11-8. The Whereabouts of Zena (2)

Satou's here. In movies, when you've feel relieved after the panic, the next panic always waits for you. It still surprises you even though you knew about it beforehand isn't it.

◇

After teleporting to the first area of the labyrinth's upper layer, I put down Zena-san and Miss Gelca on my shoulders to the ground.

However, the states of the two look strange--they're stiff hard, unable to move.

I'm sorry to Miss Gelca but I make her wait in the air with [Magic Hand] magic and check the detail of Zena-san's condition.

According to AR, she seems to be in [Restraint(Hold)] state.

Checking on the log, the True Ancestor attacked them, and me, with [Hold Geiss] status attack right before we teleported away.

Quite incredible considering the time I made the hole and teleporting were in only several seconds.

No, I guess I jumped right to the place where Zena-san and Gelca were going to get hit with the attack huh.

I shivered thinking what'd have happened if I didn't have the resistance against it.

Since I didn't get any resistance skill, one of the skills I already had probably worked.

For now, I'll try to see if [Break Magic] could release the abnormal status.

I should talk before that though.

"Calm down. I am here to save you."

Zena-san and Miss Gelca calmed down for a bit.

It seems they haven't talked since awhile ago not because they were being cautious, but because of the [Hold] condition.

[Hold] magic should only make it difficult for you to talk, not disallowing you to talk at all, looks like the effect is a bit different with the vampire's unique skill.

"We've escaped from the vampire's castle. I will release you two from the abnormal status. Relax and wait."

I tell the two so and use [Break Magic].

I felt slight resistance, but I could cancel it without any problem.

"I have to ask just in case, are you the one called Gelca?"

"Yes, it's me."

"I see, I've come to save you by the request of a girl called Sosona. There is no problem of me saving the girl over there as well right?"

I make it to look like I saved Zena-san incidentally together with Miss Gelca.

I'm sorry for Sosona, but I'll use her as an excuse in place of the reward for saving her friend.

I urged the two to hurry with the escape after coolly replied their thanks.

I'd feel bad for Lilio and the others who are worrying her if we're too slow.

Right, I'll give Zena-san and her companion the weapons for self-defense.

There are only demi-goblins on the way to the exit from here, but I'll use this good chance to give Zena-san a magic weapon and a high performance wand.

"This is the first area of the labyrinth's upper layer. I'll escort you two until the big hall before the exit. Use these to protect yourself."

"It's a simple but beautiful dagger.... Is this possibly made of mithril?"

"It is not of pure mithril. It's just mithril alloy, so do not mind it."

Miss Gelca who seemed to have noticed the dagger's material was at a loss of word as she asked me.

While answering her suitably, I pass a short sword to Zena-san.

This one is also a mass produced casted magic sword being sold by Echigoya.

"It's amazingly sharp.... I can feel stronger power than the magic sword Captain Derio had."

"Use this sword belt. You cannot put your sword with that clothes."

I take out a stylish sword belt that was made to be sold to nobles and push it toward Zena-san who's looking at the 10cm-long blade she's pulled out of the sheath.

The girls cannot wear the sword without a sword belt since they're wearing thin dress and delicate pumps.

"Um~, could you please give us a wand too if possible? We are magicians. We'd be happier to have a wand rather than a sword for self-protection."

"Very well, use these."

Since I had planned to give them one in the first place, I take out long wands out with [Item Box] and give it to them.

I've made these wands from the old evergreen oak of Boruenan Forest, it's capable of limiting magic loss during magic converging and invoking.

It's fit to be used for continuous battles in the labyrinth and bombardment.

I originally planned to give the wand to Arisa, but since I got ahold of a lot of world tree's branches, the plan was shelved.

Miss Gelca immediately use reinforcement magic on herself and ascertain the long wand.

"Oh, this is some amazing stuff! My magic is streaming smoothly to the point of being scary."

"....It's true. Moreover, the magic power's consumption has been greatly diminished."

Zena-san used [<>] on everyone including me, and muttered her impression.

I'm glad that they like it.

It's better than letting the wands become fertilizers for my storage.

The creator's name is blank (nanashi/nameless) anyway, they shouldn't suspect the maker.

We advance the passages toward the exit.

We meet some girls and boys who were fighting some demi-goblins, so I ask them to escort Zena-san and Miss Gelca to the exit.

"Please guide these girls to the entrance. I will give you rewards of course."

"Kuh, at least until our fight is over--please wait."

A boy wearing blue mantle politely replied while he was fighting against the goblin.

They seem to be graduates of [Pendora] but I'm not familiar with their face.

Still, having a hard fight against some demi-goblin, how shameful.

They came to us after they've defeated the demi-goblins in a few minutes without injury.

"Tsk, the dagger of this thing is only dirtied with blood."

"What, it wasn't a poison huh."

The boys are having such conversations while illuminating the shaved bone dagger which the demi-goblin held.

"Recently, there are some demi-goblins that use poisonous dagger around."

I see, so they have to fight while being careful from getting hit huh.

The leader-like boy told me so even though I didn't ask.

"Sorry but guide these girls to the entrance. This is your reward."

I tell them unilaterally, and pass a small bag with several gold coins inside to the leader.

"Understood. We can just escort them until the great staircase right?"

"Ah, I'm counting on you."

He received the small bag while it's letting out clang sounds, and agreed to escort them after confirming the inside.

The exit is just 30 minutes away, so he probably thinks that it's good for some extra money.

"Farewell then. Give my best regards to Sosona-dono."

"Umm, please tell me your name."

"I am not one to give my name."

....What am I even saying.

Well I could give Kuro name, but I returned to the mansion with [Return] magic after hiding myself in the passage's darkness.

◇

"Ah! Boy! Here!"

I found Lilio and the members of [Moonlight] gathering in front of the guild when I came there with Arisa and the others.

They are also with other members of the Seryuu Selected Corps who have been healed of course.

As expected they didn't have enough time repair their equipments, so the damages on their armors remain.

Zena-san and Miss Gelca have started advancing through the [Passage of Death] before the labyrinth's gate when I was greeting the selected labyrinth corps' captain, Sir Henz.

When they have come near the west gate, I suitably close our conversations and walk toward the west gate to meet Zena-san.

"Ze, Zena-cchiii!"

"Lilio! I'm back."

Lilio jumps to Zena-san who comes out of the west gate when she saw her.

Slightly after her, Miss Iona and Miss Ruu also congratulate her safety.

"Zena-san, I'm glad that you're safe."

"Satou-san!"

Even while being hugged by the three girls, Zena-san extends her hand between the gap, and I grip her white hand to congratulate her safe return.

Arisa and Mia lightly kick me from behind though, please stop getting jealous during reunion.

◇

It seems Zena-san and Miss Gelca couldn't talk about the vampires due to the [Contract] skill, so they reported to the guild that they were kidnapped, confined and then, saved by a mysterious person.

The mysterious person was immediately judged as Kuro once they described the appearance. Due to that, it's decided that the one who had kidnapped Zena-san were to be the Lost Thieves.

I guess I can just talk about the vampires to the guildmaster as Kuro later.

Zena-san and the others are not going to enter the labyrinth for the next few days to repair their equipments and they're going to have as much rest as possible today after we have promised to eat some meal together tomorrow.

By the way, the reason why the Selected Corps were devastated was not because of the vampires but because some Soldier Mantis came out of the gushing hole and linked when they were fighting some Beetles so it became a fierce battle.

At that time, Zena-san was immediately kidnapped by the thick fog once she sustained a serious injury.

I heard later that Miss Gelca was also kidnapped by the thick fog when she was dying after getting attacked by an Assassin Shadow Goblin.

I wanted to ask for more details, but since Lady Karina appeared from the west gate while looking like a corpse behind Nana, I was forced to suspend it.

Apparently, she was being put on the [<>] made with Nana's force arte.

Not only Lady Karina, Erina and the others, and Kuro and Shiro are also being carried while looking dead tired.

They probably fall down from the sudden level up.

"Master, reporting our return."

"I'm bacck~?"

"I'm back nanodesu!"

"Welcome back. Are Karina-sama and the others having level up sickness?"

"Yes, so I affirm."

Looking at the AR indicators, Lady Karina has leveled up by 3, while Shiro and Kuro have gone from level 1 to level 7.

What kind of wild training did they do.

I have to tell them to hold back a bit during the labyrinth training tomorrow since she has to come to the tea party and the banquet with me the day after tomorrow.

◇

And then, the night of that day, I went back to the labyrinth after comforting Pochi who was feeling down from the meatless kid's lunch.

Yes, in order to meet the aforementioned True Ancestor who might be a reincarnated person.

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