“What are you planning—”
“Well, thanks to that, I could delay some things I need to think about.”
Suddenly, it felt like all the sound vanished.
I went into a combat stance.
I cast my search magic again, but no abnormal magical waves were detected.
“What did you do?”
“It’s not a barrier. I don’t understand the mechanism myself.”
“I’m not going to be misled.”
“Well, I’m not the only one maintaining this. It’s more like I’m cooperating with you.”
“…What?”
“Anyway, more importantly. Ahem, ahem.”
Rita Heinkes cleared her throat theatrically.
Then, with a broad smile, she slowly opened her mouth.
“–https://i.imgur.com/8t33RRc.jpeg”
It was definitely her voice, but the pronunciation and mouth movements didn’t match. The sound was much lower and trembling, not fitting her appearance at all.
I didn’t understand why she knew this and could even say it, but it was unmistakable.
It was the labyrinth’s call.
“This is the main topic, Mr. Strauss. Laura doesn’t matter.”
“Why do you know that?”
“Just to be clear, I’m not a speaker of this language. I just reproduced the sounds I heard! But even though I said it exactly as I heard it, it was really hard! I couldn’t get it right until I added magic!”
Rita Heinkes passionately explained with sparkling eyes.
“The amazing thing is that even without understanding the grammar, we can grasp the rough meaning! In this case, it’s like welcoming a proper revisit, something like—”
I didn’t miss her saying “we”.
“—‘Welcome back’ is close!”
The meaning of what Camilla said became clear.
Those who hear the labyrinth’s call are absorbed by the Twilight Owls, meaning—
“So, you understand. You’re just like us!”
Those who hear that voice are the same kind as the Twilight Owls.
Finally, I understood I had approached this conversation wrong. I should have been wary of something other than just a talk, like a deal or an ambush.
Now, I fully realized the importance of this conversation.
Rita Heinkes, with a big smile, seemed to enjoy my reaction.
“Don’t feel too negative. Even though your true feelings are different.”
My breathing became shallow. Just talking should not cause this much stress.
“Because the labyrinth’s call can only be heard by those who truly want to hear it from the bottom of their hearts.”
I averted my gaze from her.
This isn’t good. This is really not good.
I don’t need to listen or think about this seriously. I should let it go.
Yet, just from her explanation, I could tell it was true to my experience.
I shouldn’t get involved. I should at least pretend to be indifferent.
“Don’t ignore me, Mr. Strauss.”
Her voice was closer than I expected, making me flinch.
Before I realized, Rita Heinkes was in front of me, looking up at my face.
I couldn’t figure out her movement. I was supposed to be ready for anything.
Our gazes met. I tried to look away, but she followed my eyes, and finally, our eyes locked.
///
continue
///
I felt myself being drawn in. Engulfed, you could say.
And this feeling was familiar.
“Hey, at least give me a response. Just listening makes everyone happy. It’s an exceptional deal.”
That feeling of being drawn into the depths of the labyrinth.
“You hate ‘those guys’, right?”
“That’s not true.”
I denied it immediately.
Rita Heinkes grinned.
“I never said who ‘those guys’ were.”
“I made a mistake.”
“You think you don’t belong here either.”
“That’s not true!”
“You’re wrong, Mr. Strauss. Everything from the start is wrong. They don’t understand.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“No, you do. The labyrinth’s call is a mirror of your heart. When you think those around you are unworthy, that voice speaks to you.”
“I don’t know.”
“There’s no point in denying it. You will come to the labyrinth. We are just waiting in the same place.”
She spoke like a prophet and continued.
“Personally, I call this relationship ‘kinship’.”
A shiver ran down my spine.
I felt like I was crucified, unable to move, not even able to turn my head. My eyes reflected in her pupils were staring back at me.
Before the tension reached its peak, suddenly, I felt relief.
Rita-Heinckes turned her face away from mine and stepped backward.
Then she put one hand on her forehead and said pleasantly
“And that’s all! Thank you for coming all this way. Oh, and—”
With the most twisted smile of the day, she concluded.
“—Please take care of Laura.”
Before I could grasp the meaning, she clapped her hands.
“Camilla! We’re done!”
Hearing her familiar and friendly voice, I finally came back to my senses.
I had been made to listen intently without realizing it.
“Hey, Vim.”
Heidemarie spoke to me before I returned to Camilla.
“About what Rita said, about ‘our kind.’”
“…Yeah?”
“Well, she calls me that too. She calls me ‘her kind.’”
“Really?”
“Yes. But look at me, I’m living a decent life up here. So don’t take it too seriously.”
I started to say, “But you’re…” but Heidemarie just smiled.
“There are things the people of the Night dragonfiles can’t easily understand. Each group has its own nature. I might come off as scholarly, but—”
She left the rest up to me.
“—you don’t have to become something you’re not.”
I nodded slightly.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
When I returned to the covered wagon, Camilla was waiting.
“Thanks for coming back,”
she greeted me kindly.
“What did Rita say to you?”
“It was… about the Labyrinth’s Call.”
“I thought so. Did she threaten you?”
“No, not really. But she did say…”
“What? What happened?”
“She said to give her regards to Laura.”
“…How distasteful,”
Camilla muttered, looking away in disgust but still watching me.
It seemed she was struggling to find the right words. The conversation with Rita Heinkes must have had a significant impact.
“…I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t worry about it. Her words are like a kind of magic. Think of yourself as a victim.”
Camilla smiled weakly, showing she wasn’t pressing for more.
“Vim, you came back. That means you overcame her. You proved your righteousness.”
Her words were somewhat comforting. At least it meant this ordeal was over.
Though I still felt uneasy, the tension lessened, and we started our journey back in a more relaxed mood.
The three hostages, Laura, and Heidemarie, who was handling the treatment, rode in the wagon. Camilla and I silently guarded it on foot as we made our way back to Feelbron.
Camilla walked closer to me and, ensuring the people in the wagon couldn’t hear, said quietly,
“Those who hear the Labyrinth’s Call often feel they don’t belong.”
She was spot on.
Everything clicked into place.
Though her approach was smooth, I found myself at a loss for words and looked down.
“I don’t understand, Vim. To me, you seemed content. I thought I provided you with the best rewards and environment. You seemed to value and respect us, and you tried to change yourself for us. And you did change.”
That was true. I acted that way on purpose,
so it’s no wonder Camilla saw it like that.
“Did you feel suffocated?”
But I couldn’t reveal my true feelings.
“Everyone, including myself, is here to support you. Even if that means giving you space.”
Camilla remained as honest and straightforward as ever.
“So, please, don’t make any hasty decisions.”
Her words were sincere, and I knew the Night dragonfiles would back them up.
I had no doubts.
“…First, rest your mind. We can wait.”
I stayed silent, managing only a slight nod.
I was exhausted. It had been an incredibly long day.
I had dived into the labyrinth in a frenzy, fought like a madman, found Laura. Then, out of nowhere, a conflict with the Twilight Owls erupted, and I ended up listening to Rita Heinkes’ lecture.
There was too much to think about.
And yet, I still had more to contemplate.
The Labyrinth’s Call, about myself, was one thing. But something more was tangled up and unresolved.
At the core of it was a simple phrase.
—Take care of Laura.
I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was bothering me.
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Genuinely eerie illustration, respect to artist. “Take care” sounds like “watch your back”, so maybe assassins?