It had been a little over two weeks since our investigation of the labyrinth began.
Recently, we had settled into a rhythm: two days of investigation followed by one day of rest. Today happened to be our day off.
Log and Sophie, who had been stiff with nerves when they first arrived at the mansion, were finally starting to relax. They had grown accustomed to life here and even seemed to have befriended some of the estate’s servants. Today, the four members of Twilight Moonbow had headed out into the city accompanied by several of the staff who were also off duty.
As for me—
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Orun-kun. I’ve organized my thoughts. Do you have a moment to listen?"
I was currently in Abel-san’s study, sitting across the desk from him. As per our agreement, I had come to hear his theories in exchange for the time I’d spent reading the various books in his collection.
"Of course. The books here were fascinating—full of information I’d never encountered before. I’ve been looking forward to this, Abel-sama."
"I hope I can live up to the anticipation. Well then, shall we?"
"Please."
"As I mentioned before, history is a hobby of mine," Abel-san began. "I’ve scoured a great deal of literature, but there’s a specific point in time where the number of surviving documents drops off abnormally. That period is the Fairy Tale Era. I’m sure you’re familiar with the name?"
The Fairy Tale Era. It was the age when the Hero of legend was said to have subjugated the Evil God. It belonged to the Old Calendar, predating the current Four Holy Era. Aside from the fables themselves, almost all records and traditions from that time had been lost to history.
"Yes. I’ve heard that the documents were destroyed during the global catastrophe caused by the Evil God."
While the specifics were hazy, the prevailing theory was that the appearance of the Evil God had sparked worldwide conflict. The resulting chaos supposedly wiped out most of the era's records. The only reason the Hero’s Tale survived was that it had been passed down orally from person to person.
"True, the scale of the Evil God's destruction likely did span the entire world. However, thanks to my family’s status, I recently managed to acquire several rare documents that actually survived from that period. They contained a number of peculiar descriptions. If we take these documents as fact, the common historical narrative is riddled with contradictions."
"...What kind of contradictions?"
"Common history dictates that the Hero founded the kingdom in the same year he defeated the Evil God. That year is marked as Year One of the Four Holy Era. You know this, right?"
"Yes, it’s common knowledge."
The year the Hero established the nation was the dawn of the new age—the start of the Four Holy Era.
"That’s the discrepancy. According to the documents I found, the Hero focused his efforts on one specific task after defeating the Evil God. He didn't found the country until that task was complete. Apparently, it took several years. That means there should be a gap of at least a few years between the subjugation of the Evil God and the founding of the kingdom."
"He didn't found it immediately? If that's the case..."
"Exactly. It makes no sense that there aren't more documents from those intervening years. By that point, the threat of the Evil God was already gone. There was no longer any 'global catastrophe' to destroy the records."
If Abel-san was right, then the "lost to the Evil God" theory didn't hold up. If the Evil God wasn't responsible for the lack of records, then what was?
Records were the footprints of those who came before us. For such a massive volume of history to vanish, there had to be a deliberate cause. I had always assumed it was the war with the Evil God—and honestly, part of me still did. It was entirely possible Abel-san was misinterpreting things or chasing a fantasy.
And yet, his eyes were those of a man who had found a certainty.
"So, what was this 'specific task' the Hero was so focused on?" I asked.
"According to the text, it was the 'Construction of the Sanctuary.'"
"A sanctuary? As in, a sacred place?"
"Yes, I believe that’s the intended meaning."
"...I've never heard of such a thing."
If the Hero, a figure practically worshipped by the masses, had built a "Sanctuary," it likely would have become a holy or forbidden land. Even after hundreds of years, the location of such a place should have been preserved in legend. Yet, I had never once heard a story about the Hero building a sanctuary.
"I’m not surprised. I’ve never met anyone else who uses that word to describe the place either."
"The way you say that... it sounds like you know where it is, Abel-sama."
"I can't say for certain, of course. But when I compared the descriptions in the documents with modern maps, the coordinates matched one location perfectly."
"It still exists today?"
"Yes. It's the Great Labyrinth."
"Wait... what?" I blurted out.
My composure cracked. The claim was so far beyond anything I had anticipated that my natural voice slipped out.
"Ahaha, don't worry about it. Anyone would react that way hearing this for the first time. Honestly, you can drop the formal speech if you want."
"No... that would be inappropriate."
"I wouldn't mind. Anyway, let’s get back to it. The documents call the Great Labyrinth a 'Sanctuary.' My theory is that over the centuries, the name simply shifted."
Abel-san’s words were a bombshell. If he was right, it meant the Great Labyrinth was an artificial construct created by the Hero himself. He had even given it a name as heavy as "Sanctuary."
What was a sanctuary? What, exactly, was the Great Labyrinth?
Even now, its purpose remained a mystery. We only used it because it was a resource vital to modern civilization.
—You pests infesting the world! Existences like you are the ones bringing the world closer to its ruin!!
The venomous words of the woman in the robe from Amunzaas flashed through my mind.
"I have to admit, this is a lot to take in," I said.
"I bet. But that was just the preamble. Can you keep up with the rest?"
All of that was just the preamble? I wasn't sure if I should be excited or terrified for what came next.
"...I'm fine. Please, continue."
Abel-san nodded and went on.
"I’ve had a doubt for a long time. Labyrinths are deeply integrated into our lives now, and that’s all well and good. But for something that's supposed to be a 'natural occurrence,' don't you think they're a bit too convenient for humans?"
"Is that because they're our only source of magic stones? I’ve always thought we simply developed the technology to utilize what was already there."
"That’s true for the stones. I’m talking about the structure of the labyrinths themselves. Take the Crystals at the entrance of every floor. You’re an S-Rank explorer, Orun-kun—you know their functions better than anyone."
"The Crystals? To us, they're teleportation devices. As long as you have a Guild Card, you can travel between any registered Crystals in the same labyrinth. They also act as wards against monsters."
"Exactly. Labyrinths are essentially factories for magic beasts. And yet, because of those Crystals, the monsters are effectively confined inside. It’s almost as if the labyrinths were designed specifically to allow humans to hunt them safely."
"...I see your point."
It was an interesting perspective. Without those Crystals, magic beasts would have long since overrun the surface. The fact that they were contained was indeed suspicious.
"I used to tell myself it was just a stroke of luck—that we were just lucky labyrinths happened to work that way. But then I found those documents. If the 'Sanctuary'—the Great Labyrinth—was made by the Hero, then it stands to reason that all labyrinths were created by someone."
"The logic holds up. But if we assume they are artificial, why scatter them across the entire continent? Labyrinths are everywhere, and their distribution seems almost random. If someone possessed the technology to create them, wouldn't they keep it for themselves? I know I would. That kind of power would grant you unimaginable wealth and influence."
"That's the missing piece. I don't know the 'why' yet. But if they really are man-made, there has to be a reason. There must be a 'reward' far greater than mere wealth or influence—something so massive it justifies the effort. And that's what's truly frightening."
Abel-san was right. If this hypothesis was correct, whoever was responsible for the labyrinths had a goal that spanned the entire world. Furthermore, since labyrinths appeared during the Fairy Tale Era, this plan had likely been in motion for centuries.
If someone had that kind of global reach, it would explain the missing history. They could have systematically erased any records that were inconvenient for them. To pull that off, they would have to be an entity more powerful than the head of any single nation.
Did such a person even exist? I had never heard even a whisper of a group or individual with that much power.
"...This is far beyond the scope of what an individual can handle."
"I agree. That’s why I plan to bring this to His Majesty, the King. Fortunately, I’m close with the Second Prince, so I’ll use that connection to secure an audience."
This was indeed a matter of national security. Whether the theory was true or not, if his sources were legitimate, the information needed to be in the hands of those who could act on it.
"This sounds like it could be a state secret. Are you sure it was alright to tell me?"
"............Well... th-that's right! It’s still just a theory, so I wanted an S-Rank explorer’s perspective! So, please, keep this between us."
Abel-san spoke in a rapid-fire burst, averting his eyes like he was making an excuse. He was definitely hiding something, but I doubted he’d tell me what it was if I pressed him.
"Of course. You have my word."
We spent a while longer discussing the finer points of his labyrinth theory. It was a wild idea, but I decided to keep it in the back of my mind. If the name "Sanctuary" was real, then something major must have happened to change it to "Great Labyrinth." Perhaps a shift in the world's state that forced humanity to rely on them. I had no clues as to what that shift could have been, though.
There was also the question of how Abel-san had managed to find documents that had supposedly been lost for centuries. He claimed it was due to his status, but I found it hard to believe that the son of a mere Count could stumble upon such secrets so easily.
...Well, there were too few pieces of the puzzle. Thinking about it now wouldn't get me anywhere.
A few days had passed since my conversation with Abel-san.
Since it was a holiday, I woke up late and headed down to the dining hall assigned to our party for breakfast. When I arrived, I found I wasn't the first one there.
"Morning, Orun. Waking up late for once, are ya?"
"Morning... Wil? What are you guys doing here?"
In the dining hall, the seven people who had been investigating the northern labyrinth—Wil, Lucre, and their five A-Rank companions—were sitting and eating with the members of Twilight Moonbow. Wil’s group was supposed to be in Lugau, the city closest to the Imperial border, much further north than Roils.
"Ah, that. The investigation went way smoother than we thought it would. Then these guys started whining about wanting to go out and play."
"Who's whining!? You were the one who agreed with us immediately, Wil!" Lucre barked back. The rest of the A-Rank party chimed in with a chorus of "Yeah, yeah!"
It looked like the separate unit was getting along just fine.
"Well, whatever. Anyway, Orun! Let's hit the beach!"
...Wait, "anyway" what?