The timeline for the beginning of this chapter is immediately after the events of Chapter 78 (following the conclusion of Orun’s battle with Amunzaas).
After retreating from the Great Labyrinth, I led the girl who had intervened, Loretta, and the three others who had finally regained consciousness into a deserted back alley.
(He was alive. Orun was actually alive. But he’s become an explorer... and why? Why did he have to look at me with those eyes?)
My mind was a chaotic mess.
It wasn't just Oliver anymore—even Orun had fallen into the hands of the enemy.
(I’ll never forgive her. Philly Carpenter...! I’ll make her regret the day she was born. I’ll drag her down into a hell so agonizing she'll beg for the release of death...!!)
"Damn it, Shion, why did you pull back? We could’ve killed the Dragon Slayer if we’d kept at it!"
The massive man, Givea, had fully come to his senses and was now interrogating me with a reproachful tone.
"...Would you mind being quiet? I’m in a foul mood right now. If you keep making a scene, I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a teammate, Givea. Understood?"
"——! S-Sorry."
Intimidated by the sheer vitriol in my voice, he shrank back.
"—No, I’m the one who should apologize. But I believe retreating was the right call."
"What do you mean? We had orders to eliminate the Dragon Slayer."
"That's true. But—actually, before we get into that, Loretta, thank you for earlier. If you hadn't stepped in, I think I might have been done for as well. You have my thanks."
"Oh, I only did what was natural~! Still, setting these three aside, who exactly was that guy? I never expected to see someone push you that far, Shion-san."
"What do you mean, 'setting us aside'...? We might have been taken down quickly, but we’re still high-level combatants, you know!"
Agnes, the other woman in the group, grumbled at Loretta’s blunt assessment.
"Ahaha, I know, I know! I’m well aware that I’d lose to any of you in a heartbeat if we fought head-on. But Shion-san is special, isn't she? I just never imagined she could be backed into a corner like that."
"Well, I can't argue with that part," Agnes admitted.
"So, who is he?" Loretta asked.
"I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the details. It likely qualifies as classified information."
Nine times out of ten, Chris—the leader of Amunzaas—already knew Orun was alive.
It was information that had been kept from me, despite my high-level security clearance within the organization.
I’m sorry, everyone, but I can’t tell you the truth.
Still, even though I’d been caught off guard at the very end, Orun had defeated me in that state.
If he had been able to exert his original power, I would have been killed in an instant.
It seemed he’d managed to partially unlock his physical capabilities somehow, though.
Our destination still felt so far away...
"—Anyway, Loretta, you didn't just show up to watch. Don't you have a message for us?"
Loretta was one of the Messengers for Amunzaas. Her role was to travel across the continent, relaying intelligence and orders from the organization to members operating in distant regions.
"—Oh, right! I almost forgot! I have a message from the leader! He says the orders given to Shion-san’s unit were manipulated by the Poison Flowers. You are to cease all operations and withdraw immediately."
"The Poison Flowers!?" Givea shouted in shock.
(I knew it.)
"My apologies," Loretta continued. "We never suspected there was someone among the Messengers working with those scumbags."
"It can't be helped," I said. "They have that wretched woman with the Perception Alteration ability. Even the Messenger might have had their mind rewritten without knowing it."
"So that’s why you pulled back, Shion-san?"
Zuriel, the lanky man, spoke up with a look of realization.
"Exactly. Based on the intel I have, the Dragon Slayer is someone we must avoid killing at all costs—even more so than the Hero. Though, I only realized his true identity toward the end of the fight."
"One more thing, Shion-san. You’ve been ordered to return to headquarters."
"Does that mean we should head back east as planned?" Givea asked.
"Yes. Instructions have been issued for the rest of you to return to the Great Labyrinth of the East."
"Understood. I've got the gist of the message. But before you head out, Loretta, I have one favor to ask."
"What is it?"
"I want you to tell the other units to withdraw from the Great Labyrinth of the South as well."
"...Why? We’ve already reached the 94th Floor here. We need to eliminate as many capable explorers as possible to stall their progress. We finally managed to infiltrate so many agents."
"Yes, I’m aware. But I made a promise. In exchange for him letting me go, I promised to pull everyone else out of the Southern Labyrinth."
"A promise like that—"
"I have no intention of breaking my word to him. Besides, I suspect there’s no longer any need to kill explorers here. Please, just do it. You can tell them the order comes directly from me; I’ll take the responsibility."
"............Understood. I’ll relay the command for all units to withdraw from the Great Labyrinth of the South."
"Thank you."
After ensuring the Amunzaas members had begun their withdrawal from the Southern Labyrinth, I returned to headquarters alone.
I went straight to the leader's office.
Waiting inside was a man in his late twenties who radiated a gentle, approachable aura. His name was Christopher Downing—the current leader of Amunzaas.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home, Shion. Did you find Orun?"
"...I did. Though the first thing he did upon our reunion was try to cut me down. I didn't think he was alive either, so I was fully prepared to kill him as ordered at first."
I’d seen traces of him from the start, but I had dismissed it as a mere resemblance.
However, once I saw that jet-black mana, I knew for certain. It was Orun.
Looking back, there were countless moments in that battle that defied explanation unless they were products of Orun's unique ability. I should have realized the truth the moment he effortlessly dodged magic combined with my Time Rewind.
"More importantly, Chris—did you know he was alive?"
That was the one thing I needed to confirm.
"Yes. I knew."
"! Then why—"
"If I had told you while you were still a child, you would have charged off on your own to save him, wouldn't you? I believed the chance of Orun and Oliver being killed was low, and I couldn't risk losing you too, Shion. You are an invaluable asset to us. You can curse me all you like for keeping it from you, but please, don't act recklessly. I'm begging you."
Chris bowed his head deeply in a sincere plea.
He was right. If I had known Orun was alive back then, I would have stopped at nothing to get him back. I likely would have ended up just like him and Oliver—or worse, I would have been killed. Either way, I wouldn't be standing here now.
"...Fine, I understand. Your judgment was the right one, Chris."
"Thank you."
"So? What’s next for me? You called me back specifically to discuss that, didn't you?"
"Right. To get straight to the point, we've received multiple reports that the Cult is becoming incredibly active within the Saubel Empire. Apparently, they're clearing out every labyrinth they can find. We've sent a significant force to counter them, but the Cult is playing for keeps. We haven't suffered any fatalities yet, but our losses are mounting."
"In the Empire? But the Great Labyrinth there is already gone. I didn't think the Cult would have any interest left in that region."
The Cult's ultimate goal was the resurrection of the Evil God. To achieve that, they sought to eliminate the Great Labyrinths that acted as obstacles to his return. It felt fundamentally wrong for them to be so focused on an empire where the Great Labyrinth had already been conquered.
"This is purely my own speculation, but I believe the Cult’s goal is to force the Great Hero into action."
"To move the Great Hero? They're clearing labyrinths just for that? ............Wait, you don't mean!?"
The Great Hero possessed overwhelming power. After all, he was the same as Orun and me.
However, the Great Hero was a being who acted solely for the sake of the Empire. I had assumed that with the West’s Great Labyrinth gone, he would never intervene in the conflict between us and the Cult.
But if this continued, that assumption would be shattered. If a monster like him were to join the fray, the delicate balance of power we currently maintained would be rewritten in the blink of an eye.
"If the labyrinths within the Empire continue to vanish, it’s highly probable the Empire will begin a campaign of foreign invasion."
"So they intend to use a wartime economy to accelerate the conquest of the remaining Great Labyrinths...?"
Most modern weaponry relied heavily on labyrinth materials. If war stimulated weapon production, the value of those materials would skyrocket. It would be a golden age for explorers to earn money, which would, in turn, inevitably speed up the rate of labyrinth conquest.
There was a precedent for this: sixty years ago, when war broke out in the Republic of Junoe—home to the Great Labyrinth of the North—the exploration of that labyrinth progressed at an unprecedented pace.
"But why would the Cult take such a risk? They could be wiped out before they ever reach their goal..."
"It’s likely because of Orun's sudden rise to prominence. Neither we nor the Cult expected that Orun—with his memories and powers sealed—would become a top-tier candidate for conquering the Great Labyrinth. We thought he would be limited to supporting Oliver at best. Yet, Orun has already subjugated a Deep Floor Boss on his own. We have to consider the possibility that the Sealing Magic is beginning to fail. As someone who actually traded blows with him, what do you think, Shion?"
"...I believe the Sealing Magic is still functioning perfectly. Even in situations where it would have been tactically sound to use them, he never once activated Advanced or Special-grade magic. As for his physical stats, it felt like he was forcibly breaking through the seal, but only partially. He was far too weak for the seal to be considered broken."
"Forcing his way through the seal...? That spell was supposed to be Master Lence’s masterpiece. To bypass it through sheer force without the proper key... your King truly is an anomaly."
"I agree. He even seems to be developing entirely new magic. That slash he used when he was truly trying to kill me... it was heavy. If I’d taken it head-on, I would’ve been split in two."
"Depending on Orun's next move, this conflict could turn into a total quagmire. As originally planned, I'm sending you to the Empire, Shion. It’s likely already too late to stop the momentum, but I want you to keep the Cult in check. I have no desire to see a scenario where the Great Hero starts a rampage."
"Understood. The Cult played us this time. I won't let them have their way again."
Thank you very much for reading.
I apologize for the sudden jump in the timeline. I had originally intended for this episode to be exclusive to the light novel version. However, as I worked on the plot for future chapters, I realized this context was essential to the story, so I decided to insert it here at a natural breaking point.
From the next chapter, we will return to the current timeline and see things from Sophia’s perspective.
I hope you continue to enjoy the story!