The next morning, after wrapping up matters with the Silverwind Merchant Guild, Ivette finally arrived at the entrance to the Adlock Great Labyrinth with Lucia, ready to search below for Professor Evans Hawker of the Academy of Truth's General Studies branch.
More than two hundred years had passed since she last came to the Great Labyrinth's entrance, and the scene before her had changed beyond recognition. In her memories, the entrance had been scattered across the hills, and one had needed to enter the underground ruins through caves located everywhere. Now, however, the place looked as though it had been struck by a meteorite, transformed into a massive crater. Rings of artificially carved paths wound down along the crater walls, eventually leading to the enormous opening at the bottom that led to the labyrinth's first level.
Perhaps because it was still early, not many adventurers were descending into the Great Labyrinth along the circular paths.
Under Ivette's protection, the two of them passed numerous adventurer parties without much trouble and reached the exploration frontier on the fourteenth underground level.
The air here suddenly became cold and damp, filled with the scents of earth, moss, and scrap iron. A vast, dim underground cavern lay before them, with neat excavation marks still visible on the rock walls. After turning several corners along a passage strewn with the remains of unknown magical beasts, the flickering firelight ahead dispelled some of the darkness.
An elderly man with graying hair, ragged clothes, and a face covered in dust was sitting around a campfire with two young men dressed in simple exploration gear, speaking quietly.
When Ivette and Lucia approached, all three showed surprise at once. Adventurers who could reach the fourteenth underground level needed at least a High Mage or swordsman leading them. Yet these