“B-Bo... a treasure hunt?”

    “There’s a treasure hidden in the hideout?”

    “You’re just telling us to find treasure without any explanation...?”

    Murmurs spread through the crowd.

    Maybe it was because of Mira Valentia, the gourmet fixer, and her sudden declaration of a treasure hunt.

    The applicants, who had been somewhat excited to meet a famous fixer, now showed clear signs of confusion.

    Well, in a way, their reaction wasn’t all that strange.

    They had come here to take the exam seriously, only to be told that their first task was a treasure hunt.

    For fixer hopefuls who had paid a hefty exam fee, this must have felt like some absurd joke.

    Most of them had likely spent anywhere from six months to several years preparing for this exam.

    If all their hard work ended up wasted because of something like this, it would be enough to drive them insane.

    But honestly, I couldn’t care less about their reactions—this was great news for me.

    This scenario was exactly the same as the fixer exam episode I had read in the original story.

    ‘There was a New Year’s special in the original, where Alice and David took the fixer exam. I organized my notes on it just in case... but I didn’t expect it to play out exactly like this.’

    Thinking about it, the structure of the fixer exam meant that the examiners were selected nearly six months in advance.

    Even if my presence had caused some butterfly effect, the test itself wouldn’t have changed so easily.

    That meant this was an easy win.

    I already knew the answer, and all I had to do was place within the top 100.

    As long as lightning didn’t suddenly strike me out of nowhere, there was no way I could fail.

    Please, let the second and third tasks follow the original story, too!

    If that happened, my plan to put Raven in his place would go off without a hitch!

    As my brain spun wildly in excitement at the perfect scenario unfolding before me, Mira lightly tapped her wristwatch with her fingers and spoke in a casual tone.

    “The first task starts now. It will end once 100 people have cleared it or when three hours have passed—by noon. I’ve sent the details of the task to your watches, so be sure to check them. Now then, everyone, best of luck.”

    “Kuh... W-Wait, seriously...?”

    “Damn it! I have to go first!”

    “M-Me too! There’s no time to waste!”

    Before she could respond, the applicants, who had been hesitating and glancing around anxiously, scattered in all directions in search of the treasure.

    It was common knowledge that the fixer exam tasks were entirely up to the examiner’s discretion.

    With Mira as the examiner, there was no choice but to follow her orders.

    Fortunately, the exam site was a vast, empty field.

    With only a few hundred people gathered here, there wouldn’t be any major obstacles to movement.

    As if racing against one another, the applicants rushed out of the clearing without even checking the task details.

    Unlike the others, Alice took a moment to examine the assignment and tilted her head in confusion.

    “Hmm... Something feels off about this.”

    “What exactly seems strange?”

    “Take a closer look at the task the examiner sent. The rules for disqualification are written in detail, but the information about the treasure itself is vague. At this rate... even if we find something, we won’t know if it’s the real treasure or not.”

    A wristwatch-type terminal displayed a holographic screen when tapped twice.

    Checking the transmitted task details, I saw that the disqualification rules were indeed quite specific.

    For example, intentionally causing another applicant’s death would result in disqualification and criminal charges.

    Receiving outside assistance or using unauthorized communication devices was also grounds for disqualification.

    Tampering with or removing the watch, which tracked each applicant’s location and actions, was an instant disqualification.

    But when it came to the actual first task—finding the treasure—it only said that it was hidden somewhere in the hideout.

    There were no hints about its form or value, making it impossible to determine what counted as the real treasure.

    At this rate, running around blindly wouldn’t bring us any closer to success.

    “You’re right... We need to think this through. The definition of ‘treasure’ varies from person to person—what’s priceless to one might be a worthless antique to another. Maybe figuring out what the treasure actually is is part of the task.”

    “Ugh... So even if I find a rare diamond in the hideout, I could still fail if the examiner says it’s not the treasure? That’s tough...”

    Alice and David exchanged thoughts, growing more troubled as they considered the possibilities.

    Then, as if realizing something, Alice scratched her head with an awkward smile and asked,

    “Oh, now that I think about it, I didn’t even notice because it felt so natural, but... are we really working together on this? From what I remember, the fixer exam is more of an individual competition...”

    “Well, the first task doesn’t have any rules against cooperation between applicants. At least for now, working together shouldn’t be a problem.”

    “Hmm... That’s true. And since there’s only one treasure, even if we team up, there’s no guarantee we’ll all pass. So, cooperating for now sounds like a good idea! Looks like other people are grouping up with their acquaintances, too.”

    Hehe, Yuria! I’ll make sure you pass the first task no matter what!

    Alice grinned brightly and struck an enthusiastic fighting pose while keeping me close at her side.

    Honestly, I didn’t really need the help, but I appreciated the sentiment.

    Since speed was key in this task, I might as well lend a hand, too.

    “....”

    “Huh? Yuria, what’s wrong?”

    “...!”

    “Eh? You want us to follow you?”

    After asking Alice to let me go, I freed myself from her grip.

    Then, taking her by the arm, I leisurely led her out of the clearing.

    Since Mira had plopped down at the starting point, saying she’d wait here until someone found the treasure and returned, the outer edges of the clearing had turned into pure chaos, with applicants engaging in all sorts of bizarre antics.

    “Dig! Dig! Dig! Dig!”

    “Is it this? Is it this? Is it this? Is it this?”

    “The greatest treasure in this world is the sun! That means the correct answer is taking nothing at all! Hey, are you all listening to me?!”

    There were applicants mindlessly digging into the ground, applicants biting anything they could get their hands on, and even applicants acting like cult leaders, grabbing passersby to preach their bizarre theories.

    The sheer uncertainty of what constituted a "treasure" had thrown the entire exam site into utter disarray.

    The only saving grace was that harming other applicants was a penalty-worthy offense.

    As a result, instead of outright violence, everyone was just throwing themselves into their own desperate attempts.

    Of course, in some dark corners of the hideout, people were probably being knocked out with tranquilizer needles...

    Or locked up somewhere so they couldn''t leave, without being physically struck...

    Or even tricked into removing their watches to eliminate them from the competition.

    The exam proctors probably wouldn’t bother interfering in such "minor" incidents.

    After all, just by choosing to take the fixer exam, applicants were expected to endure sabotage like this.

    ‘Yeah, it’s best to speedrun this before any troublemakers get in my way.’

    I turned back to look at Alice, who was still holding my hand, then stopped in my tracks and scanned my surroundings.

    The moment I spotted what I was looking for, I pointed toward it and gestured for Alice to take a look.

    “Huh? What is it? ...Wait, is that a squirrel?”

    “Hmm, judging by its three-parted tail, it must be a creature from another world. I can’t search for its exact classification, but that’s my best guess.”

    “Oh, that’s a Thunder Squirrel. Its tail is shaped in a special way—if it shakes it vigorously, it makes a sound like thunder. I’ve heard rumors that it tastes good, but I’ve never actually tried it myself.”

    “I see... Hm?”

    Alice, nodding in curiosity, suddenly widened her eyes and turned her head.

    I followed her gaze, and there stood a striking woman.

    She had golden blonde ringlet curls that spun elegantly, reminiscent of a Renaissance noblewoman.

    Her dress was extravagant, something more suited for a grand noble’s banquet than this setting, making her stand out even more.

    I hadn’t expected her to appear at this moment.

    Suppressing a chuckle, I watched as this familiar character from the original story made her entrance.

    But to Alice and David, she was probably just another mysterious competitor.

    The two eyed her warily, their expressions cautious as they carefully questioned her.

    “Who are you?”

    “Me? Ah, just call me Lisa. I happen to know quite a few things. Your conversation sounded interesting, so I couldn’t help but join in.”

    “...Oh, I see.”

    The woman who introduced herself as Lisa lifted her skirt slightly in a graceful, noble-like curtsy.

    Perhaps it was her overwhelming presence and unique mannerisms, but Alice looked unsure of how to respond, giving an awkward smile.

    Then, as if shielding me, she subtly stepped in front of me before addressing Lisa in an extremely polite tone.

    “Thank you for the information. But we’re competitors. I’d appreciate it if you kept your distance.”

    “Oh my, how disappointing. You both have such remarkable spirit—I was hoping to subtly tag along. But I suppose things don’t always go as planned.”

    “....”

    She was amusing. It wasn’t often you saw someone so openly transparent about their intentions.

    But she wasn’t a bad person, so there was no need to be overly cautious.

    Since I already knew Lisa’s character from the original story, I tugged lightly at Alice’s sleeve, signaling that everything was fine.

    Then, I turned abruptly, reached into my pocket, and pulled out a biscuit, using it to lure the Thunder Squirrel nearby.

    This biscuit was flavored with something Thunder Squirrels loved.

    If it had been raised by humans, it wouldn’t be able to resist.

    “...!”

    “Oh? It went right in?”

    “It’s actually quite cute up close.”

    “Judging by the sheen of its fur, this squirrel must have been raised by humans.”

    Raised by humans?

    Alice, who had been watching the Thunder Squirrel intently, furrowed her brows slightly.

    Then, after scanning the surroundings, her eyes suddenly widened as if she had figured something out.

    “Now that I think about it... doesn’t it seem like there are an unusual number of animals here? Especially creatures from another world...”

    It seemed Alice had already uncovered the secret behind the first task.

    She really was smart—it made me feel proud just watching her.