Infinite Mage

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

Chapter 142: The Labyrinth of Time (5)

"Let's stop this and leave! Any objections? Hey, open this iron door!"

The leader banged on the iron door. His pride was crushed, and he could no longer bear the cold stares of his comrades.

"Does everyone agree?"

The man asked, but no interpretation was needed. The mercenaries nodded without a word and headed towards the door.

They were in a miserable state. Entering this place was truly a bad decision. They tried to make a quick profit through a loophole but ended up damaging their morale and wasting their money.

"Come on, let's get out of here. This way."

The mercenaries' attitude had changed from before. They felt a huge sense of defeat, but given the extraordinary skills of the children, it was best to be cautious around them.

However, Shirone and his group didn't move and just watched the mercenaries.

The mage became slightly anxious. A bad premonition always seemed to come true, as Amy coldly stated,

"We don't want to leave yet."

The mercenaries all turned their heads at once. Their eyes flickered with a mix of anger, confusion, and fear.

The relatively quick-witted mage swallowed her anger and tried to appease with a soothing tone.

"Why don't you want to leave? It's over, isn't it? We're too tired to do any more."

"That's your problem. Once we're in here, we're all in this together. Didn't you know? It's not okay to just leave on your own without considering our opinion."

The mage was upset but had no choice but to appease Amy for the time being.

"Alright, I didn't consider that. Let's leave then."

"Sorry, but we can't do that. We need to pass through here and head to Kergos."

"But there's no way to go! Ah...!"

The woman's face turned pale. There was a way.

This was a room of achievement and sacrifice. It wasn't necessary to only prove achievement.

The man with white tattoos softly said,

"Will you leave or stay? If you wish to prove your skill, pass through the fabric of the maze. If you want to prove sacrifice, 4 sacrifices will send 4 through."

"Eh? What did he say?"

Before Rian could even ask, the archer translated. Of course, the translation was completely distorted and transformed.

"Ah, if you're done, just go already."

Amy smiled and said,

"Strange, I heard it clearly. '4 sacrifices will send 4 through.'"

Shock filled the archer's eyes.

"You... you knew the native language?"

"What are you talking about? It's something I heard when we first came here. Do you think we're fools who can't even remember what we heard once?"

The archer stood dumbfounded. Ah, so that's it? No, but isn't it strange to remember something you heard for the first time?

"Anyway, 4 sacrifices. One, two, three, four. That makes 4 of you."

The mercenaries' faces drained of color. The girl was seriously considering sacrificing someone.

Rian and Tess also felt the tension as if in real combat. Especially Tess, who was hopping mad at the sudden ferocity of the cute Amy.

"Shirone, is this really okay? Eek, Amy is so scary."

"It's fine. She's doing it on purpose."

"On purpose? It doesn't seem like it."

"Just wait and see. Amy will handle it well."

The mercenaries looked at each other. If it came to a fight, they would surely lose. Rian and the warrior were evenly matched, and Tess was stronger than the leader.

Moreover, they were overwhelmed in the mage's combat, and the archer's presence was useless in front of Shirone's photon magic.

"Come on, if you dare. You all seem reluctant to be sacrificed. Anyway, you have to do your best."

"Why are you doing this? Is it because of what we did in the bar?"

Amy tilted her head teasingly.

"Uh-huh?"

The archer realized that a half-hearted response wouldn't diffuse the situation. He walked over to where Shirone and his group were and bowed politely.

"I'm sorry! We underestimated you and made a mistake. Please forgive us this once. Hey, you guys come and apologize too."

As the archer turned back with his head bowed, the other three came forward reluctantly. But given the stakes, their apologies were sincerely polite.

"I'm sorry! I was too arrogant. Please forgive me."

"We won't do it again. We've learned a lot from this incident. Can we forget the mistake we made in the bar?"

Amy frowned and said,

"Hmm, I really can't tell. What exactly did you do to us? Wait, the bar? Were you there? Strange, why didn't I see you?"

The mercenaries' faces turned red with embarrassment. Their pride was not just crushed but thrown to the ground and trampled.

This time, even Shirone couldn't help but shiver at Amy's persistence.

'If you anger Amy, this is what happens.'

Amy and Tess were the ones who received the most ridicule in the bar.

They were subjected to all sorts of insults and humiliations just because they were women. Amy was not someone who would forget such an incident, even if decades passed before she could get her revenge.

But in a way, it was a classic example of a mage's obsession with efficiency.

Even if it wasn't necessary to go that far, a mage would be annoyed by not utilizing a given advantage to its fullest.

That's why people often say mages are quirky. Indeed, many mages lack humanity.

However, it was this relentless pursuit of efficiency that allowed magic to develop to this day and will continue to do so in the future.

'What the hell are they asking us to do? Damn it.'

The mercenaries were at a loss, merely bowing their heads. The sound of grinding teeth seemed almost audible.

Amy finally got to the point.

"Let's make a deal. If you accept, we might leave together."

"What kind of...?"

"You said we need a password to enter here, right? What's the password?"

The archer realized. These kids planned to attempt again. They would conduct numerous investigations and ensure sufficient possibilities before returning here.

"Kertias, ro haima. Acrasias, widmias benshen. That's the password."

"What does it mean?"

"Knock on my door. And it shall be opened."

Amy turned to the man with white tattoos and repeated the ancient language he had provided without missing a beat.

"Kertias, ro haima. Acrasias, widmias benshen?"

The natives guarding the exit nodded in recognition of Amy's intention.

The archer felt a mix of annoyance and admiration. How meticulous she was!

"Damn it! Trust me a little! Would I lie in this situation?"

"No one's accusing you. It doesn't hurt to be sure. Anyway, thanks."

Amy, as if nothing had happened, cheerfully returned to her friends. Tess clicked her tongue at the chameleon-like change in emotions.

"Was all this just to get the password? I was so nervous, thinking we were really going to fight."

"Hehe, if we're coming back anyway, it's good to know. Let's leave now."

Shirone and his group, as well as the mercenaries, expressed their intention to leave, prompting the man with white tattoos to pull a lever next to the iron door.

The entrance vibrated violently, leading the way out.

As when they entered, the mercenaries went up the stairs first.

But the atmosphere was entirely different this time. They all hung their heads like defeated soldiers, and no one spoke.

Shirone's group was also silent.

They didn't manage to enter the autonomous district, but strategizing for that would come later.

More pressing were their thoughts on the day's experiences with the fabric of the maze.

'The fabric of the maze. What was Miro's purpose in creating this device? And why such a cruel rule? What lies in Kergos that warrants this? Was there always a connection between Kergos and Miro? I want to know. Perhaps Miro is...'

As Shirone analyzed Miro, Amy was lost in her thoughts.

'There's not just one way to investigate a ruin. Let's devise all possible strategies. Shirone seems to have his own ideas, but we can't rule out exploring underground with the Spirit Zone. Even if we pass, there's the issue of interpretation. Once we're outside, we need to find someone who can interpret. There must be someone local.'

Tess was also impressed by the place, especially the ability to quantify one's power.

'The impact of a triple-bladed sword is indeed stronger than a blunt weapon. But ultimately, it couldn't match magic. Can a swordsman pass through that door? If so, to what extent? Shirone's magic approached 5,000, which is about ten times my strike. If the pass mark is roughly doubled, could Father make it? Ugh, if only I knew the cut-off, I could set a goal. Since Shirone said he'd come back, I'll investigate more then.'

Rian, bringing up the rear, was also silent, deeply furrowed in thought.

'What should I eat when I get out?'

After about 30 minutes of walking, Shirone and his group arrived at the surface altar.

Knocking from the inside, a native opened the door, but the learned inertia from below made them tense.

Stepping outside, the fresh air cleansed their lungs. It felt as though the sun hanging in the sky wasn't the same one from just a few hours ago.

Shirone's group and the mercenaries split in opposite directions, but they didn't lose sight of each other. Shirone's group wanted to savor the aftermath, while the mercenaries were on the brink of collapse.

Shirone summed up the day.

"What should we do now? We got more results than expected, so shall we end today's exploration here?"

Amy was in full agreement.

"Let's do that. I'm tired after using some strength for a change. We should go back early and plan our next move."

Rian, as if he'd discovered something great, suggested,

"How about a bowl of noodles before that? That place earlier was delicious."

Tess glared at Rian.

"Do you only eat noodles? At least offer something like buckwheat noodles. That's why you're so simple."

"What's wrong with that? I've given it a lot of thought!"

"What's the use? You're just going in circles."

While Rian and Tess argued over the menu, the mercenaries approached. Shirone's group stopped their conversation and turned to look at them.

The warrior, the mage, and the archer were there, but the leader had disappeared.

The mercenaries exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. Finally, the mage, deemed the most suitable, was pushed forward, though she seemed awkward about the situation.

"Um... would you like to join our mercenary group?"

"Mercenary group?"

"Yes. Being a mercenary has its perks. Not just honor, but also a lot of money. Especially with your skills, you'd become stars right away. As you saw, our leader has left us... Oh, you could be the new leader if you want. We'll follow any orders, and if others join, we'll treat them really well. What do you say?"

Shirone stared intently into the mage's eager eyes and immediately responded without a second thought.

"No, thank you."

With that, he turned and walked away, his friends following without hesitation.

"Let's just go for the noodles. It was delicious, wasn't it?"

"No. You just want to fill your stomach no matter what. If we wait a bit, we can eat something much better."

The mercenaries watched Shirone's group walk away, dumbfounded.

The mage's face fell, and she let out a sigh filled with sorrow.

"Ah, the misfortune of my life."

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