Chapter 40 - <6>
When they opened their eyes, they were in an alien landscape…
Right now, they were experiencing that feeling firsthand.
"What is this place~?"
"Why are we here?"
Ritz and Edward could only offer wry smiles at Anna and Franz's simultaneous shouts. Explaining it wasn't something that could be done in a single sentence.
They had certainly gone to sleep in their beds last night, yet sometime in between, the four of them had entered this labyrinth. Even Ritz and Edward, who knew the circumstances, were surprised, so telling the others to calm down was asking the impossible.
Still, he tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
"Maybe you moved in your sleep?"
"I'm not that restless of a sleeper!"
It seemed his attempt at evasion was completely ineffective. Anna's cheeks puffed out in a pout, while Franz's face flushed red with anger.
"Ritz, Edward-san, where are we?"
Franz pressed him, his tone just as frantic as his initial shout.
"Even if you ask me where…"
Ritz sighed and scratched his head.
The four of them were currently in a pure white space where it was difficult to grasp any sense of distance.
Lined up everywhere, as if created by some strange artist, were equally white toys. Their sizes varied wildly; there was a puzzle ring larger than Ritz, and a tiny maze board that could fit on a fingertip.
The four of them were standing in the center of all these toys.
They couldn't even tell if the white space had an end or not, and it was enough to make one dizzy.
Even for Ritz, who had spent a long time as a mercenary and a wanderer, this was the first time he'd seen such a space. If Edward hadn't told him about it, he would have been embarrassingly, completely confused.
Suddenly, Edward's hand came to rest on his shoulder. When he looked over, Ritz received silent pressure from Edward telling him, You're their companion, so you explain it.
With a reluctant nod, he turned back to Anna and Franz.
"Uhm, okay, I'll explain. It all started with…"
"Moo, you're so slow~."
"Spare us the preamble and hurry it up, Ritz."
As Ritz was speaking, still trying to figure out where to begin, Anna stomped her foot and Franz closed in on him.
No choice, then.
"Alright, I'll be direct. We're inside a labyrinth called the Infinite Nightmare."
"The Infinite Nightmare?!"
Their voices overlapped. The name alone was enough for them to sense its eeriness. The two of them stared fixedly at Ritz, silently waiting for him to continue. Left with no choice, he gave them a simple summary.
"Yep. It originally belonged to the royal family, and somehow, this fool Edward here managed to get it stolen. So the king himself came to take responsibility and get the labyrinth back."
This time, Ritz's overly simple explanation left them with unconvinced looks, but Franz and Anna nodded for now. However, there was one person who didn't nod. Edward, of course.
"Who are you calling a fool? Say that again."
"Ow ow ow ow, stop it, Ed."
Ritz complained as his ear was pinched. Franz's spear extended between the two of them with a sharp shing, cutting through their endless clowning. The tip of the blade stopped perfectly between them, as if measured.
"…"
As they fell silent in their current positions, Franz's cold, indignant voice pierced through them.
"…You can either continue your explanation, or you can choose to be stabbed by me. Whichever you prefer."
This guy really couldn't take a joke.
But if he said that out loud, Ritz would definitely be the one to get stabbed, so he cleared his throat to cover it up. Edward let go of Ritz's ear and stepped back, looking around the space with curiosity as if nothing had happened.
Seriously, pushing it all on me and then acting so carefree.
"…Right, I'll continue the explanation."
Though he felt resentful toward Edward, Ritz cleared his throat once more and continued.
Franz retracted his spear as quietly as he had extended it. Perhaps this extendable spear would see more use for this kind of thing than for actual combat.
He would very much like to avoid that.
"This labyrinth was originally created by a strict king from long ago, apparently."
Ritz relayed what he had heard from Edward the previous night, omitting the crucial parts.
The omitted parts were, of course, that there was no way out, and that if they couldn't escape, they would become empty shells.
"So basically, they used this labyrinth to test if someone had a personality befitting a royal, and if they did, their crime would be forgiven."
After Ritz's long explanation finished, Anna and Franz sighed.
"Ritz, what exactly is a 'personality befitting a royal'?"
At Anna's reasonable question, Ritz could only scratch his head.
"I've never been born into royalty, so…"
Franz was shaking his head, looking dazed. If it were just a regular labyrinth, it would be simple enough to just get out. But a labyrinth that questioned one's royal qualities… he likely had no idea what to do.
That was true for everyone here.
"We've got a member of the royal family right here. Why don't you try asking him?"
At Ritz's suggestion, Anna and Franz looked up as if just remembering.
"Ed-san, what is a personality befitting a royal?"
At Anna's direct question, even Edward seemed at a loss for words.
He had been king for thirty-five years, but he had probably never considered the qualities of royalty in a formal way. To begin with, qualities were something one was born with, not something one acquired later.
However, Edward knew full well how to rule a country as its sovereign.
"That's a difficult question. I can only speak to the qualities a king should possess, but will that suffice?"
"Yes!"
Franz also listened in on their conversation.
"First, be sincere toward your people."
"…Sincere."
Franz took notes as he listened.
"Face hardship with courage. Judge injustice and evil equally, without discriminating between the privileged and the common folk. Rewards should also be given equally. Possess ears that can distinguish between right and wrong."
Anna's expression gradually became troubled. She was probably having a hard time understanding so many things listed out like that. Perhaps sensing this, just as Ritz had, Edward's tone gradually softened.
"Also, avoid war as much as possible, don't tax too heavily, manage the populace properly, maintain hospitals, and support the church. In short, it means treating all your subjects with a father's love."
Seeing their utterly perplexed faces, Edward concluded with that. It was certainly the easiest way to understand.
"A father, huh?"
As expected, Anna was deeply convinced.
"…How does that relate to the labyrinth, I wonder."
Franz, who had been taking notes, paused his hand, his expression still one of confusion. Contemplating their bewilderment and the task ahead, they all fell silent.
Casting his gaze around, Ritz saw a set of pure white chess pieces in the pure white space. Fighting with those would be quite a challenge. Next to the chess set was a rocking horse large enough for all four of them to ride.
It was a dizzying sight, as if the concept of distance didn't exist.
"I think I'm going crazy…"
When he muttered this, Anna nodded deeply.
"My brain feels like it's turning into pudding~."
"Right?"
As the two of them sighed, the top of a particularly tall, circular platform in the center began to glow faintly.
"What's that?! …Could it be a ghost?"
Anna, once again the first to notice, let out a bizarre shriek. Franz froze at the sound.
From what he'd seen so far, Franz was likely not a fan of ghosts and apparitions.
"What is it?"
Forgetting to even move, they all watched the form intently. Then, before their eyes, the faint light began to take shape. It seemed to be gradually forming into a human figure.
They were speechless at the strange sight.
By the time the group had regained their composure, the shadow had transformed into the figure of a young man wearing a white robe.
But the man didn't move or speak at all; he remained perfectly still. No matter which angle they viewed him from, he just looked like a normal, motionless man.
"Is this a person?"
When Ritz approached and reached out a hand to the man, it passed right through the translucent, glowing figure.
"…"
There was nothing there, yet it felt faintly warm… As Ritz instinctively pulled his hand back, the translucent man spoke to him. Though his form was transparent, his voice was clear.
"My name is Artis. I am the spirit user who created this labyrinth, and the guide to its trials."
The translucent man, wrapped in his robe, gazed at the four of them. His all-seeing eyes were his most defining feature.
His straight, brown hair, cut bluntly at his shoulders, served to soften his impression somewhat.
If you took away the sharpness from this translucent man, he felt similar to someone else. Anna, noticing it first, nudged Franz.
"Franz, he looks like Orphe-san, doesn't he~?"
Now that Anna mentioned it, he did look a little similar. But their auras were completely different. Orphe always seemed sleepy, the type to have a vague, goofy grin on his face. Franz's bewildered impression probably wasn't much different from Ritz's.
"It's just your imagination, Anna. Their atmospheres are totally different."
"You think so~…"
But while they were having this exchange, the man who called himself Artis continued speaking. It seemed he couldn't hear their conversation at all.
"This person is so calm. He doesn't even care that we're talking."
What Anna sensed was the man's strangely inorganic way of speaking.
"That's true. Maybe he can't hear us."
Edward, noticing Anna and Franz's puzzled expressions, explained.
"He's probably just saying things that were decided beforehand. He likely doesn't see or hear anything else."
If anyone entered this labyrinth, this man's form would naturally appear and give the same explanation, regardless of who it was.
There was no way to confirm it, since no one who had entered before was still alive.
"First, I shall show you the form of this labyrinth."
As the man said this, the white walls that had seemed to stretch on forever suddenly turned transparent, revealing the surrounding scenery. Ritz gasped.
They had been in a pure white space until now, but it was as if they were standing in the middle of a plateau.
"…Are we outside?"
At Anna's murmur, Edward shook his head.
"It seems not. Look, the toys are also transparent like glass, and you can see the scenery beyond them."
"! You're right…"
As they all held their breath, the man's voice entered their ears with a strange clarity.
"O travelers of my labyrinth, listen well. This world is the world of men. It is your world, and yet it is not your world. Here, you will be tested to see if you are worthy of ruling the world. Therefore, I shall grant you the powers you normally possess."
As the man finished speaking, a greatsword fell before Ritz. It was the well-used sword he always carried. Edward was likewise given a sword. A spear of flame descended before Franz. And for Anna, the spirit bow and arrow fell.
"What you are about to experience is a trial to test whether you are worthy of being king. You must overcome it with your own wisdom and strength."
"Wisdom and strength…"
Franz muttered quietly and wrote the words down on a piece of paper.
"This labyrinth has rooms for its beginning and its end. If you overcome the trials in this world, you will naturally return here. But if you cannot, you will live in that world for eternity."
"So that's what becoming an empty shell means…"
At the man's words, Edward muttered. The tension of having embarked on a life-or-death gamble finally began to well up within him.
Could Ritz really get Anna and Franz out, and save Edward who had gone on ahead?
"My explanation is complete. When you are ready, call out to me."
With that, the man who called himself Artis stopped moving once again. The explanation was over. All that was left was to do it.
Ritz looked at Edward, who had been surveying their surroundings.
"…Ed, what are you going to do?"
"Could we speak for a moment, just the two of us?"
Feeling an unapproachable gravity in Edward's serious gaze, Franz and Anna exchanged a glance before looking over at them. Ritz gave the two a nod.
"Sorry about this."
"It's fine. We'll wait here."
Anna said with a smile, then looked at Franz. Franz nodded as well.
"My apologies, Franz, Anna."
With a smile that was almost a grimace, Edward slowly walked to the other side of the giant rocking horse. From here, neither Franz nor Anna could be seen. After confirming this, Ritz spoke.
"…So, you're really going, aren't you?"
"…Yeah."
"Are you really planning to buy us time?"
"Of course. I can't just drag you into this and leave it at that. They're both young. They still have a future ahead of them."
Ritz scowled and groaned.
"Are you an idiot? You'll be alone in the heart of enemy territory. You'll be playing right into their hands. There's no way you'll get out of there safely."
Sensing Ritz's worry, Edward lightly patted his shoulder.
"If I'm killed, my son, the crown prince, will immediately succeed me. That would be a problem for them, too. So they'll surely try to make me sign a document of abdication, stipulating that the throne will be given to whoever wins the trial. That's why they won't kill me recklessly."
"…You think so? I have my doubts."
Ritz's suspicion was Edward's suspicion. But looking at his face, it was clear that it would be difficult to change Edward's mind.
"If I could go out instead, I'd round them all up in one go…"
"You probably could. But unfortunately, you don't have royal blood."
Edward was strangely calm. For some reason, that attitude bothered Ritz. It was scary, as if Edward was… rushing to his death.
"We'll get out as fast as we can, all four of us. Then we'll crush the enemy. Can't we do that?"
"No. My brother is likely in a moment of carelessness, banking on the fact that we can't get out right away. That's the best time to strike."
He understood the logic. But he had a feeling it was the most dangerous option, and he didn't like it. As Ritz bit his lip, Edward smiled at him.
"I want to talk to my brother. I want to know if thirty-five years of confinement can change a person, if he's gained anything. This is a gamble of sorts."
"…Are you serious?"
"I'm serious."
Silence weighed down on the two of them.
From Ritz's perspective, they were already past the point of discussion. Perhaps even Edward understood that.
But Edward's will to go out alone, confront them, and buy time was firm.
"Why are you going this far? You could just come with us and we'll confront them together."
But Edward just smiled. It seemed he had already made some kind of resolution.
"The enemy isn't just one person, Ed. You know that, right?"
"I know."
After a moment of silence, staring into space, Edward turned to Ritz, his face filled with the same unwavering resolve as in the old days, and smiled at him—who probably had a face full of anxiety and anger.
"Ritz, I've entrusted Shasta with the documents for succession to the next king. If anything happens to me, I want you and Shasta to take care of this country."
"Don't be stupid! What can I, a mere mercenary, do?!"
At Edward's resigned words, he had shouted back in anger. After all this time, they had finally reunited, and now he was being asked to watch him die. He absolutely hated it.
But Edward was unshaken.
"You're no mere mercenary. You should know that."
"Like hell I do!"
"Calm down, Ritz Alster."
"Hngh…"
In Edward's eyes, as calm as a ripple-less water surface, there was no hesitation. Ritz unconsciously clenched his fists. He couldn't find the words to argue back.
He had not yet been relieved of his duties as minister by Edward. Even though they were best friends, the fact that he was a minister, and a part of him was a subordinate, existed firmly within him.
But Ritz just couldn't understand why he, the king, had to go this far.
"…Ritz, to prevent a war, you have to nip the bud."
"…"
As Ritz remained speechless, Edward spoke calmly.
"I'll only be king for a few more years anyway. After that, my son will succeed me. And my son will be a reasonably good king."
Edward continued to speak in a tone that made it hard to tell if he was being serious or joking. Ritz couldn't bring himself to interrupt.
"That's why I want to see through the conclusion of what I believed in. Can't you understand?"
Watching Edward's face as he muttered, reminiscing about the distant past, Ritz finally began to understand what he was hung up on.
Regret.
Regret for his past self, who couldn't bring things to a complete conclusion… That was what was driving him. He looked like this, but he was a man with a strong sense of responsibility.
In the past, he had not completely nipped the bud of war. He believed people could change, and had Stewart live in confinement to learn about people.
But because of that, his brother now had the potential to start another war in Yuresla. He probably wouldn't be able to seize the throne, but there would be a corresponding amount of damage.
Edward wanted to avoid that, somehow.
"…Alright. I'll do my best to get out of here as quickly as possible, too."
Edward was a stubborn man. In this situation, it didn't seem like anything Ritz could say would change his mind.
"Sorry, Ritz. I'm counting on you."
"Yeah…"
Ritz sighed. He couldn't be stopped anymore. It was a fifty-fifty gamble as to what would happen.
"…Don't you dare die. I won't allow you to die!"
"I won't die. Who do you think I am?"
He stared at Edward, and Edward looked back at him with eyes full of confidence.
Ritz knew that Edward would never break a promise he made. So he knew he had no choice but to believe in him. Still, anxiety and the frustration of being unable to do anything welled up.
As he clenched his fist and looked down, Edward's voice reached his ears.
"I'm counting on you, partner."
When he looked up with a start, Edward had quietly taken out the knife he was holding and made a small cut on his finger.
As the ruby-red blood that welled up dripped onto the floor, he could see a ring of light spreading out from it.
"I am Edward, King of Yuresla. In my name, I command you: release me from this labyrinth."
Edward's body began to emit light. As he stared in astonishment, Edward, wearing his usual confident smile, faded and disappeared into the light before his eyes.
Only silence remained.
When he came to his senses and looked around, Edward was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't even a trace of the blood he had spilled. As if Edward had never been there in the first place, even the evidence of his presence had been cleanly erased.
Ritz clenched his fist again.
"You damn fool…"
During the civil war, Edward had spared only Stewart, letting him live. The reason for that was, of course, not just mercy. The person pulling the strings behind the civil war had been a member of the Clan of Darkness, which had complicated the situation.
This was, in every sense, a revolutionary war, and it stemmed from the fact that its leaders were heroes of the common people.
The fair and just heroes of the common people's revolution couldn't bring themselves to kill a pitiful man who had only been manipulated.
After the civil war, Stewart was imprisoned in a certain mansion in the distant Lake District. The lord of that mansion was, of course, someone who had sided with Edward during the war.
What Edward imposed on the confined Stewart was to learn about the lives of the people, and to re-examine himself as someone who was not royalty. To that end, during the busy farming season, he had him help the farmers with their work.
At the time, Stewart had no children, so by confining him, his bloodline was supposed to die out, and that should have been the end of everything. And indeed, for the past thirty-five years, the kingdom had been peaceful.
And yet… why had it come to this now? How did it come to this? What's more, because Ritz had returned, Edward had made a gamble that put his life in danger.
At this rate, Ritz himself was like a walking plague.
Ritz stood facing the giant puzzle ring and unleashed his aimless emotions on it with all his might. Despite being a toy, the massive puzzle ring showed no signs of breaking.
This frustration was surely directed at himself. If he hadn't returned, maybe Edward wouldn't have made such a dangerous gamble.
After a while of leaning against the wall, he felt a gaze and turned around.
There stood Anna, looking at him with a slightly frightened expression, and he instantly came to his senses.
That's right. If Edward was fighting outside, then his top priority was to get his two wards out of here.
If they couldn't get out, Edward's life would be in danger, and the lives of the two young people would end here as well.
He couldn't let Anna and Franz become empty shells here. Ritz let out a deep sigh, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at Anna.
"Sorry, did I startle you?"
Anna just shook her head silently. He had never shown his emotions so openly in front of her before, so he must have thoroughly frightened her.
He had intended to always maintain the face of a guardian in front of his wards, but what a miscalculation.
Ritz smiled wryly and scratched his head. Anna spoke to him, her voice hesitant.
"…What happened to Ed-san?"
Anna's gaze wandered around the white space. Edward had disappeared from a place with no exits, so it was no wonder she was curious. But not knowing what to say, Ritz gave a simple answer.
"Hm… he went home."
"Home?"
To the two surprised faces, Ritz explained Edward's situation and the task they had been given. By the time he finished, even Anna was at a loss for words, and Franz fell silent, his face pale.
"…So, if we can't get out, Edward-san will be killed?"
"Yeah, the possibility is high."
"Is that all?"
Franz, looking quite pale, asked hesitantly. Anna was also leaning forward. Despite their ignorance, they seemed to have sensed something serious.
"You're sharp, Franz. You might regret asking, you know."
When he said this with a threatening tone and a smile, Franz took a step back. But it seemed that both Franz and Anna couldn't bear not to know at this point.
"…Tell us."
To Franz, who had spoken as if he had made up his mind, Ritz remained silent for a moment before replying in a low voice with a sigh. There was no point in hiding it anymore.
"If Ed dies, there's a possibility of a civil war."
"…"
Franz's shoulders slumped, and he staggered as he sat down on one of the scattered toys.
Franz probably regretted asking from the bottom of his heart. But Anna had a look on her face as if she still wasn't quite convinced, and after tilting her head, she pressed Ritz.
"Why would someone who was a crown prince do such a terrible thing?"
"Because he couldn't become king."
"That's weird! Starting a war over that is definitely weird!"
"You're right. It is weird. That's why Ed is going to fight, all by himself."
"…Yeah."
"What we can do is get to Ed as soon as possible and fight them. Otherwise, there'd be no point in him buying us time."
That was right. If they didn't get out of this labyrinth while he was buying time, even if they did get out, all that would be waiting for them was Edward's dead body.
The thought of that happening was enough to drive him mad with terror, so he decided not to think about it.
He had spent thirty-five years running from the fear of his best friend's death. If that friend died at his feet, he wouldn't be able to recover.
"I know it's bad that this has become a matter of the country's fate. But I want to save Ed."
He stated it plainly and looked at the two of them. They both had serious expressions. But Anna looked up at Ritz and met his gaze.
"I want to save Ed-san, too!"
No matter the situation, Anna's positivity was a small comfort. Normally, one would be terrified in this situation, but Anna was always positive and straightforward.
Ritz lightly placed his hand on Anna's head. Instead of apologizing or offering words of thanks, he just stroked her head. When he looked at Franz, Franz's tense expression hadn't changed, but it seemed he had steeled his resolve.
To ease their tension, Ritz laughed brightly.
"Well, don't think too hard about it. Just think of it as helping out a foolish friend. It'll be easier on you."
Anna took a deep breath to calm herself, and Franz sighed before shaking his head. Eventually, Anna looked up and smiled brightly.
"Let's go, Ritz!"
At Anna's words, Ritz nodded.
"Yeah. For now, if we can just get out of this labyrinth, things will work out somehow. …Besides, Ed's not the type to die so easily."
With a sense of tension, the three exchanged glances. They would save themselves, and they would save Edward. Their minds were made up.
"Alright, let's go."
At Ritz's words, Anna nodded. Franz also nodded, his expression still tense.
"Artis, we're ready. Give us our trial!"
At Ritz's call, Artis, who had been motionless until now, began to move.
"Understood. I shall now deploy the other world."
With Artis's words, the toys all around them began to emit light. The brilliance was so intense that Ritz shielded his eyes with his palm. He heard Anna's murmur.
"It's so bright…"
With their eyes closed, the ground beneath their feet began to sway unsteadily like water, and the three of them couldn't keep their balance, tumbling to the floor.
Eventually, the shaking stopped, and the light faded. When they cautiously opened their eyes, spread out before them was the scenery of the hill they had seen outside the white world earlier.
This time, the wind was blowing, and the scent of greenery was in the air. It seemed to be the real world. He couldn't understand why this was called another world. Hadn't they simply stepped outside Laria's mansion?
"…We're still inside the labyrinth, right?"
Anna whispered as if for confirmation. It was indeed a vast world, so much so that it was hard to believe they were inside a labyrinth.
"…Yeah, we're inside the labyrinth."
Answering her, Ritz looked up at the scene spreading before him. A blue sky stretched above them, and a field of grass and trees lay at their feet. The chirping of birds and the scent of the wind were all just as they would be in reality.
How could any part of this be inside a labyrinth?
Only the voice of the now-unseen Artis spoke to the three of them.
"If you are truly people who can save others, you should be able to exit this labyrinth."
After saying something intriguing, Artis fell silent. As Ritz tilted his head, Anna repeated his words.
"'People who can save others?' What does that mean?"
"It might be the most necessary quality for a king." Ritz muttered this as he gazed at the city visible in the far distance. After staring for a while with his better-than-human eyesight, Ritz noticed something and his eyes widened.
"This is… the Royal Capital."
The cityscape spreading before them looked like any other large city, but he recognized the hill on which a large castle stood. And that castle was the same as the one he remembered.
"The Royal Capital?"
Anna and Franz's eyes widened. Come to think of it, neither of them had ever seen the Royal Capital.
"It's the Royal Capital from a long time ago. Probably long before I was born, maybe even close to a thousand years ago."
Anna and Franz stared in surprise.
"How did you know?"
Asked Anna, and Ritz explained with a wry smile.
"Because the castle in the center of the city is almost the same as it is now. And it's brand new. The current castle is old and has been repaired in places. For it to be this clean, it has to be from the past. Besides, the current Royal Capital is a vast city centered around that castle. The fact that there's only this small town means it's from the early days of the kingdom."
"I see…"
It was mostly a guess, but being so impressed made him feel a little awkward. He had a feeling the time period was about right, but unlike Edward, Ritz hated studying, so he didn't know the details.
It was best to move on before they questioned him further.
"Well then, shall we go?"
With a murmur, Ritz started walking toward the city. Anna and Franz followed behind him. In just a dozen minutes or so, the three of them had reached the Royal Capital of the past.