We had been eating quite a few dishes made with the bean sprouts and asparagus from the dungeon lately.
Considering their shelf life, I knew we had to finish them quickly. I might have gotten a bit carried away and grown too much. I felt a pang of regret about that. Still, I thought the salads featuring those sprouts and stalks were delicious. Stir-fries were quite good, too.
"Village Head, what is this hidden room on Floor 1?"
I was suddenly in a bind. My secret sanctuary in the dungeon, a place where I could be alone, had been discovered. Well, I wasn't entirely alone there; Kuro and the Cat visited as well. It was a man’s sanctuary—a place for true peace of mind.
And it had been found out. Was this the end? No, I could still fix this!
"A hidden room? That’s just a food storage room."
It wasn't a complete lie. I had built it so it could function as a proper storage area if needed.
"Is a bed really necessary for a food storage room?"
Ugh. My desire for a comfortable environment had backfired.
"I-I thought it could double as a nap room."
"I see. I wouldn't recommend sleeping in a place where food is kept, but... very well. We shall install a partition. Also, please make the door a bit more noticeable."
"...R-right. I'll get on that."
"Thank you."
Phew. I was safe. I’d managed to weather the storm. Getting caught was a blunder, but it wasn't a fatal blow. While that room was important in its own way, my true masterpiece was the room on Floor 3.
"Oh, Village Head? The room on Floor 3 is also quite difficult to enter, so please fix that one as well."
...Darn it.
Floor 2 was a massive labyrinth. Since that floor was mostly complete, I decided to let the children play in it. To keep things simple, everyone would start at the same time, and the first to reach the goal would be the winner.
Naturally, I had disabled all the dangerous traps and gimmicks. Even so, the labyrinth was too risky for a child to navigate alone, so I had them pair up with adults.
The participants were: The Urza and Hakuren Team. The Gral and Galf Team. The Alfred and Lu Team. The Tiselle and Tia Team. The Gatto and Nart Team.
The beastman boys each paired up with a High Elf. Additionally, one of the Lizardman children participated alongside an adult Lizardman.
I provided the adults with maps, food, and water. I also asked Kuro's children to roam the dungeon while carrying extra supplies and maps. That way, we would be prepared for any eventuality.
I gave the signal at the entrance of Floor 2, and the race began. I had instructed the adults to stick strictly to a chaperone role since the children were the stars of the show, but their individual personalities were clearly shining through.
Urza and Gral charged ahead. Alfred proceeded carefully while consulting his partner. Tiselle and Nart relied heavily on the adults accompanying them.
Since there weren't any particularly nasty traps, I figured they would all eventually reach the goal as long as they kept moving. Galf, who was paired with Gral, was practically screaming; he couldn't keep up with the girl's energy. Perhaps I should have paired her with Draim instead.
However, I had asked Draim to handle something else. Raimeiren wouldn't leave Hiichiro’s side, and Rusty was currently pregnant. Yeah, Galf would just have to do his best.
I used a hidden door near the start point to move directly to the goal. I had to prepare shortcuts like that, or getting around would be a total pain.
After waiting at the goal for about an hour, the first finishers arrived. It was the team of Gatto and his daughter, Nart.
"Yay! We made it!"
"Whew... I’m beat."
Nart was being carried on Gatto’s back. Perhaps the distance had been a bit too much for her.
A little while later, the beastman boys and the Lizardmen came rushing in. They were still full of energy. Apparently, they had stopped to dip into the water and food the adults were carrying along the way. I didn't mind. This wasn't a training exercise; there was no need for them to suffer.
Finishers continued to trickle in after that, but Urza, Gral, Alfred, and Tiselle were still nowhere to be seen. I was starting to get a little worried when Tiselle finally reached the goal.
"I intended for this to be a simple stroll, but..."
Tiselle looked perfectly fine, but Tia seemed exhausted. I had told everyone not to fly to keep things fair, which was likely the cause.
"Tiselle kept wandering here and there... and stopping her would have gone against the spirit of the event," Tia explained.
I thanked her for her hard work.
I waited another thirty minutes, but Urza, Gral, and Alfred still hadn't arrived.
"Time’s up, then."
I asked Kuro's children to guide me and went to fetch them.
As expected—or perhaps as I had hoped—the three were exactly where I thought they’d be. To prevent the maze from becoming a simple test of physical endurance, I had placed "obstacles" along the routes.
I’d brought in the Death Knights from the hot spring, Urza’s soil doll, and Draim. While I called them obstacles, they mostly just blocked the path and required the children to solve a quiz or a riddle to pass. Only Draim was allowed to be bypassed through combat.
Urza and Gral had been tripped up by the riddles and couldn't move forward. Hakuren and Galf had tried to give them hints, but the girls had apparently become stubborn about solving the puzzles on their own.
Alfred had solved his riddle, but he had chosen to stay behind and wait for Urza and Gral. His kindness was a virtue, but this was a game; I wanted him to aim for victory for himself as well.
I rounded up the three teams and called it a day. Dinner turned into a small banquet where everyone shared their experiences.
As an aside, Draim had actually been defeated by the duo of Urza and Gral.
"My sister was glaring at me from the sidelines... Ugh."
I felt a little bad for him.
The next day.
Why should the children be the only ones to enjoy the maze? They shouldn't. However, mixing adults and children was dangerous, so I kept their runs separate. After the children had their fun, the Mountain Elves worked double-time to modify the layout. They removed the seals on the gimmicks and set the obstacles to "attack" mode.
"Anyone who triggers a death trap is retired on the spot. Please follow the guides back to the start point. You are allowed to restart, but please limit yourselves to two tries per person," the Civil Official Girls announced.
They were acting as the referees.
"Breaking walls is a foul. Flying is also prohibited; you must walk. However, flying during combat is permitted."
It would be unfair if only those with wings could bypass pitfalls and floor switches, after all.
"A key is required to clear the goal. There are only three keys in total. The event ends as soon as three people reach the finish line. Now, do your best!"
I participated as well. I was ready to enjoy the maze... but before I could even get started, I triggered a death trap and was sent right back to the start.
"Isn't that trap a bit too cruel?"
We spent the entire day at it, but in the end, not a single person reached the goal.
The challengers had their complaints: "I can't even get past the Death Knights." "If Hakuren-san is sitting there in her dragon form, isn't that just a dead end?" "Trying to clear a maze full of floor switches with multiple people is impossible. Even if I dodge one, the person behind me steps on it and ruins everything."
The defenders, however, had their own perspective: "I didn't realize using the terrain to defend would be this effective." "It was fun being able to hold everyone off single-handedly." "There are still plenty of traps that haven't been triggered yet. Someone should try climbing that wall next time. I'm sure it'll be fun."
Everyone seemed to enjoy the maze in their own way. That night, we held yet another banquet.