GILF Hunter

Chapter 444: 444 No Way, No Way

After the sudden commotion had subsided to some extent, Frenda finally sat down at the table at Lucia’s urging.

Ian glanced at Frenda sitting opposite him and asked Lucia.

’So, the person you wanted to introduce was... Miss Frenda?’

’That’s right. I didn’t expect you to already know each other.’

Lucia muttered as if the awkward atmosphere between the two was difficult to handle, wondering what on earth had happened in the meantime.

Frenda had only just arrived in Labyrinth, so what could have happened in those few days?

Anyway, Lucia introduced Frenda to Ian as originally planned.

’Leader Ian. You mentioned that exploring the Abyss alone would be difficult. What if Miss Frenda and her knight order entered the labyrinth with you?’

’Including the knight order?’

Ian recalled the temple knights he had encountered recently.

He had wondered why such a large number had entered... it seemed they were the force intended for the labyrinth exploration.

’Is there a possibility?’

’...If that’s the case, it might be possible.’

’Great!’

Lucia nodded with a satisfied face.

It wasn’t a definitive confirmation, but that’s how labyrinth exploration was. Creating a possibility where none existed was a sufficiently positive answer.

’...But how did you get the support of the knight order?’

’Pardon? Haha, it wasn’t my request. It’s the other way around.’

Ian asked with curiosity about how she could mobilize a high priest and a knight order, but Lucia shook her head at Ian’s question.

There was a slight misunderstanding in those words.

It wasn’t that Lucia had mobilized them for the labyrinth exploration, but rather that they had requested help for it.

’Miss Frenda rose to the position of high priest quite recently, but because she was promoted so quickly, she hasn’t been able to properly prove her track record yet.’

’Pardon? Is the priesthood based on a performance system too?’

Rin, who had been listening quietly from the side, couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

It was natural for Rin to wonder, as ordinary people wouldn’t know the details of the temple’s personnel process. Lucia nodded and explained.

’Of course. To reach that position, you must prove your qualifications with great achievements. For example, performing a miracle to drive away a plague... things like that. But Miss Frenda was appointed hastily without a review because a vacancy opened up during a busy period.’

It was a story of her being appointed as a high priest immediately without a long review process, thanks to the urgent need for high-priest-level personnel at the time.

’Miss Frenda was able to take the position easily because she mastered holy magic with her natural talent, but in terms of achievements, she’s quite lacking. Since she’s only spent time in a convent with ’paper experience’... if a new candidate appears, Miss Frenda might be pushed out soon, don’t you think?’

’Wait, why are you sharing even that part of the story...’

Frenda frowned slightly upon hearing that.

Even seeing that face, Lucia spoke to Frenda nonchalantly.

’Let’s be honest. Since both of you are in this situation.’

Frenda looked quite dissatisfied because the detailed background had been revealed in front of two people she had just been introduced to, but she didn’t completely block the conversation.

’So, you came to Labyrinth to build an achievement befitting a high priest. Is the labyrinth the objective?’

’...Yes. I intended to go on a labyrinth expedition with the knight order.’

Rin, who was listening, muttered with a face of discovery. To think there were people who came to Labyrinth specifically to enter the labyrinth other than mercenaries.

’So entering the labyrinth counts as an achievement for clergy...’

’Yes. Isn’t it an easy-to-understand ’den of evil’? For clergy, it’s an achievement that no one can find fault with.’

In other words, Frenda’s goal seemed to be investigating the recently discovered Abyss to prove her qualifications as a high priest.

Since the labyrinth, which endlessly poured out monsters, held the image of a demon’s nest to ordinary people, conquering the unexplored depths of the labyrinth was undoubtedly a great achievement for a clergyman.

Lucia immediately continued.

’And for us... by leading the exploration of the Abyss, the culprit that makes the residents of Labyrinth tremble in fear, and taking measures so it cannot damage the city, we can prove that we can definitely protect the city.’

Succeeding in the labyrinth expedition meant Labyrinth would become safer from invasions.

By supporting Frenda’s Abyss expedition, Lucia could instill that image in the residents of Labyrinth.

’Lastly, Leader Ian... with our assistance, you’ll be able to investigate the Abyss much more safely and surely. If not us, who else would be willing to step into such a dangerous place together?’

It’s nothing but a win-win for everyone, isn’t it?

Lucia said with a gentle smile.

Then she turned her gaze toward Frenda, who was still staring intently at Ian.

’Well, it seems there’s a slight, trivial misunderstanding between you two... but there shouldn’t be any problem cooperating, right?’

...Setting aside the slight misunderstanding, the three of them quietly joined hands.

＊ ＊ ＊

Not long after, Ian found himself visiting the temple again.

It was only a few days after he had made up his mind to stay away from the temple as much as possible.

Normally Rin would have followed, but this time, naturally, she did not accompany him.

There was no role for Rin this time, and she had refused, saying she was absolutely done with the temple.

Since it seemed like troublesome things would keep happening if Rin met Frenda, Ian thought it was much better this way.

’...There are so many knights.’

’There’s the escort, and she said she gathered separate knights to participate in the expedition... probably almost an entire knight order’s worth has come.’

Instead, the one who followed Ian was Lia.

Lia muttered while glancing at the knights they kept encountering inside the temple.

He had heard that her goal used to be becoming a knight, so perhaps seeing them stirred some different emotions.

With those thoughts in mind, Ian walked behind Frenda, who was leading the way.

’This way, please.’

Ian followed Frenda for quite a while through the interior of the temple.

Deep inside the temple. It was a place used by temple officials that general visitors were not admitted to.

After passing the Goddess statue and walking down a long corridor for a moment, they arrived at an open space created in the residential area inside the temple.

There, knights who had received prior notice were gathered, waiting for Frenda and Ian.

Noticing Frenda’s arrival, the knight at the very front stepped forward to greet her. It was a blunt-faced female knight with short hair.

’You have arrived, Priestess.’

’Is everyone gathered?’

’Yes. All knights participating in the expedition are assembled.’

As Frenda’s gaze turned toward the knights, they all straightened their posture with tense expressions.

Ian lightly scanned the knights gathered in the back.

There were a few veteran knights, but the vast majority were rookies. It was only natural for such knights to be nervous when gathered before a high priest.

They were likely in a position not much different from Frenda’s. Those who had to enter the labyrinth to prove their qualifications.

Frenda had planned this expedition by gathering these rookie knights who were in a similar situation to her own.

Stepping forward, Frenda introduced Ian to the knights.

’This is Leader Ian, the labyrinth explorer who first discovered the Abyss. Before the expedition, he will provide you with information about the labyrinth. For your survival in the labyrinth and the success of the expedition, please take his advice to heart as much as possible.’

After relaying that to the knights, Frenda stepped back.

It seemed her ill-will toward Ian hadn’t vanished, but Frenda was the type who could sufficiently distinguish between personal feelings and work.

After finishing her address and turning back, Frenda spoke to Ian in a low voice.

’I’ve heard you’re quite the expert on the labyrinth, so I’ll leave it to you.’

’Yes. Don’t worry.’

As knights, their skills would naturally be at a level incomparable to ordinary mercenaries, but all of them were currently without labyrinth experience.

Regardless of an individual’s strength, a moment of carelessness or ignorance in the labyrinth led to fatal damage.

Therefore, to make the expedition successful, it was necessary to study the labyrinth as much as possible.

The best method would be to adapt to the labyrinth while rotating through the shallow floors... but they weren’t in a position to spend time so leisurely. Ian had no choice but to fill them with as much theoretical knowledge as possible.

Even if most were rookies with no labyrinth experience, this many paladins were a tremendous force. It wasn’t empty talk when Ian said that an Abyss expedition was worth aiming for.

After briefly checking the knights belonging to the labyrinth expedition team one by one, Ian spoke to Lia, who was nearby.

’Then... I’ll prepare the theory, so I’ll leave the practical side to you.’

’?’

Lia, who was standing behind Ian, looked up with a puzzled expression upon hearing those words.

’Leave it to me...?’

’I can tell them the theoretical things, but you know much more about actual combat. Fortunately, your fighting style is the most similar to a knight’s, so please teach them as well as you can.’

’W-wait a second... Me, teaching knights...?’

Lia wore a look of horror, as if she had just encountered someone while taking a stroll naked.