Chapter 121 - Mock Level?!

Faustina slowly backed away from her very reflection. Was her cover blown? How is she going to investigate, at this rate? How can the questions in her mind be answered—just how—

"Lady Feuerlon?"

Faustina blinked, turning to her side. One of the examiners had just approached her.

"Are you alright?"

Faustina blinked, "y-yes?"

Faustina's eyes darted to the mirror. Her glamour was back now; her ash-grey hair and Magierstadt uniform were visible in the mirror.

"You look pale,"

"I-I'm quite alright . . . just . . . nervous," Faustina answered.

The girl smiled at her. "Oh. I see. Uhm, I'm Chastity by the way. I'm the daughter of Viscount Beverly."

Faustina tilted her head. "Nice to meet you," it was quite an odd introduction. Usually, nobles would introduce themselves into a graceful manner. But then again, they were in a dungeon. Manners would not matter. (Or would it?)

"Faustina Feuerlon," Faustine exclaimed as she let out a smile.

Chastity blinked, and then she blushed. "I'm sorry, I—" she then bowed to Faustina.

"No, no, no it's okay," Faustina exclaimed.

It was traditional to have a person of a lower standing bow to a higher ranking noble lower than that of an introductory bow. It was regarded as a sign of respect and the differences in terms or ranks. Hierarchy is regarded in the society like gold. It was a rule to do that; barons, the lowest of the nobles, are the ones who had suffered that rule the most. They were just a step away from being commoners, after all.

Faustina was now a member of the dukedom's household. She was a 'Feuerlon' and everybody seemed to have known this by just looking at her. Sheila was right. One look at her and people would have the idea of who she was.

She doesn't understand the mechanism of how it worked, but it was bizarre to have everyone around her deceived. Faustina felt guilty, but she coerced herself into believing she was doing this for the greater good—and that greater good is to serve both her personal interests and the king's orders.

No. She was doing this to catch Jonathan, the forsaken warlock. She was doing this to retrieve her master's body.

"Lady Faustina?"

Faustina snapped back to reality.

"U-uhm, what was that?"

"I—I was asking if you're mad at me? I-I introduced myself so rudely!"

"No, no, I'm not mad!" Faustina exclaimed. "It's alright—"

"Uhm, so I was thinking if you want to come over to our manor sometime? You know, my father wants to propose some trading plans with the duke, but he won't even meet him—"

"You ladies over there!" Says one of the examinees, "we're moving forward! Don't be left behind!"

"O-oh, we're coming!"

**

As it turns out, they found a way to get out of the house of mirrors by chanting a spell. The group was led by Anakin and the girl named Claire as they shattered the mirrors. Faustina and the others were asked to put on a barrier so that they wouldn't be harmed by the glass shards.

Chastity Beverly was still talking to Faustina regarding the ports in Feuer. She was (as clear as day) trying to negotiate with Faustina because the Duke obviously didn't take an interest in Viscount Beverly's plans.

Faustina was aware of why though. The tradings in the port were flourishing and the proposal was simply ridiculous. The Beverly House would earn all of the revenue whilst the Feuerlon won't even earn much considering they wanted to manage the business and only give 10% to the Feuerlons whilst having the fishing rights to the port freely.

"Ugh, she has no shame," says one of the examinees, whispering to themselves. "She's trying to leech off the youngest Feuerlon daughter."

"How shameless. We're partaking the exam and she's already trying to propose some plans regarding the rejected port idea?"

"Hehe. Could you all blame her? She was born to have no manners. I heard their family is close to revoking the Viscount title!"

"What? I heard they have revoked the title and became Barons?"

"Heeh, that explains why she's shameless now. Her breeding has quite gone awry. She's practically begging to be saved by now,"

In every possible way, nobles would like to tear each other down—well, most of the time, anyway. But sometimes they would combine forces just to ridicule that of lower standing just to boost their ego.

Lovellia Moscow, Faustina's past etiquette teacher, already warned her about these kind of people. Faustina had seen an example of them—Lilliane Disfiegro.

And now these people.

"This is odd," says Claire. "In fact . . . too easy."

The murmuring stopped as all attention shifted to Claire. They had now reached into another path. The chambers weren't upside-down anymore.

"Are we outside?"

They were back into the castle walls, but this time there was a different ambiance. They were in another room—

{Welcome to the Great Hall} says a voice. {Now rest assured, because you have just defeated the enemy of the first level of the dungeon.}

"Who's that?"

"I don't know, but it's like the voice of a child?"

{Hehe. That's right. But don't let yourselves be tricked. I am one of the professors in Magierstadt.} says the voice. {Call me the moderator Yusha!}

"Moderator Yusha . . . you mean you're Yushalem Olvorg? The professor that specializes in magical Beast Taming?" Claire exclaimed.

{Ehe, you'll meet me soon! But now I'm not what you will call Yushalem! Just Moderator Yusha~} she faked a cough. {Anyway this is the Great Hall which will be one of the stops in the dungeon. Here, you could plan a strategy as I will tell you the next steps you will take!}

"So, the instruction-giving isn't completed yet?"

"Well it was too easy and vague, so I guess it isn't. . ."

{Ms. Yoan only said the basics so you all would not be overwhelmed! But there will be instructions per level of the dungeon~} she says. {The dark castle has 5 levels. Oh, and I'm sorry to tell you this. 'The Mirror of Truth' is a mock level!}

"Mock level?!"

"You gotta be kidding me . . ."

"Well, it was too easy," says Claire. "So I figured Magierstadt works better than that."

{Oho! Yes. Magierstadt is better than that!} Yusha exclaimed. {Which is why you will all just advance to the first level now with the instruction I will give you!}

New instructions? Everything was now confusing. If the rules were now like this, doesn't it invalidate the first instructions given by Professor Yoan?

{Well it'll be a bit confusing but Yoan's instructions can still be applied. Do not use the mock battle for the basis. That is a test of courage!}

"Test of courage my ass," Anakin mumbled.

{You can still be able to skip the battles if you're good enough and advance to the next level.} Yoan said. {And now for the instructions of the REAL first level . . .}

Faustina waited apprehensively as she listened.

{A hundred artificially-created cyclops you have seen in the mock battle will be your enemies in the first dungeon level.} says Yusha, which spurred murmurs as the tension began to rise.

{BUT as you all know, they are nothing but enemies. Your goal is to advance to the next floor.} she says. {A hundred of cyclops will attack from every possible direction . . . which is why I will provide each of you a map of the first level floor!}

Faustina blinked as a small magical circle appeared in front of her. She looked around and noticed every student got the same thing.

{Now click on the magical hex!}

Appearing before Faustina as her fingertips touched the circle was a hologram of what seemed like a map.

{That is the first floor of the dungeon! And see those red dots coming in the hoard? That will be the cyclops. You will all be situated in the entrance and in the middle of the paths, the cyclops will appear. And by the end of the floor,} says Yusha. {will be four doors that could lead to different chambers. One of them would be where the next level would be, two will be traps to a cyclops' den, and the other would lead to one of the undead royals.}

"Th-then it's a game of chance . . . ?"

{It will be a game of strategy and luck.} Yusha chuckled. {I pray you will not underestimate Magierstadt again . . . after all, we will not pick the weak anymore.}