Chapter 149

Chapter 149 \n“I’m sorry for having kept you waiting, Shaft-san.” \n

The one who came in from the other room was Valvara-san, the Deputy Guild Master. She had brought a large bag with a bundle of documents in hand. 

“No problem, I haven’t waited that long.” 

“Thank you. Before giving you the special reward, might I ask some questions about the subjugation?”

“Of course, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you. Then—”

The question from Valvara-san was simple. Beginning with the confirmation of the start date and exploration time, it switched to questions about the guard on the 25th floor, then the Labyrinth  master, the innermost room, and where was the core placed. While the questions seemed okay, I was curious about the questions that were casually inserted.

“— No, I remember it was just a straight road, but it wasn’t the same for the knights after that?”

“When the labyrinth dies, the space between the thrones and the pedestal room begins to disappear. So only the subjugation party can investigate the bottom floor.”

“I see.”

I answered the questions as accurately as possible while obviously concealing my powers… However, I clearly lied for her last question. In the innermost part of the labyrinth, between the throne and the pedestal rooms, it wasn’t just a passage. There had been four living quarters mapped out. I wondered what it meant? He… That werewolf had lived there, hungry, despaired and suffering. \n

He’d gone mad.

You could see the shadow of the human in him. A former human from my world set at the very bottom. Then there was me who’d been accepted by this world as someone had broken my chain. 

However, I could vaguely see the relationship between the humans of my old world and this world…. However, I could not confirm it… Maybe it had been my imagination…

***Kay: Please don’t ask, I had a stroke just trying to decipher what the hell as well.******

Maybe the fact that the Depute Guild Master asked meant that the guild knew of their existence as Labyrinth  Masters. Or, maybe they didn’t see them as just an evil entity. 

“Thank you, it was helpful.”

“No, I wanted to ask something too.”

“Yes, what is it?”\n“It was my first time seeing the Labyrinth master. Are most labyrinth masters humanoids?” 

“No, there aren’t many labyrinths where the monsters in the labyrinth don’t match the master. As far as we know, the sculpture atop the guardian’s gate imitates the lord. Most of the monsters will be similar to that image.”

“There are more?”

“May I ask you something too?”

“Is there something else?”

“I heard that the large mana stone brought back from the labyrinth will be sent to the auction, is that correct?”

“Yes, why do you ask? I heard the list of items have already been posted at the Hirashia Auction already.”

“Although the items have already been posted, to avoid unnecessary crime, only the seller knows the buyer.”

When the topic of the stone came up, the three light spots floated to the wall bordering this room. I also stared at the painting they hid behind through my mask. Perhaps they were looking through that picture. The adventurer’s eyes in the painting seemed to be peep holes. 

The slight movement was captured with my sensors and their positions reflected on my map. Perhaps the painting itself was transparent in the room over there? Something similar to a one-way mirror?”\n\n“Shaft, you don’t need to use honorifics for this grandpa, and this woman is Ophelia Dragrange.” 

“Ophelia Dragrange. ‘Black Mask Shaft’, I wanted to meet you at least once after I heard about your story in the Capital. So, I’m glad that it came true in an unexpected way.” 

“I’m Shaft of the Mercenary Guild.”

 Two aristocrats with surnames… I stood from the sofa and showed only the bare minimum necessary for a greeting. The Duke, an old magician who was said to be the Guild Master, had a long white beard that reached down to his waist but had a bald head. It was to the extent that he showed his worries by touching his beard constantly. His wrinkled face held a smile but his slender eyes had a sharp color and he seemed to try and come up with something. 

On his side was a tall female knight standing who introduced herself as Dragrange. She was more like a princess knight rather than an ordinary knight. The great aristocrat who governed the Margrave territory to the north. A eld with long pale pink hair, blue eyes, and a slender figure held in knight attire. 

However, with Ophelia Dragrange…? That name – I heard it somewhere before…

Through the escort request made by Laptricia Balga, the third daughter of Duke Balga of the Fortress City of Balga, where I visited Venell. There, we encountered a suspicious trio, and the name used by them to deceive others was Ophelia Dragrange…

What ever happened to the trio at that time? The trio who laughed and left without being seen by none other than me. Their unnaturalness should have been reported with a sealed letter and sent to Siegfried. 

“So, it seems that you were interested in the stone. Do you have anything to say to me?”

“Oh, that’s it. Actually, it turned out that a little Phantom Thief entered the Capital and they’re aiming for the stone at auction.”

Phantom thief…?