The labyrinth’s ninth floor.
According to the preliminary research, the boss’s location was known from the start, so Snow proceeded directly towards the boss’s area without any hesitation.
The corridor gradually lost its light, and the footing became treacherous. As we advanced along the rough, cave-like rocky path, I recalled the information we had shared beforehand.
The boss’s name was Legion Bat. I heard that first, multiple giant bats would appear. Furthermore, they all shared senses, so even if one was mortally wounded, it would merge with others and regenerate. In the darkness, it seemed crucial to maintain light and deal with multiple monsters simultaneously.
However, to be honest, with my magic, Dimension, this boss would be a piece of cake. Simply being dark wouldn’t obstruct my Spatial Grasp, so it wasn’t a problem. In fact, I was even considering defeating it by myself.
As I was pondering this, Snow and Erna, who were ahead of me, suddenly stopped.
“Is something wrong?”
Seeing the beastkin and dragon person couple stop, it was likely their keen senses had detected something. I intensified Dimension and moved closer to Snow, who was at the front.
“…Someone is fighting. Probably our target.” Snow replied in a low voice. It appeared someone was already engaged with Legion Bat.
It’s a labyrinth, so such situations were bound to happen. In cases like these, it’s usually first come, first served, unless there’s a significant reason otherwise. Fighting amongst Explorers is forbidden, so barging in here wouldn’t be wise.
“Um, Sister… What do we do in situations like this?”
“…First, we confirm. If they’re ordinary Explorers, we’ll buy the drop items with money. If they’re from another Academy party, we’ll respond depending on the situation.”
The Helvishein siblings discussed.
…However, if buying with money is an option, I wish they would buy from me. But having accepted this escort mission, I’ve abandoned that idea. Looking at Franryure’s expression, it’s clear that buying isn’t her true intention either.
We cautiously approached the battlefield, remaining vigilant of our surroundings.
The area plunged into complete darkness, and our only reliance was the light each of us held. We carefully navigated the rocky path, turning a few corners—and then we were met with flames.
Flames blazed from the ground, illuminating a group engaged in battle with Legion Bat. From the acrid smell, it was clear they were using oil fires. Amidst the unextinguishable light, swords and magic flew furiously.
“Are those… students from Eltralyu Academy?” Rainer murmured. Apparently, they were acquaintances from the Academy.
“It seems we’ve been beaten to it…”
“Um, Sister. Don’t attack them, okay?”
“I’m not attacking!”
From the siblings’ reactions, it was evident that their chance for first-place clearance was gone. Once the Boss Monster is defeated, it takes time for another one to appear. The labyrinth has to recreate its ecosystem, and until the boss and its subordinates are born, we can only wait.
“Aw man, other parties made it this far too, huh? Well, guess there’s nothing for it. Let’s just watch them take down their boss. We might not get first place, but at least we’ll be safe!” Elna offered advice to the siblings from behind.
Indeed, observing their boss strategy would help mitigate the risks of our own. If we could discern Legion Bat’s patterns and habits, it would put us at an advantage in the ensuing battle.
“You’re right. It’s a shame, but we’ll content ourselves with second place this time… Elna, Snow, you two can see from here, right?”
“We can see!”
“…Easily.”
Even with my 2.0 vision, I couldn’t make out the fine details of the battle. However, Elna and Snow seemed to have a clear grasp of the situation. Racial traits seemed to play a significant role here as well.
“We can’t get any closer than this, so I’ll leave it to you two. We’ll share information later and challenge Legion Bat in perfect condition. …Now, Christ, come with me.”
“Ah. I can see too, so I’ll be watching.”
“You can see!? A-As expected of Christ…!”
I extended Dimension towards the battlefield, gathering information. I had a strong desire to learn, as I rarely had the opportunity to observe others’ battles so closely. Also, I wanted to avoid chatting with the siblings here.
As if dividing my consciousness, sensory organs constructed from magic permeated the battlefield. In parallel, I didn’t neglect my vigilance of my surroundings. My magic control had improved considerably over these past few days.
Deep in the corridor. On a stage illuminated by fiery lights, Legion Bat danced, split into four. Their shapes were simply giant bats, but some were flying around energetically despite having lost a significant portion of their bodies. It was clear they were durable bosses, unfazed by minor attacks.
[Monster] Legion Bat: Rank 12
Facing them were four humans, around my age. They were a different group from our Franryure party. Two of them wore the same uniforms as Franryure’s party, while the other two were clad in shabby clothes with simple armor. Judging by their movements, the ones in the fine uniforms were giving orders, and the ones in the shabby clothes were acting as the vanguard.
Their coordination was excellent. It was worlds apart from ours. It was enough to make one cry, it was so good.
While their individual Levels might not have been high, everyone understood their roles and excelled in them. The two vanguards drew the enemy’s attention and acted as shields, one of the rear guards provided support for the whole group, and the last one targeted spells with long incantations. I wished I could swap with them right now. Their flawless coordination allowed Legion Bat to cast long-incantation spells. A giant fireball formed and struck one of the Legion Bats that had been held back.
The one that lost half its body lost its power and fell to the ground. The four of them beamed, seeing a breakthrough. The two vanguards aggressively attacked the remaining three bats, and the rear guard began to chant for more spells.
“…!” I gasped. From my bird’s-eye view, I could see it. That was a bad move. The one that lost half its body hadn’t vanished into light. Yet, they had dismissed it as defeated in their minds.
And, as expected, that bad move quickly worsened the situation. One of the vanguards was bitten from behind by the bat that had lost half its body. The balance, which had been held at four against four, collapsed. The other three moved to help the bitten vanguard, and although they managed to rescue him, the breakthrough they thought they had achieved was completely sealed.
It wasn’t a mortal wound. However, the one bitten was severely injured. I felt they should immediately switch to a strategic retreat. But the leader-like figure didn’t attempt to do so. Instead, he continued to use the severely injured one as a vanguard.
One could argue that the number of injured is one-to-one, so it’s not a problem. One could also argue that there’s still a chance to win, so the battle should continue. But that’s based on calculation.
If this continues, he, with his uncontrolled bleeding… will die.
Seeing non-adults die weighs heavily on the heart. And it’s the worst when I have the power to save them, yet I’d be letting them die if I did nothing. Reason tells me that if it happens repeatedly, I must make a decision even if they are children. But my immature spirit wouldn’t allow it. The morals of my previous world were still alive.
“…Forgive me. I’ll go help him for a moment.”
“Oh, brother, that’s problematic.”
However, Erna stopped me without a moment’s delay.
“Why are you stopping me? Isn’t one of them about to die?”
“That’s a necessary expense! The leader over there is doing the same, right? That slave was brought here for that purpose, so it’s best not to interfere.”
Erna referred to the person on the verge of death as a slave. Indeed, they were dressed shabbily and had only the minimum equipment. Looking closely, they were wearing a collar, and I could accept that they were a slave.
However, for Aikawa Uzunami from the modern world, that was irrelevant. Slave or not, he looked like any other living human. Moreover, the fact that they were dying against their will due to their status as a slave only increased my desire to help.
“…Still, I can’t just let him die.”
“Ehh…? But you’re hired as my escort, so I’d like you to listen to me…”
“My contract is to protect you. I will absolutely uphold that. But it doesn’t say I can’t protect others. …I know I’m being selfish. If it’s not allowed, I don’t mind breaking the contract. I don’t need the money. Still, I want to save him…”
I spoke with a desperation I didn’t understand myself. For some reason, Dia’s arm being severed flashed in my mind. That image made my heart race and sweat bead on my forehead.
“What’s wrong…? Christ, Erna?” Franryure approached from behind, noticing our argument.
“Fran, he wants to save a slave who’s about to die.”
“A slave? Christ, why would you do that?”
Franryure looked genuinely perplexed. A slave dies. They want to save them. Why? She truly looked like she didn’t understand. There was no goodwill or malice in her expression. It was simply the common sense that one doesn’t save slaves. Franryure’s direct gaze. Her honest confusion. It almost made me think I was the one in the wrong. It unsettled me. It felt like my values were being eroded, like I was losing myself— No. I couldn’t allow that. Any further disturbance could trigger the skill ‘???’. I firmly composed myself and translated my feelings into words. Since the cause was clearly the difference in values between worlds, there was no need for debate here. I just had to protect my own will and act.
“…I can’t bear to watch.”
“For now, a simple answer like this should suffice. The cause is clearly the difference in values between worlds. There’s no need to debate it here. I just need to maintain my own will and act.”
“C-Christ? You said the one dying is a slave. And to—”
“I’m sorry. I’m going now.”
I didn’t wait for Franryure to finish speaking and ran off.
◆◆◆◆◆
“—Magic, Dimension: Decisive Calculation.”
What I needed to do was the same as when I helped Franryure and the others.
“I’ll help! I mean no hostility!” I shouted as I plunged into the center of the battlefield. I deliberately chose a conspicuous way to intrude to draw Legion Bat’s attention. Surprised by the sudden intrusion of a third party, the party retreated to assess the situation, and the monster, Legion Bat, began to attack me, who was at the very front. Four giant bat bodies approached from all directions. Finding an opening between their massive forms, I slipped past them. At the same time, I severed the wing-arm of one as I passed. One fell to the ground, but it quickly approached its severed wing-arm and attempted to reattach it, thereby regenerating the lost part. Meanwhile, the other bats relentlessly attacked me, and I couldn’t stop them. The Aris Family’s Treasure Sword effortlessly sliced through the bats’ bodies. Although the enemies were Rank 12 monsters, my attack power was still effective. The effect of the Aris Family’s Treasure Sword, which increases attack power through dexterity, was likely contributing. However, it was endless. No matter how many times I cut them, they kept rejoining their bodies. I considered freezing them, like in the battle against Teeda. Then, I spotted something like a dull, glowing stone inside one of the bats. “—!” I immediately focused my attack on that specific bat, tearing it to shreds. Then, the dull, glowing stone was released into the air, and I shattered it with my sword. The bats’ forms rapidly collapsed, and they finally disappeared in a flash of light. It seemed they were a typical boss from a game. Once their weakness was exploited, they were easily defeated. “…Phew.” The dimly glowing stone also turned to light, and that light reconfigured into another magic stone. This was likely Legion Bat’s drop item. I picked it up and turned my gaze to the four who had been fighting. “I apologize. You seemed to be struggling, so I intervened.” I said, sheathing my sword. The young man in uniform stepped forward, about to respond. However, the distance was still considerable, and he hadn’t lowered his guard. “…I perceive you as a skilled Explorer. While I appreciate your assistance, it was not necessary for us. We would not be satisfied if enemy spoils were taken without negotiation.” The young man appeared ready to fight me if necessary. He held his sword warily, his eyes fixed on the magic stone I held. I immediately threw the magic stone, which the young man likely needed, towards him. He caught it with a surprised expression. “I apologize for that. One of our party was severely injured, and I thought they needed immediate treatment… I acted impulsively. The oversight is mine, so I will give you the magic stone.” “Hrm… This magic stone is our objective. Since we have received it, we have no objections. We are only grateful. I thank you again.” The young man and his party, perhaps trusting that I had no hostile intentions, lowered their weapons. “Yes, I’m glad. Please treat that person quickly.” “Ah, we are grateful for your concern for our slave. However, our healing resources are limited, so his treatment will likely be postponed.” Saying this, the young man stepped back and began using healing medicine not on the slave, but on the two in uniform. I was dumbfounded by their casual disregard for the slave’s life. Without treating the slave, the four of them thanked me and began to walk away. Watching the slave’s blood drip onto the ground behind them, I couldn’t help but call out, “—Wait, please!” The four turned back, wary of me speaking to them after the conversation seemed to be over. I hesitated. If I forced the issue here, the slave would likely heal. But it felt temporary. Judging by the reactions of Franryure and the young man, this slave would undoubtedly continue to be treated this way. I could clearly see a cruel death awaiting them in the not-too-distant future. Helping the slave here… seemed meaningless— yet. I reached into my waist pouch and took out an item from my Inventory. Then, I threw it towards the men. “It’s cheap, but it’s a healing potion. Since I intervened to help, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy if things ended like this…” “…Thank you.” Perhaps sensing my intentions, the man who received the healing potion immediately applied it to the slave. The powder from the boiled herbs was applied to the slave’s wounds, and I could see the bleeding stop. …I let out a sigh of relief. Then, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself for doing something so foolish. It was also painful to realize how hollow self-satisfaction felt like this. After watching the four descend the stairs to the tenth floor, I turned my gaze towards where Franryure and her party were. The four, who had likely sensed that the matter was resolved, approached us. Franryure walked at the front and was the first to speak. “Christ… Why would you go so far for a slave?” She had evidently seen me give away the healing potion. Her question was filled with genuine bewilderment. “There’s no particular reason. I apologize for acting on my own.” I felt there was no point in exchanging explanations. So, I simply apologized. “I-Is that so… Um…” Franryure seemed to sense that I wasn’t speaking my true mind. Therefore, she seemed unsure of what to say. Elna, seeing this, intervened. “Brother! Geez, your impulsive actions are problematic! Normally, that would be out of bounds, but we’re not operating under such strict contracts, so we won’t say anything. However, for the next Legion Bat battle, I expect you to defeat it as coolly as you did just now!” I could tell Elna was trying to lighten the mood with a casual joke. Rainer, sensing this, joined in. “That’s right, Christ. Because of you, second place is confirmed. I almost wish you’d fight the next Legion Bat by yourself.” “Rainer! I absolutely forbid that!” Rainer’s remark was probably a joke, but Franryure took it seriously and began to scold him earnestly. Rainer quickly explained that it was a joke and laughed, and the atmosphere lightened. They were being considerate. I had helped someone, yet they were being considerate. It was as if my act of helping was somehow wrong. Faced with this reality, I could only resign myself and force a wry smile. “Haha, I’m sorry. I’ll do my best in the next battle, so please forgive me.” I cooperated with the lighter atmosphere. Seeing me smile, Franryure’s expression brightened, and she approached me. Then, as if the previous incident never happened, she began to talk about hobbies and special skills. Elna, laughing, cautioned Franryure that the exam wasn’t over yet. Afterward, they began discussing the timing of the next Legion Bat’s appearance and their actions until then. From what I gathered, they knew the time it would take for the labyrinth to reconstruct its ecosystem. I was no match for them, these students, in labyrinth-related studies. I only had hearsay knowledge, so I decided to follow their instructions. It was decided that in about two hours, the labyrinth’s magic would transform into monsters, and until then, we would kill time at a nearby “Seidō.” We began to walk away from the boss area. During that time, we chatted and laughed— Suddenly, I looked back. The bloodstains left by the slave remained in the labyrinth’s corridor. I walked with a blank mind. First and foremost, I needed to part ways with this party quickly. Until then, I would not let my emotions waver and would focus solely on completing my task. With that resolution, I continued walking, staring into the darkness of the corridor.
