Chapter 257: Entrance, like an underground discharge channel (1/2)

Chapter 257: Entrance, like an underground discharge channel

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“What is this…?”

Grand labyrinth of Yaso-Katsui, that’s the largest labyrinth in the world.

The word ‘grand’ just naturally describes it.

A dark, confined and humid underground dungeon that brings chills in my spine, the big boss of the caves.

In the first place, I thoroughly hate labyrinths, and on top of that, it is dark and humid…oops, let’s stop repeating that. Anyways, it is true that I came here with quite the resolve.

…And yet, right now, I had my mouth wide open and was looking at this place.

It is bright like broad daylight, is unbelievably vast, and has an abnormally wide and tall ceiling.

I remember having this feeling before.

Right, that was when I was watching a TV program about the underground discharge channel.

It was the same feeling as when the excessively spacious space was projected like some ancient historic ruins.

It is a space that reminds me of how incredibly small people are.

This place is similar.

Grand Labyrinth of Yaso-Katsui, wide first floor underground.

That’s the name of this place.

“The entrance gate was gigantic as well after all. It looks like they give it quite a lot of maintenance.” (Tomoe)

“Right-desu wa. Leaving aside how far of this dungeon looks like this, the power of the people is pretty impressive. About 1-2 kilometers of the World’s Borders has begun to have the handiwork of people involved, so once the conflicts are resolved, it might become a situation like this.” (Mio)

What Mio said about: ‘how far of this dungeon looks like this’ referred to the situation in our surroundings. It is like a famous touristic spot.

People, people, people; unbelievable liveliness.

…Well, the World’s Border might become like this around the entrance.

Leaving aside if the World’s Border can actually be considered a good tourist spot, the current vitality of Tsige is certainly unmeasurable.

Looks like Tomoe and Mio didn’t know that the labyrinth was in this situation either, they are looking around with interest.

They aren’t showing an unsightly behavior like opening their mouths wide though.

After advancing for a while, the density of people steadily decreased and it finally entered a state where we can look at our surroundings.

Even though it is a labyrinth, the groups of people stand out more than the mamonos.

The field of vision is also satisfactory. There’s simply a lot of people, there’s no darkness.

There’s a lot of people that seem to be customers and also gatherings of beginner-looking adventurers.

Since it is a labyrinth, it will obviously have mamonos appearing here and there.

I can see a number of people fighting.

The moment a mamono is spotted, the cases when they gang up on it are many.

How to say it…how peaceful.

For a moment, I felt like I came to a beginner field in an MMO game.

It feels exactly like a famous hunting spot that’s a few maps away from the city.

“Hokuto, how’s the accuracy of the map you bought at the guild?” (Shii)

“…There’s parts where the scaling is not measured well, but it is mostly accurate, Waka-sama.” (Hokuto)

“Hello~? The one who asked just now was the companion that has been with you for several days now, Shii-chan.” (Shii)

“You coincidentally asked something that I was about to tell Waka-sama, that’s all, Shii.” (Hokuto)

For some reason, Hokuto directed the answer of Shii’s question to me.

Hokuto and Shii, it looks like they are doing well.

They are both from different races, so I was wondering how it was going, but I don’t see any such friction between them.

Even if their time together has been short, it would be nice if this serves as a test case for future chances.

The Arke, Hokuto, has in his hands the map of the grand labyrinth that we bought at the Adventurer Guild before coming here.

In a lot of meanings, he is the best choice to hold the map.

It is a super high-class article that shows the layout until the 10th floor, and it is thick. The price was also brutal, but well, it is crazy thick.

For some strange reason, just because of this one point, I was able to somewhat accept its price. Must be the magic of thickness.

Of course, it is not like we are walking around with the closed map.

We had unfastened the superficial map first.

“Please leave the mapping to me.” (Hokuto)

His other specialty aside from fighting is mapping.

Maybe because there were many occasions Hokuto has been asked to do things like surveying, at some point in time, he had obtained enough ability to call it his specialty.

He said that by activating the surveying skill, he is able to grasp the surrounding topography in a distance of around 100 hectares.

The first time I was explained this, I remember that I was flustered when I suddenly heard the word hectares. When he added by saying: ‘Maybe it would have been easier to understand if I had put it in ares?’ it made me even more flustered.

Neither of them click in my head, geez.

For a normal person, measurements like ares, hectares, and hectopascals are already puzzling enough, and yet, for some reason, everyone in Asora is able to adopt such a variety of my memories.

Hectares is supposed to be a measurement used in agricultural lands, so I think he is able to survey quite a large distance. Thanks to the special mapping skill of Hokuto, I am able to use [Sakai] for the usual self-defense and power concealment.

I am grateful for that.

“I am counting on you, Hokuto. Beren, is that matter with the sword okay?” (Makoto)

“I have tightly shut him up, so please don’t worry. Even if by some chance a person that can hear its voice appears, releasing the seal will take several days. Wouldn’t even be possible to move it.” (Beren)

“Nice. Hah, it was so noisy I couldn’t take it. That guy spoke nonstop for all night.” (Makoto)

“In the end, no one else aside from Waka-sama was able to hear its voice, so in my personal opinion, it actually feels pretty vexing.” (Beren)

“I think not being able to hear it is for the best. That thing is seriously…” (Makoto)

“A weapon that has a will, and yet, no blacksmith was able to hear its voice, but Waka-sama is able to. Why? Hmmm…” (Beren)

“Lately, I have been able to speak with a variety of things, so I am the strange one here. At any rate, I am not even a swordsman to begin with.” (Makoto)

Right now, the people here are me, Tomoe, Mio, Beren, Hokuto, and Shii.

Einkaref is currently…at the hotel’s room.

…We left it there together with Iroha-chan.

While at it, we also left Shougetsu-san and his companions there too.

We told them that we will be returning every night there, and then, Akashi-san shouted: ‘Safety secuuured!’ and made a victory pose. That image is burned in my mind.

‘Being able to receive safety, that surpasses what someone can buy with money, is fantastic’, is what Yuduki-san said.

The security in the Chihiro Man Rai restaurant is, to be expected of a high-class hotel, in quite the level to begin with, so we simply placed a bit more defense on the shed.

In the end, even if they return home, the ‘prince and princess battle royale: assassination race’ is still continuing, and if Iroha-chan returns there, she will be in a situation that invites danger.

I thought about escorting them there this morning, but Shougetsu-san’s group was at the reception in good timing, and we agreed to them using the room.

Accurately speaking…it was Shougetsu-san with bloodshot eyes pleading at me though.

The charming information gathering and land survey Iroha-chan did in the many villages we visited on our way to Kannaoi, and the investigation results we gathered; we gave that information to them, and told Shougetsu-san and the others to hear about it and try comparing.

…That girl is…kind.

The current me can understand her a bit.

The numbers and the present state that the people in the villages answered Iroha-chan with, its meaning…those numbers were quite different from the actual numbers.

Even so, it is not like it was a mistake.

The tax of this world is absurdly high after all.

From country to feudal lord, from feudal lord to government officials, from government officials to the village chiefs; as this information gets passed around in this fashion, there’s bribery that’s really usual.

Even in the Edo period, there was a ratio of 4 to government and 6 to people and they were still saying things like: ‘it is practically tax-free’, as they opened their arms wide and collected heavy amounts of tax.

That’s why villages will protect themselves as well.

They are thinking of a lot of ways to live by even if taxes are taken.

And in truth, in Kannaoi, the normal ratio is 8-government 2-people, and 9-government 1-people.

Even in the villages that we had gone to, their report compared to the real amount harvested is incredibly low, and by doing this, they managed to reduce the tax for a long time, and they also secretly cultivate crops with high potential to turn into money and do side jobs.

With Tomoe and Mio, most situations can’t be hidden, so the real situation in those kind of parts was completely laid bare to me.

That information…I don’t know how it will roll, but I have left it in Iroha-chan’s hands.

I didn’t have any intentions of receiving any money or rewards, but hearing the words she declared as she turned around when we arrived at Kannaoi, I decided to give this to her in order to have her stop.

This is just too much after all.

“The new route that will connect Mizuha and Kannaoi, I will negotiate with the country and make sure to have it named Raidou route! With a grand public work project, we will place all our gratitude and respect! Definitely-na no desu!”

That’s no joke, geez.

Just remembering it is making my head hurt.

“Now then, let’s begin the labyrinth exploration. Anyways, the priority is to find the stairs going down.” (Makoto)

If we simply stand around the vicinity of the entrance, we might become the preys of ardent salesmen trying to push us tour guides or souvenirs.

And in reality, the presence of business is stuffy here.

Around here, the people that are holding a flag are selling tour guides, and there’s also salesgirls from companies that have temporary stores inside the dungeon.

Their commercial spirit is tough.

Of course, they are selling on site, so it is a lot pricier than buying it in the city. Must be because the location price is also included.

It is a mystery whether a place as close as this can become good business though.

“Hokuto, where’s the stairs that head down-desu no?” (Mio)

Mio asks Hokuto the location of the stairs.

Receiving a question from a direct superior, Hokuto was slightly flustered, but after a bit, he said that it wasn’t that far from here and points at the crowd.

…It is unexpectedly close.

“It seems like there’s people heading down from there.” (Hokuto)

“For a spacious place, it is pretty close.” (Makoto)

Is the objective of these people to sell things to the ones that are soon going to the second floor?

Whatever it is, it can still be bought in the city though.

Everyone should have at least that amount of intelligence.

“But…uhm…” (Hokuto)

“Yeah?” (Makoto)

“That place and over there as well. And there’s also one there too.” (Hokuto)

“Eh? Eh?” (Makoto)

Hokuto was pointing different places one after the other.

In almost all the places he pointed, there were people gathered.

Why are there so many places where you can go down?

…Is it because it is big?

Is it because it is nothing but big?!

I was beginning to get dejected in a different meaning.

When I look carefully, there are stores in each of those places, and it seems like they are selling what seems to be tools.

“…Well, that’s fine. For now, let’s go down from there.” (Makoto)

I don’t have a hobby of completing maps anyways.

Just quickly advance.

“Oho, wait there! That’s a bad move!! You guys, this is your first time in here, right? Beginners, right?”

Oh crap.

In the time I was amazed and overwhelmed, we were caught.

Even though we have already cleared the place that was the most crowded.

“I have been picking a biiit of your conversation for a while now, you see. Yeah, I have deduced that you need my help here!”

“No, we are fine here. Thanks.” (Makoto)

I throw him some small change and gesture him to disappear.

So small. He is probably a demi-human, the child-looking type.

His height doesn’t even reach my chest, so in the standards of the people in this world, he is pretty short.

Well it must be like those shota and loli.

He is probably not the age his appearance shows.

“Don’t give me that please, man. I know something that will be of use to you, you know? I can be useful.”