Chapter 6
Chapter 6. Ugly Flower (2)
Jurgen once roamed the Demon Realms as if they were his own home.
Since taking office as Minister of Internal Affairs, he hadn't visited, so this was truly a homecoming after a long time.
"Ooh."
Jurgen opened his eyes wide and looked around.
Demon Realms existing in pocket dimension form around the world each have their own characteristics.
Among them, the northern Labyrinth Demon Realm's characteristics could be summarized in one word.
Maze.
To add a bit more, it's a death maze with towering gray walls blocked up to the ceiling winding in geometric patterns, with all kinds of walls and traps, and monsters popping out constantly.
Due to the nature of random placement on the 1st floor when passing through portals, it was also a Demon Realm with extremely high danger levels.
Think about it.
Vision blocked by thick walls, characterless terrain where specific checkpoints can't be found.
Identifying starting position and current location is nearly impossible.
In the midst of this, monsters attack whenever there's an opening, so this labyrinth was a terrible hellscape that devoured countless adventurers whole.
...That should be the case.
But coming back after a long time, the atmosphere has changed a lot.
"What are you doing? This way."
"Uh, uhm. I understand."
"Don't act stupid and stick close behind me. Just follow those street lamps."
"Street lamps... in a Demon Realm...?"
First, there's a lot more lighting.
The tar-like darkness that originally required trembling walks relying on dim lamps is now brightly illuminated by street lamps.
That's not all.
"Be careful not to get lost. You might starve to death wandering around the same spot."
"Let me see... it's left."
[← 2nd Floor Portal] [1st Floor Dandelion Shelter →]
"......"
At crossroads that originally presented adventurers with deadly dilemmas, signposts are now prominently placed.
They're so well-maintained they gleam.
"From here, we can go straight through this way."
"Miss Penelope, don't we need to be careful of traps?"
"What era are you talking about? The Adventurer Guild removed traps from major 1st floor routes long ago."
There were even shortcuts where large holes were made in the maze walls themselves to reduce travel distance.
And supposedly no traps either.
At this level, you could believe it's a theme park with a maze concept remodeled.
Even the remaining thread of tension evaporated.
"Weren't Demon Realms originally more dangerous?"
"They are dangerous. Ordinary people like you could easily lose their lives if they're not careful. Be more grateful."
"Well, thank you..."
However, unlike Jurgen, Penelope moved forward slowly, keeping guard around her with tensed cheeks.
She was breathing harder than usual, and cold sweat from tension flowed down her forehead.
She said while examining the map.
"I'll detour around routes where monsters frequently patrol if possible. I'm fine, but you wouldn't be."
"What's there to worry about with Miss Penelope here?"
"Be quiet. Don't talk nonsense and follow the veteran's instructions. Making loud noises might attract monsters' attention."
That's right.
Though no one would notice...
...Penelope is not a Demon Realm exploration veteran.
This is only her fourth time setting foot in a Demon Realm, and even then, it's been a year since the last time.
Even then, Penelope never took initiative to do anything.
She just walked silently while being supported by professional adventurer parties, with no combat against monsters.
It was virtually no different from being on an unfamiliar path.
"Do you know how dangerous the Labyrinth Demon Realm is? A weak person like you would be torn to shreds without taking a few steps, right? Be grateful you have an excellent guide like me."
Fortunately, her clothes didn't show sweat easily.
If only to hide her back damp with cold sweat, Penelope acted tough.
Anyway, this would be Jurgen's first time entering a Demon Realm, so would he even notice?
"I can fight somewhat too."
"As long as I'm here, that won't happen. Just carry the luggage properly."
"Very reliable. Impressive, Miss Penelope."
"Hmm~"
Though her nerves were on edge enough to make her head whip around at small sounds, his reaction was satisfying.
It would be troublesome if he was amazed by just this much.
She looks forward to his reaction later when she magnificently burns down monsters.
He seems like a country bumpkin who doesn't know how amazing a 4th-rank Alchemist is...
Once he sees the majesty of magic, he'll immediately realize Penelope's greatness.
"This way."
"Understood."
Time passed and when they reached the 2nd floor, Penelope faced an unexpected situation.
"......"
"Is there some problem?"
"There aren't any monsters at all..."
None.
There are no monsters.
Despite almost traversing the 2nd floor, not a single monster was visible.
"It seems another adventurer party subjugated them first."
"That must be it. I know that too."
"Isn't it rather fortunate? We can avoid troublesome battles too. Our purpose is the 4th floor 'reward room,' not monsters anyway."
"I know."
She knows.
Still, she wanted to show off using flashy magic.
She even packed plenty of alchemical catalysts in her palette for the first time in a while!
While chewing on frustration over things not working out, Penelope's ears perked up.
—Kyurururu...
A monster sound finally heard, far from human presence.
Originally it might have been somewhat scary, but since she hadn't seen any, it was almost welcome.
"One's coming."
"Get behind me. Don't get scared and run away."
In front of boldly stepping forward Penelope, a monster moving strangely appeared.
A flat, wide ray-shaped monster that appeared flapping fins in mid-air without water.
Its body length is 2-3 meters, but including the dangling thin tail tentacle, it's easily 8 meters.
It was a parasitic-type monster called 'Labyrinth Ray.'
Usually, it's a creature that attaches to giant aquatic monsters like a remora.
It only becomes troublesome when attached to a host, but its own combat power is no different from a somewhat fierce stray dog.
So its assigned grade is also 'Minor Disturbance.'
Meaning that even if reverse-summoned outside the Demon Realm, it would at most cause a commotion.
"Just one? How disappointing."
Just when he thought that level could be left entirely to Penelope.
—Swaeeeeek!
—Kyieeek!!!
Two arrows flew with sharp air-cutting sounds and shot down the ray directly.
"What?"
While Penelope fumed over losing the chance to show her skills, the arrow's owner leisurely appeared.
"Pardon the intrusion. We thought you were in danger."
"Are you alright? You must have been very surprised, right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
The identity of the figure who appeared with a crossbow on his shoulder was naturally an adventurer.
Encountering other adventurers inside Demon Realms is one of the events that happens quite often.
Though Demon Realms are vast, there are proportionally many adventurers.
The party members were three sturdy men wearing light leather armor.
Their appearance was somewhat shabby, but looking at their well-used equipment, they seemed to be veterans.
Among them, the most sleazy-looking handsome man with thick eyebrows stepped forward.
"It's an honor to meet you, Miss. Shall we exchange names? I'm Ethan, in charge of the party's vanguard."
"Not interested."
"Oho, beautiful flowers have thorns, I see. Still, how about listening to the rest? I'm Ethan. I have a Silver-grade permit..."
"Let's go. We have far to travel."
"Beautiful Miss? The Demon Realm is more dangerous than you think."
"I said I'm not interested?"
It's not like Penelope has experienced this kind of flirtation once or twice.
She also knows the best way to respond.
Thorough ignoring and indifference.
"Hey, miss. Don't be so cold."
Usually when you respond like this, they back down out of embarrassment, but Ethan persistently clung on disgustingly without knowing when to give up.
"Wouldn't it be better to travel with us rather than just taking that stupid-looking porter around?"
Penelope, who had turned her back and was walking away as if he wasn't worth dealing with, stopped.
"Listen, commoner. I just said I'm not interested."
"...Co-commoner?"
"I can get around fine without your petty help. Get lost."
A high-handed tone with chilling coldness and contemptuous eyes.
Ethan hesitated.
Actually, what Ethan did was taboo behavior in labyrinths.
Wasn't he suddenly stealing another party's prey when they weren't even in a dangerous situation?
On top of that, surrounding a grown lady and even throwing flirtations isn't a scene that would look good.
But Penelope wasn't angry just because of that.
It was a monster and an opportunity she finally found!
Those three sleazy guys completely snatched it away, so she struck out.
"...I was trying to make a good proposal. What a shame."
"Have a good time."
"Ptui!"
Jurgen watched the trio including Ethan walking away.
"Miss Penelope, I think you chased them away too harshly."
"What do you mean?"
"Not all adventurers in Demon Realms are good people, right? Wariness is good, but there's no need to make enemies unnecessarily."
Though it was well-intentioned advice, Penelope stepped firmly on Jurgen's foot.
It was light, so it didn't hurt much.
"Is that something to say after getting insulted to your face? Don't you have any pride? He called you a stupid-looking porter."
"Oh, you got angry on my behalf? I'm really grateful for the thought."
"No? I was just annoyed because that slimy-looking guy was looking me up and down."
Penelope spoke sharply and took the lead without looking back.
Because of that trio's interference just now, she has to find monsters again.
***
To conclude, the two couldn't find even a shadow of monsters until reaching the 3rd floor.
However, by that point, Penelope had completely hidden any signs of irritation.
Originally, irritation also consumes stamina, and Penelope was extremely tired.
"It's already night."
"Night?"
"It's midnight, Miss Penelope."
Jurgen showed his wristwatch.
Because the sky isn't visible in the Labyrinth Demon Realm, day and night aren't clearly distinguished.
But from the point past midnight, it was visible that her stamina was rapidly declining.
Well, Penelope isn't a skilled guide or a physically trained Knight either.
Though there were no monster encounters thanks to Vic chasing them away, traversing to the 3rd floor in 6 hours was quite good leadership for a beginner.
"How about we enter the 4th floor tomorrow and rest a bit today?"
"Here?"
"Is there a shelter nearby?"
"No, it would take 2 hours by the fastest route."
"Then, sit over there and rest."
"...Alright."
Penelope seemed to move her lips briefly, then quietly withdrew.
It was somewhat unexpected.
According to the Penelope big data learned so far, he expected her to grumble 'Don't tell me you're going to make me sleep outdoors in the wilderness?'
"I'll prepare for camping, so wait a moment."
"Okay."
Penelope gave a lifeless answer and hugged her knees while leaning against the labyrinth wall.
There's a reason Penelope is being obedient.
Honestly speaking, having to camp is entirely Penelope's fault.
Her desire to show off caught her by the ankle.
If it had gone according to the original plan, they could have caught their breath at a shelter prepared by the Adventurer Guild.
If she hadn't gone off-route crookedly looking for monsters, they would have reached the 4th floor shelter by now.
"......"
It's natural for attendants to serve nobles.
But if attendants suffer unnecessarily due to a noble's foolish actions, they should naturally take responsibility.
By preparing appropriate gifts or bonuses.
That's what noble dignity means.
By the way, this is her first time camping in the wilderness.
Even when going hunting at the family's hunting grounds as a child, she stayed in villas.
She did bring a blanket just in case, but what to do?
Wouldn't her back hurt sleeping on the hard ground?
This is a Demon Realm and not a shelter, so they'll probably have to take watch shifts too.
To think the reason for enduring such hardship is for just one drink...
Even thinking about it herself made her smile bitterly.
"......!"
Lost in various thoughts for just a moment, Penelope forgot her dignity and opened her mouth blankly.
Because Jurgen, who had been rustling around, was very skillfully finishing camping preparations.
Taking poles and a tent from his large backpack, he quickly made a simple tent.
He laid firewood on the ground and skillfully lit a campfire too.
In what felt like less than 10 minutes, a nice camp was completed.
It was clearly not the skill of someone who had done it once or twice.
"You're skilled at camping?"
"I've done it a lot. I brought a blanket too, so cover yourself with this."
"I brought a blanket too."
Jurgen looked at the blanket Penelope brought and shook his head.
"That's too thin."
"This is thin? It's expensive."
"Purpose is more important than price. In cases like this, blankets made of materials with good insulation and moisture resistance are better than luxury materials."
Penelope received the blanket Jurgen handed her.
Compared to what she brought, it could be called rags, but it was definitely fluffy and warm.
"...The blanket smells. I should get you a more decent one when we get out of here."
"Don't complain too much and wait a bit more. I'm cooking right now."
"Jerky and biscuits?"
"Ridiculous. I don't want to eat that stuff for two meals in a row."
He installed a stand over the flickering campfire and placed an inverted pot lid on top.
He oiled it and cut butter with a knife, putting in chunks, then poured thick batter from a thermos.
—Sizzle
With the sound of oil splattering, a good smell began spreading instantly.
It was a smell that stimulated hunger.
"What kind of food is it?"
"It's called potato pancakes. Think of it as similar to hash browns."
Soon, appetizing potato pancakes fried crispy in oil were served before Penelope.
Penelope looked at the golden-brown potato pancakes with curious eyes.
Despite the enchantingly good smell, they didn't look particularly special.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll enjoy it."
After expressing gratitude and taking a bite of the potato pancake...
Crunch.
Penelope had no choice but to rewrite the definition of 'crispiness.'
The crunchy texture that tickled her ears.
The soft grain of finely shredded potatoes inside.
Though it's nothing more than potatoes, the substantial and satisfying weight fills her entire mouth.
Just when the simple potato taste was getting slightly boring, the subtle herb fragrance made her cry out for 'one more bite!'
"Mmm...! Mmm mmm...!"
"There's chamomile tea here too, so have it with this."
She thought anything would taste good due to fatigue and hunger, but this exceeded that.
The fatigue from the day seemed to melt away with the savory oil in her mouth.
Despite not being particularly special, it was incomparably delicious to ordinary potato dishes.
The only regrettable thing was one.
It would have been really perfect if she could eat this with cola...
"What kind of magic did you cast on potatoes to make them taste like this?"
"I fried them like deep-frying using a mixture of lard and butter."
"That's all?"
"Using good butter works. It's high-calorie food, so it should help with tomorrow's activities too. How is it? Edible?"
"It's not bad."
Despite the stingy evaluation, Penelope quickly devoured 4 more potato pancakes.
"Now get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."
"Wake me up in 3 hours..."
"I will."
Then, perhaps feeling full, she collapsed within 30 seconds of rolling up in the blanket and fell fast asleep.
"Well, it must have been tiring."
She's clearly a precious daughter from a wealthy family, so how much hardship could she have experienced?
Just following him this far was probably half stubbornness.
"It'll be a long night."
Though she said she'd take watch shifts too so wake her up, he has no particular intention of waking her.
At times like this, the elder should originally suffer a bit more.
He took out strong espresso he'd kept warm in a thermos beforehand.
Coffee drunk in a labyrinth has its own special flavor.
It brought back old memories.
"Would you fellows like to come have a cup?"
Jurgen spoke while sipping coffee.
"You've been following us since earlier. Don't be miserable lurking in dark places, come warm yourselves by the fire."
Step step.
As if responding to his call, three men walked out of the darkness.
The trio who had been rejected by Penelope about half a day ago.
It was Ethan's party.