NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 41
Forbidden Six Labyrinths – Sasha’s Journey 1
A month had passed since Haise’s departure.
Sasha was being glared at by a sulking Presea in the Clan Sacred’s office.
“……”
“…Hey, Presea. It’s been a month already. Can’t you forgive me by now?”
“I’m not mad. It was Haise’s request, after all.”
Haise’s request to Sasha was to “knock Presea unconscious”.
Additionally, he asked her to “take care of Presea if possible”.
Since Sasha had accepted payment, her earnest nature compelled her to keep Presea as a temporary member of the team.
However, every day, Presea would glare daggers at her, as if harboring resentment.
Perhaps annoyed by this tension, Piasora, who was assisting Sasha, chimed in.
“Sasha, if she’s such a bother, why not kick her out? I don’t care if it was Haise’s request or whatever. There’s no reason for us to employ this elf, especially since she’s a solo adventurer and not part of the team.”
“This has nothing to do with you. And who are you, anyway? Why are you even here? Sasha, there’s an outsider—no, an annoying cat here. Get rid of her.”
“Whhhaaaat?! You dare to call Sasha by name and even try to boss her around?!”
Veins popped on Piasora’s forehead as she snapped.
Presea, however, remained unfazed.
“Both of you, enough already. Piasora, I plan to keep Presea here until I fulfill Haise’s request. And Presea, while you’re a guest here, I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from insulting my valued team members.”
“Va-valued?! Sasha, you consider me valuable? Ahhh, I’m so happy!!”
“…Fine. I’m heading out.”
“Hm? Where to?”
“I’m an adventurer, remember? Of course, I’m going to take on a quest.”
“You can take quests from here too. In fact… we’ve had so many brought in that we can’t handle them all, even with the extra teams. If you’re a skilled adventurer, I could use your help.”
“I have no intention of joining your clan.”
“I’m not asking you to join, just to help out. You’re an A-rank adventurer, right?”
Having proven herself in the Stampede battle, Presea had reached A-rank.
She considered for a moment and gave a small nod.
“Fine. Going to the guild is a hassle anyway.”
“Much appreciated. Piasora, show Presea to the quest board.”
“I don’t want to! But… if Sasha’s asking, I guess I have to. Come on, let’s go.”
“Right.”
The two left the room.
Sasha sighed and muttered under her breath.
“Honestly, Haise… leaving Presea in my care like this.”
◇◇◇◇◇◇
A meeting of Clan Sacred’s core members was held.
The topic: challenging the Forbidden Six Labyrinths.
“Clan Sacred has grown significantly. We now have over fifty member teams, and the number of incoming quests has skyrocketed. We’ve nurtured A-rank teams and established plans for training lower-tier ones. Now, we Sacred members can freely take on quests ourselves. Though it’s sooner than expected, now is the perfect time to challenge one of the Forbidden Six Labyrinths—the Great Salt Lake of Dilolomans.”
Declared Tycoon, his glasses flashing as if catching the light.
Reynold agreed.
“I’m all for it. Plus, we’ve got Yggdrasil backing us. If we leave the capital now, declaring that we’re taking on the Forbidden Six Labyrinths, we’ll return as great heroes. Sasha, the S-rank adventurer, will go down in history.”
“Whether or not I make history… I agree with Reynold’s point.”
Sasha spoke, momentarily envisioning the back of a boy in a black coat.
Robin raised a concern.
“But wait, isn’t the Great Salt Lake of Dilolomans in the west? Near Frizd, the frigid land? That’s close to demon territory, isn’t it?”
“Oh my, are you scared? Would you like to stay behind?”
“Piasora, you’re the worst! I don’t want to stay behind!”
Piasora chuckled mockingly.
The demons—they had encountered them once before.
Though they’d won thanks to their terrain advantage, the enemy had been formidable.
“We need thorough preparation. Everyone should carry two item boxes—one filled with food, the other with medical supplies and camping gear.”
“Also, let’s take two A-rank teams with us. They can wait at the labyrinth’s entrance as messengers.”
“Right! And we need to maintain our weapons and armor. I’ll pack smithing tools in my item box and a ton of spare arrows!”
“A bath would be nice, too. We might spend months in the dungeon.”
They discussed their needs and compiled a list.
Thanks to the clan’s ample funds, they could purchase high-quality item boxes and stock up on supplies.
The discussion concluded with Sasha issuing orders.
“Alright… departure for the west, to Frizd, is in one month. Let’s divide up the preparations.”
◇◇◇◇◇◇
A month later.
They entrusted clan operations to Ironz, the fastest-growing A-rank team, and asked Ibis to oversee things.
Sasha and her team set off for Frizd, the frigid land in the west.
Traveling by carriage, they planned to switch to sleds at the border.
With their winter gear ready, they were well-prepared for the dungeon.
“It’s finally happening, Sasha.”
Said Reynold, sitting beside her.
“Yeah. One of the Forbidden Six Labyrinths—the Great Salt Lake of Dilolomans… a vast lake with a unique ecosystem.”
“Sasha.”
“Hm?”
“You… turned him down, right?”
“Turned who down?”
“Prince Cress’s proposal.”
“Oh. Yes, I did. While I feel bad for him, I’m an adventurer at heart. Even if he says I can continue being one, it would still limit my freedom. That’s not the kind of adventurer I want to be.”
“I see… That’s a relief.”
“Eh?”
“Ah, no, I just mean… you’re our leader. We’ll always be together.”
“Yeah, Reynold. Always together.”
“…Yeah.”
The distance between them felt smaller.
From so close, Sasha’s smile appeared radiant to Reynold.
If he leaned in just a little, he could—
“Sasha!!”
“What?!”
Piasora, sitting on Sasha’s other side, grabbed her face and turned it away.
“Careful, careful… You never know where beasts might be lurking, after all…!!”
“Ugh.”
Piasora glared at Reynold, who shouted in protest, “It’s a misunderstanding!!”
The carriage was lively with their commotion.
Meanwhile, Robin and Tycoon manned the coach.
“Pretty peaceful, isn’t it?”
“Peaceful? With all that noise? I’d say the opposite.”
The Sacred team’s challenge of the Forbidden Six Labyrinths was fast approaching.