Chapter 51

I finished my hunt in the Labyrinth and headed back home.

The amount of experience I gained today was more than ever before, and I had already met the requirements to level up. I’d hoped to have Lastiara perform the level-up ritual for me, but unfortunately, she didn’t seem to be home.

Since she had traveled all the way to the neighboring country, I figured she wouldn’t be back anytime soon. With that thought in mind, I looked for Maria next, but she wasn’t home either. Perhaps she was having a hard time mastering her new magic.

No one was around.

I felt a slight pang of loneliness. It seemed that, without realizing it, I had grown weak to solitude.

Thinking I had returned too early, I glanced out the window. The sun had begun to set, and a beautiful evening glow was spilling into the house. Overcome by a strange sense of melancholy, I decided to head back out.

Since my experience points were topped off, I resolved to use my free time to head to the church and level up. While having Lastiara do it would save time, it was better to get the level-up out of the way as soon as possible.

I also had a pile of magic stones, so I needed to exchange them for cash. However, cashing in a large amount at once would draw unwanted attention, so I’d only do the bare minimum. After that, I’d do some shopping for a change of pace and maybe visit Diablo Sith to see how he was recovering.

Solidifying my plans, I walked down the hill and entered the town of Wald. I strolled along the streets of Wald, illuminated by a sunset that filled my entire field of vision. The edges of the road, decorated with jewels, shimmered with a faint red light.

Taking in the luxury of this world’s infrastructure, I eventually reached the church.

Inside, the priest was in the middle of a chant, and the citizens were deep in prayer. I wasn’t sure if it was okay to join mid-prayer, but for now, I sat at the end of a long bench in the back and offered my prayers, mimicking those around me.

It was a quiet interval of time. Occasionally, I’d wonder if I had leveled up yet and open my Status screen, only to confirm that nothing had changed and return to my prayers.

The process of leveling up at a church was significantly longer compared to when Lastiara did it. I killed time by checking my Status or staring at the church’s stained glass. The glass was so brilliant that when I used ‘Focus,’ I was surprised to find it was actually made of gemstones.

As I continued observing the interior, the priest finished his chant and bowed. Those praying around me bowed in return, then stood up in small groups and began to leave.

I remained in my seat and checked my Status.

Confirming that I had leveled up, I hesitated over where to put my bonus points. Until now, I had poured them into HP and MP out of necessity, but it might be time to consider a different distribution.

The thing I needed most after durability and endurance was, in my opinion, the firepower to take down monsters. To put it simply, Strength or Magic would lead to higher damage.

After thinking for a moment, I put the points into Magic.

My Magic increased by 0.30, and my MP rose slightly as well.

I had hoped Magic would go up by a full 1.00, but it seemed growth wouldn’t be that explosive. I wouldn’t know if other stats also increased by 0.30 until I tried the next set of bonus points. Next time, I’d try putting them into Strength to see if there was a pattern.

Then, I considered the logic behind the slight MP increase. It was likely the kind of linkage common in games—where a fraction of your Magic stat is added to your MP, or your MP gets a bonus based on your Magic level. It was a small gain, but one that couldn’t be ignored.

Pleased that I had grown stronger through the level-up, I stood from my seat.

However, as I prepared to leave the church, I stopped in my tracks.

A knight I recognized was outside. I had detected him using the magic ‘Dimension.’

Fortunately, because of Hein’s attack this morning, I had been on high alert and had strengthened my ‘Dimension’ spell. Thanks to that, I noticed him before I stepped outside. I boosted the magic further to acquire the knight’s information.

The knight’s name was Palinchron.

If I recalled correctly, he was the knight I had met at the slave market a few days ago. I dug through my memories and remembered the man named Palinchron. He was the type of person I struggled with—aloof and prone to leading people on.

I decided not to leave through the main entrance and tried to use ‘Dimension’ to find another exit.

But then, Palinchron, who had been waiting outside, suddenly moved and stepped into the church. The doors swung open, and the tall man appeared.

As usual, he didn’t look much like a knight; he wore baggy, loose-fitting clothes that seemed more suited for a merchant and looked difficult to move in. The only thing that made him look even remotely like a knight was the sword hanging from his waist.

Palinchron approached me, his muddy brown hair swaying.

“Hey there, what a coincidence. Christ bro.”

He greeted me as if it were a chance encounter.

However, I was certain it wasn’t. He had definitely been waiting for me outside. And the reason he had entered was likely because I had expanded ‘Dimension’ to a wide range to look for an exit.

“Yeah, a real coincidence. Stalking me again? A knight must be a pretty low-maintenance job if you’ve got this much free time.”

I responded to Palinchron with a sharp tone. I usually treated knights with polite, formal language, but for some reason, I just couldn’t bring myself to do that with Palinchron. Our first meeting had left a bad taste in my mouth.

“Oh, you caught me tailing you…? You’ve got quite the detection ability yourself (You too, huh). Your mana suddenly swelled up so much I got surprised and just had to come in.”

Palinchron said “You too.”

It was highly likely that he possessed magic similar to ‘Dimension.’ His ambush this time and his previous tailing were probably done using that magic. It likely had something to do with his ‘Sorcery’ skill. It was a magic category I hadn’t heard of even during my information gathering—an unknown genre of magic.

“So, what do you want? Want a duel too?”

“Whoa now, how violent. I just came to talk. Bro, you repelled those three—Sera, Ragne, and Hein—didn’t you? If that’s the case, I’m no match for you. I’m basically fighting old man Hopes for the bottom rank, after all.”

Palinchron shrugged playfully.

Still, I didn’t lower my guard. I maintained a fixed distance and used ‘Focus’ on his every move.

Aside from this iron sword, he had no equipment that would be used in combat. Palinchron noticed me heightening my guard and observing his gear, and he tried to lighten the mood with a casual tone.

“No, really. I just came to chat. Even this sword is just some piece of junk I swiped from the knight quarters near here.”

“I was just sucker-punched this morning in a ‘relaxed’ atmosphere just like this, so forgive me if I’m skeptical…”

“Haha, I know, I know. It was Hein, right? I came to check on you because I know.”

Laughing, Palinchron sat on the opposite end of the long bench I had been sitting on.

The people around us had disappeared. Even the priest had finished his work and retreated to the back. Unnaturally enough, it was just me and Palinchron alone in the church.

“If you know, then have some consideration. My trust in knights has plummeted. I don’t want you entering the range of my blade.”

“Got it, I won’t. I promise. …So, can we talk?”

With that, Palinchron placed his sword on the floor to show he had no hostile intent. I found his cooperative attitude to be even more suspicious. I had no doubt he had ways of fighting even without a sword.

However, after he’d gone this far, it would be rude to refuse a conversation. Besides, including the matter with Hein, it wasn’t as if I didn’t have things I wanted to ask someone from Huzya. I sat back down on the bench. Naturally, I kept my distance.

“Fine. I don’t mind talking.”

“Appreciate it. I would’ve been in a spot of trouble if I couldn’t even get a word in here.”

Palinchron said, “Good, good,” and continued the conversation.

“So? Have you finished defeating all of the ‘Celestial Knights’ yet?”

An unexpected question flew my way. I saw no reason to lie and answered honestly. This was information he could likely find out anyway if he put his mind to it.

“No, not all of them. I’ve only faced… Radiant, Hopes, Ragne, and Hein. Four of them.”

“Mhm, mhm. I see.”

Palinchron listened to the news of his comrades’ defeat with what looked like genuine delight.

“Now it’s my turn to ask. Do you know why Hein did what he did?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Without missing a beat, Palinchron answered.

I hadn’t expected him to answer honestly, so I was more than a little surprised. Seeing my reaction, Palinchron chuckled.

“Heh, don’t look so shocked. You answered me honestly, so I’m just returning the favor.”

“Tell me, then.”

“Sure. I’ll keep it brief. It’s because—I goaded him, plain and simple. For the past few days, I kept playing the innocent observer, saying things like, ‘Ah, our Master looks so happy being with Christ. She laughs just like a normal girl,’ or, ‘To think she’s been deceived from the day she was born until now, only to vanish without ever grasping even a tiny bit of happiness… Even if it’s for the sake of the country, it’s heart-wrenching, isn’t it?’ I just kept tormenting him with that until he finally snapped. And then, he rushed off to save his Master. Haha, mission accomplished.”

Palinchron laughed as he spoke. It was the innocent, carefree laugh of a small child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

The gap between that laugh and the content of his speech left me stunned.

“You… goaded him?”

“I’ve got quite the reputation for being a provocateur. Most of the magic I’ve mastered is that kind of mental-interference type.”

“…W-why would you do something like that?”

“Because it seemed entertaining. Also, I happen to wish for the downfall of the nation of Huzya. Well, mostly it’s just a hobby, though.”

Palinchron laughed, and I found myself at a loss for words.

It was the first time I had ever met someone who spoke so proudly and openly about their own villainy. He was so purely malicious that I didn’t even know how to respond. I felt a chill of terror at the fact that there were people who could drive someone to madness so casually.

As I sat there dazed, Palinchron continued.

“Next is my question. Bro, do you have any intention of saving her—of saving Lastiara?”

Save… Lastiara?

Did that mean Lastiara was in a situation where she needed to be saved?

Palinchron’s words were like a poison, similar to a narcotic. Remembering his earlier mention of mental magic, I quickly checked my Status. However, there were no abnormalities. This wasn’t magic; it was just Palinchron’s sheer charisma and silver tongue.

Just talking to him gave me a headache…

“What do you mean, ‘save’ her?”

“Oh? You didn’t hear from Hein? Well, if you haven’t heard, it can’t be helped. I’ll explain it to you. Consider this a special service. I’ll give you a full explanation of the secrets of Huzya and the secrets of our Master. Ah, I’m just too kind for my own good.”

Palinchron spoke with a transparent, mock-reluctance as he moved the conversation forward.

“I’ll keep it simple. Lastiara Huzya is the sacrifice for the Holy Birth Festival. She’s a vessel meant to bring down Saint Tiara, created solely for that purpose. Well, once that thing descends, Lastiara’s ego will naturally vanish. —Basically, she’s going to die (cease to exist) the day after tomorrow.”

And then, he said Lastiara would die.

Palinchron was claiming that, at this rate, that girl was going to perish.

My heart began to throb with an unpleasant speed. It was a situation similar to one I’d faced before. He was doing the exact same thing to me as he did at the slave market. He was goading me in the same way.

Pointing at a girl falling into misfortune, Palinchron goaded me with a thin smirk on his face.

Are you okay with this? Are you going to look the other way? Are you going to let that girl die in her misery?

“Is… is that really true?”

“I don’t tell lies. Well, it’s up to you to decide if you believe me, Bro.”

I had no reason to trust him. A liar doesn’t call themselves a liar. However, when I pieced it together with what Lastiara and Hein had said, the logic held up.

“Tell me more. In detail.”

If possible, I wanted to prove it was a lie. I listened to his detailed explanation specifically so I could find a contradiction and call him out.

“Sure thing. I’ll tell you as much as you want. You’ve earned the right to know.”

Palinchron curled the corners of his mouth into a distorted grin and edged slightly closer to me. That smile was like a spider rejoicing that its prey had been caught in its web. It wasn’t a warm, red-blooded smile of a mammal or reptile; it was the bone-dry, hollow smile unique to an insect.

“First, as a premise, Lastiara is not human. She wasn’t born from a human womb; she isn’t even a proper living creature. I suppose you could call her a ‘Magic Stone Human’—someone kneaded together from human flesh and gemstones. We call them ‘Jewelcrux.’ Did you know? Despite her size, she’s actually just a three-year-old brat.”

First, he casually exposed that Lastiara wasn’t human.

But I already knew that. She had told me herself. I was shocked by her actual age of three, but I had vaguely sensed something like that. The imbalance between her mind and body was practically Lastiara’s trademark. It explained the immaturity of her spirit.

Still, I made sure to confirm.

“Lastiara herself said she was sixteen.”

“Yeah, her physical age is set to sixteen. She probably chose the physical age rather than causing confusion by honestly answering ‘three.’”

During the festival, Lastiara had added a “for now” when mentioning she was sixteen. In her heart, it must have been exactly as Palinchron said. It wasn’t quite a major contradiction yet.

“Continue.”

“So, as for why Huzya created such a ‘base body’ like a ‘Jewelcrux,’ it was to bring about the rebirth of a legendary figure from the past.”

Palinchron spread his arms wide and continued talking with apparent glee. Every word he spoke carved away at my heart.

“The Great Cathedral perfectly preserves the blood of the past Saints. Saint Tiara, the progenitor of magic, seems to have gone through a lot of trial and error to return to this world. What she focused on was the property of a mage’s blood. Blood can retain many magical formulas. So, she thought, why not leave the personality of ‘Saint Tiara’ as a formula within that blood? —Honestly, the woman’s tenacity is incredible.”

I felt no respect for the Saint coming from Palinchron. Of course, I felt none either. Given the flow of this story, that meant that blood was…

“In short, the mission of the ‘Jewelcrux’ Lastiara is to drink the blood of Saint Tiara and surrender her body. The blood that flows through her body is packed with the formulas needed for that transfer. She was born as a vessel for rebirth.”

—Blood that would kill Lastiara.

At this point, the existence known as Saint Tiara was becoming solidified in my mind as an enemy.

“The rebirth of Saint Tiara is even prophesied in the scriptures of the Levan Church. And that year is this year. Huzya is acting in accordance with that. Even the citizens of Huzya are looking forward to the prophecy, thinking this year’s Holy Birth Festival will be special. And the festival is coming up the day after tomorrow, which means our Master’s life is short! Now, now, what will you do, Christ bro?”

Palinchron finished his sticky, cloying explanation and turned his equally cloying eyes toward me, awaiting my response.

I squeezed out the words I needed to ask.

“…Does Lastiara know all of this?”

“She should have been given some explanation about becoming one with Saint Tiara. It’s been blurred, but she probably has a faint inkling that she’s going to vanish. Hein was her tutor, so I don’t know the specifics—but there’s no doubt it was easy to brainwash a pure, newborn Master.”

Palinchron suggested the possibility of brainwashing while suppressing a laugh.

Lastiara probably accepted it as natural that she would become Saint Tiara at the festival. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be lightheartedly exploring the Labyrinth. With a normal sensibility, she would have fled immediately. Just like Hein said, to somewhere far away from here.

“You’re saying Lastiara doesn’t have a single doubt about accepting the ritual?”

“To be precise, she was ‘adjusted’ so that she couldn’t have any, I suppose? Lastiara’s life was already decided by a schedule, and her destiny is to be constantly adjusted to fit it.”

“Constantly adjusted… Destiny…”

Something about those words nagged at me. Because I, too—

“It’s all for the sake of Huzya’s plan.”

Regardless of my changing expression, Palinchron continued. I shook off the nagging feeling and focused on the story.

“Plan? What kind of plan?”

“Ah, I’m glad you asked. It’s such a fun, fun plan that I’ve been dying to tell someone. The plan is this: ‘Lastiara will happily accept the ritual and become Saint Tiara. Then, to the delight of the citizens, she will be unveiled at the Holy Birth Festival. After that, it’s a literal epic. With her miraculous power, she will explore the uncharted depths of the Labyrinth, extend the “Main Path,” and inherit the title of the strongest from Glen. —By the way, Glen himself is a collaborator. Then, she wins the martial arts tournament held later. Her name will roar across the entire continent, and she’ll return to the main territory of Huzya in a triumphal procession, wielding her miracle powers. At the perfect moment, she’ll join the war in the north, and the living legend, the Saint herself, will descend as the supreme commander of the front lines. With that prestige and power, the war will be a crushing victory for Huzya! Amazing, she’s just like a hero!’ —Heh, it’s a wonderful story, isn’t it? And the best part is, it’s already been decided.”

Palinchron rattled off Lastiara’s future as if he were narrating the life of some hero. That plan was exactly the kind of “hero’s tale” that Lastiara loved. It made me realize that it might be a suspiciously convenient coincidence.

It made me doubt if Lastiara’s preferences were even her own.

Perhaps Lastiara didn’t long for hero tales because she wanted to be a hero; perhaps she was educated to long for them because she was going to be a hero.

If that was the case… it left a sickening taste in my mouth.

“That kind of planned-out life… it’s wrong. Something’s not right…”

In my discomfort, I naturally found myself muttering those words.

“Right!?”

Palinchron agreed with me with a particularly loud voice. Then, riding that momentum, he invited me.

“That’s why, Christ bro. Let’s save her. Let’s save Lastiara!”

With a beaming smile, Palinchron made a proposal that sounded full of goodwill.

I found it terrifyingly unbearable. The fact that this proposal, overflowing with “conscience,” was coming from the malice-filled Palinchron was what scared me.

To shake off the fear, I snapped back at him.

“You’re just goading me again…! What is it you actually want…!”

“What do I want? To help someone, of course! I want to give my Master a life as a real human being! I want to rescue her from being a sacrifice for the delusions of a monster like Saint Tiara!”

Palinchron answered with sparkling eyes.

I could tell. This man purely thought that Lastiara’s destiny was “boring.” He thought it was boring for things to proceed according to a fixed plan.

Saving Lastiara seemed like it would be interesting.

That was it. That was all. What a transparent desire for chaos.

“I want Christ bro to prevent the resurrection of Saint Tiara. Specifically, I want you to destroy the ‘Saint Tiara Holy Birth Festival,’ the biggest festival in Huzya, which is happening the day after tomorrow.”

Destroy it, he invited me.

However, that went against my principles. I felt anger upon learning about Lastiara’s circumstances. That was certain.

But what I could do was limited. I didn’t have that kind of leeway. …I just didn’t.

“Even if I did that, I’d just get caught. Even if I did it out of goodwill, I’d just be a common criminal.”

“You wouldn’t get caught. You have the strength to escape. You’ve repelled the ‘Celestial Knights’—who are supposed to be the top military power of this country—time and time again without a scratch.”

“Even so, I’d be marked by the country and it would be hard to move as a criminal. It would have a huge impact on my life.”

“If that happens, you can just flee the country. You’ll be safe if you go to an enemy nation where Huzya’s influence can’t reach.”

“I’m a Labyrinth explorer with no family. I don’t want to leave this place, and I have nowhere to run to.”

“I think the two southern nations would be fine. Even here in Wald, it’s not like they’re on good terms with Huzya. If you’re as powerful as you are, there are plenty of places that would shelter you.”

“The whole idea of being sheltered or running away is what’s wrong. Doing something like that—”

“Ah, I see. So basically, you could save her, but because you love yourself too much, you won’t?”

Palinchron gave a nasty laugh. He struck exactly where I didn’t want to be hit, all while smiling. Under that precise pointing-out of my flaws, my face began to distort.

I had no choice but to admit my own smallness.

“Yeah, that’s right… Exactly.”

There was no way to argue back. That’s right. Everyone loves themselves most.

Palinchron stared at me with a look of disappointment.

“…You’re not taking the bait this time. It was so easy with the slave, but do you just not like my Master? Or was there something special about that slave after all?”

“…!”

And then, this time, he accurately struck the very bottom of my heart, a place I thought no one had noticed. I tried my best not to show my agitation as I answered.

“…That’s how it is. Back then, I could settle things easily with money, but this time the story is different. Just as you said, I don’t like Lastiara that much.”

Hearing that answer, Palinchron observed me with greasy, oily eyes. He was trying to see through my lie with a piercing gaze. After staring at me for a while, Palinchron answered with a smile.

“Haha. Well, suddenly asking someone to prepare to make an enemy of a nation is a tall order. I won’t force you. For me, just making Hein lose his mind was a huge success. I won’t get greedy here. But—”

On the surface, his words sounded like he was giving up.

“—I have a feeling you’ll do it, Bro.”

However, Palinchron was still looking at me like a piece of prey caught in a net. With that final sentence, Palinchron stood up.

“Well then, it’s about time I went back into hiding. My motto is to work from the shadows, you see.”

With that, Palinchron gave me a small wave and prepared to leave the church. His abrupt departure was unexpected. I thought he would be more persistent in his recruitment. Or did he think that once he’d told me this much, I would move on my own?

Palinchron was already showing me his back. I couldn’t see his expression, so I couldn’t gauge his true intentions.

I watched Palinchron leave without saying a word. I had obtained the minimum amount of information. I had no intention of stopping him to get more. That was how much of an enigma this guy was.

In the now-silent church, I let out a deep breath.

After taking a long breath, I dragged my leaden body toward home. My body felt incredibly heavy. My heart felt equally heavy in proportion. Unable to bear the gloom, I couldn’t bring myself to go shopping or visit anyone.

I went straight home and looked for Lastiara. But she wasn’t there. No matter how much I searched, she was nowhere to be found…

Only Maria was there.

Maria saw my state and approached me with a worried look. It was a devoted gesture. But ever since I realized that devotion might stem from romantic feelings, it had become difficult to respond to.

“Master, what happened…?”

I hesitated over whether to tell Maria about Lastiara. From what I could see, the two of them were close. Although Maria often pushed Lastiara away with cold words, I saw that as a form of communication between friends.

I wondered if Maria knew about Lastiara. They might have talked when it was just the two of them.

“Well… Lastiara, the day after tomorrow…”

“The day after tomorrow? Did something happen to Lastiara?”

“On the day of the Holy Birth Festival…”

“Yes.”

Maria just waited for my next words. She didn’t seem to sense any special circumstances regarding “the day after tomorrow” or “the festival.” Like me, she seemed to know nothing.

I hesitated over whether to tell Maria the full story. Maria and Lastiara were friends. If they were friends, I felt the “right” thing would be for her to hear it from Lastiara herself. Besides, the information I had wasn’t even from Lastiara’s own mouth. It was secondhand info from Hein and Palinchron.

…No, that was just an excuse.

I was just feeling heavy-hearted. Explaining it all felt exhausting. Just like when I was at the slave market where I met Maria, I was simply in pain.

I pulled back the words I was about to say. Then, I pulled out some harmless words instead.

“She said we should play together again on the day of the festival.”

“…Yes. That sounds good.”

Hearing my cover-up, Maria just nodded obediently. Her eyes continued to pierce right through me.

Most likely, Maria was just pretending to be fooled. She was reading my intentions and choosing not to pry. Maria often took a step back out of consideration for me. Thinking that was also because of her feelings made me feel even worse.

Dragging my even heavier body, I made my way to the bedroom. Various pieces of information were swirling in my head, making me feel ill. To shake it off, I wrapped myself in my blanket.

That day, even when dinner time came, and even after the night had passed, Lastiara did not return home.