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"Ah, Sophie! Good morning!"
When I stepped into the room allocated for the explorers of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky, Carol, who was already there, called out to me.
"Good morning, Carol."
Carol had to be exhausted, yet she wore her usual cheerful smile, hiding any trace of fatigue.
Time had certainly flown; two months had already passed since Orun and Big Sis Ruu left the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky.
In those two months, our world had shifted dramatically. Labyrinths across the continent had begun to stampede, unleashing tides of magic beasts upon the surface. Meanwhile, the war between the Kingdom and the Empire—once on the brink of total escalation—had settled into a fragile ceasefire.
For us, the most tangible change was how often we were called away from Tsutrail. To exterminate the magic beasts appearing across the lands, we explorers were being dispatched to various regions throughout the country. Even today, I was scheduled to provide support to a nearby town.
"Good morning to you too, Log."
I greeted Log, who sat beside Carol, his brow furrowed as he scanned a newspaper. Log looked up from the pages, his expression softening slightly when he saw me.
"Ah, morning. Sophie, did you read today's paper yet?"
"No, I slept until the last minute, so I haven't had a chance to look through it. Is there something important in there?"
"In a sense, it’s big news," Carol answered for him. It seemed she had already finished it.
Ever since Orun told us last year that we should keep up with the news, we had made an effort to look through the papers as often as possible.
"Here, take a look."
I took the paper Log held out and lowered my gaze to the lead article. It detailed the recent global summit where the heads of various nations had gathered. The meeting had been organized by the Explorer Guild immediately after the surface stampedes began.
At the summit, the Guild had first announced the appointment of a new Grandmaster. Following that, three major resolutions were reached.
First: humanity would transcend national borders and unite to stand against the magic beast threat. Second: the remaining three Great Labyrinths on the continent would be conquered. And third... Orun Doura—labeled a collaborator of the magic beasts—was declared the "Enemy of the World" and branded with the title "Demon King," placing him at the top of an international wanted list.
"Incredible... It's happening exactly as Orun said it would."
I whispered the words under my breath as I finished the article. On the day we returned from Daluane, Orun had abruptly announced his departure. At the same time, he had spoken of the future that was about to unfold.
Even coming from him, I’d found it hard to believe that labyrinths across the entire continent would suddenly stampede—but it had actually happened. At the time, Orun had said he would cause a major incident to publicize himself as the culprit behind it all. I assumed that incident was the assassination of the Grandmaster in the Royal Capital.
Everything was proceeding exactly according to the script Orun had shared with us that day.
"Right? But 'Demon King'... you have to admit, it sounds kind of cool," Carol remarked.
Cool? Really?
"That means 'King of Magic Beasts,' you know," Log countered, dismissing her comment. "There's nothing cool about it."
Log’s voice rose, his frustration finally boiling over. "If what Master said is true, the Explorer Guild is the one behind all of this! So why do they get to play the heroes? Master hasn't done anything wrong!"
"Keep your voice down! If someone hears you, we’re in trouble!" I urged, trying to calm him.
The only ones who knew Orun’s true intentions were the nine of us who had been in the leader's office that day. Because the leader had expelled Orun exactly as planned, the rest of the clan took his actions at face value. Many of our members, especially the explorers, had looked up to Orun; for them, the shock had been immense, and many were now directing their anger toward him.
"Setting that aside... what are you two going to do now?" Carol asked.
It was a vague question, but we both knew exactly what she meant.
"I’m going to conquer the Great Labyrinth of the South," Log replied instantly. "That’s Master’s wish, and I’m going to make sure it happens!"
"I feel the same way," I added. "Orun did all of this to protect us. I have to repay that debt."
"Good! I’m glad you said that," Carol chirped. "I feel the same. We’re definitely going to be the ones to conquer it!"
I felt a wave of relief knowing we were all on the same page. However, Log wasn't finished.
"But we can't do it like this," he said, gritting his teeth in frustration.
He was right. I felt I had grown much stronger under Orun’s tutelage this past year, but it still wasn't enough. The words Big Sis Ruu had said to me on the day she joined Twilight Moonbow were still burned into my memory.
—"Even from my perspective as an S-Rank, Orun is an extraordinary existence. It’s natural for you to idolize him. But have you forgotten? Your goal of conquering the Great Labyrinth of the South is something even he hasn't managed to do."
Even if the three of us combined our strength now, I doubted we could even match Orun as he was a year ago. Attempting the Great Labyrinth of the South in our current state would be reckless. It wasn't the kind of place you could conquer just by throwing yourself at it haphazardly.
"That’s why I’m going to the Hitia Duchy," Log declared.
Carol and I both stared at him in surprise.
"The Hitia Duchy? Are you going to chase after Orun, Log? What about the labyrinth?"
"The location is just a coincidence. Besides, I doubt Master has the time to deal with me right now."
"Then why there?"
"I want to enroll in the Stroemeria Magic Academy. I need to learn more about the true nature of magic."
An academy. I hadn't even considered leaving the country. But as soon as Log said it, it was as if a light had switched on in my mind.
I had been thinking about it constantly lately—I wanted to study magic tools. The Hitia Duchy was a magical powerhouse where the craft flourished, and it was home to the world-renowned Downing Trading Company. As an environment for learning about magic tools, the Duchy might be even better than Tsutrail.
Before I knew it, I was speaking. "I want to go to the Hitia Duchy too!"
"You too, Sophie?"
"Yes! I want to study magic tools. Seeing Carol’s earrings made me realize that if I had my own dedicated equipment, I could expand my tactics so much more!"
"I see. Then let's go together!"
"Hey! No fair leaving me behind!" Carol pouted. "I'm coming too!"
"This isn't a vacation, Carol," Log reminded her.
"I know that! I had some thoughts of my own about going there anyway."
"Thoughts?"
"Mmm, it’s a secret for now. Plus, I have to go give Big Sis Ruu a piece of my mind!"
"Ah, that’s true. If Orun is using the Duchy as his base, Big Sis Ruu is probably there with him."
On the day Orun left, Big Sis Ruu had departed the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky as well, leaving us nothing but a letter. It had contained an apology for her sudden disappearance, but it felt too sad to let our relationship end like that.
"Alright then," Log said, looking at us. "The three of us will go to the Hitia Duchy. Our goal isn't to chase Master—it's to gain the strength we need to conquer the Great Labyrinth of the South. And to complain to Big Sis Ruu for leaving without a word. That’s our objective!"
"Right!" I agreed.
"No objections here!" Carol added.
And so, we decided to head for the Hitia Duchy. I didn't know if this was the right choice, but as the saying goes, "make haste slowly." To conquer the Great Labyrinth, we would just have to become stronger than we had ever been.
Thank you for reading until the end. This chapter marks the final update for 2024. I am truly grateful that so many readers have followed the story this year.
There are four chapters remaining in Chapter Eight. According to current projections, Chapter Nine should conclude next year, leading into the start of Chapter Ten. Since both chapters will focus primarily on events in Kyokutou, next year might belong to Fuuka... though Luna might just steal the spotlight at the very end, haha.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and I hope you continue to enjoy the series in the coming year!