They rested until close to dusk the next day before they departed. Laura’s group joined them because they were heading for the same destination.
In order to reach Bia-Dharla, they apparently had to leave the highway at their current position and head south for ten days.
In this era, countries were nothing more than an assemblage of towns and villages. In between those towns and villages were vast landscapes devoid of human settlement. The name of the Free Cities of Karelia referred to the small, isolated cities scattered throughout the expansive desert region, but in truth, uninhabited desert made up the vast majority of the land.
Laura and the four other members of her group were as skilled as Zara expected them to be. They were attacked by four giant scorpions not long after they set out, but the five of them defeated the monsters in no time.
Laura used a longsword slightly big for her build, but she handled it with great speed and accuracy.
The large man named Moura swung around a battle-ax with ease.
The thin man named Jamagar used an extremely sharp sword with a curved blade and was very good at attacking from out of sight. He was also skilled at moving while hiding his presence. He was probably an assassin.
The man of short stature named Shariabro was an archer who was adept at shooting while moving.
The plump man named Orien was a support sorcerer capable of support magic, restricting enemies, and healing.
They were each an elite of their own skill set, and they fought with polished coordination.
They were attacked four more times in the next two days. Whenever Zara tried to participate in combat, they politely refused his help, probably because they didn’t want him to get heatstroke.
The guide asked Laura and the others why they were fighting instead of using meat as a decoy and fleeing. Their answer was that because this road was essential for traveling to and from the highway, they wanted to try to reduce the number of monsters to make it at least a little safer for people passing through after them.
The five of them shared a Treasury. That meant that they all had the holy occupation of knight. They didn’t look like family, so the fact that they shared a Treasury must have meant they had especially strong bonds and held a common mission.
On the third day, they were attacked by the largest group of monsters yet, so Zara fought with them. The first thing he did was defeat the two grigols that looked like the strongest of the pack.
Grigols were monsters slightly larger than horses. They traveled swiftly on their four legs. The majority of their bodies was covered by a carapace, and they each had a pair of enormous pincers on their head.
Zara sliced through a grigol’s front legs with one swing of his sword, and then he cut off its head when it fell. Another grigol looked like it was going to attack Moura, who was defending himself with a shield, so Zara leaped onto the monster’s back and beheaded it as well.
The situation then turned in their favor.
Next Zara took on the sandal bugs. Sandal bugs were insect monsters that were the size of a large sandal and had countless tiny feet. Their extreme speed and habit of diving into the sand made them very difficult to hit. Their poison was paralyzing, and enough of it would likely result in the victim becoming prey for another monster.
Catching the bugs was no problem with Zara’s Detection skill and the speed of his sword. He wiped them out as they threw themselves at him in rapid succession. They couldn’t even hide from Zara when they traveled under the sand.
Once Zara cleaned up the sandal bugs, the group was able to relax and focus on the remaining medium-sized monsters. The battle ended shortly, and then Laura hugged Zara.
“Zara, you’re amazing! Simply amazing! I’ve never seen anyone swing their sword as quickly and brilliantly as you! I also can’t believe you cut through the thick necks of the grigols with just one strike. What skill you have! What incredible technique! I’ve made a decision. Enter our party. Together we’ll take down that minotaur, the Labyrinth King!”
Laura continued to speak to him enthusiastically as they cleaned up after the battle, and even after they got back on their bobos and resumed travel.
To hear her tell it, when Zara had leaped on top of the grigol, he looked as gallant as Arza, a hero of old.
To hear her tell it, even the famous Divine Blade would have been amazed at his swordsmanship and how he’d wiped out the sandal bugs without falter.
This woman had a much more excitable personality than Zara expected.
“What do you mean by taking down the Labyrinth King?”
“Didn’t you say you were born in Baldemost? Do you really not know? In the town of Micaene near the royal capital of Baldemost Kingdom, there is a labyrinth called Sazardon. This labyrinth has one hundred floors, and the monsters are pretty tough, but the boss monster on the bottom floor possesses special strength. Minotaurs aren’t known for being very strong in other labyrinths, but the one in the Sazardon Labyrinth is a unique monster. It grew stronger by continuing to fight humans and monsters, and it eventually gained strength enough that even the wicked dragons and giants you hear of in myths would fear it. It drove out the metal dragon that was the original boss of the one hundredth floor and became the master of the labyrinth. It has great intelligence, physical strength, and speed; it’s robust; it has high resistance to magic and status ailments; it has an undying thirst for battle; and its skill with the sword stands out above all. It really is like a monster from a myth. It also has many skills, including its scorching hot breath and its strengthened Howling. Before long, people came to call this minotaur the Labyrinth King. No one knows how much experience will be gained for defeating the Labyrinth King. And that’s not all. The Labyrinth King has taken down many adventurers and monsters and has amassed a great collection of items. It is said that when it’s defeated, its drops will be worth enough to buy a country. For that reason, people from Baldemost and from all over the continent who desired fame and fortune have challenged the Labyrinth King. And they’ve all been killed. Can you believe this? Since it appeared a little over thirty years ago, this minotaur has never once lost.”
“It is said that one knight defeated it.”
“I don’t believe that. If the knight defeated it, then why is the minotaur still alive? It’s nonsensical that anyone would take on the minotaur alone in the first place. If a hydra or a real dragon appeared above the surface, would anyone be stupid enough to fight it alone? A few years before that, the king of Baldemost sent one hundred knights on a mission to take down the King of the Labyrinth, but every single one of them ended up being killed. The story of the knight was probably fabricated to cover up that shameful failure. They just want to say there is a knight in their kingdom who can defeat the Labyrinth King solo. Don’t make me laugh. That’s impossible. In order to defeat the Labyrinth King, a truly skilled warrior needs to form a party, and they need to challenge it with tight-knit coordination. There is no honor in going at it with great numbers, and carelessness and disorder are bound to be a problem. The Labyrinth King is a modern legend. Whoever defeats it will be a hero whose name will live on in posterity. So join our party. This is fate!”
Laura’s fervent invitation continued even into dinner.
“All right, I get it. You don’t have to worry. What is the name of the girl you are visiting? No harm will come of this. Just tell me. No matter what she says, I’ll make sure you get her hand in marriage. If she has a man, I’ll get her to break up. I’ll pay the man to leave her. I give you my word. So you can join our party without reservation. First just tell me her name. Go ahead, tell me!”
Having no other option, Zara told her the truth.
“I’ve heard rumors of a certain knight. This knight serves the ruler of the desert city of Bia-Dharla and kills monsters in the desert to make people’s lives easier. He is proud and incredible with a sword, and he is called the Red Knight because of the color of his armor. I want to meet him and ask for a lesson.”
Everyone in Laura’s group burst out laughing except for her. Even Zara’s guide was laughing shrilly. Laura looked upset, and she may have even been blushing.
“Oh, Zara, you don’t know how lucky you are. The gods have granted your wish. For Laura, no, Lady Laura just vowed to give you her hand in marriage! Hoo-hoo, congratulations. Okay, I suppose I should introduce you. This is the daughter of Lord Coralior, the ruler of the desert city of Bia-Dharla, Lady Laurasalim Taripetra Tolito Bia-Dharla. She is the current Red Knight!”