GILF Hunter

Chapter 472: 472 Materials

In front of the Labyrinth City Hall, there had been a newly decorated object for some time now.

The skull of a giant monster.

It was a trophy obtained from a giant monster said to have been subjugated during this deep-floor expedition.

Since it was a simple bone with no effects, it was a useless item—but that was strictly from the perspective of the mercenaries who participated in the expedition. Looking at it more broadly, it was an item with many uses. There was no better object for drawing people’s attention.

Even to the residents of the Labyrinth, who saw large monsters every year until they were sick of them, the remains of this monster appeared quite threatening.

Since it was displayed in front of the city’s City Hall, people couldn’t help but take an interest in it.

To be precise, it wasn’t so much an exhibit as it was an item left behind by its practical owner, Lucia, as she pleased....

Now that it had become so famous, it was awkward to remove, and it was effectively regarded by everyone as a display piece decorating the City Hall.

Thanks to that, the front of City Hall had become a mandatory tourist spot, not only for residents who came to see it but also for outsiders visiting the Labyrinth.

’So these kinds of things are inside the Labyrinth?’

’How on earth did they subjugate something like this with only an expedition team and no castle walls?’

People who approached with similar thoughts could read the information board erected beneath it.

It was a notice board that briefly recorded the subjugation information.

- 1st Lucia Labyrinth Expedition Team

- High Priestess Frenda and the Order of Temple Knights....

- Ian Mercenary Group

As a result.

Airi’s name became even more famous.

’Why...?! I didn’t even do anything...!’

’Well, you’re the most famous one in our mercenary group, Airi. So if our group becomes famous... isn’t it natural that your name spreads first?’

’Hieeek....’

Hearing Mika’s answer, Airi groaned with dead eyes.

She had tried her best to stay hidden and do nothing, yet she became more famous for no reason at all. It was truly an irrational turn of events.

Mika, who had been buried between books and research reports in the laboratory, stretched her body.

Mika and Airi were gathered for research they had postponed for a while due to the Labyrinth expedition.

In one corner of the lab, letters addressed to Airi were piled up high.

One could tell Airi had become more famous just by looking at the number of letters flying her way. Even to Mika’s eyes, the numbers had clearly increased compared to before.

Invitations from people who wanted to hear heroic tales of that time from the person herself, and so on.

Well, anyone who saw that thing at City Hall would want to hear the story directly.

Furthermore, the other expedition members who went in together were all people of the Temple. There were very few people likely to have personal connections with high priests or temple knights dispatched from other cities.

In the end, that attention was bound to focus on the Ian Mercenary Group, and among them, Airi, who was relatively closest to high society.

’I have no intention of getting close to high society...!’

’But it’s a fact that you’re the most famous.’

Airi becoming a celebrity in social circles was half... no, nearly 90% Elena’s fault, but anyway.

’And while maybe not as much as Airi, everyone is probably receiving invitations. It’s inevitable since we’ve become famous.’

With this expedition, there was almost no one who didn’t know the name of the Ian Mercenary Group, not just Airi.

Even if it wasn’t specifically because of this event, A-rank mercenary groups were always like that. A-rank could be called the pinnacle of mercenaries active in this city.

For a mercenary, it was normal to know all the A-rank groups even if they didn’t know the mayor’s name.

Now that their promotion was almost certain, they were effectively in an A-rank state. Interest was bound to flock to the first newly promoted A-rank mercenary group in years.

As proof, while not as many as Airi’s, various invitations and letters were also flying toward Mika.

Of course, most of what came to Mika were not from social circles but from the Mages’ Association or recent mage acquaintances.

Mages were the same in wanting to hear stories from inside the Labyrinth.

Mika leaned back in her chair.

Actually, if she wasn’t interested in these letters, she could just decline them appropriately. There was a separate problem to worry about right now.

Picking up a research report placed in the middle of the desk, Mika muttered with a contemplative expression.

’Hmm.... As I thought, this [Shadow Flame] seems to be absolutely necessary. What should I do?’

’Wouldn’t it be better to find a substitute material somehow...?’

As she gained free access to the research materials of the Mages’ Association, Mika’s research had made significant progress.

After searching through all the secret magic research books Mika had personally collected and seeking a way, she was finally able to establish a direction for her research to some extent.

...The problem was the materials.

’Airi. Is there anyone among the people who sent invitations who might have this? It would be great if I could go and get sponsorship....’

’I... don’t think so?’

There was no confidence in Airi’s answer.

After all, how could she know who might possess such a rare material just by looking at names?

Mika sighed as if she had no choice and rose from her chair.

’...Shall I check the warehouse one more time?’

Mika thought of the warehouse annex that Ian had authorized her to enter.

A warehouse where all rare materials that weren’t immediately useful were gathered.

Since the list wasn’t separately organized, it was a place where she had to personally search inside to see if what she wanted was there.

When she looked around the warehouse once before, there were no materials that particularly caught her eye... but in this situation, there was no other way. She had no choice but to look more closely, hoping for something.

Mika grabbed the spare key to the warehouse and left the lab with Airi.

＊ ＊ ＊

Mika and Airi encountered someone they never expected at the warehouse.

They hadn’t thought anyone else would enter this warehouse... but thinking about it, there was one more person in this mercenary group who could make good use of the items here.

’Oh, Louise. What’s going on?’

’There’s a material I need for this research....’

Louise, who had been taking out and organizing alchemy materials from the warehouse one by one, answered with a sigh.

Mika, who was about to do something similar, could tell just by looking that Louise was in the exact same situation as them.

’It’s something called [Shadow Flame]. I couldn’t find a place to get it anywhere, so I was looking here just in case.’

’Eh? You too, Louise?’

’...Hm? Could it be you guys too?’

’...What?! Where is it!’

Another person wandering inside the warehouse suddenly poked her head out in response to the mention of Shadow Flame.

The wandering alchemist researching with Louise—it was Emilia.

’No, we don’t have it. We’re looking for it too.’

’What. Don’t be confusing....’

’But is that necessary for alchemy too?’

’Yeah. To fully maintain the effect of that hot spring water, it’s absolutely necessary. The effect will differ by 50% because of it....’

Seeing Emilia’s expression, Mika frowned ever so slightly.

It seemed that even if that item were in the warehouse, given that intensity, it looked like they wouldn’t be able to get her to yield it. Even if they suggested splitting it in half... it wouldn’t work at all.

In the first place, looking at Louise and Emilia, it didn’t seem like it was even in the warehouse.

Sighing, Mika finally decided to use her last resort.

’It can’t be helped.... I didn’t want to use this method.’

’What method?’

’That is....’

＊ ＊ ＊

Ian asked as he looked at the four people of an unknown combination who suddenly visited his room.

’So, you’re saying [Shadow Flame] is needed for research. For both sides?’

’Yes. It’s impossible to get on the market. It’s not in the warehouse either.’

’Yeah! Buy it for us! You have lots of money!’

Emilia demanded boldly, as if she had left the materials in his care.

And Louise, Mika, and Airi, who came with her, as well.

Though they didn’t explicitly say it, they seemed to share the same heart.

Without stopping the throwing-a-fit Emilia, they were quietly nodding behind her.

[Shadow Flame] was a material used for special crafting. It was an item commonly used to craft Legendary-grade goods.

Emilia’s recipe was something she had been researching for a long time, so that made sense, but it was quite a surprise that even Mika needed that material.

Needing that material meant the level of the final product was high.

She still didn’t tell him what she was researching, but for now, it seemed she had set her direction properly.

Mika slipped a question to Ian.

’By any chance, Leader, couldn’t you buy it for us?’

’There probably won’t be any listings for that.’

’...Even you can’t get it, Leader?’

’How can I buy something that doesn’t exist?’

Ian was periodically checking important materials appearing on the market.

But he couldn’t find any useful listings at all.

A listing only appeared when someone actually went into the Labyrinth and personally obtained it.

Unlike a game, materials of a certain grade wouldn’t just steadily appear on the market based on probability.

Mercenary groups like Ian’s or Frey’s, who explored deep into the Labyrinth, were extremely rare.

The rare materials they obtained were mostly used by themselves, or if not, they all went into storage.

In fact, it could be said it was a situation almost identical to the Ian Mercenary Group. So rare Labyrinth materials wouldn’t be released to the market.

In such a situation, even if rare listings appeared occasionally, they were traded at absurd prices compared to their value. Effectively, they were closer to luxury goods than materials.

Mika, who roughly guessed those circumstances, sighed.

’There’s no way to get it, then?’

’No, I know a few ways....’

’Eh? Really?’

Wandering around hoping for [Meadow] or [Garden] to appear in a random event room of the Labyrinth.

If he were to name a slightly more realistic method, aiming for an [Alchemy Treasure Chest] or....

The best bet was to get it from the [Suspicious Merchant]. [Golden Herb Pouches] contained it with a nearly high probability. Although [Shadow Flame] was a rare material, within the same grade, it played the role of a ’dud’ basic material.

Besides that, a way to obtain it definitively was....

’Ah.’

’Is there... a way?!’

Everyone’s expressions brightened when it seemed Ian had thought of a good idea.