Unrequited Love, Lost for the Better - Chapter 20

Volume 1 of UL,LFTB is available uncensored on ko-fi!

※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

“Don’t you know you shouldn’t approach from behind during alert status?”

“And don’t you know, Commander Wintergreen, that abusing your authority is—ugh, not—allowed?”

“Say that again.”

At the impertinent challenge, Valerian pressed his scabbard against Meliano’s shoulder instead of his neck. Under the pressure on one shoulder, Meliano grimaced. Though he wasn’t small, the difference in build made his knees buckle.

But Meliano didn’t back down. Senior Collette was watching him. Gritting his teeth, he shoved the documents in his hand before Valerian’s eyes.

“Senior Collette was included as additional personnel through proper procedures. Even as overall commander, you can’t just dismiss the Tower Master’s recommendation, can you?”

“What?”

The Tower Master’s recommendation.

That snake wouldn’t have casually written a recommendation that could later be used to assign blame.

Valerian snatched the documents the fly held out. As the brat had said, it was indeed a recommendation stamped with the Tower Master’s seal.

Collette’s name was in the recommended field, and Meliano Somerset’s as her companion.

So the rumor that the Tower Master’s blood relative had joined the Tower—it was this bastard. This punk used the Tower Master’s backing to meddle.

Collette had used that fly’s help to get included in the exploration squad.

No wonder he irritated me so much.

Though the Exploration Squad was relatively free from the Tower Master’s authority compared to other teams, if the Tower Master had personally written the recommendation, he couldn’t completely exclude the two from the team.

Grinding his molars, Valerian growled with an intensity that looked ready to punch Meliano’s jaw off.

“Even if you did go through proper procedures, do you think I’d take Collette—with a brat like you in tow—into a Labyrinth that’s clearly dangerous?”

The Labyrinth was a place where one could easily lose their life, let alone get injured. How could he possibly take Collette to such a place?

Valerian met Collette’s gaze with pleading eyes.

Please, Collette. Go back. Even now.

“……”

Collette, looking at Valerian, parted her lips. Just then—

Rumble—

The ground began to shake.

“What…?”

Turning his head, Valerian witnessed the massive ellipsoid Labyrinth beyond the tents rumbling. Its pitch-black surface vibrated, shaking the earth. Valerian’s expression changed.

“…Ah!”

Meliano, staggering, reached out to Collette who was also wobbling. The area was full of small stones. As he tried to pull her close to keep her from falling, a gust of wind struck him.

“Senior—ugh?!”

Meliano faltered under the fierce gale that made it hard to even open his eyes. In that moment, Valerian lunged and pulled Collette into his arms just as she was about to fall.

Then, beneath their feet, a massive ring of light appeared. Before they could escape its range, Collette lost consciousness in Valerian’s arms, the blinding light the last thing she saw.

* * *

A musty smell made Collette frown. It smelled like burning, like dust—it seemed to come from everywhere, and no matter which way she turned her head, she couldn’t escape it.

What was this smell? She wanted to avoid it, but her eyelids were heavy.

The more she breathed it in, the heavier her body became, as if covered in a waterlogged blanket. She groaned, unable to move a finger, when something soft touched her cheek. Then a vaguely familiar scent reached her.

This… cedarwood?

The faint dry wood scent that came on snowy days was barely there. Only after smelling it could she breathe a little easier. Wanting to breathe it in more, she inhaled deeply—and heard voices by her ear.

“…If it was someone’s interference?”

“That’s plausible. The Labyrinth has never caused spatial displacement like this before. And we don’t even know if all the team members were moved… In any case, Commander, the Labyrinth is still full of mysteries—we can’t say for certain. If someone did interfere…”

Collette’s eyes flew open. Before her stretched a landscape one might see in a limestone cave. Stalactites filling the high ceiling glowed faintly like falling stars.

Could that be… Galaxy Stone?

Realizing that this was the luminous stone she had only ever seen in exploration reports and theses—the Labyrinth’s guide—Collette sat up. If this was truly Galaxy Stone, then this place was the Labyrinth.

“……!”