Not the Villainess, but the Maid

Chapter 25: Heart-Pounding Labyrinth Exploration (2)

During the practical exam, due to some unusual phenomenon, we ended up right in the middle of a real labyrinth.

Fortunately, Diamond had come along with me, but for now, the path ahead felt utterly hopeless.

"I finally found you, Amber!"

As I was embraced by Diamond, relieved at finding me, I was startled by the unexpected depth of the hug.

A fragrant scent wafted over from Diamond’s golden hair, and something soft pressed tightly against my body.

After about five seconds of this, I carefully spoke up.

“Uh, Diamond…?”

“Yes, what is it, Amber?”

“Well, um… it’s just… you’re a bit too close…”

I shyly lowered my gaze and muttered.

“...We’re touching.”

“…!”

Finally, Diamond pulled away slightly, clutching her chest.

“Oh, I’m sorry…! I was just so happy… Were you uncomfortable?”

“No, not at all.”

To be honest, I wouldn’t have minded staying that way a bit longer.

After moving to a slightly safer place, the two of us discussed what to do next.

Diamond, who had been examining the golden bird statue I was holding, suddenly looked at me with a serious expression.

“...It seems this relic Amber found has a spatial transference spell cast on it.”

“A spatial transference spell…?”

Spatial transference magic.

It was an extremely difficult spell that could only be unlocked in the final stages of the game and was impossible to cast alone.

It was also known as composite attribute magic, requiring five magicians of different elemental attributes to activate—essentially a pinnacle-level spell.

“That’s strange. If there was an issue with the relic, the academy would’ve noticed during the preparation process…”

The student council and professors were the ones who prepared this practical exam.

If they had come into contact with the relic even once during the setup, they couldn’t have missed something like this.

Hearing my words, Diamond shook her head and replied.

“I’m not entirely sure either. Maybe one of the students who took the exam before us tampered with it…”

Given the timeline, that seemed like the only plausible explanation, but there was still a problem.

“But doesn’t spatial transference magic require people at least as skilled as the professors to pull off?”

Surely, this couldn’t be a surprise party planned by the professors.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. For instance, if someone used a spell scroll…”

‘Right, there are scrolls…’

Spell scrolls were items made of special materials that could contain magic.

They were typically single-use, had a short expiration period, and varied greatly in price depending on the type of magic they stored.

“Someone who can afford a spatial transference spell scroll must be quite well off.”

For commoners, it was impossible to obtain one without incurring massive debt.

As Diamond and I crouched down to discuss, ominous howling began to echo from beyond the labyrinth walls.

“Whatever the reason, I think our priority should be to get out of here. Is there any way to do that, Diamond?”

Unlike me, a mere extra, Diamond was the protagonist of this game.

At the very least, I believed she wasn’t fated to die pointlessly in a place like this.

“...If there’s still a trace of mana left in the relic, we might be able to use the same spell again to return to our original location.”

“Once again, you seem to know everything, Diamond…”

“Pardon? Oh… Well, I’ve just always been interested in this sort of thing…”

She seemed to avert her gaze slightly as she spoke.

Suddenly, I found myself questioning something she had said.

“But is it even possible for us to use such an advanced spell? Doesn’t it require at least five people to cast?”

“Just trust me for now. I promise I’ll make sure you and I get back safely, Amber.”

I didn’t know how she intended to do it, but her confident words somehow gave me hope.

Diamond stared intently at the statue before raising it high.

‘What’s she planning?’

Then, she slammed it against the solid stone wall.

-Crack.

The fragile wing of the statue broke off and fell to the floor.

“What are you doing…!?”

It looked incredibly expensive, yet Diamond had destroyed it without hesitation.

“I’m breaking it to find traces of mana. It should still be connected to the place we were before.”

Diamond closed her eyes tightly and began to focus.

“This will take some time. Please keep watch over me, Amber.”

‘She wants me to… protect her?’

Honestly, I didn’t have the strength to protect her, but I decided to try my best.

While Diamond concentrated on finding traces, I kept a wary eye on our surroundings in the darkness.

I picked up a sturdy-looking stick, practiced swinging it a few times, and occasionally glanced at Diamond to ensure she was okay.

About ten minutes passed, and judging by the lack of noise, the monsters seemed to have moved far away from us.

‘Thankfully, it seems there aren’t any nearby.’

As I thought this and let my stick-holding arm rest for a moment, something cold dripped onto my head.

‘...?’

Thinking I might have imagined it, I looked around, but another drop fell from above.

‘Is there groundwater leaking from the ceiling?’

Feeling uneasy, I looked up, and through the dim light, I saw a blurry shape clinging to the ceiling.

With trembling hands, I carefully raised my stick and sparked a small amount of electricity at the tip.

The light illuminated the ceiling, revealing the identity of the thing above us.

‘…!’

It was only a fleeting moment, but I saw it clearly.

Eyes gleaming green in the light, a well-developed canine jaw, and massive bat wings.

Its size was enormous, far exceeding that of a human.

‘A monster…!’

If my memory was correct, it was undoubtedly a wolf bat.

‘Wolf Bats only appear in the final dungeons...’

This likely meant that this underground labyrinth was among the more dangerous types.

‘…That’s strange. Why isn’t it attacking?’

Even if it had attacked us earlier, it wouldn’t have been surprising, but the wolf bat remained stuck to the wall without showing any movement.

“Screech…”

“…!”

A sudden squeaking sound from the floor startled me.

‘Oh, it’s just a rat. That scared me.’

As I let out a sigh of relief, a massive figure descended from the ceiling and snatched the rat away at lightning speed.

‘!?’

Droplets of dark red blood dripped from above, and the rat’s dying squeals made it clear that it had already been devoured.

‘…It reacts to sound.’

Being a monster with degenerated eyesight, it seemed extremely sensitive to sound.

I hoped it would be satisfied with eating the rat and leave, but with its massive size, that didn’t seem likely.

‘Is Diamond still not done?’

I glanced at her briefly and saw that she would need more time.

Still, as long as we didn’t make any noise, we shouldn’t be detected…

At that moment, the wolf bat on the ceiling let out a strange cry.

“Awooo—”

The howl, reminiscent of a wolf’s, echoed through the labyrinth, and soon the sound of wings flapping could be heard in the distance.

The flapping grew louder and louder until it filled the entire area around us.

‘It’s calling its pack…!’

Unlike before, the wolf bats were now actively flying around the labyrinth, searching for prey.

‘This is getting dangerous. If we don’t escape soon…’

Just as I was about to approach Diamond, she shouted.

“Amber, I’ve found the mana trace!”

“...!”

As Diamond’s voice echoed through the labyrinth, the flapping sounds immediately ceased.

‘We’re doomed…!’

I rushed to Diamond and said urgently.

“We need to leave now, Diamond!”

“Huh? Why?”

“There’s no time to explain. Just hurry!”

“Alright, I’ll start right away.”

Nodding at my words, Diamond placed the relic on the ground and began chanting.

“Spirit Summon, Undine.”

As Diamond summoned Undine, the water and ice spirit, the area around us lit up brightly.

The light revealed countless creatures surrounding us in vivid detail.

-Awooo. Screech.

The unsettling howls, a mix of wolf and bat sounds, came from all around.

We were completely surrounded, caught in a perfect ambush by the wolf bats.

Clinging tightly to Diamond, almost in tears, I heard her call my name.

“Amber.”

“Yes…?”

“Please don’t tell anyone about what you’ve seen here today.”

Her cryptic words left me puzzled, and I tilted my head as I responded.

“What do you mean by tha—”

“Multiple Spirit Summon.”

Suddenly, Diamond extended both hands and began a full-fledged incantation.

“Ifrit, Sylph, Gnome, Raion.”

The elemental spirits of fire, wind, earth, and lightning appeared one after another, gathering in the same space.

Except for Undine, these were spirits Diamond shouldn’t have been able to summon.

‘How is this even possible…?’

Before I could finish my thoughts, Diamond raised the statue with one hand and shouted.

“Spatial Transference. Teleportation!”

A bright light engulfed the cave, and I felt the same dizziness as before, followed by complete darkness.

When I regained my vision, the first thing I saw was a face I knew well.

Black hair that fell just below her shoulders and red eyes shaped like those of a cat.

“….”

Ruby stared at me expressionlessly before suddenly pulling me into a tight embrace.

“Ah, Lady Ruby…?”

She held me like that for a while, resting her face against my shoulder before speaking.

“I thought I’d lost you, Amber.”

Her usual cold and heavy voice was there, but it felt different somehow.

To comfort her, I gently stroked her black hair as I replied.

“It’s alright. I’ve returned.”

Amethyst and Coral, who had been waiting nearby, also sighed in relief when they saw that Diamond and I had returned safely.

Thankfully, we made it back unscathed, and we passed the exam, though just barely.

As for the relic that had been broken in half, I received an earful from President Citrine until my ears felt like they would bleed.

The academy was now investigating the strange events that had occurred.

After the practical exam had ended, I was left alone with Diamond and decided to ask her something.

“Diamond, how did you do that earlier?”

It was impossible for a single person to handle all five elemental magics.

What Diamond had shown today defied everything I thought I knew.

Diamond, who had been silently looking down at the ground, gave me an innocent smile and replied.

“…What do you mean?”

“When you summoned all five spirits earlier, I clearly saw you do it…”

“Huh? That’s impossible for anyone to do.”

She dismissed my question as if she had no memory of it.

“The relic still had traces of the magic scroll’s effects, so I just reactivated it.”

“…That’s odd. I was sure I saw it.”

“Maybe you had a dream during the transfer? Spatial transference magic is quite taxing on one’s mind.”

“Maybe… I must have imagined it.”

“You’re probably just tired. I think I’ll head back and rest too. Let’s talk again later, Amber.”

“Alright. Rest well.”

With that, Diamond turned to leave.

‘…No, that wasn’t a dream.’

I watched her retreating figure closely.

The edges of her sleeve were slightly singed.

I vividly remembered how the flames had flicked against her sleeve when she summoned Ifrit, the fire spirit.

Someone who specializes in water magic like her shouldn’t have burnt sleeves.

‘What are you hiding, Diamond?’

She no longer felt like the Diamond Osteon I thought I knew.