Chapter 120
Familiar faces gathered in the Grand Conference Hall of the Imperial Palace.
Heads of Families representing each Noble Family, leaders of the Supreme Court and the Senate, members of the Imperial Family, and High Priests of the Pantheon.
The Karma Family, leading the Magic Tower and Karma Company.
They were all individuals I had seen in passing at least once.
And all those familiar people were staring at one unfamiliar face.
I was no different.
The Great Labyrinth of the North.
The Ruler of Labyrinth City Labyrinth, built upon it.
Mayor Ragot stood upright in the center of the Grand Conference Hall, looking at everyone.
He was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, the kind you could see anywhere.
Except for the wolf tail extending straight out from behind his waist.
“I greet the Rulers of the Empire. I am Ragot, leader of Labyrinth. Please forgive any rudeness, as I am unfamiliar with your etiquette.”
It was a thick, heavy voice, typical of a Werewolf.
After introducing himself in a rough manner, Ragot immediately got to the point.
“A few days ago, some Paladins from the Pantheon came to Labyrinth asking about the whereabouts of the God of Courage Ponemkin. After hearing their story, I decided I had to come down myself. To get straight to the point, the God of Courage is not in Labyrinth City.”
A murmur spread through the hall at his direct statement.
Immediately, Priests from the Cult of Heroes took over from Mayor Ragot, providing further explanation.
“Three hundred years ago, the God of Courage fell to the Mortal Realm. Hero Karim, recorded as the Last Hero, gathered the Cult of Heroes' finest Paladins and Priests to search for him, embarking on a Great Expedition, and subsequently disappeared. No trace of him could be found anywhere.”
For 300 years, the Cult of Heroes desperately tried to find the whereabouts of the Last Hero Karim and Ponemkin, whom he sought, but they never succeeded.
As if they had evaporated, they vanished from this World, and no trace or clue was ever found.
That was true until just yesterday.
Mayor Ragot pulled something from his pocket and unfurled it for all to see.
A tattered, torn, and animal-damaged flag was revealed.
It was in a deplorable state, but one thing remained perfectly intact.
The emblem of the Cult of Heroes, which even 300 years could not erase, was clearly emblazoned on the flag.
“This is an artifact recovered by Hunters who went on an expedition to Labyrinth Floor 7. A Paladin from the Cult of Heroes confirmed it to be the flag used by Karim's Expedition Team, the Last Hero.”
That single statement spoke volumes.
His Imperial Majesty's expression grew serious.
“Does this mean the God of Courage is on Labyrinth Floor 7?”
“There's no guarantee of that. All we found was this one flag.”
In contrast to Mayor Ragot's cool tone, the reaction of the Cult of Heroes members was fervent.
“He exists! He must be there! For 300 years, our Cult searched the entire Empire. But we couldn't find even a hint of a clue anywhere. Only one place, the Great Labyrinth of the North, remained unsearched. And lo and behold, the flag was found on Labyrinth Floor 7.”
Dubolt, the elderly High Priest of the Cult of Heroes, was passionately shouting, his voice more excited than ever before.
“He is on Labyrinth Floor 7. If there's one thing our Cult's efforts and dedication over 300 years have proven, it's that Lord Ponemkin is nowhere on the Mortal Realm. Since he's not on the surface, we must go underground.”
The only Werewolf present wore an expression of incomprehension at Dubolt's words.
“I respect your passion for searching the entire Continent for 300 years. However, is there any guarantee that Lord Ponemkin is still alive? Logically, wouldn't it be reasonable to suspect a god who hasn't appeared for 300 years has perished?”
At that, High Priest Dubolt shook his head.
“Divine power is still being bestowed upon those who believe in and worship his name. The existence of divine power means that the Deity is still alive. Lord Ponemkin is still alive. He must be on Labyrinth Floor 7.”
“If he is indeed alive, then why has Lord Ponemkin not sought us out for the past 300 years, choosing instead to remain on Great Labyrinth Floor 7?”
Jonathan Karma's sharp question cut through the air.
High Priest Dubolt immediately replied.
“The Great Labyrinth and its surrounding region are famously known for their extremely low Mana Concentration. I believe everyone here is aware of this. In a place where even simple Magic cannot be maintained or manifested, if a Deity were to reside there, it would normally perish in less than a minute, let alone 300 years.”
“I know that. That's why the Magic Beasts there have magic stones within their bodies, allowing them to create Magic Phenomena with the mana inside them, isn't that right?”
“Precisely. So, theoretically, if the Deity found a Magic Beast with a magic stone large enough to sustain a Deity within its body and resided there, then the Deity could certainly still exist.”
“You mean the Deity is residing within a magic stone inside a Magic Beast?”
“Yes, that is our hypothesis. And that might be why he hasn't returned. If he cannot regain Control over the Body, he cannot return.”
The doubt on Jonathan Karma's face had not yet disappeared.
“Is it even plausible for a Deity to be unable to gain Control over the Body of a mere Magic Beast?”
“That part is also a mystery to us. However, we wanted to explain that there is a way for Lord Ponemkin to exist even on Great Labyrinth Floor 7. The exact circumstances can only be clearly understood by going down and investigating ourselves.”
All the Priests and Paladins of the Cult of Heroes wore expressions of unprecedented excitement.
A long-cherished endeavor, wished for over 300 years.
Since the opportunity had finally arrived to bring the god they served back to the Pantheon, how could they not be excited?
Of course, it would be a considerably difficult task.
If descending to Great Labyrinth Floor 7 were easy, the flag of Karim, the Last Hero, wouldn't have been found only yesterday.
But compared to not knowing his whereabouts at all, the situation was much better.
The only problem was...
...how Labyrinth City Labyrinth viewed this expedition.
“What does Labyrinth City think about this matter? As everyone knows, the Empire and Labyrinth City... have an unpleasant past, don't they?”
I cautiously opened my mouth.
At my words, Mayor Ragot let out a small laugh.
“It seems you're referring to the story of Foolish Emperor Nero.”
His Imperial Majesty nodded.
“The Empire is in a position where we absolutely must recover Lord Ponemkin. Naturally, the Pantheon and the Empire's elites should enter Labyrinth City, establish a base, and depart on the expedition... but according to the treaty between Labyrinth City and the Empire, established after Foolish Emperor Nero, that is impossible.”
His Majesty cautiously looked at Mayor Ragot.
Mayor Ragot nodded at his words.
“That is correct. According to the treaty, Imperial Army or Pantheon Troops organized into groups of 10 or more are not permitted to enter Labyrinth City.”
The expressions of the Pantheon, the Nobles, and the Imperial Family members darkened.
Seeing this, Mayor Ragot raised both hands in a gesture to calm the people.
“The Paladins from the Cult of Heroes who visited the city explained the Empire's current situation with great passion. The trials the Saint has endured. What Hell and the Evil God are doing. And what would happen if the Pantheon's Deity is not recovered in time. They explained everything.”
Mayor Ragot gave a strange smile.
“We have not forgotten what that Lucifer fellow did to Labyrinth City 200 years ago. And we have judged this matter to be related to the well-being of all intelligent beings on the Continent. We have decided that it is wise to set aside old treaties in the face of a common crisis.”
“Does that mean?”
“I have already spoken with the various Guild Masters of Labyrinth. Labyrinth City will permit Imperial Army and Pantheon Troops to enter the city.”
As Mayor Ragot said that and clapped his hands, the doors opened, and several Beastfolk entered, carrying large wooden boxes.
When the wooden boxes were opened, dozens of magic stones, boasting brilliant colors, glowed within.
“To use Magic within the Great Labyrinth, you must pre-charge magic stones with mana and divine power. Please distribute these magic stones to the Empire's elites. If anything else is needed, Labyrinth City will assist the Empire in any way we can.”
Laughter erupted from all corners at his hearty voice.
His Imperial Majesty rose from his seat.
“Please also select the elites of Labyrinth City, Mayor Ragot. We will hire all of them for the Empire. Please choose only the very best, those capable of reaching Labyrinth Floor 7.”
“Of course! I will assemble the greatest Expedition Team in history.”
Thus, the decision was made.
The Empire would head for Great Labyrinth Floor 7.
***
[*Who is Foolish Emperor Nero?*]
As I returned to my room, Kon, who was hanging around my neck, suddenly spoke to me.
Well, it made sense.
Kon wouldn't know the history of the Empire.
“He's a famous Emperor that every Imperial Citizen knows, though not for good reasons. He was the Emperor who started a war 200 years ago with the goal of conquering Labyrinth City Labyrinth.”
[*He failed to conquer the city, didn't he? Judging by how that Werewolf, Mayor Ragot, walked in today with his back so straight.*]
“Yes. He lost.”
[*How could that be? It was the entire Empire fighting against just one city.*]
Logically speaking, the Empire should have easily crushed a single city.
The problem, however, was that the Great Labyrinth was not a place where logic applied.
“The issue was that the Magic the Empire prided itself on couldn't be used at all in the Great Labyrinth Region. On top of that, Labyrinth City Labyrinth is located in the middle of an incredibly rugged Mountain Range.”
It was a treacherous terrain, comparable to the Alps Mountains.
After cutting off all the main Passageways in that rugged area and initiating Guerrilla warfare, the Empire couldn't easily conquer Labyrinth City either.
“Furthermore, Labyrinth City was home to all sorts of Demi-humans who had lost their homes in the Southern Region: Beastfolk, Vampires, Werewolves, and the like. Their immense Combat Ability helped balance the scales, preventing the Empire from easily conquering Labyrinth City.”
[*So Labyrinth City won in the end?*]
“No. Lucifer won.”
[*What's that supposed to mean?*]
“An enormous amount of resentment poured out from the war that dragged on for three years. Lucifer devoured all of it. Then he screwed over both Labyrinth City and the Empire.”
Followers of Pride, who had crammed the Demon King's Authority into magic stones, entered the Great Labyrinth and provoked tens of thousands of Magic Beasts there, creating a massive Monster Wave.
As a result, Labyrinth City was half-destroyed, and a great catastrophe occurred as Magic Beasts, having broken through Labyrinth City and pushed into the Northern Region of the Empire, caused tens of thousands of Imperial Citizens to die or be injured.
“Emperor Nero desperately moved around to clean up the mess, but the Imperial Army, already weakened by three years of war with Labyrinth City, couldn't suppress the Magic Beasts in time. Ultimately, it took 10 years for a complete suppression. Emperor Nero died from stress and injuries during the suppression.”
[*He certainly lived up to his name, the Foolish Emperor. So that's what happened.*]
“What's wrong, Kon? Your voice sounds so down.”
[*So we're finally going to the North. *Haa...**]
Kon's sigh deepened.
His voice was filled with an unmistakable anxiety.
It was a reaction I hadn't seen before.
“Why? What's wrong?”
[*The Great Labyrinth Region of the North is a Unicorn habitat. I used to live around there too.*]
“And?”
[*I have a hunch, you know? But since Hell and the North are involved... I keep getting this uneasy feeling.*]
“Explain it to me. What exactly is going on?”
At my words, Kon hesitated for a moment, then finally, after a long pause, cautiously revealed his story.
[*You saw my past, so you know, right? I never ended up with that female Unicorn.*]
“Why?”
[*Just before mating could happen... I was attacked by another male Unicorn. I suffered terrible injuries then and was heading south when I was hunted and killed by humans nearby. I keep having this uneasy feeling that the Unicorn who attacked me might still be alive.*]
“According to Magic Tower Lord Oergen, you're a Unicorn who was hunted down at least over 100 years ago. There's no way the one who murdered you could still be alive, is there?”
[*He could be alive. Because... the one who killed me. He was a Unicorn who had made a contract with a Demon. The last thing I saw before I died was another horn sprouting from his forehead.*]
Two horns.
A Unicorn contracted with a Demon.
“No way.”
[*He's a Bicorn. That guy. There's a good chance he's still alive, having far exceeded his natural lifespan.*]