Dohar takes care of monsters who occasionally appear in one blow with his battle axe. He's already working as my attendant for nearly 100 years. He was overjoyed as he recently had managed to break through level 40, passing his father.
"Boss, it's basilisk."
"I understand. ■■■ Magic Arrow."
I unleash 21 magic arrows toward the basilisk appearing from the back. There are 21 magic arrows, where usually even one is hard to resist. The basilisk becomes pieces of meats without being able to do anything.
"Is it a stray?"
"Yes, basilisks usually appear 5 level below. Some stupid young explorers who overestimated their abilities most likely had gone to the depth and drew one here."
"You're right."
This is troubling. Low level people won't be able to resist Basilisk petrification. The one we encountered just now was just a lower basilisk so it couldn't turn someone into stone, but I don't know if they could take its stare without getting their hearts stopped.
Near the end of the tunnel, we meet a herd of goblins. They're only level 1-3 but it's a herd consisting of around 30 monsters. It's annoying to wait for Dohar defeating them so I provide assistance with magic arrow.
"Boss, for the goblins to appear around this place, that means-"
"Umu."
I briefly answered Dohar's guess. I've scattered medicine that would make goblins think there are strong monsters so they don't go near the tunnel entrance. If they go far past it, then that means the foods don't suffice.
"This is bad."
"Yea, the kids 'ere in danger if we don't get to 'em fast."
The labyrinth monsters periodically enter breeding season. Goblin's period is short, but in exchange their propagation rate rarely change. However their propagation rate is huge, so it can't be helped if there's a calculation error.
...I remember something unpleasant. Last month, Giril mentioned that the reserve Gabo seeds in the storehouse had gone. The storehouse wasn't locked so poor people occasionally stole Gabo fruit from there, so I had just thought, "Again huh", when I heard it.
I've left the job of sowing Gabo seeds here to Houya and the others, but I wonder if they properly follow my order to do it with one small bag? If they sowed the three small-barrels worth of Gabo seeds that were in the storehouse...
I must hurry. If my prediction is true, the goblins may have started breeding explosion. If it really happens then 30 baby goblins could be born by eating the stomach of their mother goblin. And then the children would start breeding again in two weeks. If we're unlucky, we might be facing ten of thousands goblins.
When we finally arrive at an open space, countless bodies of goblins and three dead bodies of the young elves come into our views.
"Regrettable."
"Boss, please save the remorse until we get out of the labyrinth."
I accept Dohar's advice and advance forward.
We smash through the goblins that have clogged up the tunnel. Since we can't avoid the plant monsters, I use nature art on Dohar's battle axe and continue on while he's cutting them.
We finally arrive at a location that could only be called painting from hell littered with corpses as far as eyes can see.
While clearing the goblins corpses with magic and a thin sword, I see the tragic corpses of the young elves full of goblin's teeth marks.
I call the young ones' name several times.
However, no one answers back. Whenever Dohar swings his battle axe, the goblin corpses increase. I deal with three goblins who rush towards me by deploying the for my self-protection.
Boom, we hear explosion sounds from the back of the room.
"Dohar."
"Yea, boss."
We act in harmony, making ways through the sea of goblin to the place where the sound comes from.
To back Dohar, I give him reinforcement magic. They're Strength and Dancing Blade.
Strength multiply Dohar's strength several folds allowing him to tear through goblins like a tornado. Dancing Blades is small blades that arbitrarily fly around the target while cutting up enemies with forces. It can be said that Dancing Blades is useless in a labyrinth, but it shows matchless power if the opponents are goblins.
"Houya, Lua."
Lua is smiling weakly hearing my call. Her beautiful transparent green hair has been dirtied with goblins' blood in spots. Still, I'm glad that she's alive.
Houya's explosion magic mowed down several dozens of goblins who had tried to crushingly surround them to death. Even so, there are still hundreds of goblins in front of us.
"■■■ ■ ■■■■■■■■■■"
I begin chanting the highest order of nature magic. I've only ever used this when I fought a Lesser Dragon in my life. It's wasteful using this on goblins, but this is the best magic to safely defeat large number of enemies.
"■■■ ■ ■■■■■■■■ ■■■"
What cruelty! Lua has lost her left arm. It could be said that this is a world's loss as her lute playing tones can't be heard anymore.
"■■■ ■ ■■■■ Wild Dancing of Void Spears "
Unseen spears are pouring unto the enemies like downpour. Amidst Dohar who's cutting up the enemies and without injuring Houya and the others, it changes hundreds of goblins into corpses.
I've not only saved Houya and Lua. Beautiful Lua has protected my distant nephew, Yusalatouya, on her back even while losing one of her arm. The young Yuya is unconscious but I give him an emergency treatment and carry him and Lua together with self-propelled stretcher .
◇
After we've returned, we immediately look for a high-ranking Garleon priest, and ask him to use healing magic. Unfortunately, the recovery for Lua's left arm didn't go well. Until I complete an artificial arm indistinguishable with the real one in the future, Lua must bear through the hardship.
Giril found cold body of Houya on the next day, he most likely felt responsible for the disaster, letting the guilt got into him.
I bring Lua and Yuya back to Bornean forest, taking the blame, two-third of the congress is in agreement to exile me.
Even though I've been away from the forest for a long time, it's sad to be chased away from your hometown. However, the lost of many young people will result in generations without children for dozens, or even hundreds of years. It might be a fitting punishment for someone who has created this racial crisis like me.
As a sole atonement, I will create a pseudo-labyrinth for the sake of elves' growth without the danger like in this disaster. I vow to dedicate my life to build a place for training without the danger of losing lives, for the future of young elves.
I dream of bustling figures of young elves who devote themselves with studying in my maze, someday.
And, I believe in the future where the elves lead the world again.
I am Trazayuya Bornean. One foolish elf man who had scattered the lives of many young lives.
Even so, I cannot abandon my dream.