Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/822139845533096995
The wind was howling behind me, but there was no sign of anything rushing up after me. Was that due to my magic, or just the labyrinth’s whims? In any case, deciding there was likely no pursuit, I ran up the stairs leading to the surface.
“Rai!”
“Lord Rai!”
As I burst into the light, the two of them ran toward me.
From what I could see, they didn’t appear to have any noticeable injuries.
“Are you okay!?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You’re not hurt, are you!?”
“No problem.”
My clothes were scorched, and my hands were a little burned, but it wasn’t a big deal.
As for my magic power, it’s surprisingly abundant considering I just used a “Wind Area Attack Spell,” and I’m not the least bit exhausted. It feels a bit odd to say this myself, but my status as the character with the highest magic power in the story isn’t just for show.
“What about you two? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“We’re fine. You covered our rear for us.”
“We’re not… hurt…”
They replied as such, but unlike Elisia, who still seemed composed, Liene was trembling. It was no wonder. Her skills—which had always allowed her to cleave any monster in two with her greatsword—had been completely ineffective there.
Even though she had cast a spell to enhance her abilities.
I gently pulled the trembling Liene into my arms, and she wrapped her arms around my back. As I stroked her head to try and dispel her fear, even a little, Elisia came and hugged me from the other side.
“I was scared, too, you know?”
“…I know.”
With a wry smile, I pulled both of them close with both arms.
I held them like that for a while, thinking how truly glad I was that they were both safe.
“—It’s clear now. There’s definitely a sentient presence within the Primordial Labyrinth.”
Elisia murmurs this in a low voice from within his arms.
“The moment you arrived at the center, we were attacked by an army of high-ranking monsters. I can’t possibly believe that was a coincidence.”
Elisia’s voice is perfectly calm, but a clear sense of caution seeps through her tone.
“You’re right.”
I nod in agreement with her words.
Not only was the difficulty level clearly tailored to me, but there was also that relentless persistence—it attacked us without even glancing at the two of us trying to escape. I sensed a clear intent to kill us right there and then, and honestly, I couldn’t stop the cold sweat from pouring down my back at that moment.
Silence reigned for a while, but eventually, Liene opened her mouth slightly.
“…So we’re going to have to keep fighting things like that from now on, aren’t we?”
In a faint, hoarse voice, Line continued.
“It was my first time. I cut it, but I couldn’t bring it down…”
Up until now, there had never been a monster she couldn’t defeat with a single strike.
The Gravehound was no exception, nor were any other monsters. As my personal maid and bodyguard, she had consistently blown away, mowed down, and cleared a path through every monster that stood in our way with her weapon.
But—
“I swung with all my strength. I intended to take it down with a single strike, just like always… But it kept getting back up, and wouldn’t stop…”
Her words falter.
She must be recalling it now. The horde of monsters that refused to stop, despite her fighting them with everything she had. Those clearly superior beings against whom she felt absolutely no resistance.
“My sword… it just wouldn’t cut through them… It was… terrifying…”
Along with that quiet, honest confession, Liene’s fingers clenched tightly around my shirt.
Seeing this, Elisia exhaled softly and looked up at me.
“Anyway, we need to report this first. We have to tell the Headmaster about the possibility that the Labyrinth has a will of its own, and that it’s deemed you a threat.”
“You’re right… Let’s return to the capital.”
When I said that, the two of them nodded.
Looking back, the Primordial Labyrinth was silent, as if nothing had happened. However, the sound—like a groan—coming from deep within the spiral staircase leading to the Abyss seemed to have grown slightly louder. …Or so it seemed to me.
■
Upon returning to the capital, we headed straight for the academy without even taking a break.
We made our way to the principal’s office on the top floor of the school building and knocked lightly on the door. After receiving permission to enter with a “Come in,” we pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside.
Inside, the principal—Dietrich Weissberg—whom we hadn’t seen since the school-wide assembly, was sitting at his desk, quietly watching us.
“I have a report,”
Elisia stated matter-of-factly, and at the same time, we began explaining the events in chronological order.
That several of the countless doors leading deep into the labyrinth had been opened.
That the moment I stepped into the center, I was attacked by a horde of high-level monsters.
We reported everything honestly and in full detail—including the fact that their movements were clearly aimed at me—and when we finally mentioned the “Labyrinth’s Self,” Dietrich quietly closed his eyes.
“…Just as I thought.”
There was no surprise. It was as if he were saying it had gone exactly as expected.
Elisia had mentioned records of a student who had approached the core 500 years ago, and there was no way the Headmaster wouldn’t know about it. Since he—or she—had been intercepted by a horde of high-ranking monsters just before reaching it, he must have considered that possibility to some extent.
“…The Labyrinth must be screening its intruders. It easily lets the clearly inferior ones through. But the moment it sees a strong one, it bares its fangs.”
Dietrich continued matter-of-factly, his fingers resting on the desk.
“It’s lenient toward the weak and overreacts to the strong. It tries to eliminate anything that might upset the balance. …It’s just like a child. It’s acting like a spoiled brat who doesn’t like having its playground disrupted.”
Hearing those words that struck right at the heart of the matter, my respect for Dietrich grew inwardly.
He doesn’t hold the title of Headmaster for nothing. To get to the heart of the matter with such limited information.
He was a character who barely had any screen time in the game, so my impression of him was faint, but facing him like this, I can’t help but be awestruck by his sheer brilliance.
“Anyway, I’m glad you’re all safe. You should head back to the dorm and get some rest today.”
Elisia and Liene bowed to Dietrich as he urged them to leave, and they turned to go—
“……Rai?”
Perhaps wondering why I hadn’t moved, the two of them turned back.
“Could you go ahead without me? I have something I’d like to discuss with the Headmaster.”
Liene’s gaze wavered, and Elisia stared at me in silence.
After a moment, Liene asked in a voice that sounded as if she’d had to force it out.
“……Will you be back soon?”
“Yes.”
I nodded with a reassuring smile, and though they hesitated, the two quietly left the room. With a brief “Excuse us,” the door closed, and silence enveloped the room. Dietrich’s gaze met mine.
“…So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”
The master’s low voice echoed through the room.
“It’s a continuation of what we were discussing earlier.”
As I stepped up to the desk, Dietrich’s gaze grew slightly sharper.
It was a quiet pressure that felt like a mix of reproach, sympathy, or perhaps both.
(—Has he seen right through me?)
Even as I thought that, I took a moment to steady my breath before speaking.
“The labyrinth rejects the strong. In fact, it reacts almost excessively to them.”
“Hmm.”
“Then, there is a way to turn that to our advantage.”
Dietrich’s eyes narrowed.
“—Please use me as bait.”
The air grew slightly heavier.
Dietrich’s reaction was eerily quiet. He looked up at me silently, as if to say, “Just as I expected.”
“……Specifically?”
“I’ll go ahead and engage in a large-scale battle inside the labyrinth to draw its hostility toward me.”
The moment I finished speaking, the game mechanic known as the “Alert Level System” flashed through my mind again.
Like killing more monsters than necessary inside the dungeon. It’s a value that rises when you attempt to clear the dungeon while exceeding the recommended level; the higher the number, the stronger the enemies become, and both their quantity and quality skyrocket.
Just hearing that, it sounds like a value you wouldn’t want to raise on purpose.
But the rise in Alert Level doesn’t only bring disadvantages.
Since combat power is concentrated on the greatest threat, the pressure on others is reduced— In other words, the survival rate for the other students goes up.
(It was like that in the game, too. Students who gave you healing items along the way, or students who rushed to your aid during battles with the boss. I can’t even count how many times I was saved by nameless mob students…)
Besides that, there were also benefits from fighting stronger enemies, like drops being limited to items of high rarity.
With such thoughts drifting back to memories of my past life, I continued speaking.
“The Labyrinth tends to focus its reactions on targets it deems dangerous. So I’ll go ahead and provoke it intentionally. Not half-heartedly, but thoroughly.”
“…And in the meantime, you’ll have the main force advance?”
“Yes.”
I nodded quietly.
Dietrich’s gaze remained heavy upon me.
“Do you understand just how dangerous a proposal you’re making?”
“Fully.”
I replied immediately to his question.
After a long silence, Dietrich eventually leaned back in his chair.
“…Put the details of the operation in writing.”
His voice was low. But at least it wasn’t a rejection.
“I’ll review it. Whether or not we proceed will be decided afterward…”
“…Thank you.”
I bowed, and this time, I too turned my back on Dietrich and headed for the door.
“Rai Arkberg.”
I was called back just as I placed my hand on the doorknob. When I turned around, Dietrich stood there, still exuding his usual solemn aura. The gaze he fixed on me lacked the sharpness of moments ago; instead, it held a hint of melancholy—and a sense of regret.
“……I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. It was my idea to bring this up in the first place.”
With a smile, I left the room for good this time.
At the end of the hallway, Liene and Elisia were standing with anxious expressions, but as soon as they spotted me, they both let out a sigh of relief, and I saw them running toward me.
“As long as it’s to protect them, I don’t care how much I get hurt myself…”
Muttering in a voice no one else could hear, I spread my arms wide to welcome the two of them as they ran toward me.
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