Published: January 24, 2026
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Haruto and Telshe, who had been in the Principality of Hitia, were now living in Tsutolairu.
After the recent summit where they were recognized as enemies of the world, and with Princess Lucilla’s demeanor adding to it, the cult’s chances of attacking Tsutolairu had become extremely low.
Still, there was always the possibility of the unexpected.
So, in case the cult did launch an attack on Tsutolairu, Haruto and Telshe had come there to prepare to intercept and immediately send word to Orun and the others.
“Haruto, you have a visitor.”
Telshe informed Haruto, who was napping at the clan home of the Red Copper Twilight in Tsutolairu, that someone had come.
“A visitor? Dealing with guests is a hassle, so just send them away casually.”
Haruto rubbed his sleepy eyelids and yawned.
Seeing his attitude, Telshe radiated a killing intent.
“I don’t recall becoming your servant, you know?”
“I got carried away, sorry…”
Hearing Telshe’s low, angry voice, Haruto immediately struck a pose of deep apology.
“Pfft. Captain, aren’t you a bit lame?”
“You’re already being bossed around, captain.”
Katina and Huey, who were watching the exchange between the two, murmured their impressions.
“Hey, you two! Shut it!”
“I told you, someone’s waiting. Hurry up and go.”
“Okay…”
Haruto retorted at the two who were laughing at him, but after Telshe’s admonition, he quickly headed to the reception room.
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“Huh? You guys are…”
When Haruto arrived at the reception room, Wilkes and Lucrecia of the silver rabbits of the night sky were there.
“Long time no see, Mr. Haruto.”
Wilkes greeted Haruto with a slight raise of his hand.
“Well, this is an unexpected visit. What’s the business of such busy s-rank seekers coming to a weak clan like ours?”
“Weak clan… Haruto, you’re an s-rank seeker just like us. I don’t think you’re weak at all.”
Lucrecia smiled wryly and supported Haruto, who had belittled his own clan.
“Sure, we both have s-rank parties, but the scale is vastly different. We’re just a clan of a little over ten, while you have over a thousand members. Plus, you’ve secured royal support for the Great Labyrinth conquest, right? It’s almost presumptuous to compare.”
“…Hey, Haruto, what’s the plan for the Red Copper Twilight now?”
Wilkes cut into the conversation, getting straight to the point.
“What plan? About what?”
“The world expects the Great Labyrinth to be conquered. The Red Copper Twilight hasn’t explored the deeper layers yet, but do you intend to conquer it? That’s what I want to know.”
“Conquer, huh… I might disappoint you, but for now… I’m not interested in conquering the Great Labyrinth.”
Haruto’s answer surprised Wilkes and Lucrecia somewhat.
Every seeker dreams at least once of conquering the Great Labyrinth—a fortress untouched for hundreds of years.
The honor and fame gained by conquering it are incomparable.
But until now, the conquest of the Great Labyrinth was merely a “seeker’s dream” and something indifferent to ordinary people.
Actually, the conquest might have been unwanted.
Since the western Great Labyrinth was conquered last year, it has lost its function as a labyrinth and no longer yields magic stones or other resources.
What non-seekers need are the magic stones and resources obtained from the labyrinths essential for daily life.
For most people, conquering the Great Labyrinth was more of a negative than a positive.
That situation has now changed dramatically.
News from the recent summit quickly spread through newspapers and word of mouth.
With the information that conquering the Great Labyrinth is the first step to eliminating demonic beasts from the surface widely known, the number of people hoping for the conquest has increased exponentially.
“Why aren’t you interested in the conquest?”
Lucrecia asked Haruto.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against conquering the Great Labyrinth. On the contrary, I think it should be done.”