The labyrinth city of Laplace.
That town was trapped in a peculiar cage unlike anything else in the world.
In the midst of a vast desert, there stood an enormous white cage.
When I approached to see what it was, I realized it was made of bone.
The bone of a giant Behemoth.
Laplace was a city built inside ribs massive enough to encompass an entire town.
What had once been nothing more than a small oasis had been transformed by the remains of a Behemoth.
Countless labyrinths had appeared, turning it into a land that lured adventurers by the droves.
Laplace drew fortune-seekers from across the world, giving birth to countless tales of triumph and tragedy alike.
This town, now swirling with chaos, had become one of the largest cities in Begarrit.
— From *Walking the World*, by the adventurer Bloody Cant --- My knowledge from *Walking the World* was hazy at best.
Laplace was a large town.
Twelve distinctive white pillars stood at its center, around which earth-colored buildings spread in every direction.
The structures were built from soil and materials harvested from monsters.
This kind of townscape was common on the Demon Continent.
Wood was scarce there, after all.
Still, there was more greenery here than I'd expected.
Perhaps it was because there was an oasis beside those bone pillars.
From a distance, I could see trees that looked like palms.
The atmosphere was distinctive as well.
A smell of sweat, perhaps, or something more feral.
An odor reminiscent of a slave market.
"Surprised? Those pillars are Behemoth ribs."
As I walked and observed, Garban approached me with a smug air.
Due to formation logistics, I'd been spending quite a bit of time talking with Garban lately.
The man loved to boast.
His outrageous stories—impossible to verify—were entertaining enough when taken purely as narrative.
"Long ago, when that great hero Karlmann the Second visited this land, he and his companions slew the great Behemoth that rampaged across this desert.
The Behemoth's flesh was consumed and rotted away, leaving no trace today, but the bones remain, standing as you see them, undecayed."
"Oh."
So this was a place tied to Karlmann the North God.
I knew a few tales about the North God, but this was the first I'd heard of him defeating a Behemoth.
I'd only ever seen one during my travels, and the idea of actually defeating one seemed insane.
How had they done it?
Well, Karlmann was said to have slain undying demon kings and enormous dragons, so perhaps hunting down such high-HP monststers was simply his hobby.
"The reason there are so many labyrinths is that among the creatures that ate the Behemoth, there were ant-type monsters mixed in.
When powerful meat is consumed by powerful monsters, more powerful monsters are born.
The mutated ants dug enormous numbers of nests, and all of those eventually became labyrinths."
"I see."
The Behemoth died.
Insects swarmed to the carcass.
The insects multiplied and built nests.
Over many long years the insects died, and the nests mutated—and that was how it happened.
Incidentally, the claim that "consuming powerful monster meat produces powerful monsters" was mere folklore.
It had about as much credibility as the old wives' tale that eating mermaid flesh grants immortality.
If that were truly the case, then the people of the Demon Continent, who consumed monster meat as part of their daily diet, should have been far more powerful than they were.
It wasn't as if only monsters had the privilege of transforming from monster meat.
Wait, actually.
What about the theory that it increased the odds of sudden mutations—like the kind that produced Bardy Gardi or Kishrika Kishirisu?
Monsters were said to originate from sudden mutations of ordinary organisms.
There was no reason a human couldn't undergo such a mutation as well.
This was bad.
I'd been eating quite a lot of monster meat myself.
What if my child with
I might end up feeling like a cuckoo whose nest had been parasitized.
"Adventurers and merchants from across the world converge upon this land."
Magical items surfaced one after another.
Weapons and artifacts sold like hotcakes.
No amount of magic stones or mana crystals was ever enough.
Bring the right goods here, and you were guaranteed to sell at a premium.
For merchants, it was the stuff of dreams.
Of course, reaching Laplace required knowledge of desert traversal and other specialized skills.
Hence, it was a trade reserved for the chosen few.
The Central Continent offered plenty of safer, more profitable business.
Frogs in a well. Rice grains in a bowl.
Still, Garban was thoroughly intoxicated with his own importance, so I saw no reason to pour cold water on that.
It was thanks to merchants like him that the economy kept turning.
--- I arrived in Laplace and parted ways with Garban and his group.
They planned to pitch their tents at the edge of town.
It had been a brief time together, but I felt I had learned a great deal from them.
"Thank you for everything."
"Same to you. If anything comes up, just say the word."
A perfunctory farewell.
Brief as it was, I supposed I'd been in their care.
I exchanged only a bow with Baribadom and Kalimerita.
There had been a bit of awkwardness, but I wanted to believe no hard feelings remained.
--- Now then—I needed to find Geese.
Or
I had come hurrying at full tilt, after all.
They were definitely here, weren't they?
There was still time before sunset.
Normally I would have secured lodging first, but perhaps I should prioritize the search.
"What shall we do?"
"There's bound to be an Adventurers Guild in a town this size. Why don't we head there?"
"Sure."
I would have liked to drop off my luggage first.
Oh well.
Ideally, I'd take a room at the same inn where Geese or Paul was staying.
We asked passersby for directions to the Adventurers Guild.
Apparently it was near the town center.
Guilds were always near the center, weren't they.
The people on the street were mostly merchants.
They all dressed much like Garban—turbans, loose-fitting robes that enveloped the body, bushy beards.
Some led camels; others spread cloths on the roadside to peddle their wares.
The locals here covered their skin much more thoroughly.
Still, among those who had fashioned awnings from cloth, I spotted a few dressed in Aladdin-style outfits.
True to their shopkeeper image, they sold metal lamps and pots decorated with peculiar patterns.
It was very much Arabian Nights.
I was half-convinced that if I blew into a recorder, a Red Snake would emerge from one of those pots.
As I drew closer to the Adventurers Guild, I began to see more adventurers in familiar garb.
There were probably plenty of people from the Central Continent around here.
But every last one of them wore a veteran's face.
Scars on their faces and bodies were the norm.
Surely many bore shin scars as well.
I was probably the only one who'd been tormented by shin cramps.
"Well then, let's go ask about Paul or Geese."
"Right. Will asking be enough?"
"Geese has an information network in places like this.
Once you give him a name, he takes care of the rest—oh, wait, that may not be necessary after all."
Those were
Following her gaze, I spotted a monkey-faced man in the corner of the Adventurers Guild.
He was deep in conversation with a Beast Race swordsman.
"Come on, I'm asking you. You owed that guy plenty too, didn't you?"
"If it can't be done, it can't be done."
"Come on, can't you bend a little? It's a matter of urgency."
"It's been a month. She's probably dead by now."
"No way she's dead. Besides, we'd need hands just to confirm the body.
Hey, I'm begging you. I'm asking because I know the strength of your blade.
If it helps, I'll double the reward."
The desperation in his expression was quite something.
I hadn't known Geese could make a face like that.
"Sorry, but try someone else. I'm not ready to die just yet."
Geese implored the swordsman for a while longer, but eventually the man shook his head and let out a loud tongue-click that I could hear from across the room.
"Tch—what a coward! And you call yourself an adventurer!"
"...Hmph, say what you want."
The beast-race man didn't so much as glance back at Geese's complaints and walked out of the building.
It was unusual for Geese to lash out like that.
Not that I really knew Geese all that well.
In my mind, he'd always been more of a carefree, easygoing type.
"Geese looks really cornered."
"Oh, Geese is pretty much always like that."
"He is? In my memory he was more like..."
"He was probably putting on a brave front in front of
Geese's head snapped up, eyes darting around the room.
When he spotted us, his eyes went wide.
He staggered over.
"H-Hey! If it isn't Elinalise!"
"You're late," Elinalise said.
At that, Geese managed a wry smile.
"Nothin' like that. You're the ones who are way too early.
I only sent that letter half a year ago.
What, did you maybe not get it? Did we miss each other?"
"We can discuss that later. How is
At Elinalise's question, Geese's expression clouded over.
"Things aren't great. I sent you that letter because I figured this was going to be a long haul, and... honestly... well, let's talk about the details later."
The situation was bad.
But I'd already expected as much.
The optimistic scenario—arriving to find everything already resolved—was off the table.
"For now, take me to my father."
Geese looked at me, eyes round.
Then he scratched at his upper lip.
"Oh...right, it's you, senior. You've gotten big."
"You haven't changed a bit, Geese."
"Hey, cut that out, I'm blushing. You can drop the 'senior' stuff."
Ah, how nostalgic—the banter.
"My, aren't you two close," Elinalise remarked with amusement.
Geese heard this and broke into a grin.
"Well, we were cellmates, after all. Weren't we, senior?"
"Indeed. Those were the days."
The nudist prison back in the Doldia village.
Truly a throwback.
"Anyway, we can't stay here. I'll take you to Paul's place."
With that, Geese gave a sly smile and left the Adventurers Guild.
--- Paul and the others were staying at an inn in one corner of the town.
A building made of earth and stone.
By Demon Continent standards, it was the sort of place that might suit a B-rank adventurer.
Neither impressive nor disappointing.
When we reached the entrance, Geese spoke up.
"Listen—Paul is in pretty rough shape.
Elinalise, I know you've got things you want to say, but try to hold back a little this time."
"...I can't make that promise."
Elinalise shook her head as she said it.
Geese offered a wry smile and shrugged.
He didn't push the matter further.
Well, it wasn't as though Elinalise was the type to come out swinging right away.
"You too, senior. No fights like last time, okay? I know you'll have plenty to say along the way, but try not to ride him too hard."
The fact that Geese felt the need to set these ground rules in advance told me Paul was really in a bad way.
Of course, I had seen Paul at his lowest before—bitter and broken.
I needed to steel myself for this.
Beneath that tough exterior, Paul was actually quite fragile emotionally.
He'd fall apart at the drop of a hat.
I wouldn't go so far as to call him a train wreck, but he was the type who hadn't suffered too many major setbacks in the past.
Once Zenith was found, I believed the confident Paul from our
Well, this was the decisive moment.
I would be magnanimous.
I would aim for the level of "Rudeus the Buddha."
"Alright, let's go in."
Geese said this and entered the inn.
There was no door.
He parted a curtain-like cloth and stepped inside.
The first floor of an adventurer's inn was pretty much the same everywhere.
It was a dining area.
Only the table materials and layout differed; otherwise, there was little variation.
I spotted Paul immediately.
He was the man slumped face-down on a table.
"...Ah."
A small voice came from someone standing right beside Paul.
A figure in a maid outfit, even in a place like this.
It was Lillia.
Her refined features showed hair slightly disheveled, her expression weary.
But when her eyes met mine, her face brightened ever so slightly.
She bowed to me.
Then, immediately, she shook Paul's shoulder.
The woman who had been seated across from Paul also rose.
She took a few steps back upon seeing my face, then bowed her head in recognition.
A woman in robes.
Was it Veera? Or Sheera?
I was pretty sure it was Sheera.
The one who handled finances.
She too looked exhausted.
Everyone looked exhausted.
I sat down in her seat, directly across from Paul.
"My lord, Rudeus has arrived."
"Hmm...?"
Paul slowly raised his face after Lillia shook him.
What a sight.
He wasn't unwashed, and his hair was reasonably kept.
There was no stench of alcohol either, unlike that one time.
But he had dark circles under his eyes and looked thoroughly hollowed out.
He was just as cornered as ever.
(I'm glad I came.)
The mere fact that Paul had ended up like this was reason enough for me to have come.
"Rudy...?"
"Father. It's been a while."
Paul stared at my face blankly.
He looked as though he'd just woken from sleep.
Had he actually been asleep?
Slumped over the table.
Dozing off.
"Huh...?
That's strange. I can see Rudy... Ha ha. Hey, Rudy. Long time no see.
You look well. How are
Paul said this in a dull, hollow voice.
Honestly, I hadn't expected this reaction.
I'd been bracing for a drunk, belligerent Paul, bottle in hand, shouting at me.
"N-Norn and Aisha are safe. They're living in Sharia City now.
I left them in the care of reliable people, so don't worry."
"Oh, good, good. That's my Rudy. Dependable as always.
Ah, and how about you? You doing alright?"
"Well... yes. I'm doing fine, I suppose."
Paul gave a faint, airy smile.
It was a vacant grin, entirely out of place.
Almost eerie.
"That's good. Being healthy is what matters most."
Paul's eyes were dead.
Had his mind snapped? Was he a vegetable now?
I looked at Geese with an anxious expression, and he nodded gravely.
...You're kidding me.
Paul, you've really come to this...
"Rudy..."
Paul rose unsteadily, came around the table, and embraced me tightly.
"Your father is useless..."
I hugged him back in silence.
Paul might be broken.
He might never be the same again.
His grandchild was about to be born, and yet he'd become this...
But now that I was here, things would be okay.
I would figure it out.
That was why I'd come.
"I can't save your mother. I can't even keep the promises I made to myself.
As a father, I've never done a single thing for you. I'm a failure."
"Don't worry. Now that I'm here, everything will be fine."
"Ugh... Rudy, you really have grown up..."
Paul gripped my shoulder firmly.
It hurt a little.
But I endured it.
"I have. And soon I'll have a child of my own. So please—leave the rest to me and rest easy."
"...! A child!?"
Paul suddenly let out a strange noise.
And in that same instant, the light returned to his eyes with startling speed.
"Huh...?"
He touched my face with both hands, as if he'd been tricked by a fox.
"...Wait, is this real?"
"It's real."
"This isn't a dream?"
"I'm quite the catch, don't you think?"
"...No, it really is you."
Paul blinked rapidly and looked around.
His eyes met Lillia's.
"Good morning, my lord."
"Oh, Lillia. How long was I out?"
"Since Master Talhand went shopping...about an hour, I'd say."
"Is that so. I must have been half-asleep."
Paul shook his head and stretched with a grunt.
So he'd been dozing after all.
Not a vegetable.
Thank goodness.
I'd been half-prepared to take on elderly care at my age.
Paul sat back down and faced me.
Then, with an air of gathering himself, he asked: "...Rudy, why are you here?"
"As I said before. I came to help."
"No, I didn't mean it that way..."
I shook my head.
I'd anticipated this question.
In the past, this kind of miscommunication had escalated into arguments.
But this time would be fine.
I'd seen the letter. Norn and Aisha were safe.
"Don't worry. Norn and Aisha are both safe and sound."
I repeated what I'd already said.
"I-I see."
Paul seemed confused.
He patted at my body.
As if confirming that I was really here.
"But still...isn't this way too fast?"
"I used a rather special method of travel. I'll explain on the way back."
"Special, huh...well, if anyone could pull that off, I suppose it'd be you..."
Paul dropped his shoulders with a look of astonishment.
His mouth hung open.
"Want me to fill you in on what happened after I sent the letter?"
"Wait—give me a minute, I'm still processing everything."
"Right. Here, have some water and calm down."
I conjured a cup with Earth Magic and filled it with Water Magic, then handed it to Paul.
He accepted it without protest and drained it in one gulp.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"Sorry. You caught me off guard.
I knew Geese had sent that letter on his own, but I thought you'd arrive later than this."
"I hurried here."
Paul managed a wry smile at that.
"Hurried? You're still way too fast."
A month and a half.
In Paul's shoes, it had been a little over half a year.
Yet even that was still too soon?
It probably was.
Normally you'd add another year to that timeline.
Paul probably expected another ten months at least.
Then Paul rested his chin on his hand, looking thoughtful.
With a slightly tense expression, he asked me.
His voice was slow, probing.
"Oh, that reminds me—did you say something about a child earlier?"
Now that he mentioned it, I had said that.
I hadn't been planning to hide it, but...
Would he be angry?
After everything he was going through, I was out here living my best life...
I chose my words carefully.
"Well, actually, I got married while I was attending the Magic University."
"...Married?"
Paul's brow furrowed.
"To whom...ah,
"No, to Sylphiette. I reunited with her at the Magic University."
"Sylphiette? From Buena Village...she's alive?"
"Yes. She had her own struggles, but she's alive."
Paul stroked his chin, looking surprised.
I'd sent a few letters, so they must not have reached him.
"Do you want to hear the story of how we got married?"
"Ah...yeah. Sure, tell me."
So I told Paul about everything that had happened after I sent the letter.
Enrolling at the Magic University. The path that led to marriage.
I was careful with how I framed it.
Honestly, my school years were full of happy memories.
There had been a few unpleasant moments, but to call it anything less than rosy would be an exaggeration.
I'd made friends. Found a lover.
We'd thrown parties at every opportunity.
I made an effort to keep my account as objective as possible.
I didn't hide anything.
Because my enjoyment of those days was an undeniable fact.
"I see...a child...a grandchild..."
I braced myself for a scolding.
Having a child meant I had done the things that led to having a child.
At a time when Paul was desperately trying to rescue our family.
Any normal person would be furious.
It involved pleasure, after all.
And Paul had been living a celibate life, apparently.
While I entertained these thoughts, Paul bowed his head.
"I'm sorry. Because I wasn't good enough, I dragged a man who's about to become a father all the way out here."
He apologized.
Paul—of all people—apologized.
"No, please don't say that. I feel terrible about this—Mother hasn't even been found yet, and here I am..."
"No, you can't blame yourself for that. I slept with Lillia once myself."
He and Lillia were married, so what was the harm.
That was what I thought, anyway.
"I kept telling myself I'd wait until we'd saved Zenith, but... honestly, I'm pathetic..."
Paul lowered his head, looking like he was about to cry again.
Fragile.
Like a teenage glass doll.
Then Lillia interjected.
"We were attacked by a succubus. There was nothing he could do."
"That doesn't change anything! You...ah, damn it..."
Paul clutched his head as some memory flooded back.
A succubus, right.
If it was a succubus, that was understandable.
I'd encountered one myself, and there was no resisting it.
It was like having the things you'd hidden beneath the skin of your heart forcibly dragged into the open.
But Paul's party should have had a healer.
I glanced at Sheera.
She visibly flinched under my gaze.
"I-I'm so sorry. The party leader was... too frightening, I couldn't do anything..."
"Rudy, don't blame her. It was my fault."
Presumably, an aroused Paul had attacked the women around him.
When this man was in the throes of that, it would be terrifying.
Paul's party was supposed to have Paul as their core fighter.
Detoxification magic required physical contact with the target.
There would have been no way to restrain Paul while also administering a cure.
Lillia had probably had to throw herself into the fray.
"I know exactly how frightening succubi are. There's no shame in it."
"But Talhand was fine, and I was the only one..."
Come to think of it, there was a man named Talhand in the party.
Had he been unaffected?
What was the deal there?
Could it be that succubi didn't work on the Coal Mining Race?
While I was pondering this, Paul's gaze settled on me.
"What is it?"
I asked, and Paul scratched his upper lip as he answered.
"No, I just—you've started referring to yourself as 'I' in the first person, haven't you?"
"Huh?"
Being pointed out, I noticed that my first-person pronoun had shifted.
Now that he mentioned it, I'd been unconsciously using the more assertive "I" out loud.
I'd thought I was keeping it distinct.
But between talking with
"Ah, my apologies. How careless of me."
"No, it's fine. 'I' sounds more manly anyway."
Paul smiled.
He smiled, but— The corners of his eyes glistened with large tears.
A single tear fell.
Then another, and another.
Once they started, they wouldn't stop.
"...Rudy, you really have grown up, haven't you..."
Hearing those words, I felt my own eyes burning.
We were family, yet we couldn't even recognize each other's changes.
"Father, I'm sorry for being such a useless dad..."
"..."
I pulled Paul into a wordless embrace.
There was no need to stretch or strain; my arms easily reached around to the other side of his shoulders.
Without my realizing it, I'd grown to be about the same height as Paul.
We stood like that and cried together.
--- After a while, I released Paul.
The reunion was over.
Now we had to switch gears.
And there was still one issue to deal with.
"...Hmph."
Elinalise sat in a nearby chair, watching us with an unamused expression.
Paul slowly turned to look at her.
Their gazes locked.
Paul's eyes narrowed.
Elinalise's brow furrowed.
This was bad.
"Uh, Father. Elinalise came all this way to help.
From Sharia City, no less. She heard about our family's crisis.
She came knowing full well she'd have to face you.
Please, for my sake, let bygones be bygones?"
Paul ignored me.
He walked slowly toward Elinalise.
She stood, clenching her fists.
"She's worried about you too.
I know things were complicated in the past, but— For my sake, could you let it go?"
Paul continued to ignore me and stood before Elinalise.
She glowered down at him from her superior height.
The air between them crackled with tension.
Was this killing intent?
On a knife's edge.
Was the phrase that came to mind.
Would they come to blows?
No—would they come to swords?
This was bad.
Were they really that hostile toward each other?
"...Geese."
I shot him a look.
He responded with a theatrical shrug and an irritating grin.
Useless.
"Elinalise."
"What is it?"
Paul glanced at me.
Then at Lillia and Sheera.
What was that?
A look loaded with meaning.
"..."
Paul dropped to his knees.
And pressed his forehead to the ground.
He was prostrating himself!
"I'm sorry about back then!"
Elinalise didn't look at him.
She turned away and replied.
Pouting, she spoke in an bored tone: "...I've come to accept that I bearsome of the blame for what happened then as well."
...What?
Had I heard something unexpected?
Paul continued, still in his frog-like pose.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused after the Teleportation Disaster. Really."
"It's fine. I had someone I was looking for as well. Consider it a convenience."
"Thank you, Elinalise."
"You're welcome, Paul."
And that was that.
It was over just like that.
A small smile surfaced between them.
It was as though something that had been lodged between Paul and Elinalise had finally dissolved.
She'd been so adamant about not forgiving Paul.
And yet, so effortlessly.
"Haa..."
Paul let out a long breath, rose from his prostration, and stood.
He brushed off his knees.
Then he looked at Elinalise.
Elinalise gazed back at Paul with soft eyes.
"You've aged, Paul."
"And you're still beautiful."
"Oh my, I'll tell Zenith you said that."
"Then I'll get to watch Zenith get jealous again."
"I look forward to it."
Both of them smiled.
Nice.
A beautiful elf and an exhausted middle-aged swordsman.
Quite the picture.
I still didn't know what had caused the rift.
Maybe Elinalise had simply been stubborn, and the underlying cause was trivial.
Or maybe time itself had done the healing.
Either way, harmony between friends was a beautiful thing.
"Ah...but still, you held up remarkably well. The Northern Lands to here is quite a trek."
"Yes, it certainly was."
"What about the curse? You didn't—you know—with Rudeus, did you?"
"Of course not.
At Elinalise's words, Paul tilted his head.
"Who's Cliff?"
"My husband."
"Whaaat?!"
Paul's eyes went wide.
Then, with a shout of surprise: "You have a husband?! Who on earth would go for someone like you!
What kind of joke is that!
You're not just making that up, are you!
Hey Rudy, do you know this guy? This Cliff?"
Paul looked at me, laughing.
I nodded with a straight face.
Elinalise was glaring daggers.
"Father, that's enough. Cliff is a bit clueless about reading the room, sure, but he's a straightforward man who loves openly without shame.
He's incredible."
"You're serious? The fact that someone you respect exists—that guy must be something else..."
Paul was visibly shaken.
Then, looking somewhat abashed, he bowed his head.
"I see. Sorry about that. Introduce me next time."
"Yes, he's a far better man than you."
Paul smiled wryly at that and bowed once more.
"Regardless... Elinalise. Rudeus. Thank you. I'm grateful you came."
"You haven't thanked me yet."
"Family takes care of family. It's natural."
Now then.
Time to get down to business.
"Father. Tell me what's going on."
--- Paul first explained the circumstances that had led him here.
It was mostly what I already knew.
Meeting
Obtaining information and crossing over to the Begarrit Continent.
Arriving in Laplace thanks to a reasonably well-rounded party.
Reuniting with Geese there and pinning down a lead on Zenith.
"According to Geese's information, Mother—Zenith—is in a labyrinth one day's travel north of here, apparently trapped."
"..."
Trapped.
Did that mean someone was holding her?
"In a labyrinth" was rather vague.
Were there labyrinths that could hold people?
"For six straight years?"
"I don't know."
Paul shook his head.
I continued asking questions.
"Is she in any danger?"
"I don't know. A few years back, I heard that someone who looked like Zenith was spotted in a party that entered the labyrinth. And that party went missing inside the labyrinth..."
Went missing...
That was practically hopeless.
Was "trapped" just wishful thinking?
But according to Roxy, at least up until she'd spoken with Kishrika Kishirisu, Zenith had still been alive.
And according to Geese, the party had gone missing before Roxy got her information from Kishrika.
Roxy had obtained her information two years ago.
Geese's information dated back four years.
Which meant Zenith had been alive for at least two more years after going missing.
Given that, I felt there was still a good chance she was alive.
They were continuing the search, clinging to that slim hope.
Even if she was dead, confirming it was important.
Of course, I wanted her to be alive...
But when I heard "missing," something sank in the depths of my chest.
Part of me had harbored the feeling that it might already be too late.
It had been six years since the Teleportation Disaster, after all...
Then Geese interjected.
"I only heard this secondhand, so I don't know the details.
She might be dead.
Some monster might have gotten hold of her, and she might be wandering around.
But there were also reports of her being spotted inside the labyrinth."
Paul added to this: "That labyrinth is old and troublesome.
Over the past year, we've made countless attempts to push through it, but nothing's worked out.
Four professional labyrinth explorers gathered, and we haven't even gotten halfway through.
It's embarrassing."
Four.
Paul, Geese, Talhand, and Roxy.
There were three others, but they weren't labyrinth professionals.
Come to think of it, where had the other three gone?
"Oh? We have guests?"
Just as I was pondering this, light spilled in from the entrance.
Someone had walked in.
"Well, well! It seems I've arrived just in time for a moving reunion!"
A short man.
But only short in stature.
He was nearly as wide as he was tall.
You could tell at a glance that he was of the Coal Mining Race.
He had a long beard and carried a large hemp sack in his hands.
This had to be Talhand.
Behind him stood a woman dressed like a swordswoman, also carrying a hemp sack.
Not a bikini armor, but I recognized her face.
Her name was Veera, I was fairly sure.
She gave me a bow and hurried over to Sheera.
The man swayed his heavy body and came to a stop in front of me.
He looked me over from head to toe.
"You must be Paul's boy?"
"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. I'm Rudeus."
"Talhand. You're every bit as sharp as they said. Yes, yes."
Talhand set his hemp sack on the table.
"Rudeus, you mustn't get close to that man.
He'll take something precious from you."
That was Elinalise.
Something precious to a man? Like...his pride?
"Ho? Now that I look closer, there's a certain feminine air about—"
Talhand turned to Elinalise.
He wore the expression of someone who had only just noticed her.
"I'll be, you've been tagging along too, have you?"
"Oh? Is that a problem?"
"It is, it is. You're nothing but trouble just by existing."
From his hemp sack, Talhand produced a glass bottle filled with an amber liquid.
He popped the cork and took a long swig.
"Blargh—this local stuff burns the stomach."
A strong smell of alcohol wafted out.
Quite potent.
Coal Mining Race folks were known for their love of drink.
"Here."
Talhand passed the bottle to Elinalise.
She accepted it without a word.
Then she chugged straight from the bottle.
She didn't drink as much as Talhand, but her slender white throat moved twice.
"Gah—how crude."
"A crude drink for a crude woman."
Talhand recorked the bottle and returned it to his sack.
What had just happened?
Was that a Coal Mining Race cultural greeting?
No one said a word about it.
What was going on.
"Let's continue once everyone's here, alright?"
Paul's words brought me back to reality.
Talhand's impact had been so strong I'd forgotten we were mid-conversation.
Hm?
Everyone...?
"Wait—where's Miss Roxy?"
At my question, a shadow fell over Paul's face.
No, not just Paul.
Over everyone's face—except Elinalise's.
The beautiful Long Ear woman noticed too, and her eyes widened.
"Huh? You can't be serious."
Hearing those words, a single word surfaced in my mind.
The worst possible word.
Namely, *death*.
"Roxy was caught in a trap in the labyrinth a month ago..."
My heartbeat quickened.
I didn't want to hear it.
That girl with the blue hair.
No.
I didn't want to hear it.
Because she was powerful enough to solo a labyrinth.
She couldn't cast Chantless, but she'd achieved Incantation reduction.
A Water
My benefactress.
I didn't want to hear it.
"Is...is she dead?"
But I asked.
Tentatively.
Before I knew it, Elinalise had risen from her chair and placed a hand on my shoulder from behind.
"No, she just stepped on a teleportation magic circle and went missing.
That doesn't mean she's dead.
The chances of her surviving inside the labyrinth should be high."
That brought a momentary wave of relief.
But Geese's next words made my face stiffen again.
"Hey, Paul. That's a stretch.
Even if it's Roxy, a single magician can't handle things alone.
She might be alive, but the odds are..."
Then Talhand cut in.
"Now hold on, Roxy is no ordinary magician. She could well have survived."
"Even so, she hasn't been found in a month! We've gone in five times and come up empty every single time!"
"Geese, how many times are we going to rehash this?!"
Paul, Geese, and Talhand all started talking over each other.
The ever carefree Geese was arguing with an agitated look on his face.
He really was cornered.
Still—a teleportation magic circle trap?
Roxy could be a bit of a klutz like that, come to think of it.
That did sound like her.
Well, as long as she wasn't dead, I'd choose to believe she was alive.
I couldn't imagine that Roxy Migurdi would die so easily.
I wanted to believe that.
I would believe it.
And yet, somehow this hit me harder than hearing that Zenith might be dead.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. So what exactly is this labyrinth like?"
When I said this, the three of them exchanged glances.
They silently debated who would speak.
Paul opened his mouth.
"Difficulty: S-rank. It's one of the worst labyrinths in this region."
Paul spoke slowly.
"It's a Labyrinth of Teleportation."
The moment those words reached my ears, I heard a rustle from my luggage.
The book inside it had shifted.
Chapter 12: Youth — Begarrit Continent Arc — End Next Chapter Chapter 13: Youth — Labyrinth Arc