Chapter 61: Sealing
"Come with me, old men."
"O-Old men!"
It's annoying how they're being dismissive of my Curryna, my Cecily, and my Beth...
I lead the arrogant inspection officers, Meiger and his team, to the shore of the underground lake, deliberately reciting incantation-like phrases such as "Come forth, mighty clay vessel!" to summon a ceramic boat.
Suddenly, a ceramic boat appears, leaving the three of them speechless.
"You saw my skill earlier, right? This is my 'Clay Play.'"
The party members quickly get on board, used to such things.
"I've never seen a skill like this before..."
The Level 19 adventurer mumbles.
"Now, let me ask you, what kind of skill is 'Doll Play'? Tell me honestly."
Meiger asks with an air of arrogance, so I take Lina out of the leather bag and lift her up high enough to be visible.
An expressionless doll recites lines.
"You can do that, but do you want to play more? Sir Knight."
"You fool, enough of this nonsense! What is that... Hmph, it seems they happened to possess a skill suitable for crossing water, those lucky bastards..."
"Monsters are still emanating from the source. 'Great Thunder!'"
In response to the sense of monsters in the lake, Noian, the Level 18 mage, releases a more powerful lightning strike than Beth's magic, coolly striking down.
Jellyfish and small fish float up again.
"Lord Meiger, it might be wise to purify the lake water."
"Yes, indeed. 'Great Purification!'"
Meiger seems to remember his duty and recites a spell.
Similar to Beth's purification, but it seems to have a wider range. As the entire lake water sparkles, the lingering miasma slowly dissipates, and the water the ship glides on loses its stickiness and feels like true water.
Their levels are higher, and their abilities are considerable, despite their personalities.
Crossing the lake, we arrive at the site where the barrier and the labyrinth worm used to be.
My clay and Beth's earth magic solidify the walls and ceiling, so the worm's emitted light is absent, leaving everything pitch-black.
Beth lights a small lamp for illumination, but Meiger instructs Noian to shine light in sequence to inspect.
"Hmm, this size, residual magic, and Level 20 are not exaggerations..."
Muttering this, Meiger chants "Great Purification" again, then starts a longer incantation.
"...Seal the source of magic here, bring forth peace. 'Seal!'"
With hands outstretched towards where the labyrinth worm's head used to be, or rather, somewhere even deeper underground, something changes in gravity, a feeling of pressure fills the air, and after a while, it disappears.
Along with that, the constant low hum that seemed to flow throughout the labyrinth vanishes suddenly, as if it had been silenced.
"With this, monsters will no longer endlessly spawn. I declare that the source of this labyrinth has been sealed!"
Meiger's words aren't the end of it.
"Karina Folo Orbania, do you understand why the labyrinth worm creates labyrinths? Do you truly comprehend its true purpose?"
"Huh? I-I don't."
Karina hangs her head.
"As I thought. The labyrinth worm hatches from eggs and grows in places where the underground 'Dragon Vein,' the source of magic, flows. The ground beneath it is impregnated with magic. The worm, in its search, dives deep underground, effectively digesting it. This transforms the magic into a more usable form of energy for other creatures. At least that's what the kingdom's scholars claim."
Dragon Vein, huh? Is it really real?
"Leaving this unchecked, if the worm were to reach the Dragon Vein, an enormous amount of magic would overflow onto the surface. Not only monsters, but even great demons and archfiends might manifest. That's why the lords who govern parts of the kingdom, entrusted by the king with some territory, have a grave responsibility to prevent this."
Meiger speaks solemnly, and Delacius, one of the adventurers, seems to want to ask something, but Meiger hushes him with a quiet "Not yet."
There's nothing more to discuss here, so we think about leaving using Beth's "Return" and Noiar's "Translocation."
However, Meiger suggests that he wants to confirm something, perhaps on the way back, and says he'd like to return across the lake on the boat.
At that moment, I felt like I finally understood something about the missing piece. And I quietly spoke to Beth, who was handling the lighting behind me.
Returning across the lake on a ceramic ship and walking towards the ladder to the fourth floor, Maiger called out to Kalena.
"Indeed, I cannot acknowledge that you have personally accomplished the subjugation of this labyrinth. Do you not have the intention to admit that you requested the assistance of others?"
Kalena and everyone else were left speechless. Are they really saying this at this point?
However, Maiger was confident.
"It was your party that happened to possess the skill to cross the lake. You did not actually perform the subjugation, correct?"
"What evidence do you have to repeatedly make such impudent accusations?"
"The evidence is this sword."
Maiger pointed at me.
"Retrieve the silver sword from your item box."
What's going on?
I took out three silver swords I had borrowed from Gen-san. From Gen-san... I see!
"I recognize the pattern engraved on the hilt of that sword. It belongs to the private army of the notorious miser and free knight, Lord Gents. Indeed, his headquarters should not be far from here in Suctari. If he created a private army fueled by gold, subduing this labyrinth would have been easy."
Maiger declared as if he had won a victory.
"Are you ready? Nobles may request mercenary groups or other forces to undertake labyrinth subjugation, but in such cases, it is customary to report it to the capital. Originally, as noble lords, it is your responsibility to protect the royal land from the invasion of evil and bring peace to the people. However, by demonstrating only your administrative capabilities and entrusting the use of force to others, you have acted in this manner. Especially in the case of your family, demonstrating your strength within the given time frame was expected."
"I, I am well aware of such matters. What are you saying about that sword? I merely borrowed these weapons from Lord Gents. Nothing more. I have not borrowed any of his troops."
"You are lying. Everyone knows the extent of that man's greed. Would he engage in such a fruitless endeavor? He sought substantial rewards and motivated Gents to mobilize his own forces."
"What exactly do you mean by substantial rewards? What are you trying to say?"
Both Maiger and Kalena were now engaged in an open confrontation. And Maiger's next words decisively shattered the relationship.
"I see, I won't directly say that it will tarnish the lady's reputation, but I suppose it's a matter of compassion... If you were to exercise restraint... very well. A denunciation has been made by a noble with considerable influence. There is evidence that Lord Gents has been fixated on Kalena-sama for some time, that he has taken Kalena-sama as his mistress, and by doing so, he seeks to claim Suctari and its surrounding lands as his own. It has been reported that Kalena-sama sent an envoy, offering her chastity to Lord Gents and seeking his protection, and there are witnesses to this envoy's appearance!"
Oh, what an idiot...
"Don't, don't make fun of me! Rather than becoming that disgusting pervert's woman! I'd rather die!!"
A silence fell over the scene.
"Um, Mr. Maiger, I'm pretty sure that's not true..."
I'll have to speak up since I'm socially awkward.
"Gen-san, it's about Lord Gents, but doesn't he have a genuine liking for lolis, like, he's into young girls? So, he wouldn't be interested in someone like Princess Kalena, with her ample... assets, I mean, a well-endowed woman, right? I heard him say it clearly that he doesn't have that interest... and about that 'envoy,' I heard it with my own ears."
A heavier silence followed.
Huh? Kalena-san, why are you looking at me with such resentment? I thought I was on the princess's side...
"What's the matter with you people!"
Maiger shouted in anger.
"Behaving so disrespectfully without acknowledging your status! Moreover, by admitting to falsehoods, you are only avoiding the charge of false declaration."
This guy is hopeless. He's entirely taking the word of some noble's slander.
"Very well, I'll give you one last chance."
Maiger took a deep breath and looked at all of us.
"If you insist on claiming that you defeated this labyrinth through your own power, then prove your strength to us."
And once again, he turned to Kalena.
"A mock battle. If you can defeat our party, we will acknowledge your claim."