The life of an elf is, more often than not, mind-numbingly dull.

Thanks to the World Tree and the vast forest surrounding it, elves lived in abundance, free from the need to work for survival.
The energy of the World Tree ensured that there was no fear of wild beasts or monsters, allowing them to live in peace, eating and drinking as they pleased.

While some elves honed their combat skills to defend against threats from other races, that responsibility mostly fell on the soldiers; ordinary citizens had little reason to train.

Above all, elves were blessed with the companionship of spirits, the children of the World Tree, who provided them with powers far exceeding the average human mage, even without any personal training.

With an average lifespan exceeding 1,000 years, daily life was slow and leisurely to an almost unbearable degree.

A peaceful existence, devoid of excitement—so much so that it became a monotonous grind.

Mirien was one of the rare younger elves who had grown tired of such a dull life and chosen to leave the embrace of the World Tree and the Great Forest.

Beyond the forest lay the Great Labyrinth, a mysterious space created by the gods. Mirien decided that she would spend her remaining days not in the uneventful safety of the forest but in the ever-challenging depths of the labyrinth.

When she first arrived in the city near the labyrinth, she felt somewhat uneasy.

Her long ears drew the attention of lecherous onlookers, prompting her to keep them hidden under a hood. Even then, her elven beauty attracted swarms of pests, so she started covering her face, leaving only her lower jaw exposed.

Had she not eventually found a decent party and adapted to life in the labyrinth, she might have developed a deep hatred for humans.

Either way... life in the labyrinth was anything but dull.

Endless trials, adventures, and the rewards they brought.

The life she found in the labyrinth was so eventful that her days in the Great Forest became a distant memory. She lived with great satisfaction, embracing the chaos of the labyrinth.

While working with a party and mingling with other races was initially uncomfortable, she eventually grew accustomed to it and even developed a sense of camaraderie.

Her party leader, Hugo, was a reasonably decent human, and the dwarven warrior Crom, despite being gruff, had a surprisingly agreeable personality for a dwarf. Over time, her initial discomfort faded.

Just as she was settling into her routine, Hugo delivered some news.

"The academy has sent us a request regarding an exam. They want us to guide two students—a mage and a priestess—to the fifth floor of the labyrinth and evaluate their performance."

"An academy request? Looks like we're gaining some recognition," Crom remarked with a grin.

The Labyrinth Academy.

An elite institution built by humans near the labyrinth.

It was said to have been established by high-ranking humans who were frustrated with the influx of reckless youths drawn to the labyrinth by their insatiable curiosity and greed. Their solution? If they couldn't stop them, they would train them, ensuring they entered the labyrinth with the proper skills and knowledge.

The academy was funded not only by private donors but also through contributions from empires and kingdoms, making it an enormous institution.

Its size and resources allowed it to expand beyond labyrinth-related education, teaching a wide range of disciplines and earning a reputation as a prestigious academic institution.

For nobles, it became a symbol of prestige, a place they were expected to attend to elevate their family name. For commoners, it was a dream—a path to a better life, with graduation often guaranteeing success.

At its core, however, it remained a training ground for aspiring heroes who longed to conquer the labyrinth.

One of the academy’s signature exams was the Labyrinth Trial.

This exam involved assigning students to a pre-existing party to experience the labyrinth firsthand. The party would guide the students and evaluate their performance, providing scores based on their observations.

Because the exam required guiding precious students, the academy carefully vetted parties for their skills and temperament. Those selected earned not only prestige but also substantial compensation from the academy.

It was, in short, an excellent opportunity for those who performed well.

Though some noble students occasionally attempted to manipulate their evaluations, the academy employed confession magic to ensure fair assessments. The academy also provided protection for the parties involved, so disputes rarely arose.

Being selected for such a long-standing and respected tradition was certainly good news for the party.

"Then it's settled. We'll meet the academy students tomorrow and set off for the labyrinth three days later," Hugo announced.

The party, including Mirien, agreed to take on the request. After meeting the students, they set out for the labyrinth.

The mage and priestess students assigned to their group were, to put it mildly, not particularly impressive. At best, they were clumsy novices. Their lack of confidence was evident from the moment they met.

It was clear that they wouldn’t earn high evaluations, but as the group progressed through the labyrinth, Mirien encountered something—or rather, someone—unexpected on the third floor’s grassy plains.

Standing alone in the middle of the plains was a man.

Black hair, eyes perpetually squinting, and a strikingly handsome face that could rival the most beautiful of her kin.

There was something distinctly suspicious about him. Mirien, alert and cautious, noticed him faster than anyone else in the party.

At the same time—

• …!
• Beeeeep! BEEEEEP!
• Whoooosh!
• Coo... Coo...!

The spirits around her began emitting strange sounds and glowing with erratic colors, darting about in a frenzy.

'...The spirits?'

As both the party’s scout and an elf, Mirien was also a skilled spirit mage.

Though she had kept her elven identity and her abilities as a spirit mage hidden from the party, she was capable of commanding intermediate-level spirits.

She immediately noticed something was off.

The spirits, which had merely shown mild discomfort at the labyrinth's transcendent energy, were now panicked, desperately trying to flee.

The closer she got to the man, the stronger their fear became.

While Hugo argued that they couldn’t just leave the man behind, Mirien felt deeply uneasy.

He wasn’t just a suspicious stranger—he was someone her spirits feared to such an extent. Was it really necessary to take him along?

Though she wanted to keep her distance, Hugo had already decided it was best to include him. Objecting now would only disrupt the party's cohesion.

Reluctantly, she kept her reservations to herself and allowed the man to join their group.

***

The man introduced himself as "Yujin" and was consistently polite.

He was considerate of the party’s needs, always smiling and speaking respectfully.

Yet, the more he acted this way, the more unsettling he seemed to Mirien.

It felt like a facade, as though he was hiding something.

Her suspicions were confirmed during a later battle.

'What is that...?'

Just as Crom was about to be injured by one of Eri’s poorly controlled spells, Mirien saw it.

Without a single incantation, Yujin moved his hand, creating a protective barrier around Crom.

The problem wasn’t just his ability but the nature of the mana he used.

Black and red mana, a stark contrast to the typical blue hue of ordinary magic.

As an elf blessed with a sensitivity to energy, she felt it immediately.

'...!'

The mana radiated a tyrannical, overwhelming power, as though it sought to subjugate everything around it.

In that moment, Mirien understood.

This was it.

The very force her spirits had feared so much—now, its source was unmistakable.

***

She began secretly observing Yujin after that.

Though "observing" might be too strong a word—it was closer to occasionally checking to see if he was up to anything suspicious.

Yet, Yujin showed no signs of strange behavior.

While preparing for camp, he genuinely focused on gathering magical materials. Even after camp was set up, his actions remained unremarkable.

But that only deepened Mirien’s suspicions. Could someone with such immense power truly act so... ordinary?

Why had he joined their party in the first place? Did he have some hidden agenda?

These questions weighed heavily on her mind, and her doubts only grew.

When it came time to assign night watch shifts, an opportunity presented itself.

With the group now larger, they decided to pair up for their watches, and Mirien found herself assigned to a two-hour shift with Yujin.

Perfect. With no one else around, she could question him freely. In front of the others, he had already integrated so well into the group that pressing him would have been impossible.

So, she decided to take a bold step.

...A decision she would later come to regret.

***

"What are you?"

"......"

The cold blade of a dagger pressed against the man’s neck.

A situation that would make anyone value their life tense with fear.

The dagger was poised to cut; one wrong move, and his neck could be sliced open.

Yet, the man’s expression remained calm and relaxed.

His squinted eyes betrayed no hint of his thoughts, and his face stayed fixed in a serene smile.

It was as though everything was going exactly as he had foreseen.

That calm unnerved her. Why wasn’t he reacting?

Then, he spoke.

"Is this how elves usually greet people?"

"!?"

The remark struck her like a bolt.

He had seen through her identity as an elf.

Though startled, she quickly regained her composure.

"How did you know?"

She had hidden every trait that might suggest she was an elf. Even her face was obscured, with only her lower jaw visible.

How could he possibly know?

"Haha, who knows? Perhaps I thought so because you’re just so breathtakingly beautiful."

His playful response only grated on her nerves.

"Do I look like I’m joking?"

"A joke? Ah, yes."

He smiled, but there was something unsettling in his expression.

"If I were to play a little 'joke' right now, do you think it would lighten the mood?"

"What? What are you—"

"『Isolation』."

The word spilled from his lips, alien and incomprehensible.

And then—

Boom!

"....!"

The world changed.

Everything around them turned pitch-black, as though they had stepped into a canvas painted entirely with ink.

Despite the absence of light, the man before her remained vividly clear, as if untouched by the darkness.

At the same time, the spirits she usually felt were gone.

It was just Yujin and Mirien—alone in the void.

"W-What...!"

"Haha, that’s quite the expression," Yujin said, rising from his seat.

He gently pressed his index finger against the dagger at his neck and pushed it down.

It was a light gesture, but she felt an immense force in that simple action, an overwhelming power that rendered her resistance futile.

'What kind of strength is this?'

She trembled as her arm gave way, the dagger lowering as if a massive weight had been placed upon it.

"This takes care of the threatening atmosphere, doesn’t it? Now, how about we have a proper conversation without any intimidation?"

A proper conversation? The atmosphere he had created was far more threatening than before.

Was he unaware of this, or was he mocking her? She was inclined to believe the latter.

Then, he spoke again.

"First... Ah, yes. You asked how I knew you were an elf, didn’t you?"

"Tch...!"

"It’s simple. I don’t know much about elves, but I sensed the spirits around you. Those things circling you—they were unmistakably spirits, even to someone like me. The moment I saw them, I knew."

He could see spirits? That meant he had known she was an elf from the start—spirits always lingered near her.

"Elves are known to work closely with spirits. Ah, and your aura... it’s distinctly different from other races. The clean mana and the refreshing energy of nature—it’s a hallmark of elves, isn’t it?"

"....!"

"Above all, my senses are rather sharp. Covering your ears with a hood wasn’t nearly enough to hide your physical features."

In other words, it had been obvious all along. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.

"And... Ah, yes. You also asked what I am, didn’t you?"

Still smiling, Yujin fixed his gaze on her and said,

"Why don’t you try guessing?"

"...What?"

"Go on, take a guess. Who do you think I am?"

As he said this, he slowly opened one of his eyes.

"....!!!"

In that moment, her entire body froze.

The half-open eye revealed a crimson iris—a deep, hypnotic red like the color of blood.

It was a mesmerizing hue, one that seemed to draw her in.

And yet, it was terrifying.

The slit pupil in the center of the blood-red iris resembled that of a reptile, staring directly at her.

Hissss...

A swirl of black and crimson mana surrounded them, emanating an overwhelming, regal presence.

The sheer weight of it made her feel as though she would be crushed.

Tremble, tremble.

The dragon’s aura—its Fear—began to suffocate her, consuming her reason and leaving her paralyzed with dread.

As she trembled uncontrollably, the man—no, the being—lifted a finger to his lips and said,

"Why don’t you tell me who I am? You already know the answer, don’t you?"