Chapter 26
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower Genius Descends into the Labyrinth
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A few days had slipped by since they overcame that major crisis.
At last, their target city lay just ahead.
Thud!
As they climbed the steep mountain pass, the city's form emerged far in the distance.
"Sylbian, is that grand city over there Termina?"
The calm voice came from beside him, and Sylbian slowly nodded.
"...Yeah. If it's a city in the north boasting that kind of prosperity, it has to be Termina."
As his violet eyes took in Termina's dazzling scenery, Cherentia stole a quick glance at him.
Reflecting the grueling journey, Sylbian no longer looked as neat and refined as he had at the start.
During this trip, Sylbian pushed himself to an unbelievable degree.
Yet even after all that exhaustion, he was smiling as he gazed at distant Termina.
It felt utterly out of place.
Swish.
Cherentia, too, quietly took in the sight of Termina far away.
"Termina... It feels completely different from any city I've seen before."
Cherentia narrowed her eyes slightly and steadied her breath.
More than the dangers of the labyrinth, the sheer power of the strong ones dwelling in the city had her body tensing on its own.
It was an absurd aura.
"Exactly. The labyrinth is incredibly dangerous, so the people who stick around in Termina aren't your average folk either."
Sylbian seemed to sense that same strangeness.
As a mage sensitive to mana, he might have felt an even greater pressure.
"Sylbian."
Cherentia suddenly called out to him.
"Yeah."
Looking at him with his gaze still fixed on Termina, a sudden curiosity welled up in her.
"We're about to enter the labyrinth soon. Aren't you scared?"
What must be going through his mind?
"I can't say I'm not afraid. It's a place I've never experienced before, and now I'm about to."
"...I figured as much."
His answer didn't fully meet her expectations.
But then, Sylbian met her eyes gently.
"That said, I'm also excited and thrilled about the unknown."
"Excited and thrilled...?"
Cherentia blinked in surprise.
It was completely unexpected.
"Yeah. Because inside that labyrinth is what I've been longing for all this time."
Cherentia belatedly met his gaze.
She could see the intense desire in those violet eyes. No, it was more than that—something even deeper.
"The moment we arrive in Termina is when everything truly begins."
As Sylbian smiled with clear confidence, Cherentia found herself nodding blankly.
"...You're right. This is just the beginning."
Sylbian was showing more confidence than fear.
For some reason, that made her smile.
"Sylbian, you're definitely different from other people."
"Of course I am."
Cherentia nodded slightly at his calm reply.
"That's why you're clearly cut from the same cloth as me."
"Same cloth...?"
This time, Sylbian looked puzzled, but Cherentia swallowed her words with a smile.
"Cherentia, sometimes you say the strangest things."
"I just say what I feel."
Cherentia clapped her hands lightly and continued.
"It's gotten dark before we knew it. Does that mean we're parting ways with them too?"
"Well, Termina's right there, so no reason to keep traveling together."
Sylbian turned slowly to look back as he replied.
The rest of the group was following at a distance.
His gaze toward them held another emotion entirely.
Cherentia could see it plainly.
"Sylbian, none of what happened on this journey is your fault."
She found herself speaking without thinking.
There had been some sacrifices along the way to Termina, it was true. But she saw it as something they had to endure.
You couldn't forge ahead through great threats without any losses.
"...I wish I could believe that."
But Sylbian would sometimes reveal these subtle feelings, just like now.
Bubble bubble...!
The pot boiled vigorously as they prepared dinner.
The mercenaries bustled about with the evening meal, and Cherentia was among them.
This would be their last night together.
"......"
Sitting off to one side of the camp, I found myself staring blankly at each of them.
First, there was Hazan, the client.
Then Camel, the mercenary captain.
And the few remaining mercenaries.
How many died, exactly?
I had definitely tried to protect them.
Even in that moment facing the golem, when I'd braced for the worst.
And in all the times after, confronting various monsters.
I did everything I could.
To protect my companions, and to slay the monsters that appeared before us.
Yet day after day, fatigue wore me down to the point where I couldn't even catch a moment's rest.
And still, reality wasn't so hopeful.
Clunk.
Suddenly, a rough hand set a bowl of soup in front of me.
"You're always lost in thought, Mage."
"Camel..."
It was the mercenary captain.
The same man I'd saved when we first met.
Thud!
Camel plopped down beside me and shot me a casual glance.
"But tonight's the last one, right? If you're okay with it, Mage, I'd like to chat a bit."
"In that case, I'd be happy to."
I caught Cherentia glancing my way from the corner of the camp, but a small nod was all the answer she needed.
As Cherentia ate off to the side, I turned back to him.
"So, Camel, what did you want to talk about?"
"Nothing grand. I just wanted to say thanks, even if it's brief."
"Thanks... huh."
Even as I replied, his gaze didn't feel entirely comfortable.
He'd come with good intentions, no doubt.
Wanting to share dinner surely meant the same.
"The journey to Termina was one of the riskiest in my mercenary career. Without you, Mage, I'd have died several times over."
I swallowed a silent sigh.
"It wasn't all one-sided help. We traveled together."
That was the best answer I could give right now.
I believed the Magic Tower's brand on my neck was drawing the monsters, but that wasn't public knowledge.
And it wasn't something I could confidently share with just anyone.
"Haha... You really defy all my common sense about mages, enough to change my whole view of them."
"People like me are rare, but they must exist somewhere."
A mage helping someone without expecting anything in return.
I knew such cases were practically nonexistent.
That's why I realized how strange I must seem to him right now.
"True, the world's full of all kinds, as you say. Speaking of which, are you planning to enter the labyrinth, Mage?"
"That's why I came to Termina in the first place."
"I figured. I don't know much about it, but I'd like to share what little I do."
His unexpected offer left me staring at him blankly.
"You know something about the labyrinth?"
"Yeah, I've got some experience in the early floors. Didn't go deep, but it might help you a bit."
"Then I'll listen closely."
What Camel shared afterward was info on the labyrinth's initial floors.
What level of monsters appeared on each, what kinds they were.
And other points to watch out for.
Not major intel, but vivid firsthand accounts.
"...I hope this helps you, Mage. Consider it payment for the small help you've given me."
"No, it was plenty helpful."
With the labyrinth right ahead, his stories definitely mattered.
Glance.
Then his eyes flicked to my neck, and I didn't bother hiding the stigma.
I knew he wouldn't read anything sinister into it.
"Honestly, I can't even imagine it myself. But you must have your reasons. I just hope you get what you're after."
His tone brimmed with goodwill.
I hesitated with my lips, then just nodded in response.
Swish.
Swish...
After that, only the occasional sound of spooning soup broke the silence between us.
As I filled my stomach with the soup he'd brought, I stared blankly at the campfire.
[Sylbian, none of what happened is your fault.]
Then Cherentia's voice echoed in my mind.
"I think my fallen comrades on this journey did their absolute best too."
Thud.
His sudden words made my spoon hand freeze mid-air.
"...Yeah, I think so too. They gave it everything."
I couldn't stay silent on this.
"Hearing you say that means even more. Maybe... I came to you hoping it'd ease my mind."
Camel's hollow tone carried layers of emotion.
"Camel, it's not your fault."
I answered firmly without thinking.
Just like Cherentia had to me.
"Haha... You're a kind one, Mage. I think so too. Life throws unavoidable things at you sometimes."
His words made me pause.
For a moment, I saw myself in him.
Acting composed, nonchalant.
But harboring different feelings inside.
And trying to accept them.
"...Yeah, some things are just unavoidable."
It hit me naturally.
Blaming yourself doesn't change reality.
Even if I could go back, I'd probably still join them.
The me from back then would have made the same choice.
"This journey with you will be an unforgettable memory in my life."
As Camel stood to leave, I found myself watching his back, entranced.
"...Camel, I hope things go well for you too."
The words slipped out unbidden, and he turned slowly to look at me.
He smiled again and bowed his head.
'......'
Suddenly, my heart felt strangely light.
Like I'd set down a heavy burden.
"Ha..."
A dazed laugh escaped me.
With my mind at ease, I naturally remembered why I was here.
The labyrinth.
The labyrinth I'd aimed for all this time was right before my eyes now.
To erase the stigma and recover my mana.
All I had to do was move forward.
For now, that was enough.