The Fat Aristocrat Waltz in the Labyrinth - Chapter 28
Chapter 28: The fat aristocrat challenges a new hierarchy
Entering a small room and descending the stairs, Grace leaned her shoulder onto Mitrof.
“Don’t worry about it, Mitrof.”
“I’m not worried—I’m just a bit surprised.”
Mitrof said to Grace, tilting his head to the side.
“…I’ve never felt like this before—I was never expected to do anything and was thought of as incompetent—I just accepted that without any thought.”
His father, brother, servants, and teenage boys and girls he met at aristocratic gatherings. With his low position, lack of ability, and plump body, Mitrof was looked down upon by everyone he met and was ridiculed with polite language.
and Mitrof didn’t deny it. He didn’t think so. He thought what they said was reasonable.
“But earlier, I felt frustrated—I want to prove that I can do more, and make them understand that. I want to show them. ”
Unconsciously, Mitrof pressed his chest.
With the beating of his heart, there was an unprecedented heat inside him. The whirling heat was sent throughout his body, seemingly keeping his blood boiling.
“I want to defeat that troll; I don’t want it to be taken away by the party earlier. Is it strange for me to be so obsessed with the thought that the troll is my prey?”
Mitrof suddenly felt uneasy. He had never before experienced such untamed emotions, which baffled him. He was struggling with how to handle his feelings.
Grace, who was asked about this, narrowed her blue eyes and looked at Mitrof like the summer sunlight reflected on the water’s surface.
“…You’re a boy after all.
“Is it because I’m stubborn?”
“That’s right, and that’s a feeling that hunters and adventurers need—my father was like that too.”
Fufu, Grace smiled.
“Then—let’s also look for the troll—we were the ones who injured it first—surely, it’s our prey.”
“…But is it okay?—It’s dangerous, and it’s on the fifth floor.”
Although he wanted what Grace sought to obtain, Mitrof couldn’t say those words.
Grace put the tip of her index finger on Mitrof’s lips and stopped him.
“Boys must fight to preserve their dignity—Mitrof, this is the time for you to do so—it’s important.”
“I understand. Maybe you’re right. Thank you.”
“Oh, don’t worry; there was nothing we could do earlier—this is a good chance to clear your mind.”
The two looked at each other and smiled, then a hesitant voice interrupted them.
“I’m sorry to interrupt during such a good time, but can I ask what’s going on?”
“Oh, that’s right!—We must explain it to Canule as well—but there’s no good time for it, and please don’t misunderstand,” Grace replied, blushing.
She explained everything from scratch to Canule. Mitrof listened as they descended to the fifth floor.
?
The stone construction remained unchanged, but a strange tension could be felt in the air. Perhaps it was due to the new monsters that had made their nest here or the presence of the guardians who ruled this floor.
Although the scenery had not changed, the mindsets of the three adventurers had become more serious.
“We will encounter ‘Blue Deer’ and “Ochre Boar” on this floor—we will fight them to gain experience and search for the troll.”
Without any objections from Mitrof or Canule, they nodded in agreement and proceeded down the passage.
The small room immediately after descending the stairs remained a rest area for adventurers as before. The three passed it by and focused on finding the monsters.
Blue Deer and ochre boar were completely different from kobolds or wolves. The difficulty level and time to explore the labyrinth would depend on how quickly they could adapt to new challenges.
Eventually, the width of the passage increased. It had always been wide enough for three adults to stand side by side with their arms outstretched, but now it was spacious enough for five or six people.
And the walls were gradually curving, as if something had been carved into them, giving the impression of a cave. The shadows cast by the lantern were distorted and uneven, and Mitrof suddenly thought they resembled marks made by claws.
“Hey, Grace, this is…”
“Shh.”
Grace sharply interrupted him and crouched down, gazing towards the end of the passage with her blue eyes.
Mitrof and Canule also noticed it. It was there, up ahead.
“They’ve noticed us. They’re coming straight at us!”
Immediately after, they could hear it—the sound of hard hooves pounding on the cobblestone as they rushed towards them.
Mitrof finally caught sight of it.
“An ochre boar!”
As the name suggests, its fur was the color of dirty yellow soil. Its height was no different from Grace’s, but its width was no less than Mitrof’s. Two fangs grew from the corners of its mouth, curving upward. With rough panting sounds of “fugo, fugo,” the giant body aimed straight at them.
“Canule! Dodge it!”