"My gut says it’s about nightfall."

"…Hmm?"

There was a slight lag before the response came after the voice called out.

"Sorry. I was focused."

"No, I’m the one who barged in, so my bad. But don’t push yourself too hard. If the door opens and you’re sick, that’d be embarrassing—and rough too."

"Losing track of day and night is proof of a mage’s focus… but yeah, you’re right. I’ll stop here for today."

The stagnation had persisted for another week.

The door’s magic circle remained unbroken.

"If even you’re struggling this much, it must be really complex, huh?"

"Pretty much. I can follow the difficulty itself, but it’s also just plain tedious. It seems like there was something really important that needed securing behind it."

"…Are we sure it’s okay to break it?"

"Like the first door, once we pass through, I’m setting it back up again. As long as it’s not completely undone, it’s possible to restore the magic circle with just a little extra work… Sorry. To be honest, that’s also been adding to the time it’s taking."

"That’s fine," Ziel nodded.

"I don’t know much about magic. If you say it’s safe, I’ll trust you. I’ll leave that stuff to you."

"You really like me, huh?"

"Huh?"

"No, it’s nothing…"

Wondering what that was about, Ziel started walking. He and Eunice headed back to the base where Lililia was waiting. The magic circle’s mana was too intense, so the three had set up camp a little away from the door.

"Oh, you’re back without getting lost this time."

"Miracle," Lililia chuckled.

"If I got lost with this, I’d be a certified idiot," Ziel said, patting the rope wrapped around his waist. They’d managed to procure it as material from a spider-like magical beast.

The other end of the rope was tied to Lililia’s wrist.

Tugging it slightly, she said, "Back in the church, I used to take care of walking the dogs. It was fun—so cute."

"Don’t compare me to a dog."

"But you’re basically the same."

"Basically, yeah, but…"

"Go with the flow," Eunice said, clearly unrelated to the topic.

His head must be tired, Ziel thought, so he just nodded along with a "Sure."

"Do you really think so, Ziel?"

"Are you planning to drag this conversation out?"

"No, not really, but…"

"Sorry, Eunice. I wish I could help out a bit more. Oh, I did solve the problem you gave me this morning, so I’ll explain it later."

"Thanks… Just being able to crack the holy magic part is a big help. The puzzle structures are my responsibility. If anything, I’m sorry for taking so much time with it."

"It’s fine," Lililia said as she handed Eunice some meat roasted over the campfire.

"…"

"It’s food Ziel caught for us."

"…Do I have to eat it?"

"If you get any skinnier, your bones might pop out of your skin."

"That’s not how it works. Am I some kind of monster?"

"Oh, it’ll pop out."

"Wait… really?"

"Of course not," Lililia said, pushing the meat into Eunice’s hands.

Sighing deeply, Eunice bit into the meat.

"This tastes awful…"

"Drink water. It’s good stuff."

"Ziel, you’re such a water enthusiast."

"I underestimated how bad magical beasts taste. When mana ties into their life force, it adds such an unpleasant flavor…"

Chewing thoughtfully, Eunice remarked, "I guess out of the three of us, that makes you, Ziel, the one who tastes best—since you’re not connected to magic."

"From now on, I’m sleeping far away from you."

"Even if I tried to ambush you in your sleep, you’d reflexively dodge with some crazy move, so you’re safe."

"…Didn’t know I did that…"

"Ahh, if I’d known this would happen, I’d have packed some sweets instead of obsessing over traveling light…" Eunice lamented.

"Forget sweets—how about carbs?"

"You think so?"

"Ziel, are you maybe from a northern hunting tribe?"

"…Yeah, close enough. How’d you figure?"

"Just a hunch. Those regions don’t really prioritize carbs, right?"

"So, were you always eating like this?"

"No, I ate better than this, obviously. And while it wasn’t all hunting back then, there was at least some variety in the meals."

"I want something sweet," Eunice said.

"Same here," Lililia chimed in.

"This dungeon really is deep," Ziel mused, steering the topic elsewhere. "What are we at now—170 floors?"

"Pretty insane. It’s hard to believe this is a natural formation, but it’s just as hard to imagine it was entirely man-made," Eunice replied.

"Wonder how many floors there are in total."

"Nice round number, like 200, maybe?"

"Who knows," Eunice said.

"Hard to say. Patterns are just something humans impose on things. Could be 216 floors for all we know."

"What’s with the weird number?"

"Six cubed. Divisible by 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 72… I find that kind of symmetry more satisfying."

"No idea what you’re on about," Ziel muttered, biting into his share of the meat.

It was awful.

Since leaving his village, he’d never missed the food of his homeland more than he did now. Well, maybe the time he got lost in the desert was a close contender.

"But you know," Lililia said, "I feel like this might be the last door."

"Just a hunch?"

"When the saint says ‘just a hunch,’ it’s pretty convincing."

"What about you, oh great mage?"

"With the stars so far away, my instincts are dull. Don’t ask me."

"Yeah, I feel more at ease indoors too," Lililia added.

"You know," she began, "there’s that discussion about where the first humans were, right?"

"Oh, getting philosophical? South seems to be the prevailing theory these days."

"Ah, no, that’s not my main point…"

Taking a thoughtful bite of her meat, she said, "Humans spread out from their starting point, right?"

"That’s the great migration, yeah."

"Interesting."

"But isn’t it strange how some moved while others stayed behind?"

"Huh, do you have a theory?"

"Yep. So, hear me out: I think some people are naturally inclined to move, and others to stay. Like animals, you know? Some defend their territory, others expand it. I think that trait might be built into people from the start."

"The ones who expanded their territories kept spreading across the continent, while the ones who stayed put settled down, huh?"

"Exactly. And if you ask me, I’d say I’m the type who protects their territory. I don’t really like going out much. But there are people who can’t stand staying cooped up inside, right? That’s something I always found strange, but maybe that’s just how it is."

A brief silence followed.

"...Wait, that’s it?"

Ziel broke the quiet.

"That’s it."

"What was that even about?"

"It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I never told anyone before."

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"Still, that kind of thing applies to mages, too. There are those who wander around seeking magical tomes, and those who hole up in a room and meditate."

"Which type are you, Eunice?"

"Hmm… I’m the kind who travels through the inner cosmos to reach the outer cosmos. I can do both, but I guess I’d look more like the territory-protecting type from the outside. The Great Library is both expanding and stagnant at the same time… kind of like this place."

"What about you, Ziel?"

"Me? I’m…"
Pausing to reflect on his past.

"A traveler, I guess. Though, in my case, it feels a bit different."

"Different how?"

"When I was younger, I had a certain experience back in my hometown. …I think that’s probably when my sense of direction got screwed up too."

"Sounds like an excuse."

"Is it an excuse?"

"I wouldn’t call it an excuse… but maybe. Then again, wandering with my master afterward probably contributed, too."

"Yeah, having a major experience when you’re a kid can definitely change you. I’m actually the same; my perception was completely different before and after that."

"Oh, so you’re both a bit skeptical about big sister figures?"

"That makes it sound like we’re doubting the existence of big sisters entirely."

"Pretty extreme of us, huh?"

After some idle chatter, they finished their dinner. The crackling of the campfire was the only sound around them.

"...I think it won’t take much longer to open the door," Eunice murmured.

"If we believe what Lililia said, this labyrinth will soon be conquered."

"It’s been a long time coming…"

"I feel like I’ve gone numb to it all."

Eunice chuckled softly.

"Must be nice. I wish I could’ve joined this adventure earlier."

"That’s an adorable thing to say."

"Adorable, indeed," Eunice declared, puffing out his chest toward Lililia.

"I always wanted friends my own age."

"Then let’s exchange letters after we get out. You too, Ziel."

"Huh?" Eunice and then Ziel both blurted out in surprise.

"My handwriting is ridiculously cute. Prepare to be amazed."

"…I’m strangely moved by this."

"Wow… someone’s being cold."

"No, no," Ziel waved his hands quickly, flustered. "It’s just that once we leave here, I plan to keep traveling. I might be able to send letters, but receiving them could be tricky."

"If you tell me your next destination, I’ll send them to the mail station in that town."

"…That’s a thing?"

"Probably," Lililia nodded.

"‘Probably,’ huh," Ziel muttered, a little exasperated.

"So Ziel’s on board too," Eunice decided unilaterally.

"Alright, then. I’ll send you letters seven times a week, all with cryptic codes for fun."

"You’re such a hassle," Ziel said, but he nodded nonetheless.

Their party of two had become three, and their relationships within the labyrinth subtly shifted.

Ziel still got flustered around Lililia regularly… but seeing Eunice treated similarly had begun to make him realize his assumptions might have been off.

Thanks to that, he could now simply see them as ordinary adventuring companions—the kind he had imagined when he was scouted by an S-rank party.

Realizing that Lililia was probably not an eighty-year-old married grandma… and yet, he managed to maintain his composure.

Bound by a strange fate, they had settled into a camaraderie akin to friendship.

"Alright, to commemorate this occasion, how about we all snuggle up and sleep together tonight?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Ziel choked out.

"What’s the matter, Ziel?"

"You’re not into it? Ziel-kun?"

"Isn’t it weirder if I am? Anyway, I’ve been meaning to ask this for a while, but Eunice—"

Ziel hesitated, realizing it might be risky to voice the question.

But once the words started slipping out, he couldn’t stop them.

"Are you… a guy or a girl? I can’t tell from your voice."

"That’s pretty lewd of you… so curious about what’s beneath my clothes."

"That’s not what I meant!"

"Honestly, it’s hard to tell even beyond the voice," Lililia added helpfully.

"Does it really matter? It’s such a trivial thing."

"Trivial…?"

Ziel wasn’t entirely sure about that, but he’d learned the hard way that broaching gender-related topics could provoke a furious reaction.

"…No, sorry. It was a weird question. If I offended you, I apologize."

"Nah, it’s fine. If anything, I kind of enjoy being asked whether I’m a guy or a girl."

"Don’t say that."

"But yeah, you probably shouldn’t ask other people that."

"Anyway," Eunice continued, "about snuggling—"

"Not happening."

"Come on, Ziel-kun."

"……Still not happening."

"You wavered."

"I didn’t."

"Fine, then. Let’s talk about love stories. That’s what people usually do on trips at night, right?" Eunice said, flopping onto his back.

"It wasn’t really a thing for me; I was always with girls," Lililia said, lying down as well.

"Our school trips were day trips," Ziel added, following suit and gazing at the barely discernible ceiling.

They stayed up, chatting idly about silly, age-appropriate topics until sleep overtook them.

Not bad, Ziel thought, warming his skin by the gentle flames of the campfire.

Despite the rough start, this adventure wasn’t bad at all.

Or rather――――

The final door leading to the deepest part of the most challenging labyrinth would finally open three days after that night.

And two days later, two of the three would lose their lives.