CHAPTER 86
The escape route from the Waterway Labyrinth.
Thankfully, Arshel had successfully found an exit. She had noticed the breeze flowing in from the passage, realizing it was connected to the outside.
"We should be able to get out if we follow this path all the way up!"
Arshel's face was brighter than before. It was only natural, as she had been feeling responsible for getting us lost. She set off with a determined stride. We immediately followed her down the passage.

Aransol wouldn't meet my eyes. It seemed to be the effect of that strange, inexplicable atmosphere between us earlier. Babiyen gave us a curious look but didn't ask any questions.

We continued on for some time.
Then, Arshel stopped. To be precise, she stopped because she could go no further. The passage wasn't blocked. Instead, it was no longer wide enough for a person to pass through. It had become a small tunnel, barely large enough for a Gem Crab to squeeze through. At the sight of it, Arshel's eyes trembled violently.
"B-but I'm sure it's connected to the outside..." Arshel's voice turned gloomy as she tapped the rock wall of the tunnel. It was understandable; the only way out wasn't a path a person could take.

"Arshel, step aside for a moment."
I beckoned to the dejected girl, and she quietly moved away, the look of disappointment on her face showing no signs of leaving. I sent Mi-Myeong into the narrow passage.
"Mi-Myeong, go check what's on the other side."
Mi-Myeong faithfully carried out my command. Scattering light around it, the familiar fluttered forward and zipped through the tunnel.
After some time had passed, Mi-Myeong returned from the passage. It puffed up its body and spun around in circles.
I couldn't understand a thing it was saying.
"Sorry, your master is too incompetent to understand you."
With no other choice, Mi-Myeong flew up and landed on Arshel's head. It bounced up and down, which I took as confirmation that Arshel was right. This tunnel really was connected to the outside.
That meant we had no choice but to exit through this tunnel. Alternatively, I could attach a letter to Mi-Myeong and send it outside for help, but that would take too long. There was no telling when a pioneer would find the message. So, while keeping that option in mind, it was better to proceed with another plan simultaneously.

"Babiyen."
"Yes, yes."
"One 'yes' is enough."
"I don't want to."
Lady Babiyen is still going through her rebellious phase.
"Can you melt this?"
I had touched the material lining the tunnel; it wasn't indestructible. It was basically hardened mud, a mixture of earth and water. The proof was the stream of water trickling beneath our feet. This was a tunnel carved out over a long time by water, a path used by Gem Crabs.
However, the surrounding area was made of the same material. One wrong move, and we could be buried alive. I had no counter for being buried alive. That had to be avoided at all costs. That's why I thought of melting it.

"Let me check first."
Babiyen ran her hands over the rock face. A moment later, she snapped her fingers, creating a flame. She held the flame to the rock for a while.
"Yes, I can melt this. It'll take some time, though."
Thankfully, it was a material that Babiyen's fire could melt.
"I'm counting on you."
"Haaah, this is going to use a ton of mana."

Babiyen began to melt the wall, carefully controlling her firepower. Once the melted earth had cooled, the three of us would scoop it up and dump it in the passage outside. Babiyen took breaks in between, continuously consuming her mana.

About two days passed like this.
Crack!
Finally, the other side of the tunnel was revealed.
"Ugh, it's done," Babiyen cried out, her body swaying.
I caught her as she was about to collapse. She exhaled and leaned against me.
"I need to sleep for a bit."
"You worked hard."
I swung my backpack to my front and hoisted Babiyen onto my back. Thanks to the basic strength I'd built up during my Holy Knight training, it was no problem.
"Arshel, can you find the way from here?"
"Just a second."
Arshel immediately checked the path. Her face instantly lit up, and she nodded.
"We're not far from the outside!"
Well, from the moment we felt the breeze, we couldn't have been that far.

Being trapped for so long had left everyone physically and mentally exhausted. But we had succeeded in escaping, and our hearts were full.
"Let's return."
It was time to go back to the 1st World.

Our long, long journey ended with a safe return to the 1st World.
The moment we got back, I sent Babiyen to an inn. She had completely drained her mana and needed time to recover. She would probably be out for three days. We would set aside her share for later.

As we entered the Pioneer's Guild, the usual noisy atmosphere greeted us. But because we looked so pathetic, all eyes turned to us.
"Brother Holy Mage, you look like you were stranded for a few days."
"You're a complete mess."
A few familiar faces chimed in. Since we had, in fact, been stranded, I didn't have the energy to reply. Instead, I decided to answer in a different way.

Thud—
A heavy bag landed on the counter. The counter staff's eyes went wide as she felt its weight.
"Uh, this is..."
"These are the goods we acquired this time. Please appraise them."
"Ah, yes."
The staffer struggled to open the heavy bag. A moment later, her mouth slowly fell open. Inside, it was packed with Waterway Gems. One by one, the other pioneers began to notice what was happening at the counter. It was only natural, given the mountain of Waterway Gems, each one of which was worth a fortune.
"Ah, there's more."
I emptied my pockets, and a few more gems tumbled out. When I placed them on the counter as well, she looked completely bewildered.
"P-please wait a moment. I-I think I need to call the Guild Master."
It seemed the sum was far larger than she could handle, and she hurried off toward the Guild Master's office.
In the meantime, the other pioneers gathered around us.
"Brother Holy Mage, what in the world is all this?"
"I don't think I've ever seen so many Waterway Gems in my life."
"Did you find a good spot or something? Give us a tip!"
A tip?
"Just get stranded in the Waterway Labyrinth."
That was the only tip I could give. The Waterway Dungeon had tried to swallow us whole and failed, leading to this result.
Arshel sighed with a look of disgust. Although she had earned a lot of money, she had felt immense pressure as a scout. She probably never wanted to go through something like that again.

A short while later, the Pioneer's Guild Master emerged from the back. He was a portly man with an impressive mustache. This was Evans, the Master of the Valterion Capital's Pioneer's Guild.
"Welcome, pioneers. May I take a look at the gems?"
"Sure, go ahead."
At my reply, Evans inspected the gems one by one. Soon, he nodded.
"They're all genuine. A few are in poor condition, but the vast majority are excellent."
These were gems formed on the backs of Gem Crabs. Like natural pearls, we couldn't be disappointed if a few weren't perfect.
"Let's talk inside for a moment. Follow me."
Evans ordered us to follow him to his office. Is he going to set the price?
I had heard things about this Guild Master. He cared more for the Guild as a whole than for the pioneers. As such, when someone brought in a haul this big, he was known to offer various conditions and try to haggle down the price. Bulldog had told me he was a man who had a tendency to look down on pioneers.
As it happened, I was extremely sensitive when it came to the uncivilized people of this world. I would never miss the disdain and contempt they sometimes showed.

"I'll be back."
I left Aransol and Arshel and followed the Guild Master. As the leader of this team, it was my job to do the talking.
Once inside, the Guild Master offered me a cup of tea.
"I'm pleased to meet such excellent pioneers. As the Guild Master, it's always a joy to meet pioneers who achieve such great feats."
He's probably just happy to see a pioneer who brings in a lot of money.
I took a sip of the tea he offered. It was quite good. It seemed his position as Guild Master was a lucrative one.
"Now, about the price of the Waterway Gems. I'm sorry to say this, but the Guild's finances are a bit tight at the moment. We don't quite have enough to purchase a quantity this large."
Just as I expected, the Guild Master started his spiel.
"But I'm not just going to buy them for a lower price. We'll offer some benefits from our side. I'm sure you'll find them satisfactory."

I sipped my tea quietly while he talked. He would keep chattering on his own if I just let him be.
"First, I'll introduce you to the most outstanding pioneer I know."
Don't need it. My current teacher is the Divine Lord. There are few in this world more incredible than her.
"From now on, we'll always buy your materials at the highest price, and I'll even give you a private room within the Guild."
Even at the "highest price," material costs fluctuate. The difference in earnings wouldn't be that significant. I have no interest in a private room in the Guild, either. I'd rather just join the Holy Church and play the role of a Saint. Even Lieutenant General Inferno would set me up with a room if I asked.
"Finally, I'll raise your pioneer rank."
A rank? Is that meaningful? What value is there in a rank given by these uncivilized this-worlders?
So I told him the truth.
"I don't need any of that."
I truly didn't need any of it. Arshel, being a pioneer, might have been a bit tempted, but it was all the same to me.
At my response, the Guild Master's eyebrows twitched.
"...These are excellent benefits. What do you mean, you don't need them?"
"There are plenty of people offering me better conditions. I don't need them. If you're short on money, I'll just sell them elsewhere."
As I made to stand up, Evans flinched and rushed to stop me.
"No, no, that's not it. These are benefits that money can't buy. What are you talking about?"
"I'm telling you, I really don't need any of it."
"Don't be like that, think it over. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"I really don't need it."
After I refused several times, Evans let out a long sigh. Then he slowly ran a hand through his hair.
"Hah, honestly."
Soon, Evans was glaring at me with a frown.
"Hey, you. Why are you trying to embarrass me while I'm talking? When the Pioneer's Guild Master speaks like this, you should know your place and listen. You're forcing me to spell it out."
He exuded an intimidating aura, tapping his fingers on the back of his chair.
"If you can't understand my words, then listen to this. Are you unaware that we handle all sales of Fantasy Species materials? If you don't sell through us, you won't be able to sell them at all."
He heaved a sigh filled with frustration.
"This is the problem with young people these days. When an adult speaks nicely, you should just say 'yes.' Why all the unnecessary backtalk?"
He waved his hand dismissively, as if he didn't want to talk anymore.
"We'll proceed as I said. Now get out. And try to be less stubborn."

Oh.

"Who exactly is being stubborn right now?"
I asked because I was genuinely curious. Evans's face began to slowly contort into a scowl again.
"...Do you not want to be a pioneer anymore?"
With the pressure of a Guild Master, crushing a single pioneer was nothing. That's why the pig puffed himself up, trying to be intimidating. Of course, for me, who had talked back to Lords and the Seven Deadly Sins, it was nothing to scoff at.
"Yeah, well, I don't have to be."
I have plenty of connections who'd hire me. Do you?