Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/2912051595622478743
At the end of the road, we switched from the carriage to walking and stepped into the forest.
It was a animal trail, barely maintained enough to be called a path. The smell of damp earth and the sound of leaves rustling against the trees. The sunlight was dimmed by the branches and leaves overhead, and even though it was daytime, the forest was dimly lit.
As we made our way along that rough path, the view eventually opened up.
A small clearing where the trees had parted—beyond it, a small hole in the ground seemed to be the labyrinth, our destination.
“…It’s kind of small, isn’t it?”
Liene gave a wry smile, looking somewhat taken aback.
“After seeing something like the Primordial Labyrinth, it certainly does look small.”
Agreeing with Liene’s words, I turned my gaze toward the labyrinth.
To be honest, the labyrinth’s scale is disappointingly small. It’s just a hole that looks like it was gouged out of the ground, and it doesn’t seem particularly deep. It’s about the size of a pit a child might have dug as a prank—I could easily believe that.
Of course, the depths are shrouded in darkness, so I can’t see inside.
Magic is flowing out from the depths of the hole, and I can sense the presence of monsters.
There’s no doubt about it—this is definitely a labyrinth.
But as for whether it could compare to the abyssal chasm leading to the depths of the Primordial Labyrinth… it was nowhere near it.
(……Does that mean we’re taking on a dangerous labyrinth?)
Just as I was gazing at the labyrinth, lost in thought, I heard a dull “thud” behind me.
I turned around to see Rio setting down the massive backpack she’d been carrying on her back.
Laying down a load that seemed disproportionately large for her petite frame, she let out a light sigh. Then she crouched down and began unfastening the straps with practiced ease.
“Well, of course. We’re diving into a D-rank dungeon this time.”
Rio said as she opened the backpack.
Next, she pulled out a small metal device. She continued by taking several magic stones and tiny parts from the bag and laying them out on the ground.
As she deftly assembled them, she spoke.
“I wouldn’t dream of trying to experiment in a Primordial Labyrinth-level dungeon right from the start, either.”
With a dry click, the magic stone snapped into place.
She then connected it to a rod-shaped part with a pointed tip and ran her fingertips over the patterns on its surface, channeling magic into them. A faint light ran along the rod like a circuit and spread throughout the entire device.
“It’s perfect in theory, though.”
Saying that, Rio continued assembling the device with deft hands.
“There are a lot of things with this kind of thing that you just can’t know until you actually use it. Things like the flow of magic or coordinate errors. You can only verify those details in the field…”
She paused there, then glanced up at me.
“So, let’s start with a D-rank dungeon. …If anything happens, we can always escape, right?”
Seeing her smile as she said that, I felt a twinge of unease.
After all, in the original story, she dies. —Which means that eventually, the “something” she’s talking about will happen.
I turned my gaze back to the hole in front of me.
A small, gaping hole.
A trivial dungeon, existing all alone in the middle of the forest—
(……This can’t be the place.)
The dungeon where Rio Clauser lost her life in the original story was different from this one.
A high-difficulty labyrinth that suddenly appeared in a completely different location. During an experiment there, she encountered a monster, and her homemade magical device failed to function as intended—and she never returned.
That is the ending of the original story.
(If fate truly exists…)
Rio will surely arrive.
At that labyrinth where she was meant to lose her life.
Albert’s granddaughter, a gentle engineer even he acknowledges.
She wouldn’t hesitate to venture into a dungeon, knowing the dangers, just to save others. If her fate is to die alone, deep within that dungeon—
(I’ll crush that fate.)
That’s all there is to it.
“Alright, it’s done!”
With a cheerful cry, she tightened the final fastener and nodded slightly, looking satisfied.
Rio stood up and showed us the finished device.
It looked like a long, slender metal stake.
The tip was sharply pointed, shaped to be driven into the ground. At the top of the opposite end was a small pedestal, and a magic stone embedded there emitted a faint glow.
“This is the device that fixes the escape coordinates—a ‘coordinate stake,’ so to speak.”
Saying that, she lightly thrust it into the ground.
Once it was deeply embedded in the ground, the magic stone at the top began to glow as if a switch had been flipped.
“Once this is set up, the magical coordinates of this location are fixed. And—”
Rio rummaged through her backpack again and pulled out a bracelet-shaped magical tool.
It looked like a large wristwatch. But unlike a regular watch, instead of a dial, it contained a small magic circle and a needle resembling a compass. The outer rim was packed with finely crushed magic stones, emitting a dull glow.
“This is the return device!”
As she fastened it onto her own wrist, Rio continued.
“It’s designed so that this needle always points to the location of the magic coordinate stake we set up earlier. And when you channel magic into it—it’ll teleport the user to those coordinates!”
She gave the dial a slight, showy glance and chuckled, “Hehe,” before handing me an identical one.
“Here! This is for both of us!”
As she said that, I took the bracelet she offered and raised an eyebrow slightly.
“You’re well prepared.”
“Of course!”
Rio looked smug.
“You never know what might happen. Having a spare is the absolute basics!”
Speaking like a true engineer, Rio handed one to Liene next to her as well.
“Thank you so much!”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re welcome.”
Rio nodded with satisfaction, then held up a finger and continued.
“But—don’t lose them, okay? Those are still prototypes, and I don’t have any spares.”
She was smiling, but her gaze was completely serious.
I nodded at her and slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.
A metal casing and a small, dull-shining magic circle engraved in the center.
A single needle, swaying like a compass, constantly pointed toward the coordinate marker—the destination of the teleportation.
Gazing at it on my wrist, I narrowed my eyes slightly.
(……A return device, huh?)
A magical artifact that appeared in CHOICE//MAZE.
It’s obtained midway through the game and serves as the Chosen One’s lifeline, so to speak.
Of course, it’s not exactly the same.
The one in the game was much more refined in its construction.
Compared to that, the one I’m wearing on my wrist now is clearly rough around the edges.
It had absolutely no decorative elements, and the casing was rugged. The needle’s movement was slightly unstable, and the magic circle in the center glowed duller than the finished product. Just looking at it, you could tell it was a prototype.
That said, it was undoubtedly an escape device.
“How about it? It’s pointing right at the coordinate marker, isn’t it?”
Rio asked proudly.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Hehe. See? I told you so.”
When I answered honestly, she smiled happily.
Seeing that innocent reaction, Line next to me chuckled softly.
“That’s amazing, Rio. Creating a return point outside the labyrinth and making it possible to teleport there… If it really works reliably, it’ll make our explorations much safer!”
“That’s right!”
Rio leaned forward as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
“Decisions to retreat tend to be delayed, don’t they? But if we know we can escape at any time, we can avoid taking unnecessary risks. It’ll reduce the hassle of carrying the wounded, and we should be able to avoid the worst-case scenarios quite a bit!”
After saying that, her expression grew slightly serious.
“…Of course, that’s assuming everything goes according to plan.”
“Don’t get so pessimistic all of a sudden.”
“I’m not being pessimistic! I’m just making the necessary checks as an engineer!”
I let out a small sigh as Rio retorted, her lips pursed.
Her words made perfect sense.
No matter how well-developed the theory is, you can’t account for every margin of error that arises in the field just by looking at a piece of paper. —That’s precisely why we’re conducting this field test.
A D-rank dungeon.
Compared to the Primordial Labyrinth, the danger level is far lower. Even in the worst-case scenario, Rione and I can handle it. It’s not a bad choice for a testing ground.
“So, just to confirm…”
Rio held up her index finger and spoke in a teacher-like tone.
“First, always be aware of the direction of this needle while inside the labyrinth. Next, when using Teleportation, channel your magic without panicking. And—”
She paused for a moment, then grinned.
“If things get dangerous, run away immediately. After all, today’s goal isn’t to clear the dungeon, but to experiment.”
“—If it comes to that.”
Saying that and shrugging, Rio looked puzzled for a split second, then—
“Ooh, you’re so cool~!”
She grinned, the corners of her mouth turning up.
“Well then, I’m counting on you, Mr. Strongest! If anything happens, you’ll protect me, right? After all, I’m a fragile little girl.”
She gave my shoulder a light tap.
Seeing Rio in such a lighthearted mood, I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile. It was hard to believe this was the same girl who, just moments ago, had looked so downcast after her argument with her grandfather.
At least, judging by the way she was bantering like this, she must have bounced back to some extent.
“Yeah. Leave it to me.”
After I replied briefly, Rio nodded with satisfaction.
“Alright. Well then—let’s start the experiment!”
She spun around to face the labyrinth and set off with a light step.
A small hole gaping wide deep within the forest.
Following Rio, who advanced toward that dark entrance without a hint of hesitation, Liene and I also moved forward to follow her.
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