When they got back to the palace it was a relaxing experience. Being among commoners put Kotori at ease, being able to set politics aside even if for a day was the best way to relax after all.

Fawks had stayed cooped up in the room ever since they got to Eris. It seemed like he didn’t have any inclination to do his usual woman hunting or socializing. It was a far cry from the Fawks that Kotori was used to seeing in the city of Flare.

In fact, he seemed sort of slovenly, the look of his figure lazing around their complex gave Kotori the impression of a bored college student. One who hadn’t gotten a job and stayed at their parents home doing nothing.

To put it lightly, Fawks was a NEET.

Kotori wondered what could cause such a change in attitude

[Has he given up?] She often thought.

Though she couldn’t do much complained either it seemed like ever since seeing the Queen’s candidates and Fawk’s siblings the fervor in the city had died down. Nothing could happen unless a trial was given and thus Kotori had plenty of free time.

Freetime that led her to ask Fawks a simple question.

“Can I go explore the Lab?”

“Yeah sure,” Fawks said waving her away

[Eh?] Kotori thought, She had asked the question as a joke, she didn’t have any hopes that he would ever say yes.

Fawks frowned at her expression, obviously noticing her confusion

“It’s very likely one of the trials is a dungeon exploration quest, so you should familiarize yourself with it.” He said.

[Oh, I guess that makes sense.]

Since she had permission to enter the dungeon she assumed that her entire party would be allowed to go. A thought that excited Amelie.

Amelie was an active girl, living in the wood elf village where she lived a fairly active life made staying put extremely difficult. She had been fidgety the whole ship ride to Eris, even though she helped fight the ocean dungeons.

This fidgety nature had gotten even worse the moment they arrived at the palace with nothing to Amelie had been walking around with an empty expression.

Upon hearing she could explore the dungeon she nearly ran out the door to explore it herself. Kotori had to physically hold her back to prevent her from running off. Exploring a dungeon was dangerous business, and although Kotori’s group was already well equipped to deal with most things, they didn’t know anything about the Lab.

Kotori suddenly had a use for her adventurer's guild registration. The very next day she spent reading the various tomes in their library learning about the curious dungeon that made Eris so rich.

It was indeed quite an interesting dungeon. The Labyrinthos was a multi-level dungeon. Each level got progressively harder the deeper one went and the monsters would also increase in ferocity, consequently, the monster drops would also increase in value the deeper one went.

It was a very basic design, but the most interesting thing about the Labyrinthos was not its design though.

It was the fact the vast majority of the dungeon was not explored.

The thing about the Labyrinthos was that it was endless. Or at least that was the prevailing theory. Adventurers had spent centuries trying to map the dungeon. A task that was considered impossible. It was almost as if the dungeon was alive. Other than the main passageways in the beginning of the dungeon. The dungeon would constantly change its layout.

A room that was a verdant forest, could eventually become a freezing tundra the week. Even worse, the room could be impossible to find after one had visited it.

Over the years several adventurers’ parties had created expeditions to try and map the deepest part of the dungeons. Few had ever returned alive.

Those that came back, would tell fantastical tales of a shadow that hunted in the dark, being ejected from their bodies and the giggling of a girl that would haunt their sleep and dreams.

Reading the accounts made Kotori more curious than anything, she even felt a slight tug to go explore the depths of the dungeon herself.

It was a dangerous dungeon, but even so, plenty of novice adventurers entered with little harm. The reason was that the main passageways stay relatively similar, and the dungeon changed slowly. In fact, as long as your trip in the dungeon only took about a day there was very little unpredictability.

Kotori was excited to go enter it. The previous dungeon had bored her, they were known quantities and the routes were all planned out in Faramouth. This was not the case in Eris, Kotori was so fired up she even took up a simple quest on the job board, an action that made the guild receptionist look at her with a very confused eye.

[I’m going to explore a dungeon!]

Kitsura

Good vibes

https://youtu.be/p4vzp9MCg1w