Clue (3)
"I thought we'd never meet again like this! Man, it's good to see you. So good to see you!"
I had summoned the team members back to the Labyrinth City to prepare for re-entering the labyrinth. It had been a long time since we'd seen each other's faces, so I'd called them early to shake off the rust and get our teamwork back in sync.
If their pockets had been empty, they might have complained about the long break, but fortunately the downtime had come while their wallets were still full, so there didn't seem to be any major dissatisfaction. Their faces glistened with oil; it looked like everyone had enjoyed their rest period to the fullest. The nobles, who had known the team might disband, appeared to have suffered some mental strain—their faces were a bit gaunt. Still, I told myself the important thing was that we'd all met up safely.
The nobles, delighted to see one another after so long, approached the team members without hesitation and fell into easy conversation.
"Seeing everyone gathered together like this puts me in a good mood."
Despite her young age, Princess Reciel wore an oddly mature smile as she watched the team members sharing the joy of reunion. Anyone looking on might have mistaken her for their mother. I had known she was an old soul, but seeing her wear such an expression already felt both absurd and heartbreaking, so I walked over to her.
"You've worked hard."
If not for Princess Reciel's persistent efforts, this scene would never have been possible.
"It's thanks to your assistance. It's frustrating, but things really started to go smoothly after the Holy Empire offered their help. I'm still far too incompetent."
"You simply need to build up your strength. This subjugation exists for that very purpose."
The Holy Empire had not helped blindly, sending us into the labyrinth without a plan. Establishing clear achievements inside the labyrinth had to come first. Wasn't Prince Loras's current grip on power built on the foundation of his fabricated success?
To place Princess Reciel at the starting line of the succession struggle, we first needed accomplishments that others could recognize.
"Ah—and by the time we finish this labyrinth subjugation and emerge, your contributions will be officially recognized, Your Highness."
Of course Princess Reciel already possessed accumulated merits. She had entered the labyrinth twice before and brought back substantial evidence of heretic activity each time. It had simply taken a long while for those deeds to be formally acknowledged, because she was royalty from another nation.
"This labyrinth subjugation will be crucial."
Had we retrieved the Holy Relic intact, her achievements would have been recognized far more quickly. But it had already been taken by some unknown entity, so regret was useless; the matter had to be set aside.
Even if it took time, once the Holy Empire officially recognized her exploits, the Deltrack Empire would no longer be able to sit idle.
"When we emerge from the labyrinth, you will possess the power to confront Prince Loras, Your Highness."
I worried I might be placing too heavy a burden on such a young child. She would handle it well, yet I could not fully rejoice. What good was it if a child excelled at her duties? At that age she should have been laughing with friends, yet here she was, forced to play lethal games with monsters that dripped killing intent.
"If only that bastard would stay quiet until then…."
When I told her Prince Loras had joined hands with a demon, Princess Reciel had shown a remarkably calm reaction. To her, calling him a demon would not have seemed strange at all. She had simply looked troubled by the various powers he would gain through the contract.
"He is probably preparing some form of counterattack. Now that his true nature has been exposed, he knows we will not remain idle."
"…There is so much to do, yet so little time."
"The Holy Empire is moving separately. They are watching what Prince Loras is plotting and whether the heretics are stirring. The eyes of the Holy Empire will continue to pressure him."
While the Holy Empire kept Loras from moving freely, Princess Reciel had to grow—rapidly.
The labyrinth's terrain changed exactly on schedule. We packed at once and stepped inside.
The new terrain was jungle. Insect-type monsters welcomed us with open arms.
"Ugh…."
High humidity and oppressive heat. Razor-edged grass that sliced at our skin, and swamps thick with sticky moisture, turned every step into a struggle.
"Ha, I'm sorry, Priest. May I ask for your help?"
What made it even worse was that the very air rising from the jungle carried poison.
"Yes, of course."
In the sweltering heat I wanted nothing more than to strip off my clothes, but the airborne toxin made that impossible. Breathing was already difficult; adding a mask on top of it was maddening.
We tired quickly, and the number of team members seeking me out kept growing. The saving grace was that I possessed the capacity to handle them all. An ordinary priest would have retired long ago and become dead weight for the party.
"Wouldn't climbing through the trees be better from here on?"
Simply walking the ground was hard enough; when we encountered a truly large swamp there was no solution at all. Once you fell in, escape without assistance was impossible, so our pace would slow to a crawl. We therefore detoured around any swamp of significant size. When detour was impossible, we sometimes traveled by tree.
Of course, the trees themselves could be monsters.
"Uwaaaagh!!"
It was not uncommon for the scouts forging ahead to suffer serious injury while climbing.
"That tree is a monster!!"
"Cut the vines first!!"
If ordinary-looking flowers could suddenly snatch and devour people, moving trees were hardly surprising. This jungle labyrinth ranked among the worst terrains, nearly equal to the previous zone.
"I don't know what we would have done without you, Priest."
It was the sixth day since entering the labyrinth. Everyone showed clear signs of exhaustion, so Princess Reciel and the leader decided on a full day's rest.
While we enjoyed that honey-sweet break, one team member, face utterly drained, suddenly offered me praise.
I felt no need to act humble or call the compliment excessive.
"…Other people will have to suffer a great deal."
Instead I expressed pity for those who would enter this place without a priest. The surrounding team members let out sounds of admiration.
"As expected of the Priest—you really are different."
"We were just thinking how lucky we are, since we'd be dying of exhaustion otherwise."
"Talking with you somehow makes me feel like I should live honestly and avoid doing anything bad, you know?"
"Hmm… definitely. Is this what repentance feels like?"
I let their mischievous teasing pass with an awkward smile.
"Still, it's worrying. No matter how far we walk, it's nothing but forest."
"You're right. There should be something visible by now."
The team member was remembering the Ice Castle from last time.
"Won't something like the Ice Castle appear again? Tsk, if we got another place like that, at least we'd have something to show for our trouble."
"Maybe it's hidden somewhere. There are certainly plenty of places to hide things."
Hiding anything in such dense jungle would have been easy.
Most of the team had begun to conclude that wandering aimlessly through the forest was pointless. In six days we had encountered nothing but grass, trees, and hostile monsters.
The scouts, naturally, had become the busiest. They searched with the hope that something must be there, yet nothing appeared, so they had to scour the area frantically, exhausting themselves in the process.
"These damn bugs are really getting on my nerves."
Everyone was freely enjoying the sweet day of rest. Since my own post-meal dessert had been equally sweet, I slept in deeply, then woke and did some light stretching.
"I'd like a quiet place. Would it be all right if I stepped out for a bit?"
The dense undergrowth prevented us from pitching proper tents, so we were staying in makeshift shelters of cloth and rock. Everyone was resting comfortably and the area was noisy; I wanted somewhere peaceful to pray.
"Um… we've cleared the immediate surroundings, so it should be safe, but please don't stay away too long."
"I'll only be gone about thirty minutes. Sister Melody will accompany me."
"Understood."
They granted permission quickly, perhaps because they knew why I was stepping away. Since I was going to pray anyway, I wanted a sunny spot, so I looked around for a suitable place.
"It's dangerous if you go too far."
"Everywhere is swamp. No suitable ground."
"How about that rock over there?"
"A rock?"
I tilted my head at the suggestion as she pointed to a large boulder.
"How am I supposed to climb that?"
"I will prepare a way for you to ascend."
"You're not planning to carry me up there, are you? It's not even flat. I'll manage somehow."
"Could you step back for a moment?"
Seeming frustrated by my refusal, she asked me to move aside, then drew her sword.
"What are you—Huk!"
In the blink of an eye the sword swung once.
Boom!Thud!!
It looked as if she had struck the rock with her blade, yet the deafening noise that assaulted my ears made the scene hard to believe. My eyes squeezed shut on instinct.
"Whew. You may open your eyes."
Suddenly swinging a sword at a rock—what was she thinking? It wasn't as if she were trying to break it with an egg. Yet when I opened my eyes and saw the sight before me, I kept my mouth firmly closed.
"I'll hold your hand. Please ascend."
The towering rock had been sliced cleanly in two. The flat surface left behind was the perfect size for me to sit and pray.
"What in the world…."
Beside it lay the severed chunk of stone.
How could a human being cut through rock with a sword?
"Shall I lower it further?"
She must have known I was stunned, yet her voice remained perfectly calm.
"Ah, n-no! It's fine. This is more than enough."
When I thought about it, monster shells were harder than rock. Given the effortless skill with which she sliced those apart, there was no reason to be surprised that she could cut stone.