult to escape from and prevents her from easily rolling up the hem to reveal anything.
Divine Protection is maintained despite the invalidation of other skills due to a special exception made by Mataaha-sama.
The party’s physical abilities were temporarily augmented by skills like ‘Agility’ and armor-weight reduction, which caused a discrepancy in their movement once those skills were nullified.
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Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Marina – First Princess of Restea and leader of the Marina-dono faction, this high-standing royal cemented her identity as a capable leader by conquering the Labyrinth with her escort group. Now a golden-gauntlet-wearing adventurer serving a free-spirited goddess, she navigates dangerous depths while often misinterpreting complex dungeon mechanisms with a distinct, nervous intensity.
• Shelm – Wicked Goddess, reincarnated Yuuri, manipulative, wants him to use his power.
• Mataaha – A labyrinth goddess with brown skin, silver eyes, and long black hair. Resembling a stern, intellectual figure like Mikasa Ackerman, she manages her trials with a mysterious, sharp demeanor. Empowered with divine authority, her complex persona defines how she tests and interacts with those entering her realm.
• Ashley – Daughter of Count Alegria, this poised, fiercely loyal noblewoman once adventured in the Capital Labyrinth. Now a royal attendant, she has a graceful, deferential personality, displaying extreme politeness to the party leader. Elegant and dignified, she secretly admires Yuuri, is a potential aide for his dressing duties, and forms deep relationships with others through her unwavering devotion.
• Yuuri – An arrogant commoner who conquered the Labyrinth, this experienced male protagonist feigned being “Skillless” to hide high-level garment, intimacy, and Divine Protection skills. Dismissed by the Count as untalented, Roeni’s student is actually a master distribution mastermind. He leads a party of companions including Yui, Suzuri, and a bound girl, treating his wives and servants with a fiercely possessive, dominant aura.
• Suzuri – A tall, statuesque shinobi with ink-black hair, pale skin, and a toned form, this nameless scout survived 80 years of Labyrinth petrification. Highly professional yet deeply loyal to her comrades and the party leader, Yuuri, she serves as his fiercely loyal herald. She uses skills like Darkness Wrap, reveals Labyrinth secrets, and selflessly competes for his favor as a devoted informant.
• Yui – Once the goddess of Shelm, Yuuri’s rainbow-eyed, silver-haired human servant-bride and wife boasts a voluptuous, soft-curved form with a throbbing red-black crotch tattoo. Currently lying unconscious in a restrictive livery used as a cushion during Yuuri’s act with Suzuri, she remains a cheerful, hyper-energetic party member who expresses deep affection for him with no concern for danger.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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