Chapter 30 Emptiness
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A day inside the labyrinth lasts the same twenty-four hours as on the surface. That rule holds true for every layer, even though their daylight and darkness never line up. The difference never changes. Anyone who wants to become a labyrinth guide learns early from their teacher how important that fact is. The reason is simple: the knowledge they use stays useful only for certain times.
For example, a guide must avoid the hours when monsters grow active on a layer. Or, if daylight drags on while moving between layers, the group has to stop and camp even if no one feels tired.
—Always keep track of time.
That rule was carved deep into Yuuri’s mind from years of guiding. So when he stared at the number in front of him now, he could not believe it right away.
”—Gah… thirty hours?”
Oolong tea sprayed from his mouth and he choked. He stood in the lobby of the workshop. On the screen beside the exit, the usage time glowed far beyond what he had expected.
Last night—or rather, the night the servants’ secret visit came to light—he had punished them by starting a sudden skill-training contest. He thought it would end after a few rounds, once everyone grew tired. Instead, it went on until Ashley collapsed completely. The protection from the Familial Workshop must have pushed her past her normal limits.
In truth, this was a worrying turn. Strong protection did lower the chance of death. But in labyrinth exploration, danger should be avoided from the start. Losing the sense of time—the iron rule of any guide—was a problem. The sudden toughness of his body also dulled his feeling for risk.
The main reason Yuuri could call himself a guide with pride was the careful habit that came from having no skills. In the deeper, deadlier layers ahead, relying only on protection could put not just himself but his lovers in danger. This mistake had taught him that lesson, and that might be the one good thing about it.
While he renewed his resolve as a guide, the door behind him opened. He turned and saw Marina peek out from the sound-proof bedroom door.
”Oh, so you were here.”
Her face lit up. She walked toward him, plastic slippers clacking—she must have found them somewhere. When the rest of her body came into view from behind the door, his eyes widened.
”Hey, that outfit…”
”Ehe, my underwear is soaked, so forgive me, okay? Ashley is totally knocked out. I can’t get her to cast purification.”
Marina wore only a large black shirt, clearly made for a man. The fabric stretched over her full breasts and lifted the hem just enough to hide her lower body. The loose cloth fluttered away from her stomach, threatening to reveal everything. Her long, smooth legs shone openly. As he stared, she spun in front of him with a playful twirl. Her round bottom flashed into view. He quickly stopped her before she tried a full curtsy, and she stuck out her tongue for a second.
”Ah, I’ll grab a drink too.”
She noticed the cup in his hand and dashed to the drink bar. He sat on the long bench in the lobby and watched the cloth flap, giving glimpses of her rear.
”…She’s doing that on purpose.”
It was not even an invitation back to the bedroom. It felt more like she was saying she would welcome him right there if he made a move.
Soon Marina walked back, careful steps, holding a full glass of orange juice high. Lifting her arm made everything below clearly visible, yet she paid no mind.
An obvious trap.
It was so bold that his heart stayed calm. As long as he kept his hands to himself, nothing would happen—though his eyes were drawn anyway. Pale skin, the shadow between her thighs. A small golden triangle of hair, the same color as her head, framed the sight. He could not look away until she lowered the glass.
”—Mind if I sit beside you?”
”Sure.”
He kept his voice steady, hiding how long he had stared. He nodded shortly. Marina lowered herself slowly. He had left space on one side, but she ignored it and pressed right against him.
Maybe Marina was testing him. Sweet guard against clear temptation. If the master ever lost control, the game would end. Just like the time Yuuri had given in and attacked them both, Marina might be struggling to hold her reason now.
If that was true, he must never give in. She was only checking if he would reach out first. He had to act like a normal lover. He slipped an arm around the waist she offered. When he closed the small gap the movement opened, the golden girl leaned into him with a happy sigh.
”Hehe, you understand. You taught us our place so well. Don’t make a poor servant who can’t live without her lord sit far away.”
”Uh… sorry. Is your body okay?”
Truthfully, he felt he had gone too far near the end. He had pushed the crying, begging pair to their limits with pleasure, using their toughness as servants to take all he wanted. He had known they enjoyed it.
”You say that while stroking my thigh♡ You were staring just now, right?♡ If master Yuuri wants me, this servant can smell it♡”
”I’m not doing anything right now.”
Her words sounded ready to accept him if he gave in. Yet she did not push while Ashley rested, proof her reason still worked. She was clearly testing him.
Nothing would break unless he attacked first.
”I’ll say it again: exploring the labyrinth comes first. Keep the teasing for the bedroom.”
”—Okay. Take me anytime you want.”
Her melting expression cooled once she saw he would not bite. She rested her cheek on his chest. He watched the quiet smile on her closed lips.
For a while they sat in silence, sipping their drinks. When his oolong tea ran out and he toyed with the empty cup, Marina spoke softly.
”Nothing here, huh.”
The words sank straight into him. No wind. No sound. He was not sure what she meant by “nothing,” but the workshop felt like an empty cave. Princess Marina was a clever leader. Her “nothing” could not mean safety or endless food—things needed to live. With the Familial Workshop and everything else considered, her final judgment was still “nothing.”
”…Yeah.”
”Oh? I thought you would say that’s not true.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes as she looked up from his arm. She must have expected the master, lifted to the peak of life by the Familial Workshop, to feel offended by the claim. Maybe she had prepared every possible argument to calm a angry higher being.
She had stayed his wise advisor.
Joy spilled out in a small laugh, but that only puzzled Marina more.
”Hmph, why laugh all of a sudden… I wanted to talk seriously.”
”Sorry, sorry. …All right, I’ll start with what I think.”
Yuuri patted the sulky head of his old friend and pointed at the screen beside the exit. Marina already knew from Ashley that one of the numbers showed time passed inside the workshop. At first she tilted her head, unsure why I drew her attention to it. Then she noticed how many hours had gone by. Her ears turned red.
”No, ha… we all tried hard. So, what does almost a full day of hard work mean?”
”…I thought I couldn’t last that long. In my head, it felt like eight hours at most. With no skills, my body told me that much time had passed.”
One day with the wild power of the Familial Workshop had broken the rules a guide lived by. Turning his lovers and friend into servants—beings that could never change back—had twisted even Yuuri’s own sense of self. The “nothing” Marina meant was probably close to the empty feeling I had now.
When Yuuri shared that guilt, Marina smiled with relief, as if she understood.
”Hehe, Yuuri worried about the same thing. …I felt I was becoming a useless princess. I got better and better at pleasing Yuuri as a servant. It started to feel like the most important thing. I thought I could push past that and stay your partner—”
Marina had not looked down on becoming a servant. But the force of it was far stronger than she expected. For someone who had controlled most things in life, this endless pull must have felt like terror.
”…I’m in trouble. Putting animal pleasure first isn’t like me. I thought I was already ruined. I even tempted Yuuri, half thinking it would be okay to fall. But Yuuri held back. So I made my last warning, hoping you would understand. Yet you had already thought even deeper.”
The worry on the princess’s face turned bright. The lover she thought would sink with her into the mud had reached the edge and pulled her up. Marina’s face drew close. Yuuri let her. Her lips brushed his cheek. Full of love. He gently pulled her tear-damp face nearer and kissed her forehead in return. Marina smiled like the sun.
”It’s okay. We can still move forward! …No jokes about not taking a single step yet. That’s exactly why we must choose not to step now.”
Marina stood up suddenly and clenched her fist in a promise. My eyes were pulled to her small, round bottom, but I forced my gaze to the back of her head.
”Normally, it would be smarter to wait until Yuuri gives us full skills, then let outside time move. But if we stay like this, we will rot completely. Even if we use many skills later, just having lots of handy ones won’t help. We must master each skill we gain. That is the only way to grow real strength. Even if we are clumsy, we should go wild first on layer fifty-seven.”
”Yes. March without worrying about tiredness. Use all our power, then hide in the workshop right away. The key is to make time every day to give our all outside.”
Marina turned. Our eyes met hard, and we nodded.
Then the best plan was to wait for Ashley to recover and act at once. Until then, we needed a clear list of steps.
”Then first, food. Marina, check on Ashley. She’s probably still sleeping… and put something on below, okay?”
”I-I know!”
She suddenly felt shy about the teasing outfit and tugged the shirt hem down. The way her large breasts pressed and bent under the cloth was a feast for the eyes, but I would save that joy for tonight. Yuuri watched Marina hurry back to the bedroom, holding the hem so her bottom stayed hidden. In his mind, he listed meals that would build strength.
Notes:
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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