TYHL 93

~Chapter 93~

As soon as I entered the Maze Garden, the fresh smell of grass filled the air.

“Wow, it’s so big. So wide.”

It was designed for children, so the walls weren’t very high. At first, I walked like I was on a stroll, but soon I picked up my pace.

Since I joined, I might as well escape quickly and show off to my family!

Then, the bushes beside me rustled, and—pop!—a familiar squirrel appeared.

“Ah! Squirrel! Did you come to help me?”

When I saw its golden glowing eyes, a big smile spread across my face.

…But, wait. Isn’t this kind of cheating?

I coughed loudly for no reason and walked on.

The squirrel sniffed around and quickly followed me. Soon, a fork in the road appeared. After hesitating, I chose the left path.

The squirrel trotted right after me.

“Uh, I was just going this way anyway. And you too?”

Haha. Guess I can’t help these coincidences.

At the next fork, I thought hard, then took the right path.

But the squirrel didn’t follow.

“Oh, wait. Actually—I meant to go this way from the start!”

Guess I took the wrong turn.

I quickly went back left and ran happily down the path.

‘But… how do they even give star stickers in a maze?’

Star stickers were always given based on the judges’ personal evaluation.

But here, there were no stands, no audience, not even a broadcast crystal. How?

While wondering, I turned the corner and entered an open area.

“Hello?”

“Ah!”

In the middle of the clearing sat an adult woman.

On the table in front of her were water and snacks for stamina.

‘Oh, so she’s both a safety officer and a judge!’

When I politely greeted her, she smiled.

“You passed the first checkpoint well. Even faster than last year’s participants…”

She flipped through her record sheet and nodded.

“Here’s a star sticker.”

“Wow!”

My eyes widened as she stuck the sparkling star sticker onto my card. I was so excited.

“If you answer a quiz question correctly, you’ll get two more. Want to try?”

“Huh? A quiz?”

She nodded. Her name tag read: Professor Elina – Academy.

“Yes. Fewer people join the Maze Challenge because it’s actually the hardest event. It tests both knowledge and stamina—basically an all-around ability test.”

“Oh… I didn’t know that.”

“So? Will you try? Of course, you can still pass without answering.”

Hmm…

I hesitated seriously. Solving it would give more stickers, but if I got stuck, I might lose time and reach the finish later.

“Uh… what’s the subject?”

Elina smiled brightly.

“Herbalism.”

My eyes went wide.

‘So this is it!’

Herbalism wasn’t the quiz contest’s theme—it was the Maze Challenge’s mini-quiz subject!

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

I shot my hand up.

“Alright then…”

Elina cleared her throat and asked the question. Of course, I answered easily.

Suddenly, my star stickers grew to three!

“Wow, amazing. How old did you say you were?”

“Eight years old!”

Actually… ten.

“No way. You must come to our academy next year. Professor Shuern will be delighted.”

“Hehe.”

I just laughed it off. I had no plans to go to the academy.

‘The nearest academy is in the capital. I really don’t want to go back to that mana-drained place where it feels suffocating just breathing.’

“Good luck with the rest of the maze!”

“Thank you!”

I tightened my shoes and ran again.

‘This feels easier than I thought.’

The feeling wasn’t bad!

“Yaaawn. Boring.”

Balrog stretched and yawned.

Once the children entered the maze, the surroundings became quiet as if nothing had happened.

“True. They said it takes about thirty minutes.”

Rosetta calmly sipped her tea. Leviathan frowned and draped a cloak over her shoulders.

“Your body’s cold. Maybe you should head back.”

“What, and leave you to have fun alone? No way.”

Rosetta waved dismissively and sat down next to Balrog.

“Please block me from him, Father.”

“Of course, of course. That boy’s courage gets smaller every day.”

Balrog clicked his tongue and shared tea with Rosetta, the two of them chatting like it was natural.

Leviathan stared at the empty seat beside him in disbelief.

His sons were already sitting by the exit, waiting for Rubian to appear.

‘The area feels… empty.’

And somehow, lonely.

Just one small head missing—and things already felt so quiet and dull.

‘What was life like before Rubi?’

He tried to recall. But strangely, he couldn’t remember.

Of course, before her, they never would’ve come together for such a silly festival anyway.

“Hah. She really is something.”

Leviathan chuckled briefly and crossed his legs.

At that moment, something dropped.

Khalid, standing nearby, noticed and picked it up.

“You dropped something.”

He looked at the object that rolled to his feet.

A small glass bottle tied with a blue ribbon.

Khalid froze for a moment. He knew this bottle.

“Thanks.”

“…It’s empty, though. Why?”

“I don’t know. I just… kept carrying it around.”

Leviathan tucked the empty glass bottle deep into his coat again, almost defensively.

“It has some meaning to me.”

“…I see.”

Khalid only gave a short reply. He was always quiet like this—except when he was with Rubian.

“Where are you going, Khal?”

“Bathroom.”

He muttered casually and walked off.

Leviathan turned back to the Maze Garden exit.

He just wanted that clumsy maze to spit out his daughter quickly.

Meanwhile, Khalid walked toward a quiet corner.

Truthfully, he had been feeling bad ever since earlier—because the image of Licht holding Rubian’s hand kept replaying in his head.

‘So annoying. Why does he keep holding her hand?’

He clenched his fist. His chest felt restless.

What was this anger?

He wanted to be the only one allowed to hold Rubi’s hand. The only one she smiled at.

‘Is this really what loyalty feels like? So petty and ugly?’

With a sigh, Khalid lifted his head.

“…Still, I didn’t expect Duke Zebret to keep that glass bottle.”

It surprised him. Especially since it seemed carefully treasured.

He remembered—

“Khal, this is a trace from the Black Mage’s cave. Can you drop it beyond the canyon with your animal friends?”

That had been Rubian’s glass bottle.

“Are we helping the Alliance again?”

“Yeah. They still can’t find the Black Mage’s tracks… so this will make it easier.”

Rubian had handed him one of two bottles—this one tied with a blue ribbon. The other, without a ribbon, was meant to be sent to the Demon King later.

Because Rubian’s true mission was to find traces of the Black Mage and help capture him.

But she often secretly helped the Allied Forces this way.

“What if the Kingdom finds out? The Alliance is strong—you don’t need to take that risk…”

“I know. But isn’t it better if things end just a little easier?”

And because of her, Leviathan Zebret had easily found and defeated the Black Mage. The Demon King had been completely fooled by Rubian.

But soon after, Ruby had fled.

The memory weighed heavily on Khalid.

He looked at the Maze Garden in the distance, his eyes bitter.

He wanted to rush in right now.

Just knowing that Licht was inside there with her made him furious.

But he forced himself to endure.

He had to behave.

He had to be good.

Otherwise, she might abandon him again.

Clenching his fist, he looked at the sky.

“Hurry up and come out… Ruby.”

He whispered gloomily.

Without you here, there’s no fun. No meaning at all.

I stopped running.

“If this keeps up…”

I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with the maze’s fresh air.

“I might win first place!”

I proudly raised my card, covered with glittering star stickers. To me, they shone brighter than jewels in the sunlight.

“Hehe. Dad will be so shocked!”

Even if Grandpa bragged all over town in his letters, this time I’d forgive him!

“The exit is just ahead!”

I remembered the judge I’d just passed saying, “Congratulations on passing the last checkpoint.”

I had collected 11 star stickers total—solving quizzes at all five checkpoints, plus one extra from Professor Elina at the beginning.

No fireworks yet. That meant no one had cleared the maze before me.

‘Am I about to get the victory badge too?’

Unbelievable. Amazing, Rubian!

Turns out—I might be the festival’s hidden dark horse!

And this time, I hadn’t even used the squirrel’s help. I had figured out the maze’s trick.

‘Just follow the paths without new sprouts!’

Because this garden maze was a remodeled version of the festival’s old garden, the dead ends were all new paths.

So, I just had to avoid the walls with freshly planted grass.

“Fufu…”

I examined the sprouts carefully and ran with confidence.

Almost there. Just waiting for the exit to appear when—

“…Huh?”

A judge stood right in the middle of the path.