"I couldn't sleep last night thanks?to you, ......."

Nelson said, looking glum.

?You must have been scared," Almark said comfortingly.

Nelson raised his eyebrows as Almark comforted him.

"What are you talking about, Almark?"

"I am wrong ?"

"I'm not scared! I'm just wondering why . I heard voice, but I didn't scare?of?anybody!'

"Is it so ?"

"I can't sleep because I'm so worried!"

Nelson ate his breakfast as he said this. He seemed to have a good appetite. , Almark thought.

'Eh, then it really was voice.'

Wendy rolls her eyes.

On the way?from dorm to the school building

Almark and Wendy, who happened to be with?her?, were talking about Nelson's case from last night.

"Yeah, according to Nelson. He said he heard someone talking in a whisper in the empty garden."

"You mean that voice was coming from the back of the labyrinth?"

"Apparently so."

So he went deeper into the labyrinth and found himself at the statue of Lord Boruk".

"Yeah,"

Almark nodded.

"Hmmm. ......."

Wendy looked thoughtful.

?It's a strange story. I think I might be interested in it."

She glanced at Almark.

"I think I'll go there tonight."

"What? You told Nelson yesterday that it was dangerous."

" Yeah, I know I said that, but if he is saying he heard voice all the way to statue , that's a different story. I''m curious. Are you not curious , Almark ?"

"Not that i was curious about it , but ......."

Wendy smiles as Almark hesitates

If something dangerous happens, I'd feel safer if I were with a boy who is extremely strong in combat You know, Almark."

Almark tries to argue.

"But if we're talking about ghosts and stuff, I think that's where magic comes in, not swordsmanship . I am not very good at magic."

"You still training right? I am sure that the you will be a great magician as good as anyone else. And if it's magic, it seems that students with a strong sense of curiosity are rather good at it."

Wendy laughed mischievously.

That evening, after dinner.

Almark, Nelson, and Wendy were outside the dormitory on the way leading to the garden.

Morgen?seemed to have made up his mind to never go near the garden at night after hearing Nelson's story, and?Liltei?had disappeared just at the mention of it.

All three of them dressed casually and left the dormitory without anything, since it would be troublesome if someone spotted them if they took their lamps with them.

Almark always thought that being a magician is very convenient at times like this. Wendy made a light flame appear on the index finger of her left hand, and the flame left Wendy's fingertip and began to drift around the three of them.

He thought it was the magic of the light, but it was the magic of the dragon's fire. That's what he' is expected of, Wendy.

"You can use both hands with this, can't you?"

The three of them walked to the garden?under?the light of the dragon fire.

It?was about?this?time yesterday,"

Almark confirms to Nelson.

Nelson nodded and said,

"I left right after dinner. I'm sure of it."

After a short walk, the forest turned into a man-made plantation, and the footing changed from dirt to cobblestone. They entered the garden.

Almark had rarely been in the garden at night, so he was expecting it to be dark like the forest he and Liltie had entered the other day, but the garden was surprisingly bright.

Unlike the forest, the moonlight reached the ground properly, and above all, the lamps set up in various places were a major factor. Inside the metal lamps, magic lights twinkled and illuminated the surroundings.

......"It's bright."

"Right? "

The atmosphere doesn't look like it would be filled with ghosts or monsters at all," Nelson said.

"I don't know. ...... It's certainly bright for night, though."

Wendy's expression was stiff.

"The shadows are also darker when the lights are brighter."

Saying this, she made no move to pull back the fire even with so many lamps lit.

Almark was walking alongside Nelson, but he opened a gap and?suggested?Wendy to walk in the middle. Wendy nods yes and honestly steps between them.

"?Labyrinth is over there.""

Nelson pointed to a spot ahead without hesitation.

"Nelson is a boy after all. I'm amazed you made it here on your own."

Wendy said as she walked between them, and Nelson looked pleased with himself and replied, "Well, I guess.

It's not that Nelson doesn't enjoy being praised, but for some reason, Almark is tempted to say something childish like, "I'm not afraid either". It was childish of him, so he didn't say it out loud, but it left an indescribable hazy feeling in his heart.

Soon, a wall-like planting came into sight.

There was a break in the middle of the plantation, which was taller than Almark and the group, through which a single person could pass, and through which they could enter.

"This is the entrance to labyrinth."

"This is the entrance. still no voice was heard ...... today."

Nelson twisted his head. At that moment, all three of them stiffened simultaneously.

They could hear it.

An indistinct little voice.

They couldn't understand what it was saying, but it was definitely a person talking.

"It's coming from inside ......."

Wendy looked at the entrance to the passageway with a stiff expression on her face.

"Yeah,"

Nelson nodded.

" Almark?"

Wendy called to Almark questioningly. Wendy looked suspiciously at Almark, who was looking back at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Almark turned around.

"The wind is picking up."

"What? Is it?"

"Wind?"

Wendy and Nelson asked curiously.

"Yes, it is. Wind. It was not there before."

Almark glanced back once more, then looked at the entrance? of the labyrinth.

"All right, . Let's go."