Chapter 37

Past the bottom of the stairs lay a space constructed of weathered stone.

Much like the 10th floor, it was simply a vast, open expanse.

However, unlike the 10th floor, there were no roaring flames blowing about. Just as Alti had predicted, it was a space devoid of residual mana, making it ideal for magical experiments.

It was certainly ideal… but there was one problem.

Two unfamiliar men stood in the center of the room.

One was a handsome man with straight, flowing golden hair. He looked to be somewhat older than me—a quiet-looking knight.

The other was a middle-aged man with hair streaked with white. Over an ochre-colored cloak, he wore his dull, long hair loose, looking like someone who had seen his fair share of hardships. A silver sword peeked out from the gaps in his cloak, so he was likely a knight as well.

I immediately focused on them.

The blonde one was Hein, and the one with white streaks was Hopes.

Both were high-level and possessed the abilities of first-rate knights.

As I observed them more closely, I realized something. I had seen the blonde man’s face before. If I recalled correctly, he was the man who had been accompanying Lastiara on the first day. He hadn’t said much back then and hadn’t stood out, but there was no mistake.

I looked toward Lastiara and informed her that a man who was likely her acquaintance was there.

“Oh?”

Lastiara let out a cry of surprise.

In response, the two men stationed in the center approached us and gave a polite bow.

“We have been waiting for you, My Lady.”

First, the blonde man, Hein, spoke up.

“Wait, Hein?”

“Yes, it is Hein. I have come here on business.”

As expected, he was an acquaintance of Lastiara’s.

However, this Hein turned his gaze away from Lastiara and focused on me.

“The boy from that time… I see. So you are the one the Lady has feelings for…”

He muttered the words.

“The one the Lady has feelings for.”

In other words, he was the same type as Radiant.

However, the expression Hein wore as he looked at me was peaceful. He wasn’t glaring like Radiant; on the contrary, I felt something like expectation from him. I didn’t understand his true intent.

For the time being, I tried to correct Hein’s misunderstanding.

“No, it’s not like I’m the person Lastiara has feelings for—”

“Oh, Hein. I am so sorry… I simply must be with Christ… I wish to live my life with him…! As you know, my time is short. If that is the case, is it a sin to try and be with the one I love until that moment comes?”

Lastiara piled on the words to prevent me from explaining myself.

Her way of speaking had reverted to the polite tone she used when we first met, and she was pretending to lament in a theatrical manner.

It seemed she really intended to push forward in that direction.

If possible, it was a direction I’d wanted to avoid.

Hearing Lastiara’s words, Hein slowly drew the sword at his waist.

“Sigh… We can no longer see through your lies. However, even if this is truly for the sake of love, or if it is a lie, or even if it’s just a game—what we must do remains the same.”

“How tragic, Hein. Are you saying that I am lying? To fake one’s love… such a shameful act is something I could never do!”

Lastiara gave a compelling performance, even letting tears well up in the corners of her eyes.

Yeah.

This woman was definitely the one in the wrong here. No doubt about it.

Personally, I wanted to support Hein wholeheartedly.

However, I had to be pragmatic here.

In terms of talent, Hein was inferior to Lastiara. Furthermore, from what I could see, Hein was a professional man of duty, while Lastiara was a free spirit.

When I thought about who would be more useful to me, I had no choice but to pick Lastiara.

Hein responded calmly to Lastiara’s passionate acting.

“Because of that ‘love’ indulgence of yours, the higher-ups are in utter chaos. We cannot move significantly ourselves, and a council just to decide on a response will likely take a month. Good grief… the Levan precepts are a troublesome thing.”

“Oh… so you believe I am merely utilizing the word ‘love.’ That is a sorrowful misunderstanding…”

Apparently, Lastiara was making use of these “precepts.” My previous suggestion that there would be fewer pursuers if we framed it this way seemed to be related to this.

More importantly, the mention of “higher-ups” and a “month-long council”—words I really didn’t want to hear—was a problem. Lastiara had said she wasn’t anyone of high status, but judging by Hein’s words, I felt she was more than just a typical “young lady.”

“Therefore, acting as a knight, I intend to have the Lady return to the Great Cathedral via a duel. If we follow this procedure, it will not go against the teachings. Now, Hopes. If you please.”

Hein called out to the white-haired knight stationed behind him.

Hopes stepped forward with a half-smirk. He gave off the impression of a slightly flippant man.

“Sure thing. But Hein, are you sure you shouldn’t be the one to do this? I thought this role belonged to you.”

“It belongs to no one person; it is the duty of the office of the Celestial Knights. Besides, I must keep a close eye on the Lady. I cannot afford to be careless. It has only been a few days since she went missing, but there is a possibility she has already grown to the level of a ‘Celestial Knight’.”

“Well, you’re certainly the right man for the job if it’s a matter of watching the girl. —Very well. You there, Mr. Handsome, you’re dueling me.”

The conversation finally looped back to me.

I drew my sword as I answered.

“Let me say this first. To me, whether or not I’m the person Lastiara has feelings for is irrelevant. But Lastiara is my companion, so I want to help her fulfill her dream. —That’s all.”

I wanted to say at least this much.

First of all, when it came to romance and the like, the difficulty level was too high for me. I couldn’t act like Lastiara, so I had no confidence in my ability to play along with her story.

So, I decided to act like someone who was indifferent to love affairs.

“O-oh… I see. You’re a pretty cool guy, aren’t you?”

Hearing that idealistic line, Hopes looked a bit embarrassed and praised me as being “cool.”

I wished he’d stop; it made me feel embarrassed too.

To ensure my agitation wasn’t noticed, I proceeded calmly.

“And, for the record, I’m not actually looking for a duel.”

“That won’t do. If you don’t duel, we’ll interfere with your Labyrinth exploration. Even if you go home, we’ll chase you around. It’s a shameful way to act, but this is also part of the job. Seriously, I’m sorry about this.”

Hopes answered while scratching his head.

There was no pretense in his voice; he truly sounded sorry and, frankly, like he found the whole thing a nuisance. Yet, deep in his eyes, I could catch a definite glimpse of a professional’s resolve to see his mission through.

If they were declaring they’d interfere that much, then this was simply an obstacle I had to clear.

I’d wanted to avoid it if possible, but now my only choice was the backup plan: a “practice match.”

“If it’s for your job, I won’t judge you. I was already somewhat prepared for the fact that this would be the condition for keeping Lastiara as a companion…”

With that, I took a step forward.

The practice match began.

Even if I lost—well, Lastiara would just have to go home.

I didn’t feel that much pressure.

Though, naturally, I had no intention of losing.

“Alright then, let’s duel. We’ll stake the girl on it. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna take your life.”

“Understood. I have no intention of trading lives either.”

Hopes drew his sword, and we both gave a polite bow.

Since we were technically on the Main Path, the duel was now official.

The air between Hopes and me grew taut.

“Magic: Dimension · Gladiator. Magic: Form.”

If things went as they should, I believed I would win.

Setting Hein aside, Hopes’s stats shouldn’t be able to keep up with my speed. However, he did have a skill called “Crafting.” If that was something that could catch me off guard, my chances of winning might waver.

Hopes and I slowly closed the distance.

I took a natural, amateur-like stance.

Hopes’s stance was similar.

He didn’t even turn his body sideways; he just held his sword in his right hand.

The distance closed until our blades could reach one another.

—The lines of our swords blurred.

We moved at the exact same moment.

However, to my eyes, it looked as though Hopes had deliberately timed his move to match mine.

Our swords drew the same arc and collided.

The stone room was filled with a hard, bell-like ring.

Then came the second strike.

This, too, followed the same trajectory.

A second bell-like chime rang out.

The third strike was the same.

And the next, and the next, and the next.

The same bell-like rhythm continued to ring out again and again—

“—!?”

I realized it then.

Hopes’s swordsmanship was based on “Receiving.”

Despite his talent, he paled in comparison to Hein or Radiant. He didn’t possess a natural, gifted swordsmanship unique to himself.

What he did have was the ability to use his accumulated experience to match his opponent. He would then wait patiently for a chance to counter.

I didn’t panic and simply increased the speed of my blade.

Since he was thirstily watching for a chance to counter, there was no point in getting agitated. I just needed to surpass him without rushing and without leaving an opening. That was all.

Hopes simply lacked raw speed.

While his technique and swordsmanship were superior to mine, my magic, Dimension · Gladiator, completely overturned that advantage. Looking at it holistically, there was no reason for me to fall behind.

The lines my sword traced began to accelerate.

Hopes tried his best to keep up.

However, he quickly reached his limit.

When two people are doing the same thing, it’s game over once a gap in speed appears.

Before long, a strike that Hopes couldn’t block was pressed against his throat.

The clashing of steel that had been ringing out incessantly ceased, leaving only the echoes behind in the room.

I declared my victory.

“—It’s my win.”

“Seriously…? Man, I lost. …Ah, sorry about that, Hein.”

Hopes raised his hands in surrender and offered a casual apology to Hein.

Seeing that, I sheathed my sword.

“You did it, Christ! As expected of the knight I chose. How about that, Hein? Knight Christ has offered this victory to me.”

Lastiara congratulated me on my victory in a ladylike manner.

Yeah.

This was honestly kind of creepy.

Hein, however, replied without a hint of agitation.

“So it seems. Since it’s come to this, we have no choice but to withdraw for today. Hopes, over here.”

“Right, right. Sorry, sorry. Man, in a head-on fight, I didn’t feel like I could win at all.”

Hein moved away from the center of the room and gestured for Hopes to join him.

It seemed they no longer intended to block the way.

“Hmm. It appears you have at least a minimum level of strength.”

“Hey now. Calling it ‘minimum’ when he beat me… you’re gonna hurt this old man’s feelings.”

“With this, I can temporarily entrust the Lady to you, Christ.”

Hein ignored Hopes’s grumbling and looked at me.

His eyes were still peaceful.

“Well then, Hein. Aren’t you going to challenge my knight?”

“There is no need. Hopes is one thing, but as a model knight, I must strictly adhere to the ‘precepts’… Besides, even if it is just a one-sided crush on the Lady’s part, this seems to be a fine romance. As her tutor, I’m rooting for you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Oh, I am so glad my passion reached you, Hein. You have my sincere thanks.”

Hein and Lastiara were throwing sparks at each other through a veil of polite formalities.

Both spoke courteously, but I could feel a fierce intensity—neither was letting their guard down for a second.

Beside them, however, Hopes was looking dejected, muttering, “Saying I’m ‘one thing’ is just cruel.” I felt like I was starting to understand this man’s position. Despite being the elder, he was a pitiful soul.

“If Christ possesses power comparable to the Celestial Knights,‘that changes things. If the higher-ups know this, they’ll be a bit more at ease. You aren’t planning to go as far as ruining that ceremony, are you, My Lady?”

“Of course not. I will return once for the Holy Birth Festival.”

“Then, Christ Eurasia shall be treated as the hero who caught the eye of the Great Lastiara. I shall return for now to report these matters.”

“I’ve been saying that since we talked at the Great Cathedral. Just hurry up and go already.”

As she spoke, Lastiara shooed him away with her hands.

The two knights gave wry smiles and slowly began walking toward the stairs to the 19th floor.

As he passed me, Hein whispered softly.

“—Please take care of the Lady.”

It was a gentle voice.

It wasn’t the stiff tone from before, but a voice filled with an affection that surely came from the bottom of his heart.

Startled by that gentle tone, I looked at Hein’s face.

He was smiling.

His handsome features, like a prince from a fairy tale, made the smile stand out even more.

It was a smile so beautiful even I, a guy, found it captivating.

I gave a short nod in response.

Confirming this, Hein nodded back and vanished toward the 19th floor.

Once the two were out of sight, Lastiara let out a sigh as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Phew… I never expected that guy to be waiting here. That was a surprise.”

Her acting from moments ago vanished like mist, and she returned to the usual Lastiara.

Maria, who had been watching from a step back because she couldn’t follow the situation, approached me.

“A-Are you alright, Master?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was basically just a game.”

“Who on earth were those people? And what was all that about ‘feelings’ and…”

“They seem to be people from Lastiara’s house. Also, that stuff about me being her ‘crush’ was all a lie, so don’t worry about it.”

“A lie…?”

Maria stared into my eyes as she processed my words. She seemed to be searching for a hidden meaning, but in this case, it was the simple truth.

“Yeah, a lie. If knights like that show up again, just stay back and watch it like you’re watching a short play.”

“…Understood.”

I wasn’t sure if she was truly convinced, but Maria nodded.

“More importantly, ‘Connection.’ Let’s try that magic.”

I walked to the edge of the room to set up the magic, which was our original purpose.

Hearing this, Lastiara followed me with a look of interest.

“Oh, the thing you mentioned!”

I had finished explaining it to her before we arrived. She seemed to have high expectations for what kind of high-level dimension magic “Connection” would be.

“It’s quiet here, and there’s very little mana in the air. It’s the perfect spot. —Magic: Connection.”

I consumed my mana and generated a magical door.

On the 10th floor, it had dissipated immediately, but here on the 20th floor, the magical construction was smooth.

I had grown used to the mental image required, so I was able to succeed with the magic in a short amount of time.

Against the wall of the room, a magical door several meters high stood firm.

“Alright, it’s a success.”

I pushed the magical door open and confirmed that my living room at home was on the other side.

“Heh, so this is the magic door, huh? Let me step through for a second. —Oh, wow, this is amazing!”

Lastiara excitedly went back and forth through the door.

She was being so rough with it that my mana was being drained just trying to reinforce the door.

“Don’t handle it so roughly! That door is fragile—agh!”

After opening and closing it several times, the door in front of me vanished into mist.

It happened exactly at the moment Lastiara had gone to the other side, leaving her stranded.

“Wait. Isn’t this bad, Master?”

“—Magic: Connection!!”

I had no choice but to chant the magic again.

Praying that the door on the other side hadn’t vanished, I regenerated the door on this side.

I could feel my remaining MP dropping at a staggering rate.

Then, I tested to see if the door was still connected to my house.

When I slowly opened the door, a cold-sweating Lastiara was on the other side.

“Ah, Christ. It suddenly wouldn’t open, and I got so scared…”

“You’re the one who broke it…”

“R-Really? Uh… sorry.”

“Don’t give me a heart attack. Just get back here.”

I took the apologizing Lastiara’s hand and pulled her back to this side.

“But I wonder why the door at the house didn’t disappear. It felt pretty sturdy…”

“I spent a lot of time and mana on that one this morning. Of course the level of completion is different.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Sigh… that just ate up more than half my MP…”

“No, really, I’m sorry. I’ve reflected on my actions.”

Rarely for her, Lastiara’s energy dropped, and she became quite sheepish.

Maria chimed in then.

“If your MP has dropped that much, wouldn’t it be better to go back and rest? Especially since ‘Connection’ was a success…”

Maria had a point.

Even though we’d come straight down the Main Path, it had taken a while to reach the 20th floor.

In terms of physical stamina, it was a good time to call it a day.

However, Lastiara likely wouldn’t agree.

The floors ahead were where her fun really began.

“Um, well… that would be a problem for me.”

Lastiara opposed the idea while being vague, and Maria argued back.

“Besides, I’ve gathered some experience points, so I want to go to the church. If I don’t level up, I won’t be able to be of use to Master.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, I can level you up, so it’s fine! I can actually do a decent job of acting as a priest.”

“Eh, Lastiara can…? But, I feel like I wouldn’t be at ease unless it’s a professional…”

“No, it’s fine, really! I even did the level up for Christ before!”

She’s so forceful.

I gave a wry smile, remembering the aggressive level up on my first day.

Seeing my expression, Maria looked at me with concern.

“Master—”

Although she had stated her opinion, it seemed she intended to leave the final decision to me.

After thinking for a moment, I answered.

“You should let her level you up. It’s true that Lastiara can do it. As for my MP, it’s not completely gone. I’ll be fine until it’s time for my shift at the tavern. Let’s go just a little bit further.”

“I see… If that’s what you say, Master…”

I chose the middle ground.

Maria had clearly wanted to go back immediately, as she whispered her disappointment.

Seeing that, Lastiara spoke to Maria in a deliberately bright voice.

“Since there are no interruptions here, it’s a good time for a level up. Come over here, Maria—”

When I checked Maria’s experience points, she had enough for a level up.

Lastiara likely knew this because she had a skill similar to my Display.

Maria walked over to Lastiara, looking a bit sulky.

“…”

“H-Hey! Don’t be mad, Maria. It’s a level up, a level up!”

“I’m not mad.”

“S-She’s mad…”

I couldn’t see Maria’s face from where I was, but I could tell she was in a bad mood from Lastiara’s expression.

After a while, a white light enveloped Lastiara and Maria.

“There! Your level went up—!”

“Thank you. With this…”

Maria tightly squeezed both her hands.

Maria’s level had gone up, and she was showing some motivation.

But honestly—

It was obvious if you compared her to my stats.

Even though our levels only differed by 3, there was an absolute gap in our ability values.

Maria likely didn’t want to lose her place in the Labyrinth.

The image of Maria looking so happy while exploring the Labyrinth flashed through my mind, and I couldn’t bring myself to say what needed to be said.

“Master! Well then, let’s go. I should have become stronger. This time, for sure—”

Because Lastiara and I could see, we understood.

Because Maria couldn’t see, she was full of courage.

As Maria and I descended to the 21st floor, Lastiara kept her hand over her mouth the entire time.