Chapter 50

“We only got out of there alive because Theresia snuck up behind the Simian Lord, and she and Arihito hit him with a combination attack,” Elitia explained. “But Theresia…” “Would you let me tell everyone about what happened?” I asked. “Let’s take a break and then meet up again in the living room.” “““Okay!””” they all replied together. “Arf!” “Heh-heh… Looks like Cion likes that plan, too. Atobe, are you okay to take the last bath, like usual? Or would you prefer we go to a public bath?” Igarashi asked. This neighborhood had a spacious bath the ladies could use all together instead of waiting for their individual turns. In that case, maybe I should go with them—or so I thought, when— “……” —Theresia gave me a look that said she wanted to stay here. “Right… Atobe, the girls and I will go to the bath nearby, so take care of Theresia for us, okay?” “Arihito, Louisa’s still at the Middle Guild, but she should be back soon,” Madoka informed me. “Okay. I’ll look out for her.” Louisa had already come back to the lodgings once earlier in the day, but said she wanted to take care of something before the night was over. Normally, raiding a labyrinth above your qualification level would incur penalties like a temporary halt on seeking. It could also cost you contribution points, and losing those could send you back a district, which made it a generally taboo venture. Louisa was currently negotiating an arrangement with the Guild Saviors headquarters that would allow us to access the labyrinth again. It would probably be difficult to secure any further special treatment, but if we didn’t ask today, we’d risk needing to fulfill all the requirements to enter the Blazing Red Mansion within the next six days. We all need to be in top condition when we go for our rematch with the Simian Lord. That means we’ll probably need a day to rest…and limits the number of times we can explore other labyrinths… I’ll have to leave some room for error also, just in case any of our equipment or armor needs repair. If we had to seek in another labyrinth to first augment our battle capabilities, then we’d be better off choosing one that holds the greatest potential benefits, like resources to fortify our equipment. I heard the girls stop to speak with someone on their way out the door to the public baths—Ceres and Steiner had dropped by. “Seems you ladies have gotten into another mess while I was holed up in the workshop,” Ceres noted. “Theresia, don’t tell me you were out and about with your suit in such tatters? I’ll mend it by the morrow, so leave it with me tonight.” She paused. “…What is it, Arihito?” “Ceres, we managed to rescue Elitia from the Blazing Red Mansion.” “So I hear. And? You brought back something special, did you?” “…Yes. The Shining Simian Lord used a skill called Etch-a-Hex on Theresia that affects her Slave Seal,” I explained. “Her license says the seal is being overwritten. The Simian Lord uses that Etch-a-Hex to force people into servitude.” “A hex… I see. No doubt it’s a trump card.” “Master, that rings a bell for you, doesn’t it?” Ceres plopped down on the sofa then fished a thin, leather-bound book from the bag she’d slung over her shoulder. I took it to be some kind of notebook. “…Theresia, would you mind showing me the mark?” she asked. “……” Theresia looked to me. I nodded in encouragement, and she turned her back to Ceres then unhooked her suit. Locks of hair peeked out of her mask, covering the nape of her neck. Ceres gently slid them out of the way to examine the Slave Seal. I couldn’t see it from where I stood, but I imagined it had already begun to change shape. “…Not in my wildest dreams did I expect to see this here,” Ceres muttered. Putting on her glasses, she took out a quill pen and ink and started scribbling something in the notebook. “We can’t have you catching cold now. Arihito, if you would.” “R-right…” As Theresia stood there half-naked, I approached from behind with extra caution, then hung my jacket on her shoulders. She drew the collar together. “…What a true gentleman. The others must tell you all the time how adorable that is, no?” “Precisely what endears him to them, I imagine. It must be an aspect of his personality, as he’s far too spry yet for his seeds to have withered.” “I—I really don’t think this is the time for that kind of talk…,” I stammered. “Oh, I know that. Arihito, what are your thoughts on the skills in the Labyrinth Country?” “Skills…? I suppose they’re techniques suited to each individual person’s occupation, though I’ve seen a few that are shared among different jobs.” I gave Ceres the best answer I could think of, though I wasn’t sure if that’s what she was asking. Apparently, I hadn’t entirely missed the mark. “Indeed… In the Labyrinth Country, personal aptitude influences the outcome of most phenomena, but that does not necessarily mean those phenomena can be expressed in unlimited patterns. Of course, this is not a hard-and-fast rule, but what I’ve learned through experience.” “Experience…?” “Even I have more questions than answers about this place,” she confessed. “And yet ignorant as I still may be, I do have some wisdom to offer as your senior here.” She showed me a page of her notebook inscribed with a mark of the same size as the Slave Seal but of a different pattern. “The Etch-a-Hex skill results in marking the victim with a seal like this. In Theresia’s case, I reckon she has six more days until the seal is completed.” “Isn’t that the same amount of time that Mr. Atobe’s party can stay in District Five…?” Steiner asked. Ceres nodded in reply. “The seal may begin to affect Theresia’s performance even before it is complete. If you deem it best she not join you on seeking expeditions, Steiner and I can look after her… But I must warn you: If you do not successfully undo the hex before you vanquish the Simian Lord, it may remain on her forever.” I’d thought we could save Theresia if we just defeated the Simian Lord, but Ceres’s warning dashed those hopes. “So we need to figure out how to undo the hex…before we take the Simian Lord down…?” Ceres nodded again. Then, looking at me, she smiled and noted, “I must say, you do not appear very ruffled by the prospect of even greater obstacles added to your already trying situation.” “I’ve accepted this will take all we have. Tomorrow, I plan to find out as much as I can about lifting hexes.” “That brings me back to my original question. Presuming other Seekers possess a skill similar to Etch-a-Hex, then we can assume with a high degree of probability that there are those who possess the skill to undo it. There is often overlap between the skills monsters and Seekers wield, you see.” “Oh, so that’s what you were getting at.” “Ceres, can you think of anyone who might have a skill like that?” I asked. For a moment, she did not answer; her gaze drifted off into the distance. Then she chuckled, wrote something else on a new page, ripped it out, and folded it, then handed it to me. “Perhaps it was fate that it happened in this district. An old acquaintance of mine may live here, though it has been ages since we last met, and I cannot say anything with confidence.” “And this person has some skill related to hexes? All right, I’ll try whatever I can to find them.” “I’m afraid I can’t promise a letter of introduction from me will do you any good, but better to have it. I would suggest you begin your search at the archive. It should have some information regarding how to lift Etch-a-Hex curses.” So this person Ceres knows might have a way we can remove the curse—let’s hope I find a clue as to how to locate them at the archive. “It’d be best if you introduced Mr. Arihito yourself.” “It would be more prudent for Arihito to go directly instead of me. But leaving that aside… The two of us shall plug away in the workshop all night, but I need to discuss the issue of strengthening your armaments before then. I’ll finish Theresia’s suit by the morn, but I imagine you have quite a few resources piled up.” “Yes, that would be great. Thank you. Umm, Theresia…” “Perhaps you ought to first take a bath? We can take Theresia’s suit here.” Something more than Well, she already took it off once, so we might as well have it hid behind those words. Though not overt, I felt a certain pressure—Ceres and Steiner appeared set on pushing me in a particular direction. “……” “…Yeah, I guess we can all take a bath together today. Is that okay with you, Theresia?” “Of course it’s all right. Steiner and I have dipped our toes in the same tub with you, have we not?” “U-um… Master, maybe Arihito and Theresia should have the bath to themselves tonight? It must be a lot of work for you to make the steam so thick every time.” “Oh no, Mist Spell doesn’t take much magic to activate… What, was I the only one who saw this as a golden opportunity?” “Pardon me, Ms. Ceres, but what exactly might you mean by golden opportunity…?” Louisa asked as she walked into the living room. She had a spare key and could come and go as she pleased, but for some reason, her smile felt almost sinister. “Louisa, care to join us and give Arihito a good scrub?” Ceres offered. “A young lass like you in the prime of womanhood needs a little magic to cheer up her days.” “…Y-you make it sound as if I have none…,” she stammered. “But I would genuinely love to help relieve some tension after a hard day’s work, Mr. Atobe. Would you allow me to accompany you?” “S-sure… Wait, what?” Only after giving in to Louisa’s request did I realize the craziness I’d agreed to. Ceres ate up the scene, and Steiner’s shoulders trembled slightly in laughter. It probably never occurred to our armored friend, but watching a suit of armor chuckle was actually rather cute. Part IV: Five-Star Qualifications In my previous life, I’d always thought sharing a bath with someone required even more intimacy than sleeping in the same room. We’d fortunately managed to find swimsuits for everyone, but Ceres and the others opted not to use them in the bath. Apparently, they wouldn’t feel quite as refreshed or clean with them on, so I alone wore swim trunks. Louisa had on a ladies’ wraparound specifically for bathing, but she said she planned to remove it when soaking in the tub. That, I decided, would be my cue to leave. “Pheeew…” Ceres sighed contentedly. “Well, they certainly didn’t skimp on your bath, did they? Now this is what I call the promising Advanced Seeker treatment.” “For our help in quelling the stampede, the Guild Saviors also kindly named us All-Star Seekers,” I told her. “I imagine we have that to thank for the comfortable reception as well.” “Haaah… You might want to keep a little more feminine modesty in mind, Master. Steam doesn’t magically excuse everything, no matter how thick you make it,” Steiner admonished. “You’ve been blathering on about propriety since the dressing room! Just because you’ll never get clean wearing that helmet and armor does not mean we should not,” retorted Ceres. “I-I’m not wearing anything—I’m living armor. This suit of armor is part of my body.” Ceres’s carefree spirit proved a little too breezy for Steiner—the jade had quickly rinsed off before the rest of us and promptly slipped into the tub. Though she retained her younger form, she was still much older than me; these contrasting points left me at a loss for how best to treat her. “Mr. Atobe, you’re tensing your shoulders a bit. Please try to relax.” “O-okay… Thank you, Louisa.” She’d offered to give me a shiatsu massage before we washed up. It felt so heavenly, I had to hold in moans of pleasure with each touch. She must’ve been activating a skill on me, because slowly but surely, my exhaustion seemed to dissolve under her fingers. “This massage helps to drain your lymph nodes,” she explained. “You’ll feel like a new man after your bath.” “That must do wonders for skin care, too. I’ll bet the ladies would love this.” “Oh yes. If we have a few days off, I’d like to offer a massage to any of the girls who might be interested. Of course, I’ll also give you a more in-depth…” She trailed off. “Hmm?” “What’s wrong?” Her hands stopped. She’d been stroking the muscles below my neck from top to bottom, and my shoulders were already feeling considerably more loosened. After a brief pause, she continued massaging. “Now that Arihito has reached a higher level, I imagine you find yourself accumulating contribution points more quickly,” Ceres inferred. “But I thought you could only earn those points in the labyrinth…?” “For Seekers like you, yes. However, support staff activate their skills on a daily basis during their work in town, which prevents level loss and can even help them rise in level as well. The latter is a rather tall order, however.” “I think I may have gone up a level,” Louisa informed us. “I’ll check my license once we’re done here.” “That’s great to hear. You’re always working so hard for us.” I supposed this all meant that people with healing skills, for example, could maintain their level or gain experience points by treating someone in town. Falma the Chest Cracker, for instance, had said she’d lost ground while taking time off to care for her children, but she could be close to making all that up by this point. She probably didn’t see too many rare chests in District Eight, but I imagined even common ones counted for something. “How did I put it, ‘Personal aptitude influences the outcome of phenomena…’?” Ceres mused. “In your case, Louisa, I believe that may put you at some disadvantage.” “You may be right… I can’t even join labyrinth expeditions, and this is the only kind of situation where I can assist Mr. Atobe…” “N-not at all… You shouldn’t let that get you down. If anything, I feel bad leaving you so much work to do for us,” I replied, then heard Louisa giggle behind me. “If you could only hear what the ladies and I say about you behind closed doors, you’d know there’s no reason for you to feel bad at all.” “Precisely,” Ceres agreed. “You ladies have enough youthful spirit to spare, especially you and Kyouka.” “As do you, in my estimation, Ms. Ceres…,” Louisa countered. “Am I wrong?” “…Cough! Cough!” Ceres began spluttering. I often found myself coughing when hit with a surprise like that, too, but I wouldn’t have pictured the experienced jade would as well. Odd as it was, the similarity made me feel closer to her. “…Well, I don’t suppose any excuses will serve me at this point. Arihito is, as Chiara mentioned before, certainly a fine, strapping young man, but he is also wonderfully unspoiled and honest.” “I have been called a simple saint before, but I’m not nearly so saintly. I’m just a regular, average guy.” “No regular, average guy could remain that calm in a situation like this,” Steiner insisted. “Are you sure you weren’t an emperor in your previous life and just didn’t notice it?” “This may be a safe space, but that’s going too far,” chided Ceres. “Chiara, deactivate Manipulate and get over here this instant. That’s an order.” “I apologize. I’ll be polite, I promise. Mr. Atobe, I’m sorry.” “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Does Manipulate have something to do with Steiner’s living armor? If I take its name literally, then it must be a skill that allows the user to maneuver something, which means Ceres would use it to manipulate Steiner from within. “Hmph… A merciful ruler, indeed. I imagine you might have been able to write ‘Emperor’ as your occupation and have it accepted, Arihito.” “N-no, no, no. I don’t take offense easily but I definitely don’t have that kind of talent.” “Tee-hee…” Louisa giggled. “What do you think, Ms. Theresia?” “……” Part of me couldn’t help but see Steiner’s point. With Louisa massaging my back and Theresia dutifully scrubbing me down as usual, I certainly struck an imperial figure. “Theresia very clearly cares deeply for you, Mr. Atobe,” Louisa remarked. “One’s emotions manifest most plainly through touch.” “……!” I doubted Louisa meant to tease Theresia, but her lizard mask flushed bright red all the same. “……” Theresia kept scrubbing away regardless. She was in a bathing wrap, which she wouldn’t have worn if I hadn’t insisted. Where did she get the courage to be so bold? Was she that confident in her life before becoming a demi-human? Or did the Slave Seal make her more assertive? Either way, if what Louisa said was true, then I wanted to show Theresia the same care she lavished on me. “…I get it. It’s hard not to feel self-conscious when there are lots of people around.” “……” Though Theresia said nothing, her hands froze for a moment. She probably wanted to avoid situations where other people might see her Slave Seal begin to change. “Forgive me—I assumed that since your hair hid it, you would not mind our presence,” Ceres said. “That was rather indelicate of me.” “……, ……” “Hmm… Do you mean to say it is no bother?” “I think so,” I told her. Theresia nodded a few times. Clearly relieved, Ceres smiled and leisurely stretched her legs out in the warm water. Her porcelain skin peeked above the surface; given her youthful appearance, it looked to me like she was playfully splashing about. “Louisa, you might ask Arihito to wash your back, too,” Ceres suggested. “I’ll intervene should any impropriety threaten to happen.” “O-oh, no, I’m fine. I wouldn’t dream of imposing on Mr. Atobe…” “……” I’d tried to return the favor and wash Theresia’s back—and check the status of her Slave Seal while I was at it—but she brushed me away as if to say she could wait. “Umm…,” I hedged. “Louisa, I am a man, after all, so if you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to…” “…How will I explain this to Ms. Kyouka later?” she fretted. “…Are you quite sure you don’t mind?” Looking a little abashed, Louisa nevertheless sat on a bathing chair and turned her back to me. And that’s when it hit me—this meant she would have to remove her wrap. “…I’d love that, Mr. Atobe.” I’d wondered for a while if Louisa got tight shoulders, and to make a long story short, I was right. “I’m sorry, Mr. Atobe…to put you through such trouble.” “No, it’s nothing. I’m pretty used to this kind of thing.” Back at the orphanage, we used to give the elderly teachers coupons for back rubs. Never before this moment had I ever considered how they must have felt when they happily accepted them— No, I can’t go there. I’ll get too sentimental. “Mr. Atobe…I looked into…the five-star labyrinth…qualifications…we discussed…” “Louisa, what has got your speech so staccato? Are Arihito’s fingers that magical?” Ceres asked. “Y-yes…I feel so much better. Are you really sure…you don’t mind doing so much…?” “The tension in your shoulders is clear as day, but I must admit I feel a few pangs of jealousy,” said Ceres. “No matter what I do, mine cannot become so tight.” “……” Theresia laid her hand over her chest—I got a distinct feeling Leila would have my head if she saw what I was having her former charge do. “To earn the right to enter a five-star labyrinth, parties must reach the third floor in two other labyrinths in District Five and twice earn more than three thousand contribution points in a single expedition,” Louisa explained. My party and I had only made it to the third floor in a fraction of the labyrinths we’d explored so far. In the first labyrinth we ever ventured into in this country, the Field of Dawn, we stumbled upon a secret portal to the third floor. But as seeking out the final floor took a lot of time we didn’t often have, we usually just accomplished whatever we set out to do in a labyrinth and moved on to the next. “The bit about reaching third floors sounds straightforward enough, and you could always use a Return Scroll, but I daresay you’ll need to strategize which monsters to engage to reach that three thousand figure,” mused Ceres. Unless we ran into a Named Monster, we’d need to defeat a considerable host of foes to amass that many contribution points. So beating thirty level-10 monsters would earn us three thousand points… And the Death Stalkers we fought were level 11. We’ll be completely spent if we need to defeat that many monsters, and in one go, no less. There’s no skirting around the real skill required to do all that… Even the Seekers who’d gone into the Blazing Red Mansion after Rury’s weapons must have had what it took to make their living in District Five. They must’ve braved the Simian Lord’s domain despite the great risks in hopes it would lead to a great reward—or maybe the chance to fight one of the ape’s captive Seekers. After all, our licenses counted them as monsters. Injuring their foes probably wouldn’t affect their karma. That thought must’ve been what really scared Elitia. We’d seen people turn against fellow humans far too often. “You’ll also need a cumulative total of twenty thousand contribution points, but you’ve already earned a considerable sum of special contribution points, so you’ll have a head start,” Louisa explained. “If I remember correctly, special contribution points carry over to each new district and count toward the total number you need to move up to the next, right?” “Precisely. They can also cover any penalties for long lapses in seeking, though I strongly recommend you avoid falling into that situation to begin with…” Louisa’s voice trailed off. “…Mr. Atobe…” “Ah…! S-sorry. Let me rinse you off.” Caught up in the serious discussion, I’d forgotten I was still massaging Louisa’s shoulders, but she’d probably had enough. Theresia scooped up some warm water and handed the bucket to Louisa. This part was usually best done by the person herself. “Arihito, I’ve noticed life force welling up within Louisa these past few minutes,” noted Ceres. “Have you been using some sort of skill on the lass?” “Yes, it helps heal party members in front of me,” I explained. “We had Louisa temporarily join our party, so I imagine it’s been active this whole time.” “I had no idea…,” Louisa murmured in wonder. “I did feel my body grow warmer and the tension in my shoulders relax, but I assumed I had your skills as a masseur to thank for that.” I’d just taken advantage of the chance to ease the fatigue from her body, but come to think of it, would activating a skill like that in a vulnerable place like this raise our Trust Levels, too? “Perhaps I’ll ask you to work your magic on me next time. Should you feel satisfied with my efforts, would you consider it?” Ceres asked. “Of course. I’d be happy to, and it doesn’t have to be in the bath.” “No need to be so shy…,” she teased. “But I should stop myself there, or you’ll all lose your patience with me.” “Let’s have a meeting once we’re done here, Master,” Steiner suggested. “I just had Melissa show me the newest monster resources they acquired, and I think we’ll be able to offer quite a few suggestions.” “I swear, you lot never cease to amaze me, but you truly outdid yourselves this time. What in the world is that scorpion you have suspended in ice?” We’d had The Calamity sent to our Repository to harvest for resources. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what we could make from it, but I’d bet that any defensive gear crafted out of its exoskeleton would provide powerful protection. “In that case, please allow me to review your results from the stampede and the Blazing Red Mansion before you turn in for the evening,” requested Louisa. “I will, thank you.” Louisa’s hand drifted over to where she usually kept her monocle, reaffirming the impression I’d gotten the very first time we reported our results—she seemed most alive when engrossed in her work. “…Please don’t concern yourself about the late hour. I’m quite the night owl,” she reassured me. “A nighttime receptionist—how very intriguing… If only my occupation held such enticing allure.” “Master, you’re going to scare off all the men if you keep making nothing but dirty jokes.” Ceres’s particular sense of humor wasn’t about to scare me away, but I felt I’d set a bad example if I replied at all in front of Theresia. I did, however, want to ask Ceres in as gentle a manner as possible to treat me as an adult going forward.