The next day, we were riding on Shafal, who had transformed into a dragon, and heading for the labyrinth.

The standard way for adventurers to travel long distances is by carriage.

However, we wanted to get to the labyrinth as quickly as possible, so I suggested that we ride on Shafal.

Of course, if people saw a legendary dragon flying with people on its back, it would cause a big commotion, so we chose our route carefully to avoid being seen. Even so, we got there much faster than if we had taken a carriage, and I thought again about how amazing Shafal was.

After Shafal dropped us off, he went inside me to rest. I don’t understand the principle, but familiars can enter their masters’ bodies regardless of their size.

Standing at the cave that served as the entrance to the labyrinth, I looked at everyone’s faces again and spoke.

“Well then, this is just to make sure… we’re all going inside the labyrinth, right?”

“Of course.”

“Yeah.”

“There’s no option not to go after coming this far.”

Confirming that Leticia, Rin, and Asura had said this, I nodded. “Alright, then let’s go.”

We entered the cave.

As we went deeper, we saw a door that I presume was installed by the guild, and next to it was the gatekeeper. That must be the real entrance to the labyrinth.

We greeted the gatekeeper, showed him my adventurer’s proof as the party leader, and had him open the door.

The cave was narrow at first, but it widened as we went deeper, and after about five minutes of walking, it was big enough to be called a large cavern.

“Wow…” 

Asura leaked a voice of admiration at the sight inside the labyrinth. Just then, Rin, who had been scanning the surroundings, suddenly shouted, “Everyone, several monsters are coming from the front!”

Hearing her words, Leticia and I immediately drew our swords and waited for the monsters to come.

The creatures that came from deep within the cave were three Hobgoblins, an evolved form of Goblin and quite powerful among low-level monsters. However, they are at a level we can surely defeat.

I told Asura to “conserve your mana and don’t use any magic,” and Leticia and I joined forces to subdue them.

“「「Gyaa!」」”

The horde of Hobgoblins, upon receiving the blows from my and Leticia’s swords, fell to the ground letting out their death cries. We placed the corpses of the defeated monsters directly into the “Useful Box” for later transport back to the guild. 

Following that, we spent about an hour exploring within the labyrinth. Along the way, we encountered goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, and worms, but we were able to defeat them successfully. We also discovered a vein of ore and managed to obtain some minerals using the mining tools we had prepared. 

“Fia once mentioned that this labyrinth is abundant in materials and resources. Now, I understand why,” I said.

At my words, Leticia reacted. “You’re right. The monsters that appear are relatively easy to handle, and there’s a sense of fulfillment in exploring.”

It seemed like we weren’t the only ones thinking this. Since entering the labyrinth, we’ve already encountered more than ten pairs of adventurers. Most of them were people I’ve seen in the royal capital, but there were also adventurers I didn’t recognize at all. 

When I asked a fellow adventurer we passed by, I learned that information about this labyrinth has spread all over the Kingdom of Recommetys, with adventurers even coming from distant towns specifically to explore it. 

After parting with that adventurer, I looked back at the three of us.

“Just to be safe, let’s be careful to avoid any conflicts with other adventurers.”

“Yeah, let’s try not to get too close to people we don’t know.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Leticia added, and Asura agreed. After continuing our exploration for some time, we started to get hungry and decided to have a meal. Rin found a hollowed-out area where we could hide, and we decided to take a break there.

To prevent being attacked by monsters, I created a wall at the entrance of the hollow with my earth magic. After ensuring our safety, I took out food from the “Useful Box.”

“Rin, you should have something sweet. You’ve been focusing on searching for a while, haven’t you?”

Saying this, I handed Rin a piece of toast spread with honey. 

“Ahh, I want to eat some too,” Leticia said enviously, so I took out portions for everyone else as well.

After having a delicious meal and relaxing, we, now revitalized, left the hollow and resumed our exploration.

“Ah! Lark, look there!”

Within five minutes of resuming our break, Rin had found the stairs leading down further into the labyrinth.

“So by going down these stairs, we can reach the second layer…”

But why are there stairs in the labyrinth? In the fantasy games I used to play a lot in my previous life, there were always stairs prepared to go down to the lower levels of the labyrinth. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but seeing it in reality is a little eerie. 

Also, in those games, treasure chests were placed throughout the labyrinths, and if the game was kind, there were mechanisms midway to return to the surface.

Actually, during our exploration of this labyrinth, we found several treasure chests. Most were empty, likely opened by other adventurers, but occasionally we found untouched ones. The contents were often consumables like herbs, which were modestly appreciated.

While we haven’t discovered any teleportation mechanisms yet, given the game-like structure, it wouldn’t surprise me if there were some somewhere.

“Who in the world built these labyrinths, anyway…”

Upon muttering to myself, Asura responded, “According to one theory, it’s said that the gods built the labyrinths. They’re believed to be places for us, humans, to face trials.”

“The gods? …I see.”

I recalled Samady’s face. If a god like him (or her?) had created it, the kindness of its design would make sense.

“I guess it makes sense for it to be a place for trials. The existence of treasure chests could be seen as rewards for those who challenge these trials.”

“Right, I agree.”

After our conversation, we descended the staircase and stepped into the second floor. The monsters here were slightly stronger compared to the first floor, but we steadily progressed, combining our strength. There were traps along the way, but Rin detected all of them in advance, allowing us to avoid or disarm them.

We continued through the labyrinth without overdoing it, passing through the third and fourth floors and finally arriving at the fifth. The guild staff had told us that they hadn’t been below this point… 

The moment we entered the fifth floor, I sensed a strong presence. It felt extremely dangerous. Looking at the faces of my party members, it seemed like only Rin had felt the same presence.

“Leticia, Asura. Something might happen on this floor.”

I spoke briefly to Leticia and the others, moving forward with even more caution than before. However, contrary to our expectations, we were able to proceed without incident. There were no particularly dangerous monsters or traps.

“It’s good that we’ve been able to proceed safely, but I wonder what that presence was.”

As we walked, I spoke to Rin, “Hmm, I would like to think it wasn’t just our imagination since both you and I felt it, but I’m starting to lose confidence… everything feels normal now.”

Then Asura joined the conversation, “But it’s hard to believe that you two were wrong… Maybe we should stop exploring before something irreversible happens…?”

“Indeed, perhaps we should…”

Due to the continuous vigilance since we entered the fifth floor, not just Rin and I, but also Leticia and Asura, were quite mentally drained. It’s quite an achievement to reach the fifth floor on our first exploration. 

Leticia and Rin agreed, and we decided to return. As we turned on our heels to head back the way we came, that’s when it happened. We sensed the presence we had felt when we first entered the fifth floor again.

“!”

In the next instant, the labyrinth shook violently. Despite our confusion, we managed to lean against the walls and aimed for the stairs above as we walked. We thought the shaking would subside after a while, but instead, it intensified, and the ground began to crack in places. At this rate, someone might fall into a crevice…! 

Knowing it was reckless, I activated my earth magic to create a rectangular block of earth that enclosed the three of us. Then, with my “Physical Body Enhancement,” I lifted the earthen block and ran towards the stairs.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, the ground under my feet split open, forming a large hole. I lost my footing and nearly fell into it.

“!”

In a split second, I activated wind magic, creating a blast of air behind me. The force of the wind lifted me and the earthen block off the ground, and I managed to plant my feet on the edge of the hole. From there, I leaped with momentum, escaping the danger of falling into the hole. 

Landing and looking ahead, I saw the stairs. Despite the violent shaking, there was no sign of any collapse or destruction. The shaking seemed to be subsiding.

“I’ve heard from adventurers that no matter what happens, the labyrinth’s stairs don’t break. It seems they were right. Phew, looks like we’ll be able to make it out… somehow.”

Perhaps the labyrinth didn’t miss my moment of relief and laxness. Without any warning, the largest shake yet occurred. The ground beneath me split in two, and before I realized it, I was falling rapidly. Even if I used wind magic like before, I wouldn’t be able to escape this time.

“Damn it!”

Realizing in a flash, I threw the earthen block that I was holding towards the stairs, almost without thinking.

“Eek!”

“Uh!”

After the startled voices of Leticia and the others inside, I heard a thud indicating it had landed. It seemed to have safely fallen near the stairs. The earthen block would have broken from the impact. This should allow everyone to escape the labyrinth. It’s better for me to be the only sacrifice than for everyone to fall together.

“Lark!”

I heard the voices of the three above. Hearing their voices, despite the situation, I felt strangely relieved.

And so, with a sense of relief, I fell into the depths of the earth…

◇

“…Did I somehow manage not to die?”

After a slight impact, I confirmed the feeling of the ground against my back, and opened my eyes, which I had tightly shut. 

While falling, I had been continuously emitting wind magic in desperation, reducing my falling speed. 

It was a gamble whether I would run out of magic first or reach the bottom of the hole, but it seemed to have worked out well. 

However, I could tell from the amount of magic remaining in my body that it was an extremely close call. If the hole had been ten meters deeper, my magic would have been depleted first and I would have died. 

I got up and surveyed my surroundings. 

“…What layer is this?”

Somehow, it doesn’t seem like it’s around the sixth or seventh layer. 

That’s because I feel the same presence that I felt on the fifth layer, only much stronger than when I was on the fifth layer. 

“…I guess I’ll tentatively call it the “lower layer”. Not that it means much…”

Well, now that I’ve narrowly saved my life, I have to return to the surface. 

That’s what I thought as I looked up, but…

“Whoa… it’s neatly closed off.”

For some reason, the fissure in the ground had been perfectly repaired. Now I need to find another way out. 

“I brought a lot of food in case something happened, but how will I get back… Oh, right.”

Amidst my anxiety, I suddenly remembered and called out in my mind. In response to my call, Shafal appeared in his human form. Having someone with me is more reassuring than being alone. 

After slowly looking around, Shafal casually opened his mouth, “Lark, you’re really a busybody. Who’d have thought you’d end up stranded underground in the labyrinth after picking a fight with the Holy Kingdom.”

“I didn’t fall because I wanted to, you know. Anyway, Shafal, can you break the ceiling from here to the surface?”

“It’s impossible for me now. Although, I can do a little damage…”

After saying this, Shafal suddenly unleashed a breath towards the nearby wall. A rather loud sound echoed, but contrary to the roaring noise, the wall was not much damaged. “I’m not at my best because I’ve just reincarnated. I can only do a little damage like this,” coughing and choking, Shafal said this.

“I see… Just to confirm, Shafal, you can’t use teleportation magic, can you?”

“No, I can’t use it yet.”

“I see.”

I wouldn’t say it was my last hope, but another way to return to the surface was lost. 

Well, if it’s impossible, it can’t be helped. I’ll have to find the stairs and return one layer at a time. 

With a change in thought, we began to walk through the lower layers of the labyrinth.

About an hour after we began exploring the lower layers.

I am now sitting in front of a downward staircase, taking a break. Yes, I found the downward stairs before the upward ones. 

Fortunately, we did not encounter any monsters along the way, but I took a serious mental hit when I saw the downward stairs. Physical fatigue was also accumulating, so I decided to take a rest. 

While waiting to recover, I asked Shafal, “Haa, but what on earth was that tremor?”

“…This is just a guess, but something must have happened in this lower section where we are now. I think the aftershocks of that reached the surface.”

“…Yeah, I think so too. Because the presence I felt just before the tremor is much stronger here. It’s impossible to think that there’s no relation.”

Although I am curious about the identity of the presence… I should prioritize returning to the surface now. 

I sighed, got up and resumed the search. 

Thanks to the break, my physical strength had returned. 

Just as I was about to look for the stairs and turned the corner—

“!!”

Unfortunately, I encountered a monster from the lower levels. It appeared like a human woman but had wings sprouting from its arms, and the lower half of its body resembled that of a bird. This creature, known as a Harpy, is a mid-tier monster. Given my current state of depleted magical power, the odds are against me. When I used my “Appraising Eye”, it revealed that it was over level 30. Why is such a creature in a C-ranked labyrinth?!

“Hmm, Lark, leave this one to me.”

Shafal moved forward assertively and reassured me. While I had a momentary fear of raising a death flag, he defeated the Harpy with a single blow, as expected from the legendary Silver Dragon. We collected the Harpy’s corpse into the “Useful Box” and moved on. Even after defeating the Harpy, we encountered various monsters during our exploration and ended up in battles. At times, powerful monsters like Ogres appeared, but they were instantly killed by Shafal’s attack.

Watching an Ogre die, blown away by Shafal’s punch, I muttered softly, “I really feel so grateful to have Shafal around. I’ll lift the no-meal punishment; let’s eat together later.”

“Hmm, does that mean you didn’t appreciate me until now?” he asked.

“That’s not it. You were very handy as a means of transport when we went to the Holy Kingdom.”

“I am not just a convenient ride, you know!”

As Shafal and I had this comedic back-and-forth, we advanced through the lower levels. Suddenly, I felt an intense presence. We stopped our conversation and focused all our senses. The presence was emanating from around the corner ahead of us. I made eye contact with Shafal and we nodded at each other, proceeding with caution. Peeking around the corner, I saw a person lying face down on the ground. At the same time, I finally realized the nature of the presence. It was killing intent emanating from this person. I don’t know why a collapsed person would emit such killing intent, but undoubtedly, it was the cause of the labyrinth’s tremors.

Then, Shafal asked in a whisper, “What should we do? I think it would be better not to approach.”

“Hmm, I know it’s obviously dangerous, but I think we should help the person who’s fallen.”

“To approach someone with such killing intent… Lark, you truly are a good-natured person.”

“Let’s try calling out while being ready to flee at any moment.”

“Understood.”

We took one step at a time toward the fallen person and tentatively spoke up, “Excuse me… are you alive?”

“…..”

No response. 

But I could hear this person’s breathing, so she seemed to be alive. Is she like me, who fell from above, or originally from here? If it’s the latter, she’s not a normal human. Well, any normal person wouldn’t emit such killing intent. For now, I take one more step closer. At that, the fallen person’s body twitched in response, turning her face toward us. It was an incredibly beautiful woman with black hair and black eyes. Her beauty was so unreal it felt otherworldly. With her drenched eyes, she looked at us, moved her refined lips slowly and said…

“I…need…food…I’m…hungry…”

What a disappointing thing to hear.

“…To think she was just collapsed from hunger.”

Mumbling to myself, I took a grilled rice ball from the “Useful Box” as per her request and brought it to her mouth. The woman took a big bite without hesitation and continued to eat bite after bite. Just when I thought she finished it, she began licking my hand that held the rice ball, causing me to withdraw quickly. The woman sat up and smiled gracefully.

“Thank you, it was very delicious. In my thousands of years of existence, this is the first time I’ve eaten something so delicious.”

“Huh? Thanks… Wait, what?”

Did she just say something outrageous? No, it must be my imagination. Shaking off my confusion, I asked her, “Why did you collapse here? And why were you emitting such strong killing intent?”

“Huh? Killing intent?”

Bewildered, the woman listened as Shafal interjected, “Indeed, it was intense enough to make the surrounding monsters flee. You’re still emitting it.”

“Oh, I… when I get hungry, I tend to get grumpy.”

She said shyly and retracted her killing intent. Just being grumpy caused her to emit that kind of killing intent? She’s quite the mystery… But it seems we can communicate, so I’ll try to ask her more.

“Can I ask a few questions?”

“Yes, you helped me. Go ahead.”

“Thank you. Then, first… Could you tell me your name? I’m Lark, and this is Shafal.”

“My name is Zera. Nice to meet you, Lark-kun and Shafal-kun.”

At this, Shafal scratched his cheek and said to Zera, “Hmm, Zera, could you stop using ‘-kun’ for me? Despite my appearance, I’ve lived for quite a while.”

“But I’m older than you, Shafal-kun. After all, I existed before the Silver Dragon Shafal was born.”

At Zera’s words, Shafal and I simultaneously let out a gasp of surprise.

“You’ve lived longer than Shafal… So, what you said earlier wasn’t a figment of my imagination.”

When I spoke, Shafal responded, “No,” warning the woman as he continued speaking, his caution evident. “Lark, that’s not the crucial point. This one, looking at me in human form, called me a ‘Silver Dragon.’ She seems to know my true identity, but who are you, exactly?”

“Oh, don’t you know? I am a demon.”

“What?! Lark, get away from her!”

The moment Zera announced herself as a demon, Shafal tried to pull me away from her by gripping my arm. However, Zera swiftly circled around to our back, cutting off our escape route. She moved so quickly I couldn’t track her movement.

“Don’t run away~. We’re just having a normal conversation~”

Zera said this to Shafal, her cheeks puffing out adorably.

“Interacting with an entity like you only leads to calamity! Clear the path at once, or else…”

Shafal took in a deep breath, about to release his breath weapon.

“Hold on, Shafal. We don’t need to run.”

As I hurriedly restrained Shafal, Zera looked at me, her face full of surprise.

“Oh, Lark-kun, you’re so kind. Normally people would run away from a demon…Don’t you know what demons are?”

“Eh… well, I do know.”

Indeed, I had learned about demons during my study of this world, receiving lessons from Fia about such a race. Demons, they’re one of the races in this world, said to possess power rivaling that of the gods. Their rarity exceeds that of dragons and their true nature is mostly a mystery. Normally, humans wouldn’t encounter demons. The only certain fact about demons is, if gods are entities of goodness, then demons are literally entities of malevolence. It is written that they use their immense power to bring all sorts of disasters to the world. Although I know they’re extremely dangerous beings…

Zera tilted her head slightly, asking me a question, “Even though you know, you don’t seem to be showing any signs of running, Lark-kun. Why’s that?”

“Well, I can’t sense any hostility from you, Zera-san.”

“Oh, that’s correct. So, can you guess what I’m thinking right now?”

As she stared into my eyes in a challenging way, I responded, “….’I want to eat another one of those grilled rice balls I had earlier,’ perhaps?”

Silence enveloped the area. Shafal turned his dumbfounded gaze towards me. Did I get it wrong…? Just when I thought that, Zera’s face turned sullen as she started to speak.

“Oh my, did I let it show on my face? But I can’t help it. It’s the first time I’ve tasted something so delicious.”

I was relieved; I got it right. However, an infuriated Shafal grabbed my shoulder. “Lark, why are you casually chatting with a demon?! Don’t you have a sense of danger?!”

“Just because she’s a demon, it’s wrong to be hostile without any reason, right? Zera-san is communicating with us like this, Shafal, you should also calm down a bit. Besides, I felt more in danger when I first met you than I do now.”

When I first met Shafal, he forcibly dragged me to his dwelling. When he first appeared before me, he was in the form of a huge dragon. I thought he was going to eat me right then and there.

“Ugh, still though…” Perhaps remembering that time, Shafal’s face twisted into a slightly bitter expression.

“It’s fine, Lark-kun. It’s natural to want to run away when hearing the word ‘demon.’ But Shafal-kun, could you at least listen to my side of the story?”

At Zera’s words, Shafal thought for a moment before reluctantly responding, “Hmm, fine.”