"Winter's already here, huh."
It was December, and the days had grown noticeably shorter compared to summer. While waiting for someone in a private room at a certain restaurant, I gazed through the window at the first snowfall that had just begun and truly felt the arrival of winter.
"You're early, Orun. Sorry to keep you waiting."
While I passed the time mulling over recent improvements to spell formulas for new magic I was developing and broader interpretations of my own unique ability, Selma-san entered the private room.
"No, I just got here myself, so I haven't been waiting at all... Huh? Sophie's not with you?"
I'd assumed she would come together with Sophie, but even after scanning around Selma-san, I didn't see her.
"Ah. I can't exactly bring her to a meeting with a sponsor. Besides, she said there was somewhere she wanted to go, so we split up once we arrived in the royal capital."
As Selma-san explained, we were currently in the royal capital of the Nohitant Kingdom.
Around the end of the year, the Silver Moon Rabbit of the Night Sky had a custom: executives would visit the clan's major sponsors from that year to offer thanks and hold meetings.
I'd been assigned to this capital—along with Selma-san—to greet one of our biggest sponsors here.
"I see."
"...She's on her way here now. Just a little longer—sorry about that."
Selma-san updated me on Sophie's status.
She'd probably used [Mental Link] to check in with her.
That ability really is convenient.
"No need to apologize. Today's star... is Sophie, after all."
The reason Sophie—who had nothing to do with the sponsor meeting—had come to the capital was to celebrate her coming-of-age.
She turned fifteen this month.
In this country, fifteen marked adulthood.
There wasn't a custom of celebrating birth months in general, but many places held celebrations for the month a person turned fifteen and became an adult.
Normally, such celebrations were family affairs.
I felt a bit out of place being there, but thankfully Sophie had invited me, so Selma-san and I were celebrating with her.
"I'm glad you feel that way. Oh—while we're waiting for Sophia, there's something I'd like to ask. Have you learned anything about the central army?"
Selma-san asked with a serious expression.
The person I'd met with today—Count Bowell—had deep ties to the central army.
She probably wanted to hear any information I'd gathered during the meeting as soon as possible.
For reference, the "central army" referred to the troops directly under the royal family's command—distinct from the territorial armies that served individual lords.
"I've confirmed most of what we wanted to know. I'll give you the full details when we get back, but as expected, the central army seems extremely tense right now."
The news of the Sauvel Empire's invasion of the Nohitant Kingdom two months ago had spread across the continent in an instant.
However, some neighboring countries and distant nations seemed to perceive it as "just a minor skirmish that the Nohitant Kingdom is exaggerating" and weren't treating the incident as particularly grave.
To be fair, the actual fighting had lasted only about a day, and the battlefield had been confined to the area around one city.
It was understandable that other countries might downplay it.
But that invasion had involved the [Hero].
A being capable of single-handedly annihilating an entire division with ease.
The only reason I'd beaten [Hero] Felix was sheer luck.
My unique ability just happened to be a perfect counter to his.
Otherwise, I would have been no obstacle to him at all.
In fact, until I awakened to [Gravity Manipulation], I'd been completely helpless against Felix.
This might sound arrogant, but if I hadn't been there—or if I'd lost to Felix—the Empire's invasion could very well still be ongoing right now.
For that reason, I personally believed the incident should never be taken lightly.
"...I see."
"And about 'that matter'... it looks like it's true."
"That matter" referred to the upcoming talks between the kingdom and the Empire—where both heads of state would personally attend.
The venue would be the imperial capital.
In other words, the king himself would be stepping into the heart of a hostile nation.
Anyone could see how dangerous that was.
Yet despite his retainers' attempts to dissuade him, the king refused to change his mind.
Since this was a private room in a high-class restaurant frequented by nobles—with proper soundproofing and no one nearby—I could speak freely without issue.
But given the sensitivity of the topic, I deliberately kept it vague.
Even so, Selma-san clearly understood my meaning; her eyes widened in shock.
"...That's a headache-inducing situation. But it also shows just how seriously His Majesty is taking this incident."
"Yeah. If the information Count Edington obtained is accurate, it at least makes some sense that the Empire—facing a potential magic stone shortage—targeted this kingdom, which controls the Great Southern Labyrinth. We might be able to use that angle to negotiate favorably, but whether we can even have a proper conversation with someone who resorted to force from the start is another question. I agree it's dangerous."
"His Majesty must have his own reasons, but all we can do is speculate. In any case, let's leave politics to the royalty and nobility. By the way—what about the concern the clan leader mentioned?"
"You mean the possibility of me getting pulled into the military?"
When I confirmed the topic, Selma-san nodded.
"They said something along those lines, but I turned it down flat. Being an explorer suits me far better than being a soldier."
"I see. We think we understand your feelings, Orun. If anyone tries to force the issue against your will—even if it's the king's personal army—the clan won't stay silent."
"...Thank you, Selma-san."
"It's for the sake of protecting an important comrade. No need to thank me."
As we spoke, my hearing picked up Sophie's approaching footsteps.
I wrapped up the conversation just as the sliding door opened, and Sophie stepped into the room.
"Sorry I'm late. Thank you for waiting...!"
"Good evening, Sophie. It's still before the appointed time, so we haven't been waiting at all."
"Orun's right. More importantly—sorry I couldn't spend the day with you."
"It's okay, big sis has work to do."
Sophie reassured Selma-san as she took the seat beside her.
"...Did you enjoy the capital?"
"Yeah! I was shopping at the Downing Trading Company until just now! They had so many cute magical tools—it was really fun! I'll show you what I bought later."
The Downing Trading Company was a major merchant guild headquartered in the Hitia Duchy—known as the magic powerhouse in the continent's center—with branches across the entire landmass.
They specialized in everyday magical tools.
Originally, domestic companies like the Flockheart Trading Company had dominated the market here, but half a year ago Flockheart had been absorbed by Downing, allowing the latter to expand its presence in this kingdom.
There were no dark rumors about Downing, and their products were generally considered high-quality.
I had complicated feelings about Flockheart's disappearance, but as a customer, I was glad to see Downing gaining a foothold domestically.
Sophie chatted happily with Selma-san about her day, her face beaming.
Selma-san listened with a joyful expression of her own.
It was a heartwarming sight.
Once everyone was gathered, the food arrived, and Sophie's coming-of-age celebration meal began.
We savored the high-class restaurant's course menu while enjoying conversation.
The dishes were naturally delicious, but having eaten noble cuisine frequently during my Hero Party days, nothing felt particularly novel to me.
Selma-san was probably in the same boat.
For Sophie—who'd had a less-than-ideal childhood—everything seemed fresh and exciting. With each new dish, she reacted in all sorts of adorable ways.
I was glad she was enjoying herself.
Selma-san, clearly thinking the same, showed Sophie an even gentler expression than usual.
"It seems the Great Labyrinth conquest is going smoothly lately."
"Yes! I reported that we defeated the fiftieth-floor boss the other day, right? Now we've reached the fifty-third floor! Our immediate goal is to reach the lower levels by next month!"
Since I kept up with the Twilight Moonbow's progress, I already knew they'd reached the fifty-third floor.
During the guided exploration last spring, they'd only made it to the fiftieth.
But now they were delving deeper under their own power—that realization filled me with deep emotion.
Still, that was quite a fast pace.
The Twilight Moonbow had reached the thirty-first floor, then been called away for the labyrinth investigation in Lugau.
We'd returned to Tsutorairu only at the beginning of last month.
In other words, in roughly one month they'd descended from the thirty-first to the fifty-third floor.
I already believed my disciples' strength rivaled A-rank explorers, and Luna was with them.
The fact that Luna wasn't stopping them at this pace meant the middle layers were now easily traversable for the Twilight Moonbow.
As for Carol's mental state—the biggest concern—she appeared stable for now.
Luna had told me that while Carol sometimes spaced out, she maintained her usual focus during labyrinth exploration.
"That's great to hear. But smooth sailing is exactly when you're most vulnerable to a stumble. Never forget that the labyrinth is a dangerous place."
"Yes, I understand! ...Um, Orun-san, you've seemed really busy lately..."
Sophie spoke hesitantly, as if probing.
"...Sorry. I haven't been able to teach you guys much recently."
Yes—since returning to Tsutorairu, I hadn't spent much time with my disciples.
The biggest reason was the shifting situation after the Empire's invasion.
Currently, the Silver Moon Rabbit of the Night Sky's policy prioritized reaching the ninety-fourth floor of the Great Labyrinth.
Being assigned to meet sponsors in the relatively nearby royal capital—rather than farther ones—was related to that.
Previously, the First Unit had explored the labyrinth every other day, but recently the rotation had changed to two days of exploration followed by one free day.
Even on free days, there were many high-priority tasks, leaving little time for instruction.
I knew "no time" was just an excuse, but lately I'd found myself wishing a day had more hours...
"No! That's not what I meant. I know you're busy, Orun-san. We're official explorers of the Silver Moon Rabbit of the Night Sky now, and I've come of age—so I can't keep relying on you forever."
"Sophia has really grown up."
Selma-san looked delighted at Sophie's display of independence.
"Ehehe, I'm an adult starting this month, after all! Of course!"
"Heh, looks like we can't fall behind either, Orun."
"...Yeah. We need to conquer the ninety-third floor as soon as possible."
◇
"Sophie, did you enjoy the food?"
After we'd finished every dish, I asked her.
"Yes! It was really delicious! Orun-san, big sis—thank you so much for bringing me to such a wonderful place!"
"You're welcome. If you're satisfied, it was worth it. Once again—happy coming of age."
"Congratulations, Sophie."
When Selma-san and I offered our words of celebration, Sophie smiled bashfully but brightly.
"Oh, right—I prepared a coming-of-age gift for you, Sophie. I'd like you to accept it if you're willing."
As I spoke, I took an envelope containing papers with spell formulas from my storage artifact and handed it to her.
"Ah, thank you... A letter? Um, may I open it?"
"Of course. I hope you'll like it."
With my permission, Sophie opened the envelope with an excited expression and pulled out the papers inside.
"...Is this a spell formula?"
After quickly scanning the contents, Sophie asked.
"Correct. I figured giving you an object might overlap with something from Selma-san, so I decided to gift you an original spell. Its name is [Amplification Chain Raise Repeat]. I think you'll handle it even better than I can, so I've customized the formula specifically for you."
"Um... [Amplification Chain Raise Repeat] is one of your original spells, right, Orun-san?"
"Yeah. It's a spell that reads the formula of any attack magic passing through the spot where it's placed and automatically activates an amplified version of the same spell."
"S-Something that amazing... are you really sure I can have it...?"
"Yes. I want you to take it. I believe you can master this spell, Sophie."
This spell was different from ordinary magic.
It was built on the premise of combining unique abilities.
However, I'd already confirmed it could be replicated with Sophie's [Psychokinesis], so she should have no trouble activating it.
I hoped this spell would serve as a trigger for her to further awaken her ability.
"...Thank you. I'll master this spell and live up to your expectations, Orun-san!"
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."
And so the sponsor meeting and Sophie's coming-of-age celebration came to an end.
There was a mountain of things waiting back in Tsutorairu.
Plus, the conquest of the ninety-third floor would begin in earnest.
With the First Unit's strength, it should be possible—but we couldn't afford to let our guard down.