Ch.182Chapter 182 – The End of the Labyrinth (1)

I gently held the unconscious Beatrice before quietly setting her down on the ground.

“Master, um…”

Christina looked at me as she approached Beatrice to use healing magic.

I quietly spoke.

“Let’s keep what we heard here a secret.”

What Christina and I witnessed here was likely a side of Beatrice she never intended to reveal.

It must have been closely related to her past—the state that made her become who she is now.

‘I should keep it hidden.’

I said this while thinking of Beatrice’s wailing form.

Usually, she was straightforward to the point of being shameless, but the frenzied woman I just saw seemed like she might shatter at any moment.

I felt that carelessly digging into her past would be like reopening her old wounds—wounds that had never properly healed.

“Yes.”

Christina nodded without argument.

Judging by her serious nod, she too seemed to think it wasn’t right to carelessly probe into Beatrice’s past.

Looking down at Beatrice, who had clung to me like a child exhausted from crying, I felt somewhat conflicted.

“…’Protect me,’ is it.”

Those final words, spoken through faint sobs.

As I quietly mulled over those words, a voice came from behind.

[Have you found, the answer.]

“M-Master?”

Christina, who had been treating Beatrice, cried out in surprise.

Perhaps as a precaution, she quickly backed away while holding Beatrice. I quietly stood up as she did so.

I raised my hand to stop Christina as she quietly prepared for battle while watching the four versions of me, then asked.

“Another question?”

[Who, are you.]

The version of me wearing a robe and wielding a mace asked.

Next was the me holding a greatsword made from a Centipede’s fangs.

[What can you call yourself?]

[What are you trying to become?]

Finally, a version of me dressed exactly the same and holding the same weapon as me asked.

He looked at the unconscious Beatrice once, then at Christina holding her.

And then I thought of Sera and Eve, who must be worried about me from afar.

‘So it’s asking who I am.’

It wasn’t asking for my name.

It was asking how I define myself.

“I am me.”

I answered, squeezing out words I didn’t have.

“Let me say something embarrassing.”

I answered while looking at the “selves” looking down at me.

“I want to become someone who can protect the bonds I’ve formed here.”

I answered once more with emphasis.

“Someone who can protect those who showed kindness and affection to a nobody who was nothing special.”

There was no reaction from them.

And then the version of me with only half a face, who had been quiet until now, spoke.

[Who, are you.]

I looked at him quietly and answered.

“K.”

I answered once more with conviction.

“…A person who has too many people he wants to protect.”

“A person who wants to continue the bonds with them.”

“And lastly, a man with many shortcomings who genuinely likes those people.”

“Someone who wants to stand alongside them.”

I spoke with sincerity.

My selves began to disappear, and the surroundings started to be dyed with light.

[We are beings who judge those worthy to enter the holy ground.]

[Shadows of your past that reflect your heart.]

[Those who do not forgive lies and denial.]

My “selves” each said one line as they disappeared.

The last remaining me, with only half a face, spoke.

[Go.]

[To become who you truly wish to be. There are no more trials beyond this.]

With those final words, the last version of me disappeared.

“M-my eyes…!”

As Christina squeezed her eyes shut and curled up, our surroundings began to vanish into the light.

+

After being momentarily blinded by the flash, my vision soon recovered.

“…Where is this place?”

The scenery before my eyes had changed.

It was clearly different from the dark labyrinth.

A mysterious pale green light was emanating from the surroundings.

‘Were we transported?’

While looking around, Christina suddenly shouted as if she had discovered something.

“The passage is gone!”

If we were still in the labyrinth from earlier, there should have been a corridor we had passed through or at least some path leading there.

But this place had no such traces.

We couldn’t even tell how we had gotten here in the first place.

And then, we heard a voice.

“Everyooone! Are you alriiight?”

“It’s Miss Fine.”

No sooner had Christina finished speaking than Fine appeared before us.

“So you were here, thank goodness.”

She sighed with genuine relief.

“Are you alright over there?”

“Ah, yes. Suddenly, elves identical to me appeared and bombarded me with rather philosophical questions like ‘who are you,’ which was quite troublesome…”

Fine said with a strained smile.

“When I answered that I wanted to catch a rich, good-natured, kind, and handsome man to live comfortably for the rest of my life, they disappeared.”

“…That’s extremely honest.”

At least she was safe too.

It was fortunate that there were no additional injuries.

‘Beatrice….’

As I looked down at her in Christina’s arms, a groan escaped from Beatrice’s lips.

“Ugh…”

“Oh, is she injured?”

Fine approached Beatrice in surprise, and Beatrice slowly opened her eyes to look around.

“…Where is this?”

I answered with some relief as Beatrice looked around with dazed eyes.

“I’m not sure, but somewhere inside the World Tree.”

“…So we’ve broken through the labyrinth?”

“More importantly, are you okay?”

At my question, Beatrice weakly got up and moved away from Christina’s arms.

But she was clearly exhausted, as she ended up sitting on a protruding tree root nearby.

“Honestly, I feel completely drained. My throat hurts too.”

Compared to how she looked when we first entered, Beatrice now appeared so pitiful that the word “pathetic” came to mind first.

She looked as if she hadn’t slept for days.

“I don’t know why I’m so tired… I wasn’t like this when we came in.”

Looking at the visibly exhausted Beatrice, Christina quietly spoke.

“It seems like Beatrice might have been caught in a special trap… She appears to have lost a lot of energy.”

Of course, we had all been caught in the special trap, but Christina was hiding that fact, likely out of consideration for Beatrice’s feelings.

“I guess I was unlucky.”

“I’ve treated you, so you’ll be fine, but it seems you’ve lost some life force. I’d recommend resting for a few days when you get back.”

“I suppose I should listen when a doctor says so.”

Beatrice said with a strained smile.

“By the way, Beatrice. Do you remember what happened?”

“Ah, identical shadows of myself appeared…”

At Fine’s question, Beatrice started to say something but hesitated for a moment before quietly continuing.

“They were saying strange things and attacked me, so I killed them all.”

“……”

“…It seems like every time I killed one, my emotions became more intense and my breathing got faster… Sorry, I don’t remember clearly.”

Beatrice answered weakly.

‘So that’s why she was like that earlier.’

Those shadows were probably reflections of the past.

It seemed that if one didn’t honestly acknowledge oneself, they would make you rampage like Beatrice had earlier, draining your life force.

‘And Beatrice happened to be particularly vulnerable to that…’

That’s why she had gone berserk, consuming her life force and attacking Christina who was nearby.

‘I guess we’re lucky it ended like this.’

Killing one’s own self there was probably akin to self-harm in reality.

If that was true, while Beatrice’s physical condition might be manageable, there could be issues with her mental state.

Whatever the case, what Beatrice needed was rest.

“What should we do about finding a way back…?”

“About that.”

Fine smiled and pointed to the path she had come from.

“Over there, I found a place where light was coming in.”

“Light?”

“Yes. I could see the sky. But judging by the magic in place, it seems like once we leave, we won’t be able to come back in.”

Beatrice would need to see the details.

With that thought, I looked at her, and she smiled weakly.

“…I’ll take a look, can you take me there?”

“I’ll carry you.”

As I picked up the weakened Beatrice on my back, she squirmed a little.

“Bear with it. Even if it’s tight.”

“…It’s just a bit embarrassing.”

“Is that so.”

Looking at Beatrice, who was slumped on my back, I quietly said.

“Just endure it.”

“…Sorry, helmet.”

Normally, she would have cursed but still let me carry her without resistance.

The fact that she was acting like this showed how weakened she currently was.

“Thank you…”

I just nodded slightly in response to Beatrice’s thanks, then looked at Fine.

“Please lead the way.”

“This way~”

After following her for a while, we indeed found a place where light was coming in from outside.

It seemed like we could exit by climbing up there.

“…It’s a barrier. There’s a spatial transfer spell. Once we pass through, we can’t come back in.”

“So it was like that after all.”

I thought this might be a courtesy for those who had made it this far.

I put Beatrice down and spoke to Fine.

“Fine, would you mind taking Beatrice out first?”

“Oh, me?”

“Helmet, what are you…”

As Beatrice tried to protest, I extended my hand in front of her and said.

“I can’t let you go out alone when you’re this weakened.”

“But will you be okay? If there are traps ahead…”

“Don’t worry about that.”

I showed her the detector Sera had made for me.

With this, I could handle any traps that might be ahead.

But I also thought it was an unnecessary concern.

‘…He said there would be no more trials beyond this.’

Soon, Fine nodded.

“Then, after I get out, I’ll ride the griffon back here.”

“Please do.”

“We’re counting on you.”

As Christina and I bowed our heads in gratitude, Fine smiled and waved.

“…Sorry, helmet. For holding you back.”

“It’s fine. Just in case, let’s ask Sera to make some medicine when we get back.”

As she was being carried by Fine, Beatrice murmured apologetically.

“…I’m sorry. Really.”

“We’re off!”

With those words, Fine began jumping up the wall with Beatrice on her back.

“I guess all elves are that nimble.”

“Seems so.”

Fine was leaping up the walls in a zigzag pattern, quickly reaching the exit above.

At some point, her figure suddenly disappeared, indicating she had safely made it outside.

“Then we should…”

“Go ahead.”

And I quietly added.

“Though it feels like we’ve already reached our destination.”

As we left that room and examined where we had been earlier, sure enough, there were stairs leading downward.

It was so filled with light that we didn’t need Christina’s holy power to illuminate the way.

“…Wall paintings and stairs…”

“Just like that holy ground.”

Recalling the holy ground in Count Metis’s territory, I looked at Christina.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Christina and I descended the stairs.

Numerous wall paintings shimmered in the bright light, and as we examined them closely, Christina spoke.

“These are a bit different from the paintings we saw there.”

“Rather, for some reason…”

Looking at the paintings of horned soldiers fighting against long-eared soldiers, I quietly said.

“It feels similar to what the lich told us before.”

“These must be paintings about how the World Tree came to be.”

As we continued descending, Christina’s words proved true—the wall paintings continued with content similar to what we had seen before.

A painting of someone who looked like a mage planting something like a seed in the ground, and a painting of a tree growing.

Then a painting of a hero and a mage with their companions, and long-eared people dancing around the tree behind them.

It was the history of the World Tree.

“…These paintings are exactly the same as what the lich created back then.”

“Indeed.”

Looking at the paintings, I quietly said.

“I wonder if that lich contributed to creating this labyrinth.”

“The possibility isn’t zero.”

He knew the location of this labyrinth to begin with, and the elves showed terrifying support for him.

And those occasional metaphors he would drop, as if he didn’t know but was just making appropriate comparisons.

‘That lich is…’

Just as a plausible identity came to mind, Christina’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Ah, there’s a door.”

While I was thinking about the lich, there was a door ahead.

Setting aside my thoughts, I pushed against the heavy wooden door with force.

-Creeeeak

“What kind of wood is this heavy…!”

I suddenly missed Sera intensely.

After forcing the door open, a place similar to what we had seen before appeared.

“…We’ve arrived.”

“Yes.”

A massive chain and what appeared to be stone bound to it.

“So this is the second seal.”

“Yes.”

Christina answered and stepped forward.

“Christina, what’s next…?”

“Ah, please leave it to me. I know what to do.”

Christina smiled and quietly held out her stone tablet.

Suddenly, the tablet began to tremble and then started making sounds.

“Master, please step back a little.”

I nodded and moved back.

Christina had already reached the massive stone, and as she placed the tablet down, it flew up into the air.

“I’ll begin.”

She quietly knelt before it and clasped her hands.

In response, the tablet and stone began to emit an incredible light.

“‘Great Evgenia, this humble servant prays to you.'”

Christina quietly recited a prayer.

It was probably the main prayer of the Evgenia Order.

With each line of prayer she recited, the light from the tablet grew stronger.

And at the final moment, she quietly said:

“‘O Goddess of Pure Guidance, illuminate the path ahead for your little lambs.'”

With those final words.

Light began to shine down upon Christina.