After hearing the story from Mako, Lydia, Ludia, and I hurriedly left Deseo and returned to Alka.
Prim, Mana, Meena, Flam, Athena, and Eos had already returned and seemed to be waiting for us.
When I briefly explained the Labyrinth Overflow at the Laofen Labyrinth, they were understandably surprised. However, an Ancient Class had already been dispatched there, so they should be able to handle it unless something extraordinary happens.
Still, it’s a concern, so I plan to check on it when I have free time.
“A Labyrinth Overflow at the Laofen Labyrinth… this is no laughing matter.”
“Yes. There are no records of two labyrinths overflowing simultaneously.”
Is this the first time something like this has happened?
Labyrinth Overflows are believed to occur when no one enters a labyrinth, and the inside becomes so overrun with monsters that they begin to spill out.
The preceding stage is a Labyrinth Expulsion, which releases a few monsters at a time. In contrast, a Labyrinth Overflow can release not just dozens, but hundreds or even thousands of monsters, which has been known to destroy neighboring towns, villages, and even entire nations.
Both Labyrinth Expulsions and Overflows have confirmed An and Catastrophe Species, but never Demise Species. They can’t appear if they don’t inhabit the labyrinth in the first place.
It’s reported that the Laofen Labyrinth has Grand Deathwurms of M-I rank, but fortunately, no other An Species have been confirmed, nor any Catastrophe Species. However, the Gagun Labyrinth is reported to potentially have not only An Species but even Catastrophe Species, and given its special location within the Gagun Great Forest, even High Class individuals would have difficulty dealing with it.
“You don’t know how Hanuman is doing, do you?”
“No. Hanuman is said to lair in a Treasure Tree deep within the Gagun Great Forest, but there are no Hunters currently in Valt who can scout that far. However, the Gagun Great Forest is beginning to be ravaged by monsters overflowing from the Labyrinth Overflow, so the Beastar Guild seems to think Hanuman won’t stay silent.”
That’s the most troublesome part. The Demise Species, Hanuman, inhabits the Gagun Great Forest. Hanuman makes its home in the Treasure Tree, which is located deep within the forest. The Gagun Labyrinth is about a 30-minute journey into the Gagun Great Forest, so normally, it wouldn’t provoke Hanuman.
However, if the Gagun Labyrinth experiences a Labyrinth Overflow, a massive horde of monsters will pour into the Gagun Great Forest. Since many of these monsters will be of high rank, it’s likely that some will venture deeper into dangerous areas like the Gagun Great Forest. I don’t think there are any monsters capable of defeating a Demise Species, but depending on their compatibility, it’s not impossible they could inflict some wounds. There’s also a possibility that Hanuman, sensing danger, might emerge from the Gagun Great Forest.
“Let’s go, for now. Oh, where are Raus and Rebecca?”
“They’ve been left behind in Prada Village. They will be attending tomorrow’s port opening ceremony as Yamato’s representatives.”
It’s Raus’s misfortune, but considering that not only the Gagun Labyrinth but even the Laofen Labyrinth has overflowed, it’s understandable that it won’t be suppressed in a day or two. It was also decided that Raus and the others would be responsible for guarding Glacian.
“Understood.”
However, I and Mana can’t exactly skip the ceremony, so I’ll have to make some time for it tomorrow.
After a brief exchange of information, we immediately teleported to Ovest. As expected, Neige was waiting for us there.
“Yamato-kun, everyone. Thank you for coming on short notice.”
“Neige-san, please tell us the situation.”
Neige-san started with words of gratitude, but that could wait.
“I understand. After Prim went to pick you all up, a report came in that the Labyrinth Overflow has begun in earnest. The monsters overflowing from the Gagun Labyrinth heading towards Mistol alone number no less than a thousand. What’s worse, some monsters have also headed deeper into the Gagun Great Forest.”
This is the worst-case scenario imaginable. It takes about half a day’s walk from the Gagun Labyrinth to Mistol, so for fast-moving monsters, they must be almost upon us.
“It’s cutting it close. I’ve been to Mistol before, so I can fly there immediately.”
“I’ve also visited there during my Hunter activities.”
While we haven’t been to Mistol, Prim and Eos have. Fortunately, we can travel via Traveling. In fact, the Hydransia Duke’s Territory was located southeast of Mistol, on the border of the former Ovest Baronial territory and the former Rodpeace Baronial territory. Eos has visited the Gagun Great Forest not to enter the labyrinth, but to see it.
“Neige-sama, is there anything else?”
“Yes. Several Catastrophe Species have been confirmed. Blast Blade Beetle, Cresthorn Pegasus, and Catoblepas.”
More troublesome ones. The Blast Blade Beetle is an M-C rank, a beetle with a hard carapace. Its horn is sharp, like a sword or spear, and can extend and retract, so if you’re careless thinking you’re out of range, you can easily be killed. The Cresthorn Pegasus is a celestial horse with a crescent-shaped horn, a P-C rank monster and a Catastrophe Species of Battle Horse. Battle Horses have a deep connection with humans, and almost all individuals on the ground are said to be domesticated. However, as monsters, they can also appear in labyrinths. In fact, they seem to inhabit the Gagun Labyrinth.
And the most troublesome is the A-C rank monster, the Catoblepas. It’s of the Bull species, but it has a third eye on its forehead like a jet-black gemstone. The Dark Magic released from that eye has the effect of paralyzing the body and rendering it immobile. Normal Class individuals have no way of resisting it, and even High Class individuals in their forties can’t defend against it. We don’t have information on Ancient Class, but it’s likely they would be in danger if careless. There are probably others, but these three are the Catastrophe Species confirmed by the Beastars. We don’t even know what happened to those Beastars, let alone the monsters that headed deeper into the Gagun Great Forest. This is bad; we need to hurry.
“Understood. I’ll go and exterminate them quickly.”
“Thank you.”
Neige dips her head deeply, but no one says anything. To make matters worse, Valt’s dignitaries and even the Beastars have bowed their heads.
“Sister, you shouldn’t lower your head so casually.”
“I know. But our newly founded country is facing an existential crisis. And you are here to save us, so I think this is acceptable.”
“Even so, as our queen, you should be mindful of your words and actions. Putting that aside, we are sending envoys to Float, so reinforcements from the Order will likely be dispatched soon. However, since the Laofen Labyrinth has also experienced an overflow, it may take several days for them to arrive.”
“Laofen, you mean Solemn’s? I didn’t realize there was a Labyrinth Overflow there too…”
It seems Neige-san hadn’t caught up on information about Laofen either. The Soldier’s Guild was cautious, but the area around Laofen is ruled by rebellious nobles, so Soldiers only went there for occasional investigations. I’ve heard that Soldiers have defeated Grand Worms several times, and Delfina has even defeated a Grand Deathwurm. The lord of Laofen doesn’t deal with monsters expelled from the labyrinth. What’s more, because the Laofen Labyrinth is within his territory, he demands all the materials. Hilde has of course rejected all these demands, which has resulted in Soldiers rarely going to investigate the Laofen Labyrinth, and Hunters have also never entered it for the same reason.
This Labyrinth Overflow is certainly a situation grave enough to warrant punishing that lord. Soldiers and Hunters will be dispatched without hesitation. Reports have also been sent to Emperor Reinhardt and the Order’s Guild, and Hilde will undoubtedly move to apprehend the lord without restraint.
In contrast, Neige-san bears no fault for the Gagun Labyrinth’s overflow. The Gagun Labyrinth was originally in the former Rodpeace Baronial territory, but it was incorporated into Valt during its founding, along with the former Hydransia Duke’s Territory. The reason for this was that the former Rodpeace Baronial territory, which became the Steilhang Beast Dukedom, was overwhelmed with reconstruction efforts and couldn’t cope with managing the labyrinth. The Steilhang Beast Duke’s father died at the hands of Solemn, which also reduced his influence. The Steilhang Beast Dukedom originally had another labyrinth, which has apparently already been cleared, so there was a judgment that it was sufficient as a resource.
Due to the civil war in Valentia, fewer Hunters began entering the Gagun Labyrinth, making it impossible to even conduct investigations, let alone conquer it. Hunters no longer needed to enter dangerous labyrinths, as their criminal acts were exempted simply by being High Hunters, and Raid members also benefited from this. Some apparently twisted the logic to argue that since these weren’t monsters that would produce High Hunters, they didn’t need to hunt them much. It’s said that they were mostly acting as private armies for nobles, only fighting when requested. As a result, the number of monsters in the Gagun Labyrinth increased, they gradually began to expel monsters, and it finally escalated to a Labyrinth Overflow. Neige-san had dispatched not only Hunters but also Beastars for investigations, but it still wasn’t enough.
Although she feels responsible, Neige-san is not to blame. Even though I’m cleaning up someone else’s mess, I should at least say this.
“Don’t worry, we will protect Valt until reinforcements arrive.”
“Thank you, Yamato-kun.”
It might be a bit too showy, but Neige-san needs to be reassured, so this should be fine. Also, regarding reinforcements, Raus and Carol, who are remaining in Prada Village, are scheduled to report to Emperor Reinhardt, so they should hear about it soon. Emperor Reinhardt should arrange for reinforcements immediately. Given that there are four Ancient Order members, it’s unlikely to take many days for transport. No, it’s possible someone might come first to transport the Beastars. If Rex-san comes, then Rosemary-san, Muse-san, and Saya-san will likely come with him, making it Miranda-san.
“Well then, Neige-san, we’re off.”
“Yes, be careful. Please come back safely.”
“Of course.”
There’s no point in staying here any longer. Seen off by Neige-san, we headed for Mistol via Prim’s Traveling.
The continuation is under development, but due to work commitments, I don’t have much time. Therefore, future posts will be made every three days.
