There is not one labyrinth with a single star, but the labyrinth called 'Akebono's Field' is the one that is customarily determined to be the first place all beginner explorers visit.

　Leaving the mercenary agent's office and advancing, there is a large staircase that looks like the entrance to the labyrinth, and people were gathering around it. Looking at this alone, it looks like the ruins of a tourist attraction or something.

'Are you an elementary explorer?　If you don't have a weapon, stop at one of the stalls over there and pick one out. You'll get one for free the first time.
'Oh, I see. Thank you.
Sounds like you got a tough job hiring mercenaries. Well, there's a way to live in any job. Good luck with that.

　The young young adventurer may have more experience than me, but from the looks of it, he still looked new to me. He's still diving in this elementary labyrinth, so he might have just arrived a little earlier than me.

　I didn't see the Chief in sight, but I did see Suzuna and Elitia. Elitia leads Suzuna to a street vendor of armor, while she picks out a priestess weapon. However, the introductory equipment was generic, and she seemed to have chosen the oak wand that wizards often equipped with.

''Brother, what is your profession?　Would you like me to make it up to you as I see fit?

　I didn't immediately notice the arms street vendor because he was wearing a turban, but upon closer inspection, he was from Japan, just like me. He looks younger than me, just because he's my brother - even younger than Suzuna. She's a vivacious-looking girl with black hair and a bob cut that suits her well.

You must have been surprised to see so many Japanese people here. Lots of people from other countries too, but it's fun to talk to anyone with a license.
'Oh, oh that's for sure. Did you become a weapons dealer after your reincarnation?
Yes, my parents were in a sporting goods store, so I wanted to be a 'merchant.'

　I see. Even among the searchers, there are those who find a position closer to the town's residents.

　I don't seem to be in a position where I can do any business, so I can earn the most obvious money if I can defeat the demons.

''So, we have weapons for melee, long range, and a few mid-range ones as well, which one do you want?''
Well I guess I'll just go with the orthodox sword then.
A sword?　Let's see, your brother's profession........oh, it seems you can use it for anything. It's amazing, you're a 'weaponsmith (all-weapon)'?
'No, it's not that big of a job. But if you can use anything, you might as well make it an unusual one.

　Since the range indicated by 'rear guard' is so wide, it means you don't have a choice of weapons. To support them from behind, you should probably get used to bow weapons - that's how I looked for weapons lined up in the stalls, and I caught sight of a sling.

'Well, then, with this slingshot.
Oh, that's a good idea. But it's not easy to hit, unless you have a specialized skill.
'I see. But, well, if you can equip them without skills, you can practice.

　It's a sling, or rather a sturdy-looking wooden slingshot. Twenty bullets, I don't know what metal they were made of, came with me in a bag.

'Sorry, you'll have to reimburse me for the actual cost from the replenished bullets.
'Yeah, okay. We'll need a lot of bullets if it looks like we can use them, and I'll make enough money to buy them.
''Oh I forgot to give you this, it's a leather bag to hold the things I got from the labyrinth. If you use this to gather materials for the weaker demons, I think we can buy some bullets.

　If you defeat too large a demon, will you have a hard time choosing the harvest to bring back? In the future, I'll have to think about an efficient means of bringing back materials from the labyrinth.

''Then I wish you good luck. Um.........''
You know, I never told you my name. I'm the guy in the back. How about you?
My name is Shinonogi, Madoka... it's been a while since I've said my first and last name in order like this.

　If you ask me, it's been a long time since I've been able to say that. I was able to remember the kanji by calling myself this way, but I have a feeling that I'll forget it when I find out while living in this labyrinthine country.

'So long, Shinonogi-san.
Oh, just Madoka. Everyone in this town goes by their first name.
'Oh, yeah Madoka, you're a bit too old to be comfortable.
You can call me whatever you want, Arihito-san. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. So, then.........

　I think we used to take a lot of care in Japan with the way we called our names. By the time we come out of the labyrinth, the sun may have set, but I'd like to at least say hello if I see your face.　

'Oops ... sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go, Theresa.

　Theresia seemed to nod very slightly. We approached the entrance to the labyrinth and were approached by a mature man who seemed to be a guide.

'Oh, you're new again. This is the seventh person today. It is said that more than 30 people have been reincarnated, but it's a shameful bunch of cowardly people. There's no other way for a seeker to explore.
Is becoming a supporter still a passive choice for you?

　He is a man whose hair and beard are mostly white, but he is well-built and has an axe by his side. He seems to be an active explorer.

You can't afford to keep going into the maze, it can be tiring. There are people like me who make a living rescuing people stuck in the primary maze. Yeah, it's too late to say your name. I'm Rival.
My name is Aricht, nice to meet you.
'Aricht can I call you Al?　Or is it Richter?
'Yes, no, it may be hard to pronounce, but I'll ask as is if possible. Mr. Rival, I'd like to ask you one thing...
'What?　You can't make me your protector, because if you work with me at level 5, you'll get very little experience in the elementary labyrinth. My party's experience is calculated based on those at the highest level. Even if you kill a low level demon, you'll get very little experience.

　Not that I wanted to hear that, but I got another piece of information. It seems that power leveling by high levelers assisting low levelers is not the usual way to go.

'Thank you for telling me that too. What I'd like to know is how much of a '10 point' blow is that...'
Hmm?　Haha, you're mistaking it for a game?　It's impossible to quantify the damage that a demon's attack will do to you... well, if you look at the life-force indicator on your license, you can measure the approximate amount of damage you'll take from this enemy with your own defensive strength.

(In other professions, numbers are never used when damage is mentioned in the description of a skill... so only the 'rear guard' skill is special.)

The first thing you should do is to brace yourself as best you can for the attack of the 'Watadama' minnow in the first layer. It would be ideal if you didn't take a single bite, but his attack is the only one of the labyrinths in this country that amateurs can take without preparation and still not die. You can't measure a point by points, we searchers have to know the strength of the enemy by real pain. The first time you get hit, you're always scared to death.
'Thank you. It's been helpful.
You have a lot of nerve. You've got your mercenaries with you, Aricht, and if you tread carefully, you'll be able to return under your own power. If there are other dwellers out there and it looks like you're in danger, come to me. I patrol regularly, too, but there will inevitably be holes.
Okay. Mr. Rival, if I have to, I'll come back and call for help.

　Rival-san smiles at me and pats me lightly on the shoulder and sends me off. There are a few friends who do rescue work for a living just like him, and although they are middle-aged men across the board, they send me off with a good face.

'Rival, come to think of it, you might want to be careful. A few minutes ago, a party incorporating beginners dove in, but that was........
But since you're in a party, you can't talk to them from the outside.

(You mean the guy I saw in the guild earlier...?　By "named", you mean a powerful demon? (If it's abandoned, there's a high probability it will die...)

　Like Chief and Suzuna, but at the same time, I hope those who have been reincarnated and know their faces are still alive. I can't be reckless in the labyrinth, but I have one more purpose.