The maze was built starting with the mother skeleton replenishing its magic.

"What else can I do? I'll find a place to have some fun for a while, and then turn myself in after I run out of money."

As Mulin spoke, he walked to a tree, sat down, and touched his chest with his hand.

"You want to turn yourself in?" Martin asked in surprise.

"I'm fed up with living on the run." Mullin scoffed. "I'm not like Duke. My crimes won't kill me. At most, I'll be in jail for a few years and then I'll be out."

It's clear that this experience in the maze caused some changes in his mindset.

As he said this, Mulin's face was pale, as if he were recalling what had happened in the maze.

For Martin, this is the best possible outcome.

no need.

"One last question. After you answer it, I'll assume you've died in the maze." Martin took a deep breath, his eyes serious. "Where did you find out about my past?"

"A bar in Rosstown, run by someone who calls himself an information broker," Mullin replied.

"Is he a short, fat, sleazy man in a black priest's robe named Ethan?"

"It's him," Mullin asked curiously. "Do you have a grudge against him?"

Martin gritted his teeth, and you could clearly see the veins popping out on his forehead.

"Now we have it."

......

Ross Town, a small town nestled in the southern province of Eniman, is a tranquil place with a pleasant climate, where agriculture and mining are the main industries.

The town is small; including transient residents, the total population is around 800.

The favorite thing for people who have worked all day is to have a drink at the Storm Troll Tavern in town.

Listen to a bard playing the lute and boasting, or a drunken adventurer telling stories about himself and his mistresses in the capital.

Occasionally, some outsiders become curious about Ross Town.

Whenever this happens, Ethan knows that his business has come knocking.

His titles as a former adventurer and former member of the Frey Church always allowed him to fool one or two ignorant outsiders.

As for why they're all exes—asking questions also costs money.

"Bang—"

The door to the Dragon Tavern was suddenly pushed open.

When the startled guests realized who it was, shouts and jeers followed.

"Who dared to mess with our hunter! He looks like he ate five raw chili peppers, haha!"

"Boss, another drink, on Martin's tab! He still owes me one!"

Martin ignored their teasing and scanned the entire tavern with his hawk-like eyes.

Finally, at the back door, he met Ethan's gaze as he furtively prepared to escape.

The instant their eyes met, Ethan turned and ran.

Martin, meanwhile, strolled leisurely toward the back door, pulling a gold coin from his pocket and tossing it to the customer who owed him a drink.

"Here you go," Martin said.

Then, passing several tables, Martin arrived at the alley behind the bar.

There, Ethan, who had stepped into the trap, was hanging upside down in the air, his body swaying as he struggled, like a sausage being blown left and right by the wind.

"Martin! Is this how you treat your former teammate and friend?!"

Ethan struggled and screamed.

The alley is narrow, with walls on both sides, and few people come here except for customers who are drunk and vomiting.

It's perfect for installing traps to catch Ethan.

Martin drew his arrow, nocked it, and shot.

"call out--"

The rope suspending Ethan was shot off, and with a cry of "Ouch!" he fell to the ground.

Martin glanced at him: "Is this how you betray your former teammate and friend?"

"I don't understand what you're saying." Ethan's face was full of fat when he laughed, making him look quite comical.

"Why run if you don't understand?"

Martin crouched down, said something again casually, and savored the astonished expression on Ethan's face:

"Those two are wanted criminals of the Empire. You don't want the news of you protecting criminals to reach the judge, do you?"

For a long time, the alley was so quiet that the noise from the tavern could be heard through the walls.

a long time.

"I just wanted you to earn some money too, I didn't think that much about it," Ethan explained awkwardly. "They gave me quite a lot."

Why tell them that?

"They're looking for adventurers with a bad record. I only recommended you, without going into details... but they really offered a lot!"

Ethan repeated.

No wonder they were looking for adventurers with bad records; it turns out the wanted criminals were trying to double-cross them!

Martin sighed, took out a knife from his waist, and loosened Ethan's bindings.

Ethan put his reddened wrists behind his back, cleared his throat, and said in a righteous tone:

"So where are those two wanted criminals now? I cannot tolerate those who defy imperial law."

"He died in the maze," Martin replied as he gathered the rope.

"Died in the maze?" Ethan was taken aback, staring into Martin's eyes. "You did it?"

"Skeleton did it."

"Why don't you just say it was the rabbit that did it!"

"The skeletons in the Kru Maze are acting strangely; avoid the maze for now."

Martin gave Ethan a word of advice, then gave him a long look before turning to leave.

"My grandma could beat those skeletons in that maze!" Ethan yelled at him. "You just killed two wanted criminals, why are you being so secretive? You didn't even..."

broken.

Ethan immediately covered his mouth.

Look at what I've said with my foul mouth!

Even though he stopped speaking immediately, the unfinished words still ignited Martin's long-suppressed emotions like a torch.

The kind that explodes directly.

He turned around abruptly.

He grabbed Ethan by the collar, slammed him against the wall, stared at him with bloodshot eyes, and his low voice trembled with rage.

It was as if he was talking to himself.

It's as if it's venting something.

"Yes, I'm a disgraced adventurer! I killed my teammates before!"

"Martin! Calm down!" Ethan struggled.

Martin didn't care about any of that; with red eyes, he gritted his teeth and said those words.

"Elena has been infected. Half of her body has turned into a treant. Everyone is injured, we've run out of medicine, and we're still two levels away from the maze's exit. There are treants that can sense her location chasing us!"

"She begged me to kill her because she didn't want to be a burden to everyone. She was crying and pleading with me! I'm the captain, I should have saved all of you, but I couldn't save her! I couldn't save her!"

Only the faint sounds of the pub and Martin's heavy breathing, his chest rising and falling, remained in the alley.

After that, silence filled the place, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the tavern next door.

After calming down a bit, Ethan realized what a stupid thing he had done. He licked his dry lips and apologized with a wry smile:

"I'm sorry, you know that's not what I meant, I just wanted to..."

Afraid of saying something stupid again, Ethan simply shut his mouth halfway through.

His eyes were full of apology.

Five years ago, a team with an average level of twelve encountered an infected tree spirit on the third floor of the "Kings' Labyrinth" in the capital, which should have appeared on the fifth floor.

The successful return to the ground with only one member lost was thanks to Captain Martin's calm judgment and command.

Even though he personally killed his infected fiancée and personally freed Elena.

No one will blame him.

nobody.

Martin sighed, a very long sigh, the regret and pain in which only he knew.

"It's all in the past."

Martin loosened Ethan's collar and then helped Ethan up from the ground.

Look into his eyes.

"The wanted criminal died in the maze, it's true. The skeletons in the Kru Maze are strange, don't go into the maze recently."

"Also, I'll be leaving here next week."

"Where to?" Ethan asked.

Martin looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with confusion.

"To the south, there is a seaside village called Auckland."

"I plan to buy a farm there."

"Plant some wheat."

"Okay." Ethan was secretly pleased, but outwardly remained calm as he straightened his collar. "As a friend, I support your decision... Why?"

He looked at Martin with a puzzled expression as he reached out his hand to him.

He even beckoned with his finger.

"You're not just going to let this go after betraying your friend's personal information, are you?" Martin said mockingly, holding out his hand. "Give me back what you've swallowed."

"You know Martin, I have a wife and daughter to support."

"I know, but I didn't."

"You're a monster! A monster that escaped from the labyrinth!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Look what Lance discovered in the maze.

A level 18 human mage who died one hour ago.

The staff was nowhere to be found, and the body was in a gruesome state, but the backpack and the corpse were still in the same place.

These wanted criminals are truly inhuman; none of them were even willing to help their dead comrade collect his body, they only took his equipment.

This gave Lance a chance to loot the corpse.

Is this... a diary in the backpack?

After mastering the [Human Common Language LV10], Lance was able to read.

The stereotype is that magicians are all studious.

Perhaps the diary contained records of magic and knowledge.

He eagerly opened the wanted criminal's diary.

"

The Third Age, Year 149, July 13th.

Indeed, the taste of married women in the capital is the best.