Chapter 3: The Valley of Trials
In the blink of an eye, the appointed day had arrived.
“Let’s review the plan. We’ll teleport from the transfer zone to the upper level, then move as a group of five down to the lowest level. Let Letinoa and Lucas take the vanguard, while Kaas and I cover the rear. Any questions?”
“I’m good. Let’s get going,”
“Um, I-I can’t fight monsters…?”
“What about me? Am I useless?”
Norman nodded at the varied reactions of the heroes and then turned to me. “If anything happens, I’ll need your support,”
Feeling uneasy, I scanned the area ahead.
There it was. A gaping hole. An abyss with no visible bottom.
Its depth was staggering, and peering into its depths revealed nothing but darkness stretching endlessly below.
The edge of the hole was precarious, crumbling underfoot. Just a small misstep would send one plummeting.
If one listened closely, faint moans could be heard. Countless voices echoed with resentment from the depths. The stagnant mana emanating from the hole tainted the surrounding air.
This was the labyrinth we were about to enter—the Valley of Trials.
But this time, we wouldn’t be entering through this hole. Nearby, drawn on the ground, was a teleportation array. It connected to the upper levels of the shallow depths, providing a safe entry point.
Quite convenient compared to before. When I had last ventured here, I had dived into this hole, subjected to the full force of air resistance, landing in three points. Normally, adventurers would use ropes and descend cautiously. But I found that too bothersome and just jumped down. Surprised I didn’t die, honestly.
“Oh, right, everyone, take one of these,”
“What’s this…?”
He gave me a white bracelet that looks like it’s made of candle wax.
“It’s a magical device that changes color based on the surrounding mana density. The Valley of Trials has eleven levels. As you descend deeper, it will change from white to gray, then black. If you happen to get separated, you can use the color change as a guide to return to the surface,”
“Ah, I see. That’s handy,”
The maze often caused adventurers to lose their sense of direction. The labyrinthine layout made it difficult to tell if one was going up or down, so markers and magical symbols were used as countermeasures. In some places, knowledgeable guides, known as “guides,” made a living by leading adventurers.
As instructed, I put on the bracelet. Then, I glanced at the object placed nearby.
A black coffin.
A coffin large enough to accommodate an adult male was placed on a cart.
“So… Redonis, the sinner, is inside that?”
“Yes. He’s sedated, so he won’t wake up unless forcibly awakened,”
The coffin was bound with thick chains. It seemed unnecessary, but it was so secure that there would be no chance of escape.
“Can we really calm down with this?”
“Hey! What on earth is going on!?”
A low voice echoed, making me turn towards its source.
“I explicitly told you not to show your face,”
“That’s hardly fair! I can’t just back down obediently after being told abruptly to [dissolve the party, resign from the knights, and never show my face again]!”
protested the werewolf-like creature, Wisdom, as soon as he appeared. Lucas, with his icy gaze, remained unfazed.
“Why dissolve the party? …And why bother…?”
Upon hearing this, Lucas snorted and glared at Wisdom with a menacing gaze.
“You lot lost miserably to the [Attack] party. We don’t need weaklings,”
“B-But! There’s no need to resign from the Knights–“
“Shut up. It’s decided. I won’t entertain any more pointless talk,”
Lucas rested his hand on the hilt of his holy sword. Wisdom swallowed hard.
Clear animosity towards former comrades. The aura surrounding him wasn’t just a bluff. He had said he would attack without hesitation if provoked further.
Norman turned to the frozen Wisdom and confirmed,
“Shall we begin the trials soon?”
“Yeah. No problem,” I replied.
Without sparing a glance at Wisdom, Norman headed towards the teleportation array. We followed suit.
He was a bully, but I didn’t expect him to go this far.
Completely heartless. Too damn cold. Is he even human?
…Well, I can’t really say much about that.
The four heroes and I tread upon the geometric magic circle.
The geometric magic circle faintly glowed, and pale blue particles began to surround the area.
“In three minutes, teleportation will commence. Please prepare yourselves mentally.”
It begins—the heroes’ ordeal.
I was surprisingly calm myself.
My nerves were sharper than ever before. Even if attacked by over a thousand enemies, I could dispatch them all in seconds.
“…,”
In silence, I turned my face towards Letty, who was beside me. I gently extended my right hand.
“Letty, here.”
“Hmm?”
“Your hand, Letty. I’m offering it to you because it might be scary.”
“I’m not scared, though?”
“Doesn’t matter, here.”
Forced to hold hands. Letty tilted her head in confusion.
But soon she wore a happy expression and chuckled.
“Oh, me too.”
“You’re not allowed.”
“W-Why not…?”
Kaas’s face was one of despair. She could just grip a stick from around here.
Letty quickly smiled up at me.
“I’ll do my best!”
“…Yeah. I’ll do my best too.”
I squeezed her hand tighter. The soft touch and warm body temperature typical of a child transmitted to me.
–It’s okay. You don’t have to try so hard.
I don’t intend to make Letty exert herself. I’ll take down everything. I won’t let her use even a little bit of her strength.
Various emotions swirl in my chest. If I let my guard down, I feel like I’ll be sickened by my conflicting actions. Even though I know that my actions could be harmful in the future, I chose to crush them all and stand here.
I don’t understand the reason yet. But somehow, I feel like I’ll understand once this is over.
“Shisho!”
“Hmm?”
“Can you pat my head?”
“Pat your head? …Like this?”
Gently, I touch Letty’s head with the hand that wasn’t holding hers. I roughly mess up her peach-colored hair, gently stroking it a bit.
Letty squints her eyes in delight and purrs softly, rumbling her throat. It’s like petting a cat on the back of its neck. Cute.
“Thank you!”
She beams, a smile blooming on her face like a flower.
“…If you’re okay with this, I’ll do it as much as you want.”
While we were talking, the pale blue light of the magic circle grew stronger.
Just a few seconds until teleportation. I tightly grip the hand I’m holding.
“Good luck, everyone.”
Norman’s voice. At the same time–
A chill ran through me, spreading throughout my body.
The source of discomfort was beneath my feet. The magic circle’s inscription was being rewritten at the last moment.
I try to pull the hand that was linked to mine. Outside, I need to get outside the teleportation circle as soon as possible–
But–my hand suddenly felt lighter.
“Why–“
Letty had let go of my hand.
Why? How could she… Before I could even ask, Letty took a few steps away from me.
“Letty–!”
I reach out. My outstretched hand barely misses her, slicing through the air.
My field of vision.
Fills with white.
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My vision gradually becomes clearer. The first thing I see is a rock wall.
Dim space, damp stagnant air, unmistakably a labyrinth.
There’s no one in sight. Not Letty, not the other heroes.
I check the bracelet on my arm. The color is–slightly cloudy white.
“[Communication]”
I try to contact them immediately using communication magic. However, no one answers.
If they’re on the same floor or nearby floors, they should respond. But if they don’t answer–either they’ve been sent to another floor, or someone is intentionally blocking communication.
A bad feeling crosses my mind. The teleportation circle was rewritten. I felt the magic nearby. It wasn’t an external interference; someone present at the scene caused it with malicious intent.
And then, footsteps echoed from somewhere.
To the right, from the gaping side hole, someone is approaching.
Emerging from the darkness, their figure becomes apparent, their outline revealed.
White hair resembling that of an old man. An oddly-shaped face with a blindfold.
That person–no, that boy is wearing the attire of a priest from the Hero Church—a black ceremonial robe.
“An abnormal situation has occurred. –Or rather, I caused it.”
Norman smiles eerily, the corner of his mouth lifting.
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