"You're level one hundred!" Arisa cried out when she discovered the news.
After our battle with the Dogheaded Demon Lord, we all became stronger. I didn't get the title for killing him, but we still gained some levels by breaking the curse. Pearl is now level eighty, Nana seventy-seven, Mia seventy, and Sara is now seventy-six.
After a meal and a tough battle of separating Nana from the now child-sized Crow, we had just returned to the labyrinth. It didn't take long for Arisa to notice our new levels when we arrived at the labyrinth base Satou's group was using for their battle with the Demon Lord. Only Satou and Arisa greeted us while the others bathed with the elves and other forces used in the dummy force.
"Not to mention a god possessed your body!"
So far, Arisa has been the only one to talk, and because of her constant interruptions, it took a long time to retell the story. I don't understand why she is so caught up in the god part since there are people like Sara in this world who have the skills to receive messages from the gods. I can understand the level since I think Satou and the Demon Lord were the only people I have seen with a level higher than one hundred. That part must be rare since I got the title 'Reacher of Human Limits' from it.
"Even the ancestral king Yamato and the first emperor of the Saga Empire were only around level eighty-eight or eighty-nine, you know? Same for all the strongest Heroes in history! But you passed them!"
"Calm down, Arisa." Satou finally got her to stop by pulling her close, but he had to stop Arisa's hand when she tried to grab a part of him.
After a few moments of Arisa failing to grope Satou, we joined the others in the bath.
<0>
"""PENDRAGON! PENDRAGON! PENDRAGON!"""
I could hear the crowd even from the prison… I mean the office. However, the guildmaster and Hermina are making it feel like a prison.
"Where did you disappear to?"
I catch a glimpse of Arisa's blonde wig as the fancy two-storey carriage passes by. Satou and his group are currently being paraded through the streets to a cheering crowd after they defeated a floor master. Meanwhile, despite defeating the demon lord, he was invited for a private chat in the guild master's office.
"I was fulfilling my end of the deal I made with the Dragon God for her aid in the battle with the demon lord."
Hopefully, they won't ask any questions. I would prefer not to have to figure out a way to explain why the most powerful demon lord ever to live turned into a child, and I hid him on some remote island. Lucky for me, they didn't spot Crow's new form.
"And how did you do it?" Hermina leaned forward. "There were no traces of magic when you left or returned."
"That was the Dragon God's power."
As long as Pearl and Sara stick to the same story, we will be fine. As soon as I realised people had questions for us, we came up with the story of repaying the Dragon God for her aid on a secret mission we couldn't tell anyone about. So far, it's working out… while almost working out. Mia's yes and no answers seemed to frustrate everyone, and neither the guildmaster nor Hermina could keep up with Mia's quick-fire one-word conversation with Sebelkeya. Nana, meanwhile, just kept talking about Crow, but at least she only called him a larva and never mentioned anything about him being a demon lord.
"And none of you can say what that was?"
"Sorry, the Dragon God asked for secrecy."
"Fine…" The guildmaster finally sighed. "Let's leave it at that. We're missing out on the fun anyway."
<0>
"""PENDRAGON! PENDRAGON! PENDRAGON!"""
It's so loud outside that you can feel the cheers shake the ground.
A blur of magical-girl sparkle, Arisa zipped to the front of the grand, two-story carriage. Her arm shot up, a vibrant wave aimed at the eager faces lining the road. The blond wig bounced with her movements, a perfect disguise for the shade of purple hair beneath. Pochi, the young, dog-eared girl, and the cat-eared Tama flanked Arisa, wildly waving their arms and tails.
Golem horses pulled our colossal carriage with ease through the winding streets of Labyrinth City. Leading the way, explorer schoolkids strewed petals from their baskets, creating a festive and enjoyable ambience.
Satou's group radiated excitement for the parade, their enthusiasm so high they had reportedly conducted a multi-stage lottery just to decide seating arrangements. Impeccably dressed, each member beamed at the surrounding crowd. Their elaborate outfits evoked explorer costumes, featuring cosplay-style shoulder pads and short cloaks. Noteworthy were the decorative round glass orbs on their shoulder pads, lending a peculiar, anachronistic charm reminiscent of the Showa era fashion. Satou, of course, was dressed to match his comrades. Dressed in a noble's white ceremonial suit intricately detailed with golden embroidery, he also sported an extravagant, gold-braided short cape, a choice Arisa had made for him.
My eyes found Lulu, already trying to shrink into the back row. To my eyes, she possessed an undeniable beauty, yet her delicate features were paradoxically deemed unattractive by this world's peculiar beauty standards. She was dressed in her usual maid uniform, now accented with pieces of cosplay armour worn to match Arisa and the others. Satou gently stroked her black hair, directing her gaze towards a specific section of the crowd.
"Miss Lulu!"
The mansion's young maids waved with an enthusiasm that spoke volumes. Lulu had not only taught them practical skills, such as cooking and self-defence, but had also earned their profound admiration and loyalty. At the sight of them, her face lit up with a radiant smile. It was, as always, a sight for sore eyes.
"Ooooh! It's Liza of the Black Spear!"
Explorers and other onlookers shouted Liza's name from the crowd. Liza's expression remained calm, as was her habit, but her tail thumped a happy beat against the carriage floor, betraying her inner joy. A flicker of nervousness was also evident; she kept her Magic Cricket Spear on her shoulder even during the parade, her orange scales glittering as she offered a hesitant wave.
"Bean warriors! Have your wounds healed?"
More cheers surged through the crowd, clearly for the 'Bean warriors' — Pochi and Tama, distinguished by their round armour. The injuries the crowd so kindly worried over were entirely fabricated; upon Satou's group's return two days prior, Satou had outfitted everyone in dented armour and painted wounds to avoid suspicion after defeating a floormaster. Pochi and Tama's dummy armour was especially battered, and Liza had even carried them out like corpses. It was little wonder they had left such a strong impression.
"See? I told you they were fine! They even waved at us!"
"Yeah, but when have you ever seen the untouchable Pendragon party so beaten up before?"
Other explorers had dubbed Satou's party, Team Pendragon, "untouchable" because they always returned from the labyrinth completely unharmed. The truth, however, was simpler: they merely healed all injuries after each battle and before surfacing. Every member, even the rearguard, had suffered wounds at some point.
"Liza of the Black Spear! I'll beat you next time!"
"Yeah, right, idiot! I'm the one who's gonna beat her first!"
"Psh, come back when you've learned 'Spellblade'!"
Since his return from the labyrinth, Satou has been inundated with challengers. Too busy to engage them all, Liza has taken on the task of confronting them in his stead. Recently, some challengers have even begun seeking Liza out directly.
"Arisa! Over here!"
A chorus of children's voices rose from the roadside, revealing the excited presence of the orphanage kids who had also come to watch the parade. Nana, ever caring, even had two of them perched on her shoulders for a better view.
"Arisa! Treat us to meat skewers sometime!"
Only young girls and a few unruly boys called out for Arisa. Sensing she wouldn't want comfort about this, I decided to leave the subject alone after the parade.
Only a trimoon—ten days—had passed since the Dogheaded Demon Lord's chaotic arrival in the great desert west of Labyrinth City. After a brutal confrontation, finally subdued with the Dragon God's aid, the demon lord was reduced to a child and left on Paradise Island under Rei's watchful eye. What struck me, however, was the profound lack of awareness surrounding such a significant event. Truly, had it not been for Hermina and her scouting party spotting us from afar, the entire incident would have gone completely unacknowledged. It had, after all, been a shocking turn of events when Satou's group's floormaster summoning ceremony unexpectedly yielded a demon lord. But given that he had appeared directly before me, I'd been able to resolve the crisis without losing any companions, and for that, I couldn't help but view it as a blessing in disguise.
"If you don't hurry up, we're going to drink it all!"
As Satou made a light, reciprocal wave to the foxfolk officer and captain of the labyrinth army who had spotted him in the crowd, Arisa, practically bubbling with delight, grabbed his arm. Her wide grin matched the energetic, back-and-forth flailing she inflicted on his limb.
"Sir Kniiight!"
From the dim edges of the road, a few brightly clad women—their profession evident—called out to Satou. He met their gaze with a pleasant smile and a relaxed wave. Before the two-story carriage had even fully settled into its stop, Arisa's fingers found his ribs in a sharp, disapproving pinch.
Stepping into the hall, the sheer density of the crowd was immediately apparent. This vast venue, the parade's designated destination near the west explorers' guild, was teeming with people from all walks of life. My friends had meticulously arranged it: the Viceroy's wife, General Erthal of the Labyrinth Army, and the Guildmaster. I had initially questioned the need for such a large space, but observing the massive turnout, I realised their foresight was sound; the plaza near the guild hall would certainly not have been adequate. Indeed, past events, such as the announcements following Mr. Jelil's party's defeat of a floormaster, had seen crowds spill out entirely, reaching the very front of the guild.
"It's a shame they can't keep all the things they won."
I heard a soft, gentle voice and turned to find Sara standing behind me. She's looking a lot better now that the bags under her eyes have gone away. For the first few days after our battle with the demon lord, Sara had hardly slept due to the nightmares she had of that battle. She still keeps a sleeping potion on hand to help her through the night, but she hasn't had to use it for the past couple of nights.
"Yeah, but it will help Satou with his goal of living a quiet life," I shrug. "If he still thinks that's even possible."
When Satou's group returned from the labyrinth, the guildmaster outlined the standard procedure for their hard-won spoils. Items from the defeated floormaster were considered "offerings to the kingdom," temporarily confiscated, and then sold at an official auction in the royal capital. Their reward — the same amount of money earned — would be paid out the very next day. However, a significant and incredibly rare exception existed. If a magic item or weapon appeared that could genuinely threaten the kingdom's balance, the government would take it for permanent storage in the royal treasury, paying them a substantial three times its estimated value in return.
This long-standing practice of controlled spoil distribution was instituted to avert catastrophe. In the past, allowing public access to the spoils often sparked brutal wars among nobles vying for the treasures. While the conquering party maintained the initial right to select one item, it became understood that nobles seeking specific goods would find greater success at the subsequent auction rather than attempting to bargain with or chase down the victorious party. Consequently, the establishment of this practice dramatically reduced such violent confrontations.
"Hopefully, he will find a way not to stand out so much one of these days," Sara nodded.
Somehow, I doubt Satou will ever be able to live the quiet life he craves.
"Team Pendragon would like to thank you all for gathering today…"
From the stage, Satou delivered the customary opening remarks to the assembled crowd, Liza standing quietly beside him, holding aloft the glowing core of the thunder squid emperor. His introduction concluded, the proceedings shifted to a seemingly endless series of speeches from nobles, knights, and mithril-badge explorers. And then, without so much as a whisper of warning, the Guild Master gave me a firm push onto the platform. I truly wish someone had thought to give me a heads-up beforehand instead of springing it on me like that.
My speech concluded, but the bigwigs' addresses dragged on endlessly, a testament to the endurance of verbosity in any reality. I employed my 'Poker Face' skill, wearing a smile to survive the agonizingly protracted segment. Still, the boredom was undeniable for others; Nana and the younger children, for instance, grew visibly restless by the halfway point.
"Thanks for waiting. This part's all you."
"I'm on it!"
When the presenter handed Satou what looked exactly like a modern microphone, Satou immediately passed it to Arisa. I knew, however, that this "mic" was truly a staff-shaped magic item, engineered for voice amplification. Its primary uses, I had learned, included relaying battle instructions and boosting morale.
Arisa's cheerful voice rang out, filling the hall: "The moment you've all been waiting for—the reveal of the spoils!"
"Wooo!!!" Arisa's enthusiasm proved infectious, quickly spreading through the crowd.
Mia actively shaped the event's atmosphere, providing background music and effects to invigorate the space. She even went so far as to summon an 'Instrumentalist,' a musical pseudo-spirit, for additional support.
"First, we have this! It's an all-purpose Full Restore—I mean, a miracle potion! From loss of a limb to poison to petrification, from incurable illnesses to demon lords' curses, this elixir can cure it aaaaaaall!"
"OOOOOOH!"
Next to Arisa, Lulu held up a large, 500-millilitre vial containing a deep crimson liquid. Curiously, this elixir from the treasure chest was a different colour from the ones I made myself. Analysis confirmed it was an elixir with the same effects, but its unusual volume — more than my standard small-vial blue elixirs — suggested a different creation method or ingredients.
"We found other kinds of potions, too, but we'll save those for later! For now, it's the fan-favourite magic weapons and armour!"
To avoid monotony, Arisa chose to showcase the featured products prominently, rather than presenting everything chronologically. The guild, after all, was set to provide a fully ordered list of items the following day.
"Ta-da!" Arisa exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. "This is today's biggest highlight!" A dramatic crescendo of sound built as she unveiled it. "It's a full set of Thunderhand Armour! This beauty is made primarily of gleaming mithril, and it's got these utterly amazing tentacles!"
The adorable duo, Pochi and Tama, delighted in pulling the tentacle from both ends, showcasing its surprising length.
"Wooo!!!"
"You won't believe this! The tentacles move on their own to defend the wearer from attacks!"
"Woo!"
The initial cheers quickly faded. The reason became clear: while the Thunderhand Armour offered full-body protection and an impressive automatic dimension adjustment to fit any wearer, it came with a significant drawback – a 100-point reduction in maximum MP, making it particularly challenging for magic users. Though such a feature felt remarkably gamelike to me, perhaps it was common for Labyrinth Magic Armour. However, unlike a true game mechanic, this auto-adjustment had a practical limit, capable of scaling only about 20 percent up or down. While this seemed somewhat constrained, it should accommodate all but the most extreme body types.
Ultimately, the armour Arisa had touted as the "highlight" was overshadowed by the adamantite battle-axe and the indestructible large shield. The latter, which granted the user a similar effect to the "Indestructible Body" skill, proved especially popular.
<0>
"Kura,"
As soon as the show was over, Mia came running up to my side.
"Good job," I smiled.
"Yes, your music was lovely, Mia," Sara said as Mia squeezed herself between Sara and me.
"Mm. Tired."
I gave her something to drink after a solid two hours of playing background music for Arisa. Arisa's natural stage presence alongside Mia's masterful pseudo-spirit sonics ignited the crowd, their interest multiplying and their excitement reaching explosive levels.
The hall was now abuzz as a buffet party got underway. Onstage, an orchestra, thoughtfully arranged by the viceroy's wife, filled the air with a cheerful, vibrant melody. Adding to the entertainment, Sarishusas, the minstrel we'd first encountered at the explorers' school scholarship tournament, was performing poetry about Satou's group.
"Master," Pearl came running over with a plate full of food. "They have plenty of food, so make sure you eat."
Another recent change that happened after the battle with the demon lord. Pearl has started acting like an overprotective mother since my near-death. Bring me meals, always insisting she goes with me whenever I go out and making sure I have everything I need in case another powerful foe appears.
We have all changed since then. Mia has become clingy, and Nana insists on spending more time with the kids from the orphanage. I'm not the same, and I've started treating even monsters that can't possibly harm me as if they were the deadliest creatures in the world, and I've doubled my normal training.
"So, what do you all have planned for the feastival?" I asked Pearl to stop listing everything she piled on the plate and explaining why it is important that I eat them.
"Mm. Concert," Mia answered first.
I think I heard her practising with Arisa for that. I also believe that Pochi and Tama will be dancers for that performance.
"Watch,"
"Sure, I'll drop by,"
"Hero Kura, I promised to visit the food stalls with the orphanage larvae, I report."
It was rare for Nana to sneak up on me like that. It was even rarer that I didn't notice a group that large approaching me. From the looks of things, Nana has every kid from the orphanage with her.
"Do you have enough money?"
"Yes, Hero Kura," Nana nodded, looking brighter than usual. "The money pouch you provided is more than enough, I report."
"I will be with her since it's such a large group," Sara says, much to my relief.
The last thing I want is for Nana to go overboard with those children again. There was an incident a few days ago when she took them fishing, and she jumped into the river to ensure each kid caught a fish. It wouldn't have been that big of a problem if she hadn't stripped naked before doing so. I happened to be passing by at the time and managed to get her dressed before anyone other than the children saw anything.
"And what about you, Pearl?"
"I have several challengers lined up."
Liza and Satou weren't the only ones with people itching to spar with them. I had a few others, but with Pearl being overprotective at the moment, she declared that anyone wishing to challenge me must prove themselves worthy by beating her.
<0>
"Goodness, the main explorers' guild certainly is crowded."
"You're right, Miss Iona… I didn't expect it to be this busy."
I heard some familiar voices not long after I went my separate ways from the others.
"Lou, let me have one of those meat skewers." "Yeah, sure. I'll trade you for one of the red ones."
"Honestly! I was wondering where you two went. I should've known you were stuffing your faces!"
"C'mon, all the food stalls are free. It'd be a shame not to load up!"
"It seems like some kind of festival is going on. A very generous one, if they're offering everything
"Yeah, I heard it's 'cause some noble called Sir Pendragon beat a superstrong monster."
I saw Satou and followed his line of sight to a nosy group. Through the bustling crowd, a streak of hair caught my eye, a shimmering blonde that somehow seemed even more luminous than Nana's.
"Really! We ought to be greeting the guild staff first—" Satou and her eyes met. "S-Satou!" The bags were practically shoved into Lilio's arms as she plunged into the throng, her eyes glued solely to Satou. Brief "excuse me's" escaped her lips whenever she jostled someone. "Satou…"
"Hello."
With a surge of exhilaration, she flung herself into Satou's arms, and he caught her with tender care.
"Satou…!" As she peered up at Satou, there were tears in her eyes. Her voice trembled, thick with raw emotion, as she struggled to utter the few words. "…I—I made it."
"Welcome to Labyrinth City, Miss Zena."
I felt a tap on my shoulder as I watched the happy reunion. I turned, expecting to be Pearl, making sure I have a backup of a backup of a backup potion, only to come face to face with the demon who drove nobility lessons into my… I mean, I turn to find the lovely smile of Lady Henrietta Seiryuu, who, for some reason, has ditched the dresses I saw her wearing back in Seiryuu city for an outfit fit for a lady knight. She even looks like she could give the knight standing a few paces behind her, as her guard, a run for her money.
"Aren't you going to welcome me, my hero?"
"Welcome to Labyrinth City, Lady Seiryuu."
Why is she giving me that same smile I last saw her wear right before she forced me to practice dancing with her for hours on end?