Intermission: Labyrinth and Fairy
"Sensei! Houya and the others had gone to the goblin's nest!"
The one who boorishly breaks this elegant afternoon tea time is the home fairy (Brownie) entrusted with taking care of this ivy mansion, Giril.
Giril who's usually very calm is panicking with popping eyes.
It's not the time for me to be so calm. I wear my familiar magic clothes made from Yuriha fiber and take my favorite cane with one hand, then I go out. At the outside, my attendant who has already completed his preparation, Dohar--a very sturdy Dwarf--accompanies me to the labyrinth on the outskirts of Selbira.
This comes a bit late, but I'm a nature art user who hails from Bornean forest and the one who has broken through level 50 after devoting myself for 500 years. The name is Trazayuya Bornean. Recently, I've been called elf sage instead of my name.
"Boss, the kids seem to have taken the chick kids."
"I see."
"It seems they want to be acknowledged by the chick kids."
"Let's hurry."
"Hei!"
The kids Dohar mentions are someones who have followed me here from Bornean forest, Houya-- Houlsetaya, along with 5 others young elves. They, who were level 5-6 when they first got here, have approached level 20 in rapid growth now. They're young ones with bright futures. Since there are a lot of elves who finish their lives uneventfully without even crossing level 10, they're worth to be specially mentioned. They're a bit thoughtless but it can't be helped since they're still young, being less than 300 years old. They will settle down with time.
They'll grow up, become more discreet, before long they will pass over me, and if they gain influence in the world, the elves position will also go up. That is my very wish. To have the elves regain back the leadership of the world is my dream.
At the end of last month, around 15 young elves had come asking for my guidance, I wondered if the news about the kids' rapid growth had traveled to the hometown. They're clearly younger than Houya and the others. The youngest one is my distant nephew, Yusalatouya, at only 150 years old.
I've thought of making them into a group of five people and let Dohar makes them get accustomed with the labyrinth but it seems that Houya and the others have taken them to the labyrinth to brag themselves. Another reason is probably the fair-looking Lulilutoa who's also a master of Lute-playing being one those who've arrived recently. Appealing to women is a common thing regardless of age or race after all.
Dohar shows his red metal explorer plate to the gatekeeper who guards the entrance to the labyrinth on the west side of Selbira. That gatekeeper has known us since he was a new recruit, but he has never not checked for the plate for the past 20 years. It's quite commendable, but since right now I'm worried with the safety of the young ones, I can't help but feel annoyed. I'm still lacking in discipline.
After we're finished with the checking, we descend the stairway to come into semi-basement and continue through the passage. The passage is 10 meter wide and 5 meter high which meanders for about 2 Km. They made it to be twisted so when monsters overflow from the labyrinth, they would be slowed down.
One meter above is the ceiling that acts like dormer window that could be opened, while soldiers are patrolling outside. This 2 kilometers passage are used to preemptively shoot to death monsters which could come out overflowing from the labyrinth.
Thanks to this, "Passage of Death", the labyrinth's monsters have never got to Selbira.
Dohar and I begin to run while calming down my restless mind. I don't want to get mistaken with monster if I carelessly make noise in this passage. It's especially dangerous for Dohar since he's short.
Dohar opens the labyrinth's gate after we finally arrive there. I'm powerless against this heavy gate.
◇
"The kids are going to sweep the goblin's nest, they said."
"I understand."
There are many goblin's nest inside this labyrinth, but they probably went to the so-called fairy area infested with plant monsters, an unpopular area.
Ones will have to defeat the troublesome plant monsters, because they act as obstacles, to get to the goblins' location. Plant monsters have high stamina, and they're hard to deal without someone with fire magic in your party. And even if you defeat them, their magic cores are buried deep in the ground, it's not possible to dig out. They're monsters that embody the saying, "Great pains but all in vain." Since it's not worth the effort, the cores are rare to come by as alchemy materials.
Making use of their unpopularity, I made a tunnel straight to that goblin's place using nature art and alchemy to act as an exclusive hunting ground for the young elves.
I've planted Gabo fruits for the goblin's welfare and breeding and eliminated other monsters beside goblins with Dohar.
Now then, I've called them goblins so far, but the ones in this labyrinth are not the wicked fairy goblins but pseudo-goblins that have magic cores inside their body. The wicked fairy goblins have dark green body and bleed red blood, they're fairies who are hated everywhere while the pseudo-goblins can't speak, have dark body and bleed green blood, they're genuine monsters.
The wicked fairy goblins don't exist in this continent for 200 years except in one region, since they are hunted all the same with the pseudo-goblins. Therefore, ironically, what most people refer as goblins are actually pseudo-goblins.
◇
Dohar takes care of monsters who occasionally appear in one blow with his battle axe. He's already working as my attendant for nearly 100 years. He was overjoyed as he recently had managed to break through level 40, passing his father.
"Boss, it's basilisk."
"I understand. ■■■ Magic Arrow."
I unleash 21 magic arrows toward the basilisk appearing from the back. There are 21 magic arrows, where usually even one is hard to resist. The basilisk becomes pieces of meats without being able to do anything.
"Is it a stray?"
"Yes, basilisks usually appear 5 level below. Some stupid young explorers who overestimated their abilities most likely had gone to the depth and drew one here."
"You're right."
This is troubling. Low level people won't be able to resist Basilisk petrification. The one we encountered just now was just a lower basilisk so it couldn't turn someone into stone, but I don't know if they could take its stare without getting their hearts stopped.
Near the end of the tunnel, we meet a herd of goblins. They're only level 1-3 but it's a herd consisting of around 30 monsters. It's annoying to wait for Dohar defeating them so I provide assistance with magic arrow.
"Boss, for the goblins to appear around this place, that means-"
"Umu."
I briefly answered Dohar's guess. I've scattered medicine that would make goblins think there are strong monsters so they don't go near the tunnel entrance. If they go far past it, then that means the foods don't suffice.
"This is bad."
"Yea, the kids 'ere in danger if we don't get to 'em fast."
The labyrinth monsters periodically enter breeding season. Goblin's period is short, but in exchange their propagation rate rarely change. However their propagation rate is huge, so it can't be helped if there's a calculation error.
...I remember something unpleasant. Last month, Giril mentioned that the reserve Gabo seeds in the storehouse had gone. The storehouse wasn't locked so poor people occasionally stole Gabo fruit from there, so I had just thought, "Again huh", when I heard it.
I've left the job of sowing Gabo seeds here to Houya and the others, but I wonder if they properly follow my order to do it with one small bag? If they sowed the three small-barrels worth of Gabo seeds that were in the storehouse...
I must hurry. If my prediction is true, the goblins may have started breeding explosion. If it really happens then 30 baby goblins could be born by eating the stomach of their mother goblin. And then the children would start breeding again in two weeks. If we're unlucky, we might be facing ten of thousands goblins.
When we finally arrive at an open space, countless bodies of goblins and three dead bodies of the young elves come into our views.
"Regrettable."
"Boss, please save the remorse until we get out of the labyrinth."
I accept Dohar's advice and advance forward.
We smash through the goblins that have clogged up the tunnel. Since we can't avoid the plant monsters, I use nature art <> on Dohar's battle axe and continue on while he's cutting them.
We finally arrive at a location that could only be called painting from hell littered with corpses as far as eyes can see.
While clearing the goblins corpses with magic and a thin sword, I see the tragic corpses of the young elves full of goblin's teeth marks.
I call the young ones' name several times.
However, no one answers back. Whenever Dohar swings his battle axe, the goblin corpses increase. I deal with three goblins who rush towards me by deploying the <> for my self-protection.
Boom, we hear explosion sounds from the back of the room.
"Dohar."
"Yea, boss."
We act in harmony, making ways through the sea of goblin to the place where the sound comes from.
To back Dohar, I give him reinforcement magic. They're Strength and Dancing Blade.
Strength multiply Dohar's strength several folds allowing him to tear through goblins like a tornado. Dancing Blades is small blades that arbitrarily fly around the target while cutting up enemies with forces. It can be said that Dancing Blades is useless in a labyrinth, but it shows matchless power if the opponents are goblins.
"Houya, Lua."
Lua is smiling weakly hearing my call. Her beautiful transparent green hair has been dirtied with goblins' blood in spots. Still, I'm glad that she's alive.
Houya's explosion magic mowed down several dozens of goblins who had tried to crushingly surround them to death. Even so, there are still hundreds of goblins in front of us.
"■■■ ■ ■■■■■■■■■■"
I begin chanting the highest order of nature magic. I've only ever used this when I fought a Lesser Dragon in my life. It's wasteful using this on goblins, but this is the best magic to safely defeat large number of enemies.
"■■■ ■ ■■■■■■■■ ■■■"
What cruelty! Lua has lost her left arm. It could be said that this is a world's loss as her lute playing tones can't be heard anymore.
"■■■ ■ ■■■■ Wild Dancing of Void Spears <>"
Unseen spears are pouring unto the enemies like downpour. Amidst Dohar who's cutting up the enemies and without injuring Houya and the others, it changes hundreds of goblins into corpses.
I've not only saved Houya and Lua. Beautiful Lua has protected my distant nephew, Yusalatouya, on her back even while losing one of her arm. The young Yuya is unconscious but I give him an emergency treatment and carry him and Lua together with self-propelled stretcher <>.
◇
After we've returned, we immediately look for a high-ranking Garleon priest, and ask him to use healing magic. Unfortunately, the recovery for Lua's left arm didn't go well. Until I complete an artificial arm indistinguishable with the real one in the future, Lua must bear through the hardship.
Giril found cold body of Houya on the next day, he most likely felt responsible for the disaster, letting the guilt got into him.
I bring Lua and Yuya back to Bornean forest, taking the blame, two-third of the congress is in agreement to exile me.
Even though I've been away from the forest for a long time, it's sad to be chased away from your hometown. However, the lost of many young people will result in generations without children for dozens, or even hundreds of years. It might be a fitting punishment for someone who has created this racial crisis like me.
As a sole atonement, I will create a pseudo-labyrinth for the sake of elves' growth without the danger like in this disaster. I vow to dedicate my life to build a place for training without the danger of losing lives, for the future of young elves.
I dream of bustling figures of young elves who devote themselves with studying in my maze, someday.
And, I believe in the future where the elves lead the world again.
I am Trazayuya Bornean. One foolish elf man who had scattered the lives of many young lives.
Even so, I cannot abandon my dream.