* * *
Opening the door revealed a long staircase stretching endlessly.
After a brief struggle to ascend the steps, a white rabbit suddenly hopped up beside us, keeping pace.
[You’ve managed to pass the first riddle. But I’m the infamous second riddle—far more challenging than the first.]
Ignoring the rabbit’s taunts, I silently climbed to the top of the stairs.
What awaited at the end was a crimson curtain.
Pushing it aside, I found a sight so extraordinary that even Jerome, who rarely expressed surprise, murmured in awe.
“This is… a theater.”
In front of us stood a massive auditorium—something no one would expect to find in a labyrinth.
The audience seats were packed with shadowy creatures known as “thoughtforms,” eerie beings resembling black silhouettes.
The rabbit removed its bowler hat and spoke.
[Your task for the second riddle is simple: earn thunderous applause from this audience. Yes, from every single one of them!]
I sighed at the familiar scenario.
So, this was the moment when I had to solve a riddle of my own creation.
The rabbit, now dancing energetically across the wide stage, continued.
[Of course, you can hunt those thoughtforms and obtain a key to the third room. But that won’t solve the riddle. The choice is yours. And with that, I bid you farewell!]
With its explanation complete, the rabbit quickly vanished offstage.
Jerome stroked his chin, intrigued.
“Applause, huh? Belges must’ve really wanted to keep the orb hidden. After all, there aren’t many who could earn applause from thoughtforms with no consciousness.”
“…”
“So, do you have a plan for this?”
Meeting Jerome’s expectant gaze, I nodded.
Digging through the bag slung over my shoulder, I pulled out a book.
Jerome hesitated for a moment before reading the title aloud.
“The Hero’s Nightmare and Miracle.”
“Have you read it before?”
“If you were born in the Empire, it’s impossible not to know it. Parents always read it to their children at least once.”
“Exactly. We’re going to perform this story. The problem is… we need two more actors.”
The cast of this tale included four main roles—Hero, Priest, Maya, and the Villain.
While Jerome and I could alternate roles, I had a different plan in mind.
Just then, I caught Luke’s gaze as he entered through the curtain.
My provocation seemed to have worked.
With a sharp glare, Luke stormed toward me, his expression murderous.
Holding up the book, I greeted him with a smile.
“You’re early.”
“I couldn’t stand listening to your nonsense any longer.”
Luke’s sharp retort met my expectations.
Glancing around, he soon locked eyes with Carlisle, who had followed him in.
It felt surreal, seeing the four of us gathered in one place—something impossible in the original story.
Carlisle spoke with a faint smile.
“What an interesting situation…”
“The second riddle is to earn applause from those spectators. So, I have a proposal—how about working with us for a bit?”
As soon as I finished, Luke’s scowl deepened.
Understandably so—why would he agree to perform a play, especially with the two people he despised most?
Glaring at me with a sneer, he replied.
“Why on earth would I do that? No thanks. Those thoughtforms can be dealt with by my blade. Now step aside and stop wasting my time.”
“You’ll regret it.”
Luke flinched, momentarily pausing.
My knowledge of the original allowed me to deliver that warning.
As Luke advanced menacingly, Jerome stepped protectively in front of me, only for Carlisle’s blade to stop at Jerome’s throat.
In the midst of this tense standoff, I calmly continued.
“Belges’s soul is already heavily fragmented. If you recklessly destroy his labyrinth, it will only cause him more anguish.”
“Can you prove it?”
Unlike Luke, who showed a relatively indifferent reaction, Carlisle nodded in agreement.
In the original story, an impatient Luke chose to cut down all the thought-forms, only to be consumed by deep despair.
ot just for myself but also for Luke’s sake, it was more efficient to work together here.
“I’ll promise you one thing. I already know the answer. I’m willing to share it with you.”
“……”
“But if you decide to act on your own, I’ll fight you. So make your choice: will you fight us and make us your enemies here, or will you work with us to solve the second riddle?”
Though I tried to remain calm, I was incredibly nervous.
The Luna Guild and the Flare Guild—who should’ve vanished in the original story—joining forces was a stark deviation from the original plot.
Carlisle, who had been quietly watching me, eventually lowered his sword without resistance.
Luke’s eyes widened as he shouted in disbelief.
“Sir Carlisle!”
“The look in his eyes tells me he’s not lying. If that’s the case, using the information he knows is beneficial for us. Besides, there’s no rule prohibiting two guilds from forming an alliance.”
“Lady Jeanne’s claims are baseless. The information could be unreliable.”
“Luke, sometimes intuition is more accurate than evidence.”
Luke, who had been moving his lips as if to argue, eventually closed his mouth tightly.
The gazes of the four of us intersected chaotically.
Carlisle slumped to the ground and nodded.
“Let’s talk properly. What is the answer you claim to know?”
✽ ✽ ✽
I peeked through the curtain and observed the audience.
The thought-forms in the seats were still waiting eagerly for the play to begin.
Although we all vaguely understood the fairy tale’s plot, most of us had never performed before, leaving a heavy atmosphere in the air.
Luke, reading the fairy tale book, scowled deeply.
“This is such a foolish story….”
Jerome, who was skimming through the tale alongside him, spoke in a regretful tone.
“Luke, memorize it properly. If you ruin the play because of you, I’ll kill you.”
“Why don’t you focus on yourself?”
“Watch your mouth.”
“And you watch your length.”
Despite their mutual dislike, Luke and Jerome oddly complemented each other.
Of course, neither of them would ever agree to that.
It was as if their thought processes were eerily aligned.
Watching them bicker relentlessly, I turned my gaze away in exasperation.
‘Still, I’m relieved. If Carlisle hadn’t taken my side, Luke would’ve never agreed to cooperate.’
I had been worried that spending so much time with Jerome recently might’ve earned me Luke’s resentment, but it seemed to be unfounded.
As I scanned the audience again, Carlisle struck up a conversation.
“I once heard from a relative living in the southern region that the Southern Sea is notoriously treacherous, filled with countless unverified superstitions in the past.”
“……”
“Just to confirm, is this fairy tale play related to those superstitions?”
His keen question made me flinch.
Carlisle was as perceptive as ever.
When I nodded silently, his lips curved into a faint smile.
“So that’s why. I wondered why it had to be a fairy tale.”
“Thanks for convincing Luke.”
“Don’t mention it. My back isn’t what it used to be. I prefer avoiding unnecessary fights.”
Carlisle’s nonchalant shrug and the way he nodded with his hands clasped behind his back made me chuckle dryly.
For whatever reason, the hostility in his demeanor had noticeably faded.
As the rare amiable atmosphere lingered, Jerome grabbed my arm while Luke pulled Carlisle back and spoke in a firm voice.
“I’ve memorized the content. Let’s assign the roles now.”
“Sure. There’s no time for idle chatter.”
For once, the sworn enemies Jerome and Luke were in sync.
Signaling them to come closer, I nodded.
“As you probably know, there are four main characters in this fairy tale: the hero, Maya, the priest, and the evil monster. Clearly, it’s modeled after the legend of Maya and Mephisto.”
“But there are other minor characters too. How are we handling those?”
Jerome, who had been listening quietly with his chin in hand, raised one finger and offered a solution.
“I can manage that with my magic.”
“You can do that kind of magic?”
“Thanks to someone, I had plenty of time while locked up in a dungeon.”
Carlisle’s amused smile at Jerome’s pointed remark only added fuel to the fire.
“If you understand, you should treat me better.”
As Jerome started to rise, Carlisle teasingly pressed a hand to his shoulder to keep him seated.
We quickly assigned the roles: Carlisle as the hero, Luke as the priest, and me as Maya.
That left the pivotal role of the evil monster.
I pointed to the illustration of the evil monster in the fairy tale.
“And this evil monster here…”
Without planning, the three of us naturally turned our gazes toward Jerome.
He sighed, his expression bored.
“Seriously, just because I’m a serial killer, assigning me the monster role is prejudice and discrimination.”
“There’s no one here better suited to play the monster than you.”
“And why does Carlisle get to play the cool role? I want to be the hero too.”
“Are you even aware of how old you are?”
As Jerome whined, Carlisle grinned and asked, “Hey, can I actually slay the monster in the final scene? For realism, you know.”
“Absolutely not!”
My protest made Carlisle grumble. With a sigh, I added, “Let me make this clear: don’t bring your personal grudges into the play.
You can resolve your tangled relationships after we escape this labyrinth.”
None of the three responded. I glanced nervously between them and clenched my fists.
If they wouldn’t pull themselves together, I’d have to stay sharp on my own.
“Let’s do this. This method will definitely solve the second riddle.”
* * *
Eneg bgt ama luke