<h4>18-28. Boy in the Labyrinth City (1)</h4>


    * It is the appearance of thebyrinth city five years after the end of the story seen from the first mob.


    "I''m going to thebyrinth city today"


    I muttered to myself in order to psych myself up.


    "This scenery is all I can look for the time being …"


    Overlooking the vige in the cold mountains that he was born and raised on that hill.


    It''s an empty vige.


    Children are always hungry and some will die in winter.


    There are no pharmacists, so some people die even if they get sick, and some die even if they get injured while ying in the mountains. Fortunately, the year when Thalberg-san came was better, but it seems that Thalberg-san rarelyes to this vige far from his own vige, so it is ridiculous for the merchants to carry it in during other years. Medicine is the only lifeline.


    Then, it seems that many people died in the Genie War five years ago, but in our vige, the people of Echigoya Firm gave us food and medicine, so there were fewer deaths than usual.


    "Brother, are you really going?"


    The mature and calm voice is my sister, who is 6 years old.


    Her unusual hair is hated by the elderly, but she is smart and very reliable.


    "Oh, look after mom."


    "Why don''t you reconsider? If you wait for nine or six years, I can leave the vige. I''m worried about leaving my brother alone."


    It''s a phrase that doesn''t suit a six years old.


    "If I wait six years, I''ll be 21 years old. I can''t be an explorer after bing such an old man."


    "… 21 years old is not an old man."


    For some reason, my sister is small, but the judgment of "old man" and "aunt" is loose.


    The other day, she even said, "40 years old is still young."


    "If you are willing to rethink--"


    "No"


    When I answered immediately, my sister sighed deeply.


    It''s as if she had given up on talking to a child who couldn''t does not know better.


    "I thought you would say that.


    My sister offered me a new dagger and a blue iron helmet.


    The dagger is not a cheap one to use for dismantling, but arge one that can be used for battle.


    "What''s wrong? Isn''t it a expensie?"


    "I made it. This vige doesn''t have scrap iron, so I spent months collecting iron sand in the river. I had a hard time, so please use it carefully."


    --Tamahagane? [TR: steel from iron sand]


    No, did you make it better than that?


    "No, you make it?"


    "… That''s right. I bought it. The beautiful stones I picked up in the river sold well to the peddler. Let''s keep that in mind."


    ――Let''s keep it.


    As usual, it''s hard to tell if it''s true or false.


    "Maybe it was a unneeded?"


    My sister suddenly turned into an anxious face and asked.


    "No, I''m very happy."


    When I answered that, her face turned into a very happy face.


    If you look like this, it looks like a year.


    "I''ll make a lot of money with this and entertain you and mother."


    "I don''t need it"


    My sister said tly.


    "Onii, please continue to work steadily with the slogan" Take care of your life "until six years until I go to thebyrinth city."


    "OK, I''m going to learn Kenjitsu."


    My sister likes this word.


    If you try to adventure, you will definitely be stopped.


    Most of the time, he''s forced to make mistakes and get injured, but he''s a kind guy who treats me well, even though he''s alwaysining.


    "It''s true?"


    "Oh, I promise. Hang this dagger!"


    I said it with a serious face, but my sister doesn''t believe me.


    but it''s okay--.


    "Reina, believe in me"


    "I understand. I believe--"


    If you hold both hands firmly and say so, my sister will puff her cheeks.


    "--Rom -nii"


    "That is not my name"


    "I made a mistake. Sharon -nee"


    For some reason, my sister wants to name me "Rom".


    In the first ce, my sister''s real name is "Tona", and "Reina" is herself. 曰 rock. It seems to be the "name of the soul".


    Certainly, when I heard that story, I emphasized that I wasn''t sure, "I''m Reina, so my brother should be Rom."


    About my name she also said, "Sharon is like a woman."


    However, I remember running away because I was scared because the words "… but my brother might look good in a transvestite" that I continued after that were too serious.


    The vige bell rang in the distance.


    "I have to go. It looks like its time to leave."


    From the vige to the nearby town, we head with adults who are migrant workers during the off-season and people of the same age who are going to new service.


    During this time, the lord''s army wipes out bandits and monsters on the road, but small bandits still spring up everywhere.


    Therefore, we act as a group to protect ourselves from such thieves and unscrupulous people.


    I go to the vige with my sister.


    "If you can''t make money but it''s a safe way and a little dangerous way to make money, you choose the former, because" you can still go "is" dangerous ", right?"


    In the meantime, my sister keptining more like a mother than my real mother.


    "It''s okay, because I have a special one."


    "No. You''ll run out of magic power in one go. Absolutely that ? ?Don''t count on it, right? "


    My sister hates me to say the skill name.


    Rare skills are a trump card, so it seems like you shouldn''t tell anyone.


    By the way, she also said about daggers. She was saying something about it, but I didn''t understand when I listened.


    Excuse me, because I was full of thoughts about thebyrinth city I was about to go to.


    "It''ste! Sharon!"


    "My bad! I''ll go soon!"


    Looking back to say thest farewell, my sister wasn''t there.


    She must have been careful not to worry that her hair color would be repelled by the vigers-but not because of that. She is that kind of person.


    I met everyone and shouted to my sister who was hiding from somewhere.


    "I''m going! I''ll definitely be back in the vige!"


    I couldn''t find my sister, but she should have heard my voice.


    And I waved my hand once more and left the vige.


    ◇


    "Hey, get up Sharon"


    Gon, a neighboring vige who joined in the city, shook me.


    I broke up with the people in my vige in the city, but there are many new adults aiming for abyrinth city during the off-season after the harvest, and they are moving inrge group of about 20 people, including Gon.


    "Wake up Zaki, Keros, China, and Lhasa."


    "Sleeping on the ground hurts my back."


    "Didn''t you say that the stones on the bed are gone?"


    "Well, the ground of this mountain is hard everywhere."


    Keros of the grumble wakes up whileining.


    This is the third son of a money lender in the city, so heined every time he stayed in the field.


    "How far is it to thebyrinth city?"


    "Soon"


    "It''s hard to cross the steep mountain of Marquis Elouette, but once you cross this mountain, you can see thebyrinth city."


    There is no doubt if the acquaintance Zaki says.


    He also said he had made several round trips to the Labyrinth City with his father, a merchant.


    "Sharon, let''s boil water"


    "That''s right. If you don''t drink warm in hot water, your body is likely to get stiff."


    Invited by Sina, she prepares for in hot water.


    I slept beside the spring water, so I can get water right away. The firewood was collected by the quiet Lhasa before I knew it. The fire was separated from the bonfires of other groups by China.


    Sina is from the same vige as Gon and is the only girl in the group.


    There are about five people in the other groups, but it seems that they don''t get along with the other girls, so a few days after leaving the city, they relied on Gon to join us.


    By the time Gon, who had been having a meeting with the leaders of other groups, returned, the water was boiling, so I distributed it to everyone and nibbled the ck bread while soaking in in hot water. I had dried meat until yesterday, but I ate it up.


    "Hmm, my body warms up"


    The warmth of in hot water permeates the body.


    It''s in hot water with no taste, but it''s a treat when it''s cold in the mountains.


    We cheated on hunger with a little breakfast and climbed the mountain following the other groups.


    As Zaki said that he would cross the mountaintop today, he went to the mountain pass on the other side of the mountain, overlooking the basin in the distance.


    "It''s abyrinth city!"


    "Is that so?"


    "Then, is the ce that looks like a hill on the west side abyrinth?"


    When we heard the people walking in front say that they could see thebyrinth city and thebyrinth, we quickly headed to the edge of the pass, and the people behind us also crowded to see thebyrinth city far from the cliff. {Stare}.


    --That is abyrinth city.


    "Our legend begins now!"


    I held it in my mouth involuntarily, but I didn''t say it.


    It was said by quiet Lhasa. There is no doubt that his face is red and he is feeling embarrassed.


    But I also understand Lhasa''s feelings.


    Just looking down on thebyrinth city, I can''t stop being excited.


    I can strongly feel that the days of getting out of the vige that lives in the same tomorrow as today and opening up my destiny with only my own talents will begin.


    "I''ll do my best. I''ll leave!"


    """Oh!"""


    We raised our voice to the leader''s shout.


    ◇


    "Wow, a great procession!"


    Sina saw the north gate of thebyrinth city and shouted.


    In this season, young people like us who have gone out of viges and towns all aim for abyrinth city.


    Therefore, the knowledgeable Zaki told me that the gate of thebyrinth city would form a tremendously long line like the scene in front of me.


    "Can you want to enter thebyrinth that much?"


    "Ah, not everyone bes an explorer and enters thebyrinth."


    Some go to be craftsmen of armor and armor, while others go to do business with explorers.


    "And thebyrinth is ridiculouslyrge. It was also in the story of the royal ancestor,''The oldestbyrinth in the world, Serivi, is vast and endless.”


    "Hmm, I''ve never heard of that. The guy who lives in the city is amazing."


    "Not so much. I always read only story books and my dad often got angry."


    When Gon praised him, Zaki was shy and humbled.


    Keros distorted his face and snorted, perhaps because it wasn''t interesting.


    "Hmm! You must have read such a book! After all, you must know the actual battle as an explorer! In that respect, I went to the second floor of the purple tower near the city and defeated the monsters. There is! "


    --Unexpected.


    I thought Keros was a bragging, but maybe I should change my mind.


    "Hey, don''t be fooled. He just went in with escort”


    From behind, a giant with a bad personality ridicules Keros, and the men around him whisper.


    Keros can''t argue, he just bites his lips with regret.


    What he did wasn''t praised, but I''ve heard from my sister that the rich in the city would do it normally. He knew a lot of strange things.


    "Well, so?"


    I just didn''t like the attitude of these giants, rather than defending Keros.


    "What? Did Keros give you some pocket money and you be a minion?"


    "No. Keros is apanion."


    It''s only for a limited time to thebyrinth city, but it''s definitely apanion.


    "If so, you too--"


    "Hey, there! If you have a dispute, get away from the line!"


    A cavalry guard came and arbitrated our dispute.


    The giant still wanted to say something, but when the Taishou soldiers flickered the tip of a well-polished spear, he returned to the line with a dissatisfied face and a subservient look.


    In the story told by the flow bard, the Taishou soldiers were just overrun by monsters, but the soldiers we actually saw were so powerful that we couldn''t win even if we were working together.


    I was even looking at the soldiers with longing eyes like Gon.


    "I''ll equip so that you won''t be looked down on! Gon, give me your luggage."


    "Oh, finally"


    Keros wears the leather armor he received from Gon, and wears a leather helmet and shield. I even wore a sword wrapped around my waist with a cloth. Despite fighting in the Purple Tower, the armor and shield are shiny.


    I also wear the iron helmet that my sister gave me.


    There is also a wooden breastte made by carving firewood under the clothes, but it''s just a rxing item.


    "Keros, which one is the promised one?"


    "This dagger. It''s a gem that requires gold coins to buy!"


    "Wow! It''s a new dagger."


    "Gon, there are so many people that it''s dangerous, so keep it away."


    Gon pulls out the iron dagger he received from Keros and stares at the de with a grin.


    He looks like a dangerous guy, but I can''t say it too strongly because I was staring at the dagger I got from my sister in the same way.


    "I know. I just took a look."


    Gon put the dagger in its scabbard and was still staring at the dagger without getting tired of it.


    "Oh, it''s a neer"


    "Is that the season already?"


    "Do your best"


    "Do not die"


    "Survive"


    About five boys and girls of the same age as us came out of the north gate and ran along the outer wall as they were, encouraging us-or all those who were aiming to be explorers.


    "What is that?"


    "Maybe it''s the explorers."


    "What did you go to? You didn''t even have a weapon?"


    "'' Laningu ? ? ? ?I think it ’s a guy. ”


    " Laningu ? ? ? ??? "


    --different. running ? ? ? ? ? ? ?is.


    "Yeah, it''s the secret technique of building physical strength that the eldest daughter of the three sisters of Kishre Shigarza," Liza of the ck Spear, "started."


    "Hmm, it''s amazing. Can I do it?"


    "Maybe. ording to my father''s story, it''s just runs normally."


    I know it because my sister told me to do it.


    Since I started running, I''ve be less tired even when I''m walking in the mountains or doing farm work. When my abdominal muscles hurt due to the training, my sister touched me a lot and I felt ufortable.


    "Then, should I do it too?"


    "Isn''t it okay? It doesn''t seem to cost money."


    While talking about such things, several pairs of men and women who seemed to be explorers ran in the same way.


    I feel that there are many rtively small people.


    "Next, you guys"


    After waiting for about two bells, it was finally our turn to show the ID card given by the vige mayor before departure and enter thebyrinth city.


    At this time, it seems that the story that the entrance fee is exempted if you have an ID card seems to be true, and the guy before saying that he forgot his ID card was charged a silver coin for the entrance fee and it turned blue.


    "Finally inbyrinth city!"


    "Which one is the Explorer Guild?"


    "I don''t know, but I don''t think we''ll get lost."


    "Why?"


    "Because everyone around you is heading to the Explorer Guild, right?"


    People are walking along the ramparts to the west, rather than the wide, bustling boulevard that connects the north and south gates.


    We also decided to follow that trend.


    "Beautiful river"


    Following a maze-like street with beautiful cobblestones, there was a narrow river flowing through the city. The flowing water is very clear, with small fish reflecting the sun''s rays and shining.


    "It''s a river, or rather a waterway. ording to my father, this waterway used to be dirty."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yeah, the dirty waterway was cleaned by His Excellency Pendragon, who killed the Demon King."


    "Wow, that''s amazing!"


    Not only was he strong, but was he doing something like this?


    "Other than that, he was really doing the magical medicine of Berea, which was an eye-opener, cooking meals for poor people and fledgling explorers, and gathering orphans to build a orphanage."


    Zaki will teach you various things.


    "Look! That!"


    Keros shouted.


    "White, tower?"


    "Yes! That''s the Explorer Guild!"


    I saw a building that was bigger than I had ever seen beyond it.


    The castle tower I saw in the city was also tall, but it''s taller, white and very beautiful.


    "Hey, don''t block the road. If you have to stop, stop by the edge."


    When everyone was looking up at the guild building, they were scolded by people who seemed to be senior explorers.


    "Sorry, I''m sorry."


    "You don''t have to apologize. When we first saw it, we just opened our mouths and fell in love with it. I''m a Gel The Iron shield. If you have any problems, consult with us. I''ll help. "


    The senior explorer kindly said so and left us.


    "Wow, that big shield on his back!"


    You can also see Gon making a surprise voice.


    For the first time, I saw a steel shield that was as tall as Gel, who was about 50% taller than me.


    "It must be a famous senior explorer to walk calmly with such a big shield."


    As Zaki says, a shield of that size should weigh as much as two adults.


    "Are they going to thebyrinth?"


    "I think it''s different. Thebyrinth is that direction."


    ording to Zaki, there seems to be an entertainment district in the direction where Jel disappeared.


    "What is an entertainment district?"


    "It''s like a bar full of beautiful older sisters. There seems to be a store that His Excellency Pendragon was intimate with and a theater where he was a patron."


    He taught me various things that Zaki didn''t hear.


    I''d like to see it once, but spending money on things that aren''t delicious just because sake is bitter is like a fool, and I don''t think I''ll go there. My sister also warned me many times, "You shouldn''t approach a store full of women because you''re in danger of illness."


    Gon and Keros were so excited that Sina was disillusioned and impatient, saying, "That''s why the man is …".


    I''m not sure, but when you go to the red-light district, girls seem to hate you.


    My sister said it, and I have to be careful.


    "Let''s go. I want to register early."


    Prompted by Lhasa, we rushed to the Explorers Guild.