In a secluded passage of the underground labyrinth beneath the Imperial Capital, three knights in standard-issue Empire armor leaned against the wall, chatting out of sheer boredom.
They were guards assigned to watch the labyrinth's perimeter. The monotony of standing guard had inevitably dulled their vigilance, and they had started chatting.
"Seriously, with those Demon King Cult bastards constantly wreaking havoc all over the city, things in the Imperial Capital have been pretty chaotic lately."
One of the younger knights yawned and tapped the butt of his spear against the ground.
"With all that going on, do we really need to keep standing guard over this labyrinth when there's nobody here?"
"I was thinking the same thing."
Another knight agreed, reaching up to rub his aching shoulder.
"Nobody's gone in here for decades. Besides, who would come to a place like this for no reason? They'd be better off sending us into the city to clear out those Demon King Cult lunatics first."
The third knight shook his head at their complaints and spoke.
"You don't need to worry about things in the Imperial Capital. After the Demon King Cult started causing trouble a while ago, a mysterious swordswoman appeared in the city. They say she wiped out all the cultists with sword energy without even showing her face."
The other two knights exchanged skeptical looks.
"Really? How come I haven't heard about that?"
"Isn't someone just exaggerating?"
The third knight fell silent for a moment, then lowered his voice.
"My family lives in the eastern district. A few days ago, some Demon King Cult members set fires on their street. They thought they were done for, but then a slash of sword energy fell from the sky and killed those arsonists on the spot. My parents and my little