Hey.

Raust's kick to the abdomen, to which I, Moseral, could not react at all, and the pain in my abdomen.
My breath catches in that moment, and along with the pain, I'm reminded of the agony of hell.

'I won't let you get away with it.

Raoust laughs at me.
I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get away with it.

...... And when I saw that Laust's smile, I was filled with intense fear.

The memories that come to my mind are the memories of the time when I once challenged the lower levels, overconfident in my abilities, and nearly died.
But what I felt from Lausto was a fear that was incomparable even to that time.
I realize that fear even after all this time.
Until now, I had assumed that Lausto's ability to reach the lower levels was just luck.
But I was wrong.

It's true that the healer Lausto had flaws, but he was not incompetent.
In fact, I now realize that he was a monster with the ability to rival the best adventurers.

''Why, what?!''

...... But when I found out about it, it was a feeling of anger that boiled up in my chest.

'Screw you! Why is a little fish like you so strong? You know I'm far more talented than you are!

It was the cry of my soul that had been stopping in the middle of the labyrinth for all these years, never becoming a top-notch player.
At first, I was tormenting Raust just to vent my resentment.
...... but that changed when Raoust was able to go to the lower levels.

I was so jealous of Lausto's ability to go to the lower levels of the labyrinth, even though you kept telling me that I wasn't talented enough.

The party closest to the middle tier, which is now used as a term of endearment because we let the adventurers under our umbrella spread it around like a compliment.

......, but the first of those words was a bad word about stopping at the middle tier even after trying for years on end, and I kept getting a complex about it.

'How come you can go to the lower tier and I can't!

That's why I'm so angry at Lausto.
...... with an unconcealed jealousy.

But my words only made him even angrier.

'Why, it's my line!

Yikes!

The next thing I know, a woman who is a member of Roust's party hits me.

'Why do you guys only see the results of your brother! Why won't you watch your brother's efforts! Your brother's suffering, and yet he refuses to acknowledge that past, which he tried so hard to do!

The tears in the woman's eyes as she shouted that, leaving me speechless.
I didn't understand what the woman was saying, but I could only understand that she was getting emotional.

'You guys are the only ones I will never, ever forgive!

The woman then raises her arms in the air, trying to handle the skill with her emotions.

'Hee!'

...... At that moment, remembering the woman who had just eaten my skills, I screamed and covered my head and shrank back from my body.

That's when I unintentionally acted like that, because I was on the verge of breaking down after all that had happened.
I should have come with my friends to humiliate Raust, but what was waiting for me was a completely unexpected situation.
I didn't have the mental capacity to take that attack from a woman in such a state.

...... Wow, that's pathetic.

......, but there was no way the people around me would understand me like that.

It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with your friends.
I was stunned by the voice and raised my head, and finally realized that this place was filled with people drawn by the commotion we had just experienced.

'What!'

And the woman now realizes that, too, and interrupts her attack on me.

...... but I couldn't be happier about it.

'Oh, ahhh!

It's a good thing that the people who gathered here were all laughing at me with mocking eyes.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with us.

At that time I sensed sensitively that everything I had built up until now was crumbling down.

''Wow, ...... I'm so disillusioned,''

The adventurer is pathetic. ......

That's how it's done!

Tattered, everything crumbling like sand.

'Whoa!

The next thing I understood was that I was running towards the woman on impulse, shaking my fists.
There was no longer anything for me to do.
Even if I could successfully escape from this place, I was done.

And that's what made me so angry at the woman: ......

"Complicated.

Yikes!

...... but that my attack was never successful.
With Raust's chilling voice, my body is shocked and my consciousness fades.


And on that day, the Wolf of Calamity, which was considered to be the leading adventuring party in the labyrinth city, was crushed in a single day. ......




◇ ◇ ◇.




Now the Wolf of Mischief can't come back.

It was just when the wolf leader of disaster was about to attack Narcena and was being comatose again by Lausto.
I, Ralma, blurted out this while tasting tea and sweets in a room at the back of the guild.

This place is quite far away from where Raust and the others are now, and is blocked by various shields.
However, as a top-notch wizard, I have plenty of magical power and can explore all sorts of places, so it didn't matter at all.
From the moment Narsena was entangled with the Wolf of Misfortune, I had seen the whole affair.

'Narsena, I'm fine. Don't cry so much, I'll be fine.

Oh, come on!

...... By the way, I frown as I naturally see Roust and Narcena flirting with each other.

'...... depressing,'

Young people flirting, nothing eats away at the heart of singleness like that.

...... They have no choice.

However, I found myself smiling at the two of them.
It was a reaction that I knew about their situation, and I chuckled as I realized that I was smiling.

Raust and Narsena, they have always lived for each other and that's why they care for each other.
特にラウストはもう会えないと思い込んでいた存在だからこそ、より一層ナルセーナを大切に思っているのだろう。
だからこそ感情を露わにしていたのだろうが、ナルセーナが誘拐されたかもしれないと焦っていたラウストの様子には、私もかなり驚いた。
何せ、ラウストのそんな反応は、私でさえ見たことがなかったのだから。
今まで私は、ラウストがあまり感情を表さないのは、辛い現実に耐えるための対応だろうと思い込んでいた。

だが、今なら違うことがはっきりと分かる。

ラウストが今までどんな状況であれ、必死に耐え感情を抑えられたのはナルセーナとの思い出があったからなのだろう。
その思い出が胸にあったからこそ、どんな辛いことでさえ耐えられて。

ーーー だからこそ、ナルセーナを傷つけようとした存在に対してラウストは、激怒するのだ。

「……まさに竜の逆鱗、か」

普段ののどかな様子からは想像もできない、激怒したラウストの様子を思い出し、私は思わずそう漏らした。
正直、私はラウストに対して感心を抱きこそすれ、脅威は感じていなかった。
倒すのは難しいかもしれないが、倒されれことは無いと思い込んでいた。

……だが、ナルセーナに危害を与えられそうになり、激怒したラウストの姿に、私はその考えを改めることになった。

「……ラウストの逆鱗に触れた、災禍の狼には同情するな」

その時を思い出し、私は思わずそう呟く。
正直、災禍の狼に対して私は嫌悪感以外覚えていない。
それでも同情してしまう程に、現在私はラウストに対して警戒心を覚えていた。
そして恐らく冒険者ギルドも今回の対応で少なからずラウストに不信感を覚えさせている。
ラウストは今後冒険者ギルドの利となる行動はしないだろう。

「まあ、私は仕事を終わらせないとな」

だがそこで私はラウストに対する思考を止めることにした。
正直ラウストのことが気にならない訳ではないが、今の私には他にもやるべきことがあるのだ。
実は私が迷宮都市に来たのは、アナレストリア家に頼まれ、ナルセーナの様子を見にきたから、だけでは無い。

「このギルド、明らかに何か企んでいるよな」

私のもう一つの仕事、それはこの頃明らかにおかしい迷宮都市の様子を探るためだった。
現在迷宮都市のギルドは何故か実力はあっても、素行に問題のある冒険者を招き入れ、代わりにいくら実力があっても評判のいい冒険者を迷宮都市から追い出そうとしている。
それだけで明らかに不審なのだが、迷宮都市がやっているのはそれだけでは無い。
迷宮の素材を迷宮都市に売る時だけ、明らかに高い金額を要求し、代わりに外に出来る限り安くして売っているのだ。
まるで迷宮都市に住む一般市民を追い出すかのように。

それは明らかに不審で、迷宮都市のギルドが何かを企んでいるのは明らかだ。
だが何を企んでいるのかは全くわからない。
だからこそ私が、何を企んでいるのか調べるために送り込まれたのだ。

「冒険者の犯罪行為を見逃す、これで大々的にこの迷宮都市のギルドを調べられるな」

そして、その企みを暴くための手がかりを私は掴んでいた。
ラウストに迷宮都市のギルドの注目が集まっている今なら、妨害が入る前に調査することができる、そう考えて私は笑みを浮かべる。

「確か、ロナウドの弟子が来ていたな……だったらそいつに警戒を任せて私は報告に行くか」

私は、自分が手札を握っていることをギルドの人間が気づかないその内に迷宮都市を去ることを決める。
そうして私は翌日、誰に咎められることなく迷宮都市を後にしたのだった……