The Prince's Hasty Assault
Whether he was conscious of Princess Reciel or not, Prince Loras moved far more quickly than expected to conquer the interior of the Ice Castle. Even though he must have seen the traces of our battle, he seemed confident it wouldn’t pose any real threat to his forces.
Is it because of the sheer difference in numbers? Still, he shouldn’t be charging in so carelessly…
Sister Melody must have noticed me glancing at Prince Loras’s expedition team.
“Does it concern you?”
“…Honestly, yes. They ought to be more cautious.”
“It is an expedition organized by royalty. Would they truly have brought incompetent people along?”
Her assurance that there was no need to worry eased my mind somewhat. What sin could all those people possibly have committed? Simply belonging to Prince Loras’s expedition could not be considered a crime. Since we planned to secretly siphon off the fruits of their labor, my concern would probably seem hypocritical to them.
“You’re right. I should focus on worrying about our own team’s future.”
Prince Loras’s expedition eventually smashed through the doors of the Ice Castle and poured inside. Monsters occasionally burst out from within and went flying off somewhere, suggesting a fierce battle was underway.
“We killed quite a few, yet it looks like there are still plenty left inside.”
“Indeed.”
The thought that we had nearly been forced to face that many monsters sent a chill down my spine. The creatures had attacked us first, leaving us no choice. But entering that place deliberately, with a clear mind, would have been an ordeal.
“They’re using their heads.”
The expedition team that had gone inside soon came back out. They established a formation at the entrance and began luring monsters out to hunt them. They had quickly realized that fighting within the castle—where the overwhelming numbers of monsters held every advantage—would be far too costly.
“That was the method I had in mind as well…”
“It’s stabilizing quickly.”
“The first floor will be over sooner than expected. Having so many people really is an advantage.”
The endless stream of monsters pouring from the first floor was enough to make even us spectators grow sick of the sight. No one resented having handed the opportunity to Prince Loras’s group anymore. Many had worried that it would be galling if his team performed too well, but after seeing the sheer quantity of monsters still flooding out, everyone wore the satisfied expression of a cat that had eaten its fill. They could all imagine what would have happened if they had tried to handle that horde themselves.
“Being a small team isn’t so bad. With that many people, their coordination is completely off. That’s why they’re struggling like this.”
“Pardon?”
Things I couldn’t make out clearly were apparently visible to the guide’s trained eyes. According to him, people were colliding with one another and falling during combat, or accidentally taking hits from their own allies’ attacks.
“You can see all that from here? In such detail?”
“I wouldn’t be a guide for nothing. A guide must have sharp eyes.”
It certainly didn’t seem like a job anyone could do.
While we chatted casually among ourselves, Prince Loras’s expedition finally appeared to have wiped out every monster on the first floor.
“It’s finished. Looks like they’ve killed them all. Tch, if only we hadn’t cleared the way first. They should have gone in while the place was still packed.”
The guide clicked his tongue in disappointment, then suddenly lowered his head as though he had made eye contact with someone.
“Oh. We made eye contact.”
“With Prince Loras?”
“Yes.”
It seemed he had noticed us watching. While his men were confirming kills and the injured were resting, he suddenly rose and began limping back into the castle.
“They’re going back inside. It must be because they know we’re watching.”
“There appeared to be quite a few injured…”
They could have at least seen to the wounded before heading back in. Prince Loras’s decision left a bitter taste.
There could be any number of dangerous traps inside.
It seemed the prince valued his own pride far more than the lives of a few expedition soldiers.
“Their haste isn’t solely because of our gaze.”
At that moment, Melody interjected.
“Then why?”
When both the guide and I looked at her in confusion, she explained in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
“You saw that they entered without establishing a base camp. Even the prince should realize that attempting a conquest without one is an unreasonable schedule. The fact that they have no choice but to proceed means they are trying to keep ahead of the parties that will arrive soon.”
“Ah!”
Now that she mentioned it, Princess Reciel had said exactly that. Other groups would soon reach this place and try to tear the Ice Castle apart for themselves.
“So the prince is aware of that as well.”
“Yes. He clearly intends to conquer it as quickly as possible to avoid them.”
It wasn’t impatience driving him; the situation left him no other option.
“Moving in such haste will only increase their casualties. I wonder if they’ll be all right.”
The limping man remained particularly visible in my sight. I didn’t even know his face—only his back—yet the urge to run over and heal him was almost overwhelming. Was this what they called an occupational disease?
“Well, we can simply sit here and reap the benefits. Honestly, it would be unpleasant if they performed too well. They’re already rather detestable. Ah! That was not something I should have said in front of you, Priest. If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”
“…Not at all. Such thoughts are only natural.”
Since I myself hoped things would not go well for the prince, I could hardly criticize him.
While we spoke, Prince Loras’s entire expedition disappeared into the castle where we could no longer see them. Having lost our spectacle, our group, which had been huddled together, began to disperse.
“But when exactly are we going inside the castle?”
“Shouldn’t we wait until the prince reaches the second floor?”
“Her Highness will decide wisely.”
The team members expressed their faith that Princess Reciel would make the right call. It seemed her ambitious plan of letting the prince take the risks while we claimed the real rewards had won their hearts completely. I could sense a level of trust in the princess that I had not seen from them before.
The next day.
Things unfolded even faster than we had anticipated.
“The castle! Whoa!”
“There are people over there?”
A group had appeared from the same direction Prince Loras had come.
“Looks like another small-scale team.”
“Wasn’t there an enormous large-scale expedition right in front of us earlier?”
They seemed reluctant to mingle carelessly with other teams inside the Labyrinth, so they did not approach easily. Still, the way they kept glancing in our direction suggested they would eventually come speak with us.
The leader, anticipating this, prepared to receive them.
“Greetings.”
“Yes. Greetings to you as well.”
The other party had deliberately removed all their weapons and stopped at a polite distance where conversation was possible.
“Do you happen to possess any information about that castle? We won’t ask for it for free—we are prepared to offer compensation.”
“Compensation isn’t necessary. We have no information about the castle ourselves. We haven’t entered yet.”
“Er… then that broken door…?”
“Another team that went in before us did that.”
“I see! But why haven’t you entered yourselves?”
“It seemed we would only get swept up in the chaos if we went together. It doesn’t look like something that can be cleared in a day or two. We simply chose to proceed with caution.”
“Ah… then you have no objections if we go inside?”
“None whatsoever.”
The leader offered them a gentle smile meant to reassure. It didn’t appear particularly effective.
“…Understood.”
With an obviously wary expression, the stranger returned to his group.
“They seemed extremely suspicious of us, Leader.”
“I was as polite as possible…”
“You probably didn’t realize that smiling with your face only makes you look more suspicious.”
“……”
Leaving the dejected leader behind, the newcomers ultimately chose to enter. They couldn’t abandon the prospect of treasure from the Ice Castle, no matter how suspicious we appeared. We, in turn, made a conscious effort not to stare at them so we wouldn’t seem even more suspicious.
“I haven’t done anything wrong, so why do I feel so guilty?”
“More importantly, people are starting to arrive. Shouldn’t we head inside soon as well?”
There was no telling how many Labyrinth expedition teams would follow these newcomers. As I watched my impatient companions, I turned to Melody.
“I have a feeling that castle is going to turn into some kind of demonic lair.”
It was a place that drew out the desires of so many people. It reminded me of the martial arts novels I had read in my previous life.
It feels exactly like one of those secret caves hiding legendary manuals.
A hidden cave containing treasure. Such places were always scenes of slaughter over that very treasure.
It’s such a cliché in stories…
Yet there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen in reality. After all, our own team couldn’t let go of our “greed” and was searching for the hidden space marked on the secret map.
I hope everything goes well…
Since I was only human, I couldn’t help hoping Princess Reciel would be the one to discover the secret room rather than Prince Loras. Who could say?
There might be something inside that secret room capable of waking Princess Canaby.
A hidden chamber would surely contain items of equal value, so it was worth hoping for. The desire that had taken root in my heart inevitably led me to harbor such selfish thoughts.
What am I supposed to do when, as a priest, I find myself hoping Prince Loras’s expedition fails?
Hadn’t the Sun God already been appearing in my dreams and bestowing grace upon me? It was both embarrassing and shameful that someone who should set an example was thinking such things.
What if the God becomes angry at how insolent my prayers have become?
If that happened, I would have to accept the rebuke humbly and focus on disciplining my mind.