Chapter 23

Two hours after I had rescued the slave.

The battle against the Legion Bats with Franleure and her party came to an abrupt end.

Since it was already known that the Legion Bats had core magic stones inside their bodies, the job consisted entirely of me acting as a decoy while searching for those stones. As long as the four distinct personalities of Franleure’s group didn’t clash into a downward spiral, there was no way we could lose.

And so, without much time passing, we cleared the objectives for the 9th floor and moved toward the 10th.

—Yes, toward the 10th floor.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help but recall the events of yesterday.

Teida, who claimed to be the boss of the 20th floor, had the “20th Floor Guardian” label on his Display. If that was the case, I could predict that Alti, who was displayed as the “10th Floor Guardian,” was the boss of the 10th floor.

However, since I had already been attacked by a 20th-floor boss on the 5th floor, that prediction didn’t carry much weight.

I had heard from students like Franleure that the 10th-floor boss wasn’t actually on the 10th floor, so my line of thinking shouldn’t be wrong.

Ultimately, in the Labyrinth, danger existed on every floor.

It was as simple as that.

Along the way, my spirit was worn down by Franleure’s relentless barrage of questions about my hobbies and special skills, but we reached the 10th floor without any real issues.

The 10th floor was a unique level.

Past the bottom of the stairs, the area was filled with a brightness that felt out of place for a dungeon.

The room stretched out infinitely, filled with flames as far as the eye could see.

There was nothing else. That was the entirety of the 10th floor.

The heat wasn’t enough to scorch one’s skin immediately.

Even so, the flames scattered everywhere made one hesitate to step into the room.

We walked along a path where the fire had been extinguished by the barrier of the Main Path.

After reaching a suitable spot, Snow took out a bottle and attempted to contain the flames. It was an eerie sight. The fire was sucked into the bottle as if it were being clipped out of reality; it continued to burn inside despite the lack of any combustible material.

With that, their objective was complete.

Finally, I could separate myself from this party.

“Congratulations, everyone. I suppose my role ends here?”

I spoke up to initiate the farewell.

“Man, you were a huge help, Mister. We were really lucky to cooperate with an explorer like you. I honestly thought someone would end up seriously injured and headed home halfway through. Ah, here’s the promised gold coin.”

Erna said her thanks while handing over the coin.

Franleure cut in immediately.

“Lord Christ!! Since we are already here, might I ask you to escort us back to the surface! Yes, since we are already here! I was thinking we could have dinner at the House of Helvilleshine as a token of thanks! We have always wanted a connection with an explorer who is young, strong, sincere, and kind like you, Lord Christ! Please, I beg of you!”

Even I, who wasn’t particularly good at reading people’s feelings, could tell that Franleure was infatuated with me.

Being liked by a girl as beautiful as her was flattering.

However, I could only see trouble increasing if I got closer to her. Her social standing was one thing, but there was a massive gulf between our ways of thinking.

“I’m sorry, Franleure. My original goal lies beyond the 10th floor. Unfortunately, I cannot escort you back to the surface.”

I declined politely.

I didn’t forget to act a bit disappointed, either.

“I-I see… I cannot force you after you have already helped us so much. However, the Helvilleshine siblings are prepared to welcome you to our home at any time. Please, rely on us whenever you wish.”

“Huh, me too? Well, if it’s Christ, I’d welcome him coming over to hang out.”

Franleure had apparently decided on her own that Rainer was also welcoming me.

Still, Rainer didn’t seem to mind the idea.

“Thank you. Then, perhaps if the opportunity arises.”

“Yes, if the opportunity arises! Please, by all means, come to the Ertrallue Academy! Ah, the House of Helvilleshine is at District 3 in Huzya! You’ll see it as soon as you enter that district! Either place is fine, so if you ever need anything, please!”

Franleure continued to appeal to me until the very end, looking reluctant to leave.

If we had met in my original world, I would have found her hard-working nature quite likable.

But now, I calmly judged her to be someone I didn’t need in my life.

Finally, I exchanged greetings with the remaining two.

“Mister, you look like the type who’s easy to trick, so make sure you don’t get scammed. See ya.”

“You are not suited for the Labyrinth. I recommend a change of profession. Farewell.”

For some reason, I was bid goodbye with harsh words. Since we were comrades who had cooperated for a short time, I wanted to believe those were words of concern for me.

Thus, my farewell with the academy party concluded.

It was heartwarming how Franleure kept turning back to wave her hand.

I was left alone on the 10th floor.

The carpet of fire filling the room made sweat drip down my face. I started walking along the Main Path to head toward the 11th floor as quickly as possible.

I was finally alone, but now that I was, a strange sense of loneliness washed over me.

It seemed that having anyone by my side as a party member provided a certain sense of security.

However, I had decided to move forward alone today, so from here on—

“—Oh. Are you going alone from here?”

Alone.

Yes, I was supposed to be alone.

In a space that should have been empty, I heard a voice that wasn’t mine.

I instantly reinforced my magic.

“Magic: Dimension Gladiator!!”

I leaped back a great distance and searched for the owner of the voice.

A vast space, with only two entrances.

An unexpected voice, and roaring flames.

It was just like that other time.

I used my magic to thoroughly scout the surroundings for information.

The ceiling, the corners, the shadows of the flames—I checked everywhere to see if an enemy was present.

But there was no sign of anyone.

“Forgive me, did I startle you? I have no ill intent, so please calm down.”

The voice still came from somewhere.

However, my magic, now sharpened to a keen edge, caught the source of the sound. Information reached me that the vibrations of the voice were originating from within the roaring flames.

Then, I noticed the flames were forming the shape of a mouth.

“From the fire?”

“Yeah, I was hiding in the flames. But if it’s just you, I don’t mind showing myself. Just wait a second.”

The fire was speaking.

I recognized that tone of voice.

The flames began to shift into a human shape, and from somewhere in the room, bandage-like strips covered in written characters gathered together. The bandages wrapped around the human-shaped fire, serving as clothes.

Finally, the head transformed into that of a human, becoming the red-haired girl from before.

It was the 10th Floor Guardian, Alti.

“…!!”

I hesitated.

Thinking of it like a game, I could speculate that she was likely weaker than Teida, who held the title of “Twentieth.” However, I didn’t know if I could afford to trust that assumption so easily.

Unlike the encounter with Teida, Dia wasn’t here now. My offensive power had decreased, but because of that, I had more freedom in a fighting retreat. As long as I was the only one involved, my high physical stats offered a wide range of tactical options. Above all, since I had reached Level 10 and boosted my speed, a simple escape was a viable choice.

After weighing my options, I decided to continue the conversation with Alti, given her claim of having no ill intent.

If things went south, I could just run.

Right now, I could easily catch up to the academy party.

I’d feel bad for them, but if it turned into a chaotic melee, my options would only increase. In that scenario, I’d choose my own life over a guilty conscience.

“Alti… right? Did you come here to fight me?”

I spoke to her cautiously as she took on her human form.

Alti floated gently and immediately shook her head. Her movements were strangely human, which threw me off.

If it did come to a fight, Alti’s appearance would be a negative factor for me. At a glance, she looked like nothing more than a human child—it felt almost like cheating.

“No, no. I just told you I have no ill intent, didn’t I?”

Alti spoke with an air of arrogance that didn’t match her small stature.

The sense of cognitive dissonance was intense.

Yet, that very dissonance served as a reminder that this girl was, without a doubt, a monster.

“I find that hard to believe. Just the other day, I was attacked by that ‘Excited Teida’ monster. Do you think I’ve forgotten how you blocked my escape route back then?”

“As far as I was concerned, I was merely setting the stage. But if you’re angry about it, I apologize. I’m sorry.”

“Even if you apologize, there’s no way I can trust you…”

“Hmm hmmm… It seems the impression you have of me isn’t a very good one. I’m a bit shocked, honestly. It’s not like I actually attacked you or anything.”

Alti pouted as if she were sulking.

Ah, she’s one of those too.

She’s exactly like Teida.

“Of course not. Why would I have a good impression of a monster? When humans and monsters meet, they kill each other. That’s the unspoken rule of this world. That’s what Teida said.”

“Heh. You don’t need to take that seriously. That’s just a rule Teida made up on the spot anyway.”

Alti lectured me with the warm eyes of someone looking at a child who still believed in Santa Claus.

Being looked at that way by a girl who was more than two sizes smaller than me was starting to get on my nerves.

“In other words, you have no intention of fighting me. And you want me to believe that?”

“That’s right. I’m not like that battle-junkie; I have no intention of taking my job as a monster seriously. That’s why this room is always empty. It allows all you explorers to safely gather fire and move on to the 11th floor.”

“Is that so… But it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to head to the 11th floor with much peace of mind, does it?”

“Oh, you can rest easy. Now that I’ve become your ally, some run-of-the-mill boss is no match for us. Ah, provided we’re talking about a place far away from the Main Path barrier, of course.”

“—Wait. Wait, wait, wait.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

My headache wouldn’t stop.

This one-sided way of talking was exactly like Teida. They just decided things on their own.

“What do you mean, ‘become my ally’? That’s impossible.”

“It seems you don’t trust me, after all. I intend to show you my lack of ill intent through my actions, not just words. So, I’ve just decided that I’m going to help you explore the Labyrinth.”

“Stop. There’s no way I can fight with you standing behind me.”

“I can take the front line if you prefer. I’m quite skilled with a blade.”

Saying this, Alti conjured a sword of flames and mimicked a series of rapid thrusts into the air… whoosh!

If it were just her appearance, it would have been a heartwarming sight of a child playing with a sword.

But it was no good.

Fire was leaking out everywhere. From her hands, from her feet.

I couldn’t treat her like a human.

“That’s not the issue. Just having you near me puts me on high alert. There’s no way I can explore the Labyrinth like that.”

“Hmm. But this is a pressing matter for me as well. I intend to stay by your side until you trust me. Building a relationship of trust is important, after all. I’ll stay by your side and serve you for years if that’s what it takes.”

Alti smiled innocently.

The way she spoke so directly and without hesitation made me feel like she wasn’t lying. It was true that I didn’t sense any hostility from her.

But that might just be because I was too inexperienced to detect it.

No matter what, the anxiety remained.

It would have been so much easier if she had just attacked me. The anti-Guardian plan I had come up with last night was proving to be completely useless.

“Does that mean… you’re going to follow me around? Until I trust you?”

“That’s right.”

“…Um, can I just defeat you now? You are a boss, after all.”

“That’s cruel to say to someone showing friendly intentions. A cute girl wants to be your companion. You should welcome me with open arms. …You’re so cold. I really just want you to trust me. I have a modest wish, and I only want to fulfill it. For that, the cooperation of a human is indispensable.”

As she spoke, Alti raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

She waved them back and forth, asserting that she was harmless.

I considered cutting down the wide-open Alti, but I held back because of her specific choice of words.

“—A wish? You have a wish too?”

I remembered.

Teida’s final words flashed through my mind.

“Oh, will you listen to me?”

“……”

Would listening to this actually benefit me?

It was certainly true that I needed information to conquer the mystery-shrouded Labyrinth.

However, was trying to extract information from Alti right here and now truly the correct move?

“Setting aside the matter of trust, it’s fine if you just listen for now. As for me—”

“…I’ll listen. You said something that bothered me before, too. That you weren’t fighting because you had doubts. Tell me about that as well.”

Every word from Alti, who was on the side of the Labyrinth, was essentially a “spoiler.”

I hated that I was thinking in game terms even in a situation like this. And yet, that very logic was currently recommending that I hear her out as much as possible.

“Hehehe. …Very well, let’s talk.”

“……”

Alti gave an enchanting smile and began to speak slowly.

“Let’s see. Since we’re here, I’ll start with the story about my doubts… I think you’ll find this quite interesting. After all, it’s a story about how to kill a Guardian without even fighting.”

Alti never let her smile fade.

Even when the subject of the conversation was how to kill her, that didn’t change.

“Actually, we Guardians are forced to protect the Labyrinth as monsters because we have ‘Lingering Regrets.’ My long-standing doubt was… what would happen to a Guardian if those ‘Lingering Regrets’ were resolved? Teida cleared up that doubt for me. It seems we are beings who weaken when our regrets fade, and vanish once our wishes are fulfilled. That’s why that nearly immortal Teida died so easily.”

From the way Alti spoke, it seemed she had witnessed Teida’s death.

She was also implying that such a death should have been impossible for the real Teida.

Teida died because his wish was granted.

She seemed certain of it.

—This was the first I’d heard of it.

I hadn’t heard such a thing from anyone.

I had a feeling this was information that no one in the Allied Nations attempting to conquer the Labyrinth knew.

“Hehehe. And as for my wish… I have but one wish…”

Then, as if to signal that the previous talk was merely a preamble, Alti’s voice became low and heavy.

She was going to tell me her wish.

In other words, the manner of death that would eventually come for her.

“—I want to find fulfillment in love.”

Alti looked up at the sky and spoke bashfully. But then she immediately poked fun at her own words, saying, “What do you think? Romantic, isn’t it?”

“…”

My head started to throb.

It wasn’t a simple pain.

It was the pain of being troubled, maddened, and amused all at once—a mixture of emotions that shouldn’t normally coexist.

Alti was looking straight at me.

Enduring the headache, I managed to squeeze out a single word.

“Troublesome.”