Chapter 53

When I was in the first year of junior high school, I played a certain dark fantasy game.

This was before Misaki encountered [Tactics Chronicle]. The game was a dungeon exploration type called [Deep Walker]. Although it didn't adopt the "full sensory projection" system, it was a popular game among core fans due to its realistic presentation, courtesy of a game company known for such features.

Unfortunately, it didn't gain much popularity among the general public. Part of the reason was that the dark fantasy genre is hard to appeal to the masses, but the game's overly realistic depictions of blood splatters and corpses were so intense that they would make ordinary people recoil. At the very least, it was not family-friendly.

Moreover, the difficulty of the game was extremely high, which further catered to the core audience. The dungeons the protagonist faced were filled with traps that seemed designed to kill, such as pits, rolling boulders, ceilings studded with spikes, poison arrows flying through narrow rooms, and giant scythes swinging with a whistling sound. The traps were so meticulously and maliciously placed that it felt like the developers were shouting, "Die, die now, die right there!"

Furthermore, the monsters were incredibly strong, and I was killed four times by a mere grunt character within the first five minutes. This happened even on the easiest difficulty setting. After being killed multiple times, I finally managed to defeat the first grunt character, only to be crushed by a falling boulder in the next room, which made me feel the developers' intense determination to kill the player.

While digging up these past memories, Helian thought to himself that the protagonist, as the player's avatar, must have seen the dungeon as an incredibly unfair and unreasonable place.

---And then.

The methods his subordinates used to break through these traps must have seemed even more unfair and unreasonable.

"Be careful. There are tiles in this hall that trigger traps when stepped on. If you don't walk in a specific pattern, the hanging ceiling will fall. The safe tiles change each time the trap is triggered, so you need to check carefully every time. I'm sorry, but it will take a bit of time..."

"Hmm. Then we just need to support the ceiling so it doesn't fall, right?"

On the tenth floor, large stone pillars grew from the ground due to earth magic without any incantation. Dozens of pillars pierced the ceiling, making it impossible for it to fall. The group moved through the room with ease. Beiger was dumbfounded.

"...This door is designed to open only when magic power is infused into the jewels in each room. There are twelve jewels placed in different locations, but moving separately increases the risk of being picked off one by one. We should take our time and have everyone visit all twelve locations..."

"Why bother with that? We can just break the door. No one will be inconvenienced, right?"

On the fifteenth floor, a massive iron door, as tall as a two-story house, was smashed by a club. The door, which had been dented by a single blow, flew away, and the large man calmly stepped into the next room. Beiger's mouth hung open in shock.

"Damn... I can hear the growls of the Thunder Leopards. Not just ten or twenty, but the next room is a den of monsters. These aren't the kind of monsters that usually inhabit this floor, but it seems they have been pushed up to the shallower levels due to the labyrinth's rampage. We'll have to lure them into the narrow passage and reduce their numbers one by one..."

"Then I'll just burn them. The whole room. After it's burned out, we'll ventilate and move on."

On the twentieth floor, the Monster House, teeming with monsters, was burned from the entrance. The room, which was not particularly small, was quickly filled with flames, and the monsters' cries ceased after about thirty seconds. Beiger finally fell silent.

"---Well, this dungeon has an awful lot of traps and mechanisms. It's such a hassle."

And so, on the twenty-fifth floor.

In a small room with no traps or monsters, the group decided to take a long rest. Galdi, who showed no signs of fatigue, muttered casually.

Beiger looked at Galdi and the others with dead fish eyes. Helian understood why. After all, their approach was far from orthodox, relying on brute force. Despite prioritizing safety, the scenes unfolding before Beiger's eyes were vastly different from the dungeon exploration he knew.

Even the battles were worse. Although their racial traits of enhanced senses were lost in their fully humanized forms, the five senses of the seasoned warrior, the legion commander, were still sharp. Monsters were detected before they even appeared, and the start and end of battles were almost simultaneous. It had become a routine.

"Well, just a little more patience. We have five floors left to reach our goal on the thirtieth floor. Ideally, we'd like to return to the surface by evening..."

"Yeah. I'd like to eat at an inn. The rations we brought are fine in taste, but the quantity is lacking."

"...Actually, it usually takes more than a full day to go to and from the thirtieth floor."

Their charge, Sion, spoke modestly.

She had entered this labyrinth a few years ago to inherit a ritual.

At that time, she was accompanied by an elite guard unit from the Border Knights, but due to her young age and limited stamina, it took two full days to reach the thirtieth floor.

This time, they had already reached the twenty-fifth floor in less than half a day.

The fastest record for a thirtieth-floor exploration by a party of top-notch dungeon explorers was about seven hours, and they were on track to match it.

"...Because they are my proud subordinates."

Helian answered, holding the tea that Rieve had prepared. This time it was milk tea. The royal tea leaves and milk provided a pleasant taste even in the grim setting of the dungeon. In the absence of Rilifa, this was the only time he could truly relax. As he savored the tea, he wondered if this was what real royal milk tea tasted like, a silly thought.

"I knew the last labyrinth rampage was bad, but I didn't expect it to be this crazy... I mean, the idea of doing something like that doesn't even cross a normal person's mind, let alone whether it's possible or not."

"I've heard that Abyss Explorers and famous top-tier adventurers can do even more incredible things."

"Sure, there might be some who can, but the comparison is off. Besides, I've never seen a mage like the lady over there."

Beiger's gaze was on Celeste, who was sipping lemon tea with enthusiasm.

"I've never seen a live non-incantation magic before. Is the catalyst's condition okay? I've heard that non-incantation magic puts a strain on the catalyst."

"...No, it's fine. It was given to me by the people of the forest, and it seems to be a good match. I still have plenty of magic power left. There's no need to worry."

Celeste showed the bracelet she wore as a disguise.

Like the mages in this world, it was just a decoration to make it look like she was using a catalyst to cast magic, but it was embedded with a high-purity red magic stone.

"Is that bracelet made from materials from the Abyss Forest?"

"Indeed. It seems the people of the forest processed materials brought back by Abyss Explorers. I believe... yes, it was called Lathewood. It was made by a craftsman from that country."

"Lathewood...? Sure, Abyss Explorers would visit there, but did that country have a craftsman capable of making such a masterpiece?"

"Who knows. But recently, a strange traveler has settled there. It seems to be a dwarf or a kobold, and he made this equipment. I haven't met him directly, so I don't know the details, but I got it by chance."

"Hmm... Well, I'm convinced. If it's made from Abyss Forest materials, it's not surprising that you can use such powerful magic. Hey, are your club and great axe made from the same materials?"

"Huh? ...Oh, right. Yes, our commander bought them from him. They're quite sturdy, so we find them very useful."

When Celeste glared, Galdi remembered and answered.

Beiger nodded, as if understanding the explanation.

He interpreted that the majority of their exceptional magical prowess and overwhelming attack power were due to their superior equipment.

Materials from the Abyss Forest are rare. The highest-quality weapons and armor in this continent often use materials from the Abyss Forest. If they were using such materials, it made sense that they could display such overwhelming power. That was the logic.

---Of course, the reality was different.

The equipment they were using was outdated standard issue from the Alkymaira military, the kind used for training. The various displays of power they had shown were due to their own abilities.

However, if Beiger was satisfied with that explanation, it was convenient. It was also part of their plan. The setup they had prepared in advance had worked.

Helian's subordinates were a group with the equivalent strength of high-ranking adventurers, and that was all they were. They were not monsters that could threaten this world. As long as they were perceived that way, there was no problem.

"Let's get going."

Sion spoke.

Although they had only rested for about fifteen minutes, as the charge and the central figure of the group, there was no objection to her words. She seemed to be reasonably well-trained, and her legs were steady when she stood up.

While thinking that he might be the weakest among them, Helian also stood up. He felt a bit of fatigue, but fortunately, his body was in good condition. He signaled to his subordinates and moved on to the next floor.

---

The rest of the journey was uneventful and straightforward.

The number of traps decreased, but the number of monsters increased. Although the monsters from the deeper levels were ascending, the trend of becoming stronger as one went deeper did not change. The strength of the monsters increased with each floor.

However, they were not enough to trouble Galdi and the others. Every time he swung his great axe, the black demon dogs turned into chunks of flesh, and every time Celeste cast a spell, the Thunder Leopards turned to ash. The encounters and eliminations happened almost simultaneously. It was a swift advance.

"Just a thirtieth floor, but this is the easiest dungeon exploration I've ever had. Hey, miss, are we still getting our full payment? We haven't done much since the traps decreased."

"Don't worry. My father may tell countless trivial lies, but he never lies about contracts. The payment will definitely be made."

"That's a relief... but, leader, don't you feel a bit guilty? We're practically parasites right now."

"...Don't say that even if you think it."

They had the leisure to have such a conversation even in an unsafe area.

It seemed that Beiger and the others, despite their appearance, had a serious nature. They could have considered it lucky to get a large sum of money easily, but they seemed to have a resistance to receiving the full payment as stated.

...No, perhaps it was because of the large sum of money.

They had accepted this job with the understanding of the risks that came with the amount. There must have been a certain level of resolve, including the possibility of losing their lives in the worst-case scenario.

However, it turned out to be an unprecedentedly easy journey and rapid advance. The job content did not require the level of resolve that matched the amount. Perhaps their pride as adventurers did not allow them to easily take such a large sum of money.

(Perhaps, maybe, it's just my imagination...)

Shaking his head to dispel the pointless thoughts.

He had led a mundane life without much hardship. Trying to imagine the mindset of someone who earned a living through dangerous jobs would not lead to an accurate answer.

While being protected by his subordinates, he quietly looked at his own hands. They were unmarked, hands that had never known hardship. They were completely different from the calloused and deeply lined hands of the knights and Beiger. Feeling a bit embarrassed by this, Helian clenched his hands to hide his palms.

"Here we go."

Galdi swung his great axe in a carefree tone.

The rock puppet that had been impaled by the earth stakes created by Celeste was split in two by the thick blade that came flying horizontally. The upper body flew backward with great force, shattered against the wall, and the remaining lower body collapsed.

They had reached the thirtieth floor.

This rock puppet, which had been blocking the door leading to the ritual altar, was the last enemy.

"...It's been a long time since I've seen this door."

Ignoring the remains of the rock puppet, Sion stood in front of the tightly closed door.

She took out a short sword with a crystal blade from her pocket. The intricate decorations on the hilt suggested that the sword was for rituals, not combat.

Sion gently ran the blade across her right palm, letting a trickle of fresh blood drip onto the crystal blade. She then inserted the blood-soaked sword into the keyhole of the door.

The door, which had accepted the blade, emitted a ripple of light and opened to the sides, welcoming the rightful visitor. Sion, flanked by the knights, stepped forward, followed by Helian, Beiger, and the others.

"Wow... this is amazing."

Beiger, who had just passed through the door, let out a sigh of admiration.

The hall was filled with a clean light.

It was not blinding, but a faint, firefly-like glow.

In the center of the hall, an altar was set on a platform about five steps high.

No, it looked more like a stage, Helian thought.

As everyone entered the room, the door began to close on its own.

The thought of being locked in flashed through his mind for a moment, but Sion and the knights seemed calm, so it was probably part of the plan.

After the door closed with a final sound, the knights formed a protective formation in front of the closed door, ready to defend against any intruders from the outside.

"...I will begin the 'Tuning' now."

Sion, who had wet her hair with clear water as part of the preparation for the 'Tuning' ritual, announced.

She ascended the five steps of the stage, one by one, with a slow and steady pace.

Everyone watching was silent.

In the solemn atmosphere, Sion began the 'Tuning'.

The beginning was a sound like a bell.

As soon as she swung the staff, a cool and pure sound filled the hall.

However, a jarring vibration came from the edge of the stage.

Sion suppressed the vibration as she danced around, stepping in rhythm.

The dance was a repetition.

The sound of the bell continued with the swing of the staff, occasionally interrupted by the jarring vibration.

Her dancing feet moved to chase the vibration, and gradually the vibrations decreased.

On the stage, with her wet black hair reflecting the torchlight, Sion's figure immersed everyone in a serene atmosphere.

After less than ten minutes of dancing, the vibrations had almost disappeared.

Sion, who had been moving from one end of the stage to the other, now remained in the center of the stage without moving. For about three minutes, only the sound of the bell echoed, and then, having gained confidence, Sion ended her dance in the center of the stage.

A sigh of admiration, "Wow," rose from someone.

It was probably Beiger or one of the knights, but the scene was indeed worthy of admiration.

"---The 'Tuning' has been successful. The labyrinth's mana has fully stabilized."

Sion's satisfied announcement was met with relieved expressions from the knights.

The most important task was now complete.

There was still the return journey, but it would not be as difficult as the trip there.

The biggest challenge had been overcome.

On the stage, Sion, who looked her age with a sense of accomplishment, had sweat on her forehead and was about to descend the stairs quietly.

However, after more than fifteen minutes of dancing, she seemed to have used up a considerable amount of stamina. As she tried to step down from the stage, her toes caught on a small step, and her body lost balance.

"Ah!"

Sion's expression changed to one of alarm, and Helian, who was nearby, reached out his hand.

The step was only five steps high. Even if she fell, it wouldn't be serious. However, perhaps because she had let her guard down after completing the important 'Tuning,' she panicked