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Adventurers on a Remote Island – Part 05

Hikaru and Daigo exited the shop. Feeling thirsty, they headed to a back alley shop recommended by Daigo.

The goal of obtaining an elemental magic stone with a 20-centimeter diameter seemed impossible to accomplish, but Hikaru remembered how the huge Black and White Dragons in the Forest of Deception dropped large gems. Considering the high drop rate of elemental magic stones in the Mage of Magic Locks, if he were to defeat monsters of the White Dragon or Black Dragon class…

“I don’t really want to fight…”

He wasn’t eager to risk his life.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about—”

Suddenly Hikaru’s ears caught voices coming from around the corner of the street. Upon hearing the words Maze of Magic Locks and Einbiest, he grabbed Daigo’s hand and moved close to a wall.

“What’s going on?”

“Shh.”

Hikaru activated Group Cloaking to avoid being detected, then listened carefully. Someone was peeing in the narrow path that connected the main street to the back alley.

“What do you think about Michael’s proposition? Pretty interesting, huh?”

“Yeah. Gogo Zoro seemed thrilled too. Luring that human into a trap would be so funny. Hehe. Ensnaring clueless outsiders into Magic Locks is just exceptional.”

“What was her name again? The one they’re luring into a trap?”

“Jillarte?”

“Right, Jillarte. Michael said he didn’t care about anything else, he just wants her. What an idiot.”

“Gogo Zoro is pretty smart, though. I mean, who comes up with the idea of taking her hostage and demanding a ransom from Einbiest? Hey, hurry up. We need to move quickly. Gogo Zoro and the others already left.”

“I know, I know…”

The voices gradually faded away.

“M-Mister?”

Hikaru’s heart was racing. He released his tight grip on Daigo’s hand.

What were they talking about? Traps? Luring Jilarte in the Maze of Magic Locks? Ransom? Were they planning to kidnap Jillarte?

“Daigo, you’ll have to show me around some other time. I have a favor to ask.”

“Wh-What is it?”

“Deliver a message to my companions at the inn. I’m heading to the dungeon right away.”

---

Jillarte was in high spirits. The guide Michael had brought was Esrat the Magic Lock Breaker, a Rank D adventurer who had reached the current deepest part of the Maze of Magic Lock—the fifth floor.

Esrat was a rat Beastman with bleary eyes and protruding front teeth. He barely reached Jillarte’s chest in height, but he was surprisingly overweight, with a small but wide physique. Jillarte briefly wondered whether those caterpillar-like fingers could actually pick locks. Upon seeing the various lockpicking tools jingling from Esrat’s waist, she reassured herself that there shouldn’t be a problem.

It took them an hour by carriage from Southleaf Island’s port town to their destination. The road cutting through the dense forest was in poor condition and barely wide enough for a single carriage. Jillarte’s bottom was sore from the bumpy ride.

“So this is the entrance to the Maze of Magic Locks.”

Before them was a sheer cliff. The reddish-brown wall was smooth, as if shaped by human hands.

Carvings of well-known myths involving dragons and saints decorated the wall, but the enormous carvings lacked finesse, with distorted proportions for both the dragons and the saints.

“We need to register over there,” Esrat said, rubbing his eyes.

Only one entrance existed at the point where the wall met the ground. About five small huts stood in front of it.

They made their way toward the one with a guild signboard, where they presented their dungeon entry permits and guild cards. All the staff had to do was record everyone’s names, and the process was complete.

“Is that all? I was expecting some precautions or something.”

Jillarte recalled the time she delved into a dungeon managed by the guild. The guild staff had repeatedly explained all the precautions—dangerous monster types, first-aid treatment for poison, forbidden routes, and more.

“Not necessary.”

Esrat pointed to the side of the dungeon entrance. There, warning signs were directly carved into the wall.

“Challengers of the Maze of Magic Locks:

I am the Dungeon Master who created this labyrinth, Carlsen Nielsen.

It is advisable to form a party of five or more when entering this dungeon. The monsters inside are extremely powerful, and a lone individual would not stand a chance against them. Even if unfortunate casualties occur, there will be no looting of their equipment. You shall be granted time to mourn the dead. If they have items that must be retrieved, do so within that time.

The monsters are not only formidable. By defeating them, you will earn fame as a conqueror of powerful monsters and potentially acquire spoils. These spoils include elemental magic stones, essential materials for creating monsters. There is a location on this island where elemental magic stones are abundantly produced, and it served as my base during my lifetime for conducting research in the field of sorcery.

Next, concerning the name Maze of Magic Locks, as you progress through the dungeon, you will encounter numerous locked doors. A skilled locksmith will be required.

I have also prepared plenty of traps. A locksmith will prove useful in disarming them, and their knowledge will be required to solve puzzles as well.

Numerous passages await you beyond the doors. These passages are complex, sometimes narrow, and occasionally invisible, so exercise caution.

Following the passages, you will encounter puzzles to solve. These puzzles were crafted with my own wisdom. I strongly urge you to take on the challenge.

Once the puzzles are solved, you will finally have the opportunity to demonstrate your skills. In any of these cases, a locksmith will be necessary.

Arrangements have been made for you to return to the surface should you become exhausted at any stage.

Through this labyrinth, I hope to elevate locksmiths. Therefore, I explicitly declare that, besides monsters and traps, there are no further threats within.”

“What is this?” Jillarte muttered after she finished reading.

She had heard that the dungeon, apart from being a place where elemental magic stones were easily found, had no remarkable features. While one could interpret it that way, she had never heard of these warnings before.

“It’s a declaration posted by the Dungeon Master.”

“I can see that.”

“S-So far, everything written here seems to be true,” Michael interjected with a forced smile.

“I see. So the fifth floor is the deepest anyone’s been.”

“Y-Yes. There’s a massive door on the fifth floor, and nobody can open it. The rest of the dungeon has been thoroughly explored.”

“Can’t Esrat open it?”

Esrat shook his head. “There’s no keyhole on it. It probably operates through a different mechanism.”

“But you’ve thoroughly explored the fifth floor, haven’t you? No areas were missed?”

“No, none at all. We’ve dived into the dungeon dozens, even hundreds of times. We wouldn’t miss anything. Southleaf Island’s guild members agree that the door can’t be opened, and even if it could, there would only be a wall behind it.”

Jillarte nodded. “Hmm… We can get plenty of water elemental magic stones on the fifth floor. Is that a reasonable assumption?”

“I-It is. Reaching the fourth or fifth floor should provide enough elemental magic stones for Einbiest.”

“Good enough for me.”

Jillarte readily believed Michael’s words. Displeased Beastmen cursed under their breath.

“Let’s proceed, then. Our goal is not to clear the dungeon, but to gather elemental magic stones.”

Jillarte, an active adventurer, was equipped with her favorite dual swords. The other Beastmen also had their preferred weapons ready.

“…”

Esrat observed them with emotionless eyes.