Chapter of Ancient Labyrinth, Episode 2: Begin Raid

Boom, boom, boom...!

I sprang awake at the sensation of noises reverberating into the depths of my stomach. A pencil-shaped ceiling made of plenty of cloth filled my vision, as well as Marie, who yelped with a sleepy-looking expression on her face. I threw the blanket off of myself in a scramble, then peered out from between the tent flaps. The sky that could be seen from the mountaintop was still dim, and I assumed it was still early morning. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I scanned my surroundings and found fully armed men gathered at the oasis with the priest at their center, noisily sounding their musical instruments. Dang, I wanted to wake up early to depart with everyone else.

“Aw, we overslept... We missed our chance to get a buff.”

“That’s why I wanted to go to sleep early. We missed our chance because someone wanted to take their sweet time.” The girl’s head also popped out of the tent as she reprimanded me. How strange, I seemed to recall going to bed late because a certain someone had kept me up with questions about the shinkansen. But still, we went to bed before seven, which was earlier than usual.

The reason for our early bedtime was the raid on the labyrinth, which was scheduled to begin at dawn. Well, it was too late to make it now, anyway. They had probably been preparing the ritual even earlier, considering it was a large-scale buff for over a hundred people. The instrument rang out one final time, and those standing in the area of effect were granted an ability boost. Their bodies were surrounded by a glimmering light, and I imagined their powers were increased by ten percent or so. It may not have been that strong of a boost, but the effects would last a while.

Wridra had finally woken up and walked over in the underwear of her armored dress, saying, “No need to worry. It is not all that useful, anyhow.” I turned to see the source of the voice, then quickly averted my gaze. The draconian was wearing skintight clothes that accentuated the curves of her body, and her thighs were radiant in the morning sun. Her hair was then bound upward, and metallic noises echoed out as she armored up.

“Oh, but receiving physical buffs is considered standard procedure. I also use spirits that fortify the mind, and pretty much every party uses similar spells.”

“I do not mind normal buffs, but... you should not become accustomed to that of one who worships a Land God. It will alter your senses without you knowing, interfering with one’s natural potential. I dislike it.”

Huh, I didn’t know there was such a negative side to it. I’d been spending time by myself for the most part, so I didn’t know much about spells that required coordination with others. Judging by her vague wording, I had a feeling Wridra was withholding something from us. But knowing her, I had a feeling it was just because she decided it wasn’t something we needed to know just yet. Wridra reached out and pointed toward the distance. I followed her finger with my gaze to find approximately two isolated groups in the distance. It looked like there were other groups that didn’t receive the ability-boosting effects either.

“They also deemed it to be unnecessary. I looked into them last night, but you should learn of the masters of those two groups.” I squinted my eyes and located figures at the centers of the crowds that seemed to be the masters of their respective groups. One of them was a young man that was brimming with spirit. He was tall, and even I could see that he had well-shaped features. The other was an old man with white hair, with a solid build despite his old age.

“They do look strong. Stronger than me, I’m guessing?”

“Indeed, those two are exceptionally strong. I estimate the young one to be about level 140, while the older is about 120. But levels alone are not much to go by. One with a favorable matchup against a higher level opponent could easily turn the tides of a battle.”

Oof, we’re running into people above level 100 now. The younger one only seemed to be about 20 years old, so I was surprised to know how powerful he was. Maybe it was due to his appearance, but there were many women around him, and I could see him briskly giving orders to the others.

“All right, I’ll be sure not to start any trouble. We should start getting ready too. Like we discussed before, Wridra won’t be part of our party, so we’ll have to handle most of the fighting between us two and have Wridra protect us when absolutely necessary.” The two nodded. There was movement down below us, as well. It seemed the groups had begun mobilizing toward the labyrinth. Our turn was near the end. Not because we were discriminated against as outsiders, but sadly, just because we were late. We had no right to complain, and we could only blame ourselves for going to sleep too late.

“Let’s check our party status, just in case. I changed my settings, so you’ll be able to view everything. I think it’s more interesting that way.”

“Okay, I’ll do the same. Yes, it looks like we’re both in the party.” I kept my settings the same, and an icon showing the party status indicated that we were both all green and good to go. This function had a Mind Link Chat feature built into it, which we could make use of right away. That was pretty much it for our preparations. We didn’t use heavy armor or shields in the first place, and we only needed minimum food supplies. We were well-stocked on sleeping goods, so we just had to make sure our sword and staff were in good shape. Though, they were both made by the Magi Drake, so I doubted there would be any issues.

“Oh, I should go say hi to Hakam before we go.”

“That’s how I can tell you’re a working adult instead of a child. I don’t mind, of course. I wanted to greet Aja the wizard, too.” We both nodded in agreement and left the tent.

We breathed in the scent of the plants wet with morning dew and slowly made our way down the path. A tent made with splendid cloth could be seen at the middle of camp, where a large crowd of people was gathered. It seemed they were taking orders from the person who stood at the center. That person was the very one I wanted to greet, but I figured he was too busy and decided to leave. Just then, the man built like a bear raised his arm to get my attention. The muscular man with skin tanned to a shade of bronze was the manager and commanding officer of the raid on the labyrinth.

“You’re finally here! Come, don’t be shy!”

“Good morning. I haven’t seen you since the Neko workshop. Sorry to bother you when you’re so busy.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ve been wondering about you anyway. Oh, I see Mariabelle the elf is with you, too. You finally look like a proper sorceress in that robe. Though, I wouldn’t complain if you stayed in that adorable outfit of yours, of course!” Hakam laughed out loud, then dismissed those around him with a wave. He seemed a bit crude at first glance, but the orders he was giving earlier were detailed and precise, and he gave off the impression that he was liked by others.

“Hello, Sir Hakam. I’m glad you seem to be doing well. This is our tank, Wridra.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Wridra had her arms crossed without so much as a bow of her head, and Marie stood motionless in uncomfortable silence. But much to the credit of the Arilai commander, he wasn’t annoyed at all. He was just... frozen in place? It was hard to tell with his complexion, but Hakam seemed to be blushing uncharacteristically. He gulped, then awkwardly began to speak.

“Such beauty... I mean, you two are like flowers blooming in the desert. Your presence lights up this otherwise shabby encampment. Prepare some tea for our two guests!”

Wait, don’t I get any tea? I would’ve been thrilled to try whatever fancy tea the commander had. Sadly, only two cups were brought to the table, and I just watched the ladies enjoy their drink. The tea sure looked delicious...

“Oh, now that we have a tank, we decided to join the raid on the labyrinth. We just wanted to come by to say our greetings.”

“I look forward to working with you, Sir Hakam. I’ll do my best to contribute.” Marie bowed.

It seemed he wasn’t a fan of too much propriety, and he tried to ease our nerves by saying, “Don’t get too worked up just because we’ll be out there with such lovely ladies.” Next to him was Aja, the aged wizard we met at the hall, who had a pleased expression on his face.

“I thought you would come by. Yes, it is better to be somewhat reckless while you are still young. That is the quickest path to growth. I am glad you’ve decided to join.”

“Thank you, great Aja. I’ll do my best to keep up.” The old man offered his wrinkled hand, and we each shook it. Aja was a backer of this raid and held the title of wizard, which was reserved only for those with an extraordinary amount of skill. He seemed to remember something out of nowhere, then reached for the staff at his side.

“It’s not every day that an elven sorceress comes to visit. Let me show you something interesting. Here, keep your eyes on my hands.” His old eyes looked into Marie’s as if he was dealing with his own granddaughter. Aja smiled warmly, then turned his palm toward the ground. The air became filled with a pale glow. Small points of light appeared, lines connecting between them, then dispersed in all directions. They formed into grid patterns, creating what looked like a jungle gym in no time.

Whoooa, what’s this? It was like CGI. I stood there with my mouth open, and the girl let out a surprised voice.

“Could this be the map of the ancient labyrinth?”

“Indeed. It’s still incomplete, but this is what was left by the preliminary search party. In addition, it allows communication with this headquarters and coordination with other parties as needed. Hm, Hakam... Would you mind if I gave them a Magic Tool?”

“You’re the wizard here, I’ll trust your judgment. We’re not supposed to show them to outsiders according to the rules, but I can’t help but worry about them.” With that, Hakam glanced at our shoes and equipment. I supposed it would’ve seemed strange that the only things we were carrying were a bento box, a blanket, and some camping equipment. I had no intention of explaining that I could go back to Japan and back at any time, so I just wordlessly returned a boyish smile.

“You look as if you’re half asleep... In any case, this is an item I enchanted with a spell earlier. It will prevent you from getting lost, and you can use it to contact me if needed. Remember, you are free to be reckless, but do not be foolhardy about it.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you very much.” He handed us some sort of magical item. The cylindrical object was heavy in hand, and he explained that anyone could activate it simply by touching it. We bowed, then decided to start heading for the labyrinth.

The lively commotion outside eventually died down. The elites of the group had entered the labyrinth, lowering the number of people left outside. Those who were at the campgrounds mainly consisted of the support team, such as those who were there to treat wounds or do maintenance on equipment. But they didn’t have much to do, with the raid having just begun, so smoke from cooking pots could be seen here and there in preparation for a late breakfast. In the meantime, we were playing with our latest home appliance—err, Magic Tool—while we waited our turn.

“Wow, it’s so convenient. It automatically records the layout of the labyrinth as you go. I think that’s what they call an automapping function.”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but this must be a new Magic Tool developed in this country. They must be pretty worried about us if they’re letting us borrow such a valuable thing.” I couldn’t really blame them, though. We appeared to be a young boy and girl, and our bodyguard, Wridra, looked like an elegant woman. We were getting odd looks from those around us while we waited, but we were used to it by now. That seemed to apply to the draconian too, and she peered in at the Magic Tool without so much as giving a glance toward the onlookers.

“Hmm, it’s a toy for providing information on our current whereabouts. Its other function of relaying our voice seems to have restrictions. I suppose it’s fine as long as it’s used to communicate only when we wish to.” We wanted to keep Wridra’s identity a secret, so we definitely didn’t want our conversations being listened in on. That also went for our ability to go to Japan and back, and Marie’s staff, too. I didn’t think too much about it, but we would’ve had to return the item if it was going to allow people to overhear whatever we talked about.

The sun was now rising, and its rays were coming down a lot stronger. Looking ahead, I could see that it wouldn’t be our turn for a while, but it was a lot cooler out here than it had been in the desert, thanks to the breeze coming in from the oasis and the rock walls surrounding us. The wind was nice and gentle, and it was actually pretty pleasant. As I was lounging around, a man and woman came stepping through the sand toward us. I turned when I looked down and noticed the shadows approaching us, and my eyes met with the somewhat disagreeable-looking woman’s. The man beside her was wearing leather armor, and he whistled at Wridra, which must have been his idea of a compliment. He looked down at us, as if judging our worth, and it gave an unpleasant sort of impression that was different from the one I felt from the merchant yesterday.

“What’s with these kids? Did they mistake the labyrinth for a playground or something?” The woman’s wavy blonde hair reached down her back, and her skin was well-tanned. I was accustomed to seeing pointed ears like hers, but it was hard to believe she was a half-fairy elf like Marie. The look in her eyes and tone of voice as she looked down at us from a whole head above were cold, like she was dealing with some sort of rodent.

“A human, an elf, and... not sure what she is. What a weird combination.” She took another step closer, her attire showing off the entirety of her thighs. There was a sort of animalistic air to her. She gave the impression that she could even outrun wolves out in the mountains.

“Umm... Hello. Can we help you?” I was taken aback by their sudden appearance, but they were most likely part of the raid on the ancient labyrinth. As such, I decided to at least greet them, but the woman didn’t bother to reply. Instead, she pointed at me and spoke to the man she had come with.

“Don’t tell me this dopey-looking human kid is their leader? He’ll probably end up on the ground in the first room. Why are they part of the raid team?” The man grabbed her arm, as if to get her to stop, but she shook it off. I couldn’t recall doing anything to bother her, so Marie and I just looked at each other, dumbfounded. Marie shook her head sideways as if to say, “She’s not an elf I know,” and “We shouldn’t bother with her” at the same time. But unfortunately, it seemed the woman intended to bother us, and her finger pointed at my shoulder bag next.

“How many meals’ worth of food do you have? Have you even prepared at all?”

“...We have enough. Uh, is there something you need?” Something told me she wasn’t trying to offer advice, but rather, was just looking for excuses to criticize us. I’d thought I was being civil, but she clearly didn’t like that response. Her blue eyes narrowed with displeasure.

“With that little bag? It’s common sense to bring at least a week’s worth. What, are you trying to get these girls killed?” I glanced at Wridra. I was worried this would turn into trouble, but she was just staring at the sky without showing a hint of emotion. Her mannerisms were identical to how she’d been acting the previous night, when she was sitting by herself. I’d noticed her wearing that expression occasionally. It seemed that whenever she did that, it was always when there were humans other than us around. I couldn’t tell whether she had very little interest in humans in general, or if she was deliberately avoiding trouble as a dragon. I felt a hand roughly shove against my chest with a thud. There was anger behind that push, and it came with more force than expected. I staggered backward, and her finger jabbed toward me accusingly.

“Are you listening, boy? What, are you scared? Need an adult to come save you?”

“Hey, that’s enough...!” Marie was getting heated, but I held her back with a hand and slowly stepped out in front of her. I wished I could make an intimidating face at times like this. Unfortunately, I could only manage to look like I was about to yawn. Maybe one day, when I get older... Wait, that never got better even as I became an adult. Hmm, what an unfortunate future I had.

“Sorry, but we’re fine. Thanks for your concern, Ms. Mean-eyed Elf.” I could tell the woman’s anger was swelling up even more. But for some reason, her glare didn’t bother me nearly as much as Marie being upset with me would have. Maybe all those times I’d gotten my cheeks pinched by her ended up being effective training. The man who had come to accompany the woman let out a sigh, seemingly tired of watching this precarious conversation.

“Cut it out already. We need to head out soon too, and we’re not even supposed to be out here. The boss is gonna get upset before you know it...” He said the last comment in a hushed tone, but the woman still shivered in response. That awkward, tight smile was scarier than any expression she had shown so far.

“R-Right... I wasn’t being serious... It was just a joke.”

“Good. Then let’s go.” We watched as they walked away, the woman holding her head drooped, as being dragged away by an invisible collar. She seemed to have lost interest in us after that singular comment, leaving us with nothing but an inexplicable unpleasant feeling.

“I wonder what that was about.”

“Yeah, that was weird. I think they might’ve been a part of the raid party we saw earlier. The one with that handsome-looking guy.” Marie cocked her head.

“What handsome-looking guy?” she uttered to herself, and I wondered why she was having trouble remembering.

“It was that young guy at the platform Wridra pointed out to us. Don’t you remember that group of women?”

“Oh, now that you mention it, I think I saw a single elf in the group. But I feel sorry for them, being led by someone like him.” Someone like him? He was an extremely powerful figure with an estimated level exceeding 140... Maybe elves had a strange sense of beauty or something? Like, since elves were all beautiful, everyone was considered plain by their standards? Is that how it works? Though, the look on that woman’s face was concerning. I didn’t even know her name, but it was like she was being treated as a slave or something. It wasn’t like she and I were close enough for me to ask about it, and they had already left for the labyrinth. A man that was level 140... I was starting to become a little curious about how he interacted with his companions.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

The gaping hole in the ground seemed to be an endless abyss, with stairs along its edges spiraling downward. The wind like ancient breaths blowing up from the depths remained unchanged since we’d come here some time ago.

It’s been so long. I took a moment to quietly reflect on that thought. To be honest, I wanted to get in there and start exploring every nook and cranny right away. But from then on, I was able to visit this place whenever I wanted. To think, I could come home from work and go straight to exploring the labyrinth. How blessed I was... I stood staring at the abyss, which apparently gave off the impression that I was having second thoughts. The man who had been managing the order of entry spoke to me, as if to give encouragement.

“You’re the last team left. I pray for your safe return.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it to my heart’s content.” I smiled, and the man with the turban around his head looked at me wide-eyed. Well, I was there at last. The underground labyrinth everyone dreamed of. Adventure, battle, priceless treasure, and ancient lost magic. The thought of knowing whatever lay ahead was a complete mystery was absolutely wonderful. The three of us looked at each other, each with the same expectant smile on our faces. It seemed to me that there was a hint of greed to our smiles. But there was nothing wrong with that. Greed was what fueled things like adventure and the paving of new paths. We all called to each other, “Ready? Go!” and took the first step together.

Our footsteps sounded more rigid than expected as we stepped down the curving stairs and descended into the labyrinth. With each clack, clack, the light and sound around us seemed to disappear. Looking up, the entrance hole was far above us. I could see sand flowing down like a wavering curtain. The moisture clinging to my skin was likely coming from the nearby oasis. The air felt chilly, and it was hard to believe there was a vast desert right above us.

“Wait, let me light the way.” A girl’s voice echoed out as if to ground my impatient mind. I stopped walking and heard her chanting something to the spirits. Marie requested assistance from them in their language, then tapped the ground with her staff. Spirits surrounded by particles of light appeared. Now, we had three light sources that had been summoned by Marie. She directed them with her staff, then turned her eyes toward me. “I’ll fix their positions above our heads so we don’t get separated. Stay still.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you could do that. That Advanced Labor skill is already coming in handy, huh?”

“Yes, my magic power isn’t being depleted, thanks to the staff. Maybe this is a good opportunity for me to increase my skill levels.” She smiled happily, then touched each spirit with the tip of her staff. Marie was of the rare spirit sorceress class, and so she possessed the ability to endow magic to each of her spirits. This was her advantage of being able to make preparations, as I had mentioned before. Now that her spirits had a sort of crest applied to them, they were ready to trigger her magic at any time.

“Whoa, my magic has gotten a lot more powerful. This is incredible, Wridra! It’s like the difference between night and day when I use your staff.”

“Hah, hah, of course it is more powerful with my support. More importantly, you still have an open secondary skill slot. It seems you have not decided what to use it for yet.”

“Yes, I wanted to hold off on picking one until it’s necessary. I don’t want to end up regretting not picking something I need later on, so I’m going to wait for now.” I nodded in agreement. The skill slot could be set at any time, so there was no harm in waiting.

The path continued circling downward around the hole in the center. Though there was the occasional roaring sound of air flow coming from the bottom of the hole, we hadn’t encountered any enemies yet. We simply continued to descend, taking in the view like a group of tourists. There was no sign of anyone who had entered before us. They were probably far ahead already.

“I thought we’d be rushing in in a hurry, but this has been pretty laid-back so far. Any monsters here were probably taken out by the parties before us, so we should be good for a while.”

“I can’t sense anyone around. It’s like we’re the only ones here. Though, it is nice that we can just enjoy the atmosphere like this.” I nodded in response to Marie’s words. We didn’t have to deal with people getting on our case like earlier, and it was nice that we could move at our own pace. After advancing for some time longer, the light spirits became the only source of illumination in sight. They dimly lit their surroundings like a vending machine out in the countryside, and we eventually started seeing ancient text like cryptic symbols scrawled on the walls. The writing was few and far between at first, but its density increased as we pressed on. I stared at them absentmindedly, when Marie began speaking quietly.

“Night, fixed star, world... Hmm, this is about ancient mythology. It looks like the story is laid out in order as you walk down the path.”

“Ancient text... I used to study them a lot, so this takes me back.”

The girls looked at me with faces full of surprise. Those faces seemed to wordlessly say, “But I thought you were an academic failure?”

“Huh? Didn’t you see my skill list already, Marie?”

“I’m more confused about why you learned ancient text when you’re not a magic user. I can’t imagine it being very useful for you.”

“Just the sound of the term ‘ancient language’ is exciting to me, and I thought understanding it would make labyrinths even more fun to experience. It can be useful at times, too. Like when there are written signs.” They looked at me as if they were impressed, but at the same time, still found me strange. I was a bit sad that they couldn’t understand a man’s spirit of adventure. Then again, I probably had a greater sense of curiosity than most folks. I’d even come across writing on the wall and had trouble sleeping because I was so fixated on knowing what it said. Though, it was in my dream, so I was actually sleeping already.

As for the ancient mythology written here, the gist of it was: The arrow unleashed from the morning star vanquished demons. The shot would reach all the way to the fixed star with power that does not belong in this world. Even the demon’s thoughts were wiped out in a mere moment, and it would eventually return to the world, for the morning star was the very thing that brought it into existence. I continued reading along with Marie as we proceeded down the winding corridor and found an image of a demon attempting to wake up at the end.

“It’s a bit scary looking, but it’s drawn with such beautiful colors.”

“This deep navy color feels like it’s going to pull me inside... It’s strangely calming.” I placed my hand against the wall, and Marie followed suit. Our faces turned toward each other, and we looked up at the wall art one more time. The color of the night was so captivating and pure that it really did feel like it was going to suck us in.

After pressing forward for some time, we stopped walking. A door so big we had to crane our necks to take it all in stood before us, indicating that this was the end of the entry corridor and starting point of the labyrinth. The metallic doors had retained their forms without a hint of decay, with beads of water covering their surface. The dreadful and somewhat scholarly looking patterns on them told me this came from an ancient culture that wouldn’t be found in any other labyrinth. I turned around to find two women looking just as excited as I was.

“This is definitely the ancient labyrinth. Just thinking about how we’re about to go explore it gets me excited.”

“Ohhh, I’ve never done anything like this! Just look at the creatures here. None of them are listed in the books. We could earn a lot of money just from these.”

“The air itself is ancient here. Ah, how nostalgic. I have not breathed in air of the previous generations in some time.” We all chuckled to ourselves, then pushed the metal doors open without hesitation. Although, others had gone in ahead of us, so unfortunately, we weren’t the first visitors. It went without saying, but since we had come in after the others, there were no locks or traps barring our path. The door opened all the way with a heavy thud, and a hallway completely enshrouded in darkness awaited us. The heavy air, darkness blacker than night, and a rumbling that could be heard from afar... The atmosphere was so fitting for a labyrinth that we almost broke out in applause.

“Oooh, it’s so authentic. I’ve been to a bunch of labyrinths before, but this is the first time I’ve seen one that’s so intact. The decorations on the corridors are so intricate, too. Wow... There isn’t even a speck of dust to be found.”

“Hehe, there are so many ancient things for us to investigate. Let’s decide the approach we’re going to take as we keep walking.” The path was wide enough that we could line up side by side with our hands outstretched, so we could walk slowly and take our time exploring. Wridra and I turned to Marie and asked, “Approach?”

“Yes. Do we try to clear the labyrinth the fastest, prioritize leveling, or take our time and enjoy ourselves? That sort of general direction.”

“Hmm, I would normally go with the first option, but I dislike being rushed.”

“We could level anywhere, so why don’t we take our time? Marie could probably teach us a thing or two on the way, too.” We all raised our fists together in agreement with a “Yeah!” Being in the leading party would’ve helped us find better loot, but it would’ve been a shame to rush through such a well-made labyrinth. Ruthlessly competing with over a hundred seasoned warriors sounded like a pain, and I already had an important job back in Japan. I had to manage my schedule so I could wake up on time.

“There are some people here that are several times higher in level than me, so I think I’ll give up the honors of getting the fastest clear time.”

“Oh, you’re giving it up, are you? You’re saying that as if you could do it in the first place.” She walked over jovially with light steps, then peered up to look at me. The light spirits fluttering around her seemed to be an expression of her good mood. As for the race for the fastest clear time, it wouldn’t have been impossible to achieve if I’d really wanted to go for it. I mean, I had movement skills, and Marie had the ultimate bodyguard protecting her. If I sped right through to the goal, I could’ve gotten there faster than anyone else... probably.

“No, we are not doing that! That takes all the wonder out of it, and I’m sure we’d miss lots of important things. We’re not here to run a marathon.”

“Yeah, of course. We got this Magic Tool, so let’s check the map and advance slowly. I wanna check out the places the other parties haven’t seen yet, if possible.”

“Then, we should proceed to the east. If these lights represent the others, we should go where there are less of them.” Apparently, it even told us where the other parties were located. The automapping Magic Tool was very convenient. It made things a lot easier, and it was nice that we could view the labyrinth’s layout in three dimensions. I wondered if we could convince Aja to let us keep it after we were done exploring the ruins.

“Oh, a monster.”

Just then, several eyes flashed in the darkness from the light of the spirits. A total of three monsters rushed toward us with heavy, thudding steps. As soon as they entered the range of the illumination, their stocky forms came into view. They were Koopahs, a monster we were familiar with from the oasis. It was a bipedal creature with a large head, and it resembled a round, oversized lizard. Apparently, the monsters here were still around level 40 or so. I still had its weak point memorized with my Reprise skill, so I used it to slice the Koopahs into rings with ease. I was impressed with the sword Wridra had given me. She had explained that it was strong and unbreakable, yet flexible, and it was just as advertised. The blade emitted a white smoke, and as it dissipated, the oils that had coated it upon defeating the monsters evaporated. Its convenience factor was simply wonderful. Not to mention, its beautiful black luster was simply captivating to behold. I was feeling pretty elated, but for some reason, the sides of Marie’s eyebrows began to droop gradually. She let out a sigh, then looked at me as if she was ready to complain.

“That was no fun at all. I didn’t even have time to use the spells I prepared beforehand. The battle music barely played for a few seconds before it ended. How sad.”

“Whaa? But you already defeated a bunch of Koopahs before. I’m sure there are much stronger enemies ahead, so why don’t we enjoy the battles coming up?” I replied as I sheathed my sword, but it was too late. She was already making that pouty face she made whenever she was upset. Tentatively, I asked what sort of experience she was looking for.

“Let’s see... Something like, ‘Get behind me! I’ll try to buy some time for you to summon your Fire Lizards!’” She replied with more specific details than I had expected. We continued talking about such nonsense as we walked on without giving a second glance to the monsters we turned to dust. But as Wridra listened to our conversation, she seemed to be deep in thought, with her hand on her chin. She then clapped her hands together and turned her obsidian eyes toward us. The glint in those eyes told me this would be nothing but trouble, and I was right.

“Hah, hah, then I shall provide training until things become more busy. Oh, there is no need to thank me. I have always been worried about your weapon levels being too low.”

“What? You want to train us here? As in, while we’re walking through the labyrinth?” Why? Why would she want to do that during our fun time exploring the labyrinth? Didn’t we just decide as a group that we’d take things slow? Wasn’t adding sword training while we proceed only going to ruin the experience?

The metallic sound of armor shifting sounded in reply. She lowered herself, the knees of her armored dress bending as she did so, and a straight hilt appeared before her. Wridra took it in her hand, and the sound of metal sliding along a sheath echoed. The joyous smile on her face told me there was no one who could stop her now. It was my turn to sigh now, and the look on Marie’s face seemed to say it didn’t concern her in the least. But a teacher in the ways of swordsmanship was an important thing to have. My skill with a one-handed sword was currently 52, and there weren’t many people who were far higher than that. In fact, anyone that skilled with the sword tended to be out in real battle, so they wouldn’t be giving me the time of day. This meant that if I wanted them to train me, I would have to give them more compensation than they would’ve made going exploring, and I obviously didn’t have that kind of money. I had already half given up, but my lips curled into a smile as I drew my sword.

“Well then, Master, please go easy on me.”

“Hah, hah, do not think you can keep up that drowsy face while facing me.”

It actually would’ve been nice if she could do something about my face, but I really did hope she’d go easy on me. We bowed to each other, then began our bout in the depths of the ancient labyrinth.

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Bzzz, bzzz...

The sound of white noise could be heard. The darkness was too deep for the lamp light to penetrate. The source of the noise was the Magic Tool, emitting a bluish white light that had the incredible ability to enable long-distance communication, keep track of the user’s current location, and provide a visual image of the labyrinth’s layout. This group of ten or so members also had the boon of the Magic Tool, and they advanced through the labyrinth with practiced steps like a group of running deer.

“Hmm. It’s convenient, but there’s no emotion to it,” the man at the front of the group uttered suddenly. He had a solid build, and he wasn’t even out of breath, despite his rapid pace. His subordinates seemed surprised by his words.

“You hear that? Captain Zera’s talking about emotions.”

“You must be joking. That’s more like the kind of thing an innocent child would talk about... Ow!” The man named Zera delivered a swift punch to the speaker’s head while keeping up his sprinting pace. He made an exasperated expression, then turned back toward the Magic Tool. Then, he opened his mouth to speak again.

“What comes to mind when you look at this?”

“The Magic Tool, you mean? Not much. It’s convenient, so I’m sure it’ll make the raid easier moving forward.” The subordinate replied while rubbing his head, and the large man returned a scowl.

“You don’t get it. Convenience doesn’t make things easier. Think about what would happen as things become more and more efficient. We’ll be worked like carriage horses without rest.”

The men in the back groaned audibly. The systematization of raids was a new initiative, and it would likely soon become the norm. It seemed that in that sense, Zera felt that emotions such as enjoyment were becoming separated from the experience of actually raiding. The only ones who could find joy from it were likely those kids he had met yesterday. He let out a breath of resignation from his nose.

“It’s not all bad, though. I’m glad I can check up on all the teams with this.” The multiple points of light indicated that the front and rear groups were advancing with coordinated movements. If any trouble came up, the others would move in for assistance right away. The man stared at a rust-colored light on the display. The text above it read, “Team Andalusite.” A young man peered in from the side and spoke in a hushed voice.

“Do you think Doula is okay? Her squad is separated from the rest.”

“She can handle herself. I’m sure she’s fine... Oh, I have a comm link coming in.” Seeing the blinking light on the device, the man stroked the Magic Tool. Then, the white noise echoed through the corridor again.

“Bzzz... This is Emerald. The Magic Tool seems to be working well. I’m tracking Team Diamond as they proceed through down the center. I’ve only seen corpses of our enemies so far.”

“This is Sapphire. Proceeding through the route taken by the preliminary team that’s been MIA since a few days ago. Haha, I see Team Diamond is as wild as ever. Our device is also working well. Over.”

Each team was chiming in for their regular reports. This was another new system, and it was meant to further improve coordination between teams by updating each other on their situation. The man listened to the white noise as he considered this a confirmation that there was no room for fun in this labyrinth. More importantly, he was more concerned with Team Andalusite. He waited quietly for her voice to report in.

“This is Topaz. Currently following Team Sapphire. Defeated several Koopah some time earlier. Anyway, is that group of foreign kids being here some sort of joke? There were only three of them, and they were all so lightly equipped.” Maybe there weren’t enough monsters around, because Team Topaz began making small talk. The kids he mentioned, Zera figured, were the ones who he had helped set up the tent for. Recalling those little ones with uncharacteristically polite manners, he smiled to himself as he gripped the Magic Tool in his hand.

“This is Bloodstone. Come now, you can’t blame someone from out of country for not being prepared enough. Besides, these Magic Tools are limited in their comm link functions, too. Let’s go easy on them.”

“I guess they’re just here sightseeing,” a voice replied with a chuckle. The response somewhat dodged the comment, as the royalty of Arilai had been cautious of getting their treasure taken from them. That was the entire reason this new system was being put into place, but then these children who appeared to be playing around came and wandered in, so it was only natural that the organized adventurers were reacting this way.

“This is Diamond. No, that black-haired woman is trouble. She was so sexy that our boss was giving her some wild looks. Eve got jealous earlier too, and... Ow, ow, all right, sorry, I won’t talk about it. Oh, looks like the enemy levels increased to 50. Just sighted a High Koopah.”

“It’s Team Ruby. Spotted a level 50 here, too. This is increasing pretty quickly, considering we haven’t even descended a floor yet. We could end up passing level 100. If so, this labyrinth is the real deal.” Teams Diamond and Ruby were incredibly skilled raid teams. The display showed that they had been leading the charge and cutting through the ancient labyrinth like two spears. As he watched, the voice Zera had been waiting for could finally be heard through the Magic Tool.

“This is Andalusite. We’ve discovered a hidden hall. Detecting several organisms here. Preparing for combat. And try to cut out the small talk. Don’t forget Sir Hakam and Great Aja are listening in.”

The somewhat austere voice belonged to Zera’s childhood friend. Hearing her chiding her colleagues in that familiar, serious tone, he couldn’t help but crack a smile. Seeing his reaction, his squadmates began commenting in a rather outspoken manner.

“I think the captain needs to get himself a lady already.”

“Not gonna happen for a while. His declaration of love to her got ignored, after all.” A vein popped up in Zera’s forehead, and his fists of anger rained down upon the two who had spoken. With the reports by each team completed, silence returned to the labyrinth. However, the sounds of battle could be heard in the distance, and monsters continued to emerge from the darkness. It wasn’t yet time to let one’s guard down, but things seemed to be going smoothly thus far. With enough magic stones obtained, Arilai would undergo great changes. The magic stones would be converted into military might through the production of powerful weapons and armor, allowing Arilai to overcome its neighboring states. Not only would it give them a powerful edge in war, but it would grant them a great economic advantage. Fortunately, there had been a massive amount of funds and preparations put into this event. The raid was going smoother than anticipated, and some of the group members were even looking visibly relieved. Just then, a heavy tremor ran through the labyrinth. The intense sounds of destruction followed soon after, and the white noise that came from the Magic Tool almost sounded like a scream.

“Ah! They got the jump on—Bzz—the escape route! Bzzz... behind us!”

“Block the damaged wall, quickly! Ah, ahhh! There’s more of them! Too many to count! Ahhh! We’re done for!”

“Th-They’re gonna eat us! Captain! We need to retreat!!!”

“Requesting reinforcements! Our escape route has been cut off. We’ll hold them off as long as we can! I repeat, requesting reinforcements. Our―Bzzz...” The air seemed to tremble from the comm link message, and Zera’s eyes snapped wide open. In that moment, he realized the ancient labyrinth had finally shown its true nature and descended upon its intruders.

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Aja the old wizard stroked the white beard on his chin. Despite the rather chaotic comm link coming in, his unperturbed expression showed that he had half expected this outcome.

“The central resistance is rather light, as expected. It has only just begun, but either the west or the east side may be the main one.”

“The east pathway is very narrow. I can’t imagine the estimated level 100 monsters in the reports would fit there. The west is more likely, but... It doesn’t feel quite right to me.” The dim tent was enshrouded in a pale blue light. The staff in the old man’s hand was projecting a miniature, three-dimensional labyrinth that included the squads moving about in confusion. The other teams were beginning to regroup due to the earlier request for reinforcements, so the damages shouldn’t have been too bad. It hadn’t even been half a day yet, and with no documents to use as reference, it was difficult to estimate how many floors there would be. But Commander Hakam’s intuition was incredibly acute. He had been through countless battlefields and survived with his intuition guiding him. Despite the many subordinates he had lost under his command, he always led his country to victory in the end. This was exactly why he had been tasked with conquering the labyrinth full of unknowns. The old man turned his eyes toward Hakam, who held up his open hand.

“Well, I’d say there are four to five floors at most. It would be bizarre otherwise. Anything more would be beyond the realm of men.”

“A labyrinth’s state changes as it becomes bigger. Ah, the boy’s group seems to be up to something... Hm? What are they doing?”

“Fighting...? No, not exactly. Don’t tell me they’re playing around?” They found that the lights coming from the boy and the woman named Wridra were shining brighter at the middle of the corridor. Despite this, there were no signs of enemies nearby. Could it be that they were sparring as some sort of training?

“Hm, I can’t help but worry about them as if they were my own grandchildren. And yet, they seem to have a decisive something we’re lacking.”

“Agreed. I felt like we were missing something, but they filled in exactly what we needed. Like the missing piece of a puzzle.” They glanced at each other. The two were debating on whether or not they should assign them the “role.” Seeing Hakam shake his head, the older man nodded. Perhaps they realized the best way to bring out the potential of the boy and his group was to leave them unrestricted.

“It seems Hakam the hero has grown old, relying on children like this.”

“I’ve even enlisted the help of a Neko. In that sense, a child isn’t as bad.”

The two men chuckled, and then their expressions turned as sober as they had been before. Countless lives of men and women they led had been lost because of them. The long, long raid on the labyrinth was only just beginning.