Chapter 213 No Word
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The cooperation among the nobility was instantaneous once they realized their vested interests¹ were being threatened at the very foundation.
Above all, the sight of Marquis Aprelton-the man most intimately acquainted with the Labyrinth-looking ashen-faced in the wake of the “Overflow”² of Adventurers only served to underscore the gravity of the situation. Furthermore, because King Valentio had accepted the proposal despite their recent bitter antagonism, it was clear that factional squabbles had to be put on ice.
”So,” the King began, “what kind of actual damage are we looking at for the kingdom?”
”Well,” Marquis Aprelton replied, pausing for a moment. “To start, if the Conqueror is malicious, they could potentially cut off every resource currently sustaining our economy. Other nations have shown that conquered Labyrinths can actually increase production beyond previous limits; conversely, a Labyrinth Master³ could intentionally throttle that output just to spite us. In fact, they wouldn’t even need to go that far. If they simply shut the ‘Gate’ at the entrance, our production drops to zero instantly.”
The situation was so dire that the waiting room adjacent to the balcony had been hastily converted into a war room. The transition was so jarring that several nobles stood around looking dazed, trying to find someone to share their sense of displacement.
However, as it dawned on them that the Marquis-the man who had grown wealthiest off the Labyrinth’s bounty-was genuinely terrified, they finally felt the weight of their own complacency.
”However,” the Marquis continued, “if this Conqueror-let’s just call them the Labyrinth Master for now-has no desire to see the kingdom fall, or at least wants to turn a profit, they’ll have to keep calling Adventurers inside just as we’ve always done. The Labyrinth’s power is immense, certainly, but if it doesn’t lure people inside to die, the Labyrinth itself eventually withers away.”
”That aligns with what we know of past disappearances,” the King noted. “So, our only play right now is to see if we can even get inside, and check if anything has changed from our existing maps. You! What’s the word from the capital?”
”Sir!” a soldier barked. “The streets were a mess for a bit, but most citizens are following orders now. However, a massive crowd is currently swarming the Adventurer’s Guild after hearing the Labyrinth was conquered. We’ve barred entry to everyone but staff under the pretext of maintaining order.”
Reports suggested that half the people trying to get a look at the ‘Gate’ weren’t even Adventurers, but commoners from the capital. Some were surely there out of curiosity, but the majority were likely people whose very survival was tied to the Labyrinth’s economy.
Thinking of them, the King knew they had to confirm the interior status immediately to decide if the news was fit for the public. But depending on the Labyrinth Master’s whims, an investigation could be a suicide mission.
”I’ll admit, I took the Labyrinth for granted because it seemed unconquerable,” the King mused. “To think that simply losing that stability would cause such panic. Since so many in the capital rely on it for their bread and butter, we need an investigation pronto. Do we think the first floor has suddenly spiked in difficulty?”
”Unlikely,” Marquis Aprelton said. “I’ll explain my reasoning later, but based on intelligence from abroad, rearranging floors or monster layouts isn’t that simple. However, they could easily set teleportation traps that dump you straight into the deep zones. We should call for volunteers from the prison population-men eligible for amnesty-and send them in as a vanguard to scout for traps.”
The Labyrinth, which had been a constant since the kingdom’s birth, was now a complete wildcard. As King Valentio wrestled with this unprecedented crisis, Marquis Aprelton continued to offer cold, surgical advice. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the Marquis’s sharp mind-once a thorn in the King’s side-was now his only lifeline.
”Fine. Make the arrangements,” the King ordered. “And another thing. If Marina was among the Adventurers who made it to the surface, I will not tolerate any interference. The moment she’s found, she is to be brought directly to me. Is that understood?”
”As you wish,” the Marquis replied after a momentary, calculated pause.
(Who exactly is it that claimed the Labyrinth?) the Marquis wondered. He knew Princess Marina didn’t have the strength for it, so if she was alive, she was likely back in the city somewhere. While her survival was a threat to his own power, he couldn’t afford to waste resources on an assassination while the Labyrinth-the source of his influence-was in flux. If the Princess truly didn’t return, his own faction’s standing would only improve through his cooperation with the Crown. It was a cold calculation; he would help the King now to minimize his own risks later.
”So, while the scouts are out, we wait for contact from this ‘Master,’” the King said. “But tell me, Paradis. What does it actually mean to ‘claim’ a Labyrinth? I know you have to reach the ‘Dungeon Core’⁴ at the bottom, but what happens there that makes someone the owner?”
King Valentio wasn’t one for sitting on his hands, and since they were stuck in a holding pattern, he decided to grill the Marquis for information. The surrounding nobles leaned in, eager to hear the insights of the man who knew more about the Labyrinth than anyone else in the room.
”I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” the Marquis said, glancing around. “But I must ask that we clear the room. I don’t have all the facts, but what I do know is considered a ‘trade secret’ among those who hold Labyrinths. If word gets out that I’m talking about this, I’ll lose my connections.”
”I see. Our lack of experience with conquered Labyrinths puts us at a disadvantage,” the King conceded. “And your information is the only thing keeping us afloat. However, I can’t be the only one who knows. To make the right calls for the kingdom, three reps from each faction will stay.”
The Marquis’s sources were likely shady, and while he wanted to keep the info between himself and the King, a monarch doesn’t rule in a vacuum. He couldn’t refuse the royal command. As the other nobles filed out, Count Alegria stopped Baroness Confianza.
”Stay a moment, Baroness Confianza. You’ll be one of the three representing the Princess’s Faction.”
”Wait, why me?” the Baroness asked, sounding flustered. “I’m a newcomer. Surely there are more senior members who should stay?”
”Don’t be modest,” the Count chuckled. “There are plenty of scholars, but you’re the only one here who has the standing to hear these secrets and the guts to speak your mind. Besides, over there, Marisio-dono⁵ has already taken a spot. In terms of actual power, the room is perfectly balanced now.”
The Baroness felt the weight of being dragged into the center of a power struggle she wasn’t ready for, but the Count and the other Marquis from her faction gave her no choice. Marquis Aprelton was in a similar bind-he had to count himself as one of his faction’s three slots just to stay in the loop, meaning the real power-players were limited to a few people, with two outsiders filling the gaps.
”Now then,” the King said to the ten people remaining. “You are all bound by an oath of silence. Paradis, proceed.”
”Thank you, Your Majesty. To be honest, I didn’t believe it myself at first. But it’s the only thing that explains why every nation with a conquered Labyrinth only sees a marginal increase in resources. The reason is simple.”
The Marquis was uncharacteristically hesitant, weighing his words carefully as if searching for the right way to deliver a blow. The King waited patiently, sensing the gravity of what was coming.
”Claiming a Labyrinth happens the moment you touch the ‘Dungeon Core.’ It becomes yours, and you gain the power to set the resource output as you see fit. However… the Core ‘fuses’ with the person who touches it. You don’t get a control panel or a throne. You become a part of the Labyrinth itself. You’re reduced to a living conduit-a device through which human will can manifest within the dungeon.”
”My god,” the King whispered. “So the Labyrinth Master of the Capital Labyrinth is literally stuck to the Core? If that’s the case, how are we supposed to even talk to them?”
Every Adventurer dreams of owning a Labyrinth, usually imagining a life of luxury. Nobody imagines losing their body and becoming a biological machine that pumps out ore and gems for the rest of eternity.
”Unless they conquered it alone,” the Marquis added, “the party would have to decide who makes the sacrifice. And it’s not always the leader. A cunning man might force a subordinate to fuse with the Core, then pull their strings from the shadows…”
The Marquis stopped abruptly. It was clear why Labyrinth owners kept this quiet-it was a horrific, inhuman process that allowed for ultimate puppet-mastery. The room grew chilly as the nobles realized the Marquis was likely describing exactly what he hoped to do.
”So the ‘Labyrinth Master’ isn’t the person in the Core, but the one pulling the strings,” the King summarized. “But what if the conquerors don’t know the cost? What if someone touches it out of pure excitement?”
”There’s a failsafe,” the Marquis replied. “They say that when you reach the Core, a woman appears. She calls herself the ‘Goddess of the Labyrinth.’⁶ She explains the deal and forces you to make a choice.”
The nobles exchanged looks of disbelief-a Goddess? It sounded like a fairy tale. But the King kept his eyes locked on the Marquis.
”Paradis. You’re not trying to play us for fools, are you?”
”I swear on my honor as a Marquis, this is the culmination of years of intelligence gathering!”
The room fell into a heavy silence as the ten participants tried to wrap their heads around the idea of a “Dungeon Goddess” and human batteries. The tension was finally broken by a sharp knock on the door. A soldier burst in, gasping for air.
”Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty! The scouts have returned! There are no changes to the first floor! However… we still have no sign of Princess Marina. The search continues!”
”I see. Dismissed,” the King said quietly.
As the door closed, Valentio leaned back and stared at the ceiling with a heavy sigh. If Marina had made it out, they would have known by now. She was either dead in the dark-or she was the one who had touched the Core.
—
Summary:
The kingdom reacts to the Labyrinth’s conquest as the King and Marquis Aprelton form an uneasy alliance. The Marquis reveals the horrific truth: becoming the Labyrinth owner requires fusing one’s body with the Dungeon Core, essentially becoming a machine. The King fears his missing daughter, Marina, may have suffered this fate or died during the conquest.
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Trivia:
- The Labyrinth requires human deaths to maintain its power and resource production.
- Conquered Labyrinths can have their resource output manipulated by the owner.
- Marquis Aprelton was previously a bitter rival to King Valentio but is now his advisor due to his foreign intelligence.
- The ‘Goddess of the Labyrinth’ appears to those who reach the Core to force a choice
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Character Insight:
Aprelton shows his true colors as a pragmatic and somewhat ruthless strategist, hinting that he would gladly use a subordinate as a ‘battery’ for a Labyrinth. King Valentio demonstrates a father’s desperation beneath his royal mask.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The ‘fusion’ mechanic explains why Labyrinth owners in this world don’t just take over the world—they literally can’t leave their basement.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Aprelton – A Marquis and leader of the Prince’s faction. He seeks to use the Princess’s death to weaken the King’s power.
• Valentio – King of Restea, a towering figure with sun‑gold hair and a crown, exudes authority yet trembles with agitation over his daughter Marina’s fate. A shrewd politician, he stages her funeral as a tactical display to reinforce his rule.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
• Paradis – Mentioned as Suzuri’s companion, he was part of the group that explored the labyrinth and was someone she hoped remained safe after she drew the monster away.
• Count Alegria – Count Alegria, a high‑ranking noble of the Princess’s faction, depends on Roeni for security and political leverage. He presents a strict, aristocratic exterior—short silver hair, immaculate dark three‑piece suits reminiscent of Vayne Solidor—yet harbors a kind heart and unwavering loyalty to his only daughter, Ashley.
• Alegria – Count Alegria, a high‑ranking noble of the Princess’s faction, depends on Roeni for security and political leverage. He presents a strict, aristocratic exterior—short silver hair, immaculate dark three‑piece suits reminiscent of Vayne Solidor—yet harbors a kind heart and unwavering loyalty to his only daughter, Ashley.
• Marisio – Princess Marina’s older brother who already holds the right to the throne.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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