WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 204: 204.

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I fell into thought for a moment. Jaun had already decided to escape. There was no reason for me to pick a fight with him over it. What would I gain by announcing here that he was trying to escape?

Even if I stopped him, we would only remain tied down here as we were now.

Then we would fail at the end of this story.

I glanced toward where Jaun was. He was waiting for my answer. He had already half accepted that he would fail. If I blocked even his final chance, I would only earn his resentment.

Perhaps I should take advantage of this opportunity and go with him. It was the most efficient choice.

I fiddled with the scroll in my pocket. The many maxims written on it seemed to pass through my mind.

Every one of them told me it was right to follow Jaun.

Right. As the scroll said, an opportunity had come, so I needed to seize it. The moment I made up my mind, the tightness in my chest eased a little. The worries that had been muddling my mind disappeared.

The answer had been right before me. Why had I hesitated so long?

I gave Jaun a meaningful look, telling him I would follow his decision.

If Jaun had come to ask for my cooperation, that meant he had a method. I needed to hear it. After I waited a moment, Jaun quietly spoke again.

“While we were trapped here, I used this body to inspect the path Evron took when he escaped. I also traced his magical power and figured out how he moved.”

The path Evron had taken. The place where he vanished was where the servants stayed. Since I had only wandered around the Ballroom, it was somewhere I had never visited.

I narrowed my eyes and looked over Jaun’s transparent body. The fact that the others had not noticed him showed how strange his body was. Even standing this close, I could not sense a single trace of his presence.

Jaun called it a small trick, but I could not tell how it worked. It clearly was not magic.

Of course, that body did not possess much strength. When I let out a small amount of magical power, Jaun’s transparent body trembled. It held the fragile feeling that even a little magical power could shatter it.

With a body like that, all he could do was hide and observe. Still, as Jaun said, it was clearly useful for gathering information. No wonder he had brought back so much information until now.

“I figured out where Evron disappeared well enough, but I could not find anything suspicious. You will be different. I will guide you there, so investigate it yourself.”

I closed my eyes and thought. Jaun had already tracked down all of Evron’s movements. I had wondered why he needed me, but this was why. It made sense.

There was one problem.

I turned my eyes toward the others holding their positions. How were we supposed to escape without them noticing? That was the real issue.

Emery and Gang were both strong. Even if we joined forces, we could not defeat them. The difference in power was clear.

We needed a solid way to deceive them. Jaun offered an answer for that too, continuing in a quiet whisper.

“Do you see the corpse my body is controlling? I plan to disguise it so it looks like us for a while. It is magic I learned while stealing corpses. I remember deceiving even a mage at the completed tree stage, so they will have a hard time seeing through it too.”

I blinked as I looked at the corpse Jaun’s body was controlling. He had deceived a completed tree mage?

That was quite a talent.

Then, as he said, deceiving the others should be possible. I nodded. Having heard this much, I understood roughly how Jaun intended to move.

During this time when we watched one another, our fatigue would keep piling up. We needed rest. We were not skilled enough to keep our bodies in perfect condition with magical power at all times.

So while one person rested, the other three watched one another. Emery was resting right now.

I glanced at her as she gathered her magical power.

That was probably why Jaun had approached me now. Emery was the one he needed to be most wary of. If she had been in perfect condition, she might have easily noticed even Jaun’s strange body.

The trick with the corpse would likely work the same way. The moment Emery let down her guard, he intended to deceive Gang and escape.

“Let us end today’s talk here. I will tell you more next time. For now, take small samples from your body. We will need to plant them in the corpse.”

I quietly nodded. The faint presence beside me gradually faded. It seemed Jaun was returning to his original body.

I glanced at Jaun. He was casually fiddling with a corpse as if we had never spoken. He met my eyes, then lightly closed his.

It meant we should both be careful. As he said, for now we needed to pretend we did not know each other.

I rubbed my chin and fell into thought. Could this plan really succeed?

I did not know. Still, it clearly had enough chance of working. To think he had prepared such a detailed plan. It showed how desperate Jaun was.

So I intended to follow his plan.

Of course, I needed to make preparations first.

I glanced at Gang. A murderous aura of magical power seemed to flow from him as he cleaned his sword.

If Emery rested, he would be the biggest problem. We needed to deceive him completely. Maybe I should prepare a few spells too.

I closed my eyes and considered my magic.

After that, Jaun continued approaching me whenever Emery rested. We exchanged opinions and slowly adjusted the plan. After all that careful preparation, we set the date to act.

I glanced outside. The axe was still playing in the Ballroom, its magical power writhing around it.

I quietly shook my head. It was still not satisfied. I had no idea how much longer we would have to endure this.

Still, that hardship would soon end. The time Jaun and I had agreed on was not far away.

It was time to leave this strange testing ground.

As I gathered my magical power and thought, I felt someone’s magical power flow toward me.

It was Emery’s.

Carefully following the magical power calling me, I went to her.

“You called for me?”

Emery lightly waved her fan and stared at the Ballroom. Her eyes, directed at the treasure, carried deep boredom. She glanced at me and spoke.

“Use your magic again. You should have polished it enough by now.”

My magic?

I placed a hand on my chest and drew out a little of the unique magic engraved on my Sapling. Then I could see paths stretching out in every direction.

There was still no clear direction.

I quietly shook my head. Emery let out a slightly irritated sigh.

“Tch. If only we knew who was targeting us, we could force the ritual to proceed. I wish to act, but I cannot leave you fools behind... I expected this, but it truly is boring.”

I scratched my head.

As Emery said, the Ballroom was carrying out a massive ritual. The Treasure Keeper girls binding the treasure were the ones overseeing it.

They were thorough about protecting the treasure. Yet Evron had overcome them and disappeared. Someone had created a gap in the ritual.

Only someone with strength beyond the Treasure Keepers could do something like that. There were only two people like that in the Ballroom.

Isabella and Mira.

One of them had clearly caused this. The treasure had probably helped the culprit as well. That was why Emery kept asking me who seemed suspicious.

If she could find proof of who had done it, she could force the ritual forward.

But my magic only wandered around without finding a direction.

Emery stared at me. Her expression clearly showed that she thought I was pathetic.

“To think you still cannot understand after I advised you so many times. You truly are foolish. How many times must I tell you not to think of your magic so simply? Train harder. Being born with good talent is a blessing from heaven.”

Emery gently waved her fan and covered half her face. After thinking for a moment, she slowly continued.

“I will give you advice again. As I have said before, advance with the intention of fighting and dying. If you only think of running away as you do now, your chance of rising higher will fade.”

She waved her fan, telling me to leave.

I bowed and was about to return to my place when I heard her mutter quietly.

“I have given you this much guidance, so do not disappoint me.”

My body flinched.

I slightly turned my head and met her eyes. There was a sharp feeling in them, as if she could see through everything inside me.

I awkwardly smiled and nodded.

Emery slowly closed her eyes and fell silent. I quickly moved away from her and returned to my place.

Then I watched her movements.

I wondered if she had noticed our plan.

But Emery only quietly refined her magical power. Seeing that, I let out a relieved sigh. If she had known about our plan, she would not have left us alone.

Still, we needed to move more quickly. Emery leaving a warning like that might mean she had sensed something suspicious.

I looked at Jaun and moved my lips.

It was a signal to move the plan forward.

Jaun nodded while tending to the corpse.

Emery’s next rest period would be tonight. That would be when we acted.

It was time to leave with the treasure’s power.

Still, Emery’s words seemed to lodge in my chest.

If I only ran away, I would never rise higher...

I shook my head hard and scattered those thoughts.

Had the scroll not said so? The Third Maxim, surviving is the most important thing.

Now was the time to follow the scroll’s maxim. The plan was already in motion, so I could not turn back.

Tense, I built up magical power. I needed to move the moment I received the signal.

Time slowly passed, and night finally came. Emery gathered her magical power and drifted into a half-sleep.

As I felt Emery’s magical power gradually settle, I looked at Jaun. He was pouring magical power into the corpse he had been constantly handling.

Within that magical power, the corpse gradually began to take a shape resembling him.

Then I needed to use magic too.

I slowly released the magical power I had built up and formed several spells. I felt them seep into the floor.

Jaun gave me a look.

Carefully, I rose and left my place. The corpse Jaun controlled quickly filled the spot I had vacated.

Then it took on my appearance.

Just as Jaun had claimed, it was flawless. Even I could not tell the difference.

I swallowed in the quietly settled magical power.

Now we needed to move carefully. If Gang noticed us, everything would be for nothing.

I watched him closely.

Gang seemed to sense something suspicious. He stopped tending to his sword and looked our way.

But he soon returned to focusing on his sword. He had not noticed anything wrong.

Letting out a relieved breath, I slowly moved.

We crossed through a gap in the barrier surrounding the room and made it outside.

Everything had gone as planned.

“Move quickly. That magic will not last long.”

Jaun whispered quietly.

The Ballroom was silent. Night had come, and everyone had returned to rest. That was why we had chosen now to act.

“This way.”

Jaun took the lead and guided me toward the area where the servants stayed, the place Evron had investigated before.

Evron’s traces would surely remain there.

Since it was somewhere I had never been, I needed to be careful. I reinforced the magic around my body and headed inside.

Then I lightly looked around.

Unlike the area where we stayed, this place was made up of narrow corridors. A few servants went back and forth through them. Still, perhaps because it was late at night, people did not come and go often.

Avoiding them, I followed Jaun deeper inside.

The quiet flames flickering in the hall lit our path. At the end of the corridor, Jaun stopped before an ordinary door.

He lightly motioned to me with his chin and entered the room.

This seemed to be our destination.

When I followed inside, I saw an empty room.

“I investigated all the magical power left along the path Evron checked. I learned that his traces ended in this room. But I could not find anything more here.”

I let out magical power and examined the room. Just as Jaun said, I could not find anything suspicious.

I nodded.

Jaun had brought me this far. Now it was time for me to act.

I looked around and ran my hand across the furniture left in the room. A little dust came away on my fingers. It seemed this room had not been used for a long time.

Even if magical power could not reveal it, people always left traces somewhere.

If Evron had really disappeared here, something would remain.

I lowered my head and brushed over the dust on the floor.

Then I noticed the dust was not spread evenly. Someone had clearly entered this room.

Of course, that alone could not tell me where Evron had disappeared.

Still, the fact that less dust had built up meant I could trace where he had moved. I could narrow down the area I needed to search.

Evron’s footsteps roughly followed along the wall.

That meant something was there.

I lightly sniffed.

Magical power filled my nose, and I began to smell the scents permeating the room more deeply.

I moved along the wall, smelling what lingered in it.

Then, at some point, I sensed a subtle change.

I stopped and looked at the wall before me.

The scent here was slightly strange.

I slowly placed my fingertips on the wall and closed my eyes. Paying attention to the texture, I began searching for the source of the scent.

At the end of it, I felt an extremely faint unevenness.

When I carefully pressed that spot with my finger, the wall, which had not shown a single gap, trembled slightly along with a faint vibration.

I carefully pushed on it.

The wall smoothly opened, revealing a secret passage leading into darkness.

Footprints left by someone continued faintly inside.

“Huh. There was a place like this?”

Jaun muttered.

He looked around, checking if anything else was strange. But we could not find anything suspicious beyond that.

I carefully stepped back and nodded.

This was clearly where Evron had left.

I rubbed my chin. This path had been hidden so carefully that it was impossible to notice from the outside.

Evron could not have found it alone. Even I would not have noticed it without the traces he left behind.

As Emery suspected, someone had definitely helped him.

“Then, let us head inside...”

The moment I spoke, I felt a sharp sensation of magical power cutting through the door behind me.

My senses quickly detected the danger and warned me.

Startled, I bent my body forward.

A powerful sword strike passed over my head.

Cold sweat ran down my back as I felt the magic I had laid down split apart in an instant. I had almost been cut.

I pulled back and looked at the door.

Only one person could launch a sword strike like that.

The door opened, and a man holding a sword slowly entered.

It was Gang.

Powerful magical power rippled from him.

“Thanks to following you, I was able to see something interesting. To think you found such a hidden place. It was very impressive.”

He had followed us?

I swallowed hard. I had thought we had deceived him. The magic we left in the room was still active.

Perhaps Gang sensed our shock, because he lightly nodded.

“Your magic was quite convincing. I did not notice it at first either. But it seems mages do not know the scents they carry. The smell of blood left by the dead.”

Gang looked at Jaun. A faint disgust filled his eyes.

He slowly continued.

“No matter how much you disguise the outside with corpses, you cannot imitate the traces of blood carved into your hands. Nor that terrible stench.”

I lightly sniffed.

The smell of blood?

But I could not smell anything. All I could strongly sense was the metallic stench unique to sword-users flowing from Gang.

Had a sword-user’s unique senses recognized something suspicious about us?

It was unexpected.

I moved my eyes and met Jaun’s gaze.

Before we could enter this path, it seemed we needed to get past Gang somehow. Jaun seemed to think the same, because he began strongly raising his magical power.

Gang watched us spread magical power and lightly ran a finger over his blade.

Then he quietly spoke to us.

“I do not intend to fight you. I only came to ask one thing. That attack was only meant to stop you.”

I hesitated at his words.

He did not intend to fight? I could not understand what that meant.

“Do not speak nonsense. You only wish to buy time. You cannot defeat us alone.”

Jaun clicked his tongue and glared at Gang.

Gang met his gaze and lightly shook his head.

“If you are worried about Emery, set your minds at ease. She is in her room right now. If I wanted to stop you, I would have awakened her the moment I noticed your suspicious behavior.”

Gang was right.

I spread magical power and looked around, wondering if Emery was nearby. But as he said, I could not find anything suspicious.

He had really come alone.

Gang slowly returned his sword to its sheath. He looked as if he had completely given up on fighting.

I looked at him in slight confusion. Gang met my eyes.

“If members of the same group fight, we will lose points. You have already decided to leave, so what would stopping you accomplish? It would clearly have a negative effect on the rest of the story.”

He fiddled with his sheath and calmly continued.

“Rather than that, I would prefer to let you go and accept the point deduction. As I said, I followed you only to ask one question. Why are you trying to give up on the test?”

I stared at Gang.

I could only feel a sincere question from him. He had really come just to ask us.

I exchanged a brief look with Jaun. It was clear Gang would not leave unless we answered him.

Jaun seemed to feel the same. He clicked his tongue and slowly spoke.

“This test has no hope left. So we should at least take the treasure’s power. If we have that, we can aim for the next chance even if we fail to enter the university.”

I nodded.

That was why I had joined Jaun. I had judged it to be the most likely way to succeed.

But Gang only tilted his head at Jaun’s words.

“We have not failed yet. Why are you already thinking about next time?”

Jaun sighed as if frustrated. He glared at Gang and spoke.

“Do you not know we have already half failed? You and I must have lost points in the first chapter. But there was still hope, so I did my best as well. Then Evron ruined everything.”

Jaun clenched a fist as if venting his resentment.

Deep hatred toward Evron flowed from him.

“That bastard must have thought this test was close to failure. So he took power and left. You know how significant ten points are. No matter how hard we try, we will not be able to make up that difference.”

“So you intend to take power and leave. I understand everything.”

Gang lightly nodded and calmly continued.

“As expected of mages. You are very skilled at calculating things in secret. I never dreamed you two had worked together without me knowing.”

“Of course you did not. What would a sword-user know?”

Jaun clicked his tongue.

Gang lightly glared at him. He must have disliked being called a sword-user.

I gently calmed Jaun.

There was no need to make an enemy of Gang. And facing him gave me an idea.

I looked at Gang and carefully spoke.

“Since you have come this far, how about you leave with us, Gang?”

“Me as well?”

“Yes. As Jaun said, the test has already half collapsed. It will get worse if we leave. So why not leave with us? We can aim for the next test.”

I touched the scroll in my pocket.

The Fourth Maxim, avoid making enemies.

I needed to follow those words.

If Gang returned now, Emery might chase after us. But if we brought him over, she would not know where we had gone. Everyone except her could benefit.

Jaun paused, seemingly interested in my words. Safety mattered more to him than his hatred of sword-users.

Gang quietly touched his sheath. His eyes had settled into calmness. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking.

Still, I did not think he would reject this offer.

Anyone with sense would surely follow us.

I looked at him with a smile.

But the smile quickly faded.

Gang shook his head and took a step back.

“You should go on without me. I will remain here.”

Why would he make that choice?

Unable to believe it, I stared blankly at him.

“If you leave too, thirty points will be deducted. That leaves seventy points. The passing score is sixty, so if I leave as well, Emery will not be able to pass.”

Gang was right.

Emery had been almost perfect in the first chapter. She had surely lost almost no points. The same had been true here. She had always tried to find the answer.

But even she would have trouble passing if forty points were deducted. With all her group members gone, it would be hard for her to progress through the story alone.

“When we faced the Black Mage, she stayed behind alone while we ran away. You could say all of us received her help. So I intend to repay that debt. It is simply the right thing to do.”

The right thing to do.

I could not help but flinch. His words seemed to stab into my chest.

“How foolish. It will not change the fact that you will fail.”

Jaun muttered.

Gang looked at Jaun with a faint smile.

“We will only know after we go all the way. Of course, it is only a slim chance, but I will not give up. The story has not reached its end yet. Pressing forward to the very end is the way of a swordsman. Mages would not understand.”

Gang nodded and slowly stepped backward.

As he had said, he was really about to leave us behind.

“I have always wondered how wandering mages think, but now I have finally found the answer. I will return now. I need to tell Emery that you have left. That is also a form of respect for her.”

“Then do what you must do.”

Gang left those final words and exited the room.

Only silent stillness remained. Jaun clicked his tongue.

“Move quickly. It seems we do not have much time.”

Jaun entered the passage.

He was right. Even if we tried to stop Gang here, we clearly could not prevent him from escaping.

We needed to move quickly.

We went through the passage. At the end, we found a small mirror.

Dark magical power filled it, along with a strange sight within.

What was this?

The moment I approached the mirror, the magical power it held suddenly wrapped around us.

A powerful suction force came from the mirror.

Unable to resist it, we were sucked inside.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

When I came to my senses, we had arrived somewhere unfamiliar.

I looked around and saw a room decorated with countless ornaments. It was filled with all kinds of colors and looked extravagantly luxurious.

At the center of it sat an axe giving off terrible magical power.

It was clearly Blood Axe, the treasure that had floated around the Ballroom.

I swallowed quietly.

This was the treasure room.

The mirror had guided us here. Evron had surely arrived here by taking the same path as us.

“Finally.”

Jaun’s eyes shone as he approached the axe.

I quickly reached out and grabbed him. Then I pointed beneath the axe.

“Be careful. The Treasure Keepers are still here.”

Jaun paused.

As I warned, two girls holding the axe’s leash were beneath it. They quietly whispered to each other, looking bright and cheerful.

They had not noticed our intrusion yet.

I looked at the floor.

A complicated magic circle caught my eye. It seemed to be magic concealing this mirror. It had also kept us outside their search range.

The moment we left this spot, they would surely notice us.

Then how had Evron gotten past them?

As I thought that, I felt the mirror we had come through ripple slightly.

Someone had followed us.

Had Emery arrived already?

Tense, I looked at the mirror. Soon, just as it had done with us, the mirror began spitting out a person.

A woman stretched as she stepped out of the mirror.

After recognizing her, I let out a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, it was not Emery.

Still, I could not relax. I had no idea why she had arrived here.

Seeing us on guard, the woman gave a gentle smile.

[You do not need to be so tense. I have no intention of harming you.]

Words decorated the air, then disappeared.

It was the way Isabella spoke.

She looked around, then motioned toward the mirror. The magical power rippling across it quietly settled.

[I was wondering how I should persuade you when all of you stayed shut in your rooms. I did not expect you to come through the mirror on your own. It was good that I waited just in case.]

“...Did Isabella give Evron power?”

I asked carefully.

Isabella softly smiled and nodded.

I swallowed.

The person Emery had been searching for was right here. Isabella had created the current situation.

“We want the treasure’s power too. Just like Evron did.”

Jaun spoke urgently.

I understood his attitude. We did not have much time. Gang had let us go, but Emery would be different.

Emery would surely not forgive us. We needed to escape quickly before she arrived.

At Jaun’s words, Isabella readily nodded.

[Of course I should help you. Please wait a moment. First, I need to put those children to sleep for a while.]

Isabella slightly opened her mouth and quietly muttered.

“Sleep.”

The moment I heard that word, pain surged through my chest. The terrible magical power contained in her words brushed over my soul.

The magical power that left her mouth slowly began to consume the treasure room.

The Treasure Keeper girls seemed to sense something strange and quickly stood, looking around in alarm.

But the moment Isabella’s magical power brushed past them, they helplessly collapsed.

I gripped my chest and breathed heavily.

If those words had been directed at me, my soul would have been damaged.

Isabella stepped outside the magic circle and motioned to us.

It meant we should follow.

Carefully, I followed behind her toward the axe.

The sleeping axe seemed to regain consciousness within Isabella’s magical power. It quietly rose.

As it floated into the air, the leash binding it rose with it.

The Treasure Keeper girls holding the leash had already collapsed, so they could not stop the axe’s movements.

I glanced at the girls. They seemed to be asleep, quietly snoring.

The axe swayed as if enjoying its freedom, then cut through the air and flew before us.

[Slaughter?]

A powerful will shook my body. I clutched my head.

It was asking whether we had come for power.

Even though it was a simple question, it was damaging my body.

“Yes, we do.”

Jaun nodded, coughing up blood.

The axe shook its body wildly.

[Slaughter, Slaughter!]

The will coming from the axe grew stronger.

Isabella opened her mouth in a whisper.

“Calm down.”

Her words contained magical power that seemed to scrape at the soul.

The axe trembled slightly, as if it had come back to its senses.

[Then could you share a little magical power with me? I will quickly prepare to divide the power.]

Isabella held out her hand to us.

We sent magical power toward her. Using it, she quickly began drawing a magic circle.

It was so complicated that I could not understand any part of it. The magic circle connected the axe at its center to us.

Was it trying to extract power? I did not know.

Still, I needed to trust Isabella. Had she not already sent Evron outside? She clearly had no reason to deceive us here.

As I thought that, a question suddenly came to mind.

Why was she trying to send us outside?

I glanced at Isabella. Feeling my gaze, she met my eyes with a gentle smile.

[If there is something you are curious about, you may ask without feeling burdened.]

“...Then I will ask one thing. Why are you sharing this power with us? If Isabella becomes the treasure’s owner, would you not lose out the more power you share with us?”

Had she not been carrying out an ownership ritual to claim the treasure?

At my question, Isabella looked at the axe at the center of the magic circle. It seemed excited at the thought of sharing its power.

[It is for this one’s satisfaction. Treasures are beings full of desire. That is why they always wish to be free of restraint. This ritual was a device created to forcibly break that desire.]

Having finished drawing the magic circle, she slowly rose.

Then she lightly tapped the axe.

The axe slowly began releasing magical power, which seeped into the magic circle.

[I thought I could defeat Mira well enough. But the power of charm she possesses was more troublesome than I expected. The people who chose me were gradually crossing over to her as time passed.]

I remembered what Jaun had said. At first, those people had defended Isabella, but the moment they met Mira, they chose Mira instead.

I had felt that power of charm myself.

Isabella narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue as she continued writing.

[If time continues to pass, she will win. So I decided to cooperate with this one. I said I would let it draw out a little power, so it should quickly complete the ritual. And this one called you here.]

I swallowed lightly.

According to what we had investigated, Isabella still had a slight advantage. So she had clearly planned to end the ritual quickly.

Had we been sacrifices prepared for this treasure from the beginning?

Only now could I understand the structure of this story.

I stared blankly at Isabella.

She wore a very gentle smile. To think such a scheming plan had been hidden inside someone who looked like a noble lady. From the moment we failed to notice this story, we had been doomed to be used by her.

Still, perhaps I should consider it fortunate that we could gain a little leftover power.

I looked at the magic circle. It was gathering thick magical power and forming it into a single mass.

If I obtained that, failing this test might be nothing more than a small matter.

Entranced, I watched the power contained inside. Even though it was only a tiny piece, the strength it contained was immense.

Even if I combined every bit of magical power I could release, I would only barely match it.

Could I really leave with power like that?

Isabella had told us everything because she was sure we could not pass it up.

She smiled lightly at us.

[Three people should be enough to satisfy it. Then who will receive the power first?]

“I will receive it first.”

Before I could speak, Jaun stepped forward.

He looked desperately eager.

After watching him for a moment, I nodded.

Arguing over the order would only waste more time. Besides, he had done most of the work in planning this escape. I needed to respect that.

I was also a little afraid to try it first.

At my concession, Jaun smiled brightly and walked toward the magic circle.

It was the first time I had seen him look so happy.

He reached the center of the magic circle and faced the jewel-like piece of power.

Jaun’s eyes shone brighter than ever. His eyes held deep hope and anticipation, as if he were imagining his future.

Slowly, he reached out and grasped the piece of power.

The magic circle began giving off an intense light.

It was accompanied by such powerful magical power that I closed my eyes without thinking.

When I opened them again, the piece of power had completely vanished.

So had Jaun.

He disappeared without leaving behind even a trace of magical power.

Only a single screen remained where he had stood.

--

Chapter 3. Treasure

You have encountered the treasure. One person has left the test with the treasure’s power. Decide where you stand before the moment of choice arrives.

(10 points deducted because one person has left the test.)

--

It held the exact same contents as when Evron disappeared.

Jaun had clearly left this place and gone outside. Since the treasure’s power had vanished along with him, he had truly taken it.

I gave Isabella a hurried look.

This screen would have appeared not only to me, but to the others as well. Emery would surely arrive here with Gang soon.

I needed to escape before they came.

Perhaps sensing my urgency, Isabella quietly smiled. As before, she skillfully extracted power from the axe.

[Here, take it.]

I stepped into the magic circle.

Facing the jewel-like piece of power, I swallowed.

Then another screen appeared before me.

--

Chapter 3. Treasure

You have encountered the treasure’s power. If you gain it, you will fail the test, but you will be able to take the treasure’s power outside. Choose for yourself.

--

Would I receive the power?

What an obvious question. Why else had I come all this way?

Yet unlike those thoughts, a small hesitation filled my chest.

It was the trace left behind by Gang’s words.

He had said that we all owed Emery a debt. He had also said repaying that kindness was the duty of a person.

As he said, I owed Emery as well.

If she had not taken the lead and guided us, I would surely have kept making the wrong choices and failed to get past the first chapter.

Was it right to leave her behind like this?

After continuing that brief worry, I lightly shook my head.

No. I did not have time to keep agonizing over such a trivial question.

The Seventh Maxim, always calmly consider the possibilities.

Had the scroll not said so?

Evron had left, and Jaun had left too. Once twenty points had been deducted, the chance of all of us passing had surely become extremely low.

What would it mean for me to remain in that situation? I would only lose out and fail.

So I needed to run away and at least gain this power.

I steadied my heart and reached out.

If I only grasped this shining jewel, this test would end for me. I had already gained enough here, thanks to following the maxims the scroll had taught me.

So I should prepare for next time.

Yes, next time.

I stopped.

Next time.

If I left now, I would prepare for next year’s test.

But if I moved on to the next attempt, would I really be able to enter the university?

This power was clearly strong. If I carried it and trained steadily for a year, I would surely become far stronger than I was now.

But even with that power, I could never defeat Emery as she was now.

Emery’s strength was that powerful.

Yet even Emery had not easily overcome this test and had ended up in danger. Having seen that, how could I be confident that I would pass?

I quietly clicked my tongue.

Giving this up would be foolish too. My points had already been reduced as much as they could be. I could not be stubborn in this situation.

Yes. Stubborn.

Then why were they being so stubborn?

I thought of Emery and Gang.

They were not foolish people. The moment Evron left, they must have realized this test had become far more difficult.

Anyone could see that failing was more likely than passing.

Yet they chose to remain. Unlike Evron and Jaun, who had chosen to leave.

Those who left, and those who remained.

What was the difference between them?

Then I suddenly realized it.

Ah.

Was I standing at the boundary right now?

I stared at the jewel before me.

Evron had left. He had thoroughly followed the scroll’s maxims. I had also followed those maxims and come to face this.

The person who created the scroll said they had entered the university after eleven attempts. The failures and lessons of someone who passed were all engraved within it.

That was why the scroll served as a guidebook for wandering mages like us. I had not believed in it and followed it like a teacher for nothing.

But were all those maxims truly right?

I quietly closed my eyes.

This had helped me a great deal. How could I ignore the experience of someone who had challenged the university eleven times?

Right. Eleven times.

Put another way, that meant the ten attempts that created those maxims had all ended in failure.

This was a guidebook, but it was also a record of failure.

The university’s tests were always cruel. So a crisis like this would surely come next year too.

Would I run away then as well?

Would I promise myself next time again?

After experiencing this once, leaving would become even easier next time. Once someone had one excuse, running away became much easier.

Then after running away, the same thing would repeat the following year.

I felt certain of it.

Had the past two tests not been like that?

Of course, my strength would gradually grow throughout that process.

But at the same time, I would gain even more excuses.

More failures.

And the more those excuses piled up, the easier running away would become.

At the end of it, perhaps I would give up on the university altogether.

Like other wandering mages.

Then Emery’s words seemed to flow clearly into my mind.

Advance with the intention of fighting and dying. If you only think of running away, there will be no chance of rising higher.

She had said that consistently, from the moment we fought the Black Mage until now.

I touched my chest.

I wanted my instincts to give me the answer to this situation.

But they still gave me no response.

This was not a situation that threatened my life.

So I needed to make this choice entirely by my own will.

If I grasped this, I would go outside. With many excuses.

If I gave it up, I would remain inside. Carrying the possibility of taking a great loss.

A mage’s rational mind kept whispering to me.

Taking this and leaving was the greatest benefit.

Yet the words Emery had left behind circled through my chest.

Advance with the intention of dying.

That was the path to rising higher.

It was a direction I had never chosen before.

Amid those worries, I felt the Sapling in my chest slowly release magical power.

It swayed its branches as if cheering me on.

From the Sapling came the feeling that it would respect my will no matter what I chose.

Its magical power wove together the unique magic engraved within it and began showing me a faint path.

It began beneath my feet and passed through my chest.

It was connected to my Sapling.

Seeing that path, I understood clearly.

My magic was not a miracle I created alone.

It could only be achieved together with this Sapling.

If I gained this power, my magical power would surely become stronger. But it would not be a way to grow my Sapling.

It would only mean relying on the power of a foreign thing.

To nurture and grow this Sapling, I needed to train only my own strength.

That was why Emery had chosen to remain even in danger. So she could fight until the end, even if she failed.

If I only ran away, I would remain in place.

No.

I would clearly retreat within my excuses.

So I needed to advance as Emery did.

I took the scroll from my pocket. Because I had opened and closed it hundreds of times, it was terribly worn. It looked like it would fall apart if I touched it even a little.

It had helped me greatly until now.

But there was a saying in the world.

A student only comes into their own by surpassing their teacher.

Like that saying, it was time for me to leave this behind too.

I tore the scroll.

A small feeling of liberation filled me. At the same time, realization poured into my chest like rain.

It made my Sapling grow further, and the pattern of unique magic engraved upon it became clearer.

Feeling that fulfillment, I quietly stepped back.

[Why are you doing that?]

Isabella tilted her head and asked me.

I met her eyes and lightly shook my head.

“Facing this, I realized one clear fact. If I leave like this, I will regret it. So I intend to remain here. That would also mean repaying the kindness I received.”

Yes.

As Gang said, I needed to do the right thing.

I smiled.

Isabella narrowed her eyes. Then she began raising thick magical power.

[Is that so? Then I will have to make you take it by force. Did I not tell you? You are sacrifices.]

“Take it.”

She whispered.

At the same time, I felt the words she spoke wrap around my soul.

They began binding my body.

I blinked.

Ah, right.

Now that I thought about it, this was not something that would end just because I stopped.

I had completely forgotten that this was a story.

The power inside Isabella’s words forcibly moved my body. I tried to resist, but before her strength, I was helpless.

I reached the jewel and tightly shut my eyes.

Was I going to fail like this?

I felt my hand touch something and let out a sigh.

But something felt strange.

Instead of a jewel, the soft texture of wood rested beneath my fingertips.

I cautiously opened my eyes.

A fan blocked my hand.

The fan between my hand and the jewel held familiar magical power.

It was Emery’s.

Then I heard her voice.

“Those are my points, so would you restrain yourself a little as well? Naturally, if they had said they wished to leave, I would have respected their choice. But as they have just stated, they wish to remain.”

Emery appeared beyond the mirror.

With her words, powerful flames rose from her fan.

They took the shape of a serpent and knocked the jewel away.

The strange power binding my body quickly vanished too.

I quickly pulled back and fled to Emery’s side.

Emery caught the fan that returned to her and lightly waved it.

I let out a relieved sigh and bowed to her.

She clicked her tongue with a disappointed expression.

“Did you think I would not know your foolish thoughts? From beginning to end, your actions were in the palm of my hand. That is why I even left a warning, yet you still tried to leave. I am deeply disappointed.”

I lowered my head.

Still, a question came to mind.

If she had known in advance, why had she not stopped us?

Seeing my face, Emery lightly shook her head.

“I intended to lead this test in place of you fools. But Evron went beyond my expectations and left. Once suspicion was planted, someone was sure to follow after him. So I intended to use him to identify the culprit, as I have done now.”

I kept my head lowered.

There was nothing I could say. I had changed my mind at the end, but that did not erase the fact that I had intended to betray her.

But there was no time to apologize.

Isabella had begun raising murderous magical power.

[Since it has come to this, I will send all of you outside together. I cannot allow such unreliable votes to remain in this Ballroom.]

Isabella narrowed her eyes and drew a magic circle.

Light flashed from the magic circle she formed in an instant.

Then lightning shot toward us faster than I could even recognize.

But the moment the magic circle formed, I was already half pulling back while holding Emery.

The feeling in my chest had finally awakened and warned me.

I trembled slightly at the lingering magical power that passed before my eyes.

I had almost died.

A stronger sense of crisis than I had felt from the Black Mage filled my chest.

Emery, held in my arms, lightly waved her fan and nodded. She tapped my chest with it and wore a satisfied smile.

“Hmm, as expected. You are useful in situations like this. Your crime of attempting to run away is great, but you changed your mind at the end, so I will forgive you a little. Move quickly. We only need to hold out for a short while.”

It was fortunate that she would forgive me.

But I had no time to thank her. Lightning continued falling toward me.

Following the sharp warnings ringing in my chest, I frantically moved along the path my unique magic created.

If I slowed down even a little, I would surely be fried by lightning.

I could not relax for even a moment.

I rolled across the floor again and again until I was covered in blood.

Perhaps seeing me annoyed Isabella. She lightly frowned and looked toward the treasure.

[To think they can dodge so well. They are like a cockroach. We cannot drag this out any longer. I will add one more sacrifice, so could you lend me your strength for a moment?]

[Slaughter? Slaughter... Slaughter!]

The axe sent out the will that it wanted two people.

Isabella clicked her tongue and nodded.

The axe released magical power, its will overflowing with excitement.

It took shape and writhed as if it would fill the entire room.

I stared blankly at that overwhelmingly powerful force.

Every path my magic drew vanished before that magical power.

There was nowhere left for me to run.

Unavoidable death approached before my eyes.

Yet Emery only lightly waved her fan with a relaxed expression.

I could not understand how she could be so calm.

Was that the dignity of someone from a great family?

Then perhaps I should accept this as calmly as she did.

As I firmly made up my mind, Emery tilted her head slightly.

“Hmm, they should be here by now.”

“Yes, as you said, I have arrived.”

Someone who had appeared beside us at some point responded to Emery’s words.

Startled, I looked beside me and saw Mira smiling at us with her eyes.

Gang stood beside her.

“Gang lost his way for a while and only heard the news late. Still, I am glad he managed to make it here in time. I even get to see such an interesting situation.”

Emery lightly nodded.

Had she sent Gang to Mira first?

It was a thoroughly planned move.

Mira waved her finger.

Mist rippling from her fingertips slowly spread through the surroundings. It gently began taking in the axe’s power.

A fragrant scent of roses came from the mist.

Intoxicated by the scent, I blankly stared at Mira.

Then pain struck my head, and I came back to my senses.

I held my throbbing head.

Emery had put magical power into her fan and struck my head with it.

She waved her fan and shook her head.

“To think you cannot come to your senses even in a situation like this. You need more training.”

I lightly avoided her disappointed gaze and looked forward.

From the moment Mira appeared, the paths that had become unclear began to show themselves again.

And they shone most clearly beside Mira.

It meant she could resolve this situation.

Mira looked between Isabella and the axe, then smiled slightly with her eyes.

She waved a hand toward the two Treasure Keeper girls lying unconscious.

Mira sent magical power toward the Treasure Keepers.

They slowly rubbed their eyes and rose.

The girls yawned lightly and looked around, then soon wore shocked expressions.

They had realized the axe had escaped their hands.

The girl wearing rabbit clothes grabbed the axe’s leash with an angry expression. Then she began wildly pointing at the axe.

“Slaughter... Slaughter.”

[Sl-Slaughter?]

“Slaughter!”

The axe released magical power and began carefully watching the girls’ reactions.

It sent out a small will.

Everything had been Isabella’s plan.

Mira gave a mischievous smile.

“You broke our agreement. Then you will have to accept that the scales of this ritual will tilt.”

Isabella clicked her tongue.

A trace of trouble showed on her face.

This was exactly the situation Emery wanted.

She could bring the second chapter to an end.

Emery had clearly adjusted even this with careful planning.

I trembled at the delicate design of it all.

Then I remembered the scroll’s maxims.

The eleventh maxim, do not be arrogant, and if you lean on others, you can make it halfway.

It was also the maxim that concluded the scroll.

It was the only trace of success among countless experiences of failure.

So perhaps it would be all right to follow that one.

I lightly smacked my lips as I felt my unique magic connect a path toward her.

Mira smiled lightly at us and waved.

“Let us send those people away first. Their choice no longer matters.”

“Professor is also urging me to send all of you out.”

Muttering that, Mira released mist.

Thick mist wrapped around us.

The mist filled with magical power blocked our vision so completely that we could not see an inch ahead.

When the mist gradually faded, I realized the scenery around us had changed.

The treasure room where we had stood a moment ago was gone. Darkness filled everything around us.

And beneath that darkness was a single small light.

Where was this?

As I looked around, a screen appeared before me.

--

Chapter 4. Trial

You have reached the courtroom. Hear the judgment of the story.

--

The fourth chapter.

The story had moved on before I knew it. It meant we had reached the end of the previous story.

It made sense. Just as with the Black Mage, there was nothing left for us to do.

Then what was waiting here?

I watched the screen warily when I heard someone clapping from somewhere.

It came from where the light was.

“Congratulations. Since you have come this far, you may all relax. There is no longer any need to continue the story.”

It was a familiar voice.

It was also someone I had never expected to hear here.

Soon, a man with a face that looked exhausted appeared beneath the light.

“Oh? Everyone looks unwell. I will brew you some tea that is good for the body. It will be very effective at easing your fatigue.”

The person who appeared was Evron.

He was clapping with a gentle smile on his face.

I stared at him in disbelief.

Had he not failed the test?

Then why was he here?

I could not understand it at all.

Footnotes:

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