Yujin walked past Eri, who was still retching, and retrieved the daggers lodged in the goblin's neck and shoulder.

Naturally, the daggers were his. One was his primary weapon, and the other was a spare.

Wiping the blades clean with a cloth he kept in his pouch, Yujin slid them back into their knife holsters.

Whoosh.

The goblin's corpse crumbled into ash, leaving behind a mana stone in the pile.

‘It’s just like Earth in this regard.’

Yujin mused to himself as he stared at the stone. On Earth, beasts from gates would also disintegrate into ash upon death, leaving behind similar mana stones.

Was there a connection between the gates on Earth and the labyrinths of this world?

He had no way of knowing.

If he had been a dragon back on Earth, perhaps he might have discerned a clearer link between gates and labyrinths. But that wasn’t the case.

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, Yujin turned to look at Eri.

She had stopped retching but still looked dazed, her expression blank. Shia, her academy companion and a priestess, approached and comforted her.

‘She might give up soon.’

While Yujin had forced her to confront the experience, how she handled it would depend on her.

Some people adapt and grow stronger. Others, unable to endure, abandon the path entirely.

In the end, it wasn’t Yujin’s concern. She was a stranger, after all.

Yujin had no patience for fragile mindsets. His calm and composed demeanor belied a steely resolve, a trait forged during two grueling months of hardship in Tiamat’s Tomb.

Having lost his parents as a child and survived the harsh life of an awakener, Yujin couldn’t empathize with those who crumbled so easily from something as common as taking a life.

Of course, killing is inherently traumatic.

The sensation of life slipping away under your hands, the metallic tang of blood, the realization that you’ve extinguished a being just like yourself—these are not things anyone should take lightly.

But for those who live on the edge of survival, failing to overcome such emotions is a death sentence.

If someone couldn’t endure it, they were better off pursuing a peaceful life elsewhere.

In that sense, Yujin might have done Eri a favor by giving her this experience early.

『You’re harsher than I expected. You’re not as kind as you appear.』

Tiamat observed, her tone tinged with surprise. She hadn’t expected Yujin, who seemed gentle on the surface, to be so uncompromising. Yujin responded with a wry smile.

‘Of course. There’s no need to be excessively kind to everyone. The key to surviving in society is maintaining just enough politeness to avoid trouble.’

『That sounds very... human.』

‘Are dragons any different?’

『Dragons are few in number and share a strong sense of kinship. We rarely see another’s struggles as purely “someone else’s problem.”』

‘Interesting. I’ll keep that in mind now that I’m a dragon myself.’

As Yujin and Tiamat exchanged words, the rest of the party was finishing their cleanup.

"...There are no enemies left in the area," Mirien, the scout, reported.

"Good work, Mirien."

Hugo sighed in relief, while Chrome, the dwarf warrior, approached them.

"Phew, that was close. If that barrier hadn’t gone up, I would’ve gotten burned for sure."

"A barrier? Was that you, Shia?"

Hugo turned to Shia, who was comforting Eri, but she shook her head.

"N-No... I wasn’t quick enough to cast a shield like that."

"Then..."

Hugo’s gaze shifted to Yujin, who inclined his head slightly.

"Yes, it was me. I apologize for acting without permission."

"No need to apologize. While the job is important, helping a comrade avoid injury is commendable. Thank you."

Hugo shook his head, bowing slightly to express his gratitude.

"And since you didn’t interfere directly in the battle, it won’t affect the evaluation much. So don’t worry about it."

"That’s good to hear."

"And Eri."

Hugo turned to the young mage with a stern expression. Eri, who had been sitting in a daze, flinched and looked up.

"Y-Yes...!"

"...Using magic without the leader’s instruction, making an independent judgment that nearly harmed an ally—these are serious faults. I trust you understand that this will impact your evaluation."

"...Yes."

Eri lowered her head, knowing full well how this would affect her assessment.

Even so, she couldn’t argue. No one in her position could.

Hugo, observing her with a complicated expression, sighed deeply before continuing.

"That said, I also made a mistake. Allowing monsters to breach the rear was a failure on my part. For that, I sincerely apologize."

Hugo’s magnanimity shone through. He could have reprimanded Eri harshly without anyone objecting, yet he humbly acknowledged his own shortcomings.

"Because of that, I owe Yujin my thanks. You helped cover for my mistake, and for that, I’m grateful."

"Haha, you flatter me. If anything, I should be thanking you for letting me accompany you."

"No, really, I’m thankful," Chrome interjected, approaching Yujin. "I’ll admit, I was skeptical about having you join us, but now I feel a bit embarrassed about it."

Dwarves, known for their steadfast loyalty, rarely forgot a favor. Chrome bowed his head, an unusual gesture for the prideful race.

"And you, academy girl."

"M-Me?!"

Chrome turned to Eri, who nearly jumped in surprise. Understandably, she was nervous about facing the person nearly hurt by her mistake.

But Chrome didn’t scold her.

"Why are you so tense? Everyone makes mistakes when they’re new. Back when I was starting out as a blacksmith, burns were an everyday occurrence. And hey, nobody even got hurt this time."

"I... I’m sorry..."

"Apology accepted. I’m sure you’ll feel better now. But next time, just give us a heads-up before you cast a spell so we can clear out. Haha!"

Chrome laughed heartily, patting Eri on the back. Though she winced in pain, her expression softened, showing some relief.

The party's mood lightened considerably, with even Hugo smiling as he watched.

After a brief moment of camaraderie, Hugo spoke.

"Alright, let’s get moving. We should be approaching the entrance to the fourth layer soon."

"Let’s go."

***

"Even the labyrinth has day and night."

In the labyrinth, especially in layers featuring natural environments such as plains, forests, or deserts, there exist sun and moon cycles, and time flows as though it were the real world.

How exactly this phenomenon is possible remains a mystery, but priests speculate that the goddesses of the sun and moon contributed to the creation of the tower, which might explain these peculiarities.

Thus, night fell upon the labyrinth.

The group had entered the fourth layer, where the forest had morphed into a jungle. Not long after they ventured into this new terrain, dusk settled, and the night began, prompting them to prepare for camp.

"When choosing a camping spot, it mustn’t be too isolated, nor too exposed," Hugo instructed the academy students as he pitched a tent. "An isolated location leaves you vulnerable to ambush, while an open one exposes you to attacks from all directions. Ideally, you should find a spot backed by a large structure with plenty of cover for your team to hide behind if needed."

As Hugo delivered a lesson on the fundamentals of camping, Mirien prepared food. Chrome, the dwarf warrior, escorted Hans, the porter, as he gathered firewood. Meanwhile, Yujin was...

『So, are you pretending to gather magic ingredients?』

‘Well, I did give that excuse, so I have to follow through.’

Yujin was indeed gathering magic ingredients.

While he had mentioned collecting materials up to the fifth layer, it wasn’t as if such ingredients were exclusive to that layer. They could be found scattered throughout the labyrinth.

And since his party had been kind enough to allow him to join, he felt obligated to at least maintain appearances.

‘Besides, it’s not entirely an act.’

The game Maze Academy was a roguelike with an open-world feel.

Players explored the vast labyrinth, gathering all sorts of resources to progress, which was exactly what Yujin was doing now.

The experience of physically being in the game world made the task oddly enjoyable for him.

『You’re collecting quite useful materials. Did you already know where to find them?』

‘Partly, but I think it’s also thanks to the heightened senses of a dragon.’

Some of the materials he gathered didn’t even exist in the game. However, with his dragon-enhanced perception, he could sense mana concentrations and identify valuable resources instinctively.

After gathering a fair amount, Yujin returned to the group’s campsite.

"Ah, Yujin, you’re back."

Hugo greeted him warmly, having just finished setting up a tent. Yujin responded with a smile.

"Haha, my apologies. Everyone’s busy preparing camp, and here I am indulging in personal errands."

"No need to worry. So, did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, surprisingly, there’s quite a bit growing in this area."

Yujin lifted a pouch containing his gathered items. Hugo’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow... That’s quite a haul. Are all those magic ingredients?"

"Yes. Cure herbs for healing potions, mana grass for a mild magical amplification effect, and kelow seeds, which are one of the components for panaceas... Along with a few other multipurpose items."

"Panacea? That’s practically a legendary elixir, second only to the mythical elixir itself!" Hugo exclaimed, startled by the mention of such a renowned item.

Yujin chuckled softly. "Kelow seeds are only a minor ingredient in a panacea. The rarer components are likely hidden deep within the labyrinth."

"Ah, I see."

"Besides, the exact recipe for the panacea hasn’t been fully uncovered. Still, kelow seeds are indispensable for treating various diseases, which is why they’re always in high demand."

"Now that you mention it, I’ve heard something similar while accepting gathering requests. Kelow seeds are always sought after."

"I didn’t collect much, though. Despite the size of this pouch, it’s not filled to the brim."

Yujin opened the pouch slightly to show Hugo, who nodded in understanding.

"In any case, great work, Yujin. The camp is ready, and dinner is nearly finished. Please, have a seat and relax."

"Thank you. I’ll do just that."

The fire, fed with the wood gathered by Chrome and Hans, crackled warmly. Over it, a pot of stew bubbled invitingly.

As the group received their portions, they sat together and began eating, conversation flowing naturally.

"So, you’re from the East? The hair and features give off that impression," Chrome remarked, looking at Yujin.

"Yes. My full name is actually Han Yujin."

"Ah, so ‘Han’ is your family name, and ‘Yujin’ your given name? I’ve heard that in the East, family names come first and are often very short."

"That’s correct. Also, most people there, even commoners, have family names."

Though Eri still seemed uncomfortable due to the earlier incident, and Mirien remained mostly silent except for necessary remarks, Yujin found himself naturally integrating into the group. His conversations flowed easily, especially with Hugo and Chrome.

"Commoners having family names… Interesting. I once traveled with an Eastern swordsman who told me the same thing. It’s always fascinated me."

"I’m more impressed by how fluent your speech is. Honestly, I doubted at first whether you were truly from the East."

"Haha, is that so?"

Yujin was speaking the labyrinth’s shared language, the Continental Common Tongue, with remarkable fluency.

In truth, he had been surprised himself. Though he suspected it was thanks to his transformation as a dragon, it still amazed him how naturally the language had come to him.

"I find it surprising that you’re a mage. From what I’ve heard, most people from the East focus on martial arts, and magic users are more like shamans."

"Magic seemed to suit me better, so I chose this path."

Yujin smiled as Hugo asked another question.

"Which school of magic do you belong to? Your gathered ingredients suggest an affinity for healing magic."

"I’m not aligned with any particular school. As I mentioned, I’m an outsider from the East, unattached to local affiliations."

"Ah, that makes sense. Mages can be quite insular."

Hugo seemed to interpret Yujin’s lack of affiliation as a result of being an outsider, possibly subject to discrimination. Yujin simply smiled in response.

As their conversation shifted, Hugo brought up a question about the kelow seeds.

"Earlier, you mentioned kelow seeds being an ingredient for panaceas. Are you aiming to create one?"

The question was pure curiosity, but it caught the attention of Eri and Shia, who looked at Yujin in surprise.

"A panacea?" they echoed in unison.

Chrome, noticing their reaction, turned to them. "What’s the matter, girls?"

Shia shrank back shyly, while Eri hesitated before speaking.

"Oh, it’s just... There’s a well-known rumor at the academy."

"A rumor? About what?"

After some hesitation, Eri continued.

"It’s sort of an open secret... There’s talk that the second imperial princess is gravely ill."