"But Mitsutomo Group is stalled on the 33rd floor below."
"You know even that?"
Gunjou's eyes widen.
"I also know the locations of traps, hidden doors, and even the locations of Shiro and the rest. They are on the 25th floor below."
On hearing that, her face turns into one of suspicion,
"Is that info reliable? Could that guy be bribed by Mitsutomo Group......"
"No, it's impossible."
I deny the possibility immediately. Liezel isn't someone who would get bought over and obediently follow Mitsutomo Group's orders.
But, maybe as a result of me refuting her a little too vehemently,
"Ah, sorry...... you trust that guy huh."
Gunjou says, but --- to use the word 'trust' on that pervert scientist is way too unbefitting on him.
"No, even though he isn't someone who could be bribed by Mitsutomo Group, but, he's someone who would take pleasure in deceiving me and laughing at my failures, so your concern is not pointless. Let's be careful. The map, the traps, hidden doors, all the intel might be fake --- have that in mind as we act."
Gunjou then nods.
"Got it. But on that map......"
"Yeah. Shiro's position was indicated on it. So, let's first try to meet up with Shiro and the rest."
We then nod at each other and start running.
♦
♦
♦
But the raid itself is simple.
It is indeed a rank 15 labyrinth.
The enemy is made up of only those rabbits. And the frequency of their appearance is not that high. There has not been any problem, no sense of danger.
The only problem is that each labyrinth floor is huge.
Just huge.
Because there is no scale on the map, I have underestimated it. This labyrinth can't be cleared easily.
Everywhere we look, a beautiful forest makes up our surroundings.
We initially ran without stopping in the forest, and before long, we got tired and finally switched to walking.
In one day, clearing 4 floors is the limit.
As the rabbit attack us every now and then, we have to set up a watch and take turns sleeping. It's impossible to clear more than 4 floors. At this rate, it will be 9 days before we reach the floor Kujaku is at.
9 days.
Only 9 days.
"............."
But that figure is a figure of despair.
Because we are short on food supplies.
Fortunately, for water, along the way, we found a tank that was probably left by Kujaku's group. It was tough to carry it but it contains about 10 liters of water. If we ration it carefully, it will probably last us.
But there was no food.
We won't last for 9 days without food.
"............"
But, two days went by without us eating anything.
We can't carry on like that. Even if we manage to advance with just water, by the time we reach our objective, we won't have enough energy to fight. It's just impossible.
We should either Escape here or eat something.
"............"
And at that moment, we see a walking deer in the forest.
Different from the rabbits that have pocket watches --- it's just a normal looking deer.
The deer does not notice us.
If we use our magic, we can probably kill it easily.
"............"
That is provided that it is a normal deer.
If this were not a labyrinth and we were inside a normal forest, then it would probably be all right to just kill and eat it.
But this is a labyrinth.
That deer is a product of this labyrinth.
I don't know what kind of ill effects it will have on the body if we eat it.
"............."
I look hard at that deer, then look at Gunjou. She looks more lively than me. Maybe it's because of her small body, she probably needs less calories than me. But I'm already near my limit.
Gunjou looks up at me and says.
"What should we do?"
I say.
"You should Escape."
"It's better not to eat that deer?"
"Yeah. Neither should we eat those fruits with poisonous looking colors on the trees."
I look up at the sky. On the trees, are fruit resembling apples with colorful colors of red, green, yellow, purple, and pink.
Those are definitely the same fruits that appeared in the illustrations of the book of 'Alice in Wonderland' that I had read with my little sister in the past.
Gunjou looks up at them,
"I guess I don't really want to eat those pink and purple stuff."
She says and smiles.
I say.
"We shouldn't eat them. Activate your Escape switch."
"But if I get out."
"You'll be killed? But, if you get out, there's still a chance of escaping. But if you remain here, you'll definitely starve to death."
"Even if I eat those apples?"
"I already said you can't eat them."
"But Shinnosuke, you're going to eat them right? The apples and deer."
On hearing that question, I smirk and reply.
"Since they are apples and deer made by family, I won't be affected."
Gunjou then looks up at me with half-opened eyes, and following that, she waves her fingers. And mutters.
"Sea Moon Wheel switch."
Moon wheels appear above Gunjou's head, and they cut down the fruit from the trees. Several fruit drop down, and Gunjou takes two from them.
A pink apple and a green apple.
She starts putting the green one into her mouth.
"I already told you don't do it! You might catch the labyrinth disease."
I stop her hand.
But she says.
"I've already have a labyrinth disease onset once."
"That's not the issue here......"
But, at that moment, a moon wheel flies towards me. As it is about to slice my head off,
"Owah."
I dodge it frantically. I take a step backward.
"What the heck are you......"
But Gunjou just grins and says.
"If I die, Escape by yourself."
"Hey, wait!"
But, a crunching sound is heard and she eats the apple. She munches a few times with an expression of wonder. It's already too late. The juice has probably already entered her stomach. It is just insane to eat something found inside the labyrinth.
The possibility of dying right away.
The possibility of turning into a monster.
The possibility of getting an unknown disease.
But with a smiling face,
"It's totally an apple though!"
She laughs.
I look intently at her with with disgusted face,
"Have you heard of the saying that foolhardiness does not equate to courage?"
"Yay."
She brings up and shows me the apple,
"Yay? Jeez. How do you feel?"
Gunjou shrugs her shoulders and says.
"Uhn. Seems all right. But maybe there'll be some side effects later."
"If you know that, you shouldn't have eaten it duh."
While saying that, I too pick up a green apple.
"...... at the very least, it smells like an apple."
"The one who doesn't eat it is a chicken."
I put the apple in my mouth. Even the taste is that of an apple. And it's even pretty tasty. It's more tasty than any apple I had eaten before.
Maybe it's because my stomach is empty, or maybe it's because my little sister has set these trees to bear tasty apples; whichever it is, I do not know.
But I somehow get the feeling that if it's my little sister, she would want to make these apples tasty.
Gunjou looks at the deer and says.
"Do we get the deer too?"
I shake my head.
&nb
sp; "There's no need to take any further risk. Even for the apples, we'll pick the green ones. If it's for 9 days or so, we should be able to manage with just apples."
The problem with food is promptly solved.
"Then, let's go."
Gunjou says.
I nod.
And we start walking.
Along the way, I say.
"I still think that you probably shouldn't have eaten the apples there."
Gunjou then replies immediately.
"It's because the unmanly guy doesn't want to eat it first."
Indeed. She's quite right about that.
I shrug my shoulders, and hurry on ahead.
* * *
Interlude 1 - Fairy Tale
Night.
Just before the napping time when we each take a 4-hour watch.
The stars we can see in between the trees are amazing. Probably orchestrated by my little sister.
I keep watch by the campfire.
It's Gunjou's turn to sleep.
But yet Gunjou says.
"...... hey, Shinnosuke."
"Quickly sleep."
"I can't sleep. Tell me a story."
"What's wrong with you? I'm not your Mama."
"I'm fine with Momotaro."
"...... why that choice?"
"'Alice in Wonderland' is a western story so I don't feel like hearing that."
"Well, I can agree on that."
"And also, my late big sis would tell me a story when I couldn't sleep in the past. My Papa and Mama...... my parents won't do such a thing though...... my big sis is always kind to me."
"...... she's dead because she was kind; that's what happens in this world."
"Yeah."
"And so, I don't want to die so I won't be kind so forget about Momotaro."
"Ehh."
"All right good night. Hurry up and sleep, otherwise I'll tell you 'Alice in Wonderland'."
"Please don't."
"Good night."
"Uhn. Good night."
Gunjou falls asleep.
* * *
Interlude 2 - Fairy Tale
Night.
Just before the napping time when we each take a 4-hour watch.
Gunjou keeps watch by the campfire.
It's my turn to sleep.
But I can't seem to get to sleep. My body is tensed up. Naturally. Since I've been moving the whole day in a labyrinth. The adrenaline in my brain can't seem to dissipate.
But since I'm not a kid, I'm not looking for someone to tell me a story just because I can't sleep.
I merely look up vacantly at the star-filled sky that my little sister created.
"...... hey, Shinnosuke, are you awake?"
"............"
"Hey."
"............"
"You're awake right?"
"I'm asleep."
"Aren't you awake?"
"I'm almost asleep."
"You can't sleep?"
"You were the one who woke me right?"
"If you can't sleep, shall I tell you the story of Momotaro?"
"No need."
"Long long ago."
"I said I don't need it."
"On Mount Ashigara, lives an energetic boy who won't lose to even a bear......"
"That's not Momotaro. That's Kintaro duh."
"Eh? It's the guy who carries a hatchet you know?"
"It's more and more like Kintaro. You've been tricked by your big sis."
"No way. Erhm, it goes like this? He carries a hatchet, and brings along a dog, monkey, pheasant, and a bear ---"
"That's one too many!"
"Hey, why are you laughing!?"
"Because I can't sleep, and you're cracking me up."
"Like I was saying, what's so funny!?"
"Aah, but, carry on with that story. I'm curious. What happen in the end?"
"Erhm, uhm, in the end, with the power of the magic hammer, everyone became as big as the ogre and fought with him...... but Momotaro ended up opening the treasure chest of the ogre...... hey, like I said, what's so funny!?"
"No no, I think it's a great story. It's like this right? Your big sis was extending the story until you fall asleep right?"
"...... yeah."
"What a great big sister......"
"Yeah."
"And also, it's a great story."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Ah, by the way, didn't the crane pay back her debt in gratitude?"
"Why would a crane appear in Momotaro?"
"You're telling me that now? If a bear appeared, then you can add a crane too."
"I don't get it though."
"I'm the one who don't get it. Erhm, Gunjou."
"Hn?"
"Can I sleep?"
"No."
"Hey."
"Kidding. Good night."
"All right. Good night."
But I can't sleep. I look up the nape of Gunjou.
Then I look up at the sky again.
Gunjou's big sister is also dead.
My little sister is being targeted to fulfill the world's desires.
Good guys die. Once you start being kind to someone, death creeps up on you. This is such a world.
But, Gunjou is kind.
Shiro too, Himi too, Yousuke too, Kiri too, every person in the Hero Team is kind. Therefore, death is probably upon everyone.
I don't know when we'll die. Maybe Gunjou, as well as myself, will die tomorrow in this labyrinth.
At that time, what would everyone think about 'trying to act kindly towards others', I wonder?
Even though they wouldn't have died if they didn't act kindly, I wonder whether they would regret it?
"............"
But, in the end everyone will die someday.
In the labyrinth.
In an accident.
From an illness.
Of old age.
Someday, everyone will die.
But since we'll die anyway, rather than dying meaningless, it might be better to die with some meaning.
Like dying for someone else.
Like dying without betraying anyone.
Like dying from being kind to others.
On the brink of death, one would probably regret more from doing nothing than from doing something.
Then, it might be better for a person to be kind.
Even if when death is nearby, it might feel a lot better to work hard and die for someone than to die alone.
After all, even for Momotaro, he had comrades when he defeated the ogre.
Like the dog, monkey, pheasant, bear, and crane.
I won't add another two birds as well.
Even if when death is nearby, at the very least, be kind to someone.
"...... Gunjou."
"Hn?"
".................................... no, it's nothing."
I murmur softly.
* * *
Chapter 6 - Apocalypse Alice
Seven days later.
We reached the 25th floor below.
It is where Shiro and the rest are --- or rather, where Shiro and the rest are shown on the map a week ago. But they were already gone. Of course. It has been one week since then.
Once we passed the 20th floor below, water and food supplies were no longer a problem.
Since the food and water supplies that the Kansai team dropped were left lying around.
There was probably a fierce fight. A number of dead bodies were lying around. We took some of the backpacks from the dead bodies. The backpacks contained clothing, toiletries, food, and stuff needed for staying in the labyrinth.
"............"
I whip out a chocolate bar from the backpack I am shouldering. 300 calories. With nuts. I take a bite. The crunchy feel of the nuts swirl around in my mouth deliciously.
Perhaps, as a result of eating only apples for five days, the artificial processed sugar stimulated my brain matter strongly. After finishing up the rest of the ch
ocolate bar in one go, I take out a butter-and-jam bread roll next.
"...... haha, this is so good that I'm going to turn into a pig."
While saying that, I grin stupidly.
The bread roll is also crazily delicious. While munching on my bread, I look up at the sky.
On the 25th floor below, there are few trees.
It is made up of grass plains. On the endless grass plains, trees stand sparsely.
Leaning against such a tree, I eat my bread roll.
"...... guh, muh."
As I was gobbling away too quickly, my food got stuck in my throat. It's agonizing. Even as I hammer on my chest, it doesn't go down. I frantically swallow some water,
"...... uuh-ah, that was dangerous...... I almost died, what a joke."
And I put the bread roll back into mouth again.
Behind me, I can hear the splashing sounds of water. Gunjou is soaking her towel with water, and wiping her body with it. Since there is spare clothing in the backpacks, she intends to get a change of clothing it seems. Well, it's understandable since it's been a week --- no, it has been 37 days since we entered the labyrinth. We hadn't bathed all this while. It's no wonder she would want to wash her body.
But,
"Not done yet?"
I say.
Gunjou then replies.
"Hey, don't look here. I still haven't put on my clothes yet!"
"I'm not looking. Right now, I'm more keen in satisfying my stomach hunger rather than my sexual hunger. There's not much to see anyway."
"What did you say!"
"I'm stating a fact."
"Wha, of course there would be things to see!"
"Then I'll look."
"I'll kill you if you do!"
"So which is it?"
I take another bite at my bread.
I then look up at the sky.
The sun rays are strong. At this rate, I feel like taking a nap. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, I feel like just repeating this for half a year.
"Fuh-wah......"
A yawn escapes my lips.
But I don't have the luxury of time. One week has already passed. Even though Liezel has not contacted me, there is a chance that Kujaku has reached my little sister.
Or, there's a possibility that challengers from other corporations are already right behind us.
Thus, we have no time to tarry around.
"Gunjou, we should get moving."
"Wait, a sec, just a little more......"
Just as she says that, a voice rings out.
Mokushiroku Arisu - Volume 03 Page 9
