Emotion Eater (1)

I don’t know what they saw in me to give up one of the last remaining spots on the raid team-but it didn’t seem like they wanted brute force, at least. Having a mage in the party makes things easier in many ways. It’s often said that a party’s stability is proportional to the mage’s intelligence.

Setting aside map-making and deciphering texts, the value of a mage was enough just for solving the drinking water problem. The miracle of extracting substance from Mana, magic. Unlike knights, who are only capable of using Aura, its utility is endless. The fact that I can conjure clean water alone is more than enough reason to take me along.

Of course, that wouldn’t be the only reason. I’m an outsider, after all.

Leaving the unfinished stew behind, I headed to the guard post I’d seen near the city gate. For the record, Kalberd paid for the stew.

Shuriel received the soldiers’ silent salute as he confidently entered the building. He beckoned with a gesture, and his head tilted, instantly transforming his aura. The lovesick adolescent boy was gone, replaced by the dignity befitting a ‘Proxy,’ radiating in all directions.

Indeed, a noble is a noble. He casually pulled up a chair and sat down. It was a frivolous posture compared to his refined appearance, but looking at the amount of paperwork strewn across the table, one couldn’t dare to point it out.

What else could describe it but a mountain? Shuriel sifted through the enormous pile of documents, found exactly what he needed, and handed me two sheets of paper of some kind.

“Take it.”

“This is…?”

“Surely, you weren’t planning to go empty-handed? You need to know how the Labyrinth works, don’t you?”

As soon as I heard Shuriel’s words, I unfolded the paper. The contents of the reports explored and submitted by the advance adventurers caught my eye. Most of it was useless information, since they’d ransacked the place for money, but a few pieces of information captivated my attention.

“The Labyrinth… rises upwards?”

Aren’t labyrinths usually underground? That’s what I knew. All the books related to labyrinths described only underground ones. But rising upwards? Can you even call that a labyrinth? Shuriel responded to my bewildered expression as if he were used to it.

“I’m just as taken aback. If it were a normal labyrinth, we wouldn’t have bothered with it. Labyrinths help stimulate the economy.”

Shuriel said that the Demons of the Labyrinth are satisfied with the fact that they built the Labyrinth, so they don’t bother to subjugate it. If you leave them alone, they won’t do anything. Sometimes monsters overflow, but it’s not a problem since adventurers who want money are constantly being thrown in.

The real problem is when adventurers no longer seek out the labyrinth, or when its function is stopped for some reason. At that point, a full-scale subjugation targeting the core begins. If you destroy the core, the labyrinth collapses.

However.

“This is the first time in history this has happened. A labyrinth rising upwards? It’s not a watchtower. And the mortality rate is strangely high. The survival rate for C-rank and below is less than half.”

There was no precedent in this case. The lack of precedent was a much bigger problem than one might think. Because there’s nothing to learn from. We don’t know how to deal with it, or what will happen in the future.

Anyway, one question remained. It’s a tower? According to the height written in the report, it should be visible from here, shouldn’t it? I put aside the dangers of the labyrinth and asked about the immediate question.

“But, according to the size and height written in the report, it should be visible from here.”

Shuriel nodded as if it were a valid question.

“It’s a structure that can’t be seen from afar. You can only see it when you get close to the entrance.”

A barrier? Or it could be a camouflage technique. My thoughts continued. Shuriel didn’t stop the mage’s contemplation. Exactly 5 minutes and 21 seconds later, I opened my mouth.

Is this… really a labyrinth?

“It seems to have a separate purpose, rather than just a simple labyrinth….”

“Yeah. That’s why the Holy See dispatched me.”

As Shuriel said, it may have been built for surveillance or information gathering. Or it could just be the Demon’s taste. It’s a slightly ridiculous claim, but as someone who’s taken down three Demons, I couldn’t say for sure that it wasn’t. It could really be something the Demon built however the fuck they wanted.

“That’s why we can’t easily enter. The core is probably at the very top.”

Shuriel leaned on the table and stood up with a thud. His gaze was fixed on me.

“If Kalberd recommended you, it means you’re at least competent. Even if that guy seems like a fool for you, he doesn’t act like that with just anyone.”

Final confirmation.

“I’ll ask again. Are you really going to join the raid team? Originally, we were planning to enter with a small elite team… but there’s no reason to refuse a mage.”

I nodded.

“Good. There’s a lot I want to say to you… but I’ll save it. Anyway, be at the entrance of the guard post at exactly five o’clock tomorrow morning. Got it?”

Kalberd and I nodded simultaneously.

“Dismissed. Everyone, go do your jobs.”

* * *

The summer sun, starting to rise at 5 AM. I waited for the rest of the team, enjoying the gentle breeze.

Since I didn’t have money to rent an inn, I had to spend the night in the reception room. It felt a bit strange to spend the night there, but the things I feared didn’t happen. Like a soldier with pent-up sexual desires strangling me in the middle of the night and raping me, or anything like that.

I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. I was already a bit restless because I hadn’t done anything since taking down two Demons.

Kalberd was the first to arrive. After a few minutes, Shuriel arrived, followed by two unnamed soldiers. When all five of us were gathered, Shuriel headed straight for the labyrinth without any further explanation. I asked along the way if the number of raiders wasn’t too small, and he said that the reason for raiding with a small elite team was because of the narrow passages and the presence of wide-area traps.

“Fifty more steps and we’ll be at the entrance of the labyrinth. Everyone, prepare yourselves.”

A huge bridge spanning the great lake. But because of the labyrinth that rose in the middle, the crossroads collapsed, and the beautiful appearance was gone, leaving only a hideous sight with cracks everywhere. This became more severe as we approached the labyrinth, and when we passed the entrance and reached the center, the bridge was so damaged that it was a wonder it hadn’t collapsed, welcoming us.

Ten more steps in that state. The surrounding space distorted. At the same time, a white mist enveloped us. The soldiers flinched, but Shuriel raised his hand to stop the confusion.

“We’ve entered the barrier, so don’t be surprised.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kalberd, who was at the front, stopped.

“Wait.”

Kalberd’s halt caused me and the soldiers behind him to stop as well, and we looked at where he was pointing.

“Tents… a temporary base.”

Then, rows of tents came into view. It was the base camp of the adventurers who had arrived earlier. Some of the tents had already lost their owners and were left behind forlornly. We moved forward, holding our breath.

And finally.

“This is….”

“Haa… it’s much bigger than the report said….”

The labyrinth, shrouded in mist, revealed its form.

A huge pillar rising proudly in the center of the great lake. It was impossible to estimate its size, so I couldn’t easily open my mouth. The jet-black tower, contrasting with the white mist, absorbed all light, with the mist around its waist. It was clearly morning, but the surroundings were as dark as night. Everyone was overwhelmed by its oppressive appearance and stood there blankly for a long time. It was then.

“Everyone! Raise your heads!”

Shuriel drew his sword and shouted.

“The C-rank survival rate is 39.8 percent! Keep your wits about you!”

The fact that 6 out of 10 C-rank adventurers made this place their graveyard. Since C-rank was the maximum level that an ordinary person could reach with just a sword without Aura or magic-the soldiers straightened their backs and tensed up. Even if Kalberd and Shuriel were Aura Knights, they had to protect themselves, so they couldn’t help but be more nervous.

However, Kalberd and I looked perfectly relaxed.

‘A shoddy barrier.’

In fact, as soon as I stepped onto the bridge’s entrance, I could grasp the structure of the technique. It was truly inefficient Mana management. In other words, there was no reason to distort the space or emit white mist.

I tried my best to see if there was any meaning to it, but I couldn’t find any particular reason. If I was right, it seemed to be purely for decoration or to intimidate. Psychological intimidation has a big impact on performance.

Kalberd looked at my unwavering appearance and opened his mouth in surprise.

“Have you been to places like this often?”

“…It’s not a pleasant story to hear.”

“Well, everyone has their own circumstances. I apologize if I was being rude.”

“It’s okay.”

Even if someone plucked out my eyes and held a knife to my throat, I wouldn’t be very surprised. I’d be excited, if anything. I smiled self-deprecatingly at that miserable fact.

“Then, I’ll go in.”

Kalberd, who was at the very front, gripped his greatsword and stood in front of the entrance. A plain black door with no decorations. Only the cracked gaps proved that this was a door. Kalberd opened the door with a light push.

The door opened easily, despite its overwhelming size. Or rather, it allowed itself to be opened, would be a more accurate expression. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was like a lion opening its jaws.

-Kung!

The door slammed shut as soon as the group had entered. One of the soldiers was greatly startled and pushed the door, but it didn’t budge. Panic. Shuriel smacked the soldier on the back of the head with a loud smack! and became annoyed.

“Don’t panic! It was written that the entrance and exit aren’t shared! Did you even read the report I gave you? Look for the exit in that time!”

Kalberd smiled bitterly, and I frowned at the dry air unique to labyrinths. Yellow dust passed before my eyes. Shuriel shouted.

“Put on your masks! The raid begins!”

We will return alive.

That’s what he said.