Vol 1 Chapter 3 (2/2)

In order to ensure that Franka did not do so, the creditor had intentionally come along, and directed Franka to this appraisal store in particular. From the very beginning, the money lender and the unscrupulous appraiser had been in collusion.

In the end, Franka paid off 60% of the debt. The creditor promised not to come after her for money again.

——This was the agreement that had been reached after the money lender and Boris had talked things over.

The money for the debt had come from Boris. She’d given her father’s Reliquia to Boris as collateral, and the money for repayment had been lent to her in exchange.

It was then that she heard from Yuuki that it was possible to make a living as an adventurer; indeed, Yuuki himself was enrolled in the adventurer training school. Franka had proceeded forthwith to transfer schools, and begun training as an adventurer. It was not long after that Yuuki first introduced Franka to Alfred.

Franka was now in the process of slowly buying back her father’s Reliquia. There were still more than a few which remained, however.

“And that brings us to now. And that is why I am forever indebted to Yuuki-san and the late Boris-san.”

“I see now…”

Tina had been a most attentive listener to Franka’s story, and now she nodded her head in understanding.

“So that’s why Franka likes Master.”

“Eh——”

Franka blushed to the tips of her ears.

“W-wha? W-w-w-why, why would you…”

“Whenever Franka talks to, or about, Master, you always look really happy. It’s a pleasing sight. Watching you makes me happy too.”

“T-Tina-chan, you, um… do you not like Yuuki-san?”

“Tina likes Master too. Although he’s not the least bit gentle, I’ve realized recently that he’s actually quite kind. Master is really an interesting person.”

Franka felt that Tina’s appraisal of Yuuki’s character was amazingly spot-on.

Even so——

(It seems that Tina-chan’s usage of ‘like’ is a little different from mine, huh?)

She’d felt for some time now that Tina’s emotions were still a bit immature.

——Although that was a relief to her, she also felt slightly guilty.

It was a fact that Franka felt rather envious of the fact that Tina was able to live together with Yuuki.

“…There wouldn’t happen to be any other openings for a live-in store attendant, would there?”

“Hmm? Do you want to be a merchant too, Franka? It seems like a pretty rough life. Master watches the books from morning ’til night, always muttering about money and taxes or something.”

“Sharing a burden is another form of happiness, you know?”

“Sorry to take your time like this,” he’d say.

“Not a problem. As long as I can be by your side, that’s enough,” she’d laugh.

——Ah, how wonderful.

Simply wonderful. Through these small exchanges, the seeds of love would be planted. Of the numerous times she’d dreamed of “Our Happily Ever After,” this definitely ranked among the top three. She had to make sure to remember this one.

Franka giggled to herself.

“——Hey, is it really that fun… being an adventurer, that is?”

“…Huh?”

Tina’s sudden question startled Franka out of her reverie.

“Oh, that, hmm. ——Well, it’s not like I’m doing it because I particularly enjoy it, so no, I don’t think it’s all that fun. Why do you ask?”

“Well, weren’t you forced to become an adventurer because of your father’s death? Have you ever had times where you’ve cursed your fate – cursed the s.h.i.+nki? There should be other ways to provide for yourself, ones that don’t require setting foot in the labyrinth.”

“Oh, no, no. This is something I chose for myself. Not only is this a way for me to make money, but it’s a chance to follow in my father’s footsteps, so it’s a happy thing. There are other reasons as well.”

Franka smiled. It was true that she’d never once regretted the choice she’d made.

“Entering the labyrinth is work; in other words, a part of life. The s.h.i.+nki-sama bless our lives, including the labyrinth—— Something like that?”

“…So everyone’s different. I see,” Tina mumbled.

Franka felt that Tina’s pensive mood had been brought about by her presence at the slaughter of the Star’s Oath Legionnaires at the hands of the Sky’s Oath Legion party. Had she been witness to the death of others, than she, too, would feel grief. Such things simply ought not to be.

(The Oath Legions, huh…)

Franka felt a deep gloom take hold of her.

Recently, any time she’d hear the term, she’d remember. That thing which she had no desire to recall, that thing which she had no desire to consider. As the memories came, feelings rose unbidden within her: doubt and distrust, rage and sorrow, as well as all sorts of other dark, negative emotions.

(No, no. Today’s reserved for taking Tina-chan to watch the puppet show – for happy things.)

As Franka tried to convince herself of that, she also spoke aloud.

“Look, you can see the public square already.”

“Ooh… You know, the scenery here looks pretty different from the part with all the stores.”

“Oh, right – you lost your memories. The public square runs along the side of the Cathedral. On the mountain there are the temples where the s.h.i.+nki-sama live. Notice how there’s five of them?”

“I see, so that’s… Franka, have you ever seen the s.h.i.+nki before?”

“Not a chance. Not only have I never seen the s.h.i.+nki-sama before, I’ve never even seen a Duelist before.”

Franka couldn’t keep the smile from her face.

It was unlikely anyone had ever seen the s.h.i.+nki before. She’d heard tell that the Duelists could occasionally be seen within the labyrinth itself, although she had never witnessed one herself. It seemed more likely than not that they could only be found by the very highest ranked adventurers or deep within the lowest levels of the labyrinth.

That said, she’d always felt their presence by her side.

Whether it was the barriers that held the Devourer at bay, the unchanging climate, or the abundance of food – all these things bore witness of the miraculous power held by the s.h.i.+nki. Rumor had it that those who offered Reliquia directly in their temples could request personalized miracles.

The lives of the s.h.i.+nki and the lives of the people were inseparably intertwined.

“Ooh, it doesn’t seem to have started yet!” Tina cried happily, increasing her pace.

“The afternoon show doesn’t begin until after the 1 PM bell toll. There’s no need to rush,” Franka called out as she gave chase.

“Hah——I’m exhausted——” Jahar complained loudly, as he exited the Cathedral. “What was with that? Doc.u.ment this, doc.u.ment that, stamp this, stamp that, process this, process that – why the h.e.l.l does entering the labyrinth need so much freaking paperwork, anyway?”

“Because we are the Sky’s Oath Legion,” Stefan answered.

The lowest level of the labyrinth known so far was the 62nd floor. That was what the Sky’s Oath Legion records showed.

They’d just handed in the necessary paperwork to the Church of the Five Holies to make their next trip one to that area. Their stated purpose was to both map out the area as well as confirm the existence of the humanoid Void Beast Bertolt had witnessed. The elite of the Oath Legions could be considered an invaluable commodity as far as humanity’s continued survival was concerned. As such, in order to avoid preventable losses, they were required to inform the Church of their plans before taking action. Because the Church was thus forewarned of their movements, if contact was lost or a party suffered serious injuries, rescue would be able to arrive in a timely fas.h.i.+on.

“If we want to go, we should just be able to go. Those dudes at the Church are relying on us either way – why should we have to bow our heads and ask for help?”

“Our mission this time is of the utmost importance. Anything that will raise the probability of success – no matter how inconvenient – is worth it.”

Their claim that they intended to map the region and seek out the new Void Beast wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the true goal behind their trip either.

——No, what they sought was the single greatest prize that could be found in this world – the Snow-White Dragon Fang Gem.

Bertolt, the sole survivor of his raiding party, had reported that his party had verified its existence.

Stefan had added him to his party, and requested permission to hunt down and acquire this most precious of all Reliquia. That request had been granted. For that purpose the “s.h.i.+nki who Supports the Sky” had restored Bertolt’s arm and placed him within the ranks of Stefan’s group.

The knowledge of the existence of the Dragon Fang Gem was, of course, kept under the utmost secrecy. The other Oath Legions could not be allowed to make the first move.

“I have to ask: do you really believe Bertolt? The Dragon Fang Gem is just a legend, isn’t it?”

“He is a man who prioritizes himself above all else. If he’d wanted to lie, there are much safer lies he could have told.”

Although he had been present at Bertolt’s report, the ones to make the call had been his superiors. He was simply a soldier following orders.

“I see… Still, it feels like a colossal waste of time, if you ask me.”

“You were the one who said you wanted to come because you were bored. ——Let’s go home.”

This warrior with the enormous blade had been an all but unknown adventurer just a short time before. Exhibiting stirring swordsmans.h.i.+p completely at contrast with his slender physique, he had won every fight during his entrance exam in rapid succession, climbing his way to the top relying solely on his strength. He was now a third-ranked warrior adventurer.

His temperament, on the other hand, left much to be desired, and he was constantly the impetus of violent conflict. It wasn’t that he easily provoked such incidents, but rather that he actively sought out such things. There was definitely a need to keep a tighter grip on his reins.

The public square at noon was incredibly lively. Exiting the Cathedral, they saw what looked to be the stage of a puppet show set up before them. Judging by the gathering crowd, it looked like things were just about to begin.

At the same time, Franka and Tina had taken their places as spectators before the stage.

The play about to be shown was “The Snow Blade King vs. Black Demon.”

“So Franka, Master tells me you really know these stories well…”

“Yeah. I’m not sure that I’d say I know them that well, but it’s true that I love them. I often come here to watch the shows.”

“So what’s the story behind this one? By the time I started watching last time, it was already half-over. I was pretty confused,” Tina commented.

Her eyes opened wide as she came to a sudden realization.

“Actually, it’ll just ruin it if I know the story beforehand. Forget I asked.”

Franka couldn’t stifle her laugh. Although amnesia was anything but a laughing matter, but watching Tina’s fresh reactions to something she must have already seen was uniquely endearing.

“You may be right. In that case, why don’t I just give you a little background about the Snow Blade King?”

“Please.”

“The stories say he was around about a hundred years ago. He had a slender physique, and was always lightly armored. From the records we have, he was apparently quite young – just a boy, really.”

For that reason, actors portraying his character were often young, with neutral features. The depiction was rather at odds with Franka’s own tastes, however.

“You wouldn’t guess it from his appearance, but he was fantastically strong. He was so fast that you basically couldn’t follow him with your eyes. By the time anyone had realized he’d moved, Void Beasts would already have been slashed to pieces. The weapon he used——”

“Oh, I know that one. A sword, white as snow.”

“Right. Immediately after being called by the s.h.i.+nki to serve as a Duelist, one of the first things he did was slay the Snowy Void Dragon, from whom he acquired a Dragon Fang Gem. The celestial Dragon Fang weapon NixSnow Blade crafted from it thus became his signature weapon.”

“Ohhh~”

“Because the Duelists do not age, up until some decades ago, it was quite common to run into them. Telling the full saga of their lives would take an incredible amount of time. Of those, the stories of the Snow Blade King are particularly plentiful, ten of which are especially well-known. The story this time is his last of those – an account of a battle between him and his greatest rival; it’s a thrilling tale! Among the Duelists that are popular these days, he’s definitely either number one or number two. Consequently, many different troupes present their different takes on the same stories. Getting to enjoy these legends from different viewpoints is really wonderful.”

“I see——”

“To be honest, though, supposedly the Snow Blade King’s ending is rather tragic. The stories say he provoked the wrath of his s.h.i.+nki, and died in disgrace. That’s why there aren’t really all that many portrayals of that particular event. Watching it is an invitation for heartache. Oh, by the way, allegedly each one of the five s.h.i.+nki-sama right now have a respective Duelist. Ah, I wish I could see them just once; who knows if I’ll ever get a chance in this life? Their strength is on an entirely different level from that of rank one adventurers. No one knows where they come from or where they eventually go – they’re truly heroes of great mystery. It’s that mystique they have about them that has everyone so fascinated, and so we do our best to pa.s.s on their legends to future generations—— Hmm, is everything okay?”

Franka realized Tina had been watching her with a most peculiar expression on her face.

“You… have no need to be so modest. I think you know a great deal.”

“I-Is that so? You know, I——”

The solemn tolling of the cathedral bell cut Franka short.

“Oh, it’s starting.”

The sound had yet to finish before one of the male puppeteers walked out and began narrating the preamble.

At that precise moment——

The lightning flash of a silvery blade thundered down.

——Straight toward Tina’s head.

The tolling of the Cathedral bell proclaimed the time an hour after midday.

Stefan idly glanced at his surroundings, bored. ——Suddenly he noticed – Jahar was gone.

“…Just where did that man go?”

This wasn’t the labyrinth – it was the city. He surely wouldn’t create a disturbance here? ——Just as that thought ran through Stefan’s mind, he was struck by a deep-seated feeling of regret at his own naïvety.

He raced toward the screaming where he found Jahar charging into a crowd of people with his favored weapon drawn.

The sound of an explosive gust rang out, and a wave of dust flew into the air.

As the air cleared, he saw Jahar, sword raised, standing there. Facing him was a small, young girl glaring murderously back at him.

“Haha, you won’t turn your back for even a second eh, little lady. You’ve got grit, I’ll give you that. I believe your name is Tina?”

“…What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Nothing, nothing. Just thought I’d say h.e.l.lo. I like people with a little backbone. When you called out that fool Bertolt earlier, I decided you were worth keeping an eye on.”

His slippery tone evoked an expression of deep loathing from the girl.

Stefan recalled her now – the girl from that trash shop.

“…Don’t cause trouble in the city, Jahar. Let’s go.”

Fine~ Jahar replied, obediently trailing after him.

“Wait——”

“Stop right there!”

Tina’s words were drowned out by another voice, calling for Stefan to stop.

——A familiar voice. From the start, Stefan had been intentionally ignoring this person’s existence, but now he had been spoken to directly.

The owner of the voice walked slowly forward before stopping directly in front of Stefan, barring his way.

“Your subordinate over there tried to hurt one of my friends, and you’re going to leave without so much as an apology?”

“No harm, no foul,” Jahar chimed in from beside Stefan.

Franka ignored him, continuing to stare Stefan down.

“No one was hurt, so what would there be to apologize over? Move.”

“I refuse!”

Her tone was forceful, completely at odds with her usual self.

“——While I’m at it, let me ask something else. Bertolt joining your party – was that your idea?”

“…”

“Why?” taking Stefan’s silence for confirmation, Franka questioned.

This time she received an answer.

“Because I need to know.”

“——!”

Franka held back her tears with all her might. With eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with rage and sorrow, she continued to stare at Stefan.

“…”

“…I’ve always felt that it couldn’t be helped that we’ve grown apart. The worlds we live in couldn’t be further apart, after all. ——This entire time, I’ve been telling myself: look forward, move on, let go of your hate. But this – this I can’t understand!”

“…”

“Why would you take him as a companion? How could you allow him to become a member of your party – someone whom you would trust with your life?”

Franka continued to speak, forcing the words out.

“Don’t tell me the two of you plotted together to kill Father? ——Answer me, Nii-san!”

“A formal accusation was never raised, and so I have no opinion on the matter.”

“The only one with the authority to charge him was the party leader – was Father! How can the dead charge someone with a crime?! Nii-san—— Why didn’t you do anything, Nii-san? My father was your teacher! Weren’t the two of you close? Do you really feel nothing?”

In response to the torrent of accusations, Stefan had but one reply.

“…It doesn’t matter what the precise cause of death may have been. Those who lose their lives within the labyrinth have only one thing to blame – their own weakness. That’s all there is to it.”

Stefan’s cold voice was as emotionless as ever. Turning, he left the speechless Franka behind.

“Ah, they’re here. Yuuki-san, over here.”

Franka stood at the labyrinth entrance, energetically waving Yuuki over.

As Yuuki was about to head home, having finished his work for the training school for the day, one of the instructors had handed him a message from Alfred. Accompanying him was Tina, who had been dying of boredom back at the store.

“Sorry for making the two of you run over here on short notice,” Alfred apologized.

“This is a kind of work, too. As long as I get something in trade, there’s nothing to complain about. ——On that note, what can I do for you? It’s rare for you to call for me like this, Uncle.”

“I found something in the labyrinth I’d like to have you take a look at.”

“Oh. Couldn’t you have just brought it to the store then…?”

“It’s because I can’t do that that I called you over. This isn’t something that can be moved.”

“Can’t be moved? What is it?”

“It’d be simpler for you to see it yourself. Why don’t we head there now? I’ll pay you for this. Our destination is on the third floor… ——Er, where again?”

“Near the stairwell,” Franka added, checking a map.

“So that’s where we’ll have to ask you to go, Yuuki-san, Tina. Oh, don’t worry though; we’ll protect you.”

“Sorry about yesterday… Why don’t we go back some other time?” Franka said to Tina as they walked.

“Don’t worry about it. You weren’t at fault,” Tina said angrily.

As a result of the incident, the puppet show had ended up being canceled.

When Jahar of the Sky’s Oath Legion had brandished his sword at Tina, a large commotion had been caused. The resulting chaos enveloped the entirety of the public square, and the puppet show troupe had called off their daytime showing.

When Tina had returned, steaming mad, Yuuki had asked about the situation. The entire thing seemed to be the fault of the other party, though he had to admit he wasn’t sure if the same thing would have happened had he been there.

Before the tense atmosphere between Franka and Stefan had abated, Franka had informed Tina that she wasn’t feeling well, and was heading back first—— was Tina’s report.

“Are you feeling better now, Franka?”

“Ah yes, I’m fine. Sorry for making you worry. I’m perfectly fine, see?”

Franka twirled on the spot as if dancing.

“Even if this is still one of the early levels, we can’t afford to be careless. Remember, we’re also responsible for protecting these two,” Alfred warned.

Franka seemed a bit off. She was too happy, which felt strongly of pretense.

——Was it just his imagination?

After traveling just a short while, they arrived at the third floor without incident.

“Now then – what was it you wanted me to see?”

“This, this. The stone monument – I think it’s a stele? – here.”

Alfred was pointing at a large, slender piece of stone resting near the wall. It was about as tall as a full-grown adult. Completely covered with moss, it looked to have lain there for decades or perhaps even centuries.

Although its appearance almost perfectly matched that of a stele, it lacked the engravings one expected to see.

“I was the one who noticed it,” Franka offered, raising her hand. “Try giving it a touch.”

Yuuki reached out as she’d suggested, and his eyes widened in shock as he made contact.

It hadn’t felt like the cold stone he’d expected, but rather warm to the touch. It had even seemed to throb a little.

“…What the heck?”

“It’s weird, isn’t it? Are there any legends about what it might be? I figured you’d know.”

“Hmm, I can’t think of any at the moment… Let me see what else I can glean.”

Alfred gave him the go ahead, and moved off to the side.

“It’s really exciting, isn’t it? Discovering something new like this.”

“If it really is a new discovery, then there might even be something in it for you.”

When new mechanisms or apparatuses were discovered, the Church would give the discoverer a small reward. Information which should be shared was thus shared, which in turn furthered the adventurer knowledge base.

The one requirement was that for a discovery to be reported to the Church, one first had to know what it was that had been discovered.

Yuuki called Tina over, and knelt down on one knee before the monument.

Yuuki had explained that, unsure of the object’s function, it was best to stay back. Alfred and Franka had thus backed away some distance.

“…Do you feel any divine energy from it?” Yuuki whispered directly into Tina’s ear.

Tina nodded her a.s.sent.

“Not just that, it’s very strong, too. However——”

Tina shook her head in puzzlement.

“The last time I was here, I didn’t feel anything like this.”

“Last time?”

“The last time Master brought me here. The day those awful people from the Oath Legions fought each other.”

Yuuki nodded in understanding. A few days before they’d come to gather some herbs. Tina had gotten wrapped up in Stefan’s fight, and he’d gotten punched by Bertolt.

“Honestly, just thinking about their merciless brutality makes me so mad——”

“Oi oi, we’re not here to talk about that again. We’re here for the monument, remember?”

“Oh, right. ——Do you not remember, Master? Tina rested here last time.”

Now that she mentioned it… Completely exhausted, she’d rested here for a short while.

“Tina rested right around here.”

Her delicate finger pointed straight at the stone piece.

“I would definitely have noticed anything this close with divine energy.”

“Could it have slipped your notice because of how tired you were?”

“Master, if someone were to strike a bell a meter away from your ears, is there any way you wouldn’t hear it? Even now I can feel divine energy surging up from it. It’s simply impossible for me to have missed it.”

“If that’s the case, then it means that this happened recently – since we left. It has to have started operating since then.”

They were pretty close to the stairway. This was a place that adventurers pa.s.sed by all the time. Even if it were just human adventurers who lacked Tina’s sensitivity for divine energy, if it had always been like this, it would have long since been found.

“Seriously, though, just what is this thing? Everything that stores divine energy has a specific function… Any ideas, Tina?”

“Hmm… You know, it feels awfully familiar…”

The s.h.i.+nki pondered deeply.

“The flow of divine energy seems to be directed. It feels like it bubbles up from deep below before finally reaching the stone…”

“Reaching——”

The phrase set off a lightbulb in Yuuki’s mind.

“Tina.”

“W-what is it, Master?”

“I need you to think long and hard, okay? The last time we came here, did you touch that piece of stone?”

“Hmm? Okay…”

Tina mumbled a reply as she circled around the side of the monument and knelt.

“Yeah. Last time Tina sat right here, and then Master said it was time to go, so I got up in a hurry—— Oh.”

Her hand had unintentionally grasped the stone monument for support.

“As I thought. You’re the one that caused this. Do you remember? The room where you were born probably had something just like this.”

“Eh? ——Ah, you’re right!” Tina clapped.

“Near the wall where Tina was born. I see, so that’s why it felt so familiar.”

“It should be some kind of teleport apparatus. Half of a pair. My guess is it was meant to allow you to reach Solitus directly after being born. ——Do you think you could search out the source of the divine energy?”

“Sure! Leave it to me!”

Tina nodded with enormous enthusiasm, and placed her hands atop the stone monument.

“It flows up from down below. As it hits this point, it disperses before slowly drifting back down. I can’t get a good feel for a specific origin for it down below – it’s very indistinct. ——Oh, I think I get

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