Leon didn't really get those people, but he chose to respect the hustle.
He wasn't an idiot. Without the insane spending power driven by nobles and wealthy merchants trying to one-up each other, who exactly were Adventurers going to sell all that "junk" they hauled back from the Dungeon to?
No Adventurer was stupid enough to keep a Blood Coral worth tens of millions of valis sitting at home as a decoration, right?
Just imagining that picture was painful.
"Alright, forget about them. Those people live in a completely different world from us."
Jeanne waved her hand, then flipped the notebook to a certain page and pulled out a sheet of parchment tucked inside.
"These are the three commissions Leon and Kureha picked out at Guild Headquarters. I've looked them over. None of them are particularly difficult for us, and they won't waste our time. The kind of thing we can knock out along the way."
"The requirements are: collect Blue Crab Shells from Blue Crabs, Iguazu Feathers from Iguazu, and Crystaroth Urchin Cores from Crystaroth Urchins. The clients noted that we should try to keep the Drop Items as intact as possible during collection. And finally... no quantity limit. The more the better."
"On top of that, there's a standing, open-ended purchase commission from Dian Cecht Familia and Miach Familia: collect Mermaid's Blood from Mermaids. I asked one of the Guild staff about it, and in his words: 'That stuff is an ultra-rare recovery material. We'll buy as much as you can bring. No limit.'"
Leon glanced at the illustration of the monster on the commission sheet. It looked nothing like what he'd imagined a mermaid would look like.
Serrated fangs, gill-like ears, vicious scales... Calling them "Mermaids" was being generous. If you called them "Nagas" instead, nobody would bat an eye.
Of course, that was just his own thought. This world didn't have creatures called "Nagas."
While Leon was still spacing out, Persephone was already voicing her thoughts.
"Mermaid's Blood? That's an ultra-rare recovery material on par with Unicorn Horn. Even without being processed by an apothecary, just drinking it straight gives you healing effects almost on par with an Elixir made by Dian Cecht's top healers."
Rose, who dealt with Demeter regularly, knew even more about this.
"Persephone's right, but from the perspective of professional apothecaries like Airmid and her colleagues, drinking Mermaid's Blood straight is a terrible use of resources. If you use it as a primary ingredient and process it properly, a single portion of Mermaid's Blood can easily be refined into over a dozen Elixirs."
After hearing her explanation, everyone's expressions shifted with understanding.
"So that's why! I was wondering... if Mermaid's Blood is already more powerful than healing magic, why would apothecaries even bother developing Elixirs with similar effects..."
"It all comes down to resource efficiency."
Leon snapped back to attention and chimed in.
"Beyond cost-effectiveness, there's also rarity. Mermaids are a Rare Species found only in Water City, with an even smaller range than Blue Papilio in the upper floors. That makes them far rarer. And don't forget, this isn't the upper floors where Adventurers are everywhere. This is the Lower Floors, the so-called New World, where only parties led by Level 3 Adventurers or above are even allowed to explore!"
Everyone nodded, now with a much clearer understanding of why those two pharmaceutical Familias had put out an unlimited standing order for Mermaid's Blood.
Jeanne clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. Her expression was serious, her gaze steady.
"Alright, everyone's had enough rest, and the intel's fresh in our heads. Let's move out!"
"Got it!"
...
...
Footsteps echoed softly against the deep blue gravel path as the party advanced cautiously through the floor corridor.
The passage leading from Floor 24 down to the Lower Floors was a cavern studded with crystals.
Clusters of crystal glimmered faintly in the darkness. A gentle slope stretched downward, and cool air drifted up from the depths below.
A breeze, something utterly impossible in the Cavern Labyrinth or the Great Tree Labyrinth, washed over them, brushing their faces and stirring their hair.
The entirely new sensation sharpened everyone's focus.
Leon held the vintage lantern that had accompanied him for years, walking carefully at the very front of the formation.
Kureha in the center and Rose on the front line each carried a Magic Stone lantern, while Persephone at the rear used a bottle filled with Luminous Moss as a makeshift light source.
The faint glow cast swaying shadows across the crystal-lined cavern walls, deepening the sense of mystery and the unknown.
"Everyone be careful. The ground, walls, and ceiling of this cave passage are all slippery. Watch your step."
Leon scouted ahead while calling back to the group.
"It really is slippery... is it because of the moss?"
"The humidity's intense..."
The party exchanged observations in low voices, taking in surroundings completely unlike anything they'd encountered before.
Just then, Laurier, walking in the middle of the formation, twitched her pointed ears. A hint of puzzlement crossed her face.
"Everyone... do you hear something?"
The group immediately held their breath and listened.
"I think... there is something different."
"A low rumbling, with a lot of echo..."
"If I had to guess, it's probably what I think it is."
"Yeah..."
"It's water."
They exchanged glances, and without a word, pressed forward in alert silence.
The closer they drew to the exit, the louder and clearer the thundering rush became. It pulled at them like an invisible thread, curiosity dragging them forward.
"Just as I thought..."
The end of the slope came into view. Squinting, they could make out a haze of blue light spilling from the exit, and the muffled sound had swelled into a deep, roaring thunder.
Listening to the noise just ahead, Aura murmured softly.
"A new world..."
It wasn't just the elven girl. That same strange sense of anticipation spread through everyone, Leon included. They shared a glance and, as one, quickened their pace toward the source of the light and the sound.
The water grew closer, more overwhelming, unmistakably the roar of a massive current crashing against stone.
Less than a minute later, the party finally emerged from the winding, labyrinthine corridors of the Great Tree Labyrinth.
And the moment they stepped through the exit...
The view before them opened wide.
...
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