The Otherworld Conquest Method of a Reincarnated Porter Chapter 48 Part 1
Promise
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Today I am going to stop by the furniture store to pick up the duckboards and then try to do an overnight labyrinth exploration. I will cook, take a bath, and stay the night in the labyrinth. I guess I will leave the inn when the sun is a little higher in the sky.
「Hanya~, I’m at my limit-nya~」
「Phew~, today, too, it felt great, Niinya. I have to get going, but feel free to take your time. Oh, right, I’m going to stay in the labyrinth for two or three days, so don’t worry, okay?」
「Got it-nya. The labyrinth is dangerous, so be careful-nya.」
「Alright, I’m off.」
I kiss Niinya on the forehead and am about to leave the room.
「Ah, Sei-nyan. Me too, together with you… Ah, no, it’s nothing-nya. Take care-nya.」
「Yeah, I’m off.」
That Niinya, does she want to be an adventurer and work with me, by some chance? She is still twelve years old and Jobless. I am also still lacking in strength, so I cannot really take her along with me.
After leaving the inn, I buy four loaves of bread and a considerable amount of apples. I want to make soup, so I also buy rock salt, potatoes, and vegetables. As for meat, I will source it locally. At the general store, I buy a pot and firewood, and at the furniture store I take the duckboards I ordered. With this, I am ready to go.
I enter the labyrinth and head to the third stratum at once. Paying some attention to my presence concealment and presence detection skills, I proceed to draw the map. As I thought, when you enter the labyrinth alone, it is easier to detect the enemy first. I engaged in many battles, but most of the time, I was able to launch a preemptive attack.
After a long day, I decide to use a small room at a dead end as my rest area for today. I know how to do this from my labyrinth exploration with Gorth. Leaving just enough space for an air hole, I block the entrance with earth magic, I then double layer it just to be sure. Come to think of it, I forgot to bring holy water. In that case, let’s make the walls a little thicker. Then I try to make vegetable soup. I put a small amount of water in the pot, add some monster meat, potatoes, and vegetables, season with rock salt, and heat it up over a wood fire. I also put the monster meat on skewers and roast it.
In the meantime, I prepare the bath. Using magical energy manipulation, I widen the size of the storage entrance and take out the wooden bathtub. After pouring water into the bathtub with magic, I use fire magic to heat it up. This is challenging. With the amount of magical energy I have now, I don’t think I will be able to soak in hot water.
Then, I take out the four duckboards and lay two futons on them. After arranging the pillows and blankets, my sleeping arrangements are perfect. This is what you call solo camping, right?
As I calm myself down while enjoying my meal, I suddenly remember Amberlius. I wonder if Alma, Mion, and Lily are doing well. I may return someday. No, maybe I will die in some labyrinth somewhere, unnoticed. That is also the life I have chosen.
After finishing the meal and cleaning up, I use my remaining magical energy to heat the water in the bathtub. As I soak in the bathtub, I am assailed with a surge of exhaustion and drowsiness.
「Phew~, as I thought, a bath sure is nice. It’s the best.」
The bath, which I have had for the first time in a long time, is a little lukewarm for this season, but it is not cold in the labyrinth, so it is not so bad. Done with the bath, I lay down on the wooden bed.
「Ooh, it’s mighty comfortable. Maybe even better than the bed at the inn.」
I guess I will leave the cleanup of the bathtub for tomorrow, and for now, let’s go to bed. A day like this is not so bad, either.
◇ ◇ ◇
After spending three nights in the third stratum of the labyrinth, I managed to finish drawing the map of this stratum. As I thought, staying in the labyrinth allows me to draw the map more efficiently. After all, I can explore the labyrinth from the time I wake up in the morning until I go to bed at night. On top of that, since I am by my lonesome, I can explore at a faster pace.
I am somewhat at a loss whether or not I should return to the above ground as it is, but decide to take a look at the fourth stratum. This is because I come across a group of about ten people that are descending to the fourth stratum. They are probably an impromptu party formed to subjugate the stratum lord, the giant armored spider. As I follow them, I find myself in the large room on the fourth stratum.
「Tch, they beat us to it, huh.」
「Hey, guys, we’re dispersing for today.」
「The next challenge would be in three days at the earliest, a week at the latest, right?」
The elderly adventurer leading the group announces the dispersal of the party. In the room, a battle between four beastman adventurers and the stratum lord is unfolding. Three of them are holding iron swords, while one is repeatedly attacking with his bare hands. Moving about swiftly, the beastmen are engaging the stratum lord, which boasts a large body, in a way that doesn’t allow it to lock on a certain target
They repeatedly launch attacks at the giant armored spider, aiming at the joints of its legs, and after it stops moving, they aim at its faces to take it down. It took some time, but it seems that they were able to defeat it with almost no injuries. After they finish it off, a common folk porter shows up and puts the dismantled giant armored spider into storage one after another. I believe the skin of the giant armored spider is used by tanning it and then turning it into armor.
After confirming the strength of the stratum lord, I return to the above ground. While I am trading the materials, I run into Alto and the others.
「Sei, it’s been a while.」
「Sei-san, thank goodness. I thought you went missing in the labyrinth, you know.」
「I was staying in the labyrinth for a while, after all. But still, your looks sure have changed. You’ve become more adventurer-like now.」
「It’s all thanks to you, Sei-san.」
「Here me out, Sei. I can finally use weapon enhancement now.」
Alto pulls out his iron sword and begins to channel magical energy into it. Even as he channels his magical energy into it, there is no apparent change in the appearance of the iron sword, but my magical energy perception shows a reaction. True enough, material enhancement is in effect. He must have been practicing every day.
「Alright, as promised. Take it, Alto.」
I hand Alto the red-iron alloy sword. It is a custom-made item I requested a Dwarven blacksmith in Amberlius to make, a fine sword that costs five large gold coins. It is made of 20 percent red iron, which makes it not only strong, but also relatively easy for magical energy to pass through.
「Whuoo, it’s really for real, right? I won’t give it back, okay, Sei?」
「Yeah, I don’t mind. Now try channeling your magical energy into it.」
「Ooh, it’s easy to let magical energy through. Starting tomorrow, let’s try putting it into use right away.」
「How’s it? Once you get used to it, what do you say about challenging the stratum lord? You guys and me, the five of us. I’m leaving Magt in April, after all. Let’s show the results of your training before then.」
「Huh, are you going to go to another town, Sei-san? No way.」
「Subjugating the stratum lord, huh. If it were the me from some time ago, I would’ve thought it’s impossible, but now we also have Noma and Mamua with us, after all. What do you say, guys?」
「If Sei-san is with us, I think we’ll be okay.」
「I also want try my spear against a strong foe, after all.」
「I don’t think I’ll be much use, but if that’s alright with you.」
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
Otherworld Conquest Method of a Reincarnated Porter
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Tftc.