The Academy’s Labyrinth (2)
“Fuu, here we are huh”
I experienced a sense of floatiness like I lost my foothold the moment I passed through the labyrinth’s entrance, and I was standing on the ground in the next moment. I just can’t get used to this teleportation no matter how hard I try.
“Is everybody around?”
President Marina says and looks around at everybody. ……uh-huh, looks like everybody is around. It’d be a pain if we got separated here.
“Well then, let’s decide your position. Lei, are you better as a vanguard or a rearguard?”
President Marina asks me. By the way, President Marina is a Magic Support; Mewcroul-san is a rearguard with her bow; Vice-President Brook attracts the enemies as a sword-and-shield vanguard; Berg-san is an axe-carrying vanguard. Aerith is a middle guard that manages both sides. Nnー, what should I do. In all honesty, I’m fine with anywhere.
“Which side makes the President uneasy? Let’s put me there”
“U~n, okay. In that case, I guess I shall have you be a rearguard. After all, there is Brook and Berg as the vanguard, and when it comes down to it, Aerith will join in as well. But there are times when the rearguard’s support doesn’t make it in time; when there are lots of enemies. And because of that, the vanguards also get in danger”
“Understood. In that case, I shall be a rearguard”
Afterwards, we respectively get our equipment ready. It seems the monsters will not enter this labyrinth’s entrance no matter what, so we had our weapons and so forth in the Item Box.
By the way, the Item Box is also something created by the originator to use in the labyrinth, and when outside of the labyrinth, it can only be used near the labyrinth’s entrance. That’s why just now, we distributed the foodstuff and whatnot that were placed in President Marina’s Item Box to everybody near the entrance. All of us have a week’s worth of ration.
“Please follow behind us, President!”
And then, Vice-President Brook, who equipped his sword and shield, takes the lead and plunges forward exultantly. As I was also about to follow and go, Berg-san, who carries a gigantic axe, approaches my side.
“Sorry, Leivelt. He respects the President, so he wants to show her his good side. Besides, clearing this labyrinth is also one of the President’s goal in the academy”
Berg-san, who’s about 180 in height, muscular, and has pointy golden hair. That person says such things to me while winking playfully.
“No, I am not bothered by it. Leaving that aside, the President’s goal?”
Berg-san glances in President Marina’s direction
“She wants to surpass Princess Alexia”
and says. I wonder what’s that about? As I’m thinking about something like that
“It seems, as one would expect, one gets compared variously when they’re Royalty. It appears that President Marina has also been compared to Princess Alexia variously. However, she couldn’t outdo Princess Alexia in any aspect. It seems President Marina has already resigned herself when it comes to that though.
However, she’s doing her best, not wanting to lose in the academy’s results. Well, it’s probably also partially because President Marina respects Princess Alexia that she wants to surpass her though”
I see~. Alexia is indeed brimming with talent.
“Then, what’s her goal for this labyrinth?”
“It seems she wants to clear in 5 days that which Princess Alexia took slightly over a week”
“That’s……”
“That’s why, you, who’ll undoubtedly perform well in the area of combat, became a member. I mean, the Student Council’s members’ opposition was something to behold; since everybody wanted to become a member. So much so that they might’ve gotten into a brawl with President Marina in the worst-case”
Berg-san who says and laughs, ‘Kakaka’.
“……I also intend to do what I can, but is it possible to clear it in 5 days?”
“If we, do our best”
‘If we do our best’. It’s quite tough, based on the feeling just now.
“Berg! What are you doing! Come quickly!”
“I got it! Well, I’ve heard so much about you from Aerith that I’m tired of it. I’m counting my back on you”
Berg-san who says that and walks all the way to Vice President Brook’s side. I’m curious what about me Aerith talked about, but I’ll do my best to meet the expectations.
I retreat close to President Marina and check out the surroundings. The labyrinth we came to was a typical cave. In this world, there are no such labyrinths, but I’ve entered dens created by monsters before. Those are generally caves.
But having lights below our feet is quite a friendly design. We’d have to prepare lanterns or Magic Tools that give out light for something like that under normal circumstances. It’s either that or lighting the place up through Light Magic or Fire Magic. Because the last two consume Magic Power constantly, they’re methods that I don’t really want to use though.
As I’m looking at the surroundings in such a manner
“Leivelt was it. Nice to meet you”
Mewcroul-san speaks to me.
“Yes, nice to meet you as well”
When I return the greeting, Mewcroul-san looks fixedly at me; scanning me from bottom to top carefully. Wha, what? Mewcroul-san then licks her lips
“If you’re fine with it, won’t you add me to your harem?”
……huh? I wonder what in the world is this person saying. As I’m being dumbfounded, Mewcroul-san giggles
“I like strong men, and I’ve heard various rumours about you. I don’t know whether they’re true or not, but nevertheless, all of them spark my interest. I think it’ll be amusing if the rumours are true”
, she traces her fingertip on my chest. And then this time around, while she slowly slides her fingertip down from her chest to her lower body
“I think you know, but us elves don’t look our age. My appearance isn’t that much different from you guys, but even though it looks like this, I’ve lived for 40 years, and I’ve experienced various things. Amongst those experiences, my condition has also been praised for being good before. How about it?”
she bends forward and says to me. I gulp my saliva. Mewcroul-san’s hair is green, dark green at that, and her hips are put together. She also has a pair of moderately sized breasts, to the extent that they push her uniform up. Her waist is slender, and her butt is plump; it’s a body figure that any woman would be envious of. Her face is also rather beautiful, as might be expected from an elf, it’ll probably be irresistible if she casts a flirtatious glance with those almond eyes.
However,
“……my apologies, but I can’t do anything that’ll betray my fiancees”
That’s right. There’s no way I can be tempted by such seduction. Aerith is looking at me worryingly at the back after all. I don’t know what’s her intention behind saying such things to me, but there’s no way I can betray everybody who loves me. In response to the answer of such me, Mewcroul-san
“I see. It can’t be helped then. I can’t be getting cut down by my best friend Aerith either after all. Give me a call if you ever feel like it”
gave me an aloof reply. She’s somehow not taken aback though, I wonder what’s with it. I don’t get it.
As we’re talking in such a manner
“Goblins!”
Vice-President Brook’s voice raises from the front. When we look in front, five goblins show up from the sidepaths. However
“Oraaa!”
Berg-san gives his axe a swing, and two goblins get blown away. Their internal organs and blood scatter about; it’s quite grotesque. Vice President Brook bashes the goblin’s face with his shield and makes them falter, and from there, he decapitates it with his sword.
Aerith slashes one with Kagerou in the meantime, and before I know it, Mewcroul-san, who had readied her bow, had shot and killed the remaining two. ……that’s a Magic Bow huh. A light-green shining arrow appeared in Mewcroul-san’s hand when she readied her bow. She then released that arrow towards the goblins. A bow that creates arrows through Magic Power huh. It’s quite convenient.
……huh? Aren’t I not doing anything?
“Humph, unneeded”
Vice President Brook looks in my direction and says something like that. Berg-san is smiling bitterly. Aerith is glaring at the Vice President, and Mewcroul-san gives off the feeling like it has nothing to do with her. President Marina
“……I didn’t have the time to do anything huh”
is somewhat down.
……as I thought, I feel uneasy about our destination.
