102. Labyrinth
102. Labyrinth
An unknown magic circle flashed, and when she opened her eyes, she was alone in a dark underground waterway.
What was going on?
It didn't take long to understand.
Stella, who had studied the Demon World, the abilities of Demons, and the labyrinth said to have killed the most humans while traveling through Ge Vihenum, quickly realized what this phenomenon was.
Teleportation Magic.
A teleportation labyrinth.
The place where she and Eliarnes had been was a teleportation labyrinth.
So what should she do now?
That worry didn't last long either.
There was no time to panic and freeze up.
First, she had to move.
If she was going to die anyway, better to die searching for the labyrinth's core than to die sitting still.
Because if she got lucky and ran into Eli or found the labyrinth's core, they could both survive.
And... Eli would do fine without her.
Having thought that, Stella set aside all her grim thoughts and moved immediately.
And in less than ten minutes, she was attacked by someone.
When she came to and opened her eyes.
A woman who looked exactly like the mother who had gone missing seven years ago was looking down at her.
She couldn't understand the situation.
Where was this, and who was the woman before her eyes?
Why was Pina hanging in the air like that, and why did this woman look like her mother?
"...What the hell are you...?"
"Curious?"
The mind-clouding voice was the same voice her mother had used when whispering to her seven years ago.
But it wasn't the same. It was different.
She only resembled her.
"My name is Samaella. Similar to Jeniella, isn't it? Our faces are similar too."
As if they were twins.
"Th-then..."
"What should the little one call me?"
Samaella gave her a bewitching smile.
Even that resembled her mother, Jeniella, and Stella's lips trembled.
"Since I'm Jeniella's younger sister, should the little one call me Auntie...? Pfft..."
That laugh made Stella's skin crawl.
"Oh my... then I shouldn't call you little one either. I should call you my niece, shouldn't I?"
"D-don't... don't talk nonsense..."
Stella bit her lip hard and slowly raised her trembling body.
She had to pull herself together. She had to organize her dizzy head and get into a combat stance. Raise her Mana, skip the incantation, calculate the spell formula, and at that face—at that face going on about being her aunt—cast magic.
She couldn't.
"...Wh-why... why is this..."
She couldn't feel the Mana inside her body.
No, it definitely existed, but it wouldn't move.
"I fed you poison just in case. If I'm not careful, this auntie might hurt her niece, you know."
I might hurt you.
The meaning of those words was strange, but Stella had no room to think about such things.
"So, isn't my niece... curious about stories of her mother? Don't you miss your mother? I heard the two of you had a wonderful mother-daughter relationship. Was that not true?"
Samaella's bare foot climbed up Stella's thigh. She pushed aside the cloak Eli had given her with her toes and poked at her exposed stomach.
"Do you... know where our... mother is?"
Samaella smiled brightly.
"I do. I know very well."
Stella's face twisted miserably.
Her mother, Jeniella Verheigen.
She had been falsely accused. She had been subjected to an unjust investigation by the Eustetia Knight Order and abandoned by her own father, Marquis Galuer Verheigen.
Her execution had been decided.
And on the day of the execution, she had disappeared.
When Stella heard the news of her mother's disappearance, she had fled the house, avoiding the family's eyes. Then she had gotten lost in the back alleys of the Imperial Capital.
And there, she had found a woman who said she had witnessed her mother's last moments.
She had begged, offering everything she had.
The woman, who took only half of what was offered and returned the other half, told Stella about her mother's last moments.
She had seen an unidentified assailant dragging her away.
And the kidnapper had probably been a Demonized Human.
If it was a Demonized Human, there was only one place to go.
Ge Vihenum.
At the time, Stella had been only ten years old.
At that age, with that body, she knew she couldn't even leave the Imperial Capital, let alone go to Ge Vihenum.
So with that woman's help, she had returned to the family.
She had tried to go to her father—strict, but still affectionate—and tell him what she had heard.
Her father.
Wouldn't see her.
Her other siblings saw that her belongings were empty and didn't believe her story.
After that, Marquis Verheigen didn't teach Stella magic.
Her half-siblings, who had always played with her with bright smiles, also pushed her away, claiming they were busy.
And so, Stella became alone.
Why?
Was it because she had taken her mother's side?
Were they afraid that if she grew strong, she would take revenge on the family that had cast out her mother?
Her mother had only been falsely accused, so why did no one understand?
Was it because she wasn't the mother who had given birth to her?
She couldn't understand.
So Stella saved money, accumulated knowledge, and left the house.
Four years had passed since she began wandering in search of her mother.
"...A l-lie."
She had met a woman who knew her mother.
Who not only knew her, but resembled her.
Who said she was her mother's younger sister, her aunt.
She was a Black Wizard.
One who had built a labyrinth beneath the Imperial Capital, kidnapped Pina, and piled up the corpses of Imperial Knight Order members like a mountain.
A horrific Black Wizard.
And so, Stella couldn't easily believe her words. This kind of Black Wizard, her mother's younger sister?
And... she knew where her mother was?
It made it sound exactly as though her mother had joined hands with demonic forces.
Her mother had been falsely accused.
That day, that hour, that moment. She had been with her.
Her mother had never killed anyone, skinned them, or performed some strange ritual.
Then, perhaps.
Could the woman before her eyes be the truth behind that incident?
Could that woman have framed her mother?
"No."
It was a question she had only raised in her mind.
Samaella shook her head as if she could see right through it.
"I'm a younger sister who cherishes and adores my older sister. There's no reason for someone like me to make her suffer."
"How... how am I supposed to... believe that."
"You can't easily believe it, of course. In my niece's eyes, I'm just a Black Wizard who kills people without a second thought. So why don't you hear me out first?"
Stella didn't answer.
She felt like she shouldn't listen.
But it was an offer she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
She was curious. She wanted to know.
What exactly did Samaella know?
Where was her mother?
Was she healthy? Did she think of her?
If she was alive, why hadn't she come to find her?
"If you want to listen, come here. There's no need to sit on the floor when there's a perfectly good chair."
In Samaella's hand, as she smiled kindly, was a fruit that looked incredibly sweet.
*****
Crack—
Crunch—
Boom—
Riiip—
I kept beating down the Monsters that swarmed without pause. Even so, my feet never stopped.
This path was correct. Seeing the Monsters swarm like lunatics, it was certain.
But.
It was taking longer than expected.
How far had I come? Halfway? Not even halfway?
"These fucking things. No end in sight."
Monsters clung on so thickly I couldn't even gauge that.
It wasn't that strong ones were coming.
Strangely, there wasn't a single strong one—they were all small fry.
Low-grade Monsters whose heads burst with a single reach of a hand or a foot.
But there were a lot of them. A truly horrifying number.
They swarmed so thickly it was hard to tell whether those bastards were the Monsters or I was.
If I kept conserving my strength like this... I'd be late.
I didn't know how the door would be opened, what they were doing with Pina, or what state Stella was in, but being late was certain.
So I couldn't deal with all the Monsters here. Even if I had to push myself a little... I had to break through.
"Tch."
Clicking my tongue, I stomped my foot. Boom—an unbelievable force from such a small foot shook the earth. I flipped the ground, widening the distance between me and the Monsters.
Beyond the overturned ground, the swarming bastards were still visible.
I caught my breath for a moment and focused Mana into my eyes.
The distance to Stella... if I ran at full speed, roughly two minutes.
So if I broke through the gaps between those Monsters and went as fast as possible.
Five minutes?
Could they open the door within that time?
It was impossible, which was why they were trying to hold me here.
"Hah..."
I let out an irritated sigh and steadied my breathing.
If I broke through here, how many more would I have to face?
Two were certain, at least.
The snake who owned this labyrinth, and Phaid Haveron.
There was no way Phaid was the labyrinth's owner.
Going by his face—no, I didn't even know if that was his real face—but anyway, his face just had the look of the snake's lackey.
So I had to face at least two.
If I was unlucky, I might have to face both at once.
Then I'd inevitably have to use 'that.'
And if I ran into Arisa, Luna, or Paulo in that state, they'd throw a total shitfit.
But what choice did I have?
It was far better than dropping dead here.
Still, I secretly hoped that either the snake or Phaid would come to me on their own.
Facing one at a time was easier than facing two at once.
And since I'd be using that much power anyway, it would be convenient to kill all the Monsters here in one go too.
Just as I was loosening up with those thoughts.
"They said Pina wouldn't be wandering around alone, and it seems that really is the case."
A familiar voice came from between the Monsters.
"Or did you simply come looking for treasure?"
Phaid Haveron's voice.
The moment his figure appeared in my sight.
"I came to kill you, you fucking bastard."
I kicked off the ground and ran.
I'm not stupid enough to miss a good opportunity like this.