The Labyrinth Raids of the Ultimate Tank

Chapter 15: Meetings and farewells

Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”

The next day.

The headquarters of the vigilante corps were hectic.

After such a feast some complained about a hangover, but even so, the situation called for urgency.

They seem to be having a hard time finding an appropriate response to discovering a labyrinth.

「Do people always get into such a panic upon dealing with discovering a new labyrinth? 」

Nin tilted her head.

For Nin, who lived in the capital, the appearance of a new labyrinth was nothing new.

「Of course. A new labyrinth appeared it’s much stranger to dismiss it with a simple, ah, cool.」

As I heard, at the capital they spawn about once a month.

Nin, who was extremely used to it by this point, tilted her head.

「Oh, great, Rude! I just thought about calling for you!」

Feel appeared from the corridor.

Considering how out of breath she was, I guess she came here running after learning that I came to the headquarters.

「I don’t have the slightest idea of what to do after discovering a labyrinth. I’d like to ask you two for help.」

「I see. Nin, shall we go?」

「Well. I have lessons at the school, but it doesn’t seem like it’s time for that.」

She shrugged her shoulders a bit disappointed.

Same for me.

I wanted to teach swordsmanship to kids, is this too much to ask?

「Did you already message about discovering a labyrinth?」

「Y-yeah. I heard that at such times one should contact the guild at the capital, so I sent it there.」

「It would be better not to stop at just that.」

As I said that, Feel opened her eyes wide, slightly surprised.

「Who else can we contact?」

「You should message the nearest major guild. It would make things easier. So you should contact the town of Kurath.」

Eventually, investigators would be deployed from the nearest town.

Contacting them directly from Avancier, rather than waiting for the guild in the capital to contact them, would allow them to have more accurate information, and most of all, it would be faster.

That alone would shorten the interval until investigators are sent here.

「Kurath, huh. If I’m not mistaken, there should be a peddler stopping in the town. Let’s ask him. ……What else?」

「That’s it. That should be enough for the time being. …Right, Nin?」

It’s fine, right? I never had to deal with such situations as well.

I just happen to have some knowledge.

「For what concerns labyrinths, that should be enough. And, let me tell you something good. Having a labyrinth gives you a good chance to enliven the town.」

「……Hmm. That’s certainly true. They even say that when one is founding a new town it should be close to the water and a labyrinth.」

「Just as he said. It depends on the difficulty of this labyrinth, but it’s very probable that adventurers will come to visit this town more often in the future. At the very least there would be crowds of adventurers, coming to check the place. Everyone is looking for an efficient hunting grounds that would suit them.」

「……I see. Then, we will need an inn for adventurers.」

「Yes. At such times, given enough funds are available, buying homunculi and leaving the management of the inn to them is usually a good idea……」

「Hmmm…… That’s probably is not feasible at the moment.」

Feel furrowed her brows.

…Development of the city, huh.

I also wanted to do something about it.

This town is nice and quiet.

But…… There is nothing. Thus, youth often leaves for other settlements.

The population kept shrinking, and now there is nothing but the elderly.

Some even say that this town will disappear someday.

…I hate that.

「So the only option is to rely on the militia and townsfolk that has free time on their hands?」

「Got it. I will ask about this.」

Nin nodded to my suggestion.

「I recommend buying a few homunculi sooner or later. Homunculi without any prior education can be bought at a comparatively low price. Though it would require you to train them.」

「I see. Thank you, Nin.」

「I’m glad that the knowledge that was crammed into me was of use.」

Feel made a wry smile hearing Nin’s words.

Being a young lady of a duke’s house, she seems to be quite well-informed of such stuff.

Feel bowed deeply.

「Thank you both. For now, I will try to follow your advice.」

「Feel free to consult us if something comes up again.」

Feel and Nin smiled at each other.

I’m relieved to see that they seem to be getting along.

And compared to before, Nin became more amiable.

「I will patrol the town and its vicinity.」

「Sorry, I will leave that to you. Tell me if you need people. I will find someone.」

…If possible, I’d prefer to avoid that.

It doesn’t look like the militia has any spare personnel.

Since I was done here I leave the headquarters.

「Then, let’s make rounds.」

「Nin, are you coming as well?」

She is still an injured person.

She seems to have recovered for the most part, but even so.

「What? Are you nervous about going alone with me or something?」

「As if. Just be careful that your wounds don’t worsen.」

「I know that much.」

Nin donned a bright smile and stood next to me.

Well, though it’s not like I don’t get nervous at all.

She is a girl, at times I can’t help but get overly conscious.

Her smile just now for example. I’m actually quite fond of it.

To calm down my throbbing heart I picture Manicia’s charming smile.

〇

We walk through the town.

As expected, it’s not like adventurers would suddenly sprout from the ground overnight, but even so, the already familiar merchants caught the smell of gold and began all kinds of preparations.

At the area assigned for the carriages, we notice Sinanis and his group.

Only one carriage in a few hours comes to our countryside.

And the time is pretty random as well. If one were to say that it can’t be helped since there is a risk of getting attacked by monsters on the way, there would be no way to argue.

According to rough estimations, one should come soon.

「Oh, isn’t that Rude?」

Though Sinanis spoke in the same manner as usual, for the first time, he showed no hostility.

He casually waved a hand at us, so I replied in the same way.

His party did the same.

His comrades came up to us and bowed their heads.

Their eyes were shining, as expected, I never faced so much admiration before, so I took a step back.

「Are you going to another town?」

「Yup.」

「Aren’t you going to raid this labyrinth?」

An unexplored labyrinth is basically a treasure trove.

There might be materials impossible to acquire in other labyrinths or even an actual treasure.

It’s exactly what most adventurers yearn for. But, Sinanis shook his head.

「We are currently traveling to hone our skills. We move from place to place, spending roughly one month in each area.」

「Truly, an adventure.」

That’s how the adventurers of old were.

All of them lived freely in their own ways.

But now there are some that settle in a single town, make contracts with guilds, working exclusively with them.

Stability is a good thing after all.

「People tend to grow lazy by staying in one environment. 」

「That is true.」

That is something that lately I often felt myself as well.

Reluctant to part with Manicia I ended up staying in this town for quite a long while this time.

「Where are you going next?」

「Karde, the city of adventurers. This favorite sword of mine is pretty worn out already. So I’d like to get it reforged there. I’ve got a whole lot of raw materials for that.」

His expression turned into a grin.

「I see.」

As I replied so, a girl, Sinanis’ party member, that stood beside him, pushed him aside and stepped in front of me.

「Sinanis, so full of lies. There is a delicious store at Karde, we are just curious about it. He keeps inventing all kinds of reasons about training or whatnot just to eat delicious stuff everywhere. Ah…… Ehm, my name is Arica! Thank you for saving me during the fieldzaurus hunt!」

「You damn! Get out of my way! I’m not done talking! Rude! ……The next time we meet I will get stronger than you, got it?!」

……Please, spare me this spirit of rivalry.

You’ll force me to go training as well.

I can’t just lose.

Neigh’s of horses and squeaks of wheels approached.

「Then, until next time, Rude! Don’t you dare get weaker!」

「Sure……」

Sinanis and his party boarded the carriage.

An adventurer’s life is full of meetings and farewells.

I get especially many of those.

It felt a bit lonely, but I’m looking forward to our next encounter.

「Are you going to go back to adventuring as well?」

After seeing them off, Nin asked.

「…Well. Nowadays, there are some regions that I’m yet to visit. A few new labyrinths popped up, so I thought of hitting them this time.」

「I see. Maybe I should stick with you.」

「The church will be angry.」

Well, with Nin’s recovery magic, the burden on me will lessen a great deal.

So I would be happy if she follows me, but she has her position.

A saintess and a daughter of a duke.

She doesn’t have that much freedom in her actions.

「Not really. In the worst case, I can also retire as a saintess.」

「And what about your family?」

「They can expel me for all I care. At the end of the day, I’m only the third daughter. And if I tell them that I’m going to follow you, they probably would gladly send me off. They want strong blood.」

……That’s probably it.

But until I cure Manicia, I have no intention of considering such stuff.

I’m aiming to live without paying attention to that.

Though I understand that it’s rude to others.

However, I’m a weak human.

I might become content with the happiness of today.

If I turn that way, who is going to save Manicia? If I find another happiness and find that to also be dear to me. What if I give more priority to that?

Thus, I will not think about any of this. I will pierce through with stolidity.

「A single piece of advice from a person that has no parents. You should keep a place where you can return. It radically changes your entire outlook.」

It’s better to have someone on whom you can rely.

For me that’s Manicia.

When I return, she is there for me. That alone allows me to get through the day.

「Thanks for the warning. I will give it some thought. And in my own way, I was devoted to both the church and the family. They shouldn’t be angry even if I do what I want from now on? I’m not a kid anymore.」

「I see. Well, okay. Then, you should decide for yourself. But don’t be rash.」

「I heard you. Thank you, Rude.」

「There is nothing to thank me for.」

「It’s thanks to you that I am who I am. So, thank you.」

Compared to the past she smiles a lot more often.

Would this be thanks to me?

Though I don’t recall doing anything in particular that would’ve made us closer.

Huge quarrels though, those I remember.

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