Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

The three youths lay down on the Systine mansion's lawn and relaxed for the first time in several weeks.

The Labyrinth's Trials had taken over a month to complete, surprisingly enough. It didn't feel like that long when they did it, even during the boring parts. But keeping track of time when it wasn't the same for everyone, like after the maze, and in a place with a constant light hadn't been easy.

When they went through the Trials, they had been on alert all the time. The Academy had taught them to never let down their guard. They listened to that. It was hard to catch any student off guard, especially top students like them.

But they had been on higher alert than usual since they were trying to clear one of the five Labyrinths, and they had no idea what to expect. The Trials weren't the same as the last time the Labyrinth opened, and none of them had any experience with anything similar.

Their nerves had been stretched taut and their senses kept sharp even during Trials that seemed peaceful.

After they finished or were kicked from the Labyrinth for failing, Nessa and Violina couldn't relax since Zach was missing and possibly dead. They had been worried sleepless, and that was just what the worry about Zach's decision to continue with the Labyrinth did. They had also been worried about what would happen to Zach if he succeeded or failed without dying.

What would happen to Zach when he left the Labyrinth and returned to the surface to find nothing but open water?

It was obvious.

Zach got lost in his own shoes. Open water without land anywhere could have Zach drifting for years before finding his way back to shore. Even if he cleared the Labyrinth or survived, they might never know.

It was only now that he had returned that they could relax.

It was the same for Zach.

It was only now that he had his friends that he could stop worrying about getting lost.

"How did you get back to land, by the way, Zach?" Nessa asked after half-mindedly remembering that Violina's uncles returned to the bay without waiting for Zach.

"Oh, I met some pirates who gave me a ride."

"Pirates? For free?"

"They gave me a ride, and I didn't give them a choice."

"They didn't drop you off here, though." Violina could see how Zach managed to convince the pirates to give him a ride. But they would have rather died or jumped ship before coming close to the estate.

"Nope. A day's sprint in…" Zach picked up his head and glanced around. He pointed in a random direction. "...That direction."

"That's the ocean…" Violina pointed out.

"Oh. I guess not that direction then. A day's sprint away, at least."

"How did you get here?" Nessa asked, confused. She was aware of Zach's terrible sense of direction.

"Oh, I found an old man who helped me," Zach said without thinking much about it.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Nessa and Violina frowned. An old man. A day's sprint away. It didn't make sense. Did Zach make the old man run for his life?

Then, they remembered what had happened only minutes before they got word of Zach's arrival. It was more of a hunch and a gut feeling than a moment of genius connecting the dots.

After all, it didn't make logical sense.

What could Zach possibly have to do with that?

"By any chance, Zach, do you know what triggered the pirate alarm?" Violina asked, hoping Zach wouldn't know.

"Yep." Zach gave a slight nod but made no move to explain.

"Well, what was it?" Nessa eagerly asked.

"I…don't think I'm supposed to tell you, but I'm sure it's fine. It was an old relative of Violina's. I'm not sure about the details, but maybe a grandfather or great-uncle or something. He's very strong. Like, very, very strong."

Nessa and Violina propped their heads up and looked at Zach in confusion. What was he on about now?

"Thanks for the introduction, kid. But you're one generation off." Sio smiled at seeing the shocked looks on the youths' faces when they hurriedly turned around or stood up. They hadn't noticed him until he spoke.

He looked at Violina.

"I am this young girl's great-grandfather."

Violina's eyes widened slightly. She saw her dad standing behind the old man in a simple floral shirt, shorts, and sandals with a deferent expression and a swelling on his head like someone had knocked some sense into him.

The odds that the old man was lying were very low.

"Violina greets great-grandfather." Violina curtsied with a formal tone that Zach and Nessa couldn't believe was coming from her mouth.

"Now, now, there's no need for that," Sio said, waving away any formalities. "Come here, let me get a look at you."

Violina listened and took one step toward Sio, still a little cautious.

Sio put both hands on her shoulders and spun her around a full turn. He then picked her up, still only holding her by the shoulders, with such ease that she understood why Zach had called the old man very very strong.

"Uhum. Indeed. This is what a descendant of mine should be like." Sio threw a glance at the Duke of Systine. "Much better than that snooty grandson of mine. Tsk, tsk, tsk." He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

Sio turned back to Violina with sparkling eyes and an excited smile.

"There's a while before the Academy starts again, right?"

Violina nodded.

"Perfect! Let's make up for some lost time with good old-fashioned great-grandfather and great-granddaughter bonding. To the training grounds!" Sio picked up Violina and carried her under his arm like a sack of potatoes as he pointed at the training grounds before heading off.

But he only took a few steps before turning around and looking at Zach and Nessa.

"What are you waiting for? If you want to have any chance at courting my great-granddaughter, you will have to work very hard."

"I'm not courting your great-granddaughter."

"..."

Everyone turned to look at Nessa. Now, why had

she

answered like that?