LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 37 – The Strongest Adventurers In Solara
While Inari and I were still recovering from our completely over-the-top and excessive finishing move for the tournament, headmaster Griffon calmly descended from atop the temporary stone walls on his hoverboard to greet us. As he peacefully glided towards the ground, his gaze glanced all around the arena at the various “landscaping” the battles so graciously provided. Scorched earth, holes, and chasms, littered the vicinity of the once tranquil, grassy field. Then, once he reached us, offered an outstretched hand to both of us in turn, to congratulate Inari and I, on our victory.
“Oh hoh!” He said with a surprised tone while scratching his chin.
“Well, I must say. I’ve been the headmaster in Solara for quite some time now, and in all my years, have never seen such command and mastery over the basics of magic as you’ve shown me today. The true incantation for fire bolt, incredible dexterity in manipulating images, and a breathtakingly, custom fire spell that would make even the royal sorcerers jealous!
With that said, it pains me to say this, but I do not recognize the two of you from the formal registration earlier, meaning you must be one of the last-minute arrivals. What are your names and adventurer ranks?”
“Greetings headmaster Griffon, my name is Kotato Yamata, and I am an F(+) ranked adventurer registered at the Paws & Beans tavern.”
“And I’m Inari Kitsune, also an F(+) ranked adventurer. Like Ko, I belong to the Paws & Beans tavern as well!”
“Hmmm, while I’ll be. I presume you two are the students under the tutelage of Felice?”
“Yes sir!” we both said in unison.
“Hah! So that cheeky cat wasn’t just overstating your capabilities. I’ll have to reconsider my hesitancy to fast track your evaluation for a higher rank. Apologies if that comes across rather rude, but the guild generally tries to avoid rapidly ranking up promising candidates due to the risks that can pose on the party, and the guild’s image. But, after seeing your competence today, I no longer have any doubts.”
After his compliments, Griffon once again, looked around the field filled to the brim with unconscious adventurer parties.
“But for F ranks to so decisively annihilate B and C ranks... That certainly won’t please his majesty now, will it? As such, I will also include my own personal letter of recommendation. Should the palace give you any problems, you will have my backing as the strongest party currently in the kingdom.”
As he said this, his gaze fell on Inari, who was happily beaming with confidence and an uncontrollable tail at the comments from the esteemed headmaster. Finally, he offered some words of caution.
“Inari, I’m sure you’re aware about the current state of how the kingdom treats your fellow beastkin. While I am also saddened by the laws of this kingdom, there is little I can do besides show my support for you.”
“That’s alright headmaster Griffon, I won’t let them get to me. If anything, I’ll just show them my incredible command over magic! Once they see how useful I am, I’m sure they’ll come to enjoy my company!”
Both Griffon and I looked at her and shrugged our shoulders. While it was admirable the level of enthusiasm Inari held, we both knew she didn’t truly understand how deeply rooted the discrimination was in the kingdom. Even though I haven’t been in Solara all that long, once I drew parallels from Earth’s history, it was obvious acceptance would be a problem for us.
Putting those thoughts aside, we eventually followed Griffon back into the guild hall to briefly talk about our “next steps” so to speak, in his office. While there, we learned some more details about the labyrinth, such as the strange miasma on the 12th floor, along with other intelligence the heroes had collected during their expeditions. Inari was quite intrigued at the mystery of the miasma, and even more excited at being able to explore it shortly. Admittedly, it was rather enjoyable seeing Griffon’s face when he learned neither of us had ever set foot into the labyrinth either. In full, the quest was seeking the strongest adventurers to aid the heroes, and the king had rightfully “assumed” that the strongest would have clearly been inside the actual kingdom’s labyrinth previously due to its usefulness in leveling up. Eventually, he finished writing his personal letter of recommendation for us, enclosing it in an envelope sealed with a brilliant red wax stamp shaped like the twin suns seen in the sky above.
With letter in hand, both Inari and I gradually started making our way towards the royal palace, making sure to enjoy the sights along the way. Every direction I looked, Inari was happily tugging on my shirt, pointing out all of the various vendors, armament stores, and cafés present throughout the city. Her pointy, fluffy ears were twitching, taking in all of the excitement and sounds around us, while her tail gleefully swished back and forth with each step. It was very much akin to the feeling a kid would have in a candy shop. Once we arrived at the grand entranceway, I handed the letter to the guard on duty who briefly inspected it, then politely handed it back. I also felt the ever so familiar feeling of being appraisal scanned, assumingly as an additional safe guard to verify who we were. After their short review of our parameters, we were eventually granted entrance to the palace grounds once our escort arrived. Here to collect us, was a small group of 3 guards. Leading them, was a female knight adorned in breathtakingly golden plate mail to match her pristine blonde hair, which was tightly tied into a high ponytail. Accompanying sharp, brown eyes, completed the set to drive home the fact they were a warrior you wouldn’t want to mess with. As I was admiring her feminine qualities, she spoke to Inari and I with grace and command, offering a proper salute.
“Greetings adventurers, I am Commander Raya, leader of the Solara royal guard. I understand you two are the champions selected from the tournament today? Please, follow me so I may introduce you to the nation’s heroes. I’m looking forward to your future cooperat—”
“Commander!”
One of the soldiers from the gateway quickly ran over to her, frantically fumbling a wooden signet in his gauntlets. Then, he handed it to her while whispering something in her ear. Seemingly shocked at the guard’s words, Raya abruptly excused herself from us, walking back with the guard a short distance out of earshot, then activated the wooden signet revealing some status screens. That’s when I had the sudden realization as to what they were probably talking about, and whispered to Inari my thoughts.
“Inari, I think that’s our—”
“Status screens? I believe so too Ko... This... Might get a little complicated. Do you mind if I try handling it?”
“Sure thing.”
Eventually, Raya walked back to us, wearing a very bewildered face, tightly holding the wooden signet in her gauntlets. Then, while still trying to maintain a professional attitude through her confusion, spoke to the tournament champions.
“Ah hem. Kotato Yamata and Inari Kitsune. While I have received advanced word of your arrival from the guild... I umm. I’m not exactly sure how to explain our own assessment of your aptitudes... I don’t want to place any doubt on the Solara Adventurer’s Guild Branch... But...”
Seemingly as if knowing the right time to intervene, Inari calmly grabbed the letter from my hands and handed it to the confused commander. Then, she spoke in a calm, yet calculating voice.
“Commander Raya, while I no doubt understand your hesitancy to trust us after the royal palace’s appraisal results, I hope this accompanying letter of recommendation from headmaster Griffon can serve as further proof as to our competency as adventurers. While our status values and rank are no doubt far from what you would have anticipated from the strongest in the kingdom, with enough knowledge and command over the basics of magic, even powerful opponents can be thwarted with enough planning.”
With a smile and accompanying tail swooshing back and forth, Inari handed Raya the sealed letter, who then opened and began reading its contents. While her face was still obviously confused, it eventually relaxed into a more inquisitive form as she absorbed the parchment’s contents. Finally, she spoke again, granting us entry into the palace.
“I understand. After all, if I cannot even believe the headmaster’s words, then there are greater problems in our kingdom’s relationship with the guild. I apologise for my skepticism.”
“But commander! They—”
Authoritatively raising her hand, Raya interrupted the guardsman attempting to voice his concerns over us being the strongest adventurers in the kingdom.
“I understand your concerns lieutenant, but their entrance has already been granted by me. I will accept no further comments regarding their status as the strongest in the kingdom, despite our appraisal results. Kotato, Inari, please follow me.”
Abruptly facing away, Raya began marching towards the palace entrance, motioning for Inari and I to follow. Joining her, we were both eagerly taking in the extravagant palace grounds, as beautiful marble columns guided us towards the towering metal doors of the castle proper. Adorning each of the brilliant masonry pillars, was a pennant, filled with the coat of arms for presumably the various noble houses in the kingdom. As we approached the metallic doors, two guards nearby struggled to open them, but eventually managed to allow us entrance. Once inside, I was again, taken back by the sheer magnitude of the lobby’s size. The giant chandelier and vibrant red carpets welcomed us as we officially entered the royal palace. Standing on the 2nd floor balcony, just like my first trip into the castle, was King Solar and his advisor Daemonium. Directly in front of us, appeared to be the spear and bow hero, while the magic hero stood closer to the grand stairway. Looking at Inari, she was absolutely speechless at the extravagant building’s features, as her eyes sparkled, desperately trying to contain their awe and excitement. However, it didn’t take long before the king spoke to us in a threatening tone.
“Raya, I expected you to return with the strongest adventurers in the kingdom when Griffon sent word of the tournament’s conclusion, yet you’ve returned with these two, one of which is a beastkin! Does the headmaster himself mock me with this charade?!? I demand answers!”
Sensing the king’s disapproval of the tournament victors, Raya gracefully knelt on one knee to give her response. Inari and I, also knelt to show our sincerity, given the situation.
“Your majesty, I understand your words based on who I’ve returned with. However, they are, without a doubt, the undisputed victors, claiming victory with incredible magical command and power. Please allow me to share headmaster Griffon’s approval with his notarized seal and letter.”
All 3 of us continued to stay kneeled while the king and his advisor descended from the 2nd floor. I felt the piercing gazes from the spear and magic hero, along with several of the royal guardsman in the palace. Some of the palace maids had also “relocated themselves” out of the lobby, clearly afraid of the coming confrontation. The only sound present, was the intimidating footsteps of the king himself, as each thunderous stomp echoed throughout the hallway. Once he reached us, he took the letter from Raya, and quickly began reading it’s contents. While I was unable to see his expression, I could only imagine it was held with the same disbelief Raya had upon seeing us as well. Eventually, King Solar gave word to ease the tension within the lobby way.
“Arise, while I am obviously not pleased with the two champions, Griffon insists they are the strongest he’s ever witnessed in this kingdom. Kotato, I see you’ve clearly kept true to your word about becoming the strongest adventurer in Solara. However, you do remember my words from our previous visit, do you not?”
Standing up to meet the king’s oppressive gaze, I briefly examined his regal features and hardened facial expression. While his face was old from age, each wrinkle betrayed the cold and piercing presence he so effortlessly emitted as he stared towards me, waiting my response.
“Why of course your majesty. I was so gracious for your generosity and hospitality, that I have since been able to make somewhat a name for myself. While I am by no means the highest ranked adventurer in the kingdom, my partner and I, stand by the guild’s assessment that we are currently the strongest in the kingdom.”
“Pfft, under the heroes obviously.”
A snarky comment from the spear hero behind the king, which he seemingly ignored.
“And this beastkin is amongst your party? Those vile, retched beasts are a blight to this kingdom. No beastkin of any kind, regardless of circumstances, has been allowed entry into the royal palace in all of Solara’s history. You’re lucky I don’t have her executed on the spot for staining the royal castle’s purity. The only thing keeping their head attached to their neck, is the letter from the headmaster himself.”
Inari’s ears went flat against her head after hearing the king’s comments towards her, her tail also stopped wagging in the process. Then, to my surprise, she tried to speak to the king herself.
“Your majesty, if I may speak, I—”
“Silence, beast. I will not tolerate another abhorrent word from that mouth of yours. You animals have no right to tread along the path us humans carve for this nation. Beastkin, are nothing, and only capable of mimicking the glory us humans are born with. —”
The king continued to sound out aggressive comments towards Inari, as his advisor, Daemonium finally arrived behind him. I could feel Inari’s fear, as it was clear the king had no intention of accepting her in the palace. However, she briefly appeared puzzled when she looked towards Daemonium. Seeing her expression, I tried to cast appraisal myself, when we were suddenly interrupted by the arrogant spear hero.
“Your majesty, if I may intrude, but I myself would like to verify the authenticity of the guild master’s claims as well. After all, it appears you are clearly unsatisfied in their presence. Thus, I propose a duel against us heroes. I will also not tolerate weaklings joining us in the labyrinth. Also, I have some unsettled business with that adventurer there from our last encounter.”
“Oh? Haru Speargin was it? I am flattered you remembered someone such as myself.” I said with a snarky attitude. “I could hardly recognize you, speaking in such a proper way amongst royalty, it seems staying at the palace really has tamed your vulgar attitude.”
Hehe, I could see the veins across his forehead visibly pulsing in anger at my comments! Haru was struggling to contain his rage at wanting to attack me on the spot. So, I continued on with my retort, agreeing with his idea for a duel between us.
“That said your majesty, I do believe it would be beneficial for you to witness yourself the strength Inari and I possess together. A simple demonstration of our power would be more than enough to clear any doubts you may have towards us. While I personally disagree with your comments towards the beastkin race, Inari is far from what you envision her to be. Please, humble the spear champion’s request for a duel so we may prove ourselves.”
Remembering that I technically shouldn’t say the words “hero”, “summoned” or “other world” while in the king or Daemonium’s presence, I chose my words wisely as I awaited his majesty’s response. After all, they are still working under the assumption I am afflicted with their mind-sealing spell. Fortunately, King Solar agreed to our request with a confident smirk of his own while rubbing his chin.
“Agreed Kotato, I do believe the spear hero’s words carry merit. I will allow such a duel between your party and the 4 heroes. If you fail to impress me, your privilege to join the heroes in the labyrinth will be revoked.”
“Understood, I am humbled by your wise words your majesty.”
“Enough, don’t think I’m unaware of you pushing your luck with that tongue of yours, adventurer. Raya, I trust you can prepare such a field in our military wing?”
“Why of course your majesty, I will swiftly see it done. Champions, please follow me, lieutenant, please send word ahead to gather our healing experts and halt all current training exercises.”
The guard behind us swiftly offered a salute to the commander, then rushed on ahead to inform the knights as to the change in plans. Then, we all started following behind Raya as she led the king, heroes, Daemonium, along with Inari and myself, towards the onsite training grounds. While we were walking, Inari had motioned for me to come closer, whispering to me some concerning information.
“Ko, I’m not really sure how else to describe it, but I thought I felt the presence of a really strong illusion spell when you were talking with the king! That man in the purple attire... He... He didn’t introduce himself, but, something seems off about him.”
“That’s the king’s advisor, Daemonium, the same man who placed the mind-sealing spell on me. I don’t trust him either. Did appraisal show anything strange about him?”
Inari gasped slightly at my comment identifying Daemonium as the person who cast the mind-sealing spell before finishing her response to me.
“No, everything looked fine, but... I’ll keep an eye on him! Something’s not right based on his status too...”
Almost as if he knew we were talking about him, I caught a sharp glare from Daemonium glancing back towards us as he was walking with the king. We quickly killed our conversation, nodding to one another that we would talk again once we were in a more secure setting. However, I did make note to keep this information in the back of my thoughts. Inari’s instincts haven’t failed me before, and I felt he was hiding something as well back during my first encounter with him. Nonetheless, we continued walking through the castle down several long, winding hallways, roughly in the direction of the palace’s western wing. As we got closer, the distribution of maids and servants was gradually overtaken by royal guardsman as we walked through the stone hallways towards the military’s training grounds. Eventually, we exited the building into a large, open-air arena, roughly the size of a football field. The perimeter still contained a covered pathway, indicating this was still within the palace, just exposed to the outdoor elements.
Next, Raya indicated for Inari and I to follow her into the open field, along with Haru and the rest of the heroes, while the king, Daemonium, and a small escort of knights, continued walking towards a nearby staircase to ascend towards a viewing platform. All along the covered walkway, I saw various knights and sorcerers standing at the ready, to observe our impromptu duel. Then, once we were in position, Raya shouted the conditions for the upcoming battle.
“Champions! This duel between the summoned heroes, and deemed strongest adventurers in Solara will have the following conditions. One, no lethal attacks of any kind will be tolerated. Two, the use of all equipment and magic spells is allowed. Three, the winning party will be judged by his reigning majesty, King Solar. You have 1 minute to prepare yourselves.”
While I didn’t necessarily like the winning party would be determined by the king, that at least made our victory conditions clear. Nothing but complete and utter annihilation of the summoned heroes, would suffice. As Raya left the field to stand along the side, Inari and I walked backwards slightly to give ourselves some more room for when the match begins. Then, we spoke to one another confirming our strategy for the upcoming battle.
“Inari, this will probably be one of our hardest fights yet. I’m thinking no handicaps for this one, incantationless casting should be fine.”
“But... Don’t you think Felice will get angry at us?”
“I’m sure they will, but, it doesn’t make sense to hinder ourselves against such tough opponents. Plus, looking at the magic hero, there is a good chance they’ve already observed incantationless casting based on his skills. Let’s show them everything we’ve got!”
Giggling, Inari happily responded to my comments. “Hehe! Got it Ko! After all, I too think I should show his majesty just how incredible the beastkins can be!”
Nodding in agreement, I got into position beside Inari with my serpent blade and shield drawn at the ready. Then, I checked one last time the status of the heroes we would be fighting.
---
Name: Haru Speargin Level: 8 Rank: S
Race: Human HP: 120/120 MP: 70/70
Age: 22
Profession: Spear Hero
Status: Strength: 71 Defence: 43
Magic: 43 Dexterity: 43
Skill Proficiencies: [Fire Affinity] [Spear Master] [Reflexes] [Enhanced Growth] [God’s Protection] [Determination]
Titles: Spear Hero – Blessed with great skill in the art of wielding spears. Holder of this title may use their blessing to exert their authority and ignore a target’s defensive parameters for 1 attack daily.
---
---
Name: Kyle Bowgert Level: 8 Rank: S
Race: Human HP: 90/90 MP: 120/120
Age: 24
Profession: Bow Hero
Status: Strength: 47 Defence: 25
Magic: 48 Dexterity: 80
Skill Proficiencies: [Wind Affinity] [Bow Master] [Reflexes] [Enhanced Growth] [God’s Protection] [Sharp Eyes] [True Sight] [Enhanced Hearing]
Titles: Bow Hero – Blessed with great skill in the art of wielding bows and all ranged weapons. Holder of this title may use their blessing to guarantee their attack strikes their intended target, regardless of distance. Does not ignore defensive status of target. Useable once daily.
---
---
Name: Samuel Swords Level: 8 Rank: S
Race: Human HP: 110/110 MP: 60/60
Age: 22
Profession: Sword Hero
Status: Strength: 75 Defence: 30
Magic: 25 Dexterity: 70
Skill Proficiencies: [Thunder Affinity] [Sword Master] [Reflexes] [Enhanced Growth] [God’s Protection] [Blurred Movement] [Parry Master]
Titles: Sword Hero – Blessed with great skill in the art of wielding swords. Holder of this title may use their blessing once daily to guarantee three rapid strikes hit their target(s). Defensive parameters are reduced by half for all struck targets.
---
---
Name: Miles Magus Level: 8 Rank: S
Race: Human HP: 50/50 MP: 400/400
Age: 27
Profession: Mage Hero
Status: Strength: 10 Defence: 1
Magic: 180 Dexterity: 9
Skill Proficiencies: [All Magic] [Magic Master] [Fast Casting] [Enhanced Growth] [God’s Protection] [Parallel Casting] [Magic Creation]
Titles: Magic Hero – Blessed with great skill in the art of manipulating mana to their will. Holder of this title may create 1 unique spell to be cast at will without MP. Only 1 spell may be created at a time and can only be cast once monthly. Some restrictions apply.
---
Other than almost choking after seeing Miles’ magic status, all of them appeared to have a status sum of 200, which was incredible! While I did have some doubts, I knew this was going to be one of our most difficult battles yet. Looking at Inari, she seemed prepared, calmly readjusting the grip on her staff while her tail bounced around. Readjusting the grip on my sword as well, Inari rapidly began applying all of the status buffs she thought would be helpful for us, around 50 of them. That’s around the time I started to hear the serpents voice enter my head again.
“Hehehe! Yessss!!! It’s beeeeen awhile Ko! This issssss going to be fun!!!! Hahaha HAHAHAHAHA!!! Shallll we kill them? Run them through? Devour their cores?? Oh hahhahaha! Yesssssssss... MORE!!!!!”
As the laughter from the snakes filled my head, my right eye once again burned and throbbed at their suggestions to kill the heroes. I tried my best to resist their calls, but even I could tell it was going to be difficult. These snakes... They hadn’t really appeared lately, but it seems I was still being influenced by them. Hopefully, I would be able to control myself during our du—
“Let the match — Begin!”
While I was still trying to control myself, Raya signaled for the match to start. Within seconds, Haru, along with the sword hero, rapidly closed the 40ft gap to myself. The match had only just begun and I was already caught off guard. Instinctively, I twisted my body to dodge the blow from the spear hero, while parrying the slash from the sword hero. Both of them seemed surprised I had managed to avoid being taken out instantly. Next, as expected, Inari had already cast one of her signature curse spells, shadow bind!
“Wha!! I.. I can’t move! What is thi—”
*Schreen!*
“Ahhh!!”
I swiftly slashed the sword hero’s back after repositioning myself and seemingly dispatched him with the single blow. His armor, while a blueish metallic design, parted like butter as my serpent blade made all but brief contact with the... Flimsy material...? I... I don’t remember my blade being this powerful, so even I was surprised at how easily he was taken down. That’s when I received an angry warning triangle and turned around to see an arrow rapidly approaching my face! Quickly, I activated a barrier spell around myself while raising my shield. Inari had also swiftly activated her own barrier to expertly intercept the arrow along its trajectory. However, just before the projectile could embed itself into the translucent bubble...
*Swoon*
The... The arrow cleanly passed though the condensed barrier spell without so much as acknowledging it’s existence! I... Her barrier should have easily stopped that arrow! How did it... Wait... His title! The bow hero’s title allows him to guarantee a hit against his target! Can I even block this??? Startled, I braced myself for the inevitable impact. Moments later, the arrow effortlessly pierced my own barrier and bypassed my raised shield as well, painfully lodging itself into my left shoulder.
“Gah!!!”
I grunted in pain, damn that really hurt! Struggling, I snapped the end of the arrow off while casting a heal spell on myself to dull the burning sensation, then I turned around to lock eyes with the spear hero. He had finally managed to free himself from the shadowy tendrils constraining his movement, and was already preparing to assault me with his impressive looking spear. Rapidly, he began unleashing a series of powerful jabs and thrusts towards me, which were thankfully, being absorbed by my barrier. His face looked completely surprised at meeting the invisible resistance, but quickly went back into rage as his assault continued. While I was currently “safe”, his attacks were clearly effective and powerful, as my barrier’s durability was rapidly depleting from his onslaught. Finding an opening between his attacks, I deactivated the barrier to slightly throw the spear hero off balance. Efficiently, I parried his lance while he was taken back from the spontaneous lack of invisible resistance and quickly cast a fire bolt spell with my free hand towards his face!
Unfortunately, he managed to twist his body out of the way, causing my spell to miss and flyoff into the edge of the arena, causing a small explosion of rocks and dirt at the impact location! Some of the nearby guards and sorcerers panicked at the damage, as they clearly weren’t imagining such a powerful impact from a tiny ball of fire! However, while it was enjoyable seeing their surprised reactions, I was now in an unfortunate situation myself. Haru, had managed to hit me into the air, with a powerful blow to my gut from his spear.
“Agh!! *cough*”
Some blood came out of my mouth as I gasped from the incredible pain I received to my navel region. Geez that was painful! What’s more, to add insult to injury, I could make out the bow hero below ready to fire a barrage of arrows at me while I was suspended in the air! But just before he could turn my tumbling body into a pincushion...
*Frooth!*
“AHHHHH IT BURNS!!!! HELP ME!!! MILES... HEAL ME—”
His horrifying shrieks echoed throughout the arena, as powerful blue and purple ghostly flames immolated his body, almost prompting Raya to intervene and stop the duel, for fear the bow hero had been murdered before us. However, just as quickly as the flames appeared, they equally disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a “slightly charred” looking archer, now unconscious on the arena floor! Next thing I knew, it felt like my tumbling body had been “caught” by an invisible barrier cushion, suspending me in the air. Looking down, I could see Inari had skillfully managed to eliminate the bow hero, while swiftly calculating and catching me in the air with a custom barrier spell! During all of this, the spear hero looked behind him to see half of his team had already been eliminated. That’s when he quickly charged towards Inari’s position, and stabbed her through the chest with his spear!
*Woosh*
But nothing happened! His spear effortlessly pierced “Inari” who was nothing more than an image. Haru, was completely dumbfounded and confused as to what had just happened, clearly having never experienced this type of ability combination before. Taking advantage of the opportunity created for me by my sly battle partner, I quickly weaved some of the nearby mana into a sturdy barrier underneath my feet, shaping them like the starting plates for a sprint. Then, I activated my signature spell, dash!
Moments later, I rocketed myself forward from my “sprinting launch pad”, to near instantly close a distance of 60ft. My target? Haru’s pristine face, which was kindly introduced to my tightly curled fist!
*SMASH!*
I heard the sound of bones cracking as my fist made contact with his surprised mug! Moments later, his body was launched at least 20ft back from the blow he received, knocking him unconscious in the process! Man that felt good! While I was shaking my hand slightly to get the tingling sensation out from smashing the spear hero’s face in, Inari dispelled her illusion to appear beside me. Both of us looked at each other, then stared towards our only remaining opponent in our trial to impress the king, the magic hero.
Miles, looked like your typical nerd for all intensive purposes. His face was full of youthful energy that radiated a condescending attitude towards us, which was matched by his equally messy blue hair. Presently, he was “smugly” readjusting his glasses while holding his regal sorcerer staff high in the air above his head to suspend an impressive looking fireball-type spell. Presently, it was roughly the size of a house. Additionally, the sphere of oppressive fire was radiating such heat, even I was starting to sweat just looking at it. During our entire duel against the heroes, he hadn’t launched a single magic attack against us, or tried to support his teammates in anyway. Instead, he had been purely focusing on making this fireball the largest he possibly could. If he launched that thing... It was bound to cause more than just destruction to the training grounds. Then, seeing as he had our full attention, Miles spoke to us while holding his glasses to his face.
“If.... If you don’t surrender... I’ll... I’ll launch this fireball and blow everything up!!! I... I don’t want you joining us in the labyrinth, and as long as we win... You can’t join us! So... Just surrender!!!”
...
That was... Not what I was expecting.
While his warning came in a rather nasally voice to complete the nerd stereotype, his voice lacked a lot of confidence and was filled with the air of a child threatening to throw a temper tantrum at the slightest inconvenience of failing to get what they wanted. Looking up at the king, his face was a mixture of panic and shock at the development, as I could only imagine him worrying for his own personal safety should Inari and I deny the magic hero’s request to surrender the duel. Royal sorcerers were hurriedly rushing around the perimeter to flood the observation platform with a plethora of barrier spells to shield the king and his advisor as a result of the magic hero’s actions. Calmly, after examining the spell in detail, I continued staring at the magic hero while speaking out loud to the confident fox beside me.
“Inari, do you think you could handle that fireball spell? I’m not the best just yet when it comes to canceling magic, but it doesn’t seem all that impressive from my quick analysis.”
Then, with a soft giggle, Inari happily reassured me that she could handle the childish antics of the magic hero.
“Hehe! Of course Ko! You’re right in your analysis. While it does visually look impressive, it leaves a lot to be desired from a weaving perspective. Well, kinda. I’ll explain in a little bit!”
“Well, you heard us magic champion. We will not be surrendering the duel just because of your threat to “blow us up”. While the spell looks cool, it’s actually kinda lame. In fact, I dare you to launch it at us! As a matter of fact, I think I’ve seen better fireballs out in the country side during my training!”
After my taunt, I slowly started walking towards the childish sorcerer, giving him ample time to respond.
“Don’t think I won’t do it!!! I’ll... I’ll launch this fireball! Don’t... Don’t take another step closer!!!”
Wanting to push my luck, I locked eyes with the king who was nervously watching the entire standoff, then calmly, took one whole dramatic step forward. Then, keeping true to his word, the magic hero did indeed, launch the massive house-sized fireball towards us, albeit in a very slow, and dramatic fashion. In an instant, another army of barrier type spells encased the entire arena while Raya began valiantly shouting orders to enact more defensive measures and to take cover while protecting his majesty. Finally, during all of the ensuing chaos I had created, I heard the enthusiastic, rambling explanation from Inari I was expecting.
“You see Miles, while you may be the magic hero, your capabilities appear to be born purely from the powers of the “hero summoning magic”. While your magic status values are quite high and you can indeed create impressive spells with your mana weaving, the spells are... On a fundamental level... Too perfect. All of the mana particles are woven into beautiful patterns, flawlessly following proper magical theory for their construction and execution. However, while the fireball spell you’ve created is academically “perfect”, it lacks the practical combat adaptation of “knotting” your strands to encrypt the spells foundation. Take for example, a tightly bound ball of yarn. The ball is all one, continuous string, neatly held together through intricate twists. This would be like your fireball spell right now. Thus, if someone were to skillfully analyze the mana particle compression and find the binding point, they could easily.”
As Inari was happily giving the magic hero a lesson about mana weaving and encryption, the rambling fox calmly raised her right paw into the air, then snapped her fingers, before finishing her explanation with a dramatic pause.
“Do this!”
In an instant, the giant, slowly moving fiery ball of death and destruction, collapsed inwards on itself, then scattered in a breathtakingly beautiful and harmless explosion of mana particles, which were now calmly floating to the dusty ground below. Everyone around us stared in shock, awe, and amazement, at seemingly having just witnessed a beastkin, calmly cancel the powerful explosion spell from the nation’s treasured magic hero. Miles, was equally confused at this whole ordeal, wearing a rather shocked and confused face as to what had just happened. Then, keeping with the tempo and remembering we were “technically” still in a duel, I instantly closed the 30ft gap between us, stopping just in front of him, with my sword mere inches away from the bewildered hero’s face. Finally, I stared intently into his panic-stricken brown eyes, prompting him to utter the words: “I... I surrender”.
A smile grew across my face as I sheathed my sword and looked back towards Inari. She was clearly just as ecstatic, as her tail was uncontrollably bouncing around to match the equally cheerful smile across her face. Then, I brought my gaze towards King Solar. Knowing he had been bested, he, to my surprise, still had the grace and decency to admit we were clearly more than capable to join the heroes. Having given his approval, he then ordered his attendants to arrange rooms for Inari and I, then angrily left the observation platform, returning to the palace proper. It didn’t take long after the kings’ departure, for the remaining royal guards to swiftly collect, heal, and transport the defeated heroes out of the training grounds to their chambers for recovery. Next thing I knew, the only individuals still remaining at the training grounds, were a few of the royal guardsmen, Raya, Inari, and myself.
Eventually, Raya spoke to us in an apologetic tone while bowing.
“Champions, I want to iterate again, but I apologise on behalf of the royal guard, and myself, for initially doubting your capabilities. Your duel against the heroes should more than serve as adequate testament to your incredible combat capabilities for everyone that was present. I look forward to working with the both of you in our duty to protect the heroes during their journey into the labyrinth.”
“It’s alright Commander Raya, I understand your scepticism towards us. After all, the probability that an F(+) ranked duo would be considered the strongest in the kingdom, is quite low. When this information is combined with your personal experience as the military’s commander, it was only logical you would question the assessment. If anything, Inari and I are just glad we could showcase our capabilities today for you to personally witness.”
After our short exchange, Raya saluted both of us, then requested we join her, along with the other elite guards, so she could share the kingdom’s current intelligences regarding the labyrinth and upcoming assault plans. While following Raya, we continued to converse about our adventuring experiences, and briefly shared the fact that neither Inari or I, had been inside the labyrinth ourselves. I caught Raya flinch at the comment, as clearly, she was expecting us to have at least some experience delving its depths. Overall, it was a rather interesting thought to entertain that the current strongest adventurers in the kingdom, specifically recruited to guide the heroes through the labyrinth, had no actual experience within said labyrinth themselves. This realization prompted Raya to start “from the basics” so to speak, much to the dismay of the elite guardsman present during our meeting. Eventually, we found ourselves in a rather small, secure stone-walled room, with a complex map and small wooden figures resting on top of a table, aptly placed in the middle, for our briefing.
Apparently, this was one of the military wing’s planning chambers, and the map contained detailed cartography of the currently explored labyrinth floors, along with known monster profiles, levels, and appraisal results. Inari was absolutely thrilled at the level of detail the military had provided, and was happily scouring over each of the maps and notes excessively. During our lengthy meeting, we were essentially able to learning the following information about the labyrinth.
Each floor of the labyrinth was approximately 5 by 5 acres from a sizing perspective, with obvious staircases descending to deeper floors. The terrain was “mostly” indestructible, and any damage would seemingly repair itself after being left alone for 30 minutes. From a progress perspective, you simply needed to reach the next staircase to descend deeper into the dungeon. Furthermore, there were sometimes signs or words found along the walls, but all current attempts at translating them have all failed. Additionally, the floors appeared to have very structured rules for it’s inhabitants, which were as follows:
Monsters spawned on a floor, could only remain on that floor. For example, if a skeleton chased you to the stairs leading up to floor 1, it would seemingly “lose interest”, abruptly turn around, then go back to it’s designated spot on the current floor.
When defeated, a monster’s body would be “absorbed” by the floor within 30 minutes, vanishing in a burst of light, at which point another monster would spawn to replace the defeated enemy.
If a defeated monster’s body was moved to another floor, it would no longer vanish, and instead appeared to follow the normal rules for decomposition. A new monster would still spawn to replace the creature after 30 minutes.
There were no variations of the monsters for each floor. They would only spawn that same type each and every time, with the respawn locations changing slightly, but largely remaining consistent.
Anywhere between 50 to 100 monsters could be spawned on a floor at a time.
Next, for specific monster spawns, floor 1 contained only goblins of level 1, while floor 2 only spawned undead skeletons of levels 1 or 2. Floor 3 was home to a species of giant insects named silk grubs, and were always level 2. From there, floor 4 contained the classic slime monster, ranging from levels 3 to 4, while floor 5 was home to standard dairy cows of level 5. I was honestly really intrigued learning this fact, as apparently this was the primary source of beef in the kingdom. The cows on floor 5, posed absolutely no threat to any adventuring parties, and it was often used as a “rest floor” due to this property. Next, floor 6 contained kobolds of level 6, floor 7 housed feral wolves of level 7, and floor 8 was home to ogres, which gave Inari and I painful flashbacks to our encounter in the Eldermyst forest. For the last few known depths, floor 9 contained lesser mud golems of level 9, while floor 10 only had giant bats of level 10. From there, floor 11 had goblins again, except this time, hobgoblins were mixed in amongst the spawns. Each of these creatures were level 11, which was unheard of in academic circles. This left the final, unexplored floor, of floor 12.
At present, what creatures spawned on the floor, was unknown. The heroes, along with all previous attempts by the military, were unable to even enter the floor due to the weird miasma completely covering it. Appraisal scans apparently weren’t possible, but it was clearly toxic, and a few of the royal guard’s scouts had even perished trying to breakthrough in a valiant effort to confirm which monsters spawned on the floor. Once Inari and I were caught up, Raya ended the strategy meeting, opting to confirm the finer details tomorrow morning when everyone was well rested and prepared for our mission in protecting and guiding the heroes.
Shortly after, we were escorted to a larger mess hall within the castle, which appeared to be mostly for the onsite military members for dining. Thankfully, the guards present seemed to treat Inari slightly better, probably after seeing her performance during the impromptu duel. For a meal, we were served a simple dish of meat and potatoes. Unfortunately, the quality was severely lacking when compared to Yarn’s cooking, which just made me crave one of her beef bowls even more. For sure I’d have to order an extra serving when we got back! Additionally, during our simple dinner, Inari and I chatted with a few of the elite guards that would be joining us, and learned that most of them were unenthusiastic over the prospect of “babysitting” the heroes due to their snarky and condescending attitudes towards them. The spear hero in particular was well known around the palace grounds for his vulgar attitude, and since getting stronger, none of the guards, including Raya, could adequately control his behaviour anymore. Having seen our duel, a few of the guardsman thanked me personally for punching his face in as a form of payback for his attitude towards them.
Eventually, after a few more hours of chatting with Raya and the soldiers, a pair of maids from the palace came to collect Inari and I, so that we could be escorted to our lodgings for the night. Thus, waving goodbye to our newfound friends through shared disdain for the spear hero, we promptly followed the maids through the winding and imposing palace hallways. Looking out the impressively tall windows adorning the corridors, it was clear the suns had already set below the horizon, as the palace grounds and garden were calmly basking in the tranquil moonlit rays. The only thing making the moment less serene, was the judgemental glares towards Inari as she was blissfully taking in the palace environment. After some more twists and turns, we finally stopped outside a pair of doors that were excessively tall for any human I’d ever seen, and politely told this would be my lodgings for the night.
I was slightly confused, probably because I had assumed Inari and I would be staying together while in the palace, but the maid’s insisted they had specially prepared a room for Inari, as she was, after all, the first beastkin to ever stay within the palace. Shrugging my shoulders, we waved goodbye to one another as I pushed open the regal doors to enter my temporary room. Overall, it was largely what I expected for a room within a typical royal fantasy palace. While the size was as large as my expectations, the level of detail present within the fabrics, furnishing, and furniture, really highlighted the difference between classes in Solara. My bed was a large king-sized mattress elegantly dressed in a red, and wonderfully soft cashmere blanket, complete with matching down pillows. The dresser, on the other hand, was of a riveting dark wood, and screamed in quality of the workmanship that went into crafting such an exquisite piece of storage. To say the least, I looked very “out of place” in my rugged and slightly worn leather armor. These thoughts led me to eventually finding myself sitting on the bed, in wonder, while examining my surroundings with my mana-presence detection radar.
Truthfully, I was curious what the palace had in store for Inari’s stay, as I could only assume the worst based on their earlier treatment towards her. Paying attention to Inari’s and the maid’s presence, I eventually lost track of them as they left my detection range, only worsening my curiosity regarding her fate. Thus, after a few more minutes of admiring my room, I eventually decided to try and find her. Approaching the door, I opened it, only to find the maid, standing guard to the room’s entrance. Before I could even ask her my question, I was interrupted by her own.
“Dearest guest and adventurer, how may I serve you?”
Amazed at the maids attentive and quick response, I eventually managed to articulate my request to visit Inari.
“Hi, umm, would you be able to guide me to where Inari is staying? There is something I—”
“Don’t worry adventurer, you needn’t worry about your companion. I assure you; they are well taken care of by the palace.”
...
Well, that’s not exactly what I was asking. Guess I would need to be more direct.
“Perfect then, Miss...—”
“Stella.”
“Stella, it is of utmost importance that I discuss with Inari our plans for tomorrow. Guiding the heroes through the labyrinth will be rather challenging, and I want to eliminate any possibilities for tragedies while they are in our care. After all, this does concern the well-being of the nations treasured heroes! I’m sure there would be no problems for me to briefly chat with her before I retire for the night? No?”
The maid glared at me with judgemental eyes, clearly not amused at my insistence on seeing where the appalling “beastkin” was taken for the night. Eventually, after an uncomfortably long silence, Stella bowed, then began escorting me down the palace’s halls. All throughout the journey, the only audible sound, was the rhythmic “clopping” noise from our shoes as they echoed throughout the massive, regal hallways. Neither the maid, or I, said a single word to one another as we continued walking down the endless hallways. In a word, it was rather eerie how nighttime at the palace seemed.
Eventually, to my surprise, I was led outside the palace into a larger field. It was still within the palace grounds, but was mostly filled with dirt and well-kept fields of grass, imprisoned by wonderfully maintained and eccentric wooden fences. It didn’t take long, but that’s when I noticed the larger wooden building commonly known for housing various livestock, a stable, was also nearby.
*Sigh*
I caught the maid in front of me chuckle lightly as we approached the stables, then, she spoke to me in a condescending tone, clearly indicating she had no qualms with the obvious negligence for treating another being with respect.
“Beasts, should lay with beasts. Was the king’s decree. Make your conversation quick so I may return you to your room, adventurer.”
Disgusted at the display of hospitality shown by the royal family, I walked towards the stable doors without speaking a word to the maid from before. Pushing the rustic wooden doors open, I was greeted with the scene one would largely expect of a well-kept stable on palace grounds. The building was large, clean of dirt, and currently home to several large stallions who were cautiously eyeing me having entered their pristine home. Towards the back of the stable, I found the fox I was looking for, who happened to be gently petting one of the horses as I walked towards her. It didn’t take long, but eventually, Inari called out to me in a cheerful tone.
“Oh, Ko! I’m surprised you came here! What do you think of my room? Isn’t it amazing! Well, I mean, I am kind of sharing it with these other guests, but look! The hay is super soft and has great insulating capabilities, and that’s not even to mention th—”
She.... She has to know this isn’t acceptable right? To my surprise, Inari was happily ranting away about the exceptional quality of her lodgings. So, I interrupted her as kindly as I could.
“Inari... That’s—”
“And I know it looks a little... Small... With a very... Mature aroma in the—”
“Inari...”
Finally, she stopped rambling while continuing to stare into the horse’s eyes while stroking it’s long, silver snout. Then, she turned to me, finally responding in a somber voice.
“Ko.... I’m not that daft, I know what the palace is doing isn’t acceptable, especially for the champions that will be escorting the heroes tomorrow. I just... Thought that maybe... They would accept me a little more if they saw how amazing I was with magic...
But, thank you for checking on me. It... It means a lot... I’ll be fine, I promise. You should... Probably go back to your room in the castle. After all... We do need to be well rested... Right?”
Well, despite how Inari was feeling, I was glad she was at least aware this behaviour towards her wasn’t appropriate. But I still didn’t approve how King Solar decided to treat her. This discrimination... It really would be difficult to overcome.
Troubled, and annoyed at how my only close friend in this world was being treated, I decided to commit to my next set of actions without any regrets.
“Hmmm, now that you mention it, this place does seem kind of nice, doesn’t it Inari? I mean, there’s good company, and, while the privacy may be lacking just a tad, I do appreciate the open concept the palace has chosen to go with! Very bold and modern indeed. If you may, I would be most interested in seeing your personal quarters, as the hallway has left me absolutely captivated at the splendor these lodging can offer!”
Then, with a light smile, laugh, and swooshing tail, Inari responded in kind to my impromptu exclamation for appreciating the “lodgings”; opening one of the empty stable quarters.
“Hehe! Well, of course! I am glad such a distinguished individual such as yourself noticed the finer details that went into creating such wonderful accommodations. If you would follow me this way, I would be more than willing to showcase the sleeping arrangements so graciously provided by the Solara Kingdom.
Over here, you will see several bundles of freshly preserved hay, made from the finest of Solara’s grass, skilfully dried in the blistering twin suns from the kingdom’s skilled artisans. Each and every individual piece of straw has been expertly vetted by the most proficient of hay craftsman to ensure only the highest of quality.
And, if you would so kindly direct your attention over here, you will see an exquisite, rugged blanket, carefully infused with the aged aroma from pristine equine dander, that only the most mature of sleeping connoisseurs would appreciate! I assure you; we have spared no expense in making this truly a memorable, recreational experience!”
Following Inari inside the small, hay-filled room, I decided to make myself “at home”, and carefully sat down on a nearby pile of crispy straw, while leaning my back against the rough, wooden walls of the building. Then, after Inari finished her extravagantly descriptive tour of the “room”, happily joined me against the rustic, and lightly splintered wood as well. Next, I was taken slightly off guard, as she gently leaned into me, deciding to rest her head, on my shoulder. I was distracted by how soft and light her fur was, along with the weight from her body, as she continued making herself comfortable. Without realizing it, I caught myself staring into her emerald eyes, then quickly looked away in embarrassment. My face felt slightly “flushed”, and I’m pretty sure I saw her lightly laugh at my sudden behaviour. Finally, the vulpine continued our conversation from earlier.
“But really. Thank you, Ko.
...
You... You’re really sure this is fine? I... I can only imagine how much more comfortable one of the rooms inside the palace would be. You would get better rest in one of their beds... I’m... I... I should probably stop leaning against you as well. While it’s comfortable for me... It’s... It’s probably bothering you, so I’ll—"
As I felt her shift her weight slightly to leave, I unconsciously found myself resting my arm around her, holding, and keeping her close. Then, I tried to respond as calmly as I could with my honest feelings.
“It’s... It’s fine... I... I think I’ll be able to rest better this way as well, so, don’t worry about it. You’re not bothering me, really!”
Inari smiled at my comments while staring into my eyes. For sure my face had to of been filled with a vibrant red and embarrassed colour. After seeing my reaction, she shily curled her tail around herself, slightly covering me in the process. Then, she flicked one of her paws to levitate one of the nearby horse blankets, skillfully floating it over, wrapping us in it’s warm, musky embrace.
“I... I think I’ll sleep better this way as well. Good night... Ko.”
Eventually, both of us closed our eyes, as our eventful day finally came to a close. While I found myself diligently fighting to keep my thoughts from wandering too much into this scenario, my mind was once again, flooded with questions about my summoning.
What was underneath the labyrinth? Why were my status values so much higher than the other heroes? Especially since I was a lower level than them. Will we really find answers to these questions beneath the kingdom?
Not long after, my thoughts gradually began to slow, as my mind happily started shifting into the world of dreams. Tomorrow would surely be dangerous, yet paramount, in learning more about the world, of Terra.