CH 90

After having Orn let me off, I escaped the Great Labyrinth and staggered to a deserted back alley. 

Right now, I’m in a state where I’m propping my hands against a wall and somehow standing. 

“Ha……, ha……, he’s alive. Orn is alive. But he’s an explorer. Why did Orn have to look at me with those eyes?”

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My head is a mess.

It wasn’t just Oliver, but even Orn had fallen into the hands of the enemy. 

“I’ll never forgive you, Philly Carpenter……. I’ll make you regret you were ever born. I’ll knock you down to a hell where you’ll wish you were better off dead…..!”

“Ah, I finally found you, Zion! I was surprised after everyone’s signs disappeared. –Wait, your clothes are in shreds, aren’t they! What happened?”

As I’m venting my anger, an innocent-looking girl calls out to me.

“–Hey, Loretta. I screwed up a little. Everyone died, including me.”

“You died, but you’re still alive, aren’t you? Don’t tell me you’re a ghost!?”

“Thanks to my Talent I narrowly managed to cling on to my life. But it’s the first time I’ve used [Time Reversal] on my entire body, so I’m a wreck on the inside. Well, it’s great that I regained consciousness. There was a chance I could have just come back as an unharmed corpse. Ahaha…..”

I tell Loretta in a casual tone so as to not let things get too serious. 

Even so, that was really dangerous. The last attack by Orn was unfair. Anything that gets hit by that would turn into dust. 

His powers should still be sealed, so how could he be capable of such a ridiculous attack…..

“I don’t feel it’s something to laugh about though….. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll have to temporarily keep using my Talent to make sure my body stabilises, probably. So I can’t use magic right now, and I need to rest for a while.”

If I had continued the battle with Orn like that, I would have been killed for sure.

I definitely wouldn’t have been able to perform the feat of returning to life again, so it was helpful that I was spared. 

“I see, then the other three are really……. Was the opponent that skilled enough to push you and the others to that point?”

No matter the cause, what we are doing is killing people.

I am resolved to face the same thing for myself and my associates at any moment.

Still, seeing people you’ve just been working with killed in front of your eyes is not something you get used to.

And even more so when the one who laid their hands on them was Orn…….

“Yeah, he was skilled. In that condition, he was able to have a good fight with me. If he had demonstrated his original powers, I would have definitely been instantly killed. His physical abilities seem to somehow have been partly released though….. Ah, my destination is still far away, huh. –Well, since you’re here, have you got any directive?”

Loretta is a messenger of “Amunzers”.

She’s in-charge of conveying information about faraway places and instructions from the organisation to those of us who are active in various parts of the continent.

“–Ah, that’s right! It’s a notice from Leader! The instructions that have come down to you, ‘due to poisonous flowers, Zion’s team is to cease your activities immediately and withdraw’.”

……Right.

“And, Zion is to return to headquarters.”

“I wish I had heard this message a day earlier though.”

This time, their goal would have been for Orn and I to clash with each other. Regardless of who died, they would have benefitted. In the end, both of us are still alive, but this time they’ve used us well. 

……This debt will be expensive. 

“I’m sorry. I had no idea that one of the messengers was in touch with those scum.”

“Can’t be helped. The other side has an evil woman who has the Talent [Cognition Alteration]. That person might have had their thoughts overwritten. For now, I understand the directive. So, before I leave, I have one favour to ask of you, Loretta.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to tell everyone else to leave the Southern Great Labyrinth.

“…… Why is that so? The Southern Great Labyrinth has already been broken through to the 94th floor. We need to get rid of as many competent explorers as possible and delay the conquest. So many of our people have already gone through the trouble of infiltrating.”

“Yes, that’s true. But I promised that in exchange for letting me go, I would make everyone else withdraw from the Southern Great  Labyrinth.”

“That promise–“

“I don’t want to break my promises with him. Please. I don’t mind if you make it clear that this order is from me.”

“…………Understood. I will inform each member to withdraw from the Southern Great  Labyrinth. Then you’ll have to do me a favour!”

“What is it? I’m something unreasonable, so if it’s something I can do, I’ll fulfil any request.” 

“Enough, I got it, so please do something about your clothes!”

“……Ah, I forgot all about it.”

◇ ◇

After withdrawing the members of “Amunzers” from the Southern Great Labyrinth, I returned to the headquarters, although it took longer than usual.

With my current condition, travelling a long distance was really tough. 

Soon after that, I headed to the room where Leader was. 

And there is a man in his late twenties with a kind air about him.

His name is Christopher Downing. The current leader of “Amunzers”.

“I’m back.”

“Welcome back, Zion. I’m glad everything was fine.”

“Sarcasm? Three people died, and I also only survived thanks to [Time Reversal]. In such a situation, how can you say everything was fine.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. Well, alright. Did you meet Orn?”

“….I met him. He tried to cut me down as soon as we reunited though. Well, I didn’t think Orn would still be alive, so at first, I was going to kill him as planned.”

To begin with, I did see that he looked like Orn, but I thought it was a coincidental resemblance. But when I saw that pitch black magic, I no longer had any doubts that it was him. 

And now that I think about it, in that battle, there were many situations that couldn’t be explained if not for Orn’s Talent.

“But that doesn’t matter, Chris, did you know that Orn was still alive?”

That’s what I want to know the most right now.

“Yes, I was aware.”

“su! Then–“

“If I had told you that when you were still a child, you would have definitely gone off on your own, saying you were going to save Orn, wouldn’t you? I thought there was little chance that Orn and Oliver would be killed, and I couldn’t afford to lose even you, Zion, as well. You are a valuable fighting asset. You can insult me all you want. So please don’t do anything on your own. Please.”

Chris bows his head deeply and pleads with me.

It’s true that if I had heard that Orn was alive back then, I would have done everything in my power to get him back.

And I probably would have ended up like Orn and the others, or worse, killed.

Either way, it would have been highly unlikely for me to be here now.

“……Yeah, I got it. I think you made the right call, yeah, Chris.”

“Thank you.”

“So? What are my plans for the future? That’s what you called me here to talk about, right?”

“Ah, yes. It’s a bit sudden, but I have received a number of reports that the Cult is actively working in the Empire. They look to be doing their all to exhaustively clear labyrinths. We have already dispatched a considerable number of people, but the Cult seems to be very serious, we haven’t had any deaths yet, but we’ve suffered considerable losses.”

“The Empire? The Empire has already lost their Great Labyrinth, I don’t think there’s anything left for the Cult to do.”

The ultimate goal of the Cult is to resurrect the Evil God.

To erase the Great Labyrinth that stands in the way of that revival is what I thought the current Cult’s objective would be. 

It feels very unnatural that the Cult is still active in the Empire when the Great Labyrinth is gone.

“This is complete speculation on my part, but I believe that the Cult’s objective is to move the Saviour.”

“In order to move the Saviour, the Cult is attacking the labyrinth? …………Don’t tell me!?”

The Saviour has tremendous power. After all, he’s the same as Orn and I.

However, the Saviour only moves for the sake of the Empire. 

I had assumed that once the Western Great Labyrinth was gone, they would not intervene in the battle between us and the Cult.

But if things continue as they are, that assumption will collapse.

If someone like that were to go rogue, I fear that the power balance we are currently maintaining would be instantly rewritten.

“If the labyrinths within the Empire continue to disappear, it is quite thinkable that the Empire will begin to invade other countries.”

“And then to take advantage of the economy caused by the war to promote attacks on Great Labyrinths……?”

The majority of current weapons are made from labyrinth materials. If the war stimulates weapons production, the value of labyrinth materials will soar.

With such a good opportunity for explorers to earn money, it’s certain that this will indirectly increase the speed of clearing Great Labyrinths. 

About 60 years ago, there was a case when war broke out in the Republic of Jueno that contained the Northern Great Labyrinth, the progress of clearing the Northern Great Labyrinth increased considerably. 

“But how could the Cult do such a reckless thing…… If they’re not careful, they could be wiped out before reaching their goal…….”

“It’s probably because Orn has made headway. Though Orn’s memories and powers have been sealed, he’s ascending to become prime candidate for clearing Great Labyrinths, we and the Cult did not expect this. We thought all he could do was ultimately support Oliver. But in fact, Orn actually defeated a deep layer Floor Boss on his own. We can entertain thoughts that the sealing magic is starting to unravel, given that Zion, you actually faced him in battle, what do you think?” 

“……I think the sealing magic was functioning without any problems. During battle, he didn’t use any advanced or special magic. His physical abilities seem to have been forcefully released, but it was only a part, and it was too weak to be the result of the sealing magic not working.”

“Forcing the sealing magic……? That sealing magic, it’s no exaggeration to say that it was Lens’ magnum opus. To release it in any way than the prescribed method, your King seems to be truly extraordinary.”

“I agree. It also looked like he had even developed his own original magics, and when he came slashing at me seriously, his sword strikes were quite heavy. If I had received it directly, he would definitely have split me in half.”

“……Depending on what Orn does from here on, the battle might get bogged down. I think as planned after all, let’s have you proceed to the Empire. There is a high chance we might be too late, but I want you to restrain the Cult. We want to avoid a scenario where the Saviour goes on a rampage.”

“Understood. This time the Cult managed to make use of me really well. Next time, I won’t let them do as they like.”