Chapter 263 Deep Floor Team, To the Great Labyrinth
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hey, Miyori, you feeling any better?”
I called out to Miyori, who was organizing the bookshelf behind the counter with her back to me.
”Oh, Hiroya. Sounded like a serious talk earlier. All done now?”
”Yeah, nothing too big.”
”Really…”
She glanced at me briefly before returning to her task.
”With three more staff members, my workload’s really lightened up.”
Miyori turned around and smiled at me.
”Oh, and you must be Hiroya, right?”
A woman approached from the edge of the reception counter. She looked like a new guild staff member from the Royal Capital. Her uniform matched Miyori’s, except hers was black instead of blue.
”I’m Margaret, the newly appointed chief guild staff. I’ve heard rumors about you—so young! It’s impressive.”
Ah, so that’s why her uniform is different—she’s the chief.
”I’m Hiroya O’Brien.”
”I’m Kazumi Müller.”
”I’m Dorothy.”
”And I’m Asuka. Pleased to meet you.”
We bowed our heads, realizing our introductions had been delayed due to the earlier conversation with Laura.
”You’re all so young. Hiroya and Kazumi, you’re nine, right? That’s the same age as my grandkids. Already high-ranked adventurers? Amazing!”
”Your grandkids!?”
Kazumi and I exclaimed simultaneously.
”Yes, I’m turning forty soon. My daughter’s twenty-four—there, at the other counter, talking to Ms. Liz.”
Margaret gestured toward a smiling woman who nodded politely in our direction.
”…That’s my daughter, Tatiana. We moved to this Razia Village with her family. Both my daughter and I had retired from our guild jobs, but I heard they needed help with the new guild headquarters, so since they reached out to us, I thought I’d lend a hand.”
”…”
”…She’s your daughter? You two look more like sisters!”
”Yeah, aging works a bit differently here.”
Kazumi and I whispered to each other.
In this world, humans grow quickly until about fifteen, roughly equivalent to twenty in my past life.
After that, they age slowly until their sixties—comparable to a physical age of forty—before aging gradually accelerates.
The average lifespan is around a hundred years.
(Ms. Margaret in front of me… she looks like she’s in her mid-twenties to early thirties…)
Ms. Tatiana, who’s chatting with Liz and the others, looks like she’s barely in her twenties.
(Guess using appearances to judge age doesn’t work here.)
Whether it’s Liz, Martina, or Asuka behind them, they all look like they’re around 15 to 17, but they don’t resemble the ‘JK’ (high school girls) from my past life. They exude a sense of maturity, more like adults in their twenties.
Kazumi, Rena, and I, despite being only 9 years old, don’t have the typical build of elementary school kids. Physically, we look closer to 12-year-olds.
”Actually, my grandkids should be in the same grade as Hiroya and Kazumi, but… they took a break from school, right?”
”Yeah. Until they clear the S-rank dungeon… ‘Grandkids’ means you have more than one, right?” Kazumi replied and returned the question.
”Yep. They’re twins. A quiet girl and a mischievous boy. If you meet them at school, be nice to them, okay?”
”Alright! Let’s get going soon!”
Liz, who seemed to have finished talking with Ms. Tatiana, called out to us.
”There’s a staff member named Ms. Camilla at the ‘Raetia Great Labyrinth’ branch. She’ll be at the reception, so she’ll help you out.”
Ms. Margaret waved from the counter.
”Good luck! Don’t push yourself too hard!”
Miyori turned back to wave as well.
”Asuka, you good?”
”Yeah. I’ll give it my all, like always.” She smirked down at me.
Yeah, seems like she’s ready. With Liz leading the way, we set off toward Goblin Forest.
* * *
”Well… I guess the one who’ll become the most age-ambiguous from now on is Dorothy.”
Kazumi muttered as we rode Haya, discussing the unique aging of the ‘human race’ in this world.
”I’m still 17, so I look my age, right?”
Dorothy rode up beside us on her trusty steed, Kuri. Her long, distinctive ears twitched—she had heard that.
”With that crotch tattoo… I’m in a fertile state, but I’m actually still immature.”
”When do elves mature?”
Kazumi asked curiously.
”At 20. After that, the childbearing age lasts until around 200. During that time, they hardly age in appearance. Then they slowly start aging over the next hundred years.”
”I see… So even after I’m gone, she’ll still be in her prime…”
Thinking about it made me feel a bit sad. Just the other day, I had lectured Rena about this.
”I’ll live on, remembering you all even after Mr. Hiroya is gone. I’m sure there will be lots of Mr. Hiroya’s kids, and of course, there’ll be kids of mine and Mr. Hiroya too… and many grandchildren…”
”Ah… Hiroya, don’t make Dorothy cry.”
Though she was smiling, tears streamed down Dorothy’s face.
”S-sorry, Dorothy… I’ll do my best to have kids! So you won’t be lonely!”
”Yeah, Dorothy, I’m gonna have a bunch of kids with Hiroya too. I won’t let you get bored!”
”Rena’s gonna have a lot too, you know…”
Before we knew it, Liz and Rena had joined us, running alongside.
”Oh, I’m gonna have a baby with Big Brother Hiroya too!”
Martina, who was chasing from behind, shouted.
”Aluda’s not gonna lose either!”
”Meluda’s gonna have the most babies!”
”Uu’s gonna get a strong seed too~.”
The carriage turned chaotic.
”Everyone’s saying all sorts of things, but I’m the one who’s gonna have the first kid with Hiroya, okay? ♡”
”Yeah, I think so too.”
Kazumi said as she hugged me from behind, intertwining her hands with mine.
”Hiroya… this is tough, huh…”
Asuka chuckled from a little distance away.
”Well, like Uu said… in terms of strong seeds, I do think I’d want to have Gorge’s kid next…”
”Asuka!?”
”Just kidding! But if the chance comes up…”
”That’s not happening, okay!?” Kazumi and I both jumped in on that.
* * *
We got a late start, but we arrived at the Raetia Great Labyrinth outpost around noon. The area was surrounded by walls made of wood and stone, and after passing through the guarded gate, we saw there were more buildings than before.
”Welcome! You’re late.”
Milia, the principal, greeted us, emerging from a stone building that hadn’t been there before.
”This way. This building is the guild’s branch office.”
After leaving our horses at the stable, we followed Principal Milia into the building.
”You’re from the ‘Famière’ Liz party, right? I’m Ms. Camilla, a guild staff member. Please come this way.”
A receptionist in a blue uniform waved us over from the counter, and we all headed toward her.
* * *
”The party members are… ten, right?”
”Yeah, please take care of us. We’re a big group, though.”
”The ‘Rose Hip’ Frieda team that just came in also had ten members, including two ‘Porters’.”
Ms. Camilla said, glancing at the documents in her hand.
”Yesterday, we hit five parties. And today, it’s just you guys and Frieda’s party. Well, I guess the real increase will start around the tenth, though.”
Principal Milia, leaning on the counter, watched us.
”That said, on the first day, we have ‘Rose Hip’ with Helena’s team and your juniors. Plus, with Sim-Sim tagging along, that means some serious talent is in the mix. And today, we have Frieda’s team and Liz-Liz’s special ops party. Looks like we might get pretty far, huh?”
Principal Milia smiled as she spoke.
”We’re starting from the Third Floor, and we want to make it to the Fifth Floor.”
”Oh really? Should I expect some rare loot then?”
”Well… that’s up to luck, I guess,” Liz chuckled.
”By the way… do you need this?”
Ms. Camilla placed a scroll on the counter.
”It’s a teleportation magic tool. The destination is already set to this outpost area, so this is all you need. It’s being sold for just one gold coin… you need it, right?”
She pushed the scroll toward us.
”Of course. If you think about efficiency and insurance, it’s a bargain.”
Kazumi pulled out a pouch and handed Ms. Camilla three gold coins.
”I’ll take three. Just for extra insurance,” she said with a smile.
”Oh, being cautious, are we?”
”We’ve been split up in an S-rank dungeon before, you know…”
”I see. Considering situations like that, it’s definitely better for multiple people to have one.”
Principal Milia gave Ms. Camilla a nod, and two more scrolls were placed on the counter.
”Rena, Dorothy, and I will split these,” Kazumi said, slipping the scrolls into her pouch.
* * *
”Alright, good luck. Just don’t push yourselves too hard, alright?” Principal Milia came to see us off.
”Of course. ‘Don’t push ourselves’… that’s our clan’s motto.”
”Well then, we’re off.”
We gathered by the giant tree.
”Alright, I’m going. You ready?”
Everyone nodded at Rena’s question.
”Teleportation!”
Rena raised her hands and cast the spell. The ground began to glow where she had buried the magic stone earlier. Soon, the light formed a magic circle, and we were enveloped in its glow.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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