Unrequited Love, Lost for the Better - Chapter 22

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

When he had opened his eyes in the Labyrinth, the brat was nowhere to be seen. He had carried the unconscious Collette and moved on, only encountering the flustered exploration squad members nearby—that vermin was absent.

“I don’t know.”

At his curt reply, Collette raised an eyebrow. Taking a deep breath, she spoke calmly.

“Everyone here is from the exploration squad, right? The additional volunteers who came with me aren’t here. It seems only the squad members were moved… I’m probably here because I was close to you when you were moved. Right before I passed out, I saw a huge light at my feet.”

The longer Collette spoke, the more Valerian’s expression twisted. According to her reasoning, she had ended up in the Labyrinth because of him.

He asked in a low voice.

“So?”

“Since I was moved with you, there’s a chance Somerset—who was close to us—was also moved into the Labyrinth. But he’s not here, so maybe he’s stranded somewhere else.”

“…….”

When Valen didn’t respond, Collette grabbed his sleeve.

“Valen. He’s my direct junior. My sub-assistant. You’d go look for a fallen team member too, wouldn’t you?”

Even as she said this, Collette worried about Meliano. She couldn’t shake her anxiety until she confirmed he wasn’t in the Labyrinth.

Valerian looked down with narrowed eyes at Collette’s hand gripping his sleeve, her knuckles turning white. The fact that Collette was this tense over that vermin—that alone displeased him.

“You’d go look for a fallen team member too, wouldn’t you?”

Of course he would. But that applied only to his own team members—not to that vermin who had exposed his beloved Collette to danger.

“Collette. As you said, I was holding you, so you might have been swept in because of me. I’m sorry for that.”

Thus, Valerian spoke coldly.

“But that brat was at a distance from us. I can’t be certain he was dragged into the Labyrinth like we were.”

“Since you can’t be certain, we should check.”

“…Collette. This is the Labyrinth, and we still don’t know who—or what—forced us here. But one thing is clear: whatever its identity, it’s not something that wishes us well.”

Teleportation magic required immense effort. Moving this many people at once was nearly impossible without a high-level being. If it was a trap set by humans, it would only be somewhat troublesome. Valerian hoped for the latter, but he couldn’t ignore the possibility of the former.

“If this was caused by the Labyrinth’s own will, we need to move even more cautiously.”

If it was the former—if the Labyrinth itself had pulled humans into its belly—the problem became complicated. They had only just reached a point where the Labyrinth’s byproducts held more value than its dangers. A new variable would require reorganizing their entire exploration approach.

Valerian and Ronald Woodrow prioritized the squad’s safety above all. But the nations of the continent, having awakened to the new resources the Magic Tower was producing from Labyrinth byproducts, were unlikely to wait quietly during a reorganization period.

Outwardly, they would express dignified support—trusting the Tower’s judgment, asking the squad to labor for the continent’s peace. But beneath the surface, they would pressure the Tower’s elders to obtain the resources they desired.

If that happened, researchers like Collette wouldn’t be free from the pressure either.

“That’s exactly why we need to be thorough.”

Collette, with a stern face, persuaded Valen, who was trying to reason with her.

“Like you said, we don’t know yet whether we were dropped here by someone’s trap or by the Labyrinth’s mysterious power. So to figure out why this happened, shouldn’t we check on Somerset’s whereabouts? Even if others don’t know, if he woke up in the Labyrinth after seeing that light too, that could be a key clue.”

“…….”

“And above all—isn’t having one more person helpful for our strength right now? From what I can see, there’s no visible exit here either… right?”

Valerian reluctantly nodded at Collette’s question as she looked around. Collette took his gloved hand and continued.