“…Dain, are you in on this too?”

“I can’t say I’m not.”

In truth, Dain didn’t expect Shailyn to run away with Deborah.

But even if he had known, he wouldn’t have stopped her. He would have helped, just like he did now.

‘Because I need to make up for being a lacking brother somehow.’

Dain’s eyes briefly flashed as he slammed the door shut. Then he wedged a scabbard between the doorknob and the frame.

Benjamin watched his son’s actions with a bewildered expression.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Sorry, Father. You’ll need to stay put until my sisters return.”

“Sisters? What do you mean…”

Benjamin looked bewildered at the implication that Shailyn was included too.

He had clearly instructed Dain to keep a careful eye on her.

But Dain, whose mind was already made up, was firm.

“Having experienced it myself, Shailyn isn’t such a bad person. Please try to see her with an open mind, Father.”

“You…”

“Anyway, let’s wait here together until they come back.”

Benjamin, who found himself unexpectedly trapped in his daughter’s room by his son, was too stunned to speak.

Regardless, Dain stood firmly blocking the door.

Even when cries for the Duke of Diart echoed from outside, he didn’t budge.

On one side, it was a kidnapping; on the other, imprisonment.

A perfect combo.

* * *

The exam time was ten in the morning.

We arrived at the Magic Tower just in time. Although we were five minutes late, our eligibility to take the exam wasn’t revoked.

“You’ve arrived.”

The Tower Master, who had been waiting with his hands behind his back, greeted us.

Under the morning sun, his hair glowed golden. It was in stark contrast to how it appeared more ashen indoors.

“Hello, Master.”

“…Hello. I’m Deborah Diart.”

Deborah bowed her head with a tense expression.

Whether it was because of the Tower Master or the exam looming right in front of her.

Her small body was shaking like a vibrating phone.

“I am Chester, the Tower Master. Please follow me.”

He led us to the underground of the Magic Tower. There, a gigantic maze existed.

A mage standing behind the Tower Master stepped forward to explain.

“You must escape this maze within two hours. However, since it’s been open since ten o’clock, your time will be deducted for being late.”

Ugh, that’s unfair. But since we were indeed late, there was nothing to say.

“There are various magical tricks inside the maze, so please be cautious. Now, since there’s no time, let’s begin immediately.”

“W-wait a moment!”

Deborah raised her hand suddenly. All eyes turned to her.

What’s wrong?

Seeing her slightly pale face, I became worried.

“Is there a problem, Miss?”

“Well, um… Do I have to enter the maze alone?”

Deborah hesitantly asked, carefully clutching my sleeve.

“I have a slight fear of the dark…”

As she spoke, she looked up at me with a pleading expression.

Is she asking me to go with her?

I glanced at the Tower Master and the mage.

The Tower Master had a languid expression, making it hard to guess his thoughts, while the mage had a slightly furrowed brow.

‘What should I do…’

Deborah’s grip on my sleeve tightened.

In fact, the maze was not just dim but eerily wrapped in black mist.

It looked spooky from the outside, so it must be worse inside.

Alright, since I decided to play the big sister role!

‘I should see it through to the end.’

Holding Deborah’s hand, I politely asked the Tower Master.

“I don’t know how to use magic. I have no magical power, so I won’t affect the exam at all. Could I go in with her?”

“That’s not possible.”

The mage beside the Tower Master flatly refused.

Still, holding onto a sliver of hope, I looked at the Tower Master with pleading eyes.

He flinched and scratched his neck awkwardly, then suddenly spoke with a reminiscent expression.

“A few years ago, for a candidate with mobility issues, a non-magical assistant accompanied them during the test.”

“If there’s a precedent, then I can go with Deborah, right?”

Even if it’s not a physical issue, Deborah does have a mental discomfort.

The Tower Master nodded and said,

“It’s merely an exam to gauge skill, so there shouldn’t be any significant dangers inside.”

“That’s a relief.”

With the Tower Master’s permission, the mage couldn’t object further.

The Tower Master opened the maze door and stepped aside, gesturing for us to enter.

I patted Deborah’s rigid hand as we approached the entrance.

Just as we were about to step into the maze, the Tower Master stopped us.

“Wait, he cannot accompany you. Only the two of you may enter.”

He was referring to Carl, who had followed us.

“Why can’t I go?”

Carl frowned. The Tower Master placed a hand lightly on his shoulder.

“You possess the power to influence the exam, don’t you?”

“…My duty is to protect my master at all times and places.”

“That still won’t do. Allowing Miss Sharofe is already a considerable concession.”

The two stood at an impasse.

“Carl, stay here.”

I interjected as if to stop Carl from confronting the Tower Master.

Honestly, with Carl’s ability to swiftly defeat monsters, he could indeed influence the exam.

“See you later.”

I waved my hand as I entered the maze with Deborah.

Through the slowly closing door, Carl stood watching us quietly. His face was full of dissatisfaction.

Sorry, bondservant.

Your master will be right back!

Inside the maze, surrounded by high walls, it was gloomy and dark.

Caw. Somewhere, the sound of a crow echoed.

Though the place was enclosed, a cool breeze brushed against our faces.

“Oh, I’m scared…”

Deborah shrank her shoulders and looked around anxiously.

She couldn’t take a step as if she was nailed near the entrance.

“Deborah, are you okay?”

“No…”

Her voice trembled so much it was pitiful. Her small body shook similarly.

Hmm, this won’t do.

I grabbed Deborah’s face, turned it towards me, and made eye contact.

“Listen carefully, Deborah. You’re not alone right now. I’m here with you.”

Speaking softly on purpose, her wavering eyes gradually calmed.

“So don’t be afraid and show the skills you’ve been practicing hard. Can you do that?”

“…Yes.”

With a face that barely gained courage, Deborah took a deep breath.

Holding onto my arm tightly, she slowly took one step at a time.

Initially, the maze only exuded a spooky atmosphere like a haunted house, but at some point, all sorts of traps began to activate.

“W-what’s happening?!”

“Deborah, stay calm! Don’t be scared, just solve it calmly!”

Though flustered at first, Deborah gradually adapted. She, who was clinging to me earlier, now held my hand tightly in reverse.

“Just in case, stay close to me. There’s a pit ahead, so be careful.”

“Okay.”

“That’s an illusion, so just ignore it.”

Before I could be startled by a suddenly appearing monster, Deborah explained.

Following her lead as she took the initiative, I thought.

‘She’s not just a kid.’

Deborah, calmly using magic to overcome the traps, was mature.

Her face, still retaining some baby fat, surprisingly matched her serious expression well.

While quietly following Deborah through the maze, I suddenly asked.

“Deborah, what was your first impression of me?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“Because I’m curious.”

“…I’m not telling you.”

I asked out of boredom, but Deborah stubbornly sealed her lips, making me genuinely curious.

What on earth did she think when she first saw me?

“When I first saw you, you looked very much like a puppy. But your personality felt like a reversal, more like a prickly cat.”

“Is that your way of saying I was rude despite my looks?”

Oh, how did she know?

As I cleared my throat and pretended to look away, Deborah gave me a look of disbelief.

“Won’t you tell me?”

“Hearing you say that makes me not want to tell you even more. I won’t.”

“Why, I’m curious. Tell me.”

“No, I won’t tell you even if I die.”

At that moment, a large, dark figure appeared beyond Deborah’s resolute answer.

Startled, I pulled Deborah towards me.

“Behind you!”

“……?!”

Pulled along, Deborah checked behind her. A clump of dirt vaguely resembling a human stood there.

“What is that? A monster? An illusion?”

“It’s neither. That’s a golem.”

Deborah, as she had done before, cast a spell to attack the golem.

However, the golem was on a different level from the playful traps we encountered earlier.

Even after attacking, it remained unaffected and continued to approach us.

Deborah, who was attacking the golem with all her might, spoke in a flustered voice.

“What’s going on! Why is this happening?!”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Every time I attack the golem, my magic power is being drained!”

No wonder, the scale of her attacks seemed to be diminishing.

In times like this, one must act calmly, but Deborah was still young.

She had just turned eighteen, barely an adult.

When things didn’t go as she planned, she lost her composure and began using magic indiscriminately.