After leaving the A rank party, I aim for the deep part of the labyrinth with my former students
“Comrades. The first step of our revolution has succeeded.”
“The hidden ‘Tower’ has responded to our call and revealed itself!”
“The time has come for the truth—stubbornly concealed and deceived by the fools of this world—to be exposed!”
“The descent of the god ‘Ankelias’ is near!”
Behind the man delivering his theatrical lines, among the robed figures standing in formation, was Marina.
Her hood was pulled low over her face, but her build, the shape of her mouth, and most telling of all, her distinctive red hair clearly revealed her identity.
The man at the front raised his voice, gesturing to the Tower silhouetted against the full moon.
“Everything begins now!”
“Bear witness to the salvation our god—Ankelias—shall bring!”
“The end is coming! And with it, a new beginning! This world shall be rewritten by the truth... by the hand of the true ruler—God Ankelias!”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
But judging by what he said, it was these people who made the Tower appear in the heart of the Old Capital Jo-Koco... which meant they were also the ones who unleashed the monsters.
Still, there was something far more important.
If I could reach Jo-Koco before this live broadcast ended—Marina would be there.
“Go, Yuke! You can make it in time if you go alone, right!?”
Jamie shouted sharply at me.
I nodded and immediately sprinted toward the horse I had prepared.
With an enhancement spell on the horse, it wouldn’t take long to reach the Old Capital Jo-Koco.
“I’m going! Silk, I’m counting on you!”
“Yes! Please be careful!”
As I quickly mounted the horse, Silk gave me a firm nod.
I looked around at my tense companions, then spurred the horse into the night.
From our camp to Jo-Koco is about two hours by carriage.
But with a magically enhanced horse, it wouldn’t even take an hour.
I charged down the night road, straight toward the distant city lights.
Marina is there.
Even if she left Clover, that was fine.
Being an adventurer is harsh and dangerous—I had already told her she could quit whenever she wanted.
But just disappearing with nothing but a note? That’s not right.
And it’s not like her.
At the very least, I want to hear it from her.
Why someone as honest, forward-looking, and sincere as her had to leave Finis like she was running away from us.
No matter what the reason is—I don’t care.
If being true to herself means she needs to move on, I won’t stop her.
...But still.
The way she left—so unlike her—I just can’t accept it.
So please, let me hear it.
In your own words. In your own voice.
“Marina… please, still be there…!”
I gripped the reins tightly and cast another enhancement spell on the horse.
Riding like the wind at full speed, I raced down the road to the Old Capital Jo-Koco.
◆
“I’m A-Rank adventurer Yuke Feldio! Move aside! I’m in a hurry!”
I threw the Edright Republic Special Action Permit to the soldier standing guard at the gates of the Old Capital Jo-Koco and forced my way through.
By now, I could already see the tower-like structure, so there was no need to hesitate.
I rode straight through the deserted main road of Jo-Koco at night.
Driving my horse at full speed, I quickly arrived at the central plaza—where the Tower stood tall—and shouted out.
At the back of Marina, who was just about to walk away toward the Tower—
“Marina!”
At the sound of my voice, Marina’s long red hair swayed slightly as she turned around.
The wind blew back her hood gently, revealing her face.
“...?”
With a vacant, slightly dazed look, Marina stared at me.
Then, as if she had been spoken to by a stranger, she averted her eyes and pulled her hood back up without saying a word, turning her back to me.
“Just for a moment—please hear me you out!”
“...”
Marina stopped at my second call, but before I could approach, several members of the Seventh Church silently stood between us.
Startled by their eerie pressure, my horse reared up and began to thrash violently.
“Tch…!”
I managed to land on the stone pavement after being thrown off, but the situation wasn’t looking good.
I was now surrounded by white-robed figures—likely members of the Seventh Church.
They raised their voices one after another:
“Do not approach the Child of God!”
“Do not deceive the Child of God!”
“Do not touch the Child of God!”
“Deliver the hammer! The confession! The repentance!”
Each of them shouted with fanatical intensity, brandishing weapons.
I hesitated, wondering if I was even allowed to draw my sword in the middle of a foreign city, but then I felt a sting on my cheek.
Mixed in with their murderous aura was an unmistakable presence from another realm.
Could they be… on the verge of turning into something else?
Right here, in a seemingly normal city?
“I have to go…”
Marina muttered softly and began to walk again.
Her unsteady steps were nothing like her usual lively self as she headed toward the Tower.
“Marina!”
I tried to follow her, but once again the believers blocked my path.
“Leave. You who are not chosen.”
“Leave. This instant.”
“Leave. While the Child of God still grants mercy.”
“Get out of my way!”
Just as I was about to draw my sword and break through by force, a powerful tremor knocked me off my feet.
The Tower extended upward toward the moon, and cracks split open beneath me.
This is bad—was my immediate thought—before the ground beneath me gave way.
I instinctively reached out for the stone pavement, but one of the believers kicked my hand away.
A sharp pain shot through me, and I lost my grip—falling into the crevice.
After a few hard impacts…
…my consciousness faded into darkness.
◆
“Ugh…”
“Yuke!”
I opened my eyes to a dull pain and saw Rain’s face right in front of me.
“Rain?”
“Thank goodness. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“My head, a little… and my right arm and left knee…”
“Your head was cut a lot, and your right arm and knee… both had broken bones. I’ve healed them, but I think they’ll still hurt.”
That explained the pain.
Even if the injuries are healed with magic, the pain itself can't be erased by it.
“What happened to me?”
“You fell into a crevice and got slammed into this… underground cavern, apparently.”
From behind Rain, Nene appeared and looked down at me.
Looking around, I saw all my companions were there.
“Everyone was worried, you know? The ‘tower’ got huge, and you were nowhere to be seen.”
“Sorry. But I messed up. I couldn’t talk to Marina.”
“So? What happened?”
To Jamie’s question, I explained everything I could remember about what happened before the collapse.
My head hurt a little, but my memory was clear.
“She went into the ‘tower’? Then, the ‘Seventh Church’ really is behind all this?”
“I’d say there’s a 90% chance, yes.”
I sat up and looked at the white ‘tower’ floating in the distance of the underground cavern.
This scenery looked just like the vast underground space beneath Finis.
Except that one doesn’t have the tip of a tower.
“What did Marina say? Did she… say anything?”
That blank expression on her face. The overwhelming sense of something being wrong.
Marina had definitely gotten caught up in something.
All of this — these incidents caused by the ‘Seventh Church’.
“I think… maybe they’re controlling her somehow. At the very least, she didn’t seem like the usual Marina who would willingly be part of this.”
“Right. In that case, we have to save her.”
“Exactly. Marina is the type to just bear things quietly.”
The former students clearly understood Marina well.
Maybe even better than I do.
“I’m ready to go anytime. All set!”
“Same here! I brought everything we might need!”
Jamie and Nene nodded at me with full determination.
Everyone… understood how I felt. What I wanted to do.
No — that’s not quite right.
As members of Clover, they knew what had to be done.
I didn’t even need to ask.
They’d already decided to save Marina.
“Yeah… let’s go save her!”
I stood up and stretched my body lightly.
There was still some pain, but it wasn’t enough to stop me from moving.
More importantly — we had to get Marina out of that place first.
Whatever the ‘Seventh Church’ really is… I’m not such a saint that I can sit back while they make Marina look like that.
“Wow… Yuke’s all fired up now.”
“We better brace ourselves. When Yuke’s like this, he tends to go overboard.”
“That’s also one of his good traits, though.”
“Yuke’s gotta be like this, after all.”
My companions were saying whatever they wanted… but they weren’t wrong.
Truth is, I’ve always been the type who can’t give up.
So there’s no way I’m giving up on the woman I love — Marina.
“All right, let’s move out. Operation: Old Royal Capital Tower begins. Mission one: Rescue Marina. Secondary goal: Stop the ‘Seventh Church.’ We’re all going home — to Finis!”
“Yeah!”
“Yes!”
“Roger that!”
“Let’s do this!”
With my companions’ replies pushing me forward, I began walking through the underground cavern.
Up ahead was the ‘tower’. Essentially, it was another difficult labyrinth — just like the ‘Achromatic Darkness’.
And we had to face it without Marina.
But the risk was worth it.
To us, Clover is an irreplaceable treasure.
We would conquer this place — and get Marina, our treasure, back.
That adventurer’s drive… pushed us forward into the unknown dungeon.
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