Chapter 6

Chapter 7 The Chief Vassal of House Mercurius 1 Logan was deep in thought. It had been eight days since the Heavenly Blade entered the labyrinth, and today was the day after his adventurer medal had been discovered. The appraisal of Percival’s dropped items had taken too long to finish the previous day, so work had resumed the next morning. Just a moment ago, Logan had finally been provided with a provisional list. The items were classified into categories. Just by flipping through the inventory, Logan could tell there were many engraved items. There were a lot of blessed items as well. If it took two days just to put together the provisional list, it would likely take over a month to assess the total worth of all the items. The top of Logan’s desk was crammed with documents. He was buried neck-deep in cases that required the guild leader’s judgment or approval, and he had so much paperwork that he didn’t even have time for a lunch break. He took his eyes off work for a moment in order to process the events of the past few days. While he did, he pulled some preserved foods out of his Bag to munch on. The previous day, he had been shaken upon hearing news of the Heavenly Blade’s death, and he’d arbitrarily decided the heralded adventurer must have been killed by some human’s nefarious plot. But that was jumping to conclusions. As of this point, he hadn’t obtained any information supporting such a theory. He had simply decided there was no way the Heavenly Blade could have been killed by a monster on the sixth floor, so it must not have been a monster that killed him. But what if he assumed that rogue minotaur had killed the Heavenly Blade? A few days ago, when he’d started receiving information regarding the creature, Logan had entertained a peculiar thought. To him, the minotaur sounded like a monster adventurer. The idea was totally absurd, but what would happen if a monster was to become an adventurer? If it was an adventurer, it would be able to move between the floors. But is that all? No, that wasn’t the end of it. If a monster was an adventurer, it would level up when it killed enemies. It would have leveled up after killing Erina, then again after killing Paja’s party, and then… Logan had a horrifying thought. If the minotaur killed the Heavenly Blade… If a series of incredibly unfortunate circumstances led to the Heavenly Blade falling at the hands of the minotaur… …how strong would the minotaur be now? Normally, minotaurs were considered to be level 20. The gray wolves that roamed the same floor were level 10, so the minotaur’s level was abnormally high. If it leveled up once after its battle with Erina, and then two or three more times against Paja’s party, and then killed the Heavenly Blade, just how high would its level be now? Simply thinking about it was terrifying. But if it was an adventurer, there was probably a limit to how many levels it could gain at once, the same as human adventurers. No matter how strong an enemy a human adventurer killed, they could not advance more than ten levels at a go. An adventurer killing something that would give them ten levels was rare, but that was a known rule. If you applied that metric to the minotaur, its current level could be around 34 or 35. That was pretty strong. But put another way, that was roughly equivalent to the strength of the monsters in the corridors of the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth floors. At that level, defeating Paja’s party would have been difficult, and it wouldn’t have been able to touch the Heavenly Blade. Adventurers gain levels from killing monsters but barely gain any experience from killing other humans. If the minotaur is an adventurer, how would that rule apply? 2 While Logan was still racking his brain, unable to reach a satisfying conclusion, the manager cracked open the door to his office. As always, he was able to open the ill-fitting door without making a sound, which baffled Logan to no end. “Mr. Logan, the chief vassal of House Mercurius has arrived at the guild. He has a matter he would like to discuss with you and requests a quiet place.” Logan took a second to process what he’d just heard. “The chief vassal of House Mercurius”? A “quiet place”? A “matter he would like to discuss”? He could feel himself beginning to sweat. House Mercurius was quite a renowned family, even in the vast Baldemost Kingdom. A person as important as the chief vassal of that family could not be left waiting. By a “quiet place,” he surely meant somewhere they would not be overheard. Which meant his office was the only option. “Eador, please show him in.” Logan had signed his approval for the Heavenly Blade’s adventurer medal and a notice detailing the collection of his dropped items to be sent to House Mercurius along with the provisional inventory. He had taken care of that earlier that day. Which meant they had not yet contacted the family. Logan would have understood why they were here if they had received notice of the Heavenly Blade’s death and then come to the guild to confirm it. However, the guild had not yet sent that dispatch. What’s more, I would’ve expected them to summon me there. Why is the chief vassal visiting me directly? The bell outside his office clattered loudly. Logan never expected that bell would actually be used. It was installed as a joke to tease him for being a “big shot” as the leader of the guild. There was no lock on the inside, so the manager opened the door halfway from the corridor and spoke in an eloquent voice. “Master Pan’ja Raban and his attendant Master Julius of House Zelger are here to see you.” Wait a second. Two people? “House Zelger”? Isn’t that…? Logan had seen that name in the documents he’d received from the last guild leader. It was a special family name. There were several used in this manner. Anyone bearing it was a person of that lineage. Just what is going on here?! The first to enter the room was a man bordering on old age. He was tall. His hair and beard were groomed neatly, and his clothes were elegant. He projected a sense of calm in his movements and the way he walked. Logan’s trained eye could tell this chief vassal had the strength of a mighty warrior. “It is an honor to receive such noble guests as yourselves. I am Logan, leader of the Micaene Adventurers Guild.” Logan stepped out from behind his desk and bowed deeply. “I am Pan’ja Raban, chief vassal of House Mercurius.” Chief vassals took charge of the family’s business affairs and acted as representatives for the head of the family. The heads of House Mercurius throughout history were all well-known for their love for their vassals. They were given opportunities to build up experience and then eventually granted households of their own. Chief vassals were richly rewarded for their dedication. For that reason, the families descended from former vassals all revered House Mercurius and showed unwavering loyalty throughout many generations. They also treated their relatives very well. Yet, despite his powerful and wealthy position, the head of House Mercurius never let himself laze in his wealth. For that reason, if problems arose, the relatives of House Mercurius and the houses of their former vassals would all go to war as one. House Mercurius did not have a lot of land, but their potential military might was seen as foremost in the country. The chief vassal managed all the family’s business when the head of House Mercurius was away, and when the head of the family was home, the position took care of various matters as a representative. House Mercurius had dispatched soldiers twice in the last two years, and Logan had heard that the chief vassal had been given command. As such, this man should have been a person of high social status, but Logan could not remember ever seeing his or his family’s name. He should be the son of a distinguished lineage, but his identity is a total mystery. Pondering the chief vassal’s mysterious background and studying his face, hardened by age, made Logan recall a certain event. As for why the chief vassal reminded him of this story, even Logan himself was unsure. 3 In a bygone era, two kings ago, there was a man who received an unusual promotion. He went from an average soldier of the Imperial Guard to an official inspection officer. Feeling the favor of the king, he worked diligently at his duty. After exposing a number of households for illegal trade with foreign countries, however, he incurred the wrath of the Duke of Riga, and his entire family was to be put to the sword. The man, his relatives, and even his subordinates all vanished overnight. The next morning, the Duke of Riga visited the palace and brazenly reported in front of the king and his cabinet the extermination of traitors, recounting the man’s crime in great detail. His accusations were absurd, but because he had already killed him and his entire family, there was nothing that could be done. The king’s face turned purple, and he rose from his chair without a word. There was a certain rumor at the time. The person who had inspected the corpse of the man’s second-oldest son reported that he thought it was him, but his facial features appeared slightly off. There were those who put forth the theory that a noble friend of the man had replaced the second son with a look-alike and was sheltering him. The previous guild leader firmly believed that the second son had survived. 4 Was this chief vassal the second son, who had lived until this very day? The massacre of House Vald had occurred in the year 1024 of the Royal Calendar, which was fifty-five years ago. That lined up with the chief vassal’s apparent age. This was, of course, just a hunch of Logan’s. He had no proof to back his suspicions. He just felt like he could see into this man’s heart. The one accompanying the chief vassal, as if being watched over by him, was a boy who looked to be five or six years old. So this young boy is Julius Zelger. Zelger was a peculiar name. Despite it being clearly recorded in many ledgers at the royal court, there weren’t actually any noble families in the kingdom with that name. It was likely not the boy’s real family name. He had chestnut hair and blue eyes. His clothes were not very fancy, but they were made of high-quality material. He appeared both innocent and dignified at the same time, and he was quite handsome besides. Given the chief vassal’s behavior, it seemed he was the boy’s attendant, rather than the other way around. Logan waited for a moment, but the young boy’s introduction did not come. Logan determined that the boy did want to be introduced at this time, and he motioned for them to sit on the sofa. The chief vassal let the boy sit first, then took his place next to him. “You should sit as well, Mr. Logan.” “Thank you very much.” It’s been a long time since I’ve met with a genuine noble. Logan was feeling more than a little nervous. The manager walked into the room, trailed by two female employees. These ladies were carrying the guests’ overcoats and hats. With conduct so composed as to come off as annoying, the manager hung the coats and hats on the rack and moved to vacate the room, with the employees following behind him. “Eador. Until you hear from me, don’t let anyone come up to this floor.” The manager looked at Logan, nodding to show his understanding. He then gave a deep bow in front of the door before taking his leave. It was an extremely graceful and proper gesture. By the gods, are you a butler for a royal family or something? Though the man was getting on his nerves, Logan did feel a little grateful for the manager’s good upbringing, even if his behavior made him a target of ridicule most of the time. In truth, Eador had served a rather large noble family and was himself from a noble family. One thing had led to another, and he’d ended up working at the Adventurers Guild. After Logan sensed that everyone had gone downstairs, the chief vassal of House Mercurius spoke up. “Mr. Logan. Apologies for the sudden visit. I came here today because I have something I want to discuss with you. Before that, however, I must introduce Lord Julius. Before we entered your office, he was announced with his mother’s family name. Julius inherited that house through her.” The chief vassal was explaining this all clearly and politely, but Logan was having trouble wrapping his head around what he was saying. He inherited that name from his mother? Then that means she must be… “But Lord Julius’s sacred duty lies with the splendid House Mercurius, one of the twenty-four families who followed the founding king. He is the son and legitimate heir of Percival Kone Dou La Mercurius Mathus, the current head of the family.” Heir? Son? Which means… “He’s the Heavenly Blade’s son?! Wait, he was married ?!?!” After shouting with surprise, Logan realized his rudeness, and his face turned pale. “Uh, s-sorry about that. Please pardon my sudden outburst,” Logan said, bowing his head so deeply, it brushed the table. The chief vassal smiled. “Mr. Logan. You have no need to humble yourself. Nobles have their own etiquette, and adventurers have theirs. This is the Adventurers Guild’s domain. We are nothing more than outsiders. In addition…” The chief vassal searched for the right words and continued. “For Lord Percival, who is an adventurer himself, the Adventurers Guild is a supporter and a protector. I hear that you in particular, Mr. Logan, have been a good friend to Lord Percival. He always speaks of the comfort of the Micaene guild. The reason that wayward wanderer spends so much time here in Micaene is because of the labyrinth and because of you, Mr. Logan, and we owe you our thanks, for when he spends time in Micaene, he is able to come home.” Julius, sitting next to the chief vassal, was staring at Logan with sparkling eyes. Please don’t look at me like that. “Our lord left the estate seven days ago to enter the Sazardon Labyrinth. He informed me he was going to explore around the ninety-fourth floor. He prepared plenty of supplies but only enough to last for ten days at the longest.” That was an irregularly short amount of time. Ten days should not have been nearly enough time to even reach the ninety-fourth floor, let alone make the return trip. Logan had once asked the Heavenly Blade about how he moved through the labyrinth so quickly, and he’d answered that he possessed items both to hide his presence from enemies and to exponentially increase his running speed. He did not, however, tell him what kind of blessed items he used to achieve those effects. “Lord Percival has a crystal ball that displays his life force. It is a habit of Lord Julius’s to open the box in which this crystal ball is kept and check it once or twice per day. Yesterday morning, it appeared perfectly normal. In the afternoon, however, the light in the crystal ball was gone.” Julius looked like he was beginning to cry. Logan’s heart wept for the boy. “Lord Percival always said that the day may come when he dies in the labyrinth and that if he dies in the labyrinth, his body will vanish. We knew from the moment the crystal ball’s light went out that Lord Percival had perished, but now Lord Julius must inherit the house and his father’s position.” Julius was fighting back tears. I’m sure it was a shock when he saw the light had gone out. He probably spent the whole day crying. “Mr. Logan. I beg of you to tell us anything you may have heard regarding the whereabouts of our lord.” “Chief vassal. Truthfully, I was just about to deliver a letter before you arrived. Please wait a moment.” Logan rang a bell. Before the chime ended, the manager came up from the floor below. He was holding a tray in both hands, his face totally expressionless. He was followed by an employee carrying tea. The tray bore a letter addressed to House Mercurius, the list of personal effects, and a copy of the rules for how recovered items were handled. He courteously handed the chief vassal a receipt, as well as a pen to sign it. How could he have prepared this so quickly and perfectly?! And why is that tea so fresh?! The manager took the receipt after the chief vassal signed it, set the tea on the table in the proper order, and then quickly left the room, closing the poorly fitting door without a sound. The chief vassal read the documents in silence. As if just noticing the tea, he gestured for Julius to have some. The boy reached for the cup, brought it to his mouth, took a sip, and then put it back down on his saucer. With that, the other two could now drink. Logan gratefully quenched his parched throat. He then began reading a copy of the list that was on his desk. After the chief vassal marked the inventory with a variety of symbols, he returned the documents to the reception table, closed his eyes to think, and then finally opened them and faced Julius. “Lord Julius. Lord Percival’s belongings were discovered yesterday by an adventurer passing through the sixth floor of the Sazardon Labyrinth. They are currently being held by this guild.” Julius nodded. “Mr. Logan. I want to buy back some of his items.” Logan suddenly felt a rush of anger that the Heavenly Blade’s holy occupation was adventurer. If he had been a knight instead, he would have had a Treasury instead of a Bag. Treasuries enabled sharing and even inheritance, which meant the situation with his belongings would be no issue. That said, there were many skills adventurers learned that were necessary for going through the labyrinth solo, not the least of which was the Map skill. Bags were also much more convenient than Treasuries when it came to retrieving items. Logan looked at both Julius and the chief vassal and apologized. “If a death occurs in the outside world, the items left behind all go to the bereaved family. Well, unless there is a will specifying a separate destination for their possessions. When it comes to the labyrinth, though, the rules are different.” As the dryness returned to his throat, he took another sip of tea and continued. “The lost items of those who die in the labyrinth become the property of the person who found them and of the guild. Even if there was a will, it would not apply to items found in the labyrinth. For that reason, valuable property is typically not brought into the labyrinth. This amount of wealth suddenly becoming the property of someone else is no doubt frustrating, but I ask for your understanding.” “I am familiar with this process. This is a rule of labyrinths that is recognized by national law, and I understand why things have to be this way. I do not think of it as our property being stolen. This amount will also have no effect on our overall finances. Furthermore, Lord Percival left his best weapons and items with Lord Julius. He did not bring anything precious into the labyrinth. There were, however, five exceptions.” The chief vassal took a sip of tea and continued. “These are all blessed items and were very helpful to Lord Percival on his adventures. Those five items possess particularly special meaning to our family, Mr. Logan.” The chief vassal stared fixedly at Logan. “Lord Percival spoke of you as a man with great judgment. I want to speak frankly with you.” The Heavenly Blade said that? You sure you’re not confusing me for someone else? While Logan had his doubts, there was nothing for him to do but to nod. “First, I want to buy back the three items I have marked on this list.” Logan looked at the list. Raika’s Ring. Ende’s Shield. Bolton’s Charm. These were all names he had never heard before, and according to the list, they were all blessed items. The effect of their blessings was unknown, but the guild’s inspector said they were items of the highest order. “Understood. The bereaved family has priority in choosing which items to buy back. There will be no problem there. Mind, we can’t give you a clear estimate until our assessment is complete.” “The cost does not matter to me. Now, on to the problem.” As they were talking, Logan noticed something. That item was not on the list. There was no doubt the Heavenly Blade had been carrying it. That famous bracelet. “If there were items Lord Percival had with him but are not on this list, what does that mean? Alestra’s Bracelet and Kaldan’s Dagger are missing.” 5 “Mr. Logan. Lord Percival always said that if he was killed in the labyrinth, he did not want us to resent the opponent who killed him. He insisted he was entering the labyrinth of his own free will and that every fight was a duel of honor. Even if he were to be killed due to a lack of strength, he would be satisfied and did not want to pass on to his son hatred or a grudge. He expressed that wish to me many times. For that reason, I have no desire to investigate the cause of his death or the circumstances under which it happened.” He thought of fighting monsters in the labyrinth as a duel of honor… That definitely sounds like something the Heavenly Blade would say. “But as things are right now, Lord Julius cannot succeed his father. There will be no problem with his claim to the position as head of our house being recognized. It is what will come afterward that is the problem.” “Could Lord Julius’s mother not act as an intermediary with the king?” The chief vassal looked at Logan with surprise. “You know of her family name. I’m surprised.” “I believe it’s the maiden name of the previous king’s second queen and belongs to a family subordinate to the throne. I have heard that the second queen’s mother would sneak out of the castle sometimes to serve as a messenger.” “Your intel and memory are both very impressive.” Actually, it was the Micaene guild that was impressive. Most of the credit for that went to the previous guild leader. “Lord Percival and his wife married in secret. Their marriage is official, but steps were taken to prevent his wife’s noble lineage and privilege from being used against their children.” Hearing that Percival had married a princess of the royal family in secret was certainly surprising, but from what Logan knew about the second queen of the previous king, he could understand why they’d kept it under wraps. “I would ask you not to repeat this to anyone, but the king was exceedingly pleased by their marriage.” It was said that the current king hated the second queen of his predecessor. Nevertheless, the chief vassal now claimed the king was delighted by the marriage of her daughter. And he wanted Logan to keep even that a secret. There must have been a reason. “That being the case, receiving imperial sanction and recognition of Julius’s new position from the king will not be a problem. The difficulty will come afterward. At the time of his succession, he will be asked to visit the palace for an audience with the king. The heads of our house have a custom of wearing that bracelet for the occasion.” That’s right! When a new head of House Mercurius assumes the post, they visit the royal palace wearing Alestra’s Bracelet. “His Majesty then takes the bracelet in his hands and praises the promise of ruler and servant made between the founding king and the first head of the house. It’s just a formality, but our family will lose face if we do not have the bracelet.” Alestra’s Bracelet was a treasure known even in other countries. It had been bestowed upon the founding king by the goddess Pharah, and the king had granted the treasure to the first head of House Mercurius. If they lost it, it could mean losing much more than face. It could threaten the very existence of House Mercurius. “Accordingly, until the bracelet returns, we cannot give notice of Lord Percival’s death, and we cannot apply for Lord Julius’s succession. If Kaldan’s Dagger is not found, we can give up for now and try again another time. The same cannot be said if we fail to recover Alestra’s Bracelet.” Now it was Logan’s turn to think. After a bit of time, he spoke. “Let’s consider the order of events. The dropped items were discovered by the sixth-floor staircase. Many people pass through that area, but no one reported seeing Lord Percival, which suggests to me he couldn’t have been there for long. It is likely his expedition continued to the deeper floors, and then once he was finished, he began climbing back up through the labyrinth to return to the entrance, then lost his life on the sixth floor. So the question becomes what happened to the bracelet and shortsword when he reached the sixth floor.” “Hmm. It is as you say. Stealing those two precious items from Lord Percival while he was alive would have been impossible. He also definitely would not have lost them. Given that they are imbued with very special blessings, it is difficult to imagine they could have been damaged or destroyed.” “I agree with all those points. Looking at the list, I can see he still had a great number of highly effective recovery items left. If he suffered injuries or was poisoned on the deeper floors, he would have had time to heal. Which means he definitely lost his life on the sixth floor. It’s best to assume that someone took them either at the time of death or afterward.” Logan’s conclusion was correct, but there was something he did not know. In order to heighten the effects of his training, Percival had done his best to avoid using recovery items. He’d equipped boots on the forty-ninth floor to intentionally lower his strength and abilities for the same purpose. When he’d encountered the minotaur, his stamina and energy were nearly spent, meaning he was fighting with a severe handicap. “You are probably right. I know this is impolite of me to ask, but did the finder submit all the items to the guild?” “Yes, everything found was submitted. At least, that’s what those who discovered them think. By the way, I assume these two items have seals of ownership?” “Correct.” “And I assume they are of the highest order?” “Correct. They are engraved with elite seals, and summoning magic has been cast on them as well. That is true for all five items I wish to see returned. The answer to your next question is yes. Yesterday, I already called an engraver and had him perform a technique to locate the items. In the evening, we began receiving responses from all the items except for the two currently missing. I had him continue tracking the traceable items, and it seemed they were taken to the guild. That is why we came here today.” Well, isn’t this man shrewd. He already knew all that beforehand and questioned me anyway. So they even used summoning magic… Summoning magic was a technique that consumed an amount of silver equal to the weight of the item you were casting it on, and its effect could last up to a year. They’re probably recasting it every time the effect wears off. It seems you don’t need the actual item present to do so. I had heard they don’t have much money, considering their social standing, but sure enough, they’re still much richer than I can possibly imagine. “That must mean that the bracelet and the shortsword are still in the Sazardon Labyrinth.” Logan didn’t know much about engraving magic, but it was common knowledge that you couldn’t search the inside of a labyrinth from outside. “I also cannot think of any other possibilities.” “Indeed. In order to avoid trouble when recovered items are submitted to the guild, we ask a number of questions while using magic to detect lies, with the permission of the finder. One of those questions is whether or not all recovered items were submitted. We have confirmation from all nineteen people that every item was surrendered. For that reason, there is no chance any of them concealed the bracelet or the shortsword within the labyrinth.” “I see.” “Another routine question is whether the finder was involved in the owner’s death or if they have any idea of who might have been. Not a single one of the nineteen knew anything about Lord Percival’s death.” “Understood.” “I also think it best to put aside the possibility that anyone else passed by and took the bracelet or the shortsword. Anyone finding dropped items in the labyrinth can receive either their pick of the items or monetary compensation if they bring them directly to the guild, as long as they did not harm the original owner. Since a wealth of money and expensive consumables were left behind, we can also rule out robbery, looting, or any motive driven by simple profit.” “I would agree. So what are the remaining possibilities?” “First is the chance that the finders simply didn’t see them or dropped them on the way out of the labyrinth. In that case, the items would currently be somewhere between the first and sixth floors. Next, we can’t deny the possibility that a monster grabbed the items before the adventurers arrived. Monsters have a tendency to be attracted to weapons or to shiny objects.” “I had not thought of that.” “In that case, they would be on the sixth floor. Monsters cannot travel between floors, so one would not have been able to carry them anywhere else. Next, and I apologize for even suggesting this, there is the possibility that an individual wishing harm upon House Mercurius set a trap for Lord Percival, stole the two treasures, and is now hiding somewhere in the labyrinth.” The chief vassal’s eyes narrowed. “They could wait until the death of Lord Percival became widely enough known that you had no choice but to go ahead and apply for the succession of Lord Julius. They could be doing this to drive House Mercurius into a dilemma, perhaps with the intention of returning the bracelet with some condition attached. No matter how likely this may seem, however, I believe it to be impossible.” “Oh? I’ve been impressed by your insight, but what makes you so confident in that assertion?” “Regardless of how experienced an adventurer is, how perfectly a balanced team they’ve formed, or how many items they’ve prepared, a labyrinth is not a place you can disappear into for an extended period of time. It is impossible to hide in a way that no one can find you.” “Hmm. Considering you have become a dragonslayer twice, I will trust your judgment.” “That said, they could not have left the labyrinth, either. Anyone could tell by looking at those items that they are engraved with elite seals, which means they cannot be hidden in a Bag. The culprit would be discovered the moment they left the labyrinth. That is, unless they somehow managed to sneak out and enter a different labyrinth.” “That has not happened. We have two engravers monitoring the items around the clock.” “You’ve been very thorough. As soon as the perpetrators left the labyrinth, an elite engraver would detect them, even if they used teleportation magic to escape to the ends of the continent. If anyone has stolen the items, they should understand that much, but they are likely unaware of the summoning magic. They could be planning on trying something with the bracelet… No, that’s impossible.” “It is as you say. That bracelet has a special restriction bestowed by the goddess. Its effect will only work for the head of the house or someone the head of the house has approved in their heart.” “What? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that second part. Well, in any case, it is well-known that other people can’t use it, and because the history of the seal of ownership cannot be erased, selling it is also not an option.” “That’s correct.” “Intentionally taking items you are unable to use or sell while ignoring all the other expensive and useful items there, then hiding in the labyrinth even though it’s obvious you’ll eventually be found makes no sense at all. No matter how you look at it, it’s not something any sensible person would do.” Logan added to himself that nobles did nonsensical things all the time, but he elected not to share that comment. Had he known the chief vassal was thinking the same thing, he surely would have burst out laughing. “So what do you think happened?” “As of this moment, we cannot say for sure. We just don’t have a clear idea, so we’re keeping in mind a variety of possibilities that I want to eliminate one by one.” “Could you talk us through those possibilities?” “First, Lord Percival may have dropped the bracelet on a deeper floor in an area with a group of unexpectedly strong monsters, and judging that retrieving it on his own would be difficult, he decided to go ahead and travel back up. Then, something unusual happened that cost him his life. In this case, the bracelet would be somewhere on the bottom ten floors.” “Hmm. Next?” “Someone has the items and is hiding. If this is true, they would do so on as deep a floor as possible.” “I see. That would make sense.” “The next possibility is that, after Lord Percival lost his life on the sixth floor, either a monster took them or the finders dropped them on the way out of the labyrinth, which would put them somewhere on the first six floors.” “Hmm.” “Next—and this one is extremely unlikely—but someone could have taken the items and then teleported directly out of the labyrinth into a different one and is currently hiding there.” “What? Isn’t it impossible to teleport from one labyrinth into another?” “It is not impossible. I know a sorcerer capable of it.” “Huh.” “I do not know of any other sorcerer with a similar ability, but as there is one, I can’t deny there could be another.” “Hmmmm.” After recounting the various scenarios to this point, their best course of action became clear. They would have to take an engraver and descend to the sixth floor. You could not probe the labyrinth from outside, but if you entered, you could probe whatever floor you occupied. “Where are those two engravers now?” “One of them is resting at the estate. The other is waiting on us in our carriage.” “I see you’ve come prepared.” Now that they were about to head for the labyrinth, Logan remembered something. Namely, what was happening in the labyrinth right now. “Chief vassal. Allow me to share with you a bit of information we have collected.” Logan told him about the strange minotaur. He then explained how Gil Linx had left to perform a search to unravel the mystery around the deaths of the party of three and Percival. The chief vassal remained silent for a long time. He then said exactly what Logan had anticipated. “Mr. Logan. If Gil Linx is investigating the labyrinth, I realize it would be best for us to await his return. This may be selfish of me, but I still want to go ahead and try searching as far as the sixth floor accompanied by the engraver. Can I ask you to prepare us a guide and authorize this search?” “I thought you would say that. The guild has no right to decide whether someone can enter the labyrinth. That especially goes for those who aren’t adventurers. As for a guide and escort, I’ll have you know there is a perfectly suitable S-rank adventurer right here.” Logan pointed to himself and smiled broadly.