*Munch* *Munch*

"Dwamn, thwis salmon ish good!" Marius exclaims loudly while savoring the food.

"Have you tried the chicken yet? It's phenomenal!" Korim has a big appetite for his thin body and old age. Though it might be the quality of the food that gave him the urge to eat more.

"Hehe, I'm glad you liked it" Miria blushes while eating from her own lunchbox. It was not a waste after all, learning how to cook from her years in the Academy.

Back then, Combat and Magic classes were not introduced into the curriculum yet. However, almost every other subject is taught in the Academy. Nobles were encouraged to learn the fine arts, the culinary class barely had any students. They had to combine students from all five years of education into one class, ending up with a class numbering a grand total of three pupils.

"Oh yeah, I kept getting interrupted, I still didn't get my explan-" Marius once again tries to question the trick behind the puzzle. Why does it feel like some unseen force is inhibiting him from getting the answer?

Once again, Marius is disturbed mid-sentence.

"I've got some tea, too! Would you like some?" Miria procures a flask and four cups from underneath her cloak. Nothing beats a cup of warm tea to wash down the food.

"OOOOHHHHH!!!" The males are amazed by the young woman's ability in providing a perfect meal. Not every woman would bring lunch for four people AND drinks under her cloak, however she managed to do that. She would make a great housewife for some lucky chap out there someday.

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A row of torches spread over the walls, their flames dancing erratically due to the fresh air coming from the entrance. Chase slowly shuts the door behind him and produces a Light Ball. He had never been a fan of torches or lanterns, their light is quite inadequate to illuminate everything. He had also started to detest long, stone hallways. Going into secret underground passages seems to be a professional trait for him now and he almost hurled at the mention of a labyrinth.

Chase stares at the interior of the labyrinth he just walked into. It completely defied all his expectations of a common maze. He had expected straight narrow paths branching off into dead ends designed to waste his time but what he saw instead is much more confusing. Stairs that go up and down seemingly for no purpose, doors built into the ceiling and floor, random numbers and letters drawn into the walls. He could not figure out this place at all.

'The conundrum was too easy so is the crux of the test actually inside this maze?' Chase does not understand. He could just continue and follow the walls but there are too many objects of interest lying about. Could they be a piece of a grand puzzle or are they simply red herrings placed to confuse him? How would he be able to find out? Could there be hidden traps cleverly hidden here and there?

Chase tries to recall the words he read on the tome.

'Only one door shall lead you to the correct path... Could he have made a mistake? No, this could be what the testers are aiming for' Chase's confusion is getting stronger with every passing second he stands in idleness. Ingenious, that is the only praise he could give to the one who thought out the third stage of this test. To set up an easy entrance and keep the contestant doubting his or her answer once they have entered, but Chase would not fall for that.

'I definitely answered it correctly. There must be an exit somewhere in here..' Chase dispelled his concerns and decided to stick to the conventional method. With one hand tracing the wall, he starts to run. It is essential to save time here just in case he is wrong and the objects are not mere distractions. This is the correct path but then again he was never told how long it would take to reach the exit.

He continues to move alongside the walls, being brought into different rooms the farther he travelled. He caught glimpses of many interesting things such as a circle of seven stone angels, one of them seeming to have lost half of its wings. Then he saw a whole room covered by coloured tiles, forming a pattern of entangled geometrical shapes containing numbers within each of them. He even came across a giant stone chessboard with the white and black pieces mixed together on same sides. The queen on the right side of the board is holding a stone dagger aiming at her own throat.

Chase tears his eyes away from all of them. Every single room he goes into has a puzzle screaming to be solved. To look at it one way, the arrangement of the rooms might have been designed for the purpose of weakening the contestant's confidence. On the other hand, seeing all these puzzles haphazardly thrown around shows just how desperate the tester is at trying to distract the candidates.

'I will not be fooled!!' Chase closes his eyes and relies on his sense of touch. This way he would not get influenced by the tester's ploy.

He would occasionally stop and open his eyes approximately every full minute, there is no way to accurately estimate how much time had passed with the absence of a clock. He continues to check his surroundings in these short intervals in the case of reaching the exit. Even if he passed by the exit without realising it, he would be able to backtrack once he sees a familiar room later on.

At his 37th inspection, he realised he had gone back to the starting point of the labyrinth. He slows down his steps and turns around, now sure that the exit is near. He retraced his steps and carefully observed for any openings or a door in the wall.

'Where is it?' He had already reached the previous checkpoint, the place where he did a 36th inspection but he had seen no doors leading outside.

'Did I miss something along the way? No, that's impossible!' He made sure that he had checked the walls thoroughly every time he stopped. There was definitely no exit to be found.

'Did I... choose the wrong door? Should I go back and pick the other one?' He had persevered all this time because of his strong belief that he was absolutely correct. If he had made a mistake in the very beginning, everything would crumble apart. He is now split between two decisions, either to carry on or restart from the other entrance.

'No, I couldn't have' Chase takes in a deep breath and exhales. He repeats the same exercise several times to calm himself.

'There are three possibilities. One, the door is hidden somewhere along the walls. Two, among all these puzzles, there might be a real one that needs to be solved. Three, the doors on the ceiling or floor might actually lead to another floor containing the exit. Or... it might be a combination of all these possibilities' Chase is having a hard time to maintain his level headed train of thought. Think as logically as he could, there is just no time to solve everything.

'Then to eliminate the most unlikely possibilities. This test had a time limit, meaning this stage must have a solution that could be solved within a few hours at most. The door should not be hidden along the walls... even if it is.. there's no time to go back and inspect every room in detail now. The puzzles.. I think I've seen close to a hundred of them, nothing really sets any of them above the rest. So I am left with one choice, to inspect the other floors'

Renewing his resolve, Chase approaches a trapdoor and wrenches it open. Just as he expected, he could see another floor which looks just as confusing right beneath him. He did not immediately jump in though.

Chase summons a pillar or Earth and brings himself up to the door on the ceiling. Grabbing the doorknob, he twists it and swings it down while ducking his head to avoid being hit. Another floor is observable up above.

'.....I'll start from bottom to top then...'

Releasing a long sigh, Chase descends and chooses to start from the lowest floor and work his way up the labyrinth. He has this nagging feeling at the back of his mind that is telling him that he is on a wild goose chase. However, Chase ignores it and presses on with conviction in his steps.

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The professors are are gathered around a table. They had brought up some chairs too from the empty classrooms beneath them. Garion and Korim are locked in the ultimate battle of wits, a game of chess. Since the two contestants are hidden behind the walls of the maze, they had nothing to do at the moment.

'Wait for it... wait for it...' Marius waits with bated breath, waiting for the right moment. He would not be foiled this time, he WILL get the answer he wants.

"You know, can you guys tell me about the trick behind the-"

"Aha!" Garion yells as he takes out Korim's White Queen.

'Good, that was within expectations' Marius does not relent, he had already foreseen a disturbance.

"Excuse me, I really want to know what's going on with the puzzle" There, he did it! Finally, he would get his long awaited explanation.

"Hmmm?" Korim looks up from the chessboard and glances at Marius. For someone who is losing the game, he does not seem to be agitated at all.

"The puzzle, eh? Okay, let's pause the game for a while. Here, take a look at this" Korim rummages around under his cloak and takes out a thick leather bound book. He flips it open and leafs through the pages until he found what he is searching for. Marius caught glimpses of numerous blueprint sketches among the pages flipped through.

' Before you lies a labyrinth. Only one door shall lead you to the correct path. One of the guards may only speak the truth, the other may only speak lies. You are allowed to ask only one question, ask wisely or be lost forever '

"So it was the knight and knave after all!" There is no mistaking it, this is exactly what he had expected from the setup. Then, just why are both the entrances wrong?

"Ah... I had my doubts before but now I've confirmed it" Garion says as he peers over to see the contents of the book.

"What? What did I miss?" Marius inquires for the hidden meaning behind this. Is there perhaps a complex code hidden within this passage?

"There are more than two doors. Am I correct, Korim?" Garion picks his nose disinterestedly.

"Indeed, I never said there were only two doors" Korim grins from ear to ear, looking as sinister as possible.

The solution Chase and Terrence came up with would only work if there were only two doors. While it is true that the answer they received would undoubtedly be a lie, it does not help in the slightest in this case. Since both doors are wrong, the guard could answer either left or right to achieve the same result.

"That's just... petty! Then how are they supposed to solve this thing?" Marius had expected something far more obscure but this is just some cheap trick.

"No, this trick has more layers to it" Garion chides in. He realises it, this whole stage had been planned thoroughly.

"Yes. I intentionally placed two guards in front of the labyrinth to give them a suggestion that there are only two doors, it is their fault for making that assumption. Tell me Marius, if you knew there were three doors, how would you find the correct path?" Korim returns his attention to the chessboard, his smile still firmly plastered on his face.

"The way I see it.. I would just take the chance and ask one of them where is the door that leads to the right path. That way I have a 50% chance to get the guard who tells the truth, don't I?" Still, that would depend on his luck. If this whole part is supposed to gauge one's intelligence it should not be this way at all. He could only come up with that solution if he knows there were more than two doors in the first place.

"That is a good plan but let me ask you one more question. Is intelligence a piece of equipment that you may put on and take off at any moment? Is it such a trivial thing that is only needed at certain moments in life? No, Marius" The wizened man grabs his White Knight and twirls it between his fingers. Their game had already resumed.

"The Hero must always keep his wits about him. He should have planned right from the very beginning of the test, aiming at victory" With one swift and solid placement, Korim reverses the flow of the game. It would only take him two more moves to checkmate Garion. Seeing the latter's awestruck face, Korim gloats over his upcoming triumph. Now sure that he would seize victory, he turns back towards Marius.

"Let me give you an example. Say I am the black-haired Earth Mage, I would have rescued a number of people and bring them along the test. They would go in front of me and test for any dangers along the way. I would have did something to check their movements, perhaps accidentally soiling their shoes with mud to create visible footprints. Then I would be able to see the truth behind their diverging paths, wouldn't I?"

"That's all just theoretical talk, isn't it? You could only say that because you already knew the structure of the test. The contestants would never think that far ahead!" Marius objects, the solution provided is just too ridiculous and one-sided. It is filled with 'if's and 'then's with no concreteness behind it. This whole thing is just a twisted game to fail the contestants.

"Indeed, there is slim chance of someone like that turning up. A person who is righteous, strong and extremely intelligent exists only in fantasies. The thing is, Marius, they do not necessarily lose by taking the wrong door" Of course, he realised it himself that almost nobody would be able to spot his obscure meaning hidden within the passage.

"You see, they could always turn back and exit the maze at any time. If they take the time to figure things out properly, they would surely notice the existence of the third door. That, however, is a feat to accomplish" He fishes out his telescope and peers through it to check up on the labyrinth. At the same time, his hands move to random pages of his book.

"I have placed hundreds of puzzles spread between the two false paths. It won't do if you just listen, so try to imagine what I am about to tell you. Imagine, that you have just entered a door by solving the easy conundrum placed outside. What would you feel?" Korim replaces the telescope on the table and intertwines his fingers together.

"I would think.. there is more to this, maybe there's something else" Marius tries hard to put himself inside the candidates' shoes.

"Yes. Then, you see how convoluted the maze really is, what do you think now?"

".. There really is something here, maybe there are certain things I have to do in order to pass. No, maybe it might all be a meaningless diversion. Okay, I don't know" Marius concedes defeat, this is just too confusing.

"Indeed, that is what I am aiming for. You see, it is not my puzzles nor the twisting passageways within the labyrinth that traps them. They are the one who would trap themselves within their own minds. The Knight and Knave is among the most well-known of logic questions, a lot of people knows the solution. It is difficult to imagine to have made a mistake while answering it, no? So they would stubbornly pursue the phantom solution within the maze, trying to find the path that does not exist" Korim continues to speak.

"Wouldn't they realise it eventually and take a look outside? It's not like they cannot reenter the labyrinth" Marius rechecks the passage and notices no such restrictions being placed.

" 'Be lost forever' , that is how I worded it. It is undoubtedly an exaggeration but with the time limit weighing over their heads, it very well might feel like an eternity. You are able to think so because you are not trapped in there, Marius. These candidates have a time limit and that makes all the difference in the world. Their train of thought is only going on two choices, to press on or throw away the time they spent and change their decisions"

They could just abandon their current path and turn back, but would the other door be correct?

What if it turns out to be wrong?

Can they even make it in time?

If they soldier on, would they find an exit eventually?

So many questions, all born from anxiousness.

"Then how are they going to escape?" It all seemed so hopeless, the candidates must be wallowing in despair by now. This is too cruel, far too cruel.

"Ga Ha Ha! Look at the board, Korim" Garion had managed to reverse the current standings after meticulously thinking on where to move.

"When you are outsmarted by your enemy in their own game, what would you do?" Korim lazily eyes the chessboard while still keeping his composure.

"You throw away the game and punch them in their face" Korim swipes the pieces off the board and leans back on his chair, an amused smirk adorns his face. As much as he would like to throw a punch at Garion, he doubts he could even land one on him.

Garion sulks and glares at Korim. He almost won for God's sake!

*Boom*

A distant rumbling sound brought their attentions back toward the labyrinth.

"There, it seems someone had figured it out faster than expected" It had only been three hours since both Chase and Terrence had entered the maze but it looks like his trick had been solved. A Hero must not be bound by trivial things like 'cheating', they simply have to protect humanity and slay the Demon King.

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-Three hours earlier-

'Well, I'll be... look at all these puzzles!' Terrence disappointment quickly faded away as he saw the complexity of the labyrinth. He would not be bored after all. Without hesitating for even a moment, he strides ahead and approaches a 5x5 image tile puzzle set in the middle of the room.

It is a common puzzle with movable tiles, each drawn with a part of a big picture on it. Arranging it in the correct placement would yield an image of some sort. Without caring to search for the exit, Terrence immediately starts to solve it.

Half an hour later, he wipes the sweat off his forehead, content to have completed the picture of a hellhound. Of course, nothing happened once he completed it but Terrence already knew the puzzle was nothing but a distraction. Taking one last look at his work, he proceeds to another room and comes across another puzzle. This time, too, he goes ahead and picks up the challenge.

'..............' Justice is gradually getting more irritated. Since it is supposed to be the personification of fairness, it could not interfere and provide assistance but at this rate the Hero would fail the test designed to find him.

Terrence repeatedly solved different types of puzzles in various rooms. Those he did not have an interest in, he simply skipped over. After finishing the fifth one, a sort of hidden object search, Justice hums again.

'........................................................................' Terrence could recognise the exasperation laced within Justice's genderless voice.

Thus, he releases a long sigh and draws the sword out to talk face-to-face. He noticed that the sword could only read his surface thoughts, otherwise it would have realised that Terrence is not in any trouble at all.

"Look, I know we picked the wrong door even though I don't know how that happened" He frowns.

"I noticed that ages ago. We spent a lot of time in the first room but Chase did not come in, didn't he? I don't think that kid would take such a long time on the second part of the test and he doesn't look like an idiot either. So what does that mean? It meant he entered the other door" Truthfully speaking, he only hung around the first room to wait for Chase to appear.

'Then why did you not turn back?' The Hero has shown more intelligence that it credited him with.

"I might have asked the wrong question and now I'm all out of chances. I know that there are more than two doors now, but who can say how many there are? Maybe three, four, ten even! So you see, instead of cracking my head over it, why not just bust through the walls in a straight line?" It was never mentioned in the rules that he could not do that, so why not?

'... Then why did you not do so after you have realised it?' It had existed since time immemorial and gained consciousness in the first Cycle, but never had it picked up a candidate that it could not figure out.

"Because, whoever built this spent a long time planning it. Would be a shame if no one bothered with any of the puzzles now, wouldn't it?" Terrence shoots a wink. Construction is not really hard with Earth Mages but designing this whole labyrinth must have been quite an effort.

"Well, I'm getting sleepy anyway.. so might as well start to move now" Terrence recalls the direction towards the main building and faces it. He casually walks straight ahead and stops one foot away from a wall.

Pulling Justice back with both of his hands, he gathers his strength and thrusts forward. A regular sword would have snapped off from the impact but thankfully the Legendary Weapon had proven to be unbreakable so far. The stones and bricks gave away and crumble, creating a cloud of dust.

Terrence calmly whistles and steps over the rubble. His direction would not change, nothing would block his way. After all, is he not the Hero?

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Chase is taking a breather in the starting room of the labyrinth. He had found the existence of three floors beneath him, prompting him to check the walls of each one. He had also tried to distort any optical camouflage, in case the door is hidden by that method. Alas, his efforts amounted to nothing. After solving four floors including the one he is currently on, he knew that this is a fruitless venture.

He understands that he could just break down the walls and proceed, but that would defeat the purpose of this whole thing. Since the first part was a test of morality, the second a test of strength, the third must be one of intelligence. There must be a foolproof solution to this labyrinth, but what?

A loud rumbling sound assaults Chase's ear while he is resting. The labyrinth shakes slightly, rattling the torches set on the wall. Chase pinpoints the direction of the sound to be somewhere to the right.

'Terrence' Chase could divine the cause of the sudden noise and tremors. Since nobody else is in here, it must have come from next door. It could be the sound of traps being triggered, maybe the layout for the maze there is different. However, this is the first time he heard any noise so the only possibility is that Terrence is breaking down the walls.

Soon, another rumbling noise echoes off the walls and ceilings, shaking the labyrinth in its very foundations. That confirms it, Terrence is forcefully pushing his way forward by tearing down walls in rapid succession.

Chase could do the same but he prefers to keep that as a last resort. He prefers solving this riddle the correct way.

'If Terrence is forcing his way through... that would most likely mean the door on the right is also a dud' After all this time, it makes sense that Terrence must have properly checked the interior just as he did.

'So, this means.. both of us are wrong' It is not a sure conclusion, it could be that Chase is correct but after spending a considerable amount of time in here he doubts it to be so.

'If the riddle could not be solved inside, then there must have been something to hint the location of the third door outside' This whole puzzle could be simpler than it seems. Chase had plenty of experience going down secret passages, there must be a door hidden somewhere outside but where?

'The door to the far right' the words of the guard echoes in his mind.

'The door to the far right? Why did he need to add a fa.. because the door to the right is the correct answer! There's a door in the middle!' It made sense now, he remembers that he had asked the guard on the left. If he had met up with Terrence and exchanged the answers they were given, he could confirm this theory but as matters stand he has to do this alone.

Since he is already in the starting room, heading out through the entrance is a trifling matter.

Chase winces slightly at the sight of sunlight. His eyes need to readjust because he changed the colour of the Light Ball in order to check for optical illusions.

The guards turn their heads toward him. Chase could not see their expressions underneath the helms, but he imagines them to be dumbstruck.

He carefully traces his palm over the wall dividing the two doors. There must be a sign of some sort that the Knights need to remember in order to open the hidden door.

Eventually, he felt it. A brick slightly protruding outwards. It could just be a flaw in construction but Chase doubts it. Whoever it is that have built this entire building is one that has great attention to details. Otherwise, a puzzle could be entirely dysfunctional if something is placed incorrectly.

'Please, please, please, please....' Chase inhales deep and gently pushes the brick. Nothing happened, the brick did not move.

Chase does not give up, there must be something here. He is absolutely sure of it. If pushing does not work, why not pull it? And so he did, he tries to pull the brick out. The block of stone falls out smoothly onto the ground, revealing a doorknob behind it.

'YES!' This must be it, who would have thought the door is hidden via such simple means?

Chase grabs the knob and twists it. After hearing a heavenly click, he pulls it backward with great strength. The door is heavy due to all the bricks cemented over its surface. After grunting and pulling it profusely, he made little progress. The guards come closer and assists him, taking the burden off his shoulders. Of course, the testers must have taken into account the candidates' lack of energy after passing through the second stage of the test.

Once the door is wide open, Chase could see a narrow path that looks like a roofed alley punching straight between the labyrinth. No puzzles, no stairs, no anything, just one regular old path. Chase feels like headbutting the walls now due to the frustration but refrains from doing so.

"Congratulations" Both the guards speak simultaneously.

Chase relaxes himself and looks at the sun. There are hours before sundown, he made it through. He really made it through. Basking in the sunlight with sweat glistening on his skin, Chase takes the first step towards victory.

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Chase encounters a huffing Terrence and a gaping hole at the end of the path. They both made it through at the same time, albeit through different means. When Terrence saw the narrow opening, he fired off a string of curses to the sky.

Still exercising caution, Chase refuses to walk in front. Thus, Terrence finishes the test in first place. It hardly matters, there is no difference. Either way, he would still get in the Academy.

Chase had expected a congratulatory speech to be the first thing he heard once he pushed the grand doors of the main building open but he is proven to be wrong.

*Ziipp* *Zuup*

A team of well-dressed men and women rushed forth and encircled him. Taking out measuring tapes, they skillfully took his measurements within a matter of seconds. Having completed their task, they bowed politely and retreat.

Up ahead, Terrence is talking to the old man with the braided white hair he saw at the entrance of the Academy. There also four more people gathered around, one of them being Garion who beckons him to come over.

"Great. Now that the both of you are here, I would like to congratulate you on making it into my Academy" Without any need to introduce himself, his sentence had clarified him to be the Headmaster.

"I won't keep you here for long, we have no way to determine whether any of you are the Hero yet. Since the Beacon had yet to be fired, you see"

The Beacon, a golden light that envelops the skies of Armus one week before the start of a new Cycle. Nobody knows from whence it came from, but one week after, the Hero and Demon King would fully assume their roles.

Justice had warned Terrence to follow the rules. He must not purposely reveal himself until the Beacon is fired.

"The new semester would start the day after tomorrow. Please write your names and current address here for your uniform delivery" The headmaster hands over a notebook and quill which Terrence grabs and scribbles on.

"There would be no classes on the first day so feel free to drop in your dormitories anytime before dusk" Since there would be thousands of students returning to campus, the gates would be packed if they all came in at the same time. Granted, there are some that stayed in the dormitories for the holidays but they are very few in numbers.

Terrence passes the notebook and quill to Chase.

"That should be all, you are dismissed. I hope you would find your time in the Academy enlightening" The Headmaster spreads his arms wide open to show the vastness of the Academy.

Having accomplished what they had come to do, Chase and Terrence exits through the main door. They were surprised to see a team of people already assembled around the labyrinth. It seems the Academy had already called a team over to dismantle the labyrinth once the time is up.

"So, I'll see you later then!" Terrence waves goodbye.

"Wait!" Chase offers a handshake. The test is over now, there is no more need to be cautious of the swordsman.

"Thanks, for healing me and also giving me a hint for the third stage" He would probably still be able to figure out where the hidden door was but he would never have made it if he was still out cold the whole time.

"Don't mention it" Terrence gives his customary wink and shakes his hand.

'A hint..? When did I give out a hint?' Chase is referring to the racket Terrence was making.

Once the pleasantries are out of the way, they head towards the gate together spending their time chatting all the way through.

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Back in the reception hall of the main building, the professors are gathered around the Headmaster to receive their assessment.

"Let's see.... I'll give a passing mark for your part, Ga. However, I can't shake off the feeling that you were just trying to test out your golem prototypes" The Headmaster narrows his eyes at the bearded vagabond. If he did not know of the man's true identity, he would never had given him work here. However, the man proves to be very well-learnt and makes for a good professor.

"Ga Ha Ha! *Cough* *Wheeze* What's wrong with killing two birds with one stone?" Of course he did, where else could he find test subjects? He would be hard pressed to find someone among the students.

"As for you, Marius" The Zenithian Knight gulps when the Headmaster faces him.

"You clearly came up with the trial of strength at the last minute, didn't you? Did you think I wouldn't notice just because you give me some bullshit reason?" Beating a Zenithian Knight to pass through. Anyone could have come up with something similar, he might as well hire a six year old.

"My apologies" Marius bows his head apologetically. It is not his fault that he is not very creative, he was born and raised as a soldier his whole life. The very essence of creativity had been sucked out of him.

"Korim, well done! I liked it but you spent too much money on the maze. I was going to split some of the gold as a bonus for you three but it seems like I can no longer do that" Just because he handed them a lot of funds, it does not mean he wanted them to go on a spending spree.

"WHAT?!" Korim's eyes shot wide open, adding more folds on his wrinkled forehead. How could this be? He had planned this whole stage since last year and this is his reward?

"So, how did they do their jobs? Miria?" On to the last professor in charge of observing the test.

"They did well, grandfather. I think you are being too harsh on them" She had been given the chance to observe what sort of people her future colleagues would be. The ones she met today are among the most eccentric of the teaching staff, so her grandfather had informed her.

"Grandfather....?" Marius seems to be the only one surprised by the revelation.

"Look at that braid, you idiot. Both of it are braided in the same fashion" Korim admonishes the dull-witted Marius. Things might be different if they simply read a description of the girl but she had been right in front of their eyes the whole time. Only a fool would not realise the resemblance in facial features as well.

"I see. Very well, all of you are dismissed except for Ga. I'd like to have a word with you, if you please" There are certain things to be discussed regarding today's turn of events.

The other three nods and leaves Garion and the Headmaster alone.

"So, what do you think? Is one of them the Hero?" While it is true the Beacon had not been lit, they could roughly judge by the candidates' abilities.

"Yes, I think it's the older one, Ga Ha Ha!" His old habit of putting on a fake grin never faded away. It had only evolved into a laughter now, one that he unconsciously does from time to time.

"I see, what of the other boy?" From what he saw, both of them had their own strong points. Neither of them really fell behind the other.

"...Also a Hero, of sorts" Garion replies in a fashion.

"I see.. is he part of what you found out in the Millennium Forest?" The vagabond had taken leave from work over a year ago, saying he had to venture deep into the heart of the Millennium Forest to search for something. He came back empty-handed and sealed his mouth shut about what he saw.

"Maybe" Garion senses the conversation is over and turns away to leave.

"Wait, Gale! For what reason are you here? Why do you spend your time making these golems instead of preparing to battle the Demon King?" The man claiming to be Gale Tempest had showed up in front of him a decade ago. He did not believe it at first but after seeing his abilities for himself, he had to trust him. So far, Gale had done nothing but teach his classes normally and constructing golems.

"This battle.. is not one that can be won by one or two person. Humanity needs a weapon. It's my own way to make amends" The Headmaster could only see Gale's back but the sad tone of his voice spoke volumes of the man's unending regret.

Gale's steps resound throughout the hall as he walks away. Knowing him, he would most likely lock himself up back in his workshop, working on new prototypes.

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Chase parted ways with Terrence at the Academy gates and made his way back to the inn. His steps felt light as a feather both physically and mentally. He found out that Terrence had fixed up his body back to the way it should be. Chase never knew he was that banged up in the first place.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

Chase raps the door to Room 12, inviting Marcus to swing it open.

"Judging by yer mug, yer bloody passed, didn't yer?" The one-armed geezer beams.

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Phew, and we're done with the test. I'll have to go back to university on the 21st, I'll try to finish a chapter before that!

[th_103_.gif]

To those of you unfamiliar with it, the Knight and Knave is a real logic puzzle. Google it up. It also goes by other names such as two guard, two doors or city of lies and city of truth.

Prelude to utter confusion Armus Tis a black stone

For The Curious Mind