TDFOC 07

Chapter 07

Of course.

To a working adult soul suffering from chronic fatigue and sleep debt, being told that she had to pass through a maze just to get some proper sleep.

What a cute way to end one’s life.

Daisy gripped the poker tightly.

Once she got through this maze and found the dormitory, she would find that winged sparkle and definitely kill him—no, she would hit him at least once.

It was a good thing her body was that of a teenager.

Even though the day was already over, she still had enough stamina to swing a poker around.

But when she thought about having to go through all this nonsense and then attend her first class tomorrow morning, her mind rapidly aged.

“…….”

Dear God.

Daisy looked up at the damp stone ceiling and prayed.

‘Can’t you just cancel my possession or something? Hogwarts and all that crap aside.’

I’d rather work overtime.

At least then I know where my bed is……

I just can’t lie down……

Of course, there was no answer, and Daisy, unable to contain her rising anger, pressed a hand against her forehead.

It was burning hot.

If she got any more pissed off, she felt like steam might start coming out of her ears.

“How can an academy be this depressing……”

The original Daisy, who had been assigned to the Hall of Crows, had slept peacefully in her dormitory on the very first night of the academy.

Even though hellish exploitation and bullying had started the very next day!

Even though there was someone who gaslighted her into believing all of it was love and friendship!

Even though the protagonist’s endless stupidity of never saying no had been enough to give readers indigestion!

At least she had slept! Properly!

But just because she had avoided that soul-crushing misery, she wasn’t even being given a bedroom.

Crazy bears.

There really were people here worse than the psycho crows.

“…….”

Daisy reminded herself of her goal once more.

<Live quietly and normally, without standing out or living with anyone else.>

No, this goal was far too unrealistic.

It needed some revision.

<Live quietly and normally, without standing out, while getting at least seven hours of sleep a day and living alone (new!)>

Yes, this was what a happy life should look like.

After reaffirming her revised goal, Daisy quickly came to a conclusion.

“First… we leave.”

The sooner she left, the sooner she could lie down.

What if she got lost and died on the way?

Then she could sleep forever.

Thinking that way made her feel more at ease.

Daisy raised her head with a peaceful expression, only to nearly bite her tongue.

“…….”

“…….”

All the new students were staring directly at her.

What? Why is everyone looking at me?

‘D-don’t panic.’

Daisy was panicking badly as she thought.

What was going on? Hadn’t she been pretty normal?

She had only picked up a poker.

‘Getting some weapons before entering a place like that is the most basic thing in the world…….’

Daisy did not know.

A normal noble young lady did not go weapon farming.

That was when it happened.

Grab.

Someone suddenly caught Daisy by the hand.

Startled, Daisy turned her head and saw a small boy with fluffy brown curly hair, his hair resembling a puppy’s fur.

He had a rather cute face, with large, well-defined features on his small head.

The brown puppy met Daisy’s eyes and grinned.

Cute.

No, that wasn’t the point.

“Name.”

“Milo Everett!”

The name sounded familiar, but he wasn’t one of the people around Daisy.

At least he wasn’t a villain.

“Reason for grabbing me.”

“Let’s go together.”

“Rejected.”

No matter what might be lurking inside this maze, Daisy absolutely hated group projects.

She walked away without hesitation.

Scrape.

Milo Everett, who still hadn’t let go of Daisy’s hand, was dragged along behind her.

“Let go.”

“No.”

“If you don’t let go, I’ll crack your head open.”

“I really like you.”

Is this guy crazy?

“I’ve been looking for talent like you.”

“What do you mean by talent?”

“The maze vanguard!”

“You’re making ‘I’m going to use you as a human shield’ sound cute.”

“Am I cute?”

A little.

“I’m going to be part of the vanguard too. Let’s go in together! Okay?”

“…….”

He asked so cutely that Daisy was tempted for a moment.

But she still absolutely hated group projects.

Because there was always a pushover in group projects, and in this novel, that pushover would almost certainly be Daisy.

“Let go.”

“Let’s go togetherrr.”

“Don’t act cute.”

“I really am cute, huh?”

“…….”

“Come on, let’s go.”

“I’m going alone.”

The new students watched the scene with great interest.

“Together!”

The unstoppable spear……

“Alone.”

The impenetrable shield……

The grueling battle was ended by neither spear nor shield.

<ZZZT!>

A sharp burst of static rang through the hall.

“AAAH!”

“W-what?!”

The children screamed in fright.

<Ahh, my adorable little bear cubs!>

The winged sparkle’s voice boomed from somewhere.

<I forgot to tell you something.>

Gulp.

Someone swallowed nervously.

An ominous feeling brushed past their necks.

<The dormitory hall will collapse after ten minutes.>

After ten minutes… what?

<And the remaining time is five……>

Five minutes?

<Four, three, two……>

“Crazy!”

“W-what do we do……?!”

<One! Good luck!>

The broadcast cut off with an infuriatingly cheerful voice.

And then……

“…….”

“…….”

RUMBLE!

“FUCK!”

The dormitory hall began collapsing from the edges.

“AAAH! Run!”

“W-where?!”

“Get out of the way, you idiots! Can’t you see the entrance?!”

“WAAAAH! W-what do we do?!”

It was pure chaos.

Amid the screams, cries, and curses filling the dormitory hall, Daisy instinctively grabbed the puppy’s hand and ran with him.

Unfortunately, they had been near the fireplace, so the maze entrance was quite far away.

On top of that—

“D-don’t push me!”

“Get in! Hurry!”

“It’s collapsing!”

“M-Mom!”

The narrow entrance was jammed because all the new students were trying to enter at once.

CRASH!

The sound of the floor collapsing came from behind them.

The supposedly solid ground beneath their feet rippled like waves.

One wrong move, and they would fall into the pitch-black abyss below.

Daisy increased her speed.

Her light teenage body was faster than she had expected.

She could even feel the puppy’s hand gradually slipping from hers because he couldn’t keep up.

It didn’t matter, Daisy thought.

To survive in this insane, depressing novel, she had to think only of herself.

She shouldn’t care if someone fell behind……

“Huff, huff.”

Then Daisy suddenly glanced at the boy running beside her, gasping for breath.

And she muttered a short curse.

“Damn it.”

He really was just a child.

Too young to die in a place like this.

Three steps.

The collapsing floor had now caught up to within just three steps behind them.

“Puppy!”

“Huff… m-me?”

“Can you jump?”

At Daisy’s question, Milo nodded.

“Huff, y-yeah!”

Two steps.

The bottleneck at the entrance was clearing faster than expected.

The entrance was narrow, but it seemed the inside was spacious.

“Jump when I count to three.”

“B-but……”

“One!”

Daisy saw the last new student finally step into the maze.

A black gap appeared through the narrow entrance.

It looked wide enough for one person to pass through.

“Two!”

One step.

The moment Daisy stepped onto the swaying stone floor, her body suddenly dropped.

“Three!”

Daisy let go of the poker and threw the puppy with both hands as hard as she could.

“WHOA!”

She saw the puppy land flat on his stomach inside the black maze entrance.

Relieved, Daisy took her final step.

And then the ground beneath her collapsed.

“Daisy!”

The puppy’s desperate scream reached her faintly.

‘Damn it!’

With the sudden sensation of falling, Daisy’s body began plummeting rapidly.

‘I knew this would happen!’

But perhaps it was for the best.

It was better than watching such a young child fall right before her eyes.

A glimmering light flashed rapidly past her eyes.

When the sensation of falling endlessly became so terrifying that she squeezed her eyes shut—

Grab.

A large hand seized hers with tremendous strength.

#7

“……Haa, oh man, I thought I was going to die.”

Daisy lay sprawled on top of something, panting heavily.

Everything before her was dark.

Had she died after all?

Someone had grabbed her hand.

But she had been falling so quickly that pulling her back up would have been difficult.

Surely that person hadn’t fallen with her.

“What a crazy academy.”

Daisy ground her teeth.

How could they kill a student just because she entered the maze a little late?

If she hadn’t died, she would have reported them to the education office immediately.

It was a shame she hadn’t been able to throw the winged sparkle in jail.

Wait, no.

Even if the Count of Sableheart didn’t care much about his children, surely he would report this, wouldn’t he?

Daisy imagined the winged sparkle being handcuffed and thrown into a jail cell.

She felt a little better.

Without thinking, Daisy reached out and felt whatever she was lying on.

Probably a bed.

When she inhaled, she smelled something fresh yet heavy, like a forest after rain.

‘Wow, this is nice…….’

Sleepiness washed over her.

It was strange that she could still feel sleepy even after dying.

By the way, who had grabbed her hand at the end?

Judging by how large the hand had been, it couldn’t have been the puppy……

As her consciousness sank once more, she felt the texture of the bed beneath her.

The bed in heaven must be firm, warm, and cozy……

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her heart was beating rapidly.

Wait, heart?

“If you’re awake, could you get off me?”

The bed spoke in a low voice.

Jerk!

Startled, Daisy shot upright.

As her vision gradually cleared, she looked down at the place where she had placed her hand.

So this wasn’t a bed……

Daisy stared blankly at her hand resting on a broad, solid chest before raising her head.

The eyes looking up at her were gray.

Gray……

“……Felix Arderon?”

As she watched the jaw muscles of the boy with the icy expression tense, Daisy paused to think.

Was it… too late to faint?