Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Arrival 

T HE LABYRINTH CITY of Rapan was one of a kind. 

Rapan sat in the midst of a vast desert, trapped within a peculiar, enormous white cage. An inquisitive person who approached would find this cage was actually constructed of bones—those of some long-dead behemoth. The ribs alone were large enough to encase the entire city. 

At one point, the city had been nothing more than a small oasis. The remains of the behemoth had transformed it, and it was now surrounded by a shocking number of labyrinths, making it an alluring destination for countless adventurers. Thanks to these adventurers streaming in from all over the world, looking to get rich quick, the city had become a stage where both happy endings and tragedies were acted out. 

This city, wrapped in a whirlwind of chaos, is currently one of the largest and most prominent of the Begaritt Continent. 

—Excerpt from Wandering the World 

by Adventurer and Author Bloody Kant 

*** 

I had a dim recollection of the information contained in Wandering the World . Rapan was a large, earth-colored city, nestled in the midst of its characteristic twelve white pillars, with buildings made of mud and materials obtained from regional beasts. I’d seen a lot of cities with the same aesthetic on the Demon Continent. 

That said, this place was unexpectedly verdant, perhaps thanks to the oasis by the bone pillars. Even from afar, I could see a line of what looked like palm trees. The atmosphere was unique, too. There was something like a crude smell in the air, not unlike the crowded slave markets. 

“Surprised? Those pillars are actually a behemoth’s ribs.” 

We were still walking along as I surveyed the area when Galban called out to me boastfully. Thanks to the current formation of our group, I’d been talking to him a lot lately. The man loved to brag. His stories were always incredible and self-flattering, with questionable veracity, but easy to enjoy if you suspended disbelief. 

“When the great hero, second-generation North God Kalman, visited this land, he and his companions defeated a behemoth that was rampaging through the desert. They feasted on some of its meat and left the rest of its remains to rot, leaving what you see now—bones that refuse to decay, standing testament to the passage of time.” 

“Wow.” 

So this land had some connection to the North God Kalman, huh? I knew some of the tales about him, but I’d never heard anything about him slaying a behemoth before. I had seen one behemoth myself as we traveled, but it had been way too large to even consider taking on. You’d have to be insane to even try. I wondered how he’d managed it. Well, the North God had apparently bested an immortal Demon King and an enormous dragon, so maybe he just made a hobby of defeating monsters with colossal amounts of HP. 

“Ants were among the numerous monsters that feasted on the fallen behemoth’s flesh, and they are the cause of the city’s numerous labyrinths. When monsters devour other monsters that are stronger than they are, they give birth to powerful offspring in turn. Those mutant ants dug countless nests, and the nests all turned into labyrinths.” 

“Oh, I see.” 

When the behemoth died, bugs swarmed to it. Then they began to reproduce and create nests. Over the course of many years, those insects began to die, the nests began to mutate, and thus the labyrinths were born. 

So that’s how it happened, I thought. 

The bit about eating strong monsters and giving birth to powerful offspring, though… That had to be a folktale, no more believable than the tales of how eating a mermaid’s flesh would give you immortality. If it were true, then the people of the Demon Continent, who consumed monster meat on a daily basis, should have been much stronger than they were. Monsters might be a special exception to the rule, but I didn’t buy it. 

Wait. Actually, could this explain the higher rate of strong people, such as Badigadi and Kishirika, being born there? Monsters themselves were just mutated versions of normal animals. It would make a certain amount of sense if people could also give birth to such mutants… 

Oh, crap. I’d eaten quite a bit of monster meat myself. What would I going to do if my child with Sylphie was born and suddenly declared, “I am the Emperor of the Demon World!”? I might find sudden kinship with the birds who hatched their eggs only to find a cuckoo’s offspring hidden amongst them. 

“Adventurers and merchants from all over the world gather here,” Galban continued to monologue. 

Magic items were churned out in droves. Magical implements and armor flew off the shelves. No matter how many magical crystals—otherwise known as magic stones—or magically imbued crystals you had, there were never enough. As long as your stock was of a certain quality, you could be assured it would all sell at high prices. This was a land where merchants’ dreams came true. 

Granted, making it here required knowledge of how to traverse the desert, among other things. Only a select few could make a habit of it. The rest would surely find more profitable, safer trade if they went to the Central Continent. 

Then again, a fish in a small pond knew nothing of the ocean. Galban seemed quite drunk on his own narcissism, so I wasn’t about to spoil his fun. The economy only worked thanks to merchants like him. 

We bid farewell to Galban after arriving in Rapan. His group was apparently going to put up their tent at the edge of the city. Our time together had been short, but I’d learned a lot from his group, and they had taken care of us. 

“Thank you for everything.” 

“Same here. If you ever need anything again, just say the word.” 

It was a quick parting. I kept my farewells minimal, giving just a bow to Balibadom and Carmelita. Things had been a bit strained by the end, but I hoped there was no ill will between us. 

Now we needed to search for Geese. Or Paul. I certainly hoped they were here, since we’d rushed all this way. There was still some time before the sun set, and ordinarily, we’d move to find an inn first, but perhaps we should prioritize looking for those two instead. 

“How are we going to go about this?” I asked. 

“Excellent question,” said Elinalise. “This city is big enough that it must have an Adventurers’ Guild, so let’s go there first.” 

“Got it.” 

I would have preferred to drop our luggage off first, but oh well, this worked. I did want to stay at the same inn as Geese and Paul if possible, anyway. 

When we inquired about the location of the guild, we were pointed to the center of the city, the usual location for such things. The people navigating the streets were primarily merchants. Most wore the same garb as Galban: a turban; simple, flowing fabric that wrapped around their entire body; and full beards. They walked the streets, pulling camels along with them, spreading their wares out for sale by the roadside. Many were so thoroughly swathed that none of their skin was visible. 

Among those erecting eaves of cloth was one individual in particular who wore an outfit straight out of Aladdin . Their shop was a general store, selling lamps made of metal and pots with curious patterns drawn on them. It was all very Arabian in flavor. I bet if you played a flute, a red snake would poke its head out of a vase to take a look. 

As we approached the Adventurers’ Guild, I saw a number of people dressed in familiar adventurer’s garb. There had to be a lot of people in this area who were originally from the Central Continent. They all had battle-worn faces; probably S-rank adventurers who specialized in labyrinth diving. Most wore pretty light clothing. It was dangerous to go out into the blinding sunlight without ample coverage to protect your skin, but it was probably fine as long as they didn’t venture out for extended periods. 

The building for the Adventurers’ Guild was carved out of an enormous boulder, most likely through magic. I could tell immediately because it resembled something I could have made myself, though the complexity of its construction surpassed my capabilities. There was an exquisite relief carved into the entrance, and the interior, once you stepped inside, was well-ventilated enough to feel refreshingly cool. 

The vibe within the guild was about the same as the rest of the city, but being the kind of city it was, there were no newbie adventurers to be seen. Everyone looked powerful. The ones who particularly caught my eye had scarred face and bodies. They all seemed to have checkered pasts. Not me, though. I’d led a sheltered life—no checks, no stripes, no spots. 

“Okay, let’s start asking around about Paul and Geese,” Elinalise said. 

“Sounds good,” I agreed. “I’m sure we’ll find something if we ask.” 

“Geese should already have an information network here, so I’m sure he’ll hear of it if we go poking around using his name… Oh, it looks like that won’t be necessary.” I followed Elinalise’s gaze to discover a monkey-faced man in a corner of the guild. He was deep in conversation with a sword-wielding beastman. 

“Come on, I’m askin’ you,” Geese pleaded. “You owe her one too; I know it.” 

“You’re asking the impossible.” 

“Can’t you just bend this once? This is a race against time.” 

“It’s already been a month, hasn’t it? She’s dead.” 

“No,” Geese shook his head. “There’s no way. Even if she is, we gotta at least go in and check; find her remains. Come on, I’m beggin’ you. I’ve seen your skill myself; that’s why I’m here. I’ll even pay you double, if that’s what you want.” 

He had a desperate look on his face. I never knew the little weasel could make that kind of face. 

“Sorry, but try someone else. I’m not eager to die.” 

Geese tried for a while to persuade the man, but at last the beastman shook his head and Geese clicked his tongue loud enough we could hear it from where we were standing. “Tch, you damn coward! Can’t believe you bother to call yourself an adventurer with that attitude!” 

“Yeah, yeah, say whatever you like.” The man strode out the door without so much as a backward glance. 

It was rare to see Geese curse at someone. No—truthfully, I didn’t know that much about him. The Geese I’d encountered in the past had been more light-hearted, though, and I said as much. “He looks like he’s really backed into a corner.” 

“Oh my, that’s how he usually is, though,” Elinalise said. 

“Really? I kind of had a different impression of him.” 

“He must’ve been trying to look more mature in front of you. Hey, Geese!” 

Geese twisted his head around, searching. His eyes went wide when he spotted us and shuffled our way. “Oh, hey! If it ain’t Elinalise!” 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said. 

Geese gave an empty laugh. “Not at all, you’re actually here way faster than I thought.” He broke out into a smile as he clapped her on the shoulder. “Actually, just how the hell did you get here this fast, hm? It’s only been six months since I sent that letter. Ahh, you must not’ve read it, eh? Probably missed you as you were travelin’.” 

“We’ll talk about that later. What’s going on with Zenith?” Elinalise asked. 

His face clouded over. “Not great. I sent that letter to you because I figured it’d be a drawn-out affair. Though, to be honest… Well, we can talk about that later, too.” 

Apparently, things weren’t going well, but we’d anticipated as much. My overly optimistic hope that they would have solved everything by the time we got here had been quickly proven false. 

“For the moment,” I cut in, “could you please guide us to where my father is?” 

Geese’s eyes flew open when he looked at me. Then he started scratching at his upper lip. “Oh, hey…that’s you, ain’t it, boss? You sure got bigger.” 

“And you sure don’t seem to have changed, Mister Geese.” 

“Yuck, enough. That gives me the creeps. Just call me ‘newbie’ like you used to.” 

Ahh, this exchange sure brought back memories. 

“My my, you two sure seem to be close,” Elinalise commented in amusement. 

Hearing that, Geese grinned. “Well, we did share a cell together, eh, boss?” 

“Indeed,” I said, “it sure brings back memories.” 

Ah, nostalgia—the time I spent completely naked in that cell in the Doldia Tribe’s village. It was after I crossed the sea from the Demon Continent to the Millis Continent, been caught up in a kidnapping incident, and dragged back to their village. Among the Doldia, those facing serious crimes were stripped of their clothes and tossed into a cell. I was given the same treatment on the basis that I had kidnapped the Sacred Beast and tried to commit sexual acts with it. Those were false allegations, of course. Who the hell would try to commit sexual acts with a puppy? Anyway, it was there that I met Geese. His crime was a minor one, brought about by his own greed. He’d been quite the generous thief. 

“Ah, that’s enough of that though. I’ll take you to where Paul is,” Geese said, giving another empty smile as we left the Adventurers’ Guild behind us. 

Paul was staying at an inn in the corner of the city. The building was constructed of mud and stone and was aimed at B-rank adventurers, at least by Demon Continent standards. It was neither lavish nor dilapidated. 

Once we arrived at the entrance, Geese said to us, “Listen good, Paul’s in quite the state right now. So Elinalise, I know you’ve got a lot you wanna say, but just save it this time.” 

“I can’t make any promises,” she replied, shaking her head. 

Geese forced a smile and shrugged his shoulders, leaving it at that. Still, this was Elinalise we were talking. She wasn’t going to suddenly turn hostile and aggressive. “You too, Boss. Don’t start a fight like you did last time, got it? I’m sure you have a lot you wanna say, but just…try not to blame him too much, ’kay?” 

It had to be pretty bad for Geese to go on such a long preamble. Besides, I had already seen Paul when he was at his weakest and running from his problems. I just had to mentally prepare myself for something similar. 

Though his appearance might suggest otherwise, Paul wasn’t the most mentally durable. If something bad happened, he’d sink into depression immediately. I wouldn’t go so far as to call him an emotional wreck, but he didn’t have the resilience to handle massive setbacks. I figured he’d bounce back to being as self-assured as he had been when we lived in Buena Village once we found Zenith, but who knew? 

This was an essential step. I needed to be open-minded enough that people would call me the Buddha Rudeus. 

“’Kay, let’s go in,” Geese said, and we entered. 

There was no door, only a curtain that sectioned off the inside from the outside. The first floor of the inn was basically like all the others I’d seen, with tables for people to eat at. The materials used to construct said tables was different, as was their layout, but other than that, it was the same. 

I recognized Paul at a glance. His upper half was flopped over the top of a table. 

“Ah…!” Someone gasped quietly. 

It was Lilia, standing just beside Paul. Even on this continent, she was still wearing her maid uniform. Her normally tidy hair had grown frayed, and her face was haggard with exhaustion. Still, she brightened when our eyes met. She bowed toward me and immediately nudged Paul’s back. 

The woman who sat directly in front of Paul stood up. She looked at my face and retreated several steps, then suddenly lowered her head. Her body was cloaked in a robe. Which one was she again—Vierra or Shierra? I was pretty sure she was Shierra. I’d met her in Millishion—she was an accountant, right? 

Her face was heavy with exhaustion. All of theirs were. 

I took her seat, planting myself directly across from Paul. 

“Master, Lord Rudeus has come,” Lilia announced. 

“Hm…?” Coaxed by her prodding, Paul slowly lifted his head. He had dark circles beneath his eyes. His entire body had gone gaunt and emaciated. He looked terrible, but there was no scruffy stubble around his jaw and his hair was fairly well-kept. He was no longer steeped in the stench of alcohol, either. 

Still, I could tell he was at his wits’ end. I was glad we’d come. Seeing the condition he was in told me it had been the right decision. 

“Rudy…?” 

“Father. It’s been a while.” 

He stared at me, eyes dazed and unfocused. Almost as if he wasn’t entirely awake. No, maybe he had been sleeping. Dozing in and out of unconsciousness as he lay slumped across the table. 

It had been so long since we last saw each other. Last time, he’d yelled and rebuked me. Even though he’d felt cornered at the time, I’d still returned his strong words in kind, and it had turned into a fight. 

Not today. Today I was the Buddha Rudeus. 

“Huh? That’s weird, I can see Rudy. Ha ha, what’s up, Rudy? It’s been so long. You look like you’re doing well. How are Norn and Aisha?” he asked, his face dark and overcast. 

Honestly, his reaction wasn’t what I’d expected. I thought he would be just as he had been before—drunk and running from his troubles. Sporting a flask in one hand, yelling at me. 

“Uh, I took them in. They’re living in the Magic City of Sharia right now. They’re doing fine. I’ve left them in the care of some trustworthy people, just in case.” 

“Okay, yeah, that figures. Just as reliable as ever, Rudy. Ah, how are you, by the way? Doing good?” 

“Oh, yes… I guess I am.” 

He smiled, flippant and carefree. A smile unbefitting of the circumstances, as if he’d lost all heart. “Okay, well, that’s good. That’s the most important thing.” 

There was no life in his eyes. Perhaps his spirit had given out and he’d become nothing more than an empty husk. I gave Geese a nervous look, but he merely nodded back grimly. 

Seriously? This was what Paul had become? 

“Rudy…” Paul took to his feet and tottered around the edge of the table toward me. Then he pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m…a hopeless bastard.” 

I just silently returned the embrace. 

Maybe he was hopeless. Maybe he would never return to the way he was. I could hardly believe it, not when he had a grandchild on the way. But everything would be fine now that I was here. I would do something to fix this. It was the whole reason I’d come. 

“I can’t save your mother. I can’t even keep the promises I made. I’ve completely failed you as a father too. I really am a hopeless bastard.” 

“Please don’t worry. I’m here now. Things are going to be okay.” 

“Urgh… Rudy, you really have gotten big, haven’t you?” He squeezed my shoulders tight. It hurt a little bit, but I wouldn’t complain. 

“I did indeed. I’m going to have a child soon as well. So just leave the rest to me and take some time to relax.” 

“Huh? A child?!” A strangled cry escaped Paul’s throat and light came flooding back to his eyes. “Wh-whaaa?!” He looked entirely bewildered as he patted his hands against my face. “Wait, are you actually the real thing?” 

“I am indeed.” 

“So this isn’t a dream?” 

“I’m dreamy enough for it to seem like one, right?” I joked. 

“Yeah, it’s definitely you.” He blinked several times, then looked around. 

Lilia’s eyes met his. “Good morning, Master.” 

“Oh, it’s you, Lilia. How long did I sleep?” 

“Since Lord Talhand left to go shopping, so about an hour.” 

“Okay, guess I was still only half-awake.” He shook his head and stretched his body. 

Ah-ha, so he was just half-asleep , I thought. He wasn’t a husk after all. Good. I was too young to be stuck looking after my old man. 

Paul retook his seat and turned toward me. Then, as if we were redoing the whole reunion, he asked, “Rudy, why are you here?” 

“I already told you. I came to help.” 

“No, that’s not what I mean.” 

I shook my head. I’d anticipated that question. We’d had a similar communication mix-up before and it had turned into a fight, but this time, things would be all right. I had seen his letter, and Norn and Aisha were in my care. “Everything is fine. Norn and Aisha, as well. They’re being looked after,” I said, repeating what I’d already said a moment ago. 

“O-oh, okay.” Paul looked confused. He reached out to pat my body again, almost as if he were checking to confirm that I really was here. “No, but… I mean, didn’t you get here way too fast?” 

“We took a somewhat unique method of transport. I’m sure I’ll have to explain when it’s time to go home.” 

“Unique, huh? Well, knowing you, I guess it’s possible.” Paul looked dumbfounded as he dropped his shoulders, mouth still agape. 

“Well, just to clear everything up, why don’t you tell me what happened after Geese sent that letter?” 

“Uh, no, hold up. I’m kind of confused.” 

“All right then. Why don’t you drink some water and try to calm down?” I used my earth magic to conjure a cup, water magic to fill it, then passed it over to Paul. 

He took it readily and gulped the liquid down. Once he was finished, he let out a big sigh. “Sorry, I was just a bit shocked. I knew Geese had gone off on his own and sent that letter. I just figured it’d be a while before you came.” 

“We hurried as fast as we could,” I said. 

Paul forced a smile. “Hurried is an understatement.” 

A month and a half. From Paul’s perspective, just over six months had passed since they’d sent their letter. That was considered fast? I supposed it was. Ordinarily, it would have taken us another year to get here. Paul had probably figured they had another ten months to wait. 

He suddenly put a hand to his chin, clearly racking his brain. He looked nervous as he asked, his voice slow and purposeful, “So, you did just say something about having a kid?” 

Oh yeah, I had. It wasn’t something I intended to keep from him, but perhaps he was angry with me, thinking, Why are you having such a good time while I’m over here struggling? 

I constructed my response carefully. “Well, the truth is, I got married while I was attending the University of Magic.” 

“Married?” Paul’s brows furrowed. “With who? Ah, maybe Eris?” 

“No, Sylphie,” I corrected. “We met up again at the university.” 

“Sylphie? You mean the one from Buena Village? So, she was alive, huh?” 

“Yes, though she also had a tough time of her own.” 

Paul stroked his chin, still looking surprised. I’d sent several letters to him, but apparently he hadn’t received them after all. “Could you tell me what led up to this marriage, exactly?” 

“Uh, sure. Yeah. I should probably go ahead and do that.” 

I decided to explain what had happened after I sent the first letter. How I’d enrolled at the university, and everything from there on, leading up to my marriage. I chose my words carefully as I went. Honestly, I had nothing but good memories of my time at school. It had certainly had its low points, but it wouldn’t be exaggerating to say I’d had the time of my life there, either. I’d made friends, found my wife, and had plenty of fun. 

I tried to keep my recounting of events as objective as possible, but I couldn’t hide it. There was no denying I’d had a good time there. 

“I see. So…a child. My grandchild…” 

I was prepared for him to scold me. After all, the fact that I was having a kid meant I’d been doing the act that led to its creation, at a time when Paul was working desperately to try to save Zenith. It’d be only natural if he was upset. Enjoyment was supposed to be shared, and Paul was living a life of abstinence. 

Just as I was thinking that, Paul’s head drooped. “I’m sorry. You’re about to become a father, and yet you had to come here because I’m so worthless.” 

An apology. From Paul, no less! 

“No, actually, I’m the one who feels bad. We haven’t even found Mother yet, and I’m just moving on with my life.” 

“No, I can’t blame you at all for that. After all, I slept with Lilia once, too.” 

Well, they were husband and wife, after all, so I didn’t really see the harm in it. 

“I meant to wait until we’d saved Zenith. I really am pathetic.” Paul lowered his eyes, looking as if he might cry again. He was so fragile. Like porcelain. 

Lilia suddenly cut in, “We were attacked by a succubus. We had no choice.” 

“Even so, you… Ahh, fuck.” Paul cradled his head in his hands as the memories came flooding back. 

A succubus, huh? In that case, it really wasn’t his fault. I’d encountered them myself, and there really was no resisting them. They exposed the darkest corners of your heart…though their attacks could be nullified by detoxification magic. Paul had a healer in his party who should’ve been able to do that. 

I turned my head toward Shierra, who panicked the moment she felt my eyes on her. “I-I am terribly sorry. It’s just… I was so terrified of the captain. I couldn’t do anything.” 

“Rudy, please don’t blame her. I’m the one at fault.” 

When Paul was aroused, he probably went right at whatever women were around him. It had to have been frightening to see a man like him overcome with lust—especially considering that Paul was the main damage dealer of their party. Detoxification magic couldn’t be performed unless you physically touched a person. It wasn’t surprising they’d been unable to pin him down long enough to use it. Lilia must have stepped forward to use her body to resolve the matter. 

“Yeah, I ran into succubi along the way here. I get how terrifying they are. There wasn’t anything you could’ve done against it.” 

“But Talhand was completely unaffected. I was the only one who couldn’t resist,” Paul despaired. 

Come to think of it, their party did have another man in it. Talhand was completely resistant? Just how did that work? Hard to believe any man could walk away unscathed. Perhaps the succubus’ wiles didn’t work on dwarves? 

As I considered the possibilities, Paul fixed his gaze on me. 

“What is it?” I asked. 

Paul scratched at his upper lip. “Nothing, it’s just… You sound more confident and assertive than you used to.” 

“Huh?” 

I hadn’t noticed until he pointed it out to me. Come to think of it, when had I started speaking so freely in front of people? I’d intended to keep my casual speech separate from my usual habits of address, but apparently, I’d gotten used to it while talking to Zanoba and the others. 

“Oh, yes, my apologies. I will be more prudent in the future.” 

“Nah, it’s okay. You sound more like a man when you talk that way, anyway.” Paul laughed. Tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes. One fell, then another, with more soon to follow. They came unbidden, refusing to stop. “Rudy…you really have grown so much.” 

Hearing him say that brought me to tears as well. We were family, and yet, we didn’t even know how much the other had changed. 

“I’m sorry for being such a terrible father.” 

Silently, I wrapped my arms around him. I didn’t even have to stretch; I was easily able to reach around his shoulders. At some point, without my even realizing it, the two of us had become the same height. 

And just like that, we both cried together. 

After a little while, we pulled away. Our reunion was over. Now we had to switch gears. There was still one issue remaining. 

“Hmph.” Elinalise planted herself in a nearby chair, looking completely unamused. Paul slowly turned toward her, and their gazes met. Paul’s eyes narrowed. Elinalise’s brows knitted. 

This was bad. 

“Um, Father, Miss Elinalise came all the way from the Magic City of Sharia to help out, knowing our family was in trouble. She came even though she didn’t want to see you.” 

“…” 

Paul gradually took to his feet. Then he gingerly walked toward Elinalise. She watched, hands balled into fists, and stood as well. 

“She’s worried about us as well. I know there must have been a lot that happened in the past, but out of consideration for me, could you please let that all be water under the bridge now?” 

Elinalise glared down at Paul, a solid head taller than him. The air was thick with tension. “Volatile” was the word that came to mind. 

Perhaps they’d end up punching each other. No, maybe they’d try to kill each other! Crap, was their relationship really that bad? 

“Geese…” I looked to him for help, but the jerk just gave a helpless shrug and an infuriating grin. 

That man really is worthless, I thought. 

“Elinalise?” 

“Yes, what is it?” 

Paul peered back at me, then at Lilia and Shierra. There seemed to be some meaning behind his gaze, but I couldn’t figure it out. 

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees. Then he pressed his forehead against the ground. He was groveling! 

“I’m sorry for what happened back then!” 

Elinalise refused to look at him. She just turned her head to the side, flared her lips in a pout and said, completely unamused, “Well, I was partially at fault back then, too.” 

That was completely unexpected. I’d honestly figured she’d start throwing curses at him. 

Paul continued prostrating himself. “I’ve caused you a lot of trouble since the Displacement Incident happened. I’m real sorry about that.” 

“It’s fine. I had someone I wanted to look for, too, so it was convenient.” 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re very welcome, Paul.” 

That was the end of it. Just like that. They both had a hint of a smile on their faces. It looked like the problem that existed between the two of them—whatever it was—had just disappeared. Effortlessly so, even though Elinalise had previously gone on at length about how she couldn’t forgive him. 

“Phew…” Paul let out a long breath, lifted himself off the ground, and dusted off his knees. Then he looked up at Elinalise, who gently returned his gaze. 

“Age hasn’t been kind,” she said. 

“It has to you,” he nodded back. “You’re as beautiful as ever.” 

“Oh, my. I’ll tell Zenith you said that.” 

“That means I’ll get to see her being jealous again.” 

“Something to look forward to, I’m sure.” 

The two of them laughed. It was nice to see them like that. They painted quite the picture together: a gorgeous elf and an exhausted, middle-aged swordsman. 

I had no idea what had rocked their friendship. Perhaps it was just Elinalise being obstinate, and the matter had actually been very trivial. Or maybe it was something that had required time to heal. Regardless, friendship was a beautiful thing. 

“Still, it’s impressive you were able to endure the journey here. It’s a long way from the Northern Territories to here, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, it is,” she agreed. 

“What happened with your curse, then?” Paul asked without missing a beat. “Don’t tell me you and Rudeus did it together?” 

“Certainly not. I made it this far thanks to Cliff’s magical implement.” 

Paul tilted his head. “Cliff? Who’s that?” 

“My husband.” 

“Your what?!” Paul’s eyes went wide. Then his voice grew loud with surprise. “So you have a husband? The man must have some strange tastes, then! What kind of a joke is this? Are you sure this man really agreed to marry you? Hey, Rudy, do you know this guy? This ‘Cliff’?” He laughed as he glanced over to me. 

I kept a straight face as I nodded, mostly because Elinalise looked ready to kill. “Father, you’ve gone a bit too far. Yes, I do think Cliff has some odd tastes, but he’s a very respectable man.” Cliff had trouble reading the room sometimes, but he was honest, and unashamed about proclaiming his love. He was an amazing individual. 

“Seriously? Well, he must be pretty incredible for you to say that.” Paul was shocked by what he heard. He looked awkward as he dipped his head. “Okay, that was my bad then. Be sure to introduce me when we get back.” 

“Yes, you should be sorry,” Elinalise huffed. “He’s a far more amazing man than you.” 

Paul forced a smile and bowed his head once more. “All that aside… Rudeus, Elinalise, thank you both for coming.” 

“We’re just getting started,” she quipped. 

“Of course I came,” I said. “We’re family.” Now then, it was about time for us to get to the heart of the matter. “Father, please explain what’s going on.” 

Paul began by explaining the details of how he got here, though I already knew the gist of it. Roxy and Talhand met up with him in Millishion, then collected what information they could and crossed the sea to the Begaritt Continent. Thanks to their party’s numbers, they were able to make their way to Rapan. It was there that they reunited with Geese and figured out where Zenith was located. 

“According to Geese’s information, your mother is about a day north of here, captured in a labyrinth.” 

That was vague. By “captured,” did he mean someone was holding her there? Or was it the labyrinth itself keeping her? Did labyrinths that captured people even exist? 

“For six whole years?” I asked in disbelief. 

Paul shook his head. “I don’t know.” 

“And she’s still alive?” 

“I don’t know. There was a party that went in there a few years ago, and apparently one of the members said they saw someone resembling Zenith. Also, we haven’t heard from them since they went in again.” 

So they’d gone dark. That wasn’t reassuring. Was it just wishful thinking to hope that she was still trapped in there? 

Then again, according to what Roxy had said, Zenith had still been alive when Kishirika saw her. Based on Geese’s information, news from the aforementioned party had stopped coming before Roxy conferred with Kishirika. That was two years ago. Geese’s information had been acquired four years ago. In other words, Zenith had gone two years without contact with anyone, and was still alive when Kishirika saw her. That meant there was a high likelihood she was still alive even now. 

Apparently, they were betting on that sliver of hope in continuing the search for her. Even if she hadn’t survived, it was still important to confirm her death. Of course, I hoped she was still alive. When I heard she could be dead, my heart had sunk. 

I guess I’d already figured it was too late. It had been six years, after all. 

Suddenly Geese cut in. “All we have is secondhand information, so we don’t know. Maybe she is dead. Maybe she’s bein’ possessed by some kinda monster. All we got is she was seen in the labyrinth.” 

Paul added, “This labyrinth is a very old and difficult one. In this past year, we’ve gone diving into it numerous times, but it’s been rough. We have four labyrinth diving pros in our party, but we didn’t even get halfway in. Pretty sad, really.” 

Four of them… Paul, Geese, Talhand and Roxy? They had three others as well, but none of them were professionals. Come to think of it, where were the other three members? 

“Hm, got company?” 

Just then, light came pouring in from the entrance. Someone had stepped inside. 

“Oho! Looks like I missed a touching reunion, eh?” 

It was a small man. Granted, his height was the only thing small about him; he had about as much girth as he had height. You could tell he was a dwarf at a glance. He had a long, flowing beard, and a large burlap sack in his hand. This had to be Talhand. 

A woman stood behind him, dressed like a warrior and carrying a similar sack of her own. She wasn’t wearing the bikini armor that she had before, but I remembered her face. Vierra, right? She gave me a bow, then hurried over to Shierra’s side. 

The man’s stout body swayed as he approached. He surveyed me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. “You Paul’s boy?” 

“Um, yes. Pleasure to meet you. I’m Rudeus.” 

“Talhand. You look as intelligent as I heard. Mm-hm.” He plunked his bag down on top of the table. 

“Rudeus, you better stay away from him. He steals what men hold dear,” Elinalise warned. 

What men hold dear? What did that mean? Their pride? 

“Aha, I thought it smelled a bit too much like women in here.” Talhand looked over at Elinalise, with an expression on his face that seemed to say he’d only just realized she was here. “What’s this, eh? So you tagged along too?” 

“Oh my, are you saying I shouldn’t have?” 

“’Course I am. Just you bein’ here stirs up trouble.” He reached into his bag and produced a glass bottle filled with amber liquid. He popped the cork off and gulped it right down. “Pwah! Now this here’s a drink that’ll hit you in the gut real good.” 

The stench of alcohol came wafting through the air. A pretty strong drink, if that was any indication. The dwarves did love their liquor, after all. 

“Have a go.” Talhand thrust the bottle toward Elinalise. She took it wordlessly and chugged. She didn’t drink as much as he did, but I could still see her pale white throat move as she swallowed twice and then burped. 

“ Q uite the crude alcohol.” 

“Goes perfect with someone as crude as you.” He shoved the cork back in and returned the bottle to his bag. 

What was with their exchange just now? Was that supposed to be a dwarven-style greeting? No one else was commenting on it. What on earth…? 

“Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s pick up where we left off, okay?” Paul’s voice brought me back to my senses. Talhand had made quite the impact with his entrance, so I completely forgot we were in the middle of a conversation. 

Wait—did he say everyone? 

“Hold on a moment,” I interjected. “What about Master Roxy?” 

Paul’s face grew dark when I asked. And it wasn’t just him, either. Everyone else wore the same look, save for Elinalise. The long-eared beauty seemed to realize what that meant, and her eyes went wide. “What? It can’t be…” 

The moment I heard her say that, a single word popped up into the back of my mind. The worst one imaginable. 

Death. 

“A month ago, Roxy got caught by one of the traps in the labyrinth.” 

I could feel my heart pound. I didn’t want to hear this. Not that blue-haired little girl. It couldn’t be. I didn’t want to hear them say it. I mean, she was a competent adventurer, one who’d traipsed into a labyrinth on her own before. She couldn’t use voiceless magic, but she’d successfully shortened her incantations. She was a King-tier water magician. My savior. 

I didn’t want to hear any more. Even so, I asked reluctantly, “S-she’s not dead…is she?” 

At some point, Elinalise had risen from her seat and moved behind me, placing her hands on both my shoulders. 

“No,” Paul said. “She stepped on a teleportation circle and disappeared. We haven’t confirmed her death. It’s highly likely she’s still alive out there in the labyrinth.” 

That was enough, at least for the moment. I felt the tension leave me. But my face soon stiffened again at Geese’s ensuing protest. 

“Come on, Paul. It just isn’t possible. I get that it’s Roxy we’re talkin’ about, but that isn’t the kinda place a magician can survive on their own. Sure, maybe she’s still alive, but the chances of that are—” 

Talhand interrupted, “No, Roxy’s not your average magician. There’s a good chance she’s still kickin’.” 

“You say that, but we’ve been lookin’ all month and haven’t found her!” Geese exclaimed. “We’ve gone in five times, and nothin’!” 

“Geese,” Paul said tersely. “How long are you going to keep this up?!” 

Paul, Geese, and Talhand began arguing amongst themselves. Geese—who I’d remembered as being so easygoing—was pissed off and squabbling. It seemed he really did feel like he was at his wits’ end. 

So Roxy had stepped on a teleportation trap. She did tend to be careless sometimes, so I guess I could see it. Still, if they hadn’t confirmed her death, then I wanted to believe she was alive. It didn’t seem possible to me that someone like Roxy Migurdia could die so easily. 

At least, I wanted to believe that she couldn’t. So that was the belief I was going to hold onto. 

Ugh. I was even more shocked by this news than when I’d heard that Zenith might be dead. 

“Sorry I interrupted the conversation. Let’s get back to where we were. What kind of place is this labyrinth?” I asked. 

The three of them exchanged glances. It was as if they were conferring to see who would be the one to relay the information. Paul finally opened his mouth. “A teleportation labyrinth.” 

The moment he said those words, it was as if I could hear a book rustling inside my bags. As if the book had heard someone call its name. The one titled An Exploratory Account of the Teleportation Labyrinth .