重生萝莉岛

Chapter 50: The Second Trial

Instead of the cold, dust-filled dungeon where the Mage Magistrates had taken me, I was now offered a room in the royal palace, imbued with old-world charm.

That didnt mean I was free to stay here as I pleased, however.

In reality, this place was just a more fortified prison.

[Its as you predicted,] said the Dark Sage, who appeared by phasing through the wall and gave a slight nod.

[The Grand Magus, along with his disciples, is surrounding this room from all sides. If you so much as move your mana in a hostile manner, theyll be ready to draw blood.]

The reason I was brought here was that the Mage Magistrates had concluded they could not contain me.

After all, I had effortlessly defeated Tyren, the strongest of the Mage Magistrates, without so much as a scratch on me.

Even considering that the execution ground was particularly advantageous for me, the royal family couldnt simply overlook how easily I had neutralized Tyren.

King Orpheus himself was likely quite surprised by my capabilities.

[So whats the plan now?]

.

When I give no response and simply look out the window, the Dark Sage corrects her vague statement and asks again.

[Do you really intend to solve all three trials the king mentioned? Youve got two left. Do you really think hell accept you, a dark mage, once theyre resolved?]

I choose not to answer. My faith in King Orpheus remains unwavering. Hes a king who stands by his word.

[And even if he accepts you, what about the citizens? What about the Church? Theyll openly criticize you; theyll never accept you.]

The grim resentment in her voice indirectly conveys what kind of treatment she received as a dark mage.

[You must not know because youve only recently embarked on this path. Youll regret it eventually. Do you think sincerity will persuade them? That proving yourself through results will validate you? Surprisingly, the world doesnt place much importance on such things.]

I know.

I cut her off. If I keep my mouth shut, she will continue to spew whatever she wants to say indefinitely.

I dont assume that the kingdom will accept me just because the king does, I say.

However, it was necessary for me to gain external recognition to carry out my activities.

Even if they dont believe in me, I can still make them hold their tongues.

Aria and Finden Ai were actively working on solving this issue.

They havent reached their goal yet, but I dont doubt theyll make timely progress.

[Make them hold their tongues?] the Dark Sage queries.

I choose not to answer, mainly because the door opens and King Orpheus walks in.

Ahem.

He enters the room, clearing his throat awkwardly. The Grand Magus who follows him looks at me with far more caution than before.

Did you rest well yesterday?

Yes, thanks to the comfortable room you provided, I was able to rest well.

King Orpheus seems to want to say something about yesterdays failed execution but exhales deeply instead, as if unable to find the right words.

I did not expect you to defeat the Chief Magistrate so easily. Your abilities are undeniable.

I dont contradict him.

While it was important to remain objective in my self-assessment, there was no need to deliberately downplay my abilities publicly.

It would be less humiliating for the Chief Magistrate too.

So, Im thinking of presenting my second trial for you. Is that acceptable?

I accept.

As I respond with an indifferent nod, King Orpheus face visibly darkens, and he whispers hesitantly.

I have a younger sister. Her name is Eleanor Luden Griffin. You probably know that she is currently a student at the Robern Academy.

Yes, I am aware.

How could I not be?

Even in the game, Eleanor is a rather significant character. Although players have mixed opinions about her, she serves as a stepping stone for the protagonist Arias growth.

She has been plagued by chronic nightmares for several years now.

Orpheus narrows his eyes slightly, betraying his weariness. Just thinking about his sister seems to add to his stress, filling him with sorrow.

Many people have been summoned to resolve her nightmares. Even the saintess was consulted, yet the problem remains unsolved.

...

I find this genuinely perplexing.

This is entirely new information.

Princess Eleanor is tormented by nightmares?

In the original work, Eleanor displayed no such issues.

Rather, she was an exuberant young girl, brimming with confidence and a sense of pride in her royal heritage. She was spirited, even joyful, never lacking self-assurance.

The saintess couldnt solve it?

The fact that even the saintessonly being qualified to solve spiritual matters in the kingdomcouldnt resolve the issue was deeply unsettling.

Yesterday, I asked her to return. She should arrive in a few days.

King Orpheus speaks with a blend of melancholy and a sliver of hope, directed at me.

This is your second trial, Deus Verdi. If you can truly heal the hearts of the people like the saintess and repair the damage done to them by dark magic...

...

Please, cure my sister.

* * *

Clatter, clatter.

Clatter, clatter.

Hmm?

Princess Eleanor wakes from her slumber, looking around slowly to take stock of her situation.

What was going on again?

Her mind felt parched from sleep, in need of a metaphorical drink.

She reaches for the water bottle in front of her.

As she gulps down the lemon-scented water, her thoughts begin to align.

Its the enrollment season, and shes been busy with life at the academy. Though she was taken aback when Aria Rias, who she considered her rival, had vanished unexpectedly, she had been pressing on nonetheless.

In her desire to maintain both her grades and a demeanor befitting a princess, she had been working late into the nights. Then, suddenly, her elder brother and the king, Orpheus, commanded her to return to the royal palace.

Unable to refuse a royal edict, she explained the situation to her professors and set off.

And now, she found herself in a carriage headed for the capital, Grayford.

Ive been getting forgetful lately.

Whenever she wakes up, theres a momentary blank in her thoughts. A brief time of reorientation is needed during such instances.

But Im fully awake now.

That also had its fair share of problems.

There was still quite a distance to go before reaching their destination.

Bored, Eleanor opens a book. She knows that reading in a moving carriage would lead to motion sickness, so she plans to read only up to the brink of nausea.

Hmm?

But surprisingly, no matter how much she read, she was fine.

Whats more, the contents of the book seemed to sink effortlessly into her mind.

It felt as if she already knew this information from the beginning.

What?

Feeling something was off, Eleanors eyes narrow slightly.

Glancing around, she observes that the scenery is constantly changing. She takes out her water bottle and sniffs it.

The scent of lemon tingles her nose pleasurably.

She checks ahead.

The back of the coachman driving the horses outside seemed oddly familiar.

That cant be.

Eleanor slowly leans back against the carriage cushion, smiling wryly at herself.

I must be on edge because I just woke up.

Putting the book aside, Eleanor decides to practice some magic instead, gathering mana at her fingertips.

Huh?

The mana doesnt manifest.

No, she realizes it just now.

She couldnt sense any mana in the atmosphere at all.

Bang!

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Eleanor hastily kicks the carriage door, but aside from its regular clattering, the carriage shows no signs of being affected in any way.

Open!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She tries desperately to escape the carriage, but it wont open.

Then, through the window up front, she feels the gaze of the coachman looking her way.

Shatter!

He shatters the window with his forehead and oozes his way in, then subtly grins.

Is it Mana this time?

Stop it!

Another clue revealed: she realizes shes in a dream.

Enough, stop it!

Heh.

Despite Eleanors urgent plea,

Heh heh heh heh heh.

The laughing coachmans form begins to disintegrate. Morphing into a gel-like substance, he soon takes on a shape identical to Eleanors.

Would you like to see what Ive practiced?

What?

When she asks, confused by the cryptic question, the fake Eleanor smiles and gestures.

Hello, I am Eleanor Luden Griffin.

!

The impersonation is spot-on.

It mirrors exactly what Eleanor had said and how she had acted on her first day at the academy, during her self-introduction.

I may be a princess of the kingdom, but Id rather you not make a fuss over that.

Stop it.

Lets just do our best as friends and as rivals.

I said, stop!

Thud!

Pr-Princess?!

She feels a throbbing pain in her forehead.

Suddenly waking from her sleep, Eleanor finds her entire body soaked in sweat, her forehead tinged with red, evidently from hitting it against something inside the carriage.

The carriage has stopped, and the coachman is looking at her with concern.

Princess! Are you alright? You seemed unwell, so I stopped the carriage.

Huff! Huff!

She remembers the coachmans face.

Her own sour sweat stings her nose as well.

But it doesnt end here.

With trembling hands, she manipulates her mana.

A gentle blue light gathers at her fingertips, reminding her that this is indeed reality.

Is it Mana this time?

The voice, eerie as it mumbled those words, still lingers vividly in her mind.

Ah, hic!

Tears form, trickling down and dampening Eleanors cheeks.

Though the coachman is shocked and suggests taking her to a nearby clinic,

Eleanor cant muster any response; she huddles up, consumed by fear.

Please, someone, please...

Her plea for help choked in her throat, unable to escape past her tears.

--- End of The Chapter ---

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