Chapter 21

“An exam…?”

“Yes. We are challenging the labyrinth as part of an academy exam.”

The twin-tailed young lady, Franleure Helvilleshine, answered with a puffed-out chest. She was the leader of this four-person party and provided me with most of the explanation herself.

By the way, for some reason, I had been forced to call her by her first name during our initial introductions.

It seemed Franleure and her group were students from an academy in Ertrallue, a country located to the west of the labyrinth.

I recalled that Ertrallue was a nation with a highly developed magical culture, characterized by the diligence of its people. It was a well-known fact that they had established the continent’s largest educational institution right next to the labyrinth as one of their unique features. That appeared to be the academy Franleure and the others attended.

However, from what I could gather, it didn’t sound like a particularly good school.

My impression was that it was a “public school” (in the British sense: a prestigious, private elite school) where those with money and power held all the sway.

“Heh, is that so…?”

Honestly, it had nothing to do with me.

I was currently in the middle of an experiment to see how far I could go solo, and I couldn’t afford to hang around this party forever.

But because Franleure wouldn’t stop talking to me, I couldn’t find the right moment to say my goodbyes.

“Indeed! The labyrinth exploration exam is a trial that only the most capable students among the top-tier classes are permitted to attempt. A first-class explorer certification cannot be obtained through the power of one’s family lineage alone!”

I would have preferred to hear this story when I was less busy.

While I welcomed any information about this world, the location was terrible.

Setting aside the fact that we were inside the labyrinth, I wanted to focus on my own challenge right now.

Left with no choice, I decided to take my leave, even if I had to be a bit forceful about it.

“That’s amazing. If you guys are that incredible, I’m sure you’ll be fine from here on out. Right, well, I should probably be going—”

“W-W-Wait just a moment! That’s right, a reward! Please let me give you a reward! To have my life saved and be unable to offer anything in return would be a disgrace to the name of nobility!”

Franleure turned red in the face, desperately trying to keep me there.

When someone is this blatant, even I—someone who isn’t great at reading the room—could figure it out.

Apparently, Franleure wanted me to accompany them. I wondered if she wanted to use me to clear this “exam” easily… or, if I wasn’t being too conceited, perhaps she had taken a liking to me.

“This is my younger brother, Rainer. Rainer, you give your thanks as well… Come now, Rainer.”

The boy who had been on the verge of death earlier stepped forward.

He was dressed in a small-sized uniform and had a refined appearance.

“Lord Christ. I truly thank you for saving me when I was in danger. I can tell you’re a highly skilled explorer. …As you can see, could you somehow convince my sister? Please tell this rich young lady to stop risking her life for nothing and just go home.”

Rainer spat out the words in a voice that sounded utterly exhausted.

Yeah.

Kids who have stared death in the face really do say things differently.

“Rainer, how could you!”

“Sister. Out of gratitude, we should reward this person immediately. We should head back, leave the labyrinth, and entertain him at our estate. That would be for the best. Let’s just accept that luck wasn’t on our side for this exploration.”

Rainer didn’t seem keen on the labyrinth exploration at all. He was trying his best to persuade Franleure.

However, being hauled away with them would be a problem for me too.

To me, being “entertained” didn’t really mean anything. I’d much rather focus on making progress in the labyrinth.

“No, that’s alright. I’m in a hurry to get ahead, so…”

“Ah, w-wait…! If you’re going, please at least break my sister’s spirit before you leave! If you can somehow convince her, I’ll give you any reward you want later…!!”

He was so desperate that my feet stopped mid-stride as I tried to leave.

Rainer was a pretty bold kid in his own right.

He was trying to use this chance to talk some sense into his sister.

“No, Rainer. I, Franleure, will not withdraw no matter what happens. This exam is not just my own problem; it concerns the honor of the Helvilleshine house.”

However, there was no sign of Franleure giving up.

As I was caught in the middle of the siblings, a third girl joined the conversation.

She was a beastman carrying a sword. Though she was a beastman, she wore a cloth headcovering and loose clothing, making her look no different from a normal human. Her name was Erna. She was a well-proportioned girl who spoke in a unique way.

“Hey there, mister. I’d like to make a request to an explorer like you, if that’s okay?”

“A request?”

I reflexively repeated the word, as it was a term I was hearing for the first time here.

I really should have just walked away, but the moment I heard the word “request,” the gamer side of me (Aikawa Kanami) started asserting itself.

“That’s right, a request. Let’s see… I’ve got a gold coin here. Using this as payment, would you mind guiding us through the labyrinth? Since you seem capable, this includes a fee for acting as a bodyguard too. See, we want to take first place in this exam competition. So, I thought you might be the perfect fit—nyahahaha. Sorry about that, a bit of an accent slipped out.”

In short, it was an event that would be called a “quest” in game terms.

A small spark of curiosity lit up inside me.

Furthermore, I was curious about what kind of ears would appear if Erna took off that cloth. If her accent turned into “cat-talk” (nyan), there was a high possibility she had cat ears.

Since I hadn’t seen cat ears in this world yet, my curiosity was being piqued for no good reason.

“—That is a splendid proposal, Erna! Surely you would be fine with this as well, Rainer!?”

As if saying “That’s it!”, Franleure tried to talk Rainer into it.

Seeing the excited Franleure, I told myself I needed to stay calm and interrupted the conversation.

“It’s easier to understand when you put it that way… However, I don’t think I’m the right fit. You’d be better off looking for a veteran who’s a bit older. As you can see, I’m just a kid, so I’m not really suited for guiding people.”

“That is not true! There is no way that Lord Christ could ever be lacking in strength!”

But Franleure, who had an abnormally blind faith in me, denied it.

I was starting to feel a bit of a creepy vibe, which was getting scary.

Unable to watch any longer, Erna approached me and whispered in a small voice.

“Please, just read the room, mister. It looks like our little princess has taken a shine to you. Before she goes out of control and does something weird, I want things to settle down in the form of a mercenary contract. I know it’s a bother, so I’ll pay double the reward I mentioned earlier. It’s an exorbitant amount, okay? Two gold coins! You don’t even have to worry about the guiding. That girl over there, the dragonnewt, will handle that. If something happens, we won’t complain even if you abandon us, so for now, just come along.”

Erna looked like she was on the verge of tears.

The “princess”—meaning Franleure over there—was clearly scaring her with this potential “out of control” behavior. Certainly, looking at her now, there was no telling what she might do.

That was exactly why I wanted to get away from here.

I wanted to leave, but two gold coins was beyond exorbitant. I could gather from the conversation that the four of them were children of nobility and quite wealthy. The reward likely wasn’t a lie.

And the fact that this was my first “request” (quest) was tugging hard at my heartstrings.

As a result—

“I… I understand. I have business deeper in the labyrinth anyway, so if it’s just accompanying you until the 10th floor, I don’t mind. You have it rough too, don’t you…”

I ended up compromising.

I could test my solo skills anytime, but a deal this sweet was rare. Since I was making my living through labyrinth exploration, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore it.

I apologized to Dia in my heart.

But Dia wouldn’t be discharged for another week. I made excuses to myself, rationalizing that there was no need to obsess over doing that specific challenge today.

“Thanks, mister. Being a poor noble is rough, isn’t it?”

Erna laughed while pretending to wipe away tears.

Even among the nobility, it seemed there were all sorts, from the top of the ladder to the bottom.

“It’s settled, Fran! It looks like Lord Christ is going to help us out. He’ll be guarding us as a mercenary until the 10th floor. My, isn’t that wonderful?”

Erna immediately reported back to the rest of the party.

“Guarding us!? That’s marvelous! Lord Christ, you shall be the knight who protects me!”

“No, I’m not exactly a knight… Anyway, I’ll be in your care for a little while…”

I greeted her, though I found myself recoiling slightly from Franleure’s excitement.

The other three approached me to introduce themselves properly as well.

“I’m Rainer. I’m counting on you, Lord Christ. Though, truthfully, I just wanted to go home… It can’t be helped. If the worst should happen, I shall make myself my sister’s shield. That’s about the only thing I’m good for… Hahaha…”

“I’m Erna, a beastman, and I work as a warrior. This quiet girl over here is Snow, a ‘jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none’ scout.”

“…Hello.”

It was a trio of very different greetings.

“And I am the seventh daughter of the House of Helvilleshine, Franleure! Lord Christ, I pray you remember me!”

With the greeting from Franleure—the apparent leader—finishing things off, we resumed our exploration of the labyrinth.

And so, the newly formed five-person party made its way through the labyrinth.

Along the way, we discussed our respective tactics and objectives, deciding to head straight for the items required for the academy assignment.

Their task was to collect the drop items from the bosses on each floor. Apparently, only those who completed this up to the 10th floor and returned safely would be recognized by the academy.

Coincidentally, it was similar to my own goal.

However, there was a massive difference between “cooperating” and “going solo.”

Compared to doing it alone, cooperating was supposed to be far easier.

—Easier.

Or so I thought.

But an unexpected situation arose.

Exploring in a party of five.

Normally, you’d think the workload would be cut to one-fifth.

Yet the reality was different.

I had fallen into the shocking predicament where this was five times more exhausting than doing it by myself.

“—And this… is the finishing blow!!”

Franleure’s ornate sword pierced through the crown of the boss monster’s head.

The boss, which took the form of a giant bee, lost its buoyancy and began to fall. As it fell, it started turning into light, causing Franleure, who was on top of it, to be flung into mid-air.

I ran toward the landing point to save my employer.

Sheathing my sword, I caught Franleure in a way that wouldn’t strain her.

It was like a repeat of what happened before, and just like last time, Franleure’s cheeks flushed red.

I immediately set her down on the ground and checked on everyone’s safety.

Rainer looked utterly exhausted from following Franleure’s lead. I could see Erna, who prioritized her own life above all else, finishing off some minion monsters in the distance. As for Snow… yeah, she had zero motivation.

“…”

I was at a loss for words.

It was a simple matter.

These guys didn’t function as a party at all.

While their individual abilities were abnormally high, their motivations and intentions were so misaligned that their movements were completely disjointed.

The effort required to mediate between the four of them couldn’t even be compared to the effort of going solo.

“We did it! With this, the 8th floor is cleared! Hehe, the speed we’ve achieved since you joined us is incredible, Lord Christ. You truly are my knight!”

“C-Congratulations, Miss Franleure… But please don’t forget that your brother, Rainer, is nearly dying for that speed…”

Rainer, looking so out of breath he might cough up blood, approached us.

“Huff… puff… puff… It’s fine, Lord Christ. A ‘picked-up noble’ like me can only find value in protecting my sister. If I’m not useful here, I’m trash. I’m just a piece of garbage, hahaha, hahahaha, ha… huff… puff…”

Rainer laughed with a face that looked like he was about to expire.

He made a lot of comments that gave me glimpses of a complicated family dynamic, which made it hard to know how to respond.

If I got involved, I’d lose. For some reason, I could picture myself getting dragged into a quagmire, so I made a mental note to stay out of it.

I resolved to leave this party without asking about anything until the very end.

“Nyahahaha. Boy, you really are strong, Lord Christ. It makes it easy to fight with peace of mind.”

“Miss Erna, please give us a bit more help over here… I mean, are you really friends with Fran and the others?”

“That’s a mean way to put it. I am the very best friend of the Helvilleshine siblings!”

Erna, who had been fighting from the safety zone, returned.

Since Erna was the one I talked to most in this party, I quickly realized she had no intention of actually pushing herself to pass the exam.

She was thoroughly self-prioritizing.

If she had room to spare, she’d help the Helvilleshine siblings to some extent, but that was it.

This detached stance was proof that she moved solely based on calculating her own interests. While I liked the stance itself and we got along, she wasn’t the type I’d want to trust with my back.

“…Good work.”

Snow also returned, looking listless.

In truth, she was the biggest problem child.

She was the girl with the highest level and the most overflowing talent.

Since her race was dragonnewt, her basic stats were high, and excluding Dia, she had the most talent I’d seen so far. Above all, the fact that her current stat values rivaled mine was extremely attractive.

Honestly, she was exactly the kind of personnel I desperately wanted.

However, she was fatally unmotivated.

Despite having a high magic aptitude, she didn’t use magic at all, relying only on attacks fueled by raw physical strength.

I couldn’t believe she was taking the assignment seriously.

When I asked Franleure, she replied, “She’s just here to make up the numbers,” and when I asked Snow herself, she just muttered things like, “…I wonder if someone will die. If they do, we can go home.”

A reckless, headstrong young lady.

A boy who only looked at his sister.

A self-centered beastman warrior.

A dragonnewt with zero motivation.

My opinion of this academy I hadn’t seen yet continued to plummet.

If it was an “academy,” there should be people who teach there. Did the teachers see these four and think nothing of it? If it were me, I’d stop them. I’d absolutely stop them.

But since I had accepted the job as a mercenary, I couldn’t stop now.

I stood by in silence as Franleure, having finished collecting the boss’s drop item, gave the order to everyone.

“Good work, everyone. Rainer, Erna, Snow. Now, let us hurry to the 9th floor. At this rate, taking first place is not an impossible dream!”

Our employer began to walk with a triumphant air.

Only two tasks remained.

Defeat the 9th-floor boss, and obtain the “Everlasting Flame” on the 10th floor.

Since there was no boss on the 10th floor, there was practically only one challenge left.

We had plenty of strength to spare, so there shouldn’t be a problem, but the mental fatigue was definitely piling up.

In my original world, I had always practiced efficient gameplay, and since coming to this world, I had been in an ideal two-person party with the honest Dia. This disjointed teamwork was incredibly stressful.

…No, calm down.

Practically one more time. It’ll be over after one more time.

I can test my strength and get a lot of money out of it. Let’s calm my mind by thinking about the positives instead of the negatives.

Yeah.

I’m doing a good job.

This exploration is probably many times more valuable than going to the 10th floor alone.

Once it’s over, I’m sure it will have been a good experience. Although it’s slightly different from my initial intention, I can test the solo challenge anytime. If anything, I should be happy because an opportunity like this is rare.

I regained my composure and started walking at the front.

Since I had suggested earlier that I was good at scouting, I took the lead position along with Snow.

“Well then, shall we move out? …Miss Snow, let’s take the lead.”

“…Yes.”

I stole a glance at the profile of Snow walking beside me.

Even though she was a dragonnewt, she didn’t look much different from a human.

Small black horns grew from her bluish-black hair, and a tail covered in scales poked out from her waist. The horns were decorated with ethnic ornaments, so they looked like nothing more than an extension of a hair accessory, and even her tail was only visible in glimpses due to her long-hemmed clothing.

If it weren’t for her listless, “sanpaku” eyes, she would be a cool beauty draped in ethnic dress.

“…Is something wrong?”

As expected of a high-level explorer, Snow noticed me peeking.

Since she was the most promising candidate despite her personality flaws, I tried to strike up a conversation.

“No, I was just wondering why you’re taking the exam, Miss Snow?”

“…I’m short on credits.”

“Credits?”

“…Um, credits are, well. …Ah, this is a pain. Maybe some other time.”

It wasn’t just a slight personality flaw. It was a massive one…

“Well, I don’t quite understand, but you need these ‘credits’ at the academy, right? You’re short on them, but if you take this exam, you’ll have enough. Is that how it is?”

I speculated based on my experiences from my original world.

When I thought of credits, imagining school credits probably wasn’t far off.

“…Oh, that’s impressive. You’re exactly right.”

It seemed I had hit the mark.

Snow showed a surprised expression.

“I see. So you’re taking it because you have no choice, Miss Snow. And that’s why, well, you aren’t really feeling motivated… Is that okay? Won’t you fail to get the credits if you don’t clear it?”

“No, there’s meaning in the challenge… or so they say. …As long as I participate, I’ll get the credits for now.”

“Ah, so that’s why…”

That’s why she had zero motivation.

I don’t know why, but it reminded me of the students in my world.

They attend lectures and classes for the sake of credits, but since they have no interest in the content, they spend the time sleeping. I felt something similar here.

“Lord Christ! Miss Snow alone is sufficient for leading the way, so please come over here!”

While I was talking to Snow, Franleure’s voice cut in from behind.

When I turned around, a sulking Franleure was beckoning me over.

She was an employer who would be a nuisance if I soured her mood. Truthfully, I wanted to get a bit more information out of Snow, but I had no choice but to drop back as ordered.

I started walking beside Franleure as if to protect her.

“…”

“…”

It ended up with me protecting Franleure’s left and Rainer protecting her right.

Erna walked at the very rear, keeping an eye out for any ambushes from behind.

“…”

“…Lord Christ, do you not have anything for me?”

“Eh, what do you mean by ‘anything’?”

“About me! Things you want to know, or what I usually do, and so on!!”

I was bewildered by Franleure suddenly raising her voice.

Honestly, I wasn’t interested in anyone but Snow. Franleure had talent above and beyond most people, but she paled in comparison to Snow.

However, things would get troublesome if I left it like this, so I began to humor Franleure.

—And while I was doing things like that, the party eventually reached the 9th floor.