It was right after the team tournament had begun.
"Let's take control of the 'Mansion of Glory' first!"
"Wow, you're sharp!"
"Yeah, even though we're low-ranked in the academy, if we occupy the building first and set up defenses, we might be able to stand up to the mid-ranked teams!"
"Alright, then let's go, set up barricades, block the windows, and make the inside easier to fight in!"
The unnamed party of ten came up with a good idea and ran toward the 'Mansion of Glory' faster than anyone else. And they were the first to get there.
"The inside is cleaner than I expected..."
The 'Mansion of Glory,' built by Professor Alejandro, was highly durable. It was impossible to destroy or move its walls, and even moving the pre-placed furniture was difficult.
"Then we'll use external materials...!!"
So, they cut down nearby trees to create makeshift obstacles and used the indestructible furniture as part of the barricade to increase stability, putting their all into fortifying the mansion.
However, not long after that, an unwelcome guest arrived.
"Leader! Someone's coming... Gordius's party is on their way! And they're carrying a ton of stuff!"
"They must have had the same idea as us..."
Moreover, they were clearly the superior version. Gordius's party looked like they were moving an entire household, from food supplies to, of all things, a chandelier. A chandelier? Really?
The students who had already occupied the mansion shouted out.
"Hey, Gordius! No matter how strong you are, it’s going to be hard to break through here! We're guarding the narrow entrance tight!"
Looking up from below as they called down warnings from the second floor of the mansion, Gordius, with an overstuffed backpack on his back, smiled.
"I don’t want to waste time. Surrender and accept your elimination."
"Hmph, do you think we're going to fall for that kind of bluff?! We’ll fight to the death..."
"Rise."
"...What?"
Rustle, rustle. More students emerged from the bushes, also carrying large bags. They just kept coming—20, 30, 40...!
A total of 49 people formed a massive alliance!
Even if each person just threw a rock, they could eliminate one student per stone—such overwhelming numbers!
"That's cheating!"
"I don't recall any rules about banning alliances."
"You sneaky bastard! Fight us fairly!"
"Money and persuasion are part of strength too. To waver because of compassion would be the real unfairness. Charge!"
"Raaaahhh──!!"
Even though they had taken the mansion first, what could they do when outnumbered five to one? The students were overwhelmed and eliminated, chased out, while Gordius and his band of 49 successfully took over the 'Mansion of Glory.'
"Let me out! I won't resist! At least give me some points for partial victory!"
"No. Execute them."
"Aaaaahhh!"
They didn’t leave a single survivor.
Gordius's party dropped their heavy backpacks on the second-floor hall of the mansion, exhaling deeply. They had gone through a lot of trouble carrying all that stuff.
The student who had been lugging around the chandelier was practically at death’s door. Lying flat on the floor, he asked Gordius.
"...What were you thinking? I get that we'll need food and building materials, but what's with the chandelier? If it’s for some ridiculous reason, like 'it looks pretty,' I swear it’ll be the death of you."
"Do you really want to know? If I tell you, you won’t be able to leave here."
"...?"
Gordius smiled wickedly.
"Think about it. What's the winning condition of this game...?"
"You need to wear the crown and hold out in this building for an hour."
"Exactly. But do we really have to fight during that time? There are monsters in this academy. No matter how many of us there are, an overwhelming individual can still defeat a group. A direct fight... is as good as losing. That’s the conclusion I’ve reached."
"So what’s your plan to win...?"
Gordius quietly pointed upward. Following the direction of his finger, they saw the rounded, dome-shaped ceiling. What about it?
"This building is two stories, and both floors are open halls. So, we... will wait on the third floor."
"What?"
"We’ll use the building materials we brought to create a ceiling and a floor, and hide on the third floor—a floor that doesn’t originally exist. No one will suspect a thing. No one will know we're here."
"Then the chandelier is...?!"
The students shuddered as they realized his true intention. It was to perfectly camouflage the ceiling!
So that’s why they brought so much food! He planned to hide with all 49 of them on the 'secret third floor' for three days!
"Then why did you send Envers separately...?"
"I have two plans. First, if Envers manages to get the crown and safely returns to the mansion, we’ll hide on the ceiling and hold out for an hour."
"And if he doesn’t...?"
"When the strongest contenders have worn themselves out from fighting, we’ll break through the floor and ambush them."
It was perfect—a flawless strategy! With this plan, they could win...!
Who would ever expect there to be a 'hidden third floor'? And with the chandelier in place, when the seemingly intact ceiling suddenly collapses and 49 people launch an ambush, even the strongest students would be thrown into chaos.
Shhh.
The building materials floated in the air, automatically assembling themselves. Gordius, who had once built giant robots during sessions, found constructing an additional floor to be child’s play.
There was, however, a minor issue with aesthetic harmony.
"It really fits well. It looks like it belongs in the mansion."
"It’s exactly like a noble’s estate, it’s flawless!"
None of them could recognize the difference.
They pitched tents on the newly constructed third floor, eating emergency rations and preparing for a long wait. They had everything they needed. They wouldn’t even have to leave to survive.
Gordius munched on a biscuit, feeling 70% sure of victory—until they discovered the existence of the 'Mad Wizard’s Grand Maze.'
Right after the abduction incident by the Grand Maze.
"Why are you pressing your ear against a metal pipe?"
"It’s a physical eavesdropping spell. Quiet."
The 'third floor' that Gordius had created in the mansion had a critical flaw—it had no way to see outside. No windows, no holes. It was designed that way to avoid being detected.
But that didn’t mean they could completely give up on reconnaissance. That’s why they installed metal pipes throughout the lower floors.
Thanks to a collaboration with the Imperial Knights, Gordius had acquired the technology of 'eavesdropping without magic using metal pipes,' and through the chaos happening below, he gathered quite a bit of useful information.
First, it seemed like the Grand Maze was alive and moved periodically, occasionally visiting the mansion.
Second, there was a screen in the 'Mansion of Glory' that they had missed, displaying the number of people who could still be protected.
Third, the number of people who could be protected decreased under certain conditions.
Lastly, their party’s presence in the mansion had been discovered.
"...Was it a mistake to have such a large group? No, it was an unforeseen variable. Regretting it would be inefficient."
But... if only they had ten fewer people, they might not have been discovered during the first Grand Maze attack. That part was truly regrettable. Half the advantage of their ambush plan was now gone.
Even if they didn’t know exactly where Gordius's party was hiding, wouldn’t they prepare for an attack?
It wasn’t enough. He needed to come up with something else.
Should they strike now, before being fully discovered? No. Unless Baekryeom, the White Lotus Swordswoman, came up with only a small number of her team to the second floor, initiating a fight now would be like a direct confrontation.
Even though their group of 49 could defeat Baekryeom’s team in a head-on fight, they would suffer many eliminations, and in their weakened state, they wouldn't stand a chance against Baekseol.
Thump. Thump. Gordius tapped his trousers, deep in thought.
A method to eliminate powerful competitors while preserving their strength. A way to effectively use their numerical advantage. Did such a strategy exist?
"It does."
It existed.
The key to victory lay in the 'Grand Maze.'
If he could summon the Grand Maze to the mansion once again, like in the previous incident, and have it capture the other competitors, victory would be certain.
"It sounds plausible... but there are problems. Not only how to summon the maze, but we also don’t know the rules about 'protecting numbers.'"
"We don’t know, but we can infer."
"Infer what?"
"The intention."
Why had the crazy professor arranged for this Grand Maze attack, instead of just letting the students fight amongst themselves?
"Because if he didn’t force-feed us the dungeon, no one would go in?"
"Maybe. But that’s not the point. What matters is that the Grand Maze is acting like a kind of timer in this game. If you stall, the maze will come. So hurry up and fight. It’s pushing the teams to clash with each other."
"So then...?"
"The number of protectable people will only decrease, not increase. That means our top priority now is to figure out how to reduce that number."
Find the formula, and deliberately reduce the number of protectable people. Lower it as much as possible, ideally to the exact number of people on the third floor.
Once that’s done, they would only have to hold out, and during the next Grand Maze attack, everyone except Gordius’s team would be wiped out.
"But what if the maze doesn’t just take the people below us?"
"No. The order in which the Grand Maze captures people in the mansion seems to be from the closest to the entrance. Judging by the sounds we heard, it makes sense. So... those of us on the highest floor are the safest."
Gordius scanned his team with sharp eyes.
"I’ll form a special detachment of ten people. They will leave the third floor and operate independently. The mission has two goals. First, to conceal and mislead others about the fact that the main team is on the third floor. The second is to reduce the number of protectable people."
"Hey, Gordius. Are you just making more sacrifices and planning to relax up here...?"
"No. I’ll join the special detachment myself. Trust me, and I’ll make sure we get the points we need."
"...Did you eat something weird?"
Without a word, Gordius turned his back. He was no longer the same as before. He had become someone who knew how to shoulder burdens.
And compared to saving the world, an academy exam was a very light responsibility.
Seeing their leader’s confidence and determination, the students felt reassured. When a leader is strong and unwavering, the team follows without hesitation.
"I’ll go."
"Me too, I’ll follow."
"He’s... changed, hasn’t he?"
One by one, volunteers emerged from the group. In no time, a ten-person detachment had been formed, and Gordius carefully listened, waiting for the right moment to descend.
Finally, when the noise on the second floor had completely died down, he gave his final instructions before their mission.
"Do not use communications. We might be eavesdropped on, and if they trace it back to the third floor, everything will collapse. If you think we’ve been discovered, don’t hesitate to fight. Don’t panic just because I’m not there."
"...Return safely, leader."
"I’ll bring good news."
Click.
They opened a portion of the third-floor floor and lowered a rope. Led by Gordius, the ten-member detachment cautiously descended.
Tap.
"..."
The second floor was empty. Just as they had scouted through the metal pipes, it seemed everyone was gathered on the first floor, having a meeting. Gordius signaled to his team. They moved silently, making their way down.
As his team created an escape route through the windows, Gordius noticed a screen on the second floor.
[Protectable People: 57]
"...So that’s it. The number has indeed decreased."
"Leader, we’ve lowered ropes from the curtained windows on the first floor. No one is patrolling outside."
"Good, let’s go."
Slip. Slip.
One by one, they descended. The first ones down helped those who followed, minimizing noise as much as possible. From behind the curtain, they could hear Baekryeom’s team chattering...
"What’s the plan now?"
"First, we create a diversion. We’ve been hiding underground all this time. Then, we make enough noise to get caught. Got it?"
"So we’ll need to get a bit dirty, huh? Perfect. I get it."
Swish, swish. The ten-member detachment rolled on the ground quietly. Among them was a student who had worked in a coal mine before entering the academy, so with his expert advice, they could get themselves perfectly filthy.
Then...
"『Earthquake Disruption』."
They caused tremors, as if they were digging their way up from underground. From beyond the curtain, shadows moved, reacting to the vibrations. They took the bait.
Swish—!
The curtain was violently thrown open, and a shout erupted.
"Who’s there?!"
"Retreat!"
"Lady Baekryeom, it’s Gordius’s group! They’re coming up from underground!"
Immediately, Gordius dashed toward the direction where the Grand Maze had previously vanished. He figured it would be safer since the maze had already passed through that area.
"Lady, shall we pursue?"
"No. It’s too dangerous outside, with the Grand Maze possibly reappearing at any moment... And we’re short on people. This might be a decoy to draw us out and raid the mansion. We’ll stay and defend."
Just as he thought. They wouldn’t chase.
Gordius smiled, feeling the satisfaction of his plan falling into place perfectly.
"Let’s simultaneously scout the area and search for Envers. It would be good to find out what’s happening with the 'Crown' as well..."
"Hey, ahead!"
"What’s ahead... damn it!"
But just then, something unexpected happened.
"Ugh, that’s the sixth cabinet I’ve cleared... Oh, isn’t that Gordius?"
"Yeah. 『Turtle Loses to Rabbit 』."
"...Are they really quoting a fable?"
"The lion hunts the rabbit with all its strength."
Gordius and his detachment had run straight into Selvier and Baekseol as they were making their way back from the Grand Maze.
The cabinet that Selvier and Baekseol had used to escape the Grand Maze vanished into the ground, never to be seen again.
"A one-time use, huh?"
"It seems they don’t want the tournament to turn into a game of hide-and-seek. In that case..."
"Alright, let’s destroy every cabinet we come across, except the ones we’ll use."
"Kicking away the ladder, I like it."
Their plan was set. They would destroy every cabinet they could find, removing all potential safe zones in sight. This way, when the Grand Maze attacked again, as many students as possible would be eliminated.
But as they neared the 'Mansion of Glory,' Selvier and Baekseol suddenly found themselves face-to-face with Gordius and his detachment.
Alright, let’s take them down.
Without needing to exchange a word, they were in sync. Selvier drew heat, and Baekseol summoned cold, preparing for a mass-casualty spell, as was the trademark of wizards.
"──There’s a secret in the 'Mansion of Glory'! Let’s negotiate!"
Gordius raised both arms and quickly proposed a negotiation.