The immortal hero who thinks of the heroines as his daughters vs. heroines who want to make the hero understand them - Chap 7

The labyrinth is divided into upper, middle, and lower layers.
The upper layer is made of soil and inhabited by relatively weak monsters. The middle layer is made of stone, and you risk losing your life unless you fight in groups. The lower layer has highly variable environments; you’d need extraordinary skills to make it back alive.
There isn’t a clear division between these layers marked by stairs; it’s more of a practical representation based on the wall conditions and monster strengths. Especially in the lower layers, each environmental change should denote a new layer. Still, so few people make it there that there needs to be more information altogether.

And so…

“…A volcano, huh?”

Rex pushed up his robe, looked around, and furrowed his brow. On the map that had automatically been drawn from the treasure chest he’d found in the labyrinth, a circular area resembling a volcano was depicted at the center.

This was the unexplored lower layer of the labyrinth.
In place of Linda, who was busy with her guild master duties, he had come to gather information for conquering the labyrinth.

How deep underground had he ventured from the entrance? The deeper he went, the more the labyrinth changed its form—like the physically impossible forest area or the volcano before him.
It was probably expanded by some sort of magical power, but it was still a bizarre sight. While bothered by the temperature, Rex continued to delve deeper and deeper.

“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Then, from the ground emerged a monster that looked like a mud dragon, its body covered in billions of eyeballs.
It was unclear whether its vocal organs were significantly different from those of surface creatures. Still, it let out a scream that couldn’t be called a cry. Reflecting its volcanic environment, it was wreathed in flames.
“…It lacks the intelligence and dignity to be called a dragon.”
Rex muttered, his robe getting blown away by the hot wind.

As if understanding his words, the monster angrily spewed fire.

“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!!!!!!”

“There sure are a lot of fire spirits around here…”

Rex glanced around and made a gesture as if gathering something. Instantly, flames of incomparable size appeared, swallowing the monster’s attack with overwhelming firepower and burning it to ashes.

“I thought there’d be many, but this is beyond expectations.”

He had expected a more challenging battle, but due to the abundance of fire spirits in the area, he could execute an attack of extraordinary firepower. Monsters in the lower layers usually have high elemental resistances, and even miracles from gods have limited effects on them.

Having continuously honed his power over spirits, Rex could now unconditionally control weaker souls and amplify their output. As for stronger, sentient beings, he still can’t prevent them ideally.

“…”
Continuing to map the area, Rex pushed ahead with his labyrinth conquest. If any competent adventurer were to witness this scene, their jaw would indeed drop. Even in the middle layers, where it is dangerous to go alone—requiring a well-trained group of several adventurers—he was soloing the lower layers. He defeated monsters that would typically overwhelm adventurers and did it in a single blow.

“As expected, once I’ve gotten this far, I can’t get by without using the power of spirits.”
He sighed while looking at his clenched fist.

Ordinarily, Rex trained his abilities without relying on the power the Queen of Spirits bestowed upon him. However, he realized that a mere decade of personal effort wouldn’t suffice against the creatures of the lower layers. With that in mind, the fact that Linda could stand toe-to-toe with him using her abilities seemed absurd. But perhaps that was her own brand of illogical talent.

Silently walking on, the scenery around him transitioned from a rock-strewn volcano to a frosty, snow-covered terrain.

“As usual, common sense doesn’t apply here.”

A moment ago, he was sweating from the intense heat; now, his breath came out in white puffs. Rummaging through the bag on his back, he found that his food supplies were nearly depleted.

“Has it been a week already? It’s about time to head back.”

It’s been a long time since he resolved to be Linda’s support, yet there are moments when he grows tired of his work. Come to think of it, even with the Queen of Spirits, he rarely did any “work-like” position; he mostly cooked and then did as he pleased.

“Perhaps I’m not cut out for working.”
Rex pondered as he began to retrace his steps.
Freezing a monster about three meters tall, Rex hurried on his way. During this, he had a strange feeling that he was being called by odd names like “Adventurer’s Staff” or “Linda-sama’s Partner.” Still, he shrugged it off as his imagination and kept walking.

Once he passed through the labyrinth’s entrance, he felt the sun on his face for the first time in what felt like ages. Though the labyrinth had its own artificial sun, there was no comparison to the real thing. Stretching himself, he looked over the village—which now had the atmosphere of a bustling town—and squinted his eyes.

Perhaps because he had significantly contributed to its growth, he felt a deep sense of emotion akin to seeing a child who was once small grow up.

Wearing a rare smile, he hurried toward the guild.

“Ah, Rex! Perfect timing!”

The moment he walked into the guild master’s room, these words greeted him. When he saw Linda’s grinning face, Rex had a horrible feeling.

“… I’ve just returned, you know.”

“That’s good to hear; your diligence is much appreciated.”

“…So, what happened?”

He observed her smiling face for a while, and clearly, she had no intention of letting him off the hook. If anything, a ‘you’re not getting away’ vibe was subtly present in her eyes. It made him want to sigh, wondering where the innocence she had as a young girl had gone.
“In the beginning, adventurers were all about dungeon exploration. But nowadays, those who focus on slaying monsters are also considered adventurers, aren’t they?”

“Ah, yes. The guild even introduced things like ‘Quests,’ and people who solely hunt monsters outside of dungeons have started to appear.”

“And so, there’s been talk about opening a branch of the Adventurers’ Guild!”

Linda leaned in excitedly. The spread of the organization she helped create must be gratifying for her. Keeping her excitement in check by gently holding her head, Rex frowned.

“…So, what do you want me to do?”

“Inspection. I have duties as the top person here, so I want you, my number two, to go and check out that town.”

The request seemed straightforward, but Rex knew better than to let his guard down.

“You’re not hiding some complicated circumstances, are you?”

They usually came with some sort of catch whenever she made such requests. For instance, what seemed like a simple task of dealing with an overflow of slimes could suddenly turn into battling a swarm of wyverns.

“Don’t worry. That town might have a lot of monsters, but they could be stronger. The strongest would be at the mid-level.”
“Even if you say so, it’s hard to trust you completely…”
Rex sighed profoundly and shrugged his shoulders, looking tired.

“Fine, Your Highness. People have called me ‘Adventurer Linda’s Wand,’ so I can accept this request.”

“Wha…!? Who said that!?”

As a little comeback, Rex repeated the words someone had said when he was leaving the dungeon. The effect was immediate: Linda’s face turned beet red, and she ranted. Rex casually deflected her reaction and threw out a question.

“So, when are we leaving?”

“—Honestly, as if you and I have such a relationship…! It’s not entirely wrong, but hearing it from someone else feels different… Oh, leaving? Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow. I said the timing was perfect, didn’t I? If you hadn’t returned, I considered going myself, job be damned. Really, the timing couldn’t be better.”

Looking at her grinning face, Rex thought she appeared devilish, if only for a moment.