Chapter 95

The moment Mist's words reached our ears, the scenery before our eyes had changed.

What met our eyes was not the guild room from a moment ago, but the outside view.

I looked around and confirmed that we were outside the Labyrinth City, and I murmured softly.

"...A real transfer array, huh?"

I wasn't doubting that the transfer array Mist used might be a fake.

Still, the feeling of actually using a transfer array for something other than entering and exiting the labyrinth was inexplicably strange.

...Reaffirming my awe of lost technology, I shook it off from my mind.

Now was not the time to be distracted by lost technology.

The priority was to deal with the current situation, and there was no room to spare for other matters.

Besides, I knew there was something far more important to confirm than the transfer array.

I asked my master, who was in front of me, for confirmation.

"...Do you know about what Mist was talking about?"

It was a question so brief it barely deserved the name.

But it was enough for now.

I confirmed that my master, who shook his head silently, understood everything I wanted to say, and I fell silent.

Indeed, this was not a story I alone did not know.

I was convinced it was clearly wrong and asked Mist.

"What do you mean by the walls of the Labyrinth City? ...There shouldn't be any walls in the Labyrinth City."

I remembered Mist's words before the transfer clearly.

No, I couldn't forget them.

Because the walls, which we had always longed for, were precisely what we didn't have.

Therefore, I couldn't hide my distrust of Mist, who treated the walls as if they existed.

"There are no walls in the Labyrinth City, huh?"

...In response to my words, the expression on Mist's face was contrary to his usual nonchalant attitude.

It was a complex expression, as if he was reminiscing, reflecting, or even regretting something.

His appearance, so different from before, made me gape.

But that expression disappeared in the next moment.

"Can't be helped. It's the old man's job to teach the young ones about the past. I'll tell you on the way. Why the Labyrinth City doesn't have walls like Nibelburg."

Mist said with a smile, as if to dismiss the expression from a moment ago.

I wondered if it was a mistake, but I shook off that thought and followed his back as he started walking.

Mist began to speak as he walked.

"Well, to put it simply, it's because they're useless. The walls in Nibelburg are something that a slightly skilled mage can destroy. Even if such things existed, they would be destroyed immediately during a Labyrinth Rampage."

That was indeed a fact.

During a Labyrinth Rampage, they would be destroyed quickly.

During a Labyrinth Rampage, liches cast tactical-level magic.

Such attacks would shatter the walls in one hit.

Still, I didn't think they were unnecessary.

"Even so, why conclude that walls are unnecessary!"

I inwardly agreed with Narsena, who twisted her face and spat out the words.

Yes, even if a wall could only withstand one hit, it was not meaningless.

No matter how fragile a wall was, it could withstand one hit.

That one hit was significant.

Moreover, even if it collapsed, it could be used as a defensive position in battles against monsters.

A fragile wall was still better than none, I was about to spit out in frustration, but Mist spoke before I could.

"The conclusion wasn't that walls were unnecessary. The policy decided at the time was to build walls that could withstand a Labyrinth Rampage."

"...What?"

"Of course. How much do you think the Labyrinth City is prepared for Labyrinth Rampages?"

Saying that, Mist pointed to the transfer array we had just used.

"Transfer arrays that allow entry into the labyrinth from the Labyrinth City, and the preferential treatment of adventurers in the Labyrinth City. All of these are mechanisms to prevent the Labyrinth from rampaging and to minimize the danger if it does."

Mist continued, as if enjoying our reactions.

"Wouldn't it be impossible for this Labyrinth City, which is so well-prepared, to lack walls?"

Suddenly, Mist stopped walking.

For a moment, I braced myself, thinking something had happened.

But I quickly understood when I saw Hansam, who was in front of Mist.

In other words, this was the place Mist was aiming for.

Seeing that everyone, including me, had realized this and stopped, Mist pointed to something.

"That is the wall of this Labyrinth City, the pinnacle of its walls."

--It was a white structure that surrounded the Labyrinth City, known to adventurers as the high platform.

"...What?"

I stared at the structure in a daze.

It was indeed a beautiful structure that gave off a mysterious aura.

But that was all.

Such a thing could not possibly hold back the monsters that would flood the Labyrinth City.

Not only me, but Ronaldo and Narsena also looked at Mist with suspicious eyes.

Only my master was different.

"I see. Damn! ...I should have realized it sooner."

My master, who didn't hide his frustration, placed his hand on the structure.

"Master!?"

I couldn't help but exclaim at his sudden action, but my master didn't respond.

He just silently began to channel magic into the structure.

...I understood that his action was the answer to my question.

The next moment, the structure began to glow in response to my master's magic.

The light grew stronger and stronger, and after emitting a particularly intense light, it spread out to cover the Labyrinth City.

"This is the wall of the Labyrinth City...?"

After the light subsided, what remained was a stone wall surrounding the Labyrinth City.

Seeing this, I finally grasped it.

The wall of the Labyrinth City was created by some magical means, and this structure was the magical artifact that activated the wall.

Mist, unusually, showed a look of astonishment and muttered.

"...Enough magic to create a barrier alone?"

"Shut up."

My master's face was clearly showing signs of fatigue.

But that was to be expected.

The height of the wall surrounding the Labyrinth City was about 10 meters.

It was only natural to be tired after creating such a thing.

"Are you okay? Let me help you."

Ronaldo extended his hand to my master.

"No, it's fine. There's something I want to ask Mist."

But my master pushed his hand away and glared at Mist.

"Mist, listen. What is this wall? What are you after?"

My master, who suddenly showed unprecedented hostility, made us stand there in shock.

But Mist, who should have been the target of this hostility, showed no signs of being shaken.

"I can't talk if you don't calm down, you know?"

"...Shut up. I don't have the luxury to listen to pointless talk right now."

"Larma, calm down!"

Narsena, who judged that my master's behavior had gone too far, tried to calm him down.

"Narsena, be wary of this elf."

"...What?"

Narsena, who was trying to calm him down, stopped at my master's clear statement.

My master, pointing to the wall surrounding the Labyrinth City, spat out the words.

"It may look different, but this is the same barrier that covered the neighboring town of Nibelburg."

The wall of the Labyrinth City looked like a simple stone wall.

But I realized it was not made of stone when I used magic detection.

It looked like stone, but this wall was a mass of magic.

"Yeah. The texture of this wall is stone, but its strength is clearly abnormal. It probably has the same level of strength as the one in the neighboring town of Nibelburg."

Ronaldo, who had been tapping the wall lightly, said this without me noticing.

My master, confirming that we understood the abnormality of the barrier, glared at Mist with hostility.

"So, Mist. I realized this when I created the barrier. This wall has very similar properties to the barrier covering the neighboring town of Nibelburg. ...Hey, is it you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Mist, with his usual nonchalant smile, showed no change in expression.

Looking straight at Mist, my master asked.

"Is the barrier isolating the Labyrinth City something you created?"

"Oh, that talk."

In response to my master's words, Mist laughed.

"Yes. I isolated the Labyrinth City."

...And Mist readily admitted that he was the enemy.