"Godach wasn’t always like that, you know. Back in the day, he was a different guy. If he weren’t, I wouldn’t have joined his party. Even if I had, I sure as hell wouldn’t have built a family or dragged them into the mess of some scumbag’s fallout."

Klaha’s living room.

A table with four chairs. Three were occupied, one with a steaming cup and the other two with cups that had long since gone cold.

"That’s a harsh way to put it…"

"Sorry if I offended you. But it’s the truth."

Holland pinched the handle of his cup of tea between his fingers but didn’t bring it to his lips as he continued speaking.

"It was a damn good party once. Honestly, we were at our best when we were around B-rank. We were the type to strategize and work as a team to overcome challenges. The core members joined around that time. They were people who couldn’t fully showcase their strengths elsewhere—a kind of rehab factory, you could say. Godach had a knack for spotting that kind of talent."

"Then how did it turn into a party that stabs its own members in the back?"

At Arinate’s sharp question, Holland closed his eyes.

"…Hard to say. No doubt it all started when he got that cursed sword. He changed after that—he stopped being the reliable leader he once was. What went through his head, I couldn’t tell you."

"Where did he find the sword?"

"In an A-rank labyrinth. Before we moved our base to this area—it was called ‘The Deep Sea’."

"Ah," Arinate nodded.

"I think I remember reading about it in a report. Something about a highly saline water zone?"

"That’s right. The challenge there was figuring out how to secure drinking water… Well, no need to go into details. It’s a conquered labyrinth now; there’s no point in rehashing it."

No point, Klaha silently disagreed.

An A-rank labyrinth was a grand challenge where top-tier adventurers risked all their strength and intellect to succeed. No adventure story, no matter how old, should ever be dismissed.

But she also knew this wasn’t the time to voice such opinions, so she kept quiet.

"What I can say is, that labyrinth was perfect for us. The difficulty of traversal was much higher than the combat difficulty. Like I mentioned earlier, we weren’t exactly polished. Compared to other A-rank parties of the time—or even S-rank—we were downright gritty. And that’s where we excelled. The labyrinth felt tailor-made for us… Until, well."

"Where in the labyrinth did he find the sword?"

Arinate pressed further.

"In the middle levels."

"…I don’t know much about these things, but is it common for cursed swords to appear in such places?"

"Not that I’d know. Normally, you wouldn’t expect to see one. But for an A-rank labyrinth? I figured maybe it wasn’t that unusual…"

"I don’t think it’s usual at all."

Klaha interjected, and both of them turned their eyes to her at once.

She hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit daunted, but she continued.

"I mean… When I first heard that Godach had a cursed sword, I was really surprised. You see, I have this hobby of collecting adventure stories, even obscure ones. So, I do know a thing or two…"

"…I had a feeling you were unusually knowledgeable," Holland remarked, making her feel both awkward and a bit proud.

"Labyrinths don’t usually contain things like that—artifacts, let alone cursed swords. You understand that too, don’t you, Holland?"

"Yeah, that’s true," he agreed.

"If you’re looking for that kind of thing, you go to prehistoric ruins. The goal of labyrinth exploration is to reach the core at the deepest level, magically control it, and make mining the labyrinth’s mana-based resources easier. That’s the purpose—along with honor and pride… Not that we have the right to talk about that anymore."

Ignoring the bitter tone in his latter words, Klaha pressed on.

"The things found in labyrinths are usually mana-formed objects created without rhyme or reason. I’ve seen Godach’s cursed sword, Vanish, a few times. Something as refined as that wouldn’t naturally occur, I think. Unless… was it perhaps mined as a raw mana crystal and later processed?"

If that were the case, she thought, then maybe she’d overstepped by speaking so confidently.

But Holland shook his head.

Vanish looked exactly as it does now when we first saw it. My perspective on it, though, is a bit different from yours."

He tapped the table with his fingertip.

"I thought it was a relic."

"A relic?"

"Yeah… Not so unusual, really. Though, considering you’ve only been with us for two years, you wouldn’t have much firsthand experience of this. During that time, we were just waiting for the rewards from clearing The Deep Sea. So, it wouldn’t feel real to you."

Holland shrugged, as if dismissing the gravity of his statement.

"It’s pretty common," he added.

"When a party gets wiped out in the labyrinth, their belongings get left behind. Even without something as drastic as annihilation, parties sometimes abandon supplies when they decide the labyrinth is impassable and turn back. Stuff like that gets left scattered all over the place."

"But a cursed sword… That’s not something anyone would willingly leave behind. So, you figured it must’ve been a relic of the dead?"

"Exactly." Holland nodded at Arinate’s conclusion.

Klaha also nodded, understanding his reasoning.

"Sorry for speaking out of turn."

"No worries. If the younger ones don’t speak up, who will?"

Still, Holland shifted his posture and continued,

"Anyway, it’s about time we got to the point."

His voice lowered further.

"…Indeed," Arinate agreed.

"You mentioned earlier—you were being threatened. What exactly did you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like… There was a time I tried to leave the party."

"What?" Klaha exclaimed before catching herself.

Deciding her surprise wasn’t worth interrupting the conversation, she clamped her mouth shut with her hand.

"I’ve always known my limits," Holland said. "When Godach got that cursed sword, our lack of firepower stopped being an issue. We cleared that A-rank labyrinth in no time. And that labyrinth’s commercial value got us an S-rank certification… I’m not delusional enough to think I belonged in such a dream scenario."

"Is that humility? Or self-deprecation?"

"It's just the truth... I'm no spring chicken anymore. I can feel my strength slipping further from its peak, whether I like it or not. And, before becoming an adventurer, I did my share of more... let's say, mundane jobs—ones that didn’t involve using my fists. I thought about retiring before getting myself injured trying to tackle something as out of my league as an S-Rank labyrinth. I mean, it seemed like the sensible thing to do."

And besides, Holland added,

"By then, Godach was already... off somehow. I’d been with him for years, but you understand, right? Once you have a family, you can’t just keep throwing your arms wide open and calling everyone your best friend. Priorities change when there are people you need to protect."

"...I see," Arinate said, though she hesitated. "I can’t say I relate easily. I’ve always been married to my work."

Still, she conceded,

"But I’ll offer you the benefit of the doubt."

"It’s not complicated. Godach could survive without me, but my family? They couldn’t. That’s all there is to it. So, I went to tell him I wanted out."

"And how did he respond?"

A low growl escaped Holland’s throat as his fist clenched atop the table.

"That day, he said nothing. Not a word. He just took the resignation letter I’d gotten the admin to draw up and stared at it, blank-faced. For a second, I actually worried. Thought, 'Is this guy even okay?' Turns out I needn’t have bothered.

"When I got home, there he was—sitting at my family’s dinner table, sharing a meal with them."

Klaha couldn’t hold back her gasp.

"Yeah," Holland said, confirming her suspicion.

"It was a threat. My wife could tell something was off, but what was she supposed to do? To her, Godach was my boss, and we couldn’t exactly throw him out on the street. She forced a smile, tried to make small talk, all the while tense as a bowstring. Meanwhile, there I was, patting my kid on the head, pretending to laugh at jokes that weren’t funny.

"When we finished eating and I walked him to the door, I demanded an explanation. Do you know what he said?

'You understand, don’t you?'

'Never think about doing something foolish again.'

"And just like that, he tore up my resignation letter right in front of me. That was that."

Holland sighed deeply.

"I couldn’t move. Couldn’t do a damn thing. I mean, I knew. I wasn’t the only one he had in his pocket. There were plenty of others—folks tougher and more righteous than me—who’d complained about his methods behind his back. But one by one, they all went quiet. And stayed in the party. Creepy, isn’t it?"

"...Did you ever ask them directly?"

"No way. I couldn’t. Just like I couldn’t answer if they asked me. We all knew better than to risk saying anything that might blow back on us."

"So that's why," Klaha interjected softly,

"Why no one said anything when Ziel was attacked..."

"I won’t lie; it scared the hell out of me. I think it proved most of us had been strong-armed into submission. Otherwise, how do you explain a team of S-Rank adventurers—a group that should’ve stood for something—letting that kind of lawlessness slide?"

"That explains a lot," Arinate muttered, exhaling deeply.

"So Godach’s the root of all this... No wonder nobody will talk."

"In the end, it’s just self-preservation," Holland said bitterly.

"Couldn’t you all band together against him? Oh, no—right. He was the party’s strongest, wasn’t he?"

"Yeah. No point in trying. If he unleashed that Demonic Sword Release of his, we wouldn’t even leave behind bones. I wouldn’t be surprised if setting fire to Klaha’s home was another one of his warnings."

"Do you think he’s nearby?"

"Who knows? I just hope not."

"Um," Klaha said nervously, "Holland, is it really okay for you to be telling us all this? What about your family?"

Instead of answering, Holland gestured toward Arinate with a nod.

"The Holy Knights have been stationed around my house for a while now. Probably to keep an eye on us, but I doubt they’d just stand by if Godach tried to make a move."

"...Perceptive," Arinate acknowledged. "They only arrived recently."

"Days without stepping outside will do that to you. And hey, I am an archer, after all. My eyes are pretty sharp."

Leaning back in his chair, Holland finished,

"That’s all I can tell you."

"Godach’s still at large, then?"

"Yeah. For the past week, we’ve had people posted at nearby stores to track him, but nothing so far."

"Adventurers know how to disappear when they need to... But what do you think his connection is to this whole matter with the Saint?"

Arinate went silent for a long moment.

Finally, she spoke.

"You’ve taken a risk by sharing all this. It’s only right I tell you what I can. The Holy Knights believe this case may involve... the King of Ruin."

"The K-King of Ruin!?"

Holland’s eyes went wide, as did Klaha’s.

"That’s ancient mythology! Tales from a thousand years ago. How could something like that resurface now?"

"Does the King of Ruin... really have anything to do with this?" Klaha asked hesitantly.

Arinate didn’t rebuke their skepticism. She shared it.

"I understand your doubts. I still don’t see how the two are connected, either."

But she added,

"There’s been corroboration. The Three Saints have hinted at it, and the Magic Alliance has reported similar predictions. Even a Archmage is among the seers backing this."

"What the hell..." Holland groaned, looking skyward.

"So Godach’s wrapped up in this King of Ruin business?"

"That’s the suspicion. The Demon Sword Vanish he wields may..."

"—Um,"

Klaha interrupted timidly.

"Hm? What’s wrong?"

"I-It might be nothing, but..."

Her eyes lifted to the ceiling, where the light-filled magic lantern swayed gently.

"It’s shaking... isn’t it?"

"Yeah," Holland confirmed, standing up alongside Arinate.

"What’s that noise...?"

The three of them moved toward the window. Arinate threw the curtains open—

And saw a bird flying through the night sky.

Except this bird was enormous, exuding malice and magical energy strong enough to devour an elephant.