300 years ago, even when the labyrinth was open, the heretics must have come here to hide themselves.
There was no place safer for them than the labyrinth.
“Are you saying all the heretics’ wealth is buried in the labyrinth?”
“Yes. So finding the altar of the evil god isn’t entirely a bad thing.”
Of course, it’s also a good thing for me.
Isn’t it better for me to find the altar and cleanly handle it, rather than someone else finding it and causing problems?
“Honestly, the mood is uneasy because we’ve encountered the altar twice. I think it would help if Priest Arthur explained this to the group, don’t you think?”
Just seeing the altar of the evil god is enough to make one feel deeply uncomfortable.
“If necessary, I will do so.”
It wasn’t something said just to patch over the current situation.
Unfortunately, just as the bad guys thrived, the heretics also amassed wealth through wicked deeds.
The reason this wasn’t widely shared was to prevent foolish desires from leading others to follow the heretics.
Since we had received a detailed explanation about the altar of the evil god, at least among our group, no one would sympathize with the heretics’ actions.
Information about heretics had been thoroughly blocked by the Church, so the group listened closely to what I was saying.
“Oh, I see. The reason there are so many traces here is that it was a hiding place for heretics. Now it all makes sense.”
“But isn’t it strange? With such an obvious path, how did the heretics move around here without being caught?”
“That was 300 years ago. The terrain changes every three months. Why would this place be any different?”
“I suspect the same. This path was probably hidden 300 years ago. The shifting terrain must have gradually revealed it.”
No one knows what happened in the labyrinth during those 300 sealed years.
Therefore, it was necessary to consider every possibility and think broadly.
“Anyway, everyone, stop complaining now. Surely no one wants to turn back when there’s a higher chance of striking gold on this path, right?”
“I hope we find good equipment, but thinking about it being used by heretics makes me uncomfortable. It’s tricky.”
It seemed that commoners hoped for wealth, while nobles sought rare artifacts.
They still seemed unsure about the truth of my words, but once they confirmed it themselves, their morale would naturally rise.
Some might even become more eager than me to search for traces of the heretics.
After neatly dealing with the traces of the altar of the evil god, we set off again.
Perhaps because they had heard it might be a path once used by heretics, everyone was carefully observing their surroundings.
Whenever someone found something suspicious, they immediately called for me, leading to a rather exhausting routine of running back and forth.
But I never complained and always rushed over as quickly as possible to check for traces of heretics.
“It doesn’t seem like anything.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry. I was so sure this time. It really looked like it!”
Feeling embarrassed after another false lead, they scratched their head apologetically.
“It’s fine. You’re doing an excellent job. If something seems suspicious, calling me right away is the right thing to do. If you tamper with something thinking it’s harmless and it turns out to be real, the consequences would be far worse. It would be much harder to clean up afterward.”
“Still, I feel bad. I almost called someone else, but it’s hard to approach them.”
It seemed they found it easier to call me than Sister Melody, so I was often the one summoned.
“Call me next time, too. Don’t feel bad about it. There’s no reason to apologize for asking me to do my job. If there’s even a slight chance, it’s my duty to check it out.”
They must never hesitate to call me.
What if they ignored something minor, and it turned out to be heretical in nature?
A moment of carelessness can lead to a much bigger problem.
I repeatedly reassured them, emphasizing that even small findings shouldn’t be overlooked.
And those repeated reminders paid off.
“I’m not sure about this, but it’s a very old piece of paper. I was about to ignore it, but your words stuck with me.”
“Paper, you say? Let me see it.”
“It’s extremely old and badly torn.”
They looked uncertain, as if wondering if this was worth calling me over.
After inspecting the paper, I let out a deep sigh and said:
“You did an excellent job.”
“So, it’s nothing, right?”
“No. It’s indeed something belonging to the heretics.”
“!!”
“This is something we need to report to the Church. Once the contents are verified, there will likely be a reward. I’ll let you know separately later.”
“R-Really?”
The man seemed to know that reporting information about heretics would result in a generous reward.
“Yes. Please continue to help in the future. This place requires such careful attention. Thanks to you, I can rest assured.”
“Haha! Don’t worry. I’ll find everything and show it to you, Priest!”
Perhaps because we finally had a successful discovery, everyone felt uplifted.
Our exploration of the labyrinth continued, alternating between fighting monsters and thoroughly searching our surroundings.
Everyone seemed to have adapted, moving seamlessly without needing instructions.
Then—
“Huh? What’s that?”
Surprisingly, we discovered a massive ice castle.
“It seems we’ve found the right place!”
Anyone could tell there was something significant inside.
It was a place that gave the undeniable feeling of hitting the jackpot if we managed to conquer it.
“There’s no one here. There are traces, but they’re extremely old.”
“It doesn’t look like we’ll be able to tackle this in just a day or two. We’ll need at least several days to work through it carefully.”
“Yeah. The castle is massive. I bet it’s packed with monsters inside.”
We decided to set up a base near the castle where we could keep an eye on it.
After discussions between the leader and Princess Lasiell, we began constructing a temporary camp nearby.
An ominous aura was seeping from within the castle.
“We’ll need to send out a scouting party…”
In front of the castle gates stood two massive ice golems.
“Leader, about those ice golems. They aren’t just decorations, are they? Do you think they’ll move if we get close?”
Stone golems are nothing short of a disaster for regular mercenaries.
Swords would be useless, and they seemed nearly immune to ordinary attacks.
“The best way is to knock them over with overwhelming ‘force.’”
“Yes, toppling them will be key. After that, we can all gang up on them.”
It seemed some people hadn’t realized just how terrifying golems could be.
The names of monsters like orcs and ogres alone are enough to send shivers down your spine, but stone golems don’t have the same menacing image.
However, anyone who’s seen a golem with their own eyes would never underestimate them again.
‘The size of that golem is no joke.’
I promised myself never to take golems lightly in the future.
“So the plan is to overwhelm them and keep them from moving…”
“How exactly are we supposed to knock that thing over?”
“Swinging a sword at that thing would probably feel like poking it with a toothpick.”
“We’ll need powerful firepower.”
At the mention of strong firepower, everyone’s gaze turned to two individuals.
These two hadn’t been very active in combat so far.
Yet, no one complained about them.
Because…
“This is exactly the kind of moment I’m here for.”
“Toppling a golem? Just say the word, and I’ll make it happen.”
These two were high-level ‘mages.’
While priests are also high-level specialists, mages are equally valuable assets.
The reason they hadn’t used their powers until now was precisely for moments like this.
“Wow, that’s so damn cool.”
Someone’s small muttering echoed loudly in the sudden silence.
“Pfft!”
A burst of laughter erupted.
Even the mages, who had been openly complimented, didn’t seem to mind and were laughing along.
“Let’s get ready!”
With a clear plan to deal with the golems, everyone began setting up the base camp with ease.
After setting up my share of the tents, I found myself with some free time.
I grabbed a snack from where the cooking was being prepared and sat by the campfire to eat.
While I was resting and staring quietly into the fire, Sister Melody approached me.
I shared some of my snack with her, and as we both stared into the campfire in silence, a question suddenly popped into my mind.
“Do you think there will be traces of the heretics inside that castle?”
“There certainly will be. The path the heretics used must have led to that castle.”
“Do you think other paths lead there too? Who on earth could have built such a castle inside a labyrinth? It feels ominous. I have a feeling a lot will happen in there. We’ll need to prepare thoroughly.”
“Yes. I’ll make sure we’re ready.”
I trusted Sister Melody, and it was that trust that helped me endure the vague sense of unease creeping over me.
After finishing my snack, I set up a small prayer room.
This time, it wasn’t for others—it was solely for me.
It was a space to calm the persistent unease lingering in my heart.
‘When times are tough, relying on Him is always the best choice.’
There was no shortage of things to pray about.
First, I prayed that He would watch over us.
I prayed that no great misfortune would befall our party.
And if there were any unholy things inside that castle, I prayed that they would safely return to His embrace.
If they had sinned, they would pay for their sins, repent, and be reborn anew.
‘How many lives are trapped inside this labyrinth?’
I began to understand why He was paying such close attention to me in this place.
Perhaps what He wanted was for me to save the lives of those suffering here.
Of course, it’s ridiculous to think that I could fully comprehend His will.
But I felt like I had a faint idea of what I needed to do from now on.