25 – Banquet (6)
“What’s happening? What is it?”
“I don’t know. It sounds like… something from above?”
Sera, the representative of Glaesia’s attendants, was almost at the exit with Arthur’s support.
It was the 6th day since they entered the labyrinth, and her body was in no condition for further battles.
Suddenly, a shock as if the labyrinth was about to collapse overwhelmed the two, causing Sera to sit on the floor.
As she groped the dark floor, she realized that Mariel, who should have been with her, had disappeared.
Looking back, she realized that at some point, the arm that had been supporting her had gained more strength.
Sera fumbled through the darkness, grabbing Arthur and asking, “Where is that unaffiliated mage?”
“I don’t know. They let go in the middle and disappeared somewhere…”
“Goodness! Arthur, are you in your right mind?”
“Well, what am I supposed to do when she just went off on her own?”
No matter how different their factions were, how could someone leave a woman alone in a labyrinth like this?
It was clear that consideration had evaporated long ago, just like those foolish mages who claimed that Meteor was a fire magic.
“Go and fetch her immediately. What are we going to do if Lord Clarke gets angry later?”
“First, you should throw yourself out there and think about it.”
“What? Aren’t you the one who should obviously go back? You’ve only been a walking torch this whole way.”
“What did you say? It’s Glaesia who can only provide drinking water at best….”
“Ice and water! They’re different types of magic, you know!?”
Kururung… Clang, clang, kwang!!
At the sound that echoed once again, the mouths of the two people, who were standing face to face, shut simultaneously.
The tremendous shock that penetrated not only the labyrinth but the entire tower was getting closer and closer.
As the trembling, like the cry of a beast, approached, the sensation of the skin tingling went beyond and the muscles of the whole body screamed in fear.
“Hu-hurry, let’s get out first!”
“We’re almost there! Just a little longer…!”
Fortunately, the exit was right in front of them.
If they opened the door and went outside, they would be able to break the curse of the labyrinth and go up to the 11th floor.
However, Arthur, whose feet were hanging over the edge of the shoulder, had no idea that they were about to fall.
A silence that seemed to freeze even the sound of breathing.
A strange voice pierced through Sarah’s ear, who had no choice but to urge him because she couldn’t see what was in front of her.
“Arthur? What are you doing? Open the door quickly…”
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“Hmm, it must be Milone and Scadi over there.”
The sound of wooden clogs, the scent of tobacco, and overwhelming magic that distorted the air with just their breath.
Sarah, who felt like time had stopped and had frozen, was relieved that the owner of the voice passed by her as if she were invisible.
Because she felt a hierarchical difference that would crush her like an ant if she even slightly disturbed his mind, or if she in any way revealed the fact that she existed in this space.
“I heard that a decent guy came out of the cradle of Glescia recently. It seems that when you sit in the seat of a philosopher, you gain respect in the school.”
“Oh? Wasn’t the gatekeeper of the elemental school Claudia?”
“He’s been throwing himself at Milone for a long time because he was obstructing the climb. Kaleidos should also go as a special elite from now on. Where was it? Ah, I…”
“Haesoo’s Iter? Are you kidding me? If you could have broken through the upper floors alone like him, you would have done it a long time ago.”
“It seems like something happened on the 10th floor. Can you feel the aura of death?”
As soon as the gentle woman finished speaking, Serah’s eyes lit up without warning.
She would have rather gouged out her own eyes, but the now brightened vision began transmitting all the information she had seen to her brain.
“I removed it because it seemed like you were struggling. As for your lover next to you… Hm, this is quite an unusual curse.”
“Hmph, is it even difficult for you?”
“No, it’s not like that. It seems like you’re quite satisfied, so it’s better to leave it as it is. The exit is right in front of you, so you can just go like this, right?”
“If I’m going to walk, I might as well get rid of everything in this damn space. It’s annoying.”
“I’m a bit hesitant because it seems like they want it to be left like this. It’s interesting because the appearance changes, like a gallery.”
“Ugh, what if someone sees and causes trouble?”
A curse that makes it difficult to distinguish between humans and monsters on the first day of entering the labyrinth.
From that curse, Serah was able to clearly see the true forms of the three individuals.
“Just to let you know, I never even thought for a second that the old hag would be that person. From now on, there won’t be any more forced dimensional rifts.”
The only one among the three who was annoyed and spoke up was a small girl with short hair and sharp eyes.
She was wearing a mysterious robe that no alchemist in the tower could ever weave.
Every time the translucent fabric fluttered like flowing water, the elven script engraved on her body shimmered like starlight.
“On the contrary, I’m absolutely sure that the old hag is that person. That’s why I begged to squeeze out all the remaining ‘glory’ as soon as I saw the notice, so I could go to her side.”
The woman with a blindfold on her eyes spoke, clasping her hands together.
Having just waved her hands a moment ago and dispelled six curses, she was clad in the divine aura of the holy sect.
She had a beautiful appearance, as if a saint had descended, but traces of battle could be seen on her clothes and body.
An indiscernible evil was felt from the small bloodstains on her sleeves.
“Don’t be such a drama queen. We’ve come down over a hundred floors. We’ll soon find out who Juddak is. Those demons, though, such a nuisance… Tsk.”
The woman who had just pierced a hole in the ceiling of the labyrinth looked around, sticking out her tongue.
As she flicked her cigarette, a bright yellow spark spread instantly throughout the labyrinth, piercing the heads of the remaining undead that were in her path.
Kurrrung—!
Following the thunderous sound, Sera clenched her teeth and covered her ears.
The Kaledos School.
It was a kind of elemental study that dealt with brain energy (Rae Ki) and lightning, founded by the sage Merilin, the predecessor of the current Maryland official.
“Ah, damn it! So noisy!”
“Why don’t you say that in front of Juddak?”
“Yeah, why don’t you? Won’t they be surprised because it’s so different from your usual concept?”
“Do you think someone actually likes doing this? The spirit world’s location note signals aren’t working properly, what can we do?”
“Enough. We’ll be late if we keep this up.”
When she regained her senses, the three of them had already disappeared.
Sera decided to erase everything she had just heard from her mind.
They didn’t even give a warning, let alone pay attention, but they knew they didn’t need to.
On the ground, flickering embers, scattered dust from the spirits, and the pattern of the holy spirit rooted in the ground were scattered in a chaotic manner.
“…Hey.”
“….”
“Should I go back in?”
“No.”
He must have had the same thought, holding his breath as if he were really dead.
I sincerely nodded my head at Sarah, who was making jokes that weren’t even remotely funny.
*
“No way, you really came for this?”
I quickly cleared the area at the feeling coming from across the hallway.
To be honest, since it was a spontaneous gathering, I hadn’t prepared anything at all.
There was neither food nor music, not even a suitable venue. It was a damp and dark cave filled with piles of corpses.
I wonder if I can ask these guys to resurrect and sing a song or something.
In a hurry, I rearranged the large stones around me to make a makeshift seating area like chairs.
I took a broken door from the underworld and laid it on top of the biggest stone to make a table big enough for several people to sit around.
As I brushed off the dust from the chair I had reserved for myself and took a breath, three figures approached along the wall with the sound of footsteps.
An owl, a deer, and a wolf.
Seeing their faces up close, I realized that I had underestimated the gallery’s paparazzi all this time.
“That’s right. Come to think of it, it’s impossible for those crazy bastards who sacrificed their lives for art to have made it to the top unscathed.”
Maybe not as much as me, who started climbing after five years, but it was clear that these guys were all struggling around the first floor.
That’s why they were able to come running as soon as I called them.
If I was going to hit them on the back of the head, I should have gathered them around the 20th floor from the beginning.
Putting aside bitter regrets, I first urged everyone to sit down.
“Welcome. Please, have a seat.”
“This is…”
“Don’t you like it? It’s all for you.”
“……”
“……”
The three of them exchanged meaningful glances before sitting on the wobbly stone chairs.
The tension in their gazes was palpable.
Although the atmosphere was awkward at first, they would soon become familiar as they talked about the gallery.
The ongoing mist in the labyrinth was perfect for them to have a conversation while wearing masks.
“I apologize for the late introduction. I am the manager of the gallery that invited all of you.”
“I don’t care about that. I came here for one reason only.”
“Lynge.”
“Don’t interrupt, Claudia. The reason I’m here is not that.”
“But someone is coming.”
“You don’t look so good.”
As the words of the wolf-masked person ended, someone appeared at the passage, terrifyingly.
It was Marie, who had been sent with Arthur.
She approached, leaning on the wall with an unsteady gait, and sat down where I was sitting without hesitation.
“Oh no, are you okay?”
“Manager? Are you unharmed? Are you okay with your injuries…?”
I admired Marie’s perseverance.
She must have not even seen the location note, yet she came all the way to the banquet venue like a dove, just so she wouldn’t leave herself out.
This is something that can only be resolved by a fight to the death.
“I’m sorry, I just told you to leave, but seeing you hurt, I just…”
“You’re the caretaker… Do you hope that your colleague, who you parted ways with in the labyrinth, is safe?”
“What?”
Of course, for her, who could collapse at any moment, it would be a priority to hide my identity.
“That’s right.”
“…!!”
“Remote treatment… Tracking and sacred magic!?”
“No, I didn’t sense anything. Not at all…”
“What if you don’t know!?”
I gently pressed on the back of Mariel’s neck, causing her to faint, and at the same time, I took out the location note she had and placed it on the table.
And with a slightly different fear in my eyes than before, I spoke to the bewildered paddy workers who were staring at me.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s start the party.”