Episode 24: The Uncharted Labyrinth

The seasons had turned, and winter was already approaching. Though a mild winter was predicted this year, I was arranging for firewood and emergency food supplies to be distributed to the villages to ensure no one froze or starved. It was during this time that it happened.

“Oh… a letter from the king?”

Delivered to me was a sealed envelope adorned with a laurel crown emblem. Only one person in this kingdom is permitted to use this crest: the king himself.

“As expected, a summons to the capital…”

Breaking the seal, I examined the contents of the letter. Summarized, it read: Come to the capital and have an audience with the king.

I had anticipated this, but it’s finally come.

“Shall we prepare immediately and depart within the day, Lord Siegfried?”

Evan, standing nearby, inquired. The king, needless to say, is the supreme authority of this nation. A summons from such a figure would naturally prompt one to set out at once, or so Evan likely thought. But I shook my head.

“No, there’s something I need to take care of first. Evan, you go ahead by carriage. I’ll handle my errand and catch up to you on foot.”

“On… foot? Well, certainly, with your physical abilities, Lord Siegfried, it’s possible, but…”

Even by carriage, the journey to the capital takes ten days. Handling my business here and catching up afterward would be a simple matter.

“But what errand needs to be taken care of?”

“Conquering a labyrinth dungeon.”

“A… labyrinth dungeon?”

◆

In this world, magic is a force that triggers various phenomena. For instance, knights and warriors enhance their physical abilities by infusing their bodies with magic, while mages manipulate it to cast spells. However, magic doesn’t always benefit humanity.

Animals or inanimate objects affected by magic transform into creatures known as monsters, turning hostile toward humans.

At times, magic alters the very terrain, and when monsters settle in such places, a unique ecosystem forms. This is how labyrinth dungeons are born.

Labyrinth dungeons often form in underground caverns or ancient ruins where magic accumulates, creating complex, maze-like interiors teeming with monsters. Yet, there are those who deliberately venture into these perilous places.

Rare ores mutated by the dungeon’s magic or ancient relics—both fetch high prices in the market. Seeking such treasures, some challenge the labyrinth dungeons. These individuals are known as adventurers.

“Ugh, why did this have to happen…!”

Brandishing her sword while grumbling, she was one such adventurer. Around twenty years old, with amber hair flowing freely, she wore a breastplate and thick leather gloves.

Her name was Martina Hyatt, one of the few B-rank adventurers in the Kingdom of Kirchen.

Having completed numerous solo guild requests and risen to B-rank at a young age, she was now cornered.

—In the darkness, a pair of glinting eyes glared at Martina.

A massive serpent, easily twenty meters long. Its movements were slow for now, but it was clear that any attempt to flee would provoke an immediate attack. This monster was none other than the Venom Serpent, a miasma-emitting beast with a rank-A threat level.

Its scales were harder than steel, its fangs as sharp as swords. The miasma it exhaled gradually sapped the strength of any living creature nearby.

(There’s no way I can beat this thing…!)

A rank-A target. A foe that even a grand knight order led by high nobility would struggle to defeat. For Martina, a solo B-rank adventurer, victory was impossible.

(Am I going to die here? If that’s the case, at least before I go…)

“I wanted to fall in love with a hot guy!”

The moment Martina shouted those words—

The Venom Serpent opened its massive jaws and lunged at her.

Martina sensed the certain death that awaited her in mere seconds.

“Huh…?”

What appeared before Martina’s eyes was an unbelievable sight. Right in front of her, the Venom Serpent’s head had been severed and was soaring through the air.

“What just… happened?”

The serpent’s head, covered in scales harder than steel, had been effortlessly sliced off. As Martina’s strength left her body and she nearly collapsed, someone caught her.

“Why are you here?”

A low, resonant voice.

The voice belonged to a young man with silver hair and blue eyes. In Martina’s words, his appearance could be summed up as: an absolutely stunning hunk.

“I’ll ask again. Why are you here?”

“Uh…?”

“The entrance to this labyrinth dungeon was supposed to be sealed.”

“Oh, um… I was investigating a cave above this labyrinth dungeon. You know, a regular cave, not a dungeon. But then the ground suddenly collapsed, and I fell into this place…”

“I see. The collapse created an entrance.”

“I never imagined there’d be an undiscovered labyrinth dungeon here… Wait, more importantly! Th-thank you. For saving me.”

Blushing, Martina offered her thanks. But by then, the young man was no longer at her side. He was already striding forward, disappearing deeper into the labyrinth dungeon.

“Hey, wait! The monsters in this dungeon are all way beyond normal…!”

As Martina shouted, two more monsters leapt from the darkness toward the young man. They were Venom Serpents, just like before—two of them at once.

“Look out!”

Martina’s voice rang out. But by then, both Venom Serpents had already been beheaded, their blood spraying as they collapsed lifelessly.

“…Huh?”

All Martina could discern was the moment the young man touched the sword at his waist, followed by a silver arc flashing through the darkness. In an instant, faster than the eye could follow, he had likely drawn his blade and decapitated both Venom Serpents.

“That’s… incredible. Who is that guy…?”

Martina could only watch as the young man vanished into the darkness.

◆

“It was definitely the right call to visit this labyrinth dungeon before heading to the capital. With the entrance now open, adventurers would’ve come flooding in.”

I muttered to myself as I advanced through the labyrinth dungeon, shrouded in eerie silence and ominous magic.

This was an undiscovered labyrinth dungeon near a settlement of gray wolf beastmen. How did I know about this place? Thanks to the knowledge I gained in my previous life about this world—a game.

And deep within this dungeon lay the very thing I sought.

“Still, it’s odd that a game meant to be a strategy simulation would include something like a labyrinth dungeon.”

The moment I let that murmur slip—

—A screeching cry echoed as something lunged from behind a rock. A giant scorpion, as large as a bull.

A rank-A+ threat, the Metal Sting, an iron-piercing magical scorpion. Its tail, capable of piercing steel, thrust toward me. I casually extended a hand chop to meet it. In an instant, the Metal Sting’s prized tail was severed with ease.

I followed with a kick. The Metal Sting’s body was sent flying, shattering into pieces.

“As expected, fighting monsters lacks any real thrill.”

Against mindless monsters, there’s no way to draw out their charm like you can with a human villain before defeating them. It’s just a matter of crushing them—a chore. This… this isn’t my battlefield.

“I’ll clear this labyrinth dungeon quickly and claim my prize…”