After a brief preamble, Alto began recounting the events from three years ago.

“Lene was once the leader of an A-rank party.

The party comprised four members: Lene, the hero; a magic swordsman; a Priest; and a puppeteer.”

“A puppeteer?”

I widened my eyes in surprise. I never imagined a puppeteer could be part of an A-rank party.

“Indeed. According to Lene, this puppeteer was exceptionally skilled.

They could simultaneously control three mid-sized puppets, each about a meter tall, and use them as flawless decoys.

Normally, a puppeteer can only control one puppet.

There’s no doubting their skill.”

“I see...”

Wait, is that really normal?

A puppeteer can only manage one mid-sized puppet?

I... didn’t know that!

Since I didn’t know any other puppeteers, I just assumed controlling multiple puppets like I do was standard.

This was a shocking revelation of common sense for me.

“Let’s get back to the story.

Lene, who had accomplished many great feats as an adventurer, set her sights on an uncharted realm: the sixth floor of the Great Labyrinth of Septem.

Lene’s party reached the deepest part of the sixth floor and faced the boss, a Hydra.

And that’s when tragedy struck.”

“——”

Alto’s expression suddenly filled with anger.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

“As the fierce battle with the Hydra was about to begin, something unthinkable happened.

The puppeteer betrayed them.”

His voice was heavy, laced with restrained hatred and anguish.

“...They betrayed them?”

“Yes. The puppeteer controlled their three puppets to immobilize Lene, the magic swordsman, and the Priest, rendering them unable to move.”

Alto continued in a trembling voice.

“Caught off guard, the entire party was shaken.

The Hydra seized the opportunity to attack.

Even then, Lene managed to break free from the puppet holding her and tried to save the magic swordsman and Priest.

However, realizing it was impossible for everyone to evade the Hydra’s attack, she stood in front of them and took the brunt of it herself.

As a result—”

“She was poisoned by the Hydra.”

“Exactly.”

The situation was horrifying just to imagine.

Being betrayed by a comrade and putting yourself in danger to save those dear to you...

...That feels familiar somehow, but this isn’t about me.

“Even poisoned, Lene managed to land a blow on the Hydra and rescue the others before retreating.

But as they barely escaped the dungeon, Lene lost consciousness.

I learned of these events from the magic swordsman and Priest, who returned carrying her unconscious body.”

How painful it must have been.

To see someone precious to you nearly lose their life, beyond your control...

Yet there was something I had to ask after hearing this story.

“I have a few questions.

What was the puppeteer’s motive? And what became of them?”

“Both remain unknown.

After attacking Lene and the others, the puppeteer disappeared without a word.

It’s clear they intended to kill the party, but their reasons are a mystery.

Since that day, the puppeteer has vanished, leaving the truth shrouded in darkness.”

Hmm.

While the sequence of events is clear, there isn’t enough information to discern the puppeteer’s motive.

I felt an uneasy curiosity, a desire to uncover the truth.

But for now, I asked another question.

“I understand what happened to her.

But why choose to defeat the Hydra?

Wouldn’t it be better to summon a Priest to try detoxifying her?”

Or... did word get out that Lycia is a particularly skilled Priest?

That would be surprising, considering I’ve yet to see Lycia do anything remotely Priest-like.

Rumors like that couldn’t possibly exist.

“Master? We need to talk later!”

“Huh? Did you say something, Ike?”

“No, nothing at all!”

Lycia’s whispered voice came from the puppet bedding, but I managed to brush it off.

Wait, did she just... read my thoughts?

That’s telepathy!

What the—!?

She’s in my mind!?

I once again realized there’s no resisting Lycia.

As our tensionless exchange continued, Alto pressed on with the story.

“You’re right, Ike.

The Priest in the party did attempt to detoxify her.

But it failed.

The poison on Lene wasn’t ordinary—it was cursed.”

“Cursed poison?”

Alto nodded.

“The Hydra they fought was a special variant.

Its poison carried a curse that resisted healing and status recovery magic.

The only way to break the curse was to slay the Hydra itself.”

“——!”

Finally, everything was beginning to make sense.

Why I had been summoned here...

“If slaying the Hydra is the only way to save Lene, I visited countless towns, personally seeking A-rank adventurers to take on the task.

But the results were disheartening.

Many couldn’t even reach the sixth floor, and others outright refused when they learned it had defeated an A-rank hero’s party.

Just when I was beginning to lose hope, I heard about you.”

Alto fixed his sincere gaze on me.

“You cleared the fifth floor of the Great Labyrinth of Septem alone, defeated a town-invading demon, and are a puppeteer.

All of this seemed like a miracle.”

Alto glanced tenderly at the sleeping Lene before continuing.

“Thanks to her holy power as a hero, Lene is still resisting the Hydra’s poison.

But it won’t last much longer.

She likely has... six months left.”

Alto turned back to me and bowed deeply.

“Please, Ike.

To save Lene, will you accept this request?”

I couldn’t decide immediately.

If the Hydra was truly a special variant, its strength could greatly exceed that of minotaurs or lesser demons.

While I could risk my life, I couldn’t easily endanger Flare and the others.

There was more than that.

Something about Alto’s words lingered in my mind.

‘You cleared the fifth floor of the Great Labyrinth of Septem alone, defeated a town-invading demon, and are a puppeteer. All of this seemed like a miracle.’

...A puppeteer?

What about that is miraculous?

If he detests the puppeteer who betrayed Lene, I’d understand.

But Alto’s words implied being a puppeteer was desirable.

“No way...”

A far-fetched idea struck me.

But I had to confirm it.

I also recalled the uneasy look from that girl earlier and Alto’s sorrowful gaze toward her.

Individually, these were minor details, but together they pointed to a single possibility.

“I apologize if I’m mistaken.”

“Hmm? That’s fine—what is it?”

Raising his head, Alto met my curious gaze as I asked:

“Is... Iris’s profession puppeteer?”

“...!?”

Alto’s shocked expression spoke volumes.

It was as if he wondered how I could possibly know.

In truth, I merely pieced together the most obvious possibility.

“You’re correct.

My daughter Iris is indeed a puppeteer.

...There’s no point in hiding it any longer.”

After a brief hesitation, he began speaking again.

“Iris is twelve now.

Three years ago, when Lene fell into this state, she was only nine.

Back then, Iris’s greatest joy was listening to her mother’s tales of adventure.

So seeing Lene like this hurt her more than anyone.”

Alto’s expression darkened with pain.

“She despised the puppeteer who caused her mother’s suffering.

Over time, that hatred expanded to encompass the entire profession.

But when she turned ten, the goddess bestowed upon her a profession.

And that profession was... a puppeteer.”

A puppeteer—

The very role that had caused her beloved mother such pain and that she had come to hate.

“She began to loathe even herself.

She lost the smile she once had and now spends her days simply watching over Lene.

I want to show her she doesn’t have to hate herself.

That’s why I’m asking for your help.”

Ah, I see.

Helping Lene is as important as helping Iris.

Hearing Alto’s heartfelt plea, I finally understood.

If I accepted this request, I would have to face someone else, too.

Determined, I spoke.

“Before deciding, could I speak with Iris?”