Rollo and I were hurrying deeper and deeper into the darkness.
　We are running through the Labyrinth of Sorrows, located underneath the land of Mithra.

　──── There must be something in the depths, he said.
　As instructed by Prince Rain, we are heading straight for the target inside the labyrinth.

Are you all right, Rollo?
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just this much.

　I'm wearing a pair of magically empowered mithril gear, which allows me to move several times faster than a well-trained soldier.

　In spite of this, this child (Rollo) is following my maneuvers with near full force.
　There was a part of me that felt uneasy because it was just the two of us, but he seemed to be growing much stronger than I thought he would.

　Rather, ──── he is growing frighteningly fast.
　It made me wonder what my childhood training days were all about.

　I served Lord Linneburg as a child, and I think I understand that there are real "geniuses" in this world.
　Yes, I thought there would never be anyone who could match that, but ...... I think he is also a kind of "genius(it)".
　There is nothing remarkable in terms of combat ability, but everything else is incredibly good.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I've been so impressed with your work.

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had this problem. ──── It's only been a few months since I was taken into custody by the Kingdom of Crace in my feeble form. It's a natural talent, that's all.

Is this the correct direction?
"Yes, this is the correct direction. Keep going.

　Rollo was now holding the Compass, a magical tool created by the saint himself.
　The compass is a special tool that allows the user to sense the wavelengths of magic power of the same quality as their own.
　We use it to determine our path in the dark.

　Rollo looked at the tool as he ran, and pointed beyond the wall that loomed before him.

"Behind here.
"[The Divine Sword].

　I follow Rollo's instructions and immediately destroy the wall with the Sword of Light.

　By destroying all the walls and floors that serve as barriers, we dive straight into the depths of the labyrinth. It is said that the walls of the labyrinth, which are said to be as strong as the fangs of an ancient dragon, second only to adamantite, are not easy to cut down, but not if it's me and the Black Sword.

　This is the reason why Prince Rain, the planner of this operation, gave us a very simple order.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm not sure how much of this was predicted by Prince Rain.

　As I ran, I was inwardly impressed with the sequence of events so far.
　Not that I doubted it, but I couldn't hide my surprise.

　Before we left, the prince told us.

　──── We will probably face Mithraism (・・・・・) alone, the four of us.

"Somehow, Pope Astira wants both Lean and Rollo very much (・・・・・). Perhaps the prince's "marriage proposal" to Lean is just a pretext. There must be another purpose.

　The prince continued.



『あの国には、かなり大きな後ろ暗い秘密(・・・・・・)がある.
　公には決して知らされないことだが、今回はそれが鍵になる.
　────『悪魔の心臓(デモンズハート)』の製造法.
　その証拠を見つけ出し、白日の下に晒すことが我々の勝利条件の一つだ. あらかじめ、【隠聖】カルーの指揮下の部隊の調査でめぼしい場所は探し尽くしている.
　残るは教皇と皇子の居室、そして地下の『迷宮』だ.
　おそらく全ての主要な秘密は地下にある.
　────何としてもそれを探し出せ.
　それが今後、我が国が『魔族』と共に生き残る絶対条件となる』

　ロロとリンネブルグ様、私の三人に向かって、王子はまずそのように説明した.

　単純な戦闘能力、軍事力ではおそらくこちらが上.
　だが我が国は資源的な面でも、経済的な面でも脆弱だ.
　仮に政治的にあらゆる手を尽くしても、多数の国に深いコネクションを持っているミスラ教国と小国のクレイス王国では長期的には確実に押し負ける.

　────既に、ミスラ教国とクレイス王国の戦争は始まっている.
　口火は切られ、水面下では大陸中で今後の優位を獲得する為の熾烈な争いが起こっている.
　この状況では相手に時間を与えれば与えるほどに不利になる.
　にも関わらず、我々は既に相手には十分過ぎる程の時間を与えてしまっている.

『だから相手は既に、我が国に『勝てる』と思っている.
　いずれ必ず、本性を現し、牙を剝く────』

　それが、目的のもの(・・)を手中にしたと思った時、すなわち、ティレンス皇子の成人式の最中になるだろうとレイン王子は推測した.

『────おそらく、教皇との謁見が最後の交渉の場となるはずだ.
　相手はそこで当然のように無茶な要求をふっかけてくるだろう.
　それを呑む必要はない.
　だが、そこで決裂すればこの戦局は次の局面(フェイズ)に移る』

　────周辺国を巻き込んでの、全面戦争(・・・・).

　我々はそうなる前に勝負に出る必要がある、と.
　王子はそう強調した.

「────ロロが鍵、か」

『我々はこの時点では、魔族(ロロ)を受け入れた国として、民衆の誰にでも分かる、正当性を持って訴えることが出来る材料を得る必要がある.
　人心に判りやすく訴える揺るぎない正当性を手に入れ、すぐにでも味方を増やす必要がある.
　その為に我々が出来ることはまず、魔族(ロロ)が、自身の存在の正当性を示すこと.
　それが賭けでしかないとしても、他にこれ以上に有効な手立ては今の所ない.
　我が国は他でもない『魔族』を焦点として、非難の輪を形成されようとしているのだから』

　と、王子は締めくくった.

「あの男は、まさか────ここまで計算してのことだったのだろうか」

　正直、普段のあの男を考えると、私にはとてもそうは思えない.
　あまり計算高い性格には見えないからだ.
　だが、そもそもこの事態はあの男が発端なのだ.

　あの男は魔導皇国の侵攻を退けた後、王から救国の英雄として与えられる筈の莫大な褒賞を全て断り、魔族(ロロ)をクレイス王国に受け容れることだけを望んだという.
　それを王は承諾し、反対意見はあったが結局、王子や王女、私を含めた臣下全員が受け入れた.

　皆が合意の上でのことだったが、あれは国の命運を左右する選択だったのだ.

　────結局、あの男の要求から全てが始まっている.

　まさか、今回もあの男が最初に行動を起こすとは思いもしなかったが…….
　あの男は、私たち三人がレイン王子から説明を受けている間、脇で【魔聖】オーケンと雑談していて全く興味を示していなかったように見えたが、話を聴きながらそれなりに腹案を考えていたということだろうか.

　……思えば、ミスラに来てからのあの男の行動は少し不自然な点ばかりだった.

　馬車の中でリンネブルグ様が話を聞かれていると忠告した直後、教皇を『老婆』と罵り、その後も招かれた部屋の前の廊下に飾られた『聖ミスラ像』の前に立ち、わざわざ「不気味な骸骨」と評した.

　それで、我々についている筈の監視役が動かない訳が無い.
　結果、『十二使聖』に引き連れられ、荒事処理の場とされている『嘆きの迷宮』の入り口周辺に連行された.

　今思えば、あれは完全に挑発だったようにも思える.
　結果から見てみると、おかげで敵の戦力は分断され、この混乱が引き起こされたことに違いはない.

　────やはり、一見何も考えていないように見えて、案外あの男は策士なのかもしれない.

「本当に何を考えているのだろう、あの男は」

　口をついてそんな言葉が出るが、責める気持ちはない.

　おそらく、あの男は私たちと同じく、迷宮を破壊しながら奥へ奥へと突き進んでいるのだろう. 道中、あの男が通った跡らしき大穴を見かけ、それは地下深くへとまっすぐに繋がっていた.

　ミスラ教国の追っ手はすでに放たれていると思っていい.
　でも、彼らはきっと、あそこでどちらを追えばいいか更に混乱することだろう.

　────味方の裏すらかいた、単身での大規模な陽動.
　即興でここまで大胆な行動に出るなど、誰が予想できるだろう.

　これが全て計算のうちであるかどうかはともかく、今、あの男が作ったこの好機を逃すわけにはいかない.

『決して、敵を増やすな.
　これは戦争だが、それ以前に政治的な駆け引きでもある.
　戦わず迅速に目標のものを手に入れ、白日の下に晒せ.
　我々が挑む真の敵は限られた時間(・・)だ────絶対に相手を見誤るなよ』

　王子はそう、私たちに厳命した.
　命令に従い、追っ手と接触することを極力避ける為、私たちは暗闇の中を風を切って全力で突き進む.

「────この奥」

　私はロロの導く方向に現れる分厚い魔鉄製の扉を、開くことなく『光の剣』で叩き斬っていく.

　────問答無用の強硬手段.
　結局、私に出来るのはこれぐらいだ.

　多少強引に過ぎるかもしれない.
　だが今は扉を押す時間も惜しい.

　そうして立ち止まらずに突き進んでいくと、私たちの前に一層巨大な金属製の扉が現れたのが見えた.
　それは扉というより、洞窟のように見える迷宮に金属の塊で蓋をしている、といった風情だった.
　どこか何かを厳重に封じてあるような、物々しい雰囲気が感じられた.

　その扉の前で、ロロの雰囲気に少し緊張が混じったのを感じた.

「……ここだよ. ここの奥に、何か(・・)ある」
「【神剣】」

　ロロの言葉に私は迷いなくその巨大な金属製の扉を壊し、二人で入れる程度の穴を開けた.

　そして私たちは扉の中に入ると辺りを慎重に見回した.
　確かに、この部屋らしき場所には何かが置かれている.
　But it's too dark to see what's there.

"Do you want me to turn on the ...... light?
　Are you ready to go to ────?

"...... Yes.

　You will find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

　It was ──── indeed, just what we had hoped for.

　But ──── this.

Are you sure ...... this is the right place?
"Yes, ...... I am.

　In the event that you're not sure of what you're looking for, you'll be able to find out more about it by visiting our website.

I'm sure. All of these (・・・・・) have the same wavelength of magic power as me.

　Rolo's words sent a chill down my spine.
　The space we arrived in was covered with Demon's Heart, an ultra-pure magical stone known as the Demon's Heart, and it was piled up in places.

　We had been told in advance that this was where we were going.
　It was indeed just what we had hoped for.

　But this is ...... too much, no matter what.
　What we see before us is a mountain of red jewels piled so high that we have to look up.
　What it shows is that, in other words, all of this is ────.

So this is it.
"Yes.

　Rolo said quietly, looking up at the pile of red gems.

I think this is my ancestor.

　I was speechless for a while.

　──── This is what I knew.

　When the demons pass magic power through their bodies, their blood clots and turns into a special mineral.
　In the past, this was known to some people, but it was kept hidden for a long time by the Mithraic Church, and as a result of the huge rewards that were given to those who cooperated, no one knew about it.

　In the Kingdom of Crais, the information that the [Demon Saint] Oken heard from his old acquaintance (...) has been passed down, and several important people including the king know the fact.

　The king and several other important people know about it. Prince Rain informed me about it before I came here.
　So I thought I was prepared.

　But ──── I couldn't move a step from that spot.

This is the end of us, the demons.

　Rollo was on his knees in the crimson jewel, tears spilling down his face.

　A pile of clothes and human bones were left around him.

　The demon was captured and sent to Mithra, where he was never heard from again and no one could find him.
　That is, ────.

"...... Rollo.

　I tried to find words of comfort, knowing that they would do no good, but then I felt a sudden sense of unease and looked around.

　I looked into the darkness and ──── felt even more desperate.

　Because ────

......



　What lay behind it was a pile of red jewels, towering like a wall, even larger than the ones we saw at the entrance.

　Surely a few hundred won't be enough.
　The end of thousands of lives. ────
　A pile of jewels, showing the tragic fate of the world, led uninterruptedly into the depths of darkness.

　──── Too many, no matter how many.

　That number. That amount.
　More than two hundred years ago, more than a dozen years of wars, and not enough for all of them.

　Why.
　Why are they stored here in such large quantities?

Ugh.

　I felt nauseous and wobbly.
　Bring back the dark history of this country and use it as a bargaining chip.
　That is the mission the prince has given us.

　Revealing that darkness would be very painful for Rollo.
　He should have known that.
　But even though it was painful, he knew it was necessary for his survival.
　Both Rollo and I thought we were prepared for this.

　Even at ────.

　I had too little imagination.

This is too ────

　This is too ──── heavy for this child.

　The demon race was persecuted by many nations.
　But that's not all.
　They were being held captive for a purpose.

　As raw materials for trade goods that would bring immense wealth.

"What's ...... ......?

　I suddenly felt something moving in the darkness, and I looked at it.
　And when I realized what the shadow was, I was astonished again.

What the ──── hell is going on?

　I wanted to doubt my own eyes again.

　It was a swarm of demons.
　It was a pack of demons, and a very powerful one at that, walking towards us as if they were coming out of the depths of darkness.

　But demons can spring up here ────?
　No, it can't be.

What the heck is this? ──── It can't be.

　In the face of the countless demons that suddenly appeared from the depths of darkness, I could not hide the confusion that arose from within me.

　Normally in the Labyrinth, the demons disappear when the core is destroyed.
　The Labyrinth is usually cleared of demons when the core is destroyed, and is then confirmed by the guild's expert staff. 　

　It is said that Pope Astira broke through the Labyrinth of Sorrows by herself in the past, and the Holy Church of Mithra was founded with the resources from that.
　That must have been about two hundred and fifty years ago.


　If that's the case, then this labyrinth is long dead and no more demons will spring up.

　However, in front of ──── your eyes, there are several kinds of deformed monsters stirring, just like those found in the depths of the Labyrinth of No Return.

　In other words, that means that ────

This labyrinth has not yet(・・・・・・) been(・・・・・・) breached.

　──── This labyrinth is still alive(・・・・・).

　I was upset, and I was already surrounded by dozens of demons while protecting Rolo, who was cowering on the red jewel.

What the hell is going on in this country?

　What the hell is going on in this country?" As I was about to be consumed by dark emotions, demons continued to spring up from the depths of the darkness before my eyes.