I have been reading up on the records that the Searchers had on the minotaurs and their labyrinths. Most of it is old stories about heroes entering the evil minotaur's lair and killing the beast. I am sure that this must have inspired many young kids to give up their lives in these dungeons. The only problem is that it is pretty skimpy on the useful things.

  As an example, the stories speak about how minotaurs are creatures of the earth. Many of the stories that I have read speak about how the creatures shake the very earth with their movement. I can think of a dozen different spells that can achieve the same thing. I will have a formation like that ready in a single week.

  Similarly, they speak about how the minotaur is supposed to be a strong creature. Many of the stories I have read speak about them decimating an entire army in a few minutes. The problem is that the same creature is supposed to be killed by a single troop, usually of four or five people. Now, is this just the liberties taken in a story, or is there some practical basis for it? I guess only the Searchers can tell.

  There is only one thing of use I have learned from my reading. That is, the creature can only be killed inside its labyrinth. Now, is that actually the case? I don't know. All of the stories that I have read seem to agree on that single point. Well, the searchers certainly know more than me, so I guess I will have to leave it to them. They are pretty intent on getting inside the place.

  Anyway, I am sure that the searchers have given me nothing of use. They give us just enough information that we don't question their knowledge. I don't know why the Searchers have such trust issues. I guess that I can understand it in a way. This is the only real way that they would be able to prove their worth to us.

  Still, I wish that there was some way to make them spill their secrets. I do not like to be in such a state of half-knowledge. I can't help but feel anxious. After all, we are entering the creature's home base. How do you know what the creature could be capable of? At the moment, only the searchers know anything.

  Fighting the creature is not going to be easy, wherever we are fighting it. At least down there it won't be able to use its magic. The magic that it used was a formidable piece of magic. I still haven't recovered the damage done to my formations, and I certainly won't be able to work on it any time soon. (Well, I did use the formations with barely any mana in them. That is part of the damage as well.) The spear will be enough to bring the entire labyrinth onto the creature's head.

  Now, I usually like to avoid fights like this. After all, I have only one life. The group doesn't seem to understand this point, though. I have tried to point that out to the group for the last couple of days now. The only thing they did with that was to ignore it. After all, they had their politics to play after all.

  You see, this labyrinth provides us with a unique challenge. The Searchers, the Sentinels and the guard corps can each take over command of this labyrinth. The Searchers are masters of exploring magical ruins. They have the necessary knowledge to enter and travel the place safely. That means the Searchers can claim command because only they know how to

  The sentinels can also claim control over the place since what we are doing is hunting a magical beast. They hold all the necessary experience in trying to kill a creature that is stronger than you. They have never faced a minotaur before, which does weaken their claim a bit. It is not as much as you would expect. Hunting one creature tends to be like hunting another. However tricky fighting the minotaur is, it will still be easier than trying to fight a demon. We have faced loads of those.

  Lastly, the guards can also claim control here. Their job is to ensure that we have good relations with our neighbors. Both the legion and the Searchers tend to make our allies very uncomfortable. That means that the guards can take over command because that is the only way we will have an ally here.

  That means all three have a legitimate reason to take control. The only way that we will be successful in killing this minotaur is to make all of them work together. The searchers have to take us through the labyrinth. The sentinels have to hunt the beast. The guards have to let the other two factions do their work.

  The only problem is that none of the three factions is letting the others work. All three factions have been trying to stop the other factions from doing their work

  The guards are safe from all this since their work is just to keep the other two factions from going overboard. If anything, they are going to be the main headache to deal with in this mission. (At least the sentinels. The guards and the Searchers have a better relationship than that.)

  Well, with how rocky things are between Anthony and John, Anthony is failing at the task of diplomacy. We have been taking care of the man's slack. The man has been the closest to drawing his sword in all of this mess.

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  Let's just say that it has not been particularly pleasant to try and deal with these people. Alfred and I are the only reason that the three factions have not drawn their weapons on each other. In this case, it is more Alfred than me who has managed to do it.

  Alfred certainly knows how to keep the three factions in control. The man has been maneuvering the three factions so that they do not go against each other. (Just enough that they never realize the Mayfire is behind it.) It is the simple things, such as asking the searcher a question when she is about to lose her mind. If the man had not done this, then she would have started fighting with John or Anthony.

  The Searchers like to explain things, though never fully. How did Alfred even pick up that quirk of the Searchers? The man could not have known it before. he has never interacted with the Searchers as far as I know.

  He does the same thing with John and Anthony. He does this by breaking their train of thought whenever they come close to fighting with each other. It could be an innocent question. It could be an odd comment that catches their attention. I am sure that the man has been doing even more than this. I just can't see the man doing it. I am really bad at games like this.

  I have realized that Alfred is not a man that I should take lightly. I have helped out however I can, but that is very little compared to what the man has achieved.

  That is why the man has managed to land the simpler job of guarding the gentle sword. Even right now, the man and his team are stationed on the ship. Their job is much simpler since the undead are pretty unlikely to attack the ship now. Five people are not enough of a draw for the undead around us, it turns out.

  Well, I guess that I should explain why that is the case. The undead in this land only move for a single reason. That is to feed on death mana. Turns out, undead can convert vital mana into death mana. That means that the undead have been attacking the ship to feed on us.

  I didn't know about that until I talked to John yesterday. Until now, I have been assuming that the undead have been attacking us without reason. They attack anything that they see. I am kind of embarrassed that I did not know that, but I guess that I know it now.

  That means that with only five sources of mana. (Which is roughly about a quarter of us.) The number of undead that are going to be attacking us is a fraction of what should have attacked the ship. Well, if I had known this little fact, I would not have taken such a risky method to protect my ship. Sending the four troops out as bait should have gotten the undead's attention away from the ship. That way, we would already have been in the bone fort.

  Right now, I have something a bit more annoying to handle. After all, I am going to have to deal with the three factions without the help of Alfred this time.

  The man is going to remain with his people. That seriously confuses me about the man's purpose. I guess it is pretty risky to follow us into the tunnels. At the same time, it is also the perfect place to build alliances.

  Right now, all three factions are fighting each other. Any faction would appreciate the man's assistance. I had expected him to come for that reason only. The man is not unfamiliar with being on a battlefield. This bit of risk would not have intimidated him. Well, he did not come for whatever reason.

  "Hold your positions.", searcher Patrick commands us, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Do not follow us until we shout out for you."

  I naturally listen to this command as the three searchers climb down into the labyrinth by using a rope. Just behind them, we have Trevor. He follows them like a ghost into the labyrinth. Well, he is doing it at my command only. After all, my troop has the relatively vital task of sending messages from one group to another. It is a bit risky to separate them like this, but they will be safe with their respective groups. Sadly, there won't be a mind web this time. That was a useful bit of magic.

  I naturally follow their command. The thing I am surprised about is that the other two factions have also done the same thing. I had expected them to resist the order in one way or the other. With the way that they have been fighting these two days, what else could I expect?

  The Searchers are the only ones who will be able to take us into the labyrinth safely. I might not have any real information about the labyrinth. I know enough to know that the place is dangerous.

  There are going to be traps and monsters in the place. That is going to be enough of a threat already. The main threat with magical ruins is that you never know what will fail on you. Most of the formations here tend to be so old that a formation might explode while you're walking on it. That is why you need experts to take you through a magical ruin. I wish that somebody would say that to the other two groups with us.

  The Searchers are the only reason that we are even able to enter the labyrinth right now. They have been searching the area around our ship for the minotaur's labyrinth. It did not take them long to find the labyrinth of the minotaur.

  The result of that search is the pit that they have created in front of us. I don't know how else to describe it, other than it reminds me of a grave. Well, the Searchers believe that this is the easiest place to breach into the labyrinth. That is why they have been digging into the ground here.

  Just as I am recording this, a voice resounds from below us. It is one of the searchers, though I can't tell which one.

  "It is safe to enter."

  Well, I guess that it is time for us to enter the hole. If only the damn thing did not feel like we were trying to enter a grave. The first to enter the hole are the sentinels (and Jacob, too.)

  The next to enter are Anthony Greyvoid and his bunch, along with Andrew. It is nice to see that the man is about as confident as me about entering that hole. Well, there they go. It is about time that I also enter the place. I can't leave them to their scheming down there now, can I? They would be dead within the hour.