Her deep red hair was tied low at the nape, just below her ears, and those sharp, slightly upturned red eyes were glaring straight at me. This woman was Selma Crodel.
She led an S-rank party in "Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky".
Among active explorers in the country, her fame rivaled even Oliver, the hero party's leader.
And with that striking beauty came the title of "the continent's greatest enchanter"—a reputation that made perfect sense.
Still, why was she staring daggers at me like this?
Her party had reached the ninety-second floor of the great labyrinth—the second-deepest among current explorers, right behind the hero party.
Back when I was still with them, we'd kept a close eye on Selma's group to avoid getting overtaken.
She probably did the same with us.
But that didn't explain this level of hostility.
"You've got some nerve, trying to pick up my adorable fourteen-year-old little sister, huh?"
…Ah. That's what this is about.
"It's a misunderstanding. We were just going to have dinner together—no ulterior motives."
"Hah? Are you saying my Sophia isn't cute enough for you?"
This woman is a handful… Saying either way would be a trap. Classic no-win.
"Big sis, stop! Don't be rude to the person who saved my life!"
"…What? Saved your life? Sophia, did you go into the labyrinth alone?"
Selma's expression shifted to suspicion as she stared at her sister.
"Uh, well… that is…"
Sophia realized her slip-up and shrank like a kid caught misbehaving.
Selma sighed. "So you did. I told you to hold off—starting the day after tomorrow we're diving into the great labyrinth for days straight."
"I'm sorry…"
"…Well, you came back unharmed, so I won't lecture you too much. But no more going off on your own, got it?"
"…Okay."
The earlier sharpness vanished. Selma smiled softly and ruffled Sophia's hair.
Carrot and stick in one smooth motion.
"Orun, thank you for saving my sister. Sorry for the attitude earlier."
"Don't worry about it. But people are staring—mind if we sit together?"
From the outside, it probably looked like we were arguing with a clan executive. The other diners' glares were getting uncomfortable.
I suggested sharing the table partly to defuse the tension and show it wasn't a big deal.
"Sure, no problem. Sophia, join us for dinner."
"Okay!"
I took the seat across from Selma; Sophia sat beside her sister.
Sophia and I skimmed the menu, ordered a few dishes, and the three of us began eating.
◇
"Feels like this is the first time we've actually talked properly, doesn't it?"
The hostility from earlier was gone; she spoke casually now, almost friendly.
"Yeah. Last month's joint subjugation was all business—nothing personal."
She'd been there too, of course. As fellow enchanters, she'd taken overall command while I supported her.
We'd only met last month, but I'd known of her long before.
Calling her "the continent's greatest enchanter" wasn't exaggeration—she was the first explorer to focus almost exclusively on support magic for labyrinth runs.
Others might have done it earlier, but she was the one who made the enchanter role famous.
Until a few years ago, typical party setups were four attackers—warriors, mages, the usual damage dealers—plus one healer.
Looking back, it was a brain-dead composition, but back then it was standard.
Selma, at sixteen, challenged that norm.
She introduced the concept of roles: not just attackers, but defenders to draw aggro, and supporters—enchanters and healers—to bolster the team.
Three distinct roles per member.
It dramatically improved sustained combat in labyrinths. Her party quickly shattered the previous depth record, spreading the "role" system until it became common sense.
Even the hero party got inspired—and that's how I ended up converting to enchanter.
"Hey, big sis—are you two old friends?"
"Hm? What, Sophia, you didn't know who Orun was?"
"Um… no. Is he famous?"
"Of course. Orun was part of the hero party that made history—first ever to reach the ninety-fourth floor in the southern great labyrinth."
"Hero…? Wait… ehhh?!"
Yeah, the other four were household names, but me? Not so much.
Enchanter is a low-visibility position. I mostly handled backstage work for the party.
No headlines for me.
Famous or promising explorers get newspaper coverage because nobles and major merchants use it as an investment gauge.
Regular explorers sell magic stones and materials to the guild for cash—living expenses and activity funds.
That money buys weapons, armor, magic tools—the works. Quality costs.
But selling to the guild alone rarely covers top-tier gear for a whole party.
That's where sponsors step in. Their funding lets teams afford better equipment.
They don't see it as charity, though. To them, it's pre-purchasing materials.
The guild buys everything explorers bring back, then resells. No guarantee of getting exactly what you want.
So sponsors pay explorers upfront; when specific materials are needed, they collect.
It's more reliable that way.
And to pick reliable explorers who'll actually return alive, sponsors watch the papers.
There are other reasons for sponsorships, but that's the gist.
"U-um, uh…"
Sophia, already a bit nervous around me, had gone completely stiff.
The "hero" title hits hard—even for a newbie who doesn't fully grasp the explorer world yet.
Or maybe it's just her personality.
"You don't have to be so formal. And I'm not a hero anymore, anyway."
I spoke gently, but she just nodded silently, still tense.
"…Hm? Not a hero? Wait—did you leave the party?"
Selma caught the slip immediately. Sharp as ever.
Hero party news doesn't escape her.
I'd hoped to slide past it casually, but no luck.
It'd be public soon enough anyway—no harm in saying.
"Yeah. I left yesterday. Today I went to a lower-difficulty labyrinth to test my current strength—that's how I ran into Sophia."
Soloing the mid-layers of the great labyrinth felt doable now.
Years as an enchanter had built up knowledge and skills I never had as a pure swordsman.
Income from mid-layers would keep me comfortable, and I'd saved someone today. Solid results.
"Oliver must be out of his mind, letting someone like you go. He should've fought to keep you. And why'd you leave?"
She assumed it was my choice.
No need to correct her—saying I was kicked out would just sound pathetic.
"Party circumstances. Oliver and I both agreed on it."
After all the mockery, no way I'd crawl back.
"I see… So you're free now, Orun?"
"W-well, yeah."
She had that scheming look.
Clan recruitment? Flattering, but I wasn't ready to join anyone yet.
"If you've got time, how about joining our clan's guided exploration the day after tomorrow? I promise fair compensation."
"…Guided exploration?"
Not recruitment.
The unfamiliar term made me echo it back without thinking.