"The Labyrinth City…"
Lucien Valmont's voice echoed quietly inside the royal library.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The old historian stood beside the map, his finger resting on a distant point far south of the capital.
Meanwhile, I leaned back in my chair, slowly sipping my tea.
The faint bitterness of the leaves lingered on my tongue.
Crunch.
Another biscuit disappeared between my teeth.
Lucien watched me calmly.
"As you wish, Your Highness," he said.
"I will explain."
He turned back toward the map.
"The Labyrinth City is located on the southern frontier of the empire."
"It is often called a free city."
"But that term is… somewhat misleading."
"How so?" I asked.
Lucien sighed softly.
"Because in truth, it is a place where the empire has chosen to look away."
His finger tapped the map.
"The city was originally founded centuries ago when explorers discovered a massive underground structure beneath the land."
"A labyrinth."
"A structure so vast and complex that even today no one has fully explored it."
His voice lowered slightly.
"Inside that labyrinth are countless dangers."
"Monsters."
"Traps."
"And ancient relics left behind by forgotten civilizations."
I nodded slowly.
Exactly like the game.
Lucien continued.
"In the early days, the discovery caused great excitement."
"Adventurers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters flooded into the city."
"Many returned with powerful artifacts."
"Some even discovered relics believed to belong to ancient gods."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So the city became rich."
"Yes."
"Extremely rich."
"The empire invested heavily in the region."
"Guilds were established."
"Trade routes flourished."
"And mercenary companies formed to explore the labyrinth."
Lucien folded his hands behind his back.
"For many years, the city was one of the empire's greatest economic hubs."
"But…"
He paused.
"Things did not remain that way."
I leaned forward slightly.
"What changed?"
"The labyrinth."
Lucien looked directly at me.
"Eventually, most of the easily accessible treasures were discovered."
"The deeper levels of the labyrinth remained dangerous."
"Exploration became increasingly expensive."
"Many expeditions ended in failure."
"Entire mercenary companies disappeared."
"And yet…"
"The monsters never stopped coming."
I frowned.
"So the city started losing money."
Lucien nodded.
"The cost of maintaining defenses grew higher every year."
"The empire had to fund the city constantly."
"But the profits were decreasing."
"And eventually…"
He sighed.
"The noble council pressured the emperor to stop funding the region."
"So the empire abandoned it."
"More or less."
"Officially the city still belongs to the empire."
"But in reality…"
Lucien spread his hands slightly.
"No one truly governs it."
I understood immediately.
A lawless frontier.
Perfect.
Lucien continued.
"The official governor of the city is a minor noble appointed by the imperial court."
"But the man is… corrupt."
"He only cares about collecting his share of the taxes."
"What happens in the city does not concern him."
"So long as the money continues flowing."
"And because of that…"
"The Labyrinth City slowly changed."
His voice grew darker.
"Criminals began moving there."
"Runaway peasants."
"Smugglers."
"Mercenaries without allegiance."
"Slave traders."
"Even members of other races hiding from persecution."
"Beastmen."
"Demihumans."
"And occasionally…"
"Demons."
The city sounded exactly like the game description.
A chaotic melting pot of power and crime.
Lucien shook his head.
"Today the Labyrinth City is often called the Criminal City."
"A place where imperial law has little meaning."
"Mercenary guilds control most of the streets."
"And power belongs to whoever is strong enough to take it."
I slowly placed my tea cup down.
In the game…
That city was where everything began.
Where the protagonist started his journey.
Where he fought bandits.
Formed his first team.
And slowly rose to power.
It was also where countless ancient relics were hidden.
A treasure trove.
And perhaps…
The perfect place for my plans to begin.
"Prince?"
Lucien's voice broke my thoughts.
I blinked.
"Sorry," I said.
"I was lost in thought."
Lucien nodded patiently.
"Shall we continue?"
"Yes."
He rolled up the map.
"For now, that is the situation of the Labyrinth City."
"And the empire has no intention of changing it."
I chuckled quietly.
"So the empire allows criminals to gather in one place…"
"Because it keeps them from causing trouble elsewhere."
Lucien nodded.
"Exactly."
"It is not an ideal solution."
"But it is convenient."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Just as I was about to ask another question—
Knock knock.
A maid's voice came from the door.
"Your Highness."
"It is already evening."
"Her Majesty requests your presence at dinner."
I blinked and looked toward the window.
The sky had turned dark blue.
"…Already night?"
Time had passed faster than I realized.
Lucien smiled slightly.
"History has a way of doing that."
I stood up from the chair.
"Well then."
"That will be all for today."
Lucien bowed respectfully.
"I will return tomorrow if Your Highness wishes."
"Please do."
The old historian gathered his scrolls.
"My family is waiting for me as well."
I nodded.
"Travel safely."
With that, he left the library.
---
A few minutes later, I arrived at the dining hall.
The royal family was already seated.
The emperor.
The empress.
My older brother.
And my little sister.
The atmosphere was warm and peaceful.
The moment I entered, my mother smiled.
"Alex."
"You're late."
"Sorry," I said casually.
"I was talking with the imperial historian."
My father raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"And what did you learn today?"
I sat down and thought for a moment.
"Many things."
"The empire is bigger than I realized."
"And more complicated."
My father nodded approvingly.
"That is good."
"A ruler must understand his world."
My sister leaned closer to me.
"Did you learn anything interesting?"
I smiled slightly.
"Yes."
"That the world is far messier than it looks."
She blinked in confusion.
"…That doesn't sound fun."
Everyone laughed softly.
Dinner continued peacefully.
For a brief moment, it felt like an ordinary family meal.
But inside my mind…
Plans were already forming.
---
Later that night, I returned to my room.
The palace had grown quiet.
Moonlight filtered through the window.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Alright…"
"Let's organize things."
I closed my eyes and began thinking carefully.
What needed to be done first?
One by one, my priorities became clear.
First.
Saving the main protagonist.
And his sister.
In the original story, their tragedy started everything.
If I could prevent that…
The entire timeline might change.
Second.
Money.
A lot of money.
Especially control over mana stone trade.
Those crystals would become extremely important during the future wars.
Third.
The Labyrinth City.
If I could restore order there…
It could become a powerful base.
Fourth.
Strength.
I needed to become stronger.
Both physically and politically.
I opened my eyes and smiled.
"Well."
"That's a good start."
Finally…
Clear goals.
Clear direction.
I slowly sat up.
"Now then…"
"Let's start shocking this empire."
A strange laugh escaped my mouth.
"Heh…"
"Hehehe…"
"Hahaha…"
Suddenly—
Ding!
System Notification:
50 SC Coins earned.
I blinked.
"…What?"
"Why did I get coins?"
The system responded immediately.
"You shocked me, Host."
"You were laughing like a complete psycho."
"I became concerned."
I stared at the ceiling.
"…You're kidding."
"Not at all," the system replied cheerfully.
"You should see your face."
I immediately jumped up.
"You little—"
"Get back here!"
The system laughed.
And somewhere inside the quiet palace…
A supposedly mentally ill prince began chasing an invisible voice.