Chapter 9

Great Maze Layer 3.

In a vast open field there, a group of humans was moving forward.

A party of six. Their appearances were quite diverse. The man at the front, wielding a sword and shield with a tidy appearance, was leading the group forward like a true leader. Behind him, a hooded woman who seemed to be the scout, her golden hair flowing from beneath her hood, was keeping watch around them.

And then there was a burly man with two hand axes, wearing a Viking helmet as he followed behind, protecting the rear. In the center, there was a girl who looked like a priestess, another girl who appeared to be a mage, and a man carrying a giant backpack, presumably the porter, all walking together.

Compared to the other four, the priestess and mage girls seemed incredibly tense, and for good reason…

“Hey, Academy ladies, why are you so stiff?”

“Well… we’re at the entrance of the maze.”

They were new to entering the maze. When asked by Chrome, the burly dwarf in the Viking helmet, the mage girl replied this way.

“Man, even someone as illiterate as me gets around just fine. What’s with these academy girls being so rigid after learning everything they needed at school?”

“We’re freshmen! All we’ve learned is the basics!”

“In my day, there wasn’t even anyone teaching us the basics—just thrown straight into it. These days, the young ones lack spirit.”

“Do you realize how much that sounds like an old man complaining?!”

The mage girl, Eri, constantly picked fights with the dwarf. Of course, it was more like grumbling than actual fighting.

At that moment, Hugo, the clean-cut human male who seemed to be the leader, spoke up.

“Now now, Mr. Chrome, don’t be too hard on them. Courage is important for those of us who fight at the front, but prudence is also a virtue for mages, isn’t it?”

“Look, Hugo, this goes beyond being prudent—they’re too stiff. You know well that doing this only wastes unnecessary stamina. Besides, we’re only on the third layer right now. No need for excessive tension.”

“That’s true. Ladies Eri and Sia, please try not to be too tense. We’re still in the upper layers of the maze, and this trip is mainly for your experience. Trust us to guide you properly.”

“Yes…”

“Alright…”

When Hugo, with his neat appearance, spoke kindly, the two girls blushed slightly as they replied.

Meanwhile, as Hugo said, the two girls had come here to gain experience.

Labyrinth Academy.

As newcomers, the two were taking an exam at the academy. This involved joining a randomly assigned party and experiencing their first maze exploration while receiving evaluations from them.

It was a long-standing tradition at the academy. Sending students alone into the maze without experience could lead to accidents, and sending professors to guide them would make it feel like regular classes since academy professors were all powerful experts who might not instill the necessary tension about the maze.

Thus, parties with moderate maze experience were selected to explore only the upper layers with the students.

The upper areas have fewer variables such as environmental changes or interference from transcendent beings, so experienced parties can navigate them quickly.

So, the mage girl Eri and priestess girl Sia from the academy were grouped in pairs and joined one of these parties.

With the reassurance of their leader Hugo’s words, the two girls began to move forward with less tension.

‘W-well, it’s just the upper level entrance. There shouldn’t be much trouble, right?’

‘It’s just an exam anyway…’

Just as they started believing it wouldn’t be much of an issue, something happened.

“…Hold on, Hugo. There’s someone ahead.”

“Hmm?”

Upon hearing Mirien, the hooded female scout of the party, Hugo looked ahead. To him, it was just a black dot, but apparently, she could see it clearly as a person thanks to her sharp eyesight.

Since her vision was far better than his, he trusted her judgment.

“Is it just one person?”

“Looks like it.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing this, Hugo paused to think. Had this person gotten separated from their party during maze entry? Sometimes when entering the maze, even though people start together, they end up scattered.

This could be prevented if the party members were connected by special artifacts, which the academy provided to their groups to avoid such situations.

“What should we do?”

Seems like this person got separated from their party. Unlucky.

“Hmm… Normally, if it were a whole party, we’d ignore them since we’re here to escort academy students, but leaving a lone individual feels wrong.”

The maze is harsh and tough, but precisely because of that, it has its own unwritten rules. Breaking these rules brings various disadvantages within the maze.

Not only would it be difficult to join any party, but offenders might even be treated as criminals. Most of them usually end up turning to crime.

There aren’t many strict rules: don’t attack priests, don’t betray allies, killing is only allowed in self-defense, etc.

No complex legal system exists; just simple guidelines. Helping others when possible often brings unseen benefits.

Considering the difficulty and danger of the maze, it’s better not to create enemies and help each other whenever possible—an unwritten rule created for mutual benefit.

Surprisingly, this rule is followed quite well. Since the maze provides emergency evacuation protection, deaths among explorers due to anything other than the trials themselves are almost nonexistent.

Therefore, if someone commits crimes or betrayal, it often gets exposed by survivors protected by this evacuation grace, making the maze interior safer than the outside world.

Hugo considered all this.

‘Besides, it wouldn’t look good passing by someone in trouble in front of the students, especially since I’m here as an escort.’

The maze isn’t an easy place to navigate alone. Even the upper levels can be dangerous for anyone who isn’t exceptionally strong.

He couldn’t decide whether leaving this person behind was the right thing to do. While having an unplanned member join during an academy escort mission might not reflect well, …

‘If it’s just temporary companionship rather than active participation, it should be fine.’

If the person doesn’t actively participate in the party, having an unplanned guest temporarily join shouldn’t cause problems. After all, the purpose of the exam is for academy students to gain experience and learn, so this could count as part of their education.

Of course, this assumes the person is harmless.

‘But if they’re a criminal, we’ll have to deal with them harshly.’

Thinking this, Hugo turned back.

“There’s a person ahead who seems to have gotten separated from their party. I propose we approach and offer assistance. What do you think?”

“…A person?”

At this, the dwarf warrior Chrome stepped forward, also spotting the figure ahead with his keen eyes.

“Hmm… Hopefully, they’re not a criminal or something.”

“B-b-but a criminal?!”

At this, the priestess girl Sia tensed up and exclaimed. Hugo explained.

“We won’t know until we check. Let’s talk first before deciding whether to let them join.”

“B-but will that be okay? Having an unplanned person join might affect the exam…”

“Don’t worry. It seems like this person is in trouble, so we’ll just accompany them temporarily. They won’t be actively participating. There’s an unwritten rule in the maze: things like not committing crimes outside of self-defense, avoiding unnecessary killings, etc. But helping someone in trouble often brings unseen benefits. Consider this as part of the experience. Let’s go talk.”

“A-alright.”

The academy students nodded in understanding upon hearing this.

Thus, the party moved forward.

***

Meanwhile, Yujin and Tiamat.

“…Where are we?”

Standing amidst a vast field, Yujin muttered while looking around.

“Whereabouts are we? At least it doesn’t seem to be outside the maze.”

『Judging by the energy I sense, it seems to be around the third layer of the maze. Did something go wrong?』

“To be honest, I was trying to leave immediately, but I got bounced back as if hitting a wall.”

Yujin answered Tiamat’s question. He attempted to exit the maze through spatial teleportation but was repelled as if blocked by a barrier.

“It seems the space inside and outside the maze is disconnected.”

『Is that so? I didn’t notice since we were deep inside the maze. So, breaking or tearing apart the space is the only option?』

“Will we attract the attention of the gods? Even if we bow and enter, destroying the maze space from the start…”

『Hmm… Maybe it is a bit troublesome?』

“…Then, let’s head towards finding an exit for now. There’s no rush. And conveniently…”

Yujin murmured and glanced in one direction.

“It seems the people we need are coming just in time.”

***

“Excuse me! Are you alone?”

Meanwhile, a party quickly approached him. Hugo, their leader, called out to the solitary figure.

He was dressed in somewhat shabby attire, appearing to be a mage based on his clothes, though they looked tattered, as if unused for a long time.

Turning around, the man revealed himself.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“!”

The party momentarily froze upon seeing him.

Contrasting with his ink-black hair and disheveled clothing, the young man had strikingly pale skin and was squinting as he gazed at them.

Excluding the fact that he was squinting, the youth’s features were nearly flawless, his perfectly symmetrical face resembling a work of art.

His gentle smile, welcoming them, seemed capable of captivating anyone like a snake ensnaring its prey.

However… Was it because of those squinted eyes and enigmatic smile?

For some reason, his appearance felt suspicious.

Still, Hugo managed a smile and asked,

“Would it be alright if we offered our help? The maze can be dangerous…”

“Oh! That would be too much of an imposition, wouldn’t it?”

“No problem. In places like the maze, it’s better to help each other. You can stay with us until you find your party.”

Hugo assumed the man had been separated from his party. However, an unexpected response came from the stranger.

“No, I don’t have a party. I’m alone.”

“Huh?”

No party and came alone? As Hugo tilted his head in confusion, the young man bowed slightly and introduced himself.

“My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Yujin. I’ve entered the maze to gather magical materials.”

“Ah… I see.”

To collect magical materials. Hearing this, Hugo nodded as if understanding.

Occasionally, there are such individuals. Some mages jump into the maze alone despite knowing the dangers for the sake of knowledge or magical ingredients.

Those without the money to buy materials or the time and means to assemble a party sometimes recklessly venture into the maze.

After all, the maze offers emergency evacuation protection, so it isn’t strange for mages to take such risks.

Hugo asked,

“So, may I ask how far you plan to go to collect materials?”

“I intended to descend to the fifth layer.”

“Fifth layer…”

Upon hearing “fifth layer,” Hugo made a peculiar expression. Coincidentally, the location they were supposed to reach for the academy test was also the fifth layer—a strange coincidence indeed.

“In that case, how about traveling together? We have sufficient supplies, and having temporary company wouldn’t hurt.”

“Then, I truly appreciate it. I rushed in without enough time to find a party.”

“I see.”

Apparently, Hugo’s assumptions were correct. He then looked back.

“If that’s the case, would it be alright to travel together for a short while?”

“…”

“I don’t mind.”

“Ah… Yes!”

“Understood…”

“Eh… Do you need my opinion as well?”

The scout Mirien remained silent, while the dwarf warrior Chrome shrugged, indicating he didn’t care.

The mage and priestess girls nodded, and the porter scratched his head.

A majority agreed. Seeing this, Hugo nodded and turned back to Yujin.

“Then, I hope we can rely on you, Mr. Yujin. I’m Hugo, the leader of this party.”

“Hehe, the pleasure is mine, Mr. Hugo.”

Yujin shook hands with Hugo as he responded.

And thus, the black-haired foreigner Yujin joined Hugo’s party.