Volume 22 - CH 27

I have defeated the second trial, the Minotaur.

All that's left is to leave this "Daedalus's Labyrinth".

「Alec!」

As I returned to the path I came from, relying on 【Auto Mapping】, I was able to meet up with Camilla, Damian and the others.

There were two familiar stone statues of angels facing each other, with candlestick lit. I've been through this place once.

「Yo.」

「You're alive, aren't you? I'm relieved.」

Camilla smiles. She's spear-handler with black hair and cat ears, but she's a good woman.

「But how did you manage to escape from such a monster?」

That's what the warrior Damien says.

「You're wrong that, Damien. I've defeated him myself.」

「Eehhh!? What .....did you just say?」

Well, if you didn't know how many levels I have, that would be your reaction.

「You don't have to believe me. Maybe I'm done with my business here.」

I also checked that minotaur's drops, but he didn't drop anything except for an iron belt and a front cover.

【Appraisal】 It was just a piece of steel, and I didn't have any 【Premonition】 about it.

Perhaps there is something in the "reward" that you can get at the castle. I believe they said a thousand gold coins and a jewel.

「I see. But it's a bit tricky to get out of here.」

Camilla folded her arms with a difficult look on her face.

「Why? Why not just go back the way we came?」

I was dubious.

Camilla and the others who took the detour have already found this path. So, if you follow the 【Auto-Mapping】, you should have plenty of time. ......

「I tried to do that. But, you know, the road is moving, Alec.」

「What?」

The road is moving?

「We ran west out of that hall. I don't remember every turn we took, but we ended up on this original path.」

At first, I thought I was lucky. But then the map changed: ......

「Mumurhhh. Where are we, by the way?」

I asked, and Camilla pointed to the end of the passage.

「It's right ahead. To tell you the truth, I was going straight south here earlier, but the road has changed and the path heading south has disappeared. So I had no choice but to walk along the corridor and bumped into Alec here.」

Camilla shrugged her shoulders, her cat ears twitching.

「Oh well, let's walk again.」

「All right. Then, Damien, we're going to go back and make sure we didn't miss anything in the passage.」

「Well, that's fine, but I thought this was a straight road south. I can't help but think that someone has tampered with the passage.」

You say that, but the stone wall of this passage is a block that's at least a meter high. If it was just one, it would be possible to move it, but if it was an entire passage, it would be a different story. There are at least four blocks in one corridor: the ceiling, the floor, and the walls on either side.

I tried to touch the stone walls with my hands, but they didn't budge even with a little effort. I did an 【Appraisal】, and the weight came out to be 3000. The unit is probably kilos, so each piece weighs three tons.

If that cow prince is still alive, he can do it. ...... No way right.

I took him down, and I saw him turn to smoke with my own eyes.

「...... Tsk.」

It's not a very interesting development.

I don't like it.

「Here, Alec. See how the road turns west here? It used to go straight.」

Camilla said, but I didn't remember how the passage was made. I turned around to compare, but it didn't look any different.

「Nuh-uuuuuh!」

Damien, who was proud of his monstrous strength, pushed the stone wall with his shoulder, but it still didn't seem to move.

「Phew, It's no good. I can't move this stone.」

「It can't be helped. I'll go around it.」

I turned left, and then headed left again when the passage turned left. Then I came to a crossroads, and I turned right.

「What?」

There were two angel statues there.

It was the same place where I had first met Camilla, but I had a strange feeling.

There was no way I could have turned left, left, right and then come back to the original spot.

Or maybe it was a statue of the same shape, I thought. ......

「I knew it. You see, I had my name carved into the arm here earlier. It came out in the same place as before.」

「Ohhh, that's crazy. I didn't even hear it move the stone. What the hell is going on?」

Damien shook his huge body and rubbed his shoulder, as if he was scared.

「W-We can't go home?」

A pale faced loli slave asks. The other sinners also look worried.

「Don't worry. As long as there's a way, we can always get out.」

I knew it wouldn't be that easy, but I didn't want to cause any trouble by causing a panic. I gave her a hopeful look.

「Right, Alec was right. Now let's go to the other side of the crossroad.」

「No, Camilla, wait a minute.」

I call up the window and check the map.

――I knew it.

As I had expected, the 【Auto Mapping】 I had recorded had only marked the path intermittently, and it was jumpy.

This labyrinth is similar to 『The Labyrinth of No Return, Layer 8』.

There, too, the path was looped, and we had to come back to the same place again and again.

So, I guess it's all about directions.

「What's the matter, Alec?」

「No, I'm just checking the map. Let's go.」

「I got dizzy when I saw the map, too. I wonder what's going on in this labyrinth.」

「I've been in a similar dungeon once. I'll check the directions.」

「Hmph, I see. I hadn't thought of that.」

「Directions? I don't really understand what you're talking about.」

「It's okay, Damien. You just keep an eye out for monsters. I and Alec will take care of the map.」

「Oh, that's a good idea. Even if I don't all look at the map, we're still a party.」

Damien smiles. Well, a party is a party, even if it's impromptu.

We want to get out of this labyrinth. We all share the same goal. Then, we should help each other out here.

First of all, we all walked together in different directions at the crossroads.

「It's the angel again!」

Camilla says in a distracted voice. There are stone statues of smiling angels facing each other.

「All right, next time, let's head back and then turn around.」

I suggested, and Camilla didn't object.

「It's the angel again.」

Damien said in a dejected voice as he stroked his face to pull it.

I then went back and forth to the crossroads a few times, but there was no change.

「Hmmm ......」

「Oh, man, this is a disaster. Is it possible that we'll be stuck here forever?」

「Camilla, please don't say something that won't bring us luck. It's just too depressing.」

「I can't help it. Let's just split up the party and have someone wait in front of the angel statue.」

I've got an idea for the next step.

「That's fine, but who's the one that are waiting?」

「Camilla, you.」

「Ehh? I see. Well, I wouldn't be so easily attacked by a monster on my own.」

「Yeah. If it's too dangerous, you can run away and call us. We'll be right there.」

「OK.」

Of course, I've got a plan in place.

I've got a new skill.

【Spy Camera 5】 New!

Now I can make sure that Camilla is safe at all times. I'm a watchman.

Of course, it's boring to just watch her, so I'll be taking pictures of her from low angles, close-ups of her breasts, and hopefully a few portraits from under her armor that the red slime has melted.