Hide and Seek (1)
Hide and Seek (1)
Three days.
Depending on the person, it could feel short or long. One thing was certain: it was plainly not enough time for a group of students—not even an established organization—to prepare to clear a Rift.
"Grrrrgh!! So goddamn heavy, seriously...!!"
With a backpack easily twice her size strapped to her back, two heavy bags in each hand—five bags in total—Idni gritted her teeth and forced herself forward, one step at a time, carrying it all alone.
"We have to use this stuff right away, so be careful with it, okay?"
"Hey!! Who doesn't know that?! I know, which is why I'm hauling it all right now!!"
Fighting the urge to hurl the bags to the ground, Idni huffed at Maria, who was following behind with Na Yeon-ju and Lee Na-young flanking her.
"The hell... Why is the parking lot so damn far?"
"We're almost there. Hang in there."
"Uh, um, surely I could carry at least a little for Ha-na...."
"It's fine. She might grumble like that, but she's still one of the top-ranked apprentice Holy Knights."
"Huh...?"
Watching Idni stomp ahead, grumbling all the way, Na Yeon-ju looked back at Maria with startled eyes.
"R-really? Big Sis Idni is top-ranked?"
"She is. With Ha-na and Seo-hee around, she just hasn't had much reason to step up. If she uses holy power, she's good enough to beat Seo-hee. You could call her a hidden powerhouse."
"Oooh...!! I-I can see a glimmer of hope!"
"Hehe, Yeon-ju, you still don't have enough faith in us, do you?"
"Ah, aah...."
As Maria smiled faintly and rubbed her waist, Na Yeon-ju awkwardly laughed while swallowing nervously.
She'd told herself to be more careful about what she said, but the sheer amount of money she'd invested made her honest feelings slip out anyway.
"Hehe, how cute."
"He, hehe...."
Faced with Maria's utterly unreadable poker face, Na Yeon-ju stuck close to her side like a tail-wagging puppy, rubbing her head against Maria's shoulder and buttering her up.
-Hey!! Stop messing around and come open the damn door!!
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"Whew, now I can finally breathe."
Idni flung herself into the vehicle registered under the temple's name—borrowed at Lee Ye-sol's request—and immediately reclined the seat, sprawling out.
"Want a potion...?"
"Oh, thanks."
Lee Na-young pulled a small glass bottle from a pouch at her waist and held it out.
Pop.
"Sniff sniff... Smells kind of like strawberry cough syrup."
"I was short on ingredients, so I couldn't focus much on the taste. Still, it won't make you sick or anything."
At Lee Na-young's explanation, Idni tipped the peach-colored liquid down her throat.
"Ugh... There's something subtly off-putting about the taste."
"Here's a candy."
Scowling, Idni popped a grape candy into her mouth and only then relaxed her expression again.
"So how long's it gonna take?"
"If traffic's clear, we'll be there in thirty minutes."
"Plenty of time."
They were heading to the site of the 5th Stage snowfield-themed Rift—the very stage for the selection exam to determine additional enrollment in Baek Woo-jin's personally taught riftology lecture.
Normally, since this was an academy event, the standard procedure would be to gather all participants and take a bus together. This exam, however, broke from convention in several ways.
First, after receiving the list of students who declared intent to participate, individuals and teams were each given separate meeting times.
In other words, the exam was designed so that no one could know how many people were participating, who exactly was involved, or the makeup of any team besides their own.
Some grumbled that, given the need to endure three whole days, a team entering even slightly later might hold advantages in supplies or physical condition—but those voices were a tiny minority.
Anyone with half a brain knew that entering as early as possible was actually the more advantageous move.
It was true that the advance party had the highest probability of encountering monsters first. In exchange, however, the advance party also began with the opportunity to secure the best position.
"But they said we enter in the order we signed up. At this rate, aren't we basically the advance party?"
Idni checked the time on her smartwatch and looked at Maria.
"I don't think we are."
"Seriously? Hey, it's five in the morning."
"Exactly."
Maria glanced through the rearview mirror at Idni, who was sprawled out flat, and continued.
"It's already been five hours."
"...You're not thinking they started at midnight, are you?"
"You know perfectly well Professor Baek is exactly the kind of person who'd do that. You know it too, Idni."
"Well... yeah...."
Idni let out a short sigh and sat up.
"So at minimum, we're the fifth team?"
"If you figure one team per hour, then yes, around there."
"Eh, that's still comfortable. Entering first doesn't guarantee you'll grab the best spot anyway."
"Ugh... I-I'm starting to get nervous...."
"Just finish building the base camp and you won't have to worry about monsters. Don't stress too much. We're clergy, remember? Clergy. Monsters that hang around a 5th Stage Rift are nothing to us."
As Idni patted Lee Na-young on the shoulder with a grin, Maria gave a small nod.
"Idni's right, Na-young. At the level of monsters inhabiting a 5th Stage Rift, they'll be too scared to come near if we just scatter a little holy power around. So don't worry too much."
Yes. If they were ordinary 5th Stage monsters, that would be true. And if the exam content really was just defending a base camp for three days—as had been announced—then as long as they didn't deliberately sabotage their own camp to fail, this was an exam they couldn't help but pass.
'Of course, there's no way it'll go that smoothly.'
Gazing at the navigation screen as they drew closer to the destination, Maria offered a silent prayer.
Please, let the god she served and worshipped not have meddled in this.
**
【Ba-ba-ba-bam~!! A new challenger has arrived!!】
Maria, Idni, and even Na Yeon-ju stared up at the childlike figure floating in the air, their faces rigid.
【I'm in helper mode right now, so no need to be so tense!! More importantly, I'll explain the rules nice and simple, so open your ears and listen carefully~!】
Using the tablet placed beside the Rift as a medium to maintain his form, Vuar smiled his signature innocent grin and continued.
【First off, did everyone bring their pledges?】
At Vuar's question, the four young lambs drew the pledges—stamped with their seals—from their pockets.
【The minimum qualifications are met!! But.】
Whoosh—!!
The pledges in their hands were engulfed in pure white flame and, in an instant, vanished without leaving so much as a speck of ash.
【I'm granting my adorable children the right to enter without needing such nasty things!!】
"......."
"......."
Maria and Idni couldn't help exchanging glances, even knowing they shouldn't.
'Hey, is this okay?'
'How would I know....'
'Dammit, knowing the professor's personality, he's definitely going to raise a stink about this.'
'Yeah....'
But neither of them could say a single word to Vuar.
Worrying about another person's reaction while standing before the god they served—that level of irreverence, they believed, was permitted only to those who had devoted themselves at the rank of High Priest or higher.
【The base camp must be built within exactly twenty-four hours of entering the Rift!! Even one second late means immediate disqualification, so be very, very careful~!!】
Whether or not he sensed their thoughts, Vuar resumed the role Baek Woo-jin had assigned him.
【And do you see the rack beside the Rift? There are necklaces inside. Put one on before you go in!!】
Pointing at the gleaming silver necklaces, Vuar's expression settled into something a little calmer.
【If you fail to protect your necklace, you're disqualified too. Do you understand what that means?】
Feeling the gaze fixed on her, Maria swallowed dryly, nodded, and carefully opened her mouth.
"We must stay vigilant not only against monsters, but also against the other students taking the exam."
【That's right. Aside from the four of you, everyone else is a competitor.】
"...I have a question."
【Permission granted, my precious little child.】
The deep affection in that voice melted away the tension that had been squeezing her body, and Maria found herself able to ask much more comfortably.
"Is there a limit to how many can pass?"
【No. As long as you meet the conditions, this is an exam where every single participant can pass.】
"Ah...."
"...?"
It should have been welcome news, but seeing her closest friend's expression darken, Idni had to admit a surge of confusion.
【Build the camp within twenty-four hours of entering, maintain possession of your necklace, and hold the camp for three days. If you've got all that, put on your necklaces and enter~!! Ah! You might want to quit now or need a moment to talk things over, so I'll give you about five minutes!!】
Flash!
With a brief burst of light, Vuar disappeared back into the tablet.
"Anyone want to back out, even now?"
"Are you crazy?"
"M-me neither."
"I'm just countin' on y'all, big sisters...."
"Alright."
Maria wore a truly cryptic smile as she walked to where the necklaces lay.
"Hey, so why'd your face go sour at the end there? If we just talk things through, we don't even have to fight, right?"
"Yes. If we were the only participants, that would be true."
"...?"
Just as Idni shot her a look that said 'What the hell are you on about?', Maria returned to the group holding four necklaces. She pressed them into Lee Na-young's and Na Yeon-ju's hands and whispered softly.
"...Idni and I might not be much help at all."