Volume 7, Chapter 66 – Critical Moment

If one were to look down upon Gota from the sky, they would easily spot the anomaly in the northern mining district.

The previously sunken ground had now completely collapsed, and a terrifyingly huge pit with a diameter of over a kilometer had appeared in the earth.

That wasn’t the worst part. What was truly terrifying was that, with the ground above them gone, the monsters living in the labyrinth, in their quest for fresh air and sunlight, began to climb out along the edges of the pit. In just a quarter of an hour, the low-level monsters from the first and second floors had covered more than half of the labyrinth plaza. The merchants who had set up stalls around the plaza fled in all directions due to the monsters. Compounded by the still-shaking ground, uninformed people poured out of their homes and into the streets, the panicked crowd forming a vortex that was impossible to move through.

“What’s happening? An earthquake?”

“Is the earthquake from ten years ago happening again?”

The people who had rushed out were shouting as they looked around, hoping for an answer from someone in the know.

But not knowing the answer was a greater happiness than knowing the truth. An adventurer, drenched in sweat and looking extremely disheveled, pushed through the crowd. As he desperately ran towards the city gate, he didn’t forget to shout at the stunned residents on the street.

“The northern mining district has collapsed again! Run! All the monsters from the labyrinth are out!”

“What?!”

“Is the monster tide from ten years ago coming again?”

“Damn it, my son is still in the workshop! I have to go find him!”

“My wife too!”

Like a lit fuse on a barrel of gunpowder, the adventurer’s words caused a huge uproar in the crowd. The stunned people all sprang into action, either rushing back home to pack whatever valuables they could carry, or heading straight for their loved ones. The streams of people from different directions collided, making the already bad traffic even more congested. Carriages, carts, and pedestrians refused to yield to each other, and the sound of arguing threw the entire city into chaos.

At the same time, Yisi’s party also took action.

With the help of the [Omniscient Map], Yisi, who had rescued the priests and nuns from the temple, quickly arrived at the courtyard where her companions were. Everyone had followed her instructions and were waiting safely in the open area. Seeing that no one was missing, Yisi let out a light sigh. She first nodded to her companions to show that she was alright, then turned her gaze to the fat head priest, who was nervously clutching an iron box.

“Is everyone accounted for? Is anyone left behind?”

Because the box in his hands, filled with coins and gold and silver jewelry, was extremely heavy, the fat priest could only answer while panting.

“N-no one else, Your Eminence. Including the… the children you brought back a while ago, all twenty-two of us are here.”

“What about the paladins?”

“I dismissed the ones on duty. The ones who were not on duty today are at home.”

Then that’s everyone.

Yisi glanced at the [Omniscient Map]. There were no more light dots in the temple’s area, which meant that she had rescued everyone. Although the fat head priest had insisted on taking his valuables with him, which had wasted a lot of time, fortunately, Dominic had also participated in the rescue mission. In the heat of the moment, Dominic had volunteered to carry the treasury for him, while Yisi had kicked the priest’s butt, urging him to pack his things and leave quickly.

He’ll have nothing when he’s dead, yet he’s still thinking about taking more money.

Creak, crack…

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The earth shook violently again, and the sound of buildings groaning under the strain reached their ears. Almost subconsciously, the group looked at the temple they had just been in.

“Woof!”

Facing the temple, a Charles let out a warning growl. But this did not stop the cracking sound from intensifying. The four-story-high church gradually tilted and finally, amidst the screams and cries of the priests and nuns, it collapsed with a deafening roar.

Crack-crack-crack-crack—BOOM!

“Eek!”

The huge cloud of dust that rose up made the fat on the head priest’s body tremble. He wiped the sweat from his forehead again and again. If Yisi hadn’t half-forced him to abandon the statues and murals in the treasury and get out, he would have been a pile of mush under the rubble by now. The fear made him swallow hard.

“L-Lord Cardinal, it’s too dangerous here! We should flee Gota at once! If this place collapses like the northern mining district did ten years ago, we’re done for!”

The fat head priest was not the only one who was worried. Dominic also had a solemn expression, and his hand gripping his sword was white from the force.

“Cardinal Yisi, I must also return to my residence. Derrick and my servants are there.”

“Yes, you go back first, Dominic,” Yisi turned to the fat head priest and the nuns. “You all stay in this courtyard. Do not go out, no matter what happens. It’s more dangerous out there than in here.”

If the fat head priest hadn’t dismissed the paladins, it would have been fine; they could have provided cover. But now, with their numbers so thin, acting rashly was not a wise choice. She would have the Charleses stand guard here.

Yisi’s words made the fat head priest, who wanted to flee the city, look anxious. But just as he was about to say something, a group of people in adventurer’s attire rushed through the temple gate.

It was Dominic’s companions.

Derrick, the dwarf Axis, and two human males. It was worth noting that the elf Nana was not with them.

“Brother!”

“Dominic.”

“Derrick? Axis? It’s great that you’re alright. What about the others in the residence? I think I heard people outside shouting about monsters. What on earth happened?”

With no time for a hug, Dominic immediately assumed the demeanor of a city lord.

Derrick, who was in charge of explaining, had a pale face.

“Brother, the northern mining district has collapsed.”

“Collapsed?”

“Yes, not just a normal collapse. This time it’s more serious than ten years ago. The entire northern mining district has sunk. It’s a natural disaster, a divine punishment!”

Dominic’s face darkened.

“Then what’s this about the monsters?”

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“After the district collapsed, all the monsters from the labyrinth came out. Although I sent the army to suppress them immediately, my subordinates reported before I came that it wasn’t very effective. Besides the low-level monsters from the first and second floors that even ordinary people can handle, some green slime-like monsters have also crawled up from the labyrinth. Our men’s armor and weapons are burned through as soon as they touch them. They’re no match for those monsters at all. Fortunately, those monsters can only stay in water. I’ve already ordered the mobilization of magic chanters who can use fire magic. Other than the soldiers who made first contact and suffered burns, there have been no deaths for now.”

“You’ve done very well,” hearing that there were no deaths, Dominic’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed. He patted Derrick on the shoulder. “Although I don’t know what kind of monsters you’re talking about, if they can only stay in water, why did they come to the surface? There isn’t that much water in the labyrinth.”

The one who answered was Axis, holding his two short axes.

“I don’t know why there’s water either, but I was standing at the edge of the collapse and looking down. There was definitely the glint of water at the bottom of the labyrinth, and the water level was slowly rising. The monsters were being forced out by the water. And those green slimes, although their movements become slow and their strength drops significantly after they leave the water, they revive after being killed. We can’t do anything about them.”

Dominic looked anxious.

“Tsk, what about Nana? Why isn’t Nana with you?”

“Nana went down to the labyrinth with Iman and his group a while ago. She hasn’t come back yet.”

“Damn it. She must be trapped in the labyrinth. Derrick, go and evacuate the people in the city immediately. Have the army move all the heavy weapons from the armory to the city walls. If the soldiers in the plaza fall, you are the last line of defense.”

“But where are you going, brother?”

As if having made a decision, Dominic took a deep breath.

“I’m going with Axis to the labyrinth to find them! Those core adventurers, especially Iman who said he was going to subjugate the Steel-Blade Bees a while ago, they were planning to stay in the labyrinth for a month. They should still be in there now. We can’t just abandon those hundred or so adventurers. After we rescue them, the fire-element magic chanters they brought will be of great use. More importantly, I can’t just leave Nana to die.”

“You absolutely can’t go, brother! The labyrinth has already collapsed, and the original paths are gone. You don’t even know where Iman and Nana are now. How are you going to find them? You should hurry and ask Father for help! This is beyond our capabilities!”

Derrick’s old-looking face was full of anxiety, and he even looked like he would grab Dominic if he tried to leave.

“Derrick! I have the power of the Tower of Taris that Father gave me. Even if I run into an emergency, I can handle it for a while.”

“No, I can’t let you risk it, brother.”

“Derrick, you—”

It would be too heartless to just stand by and watch them argue. Unlike clearing the waterway, this was now a matter of life and death.

Before the two of them could come to blows, Yisi, who had finished checking the map, stepped between them.

“You two, wait a moment. I have an impression of the monsters you’re talking about. I encountered them when I went to the Water Tree to check the waterway. Laxy and I alone can handle them. You can leave the matter of finding the people in the labyrinth to us. Dominic, you and Derrick go and evacuate the residents and organize the army to establish a defensive line. It’s too much for Derrick to handle alone.”

“Cardinal Yisi?!” Not expecting her to speak up at this time, Dominic was both overjoyed and worried. “How could we let you go? It’s too dangerous!”

“And it wouldn’t be dangerous if you went, Dominic? Although I’m not as close with Nana as I am with you, if I were to use that as an excuse to stand by and watch someone in trouble, you’d be underestimating me. As a cardinal of the Ymir Church, all humans are my brethren.”

I’ve accidentally said something very exaggerated. But I can’t be bothered with that right now. The [Omniscient Map] showed that Nana and Iman’s group were still alive, but they were trapped on the ninth floor by the water. Due to the labyrinth’s winding terrain and the magic barriers in some areas, some places had not been flooded.

But it was certain that if they were left alone, they would sooner or later be trapped and die in the labyrinth.

“Such a merciful Cardinal…”

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“To dedicate oneself for the sake of all living beings, this is a true follower of the Goddess.”

“Compared to the Cardinal, we are so far behind.”

The priests and nuns all cast looks of admiration and reverence at Yisi.

Dominic looked hesitant.

“Although this is indeed the most appropriate division of labor, are you really sure, Cardinal Yisi? I only dare to take the risk because I have the power of the Tower of Taris as a trump card. But you…”

Faced with Dominic’s doubt, Yisi circled behind her companions and put her arms around their shoulders.

“Having my companions is enough for me. This is more reassuring than the Tower of Alexia.”

◇

After persuading Dominic, Yisi led her group through the chaotic main street. Under Dominic’s direction, the residents, who trusted their city lord, began to leave the city in an orderly manner. And on the path they cleared, the army rushed from all directions to the labyrinth plaza in the northern mining district.

“My lord, the opponent is that high-ranking demon that creates the green slimes. Even if our strength is not to be underestimated, it will be very difficult to rescue over a hundred adventurers. This is too dangerous.”

As they hurried along, Laxy looked anxious. If there were less than ten people to rescue, she didn’t think it would be a problem. But now, with over a hundred people, it was a fool’s dream to think they could rescue so many without any casualties.

“No, you’re wrong about one thing, Laxy. The one who is going to rescue them is ‘me’, not ‘we’. You all will stay in the labyrinth plaza and prevent the monsters from breaking through the defensive line set up by the soldiers.”

The paths in the labyrinth were already complex and ever-changing, and now the terrain had been altered by the earthquake. Although her own strength could guarantee her companions’ safety, if she brought too many people, and they encountered a monster horde, she would be slowed down by having to deal with the monsters. So, it was more appropriate to leave her companions near the defensive line. With Charles I—the other eight Charleses had been placed in the temple to protect the nuns and children—and Laxy protecting them, they would not only be safe, but they could also prevent innocent people from being killed by monsters that broke through the line.

“Just you alone? Even if it’s to play the hero and increase your prestige as one, this is going too far! You were protected by the dryad before and didn’t fight the slimes. Even I cannot defeat them, given how troublesome they are. Please, you must take at least one person with you!”

“I agree. At the very least, take me with you, Onee-sama. I’ve recently learned fire-element magic. It will surely be effective against monsters that are weakened when they leave the water.”

Camilla seconded the motion. Yisi shook her head.

“No. You are the only magic chanter in the party, Camilla. If you come with me, the team will lose its core.”

“Then let me go with you. Refina can take my place.”

Edith, holding Gungnir, suggested with a frown.

“…No. Rescuing Nana and the others will require traveling through water. You’ve lived in a frigid place all your life, Pepe. You can’t swim, can you?”

“Tsk.”

Edith answered with a click of her tongue, and then stopped her sprint.

After running through the seemingly endless street for a while, a vast and exceptionally bright area finally appeared before them.

The plaza in front of the labyrinth.

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A giant pit with a diameter measured in kilometers lay before them.

At the edge of the pit, soldiers holding large shields stood at the very front, while behind them were soldiers firing arrows and spells. A force of nearly five hundred had gathered at the southern end of the sinkhole, and there were a total of five such teams, surrounding the pit from five directions, preventing the monsters from entering the streets.

“We cannot retreat a single step! Behind you are your families and friends! To retreat here is to abandon them! Hold the line!”

“Magic team, fireballs!”

“Report! Flame Rats have appeared on the left flank! We need support from the magic chanters!”

“Urge the reserve army to come here.”

“A Rock Golem has broken through the front line! Captain, we need a strong shield-bearer to fill the gap!”

“Just hold on a little—”

“Yiiiiiiii—!”

With a piercing shriek from the depths of the pit, everyone subconsciously covered their ears. Even the monsters that were fighting the soldiers stopped their attacks in fear.

A sound of flapping wings.

Then, a behemoth with a wingspan of over ten meters appeared in the sky, completely blocking out the sun’s light.

“It’s-it’s a Wyvern!”

“Damn it, a Wyvern actually came out of the labyrinth. That thing is at least level 30. Only Lord Dominic and his party can handle it.”

“—[Guaranteed Hit].”

As the Wyvern looked down on the army and shrieked mockingly, a spear shining with a blood-red light flashed past. By the time people had reacted, the spear had already pierced through the Wyvern’s open mouth and out the back of its head by a foot.

The attack had come from Edith.

Yisi nodded at her companions with satisfaction.

“Yes, this is good. Camilla, Pepe, I’m leaving the surface to you. Mary and Tiffany too. Don’t be too reckless.”

“Yes~ Be careful too, Master.”

Yisi turned to Laxy and Refina.

“Now then, I’m heading down first.”

“My lord, please let me go with you. Even if we encounter danger, I can be your shield.”

“How could I allow a cute angel like you to be a shield,” Yisi took out the ruby-forged Sword of Ruin, Laevateinn, from her inventory. She glanced at the south, hundreds of kilometers away, and then gave Laxy a smile. “Don’t worry. I’m not alone. My capable assistant has arrived.”