The Labyrinth Opens
The ground rumbled. Kururung— Kururung—
“What ominous clouds.”
The sky, which had merely failed to produce a sunrise, was now choked with threatening black clouds. It was the first time the morning had arrived without a single ray of light, and the fear in the air was impossible to hide.
“Father, the sun hasn’t risen. Is this really all right?”
Some had come to the temple seeking answers, unable to contain their terror. Yet even we priests could not offer a clear explanation for the phenomenon. The situation was as unexpected for us as it was for them.
Still, we can’t pretend we know nothing.
I had already asked the other priests to calm the frightened people. “Do not be afraid. The Sun has merely turned His gaze elsewhere for a moment.”
“It is nothing serious. This is merely an omen caused by the Labyrinth’s opening.”
When faced with a disaster no human could oppose, people had only the gods to turn to. So we had to meet their expectations.
“Since things have come to this, let us pray together.”
We held a joint prayer to comfort those trembling with anxiety. Of course, no matter how fervently they prayed, the sun that refused to rise did not miraculously appear. The sky remained heavy with dark clouds, granting not a single beam of light to the earth.
Will this really be all right?
I wasn’t sure if it truly was, but pretending to know everything was a priest’s fate. While others could show their fear, a priest could not.
The sun not rising is truly a bad sign.
The Holy Empire could act like a bully toward other nations only because it had the Sun God at its back. Yet now the sun had vanished from the sky—meaning the protection of the one we believed in and followed had disappeared. Outwardly I remained composed, but in truth I had been trembling since earlier. The only reason I could hide it was thanks to the education I had received since childhood.
Kugugung— Kugugung—
“Ugh.”
“There’s that sound again.”
We could not spend the entire day in prayer. When word spread that the Labyrinth was about to open, we ended the prayers and decided to move toward the entrance to witness it.
“As you all know, today is the day mentioned in the oracle. What is happening now is merely a miracle caused by the Labyrinth’s seal being released. Do not be too alarmed. Steel your hearts. He will protect us.”
“What if monsters come out when that door opens?”
“The people gathered here will protect you. Once the Labyrinth opens, it will be filled with those who have come to fight bravely, will it not?”
Truthfully, the one who most wanted to run away might have been me. I had never understood why characters in movies never fled from dangerous situations, but now that I was in their place, I understood. It wasn’t that they didn’t run—it was that they had nowhere left to retreat.
“You will overcome this. Have courage. His blessing is with you.”
It was shameful that these were the only words I could offer. The people took comfort in the empty reassurances, which only made it worse.
“O God!”
“Protect us, unworthy though we are!”
Kururung—
Kwang!!
After that anxious stretch of time, signs finally appeared that the Labyrinth’s door was about to open. The thunderous noise coming from within grew louder and louder until an intense sense of foreboding wrapped around everyone’s bodies. While all held their breath and watched the entrance, a group began approaching the Labyrinth.
“Good heavens, what are those people doing?”
“Are they insane? That’s dangerous!”
“Oh, I can’t watch. What if a monster suddenly jumps out?”
It was astonishing that anyone could act so boldly when no one knew what might emerge once the door opened.
People who show off like that are always the first to die.
Those who flaunted themselves were highly likely to cause trouble for those around them.
“They’ve got some nerve. Is it even allowed for royalty to wander around like that?”
Royalty? There’s royalty in that group?
I had been inwardly cursing the people approaching the entrance when the mention of royalty made me flinch.
“Coming to the Labyrinth and getting to see royalty too—what a rare experience.”
“Indeed. She really is beautiful. She’s in a completely different class from us.”
At the word “beautiful,” my gaze naturally turned toward the royalty as well—I was a man, after all. Royalty was a status I had never encountered before. And it wasn’t just empty praise; her appearance truly was on the level of a celebrity. Golden hair that gleamed with vitality, skin as white and flawless as if it had been dipped in milk, and eyes as clear and radiant as the sky itself. She was so beautiful that one could easily imagine her as a leading actress.
But is it really safe for royalty to come to a place like this? It’s dangerous…
Snapping out of my daze, I suddenly remembered what kind of place this was. The Labyrinth was a perilous dungeon where one had to face monsters. It was no place for someone of such high status.
Did they send her here as the person in charge?
If they had sent her to earn merit, it made sense. To have one’s name listed among those responsible, one at least needed proof of having been at the Labyrinth.
Seeing this situation made me wonder what our own Holy Empire was doing.
They even sent a member of the imperial family as the person in charge! We should be stepping up too. At the very least, they should have sent a Bishop. How are we supposed to manage this place with nothing but a Chief Healer?
No matter how powerful the Holy Empire was, failing to send a proper person in charge was a problem.
“Still, I feel a bit more at ease now. With such an important person here, if any monsters appear, they’ll take care of them, right?”
People who had been unable to shake off their fear no matter how much they prayed began to feel reassured at the sight of the royalty. But that relief lasted only a moment. Finally, the Labyrinth’s door began to open.
◎ ◎ ◎
Witnessing the Labyrinth’s door open was perhaps the most intense experience of my life. The black clouds that had completely blocked out the sun now poured down rain like a waterfall. Shwaaaa— Kururung— Kuung!!
The rain, accompanied by lightning, sent people back into a state of panic. When the gloomy atmosphere reached its peak, the Labyrinth’s door finally opened.
Geugeugeugeugeugeuk—
“I-it’s opening!”
The ground trembled faintly. As the door opened, a pitch-black space was revealed. Gulp.
No one dared to speak easily. No one moved toward the ominous entrance of the Labyrinth. Will something come out?
Now that the door was open, monsters might come pouring out at any moment. Everyone placed their hands on their weapons and stared at the entrance with bated breath.
“……”
“……”
While everyone held their silence, the rain that had been falling suddenly stopped, as if the opening of the Labyrinth’s door had caused it. Then light descended upon the sky that had been dark without the sun. The heavens were changing rapidly. People quickly noticed the shift.
“The sun! The sun is rising!”
As the dark clouds gradually cleared, light poured down upon the earth. It felt as though He was taking away all our fears and telling us not to worry.
This is it!
The greatness and holiness of the Sun God stirred my emotions. Without anyone needing to lead, everyone clasped their hands and offered prayers to the god.
“Ooh!”
“Have mercy upon us!”
People say you only realize the value of something once you have lost it. We had briefly lost the “sun,” and in that short time we had come to understand its preciousness. The first place the sunlight touched was above our heads, and gradually the light spread outward until it finally reached the entrance of the Labyrinth.
“It seems no monsters will be coming out of the Labyrinth after all.”
He must be protecting us.
“Yes, it appears so.”
“Phew~”
“Now that the sun is out, I feel much better.”
The chilly, eerie atmosphere vanished, and breathing became easier. Even looking at the open Labyrinth door no longer felt frightening.
Now it begins.
After three hundred years, the Labyrinth had opened. No one knew how the world would change because of it. Though my heart was filled with unease, the work I had to do remained the same. I steadied myself, took a deep breath, and looked around. I was curious who would enter the Labyrinth first.
“Are you Priest Arthur?”
“!!”
While I had been distracted for a moment, strangers had approached me. To my surprise, it was the same group that had been near the Labyrinth earlier.
“So the newly built temple is over there. Quite close, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I believe it was deliberately constructed near the Labyrinth entrance.”
“I need to speak with the person in charge.”
At the regal, commanding voice of the royalty, my gaze naturally shifted.
“The person in charge is—ah, there he is.”
The royal attendant quickly spotted me among the crowd.
“Are you Priest Arthur, the one in charge of the temple?”
“Yes, I am temporarily managing the temple.”
I had no idea how they knew my face. This was the first time I had seen these people.
“This is Her Highness Princess Canaby of the Deltrack Empire.”
“May the Sun God’s blessing be with you. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Canaby.”
Princess Canaby stared straight at my face. Her gaze was so direct it felt almost burdensome.
“?”
As I met her eyes blankly, she finally spoke.
“A pleasure. I look forward to working with you. I hope you will show particular mercy to the people of our empire.”
It was a request to prioritize treating citizens of her empire.
“The Sun God does not turn away from those in need and will gladly embrace them.”
“Ah. You mentioned you were temporary. When will the actual person in charge arrive?”
She seemed to think speaking with a temporary head was unnecessary. Though flustered, I answered with a smile.
“I haven’t received any information yet, so I don’t know the exact schedule either.”
“So you will be acting as the person in charge for the time being?”
“It seems that way.”
“Then I suppose I should give it to you.”
At Princess Canaby’s words, her attendant moved. In his hand was a heavy pouch. When I looked confused, the attendant spoke.
“It is a donation.”
“Pardon?”
A donation, out of nowhere?
“To put it plainly, it means we hope the people of our empire will receive priority treatment among the guests of this temple.”
“At the healing center, we treat every patient to the best of our ability without discrimination. So there is no need for concern. There is no need to make a donation either.”
“I didn’t expect there would be a priest who refuses donations.”
“I have felt Your Highness’s deep care for your people. The citizens of the Deltrack Empire must be truly fortunate. However, when it comes to treatment, please trust us and leave it in our hands.”
Princess Canaby handing me an excessive money pouch was a bribe. If two critically ill patients, A and B, were brought in, she was asking me to prioritize treating the person from her empire.