Ch.160160. The First Trial (2)

“…Hard to believe.”

Lucien was the first to speak, his face deeply furrowed.

“Let me ask again, Yuria. You’re saying you want to enter the selection exam because you want to observe the selection process more closely with your friend.”

“Yes, sister.”

“You brought a friend? And not just anyone, but the Tristan princess?”

“…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve never done anything like this before.”

“…Go easy on me.”

Of course, calling the Tristan princess her friend might be stretching their relationship quite a bit.

Is this really how she talks to her younger sister?

Yuria felt a pang in her chest.

“…Actually, that’s all secondary.”

She continued with a sigh.

“It’s because of Darwood, sister.”

That sentence instantly crumbled Lucien’s expression, who had been watching them with folded arms and a sulky look.

“…Because of Darwood?”

“Yes. According to the student council president, Darwood will definitely get caught up in something during this trial.”

“…”

Lucien bit her lip slightly and turned to look at Elnore.

She was staring intently at the artificial dungeon where the hero candidates had just entered.

As if she sensed something inside.

“…Do you have any evidence?”

“Someone of the student council president’s caliber wouldn’t mention something like that without reason. And above all.”

Though she had no specific information.

If there was one definitive piece of evidence…

“It’s Darwood. He’s probably going to get attacked by some woman again.”

“…”

“As you know, that person always brings trouble—”

“…Right. I understand completely.”

Lucien said, placing her hands on her hips.

“…But no matter what, if outsiders participate in the selection without permission, it could cause a commotion—”

“Let us in, sister.”

Yuria cut off Lucien’s words.

It was a display of determination that would have been unimaginable from her usual self, but this time even Lucien couldn’t argue against it.

“I don’t want to go through what happened last time again.”

“Yuria.”

“…What if something happens to Darwood?”

“…”

There was one image that came to mind.

Even when he was nearly dead, that foolish human still worried about Lucien herself and Yuria.

The memory of standing by helplessly, unable to do anything, was still vividly etched in her mind.

That guilt still clung to Lucien’s heart like sticky soot.

As Yuria said, when it came to that man’s ‘well-being,’ she became infinitely weaker.

“Please, sister. Let us in.”

“…”

“I won’t cause any trouble. Okay?”

“…Urrrgh…”

Groaning like that while scratching her head vigorously, Lucien finally clutched her head and spoke in a deflated voice.

“…I can’t get you inside the dungeon, but I’ll try to arrange for you to approach the vicinity…”

“Sister, you’re the best.”

Lucien let out a sigh filled with self-loathing as she watched Yuria give her a thumbs up.

“By the way, what have you been looking at all this time?”

“…”

Though Lucien brought this up, Yuria remained unmoved.

Even while conversing with her, Yuria’s gaze had been fixed on Darwood’s photo that Elnore had given her.

More specifically, on his face.

“…So this is what Darwood looks like—that’s why.”

“Hmm?”

“He always wore something on his face when he was in front of me.”

Lucien tilted her head.

That seemed… right.

Whenever Yuria was nearby, Darwood would obsessively wear a mask.

“Did he ever tell you why he goes around like that?”

“…Well, I haven’t heard anything specific.”

After saying that, Yuria was silent for a moment before continuing.

“But hearing you say that, it seems he’s been going around without it when I’m not there?”

“I guess so…?”

Isn’t it stranger to keep wearing it all the time?

As that question crossed Lucien’s mind, Yuria muttered in a low voice.

“That makes me a little sad.”

And then.

“[I want to see it directly too.]”

The moment those words flowed out.

Lucien instinctively took a step back.

‘…Just now.’

Something had mixed into Yuria’s voice.

Something sinister enough to make her whole body shiver.

“What’s wrong? Is there something nearby?”

The person in question didn’t even realize she had let something slip and was looking around.

Seeing this, Lucien took a deep breath and stroked her chest.

“…N-no. Nothing.”

Did I see wrong?

I definitely felt something, but Yuria now looks exactly like her usual self.

“…”

But just now, that was clearly—

“Then I’ll leave that to you, sister!”

But before Lucien could finish her thought, Yuria was already scurrying over to where Elnore was.

Unaware of Lucien’s worried gaze following her, Yuria soon stood near Elnore, lifting her foot slightly to peek at her expression.

“I got permission, Madam President. We can’t directly join the course, but we can go near—”

Yuria’s sentence was cut off abruptly.

Elnore’s state was clearly not one of someone who could focus on her.

“Madam President, what are you staring at?”

“…”

No response. As if she hadn’t even noticed Yuria approaching.

She was staring at something as if entranced. Earlier she had been looking inside the dungeon, but now her gaze was fixed in a different direction.

Yuria followed Elnore’s fixed gaze.

The area was packed with spectators due to the ongoing selection, but.

That gaze.

It was precisely fixed on ‘someone’ in the middle of the crowd.

Yuria, who prided herself on her eyesight, could quickly trace where that gaze was directed.

A guard with a huge sword on his back, and a woman in front of him.

Though she was almost completely wrapped up, including her face, making it impossible to identify her, the curves of her body and various other factors clearly indicated she was a woman.

Her figure quickly disappeared into the crowd, but

“…Your Majesty?”

Then.

Those words dazedly flowed from Elnore’s lips.

“…Pardon?”

Yuria responded with an equally dazed voice.

Your Majesty, if that’s the case.

There’s only one person that could refer to.

The current Emperor of the Empire, Cecilia Arc Bailey Diedonné XI.

The greatest power in the Empire, dividing authority with Chancellor Sullivan.

She had heard that the Emperor was participating as a ‘facilitator’ in this selection.

But shouldn’t an emperor be waiting in the best facilities with ironclad security?

Why would she need to come out into the middle of this crowd…?

“Didn’t you see wrong…?”

Elnore pressed her lips tightly at Yuria’s question.

“…No, no. That can’t be.”

It was as if she was deliberately denying what she had just seen.

“Excuse me…?”

“It’s nothing.”

Elnore said in a curt voice, then readjusted her sword.

“…”

But the ‘ripples’ rising in her heart were still ongoing.

What she had just ‘felt’ was still clearly etched inside her nerves.

‘…I felt it.’

For just a brief moment.

In the crowd.

Someone who looked exactly like the Emperor she knew.

Something ‘identical’ to what she herself possessed.

Carrying inside her body.

That smell.

“…”

She shook her head.

The Emperor is one of the few connections she can trust, along with Beatrix.

What absurd thoughts to have about someone she’s known since the Emperor was a princess.

“…Let’s go. We’ve wasted time on nothing significant.”

Elnore continued, feigning composure.

Trying hard to convince herself that it couldn’t be possible.

●

“…Won’t we be late if we don’t hurry, teacher?”

“No. This pace is just right.”

I heard Elia urging me from the side, but I ignored her and continued walking slowly through the dark tunnel.

At a pace slow enough to make one yawn.

“…Hmm…”

Elia exhaled through her nose with a dissatisfied look, but instead of arguing further, she matched my pace.

“Well, I’m sure the teacher has reasons for everything…”

Judging by her tone, she must be quite frustrated. She’s even pouting her lips.

Regardless, my walking pace remains the same. Slowly, leisurely, like an old man taking a stroll through the dungeon.

[…What are you trying to do?]

I glance at the Soul Linker upon hearing Calivan’s voice.

‘Excuse me?’

[What’s with this snail’s pace?]

‘We must not forget our purpose, Calivan.’

I answer in a solemn tone.

Certainly, as this person says, the others are all gritting their teeth and exploring the dungeon as quickly as possible to advance. That’s how they’ll score high in this trial.

So I understand their impatience, but.

‘Our goal is to annoy the other guys and make them angry.’

[…]

‘We need to strengthen Elia.’

Calivan closed his mouth with an incredulous look, but.

The hero candidate isn’t me but Elia. Throughout this entire selection process, it’s not me but this kid who needs to stand out.

And to utilize that, I need to progress through this dungeon slowly right now.

‘The other candidates won’t be able to get through this easily either. I have a plan.’

I’ve explored mock dungeons with Elia before, but those were child’s play compared to this.

This artificial dungeon was one of the most difficult sections in the entire game. Even for an experienced player like me, one wrong move could multiply the clear time several times over.

The ‘combat difficulty’ itself isn’t particularly high, but there are so many crazy gimmicks that seem to embody human malice.

Even recalling my memories of traversing dungeons in the game, this place was packed with all sorts of malicious traps and maze-like structures that made me wonder if they were really created by humans. It was content perfectly designed to raise blood pressure.

Fatal traps striking from places without lighting, monsters ambushing from all directions, limited visibility, and terrain designed for easy falling, crushing, or drowning deaths with the slightest mistake.

Of course, I understand that it needs to be difficult since it’s a ‘hero’ selection, but when I was playing the game, it was incomprehensible why students would be thrown into a dungeon of this difficulty.

Especially.

The final boss that appears in the ‘deepest part’ is the epitome of such malevolence.

I guarantee, it’s pointless for the others to rush ahead. They’ll need to defeat that boss to be recognized for clearing the dungeon, and without the right ‘conditions,’ none of the candidates can achieve that.

In that sense.

The action I’m taking now is also essential for progress.

“…Teacher?”

“Hmm.”

“What are you doing…?”

“Resting.”

“…”

Elia looked at me with an exasperated expression, but instead of answering, I just plopped down on the floor.

“There’s someone we need to meet here.”

“…Excuse me?”

Now Elia questions me in an incredulous voice.

From her perspective as someone who needs to clear the dungeon as quickly as possible, she’s wondering what on earth I’m doing.

“You haven’t met the other hero candidates yet, have you?”

“…That’s… true? But why…?”

In the game, and originally, the hero candidates are thrown into the ‘trial’ with strict prohibition on information exchange about each other until they’re deployed.

It’s to ensure fairness by limiting information about each other as much as possible. The benefits of being a hero are so enormous that deals might occur, or they might try to check each other.

But originally, they at least see each other’s faces and experience various events during the opening ceremony. It’s not like now where they don’t even know who each other are.

“Let’s meet one.”

In that sense.

“Each of the hero candidates is an interesting character.”

There’s someone I need to ‘introduce’ to this kid.

Saying that, I check my watch while sitting on the floor.

The reason I’ve been walking so slowly is to match the timing.

Let’s see.

Considering the ‘behavior pattern,’ someone should be passing through here around now—

“Waaaaaaah!”

—That’s right.

I smile at the scream coming from behind.

“What is this dungeon! I’ve already died six times!”

It’s a voice so energetic that it makes the entire dungeon resound.

Even Elia turns around with a dumbfounded expression.

“…Did they say they died six times?”

Of course, she seems incredulous at the content itself.

I get up from my seat with a smirk.

“Right on time.”

“…Do you know them?”

“Yeah.”

I continue with a grin.

“It’s your little sister.”

“…What?”

Of course, not a biological sister in the real sense.

It’s more like a ‘nickname’ that users gave this person.

Lana Ray Delvium.

First-year valedictorian at the ‘Great Temple,’ the Holy Empire’s academy.

The protagonist of the DLC part ‘Holy Empire Conquest,’ a spin-off of Savior Rising.

One of the strongest ‘tanks’ in this world’s setting.

An essential piece for clearing this dungeon.

And.

‘Here comes the prey.’

Also the first ‘sacrificial lamb’ for my shameless trolling.