Chapter 69

CHAPTER 3 Gathering Power as the Hour Approaches Part I: The Hex Resurfaces We hadn’t been waiting for Elitia and the Strada very long before they returned. Time passes more quickly in labyrinths. The sun was already going down, and night was approaching. I wondered how things were outside the labyrinth. “Thanks for taking the trouble, Elitia.” “Not at all… Just as I thought, the flow of time isn’t stable here. We’d better find out exactly how much time has passed, and soon.” As long as you fight monsters and make your way through a labyrinth, your level increases—however, you have a certain time limit. “Thanks for showing me the way, Strada… Will we meet again?” The Strada didn’t answer Elitia, but once more, its ears twitched in what looked like an affirmation. We watched as the Strada turned and left. I wondered what the meaning was behind the name Stray Strada, and what had happened to this creature before. There was a lot I didn’t understand. We left the labyrinth, praying that we’d meet the Strada again someday. It was total night outside. The only light in our surroundings came from lampposts scattered here and there. “Aw, this late already…? I feel like a mini Rip van Winkle over here,” said Misaki. “Yeah,” I agreed. “We’d better head back to the inn for now. Theresia?” Theresia was going through a change that I should have already noticed. She stopped in her tracks. I moved to be by her side and had started to speak, when suddenly— “……!” I felt something like a wave of electricity running through my whole body, which made me bend backward. As Theresia turned around to look at me, I saw a clear pang of agony cross the part of her mouth peeking from her mask. ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA became hostile due to effects of EVIL DOMINATION > THERESIA attacked Hit ARIHITO > THERESIA’s karma rose “Kngh…!” A spray of red escaped from a shallow tear in my suit. “……” Theresia didn’t follow up with another attack. ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA resisted EVIL DOMINATION Resistance unsuccessful She was struggling to stop herself. She had the blade of her sword angled toward herself but couldn’t keep it there; it slowly pointed back toward me. More than the pain coursing through my chest—more than anything—what really hurt was the regret I felt. Regret that I hadn’t checked on how the hex on Theresia had progressed before taking her back into a labyrinth. “Theresia!” “H-hey, what gives? C-cut it out! Stop…!” “Misaki, get down!” I yelled. ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA attacked MELISSA defended “……!” “Theresia… Settle down… Please, snap out of it…!” How were we supposed to defend ourselves against one of our own? This wasn’t a simple status ailment like Confusion or Charm. My license told me that Theresia was now verified hostile, showing just how unnatural—and critical—the situation was. I’d always thought that, no matter what happened, we could overcome it, just as we always had. That naive assumption of mine had invited this disaster. “Theresia!” “……!!” “T-Theresia, I’m so sorry!” ♦Current Status♦ > KYOUKA attacked THERESIA activated DODGE > THERESIA activated REVERSE END Target: KYOUKA A memory of Theresia pointing at her license to acquire that skill arose from the deep recesses of my brain. Igarashi lashed out with the tip of her spear, but not with intent to hurt; she was only trying to stop Theresia. Theresia dodged and instantly moved to counterattack. Theresia’s attacks were much, much more powerful than Igarashi’s—so powerful that if they connected, they would leave critical wounds. But Theresia moved too quickly for Igarashi to even activate Mirage Step. Just then, I saw a bright, silver light pierce the deepest darkness of the night. “Haaaaaah!” ♦Current Status♦ > KOZELKA activated GARM’S ADVANCE, WANDERING TARGET FLARE, and WEAPON HUNT > Nullified THERESIA’s counterattack THERESIA lost her weapon “……” Kozelka parried Theresia’s blow with her thin sword. Theresia’s Razor Sword went sailing through the air until Khosrow knocked it to the ground with a gauntleted hand. ♦Current Status♦ > KOZELKA used BINDING BANGLES THERESIA was restrained Kozelka bound Theresia’s hands with what looked like a pair of large rings. Keeping her sharp eyes on the immobilized Theresia, Kozelka spoke. “Status ailment or none, no demi-human can attack their allies in the middle of town and expect to keep their freedom. We’re taking Theresia to the Guild.” “Wait a second, please,” I begged. “Theresia—she’s…!” ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA resisted EVIL DOMINATION THERESIA is no longer hostile Theresia was still fighting the Evil Domination. Even Kozelka and Khosrow could tell that it hadn’t taken complete control of her yet. Still, they continued to stare harshly at her and showed no intention of undoing her restraints. “Look, Atobe,” said Khosrow. “She’s already done enough for us to bring her in. If anything, you’re lucky that we happened to be on the scene. If we hadn’t been able to stop her little rampage, you’d be looking at a lot worse than a few injuries.” “But…but surely Theresia hasn’t done anything worth imprisonment!” “Yeah, yeah, I know. She didn’t mean any harm by it, am I right?” “Khosrow…” Khosrow grabbed hold of my arm and held me in check as he spoke, but I still wouldn’t back down. I couldn’t let them take Theresia away. At that hour, there weren’t many bystanders in the area to see it, but Theresia had indeed turned on us and attacked in plain sight. “…We’re taking her in. Send a party representative to Guild Saviors headquarters, and we’ll fill you in on what comes next.” With that, Kozelka and Khosrow left with Theresia in tow. My party looked to me; I couldn’t leave them lost in their uncertainty. “I’m going to the Guild Saviors HQ. I’ll be back with Theresia for sure.” “…Very well, Mr. Atobe. We’ll be waiting at the inn.” “Please get Theresia back safe…please. I’m so sorry I couldn’t do anything…” “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Igarashi. You did your best not to hurt her. That’s why Kozelka was able to step in.” “But what about you, Arihito…?” Elitia asked. “Don’t worry about me. It wasn’t that bad. Theresia wasn’t aiming to kill.” But I knew that wasn’t the truth. The Simian Lord’s domination had made Theresia attack me. She hadn’t been acting from her own free will at all—which meant she had no say in how severely she attacked, for better or for worse. “…!!” As I split from the party and walked on, I checked my license. What I saw made me so angry, I wanted to scream—but all I could do was glare up at the heavens. ♦THERESIA’s Status♦ Evil Domination progression: 46 > Progression speed increased due to defeat of DEEP EATER under Cursed status Kozelka and Khosrow were waiting for me in the conference room at the Guild Saviors headquarters. “…My apologies; our response was quite sudden,” said Kozelka. “We had been dispatched to patrol the district, but that isn’t the only reason we were on the scene. The other reason, Mr. Atobe, was that we’d heard a report that you and your party were out seeking.” “So you’re saying…you had us marked?” “Word around here has it that you’re gonna go toe-to-toe with the Simian Lord in the Blazing Red Mansion,” Khosrow told me. “Thing is, we had no idea how much progress you’ve made, so we got the okay to investigate for ourselves… ’Course, if nothing had happened, we would’ve sat tight until the day actually came.” “Sorry for not keeping you guys in the loop. Today we went out to the Tremulous Foothills to gather some materials we needed. We’ll put our plan in motion as soon as we’re ready.” “To think you’re gonna qualify to seek in level-five labyrinths four days after arriving in this district… I knew there was something about your party that went beyond your levels.” Kozelka’s expression hadn’t changed, but I could tell she was speaking from the heart. Khosrow stood silently at her side. “Well, we do have a couple crucial high-level pillars in Elitia and Seraphina. But still, each battle we get into has me feeling like we’re walking a tightrope.” “Most parties who take on the Blazing Red Mansion are made up of level-ten Seekers or higher—level nine at the least. But even in a labyrinth that tough, I’d expect your party has a fighting chance. It’s not too reckless for you to take on District Five labyrinths… Third Class Dragon Major Dylan, Captain Nayuta, and others vouch for you.” “Thank you for saying so. But helping Theresia and rescuing the Seekers the Simian Lord has subjugated are all that matters to us. If we can’t manage those, none of that praise means anything.” “…Theresia appears to be under the influence of Evil Domination. We are keeping her in a cell for now. We can’t simply hand her over, not even to you, Mr. Atobe.” “She got hit with that hex when you and your crew ran into the Simian Lord in the Blazing Red Mansion last time, huh?” Khosrow and Kozelka knew the details of the situation, but that didn’t mean they’d release Theresia any sooner. If anything, Theresia being hexed in such a way was grounds for them to keep her under lock and key for even longer. “We’ve left the Simian Lord alone because taking it down would mean injuring or killing the Seekers under its control. It’s also not likely to cause a Stampede, which is another argument for letting it be,” Kozelka explained. “…However, in the Guild Saviors bylaws, there’s a clause that classifies Seekers who are subordinates of a monster as monsters themselves. There’s those who take advantage of that clause to rob those Seekers of their equipment. That’s not a violation of any rule. Personally, though, I’d say a human’s a human, even if a monster’s controlling them—and that means there’s probably some way to save them. But that might just be my ego talking.” “We’d prioritize incapacitating them without killing them. Or maybe we’d just focus on the boss,” I said. “If we take down the Simian Lord, all the people under its control would be freed. At least I think that’s a definite possibility.” “At present, no one else is making a concentrated effort to defeat the Simian Lord. Not even the White Night Brigade consider the Simian Lord a viable target for extermination, and they’re a once-in-a-generation party that happens to be staying in District Five.” I wondered whether the White Night Brigade had already reached their goal in the Blazing Red Mansion when Rury got captured by the Simian Lord—or if they’d decided the risk was too great and given up on clearing the labyrinth then. I still didn’t know. “Keep that in mind. The monster you’ve decided to go up against is such bad news, even the White Night Brigade won’t touch it,” said Khosrow. “On top of that, you’re planning on trying not to kill any of the Seekers under its control—its own private army. As if that weren’t enough, judging by your party’s overall MO, you’re more than willing to get hurt yourselves.” “…I get that you think it’s too much to manage. But still—” “Listen, Mr. Atobe. I want you and your party to understand this. Let’s say you end up having to kill the Seekers that the Simian Lord has doing its bidding. You should not let it weigh on your conscience… But if you insist on holding yourselves to that condition, even in the middle of battle, well… That’s something worth respecting.” “Look, I don’t feel like going up against a formidable opponent and getting totally wrecked, but here we are, so I gotta ask again. Even if it might get me fired from this job. How ’bout letting us get a taste of the action?” “Khosrow…” “I’ve got the authority to release Theresia. You’d regret leaving her in a cell while you went off into a labyrinth, wouldn’t you, Mr. Atobe? If so, allow me to join your party for a while.” “…Huh?” I blurted out in confusion. I couldn’t see how this connected to what we’d been talking about at all. Khosrow was all smiles; when I looked over at Kozelka, she was covering her mouth with her hand. “As a third-class dragon captain, I can assume managerial control over Seekers who’re deemed to need observation. I can even allow certain troublemakers to accompany any party I’m a member of—with the rest of the party’s approval, that is. Even if those troublemakers happen to be demi-humans.” I knew it was probably best for Theresia to stay where she’d be safe. But I also couldn’t help wanting to get her out of that cell as quickly as possible. I wrestled with that contradiction. “If you decide to leave Theresia here, there’s a chance she’ll be sent back to District Eight. From there, she’d be stripped of her seeking rights and sent off to a correctional facility… But as long as Kozelka is with Theresia, nobody can interfere with her. Your party will still bear the risk of having her around, though. That’s just something you’ll have to put up with.” “Khosrow, you— No, now is not the time. How does all of this sound to you, Mr. Atobe?” I couldn’t think of any reason why Kozelka and Khosrow would go through so much trouble for us—and yet they were. They spoke of it like it was the obvious choice. I felt something hot welling up inside me and put a hand to my chest. Kozelka’s eyes subtly widened as she watched me. “Are your injuries bothering you, Mr. Atobe?” “No…it’s nothing, really. I’m not the one who’s suffering here.” “I think you undersell yourself too much, Atobe. But I also think that’s how you end up with so many people in your corner. Look—you’ve even got me and Kozelka wrapped up in all this.” “I wouldn’t say we’re ‘wrapped up.’ We’re cooperating because we want to.” “Thank you… Both of you. Truly…” “Save the thanks for later. The real hard stuff’s just getting started. But hey, when it’s all over, we’ll have plenty to talk about over drinks.” Khosrow extended his right hand. As I reached out to shake it, Kozelka stood up and walked toward us. “We’re heading into the Blazing Red Mansion tomorrow,” I said. “Right. So for today…please take Theresia home and get all the rest you need.” “We’ll stay in the same inn as your party tonight,” added Khosrow. “In two separate rooms, of course.” “I don’t think that’s really any concern of Mr. Atobe’s… You must learn to tighten your lips, Khosrow, or I’ll be leaving you behind.” “Whoops, sorry ’bout that, Third Class Dragon Captain, ma’am.” Kozelka stared daggers at Khosrow but spared him any further scolding as she left the room. “All right, I’ll show you to Theresia’s cell. Follow me.” They were holding Theresia in the third basement of the Guild Saviors headquarters. Nothing that I’d feared had come to pass; Theresia sat calmly behind the iron bars of her cell, hands on her knees. “Good to see you, Dragon Sergeant.” The male Guild Saviors on guard duty saluted Khosrow. The lower-ranking members bowed with a hand pressed to their chests, while the senior officers saluted by raising their right hands. “This Seeker is coming with me. Third Class Dragon Captain Kozelka authorized her release.” “But, sir, after this demi-human’s summary proceedings, she’s to be sent back to the District Eight Mercenary Office, where she came from…” “Plans have changed. I’ve got documentation from Captain Kozelka, if you need it.” “…R-roger, sir. I had no idea you had such an, er, interest, Dragon Sergeant…” “An interest in what, exactly?” “N-nothing, Dragon Sergeant… Never mind…” Flustered by Khosrow’s intimidation tactics, the guard opened Theresia’s cell. However, Theresia showed no signs of coming out. With Khosrow’s permission, I entered the cell myself and extended a hand to her. “Come on, Theresia. Let’s go.” “……” I was only there to pick Theresia up. I knew that she was no longer hostile. I wasn’t afraid of her at all. Everything was exactly as it’d always been between us. I smiled at Theresia to prove it to her. At last, Theresia reached up to me. With her hand in mine, she stood up. Theresia’s hand was shaking, and I understood why. Because she was the Theresia I knew. On our way out of the cell and back up to the surface, Khosrow spoke so only I could hear him. “Sorry, Atobe. Thing is, even among the Guild Saviors, some folks are biased against demi-humans. I wouldn’t recommend leaving Theresia anywhere in their sights for long. I tell ya, even among those of us fighting for the good of the Labyrinth Country, there’s still folks like that.” “So that’s why you called for me so quickly, then? She didn’t even end up staying here overnight.” “Demi-human or not, she’s a young lady. She’d be awful sad and lonely, having to stay in a place like this… Heh. Sorry for laying on the straight-shooter act.” “Not at all… You’re the one who told me to keep my cool. Ever since I first came to the Labyrinth Country, I’ve met a lot of reliable people. That’s how I’ve managed to come as far as I have.” “And I’m one of those people, huh? I mean, maybe… Nah, you’re just killin’ me with kindness here.” Khosrow didn’t say anything else as he escorted us to the exit on the ground floor of guild headquarters. Kozelka was waiting for us there. And not only Kozelka. I caught sight of another familiar face beside her. “Luca…!” “You sure kept me waiting… Oh, I suppose this is hardly the place for putting on airs. How has life been without me, Arihito? Not too difficult, I hope.” It was Luca, all right—that same comic extravagance, short hair, and slender, androgynous frame. Every last detail was exactly the same as when I’d met him in District Seven. “That’s Atobe for you,” said Khosrow. “Friends all over the place. Just overflowing with personal magnetism, eh?” “Oh, I can see this Guild Savior here is no ordinary man—it’s written all over him! Arihito, not to be a bother, but could you fill me in a bit on the way to the inn? I’ve asked Kozelka here, but she hasn’t quite gotten me all the details.” “Of course. But first, Luca, what brings you to District Five?” I didn’t think I needed to finish the question, though; my eyes told me the whole story as they fell on the large suitcase at Luca’s side. “I couldn’t fix the raiment that Madoka asked me about just yet, on account of I didn’t have the right materials…but I did finish the suit. I was basically obsessed with getting it made, and I suppose I managed to finish in the nick of time. Looks like you could use a new suit right about now, hmmm?” I’d ordered a brand-new suit from Luca—one made with materials from the Thunder Head and Darkness Blitz—and it was ready. That meant I’d get a defensive boost from my suit itself for the first time in a while. “So you’re a tailor, eh, Luca? Name’s Josh Khosrow—just another Guild Savior nobody.” “Oh, I know that look! You’ve got ‘I should order a suit of my own’ written all over your face. It just so happens that Arihito’s got me on retainer, so I’m sure I can squeeze you in next time my hands are free.” Luca had clearly wasted no time in asking Kozelka about me after arriving. I couldn’t help but be impressed that she hadn’t intimidated him. “Looks like you’ve made all sorts of acquaintances.” “Y-yeah. I’ve worked with Luca since we met back in District Seven.” “He looks like he could help boost your fighting strength, too. Shall we ask him for assistance?” It was true—Luca’s true strength was plain to see at first glance. I wouldn’t put him on the front lines of any battle, but he could likely hold his own in a fight in a support role. As Kozelka had implied, though, it would come down to Luca’s own intentions. Part II: Getting a Boost We returned to the inn to find Igarashi and the rest gathered in the living room, having changed their clothes. It turned out that Ceres had called them together—and someone I hadn’t expected to see was there with them. “Hey, Arihito!” “Lynée…” Ceres pulled the brim of her conical hat down to cover her face. Steiner looked somewhat baffled in front of Schwarz, the scarecrow that Lynée had brought along. “I figured I couldn’t have you all drag yourselves out to my place again, so I came into town. I haven’t been here in a while…” “You say that like you stepped out on a whim, but you’ve kept yourself holed up out there for a while, haven’t you?” “Hmph. Maybe so, but I have my reasons… Now be honest, you’re glad to see your old friend’s face for the first time in ages, aren’t you, Ceres?” “Old friend? It’s been so long, you’re practically a stranger!” When Ceres was with Steiner, she seemed mature beyond what her girlish looks would suggest. But with Lynée in tow, she was showing a side of herself I’d never seen before. “I know Ceres is a jade… Are you from the same place as her, Lynée?” “Yes, as it shakes out! I became a Seeker before Ceres did, and all those trials and tribulations led me to where I am today… Anyway, let’s get started with those Holy Stones! Personally, I’d suggest you let Ceres handle them—she’s better with them than I am.” “What are you talking about? …Well, that’s what I’d like to say. But Arihito here already knows that the two of us are about equally capable of the same things.” “Right… I’m sure you already know, Ceres, but to draw out the power of unique ores and add ’em to weapons, you need one of these—a transmitter pearl!” “…So you got your hands on one, huh? It’s been years since I last saw a transmitter pearl…” “Found this one myself back in my seeking days. I figured I might never use it again, but, well, then I met Arihito here.” Lynée reached into the chest portion of her robe and pulled out a pendant—specifically a metal locket—containing a few gems. She removed one of the gems and passed it to Ceres. Seeing the two of them like that, I was struck by just how similar they looked. Both of them were jades, and thus they looked significantly younger than they actually were. Their hair was nearly the same flaxen shade. But the point of resemblance that made the strongest impression was their eyes, which were the exact same color. “In order to keep your party’s private information confidential, Mr. Atobe, we’ll be leaving the room now.” “If anything happens, just call, and we’ll be right back in a flash. If there’s anything the Guild Saviors are good at, it’s being on standby.” “Thank you! Really, you’ve got to let me thank you properly again—” “Nonsense. In a way, you’re just letting us do what we wanna do.” “The way Khosrow put that could use a little work…but we are hoping for you and your party’s safety. That’s all we ask—no thanks necessary.” “In that case, yours truly will be stepping out until you need me, too. I can’t exactly smoke my you-know-whats indoors, can I?” “Well, well, Luca! Looks like you brought the good stuff.” Luca and Khosrow had both pulled cigar cases out of their breast pockets. Kozelka drew a light but audible breath as she watched the two of them walk out of the room together. “Um, if you don’t mind, may I have a word?” Falma asked Kozelka. “…Certainly. Lieutenant Seraphina, may I have some of your time later, then?” “Y-yes, Third Class Dragon Captain. Roger.” Kozelka walked off with Falma. Soon we’d be heading off to Ceres’s workshop; they would be waiting nearby, chatting until we returned. I knew that Kozelka and Khosrow hung back because of Theresia, but I imagined that there was little to worry about with the Binding Bangles on both of her wrists. I wanted to get those off her—but I’d have to ask Kozelka to do that later. Of course, I would bear full responsibility for anything that happened afterward, but I wasn’t sure whether saying so would be enough to get Kozelka to accept. When we arrived at the workshop, Ceres set the transmitter pearl she’d received from Lynée down next to the Heaven’s Stiletto. “Hmm… This kind of sword, eh? No weapon for a soldier—only those with certain jobs can wield something like this. Are you sure this is the one?” As a Rearguard, there wasn’t any weapon or armor that I couldn’t equip. But unless the weapon itself supported me as I wielded it, like Murakumo did, I couldn’t hold a candle to any of the jobs that usually equipped it. Whenever possible, I wanted to make sure that weapons got into the hands of the party members who could use them best. If none of our party members could equip the stiletto, we’d have had to search for a new Sorcery Tool to act as a base for a Curse Eater weapon. But with Madoka looking into it for us, we were able to determine the correct job for the gear. “As a Rogue, Theresia can equip weapons like this one.” “In that case, we’ll definitely need her with us to defeat the Simian Lord… Then again, participating in that battle—or getting close to the Simian Lord at all—might not be something Theresia can handle now…” Elitia’s misgivings made perfect sense. Theresia had attacked me before; the possibility remained that she might do it again if we fought the Simian Lord. The monster might well influence the corrosive progress of her hex. Given how far it had progressed already, there was a risk that she could instantaneously fall under the Simian Lord’s control. With that in mind, it seemed clear that keeping Theresia in a safe location should be our top priority. “With a Curse Eater weapon equipped, she’s certain to land a hit. The question is, will Theresia be able stay on, you know, the right side long enough to do so?” “……” Theresia nodded at Ceres’s question. “As an outsider who hasn’t known Theresia very long…I may have underestimated the strength of her feelings for you and your party, Arihito. But I can see clearly now. Those feelings will come in handy warding off the ill effects of the curse—at least at its worst.” “…Lynée, what exactly do you mean by warding off…?” “I’m something of a hex worker myself, you know. I happen to know a few countermeasures for hexes. Consider my skills as a sort of insurance. I can’t stop the hex from corroding her further, but I can make it inflict status ailments less frequently.” Lynée’s voice dropped to a whisper, so faint it couldn’t be heard. She mumbled something as she turned to Theresia with her palms outward. ♦Current Status♦ > LYNÉEE activated BONDING INCANTATION Success THERESIA gained PSYCHE BARRIER 1 “…That should do it. It’s rather rare for that skill to succeed, even in a party that’s made it all the way up to District Five. And it’s not something that can be used over and over again, mind you. At any rate, it needs you to be hexed to work at all!” “Thank you very much, Lynée… For everything.” “Now, now. I can’t let Lynée hog all the spotlight, can I?” Ceres said. As Lynée watched on along with the rest of us, Ceres waved her hands over the Heaven’s Stiletto and a Holy Stone. “O sacred, shining stone! Let your power flow into this pearl, so that it may find harbor in a weapon true…!” ♦Current Status♦ > CERES activated EXTRACT HOLY STONE’s unique characteristics were extracted as a magic glyph > CERES activated CONVERSION Magic glyph was applied to HEAVEN’S STILETTO +4 The Holy Stone began to shine; its light was drawn into the transmitter pearl. The light in the pearl shone brighter and brighter until it finally took the form of a glowing glyph, which then drifted toward the Heaven’s Stiletto and soaked into it. ♦Gloria Stiletto +6♦ > Piercing attacks are more likely to inflict critical hits > Attack power increased when a different weapon is equipped in each hand > Attack speed increased > Chance to avoid enemy attention increased > Fitted with SILENT STONE > Special Attack: Curse deals additional striking damage to a monster using hexes Activates CURSE EATER when that monster is defeated With the magic glyph engraved onto Heaven’s Stiletto, it had a new name—likely because we’d used a starred material to upgrade it. I didn’t think it had had the ability to decrease enemy attention before, either, so that must have been added as well. “Phew… Good thing the upgrade was a success. If it’d been a failure, we would’ve lost the materials, too.” “I guess Holy Stones are difficult for even you to work with, Master.” “At least we have a spare on hand in case of failure. Plus we could always ask Misaki to help out—she’d make success a sure thing.” “That’d be one way to do it… Honestly, Arihito, your party’s just packed with interesting folks.” “Aw, that might be overselling me a bit…” Misaki blushed. She couldn’t use Fortune Roll in town, as a rule; Ceres would have to accompany us into a labyrinth for her to be able to do that. It seemed she might have to do exactly that eventually, just so we wouldn’t lose any particularly precious materials. “And with that, my debt to your party is paid, Arihito. Circumstances being what they are, I can’t actually join you in combat, but someday I’d like to at least send Schwarz to help in my stead. So do please try to survive until then… I hope that’s not too troublesome a request.” “Thank you, Lynée—and please, your well wishes are all we need. We definitely appreciate you teaching us how to remove the hex.” “…I do hope Theresia can be freed from it without succumbing to it. Now, Ceres, you take care, too… You and that armored apprentice of yours.” “May we accompany you as well, Mr. Atobe?” “I’d like to ask you to secure our escape route, if you would. We’ll handle fighting the monsters, but it’ll be difficult for us to watch our own backs while we’re storming the Simian Lord’s stronghold.” “Certainly. We’ve fought along with you before, Arihito, together with Luca. I can’t say we’ve grown to the point since then where you could call on us anytime, but our levels have increased, at least.” Naturally, we couldn’t let our supporters do anything too dangerous—but having allies behind us would make a big difference in our comfort levels when it came time to escape after defeating the Simian Lord. “There. I’ve made a weapon that you’ll need to free Theresia from her hex. I’ve also finished the Queen’s Tail—made from materials from The Calamity itself. All that’s left now is to load it into the cart and figure out how to use it.” “McCain the cart builder said he’d have a canopy added to the cart by this evening.” “Sounds like it’ll be ready in time somehow or other, then. Now I suppose you’d better give the weapon a shot and make sure it’ll do the job against the Simian Lord.” “Yeah, I was just thinking so myself. Can I get your help with that, Madoka?” “I’m mentally ready whenever you are!” Madoka said as she bowed, but I knew that she had to be nervous at the prospect of playing a major role in our fight with the Simian Lord. “…I’m so glad to have a chance to fight with you. I guess I must be trembling with excitement…” “That must be it. I’ll admit I’m nervous, too—but don’t worry, Madoka. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you stay out of harm’s way.” You never know how a battle is going to go until you’ve actually fought it. Adding vague words on top of that uncertainty would only serve to make my party even less confident. “Atobe, you’re taking on way too much by yourself. Remember, we’re all with you.” “Igarashi…” “It feels strange for me to be the one saying this…but Arihito, don’t try to do it all yourself,” said Elitia. “If anything happens to any of our allies, we’ll be there to help for sure. If we can’t manage that much, then we won’t be able to help Rury or any of the other Seekers under the Simian Lord’s control, either.” Other Seekers hadn’t even managed to defeat the Simian Lord’s monster underlings. Everyone had made it a point to keep their distance, thinking it wasn’t worth the risk. Not only were we going up against a monster like that, but we’d given ourselves a difficult stipulation that we’d have to stick to during the fight. “You and the rest of the party have surprised me many times over already. It probably sounds a little naive, but I believe you’ll surprise me again.” “…I think so myself,” I told Elitia. “We’ve got to push onward without hesitation, or it won’t amount to anything. That’s how we’ve done things so far.” “You got that right,” Ceres agreed. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of any Seekers in the history of the Labyrinth Country who’ve progressed as fast as your party… I don’t figure it’s much of an exaggeration at this point to say you’ve set a speed record. Wouldn’t want this to trip you up, now would we?” “Mr. Atobe, I… No, now is not the time. Perhaps you’ll let me finish that thought when your battle is won.” “Careful, Steiner—you’ll jinx us,” said Misaki. “But maybe I’m to blame, not treating all this with the seriousness it deserves…” What could Steiner have wanted to talk to me about? I could’ve ventured a guess, but it would’ve been wrong to bring it up then and there. “So when are you heading into the Blazing Red Mansion?” Ceres asked me. “The hex on Theresia has progressed to the point that I’d rather not wait another day if we can help it. I underestimated it… I didn’t even consider that it might get worse as Theresia defeated monsters.” “There are all sorts of ways for a hex to progress… That’s nothing you should blame yourself over, Arihito. It was my oversight, too,” Lynée said, cutting into the conversation. But she hadn’t made any oversight at all—on the contrary, without her help, we couldn’t have arrived at a way to break the hex. “Hmm…? Ceres, what’s this armor over here?” “That? Arihito’s party found that plate mail in a Black Box. It hasn’t been appraised yet, so it can’t be equipped.” “You wouldn’t happen to have a High-Grade Appraisal Scroll, would you, Ms. Lynée?” Steiner showed a great deal of respect toward Lynée—perhaps because she and Ceres had been childhood friends. Lynée, looking tickled by Steiner’s respectful manner, opened the bag slung from her shoulder and began rummaging around inside it. “I thought this might come in handy someday, though I’ve been holding on to it for quite a while. High-Grade Appraisal… Now, this scroll happens to be above even an Appraise 3 skill, so it’s worth as much as a rare treasure itself. Indeed, it was once a treasure in my eyes.” Once—meaning it no longer was. While I mulled that over, Lynée burst out laughing, as if she’d read my innermost thoughts. “To Schwarz and me, you and your party practically shine these days. I was delighted when you came out to my humble abode. After I received Ceres’s letter, I waffled back and forth over whether I should come see her or not, right up until the moment I arrived… But I’m glad that I did.” “…Shouldn’t you be saying that to me?” Ceres grumbled quietly. At that, Lynée laughed even harder, to the point that her shoulders shook. Then she passed me the scroll she’d drawn out of her bag. “Thank you, Lynée. I’ll put this to good use.” “Can I get started with the appraisal right away, Arihito?” “Please do!” Madoka moved over toward the pedestal that held the unidentified plate mail and opened the scroll. When she did, the armor—which had been dark and dull up until that moment—began to give off a bright light. ♦Glacial Plate♦ > Primarily made of crystium > Refitted for extensive weight reduction > Strengthens physical defense > Slightly strengthens indirect defense > Strengthens magic defense > Nullifies area effect: High Heat > Occasionally activates ICE SHIELD when taking damage from enemies > One slot > Currently broken “…I’m starting to feel cooler just being near this armor…” Madoka was surprised, and she wasn’t the only one; Appraisal Scrolls and skills provided unknown details about things, but somehow this High-Grade Appraisal Scroll seemed different. “Items that call for more than Appraise 3 have certain information concealed, so not just anybody can use them,” Ceres explained. “Now that it’s been appraised, you’re getting a look at its true form.” “Chilly armor…and starred, on top of that. And it even has a slot, which means it can take a rune,” Lynée added. “It says it’s broken, but really, it just looks like the clasps are busted. We could easily fix that with the proper materials… Though that’s assuming we can get some crystium…” “I think we found some of that metal in the last labyrinth we visited,” Melissa said, reaching into her pockets. Sure enough, she pulled out the crystium fragments. Seeing them, Steiner gave a thumbs-up. “I can have the armor fixed in two hours. Should I alter it to fit Seraphina, like my Master suggested?” “Are you sure it’s all right for me to take such powerful armor?” “Sure,” I said. “I was going to ask them to repair the armor you’ve been wearing so far, too. Can you do that, too, Steiner?” “Ah… It looks like this armor is badly damaged indeed. It’s going to take quite some time to fix. Could you let me think about how to properly restore it later?” “Please do. You can repair and alter this Glacial Plate now, though, right?” “Of course. I’ll get it sized just right. You’ll have to let me borrow Seraphina for a bit, Mr. Atobe.” With that, Steiner led Seraphina into the back area of the workshop with the Glacial Plate in hand. “We’ll also perform maintenance on the rest of your equipment. I’ll see to all of it before tomorrow morning.” “Thanks, Ceres.” “In that case, I may as well stick around and lend a hand. I wouldn’t want to head back now and have everyone think I’m heartless,” said Lynée. “If that’s your reason for helping, you needn’t bother.” If Ceres’s words hurt Lynée’s feelings, she didn’t show any sign of it. They seemed less like childhood friends and more like sisters; if anything, this bickering felt like proof of the affection they shared for each other. “…Hmph. Arihito, one of the magic stones on your slingshot is split,” Ceres noted. “It looks like I used that manipulation stone past its limit. If possible, I’d like to temporarily swap it out for another stone…” “All right, then. How about if I take the Satisfaction Stone out of that Bloodsucker you showed me before and put that in your slingshot?” According to Madoka’s research, either Melissa or Theresia could use Bloodsucker. However, Melissa already had her butcher’s knife and Forbidden Scythe, and Theresia had the Gloria Stiletto and Elluminate Razor Sword, so there was nobody to wield Bloodsucker at the moment. “Bloodsucker belongs to Shirone, so it’d be best to return it to its original condition before we give it back to her… But the Gloria Stiletto presents something of an exceptional case, so we’ll just have to explain the next time we see her.” “Right… That settles it, then. We’ll borrow the Satisfaction Stone. As for the Silent Stone on the Gloria Stiletto, we’ll move that over to Suzuna’s flute.” “If an enemy tries to cast a spell or something, Silence can probably prevent it… Is that it?” Silence seemed like it would be useful for neutralizing the Seekers that the Simian Lord had under its control. As long as we could afflict them with that status ailment, it wouldn’t matter how mercilessly they attacked; any skills that called for chanting would be unusable. “Should I add a spot for another magic stone on the flute, then? I’d have to use another pinch of Sterling Silver Sand.” “Yes, please.” “Typically we can’t add another slot for magic stones unless we can also guarantee that it won’t lead to a decrease in power, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the flute.” ♦Processed Equipment♦ > GLACIAL PLATE was repaired using CRYSTIUM FRAGMENT > GLACIAL PLATE was equipped with ALTER RUNE Became ALTERED GLACIAL PLATE > PAN’S ECHO +1 was altered with STERLING SILVER SAND Number of equippable magic stones increased by 1 > PAN’S ECHO +1 was equipped with SILENT STONE Upgraded to +2 > BLACK MAGICAL SLINGSHOT +3 was equipped with SATISFACTION STONE Upgraded to +4 We couldn’t be sure where the exact effects of these upgrades would be seen. Still, anything that gave us even just one more tactical option would certainly prove its worth if we were backed into a corner. “Sorry to trouble you while you’re busy, Mr. Atobe, but if I may ask for your Seekers’ report…” Louisa had just arrived, having finished up her work at the guild. I had to tell her, too, that we’d be heading into the Blazing Red Mansion the next day. As calmly as I could manage, I filled her in on the situation and also asked her to check whether we’d qualified to enter five-star labyrinths yet. Part III: The Prebattle Meeting; Lynée’s Past Back in the living room of our quarters at the inn, I showed Louisa my license. She checked its display with her monocle, then looked up with a smile. ♦Expedition Results♦ > Raided 1F through 3F of TREMBLING FOOTHILLS: 30 points > Raided uncharted area of TREMBLING FOOTHILLS: 100 points > Discovered unexplored territory in TREMBLING FOOTHILLS: 2,000 points > KYOUKA grew to level 8: 80 points > SUZUNA grew to level 7: 70 points > MISAKI grew to level 7: 70 points > CION grew to level 8: 80 points > Became friendly with STRAY STRADA: 420 points > Defeated 1 DEEP EATER: 120 points > Party members’ Trust Levels increased: 240 points Seeker Contribution: 3,210 points District Five Provisional Contribution Ranking: 288 “Congratulations, Mr. Atobe! You’re now approved to go seeking in five-star labyrinths!” “Thanks, Louisa. I had no idea that discovering unexplored territory would raise our contribution score that much…” “It’s worth so many points, there are some Seekers who actually specialize in finding unexplored territory. The Guild itself goes to great lengths to stay abreast of such areas; that way, we can more easily dispatch rescue teams to help Seekers who might run into trouble looking for them. Of course, to get those contribution points, Seekers have to come back safely, and their licenses have to acknowledge the region as unexplored territory, too.” “If we hadn’t run into this monster called the Strada, we wouldn’t have discovered the unexplored territory in the first place. I think we’d better be ready to look at whatever happens in labyrinths from a different angle from now on.” “I—I suppose so… I’m sorry, Mr. Atobe. I may have taken it in stride at first, but the truth is I’ve never seen something like this line item about befriending the Strada before. That is, I’ve seen plenty of items for defeating monsters, and for taming monsters, but… Again, I’m sorry. I’m embarrassed to see that there are license line items that I’m not familiar with, given my position.” “I guess there are monsters out there who can communicate… But we didn’t know any more about that than you did. With high-enough levels, we might even be able to recruit them.” I had no idea whether we’d ever meet the Strada again or not. All of this was something to consider after we’d beaten the Simian Lord. Yukari had said that things really began at District Seven, but my party and I couldn’t move on to our next phase until we’d finally beaten the foe that we’d been after for such a long time. “…You’re all ready to go tomorrow, then.” “Right. We’ll defeat the Simian Lord and come back to tell the tale.” Louisa gave me a look. She couldn’t hide the uncertainty on her face; her concern conveyed her kindness more than anything else could have. “Please allow me to shake your hand like this again as soon as you’re back. There is much that I want to tell you, Mr. Atobe…much that I want to say.” “Me too, Louisa… Wait, what’s wrong?” Louisa was laughing, seeming to be at a complete loss. Her cheeks looked a bit red, but that might have just been my imagination. “…Please be sure to return safely to file your next Seekers’ report with me. I eagerly await it.” It seemed she might’ve been trying to say something else, but at the time, I didn’t realize it. I would definitely be back to hear Louisa out. Since I’d arrived in the Labyrinth Country, I’d come to want to know more about other people than I had before. “We should grab a drink again sometime, too. Some things you just can’t say any other way.” “Certainly, Mr. Atobe. If that’s what you wish, I’d be delighted to fill your cup.” This was a tough one…but I was grateful that we could speak to each other like this. I thought about that as I watched Louisa rise from her chair and leave. One by one, my party members who’d leveled up came to see me and confirm their skills. Igarashi was the first to arrive. She sat down on the sofa opposite from me and showed me her license. “Do you think this means those of us who were level six or seven received extra experience points?” “I’m pretty sure all it means is that everyone really put forth their best efforts. It looks like I’m starting to get close to my next level up, too…” “Levels can increase even inside labyrinths, right?” “Right, they can. For the most part, people only check and see that they’ve gained a level after they leave the labyrinth, but they increase while you’re seeking. You can only gain up to one level on each excursion, though.” “In that case, it should be possible to gain another level in another fight before we face the Simian Lord.” “If that happens, we’ll have a last-minute chance to acquire new skills…but there’s too much uncertainty to consider it a sure thing. We should just keep in mind that it’s a possibility and not bet on it.” “That makes sense.” ♦New Available Skills – KYOUKA♦ Level 3 Skills Divinity: Grants a target Saint’s Breath, giving any humanoid enemies that attack them the Enlightened status. (Prerequisite: Einherjar) Level 2 Skills Thunder Strike: Attacks one enemy with bolts of lightning. Strikes between 1 and 8 times. The target cannot be chosen. (Prerequisite: Thunderbolt) Warrior Procession: Lessens the effects of disadvantageous terrain on the user’s party. Remaining Skill Points: 4 Perhaps because she’d grown in level so much, there were no new level-1 skills available on the list. “What do you think this Enlightened status means, Atobe? In Japanese, that would be pronounced kyouka, but…I mean, I’m sure it’s a coincidence.” Igarashi looked a little embarrassed as she added that last part. It did indeed sound a lot like her given name, and I guess that concerned her. “There’s a detailed explanation here. It looks like it’s a status ailment that makes an enemy attack less frequently for the duration of the fight…but conditions have to be met for it to work.” “It lowers their attack frequency… That sounds useful, but it takes getting hit once to work in the first place. Combining it with Mirage Step would lower the risk, but with Einherjar as a prerequisite, there’s not enough points left over for that.” “In that case, maybe you’d better choose from skills you’ve passed up before.” “Right… Perhaps it’d be best to take Dance of the Warrior Maiden 1 and Pole Dance. Assuming the Charm status ailment gets through to them, that might stop the subordinated Seekers from attacking.” At first, I wasn’t too sure about Igarashi making use of both of those skills, but I realized she was right: If that combination worked properly, it would be particularly effective on the male Seekers the Simian Lord had dominated. “The only question is whether that’ll work on an opponent under the Simian Lord’s control… Thunder Strike is powerful, and I bet there’ll be a use for Earth Puppet and Freezing Thorns, too.” “True…but Earth Puppet seems to depend on my own strength, so even if we use it to make a decoy, it won’t last for very long. And Freezing Thorns might slow our enemies down, but it can’t stop them completely. Think I should stick to a combination of skills that has a chance of totally shutting enemies down, don’t you?” “Good point… All right, then. Dance of the Warrior Maiden 1 and Pole Dance it is.” “With just a few more skill points, I could give Einherjar a try…but the likelihood of that working on an opponent over my own level is low.” Einherjar is a skill that allows its user to turn immobilized enemies into allies, but its success rate depends on the difference in ability between its user and its target. With that in mind, Pole Dance—which would raise Igarashi’s agility and evasion rate and allow her to charm enemies—seemed like the more realistically effective option. “Just one point left… If it could exploit the Simian Lord’s weaknesses, Freezing Weapon would be a good choice, but all we really know about it is that it’s a fire elemental monster.” “Right…and considering that it’s mostly going to be level-two skills and up appearing on the list from now on, we should probably hang on to spare points to acquire skills when we really need them.” “In other words, this is a process we have to go through—not the destination itself.” Igarashi was exactly right. Still, even level-1 skills could really come in handy in times of need. As long as we picked the skills we needed when we needed them, they wouldn’t go to waste. “Maybe I should use Ambivalenz tomorrow…” “I think we should save that for when we really need it. The weaker you are, the stronger it gets…and it also inflicts damage on us. It’s an extremely dangerous weapon.” “…You’re right, Atobe. I’ll only break it out when it’s absolutely necessary. I’ll send the next person in to see you.” “Tell you what—would you send Misaki and Suzuna in together?” “Sure. Just a moment.” With that, Igarashi stood up. She looked behind me, toward the spot where Theresia usually stood—but she wasn’t there. Kozelka was staying at the same inn as us tonight, and Theresia was with her. We’d discussed having her bring Theresia here once these skill selection meetings were over so I could see how she was doing. “Heya, Arihito! Holding up okay?” “Are you sure Misaki and I can come in together?” “Yeah. I’m thinking the two of you should work together this time, so I called you in as a pair.” I started off with a look at Misaki’s license. All the new skills added to her list were exactly the sort of things you’d expect for a Gambler like her. ♦New Available Skills – MISAKI♦ Level 3 Skills Luck Balance: As failed actions accumulate, this skill increases the likelihood that further actions will succeed. Activation period resets with each new day. Target is limited to one party member. Level 2 Skills Machine Gun Shuffle: Throws card-type weapons in rapid succession for repeated attacks. The more cards are thrown, the more damage is inflicted. (Prerequisite: Double Draw) Russian Roulette 2: Chooses a random target and sets their luck to “disastrous.” (Prerequisite: Russian Roulette 1) Level 1 Skills Risky Raise: Boosts both an enemy’s stats and the amount of experience points earned by defeating them. Remaining Skill Points: 5 “Ooh, a level-three skill showed up on my list! It doesn’t really look like it’d be useful right away, though… Still, I bet it’d pack a punch in the back half of a really long mission.” “‘As failed actions accumulate,’ huh…? In that case, maybe we could have a few low-cost skills fizzle on purpose before setting out into the labyrinth… I dunno, it’d be risky to try.” “Yeah… Feels like there’s some real cheaty potential there, though. Russian Roulette 2 giving someone ‘disastrous’ luck sounds pretty astounding, but if it picks one of us at random instead of a monster, that could be really bad news… And I don’t have enough cards to use Machine Gun Shuffle.” “Let me guess, Misaki. You’re planning on picking Pool Cap, aren’t you?” “Ah-ha-ha… Does it show? Yep, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I don’t think I’ll get too much use out of it, but having it could make a really big difference.” If a member of our party took a fatal attack, Pool Cap could reduce the damage just enough to keep them in the fight. However, Misaki would end up taking half of the amount of damage that it reduced herself. It’s a skill meant to be used when an ally is in a really tight spot. If only there were some way to prevent it from putting Misaki at such great risk… Ideally, there’d be an option to reroute that damage over to me. That would be great. “How ’bout this? I’ll spend two points to pick up Pool Cap and save the rest for when they’ll be useful! ’Course, it’s pretty hard to keep track of what skills I could potentially learn…” “Misaki…,” said Suzuna. “Aw, c’mon, don’t get all serious on me! I know using Pool Cap is dangerous and the best thing is to just win without it,” Misaki said, slapping Suzuna on the shoulder. Suzuna kept her concerned comments to herself, but I could tell that she really wanted to say something to dissuade Misaki. “All right, Suzuna’s up next! Time for me to zip my lips and watch!” ♦New Available Skills – SUZUNA♦ Level 3 Skills Sacred Song: The user accepts a spirit into their body, allowing them to temporarily gain that spirit’s abilities. Requires a musical instrument. (Prerequisites: Medium, Resonant Sound) Level 2 Skills Anoint: Sprinkles party members with purifying water, distributing damage from enemy elemental attacks and reducing the amount of damage incurred in proportion to the number of people anointed. Works one time only. (Prerequisites: Handwash, Purification) Remaining Skill Points: 3 “Sacred Song and Anoint…” “When it says ‘a spirit,’ do you think that might include Ariadne?” Before I could answer Suzuna’s question, I heard Ariadne’s voice echoing in my head. “I believe I would be a potential target. But if a Seeker who had made no pact with me used the same skill, I do not believe I could inhabit them. I cannot deny the possibility that a strange Seeker could use a different skill to summon me, but it remains to be seen for certain.” “Thanks, Ariadne. Supposing you could use your own power while inside Suzuna, what would happen?” “I could act to keep the Shrine Maiden out of harm’s way. However, with my parts aligned, my strength differs from when I am moving on my own; there are limits to the skills that I may employ.” “Huh? You mean Suzuna and Ariadne can, like, combine? That’s gotta be superstrong…” “My skills do not provide exceptional attack power. They all depend on my parts.” Even so, if it meant we could draw on Ariadne’s power in a different way than we had been thus far, it was certain to be a big help. “Okay, then… Shall I take Sacred Song?” “Yeah, let’s go with that.” Suzuna used her license to acquire the Sacred Song skill. As I’d expect of a level-3 skill, it had multiple prerequisites—and power to match the price. Cion had also leveled up, but since she was a guard dog, I couldn’t choose skills for her from my license. Her skills had already been acquired, and I’d just have to find out what they were in actual combat. “Haaah… That moment when you pick a new skill sure gets your heart pounding, huh?” “Yeah… Every single time, I always wonder whether I’m making the right choice, or whether something else would be better. But they’re decisions we’ve got to make if we’re going to move forward.” “I’ll do my best to think about when each skill would be most useful. Please rest well, Arihito… Good night.” “’Night, Arihito!” And with that, Suzuna and Misaki stood and left the room. They might have said good night, but sleep was the last thing on my mind. Even as we’d sat there considering skills, the hex had kept eating away at Theresia. Our average level was still lower than it should have been, and it was hard to say we were properly prepared for what we would face the next day. We’ve finally come this far…and yet, somewhere in my heart, I’m afraid of what tomorrow will bring. “You look like something’s on your mind, Arihito,” a voice said to me out of the blue. Ceres was standing right there in the room with me—though I could have sworn she hadn’t been there before. “C-Ceres… I’m sorry—I didn’t notice you were there.” “Good. I came in quietly so you wouldn’t. It looks like you and your party are finished with your meetings.” “We are. I’m still not entirely sure which skills will be most effective, but at least we put a lot of thought into picking them.” “What is a skill point, anyway, hmm? Some say they’re the measure of a Seeker’s potential. You could say Seekers borrow power from their licenses to choose that potential.” “Potential… That makes sense. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, Ceres.” “Me? I don’t know any more than you do. We jades may have been in the Labyrinth Country long before you, but talking to you never fails to surprise me, Arihito. I expect it’s beyond me to know everything there is to know about this place.” Ceres set a glass of water down in front of me and sat down on the sofa facing slightly toward me. “I hoped to talk a bit…about Lynée,” she said. “I’m glad to listen to anything you don’t mind me hearing. I’m not exactly in the mood to sleep just yet, anyway.” “Okay, then, I’ll take you up on that. Once I’m done blabbing, I might even set you up with a little sleep magic.” Ceres spoke in such a calm way that I started feeling calmer myself just listening to her. Something about her that evening was a little different from how she usually carried herself in front of Steiner. “Long ago, Lynée lived in the same place I did. She became a Seeker before me, mind you. She moved up to District Five, while I hit my limits in District Six and left the seeking life. I’m sure you can imagine why I was in District Eight when you met me. After I put some distance between myself and seeking and went to live on my own, tossing the rest of the world aside, my contribution points started on a constant decline. The very picture of frustration and failure, isn’t it?” “But you still met Steiner and started up your workshop…” “Sure did. I met Steiner… Well, there’s no reason to keep up the ‘walking suit of armor’ charade, is there? I met Chiara when she was a tiny little thing and practically raised her like my own daughter. She can do more than just blacksmithing; she’s got the skills to make armor that I built move like it’s alive. That’s how she controls that armor, even though it’s so much bigger than she is.” “I had no idea…” I had wondered why Chiara had taken on the name Steiner and stayed inside that huge suit of armor. I’d figured her reasons would stay a mystery to me forever. And yet here Ceres was, explaining it to me. “That scarecrow Lynée keeps with her… That’s an old partner of hers she lost to a monster in a labyrinth. Or at least her attempt at a magical restoration.” “…!” I was at a loss for words. Schwarz, who’d guided us before, was a former Seeker…and what’s more, one who had died on the job. “Lynée ran into the Altargeist—not in the Twilight Lakeside Stroll, but in another labyrinth. Unfortunately for Lynée, her party was struck with a status ailment that caused allies to attack each other. She still can’t talk about what happened after that.” At last, I realized why Lynée had set up her hermitage inside a labyrinth. I imagined she’d heard word that the Altargeist had reappeared and wanted to be ready to take its revenge. If it was a different labyrinth, though, it might not be the same monster—still, Lynée had to capture the Altargeist. “You know, Lynée was very grateful to you, Arihito. That eccentric old bat even says she’s never seen a Rearguard with as much guts as you’ve got.” “I’m the one who should be grateful to her. I was going to pay another visit to that labyrinth myself.” “The more time passes by, the less time we’ll have with Theresia still calm. You’ve got to get that hex the Simian Lord put on her cleared up as soon as possible.” “I agree. That’s why we’re definitely taking down the Simian Lord tomorrow.” “…Hmph. I know it may be naive for me to tell a grown man like you anything that’ll get your hopes up, but here goes. I believe in you.” Ceres hadn’t just come to tell me about Lynée; she’d also come to cheer me on. “Now, like I told you before, you’d better give the Queen’s Tail a test run to make sure it’s got the power you need. While you’re at it, you might find some ways to use it that you hadn’t thought of before, too.” “Thanks, I plan on it. How long does it take before we can fire it again after using it?” “Thirty minutes at most, so be sure to pick your shots carefully. I did rig it with a mechanism that charges it up with magic power all on its own, but with an external supply of dynamic power, it’ll go quicker.” In that case, my skills would come in handy. If I could use Charge Assist on a weapon, I might be able to come up with a way to get the Queen’s Tail ready to fire again in less time. “Now then. Back to the workshop with me. I’ve still got finishing touches to apply.” “I’m sorry for keeping you so late, Ceres… Please try to get some rest between now and the morning.” Ceres gave me a smile and a nod as she left the room. I heard her speaking briefly from outside, like she’d passed somebody in the hallway. My next visitor of the evening was Kozelka—and Theresia arrived with her. “Theresia said she wanted to come here, so I brought her over.” “Thanks for that, Kozelka.” “…Just think of it as if I’m here to stand guard for you. That’s all.” With that, Kozelka bowed and stepped back out of the room. She’d pulled a few strings so that she was here on official business keeping watch over us, all so Theresia could be with me again. In fact, she had no intention of staying in the room with me and Theresia. Kozelka, who always solemnly followed regulations, had accommodated Theresia and me at her own personal discretion. I knew this wasn’t a debt I could easily repay. “……” Without a word, Theresia looked at me. She moved over toward the magic item that filled the room with light, then shot a look back in my direction. “Ah, you can go ahead and turn that out. It’s about time we got some rest.” Theresia nodded and turned out the light. But even though the room was dark, she didn’t go to lie down on the sofa. She just remained standing. “…Somehow this feels like back when we first met. You never slept. You just watched me the whole time…” “……” It wasn’t the moment for reminiscing, but seeing Theresia as she was, I couldn’t help but see how the present overlapped with the past. Theresia didn’t lie down on the sofa; all she did was watch me. Leila had once said that there was no proof that demi-humans have emotions. Maybe Theresia was the exception, rather than the rule…but that felt foolish. Still, the more my mind lingered on how Theresia was keeping her distance, and why she wasn’t even trying to sleep, the harder I found it to even breathe. “……” “…Theresia.” Theresia walked over to me. She reached out and touched my shoulder, then pulled her hand back again. “I get it. This can’t go well if I’m on edge.” “……” Theresia shook her head slightly. A moment later, she nodded. I wanted so badly to hear her voice, to know what she was thinking and what that gesture had meant— I put a lid on those desires and lay down on the couch. All I wanted to do was close my eyes. The only light in the room was weak and dim—essentially a nightlight to prevent total darkness. Theresia’s watchful shape seemed to float through the dark room like a phantom, drifting in and out of my vision. No. She was no phantom. I’d get her back. Theresia and Elitia’s friend Rury—I’d get them both back. Part IV: True Intentions That night, I had a longer and more vivid dream than usual. I was back working in my office from before I came to the Labyrinth Country. A coworker—who was trying to get me to come along on the company ski trip—came by to ask how my work was going, and I told him I was making decent progress, even though in truth I was excruciatingly busy. The day-to-day grind of my old job wasn’t without its little joys. When work I submitted earned me some praise, for instance, or when the presentation that Igarashi and I had put together was enough of a success to earn us an award. I didn’t spare many moments to think about life or death. I did every now and then, but the thoughts were always fleeting. It was a peaceful life—and it was no mistake for me to take that peace for granted. Even though I’d grown used to life as a Seeker in the Labyrinth Country, I still didn’t think it was wrong to assume those peaceful days would last. But despite all that, I never wanted to go back. We were headed for a destination that was unclear. But still, there was something I had to see through to the end in the Labyrinth Country. When I met Theresia, I found what I was meant to do as a Rearguard. Demi-humans were supposedly emotionless and put to work as mercenaries. When I heard about lizardmen, I pictured exactly what the word makes them sound like: some kind of bipedal reptile-human hybrid. I wonder what I would’ve thought if that had been who I’d met at the Mercenary Office. But it wasn’t. It was Theresia. A girl who’d already died in a labyrinth once before. When I first heard about that bit of personal history, I didn’t think too deeply about it. I figured it must be something that happens pretty often in the Labyrinth Country. Was Theresia emotionless? Of course not. That might have been exceptional among demi-humans, but I’d caught a glimpse of emotion from Ferris as well—and I know her family understood it, too. Even so, I caught myself thinking, somewhere deep inside, that Theresia wasn’t a normal human being, either. As a demi-human, she didn’t feel any embarrassment at the prospect of taking a bath with someone else. Actually, even if she was told not to do so, she still wanted to. I chalked that up to her being a demi-human, too. …Maybe she was only so faithful to me because she was a demi-human. If that was really the case, then I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for taking advantage of her demi-humanity. I wanted to make her human again. Then I would see if it was true or not and confront my own ego. If only Theresia could speak… If only I could understand more of what she thought… Only then would I be able to face her without feeling some sort of inferiority complex. There was probably more that she wanted to do than just constantly go seeking with me. But she might have felt she had no choice but to go along with whatever plan I laid out for her. I really hoped that wasn’t true. I hoped that we’d reach the cathedral in District Four, but at the same time, I was afraid to go. Part of me thought the Simian Lord’s hex was a punishment for my uncertainty. Theresia put aside all fear and played her role as best she could for the good of our party—so why couldn’t I give her my complete and total trust? I had no way of knowing whether Theresia would want to keep traveling with me if she ever became human again. Even the fact that she’d attacked me felt like a sort of payback. Part of me wanted her to blame me. Even if nobody around me had actually touched on it, it was there, like an open wound. The total arrogance of hoping for perfection—even though I knew it would be impossible to push forward without anyone getting hurt or taking any risks. “…Master…” In my dream, I heard a voice. It dragged my consciousness up from the depths of darkness. It was Murakumo’s voice. I’m pretty sure it was trying to warn me of something. I slightly opened my eyes. There, in the darkened room, I saw Theresia lying beside me, peering over me. Her hands were totally empty, but she had them at my neck. She wasn’t squeezing, though; her hands simply stayed on my neck without any force being applied. I knew exactly what had happened. Still, I didn’t check my license. “I…I…” I didn’t mind dying if Theresia was the one doing the killing. But that thought was only a cheap escape. Theresia’s hands were cool on my neck. As I felt her cold touch, something fell onto my cheek. A tear had fallen from Theresia’s own cheek as she leaned over me. The unbroken trail it left behind on her face gleamed white in the darkness. She’d removed the suit that she usually wore. In the dim light of the room, an even lighter paleness shone out through her white skin. When Theresia started unclasping her suit in the bath, I’d looked away immediately. Obviously, I’d thought, I mustn’t look at her. I felt guilt because I knew that if I looked directly at Theresia’s body, I wouldn’t be able to help feeling a surge of emotion. Theresia had received a Slave Seal. That made it so much worse. Taking a bath with her under those conditions in the first place was the wrong thing to do, I thought; even just imagining it was wrong. Demi-humans got hired as assassins. There were probably some people who didn’t treat their demi-human mercenaries with respect. I thought I couldn’t be one of those people. I never wanted to treat Theresia like that, and I definitely never would hurt her. And yet look how things had turned out. Theresia was crying. Maybe some demi-humans didn’t have emotions, but I knew it—that didn’t apply to her. She blamed herself for something. She took my hand and pulled it toward her. I didn’t resist. But I knew that Theresia was trying to hurt herself, and I would absolutely not let that happen. “……” Theresia’s pulse grew surprisingly fast. Either she was nervous, or she thought this wasn’t really the right thing to do. Whichever it was, I couldn’t just lie back and watch her. I sat up and wrapped my arms around Theresia’s back, holding her. “……!” “You’re freezing cold… What are you trying to do, Theresia? …I guess you’re not even trying to hide it. This is all really drastic.” Theresia didn’t move. Her body was shivering. I loosened my hold on her a bit, and she showed signs of trying to squirm away. “I’m not angry with you, Theresia,” I assured her. “If I’m angry at anybody, it’s myself. You’ve got so much on your mind, and I’m over here trying to gloss over it, like we can just march over there together tomorrow and fix everything.” “……” I could tell Theresia everything that was on my mind, but the conversation would be one-sided since she couldn’t speak. Our relationship felt totally out of balance. But still, I had to tell her—and I had to tell her now. If I didn’t, there was no way I could calm her down. “When I first stepped out into this world as a Seeker, I didn’t know where I was going or what I was doing. What gave me sight of hope back then was meeting you, Theresia. It all started with you.” “……” “You probably think I’m exaggerating, but it’s true. I’m completely useless by myself. But thanks to you by my side, I’ve gotten more confident, little by little.” Theresia gave her head a little shake at first, but as I continued talking, she stopped. There I was, a grown man, trembling just because I was saying what needed to be said. I knew that I’d feel pathetic when I looked back, but there was no getting away from it. “Everyone in our party is younger than me… Some of them by a decade. This might be something I’m pushing on you against your will, but I’ve come to think of all of you—including you, Theresia—like you’re my little sisters. Igarashi, Louisa, and Seraphina are closer to my age than the rest, but I still feel mostly the same way about them… The reason I came all this way to see you is because I thought that, if I broke a rule I set for myself, we wouldn’t be able to stay together for long.” Theresia no longer showed any sign of trying to get away. I let go of her and put a little space between us, still facing her. Then I reached up and wiped away the tracks that her tears had left behind on her cheek with my finger. She kept completely still. “But really, I had to make sure of a few things. Whether we made a proper party together, whether you were people I should respect…and beyond that, how I was seeing all of you as members of the opposite sex.” “……” Theresia sniffled as she listened. I realized she must be cold and draped my blanket over her shoulders. She’d made no efforts to hide her pale, exposed skin until she was under the blanket. Then, finally, she pulled it in tight to cover herself. “But seeing you that way, even a little bit, is against my rules. Truth be told, I’ve always thought that it wasn’t really okay for us to be bathing together.” “……” Theresia slightly lowered her eyes. If I had to guess where she was looking, I’d say she was looking at herself. “W-wait, don’t get me wrong… Listen, Theresia, I don’t know if this is exactly what you think I mean, but it’s not wrong because it’s you. Truth be told, a small part of me is happy about it…and that’s what makes it wrong.” “……” Theresia was no longer crying. She looked in my direction with an ear toward me, as if to show me that she was listening. I had never been completely sure how much of what I said got through to Theresia, no matter how many times I said it, but at last, I’d reached her loud and clear. All it took was telling her my true feelings—ones that I never would have expressed out loud under normal circumstances. “I don’t want you to blame yourself for attacking me, Theresia. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. That’s absolutely not— Huh?” Theresia was shaking her head all the way from side to side. I assumed that was in response to some part of what I’d been saying. Was it the part about not wanting her to do what she didn’t want to? If so, what did the head shaking mean? “……” I wanted to leave it unmentioned; maybe act like I hadn’t noticed because the room was too dark. But Theresia had gone red in a flash—both her lizard mask and the part of her actual face that was visible underneath it. “……” “I…I see… But seriously, I don’t want you to…” I’d assumed that Theresia felt so guilty about attacking me that she’d taken off her suit to make it up to me somehow. But it looked like that wasn’t the case. The next day, we’d be off to fight the Simian Lord. Before that, she wanted to… Well, whatever she intended to do, she’d ended up watching me as I slept. That was when the hex had kicked in and made her reach for my neck. It’s not that she didn’t want it. But even so, it was good that I woke up when I did—even though it took Murakumo’s warning for me to get my eyes open. “Let’s just take it easy and rest for tonight. I’ll keep watch over you until you fall asleep.” “……” Theresia looked a bit uncertain, but before too long, she nodded. I thought she’d take the sofa diagonally across from mine—but instead, she sat right beside me and looked directly at me. “…I guess it’s a bit embarrassing to be watched when you’re awake. Tell you what, let’s share lookout responsibilities.” Theresia nodded. I lay my head down in her lap, and she started patting it. “…Just for a bit, though. You need rest, too, Theresia…” She nodded once again. I’m pretty sure that under her lizard mask, she was smiling. Part V: Morning of the Decisive Battle I woke up just as the sky started turning light. Naturally, I didn’t sleep the night away with my head on Theresia’s lap. Once Theresia drifted off to sleep herself, I got down and left her to it. With her sharp senses, I thought she might notice, but it seemed that she slept extra-deeply. I managed to lay her down and drape a blanket over her without her so much as stirring. ♦THERESIA’s Status♦ Evil Domination progression: 48 I had been optimistic to estimate that the hex wouldn’t put her at risk until its progression hit 100. Even at its current value, I couldn’t be sure of when Theresia might turn hostile toward us. Even with Lynée’s skills helping stave off that danger, all we could do was hope that nothing would go wrong until we faced the Simian Lord in battle. I’m pretty sure ten hours have passed since the last time I checked Theresia’s status. It’s only gone up by two progression points since then… If the events of the previous night had affected the hex’s progression somehow, that meant it didn’t necessarily grow in a linear fashion; it might be possible to slow it down. However, that wasn’t certain—and none of this meant anything without a way to make it actually regress. The day had come when we would defeat the Simian Lord and finally settle the score that our party had taken on when we met Elitia. I washed the sleep out of my eyes and headed into the main room of our quarters. Just then, there was a light knock at our door. “Just a moment… Ah, it’s you, Luca.” “Good morning! I rented a room of my own to get some shut-eye—the beds in this inn are to die for, don’t you think?” Luca set a large leather trunk down in front of me. It was worn with years of use. “I just so happen to have the suit you ordered ready to go… See? Wanna try it on?” “Yes—but can I have a few moments to get ready first?” “Sure. But don’t forget to put on a real fighting man’s face while you’re at it, Arihito! Why, you’re looking even more sweet and kind than usual right now. Come on, show me an expression that says, ‘I’m a winner!’” “Uh…I don’t think that’s going to happen.” With that, Luca stepped back out of the entrance to our suite. It seemed that when it came time to change, I’d be doing it in the room Luca was renting. “Fwooo… What’s that in the air? The scent of two grown-up men coming to a manly understanding…? Y’know, Ari-poo, the manly-man vibe really suits you!” “It’s kind of…um, ‘hard-boiled,’ maybe…? M-maybe not?” “Oh, so you’re into it, Suzu? You never really seem like you’re all that into boys, so I wasn’t sure.” “…Th-that’s not it… I’m sorry, Arihito… You know how Misaki is…” “You two are awake, too, huh? I’m afraid I’ve got to step out for a bit. Could you keep an eye on Theresia while she’s resting in the living room?” “O-okay…” “Sure thing!” Misaki and Suzuna must have heard Luca and me talking; they stepped out of the bedroom, still in their pajamas. Igarashi was right behind them, although she still looked pretty sleepy. I had to look away before I took in any more of her in her just-awakened state. “Zzznh… Oh, Ari—I mean…Atobe!” “G-good morning, Igarashi. Excuse me, I need to go wash my face.” “Sure. But you look fine as you are, too, you know. I like a little bit of scruff.” “…U-um, maybe you should get some more sleep, Kyouka.” “Nah…” Maybe it was because she was still drowsy, but I got the feeling that Igarashi was saying things that she’d typically never say. Or it could be that there was just something wrong with my hearing. “I…,” Suzuna started. “I also think Arihito looks nice when he’s just woken up.” “Y-yeah… Huh?” said Misaki. I’d just stepped out of bed, looking dreary and disheveled, and here they were praising me for it. How was I supposed to take that? …No, that was a conundrum for another time. Suzuna and Misaki retreated to their bedroom for a while, but I knew everyone would be ready to go by the time breakfast was done. I went back over to the sink and made another attempt at waking myself up with a splash of cold water. I went by Luca’s room and put on my new, freshly tailored suit. It was light and very breathable—clearly made from an entirely different material from typical suits. “It looks like I got your size just right—I don’t need to hem it or anything.” “It really is a perfect fit.” “I wrung out every last drop of my personal know-how to make this a killer combat suit. You do realize that you’re basically the only Seeker who wears a suit into labyrinths, don’t you, Arihito?” “I gather they’ve even started calling me the Suit Guy, thanks to your tailoring.” To be honest, it probably had more to do with the fact that there wasn’t much to distinguish me by, so people had to go with what they could see. Luca’s shoulders shook as he laughed. Then he measured the length of the sleeves one last time and brushed off my back. ♦[MP] Black & White♦ > Strengthens physical defense > Strengthens indirect defense > Strengthens magic defense > Slightly strengthens agility > Slightly strengthens lightning attacks > Devil Protection: Reduces damage from devil-type monster attacks > Adds Lightning Resistance 1 > Adds Darkness Resistance 1 > Quality: Masterpiece > Crafted by LUCA “The fabrics are made with hair from two monsters: Darkness Blitz for the outside and Thunder Head for the lining. Hence the name Black & White. There are other components, too, but it seems the combination of those two monsters is what gives it that extra dash of resistance to devils. Armor needs to be a masterpiece or higher to add optional skills, but I’d say I’ve managed this time.” “Managed? It’s amazing. It feels durable, but it’s still easy to move around in.” “That’s music to my ears. I’ll get your old suit patched up, too, of course, but personally, I’d rather see you in a line of new suits even better than this one going forward… If you can get me the materials, that is.” “Sure thing. If we find anything that looks like you could use it, I’d love to discuss it with you. For now, I think this suit will do the trick, though.” Luca grinned so broadly, his eyes practically squeezed shut. Then he turned to the holster, which I’d removed to try on the suit, and gave it a once over. “It looks like you’ve been slinging a magic gun. Have you had to put it to work?” “It’s come in handy a few times already. It’s a good match for my skills, and it’s pretty versatile when it comes to tactics—with the right magic stones loaded, at least.” “…I knew it. You’re a real wolf, through and through. You’ve got the snout for sniffing out a path to victory for you and your friends. Weren’t you just bored to death doing office work in a more peaceful world?” I supposed Luca had taken a guess at what my old job had been like, based on my penchant for suits. Maybe because he’d hit the bull’s-eye, or maybe because the dream I’d had was still fresh in my mind, I gave him a straight answer. “There were times when my old job felt fulfilling. But you’re right, Luca. I don’t think I really knew how it felt to be alive until I came to the Labyrinth Country. I guess that might sound a little ironic, considering how I got here.” “Hee-hee… A little. But—and this might make you laugh to even imagine—but I have a feeling that if we’d met before we were reborn, we’d still have been friends.” “You know…something about that feels really good to hear.” “You’ve got a gift for opening all kinds of people’s eyes, Arihito. So get out there and live a little more selfishly!” I’d always told people not to worry about me, that however things ended up for me was okay. It was something of a foundational idea for me. I saw how that might sometimes make it seem like I didn’t care if I threw my life away, though. Still, I didn’t just want to live; I wanted everyone else alive with me. That’s why I tried to find any way I could out of a helpless situation. I didn’t want to die; I was attached to life. “…That wound on your chest has healed up. It looks like you were about one step away from kicking the bucket.” “You could say that… It doesn’t hurt, though. Actually, it feels like proof that I’m ready.” I’d only blurted out exactly what I was thinking, but Luca stared at me in wonder. Or maybe I was freaking him out. “The people who make it to the top are the ones who keep smiling, even when they’re backed into a corner…or at least that’s my theory. I’d like to see you grinning your way through a battle someday, Arihito.” “I’m not crazy about fighting, really,” I said. “I only fight if that’s what it takes to move onward.” Luca stuck out his fist, and I lightly bumped it with my own. With that, the two of us left the room and headed for the inn’s entrance hall, where our fully equipped allies were waiting. Madoka had arranged for our cart to be brought over from Ceres’s workshop, loaded with the Queen’s Tail and with Water Serpent Scales affixed to it. Our other party members headed out to the labyrinth entrance in advance, while Madoka—who’d be using the cart—Cion, and I stayed back to hear the rundown from McCain. “I installed the Magical Bonnet Canopy your merchant here requested yesterday; it added an extra day’s worth of work to the whole enterprise, but it’s good to go. You’re gonna be the one driving, right, little lady? It’s got an Acceleration Stone built in, so it should run under its own power—just be careful not to use up all its magic.” “Thank you; I will!” “You shouldn’t have any problem if someone riding in the cart can keep it charged up with magic, so be resourceful. If you happen to know anyone who can lend you some horsepower, you could pull the thing that way, too.” “Woof.” Cion could certainly pull the cart if it came to that, but I figured it would be best to rely on the Acceleration Stone and let the cart propel itself. That way Cion could guard it and stay ready for action, just in case. “If you can summon me, I’d be glad to pull the cart.” “Ah, we might take you up on that,” I said, answering Alphecca’s voice. Having Alphecca tow the cart would be our fastest option for sure. Then again, I didn’t know how likely it was that the cargo could withstand the acceleration from a Banish Burst, so I didn’t want to push it. “Thanks a lot, McCain.” “Don’t mention it. Come and see me if you need anything else—maintenance, improvements, anything like that. If you’ve got the materials, I’ll whip you up any kinda cart you want.” McCain stuck out his hand for a handshake. When I offered mine, he smiled broadly enough to show his white teeth, then left the rented workshop. “First of all, let’s give the Queen’s Tail a test run.” “It’s such a big, um… What is it, again? It’s an amazing weapon, either way…” It looked like the Nine-Tail that we’d taken from The Calamity made up the weapon’s barrel. Its pipework connected to the power source: the Queen Scorpion’s Afterglow. I could really sense Ceres and Steiner’s excellent craftsmanship. You could call it a work of art. “It certainly looks very, very powerful…but I’d like to check and make sure just how powerful it is. We need to be aware of what it’s capable of.” “Understood… Besides, I’d like to get used to it so that I’m not caught by surprise when we shoot it for real.” “Woof!” “All right, then—mind giving us a lift to the front of the labyrinth?” Once Ceres and Steiner were aboard the cart, too, we used the Acceleration Stone. It was fitted with a dial that let us set its speed, from about typical walking speed to a full-on sprint. There was also a steering wheel to set the cart’s direction, though it looked like it would take a lot of strength to turn. ♦Current Status♦ > MADOKA activated CART PROFICIENCY 1 “I think I can manage to drive it, Arihito. What do you say…? Are we ready to go?” “Take it away, Madoka. Keep it reasonably slow to start with so we can see how much magic it consumes.” Technically speaking, the road was paved, but there were a lot of spots where it wasn’t level. We started driving slowly down the bumpy road. Looking at Madoka’s license, I could see that, at around walking speed, the cart didn’t use up enough magic for us to worry about. “That McCain’s quite a craftsman. I guess it’s no surprise that someone with a shop in District Five is more skilled than we are.” “But he did praise our work on the Queen’s Tail, Master! He seems like a nice guy.” I agreed with Steiner, but I was too busy concentrating on Madoka’s driving to chime in. However, it turned out she was a very safe driver, so I didn’t have any advice to give. Actually, come to think of it, Madoka was probably better at driving than I was. “I know it’s powered by magic, but it feels an awful lot like a car, doesn’t it? It might even be a smoother ride.” “You’re right… I never thought I’d ride a vehicle like this in the Labyrinth Country.” Cion took the lead; we drove behind her all the way to the plaza in front of the entrance to the Blazing Red Mansion. There we found not only the rest of our party and Ferris, but also Khosrow and Kozelka, as well as Ivril and Viola (whom we’d contacted the night before) and Third Class Dragon Captain Nayuta. “You arrived earlier than I expected, Mr. Arihito, but you’ll find that we are always ready to assist you. Please direct me as you will today.” “Thanks, Ivril, but I hope you’ll hold tight just a little longer. There’s something I want to do before we face the Simian Lord.” “We’ll have to fully appraise the current situation before we put together a plan. The Simian Lord is a cunning monster… We’ve already fought it once; we can expect it to be ready for round two.” The Simian Lord’s stronghold had been set with traps to draw in and catch Seekers. It seemed very likely that those traps had been laid again in order to protect the Simian Lord and enlarge the ranks of subordinated Seekers. As you’d guess from its colossal size, the Simian Lord had superhuman strength—enough to restrain Alphecca with chains and drag her in. The chains it tossed out with its Concealed Weapon Cast skill were made of Helltect Steel; Murakumo could cut through it, if Ariadne’s Guard Arm did the swinging, but there was a chance even Murakumo might get shattered if it tried to cut its way out again. On top of that, the Simian Lord could use its Demon Hand skill to deflect long-range attacks. My own magical bullets hadn’t gotten through. We would clearly need to come up with some way to make projectile attacks hit. I thought that my usual strategy of applying my Attack Support skill to boost striking attacks might be effective. As its full name, Shining Simian Lord, would suggest, it could wield fire, too. The defensive equipment we’d acquired thus far would keep us covered against fire elemental damage to some extent, but we were still better off trying to avoid its stronger moves entirely. If we couldn’t help but get hit, we’d have to rely on several overlapping defensive skills. “First things first, we’ll have to pinpoint the Simian Lord itself. It doesn’t mean a thing to just take down a double. We’ll ascertain where the real Simian Lord is, and the very moment we find it, those of us with the most firepower will act. In our party, that’s Elitia.” “Indeed… We can handle Named Monster underlings, but going by what I’ve seen of Elitia, I believe she’s better suited to play the part of main attacker. I’d say our specialties lie more in keeping foes entangled.” That would certainly be useful when it came time to nullify the Seekers under the Simian Lord’s command. I’d count on Ivril and Viola for that. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Atobe. Under Third Class Dragon Major Dylan’s orders, I’ll be participating in this mission as well.” “I appreciate it. But what about Commander Dylan…?” “He sends his regrets that he is not able to participate in person. Unfortunately, that is all I know about the matter.” I suspected the Guild Saviors had their own opinions on how the Simian Lord had been left unhandled; with that in mind, it wasn’t surprising that they’d sent Nayuta to join us. I supposed it didn’t hurt that they’d also get a full report of the battle this way, either. I was happy to have as many people fighting on our side as we could get. I’d seen how strong Nayuta really was, and I knew she’d make a reliable ally in combat. “We’ll need to start by gathering information so we can form a strategy. I’d like you to enter the labyrinth with me, Nayuta.” “Roger that.” “If you’re gathering intel, I’m your girl, Mr. Atobe. Will you put me to work?” Adeline asked as she stepped out from behind Seraphina. Her skills were indeed very useful for scouting the surrounding geography. “…That suit looks good on you, Arihito,” said Elitia. At first I thought, Why now, of all times? But then I realized that might have been exactly the reason—Elitia was trying to calm some of the nerves running through the party. “I never thought I’d wind up wearing a suit this fancy, to be honest.” “Why not? It’s perfect for you!” said Igarashi. “Yeah! I mean, the way you wear a suit is, like, a huge part of what makes you seem so reliable, Ari-poo!” “That’s right,” Suzuna agreed. “The jet-black color really gives you a composed air.” “Thanks, guys… Anyway, look. It’s time we went to rescue Rury. We’re gonna free Theresia from her hex, too. So, shall we?” “““Yessir!””” The first time we encountered the Simian Lord, all we could do was run away. This time would be different. Theresia walked slightly ahead of me with her Curse Eater weapon—the Gloria Stiletto—in hand. Soon, I thought, she’d be using it to cut down the Simian Lord that had hexed her; that was a sight I wanted her to see.