Yujin walked past Elly who was still retching and retrieved the daggers embedded in the goblin’s neck and shoulder.
Of course, both daggers belonged to Yujin. One was his regular weapon, and the other was a spare. He wiped the military-style daggers clean with a cloth he carried, then placed them back into their holders.
Rustle…
Soon, the goblin’s body turned to ash and scattered, and something like a magic stone emerged from it.
When you think about it, this is the same as back on Earth.
Yujin mused as he looked at it. The monsters on Earth also disintegrated into ash upon death, leaving only magic stones behind.
Was there some kind of connection between the labyrinth and the gates that appeared on Earth…
He didn’t know.
Perhaps if he had been a dragon when he was on Earth, he might have been able to discern some clear connections between gates and labyrinths. But he hadn’t been, so he had no answers.
For now, he buried his doubts deep inside and turned to look at Elly.
She had stopped vomiting but she seemed to be unable to hide her dazed expression. Shia, her academy classmate and peer, approached her and consoled her.
She might give up before long.
He had forced her to gain the experience, but in the end, it depended on the individual.
Some people could overcome their weaknesses, while others might not endure and end up running away.
Either way, it wasn’t his concern. After all, she was nothing more than a stranger to him.
Yujin was not the type to have a soft heart. On the contrary, despite his outwardly gentle demeanor, he was ruthlessly strong-willed. This was clear from the fact that he had endured two months of hardship in Tiamat’s Tomb.
Having lost his parents at a young age and survived through grueling work as an Awakener, he couldn’t sympathize with those who crumbled so easily after something like taking a life.
Of course, killing was a shocking experience.
The sensation of death clinging to your hands, the metallic smell of blood, the fear of snuffing out a life just like your own…
Only those who had either seen it all or were naturally cruel and evil could claim such things were easy to endure.
But for humans living on the edge of death, failing to endure it simply meant death.
With such a fragile mindset, it would be better to live doing something peaceful instead.
In that sense, perhaps it was fortunate that Yujin had given her this experience in advance.
[More cruel than I expected. Not blindly kind to others.]
Tiamat remarked after seeing all of that. She was slightly surprised that Yujin, with his otherwise gentle personality, could be so stern with others. However, Yujin simply smiled faintly in response.
Haha, of course. There’s no need to be overly kind to everyone. In life, it’s about pretending to be kind enough to navigate social situations as long as it doesn’t harm yourself.
[Hmm… A very human way of living.]
Are dragons different?
[Dragons are fundamentally few in number and share a strong sense of kinship. That’s why it’s rare for us to treat another dragon’s affairs as entirely someone else’s business.]
Ah, I see. I’ll keep that in mind now that I’m a dragon too.
While Yujin and Tiamat were having this conversation, the cleanup in the area was nearing its completion.
“For now, there don’t seem to be any enemies left in the vicinity.”
“Good work, Mirien.”
Hugo caught his breath at Mirien’s report, as Krom approached them.
“Whew, that was a close call. If the barrier hadn’t been deployed earlier, I might have suffered some burns.”
“The barrier… Was it you, Shia?”
Hugo turned to Shia who was comforting Elly. She shook her head.
“N-No… I’m not fast enough to deploy a barrier like that.”
“Then…”
Hugo’s gaze shifted toward Yujin. Yujin bowed his head slightly and spoke.
“It was me. I apologize for acting on my own against your instructions.”
“No need to apologize. While the test is important, you prevented a situation where one of our companions could have been injured. Criticizing you for that would hardly be fair. In fact, I should be thanking you instead.”
Hugo waved his hand and lowered his head as he spoke.
“Moreover, since you didn’t directly intervene in the battle, it shouldn’t have a major impact on my evaluation as the leader. So, please don’t worry about it.”
“Is that so? Then I’m relieved.”
“And… Miss Elly.”
Hugo who was wearing a somewhat stern yet complicated expression turned to look at Elly. Elly, who had been sitting blankly on the ground, flinched and lifted her head.
“Y-Yes…!”
“…The fact that you made an independent decision to use magic without the leader’s instructions and that it almost resulted in harm to a companion, is a clear deduction in points. I trust you’re already well aware of this.”
“…Yes.”
Elly lowered her head deeply as she responded. It was obvious that this incident would deal a significant blow to her evaluation in the test.
However, she couldn’t say a word in her defense. In truth, anyone in her position would find themselves speechless, no matter how many excuses they might have prepared.
Hugo watched her with a somewhat conflicted look on his face and let out a deep sigh before continuing.
“Even so, I must admit I made a mistake as well. Allowing a monster to reach the rear lines was entirely my fault, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
Hugo’s kindness revealed itself once again. This was a situation where no one would have faulted him for scolding the mage harshly, yet he readily admitted his own mistake and lowered his head.
“That’s why I want to express my gratitude to Mr. Eugene. Thanks to you covering for my mistake, we were able to avert a crisis.”
“Haha, you flatter me. If anything, I should be thanking you for letting me join you in the first place.”
“No, I owe you my thanks. Honestly, I had my doubts about approving your inclusion in our group, but now I feel a bit embarrassed for having felt that way.”
At that moment, Krom approached Yujin and spoke. The dwarf, known as a race that never forgives a favor, lowered his head in a rare display of humility to express his gratitude for Yujin’s help. He put aside his usual pride.
“Ah, and you, Academy girl.”
“Y-Yes?!”
Krom then turned to Elly, who was startled and replied. Perhaps it was because she had nearly caused harm to him with her magic that her reaction was so pronounced like that.
However, Krom didn’t reprimand the utterly frozen Elly.
“Why are you so stiff? It’s only natural for beginners to make mistakes! When you’re working the forge, burns are just part of the job. And hey, no one even got hurt this time.”
“A-Ah… I-I’m still… sorry… I really am…”
“Well, fine. I’ll accept your apology since it’ll probably put your mind at ease. But next time you’re about to cast magic, at least give us a heads-up first so we can get out of the way. Haha!”
Krom laughed heartily and gave Elly a pat on the back. Though she grimaced in pain at the gesture, her expression soon softened, as if she felt a sense of relief.
With the atmosphere quickly lightening, the party’s mood turned cheerful once more. Their leader, Hugo, smiled as he watched the scene unfold.
After a brief moment of consoling each other, Hugo spoke.
“Well then, let’s get moving again. We should be nearing the entrance to the fourth floor soon.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
***
Even in the labyrinth, day and night existed.
Strangely enough, labyrinth floors were designed with natural environments like plains, forests, or deserts. There was both a sun and a moon, and time passed as it would in the outside world.
No one could quite explain how such a phenomenon was possible, but the priests theorized that the goddesses of the sun and moon might have participated in the creation of the tower, allowing for such an environment to exist.
And so, night fell in the labyrinth.
The fourth layer, which had transformed from a forest into an environment resembling a jungle.
Not long after the party entered the new terrain, the sun began to set, and night descended. They began preparing to set up camp.
“When choosing a campsite, it shouldn’t be in an isolated location, but neither should it be too exposed. In isolated spots, there’s a risk of ambushes, while open areas leave us vulnerable to attacks from all directions. The ideal location is one backed by a large structure, with plenty of nearby cover for allies to use for defense…”
Hugo explained the basics of setting up camp to the Academy students while pitching tents. Mirien busied herself preparing food, while porter Hans started gathering firewood under Krom’s watchful protection. And Yujin…
[So, you’re pretending to gather magic materials, huh?]
Well, since that’s the excuse I gave, I don’t have much choice now.
Yujin was indeed pretending to collect magical materials.
Although he had mentioned going as far as the fifth floor to gather resources, it didn’t necessarily mean the materials only existed on that floor. Usually, it meant collecting as you explored through the layers, so this wasn’t entirely untrue.
In fact, the others had been considerate enough to let him go off for this purpose, so Yujin had no reason to object.
“Besides, it’s not just pretending.”
The game “Labyrinth Academy” combined elements of the roguelike genre with an open-world feel.
Exploring the vast labyrinth while gathering all sorts of resources was a key feature, and Yujin who had once been a player of the game found himself naturally seeking out and collecting materials.
Inwardly, he even found it a bit fun. Almost as though he’d truly stepped into the game world.
[Hmm… You’re gathering quite the useful collection. Did you always know where to find these?]
Well, partly, but I think it’s also thanks to the dragon’s enhanced senses.
In fact, Yujin had stumbled upon some items that weren’t even present in the original game.
It was likely because his dragon’s senses picked up on dense concentrations of energy such as mana, which made such materials stand out to him.
After gathering a modest collection of magical materials, Yujin made his way back to the party’s campsite.
“Ah, Mr. Eugene, you’re back.”
Hugo who had just finished setting up the tents greeted him warmly. Yujin smiled back and said,
“Haha, I feel a bit guilty. While everyone was busy preparing for camp, it seems I was absorbed in a personal task.”
“There’s no need to worry about that. By the way, did you manage to gather the materials?”
“Yes, surprisingly, there were plenty of things growing naturally in the area.”
With that, Yujin held up a pouch filled with the materials he had collected. Hugo’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at it.
“Wow… You’ve gathered quite a bit. Are all of these magic materials?”
“Yes. There’s Cure Herb, which is used for healing potions; Magic Grass, which has a mild mana amplification effect; and Kellow Seeds, one of the ingredients for the Panacea….Well, I collected things that have various uses as well.”
“The Panacea? Isn’t that the second-highest-grade medicine, just below the legendary Elixir?”
Hugo looked surprised at the mention of Kellow Seeds. Yujin chuckled and replied,
“Kellow Seeds are actually a minor ingredient in the Panacea. The rarer materials are probably hidden deep within the labyrinth.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Besides, the full recipe for the Panacea hasn’t been completely uncovered yet. Even so, Kellow Seeds have been identified as one of the ingredients because they’re used in every medicine related to curing diseases.”
“Now that you mention it, I think I’ve heard something similar during a gathering request. I also heard that Kellow Seeds are always in high demand…”
“I didn’t gather a large quantity, though. Considering the size of the pouch, it’s not packed that full.”
“Is that so?”
As Yujin opened the pouch to show its contents, Hugo nodded in understanding. Then he said,
“In any case, you’ve done a great job, Mr. Eugene. Now that the camp preparations are done and dinner is nearly ready, please take a seat and relax while you wait.”
“Understood.”
***
Over the fire lit with wood that Krom and Hans had collected, a pot of stew bubbled and simmered.
Soon, the party, with their portions served, shared a meal and started conversations around the campfire.
“So, you’re from the East as well? I thought so. Your hair color and features give off that unique Eastern vibe.”
“Yes. Actually, my full name is Han Yujin.”
“Han Yujin… So ‘Yujin’ is your given name, and ‘Han’ is your family name? I’ve heard that in Eastern countries, the family name comes first, and most family names are quite short.”
“That’s right. And, as a bonus, most people have family names even if they aren’t nobles.”
Yujin had already blended into the group and was naturally chatting with them. Of course, Elly still seemed a little uncomfortable due to the earlier incident, and Mirien, being reserved by nature, spoke only when necessary and mostly to Hugo, the leader. Shia, on the other hand, seemed inherently timid.
As a result, Yujin naturally found himself talking mostly with Hugo and Krom.
“Having a family name despite not being a noble… That’s just like what I heard from an Eastern swordsman I once traveled with. It always struck me as fascinating.”
“I’m more amazed by how fluent your speech is. Honestly, I was confused at first if you were really from the East because of how well you speak.”
“Haha, is that so?”
In reality, Yujin was speaking the common language of the Western Continent, which was part of Labyrinth Academy’s setting. And he spoke it with remarkable fluency.
Though he hadn’t mentioned it, Yujin had been quite surprised by this himself at first.
Becoming a dragon probably made learning languages easier, but what shocked him was how naturally he had understood and spoken the language as if it were his native tongue, right from the moment Hugo first spoke to him.
“Though I find it more surprising that someone from the East is a mage. Most people there seem to hone martial arts, and I’ve heard that the professions similar to mages are typically referred to as shamans.”
“I suppose magic suits my aptitude better, so I ended up walking this path.”
Yujin replied with a smile. Hugo then asked,
“By the way, Mr. Yujin, which school of magic do you belong to? Your focus on herbal magic materials makes me think you might be aligned with the Healing School.”
“I don’t follow any particular school. I’m not affiliated with one either. Like I said, I’m from the East.”
“Hmm… That makes sense. Mages do have a bit of a closed-minded side.”
Hugo seemed to have roughly understood that, as someone from the East, Yujin must be often subject to discrimination.
Yujin merely smiled in response.
“By the way, about the Kellow seeds you mentioned earlier. You said they’re an ingredient for the Panacea, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I’ve heard they’re used for various diseases, but the fact that you specifically brought up a panacea… Does that mean your goal is to create one, Mr. Yujin?”
Hugo’s question seemed to stem from genuine curiosity. However, upon overhearing the exchange, Elly and Shia, who were nearby, looked at Yujin with surprise.
“The panacea?”
“Hmm? Why are the two of you reacting like that?”
At this, Krom asked the question. Shia who was timid flinched and clamped her mouth shut, but Elly who had grown somewhat comfortable around Chrome responded hesitantly.
“Well… It’s really nothing serious. There’s just this rather well-known rumor at the Academy…”
“A well-known rumor? About what?”
When she mentioned the rumor from the Academy, Elly wore a slightly hesitant expression on her face, as if debating whether she should share it.
But she soon began to speak.
“Well… It’s kind of an open secret, but there’s a rumor that Her Highness the Second Princess is unwell.”
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