As Elicia slumped down, her eyes wavered.
Even in that state, she seemed unable to comprehend. Perhaps she simply didn’t want to understand.
“It’s a lie…”
Repeating those words and trying to deny reality, it seemed that even if she understood deep down, she ultimately couldn’t accept it.
Ines who had been watching her with a somewhat complicated expression spoke.
“…Haah, I’ve already contacted the imperial palace. Soon, people will arrive to take you back.”
“……!”
At those words, Elicia sharply raised her head.
The realization that she would soon be taken away and truly separated from Yujin finally hit her.
No…!
She immediately tried to get up and head out of the headmistress’s office.
Of course, Ines who had grabbed her wrist stopped her.
“Stop it.”
“Let go of me!”
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Elicia, now forgetting formalities in her desperation, struggled to break free. Ines who was a seasoned mage frowned momentarily at the force and staggered slightly, but…
“Don’t get cocky.”
Clink, clink!
She quickly materialized magic from the tip of her staff, binding Elicia. Chains made of mana instantly restrained her.
“Th-This… damn it…!”
Clink, clink!
Ines’s expression hardened as she watched Elicia attempt to break free by force.
Her demonic power was supposed to be sealed, yet cracks had already begun forming in the restraints Ines had hastily conjured. Was it because she still possessed a demon’s body, despite the seal?
No, that wasn’t all.
Goooooo—!!
A faint aura of demonic power began leaking from Elicia’s body. This was a clear sign that her emotions were spiraling out of control.
“…I suppose there’s no other choice.”
Even if she was an incomplete half and had been sealed, a Transcendent was still a Transcendent.
The fact that she was on the verge of breaking a spell cast by someone of Ines’s caliber using only her physical body meant that Ines could not afford to stand by idly.
Of course, causing her physical harm was out of the question. No matter how skilled Ines was, injuring the imperial princess would undoubtedly lead to serious repercussions.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Elicia had a weakness. It was her fragile mental resilience.
Exploiting that weakness, Ines cast a light mind-affecting spell of “Sleep”. Since the spell was often used for medical purposes, it was one of the rare few mental-type magic that wasn’t prohibited.
Swish…
Ines effortlessly bypassed Elicia’s mental defenses, then let out a quiet sigh as she caught her falling body. Without wasting any time, she swiftly reached for her communication crystal.
“I should tell them to take her away as soon as possible.”
By now, the personnel sent by the imperial family had already arrived via teleportation. Ines channeled mana into the crystal, deciding it was best to hand the princess over to them as quickly as possible.
“…professor…”
“Hm?”
Just then, Ines heard Elicia mumble something. She turned to look at her.
“Yujin… Professor Yujin…”
“……”
For a brief moment, Ines gazed at her with a hint of pity. But with a quiet sigh, she brushed the thought aside and spoke.
“It’s me. The princess is ready for transfer. Prepare to receive her.”
***
Meanwhile, on the first floor of the labyrinth…
…I have a bad feeling about this.
As he stepped inside the labyrinth to conduct a lecture with Reina, he felt a strange sense of foreboding.
Muttering to himself at the unsettling feeling, Tiamat raised an eyebrow and asked,
[Hmm? You’re saying you have a bad feeling?]
Yes. For some reason, it feels like something has gone wrong. Is it just my imagination?
[No, probably not. The instincts of a transcendent aren’t something you should brush off as mere imagination. There’s a good chance something related to you has taken a turn for the worse. And if I had to guess…]
“……”
[It’s likely connected to that princess.]
Yujin felt even more uneasy at those words. He had entrusted the matter to Ines, but what if she had taken extreme measures?
He had no intention of facing Elicia in person anytime soon, but he knew that forcing her back to the imperial palace in such a manner after the way things had unfolded yesterday would only provoke her.
That was why he had spoken to the Headmistress. He had instructed that when Elicia woke up, she should be made fully aware of his intentions but not be pressured too forcefully.
Additionally, he had asked that she be given a means to contact him, making it clear that he wasn’t trying to sever ties with her completely.
But after hearing Tiamat’s words, Yujin couldn’t help but worry. What if Ines had blocked Elicia’s path without warning and trampled all over her emotions?
“What are you thinking about?”
Damn.
At that moment, Reina turned to him with an expressionless face and asked. Only then did Yujin realize he needed to pull himself out of his thoughts.
“It’s nothing. Bringing students into the labyrinth like this… it just made me reflect for a moment.”
“……”
At these words, Reina tensed slightly. Seeing her cautiously suspect that he might be planning something again, Yujin let out a bitter smile inwardly. But there was nothing he could do about it. This was his own karma. Who could he blame?
Tiamat spoke again.
[For now, put that matter aside. Focus on untangling the mess between you and this girl first.]
I’ll keep that in mind.
Indeed, if left unchecked, Reina’s situation could easily spiral into something far more serious.
Honestly, when Yujin first played the prank, he had thought that a little investigation would quickly reveal the truth. But as misunderstandings piled up, things had spiraled to this point…
Even after becoming a Transcendent, I still can’t seem to see the road ahead properly.
Of course, Yujin had already accepted his own imperfections, so he didn’t bother to berate himself over it now.
He spoke.
“So, what’s the schedule inside the labyrinth? Will the students be moving around in large groups?”
“…Since the class consists entirely of mages, forming parties won’t be particularly helpful. But no, they won’t be moving in a crowd.”
Reina, though still wary of Yujin, continued her explanation.
“They’ll be using an artifact that interferes with the labyrinth.”
Occasionally, spatial shifts occurred within the labyrinth.
Even if party members entered together, they could end up separated and scattered in isolated locations upon arrival.
In severe cases, an entire party could be split apart. However, this issue could be resolved by using a special artifact that linked each party member together.
But the artifact they were using this time was different.
“Upon entering the labyrinth, everyone who enters together will immediately be scattered. The artifact will deliberately induce labyrinth teleportation.”
“Hmm…”
“As professors, we’ll cast recording magic on each of them the moment they enter, allowing us to monitor their situations. This way, we can directly observe how well they adapt to the labyrinth. At the same time, we’ll also provide them with feedback.”
“I see.”
“Naturally, they’ll be equipped with protective artifacts, and if a situation becomes too dangerous, we will intervene. Any questions?”
“There’s just one.”
At Yujin’s question, Reina tensed slightly, wondering what he was about to ask this time.
“…Go ahead.”
“What happens if, during the lesson, a student encounters another student or party and either cooperates or competes with them?”
“……”
At those words, Reina momentarily wore a look of confusion. The question was more reasonable than she had expected.
However, she couldn’t remain silent forever, so she spoke.
“…If they gain an advantage by cooperating or competing with another party, they may receive some extra points.”
“So, it’s not prohibited.”
“Since the purpose is to assess their ability to adapt to the labyrinth, any action that helps them navigate it more effectively will be considered in their favor.”
“I understand.”
With that, the questions came to an end. Yujin glanced back at the students, who were each making their final preparations to enter the labyrinth.
For a moment, Reina found it strange. Was this man really going to stop at such trivial questions? He even seemed more serious than she had expected.
…No, come to think of it, he had always been enthusiastic about his duties as a professor. From the very first lesson to the speech he had given in front of the other professors, he had shown genuine dedication to his role.
Was it just an act? Or was there even a shred of sincerity in it?
She had no way of knowing, and the uncertainty left her mind tangled. Of course, whether he was truly devoted to his role as a professor or not, it didn’t change the fact that he was ultimately a schemer hiding something.
“Professor, we’re ready.”
Just then, as if speaking on behalf of the students, someone stepped forward and addressed Reina.
It was Julian Johannes, the same male student who had been the first to ask Yujin a question when he had first taken the podium.
“…Alright, I suppose it’s time to begin. Then.”
Putting an end to her unnecessary thoughts, Reina turned to face the students and spoke.
“Elemental Magic Department Class A, you will now proceed into the labyrinth.”
“””Yes!”””
With those words, Reina and Yujin took the lead, and the students followed behind them.
Watching this, Yujin felt yet another unexpected sensation.
Leading others from the front…
As a mage, he had always positioned himself in the rear. But now, he was at the forefront, guiding others, and that fact stirred something strange within him.
I wonder how the raid leader is doing.
For a moment, he thought of the man who had always led their raid party from the front. The very person responsible for bringing him to this world.
***
“…Huh?”
“Han-cheol? Is something wrong?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing.”
Meanwhile, Lee Han-cheol who had joined Hugo’s party felt an odd sensation tickling at his ears.
“What the hell… Is someone talking about me?”
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