Tower of Trial fourth floor. Three hours and 55 minutes until sunset.
We--I'm in the front, next is Celica, then the tavern's old man and lastly the big man--are walking in a two meter wide and tall passage.
Since I'm a God of streamlet, I'm close to wind and water, but for some reason, the water around here feels unpleasant.
We'll be disqualified if we can't clear the trials within four hours.
It's only about 10 meter wide, but several dozens of meter long. A long and slender room.
I can't see the exit.
I stare with Truth Sight.
I don't see any trap in the room.
"It stinks of traps, Keika."
"I understand."
I advance ahead carefully.
The air is damp like usual. As if they coil around you.
And then Celica raises her voice behind me.
When I turn back, the place that should have been the entrance is covered in mirrors.
"Yes."
There's no exit. No door. Every direction is covered in mirror.
A beautiful woman. There's butterfly-like wings on her back.
"Is that a fairy?"
And then suddenly, there's a voice. It sounds beautiful yet sorrowful.
I pull my Tachi while watching the stone statue.
"I do not mind no matter what tactic you use. Then here is the trial. Defeat your fake companions, fetch the gem in their heart, and put it on this pedestal. You can go to the next floor if you do so."
Celica screams right after I muttered that.
"Celica!?"
When I look back, I see numerous swaying blond hair.
"What on earth is happening...?"
Their looks are exactly the same. Their voices are exactly the same.
That wasn't the end.
"Lots of, me....?"
"O-oy."
I turned back at the fairy statue.
"Yes, this is the trial. You have to defeat only the impostors, leaving only your companions."
"What a sickening trial."
After shaving off physical and magical strength, next is mental strength huh.
Her eyes with long eyelashes are closed as if she's braced herself.
"Sorry."
The one who stepped forward is a 【Fake Celica】.
Dosh, a dull sensation is transmitted to me.
Fake Celica's noble face is grimacing in pain.
"Eh?"
I reflexively looked at her status.
"Keika-sama, please become the hero.... I'm really glad to have met you...."
"Celica--"
The Celicas put their hands on their mouths, their noble faces look sorrowful.
The girl collapses on the floor.
The body didn't disappear.
The statue speaks.
"What! You mean I have to dissect her!"
Celicas and the old men are shaken.
--This is.... Keeping at this means doing as they want me to do....!
"All of you, sit down along the wall apart from each other."
I'm lost in thought.
Even if this is just a trial, could you still trust a hero who indiscreetly kills someone who looks exactly like you?
And for 10 bodies.
Even if they're companions who have fought together, and even if they believed in the hero, 『But he's doesn't have a problem killing his friends for the sake of trial』 will probably get tucked in the corner of their minds.
I observe the dead fake Celica.
I could only feel relieved after seeing the status displaying 【Fake Celica】 many times.
If even I feel insecure.
They must be suffering in fear of me killing them by mistake since the impostors look really alike.
Still.
It should be hard to control this remotely.
Is there someone beyond these mirrors?
What should I do?
Celicas and the old men hardened every time our eyes met.
Just whom is this statue modeled after?
Cursed and sealed because she rebelled against the demon king.
I flick the item status at once and look at the status.
--------------------
Name: Orphelie
Race: Fairy
Vitality: 0/842
--------------------
....It's as if she's living.
That means this statue casted the magic huh.
Come to think of it, it's strange for a statue to have Vitality status.
I call Celica who's looking at me anxiously.
"Yes, Keika-sama."
The holy water we bought to fight against Lapisia.
"""Keika-sama, here you go."""
The Celicas stopped.
"Keika-sama.... What are you going to do?"
"Pure streamlet flowing through valleys Wash evils away Cleanse--<
I check with <
Sealed because she rebelled against the demon king.
"Now, the Ground Holy Water."
I reach out on the bottle Celica presented. Our fingers touched then.
"Ah...."
I gently pat it many times.
"Keika, sama..."
Looks like she's afraid to get mixed in among the impostors again.
--And then.
And then, just when the light became stronger, the statue on top of the pedestal crumbled. Long green hair spread out.
"Eh, what on....!?"
I get close, crouch down and lift her. Since she's only wearing thin clothing, her slender limbs are visible.
"Orphelia, is it. Are you alright?"
"Aah..... How many years have it been since I could talk of my own will.... To think there would be someone who could undo the demon king's curse...."
"Yes, that's right. My power of bewitching fog was."
"I'll heal you now."
"There is no need to. My life is eternal. Now that I'm liberated, I will reincarnate to the next generation."
"Strong Hero-sama. Would you please defeat the demon king?"
Cause I won't be able to become a God if I don't carefully make people feel obliged to me.
Then, Orphelia smiles like she's read my mind.
"You mean I can't defeat the demon king without that?"
"I see. So you went through this hell because you kept silent about that huh."
"How many heroes has these hands killed.... My heart felt like it would break."
"I'm very thankful to have met you. ...please receive my power."
"I beg of you. Please think of it as substitute of money offering."
I felt that there was nothing I could do to persuade her once she spoke of 『Money Offering』.
Those hands suddenly became warm. A light filled with affection.
【Skills】
She smiles.
"I got it."
When I look around, the impostors have all disappeared.
"Keika-sama, are you alright."
--And I made Celica experienced something painful.
However, Orphelia's voice echoes.
"Hm? We should still have around three hours don't we?"
I'm sure only around one hour has passed since then.
"Time flows faster inside this mirror. It's already evening outside. There's only around an hour before sunset."
I look at the old man. The old man takes out his clock.
"Kuh! Let's hurry!"
We gathered the gems scattered in the mirror room.
My body felt like it was pulled upward, we got warped to the last floor.
At the back of this dungeon, there is something releasing an ominous presence that can be felt even without looking.
I tightly grip my fist.
The big man steps forwards with resounding footsteps.
There's a stone golem under it.
"Let's do our best, Keika-sama."
The old man speaks while looking at the clock.
"Let's go."
We continue onward in the dungeon with the golem leading.