Registered at the Adventurer Guild, got my guild card, and formed a party with just Ilmera—a lonely duo. My specialty is summoning golems for combat. Golems act as disposable attackers and tanks, letting us cast from the rear. Last time, summoning peak-era metal golems drained me, so I'll stick to low-level ones. For labyrinth parties, 5–6 members are ideal, so I'll summon 3–4 golems: three sword-wielding for the front, one shield-bearer for the rear.
My golems:
Pawn (Low-tier): Versatile, low mana cost.
Knight (Mid-tier): Wields swords, spears, or maces with large shields; my past mainstay. I collapsed summoning one fully equipped, but one is manageable now—my trump card.
Rook: Defense-focused.
Bishop: Mobility-focused.
King/Queen (High-tier): Autonomous, special catalysts, high mana cost—unfeasible now.
Golem gear—copied masterwork weapons and shields—boosts combat power but raises mana costs. For human foes, I prioritize numbers over gear; for monsters, attribute weapons (e.g., water sword for fire dragons, fire bow for wyverns) shine. Now, I can handle three sword-armed Pawns and one shield Pawn.
"Ilmera, let's scout Bank's labyrinth. If it's risky, we'll retreat and switch to subjugation. Okay?"
Bank's labyrinth is an hour by shared carriage, near the capital. It's pre-noon; lunch and an early afternoon ride give us three hours to explore—enough for a test run.
"Reinhardt-sama, that's reckless! We're unprepared."
She objects, unaware of my combat style. Two rear-guard members diving alone seems suicidal. Normally, you'd hire front-line warriors.
"Don't worry. My golem summoning negates the need for warriors. No need for crude fighters in our duo, right? Let's grab lunch and go."
"Two of us… no one else… cough. Fine, you're the leader. I'll follow."
Convinced, Ilmera leads me to her recommended diner.
Ilmera's pick, "Steinhaus," a tavern-inn off the main street, is upper-mid-tier in a safe area. Inside, the bright interior has a counter and ten round tables, three occupied. Ilmera confidently sits and orders: hollandaise-draped potatoes and white asparagus, Ein topf soup, Eisbein, pretzels, and two black beers.
She's oddly adept. A regular at beer halls?
"Ilmera, beer at noon? Before a labyrinth dive?"
Smiling, she looks my age—14. Two kids ordering alcohol midday feels wrong. The waiter leaves silently, order accepted. Nearby patrons glance curiously.
The crowd's decent: a warrior-like couple in light armor, four men (one in full armor, one in leather, two hooded mages), and a lone woman at the counter with a rapier—likely a warrior, uninterested in us.
The appetizer arrives: piled vegetables under tangy, eggy hollandaise. Delicious with boiled potatoes and asparagus. Nobles prioritize refined flavors and manners, so this hearty commoner dish feels fresh. Why's Ingo chubby eating this? He skipped daily training, unlike me. Will he handle knightly duties as heir?
"Delicious. The tangy sauce pairs well with the vegetables."
Black beer's bitter, warm, and odd—unlike wine. Beer's ideal at 6–8°C, explaining the lukewarm taste.
Ein topf arrives—lentil, sausage, carrot, onion soup—plus a massive Eisbein pork hunk with mustard and more potatoes. The bow-shaped pretzel's soft, salted. Too much food.
"Ilmera, I can't finish this. Ingo might've, but…"
"It's fine. They'll box leftovers for lunch. Perfect for our first labyrinth dive."
"Lunch in a labyrinth? How relaxed are we?"
We box half the Eisbein and six potatoes, stored in Ilmera's magic bag, preserving items as placed.
An hour's carriage ride brings us to Bank's labyrinth. Ilmera naps on my shoulder, earning warm glances from older, armed adventurer passengers. Two kids traveling must seem cute.
The labyrinth entrance has a guard hut with stationed knights and a guild outpost for entry/exit management and item buying. Labyrinth monsters dissolve into mana, dropping items the guild purchases on-site to control market flow and profits. Ilmera handles entry paperwork—showing our cards, logging names, date, and time. I should've, as leader. We'll log exit details later. High-level parties camp days for items.
A middle-aged knight eyes us. "Kids alone in a labyrinth? Rear-guard only? Hire warriors first."
His tone's harsh but eyes kind—he's worried.
"I'm fine. Golems handle the front. Create Golem!"
I swing my kakkara, summoning three sword-armed Pawns and one shield Pawn, forming from bronze mana.
"Impressive, kid! Bronze shields, not flesh. Good luck earning!"
He laughs, pats my shoulder, and ushers us in.
Bank's labyrinth differs from mine. My stone-crafted maze had eternal lanterns; this cave-like structure has rough, uneven walls and no lights. I cast Light, floating five 30cm orbs. Formation: three sword Pawns ahead, Ilmera and I 5m behind, one shield Pawn 3m back. After 100m, the floor glows, spawning six goblins—stronger than natural ones, per guild taxidermy.
"Golems, attack!"
Three goblins fall to sword slashes, no hesitation. A goblin slips through; I hit it with Water Dagger, a low-mana spell firing multiple blades. My version mixes fast-acting lethal poison. Aiming at its face, over ten toxic blades strike, and it dissolves into mana, clutching wounds.
"Poison, Reinhardt-sama?"
"Yeah, fast, lethal. It dropped items…"
Her uneasy look suggests discomfort, likely tied to Mother's poisoning. My water and earth magic lacks raw power, making poison vital.
"Drop items: two potions, one high potion. Guild buys potions for 5 copper, high potions for 5 silver. Rare drops are uncommon—amazing luck!"
Ilmera's excited, but I can pull potions from my labyrinth, so it's meh. My Rare Drop Item Rate Boost gift shines for labyrinth runs.
Notes: Thanks for feedback! I read it all but won't reply. Sorry, "Enomoto Psychic Investigation Office" data's lost—only 8 unpublished episodes, so re-serialization here is tough.