The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 93

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 93
* * *
As I stepped through the entrance of the Maze Garden, the fresh scent of grass enveloped me completely.
“Wow, this is huge. Really spacious.”
The maze had been designed appropriately for children, so the walls weren’t particularly tall. I began walking at a leisurely pace, gradually picking up speed as I ventured deeper.
Since I’d already committed to participating, I’d escape quickly and show my family how impressive I could be!
Just then, the bushes beside me rustled, and with a soft pop, a familiar Squirrel emerged.
“Oh! Squirrel! Did you come to help me?”
Seeing those gleaming golden eyes, I couldn’t help but break into a bright smile.
Wait, but this feels like cheating somehow.
I cleared my throat loudly—ahem, ahem—and began walking with exaggerated steps.
The Squirrel sniffed the air and stuck close to my side. Before long, we reached a fork in the path, and I carefully observed my surroundings before taking the left passage.
The Squirrel followed me faithfully.
“Well, I was planning to go this way anyway. So were you?”
Ah, what a coincidence. There’s nothing I can do about it.
At another fork, I deliberated for a moment before choosing the right path.
The Squirrel didn’t follow this time.
“Oh well. I was actually planning to go this way!”
Had I taken a wrong turn?
Hmm. I chose the left path and ran forward eagerly.
‘But how exactly are they supposed to award star stickers in the Maze Garden?’
A sudden question occurred to me. The star stickers were being awarded based on the subjective evaluations of the judges.
But there were no spectator stands here, and it’s not as if there were broadcast cameras either. How could they possibly judge?
Puzzled, I turned a corner and was greeted by a wide open space.
“Hello there?”
“Oh, you startled me.”
In the center of the circular clearing sat an adult woman.
On the table before her were water and energy-replenishing snacks.
‘Ah, so she’s a safety supervisor and judge!’
I greeted her politely, and the woman smiled warmly.
“You navigated the first checkpoint very well. Your time was even faster than last year’s participants.”
She flipped through her record sheet and nodded approvingly.
“I’ll give you a star sticker.”
“Yay!”
I watched as the glittering sticker was affixed to my card, my eyes widening with delight. A star sticker! How exciting!
“If you solve a problem correctly, I can give you two more. Would you like to try?”
“Huh? A problem?”
The woman nodded. Looking at her name tag, I could see she was a professor at the Academy named Elina.
“Yes. The reason there are fewer participants in the maze competition is actually because it has the highest difficulty level. It’s essentially a comprehensive ability evaluation requiring both knowledge and physical stamina!”
“Oh… I had no idea.”
“So, would you like to solve it? Of course, you’re welcome to pass and move on.”
Hmm.
I deliberated seriously. Solving the problem correctly would earn me additional star stickers, but if I made a mistake, I’d waste precious time and arrive at the finish line later.
“Excuse me, what’s the subject?”
When I asked cautiously, Elina let out a soft chuckle.
“Herbalism!”
My eyes widened considerably.
‘So that’s what it was!’
Herbalism wasn’t the quiz competition’s main theme—it was the mini-quiz subject for the Maze Garden challenge!
“I’ll solve it! I’ll solve it!”
I thrust my hand up eagerly, declaring my participation.
“Wonderful, then….”
Elina cleared her throat and posed the question. Of course, I answered correctly without much difficulty.
My star stickers instantly multiplied to three!
“Wow, that’s truly impressive! How old did you say you were?”
“Eight years old!”
Actually, I was ten….
“Impossible. You must come to our Academy next year. Professor Shuern will be absolutely delighted.”
“Hehe.”
Since I had no real intention of attending the Academy, I simply smiled in response.
‘The closest Academy to the Northern Region is in the Capital, after all.’
That mana-depleted zone where even standing still leaves you gasping for breath—I had no desire to return there.
“Then best of luck with the rest of the maze!”
“Yes! Thank you so much!”
I adjusted my shoes and took off running again.
‘This feels surprisingly manageable.’
The sensation wasn’t unpleasant at all!
* * *
“Yaaawn. How tedious.”
Ballock let out a long, drawn-out yawn.
The moment the child entered the Maze Garden, the surroundings fell silent as if nothing had ever disturbed them.
“Indeed. They said it would take about thirty minutes.”
Rosetta sipped her tea with relish. Leviathan draped his outer robe over her shoulders with a displeased expression.
“You’re cold—why don’t you head back inside?”
“Enjoy yourself alone? I absolutely hate that.”
With practiced ease, Rosetta waved her hand dismissively and moved to sit beside Ballock.
“Please move over, Father.”
“Fine, fine. That fellow’s nerve seems to shrink with each passing day!”
Ballock clicked his tongue in disapproval as he and Rosetta shared the tea between themselves.
Leviathan stared at the empty seat beside him in bewilderment.
Those impatient sons had been sitting at the exit for quite some time, waiting for Rubian to emerge.
‘The surroundings feel… so empty.’
And somehow, it felt rather lonely.
Just one small head was missing, yet everything had become this tedious and quiet.
‘What was it like when Rubian wasn’t here.’
He found himself retracing his memories without realizing it.
Well. He couldn’t recall it clearly.
No, in the first place, they probably wouldn’t have all participated in such a ridiculous competition together.
“Anyway, she’s quite remarkable, I hear.”
Leviathan let out a short laugh and crossed his legs differently.
Just then, something fell with a soft thud. It seemed he’d dropped it from his pocket while adjusting his posture.
“Something fell, sir.”
Kalid, standing a short distance away, spoke. He picked up the object that had rolled toward his feet.
“This is….”
The young boy’s fingertips paused slightly.
An empty glass bottle tied with a blue ribbon.
Kalid recognized this bottle.
“Thank you.”
“…It’s an empty bottle, so why.”
“Well. For some reason, I keep carrying it around.”
Leviathan spoke as if making an excuse. He placed the empty glass bottle back deep into his inner pocket.
“It’s a rather meaningful object.”
“…I see.”
Kalid gave a brief response. He was only talkative like a young boy in front of Rubian.
“Where are you going, Kalid?”
“To the restroom, sir.”
Kalid, muttering absently, disappeared somewhere.
Leviathan turned his gaze back to the Maze Garden exit.
He simply hoped the exit would open soon and that the shabby maze would quickly expel his daughter.
Meanwhile, Kalid, having left his seat, headed toward a place with fewer people.
In truth, his mood had been poor for some time. The image of Licht holding Rubian’s hand kept surfacing in his mind.
‘How irritating. Why does he keep holding her hand like that?’
He clenched his fists tightly. His chest stirred strangely.
What was this infuriating emotion?
He wanted to be the only one who could hold Rubian’s hand. He wished her smile belonged only to him….
‘Do other knights feel this way toward their masters?’
Was loyalty truly such a petty emotion?
Thinking it difficult, Kalid let out a long sigh and lifted his head.
“Still….”
He never imagined Zebert Duke still carried that glass bottle.
I was somewhat startled. She had been keeping it so carefully treasured.
“Kalid, this is a trace of the Dark Mage experiment we obtained from the Dark Mage Cave today. Drop it beyond the Gorge with your animal friends.”
It was Rubian’s glass vial.
“Are you helping the Allied Forces again?”
“Yeah. It seems they still haven’t found any traces of the Dark Mage….”
As she spoke, Rubian handed me a glass vial containing dark magical power with a blue ribbon attached. There were two vials in total.
The one without a ribbon was clearly meant to be sent to the Mage King at intervals.
‘Rubian’s true mission was to find traces of the Dark Mage and capture them alive.’
But Rubian often helped the Allied Forces from behind in such ways.
“What will you do if the Kingdom finds out about this? The Allied Forces are strong. You don’t have to risk yourself….”
“I know. It’s just better if things end a bit more smoothly.”
As a result, thanks to Rubian’s words, Leviathan was able to discover and eliminate the Dark Mage without difficulty. The Mage King had been caught off guard by Rubian.
‘I didn’t know Rubian would escape right after that.’
Kalid grew melancholy again at the memory.
The Maze Garden visible in the distance. The young boy’s gaze turned resentfully toward it.
…I wanted to run there immediately.
The fact that he was in that garden with Licht was deeply unpleasant.
But I had to endure it.
I had to behave well.
Only then would she not abandon me again.
Kalid looked up at the sky again and clenched his fists.
“Come out soon…. Rubian.”
A sullen murmur escaped.
Without you, this place holds no joy, no meaning.
* * *
I stopped running.
“At this rate….”
I took a deep breath, and the clear energy around me filled my lungs completely.
“Am I going to place first?”
I held up the card covered in star stickers. The stickers glittering in the sunlight looked more precious to me than any jewel.
“Hehe. Father will be so surprised, won’t he?”
Even if Grandfather writes boastful letters all around the neighborhood, I’m willing to overlook it just this once!
“The exit is coming up soon!”
I remembered what the examiner I’d just met said—congratulating me for passing the final gate.
I had collected eleven star stickers. I had answered all the questions correctly while passing through five gates, and this included the one additional sticker I’d obtained from Professor Shuern at the beginning.
Since I haven’t heard any celebratory fanfare yet, it seems no one else has passed…!
‘Will I even get the championship badge?’
You’re insane, Rubian. You’re magnificent, Rubian!
Turns out I’m the hidden dark horse of this Shinrok Festival?
Besides, I hadn’t even needed the Squirrel’s help from the middle onward. I had figured out the trick to navigating this maze to some extent.
‘I just need to follow the paths where new shoots haven’t sprouted!’
This Maze Garden was supposedly an existing garden that had been modified to suit the Shinrok Festival.
Which meant that dead ends were the newly constructed passages.
Therefore, I only needed to avoid the walls lined with fresh, verdant grass that appeared to have been planted recently.
‘Heh heh.’
I observed the grass shoots carefully as I ran with purpose.
I could only hope that the exit would appear soon.
“…Huh?”
I encountered an examiner standing in the middle of the path.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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