"Request assistance as soon as possible.

　That brief sentence and the inn where he was currently staying. That was all the letter from Rafe was. But that was enough. I'm sure Leif must be struggling quite a bit. Besides, I wanted to give him information about the Sixth Maze. Just in time.

"Come on, Fee, let's go north.
'You're going ... what about the Academy?　I can handle it, but Elle...
I'll only go to work once a week. And with my current situation, it's easy to use the transition. There's no way I'm going back to the Kingdom once a week.
Well if Elle says so, let's go.

　I told Fee and Monica that I had altered my code. This probably falls under the contraindication, but I had no choice at the time, and I'm not going to pass this information on to anyone but us. I'm going to take it to my grave.

　And thanks to the modification of the code, I have a better aptitude for alchemy and even a higher total amount of magic power than before. If it's me now, there's no reason for a long-distance transfer.

''Well then, we'll talk again in the evening. I'll get everything ready for today.
Yeah.

　As Fee walked away, Alice was standing behind me.

'Sir, are you going away again?'
Alice. I had ... to do what I had to do.
Is that more important than your work at the academy and your dreams of being a teacher?
''I don't want to prioritize it, but the priority right now is to capture the labyrinth. There's something very wrong with the world. I understand. Besides, I'll be back at least once a week.
You promise?
Yeah.

　We both cut off our fingers and I prepared to go north, as did Fee.


'So, speaking of the north, it's the Igal Republic. Have you ever been there, Fee?
'There was one time, at work. But it's really cold there. And the labyrinth is further north. I'm sure you'll freeze to death if you don't take proper precautions against the cold.
'I see. Should we try to keep your body temperature at all times?
Yeah. So what's the situation with Rafe?
Unknown. They only sent me a terse note. Are they in a hurry or was there something else going on?
'But you want me to come to the inn, right?　Then I don't think it's in danger yet.
Well yes.

　Me and Fee were getting together and discussing our future plans. By the way, this time it's just me and Fee. I've been asked to accompany Monica to the Sixth Maze as a matter of course, but she's already a student at the Academy. You need to work hard on your studies.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something to do with it. Besides, we can probably procure warm clothes locally.
Okay.

　Then me and Fee got an early night's sleep and it was early morning. This time we took the earliest carriage to the north. Our destination was the Igal Republic. It's a bitterly cold country further north than the Empire. The average temperature is quite low, often dropping below freezing. That's why it's called the Land of Ice. It's also the name of the ice labyrinth.

　I'm not sure I've ever seen such a thing. But this time we can't take that long. I'm planning to use the transfer all at once from the middle of the road.

"Let's use it from here...
Can we really go?
I'll take care of it.

　Currently they were off the carriage and in front of a mountain a little north of the Empire. This place would not be disturbed. I can use alchemy to my heart's content.

　What we need to transfer is the connection of the First Pledge 《Primamateria》. I'll use the magic of the First Quality 《Prima Materia》 to connect the place where I want to jump and the place where I want to jump to create a pseudo-hole. If you jump into the hole, you can move through the First Quality《Primateria》. This is a technology that uses alchemy to trick the space in the world and give the illusion that it is connected. It establishes for a moment in the world the perception that they are inherently connected.

　And this, if ever, requires that you have been to a beginning and an end point. Because if you don't, the connection of the First Pledge 《Prima Terrier》 is not possible. But now I can sense the First Pledge《Primateria》from a few kilometers away.

...I've got it. Fee, let's jump!
Uh-uh!

　Me and Phee had used the transference to go a few miles in an instant, and now we had arrived at a place where we had used the transference about five times. In a matter of hours, we were right in front of the Republic.

'It's getting cold...'
Well....

　His breath was already white. My body was feeling the cold well.

　And we were coming to the checkpoint. But we made it through the checkpoint easily. Fee and I are so well known that even the people who were doing the checkpoint seemed to know us, so it was over easily.

　Igal Republic. As the name of the ice country suggests, it was covered in ice and snow. But it wasn't lacking in activity, and people were usually overflowing. It's not as big as a kingdom or empire, but it's a big country in its own right. It's probably just as well.

''Fee, where's the inn with Leif?''
Well, it's this way.

　Fee and I quickly made our way to the inn where Rafe was staying. Looking at the scenery around us, we saw people shoveling snow and dropping icicles. I'm sure it's a normal part of the job here.

'Here,'
Should I go in...

　Once inside, the place was filled with people. But there was no sign of Rafe. I asked the receptionist where Rafe was.

'Excuse me, do you know where Rafe Alan's room is?　If I tell you that Elle and Fee are here, you'll understand.
We were told to let you in when you two arrived. It's the last room on the third floor, room 324.
I understand.

　I walked up to the third floor and knocked on the door of room 324. Then Rafe came out from inside, but he seemed inexplicably surprised.

'Elle and Fee.......too soon?　I thought it would take longer.
He jumped through the transition.
Ha, you're a bluesteller. How's that for irony?
Let me in for now. We have a lot to talk about.
'Oh...'

　We walked in and each of us took our places at the table before we started talking.

'So, Leif is the fifth labyrinth in trouble?
Yeah, but not exactly.
What's the difference?
We can't enter the Fifth Labyrinth.
What?

　Me and Fee's voice hums. That too. What do you mean you can't go in? In this world, with the exception of the seventh labyrinth, the details, or rather the characteristics of each labyrinth are known, and it is possible to go inside. However, even if you go in, few of them can reach the deepest part of the labyrinth....

　Furthermore, I've never heard any rumors that the fifth labyrinth is inaccessible. There is also information that there are ice-based demons inside. So what does it mean that they can't enter it?

''The fifth labyrinth was completely closed off by ice. I was planning to investigate at least one layer of the labyrinth to test it out and then gather my friends.... I didn't think I'd even be able to enter it...
What's wrong with Levatain?
In fact, they're so good with magic swords, the ice regenerates so fast.
''Ice that doesn't even have a magic sword as a thing.......I didn't know there was such a change in the labyrinth....

　As I'm thinking about it, the Fee guy asks Rafe about something.

'So, what are you going to do now, Rafe? Are the three of us going to go together?
'No, actually, that's part of what got you guys here in such a hurry, but that's not the main point.
Separate?
I'd like four of us to take on the Fifth Labyrinth.

　Four?　There's three of us now. So that means there's one left. What the hell is that...?

I'd like to ask Marie's guy for support again, but the forest where she's at is so bad for recognition inhibition. To be honest, I don't know if I'll be able to see her by myself.
What were you doing in the past?
''I had another companion before but they all died in the Third Labyrinth. That's why I'm asking for Elle and Fee, the high ranking alchemists, to help me out.
I see. So you're going to the East Woods now?
Yeah. But I'll take this one to get around.

　Rafe said and took a small stone from his pocket. It was green in color and crystal clear.

''What's this?''
It's a transferable stone. It's like Marie's work, and it can jump anywhere near the forest where she lives.
'What?　Marie Blanc can even make such things by alchemy!　I'm not as much of a genius as Elle!

　Fee seems surprised, but I'm not sure if I can create this through alchemy either. Indeed, a woman named Marie Blanc seems to be quite an alchemist.

　And so we head to the Eastern Forest to meet up with our other companion, Marie Blanc.