“There’s no need to overthink it. Anyway, most of the creatures that crawl out of the forest are just riff-raff.”
Walking next to me while dragging an absurdly large broadsword along the ground was Anne, who decided to strike up a conversation. As Emma had suggested yesterday, we were on our way to exterminate the monsters that had ventured out from the Forbidden Forest and were heading toward the city.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to just assign this task to adventurers? I hear they even give out subsidies for it.”
It wasn’t that I was too lazy to go—it was pure curiosity that made me ask. Emma, the head of the house, and her immediate family members, Anne and Ian, were participating in the extermination. With the head of the house on the move, it was only natural for knights to come along to guard her. Though not all the knights were present, several soldiers had joined the group, making the extermination team unexpectedly large.
Glancing over, I noticed Emma, the de facto leader of the extermination team, walking at the forefront without even mounting a horse. Unlike Anne, she had handed her oversized sword to Dylan and was walking leisurely.
“Of course, that’s true, but these kinds of low-popularity extermination requests tend not to attract much attention. The pay is decent, but compared to exploring ruins or labyrinths for artifacts, there’s little to gain here.”
“A one-hit wonder, you mean.”
At my words, Anne nodded in agreement.
“Precisely. Of course, adventurers who aren’t ready for labyrinths have no choice but to take on these sorts of extermination requests.”
Indeed, the level of the adventurers who had joined the extermination team wasn’t particularly impressive. While it was partly due to my high standards from meeting so many skilled individuals, even with that in mind, it was hard to find anything commendable about them.
“And we also need to make appearances occasionally so there aren’t any complaints. After all, the House of Kleyn is responsible for defending the city.”
How long had we been walking? Just as we’d distanced ourselves enough from the city, Emma and the knights stopped their advance at the edge of the forest.
“Alright, let’s set up camp here for now.”
At Emma’s command, adventurers and soldiers began bustling about. While essentially a forward base, there was no particular formality—the group simply lit a few bonfires and set up tents. Some of the adventurers didn’t even bother with tents, choosing instead to sit around the bonfires to rest. Considering the job wouldn’t take long, it seemed easier to just nap near the fire instead of the trouble of setting up tents.
“Oh, thank you.”
A tent was set up for Anne and me as well. Though we didn’t set it up ourselves, two soldiers kindly handled it for us. They were evidently skilled at pitching these small tents, quickly finishing the task with practiced ease.
Taking a quick peek inside, the tent was spacious enough for two people.
“Attention!”
Rather than Emma’s knights standing beside her, Ian stepped forward to capture everyone’s attention with his booming voice. Those farther away approached to better hear what he had to say.
After confirming he had everyone’s attention, Ian stepped back without saying a word. Then, Emma ascended a makeshift podium, ignoring the fact that her height was now nearly equal to Ian’s.
“Today, we’re planning to sweep away the Orc tribe settled at the entrance of the Border Forest, which is part of the periphery of the Forbidden Forest. According to reports, the Orc numbers are approximately over 50 but less than a hundred.”
This was likely a newly established tribe. In fact, calling it a tribe might even be excessive—it was probably more akin to a small village. There was certainly no Orc King, who commands tens of thousands of Orcs every few decades, and at best, there might be an Orc Shaman pretending to be a leader. Even then, considering they had been pushed out of the Forbidden Forest and into the Border Forest, it was possible they didn’t even have a shaman.
“Remember, you are all members of Valant. Be careful not to overexert yourselves. It’s more profitable for both you and us to survive, gain experience, move up, and kill more monsters, rather than dying pointlessly to show off. If you feel the situation is too dangerous, feel free to step back. Honestly, given our overwhelming forces against a mere few dozen Orcs, losing a few people won’t make much of a difference.”
Surprisingly, the adventurers were comfortable shouting back in reassurance at Emma, who seemed to frequently participate in these kinds of extermination missions.
“Don’t worry, Ma’am! There isn’t a single one of us here who hasn’t cut down an Orc!”
“Haha! Didn’t you get hit in the rump by a blind shot from an Orc last time? I remember you walked funny for a while!”
“Shut up!”
Knights, Emma, and adventurers alike appeared used to this kind of behavior, none attempting to rein it in. Whether from Emma’s personality or the geographical position of Valant, her attitude was unusually amicable toward the adventurers.
“In that case, since we’re all tired from walking, let’s eat for an hour and then set off immediately. Preferably, we’d rather not spend the night out here—let’s aim to head back before dark and enjoy a mug of beer each.”
At the mention of beer, the adventurers shouted happily and began chatting animatedly.
“Alright, dismiss!”
With Emma’s command, the adventurers and soldiers grouped up and began preparing their meals. Anne and I moved toward Emma.
“Please wait a moment. Your meal will soon be ready.”
A soldier nearby was preparing our meal separately, showing the true taste of power.
“Anne. You go with Ian. I’ll take Miss Alicia along for a while.”
“EH? Mo-… Ahh!”
“In formal settings, you should call me ‘Mother,’ not ‘Mom.’ Honestly, who are you taking after to be so…?”
“Of course it’s obviously—Ow! I didn’t say anything!”
Anne, who was reprimanded with a slap, tried to say something but received another one from Emma.
“…Yes, Mother.”
Even under the intense gaze of Emma, she managed to correct herself, though shyly.
“Anyway, who would call someone a fool?”
“Shut up! I can say anything to my sister!”
In the middle of Anne’s argument with Ian, a few soldiers came forward carrying quite decent-looking food. It seemed to be preserved by magic.
Looking over at the simple rations or starchy stews being consumed by the other adventurers and soldiers, it reinforced the feeling—this is the taste of power.
Swish!
I cleanly sliced through an Orc armed with nothing more than a club, not even a stone axe. Glancing around during a brief respite, no one appeared to be struggling against the Orcs.
Anne effortlessly split an Orc in half with a massive broadsword, and Ian was cutting down Orcs with a bastard sword wrapped in a grayish aura.
Even the weakest soldiers were forming groups to efficiently handle the Orcs.
And beside me was Emma, who hadn’t moved a finger, simply watching me swing my sword. The greatsword she had entrusted to Dylan was now in her hands.
“Your movements are better than I thought. Truly, a sword should be like this. The ramblings of those who call themselves Sword Masters are just stuck in their old ways…”
Emma’s calm criticism of Sword Masters seemed all too natural.
Rather than participating in useless gossip about Emma, I focused on slicing down an additional Orc.
“Indeed, this is the kind of sword Anne would enjoy.”
Come to think of it, she first approached me after watching me practice with my sword. While Anne’s generally sociable nature means she probably would have talked to me anyway, we wouldn’t have become this close without that.
“Oh, a shaman. I don’t see any other high-ranking Orcs around, so he’s likely the leader.”
After informing Emma, I immediately dashed toward the Orc Shaman. While his magic wouldn’t pose much of a threat to me, it was better to be cautious and not give him any openings.
The Orc Shaman seemed to notice my approach, hastily trying to cast a spell. Just as I was about to swing my sword, the Shaman completed his incantation and stretched out his hand. But it was already too late—I had already begun my swing.
“Wait!”
Just as my sword cut through the Orc Shaman, Emma suddenly grabbed the back of my neck, shouting from behind me.
However, my sword had already sliced through the Orc Shaman from shoulder to hip, severing the pendant hanging around his neck and splitting his torso into two.
And at that moment, the light emitted from the broken pendant enveloped both Emma and me.
Flash!
Bright light filled the vision of Anne, who had been cutting down Orcs, Ian, and everyone else.
Anne kicked aside the Orc she’d just felled and surveyed the surroundings. The battle appeared to be nearing its end, with the adventurers finishing off the remaining Orcs.
But Emma and Alicia were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, an entrance to a labyrinth had appeared where Alicia had been standing just moments earlier.
Rushing to the last known location of Alicia, Anne soon noticed a peculiar pendant, split into two on the ground.
Although not widely known throughout the continent, adventurers in the area wouldn’t fail to recognize this pendant.
Whether created by the labyrinth itself or by creatures that use it as a hiding place, breaking the pendant triggered a transfer to the deeper part of the associated labyrinth. Occasionally, intelligent monsters used it as an escape tool.
But while it might be a valuable artifact to save a monster’s life, to humans, it was practically a cursed item, potentially leading to abduction into a labyrinth.
The sudden appearance of the labyrinth entrance, the broken pendant on the ground, and the disappearance of Emma and Alicia painted a clear picture for Anne. She also knew exactly what needed to be done next.
“Gather!”
Confirming that all the Orcs had been defeated, Anne called out loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. Knights, soldiers, and even chattering adventurers quickly gathered in front of her.
“I command you, in the absence of the head of the house. Ian.”
“Yes!”
At the mention of being acting head, Ian’s expression changed immediately as he bowed to await Anne’s next order—an unfamiliar sight considering their usual casual banter.
“Return immediately and gather a support team of adventurers familiar with labyrinths to replace the current knight team. Set the request difficulty and reward to the highest, at any cost. We’re short on time, so return promptly—by tomorrow morning at the latest.”
“Understood, Ma’am.”
Following Anne’s orders, Ian organized the adventurers and left, their usual light-hearted demeanor replaced with serious determination as they followed him.
Pointing to one of the knights lining up, Anne issued her next command.
“Establish this location as a forward base immediately. Prepare it to accommodate at least five times the current number of people.”
Following her orders, the knight began directing the soldiers. Some retrieved the camp setup from before, while others cleared the land by removing the Orc corpses.
“Have some soldiers keep watch for approaching monsters in this area.”
After directing the knights, only Dylan remained by Anne’s side. Normally, he would have been stationed by Emma, but with her disappearance, Anne was now the acting head of the house.
“I’m going into the labyrinth now. You remain here until Ian returns, and then you can commence the labyrinth assault.”
Without waiting for Dylan’s reply, Anne turned to enter the labyrinth promptly. But Dylan stepped in her way.
“I’m sorry, milady, but it’s too dangerous to enter the labyrinth alone, even if it’s you.”
“Do you really think a mere monster can harm a Kleyn?”
A fiery aura erupted from Anne’s clutched broadsword, dancing like flames and seeking prey with a ferocious intensity.
The House of Kleyn didn’t guard the Forbidden Forest and the city for nothing. Even low-tier demons and monsters were naught but weak beings in the presence of true Kleyn blood. Unless it were the actual Demon Realm or the Forbidden Forest, nothing in a labyrinth could harm Anne Kleyn.
“You mustn’t underestimate the labyrinth, Lady Anne. Trust in Lady Emma for now.”
The labyrinth, however, was different. Being essentially an unknowable living entity, it wasn’t to be taken lightly.
Of course, Anne was aware of this. She just couldn’t accept the reality of having to do nothing but wait.
“…By noon tomorrow, at the latest. If Lord Ian isn’t back by then, I’ll force my way in, sword against you if I must.”
That was Anne’s final compromise. She planted her enormous broadsword in the ground in front of the labyrinth entrance and leaned against it to sit.
Dylan remained at her side, unfazed by her proclamation, simply continuing to guard her.
With the labyrinth before her, Anne focused on calming her raging aura, threatening to explode at any moment.
It was frustrating, but for now, she just had to wait silently.
