[Side Selma] To break off an engagement
◇
"...You really held up well. I was worried you might kill both of them right there. Luckily, neither of them seemed to notice your murderous intent."
After leaving the count's office, Marius moved to a small, empty room and spoke up.
"I feel like crushing my father right now."
Hearing Marius' voice, Selma deactivated her [Invisibility] spell and revealed herself. Her face was filled with indescribable anger.
In the count's office earlier, it wasn’t just Marius, the count, and Aldo—Selma had also been there, hidden using [Invisibility].
Since it was well-known that Selma was infatuated with Sophia, she couldn't get the count and the others to reveal their plans. As a result, Marius, who had earned a certain level of trust from the count, took it upon himself to gather the information.
"I’ll crush that beast. I won’t let you take that role, Selma."
"As long as I can save Sophia, that’s enough for me. But why are you, who have been indifferent to Sophia, cooperating with me now?"
Thanks to Marius’ cooperation, Selma was able to learn the reason Sophia was brought to Dal Ane. However, Marius had always shown indifference to her before, so his willingness to help was unexpected to Selma.
"I apologize for answering your question with a question, but why do you want to help Sophia?"
"Because she's my sister. There’s no need for any more reason than that to want to save my one and only cute sister, is there?"
Selma responded immediately, with unwavering clarity in her eyes.
Hearing her words, Marius smiled gently and murmured, "We’re alike in that regard. Naturally, we’re siblings."
"...But didn’t you dislike Sophia? Didn’t you even say, ‘I don’t have time to deal with the stain on the family’?"
"If you really thought that I felt that way, then my acting must have been quite good."
"What do you mean?"
"When I heard that a servant was carrying my father’s child, I was happy knowing a new brother or sister was on the way. But at the same time, I felt deep contempt for that man who drowned in his desires. A man who can’t even control his own wants is in a position of power over this land, leading the people—that was something I couldn’t forgive."
Marius began to speak his long-held anger, as if letting it all out.
"So, from that day, I’ve been working toward one goal: to drag that man off the lord’s seat as soon as possible. But the noble families in this country hold immense power. Back then, I was so insignificant that I would have been crushed immediately if I had resisted."
"So, that’s why you didn’t criticize father?"
"Yes. I was biding my time, building my strength, so I could crush him. I know myself well enough. If I got close to Sophia, I’d end up loving her just like I did with you. And that wouldn’t sit well with either that man or mother. So I chose to remain indifferent to Sophia."
"........."
Selma listened to Marius’ words, her expression complicated. While she understood the reasoning behind his actions, they had also contributed to Sophia’s suffering.
"But that ends now. I’ve finally obtained the weapon I need to take that man down. Even though it’s for the sake of saving the people, secretly negotiating with the Empire, a foreign enemy, is clearly an act of treason against the country... Well, I suppose I don’t really have the right to act like her big brother now, do I?"
◇ ◇ ◇
"Count Cloudel was negotiating with the Empire, you say?"
I decided, along with my brother, to bring down Father—Count Cloudel.
If Father is deposed, the head of the family position will inevitably fall to my brother.
If my brother becomes the head of the family, he will have the authority to cancel Sophia's engagement.
Normally, once an engagement is settled, it’s difficult to undo it, but the fiancé is a noble from the Empire.
If the other party is from a foreign enemy, it’s possible to forcibly nullify the engagement.
And to justify our actions, I decided to tell Lucy the truth—that Father had been negotiating with the Empire.
After hearing my brother's story, Lucy closed her eyes, deep in thought.
"I don’t want Princess Lucila to denounce my father immediately. I simply want you to turn a blind eye to our actions for a while."
My brother continued, explaining the reason he shared this with Lucy.
Father, despite his faults, is still the head of the Cloudel family. Even if we have the righteousness on our side, what we’re trying to do amounts to raising our fangs against the head of the family.
"…Indeed, the fact that the Count was colluding with the Empire cannot be overlooked," Lucy replied.
"Then—"
"—However, there is still a way to act now. For example, you could have your sister act as a spy. It’s likely that Count Cloudel is thinking of something similar. If that’s the case, our country could gain an advantage, and we would turn a blind eye to the Count's actions."
At first, I thought Lucy would side with us upon hearing her words, but the next moment, her expression changed to that of a princess, and she spoke as if supporting Father’s actions.
"I’m sorry, Selma. As your friend, I don’t want to burden your beloved sister with such a role. However, as a princess, I have no choice but to use this situation to our advantage. Especially since the other party is the Viscount Emert."
Viscount Emert is the noble from the Empire whom Sophia is supposed to marry. It’s a well-known fact that his family is well-connected with the Empire’s military, so this engagement can be seen as a justification for sending Sophia into that household.
"We’ve secured the cooperation of neighboring countries, but our country is still at a disadvantage. We must take every possible measure. Moreover, we cannot afford to let the labyrinth of Dal Ane overflow right now. If the flooding were to cause harm to other nations, it could affect the coalition forces as well."
"………"
I could understand what Lucy was saying.
But I couldn’t accept it.
If we have to sacrifice Sophia to win this war, then we might as well lose.
"I understand Princess Lucilia's opinion. Then, I will now act as the explorer of the 'Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky'..."
When I spoke, Lucy’s expression softened slightly.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being led by her, but right now, I had no other choice but to take this option.
"If there is a possibility of the labyrinth overflowing... then as an explorer, I cannot ignore it. I will go and conquer the labyrinth near Dal Ane."
"If you conquer the labyrinth without the guild’s permission, there’s a chance your explorer’s qualification could be revoked," Lucy said.
As Lucy pointed out, the labyrinths are managed by the Explorer’s Guild.
While the guild may sometimes commission explorers to conquer a labyrinth based on factors like the supply of magic stones, generally, conquering a labyrinth is not done unless it’s necessary.
The fact that Orn and the others are currently conquering several labyrinths within the kingdom is an extraordinary exception.
"I wouldn’t worry about that. Orn is scheduled to come to Dal Ane soon. As of now, he has the authority to conquer not only the designated labyrinth but also others, at his discretion. I intend to have him retroactively approve my actions."
The reason for agreeing to the engagement with the Empire is solely to protect the people from the potential flooding of the labyrinth.
If that labyrinth is dealt with, the flooding will no longer occur, and there will be no need to send Sophia to the Empire.
Even if the engagement with the Empire’s noble is finalized, there is no guarantee the Empire won’t cause the flooding themselves.
In fact, considering the relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom, it’s more likely that the flooding will happen rather than not.
Upon hearing my reasoning, Lucy nodded with a broad smile, as if to say I had come to the right conclusion.
By the time Lucy had heard our story, she must have already thought of all possible outcomes, including the one I had mentioned.
I had witnessed her extraordinary thinking ability many times during our student years.
Given her position as "Princess Lucila," it would have been difficult for her to directly intervene in the labyrinth issue and nullify the engagement. That’s why she had subtly guided me into taking the initiative to conquer the labyrinth.
Really, both the nobility and royalty are so troublesome.
However, if there were no benefit to me taking action in conquering the labyrinth, Lucy would not have allowed it in her position as princess. While I don’t know exactly what benefit she sees, she’s a person who always thinks several steps ahead.
I’m sure she sees some advantage in this.
Finally, Lucy spoke as if to conclude the conversation.
"I see. If you, as an explorer, have made this decision, then I have no way of stopping you. And if the labyrinth disappears and only the fact that Count Cloudel was negotiating with the Empire remains, then I too will have to denounce him."
Though her words sounded insincere, this clarified the direction we were heading.
Each of us had our own motives at play, but ultimately, by conquering the Dal Ane labyrinth, things would fall into place according to my plans.
◇
"Sophia, just a little longer. I will definitely save you!"
As I arrived at the entrance to the labyrinth near Dal Ane, I once again sent a telepathic message to Sophia, wherever she might be in Dal Ane. However, as usual, I received no response from her.
While I was working on conquering the labyrinth, my brother was supposed to extract the location of Sophia from my father. If only my special ability were more detailed in determining an exact location...
No, I don’t have time to lament about that now.
I don’t know the exact number of days left, but there can’t be many before Sophia is handed over to the Empire. I can’t imagine that Father will take care of her for much longer.
I must conquer this labyrinth as quickly as possible and remove my father from the position of head of the family—there’s not much time to waste.
"Alright, let's go!"
With renewed determination, I set foot into the labyrinth alone.
Even if the coalition army’s organization has been decided, Lucy still has multiple diplomatic matters to manage. Furthermore, in this situation, it’s not possible for her to move openly.
Therefore, I was the one tasked with this mission.
After all, I am an S-rank explorer. For an average labyrinth, I can confidently say I can conquer it single-handedly without difficulty.
However, I’ve heard that the labyrinth I’m entering now is home to magical beasts that rival those found in the lower levels of large labyrinths.
Facing such opponents, my combat abilities—being among the lower ranks of S-rank explorers—will likely result in a tough battle.
Still, in order to keep Sophia from suffering any further, I have no choice but to conquer this labyrinth!
As I advanced through the labyrinth's wilderness-like floors, dispatching magical beasts with my spells, a few spider-shaped magical beasts, about the height of my waist, appeared before me.
"...These are magical beasts I didn’t have prior information about."
Before entering the labyrinth, I had reviewed most of the information about it, but there was no mention of these spider creatures. They were most likely a new species.
While I was considering this, I began constructing a spell, only to have the spiders shoot webs at me in an attempt to bind me.
The webs passed right through my body...
Since entering the labyrinth, I had been constantly using my original magic, [Phantom Mirage].
The webs were attacking my illusion, not me.
"[Fire Spear]!"
From the shadows of my illusion, I launched fiery spears at each of the spiders.
"...It seems the claim about magical beasts of the lower levels being this powerful isn't a lie."
Beasts from the lower levels of a large labyrinth are difficult to defeat even with advanced magic in a single strike.
While the fire spears did manage to inflict some damage, it was far from enough to defeat them.
Using [Phantom Mirage], I evaded the spiders’ attacks while blinding them with illusions.
"I can’t afford to hold back any longer! —[Super Explosion]!"
Casting various buffs on myself, I ruthlessly unleashed high-tier and advanced spells.
It seems the spiders couldn't withstand it, as they transformed into black mist, leaving only magic stones behind.
After defeating the spider beasts, I continued my journey deeper into the labyrinth, aiming for its lowest levels.
---
"Ha... ha... ha... Damn, I’m only halfway through the twentieth floor and..."
I grumbled as I felt the effects of overusing magic—headaches and even a nosebleed.
More than two days had passed since I entered the labyrinth.
This labyrinth is composed of twenty-seven floors.
Each floor is quite expansive, making it one of the largest labyrinths in existence.
Although I’ve been returning to the surface to rest after completing each floor, my progress is slow, but I’m steadily advancing through the levels.
As I progressed through the levels, the number of magical beasts kept increasing, but I was still on track to reach the next level, the twenty-first floor.
However, halfway through, I encountered a pack of more than ten wolves with dark red-black fur.
These, too, were a new species of magical beast that hadn’t been mentioned in the prior information.
Each wolf was powerful enough to be considered a lower-level magical beast from the deeper floors of the great labyrinth, and now they were coordinating their attacks to devour me.
Despite this, by using [Phantom Mirage] and support magic, I had a plan to focus on defense and eventually defeat them.
However, before I could defeat the wolves, my mind suddenly screamed in pain.
"Is this... the end...?"
In this hopeless situation, where both my vision and thoughts began to blur, I couldn't help but let out a weak sigh.
I was in the middle of the twentieth floor, which meant I was far from both the deeper levels and the entrance, making any escape or retreat a difficult task.
Even if I somehow managed to defeat these wolves, I would likely be killed by another magical beast before I could reach the crystal at the entrance of the next floor.
My primary attack method was magic.
While I could manage basic physical combat if necessary, in this disoriented state where my vision and thoughts were clouded, it would be nearly impossible to launch a sufficient attack to deal with the wolves.
The wolves were growling, encircling me in a way that left me with no escape.
Once they completed the encirclement, one of the wolves behind me lunged forward to attack.
"—! [Rock Spikes]!"
Ignoring the intense headache, I struggled to form a spell, managing only an intermediate-level offensive spell.
Still, I channeled my magic into the completed spell, causing the ground beneath the wolf to erupt into sharp spikes.
However, the wolf leapt high enough to dodge the attack, clearing the spikes, and as it soared through the air, it opened its jaws wide, closing in at incredible speed to tear at my neck.
(I can't dodge this...! I'm sorry, Sophia. I can't even save you, and now... it looks like I'll die first—)
As an explorer, I had resigned myself to the possibility of being killed by magical beasts.
Of course, the feeling of helplessness remained, but at this point, I had no strength left to overturn the situation.
Unable to move properly, my thoughts scattered, I closed my eyes, accepting the approaching "death" without resistance.
I thought that, within a few moments, the pain would take my consciousness away... and that would be the end.
But just then, a gust of wind seemed to pass right by me.
No matter how long I waited, death never came. Hesitantly, I opened my eyes.
What came into view was a young man clad in a coat of black and blue.
The wolf that had been closing in on me was cleaved cleanly in two by a sword of jet-black magic, held firmly in his hand.
"Thank goodness! I made it in time! Selma, you're still alive, right?"
"...Orn?"
Standing before me, against all odds, was Orn—my reliable companion who shouldn’t have been here. He looked at me with deep concern.
"You’ve been through a lot on your own, haven’t you? But it’s okay now. Leave the rest to me."
As Orn smiled at me with those reassuring words, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my cheeks.
"—Now then. You mangy dogs… You dare harm someone precious to me? You’re ready to pay the price, aren’t you?"
Turning to face the wolves, Orn spoke in a voice laced with fury.
The air around us seemed to tremble, as though resonating with the anger radiating from him.
"Second Form."
The magic sword in Orn's hand transformed into two short blades, and his figure blurred for a moment.
I wondered if it was my vision faltering from exhaustion or overuse of magic. But in the next instant, dark trails streaked across my surroundings, tracing Orn's movements.
Before I could process what had happened, the wolves caught in those trails disintegrated into black mist.
——.