Published: February 1, 2026
The day Judge unusually closed his shop for settlement work happened to coincide with Stud’s day off.
It really was nothing more than coincidence. Judge would only ever compromise on shop matters for Lizel’s sake, and likewise the only time Stud would bother aligning his day off with someone else’s was, again, when it involved Lizel.
Judge, who was walking through town to finally take care of his long‑delayed shopping, and Stud, who was doing his usual day‑off grocery run, happened to run into each other at the market. That too was coincidence.
Lunchtime had long passed, but both of the old acquaintances still hadn’t eaten, so it was only natural they’d decide, “Let’s grab a meal together then.” Stud did look a bit reluctant, though.
“Come to think of it, this guild sent adventurers too, right?”
“Even if the earliest they arrive is three days from now and that’s too late, we’d look bad if we didn’t send anyone, you slowpoke.”
“The great invasion takes a pretty long time to settle anyway. They’ll make it in plenty of time, so it’s not really late, is it?”
He was well used to the calmly added insults.
In the Demon Ore Nation (Kavana), which lay not far from the Commerce Nation (Malcaid), a tense air hung over the city, but in the Capital City (Parteda), though everyone spoke fearfully of the great invasion, daily life remained perfectly peaceful.
Being the Capital City, it had a knight order stationed there, which meant they had a decent amount of fighting power on hand.
Judge was a little worried because his grandfather lived in Malcaid, but there was no way that city would face a true crisis from a mere great invasion.
It was, after all, a city big enough to be called a “nation,” with solid defenses and an impressive city wall.
In all history, no nation had ever suffered devastating damage from a great invasion—the labyrinth unleashed those to assert its existence to people. If it destroyed them outright, there’d be no point in being noticed.
The only time serious damage was dealt was during an artificially triggered great invasion in the past—but even then, the main cause wasn’t the sheer number of monsters, it was a single ancient dragon. A normal great invasion wouldn’t be a problem.
So what Judge worried about was purely merchant‑like: the losses his grandfather’s trading business would suffer because distribution had come to a halt.
“More importantly, I wonder when Lizel and the others are coming back.”
“Who knows.”
“Being apart this long is pretty lonely, huh?”
“You went with him to the Commerce Nation, but this is my second time apart, you know. I’m ten times lonelier than you are.”
Apparently, that was more important to the two of them than a great invasion that didn’t directly affect them.
“I’m lonelier.” “No, I’m lonelier,” they argued, until Judge was verbally beaten, left almost in tears, and the quarrel ended.
No, I really am lonelier… Judge grumbled in his heart—at his age—then tilted his head.
A look that said “You’re annoying” was aimed straight at him. Even so, the two of them were on good terms. Probably.
“Lizel and the others… they weren’t sent to the great invasion or anything, right?”
“That’s hardly the sort of thing that man would enjoy. He’s probably soaking in a hot spring somewhere by now.”
He has no reason to go—Stud said this flatly as he poured cold water from the pitcher into his glass.
Not exactly something you’d expect to hear from a member of the guild that imposed participation obligations on adventurers during a great invasion.
“Right,” Judge nodded and held out his own cup, but Stud just set the pitcher down on the table. Judge gave a wry smile—figured—and poured his own water.
“Oh yeah, Lizel apparently met the lord of Malcaid the other day.”
He was about to add, “I wonder if he got to see his face,” when a cracking sound cut him off.
What was that? he thought, looking up to see the water Stud had been about to drink completely frozen solid. Not only the water—the glass had also been frozen to something truly worthy of the name absolute zero and shattered.