It had been ten days since we left Tsutrail. Progress had been smoother than expected, and we were now on track to reach our destination—the City of Roils in the Regrif Territory—by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow.
We’d spent most of that time inside the carriage, only stepping out to eat, rest, or sleep. You’d think we would have run out of things to talk about by now, but there hadn't been a single awkward silence.
Most of the credit for that went to Carol. She was a natural at coming up with topics and keeping everyone involved. I was honestly impressed by how she could keep a conversation going indefinitely. That said, she wasn't a chatterbox; when I was reading or the others were busy with their own tasks, she knew when to keep quiet. She was more considerate than most—or perhaps she just couldn't help herself.
From what I could see, Carol didn't seem to be pushing herself, but she carried the weight of past trauma. While it had been laying low lately, trauma wasn't something that could be resolved overnight. Even now, I often saw her prioritize others over herself; it was a clear sign that she was still dealing with it.
"The timing seems right, so let’s get started on today’s lecture," I said, speaking up once the conversation hit a natural lull.
We hadn't spent the entire journey on idle chatter. Though the sessions were shorter than usual, I’d been giving them lessons whenever I could. The Clan had asked me to teach them not just how to be Explorers, but also the logistical side of things, like party and Clan management. These children were expected to become the core of the Clan someday, and they still had a lot to learn.
"Yay! It’s Master’s lecture time! What are we talking about today?" Carol asked.
"Labyrinths. Much of this will be a review, but since we’re heading toward a Labyrinth Investigation, I want to go over the fundamentals one more time."
I waited for the three of them to nod before I began.
"First, the absolute basics. A Labyrinth is an underground space found across the continent where Magic Beasts spawn. No one knows why they exist, but records suggest they suddenly appeared everywhere several centuries ago, during the Fairy Tale Era. We Explorers are the ones who dive into them in search of resources you can’t find on the surface and for the Magic Stones left behind by defeated Magic Beasts."
In modern life, Magic Tools were indispensable. Labyrinth materials were used for their frames and casings, and Magic Stones were required to power them. It was no exaggeration to say that without Explorers, society couldn't produce new Magic Tools. For that reason, the public held Explorers in high regard, and the Explorers themselves took pride in supporting the foundations of civilization.
"Some people lump Labyrinths and Great Labyrinths together, but you should think of them as two different things. Does anyone know why?"
"I do!" Carol chirped. "The number of floors is different! Great Labyrinths have a hundred floors, but normal Labyrinths only go down thirty at most, right?"
"That’s right. It’s widely accepted that thirty floors is the maximum depth for a standard Labyrinth. So far, no one has found one deeper. As for Great Labyrinths, people claim they have a hundred floors because the Great Labyrinth of the West did, but it’s still unconfirmed if the Great Labyrinth of the South has that many. We won't know for sure until someone reaches the Lowest Floor. Beyond depth, what else is different?"
"Is it that the types of Magic Beasts don't change?" Sophia asked.
"Correct. In a regular Labyrinth, the species of Magic Beasts remain the same from the 1st Floor to the very bottom. The only thing that changes as you go deeper is their numbers. In a Great Labyrinth, however, the monsters change every few floors. Once you reach the Lower Floors, even the environment itself shifts. Any other guesses?"
"...They don't have Floor Bosses?" Log ventured tentatively.
"Exactly. That’s the biggest difference. Great Labyrinths have a powerful Magic Beast—a Floor Boss—every ten floors. Standard Labyrinths have none."
"And that’s why the floor someone has reached in a Great Labyrinth serves as a status symbol for an Explorer," Luna added.
I nodded at her supplement before continuing.
"Even if you perform a Labyrinth Conquest—meaning you claim the Dungeon Core at the bottom—it’s difficult to objectively measure how hard that Labyrinth actually was. But in a Great Labyrinth, the monsters get progressively stronger, and you’re forced to overcome Bosses at regular intervals. Your progress is objective proof of your strength. That’s why those records are so highly valued. Of course, the fact that you aren't allowed to conquer Labyrinths without the Explorer Guild's permission is another factor."
"Master, may I ask a question?" Sophie raised her hand.
"Of course. Ask anything."
"I know that Labyrinth Conquest is generally forbidden, but I don't understand the reason. Why does the Guild prohibit it?"
"Because the downsides are too great. We know Labyrinths tend to appear in unpopulated areas, but we don't understand the mechanism behind their creation. If we were to exhaust all the current Labyrinths, the supply of Magic Stones wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand."
"Hmm? But we still have the Great Labyrinths, don't we?" Carol tilted her head.
"There are only four Great Labyrinths on the entire continent. Even if they could provide enough stones, the physical distance between them means it would take far too long for supplies to reach every corner of the world. A Magic Stone shortage would be inevitable. That's why the Explorer Guild manages every Labyrinth and forbids anyone from destroying them."
"I heard that you can lose your Explorer Qualification if you conquer one without permission. Is that true?" Log asked.
"It is. It depends on the circumstances, but generally, you should assume that conquering a Labyrinth without authorization will end your career. The existence of Labyrinths is that vital to people's lives. You three need to make sure you never perform a Labyrinth Conquest."
"Yes, Master!" they replied in unison, their expressions turning serious.
"All right, then let's move on to the Labyrinth Investigation. I'll give you the details once we're actually inside, so for now, I'll just give you a broad overview."
Having finished the basic explanation, I shifted focus.
"As the name implies, it means investigating a newly discovered Labyrinth. The primary goal is to gather information—the internal layout, the types of Magic Beasts inside, and what materials can be harvested. It might sound straightforward, but it's an incredibly dangerous job. Sophie, do you know why?"
"Umm... because there's no prior information?"
"Spot on. For the Great Labyrinth, the data we have is one hundred percent accurate up to the Middle Floors. You three managed to conquer the 30th Floor so easily because that information was available to you. How do you think it would have gone if you’d walked in blind?"
"It definitely wouldn't have been that smooth," Log admitted. "We might not have cleared it at all..."
"I think you have the skill to clear it, but you would have wasted a lot of time and stamina. Information is everything."
"Information really is important, huh?" Carol mused.
"Extremely. Once you reach the Lower Floors of a Great Labyrinth, the data becomes less and less reliable. You have to learn how to verify information and gather your own. This Labyrinth Investigation is perfect practice for that. In unknown territory, you never know what’s around the corner. If you can learn to act with a level head in that environment, it will be a massive asset for your future in the Great Labyrinth."
"As a general rule, Labyrinth Investigations are only assigned to A-Rank Explorers or higher," Luna noted. "A party that just reached B-Rank like yours would almost never get an opportunity like this. Orun is being very generous. Let's make sure this is a productive experience."
"Yes, Ma'am!" the three shouted.
"...Well then, let's wrap up today's lecture."
"Wait, already?"
I usually talked a bit longer, even for our travel lessons, but I decided to call it early today.
"That's enough for now. All of you, look outside."
I pointed toward the carriage window. At that exact moment, the carriage made a sharp ninety-degree turn to the right and merged onto the Coastal Road.
The scenery beyond the window transformed instantly, revealing the vast, sparkling ocean.
Since Carol and the others had been talking about wanting to see the sea, Elvis-san had been kind enough to take the long way around and choose the route that followed the coast.
The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue. The sunlight danced across the surface of the water with a brilliance that felt almost divine.
"Whoaaa...! Look at that! It's so blue! It's huge!" Carol squealed.
Sophia and Log sat with their eyes wide, whispering exclamations of "Beautiful" and "Incredible."
As for me, I had never seen the ocean from this close before either. I was so moved I felt the words catch in my throat.
"Hahaha! What do you think? Impressive, right?"
Elvis Terry called out proudly, riding his horse alongside the carriage.
"...Yes. It’s truly a masterpiece. Thank you for showing us this, Elvis-san."
"Don't mention it!"
The carriage continued its journey along the coast, steadily closing the distance to our destination: the City of Roils.