「Looks fine to me.」
「Eh? Ehhh?! Ehhhhhh?! This is… the Labyrinth?!」
Roxanne seemed to be more than a little confused. But once she had a good, long look around and realized that we were indeed in the Labyrinth she immediately calmed down and returned to her usual, stoic expression. I would even go as far as to say that she's gotten unexpectedly serious and just a little bit scary, just like when we were talking about going to the Labyrinth back at the inn.
「Yup. This it the first floor of the newly-discovered Labyrinth just outside of Veil.」
「But Dungeon Walker should only be usable inside of the Labyrinth. If it was Field Walker then you would probably be able to use it from inside the city, but then it shouldn't be possible to enter the Labyrinth directly with it.」
I see. Well, that was something that I was already aware of, but now I at least got confirmation of my suspicions. So if you use Field Walker, you would be able to go near the Labyrinth, but not inside of the Labyrinth itself. It also checks itself out with what I saw during my first expedition here: that one Party of Adventurers that materialized that black portal wall on a tree near the entrance before they proceeded inside.
「So that's how it was.」
「But master is an Explorer, so you shouldn't be able to use Field Walker at all!」
It's natural for her to think like that, since Explorer was the First Job I had written on my Intelligence Card when she saw it back at the Slave Merchant's shop.
「You're half right, but also half wrong. That was not Field Walker just now. It was a type of Movement Magic called Warp.」
「Warp? I have never heard of such magic.」
So I guess that Bonus Spells are not all that well known here.
「It is a spell that only a few people beside me can use, so I would be grateful if you could keep it a secret for now, alright?」
「Y-Yes, of course!」
「Good to hear it.」
It's great that she agreed to keep this matter under wraps without any additional convincing.
「You're amazing, master.」
Wow, she's certainly not one to mince her words, huh? But it's great that she understands it, and yet she's still being respectful and kind towards me.
「You think so? Nah, you're giving me way too much credit.」
I gotta say though, being praised so much by a cutie like her is not a bad feeling at all.
I took a Leather Helm out of the Item Box and placed it on Roxanne's head, staring into her beautiful, glittering eyes. The only downside was that the helmet covered her head completely, hiding the cute doggy ears from view. It seemed like a huge waste to me, but I guess in Labyrinth safety should always come first above all else. That said, I also wore a Leather Helmet myself.
「Uhm, was the thing you took the helmets out of an Item Box, or perhaps something different? Because the way you used was a little strange.」
「No, this is just an ordinary Item Box, nothing else to it.」
「Ah, I see?」
Roxanne tilted her head to the side as if she was contemplating something. I always thought that this was just an ordinary Item Box, but maybe it was really something different entirely?
Next I took out the Leather Mittens and gave them to her along with a Wooden Shield. As for myself, I wore the Leather Gloves, took out my Durandal and that was the end of my preparations. I could see that Roxanne was eyeing Durandal quite intensely, but she wasn't saying anything. Was she staying quiet because she didn't want to say something that I as her master might have taken for an insult? In that case, let's make it a little easier for her.
「By the way, take a look at my sword. What do you think about it?」
「It a wonderful weapon. And beautifully crafted at that.」
She sure is quick to comment on such things.
「Say, Roxanne? Have you ever been to a Labyrinth before?」
「Yes, but only about three times.」
「Are all the Labyrinths like this one here?」
Since she already has some experiences with Labyrinths, might as well take advantage of that and get as much information about them as I possibly can. Although, maybe I should limit myself to asking about specific things that might be the most important for us right now, in this very moment in order not to be too hard on her with all that 「please teach me!」 stuff.
「Yes, they are, but that is something that you might have already know this since you are an Explorer, master.」
「No, it's okay. When it comes to the Labyrinths, I haven't been to that many of them myself.」
「Is that so?」
Okay, so maybe she will have to tell me everything she knows after all.
「Uhm, so… monsters are not going to attack us in this room out of the blue, right?」
「That's right. Monsters do not appear in small rooms that can be moved to by using Dungeon Walker, but I have no idea if master's magic is going to follow the same rules.」
「I think we will be fine. This is the entrance to the Labyrinth's first floor, after all.」
I pointed to the black wall behind us. Right now it serves as both the passageway to the entrance and the way to the other floors.
「Yes, it would certainly seem so.」
「Alright. Now that we're here, let's try going a little further in.」
「Yes, leave everything to me, master!」
「Ah, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but the monsters on this floor all die in a single hit, so you don't have to be so nervous and keep your guard up all the time.」
「A single… blow?」
Yup, a single blow, baby (Durandal's single blow that is.).
「Well then, let's go!」
「Uhm, before we go any further, I would like to borrow a Magic Crystal from you, if it is not a problem of course.」
Roxanne stopped me before we even got out of the small entrance room.
「Eh? What?」
「A Magic Crystal.」
「Magic Crystal?」
「Yes, a Magic Crystal.」
Roxanne nodded her head silently.
「It is a crystal made from the magical power that is stored in the bodies of monsters. If you possess one, then the magic will slowly transfer to it upon the monster's defeat. Magic Crystals that have enough magical energy stored inside them can be used as the energy sources for various establishments, like Guilds, temples and the like.」
「Can't I just hold onto it instead?」
「If you do not have the Magic Crystal on you while defeating monsters, then their magical power won't be accumulated in it.」
Seemed kinda far-fetched to me, but it won't make me any difference since I don't even have such an item on me right now.
「In other words, if you have that Magic Crystal on you, it will continue to gather the energy from defeated monsters each time you slay one, correct?」
「Yes, that is exactly right.」
「While we're on the subject, do they sell for a high price?」
「I believe they are the most wanted item from the Labyrinths, so that makes them quite valuable.」
Say what?! Now I just feel like I've been robbed! And also:
Have I been a huge fucking dumbass this entire time?! I was, wasn't I?