The Fat Aristocrat Waltz in the Labyrinth - Chapter 56
Chapter 56: The fat aristocrat chats with his peers
“Right now, it’s still okay, but once we get past the 10th floor, it’s going to take a while.”
As Mitrof unloaded his bags in an open space, he spoke to Canule.
“Yes, that’s right—It’s likely that just getting to the designated floor will take a whole day.”
Finally, they arrived at the 10th floor. The small room in front of the staircase was larger than on the other floors, and many adventurers rested there at any given time.
People tended to gather along the calm walls, leaving the center mostly empty, with adventurers forming a ? formation.
On the shallower levels, there were only a few adventurers resting, with most just sitting on a cloth. However, on the 10th floor’s break area, some were resting in tents in the corners, while others had taken off their equipment and were eating in casual clothes. It was evident they didn’t plan on returning anytime soon.
The labyrinth was deep, and monsters infested the paths, making the journey to and from the surface time-consuming. If they were to go deeper, it would become a long journey spanning several nights.
Mitrof muttered that he would be depressed if he couldn’t get out of this underground labyrinth, and the adventurer next to him laughed.
“What’s wrong, kid? Don’t you know?”
The man was middle-aged, with white mixed into his short-cropped hair and chin stubble. The corners of his eyes drooped, and his eyelids looked drowsy, softening his appearance.
“Don’t know what?”
“You know you’ll get a ‘wing emblem’ if you conquer the 10th floor, right?”
“Yeah, the receptionist told me that—she said it’s a milestone.”
“Then why do you think it’s called a ‘wing emblem’?”
That is what Mitrof goes on to say. intending to explain that beginners are called “rubi” and that the rubi bird, which has noticeable red feathers, loses them when it becomes an adult…
But the man shook his head, as if anticipating Mitrof’s response.
“No, no. After passing the 10th floor, adventurers literally get their own ‘wings’.”
It was like a riddle. When Mitrof twisted his neck to ask what it meant, the man sitting next to the adventurer with short hair interjected.
“Hey, are you still giving the ‘course’ to the newcomers?”
As he sharpened his short sword with a whetstone, the man turned to face Mitrof.
“This guy sits here and waits, and when a newcomer comes in, he talks about it—’What is that about? Please let me tell you!’—This guy has been on the 10th floor eagerly waiting for them every day, just for that.”
“Hey, don’t talk about me like I’m some kind of depraved weirdo!”
“You know yourself well.”
“Shut up! Swordsmen like me are weak against swordhorn rabbits!”
“Then hurry up and find some party members!”
“What can I do?!—When a middle-aged man like me calls out to them, they get suspicious!”
“Ha!—A middle-aged man with no confidence or charisma is just pathetic!”
They seemed to have a close relationship as they exchanged sharp words, paying no attention to Mitrof and Canule standing still.
“There’s a great elevator, you know.”
A passing beastman woman casually informed them.
“Sorry for overhearing—well, I have good hearing, you know.”
Pointing to her head were animal ears that grew perkily from it.
“Ah! Why are you telling him instead of me? You idiot!”
“The idiot here is you guys—what are you doing, telling silly stories to the newcomers?—Young people aren’t as free as you—go to work.”
The tongue was so sharp that Mitrof took a step back. The men suddenly became quiet and hung their heads.
“That’s terrible… It’s too much…even though I’m concerned…”
“You don’t have to say that…hey, right…?”
“That’s how you two bond—by licking each other’s wounds.”
The beast-woman cut them off with a glance, turning to face Mitrof. Her expression changed completely, and she showed a light, friendly smile.
“Not many people know this, but there are vertical holes with the great elevator set up in the labyrinth up on the surface—of course, there’s a fee, but nothing is more convenient when you’re going into the deep parts.”
“Wow,” Mitrof said, impressed.
“Is it made with magic?”
“Well, I don’t know complicated things like that—you just use it, that’s all.”
“It’s a relic, a relic,” said the short-haired man.
“It must have been the wisdom of the ancients to move such a huge thing.”
“You say it as if you’ve ridden it before?”
“Hey, are you being mean to me?”
The man with the short sword laughed at the short-haired man’s sullen profile. He deftly spun the sword in his hand, checking the sharpness with his fingers as he continued to explain.
“That’s one of the guild’s treasures—no one knows the details. It’s said to be powered by a relic or that some genius built it. The important thing is that it can take you down to the bottom in no time.”
“If you pay the money,” said the woman with the animal ears.
“Yes, if you pay, you don’t have to walk—it’s like having wings; you can go up and down as you please.”
“I see, so that’s why it’s called ‘wings.’ I’m learning something new.”
The three adventurers exchanged glances at Mitrof’s formal language, but it ended there.
Adventurers were all people who had some kind of situation. No one would ask deeply about it. It was an unspoken understanding among adventurers.
“Well, you can go back and forth over 10 floors if you take your time—a lot of people don’t use the great elevators.”
A short-haired man commented as if he had regained his composure. He pointed to a tent set up across from the small room.
“It’s expensive, you know—many people just use it for a one-way trip.”
“Hey, why don’t you try using it for free?—A noob like you could climb into a barrel full of them and fall in.”
“Aren’t you going too far?!”
The woman with beast ears laughed, the man with short swords laughed, and the man with short hair, who had been teased, also laughed while retorting.
Watching them, Mitrof also laughed. He could also hear Canule’s suppressed laughter behind him.
Mitrof and Canule took a break and enjoyed chatting with the men. The three of them were not skilled adventurers, as they had only changed careers a few years ago.
Still, they were much more accustomed to the labyrinth than Mitrof. The tension that Mitrof still couldn’t let go of, the men had managed to rid themselves of. This was not in a negative sense, but a conscious decision to rest when necessary and switch mindsets.
Swordsmanship, etiquette, and even dance were subjects that Mitrof’s private tutor always taught him. With a teacher to guide him, he could improve with ease. However, now that there was no teacher to teach him how adventurers should act, it was difficult.
If anything, he was taught the basics by Grace, but that was only the beginning. There were still many things he didn’t know. Speaking to his seniors like this was a great learning experience for Mitrof.
The three of them had explored in the morning and were taking a break for a while.
“Then, see you later.” After exchanging promises to meet again, Mitrof and Canule decided to continue deeper into the labyrinth.
As they moved away from the small room overflowing with human presence and filled with light, they gradually began to sense an unsettling feeling. Beyond that point was the territory of monsters, and they needed to firm up the slackened tension.
Mitrof placed his right hand on the hilt of his rapier to be ready to escape at any time. He talked to Canule while scanning the area for any movement.
“A great elevator?—Labyrinth has some amazing things.”
“Yes, I was surprised too—if we can figure out how it works, it would make exploration much easier.”
“Yes, but the cost seems to be quite high, which is a concern.”
Canule smiled softly, rolling a bell at Mitrof’s complicated expression.
“Yes, there are more items to write in the household account book.”
“So far, the records have held up well—it turns out that the cost of food is putting a strain on the family budget.”
Canule laughed again.
“Don’t laugh like that—I feel like I need to seriously lose weight.”
“Don’t worry about it too much—Mitrof-sama is already wonderful as he is.”
Canule consoled Mitrof, but at the same time, Mitrof was troubled about whether to rely on her words.
Although Mitrof’s physical activity had increased significantly since becoming an adventurer, his weight had not decreased much.
“The post-labyrinth meals are just too delicious…”
Yes, they were truly delicious.
‘Sweating in the labyrinth, grinding our lives away, exhausted in spirit and body—the food from the food stalls is as tasty as if your life demanded it—and what a wonderful feeling of satisfaction to have food in your stomach!’
At first, Mitrof felt uncomfortable with the noble and refined meals on the dining table, but now he had completely become accustomed to the commoner’s food.
Strong seasoning and spices were essential for the body after working hard in the labyrinth.
Adventurers tended to become excessively attached to certain acts or behaviors in order to relieve the terrible tension and excitement in the labyrinth. In Mitrof’s case, he was already accustomed to focusing on eating, so he always overindulged in food after returning from the labyrinth.
Night after night, Mitrof would hit his stomach and feel a slight regret. But his gluttony was recorded as numbers in the household account book, which made him condemn his own instincts as his rationality held the moral high ground. ‘You’re eating too much,’ he scolded himself.
However, the truth was that Mitrof loved to eat. It was a difficult problem to limit himself in moderation.
As he pondered whether to have a restrained meal today, he noticed a shadow floating at the end of the hallway.