This was the fourth time we had conveniently explored the labyrinth since we had passed the 30th layer.
　Now that we had grasped the trends of the labyrinth, we were able to explore more efficiently. The underwater layers were no exception.

　The basic strategy is simple. Centering on Snow, who is strong in underwater warfare, we continue to avoid the enemies with the magic of the Reaper.
　We comfortably crossed the 36th layer entrance that we turned around in our previous exploration and entered the 37th layer of underwater layers.
　I'm fully prepared this time. I'm not as tired as I used to be, and the air in my "possessions" is twice as strong as before.

　The only difference between us and the 35th layer is that there are more obstacles caused by aquatic plants.
　Then we descend again to layer 38 and are surprised to find that the area is different.

　As above, the corridor is lined with shallow water, but the surrounding stone walls are covered with plants as if it were a tropical rainforest.
　The impact of being underwater had caught my attention, but there was certainly more vegetation a few layers earlier. This is where the feature has been pushed to the fore.

　Not since one layer had the area been so green.
　A new world opened up, and Rustyala was excited.

'Wow, there's a lot of plants I've never seen before!　I wonder what kind of monsters are out there: ......!
"Don't touch the plants, Rastiala. Don't wander around. And don't stray.

　He nailed it to Rustyala, who was likely to get lost if he took his eyes off her.

'I know, I know. The plan is to train at the 39th layer. I can hold out for at least one more layer.

　I was relieved to see him nod back quickly.

''Alright, then, this layer is business as usual.

　The number of aquatic monsters had decreased and the number of plant monsters had increased. Plant monsters, in general, had poor mobility. Speaking of just avoiding the enemies, the 38th layer was the easiest layer.

　As long as they had the 'Dimension', they could advance without the need for the Reaper's Dark Magic. As a result, he could reach the 39th layer without any problems.

　At the 39th layer, more green features were pushed to the fore, and it was no longer a forest.
　The water underfoot is still there, but the vegetation has doubled in size.

　Everywhere I looked, vines and ivy were growing.

''We've finally arrived at ....... Alright, let's hunt the monsters here.
I'm here.

　Finally realizing that I could ramp up, Rustyala drew her sword with great vigor.
　Before she starts running, I search for monsters around me.

　The structure of the 39th layer is similar to the special area of the first layer. However, there are fewer insect-type monsters than I expected. The majority of them are plant-shaped monsters.
　Flowers that scatter noxious pollen. Grasses with large mouths that look like flytrap grass. Trees that drip a viscous-looking sap. A wide variety of plants are wriggling - and walking.

　It's a bizarre scene.
　Of course, some of them don't move. These are the types of monsters that mimic harmless plants and wait for their enemies.

　Even with the power of observation in Dimension, it is not easy to detect mimicry. They are quite troublesome monsters.
　However, monsters that hide themselves are a good match for me.
　As long as there is 'watchfulness' and 'display', I can't mistake monsters for plants, so the danger is close to zero.

I'm going to check the strength and experience level of each type of monster, you can defeat them with Rustyala and the others. I'll be in charge of the search for the enemy.

　The reapers who don't have a 'display' can concentrate on the battle, and I'll conduct a thorough search and surprise alert.

Okay, annihilation!

　Led by Rastiara, Snow and Reaper enter the battle with the enemy.
　The first one is a huge red flower that looks like Rafflesia. The monster's name is 'Stru'.

''Everyone, hold your breath and fight!

　As soon as Stroud saw the enemy, he scattered the pollen, a move that reminded me of a twenty-four-layer Poison Salamander.
　From the rear I fly my instructions and prevent the pollen from being absorbed.

　Stroud returns fire with a wave of plant vines following. But my opponent is bad.
　The three people that Stru is facing right now are specialized in melee combat.

　In the blink of an eye, the vine is chopped up, allowing the enemy to approach. Unable to respond to the slashes from three directions, Stroud is ripped off the petals and the stem is broken from the base.
　Until now, monsters could crush the head or heart and they would disappear as light. However, it was difficult to tell whether or not the plant-based monster had been defeated. Even if it was clearly no longer able to form a plant body, it was still alive and was scattering pollen.

　When it was dismembered into more than a hundred pieces, the strew disappeared as a light.
　The enemy also struggled, but the end was uneventful.

　Perhaps this monster called Stroud. It's probably a monster that weakens its opponent with pollen before it fights. But because it was discovered ahead of time by my 'display', I couldn't take advantage of it.

　I'm convinced that the 39th layer is a delicious hunting ground.
　Since it's a deep layer, it seems to be full of monsters with strong ground power, but most of them specialize in mimicry and surprise. And if I'm there, I can counteract those advantages.

''...... Yeah, not bad. Let's continue to fight the monsters on the 39th layer. We'll find the easiest opponent and gather experience with that one.

　Everyone seemed to think the same way and had no objections.
　And one by one, they defeated the plant monsters.
　The good thing about this layer is that even if you defeat them, the enemies don't gather around them. Although the pace is slowed down, you can take down the enemies unhindered and without risk.
　I thought Rustyala would complain about that work as if he were reaping rice, but that's not the case. It's satisfying to be able to fight all kinds of enemies.

　I've already found the stairs to the 40th level. But I keep filling up more and more of the 39-layer map and keep looking for the ideal hunting ground.
　Of course, he avoids the bosses with Dimension. Even the belligerent Rastiara didn't lose his footing, perhaps because he was so familiar with the dismay of the battle against the boss (Gulfrad Jerry).

　However, along the way, he finds a few altars.
　There was no reason not to go and see them if there was no danger.
　And I would know.

'There are no altar items again: ......

　I find the remnants of a person.

'Maybe it's Hailey and Shea: ......?　I don't think I could have gotten this far with that body after that. ......

　I predict who Lastiara took the items from.

'No, she said they were a party. It's not impossible if there are other friends besides those two. But to begin with--

　'Parallel Thinking' gets the answer.

　-- In the first place, it's possible that on the day of that encounter, Heili had already reached the 39th layer.

　No, not even that, but beyond the 40th layer.

''Maybe we should change our plans and take a peek at the 40th layer: ......
Hm!　I think it's fine!　Let's go, let's go!

　Rustyala agrees to my proposal with all hands raised. However, the other two don't look good.

''Eh, um ......, if you go to the 40th layer, aren't there guardians (guardians) ......?''
Are you sure you're okay, brother?

　I'm worried about getting into battle with the guardians (guardians). But I had some sort of certainty.

'No, I think it's more likely that no one else will be there.

　Then Rustyala follows up with more.

''If there are, if there are any guardians who can talk, you can make them your friends, and if they're not, you can run away. It's okay, Snow. I'll protect you no matter what, so don't worry.
"Dear Mr. Rastiara... ......!

　Rustyala hugs a frightened Snow.
　The Reaper is taken aback by the sight, but he seems to agree with what Rastiara said. He agrees to go into the 40th layer, ready to run away at any time.

　Having walked around on the hunt, I've already found the stairs. He heads straight to the 40th level and finishes his preparations in front of the stairs.
　Then, with great care, we descend to the 40th level.

　The dark green color of the walls faded as we descended the stairs.
　Dark green to green, green to yellow green. The dense forest was being re-tinted with bright colors.

　Beyond that, the world spread out.
　It was a 'prairie'.

　There is no obstacle whatsoever, and grass a few dozen centimeters high grows underfoot. It feels a little humid, but that's all. A world that posed no threat or interest to me.
　Rather, a cool breeze caresses my cheeks, making me feel at ease.
　Compared to the scorching hell and jeweled flower fields of the past, it feels like a drop in the bucket.

　There's really nothing there. And there's no one there.
　If you look around, you can grasp it from one end to the other. But there were no guardians anywhere in the 40 layers.

　The sky is empty.

　Rastiara said ruefully.

I knew it, it looks like Heili called the guardians first.
'Looks like it. And by the looks of it, the guardians (guardians) of the 40th layer are still alive: ......

　If someone has defeated a guardian (Guardian), it would be strange if it wasn't as inorganic as the other guardian's (Guardian) room.

'Ah, you've beaten me to it. I guess it's a bit frustrating: ......
'No, it's not a bad development. We don't need to defeat all the guardians to get to the deepest part. If anything, we can push them to that party and it's just easier for us.

　I don't mean that in a strong way. I mean it sincerely.
　Whether it's Arti or Rowen, if we end up working together, we're going to be swept up in the Guardian's (Guardian's) unfinished business.
　Right now I want to focus on Palinclone, so this situation is rather convenient.

It's certainly easier though: ......

　Rustyala agrees with an unflattering look on her face.
　I can understand her concern. She's probably worried that the Guardian's (Guardian) magic stone will end up in the hands of someone different.

　However, getting that one is no mean feat.
　Somehow, I have a feeling that it's okay.
　I don't know why. But in the end, it is our role to cut off the guardian's (guardian's) unfinished business - that's what I feel.

　And at the same time, I think.
　And at the same time, I should have been the one to greet the master of this prairie. I had to be the first to hear his wishes.
　The thought stuck in my mind.

'It's all on schedule. Let's spend the rest of the time defeating monsters.

　Shaking off the odd regret, I invite everyone to the 39th level.
　Now I'm going to level up as much as time allows.

　I carefully kill the slow-moving plant monsters one by one. Sure enough, although they attack me with the effects of a state defect, I can treat them with Rustyara's sacred magic if it's not too bad.
　So, there are only four things I use for the 39th layer of hunting: the slight 'Dimension', Sacred Magic, and the 'Display' and skill 'Sword Technique'.
　It was stable and could continue to hunt for a long period of time. It was also great to be able to take a break in the 40th layer with no one else in sight if I got tired.
　It wasn't MP that was limiting me, but hunger. Although preserved food is included in the 'possessions', the ship's food is still safer.

　The search is cut short as Snow insists, desperate to cut it off before drowsiness and other factors make us lose our concentration.
　When we returned to the ship, the sky was dark and the only lights were the moon and stars.

　A worried Maria greets us on deck. Apparently, she had been waiting for us to return for the rest of the night.
　If the Reaper had remained, she would have been able to tell us if we were safe or not through the "connection," but this time she was with us, so she couldn't see us from the ship's side.
　It's best for me and the Reaper to split up as much as possible. I'm going to cause you unnecessary worry.

I'm home. ...... Sorry I'm late.
'Welcome back, Kanami. It's fine. I'll have dinner ready in a minute.

　Immediately, Maria goes inside the ship and begins to get ready.
　As she looks away, a reaper runs to the helm of the ship at the same time. He unfolds the chart and seems to be checking the ship's position.

　The Reaper, who is in charge of the bulk of the voyage, seems to be concerned about the progress of the ship while he is away.

'Reaper, we haven't veered off course, have we?
Oh, yeah. It's all right. Do you think we'll be there in the morning?　You've arrived at a good place to cut.
"Tomorrow or at .......

　If I wanted to, I would have liked to level up for a few more days.
　But I'm afraid to leave the Palinclones alone and prepare for a long time. At the very least, I'd like to capture the Palinclones in 'Dimension' and figure out what they are doing.

　As soon as we reach the continent, we plan to cut off our labyrinth search.

　Under the stars, we'll finish our last meal on the ship.
　After that, we'll digest the experience we've accumulated and make sure Rastiara and Snow are in the level 20s.


◆◆◆◆◆ ...


　And the next day.
　We arrive at the "mainland".
　Unlike the eastern continent, which is a pioneer land, the continent called the "mainland" is mostly ruled by the hands of people. There are more than a dozen major powers, and the cities are deep in history.
　The mainland lies to the northeast of the mainland, and the Living Legend is hidden in a cliff at the eastern end of the mainland.

　The slaves and pirates we've rescued may have leaked information that we're on board this ship. That's why we docked not in a port town, but in a place as unpopular as possible. However, it's a pretty big ship, so it's not something we can hide forever.
　We might not be able to find it for a few days until we capture the Palinkulon, if we're lucky - that's how I feel.

　In the meantime, I'll split up the members of the group for the reason that a large group would stand out. Of course, there's also the reason that we need a ship's guard to protect this expensive ship.

　Early in the early morning, when the sky is white, the friends gather on the deck.
　However, Dia is the only one who hasn't come up for any length of time, so I have to go wake her up.

　I yell out in front of Dia's room.

'Dia, are you awake!　We're already on the 'mainland'!

　He knocks on the door intermittently, trying to wake the sleeping Dia up.
　However, there is still no reply from inside the room.

　I have no choice but to use my minimal 'dimension' to figure out what's inside. Dia is sleeping like she's dead on the bed.
　She's sleeping so quietly that I get impatient.
　Since my clothes aren't flipping off, I decide to go in and wake her up. Just in case anything happens, I'll be on high alert to deal with it. I don't want to risk my life with the slightest occurrence, so I sharpen my full attention.

　I slowly open the door and approach Dia's bed. I don't want to startle her, so I gradually shake her shoulders to help her awaken to consciousness.
　This should be a natural wake up call, I thought. But still Dia doesn't wake up.
　She is too deep in sleep. It's unusual that she doesn't wake up even after all this external contact.

　She kept repeating what she had said in her sleep.

"'I' - no, no, no. I'm sorry, Christ (・・・・)--

　In the past I've heard this rant. Once, after fighting Tida on the fifth level of the labyrinth, I was muttering the same thing when I was carrying Dia on my back to leave.
　She kept on calling my name and apologizing.

　I could only think that she was having a nightmare.
　I slapped Dia's cheek hard and forcefully woke her up.

''--Hmm, hmm, ah, hmm ......''

　He twisted his face, flinching, and opened his eyes thinly.
　The blue eyes in those eyelids felt like they were luminescent.

'Wake up, Dear. It's morning already.'
Oh, you know, ...... in the morning?　Is that where you are, Christ ......?
You're dreaming, Dear. Christ was a false name once, and now he's a Kanami.

　When she corrected the mistake in her name, Dia finally opened her eyes clearly.

'Ka, Nami ......?　Yes, it's already a kanami: ......

　Rubbing her blue eyes, Deere raises her upper body.
　When she removes her rubbing hand from her face, fully awake, Deere takes stock of the situation.

'Good morning, Dear.'
Good morning, Kanami. ......, but what's Kanami doing here?

　At close range, their eyes met eye to eye, and Dia's cheeks flushed. I thought that since Dia usually calls himself a man, he wouldn't care much about this kind of thing, but I guess not so much.

'No, I came to pick you up because you're late getting up.
...... Why is it Kanami and not Maria or something?
That Maria told me to go get her: ......
...... That guy is all in the calculation.

　Maria, who is not here, shows her anger towards Maria, who is not here. Apparently, she didn't want me to see her sleeping face.
　But she quickly shrugs her shoulders and gives up, changing the subject.

'Well, sorry I slept through it. So, we haven't decided on detention yet, have we?
Not yet. We're all waiting for Dear.

　He asks about the status of the deck as he gets out of bed. Then, after a minimal amount of grooming, he hurries out of the room.
　I told her she could take her time more slowly, but Dia didn't want to waste her time on herself.
　Less than a minute later, she went up to the deck and started talking about the division of members.

'Sorry, guys. I'm late.
No, that's fine. Honestly, I don't have much to say to you about the membership split and all that.

　Rustyala replies, fluently munching on his breakfast.
　I nod my head at her answer.

'There's nothing to talk about ......, have you decided already?'
'For now, the only ones who want to go to the 'mainland' with Kanami are me, Maria and Dia, right? Now we can split it up nicely, four to three.
'Yeah, really: ......?'

　Looking around, they all nodded their heads.
　I thought Sera was going to argue that she'd prefer to be with Rastiara, but it looks like Rastiara has already convinced her to go.
　Snow is in a full foregoing stance. He waves his own flag with the words, "Go ahead.

'Kanami's only request is that you want to act separately from the dimensional wizard Reaper, right?

　Now I just want to take Snow out personally. But it's going to take me a few days to convince them, so I'm giving up for today.
　My main goal this time is to capture Palinkron. The best time to take her out would be when the battle with Palinkron is confirmed.

''That's right. We'll want to split up as much as possible since we can easily communicate with the Reapers. Also, I'd like to go with a smaller group if possible: ....... To be honest, I don't mind if I'm the only one looking for--
That's no good. It's like they're going to fight on their own and get turned back on their own.
''No, no, no, if we were to get into a battle, I don't think we'd ever lose if we were fully prepared and one on one ....... Palinclone was a knight with an auxiliary magic focus, wasn't he ......?
''That's true. In the days of 'Celestial Knights', we were always battling for the lowest rank in terms of combat ability. I've never seen you beat Serah in a mock battle.
It's only Tida's magic we have to be careful with. But that magic seed is cracked. As long as the black liquid doesn't stick to it, we'll be safe.
''--That's why Palinkron will never fight you head on. Kanami will never be able to fight in a perfect state, and he will definitely somehow get his magic power in and use spirit magic. There's no doubt about it.
...... Right. Let's all surround ourselves with them and take them down.

　Those were compelling words.
　He thought that if they faced each other properly, the battle would soon be over with Rowen's swordplay, but it would be better not to think so naively. Honestly, I can't imagine myself being overwhelmed by Palinclone.

''So let's go with a party of four. The name of the party is 'Palinkron Busting Squad'!

　Rustyala says, half-jokingly.
　But the other two laud the party name with a terrible smile and praise the joke.

'A good party name. Yeah, I have to thank that knight for sometime, you know. Hmmm, ugh. ......
"Hahahahahaha. The scar from that bastard's cut still hurts. You may have gotten away with it at Lauravia, but this time you won't get away with it. I'll grind him up for sure.

　It was Maria and Dia who were full of killing intent.
　I'm afraid that the moment I meet Palinkron, I'm going to release my magic without question. I have a question to ask Palinkron, so please don't do that.

Then let's get going. We can't stay on the beach where the ship can easily be found, so we'll jump over to that cliff from here. I'll jump with Maria on my back, and Kanami will take care of Dia.
I will. Now then, Reaper, Miss Sela, and Snow, take care of the house.

　We say goodbye to the detention members while carrying Dia on our backs.
　With Snow and the others seeing us off, me and Rustyala leap out of the ship.

　Then we kick the rocks of the cliff like beasts and climb to the top of the cliff.
　Once we reach the top, we wave to the ship and blend into the forest on the cliff top.

　We literally walk through the forest with our swords cutting through the forest, where there are no animal trails.
　It's not a path for humans to follow, but it's better than the labyrinth. Even Dia and Maria, who have low physical abilities, are following along with no problem.
　We continue on through the forest for about half an hour and emerge into an open space.

　It's a plain colored in pale ochre and green.
　This is the 'mainland'. To be honest, it doesn't look all that different from the settlements near the Allied nations.

　I opened the map and checked the direction.
　The city can be seen faintly on the horizon beyond that. We find our way in Dimension and enter the city as travelers.
　We wear large cloaks to cover our bodies. It can't be helped, as they all have sharp physical features.

　After covering up the burn marks and black hair, I lead the way and after another half hour, we arrive at a bustling city.
　A port town in the east of the mainland of Valt, named "Cork".
　The plan is to gather information in this cork, which is frequented by many people.

　However, as far as I can see from a distance, the security is a bit cumbersome. Surrounded by a wall about five meters high, armed men are standing at the barrier.
　After all, the home country of the Valt is close to the battlefield, so they are on high alert.
　Probably, if you go to the checkpoint without any message, you will be detained. Then, after a background check, the Allies' charges will be discovered and they'll be arrested.
　I have a feeling we can get by with bribes, but I want to make that a last resort.

All right, let's find a spot where we can sneak in.

　Rustyala pushed for infiltration with force.

'Are you sure you're okay?　If you can sneak into a wartime city that easily, you have a problem.
''No, there's no such thing as an intelligence agent as capable as us ....... If you can get past the wall in an instant, you won't even get caught in the 'magic stone line' (line). They'll just think you're a bird or a small animal.
'That's how it works: ....... I don't know much about how those things work, so I'll leave it to you.
Well, let's jump on your back like we did before. Okay, Maria, over here.

　Rustyala beckons Maria to join him. But Maria, with a difficult face, shakes her head.

'It's your turn. I'm next, Kanami-san.'
Well, it doesn't make a difference which--
It's my turn.
Oh, yes.

　Lastiara nodded, overwhelmed by Maria's power enough to wear the heat.
　Dia seemed to want to complain with her mouth slightly pointed, but I guessed Maria's thoughts and didn't say anything.

　I guessed Maria's thoughts, too, and my face contorts.
　I'm happy for the favor, but it's also painful. I know that they don't have that kind of awareness. But I feel as if I'm blaming myself for not choosing any of them.

　With the pain in my stomach that I'm getting a little used to, we move to a thin layer of security and take Maria on our backs.

'Please, Kanami-san,'
Yeah, hold on tight.

　I use 'Dimension' to pick up information about the surroundings.
　After making sure there are no people beyond the jump, me and Rustyala start running at the same time. We run across the plains with murderous acceleration, bouncing across the earth like cats.
　I kick the wall once and change direction directly upwards. A horrible inertia takes hold of her body. We shake it off forcefully and climb over the wall.
　This is how we succeeded in getting into the port city of Cork.