Arc 1The Labyrinth Rescue

Rudeus and Eris reunited with Paul and joined his party to rescue Zenith, while also finding Lilia trapped in the Teleportation Labyrinth. The group reached the sixth floor and found Zenith inside a crystal beside a sleeping Hydra, with Eris stopping Paul from rushing forward.

  • Eris chose to stay with Rudeus, and the two set out together after Rujierd and Ghislaine departed.
  • Rudeus and Eris traveled to Zant Port, found Paul’s message asking them to come to Milishion, and sailed across the sea after defeating a Deep-Sea Giant Tentacle Beast.
  • In Milishion, Eris and Rudeus rescued five kidnapped beastfolk children, then reunited with Paul and met Norn and Geese.
  • Roxy arrived with Elinalise and Talhand and revealed that Zenith was trapped in the Teleportation Labyrinth near Rapan, guarded by a Hydra.
  • Before the expedition, Eris accepted Rudeus’s proposal and promised to protect his family, and the party then traveled to Rapan and learned Lilia was stranded in the labyrinth.
  • Rudeus guided the party through traps on the first and second floors, and they defeated a Giant Desert Spider before discovering a hidden passage.
  • The party found Lilia and two other survivors, then learned that Zenith was on the sixth floor and that a nine-headed Hydra guarded the way.
  • Rudeus, Eris, Paul, Roxy, Elinalise, and Talhand reached the Hydra sleeping beside a crystal containing Zenith, and Eris pulled Paul back before he awakened it.
Chapters 1–25 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 1I Didn't Leave

Eris woke beside Rudeus in the ruins of Roa and remembered the losses that brought them there, along with the dangers they had survived together. She decided to stay with him, and they reassured each other of their bond before sharing a kiss as morning broke.

  • Eris recalled that Alphonse had told her Grandfather Sauros, Father, and Mother were dead, and that House Notos wanted her as a concubine.
  • Eris remembered how Rudeus had protected and supported her during their journey and how the Dragon God had nearly killed him.
  • Eris decided she would not leave Rudeus and told him she was still there when he woke.
  • Rudeus asked whether she was truly staying, and Eris embraced him and kissed him.
  • Rujierd looked into the tent, left them alone, and returned to announce that breakfast was ready.

Ch. 2You're Here Too

After Rujierd left the tent, Rudeus asked Eris if she would stay with him, and she promised to remain by his side while growing stronger. The pair shared their feelings before joining the others outside, where Ghislaine announced she was leaving for the Sword Sanctum.

  • Rudeus worried that Eris would leave him, and she assured him she would stay wherever he went.
  • Eris told Rudeus she would grow stronger alongside him rather than train alone at the Sword Sanctum.
  • Rudeus thanked Eris for staying and said he was happy, and Eris quietly thanked him in return.
  • Rujierd welcomed Rudeus outside and told him breakfast was ready.
  • Ghislaine said she was leaving, asked Rudeus to take care of Eris, and departed.

Ch. 3Three Years on the Road

Eris recalled the three years she, Rudeus, and Rujierd had spent traveling together, remembering how they faced danger and learned to trust one another. As they reached a town, Rujierd said Eris was one of the few people he could comfortably leave his back to.

  • Eris remembered how Rudeus stayed awake beside her during their first frightening night on the Demon Continent and later returned from meeting Kishirika with the Demon Eye of Foresight.
  • Eris recalled fighting desert scorpions alongside Rudeus and trusting his warnings to guide her through battle.
  • Eris remembered rescuing five kidnapped beastfolk children with Rudeus and realizing why she wielded her sword.
  • Eris recalled teaching Minitona and Tersena human speech while admiring their ears and tails.
  • Eris asked Rudeus if he had been afraid during their first days on the Demon Continent, and he admitted that he had hidden his fear for her sake.
  • Rujierd told Eris that she was one of the few people he could trust with his back, then stopped the group as they reached a town.

Ch. 4Farewell and a Promise

Rikarisu City marked Rujierd and Rudeus and Eris’s parting after three years of traveling together. Rudeus and Eris decided to search for his family at the Adventurers’ Guild and continued on without Rujierd.

  • Rujierd said he had to search for the scattered Superd and clear his people’s name, and Rudeus promised to help spread the truth once he found his family.
  • Rujierd told Eris she was better suited to protect Rudeus than he was, then asked Rudeus to take care of her and rode away.
  • Rudeus and Eris mourned Rujierd’s departure, and Eris asked where they would go next.
  • Rudeus said they would look for Paul and check the Adventurers’ Guild for messages, and Eris agreed to go with him.
  • Rudeus set out with Eris, determined to live seriously and protect the people close to him.

Ch. 5A Journey for Two

After Rujierd left, Eris and Rudeus registered as the Dead End party and completed their first request together. Rudeus then found information suggesting his father might have left a message at Zant Port, giving them a new destination.

  • Eris and Rudeus registered the two-person Dead End party at the Adventurers' Guild and accepted a request to hunt forest wolves.
  • Eris led the way into the woods, where she and Rudeus defeated five forest wolves in less than a minute.
  • Rudeus bandaged a scratch on Eris's arm, and Eris resolved to become faster and stronger so she could protect him.
  • Rudeus found a notice about Zant Port and told Eris that his father might have left a message there.

Ch. 6Father's handwriting

Rudeus found Paul’s missing-person notice at the Adventurers’ Guild in Zant Port, directing him to Milishion in the Holy Country of Millis. Eris promised to go with him and revealed a message carved into his wand, and they headed for the docks to continue their search.

  • Rudeus and Eris reached Zant Port after four days of travel and went to the Adventurers’ Guild to search for Paul.
  • Rudeus found Paul’s handwritten notice asking him to come to Milishion, where Paul was waiting for his family.
  • Rudeus told Eris that the journey would be long and dangerous, but Eris insisted that his family was hers too and comforted him with a hug.
  • After they left the guild, Rudeus discovered Eris had carved into his wand, “Rudeus, Eris will protect you from now on.”
  • Rudeus and Eris headed toward the docks to travel to the Holy Country of Millis.

Ch. 7Crossing the Sea

Rudeus and Eris earned enough money in Zant Port to board a ship for the Millis Continent, where Paul was waiting. During the voyage, they shared a quiet conversation under the moon before a huge creature approached the ship from below.

  • Rudeus and Eris completed eleven commissions in four days, earning enough for tickets, supplies, and meals.
  • Rudeus and Eris boarded the Tailwind and began the seven-day voyage from Zant Port to West Port.
  • Rudeus practiced wind magic at sea and learned to keep the sails at a favorable angle.
  • Eris told Rudeus about seeing the sea as a child, and they promised to travel together after finding his family.
  • Rudeus denied ever having been somewhere far away, and Eris called him a liar before falling asleep against his shoulder.
  • A huge shadow moved beneath the ship, and an unusual wave tilted the vessel as Rudeus warned Eris.

Ch. 8Sea Dragon Attack

Rudeus and Eris fought off an A-rank Deep-Sea Giant Tentacle Beast attacking the Tailwind, severing three of its tentacles and forcing it to retreat. After the captain granted them free passage, Eris asked whether Rudeus had seen a vision of her death, and he promised he would not see it again.

  • Rudeus froze the sea around the ship and told Eris to attack the weak bands at the tentacles’ bases.
  • Eris severed the first tentacle while Rudeus used his Demon Eye and magic to help her avoid the beast’s attacks.
  • Rudeus and Eris severed two more tentacles, and the wounded Deep-Sea Giant Tentacle Beast withdrew.
  • The captain thanked Rudeus and Eris by offering them free passage and a letter of recommendation for an inn in Milishion.
  • Eris asked Rudeus if he had seen a vision of her dying, and Rudeus lied that he had not before promising her he would not see it again.

Ch. 9Millis Continent

Eris and Rudeus arrived in Milishion, where they encountered the Millis Faith’s strict customs and prejudice against beastfolk. The next morning, they learned that Paul’s search party was near a refugee camp where beastfolk children had recently been kidnapped.

  • Eris and Rudeus entered Milishion, and Rudeus warned Eris not to draw attention in the conservative Holy Country of Millis.
  • Eris watched guards shove and drag away a beast-eared man, but she restrained herself after Rudeus reminded her they needed to find Paul.
  • Rudeus and Eris checked into an inn and learned that Paul’s search party was their next destination.
  • Eris practiced sword moves while Rudeus worried about seeing Paul again after three years apart.
  • The innkeeper told Rudeus and Eris that the search party was near a refugee camp south of the city and that traffickers had kidnapped several beastfolk children.
  • Eris tightened her grip on her sword when she heard about the kidnapped children, and Rudeus did not stop her.

Ch. 10Things Better Left Alone

Rudeus and Eris tracked the abducted beastfolk children to an old warehouse in Millis and attacked the traffickers holding them. The children were alive, but the chapter ended as Eris confronted the kidnappers on the first floor while Rudeus prepared to deal with those upstairs.

  • Eris learned that traffickers had abducted five beastfolk children from the refugee camp and decided to pursue them despite the risks.
  • Rudeus hesitated because they were in Millis, where unauthorized fighting was forbidden, but recalled Rujierd's lesson and chose to help.
  • Rudeus used earth magic to follow two carriages to a warehouse and detected ten people inside, including the five children.
  • Rudeus found no bows or crossbows upstairs, then fired a Rock Bullet to block the stairway as Eris entered through the main doors.
  • Eris cut through a kidnapper's sheathed sword and warned the others not to move.

Ch. 11Mad Dog Unleashed

Eris rescued five beastfolk children from kidnappers in a warehouse while Rudeus blocked their escape, then waited for the guards with the children. A monkey-faced demon recognized Rudeus as his senior, leaving Rudeus staring at him as if trying to remember who he was.

  • Eris stormed the warehouse and defeated the kidnappers, while Rudeus trapped the last fleeing man with Rock Bullets.
  • Eris comforted Mina and learned from her older sister that the kidnappers had beaten the young girl.
  • Eris restrained the unconscious boss after Rudeus warned her that the guards would arrive and they could get into trouble.
  • Eris led the children outside, and Rudeus praised her before going to fetch the guards.
  • A monkey-faced demon called Rudeus his senior, and Rudeus looked at him as if he recognized him but could not remember where they had met.

Ch. 12The Monkey-Faced Man

Rudeus met Geese outside the refugee camp, and Geese led him to the search party where Paul was waiting. After hearing how Paul searched for him and left messages at more than thirty Adventurers’ Guilds, Rudeus entered Paul’s tent and faced his father.

  • Rudeus recognized Geese, who explained he had waited outside the camp for him and had seen him arrive in Milishion.
  • Geese learned that Eris was Rudeus’s fiancée and agreed to take them to Paul.
  • On the way to camp, Geese told Rudeus how Paul searched for survivors, waited for his family, and left more than thirty messages for Rudeus at Adventurers’ Guilds.
  • Rudeus explained that he found Paul’s message in the Zant Port guild register, and Geese laughed that he had predicted Rudeus would check it.
  • Geese led Rudeus and Eris to Paul’s tent, where Paul saw Rudeus and said his name.

Ch. 13Father

Rudeus reunited with Paul after three years apart, and Paul welcomed Eris for bringing him safely home. Paul introduced Rudeus to his younger sister Norn, while the map and messages in the tent showed that Paul was still searching for their missing family.

  • Rudeus and Paul embraced and cried after recognizing each other.
  • Rudeus introduced Eris as his fiancée, and Paul thanked her for caring for him and welcomed her back.
  • Paul introduced Rudeus to Norn, who asked Eris to teach her swordsmanship.
  • Paul praised Rudeus for crossing the Demon Continent with Eris, then studied the marked routes and messages from his search.

Ch. 14Little Sister and Sister-in-Law

Eris met Norn, who asked her to teach her swordsmanship, while Paul told Rudeus that Zenith had been found in the Teleportation Labyrinth and that Lilia and Aisha were missing. As the family prepared to enter the labyrinth, Roxy arrived at their camp.

  • Eris crouched beside Norn, answered her questions, and agreed to teach her swordsmanship if Paul approved.
  • Paul showed Rudeus the map and revealed that Roxy’s search party had located Zenith near Rapan in the Begaritt Continent, while Lilia and Aisha’s whereabouts in Shirone remained unknown.
  • The group ate Geese’s soup, and Norn asked Paul to have Zenith make her a raspberry cake when they rescued her.
  • After Norn fell asleep, a rider arrived at the camp, and Eris recognized the short, blue-haired woman as Roxy.

Ch. 15Paul's Year and a Half

Paul and Rudeus reconciled after Paul recounted his years searching for his family, and Paul revealed that Zenith was trapped in the Teleportation Labyrinth on the Begaritt Continent. Roxy arrived at the camp as they prepared to discuss entering the labyrinth.

  • Paul told Rudeus how he carried Norn to safety after the Teleportation Incident and searched across the continent for his missing family.
  • Paul apologized for his past mistakes and admitted he feared Rudeus hated him, but Rudeus said he did not and praised Paul's efforts to find them.
  • Paul told Rudeus that Zenith was inside the Teleportation Labyrinth and that Roxy had gone to investigate it.
  • Paul welcomed Rudeus back and said they would discuss entering the labyrinth when Roxy arrived.
  • Roxy arrived at the camp on horseback.

Ch. 16The Blue Figure

Roxy, Elinalise, and Talhand arrived at camp, and Eris saw how nervous and eager Rudeus was to meet his former teacher. Roxy explained that Zenith was trapped in the Teleportation Labyrinth near Rapan City and that its dangerous floors and Hydra guardian required a careful plan.

  • Roxy arrived at camp with Elinalise and Talhand, and Rudeus greeted her with obvious excitement and nervousness.
  • Rudeus introduced Eris Boreas Greyrat as his fiancée, and Roxy congratulated them before leading the others into the tent.
  • Roxy showed Rudeus and Eris a map locating Zenith in the Teleportation Labyrinth near Rapan City on the Begaritt Continent.
  • Roxy described the labyrinth's teleportation traps, poisonous fog, mana-enhanced monsters, and S-rank Hydra on the sixth floor.
  • Roxy revealed that two search parties had been lost and said they needed a complete plan before sending anyone else into the labyrinth.

Ch. 17The Search Party Assembled

Paul assembled a seven-person party to enter the Teleportation Labyrinth and rescue Zenith, outlining the dangers and assigning roles. After the group prepared to leave the next morning, Roxy asked Rudeus whether he could protect Eris, and he said they protected each other.

  • Paul explained the labyrinth's teleportation traps, poisonous mist, powerful monsters, and the Hydra guarding the sixth floor.
  • Paul assigned Eris and himself to the vanguard, Rudeus and Elinalise to the middle guard, Roxy and Talhand to the rear guard, and Geese to scouting.
  • Talhand doubted that Eris was a Sword Saint, but Roxy vouched for her and Eris lowered her hand from her sword.
  • Paul told the party to prepare to leave the next morning and warned them not to die.
  • Roxy asked Rudeus if he could protect Eris, and he replied that they protected each other before hurrying after her.

Ch. 18The Night Before Departure

On the night before entering the labyrinth to rescue Rudeus's mother, Eris received a handmade charm from Norn and a spare sword from Paul, then accepted Rudeus's marriage proposal. Elsewhere, a white-haired girl at Ranoa University of Magic quietly wondered where Rudeus was.

  • Eris sharpened her sword while thinking about the next day's rescue mission, and Roxy returned the sword after examining it.
  • Norn gave Eris a handmade charm and asked her and Rudeus to come back safely.
  • Paul gave Eris his spare sword and asked her to look after Rudeus.
  • Eris told Rudeus she would protect his family, and he proposed to her; she accepted and punched him when he asked to kiss her.
  • At Ranoa University of Magic, a white-haired girl studied voiceless magic and whispered Rudeus's name, wondering where he was.

Ch. 19Desert Continent

Rudeus and Paul’s group reached Rapan and learned that the Teleportation Labyrinth’s traps had grown more dangerous. Paul then discovered that a search party was stranded on the fifth floor, and Rudeus recognized Lilia’s name among them.

  • Rudeus, Eris, Paul, Roxy, Elinalise, Talhand, and Geese crossed the desert and arrived at Rapan.
  • Rudeus and Paul visited the Adventurers’ Guild, where they learned that teleportation traps in the labyrinth had nearly doubled.
  • Rudeus spoke with Eris in the inn courtyard about the previous night and remembered proposing to her.
  • Paul told Rudeus that a search party had been scattered through the labyrinth and that several members were trapped on the fifth floor.
  • Rudeus read the stranded party’s names and froze when he saw Lilia’s name.

Ch. 20Unexpected News

Rudeus tells Paul he already knows Lilia is Aisha’s mother and focuses on rescuing her and Zenith from the Teleportation Labyrinth. Eris studies the labyrinth routes and organizes the group’s plan for entering it the next day.

  • Rudeus reassures Paul that he has known about Lilia and Aisha and will not blame him, then agrees to enter the labyrinth the next day to rescue Lilia.
  • Paul thanks Rudeus and tells him to treat Eris well before returning to the inn.
  • Eris shows Rudeus a route that avoids several teleportation traps and reviews notes about the fifth-floor safe zone where Lilia may be.
  • Eris assigns the group’s positions for the descent, with Elinalise and Talhand waiting on the second floor and Geese carrying word if trouble arises.
  • Rudeus and Eris study the maps together, and Eris tells him to stay behind her and get to bed early before the expedition.

Ch. 21Entering the Labyrinth

Eris led Paul, Rudeus, Roxy, Elinalise, Talhand, and Geese into the Teleportation Labyrinth to search for Paul's wife. After they crossed into the second floor, they encountered another teleportation-locked door and needed to find its key.

  • Eris joined Paul, Roxy, Elinalise, and Talhand outside the inn, while Geese went ahead to scout the labyrinth entrance.
  • Geese warned the group about teleportation traps, and Rudeus detected mana on the entrance door before Eris opened it.
  • Eris killed three sand lizards in the first-floor passage before Paul and Roxy could act.
  • Rudeus and Roxy identified a teleportation circle on a stone door, and Roxy found its matching key in a nearby chamber.
  • Paul used the key to open the way to the second floor, where Rudeus guided the group through trap-covered passages.
  • The group reached another teleportation-locked door on the second floor and prepared to search for its key.

Ch. 22Traps and Coordination

Rudeus used his earth-sensing magic and Demon Eye of Foresight to guide the party through the second floor and plan an attack on an A-rank Giant Desert Spider guarding the stairwell to the third floor. The battle left the spider with two severed legs, but it had fixed all its eyes on Eris as she charged again.

  • Rudeus sensed the second floor's transfer and spike traps and guided Eris, Paul, Master Roxy, Elinalise, and Talhand safely through them.
  • Rudeus detected an A-rank monster near the stairwell and identified it as a Giant Desert Spider with corrosive silk and no apparent blind spot.
  • Rudeus assigned the party roles and struck the spider with a Rock Bullet, drawing its attention toward him.
  • Eris charged the spider and severed one of its legs at the joint after Rudeus warned her of its attack.
  • Master Roxy blocked the spider's corrosive silk with an Ice Wall, allowing Eris to circle around and cut off a second leg.
  • Eris charged again as the injured spider locked its many eyes onto her.

Ch. 23The guardian of the second floor

Rudeus and the others defeated the giant spider guarding the stairwell by exploiting its armor seams, then discovered a hidden passage leading deeper into the dungeon. Rudeus sensed an enormous creature with far greater mana density ahead, but Paul decided they still had to proceed.

  • Eris, Paul, Rudeus, and Master Roxy coordinated their attacks, with Roxy using Water Blade to cut open the giant spider’s abdominal armor and Paul tearing the wound wider with his sword.
  • The spider sprayed corrosive silk in its death throes before its movements stopped and it died.
  • Master Roxy examined the spider’s unusually hard armor while Geese found a hand-cut crack in the wall behind its corpse.
  • Rudeus sensed that the hidden passage descended far beyond the second floor and detected an enormous presence with much higher mana density than the spider.
  • Paul decided the group would enter the hidden passage, and no one objected.

Ch. 24Lilia

Eris and the search party found Paul’s missing companions, including Lilia, trapped on the fifth level of the labyrinth. Rudeus sensed Zenith on the sixth level, where Lilia warned that a nine-headed giant snake awaited them, and Paul led the party onward.

  • Eris destroyed four patrolling gargoyles with the Nameless Sword as the party descended through warm, sulfurous water.
  • Rudeus sensed three surviving people ahead, and Paul rushed into a hall where he reunited with Lilia.
  • Rudeus and the others learned that Lilia and two search-party members had been trapped for five days, and Roxy treated Lilia’s injured ankle while Paul carried her.
  • Rudeus sensed that Zenith was on the sixth level and detected a huge monster with exceptionally dense mana.
  • Lilia revealed that the monster was a nine-headed giant snake, and Paul led the party toward the sixth level.

Ch. 25Deeper

Paul and the others descended through the increasingly dangerous passage toward the Hydra, which guarded a crystal containing Zenith. The group reached the monster, but Paul rushed toward her before they could plan an attack, and Eris pulled him back before the Hydra fully awakened.

  • Paul left Lilia at the entrance with supplies while he and five others continued into the labyrinth.
  • As the group descended, Rudeus detected denser teleportation traps and sensed the Hydra waiting ahead.
  • The group prepared to fight the Hydra, though Rudeus had already spent half his mana.
  • They found the nine-headed Hydra sleeping beside a green crystal with Zenith inside.
  • Paul charged toward Zenith, but Eris pulled him back before the Hydra could awaken.
Arc 1 of 2
Arc 1 of 2