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"Thank you all for answering my summons today despite your busy schedules. I am the new Grandmaster of the Explorer Guild; my name is Solda."
As representatives and proxies from various nations looked on, a staff member of the Explorer Guild delivered the opening remarks.
So, he is the Grandmaster who succeeded Beria...
It felt rude to even think it, but the man was utterly devoid of defining features. As a member of the royalty, I pride myself on never forgetting a face or a name once encountered, yet I felt that if I let my guard down for even a moment, he would slip from my memory entirely. Was he truly that unremarkable, or did he simply possess no presence whatsoever?
"Given our current circumstances, I would like to get straight to the point. However, may I say one thing before we begin?"
Normally, a gathering of this magnitude would include a social mixer or a banquet either before or after the proceedings, but such formalities were absent today. While our nation’s countermeasures against the Empire had proven effective—allowing for a swift initial response to the stampede—other countries had not been so fortunate. A significant number of nations had yet to stabilize their borders; the situation was that desperate. This was precisely why we needed to conclude our discussions and move to action immediately.
"As you are all aware, Beria—the former Grandmaster of the Explorer Guild—passed away recently. He possessed a special ability for longevity and was a titan who supported the guild since its very inception. No one else could unite the organization as he did. In the world we find ourselves in now, his strength was needed more than ever. We have truly lost an irreplaceable man."
Solda-san pressed the corners of his eyes, his voice wavering with emotion. He had clearly admired Beria. He likely had no idea that Beria himself was the architect of the world's current plight. Then again, beyond myself, how many people in this room knew the truth?
"I intend to devote my entire soul to ensuring humanity overcomes the threat of the magic beasts. However, I am far from the great man Beria Sans was. Therefore, I humby ask: please, lend me your strength!"
Just as Solda-san bowed following his declaration, an old man began to clap. That man was Gunnar Stern, the Federal Chairman of the Ludain Federation—a major power with vast influence over the eastern continent and the keeper of the Great Labyrinth of the East.
"...I have observed your work for many years during your tenure as the Guildmaster of the East. Because of that, I can say with certainty: there is no one better suited to lead the Explorer Guild than Solda-dono. Succeeding Beria-dono is a heavy burden, but I believe you are capable of fulfilling that responsibility. I offer you my full support. Let us navigate these dark times together."
As Gunnar-san finished speaking, he resumed his applause. One by one, the others in the room followed suit.
The Ludain Federation, which controls the Great Labyrinth of the East, is endorsing their former regional Guildmaster for the position of Grandmaster. The stench of political maneuvering is thick in the air. Personally, I find it distasteful, but the groundwork was likely laid long ago. While this choice offers no direct benefit to the Nohitant Kingdom, it doesn't present any clear disadvantages either.
Deciding that speaking up and inviting resentment or creating a poor impression would only hurt my country, I remained silent and joined the applause.
"Thank you, everyone. Despite my shortcomings, I will work with everything I have. Now then, let us officially begin the summit meeting to counter the magic beast threat."
Once Solda-san declared the session open, he began disclosing the information the Explorer Guild possessed regarding the global situation. According to his report, labyrinths across the world were undergoing stampedes without exception. However—as I already knew—the Great Labyrinths were not among them.
"—I ask you once again. May I assume that all of you who answered our call agree with the guild’s stance? That we must now move beyond national frameworks and unite as one people to stand against the threat of the magic beasts?"
Having finished his summary of the status quo, Solda-san posed the question to the assembly. One of the participants raised a hand to speak.
"I have no objection to the sentiment. However, what specifically do you mean by 'joining hands'?"
"As a premise, I believe we must prioritize the safety of human lives and our vital infrastructure, such as the roads that form the foundation of our society and economy. To that end, I intend to deploy the Labyrinth Cores currently held by the Explorer Guild to various locations."
"...Labyrinth Cores?"
"Yes. From the onset of the stampede until today, the guild has conducted several experiments. We have discovered that magic beasts on the surface exhibit habits different from those they displayed within the labyrinths. Specifically, surface beasts show a much stronger obsession with Labyrinth Cores than they do with standard magic stones."
A Labyrinth Core is a massive magic stone located in the innermost area of a labyrinth; it is the very heart that allows a labyrinth to exist. They contain an amount of mana that dwarfs regular magic stones, yet I had always heard that magic beasts showed little interest in them previously.
Magic beasts are naturally drawn to magic stones. Consequently, like moths to a flame, they are currently swarming toward the major cities where magic stones are concentrated. While most large cities are protected by outer walls that can halt a beast's advance, the struggle lies in maintaining access between settlements. As Solda-san noted, securing the safety of the trade routes connecting towns and nations has become nearly impossible.
The transport of magic stones, once a mundane task, now requires an immense expenditure of resources. In an age where magic tools are essential to daily life, the demand for magic stones is absolute, yet the supply chain is on the verge of collapse. It was a small mercy that these beasts showed no interest in crops. Had they begun devouring our food supply as well, humanity would likely have been culled by now.
"By exploiting this behavior, we plan to install Labyrinth Cores in remote areas where a massive gathering of magic beasts won't pose a threat to the populace, thereby luring the herds away from our cities."
"And what of the defense for these cores?"
"We intend to commission explorers for that task. The plan is to deploy teams of elite explorers, selected from each of your nations, to these core sites. They will work in rotations to cull the magic beasts drawn to the area."
In this world, the only people with significant combat ability are soldiers and explorers. Soldiers are primarily trained for interpersonal warfare; they are better suited for maintaining domestic order than fighting monsters. Explorers, conversely, have spent their lives battling magic beasts within the labyrinths.
In truth, it has always been the explorers who supported the foundation of our lives by bringing back magic stones. However, in recent years, as the supply of stones became a given, many had lost their sense of gratitude toward them. Now that magic beasts infested the surface, I suspected many were reevaluating just how indispensable explorers truly were.
"I have no complaints about that proposal. However, shouldn't we be conquering every labyrinth in parallel with this? If we clear them, the magic beasts will stop appearing entirely."
"That would merely delay the inevitable."
A participant had suggested full-scale labyrinth conquest, but Felix Roots Kreuzer—the Crown Prince of the Saubel Empire and a Great Hero—voiced his disagreement.
Two months ago, he had charged into our Royal Capital alone. Ultimately, his advance was halted by the woman known as the White Demon, Shion, but that entire event had been erased from history by Philly Carpenter's special ability. On that day, Philly Carpenter had altered the perceptions of everyone involved, rewriting the truth to claim that Orun had murdered Beria while the Grandmaster was visiting the capital to mediate a peace treaty.
Only I, protected by the magic tool that nullified Perception Alteration, retained my memories of that day's events. I didn't even know if His Highness Felix himself remembered his assault on the capital.
"Delaying the inevitable?" the first speaker asked.
"Certainly, if the labyrinths vanish, the immediate threat of the magic beasts is eliminated," Felix replied. "However, what awaits us on the other side of that is a different kind of hell—one where nations tear each other apart over the remaining magic stones."
I found myself in agreement with His Highness Felix. Magic stones are a resource harvested by slaying magic beasts, and magic beasts are born only within labyrinths. If every labyrinth were conquered, the birth of magic beasts would cease, and humanity would lose its only means of acquiring magic stones. Since it is now impossible to strip magic tools away from modern life, a world without labyrinths would inevitably descend into a global war over dwindling resources.
Even so, hearing this from a representative of the Empire—a nation that invaded my country under the exact pretext of a magic stone shortage—filled me with a sense of revulsion.
...Of course, I couldn't let that show on my face.
Solda-san nodded as if to affirm Felix's point before speaking.
"His Highness Felix is correct. The targets we must conquer are not the ordinary labyrinths. We are going after the Great Labyrinths."
...So, they're taking it in that direction after all, I mused.
As the words left the Grandmaster's mouth, a wave of murmurs rippled through the room.
Thank you for reading to the end. I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well!
A quick announcement: Volume 13 of the manga adaptation was recently released! It has finally entered the third arc, featuring the debut of Fuuka. Between Fuuka’s antics and the glimpses into Philly’s darker side, it’s a very compelling volume. Please consider picking up a copy!
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