The Mysterious Second Level of the Maze
Vortex Town had become incredibly lively with the arrival of so many adventurers and related personnel.
Of course, it had only been like this for the past few days. If you went back a month, the town had been practically deserted, with barely anyone around.
But perhaps this was simply the norm for an adventuring destination: whether it was bustling or not depended entirely on whether it could attract enough adventurers.
The prime spots along both sides of the road leading to the maze entrance were almost completely packed with shops.
The shopkeepers at the entrances were doing everything they could to hawk their wares.
Some were selling armor and weapons, others various ointments and potions, and still others all kinds of miscellaneous tools and supplies, such as gunpowder, Fire Oil, explosives, and poison.
Surprisingly, none of those were the best-selling goods. The most popular items were the most common and easily overlooked: food and drinking water.
"Pure wheat beer, 30 copper coins a jug! Clearance sale—don't miss out!"
"Black bread! Get your black bread here!"
"Oats are convenient and easy to carry."
As the saying went, you needed a full stomach to have the strength to work.
The same was true for adventurers.
Food might be ordinary, but it was indispensable to the vast majority of adventurers.
After all, people died if they didn't eat or drink.
And mazes were complex places. An unexpected incident could easily leave you stranded inside with no way out, so preparing enough food and water in advance was key to exploring an underground maze for an extended period.
Gauss and his companions were no exception.
However, they didn't need to buy overpriced provisions and water outside the maze. They had already stocked up before setting out.