"I wonder if they're okay..."
After seeing the three of them off, I’d been killing time at Grandpa’s general store.
I had a feeling that if I stayed alone, my thoughts would only spiral toward the worst-case scenario. I simply couldn't bear my own company right now.
"You're pacing around and getting in the way... Is your goal to sabotage my business?"
As I continued to wander aimlessly through the aisles, Grandpa finally voiced his irritation.
Yeah, I was entirely in the wrong here.
"Sorry. I just can't sit still."
I never realized that simply waiting could be this agonizing. Sending my disciples into a situation where I couldn’t reach them was far more nerve-wracking than I’d anticipated.
"If you're that concerned, you should have just tailed them and made sure you weren't spotted," Grandpa said in an exasperated tone.
He was so right I couldn't even offer a rebuttal.
"I didn't want to. I felt like doing that would mean I didn't trust them. They’ve gained more than enough strength to conquer the 30th Floor. They'll be fine."
"In that case, sit your backside down and wait."
"...Yeah, I hear you."
Venting my anxiety to Grandpa actually helped me settle down a bit. He was right. I believed in them. I couldn't let them see their mentor looking this pathetic.
I stepped behind the counter, took a seat next to him, and surveyed the store once more.
"...By the way, has the foot traffic slowed down?"
I hadn't been able to help advertise the shop for the past month. I wondered if that was a factor.
"It's always like this during the day. Plenty of customers still come in the morning and evening, same as always."
Most explorers were busy in the Labyrinth during the daylight hours. Since this shop catered specifically to them, it made sense for it to be empty right now.
"Speaking of which, the Thanksgiving Festival is coming up soon. You'll be participating this year, right, Orun? After all, you’re a member of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky now."
"Ah, right. It is almost that time. I haven't heard anything about it from the clan yet. We were probably too focused on the 92nd Floor conquest. I doubt they’ll let me skip it, though."
The Thanksgiving Festival was a ten-day event held annually from late May to early June. It was a time to show gratitude to the Great Labyrinth.
It was no exaggeration to say that this country's economy thrived because of the magic stones and materials harvested from the depths. Being able to export such a wide variety of materials gave us a massive advantage over other nations. Out of respect, all exploration was strictly prohibited during the festival.
Of course, that was just the official story. The reality was that leaving the Labyrinth alone for a week allowed its internal balance to reset. Explorers naturally targeted high-demand materials because they fetched the best prices. If left unchecked, they would hunt certain species to extinction while the Labyrinth became overrun with undesirable monsters.
Under normal circumstances, an ecosystem would take a lifetime to recover from such interference, but the Labyrinth was different. If humans stayed out for a single week, the internal ecology would return to its proper state. That was the true purpose behind the mandatory break.
Explorers who were barred from the Labyrinth usually spent the time setting up stalls or participating in events to liven up the city. I say "usually" because I’d never actually participated myself.
Back when I was a rookie, getting stronger was my only priority, so I would travel to other locations to explore different dungeons during the lockout period. Once I became more skilled, the festival became the perfect time to catch up on administrative work and sponsor negotiations. I’d never actually enjoyed the festivities.
Since everyone in the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky seemingly took part in some way, maybe this would be the year I finally experienced it.
"You’re probably the most talked-about explorer in the city right now, Orun. It wouldn't look good if you weren't there," Grandpa noted.
Thankfully, the 92nd Floor conquest had increased my public profile significantly. I didn't care much for the spotlight, but as a member of the First Unit, I supposed I had to accept it.
...And honestly, being praised didn't feel entirely terrible.
◇
After about an hour of chatting with Grandpa, the plate necklace hanging around my neck suddenly flashed green.
"—Grandpa, sorry. Something's come up."
I vaulted over the counter and bolted for the door.
"Wait—!"
Grandpa called out just as my hand hit the handle. Suppressing my mounting panic, I looked back to see him throwing something at me. I caught it mid-air.
"—I’ve improved your storage magic tool. The startup time is down to ten minutes. Take it."
It was the tool I used to trigger [Alteration]. The version I’d used during the 92nd Floor battle took twenty minutes to activate. To think he’d cut that time in half in just a few days...
"Thanks, Grandpa. I'm off!"
"Safe travels."
I left his voice behind as I sprinted into the street.
"[Strength Up] [Triple]. [Reflective Wall]."
I applied the buffs to myself and slammed my foot down on the translucent gray barrier I’d angled beneath me. The force launched me into the sky toward the Great Labyrinth.
"[Technical Up] [Triple]. [Agility Up] [Sextuple]!"
I stacked more buffs while soaring through the air. Using [Mana Convergence], I manifested invisible footholds in the sky, sprinting across the air toward the Great Labyrinth at terminal velocity.
I reached the entrance in seconds. Ignoring the crowds of people nearby, I dashed for the teleportation crystal without slowing down and transferred straight to the 30th Floor.
With [Hearing Up] active, I tore through the tunnels along the route the rookies had described to me.
The green light means something happened to Carol. Is she already—?
I shoved the dark thoughts aside and checked the status of the necklaces. Three lights appeared: red, green, and purple.
Thank God... They're still alive!
To put it simply, the necklaces I’d given them were enchanted with a distress signal that triggered when they were in critical danger. That signal was currently screaming at me.
I should have stayed with them! No, stop it. Focus. Just find them!
A cacophony of sounds flooded my ears, but none of them matched my disciples. I had their heartbeats and footfalls memorized. I refused to miss even a whisper of their presence.
I had cleared eighty percent of their planned route and still hadn't found them. Based on the time, they should have been right here...
"—Stop it!!"
That was it!
Log’s voice echoed from behind a wall. It was the first time I’d ever heard him sound that desperate. I immediately cross-referenced my position with the map in my head. Beyond this wall was a wide-open plaza. Following the path would take too long.
"[Alteration]!"
I summoned Schwarzhase and transformed it into raw mana.
I’m going through the wall!
I focused the mana into a singular point of intensity.
"Ha!"
With a focused slash of concentrated mana, I sent the upper section of the wall flying. I threw myself through the jagged hole before the dust could even settle.
◇
What... what do they think they're doing?
I used a burst of magic to clear the dust, and the sight that greeted me was a man bringing a sword down toward Sophie.
I was there in an instant.
"—[Third Form: Mont Drei]."
I expanded the mana of the still-transformed Schwarzhase, shaping it into a massive greatsword. I swung the blade in a savage horizontal arc.
The man reacted at the last possible millisecond, bracing his own sword like a shield. He couldn't withstand the impact. He was sent flying across the room, slamming into the far wall with a sickening thud.
Immediately, Schwarzhase reverted from its mana form back into a black blade.
I scanned the room. Carol was unconscious near the wall. Log was awake but clearly injured. I immediately cast [Heal] on him.
The enemies consisted of four people: the giant I’d just hammered, another man, a woman, and someone in a robe.
"...I'm sorry I'm late."
Rage bubbled up inside me—rage at these people, and rage at myself for not arriving sooner.
"Orun...-san..." Sophie whimpered.
Calm down. Priority one is making them feel safe. Act like everything is normal.
"Yeah, I'm here. You did so well, Sophie. You were brave. It’s okay now. You can relax. I’ll take it from here."
I forced a reassuring smile onto my face as I looked at her tear-stained eyes.
"...I’m going to move you and Log over to Carol’s side. Can you look after her? I’ll finish this quickly."
"U-Understood."
I activated [Space Leap], instantly teleporting the two of them to Carol's side. Then, I deployed a [Magic Barrier] to encase the three of them, reinforcing it with [Mana Convergence] until the shield was nearly impenetrable.