My impression of Leon Conti—the Guildmaster—had always been that of a mild-mannered man who never let his smile slip.
However, he had climbed to the very top of the Explorer Guild, an organization that transcended national borders and held influence across the entire continent. It was only natural to assume he was far from simple.
As if to prove that point, his usual gentleness had vanished, replaced by a gaze so cold it sent a chill down my spine.
"We both likely have our own thoughts on the current situation, but time is of the essence. I would like your cooperation; are you willing?"
The Guildmaster spoke before I could even open my mouth.
"…Cooperation, you say?"
"If I had to guess, your objective is to capture the mastermind behind this stampede, correct? I cannot share the details, but this Labyrinth has already been conquered by that mastermind. According to Guild regulations, this fact must be made public in the near future. That is why I want to use my authority to state that 'Orun-kun conquered this Labyrinth based on my official request.'"
I gathered that the Guildmaster’s proposal was intended to prevent chaos. If it became known that I had conquered a Labyrinth without permission, things would undoubtedly turn messy. He likely wanted to wrap the whole incident up by crediting the conquest to me.
To put it harshly, it was nothing more than the Guildmaster covering up the truth. Still, considering the current domestic climate, his judgment seemed appropriate.
Furthermore, he was implicitly stating that he was not the mastermind himself. Oliver had indeed mentioned that the culprit was at the innermost area of the Labyrinth.
Did that mean the Guildmaster was here to capture that person? It felt like he had arrived far too quickly, though.
"I appreciate the offer. Provided, of course, that you don't flip the script on me later."
There was no guarantee that there was only one mastermind. I couldn't rule out the possibility that the Guildmaster was connected to the person currently in the deepest floor. Even if I went along with his story now, if he ultimately betrayed me and claimed I had conquered the Labyrinth without authorization, I’d risk having my Explorer qualification revoked.
Now, how should I handle this?
"Your concern is perfectly valid. To earn your trust, I’ll give you this."
As he spoke, the Guildmaster manifested an envelope and held it out to me. I accepted it without lowering my guard and checked the contents.
Inside were several documents. The first page was a formal paper authorizing the conquest of this Labyrinth, complete with the Guildmaster’s official seal. Once a document bore this seal, it became a permanent Guild record. Even if the Guildmaster tried to claim ignorance later, his argument wouldn't hold up.
In other words, the possibility of him betraying me had become extremely low.
"…If I have this permit, I have no reason to refuse. Our interests seem to align. I'll go capture the mastermind."
"I'm counting on you."
After memorizing the Labyrinth map enclosed with the permit, I stored the documents and stepped inside. It might have been my imagination, but the air within the Labyrinth felt heavier than it did outside.
I couldn't sense any magic beasts inside. Even during a stampede, the number of monsters in a Labyrinth never truly hits zero, so it seemed safe to assume the Guildmaster was right—it had already been conquered.
Following the map I had memorized, I took the shortest route to the deepest part of the Labyrinth. The area opened up into a wide chamber. In the center, a massive Dungeon Core floated in midair, emitting an eerie, sickly light.
A man standing near the Core turned his gaze toward me. He looked to be in his forties and wore a robe dyed a deep, blood red. He was almost certainly a member of the Cyclamen Cult.
"…That emblem on your chest. You’re with the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. Are you the one who’s been interfering with my work?"
The man threw the question at me in a voice heavy with hostility, making no effort to hide his irritation. By "interfering," he likely meant my handling of the stampede and the skeleton.
"That's right. I have a mountain of questions for you. If you don't want this to get painful, you'll answer them honestly."
"Do the Explorers of today have no manners? Then again, you're just a member of a weak clan that only got big because of Alba. It would be rude of me to expect etiquette from someone like that."
The man looked down on me with a vulgar, sneering expression.
"Yeah, don't expect any from me. I don't see any reason to waste manners on the likes of you."
"Hahaha! Talk about blissful ignorance! Since you're so clueless, I’ll tell you as a special favor. I am Gary Orail—formerly an Explorer of Golden Echo, and currently an executive of the Cyclamen Cult that moves the world! Show some respect for your senior, you lower-rank brat!"
The man revealed his identity, and I couldn't believe my ears. The person standing before me was someone I had believed died years ago.
"…You are Gary Orail? You were alive this whole time?"
"Ho, so you've heard of me. It's unpleasant to be thought dead, but I shall forgive you with a generous heart."
As I realized his true identity, a slow, burning anger began to seethe within me. I knew it was irrational, but I couldn't suppress the emotion welling up in my chest.
"Why… Why would a member of the former Hero Party join a criminal organization like that!?"
"And here I wondered what you were going to say. It's simple: I found a place with far more value than 'something like' a Hero Party."
"What value is there in the Cyclamen Cult!? You cause incidents all over the continent! You break the hearts of children!"
"Good grief, your world is far too narrow. If anything, those brats should be grateful. They were allowed to become the foundation for That Person!"
Gary let out a cackle, speaking as if the lives he’d ruined were of no consequence. I felt the image I had of "Gary Orail" shatter into pieces.
When I decided to convert from a Swordsman to an Enchanter back in Golden Dawn, I had pored over countless exploration reports to understand party roles—including those of legendary past groups. Naturally, I prioritized the reports of Selma-san’s party since she had established the very foundations of the Enchanter role.
However, there was one Explorer whose reports I read even more than hers. He was the man who became the blueprint for my own style. That man was Gary Orail of the Hero Party, Golden Echo.
Judging from the records, Golden Echo’s combat style was—to put it bluntly—entirely focused on overwhelming offense. Their front-line, Warren-san and Albert-san, were aggressive, and the other two members besides Gary were rearguard attackers. It was a style that preached "offense is the greatest defense."
That said, since that style was common back then, there was nothing inherently strange about it. I believed the primary reason they reached the top and made it to the 93rd Floor of the Great Labyrinth of the South was Gary Orail.
In the ever-shifting chaos of Labyrinth exploration, he would instantly supplement whatever the party lacked at any given moment. That was Gary Orail’s role in Golden Echo, and it was exactly the kind of Enchanter I had aimed to be.
I knew I was being self-indulgent. Even so, as a fellow Explorer, I could not accept that a man I had respected had fallen so low as to join a criminal syndicate.
"Then tell me! Tell me the full picture of this 'wide world' you see!"
"Hmph. You’re going to die here anyway. I’d like to say a dead man has no need for answers, but fine. I’ll tell you as a gift for the afterlife—exactly what That Person is trying to achieve!!"
As he shouted, the madness in Gary’s eyes seemed to intensify.
"To start with, this world we live in is separated by—eh?"
Just as Gary began to explain, a sharp blade erupted from the center of his chest.
Dropping his gaze to the steel piercing his heart, Gary let out a pathetic, strangled sound, his expression blank with shock. Immediately after the blade burst through him, a second presence appeared behind him.
"—Just what are you blathering on about? I knew you were a fool, but I didn't think you were this beyond saving."
The newcomer was a young man with long, ash-colored hair tied at his shoulders, dressed in the elegant attire of a noble.