"I don’t mind."
Ziel started with a positive response.
After all, they had entered this labyrinth with the intent to conquer it.
Sure, there had been countless unexpected events along the way, and at one point, their main goal had shifted to simply escaping. But in the end, they had only ventured deeper. At this point, he had no intention of declaring, “No, I’m absolutely returning to the surface as fast as possible.”
Besides, his companions were none other than the Saint and the Arcmage.
Having the chance to move with such an extraordinary team might never happen again in his lifetime. With that in mind, Ziel saw no reason to reject Eunice’s proposal outright.
"What about Lililia?"
That was the only concern he voiced.
"Hmm... but if we dawdle too much, I’m afraid we’ll make everyone worry..."
"That won’t be a problem," Eunice quickly reassured him.
"I anticipated the possibility of you two not being in perfect condition before we even entered the labyrinth. Before we began, I informed Arinate in advance that ‘our return might be slow.’ They shouldn’t worry for at least six months."
"Really? Thanks! That’s very considerate of you."
And then, as if to add another point, Eunice continued, "Given how deep we’ve already ventured, it might actually be faster to conquer the labyrinth’s deepest level and return from there than heading directly to the surface."
"You’re talking about teleportation from the core."
Ziel nodded in understanding.
At the labyrinth's deepest level lay a core of condensed magical energy. Using that core, a mage could teleport the party back to the surface.
"Then I’m totally on board," Lililia added.
"I’m fine with it too," he said cheerfully.
For good measure, Eunice explained his reasoning further.
"This labyrinth gives off a suspicious vibe... you both feel it too, right?"
"Yeah."
"Of course."
"On top of rescuing Lililia, I was also tasked with investigating the labyrinth’s interior if possible."
"My grandmothers sent me here for similar reasons," Lililia chimed in.
"If we were to try reaching this depth again, who knows how much time and effort it would take. Moreover, we likely won’t have another opportunity to assemble such a powerful team."
"So, we settle it ourselves," Ziel summarized.
"That’s right. At least we’ve made it this far with just you and me," Lililia pointed out.
"And now I’m here too, so we’re unstoppable!" Eunice declared, his voice brimming with confidence.
"A sinister presence sensed by the Three Saints... not to mention, ominous prophecies from the Mage Federation," Eunice said, his tone suddenly serious.
"And now, after descending this far, we’ve encountered Apocryphal Beasts and forbidden magic. I can’t shake the feeling that something monumental is about to occur. Please, lend me your strength."
"Of course. I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble. Once again, thank you for coming to my rescue, Eunice. I’m counting on you."
"Me too. I’m truly grateful. If you hadn’t come, I’d still be wandering aimlessly through this labyrinth with Lililia..."
And then—
Simultaneously, all three spoke up.
"Rock—"
"Paper!"
"Hold it right there!!"
Ziel shouted at the top of his lungs to stop the other two.
Yes... there was one critical decision left to make.
Who among the three directionally challenged individuals would lead the way forward?
"Rock-paper-scissors isn’t fair for me! I can’t see what moves you two play!"
"You can feel it with your hands."
"I agree."
"You could easily change your move before I touch it!"
Ziel was desperate.
Lililia and Eunice were desperate too, in their own way.
After all, all three of them knew they were hopeless with directions. And they had just been having a serious conversation.
No one wanted to take responsibility.
To be the one blamed for some ridiculous blunder after such a serious discussion... that was a burden none of them wanted to bear.
"How about we just talk it out and decide together?"
"But you got mad at me earlier, Ziel..."
"To be frank, I’m utterly useless at this! I’m confident about it!"
"Same here!"
"Then why did you criticize me earlier?"
"…… Well, that’s..."
"And weren’t you the first to backtrack by mistake?"
"Fine! Here’s what we’ll do!"
Ziel yelled at the top of his lungs.
"We’ll each head off in different directions. The first one to make it back here becomes the guide! Agreed?"
"Hmm..."
"I guess..."
This time, no one voiced an outright objection.
They were rational enough to recognize the logic behind the proposal.
"But..."
Eunice made one last feeble protest.
"Lililia might be in danger if she runs into a monster."
"True. I’m so delicate, after all..."
"No worries. I overheard you earlier saying ‘I could probably handle it with some effort’ when facing an Apocryphal Beast."
"Hey! You’re not supposed to eavesdrop!"
"Besides, I already wiped out all the monsters on this floor. Nothing to worry about."
"Are you insane?!"
They spent a bit more time refining the rules: no stopping along the way, no turning back even if no one else was there, and full commitment to their directional instincts. Cutting corners here would only sow discord in their teamwork going forward.
Finally, Eunice used magic to enforce the rules, and Lililia verified their fairness. Ziel, who had nothing to contribute, half-jokingly threatened to cry if the other two secretly conspired against him.
"Ready... set... go!"
The results were as follows:
First place: Eunice. Time: 3 hours and 56 minutes.
Second place: Ziel. Time: 5 hours and 12 minutes.
Third place: Lililia. Time: 8 hours and 39 minutes.
Eunice pleaded tearfully, "No! Absolutely not! I refuse to guide us! Let’s decide together, please!"
Ziel was mercilessly criticized as "mediocre," "boring," and "a fake who isn’t even truly directionally challenged."
Meanwhile, Lililia simply muttered a prayer of thanks for making it back alive before collapsing into bed.
By what felt like evening the next day, Ziel and Lililia finally opened the door that had blocked their way.
The path to the lowest level lay ahead.
With wavering confidence, the three misfits stepped forward, ready to face the unknown.