“N-no, I wouldn’t say I was avoiding you…” “…You were, though, right?” Working directly under Igarashi’s orders, I wound up taking on so many projects with her that rumors Big Boss Igarashi favored me most started to spread. She didn’t notice in the slightest, though, and I felt too timid to say anything. That was why, when she started giving me orders soon after we’d reincarnated, I had the strongest urge to chew her out—a feeling I regretted, looking back, as that was definitely not the time or the place to indulge in grudges. “Ah… S-sorry, I didn’t mean to corner you. It’s just, the memory makes me feel like I owe you a million apologies, and I took it out on you…” “Is that perhaps why you don’t call Mr. Atobe by his first name?” “Huh…? H-hey, hang on a second. Aren’t you going a little hard on me today, Louisa…?” “Oh, no, I would never… Right, Mr. Atobe?” “Huh? Oh, uh, r-right…,” I stammered. “Igarashi, why are you glaring at me like that…?” Louisa chuckled at how flustered I’d gotten. Brooding over how things were never easy with grown women, I took another swig of coffee to calm my harried nerves. Once the others had awoken, we ate breakfast and prepared to leave for the day. “Arihito, Falma said she can’t leave District Eight right away, but she should be here by evening.” “Oh, she got in touch with you? Thanks for letting me know… Madoka, how about we go buy that cart we talked about before today?” “Do you mean it?! Yay…! I’ve wanted one for so long. A Merchant with a cart seems so much more professional, don’t you think?” “All right, how about we go check out the carts then head to the archive?” After listening to our conversation, Igarashi came up behind Madoka and placed a caring hand on her shoulder. Madoka looked embarrassed but still let Igarashi do as she pleased. It warmed my heart to see how close they’d become. “I need to see about talking to an expert on hexes who Ceres suggested we meet with…though to be honest, I don’t know if we’ll be able to get in touch at the archive or even find any clues as to where they might be.” “Really? Maybe the two have a somewhat complicated relationship…,” Igarashi mused. “But maybe it’s best not to pry. We should be grateful she gave us any leads to begin with.” I filled Igarashi in on what Ceres had shared with me. We didn’t always meet with the Rune Maker as a full group, but I imagined it would put everyone much more at ease to work with all the information we’d gained in mind. “This may be a little late in the game to ask, but who exactly is Ceres? I mean, she’s got connections to peeps in District Five and all—maybe she’s like a super big shot and we just don’t know it…?” wondered Misaki in admiration. Honestly, I had to admit I was curious myself, though our questions would have to wait as Ceres and Steiner were away at their workshop. “She must have her reasons for not telling us everything,” Igarashi added. “I wonder what kind of job makes you an expert on curses…?” “I can think of a few possibilities,” I replied. “After all, Shirone’s job involved hexes and the like, too.” While officially a Charm Master, Shirone had carried two swords with her: Heaven’s Stiletto and Bloodsucker. If we assumed she used them both at once, she must’ve practiced some sort of dual blade swordsmanship, though the image didn’t exactly match with how I pictured a Charm Master might fight. “She used to be a Dual Fencer,” Elitia informed us. “But as to why she changed jobs… I think she must’ve thought that would give her a better chance at wielding a colored, inscribed weapon.” “A colored weapon…” Elitia’s sword, the Scarlet Emperor, bore a color in its name, a feature I figured all such weapons probably shared. “Do you mean there are other weapons with colors in their titles? Are all those cursed, too?” “Yes… I don’t know how many the White Night Brigade have in total now, but the captain and a few others carry their own. They’re not all weapons, though; some are defensive gear, too.” “Ellie, do the Brigade members know how to control those cursed weapons…?” Suzuna asked. Elitia’s expression darkened. Then her eyes fixed on her own sheathed cursed blade, and she said, “We were all told to equip one of these to take on the unique job it came with. They call it ‘being chosen by the weapon.’ The only one in the Brigade who’s moved past that stage…must be my brother, Johan.” Moved past that stage—did that mean he managed to control his colored weapon and subjugate the curse? Elitia had also shown signs of maturing into her profession over the many battles we’d fought. After defeating her thousandth foe, for example, she’d unlocked the capacity to acquire a skill called Scarlet Dance. “Is there something specific you have to do to get past that stage?” I asked. “…I don’t know. My brother said the requirements differ depending on the weapon’s color, but he doesn’t fully trust anyone. Even his vice captain, Agnes, told me sometimes she didn’t understand what he was thinking.” “And yet an entire band of people still follow your brother… The other Brigade members must have great faith in him as a leader,” Seraphina commented. Elitia didn’t deny it. “I know I shouldn’t talk badly about my own family, but…my brother’s not the same person I once knew. He used to be so gentle and quiet, burying himself in books for hours on his days off, but now…” The Labyrinth Country held no shortage of devastation for Seekers. Perhaps Elitia’s brother had gone through a terrible experience that sparked this change. If so, it wouldn’t be right to hold the shift against him without knowing those circumstances. The Brigade may have given up on saving Rury, but we would not stop until she was safe. While I wasn’t sure how our actions would come across to them, I knew we couldn’t afford to worry about that. “…I may disagree with your brother on some points, Elitia, but I will always support you unconditionally—no matter what.” “Arihito… Thank you. For now, I just hope I don’t have to see him again. I think that’s probably best for both of us, now that I’ve left the Brigade.” “Haaah, I would’ve been allll about meeting up if he was nice, y’know. But he sounds a smidge like a horror story villain, so I’m totes down to just keep a very distant eye on him.” Personally, I wanted to try and talk to him and get answers to something that had been on my mind: why Shirone went all the way down to District Seven intent on antagonizing us. If she’d acted on his orders, I’d have to assume he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. This whole story brought home a feeling I’d had for a while: We could not let our guard down around the Brigade. The northwestern part of District Five was home to a workshop that specialized in carts. The shop’s chief artisan, a bearded man who appeared not much older than me, used oil-stained, worn gloves, which spoke to years of frequent use and lent him the air of an experienced artisan. “Name’s McCain. I’m the second generation in my family to run this workshop,” he told us. “So what kind of cart are you looking for?” “My friend here is a Merchant with the Equip Cart skill, so I imagine we’ll use it to carry all sorts of items as we go, but for now, we need one that can haul a heavy piece of weaponry,” I explained. “So the little lady’s gonna handle it? Heavy weaponry, is it? Y’all must be gearin’ up to tackle a damn big fish, I take it. In that case, we’re gonna have to add extra support for all that weight.” “Extra support… You mean increase its load capacity or something?” McCain nodded then brought over a metal rod with a few holes in the middle. “This here’s what you use to push the cart. We make it so you can insert magic stones or runes in this bit. Stick a Lighten Stone, Floating Stone, or sometimes even a Flying Stone in there, and it’s a whole new cart. Seems to me that weapon y’all need to lug’s a real monster, but that won’t mean anythin’ to someone who can use Equip Cart.” “I see… Sounds like you can get a pretty advanced tune-up.” I’d only used the phrase on a whim, but McCain’s eyes lit up at the word tune-up. “I was a mechanic in my previous life, right, and when I first got here, I thought all that experience’d just go down the drain. It’s tough to explain, but magic tools and machinery opened up all sortsa doors for me. I could build an engine from scratch if I put enough time into it, but there’s no need when magic tools can stand in and do the exact same thing. I swear, the moment I realized I could upgrade any cart with the right magic stone, I got shivers all over.” “So…does that mean you invented magic stone–powered carts?” “That it does. Most carts do a good enough job for everyday use, see. But one day I had a customer who wanted to try adding a leftover Lighten Stone to the cart, and the rest is history. That’s how we first started offering the service.” “S-sorry to interrupt, but…would I need to prepare the stones myself to use an upgraded cart like that?” Madoka asked nervously. McCain just smiled then pointed to a shelving unit in a corner of the workshop. “No, little lady, we provide those for you—at a fair price, of course,” he assured her. “In your case, let’s see. If you’re wanting to lug a cannon-sized weapon, you’re probably better off loading the cart with slots instead of focusing on the weight-bearing capacity.” “Slots…? As in, a specific slot where you can load any item, regardless of its weight?” “Essentially. We use this Storage Stone that’s goin’ for twenty-five hundred gold at the moment, but it’s worth much more. You just watch—that price tag’s bound to skyrocket soon enough. When you add it to a cart, it designates a certain number of slots that can carry items no matter how heavy.” Sounds like the perfect solution for what we need right now. We don’t have hours or days to go searching for a specific stone, so it’s expensive, but in a sense it’s like buying time. “A-Arihito…,” Madoka fretted. “Don’t worry, our budget can cover that,” I told her. “McCain, we’re definitely going to need that Storage Stone, but can you also do anything to make the cart easier to transport?” “Of course. We can modify it so it’ll run on magic in a pinch, or give it finer steering and handling for pulling by hand. Just try to picture how you’ll most likely use it, and we can design your cart from there.” We’d come to purchase a cart, but all this choosing what options and finishes we wanted to get was starting to make it feel more like buying a car. “If need be, you can call on us to power the cart. However, we shall rely on you in situations where we cannot materialize, Master,” I heard Alphecca say. Shortly after, Murakumo joined the conversation from her sheath on my back. “Carts have their own role to play, Alphecca. Do not fear; you shall not be replaced.” “Such thoughts did not occur to us. If anything, perhaps Master shall have less use for you, Murakumo, once equipped with a cart that can bear such mighty weapons.” “Inconceivable,” Murakumo retorted. “As a uniquely powerful close-combat weapon Master can wield, I have untold avenues for contributing to his strength in battle yet to explore.” I’d never heard Ariadne’s armaments bicker among themselves. It took me slightly aback. “I’m going to have to rely on both of you more than you can imagine, so try not to fight, okay?” I told them. “…We shall strive our utmost.” “I’d like you to put me to efficient use whenever the opportunity presents. I have no doubt you and your comrades will grow stronger, Master, yet should your foes become equally more formidable, I believe Ariadne shall grant you that permission.” “Mr. Arihito, what do you think we should do?” Seraphina asked. “I have engaged in battle alongside armored vehicles as well, and believe I could also assist with the cart.” “Thank you very much, Ms. Seraphina. But I’m a member of this party, too, so please leave the cart to me! I promise I’ll do my part!” Madoka vowed. But as she had little battle experience, I decided to keep in mind I could always rely on Seraphina or Cion to help protect Madoka if necessary. And in keeping with her wishes, I asked McCain to bolster the cart so that one person could maneuver it with ease. In the end, this is what we went with: ♦Heaven’s Steel Wheel +3♦ > Load-bearing cart forged from HEAVEN’S STEEL > Modified with STORAGE STONE > Modified with ACCELERATION STONE > Modified with LIGHTEN STONE “I’m going to forge the chassis from this Heaven’s Steel. It’s a lightweight yet sturdy metal with a white luster that’s often used in armor or equipment around District Six. We sometimes get a shipment of even higher-quality metal, but that’d bump the price point way up. That said, Heaven’s Steel is the second-best metal we put into carts in our workshop, so you can trust it’ll be all you need.” “Thank you, McCain.” “If I’m being honest, that two-day deadline was a punch to the gut… Might’ve been too much even for me if I hadn’t already gotten a head start on a cart I meant to sell.” I’d tempered my request on the short turnaround with qualifiers like if at all possible or if you could try your best to meet the deadline, but McCain had readily agreed, asking only for a mana potion he could use to refill the magic he’d spend while building it as payment for the rush on the job. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s got you in such a hurry?” “We need this cart to take down a certain monster, and I want to do all I can to prepare before we face it.” “Gotcha… And you’re pressed for time, I take it. Well, don’t be a stranger. Let me know if anything about the cart isn’t up to snuff, and I’ll modify it for you. ’S long as I got time, I’d be more than happy to make it an even sweeter ride,” he said, then smiled and patted me lightly on the shoulder. “And do share some o’ those so-called daring exploits after you make it back in one piece.” “Of course, it’d be my pleasure. Thank you very much, McCain.” Our order complete, we left the workshop. No sooner had we stepped through the front door and begun our walk toward the archive than we heard the clanging of metal behind us. Part II: The Archive The archive in District Five lay close to the Middle Guild; constructed of stone, it looked far more collegiate than the other libraries I knew. A man clad in armor who I took to be a guard stood at the entrance. After walking past him, we saw a woman who looked like an archivist coming our way. “Welcome, I’ll just need to check your license before you enter… Oh my, you’re All-Star Seekers?” “Yes, as of just yesterday.” “Then you must have been summoned to quell the stampede, I assume. Please accept my sincere thanks for all the hard work fulfilling your mission… No, perhaps I should say, rising to the request.” “Oh, either one is fine. We didn’t do much, but it was an honor to assist.” The word mission might imply we acted out of obligation. However, since we were Seekers, the Guild could not compel us to help, so she must have corrected herself out of consideration for us. “As I imagine you saw for yourselves, rare indeed are the Seekers who choose to aid in subduing a stampede. Our library also functions as an evacuation center, so those of us employed here also joined the fight to protect it, though we just barely managed to prevent any Death Stalkers from forcing their way inside.” “Wow… Above all else, I’m glad you made it through safely.” “Thank you, that’s very kind. Now then, allow me to escort you to the main collection,” the archivist announced. Then, after adjusting the tassels on her hat, which reminded me of a graduation cap, she began showing us the way. “Think she’d flip if we came out and said, ‘But that’s not all—we’re actually the Most Distinguished Seekers!’?” Misaki said to our group. “Atobe’s always preferred not to brag about those sorts of accomplishments himself.” “I never cease to admire the humility Mr. Arihito continuously displays,” added Seraphina. “Oh yes,” Suzuna agreed. “Arihito is always modest, but never fails to rise to the moment… That’s just the kind of man he is.” “True… I don’t think I’ve seen many other men as gentlemanly as he is,” said Elitia. My party members sang my praises one after the other as they walked ahead of me, putting me in a very awkward position. “Wooow… That whole wall is packed with books from floor to ceiling! It’s like those atriums you see in the libraries in movies,” Madoka marveled, snapping me out of my funk. We’d made it to the main collection area—books crammed in every visible inch of the towering bookcases. Ladders had been installed flush with the shelves; were we supposed to climb them to pull books out? “This is incredible… About how many books are included in this collection?” I asked. “We have about three hundred thousand books in this area, as well as smaller collections where we keep special tomes,” the archivist informed me. “Do you think this collection has any of the books we need…?” Igarashi wondered aloud. “One of my skills allows me to immediately search our entire library for any information you seek. If you provide me with a few key words, I can also probe for related phrases.” “That would be very helpful. In that case, would you please help us look for books related to the Simian Lord, the Blazing Red Mansion, and hexes?” I requested. “A-Arihito, tell me you cut straight to the point without telling me you cut straight to the point, am I ri—?!” “Don’t interrupt. We don’t have time to beat around the bush here,” Igarashi chided. I understood what Misaki was getting at but this time had to side entirely with Igarashi; the moment called for blunt questions. After a flash of momentary surprise, the archivist closed her eyes as if in prayer—then: “I’ve found one book regarding the Simian Lord, two related to the Blazing Red Mansion, and around ten touching on hexes in this main section of the library. Here are the titles,” she said. Scanning the list she’d written up for us, I saw a few titles: Elementary Hexes, Distinctive Monster Attacks: Curses Edition, and Hex-Related Occupations. Every title seemed promising, and since there weren’t that many, I decided we should check them all out. “Considering this is the main section of the library, could there be similar titles housed in the smaller collections you mentioned?” Seraphina asked the archivist, who nodded in reply. “Yes, though those are mainly personally donated books. Tomes on curses can be found in the sixty-sixth collection of the archive.” “If we can’t find the information we’re looking for in these volumes, might we be able to peruse those collections as well?” I asked. “The special collections can only be accessed under the stipulation that no books be checked out of the archive. Would you still care to examine them?” “Yes, please. We’re desperate for any clues we can get.” The titles on curses rested on shelves in the middle of the bookcase. That said, the middle was still quite a ways up the wall—the ladder had been fitted with safeguards to prevent accidental falls, although I still couldn’t stomach the idea of looking down. “D’you think our friend Mage the Arachnomage could just scurry up the walls and get the books for us?” wondered Misaki. “Probably, but evidently we can’t use Summoning Pendants inside the archive,” I told her. “Who knew they had such a crazy thing going on in here, huh?” We couldn’t all climb up one ladder to get a book, so we rock, paper, scissored it out to choose who’d have to go. Surprisingly, Misaki voiced zero complaints when she lost and nimbly began stepping up the rungs. Elitia went after the book on the Simian Lord, and Igarashi got tasked with finding the ones on the Blazing Red Mansion. Ten books would be a lot to carry for one person, so Misaki and I went to get them together. Once we’d found the volumes we were looking for, we brought them back to the reading room to check out their contents. “This book on District Five monsters mentions the Simian Lord, but…it doesn’t seem to have any details on how previous generations were defeated, or any other new details we can use,” Elitia said. I went over to where she sat and had her show me what she meant. The book had an illustration of the Simian Lord, but it wasn’t a very accurate depiction. “Looks like they only list skills we’ve already seen it use, huh…? Don’t see anything on Etch-a-Hex, though,” I noted. “Maybe that’s something the newest Simian Lord started?” “Every time a Named Monster regenerates, it can display different resistances and the like, so it follows they may also wield unique skills as well,” Seraphina explained. “Arihito, I found a map of the Blazing Red Mansion in this one. Do you think it might be helpful?” Madoka asked, bringing over a tome titled Survey of District Five Labyrinths. The section on the Blazing Red Mansion had incredibly detailed notes on the first floor, where no monsters lived, but those specifics grew significantly sparser from the second floor and below. As justification for this discrepancy, the authors offered a note that read, “Insurmountable obstacles impeded further investigation.” Something must have happened while the researchers explored the second floor. “Looks like the research unit that provided the data for this book managed to reach the entry to the third floor. Do you think the Simian Lord built that fortress to block anyone from going down that far…?” I wondered aloud. “Some monsters habitually endeavor to prevent Seekers from accessing deeper floors of the labyrinths. Perhaps that instinct runs especially strong in the Simian Lord, or it has something it wants to protect. Irrespective of the reason, however, that treacherous ape’s hostility toward Seekers remains extremely dangerous.” Seraphina spoke calmly, but her voice had a certain vigor whenever she touched on the Simian Lord. In the end, we found little for our efforts. I looked through the books on curses, too, but none had anything about the hex the Simian Lord had used. “Atobe, how about you check out the special collection?” Igarashi offered. “We’ll look through these a bit more while you’re at it.” “Yeah, good idea,” I replied, and got up from my chair. Theresia, who had been quietly observing things, pattered over to me. After the two of us found the archivist and asked for permission to see the special collection, she led us to a teleportation door that would take us to it. “Please be aware monsters may be lurking in camouflage within the pages of some of these books,” she warned. “Some of these have kept up the disguises for so many decades that even we archivists cannot distinguish between truth or mimicry. As an extra precaution, please take great care when you flip through the pages. Should you see any text moving, there is a very good chance a monster is behind it.” “A-all right… We’ll be careful,” I promised. Then, praying we wouldn’t hit that awful jackpot, I ducked through the teleportation door into a dim room much smaller than the central section. The books had been evenly spaced out along the shelves. A single black, leather-bound copy stood out from the rest. Picking that from the shelf, the archivist announced, “This one is titled Hex-Related Occupations and Monsters.” “Thank you very much. Then, if I may…” Carefully, I took the book in hand. A green, gem-like stone had been inlaid in the center of the cover. Is this…jade? Could it have something to do with Ceres’s race…? As I turned page after page, I found one with an illustration of a person—one whose neck bore a mark very similar to the one on Theresia. Hexes, a subsection of curses, leave marks somewhere on the target’s body. Select monsters can cast curses, many of which increase in potency after the monster has perished; some unlucky victims bear the symptoms for life. As such, it is crucial to follow all the steps to lift a curse before attempting to defeat the monster that cast it. “……” Theresia tugged on my hand, so I tilted the book to show her. We kept flipping through the book but found nothing else on those crucial steps to lift the curse it had mentioned. Halfway through, the pages were all blank. Who in the world had written this book? Did that person live in District Five or maybe another district entirely? Turning around to ask the archivist a question, I handed the book to Theresia. Just then— —the dim room suddenly flashed with brilliant light. It seemed to be coming from behind me. “…Please, step away from the book…!” the archivist cried out, but the blinding light had gradually begun to dim. A faint, green glow emanated from the book in Theresia’s hands. “……” “Whoa…” I went to stand next to Theresia and had her show me the book. That’s when text began to fill pages that had been completely blank only a moment before. The writing looked like a string of cuneiform characters, perhaps an ancient form of Labyrinth Country script: “…These are the writings of the Labyrinth Country’s most ancient peoples. They read, ‘Twilight Lakeside Stroll,’” I heard Ariadne say. She had read the text through my eyes. Very soon after, the glowing letters faded out of view. One clue as to why this unexpected phenomenon occurred lay right before my eyes—the suspicious shine emanating from the mark on the nape of Theresia’s neck. “You two, that light…did it come from the book in your hands? If so, we shall have to investigate this further.” “I think it probably reacts differently depending on the person who holds it. It doesn’t seem dangerous, though, so please don’t worry too much.” “H-how could I not…?” “This is just my guess, but…I think the book lights up in the hands of anyone bearing an active curse. We came to here today to find clues for how to lift the mark you see here,” I told the archivist. “I can’t thank you enough for showing us this book.” I’d never imagined we’d find a clue like this. I also figured we owed it to the archivist to share as much about our situation as possible after putting her through such a shock. “I…I hadn’t even considered why you inquired about curses, or why you would be searching for this kind of book. I must admit, I’m quite ashamed of myself as an archivist.” “N-no, please don’t be… If anything, we didn’t want to raise any suspicions and came here intending to explain as little as we could about our problem. It was entirely my doing.” “Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say. However, as a curator in this archive, I strive to support our Seeker guests to the best of my ability. This has taught me I must endeavor to demonstrate to all our guests that they can safely trust me with their concerns.” “…I’d say you’ve been incredibly helpful already. I know I sound like a broken record, but I truly can’t thank you enough.” The archivist took the book from Theresia and returned it to its place on the shelf. Then, after readjusting the tassel on her cap as if to get a handle on her emotions, she gestured for us to go on ahead of her back to the teleportation door through which we’d come. Twilight Lakeside Stroll, as it turned out, was a labyrinth in the southeastern quarter of District Five. Warm, humid air flowed out of a dark cave that you apparently had to delve into to transport to the labyrinth. “…The entrance is really creepy… It feels like something bad is about to happen…” “Ms. Kyouka, are you all right? Perhaps it’s best you do not push yourself too much…,” Seraphina gently suggested. “I-I’m fine. Plus, I have a skill to dispel Fear… N-not that I’m scared or anything, of course. Ghosts don’t come out in broad daylight, after all.” “Sure, but some labyrinths do craaazy things with time, don’t they? Maybe this one’s, like, stuck in an endless dark evening?” “M-Misaki, do you really have to point it out like that…?” “My point is, shouldn’t we get some lamps or whatever?” she clarified. “…Or do you think it’s not that dark inside?” “The Guild publishes alerts regarding labyrinths with zero visibility, so it would appear external light sources are not absolutely necessary for exploring this one,” Seraphina informed us. I felt another swell of gratitude that she’d joined our party. Her advice at crucial moments like this made all the difference. “Kyouuuka, you better watch your back or you’re gonna lose out, long history with Arihito or not,” Misaki teased. “Th-that’s…,” Igarashi stammered. “I rely on Seraphina just as much, you know…” “We’ve pulled through all sorts of scrapes together so far, and we’ll do it again, even if the monster is a little frightful.” Elitia had clearly meant to lighten Igarashi’s spirits, but her encouragement moved Misaki and Suzuna more than anybody else. “Wh-what…?” “Oh nothiiing. You just seem back to your usual self, though, and, like, gave my tear glands a huuuge whack while you were at it.” “I’m so…so glad. You’re right; let’s keep doing all we can together. If we work as one, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.” “…You guys don’t have to baby me so much,” Elitia protested. “But thanks.” We were certainly pressed for time, but we’d never do our best work if we constantly beat ourselves up. We walked forward together, side by side with our closest friends. One look at the beaming smile Elitia flashed gave me faith—faith that she would never again forget she was not alone. Part III: Twilight Lakeside Stroll, First Floor Humid drafts wafting past us, we ducked into the cave and walked out onto a meadow covered in short grasses. A quick look around revealed a lake a short walk away. Unlike at the Beach of the Setting Sun, time here seemed frozen at the uncertain moment when you couldn’t be sure if the sun had dipped completely beneath the horizon. Igarashi walked ahead of me, glancing every which way as she went—this labyrinth appeared a little too overwhelming for her after all. Choosing her words carefully out of concern for Igarashi, Suzuna looked out at the lake steeped in the colors of dusk and said, “The witching hour…isn’t that what twilight is called in Japan? That’s what this seems like to me.” “I wonder which is worse luck, that or the dead of night…,” Igarashi whispered, then grasped Suzuna’s arm. Misaki snickered at the sight—Gamblers, evidently, were naturally gutsier than Valkyries. “Ooh, what if we’ve got to get to the middle of that big ol’ lake? Think we’ll have to go for another swim?” “W-we can’t go swimming when it’s this dark!” Igarashi quickly protested. “The resort was one thing, but there’s no telling what might be lurking under this lake.” “That’s true… You never can tell what monsters might live in labyrinth waters,” I said. The Merciless Guillotine had also popped out of the sea at the Beach of the Setting Sun without warning. I couldn’t help but wonder if something else that formidable would show itself as I looked out over the water. “From what I saw in the archive’s books, water snakes are the strongest foe here, but they don’t appear that often. Apparently, it’s best to go around the lake from the west to get to the second floor,” Elitia said. “Indeed, they did advise against following the eastern route. Perhaps that indicates it’s a more challenging path…or alternatively, leads to secrets the archive cannot disclose. When considered in that light, the warning counterintuitively gives me the sense it may be worth exploring in that direction…,” Seraphina added to the nuggets of information she and Elitia had discovered in the archive.
Chapter 54
28 min read