Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/822139845338193731
The Primordial Labyrinth possesses a childish sense of self.
In CHOICE//MAZE, this fact is revealed toward the end of a certain heroine’s route. It becomes clear by deciphering the cryptic words she utters during their exploration and by reading a book detailing the taboos committed by the nation that was swallowed up and annihilated by the labyrinth.
Once upon a time, there was a small country.
It was a weak, insignificant nation, particularly poor even among its neighbors, with absolutely no notable strengths. Its only distinguishing feature was the number of mazes appearing within its borders—apparently several times more than in other countries.
While neighboring nations developed and grew wealthy, this country—deprived of resources, unable to foster industry, and lacking proper military capabilities—was on a path to certain ruin. Furthermore, dealing with the labyrinths spreading across the land—the nation was pushed to its absolute limit.
(As a result, the king at the time ended up violating a taboo…)
The king set his sights on the abnormally high number of labyrinths compared to other nations.
Although the labyrinths opening up across the land were highly dangerous, they were famous for yielding vast resources when conquered: ore, medicinal herbs, monster materials, and so on.
That is precisely why he considered utilizing the labyrinths.
He deliberately chose not to destroy the labyrinth’s core, instead attempting to turn it into a supply hub for the endless harvesting of resources. Determined to use any means necessary to enrich the nation, he cast aside ethics and sent children—who were still too young to be productive laborers and merely consumed food—into the labyrinth.
Thanks to them, the labyrinth grew as planned, and the resource extraction was a success.
The nation rapidly evolved into a great power, but the overgrown labyrinth developed a sense of self. Perhaps because it had devoured nothing but children, it acquired a childlike mentality, and driven by the pure desire to “play,” the labyrinth swallowed the nation whole.
It used monsters to kill adults outside, and whenever it found a child, it lured them inside as if it were a game.
A monster that revels in the sight of children suffering, crying, and struggling within its body—a situation where it holds overwhelming dominance. That is the true nature of the Primordial Labyrinth.
■
“…………”
The next morning, I was driving my carriage toward the Primordial Labyrinth as planned.
As I let myself be rocked by the steady motion and glanced to my left and right, I saw Liene sitting on my right with a beaming smile, and Elisia on my left, wearing an elegant smile. …Both of them were leaning in so close that our shoulders were practically touching.
As for Elisia, she was practically wrapping her fingers around my arm and hugging me.
“Hey. Is it really necessary to lean in so close? It’s a little cramped.”
I found myself muttering that without thinking.
“I’m Lord Rai’s personal maid, so I can’t help it!”
Liene said this without losing her smile.
It’s true that Liene usually takes her place right next to me. It was the same in the carriage on the way to the academy, and even when we were at the Duke’s residence, she was strangely close to me. I’d left most of the duties of a personal maid to the head maid… so maybe this is just normal.
As for Elisia, though…
“Well, I’m Rai’s fiancée. There shouldn’t be any problem with that, right?”
She replied with an elegant smile, just like Liene.
She claims that this closeness is precisely because we’re engaged, but is it really something an fiancée would do—leaning in so close, and even pressing her ample breasts against me in such a blatant manner?
I can’t help but wryly smile at this devilish act, which seems determined to nullify the resolve I declared: “I have no intention of embracing you until I’ve conquered the Primordial Labyrinth.” Even though I have memories of my past life, I’m still just an ordinary male student. I do have sexual desires, after all…
“If it’s you, I’d welcome you anytime. If you like, even right here and now.”
Please don’t whisper that in my ear with such an unnecessarily seductive voice.
With that thought, I sighed as I resisted Elisia’s temptation.
“Lady Elisia. Frankly, I’m not sure that’s appropriate for a lady.”
Support fire in the form of “common sense” came flying in from beside me.
Glancing sideways, I saw Liene smiling, though her eyes weren’t laughing. Her tone was also different from how she spoke to me—it was distinctly maid-like.
“Hehe. This is what they call the ‘distance’ between fiancés. Right, Rai?”
“……I suppose so.”
When I answered immediately, Elisia narrowed her eyes in amusement.
Her fingers, which were already intertwined with mine, tightened, and the grip on my arm grew stronger.
“What do you think, Liene? Rai has one arm free. How about you?”
“……!!”
Liene’s shoulders twitched.
She pouted her lips and glanced briefly at my open arm.
“His arm is nice, you know? It feels amazing to hold.”
The temptation on the opposite side of me struck again, and Liene’s body trembled. Eventually, as if hesitantly, she took my hand and clung to my arm.
“T-this is my natural duty as your personal maid… To protect Lord Rai, staying this close is, w-well, only natural…”
Liene mumbled this excuse, though she wasn’t really addressing anyone in particular.
I thought to myself, “If it’s for personal protection, wouldn’t it actually be easier to move if you weren’t clinging to me?” But seeing her face turn bright red as she looked down, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything and just stared silently at the sky.
Elisia smiled contentedly at Liene, but immediately adopted a slightly more serious expression and spoke.
“Still, the Labyrinth has a will of its own, does it…? That’s an interesting theory.”
“Do you believe it?”
“At the very least, I won’t deny it. —There’s a record from 500 years ago of a student from the Academy, the only one said to have reached the ‘Core,’ who was suddenly confronted by overwhelming forces toward the end of their journey.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“The appearance of a number of high-ranking monsters that can’t be explained by normal occurrence rates. It would be a stretch to dismiss that as mere coincidence.”
“You mean they were on guard against us?”
“Or perhaps they took an interest in us…”
As the two of them talked, pressure was applied to the finger on my right hand.
When I looked over, I saw Liene, her eyebrows furrowed into a V-shape, looking up at me.
“If that’s true, wouldn’t Lord Rai be in danger too…?”
“Ah, you’re right. Rai stands out. Whether you like it or not.”
“It’s painful that I can’t even say that’s an exaggeration.”
A magical power strong enough to shatter a magic-measuring crystal, and combat prowess capable of destroying a training golem with a single blow. There’s no way the Labyrinth would just let that slide. From the Labyrinth’s perspective, I’m probably the kind of person they’d do anything to keep from reaching the deepest depths.
“…If the Labyrinth has a will of its own, there’s a chance it’ll react to an ‘interesting specimen.’ Since there’s a precedent, we should plan for that.”
“Is that why we’re on this reconnaissance mission?”
“Yeah. It’d be a pain if they changed their tactics the moment I stepped inside on the day of the assault, wouldn’t it?”
That’s exactly why we’re checking things out in advance.
The nature of the traps, the intervals between monster appearances, and the strength of each individual, and so on. It’s bound to take some kind of action the moment I step inside.
“I won’t go too deep on my own. Today is strictly for reconnaissance.”
“……Lord Rai, please don’t do anything reckless, okay?”
Liene said this, looking up at me.
“I promise.”
Just as I gave that brief reply, the carriage came to a stop.
The coachman opened the door, and a chill breeze swept in.
Shivering slightly as I stepped out of the carriage, what spread out before my eyes was a massive abyss gouged into the earth. A bottomless, deep darkness lay silently gaping. A sound like a groan echoed from the depths, heightening the eerie atmosphere.
“Well then, shall we go…”
Saying that, I set foot on the spiral staircase leading down into the abyss.
With every step down the uneven, poorly maintained stairs, the light filtering in from behind receded, while the clinging darkness grew ever deeper.
Even though it was a scene I’d seen countless times in games, experiencing it firsthand was truly terrifying. Feeling cold sweat pour from every pore, I pressed on into the deep darkness alongside a comrade I could trust with my life.
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !