LMHS 18

Chapter 18

I won.

Not just that—I completely crushed them with a perfect record: 30 matches, 30 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses.

Those who had made my young self taste defeat one after another seemed amazed at how easily I was winning, and they began challenging me one by one.

Eventually, they even joked that I wasn’t using foresight but must be an ability user with superhuman eyesight, and went so far as to write their rock–paper–scissors choices down on paper in advance.

“So it’s true that the closer the future is, the higher the accuracy….”

They cleanly acknowledged their defeat and scribbled something down in the evaluation section.

“The ability rank assessment is complete. Please proceed to the next test according to the instructions.”

“Thank you.”

I was just turning my back to leave the testing room when—

“We’ll be seeing you next time at Papiope.”

From the examiner’s meaningful expression and excited tone, I was certain.

Even if I completely messed up the remaining two tests, I would be forcibly accepted into the talent training institute.

Still, pretending to be a clueless child, I bowed politely and left the first testing hall.

The moment I stepped out, an attendant approached me as if they’d been waiting.

“Tania, please proceed to the second testing hall.”

“Yes.”

I knew it would continue immediately, but the others were probably overwhelmed by the nonstop barrage of tests.

That, too, was likely intentional on the institute’s part.

The attendant explained the test in a stiff yet smooth, businesslike voice.

“Inside the testing area, the use of abilities is prohibited. You must proceed solely based on your own judgment. The test begins the moment you enter, and your record will be measured.”

“Yes.”

Having already taken this test several times to explain it to the twin siblings, I felt no tension at all as I placed my hand on the doorknob.

[Overlaying the current point of view onto Point in Time 2.]

When I opened the door, a massive maze spread out before my eyes.

Normally, a plain room should have appeared.

This was illusion magic—or an ability that showed illusions.

Creeeak—!

Thud.

The attendant waiting outside mercilessly shut the door, leaving me alone in the pitch-dark maze.

From now on, no matter how much I moved in here, in reality I would just be standing still.

In front of me lay a single oil lamp and a wooden sword, as if telling me to take them along.

I grabbed only the oil lamp and immediately started running.

I intended to pass every test with top scores so that my reputation would reach even the ears of Duke Papiope.

So a maze like this should be cleared in record time.

Left, right, right, left, right…….

I was sprinting forward without hesitation along the memorized path when—

From behind, where there had clearly been nothing, a monster suddenly sprang out.

“Kreeeeek—!”

The first gate: random monster summoning.

The one I encountered this time was a monster that spewed poisonous gas from its entire body.

Fortunately, it was easy to deal with if you knew how.

The gas emitted from its body was volatile.

I picked up speed.

Then, the moment I turned a corner, I flung the oil lamp backward.

Boom—!

A wave of heat brushed my back. If it had been any closer, I would’ve been caught in the explosion.

“Well, as long as I’m not hurt.”

Using the explosion as background noise, I kept moving forward.

I was aiming for the shortest clear time—there was no time to waste on small fry like that.

Tap tap tap—!

In the seemingly endless maze, I advanced boldly without once losing my way.

With the oil lamp gone, my field of vision was extremely limited, but that actually made it easier to move faster without anything getting in the way.

After all, carrying an oil lantern around with a child’s body was somewhat heavy.

How much time had passed?

Though I had clearly been alone, at some point an extra set of footsteps joined mine.

It seemed the second gate had begun.

The footsteps gradually drew closer until they were right beside me. I could sense someone to my side.

“Hi?”

A voice exactly identical to mine greeted me, chillingly so.

A doppelgänger.

A monster said to transform into the exact likeness of someone it fancies, kill the original, and then live on pretending to be that person.

Without sparing it even a glance as it ran alongside me, I replied,

“Oh, hi.”

“…W-What? Are you stupid? Someone who wasn’t there just appeared next to you—why aren’t you surprised?”

“Could you shut up? You’re making me mix up left and right.”

I’m doing a maze time attack, you know. The doppelgänger panicked and shouted,

“Y-You’re talking without even looking at my face?!”

“Do I need to?”

“Look when I tell you to!”

Annoyed, I finally turned my head and looked at it.

It was undeniably my face.

“Yeah, you’re pretty. But you’ve got chili flakes stuck in your teeth.”

“What? Where?!”

Startled, it frantically felt around its mouth.

Thinking to myself, So monsters fall for jokes too, I shrugged.

The way to deal with a doppelgänger was both simple and difficult.

Don’t feel fear.

The more fear its opponent feels, the stronger a doppelgänger becomes.

In other words, as long as you don’t cower just because it’s a monster, it’s practically harmless.

By the book, you’re supposed to fight it with a wooden sword and escape after winning—but there was no need to fight at all.

It didn’t have the power to harm me anyway.

That’s why Raspeedo, a monster tamer, and Rosemary, who would have often encountered monsters through him, would both pass this part easily.

Why am I not afraid of monsters?

People who have brushed with death at the hands of monsters countless times become one of two things.

They either develop trauma and feel several times more fear in front of monsters—or they grow numb and stop being afraid.

I belonged to the latter.

What, you’ll kill me? So what? I’ll just come back to life.

The doppelgänger, apparently irritated by my indifference, started chattering nonstop beside me.

“Aren’t you scared of me? We look exactly the same, you know? Huh? I’m going to kill you and live on pretending to be you! Aren’t you scared?”

“I’m already going to die from being stabbed by your countless hooks.”

Seriously, how many question marks does it use in one sentence? I was getting confused about how much of the route I’d memorized.

Still, the doppelgänger didn’t stop babbling. And then, finally—

It stopped short.

I halted my run as well. The doppelgänger burst into gleeful laughter.

“What, now that you’re stuck at a dead end, are you finally scared?”

“No.”

It wasn’t a dead end. Quietly, I pointed to the door ahead.

I had reached the end of the maze.

Only then did the doppelgänger realize its role was over, and its face crumpled.

“…You’re a weirdo!”

Ignoring its angry shouting, I turned the doorknob and moved on to the next room.

With that noisy chatterbox gone, my ears finally felt at ease.

The final, third gate.

In truth, reaching this room meant the test was essentially over.

When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was two boxes with their interiors clearly visible.

Inside one was a single pregnant rabbit; inside the other were five old, sick rabbits, peacefully nibbling on grass.

In front of them lay two ropes, placed side by side, as if asking me to choose one.

Following where the ropes led, I saw they were connected to a massive water tank.

There was more than enough water to completely fill the boxes.

The choice was clear: drown one pregnant rabbit, or drown five old and sick rabbits.

The trolley dilemma.

A problem designed to judge whether one can sacrifice a few to save the many.

I had already chosen one of the two in the previous timeline.

Sacrificing one thing to gain another wasn’t to my liking, but I’d done it for the sake of a fast record.

Ironically, whenever I tried to make a decision, a voice would echo from the empty air.

If I chose to kill the pregnant rabbit…

“What if the pregnant rabbit is carrying five babies?”

It would add that extra detail.

And if I chose to kill the old, sick rabbits…

“What if there aren’t five, but fifty old and sick rabbits?”

Would you still choose?—that kind of question would follow.

Endlessly testing, forcing choices, and demanding unconditional sacrifice throughout the process.

So this time, I decided to make a completely different choice.

Thud—!

I sprawled flat on my back right there. Then, staring at the empty air where the voice had come from in the previous timeline, I declared,

“I won’t choose.”