Chapter 18 – Special Entrance Exam

“I’m not making a plan,” the girl in the navy hoodie declared.

“Alright,” I replied.

“We’ll just take down every monster we encounter and keep moving forward.”

“Got it.”

“So there’s no need to stick together. The results are assessed individually anyway.”

“I see.”

I nodded, accepting her approach. For a while, we just stood there.

The girl’s expression grew increasingly annoyed before she finally spoke up in a sharp voice. “…What’s your deal?”

“I’m on the front line,” I answered.

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“Eliaernes Eustetia,” I stated my name.

“…I mean, why do you keep staring at me?”

She was right. I had been staring at her for the entire twenty minutes.

Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and broke the silence. I wasn’t sure what she sensed from my gaze, but she started rambling to herself.

I only responded vaguely. But when she finally asked why I was staring…

Even I didn’t have a good answer.

At first, I kept watching her just because her discomfort was amusing. But the more I looked, the more I felt that her face was oddly familiar.

As if I’d seen it before—back in my previous life.

It didn’t make sense for someone born 400 years later to resemble someone from back then. And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she reminded me of someone.

Maybe I’d remember if I heard her name.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“…Why?” Her sharp glare pierced me, but I continued with my train of thought.

“You talk to me informally without hesitation. You must be nobility—probably at least the child of a marquis, right?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Or maybe you’re royalty from another kingdom?”

After all, I’m the daughter of a duke—a hero’s descendant, no less. As the only child of the Eustetia family, I hold significant status.

There aren’t many people who would dare speak to me so informally.

Someone who doesn’t know me, someone reckless, or someone with nothing to lose.

Or someone on my level.

It’s possible she doesn’t know me, but during the written exam, she clearly recognized my family name.

She didn’t seem thoughtless, either.

And judging by her concealed appearance, she had plenty to lose.

So, the most likely scenario was that she came from a noble family of similar standing—likely the child of a prominent marquis.

But then again, she couldn’t even afford proper food.

Even a noble would rather starve than eat whole wheat bread out of pride, but it’s absurd to think that a high-ranking noble wouldn’t have enough money for a meal.

Could she have been disowned?

Unlikely—nobles don’t let their abandoned children roam publicly, as it would tarnish their family’s reputation.

So, what is she, really?

“How long are you going to keep staring?” she demanded.

“Until I’m satisfied.”

“W-What…? What kind of satisfaction?”

“There’s such a thing.”

I gave a vague reply and continued studying her face.

It felt like I was on the verge of recalling something, yet the memory stayed out of reach—like trying to catch clouds with my hands.

How frustrating.

It was like having a piece of meat stuck between my teeth that I just couldn’t dislodge.

Finally—swish—the girl gave up and pulled her hood down even further, hiding her face completely.

A bit disappointing, but I was satisfied enough for now and turned my gaze elsewhere.

Though we’d probably part ways soon after entering the labyrinth, I was confident we’d meet again. She seemed determined to join Signia, after all.

After finishing my thoughts, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a chocolate macaron.

Rustle.

I peeled off the wrapper and split the macaron in half, enjoying the crisp yet chewy sound it made.

The girl flinched at the sound.

“Want one?” I offered.

“Do you think I’d want something you’ve squished with your hands?” she retorted.

“Oh, so you were paying attention after all.”

“W-What? No! I could tell just by the sound!”

She shot me a flustered look, her face turning bright red.

Grinning at her reaction, I asked, “I’ve got an untouched one in my pocket. Want it?”

Rustle, rustle.

Her gaze darted between the macaron and my pocket.

Then, with a loud gulp, she swallowed her saliva.

“…No thanks.”

She turned her head away abruptly.

“Suit yourself.”

I shrugged and popped the macaron into my mouth, deliberately making exaggerated chewing sounds—crunch, crunch, chew, chew.

It was hilarious watching her flinch with each noisy bite.

***

“―That concludes the instructions.”

Twenty minutes passed, and it was time for the practical exam to begin.

The venue was Signia’s training arena.

As we entered, the other examinees’ eyes sparkled with excitement, taking in the splendor of the facilities.

The academy sure knew how to mess with people’s heads—hosting the exam here to make them feel the gap between ordinary students and those in Signia.

It was effective, but I wondered if it might also leave some feeling demoralized.

Still, no matter where they ended up, students of Karela Academy would receive certain privileges throughout the capital. Carrying their student ID alone would grant them various benefits.

Anyway, our group from the lecture hall was scheduled to go last.

The once-crowded room had emptied, and even Yurasia, who always smiled brightly at me, had already entered the labyrinth.

“If you’re ready, please step forward in order.”

All eyes turned toward the glowing magic circle.

The intricate array of spells intertwined within the circle was clear even to me, someone without much knowledge of magic.

The staff said we just needed to stand in the center and channel mana to activate the teleportation.

Rolling a peppermint candy in my mouth, I glanced at the girl in the hoodie.

She had seemed so composed during the written exam, but now she looked tense.

Was she trying to shorten her clear time, or was she just weak?

I couldn’t say for sure, but I suspected the former.

There was an arrogance and ease to her that only prodigies possess.

“When are you going in?” I asked.

“Right now.”

Clutching her staff tightly, she moved toward the magic circle without hesitation.

As she stepped forward, I followed, wondering what to do about her snippy attitude.

When I reached the circle, Professor Arkand gave me a brief nod.

“Good luck.”

I just shrugged and looked ahead.

***

Oh.

The scenery changed instantly.

A low hum reverberated in the air.

We weren’t in a cave—it seemed more like ruins, judging by the carvings on the walls.

The labyrinth had a closed ceiling, typical of ancient ruins.

A labyrinth…

Labyrinths were originally prisons built by demons to trap humans.

The first of these was created by Labyrinth, the Commander of Sloth from Gevihenum’s Third Legion.

Though I had never seen her abilities in full, I knew she was the creator of labyrinths.

In my previous life, I had been trapped in labyrinths more times than I could count—at least a hundred.

I’d even fought against Labyrinth herself, though I hadn’t managed to kill her.

Whenever she was inside her own creation, the entire structure would become a living, hostile entity.

Walls, floors, everything would turn against you, and she could create or block escape routes at will.

I was fortunate that this labyrinth had a ceiling. If it were one of her open-air labyrinths, the sky could literally come crashing down.

That was the closest I ever came to dying—was it the 17th time? No, maybe the 18th.

Lost in thought, I heard the girl speak up.

“You can follow me if you want, but if you slow me down, I’ll leave you behind.”

She had already figured out her direction—impressive.

“Go on ahead. I’m taking the other path,” I replied, gesturing behind me.

She gave me a mocking look. “Hah, the right path is this way.”

“I know.”

“Then why…? Wait, don’t tell me…”

“Yep. I’m going after the basilisk.”

“By yourself?”

“Yep.”

Her expression twisted in disbelief. “You’re insane…”

I needed to punch that mouth of hers one day.

“Are you seriously going alone?”

She glanced around nervously before her eyes widened. “Wait, where’s your weapon? Don’t tell me you forgot it!”

She was right—my hands were empty.

But I had all the weapons I needed.

“Here’s my weapon.”

“…Where?”

I raised my fist. “This is a hammer.”

Then I spread my hand open. “This is a sword.”

Finally, I lifted one leg. “And this is a spear.”

Her expression shifted from disbelief to that of someone trying to comprehend an alien species.

“You’re a martial artist?”

“No? I told you—this is a hammer, this is a sword, and this is a spear.”

Why wasn’t she getting it?

“H-Hah… Are you really the cherry blossom of the Eustetia family, or are you just a—”

“One more word and this hammer is going through your skull.”

“…What? Did you just say skull?”

“Anyway, I’m heading this way. Good luck.”

If we kept talking, I might really end up cracking her head open, so I turned away.

Step, step.

The oppressive atmosphere of the labyrinth wrapped around me, filling my lungs with its heavy air.

The sticky sensation unique to labyrinths clung to my skin.

Well, it wasn’t quite as overwhelming as a real labyrinth, but the academy had done a decent job replicating it.

“So they recreated all of this with mana, huh?”

I hadn’t expected much from a magically constructed labyrinth, but it felt surprisingly authentic.

Though there were small flaws that distinguished it from a true labyrinth, it was impressive nonetheless.

Kaloso would’ve struggled to recreate something this detailed. Yet here were the mages of the Green Tower, managing it with ease.

“Damn. The world really has changed.”

I ran my hand along the damp walls, swept my fingers across the soil on the floor, and even tasted a bit of the dirt.

It was dense and moist, with a bitter undertone mixed with the foul scent of monsters.

“Wow! It tastes just like real dirt! Did these mages actually eat dirt to get it right?”

I only ate dirt because I’d been trapped in labyrinths for over a week without food.

Could one of the Green Tower mages have experienced something similar?

Unlikely—after the Demon King’s sealing, the generals had gone quiet.

Unless someone deliberately sought them out, there’d be no reason to encounter a real labyrinth.

The only logical explanation was that a mage from the frontlines 400 years ago, during my active years, had designed this.

I couldn’t help but smile.

This place reminded me so much of Gevihenum that my senses sharpened, my heart raced, and adrenaline surged through me.

Thump, thump.

The thrill of battle washed over me, and I reached for a cigarette—

Wait.

I popped a peppermint candy into my mouth instead.

Then—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed through the labyrinth, followed by a wave of hot air.

That girl’s magic.

She’d already encountered a monster?

But really—why use fire magic in a labyrinth?

She’s just like Kaloso. Do all mages panic and resort to fire magic?

Just as I scowled in annoyance and turned to head back—

“…Huh?”

There she was, sprinting toward me with a pale, terrified face.

“So much for all that confidence,” I muttered, watching her flee.