Satou's here. When I was playing a console-RPG-like tabletop RPG, there were a lot of quests without completion deadline time. I felt that it was odd as everyone would then just take those quests since they had nothing to lose.
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"Ooh! It really feels like the genuine entrance to a labyrinth isn't it."
"Nn."
There's a downward stair beyond the opened gate, and after descending five meters below, we come to a semi-underground passage that's five meters high and ten meters wide.
Looks like Pochi and Tama have remembered Seryuu's city labyrinth, they've encamped themselves on both my sides in silence.
Since the passage has skylight windows on the ceiling, it's sufficiently bright. It's not bright enough to read a book, but it's also not so dark you can't walk without a torch.
The other side of the skylight windows is probably the above ground, I can sometimes see soldiers who seem to be on patrol there.
I don't know whether the passage's way is meandering, or how long until it reaches the entrance of the labyrinth ahead. It seems to be called [Passage of Death] here, and the labyrinth is still a bit more beyond.
Since I'm free, I check various things on the MAP.
The labyrinth city Selbira has 110.000 people in total. Among them Shiga Kingdom army that's called Labyrinth Area Army is 10.000 people. The army is in the giant fortress to the southwest. The average soldier's level is 8, higher than other territory army. It's slightly higher than retainer knights, so they're probably elites. Since I have a letter from Nina-san to the general of this army, I have to see to it after we're done with the labyrinth exploring.
The army that's in charge of the labyrinth city defense is not this kingdom army, but the army of the present viceroy of Selbira, Marquis Ashinen. I've had some slight trouble with this person in the trade city, so I don't really want to get involved with him. It should be a while before he returns here from the trade city, so my duty should be fulfilled if I just give the house some greeting and passable gift before he comes back. I'll be excusing myself from troublesome things.
Now then, the search continues.
There are unexpectedly few explorers, no more than 5000 people. According to the traveler's journal there are 1000 young people who come here to become explorers every year, so I think this number is too few considering that. Fundamentally, they reside in the western area.
There are about 1000 people who are working as baggage carriers like the little girls earlier. Most of those people are working outside the labyrinth city. Are they working in some kind of public construction since they failed to find job in the labyrinth?
There are 50 people in the labyrinth entrance ahead, I wonder what are they doing?