Everyone seemed to be becoming aware of their hunger as soon as they were relieved, and we talked about what to eat after we went outside.

　I was about to get up, too, because it was time for Theresa to feel bad, but she put a hand on my shoulder and blocked me from moving. After something like that, I don't feel like getting up until I shake it off.

''........Is a lap pillow something a man would enjoy?''
'What?　Well, well, well, I don't know. Looking at your brother, he seems to be in a good mood.
Yes, that's true........Aricht-san trusts Teresa-san a lot. She seems to calm down when she does that.

　Suzuna understands that I'm quiet when she kneels me down. It seems that things like annoyances and evil thoughts are going to be perceived with a single shot before spirituality sensing - more and more I'm required to be pure of heart.

'Speaking of which, Ariadne first joined hands with Theresa, does that mean that Theresa is special?
Maybe there's a connection between the sub-humans who are involved in the labyrinth and the secret gods.

　We still don't know why a seeker who falls in the labyrinth becomes a sub-human. I can't say that we will never witness a seeker turn into a subhuman in the future, but I would like to save both my own people and a passing party, if possible, before it becomes irreversible.

　Even if we can faintly communicate our wills, the lack of communication is still too great. Considering that the searchers who didn't survive will disappear without turning into sub-humans, perhaps we should consider it a miracle that Theresa is here - but it can't be like this all the time, either.

''.........''

　I seemed to have a serious look on my face without realizing it, and Theresa was looking at me with concern. Just by looking at her mouth, I'm starting to understand her emotions a lot better.

''Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about a few things. Thanks, I'm pretty rested.

　Theresia looks like she's going to miss it, but she removes her hand from my shoulder.

　On one level, the new explorers who have just arrived are still fighting watadama and seven other newcomers. They don't seem to be able to hit the attacks easily, but they seem to be getting the hang of it little by little.

　She's really good with a sword, isn't she?
'It really is. Even Watadama's tackles aren't foolproof at level one.
''I was also protected by Elitia-san.

　They're in a party of six, just like us, and they're very happy to hunt two cottontail gorillas. If they can get to the second level, they'll find the demon material we left behind - if they can bring it back, they'll get a great deal for their first search.

''We'd better get going. I'd like to report to Louisa-san as soon as possible.
We'll have to get the material we sent to the warehouse to the demolition shop as soon as possible.

　The poisonous crystals of the dokuyaribachi, the ores the orcs had, the materials of the plain eater and the gaze hound - and which equipment will I put the runes I got from defeating the eagle-headed giant soldiers on? Even after the adventure, there's a lot of work to be done.

　◆ ◆ ◆

　When we left the labyrinth, the time was around 5pm. We made it in time for the guild's business hours, and waited until Louisa-san finished dealing with the other searchers before heading to the same special room as yesterday.

　The women went back to their quarters once. It is said that reporting is a leader's job, but it seems that this practice will continue from now on. Well, I feel that the best part of the search is reporting, so I don't mind if you leave it to me.

I'm sorry, I just finished my search, so I may smell a sweat.
What do you say, sir? Isn't sweat a seeker's medal?

　If you say that with a smile, even if you're not an immunocompromised man like me, your heart must be tilted.

''........Luisa-san, what's wrong?''

　Louisa-san approaches me unexpectedly. I was weirdly reserved, so I checked her scent - it's not so much boldness as it is too natural to be troubled by the way she closed the distance.

''Hmph.......I don't mind it so much. I can smell Atobe-sama, though.
No, no, I mean. I'm wondering to myself if that's not a very good smell.
'Well it may vary from person to person, but I'm fine with it.

　Louisa says while hiding her mouth with the file she uses for work. Her gestures are becoming not only the officer in charge, but also completely forgiving, like a friend.

(Normally she's careful not to open her breasts, but as soon as she starts walking with me, her guard is loosened... could it be?)

Excuse me, sir, but can you go ahead and wait in your room?　Would you like me to bring you a cup of tea or would you like a cup of tea already?
'Well... er... well, it's still light out now... Louisa, would you like to join me for a drink today?'
Are you sure?　No, it's enough to make you eat normally. If you drink it every day, it will affect your body.

　Louisa-san seems to be the type of person who wants to drink every day. But to serve alcohol at the debriefing table, the guild is quite a bold organization.

''........We don't offer alcohol to other people, right?　There's only Lady Atobe.
No, no, no, hahaha...

　If I kept saying things like, "Oh my God," wouldn't I be taken aback? It's frustrating that I can't think of a witty response at a time like this.

　The back of Louisa-san's body as she went to make a cup of tea, the shape of her buttocks was clearly showing in her soft fabric skirt, and there was no place to look. Although she had changed a lot from the neat and clean impression of the first day - to be honest, if they liked her enough to give her achievements, she wasn't reluctant to continue to work hard in the future.

　◆ ◇◆

　After drinking the cold herbal tea Louisa had brewed for me and taking a breath, I presented my license to her. She took out one pair of glasses, put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath before looking at the screen with seriousness.

''Then I'll take a look at it...''

　The results of this search
　We have entered the third level of Akebono's Field. 40 points.
　We've entered an unexplored area in Akebono's Field.
　Elitia's level is now 9. 100 points.
　Aricht's level is now 4. 40 points.
　Theresa's level is now 4. 40 points.
　Kyouka's level is now 3. 20 points.
　Suzuna's level is now 3. 20 points.
　Misaki's level has been raised to 2. 10 points
　Killed 8 Watadama for 40 points.
　Took out 6 Dokuyari bumblebees, 48 points.
　Defeated 12 "Fang Orcs" for 120 points.
　Took out 7 "Gaze Hounds", 140 points.
　50 points for defeating a "Plane Eater".
　Defeated the Eagle Headed Titan Soldier.
　My trust in "Theresa" has changed. 100 points
　Trust in "Kyoka" has increased by 50 points.
　Trust in Suzuna has increased by 50 points.
　Trust in "Elitia" has increased by 50 points.
　Relationship of trust with Misaki has changed 100 points
　'? You've awakened the Unrated
　'? Blessings of the Unrated

　Searcher Contribution - 1038 + Unrated Value
　8th district cumulative contribution ranking 1



..........

　Louisa used her single-glasses and stopped when she saw to the second line. Was the display of 'unexplored territory' too stimulating after all - how could I wake her up?

''........Louisa-san?''
Huh?

　As soon as she reacted as if she were being played, Louisa's breasts bounced as if they were about to spill out of her open collar.

　The swaying continued for a while, and then she reddened her face all at once, fixed her hair, which wasn't even that disheveled, adjusted her collar, cleared her throat, and then looked at me.

''........Atobe-sama, do you have any plans to get engaged in the future?''
''Buh........Louisa, please calm down. We're jumping to a totally unrelated topic.
What did I just say?　I'm sorry, I was too upset about it, and I'm beginning to realize that I'm about to be of the right age...

　Apparently, when she's confused, her words and actions are disruptive. It's more like what she's thinking comes out of her mouth - or perhaps it's too much of a leap to say that she wants to marry me, no matter how great her achievements are.

(Nah, I'm starting to get nervous... my hands are sweating a lot. (Calm down, I need to talk to you calmly.)

　I'm not sure if it's right to talk about the secret gods. ''?'' is shown as released, so I think that's where I'll need to explain it.

　For now, we should follow the order. A clear presentation should help Ms. Louisa to understand.

''Louisa-san's suitable age is also an important agenda item, but for now, let me talk about the 'unexplored territory'.
I don't care about the right age................ ...I'd rather die.......I can't live with Atobe-sama's disdain for me.......
'Duh, it's okay. I understand that you think I'm promising, and I'm very happy for you. But it's not a matter of gain or loss that Louisa got upset. That's how I see it.
"...Master Atobe...

　If I were to take her hand here, it might be called a romantic atmosphere - but I can't be too buoyant in front of my friends who are also waiting for me.

''........Thank you, I've finally settled down. You're talking about the 'unexplored territory'. This means that no one has ever returned to the guild to reach it.
''So that's what you mean Louisa-san, is it the guild's policy to share information about the discovery of unexplored areas?
'No, what we will be discussing in this room will be shared only with me and Master Atobe. It is up to the discretion of the explorer to report to the guild's higher echelons. The last thing the guild needs is to antagonize a good seeker, so there is no requirement that information gained in a search be made available to them by force.

　It's not hard to see that, but is the guild allowed to let the searchers do whatever they want?

　If the people in the upper echelons of the guild are competently weaker than the searchers at the top of the pecking order, they may not be able to restrain them - but we're still fledgling and low in the pecking order, and it shouldn't be unreasonable to make them listen to the regulations as a shield.

(By not doing that ... you're encouraging explorers to grow and become more experienced and stronger than anything else. But...)

''........I understand your thoughts. With such a policy, when the people at the top of the pecking order have rebellious intentions, the guild will not be able to restrain them. The order of the labyrinth country will collapse, and everyone will think so.
But that's not the case. Does this mean that all searchers are hard-working, even at the top of the pecking order?
That's not always the case. However, talented explorers who move up the pecking order prefer to hide in the maze rather than dominate and influence others. I didn't expect that Atobe-sama would be discovered at this stage, but you have discovered it and received further blessings.

　Louisa knows about the secret gods - but she doesn't know that they were sleeping in the hidden hierarchy of Akebono's field.

　She may not know all the details of the secret gods either. If the fact that such a being was in the labyrinth was the only thing that was shared among the guild staff, then it would make sense for her to be upset.

''I will tell you what I know, Atobe-sama. The founders who created the Labyrinth Country set up transitional gates to the labyrinth within the walls of the city in order to let people explore the 'Forgotten Labyrinths' located in different parts of the world. In other words, the labyrinth nation was formed as a country after the entrance to the labyrinth was collected within the city walls.
"...why did you collect the maze?　If it was forgotten, that means it was considered worthless.
'Not so. The labyrinth holds many mysteries, and is equipped with obstacles and demons to protect the deepest treasures. Only explorers with wisdom and power can solve these mysteries... But there are countless labyrinths that have been abandoned because of the lack of challengers. Even now, labyrinthine entrances can be added to the labyrinth country at any time. This is because those who carry on the will of the Founder, who have disappeared from sight, still travel outside the walls to collect the labyrinths.

　He continues to collect the entrance to the labyrinth by throwing the strategy to the explorers and continuing to collect the entrance to the labyrinth - calling souls from other worlds, reincarnating them as reincarnators, and forcing them to explore the labyrinth, as explorers.

　The 'founder' who has that much power is no longer equivalent to a god. The fact that he is no longer visible means that he was indeed present in this labyrinth country in the past.

''So far, this is what I can teach you when you become an employee of the guild. I'm not able to speak to you with any real feeling either... it's like I'm explaining it to you according to a textbook.
No, that's good enough for me. 'The Secret God seems to be an object of belief in the Labyrinth Country, why is that?'
''It's because they are the ones who give blessings to the searchers. At the same time, I've heard that there are times when the secret gods can be hostile to each other, but fortunately, there have been no fights between the searchers in the eighth district because there are not many searchers who have received their blessings.
''In the Eighth Ward.......you mean, in the Upper Ward, parties that have received the blessings of the Secret God will sometimes fight each other?
'Unfortunately. The Secret Gods are to be respected, but they are also sacred things that must not be touched by their wrath. The Guild may provide a place for them or intervene in a battle if the Secret Gods must fight each other. All of this is to protect the Labyrinth Country as it is now.

　I could imagine how fierce the battle between the secret gods would be with what we just heard. That would be just as dangerous to the country as the accidents that would occur during the 'box opening'.

　It would be good if Ariadne didn't meet a hostile secret god, but if she did, how would she avoid conflict - she would have to think about that too.

''I understand that the 'search for a god' is the ultimate goal of the searchers. I can't say anything big, but I'll be careful how I behave so that the labyrinth country doesn't turn out to be terrible.
''I'd appreciate it if you could say that. I will also prepare the information that the guild can provide to meet Atobe-sama's wishes as much as possible. If a contractor with another secret god causes a disturbance, for example, the guild will be informed, so we can alert them.

　Louisa says she's willing to cooperate fully. After hearing that much, I had an idea.

　If Louisa-san is promoted or something, she will be able to have more discretion within the guild.

'Would it be a plus for Louisa-san, who is in charge, if we made an achievement?
''Ha, yes ... that's enough. When the adventurer in charge is promoted to the upper wards, the officer in charge will be promoted by one as well, so...
'Well, we'll have to keep up the good work. I won't make you regret being in charge of us, you know. I'll repay you for the trouble you put us through.
Well that's most gratifying to hear.

　Louisa blushes and smiles. Her lightly reddened lips are glazed in the light of the room, and how s*xy she is - and if I stare at her, my karma goes up.

''........I don't think my karma is going to rise again.''
'Eh....'
It's nothing. Otherwise, I won't have a face to match everyone at Atobe-sama's party.
Well I'll invite you back then. So, this unrated column....
'This one will be assessed directly by me in my report. I believe your contribution will be very high, and you can pass it without having to take the promotion test to the Seventh Ward, how would you like to do so?

　If it's a free pass, that's a good thing, but I wonder what it's all about. If it's not dangerous, I'm interested in what it's like.

'I'm interested in what the exam is about. If I don't take it, how will I know what it's about?'
'It will be a matter of exploring one of the labyrinths in District 8 to find a prescribed item or defeat a demon. The designated labyrinths change with each test, so I'm afraid I can't tell you what they are in advance...
'No, I understand. I'll discuss it with everyone else, but in general, I'll accept the offer.
Very well. Okay, the exam is every Saturday, so it will be two days later. Please register by tomorrow.

　I'm also curious to see how much we'll be contributing to the four unrated items, but for now, it's safe to say that our promotion to District 7 is a second away and we're turning our attention to that as well.

　The next step is to bring the harvest to the demolition plant. Let's go to the warehouse and ask the couriers to transport it, and then we'll meet up with everyone at the usual meeting place - the square in front of the guild.