Chapter 5 The Princess
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Nobles and royals only ever entered the labyrinth once the sun had already climbed high. Put bluntly, that was when the guild staff finally had hands free. Entry was theoretically open at any hour, but without available attendants, even the highest-born received no support.
In the Kingdom of Restie, resources drawn from the labyrinth kept the nation alive. Most of the labor bringing those treasures back belonged to commoners; delaying them meant slowing the pulse of the realm itself. It was only natural to prioritize the people who worked, ate, and bled for the country, rather than nobles who had little true need to descend.
And yet, sometimes even the high-born could not avoid the labyrinth. Trials to prove a princess’s merit in the upper floors, or the first sorties of noble children, all demanded ritual. On such days, the tradition was simple: avoid the morning rush, when commonfolk surged through the gates to earn their daily bread.
Five days had passed since Yuuri last saw Ashley. It was just before ten in the morning.
An hour ago the entrance hall—called the Gate—had churned with bodies. Now the crowd ebbed, leaving a manageable lull for escorting dignitaries.
Princess Marina was scheduled to arrive at exactly ten.
Yuuri waited in a small antechamber just short of the vast hall that held the Gate. It was a discreet passage reserved for nobles, allowing them to enter rapidly without mingling with the adventurer throng. He watched the opposite door—the one her party would use—and the moment he sensed movement beyond it, he rose.
The door swung open without so much as a knock. Lady Roeni entered first, three large knights at her back. Behind them followed a small cloaked figure in a mantle and deep hood—surely Princess Marina herself. Ashley trailed her closely, then two more knights. Seven in all, counting Roeni—and then two additional figures stepped through. One was an even smaller boy, the other a knight who moved like his shadow.
Puzzled, Yuuri flicked a glance toward Lady Roeni. She raised a hand subtly, bidding his silence.
”Lord Fried. This is Yuuri, the labyrinth guide assigned to your party,” Roeni said as she turned.
The knight she addressed radiated authority. Taller and broader than Yuuri, clad in armor that barely whispered with movement, he stood like a wall honed by years. If he possessed the skill to command this guard, he was no ceremonial decoration.
”So, you are Yuuri.” His voice was low and steady. “I am Arman Fried, entrusted with command of the escort. Lady Roeni speaks highly of you. We rely on you for the road ahead.”
Yuuri bowed. “Yuuri, at your service. I will do all in my power not to disappoint.”
Fried inclined his head, then gestured toward the cloaked figure. “And that is Her Highness. Ashley will attend her in all matters, and we will keep her safe. You won’t often approach, but if trouble strikes, her life comes above all. Remember this.”
Again Yuuri bowed. The ring of armored knights around the princess did not shift or relax. They seemed intent on maintaining the appearance of a single, united cluster.
A small note of worry flickered across Yuuri’s mind. He had no intention of cozying up to Princess Marina. But if true danger came, their current formation risked turning into one oblivious group and a lone defenseless target. On the shallow floors, danger was minimal—enough that this entire force was overkill. So long as Yuuri shared warnings about traps and terrain, they would likely be fine.
Should he press for a safer formation, or avoid friction to preserve harmony? When he met Roeni’s eye, she dipped her head, grimacing. If conflict arose, she would not be able to shield him.
The prophecy of “ill omen” haunted his thoughts. He would rather speak up. But if they removed him for being troublesome, all was lost. So he chose stability over efficiency.
”—Wait.”
He began to withdraw, convinced he would not speak again until they passed the Gate. But a cool, resonant voice cut through the room. Princess Marina pushed past her knights, stepping toward him.
”H-Your Highness!?” one of them sputtered.
”I am grateful for your concern,” she said, voice unwavering. “But we entrust our lives to this guide. How could I not meet the one who leads us into the dark?”
Ignoring frantic whispers, she continued forward. Yuuri dropped to one knee, head bowed low. The princess closed the distance until the gleam of her armored greaves filled his lowered gaze. Cloth rustled overhead; she shed her mantle.
”You are called Yuuri, yes? Raise your head.”
He lifted his eyes, cautious.
Princess Marina stood resplendent in golden armor that shone like captured sunlight. It covered her completely, lines heavy and ornate with intricate wards. And yet she had moved earlier with effortless grace—only true skill could make such weight seem light.
For a heartbeat, Yuuri stared at the craftsmanship, forgetting to meet her gaze. He snapped his focus up, fearful he had been rude.
Then he saw her eyes.
Gold—matching the armor’s radiant hue so perfectly it felt crafted to complement those irises. Her hair, braided and pinned with gilded charms, gleamed the same warm shade.
”Thank you for answering my summons,” she said gently. “I am Marina Twai Restie. Among those gathered here, no one knows this labyrinth as you do. Please lend us your strength, that we may all return to the surface alive.”
Yuuri fell silent.
No commoner ever conversed with royalty like this. Even brief words demanded instant reply. His silence should have risked reprimand. But Marina’s presence was overwhelming—too finely balanced, too complete. Everything about her radiated solemn grace.
The hush that followed her words lasted less than ten heartbeats. No one scolded him. All of them understood; this was what every first encounter with her became. Her retainers waited, knowing that awakening awe would deepen respect.
And for that span, Yuuri truly looked at her.
Golden eyes. Golden hair. A refined beauty with lingering youth.
Someone like that… he had met recently. A girl who carried herself with far more ease and—
Marina’s eyes flicked, as if she noticed the wrong kind of unrest in him. Her lips curved faintly.
”Pleasure—okay?” she whispered, tilting one eye shut in a playful wink only he could see.
Yuuri jolted. “—!!? Y-yes! I-I swear, I will ensure your successful passage through the upper floors!”
His voice rang bright and earnest, and the golden knight-princess smiled, leaving a warm, lingering glow in the air that followed them into the hall beyond.
Yuuri’s thoughts raced, impossible to sort. He pressed his forehead to the packed earth floor and bowed even lower, buying precious seconds while his heart scrambled to steady itself.
Transferring one’s worries into ritual helped. He let the cool soil ground him, tried to hush the tangled emotions rising in his chest.
—Of course she couldn’t reveal her identity. Reincarnated as a princess, chosen as an ill-omened oracle… it fit too well.
He wondered at the hardships she must have faced—struggles unlike his own, but parallel enough to stir a pulse of sympathy.
Yet if she could have lived quietly, why seek the throne? The mystery answered—only to open a deeper, darker question.
The current king already had a first prince with rights to inherit. Any move to claim a new line would look like a challenge… would it not?
A bitter scent curled through Yuuri’s thoughts.
—Something’s off.
The warning of “ill omen” might not point to the labyrinth at all, but the schemes of people.
”In the labyrinth, we rely on you,” Marina said. “If even a shadow of concern arises, speak without hesitation.”
”Yes! For everyone’s safe return—!”
Now that he knew the golden girl and the princess were one and the same, he’d be heard more easily when he spoke of danger. Yet the fact that she—earnest, unambitious—would pursue succession became its own red flag.
Marina turned on her heel and returned to her entourage. The knights praised her poise; Ashley’s expression wavered, torn between pride and worry.
As they prepared to depart, the small boy who had stood near the entrance suddenly rushed forward.
”Sister! Please—please come back safe!”
”I will. We’ve promised often enough, haven’t we? And Arsh, don’t you dare slack off in your studies while I’m gone.”
Ah. So the boy had only come to see her off.
Now that Marina’s hood was down, the resemblance between them glowed. Golden hair, golden eyes—siblings, without doubt. They embraced, although it was mostly the boy clinging desperately to her. If the golden girl’s casual warmth was Marina’s true self, then her royal composure must drain her strength. For her little brother, she was likely the only gentle refuge in the palace’s stiff halls.
And when she was gone, even for half a month, that palace would become stifling.
”No… I won’t slack,” he murmured, voice trembling.
”A good boy. When I return—”
She whispered something in his ear. Whatever she promised, it brightened the prince’s face like sunrise.
”Yes! I’ll wait! All of you, protect my sister! And you too, Yuuri!”
He bowed again quickly, suppressing a smile. Fondness was no excuse to forget one’s place.
When the young prince finally returned to his escort, everyone finished adjusting gear and hoisted their packs.
”From here, Yuuri will guide you. May fortune bring you all home,” Lady Roeni said.
She unlocked the great door and swung it open. Yuuri moved first, leading them down the short passage toward the vast hall.
Two guards stood by the exit of the noble passage, saluting in silence as the party passed into the cavernous space.
The eight of them advanced toward the Gate, Marina once more hooded at their heart. Yuuri had seen this sight hundreds of times, and its wonder had long dulled. But first-timers always stopped, breath caught, before the impossible view. When Yuuri glanced back, Marina had halted, gazing upward beneath the brim of her hood.
He followed her stare.
The Gate stood like a towering picture frame, carved from pale, rock-like stone whose true material remained unknown. Within the rectangular border lay not canvas but open air—a window into the labyrinth beyond. A strange construction indeed, but harmless. Humanity had mastered the art of accepting the inexplicable. Yuuri, for his part, had met far crueler miracles than this.
He waited in silence while Marina gathered her resolve. For her, this was not just a first descent—it was a burden she would one day rule.
At last—less than a minute—she lowered her chin and met his eyes. He nodded, stepped through. Crossing the threshold felt like nothing at all.
Inside, the walls continued in that same pale, impossible stone, forming a ruin-like antechamber. Adventurers rested at polite distances, watching the newcomers curiously.
Yuuri led them toward the far exit, sunlight spilling in.
”This stone structure marks our safety zone,” he explained. “Beyond it lies the First Floor—the Grand Plain. Monsters wander there. You won’t meet anything troublesome before the twenty-sixth floor, but remain vigilant all the same.”
He stood at the edge of the stone path, gesturing toward the gently sloped plains. Far in the distance shimmered another white ruin in the harsh sun.
”That is the next safety zone. We progress from one zone to the next. Each floor’s day and night cycle differs. Assuming we camp tonight, we aim to reach the Seventh Floor’s safety zone before dusk.”
Fried and the others nodded gravely.
”Then let us begin,” Yuuri said. “Along the way, I’ll offer warnings as needed.”
At his word, the party took their true first step into the labyrinth. By rights, with Yuuri’s guidance and their overwhelming strength, this journey should present no challenge at all.
Yet the prophecy of the ill omen coiled deep in Yuuri’s chest, heavy as a stone…
and would not let go.
Notes:
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
• Roeni – Guild receptionist, former adventurer, now a baroness—mentor to Yuuri.
• Arman – Knight captain who escort Marina on the first mission.
• Arsh – Marina’s the princess younger brother.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply