"Not at all. Honestly, it was a total pushover."
Haruto answered Loretta’s question with blunt nonchalance.
Loretta blinked in surprise before murmuring with a hint of disappointment, "Oh, really?"
"Well, I suppose we were a bit much for it. Even so, the Black Dragon from the ninety-second floor was definitely the stronger of the two, wasn't it?"
As Haruto spoke, he shifted his gaze toward Wil and me. Loretta and Mariah followed his lead, turning their attention our way as well.
Fuuka, sitting beside me, remained as indifferent as ever, her focus entirely consumed by the food in front of her.
"I wonder. I didn't think the dragon from the Joint Subjugation was particularly strong either," Wil said, offering his own assessment before deferring to me. "But as Haruto-san said, that feels inevitable given the caliber of the people involved. What do you think, Orun?"
"Both were dragons—dragon-species magic beasts—but they were entirely different types, so a simple comparison is difficult. That said, I suspect any one of the parties present could have handled that dragon on their own without much trouble. From that perspective, the Black Dragon was definitely the more formidable opponent."
"Hmm, so all three of you agree that sending three parties was overkill," Loretta murmured thoughtfully. "Then I really have to wonder—why did they go to the trouble of dispatching all three of you in the first place?"
She seemed genuinely troubled by our answers. I couldn't help but wonder why she was so fixated on the Joint Subjugation.
If my theory was correct, the primary objective had been to integrate Selma-san with the members of Golden Dawn. Back then, I had been supporting the team using my original magic, but my performance with the Six Basic Types of Support Magic—the most essential and impactful spells—paled in comparison to Selma-san’s.
That was likely the real reason Oliver had decided to replace me with Philly Carpenter.
However, with Loretta’s true motives still unclear, I didn't think it was wise to be completely honest about my suspicions. It might have been overthinking, but I’d heard rumors that Philly Carpenter had been cozying up to Marquis Forgas and doing as she pleased. There was no guarantee that she hadn't been meddling with other nobles within the kingdom as well.
"There are many possible theories, but the most likely reason was the need to subjugate it as quickly as possible to prevent any damage to the surface," I said, offering a safe explanation.
It wasn't a lie, at least. That had certainly been one of the official justifications.
"Since you've been looking into it, you may already know this, but as I mentioned, the dragon from the Joint Subjugation was a different breed than the Black Dragon."
Loretta nodded, and I continued.
"The biggest difference was its scale. The dragon from the Joint Subjugation was abnormally massive."
"Just how big are we talking?"
"If it were a town of decent size—not a city, mind you—it could have leveled half of it in just a few steps. Can you picture that?"
"...I can't visualize it exactly, but I get the point. It was a monstrously large beast."
"It's not hard to imagine the catastrophic damage such a creature would cause just by moving around on the surface. That’s why the top parties of the day were brought together to put it down immediately."
"Though it still raises questions," Haruto added, supplementing my explanation. "Something that big should have been impossible to miss, yet no one saw it until that day. And despite your research, Loretta, the details were kept so well-hidden that you didn't even know what it looked like. It’s all a bit suspicious."
Magic beasts are born in the Labyrinth and typically spend their entire lives within its depths. On rare occasions, however, individuals emerge onto the surface—either because they are unaffected by the floor crystals or due to a Labyrinth Stampede of unknown origin.
I had always vaguely assumed that the dragon from the Joint Subjugation had reached the surface through one of those means and grown to such an immense size by spending years in a unique environment away from human eyes.
But then I remembered the words of Ozwell McCloud from the Cyclamen Cult. He had claimed to have "replicated" the Black Dragon from its remains. If that were the case, then perhaps the beast from back then was also—
"I see. Thank you for sharing that with me," Loretta said, pulling me from my thoughts.
"On a different note," Haruto said, transitioning smoothly as the previous topic wound down, "weren't you in the same year as Selma and the Princess, Loretta?"
It was common knowledge that Selma-san had been classmates with Loretta and the First Princess of the Nohitant Kingdom at the Noble Academy. Both Selma-san and Loretta were exceptionally talented, as evidenced by their S-Rank status. Rumor had it that in any other year, either of them would have been the valedictorian.
However, the one who had eclipsed them both was the First Princess, Lucila N. Edelweiss. She was a prodigy said to have graduated with the highest marks in the history of the academy, shattering all previous records.
"Yes, we were. Why do you ask?"
"I’ve never been to an institution like the Noble Academy or the schools in the Empire. I was just curious. Do you have any interesting stories from back then?"
"I see. Stories from the academy, huh? Well, how about this one? It happened right after we first enrolled..."
◇
The dinner party remained lively and enjoyable until the very end. Loretta was an excellent host who kept the conversation flowing, though we were all frequently distracted by the staggering pile of empty plates in front of Fuuka, whose appetite showed no signs of slowing.
After seeing off the others who were heading to an after-party, I returned alone to my dormitory. As I entered the building, I spotted the members of Twilight Moonbow relaxing in the common area.
"Ah! Master’s back! Welcome home, Master!"
Carol noticed me immediately and came running over with her usual bright smile.
"I'm home. Judging by that look on your face, I take it you have good news for me?"
The other three joined us as I spoke. All of my disciples were beaming with pride. Log stepped forward as their representative and showed me his Guild Card.
"Yes! Please, look at this!"
The card was inscribed with the number 61, the proof that they had reached the Lower Floors of the Great Labyrinth of the South. I felt my expression soften into a genuine smile.
"Congratulations to all three of you. This makes you official A-Rank explorers."
"It’s all thanks to your guidance, Orun-san! Thank you so much!"
"I tell you this all the time, but this achievement is the result of your own hard work."
"You always say that, Master, but we really are grateful!"
"...I see. In that case, I'll accept your thanks. And Luna, thank you for leading them."
I looked toward Luna, who was watching over them with a fond expression.
"Oh, no. I hardly did anything at all. This is a victory they earned for themselves."
We moved over to the sofas to continue the conversation properly. We couldn't exactly stand around the entrance all night.
"And guess what! We actually gave our very first interview to a newspaper reporter today!" Carol chirped.
I remembered hearing that Blanca, a newspaper agency, was conducting interviews with the A-Rank parties of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. Since Twilight Moonbow had just reached A-Rank, they must have been included in the lineup.
"That’s great. You’re going to be getting a lot more public attention from here on out. Getting some experience with interviews early on is a good thing. How was it? Were you nervous?"
"Yes, extremely," Sophie admitted with a sheepish look. "The thought that whatever I said would be printed in the paper I read every day... I couldn't get the words out right."
Log seemed to feel the same way, looking just as dejected as Sophie.
"You’ll get used to it. If you learn to work with the press, it makes things much easier for the party. You don’t have to worry about the finer details since you're part of a clan, but once you reach A-Rank, your responsibilities extend beyond just clearing floors. It can be overwhelming at first, but don't be afraid to ask me or Luna for help. I want you to stay hungry and keep tackling new challenges."
"""Yes, Master!"""
"I can't wait to see how the article turned out, though!" Carol added, her excitement contrasting with Log and Sophie’s lingering nerves.
"Well, the focus is supposed to be on the clan’s A-Rank parties as a whole, so I wouldn't expect too much space to be dedicated specifically to Twilight Moonbow."
...Or so I thought. Contrary to my prediction, the article published a few days later featured Twilight Moonbow prominently, describing them as the most promising rising stars in the city.
Thinking about it now, it made sense. Between Selma-san’s younger sister Sophie, the former Hero Luna, and the fact that every single member was a Special Ability User, they were a reporter’s dream.
◇
The next week passed in a flash. Between the "S-Rank Party Exchange Meeting" where we shared information with Copper Afterglow and Jade Gale, and our preparations for the ninety-fourth floor, there was never a dull moment.
But then, one morning, a piece of news stopped me cold.
"I considered a lot of possibilities, but this... this is the absolute worst-case scenario."
I was reading the paper over breakfast when an unbelievable headline caught my eye.
The report stated that during the recent summit between the King and the Emperor, the Hero of the Empire—Felix Roots Kreuzer—had slaughtered nearly everyone from the Kingdom's side who had been in attendance.
The King was among the dead.