Chapter 66
"Haah, haah, haah."
The cold dawn wind struck Luna's face.
As if waking from sleep, she finally came to her senses.
The forest surrounding her shook violently with the wind.
She was standing in the middle of the forest. For a moment, she wondered if this was a dream. Her arms were terribly cold and stinging. This wasn't a dream.
Her breathing was rough and her heart pounded as if it would burst.
Why am I here?
She couldn't remember anything. Like torn pages from a diary, her memory contained only blanks.
She was holding something in her right hand. A dagger.
Her left arm was covered in stab wounds. Blood was dripping like raindrops.
She closed her eyes and opened them again. No matter how many times she checked, this wasn't a dream but clearly reality.
A moment later, moonlight illuminated where she stood.
Silver leaves softly lit the surroundings as they caught the moonlight. Only then could she finally recognize where she was standing.
She was standing before Eternia's Guardian Tree.
"...Why?"
Even Luna herself couldn't understand what was happening.
Something dark was scattered in a large circle around the Guardian Tree.
Luna steadied her trembling breath, crouched down, and stroked the tree's roots with her finger.
Something cold wet her fingertips.
The liquid was fresh as if it was just spilled.
Blood.
It was Luna's blood. Her blood was heavily scattered around the Guardian Tree.
"Why am I..."
Then, an indescribable terror overwhelmed her. Luna couldn't move her body.
And clouds covered the moonlight.
Plop, plop.
Rain began falling one drop at a time. Then the raindrops increased.
A downpour began. Luna's blood was seeping deep into the ground with the rain.
[Kuk kuk, kukukuk]
Luna turned her head toward the sound.
From a corner of the forest, an unidentifiable black figure emerged. Then, as if mocking her, it laughed from within the darkness.
[Hahaha, ahahahahaha!]
[Puhaha! Ahahaha!]
The black figures gradually increased one by one until they completely surrounded Luna and the Guardian Tree.
The laughter echoed throughout the forest.
Luna hurriedly called for spirits, but there was no response.
"Ah, ah,"
The accumulated mental damage finally reached its breaking point, and she entered a state of panic. Everything was now beyond control.
"Stop, stop it!"
She covered her ears and ran frantically toward the dormitory. But even with covered ears, the laughter remained vivid.
This wasn't something Luna could handle alone.
Only one person came to mind.
Silveryn.
Only Silveryn.
***
Time flew by, and the entrance ceremony was just around the corner.
The residential area was bustling with carriages arriving for dormitory move-ins.
Near Halls 1, 2, and 3, it was so crowded it was difficult to pass through. This was natural, as it wasn't just students moving in who were visiting the dormitories.
I watched from a distance.
New students moved in. Family members accompanied them.
Mothers teared up watching their children make new starts.
Fathers overfilled with pride for their grown children.
Children admired their siblings entering the Academy.
Retainers quietly stood guard.
Though the composition varied, the overall family scenes were similar.
Though very close by, it was a completely different world from where I had lived. Whether entering a prestigious academy or winning awards, there was no family in the world to congratulate me.
The time for shedding tears and lamenting my fate over things I couldn't have had long passed. Now I could watch these scenes with calm detachment.
Only occasionally did curiosity arise.
What would it feel like to have a family?
The only person I had a deep bond with was Silveryn.
I newly appreciated what recognition Silveryn had given to me, who shared not a drop of blood with her. What did Eternia or Masters Class matter? Without Silveryn, I was only half of a single whole.
Though carriages were waiting in front of Witdruff Hall, unlike other places, it was quiet. According to the maid, Witdruff Hall was always more than half empty.
I was genuinely grateful not to be caught up in the festivities happening in the residential area.
I finished watching and entered Witdruff Hall's lounge.
Now, I occasionally encountered other students who had moved into Witdruff Hall.
Real academy life was beginning. I could feel it now.
The bid the empty dormitory I had alone had used farewell.
When I had the empty dormitory to myself, the sofa in front of the lounge fireplace was always mine.
But now, someone else had claimed it. The usurper sat quietly admiring the firewood, seemingly without boredom. For two days straight.
I couldn't casually approach and sit beside the usurper of the couch, Sion.
I thought she had an aggressive and active personality, but contrary to expectations, she was quiet as a monk.
Does she also not have a family?
She had been killing time alone since moving into the dormitory.
Seeing her like this made me both glad and... sent chills down my spine.
I wanted to avoid Sion specifically. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she had the most extraordinary ability among new students. So like Trisha, she might find my weak points and figure out my identity, and if that happened, she might torment me saying, "Let's fight."
I crossed the lounge keeping maximum distance from Sion. Fortunately, she didn't recognize me and showed no interest.
I went up to my room to prepare for my departure to "Thorn Garden" in the labyrinth.
***
Lilith sat quietly at a tea table set up in the central hall of Marigold Hall, where top students were housed, after moving all her luggage in.
She observed each boy passing through the hall. Lilith was certain that “that guy” would be in Marigold Hall.
She owed him many debts. She had to repay the debt of him looking down on her, and the debt of his significant contribution to her getting into Marigold Hall.
Examining everyone coming and going like a checkpoint guard wasn't particularly pleasant. Sometimes she made eye contact with boys she wasn't interested in, and sometimes they misunderstood her attention and blushed.
"Surely it couldn't be a girl...?"
Considering how they hid their face and never spoke, she thought that person might be a girl. The jawline visible through the mask gaps was quite delicate too.
Lilith shook her head. She had seen and touched that person's bare body before, so it was definitely a man.
Thinking about that time made her face heat up slightly.
Just then, someone stopped in front of Lilith.
"Ah, um. Hello."
"...?"
"We made eye contact a few times, right?"
"Who...?"
"Ah, I'm Bertrand. I think we could become good friends."
Bertrand extended his hand to Lilith for a handshake.
There was a possibility that “that person” might approach first while hiding their identity. But the Bertrand before her definitely wasn't him.
The palms should be rough with calluses, and veins should be visible on the forearms. And the overall build should be lean yet solid.
The boy called Bertrand had a build that suggested he ate a lot of meat and didn't exercise.
Lilith remembered. This boy was one of Cecil's group members.
"I'm waiting for someone. Please leave."
Bertrand awkwardly moved away. As he left, he muttered quietly, "So shy..."
She closed her eyes tightly and sighed.
There was the option of asking Cecil. She seemed to have some connection with “that person”. But strangely, that option filled her with strong resistance. The very act of asking Cecil felt like admitting defeat.
Soon after, a man approached Lilith. It was her friend Matthias.
He handed her a note and said, "Here's what you asked for."
"Oh? You really found it?"
Lilith had asked Matthias to find out if there was a red-haired man in the Combat Department who used a wooden sword.
"He arrived nineteenth at the peak in the Combat Department. Red hair, often trains with a wooden sword. As for the mask, well, might find something if we look."
"No. He must have been at least in the top 5 overall."
"You mean the one who fought with Sion? Sion won't say anything. Isn't it just a baseless rumor? Well, I don't see anyone else like that in the Combat Department."
"..."
"Why are you looking for someone like that anyway? Do you have a grudge? I could quietly take care of them."
"Why are you talking like a thug when you're a well-bred noble young master? It's my business, so don't touch them no matter what."
Matthias's eyebrows twitched, seemingly uncomfortable.
He was one of the energetic young men trying to impress Lilith.
Fatigue suddenly overwhelmed her as Matthias seemed to be concerned about “that person”.
Lilith opened the note.
[Combat Department, Knox Kruger]
At any rate, based on physical description alone, this person was the most likely candidate.
Lilith remembered clearly. That at Mount Grace's summit, “that person” definitely fought with Sion. Whether they won or lost against Sion, they had to be either first or second overall. There was a high probability that Matthias' ranking information was wrong.
If they weren't first or second and weren't Knox Kruger, the remaining answer was withdrawal.
Being incredibly skilled and casually using rare potions meant they must have had an extraordinary background. In that case, it was possible they participated in Eternia's entrance exam just for fun. It would also explain why they hid their identity with a mask to prevent gossip.
If they judged there was nothing to learn at Eternia, they might have chosen to withdraw without hesitation.
"Well, we can talk about that later. Want to go eat together? My family is outside too, you could greet them..."
"No, thanks. I'll go ahead."
Lilith hurriedly left her seat.
"..."
Matthias clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction as he watched Lilith leave.
***
Outside the labyrinth, the compass only pointed to Eternia's Guardian Tree regardless of what was said.
So to head to the labyrinth, one had to pass through the Guardian Tree.
The reverse was similar. When asking the compass for the exit from within the labyrinth, it always pointed toward the Guardian Tree.
I could finally understand, albeit belatedly, why Silveryn had called it a "hint" that I was assigned a room with a good view of the Guardian Tree.
I stood before the Guardian Tree and activated the compass again.
Following the indicated direction for a while, fog once again covered everything.
It had been a week since I returned to Thorn Garden.
Which meant I had left the awkward relationship with Trisha unaddressed for a week.
Seeing the thick fog of the labyrinth stifled my breathing. I did feel somewhat sorry for Trisha who had to stay in such a suffocating place until graduation.
After walking for a while, I stood before the Thorn Garden dormitory. Upon entering, singing reached my ears. It was Trisha's voice. She didn't seem to notice my arrival.
I followed the singing. The sound came from a tightly closed room in the first-floor corridor.
There was no answer when I knocked. After waiting for a while, I reluctantly opened the door and entered.
It was a scene common in any household kitchen. Numerous dishes were laid out. Flour was messily scattered everywhere, and firewood blazed in a small furnace.
And there I froze at the sight of a girl's back.
An apron string was caught on her back. From her busy hands, it seemed she was cooking.
However, this wasn't the Trisha I remembered.
The snow-white hair falling below her waist and the silhouette of her back were heart-achingly familiar. Enough to remind me of someone I had forgotten until now.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Am I seeing an illusion?