The Tin Knight-Chapter 33: The Tin Knight and The Mysterious Underground Labyrinth (2)

There were some minor troubles, but the journey afterward progressed smoothly.

This was because the overall travel speed had noticeably increased.

Watching the horses advance relentlessly as if their whole bodies were overflowing with vitality, Lorentz felt both admiration and anxiety.

‘The effect is certainly amazing, but... I hope there are no side effects?’

Originally, the speed of cargo wagons was not very fast.

No matter how swift the horse, it was impossible to run freely while carrying a huge lump of cargo.

But after eating the mysterious herbs, the horses were galloping towards the front with light footwork as if they had never been sluggish.

It was still slow compared to single-rider horseback or a horse running alone, but even that was enough to make the coachmen struggle with control.

While intuiting that if these herbs could be commercialized, they could make an enormous amount of money due to their excellent performance, Lorentz also felt worried about what would happen if the horses suddenly dropped dead.

If dozens of horses perished, even the Halder Company would suffer significant losses.

Lorentz’s gaze turned towards the window.

There was Adelaide, who was moving by running despite having a perfectly good carriage, and beside her, Micks, who was gasping for breath and desperately struggling not to fall behind.

— Since we’re going together for a while, how about we chat a bit?!

— Ah, sorry. I have to keep running.

— Then I’ll run with you!

Recalling the conversation before they set off again, Lorentz rubbed his face with both hands.

Apart from the parental heart that wanted to cheer for his son’s endeavors of the heart, his cold merchant’s eye was telling him, “This is already hopeless.”

“Y-Young Master has collapsed!”

Hearing the cry from outside the window, Lorentz sighed.

Lorentz’s wish to give his son various experiences was being fulfilled in a way he hadn’t expected.

***Fortunately for Lorentz, the horses that had eaten the suspicious herbs didn’t end up dying en masse.

They looked so energetic even after running a long distance that some staff members joked that if people ate that stuff, they’d be unparalleled at night.

His son, who had returned to the carriage, was silently screaming in shame, Lorentz didn’t think much of it, considering it normal to accumulate embarrassing memories at that age.

It was just a matter of laying out plenty of blankets so he could kick them as much as he wanted at night.

“Miss Witch, Miss Witch. We’ve arrived!”

At Adelaide’s words, someone who had been cooped up in the carriage throughout the journey, never coming out, finally showed signs of emerging.

Not just Lorentz, but even the staff couldn’t resist their curiosity and focused their gazes.

“I get it, so stop rushing me. Do you think it’s easy to reapply defensive magic to a new staff?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

With a grumbling voice, a girl revealed herself.

Her deep black hair and blue eyes formed a striking contrast with the skin color of her exposed shoulders.

Her sense of fashion doesn’t seem particularly good.

Lorentz thought to himself.

Although she was managing to pull it off somehow due to her inherently outstanding beauty, the crow-like dress and various accessories were hard to call stylish even as a polite lie.

It felt like a country girl who had never really dressed up before was trying her best with knowledge picked up secondhand.

...At least she doesn’t seem to be royalty or a Lion Duke descendant. Perhaps a high-ranking female mage or her apprentice?

If she was both a mage and a person in power, the first thing that came to mind was the Magic Country in the north, but there was no way a Lion Duke descendant would treat a mage from the Magic Country with such respect, so it seemed reasonable to consider her a high-ranking noble from the Empire or another country.

No, even if she’s not a noble, that might not be bad either. It’s easier to negotiate when the other party is in a somewhat equal position rather than being overwhelmingly superior. Setting everything else aside, just gaining knowledge about the herbs they showed this time would be more than enough profit.

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Just before addressing the witch, Lorentz briefly pondered what tone to use.

While it wouldn’t be bad to show a dignified appearance as a company head, it seemed better to maintain a polite attitude for now, given that she was acting alongside a Lion Duke descendant.

Having quickly finished his calculations, Lorentz addressed the witch, “We’ve been together for quite some time, but only now am I seeing your face. I’m Lorentz Halder, the head of the Halder Company.”

“Dorothea.”

It was a short answer.

Whether she had no family name or chose not to reveal it was unclear.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Dorothea. The effect of the herbs you provided was remarkably excellent. Thanks to that, we were able to arrive quickly.”

“We learned the way too, so there’s no need for thanks.”

It was a cold attitude, but Lorentz hadn’t accumulated years of experience as a merchant for nothing.

“Haha, I see. Ah, are you planning to enter the labyrinth right away? If you don’t mind, we can help with the registration process.”

“Registration?” Dorothea asked back as if puzzled.

“Wasn’t this no man’s land?”

Not all land on the continent was under the control of a specific nation.

Remote mountain areas difficult for people to set foot in, colonies of powerful magic beasts, or regions with little benefit even if occupied were sometimes claimed as territory only nominally, or even left abandoned without any claim.

The land where the Taros Labyrinth was discovered was one such place.

It wasn’t suitable for village formation due to the lack of a proper water source nearby, magic beast appearances were frequent due to the high concentration of mana in the air, and it didn’t have a particularly excellent geographical location.

If the entrance to a new labyrinth hadn’t been accidentally discovered a few months prior, it would have been a land that people wouldn’t have been interested in to begin with, so Dorothea’s words weren’t wrong.

“That was true until recently, but quite some time has passed since the labyrinth was discovered. Currently, the Imperial Adventurers Guide has dispatched staff to manage entry into the labyrinth.”

“What right do they have when it’s not even their land?”

“In an empty land, if strong people with loud voices claim something is right, that soon becomes their authority.”

Dorothea frowned.

“Wait a moment. Let me check something.”

***To cut to the chase, Lorentz’s words rang true.

“Stop right there. Without at least a silver-grade adventurer’s badge issued by the Empire, you can’t enter here.”

Near the labyrinth entrance.

Seeing the guild staff who had even set up a proper checkpoint and were inspecting approaching people, Dorothea showed a reaction of disbelief.

“How does one get that badge?”

“Of course, you have to register at one of the adventurers’ guilds throughout the Empire, and then gradually build up achievements.

“There are four ranks: stone, bronze, silver, and gold! Stone grade is mostly for riffraff, and you’re only properly recognized as an adventurer from bronze grade! By silver grade, you can receive treatment comparable to a decent knight!”

Unaware of Dorothea’s growing irritation, the guild staff blabbered on about things she hadn’t even asked, with unnecessarily confident faces.

That alone was irritating enough, but the Tin Knight, excited about who knows what, kept chattering incessantly, grating on Dorothea’s nerves.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ marvels at the NPC-like explanation of the staff!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ criticizes the rank system for its lack of originality, saying he’s heard this squabble many times prior!]

Ignoring the nonsense coming from beside her, Dorothea asked once more, “This isn’t even Empire territory, so why should I listen to whatever this Empire Adventurers Guild is?”

At Dorothea’s question, they smiled with overt mockery.

“To begin with, it was an Empire citizen who first discovered this place and requested a detailed investigation from the guild. Naturally, the right to explore this place belongs to the Empire.

“Numerous adventurers have met their end within the labyrinth’s depths. A significant number fell not to monsters, but to human hands. To prevent such grim occurrences, the guild has taken charge of this place. We aim to stop the inept from recklessly triggering deadly traps, and the unscrupulous from betraying their fellow adventurers.

“If you want to enter, you can just go through the procedures step by step at the guild. I don’t understand what you’re so dissatisfied with.”

“...”

Dorothea didn’t say anything more and turned her body.

Adelaide, who had been watching from a step back, asked while reading the atmosphere, “Um, should I try asking?”

“Don’t bother.”

During the conversation, the guild staff had been glancing at Adelaide while pretending not to.

The staff seemed a bit surprised to see her golden hair and violet eyes, but they didn’t show a servile attitude or change their words.

It was evidence that they had enough power not to tremble just because they were dealing with a Lion Duke descendant.

The Adventurers Guild might be on the side competing with the Lion Duke’s faction, or conversely, another bloodline might be affiliated with or backing the guild.

Dorothea silently fell into thought.

The situation was different from when she mercilessly blew away the Colombo bandit group or when she counterattacked Franka.

The opponent was a huge organization, and it was impossible to subdue them by force.

No, if she unleashed the Tin Knight and released all the magic that Dorothea herself tried not to use due to surrounding gazes, they might be able to annihilate all the staff in this labyrinth, but the repercussions would be enormous.

However, she had no intention of simply complying with their words either.

Dorothea went back to Lorentz.

Lorentz explained the plan as if he had been waiting, “Although the Adventurers Guild is acting like the owner of the labyrinth, strictly speaking, they don’t have a monopoly on all rights. It’s companies like ours that supply various items necessary for adventurers to explore its depth. In other words, even without a silver-grade badge or whatever, you can explore the labyrinth freely if you borrow our company’s name.”

“What about items obtained inside?”

“You can keep everything. There’s only a limit on the number of people who can borrow the name depending on the size of the company, but there are no restrictions on the treasures acquired.”

“The price?”

Lorentz inwardly gave a bitter smile.

She was truly a girl who liked straightforwardness.

“I’ll put it on your tab.”

“I refuse,” Dorothea answered immediately.

“There’s nothing more frightening than an intangible debt. If you want a deal, make it something we can settle right here.”

“Is that so? Hmm. This is troubling.”

Lorentz hid his disappointment beneath his calm demeanor.

In truth, the right to explore the labyrinth wasn’t that valuable to Lorentz.

He had planned to hand over something he had no particular use for as if it were precious, intending to create a sense of debt or foster a favorable attitude towards him in the future, but the other party firmly refused.

Lorentz decided to be a bit bolder.

“Then I’d like to receive the recipe for the herbs you showed us. Everything about what herbs to collect, what processes to go through to process them. If that’s difficult, it would be fine to supply a fixed amount at regular intervals.”

“I’ll share the recipe. While we’re at it, I’d like to entrust you with the disposal of the treasures obtained here, how about it?”

“It’s not impossible, but considering the commission, wouldn’t it be more profitable for you to dispose of them directly?”

“It’s bothersome. I’ll give you a reasonable brokerage fee, but in exchange, convert them into something like promissory notes. Carrying gold coins around would only increase the luggage.”

“Well, if Miss Dorothea is fine with that, I have no objections...”

Lorentz felt puzzled.

He couldn’t help but wonder, as Dorothea, who hadn’t even set foot in the labyrinth yet, was talking on the premise of already securing massive treasures.

Treasure hunting shouldn’t be that easy, after all.

“Ah, should I also buy spare weapons for this guy and Adelaide, along with food, lamps, and oil? Give us a one-person cart if you have one too. And...”

After that, Dorothea ordered various items one after the other.

In her bosom, a magic key with a black luster quietly shone.