At first, Miss Aoko thought she had made a mistake.
Everyone—Simon in front of her, and the others chatting and setting up camp—had frozen in place.
It looked like the effect of a 9th-level Time Stop.
But she quickly sensed something different: everything she saw was severely distorted—rocks, people, everything began to twist.
The only possible answer: the helmet had temporarily placed her in a demiplane adjacent to the Material Plane.
Because of dimensional differences, everything else appeared twisted.
There are countless such demiplanes; most are useless. Some have been discovered and utilized by wizards—the creator of this helmet was one of them.
"Ah, a mage from another world!" an old, cheerful male voice called from the side. "It's been a while since I've seen one of those."
Aoko turned to see an old wizard in grey-white robes, leaning on a staff, hair and beard white as snow. He was the only one here who wasn't frozen or distorted.
"How should I address you?" Aoko asked calmly.
"I have many names," the old man stroked his beard. "But my most famous is Elminster."
"Elminster Aumar." He paused, smiling.
"That's quite a big name," Aoko was surprised. "Did you make this helmet? I didn't see any inscriptions…"
"Well," Elminster sat on a rock and thought. "I didn't make the helmet itself, but I did bind the spell to it."
"Are you a thought-form left by Elminster in this demiplane?" Aoko asked. "Every time someone puts on the helmet, you appear to judge whether they're worthy?"
"That's pretty much it," he admitted candidly. "But I'm not just a shadow—I'm actually communicating with you remotely through the helmet right now."
"Why? I'm just a normal wizard who came to Faerûn to study magic."
"Hahaha, you're anything but normal!" Elminster laughed, wagging a finger. "It's precisely because you're special that someone asked me to give you a message."
"Someone I know?" Aoko frowned.
"Hmm… you could say you know them." Elminster thought. "But don't worry, there's no malice. Besides, I've been to your homeland…"
"You mean the Typemoon?" Aoko ventured.
"Of course!" Elminster said proudly. "I even started a company there! Haha~"
"You're sure it's the same Earth?" Aoko frowned. "On my Earth, there are no Coastal Wizards…"
"Eh, Earth is Earth, all about the same!" Elminster glossed over it.
"Anyway, that person asked me to give you a message: 'Pass the test, and you'll be acknowledged.'"
"Huh?" Aoko was mystified. "What test? Who's testing? Acknowledged for what?"
"I don't know," Elminster shrugged. "I'm just the messenger. I don't even know your name. By the way, could you tell me?"
"Aozaki Aoko," she replied, a bit speechless. "To have the famous Elminster deliver a message… could it be the goddess of magic herself…?"
Elminster didn't answer, just gave her an approving look.
"It really is?!" Aoko was shocked. "So she wants me to…"
"No, no!" Elminster quickly stopped her. "Best not to say it aloud here, or some ill-intentioned beings will notice."
"But yes, the one who asked me to give you the message is the goddess of magic herself," Elminster said, smiling like a kindly grandfather. "Though who knows her true intentions, based on my experience, it's definitely not a bad thing. Just go with the flow and stick to your plan."
"…Is there any hint about the reward afterward?" Aoko asked.
"That's hard to say," Elminster said cheerfully. "Could be rare magical knowledge or ancient relics—anything's possible!"
"…Then I won't ask for now." Aoko thought for a bit. "Can I use this helmet?"
"About that, I have a small personal request," Elminster said apologetically.
"Go ahead," Aoko replied calmly.
"I want my descendant, Simon Aumar, to attune to this helmet," Elminster said. "Simon is a good kid, but his problem is a lack of confidence. I hope this trial will help him grow."
"Even if he might die in the upcoming mission?" Aoko countered.
"But you'll be there, right?" Elminster winked. "With an 8th-circle archmage helping, surely a Red Wizard of Thay won't be a problem?"
"Of course, I'll reward you!" Elminster waved, and a point of light flew from his hand into Aoko's brow.
"This is… the knowledge of Mordenkainen's Disjunction!" Aoko exclaimed. She couldn't cast it now, but she fully understood the 9th-level spell!
"We'll meet again…" Elminster's figure faded, voice growing distant until he vanished.
Understanding Elminster's intention, Aoko took off the helmet, returning to the material plane, and saw Simon looking at her curiously.
"How was it?" Simon asked. "Did you manage to attune? I saw the gem flash for a second—was it…?"
"I saw your ancestor, Simon," Aoko said softly. "He said attuning to the helmet is a trial he left for you."