Chapter 93. Entrance Exam (15)

“I don’t know.”

“……”

Zion’s teacher was silent as he admired the scenery outside the window.

“Zion, you have the greatest talent I’ve ever seen.”

“Then…?”

“You’re a bit stubborn.”

“In that case, I shouldn’t go to Eternia. I still have a lot to learn from the teacher, I can’t waste my time in a place like Eternia.”

Zion thought that going to Eternia was useless. She already had the perfect teacher with her, and four years in Eternia would be totally squandered.

Her teacher disagreed.

“That’s why you have to go to Eternia.”

“You say the same thing again.”

“I cannot change your stubbornness.”

“That’s too ambiguous. That doesn’t matter. Remember the bet the other day, if I defeat all the applicants, I might give up entering Eternia.”

“Of course.”

“Now that I’ve also defeated Abel Barianne, I know that no one can defeat me. When I finish the entrance exam, I will forgo admission to Eternia.”

He slowly shook the wine glass in his hand.

“I always tell you that you can’t assume the future.”

“Do you think anyone who can beat me will fall from the sky?”

He shamelessly laughed.

“Hahaha! That’s possible.”

It was ridiculous. She would have been upset if someone else had said that.

He looked at Zion with sadness.

“I have taken you all over the continent, but you continue in the pit.”

***

In the pit.

Zion still pondered those words as she moved forward.

She was aware that her abilities were far inferior to her Master’s, she still had a long way to go to reach the top in swordsmanship.

She could admit that she was in a pit.

But Eternia seemed like another pit for Zion.

She didn’t understand why her teacher wanted her to be here.

But her teacher taught her that she had to prove her point to the end.

So Zion looked for a route that no one else had taken.

She got to second base before anyone else.

She was not happy when she saw the empty base.

She did not know how to interpret this situation.

She had a small hope that her teacher was right.

But it looked like she was right.

Unless she walked slower, she would be first.

And she didn’t want to do that.

Zion headed for the entrance to route A.

***

Lilith knew how to get the upper hand in a relationship.

The one who had the upper hand was the one who did not need anything from the other. This prevented the other person from influencing them.

It was a law that applied to all relationships, not just male-female.

Many nobles clung to Lilith.

They wanted her beauty, but she didn’t need to cling to a man because of the attention she received. Lilith dominated the relationship when she knew what they wanted.

Lilith was at a disadvantage in her relationship with the masked man.

She depended on the man for almost everything.

Lilith wanted many things, but he wanted nothing.

The man defeated the Planteras.

She didn’t have to do anything.

Even though she had the Centennial Wand, it was useless because she was with this man.

He could demand compensation from Lilith because he had contributed so much. She was eager to reciprocate him generously.

But he hadn’t asked her for anything.

“Ah!”

Lilith stumbled on the tree root.

The man looked back, grabbed her wrist and lifted her up.

Then he moved forward again.

“……”

Though he seemed indifferent, sometimes he cared for her like an older brother.

Bastard! He care about me, but we’re not companions?

“Hey!”

Those words rose in her throat, but she held them back.

“Let’s go together…”

After they left the cave early in the morning, they arrived at the second base before noon. There was only an old two-story wooden cabin.

Lilith looked around the base.

“Is no one here? Were we the first ones here?”

She never thought she would be here before Abel, Luna and Cecil.

She confirmed that she had made the right decision to follow the masked man.

Of course, Lilith couldn’t have taken the A-B routes.

The earth emitted stronger mana when they were closer to the summit of the Grace Range. This caused the capabilities of the Planteras to improve dramatically.

On those routes the Planteras would attack them non-stop.

After they arrived at the base, only one question came to Lilith’s mind.

Will this man take route A or B?

When the man opened the door to the cabin, he stared at the floor.

Lilith approached the cabin.

“What did you see?”

She looked down as well.

There were muddy footprints, which had not yet dried.