Exam ......?
Yes. We're here to test the institute's exams in the labyrinth.

　The twin-tailed young lady, Franlle Helvirshain, replied with pride. She was the leader of this party of four, and she single-handedly gave me an approximate description.
　Incidentally, for some reason, I was forced to call her by her first name when she first introduced herself.

　It seems that Franlure and the others are the students of the academy of Eltralieu, a country located in the west of the labyrinth.
　I remember that Eltralieu was a country with a well-developed magical culture and was characterized by hard work. One of its specialties was the famous story that it prepared the largest educational institution on the continent right beside the labyrinth. It is said that this is the academy that Franliure and the others attend.

　However, from what I've heard, it's not a bad academy.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have a public school where those with money and power can gain influence.

I'm sure you've heard of it: ......

　Honestly, it's none of my business.
　I'm in the middle of an experiment to see how far I can go on my own (solo), and I can't afford to stay at this party forever.

　But because of the incessantly talking to me, I'm having trouble saying goodbye to Franlleure.

''Yes!　The labyrinth search test is an exam that only the most skilled students in the highest class are allowed to take. The first-class explorer qualification cannot be obtained through family strength alone!

　If possible, this is a story I'd like to hear when I have more free time.
　Any information about this world is welcome, but the place is too bad.
　It's a good idea to be in the labyrinth, but right now I want to focus on my own challenge.

　I have no choice but to leave, even if it is a bit forcefully.

It's great. If you're that great, I'm sure you're going to be fine. Well, I'll be leaving now - "Well, you can't wait for me!　Yes, thank you!　Let me thank you!　If you save my life and I can't repay you in any way, I'm breaking the name of a nobleman!

　Franlleure blushes and tries desperately to keep him back.

　If it's this blatant, even I, who can't read the air, will understand.
　It seems that Franlleure wants me to accompany him. He wants to use me to pass the exam and all that stuff with ease ...... or if it's not egotism, he's doing me a favor.

'This is my brother Reiner. The liner thanks you as well: ...... See, liner.

　The boy who was on the verge of death earlier comes forward.
　He is dressed in an undersized uniform and has a classy appearance.

'Mr. Christ. Thank you so much for saving me from a dangerous situation. I'm guessing that Mr. Christ is a skilled searcher. You can see it at ....... Can you somehow persuade our sister to join us?　Don't risk your life for nothing, tell the rich lady to go home.

　Mr. Ryner spits venom in a heartbreakingly tired voice.

　Yup.
　That's not what the kid who was on the verge of death would say.

"Ryner, how dare you!
'Sister. We should thank him here, right now, in gratitude. You should go back to the road, leave the labyrinth, and entertain him in our pavilion. That would be best. Let's resign ourselves to the fact that our search for the labyrinth this time was at a bad time.

　Mr. Reiner doesn't seem to be interested in exploring the labyrinth. Somehow, he's trying to persuade Flanruele.

　But I don't want to be taken away here.
　It's just because I've been entertained. But I'd rather go on with the capture of the labyrinth.

No, that's okay. I'm in a hurry to get ahead: ......
'Oh, wait a minute, ......!　If you're going to go, please, please break this sister's heart before you go!　If you somehow manage to convince me, I'll thank you in any way I can later: ......!

　I'm so desperate that I stop myself from leaving.

　Reiner is also a rather brazen fellow.
　Somehow, he's trying to take advantage of this opportunity to tell his sister off.

'No, Reiner. No matter what, I will not abstain from the test, this Franlure, no matter what happens. This test is not just about me, but about the honor of the Helvilleshain family.

　However, I can't see any signs of giving up from Franlleure.

　When I am on the board between my sister and brother, a third girl enters the conversation.
　She's a beastman with a sword. However, even though she's a beastman, she's wearing a cloth headdress and loose clothing, so she's no different from a normal human. Her name is Erna. She's a stylish girl with a unique way of speaking.

"Hey, big brother. I want to ask my brother, the explorer, to help me out, do you mind?
Request?

　It's the first time I've heard the word and I can't help but ask again.
　It would be better to walk away, but once I hear the word 'request', Aikawa Uzumi (me), who loves games, starts to assert herself.

I'm not sure if I'm right. I'm not going to be able to get it right. I've got a gold coin here at and I'd like you to take it and guide me through the labyrinth.　I'm including the cost of a bouncer, since you're good at it. We're in a race to be first in the exam. So I think you're the guy for it. --Ha-ha-ha. Sorry, just an accent.

　In short, this event seems to be the equivalent of a 'quest' in game terms.
　My curiosity is lit up a little bit.

　What's more, I'm also curious to see what kind of ears will come out if I remove the cloth from Erna's head. The fact that the accent is cat-speak means that it's likely to be cat ears.
　I haven't seen cat ears in this world yet, so my curiosity is needlessly piqued.

'--Nice suggestion, Erna!　The liner will be fine with this!

　That's it!　As if to say, Flanlure tries to talk Ryner out of it.

　Seeing the excited Franlleure, I remind myself that I need to calm down and interrupt the conversation.

'If that's the kind of story you're talking about, it's easy to understand: ....... I just don't think I'm the right man for the job. If that's the case, you'd better find someone older and more skilled. I'm a young man, as you can see, and I'm not the right person to show you around.
'No, it's not!　There is no such thing as a lack of power in Christ!

　But Franlure, who is bizarrely deluded about me, denies it.
　I'm starting to feel crazy and a little scared.

　Unable to watch, Erna-san approaches me and whispers in a small voice.

'Well, guess what, brother. Our princess seems to like you. I want you to calm down in the form of a mercenary before the princess goes out of control and does something strange! I know it's a nuisance, so I'll pay you twice as much as I did before. It's outrageous!　Two gold coins!　And don't worry about the guide. That will be done by your dragoness (Dragon Newt) daughter. If anything happens, I won't complain if you abandon us, so just follow me for now!

　It was Erna-san who seemed to be crying slightly.

　Princess-san - I mean, she seems to be afraid of the outburst of Franlure there. Indeed, I don't know what she will do in this situation.

　That's why I want to get away from here.
　I want to get away, but two gold coins is outrageous. From the story, I can guess that the four of them are children of nobility and quite rich. There will be no false rewards.

　And the fact that this is my first request (quest) shakes my heart strongly.
　As a result--

''Wow, okay. ....... I have an errand to run deep in the labyrinth as well, so if you'd like to accompany me to the 10th level, that's fine. That's a lot of work, you too .......

　It's a compromise.
　He could always try solo, but the tasty stories were limited. I couldn't ignore it as long as I was making a living exploring the labyrinth.

　In my heart, I apologize to Dia.
　But we have a week before Dia's release from the hospital. There's no need to stick to today for the usual challenge, I tell myself.

Thank you, brother. It's the hardest part of being a poor aristocrat.'

　Erna-san laughs as she pretends to wipe away her tears.
　The nobles seem to be from the pinnacle of aristocracy.

''It's decided, oh, Franu. Mr. Christ seems to be able to help us. He's going to escort us to the 10th layer in the form of mercenaries. Oh, I'm glad to hear that...''

　Immediately, Erna will report to her partymates.

''An escort!　That's lovely!　Christ is going to be my knight in shining armor!
'No, I'm not a knight, but ....... In the meantime, please take a moment to visit .......

　I greet them, pulling at an excited Flanlure.
　The other three people also come up to me to greet me again.

'I'm Ryner. Christ, I'm counting on you. However, I really wanted to leave ....... It can't be helped. I'll use my body as a shield for my sister if the situation arises. That's the only thing I have to offer ....... Hahaha ......
I'm Erna the beastman, and I'm a warrior. This silent girl over here is Snow, a poorly crafted scout.
............. ...... guys.

　A trio of greetings.

'I'm the seventh daughter of the Helvilleshein family, Franlleure!　Christ, please see to it!

　After a final greeting from the would-be leader, Flanruele, we resumed our search for the labyrinth.　


◆◆◆◆◆ ...


　Thus, the newly formed party of five proceeded through the labyrinth.

　Along the way, they discussed each other's tactics and objectives, and decided to head straight to obtain the items that would be the challenge of the academy.

　Their task is to collect the boss' drop items in each layer. I've heard that only those who do this and come back safely at the 10th layer will be admitted to the academy.

　Oddly enough, it was similar to my objective.

　However, there is a big difference between 'cooperating' and 'going it alone'.
　I'm going to be able to say that it's much easier to 'cooperate' than to 'go it alone'

　--It's easy.

　That's what I thought.
　But an unexpected situation arises.

　The search for a party of five.
　Normally, the effort is one-fifth.
　But the reality was different.
　I had fallen into an unexpected situation where it was five times more tiring than doing it 'alone'.

This is the end of the line!

　Flanlure's slender sword stabs the boss monster in the brain.

　The boss monster in the form of a giant bee loses its buoyancy and falls. As it falls, it becomes a light, and so Franlleure, who was on top of it, is thrown into the air.

　I run towards the fall to save my employer, Franlleure.
　I tucked my sword away and held it in place so that I wouldn't put a strain on Franluele.

　It's like a re-burning of one day, and like before, Franlleure's cheeks are stained.

　Immediately I lower Franlleure to the ground and check on the safety of everyone.

　Ryner-kun looks exhausted from following up on Franlleure. I can see that Erna-san, whose own life comes first, has defeated the Military Monster in the distance. Snow-san is ...... yeah, I'm not going to do it.

............

　I'm speechless.
　It's simple.
　These guys don't function as a party.

　Although their individual abilities are unusually high, their motivation and intentions are not in sync with each other, so their movements are too disjointed.

　The amount of effort it took to keep the four of them together was nothing compared to doing it 'alone'.

'I did it!　That's eight layers clear!　Hmph, you've been moving so fast since Christ-sama joined us. As expected of my knight!
'Oh, congratulations, Mr. Flanlure: ....... But don't forget that your brother, Mr. Rainer, is dying because of it: ......

　Ryner approaches, out of breath as if he's about to vomit blood.

'Hah, hah, hah ....... It's okay, Christ. A foundling nobleman like me can only find value in protecting your sister. If I'm not useful here, I'm trash. I'm trash, haha, haha, haha, haha ......

　Mr. Reiner laughs like he's about to die.
　He has a lot of comments that reveal a complex family background that are hard to deal with.
　If you get involved, you lose. For some reason, I try not to get into it because I get the image of him sticking his foot in the mud, so I try not to.

　I resolve to get out of this party without asking anything until the end.

'Nah, haha. Wow, Christ-san is really strong! I can fight without worrying...''
'Erna, please help us out a bit too: ....... I mean, are you really a friend of Fran and her friends?
'Not a good listener. I'm Helvillestein's best friend.

　Erna, who had been fighting in the safe zone, returns.

　Since Erna is the one who speaks the most at this party, I knew right away that she had no intention of passing the test.

　She is thorough and self-first.
　If she could afford it, she would only help the Helvirshine sisters if she could afford it.
　This bland stance is proof that she's only driven by the calculation of interests. Although the stance itself is to my liking, so we are on the same page, it's also the type of person I don't want to leave my back to.

'............. ...... good night.

　Languidly, Snow comes back too.
　In fact, she is the most troubled person in the world.


[Status]
　Name: Snow Walker HP511/533 MP211/240 Class: Scout
　Level 14.
　Strength 10.22 Strength 10.01 Skill 5.24 Speed 5.43 Wisdom 7.91 Magic 10.84 Element 2.62
　Antecedent Skill: Dragon's Blessing 1.09 Optimal Action 1.89 Ancient Magic 2.02
　　　　　　　Mind's Eye 1.07 Fresh Blood Magic 1.00　
　Acquired Skill:.


　She is the highest level and most talented girl.
　Her race is also dragonborn (Dragon Newt), so her basic abilities are also high, and apart from Dia, she is the most talented so far. Above all, the fact that her ability value is currently on par with mine is very attractive.
　Frankly speaking, he's a person I want very badly.

　But it's fatally unmotivated.
　I'm sure he has a high level of magical aptitude, but he doesn't use any magic at all, only attacks based on his physical strength.

　I don't think he is taking the task seriously.

　When I asked Franlure, he replied, "It's a counting game," and if I asked Snow himself, he said, "I wonder if there will be ...... dead people. If they do, they can go home.

　You are a boorish young lady.
　A boy who only sees his sister.
　The beastman warrior who is the best at what he does.
　The dragonborn with zero motivation.

　The stock of the academy, which we have not yet seen, is going down.
　If this is an academy, there should be people to teach it. Didn't those who were teaching think anything of these four people? I would stop them. I would definitely stop them.

　But now that I've agreed to work as a mercenary, I can't stop now.
　I silently listen to Franlure, who has finished collecting the boss's drop items, give the order to everyone.

''Good night. Ryner, Erna, and Snow-san. Then let's hurry up and head to the 9th layer. At this rate, it's not impossible for us to come in first place.

　Your employer starts walking with enthusiasm.

　There are two challenges left.
　Defeating the boss on the ninth level and getting the 'Indelible Flame' on the tenth level is the end of it.

　There's no boss on the 10th level, so it seems there's practically one left.
　It wouldn't be a problem since there was plenty of room to spare in terms of strength, but it would definitely be a lot of heartache.

　I've continued to play efficient gameplay in my former world, and I've been an ideal two-person party with the straightforward Dear since I arrived in this world, so this disjointed team play is very stressful.

　...... No, calm down.

　One more time, in fact. One more time, and that's it.
　You can test your strength while also getting a lot of money. Think positive thoughts, not negative ones, to calm your mind.

　Yeah.
　I do this a lot.
　This would be many times more worthwhile to explore than going to the 10th layer on my own.
　It must be a good experience when it's over. It's a bit of a departure from my original intentions, but it's something I can always try if it's a solo challenge. In fact, I should be happy about it because I don't get this opportunity very often.

　I'm going to get my mind back on track and start walking at the front of the pack.
　Since I advised him that I am good at spotting, he and Mr. Snow have taken the lead position.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. ...... Mr. Snow, let's go ahead.
............. ...... Yes.

　I glance at Snow-san's profile as she walks next to me.

　Even though he's a dragonborn (Dragon Newt), he's not that different from a human.
　It's just that he has small black horns sprouting from his bluish-black hair and a scaled tail sticking out of his waist. The horns are adorned with ethnic ornaments, so they look like an extension of the hairpiece, and even the tail is only glimpsed due to the long hem of the garment.

　If it weren't for the languid trilobite eyes, she would be a cool, beautiful girl dressed in ethnic clothing.

............. ...... What's wrong?

　The quintessential high-level explorer. Mr. Snow noticed that I was stealing.
　I attempt to interact with Snow-san, as she is the best property despite her somewhat difficult personality, so I attempt to interact with her.

'No, Snow-san, why are you doing the test?'
...... units are missing.
Units?
...... Um, a unit is, well. ...... Oh, it's a pain in the ass. Maybe another time.

　Not some. It's quite difficult: .......

'Well, I'm not sure, but there's something called credits that are required at the Academy. Mr. Snow doesn't have enough of that, but taking this exam will suffice. Is that what you mean?

　I speculate on the story from my experience in the former world.
　Speaking of credits, it shouldn't be too far off if you think of school credits.

'...... Oh, wow. That's right.

　It seemed to be the right answer.
　Mr. Snow looked surprised.

''I see. You have no choice but to take it, don't you, Mr. Snow? So, you know, if you're not too motivated to do it ....... 'Are you sure?　Don't you have to clear it to get credit?
'No, it's worth a try, ...... apparently. If you join ......, you'll get credit for it anyway.
Oh, so: ......

　So you have zero motivation.

　I don't know, it reminds me of the students in my world.
　They go to lectures and classes for credit, but spend their time sleeping because they are not interested in the content. I feel something similar to that.

'Christ!　It's enough for you to take the lead, Mr. Snow, so come this way!　

　As I was talking to Mr. Snow, I was interrupted by Franlure's voice from behind me.

　When I turned around, a sultry-looking Franlleure was beckoning to me.
　If he's in a bad mood, he's a troublesome employer. I would really like to get some more information on Snow-san, but I have no choice but to fall backwards as I'm told.

　I begin to walk next to Franlleure as if to protect her.

'............'
............

　I was in the form of me defending Franlure's left and Rainer-kun defending his right.
　Erna walked at the back of the line, alerting us to the attack from the rear.

'............'
...... Christ, is there anything I can do for you?
Yeah, what's that?
He's talking about me!　Like what I want to know, or what you usually do!

　I'm baffled by Franlure, who suddenly raises her voice.

　To be honest, I'm not interested in anyone but Snow-san. Although Franlure has more talent than any other person, he is inferior to Snow-san.

　However, it would be troublesome if we didn't, so I start to get into a good mood with Franlleure.

　-- and so on, and so on, while the party reached the 9th level.