Chapter 221 Between Parental Love and Loyalty
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Count’s pained groan smothered the first wave of shame that washed over me. It was the same question that had weighed on my heart for days now: among those who had conquered the Labyrinth, who had been forced to pay the ultimate price?
According to Marquis Aprelton, obtaining a Labyrinth was nothing like the fairy tales told in the streets. It demanded sacrifice. Unless someone was willing to cast everything aside and become a tool for their companions, there was no meaning in reaching the Labyrinth’s depths. I had assumed that burden would fall to Yuuri, a commoner, but losing Princess Marina’s once-in-a-lifetime skill would have been no less tragic. If that was the case, then the possibility of Ashley-jou—whose greatest strength was her unwavering loyalty—being designated as the “dungeon core” felt disturbingly plausible.
The Count supported the Princess’s claim to the throne precisely because he was capable of making ruthless decisions. As a subject, I could understand the logic behind it. As a father who adored his daughter, however, acceptance was another matter entirely.
”Is that so?” The Count’s voice was cold, his posture rigid. “For the time being, I had intended to keep the truth of the ‘dungeon core’ concealed, but I see. It is only natural that Paradis-sama would know. This… is something that must be dealt with quickly.”
The desperation of a father struck harder than I expected, and my words caught in my throat. My role as this girl was simply to serve as a herald, informing the relevant parties that Princess Marina’s group had secured the Labyrinth. Naturally, I had been granted a degree of discretion. Even so, negotiations regarding the benefits of conquering the Labyrinth belonged to Princess Marina. Revealing information that might weaken her position before those negotiations began was not something I could do lightly.
Silence settled over the room. While I searched frantically for a way to redirect the conversation, I caught Silcro staring at me from the corner of my eye, plainly demanding an explanation. Come to think of it, the Marquis had described the “dungeon core” as a secret known only to the ten chosen members. If the Count had revealed it here, even inside a soundproof room, then he had already decided it was necessary for discussions with guests from the Labyrinth. When I glanced at him, he answered with a slow nod.
”I understand,” I said at last, keeping my tone respectful. “This is something that will eventually become public knowledge. If His Majesty and those close to him already know, negotiations cannot proceed while we pretend otherwise. Ideally, Her Highness should reveal it herself, but I will accept responsibility for speaking now. I only ask that, outside this room, the matter remain between yourself and His Majesty until Marina-sama chooses to disclose it.”
”Of course,” the Count replied, some of the harshness leaving his voice. “This is nothing more than a selfish father’s whim. I simply wished to know whether my daughter was safe. But I, too, am a parent. Without knowing the truth, I could not settle my heart enough to support His Majesty.”
For Princess Marina and the party that conquered the Labyrinth, information regarding the “dungeon core”—the very heart of the matter—was something they would naturally release as slowly as possible, even within their own faction. The danger of leaks was obvious. Perhaps that was why the Count seemed surprised by how readily I relented. Even so, hearing the truth required resolve. Drawing a steady breath, he leaned forward.
”The one who touched the ‘dungeon core’ is my master, Yuuri.”
”——!”
”I see,” the Count murmured, his brow tightening. “Still, I am surprised. If that man, Yuuri, had earned Her Highness’s protection as a hero of the Labyrinth, would his safety not have been assured?”
Pain clenched my chest, yet beneath it lingered a bitter certainty.
Yuuri always knew when to rein himself in—or at least, he should have. Yet he could never turn away from someone else’s suffering. Even if there had been a way for him to avoid becoming one with the “dungeon core,” he would have found a reason to hand that chance to someone else. Ashley-jou had been a childhood friend who cared deeply for him. The image of soft-hearted Yuuri standing by in silence while she was offered up as a sacrifice was impossible to picture.
To the Count, however, the notion that his daughter still carried feelings for a boy she had met only briefly ten years ago sounded like a fantasy. From his perspective, Yuuri was merely a sensible commoner following the Princess. Why would such a man throw away his life for a maid?
Perhaps relief over his daughter’s safety loosened his restraint. Whatever the reason, the Count pressed further than he otherwise might have. And perhaps because he had mistaken Yuuri for a calculating opportunist, despite how obvious my feelings for him were, irritation began to simmer in my chest.
”No, sir! My master is absolutely not that kind of man! He possesses a noble spirit and would risk himself without hesitation for those to whom he owes a debt… Though, as someone who serves at his side, I do find that recklessness rather troubling…♡”
”——A debt? What did you just say?”
A moment earlier, I had been holding my own against a Count. Now I was practically swooning over my love life. Was this what people meant when they said love was blind? Worse still, by trying to defend Yuuri’s character, I had exposed far more than I intended about the nature of our relationship.
Only when the Count’s voice dropped into a dangerous calm did I realize my mistake.
”Ah… ah…”
”Putting the matter of the ‘dungeon core’ aside,” the Count said, narrowing his eyes, “it seems we must discuss exactly what happened during these past few months. Roeni-dono, if I recall correctly, you personally vouched for this Yuuri fellow, did you not?”
”Y-yes… However, if Yuuri’s skill was discovered, it is entirely possible that Her Highness herself took the initiative…”
Anyone who had ever been in love would find it stranger if nothing had happened between two people trapped together in such extraordinary circumstances. I had once believed Yuuri would hold out, but that assumption rested on the idea that my then skill-less “little brother” would simply return to the surface alongside the Princess.
Knowing now that he possessed a powerful skill that could not be ignored changed everything. The Princess would naturally have wanted to secure him. Ashley-jou herself had said that Yuuri only gave up because he believed himself skill-less. Once they committed to conquering the Labyrinth, there were only two possible outcomes: silence preserved by success, or silence preserved by death.
To me, it seemed impossible that nothing had happened. The Count’s judgment, however, was clouded by paternal bias.
”Gnu… No, impossible!” the Count snapped, color rising in his face. “Marina-dono would never use my daughter as bait to win a man! It must have been this Yuuri fellow who tempted her in exchange for that skill!”
”No, sir. I swear upon my master’s honor that Ashley-dono was the one who pursued him! She must have realized what his skill was capable of, because the very next day after their reunion, she forced herself upon my sleeping master and successfully obtained it!”
”The next day? You mean that time—ah…”
I wanted to ask why he could accept his daughter being offered up as a “dungeon core” yet balk at the thought of a courtship involving skill transfer, but I bit my tongue. As the argument escalated into an increasingly painful exchange, something suddenly clicked.
Suzuri’s account perfectly matched Ashley-jou’s behavior immediately after the two of them became friends.
The abrupt shift in attitude. The way she went from anxious to cheerful. The attention she lavished on Yuuri afterward. She had realized he was someone she could actually marry. And once she learned he possessed the extraordinary ability to grant skills to others, she likely kept quiet for fear of losing her place in the running.
Viewed from that angle, Ashley-jou’s actions fit Suzuri’s explanation almost perfectly.
Unfortunately, that realization slipped from my mouth before I could stop it.
”——That time? Does milady know something?”
”N-no… When Yuuri was introduced to your daughter as ‘the guide,’ there seemed to be some issue at their lodging, so I allowed them to stay at the Guild for a night. The next day, Ashley-jou visited the parlor I had lent them… No, no, no! Of course, I never imagined she could do anything to your daughter, who already possessed such a skill, nor did I think your daughter would act improperly. Yes, yes, naturally, I warned Yuuri repeatedly afterward.”
Thinking back on it now, Ashley-jou’s conduct had lacked the restraint expected of a Count’s daughter. I should have intervened. Instead, I convinced myself that a girl with her level of Divine Protection could handle Yuuri with one hand tied behind her back. And if it was merely an unrequited crush, I thought it harmless to look the other way for a little while.
Who could have guessed she had been laying the groundwork to turn that romance into reality?
Predators struck with patience and calculation. Looking back, that was exactly what Ashley had done, carefully selecting the man she wanted and methodically tightening the net around him. By the time the truth surfaced, however, it was already too late. All I could do was bow my head again and again while enduring the Count’s fury.
”Phew… Hm?” The Count blinked, his anger giving way to confusion. “Now that I think about it, how did my daughter know Yuuri possessed a skill? Suzuri, you were still trapped at the time, were you not?”
”As Paradis-sama mentioned earlier, the Goddess waits at the lowest level of the Labyrinth. We also had several opportunities to hear the words of the Goddess of Skills. As someone close to Marina-sama, you should already know that she serves as the priestess of the Goddess Shelm. It is said that the Goddess, wishing for Yuuri to use his skill, borrowed Marina-sama’s body to descend and break the seal. Because of the commotion Yuuri caused, he ended up staying at the Guild. I heard that same night the Goddess possessed Marina-sama once more and revealed the secret of his skill.”
The Count’s temper had only just settled, yet the mention of divine involvement immediately set him on edge again. As for me, the existence of an actual Goddess—something I had only heard about through secondhand reports—left me unsure what foundation remained for any argument.
”Um… putting aside the Goddess of the Labyrinth, what is this about Her Highness being a priestess of a Goddess…?”
”…Ah. My lady.” The Count sighed heavily. “Roeni-dono, even a Baron has the right to know this much. Since childhood, Marina-sama has occasionally behaved as though she were a completely different person. During those moments, she would reveal information she could not possibly have known herself. We came to believe that a Goddess was descending upon her. Because it never endangered Her Highness or our faction, we avoided probing too deeply for fear of provoking divine displeasure. Even so, those of us who have served the Princess’s Faction for many years sensed that the Goddess was pursuing goals of her own.”
The revelation was staggering. It was difficult enough to accept the existence of a Goddess, let alone imagine that such a being actively influenced the affairs of mortals. Suddenly, the “Goddess of the Labyrinth” that Marquis Aprelton had mentioned no longer sounded like a distant rumor. The reason so many of the ten chosen members had accepted it so readily was obvious: they already had Princess Marina as living proof.
For anyone outside those circles, however, belief did not come so easily. Silcro had remained silent until now, but excitement finally overcame his restraint.
”Th-then… does that mean the Goddess even foresaw the recent attempt on the Princess’s life?”
”Precisely,” the Count replied. “She knew I remained conscious and arranged for our rescue. Had she not intervened through Marina-sama’s body, Ashley-dono—who had not yet strengthened her ice magic—would never have been able to block the assassin’s escape route. The Goddess occasionally casts her shadow over our lives. If we reject even that modest degree of intervention, are we not being rather arrogant toward the source of such blessings?”
”Gnu… nuuu…!”
The Count’s authority already carried enormous weight, and his concern as a father only strengthened it further. Burdened by my own guilt for overlooking Ashley-jou’s behavior, I could offer no rebuttal. Suzuri stepped in to salvage her earlier mistake and gradually steered the conversation elsewhere.
In trying to recover from her blunder, however, she revealed something else entirely: Ashley-jou’s steadily growing skills had made that magnificent wall of ice possible. Those who had seen the recorded footage had been astonished by a feat that seemed worthy of a veteran mage, yet even that achievement traced back to Ashley’s pursuit of Yuuri and the unseen hand of the Goddess guiding events from the shadows.
Ironically, the Count’s outrage over his daughter’s romance aligned perfectly with his original goal of strengthening his family’s bloodline through marriage. Once that contradiction was pointed out, he could offer no response. Grimacing, he finally sank back into his chair.
—
Summary:
The Count grapples with the terrifying possibility of his daughter Ashley being sacrificed to the dungeon core. As the truth about the Labyrinth’s conquest and the role of the Goddess Shelm unfolds, Suzuri inadvertently exposes Ashley’s romantic entanglement with Yuuri. The revelation of divine intervention in their quest leaves the outcome of the power dynamics uncertain.
—
Trivia:
Ashley-jou previously had enough Divine Protection to handle Yuuri by herself.
The Princess has acted as a vessel for the Goddess Shelm since childhood.
Suzuri held a secret that the Count and the others were meant to be the first to know.
Notes:
• Aprelton – A composed Marquis and head of the Prince’s faction with deep knowledge of Labyrinth mechanics and its true conquest. Exploiting the Princess’s death, he cooperates with the King to undermine her faction and weaken royal authority, all while utilizing his expertise in foreign affairs.
• Ashley – Daughter of Count Alegria, this poised, fiercely loyal noblewoman in elegant attire has a dignified, spirited presence. Once an adventurer in the Royal Capital Labyrinth, she now serves as a royal attendant. She secretly admires Yuuri, is noted as a potential aide for his future dressing duties, and maintains deep relationships with others through her unwavering devotion and service.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea and leader of the Marina-dono faction. She is a figure of high standing who successfully conquered the Labyrinth alongside her escort group, cementing her identity as both royalty and a capable leader.
• Yuuri – An arrogant commoner who conquered the Labyrinth, this youth feigned being “Skillless” to hide high-level garment and intimacy skills, now framing him as the skill distribution mastermind. Dismissed by the Count as untalented, Roeni’s student commands Yui, Suzuri, and a bound girl, treating his wives and servants with a fiercely possessive, dominant aura as their master.
• Paradis – Suzuri’s companion and part of her labyrinth exploration group, he is a person privy to information about the Labyrinth and the Princess. After drawing a monster away to protect her allies, Suzuri deeply hoped for his safety.
• Silcro – Baron Confianza, a short, rotund quiet genius and loyal Princess’s faction member, heads his house, administering thousands of livelihoods. Behind his unassuming look lies a sharp mind thrust into dangerous politics. Husband to Roeni, his greatest asset and observer from his past, he hosts Count Alegria, managing domestic tensions while acting as a guest or intermediary questioning a secret dungeon core.
• Roeni – Baroness of Confianza, an inner-circle noble knowledgeable about the Princess’s situation, is a sharp, no-nonsense leader with neat brown hair and a time-freezing Concentration ability. Alongside her companion—Silcro’s manager seeking Labyrinth truths—she runs her family firm with military precision. A former guild receptionist and mentor to Yuuri, she now faces monsters and assassins with resolve.
• Suzuri – A tall, statuesque shinobi with ink-black hair, pale skin, and a toned form, she is a legendary scout who survived 80 years of Labyrinth petrification. Master of skills like Darkness Wrap, this nameless young woman now serves as Yuuri’s fiercely loyal herald. She reveals Labyrinth secrets and selflessly competes for his favor, balancing her mature devotion with her roles as servant and informant.
• Shelm – Wicked Goddess, reincarnated Yuuri, manipulative, wants him to use his power.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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