The next day after negotiations with the head of the district, the whole team gathered for a second meeting. Having finished discussing 31 points that we could not discuss last time, we all together made an expedition plan.

"Hmph, if we want to get to the 5th floor, then we will need to prepare a lot.

"Can I keep that part for you?" If you bring receipts, I will pay for them from the general funds.

"Good. I've got business in Commelbi anyway.

At this meeting, a decision was made on the name of the team. It seemed to me that "Bjorn's Team" was quite suitable, but Einar was not the only one who had a fantasy about the name of the team.

Raven was the first to offer.

"Hmm... I thought about it, but what about the name "Narak"?

"Narak?"

"In ancient language, it means 'those who walk in darkness.' Cool, isn't it?

To be honest, I didn't know if this was normal, but I realized that this 24-year-old Magus had a dark fire dragon* in his right hand.

(*Note: A reference to Eighth Grader Syndrome: Eighth Grader Syndrome is a Japanese colloquial term commonly used to describe children in their early teens who have ideas of greatness and overvalue themselves and their importance in the world (e.g., convinced of possessing special hidden abilities or knowledge that could threaten world order, etc.))

Those who walk in darkness...

"You've got . . . unique taste.

— ... Are you laughing at me?

Anyway, I was about to choose the name of the team, based on Raven's assertion that it was a hundred times better than something semi-serious like "Bjorn's Team," when Ainar hurried to join the conversation, dozing off.

"N-no!" I came up with a name for the team!

"What?" Oh, do you have another idea?

"Our team should be called Apple Pie!"

"Apple pie"...? Like dessert? Raven asked, her face half-dumbfounded. Einar answered without hesitation. Apparently, it was her favorite dish.

"What nonsense.

"How come!?"

Raven sighed at Einar's insistence before proposing a vote. Apparently, she was sure that we would never vote for such a name.

"I don't care about the name of the team, so decide for yourself," Mr. Bear refrained.

Unexpectedly, Misha voted in favor.

"Hmm, I think Apple Pie will work too..." It is sweet and delicious.

"This...!" And what about Mr. Yandel? You're not going to use such a ridiculous name, are you?

To be honest, it was a dilemma. If I had taken Raven's side, it would have been a draw.

Deep down, I just wanted to take Ainhar's side and get it over with, but showing favoritism as a team leader could hurt the mage's feelings. Therefore, I proposed a compromise.

— Let's just combine them and call them "Apple Narak".

—... — Raven was speechless.

"Or is Narak Pie better?"

— ... I will choose the first option.

" Ainar, what are you?

"I think it's better this way, too!" I love the way it sounds!

At this point, the official name of the team was determined as "Apple Narak", and the second meeting came to an end.

After that, quiet days and daily routine followed.

I read books in the library and met with the whole team every morning to practice working together beforehand.

On the third day, when we gathered for training, Hikurod came to me unexpectedly.

"Hahaha!" It's been a long time, Ainhar! Miss Raven!

It seems that the dwarf came to visit after learning the news from Misha.

We talked a little about current events. The reconstruction of the house into a forge was already in progress, and apparently he was busy looking for a blacksmith.

"Oh, your wife owns a tavern?" I'll have to look there later.

"Yes, come and try the honey wine." My wife makes it herself, and it's a unique delicacy of our tavern.

Since they both liked to drink, it seemed that he and Mr. Bear found it surprisingly easy to get along. They weren't going to become best friends later, were they?

One way or another, time passed, and before I knew it, this day came.

"It's time to prepare.

Today the labyrinth was supposed to open.

***

"Bjorn, are you ready?"

"Yes, just a minute.

For the first time in a while, I put on my full armor and shouldered the backpack I had packed yesterday.

*Creak*

When I went out the door, Misha and Einar were already waiting for me.

"Have you forgotten anything?"

"Nothing!" Ainar replied loudly.

Mike sighed next to her.

"Everything important is in my backpack.

- I see.

Lately, this thought has been coming to me more and more often, but I was glad that I had at least it. If I were alone, it would be even more exhausting.

"Oh, Bjorn. There's something in your inbox.

And?

When I was about to leave, Misha pointed to the mailbox next to the door. When I opened it, there was a letter inside.

Sender... Neil Urbahns?

It was a letter from the head of the district. How long has it been in the mailbox?

*Tear*

I opened it and read the contents. Well, "read" is probably not quite the right word.

"I won't ask you to pay the bill."

The letter consisted of only one line. It seemed to me that there was an arrogance of the head of the district in it, but still it was a gesture of conciliation. If he wanted to continue the war with me, he would have sent a fine notice or bill along with the letter.

Breaking down the door was a good idea.

However, when he asked me what I wanted, there was an opportunity to ask for compensation. I just kicked down the door like a thug and didn't mention it. This was done because I wanted to convey to him that if he did anything wrong to me, he would pay for it, and he would not pay with money.

It looks like I won't have to worry about it now.

I told him that I had not cooperated with his daughter and did not intend to do so in the future. I also hinted that if he was at odds with me, very unpleasant things would happen.

And yet, would he do stupid things in a fit of anger? It was safe to say that nothing of the kind would happen, at least until the end of next year's election.

"What kind of letter is this?" Mike asked.

"Oh, nothing important.

I tore up the letter and threw it in the garbage can on the 1st floor when I was leaving.

We headed to the meeting point, the central square of the 7th arrondissement. As this place was often used as a gathering point, it was full of explorers waiting for their comrades.

"You're 1 minute late.

As soon as we were in Three O'clock Alley, Raven looked at us with a grin. However, she did not seem to be bothered by our lateness. No, rather, she looked pleased.

"Go ahead, pay the fine. You promised, didn't you?

"Oh, yes. Fine...

For reference, the penalty was one of the 31 topics raised at the second meeting.

By the way, how much was it?

– 1000 stones per minute. Since there are three of you, it will be 3000 stones.

I dutifully opened my wallet and paid a fine for the three. If I hadn't wasted time reading the letter, we wouldn't have been late.

"But Raven, where's your bag?"

I realized this while I was paying the fine.

Raven didn't carry anything on her back. When I asked about it, I received a strange answer.

"Oh, about that...

Raven lifted the corners of her lips and tapped the ring on her index finger twice. Then it lit up, and a small portal opened in the air.

"Subspace...?"

— Yes. I thought that I might need it during my stay in the labyrinth. I sold all my unnecessary things and pampered myself with this purchase.

Yes, if you pamper yourself, you can buy it. It seems that Subspace is a trifle for you.

Raven placed the penalty in her subspace, as if showing it off, and closed the portal.

For some reason, my heart hurt. Is this what is called a feeling of deprivation? And she whined all the time that she had no money... I thought she really didn't have them.

"By the way, Abman is late.

While I was struggling with the feeling of envy, the topic of conversation changed.

"You're right. He's not going to leave us, is he?

"I'm not worried!" He must have lost his way on the way!

Raven laughed at Einar's words as if it were funny.

"How can a guide get lost?"

"Mmm, isn't that possible?" I've heard that it's a useless ability in the city.

"But he lives not far from here.

"This... Definitely so. Then why is he late?

"Maybe he has a stomachache?!"

The three girls started chatting about why Mr. Bear was late. I just kept my mouth shut. The plan was to unleash Mr. Bear's faint sense of direction already in the maze. In general, a lot of time passed, and the crowded square fell silent.

Just when we began to get genuinely worried, Mr. Bear appeared.

"Sorry, I'm late. Have you been waiting for a long time?

"Pay the fine first." You are exactly 45 minutes late.

"Oh, I forgot about it...

Mr. Bear was fined 45,000 stones before he even entered the maze.

"But why are you late?"

"I first came here at night. The atmosphere was somewhat unusual.

"Excuse me?" What do you mean-...

"It doesn't matter, let's go." Otherwise we will be late.

I quickly intervened and ended the conversation.

After Raven used her [Binding] magic, I led the group to the Dimension Square. When we arrived, it was already well over 0:00, and the portal was slowly shrinking in size. After a while, the time of the bug will come, but...

I will decide whether or not to inform them after this expedition.

We squeezed through the portal.

***

[You entered the Crystal Cavern on the 1st floor].

***

The Crystal Cavern was already an all-too-familiar sight. As soon as I opened my eyes, Einar's scream echoed through my eardrums.

'Behellaaa

"Kyaa!" You scared me! Why did you suddenly scream? Raven asked.

"I just wanted to do it!" Ainar answered.

Yes, I knew that feeling. I nodded knowingly. After all, it had been a full six months since her last expedition. For Einar, who was a born barbarian, it must have been a very different feeling.

"Yes, there is indeed another barbarian in the team...

Misha, who kept glancing at me and then at Einar, let out a heavy sigh, while Mr. Bear was surprisingly unfazed.

"It's better than silence.

Since he had been working alone for a long time, he didn't seem to mind such a noisy atmosphere.

Anyway, stop talking.

"Abman, what is the closest?"

In response to my question, Mr. Bear pointed somewhere to the side. When I checked my compass, it turned out to be the south. In other words, our starting point this time was the Ghoul Area.

Again we got to the opposite side.

"Since we're going to the Goblin Forest, we can go here. I'll lead.

Mr. Bear put away his compass and walked forward. I wondered if it wouldn't be better if he just showed me the direction and I found the way myself.

But...

I need to know how bad things are.

Knowing the extent of Mr. Bear's bad sense of direction, I would be able to judge whether it could be corrected with effort or not. If there was no answer, then I planned to use it as a compass to find my way myself. Watching Rothmiller, I learned something.

Anyway, moving from south to north, we naturally passed through the center of the 1st floor, a dark area where four types of monsters appeared intermingled. Without drawing a torch, Raven lit up the surroundings with light magic.

"[Leith].

*Ears!*

Unlike the gloomy red light of the torch, this spell illuminated the surroundings with a pure white light. My eyes became comfortable, as if I had returned to the city, but there was only one fear.

"It's only the 1st floor, wouldn't it be better to save mana?"

"It's okay. It is quickly replenished.

"Oh... P-I see.

— Yes. And don't worry. This will not prevent you from using other magic.

—…

Soon Mike closed her mouth. She clearly felt the greatness of a true mage, which Dvalki had spoken of with bitterness in his voice countless times in the past.

"I'm surprised. The mage I've worked with in the past wasn't that skilled," Mr. Bear muttered, and pampered Raven.

"I'm confident when it comes to mana, if we're talking about myself. It would be difficult to find another Magus like me in the same rank.

"Oh, really?" Now I see that you are an excellent magician.

"I'm flattered." You are also a rank 5 researcher and guide, Mr. Urikfried.

While the two of them were scurrying around the cave, praising each other, a cavity with a radius of about 30 meters appeared.

"Ah, this is the Chasm!"

"Ainar."

—…

When I called out to her briefly, Einar put her hand over her mouth. This gave it an even more suspicious look, but fortunately, everyone's attention was riveted on the monument in the center of the cavity.

"I've only heard about it before, this is the first time I've seen it in person.

As befits a mage, Raven approached the monument with scientific curiosity.

As a Year 5 researcher, Misha was also somewhat aware of this.

"Is this really it?" A monument erected by the Immortal King in honor of the archmage who first discovered the labyrinth?

— Yes. It is widely known as such.

"As such?"

— There is a hypothesis in the scientific world that he did not discover the labyrinth, but created it. And, simply put... The hypothesis is that the great sage did not just create a portal by observing the coordinates of another dimension, but created the dimension of the labyrinth itself.

Know-it-all Raven began to explain like a passionate storyteller.

Ainar didn't even listen, and Misha seemed to just agree, but I was curious.

"Why do magicians think so?"

"Because of this monument.

"A monument?"

When I gave out my reaction, an explanation immediately followed.

"The labyrinth remains unchanged. Even if the terrain is destroyed, it will revert to its original form the next time the portal opens. Therefore, there are assumptions that the jump in dimensions includes not only spatial, but also temporal coordinates...

"Phew... My head...

Ainar expressed her pain from hearing difficult words in a row.

Raven pouted and contracted.

"This monument is proof that in the era when the labyrinth was discovered, the magic of space-time was at least several orders of magnitude more advanced than it is now. Creating a space that is impossible now may have been possible then.

Even the abridged version was long, but I got the gist.

- I see.

In general, mages of a thousand years ago knew how to create spatial magic.

It would be necessary to find out about the great sage.

Perhaps there is another way to return to Earth other than the [Abyss Gate].

"Have you finished speaking?" Mr. Bear still stood aside, as if he was not interested in this topic.

"Oh, yes. Come along.

When he hurried us on, we continued our exploration.

And...

"Oh, the monument!

We returned to the same place 15 minutes later. Even I, watching the process, could not understand on what principle he found his way.

"How did it happen, Mr. Urikfried?"

I immediately abandoned the plan to upgrade Mr. Bear as a scout.

"Oh, that was a mistake. I thought it would be shorter...

It wasn't something that could be fixed.