Fortunately, in the midst of misfortune, the vampire had not lost consciousness.
Although she had become so weak that she couldn’t control her body.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ suggests giving her some blood!]
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Dorothea rejected the Tin Knight’s suggestion.
She rejected it so quickly that she had already finished saying, “Don’t be ridiculous,” before the “suggests” had fully been transmitted from the “Voice of Guidance”.
“We don’t necessarily need the other party to be healthy to get information. As long as she can move her eyes, she can say yes or no. Hurry up and interrogate her already. Tell her we’ll stake her heart if she doesn’t answer.”
It was a heartless statement.
Adelaide, who was listening nearby, let out a gasp of horror.
The Tin Knight, who had been pretending to sob, suddenly raised his body as if he had thought of something.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ advises that he’ll stake her heart, so if she doesn’t like that, she should get up and fight quickly!]
Dorothea’s staff struck the Tin Knight’s head.
“Sir Knight, as much as I understand your reasoning, that’s a bit...”
Even Adelaide directed a cold gaze at the Tin Knight’s ugly struggle.
Meanwhile, the vampire, who was being directly threatened with death, simply blinked her eyes.
It was unclear whether she didn’t properly understand the words themselves, or if she dismissed them as mere jests.
Eventually, the Tin Knight seemed to have abandoned his persistance, as he entered into negotiations with a serious attitude.
Of course, the very situation of having to leave negotiations to this madman was comedic in itself.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ informs the vampire that he’ll start to ask questions, so she should nod her head for yes, and shake her head left to right for no!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ requests to answer yes if she understood!]
Perhaps she still had enough strength to move her head, as the vampire nodded up and down.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if she knows about the kingdom’s secret treasures!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if she knows the detailed location!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if the kingdom’s secret treasures are hidden somewhere in this room!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ then asks if there’s a deeper area beyond this room!]
Dorothea, who had been quietly watching, interjected, “Wait a moment. The goat from the animal compass was clearly heading this way before it was crushed. But if it’s not in this room, and there’s no deeper area, where on earth is it? Does she really know the proper location?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if she can perhaps point to the specific location!]
The vampire’s arm trembled for a moment but fell limp again.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ suggests that maybe we should just give her some blood!]
“No, this is suspicious. She might just be acting to regain her strength.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that a single drop shouldn’t hurt!]
“You’re only saying that because you’re not the one supplying it! You don’t even have blood to begin with, do you?”
A brief ugly argument broke out between the one trying to feed and the one trying to obstruct it.
Adelaide cautiously raised her hand.
“Um, excuse me. Can I say something for a moment?”
The Tin Knight and Dorothea’s gazes turned to Adelaide.
As both of them nodded simultaneously, Adelaide spoke, “It’s not hidden in this place, and there’s no other place. But she knows the exact location... Could it mean that she has it?”
At Adelaide’s words, everyone’s gaze turned to the vampire at once.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if she has the treasure!]
Dorothea made a dubious expression.
“Even if she has it, where? She’s wearing nothing but rags—there’s nowhere to hide anything.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ declares that absorbing treasures with mysterious powers for a power-up is a cliché!]
“Absorb? Are you saying she ate it or something? That’s ridiculous—“
As the vampire nodded, Dorothea’s mouth gaped open.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that if we divide her into 17 parts, it might pop out!]
The Tin Knight spouted madness as usual.1
Just as Dorothea seriously considered his absurd suggestion, Adelaide said, “Miss Witch. You’re not on the same level as Sir Knight, are you...?”
About 5 minutes later.
Luckily, the cart was retrieved intact. The vampire was added to the list of the party’s possessions as they ascended—that was right, their “possessions” increased but not their “companions”.
***As the morning sun rose, warm sunlight shone down on the campsite near the labyrinth.
Just as budding green sprouts endured the cold night to receive nutrients from sunlight and soil, people, too, needed to fill their hungry stomachs to replenish their vitality.
Smelling the aroma wafting from the food spread on the table, Lorentz Halder licked his lips.
Toast, fried eggs, grilled sausages, and pickled cabbage.
Despite being quite humble for the fare of a successful merchant known throughout the southeastern Empire, Lorentz had no complaints.
To Lorentz, who in his younger days had eaten hard black bread divided over several days, or filled his stomach with salty soup where one might find one solid piece every ten spoonfuls, Lorentz found the luxurious diet of Imperial nobles ill-suited for his body.
While he spared no expense at important reception venues, Lorentz preferred such simple meals in situations where he didn’t need to be mindful of others’ eyes.
It was simple but far from tasteless.
“Those people, they didn’t come back after all,” Micks Halder, sitting opposite, spoke with a voice filled with concern.
Lorentz immediately guessed who “those people” his son was referring to.
“It’s only been a day. It’s not unusual for people to handle meals and rest while exploring a labyrinth, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Do you think Miss Adelaide can endure something like sleeping outdoors?”
Well, Son, I think she can endure it better than you.
Lorentz refrained from voicing the thought that came to his mind.
He didn’t fully believe all the rumors about Lion Duke descendants being immune to disease, or recovering stamina as quickly as young children even after entering adulthood. Still, just looking at the stamina that allowed her to keep running beside the carriage for several hours, it seemed like ordinary outdoor sleeping wouldn’t be a problem.
“According to the guard captain, the knight with them is an incredibly skilled individual, and that Miss Dorothea also seemed quite accustomed to travel, judging by how she picked out exactly the items needed for the labyrinth. With companions like them, Miss Adelaide should be safe too.”
With a slightly brighter expression, Micks bit into his toast.
Lorentz also dipped a sausage in the yolk of a half-boiled egg and put it in his mouth.
The savory and greasy taste spreading at once was truly exquisite.
After finishing the meal like that, and when they were about halfway through their post-meal coffee...
At the news brought by a subordinate, Lorentz set down his coffee cup.
It was news that the party he had just been discussing with his son had returned and was looking for Lorentz.
Only this time, Adelaide came alone—looking utterly ragged.
“I see, I’ll go right away.”
Lorentz moved his steps with a seriously hardened face.
The moment he saw Adelaide in the reception room, Lorentz inadvertently let out a sigh.
...Did the exploration fail?
Adelaide’s appearance was truly dire.
Her entire body was full of scratches and cuts, parts of her armor were torn, and her beautiful golden hair was sullied with dust.
It felt fortunate that his son Micks had temporarily left to observe the employees organizing the warehouse.
Lorentz spoke in a calm tone, trying not to stimulate the other party as much as possible, “I heard you called for me, Miss Adelaide.”
Adelaide, who had been bowing her body as if tired, raised her head.
“Ah, Mr. Lorentz, the company head. I’m sorry for barging in suddenly without an appointment...”
“No, it’s fine. Is there perhaps something I can assist you with?”
“Oh? How did you know?”
As expected, Lorentz was certain his prediction was correct.
Three people went in, but only one returned. Moreover, that one was in a ragged state.
Perhaps the lives of the remaining two were already...
“If you need a rescue request, I’ll step up.”
It wasn’t a proposal born of pure goodwill.
This offer held the ulterior motive of putting the noble girl before him in debt, and if he could possibly save and bring back Dorothea’s side, he could demand other knowledge as compensation besides the herbs that strengthened the horses they had obtained in this venture.
Of course, his sympathy as a human and consideration for his son were no less high.
Lorentz resolved to willingly extend a hand here, even if it meant some financial loss.
“Huh, a rescue request?”
And the girl tilted her head with a reaction that seemed to say, “What are you talking about?”
“...Did you not come seeking help after your companions fell into danger?”
“Ah, no. That’s not it. Sir Knight and Miss Witch are fine.”
Those two are fine, yet you look ?
Lorentz didn’t say anything, but his intention must have been clearly visible in his eyes.
Adelaide blushed shyly and said with embarrassment, “This, well, you see. The magic beasts inside the labyrinth were fierce, so...”
“I see. It must have been quite an intense battle.”
“Yes. I didn’t realize it much when I was just watching while pulling the cart. But when I had to fight alone, there were so many things to pay attention to.”
Cart? Fighting alone?
The more the conversation went on, the more question marks appeared in Lorentz’s mind.
It was somewhat rude, but he even suspected that the girl before him might be spouting nonsense due to a great mental shock.
“Ahem, ahem. I see. So, specifically, what do you want to request from me?”
“Ah, right. Actually, we brought back quite a lot of things from inside. But Miss Witch said that the staff guarding the entrance would definitely cause trouble, so someone with strong speaking power needs to be nearby.”
This was the most plausible thing he had heard so far.
Given the commotion when they first entered, it was a reasonable inference to think that similar troubles might repeat.
...Hehe, the young lady is worrying a bit too much. As long as the guild guys have any face, they won’t be able to find fault with explorers certified by our company.
There might be a possibility of them forcing the issue regardless of face if the amount of treasure was enormous, but the party had only been in the labyrinth for a day so far.
Even if they brought back treasure during that time, how amazing could it possibly be?
“I understand. I’ll go see for myself.”
Even with such thoughts, Lorentz nodded readily.
As the owner of a company, his time was precious, but it would be unacceptable to turn away someone who had come .
The calculation was to show his face for the first few times, and then he could decline later with a clear conscience.
And shortly afterward...
Lorentz found himself unable to close his gaping mouth.
There was a sword with a handle decorated in gold. There was a necklace with a large jewel embedded in it.
There were books that felt ancient yet unweathered, and magic tools whose purposes were difficult to guess were scattered here and there.
Even the guild staff who had sneered at the cart led by the Tin Knight and the cloth covering it, wondering if they had brought out magic beast carcasses, were unable to say anything with expressions full of astonishment.
The witch in black clothes approached Lorentz and said, “As per our original contract, I’ll leave the disposal of the treasures we brought from inside to you.”
“W-wait! Wait a moment!”
A guild staff member who had belatedly come to his senses hurriedly interjected, “T-this requires a thorough investigation! To secure such relics after just one day of entering, you must have used some underhanded method!”
“Specifically, what counts as an underhanded method? Is there some rule that limits the amount of treasure you can bring out in one entry? I haven’t heard any such explanation?”
The guild staff member’s face reddened.
“That’s, that, right! Perhaps you ambushed other adventurers and stole their treasures? If that’s the case—“
“You should think of more plausible excuses before uttering such nonsense.”
After an overt snort, the witch’s gaze turned to Lorentz.
As he met the blue eyes, a lightning-like realization struck Lorentz.
In the contract, how much brokerage fee did we agree to take? 30%. Yes, it was 30%. 30% of the sales amount of the gold and silver treasures filling that cart belongs to our company?
It was a cart large enough to carry people if desired.
Even if it was filled solely with gold bars, its value would already be staggering, but in reality, it included numerous jewels of greater worth than gold, various crafts, and magic tools.
Besides the simple monetary value, if one considered the intangible asset value created by selling these items to influential people in various regions?
Lorentz’s back straightened, his steps became full of strength, and light leaked from his eyes.
No, not just Lorentz, but all the company personnel behind Lorentz were in the same state.
“I cannot overlook such accusations. Are you saying our company’s explorers committed acts of banditry within the labyrinth? Is this the official stance of the Adventurers Guild? If so, Halder Company might need to reconsider its future relationship with the guild.”
The guild staff member started sweating profusely.
As Lorentz displayed his unrivaled performance against the guild staff, the Tin Knight’s party exchanged subtle looks of victory with their eyes.
Using the dazzling glitter of the treasures as a shield, it seemed no one had noticed them sneaking out one person-shaped cargo—or rather—a person.
1. ED Note: The Tin Knight is most likely referencing the Japanese Folktale Sakata No Kintoki, also known as Kintaro, where the demon Shuten-dōji is cut into 17 pieces by Raikō to prevent him from regenerating. Due to this play, the number 17 is associated with complete defeat without a chance for survival.