The old baldy came with his cart and put us on it. Apparently it was expected that those who could walk should make their own way back, but mimics were considered immobile.
Oh, but it wasn’t like I was rendered immobile thanks to my wounds. I’d completely healed after a bit of waiting. Man, these high heels are amazing!
The old man carted us towards the elevator. It seemed that we could now move between floors, probably because the season was over.
The elevator descended while rattling and making some very disconcerting sounds. I looked around and saw several orcs, skeletons, and other monsters.
It made sense—they’d need to replace any monsters that were defeated. That was why it was better to be the reinforcements coming later, at least for the first floor.
I felt this was unfair, but the people upstairs probably didn’t care much about first-floor monsters. I’d bet they wouldn’t notice whether we survived or got massacred.
Either way, though, I managed to survive. In fact, as long as I don’t go too far again in the future, I may be able to live in peace!
*Ding!*
With that noise, the elevator doors opened. The old dungeon keeper began to cart us forth.
We were treated to a view of a forest. The foliage here was creepy and ominously dense—the exact type of place you’d expect to be pounced on at any moment. That being said, I would be the predator rather than the prey!
“I wonder what floor this is?”
“Around the sixteenth. The Aldora Labyrinth proper has a total of fifteen floors, so this is the maintenance area,” Slatarou explained. He was still small, to the point that he could ride on top of my lid. “This place is separate from the main dungeon, so it’s a safe area. Adventurers can’t set foot in here.”
I see. That’s great! I can relax.
*Clatter clatter, rattle rattle!*
We moved on. After leaving the forest, a small castle awaited us. It felt old and formidable, with the same sense that an ambush was just waiting inside.
The castle was surrounded by small, ramshackle buildings that dotted its vicinity, forming something like a tiny town.
“You can shop there. Merchants come over from other dungeons.”
“Oh, right—you said something about points before, didn’t you?”
That’s right, I can buy stuff with points! I beat a bunch of adventurers, so maybe I can expect a pretty big haul? I bet I’m swimming in points!
However, our ride blew past the town and headed for the castle.
“I know we’re going to the castle, but what are we supposed to do there?” I asked.
“There’ll be another briefing for those who survived their first season. As for the rest, well, it’s kind of like an awards ceremony. We get points according to our results and learn how our placements change, among other things.”
Once we made it inside, the cart stopped. The interior was also dim, as if they were purposefully trying to evoke a specific atmosphere.
*Thwump!*
We were unceremoniously thrown from our ride. There were other carts here too, which came in one after the other. By the time I’d noticed, a sizable number of monsters had gathered in this large hall.
After some time waiting, Marinnie the arachne appeared.
“Okay, quiet down all of you! Thank you all for your efforts this season! The results this time are pretty...awesome to behold. Our relationship with the humans might’ve gone a bit south, but we made enough profit to last a couple of years! So who needs ’em?! All righty then! Veterans, make sure to go see the accountant to get your points, got it? There’re bonuses for all of you! Also, congratulations to all of you who survived your first season! We’ve got more explaining to do for all of you, so please wait here for a bit.”
The veterans started streaming out of the hall, probably towards the accountant.
“See you then,” Slatarou said.
“Yeah, see you!”
He stuck himself onto a nearby veteran’s back and rode them out.
So I just have to wait here, right? This is pretty exciting!
I was totally clueless, after all. I mean, it was to the point that I still felt the need to ask why we had to fight adventurers in the dungeon in the first place. I’d love an explanation of things from the very beginning.
“Ah, right. Harumi!” While the anticipation was getting my (nonexistent) heart beating, Marinnie called out to me.
I wonder what she wants? Maybe she’s gonna praise me for working super hard? I mean, I feel like I did really well!
“This bit won’t really do anything for you, so why don’t you leave?”
“Uhhh...what does that mean? You’re going to be going over how the dungeon works and all that, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but it’d be meaningless for you. I don’t like wasting my time.”
Huh? What does that mean? Didn’t I work hard? Why am I being snubbed like this?
At some point, while I was still frozen in shock, a gargoyle picked me up. I recognized him—It was the same one who’d worked so professionally on the first underground floor.
I was carried straight out of the hall.
Uhhh, wait...what? What kind of treatment is this? W-Was it actually really bad to kill all those adventurers? But she basically said that I did a good job, and that I should keep on going!
By the time I’d noticed, I was in a brightly sparkling room.
Hm? When did I get here?
A woman was waiting inside, smiling widely at me. She was like...the super soft and cuddly older sister type, I guess? She looked basically human, except for a pair of horns growing out of her head and the black tail peeking out from behind her.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Congratulations!”
*Clap, clap!*
She’s...applauding me? What’s going on?
“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Aldora, the lord of this labyrinth!”
She was somehow even more easygoing and loose than Marinnie. While Marinnie had a carefree vibe to her, there was a sharpness—like a drawn blade—hidden in her depths that sometimes showed itself. Lord Aldora had nothing like that.
“Uhhh, well...what do you need from me?”
“Weeell... Your results were a bit too incredible. Basically, this dungeon doesn’t have the ability to give you your rewards, a territory, or even a post! So, guess what?! You’ll be going to the EliMon Center! Wow! You’re moving up in the world!”
“What?”
For some reason, it was decided I would be going to this EliMon Center thing. Wait, what the heck is an EliMon Center?!
✦ ✦ ✦
Amidst the din of blaring alarms, Azuratt was looking down on the fallen form of a man—Deimos, the Lion’s Blade.
“Impossible... I...”
“It’s called a Backstab. This is basically all I’m good for, though.”
As the name implied, this was a move where a knife would be stabbed into a critical point in someone’s back. That was Azuratt’s skill, and it was deadly enough to be able to bury heroes.
“If only you hadn’t taken undue interest, this wouldn’t have had to happen,” he continued.
The rumors of a strange mimic with legs had reached Deimos’s ears, and the hero had planned to sortie to take care of it.
On top of wielding three legendary items, Deimos’s level was also incredibly high. No mimic, regardless of how strong they were rumored to be, could survive against such a hero, not even the rumored mimic would be able to survive.
The plan had originally been to first send in an elite extermination force, with Deimos as backup. Once George, the Severing Sword, had been defeated, though, Deimos decided to go head-on.
That was when Azuratt had attacked him from behind.
“It’s about time I take my leave.”
The alarms were a warning—they sounded the end of the season. The dungeon needed time to repair itself, so the adventurers needed to hurry and leave.
“Oh, right. Of course I shouldn’t leave those legendary items for anyone to take.”
Azuratt retrieved a sword, a helmet, and a ring from Deimos’s body.
As the dungeon rebuilt itself, the bodies of adventurers left inside would be absorbed into it. Deimos’s legendary items were far too high a level for a dungeon of this size, so it would upset the balance of the area even more than the rumored mimic had.
“Now then... I’m not exactly an expert on monsters, so I don’t know what’s happened to her, but...”
I hope she’ll be able to leave.
With that expectation in his heart, Azuratt left the Aldora Labyrinth.