Chapter 55 – The Mobile Labyrinth –

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The girl in the black hood was a very complaining child.

Because of that, our conversation along the way was filled with her grumbling.

“I’m poor, and I can’t find a suitable marriage partner, and I want to learn a skill—but you can’t be an apprentice unless you’re younger—and I want to go to the city and live a glamorous life…”

She kept saying things like that.

I don’t usually mind complaints, but even I was growing a bit fed up…

“It’s not like I’m asking for luxury; it’s just that…”

I thought—besides, her slightly sunken cheeks were odd.

She claimed she wasn’t good at finding food, yet since it was autumn, there was plenty of harvest all around.

It shouldn’t be that hard.

I suspected she probably just didn’t want to make any effort—maybe she was too lazy and tired to try until the very last moment.

That feeling was unmistakably conveyed.

“Sigh… Why was I born in a rural town?” she lamented.

But even if I tried to ignore her words, there was a limit.

Honestly, I wanted Ati and Selma to take turns listening to her complaints, so I looked at them.

However, they averted their eyes.

I see—perhaps they expected me to handle her endless grumbling.

At times like this, I selfishly wished they’d show some jealousy…

“So, that’s that. And then, you know…”

(When will this ever end…)

“U-um? There’s a Snake-chan— is it a pet?”

The girl in the black hood took an interest in Echidna, who peeked out from her bag.

“Something like that,” I nodded, and the girl twisted her face.

“I—I don’t like Snake-chan…”

“Is that so?”

If she says she doesn’t like it, then so be it.

I thought she was a troublesome child, but I didn’t intend to be mean.

So I told Echidna to hide her face, and she snuggled completely into the bag.

“Giiu”

“Muuu”

Selma looked a bit displeased.

She was close with Echidna…

Well, if she could put up with it just for a little while, that would help. Sorry.

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I thought this town was strange.

It was a narrow town that could be seen in its entirety from the entrance, yet right in the center stood a giant brick statue, seated as if in a relaxed pose.

As a building, it was about ten stories tall.

Because the surrounding buildings were at most three stories, the statue stood out unusually, and many people gathered at its base to look up at it.

“A tourist attraction or something…?” I asked the girl in the black hood.

“N-no,” she shook her head.

Apparently, it wasn’t built to attract tourists.

But then, what on earth is it?

I rested my chin in my hand when Ati came over to stand beside me.

“This is unusual, isn’t it?”

“Do you know about it?”

“Yes… That is a mobile labyrinth.”

A labyrinth.

It felt like I hadn’t heard that word in a long time.

But a mobile labyrinth—does such a thing really exist?

I mean, it has a human-like shape, though…

“It looks like a giant statue on the outside, but there’s an entrance somewhere. Once you go inside, it becomes a normal labyrinth.”

“…Is it dangerous?” I asked.

Ati cleared her throat cutely and replied, “It is dangerous. There’s a risk of being crushed while the labyrinth is moving… Also, on the Western Continent, you sometimes see monsters in the mountains and fields, but that’s because mobile labyrinths spit out monsters—so they’re dangerous in that sense. This labyrinth is even called a uniquely Western Continent labyrinth; you hardly ever see one on other continents. I’m from the Southern Continent, and I’ve never seen one there. We didn’t hear any rumors about it on the Northeastern Continent when I traveled with Harold, nor did we see one, right?”

Indeed.

As far as I know, on the Northeastern Continent, I’d never heard of a labyrinth that moves.

They seem to just remain where they appear.

If it’s the same on the Southern Continent… hm?

“Is something the matter?”

“Did you just say you’re from the Southern Continent?” I asked.

“Uh, yes… Ah, that’s right. I haven’t mentioned it before, but I’m from the Southern Continent,” Ati admitted.

Our journey’s destination is the southwestern part of the Southern Continent, but that was originally Ati’s wish.

Perhaps she intends to return to her hometown—no, now isn’t the time to think about that.

For now, it’s about this labyrinth.

Speaking of which, labyrinths are generally well-managed to prevent an overflow of monsters, at least that’s what Ati taught me before.

“I see. I’d be happy if you could explain it properly later—I really want to know about you, Ati.”

“Yes, of course.”

“By the way, what kind of labyrinth is a mobile labyrinth?” I asked.

“Um… A mobile labyrinth is actually much shallower than a normal labyrinth. Compared to a normal labyrinth, the distance to its deepest point is unusually short, and its structure collapses once you defeat the labyrinth’s master. The monsters inside, including the master, are about as strong as those in the mid-level of a normal labyrinth. As soon as a report is received, the country sends soldiers to handle it. Since it isn’t as dangerous as the lower or deeper levels of a typical labyrinth, that usually suffices. There are cases where a skilled explorer manages to handle it on their own, though.”

Mobile labyrinths often hold good treasures relative to their difficulty, even if they don’t yield as many monster materials.

So, explorers who find them tend to rush in immediately… or something like that.

“If someone handles it on their own, won’t that cause problems…?” I asked.

“Not at all. In fact, you might even be thanked for it.”

In effect, it helps maintain public order, so they are rarely blamed—instead, they are even thanked.

By the way, mobile labyrinths are also known as pseudo-labyrinths or simple labyrinths.

Apparently, aside from having monsters and treasures, they differ too much from normal labyrinths.

For example, while normal labyrinths tend to “grow” and become deeper, mobile labyrinths apparently do not change in that regard.

Then, “Ah, ah, ah…”

The girl in the black hood suddenly began trembling uncontrollably and pointed at the tip of the seated mobile labyrinth.

Um, did she bump into it while sitting?

Several buildings had been crushed.