Special Lesson
by Afuhfuihgs
Having returned to the capital, Raellan received a call from a Modest employee who was waiting for him at the portal station and headed straight to Modest’s secret hideout.
Everyone except Bella was gathered in the basement. Whether Luna’s death had an effect, a heavy silence hung in the air, unlike the usual light atmosphere.
When everyone gathered with Raellan’s arrival, Ross slowly looked at everyone once and opened his mouth. The story was long, but the content was simple: to be the first to reach the 10th floor of the labyrinth to revive Luna.
The policy of observing the situation and responding had changed to taking action first due to Luna’s death. It was a big change, but his colleagues, who knew what Luna meant to Ross, accepted it without objection.
Everyone had noticed to some extent that Ross would surely collapse if Luna was not by his side. In any case, they had to prevent the Holy Grail from falling into the hands of Roel and the Order at Bella’s request. Thanks to this, there was a feeling of killing two birds with one stone, and the fact that no one disliked Luna, who was kind and considerate to everyone, also had a big impact.
Raellan and Eunice had a special request from Ross. It was to find the culprit who killed Luna. The two strategists nodded without hesitation.
Just as the story was about to wrap up with a plan to meet again the day before the labyrinth was fully opened, Estelle suddenly raised her hand and suggested that they decide on a name to call the people gathered at Modest’s secret hideout to save the world as one.
Raellan was surprised enough by the suggestion to raise his evaluation of Estelle a little. In a situation where the direction of the group had completely changed, naming the group was a way to solidify the group’s identity.
He was a little surprised that Estelle had made the suggestion first, which he was going to suggest before entering the labyrinth. Unlike the increase in his evaluation of Estelle, Raellan felt his expectations for Eunice decreasing. He thought that Eunice, who was called a strategist who read the situation, should have stepped forward first, not Estelle.
Ross, who had been silent for a moment at Estelle’s suggestion, briefly named the group.
,Rescue Team.”
It was a pretty good name. It could represent the identity of a group fighting to save the world, and it also contained the meaning of saving Luna from death. No one objected, and there were no other opinions, so the word “Rescue Team” spoken by Ross was decided as the name.
No sooner had the story ended than Ross left Modest as if he was being chased by something. Estelle and Ellie, who were watching him worriedly, nodded and followed him without a word. Lamine quietly left the basement with a greeting to see them at the next meeting.
Only two strategists remained in the basement. Eunice, who was roughly tousling her orange curly hair, felt Raellan’s gaze staring at her and met his eyes. It was a strange gaze. It was close to the gaze that a professor would show when evaluating others during an evaluation test at the academy.
Feeling inexplicably bad, Eunice frowned and said annoyedly.
,…Why are you looking at me like that? As if you’re going to give me a score or something.”
At those words, Raellan, who raised one corner of his mouth, took off his coat and hung it on the chair, then sat down in the empty seat next to Eunice. When Eunice, who was suddenly nervous because the distance became closer, bit her lip slightly, Raellan suddenly asked.
,How are you evaluating the current situation?”
Eunice, who was staring at Raellan with a dazed look at the sudden question, belatedly came to her senses and gave a dumbfounded look with a look of disbelief. Raellan was really trying to evaluate her.
The two of them were always compared as the same strategists. Just as Ross felt inferior to Roel, Eunice also felt a little inferior to Raellan, who was more skilled at designing plans, had more diverse experiences, and had excellent coping skills than herself.
At Raellan’s attempt to evaluate her, Eunice replied in a provocative tone filled with annoyance, unlike usual.
,…Of course, it’s the worst. Look at how much Luna’s death has affected Ross. Originally, we were going to investigate the Holy Grail and respond in the direction that would be most beneficial to us according to the situation, but now we have a purpose to reach the 10th floor first at all costs, even if it means taking risks. Ross wouldn’t even care about throwing himself into a pit of fire if it meant saving Luna, would he? The impatience to save Luna will definitely create a fatal variable.”
The game that Eunice was planning had been completely overturned. Of course, from Eunice’s point of view, it was right to think that it was the worst situation.
,Yeah, it’s the worst.”
When Eunice, who was feeling good for no reason at Raellan’s easy admission, slightly raised the corners of her lips, she heard the follow-up words that completely denied the previous words.
,I can’t believe that someone who is called a strategist who reads the situation would have such a stupid thought.”
Eunice’s face was dumbfounded at Raellan’s appearance, who was sending her a look full of contempt as if looking at worthless trash, and she moved her lips.
,…What did you say?”
,Are you deaf or something?”
Eunice shouted at Raellan’s appearance, who was slightly pulling his body back as if looking at something even more worthless.
,That’s not what I meant! No matter how you look at it, the current situation cannot be interpreted favorably! Luna’s death will have a huge impact on us!”
,Yes, Luna’s death had a huge impact to the point of changing the way we have been acting. But is it really the worst situation?”
At Raellan’s cold voice, Eunice calmed down her excitement and slowly interpreted the meaning contained in his words. Raellan had never spoken to her for useless things even once. It seemed clear that he thought unnecessary exchanges with colleagues were unnecessary. There was a clear reason why Raellan, who was like that, would bother to come to her and say these words.
Although she didn’t fully grasp what Raellan was trying to say, Eunice could tell what answer he wanted.
,Are you saying that it’s not the worst, but the best situation?”
,You still have some sense. Enough to figure out what the other person wants to hear.”
Eunice, who had her inner thoughts exposed, pouted her lips for no reason. Raellan, who was leaning back in his chair, smiled deeply as he looked at Eunice.
,You’re still a brat who doesn’t deserve to be called a strategist. Compared to your excellent mind, your lack of experience is limiting your vision, which should be looking at a wider game than anyone else, under the guise of rationality.”
,….”
It was true, so she couldn’t argue. Eunice herself was aware of her lack of experience. Raellan, who took his back off the chair, leaned his upper body closer to Eunice and glared at her.
,Can’t you see it yet? This huge game that someone designed.”
,…Game?”
Eunice couldn’t see any game. She didn’t feel anything like usual either. Raellan sighed at Eunice’s appearance, who was tilting her head.
,I think it would be a great help to us if you grow. That’s why I’m enduring this frustrating and pathetic conversation that I wouldn’t normally have.”
Eunice, who knew Raellan’s personality, nodded vigorously as if agreeing, then slightly avoided his gaze at his distorted expression.
,I’ll be your special one-day professor just for today.”
Raellan, whose voice was mixed with a mocking tone, continued.
,The special lesson starts with who killed Luna.”
Eunice felt bad at Raellan’s words, but she instinctively felt that this would be a great help to her growth and seriously pondered. After a long thought, Eunice thought of the opponent who could benefit the most from Luna’s death.
,…The Order.”
Raellan, who raised the corners of his lips with an interesting look, asked.
,Why do you think so?”
,The Order has already targeted Luna’s life before. I think the Order is also the one who can benefit the most from killing Luna. Just looking at Ross being so anxious to enter the labyrinth, I think the Order’s plan has worked.”
Raellan, who was listening to Eunice’s answer and tapping the table with his fingertips, stopped his hand and said.
,Wrong.”
,Huh?”
,The reason why the Order first targeted Luna was to kidnap Ross using the ability of Jamie of Madness to lure Roel out of the academy. But now that Jamie is dead at Ross’s hands, the most beneficial direction for the Order is for Luna to be alive and captured by the Order.”
At Raellan’s explanation, Eunice nodded without realizing it and understood. That explanation was definitely correct. If Luna was alive and captured by the Order, Ross would definitely try to invade the Order and rescue Luna even if it meant overdoing it.
If that happened, like the purpose of the Order’s first attack on Luna, they would be able to use Ross to lure Roel out of the academy. Eunice, who lacked the experience of understanding and secretly manipulating people’s actions and thoughts, had not thought of that direction.
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