It's been a week since Rio started accompanying us to our party.
Until then, as adventurers, we had made a blurry achievement.
"At this rate, the Adventurer Rank will be up soon!
"If you were happy enough to rise from G-rank to F-rank, you'd be treated like a chick adventurer again in the Adventurer Alliance."
"Ugh, I know! That's about it!"
Adventurer ranks are rated on a scale of 8: S, A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
G is the newbie and S is the superb adventurer.
And the Kisses are starting from the G-rank, but they can probably be promoted to the F-rank in about January.
Still a chick, but not bad as a stew.
"Speaking of which, what rank is no to Singh?
"I'm A-rank"
The average rank of the Sakyas ranges from C to B, but me and Phil are up to A-rank due to our achievements in leveling on the Meermill continent.
There's no big problem with the difference in rank, but I'm still concerned that I can't keep up with everyone, so I haven't been very aware of it.
"A-rank! That's a teacher!
"Again, you were certified first class as an adventurer too..."
But A-rank adventurers for new American adventurers seem to mean a lot.
When I become an S-rank adventurer, I hear that there are only a dozen or so people in the world.
Then I guess there's something about A-rank that makes you feel amazing enough.
I'm not Earthly, and I've never been particularly privileged because I'm A-ranked, so I don't know the finesse around it.
"So where are you going to follow us today? No to Sin."
"Mm-hmm. It's time to get used to fighting at parties. We're just going to a little more difficult hunting ground."
Talking about the Adventurer Rank, we were walking toward a certain destination of six.
But I missed talking about that destination.
Is it natural for Kiss to ask?
"What's a challenging hunting ground?
"The underground labyrinth 'Yugdrasil'. You guys know as much as you've heard, right?
"Huh..."
When I said the name of the destination, Kiss's face was frightened.
…………
No, it's not just Kiss.
Emma, Cooli, Liana, Rio.
All the Earthlings on this occasion are blatantly clouding their expressions.
Guys, what the hell is going on?
"Um... does Mr. Singh know what Yugdrasil looks like...?
"? You know, we Earthlings often dive over there, so of course we do."
"Speaking of which... you did..."
Emma heard my response and gave a bitter look but a convincing voice.
"Hmm... well, we've never been there either, and if we don't go to Singh, maybe we'll be okay... huh?
"But you, Kiss... said you should never go there because it's a witch's garden... you've been told a lot for a long time..."
Listening to the exchange between Kiss and Emma, I realized what these guys were showing resistance to.
The underground labyrinth 'Yugdrasil'.
Is that what the 'wicked witch' once created to seal the earthly gods?
Indeed, I feel that the rhetoric is not incorrect because the deepest part of the underground labyrinth is trapped with crosses.
But I have very little information about that 'wicked witch' and what he did.
It's a legend about what you did a thousand years ago, or to tell your child, 'A child who does bad things will be grabbed by a wicked witch -!' Exquisite enough to be used in such a way.
After sealing the gods, I don't know anything about the part about what happened to the witch after all.
Well, that's not what I think about that.
It doesn't matter to me, and it should no longer matter to most Earthlings.
It's vague enough to only appear in a fairy tale. Yeah, even if it exists, it's dead with life expectancy or something.
But I'm also sure that for the Kisses Earthlings, 'wicked witch' is a contraindication that should not be touched.
Adults are sticking to keep you away from the underground labyrinth, so this is pretty good.
"If there's resistance, I don't mind turning back."
Experience in action can be built up without underground labyrinths.
So you don't even have to force me to proceed as I planned.
"No... if you said the instructor was going... I would go..."
"Me too... I offer you to my teacher..."
Looks like Liana and Rio said I'd leave it to my discretion.
Kiss seems to think she'll be fine with me, too, and then what Emma and Cooli will do, right?
…………
He said he was going to go too.
"... is that true?
"Really."
Kuri has a terrible disgusting look on her face.
But I won't even show you how to deny what Kiss said.
Apparently, he's probably going to the underground labyrinth with us.
"What about Emma?
"I... yes... if everyone was going to... I would go with them..."
"Right."
That's settled.
It's not an atmosphere of unanimity, but they all have no objection to going to the underground labyrinth.
"Then let's go. The underground labyrinth is almost here."
My legs stopped at some point so I urged everyone to walk.
Weirdly enough, you took the time.
Will you also accept the cultural difference between us Earthlings (players) and the Earthlings?
That's how I took things lightly.
But that was an error.
"... Ugh... Goho... Goho"
"? Emma, are you okay?
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
"Emma!?
Emma was the first to see a change.
She started coughing up as she approached the underground labyrinth and was now feeling worse by the time she blued her face.
"Eh, Emma... are you okay...?
"Ugh, yeah... I'm fine... thank you, Mr. Kiss..."
Kiss is rubbing Emma's back.
... If you look closely, Kiss was also sweating a lot more.
Walking this far shouldn't have been a big exercise either, but this amount of sweating is weird.
"No, I can't... I don't think we should go any further..."
"Shh, excuse me Doctor... me too... it's the limit..."
…………
It's not just Kiss or Emma.
Everyone but me is starting to develop symptoms of illness.
What the... this.
"... let's go back to town. Emma needs a little help, Kiss, because I'll carry her."
"Oh, oh... ok... no to Sin..."
As a result, I decided to take everyone back to town.
Hey, this is an unexpected event.
We need to find out what happened as soon as possible.
I thought so, and when I got back to town, I told everyone, 'It's a temporary day off. Rest easy,' he said, and decided to ask Dr. Hayakawa.
"Ah, you can't do that. What are you doing?"
I walked into a teacher-only quarters, and for some reason, Margnan was mad at me.
I came here to tell Dr. Hayakawa about the situation, but she wasn't here right now.
Doesn't that mean I can see you anytime if you come here?
So, not to say, I saw Margnan, so I decided to say hello.
Then she said, 'What do you mean you're here, something happened?' So I thought of the Kisses earlier.
Then Margnan read the thought, and he was to be scolded for 'what are you doing'.
But what have I done, so can't I?
I want you to go into some more detail.
"The underground labyrinth has a curse to avoid the Earthmen. We humans other than Earthlings (players) complain of ill-health just by approaching that labyrinth, and in some cases go mad -"
"Huh."
What the hell is that?
I don't know that.
"From me, I'm filled with feelings why you don't know -"
"Even so, I don't remember teaching you that in class."
"Present Country" and "Foreign Language" fluids appropriately, but I take "Earth Science" classes quite seriously.
I'm such a student.
"Well, if it's normal, it's something you don't even need to teach. The Grounds are consciously avoiding underground labyrinths, and in the first place, the Grounds and Earthlings are partying."
... Sure, partying with the Grounds isn't the first thing.
Exceptionally, I work with Krall and new American adventurers, but I only know about Agate, Claude and Catnip who do that in other middle and high school students.
Nor did I know that the Earthmen were avoiding underground labyrinths.
The Kisses also showed difficulty in going to the underground labyrinth, and if they had turned back at that stage, nothing would have gone wrong.
I've never had an obstacle before.
So the teachers never even taught us about the curse?
"I will report this problem to the top properly. I think you'll be able to touch the area in class when you get a chance."
"Do that from the beginning."
There won't be anything in the future that could cause especially big problems, as the Earthmen avoid engaging more aggressively with underground labyrinths, but it's better information to know once and for all.
There will be more opportunities for middle and high school Earthlings to engage with the Earthlings. Maybe in the future, someone will come out trying to take the Grounds and dive into the underground labyrinth.
"Classes about Earthology and all that are in our hands. Please miss all these deficiencies. Ame, come on."
"... well, let me forgive you"
I got a stick of candy from Margnan, and I put it in my mouth to fix my mood.
I wasn't angry about anything, but I'll take what I can get.
Sweet and delicious.
"But you were partying with those blonde legal loli boobs and diving into the underground labyrinth, too? Didn't you hear about the curse?
Blonde Legitimate Lori Big Tits probably means Krall (or she's the only one I can think of).
That's good, 'cause I've never heard anything like that from Claire.
"No, I've never heard of it. I mean, even Earthmen can dive into an underground labyrinth if they work with Earthlings, right? In fact, Claire's been diving with us a lot of times, and Dr. Hayakawa said that."
"... uh, that's why I got it wrong. Damn, it's hard."
Mistake?
What the hell does that mean?
"Nothing like this. Explain it to me in more detail, and then shut up and listen."
As usual, Margnan began to tell me about the relationship between the underground labyrinth and the Earthlings, even as he showed me how he seemed to like it.
"Even the Earthlings can dive into the underground labyrinth if they are with the Earthlings. I'm not wrong about that, but it's subtly different."
"Subtly?
"Technically, 'If you're partying with multiple Earthlings, a strong Earthlings can also dive',. Multiple, by the way, vary in number depending on the strength of the diving Earthman. Many Earthlings will weaken the curse, and if they are strong, they will be able to withstand the curse unleashed by the underground labyrinth."
Hmm.
So I couldn't protect the Kisses from the curse of the underground labyrinth just because I was beside them?
Now that Rio is here, Kiss and I were aware that we were having one party for five, except for me as a supporter.
I guess I had to recognize I was throwing a party properly.
Besides, the Kisses aren't that strong.
If Margnan is right, and if he is strong, he will also be able to withstand some of the curses unleashed by the underground labyrinth, then vice versa, the weak Kisses have been cursed by Moro.
"Uh, even with that, it's not that much of an egghy curse. If you're close to the underground labyrinth, you'll be feeling better by the end of the day."
"... well, good"
It's about a curse, so I was anxious that maybe the Kisses were in a cursed state and might continue in the future.
But as far as listening to Margnan, the Kisses will probably be back soon.
But you didn't say at all that Crail was ill or anything.
When you are in the Necromancer King class, do you think it might be a curse?
"There's no way. Maybe you didn't say anything, minding the Sins."
"... such an idiot"
No... but if it's Krall, it can't be.
She followed anything where I tried to go.
It's not so yawdy that it doesn't follow our underground labyrinth exploration to the point where it makes me feel somewhat less comfortable.
In the future, I'll ask her when I see her.
I have no idea where I've been lately though.
"... hey, Sin"
"What?
"Do you like that blonde legal loli boobs a lot?
…………
"Hmm, well, I know who you're gonna like. What the hell? There's no backup or disturbance, so I'm not dairying without me."
Apparently, she read my mind, and Margnan took the candy out of her pocket and included it in her mouth, with the look on her face that she didn't care about her heart.
"... nothing, I don't dairy him"
"But if we want to, we can dairy each other, right?
…………
"Besides, you prefer big breasts. In that respect, isn't that blonde legal loli big tits dairy?
"Shut up. If that's the kind of joke you're gonna make, I'm gonna go."
Margnan's topic shifted in the direction of messing with me.
So I walk out to leave the quarters behind.
I heard enough of what I needed to hear.
There's no point in being here any more.
"I can't keep up with him...... I just have to work hard. If we live with each other, we'll see each other soon."
I can hear Margnan from behind.
Live with each other, huh?
I'm not sure if he's alive or dead. He's a creature.
Nevertheless, what Margnan was trying to say was somehow conveyed.
"See you, Sin. Next time I see you, if I can smile a little more, I'll be like you."
"I don't usually get a scurvy grin...... see ya, Marnyan"
Thus I ended my conversation with Margnan and left the place.
I can't seem to do it today, but should we go see how the Kisses are doing tomorrow?