Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/2912051595265864268
The corridors of the medical wing were still bustling with healing mages.
Leaning against the wall, I quietly stared at the door to the private room where the white-haired girl lay.
After that, I went to fetch a healing mage and explained the situation. As expected, they determined that my presence was a bit too overwhelming for her. That was why I was told to wait outside her room.
From inside the room, I could hear what sounded like the girl’s screams—she must have regained consciousness. I must have really scared her. “Don’t come,” “I don’t want you here,” “Stop.” Single words of rejection echoed through the door.
…She really hates me.
“Lord Rai… About that girl, who exactly is she?”
Liene, who had been waiting outside with me, spoke up.
“…She didn’t react at all when she saw Yuu-san or us. But to reject only you, Rai-sama, like that…”
Liene said, furrowing her brows in a troubled manner.
Her tone wasn’t probing like Elisia’s. Seeing that she seemed genuinely puzzled, I let out a silent sigh of relief and turned my gaze toward the door.
“Well, I guess we just didn’t click.”
“Click…?”
“Yeah.”
The girl’s frightened voice could still be heard from the other side.
But perhaps because I wasn’t there, she was slowly beginning to calm down.
“I suppose that’s just how the world works—some people get along strangely well even on first meeting, while others just don’t click at all.”
“…Is that how it works?”
“Probably. —Not everyone gets along as well as Liene and I do.”
I answered with a wry smile as Liene looked up at me. After staring blankly for a moment, she pressed both hands to her cheeks.
Her face slowly turned bright red.
When I looked at her to ask what was wrong, she shook her body as if to say “No, no.”
“N-no way… You mean I’m a good match for Lord Rai…? W-well, I mean, it’s only natural since we’re master and servant! It’s only natural!”
Liene shook her body, looking utterly delighted.
Her expression—a slacker-like “hehehe”—was so adorable that I couldn’t help but ruffle her hair, causing Liene’s shoulders to jolt. It wasn’t as if she disliked it; the way she narrowed her eyes and accepted my hand was just like a large dog.
Chuckling wryly at the sight, I turned my gaze back to the door of the private room.
The girl’s voice coming from the other side had calmed down considerably.
A healing mage, I suppose. Yuu and the others must be soothing her well.
(……Bad chemistry, huh……—Well, that’s not entirely wrong.)
After petting Liene’s head to my heart’s content, I turned my thoughts to my knowledge of the original story.
A white-haired girl rescued from the Labyrinth.
Those unaware of the circumstances might assume she’s an adventurer who wandered in from the outside, or a victim caught up in some Labyrinth disaster—but that would be a huge mistake.
Unfortunately, she is one of the Labyrinth’s own.
No, it’s an existence where it’s even ambiguous whether she can be called a “human.”
It spawns monsters, expels intruders, and protects the core at its deepest depths. The “Primordial Labyrinth”—a gigantic monster equipped with such a self-defense mechanism. The childish will dwelling within such a monster—its desire is but one…
—It wants to play. That’s all.
(……What a nuisance.)
The Labyrinth doesn’t seek world domination, nor does it wish to destroy humanity.
It simply repeats its hundred-year cycle to satisfy the desire within itself. It invites intruders, sets monsters upon them, and enjoys watching the struggle for survival from a safe distance. Once satisfied, it grants a hundred-year reprieve, then plays again once the next generation has grown.
It’s just a cycle.
And then, there is the being prepared to make that game more entertaining.
That is the white-haired girl.
(Someone once said something like this: There is nothing more boring or uninteresting than simply watching others play a game from the sidelines—wasn’t that it?)
At first, it must have been satisfied.
It was fun just watching from the sidelines as the toy wailed, despaired, and yet continued to resist without giving up.
But after repeating that for hundreds of years, simply watching was no longer enough. So the Labyrinth pondered. How could it find satisfaction? How could it have more fun?
And the result of that contemplation was to place its own pawn in this world.
Existences meant to conquer the Labyrinth, just like the other children. An avatar of the Labyrinth—that is the true nature of that girl.
(……Well, it’s not just that, though.)
—Just as those thoughts crossed its mind, the door to the private room opened quietly.
“……Rai.”
It was Elisia who poked her head in.
She glanced into the back of the room, then stepped out into the hallway and closed the door.
No more screams could be heard from inside. Instead, I could hear fragments of someone speaking softly.
Probably Yu or Ciel trying to talk to her.
“Has she calmed down?”
“Yeah. Right now, Yu and Ciel are trying to get some information out of her.”
After saying that, Elisia glanced at me briefly.
“It seems you really shouldn’t go in.”
“I guess so.”
I shrugged and agreed.
She’s just showing a little composure right now; her fear of me hasn’t disappeared. If I go in, the same thing will just happen again.
Seeing my reaction, Elisia gave a wry smile.
“Anyway, about that girl—I found out her name.”
Her expression grew serious, and she continued in a manner befitting the student council president.
“Eve. That’s her name.”
“Eve, huh. I see…”
It’s a short, easy-to-remember name.
Was it taken from the first woman of humanity, or does it have some other origin? …At least it’s better than a name devoid of love.
“Um, anything else…?”
“Unfortunately, we didn’t find out much else. …Apparently, she doesn’t remember anything about where she came from or her background beyond her name.”
Elisia shook her head at Line’s question.
After a brief pause, she muttered, “Just,” and turned her gaze toward me.
“She said something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“Yeah.”
Elicia folded her arms, paused as if in thought, then continued.
“I don’t know why, but—she feels she has to go to the deepest part of the Labyrinth. That’s the sense she has.”
“……”
“Apparently, she doesn’t know the reason herself. It’s just that her heart feels restless… or something. She says she can’t settle down if she ignores it.”
Hearing Elisia’s words, I became convinced that she was indeed the Labyrinth’s alter ego.
That said, I had no intention of telling her that just yet.
A being connected to the Labyrinth.
If something like that were to appear, it would cause a massive uproar involving not just the Student Council, but the school’s upper administration as well. It would be a different story if she had already built up trust and a track record as a student, but in her current state—having achieved nothing yet—if that fact were to come to light, mere protection wouldn’t be enough.
In the worst-case scenario, she might even be isolated as a research subject.
If that happened, it was crystal clear how that girl would be treated.
(……I don’t want to see the “Heroine as Research Subject” ending.)
That reason alone was enough for me to keep my mouth shut for now.
“Amnesia, huh?”
Cutting off my train of thought, I shrugged and replied.
“She was rescued from the labyrinth. It wouldn’t be surprising if she said something a bit odd.”
“……Yeah. I guess so.”
Elisia gave a small nod.
But a faint trace of doubt still lingered on her face.
As student council president, she probably couldn’t afford to be overly optimistic about the situation.
“We plan to keep an eye on her in the infirmary for a while. The healing mage has also ordered her to rest.”
“Well, given how she looked, that’s only natural.”
She pushed herself that hard with almost no magic left.
She should probably rest for a few days.
In that case, there’s no reason for me to stay here.
“I’m going to leave.”
When I told her that, Elisia nodded with a wry smile.
“That’s for the best. …It’s a harsh way to put it, but it seems she can’t stay calm when you’re around. To get the information we need, it would be a big help if you could keep your distance as much as possible.”
“Got it.”
I nodded to Elisia, turned on my heel, and left the room.
“Lord Rai, where are you going?”
Liene, who had been following me, asked in a flustered tone.
Her expression, which had been completely relaxed from being stroked just moments ago, had completely tightened, and she had returned to her usual, proper maid demeanor. …Well, her ears still looked a little red, though.
Glancing sideways at her, I smiled and said,
“I’ve got some business to attend to.”
Giving that brief reply, I began walking down the corridor of the medical wing.
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