Witch Taming System-Chapter 21: Labyrinth Dive [3]

"Hi~ Got a moment?"

As Lancel finished preparing his gear, someone approached him. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

He looked up to see a woman standing nearby. A bow was slung across her back, and a quiver filled with various types of arrows rested over her shoulder.

"Yeah," Lancel said. "What do you need?"

"It’s Emily, by the way. I was wondering if you had any tips for archers in labyrinths. This is actually my first time exploring one."

Her eyes glanced at the dagger on Lancel’s belt before returning to his face.

"And you seem pretty experienced. Five years as an adventurer, right?"

"Yep," Lancel said, nodding. "But I’ve been inactive for about a year. I might be a little out of touch."

"That’s not true. I saw you earlier when we were organizing the parties. Most people were busy talking about formations, but you were checking everyone’s equipment."

She adjusted the strap of her quiver as she spoke.

"You pointed out that one of the teams only brought two lanterns for six people. That kind of thing."

Lancel shrugged.

"That’s just basic preparation."

"Exactly," Emily said. "And most people don’t even bother with that anymore."

She glanced toward the other adventurers preparing their gear nearby.

"We might all be A-rank, but that doesn’t mean everyone pays attention to the details."

She shifted the bow on her back and leaned a bit closer.

"So... any advice?"

"For archers?"

"Yeah."

Lancel wasn’t an archer himself. But five years of adventuring was more than enough experience to know how archers tended to operate inside labyrinths.

"First thing," he said. "Don’t stand directly behind the frontliners."

"Isn’t that where archers usually stay?"

"Outside, sure. But not in labyrinths."

He pointed toward the rough map spread across the table.

"These corridors are narrow. If you stand right behind the vanguard, you’ll spend most of your time waiting for a clear shot."

Emily frowned. "So where should I stand?"

"Off to the side," Lancel said. "A step or two along the wall. That way, you can shoot diagonally past the front line instead of straight through them."

She nodded slowly.

"That actually makes sense."

"Second thing," Lancel continued. "Watch the ceiling."

"The ceiling?"

"Labyrinth monsters don’t always come from the front. Sometimes they drop down."

Emily instinctively looked upward before letting out a laugh.

"That’s... reassuring."

She adjusted the strap of her quiver.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah," Lancel said. "If something grabs you, cut the line immediately."

Emily tilted her head.

"The line?"

"Webbing. Tendrils. Tongues. Whatever the monster uses to pull you in."

He tapped the dagger at his waist.

"Always carry a backup blade."

Emily glanced down at the small knife strapped to her thigh.

"Already got one."

"Good," Lancel said.

She smiled faintly.

"Thanks. I feel a little better about this now."

Lancel shrugged. "Well, if you have any more questions, it’s probably better to ask the leader. I’ve been out of the field for a year. My advice might not be valid anymore."

Emily glanced over at the group leader, who was currently discussing something with the vanguards.

"Still," Emily said, adjusting the bow on her back, "I’ll keep what you said in mind."

Lancel nodded in return.

For a moment, the two of them simply watched the others preparing for the expedition. The sound of metal being checked, bags being fastened, and equipment being adjusted echoed.

Soon enough, the leader’s voice rang out from the center of the gathering.

——Alright, everyone! Final checks!

"Well," Emily said. "Looks like we’re about to get started. Thanks again."

She gave a small wave before turning and rejoining the rest of her party.

Lancel watched her go for a moment.

At first glance, she looked like an innocent girl. The kind of person one wouldn’t immediately associate with a dangerous profession like adventuring.

But appearances meant very little in this line of work. Everyone had their own reasons and circumstances for becoming an adventurer.

And Emily was A-class. That alone said enough.

No one reached that rank by accident. She must have spent years in the field already, long enough to survive whatever the profession had thrown at her.

In any case, Lancel got moving.

* * *

Faust returned home to an empty house.

"...Why isn’t he back yet?"

Lancel had told her earlier that he planned to look for work at the Adventurer’s Guild.

She had already made it clear that it wasn’t necessary. As long as he continued assisting with her research, she was more than willing to provide him with a decent allowance.

There was no real need for him to risk himself outside. But Lancel had insisted.

According to him, he wanted to regain some semblance of the life he used to have.

Faust hadn’t stopped him.

After all, Lancel was already registered as a research asset and tied to the city. It wasn’t as if he could simply disappear. The least she could do was allow him this small bit of freedom.

Still...

"He said he’d be back by seven."

Faust glanced at the clock again. It was already well past eight.

"...."

She had a lot of questions on her mind.

First and foremost, if what Angelica had said was true, then Angelica had every right and reason to have done what she did to him. After all, Lancel had killed one of her apprentices.

If that was the case, then why had he acted like a victim this entire time?

Was Lancel truly as innocent as he appeared?

Or had Faust unknowingly brought someone dangerous into her own home?

Because truthfully, it wasn’t normal for ordinary humans to kill witches. The difference in power between them was like night and day.

Yet Lancel had done exactly that.

And then there was the matter of the Outer God.

Had he truly encountered it before arriving in Riviere?

Had that encounter been the reason his arm carried the curse Angelica had recognized?

The questions only continued to pile up.

Just as Faust turned to head toward her office so she could resume her research, a sudden pain struck her head.

"Ugh...!"

A sharp headache pierced through her skull, forcing her to stop in her tracks.

It felt just like last time. As if something unseen was siphoning away her mana.

Faust stumbled, gripping the edge of the wall to steady herself. But almost immediately, she realized something was wrong.

No. This was worse.

Much worse than before. Her mana was draining at a frightening rate.

Faust immediately rushed toward the cabinet where she stored her tonics. Her hand shook as she pulled the drawer open and grabbed a bottle.

It was the mana elixir she had produced a few days ago, created by the residual samples she had collected during her analysis of Lancel.

More specifically, from the remnants of his... semen.

"Haa..."

She uncorked the bottle and drank the contents. The elixir spread through her body almost instantly. A surge of mana filled her circuits.

For a moment, the pressure eased, and Faust let out a slow breath.

"...Good."

But the relief lasted only a second.

Her eyes widened.

The mana she had just replenished began draining again just as quickly as before.

"What...?"

Faust pressed a hand against her chest, focusing inward as she tried to analyze the flow of her mana.

It wasn’t dispersing or leaking.

It was being pulled somewhere.

"What the hell is going on...?"