The next morning.
Perhaps due to being woken up in the middle of the night, I woke up a little later than usual.
However, to fulfill Nosfy’s whim, I immediately expanded my Dimension.
I left the detailed preparations for the Labyrinth Exploration to Rainer and went to look for Rowen. I wanted to get that request done before exploring the Labyrinth, if possible.
However, before I could find Rowen, I discovered an abnormality in the castle.
More accurately, it was outside the castle—a crowd had gathered in front of the castle gate.
Bess-chan was at the head of the group, looking anxiously towards the castle. The other townspeople were also murmuring with the same expression. I heard the word “Rowen” in their conversation, so I decided to head to the castle gate first.
When I appeared in front of the castle gate, Bess-chan, who was at the front, called out to me.
“Knight Commander! Good morning! Um, Rowen-sama isn’t coming out of the castle! Do you know anything!?”
Bess-chan seemed extremely anxious about Rowen.
Without waiting for my answer, she added more words.
“Actually, I had a promise to meet with Rowen-sama last night. But she never came…! I thought it was strange that she still hadn’t come out this morning, so that’s why—!”
The people around her seemed to feel the same way, and waves of worry rose without interruption.
“What could have happened to Rowen-sama…”
“She’s never even been sick before.”
“How long has it been since Rowen-sama wasn’t flying around in the morning…”
I could tell from their words that Rowen was loved by the people. I also understood that she went out into the town every day without fail.
However, something struck me as strange.
I looked at the castle gate from which I had just emerged.
There it stood, an open gate, not barring anyone.
“I understand what everyone wants to say. But if you’re so worried, why don’t you go into the castle?”
“Huh? Well, we’re not castle people. That’s why we’re troubled.”
Not just Bess-chan, but everyone else had the same expression. They were implicitly telling me that no matter what happened, the citizens could not enter the castle. That was the law of ‘here.’
“…Understood. I, as the Knight Commander, will check on Rowen’s condition, so everyone else wait here.”
Noticing the peculiarity of this space, I volunteered to search the castle in their stead.
“Thank you, Knight Commander…!”
Leaving Bess-chan and the townspeople, who bowed deeply, I hurried back into the castle. As I walked, I extended my Dimension to the storeroom where Rowen had been yesterday, but no one was there. She wasn’t in the courtyard or the watchtower either.
After meticulously checking all the places Rowen might like, I wondered if she might be outside the castle. However, just before I turned my attention outward, I found her.
Rowen was in the heart of the castle. In the place I least expected her to be.
The King’s audience chamber.
Behind the throne at its deepest part, she was sulking in a seated position.
And she was muttering to herself.
She was repeating the same words over and over, endlessly chanting.
“‘I do not choose the path I walk,’ ‘I am the wind’—and then, ‘I am a soul that accelerates,’ ‘Accelerate,’ ‘Accelerate,’ ‘Accelerate’—…”
I immediately knew it was an Incantation.
However, no magic was being used, nor was her green magic power increasing. Yet, some kind of Price was being paid for that Incantation. It was an act of losing something without gaining anything.
I entered the King’s audience chamber and approached Rowen, making deliberate footsteps instead of knocking, and called out to her from a distance.
“Rowen, is that Incantation okay…?”
“Yeah, it’s okay… It’s like a spell that eases my mind…”
Rowen, a veteran of many battles, had noticed my approach long ago. She answered my question without much agitation.
“Bess-chan is worried and is outside.”
“Ah, that’s right… I had plans to play with Bess-chan…”
“It’s not just Bess-chan. Everyone is here.”
“…Everyone is here. I see.”
Her reply lacked strength. She seemed despairing that the world she thought would last forever was crumbling. It seemed difficult to cheer her up, but I decided to do what I could. It’s better to do everything I can and then regret it, than to regret not doing anything.
“Yes, they’ve come because they’re worried about you. So, won’t you show your face outside? Meeting everyone might change your mood a little.”
“Everyone is worried about the ‘child’ and has come? Hahaha, ‘Rowen.’ I see, ‘Rowen’…”
Rowen repeated her own name with a hint of self-deprecation. At the end, she whispered weakly and curled up.
“Which ‘Rowen’ could it be… Everyone knows the real child, don’t they…”
Her muttering was not directed at anyone; it was a soliloquy. I couldn’t grasp the full meaning. I could only understand that the situation was not to Rowen’s liking.
“Hey, Kanamin… The child doesn’t want to go to the surface…”
“Ah, I know that.”
“If I go, they’ll probably expect things from the child again… I hate that…”
She just continued to pour out her weak feelings.
“I hate being expected to do things; it makes my body heavy… I hate the surface…”
Seeing her so weak, I blamed myself for my earlier actions.
Now, I was certain. Rowen had no ulterior motives. Not a shred of the shrewdness of a Demon King. What was here was just a weak child. To save this child, I thought I had to take her hand gently and directly.
“Ah, I understand. No one will tell you to go to the surface anymore. I won’t let Nosfy either. So, don’t make that face anymore.”
“—Huh?”
Completely affirmed, Rowen looked confused. She probably hadn’t expected such an answer. She asked back in a trembling voice.
“B-but… what the child is saying is, um…”
“There’s still time until ‘this place’ collapses, right? By then, I’ll fulfill your lingering desires. That will solve everything. No one will complain.”
“You can resolve the child’s lingering desires…? Kanamin can?”
Honestly, I didn’t have absolute confidence. However, I continued to affirm strongly to cheer her up.
“Ah, so don’t worry anymore. I’ll bring your younger brother here right away.”
“…Huh? You’re bringing Aid?”
“Ah, I discussed it with Reinand-san, and we thought it was the best option. I don’t have my memories from a thousand years ago. So, I can’t fully understand everything about you. So, wouldn’t it be better to bring someone who has memories from a thousand years ago and was close to you? Family would be perfect for that.”
“But if Aid comes here, then again… again—”
“I believe that you two siblings becoming Guardians was so you could reunite after a thousand years. Ah, it must be. Because family is more important than anything. Family understands each other best. Meeting Aid, consulting with him, and re-examining your own lingering desires is the best way. I’m sure your lingering desires will be resolved then.”
I declared with conviction. Although I exaggerated slightly to give her hope, most of it was my true feelings. The reunion of family—siblings—would resolve their lingering desires. That’s what I thought…
“Stop it, Kanamin. Absolutely not.”
What came back was a direct negation. Rowen contorted her face and shook her head from behind the throne.
“No… I don’t want to meet Aid…”
“But Aid is your younger brother, isn’t he? He understands you better than anyone—”
“I don’t want to!!”
Rowen screamed without waiting for me to finish. Then she stood up and peeked out from behind the throne. She gripped the edge of the throne tightly and thrust the reason at me.
“Because if I meet Aid now, I’ll have to be the perfect King again! After all the trouble, the ‘Ruling King’ child was allowed to be free after a thousand years! I’ll go back to being like that!!”
The edge of the throne cracked as if broken. Yet, Rowen continued to scream.
“I don’t want to be King again! I don’t want to bear that expectation again! Because the child, the child—!!”
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. If it continued like this, tears would stream down from Rowen’s eyes. But before that could happen, Rowen lowered her head and rested her forehead on the throne.
She probably didn’t want to cry purely out of emotion. Her voice, suppressing her feelings, became heart-wrenching.
“If I live here like this, the child can just disappear… That’s why I don’t need Aid… The peace of Viais is what the child desires right now…”
And then she returned to her initial wish. Clinging to a wish that had been meaningless even after continuing ‘here’ for a thousand years.
“Kanamin, don’t do anything unnecessary… If you don’t intend to stay here with the child, then leave me alone…”
Rowen collapsed to her knees and wiped her tears with her sleeve. Seeing the girl who couldn’t possibly be called a ‘Ruling King’ in any way, words naturally slipped from my mouth. Despite knowing it was a bad habit, I spoke them.
“Leave you alone, idiot! Rowen, I will definitely save you. So, wait a little longer…!”
Was it because I activated the skill ‘Covenant Holder of the Deepest Part’? Or did I promise Nosfy that I would cheer Rowen up? Or did I simply want to help a crying girl? Did it feel like my mission—?
—I couldn’t narrow it down to just one reason, but in any case, I couldn’t abandon her.
“Help the child…?”
“Ah.”
“Will Uzunami help the child again, like that time…?”
“Ah.”
Rowen looked up. And her cheeks bloomed as if she had found a ray of hope. I finally felt like I had found a thread to pull. If I wanted to cheer her up, now was the time. I showed her a future where her wish could be granted, being careful not to choose the wrong words.
“In short, Aid just needs to not expect anything from you, right? Then, Rainer and I will beat Aid up. After that, we’ll firmly teach Aid not to expect anything from the current Rowen. I’ll bring you a ‘brother who doesn’t expect anything from you.’ Then there’s no problem, right?”
“—!!”
Rowen’s eyes widened. It was clear that this lonely girl wanted to meet her family. That’s why, out of the paintings in the storeroom, Aid’s childhood one remained intact. More importantly, the life I’ve spent with her up until today shows an answer.
“I think you probably need ‘family.’ You can’t disappear because you have no one you can confide in. That’s the only way I can see it.”
“Is that so…? The child needed ‘family’…, someone she could confide in…?”
That’s why Rowen tried to stop me and Rainer from leaving. She craved someone with whom she could laugh together, even if it was a temporary ‘family.’
“I will definitely bring your ‘family.’ So, cheer up. Nosfy said it too. You look better when you smile.”
With those words as a final push, I closed the distance between Rowen and myself. I slowly walked over, went behind the throne, and reached out to the already collapsing Rowen.
“Wait with a smile. It’s not just me; Rainer is here too. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore.”
Rowen strengthened her body and grasped my outstretched hand. Then, she stood up. As if she had found the answer to her long-standing anguish, she began to nod.
“Y-yes. Rainer is here… Yes, that’s true…”
“Ah, Nosfy is too. She wanted to make up with you. Go see her later.”
Mediating between her and Nosfy was also important. Without forgetting it, I emphasized her presence. This should clear Nosfy’s selfish request.
“Yes, Nosfy is here too… With this, it’ll be okay, right…”
As she confirmed she wasn’t alone, Rowen’s expression brightened. It seemed she wouldn’t sulk and lock herself away anymore.
“Alright! You’ve cheered up. Then, go show your face to Bess-chan and Nosfy soon.”
“U-um. But I’m embarrassed to go right now, so maybe a little later. After I get my usual face back and my thoughts are in order…”
“Ah, that’s fine.”
If I looked closely, the area under her eyes was red. Rowen seemed to be conscious of her appearance as a girl. I wasn’t so insensitive as to force her to go now. More importantly, when the usual Rowen appeared, Bess-chan and the townspeople would be relieved.
“Well then, I’ll be going ahead. I have to go to the Labyrinth.”
I had to hurry to fulfill the promise I just made. My success in the Labyrinth Exploration was necessary for everyone. Rowen nodded in agreement. And with steady steps—she sat on the throne.
“Yes, have a good trip. And thank you, Uzunami… The child’s true wish can finally be granted…”
As she fiddled with her lustrous green hair, Rowen smiled and saw me off. Her overwhelmingly beautiful gesture sent a shiver down my spine. Rowen, who had overcome a hurdle, looked a little more mature.
—Rowen looks mature?
That appearance was so unbalanced, a chill ran down my back. No doubt, Rowen had cheered up. Anyone would judge so. However, an unavoidable chill clung to my back, refusing to leave.
I hadn’t failed, but I hadn’t succeeded either—or so I thought.
“…Ah, I’ll grant it soon. Wait for me.”
I could only reply like that. With those words, I left the royal chamber. And walked out of the castle.
First, the people waiting in front of the castle gate. To put everyone at ease, I delivered the good news with a bright smile.
“Everyone, Rowen was well. She’ll probably be out in a little while.”
I decided to hide the fact that she had been crying. Rowen probably wanted it that way.
“Well…? Then why didn’t she come out to the town…?”
Bess-chan and the others looked puzzled upon hearing the report. I quickly concocted an explanation.
“Ah, well… Yesterday, I brought an old friend of Rowen’s from the Labyrinth. We talked very late, so she overslept today.”
“Rowen-sama’s old friend…?”
The murmurs of the townspeople grew louder. Was it that surprising that Rowen had a friend?
“Ah, maybe it’s because it’s a friend of the same gender, unlike me, she was very excited.”
“I see…”
They still didn’t fully believe me, but since it was coming from me, the Knight Commander, they seemed to have no choice but to believe.
“It’s true. I think she’ll come out of the castle by noon, so you can ask her then. Everyone else can rest assured too.”
There were things I didn’t say, but I wasn’t lying. I emphasized that it wasn’t a lie, asserting it firmly. Those who heard it breathed a sigh of relief.
“She’s not sick, is she? That’s a relief…”
“Phew… What a scare…”
“As long as Rowen-sama is safe, that’s all that matters.”
People of all ages began to disperse. Of course, some people decided to wait for Rowen’s appearance here. Bess-chan was the foremost among them.
“But… I have free time today, so I’ll wait here for Rowen-sama.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“Then, what are you going to do now, Knight Commander?”
“I’m going to the Labyrinth. That’s my main job.”
“I see… I would have been happy if you waited with me…”
“I’m sorry. I can’t afford to do that. I absolutely have to go to the surface quickly…”
“No, it’s fine.”
Bess-chan clearly looked disappointed. Even though she said it was fine, her eyes were pleading with me. However, I couldn’t afford to waste any more time here. I turned around and went back into the castle.
“Well then…”
As I moved away from the castle gate, I expanded my Dimension again. Next, I needed to find Nosfy. I wanted to report that I had fulfilled her whim and cheered Rowen up as soon as possible. Otherwise, I didn’t know what she might do. Passing by the throne room where a sniffling Rowen was, I permeated the entire castle with my magic.
As a result, I found Nosfy in her own room with Rainer. It seemed she had come to her room shortly after I had left. To save Rainer, who had turned pale at being alone with his nemesis, I hurried back to my own room. As soon as I opened the door and entered, Nosfy’s greeting flew at me.
“Good morning, Uzunami-sama. And thank you. You managed to cheer up that difficult cat-like Rowen so quickly, I am very moved.”
My body flinched. Although her attempt yesterday had failed, the fact that she had attacked me remained. My body tensed unconsciously. However, without regard for my tension, Nosfy approached me with a smile. From her greeting, I knew she also knew the details of my conversation with Rowen. I returned her greeting accordingly.
“Good morning, Nosfy. …I think Rowen is fine now. When I promised to beat up Aid and bring him here, she got much better. I think she’ll visit you soon, so please welcome her warmly when she does.”
“Yes, of course, I intend to. …Therefore, I will wait for Rowen here. I am very sorry, but I cannot accompany you on the Labyrinth Exploration today.”
“No, it was originally something that only you and Rainer had to do, so don’t worry about it.”
“Hahaha, thank you. You are truly kind, Uzunami-sama. Well then, I will have my selfish wish granted. Ah, it feels good to be selfish. It feels like my heart is being cleansed. Hahaha, it seems my disappearance due to the fulfillment of my lingering desires is imminent.”
She interspersed laughter throughout the conversation, emphasizing her impending death. However, I couldn’t take her words at face value. She said it was imminent, but I doubted she would disappear so soon. Judging by her strong presence, I thought she would have a few more selfish requests. While I doubted, Nosfy let out a chuckle and sat down on the bed in the room.
“Hehehe. Ah, Rowen, please come quickly. I am waiting for you. Yes, always, forever… I am waiting for you…”
She leaned back against the mattress, her eyes drifting into space, and began to eagerly await Rowen’s arrival.
“…Then, I have to bring Aid, so I’m going to the Labyrinth now.”
I have my own role to play. If I don’t fulfill it, all the efforts to reconcile them will be in vain. As Nosfy lounged on the bed, I began to construct magic. Nosfy saw me off.
“Yes, I pray for the success of Uzunami-sama’s Labyrinth Exploration.”
“…—Magic, Connection.”
While receiving her encouragement, I finished generating the magic portal. Then, Rainer and I entered the Labyrinth.
Shortcut to the end of the 57th Floor is. We returned to a vast white space. Thanks to Nosfy’s magic, there were few Monsters around. There were some Monsters observing us, but they showed no hostility. Just in front of us was the staircase leading to the 56th Floor. This was our fifth Labyrinth Exploration. Back to a two-person Party. Without any prior discussion, Rainer and I naturally started walking towards the stairs.
“Christ, is that okay? Making such a hasty promise. It’s not that easy to bring Aid here, is it?”
Now that we were alone, Rainer voiced his doubts without hesitation.
“That’s what I had to say to Rowen… I have no choice but to do it…”
As I rephrased it, I solidified my resolve. It was a resolve to accelerate the Labyrinth Exploration for Rowen’s sake. Until today, I had been proceeding with the Labyrinth Exploration at ‘maximum speed’ for my sister. However, that was a ‘maximum speed’ that prioritized ‘safe completion’ after ensuring the ‘safety’ of my sister’s body. But I had to stop that now. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be in time if I didn’t. My honed senses—the skill ‘Sensation’—told me so intuitively. The memories of nearly dying multiple times in this Another World urged me so. The experience of fighting powerful enemies recommended it so. At first glance, the two Guardians of the present moment seemed to be enveloped in a bright atmosphere. Although I had managed to cover things up by walking around the castle, there was no doubt that a disturbing air lurked within that brightness. Nosfy, although laughing openly, had not yet revealed her true feelings. Rowen, with her eyes shining with hope, seemed not to be looking at me at all. I thought I had grown considerably. I stopped thinking solely based on ‘Status’ and ‘Condition’ visible through the ‘Display.’ My human observation skills, which were disastrously poor, have improved somewhat, I think. I have met various people and seen off various Guardians. Thanks to that, I can understand their precariousness, albeit only slightly. The anxiety that had been clinging to me like a film—the possibility of both Rowen and Nosfy becoming obstacles—I felt a premonition that it was becoming a reality. Therefore, I declared that I would undertake the Labyrinth Exploration on the ‘highest difficulty’ so as not to have any regrets.
“Rainer, let’s reach the surface with this Labyrinth Exploration.”
It wasn’t just Rainer who could reveal his true feelings after entering the Labyrinth. I could too. Finally, I was able to utter these words.
“T-this time? Are you serious, Christ?”
Naturally, Rainer was surprised by this unreasonable demand and asked for clarification.
“Yes, I’m serious. —Let’s end this seriously.”
But I didn’t retract my previous statement.
