When we arrived in the third room, the setup was a bit different. For one thing... there were two exit doors.
"There are two doors."
"Kai-chan, Kai-chan, does this mean one of them is a dud?"
"No, it's probably more like a branching path than a dead-end maze. I think the difficulty probably changes based on which way you go."
If you're designing an amusement park for both children and adults, the biggest hurdle for puzzle-solving attractions is the difference in individual skill. If you tailor it to children or those who aren't good at puzzles, it won't satisfy adults or puzzle enthusiasts. On the other hand, if you crank up the difficulty, many people won't be able to clear it at all.
I figured this was a way to let guests adjust the challenge to their liking. With that in mind, I looked at the prompts written on each door. One was the same as the initial missing-piece puzzle, but with the number of pieces to find increased to four. The other door featured a puzzle where you had to slide panels to solve it.
"...I'm guessing the sliding puzzle is the higher-difficulty route."
『Based on the challenges so far, I felt things were a bit too simple, so perhaps the high-difficulty one would be best?』
"You're right. It definitely needs a bit more bite... I expect there are several of these branches so guests can challenge themselves at a level that suits them."
"I see. So if the current difficulty feels lacking, you can choose a harder path, and if you're struggling, you can opt for an easier one as you go. It is a very well-conceived attraction."
Just as Lilliwood-san said, the challenges up to this point had honestly felt too easy, so the high-difficulty route seemed like the right choice.
Cornelia-san sounded impressed by the system that allowed us to self-select our difficulty, and we decided to proceed through the harder door.
One member of our group was being particularly lazy, muttering, "No, wouldn't the easy one be faster to finish...?" but the decision was made by majority vote.
The next room was a large circular space with only one exit. This time, instead of pictures, there were numbered, window-like objects on the walls.
I wasn't quite sure what to do, but as soon as I stepped into the center of the room, various animal sounds erupted from the surrounding windows all at once. Then, glowing text materialized in the air.
『Press the number of the window where you heard the dog bark. *If you missed it, the sound will repeat in two minutes.』
Oh, the difficulty had definitely spiked. Distinguishing a specific sound among many coming from all directions was no easy feat. I had a vague sense that it had come from somewhere on my right, but I wasn't confident enough to name a specific number.
Still, since we could hear it again if we waited two minutes, we'd be able to clear it eventually as long as we took our time.
"Cornelia-san, did you catch that?"
"I believe it was somewhere between numbers four and seven, but I apologize, I cannot say for certain..."
"I'm about the same. All I know is that it came from that general direction."
Cornelia-san was in the same boat as me. She knew it had come from one of the windows to our right, but she couldn't pinpoint which one.
"It was six."
『It was number six, wasn't it?』
This was where the difference in raw specs really showed. Fate-san and Lilliwood-san had apparently identified it on the first try without any trouble, answering effortlessly.
Since Cornelia-san and I agreed on the general range of four to seven, we moved to the door and I pressed the number six. The door opened, allowing us to proceed to the next room.
And in that room... there were three doors this time.
"...Three? Oh? The routes seem to branch even more specifically than I expected."
"Does this also depend on difficulty? With three, perhaps it is 'Lower,' 'Stay the same,' and 'Higher'?"
We discussed the possibilities while checking the tasks for each door. One was a 3D puzzle placed in front of the door, and another was a fairly difficult-looking ring puzzle.
The 3D puzzle seemed to be at our current difficulty level or perhaps slightly lower, while the rings were clearly a harder option. However, the third door was the most unique of all.
『Complete the magic circle on the door.』
The prompt was simple, and the problem itself was a relatively basic magic circle question—one that even I could understand.
"...It seems they aren't just dividing the paths by difficulty, but also by whether or not the guests can use magic or understand magic theory."
"Does that mean we'll see magic-related challenges ahead if we go that way?"
Hearing Cornelia-san's murmur, I considered the possibility. Presenting a basic magic circle problem seemed less about difficulty and more like a filter to see if we could handle magic. If so, there would likely be tasks ahead that required actual spellcasting.
『Cornelia-san, are you able to use magic?』
"Ah, yes. Noble children generally attend a Magic Academy for a year after they turn ten to learn the craft. Unless they live in the remote borderlands where attending for a year is difficult, most have mastered the basics."
Come to think of it, I remembered that Eris-san could use magic normally, but Marie-san couldn't. Since you have to travel to a city with an academy to learn, I suppose it makes sense that some can't attend due to distance or financial reasons.
『Then, since we can all use magic, it might be interesting to take the path that utilizes it. I am curious to see what kind of challenges they have prepared...』
Magic really is convenient, though. Maybe I should ask Kuro for permission to give Marie-san those beginner magic textbooks she wrote once I'm done reading them.
Serious-senpai: "It's a mystery, isn't it? Being able to use magic is objectively a good thing, and it should be a point of gratitude for Marie... yet why do I feel like seeds of stomach pain have just been sown?"