Chapter 40: Question
The depths of the Labyrinth, quiet for decades and centuries, were suddenly abuzz.
“…I mean, considering your age, it could be.”
The golem Itea, who always wore the same maid’s outfit, shook her head and spoke firmly to the Sage.
Standing beside him, Itea was arguing that the sage was old and senile.
“That can’t be true.”
The sage was a ‘Sage.’ How ridiculous would it be for a sage to grow old?
“Then how could you forget the cadets you admitted?”
Itea said with a cold face.
In the Sage’s hand was a document that contained information about a cadet named Zetto.
The cadet who obtained the necklace with the Hero’s Favor and defeated Lycanthrope in the Labyrinth with a sword skill that even the Sage had never seen before.
The Sage used his powers to look at the information on Zetto, who had been traveling all over the place. He wanted to know how he had gotten in, who had gotten him in, and what his history was.
The Sage was surprised to find that Zetto’s dossier was fake.
Zetto’s papers said that he had been admitted by Hubert Graham, the Academy’s president, who was also the Sage’s fake identity. But the Sage had no recollection of admitting a cadet named Zetto, or of ever meeting him.
He had been searching his memory for days.
It didn’t make sense. No one but himself could have tampered with the papers.
The Sage was not finding it easy to accept that he was old and that he had forgotten the existence of the cadet named Zetto.
The Sage rubbed at his temples, where they had been itching.
“The ghosts will be singing…”
“Master. Speaking of ghosts, I can confirm that the sword Cadet Zetto was carrying is a Spectral Sword.”
Itea hands the Sage a piece of paper containing the results of her analysis of Zetto’s sword.
The Sage looks over the paper and bursts into laughter.
“Hehe, where did a 20-year-old kid get Vampiric Iron?”
The Vampiric Iron and the Spectral Sword didn’t make sense but that didn’t matter to the Sage.
He had no intention of harming Zetto over it. Instead, the Sage had an interesting hypothesis.
“Perhaps he was talking to himself…He was instead having a conversation with the sword spirit…?”
Placing the paper back on the desk, the Sage muttered to himself.
‘Conversation with a spirit?’
The Sage’s mind flashed back to how the Saint, who was part of the heroic party with him, often spoke to the spirits they encountered along the way.
But he wasn’t sure yet. It could be that the word senility clouded his judgment.
However no matter how much he dug into Zetto he couldn’t see the end, like the Labyrinth he had created. That intrigued the centuries-old Sage.
“Perhaps I should speak to him in person.”
“You mean in this form?”
Itea tilted her head and pointed to the Sage’s bushy beard and tattered robes.
“Huh… Of course I’ll have to approach him as Hubert, though there won’t be anyone left who remembers me if I go around with this face…”
“That’s fine, as long as you’re going to blend in. If you’re going to be a penniless, homeless tramp, I think you can go out as you are.”
The Sage glares at her, then gives up.
Itea was a golem created by the Sage and her personality was set by him.
When he created her, he had thought that if she was going to be with him for a long time, she might as well be able to contradict him.
“Hmph… yeah, maybe I’m getting old.”
This was too big to be the work of a single cadet, and there seemed to be no good reason for it to be the plan of any large organization.
“I’ve been telling you this for days, but to see you finally admit it… I think it makes you feel a lot more comfortable.”
Only the corners of her mouth twitched up from her expressionless face.
“That’s enough… Make an appointment. It has been a long time since I have been out as Hubert.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Itea bowed her head and walked away as if nothing had happened while the sage slowly read through Zetto’s papers once more.
Most of the information has been filled by the admission director.
“Hehe, I don’t remember that…”
The sage tried to figure out why his past self had done this.
***
[…There are too many of them to keep them in check.]
Sierra, who had suddenly left my side and watched Kaen, narrowed her eyes.
She had quickly recognized Kaen’s act and that she was not an ordinary person, but she had not yet realized that she was the disciple of the Sword Saint. Perhaps she would never know until Kaen herself revealed her sword skills.
More importantly, why did Kaen request a duel with me?
What was the purpose of Kaen, the so-called ‘power-hiding brat,’ to request for a duel with me?
According to her original plan, she would reveal her power in the test. Besides, Kaen had been spying on me for some time.
‘And now a duel request…’
It wasn’t a bad idea to take advantage of the situation to get to know her better if it weren’t for Sierra’s presence.
Sierra floated beside me, her expression pensive.
Kaen’s muttered words from the day I found the Herong mushrooms echo through my head.
‘…If I stay like this, I’ll be overrun, I’ll lose my virginity…’
It seemed like there was a big misunderstanding between Kaen and me. But I can’t imagine what kind of misunderstanding that would be.
‘Maybe it’s better to avoid her, as long as it’s in moderation…’
As I replayed the events with Kaen, I soon arrived at my dorm.
After opening the door and entering the room, I immediately prepared to leave again.
The staff member managing access to the Labyrinth informed me that Reina had paged me. It was probably about the reward money.
“Is something wrong? You haven’t said a word since earlier.”
I asked Sierra, who didn’t look happy the whole way back to the dorm. She clenches her jaw at my question, but then she speaks.
[Do you remember Kaen, the kid who requested a duel with you before?]
“I remember, Master, you asked me to duel her.”
[…That duel. Would you mind canceling it…?]
Sierra’s next words stopped me in my tracks.
“Do you mind if I ask why?”
It was an uncharacteristic request for Sierra, who dueled countless swordsmen in her life.
[Eh, it was a casual duel anyway, I saw her skill the other day and didn’t think it was necessary to challenge you to a duel. Besides, she’s only in class C… Hmm, hmm. ]
Sierra stammers.
“Hmm…”
She’s hiding her true feelings but from what I’ve seen so far, Sierra’s lies are always obvious.
[Why are you troubled when I speak, I’m your teacher…!]
“……Alright, I’ll try to cancel the duel.”
I shrugged my shoulders in response to Sierra’s rather cute plea.
After hearing my answer, Sierra let out a deep breath as if she was relieved. Then she pulls away from me, muttering something unintelligible to herself, “I don’t want it to get any bigger than it already is.”
Of course, I can hear the little muttering because it’s echoing in my head.
I don’t know what’s wrong with Sierra, but if I can cancel the duel, it might be a good thing for me.
‘I didn’t feel comfortable letting Kaen have her way.’
Without knowing what Kaen’s purpose was, letting her do as she pleased could have been a huge variable.
‘The problem is…the calculating Kaen was unlikely to comply with my request to end the duel. It’s complicated.’
I shook off my thoughts of Kaen and turned to leave the room.
Reina had summoned me to a bar she frequented. It had the same vibe as the game.
The instructors who went on vacation during the Labyrinth training were random, but I remembered that Reina’s favorite bar was the one where she was rewarded for staying at the academy.
The academy staff member who informed me of this nervously asked, “Would you like me to go with you?” but I politely declined the staff member’s favor, saying that I knew where it was.
I hadn’t been here since I joined the academy, but I knew the general location.
[So, are you supposed to go to the bar now?]
Sierra asked me, just as I was about to leave the room.
“Yes, I’ll be out of there as soon as I can.”
[I see my apprentice does not enjoy drinking.]
Sierra said, sounding somewhat uncomprehending. Judging from Sierra’s reaction, she had enjoyed drinking in her life.
“…I have a severe weakness for alcohol.”
I replied to Sierra and opened the door.
I was still giddy when I remembered what happened at the cafe with Aizel.
‘I wonder if Priscilla will be there…’
It seems like a good idea to stay away from alcohol but I was curious about Priscilla.
‘I know it’s an extremely unlikely scenario, but…If I were to get drunk and unwittingly spill the beans about her past in front of Priscilla…’
The thought was horrifying and it might not end in simple imprisonment.
As I walked down the street, trying to shake off the goosebumps, I saw a group of cadets who had just come out of the Labyrinth, stopping at a shop for dinner.
The Labyrinth training period is over and the cadets are now transitioning to free-flowing Labyrinth visits with their instructors.
I got a lot out of the Labyrinth during the training period.
Today I also went in the Labyrinth and I was already on the seventh floor. However, my level didn’t rise as steadily as it did when I was at a lower level.
I gained 1 level today, and I’m now at level 25…but… Based on my memory of the game, I calculated that I should be on the 15th floor at level 25. I had already leveled up quite steeply, so the experience requirement had increased.
It wasn’t too difficult to reach the bar, as I hurriedly moved my feet before the cadets started to stare.
‘Don’t drink, no matter how many times she offers.’
I reminded myself, took a deep breath, and pushed open the bar door.
As soon as I open the door, the smell of alcohol wafts in and assaults my nostrils.
“Get me a drink!”
“Hey, get me a drink.”
“Let’s drink!”
As I enter the bar, I hear a cacophony of voices. It was more of a free-for-all than an old-fashioned bar.
As I stand there dumbfounded, I hear a strange voice from the other side.
“Zetto, I’ve been waiting for you, you’re so good at finding your way around, come here!”
I turned my head to look in the direction of the voice, and there was Edward, with his white bushy hair, waving at me.
‘Practice is over, so Edward must be back from vacation.’
I hadn’t seen him in a long time, but the suspicious look in his eyes was still there.
At Edward’s table, I could see Priscilla, Raina, and his wife.
Kaliman was already stretched out with his head on the table.
Edward’s wife wasn’t a major character, but I recognized her face from her occasional appearances.
The time between the end of the Labyrinth and the defeat of Lycanthrope must have coincided with the first-year instructors’ dinner.
This wasn’t a game but was real life…It could have happened. But then I saw the back of someone else’s head at one of the tables.
I can’t get over her hair, which looks as white as snow but has a hint of gold in it.
[ Why is she here…? ]
Sierra, who spotted her afterward, questioned and I was thinking the same thing as her.
‘Why is she here?’
I really don’t know why Aizel is here.