Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Doubt

The deepest part of the Labyrinth, which had been quiet for decades and centuries, was unusually noisy.

“...In other words, considering your age, Master, it could happen.”

Ithea, the golem wearing the same maid uniform as always, shook her head and spoke firmly to the Sage.

Ithea, standing beside him, was insisting that the Sage had grown old and senile.

“That cannot be.”

The Sage was the “Sage.”

What kind of absurd story was it that a Sage could go senile?

“Then how could you completely forget a student you yourself admitted?”

Ithea said this with a cold face.

In the Sage’s hand was one document.

It was none other than a document containing information about a student named “Zeto.”

The student who took the Necklace Containing the Hero’s Protection.

The student who defeated the lycanthrope in the Labyrinth with swordsmanship even the Sage had never seen before.

Using his authority, the Sage examined information on Zeto, who had been achieving all sorts of things.

It was to find out through what route he had enrolled, who had admitted him, and what past he had.

After examining the document, the Sage could not help being shocked.

In Zeto’s document, it was written that “Hubert Graham,” the Sage’s fake identity and the chairman of the academy, had admitted him.

However, the Sage had no memory of admitting a student named Zeto, nor any memory of ever meeting him.

Thus, for several days, he had been retracing his memories.

It made no sense.

No one other than himself could manipulate this document.

The Sage could not easily accept that he had gone senile, or that he had forgotten the existence of a student named Zeto.

The Sage touched the area around his throbbing temple.

“It is enough to make a ghost weep...”

“Master. Since you mention ghosts, I should say this: it has been confirmed that the sword Student Zeto carries is a cursed blade.”

Ithea handed the Sage a sheet of paper containing the results of her analysis of Zeto’s sword.

The Sage examined the paper Ithea handed over carefully, then let out a laugh.

“Hoho, I wonder where a little brat who has lived barely twenty years obtained vampiric iron.”

Whether it was vampiric iron or a cursed blade, such things were not important to the Sage.

He had no intention of using this to harm Zeto.

Instead, the Sage formed one interesting hypothesis.

“Then perhaps when he was talking to himself, he was conversing with the soul contained in the cursed blade...?”

The Sage placed the paper on the desk and murmured softly.

“He can converse with souls?”

In the Sage’s mind, he recalled the Saintess, who had been part of the Hero’s Party with him, occasionally conversing with souls she encountered on the road.

It was not certain yet.

Perhaps the word senility had clouded his judgment.

However, Zeto was a man with no end in sight no matter how much one dug and dug, just like the Labyrinth he had made.

That had drawn the interest of the Sage, who had lived for hundreds of years.

“It seems I will have to meet him directly and have a conversation.”

“In that appearance?”

Ithea tilted her head and pointed at the Sage’s shaggy beard.

Coincidentally, the robe the Sage wore was tattered as well.

Watching Ithea, the Sage sighed.

“Huu... Naturally, I should approach him in Hubert’s appearance. Though even if I walked around with this face, there are no longer any people left who remember me...”

“That appearance is fine too, Master. If you intend to blend in naturally, that is. If you wish to present yourself as a penniless, homeless beggar, then I think you may go out exactly as you are.”

The Sage glared at Ithea, then stopped.

Ithea was a golem the Sage had made.

Her personality too had been set by him.

When he made her, he had thought that if they would live together for a long time, it would be good for her to have a suitable amount of sharp-tongued flavor.

“Hmm... Yes, perhaps I really did go senile.”

The scale was too large for a mere student to pull off, and if it was the plan of some huge organization, there did not seem to be an appropriate reason.

“I have been saying this for several days, but seeing you finally acknowledge it... I, Ithea, feel much more at ease.”

Only the corners of Ithea’s expressionless face rose slightly.

“That is enough... Set a date. It has been a while since I went out as Hubert.”

“Understood, Master.”

As if nothing had happened, Ithea calmly bowed her head and left.

The Sage slowly read through Zeto’s document once again.

In the document where Zeto’s information should have been, most of the information was left blank under the pretext of the chairman’s admission approval.

“Hoho, no matter how much I think about it, I have no memory of this...”

The Sage wanted to confirm why his past self had done such a thing.

***

[...There are too many to keep in check. Far too many. ]

Sierra, who had suddenly left my side to watch Kaen and then returned, said this while squeezing her eyes shut.

Sierra had immediately noticed Kaen’s acting and that she was not an ordinary person, but she still had not noticed that Kaen was the Sword Saint’s disciple.

Perhaps she would never dream of it until Kaen personally revealed the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship.

More importantly, why had Kaen asked me for a sparring match?

Purpose.

What was the purpose of Kaen, the one users had called a so-called “hidden-power loser,” asking for a sparring match?

According to her original plan, she should have been planning to reveal her strength during the main exam.

Moreover, Kaen had been watching me from some point onward.

“And now, even a sparring request...”

It would not be bad to use this situation well and make it an opportunity to grow close to her.

If not for Sierra’s existence, that is.

I could see Sierra floating weakly beside me with a gloomy expression.

Kaen’s muttering, which Sierra had told me about on the day I obtained the Woozy Mushroom, brushed through my mind.

“...Things like, at this rate, she’ll be assaulted, or her purity will be stolen...”

It seemed there was a large misunderstanding between Kaen and me.

But I had no idea what kind of misunderstanding it could be for words like that to come out.

“Maybe it is better to just spar appropriately and avoid her...”

While looking back on what had happened with Kaen, I arrived at the dormitory before I knew it.

—Click.

Opening the door and entering my room, I immediately prepared to go out again.

The staff member managing Labyrinth entry had informed me that Reina had summoned me.

It was probably about the reward.

“Is something wrong? You haven’t said a word for a while.”

I asked Sierra, whose expression had not been good the whole way back to the dormitory.

At my question, Sierra rubbed her chin, then opened her mouth.

[ Do you remember the child called Kaen who asked you for a sparring match before? ]

“I remember. You told me to accept the sparring, Master.”

[...That sparring match. How about calling it off...? ]

At Sierra’s following words, my hand stopped as I was setting down my backpack.

“May I ask the reason?”

It was a request unlike Sierra, who had dueled countless swordsmen in life.

[ I-it is only a light sparring match anyway, is it not? After directly confirming your skill the other day, I thought there was no need to go so far as sparring. Besides, that child is in Class C, is she not... Mm, mm. ]

Sierra stammered, then nodded as if her own words were correct.

“Hmm...”

She was hiding her true feelings.

From what I had seen of Sierra until now, her lies always showed.

When I let out a pondering hum, Sierra finally flailed her arms and grew flustered.

[ H-how can you be thinking when I am telling you this...! I am your master...! ]

“...Understood. I will try to call off the sparring.”

At Sierra’s rather cute scolding, I shrugged and answered.

Hearing my answer, Sierra seemed relieved and exhaled deeply.

Then she moved away from me and muttered to herself incomprehensible words: “It will be troublesome if any more increase from here.”

Of course, that small mutter also rang clearly in my head, so I heard it perfectly.

I did not know why Sierra was acting like this, but if I could call off the sparring, it might be good for me too.

“I was already uncomfortable letting things flow according to Kaen’s intentions, so this worked out well.”

Since I did not know what Kaen’s goal was, leaving things to flow as she wanted could become a major variable.

“If there is a problem...”

It was that the calculating Kaen did not seem likely to obediently accept my request to cancel the sparring.

“This is complicated.”

I shook away thoughts about Kaen and tried to leave the room.

The place Reina had called me to was a tavern she frequented.

The flow was the same as in the game.

The instructor who went on vacation during Labyrinth practice was random, but I remembered that if Reina remained at the academy, the place where she gave the reward money was the tavern she often visited.

The academy staff member who informed me of this had asked with a reluctant face, “Shall I go with you?” but I said I knew where it was and politely refused his kindness.

It was a shop I had never visited since entering the academy, but I knew its approximate location.

[ So, are you going to a tavern now? ]

Just as I was about to leave the room, Sierra asked me.

“Yes, and if possible, I plan to leave as soon as the business is finished.”

[ It seems my disciple does not enjoy drinking. ]

Sierra said this in a tone that sounded somewhat unable to understand.

Judging by Sierra’s reaction, it seemed she had enjoyed drinking in life.

“...I am extremely weak to alcohol.”

I answered Sierra and opened the door to leave.

Even now, thinking of what had happened at the cafe with Eisel made me dizzy.

“Come to think of it, will Priscilla be there too...?”

It seemed best to keep as far away from alcohol as possible.

Especially since I had already drawn Priscilla’s curiosity.

“It would be an extremely rare chance, but... if I got drunk and, without realizing it, said something about Priscilla’s past in front of her...”

It was a horrifying thought.

It might not end with simple imprisonment.

Suppressing the goosebumps that had risen for no reason, I walked along the street and saw students who had just come out of the Labyrinth stopping by shops to eat dinner.

The Labyrinth practice period ended today.

Now, students would listen to their homeroom instructor’s classes and freely visit the Labyrinth.

During the practice period, I had gained a lot from the Labyrinth.

Today, too, I had descended quite a lot and was already on the seventh floor.

However, levels no longer rose as quickly as when my level was low.

I had risen one level today and reached level 25 before I knew it, but... based on memories from the game, if I calculated the appropriate level, then around level 25, one should normally be near the fifteenth floor.

It seemed that because my level had already risen so sharply, the required experience had also increased.

Before the students’ gazes could gather, I hurried my steps, and without much difficulty, I was able to arrive at the tavern.

“No matter how much they urge me, I must absolutely not drink.”

Repeating this to myself, I took one deep breath and opened the tavern door.

As soon as I opened the door, the smell of alcohol filling the shop pierced my nose.

“Have a drink!”

“Hey, bring more alcohol.”

“Let’s drink ourselves dead!”

The moment I entered the tavern, a wave of noise burst out.

Rather than a bar with an elegant atmosphere, it was a tavern with a free and loose mood.

As I stood there blankly after entering the tavern, I heard one voice from over there that sounded suspicious just from hearing it.

“Mr. Zeto, I was waiting for you! As expected, you find your way perfectly on your own. Come this way!”

When I turned my head toward where the voice came from, Edward, with his white ponytail, was waving at me and shouting.

“Since practice has ended, Edward must have returned from vacation.”

Even though it had been a while since I saw him, his suspicious eyes were still the same.

At the table where Edward was, I saw Priscilla, Reina, and his wife.

Kaliman was already collapsed with his head buried on the table.

Edward’s wife was not a major character, but she had appeared occasionally, so I knew her face.

Perhaps because the end of Labyrinth practice and the time when I defeated the lycanthrope overlapped, I seemed to have ended up at the first-year instructors’ company dinner.

Since this was reality, not a game... it was something that could sufficiently happen.

But in one corner of the table, I saw the back of one more person.

I could not forget that hair, which looked white as snow yet had a faint golden hue.

[ Why, why is that woman here...? ]

Sierra, who had found her, voiced her doubt.

I thought the same thing.

“Why is she here?”

I really did not know.

I did not know why Eisel was here.