The Fat Aristocrat Waltz in the Labyrinth - Chapter 39
Chapter 39: The fat aristocrat visits a friend
When Mitrof went to visit the hospital attached to the guild, Mikel was already sitting up.
“Hey!—It’s my lifesaver!”
Mikel raised his hand to Mitrof. His voice and expression were full of energy, but his legs were immobilized with bandages and splints.
“…That’s a serious injury.”
“Well, being buried alive was no joke—just being alive is good enough—and thanks to Leona, I was healed immediately and back to normal.”
“That priestess, huh?—It’s really a relief that her healing prayers worked.”
“Well, the worst thing that could happen is for a troll to bury you alive.”
“It’s not a laughing matter—I really felt my life was in danger.”
Mitrof glared at Mikel as he laughed out loud.
Mitrof almost lost his life when the troll he had killed crushed him. The extra flesh pressing down on Mitrof’s face made it difficult for him to breathe, and he was trapped between rubble and flesh, where he could have met his end.
The priestess, who had been rescued by Canule, was healing the dwarf warrior. Together with Canule, they lifted the troll.
Although it was a healing prayer, it is not possible to completely heal injuries on the spot. Mikel, for example, had broken both of his legs and is still receiving treatment in the infirmary a few days after returning from the labyrinth.
“So, what happened to the march of the troll?”
Mikel asked.
“The guild has already taken care of it—they’ve gathered a group of high-ranked adventurers and taken them out.”
“Damn! I wish I could have been there. We don’t get to ‘march’ very often.
“I’m not very familiar with the labyrinth, but a ‘march’ is an abnormal situation, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s right—a king is born among the monsters, who then leads the invasion of other floors. If it happens too often, it can become a mess.”
‘I see,’ Mitrof nodded.
He had heard the details of the story from the guild receptionist.
As they successfully defeated the troll ‘king,’ the situation seemed to have been resolved. It was revealed that the trolls had been using the blue deer as a food source, which had led to a significant increase in their numbers.
Usually, an increase in troll numbers would be noticeable, but this time, the trolls had followed the “king’s” orders and created nests in the side tunnels of the labyrinth. They had been quietly and steadily increasing their numbers, so no one had noticed.
As soon as Mitrof and his group encountered them, trolls were seen all over the place.
Luckily, adventurers returning from exploring the deeper levels were able to quickly subdue the trolls. However, if the timing had been worse, it could have caused a great deal of chaos, according to the receptionist.
“Come to think of it, that troll you defeated ate the ‘Scarlet Bear,’ right?”
“Yeah, it used its arm as a weapon—it was scary.”
“Did it have red eyes?”
“Yeah, it did—do you know something?”
“It’s a ‘mutation.’ It’s probably rarer than a ‘march’ and said to be an existence that ‘sublimated’ by devouring stronger monsters.”
“Monsters can ‘sublimate’ too…?”
It was surprising and felt like an adventure, but at the same time, it was understandable. That red-eyed troll was powerful, beyond comparison to an average troll. By defeating the guardian, the “Scarlet Bear,” perhaps it was reborn into a stronger existence.
“Hey, Mitrof.”
Mikel suddenly put on a serious face.
“Thank you, seriously—thanks to you, my comrades were saved.”
It was a simple phrase. That’s why Mikel’s emotions came through straightforwardly.
Mitrof placed his right hand on Mikel’s shoulder, thinking about what he should do a few times, and lightly patted Mikel’s shoulder with an awkward amount of force.
“—Adventurers are supposed to help each other, right?”
Mikel gave a wry smile.
“Yeah, that’s right—it’s about helping each other—next time, I’ll help you, so wait for me.”
“First, let’s fix both of your legs. If we don’t, you won’t even be able to take a bath.”
“That’s right!—Damn it, I really want to take a bath soon—I miss Milk Ale so much.”
Mitrof and Mikel looked at each other and laughed.