Chapter 106

To put it precisely, it was like a pre-recorded hologram.

Of course, because it was a fragment split from Harden’s ego, it didn’t just repeat the same words but was somewhat similar to the actual Harden.

“Seeing as you’ve rolled into a place like this, it seems you all fought terribly! You pathetic wretches, why do you fight when you don’t even have enough time to study?”

Harden gave a storm of nagging while examining the faces of the people who entered.

Then, he squinted upon seeing Joy.

“……Why did the teaching assistant fight with the students?”

At the question filled with doubt about whether she had nothing better to do as an assistant, Joy answered embarrassedly.

“We did not enter because we fought.”

“Huh? Then why did you enter?”

Harden asked with an expression of genuine ignorance.

Joy replied again.

“We ended up entering while excavating ruins for a history class field trip.”

“Eh? Right now, there is no one who looks like a professor in the ruins, though?”

“……He probably just excavated the ruins and went somewhere else.”

Joy felt even more ashamed.

Because it was no different from honestly revealing that the professor in charge had abandoned the students and the assistant to skip the class at his own whim.

Of course, Harden’s fragment was equally dumbfounded.

“Tsk, tsk, it seems they brought in another weirdo from somewhere.”

Harden’s fragment grumbled a few complaints like ‘What on earth is the main body thinking as he lives’ before returning to the main point.

“Anyway, since you’ve entered, I cannot just let you go. I will pair you up in twos, so escape on your own.”

‘In this aspect, isn’t Timothy the same as Harden?’

Even if they entered unjustly, their attitude of “That’s too bad. But is it my business?” was particularly similar.

Roan felt a slight doubt.

Just then, Harden’s fragment glanced back at Roan.

[What kind of black mage are you? Now that I look, aren’t you a fellow from the Darc family?]

‘……’

Roan recalled being called to the principal’s office on the day of the entrance ceremony and bit his lower lip tightly.

[Tsk, tsk, the world is coming to an end. It was unimaginable in my time. Anyway, since you’ve entered, escape on your own.]

It seemed Harden’s fragment, just like Harden himself, did not pay much attention to Roan.

The fragment clicked its tongue a few times and waved its right index finger.

Swish—

Soon, a green crown appeared above Roan and Demona’s heads.

And a purple crown appeared above Joy and Riel’s heads.

“Now, you are paired up like this. Try your best.”

With that, Harden vanished immediately.

The remaining four, including Roan, stared at their partner’s face with slightly blank expressions.

“””I’m paired with this person…?”””

Everyone was equally dumbfounded, but the thought was even greater in Roan’s case.

‘I’d rather do it with Assistant Joy!’

His inner sense of closeness with Joy had grown very strong as they flew to the ruins.

Grin— Grin—

On the other hand, Demona was grinning widely, seemingly just happy to be paired with Roan.

Roan pondered for a moment.

‘Should I just destroy it and get out?’

Although the Friendship Experience Hall was a subspace, it was possible to destroy it and escape if enough impact was applied.

Even if Harden’s fragment disliked it, that wasn’t Roan’s concern.

Since they would never see each other again once he escaped this place.

It was a beautiful sight of a student and the Principal’s fragment, both believing that each other’s business was none of their concern.

Rattle— Rattle—

Just then, a foreign vibration was felt from Roan’s waist.

It was the divine beast egg in his egg storage belt.

The energy of the ruins, created by none other than the Holy Spirit Harden and restored by Timothy, was effectively promoting the hatching of the egg.

Only then did Roan recall the reason he came to the ruins.

‘Hmm. I should clear it normally first.’

What if he destroyed the ruins and escaped now?

He didn’t know how long it would take for the divine beast egg to hatch.

This was also a trial in its own way.

Instead, Roan decided to get out as quickly as possible.

Solely for the massive burst of energy released upon normally completing a ruin clearance.

“It seems this place is structured so that we complete tasks in each connected stone chamber. Let’s move to the next.”

While Joy was looking here and there, investigating the type of ruins, Roan immediately took action.

“How did you know?”

Joy had also just reached a similar conclusion.

Demona tried to step in.

“Roan’s parents in his dream— Mmph!”

It seemed she was about to bring up his parents and dreams again, but fortunately, Roan stopped her before it was too late.

He didn’t want to make such a childish excuse to a civilized person who connected so well with him like Joy.

“I once read a book about ruin strategies in the library.”

“Indeed… It must be Sispart’s ‘Everything About Strategy Survival,’ right?”

“……Well, I think it was something like that.”

Roan nodded.

He had only heard the name and didn’t remember the exact contents of the book, but seeing Joy ask that, it must have contained related information.

Joy smiled with satisfaction, as if she was seeing a diligent student for the first time in a very long while.

‘She won’t ask me to apply for the advanced history course or anything, right?’

Roan felt a foreboding aura for some reason.

“It is just as Darc said. Knowing the creator of a ruin or dungeon is also of huge help. Since it’s a ruin made by the Principal, there shouldn’t be any dangerous devices. Let’s move to the next stone chamber.”

Joy stood at the door of the stone chamber, leading the way.

Roan pretended to examine the floor and pointed at something.

“Am I to assume we must stand on these pressure plates?”

There were four tiles covered in green moss and purple moss that protruded slightly higher than the rest.

“Indeed.”

Joy’s smile grew a bit deeper, and the same was true for Roan’s anxiety.

Rumble—

As they stood on the four pressure plates matching the colors, the heavy door slid upward.

Beyond it was a panel of holy power similar to the one used by Miracle Worker Bogdin, the professor of the Oath class.

—

Welcome to the First Trial, ‘Guess Who I Am.’ Please come forward one pair at a time. Clear the trial by answering 10 questions about your partner correctly. If you answer incorrectly 5 or more times, you must try again after 5 minutes. The person who will solve the questions, please go to the right seat.

—

‘What a terrible naming sense.’

Roan clicked his tongue at the name of the trial, which sounded like something out of a 90s comedy show.

But regardless of that, they had to pass.

“We’ll go first. Demona, go to the left.”

“Huh? Me? I want to solve the questions too.”

Demona did not take her steps easily, looking disappointed.

However, Roan had absolutely no intention of letting Demona solve the questions.

While he was confident in answering whatever questions came up about Demona, Demona was…

‘She would definitely hesitate even if asked what my family name is.’

Since telling her would only be a waste of breath.

“Just go.”

“Okay.”

When Roan spoke once more, Demona shrugged as if she couldn’t help it and headed toward the left seat.

Then, letters rose upon the holy power panel.

The First Trial of Harden’s Friendship Experience Hall proceeded with subjective and multiple-choice questions about the partner.

—

State the exact names of Demona Wycronon’s parents.

—

“Moberic Alphonse Gernhardt Wycronon, Angelo Elise Viander Wycronon.”

Roan immediately gave the correct answer.

Wycronon’s parents were none other than the current head couple of the Wycronon family.

There was no way he didn’t know their names.

Demona asked, startled.

“Roan, do you know my mom and dad?”

“……Do you only know names of people you’re personally acquainted with?”

“I don’t really know my parents’ full names, though?”

Demona cocked her head.

“””…”””

Roan, Joy, and Riel were collectively lost for words.

Soon, the next question appeared.

—

What is Demona Wycronon’s birthday?

May 12th

May 13th

May 14th

—

“……Number 2.”

The question was more vicious than expected, but this much was no problem.

Honestly, rather than wanting to know Demona’s birthday, he had no choice but to know because a colossal family like Wycronon celebrated the heir’s birthday on a grand scale.

Though it would fizzle out after a certain point, anyway.

“Roan…!”

Naturally, Demona seemed greatly moved by the fact that Roan even knew her birthday.

Roan felt his stomach twist slightly.

‘I have to do this 10 times?’

It was horrifying just to imagine.

Having to watch Demona’s reactions one by one rather than actually solving the questions.

—

What is the name of the dog Demona Wycronon recently raised?

—

“Molly.”

“Wow, you even know that?”

—

What is the name of the Wycronon family’s butler?

—

“Ben Adler.”

“You know Uncle Ben too? Roan~ you like me more than I thought, don’t you?”

“Shut up.”

.

.

.

—

State the exact name of Demona Wycronon’s younger sister.

—

“Elsea Theargis Henarise Wycronon.”

“Wow! You even memorized my younger sister’s name? That one is too hard.”

Vain and absurd questions continued after that, but Roan somehow succeeded in getting all 10 correct answers.

It was a stroke of absolute luck that Demona belonged to the Three Great Families’ Wycronon.

If not for that level of prominence, even Roan wouldn’t have been able to answer such detailed questions.

…Or so Roan thought, but in fact, he knew most of the information regarding almost all noble families.

Anyway, upon solving the tenth and final question, a flashy effect burst on the holy power panel and text appeared.

—

Challenge Successful!

Result: 10/10

Are you two by any chance soulmates?

—

It felt exactly like looking at a karaoke scoreboard.

Demona was overjoyed as Roan answered all the questions without delay.

“As expected of Roan~ How do you know me better than I know myself?”

“……Have you never considered that you, who doesn’t know these things, are the abnormal one?”

Roan asked back with a dumbfounded expression.

Frankly, while there were many aspects that were a bit strange for an outsider to know, they were details that the person herself should have naturally known.

Just then, Demona spoke, hardening her expression.

“But, Roan. No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.”

“What is?”

Roan tensed slightly.

Since there was no penalty even for failing anyway, should he have intentionally gotten a few questions wrong?

Demona pretended to be serious for a moment, then burst out laughing and asked.

“Are you my stalker? Puhahaha!”

“…….”

“Kahak!”

Roan immediately fired a curse magic at Demona.

Demona collapsed sideways, and Roan nudged her out of the way with his foot.

Then, he looked at Joy and Riel, who were waiting on the side, and said.

“It’s your turn now, assistant.”

“……Yes.”

Joy, who had been staring blankly at Roan and Demona solving the questions, snapped back to her senses.

Although Demona said it as a joke and brushed it off.

‘Isn’t he actually a real stalker at that level?’

Even from her perspective as an onlooker, she wondered how he could possibly know such details.

Earlier, she had just thought he was very interested in history, but now…

Step—

Joy deliberately walked fast, widening the distance slightly as she passed by Roan.

“I will answer Student Heylick’s questions. Go to the left.”

“Thanks.”

Joy sent Riel to the left without much discussion.

After all, how much could a student possibly know about a teaching assistant?

Still, Joy figured it would help since she had studied the personal records of the new students quite a bit.

Soon, the first question about Riel appeared.

—

What is the average time Riel Heylick spends talking per day?

—

“…….”

And Joy was stumped from the very first question.