A cool breeze brushed against my skin as we stepped out of the workshop.
The street outside was as bustling as ever. I could see students moving between various workshops to prepare for their labyrinth explorations, as well as the craftsmen who supported them.
Amidst the clamor, Lene looked up at me with an anxious expression.
"Lord Rai... where do you think Rio went?"
"The labyrinths, most likely. And a high-difficulty one at that."
The teleportation device Rio was trying to build was a piece of equipment designed to save as many lives as possible when we students eventually took on the Primal Labyrinth.
And now, she was heading out for a field test.
She would want to conduct it in an environment that mirrored the Primal Labyrinth as closely as possible. Which meant—
"...She's likely heading for an A-Rank labyrinth."
Lene’s expression stiffened at my words.
"...A place like that?"
"I don’t know if she’ll dive straight into an A-Rank from the start, but most likely—"
The Adventurer’s Guild assigned danger ranks to every labyrinth.
They ranged from D-Rank, which denoted unstable, newly formed labyrinths, up to A-Rank, which designated zones on the verge of becoming full-scale disasters where monsters were hyper-active and the internal structure itself was prone to shifting. Naturally, the difficulty of conquering them increased exponentially with each rank.
Labyrinths rated B-Rank or higher were particularly troublesome.
At that stage, the labyrinths began to expand or produce monster outbreaks, and damage to the surrounding regions became a real concern. Once they reached that level of growth, they fell under national management, necessitating the dispatch of veteran adventurers or the Order of Knights.
The Primal Labyrinth, for its part, was a special case that defied all standard classifications.
It was a world-scale calamity that raged in a Centennial Cycle. It was so dangerous that the concept of ranking it was utterly meaningless.
"The Primal Labyrinth is currently dormant, so no one can enter. Therefore, she’ll probably look for a labyrinth that’s currently accessible and provides a similar environment for her test."
"I see. That’s why she would choose an A-Rank..."
I nodded in response to Lene’s realization.
In the original story of CHOICE//MAZE, the labyrinth Rio entered was indeed an A-Rank.
Despite being a relatively new emergence, it was a place where many adventurers and knights had met their match. She had dived into such a place alone... and she never came back.
"..."
A slight heaviness settled in my chest.
However, I immediately forced my thoughts to shift.
It was fine. Rio was still alive in this world.
"In any case, we head to the Adventurer’s Guild first."
Lene blinked for a moment, then looked up as the realization hit her.
"Oh... of course. To gather information on the nearby labyrinths?"
I nodded back.
The Adventurer’s Guild served as a hub where information on all surrounding labyrinths was collected daily. If we wanted to find out which ones were active and how dangerous they were, that was the place to go.
"I just hope she isn't making things difficult for the receptionist by insisting she’s fine on her own," Lene murmured.
I gave a wry smile at her concern as we picked up our pace.
By the time we reached the lower district of the fortress city, our destination was in sight.
While not quite as massive as the academy, the guild was a grand stone edifice. The area around the entrance was crowded with adventurers, and the top of the building was adorned with a crest depicting a crossed sword and shield.
The Adventurer’s Guild.
It was the headquarters for all labyrinth explorers and the primary information hub for the fortress city.
As we pushed the doors open, we were immediately greeted by a wave of boisterous noise and a lively atmosphere.
The air was thick with the scent of cheap liquor; the place felt more like a tavern than a professional guild. The wide hall was filled with tables where numerous adventurers sat chatting with drinks in hand.
A few were at the bulletin board scrutinizing request forms, but they were in the minority.
"It... it smells quite strong, doesn't it?"
Lene reflexively covered her nose.
It was a pungent cocktail of alcohol, sweat, leather, and steel. The atmosphere was a world away from the refined halls of the Ducal House or the academy.
"Well, this is usually how an Adventurer’s Guild looks," I said with a shrug and a dry smile.
Admittedly, this was not the sort of place a Duke’s son and his personal maid would typically frequent, given the sheer number of roughnecks loitering about.
However, personally, I didn't hate the vibe.
The laughter was coarse and lacked any shred of elegance. Even when someone clattered a wooden mug and splashed alcohol all over their clothes, they didn't seem to care. Most of the gear these men wore looked like it hadn't seen maintenance in months.
And yet, they were all happily regaling each other with tales of adventure.
Rather than a den of thugs, they seemed more like a group of people who simply enjoyed the act of exploring.
...In a way, I felt a twinge of envy.
"..."
Now wasn't the time for sentimentality.
I gave my head a light shake and scanned the room.
"I’m telling you, please! I’ll be fine on my own!"
I found our target almost instantly.
"Lord Rai..."
"Yeah. There she is, just like we thought."
With a mutual wry smile, we walked toward her.
At the back of the guild stood the long reception counter. At one of the many stations, a familiar dark brown ponytail was whipping back and forth in a fit of irritation.
The girl—Rio Krausel—was practically climbing over the counter as she pressed her case to the receptionist.
"I’ve already told you, no! Solo exploration of a labyrinth is not permitted!"
The receptionist shook her head, looking utterly beleaguered.
"I’m actually quite strong, you know! I won’t have any problems alone!"
"That doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous!"
The receptionist’s voice rose to a near-scream.
The surrounding adventurers were watching the exchange with varying degrees of amusement.
"What's with the kid?"
"Solo exploration? Is she serious?"
"Must be pretty confident in her sword arm..."
Whispers drifted from the tables.
Rio didn't seem to care about the eyes on her at all. She leaned in even further, her voice rising.
"I told you, I’ve prepared everything! Even the safety of my device is—"
"Even so!"
The receptionist looked like she was on the verge of tears.
It was a scene exactly as I had imagined it. I couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
"She really is causing trouble..." Lene whispered with a strained smile.
"Indeed."
I walked up to the counter.
"Rio," I called out.
Her shoulders jumped at the sound of her name.
She slowly turned around, her large emerald eyes locking onto mine.
"...Oh."
Silence reigned for a second before her face twisted into an overt scowl.
"Rai? What are you doing here?"
Her voice was dripping with displeasure.
I shrugged at her uncharacteristically cold attitude and turned my attention to the receptionist. The woman caught my eye and immediately took on a look of desperate pleading.
"Please, help me! This girl won't listen! She keeps insisting on diving into the labyrinth by herself!"
The receptionist appealed to me with a face that was truly ready to cry.
She pointed to a document on the counter—an application form. It listed the rank of the labyrinth, the location, and the party size.
The receptionist’s finger stabbed at the section for names.
'Rio Krausel'—only a single name was written there.
"Solo labyrinth exploration is far too dangerous! I’ve explained over and over that the guild cannot authorize it, but...!"
"And I’m telling you, I’ll be fine!" Rio snapped back, refusing to yield.
As the argument threatened to flare up again, I looked down at the application.
"...So, it's not a problem as long as she isn't alone?"
I muttered the question to myself and picked up the quill pen from the counter.
"Huh?"
Ignoring the confused receptionist, I began to write.
"Wait, hey...!"
Rio tried to protest, but I didn't stop.
I silently moved the pen, adding my own name to the list. Once I was finished, I handed the quill to Lene, signaling that it was her turn.
"Yes, sir!"
Lene answered energetically, taking the pen without a moment's hesitation and adding her name to the form. When she was done, she set the quill back on the counter with a satisfied nod.
"Done!"
The receptionist stared down at the form in a daze.
There, in clear script, were three names: 'Rio Krausel,' 'Rai Arkberg,' and 'Lene.'
"The three of us will be exploring the labyrinth together. There shouldn't be a problem now, right?"
I tapped the paper lightly.
The receptionist looked back and forth between the form and our faces for several long seconds. Finally, she gave a small, bewildered nod.
"...I will go and process this."