GILF Hunter

Chapter 510: 510 Labyrinth key?

It was quite late into the dawn. Everyone seemed to have gone to sleep, as no more voices could be heard from outside the room.

Ian cautiously opened the door and stepped out.

The other two had fallen asleep. However, Ian couldn’t sleep, so he planned to get some fresh air nearby for a moment.

’Hm?’

But before Ian could take more than a few steps, he ran into someone.

The person he happened to meet in the hallway was... Frey.

Frey looked at Ian walking the halls at such a late hour with a puzzled expression and asked.

’What’s this? Weren’t you going off to sleep?’

’I couldn’t fall asleep.’

Couldn’t sleep, huh? Frey let out a smirk with that look on her face.

He had said he’d take the two of them to their room and hadn’t returned since. If a man and women leave a party together... well, isn’t it obvious?

However... even Frey was genuinely surprised that a Priestess was included in that group. She had wondered if the rumors about them being together often lately were true.

’Your heart’s grown quite bold since becoming A-rank. Even seducing a Priestess.’

’It’s not that kind of relationship yet....’

’Haha... ’yet’?’

Giggling, Frey gave Ian some advice as if telling him to be careful.

’Watch out. Every year, I see at least one guy who tries to seduce an active Priestess, gets caught by the Temple, and is immediately dragged off to have a wedding ceremony.’

The days of immediately stripping them of their priesthood and kicking them out of the Temple, or seizing the person involved for a religious trial, were gone.

Of course, that didn’t mean they just let it slide; usually, they handled it by making them hold a wedding right away. The fact that the partner has to convert and work at the Temple together is a bonus.

’Even if you pretend you aren’t, Priestesses aren’t good at lying, so it all shows. Rumors spread through the Temple in an instant. Probably for you... even the High Temple knows? They’ll be watching to see when you cross the line, so seriously, be careful.’

Well, that was strictly the response for touching an active Priestess. If one waited patiently until the partner retired from their priesthood and then slowly went through the procedures to marry, such things wouldn’t happen.

One could live a peaceful and ordinary married life.

But is that how romance works? At this rate, it was only a matter of time.

Since it seemed like Frey was giving sincere advice, Ian nodded with a somewhat awkward face.

’Well, since you can’t sleep and have nothing to do... shall we talk for a bit?’

’Now?’

Frey spoke while holding a bottle that was still half-full.

It was much too late in the dawn for a conversation... but as Frey said, he had nothing else to do and couldn’t sleep, so Ian nodded.

Ian and Frey went out to a nearby terrace and took their seats.

The base of Frey’s mercenary group was a building chosen simply because the location was reasonably good and the space was as large as possible.

In other words, since it was an ordinary luxury mansion... there were many facilities that didn’t suit mercenaries at all.

Frey looked up from there and stared ahead. It was the direction where the Labyrinth lay.

’So, when is that coming out? The thing you’re preparing.’

’...Was it that obvious?’

’Of course it’s obvious. Look at how many things you’re involved in right now. From the outside, one would think a war was about to break out.’

After a moment of thought, Ian answered Frey’s question.

’Around the time of the next invasion....’

’...What, then it’s soon. I thought there were about 3 or 4 years left. No wonder you’ve been moving in such a hurry.’

Frey nodded.

Well, it was a long time in its own way... but considering the matter, one would have to say it was too tight. Thinking that, Frey looked at Ian and spoke.

’You don’t need to push yourself that hard. If it really doesn’t seem like it’ll work, just leave it be.’

’Pardon?’

’They say this neighborhood was originally land that people fought over to occupy, right? But once they actually took it over, it turned out to be a place where they’d lose too much by pushing their own soldiers in to manage it. They’d have to take responsibility if monsters leaked out, too.’

Frey brought up an old story. It was something Frey had only heard from others, a story from much further back before she had even become a mercenary.

A Labyrinth might look like a treasure trove where profitable materials spring up infinitely at first glance, but in reality, it was also a monster that sucked in military costs endlessly.

Furthermore, soldiers and knights were different from mercenaries in terms of both the costs to be paid and the responsibilities involved.

’That’s why they’re leaving it as an autonomous city and dumping it on us to manage ourselves. But honestly, it’s not our territory, so we don’t exactly have an obligation to risk our lives to protect it.’

If it looked like Labyrinth was truly going to fall, they’d have no choice but to bring in armies from all directions to block the monsters themselves.

Otherwise, where would the monsters pouring out from there eventually go?

’So we don’t need to feel responsible for this place as if we’re the city’s last bastion. If worst comes to worst, we can just run away somewhere else and come back later. Once you’re A-rank, they can’t even punish you. They have to coax you nicely to get you to work again.’

The citizens here were also people who lived prepared to leave at any time. It was the risk they naturally had to bear in exchange for not paying citizen taxes.

After saying that, Frey took out the map Ian had handed over this time and shook it while showing it to him.

’Well, I’ll take care of this, so you just do what’s reasonable. It’s not like anyone ordered you to do this. If it doesn’t look like it’ll work, just quit.’

’It would be nice if it turned out that way.’

Whether the conversation was over or not, Frey left those words and returned first.

...What is she saying, when she seems like the type who would be the first to jump in with a smirk when the time comes.

Watching Frey’s back, Ian muttered with a small laugh and a sigh.

...And, behind a wall slightly away from the terrace.

Frenda, who had secretly followed Ian out after hearing the door, quietly moved her steps away from there, recalling the conversation she had just heard.

Eavesdropping on others’ conversations was obviously not a good thing... but it couldn’t be helped.

She had opened her eyes while sleeping and happened to hear the voices of two people talking outside the room. When she peeked her head out slightly, she saw the two of them going somewhere secluded.

...And so, unconsciously. She had ended up secretly following behind the two of them as if she had no choice.

Because of that, it seemed she had heard things she shouldn’t have.

Recalling the story she heard there, Frenda quietly spoke in her mind.

’Hey, what on earth is beneath the Labyrinth? You know, don’t you?’

Inferred from their conversations so far, this Elf ghost connected through the Holy Sword was a being who had lived in very ancient times. She seemed to know a lot about the Labyrinth as well.

If it was that Elf, perhaps she could answer this question. With that thought, Frenda asked.

Of course, it was a very likely assumption.

However, there was a small problem... the Elf was not yet in a state where she could carry out a conversation.

- Heee-euk....

...Good grief. Can I really trust a person like this?

Frenda returned to the bedroom with a sigh.

* * *

The next morning.

Airi, who had woken up in bed, was buried under the covers when she suddenly opened her eyes.

’...Where am I?’

Feeling a sense of incongruity, Airi sat up abruptly in the blankets and hurriedly looked around. It wasn’t her usual room where she slept, but a strange place she had never seen before.

Come to think of it, last night....

Airi held her throbbing head and quietly recalled the events of last night one by one.

And her face turned red.

I’ve done it.

Muttering that, Airi covered her burning face with both hands and rolled around in the blankets for a long time.

What on earth was she thinking, doing such a thing?

Still, the fortunate thing was that Airi was alone in the room. It seemed she would have a bit of time to prepare her mind before seeing the faces of the other two.

...Has the Captain woken up first?

And Ms. Frenda... she’s a Priestess, so of course she would have woken up early.

Thinking that, Airi looked around the room, put on her clothes for now, and waited for the two to return to the room.

....

....

Like that, perhaps 30 minutes passed. The two didn’t seem to have any intention of returning at all.

Since she couldn’t wait in the room forever, Airi eventually opened the door cautiously and peeked her head out.

’Hiek....’

Seeing the state of the hallway, Airi ducked her head back.

Perhaps because it was daytime, there seemed to be quite a few people passing by. It was because this was the base of a fairly large A-rank mercenary group, despite how it looked.

...But she couldn’t keep hiding in the room. Airi cautiously stepped out of the room and walked down the hallway.

Every time she made eye contact with a stranger, she passed by them awkwardly.

There were a fair number of people who recognized Airi, but there were far more people who didn’t know Airi’s actual face. It was because Airi didn’t engage much in external activities.

The gazes sent by the people who didn’t know Airi yet as they passed by... ’Who is she and why is she here?’... felt very stinging.

...Now, how do I find the Captain here?

Airi stood still in the hallway with such worries.

Don’t tell me... I have to ask other people where our Captain is.

The face of Airi, who thought of that, turned pale.

And... should she say it was fortunate? Or was it a misfortune?

The person she least wanted to meet, yet the only one who could resolve this situation, discovered Airi.

’Hey. You’re up?’

’Hik!’

It was Frey.

...I hate it, but thank goodness!

Airi’s expression brightened halfway.

She was the person here that Airi could most naturally ask about Ian.

’Ex-excuse me! Where is our Captain...?’

’Hm? Your Captain? He left first. Along with that Priestess.’

’Why...?!’

’He said you wanted to sleep some more?’

’There’s no way I....’

A memory suddenly occurred to Airi as she was about to answer like that.

Come to think of it, she felt like someone had called her name while she was sleeping....

Because she was so tired from the events of last night, and thinking it was probably Rin... it seemed she had just answered vaguely and fallen back to sleep.

Ian didn’t go out of his way to force Airi awake.

It wasn’t an unknown place, but a mercenary group belonging to Airi’s own friend. Since they had shared a party yesterday, sleeping a bit more wasn’t particularly rude.

And so, Ian and Frenda, who had today’s schedule set, left Airi to sleep more and returned first.

Airi, realizing the reason why she was left behind here alone, quietly despaired.

’Well, that guy always acts like he’s busy alone. Let’s go grab some food.’

’I... come to think of it, my schedule too.’

’He said you don’t have anything to do today, so it’s fine to just let you sleep?’

’Hueee-ek....’

Airi, whose escape route was completely blocked from the start, was in despair.

’Ah... that’s right. I forgot to give this to you yesterday....’

Muttering that while dragging Airi along, Frey fumbled in her pocket for a moment and pulled something out.

’Give this to your Captain.’

’This is...?’

Airi accepted the small object.

An object that looked like a statue. Honestly, Airi didn’t have much knowledge about the Labyrinth... but based on her experiences so far, she could recognize what kind of object it was.

’A Labyrinth key?’

’Yeah. It’s a key... but it’s one I’ve never seen before. But when I tried to use it last time, the entrance wouldn’t open no matter what I did.’

Ian would probably figure something out. It was a gift with that meaning.