The night I gifted swords to Rex, Rosemary, and Muse as wedding presents, Rika visited Alka and informed me that Float had contacted me.
His Majesty the Emperor, having offered two Gryphons, was so elated that he also presented the Gold Dragoon and Disaster Dragoon. He took my Arc Order’s Coat and had it completely remade using Gryphon leather.
I had offered the Gryphons with the hope that he would do just that, but it seems his excitement caused him to fall behind on some of his duties.
This led to Emperor Reinhardt having to work without rest. In exchange, he apparently decided to take a consolidated week off, and it was written that he wanted to go hunting with us.
“This country’s future is starting to feel unsettling,” Mana said. I couldn’t agree more.
Furthermore, the fact that he’s taking a week off makes me wonder if he can see through my thoughts.
While eating dinner, I asked everyone about recording Gate Crystals for Memoria, Float, and Solpreza Labyrinth, and they all immediately agreed.
I had actually wanted to record Draconia too, but since we only have three completed Gate Crystals left, Lydia, Ludia, and Athena will have to wait. They also understood why we were prioritizing Solpreza Labyrinth for creating Gate Stones, and we decided to enter it for one day. However, that plan overlaps perfectly with Emperor Reinhardt’s vacation, and I’m afraid he’ll insist on coming if he finds out.
“Going to Float is fine, but what about tomorrow’s request?”
“Of course, we’ll do it. Besides, Eos can fly to Float in about three hours, so even if we depart from Feel the day after tomorrow, we’ll have plenty of time for an audience.”
While a Wyvern takes six hours, Eos can reach it in half the time, which is amazing. It’s simply twice the speed of a Wyvern.
“Lord Yamato, if I may be so bold, if I truly exerted myself, I believe I could arrive in just over two hours.”
Just as I was thinking that, I was told something even more incredible. It seems that due to the Dragon Resonance Contract with Mana, I also absorbed a small amount of her magic power, allowing me to fly faster than before the contract was made. Athena is the same; she absorbed a little of Mana’s magic power, which is why her aptitude, gained when she evolved into a High Class, is for wind magic rather than ice magic. I thought it would be ice magic if I was involved, so I can understand that.
“Tomorrow’s training, while primarily for High Class, also accepts applicants from Normal Class, right?”
“That has already closed. It was originally first-come, first-served, but it seems there were more applicants than anticipated.”
Really? After what happened last time, I wasn’t sure if people would apply, but perhaps evolving three people into High Class on the first try was appealing.
“That’s the right decision. Also, I’ll be participating tomorrow. While it’s optional for Outside Orders to participate in this kind of training, I believe it’s worth participating if you can.”
“Of course, you’re welcome. I’d be happy to accompany you for training anytime, Rika.”
“I appreciate that, but there’s meaning in participating as an Order. It also allows me to gain familiarity with Inside Orders.”
I see, that’s certainly true. Outside Orders aren’t obligated to participate in combat training, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t train. Especially in emergencies, Outside Orders have an obligation to participate in combat, so if they can’t coordinate with Inside Orders, they’ll just be a hindrance. Mina is also an Outside Order, but she was originally part of Feel’s Inside Order, so there are no concerns about coordination. However, Rika is Memoria’s Lord and Feel’s Provincial Governor, so coordination issues are far beyond just difficult. While she’s not particularly skilled in combat, that’s a separate matter. As for me, the Grand Order’s Master himself told me that coordination training isn’t necessary. One reason is that there are no Orders that can keep up with me, and conversely, there’s no point for me to try and adapt. It’s a sad truth, but only Prim can truly match me.
And so, the next day, we held a mock battle in the training grounds with the High Order, the requested Normal Orders, and Rika. Afterward, we went to Mylight again and hunted monsters to our heart’s content. We only defeated two Orc settlements this time, but in exchange, we destroyed seven Forest Bee nests and three Goblin nests, so the results were sufficient. Unfortunately, no one evolved into High Class this time, but the highest level reached was 43, so evolution is likely imminent. Well, that person is actually Rika.
The next installment is scheduled for after we return from Float. I also want to raise my Crafter’s Rank and hear about Viscount Archlight’s research on Magic Stones, so I’ve left it undecided. Rex also readily agreed due to my acute magic fluctuation disorder, but I also feel guilty, so perhaps taking a few High Orders to visit the Solpreza Labyrinth after we record it in the Gate Crystal might be a good idea. No, that would cause an international incident with Valentia, so if we’re going to enter a labyrinth, it needs to be within Amister. I seem to recall hearing that Amister also has a few low-floor, high-difficulty labyrinths. I should investigate that properly next time.
Side: Yuri
We are currently in Float. We received contact from Float two days ago, but yesterday we had a request from the Order’s Guild, which we prioritized. Therefore, it has been two days since we were contacted, but since Lord Yamato is not in a hurry and we know the purpose, we were given priority to fulfill the request.
“I see, so that’s why. I thought you’d be here yesterday, but if that’s the case, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
After presenting the Magic Stones in the royal salon and receiving Lord Yamato’s Arc Order’s Coat, my older brother asked why we were later than expected, and it seems he was convinced. In the first place, the training with the Order’s Guild was initiated by my older brother, so it would be troublesome if he complained here, and I wish he had considered that possibility.
“You’ve already trained twice, and three people have evolved into High Class. It sounds incredibly simple when heard from the side, but for them, it’s not like that, is it?”
“Of course. It was like that for me too, so I understand the feelings of Feel’s Orders very well. Well, I evolved easier than I expected.”
Sister, Meena, Flam, Lydia, Ludia, Raus, and Rebecca nodded strongly in agreement with Aunt Maruca’s words.
“I wonder if I could evolve into High Class if Lord Yamato trained me too?”
“I think you could. Oh, speaking of which. Brother, didn’t Amister also have a low-floor, high-difficulty labyrinth like Solpreza Labyrinth? Do you know where it is?”
“Ah, that place. Of course, I know, but are you planning to conquer it next?”
As expected, my older brother knew. I had no interest in labyrinths until I met Lord Yamato, and since Hunter Sister also spent most of her time near Float, even if she heard rumors of that labyrinth, she didn’t remember its name or location.
“That’s the plan eventually, but the timing is bad right now, so I might go material hunting depending on the monsters.”
I’ve also informed my older brother about Alka. Alka circles around the Heavenly Tree in 24 hours, but judging from the size of the Heavenly Tree visible from Alka, it seems to be located a few kilometers from Float, so Alka is almost certainly within Amister. However, as it floats at an incredible altitude of 20,000 meters, even if it is within Amister, it is difficult to consider it Amister territory. There’s also the question of who created Alka, and it seems impossible even for an O-rank Crafter to create, so it can only be described as a mystery. My older brother had never heard of Alka either, but the reason we, and by extension Lord Yamato, were able to find it is entirely due to the words of Lord Gaia. Lord Gaia, due to a vow, only told us about the stone monument at the base of the Treasure Tree, but given her demeanor, she must also know about Alka. Then, who is Gaia bound by that vow mentioned? The answer is singular: one of the gods.
In the first place, as soon as Lord Gaia was able to descend from Mount Wilnes, she considered registering with the Priests’ Guild and visited Esperansa, the capital of the Bacion theocratic nation, where the main headquarters are located. However, just before registering, she received a divine revelation along with the First Pope, returned without registering with the Priests’ Guild, and has rarely descended from Mount Wilnes since. She also mentioned that the stone monument at the Treasure Tree was learned through the divine revelation at that time, which leads to the speculation that gods are highly likely to be involved with Alka. One of the reasons my older brother isn’t claiming ownership of Alka is undoubtedly this divine revelation. Gods do not directly appear, but they do issue divine revelations, and divine punishments even exist.
“Materials, huh? I believe that labyrinth had many bird and beast-type monsters, but I’ve heard there are quite a few insect-types as well.”
“There are also rumors of puppets appearing.”
Birds, beasts, insects, and even puppets? According to my older brothers, that labyrinth is a new one that was born about 10 years ago. Currently, up to the 4th floor has been confirmed, and since a M-rank monster, a Gryphon, appeared there, exploration has stopped since then.
“Gryphons on the 4th floor? Isn’t that tougher than Solpreza Labyrinth?”
“The 4th floor there was rumored whether Lesser Dragoons would appear or not.”
Certainly, it does seem more difficult than Solpreza Labyrinth. I heard that M-rank monsters only appear on the 7th floor of Solpreza Labyrinth, but we also encountered one on the 6th floor. However, only Raid confirmed floors beyond the 5th, having reached the Guardian’s Chamber on the 7th floor, so it’s not impossible that M-rank monsters appear on the 6th floor. Given that we actually encountered one, the information about Solpreza Labyrinth has likely been revised.
“That’s hard to say. The reason Gryphons were in the Ideal Mountain Range might be related to that labyrinth.”
The reason for Gryphons in the Ideal Mountain Range? Indeed, there were a total of four Gryphons at the Treasure Tree in the Ideal Mountain Range, an unusually high number. If all four of those Gryphons had descended from the Ideal Mountain Range, the surrounding towns would have been annihilated, and even Float would have been helpless. Fortunately, Lord Yamato and Prim Sister defeated those Gryphons, but how are they related to the labyrinth?
“Labyrinth Overflow is the phenomenon of monsters spilling out of a labyrinth, but monsters can also appear for other reasons. Of course, this doesn’t happen if the labyrinth core has been retrieved, but it’s different for un-conquered labyrinths. We don’t know the details yet, but it’s been said that labyrinths intentionally expel monsters before they overflow.”
Labyrinth Overflow is said to be the phenomenon of accumulated monsters being released all at once because they can no longer be sustained within the labyrinth. In contrast, the phenomenon my older brother explained is called Labyrinth Expulsion. The reason for the increase in monsters within the labyrinth is the same, but instead of overflowing, it’s a theory that the labyrinth intentionally releases a certain amount of monsters to suppress Labyrinth Overflow itself.
“I see, so those Gryphons were expelled through Labyrinth Expulsion.”
“Some people think so. Furthermore, it’s also theorized that apart from high-level and evolved species, G-rank monsters are the highest on Helios Orb. P-rank and above monsters are believed to be beings born from labyrinths.”
Excluding abnormal species, catastrophe species, and demise species, G-rank is the highest rank for normal species monsters, is that it? My older brother also mentioned that one reason for this theory is that the upper limit for monsters with whom one can form a familiar or summon contract is G-rank.
“That’s true. Furthermore, Dragoons, including Lesser Dragoons, didn’t exist in the past, so that theory doesn’t seem entirely baseless.”
“Yeah. It’s questionable why labyrinths have such abilities, but I don’t think it’s entirely wrong.”
While not mainstream, this theory is something no researcher can ignore. It’s convincing because it’s actually true, and we rarely see monsters above P-rank on Helios Orb.
“I’m interested, but if that’s the case, we should probably conquer that labyrinth too. So, Brother Rai, where is that labyrinth located?”
“I can tell you, but there’s a condition.”
My older brother says something like that, and I find myself getting a headache. I can easily guess what that condition will be.
“You want me to come along, don’t you?”
“Yes. I’ve also wanted to visit that labyrinth. Now that I’ve inherited the throne, I had given up on going until I abdicate, but since this topic has come up at this timing, I definitely want to go.”
As expected, or perhaps typical, it’s hard to decide.
“I don’t mind, but we don’t intend to conquer it this time, do we? It’s a spontaneous idea, so we’ll only be there for a few days at most.”
“I understand. That’s perfectly fine.”
His vacation starts tomorrow, but there are preparations to be made, so we can’t leave immediately. What’s more troublesome is that it will be an overnight stay, so we have the problem of where my older brothers will sleep. Our Beast Carriage has three bedrooms, but they are primarily used by Lord Yamato, Ed, and Raus respectively, and one of the guest rooms is occupied by the Butlers, so my older brothers would have to stay in the remaining guest rooms, or we would have to bring out the royal Beast Carriage despite the risks.
“It depends on the progress of the prototype. I need to inform Ed and the others, so I was planning to return to Alka anyway.”
Ah, that’s right. Fiana was working hard on the prototype for a new Beast Carriage. We’ve commissioned the Crafter’s Guild for it, including the interior, so it’s possible it’s already taking shape.
“Regarding that, we’ll have to ask Fiana. So, Brother, where is that labyrinth?”
“From here, it’s on the opposite side of the Ideal Mountain Range.”
“Huh? That means… could it be Instant?”
“Where is that?”
“It’s the name of a town on the outskirts of the Tortishima Marine Marquisate. It’s located on the opposite side of Float, across the Ideal Mountain Range.”
The Tortishima Marine Marquisate extends from the south to the southeast of the Ideal Mountain Range and contains several Magic Silver mines. Although it doesn’t seem particularly far from Float, the Ideal Mountain Range lies between them, making air travel very dangerous. Therefore, travel is mostly done by land, or by sea from the neighboring Count Clowdis territory. Incidentally, west of the Tortishima Marine Marquisate is the Diamante Viscountcy, where Viscount Archlight serves as Provincial Governor, which is in Feel.
“On the opposite side of the Ideal Mountain Range, huh? In that case, I’ll either have to go ahead on Jade or have Eos fly at full speed.”
“Yes. I think Eos can fly there in a little over an hour, and there shouldn’t be any Gryphons there anymore, so there shouldn’t be any monsters that can catch up to Eos either.”
Eos is the fastest among Dragonians, and even P-rank monsters can’t catch up to her. Furthermore, with Lord Yamato and Prim Sister, as well as archers Flam and Rebecca, we can sufficiently deal with attacks from the front or sides.
“We would also like to visit Alka, but our vacation starts tomorrow, and we need to prepare for entering the Instant Labyrinth.”
“I don’t mind inviting you, but depending on the progress of the Beast Carriage, entering the Instant Labyrinth might be delayed by a few days.”
That’s true. Until we hear from Fiana, we can’t say anything for sure.
That night, upon returning to Alka and checking, the prototype body was complete, and only minor adjustments remained on the main prototype. However, Fiana was troubled by the difficulty in producing the prototype chassis. The prototype chassis is made of Magic Silver, but it’s difficult to balance the overall structure as it needs to accommodate the Beast Carriage. However, since we need to test the usability as a Beast Carriage, I asked Fiana if we could use it in the Instant Labyrinth, and fortunately, she readily agreed. Of course, we also need to notify the Crafter’s Guild, so Lord Yamato will be going there tomorrow to explain. Not as a side note, Marina had also completed the prototype Armor Coat for Prim Sister, which we have received. Due to Ee-quipping, the name Crest Armor Coat cannot be used, so a new name needs to be assigned. However, as it is a prototype, Prim Sister has registered it under the name Proto-Defender Coat. Although preparations for entering the labyrinth have inadvertently progressed, both the Proto-Defender Coat and the Beast Carriage are prototypes, so we must be careful not to push ourselves too hard. Otherwise, Lord Yamato and Prim Sister might find themselves having conquered it before we know it.
