The So-Called Labyrinth

They continued deeper into the labyrinth. It had to be said, this was an extremely standard labyrinth.

Since entering, they had encountered pressure plates, arrows, flames, and a pile of mechanisms that had to be touched in the right order to open a door.

Aside from a boulder rolling down from the ceiling and a few monsters suddenly charging out, they had encountered just about every classic labyrinth feature.

It looked exactly like the example labyrinths in books about labyrinth exploration, enough to make one wonder if it had actually been built to match those textbooks one-to-one. And judging by how things were going, those other two features would probably show up soon.

"Lady Frieren, we've passed the entrance to the next level three times without going in. Do we really need to explore this thoroughly?"

Fern spoke to Frieren as she drew a map of the labyrinth. At their current pace, by the time they actually entered the next level, they would probably be able to walk through this one with their eyes closed.

"Don't be impatient, Fern. Labyrinth exploration means exploring every last corner carefully, leaving no regrets. Reaching the deepest part is important, of course, but enjoying the process of exploring the unknown is even more important."

Frieren's steps did not slow in the slightest.

"I see. I understand, Lady Frieren."

After listening to Frieren, Fern seemed to have grasped something and nodded earnestly.

But Lorenzo spoke up.

"The scenery along the way is important, of course, but suppose you went through all kinds of hardships to finally find a legendary great pirate's hidden treasure. Then you opened it and found nothing but a note saying, 'The adventures and friendships along the way are the most precious treasure.' Wouldn't that be a bit of an anticlimax?"

Fern imagined the scene.

A group of people risked their lives crossing storms and defeating sea monsters, then struggled to reach the ends of the world while countless enemies pursued them.

But in the end, all they got was a life lesson everyone already understood. Even if the adventures and friendships along the way really were precious, it would probably be hard to stop them from smashing the treasure chest on the spot. If any of them had a particularly bad temper, they might even make a special trip back home to dig the great pirate out of his grave, open the coffin, and desecrate his corpse.

"So the result is important too. But precisely because it's important, you should choose the right way to reach it."

"Why is that?"

Fern asked.

"If our only goal were to reach the deepest part of the labyrinth, we could just use explosive magic to blast straight down through all the floors and walls."

Lorenzo raised a foot and lightly tapped the stone tiles beneath him.

"That might be fast, but it could also bury the magic items along the way in the rubble. Even if we did reach the deepest part in the end, we might have destroyed what we actually wanted to find with our own hands."

"The means have never been unrelated to the result. The path you choose often determines what you get in the end."

People often said they would use any means necessary to get what they wanted. Lorenzo could certainly sense the strong will and determination in those words, but he did not particularly relate to them.

After all, a resolute will would not waver in the first place. Precisely because there was something he wanted, he had all the more reason to choose his means carefully.

"You can't just admire the scenery along the way and end up forgetting why you set out. The process and the result aren't things you have to choose between."

Fern looked down at the unfinished map in her hands and thought for a while, only half understanding.

"All right, stop with the strange philosophy lessons and let's get back to exploring."

Frieren spoke up from the side.

The three finally continued onward. Sure enough, the traps and monsters they had yet to encounter appeared right on schedule. It was clear that the builder of this labyrinth was hardly creative, just forcing things in for lack of ideas.

Lorenzo had originally wanted to test Fern's fighting ability, but the monsters here turned out to be far too weak. Fern killed them all in a single encounter.

Still, the decisiveness with which she killed them showed that Frieren's teaching really had been effective. Hopefully, she would keep that attitude when she encountered Demons in the future.

"Beyond this door is the last unexplored area of the labyrinth."

Fern looked at her hand-drawn map and, after confirming that nothing had been missed, spoke to Frieren and Lorenzo.

"Does that sound like running water?"

Lorenzo tilted his head slightly. He could indeed hear a rushing sound through the heavy stone door.

"Let's open it and see."

Frieren waved her staff, and the stone door automatically opened to either side.

The next moment, a blast of murky air with a pungent smell poured through the gap.

"Poison!"

Lorenzo made the call immediately.

He grabbed Fern, who was standing at the front, and pulled her back. At the same time, Frieren deployed a defensive barrier, blocking the poisonous gas that continued to spread out through the doorway.

Fern instinctively held her breath and did not dare breathe again until she had retreated more than ten meters.

"What's in there?"

"It's a Silver Flow River, a liquid mineral that flows naturally underground."

Frieren explained.

"Minerals can form rivers too?"

It was the first time Fern had heard of such a thing.

"Silver Flow Ore doesn't solidify even at room temperature. When a large vein is squeezed by underground pressure, it slowly flows along gaps in the rock strata. Over hundreds of years, it eventually forms something like a river."

"Besides that, a Silver Flow River is an excellent conductor of mana. It absorbs mana from its surroundings and carries it downstream along the river. Ancient mages often used that property to provide a stable supply of mana for large-scale spells, or used silver flow as a special medium in alchemy experiments."

"No wonder I couldn't sense any mana behind the door just now."

Fern said.

"Yes. A Silver Flow River absorbs mana used to probe it from outside, so it's hardly any different from a blank space to mana sensing."

"You said it's an excellent conductor of mana?"

Lorenzo suddenly noticed the crucial detail. Wasn't this the material for Volumen Hydrargyrum?

"Why did you suddenly get so excited?"

Frieren looked at Lorenzo in puzzlement.

"This material is perfect for making a magic item."

Frieren glanced into the space beyond the door.

"Then go ahead and make it. There's nothing else behind this door besides the river anyway."

Once she had confirmed there were no grimoires inside, her interest in the Silver Flow River immediately dropped by more than half.

"About how long will it take?"

"Maybe a month or two."

"That long?"

Frieren frowned slightly. He had only taken a few days to make three magic items before, so why would one take a month or two this time?

"After all, this isn't on the same level of difficulty as those other ones."

"What are you planning to make, Lord Lorenzo?"

Fern was a little curious.

"You two should head back first. I'll go to the Holy City and buy some food to stock up. You'll find out when the time comes."

Lorenzo deliberately kept them in suspense.