The Labyrinth Lesson

(Elysia PoV)

Darkness still lingered. The stench still pierced the nose, and silence had become their new companion. There was no sound except for the echo of soles striking the slick, hard stones that formed the cave floor.

The second floor was different from the first. It was darker, smellier, and damper, with countless turns and crossroads. Since the battle against the smilodons earlier, not a single monster had attacked them.

Celina and Irine were probably very bored. Perhaps that was why the two noisy chatterboxes had finally fallen silent. This wretched place had exhausted both of them, physically and mentally, until even their voices gave out.

Elysia glanced around, her brow furrowing as she felt a sense of familiarity with the path they were walking. “Hm, haven’t we already passed this spot before?”

“Heh?! Really?!” Celina gasped and quickly turned her head left and right to check, followed by the others.

Imaria touched her chin. “You’re right. I just realized that,” she murmured softly in her gentle church-girl tone.

“So you mean we’ve been walking in circles all this time?!” the red-haired girl, Emilia Trafford, shouted loudly, perhaps out of panic, or perhaps out of the frustration that had built up inside her. “We’re trapped?”

Arabella and her friends approached to calm her down.

Mireya chuckled softly, covering her mouth with one hand, while Syrene crossed her arms. Both of them seemed to enjoy the situation. Of course they did. They were the mentors and seniors, and perhaps moments like this were exactly what they had been waiting for.

Elysia glanced at them both. “Sisters, isn’t it about time you told us about this?”

A mischievous curve appeared on Syrene’s lips. “It wouldn’t be fun if we told you. It’s better that you realize it on your own. I must say, I’m impressed you noticed so quickly, and you remained calm.”

Amid the rising confusion, Mireya stepped forward. Her gentle voice instantly drew everyone’s attention.

“Everyone... calm down.” That single phrase was enough to silence all noise. “The second floor indeed has a labyrinth-like structure. But it’s actually quite simple to navigate. First, is there anyone here who can use detection magic?”

Everyone exchanged glances, then shook their heads slowly.

“What a shame~ It would have been easier if there were a detector type in your team. Next time, before forming a party, make sure you pay attention to your team’s composition, understood?”

Elysia smiled faintly. That was always how her sister taught. Rather than instructing harshly, she guided them gently, letting them learn through experience and reflection.

“Alright then. What’s done is done. Regret changes nothing. Let us face what lies ahead.”

“Sister Mira...”

She always delivered life lessons in her own way. Every word she spoke, every act she took, carried a message worth pondering.

“Now then, how would you find the right path without anyone who can use detection magic? I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

Elysia almost raised her hand but decided against it. Understanding her sister’s teaching style, she chose to wait, giving others the space to think and speak first.

Everyone seemed lost in thought. Irine and Celina pressed their temples, as if hoping it would help their brains work faster. Imaria remained quiet but her eyes darted around, carefully observing.

Meanwhile, Arabella and her friends looked reluctant to think too deeply. They seemed impatient, wanting the answer handed to them. Delfina even began to toy with her painted nails.

That was when Syrene let out an annoyed sigh. She stepped forward and confronted them with a voice sharp enough to cut through the air.

“Hey! Look at yourselves. Didn’t you proudly call yourselves geniuses of your class when you first met me?”

“I-is that wrong? Wh-why, Senior?” Lanesra stammered, her expression stiff, sweat running down her temple.

“Hoh~ To me, you don’t look like geniuses at all.”

“W-why would you say that?! We worked hard to enter this academy! There’s no way fools could be accepted here,” Arabella raised her voice. “Do you not believe in us?”

“Not at all. To me, you’re nothing but frauds and cowards.”

Arabella stepped forward and grabbed Syrene by the collar. It seemed that all the pressure had finally loosened a few screws in her head.

“I’m not a coward! Don’t judge me just because you’re older, Senior!”

The corner of Syrene’s lips rose in satisfaction. “Then prove it.”

She shoved Arabella hard, causing the girl to stumble backward. Fortunately, Delfina and Emilia caught her in time.

“I’ve been watching you all standing around like fools! Aren’t you ashamed? Look at them—they’ve been thinking hard this entire time.” She pointed at Irine and Celina.

“Where’s that genius pride you flaunted when we met, huh?” Syrene crossed her arms, raising a brow.

No one spoke. Even Elysia’s teammates turned to face Syrene, unable to look away.

The four girls stiffened.

“Or do you just want to be spoon-fed like overgrown babies who never learn? Your pampered attitude disgusts me. You’ll never reach the top. In fact, you’ll never even graduate if you don’t change your mindset soon.”

Ah... this lecture is going to be long.

Elysia couldn’t help rolling her eyes upward. She wanted to leave, but that was impossible with her sisters watching. Besides, her sister’s lecture was enough to sour her mood for the rest of the day.

“You probably think everyone else is trash, without realizing that you’re the trash yourselves.”

Arabella lowered her head, her fingers curling tightly against the rough dungeon floor. “We are not trash,” she whispered.

“Then prove it. Find the correct path here, or I’ll write a zero on your evaluation sheet.”

“Wh-why do we have to do that?!” Emilia shouted.

Syrene sighed and pointed her thumb toward Elysia at the back. “Just so you know, Elysia already figured it out a while ago. If you want me to acknowledge you as geniuses, then find the way yourselves.”

“We’ll prove it to you, Senior!” Arabella declared firmly, pointing at Syrene before turning to Elysia. “And to you, too, Elysia!”

The four nodded and began huddling together to discuss. This time, there was genuine seriousness on their faces as they exchanged ideas and weighed their options.

It seemed Syrene’s personality suited her role perfectly in disciplining arrogant students.

A faint smile formed on Elysia’s lips.

That was when she noticed Imaria fidgeting, as if she wanted to say something. The girl scratched her temple and looked around nervously.

That girl... has she already figured out how to get through this labyrinth? I knew it. She’s not just an ordinary priestess.

Mireya glanced at Elysia and pressed her finger to her lips. Her fifth sister seemed to have noticed the same thing.

After a few minutes, Mireya clapped her hands, signaling that time was up. She asked everyone to share their ideas.

Celina and Irine stayed silent. They were probably thinking about splitting up or trying every path together, though they clearly knew such plans were inefficient and foolish.

Meanwhile, Arabella’s group stepped forward to share their solution. As usual, Arabella took the lead, chest puffed out as if she were the captain of her little pride.

“We can mark one of the paths to eliminate the ones we’ve already taken.”

“Mark them?” Mireya smiled, tilting her head slightly.

Elysia was sure that was just an act to make Arabella explain further. Her sister definitely already knew where this was going.

“Yes, mark them.” Arabella stretched her hand to the side, casting a fire spell that left a charred mark at the mouth of one corridor. “Like this. By marking the paths we’ve gone through, we can eliminate the wrong turns one by one until we reach the end.”

“Oh, I see. An interesting idea, but...” Mireya smiled with quiet mystery. “Try to recall something... you might be forgetting a basic rule about dungeons.”

They all held their chins, thinking hard until the veins in their temples stood out.

Elysia nodded slightly. She had often made the same mistake in her past life—forgetting the basics because things seemed to go smoothly, only for chaos to follow later.

“So... have you remembered the basic thing you forgot?”

They looked up with confused, uncertain faces, then slowly shook their heads. The stiffness of their movements showed how unwilling they were to admit their oversight.

Mireya smiled gently. “It’s alright to forget. That’s normal, perfectly normal. Now then, Ely, would you explain?” She glanced over her shoulder at Elysia.

Elysia nodded quietly. Without many words, she pointed toward the wall Arabella had marked earlier. At once, the red-haired girl’s eyes widened as she followed the direction of Elysia’s finger.

“The wall...”

“Exactly,” Elysia replied briefly. “Dungeons have self-regenerative properties. Marking them isn’t easy. It requires a special artifact or a unique spell to leave a permanent sign. Unfortunately, none of us seem to have that here.”

“C-can’t you use it, too, Senior Mira?”

Mireya shrugged. “Who knows. Even if I could, this is your problem. It means nothing if you don’t solve it yourselves. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Silence filled the air. Her words struck deep, reminding them that their seniors were mentors, not servants who would do everything for them.

In the middle of that awkward quiet, Imaria raised her trembling hand.

“Um... maybe we can still mark this place without magic.”

All eyes turned toward her, filled with curiosity—even Elysia’s. The church elf had truly surprised her. Mireya immediately encouraged her to speak.

Imaria reached into her pocket and pulled out a ball of sewing thread, about the size of a fist.

Without saying much, she cut a small piece and tied it around one of the protruding rocks. Then, using earth magic, she coated the knot with a thin layer of mud.

Imaria turned to Arabella. “Lady, I saw you use fire magic earlier. Could you use a little to dry this mud?”

“Uh... oh...”

Arabella stepped closer, muttered a short chant, and held out her palm. A small flame danced across her hand, slowly drying the mud. When she pulled back, the thread seemed fused with the cave wall.

“We... we did it!” she exclaimed, jumping in excitement before grasping Imaria’s hands, her arrogance melting away in an instant.

Realizing what she had done, she quickly stepped back, her cheeks flushing red. “Please forget that.”

Imaria nodded with her usual gentle smile. “Of course.”

Mireya exhaled in satisfaction. “It seems you’ve found the solution. Now, let’s continue. Imaria, Arabella, you two take the lead so it’s easier to attach the next markers.”

A faint, proud curve formed on Arabella’s lips.

Imaria and Arabella moved forward. At that moment, Elysia patted Imaria’s shoulder with a proud smile.

“You’re incredible, Imaria.”

“Thank you, Lady Ely.”

Elysia sighed softly. “I told you, just call me Ely or Elysia.”

“Oops.” Imaria covered her mouth. “Sorry, it’s a habit, Ely.”

“That’s better.”

Elysia turned to Arabella with a teasing grin.

“W-what?” Arabella stammered, her shoulders tensing.

“You’re such a tsundere.”

“Tsu-tsundere?”

Elysia shook her head slightly. “Forget it. You wouldn’t understand,” she said, lightly patting Arabella’s back. “Come on, let’s move. We’ve been here long enough.”

“O-okay.”

One by one, her companions walked past her. There was a faint, almost invisible sigh from a few of them.

Elysia placed her hands on her hips, watching their backs as they walked ahead. Her gaze lingered on Arabella again. Perhaps she would soften a little after seeing this side of her.

Maybe we just need to pull her reins a little more to loosen them completely. Though honestly, that sounds exhausting.

She shifted her gaze to Arabella’s noble companions.

Humans grow according to their surroundings. Perhaps they will change, or perhaps not. Yet still... Elysia hoped they would all learn to become more mature with time.