“Did you buy this separately?”
“Yes.”
Deviating from the plan always carried significant risks.
Therefore, unless there was a greater benefit, it was better to stick to the original plan.
Princess Lasiell first asked why the guide had purchased the labyrinth map.
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking why you bought such a thing. Why did you feel the need to stop and take a path others have already taken?”
“I received information that this route is better….”
“No, that’s not convincing enough. If there’s truly a reason we must take this path, explain it more clearly.”
“A guide’s job is to find a path where the team can move safely and comfortably. Isn’t it natural for me to have secured a map and led the way differently?”
It seemed fair to think the guide felt wronged.
After all, he was simply doing his job diligently.
But what if there was a trap on the path the guide suggested?
Right now, diverging from the plan was far riskier for our expedition team.
“There’s a reason we cannot take the path you suggest. Taking another route doesn’t guarantee increased safety.”
At least Princess Lasiell wasn’t openly accusing him of betrayal.
The chance that the guide might have been swayed by Prince Lorath and was leading us into a trap wasn’t zero.
“… Understood. Then we’ll proceed as originally planned.”
When the princess, the most noble member of the expedition, gave an order, what could the guide possibly do?
“I know this happened because you were doing your best. I truly appreciate your efforts.”
The princess’s comforting words eased the guide’s somber expression.
Though his hard work seemed wasted, the fact that Princess Lasiell acknowledged his effort was a consolation.
“Our princess has grown so much. She even knows how to handle people so skillfully.”
At someone’s muttering, I nodded along.
In truth, I’d also noticed her skillful balance of carrot and stick resembled someone else.
Considering her relationship with that person, it wasn’t strange for her to have taken after them.
“She’s like Princess Kanabi.”
“Ah~?”
At my words, murmurs of agreement spread around us.
“As the priest said, they’re truly alike. I had a feeling I’d seen this before.”
“Well, it makes sense. Princess Lasiell respects and follows Princess Kanabi.”
“I wonder where she is and what she’s doing… I hope she’s well.”
It seemed her friends held a deep affection for Princess Kanabi.
“It looks like we’re moving again. Let’s go.”
The labyrinth expedition team resumed their original route.
We retraced our steps much faster than when we first descended.
“From now on, everyone stay focused and keep your guard up.”
At the leader’s command, everyone checked their weapons.
While we had already explored this area, we couldn’t be certain what dangers lay ahead.
“There are no traces around. It seems everyone took the path the guide mentioned.”
According to the guide, the shortcut was already well-known among others in the area.
Anyone greedy enough wouldn’t refuse a shortcut, which left the other paths relatively empty.
“Well, it might actually be a good thing. Fewer people means a higher chance of finding something valuable.”
As we ventured deeper, the cold grew increasingly severe.
It was so cold that icicles could have formed on our beards.
“Huff… huff…”
Before long, everyone was as silent as though climbing the Himalayas.
Even walking was draining our strength rapidly.
“It’s snowing! Everyone, be careful not to slip!”
“Ugh, it’s getting even colder!”
“My feet are sinking into the snow! Watch your step!”
With the worsening weather, despair began to set in.
Walking alone was exhausting, but now the snow and biting wind made it nearly impossible to see ahead.
Every step felt unstable.
“This won’t do! Leader!”
At someone’s desperate cry, the leader at the front finally stopped walking.
“We’ll rest here for 30 minutes!”
We had no choice but to hope the weather would improve during our brief break.
At the leader’s command, everyone sat down on the snowy ground without hesitation.
“Ah… I can’t feel my feet.”
“Who would’ve thought a day would come when snow feels scarier than monsters.”
Some even whimpered that they’d rather fight monsters instead.
Snow covered everything in sight, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
“Priest, my feet are completely numb. Could you take a look?”
“Of course.”
It was unfortunate that some couldn’t fully rest even during the break.
As I removed the man’s boots and socks, his feet came into view.
The discoloration showed he wasn’t exaggerating his condition.
“You need treatment.”
“Ugh… I wore the thickest socks I had, but why is this happening?”
“You have flat feet.”
“Flat feet?”
“Yes. It causes fatigue easily and makes it hard to run for long periods.”
Unless he completely changed his feet, this man would inevitably keep coming to see me frequently.
“I thought I was just being overly dramatic, but I guess not.”
“Haha, on the contrary, I think you’re very patient. You’ve endured so much with these feet.”
“See! The priest said I’m not a whiner! Wow, I feel so relieved.”
“We didn’t know… Tsk, sorry about that. We won’t tease you anymore.”
It seemed the man had been frequently teased by his companions for complaining about his feet.
“Thank you! I feel so vindicated now.”
“Next time you’re in pain, don’t hesitate to come see me.”
“Yes!”
After treating his feet and a few more patients, I finally had some time to rest.
I was chewing on some jerky to replenish my energy when a man approached me and handed me something.
“Please have this.”
“Thank you. Would you like some jerky?”
“Sure.”
We shared our snacks and had a light conversation.
Looking around, I noticed that everyone seemed to be relaxing well together.
The stark divisions we had noticed when we first entered the labyrinth were no longer visible—a significant improvement.
“Wait! I sense something!”
“A presence?”
Srrrng-
Not long after we started resting, someone noticed a presence we had all missed in our relaxed state.
“Which direction?!”
“It’s too close. Is it from above? No, it’s from below!”
As he spoke, the ground began to shake.
“W-Whoa?!”
“Priest Arthur!”
As I stumbled, Sister Melody quickly grabbed me by the waist.
Thanks to her, I managed to regain my balance, but soon something grabbed my ankle and began pulling me downward.
“Ugh! What is this…?”
Chwaaak!
“They must have approached us by hiding under the snow. Be careful not to get dragged down!”
Sister Melody must have checked my ankle, as she slashed whatever was grabbing me with her sword.
“A-A monster’s arm?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, I’ve cut it off.”
Just like when she had carried me back to the lodging when I was drunk…
She effortlessly lifted me onto her back and began running.
It seemed she was trying to move me to safety.
“Urgh.”
The rapidly changing scenery left me dizzy, so I tightly shut my eyes and waited for it to pass.
“Stay here.”
I heard Sister Melody’s voice, and my feet touched solid ground.
When I opened my eyes, I realized I was now far from where I had been standing moments ago.
“When did we get here…?”
“Don’t move.”
“!!”
Sister Melody’s hair fluttered in the air.
Before I knew it, she was already engaged in combat with a monster.
Her command to stay still rang in my head, and I froze on the spot.
Thankfully, following her instructions meant no monsters targeted me.
I could now see the creatures hiding under the snow that had grabbed my ankle earlier.
They had plump brown fur resembling moles and long, sharp claws that slashed menacingly at Sister Melody.
But—
Slice!
Their claws were mercilessly cut away by Sister Melody’s sword.
The monster, panicking after losing its claws, tried to retreat back into the snow, but she didn’t let it escape.
With an explosive leap, she pounced on its body.
Her sword struck precisely into the monster’s skull.
Crunch!
With another forceful push, the blade sank deeper into the creature’s head, accompanied by a sickening sound.
Planting her boot on its shoulder, she yanked the sword free with a sharp pull.
With the monster’s sticky blood dripping from her blade, she spun elegantly, almost as if she had eyes on her back, and slashed again.
Screech!
The monster, struck in the neck, let out a final shriek before going limp.
Slash!
She cleanly withdrew her sword again and approached me to check if I was unharmed.