The upper floors of the Mercenary Guild.

Ian visited an area that most people could not step foot in for ordinary reasons.

It was the first time Ian had visited this floor since the last invasion.

Usually, administrative work was handled on the lower floors, so unless there was a special reason, even Ian had no cause to come up this far.

In this city, ’special reasons’ meant monster invasions and the labyrinth.

And today’s business concerned both.

Thanks to that, Ian went directly to the Vice Guild Master’s office to submit his report.

’First of all, this is the log you mentioned back then.’

’You brought it already?’

Ian handed the exploration records of this labyrinth expedition to Kael, the Vice Guild Master.

Kael briefly checked the documents Ian submitted.

There was no need to read through all the content; the results, summarizing everything, were organized on the first page.

Behind that were copies of maps, monsters encountered, and information on each room confirmed in the labyrinth.

It was simply written by referencing the format used when creating labyrinth clear logs and wikis, but the structure seemed quite impressive.

Kael carefully placed Ian’s report on the desk.

It was a moving exploration record.

Calling it a report was a generous term; exploration records were usually just mercenaries’ journals.

Normally, they were filled with the gibberish of mercenaries who had gone half-mad inside the labyrinth.

It was common to skip context or omit records during desperate situations. Forgetting to write and skipping several days, or having information that didn’t align, was a constant occurrence.

Unless the staff spent weeks interpreting and organizing them, it was difficult to even grasp the content.

That said, they couldn’t force-teach recording skills to mercenaries or drag people who knew how to do it into the labyrinth.

In that sense, this report, recorded by a human capable of writing proper logs who had personally entered the labyrinth, was a masterpiece worthy of being called an artifact discovered in the labyrinth.

’I’ll buy it for three... no, five times the price. I’ll also set the external viewing fee to five times.’

’That sounds good to me.’

Ian nodded and sold the report.

Labyrinth exploration was a private activity of the mercenary group, not an officially commissioned request from the guild.

If he didn’t want to, he didn’t have to share the information with the guild at all.

Instead, the Mercenary Guild bought the explorer’s logs for money, just like now.

This was to collect as much information about the labyrinth as possible.

Combining the bounty on the Banshee and the payment from selling the logs, that alone was enough to cover all the costs of this expedition and more.

Since most of the materials brought from the labyrinth were intended for personal use rather than sale, this worked out well for Ian.

’By the way.... Ah, they’re here.’

Just as the discussion about the exploration records was wrapping up, a knock was heard at the door.

’It’s Chris.’

’Come in.’

The one who opened the door and entered the room was a familiar face to Ian.

It was Chris, whom Kael had separately summoned upon hearing that Ian’s report concerned the labyrinth.

Once Chris arrived, Kael pushed Ian’s report to one side and asked.

There was no need to summon someone to the Vice Guild Master’s room just for an exploration record.

Ultimately, the conversation starting now was the main point.

A secret story that had to be told directly to the Vice Guild Master. It was a request that wouldn’t have even reached Kael’s ears if it hadn’t come from Ian.

’Now tell me. What is this report that needs to be kept secret?’

’Are you familiar with this seal?’

Ian took out a piece of paper and handed over the page he had drawn during this exploration.

Chris took it on Kael’s behalf and checked the contents.

It was a pattern of unintelligible meaning, where numerous geometric shapes were overlapping in a dizzying fashion.

Chris recognized it immediately.

’It’s the mural in the Room of the Source.’

The last room of the labyrinth. It was the mural always drawn in the place where the boss and the Source resided.

It was a mural that any explorer who frequented the labyrinth had seen at least once.

Of course, attempts to investigate this suspicious mural had existed for a very long time.

But since no one had discovered anything, it was a subject that had now lost its luster.

Only new explorers who just entered the labyrinth showed any interest in it.

’...But, what did you just call it?’

Chris realized that Ian had just called this by a strange name.

’A seal?’

’The seal has been broken. In this monster wave, the monsters that were inside will be released.’

Chris and Kael’s eyes met.

’Is there any evidence for this story?’

After a moment of thought, Chris answered that question.

’In the news from labyrinth explorers not long ago, there was talk that the shape of the mural had changed slightly. There were also stories that it occasionally emitted a strange light.’

Upon hearing the word ’seal,’ Chris could understand what it meant for the mural to have changed.

It hadn’t changed; it was damaged.

Ian handed Kael a new report consisting of a single sheet of paper.

The previous report was just an exploration record brought to be sold to the guild.

This was the truly important information to be reported to the guild in secret.

Written there was information Ian had briefly organized regarding the Deep Floor monsters scheduled to be released.

’....’

Kael silently read the information about those monsters several times over.

To think things like this would attack the city.

It seemed like monsters designed specifically with careful thought on how to drive him mad.

Chris, who saw it beside him, also grimaced.

Kael’s gaze, which had been fixed on it for a long time, turned toward Ian.

’Because of this, I won’t be able to sleep at night starting today.’

If he were to die suddenly from overwork, about half of it would be Ian’s fault.

Kael made up his mind to definitely add Ian’s name to the suicide note he periodically rewrote in his drawer.

He planned to take revenge by handing over a shopping district plagued by a malicious debtor to Ian.

’The evidence for this information you found is...?’

’There is none.’

’The basis that the countermeasures you proposed here will work is...?’

’None either.’

He thought Ian was a diligent mercenary who handled work well.

It seemed he was finally showing his true colors.

Everyone who enters the labyrinth is like that.

Kael pressed his hand firmly against his head, where a headache was starting to intensify.

Chris asked Ian.

’Did you meet the [Mouth of Truth]? Or the [Room of Mirrors]? I’m telling you just in case, but out of the things seen in that room’s mirror, only exactly one is real.’

’....’

’If you can’t state the source, is it the [Devil’s Exchange]? It doesn’t appear often on the 1st floor. Did you happen to buy information about the day you die there?’

Since the labyrinth was that kind of place originally.

Ian’s silence allowed them to convince themselves on their own.

The most certain way was actually to share the method of opening the Deep Floor. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Then they could send another party to confirm the existence of the Deep Floor directly and verify that Ian’s words were true. But Ian didn’t particularly want to do that.

It was a seal destined to be broken anyway, but based on the circumstances, it would look like Ian had opened the Deep Floor for no reason and caused the release.

Kael, who was staring silently at the report, spoke.

’Allocating dedicated personnel is impossible, as is organizing a separate budget or assigning supply requirements.’

’I understand.’

Probably. Given the circumstances. It is presumed to be so.

It was a completely nonsensical reason for a person in charge to start a project.

If he did such a thing based on this report, the finance department would immediately come and start raiding the guild.

Instead, Kael decided to utilize the solution most favored by superiors.

’Chris.’

’...Figures.’

He was dumping it on the subordinate who happened to be there with him.

＊ ＊ ＊

After finishing the report, Ian returned from the guild.

In the meantime, a letter had arrived at the base.

It was Leona’s reply to the letter he had sent not long ago.

Ian had also sent the same exploration report he submitted to the guild to Leona, the sponsor of the labyrinth exploration.

Of course, including the secret information reported to the guild.

Leona’s answer was the same as the guild’s.

It was impossible to officially allocate personnel for this matter.

Instead, sponsorship funds arrived with it.

Labyrinth exploration sponsorship. it was three times the amount previously promised.

Well, that figures.

If he could move the city’s forces at will with just a single word, why would he have bothered to go into the labyrinth himself?

The report of a single mercenary captain, with no clear evidence, couldn’t change the defense plan.

However, those people aren’t the type to not know how important it is to learn such information this early.

They would likely spend a busy time, to the point of not even being able to make time to meet for a while.

Leaving them to make their own preparations in their own way.

The important thing was the work Ian had to prepare.

Fortunately, Ian had one person left who would cooperate wholeheartedly.

It was a relief she was someone with the ability to solve this matter.

If she weren’t, he would have had to hastily recruit a new person for this job.

Ian went down the basement stairs and looked for Louise.

’Are you here? There’s something important.’

’I heard you went to the guild. Are you back already?’

Louise, who was in the laboratory, looked up.

Hearing that there was an important task to entrust to her, Louise smiled.

’If it’s an important task for me, it must be research.’

’Yes. It’s this.’

Ian handed a new recipe to Louise.

’We need to develop this as quickly as possible.’

’A new recipe?’

What kind of item would it be this time?

Louise took it with curious eyes.

Until Ian added one more word.

’Within a month.’

’A month?’

Louise’s expression stiffened slightly.

Ian knew it was a desperate timeframe, but it couldn’t be helped.

Sufficient quantities had to be secured before the invasion began.

So the recipe had to be completed at least within that time to start production immediately and build up stock.

’Captain Ian? I thought you were someone who understood alchemy well all this time....’

’It cannot be helped.’

Seeing Ian’s firm expression, Louise rolled her eyes.

’Research isn’t something that yields results exactly as you want....’

’One month.’

’....’

Ian should know that it wasn’t something that could be done just by effort.

She couldn’t bring herself to swear in front of the investor, so Louise quietly closed her eyes and let out a small sigh.

’That isn’t something I can guarantee....’

’....’

Eventually, Louise couldn’t hold it in anymore and raised her voice.

’No, I mean, research isn’t something where results come out just as I please—!’

’I will give you 5 gold coins for every day you shorten the deadline.’

’...If it’s that urgent, then I must succeed somehow.’

Once he spoke to her in the language of alchemists, Louise finally understood the severity of the situation and nodded.