Adventurer's Guild Café: I Was Wrongfully Exiled by the Saint, So I Will Enjoy My Second Life with My Fluffy Friends-Chapter 3.2 - The Labyrinth of Earth

“Kuna-san, what do you think? You can see the entire labyrinth, right?”

“Y-Yes! It’s amazing!”

“Ruu!”

Holding my hair against the wind, I looked down at the vast hole spread out below and the town nestled inside it.

“Incredible...!”

We were at the Sky Tower, a famous sightseeing spot offering a panoramic view of the labyrinth. Brought here by our companions, we were left speechless as we marveled at the breathtaking scenery before us.

This town, Finaldatt, located in east Grantania, is home to one of the four great labyrinths, the Labyrinth of the Earth.

Having only heard its name and a basic description, I never imagined the Labyrinth of the Earth would be this enormous.

“Look, Lulu! It’s huge! There’s a whole town down there!”

“Ruu!”

“Your favorite labyrinth berries grow down there too, Lulu!”

“Ruu? Ruuuu!”

Excitedly, Lulu perched on my shoulder, bouncing with enthusiasm.

What we were looking down on was, quite literally, a gigantic hole.

Buildings were clustered tightly around the edge of the hole, with the guild situated just outside of it. However, in the very center of the town was a gaping void, and within it, there appeared to be another town. The hole extended unfathomably deep, said to reach the very end of the world.

“So this is what they call a labyrinth...”

Peering into the abyss, I swallowed hard.

I hadn’t realized it while cooped up in the guild, but labyrinths really were something else. Lulu seemed just as surprised, her ears twitching repeatedly.

A labyrinth.

This mysterious space is what sparked the prosperity of Grantania.

Within this space dwell creatures known as monsters, harmful to humans. The labyrinth also contains traps, as if deliberately placed there by someone. However, those who overcome these challenges and venture deeper into the dungeon can obtain treasures of gold and silver, as well as rare items.

In ancient times, humans couldn’t handle the monsters emerging from the labyrinth, making this area uninhabitable. But as people gained wisdom and developed magic and the ability to resist monsters, they built a nation using relics unearthed from the labyrinth, which eventually grew into a powerful country.

Grantania has four representative dungeons, each accompanied by its own guild. They are:

The vast hole leading to the depths of the earth, the Labyrinth of the Earth.

The towering tree said to reach the heavens, the Heavenly Tree Labyrinth.

The labyrinth sinking beneath the sea, the Deep Blue Labyrinth.

The labyrinth existing in a realm between this world and the next, the Labyrinth in the Between.

Our town, Finaldatt, is home to the Labyrinth of the Earth, which leads deep underground.

“The first floor of the labyrinth is inhabited by people and hosts various businesses, nya,” Kurona-san, standing beside me and gazing into the hole, explained.

“Special fruits and vegetables grow in that massive hole, nya. And the monsters living underground? If cooked, they’re absolutely delicious, nya.”

“Roasted labyrinth pig is the best!” Ellen-san said, wiping away a bit of drool.

“Let’s go eat later! I know a really good place!”

Wow, I’m looking forward to that.

As I wagged my tail excitedly, I noticed other visitors in the tower glancing at us and whispering amongst themselves.

“Look, there’s a beastkin girl...!”

“How rare.”

“Beastkin children are that cute, huh?”

I wasn’t entirely sure why, but whenever I walked through town, people would stare at me a lot or come up to talk. Sometimes they were guild customers, and other times they’d ask things like, “Where are you from?”

It must be that white wolf beastkin are quite rare.

As I began to fidget uncomfortably, Ellen-san laughed.

“Everyone’s amazed by you, Kuna-san! Beastkin have become so rare these days!”

Long ago, on this continent where discrimination against demi-humans existed, beastkin were the first to bear the brunt of hatred, causing their numbers to dwindle.

“On top of that, beastkin girls are so cute that they often get kidnapped or caught up in unfortunate incidents.”

“...”

That kind of thing happened in Aluda as well, didn’t it?

As I lowered my eyebrows in thought, Ellen-san quickly waved her hands in a flurry.

“Oh! But don’t worry! This town has great security! And outside the hole, the Staff Knights are there to protect us!”

“The order within the hole is maintained by ‘adventurers,’ and the order outside the hole is protected by the ‘Staff Knights,’ so it’s peaceful, nya~.”

Ah, I see.

Those two professions had their roles neatly divided and well-balanced.

“Do you like this town?”

When Ellen-san asked me that, I gave her a bright smile and nodded.

“Of course!”

“Ruu!”

Not just me, even Lulu chirped energetically, making everyone laugh.

◆

As Ellen-san had promised, we spent our day off enjoying delicious meals, like roasted dungeon pork at a well-known eatery, and visiting a sweet shop that sold desserts made with fruits grown in the dungeon.

After filling our stomachs, we went shopping.

Since most of my clothes were hand-me-downs from Ruri, they suggested I get a few new outfits and took me to a clothing store.

The glass-front boutique displayed a variety of clothing in different styles and silhouettes.

It seemed to cater not only to humans but also to demi-humans, with designs tailored for various needs.

“Since some people have wings or tails, most clothes in this country tend to have minimal decorations on the back,” Ellen-san explained.

“One-piece dresses that anyone can wear are the mainstream, but there are pants as well, nya.”

“Now, let’s find you some clothes that suit you!”

From there, it became quite a commotion.

Ellen-san and Kurona-san kept urging me to try on one thing after another, and even the store clerk was completely on board, helping me dress up.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my! How absolutely adorable! It’s been so long since I’ve had a beastkin customer—I’m so excited~!”

The shopkeeper, a stunningly beautiful woman, eagerly asked about the clothes I needed and prepared them for me.

After much back and forth, I decided on a frilly light-blue one-piece dress, another dress with a bow tied at the waist, and a ribbon for tying my hair.

I didn’t think such cute clothes would suit me, but everyone insisted these were perfect, so I gathered my courage and bought them.

“This is still too plain—I want to dress you up even more!”

The shopkeeper was nearly swooning with enthusiasm.

“For dates or parties—whatever the occasion, come to me immediately! I’ll go all out to make you look stunning!!!”

“Y-Yes…”

After an intense handshake with her, we left the shop.

Oh, and I bought a red ribbon for Lulu as well.

When I tied it at the back of her neck, she chirped happily with “ruu ruu” sounds.

She seems to have a surprising sense of style.

“We’re matching, Lulu.”

“Ruu!”

I should start buying more accessories for Lulu from now on.

Oh, and maybe I should look for a nice basket for Lulu to sleep in, if I find a good one.

With thoughts like these, we enjoyed our shopping trip in the labyrinth city.

I was also getting used to walking through crowds of people, so next time, I might even be able to come here on my own.

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As the three of us and one little companion strolled through the lively streets, I suddenly felt a gaze on me.

It wasn’t the kind of curious looks I usually got from people fascinated by me.

“…?”

I stopped in my tracks and turned toward the direction of the gaze.

In the shadows of a dark alleyway, I spotted a man wearing a black hood.

“—!”

I wasn’t sure why, but a shiver ran down my spine.

“Kuna-san!”

“Ah.”

Ellen-san took my hand.

“Are you feeling tired?”

“N-No, I’m fine.”

I glanced back toward the spot where the man had been standing.

But he was already gone.