Prologue: Seraphina Bloom

The pale blue glow of ice crystals, forged over a millennium, hung menacingly from the cavern ceiling like the fangs of some primordial ice dragon. The biting wind that howled up from the abyss carried the sighs of souls trapped for thousands of years, echoing deeper into the cave until it twisted into a terrifying wail.

"It's... it's way too creepy in here..."

The small-statured archer girl, Levy, fidgeted with her quiver, her voice trembling. Her nimble fingers brushed against the fletching of her arrows, clearly searching for some sense of calm.

The other adventurers' eyes mirrored that same unease, as if silently agreeing with her.

"If five hundred gold coins don't seem worth it to you, you're free to turn back," their employer—the blond mage from the Golden Tower, Liandel—said with a gentle smile, smoothing the neat folds of his robe. True to his reputation as the chief researcher of the Golden Tower, his voice carried the calm composure of a true scholar.

At those words, the adventurers' eyes gleamed with greed, and they steeled themselves once more. When one considered that ten gold coins could sustain an ordinary commoner family for a year, five hundred was a fortune large enough to let a person live without working for the rest of their life after completing this single request.

"Let me emphasize this one more time," Liandel continued, drawing out his crystal staff. "Our goal is the Frost Ether Ore, a rare mineral found in the lower layers of this labyrinth. Once we reach the lower levels, the dwarven mineral detector will locate it quickly, so I only ask that you focus on protecting me."

The adventurers nodded with grim determination. In their eyes, a golden future was already taking shape.

"Then let's head in."

"Haha! We finally found it!"

Liandel cried out in pure joy when they finally discovered the ore near the entrance to the deepest layer. His delighted shout brought life back to the exhausted faces of the adventurers. What was supposed to take two weeks had stretched into three. They had battled countless monsters while enduring bitter cold and gnawing hunger. Now, all that remained was to return safely and claim their enormous reward.

"Kal, you said you'd go back to your hometown after this request, right?"

"Yeah. I've got a girlfriend waiting for me. I'm going to propose as soon as I get back!"

The young warrior Kal's voice brimmed with excitement and hope.

"Nice. Make sure you invite me to the wedding. What about you, Levy?"

"I..." Levy said shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm going to enter the academy. I took this request to help pay for the tuition..."

"Huh? With your archery skills, do you really need to go to the academy?"

"Of course I do!" Levy's eyes sparkled. "The Heshet Empire Academy is where the Third Prince attends! If I can show His Highness my archery and tell him all about our adventure..."

Her face flushed bright red.

"Ah... I'm already so nervous... I can't wait for next year's entrance exam..."

"Ahaha..." The old adventurer Roderick, whose black hair was streaked with gray, gave an awkward smile. "They say the Third Prince is both handsome and kind. With your skill, I'm sure he'll take notice."

Even as the cheerful conversation continued, Liandel was carefully extracting the Frost Ether Ore. His mind was already filled with plans to write the Golden Tower's greatest thesis using this precious research material.

But at that moment, the entire cavern began to tremble faintly. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The ice crystals clinked against one another with sharp, ringing sounds, and the chill grew even more intense.

"Kiiiieeee—!"

A piercing roar shook the entire space. A vortex of freezing air surged along the cavern walls.

"Lord Liandel... that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sound..."

Liandel quickly spread his mana outward, scanning the direction the noise had come from. His face turned deathly pale.

"It's a Crystal Basilisk... This is bad."

"Crystal Basilisk? You mean that S-rank monster that lives in the deepest layers?"

Fear and despair crawled down the adventurers' spines like ice. The shadow of death fell heavily across ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠every exhausted face.

"Yes, without a doubt," Liandel muttered, gathering his magical power. "I don't know why it came up from the lower layers, but it's blocking our only way back and isn't moving an inch."

"Can't we just wait until it leaves...?" Levy's voice shook.

"It has already noticed us." Liandel's expression darkened. "It won't give up on such perfect prey—tired, wounded, and weak like us."

A Crystal Basilisk was a foe that even a party of three A-rank adventurers, three B-rank adventurers, and Liandel—who possessed strength close to A-rank—couldn't guarantee victory against in perfect condition. In their current exhausted state, the outcome was obvious.

Just as the shadow of death grew thicker, Kal suddenly asked, "Does anyone... have any alcohol left?"

"What? You want to drink at a time like this?" Roderick couldn't hide his disbelief.

"Kal, get a grip," another adventurer sighed.

"Even if the Crystal Basilisk is an S-rank monster, it's one of the more manageable ones compared to the others..."

"Sir Kal... please..." Levy begged, her voice trembling.

But Kal's eyes were strangely resolute.

"No! I'm not the one who wants to drink it. I was thinking we should head down to the deepest layer instead! There's a flower down there that protects anyone who offers it alcohol!"

"Seraphina Bloom..." Liandel fell into deep thought. His crystal staff hummed faintly with a wave of mana.

"Lord Liandel, you're not seriously believing those rumors, are you?" Roderick raised his voice. "Seraphina Bloom is nothing but a monster known as the King of Bugs! That thing commands hundreds of insect monsters and is said to be a dragon-class abomination. Facing one S-rank monster is far better than taking such a reckless gamble!"

"That's not true!" Kal countered passionately. "Even the Hero and the Saint's party received its help! That's why it's called Seraphina Bloom, after the Saint's name!"

"Have you forgotten that the Jenes Kingdom's Second Knight Order was completely wiped out after going to find it based on those same rumors?"

"The knight order tried to capture Seraphina Bloom without any fear. They were asking for it." Kal's eyes shone with conviction. "The adventurers who came back alive said that if you offer it alcohol, it not only gives you a safe place to rest but even casts recovery magic on you. It even sends one or two S-rank monsters to escort you back out!"

"Hah, what utter nonsense." Roderick shook his head. "They must have all been hallucinating. Besides, even if we go down to the deepest layer, there's no guarantee we'll meet the King of Bugs right away. The deepest layer is crawling with other S-rank monsters like goblins. If we go down there, we'll just die for nothing."

As if growing tired of their noisy argument, the Crystal Basilisk's roar grew even closer.

"Kieeeeek!"

"It's coming!"

Liandel made his decision. "We're heading to the deepest layer! Run!"

"Damn it! Fuck!" Roderick spat a curse but still followed the group downward. He knew that leaving the party now would only bring an even quicker death.

As they descended into the deepest layer, the color of the ice grew darker and darker until it took on the hue of the deep blue sea. Within it, unidentifiable shadows writhed and danced. In the darkness that seemed to swallow even light, the adventurers pressed forward without making a sound.

"So this is the deepest layer..." Levy whispered, her voice shaking.

"Lord Liandel, hurry," Kal urged. "We've come all the way down here. It would be too unfair to die to some other monster before we even meet Seraphina Bloom..."

Once they reached the deepest layer, several branching paths appeared. But from one of the tunnels came a faint yet unmistakable mystical fragrance. That captivating, sweet scent undoubtedly belonged to Seraphina Bloom—or the monster known as the King of Bugs.

Liandel took the lead, holding a bottle of beer in one hand and wine in the other. His crystal staff emitted a faint light as it sensed the flow of mana. The subtle fragrance gradually grew thicker. The intoxicating aroma, like that of heavenly fruit, felt like a path leading straight to paradise.

Yet contrasting the sweet scent was the eerie sound of countless insects crawling, growing louder from the end of the passage. The party fell silent as if by agreement. Only the sound of their footsteps and the rustle of clothing against ice echoed around them.

Ignoring the unsettling noises as best they could and letting themselves be carried by the scent, they finally reached a massive open chamber. The entire floor was covered in small red flowers that emitted a soft, moonlight-like glow. Countless insect-shaped monsters danced across them.

Especially striking were the red butterflies with three pairs of wings, beautiful like rising flames; the enormous ice hornets with stingers the size of a human forearm, radiating overwhelming presence; and the metallic-bodied spiders that floated in the air, defying gravity, displaying their mysterious forms. Though they had never seen these three types of monsters before, their sheer presence far surpassed the Crystal Basilisk they had felt in the lower layers.

And at the center of it all stood a colossal flower with beautiful yet terrifying blood-red petals and a pitch-black stem that towered well above a person's height. Its overwhelming aura made it seem like the queen of this place.

Fortunately, just as Kal had claimed, none of the monsters here attacked them. Liandel could feel the flower—though it had no eyes—staring intently at the alcohol in his hands. He approached Seraphina Bloom carefully, making sure not to step on any of the smaller flowers.

"H-here is some beer and wine." His voice trembled slightly. "We fled here from a Crystal Basilisk that suddenly appeared in the lower layers. Would it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be alright if we rested here for a short while?"

Normally he wouldn't have thought a monster could understand speech, but with this creature... this mysterious being, he felt an inexplicable certainty that his words would get through.

As soon as Liandel finished speaking, black roots burst from the ground, shattered the bottles, and began drinking the contents. The way the roots moved like living creatures sent shivers through the adventurers.

Once it had drunk all the alcohol, Seraphina Bloom shook with what seemed like joy and scattered pollen in all directions.

"Hik...!" Levy trembled, thinking it was an attack, but the pollen carried a warm energy that began healing their wounds.

"Huh...?" Roderick looked at his arm in astonishment. "My wounds are healing all of a sudden!?"

"Mine too...!"

"See, Mister Roderick?" Kal said with a victorious smile. "It's so beautiful and kind—how could something like this be called the horrible name 'King of Bugs'? From now on, we should call it Seraphina Bloom or the Saint's Flower."

"Y-yeah..." Roderick nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I guess I was wrong."