Five days later.
In the early morning, when the chill of the air still lingered on the skin, Log, Carol, and I arrived at the gathering point for "Amuntzares".
Nearly thirty active unit members were already assembled there.
"…Wow…"
I couldn't help but swallow hard.
Everyone had well-trained physiques, and the weight of experience that clearly differed from the explorers I usually saw in labyrinths could be felt just from the way they stood.
"…The pressure is on a whole different level when this many gather."
Log muttered quietly, his gaze steady, though his fingertips were slightly tense.
Beside him, only Carol remained in her usual cheerful tone.
"This is reassuring~"
(…As expected of Carol.)
Noticing us, Luella walked over.
"You're here, all three of you."
Her tone was calm, but her eyes were sharper than usual.
This was her work face—I thought.
"There are more people than I expected."
Log looked around as he spoke.
"The cult facility has multiple entrances. We're dividing into teams so we can enter from every route. You three will be in the same team as us."
"So it's the five of us with Luella and Fred…?"
When Log confirmed, Luella shook her head.
"No. There are two more. Over there."
Luella indicated with her chin.
Standing there were a woman wearing a large pointed hat and a tall man.
"Eh, those people are…"
"Master's former party members from the original "Golden Dawn Heroes"…!"
Log and I unintentionally let out surprised voices at the same time.
When the two noticed us, they slowly approached.
The tall man—Derrick—looked down at us and spoke.
"…So these are Orun's disciples? They're still just kids."
"Does that mean we have to babysit children too?"
The woman in the pointed hat—Aneli—sighed.
"We're not children. We're already adults."
Log replied with a slightly annoyed expression.
The two looked at him with eyes that seemed to be appraising him.
"Even if you say you're adults, you're still kids. Are you really planning to come along?"
Derrick exhaled slowly before continuing in a low voice.
"This isn't just a simple investigation. Depending on the opponent—it could be more dangerous than a labyrinth."
His words felt more like a warning than provocation.
"We're prepared…!"
I stepped forward and spoke my feelings without looking away.
Seeing that, Aneli narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Hmm. Well, we can't have you becoming a burden, so if a fight breaks out, hide behind us. As your senior explorers, we'll protect you."
"Ahaha~ As usual, you two only know how to phrase things in a way that causes misunderstandings~"
Fred, who had been quietly watching our exchange, spoke in his usual drawling tone.
"What? You picking a fight?"
Aneli raised an eyebrow, and Derrick shot him a sharp look.
But Fred didn't flinch at all and smiled at the two.
"No no~ I'm not picking a fight. It just seemed like what the two of you wanted to say wasn't getting through to these three, so I thought I'd translate~"
"Hah?" "The hell?"
Their voices overlapped perfectly.
Fred waved his hand lightly and continued in his relaxed manner.
"What the two of them meant was, 'If you're in trouble, don't hesitate to rely on us. We'll definitely help you.'"
"…Hah!? W-We didn't say anything like that…"
Aneli's cheeks flushed slightly as she quickly pulled her hat brim lower.
"I didn't say that! Don't interpret things on your own!"
"Exactly! If something happens to these kids, what would Orun and Luna say—right! We're only helping because we don't want to get lectured by those two!"
"Yeah. Orun and Luna's lectures are long and annoying."
…The reason was ridiculous, but their desperate attempt to hide it was kind of cute.
"Ehh~ I see, I see~ So both of you are fully intent on helping with all your might, right~?"
Fred grinned as he pressed further.
""...""
The two didn't deny it and simply looked away.
Watching them, I let out a small sigh of relief.
Their way of speaking was rough, but they didn't seem like bad people.
Log, who had been frowning earlier, also relaxed his expression a little.
"—Everyone's here."
At the voice, we turned to see the commanding officer of the "Amuntzares" active unit—a burly man—slowly stepping forward.
The earlier lighthearted banter vanished like a lie, and the atmosphere instantly changed.
I straightened my back reflexively.
"We will now begin the final confirmation of the operation."
The commander's voice was calm yet carried the weight of steel.
"The target is one of the "Cyclamen Cult"'s experiment facilities. The full internal layout is unknown, but there are five confirmed entrances. Each team will enter simultaneously from their assigned route to secure survivors and eliminate threats."
The explorers around us nodded with serious expressions.
Even near our team, Derrick stood with his arms crossed, and Aneli listened to the commander without moving a single eyebrow.
Seeing their demeanor, I once again felt the pressure of real explorers and my chest grew hot.
(…I have to make sure I don't hold anyone back.)
The commander continued.
"Reconfirming the teams. First team is—"
Names were called out in order, and soon it was our turn.
"Finally, the fifth team. Leader is Luella. Members are Frederick, Aneli, Derrick, and—Sophia, Logan, Caroline. Seven members total."
Hearing our names, I instinctively straightened my posture.
Carol clenched her fists, her eyes filled with strong determination as she murmured.
"Finally… we can go save everyone…!"
There was no hesitation on her face—only firm resolve.
The reason Log and I came to the Hitia Duchy was to deepen our knowledge of magic at the academy and grow further.
But Carol's goal was different.
From the very beginning, her goal had been to rescue as many children as possible who were still suffering at the hands of the cult.
That was why Carol had come here, where the most information about the cult gathered.
…It was only after coming to the Hitia Duchy that I learned the reason Carol felt so strongly about this.
Carol had been abducted by the cult as a child and gone through terrible things.
After many twists and turns, Carol and the others managed to escape the cult's grasp, but there are still many children suffering under them.
Carol had said she wanted to save all of them.
I agree with that feeling.
Even if our intensity differs, I also want to help people suffering in the darkness.
"—That concludes the final confirmation. All teams, prepare for transfer!"
At the order, everyone began moving at once.
They checked their equipment and headed toward the room where the transfer circles were inscribed.
Tension and excitement swirled in my chest.
"Let's go."
Luella called out gently but firmly.
We followed her back and began walking.
◇
The moment we stepped into the dimly lit facility, a stinging smell assaulted my nose.
(…Is this the smell of blood? And… chemicals too…)
My throat tightened involuntarily.
Metal fixtures that had once held something in place marked the walls, and dark, dried stains spread across the floor.
Remnants of magic tools were scattered about, and although I didn't want to imagine what they had been used for, the scenes formed in my mind on their own.
(…It feels awful… My chest is churning…)
Even though my mind couldn't keep up, it felt like my heart was being scraped away.
Just as my footing wavered, I noticed Carol's shoulders trembling slightly beside me.
"Carol, are you okay…?"
"I'm fine. …I'm used to this."
Her voice was so small that it was obvious she was forcing herself, yet she was still trying to look forward.
(…I have to support her.)
That thought crossed my mind right then.
"…Someone's there!"
At Log's voice, I turned my gaze forward.
—A girl.
She looked younger than us.
I hurried toward her.
"Are you okay!? We are—"
"—Don't approach carelessly!!"
Luella's sharp voice came from behind.
In that instant, a chill ran down my spine.
I reflexively jumped sideways, and something passed through the spot where I had been standing at high speed.
The sound of wind being cut and a high-pitched screech like metal being scraped.
When I looked, it was—the girl's hand.
No, that wasn't right.
It was—a beast's claw shaped like a hand.
Claws of impossible length.
An arm blackened and discolored.
Magical energy swirled like a muddy torrent.
Could this be the "demonized human" I had heard about…?
"…!"
The girl's eyes were completely blackened, with no trace of reason left.
"Stop—!"
My voice didn't reach her. The girl shook her body in pain and lunged at us like a beast.
"Sophie!"
Log shouted while readying himself.
But what came flying was a small body, small hands, and a small cry.
(I can't attack a child like this…!)
I couldn't construct the spell properly.
Something inside my chest rejected it.
Seeing me like that, Aneli deployed a large number of magic circles around herself.
Just as she was about to unleash an attack spell,
"Leave this to me."
Fred stopped Aneli and stepped in front of us.
"—[Status Down]."
The debuff Fred cast slowed the girl's movements.
"It's okay. Sleep peacefully for now. —[Induction Sleep]."
His voice was not the usual drawling tone, but a gentle, caring one.
Under Fred's spell, the girl let out peaceful breathing and fell asleep.
Then Fred turned back to us with cold eyes.
"…Sophie, Log, this is reality. With the resolve you two have right now—"
Just as Fred was about to continue, a piercing alarm rang throughout the facility.
"W-What!?"
"An alarm…?"
The ground shook slightly, and black mist rose in thick clouds from the cracks in the dim floor.
(…This looks like the mist that appears when a magical beast dies…?)
The scene I always saw in labyrinths overlapped with what was happening right in front of me, and my chest churned.
But this time, it was the opposite.
The mist wasn't dissipating—it was trying to take shape.
"Bad news! Battle formation! Protect that girl while engaging!"
Luella's voice rang out.
The black mist gradually took the form of magical beasts.
Four-legged beasts.
Tentacles with compound eyes.
Humanoid figures holding weapons.
It wasn't just one.
Two, three—more and more took shape.
"This isn't a labyrinth, yet…"
"Stop talking and just exterminate them, Derrick!"
The moment the words left her mouth, the water spear Aneli unleashed turned a magical beast into black mist.
Derrick also stepped forward, thrusting his large shield ahead.
Our battle with the magical beasts had begun.