The Labyrinth Cities.
They referred to five cities built around the World Tree at the heart of the sacred kingdom of Valéil.
The labyrinth itself had formed along the tree’s roots.
And wherever there was a labyrinth entrance, people naturally gathered, building cities around them.
I lived in one of those five cities.
The 3rd Labyrinth City: Sveline.
Among the five labyrinths, Sveline’s upper layers were the deepest, making it a hub for novice adventurers.
I was an orphan living in that city.
My parents were nameless adventurers—vanished into the unknown depths of the labyrinth, never to return.
I don’t resent them.
After all, I intend to follow in their footsteps and take on the labyrinth myself.
Creaaak…
Thud…
“Not even a goodbye, huh?”
The gates of the orphanage I’d lived in for years shut behind me, and I stared blankly at the cold, indifferent building.
Lunen Orphanage.
Even being generous, it could barely be called a proper orphanage.
The director was only interested in the royal subsidies.
Meals were miserable, and the living conditions were a mess.
Naturally, the children were more rivals than friends.
There were constant fights and factions—always a tense atmosphere.
‘Well… it’s not like I was ever close with anyone anyway. No one to say goodbye.’
I’d always been alone at that orphanage.
Sure, life might’ve been easier if I’d submitted to some older, stronger bully.
But I wasn’t looking for a gang—I wanted a family.
That’s why, having just turned sixteen yesterday, I walked away from the orphanage I’d known all my life.
“Well, first thing’s first—gotta find a job.”
No home, no money, not a coin to my name…
But my steps were light.
All I owned were the clothes on my back, a knife my father left behind,
And a hunk of cheese and a piece of bread I’d swiped from the kitchen just before leaving.
That was enough.
Enough to begin my new life—as a labyrinth adventurer.
***
“What? Sixteen? Sorry, kid, but we don’t have the time to scrape corpses off the floor.”
Bang!
“……”
That made seven rejections already.
“Sigh… I thought I’d seen it all growing up in that orphanage.”
But the city was far colder and more ruthless than that cramped building I’d escaped.
I learned that lesson the very first day I left.
I’d visited every major guild in Sveline, trying to join.
‘Guilds’ were collectives of adventurers who banded together to take on the labyrinth.
In essence, they were like businesses.
Large groups of adventurers would enter the labyrinth, slay monsters, and retrieve monster parts and resources.
The profits from selling those goods would then be split among guild members.
They were, in many ways, not unlike mercenary companies.
Most adventurers belonged to a guild.
That was the standard.
Some adventurers formed smaller, private teams instead—‘parties’ made up of people they trusted.
And rarely, a few brave (or foolish) souls would challenge the labyrinth solo.
But as a total beginner with zero experience, I knew better.
If I didn’t want to die, starting at the bottom of a large guild was the safest bet.
Sure, I could’ve begged to join a small party…
But parties were tighter-knit than guilds and didn’t take in outsiders easily.
When your life depends on your teammates, it’s hard to trust someone you just met.
So for someone like me, the only real options were: a guild… or going solo.
…The problem was, no guild would take me.
An orphan with no background, young, scrawny from years of underfeeding…
No matter how many doors I knocked on, no one gave me a chance.
So much for boldly leaving the orphanage.
Chew… chew…
I sat in an alley behind an inn, slowly nibbling on the bread and cheese I’d stolen earlier.
“…Well, at least water’s free.”
Sipping from a wooden cup filled at the nearby well, I muttered to myself.
Not even the beatings or loneliness at the orphanage had left me feeling like this.
Yet just one day out here, and I was already tasting despair.
I suppose it makes sense.
Back then, I always had hope—that once I escaped, I’d be free.
But now, faced with the cruel reality behind that hope…
All that awaited me was a hopeless, miserable future unlike anything I’d ever imagined.
Even now, I found myself worrying how long I could make this bread and cheese last.
That was the most crushing part.
‘I need to find work. Anything…’
Crunch, crunch.
I gnawed on the hard bread, soaked in water to soften it, and sank deeper into thought.
Now that I’d left the orphanage, everything in life had a price.
I had to earn money—fast.
I needed to challenge the labyrinth as soon as possible.
If that failed, I’d have to find a regular job.
‘Or maybe… gamble everything and go in solo.’
It wasn’t unheard of.
Some legendary adventurers had begun that way—alone, with nothing but guts and a weapon.
But I knew myself too well.
If I were that kind of person, I wouldn’t have lived the way I had in that orphanage.
“Sigh… More importantly, where the hell am I sleeping tonight…”
Still hungry, I wrapped the leftover bread and cheese in cloth and tucked it into my bag.
No money meant I had to ration everything I had.
As I wallowed in my thoughts, wondering how to survive…
From the inn’s dining hall behind me, I heard the lively chatter and laughter of adventurers.
[Wahahaha!]
[Bwahaha!]
The noise made my current state feel even more pitiful.
[Kyaaah! Hey━!! What the hell?!]
And then—
As I gazed at the starless sky, ears tuned to the laughter behind me, a different kind of voice rang out.
Not cheerful—shocked and angry.
And then—
Thududududud…!
Footsteps, fast and frantic, rushed toward the back door.
BANG!!
The back door burst open, and someone flew out.
“Waaah━!!”
“……”
Time seemed to slow.
Our eyes met.
A man with a hooked nose, cloaked in filthy rags and a tattered hood.
In his hand—a raw, uncut red gemstone.
I knew instantly.
A thief.
And someone inside had just screamed because he’d stolen it.
Having already dealt with more than my fair share of thieves back at the orphanage…
I instinctively lunged and wrapped myself around his leg.
“Grrraaah!! Who the hell are you?! Let go, damn it!!”
“Gyaaah!!”
Despite being a thief, he was surprisingly strong.
Even with my small frame, I clung to his leg like a leech—but he thrashed wildly, trying to shake me off.
Still, it was enough.
Enough to keep him from getting away.
All I could do was hold on.
That felt like my only role in this mess.
So I clung to the thief’s leg with everything I had.
And then—
“YOU LITTLE BASTAAARD!!”
“GYAAAAAH!!”
Someone else showed up—someone who would finish what I started.
BOOOOM!!
A man burst through the door and slammed his fist into the thief’s gut.
The impact sent the thief flying into the wall—and since I was still holding on, I went right along with him.
“How dare you touch something that belongs to our party?! I’ll snap both your arms!!”
“W-Wait! I’ll give it back! I swear I’ll give it back!!”
“Too late for that!!”
The man strode toward us, looming over both me and the collapsed thief.
He was huge—exploding out of the back room like a beast in a dungeon.
Compared to my skinny frame, he might as well have been a golem.
Easily over two meters tall, built like a fortress.
He raised a hammer the size of his torso high into the air.
Under the shadow of that massive weapon, both the thief and I screamed together.
“AAAAAAHHHHH!!”
“WAITWAITWAIT—NOT ME!! I’M NOT WITH HIM!!”
The man’s hammer came crashing down— and smashed directly into the thief’s hands.
***
“Ahahahahaha! Man, I nearly caved in our savior’s skull there! Hahaha!”
“Garon. Stop laughing and apologize properly.”
“Ahaha… yeah, sorry. I lose all sense when I get worked up.”
“N-No, it’s fine. I’m not hurt or anything…”
The man, who went from roaring laughter to a sheepish bow, was named Garon.
He said he was half-giant.
I waved awkwardly, unsure what to say.
Then a red-haired woman beside him smacked him lightly on the head and gave me a mature, easy smile.
“Anyway, thank you. We nearly botched a really important request back there.”
“You mean the raw gem?”
“Yeah. It’s a rare material that only shows up on the third floor. We were lucky to find it—it’s basically a miracle.”
“Then… you’re all adventurers?”
“We are. Our party’s called the Red Hammer Squad. A bit of a cheesy name, I know.”
“Cheesy?! It’s bold and powerful!”
A man named Gael crossed his arms and corrected her with booming pride.
It was clear he came up with the name.
Ronabelle ignored him and smiled as she began introducing everyone.
“Anyway, nice to meet you. I’m Ronabelle. The brooding one next to me is Levan—he’s our scout.”
“Thanks. We owe you.”
“And the blonde girl with the frosty stare? That’s Ariel. She and Garon handle the front line.”
“……”
Levan had dark hair covering one eye and gave off an aloof vibe, but when introduced, he surprised me with a kind, almost innocent smile.
Ariel, on the other hand— her pale skin and refined beauty made her look more like a noble than an adventurer.
She said nothing, simply glared at me in silence.
“I’m Gillian. Uh… sixteen years old.”
“Oh? Then you’re the same age as Ariel!”
“Ah… really?”
“……”
At Ronabelle’s words, I glanced over at the blonde girl.
But her expression didn’t change. Cold, guarded.
Ronabelle noticed and continued smoothly, clearly used to it.
“Anyway, nice to meet you, Gillian. And thanks again for your help. It’s not much, but as a thank-you, go ahead and order whatever you want. Dinner’s on us tonight.”
“R-Really?”
The second she said that, my mouth watered.
I’d been hungry for a while now—the smell of food in the air had been torture.
The bit of bread and cheese I had earlier wasn’t enough to feed a growing teen.
“What do you want to start with? Hmm… The stew’s really good here.”
“Forget stew—real men eat meat! I recommend the whole roasted pork leg! Special spices—unreal flavor!”
“Why not both? Sound good to you?”
“Ah… um…”
Ronabelle picked a menu item for me in case I hesitated.
Garon backed her up, his tone light and welcoming.
All I had to do was say “Sounds great!” and I’d be set for the night.
A warm meal. A full belly.
But—
“……”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t answer.
I just lowered my head, hesitating.
There was something I’d been debating inside.
Is it okay to ask for this?
But I didn’t hesitate long.
After a deep breath, I looked up with a serious face and spoke.
“U-Um…!”
“You want something else?”
“No! Not food. I mean… Could I ask for a different kind of reward?”
“…Different?”
“Y-Yeah…”
I swallowed hard and looked directly at Ronabelle.
And right then—
Zing.
I could feel Ariel’s stare sharpen like a blade.
She’d been quiet until now, but then she spoke.
“See? Told you something was off. What did I say? He might be working with that thief.”
“Ariel. He saved us. Don’t be rude.”
“Manners don’t matter to adventurers. Doesn’t it seem suspicious? We’ve been stalked by shady creeps since the first floor! He could be one of them!”
“Mmm… I kinda get where Ariel’s coming from.”
“Garon?! You too?! What if you’re wrong?”
“Wahaha! Then I’ll slam my head into the floor and beg for forgiveness!”
“Your head’s too light. Doesn’t mean a thing when you bow it.”
And just like that, the three of them launched into a full-blown argument— all because of my request.
Maybe I should’ve just taken the free meal.
That regret hit me hard when—
“Let’s just hear him out first.”
The quiet voice came from Levan.
He spoke softly, with a gentle smile and calm eyes.
“We can decide after we know what it is he’s asking.”
To my surprise, the other three quieted down and looked back at me.
Ronabelle smiled once more.
“You’re right. Sorry, Gillian. These two—one’s a meathead, the other’s just too twitchy.”
“Hmph. I’m not twitchy. I’m careful.”
“A good leader listens to their team!”
“Oh? And since when do you listen to me?”
“Hahaha!”
Ronabelle chuckled and gave Garon a playful smack, then turned back to me.
“So? What kind of reward do you want? Go ahead.”
All four turned their eyes to me.
Quiet, intense, suspicious.
Their gazes held more pressure than any guild I’d visited today.
But I didn’t flinch.
Because adventurers move forward—even when the weight feels like the world.
“Please… let me join your party!”
I stood, bowed deeply, and spoke with everything I had.
Then, slowly, I looked up.
All of them were staring back at me.
Eyes wide.
Completely stunned.