I involuntarily blinked and checked the faces around me.
Elisa's confused expression, Citry still smiling despite the situation, and — the cold stares from the members of Star's Holy Thunder.
I shuddered. Even I, who's terrible at reading the room and often gets scolded for it, could tell that the atmosphere was freezing over.
This again... I'm being misunderstood, aren't I? I hurried to explain myself.
"N-no, I haven't done anything..."
If anything, I'm the one who wants to know what I supposedly did — what's even going on.
I have no intention of doing anything, and I don't have any skills to speak of.
The timing was admittedly bad, but why did they think I did something... oh. Right.
I clapped my hands together and began stroking the rough gate. Tinno flinched and took a step backward in alarm.
This is an action that doesn't mean anything in particular — and that's when one of the Star's Holy Thunder members standing behind Lapis muttered softly: "...Quit messing around, human."
"...Hey."
Lapis turned to face her comrade behind her with a stern expression. But even under that sharp gaze, the other's expression didn't change.
Up until now, they'd gone along with Lapis's opinions as their leader, but it seemed they'd finally reached their limit.
"No, Leader. Just this once, let me say my piece. Lapis, are you really fine with this? Sure, obtaining the Cursed Stone was a great feat, but to flaunt it — and furthermore, to use our compliance as an excuse to mock us? As proud Spiritfolk, this is unforgivable."
Huh? O-obediently listening — huh? Since when? I feel like I've been getting glared at this whole time, though...
Gaze met gaze, Lapis let out a small sigh and stepped aside. Then a member of Star's Holy Thunder stepped forward.
Slightly taller than me. A slender, long figure. The gaze directed at me was cold and sharp, but her beauty was enough to make that easy to ignore.
As expected of the group rumored to be the most beautiful collection of women in Beginning Footprint. Of course, their abilities were a given, but about half the reason they'd been recruited was for the customer appeal (it was Citry's idea, naturally).
It was clear from her gaze that she didn't think highly of me, but compared to other Spiritfolk, she was still much better.
Among the Spiritfolk, there are those who constantly hurl insults at humans for no reason, and those who smile to your face while secretly plotting your downfall. Star's Holy Thunder's members were easy enough to deal with simply because they came at you straight without pretense. Apparently, the reason most of them besides Lapis and Klyus rarely came to the Clan House was to avoid causing unnecessary trouble...
The real problem was Liliz and the others, whose moods were in steep decline. They hadn't made a move yet, but that was only because Star's Holy Thunder were technically clan members.
But that patience wouldn't last long. She'd grown since the old days when she had an even shorter temper, but there were limits.
And the Star's Holy Thunder side weren't the type to hold back just because Liliz was there. So what should I do...
While I was thinking, one of the members standing in front of me parted her lips. Just as I braced myself for whatever verbal abuse was about to come, Elisa cut in.
She stepped in front of me as if to protect me, and spoke in her usual voice — the kind that made you drowsy just listening to it.
"Wait... it's not good to jump to the conclusion that it's Ku's fault."
"! Elisa is right! Calm down! There's no way a human could interfere with a Spiritfolk's spell!"
Klyus immediately shouted in agreement. I was really glad we'd become friends.
With the pushback from their own comrades, the accusing member's eyes widened in surprise. While they were used to being challenged by their leader Lapis, they were probably not used to being opposed by the youngest member Klyus and Elisa.
The hostility in their gaze hadn't dissipated, but at least there was no immediate danger of Mourning Specter versus Star's Holy Thunder breaking out.
After a brief silence, the golden-haired Spiritfolk narrowed her eyes, glanced at me, and spoke.
"...Fine. It's not that I trust the Thousand Transformations over there... but if the Wanderer says he can provide a convincing explanation of the current situation, I'll hear it."
"...It's also possible that it's just a coincidence."
As Elisa spoke somewhat reluctantly, one of the members standing behind — the shortest Spiritfolk girl — spoke with a contemptuous smirk.
"How interesting... It's the secret technique of the Spiritfolk royal family, you know? And this time, they've been formally invited. You're saying that a spell which hasn't had a single problem since activation is suddenly having issues by coincidence? Hah, what an absurd story. If such a thing were actually true, all of us in Star's Holy Thunder would bow our heads in apology for suspecting him and follow this man's orders — just once. Anything!"
Do Spiritfolk just feel incomplete unless they've said something reckless?
The girl suddenly proposed an incomprehensible bet, and the other members agreed. Only Klyus was left staring in disbelief.
Lapis sighed and spoke as if to say she had no choice.
"...You say interesting things. Thousand Transformations — I will witness this wager. Not as the leader of Star's Holy Thunder, but in a strictly neutral capacity. Spiritfolk do not lie. If you are not the primary cause of this problem, then on the pride of the Spiritfolk, I will make the members of Star's Holy Thunder take responsibility for their words."
"You just casually excluded yourself from this, Lapis! Take me out of it too!"
Lapis made her declaration without room for argument, and Klyus jumped on her for it. Lapis's ability to dodge responsibility in situations like this was truly impressive. I was a little envious.
By the way, if by some remote chance the cause of this incident really was me, what exactly would they make me do?
The other Star's Holy Thunder members were flustered by Lapis and Klyus's exchange, but quickly regrouped and pointed their fingers at me.
"In return, when we're proven right—"
"I understand what the members of Star's Holy Thunder want. Now then, let's prove that Klye hasn't done anything!"
"!?"
Citry clapped her hands and cut them off. She had no intention of letting them finish. As expected of an Alchemist who'd survived among the most cunning of the trade.
It felt a bit unfair, but since it really wasn't my fault, I decided not to worry about it for now.
Sensing the situation, Lucia let out a deep sigh and spoke up.
"But how do you intend to prove it, Citry? Proving that someone didn't do something is..."
"Simple. If Klye isn't the cause, then the same thing can happen without him being present — Elisa, please search for a safe gate once more. If problems arise even when Klye isn't nearby, then it proves it's not his fault!"
In response to Lucia's question, Citry turned to survey everyone present and declared with full confidence.
§ Well, I'd vaguely known things would turn out like this.
"...I've finally figured it out. It appears that the internal space-time is unstable. Because of this, even if Elisa checked and found it safe, the path quickly switches to a dangerous one. This is likely the original design of the spell. The guide is meant to navigate this ever-shifting labyrinth — so the individual gates probably don't hold particular significance."
Lucia explained in a quiet voice. The thief of Mourning Specter was Liliz, but unraveling and communicating magical mechanisms was Lucia's usual role. Especially in high-level certified Treasure Halls, traps like these were common, so she'd naturally honed those skills.
The Sacred Tree Labyrinth turned out to be a place better suited for Lucia than for Liliz.
The Star's Holy Thunder members, who'd been listening to Lucia's explanation, nodded and then spoke in a low voice.
"I see... So, Lucia Roje. What you're saying is this: that Thousand Transformations — that when your brother approaches, the Wanderer outputs NG is simply a coincidence."
"Manipulating a spell of this scale of space-time is beyond human capability. You should know the power of the Spiritfolk royal family better than anyone!"
Lucia's cheeks flushed red as she shouted. Just then, Elisa — who'd stopped in front of one of the gates — spoke wearily, uttering words that no one could count how many times she'd already said.
"Next is... here."
"...Thousand Transformations, I'm finally forced to admit that you've lost. This is purely my judgment from a neutral standpoint. This is far too well-orchestrated to be an accident."
"Hey, weakling, quit screwing around! At least if nothing happened when the weakling approached, it'd give us something to negotiate with!"
The other members sneered at Klyus's desperate words.
"Save your useless struggles, Klyus. You were the one who told us that Thousand Transformations is not the kind of man to back down when he should."
What exactly had Klyus told her comrades about me when talking behind my back?
By now, no one believed that I wasn't responsible for this incident. That said, I couldn't really blame them. If I were in their position, I'd probably think the same thing.
It had been nearly an hour since we'd started proving my innocence. Every gate Elisa selected turned dangerous the moment I approached.
Conversely, they'd remained safe until I got close. This was nothing short of blatant harassment with no room for excuses.
The members of Star's Holy Thunder had already moved past triumph and were looking at me with undisguised contempt.
I truly hadn't done anything, but I was completely at a loss as to what force could have produced this situation.
"Well, Klye-kun, you do attract trouble... one way or another..."
"Mastaa..."
"I'm sorry, Klye. I never thought it would turn out like this—"
"Hmm..."
Even Anthem looked troubled. I truly felt sorry for always causing problems at every turn.
But regardless of the bet's outcome, being stuck here was a real problem. Luke had been turned to stone. According to Elisa, we needed to break the curse as soon as possible or things would get complicated, and we had to somehow break through this maze where the path ahead kept switching to a dead end.
Right... for example, what if they left me here and went on ahead?
It seemed the Sacred Tree Labyrinth hated me enough that just my presence was enough to make the paths dangerous, but conversely, Elisa hadn't flagged anything as dangerous until I got close.
A reversed way of thinking. While waiting, I'd be relatively safe inside Mimmy-kun, and it's not like I was desperate to get to Yggdrasil no matter what.
I couldn't forget — the whole point of this journey was to cure Luke.
I was already exhausted. All I wanted was to climb into bed and sleep.
Actually, now that I think about it calmly, wasn't it the Yggdrasil Spiritfolk who created this magical labyrinth that was flagging everything as dangerous?
After all, she was a Spiritfolk royal who hated humans. She could probably manipulate her own spell however she wanted, and it wouldn't be surprising if she was deliberately messing with me.
Even if it didn't go that far, there was also the possibility that she was testing my abilities. My certified level guaranteed my strength to a certain extent, but ultimately, it was just a standard created by people.
"Fine. Let's make this the last one. What a waste of time."
"...Fine. Ku, over here."
Well, whether my guess was right or wrong, there was nothing I could do about it.
Steeling myself, I walked toward the gate Elisa had pointed to. That's when I turned my gaze to something that had been catching my eye since earlier.
There were many similar gates lined up in this plaza, but there was one that stood out from the rest.
Not because it was a different color or shape, or because it was glowing.
I asked Elisa, who was wearing her usual drowsy expression.
"Hey, Elisa. That broken gate over there — what do you think it is?"
"...I don't know. But that path is the most dangerous. Don't go near it."
I see... I'd been thinking that if the result was going to be the same regardless, I might as well pick the broken gate, but if she said that, it was probably wisest to leave it alone.
I shrugged and approached the gate.
Elisa said nothing, watching my every move with intense focus.
Tinno, Liliz, Citry, and Lucia — who had stopped her explanation — all watched with bated breath.
Fifty centimeters left to the gate — up until now, this far had always been fine.
The Star's Holy Thunder members, who'd been observing my condition alongside Lucia, shouted: "You understand what's at stake, right?"
"Brother, I've figured out the mechanism! I can detect the space-time distortion! Leave it to me!"
Yeah, I know. I just need to touch it, right? There were two patterns for when Elisa started flagging danger: either when I touched the gate, or when I tried to slip through it.
But what did Lucia plan to do after detecting the space-time distortion... would she fix it?
At their request, I reached out and traced my fingers along the rough gate. Of course, I wasn't doing anything in particular.
But behind me, Lucia's panicked voice rang out.
"The space is — Brother, the space is distorting! What are you doing!?"
"..."
Seriously? ...I'm not doing anything. Besides, didn't you yourself just say that interfering with this spell was beyond human capability?
Elisa still hadn't said anything, but at this rate it was probably no good — half-resigned, I turned to look at Elisa standing right behind me, and my eyes went wide.
Elisa had her eyes wide open, staring intently past the gate. Her wide-open crimson pupils didn't so much as blink, motionless as a doll's.
This was clearly a different reaction from before. When I waved my hand frantically in front of her face, Elisa's eyes finally focused on me.
"...It's coming."
There had been no footsteps or other advance warning. If anything, it was a shift in the air.
I instinctively took a step backward.
A Hunter exploring an unknown Treasure Hall honed exactly this kind of instinct.
I didn't have the talent of a Thief, but the change in the air was obvious enough for even me to understand instantly.
The reason Elisa had sensed it before anyone else was probably because she was the most skilled in that area among all of us.
The air was crackling with tension. The Star's Holy Thunder members, who moments ago had been watching my movements with contempt, shouted in shock.
"This flow of power — !? H-human, what did you do...!?"
"...Just watch. You'll see."
As if asking me would help — I had no idea. I hadn't done anything in the first place...
Beyond the path. Beyond the overgrown road, a massive shadow suddenly fell across the ground.
And then — it slowly emerged.
It was a massive, semi-translucent sphere. Its body sparkled as it caught the light, not touching the ground, floating in the air as if drifting — it didn't look much like a living creature, but at its top were a large, gleaming crimson eye and a mouth.
This was a creature I'd never seen before, even as a member of Mourning Specter who had visited countless Treasure Halls.
As it drifted silently toward us, words spilled from my lips without thinking.
"...Slime...?"
"Idiot, there's no way that's a slime! That's — something connected to the gods and spirits!"
Klyus brandished her staff and yelled at me through a cold sweat.
Well, I was pretty sure it wasn't a slime too. But there was the precedent of Citri Slime, and...
Lapis — who until now had always maintained a neutral stance with elegance — glared at the creature's eye with a stern expression.
"Hmph... Spirits are the very power that constitutes this world — the fundamental essence endowed with will. To think they'd let a spirit of this caliber roam free — and moreover, I can't sense the 'will' it should naturally possess."
That was... a spirit?
I knew what spirits were. Lucia kept them bottled up to use, and I'd seen Mages who controlled others, but whatever was bearing down on us now was nothing like any of them.
"Is that... bad?"
"Put bluntly, it's not something a person can hope to command. Picking a fight with it wouldn't be wise."
Lapis declared with certainty — which was saying something, coming from someone who was always brimming with confidence.
"A spirit of that class should have consciousness and room for negotiation — in principle. But I can no longer sense any intelligence in that thing. It's like a fallen god."
"What are you planning, human!? That is not something to be trifled with!"
The members whispered complaints in response to Lapis's words.
Even if they told me that... That's when I noticed.
At the edge of the massive sphere, a person was swaying gently.
Judging by the shape of the ears, it was a Spiritfolk woman. Her pale green robe fluttered softly.
I couldn't tell if she was alive or dead, but being inside such a terrifying spirit couldn't be a good situation.
One of the Star's Holy Thunder members noticed the figure and widened her eyes.
"What is that? Someone has been... absorbed into the spirit...? Could that be — no, but this... what on earth is going on?"
I had to do something... but the opponent was a spirit.
Not knowing what to do, I cautiously stepped back and called out to my dependable sister's name.
"Lucia."
Lucia responded immediately. Stepping to my side, she glared at the spirit that was slowly advancing.
From the corner of my eye, I could see the color had drained from her face. As a Mage, she must have understood just how powerful the entity before us was.
But Mourning Specter had always overcome adversity. While this opponent seemed too dangerous to fight head-on, Lucia also had the knowledge she'd cultivated at the academy.
She would surely find a way to handle this situation that Lapis and the others wouldn't think of.
With all my hope, I called Lucia's name once more.
"Lucia."
"I-I know!"
Lucia answered in a trembling but resolute voice, then thrust her staff forward and cast a spell.
"'Hailstorm'!!"
...That's not it!