It was the day after the Tenth Squad—now known as Twilight Moonbow—had been promoted to the Third Unit.
After finishing an exploration of the 90th floor with the members of the First Unit, I made my way toward one of the reception rooms. Apparently, Lazares Eddington, a major sponsor for the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky, had something he wanted to discuss with me personally.
Lazares Eddington was the same old man who’d come rushing to find us the moment the Silver Rabbit reached the 93rd floor. I just hoped this wasn't going to be a headache.
Standing before the door, I took a breath, knocked, and announced myself. The door opened to reveal a woman in a maid’s uniform.
"We have been expecting you, Master Orun. Master Lazares is waiting inside. Please, do come in."
She led me into the room, where I found the elder Eddington leisurely sipping tea.
"Master Lazares, I’m terribly sorry to have kept you waiting."
"No, no. Compared to an old man like me with far too much time on his hands, a city-saving hero like you must be far busier. I don't mind in the least."
The old man replied with an affable, grandfatherly air. As usual, his expression was impossible to read.
"I appreciate your understanding. So, what can I do for you today?"
"Yes. I’ve brought a proposal for you, Orun-kun. I’d like you to hear it out."
"A proposal, sir?"
"There’s no sense in beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point. I’d like to invite you to the Regrif Territory, where my family serves as the lords, for a bit of rest and relaxation. I’d very much like for you to come. What do you say?"
The Regrif Territory was a domain located in the far northwestern reaches of the Nohitant Kingdom. Since Tsutrail was situated slightly south of the kingdom’s center, the distance between the two was considerable.
Even so, this was incredibly sudden. Furthermore, no matter how much financial support he provided the clan, it was hard to believe he would go out of his way to invite an explorer to his territory just for "recreation."
There was definitely more to this than met the eye. As for why he specifically wanted me there... nothing came to mind immediately.
"It is a great honor, sir, but I have the conquest of the 93rd floor ahead of me—"
"Ah, that won't be an issue. Actually, I plan to invite Wilkes-kun and Lucretia-chan as well, though your accommodations will be separate. Besides, I’ve already secured Vince-kun’s permission."
He was inviting Wil and Lucre too? And the Grandmaster had already signed off on it? What was his goal in trying to whisk three members of the First Unit away to his territory?
I churned through various possibilities, but with the information I currently had, I couldn't reach a satisfying conclusion.
Should I try to buy some time? No, if the Grandmaster has already consented, stalling won't do much good.
"Yes, yes. I can certainly appreciate that high level of vigilance. It’s good that you don’t simply jump at my offers. I’d hardly be able to trust a man who took a deal like that at face value, after all."
As I was turning the situation over in my head, the old man spoke up in a satisfied tone.
"Since you put it that way, I assume there’s another reason you're inviting us besides recreation?"
"Precisely. It isn't public knowledge yet, but three new Labyrinths have actually emerged within the Regrif Territory. I’d like to ask you all to investigate them."
"Three Labyrinths?"
It wasn't unheard of for a Labyrinth to suddenly appear, but for three of them to emerge in the same region at roughly the same time was an astronomical rarity.
"Yes. If it were only one, I would have commissioned the explorers active in my own territory, but three locations are simply more than they can handle. I decided that requesting the First Unit of the reliable Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky would be the best way to conclude the investigation quickly."
"...I see."
"In truth, I’d like the entire First Unit to come, but you and Selma-chan likely have responsibilities as clan Executives. For a Labyrinth investigation, I figured Orun-kun—the former Hero Party's Enchanter and our current ace—would be the most suitable. Of course, your food, clothing, and lodging will be fully provided during your stay."
If that was the reason, then calling us to his territory made sense. When a Labyrinth appeared within a lord’s domain, it was standard practice to request an investigation from the explorers they sponsored.
"I understand. Will you be inviting only the three of us—myself, Wilkes, and Lucretia?"
"That is the plan. I’d like Orun-kun and the duo of Wilkes-kun and Lucretia-chan to each take charge of one Labyrinth investigation."
Every Labyrinth was different, so the difficulty of a conquest naturally varied. That said, very few Labyrinths could rival the Lower Floors of a Great Labyrinth, let alone the Deep Floors. In most cases, I would be able to handle it alone.
While it was a massive hassle, the matter seemed already decided, and I didn't get the impression I could refuse. In that case, I might as well make the most of the opportunity.
"I understand the situation. While I believe the three of us could handle the investigations, there is always the chance of the unexpected when working in such small numbers. To ensure everything goes smoothly and to proceed with maximum efficiency, I would like to have other explorer parties from the clan accompany us."
"Hmm. One party to accompany each of you, then?"
"Yes. Any more would be an inconvenience to your house, so I believe one party each would be best."
"Even though I’m the one asking the favor, you're still so reserved. Still, I appreciate the consideration. Very well—the three of you from the First Unit, plus two other explorer parties from the Silver Rabbit. That sounds perfectly fine."
"I am grateful for your generosity."
"As for the schedule, a carriage I’ve arranged is set to arrive in five days. I want you to take it to the Regrif Territory. I’ll provide guards for the trip as well, so don’t you worry. Depending on the weather, it should take about two weeks to arrive."
Food, lodging, and even guarded transportation—it was truly the royal treatment. But conversely, that suggested Count Eddington viewed these new Labyrinths with extreme gravity.
"I am humbled that you would go to such lengths for us."
"I still have a few things to finish up in this city, so you’ll be going ahead without me. My son—the current Lord—will be taking the lead on this matter. I’m counting on you for the investigation."
"Understood."
After my meeting with the old man, Wil and Lucre were called in as well. Since our upcoming plans were being abruptly overhauled, we all gathered in the First Unit's strategy room the moment they were finished.
Once everyone was present, Selma-san spoke up.
"I heard the news from the Grandmaster. It sounds like Orun, Wil, and Lucre are going to be away on a long-term assignment."
"Wait, right now?" Rain-san, the only one who had been completely out of the loop, let out a startled cry.
"I know, right? Talk about bad timing," Lucre grumbled, voicing her dissatisfaction. "Just when we were finally about to start conquering the 93rd floor! Honestly, I think we should have just left a Labyrinth investigation to one of the Second Unit parties. Why do we have to go?"
I could see her point. The parties in our Second Unit were all top-tier; they could have handled the old man's request without any issues.
Ever since the Hero Party fell apart, the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky had become the preeminent clan among those active in the Great Labyrinth of the South. However, that was only because the Hero Party had self-destructed. If we could reach the 94th floor—the same depth they had achieved—we could finally dispel that image and claim the top spot with pride. That was why I felt the clan's priority should have been focusing on the 93rd floor.
"Labyrinth investigation? You mean we're sending three people because new Labyrinths appeared somewhere?"
"That’s the gist of it. Apparently, three of them popped up in the Regrif Territory. Honestly, it’s nothing but a massive pain," Wil answered Rain-san’s question. It seemed neither he nor Lucre was particularly enthusiastic about the trip. Well, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy either.
"The Grandmaster apparently tried to suggest sending the Second Unit instead, but Master Lazares wouldn't budge," Selma explained. "Our clan is personally indebted to him. He hinted at that fact, so the Grandmaster said his hands were tied."
"I see. How long does a Labyrinth investigation usually take? About half a year?"
"I don't know the scale of these places, but if we're doing a thorough job, it’ll probably take at least that long," Wil noted.
The primary tasks of an investigation involved identifying and mapping the types of Magic Beasts and materials found inside, as well as charting the layout. Beyond that, there was a lot of grunt work, like scouting for the safest routes. I didn't know exactly what level of detail Count Eddington required, but since he’d gone to the trouble of requesting us, it was likely a full-scale operation. I needed to expect it to take at least six months.
"Well, we'll try to get back as soon as we can. It’s a huge help that Orun negotiated for us to bring another party along. Thanks, Orun."
"Don't mention it. I didn't want to do a Labyrinth investigation alone either, and there was a specific party I wanted to bring."
"Does that mean Sophie and her squad?"
"Yeah. Twilight Moonbow. They were promoted to the Third Unit as of yesterday. There’s a lot to be gained from experiencing a Labyrinth investigation early in an explorer's career. Besides, with me and Luna there, we can handle any major emergencies. So, Selma-san, I haven't talked to them yet, but if they want to come, I’d like your permission to take Sophie along. I promise I’ll protect her with everything I’ve got."
"Heh. Did you really think I’d object? Sophia is a formal explorer of the Silver Rabbit now. If she wants to go, I won’t stand in her way."
"Thank you, Selma-san."
"Luna from the Hero Party, huh..." Rain mused. "I still can’t believe she actually joined the Silver Rabbit. I mean, I’m happy about it, but is it really okay for her to be in a Third Unit party?"
"She certainly has too much talent to be stuck in a B-rank party," Selma admitted, "but we don't have any openings in the higher units right now. Carol’s party only had three members, so from a logistical standpoint, it was the only fit. Plus, Orun-kun was quite insistent."
"Ahaha..."
I could only offer a sheepish laugh. I had, after all, quite forcefully shot down the suggestion of her joining a Second Unit party that was short on rearguard members. But I didn't regret it. Twilight Moonbow would likely climb the ranks in no time anyway, so it wouldn't be an issue for long.
"Are you and Lucre going to pick a party from the Second Unit, Wil?" I asked, pivoting the conversation.
"That's the plan. We'll put out the notice tomorrow and pick from whoever applies."
"Well, what's done is done," Selma concluded. "Everyone, make sure you don't slack off on your training. We're starting the 93rd floor conquest the moment the investigation is over."
"Got it." "O-kay!" "You bet." "Understood."
And so, my long-term business trip was set to begin in a few days. I’d have to finish things up as quickly as possible so we could get back to the Great Labyrinth.