The Old Man Tells You The Strategy

Chapter 14

Killian, having easily obtained the ‘Paragon’s Camouflage,’ had just as easily made his way out of the labyrinth.

He owed much of his success to Jun-hyuk’s guidance, all of this taking place in less than half a day.

“Killian Pablo, congratulations on passing the first test.”

What had taken others ten days, Killian had completed in half a day.

The test proctor offering him a handshake wore an expression of mixed emotions.

This man was the very same person who had earlier asked if Killian was insane, and he was also the only one who knew Killian had passed the trial in just a single day.

“This is the room assigned to you.”

The condition of the room assigned to Killian was dreadful. It was cramped to the point that even with just a bed and a table inside, it felt full.

Creak… Creak-Creak—

The window frames creaked ominously in the wind, giving the room a dreary atmosphere.

It looked more like a storage room than a place for someone to sleep.

The reason Killian had been assigned such a poor room was simple: everything in the bloodline ritual was allocated according to rank and results.

Since Killian had spent the full ten days lying around inside the labyrinth, he was ranked dead last.

Despite clearing the labyrinth quickly, the official result was that it had taken him ten full days, so he received the worst room.

“There will be a banquet tomorrow evening at 6 PM for those who passed the first trial. You are required to attend.”

The knight delivered this information in a flat tone before taking his leave.

“A banquet, huh…”

Killian muttered as he pondered the idea, then stretched out on the bed with a long yawn.

Creak…

The bed groaned under the weight of a fifteen-year-old boy, barely able to support him.

“This is life…”

Killian enjoyed the comfort of the bed, reuniting with it after ten long days. But his brief moment of relaxation was cut short by Jun-hyuk’s voice.

「Hey, don’t let your guard down too much. Bastian will definitely be keeping an eye on you now.」

“…Bastian? Why that old man?”

「Because he knows you took down an orc and cleared the labyrinth in half a day, that’s why.」

Bolt upright!

Killian shot up in bed, startled.

“What? How does he know that?”

「He’s the head examiner overseeing the bloodline ritual. Of course he’d know what happens during the test.」

Killian couldn’t argue with that logic, and he found himself nodding unconsciously.

「He’ll be paying quite a bit of attention to you now. He has a keen eye for talent, and it wouldn’t hurt to get on his good side.」

“…”

Rather than feeling relieved, Killian felt burdened by the idea of someone taking an interest in him.

“Sigh… Why do annoying things keep happening to me? What did I ever do to deserve this?”

To Killian, someone’s attention was just another form of inconvenience.

The knight at his estate, the armored men at the manor, and even Stubborn had all been the same.

「You’re probably the only person who’d think of Bastian’s interest as a hassle.」

“I never asked for his attention…”

Thud—!

With a defeated sigh, Killian flopped back onto the bed. He began to think of ways to avoid drawing any more attention, but soon enough…

Zzzz…

He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his breathing steady and calm.

「Unbelievable…」

Jun-hyuk sighed in exasperation. How could someone sleep so easily after spending days sleeping in a labyrinth? He was caught between amazement and disbelief.

—

The next evening at 6 PM, the banquet began in the grand hall of the ‘Temple of Bloodline.’

Lavish dishes that made one’s mouth water were spread across a massive table, and hundreds of participants who had passed the first trial gathered, filling the hall.

What made the scene even more noteworthy was that many of them were all fixated on a single boy.

– That’s the guy, right? The one who spent all ten days in the labyrinth?

– Come to think of it, wasn’t he the last one to show up at the start of the trial?

They cast resentful glances toward the boy.

Killian had held up the schedule for ten days by not escaping the labyrinth sooner, delaying the start of the second trial for everyone else.

Since no one could move on to the next test until all the participants finished the first, the entire schedule had been pushed back because of him.

But the object of their resentment, Killian, was oblivious. He was too busy savoring the steaming steak in front of him.

‘Ahh… I feel alive again.’

After practically starving for ten days, this meal was heavenly.

「Everyone’s whispering about you, yet you’re just sitting there eating.」

‘Who cares? They’ll lose interest soon enough.’

The resentment was temporary, merely a reaction to the delayed schedule. In time, it would fade away on its own.

「I don’t know… there might be someone who doesn’t let it go so easily.」

‘What do you mean by that?’

Before Jun-hyuk could answer, heavy footsteps approached Killian.

“…Why are you still here?”

The owner of the footsteps, Merlan Pablo, the third son of Count Pablo, spoke with a voice full of disdain.

“I thought you might have gotten dragged off into the demon realm by now, but it seems your luck has lasted longer than expected.”

Chomp—Chomp—

Killian continued chewing, not even bothering to glance up.

“I don’t even have to guess what you were doing for those ten days—wandering aimlessly and just stumbling upon the exit by sheer luck.”

Chomp—Chomp—

“But how long do you think that luck will last? You should volunteer to—”

Chomp—Chomp—

“…Stop eating and listen to me, you idiot!”

Merlan’s dignified and arrogant demeanor crumbled in an instant.

He wanted to maintain the image of a perfect noble in front of the other bloodline members, but Killian’s complete disregard for him made his temper boil over.

But even this outburst didn’t faze Killian.

Chomp—Chomp—

‘The meat melts in my mouth…’

He was far too absorbed in the taste of the steak to bother with trivial disputes.

“You filthy lowborn…!”

Just as Merlan clenched his fist in fury—

Creeeak…

“Is the food to your liking, everyone?”

The banquet hall doors opened, and Bastian’s voice filled the room.

The whispers and glances aimed at Killian ceased immediately.

“Lucky bastard…”

Merlan let out a frustrated sigh and returned to his seat, while Bastian, now commanding everyone’s attention, raised his voice.

“The reason I have come today is to inform you of the rewards for passing the first trial.”

Swish!

Bastian turned his gaze toward the edge of the hall. His eyes fell on a striking young noble with fiery red hair and a strong, muscular build.

“Prince Liss, would you kindly step forward?”

“Yes, sir.”

Step, step—

As the boy named Liss approached, Bastian gave him a warm smile and pulled out a small orb from within his coat.

Swoooosh—

The orb Bastian held began to emit faint blue particles, giving off an unmistakable aura of significance.

“Congratulations on achieving the top score in the first trial. This mana elixir is your reward for such remarkable talent.”

At this, the other participants widened their eyes in astonishment.

The mana elixir, a rare and potent substance that could drastically improve both the quality and quantity of one’s mana, had suddenly appeared before them.

“Thank you.”

Yet, Liss only bowed his head with a calm expression, as if he had expected this all along.

Once the awarding of the elixir was completed, Bastian shifted his gaze to the rest of the crowd.

“For the rest of you, I cannot offer such a reward… However, I will grant you access to the first floor of the ‘Iron-Blood Library’ for the next three days.”

A buzz of voices filled the hall.

– The Iron-Blood Library? Did I hear that right?

– We’re really allowed in? This can’t be true, can it?

The Iron-Blood Library was legendary within the Pablo household. It housed a treasure trove of rare martial texts that were nearly impossible to obtain, all stored within its three floors.

The very mention of it had the Pablo bloodline members ecstatic, as this library represented centuries of accumulated knowledge.

Ahem!

Bastian cleared his throat, silencing the murmurs.

“However, entry to the library will be based on your results in the first trial.”

He explained that participants would enter the library according to the order they escaped the labyrinth, with ten-minute intervals between each group.

While everyone had the same three-day limit, those who exited the labyrinth later would have less time to explore the library’s offerings.

– …Had I known this, I would’ve stayed up all night to escape faster.

– At this rate, I won’t even get to see much of it…

Disappointed murmurs echoed throughout the banquet hall.

Chomp—Chomp—

Meanwhile, Killian continued chewing, completely absorbed in his meal, mumbling to himself.

‘Couldn’t they just give me more delicious food instead?’

「…What are we going to do with you?」

—

After the banquet ended, the successful participants began entering the library in succession.

With over 400 people passing the first trial, the line to the Iron-Blood Library was never-ending for the entire three days.

As time passed, with only ten minutes remaining before the library closed, the atmosphere in the library became divided.

Flip!

Most of the participants were intensely engrossed in the books, barely blinking as they devoured the knowledge within.

Even though the texts on the first floor were relatively basic, they couldn’t afford to fall behind others.

– I’ve been here for two days, and it’s getting tiresome…

– Well, I’ve read everything worth reading by now.

In contrast, the higher-ranking participants, who had entered the library earlier, were more relaxed.

And then, there was someone whose behavior seemed entirely out of place.

“…Ugh, the smell of old books.”

It was Killian, who had just entered the library. He wandered aimlessly, skimming books and putting them back on the shelves without much interest.

‘This is all too obvious.’

He didn’t need to read more than the first few pages to understand the principles within each text. It was as if the knowledge just clicked in his mind.

‘Should I just leave?’

「There’s not much of value on the first floor, but why not stay for the full ten minutes?」

‘Do I really need to?’

「If you leave early, you’ll stand out. You’re already on Bastian’s radar, so don’t draw any more attention.」

‘Hmm… You’ve got a point.’

The Iron-Blood Library certainly housed valuable books, and Jun-hyuk knew this well.

But he wasn’t pushing Killian because none of the irreplaceable secrets were hidden here on the first floor.

Killian’s rank and time constraints wouldn’t let him fully benefit from the library’s best materials anyway.

But just as Jun-hyuk was thinking that…

“…Huh?”

Killian let out a sound of surprise.

Fwoosh—

A faint light began to glow from his pendant, tracing a line through the air.

The light moved across the library and stopped at a seemingly insignificant bookshelf, one that nobody had paid any attention to.

Despite the strange glow, no one else in the library seemed to notice.

‘What the…?’

Even with everyone’s focus on the books, this was not something that could be easily explained.

‘Am I the only one who can see this?’

As Killian pondered, Jun-hyuk’s voice chimed in.

「Why the sudden surprise? Did you see something strange?」

‘The pendant is glowing. You can’t see it?’

「The pendant… is glowing?」

Jun-hyuk’s voice was filled with confusion. From his perspective, the pendant looked perfectly normal. But Killian wasn’t one to make up such claims for no reason.

‘Considering the pendant was left for Killian, could it be guiding him somehow…?’

Jun-hyuk started to consider the possibility of some hidden guidance in place for Killian.

「You said the pendant drew a line? Where does it lead?」

Even Jun-hyuk didn’t know about any hidden mechanism in the pendant.

He had no idea what kind of reward might be waiting for Killian, but with less than ten minutes remaining, he couldn’t afford to ignore this.

「Go check it out, quickly!」

With Jun-hyuk urging him on, Killian walked toward the bookshelf the light had pointed to.

Step, step, step—

He reached the shelf in under a minute.

Szzzzt—

The glowing line from the pendant climbed the bookshelf and stopped at an old, worn-out book.

Fwoosh…

The light faded, and the pendant returned to its normal state.

‘Is it telling me to read this?’

Without hesitation, Killian grabbed the book from the shelf. It had a leather cover that was frayed from age, and the title read:

[The Art of Victory – Strategies for Escape]

It was a title that no one from the Pablo family would have ever bothered with. After all, the concept of turning one’s back on the enemy was an unthinkable act for anyone with the Pablo bloodline.

「…Huh?」

Jun-hyuk was instantly deflated upon seeing the book.

He had entered the Iron-Blood Library countless times, and this particular book had never left a strong impression on him.

Contrary to its title, it didn’t contain any clever strategies for escape—it was mostly just vague, useless fluff.

「The pendant led you to this book?」

Flip-flip-flip—

Ignoring Jun-hyuk’s grumbling, Killian quickly flipped through the pages, his expression growing puzzled.

“…Hm?”

As he read, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

‘Wait a minute… This feels like it was written by that boring old man.’

「Boring old man?」

‘The one from the Kobold Mines.’

「You mean… the Death King?」