Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

For a brief moment, I maintained calmness in front of Conrad, pretending to be composed.

Once I left the office and leaned against the wall, a sigh of relief escaped me.

No wonder—Conrad was a formidable opponent who, at my current level, would be hard to even exchange a few words with.

‘I haven’t made any major mistakes, have I?’

[Chaos encourages you, saying that being bold and clear is much better than trembling in confusion.]

Right. Instead of shrinking away and lying flat in front of a far superior power, I thought it would be better to observe the situation and confidently assert myself when necessary.

After nodding once, I focused on the clothes in my hands.

──

[Illusory Robe] (B)

In an attempt to resolve the lifespan issue with her human lover, the elf Odious, who was obsessed with research, failed to find a way to share her long life with him, leading to despair.

This item was one of the failed creations that came from his hands after countless failures.

─When worn, regardless of the wearer’s race, the appearance is fixed to a human form, with slight changes occurring.

Typically, parts of the body that are considered inhuman, such as ears or tails, will undergo changes, but the essence remains the same while only the appearance alters, so caution is advised.

─Crafted with materials mixed with the mystery of the Great Forest, the robe provides constant purification and restoration.

─Humans cannot wear it.

──

‘…It’s a B-grade?’

It was a black robe with a hood, looking shabby and simple, with no decorations or designs. Considering it was supposed to have been pulled from a space dimension, it seemed too plain and unimpressive. Even if Conrad had personally given it to me, I had no great expectations.

I just hoped it would be the right item for my request—to prevent Lumia from being ostracized or expelled.

“Ha, handing over a tattered piece of cloth like that without a single change in expression, as if it’s nothing.”

Strangely enough, the options seemed almost perfectly tailored for Lumia.

‘When will I be strong enough to casually hand out such items to someone else?’

[Chaos assures you that, due to your superior talent, effort, and the nature of causality, you will surpass others in every aspect, so there’s no need to rush.]

I wasn’t feeling impatient. I was just looking forward to the future.

As I imagined Lumia’s reaction when I would later present this as a gift, a sudden sound of the office door opening interrupted my thoughts.

With a creak, the door opened.

The hand of a raised earthen figure gestured with a flick of its finger, signaling me to come in.

“The Tower Master just left! Come on in!”

At the loud voice coming from the doorway, I stepped forward.

He really left. Thank goodness.

When Conrad used fire to signal a break earlier, the very space itself had felt hot and heavy, giving off a suffocating feeling. But now, the atmosphere in the office was so peaceful it almost made the conversation feel like a lie.

As soon as I entered, Gardan greeted me with a friendly smile and spoke.

“Were you confused by the sudden turn of events? Are you okay?”

“It would be a lie to say I wasn’t surprised. But right now, I feel more dazed than confused. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief. Well, let’s get back to our trade!”

With that, Gardan pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me.

“Take it. This is a different type of access pass from the one I gave you last time.”

Indeed, there was a noticeable difference in appearance. The pass I had received previously was accompanied by an engraving of a blazing flame on the front.

──

[Magic Tower Access Pass─Conrad Ennis]

The Master of the Fire School and current Tower Master, Conrad Ennis. This pass was created as a token of his guarantee that the first recipient, as the magic tower’s authorized user, would be allowed entry. It also signifies his acceptance of any responsibility for any issues arising from this action.

─The magic binding on this pass ensures that only the registered owner can possess it after the engraving process is complete.

─A return magic spell ensures that if lost, the pass will automatically return to its rightful owner.

──

Not only was the appearance different, but…

“Wasn’t her name Lumia? She owes you a huge debt.”

“Excuse me?”

Gardan pointed subtly at the access pass in my hand.

“Just the fact that the Tower Master personally guarantees it is important. But more than that, this is the only one of its kind in the world.”

What?

“Wait, are you saying you’ve never given this to someone like Scarlett, a benefactor, or any other high-ranking person?”

“Of course not. There’s no point in giving it to Scarlett, and as for the other person, the Tower Master is a duke of the Empire, so there was no reason to offer such a guarantee.”

“Ah… I see. I asked a foolish question.”

That’s right. Even though I had burned a troublesome mage from another school in the lobby, and the punishment had been nothing more than house arrest and education, there was no need for the Tower Master to carry an access pass for someone as important as his own daughter. The pass itself wouldn’t matter since the Tower Master’s position would allow unrestricted access.

In the end, the only influential figures he’d need to worry about were likely other members of the Empire’s royal family.

“This… Haha, I feel undeserving of such an item.”

“That’s good enough for me! Don’t feel too burdened by it.”

Gardan approached and patted my back enthusiastically.

“From what I know, the Arrar people are currently suffering from a curse passed down from the previous generation.”

“…”

“Sometimes misfortune strikes, but eventually, great fortune follows. That’s just how life works, isn’t it?”

…I suppose Earth has similar proverbs.

Life is full of ups and downs.

Lumia, having become an Arar after the reconciliation, had spent her life struggling, and it had only started to improve a little during the last exploration. Now, it seemed she was entering a phase of good fortune.

I absentmindedly rubbed the back of my neck.

“Thank you for your kind words. By the way, I still have one more matter to discuss. Is that alright?”

“Hm? What’s left, apart from our trade?”

“I was observing the situation carefully, since I didn’t want to trouble the Tower Master directly.”

I carefully took out Elle, who was still in her sleep state, from my waist pocket.

“Eira… Scarlett’s summoned beast has been acting strangely since returning from the Labyrinth. Though they say it’s not life-threatening, it’s been sleeping for over a month now.”

I had realized by now that Elle was indeed Scarlett’s summoned beast, even though the information hadn’t appeared earlier.

Since Elle was a fire-type summoned beast, I could have asked Conrad directly about her condition, but…

Conrad hated and even despised Scarlett.

I didn’t feel comfortable bringing up anything related to Scarlett with him, so I remained silent and waited.

“I can’t guess what happened from just hearing this. Can you tell me what happened during the investigation?”

“I understand. Let me first start by explaining what happened on the third floor─”

Since there was nothing shameful about the events that took place in the sanctum, I shared most of the details, excluding the trials that involved my companions’ past.

“It seems we might be getting close to a clue… But in situations like this, it’s better to call someone who knows more about Eira than I do.”

Someone who knows more? Certainly not Scarlett, her master.

While I was puzzled, Gardan took out another crystal ball-shaped magical artifact and infused it with power.

─Ah! Elder! If you’re calling for something related to the spell I’m working on, I’ll contact you later!

The voice sounded familiar—was that the bespectacled mage?

It was clear. It was the woman with the thick glasses and braided hair.

“Don’t regret it if you hang up now.”

─Huh?

Ignoring her confused response, Gardan quickly summarized the situation and explained it.

─Eep! I’ll be there right away!

After waiting for about ten minutes while chatting idly, the mage knocked on the door to the office.

“Ah, you’re here. Glad to see you’re not late this time.”

Gardan mentioned that he sometimes saw her due to matters involving Scarlett. He seemed to think she was clumsy and frequently late, making excuses about being absorbed in research.

“Come on in! And watch your step so you don’t trip again!”

“Now that I think about it, my first impression was pretty strong.”

Of course, in a bad way.

As soon as she arrived, she tripped… and then immediately started blurting out her thoughts like a rapid-fire rap, even turning her back during the conversation to make a communication call on the correctional device and running away.

Looking at how things were going, she seemed to be one of Scarlet’s confidants. But seeing how those flaws still stand out and she continues to move as a connection between multiple people… I guessed she must have had some extraordinary skills that offset her flaws, or there must be another special reason.

“Th-That… Ah, ugh! What should I do?!”

When I opened my status window to check, her name was Muel.

I thought she might have some kind of fear of men, but her traits were nothing out of the ordinary. She was just a standard fire-type mage like anyone else.

It seemed like her personal personality was just a little eccentric.

Anyway, as she still seemed to forget what she wanted to say whenever she saw me and didn’t know what to do, I quickly passed on the message to her without making eye contact, just like I did with Gardan.

Contrary to her previous awkward behavior, she nodded with remarkable intelligence.

“In short… you’re saying that after being exposed to the energy of a forgotten past god and transcendence, this is what happened?”

“That’s right. What should we do? You don’t think she’ll stay like this forever, right?”

“This isn’t a simple matter.”

Muel shook her head.

“The energy that filled the body, which was solely formed by the young lady’s magic, was replaced by a much higher-level force in large quantities.”

A phenomenon that went beyond simple change.

“As a result, the function as a familiar with a focus on replacing the lady’s eyes and ears is shaken, and it’s in the process of being reborn as an independent entity.”

So, in other words, the puppet of Scarlet, which was just an observation doll, is now absorbing the energy of Adelai and is transforming into a new independent entity?

“First, I’ll show the lady Eira directly, and then I’ll take care of her and record the changes for observation.”

I had just noticed something.

Was this considered some kind of research? She spoke with no hesitation, almost like another personality had come out, which was fascinating.

Although I had grown fond of Eira in the short time I spent with her, I thought there was no real meaning in keeping her with me.

So I handed Eira over to Muel and asked her to take good care of her.

An independent entity… I was curious what kind of form she would take the next time we met.

Personally, I hoped that her current cuteness wouldn’t change.

________________________________________

Before long, the sun began to set in the evening.

After completing my business at the mage tower, I immediately went to look for Lumia when I returned to District 4.

“Did you come back? You seem to be in a good mood, so I guess things went well?”

“Yeah… they went well. I have some good news, but is Lumia upstairs?”

“Yeah. She’s been training in the morning and evening, and she told me she’d be reading the books and magic scrolls you gave her from lunch until the afternoon.”

Roten emphasized that Lumia had been diligently going through her routine every day.

He shrugged his shoulders and asked why I was looking for Lumia right away without even unpacking, asking what kind of good news I had.

Well, I guess it was okay to tell him, since Roten, who could be considered her grandfather after her parents, was close enough to her to speak frankly.

I took out the robe and entry pass from my bag and showed them to Roten.

“This… this is the mage tower entry pass. Did they give you confirmation that Lumia can seek teachings at the tower?”

“Don’t worry. From tomorrow, I’ll make sure nothing will come up, as I’ll directly settle things with the tower lord.”

Roten laughed, asking why I was joking like that, but when he saw the lack of a smile on my face, he seemed taken aback.

“…Really?”

“Of course. Why would I lie about something like this?”

“Heh, I can’t believe it. By the way, does this have anything to do with the girl you mentioned before… the one who was resurrected and was in trouble?”

I couldn’t exactly deny it. Somehow, he remembered that.

I nodded in agreement, and Roten didn’t pry any further. He told me to go upstairs.

I arrived at Lumia’s door and knocked lightly.

Knock knock.

“It’s me. I’m back safely, so can you open the door?”

Before I could even finish speaking, Lumia opened the door and greeted me.

“Ahren, you’ve worked hard.”

“Can I come in? I’ve got something to give you.”

“…How about having a meal together first? My room’s a bit messy because I was trying out some movements from the book…”

“I’m fine with that. I’m actually getting a bit hungry. I’ll be downstairs, so take your time.”

I went downstairs and waited for Lumia. Soon after, she came down in casual clothes, and we ate dinner that Roten had prepared for us.

“Thank you for the meal.”

After a satisfying meal, I explained what had happened at the mage tower and handed her the entry pass and robe.

“…!”

She was shocked when she saw the precious and unique entry pass.

And when she realized that wearing the robe would fix her race as human and help avoid the stigma of being an Arar, she was even more surprised.

I had expected her to be happy, but she didn’t look just joyful, though she did keep thanking me… She seemed more confused than anything.

“My mind’s a mess. I was born as a beastkin… and even when I turned into an Arrar due to the curse, I thought living like that was the only answer.”

She couldn’t hide the emptiness she felt as she looked up.

“Now that I don’t have the black ears, which are the symbol of the beastkin and the curse, it feels strange and empty. My heart’s fluttering.”

I didn’t get the reaction I expected when I handed her the robe, but I understood it.

Her animal ears, which she had since birth, were gone, and instead, human ears had appeared. On top of that, the hateful gazes and verbal abuse she used to endure were gone, as now she had a way to hide her true nature. Naturally, it was a complicated feeling for her.

“She’s probably feeling a little down, thinking that as a beastkin, she has to hide her true nature in this way.”

She might also be feeling that way because denying her race might make her think of her late parents.

“Lumia, you don’t need to overthink it.”

I comforted her as she mumbled.

“Whatever form you take, you will always be Lumia. The identity you’ve worked so hard to protect will never change.”

“Do you think so? Even if I temporarily give up being a beastkin, my mom and dad won’t be sad from heaven, right?”

“Of course! Your parents might be sad because you suffered from the curse, but they won’t be angry that the way you tried to live is wrong.”

“…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for hesitating when you worked so hard to get this for me. My head was spinning, but thanks to you, I’ve made up my mind.”

I gently stroked Lumia’s head as she leaned on my shoulder.

“The curse itself is also being purified without any problems. Let’s keep going like this.”

“Okay. I’ll do my best with anything.”

I encouraged her until she was called away for Roten’s evening training.

________________________________________

The next morning.

Though I was exhausted from everything that had happened yesterday, I felt surprisingly good today.

Click.

[06:30]

I opened the clock and saw that it was early morning.

With a refreshing mood, I got out of bed and stretched.

[Chaos is cheering for you today as well, raising both arms high.]

Though I couldn’t see it, I began my day energized by Chaos’s support.

Today was Lumia’s first visit to the mage tower.

Since it was her first day, I decided to go with her just in case anything happened.

If anyone tried to pick a fight or act inappropriately, I could just show them the entry pass and that would be enough… but you never know how people’s hearts work, so I wanted to be cautious.

Anyway, I had already told Lumia last night that we’d skip the training on wild instincts today and get ready to leave early.

Was she nervous or excited? She had probably gotten up early.

After washing up, I went downstairs and found her already reading a book at the table.

The difference from yesterday was that she was wearing the illusion robe, which concealed her cat ears that used to show her emotions.

“Lumia, did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. Thanks to pushing myself in training yesterday, I fell asleep without thinking.”

She added that the encouraging words I gave her before the training had been a great help in clearing her mind.

“I’m glad. Let’s have breakfast and head out early. Do you need to grab anything else?”

“Wait a moment. I’ll go upstairs to leave the book.”

While Lumia went upstairs, Roten, who had woken up earlier to check the kitchen, quickly brought breakfast.

The deliciously grilled meat, steaming soup, and savory bread smelled wonderful.

As usual, after having a hearty meal, we left the inn with Roten’s worried farewell.

He patted Lumia’s shoulder.

“You’ll only be amazed and fascinated by tall structures like the mage tower the first time you see them. After a few days, it’ll seem like nothing special. So don’t be too nervous about unfamiliar places.”

“As long as Ahren’s next to me, I’m not worried at all. Today, I’m invincible.”

Seeing her tightly hold my arm and cross her arms, Roten smiled like he was looking at his cute granddaughter.

“Heh heh! You, don’t forget to stay close to her and keep your eyes wide open.”

Before we left, Roten gave me one last piece of advice.

“If anyone in the mage tower tries to bother Lumia or do something to her… make sure you find out their name.”

With a sharp edge to his voice, I promised I would.

“Alright, I’m off.”

Together with Lumia, we headed toward the platform.