After that encounter with the Al-miraj, we didn't encounter any monsters at all along the way—not a single one in hours of walking.
Perhaps it was because we'd taken a relatively open, safe route through less dense parts of the forest. But even so, I hadn't sensed any presences whatsoever—no rustling in bushes, no distant growls, nothing.
Had the guards exterminated everything? Swept the path clean before we could even register threats?
I'd specifically asked them to leave at least some small fry monsters, in keeping with the trial's intended purpose. Learning to face danger, building courage—those lessons required actual encounters.
Well, I suppose I should consider it fortunate that we didn't need to waste stamina or mental energy unnecessarily. Every moment of peace was a moment death wasn't claiming me.
My motivation remained singular: survive. Each uneventful step was a victory.
And so, progressing without obstacles, we reached our destination: the Sacred Rock that was the trial's objective.
In the gloomy forest, we suddenly emerged into an unnaturally open clearing. And there, dominating the entire field of vision, stood a massive monolithic stone—easily the size of a small building.
"...This is the Sacred Rock?"
Erica's voice was small, awed by the sheer scale.
"Seems so. It's even larger than I'd heard."
The name had made me imagine something more like a stone monument—something human-scaled, ceremonial. But this was just an enormous rock, stripped of pretense. Where exactly was the "sacred" element? I couldn't identify anything particularly holy about it.
Though I supposed there must be some legend or tradition attached. A stone this large in the middle of a forest was certainly abnormal enough to attract stories.
"We need to chip off a piece and bring it back to complete the trial."
"I see... so it's finally over..."
Erica let out a relieved sigh, her expression weary but satisfied. Her shoulders slumped as tension finally began draining away.
We hadn't encountered monsters along the way, but she'd been frightened the entire time—constantly alert, jumping at shadows. I'd been on edge too, wondering when death might strike. But I think she'd been worn down even more than me by the sustained anxiety.
"After we collect a fragment, let's rest for a bit."
"—Yes, let's."
She agreed with a wry smile to my proposal, gratitude evident in her eyes.
Well, we'd been walking continuously for two or three hours after all. I was tired too. We should restore our energy before the return journey—the way back would be just as long.
＊＊＊
Despite its impressive size, when I chipped off a piece, it turned out to be ordinary stone—nothing special about it at all.
The cross-section didn't sparkle like diamond. It didn't radiate magical power or glow with inner light. Just... rock. Disappointing, really.
You could probably take a random stone from anywhere else and submit it without anyone noticing, I thought idly. Though admittedly, there weren't any suitable stones lying around this area—just fertile soil covering the forest floor.
We'd moved into the shadow of the rock to rest, away from the clearing's exposure.
While conversing quietly, we consumed the light meal we'd brought—simple travel fare that tasted better than it had any right to after hours of exertion.
Erica seemed to have recovered considerably. Color had returned to her previously exhausted expression, and her posture had relaxed.
She'd gotten quite used to the forest by now. Good, good. That resilience would serve her well.
But I still hadn't let my guard down—not for a moment. I remained vigilant, alert for any threat.
I needed to stay ready for anything. Death could arrive from any direction without warning.
Maybe I should check in with the guards soon, confirm everything was—
"Ahhhh!"
A shout—loud enough to qualify as a yell—rang out across the clearing.
What now?
I turned my gaze toward the source and saw a boy standing there with his mouth hanging open innocently, almost comically surprised.
"There's someone here faster than us!"
"Ehhh! I totally thought we'd be first!"
"See, it's because you got us lost back there!"
"Hah? That's not my fault!"
More boys emerged from the forest behind him—a whole group appearing one after another, shouting and arguing loudly. Their voices carried that particular quality of children competing, establishing pecking order through volume.
Man, it's been a while since I heard kids bickering like this...
It reminded me of orphanage days—that chaotic energy of children without adult supervision.
"Who are those people?"
Erica's voice held confusion, perhaps a touch of alarm at the sudden intrusion.
"Probably commoners also taking the trial."
I remembered now—there were separate starting points for commoners, but the destination remained the same Sacred Rock. So encounters like this were inevitable, even if uncommon.
Ah, so I might run into acquaintances from my orphanage days.
The distance from Aegenhalt and my old village to this forest was probably similar. We'd all converged on the same goal.
"Ah! I know that guy! He's the one all the mothers liked!"
"Ugh! I got yelled at because of you!"
Several boys directed their angry accusations toward me—voices carrying genuine resentment.
...Eh.
Well, I had interacted fairly regularly with townspeople during my village days...
But got yelled at because of me? How did that work?
Oh—probably the "why can't you be more like him!" lectures. I'd heard mothers saying that sort of thing when I lived in the village. Must be referring to that.
If so, well... I could only respond with that's unfortunate for you, I guess.
It didn't particularly hurt my feelings. I'd learned to tune out children's complaints—
"Ah, I've seen that black-haired one too!"
"Really? Is that the crow woman our moms talked about?!"
Beside me, Erica flinched—a minute jerking motion that I felt more than saw.
"Whoa, so they're nobles then!"
"We're basically first then! Don't get cocky!"
"Basically!"
"The black-colored freak will eat you!"
Laughing like monkeys—kyakkyak—they ran around to the other side of the rock, their cruel words hanging in the air like poison.
...Those little brats.
They'd been remarkably fearless in their insults. If I reported this to Adelbater, wouldn't he be furious? His daughter, mocked by commoner children?
Well... he didn't care much about status differences, so he'd probably let it slide. Actually, when it came to his daughter, maybe not. That might be the exception to his egalitarian principles.
...But regardless, terrible as their words were, they reflected the genuine sentiment of the townspeople.
Prejudice against Erica still hadn't ceased. The parents' attitudes were being transmitted to their children—that cycle of learned hatred perpetuating itself.
Given the nature of her power, complete acceptance would be difficult... was that the conclusion I had to accept?
"Lady Erica—"
She'd been hurt at the birthday party too, when her power had briefly manifested. Surely now, after receiving such abuse...
I looked at her face while thinking this, but felt slightly taken aback—or rather, surprised.
"...Did you think I'd be hurt?"
Her voice was steady, almost amused.
"—Yes. A little."
"Fufu... Don't worry. I'm used to this sort of thing by now."
She showed a nonchalant attitude, even smiling as she spoke. There were no signs of being wounded. Nor did she seem to be putting on a brave face.
...I see.
Erica had grown stronger too. Developed thicker skin, learned to deflect casual cruelty.
Perhaps I'd been underestimating her—treating her too much like she might shatter at any moment.
Well, knowing that my death would cause her to fall into darkness had made me overly protective. That was understandable... I wanted to justify it to myself, at least.
But at this rate, if she could maintain such a resilient attitude, maybe even my death wouldn't lead to complete corruption—
"Besides, as long as you affirm me, Liam, that's all I need."
...
You are getting stronger, right?
Because that particular way of phrasing it makes me a little anxious...
...I'll retract my previous thoughts, I think.
Yeah, I definitely can't die. The dependency in those words was unmistakable—all her strength contingent on my continued existence.
This was the action beat that shifted everything. Her casual statement revealed the truth: she hadn't developed genuine resilience, only transferred all her emotional dependency onto me. One pillar instead of many. If that pillar fell...
＊＊＊
"—We should get going soon."
"Yes. We've rested enough."
At my suggestion, she slowly stood, brushing dirt from her dress.
We'd been resting for a while now, and during that time more children had continued arriving at the great rock—waves of them emerging from various forest paths, each group loud and boisterous.
Commoners probably didn't have as many guards as nobility, yet they'd made it here safely. Impressive, really. Though perhaps nobles were simply overprotective to an absurd degree.
I checked my sword and equipment, ensuring I could enter combat readiness at any moment. The return journey required just as much caution as the approach. Perhaps more—fatigue made mistakes easier.
"Well then, let's depart—"
At that moment:
"Someone! Somebody, help!!"
A scream—high-pitched and desperate—echoed through the clearing. A child's voice, raw with terror.
It came from behind the rock, where the other children had gone.
"Ah, you're last place!"
"So slow~"
"Penalty game for you later!"
Behind us, the noisy chatter continued. Apparently they weren't taking the scream seriously—just more games and teasing.
"It's not like that! This is really serious!!"
The voice cried out desperately, breaking with genuine distress.
Finally the mocking died down, perhaps sensing something real beneath the panic.
...What?
What's happening?
"Did something happen?"
When I turned, Erica was no longer beside me. She'd apparently moved to intervene in the commotion, her innate compassion overriding caution.
"Uh, um. My friend disappeared—"
The boy showed a momentary startled expression upon seeing Erica—that flash of recognition and instinctive fear—but began haltingly explaining the situation.
"We entered the forest together... he was with me until just now. But then suddenly he started muttering weird things... it was creepy so I ran away..."
"Weird things?"
"Yeah... something like 'going home, going home' over and over..."
...What was that about?
Was he cursed? But there were no curse-using monsters in this forest—nothing in the ecosystem that could affect minds.
"So... I ran, but I felt bad... so I went back. And then... then—he was being attacked by an armored monster!"
The memory clearly terrified him. His body shook violently—gatagata—and his voice rose to a squeaky pitch at the end.
...An armored monster?
Living Armor? Or maybe Killer Mail... Executioner...
But none of those existed in a forest like this. The ecosystem was exclusively beast-type monsters—creatures of fur and fang, not animated equipment.
Armor-wearing monsters only appeared in dungeons or abandoned buildings—places where human artifacts had been left to corrupt and transform.
...Yet his words didn't sound like lies. His terror was too genuine, too visceral to fake.
So what was that monster's true identity?
"..."
Erica glanced at me—a look that said can you do something?
A missing child, possibly being attacked by a monster of unknown type...
Honestly, I didn't want to take this on. My self-preservation instincts screamed warnings.
Not knowing the monster's identity made accepting this request potentially fatal. Every unknown was a vector for my prophesied death.
But I also couldn't just abandon a child. Wouldn't be able to live with that choice.
And Erica would never forgive me. That much was certain from her expression.
"...I have an idea where to look, so I'll check there. Lady Erica... and everyone else, please wait here."
Even if I went, it would be dangerous—potentially the danger that killed me.
So I'd rely on professional adults. That was the smart play.
I entered the bushes, moving far enough that Erica and the others couldn't hear my voice.
"Everyone! Guards! Please come out!"
I called out to my only reliable asset—those hidden protectors.
With more than ten guards present, they should be able to handle most monsters. And for searching, more hands were always better.
...
But there was no response.
No one appeared.
"...? It's Liam. Guards, please respond immediately!!"
Still no answer. Just my shout being absorbed by the trees—swallowed by wood and leaves and oppressive silence.
What are they doing?
Dereliction of duty? That seemed impossible. These were knights who'd sworn loyalty to the count's family. Not cheap mercenaries who might slack off—these were titled individuals with reputations to maintain.
Yet the reality was that they weren't appearing. Something must have happened. Something wrong.
...Damn it. This was getting complicated.
"Guards!! Um... missing person!! If you're there, please respond!!"
I proceeded cautiously while shouting, trying different calls. Maybe I should have gotten the missing child's name. Though if he was being attacked, he probably couldn't answer anyway.
I continued through the forest like this—shouting while advancing.
Always keeping an escape route secured, never venturing too far from safety. Survival first. Always survival.
"If anyone's there, please answer—"
Eventually, something new entered my field of vision. Not vegetation. Something else.
Iron armor.
The Ansheinus family crest was engraved on the arm—instantly identifiable as one of our guards.
"—Finally found you... What exactly are you doing there?"
But the atmosphere was clearly wrong. Obviously not what a guard should be doing.
It was bizarre, actually. Strange in a way that made my skin crawl.
The presence felt indistinct, vague—like looking at something underwater, distorted and unclear. When I tried to focus on it directly, it became harder to perceive, slipping away from clear observation.
And the posture was odd too. Just standing there in an empty space, not holding a sword, not in any combat stance. Just... standing.
But apparently... not empty-handed after all.
"..."
Without speaking, the armor looked toward me. Its posture shifted, and the changed angle revealed what the left hand—previously hidden—was holding.
In that hand was a small human head.
No—not a severed head. The body was still attached, held by the neck like carrying a kitten.
But that was it. No movement. Not a twitch.
Was the child alive? From this distance, I couldn't determine life or death.
But either way:
"What the hell are you doing!!"
I didn't hesitate. Couldn't afford to.
I thrust out my left hand, instantly channeling magic power. Light converged in a spiral before my palm, forming a sphere that grew brighter and denser.
"[Smash]!!"
Trailing a glittering tail, the projectile shot forward at tremendous velocity—a meteor of compressed force.
Small in size but containing everything I could channel in that instant. Probably equivalent to a truck collision—enough force to pulverize bone.
The armored thing—I could no longer tell if there was even a person inside—didn't try to dodge. The impact struck directly.
The child it held was flung aside, and the armor was slammed into a large tree behind it. The point of impact crumpled inward—bekkobekko—metal crushed like tinfoil.
If there was a person inside, their internal organs would have ruptured. Death should have been instantaneous.
...Dead?
It wasn't carelessness, exactly. I was still alert.
But I also couldn't predict what came next. Couldn't anticipate the impossible.
"———"
Nurari—the thing's arm moved with liquid smoothness.
The gauntlet was gone. Missing entirely.
A bare hand was exposed—but it wasn't human. It was black, elongated, sinuous like a whip. The fingers had become something else, something wrong.
That arm blurred in an instant—motion too fast to track.
The next moment, my vision was covered by a black sword strike slashing through the air toward my throat.