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The Otherworld Conquest Method of a Reincarnated Porter Chapter 101

Rotos

　The next morning, after having breakfast, we board the carriage and move on. We arrived in Rothos just past noon. Worthily a city that is home to the bronze-rank promotion labyrinth, we can see a large number of adventurers in the streets just past noon.

「So this is Rotos. Everyone seems to be very strong.」

So Zofie says, but no one is giving off the air of a strong person. I may be a porter, but the current me is high-leveled, and I believe I am fairly rich in combat experiences. Let’s quickly promote to a bronze-rank adventurer, return to Magt and have fluffy times with Niinya.

「Let’s get some food before we stop by the Adventurers’ Association. Lunamilia-sama and Zofie need to register as adventurers, and that might take a while, after all.」

「Yes, Sei-sama.」

「I understand. It sure is nice to have someone with experience.」

「I suppose this is where we part ways. I have already registered as an adventurer, so there is no point in staying with you, after all.」

Scarlett seems to be quite capable as a magician, so I would like to learn more about the way to carry yourself in a battle as a magician and also about magic from her, but I guess things won’t always go your way, huh.

「No way, we’ve gotten so close that we would hunt monster together, haven’t we?」

「That’s right. Besides, food tastes better when you eat it together with everyone.」

「B, but….」

Oh, she seems to be wavering. Alright, let’s give her one more push.

「Just because we eat meals together, it’s not like we have to form a party together, so isn’t it fine? Besides, I plan to dish out some money to buy information at the Adventurers’ Association. If you come with us, you might be able to get some valuable information for free, you know?」

「… Is that so? Fine. However, if you plan to buy information, I’ll also pay my fair share.」

Leaving aside Lunamilia, who is ignorant of the ways of the world, I guess it is only natural that she doesn’t want to owe a debt to a man she just met. Casually choosing a tavern where we can eat, we go in. It is a little past lunchtime, but the tables are half full and most of the customers seem to be male adventurers. As soon as we enter the tavern, all eyes are on us. No, not us, but the three girls. Lunamilia and Scarlett in particular are quite the beauties, after all.

「Hmph.」

Scarlett looks like she has gotten really fed up with it. She’s a beautiful magician, so I guess she gets a lot of attention from men on a regular basis. Lunamilia is the same as usual. Oblivious to their gazes, she is staring at my face with a radiant smile on her face. Zofie is reading the menu at her own pace. Taking a seat, we order some food when the waitress comes over, but then there is some kind of commotion at one of the tables. It seems that the adventurers are quarreling.

「I’m fed up with you already. I’m firing you! Get the hell out of here and find another party or something!」

「Do you know how much I’ve contributed to this party up until now?! Hmph, fine. I guess this is the end of us.」

With a crash, one of the adventurers leaves the table, dropping the dishes on the floor. We are watching the scene quietly, but the other customers seem unconcerned. The female waitress taking our order explains to us.

「Is this your first time coming to Rotos? Such a thing is a regular occurrence here, you see. Every day someone leaves the party and someone else joins it. You can get the details from the Adventurers’ Association.」

It is exactly as Irina said. You form a party and defeat certain monsters. Splitting up with someone you don’t like would probably do both sides good. It is too dangerous to fight in a team with someone you don’t get along with and can’t coordinate with. Perhaps I am pretty lucky to have met Lunamilia and the others before I came here. If I can successfully form a party with them, the promotion exam will probably become much easier. In particular, a monk’s healing by means of sacred magic would surely be very helpful, after all.

After we finish our meal, we immediately head for the Adventurers’ Association. It’s huge. The building is by far the largest of all the other Adventurers’ Associations I have seen thus far. A large number of adventurers must be using it every day. When we enter the building, it is unexpectedly empty. As in other adventurers’ associations in other cities, I wonder if the place is most crowded early in the morning, as expected.

When we head to the reception desk, I find a young woman and a woman of about forty standing there. I call out to the elderly woman. The more experienced one is, the more likely they are to have good information.

「Excuse me, we’re new here, but first, please help me register these two as adventurers.」

「Oh my, you’re so young yet you already have a harem? How enviable.」

I can feel Scarlett getting a little sullen behind me. Oh boy, just ignore this kind of casual talk.

「Also, I’d like to buy some information. About the town, the labyrinth, the monsters that appear around the town, and also the location of medicinal herbs.」

「Oh my, a big spender, aren’t we? But too bad for you.

Information on the town and its surroundings is free of charge, and information on the labyrinth can be obtained in the reference room as long as you pay one small silver coin. If you can’t read, we’ll charge you a fee, though. As for information beyond that, if you insist, I’ll give it to you for a fee, but going to such length from the get go is a bit, you see….」

「Hmm? From the get go is impossible? And what’s this information beyond that?」

「The weaknesses of the zone lord and the labyrinth lord. Basically, most adventurers fight only with the information in the reference room.」

「What is this zone lord?」

「Oh my, looks like you don’t know anything. Very well. But first, let’s start with these two’s adventurer registration.」

First, we complete the adventurer registration for Lunamilia and Zofie. It looks like they will be able to issue the wooden certificates as she gives us some explanation, so we pay a small silver coin each and listen to the explanation in the reference room, which is about six-tatami mats wide.

「This is the reference room. This is the map and this is the distribution of monsters. You are not allowed to take it out. Don’t stain it, okay? And then, let me explain about the labyrinth. The Labyrinth of Rotos here is a flat-type labyrinth with only one stratum.」

「Heh, that’s unusual.」

「I suppose so. However, it’s truly big, so be careful, okay? We have no idea how big it is. There is no sun in the labyrinth, but the sky is as bright as on the above ground. It will be totally dark by the time the sun goes down, so be sure to bring camping gear with you.」

「If it’s a flat-type labyrinth, won’t we get attacked as we camp there?」

In other labyrinths, it is possible to camp for the night by blocking the entrance to a small room at a dead end. However, this should not be possible in a flat-type labyrinth.

「Let’s see, take a look at the circle marks on this map. You can call them safe zones, a good place to camp. Adventurers have been sprinkling holy water around these areas since a long time ago, specifically for hundreds of years, so it’s hard for monsters to get close. However, you mustn’t trust it blindly. It’s not like you will never get attacked by monsters there, after all. If you have money to spare, I would like you to sprinkle holy water on the area as well.」

The map is divided into six zones, each of which is marked with a number of circles.

「What do these zones signify?」

「These are the areas where the monsters known as the five zone lords and labyrinth lord move around. Each zone is very large, so you need some luck to be able to encounter a zone lord or a labyrinth lord. If they have been subjugated by another party, they will not reappear until after about 10 days. Information on subjugations is posted on the bulletin board, so please refer to it.」

「I see, the ranks of the zone lords are, err~, they range from 26 to 31, huh. And the labyrinth lord is 38?! Isn’t that too strong for a bronze-rank promotion test?」

I used to hunt Giant Purple Spiders whose ranks were over 40, but that was only possible because I had a large number of potions as well as a sense of security stemming from the fact that Mireia was nearby. Taking advantage of the Giant Purple Spider’s attack pattern, I was able to attack it without suffering any injury, but if you ask me if I could defeat a monster of the same rank, I honestly think it would be tough.

「I suppose so. You will probably be able to raise your rank much more easily in another territory. However, in other territories, your contribution to the Adventurers’ Association would probably be important. In that case, no matter how skilled an adventurer you are, there is a chance that you would need years to get promoted. The examinations here only require strength, so it attracts adventurers who want to get promoted as quickly as possible. How is it? You’re tempted to go to another town, aren’t you?」

I can’t just back down and say, 「Yes, that’s right」. It’s not like you have to subjugate it solo anyway; as you can simply form a party to complete it. With my strength, it should be well within the realm of possibility.

「No, it suddenly piques my interest, I’d say. Then, tell me about the specifics of the promotion test.」

「Yes, the test is divided into two parts. The first part is a practical test. You will have to fight the examiner in the examination hall behind the association, and if you can make the examiner acknowledge that you have the strength of a Bronze-rank adventurer, you will pass. If everything goes well, maybe you will even be able to take the test right this instant. The test fee is one small silver coin.」

As long as you can make them acknowledge your strength, there is no need to beat the examiner, huh. Alright, as a test of our strength, let’s give it a try after this.

「We can use magic right?」

「Of course. The goal is not to beat the examiner, so as long as you show them your strength, that is good enough.」

「Ugh, I’m a little nervous.」

「Is it okay to use sacred magic?」

「Oh my, you are a monk? Hmm, you will have to ask the person in charge. Sacred magic is a bit, or rather, quite dangerous, so be sure to confirm it with them, okay?」

Sacred magic is quite dangerous, huh. I can’t wait to take a look at it. I have only seen purification magic before, after all. Ugh, not good, not good. As I recall that figure of Lunamilia, my lower body ends up showing a reaction. Calm down.

「And then, the second test is to subjugate the labyrinth lord. All you have to do is form a party and subjugate the labyrinth lord. However, before you can challenge the labyrinth lord, you have to defeat all the zone lords. First, form a party and apply at the reception desk. Then, bring the magic stones that serve as proof that you have defeated the zone lords. There is no problem with changing your party every time. You can register up to eight members in your party.」

「I see. How do we find a party?」

「There are many recruitment notices on the bulletin board, so you can take a look and apply for one. They also recruit members in front of the association every morning. If you become famous, they might even call out to you directly.」

Alright, that is pretty much all the information I want to know right now. Let’s take the practical test and then look for an inn.

「Ah, right. Are you guys a party of four? No offense, but you should ask a veteran party somewhere to let you join them. The labyrinth here has a pretty high fatality rate, you see. Especially in the last few months. Even if we exclude the zone lords, there are other powerful monsters, and there are many cases where a party gets surrounded by dozens of monsters and runs out of steam on their way back. You get it, don’t you?」

「Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.」

It is not like we have decided to form a party together. I have a feeling that Lunamilia alone is going to come with me. Maybe Zofie too. Scarlett is a little hard to read. Still, for the fatality rate to be as high as it has been the past few months, I wonder if there’s something unusual going on in the labyrinth. Maybe there’s an adventurer-hunter out there.

I make a rough copy of the map of the labyrinth, including information on the monsters. Scarlett does the same.

「Say, it’s fine if it’s just for the first one, but what do you say about the four of us forming a party together? And then we team up with another veteran party and go exploring.」

「I’d like that very much, please. Sei-sama.」

「I was thinking the same thing. Looking forward to work with you.」

「…..」

Scarlett falls into thought for a while. Not only is she a magician, she is a beauty. She might be very popular, but I think asking a veteran party to let you join them has its own risk. She is a woman, so there is a possibility that they will demand a lot of things from her.

「Let’s do it together, Scarlett-san.」

「That’s right, just for the first one is fine.」

「… I suppose so. For the time being, I guess I’ll join you on a trial basis. But no hard feelings if I leave the party someday, okay?」

「Ooh, I see, alright, let’s apply for a party formation right this instant.」

We head to the reception desk and register. All we have to do is fill out a form. Lunamilia’s and Zofie’s wooden adventurer’s cards are done already. Rotos is a labyrinth of intermediate difficulty. There seems to be no other new adventurers registering here, so we are able to pick them up right away.

「Now then, let’s see, what should we do with the name and the leader of the party?」

「The leader is Sei-sama.」

「Sounds right to me, you’re the experienced one, after all.」

「Do whatever you want.」

Well, I say leader, but it’s not like you will be able to do something with this title, after all.

「Alright, I’ll be the leader, so now, what about the party name?」

「How about, God’s Servants?」

「That’s kind of uptight. There are three women in the party, so how about Maiden Troupe?」

「…..」

Lunamilia and Zofie are discussing, but Scarlett, who has no attachment to this party whatsoever, seems to be acting as if it is none of her business. Well, the name is just a symbol anyway, so honestly speaking, I don’t really care about it either.

「Do you have any ideas, Sei-sama?」

「If it were up to me, hmm, Carrier, perhaps.」

「Pfft, that sounds interesting. It’s so not party-like, which is nice.」

「Sei-sama is the leader, so I think it’s a good idea.」

「Then, let’s go with Carrier for the party name. And done.」

As I hand in the registration form, I try asking if we could take the practical test. The receptionist woman goes upstairs to confirm.