Despite Magica’s sloppy attire, the inside of her house was surprisingly tidy. Numerous documents and magical devices were neatly organized, and variously sized puppets were moving about, working calmly.
“There are so many puppets, aren’t there?”
“Seeing puppets in the city instead of a Labyrinth feels really weird.”
Ur, a bit nervous, remarked, making Magica turn around.
“It’s the other way around. Labyrinth puppets are imitations of human-made ones.”
“Is that so?”
According to her, the origin of puppets was not the Labyrinth, but humans trying to create monsters that moved according to their will. However, the Labyrinth mimicked these puppets, creating various types that began attacking adventurers.
“As a result, the puppets that were originally working in the city started attacking humans, right? A lot of people got scared and abandoned them. But if the command spell had been properly engraved, they wouldn’t have attacked, would they?”
“Interesting…”
“If the scripts break, they can get a bit violent, but that’s rare.”
She almost said something alarming but seemed to reconsider. While they talked, they reached the living room.
“Please, come in.”
“…”
“…”
Magica smiled as if welcoming them, but Ur and Shizuku were silent.
And for good reason. In the center of what seemed to be the living room, there was a huge, mysterious hole.
“What is this…?”
“It’s a Labyrinth entrance.”
“In your house…?”
Ur looked at Magica, who folded her arms and exaggeratedly looked away.
“I was researching a new type of magical core, and I discovered that using a Labyrinth’s true core gem as a magical core creates something amazing!”
“And?”
“It went out of control and turned the house’s basement into a Labyrinth.”
“Are you insane?”
Ur blurted out. This woman’s mind was even more unhinged than he had imagined.
“If the knights find out, won’t this cause a huge uproar?”
A Labyrinth appearing within the city would cause panic. The knights protecting the nation would be furious and might even confiscate the land.
“Yeah, it would be a big problem if they found out. I’d be kicked out.”
“So…” Magica stared at them intently.
“I wonder if there are adventurers who can quietly clear it without involving the guild and retrieve the magical core.”
“…I see.”
Ur got the gist of what she was implying.
“Just to confirm, you’re not going to clear it yourself? You’re a powerful mage, right?”
“It’s too much trouble.”
“I see.”
It seemed the Labyrinth wasn’t beyond the capabilities of a Silver Rank mage. In that case…
“If there’s a reward, we might be able to clear it.”
“Hmm? What do you want, newbie adventurers?”
“The repair of this Dragon Fang Spear.”
“Hmm, wow, it’s really messed up. But yeah, I can fix it.”
“And…”
Shizuku raised her voice as Magica scrutinized the spear.
“I’ve heard that you’re an expert on puppets and golem.”
“Hmm, well, I suppose so.”
“If possible, could you share detailed information about puppets with us?”
An additional reward condition. Ur worried for a moment, but Magica didn’t reject it. Instead…
“…Oh? I see.”
With a knowing look on her face, she grinned slyly and finally shrugged her shoulders.
“If you kind adventurers can get the job done, maybe the kind mage can grant your wish… like taking down that bounty target causing havoc in the upper levels right now?”
Magica spoke as if she could see right through them. The decision was made.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
Mission Issued
[Conquer the Labyrinth – Break through Magica-Grace’s Underground golem Weapon Test Area]
Labyrinth: Magica-Grace Residence Basement
- Total Floors: Two
- Monsters: Earth Golems
- Only earth golems created by Magica have been confirmed.
- No production function of the magic core, which has become the nucleus of the Labyrinth, has been confirmed at this time.
- It appears the “anti-human” command from the true core magic stone adversely affected the golems’ command structure, causing them to turn into monsters due to their abnormal activation.
“Well then,”
Ur muttered as he descended the stairs into the underground space, reviewing the Labyrinth information provided by Magica. The Labyrinth wasn’t very large; it seemed to be just the basement of Magica’s home that had turned into a Labyrinth.
“Only experimental and security golems, huh…”
“If that’s the case, we might be able to handle it,”
Shizuku said with a smile.
“They were quite cute, after all.”
“You liked them, didn’t you?”
“Yes,”
Shizuku nodded with a smile. She seemed to have taken a liking to them. Indeed, compared to the terrifying gem golems that stood about ten meters tall, Magica’s earth golems were small, just over a meter, and had a somewhat charmingly deformed face.
“Well, it’d be nice if those monsterized golems were that cute too.”
“Let’s hope they are.”
“Alright, let’s get this over with quickly.”
Before the knights noticed this abnormality and barged in. As Ur thought this, Shizuku looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Are you a bit more motivated than usual?”
“Huh? …Oh, well, maybe a bit.”
Ur realized he was indeed a bit more motivated than usual.
“Well, it’s just that having a home and being kicked out of it would be sad, right?”
Ur was a “nameless” wanderer who didn’t even have the right to stay in the city unless he paid.
He grew up without knowing a place to call home, and he accepted that as natural. But he also longed for it. Having a place of his own seemed very important, and having it taken away unilaterally felt unfair.
“Well, that’s just what I think. From Magica’s perspective, we’re just convenient helpers.”
“No, Ur-sama,”
“Yes? “
Shizuku stopped and shook her head, denying Ur’s self-deprecating remark.
“Your concern for Magica-sama is wonderful.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“No,”
she said firmly, which was rare for her.
“Being able to respect others even in a dire situation is a virtue of yours, Ur-sama.”
“Thanks for the praise, but that’s thanks to my foster parent.”
“Foster parent?”
“Yeah, when I was little, I was taken care of in an orphanage for a while. The old man there was strict.”
That old man taught Ur the knowledge to live, proper morals, and how to deal with his “sister’s problems.” Ur hadn’t seen him for years, but wondered if he was still alive. With those thoughts, Ur began descending the stairs again.
“He taught me common sense and morals, so if I have any virtues, it’s thanks to him.”
As he spoke, they reached the end of the stairs and arrived in the basement.
The stairs were unexpectedly long. Considering it was a place for weapon experiments, it seemed they had dug deep to prevent any leaks.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Ur gripped his spear, and Shizuku readied her staff. Currently, Shizuku was using the “Azure Crystal Staff” bought from the Golden Hammer. It was a convenient staff with an azure crystal that could store and use a spell once, making this exploration a test run for it.
“This might end quickly, though.”
After all, even if the owner was unique, it was just the basement of a house that had turned into a Labyrinth. The basement was large but didn’t seem to endlessly expand like the grand labyrinths of Greed.
“Indeed, if we’re lucky, it might end easily.”
“Yeah.”
They laughed and stepped into the underground Labyrinth.
A few minutes later.
“Why is this happening?!”
“This is bad!”
Ur and Shizuku were in trouble. Specifically,
[ooooo…!!]
They were being chased by heat rays emitted from the golems lined up in formation.
“What does she mean by ‘slightly adjusted for combat’?!”
“It’s more than slight!”
Yes, it was more than slight. The golems were blocking the corridor, opening their mouths to unleash heat rays, which was far from slight.
“Now I get why she didn’t want to deal with this herself! Damn it!”
[ooooo…!]
“They’re coming!”
As they ran through the corridor, another golem chased after them. Unlike the others, it moved like a beast, closing the distance with frightening speed.
“A close-combat type too?!”
[oooo…]
Ur turned and struck with his spear. Fortunately, the golems weren’t as hard as the gem golems. Each blow shattered the earth golems, sending them crashing to the ground.
The key to a golem’s core is the magic core. Unless it’s destroyed, the golem will continue to function regardless of the damage.
Remembering Glenn’s teachings about monsters’ weak points, Ur knew the core locations of Magica’s golems.
“The abdomen!”
Without hesitation, he struck the struggling golem in the abdomen with his spear. The golem immediately stopped moving, indicating that the core had been destroyed.
“Ur-sama, hurry!”
While Ur held off the golems, Shizuku had been protecting him with a barrier. He nodded at her words and rushed towards the magic core. Their goal wasn’t to eliminate the golems but to retrieve the magic core that had turned them into monsters.
“The core is ahead!”
The goal is in this basement turned into a labyrinth and retrieve the magical nucleus that has driven the dolls and golems mad. Once that function is stopped, this labyrinth phenomenon will be settled for the time being.
Is that it? “
Their target, the magic core, was floating on a strange circular pedestal in the center of the second basement. It was adorned with geometric patterns, a beautiful artifact that Magica had repurposed.
But there was no time to admire its beauty.
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