PROLOGUE: Snow at Dawn

01

He stretched his arms toward the snow falling from the night sky.

Without the moon or stars in sight, the inky ether seemed to stretch on forever. Collapsed onto the ground and immobilized, all Siegmund could do was look up at the sprawling canvas above, which looked to him like the darkest pits of hell.

Was he looking up at this gloom? Or down into it?

The powdered snow appeared to gently quiver, hovering in place in this black void instead of falling from the sky. His back flush with the earth, Sieg was starting to lose his sense of direction.

Snowflakes landed on his outstretched hand; he was determined to catch one of them. But they all dissolved into beads of water in his palms, spilling from his hands—which were incapable of holding on to anything.

“Ugh… Gah…” When Sieg twisted his body to try to sit up somehow, his bones creaked, and he let out a guttural groan that broke through the silence.

“To think you’d call yourself an escort when this is all you can offer.” Bearing down on Sieg in his incapacitated state was a man with chilling eyes that penetrated him to the very core.

Jack Nierenberg. The head of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces’ medical team. The one who boasted unrivaled strength in his antipersonnel combat skills.

Targeting the vitals, his pinpoint attacks had whittled away at Siegmund’s stamina, leaving him without even the strength to get up. And yet, seeing Sieg dig his nails into the frozen earth in an attempt to stand elicited an admiring “Huh…” from Nierenberg.

“Please… Please stop it. Sieg… Mr. Nierenberg…,” begged Mariela in a trembling voice, keeping their battle in check.

As she spoke, she let out puffs of white breath, signifying the biting cold of the outdoors. She quivered slightly—chilled, perhaps, in her thin clothes and lack of a proper overcoat.

If only she hadn’t consulted Caroline about magical tools that day… If only she hadn’t boarded Caroline’s carriage back then… Maybe Mariela would have remained in the dark and lived in peace with Sieg. But what good was it to yearn for the immutable past?

After all, it would be a long time until morning, and even an outstretched hand couldn’t hold on to anything.

“All right, wrap it up. Breakfast’s ready.”

“Mm, is it that time already? We’ll continue after hours, Sieg.”

“Understood. Thank you, Dr. Nierenberg.”

“You must be cold, Sieg. I heated up the bath. Why don’t you go get warm?”

“Whoa, it’s freezing out here. I made the soup, Papa!”

“Is that right? You know you didn’t have to tag along so early in the morning, Sherry.”

“But I wanna be with you, Papa. And don’t worry; I’ll take a nap if I get sleepy.”

From the rear garden, Mariela and the Nierenbergs thronged into Sunlight’s Canopy. Sieg followed them, unsteady on his feet.

After the incident with the Aguinas family, Sunlight’s Canopy had accumulated more members.

Ever since that fated day, that fated hour at the Aguinas estate, Mariela’s life started to teem with even more activity. Including early in the morning before the sun had risen.

After rolling around in the powdered snow, Sieg was covered in mud and positively starving. He’d rather scarf down his breakfast before bathing, but the two girls probably wouldn’t let him at the dining table in this state.

It was still early, and even though Sieg’s outstretched hand couldn’t hold on to anything, a heartwarming sight spread beyond the open doors of Sunlight’s Canopy.

02

As Mariela understood it, Jack Nierenberg had come to Sunlight’s Canopy for Caroline’s insecticide.

Several days after the incident with the Aguinas family, she was beyond surprised when Lieutenant General Weishardt of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces himself traveled incognito to Sunlight’s Canopy, along with Nierenberg and someone else appearing to be a trusted aide.

It was after the shop had closed, meaning there were no other customers. In the cozy corner for older men, a radiant prince perched in the spot where Gordon the dwarf had hunkered down just a few hours ago. Although the sun had set and left the area in shadow, that little corner strangely appeared brighter than ever before.

According to the attendant’s explanation, Caroline’s older brother Robert required long-term medical care, meaning Caroline would inherit the family name. Of course, her engagement with the alchemist in the imperial capital—twenty years her senior—had been canceled. It seemed the house of Margrave Schutzenwald was searching for a suitable partner for her to continue the Aguinas line. Caroline had no objections to this, but apparently, she hoped to continue working as a chemist.

Though this meant Caroline couldn’t contribute to new medicines or potions, this desire to work as a chemist was very like her, Mariela thought.

There was one problem. Since the incident with the potions never came to light, there was a possibility that aristocrats might make a pass at the newly single Caroline to obtain and inherit the rights to the family potions. In and around the Aguinas estate, Margrave Schutzenwald kept a watchful eye over her—dissuading people from trying anything. But that couldn’t be said about a shop for commoners, such as Sunlight’s Canopy.

Caroline regretted dragging Mariela into the aforementioned matter and withdrew from Mariela’s apothecary.

There’s nothing for her to worry about. Mariela couldn’t voice this aloud, even if those were her true feelings.

She hadn’t been told the explicit details of the incident. In the cellar of the Aguinas family estate, she’d stumbled across rows of empty coffins and a woman slumbering in a glass case. Though she could piece together how the family had managed to supply potions over the past two hundred years, no one told her more about the new medicine in question.

Not that she was going to ask. The fact that she’d offered a helping hand to Caroline’s father gave her a hunch that she’d gotten mixed up in something really bad.

Even though the nondisclosure agreement with the Labyrinth Suppression Forces was purely verbal—meaning she wasn’t bound by a magical contract—Mariela had no intention of coming clean to anyone.

On that day, she’d ended up staying overnight at the Aguinas estate and was released the following morning. Lynx had arrived at Sunlight’s Canopy right as Mariela and Sieg returned, face awash with relief.

“I got the news, but I couldn’t stay still without seeing you in person.”

Lynx was overjoyed that Mariela and Sieg were safe and didn’t even mention that they couldn’t make the delivery yesterday. Mariela could see they’d made him worried sick.

That’s exactly why she couldn’t say she wanted to keep making medicine with Caroline at Sunlight’s Canopy. Her own ineptitude might cause Caroline trouble down the line, just as it had with Lynx.

As Mariela remained silent, Weishardt observed her and began to speak slowly.

“I regret that you were caught up in all of this, Mariela. The reality is there are those who now know that you’re acquainted with Lady Caroline. It won’t matter if she actually frequents your shop; I’m sure some characters will resort to merciless measures to get what they want. For that, I have a proposal.”

Mariela seemed thrown off-balance, convinced she’d be taken in by the Labyrinth Suppression Forces, even though she’d just now returned to her apothecary. But Weishardt’s suggestion surprised her.

“Would you allow the medical engineer Nierenberg to open a branch of his clinic at Sunlight’s Canopy?”

“Say what?”

Before Mariela could recover from her confusion, Weishardt had already launched into a full-blown pitch for Nierenberg.

“Nierenberg is the head of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces’ medical team and a trusted friend of General Leonhardt. He’s well-known among the people and holds a higher position than your average noble. I mean, if you think about it, unless there are extenuating circumstances, all noblemen in the Labyrinth City are required to serve in the military, which means most of the population would stand at attention just at the sight of him. On top of that, he is excellent at combat, particularly his antipersonnel skills. No man is more reliable than him as an escort. Furthermore, his principal occupation is a medical engineer, making him well versed in the human body. He knows exactly how much the body can take, and all his past agitators scamper off with their tails between their legs just from his presence. Ah yes, is that man over there your escort? I hope you pardon my rudeness, but don’t his combat skills worry you? Take this opportunity and let Nierenberg train him. While Nierenberg is stationed here, your escort will be released from his duties, granting him more time to train by entering the Labyrinth. I think strengthening your defenses is a nice perk, Mariela. Hmm? You think Nierenberg’s face is scary? Don’t worry, he is kind to women. He has a very lovely daughter as well. She was a target in the recent incident, and she needs to be guarded significantly more than she is currently. I’m thinking of having her come to Sunlight’s Canopy during the day. You know, really seize this opportunity. She’s a very attentive young lady, and I believe she would jump right into helping you with the shop. I’m certain you can expect more customers when Nierenberg’s clinic opens. The Labyrinth Suppression Forces will continue paying his wages, so I don’t mind if you use the payments for his medical services for the benefit of Sunlight’s Canopy. Oh, maybe you think this is too good to be true. Maybe you’re suspicious. Truth is, there is something I’d like to ask you, Mariela. You’re an Alchemist Pact-Bearer with the imperial capital, correct? I believe that is why you realized Royce was possessed by Ruiz. There must be some reason for an alchemist with a pact in the imperial capital to come to a place where they can’t make potions, and I have no intention of prying into your circumstances or engaging in other immoral practices. However, I’d like for you to lend us a little of your power. Oh, it’s a small thing. You saw that Royce and Ruiz were blended together, and I’d like for you to find out if anything is blended with the soldiers of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces. They will come here to receive medical examinations from Nierenberg. Go about your daily life, make medicine with Lady Caroline, and converse with your customers. But every now and then, glance in their direction and see. Of course, we will cover the cost of the medical examinations. How’s that?”

Mariela’s tilted head remained glued to her shoulder, stretching her neck muscles on the opposite side. It was a pleasant sort of pain.

Usually, Sieg would straighten her neck for her, but he remained quietly behind her, as one would expect in front of the lieutenant general of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces. With no other choice, Mariela raised her head herself as she thought about the chaotic explanation.

Information overload…

All she knew for certain was that she hadn’t been the one to label Nierenberg’s face scary.

She looked at Weishardt, who had a calm, unreadable smile, and then the person next to him, who had the same expression. Nierenberg wasn’t scary; he was…no, he was definitely scary.

But she was in the clear, since she didn’t say it aloud! Mariela turned her gaze back to Weishardt. She knew this wasn’t the right time to say “Pardon?” or “From up top, please.”

“Um, does that mean Lady Carol and I can keep working here…?”

“Correct.”

Even though it was obvious that she was bending to his will, Mariela thought everything would be fine if she could continue to live at Sunlight’s Canopy. “I understand,” she replied.

With that, the usual dwarven trio came the next day with the tools of their trade in hand. They remodeled the dining hall into Nierenberg’s treatment room, added inner doors with an excessive number of magical locks on the second floor and a basement to prevent outsiders from trespassing, and remodeled the empty storage room into a large-capacity storehouse.

They seemed to have received quite a sum from the Labyrinth Suppression Forces as compensation.

“These state-of-the-art magical locks are used in important rooms in nobles’ estates and simultaneously satisfy the contradictory aspects of crime prevention and usability. Plus, they’re groundbreaking in…” Giddy from using expensive, modern fixtures, Johan yapped on about trivial facts.

Gordon disparaged his son as they continued to work. “Well then, we oughta use wood of the same caliber. Get a whiff of this! Treebeast wood from the Labyrinth just smells different!” He rubbed his cheek all over the fine wood.

Was he planning to coat the wood with his face oil instead of wax? It was particularly uncanny that the knots in the wood looked like human faces warped in disgust. And it was going to become a door in Sunlight’s Canopy. Best not to polish it with secreted oils.

The glass artisan Ludan was drooling over the decorative tiles, marveling at them one by one. “That atelier makes quality stuff.”

Mariela thought they were far from appropriate for Nierenberg’s treatment room… Or was the intention to piece together a holy mosaic, forcing the soldiers to confront the afterlife? Just imagining quivering patients begging for divine mercy made Mariela wish that the dwarves would go lightly on these motifs.

For days afterward, Weishardt’s winding speech (which was as good as gibberish to Mariela) had left her with a gaping mouth. Every time it involuntarily drooped open, Nierenberg’s daughter Sherry giggled, cooing, “Miss Mariela, your mouth’s open again” and popped in a piece of candy, which promptly closed over it.

03

“Seems she acquiesced to my proposition.”

With Sunlight’s Canopy behind him, Weishardt was basking in a feeling of accomplishment for the first time in a while.

To not offend the sole Alchemist Pact-Bearer in the Labyrinth City, he’d personally made the trip to her apothecary. And of course, he wanted to see the girl called Mariela with his own eyes.

Even after he’d met with her again, Mariela still appeared to be an ordinary girl.

“What do you think?” he’d asked his aide.

Somewhat perplexed, the man replied, “She strikes me as unremarkable, but……”

“I thought so. But as she watched me arrive at the shop, she grinned in amusement.”

Weishardt had certainly seen Mariela’s expression when he’d taken a seat in a chair. He knew how he presented to other people, weaponizing his appearance at the negotiation table. For this trip, he had cut down on the number of companions and traveled in disguise. But it should have still been impossible for a commoner to grin at Weishardt and his impressive crew as if they were a gang of circus animals—especially after they’d barged into her shop without warning.

Weishardt recalled the entirety of the discussion.

Guess there’s more to her than what meets the eye.

Without changing his expression, Weishardt had assessed Mariela’s tiny smile. This was, of course, without knowing he occupied the seat where Gordon the dwarf had lounged mere hours ago.

As he made his daily visit to Sunlight’s Canopy, Gordon must have been attempting to cheer up Mariela, who was down in the dumps ever since Caroline refused to come to the shop.

“This seat is all mine. I’m gonna come ’ere tomorrow, too. Maybe I ought to mark it.” As he rubbed his rump all over the chair, Gordon’s eyes kept flicking over to Mariela.

“Stooooooop iiiiit!” she shrieked. “It’s gonna get dirty! You’re making it all stinky!” Mariela chucked a few rotten apriore fruits in his direction.

And Weishardt with the smile of a dazzling prince had settled down in the exact seat reeking of eau de Gordon.

Gordon’s funk is gonna transfer onto Weishaaaardt…!

From his rump, on top of that.

Inevitably, her anxiety dissipated immediately. Even then, her stomach dropped after hearing from Weishardt’s aide that Caroline may not come to Sunlight’s Canopy anymore.

This isn’t going well. We must have offended her by probing her.

With a bad feeling about the whole thing, Weishardt took over the negotiations and conveyed the items of importance in rapid succession.

To dispel her worries and improve her mood, Weishardt offered suggestions to all her problems without any prompting. It wouldn’t be right to command her by utilizing his social position as a shield. He had to convey that they were considering her needs as the alchemist before anyone else’s.

But as Weishardt continued to spin his propositions, Mariela’s head tilted more and more toward her shoulder.

According to legend, the tyrannical ninth emperor would tilt his head to the side whenever a retainer offered an apology.

His head would return to its original position if he accepted the retainer’s apology. Otherwise, he would draw a finger across his throat, signaling the retainer would lose his head. The eyes of the ninth emperor gazed into chaos, with no logic to be found within them.

The alchemist’s eyes were the same as they bored vacantly into him, as though she knew nothing at all, and Weishardt was immediately reminded of this piece of historical trivia. He must have looked like a buffoon, rattling off his proposal, but this decision would sway the future of the Labyrinth City. He could not afford to fail.

Her command of military prowess was unclear. The Labyrinth Suppression Forces had a mission to protect her from fools, regardless of her power. Too low, and she might fall under the control of a nitwit. Too high, and she might threaten the safety of the Labyrinth City itself.

Stationing Nierenberg at her shop was their last resort—and their best move. It satisfied Mariela’s desire to live in the City and Weishardt’s intention to keep her there. With Nierenberg at Sunlight’s Canopy, it would signal to all that Mariela had connections to the Labyrinth Suppression Forces. Plus, keeping her close would let them protect her from all sides.

Under the pretext of a medical exam, soldiers could be dispatched to her apothecary, where they could assess and treat lingering side effects from the black new medicine. Above all else, Weishardt needed to establish amicable relations with Mariela for the sake of subjugating the Labyrinth.

In terms of ability, no one was more qualified than Nierenberg. In terms of personality, however, Weishardt had some concerns…

With her neck twisted enough to touch her shoulder, Mariela’s head snapped back to its original position.

“Um, does that mean Lady Carol and I can keep working here…?”

“Correct,” Weishardt answered immediately.

He wasn’t going to be fooled by her confused expression. After all, she was an alchemist capable of banging out a ton of potions. According to the information from his intelligence operatives, she’d immediately answered all the questions from Elmera, chairwoman of the Medicinal Herbs Division, without consulting her Library. There was no way someone with that level of intelligence couldn’t understand his speech.

Long story short, her response was: “If anyone interferes with my way of life, get rid of ’em.”

Which meant it was worth their time to push their agenda on a Pact-Bearer “from the imperial capital.” Their respective interests seemed to align. He would arrange for a carpenter right away to remodel a corner of Sunlight’s Canopy into a clinic. And commission interior doors with advanced magical locks to heighten the confidentiality of the manufacture and transport of the potions.

That was Weishardt’s thought process. But when he received reports that “Sherry’s been tossing candy into Mariela’s mouth” a few days after the grand opening, Weishardt almost fell to his knees. If it wasn’t for the supplementary comment that “Mariela’s enjoying Caroline and Sherry’s company,” he wouldn’t have been able to keep standing.

After that, Merle of Merle’s Spices began to deliver a variety of treats as “samples” when dropping off her usual tea leaves to Sunlight’s Canopy, but Mariela didn’t know what prompted this change.

04

“Good day, Miss Mar…”

Lieutenant Malraux of the Black Iron Freight Corps had opened the door to Sunlight’s Canopy.

“Oh, Mr. Malraux, what a treat. Wel—”

Before Mariela could say “Welcome,” Malraux slammed the door shut without stepping foot in the shop.

“Um, Mr. Malraux?!” Mariela scrambled outside.

“Wh…wh-wh-wh-why is Dr. Nierenberg here?!”

Real smooth. Just as Weishardt had explained, Nierenberg made an outstanding watchdog. He was a little too good, making allies run for dear life just as easily as enemies.

“Is that you, Malraux? Come in,” Nierenberg said as if it were his own shop.

“Damn you, Lynx……,” Malraux muttered under his breath to prevent Nierenberg from hearing him as he was ushered into Sunlight’s Canopy. Lynx had failed to fill him in.

Incidentally, only those who schemed to meddle with Caroline and soldiers of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces were petrified of Nierenberg. But because he had a considerate side, the customers of Sunlight’s Canopy had gotten used to him in no time.

“My lower back…,” one would begin to complain.

“Hrm, apply this medicine after a bath,” the doctor would reply, “and it should feel better.”

“Doctor, my child…”

“Mm, it’s just a cold. But her coughing seems painful. Have her take this medicine in addition to the antipyretic.”

With a gaggle of girls from Sunlight’s Canopy freely engaging with him, the adults must have decided that the only scary thing about Nierenberg was his face.

But for mothers to console their sobbing children with assurances that he only looked unkind? That’s what one called reckless behavior.

Nierenberg wasn’t just knowledgeable about injuries, but also the diseases and illnesses that came with old age, which Caroline and Mariela could learn from. Caroline was particularly proactive, discussing ideas for new medicines with him to make more.

Of course, not all their customers were friendly. Just as Weishardt said, nosy nobles and meddlesome merchants came to visit after Caroline’s engagement was called off.

“In a dirty shop like th……iiiiis?!”

“Well, well, Caro……liiiiine?!”

Unlike customers seeking medicine, all those trying to court Caroline had connections, meaning they knew about the doctor. As soon as they swung open the door to Sunlight’s Canopy and got an eyeful of Nierenberg, they shrieked in peculiar voices and scrambled home.

There were others who plotted violence against Mariela and Caroline, but they were systematically purged through the efforts of the intelligence unit and the Black Iron Freight Corps under Weishardt’s command. Thanks to this, the Labyrinth City became a little less unsavory, though Mariela seemed blissfully unaware of it.

Nierenberg exhibited a kind of invincibility.

“Erm, Dr. Nierenberg,” Malraux timidly ventured, “I have some business with Miss Mariela.”

“Perhaps I can help, Malraux. What is it?”

It was rare for Malraux to have business in broad daylight, seeing as he usually conducted it in secret through nighttime potion deliveries or packages containing Lynx’s lunch.

“The truth is, Dick and Amber are going to be married.”

Were they, now? It seemed love had finally blossomed for Captain Dick.

After a successful proposal, the groom-to-be had left in high spirits for the imperial capital on business for the Black Iron Freight Corps, leaving Malraux to invite Mariela and company in his place.

“When this job’s done, I’m getting married,” Dick had announced with glee, which was honestly just asking for fate to play a cruel trick on him.

And yet, according to information that Malraux received, Captain Dick had sped through the Fell Forest at an even faster pace than usual, which earned him a scolding from Yuric (“Don’t overwork the raptors, okay?”). Malraux just wanted him to drive safely. After all, Amber wasn’t going to run away. Probably.

“Oh-ho, are you saying this news doesn’t concern me?”

“N…n-n-no, of course, you too! He would love for you to attend!”

Nierenberg’s glasses glinted, and Malraux hastily waved both hands in front of himself. The two beautiful girls, Caroline and Sherry, came to see what the fuss was about. Upon hearing there would be a wedding, they grew giddy with excitement, dreaming of the dress of the bride-to-be, as was typical for their age.

“How wonderful. There is to be a wedding!”

“Wow, I wanna go, too! Is that okay, Papa?”

What kind of food will they be serving?! Mariela found herself wondering, momentarily swept up in the excitement herself, but all she ultimately contributed to the conversation were a few awkward comments. “O-oh. Sounds fun!”

05

“A-Amberrrrr, I give you this lance!”

“I don’t need a broken old stick.”

Apparently, this unfortunate exchange would forever be Captain Dick’s proposal story.

“But y’know, the captain stayed up all night coming up with this,” explained Lynx, dressed in nice clothes with his hair stylishly smoothed down. He was acting out the entire proposal.

Lynx had apparently made full use of his shadowmaster skills and the scouting abilities he’d honed during his time with the Black Iron Freight Corps to infiltrate this intimate moment.

It was a complete waste of his talents.

“From this day forward, I shall protect you with this lance!”

Dick’s lance had been his closest partner until now, had seen him through the deaths of his comrades—and Amber had rejected it. With tears welling in his eyes, he’d soldiered on with his proposal instead of shrinking from her dismissal.

“What are you talking about? Haven’t you always protected me? You’re more important to me than a lance.” With this, Amber had taken Captain Dick’s free hand.

She would have chosen him even if he weren’t an A-Rank spear user, even though he was hardly a fighter at all. Upon hearing this, Dick allegedly teared up like a maiden in the midst of a proposal—a pure young boy masquerading as a stoic block of a man coming in at six feet five.

“Miss Amber. A true gentleman,” murmured Caroline in admiration.

“And she’s smooth!” Sherry chirped in agreement, taking a jab at Dick.

“That’s Amber for ya,” Mariela added, nodding with respect, though it was painfully obvious that she hardly understood any of this conversation. No doubt she was nodding only because she could tell it was what she was expected to do.

Although their comments were slightly off, the three girls just got one another. The trio had donned their best dresses and gotten their hair coiffed, making themselves especially lovely for the small party for acquaintances. Including the itty-bitty girl, of course. With the help of some liquid courage, one might even say they were models. If someone compared them to flowers blooming in the Labyrinth City, no one would deny it.

But even the three pretty girls were no match for the lady of the hour.

Rather than her usual lascivious red dress with its plunging neckline, Amber wore a white dress that covered up everything to the base of her neck. She looked more beautiful and joyous than anyone else. Well, there was one other person who looked happier: the leading man, Captain Dick. When he saw Amber in her wedding gown, he covered his mouth with both hands and secretly wiped away tears.

What’s with that girly reaction…? There was no doubt everyone present thought the same thing.

It was an unimaginably romantic atmosphere for a man who both gallantly mowed down monsters in the Fell Forest and wretchedly massaged cushions in drunken stupors. Now he was positively melting and beaming in a perfect depiction of happiness that made you want to go “Aww.”

Dick and Amber’s wedding was a casual affair at the Yagu Drawbridge Pavilion and open to the public. The news had traveled through word of mouth, and Black Iron Freight Corps customers and former colleagues from the Labyrinth Suppression Forces came one after another, turning it into a huge party before anyone realized it.

In the Labyrinth City, many of the weddings between commoners were public—following a tradition that said the couple’s happiness corresponded to the number of attendees in celebration. The place was crammed with Amber’s acquaintances from Sunlight’s Canopy, including Caroline and Sherry, who had come bearing gifts.

Incidentally, the face of Sunlight’s Canopy, Emily, wore many hats at the wedding: She attended to the bride, served food, cleared away plates, and even helped in the kitchen. That meant she didn’t have time to enjoy the party. On the other hand, the sight of Emily trotting around in her cutest clothes entertained men who liked that kind of thing, creating new clientele for Sunlight’s Canopy.

There was a stream of men who would have called out to the three pretty girls drawing so much attention at the celebration. Except the moment they saw who was behind the girls, every one of them whipped their heads in the other direction. After all, Nierenberg, Caroline’s escort, and Sieg were keeping a watchful eye on the girls, radiating a murderous vibe that didn’t go well with the celebratory occasion.

Although the aforementioned girls didn’t meet new people thanks to that invisible barrier, they giggled with excitement at Lynx’s reenactment, a mission that he dubbed “Infiltrate! Captain Dick’s Proposal.” With their mouths full of the owner’s best dishes, including one with peculiar large-mouthed fish native to the Labyrinth that the Labyrinth Suppression Forces had brought, they were just peachy.

In the middle of the freezing winter, the heartwarming feast continued until dawn, even after Mariela and the others had returned home.

As Dick received the endless well-wishers, he recalled the time he first realized Amber was a special woman, back when they were both teenagers.

“Hey, cow girl! Moo!”

“Shaddap, or I’ll punt ya ass!”

“Gah, don’t say that after you’ve kicked me!”

“Ahhhh, leave Amber alone!!”

“Whoa, Dick, you’re taking it too far!”

It was your typical story. Dick and Amber grew up in the same orphanage. Amber was a year older than Dick, and the big-hearted, strong-willed girl and the brute of a boy were like siblings. Every time a bully mocked Amber for being an early bloomer, Dick would come running no matter where he was.

Though as a general rule, Amber had usually solved the problem on her own before Dick barged in.

Looking back on it now, it was obvious he had started to get riled up whenever anyone made fun of her around that time—even though he couldn’t put a finger on why.

When they left the orphanage, Amber had gone to work at a store, making the most of her low-level Person Appraisal skill, while Dick entered the Labyrinth Suppression Forces, utilizing his competencies in handling a spear. At a lower skill level, Amber had found it difficult to suss out the detail of someone’s skills, though she could form a general idea of their personality, preferences, and opinions. Sales boomed under her customer service, calling attention to her skills.

Meanwhile, Dick had been lauded for his lance-work. And though he was a young commoner, he was promoted to captain in the Labyrinth Suppression Forces under Leonhardt, who understood his capabilities.

Even with their packed schedules, Dick and Amber slipped away for secret dates in their spare time. Dick was a handful for her to deal with, always fumbling around with attempts at sweet talk. Amber looked after him and his blunders, and their relationship gradually changed from siblings to something more.

The story of Amber’s love life was nothing new: An aristocrat with a bad reputation from the imperial capital had courted Amber, who was at her prime in both beauty and business.

This aristocrat went by Sequoias, the new colonel of the City Defense Squad. This placed both his social status and position higher than Dick’s.

There are many iterations of this same story in legends and plays. Under the pretense of a business discussion, Sequoias had invited Amber to his private room in the City Defense Squad, and upon hearing the news, Dick had rushed over.

Well, it would be awfully cliché, save for Sequoias lying unconscious in an awkward position near Amber when Dick arrived to the scene, bits of a shattered vase scattered on the floor.

Amber had always had a bit of a wild side.

As a general rule, Amber had usually solved the problem on her own before Dick barged in. This time was no exception. She’d not only secured evidence of Sequoias’s attempt to do something nasty to her with a magical recording tool, but she’d slammed him with a solid kick in self-defense.

“The vase fell in the struggle. I obviously didn’t hit him with it,” explained Amber to reassure Dick, laughing as she retold the entire story.

She’d managed to beat Sequoias in a good old-fashioned fight with her hands and feet. Sequoias might have neglected to train, but Amber would have overpowered him regardless. With proof of the incident, Sequoias’s indiscretion was exposed under General Leonhardt’s charge, and the whole thing was wrapped up as a big joke.

However, after Sequoias left the Labyrinth City, a supposed representative demanded compensation for the broken vase.

“You’re telling me that vase was worth a hundred gold coins?”

It had to be some cheap vase liberally used in corners of any room. That’s why they’d left it as it was. But the magical recorder had captured the noise of a vase shattering, proving that something was broken during the encounter.

With declaration magic, Sequoias’s representative testified to seeing “the fragments of a vase valued at one hundred gold coins.” Which meant it couldn’t have been a lie. That said, there was no proof that the pieces seen by the representative were from the vase Amber had broken. It was clear he’d made his testimony after coming across a totally different expensive vase.

This accusation could have been invalidated had Amber denied those claims with declaration magic. But her request to see those fragments to verify whether they were from the same vase never came to fruition.

That was because Sequoias had fallen to his demise in a ravine between the imperial capital and Labyrinth City after he’d been expelled from his job and entrusted his affairs to his representative.

Even though he’d been a tough one to handle, a noble family had lost their successor, and they were up against a daughter of a commoner.

After their son died in disgrace, they would never withdraw quietly. The representative stated if Amber paid a hundred gold coins as recompense for the vase, he wouldn’t cause any more trouble for her. This seemed a reasonable compromise to Amber. Technically, it would take a commoner a span of a lifetime to scrounge up one hundred gold coins. With no relatives or support system, it would be impossible for Amber to pay that sum. In other words, the family was saying that they’d call it even if Amber offered up herself.

Leonhardt had intervened because Dick was a commanding officer of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces. Although Amber and Dick had grown up like siblings, they were completely unrelated by blood.

More than anything else, Amber didn’t want to crush Dick’s future after he’d been promoted to captain of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces from his humble beginnings as an orphan.

“I won’t cause him any more trouble.”

Without consulting with Dick, Amber planned to raise the hundred gold coins by herself.

It was a tale as old as time. Neither youth nor beauty could help her scrape together one hundred gold coins. Amber had expected a life of indentured servitude, but she had forgotten one critical thing—that Dick would come running whenever she was in trouble.

“I promise to pay it back.”

Just as Amber was on the verge of becoming a lifelong slave, Dick had appeared, grumbling to the slave trader and making a suitable interest payment, and succeeded in preventing Amber from becoming a debt laborer.

But the salary of a commanding officer of the Labyrinth Suppression Forces wasn’t enough to pay the interest. In front of the troubled officer appeared someone with “an idea,” Malraux, another commanding officer of the Forces. His idea of forming the Black Iron Freight Corps was a godsend.

Has it really been almost ten years since I left the Labyrinth Suppression Forces…?

Malraux brought a bottle of wine for Dick, who was thinking back on that day with nostalgia.

“Congratulations, Dick. Welcome to married life.” Malraux waggled his eyebrows and laughed impishly.

“…Don’t jinx it.” Dick flashed him a wry smile.

It was rare to see Malraux with an expression like that. Proof he was in a good mood. He must have been delighted by Dick’s marriage.

“Malraux, it’s all thanks to you.”

“No, if Miss Mariela hadn’t appeared, you probably wouldn’t have been able to raise that sum in a short period of time.”

Amid the hustle and bustle of the celebratory feast, the two close friends exchanged words at a volume no one else could hear.

Ever since the incident with the Aguinas family, the number of people who’d been searching for Caroline—and Mariela—had only increased. The compensation the Black Iron Freight Corps received corresponded to their work, including that purge. But regardless of the money, Mariela was the reason he was blessed with this wonderful opportunity. Dick couldn’t thank her enough.

If Mariela hadn’t appeared before the Black Iron Freight Corps, if she hadn’t entrusted the buying and selling of potions to them, Amber would never have been a free woman again.

“What will you do from here on out? I don’t mind if you leave the Black Iron Freight Corps. After all, you achieved your goal.”

It wasn’t as if Malraux had formed the Black Iron Freight Corps with the sole purpose of helping Dick. He’d had his own reasons for leaving the Labyrinth Suppression Forces and forming the Corps. And the circumstances leading to it hadn’t been resolved yet.

Even then, he’d congratulated Dick, claiming he wouldn’t mind if he left the Black Iron Freight Corps to pursue his own happiness.

This blessing reaffirmed Dick’s belief that Malraux was an even rarer type than Mariela. Although they were more or less polar opposites, Dick considered Malraux an incomparable friend.

“Either way, that won’t happen for a while. There are still werewolves cropping up on the road every now and then. I don’t think I can leave them to those guys.”

Although it didn’t breach the contract of confidentiality between the Black Iron Freight Corps and Mariela, Mariela’s existence had become known to Weishardt. The first purge of the turbulent group had been completed. Mariela would continue to make potions from here on out. If monster-warding potions began to circulate on the market, the main road in the Fell Forest used by the Black Iron Freight Corps would become a real trade route again for the first time in two hundred years. It would be bustling with people and goods.

It was certain the situation surrounding the Labyrinth City would change greatly in the future.

“Well, you know what they say. She might find you annoying if you’re all over her all the time when she’s used to being long distance.”

“…I told you not to jinx my marriage.”

Even when they exchanged few words, they seemed to have an inherent understanding of each other.

Together with his friend, the drinks that night tasted better than any he’d ever had before. He sipped the alcohol poured for him by the endless guests who’d come to celebrate with him, drinking to his heart’s content.

All while neglecting his new bride.

Absolutely hammered at the banquet hall, Dick was shameless to a whole new level. In fact, it was said Amber didn’t let him in their new home until the next time he returned to the Labyrinth City.

“This is because of all the things you said, Malraux…”

Dick shifted the entirety of the blame to his friend, who roared with laughter as he taught him the secrets of making up.