"Right then. Let's head to the labyrinth. I was asked by the head of Rutina’s clan to look into one over in a place called Nesco."
I made the announcement in front of Roxanne and the others.
"Nesco, you say?"
That was the one. I remembered now. I had been told to enter the Nesco Labyrinth. Time for some monster hunting. It was Nesco, after all—seemed fitting enough for a hunt.
"Exactly. The Nesco Labyrinth. I'm not sure if we’ll be staying there for good, but we should at least step inside once to see what we're dealing with. That's where we're going."
"The Nesco Labyrinth..." Sherry murmured softly.
"Do you know it, Sherry?"
As expected of her.
"Ah, no. I just remembered that originally, it was simply called the 'Nesco Labyrinth.' Then one day, the name was changed to the 'Nesco Deep Labyrinth,' which stuck in my mind."
"I see?"
"The South Nesco Labyrinth and the West Nesco Labyrinth were newly discovered around that time."
So that was it. Initially, there was only one labyrinth near the town, so it was just the Nesco Labyrinth. When two more appeared nearby, they renamed the original one the "Deep" Labyrinth to distinguish it from the South and West ones.
Information on labyrinths across the regions could be found at the Explorer Guild in Quratar. Sherry occasionally visited the guild to gather intelligence, which was how she knew.
"In any case, you never cease to impress, Sherry. Well done."
"N-no, it’s nothing."
With so many labyrinths appearing nearby, the old matriarch must have been panicking. That would explain why she had reached out to us for help.
"If things have become that dire, then we have no choice but to go. Is everyone ready?"
"Yes. We shall subjugate it in short order," Roxanne replied.
"I am ready," Vesta added.
"Yes, Master," Miria said.
"I believe I am prepared," Rutina said.
"Working for that old woman is a bit grating, but clearing labyrinths is a duty we must fulfill," Sherry concluded.
With everyone’s agreement secured, we moved out. First, I warped us to the Bode Adventurer Guild. The Duke and Cassia were likely still being held captive by the matriarch anyway, so there was no point in stopping by the castle.
"Can you take us to Nesco?" I asked an adventurer in the guild.
"Yes, I can."
It seemed Nesco was a valid destination. I disbanded the party, paid two silver coins, and had the man transport me there.
"I’ll leave it to you, then."
"This is the town of Nesco."
The Nesco Adventurer Guild was a cavernous, desolate hall. Rather than feeling spacious, it felt drafty and cold, almost like a ruin. In fact, it was completely empty. No one was at the reception desk, no customers were selling loot, and there weren't even any other adventurers waiting to transport people to other towns. The man who had brought me here left immediately, leaving me standing there alone.
Was this really the right place? I doubted it was a scam, but the atmosphere was grim. I went back, reformed the party with Roxanne and the others, and did a quick U-turn back to the Nesco guild.
"There is no one here," Roxanne observed.
She was right. Even when we stepped outside, people were scarce. It wasn't quite a ghost town, but it was close. There was absolutely no vitality to the place.
"Fish shop," Miria noted.
Her eyes were as sharp as ever. Miria was pointing toward a stall. Since we had nothing else to do, we walked over.
"Step right up! Freshly caught and full of flavor! Best you’ll find anywhere!"
It seemed to be a shop selling fish from Nesco. I wasn't sure if it was a lake or a bay, but the merchant was enthusiastic.
"Linkape," Miria said.
"Hah! Little lady, you’ve got a real eye for quality! A real connoisseur, you are. I can tell!" The fishmonger heaped praise on Miria the moment she spotted her prize. He spoke with the boisterous, rapid-fire energy of a city merchant.
"Linkape?" I asked.
"A local specialty and a true delicacy, sir! Anyone who hasn't tried it is missing out on life itself. An absolute masterpiece!"
"Is that so?"
Usually, "local specialties" aren't actually that good. Calling it a "delicacy" only made it sound more suspicious. My skepticism doubled.
"Only a true expert picks this out. You’ve got a discerning eye, missy!"
"Heh."
Maybe people just didn't pick it because it tasted bad? Then again, if Miria was this interested, that probably wasn't the case. She was already in her full fish-inspecting stance. Of course, there was always the chance she’d react this way to literally any fish.
"The females are packed with eggs for a deep, rich flavor. The males have meat so sweet it’ll melt right on your tongue. It’s a rare catch even on the Nesco coast. They spoil fast, so you’ll almost never taste 'em outside the town. Well, since you’ve already spotted 'em, I can’t let you leave without a taste! Fresh caught this morning—how about it?"
A "rare specialty," he said. Regardless of his sales pitch, Miria was already a hunter stalking her prey.
"Miria, do any of them look good?"
"Yes, Master."
She wasn't going to budge an inch.
"This fish starts to turn the second it’s out of the water. Anyone who tells you it’s bad or nothing special probably just ate one that wasn't fresh. But my stock? Guaranteed quality. Caught this morning, so they’ll be perfect by dinner. Come on, take a look!"
So people did say they were bad. It was probably going to be underwhelming. But what could I do?
"If you find some good ones, pick them out. We’ll have them for dinner tonight."
"Much obliged!" the merchant cheered.
"...Yes, Master," Miria murmured.
The merchant’s reaction was faster than Miria’s. Then again, Miria had likely already decided that buying the fish was a foregone conclusion and was now purely focused on the selection process. She was oblivious to the noise around her, staring down the fish. She was going to choose the best ones. No matter what.
She assumed, as a matter of course, that if she just stayed focused, I would give in and buy them. And I would. I really should. I had to. In other words, she had me wrapped around her finger. I was going to buy them, though. I just hoped they were actually edible.
"How about this one here?"
"..."
"That one’s nice and lively too! Top tier!"
"..."
Miria remained completely unmoved by the owner's suggestions. I had to admire her unwavering focus.
"The tricky part is that the males and females need different cooking, y’see. For the males, you want to grill 'em slow and steady until the skin is charred. That lets the heat get all the way through until they’re perfectly tender. It’s heaven! Now, for the females, it’s the opposite—just a quick sear is all you need. Crisp up the outside while the inside stays soft and creamy. Mmm! Delicious! Anyone saying they’re bad probably just messed up the cooking."
He was really defensive about the taste. He must have been used to hearing people complain about them.
"I see."
"Telling 'em apart is the hard part, too. But I’ve been in this business twenty years! You can leave it to me. Hey, young lady, that one—"
"Female," Miria stated.
"...And the one next to it?"
"Male."
He had been shut down instantly. Miria was truly a force to be reckoned with when it came to seafood. I decided to leave her to it. In the meantime, I turned to the merchant for information.
"Seems a bit quiet around here."
"Labyrinths started popping up like weeds," he replied.
"So that was it."
The merchant, having been humbled by Miria's expertise, was more than happy to chat.
"It’s not like the world is ending tomorrow, but anyone with nice furniture or family heirlooms cleared out early. Best to go while the roads are still safe, y'know?"
"I see. If it’s just people, adventurers can move them easily enough."
"Exactly."
If things got truly desperate and they couldn't handle the monsters anymore, people could escape via an adventurer's Field Walk. As long as it was just people, it was manageable. But you couldn't take anything more than what you could carry. Those with bulky valuables or no deep ties to the land had fled first. Children and the elderly had likely been evacuated as well. That explained the lack of people.
"And the Nesco Deep Labyrinth? Where is it?"
"Dunno about the name, but the first one to appear?"
"Yes, that one."
"If it’s the first one, just keep heading straight down this road," the merchant pointed.
He didn't seem to know the official guild names, which was fair enough. Names were often just labels assigned by the Explorer Guild. We just needed to go and see for ourselves.
"I understand. Miria, have you finished picking them?"
"Yes, Master."
"Good. We’ll take those, then."
"Right away! Much obliged!"
"Putting them in here," Miria said, pulling a small wooden bucket out of her backpack.
I stared at her. "You actually brought that along?"
She had been ready for this. Apparently, she was always prepared for an impromptu fish purchase. How meticulous. Miria carefully transferred the fish into the bucket while showing them to the merchant. There were about a dozen or so.
It worked out to roughly one male and one female for each of us. I was impressed that she didn't try to pick extra for herself. If it were me, I’d probably be agonizing over how to sneak a few more in.
"We might mess up the cooking. Go ahead and pick out a few more as backups. If there are leftovers, you can have them, Miria."
"Yes, Master!"
Miria’s intensity spiked. She began inspecting the remaining fish even more closely than before. Was it because these were her "bonus" portions? Or was it because picking the thirteenth best fish was actually harder than picking the first twelve? She spent a significant amount of time agonizing over the extras.
Once we paid, we returned to the Adventurer Guild and warped back home.
"If we pack them in ice, they should last until this evening. Is dinner tonight all right?"
"Grill them," Miria decided.
She already had the menu planned out. The merchant had mentioned the different grilling styles for each gender, after all.
"Right. The males are slow-grilled, and the females were... what was it?"
"Seared."
It seemed I could leave the details to the resident expert. I doubted there would be any mistakes on her watch. I placed the bucket in the kitchen and used Ice Wall to create a layer of ice over the top. Even if they spoiled quickly, this should keep them fresh until tonight. The merchant said they’d be at their best by dinner anyway.
I wondered if the ice might actually hinder the aging process, but Miria didn't complain, so I assumed it was fine.
"Alright, back to Nesco."
We warped from the house back to the town. This time, I emerged by the base of a tree that looked to be the farthest point I had seen from the fish shop. Being able to warp to the edge of my vision was incredibly convenient.
"It’s straight down this road," Roxanne led the way.
She seemed eager to get to the labyrinth. She marched ahead with purpose. We didn't use Warp or Field Walk to hop along; it was a waste of mana, and in the middle of a forest, it was easy to lose your bearings. Besides, we were all used to walking—hiking through a labyrinth was our daily routine, so a walk in the woods was nothing.
After a while, the labyrinth entrance came into view.
"There it is."
"So it seems."
For the final stretch, I used Field Walk to jump us right to the entrance. No point in wasting time now.
"Is this the Nesco Deep Labyrinth?"
"Yes, it is," a nearby explorer confirmed.
"What’s that over there?"
Next to the entrance, a small tent had been pitched where people were sitting and resting. I hadn't seen anything like that before. At the Quratar Labyrinth, the knights were always busy running their map business, but this felt different.
"That belongs to the clan," Rutina noted.
"Are you with the clan?"
As Rutina spoke, one of the people resting stood up and walked over. They must have been part of the matriarch’s family. I pulled the emblem she had given me out of my backpack. I’d just left it in there since the meeting, but she had told me to show it to the explorer at the entrance.
The crest on the emblem matched the one on the tent. I see—a simple visual check.
"Here."
"You’re with the clan. Names?"
"..."
"It’s Michio," Rutina answered quickly before I could decide whether to give my name or hers. Wasn't Rutina the one actually in the clan? Well, whatever.
"Very well. I’ve recorded it. We’ll be packing up by evening, so if you're heading back before then, please stop by on your way out."
They kept logs of everyone? They didn't do that in the Duke’s territory. The matriarch was clearly more thorough. Or perhaps they were desperate enough that tracking every arrival was necessary. It was an effective way to see who was contributing and who wasn't—a setup for rewards and punishments. Or maybe it was just for show.
"How far has exploration progressed?" I asked.
"They’re currently working on the 52nd Floor."
It had been at fifty when it first appeared. If they were dawdling like Rutina's father had, it would have grown. To make matters worse, two more had appeared nearby, so they were scrambling to clear it. Her father really should have asked the matriarch for help—though maybe he had, and she’d just ignored him. Or perhaps the local lord here was one of her favorites—a "handsome young man" in her eyes, which could mean anything from twenty to eighty.
I decided not to dig into the clan politics. Some shadows are better left unlit.
"Does this emblem only let us jump to the deepest explored floor?" I asked.
"Yes, that is correct."
"I see. That’s a shame. We’ll start from the first floor then," I told the others.
Even in Duke Harz's territory, free transport was only provided to the highest floors. It made sense—taking people to the front lines helped with the subjugation, but they didn't care about anyone else. No free rides for the common riff-raff. We’d just enter on the first floor; there was no reason to tell them our actual plans.
"You're going from the first floor?" the receptionist asked, surprised.
"Yes."
"We have some simple memos regarding the floor layouts. Would you like to see them?"
"That would be very helpful. Thank you."
In Quratar, they sold maps. Here, where the very survival of the town was at stake, no one was going to pay for a map, but the information still existed.
"Here they are."
He showed me a piece of paper. For the first floor, it just said "go straight to the back." It wasn't even a map, really. Just a vague hint. The second floor was "take a left, then the next right." Better than nothing, I suppose, but it felt like a recipe for getting lost.
"May we copy these?"
"Go ahead."
"I’ll do it," Sherry said, pulling paper, a pen, and ink from her pack. Again, she was perfectly prepared. Or maybe she just always carried a stationary store on her back.
"I’ve got the first and second floors memorized, so you don't need to write those down," I said.
"I have the third and fourth," Roxanne added helpfully.
"Then I shall take the fifth," Rutina volunteered.
I felt like I’d forget the instructions by the time we actually reached the fifth floor, but whatever. Roxanne had taken two floors, so Rutina taking just one was a safe bet. She was thinking ahead. Let's see... second floor: left, then the next right. Got it.
"I will fight," Miria said.
"I believe I will be fine," Vesta echoed.
Those two had no interest in the clerical work. "Fighting" was their way of saying they weren't going to memorize a thing. Sherry handled the rest of the floors, and since the notes were brief, she finished quickly.
"That’s everything. Thank you very much."
"Thanks, Sherry. And thank you for the information," I told the receptionist.
"Not at all, it’s the least I can do. I was born here in Nesco, after all. Thank you for helping us clear the labyrinth."
So the man was a local. It made sense; it’d be a long commute otherwise. I kept quiet about the fact that we were only here because an old lady told us to, and that we weren't particularly invested in the town's fate. Just entering the place was a contribution, I suppose. We could have just walked in and warped away immediately, but that felt risky. If they were on the 52nd floor, the subjugation might be close. If they checked the logs and saw we entered but never helped, things could get ugly. Better to actually do some work.
"Um, how long has it been since this labyrinth appeared?" Sherry asked.
I saw where she was going. If it had already grown to the 60th floor, we could afford to slack off for a bit.
"Five years ago, I believe."
"I see. And have the monsters in the area become more dangerous?"
"...No, not yet, I think."
The surrounding monsters usually changed when it reached fifty, but how much did it grow in five years? I didn't know. Once we stepped inside, I turned to Sherry.
"How deep does a labyrinth usually get in five years?"
"It varies wildly, so it’s hard to say for certain."
So she didn't know either? Then what was the point of the question? Was it just small talk?
"Ah, Roxanne. The first floor is just straight to the back."
"Understood. For monsters on the first floor, we shouldn't waste time on them unless they're directly in our way, right?"
"Exactly."
I gave the order to Roxanne. Honestly, I wanted her to skip the 45th-floor monsters too. Roxanne took the lead with a spring in her step. Personally, I would have been fine skipping every single monster in the place, but then we wouldn't make any money.
"However, the monsters around here have definitely become more dangerous," Sherry noted.
"Oh? You think so?"
"Based on the receptionist's hesitation and the fishmonger saying people are evacuating, I’m certain of it."
"That makes sense."
Sherry and I chatted as we followed Roxanne. When Sherry had asked about the danger, the receptionist had hesitated before denying it. He was likely downplaying the threat.
"When a labyrinth reaches the 56th floor, the monsters in the surrounding area are said to increase in difficulty by an entire tier."
"Is that right?"
Monsters in a labyrinth were grouped every eleven floors. Floors 45 through 55 were one group, and the 56th floor started the next tier. It made sense that the world outside would reflect that. It was a solid theory.
"Yes. Which means this labyrinth is almost certainly deeper than 56 floors. It’s been five years, after all."
"I see."
So Sherry had been probing the receptionist to gauge the true depth of the labyrinth. Impressive. If it was past 56 floors, the final boss was still a long way off. We could safely slack off using Warp for a good while.
"A waiting room," Roxanne called out.
While Sherry and I were talking, Roxanne had guided us to the boss room, bypassing almost every encounter along the way. We hadn't gotten lost once. Then again, "straight to the back" isn't exactly a maze. If we’d failed that, we would have had bigger problems. I wasn't so sure about the second floor, though. What was it again? Left, then the next right.
"Second floor: left, then the next right."
"Understood."
We were making excellent time. Then I realized my mistake. Sherry had copied all the info up to the 51st floor. If we just followed the notes, it wouldn't be any different from our usual routine in Quratar.
"Shouldn't we start exploring on our own at some point?" I asked.
I wouldn't say we needed to do it from the first floor, but we should start eventually.
"I agree. Once the enemies become... challenging," Roxanne said.
I wondered if Roxanne would ever find an enemy challenging. Was she only skipping them now because they were boring? If that was the case, I’d be happy with boring enemies forever—but that just meant she’d push us to higher floors until we found something that could actually kill us. Roxanne was exactly the type to reach the final floor and complain that it was too easy.
"Actually, I didn't take notes for anything past the 52nd floor," Sherry admitted.
As expected. She was always one step ahead.
"Right."
"Perhaps we should start navigating manually from the 44th floor?" Roxanne suggested.
Could we maybe make that the 43rd? No, I shouldn't fixate on 44. The 40th would be better. Heck, I'd take the first floor.
"We’ve already cleared up to the 45th floor in Quratar, so maybe we should start manual navigation from the 45th here?" Roxanne revised her suggestion upward.
There it was. She was already moving the goalposts.
"We need to get used to the Nesco Labyrinth, so we should move up gradually," I argued. "Since everything from the 45th floor is new to us, we should start manual exploration a few floors before that to get our bearings. That would mean..."
"Hmm. The 43rd floor, then?" Roxanne cut in.
So she flatly refused to consider the 42nd. I see how it is. And besides, "getting used to the Nesco Labyrinth" was a hollow argument. A labyrinth is a labyrinth. We’d been doing this in Quratar for ages.
Then again, different labyrinths had different monster compositions. We needed to adjust to that. Yes, let’s go with that. It was a valid point.
"The monster groups don't change that much from one floor to the next; they just add the new species for that level. It’s better to get used to the patterns starting from two or three floors down. Especially since the 45th will be entirely new."
"But the new monsters appear with the highest frequency on their respective floors," Roxanne countered.
She had a point. The monsters native to a floor were the ones you’d see most often. You couldn't "get used to" them until you actually went to that floor.
"However, that also means the other half of the encounters are still the older combinations," Sherry countered.
Nice one, Sherry. A solid rebuttal.
"Even so, is there really a need to go as far back as three floors?" Roxanne asked.
"Well, you have a point," Sherry conceded.
Hey! Don't switch sides now!
"We haven't manually explored the 44th floor either, so in a way, that’s also new territory," I tried.
"With you and the rest of us, Master, the 44th floor shouldn't pose any challenge at all," Roxanne said.
That’s just you, I wanted to say, but I couldn't. It was a difficult point to argue. Using praise to shut down my rebuttal was a low blow.
"The labyrinth has been here for five years," Sherry added. "Since it hasn't been conquered, the 43rd and 44th floors were probably cleared relatively recently, but the lower floors have likely been open for a long time."
"That's probably true." Sherry was still talking. Traitor.
"The monster rooms were likely thinned out during the initial exploration, but after five years, they might have filled back up. Exploring the lower floors too thoroughly might actually be more dangerous."
"That’s a very good point," I agreed. She was right. As expected.
"Yes."
"Alright, let's skip the 42nd. But what about the 43rd? Starting manual nav at the 44th feels like we're cutting it a bit close, don't you think?"
"Hmm. That is a difficult call," Sherry mused.
Good. She was wavering. The 43rd floor seemed like a reasonable compromise. Honestly, I’d wanted the 40th, but I had a feeling I was the one being played here.
"Very well. I understand," Roxanne finally said. "As Master says, getting our bearings is important. We shall begin our manual assault from the 43rd floor."
"I see. If Roxanne says so," Sherry agreed.
And just like that, the two of them had reached a consensus.