The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 33: Vallaida Insect Shrine

Before going to Babon’s shop I should look for an inn.

While I am at it I can look around the city.

I leave the popobumu behind at the stable and walk to a nearby place along main street on foot.

A large number of carriages come and go along the main street.

It is like a scene from a big city.

On the other side of the street I am walking on there are various stores lined up.

Oh, I discover a wooden building appropriate for a cheap inn.

The name carved on the wooden signboard is Saika.

The appearance of the inn is like a collective housing apartment.

Its position may as well be next door to the guild.

Since the adventurer’s guild is nearby it is the candidate for the inn to stay at.

But, I have not decided yet. I still intend to look around the area more.

I am not looking for enemies or monsters, but I am walking while using and presence detection.

Through search with smell I am able to detect the smell of blood and the pheromones a person emits.

It is convenient since I could somewhat distinguish the type of a person.

With Rollo on my shoulder, I walk along main street will flaring my nostrils and sniffing *kun-kun*

And, before I cross main street, I see a church-like building made with white stones.

It might not be but since there is a cross shape and a small room with a bell hanging inside it is certainly a church.

While walking along main street in front of the church, I use and presence detection, unconcerned.

As I am comparing people’s actual size with their magic essence I make eye contact with a woman.

She looks like a female adventurer human wearing black leather armor.

Her brown hair that looks like wind with its perm is swaying in the wind.

Her eyes are brown and she is glaring at me.

On her ears she is wearing earrings with pretty white jewels.

The bridge of her nose is high, and her lips are small and faintly red.

She is a beautiful young woman. She is tall for a woman.

The two handed sword on her back is almost the same height.

Her blood smells healthy too.

The blood streaming through the blood vessels in the nape of her neck is rhythmic.

-Looks delicious.

…A dangerous thought.

Recently…it is strange looking at a beautiful woman after embracing Yui.

However, for some reason- hatred is felt in those brown eyes.

She is glaring at me.

Why in such a place on the other side of main street?

People that look like believers of the church are there and block the gaze of the woman.

A group wearing dark blue canonical robes are led by a person wearing a green tunic type canonical robe into the church.

There is a circle and a yellow cross on their back.

Aah, they must be believers of the Sacred God.

I heard about them from Achilles-shisho.

The Sacred God religion believes in the god of light, Ilodis.

Since the glaring woman is praying at the church, should I go?

However, with all the busy pedestrian traffic why was she only glaring at me?

Normally that would be unlikely.

I have no memory of such a beautiful woman with a grudge…

Ma, it must be an accident.

Idiot, I might just be absentminded.

I do not know. I will leave it be.

I do not mind it and keep looking around.

As I advance down the street I find a side street with a pub and restaurant.

This alley has a good feeling and the place is crowded.

It is like the bar street downtown; the atmosphere is good too.

It is also near the apartment inn, this area is good for spending time drinking some liquor.

When I think of it, I immediately move to do so.

I stop my tour midway and retrace my steps back to where I came from.

To the small inn near the guild called Saika.

Deciding to stay in Saika I open the small door.

I talk with the inn owner and pay to borrow a room.

“Your room is the furthest back.”

The innkeeper says so with a wrinkled face like a shriveled persimmon and I leave for the back room.

There is no door, it is a small poor-looking room.

…This is a cheap inn; I cannot store much luggage here.

There is only a solid bed and a large tub.

When I eliminate the bed the pail takes up most of the space.

The innkeeper told me I can bath and wash with this tub.

I was told in a blunt manner that if one cannot use life magic, then water can be freely drawn from the well next to the big willow in the first floor courtyard.

MA, I can understand from the blunt manner of the inn oyaji that this inn is a worn-out cheap housing complex.

Naturally there is no meal. It is not so bad since I have a pail.

Appearing the like the worn-out room, Rollo is jumping up and down on the hard bed.

I hope there are no lice on the bed…

Since I have money, I can probably stay at a high-class inn if I look for one, but this is enough for now. Ma, I just started living in the city.

It is near the guild and an eating and drinking street, so I will enjoy myself.

Well then, I should take a bath.

I pour hot water into the tub using life magic.

I wash my body lightly with gyoza grass since I smell a little.

…Water is a good attribute. It would take time to draw the water.

This life magic…I wonder if I could use it to attack, I have tried it in various ways so far, but the only difference is if the force the water spouts out with.

When I had just learned it I remembered the image of a water cutter using the image of pressure, I had such a dream, but it is impossible with this life magic.

I hope that with the magic like the ancient crest one I learned the other day, the magic of the water attribute may be made according to an image as the source.

Ma, I have the spear.

Even if such an illusion exists as I hope for, I do not know whether such a “thing” really exists.

I still need to learn the sword, it cannot be helped even if I am impatient and learn it shallowly…

First of all, the spear, I should aim even higher.

Including the other ones with magic, I will learn it if I come across the opportunity.

Thinking about such a thing, I hear a *pachan-pachan* sound coming from the surface of the water, and am distracted.

I pay more attention to the sound.

The actual source of the sound is Rollo.

She is swiping her paw at the surface of the water from the edge of the tub.

She looks cute. Amusing, she is slapping down with her paws going *pachan-pachan* and playing.

“Rollo, you may be playing but I can tell you smell bad too.”

“Nya.”

I grab the scruff of the playing Rollo and put her in the hot water.

I am removing the dirt from her legs and also making her paw pads clean. Rollodinu seems to understand that I am washing her body and is extending her body out comfortably.

I soak Rollo in the hot water of the tub.

Rollo shakes her body with a *buru* in the hot water and begins the smoothly swim around the tub when she separates from my hand.

She is surprisingly good at swimming; she is swimming happily by rowing with her feelers across the surface of the water.

She is good at using the feelers underwater.

After a while Rollo gets tired of swimming and gets out of the tub.

Over by the bed she shakes her body *furufuru* and splashes the water around.

“Oi, oi, don’t splash the water around here.

“Nya, Nyaa.”

Rollo sings lively and jumps outside on her own accord.

Where is she going…

I quickly get out of the bath too, get dressed and leave the inn.

I head to Babon’s shop that receptionist-san told me about.

As I walk along the street.

“Nn, Nya.”

Rollo calls and jumps onto my shoulder from behind.

“Where did you go?”

“…”

Rollo only moves her tail.

Did you need to pee?

I walk with my eyes fixed on the street with Rollo placed on my shoulder.

I quickly arrive at Babon’s shop on the other side of main street.

This shop…is a general store, just like receptionist-san said.

The impression of a lot of goods put out.

There are different types of potions to the front along with medicinal herbs. Dry meat, raisins, seasonings and a bunch of bottles with something like blueberry jam are also being sold.

Snack like foods are also set up in a line, when I look they are the kind you find in cheap candy shops.

When I enter the shop, there are bronze swords in places lengthwise and a pot like an umbrella. There is leather armor on display and bulky armor, hanging from the ceiling, knee-length leggings are on display.

For some reason, a barrel and an iron pan used for cooking are placed in the protective gear section. There is also a bag to place at the waist hanging from the ceiling.

There are kinds of small accessories like wooden brushes, oil lanterns, and clean clothes all being sold together.

Rollo seems interested in the smells of the new articles in the general store, she is going *kun-kun* with her nose while stretching out one leg.

“Rollo, no playing around…”

Rollo remains silent but seems to understand the tone of my voice and pulls her foot back.

At such a time, my eyes come to a stop on the backpack hanging from the ceiling on display.

I recall the durable magic bag I got from Shisho.

I might as well get the latest magic bag.

I see someone that looks like a shopkeeper in the back and try to talk to them.

“Excuse me, are there items here necessary for the labyrinth and magic bags?

“Aah, there are. It’s this and this…”

The kind shopkeeper helps me choose things I need; I gather them together to purchase.

I have a light backpack for traveling and I bought a backpack for combat work.

Afterward, the simple lantern is attached to the belt at my waist. I buy field rations, a pan and a magic bag. I also buy a wooden brush for brushing my teeth and I bought a bag with a leather belt that covers my chest.

I buy several pieces of leather.

Since I have , the lantern was not necessary but I want to go for an adventurer like appearance first so I bought the lantern.

Buying it, I immediately put the bag with the leather belt over my shoulder.

I load up the backpack and leave the shop with it on my back.

There are metal fittings on the new back pack so I fix the black spear to my back with them.

With this the preparations are complete.

Should I take care of a request quickly? I return to the guild.

I come back to the guild and walk over the side with the metastasis magic formation.

A small pedestal is placed in front of the magic formation.

There are large words engraved on the top of a wooden pedestal.

This, is it something like an advertisement?

A brief explanation about each labyrinth seems to be written on the piece of wood.

I got it. The wooden tag is thin so it seems to tear immediately.

I guess this is normal since it is free.

Aside from that, this metastasis formation is shining white.

Is it really all right? I feel a little uneasy.

Eeh, waa!

I set foot in the magic formation with Rollo on my shoulder.

At that moment- a *gua* sound in my ear, the scene in front of me is replaced in an instant.

This sensation, aah, it is that.

The sense of entering a tunnel by car.

Is it the pressure change? Or, probably because of metastasis?

After I am attacked with the lump of air in my ear, the transfer succeeds.

The magic formation at my feet is shining faintly.

And, properly, Rollo succeeded in warping with me on my shoulder.

Good. The horror film metastasis with combining does not happen…

I do not want to become a fly-person.

While thinking of such an old movie I exit the magic formation and its color changes from blue to white.

As an experiment I turn back and place my foot in the magic formation again.

The moment my senses are clogged up with air again, I return to the guild.

The metastasis formation of the guild is blue.

When I exit the magic formation it returns to its white color.

When I use the metastasis formation it is like a bunch of small LEDs shining with a blue light.

While I am observing the magic formation with fascination, I am pushed to the side by another adventurer. I am in the way and they enter the magic formation forcibly and disappear.

I belatedly enter the magic formation as well.

When I appear in the Insect Shrine again, the adventurer who pushed me aside joins other adventurers and walks into the labyrinth.

I intended to complain, but I do not.

Let us look at this labyrinth.

The area around the metastasis formation opens into a round space.

However, rather than where the adventurers are gathering, my eyes go to the ceiling.

The impression I get here is completely different from the name Insect Shrine that suggests insects gather.

It is fantastic and magical.

Such romantic words are imagined.

The gray ceiling has numerous holes that the ants can go in and out of, a light similar so sunlight is filtering through the holes.

The light illuminates the dust, and I see a fantasy illusion of silver flowers floating in the light.

The natural source of light illuminates the upper levels of the insect shrine. A truly beautiful labyrinth.

When even dust creates a fantastic natural painting, I will think about it some other time.

Black walls with silver beams of light above constitutes this labyrinth, black fibers are shown in detail.

I approach a wall of the black fiber and see how it feels.

Hard. Instead of black fiber, it is more like it is made of entangled branches.

Innumerable long branches and twigs are gathered together and entwined making it look like fibers.

When I pull on the them forcibly, chi, a splinter is stuck in my finger.

Ite, is this a thorn?

A stinging black thorn.

This black thorn seems to form Vallaida Insect Shrine.

Around the circumference of the transfer formation I came out of it becomes a circular open space surrounded by the black thorn walls.

There are several tents in the middle of the open space.

This seems to be the gathering spot of adventurers and merchants.

Without going there, I walk around along the thorn wall.

Then, thorns entwined in the form of big statues stand in a row between the thorny wall.

The labyrinth wall is not only made of thorn.

The image looks like it is hewn from bedrock, and the big statue looks like it is made of a mineral like copper.

There are a lot of people praying to the statue.

If I pray to this god will I receive benefits?

I walk away from the believers with such a trivial doubt in my heart and go to the center of the open space

“-I am selling a map from the mid to lower levels, does someone want to buy it?”

To the adventurers standing in the area, such words are being thrown.

In addition, there are also merchants selling items, those offering to invite people into their party, and other noisy sounds.

In this place outside of the guild, such an invitation is directed to me.

Passing through the open space I go ahead through the passage where adventurers are going inside.

I see stairs from the right side of the passage.

These big stairs seem to be doorways of the labyrinth.

I guess I will try looking along these stairs.

Since there was no feeling of movement in the metastasis formation I go outside to actually check.

I run up the stairs and easily arrive outside the labyrinth.

Outside, the forest spreads outward and the base of Mt. Burdock is nearer.

The earth around the labyrinth seems to swell up and the place I am standing is on a slope.

When I look up I can see the shape of a domed roof like a huge ant hill, there are a lot of holes.

The holes are a source of light and where the monsters go in and out of.

Now then, what should I see.

While I feel the dazzling sunlight…

I begin to read the wooden tag about the labyrinth.

□■□■

The Vallaida Insect Shrine labyrinth is separated into an upper level, middle level and lower level.

Many ant and insect type monster live there, and threaten the forested area nearby.

Occasionally, with the dragons coming from Mt. Burdock, the place is famous for territorial disputes when they visit. Furthermore, an S rank monster called the Vallaida Great Queen Ant dominates the lower level. A Queen ant protection squad called the Imperial Guard ants exists to protect the queen.

The Imperial Guard ant is an A++ rank of considerable strength.

Without exception the unit defending the queen is strong.

It is famous for existing as the unit that protects the Queen by all means in a labyrinth of other similar ants. There are few adventurers who have broken through this defense and looked directly upon the queen.

Incidentally, the imperial guard ants of this labyrinth will always join together as a three-man platoon, and even now have not been subdued.

□■□■

There is more information but after reading properly, with that timing, I turn away from the wooden tag and shift my focus to the labyrinth.

Shisho talked a lot before about rank A +

It is slightly different from an adventurer’s rank when it is dividing the strength of the monster.

Well then, I will go-

I toss away the wooden tag I was looking at and take the stairs back into the labyrinth.

There are a great many adventurers in a variety of armor under the stairs going to the upper level.

Adventurers are still appearing one after another from the metastasis formation.

That metastasis formation is convenient.

I was told Kuna-san established the metastasis formations…

They must be an amazing magic user.

They are probably in great demand from the guild.

…Even if I can create one I may stay quiet.

While thinking such a thing, I line up with the adventurers to challenge a level of the insect labyrinth.