The Ice Castle (1)
Even three hundred years ago, when the Labyrinth first opened, the heretics must have slipped in here to hide. There could be no safer place for them than the Labyrinth itself.
“So you’re saying all the heretics’ wealth is buried somewhere inside the Labyrinth?”
“Yes. That’s why discovering an Evil God Altar isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Of course it was good for me, too. Far better that I find one and handle it cleanly than let someone else stumble across it and cause a mess.
“To be honest, the party’s been feeling a bit uneasy after running into two altars already. I think they’d appreciate it if you explained things to them, Priest Arthur. What do you say?”
Just seeing an Evil God Altar was enough to leave a foul taste in anyone’s mouth.
“If it’s necessary, I’ll do so.”
I wasn’t just saying that to gloss over the current situation. Sadly, just as villains often live quite comfortably, the heretics had also grown rich by committing atrocities. The reason the Church hadn’t publicized their deeds was to prevent foolish greed from leading people astray. Now that everyone had heard a detailed explanation about the Evil God Altars, at least no one in our party would sympathize with the heretics’ actions.
The information about heretics had been strictly suppressed by the Holy Empire, so my companions listened intently to everything I told them.
“Oh, so the reason this path had so many traces was because heretics used to hide here. It makes sense now.”
“But isn’t it strange that they could walk around so openly on a path this obvious without ever getting caught?”
“It was three hundred years ago. The terrain changes every three months—why would this place be any different?”
“I suspect the same. This path was probably hidden three hundred years ago. The shifting landscape must have gradually revealed it.”
No one knew what had happened inside the Labyrinth during its three-hundred-year seal. That meant we had to consider every possibility and keep our minds open.
“Anyway, enough complaining, everyone. You’re not seriously thinking of turning back when this route has a higher chance of a big payoff, are you?”
“I’d love for some good equipment to drop, but the thought that heretics used it makes me feel sick. It’s complicated.”
The commoners seemed to hope for money, while the nobles wanted rare artifacts. They still didn’t fully trust my words, but once they saw the proof with their own eyes, their morale would naturally rise. They might even start scouring the area for traces of the heretics more eagerly than I did.
After we finished neatly purifying the traces of the Evil God Altar, we set off again. Perhaps because they now knew this might have been a path the heretics used, everyone kept a sharp eye on their surroundings. Whenever they spotted anything suspicious, they called for me first, which meant I had to run back and forth constantly. Yet I never once complained. Each time they called, I rushed over as quickly as possible to examine the heretics’ traces.
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. Another false alarm. I really thought this one was obvious at first glance.”
The man scratched the back of his head, clearly feeling guilty about all the misses. I quickly reassured him.
“It’s perfectly fine. You’re doing an excellent job. If something seems even slightly suspicious, you should call me right away. If you hesitate because you’re worried about bothering me and accidentally touch a real trace, it becomes far more troublesome to clean up afterward.”
“Sigh, I just feel bad about it. I thought about calling that other person, but it’s hard to approach her.”
It seemed calling me was more comfortable than calling Melody, so I ended up being summoned far more often.
“Please call me next time as well. There’s no need to feel sorry. You’re calling me to do what needs to be done, so there’s no reason for guilt. It’s my job to check anything that even has the slightest possibility.”
They absolutely must not feel burdened about calling me. What if I got lazy and brushed something off, only for it to turn out to be a heretic’s item? A moment of carelessness could blow up into a major problem. I repeatedly reminded the apologetic party members not to overlook even the smallest objects.
And those repeated reminders finally paid off.
“I’m not sure, but… it’s an extremely old piece of paper. I was going to ignore it, but I remembered what you said, Priest.”
“Paper, you say? Let me take a look.”
“It’s incredibly worn and torn.”
The man looked uncertain, as if wondering whether he should have bothered me over something like this. After examining the paper, I let out a deep sigh and said,
“You did very well.”
“So it really was nothing?”
“No. This is definitely a heretic’s item.”
“!!”
“This is something that needs to be reported to the Holy Empire. Once the contents are verified, you’ll likely receive a reward. I’ll let you know the details later.”
“R-really?”
The man seemed to know that reporting anything related to heretics came with a generous bounty.
“Yes. Please keep it up. This place requires that kind of meticulous attention. Thanks to all of you, I can rest easy.”
“Haha! Don’t worry, Priest! I’ll find everything and bring it straight to you!”
Now that we finally had a success story, the whole party seemed energized. Our Labyrinth exploration continued—fighting monsters when we encountered them, then thoroughly searching the area. Everyone had grown used to the rhythm and moved with practiced efficiency.
Then, suddenly—
“Huh? What’s that?”
To our astonishment, we discovered a colossal ice castle.
“Looks like we’ve found exactly what we were looking for!”
Anyone could tell at a glance that something significant lay inside. This was clearly a place where conquering the castle could lead to an enormous payoff.
“There don’t seem to be any recent signs of activity. There are traces, but they’re from a very long time ago.”
“Conquering that doesn’t look like it’ll be done in a day or two. We’ll need to take our time and tackle it over several days at least.”
“Yeah. The castle’s enormous. It’s probably packed full of monsters in there.”
We decided to set up camp in a spot with a good view of the castle. After discussion between the leader and Reciel, we agreed to build a temporary base nearby. An ominous aura was clearly emanating from within the castle.
“We should still send scouts…”
Two massive ice golems stood guard before the castle gates.
“Leader, those ice golems aren’t just decorations, right? If we get closer, will they actually move?”
Stone golems were practically a disaster for ordinary mercenaries. Swords were useless against them, and they looked like they could shrug off most attacks.
“The best method is to overwhelm them with sheer ‘power’ and knock them down.”
“Yes, knocking them down will be the most important part. After that, we can all beat them to pieces together.”
It seemed no one had considered how terrifying golems could be. Monsters like orcs or ogres sent shivers down your spine just from hearing their names, but stone golems didn’t carry the same threatening image. Anyone who had seen a golem with their own eyes, however, would never think that way.
That golem’s size is no joke.
I’d have to stop underestimating golems from now on.
“So we need to gang up on it and pin it down so it can’t move…”
“But how do we knock something like that down?”
“Swinging a sword at that thing would probably feel like poking it with a toothpick.”
“We’ll need powerful firepower.”
At the mention of powerful firepower, everyone’s eyes turned to two particular people. They were the ones who hadn’t played a major role in combat so far. Yet no one complained about them.
Because…
“Isn’t that exactly why I came along?”
“Knocking down a golem or two is well within my capabilities. Just say the word when you need it.”
The two of them were high-ranking ‘mages.’ Priests were valuable, but mages were equally prized high-level talent. The reason they hadn’t used their abilities until now was precisely for a moment like this.
“Whoa, that’s so fucking cool.”
Someone’s quiet mutter happened to echo in the sudden silence.
“Pfft!”
A burst of laughter erupted. Even the mages, hearing the open praise, smiled without seeming offended.
“Let’s get ready!”
Now that we had a solid plan for dealing with the golems, everyone began setting up the base camp with lighter hearts.
After I finished pitching my share of the tent, I suddenly had some free time. I grabbed a snack from where they were preparing food and was eating it by the campfire when Melody approached. I shared some of the snack with her, and while we sat quietly watching the flames, a question suddenly occurred to me.
“Do you think there will be traces of heretics inside the castle as well?”
“There definitely will be. The reason that path the heretics used existed was probably because of this castle.”
“There must be other paths leading here too, right? Just who built a castle like that inside the Labyrinth? It feels ominous somehow. I have a feeling a lot is going to happen in there. We should prepare ourselves thoroughly.”
“Yes. I’ll make sure we’re ready.”
Because I trusted Melody, I could endure even this inexplicable anxiety.
After finishing the snack, I set up a simple prayer room. This time it wasn’t for the others—it was built solely for myself. It was a prayer meant to calm the unease that refused to leave my heart.
When things get tough, leaning on Him is always the best choice.
There was no shortage of things to pray for. First, I prayed that He would watch over us. I prayed that no great calamity would befall the party. And if there were unclean things inside the castle, I prayed they would safely return to His embrace. If they had sinned, they would pay for those sins, repent, and be reborn.
Just how many lives are trapped inside this Labyrinth?
I finally understood why He had paid such special attention to me within the Labyrinth. Perhaps what He wanted was for me to save the lives of those suffering here.
Of course, I knew it was arrogant to think I could guess His will. Still, I felt like I had at least caught a faint glimpse of the direction I should take from now on.