The cool morning air of Fielbron cleared my head completely.
I realized I had done something reckless. It was insane.
Even so, having accepted everything, I felt awkward. Despite the murky feeling, I couldn’t deny a sense of relief. I didn’t know how to face everyone in this state.
When I stayed silent, Camilla relaxed and smiled as she asked me.
“…What happened to that child?”
“Well, I haven’t heard the whole story, but we rescued them on the ninety-ninth floor.”
“I see. The child looked like an adventurer. Is that correct?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. The kid might have been used as a fighter since they are a demi-human.”
Hearing the term “demi-human,” Camilla furrowed her brow.
She straightened her slightly bent back, covering her mouth with her hand. It seemed like there was a significant difference in our understanding of the situation.
“Wait, could it be the demi-human from the hideout of the Twilight Owls? The one called Laura?”
“Ah, yes, I think that’s the one.”
Indeed, Rita did called her Laura.
“That child used ‘Beastification,’ right?”
“Yes, probably to fight.”
“And you found her in the undeveloped area of the ninety-ninth floor, correct?”
“Yes.”
“This is an emergency.”
Camilla’s face turned serious.
I realized her suspicion had turned into certainty.
“Everyone! Stop moving! Only those who receive my instructions are allowed into the mansion! And if anyone tries to approach the infirmary without permission, detain them!”
Tension spread throughout the mansion.
I was ordered to go to the infirmary with my weapons still on, and as I approached, more guards started gathering.
Something unusual was happening, that much was clear.
Camilla said she would explain later, but I had no idea what was going on.
The infirmary door opened, and Heidemarie stepped out.
“Heidemarie!”
“…Ah, I’m exhausted.”
“How is the condition?”
“The transfusion is done, but the treatment is still ongoing.”
She glanced at the guards outside the infirmary and let out a big sigh before continuing.
“It seems things have become strange.”
“Do you understand what’s going on?”
“…The situation surrounding that child might be more serious than we thought. It could be some sort of conspiracy.”
“What do you mean?”
“All the priests who joined the treatment were old hands. The same goes for the guards here. Even though they could have sent someone like Abel, a shield-bearer, everyone here is an old acquaintance of Camilla’s. It’s clear they’ve intentionally excluded anyone who joined Nightdragonfiles in the past few years.”
“So, they suspect spies?”
“Probably. And that child had ingested a slow-acting poison. I’ve already detoxified it.”
“Poison? Slow-acting? Why would they…”
“It means that child was meant to die, no matter what.”
Heidemarie concluded with a furrowed brow.
After a while, Camilla came quickly.
Her face showed obvious urgency.
“The situation is critical. We don’t have much time, so I’ll be brief.”
She sat on the bench in front of the infirmary and called us over.
“First, Vim. About you. For us Nightdragonfiles, this is a top priority, but it has to wait. However, it’s something that must be said now, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
She fixed her gaze on me.
“You heard ‘the voice,’ didn’t you?”
Despite my confusion, I nodded.
Camilla knew about that ‘voice.’
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“It’s a phenomenon known as ‘the Call of the Labyrinth.’ It’s dangerous because even the slightest hint of its summoning nature can be transmitted. Its existence is known only to a select few. But you went to the labyrinth alone. There’s no point in hiding it now.
We don’t know much about the Call. Those who hear it typically meet one of two fates. One, they abandon their family and friends, dive into the labyrinth alone, and either disappear or are found dead later. And the other—”
She raised her index finger, then her middle finger.
“—is being taken in by the Twilight Owls.”
It seemed sudden for that name to come up.
“So, Vim, your punishment for the breach of discipline will be surveillance and a complete ban on entering the labyrinth. This is more to deal with the Call than a punishment. Relax and unwind, that’s an order.
And beware of the Twilight Owls. If they see your actions, they’ll know you heard the Call. Rita will definitely contact you. Do not listen to her. Use all your strength and flee.”
She paused.
I tried to understand, but the information was overwhelming.
And this wasn’t even the main topic.
“Next. It’s about the girl Laura.”
This was the urgent matter.
“Her life is in danger. We need to get her out of this town as soon as possible.”
Camilla glanced at the infirmary door.
I couldn’t gauge the exact meaning of her words, so I looked at Heidemarie.
“Her condition is stable. She’s out of danger. So, it’s about the conspiracy.”
Heidemarie’s words were met with a nod from Camilla, who then continued.
“It seems Laura is a victim of dark maps.”
I repeated the unfamiliar term to confirm.
“…Dark maps?”
“Yes. Being a demi-human rescued from the undeveloped frontlines, it makes sense. We even saw her following Rita recently. She was raised by the Twilight Owls as a disposable pawn to create dark maps, and this time, it was executed.”
Camilla paused, then continued.
“I can imagine how this happened. The Twilight Owls probably uncovered and used our secret teleportation array to the frontlines. They couldn’t move during our active hours, so they created dark maps when we weren’t in the labyrinth.
Vim, hearing the Call, disrupted their plan, leading to Laura’s rescue.”
Hearing this, I didn’t know what to feel.
Was it a stroke of luck amidst misfortune? It was hard to say what was unlucky or fortunate.
Even if I accepted the story, I still had questions.
“So, Camilla, why is her life in danger? Wasn’t she already rescued?”
“It’s a nasty story.”
Camilla frowned as if criticizing someone not present.
“As you know, dark maps are labyrinth maps made by using people as disposable tools. Their usefulness in exploration is invaluable.
But while creating dark maps is easy, selling them is difficult. If a disposable person survives and betrays the creators, it would expose everyone involved. If the map is used, the buyers can also be identified.
So, they must avoid any survivor escaping. Selecting these people is hard. They need combat ability but can’t have high survival skills. Someone who can survive for a while at the frontlines and then die is rare. Demi-human children with Beastification fit this criteria.”
Beastification is a special ability of some demi-humans, drastically enhancing physical abilities. Even children can temporarily match adult adventurers in combat.
“If they can use Beastification, they can survive somewhat on the frontlines. But as children, their chances of long-term survival are nearly zero. This makes them perfect for dark maps and valuable.”
It finally made sense.
“A dark map created by a child with Beastification from the frontlines is a top-tier product, worth a lot. The Twilight Owls will stop at nothing to silence her. We must evacuate Laura to a place they can’t reach.”
Camilla sighed deeply after finishing.
I think I understood. But there were still questions.
It was scary to voice them, but I had to ask.
“But, couldn’t we just hide her in the mansion instead of evacuating her from Feelbron?”
Camilla lowered her eyes and replied with a bitter expression.
“If only we could. We closed the mansion as soon as we identified Laura. But…”
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
“Leader!”
“Hans.”
“Yes!”
“What happened!?”
Hans opened the door, sweating as he reported.
“We caught a guard suspiciously watching the infirmary. He was armed. There’s no doubt he’s a spy from the Twilight Owls.”
Now I finally understood the urgency in Camilla’s actions at the gate.
Even the headquarters of the Nightdragonfiles wasn’t safe.
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Twilight Owls went from unsettling mad scientists to evil organization with legit front real quick. It doesn’t feel out of nowhere though. Foreshadowing was there.