Chapter XXX

Summary

• The protagonist of the story is settling into his education at an academy, in a class known as Class Six. He finds the coursework easy, and the physical tasks with which they're challenged are no trouble for him.
• The instructor of Class Six, Dultatis, is immediately icy towards the protagonist and constantly disregards his answers in class, fostering a hostile environment for the protagonist which the rest of the class picks up on, isolating him further.
• The protagonist finds relief from his harsh treatment in his budding friendship with a classmate named Callidus, and occasionally receives aid from Emissa while fulfilling his duty of cleaning the stables. Despite this, the protagonist still feels stuck and frustrated.
• A major challenge is unveiled: the students must run a maze, known as the Labyrinth, which tests their physical abilities and memory skills. Furthermore, the students are divided into groups of runners and hunters, with the hunters' goal being to corner the runners within the maze.
• The protagonist is surprised to find himself selected to run the Labyrinth early on by Dultatis, and is further disheartened by being ranked the lowest in the class. Despite the poor odds given by the other students, the protagonist manages to make it two-thirds of the way through the Labyrinth before being trapped by two hunters, thus failing the task.