Chapter 241 Good Luck
Twenty days after the Stampede.
Aaron and the members of the clan "Wooden Sword Way," along with Logan, Ail, Noah, Chloe, and the scout team "Dark Crow" from the explorer guild, were gathered at the [Seal Temple], fully armed.
However, they were not the only ones there.
Unlike usual, there were no explorers heading into the labyrinth. Since the Stampede 20 days ago, the labyrinth had been temporarily sealed off.
So, the many figures surrounding Aaron were not explorers.
Gathered there were the heads of the [Four Great Families of the Seals], along with a few members from the main family. Additionally, there were vassals and the Guildmaster from the explorer guild, along with several guild staff members, who had come to see off Aaron and the others as they set out to hunt the [Evil God].
In the center of the group, which included over 150 people, Aaron was holding the last meeting before their departure.
"――From here, we will teleport to the 46th floor and conquer the [God's Remains Labyrinth] to face the [Evil God] waiting in the deepest part! However, conquering the labyrinth is just a side task!"
On the surface, he declared that completing the [God's Remains Labyrinth], something no one had achieved since the Age of Gods, was just a side task. But there was no tension or pressure in his voice.
Still, among the members of the hunting party, there were those who couldn't hide their nervousness.
To those individuals, Aaron continued speaking.
"From floor 46 onward, it's the Sky Layer. On the surface, it's an unexplored area, but that's not really the case. The route has already been provided, so it shouldn't take too long to progress through the unexplored floors."
Among those who know the route from floor 46 to 50, only a few participated in the capture of the deepest floors, and they were part of the secret organization, Chronosphere.
Now, among the people gathered here, there are only 2.
One is Noah, but Noah is still under the [Testament (Contract before God)], so he can't talk about the route.
On the other hand, the other person is Ickle――no, Lucia.
The [Testament (Contract before God)] that was placed on Ickle was lifted when she died once. Therefore, Lucia, who shares Ickle's memories and body, can talk about it.
However, the teleportation coordinates for floor 50 of the labyrinth that Ickle registered in the Brain Support Device can no longer be used――in fact, all the registered transfer coordinates within the labyrinth are unusable.
The reason is the ≪Great Transition≫.
Multiple floors have already disappeared from the shallow areas, causing the relative coordinates inside the labyrinth to vary. As a result, the previously registered coordinates have been invalidated and are considered non-existent.
However, teleporting from inside the labyrinth to the surface is possible because the destination coordinates can be fixed. If things really go wrong, it could be used as an emergency escape method. In short, it seems that what's important is whether you can clearly understand the destination coordinates better than your current location.
On the other hand, the stationary teleportation circle is still effective because it doesn't get affected by variations in relative coordinates, due to its ability to teleport to the location where it was set up...
(...though that is a bit creepy)
Aaron still feels uneasy about the fact that the teleportation circle can be used.
This is because, if the [Evil God] and the Chronosphere wanted to, they could destroy the teleportation circle on the 46th floor.
The fact that they haven't done so means... they are welcoming them to dive into the labyrinth...
This made him feel like they were in the palm of the [Evil God], which was unsettling.
――Anyway.
Thanks to Lucia, who has the memories of Ickle, providing information about the route for the sky floor, they were able to delay the date for their expedition.
Without Lucia's information, they would have set out within a few days after the stampede. If that had happened, the labyrinth would have completely restructured, and all the teleportation circles would have been lost, forcing Aaron and the others to aim for floors 1 to 50 again――possibly.
――However, just because they have information about the route, they still need the cooperation of the scout team, 'Dark Crow.'
"According to the preliminary information, some routes in the sky floor have floating islands that are always moving, causing the routes to keep changing. To quickly navigate such places, we need skilled scouts. ...So, I'm counting on you, okay?"
With that, Aaron turned his gaze toward the 'Dark Crow.'
The leader of 'Dark Crow' nodded strongly on behalf of everyone.
"Leave it to us, Lord of Extreme Sword!"
Aaron nodded back and continued.
"The monsters that appear in the Sky Layer, the area bosses, the guardians of the deepest floor... they're all going to be way stronger than anything we faced on Dragon Mountain, but there's no need to worry. To us now, they're just weaklings."
"......"
In the center of the crowd, Lion watched Aaron speak smoothly, a deep smile on his face.
(Even with Mr. Logan there, Aaron is the leader of the team for the big job of defeating the [Evil God]... life really is unpredictable.)
Now, his friend had truly become the strongest and highest-ranked explorer in Necronia. And to be the best in the world's Labyrinth City meant he was the best explorer in the world, no exaggeration.
That made him feel pure pride.
"We will take the shortest route through the labyrinth and defeat the [Evil God]. ...There's no need to be scared. They say the [Evil God] is weakened too. We can win."
He declared this and looked around at everyone.
"So, let's go!!"
"""Yeah!!!"""
With a response that shook the air, the final meeting before departure came to a close.
"――Gentlemen of the Extermination Team."
And just as Aaron finished speaking, the members of the [Four Great Families of the Seals] stepped forward.
In the center, the heads of the 4 families took another step forward to face Aaron and the others.
The one who spoke on behalf was Zephyr Aron.
"It's a pathetic story, but since we are not registered with the teleportation circle, we can't accompany you. It's frustrating, but we would just be a burden... I sincerely apologize for making you carry a problem that we should have solved ourselves... But please, I ask for your help."
Saying this, all the members of the 4 families bowed deeply, as if to show their utmost respect.
* * *
Just a brief moment before departure.
Those who had acquaintances were exchanging words as if they were reluctant to part.
"Aaron."
"Yeah, Lion."
Lion approached Aaron and called out to him.
Lion looked into Aaron's face and, without any worries, said what he wanted to say.
"...Come back safely."
"Yeah... for now, I plan to live until I die of old age."
Aaron replied with a grin, and Lion nodded. Then, he turned to Fiona, who was standing next to Aaron.
"Fiona, you better come back safely too."
"Yes, of course."
"And please take care of Aaron. Even if he doesn't plan to die, he might do something reckless."
"Hehe... yes, leave it to me."
Fiona smiled and nodded.
"Fiona, Mr. Aaron."
Then, Eva came over.
"Both of you, make sure to come back safely, okay?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Yes, of course."
The two nodded back, and Eva turned to Fiona to say.
"Fiona, you absolutely must not do anything reckless. You're the one in the most danger."
"I know, I know."
Fiona smiled wryly as Aaron spoke beside her.
"Don't worry, Lady Eva. I'll protect Fiona. Besides, she's strong too."
"Oh, that's a bit surprising. Mr. Aaron is being so honest."
"Well, we're already a couple, after all."
Without being shaken by Eva's teasing words, Aaron replied easily.
"Yes... really."
Watching the two stand naturally close together, Eva felt a weight lift from her chest.
There was no need to worry. She genuinely believed that these two would be okay.
"Then, I wish you both good luck."
With that final message, Eva turned and walked away.
Before leaving the mansion, she had already given Logan some encouraging words. However, there was one more person she needed to speak to.
She headed towards Noah Kirke.
Since her brother, whom she thought was dead, had returned, Eva hadn't been able to talk much with him.
The reason was simple. He was a great sinner who had taken many lives, and part of that sin was to save her.
Eva couldn't fully process that fact in her heart.
And even now, she still hadn't come to terms with it.
"――Brother."
"Hey, Eva."
Her brother, leaning on a cane and dressed like an explorer under his robe, welcomed her with a gentle smile.
There was no shadow on his face, nor any sign of guilt.
So Eva began to speak.
"...Brother, you have taken many people's lives and made many people unhappy. That should never be forgiven."
"...Yeah."
Noah nodded slightly, looking serious.
"But I have no regrets about what I've done. I was deceived and betrayed by the Chronosphere, but by killing him, my goal will be completely fulfilled."
"...I want you to atone for your sins, big brother."
"...I know."
Noah looked down with a sad expression.
"So... please make sure to come back alive to atone for your sins."
"Evee..."
Startled, Noah looked up.
While they were talking, Eva finally found the answer within herself. How she wanted to feel about Noah's sins. What she thought.
"I will help you atone for your sins, big brother. I don't know how yet, but..."
Her brother is a great sinner. If his sins come to light, many people will surely raise their voices in anger, and they won't allow him to live. Eva thinks that's only natural.
But at the same time, her brother was only trying to help her. Even if his methods were wrong, to Eva, he was still the kind brother he had always been.
So, at the very least, it shouldn't be wrong for her, as his sister, to wish for him to stay alive, no matter what happens in the future.
"Big brother, please be safe."
"Yeah... thank you, Evee. ...I'm going now."
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