Chapter 527 You are???

’This street over here is where the workshops are gathered.’

’It’s in the central district rather than the outskirts?’

’Ah... it seems that if you want to do business with mercenaries, it’s better to be near the guild. The workshops that take large-scale orders are located in the outskirts.’

Frenda was walking the streets of Labyrinth with Priscia.

Frenda had stepped forward personally to guide Priscia, a guest who was not yet familiar with the geography of this place.

It was a role Frenda had volunteered for herself.

She figured that staying close to Priscia would make it easier to grasp whatever plans she might be forming.

In truth, Frenda hadn’t been here that long herself, so normally they wouldn’t have entrusted the guiding to her, but....

Since the other priests also found the supervisor Priscia uncomfortable, when Frenda volunteered, they yielded the role to her surprisingly easily.

’There, please step aside for a moment!’

’Ah, yes.’

Priscia, who was walking down the street, stepped to the side of the road. Not long after, several large carriages along with soldiers passed by.

As if it were a familiar sight to the residents of the street, people were going about their business nonchalantly even while watching this.

The atmosphere of the city has changed.

Priscia had such a thought while looking at the streets of Labyrinth.

It wasn’t strange for the appearance of the streets to change every month, but to Priscia, who had traveled through quite a few cities until now, the change in Labyrinth was excessively dramatic.

That change seemingly didn’t spare the temple either; recently, the people of the temple also looked much busier than usual, preparing for something.

Perhaps... the temple of a border city facing war felt like this.

Even if the temple didn’t directly participate in the conflict, being in the vortex of chaos naturally meant there would be more work to do.

Frenda noticed Priscia’s peculiar gaze fixed on the street and explained the reason.

’The invasion is just around the corner. Everyone seems busy.’

’...An invasion.’

’Ah, well. I mean the monster invasion. It doesn’t mean a war is starting....’

’I am aware. You mean the monsters of the Labyrinth.’

It was an expression used naturally here, but to an outsider, it was a word that could be slightly misunderstood.

However, Priscia could sufficiently understand that much. She had naturally done enough prior research before coming to Labyrinth.

However... even if she knew it in theory, experiencing that atmosphere directly inside the city felt distinctly different.

’At this rate, it will be difficult to go around investigating for a while. Everyone looks busy.’

’Th-that’s right! Until the invasion is wrapped up, at least....’

’I suppose so. It can’t be helped.’

’...Really?’

Priscia nodded.

Frenda suspected what kind of plan Priscia was hatching behind the scenes, seeing her agree more readily than expected, but Priscia’s words were sincere.

The search for the Saintess was a very important matter for the Temple, but that was strictly the Temple’s position. A city like Labyrinth had no obligation to cooperate fully with that.

Of course, considering the Temple’s position, they had permitted the knightly order’s entry and investigation of the city, but if they started interfering with important city affairs for that purpose, the other side wouldn’t just stand by.

She had to stay quiet during a time like this. The High Temple would understand a delay caused by this.

And... what Priscia was aiming for now was something else.

Priscia asked Frenda.

’Could you perhaps introduce me to a mercenary group you know? There are things I want to ask about the invasion. It’s even better if it’s a mercenary group that stands directly on the front lines.’

’A mercenary group...?’

Upon hearing that, Frenda replied with a troubled expression.

’It’s better for us not to interfere if possible. If casualties occur during the invasion, it would put both parties in an awkward position....’

’I know. I don’t intend to step out during the invasion. I just have something I want to look into.’

Although active investigation inside the city had become difficult, Priscia conversely thought this was a good opportunity.

It was because a time of such chaos and peril, rather than a peaceful one, was the best time for a figure like the Saintess to shine the most.

Therefore, she thought that if she looked around places close to the battlefield, she would naturally be able to find traces of the Saintess.

While Frenda and Priscia were walking the streets like that, Frenda heard a voice calling her name.

’Oh, Ms. Frenda.’

’...Ms. Rin?’

Frenda turned her head toward the person who called her name.

The one who spoke to Frenda first was Rin.

Confirming this, Frenda instinctively looked around the vicinity.

Since Rin being here meant... perhaps, there could be another person accompanying her.

’Ms. Frenda? It’s a coincidence meeting you in a place like this.’

’Ah... Captain Ian.’

Just as Frenda expected, Rin was out with Ian. Ian, whose eyes met Frenda’s, raised his hand slightly in greeting.

And Ian’s gaze naturally moved over to Priscia, who was with Frenda.

’This person is... well.’

What should I do...?

Frenda thought it would be better to introduce them to each other right then and there.

At first, she thought it was best to block Priscia from approaching Ian as much as possible... but it wasn’t as if she could be prevented from investigating Ian just by doing that.

Rather, if they knew each other’s faces, it would be possible to notice if Priscia tried to approach Ian secretly while hiding her identity or monitor him nearby.

Coincidentally, Priscia had just asked her to introduce a mercenary group she knew. The only mercenary group Frenda knew that well was the Ian Mercenary Group.

But before that.

Priscia spoke as if she recognized Ian’s face, flinching in surprise.

’Y-you are...!’

’Pardon? Have we met before?’

’Well, that’s....’

They hadn’t. Officially.

But Priscia knew Ian.

I mean, well... isn’t he the ’Master’? Of those mercenaries.

Recalling the events of that time, Priscia’s face turned bright red.

’Re... Repent!’

’...?’

Before Frenda could even begin the introduction, Priscia shouted that and ran off somewhere.

* * *

’Captain. Aren’t we going too deep all at once?’

’...Doesn’t it feel strange to you guys? It’s too quiet.’

The mercenaries passing through the dark cave stopped in their tracks upon hearing those words.

’The Labyrinth is a strange place to begin with.’

’Don’t play word games. I’m serious right now.’

’Well... it is quiet.’

It had been roughly... 30 minutes since they started walking inward.

Just as the Captain, who was walking in the lead, said. Since first entering this area and having a few battles, they hadn’t encountered a single pack of monsters.

The inside of the Labyrinth was strangely quiet.

The mercenary called Captain stared ahead with a grave expression and muttered.

’Did my exploration skills improve so much that I’ve avoided all the paths with monsters by intuition...?’

’What nonsense. Seeing you lose your mind like this, I guess it’s about time for you to retire.’

The members, who were focusing in case he said something important, sat down on one side of the passage in disbelief.

Those who entered the Labyrinth at this time, when entry for general mercenaries without a special reason was prohibited, were mercenaries who entered upon receiving a request from the City Hall for Labyrinth investigation.

A mercenary group tasked with periodically checking the state of the Labyrinth’s interior.

They were the Labyrinth Investigation Team, only a tiny fraction even among the few Labyrinth explorers in this city, whose purpose was investigation rather than exploration.

’It’s nearing the entry prohibition period, so it is a bit strange.’

’Right?’

This exploration was intended to be the last Labyrinth expedition of the year.

The closer the Labyrinth got to the invasion period, the more the monster density increased.

Once this period passed with the invasion not far off, the Labyrinth would overflow with monsters to the point where the interior could not possibly be explored.

In the past, entry was left to the freedom of each mercenary group regardless of that, but because so many accidents occurred, entry was now strictly prohibited altogether.

Anyway.

The monster density during this period leading up to the invasion was information that served as a fairly good indicator for estimating the scale of the upcoming invasion.

Checking the scale of monsters just before the entry prohibition period was the last request of the year for this mercenary group.

’It really is strange. Haven’t the monsters decreased too much?’

’They have.’

In the eyes of those who had steadily come out to investigate until now, the current state of the Labyrinth was very heterogeneous.

’Is it just this area that’s strange?’

’Who knows.... I don’t think the Spider’s Den has ever been like this. Isn’t it a place that should be overflowing even more?’

It was strange, but it was difficult to reach a hasty conclusion with just this. There was also the possibility that they had coincidentally entered a section without monsters.

Since the invasion scale is calculated based on the reports created this time, they couldn’t just look around roughly and move on.

’...Let’s look around further inside today.’

’Ha... I have a bad feeling. You shouldn’t roam around much on days like this.’

’Shut up. If you’re done resting, we’re going in further.’

The Captain pulled up the resting members and moved toward the deeper interior.

Eventually, what the investigation team found upon reaching the deepest part... was the Room of the Source, completely empty with nothing there.