GalaxyTL
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Thump… thump… thump…!
I’m currently running down the corridor that leads to the deepest part of the labyrinth, kicking off the floor rhythmically.
Of course, it’s jump running, using the technique of 【Grasshopper】.
I can cover a lot of distance with each step, and I’m probably faster than a car.
And right now, I’m seriously jump running.
The reason is simple.
This corridor…
Is simply… incredibly long.
<Yeah, it’s really long.>
Right?
If I walked like before, it’d be nightfall before we reach the end.
Why is it so long?
<It’s part of the labyrinth’s defense strategy… a kind of harassment. After you defeat the boss and you’re tired, if you have to walk down an endless corridor with no end in sight… it’d make you feel bad, right?>
It’d just be tiring, and you’d start overthinking things, like whether you’re even going the right way.
Hmm, I’m getting bored.
I yawned, while running.
<Should we just break through the side wall, dig ahead, and get out of the labyrinth?>
That thought is rapidly growing in my mind.
But as I said earlier, the Three Knights of the Royal Guard went through the trouble of preparing all this for me, and I’ve come this far.
I’ll continue to follow the rules until we reach the goal.
I’m not going to cheat, like breaking through walls, like before.
……Oh
After a few minutes of talking like that, we finally reached the end of this long corridor.
It’s a large, empty hall, just like the Trial Rooms.
On the wall opposite the entrance, there’s a large, magnificent door, glittering and gaudy, almost too ornate.
What’s with this door?
There’s a mural on it.
At the top, people are fighting each other, holding strange weapons.
In the middle, people are playing happily with a giant with a clown-like face, holding hands.
And at the bottom… people are prostrating themselves, in a dogeza-like posture, in front of a glowing, humanoid something.
…What is this?
Mythology?
<…Ah, I see. I understand, Emi. This is the ‘History of Neverfall’.>
History of Neverfall?
<In other words, the fighting people depicted at the top represent the era when Neverfall was born as an aerial fortress, and the people happily playing in the middle represent the era when Neverfall was in operation as an amusement park.>
Wait, then, who is that giant with a clown-like smile in the middle?
<That’s Neverfall-kun. That was the mascot character.>
A giant was the mascot character?
<No, it was originally supposed to be a small fairy.>
It looks huge though?
It’s at least 1.5 times the size of an adult?
And those extremely large hands, because of the deformation, could probably easily crush a child!
<Even though it was supposed to be a fairy, there was no such race as fairies in this world at the time. So, they tried to recreate it as a magic robot, to entertain visitors by having it patrol the park. But, if they did that, it would inevitably become huge, because of technical issues. It’s like a mascot costume.>
Hmm…?
Then, what does the bottom picture represent?
The way they’re prostrating themselves in front of that glowing something looks like a religious painting.
<Hmm… I think this probably represents modern Neverfall.>
Well, if time flows from top to bottom, that makes sense.
<That glowing, humanoid being is probably… the Sky God, the chief god of this country… right? >
You sound unsure?
<Yeah… although gods often take human form, the Sky God is always in the form of a large bird. Hmm…>
Well, whatever, who cares about the mural.
I left Extra-sama, who started thinking, and pushed the door.
But it won’t open.
I mean, if I put my back into it, I could probably force it open, but that’s a last resort.
No cheating!
So, I looked around.
There must be a mechanism somewhere… to open this door.
Ah.
<Hmm? Oh, what is that?>
Extra-sama also became interested in my discovery and stopped thinking.
It’s a small, board-shaped device, installed on the wall next to the door.
Looking closely, there’s a liquid crystal display at the top of the board, and what looks like a keyboard with super ancient magical letters at the bottom.
And further to the right of that device, a long sentence is written in super ancient magical letters.
<Ahh! Emi, this is a riddle!>
And then, as soon as she realized what this device was, Extra-sama suddenly got excited!
<In other words, that sentence on the right is the question! If we decipher it and enter the correct password, the door will open! This is where my intellect shines…!>
Ehhh?
But Extra-sama, I have this image of you being bad at deduction and stuff…
<…Hmph, then why don’t you solve it yourself, Emi?>
No, hey, don’t sulk, Extra-sama.
Can you read that question for me first?
I can’t read super ancient magical letters.
<Yes, yes, I understand… Well, you see… Huh?>
What’s wrong?
<No, it’s just that the question is unexpectedly short, I was surprised. …‘What is convenient?’… That’s the question.>
Eh?
Isn’t that too short?
<The fact that the question is too short… might be a hint to solving the riddle. Let’s approach this riddle from multiple angles!>
Extra-sama became happy again, and started groaning as she tried to come up with the answer.
I’ll do my best to think too.
It’s irresponsible to just leave it to Extra-sama.
…But.
‘What is convenient?’… I mean…
Isn’t the question too vague?
What is it convenient for?
Convenient for who?
I don’t get it at all.
Hmm…
Extra-sama, did you figure anything out?
<Yeah… I’ve gotten as far as creating a formula, using the number of lines in ‘Kakasacchi no’, a representative work of the poet, Toronahal, who was active in the middle of the super ancient magical civilization, as a constant, and graphing it, but…>
Um… I see…
Good luck…
I understand that I need to try harder too…
Now then…
It seems that Extra-sama is, once again, unreliable, so let’s think about this more seriously.
…………
…………
…………
Even if I think about it, the answer isn’t going to magically appear…
What should I do…
<Wait, could this be… a quadratic function!? No way… but…>
Extra-sama is still muttering, lost in thought in a completely wrong direction…
Hmmm…
To begin with.
Why am I being forced to solve a riddle at the bottom of a labyrinth?
What would the labyrinth gain by making intruders solve riddles?
Hmm?
Maybe it’s not a riddle, to begin with?
Hmmm…
I don’t get it…
‘What is convenient?’…
………….
Ahh, I’m…
Getting irritated…
Why do I have to think about this…?
Convenient…
Convenient…
………….
“Ah.”
The next moment!
I had an epiphany!
The irritation and fog in my mind cleared, like after a gust of wind!
<Eh!? Emi, you figured out the answer!?>
Yes, I did, Extra-sama!
If you ask me ‘What is convenient?’!
There’s only one answer!
<Eh!? W-What is it!?>
“The answer is…”
I took a deep breath, and faced the keyboard for entering the answer.
I pulled my right foot back, put my left foot forward.
I lowered my hips a little.
I circulated mana throughout my body.
And I clenched my right fist.
“…‘Violence’!!!”
And then, I slammed my right fist… with all my might, into the keyboard attached to the wall!
Mekyo!!
Bogun!!
My right arm, easily smashing the keyboard, was buried in the wall up to my elbow, and a muffled explosion-like sound came from inside the wall!
I probably destroyed the control mechanism for the door!
Alright!!
<That’s not ‘alright’!! What’s with that barbaric answer!?>
Ehhh?
‘Violence’ is definitely the correct answer!
The proof is that I feel great right now!
<It might be the correct answer for you, but as an answer, it’s definitely wrong!?>
Bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-beeーーー!!!
And then, the next moment!
The large hall where we are was suddenly lit up red by magic lamps, and a high-pitched alarm started blaring!
Wh-What’s this!?
<Aaaah… this must be that. An illegal operation was detected, or something like that! In other words…>
Before Extra-sama could finish her sentence, a large hole opened up in the ceiling.
And from that hole… a giant lump of metal fell down!
ZUSHIIIIIIIN!!!
That lump of metal seems to have been incredibly heavy.
The moment it landed on the floor, a roaring sound echoed, and the room shook violently!
And, surprisingly!
“BUSHUWAWAWA!!”
That lump of metal, emitting steam from a tube extending from its lower back, stood up… and held giant swords in both of its hands!
That’s right!
That lump of metal… is humanoid!
To put it simply…
It’s a giant robot in the form of a warrior wearing full body armor!
<Th-This is a magic robot! A humanoid weapon manufactured during the super ancient magical civilization!>
A humanoid weapon!?
Why is something like that falling from the sky!?
<It’s a penalty! Because you’re so reckless, Emi!>
Ehh!?
What do you mean!?
I don’t know what you’re talking about!?
While I was talking to Extra-sama, the magic robot seems to have finished preparing for battle.
It glared at me, the two lights that look like eyes on its face glowing red.
It started running straight towards me!
Zun, zun, zun!!
Every time the magic robot took a step forward, the room shook violently, because of its mass!
<Haaa… It seems that we have no choice but to fight…>
Extra-sama sighed wearily, but I want to sigh too.
Why am I being penalized, even though I got the right answer?
What a malicious labyrinth!
<Are you still complaining!?>
Anyway, well.
Let’s switch gears.
Battle mode.
I’m sorry, but.
I’m going to take out all this frustration on this magic robot.
This is going to be stress relief
I’m going to crush it.
——
Of course, ‘violence’ isn’t the right answer.
There’s a proper answer.