Luna realized that Daike was directionally challenged.
However, she had no intention of chasing him away.
Not only because she wasn’t the type to be that harsh, but also.
‘Two is better than one.’
She wasn’t the only one unable to escape the labyrinth.
A tool for psychological stability. Thinking that way made her feel a little more at ease.
Well, just because one is directionally challenged doesn’t mean they absolutely can’t find the way.
There’s also a possibility of discovering a path she hasn’t seen.
That’s why Luna decided to go with Daike.
“Don’t worry and just follow me! The path always has an end if you keep going!”
As Luna said, an end did come.
A dead end, that is.
“Ahem, it’s not easy. Truly a test worthy of Annwood Academy.”
“……”
“Don’t worry. We’ll definitely find it next time. Just trust and follow this big sis!”
Step step-.
But the result was always the same. Wherever they went, tall stone walls only greeted them.
‘…Can a person be like this?’
Daike was dumbfounded. How can the path be blocked like this everywhere they go?
It would be better for him to lead at this point.
“Wh-What! A person can get a little lost! Do you have to say it like that?”
“…I didn’t say anything.”
“Your eyes are saying it? Eyes that say you’re better!”
“…I won’t deny that.”
“Hmph! Fine! Then why don’t you try it! I’ll specially give you a chance. Ah~ I was definitely going to find it next time. What a shame.”
“…Let’s go this way.”
Daike led the way, and Luna followed behind, grumbling.
Of course, she had a secret expectation inside.
The expectation that Daike would find the way. But.
“…It’s blocked.”
“…I see.”
The third stone wall they faced after Daike started leading the way.
Moreover, it was a stone wall that Luna had marked, saying she had passed before.
“What do you mean ‘I see’! You said you could find it better than me!”
“…I never said that. I only thought it.”
“That’s the same thing!”
Of course, there was a difference.
If Luna faces a stone wall after ten steps, Daike faces a stone wall after eight steps. That’s the difference.
“Ca-Calm down. There’s no need to panic. If we calmly move forward……”
“10 minutes before the end of the 1st test! Pick up the pace more! Especially, you guys who have been going around in circles in the same place!”
The ‘you guys’ pointed out by the instructor.
Luna and Daike realized they were undoubtedly referring to them.
“Ahhh! Wh-What do we do! At this rate, forget the advanced class, we might even be expelled from the academy!”
Luna screamed, holding her head.
Seeing that, Daike let out a deep sigh.
Aren’t her words and actions contradictory? When she said to stay calm and not panic?
Moreover, there’s no way they would be expelled from the academy over something like this.
…Well, they can’t avoid being demoted to the normal class though.
“Hmm! Right! If we combine our strengths, we’ll somehow make it. Come here, my IQ is 180! Your IQ is 150! With a total of 300(?) brain power, we’ll come up with a perfect plan!”
She’s quick to despair, but even quicker to recover.
Of course, it’s not a good thing. Because IQ isn’t something that can be combined.
‘…She even got the calculation wrong.’
Having to trust and follow a kid like this. Daike felt like going crazy.
But he couldn’t abandon Luna and go alone either.
-Follow behind another kid.
‘Since Teron said so……’
‘Since Zero said so……’
The advice of Zero and Teron is by no means bad. No, it’s rather tremendous advice.
Following behind a kid who looks smart, you can easily clear the labyrinth, with quite a high success rate.
The problem is that these two people met.
Luna follows Daike, and Daike follows Luna.
An incredible combination that makes them walk a different path like a ghost even when they can find the right way!
In fact, Zero knew that Daike was also directionally challenged, but he didn’t inform Luna about it.
Not only because he thought she would naturally avoid him due to the unpleasant incident with Daike, but also because it was probabilistically absurd.
Anyway, Daike and Luna, who unintentionally became a community of destiny.
They diligently roamed the labyrinth with their heads put together.
And they soon realize. Even if two directionally challenged people combine their strength.
They just become a ‘super power directionally challenged’ person.
“5 minutes before the end of the test! The door will close soon! Hurry up!”
The instructor’s words that not much time is left for the test.
Luna lamented, tapping on the wall.
“Damn it! The exit is right there in front……”
About four stone walls away. A flag signaling the exit was fluttering in the wind.
In fact, from now on, even if they follow the right path, it’s difficult to pass within the time limit.
Caron didn’t just set traps for the left and right-hand rules.
He also set traps for the exit. A trap that ‘the closer it looks to the exit, the farthest it actually is’.
There were numerous kids who couldn’t cross over with just one wall in between.
In other words, Daike and Luna were virtually in a place far from the exit.
“Not much time left. Let’s walk a little faster.”
“I’m trying too, you know? Just go alone then. Why are you following me who can’t find the way?”
“…Because it’s Teron’s order.”
“Aha, is that so? You’ll die if he tells you to die?”
“If that’s the order, I’ll do so.”
“Crazy bastard. No, should I say crazy bastards?”
Not only is the Daike in front of her bad, but Teron is even worse.
Isn’t that right? Giving orders to a friend.
It’s the same even if it’s not a friend, but a master-slave relationship.
‘If he’s that loyal… Shouldn’t he at least treat him like a person?’
Luna clearly remembers.
Teron’s figure, who made Daike stand up with a single order even when his legs were broken.
In the eyes of others, it may look like loyalty, but in Luna’s eyes, it was a disgusting master-servant play.
Nothing more, nothing less.
‘Now’s not the time to think about this.’
Luna shook her head and came to her senses.
The labyrinth. A test that bothered her even in the entrance exam.
Even then, she got lost and encountered a transparent slime, and if it weren’t for Zero’s help, she probably wouldn’t have passed the test.
‘Wait, even then, the remaining time was tight. How did we pass the test then…?’
Eventually, Luna remembered.
After the door closed, they had broken through the wall made of bushes next to it with their bodies.
Then…
“Right! There was that method!”
“…Method?”
“Yeah! It’s Zero’s secret plan! I passed the 1st stage with this secret plan in the entrance exam.”
Daike’s eyes sparkled.
Not only because they found a way to overcome the current situation, but also because it was the ‘secret plan’ of that ‘Zero’.
‘Teron used the power of his family, but he couldn’t get any information about that guy.’
Unofficial 3rd place in the entrance exam.
Using the Lester family’s secret technique in a duel with him, he won in an instant.
There’s even a rumor that he survived a battle with a demon that attacked the academy.
A secret plan taught by such a guy. Daike couldn’t help but be interested.
‘I’ll clearly engrave your great secret plan in my eyes and head.’
Perhaps to use Zero’s secret plan.
Luna stood in front of the stone wall. Then.
“Die!!”
Crash-!!
…She broke the stone wall with a sword.
Luna used the Lester family’s [One Flash], but Daike couldn’t know that fact.
Because the gap with the [One Flash] Zero had shown was too big.
Anyway, Luna, who had collapsed the stone wall, stood on top of it and shouted.
“The path has come to find me!”
“……”
Is that Zero’s secret plan? No, rather than a secret plan, that’s…
“She’s doing something ignorant so well.”
“Ignorant! This is a tremendous secret plan! Why, there’s a saying like this, right? Knock, and it will be opened to you.”
“…I don’t think that knock is this knock. And do you think a method like this will be accepted?”
“Hmm~ So you’re dissatisfied? Then don’t come this way. I’ll go alone.”
Crash-!!
Luna ran and collapsed the next stone wall.
Luna knew that this method would be accepted.
Because even in the entrance exam, Elester praised her for breaking common sense, saying it was okay.
However, there’s one problem.
‘Why is it so hard?’
Unlike the first time, she had to use [One Flash] three times to break the second wall.
There are two more walls to break through to reach the exit.
‘If there’s time to spare, it’s sufficiently possible, but…’
The problem is that there’s no time. Of course, that doesn’t mean Luna intends to give up.
She was going to knock down the wall with her bare hands if needed.
The moment Luna was about to use the secret technique again.
Daike’s first original secret technique.
Scheitelhau.
Crash-!!
With a roar, the stone wall collapsed.
The person who collapsed the stone wall was, of course.
“What is it? Didn’t you say you were dissatisfied?”
“…I’m just carrying out Teron’s order.”
It was Daike.
What he said isn’t wrong.
Teron’s order to follow the person next to him.
Others would see him as a person diligently carrying out that order.
But Luna could tell.
“Hmm~ So you weren’t without a self after all? This is surprising.”
That Daike acted on his own will. She could sense it intuitively.
“…Think whatever you want.”
“Yeah, what’s important now isn’t this. Only one left. We don’t have time, so let’s do it together.”
“You go first. I’m only carrying out the order to follow you.”
“Yeah~ Yeah. Sure you are~.”
The two swung their swords together.
Towards the last stone wall.
“Next! Team 12! Follow me!”
A group of kids left their spots following the instructor.
Unlike the 1st and 2nd stages, the 3rd stage ‘Group Duel’ is a test that takes quite some time and is conducted by Caron alone.
The teams that passed naturally waited here, near the exit of the labyrinth.
Well, that’s also the final stage now.
Only my Team 13 and Luna’s Team 14 remained here.
If there’s one problem.
“Hmm… Luna is too late. Don’t you think so, Miss Zared?”
“It’s not Zared, it’s Zepa! Not Miss, but Mister! Are you mistaking even the gender now!”
It’s that Luna is too late.
Judging by the instructor’s movement, the test will end soon.
Since Caron is here, she won’t drop out of the advanced class, but I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention along with gossip.
‘Moreover, Daike hasn’t come out either. This is troubling…’
The group duel that will soon take place.
‘My opponent is Lucia, not Caron.’
That’s why I was planning to use Daike a little.
Because I know a way to use him even if we’re in different teams.
But if it’s like this, it’s troubling…
Crash-!!
Thud— Thud-.
“Wh-What!”
“The labyrinth collapsed!”
“Could it be the start of the third test? Then what happens to the guys who went ahead?”
The chaos that occurred as the stone labyrinth collapsed.
But the chaos soon subsided.
Because as the dust settled, two figures appeared.
“Zero! How was it! I passed the 1st stage with your perfect plan! Hahaha!”
“……”
The kids’ gazes were fixed on me.
Very, very cold gazes.
No, kids. It’s a misunderstanding! My plan…
Wasn’t such an ignorant plan!
–TL Notes–
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