Knock, knock, knock.
People's personalities showed themselves even in small actions, such as knocking on a door. If it were Garfiel, with his usual "this great me" attitude, he would surely pound on the door loudly. If it were Emilia, she would likely tap lightly with her fingertips. But someone whose knocking was this cold and indifferent…
Creaaak—
Opening the door, Lillian found a pink-haired girl standing before him, one eye hidden behind her bangs. It was exactly who he had expected—Ram.
"Do you need something?" he asked.
"Yes." Ram stared at the spiral-patterned mask and the deep eyeholes upon it. "Have we met before?"
"…"
From the moment she first saw the masked man, Ram had felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. She was certain she had never met such a strange person before, yet the feeling persisted. This unprecedented sensation compelled her to seek clarification.
"Heh heh, I don't think so," a deep laugh emerged from behind the mask. "If we had met before, Miss Ram—such a beautiful girl—I would certainly have remembered you well."
Inside, Lillian broke out in a cold sweat. He, too, felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Unlike Ram's confusion, he knew the reason. Could it be because of the golden mana? If any of that energy still remained within her, then a mutual sense of familiarity would be entirely natural. After all, that kind of power existed only within him in this world.
Of course, Ram would never think along those lines. In her understanding, Lillian had already died—she had personally witnessed his death. Even in this fantastical world, resurrection was nothing more than a fairy tale. The possibility never even crossed her mind.
Thus, she could only sense a vague familiarity without understanding its source.
"Can you remove your mask?" she asked.
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm too ugly."
"It doesn't matter."
Lillian chuckled. "It may not matter to you, but it matters to me. If this face were exposed to others, I would feel extremely—extremely—inferior. So could you refrain from making such a 'rude' request?"
"…My apologies."
Ram stepped back half a pace. Though her single visible eye still lingered unwillingly on his mask, she said nothing further and turned to leave.
Closing the door, Lillian sighed.
"She's grown suspicious."
She was unlikely to suspect his true identity, but her curiosity about the face behind the mask had clearly been stirred. Given the chance, she would surely try to remove it.
A cliché accident—like pretending to fall and accidentally pulling off the mask—would never happen. Lillian constantly maintained a protective barrier formed by his [Invisible Will]. Anyone wishing to remove his mask would first have to break through that barrier. Such a feat could not occur by accident—it would require a genuine fight.
---
Returning to sit beside the heated earthen bed, Lillian reflected on the earlier meeting. He could tell that Roswaal's injuries were genuine, not feigned. Recovering to his peak condition would likely take considerable time.
As for the others—the "village leader," Ryuzu, had not displayed any power, but she was certainly no ordinary person. Garfiel, though loud and brash, possessed a formidable aura, albeit within limits. As for the rest… there was Rem.
Her legs had been destroyed by Lye, leaving her confined to a wheelchair. The reason Ram brought her to the Sanctuary was likely to seek a method of healing.
It would not be easy. In this world, severed limbs could not simply be restored with a single spell. Logically, lost flesh could not be regenerated—yet Echidna had mentioned that the blood of the Divine Dragon could reconstruct a body. Whether true or not, Lillian would have to find a way to obtain it. If it proved effective, then after reconstructing Elsa's body, any remaining power could be used to restore Rem's legs as well.
"…I shouldn't think too far ahead."
Lillian did not know the true extent of the Divine Dragon's power. However, from comparison alone, the fact that it could defeat other witches suggested it surpassed ordinary witches. If he wished to defeat such a being, he would first need the strength to overcome a witch—something he currently lacked. There was no point in dwelling on it.
---
As time passed and evening arrived, Garfiel led everyone to what was called the sanctuary hall. In truth, it was merely a slightly less dilapidated plaza.
With no artificial lighting, a bonfire burned at the center of the square. Its flickering glow cast shifting shadows across the gathered faces, making them appear somber and ominous. Lillian, wearing his mask, was especially regarded by the villagers as a "strange figure," and they all kept their distance from him. Only Ram occasionally glanced at him, her gaze filled with curiosity.
"The time has come."
Ryuzu looked toward the staircase at the far end of the plaza. At its top was a pitch-black entrance. As her words fell, the steps began to glow faintly with a pale green light, as though the witch herself were welcoming them.
"This is proof of qualification," Ryuzu said, turning to Emilia and Lillian. "You may proceed and challenge the trial." She then added to Lillian, "If you do not possess the qualification, do not rely on blind luck."
Lillian let out a quiet laugh, stepped forward without hesitation, ascended the staircase, and walked straight into the dark entrance.
Seeing how easily he entered, the crowd no longer doubted his qualification. After all, Roswaal had previously been rejected the moment he stepped onto the stairs—surviving that ordeal had already been fortunate.
"I'll go as well."
Emilia spoke to herself. Unlike Lillian's calm composure, she seemed hesitant. There had been no time for preparation—she had arrived here less than a day ago, yet now she was expected to participate in a trial. But refusing was not an option.
As she thought this, Rem, seated in her wheelchair nearby, smiled gently. "Emilia-sama, please do your best."
"Thank you, Rem."
"Emilia-tan, don't worry! I'll be waiting here!" Subaru added encouragingly.
"Mm, thank you."
The girl no longer hesitated. Following Lillian's example, she stepped onto the stairs and soon disappeared into the pitch-black entrance. Once both of them had entered, the crowd quieted down. No one showed any intention of leaving—they all seemed to be waiting in anticipation.
Some of the demi-humans present, however, wore deeply furrowed expressions. They belonged to the faction that wished to remain in the Sanctuary; they wanted to see the challengers fail so they could return home with peace of mind.
At that moment, Subaru suddenly thought of something.
"Oh, right!" He turned toward Garfiel beside him and asked, "You've challenged the trial before, haven't you? Then you must know what it's about! If you had told Emilia earlier—"
"It wouldn't have helped even if I did," Garfiel shot him a sideways glance. "What, you think this is like cheating on a test? If it were that easy to pass, why would they even need you people to come here?"
"Then—"
"Stop talking to me already! You're annoying!"
Garfiel clearly had no intention of discussing the trial's contents. This only made Subaru even more curious about what Emilia would be forced to face.
---
Darkness.
After entering the cave, only faint outlines of gray stone walls could be seen. Lillian noticed that this place might be connected to the Witch's tomb he had previously visited. The stone walls there had also been covered in creeping vines, and the air had carried the same damp heaviness.
What kind of trial will it be?
Lillian hoped it would involve combat. If it were some sort of intellectual test instead, it would take considerably more effort. It wasn't that he believed himself unintelligent—rather, battles resolved matters more quickly. Whether he succeeded or failed, at least he would not die.
Otherwise, those half-blood challengers who had failed outside would have already turned into corpses instead of remaining alive to "watch the spectacle."
As he pondered this, Lillian sensed something.
A dense aura of a witch silently emerged, wrapping around him like a gentle caress mixed with curious probing. Every witch's aura possessed its own unique characteristics, and Echidna's presence was unmistakably mild, easily accepted by those who felt it.
His consciousness gradually sank into darkness and slumber. Lillian deliberately checked the golden seed within his spiritual world and found nothing unusual. From this, he determined that the separation of his consciousness carried no hostility or intent to attack—otherwise, the "Goddess's" awareness would not have remained idle.
Having confirmed this, Lillian abandoned all resistance and allowed his mind to drift into endless emptiness.
At that moment, Echidna's voice seeped directly into his soul.
"—First, you must face your own past."