Manuke FPS

Proofer: Saphira

In the empty HQ tent, the VMB mail ringtone rang up, as if answering the question I had muttered to no one specific earlier.

“… A message…?

Just as I moved my hand to activate the TSS on my left arm, someone entered the tent.

“Eh? Schwarz-kun? You’re alone? I heard the labyrinth map was completed. You’ve worked hard.”

It was Keith-san.

“K-Keith-san, thank you for your hard work.”

“Do you know where Remi-san went?”

“No. She was here just a moment ago, but she went out…”

“Is that so. She’s probably gone to the sleeping quarters. Thank you. Shouldn’t you go to bed as well? You were in the labyrinth the past two days, weren’t you?”

“That’s right, I should also go to bed…”

I exchanged a few light-hearted greetings with him, then I exited the Headquarters tent. However, I didn’t head to the sleeping quarters, but walked out of camp instead. I went to the field where I had practiced my marksmanship just a few days earlier. I gazed at the tiny specks of twinkling stars and the radiance of the moon, and belatedly realized that this other world also had a moon. Sitting down on a hill, I took a quick look at my surroundings. Aside from the sounds of small insects, I couldn’t hear anything else.

[E/D Ashes: Surprise! Habitable plants have moons! Muahah!] {Saph: You mean Planets? Habitable plants would be so weird.}

With a shaky hand, I activated the TSS and opened the mailbox.

“Here are the unread mails…”

There were a dozen or so new messages, and the subject of the latest one was… I couldn’t read it. It wasn’t written in Japanese or Latin alphabet, but with weird hieroglyphic characters. After being distracted for a few seconds by the mysterious characters, I remembered there was the Automatic Translation function. I put on my goggles and focused on the characters. The translated text appeared under the unreadable characters.

Subject: Answer

Sender: 《ERROR》

I could feel my heart beating faster, and my chest felt tightened as if being crushed by some force. I opened the message with a trembling finger. The content was also written in those strange characters, but after a few seconds, the translation appeared.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Lost child from another world, I am 《ERROR》.

You were dropped into this world by 《ERROR》.

He had, but one purpose for you; to turn you into a Labyrinth Master.

However, I had prevented that.

That was how you fall here.

You have been accepted by this world.

You cannot return to your world anymore.

Live as you like here.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

W-Why was it in archaic script…

The mail was written in a script I had never seen before, be it in my world or this one. Since the translation was in my world’s archaic literature, these characters must be written in the ancient language of this world? No, the most important part was the content. The translation machine put 《ERROR》 where the names were… Names probably also carried power like the magic chants.

I hadn’t really touched any ancient writing since my days as a student, but I could somehow understand the meaning. In short, I was dropped into this world by someone to be a Labyrinth Master, but the sender of the message had interfered… And since this world had already accepted me… I couldn’t return to my world. I should live here as I like from now on… Something like that…?

“What is this!?”

My scream was swallowed by the night sky. A lot of things came to my mind. It was as I had suspected when I saw the words “VMB” appear on my guild card as my birthplace. This world recognized VMB. I fell into this world from there, so that was my birthplace…

The Emerald Demon Labyrinth was a new labyrinth that had formed near the area I had fallen at… Was its Dungeon Master missing because it was supposed to be… my labyrinth?

Who did this to me… What being decided who to be the Labyrinth Master?

Was it an evil god who created these labyrinths..? So that meant the sender of the message was the adversary to said evil god…  I looked up at the night sky and searched for the existence of gods. However, things such as that weren’t supposed to be discovered. What I could see were only the stars and the moon, and the only thing I heard was the insects and flowers fluttering in the wind.

I had been accepted by this world? I couldn’t return to my original world, so I should live here as I liked?

“What about this superhuman body that can’t get tired and possesses super-healing power?! What about all these powers from VMB!? Does this world accept all of them too?!”

I shouted at the sky, but nothing came, not even a new message. My heart was bursting with different emotions. Anger towards the being that dropped me into this world; Sorrow of not being able to return to my original world; Joy that I was not a foreign being or a cheater in this world as I was accepted by it; Anticipation to use the powers of VMB freely.

I kept staring at the sky as a dry laugh poured from my mouth. What I was laughing at, I wasn’t too sure myself.

Eventually, my eyes moved back to the TSS where dozens of new messages waited. Once I confirmed this, my hand stopped moving. The subjects were about the search for me. The mourning of my death. The news of my team’s victory… And my funeral. Somehow, it wasn’t my physical body that fell into this world, but my soul or consciousness, together with my VMB avatar. So, my soulless orignal body had died – that was why I couldn’t return.

I checked each message with a trembling finger. My teammates in P0wDer, my friends in VMB, and my colleagues… So many mourned my death. I couldn’t let them know I was still alive. No. The Japanese man named Saito Ren had already died. The person I was right now was Schwarz Powder, one who would live in this world from now on.

◆◆◇◆◆◇◆◆

The next morning, I told Varold-san and Keith-san that I would return to Barga for a short while. First, I would travel to Miral. Remi-san wasn’t around – she seemed to be going back and forth between Miral and the camp. I put my response to her invitation on hold for now. It was an option, but my position after joining was uncertain, so I couldn’t reply immediately. I could just confirm things with Remi-san but right now, conquering Wolf Fang Labyrinth was more important to me.

If this world had truly accepted me and I could live freely, then I would be as much of a hindrance as I could possibly be to the one that had brought me to this world. I would conquer the labyrinths and make that being regret ever bringing me here. It was a small purpose, but I thought it was enough for now.

I said goodbye to the two Sasanqua girls and promised to be back in time to see the labyrinth’s death, then headed to Miral village. Frau-san and Mitche-san stayed in camp, collecting air mana stones and taking some bodyguard jobs in the neighborhood.

As soon as I reached Miral, I got on a wagon to Barga.

I could have used my own vehicles, but due to the harvest festival, there were plenty of wagons and people going back and forth between Miral and Barga: adventures and workers, traders on horsebacks and patrol wagons. If I stood out for no reason, it’d be more troublesome to get into Wolf Fang Labyrinth, so I had to be careful.

I arrived in the Fort City of Barga a little before sunset. I was going to pick up the quest’s rewards at the guild tomorrow; the first thing now was to find some lodging. So I went to the [White Flower Pavilion of the Labyrinth] inn.

“Welcome. Would you like a meal or a room?”

“A room, please.”

“Oh, Schwarz-san. Welcome back! Thanks for coming to us again.”

Mirna, the landlady, greeted me with a smile as always.

“Do you have any empty rooms?”

“Yes, we do.”

I paid for a week’s stay, took the key and went to my room. It was a different room from last time, but the interior was the same. I sat down in the only chair in the room and made the plan for tomorrow onwards. Emerald Demon Labyrinth would shut down in about a month. The harvest festival would peak then, and I planned to be there to witness it.

First thing to do tomorrow was going to the General Guild and got the rewards for this job from Rezmond-san. I’d like to say hello to Ashley if she was there too. There wouldn’t be time after leaving Barga, so if I couldn’t do it now, I probably wouldn’t be able to later. Next was Marida Company. I needed to sell the mana stones collected this time and buy some non-attribute ones, as well as camping necessities and such.

Then there was food. Since I was a Manuke, I couldn’t use the transportation circles. The lower I went in the labyrinth, the harder it would be to return. There was water in the Spring, but the food was a must. What should I do about the food, really… Should I cook myself, or buy large quantities of pre-made food like bentos and store them in the gift box?  Let’s discuss this with Malta-san too.

Then I slept alone in the inn bed, and let my life in this world started with a new mood.