Chapter 279 Deep Floor Team – Return
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Hiroya’s POV)
As we walked down the long corridor, we came to a huge double door.
It was about 3 meters tall and wide.
Leaving the still unsteady Asuka to Dorothy and Aluda, Martina examined the large door.
”There are no traps or locks… I’m opening it, okay?”
Everyone nodded, and Martina teamed up with Meluda to open the double doors.
* * *
”What the… is this place…”
As everyone stood in shock, Liz’s voice echoed.
Below us was a vast expanse of forest and grassland.
And in the distance, mountains… or rather…
”It seems like we’re on a cliff too. It surrounds this whole view…”
Dorothy calmly assessed the situation.
Yes, it looked just like the caldera of Mount Aso.
The size was about the same as one I had seen in my previous life.
”Looks like it’s about 20 km to the other side.”
Liz estimated the distance.
”Yeah. Places like this that I saw in my previous world were roughly that size. It’s called a caldera, formed by volcanic eruptions.”
”I’ve been there too. It was surrounded by cliffs like this.”
Kazumi added to my explanation.
”I don’t feel like we were teleported anywhere. So… is this also inside the labyrinth?”
Rena crossed her arms and pondered.
”Even though the sky is blue and bright, there’s no sun.”
”You’re right! Why is it so bright?”
”There are clouds floating too!”
Martina noticed the absence of the sun while looking at the sky.
Aluda and Meluda were also gazing up.
”Rena, Ms. Kazumi… do you feel it?”
Dorothy looked around and asked Rena and Kazumi.
”Yeah… it’s intense…”
”I can feel it. It feels like a strong magical power is lingering.”
Kazumi and Rena were nodding at Dorothy while saying that.
I wonder if a magician can feel it.
”A ‘Closed World’ created inside the labyrinth…”
Rena muttered softly.
”Asuka, have you ever heard that there’s a floor like this in the Welnia Labyrinth?”
In response to my question, Asuka shook her head.
”I haven’t heard of it. …Does that mean there are forests and plains of this size created underground?”
Asuka returned the question.
”I think it’s probably a space created by magical power. It’s not that there’s actually a ‘world’ of this size underground… maybe this floor of the labyrinth connects to a ‘different space.’ ──I’m not really sure, though…”
Rena was tilting her head.
”There’s a path down this way~!”
In the direction Uu pointed, there seemed to be a path leading down the cliff.
”I really want to go down, but…”
”Yeah. We’re not in perfect shape right now. I think it’s better to return as planned.”
Dorothy expressed her opinion, echoing Liz’s thoughts.
”That sounds good. I think it’s also a good idea to go back and ask Principal Milia for her judgment.”
Everyone nodded at Kazumi’s words.
”Then let’s set up a teleportation circle here. Is that okay?”
Rena took out a ‘teleportation’ scroll from her pouch.
”Yeah. Please do it, Rena.”
Rena nodded back at Liz’s reply, spread out the scroll, and chanted.
”Teleportation!”
* * *
(Milia’s POV)
”A ‘Closed World’!?”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice at Hiroya’s report.
(Considering there wasn’t anything interesting among the spoils, that’s quite a shocking report…)
A world of forests and plains surrounded by high cliffs, about 20 km in diameter.
The sky is bright, but there’s no sun.
And the ‘dense magical power’ that Rena, Kazumi, and Doro-Doro felt around them…
”Rena’s hypothesis that the labyrinth levels are connected to another space is probably correct. I don’t think that the grasslands and forests are actually on the fourth floor of the labyrinth.”
While agreeing with Rena, I was thinking about how to confirm it with my own eyes.
(If we jump directly with these kids’ ‘teleportation circle’, it should be safe for Shinji and Van. It would be better to have them check it out too.)
”Since we’re in this state, we couldn’t continue exploring any further.”
Seeing me deep in thought, Liz-Liz misunderstood and bowed her head.
”Oh, no, Liz-Liz. You all did a great job. ──Rena, can you tell me the password for the ‘teleportation circle’ later?”
”Are you going?”
I winked at Rena, who looked worried, with a smile.
”I definitely want to check this out myself. Also──.”
The Third Floor’s floor boss, ‘Minotaur’.
Why did such a powerful monster, said to be monster rank S depending on the type, appear in a ‘relatively shallow floor’?
(Plus, the ‘weapon’ it was using was this size… wasn’t it bigger than the Minotaur we fought?)
I smiled as I looked at the Snow Wolf maid proudly holding up a ‘huge double-edged axe’.
”Seriously, you took it down well. We had quite a tough time with the ‘Minotaur’, you know?”
”──Our pride in close combat is in this state.”
Liz-Liz scratched her head, Hiroya sat down tiredly, and AsuAsu shrugged as if to say ‘sorry for the trouble’.
”You all are completely worn out. It might be a good idea to notify the other adventurers to ‘prohibit challenges to the Third Floor’s floor boss’ for the time being.”
Because it’s the ‘Minotaur’, right? Even though they were still in the process of ranking up, even Van and Shinji struggled against that monster.
Well, in the end, while the two were fighting, Megumi came from behind and cleaved its head with a greatsword.
”Well… the ‘Rose Hip’ group might be able to fight it.”
”Yeah, I need to let them know too. By the way, Liz-Liz, can you tell them?”
”No, Frieda is still down there. Please let me know when they return.”
”They just got back a little while ago. They came back from the Third Floor’s ‘Safety Zone’ using the teleportation circle. She said, ‘I can’t lose to Ms. Liz and the others. Next, I’ll gather the members and start from the Third Floor’.”
”…If I tell them about the Minotaur, they’ll probably rush in excitedly…”
Liz-Liz, holding her head in her hands, is so cute.
Rivalries are great, aren’t they?
”Anyway, everyone, good job. Make sure to go home and rest, okay?”
”Are you going right away? ──To the Fourth Floor?”
Hiroya looks up at me with a worried expression.
Ugh, that look is just like Shinji’s♡.
”First, I need to report to Shinji──the lord. Van──Minister Elberhardt is there too.”
”If you’re going, I’d love to join you.”
I held up my index finger to stop Hiroya, who was leaning forward.
”But you all need to take it easy. You must be more exhausted than you think. That’s just how dungeon exploration is.”
* * *
Riding in the carriage with the horses, Liz-Liz and the others left the ‘Raetia Great Labyrinth Base.’ As I saw them off, I started thinking about how to involve Shinji, Van, and Megumi in the ‘Fourth Floor exploration’.
(Yeah. I’m looking forward to it.)
I returned to my room at the base and teleported from the ‘teleportation circle’ to Shinji and Megumi’s mansion.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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