Chapter 5: Labyrinth
---D-Day+69, Daroine 8th---
"The Fallen Labyrinth of Qrephine"
Only a week till school starts and the campus is filling up fast. Five hundred students is one thing. When half those students have a servant or two with them? That number is more like eight hundred plus. Then toss in another hundred staff. Another hundred combat maids.
Oh lets not forget the church, stores, and guards.
Shazam! You've got almost fifteen hundred folks running around Stormgarde every day. Beats the crap out of Lions Keep's few hundred. Oh, and they've got an elevator! Well, no elevator music yet so its not truly advanced, but it'll get there someday. Ah, Muzak Kenny G...
The most pointless thing ever made by mankind. But it will outlive us all, like cockroaches.
Well. The elevator is over by the docks and its more like a platform that gets winched up and down the side of the steep ass hill on a track. So not sure what that's called, but its got handrails.
Its really just used for hauling freight up from the docks. And it apparently doesn't have the best 'safety' record. So, no thanks, I'll pass on trying it out.
After a screening process some of the pledges to animal house were accepted. The Delta Tau Chi house isn't that big and we absolutely need them to be a good fit emotionally considering the members histories.
I helped with the interviews but Lili, Oda, and Sim, made the final decisions. Oda and Sim are the brat house advisors while Lili is pretty much my hot milf secretary slash assistant.
Milti is a member of DTC but she's going to stay in the girls dorm. She's a shoe in, phrasing, for the first year student council rep so wants to be close to the other first years.
Juri is popular with the first years too. The other girls in the dorm seem to accept that Milti and Juri are besties. Even if Juri isn't, alive. Hope it doesn't go horribly wrong but me, Mitsu, and Yodo, are happy.
Really didn't think the students in general would be 'okay' with undead wandering about. But I guess with goblins, elementals, demons, and all kinds of freaky other shit? And being at a magic school?
Whatever isn't trying to kill and or eat slash rape you? Ain't no big thing. Maybe it helps that I keep them clean? My [Super Senses] nose really doesn't like the rotting decaying smell. So they are just bone. Charred and hardened.
Ghost like ones? Even less of an issue. So, yeah, I'm using my undead more and more openly.
Speaking of undead. Question for my inner monologue audience. Even the ones in the cheap seats.
Am I an isekai racist?
Got thousands of recruits in my birthday present. Of course I didn't keep them all. Go thru and keep the best. And by best I mean the ones who have the right power and mindset.
Now that's for living shadows and spirits. Skeletons? Pretty much robots. Just traces of spirit left. So they really don't have a mindset besides a never ending hatred for all living beings.
Just like my ex.
Yet out of all those hybrid, astral, and material undead? Not one goblin. Used to have no issue with goblins. Some of my first living shadows were goblins. Until the church nuked them.
But now? After clearing out goblin hole after goblin hole after goblin hole? I don't like goblins. Even undead? Just say no to goblins.
Why? Well, one, because they're everywhere!
Kick over a rock back home? You find bugs. Kick over a rock in medieval land? Goblins. They are like the isekai cockroaches. Wait, have I ever seen a cockroach here?
Two? They are the fugliest little shits. I have yet to find a goblin that didn't stink to high hell. The only washing they get is when its raining on them or they fall in a river.
Lets not forget three. All the raping they do. My god. Even orcs take breaks. Goblins? Like hairless green bunnies. For them? You can't spell sex without gang rape.
The hell goblin women go thru. Spend their whole lives getting attacked. The only worse fate? Is to be a not-goblin woman. Makes the little shits crank up the non-stop sexual assault to a whole new level.
I've cleaned out dozens of goblin holes since getting to Lions Keep. Yep. Dozens. Most of them? Had some 'goblin sows.' The slang for captured not-goblin women. Usually refugees. Sometimes unlucky villagers or runaway slaves.
How bad do you gotta be for someone like me to look at a burned down village, think of the women, and say.
"Hope the orcs got to them first."
"What did you say master?"
"Don't worry about it Frankie. I'm just inner monologing again."
"Yes master."
Did she just roll her eyes?
Oh well.
Four? Nobody likes goblins. Not even goblins like goblins. There is an entire race, hobgoblins, who were goblins but hated it so much? They actually started a breeding program, to make them less goblin!
Whew... Yeah... I might be an isekai racist now. Or is it speciest?
So, not a single undead goblin didn't become a redead goblin.
End result? I went from almost four hundred unliving minions. To almost two thousand unholy abominations in one day. Now, I could probably have had even more if...
Some big ass lich lizard didn't decide to roll around turning even their skeletons into teensy weensy, gonna need isekai duct tape, pieces!
~Sorry. My bad~
You know, just because you got that line from a show I remembered? Doesn't make it funny.
*squeeze*
"Eh? Ah. Thank you Red. I needed that."
"Jon. Please calm down. We still have plenty of bones to work with."
"...You're right."
Yep, we are in the basement workshop and my harem + 1 is helping me put new skeletons together. Really, once you burn away all the fleshy tissuey stuff? You really just need the right pieces to make a skeleton. They are kind of interchangeable.
Turns out that's all that really matters? If its 'complete.'
And while I'm classing the orc living shadows separately? I'm lumping the orc and human skeletons together. The performance difference between the two? Once they are just bones? Isn't that noticeable.
Really need to find a new place for my workshop though. Couldn't put the caddies together in here so ended up having to haul all the parts outside. What do I do if I want to build a bone dragon?
Thought the basement would be nice and quiet but when I'm here? Everyone keeps interrupting me anyway. If its not people from Lions Keep, Stormgarde, or Pearlden pestering me? Its students.
And no, I'm not talking about DTC. I'm talking about the others. Either wanting me to play a song or show them necromancy. Yeah, signups for the Umbra course have tripled. They even had to add extra classes.
Ex-patchy has doubled the guard on the workshop and they still keep finding ways in. This is a little shop of horrors people! Not age appropriate, for students. May have to start putting on a green body sock and calling myself the Grinch.
"Kids today. So desensitized by movies and television."
*fufu*
See Frankie? Hitomi found it funny!
What if I became an isekai dentist? My ex said I have a talent for causing things pain.
Oh, and she being from 'back home?' Is making the harem feel a little 'insecure.' So they don't want to let me out of their sight. Even if it means helping me sort through piles of bones and create skeletal warriors and giants.
"[Skeleton Rise]"
Looks like all the connections are good. Mana stable. Follow the finger. Adjust contrast until the symbol is barely visible. Good. Up you go and join the ranks.
The new Skeletal Warrior gets off the pedestal and marches over to a Death Knight to get geared up. The weapon and armor smiths in Pearlden and Raelera are working a lot of overtime to fill my orders.
The main doors to the workshop open and two DTC's come in with documents. Bet they are for, yep, giving them to Lili. Maybe she's ready?
Looks like it.
The DTC's run up and arms go out for hugs. Fine. Big hugs.
"Stop nibbling at my ears."
Put them down, swat their butts and they run off giggling. Crazy kids.
"Dearest? I'm ready." Lili says as she looks thru the papers. Milfs really are the best.
"Alright. Break time!"
A Death Knight takes that as his queue and marches the column of new skeleton warriors out of the workshop. We grab seats in the break area, every workplace needs one, and my maids start serving drinks and snacks.
Sixteen women take seats around me. The harem + 1 minus Silvie plus Mimchau, Val's six daughters, and Emelina. Margo and Ferra says she wants to join the harem but hasn't found a breather yet.
Lili stays standing. "The Fallen Labyrinth of Qrephine."
Its decided. My assistant needs a suit. One of those secretary suits with a skirt and black pantyhose things. And glasses. Yep. Needs to wear glasses with it. So hot!
"Lord Viscount asked for a report on this dungeon as he intends to raid it."
Already told the girls so they don't react. It was more for the spies in the audience so they can get ready too. Even left the shop doors open in case there are spies among the guards.
Lili continues.
"The Fallen Labyrinth of Qrephine is a silver ranked dungeon believed to have 41 levels. Despite its size it is considered a low mana dungeon and valuable materials are not in quantities large enough for regular farming."
Interesting. So should not have to deal with a ton of other adventurers.
"Several expeditions have reportedly reached the 41st floor but have been unable to find the dungeon core. Monster presence is significant but mostly bipedal. Pockets of undead but minimal miasma. Even on the lowest levels."
"It has been theorized that there are lower floors but no way further down has been found. Population is mostly goblins but significant numbers of orcs, hobgoblins, fallen dwarf, and fallen beastkin have been fought."
I'm confused. "Fallen?"
Frank answer. "Fallen are tribes of mandate races that have publicly rejected it. This exposes them to a great deal of persecution. Some choose to flee and live in the difficult to reach parts of poorly regulated dungeons."
Well that sounds like it sucks. Lili starts again.
"The dungeon is named for a monster who fled into the dungeon to hide from the wrath of the gods. What the monster did to earn their wrath has been lost."
"The fallen labyrinth is a week to the south by wagon. Near the town of Sancona in the Duchy of Trosseria and controlled by House Chastel."
House Chastel? That should make this more convenient.
"Thank you Lili." Look around as Lili sits on my lap. "Thoughts on how long it will take?"
Hey. That was the reward she asked for to collect info on the dungeon.
Red answers.
"As long as we just use undead we can be there in a few hours. However, getting through forty levels of dungeon? Could take weeks."
"Foxy? The guild got any guides who have been there?"
Darn, not even fazed this time.
"Yes but it could take a week or two to find one." Don't blink those eyelids at me like that. I'm a married man. Several times over even.
How does she make just moving a tail sexy? Gotta be a thief. No fun just looking at her plate so I've been guessing.
"Thief?"
Mimchau shakes her head.
"No my lord." She says with way to cute a grin and blush.
"Lili? Inform the staff that we will be leaving shortly and will be gone for a week or more."
My 1st concubine bows, turns and begins speaking to girls I didn't even notice were there before. Gasp! Is this [Secretary Magic]?
"Foxy? Inform the guild to reschedule treatments for at least the next week. And if you are coming you better hurry up and pack." Stand and look around. "That goes for the rest of you too. Anyone coming with tell whoever they need to tell. If you can't come? Then don't."
Not here for them. Not here for me. Everything else is a very distant second. Including school.
As all the women scatter I spread orders across my minions. Most will go. But some will stay to monitor and guard. Will let my officers sort that out among themselves.
Now. How am I going to get to the bottom of a forty-one level deep Silver ranked dungeon?
Got it! I'll look for a group of volunteers. A small elite multi-racial team who have never worked together before and with minimal skills in stealth, evasion, and infiltration.
Once the sudden but inevitable betrayal happens? Will divide into tow or three even less suitable units.
Easily providing enough following fiascos to comfortably fill two or three books. Really hope my finger doesn't need to get bitten off at the end. Though there are bitable parts I would miss more.
Yep. Can totally see me using that foolproof plan... Not.
Instead? How about the 'go in there with an army and level the fucking place' plan. Raising the corpses of the idiots who get in my way, to sift through the rubble until they find whatever this macguffin is.
Gandalf?
Hold my beer.