GILF Hunter

Chapter 507: 507 What

’Do, do we really have to stop by here...?’

’What are you talking about? This is the most important place.’

’I... I suppose so....’

In front of the Frey Mercenary Group’s lodging.

Airi, muttering with a dark expression, followed behind Ian.

Compared to the other mercenary bases they had passed through, this place was quite easy to enter.

It was partly thanks to the two people beside him, but the Frey Mercenary Group had a significant history of exchange with the Ian Mercenary Group in many ways.

For one, Rin frequented the place incredibly often, and there were many members who recognized Ian’s face.

Even if Frenda or Airi hadn’t been there, he likely could have entered to meet Frey without much trouble.

’The commander’s room is this way.’

’Thank you.’

Ian and the party were guided by a mercenary into the commander’s office. Having heard the news of Ian’s visit, Frey was already waiting.

Frey, leaning back in her chair, looked up and asked Ian.

’What’s the sudden occasion? You said you had something to give me.’

’It’s this.’

Frey took the item Ian held out. What Ian handed over was an item not much different from what he had given to mercenaries while traveling around until now.

’A map? Why this all of a sudden?’

Frey spread the map out on the desk.

She could easily guess that it wasn’t just a simple map. There was no way he would have come to gift a perfectly ordinary map.

Gifting a map usually meant gifting the important information contained within it. The most common example was a treasure map.

Opening the map, numerous notes and patterns caught Frey’s eye. There was more text than actual map drawings, making it look more like a report than a map.

As she scanned it, Frey quickly realized it was entirely different from a normal map.

It wasn’t that the format was different, but that the location indicated by the map was a space that could never be seen on a regular map.

It was a map of the Labyrinth.

’This is... something inside the Labyrinth.’

She couldn’t identify the location just by looking at the unfamiliar terrain, but something caught Frey’s eye in between.

The thing drawn on one side that looked like a magic circle was a shape Frey knew well. It was the mural that always appeared in the [Room of Origin], the final room of the Labyrinth.

Until recently, it was considered a mysterious object, but its identity had become somewhat known lately.

It was the seal to a place within the Labyrinth called the ’Deep Layers.’

Thanks to Ian submitting data on this, the information had spread to some extent among guild administrators and certain mercenaries.

The content wasn’t exactly top-secret information that needed to be strictly hidden, but it wasn’t being actively broadcasted either, for fear that some fools might go around poking at the seal unnecessarily.

Frey, of course, was one of the few who knew about it.

As Frey read it, she felt a bit puzzled. He wouldn’t be telling her this again thinking she didn’t know...

’...Hm?’

Reading the content more closely, Frey realized that what was written wasn’t information about the mural, but an explanation of something much more detailed and important.

The method to temporarily release the seal of the Deep Layers and open a passage to enter the interior.

The very method Ian used when investigating the Deep Layers was explained on the map.

’Why are you telling me how to open this? Are you telling me to go in?’

’You said you wanted to know last time.’

’And you actually just hand it over?’

Frey, pondering the reason for a moment, asked Ian with a smirk.

’Hmm. Is it because you want to get rid of me and raise your ranking? That would be a good way to do it without raising suspicion.’

’...It’s a weaker place than where we went.’

Although Ian had succeeded in the first Deep Layer expedition, there were still Deep Layers within the Labyrinth that hadn’t been subjugated yet, besides the one he had personally cleared.

He was referring to the two Deep Layers found earlier, where they had only checked the entrance before turning back.

The wave containing the monsters of those Deep Layers had passed, but the monsters remained inside. The Deep Layer was a dungeon that wouldn’t disappear until someone went in and cleared it.

Frey understood the structure in her own way after hearing the brief explanation.

She laughed as if she finally understood why Ian was telling her this.

’Since you’re just giving it to me, I guess it becomes a headache later if it’s not dealt with?’

’....’

...Frey was right.

To lower the difficulty of the final battle, they had to be cleared in advance, but for Ian to personally enter a Deep Layer whose turn had already passed was, frankly, very poor in terms of efficiency.

If there was someone who wanted to go, he was more than willing to yield the spot.

Of course, sending just anyone could be dangerous, but for someone like Frey, she wouldn’t face much risk in those two dungeons given her compatibility.

While Ian briefly wondered what Frey might demand in exchange for clearing the place, Frey waved her hand as if it were fine.

’Well, whatever. I was at the inner castle then, so I missed both of those monsters without even seeing their faces. I wanted to fight them at least once.’

Frey tucked the map Ian gave her into a drawer.

If one were to be technical, it was close to Frey doing the cleanup here, but the information was quite interesting to her as well.

She felt like preparing for an expedition right this second.

Of course... no matter how much she was Frey, she didn’t try to run off to the Labyrinth immediately. There was something else that took priority right now.

Frey’s gaze shifted behind Ian.

More specifically, toward Airi, who was hiding in the blind spot behind Ian’s back.

The important task to be handled now... was the major event of a friend’s first visit to her mercenary group.

’I told you to come play and you never did, but you’re finally here.’

’Hic....’

Airi flinched and peeked her head out slightly from behind Ian’s back.

She told her to come play. Did that mean those words hadn’t just been a casual greeting? Airi tightly gripped the hem of Ian’s clothes with that kind of expression.

Perhaps because they spent a lot of time talking, the sun was already setting outside the window.

Frey asked Airi.

’It’s late, so you’re staying the night, right?’

’Do, do we have to? Our lodging is just in front of here....’

’Hmm. Then since it’s not far, there’s no need to rush. You can go back anytime, right?’

’Ack....’

No matter what excuse she made, since she had already set foot here, she was in a state where she couldn’t leave as she pleased.

The party that opened so suddenly naturally continued until very late in the night.

＊ ＊ ＊

’....’

Just for a moment....

He closed his eyes and opened them, and Ian was lying on a bed.

Ian forced his heavy eyelids open and lifted his head to look around.

’This is....’

It was an unfamiliar room. At least, it wasn’t the mercenary group building.

As he thought that and looked around more closely, the memories from just before he passed out seemed to return faintly.

’Mmm....’

’Hehe....’

And Ian belatedly noticed the small sounds of breathing and the soft touch coming from both sides.

Airi and Frenda were clinging to Ian’s sides.

Did I fall asleep for a second...?

Opening his eyes, Ian briefly recalled what happened before he fell asleep.

Airi, who kept receiving drinks beside Frey, was the first to pass out. Frenda also wasn’t that strong with alcohol and had started nodding off with her eyes closing.

When Ian said he would go and lay the two half-asleep girls down, Frey had said there were plenty of empty rooms around and he could use any room he liked.

Ian had taken the two intoxicated girls and found an empty room slightly away from the party area.

The Frey Mercenary Group’s base wasn’t a Guild House like Ian’s, but a regular mansion they had purchased and decorated, so it was much larger and had many empty guest bedrooms.

It was good that he found a suitable empty room, but...

Because Ian hadn’t drunk a small amount either, he tried to rest in the room for a moment and ended up falling asleep with them.

’Sigh....’

Judging by the sounds coming from outside, it was still rowdy.

Ian, who had intended to go outside, gave up and lay back down on the bed. If he went out now, he felt like he’d be caught and dragged back there again, so he thought he would just stay here a bit longer before leaving.

Lying back down, Ian belatedly noticed a presence felt from the side.

The sensation of someone tightly hugging his arm.

When Ian turned his head that way, Airi, who had woken up at some point, was clinging to Ian’s arm.

’Are you awake?’

’....’

Airi’s dazed eyes were half-closed.

Since she had drunk until she passed out, it was only natural that the alcohol hadn’t cleared at all even if she had slept for a bit.

Locking eyes with her, Ian somehow felt he could predict what would happen next.

’Wait, here we mmp....’

Airi’s face lunged forward in a surprise attack.

The soft sensation of lips. Almost simultaneously, her tongue reached into his mouth.

’Mmm, mmp. Phew. Ehehe.’

Airi let out such a playful laugh and clung to Ian’s lips again with an aggressive momentum not seen usually.

Their lips met with great force, and their tongues intertwined inside.

’Wha, wha-what...!’

And.

Frenda, who had been hurriedly pretending to sleep because Ian had suddenly woken up... couldn’t continue the act anymore because of what suddenly happened beside her and opened her eyes wide.