**Side: Prim**
“Huh? The Gagun Labyrinth is showing signs of a Labyrinth Flood?”
The day before the opening of Prada Village, I found myself in Vald Beast Capital Ovest. Despite my reluctance, I hold the title of first in line for the Vald Beast Duke’s succession. Since Valt has also absorbed the former Hydransia Duke’s Territory, I have to make an appearance and offer some solace to the people.
That was precisely my plan for today. However, as I was inspecting the nearly completed Vald Beast Duke’s Castle, an urgent report reached Sister Neige, the Vald Beast Duke.
“Yes. We’ve been confirming monsters believed to have been expelled from the Gagun Labyrinth for some time now, but their numbers have increased these past few days.”
The report came from Nelke Vilefane, a female high-ogre who serves as Valt’s head Beastar’s Master. She was formerly the commander of the Ovest Beast Knight Order and retained her position as head Beastar’s Master, a true powerhouse. According to Nelke’s report, the monsters expelled from the Gagun Labyrinth, which shouldn’t inhabit the Gagun Great Forest, included Crack Panthers, Eclipse Beetles, and Third Eye Bulls, along with their higher-ranked species.
Crack Panthers are G-U rank monsters, a panther species that uses earth magic. Eclipse Beetles are jet-black beetles with crescent-shaped horns that shimmer with a golden hue; these are P-I rank monsters. The Third Eye Bull is a bull species, a P-R rank monster that unleashes dark magic from a jet-black jewel on its forehead, known as its third eye. As for their higher-ranked species, could they be the P-R rank Valey Panther, the M-C rank Blast Blade Beetle, and the M-I rank Dark Breath Bull? It’s not impossible that there are even stronger ones.
“But there are Hunters in the Gagun Labyrinth, aren’t there?”
“Yes. However, very few Hunters have reached the 10th floor as of now. Due to the recent civil war, the Labyrinth may be reaching its limit.”
I see. The civil war in the former Valentia had caused a drastic decrease in the number of Hunters entering the Gagun Labyrinth. Although the civil war ended in about a year, most Hunters from the former Valentia rarely entered Labyrinths. Many of the supposedly high-class Hunters were trash who acted as they pleased, causing issues not just with Labyrinths but also with monster subjugation. It’s not that there were no Hunters entering Labyrinths at all, but compared to its peak, the number had fallen to less than 30%, let alone half. When the civil war ended and the land was divided into five Beast Duke’s Territories, including Valt, the Gagun Great Forest was incorporated into Valt. However, the number of Hunters from the former Valentia had significantly decreased, so it seemed that Hunters from Amister, Valentia, and Alegria were the ones entering primarily.
But in a Labyrinth within the Gagun Great Forest, with only a handful of High Hunters venturing in, the number of monsters born in the Labyrinth cannot be managed. Apparently, the Labyrinth had been intentionally expelling monsters outside to maintain itself, but it has finally reached a point where it can no longer sustain itself through that alone, and has begun expelling a large number of monsters at once. This phenomenon is known as a Labyrinth Flood, and it mixes in An and Catastrophe Species without discrimination. Furthermore, since they tend to swarm, neighboring towns and villages are quickly engulfed. Not only that, but it disrupts the ecosystem, causing significant damage not only to Valt but also to the neighboring Stealthhang Beast Duke’s Territory. Moreover, because the former Valentia is covered by the Haura Great Forest, it is inevitable that Blume, Flugel, and Horn will also be affected.
This is something I cannot ignore.
“Understood. Please contact the Beastar’s Guild headquarters in Glacian immediately. Also, prepare Mistol for defense preparations as quickly as possible.”
“Yes!”
The Beastar’s Guild and Soldier’s Guild, which have branches in the Beast Duke’s Territories and Bridge Duke’s Territories, are obligated to report to their respective headquarters in times of emergency. While post-incident reports are sometimes acceptable, waiting for instructions in an emergency is tantamount to suicide, so it generally won’t be an issue unless something truly egregious occurs. Frankly, I’d be in trouble if it became an issue.
“Additionally, please contact the Hunter’s Guild.”
“Yes! I will arrange it immediately.”
While mobilizing the Beasts is a given, the location necessitates the involvement of Hunters as well. Therefore, while contacting the Hunter’s Guild makes sense, the problem lies with the current number of Hunters in Valt. I haven’t got a precise count, but considering the number of Hunters entering the Gagun Labyrinth, there are probably fewer than fifty High Class ones. With such numbers, there’s no way we can suppress a Labyrinth Flood; it would only result in casualties. In that case, I only have one thing to do.
“Sister, I need to return to Alka for a moment. I’ll go gather everyone.”
“Everyone? Is that alright?”
In a situation like this, “alright” or “not alright” is irrelevant. Even if I alone could reduce the threat, the Gagun Great Forest is vast, and the possibility of the Demise Species Hanuman moving cannot be denied. Therefore, we should mobilize as many Ancient Classes as possible. However, the problem is that Yamato, Sister Hilde, Lydia, and Ludia are in Deseo, while Mana, Meena, Flam, Athena, and Eos are in Prada Village. I can’t mobilize everyone. Moreover, tomorrow is the opening ceremony, and we are scheduled to board a ship to escort Yuri. I need to gather everyone quickly.
“Thank you, Prim. I know this is asking a lot, but please.”
“Understood. I’ll be back soon.”
While the Vald Beast Duke’s Castle is still under construction, it is about 80% complete, and the residential areas are fully usable. Neige has already moved in, so the Gate Stone has been transferred. This means I can transfer to Alka without leaving Ovest.
I abandoned my inspection and hurried back to Alka.
**Side: Mako**
I was crafting a visor for MARS in the Crafting Hall when Prim, looking flustered, returned. She was supposed to be in Valt today. What could have happened?
“Mako, thank goodness.”
As soon as she saw me, she breathed a sigh of relief. This is no ordinary matter.
After hearing her explanation, I fully understood why Prim was so panicked. A premonition of a Labyrinth Flood, and in the Gagun Labyrinth of all places – this is clearly a Level 1 emergency.
“I understand. So, I just need to go gather everyone?”
“Please. I’ll head to Prada Village, so could you handle Deseo? I know it’s a bother.”
“Got it.”
Deseo is vast, but I can use search-type spells, so I can find Yamato and the others more easily than Prim. They might be in the Emperor’s Castle, but they could also be on an inspection in another town, which is troublesome.
I quickly teleported to Deseo and, riding Kaede, my Battle Horse, I hurried towards the Emperor’s Castle, casting a few search-type spells. While there is a Gate Stone, allowing me to teleport to Lady Hilde’s bedchamber, it’s highly classified on the Solmne side, and only Lady Hilde possesses a compatible Gate Crystal. I cannot use it. In situations like this, it’s troublesome, but due to security and confidentiality concerns, it can’t be helped. Fortunately, it seems Yamato and the others are in the Emperor’s Castle. I can’t bring Lady Hilde with me, of course, but since Lydia and Ludia are with her, it saves me the trouble of explaining.
Upon arriving at the Emperor’s Castle, I spotted some familiar Soldiers.
“Ah, Lady Mako. What brings you here?”
“Yes. I have an urgent matter concerning Yamato. May I pass through?”
“Yes! Please proceed!”
It’s nice when familiar faces are on guard duty. But trouble and annoyances always arrive when you least expect them.
“You there, woman, what are you doing?”
“Huh?”
Turning around, I saw several Nobles I’d never seen before. They were all men, but in Solmne, patriarchy is prevalent among the nobility, so most heads of households are men. There are female heads of households, but they are few.
“This is the glorious Emperor’s Castle. You, a lowly wretch, have no right to be here so casually.”
“If you pledge loyalty to me, perhaps I’ll consider it.”
Their words are as infuriating as ever. And why is it that whenever I come to the Emperor’s Castle, I run into trouble? But I don’t have time today, so I’ll have to proceed forcefully.
“Get out of the way. I don’t have time to talk to the likes of you.”
“Hii!”
Using my Mana Ring with a bit more force, I exude an aura of intimidation. I’m stronger than I thought due to the obstruction, but it’s no particular problem. The Nobles seemed to have lost their nerve, but I couldn’t care less.
“What’s going on! Lady Mako?”
The Soldiers, alerted by my magic, also arrived. Since I know some of them, this should be a smooth process.
“I apologize. I was in a hurry, but these individuals obstructed me, so I had to take care of them.”
“Understood. We will handle these individuals. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
After apologizing to the Soldiers, I moved forward. Later, I heard that the Nobles who accosted me were all stripped of their titles and confined to estates prepared for them in Deseo, forbidden from leaving their residences. These estates house several former heads of households who received similar punishments, and they are forbidden from participating in politics or even leaving the grounds. Enclosed by walls about five meters high, it’s like a prison for political offenders. It might seem like severe punishment, but the fact that they dared to provoke me, a Heaven-Ranked Consort, and that I was carrying information about the Labyrinth Flood, was considered highly important. Furthermore, these Nobles were typical Solmne nobles, so Emperor Reinhardt and Lady Hilde were eager to remove them.
Continuing on, I arrived in front of the conference room where Lady Hilde and the others were. Although they usually work in their offices, using the conference room implies some sort of meeting is in progress. I don’t know the details, but I felt reluctant to intrude. Nevertheless, I had no choice but to enter, so I announced myself to the Soldier standing by the door.
“Mako? Is something wrong?”
Lydia, the first to notice me, opened her mouth in surprise.
“Yes. My apologies for interrupting your meeting, Lady Hilde. An emergency has occurred in Valt, so I’ve come to pick up Yamato and the others.”
“In Valt?”
“Yes. It seems the Gagun Labyrinth is experiencing a Labyrinth Flood.”
At my words, the conference room erupted in a stir.
“Troublesome. The Gagun Labyrinth too…”
“The Gagun Labyrinth too?”
Yamato’s comment made me realize why the conference room was in such an uproar. Could it be that one of the Labyrinths in the former Solmne is also undergoing a Labyrinth Flood?
“Yes. Do you remember? When we were advancing towards Deseo, we were attacked by monsters that seemed to have been expelled from a Labyrinth.”
Lady Hilde prompted my memory. Near a town called Laofen, there is a Labyrinth—the Laofen Labyrinth. It hasn’t been conquered, and it hasn’t even been properly investigated. As proof, during our advance, we were attacked by the P-R rank Grand Deathwurm and the M-I rank Grand Deathwurm, monsters believed to have been expelled from the Laofen Labyrinth. That was nearly half a year ago, so it’s not unreasonable to think that the Laofen Labyrinth could also be a candidate for a Labyrinth Flood. In fact, I had completely forgotten about that.
“Only the first three floors of the Laofen Labyrinth have been explored. Originally, there were no Hunters; former Solmne soldiers entered for training, but the monsters that emerge are reportedly only C-rank monsters.”
If the monsters are C-rank on the third floor, then the Laofen Labyrinth must be quite deep. Since it hasn’t even been investigated, this is a serious matter that requires proper investigation.
“The Soldier’s Guild has already deployed troops around Laofen and is engaging the monsters. Fortunately, the highest-ranked monster is the Grand Deathwurm, which, while troublesome, can be dealt with by Soldiers. I also plan to head there once all the necessary procedures are completed.”
Grand Soldier’s Master Delfina informed me that she had dispatched Soldiers as soon as she received the report and had established a defense system. Furthermore, Hunters from Gracious Lynx and Black Army, who were already in Deseo to enter the Labyrinth, were able to be commissioned, so there is no shortage of combat power. Of course, unexpected developments are entirely possible, so after the meeting, Delfina will head to Float to report to Emperor Reinhardt and request the dispatch of Orders and further commissions to Hunters.
“In that case, we should be able to go to Valt without issue.”
“Yes. Based on what Mako said, it seems Valt has no Hunters and dispatching Beasts will be difficult. Lord Yamato, I apologize for the inconvenience, but we must ask for your assistance.”
“Understood. Well then, sorry to interrupt your meeting, but I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Yes.”
I never expected that the Laofen Labyrinth would also be experiencing a Labyrinth Flood. That’s precisely why Lady Hilde cannot go, but she has permitted me to take Yamato, Lydia, and Ludia with me. After this, I will return to Alka to regroup with everyone and then immediately transfer to Valt. The Gate Stone installed in Valt, like the one in the Emperor’s Castle, can only be used by Neige. However, she is waiting for us at the entrance of Ovest, so it’s a relief that we don’t have to ascend the castle.
