21 – Banquet (2)
—–
[What was the missed teaser just now?]
Suddenly, the Perry story is everywhere.
Have we finally gained recognition from the world?
– No, it’s a funeral.
– It’s only been a thousand years, so go back in.
– Something interesting happened on the 9th floor~
– The spokesperson for the Meteor School faction has vanished.
– He was sniped and was the leader of the Furball Gang, but now it seems like everything has been erased by the cleaners?
From Noble mtl dot com
– Hm… Dara, who had occasionally used a certain method, has revealed the identity of the elusive Gonic. I’m reminded of a certain villainous way.
ㄴ It was just a simple system error~
—–
—–
[Please don’t defame our beloved ‘Dog Lover’!!]
The puppy lover scatters “purring” memes every morning and lobbies around to create a furry bulletin board. Although he accidentally changed his profile picture to that of a representative of the Meteor School of Scholars, it’s different from the person who fell on the 9th floor!! Don’t believe in false rumors, everyone!!
— You’re the worst, lol.
— The mischievous ones are already having fun turning things around, huh?
— Scattering “purring” memes? That was totally a jerk move, lololol.
ㄴ Oh, don’t call Arthur representative a jerk, please. It hurts his feelings.
— We, the Smooth and Sleek Reptile Association, support Arthur~
—–
—–
[What? This snipe is also considered a playful act?]
Jooddak, did you stab someone again?
— If you inflict wounds upon those who hurt you, what will you be left with?
ㄴ Hmm… Fun?
ㄴ Ah, fun is important, lololol.
— There’s no evidence that Jooddak did it, though?
ㄴ If there’s no evidence, you can’t assume that Jooddak did it, right?
ㄴ Oh!
— It could be a curse. There are crazy people who can figure out the contents of a random box with their Libra sign. Can’t they snipe with a curse?
Hmm… Then the suspect suddenly narrows down.
Please let me board the Magic Class 3rd Division~
Prinana: It’s not me, you idiots. And don’t make fun of me.
—–
Indeed, when power is given to people, the way they are treated changes.
It was the first time I sat back and relaxed in a café in Maryland, where not only drinks but also an hourly fee was charged.
“Me, a thief…? No, but why are there these photos in the locker? Could it be, am I really…?”
The representative of the Gresia Academy, who witnessed a person being destroyed in an instant, treated me with a confident attitude.
Although calling reality distortions through galleries magic was nonsense, if she believed it, there was no need to correct her misunderstanding.
“Well, as expected, Mr. Clark has a high understanding of magic… I’ve been interested in magic for a long time, so I really wanted to create a place like this!”
“Is that so? If that’s the case, I will introduce our academy to you once. I heard that the construction on the second floor counter was finished recently, so you can also transfer if you want.”
“Please save me. I’ll do anything else.”
After receiving light conversation and begging for my life, I was able to hear about the purpose of Sara’s visit.
“We need Mr. Clark’s help for the upcoming Great Labyrinth conquest. Do you happen to know anything about the mist in the labyrinth?”
“I have some knowledge.”
The mist spread in the Great Labyrinth serves as a kind of debuff.
It blocks vision, reduces magical sensitivity, and has various effects such as confusing the target or making it impossible to identify enemies.
Moreover, the most difficult part is that this mist with such effects accumulates every day in the labyrinth.
In other words, as time goes by, it becomes harder to find the exit, and if you force your way forward, there is a risk of losing your life to the monsters in the labyrinth.
Dividing ranks and restricting access periods is also a measure.
Pushing the trainees into the forest of darkness, similar to a labyrinth, is also to minimize the damage.
The reason why the representatives of the Meteor and Grecia factions, both in their first year, came to see me was the same.
“Our faction and the Morjery faction over there will account for nearly 30% of the total trainees in this labyrinth exploration.”
“If an accident happens once, it’s unstoppable.”
“Yes. That’s why we need a strategy for the mist in order to allow as many people as possible to pass through.”
“Indeed, I understand. If we need a curse-lifting sorcerer to release the curse, I would gladly…”
“No? You want to borrow the power of a curse-lifting sorcerer to increase resistance to the curse?”
“Yes?”
“?”
A moment of silence.
Even though we must have started from the same starting point, I couldn’t help but retrace the flow of the accident that ended up at the exact opposite destination.
“Didn’t the plan mean that we would move by solving the mist with the curse-lifting sorcerer?”
“With hundreds of people scattered everywhere, how can we solve it one by one? And every day.”
“Isn’t there something like a medium that causes the curse in the labyrinth?”
“Are you talking about the core of the labyrinth? If we find it, we can just break it with magic. It’s a waste of time to search for it in the first place. If we happen to see it while we’re on our way to the exit, it’s just luck.”
“…….”
The Haeju faction, a useless major.
Confirming that fact once again, I had no choice but to refuse Sera’s proposal.
“Although Clerk-nim is skilled with a spear, the curse doesn’t work on the monsters in the labyrinth, right? If you help us until the Grand Labyrinth opens, we will safely and quickly escort you to the exit.”
“Unfortunately, that’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because I have never used a curse in my entire life.”
Although I wanted to help them in my heart, reality was not as simple.
My soul was as pure as the bluest witch, even blinding them.
With my deep sensitivity and complex personality, I couldn’t bring myself to harm or wish ill upon anyone.
“…Indeed, that seems to be your concept.”
However, the wicked ice sorcerer, born with suspicions and evil, couldn’t accept my purity as it was.
Of course, even if I couldn’t develop immunity to curses, it was still highly desirable to have the third-ranking magician join the party.
“I understand. So, is it okay to travel together?”
“Well, that depends on the conditions. What can you offer me?”
“A fair distribution of loot in the labyrinth… things like that don’t really matter. If you help us, I will grant you access to the facilities of the sect while you stay in the training area.”
“M-Meteora is the same. Promise.”
The authority to use the facilities of the Glaesia and Meteora sects from the 11th to the 19th floor.
Even if I could only access the library where the books were kept, it was a great advantage for me.
The offerings of the Haegju sect were obviously going to be poor.
The conditions themselves were good enough to nod my head immediately, but there was one more important factor for me.
—–
Genius Golden-Haired Girl: Judak
Genius Golden-Haired Girl: Just one week off the forum
Genius Golden-Haired Girl: This time, it’s a really urgent matter, so I might not be able to contact you.
Genius Silver-Haired Smiling Girl: Are you listening, demon-like human?
—–
The period in which the labyrinth opens is a total of seven days.
During that time, if Nawa and Mariel both leave their positions, the gallery cannot be managed.
“Will this be satisfactory?”
“Can we accommodate additional people?”
“Do you have companions? However, it depends on the faction.”
“We also have places with bad relationships with us.”
“If that’s the case, there’s no problem.”
Then let’s just send them up first.
Fortunately, Mariel had no worries about being in a faction that would cause friction with the Elemental faction, contrary to the concerns of the two.
Since she already possessed the fragments of mystery, she wouldn’t have joined any faction.
*
Glecia and Meteor, who had been cooperating for generations on the 10th floor, had agreed to move separately.
Since it was uncommon to stay in the labyrinth for seven days, it was a system where one group would go up first.
If the vanguard informs the rear of the type of mist and the location of the exit, the rear group would come out with as many people as possible.
This time, it was Glecia’s turn to go in first, and I was scheduled to enter with the Meteor faction led by Arthur three days later.
It was decided to place me in the rear because if I find the exit and leave quickly, they wouldn’t be able to make proper use of me.
“Everything here is the weapons arsenal of our Meteor faction. We have permission to lend them to you for this expedition, so choose as you wish. Put the old and worn-out ones in the cleaning tool chest.”
Arthur took me to the Meteor faction’s weapons arsenal.
When they heard the absurd sound of their gum sticking to the window ledge, they decided to provide support for the sake of their own safety.
When asked what would happen if it broke or got lost, they lightly laughed and said not to worry because they would take care of it themselves.
Indeed, they were a promising newcomer from a large and influential school.
“Sir Arthur! Are you alright?”
“I heard you were tricked by the witches.”
“We are cooperating with the Intelligence Department to find the culprit. How dare they tarnish the honor of Meteor…!”
“Don’t be so jumpy. If that’s the kind of honor that will be lost, then it’s not worth picking up in the first place.”
Although he wasn’t a direct descendant of the Seven Sages, he had a strong position within the school as a descendant of a prestigious family.
As time passed, he became more composed, accepting the inevitable rumors with ease.
Holding five sparkling spears in his arms, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt towards him.
Even though she was the manager of the gallery, it was clear that her own power was too weak to uncover the wicked sorcerer.
“I’m sorry about this. There could have been a smoother way.”
“It’s alright. I received a good lesson from experiencing the curse firsthand. I can’t let my guard down just because I’m from the Haeju School. Anyway, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Sigh.
She couldn’t help but applaud his willingness to admit his mistakes.
Unlike someone who always left ice dispenser codes during class, the Meteor wizards all had excellent character.
They had just been overshadowed by their fiery spirit of struggle and had never truly appreciated their worth.
“Clark, by the way, I have one question to ask…”
“Yes?”
But as I silently praised him in my heart,
Arthur, who received a farewell from the servants, approached quietly and asked in a hushed voice,
“If I go to the Suin Bulletin Board… can I find more pictures like this?”
“….”