The next morning. Benny showed up at the eting place in the plaza with a thoroughly sulky expression.
“Hey! Jonah! Are you really not going to learn 1/16 scale dragon acid…huh?”
Of course, she stopped grumbling at and flinched when she saw Karen standing next to .
Tall, with a tired look and dark circles. And wearing an Inquisitor’s outfit, it must have been intimidating.
Benny, full of caution, opened her mouth in a prickly manner like an angry cat.
“Who is that? What’s an Inquisitor doing with our party?”
“Hello. It’s been a few weeks since we t at the Cradle Trading Company.”
Of course, Karen brushed off Benny’s attitude lightly. She said she often raised suspicion while working as an Inquisitor.
Benny tilted her head and then opened her heart-patterned eyes wide.
“Ah! That Inquisitor from back then? The one who was on Jonah’s side?”
“Thank you for rembering.”
Karen nodded her head. Benny, having finished identifying friend from foe, returned to her usual self and continued speaking.
“So? Even if you’re an ally, why is an Inquisitor here?”
“Oh, I’ll explain that…. Not here, but in the Labyrinth.”
Saying that, she grabbed Benny’s hand and led her toward the Labyrinth.
Blah blah blah, duck-billed platypus nonsense.
She shrugged amidst the square buildings at the entrance of the 3rd Floor.
“…That’s how it happened.”
“What, you struggled with small fries and now you’re going to ss with a Catastrophe?”
“Oh, co on. When did I say I was going to ss with a Catastrophe? I’m just going to take a quick look at the situation.”
“Do you know the location?”
“I don’t, do you? Oh, Karen, do you know?”
“I don’t know either.”
Benny looked at Karen and with a disdainful expression as we shook our heads. I gave her a sly smile.
“Benny. Whatever’s in the Labyrinth, no matter how securely it’s sealed, it’s ultimately arranged by the Goddess of Love, right?”
“Well, yes? Since she’s busy directly managing the Labyrinth, she hardly exerts any influence outside.”
“Then shouldn’t we just ask the Goddess directly?”
“…Did you hear what I just said? She’s unable to do that.”
“Sigh. Benny…Vanitas Benibeni. My foolish mage.”
“Wh-what suddenly? And I’m not your mage, Jonah.”
“Forget about that, just think for a mont. Who am I?”
“Jonah.”
“Not my na, but my title or sothing… You know, that kind of thing.”
“Adventurer?”
“Ah! Not that! The hint is religion!”
“A fraud claiming to be the World Tree’s agent?”
“I’m not a fraud?! I’ve never called myself an agent! …I just didn’t correct the misunderstanding.”
Benny shook her head and sighed.
“Isn’t that the sa thing?”
“It’s different. And since you really seem clueless, I have no choice but to say it myself. Ahem.”
Striking a pose, I lightly cleared my throat. Then, I swiftly pulled out the fully upgraded Goddess Statue from my inner pocket and exclaid.
“I am the one who receives all the love from the Goddess of Love! This magical conch shell…no, the soft and warm mini-goddess will reveal the answer to !” ℟àɴȪBĚṠ
“…Does changing the wording even an anything?!”
Benny glanced nervously at Karen, startled by the blasphemous statent. However, our Inquisitor was gazing reverently at the Goddess Statue.
The statue of the Goddess, as if to say to trust only her, was striking a pose as if pounding her chest.
It was then that Benny opened her eyes wide in admiration.
“Ah! Jonah, you’re like a saint, aren’t you!”
“That’s right. I’m that saint-like person!”
I continued speaking while tapping the Goddess Statue’s buttocks.
“If there’s sothing you don’t know, you can ask then. In the Labyrinth, the restrictions seem a bit looser, so simple communication seems possible. Of course, for great miracles like revelations, both the Goddess and I have to brace ourselves.”
“You speak as if you’ve received a revelation before?”
“I actually have. Even when I went to rescue Benny, I received a revelation while fleeing and made a U-turn. The normalization of space isn’t due to the power contained in the relic, but rather, it’s a miracle bestowed by the Goddess at that mont using it as a dium.”
“Was that it?! Was I originally destined to die?!”
“Nah. Destiny doesn’t exist. Only situations do. And situations can be overco.”
I decided to take care of all the seeds I had sown…aning all the events that could lead to incidents. In fact, I’ve already stopped a few of them.
To , destiny isn’t sothing grand. It shouldn’t be a grand concept.
I glanced at Benny, who still seed bewildered. Karen, who is always infinitely positive about what I do, and Lydia, who seed to follow without any thought.
“Well, that’s how it is, so don’t worry about the small stuff. More than anything, I’m not saying I’m going right now. I plan to first catch so monsters to check the results of our last special training.”
“It’s only been a day of special training. What if you’re still struggling?”
“Well then… I’ll just stick close to Miss Lydia or Benny, right?”
“I’ll protect Jonah. Mages are weak in close combat. Ahem.”
Lydia, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, chid in. Benny sighed deeply and nodded, seeing that Lydia had no intention of just turning back.
“Sigh. Alright. Let’s do as Jonah suggests for now…. But just in case, don’t take the lead when we get near the seal. Got it?”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
I pounded my chest confidently like the Goddess Statue, hoping to convey trust, but for so reason, Benny’s sigh only deepened.
Pretending not to notice, I looked up at the sky for now.
The towering clock tower visible in the distance. The World Tree on the 1st Floor, the heartbeat on the 2nd Floor, and that clock tower is the center of the 3rd Floor.
The castle connected to the bottom of the moat where I gave up midway. The highest point among the spires… Of course, inside there lies the illusion of the God of Machinery.
I won’t be going there today, so I’m just checking the direction for now.
“Well then, let’s slowly get going.”
Smiling brightly, I began to walk ahead. The three followed my lead, staying alert to the surroundings.
Just as I was beginning to feel good about having a reliable backup. Finally, the weakest monster on the 3rd Floor. The Human Golem appeared.
-Kiki-gik. Chiiiik!
The sound of grinding gears followed by the feeble sound of gas escaping. And then, a large tallic mass appeared, shrouded in white vapor.
Whether it was a dwarf in life, its vertically short and horizontally thick build looks truly sturdy. However.
“Whew. Benny. May you please do the honor.”
“Just tell to teach you one day.”
Grumbling, Benny casts a spell over the greatsword I had prepared in advance. The greatsword, emitting a foul sll, was truly reliable.
Then all that remains is to test it.
“Let’s go!”
Gripping the greatsword firmly, I charged towards the Human Golem.
At first, keeping the blade low, barely skimming the ground. So it could be swung at any mont.
Sure enough. As soon as I started charging, the Human Golem imdiately launched a rocket punch.
Whoosh!
A fierce montum as if to crush everything it touches. But if its target is ultimately my head, the counterasure is simple.
The mont the flying fist enters my range.
“Heup!”
I swung the greatsword diagonally. A greatsword tracing an exact trajectory at the precise timing.
Up to this point, it was what I always did. Even when I clumsily swung the greatsword, it was the sa.
But now, I learned from Lydia how to swing properly, and how to handle the greatsword that felt light only to .
Karduk!
As the rocket punch touched the greatsword, it sparked roughly, trying to bounce away. But I twisted my waist, flipping the blade just in ti.
A sensation as if gently pushing the back of the rocket punch with the broad side of the greatsword.
As soon as I confird that tactile feedback, I spun around on the spot with the sa running speed.
Naturally, the trajectory of the rocket punch curved under the guidance of my greatsword. As if glued to the blade, it traced a large arc and shot straight at the Human Golem.
-Creak!
The Human Golem emits a harsh tallic sound, perhaps unaware that its own fist would rebound.
The large steel fist strikes squarely into its chest.
Boom!
The Human Golem staggers, having been struck by its own power.
That’s right. This is exactly how Lydia taught to use large weapons.
With a dagger, all you can do is parry or deflect, but with a large weapon like a greatsword, you can do much more.
Especially in my case, where the weight of the greatsword is barely felt.
The first attempt at projectile deflection was successful, so what’s left is clear.
Stepping forward broadly, I twisted my waist to the fullest. The greatsword lifted parallel to the ground as a bonus.
Even my muscles, made flexible by various powers, are on the verge of screaming. Like releasing a compressed spring, I instantly unwind my waist.
Clang!
A sensation of sothing being crushed. Minotauros’s greatsword struck the side of the Human Golem precisely.
Though I couldn’t feel it, it was indeed possible due to its considerable weight.
But it wasn’t the end here.
Chi-i-i-ik-!
The acidic solution pre-applied to the greatsword emitted ashen smoke as it corroded the thick armor. And then.
Poo-wk!
The greatsword, penetrating the thick armor, crushed the brain that managed the ‘human’ part of the Human Golem.
It wasn’t taken down with one strike, but compared to last ti, it was a significant improvent.
Though it was just a day, the special training clearly had aning.
“Huh?!”
Though I didn’t expect the materials, which were supposed to be the spoils, to dissolve in the acid.
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