Nachtlibelle decided to build a waypoint here. Then, we were in for an early night. We planned to spend our last days of the dive here and use it as the center of our investigations. We were confident that if we banded together in this open space that had plenty of escape routes, we would avoid complete annihilation even if we were ambushed by the boss.
“You did it, boy!” said Camilla, gripping my hand firmly. All of Nachtlibelle was in good spirits, and they surrounded me.
“Aha ha ha… I mean, I didn’t really do much…”
“What do you mean?! It’s astounding that we were able to come all this way in just two days without being exhausted!”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“We’re in for a triumphant return! Let’s celebrate a bit early!”
“Let’s have a drink to cheer you up!”
I could hear more jolly shouts from behind me.
“You fools! Don’t let your guards down!” Camilla chided. “But… I won’t be too fussy. Just don’t let our watch falter.” It seemed that she wasn’t going to be too hard on them, which elicited cheers.
This was the sort of high spirits you usually only saw after these large-scale investigations were over. I was jostled by the mob and showered with praise and handshakes. So much so that I felt my spirits lifting, too.
I was awfully calm, but it could be that the amazing view I had just seen was still affecting me. Yes, I was having fun, but I couldn’t completely lose myself to the celebratory atmosphere. I turned away from the crowd’s chatter and laughter and headed elsewhere.
My fears must have been baseless. Personally, I didn’t think I was worrying more than necessary, but I must really be a scaredy-cat.
It had been the same when I was with Drachenflügel. I wasn’t just a worrywart; my fears were more full-fledged anxiety. Ultimately, that balanced well with Chronos, who tended to rush forward without a second thought. Given how scrupulous this party was, though, I was just too on edge.
“Hey, champ. What are you scowling about?”
As I was wandering around to kill time, I heard Heidemarie suddenly call out to me. We hadn’t talked much since the investigation started, so it felt like it had been a while since we last spoke.
“Wow, this view sure is amazing! This is the real thrill of adventuring, huh?”
Her voice was slightly—actually, clearly—lighthearted. That’s when I remembered that Heidemarie had always been like this. She embodied the pure spirit of abenteurers more than anyone, and had made it here on ambition and talent alone. I was only in Filburn now because she dragged me here.
“You don’t have to look so down,” she said.
“Oh, I was just thinking about how great Nachtlibelle is. Heh heh…”
“We’re an A-rank party from Filburn, after all. If we were a mess, there wouldn’t be a good party in the whole town. But that’s all you ever say, Wim.”
“Well, I’m just grateful.”
“Everyone’s always talking about how useful you are, so just be happy and accept the compliments.”
“But all I’m doing is just lending a helping hand. Getting praised for that is kinda…”
“Who cares if it’s just a helping hand? They think highly of you, Wim. Or, what? You’re upset with yourself because you can’t wipe away your anxieties even when you’ve accomplished so much with the members of the great Nachtlibelle?” She really hit me right where it hurts, just as she always did. “Why do you always want to make yourself suffer?”
“Suffer? Well, it’s more like someone like me can’t—”
“Right! Of course! You’re a loser I just happened to take a liking to, and I abused my connections to get you into an A-rank party! I’m just an idiot who’s exploited my standing to damage my own party!”
“That’s not what I meant.” I couldn’t tell if she was trying to provoke me or be self-deprecating, but I knew she was trying to cheer me up in her own way.
She was right… I need to do away with my self-hatred and have confidence. Doing otherwise was a slight to the people who thought so highly of me.
“You can do what you want, Wim. If you want to worry, then worry! And if you don’t want to cause trouble for anyone else, then create some backup plans on your own!”
“Can you read my mind?!”
“I’ve known you for a long time, Wim. But get some sleep, okay?”
I rested under the serenity of the night sky. There were guards posted on all four sides of camp, and their presence helped me relax. Still, I couldn’t stop staring at our map. The labyrinth did have an orientation, so compasses were useful. I compared mine with the map and discovered we had headed straight north. The path generally had been on a slope, then ascended before taking us to the open space.
A flood from the south was what we needed to worry about, as it would submerge our path home and trap us here.
I had looked into the paths leading from this space as well. There were multiple that took us back south, and others that took us further north. If the roads southward were blocked, we would have to retreat using one of the northern passages. I wrote out all the escape routes I could think of, and given the area’s elevation, it was clear we wouldn’t have to worry about any water-based traps.
Once I was done writing, I finally allowed myself to relax. As I closed my eyes and laid down, I wondered why I was so on edge. I was always anxious, but this was more than usual. Since there weren’t any large bodies of water that could rush toward us, anticipating such a trap was practically pointless.
I knew there was no point in thinking about it anymore. I needed to prioritize getting proper rest and preserving my strength. I repeated that thought in my mind as I closed my eyes and made sure not to open them.
Plink!
It felt like someone had poked my forehead. Then, I felt the cold.
I started to rouse to consciousness, but as soon as I was about to react, I felt more of that something pelt my face. The alarm bells in my head started to ring, and I awoke with a start.
My surroundings were wet and so was my head. My entire body ached, as if small rocks were bombarding me. It was too dark to see what they were. The usual gloomy labyrinth was even darker than usual, darkening my vision.
It took me a moment to be certain, as the explanation defied common sense in the labyrinth. No, there shouldn’t be common sense here, but there were some things we had mistakenly decided were for certain.
It was raining. Here, in the labyrinth!
‹Wake up, everyone! It’s raining!›
Someone sent out a universal transmission. My vision finally adjusted, and I saw everyone get up and scramble.
I looked up to the “sky” in protest. “Like I’d be able to predict this, damn it…”