Baffling Questions
The deep chambers of the Labyrinth, which had been silent for decades, if not centuries, were unusually noisy today.
"...Therefore, considering Master's age, it is entirely possible." Itea, a golem dressed in her usual maid uniform, shook her head and spoke firmly to the Sage. Standing beside him, she was currently arguing that the Sage had grown old and senile.
"That cannot be." The Sage was, after all, the 'Sage.' How could there be such a ridiculous notion as the Sage going senile?
"Then how could you completely forget a cadet you personally admitted?" Itea asked, her face cold and expressionless.
In the Sage's hand was a single document. It was none other than the profile of a cadet named 'Zeto.'
The cadet who had taken the Necklace of the Hero's Protection. The cadet who had defeated a Lycanthrope in the Labyrinth using a style of swordsmanship even the Sage had never seen before.
The Sage had used his authority to look into the background of this highly active cadet, Zeto. He wanted to find out through what route he had been admitted, who had sponsored him, and what kind of past he possessed.
But upon reviewing the document, the Sage could not help but be astonished. Written on Zeto's profile was the name of the Academy's Chairman, 'Hubert Graham'—the Sage's own alias—as the one who had admitted him.
Yet, the Sage had absolutely no memory of admitting a cadet named Zeto, nor did he recall ever meeting him. Consequently, he had been retracing his memories for days.
It made no sense. No one other than himself could have forged this document. The Sage found it incredibly difficult to accept that he had gone senile and simply forgotten the existence of this cadet.
The Sage massaged his throbbing temples.
"This is utterly baffling..."
"Master. Speaking of baffling things, it has been confirmed that the sword Cadet Zeto possesses is indeed a Demon Blade."
Itea handed the Sage a sheet of paper containing the analysis of Zeto's sword.
The Sage carefully examined the paper before letting out a dry chuckle.
"Haha, where on earth did a twenty-year-old brat get his hands on blood iron?"
To the Sage, blood iron and Demon Blades were of little consequence. He had no intention of harming Zeto because of it. Instead, he formulated an intriguing hypothesis.
"Could it be that his habit of talking to himself was actually him conversing with the spirit inside the Demon Blade...?" the Sage murmured softly, placing the paper back on his desk.
Conversing with a spirit?
The thought reminded the Sage of the Saintess from his old Hero's party, who would occasionally strike up conversations with spirits she encountered on the road.
It was not a certainty yet. His judgment might simply be clouded by the word 'senile.' However, no matter how much he dug into Zeto, the boy seemed as bottomless as the Labyrinth he had created.
This deeply intrigued the Sage, who had lived for hundreds of years.
"I must meet him in person and have a conversation."
"In that appearance?" Itea tilted her head, pointing to the Sage's overgrown, scruffy beard. The robe he wore was also tattered and worn.
The Sage sighed as he looked at her.
"Sigh... Naturally, I must approach him as Hubert. Though even if I walked around with this face, there is no one left who would recognize me..."
"That appearance is fine too, if you wish to blend in naturally. If you want to portray a penniless, homeless beggar, going out just like that would be perfect."
The Sage glared at Itea but ultimately let it go. Itea was a golem of his own creation. Her personality was also something he had programmed. When he made her, he had thought that if they were to spend a long time together, a bit of sassy backtalk would make things more interesting.
"Hmm... Yes, perhaps I really have gone senile."
The scale of these events was too grand for a mere cadet to orchestrate, yet there was no logical reason for any massive organization to plot such a thing.
"I have been telling you this for days, but seeing you finally admit it... makes me, Itea, feel much more at ease."
A slight smirk tugged at the corners of Itea's otherwise expressionless face.
"That is enough... Prepare a schedule. It has been a while since I went out as Hubert."
"Understood, Master." Itea bowed calmly, as if nothing had happened, and left the room.
The Sage slowly read through Zeto's document once more. On the paper where Zeto's information should have been, most of the fields were left blank, citing the Chairman's personal admission.
"Haha, no matter how much I think about it, I have absolutely no memory..."
The Sage wanted to confirm why his past self had done such a thing.
[ ...There are far, far too many rivals to keep in check. ]
Sierra, who had briefly left my side to watch Kaen before returning, spoke with her eyes squeezed shut. Sierra had immediately seen through Kaen's acting and realized she was no ordinary person, but she had not yet realized she was the disciple of the Sword Saint. She probably wouldn't have a clue until Kaen actually revealed the Sword Saint's techniques.
More importantly, why did Kaen request a duel with me?
Her motive. Why would Kaen, who was known among players as a 'closet powerhouse,' suddenly request a duel? According to her original plan, she should have revealed her strength during the main exam.
Furthermore, she had been monitoring me for some time now.
And now, a request for a duel...
Using this situation to grow closer to her wouldn't be a bad idea. If not for Sierra, that is.
I glanced at Sierra, who was floating beside me with a gloomy, lifeless expression. The words she had told me on the day we gathered the Haze Mushrooms flashed through my mind.
...At this rate, she'll pounce on him, steal his purity, or whatever...
There seemed to be a massive misunderstanding between Kaen and me. However, I had absolutely no idea what kind of misunderstanding could lead to such words.
Perhaps it's better to just do a light spar and then avoid her...
As I retraced my interactions with Kaen, we quickly arrived at the dormitory.
Click.
Entering my room, I immediately prepared to head back out. The staff member managing the Labyrinth entrance had informed me that Reina had summoned me. It was likely about the reward money.
"Is something the matter? You've been completely silent for a while."
I asked Sierra, who had been wearing a sour expression all the way back to the dormitory.
At my question, Sierra stroked her chin before finally speaking.
[ That child named Kaen, who requested a duel with thee earlier... dost thou remember her? ]
"Of course. You were the one who told me to accept it, Master."
[ ...About that duel. What sayest thou to calling it off...? ]
My hands, which had been putting down my backpack, paused at Sierra's words.
"May I ask why?"
This was a highly unusual request from Sierra, who had spent her life dueling countless swordsmen.
[ I-It is but a light spar anyway, is it not? Having witnessed thy skills recently, This Lady deemed there is no need to go so far as to duel. Besides, is she not a Class C student...? Ahem, yes. ]
Sierra stuttered, nodding as if trying to convince herself that her words made sense.
"Hmm..."
She was hiding her true feelings. Up until now, Sierra had always been a terrible liar.
As I let out a low hum of contemplation, Sierra began to fluster, her arms flailing in the air.
[ T-This Lady is speaking, so why dost thou hesitate...! This Lady is thy master...! ]
"......Understood. I will try to call off the duel."
At my response, Sierra let out a deep sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She then floated a bit further away from me and muttered to herself, "It will be troublesome if the numbers increase any further."
Of course, since her quiet muttering echoed directly in my mind, I heard it loud and clear. I didn't know why Sierra was acting this way, but if I could call off the duel, it might actually be a good thing for me.
I was already a bit uncomfortable with letting things play out exactly as Kaen wanted, so this works out well.
As long as I didn't know Kaen's true objective, letting her have her way could introduce too many variables.
The only problem is...
That highly calculating girl wouldn't easily agree to call off the duel.
It's complicated.
I shook off my thoughts about Kaen and prepared to leave the room.
The place Reina had summoned me to was her favorite tavern. The flow of events was identical to the game. While the instructor who went on vacation during the Labyrinth practice was random, if Reina remained at the Academy, the location where she handed out the reward was always her favorite tavern.
The academy staff member who delivered the message had asked with a hesitant face, "Should I accompany you?" but I politely declined, stating that I knew the way. Although I hadn't visited the tavern since enrolling, I knew its general location.
[ So, we must head to a tavern now? ] Sierra asked as I was about to step out.
"Yes. I plan to leave as soon as my business is concluded, if possible."
[ It seems my disciple does not enjoy spirits. ] Sierra remarked, her voice tinged with slight incomprehension.
Judging by her reaction, she must have enjoyed drinking during her lifetime.
"...I have an incredibly low tolerance for alcohol," I replied as I opened the door and stepped out.
Thinking back to what had happened with Eisel at the cafe still made me dizzy.
Come to think of it, will Priscilla be there too?
It seemed best to avoid alcohol entirely. I had already piqued Priscilla's curiosity.
The chances are extremely slim... but if I get drunk and accidentally blurt out her past in front of her...
The mere thought was horrifying. It might not end with just simple confinement.
Shaking off the sudden goosebumps, I walked down the street. I could see cadets who had just emerged from the Labyrinth heading to restaurants for dinner. Today was the final day of the Labyrinth practice. From now on, the cadets would attend classes taught by their assigned instructors and visit the Labyrinth at their own leisure.
I had gained a lot during this practice period. I had descended deep into the Labyrinth today, reaching the 7th floor. However, my level wasn't rising as rapidly as it did when I was lower-leveled. Although I had leveled up once today to reach Level 25...
Based on my memories of the game, a Level 25 character should normally be around the 15th floor. Because my level had risen so sharply early on, the required experience points had also increased significantly.
To avoid drawing the attention of the other cadets, I quickened my pace and arrived at the tavern without much trouble.
No matter how much they offer, I must absolutely not drink.
With that mental note, I took a deep breath and pushed open the tavern door.
The moment the door opened, the pungent smell of alcohol filling the establishment assaulted my nose.
"Have a drink!"
"Hey, bring more booze!"
"Let's drink till we die!"
A boisterous clamor washed over me as I stepped inside. It was not a sophisticated, high-end bar, but rather a tavern with a free and rowdy atmosphere.
As I stood there, slightly dazed by the noise, a highly suspicious voice called out from across the room.
"Cadet Zeto, I've been waiting for you! As expected, you find your way around perfectly. Over here!"
Turning my head toward the voice, I saw Edward, with his white ponytail, waving his hand at me.
Since the practice is over, Edward must have returned from his vacation.
Even after some time, his suspicious eyes remained unchanged.
At the table where Edward sat, I could see Priscilla, Reina, and Edward's wife. Kaliman was already passed out, his head face-down on the table. Although Edward's wife was not a major character, she had appeared occasionally in the game, so I recognized her face.
Because the end of the Labyrinth practice coincided with the defeat of the Lycanthrope, it seemed I had stumbled into a get-together for the first-year instructors. Since this was reality and not a game... such an event was entirely plausible.
However, there was another person sitting at the corner of the table, their back turned to me. I could never forget that hair—snow-white, yet shimmering with a subtle, elegant gold tint.
[ Why... why is that wench here...? ] Sierra, who had spotted her, voiced her confusion.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
Why is she here?
I truly had no idea why Eisel Ludwig was sitting there.