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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower Genius Descends the Labyrinth
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Sizzle.
A pan, securely fastened with a few twigs over a small campfire, was heating up nicely in the flames' heat.
Cherentia stared intently at the jerky cooking on the pan.
"..."
She kept swallowing hard, yet this moment felt strangely novel to her.
It didn't take much effort to prepare.
Yet eating food like this made it taste so entirely different.
Even after several days of camping, mealtimes had changed dramatically from before.
Then, her gaze suddenly drifted straight ahead.
There was Sylbian, lost in thought, his expression heavy with contemplation.
Even in the deep night, his eyes, sunken deep beneath his stark white hair, looked quite different from usual.
"Sylbian?"
"Yeah. What?"
"Are you troubled by something?"
Clink.
Cherentia flipped the jerky on the pan once and asked.
"Troubled... yeah, if it's trouble, then it's trouble."
"If it's something you can share, I can at least listen. The tribe elders always said sharing your heart is key."
In the brief pause of his reply, Cherentia scooped some jerky onto a simple plate.
Then she cracked an egg and spread it wide across the pan.
Splat.
Afterward, she stared fixedly at the food cooking on the pan.
Propping her chin with both hands, Cherentia smacked her lips and glanced at Sylbian.
"..."
Was his worry that deep?
His even more sunken expression caught her eye.
Then, as if he'd made a decision, their gazes met just in time.
"You're right. Your words make sense. Maybe it's better to speak it out instead of bottling it up."
"Feel free to speak your mind."
It was the moment Cherentia casually replied and gently served the food.
"The recent monster attacks might be my fault."
Thud.
Cherentia, who had plated the perfectly browned food, nodded lightly.
"I see. Got it."
"...That's your only response?"
Cherentia divided the food onto two plates. Unbeknownst to her, her portion was larger.
"What kind of response do you want?"
"No, I mean, monsters are a seriously dangerous issue."
Sylbian gave an awkward smile.
Yet Cherentia remained composed. She handed him a plate and said calmly,
"Food first."
"...Yeah, thanks."
Sylbian, receiving the plate, looked at her with an indescribable gaze.
Her perked-up ears, and the serious look in her eyes as she eyed her portion.
Above all, her tail swaying gently back and forth only complicated his feelings.
'Isn't this a big deal worth thinking over?'
Am I the only one worrying like this?
Cherentia seemed utterly unfazed, making him—the one who'd agonized over monsters all night—feel foolish.
Chomp!
Cherentia, taking a bite of her food, suddenly looked up.
"...Why are you staring like that?"
As she chewed the jerky with a squish, Sylbian blankly shook his head.
"Nothing. It's nothing."
If she said she was fine, it was odd for him to keep pressing.
Besides, even if she seemed lighthearted now,
He knew her inner thoughts weren't simple or shallow.
So she must have fully grasped the situation.
'She's probably okay with it.'
Sylbian decided to take it lightly too.
Even if monsters came,
They just had to beat them—that was it.
With that conclusion, the hollow, heavy weight in his chest lifted in an instant.
"Tastes especially good today."
"It does. Grilled jerky is particularly delicious. Especially if you cook it without burning... "
Sylbian half-listened to Cherentia's food commentary while observing her.
Distinct wolf ears peeking through her black bobbed hair.
Pumpkin-orange eyes sharply slanted, and a long, glossy black tail.
She truly seemed unbothered.
It wasn't that she was brushing off his words lightly.
She genuinely didn't seem to care.
'Deeper thinker than I expected.'
Finding a companion like her again would be incredibly tough.
So he planned to accommodate her as much as he could.
Slide.
He gently transferred a large chunk of jerky from his plate to hers.
"Sylbian!"
Cherentia widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked at him.
"Just... I don't eat much in the morning anyway."
"I see! I'll factor that in when we share food from now on!"
Her reaction, so starkly different from the monster talk, drew an involuntary laugh from Sylbian.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
-Adventurers.
There were countless adventurers in the world.
Thus, every major city had its own adventurer's guild.
They were assigned ranks befitting their individual skills and took on requests based on their own interests.
This led some to view adventurer guilds as distinct military organizations, separate from mercenary guilds.
"Haaah..."
"Hey, yawning like that, your mouth's gonna rip. Close that filthy trap."
"Hahaha! It's too early to head into Soren Cave, right Sera! Make him understand!"
Composed of all sorts of characters, they were a famed adventurer party from Soren City.
Haksen party.
They were heading toward Soren Cave on a single commission.
Leader Haksen was a Silver Grade adventurer.
His comrades were seasoned enough that no one saw much difference in their skills.
"So, Haksen. What exactly is the monster in this extermination request?"
"From what I heard, a few gremlins stirring up sorcery. So we need to be extra careful."
"Gremlins... Last time I saw them, they were the ugliest damn monsters out there."
The yawning man grimaced in disgust.
Sera, beside him, let out a short scoff.
"Still better than your mug."
"Sera! I'm way better than a gremlin! Look at this handsome face—how could you say that..."
As they bantered lively en route to the cave, party leader Haksen quietly narrowed his eyes.
This commission felt off somehow.
It was an indescribable hunch, nothing he could put into words.
Just instinct.
Finally reaching the Soren Cave entrance, Haksen and the group halted.
"..."
Haksen silently examined the faint bloodstains scattered on the ground.
The others, as if forgetting their jokes, scanned the entrance and surroundings.
"Haksen, there's a faint trace of mana, right?"
Sera asked cautiously, unsure.
"There is, but it feels off for sorcery. Let's set up camp and watch for anything coming out of the cave."
"Yes, sir. Preparing now."
Haksen party set up camp near Soren Cave and waited through the night.
Thus, they couldn't have foreseen it.
They hadn't entered Soren Cave.
Let alone their camp, distanced from the cave.
"Hee hee...!"
Soon, monster cries spread one by one from the thick darkness, then echoed from all sides.
Too late, Haksen sensed the malice and stepped out of camp.
He could only gape in shock.
"What the hell..."
Even he, a Silver Grade adventurer, had only just noticed the countless presences.
And he could see them.
Statures not even half that of an average adult.
But with demonic visages, the monsters stood plainly before them.
Over twenty of them encircled the camp.
"Everyone, get up...!"
The moment Haksen urgently opened his mouth to shout—
Grab!
A stealthy tiny presence he hadn't detected covered his face in an instant.
Crunch!
"Kreek...!"
The grotesque monster twisting Haksen's neck let out a chillingly low laugh.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Haa..."
Sylbian, climbing the rugged mountain, took a deep breath.
His vision blurred even as he exhaled roughly.
Soren, the major city, was almost in sight.
Cross this Soren Mountain, and Soren was right around the corner.
'Even maintaining Hesente can't fully erase physical fatigue.'
Magic was temporary.
No matter how long he sustained body-enhancement spells, it didn't make it his normal state.
"Sylbian, how about a short break?"
At the calm voice, he turned his head blankly.
There stood Cherentia, climbing with a large pack, not a drop of sweat on her.
It hit him anew just how monstrous her stamina was.
"...But Soren isn't far."
"No need to rush with forced marches. Descending is trickier than ascending, after all."
At her firm tone, Sylbian pondered briefly and nodded.
"Got it. Let's rest a bit."
"Good call."
Thud!
Sitting on a nearby rock, Sylbian wiped his dripping sweat.
He stared at his hands.
His trembling hands signaled his body had reached its limit.
'Gotta train my body from now on.'
Stamina would be essential for delving into labyrinths later.
If he hit limits like this then, it'd derail the schedule.
Not quite her monstrous level, but...
Rustle.
"I think this Hesente spell is pretty impressive."
At the voice beside him, Sylbian turned blankly.
"Yeah...?"
"I didn't expect you'd keep up this well. Do other mages handle Hesente like you?"
To her casual question, Sylbian gently shook his head.
"Hesente's relatively basic, but few mages use it as extensively as I do."
Mages had an odd disinterest in enhancing physical prowess, above all.
"I see. Sylbian really is amazing."
At the fresh praise, Sylbian looked at her incredulously.
"To me, your physical abilities seem more impressive."
"I'm the daughter of the Fern Tribe's second elder—it's only natural!"
Her confident reply drew a sudden chuckle from him.
How long did they rest after that?
Whoosh...
A cool breeze blew, gently tousling their hair of contrasting colors.
"...!"
In that instant, Cherentia's face hardened completely.
Her ears shot straight up, and her pumpkin-orange eyes sank deep.
Whip!
She whipped her head toward the distance.
"Sylbian. Seems there's something in these mountains."
"...Something? A monster?"
Sylbian sensed nothing.
It was the scent of blood only she could detect.
"Not ordinary monsters—likely cursed ones."
The distance was considerable.
Yet the thick blood stench carried on the wind was overwhelmingly pungent.
No mere few people's blood.
At least a dozen must have died for such an intense scent to ride the breeze.
And that.
'Only if the corpses were brutally mutilated would the blood spread like this.'