by Okina Baba
It’s heartrending to witness.
Then, mechanical words spill from her mouth.
“Proficiency has reached the required level.”
“Experience has reached the required level.”
“Proficiency has reached the required level.”
………
“It hurts.”
My eyes flash open, and I jerk upright.
Quickly, I check my surroundings.
A lamp emits a faint light.
The walls it illuminates are natural rock, and the ground, too, is hard enough that I can feel it through my sleeping bag.
The Great Elroe Labyrinth, Upper Stratum.
Now I remember where I am and why.
That’s right. We came to this labyrinth to cross between the continents.
We’ve been in here for two days now.
It’s currently night. We’re sleeping while keeping watch in shifts.
Aside from the water dragon attack right at the start, our trip through the labyrinth has been going fairly well with Basgath as our guide.
The monsters we’ve encountered thus far haven’t been a problem.
Many of the monsters that live in the Upper Stratum of the Great Elroe Labyrinth are poisonous, which would normally make things harder, but most of the party can cure poison with Healing Magic.
On top of that, since our stats are so high, the monsters rarely even get in a hit on us before we crush them.
Hyrince, our tank, has been protecting us by manipulating the monsters into focusing their attacks on him.
Thanks in large part to him, we’ve been able to push forward without any difficult battles.
We were worried about labyrinth sickness, too, but so far no one seems to be afflicted by it.
In the labyrinth, there’s no sunlight, no sense of the passage of time, and you never know when a monster will attack you.
Dealing with this for days on end causes many people’s health to falter due to the physical and mental distress.
This is collectively referred to as labyrinth sickness.
To be honest, I was pretty frazzled myself during my first day in the labyrinth.
It’s not particularly hot or cold, but it’s cramped, and the air feels heavy.
The darkness is so absolute that without the light of Basgath’s torch, we wouldn’t even be able to see directly in front of us.
Monsters can suddenly attack from the shadows.
In such a constantly tense environment, fatigue builds a lot faster than it would on a normal day’s worth of travel.
You can’t blame me for getting a little glum knowing that we’ll have to keep this up for days.
We have to reach the elf village before Hugo does.
That makes me want to get out of the labyrinth as quickly as possible, but rushing like that can be fatal in here.
People who can’t remain calm and proceed at a reasonable pace inevitably fall victim to labyrinth sickness in no time flat.
Basgath explained all this to us during our first day.
Fortunately, if we can make it through the labyrinth within our estimated time, we should have no trouble beating Hugo to the elf village.
We can’t get impatient.
I wipe the dried sweat from my brow.
What was up with that dream I just had?
“Are you all right?”
Ms. Oka peers over at me.
Our night watch shifts are in groups of two.
The current guards are Ms. Oka and Basgath.
Apparently, she called out to me because I was groaning as I woke up.
“I’m fine. I just had a bit of a bad dream.”
I hide my worries with a smile.
In the end, it was only a dream, after all.
“That there is an ill omen.”
My words were intended to dodge the subject, but Basgath latches onto them.
“An omen?”
“Yeh got that right. Have yeh heard of the Nightmare of the Labyrinth?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
Basgath usually shouts, but since the rest of our group is sleeping, he’s speaking in a hushed tone.
Naturally, his tone lends itself to creating an ominous atmosphere, as if he’s telling a ghost story.
“I have,” Ms. Oka offers. “It refers to a legendary-class monster that suddenly appeared in the labyrinth some ten years ago, correct?”
“I’m surprised yeh know that. I figured a little girl yer age wouldn’t be familiar with such an old story.”
“Yes, I just happened to hear about it some time ago.”
A legendary-class monster.
That refers to a monster deemed higher than danger level S, said to be impossible for any human to defeat.
“The Nightmare is a living calamity of the Great Elroe Labyrinth, on par with the queen herself. If yeh had a bad dream, that might mean that the Nightmare is going to show up…”
“But isn’t it already dead?” Ms. Oka asked.
“That’s what they say.”
“You don’t believe it?”
“Aye. They say it was killed like any ordinary monster, but I don’t buy it. A beast like that wouldn’t go down easily. If yeh ask me, it’s still alive somewhere, watching and waiting for its next prey.”
“That almost makes it sound as if you’ve seen it for yourself.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Truth be told, I was the one who first discovered the Nightmare.”
For some reason, Basgath puffs up his chest.
I guess that is impressive, probably?
“See, back then there was a monster outbreak incident, so a group of knights was sent in to investigate the cause and thin out the monsters. I was their guide. Turns out, the reason for the outbreak was that the Nightmare had driven all the monsters in its vicinity out of their homes. But we didn’t know that, which explains why we walked right into the Nightmare’s lair. I’ll never forget that moment. The second our eyes met, I thought I was a goner.”
Basgath shudders at the memory.
“Sounds like you’re lucky that you made it out alive.”
“Yeah, about that. The Nightmare has some unusual habits, see. If yeh don’t attack it, it’ll let yeh go. In fact, it might even heal yer wounds.”
“What?”
“Unbelievable, right? I hear the party that was sent in after us to kill it got wiped out in a flash. Maybe they pissed it off or something. And yet, other times it’s been known to help people, as if on a whim. It’s a mysterious, unpredictable monster, that.”
What kind of inconsistent monster is that?
Is it even a monster at all?
“But one thing’s for sure: The Nightmare is outrageously strong. Yeh seem pretty strong from what I’ve seen, boy, but there’ll always be someone stronger than you. In this world, there are some fights you just can’t win. Remember that.”
Those words bring Sophia and Ronandt to mind.
I couldn’t so much as lay a finger on either of them.
“Yes, I know. There’s always someone stronger.”
I clench my fists tight.
If we keep facing off with Hugo, I might have to fight those two again.
If I do, will I be able to win?
No, I can’t think like that. I have to win.
To protect all of humanity and to keep the world from falling into chaos.
I have to stop Hugo, which means I have to beat those two.
“Sounds like yeh got some foes of yer own. But don’t get too fired up about it, hear? Everyone has things they can do and things they can’t. Trying to do the impossible anyway won’t change a thing. Just stick to what yeh can do.”
Basgath tries to reassure me, though I can’t say I agree.
“But there are some things I have to do.”
If you run away from things you can’t do, you’ll never be able to do them.
Sure, I’ll acknowledge it.
As I am right now, I probab
ly can’t beat Sophia or Ronandt.
But I’m going to beat them.
I’ll find a way to win.
Besides, it’s not like I have to do it all on my own.
I have friends I can depend on.
“That so? Well, do yer best, as long as it don’t kill you.”
“I will.”
“All right, then. Lots of people die because they tried to do something they couldn’t. It don’t take much to kill a person, y’know. If yeh die because yeh bit off more than yeh could chew, don’t that mean yeh should’ve sized things up better beforehand?”
Basgath’s unexpectedly serious advice surprises me. Then I realize something.
He’s probably seen this happen to people many times before.
“Fighting to protect something is a fine thing to do, boy. But it ain’t shameful to run away from an enemy yeh know yeh can’t beat. If yeh die there, yeh can never fight again, right? If yeh can’t win this time, just run away, get stronger, then try again. Although there are some beasts in this world yeh’ll never reach no matter how hard yeh try.”
A guide spends all his time in the harsh environment of the labyrinth.
And this man has continued carrying out his duties well into old age.
He must have had experiences that I can’t even begin to imagine.
“But what if you’re not allowed to run away?”
I asked cautiously.
The fight we’re heading for is one we can’t shirk.
The fate of humanity may even hang in the balance.
If we lose, Hugo will likely plunge the world even further into chaos.
So I can’t afford to lose or run away.
“Huh? Just ignore that and run anyway. What’s wrong with trying to survive? If anyone has a problem with it, just tell ’em to take care of it themselves.”
Basgath’s answer wasn’t especially helpful.
“I told yeh, didn’t I? There are some things yeh just can’t do. Every person alive has their limits, eh? Thinking yeh can do anything is nothing but arrogance. Or pride, at best.”
Both Ms. Oka and I widen our eyes at Basgath’s bitter words.
“I’m not saying it’s good to duck yer responsibilities, o’course. As a labyrinth guide, I’ll protect my clients even if it costs me own life. But everyone has a certain amount they can handle. If the responsibilities forced on yeh are more than yeh can handle, yeh ought to at least consider running. Sure yer not taking on more responsibilities than yeh should, boy?”
I can’t seem to answer right away.
Responsibilities.
Because I’m the hero.
Because I’m a reincarnation like Hugo.
If I put it that way, it’s easy to convince myself.
But if I ask myself if all that responsibility should fall to me, I don’t know how to answer.
“’Course, if it’s more than yeh can handle but yeh still wanna give it a shot, far be it from me to try to talk yeh out of it. I’m just telling yeh what I believe. In the end, what’s most important is what you yerself want to do.”
What do I want to do?
The answer is obvious.
I decided to follow in my brother Julius’s footsteps.
And Julius would never run away.
He was a hero among heroes, who truly desired world peace above all else.
“Thank you for your advice. But I still don’t think I can run away. I’m the hero, after all.”
My voice is steady.
Sophia and Ronandt are powerful, but I can’t afford to hesitate now.
After we defeat Hugo, there’s still the battle with the demons to contend with.
And with them, that “white” little girl who killed Julius.
A monster in the truest sense of the word, who was able to defeat my powerful older brother with ease.
I’m going to have to fight her someday.
So I can’t stop until I’m strong enough to win that fight.
If anything, the idea of running is ridiculous.
“I truly appreciate your concern. But this really is what I want to do.”
“Is that right? Then I won’t say anything else. Do yer best, boy.”
I bow my head, and Basgath smacks my shoulder encouragingly.
Ouch.
“What I really want to do… Right. Of course. I mustn’t regret it.”
Distracted by Basgath’s merciless shoulder pounding, I didn’t quite hear Ms. Oka murmuring to herself quietly.
It’s been five days since we entered the labyrinth.
We’re about halfway through.
Since we’re a small group and all of us have high stats, we’ve been able to push forward along the shortest route at a fast pace.
There’s still the slight possibility of labyrinth sickness, but since Basgath is a veteran guide, he’s been moderating our pace so that we can make progress without pushing ourselves too hard.
I was worried that empire soldiers might ambush us along the way, but according to Basgath, that would be impossible.
The empire tends to avoid the labyrinth in the first place, and attempting such a thing would be much more dangerous than it would be effective.
With the many mazelike passages, anyone planning on laying a trap would have no way of knowing which path we would take, meaning they wouldn’t know where to wait.
Thus, our only enemies in the labyrinth are monsters.
And so far, they haven’t been much of a threat.
We have Hyrince as our tank, Ms. Oka bringing up the rear, and Katia, Fei, and I serving as either vanguard or rear guard.
Since Mr. Basgath is our guide, he doesn’t generally participate in battle. On the occasion that he does, though, he shows enough strength to hold his own with our other members.
We might be a ragtag team, but I’d say we’ve come together pretty well.
Aside from one person.
“All right, stop. Time for a little break.”
Everyone halts at Basgath’s call.
He quickly confirms that the area is safe, then spreads out our baggage so that we can rest.
As everyone else settles down to relax unconcernedly, one person alone all but collapses, breathing heavily.
“I’m so terribly sorry,” she whispers to me.
I shake my head, patting Anna gently on the shoulder.
Anna is an excellent mage.
But among all the high-class warriors here, she can’t help but fall behind.
And since her stats are geared toward magic, her physical strength is low.
If we don’t take short breaks along the way, Anna won’t be able to keep up with our movement speed.
Since Ms. Oka is a still-growing elf, her physical stats are low as well, but she can use her excess of magical powers to enhance that.
Though she looks like a small child, she’s skilled in close combat, too.
Is this the difference between pure elves and half elves, or is Ms. Oka just special?
It’s probably the latter, but the obvious gap is taking a physical and mental toll on Anna.
Her mental state was already strained, but the pressure of not holding us back on our quest is only making her burden heavier.
She’s beginning to show signs of labyrinth sickness.
At this rate, she might be in danger.
Basgath has noticed her condition and attempts to manage our pace accordingly, but Anna is pushing herself to try to keep up with us.
Maybe it was a mistake to bring her along.
But if we had left her behind, I would’ve been worried about her, too.
I don’t think there was any right answer in this situation.
I agreed to let Anna come along, so I have to take responsibility by watching over her.
It seems like everyone else understands that, too, since no one has said anything.
Basgath might not know the details of the situation, but he’s a pro. He’ll guide us no matter what.
/> He won’t complain about one of his clients being slow.
The only person who seems a little disgruntled is Katia.
Maybe I should try to talk to her about it in a more indirect way later.
“Now, we’ve made it about halfway through the labyrinth, so we need to decide which route to take from here.”
Basgath is addressing me.
I’ll have to worry about Anna later.
“There are several routes ahead of us. There’s the shortest but most dangerous route, the relatively safe roundabout route, and the sketchier route that may or may not be dangerous. Which would yeh prefer?”
“Hmm. How dangerous is the shortest route?”
“Well, there are two kinds of passages in the Upper Stratum. There are the normal passages, the narrow kind like the one we’re in now. Then there’s the large passage.”
Pausing for a moment, he hands me a drink.
I accept it gratefully.
“The large passage, as the name implies, is much taller and wider than this one. Think of it like a big hall that goes on for ages and ages. It also happens to be the shortest route, but there are dangerous monsters there far beyond the kind that lurk in the normal passages. C-class monsters aplenty. Occasionally even A-class monsters, too. It’s a danger zone.”
A-class.
Monsters so strong it could take an army to deal with them.
It’s generally said that B-class monsters are the strongest that a small party can handle on their own.
Monsters have better stats than humans.
In order to make up for it, we polish our skills, gather companions, and use all of our combined wits to cooperate.
That’s how you win against an opponent with higher stats.
But that approach is only viable against monsters that are B-class and below.
A-class monsters are a different story entirely.
Aside from their naturally high stats, they have a superior range of skills.
Skills are human beings’ biggest advantage, and these monsters can use them just as proficiently.
Some individuals even have skills specific to monsters, making them especially troublesome to deal with.
A good example of an A-class monster? A high-level wyrm.
Like the one that was likely Fei’s parent, which attacked the academy.
Fei is technically classified as a high-level wyrm, too, but since being a reincarnation seems to have given her an extra edge, she’s probably closer in power to a dragon.