Trial of Illusions – Part 03

Hikaru and Sophie quickly explained the situation. Sophie clarified that she had willingly entered the prison to avoid escalating the conflict. She added that completing the Trial of Illusions would clear their names. However, she couldn’t help but chastise Selyse and Serika for attacking a guard and storming in, making things worse.

“S-Sorry,” Selyse stammered.

“I blame Selyse!” Serika said. “As soon as she heard Hikaru was arrested, she just bolted!”

“Serika,” Sophie said sharply.

Serika flinched. “Ugh. M-Maybe I got carried away too.”

Thankfully, the guard was nice—and they also knew Dodonno—so he decided to overlook the sudden attack. It helped that Selyse held back.

“So, you Four Eastern Stars plan to undertake the Trial of Illusions?” the pompous Dwarf said.

His scowl was not surprising. Hikaru and Sophie, who were supposed to be locked up, had casually left their cell and were chatting in the guards’ station. For the record, it was Sara who picked the lock. An intricate Dwarven lock would have taken time, but for something like this, it was apparently a breeze.

“We’re the ones who took down the saber-toothed tiger, and that should also prove our innocence. Besides, he’s practically a member of the Four Eastern Stars.”

Would it kill them to ask before claiming things like that? Still, Hikaru knew better than to protest now.

“You’re asking me to stay here as a hostage, aren’t you?”

Selyse chuckled. “Well, yes, exactly.”

Selyse and the girls would take the trial, while Hikaru stayed behind as a hostage to ensure they wouldn’t run.

I don’t mind, but being at the mercy of these Dwarves really doesn’t sit right with me.

And something else is bothering me. Why did that Waffa girl suddenly switch her target to Sophie as soon as she realized she was part of the Four Eastern Stars?

She was blatantly aggressive. The pompous Dwarf had come intending to arrest Hikaru, and Waffa—after being knocked down by him—should have directed her anger at him, not Sophie.

“You as a hostage is pretty funny, though,” Selyse said.

“Uh, what’s that supposed to mean?” Hikaru asked.

“Exactly what it sounds like,” Selyse replied with a cryptic smile.

Between Sophie’s earlier remarks and now this, Hikaru couldn’t help but wonder what they actually thought of him.

“Hmph. Since Miss Waffa insists the Four Eastern Stars take the trial, I will say no more. Guards, explain the trial to them. I’m returning to the central office to give a report.”

“Understood!” the guards responded with crisp salutes.

“You. Hikaru, was it? Don’t even think about running away.”

“I’ll behave, for Sophie and Selyse’s sake,” Hikaru muttered.

He was irritated, but since Sophie and Selyse wanted to go through with the trial, he was willing to go along. Besides, proving his innocence might help in rescuing Dodorono and Dodonno.

“I didn’t expect the Golden Boar Clan to meddle,” the Dwarf grumbled as he left with his subordinates. The tension in the room eased as soon as they were gone.

“So, shall we begin this Trial of Illusions or whatever it’s called?” Selyse urged.

“O-Okay. So, the four of you are taking it. Come with us,” one of the guards said.

“All right, let’s go.”

“I hope this doesn’t take long,” Sophie grumbled.

“Ugh, more running around,” Sara added.

“We’ll be back soon,” Serika said, turning to Hikaru. “Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

After the four left, Hikaru was left alone in the station.

“Am I really that untrustworthy?” he muttered, feeling a twinge of self-doubt. “Well, then. I have my own stuff to handle.”

Just as Sophie was worried about the Four Eastern Stars—or more specifically, Selyse and Serika—running wild, Hikaru was also worried about Lavia.

His Mana Detection had been picking up an enormous concentration of magical energy for a while now. It had to be her. She knew he’d been thrown into jail, and she was furious.

“All the women around me are so strong.”

Letting out a sigh, Hikaru approached a nearby Dwarven guard to try and smooth things over.

---

Mountains form ranges, and each one has its own distinct character, with some even revered as sacred peaks.

The mountain used in the Trial of Illusions, known among the Dwarves as the Mountain of Illusions, was one of these sacred places.

Even in the first month of the year’s dry climate, this mountain was shrouded in a faint mist. The concentration of magicules in the air was so high that even ordinary people would feel a suffocating pressure, while those sensitive to magical energy would experience dizziness.

“Ugh.” Serika was the first to show signs of discomfort, though she didn’t look ready to collapse just yet.

The mountain’s rugged surface was visible through the mist, and though visibility was poor, they could still see withered trees dotting the area. Trail markers appeared at regular intervals, guiding them toward the summit.

“Are you okay, Serika?” Selyse asked. “If it’s too much, you can stay here.”

“I-I’m fine! If it gets unbearable, I’ll let you know. Let’s just get moving!”

“You sound fine,” Sara said.

“Sara, if you could please lead the way,” Sophie asked.

The fog hardly mattered when there was a trail anyway. Choosing the well-trodden path was an easy task for Sara.

It was already past noon. Knowing that a two-day round trip would be enough, the group pushed forward without delay.

“We’re supposed to bring water from the summit as an offering to Brigid,” Selyse said, recalling the explanation the Dwarven guards had given them earlier.

Brigid, the god worshipped by the Dwarves, was said to be real, unlike the invisible deities tied to soul cards or guild cards. However, not every Dwarf could see him. Only clan representatives were allowed to have an audience with Brigid.

The Dwarves treated Brigid as a true god, and everything—from offerings to annual rituals—followed rules that had been established hundreds of years ago. In a sense, that meant the traditions themselves only dated back a few centuries, but since the original Dwarves who established them were long gone, the Dwarves of today simply continued to follow these ancient customs.

“Lord Brigid is the god of smithing,” the guards had explained. This was because of the Progenitor’s Forge. As long as this forge existed, the Dwarves, with their love of craftsmanship, would never abandon Ironforge.

“It’s fascinating that there’s a spring at the summit. I wonder what kind of water it is,” Selyse mused aloud.

A leather pouch provided by the Dwarves hung at her waist. Made from the hide of a yearling sheep, only spring water from the Mountain of Illusions was allowed inside.

The purpose of the Trial of Illusions was said to be carrying water to offer to Brigid.

“That is intriguing,” Sophie said, “but what I find curious is the part about proving one’s innocence. What do they mean by that?”

Even the Dwarven guards had only stories to offer. Very few Dwarves had actually passed the Trial of Illusions.

“Maybe the water clouds when touched by someone guilty of wrongdoing?” Selyse suggested.

“Or maybe some sort of sorcery preys on feelings of guilt?” Sophie said.

“In that case, true villains will be unaffected. They don’t feel guilt, after all.”

“That’s true.”

As they chatted, the path grew steeper. Chains were attached between the rocks, indicating that they would need to climb using them. Beyond that, the trail wound its way up and down, and chains were strung across the rubble-strewn path.

This was no ordinary mountain trail.

“Before we even talk about innocence, this climb is going to be brutal,” Selyse muttered, feeling a bit disheartened. She couldn’t help but envy Sara and her lighter gear, advancing ahead without effort.

“Stop.” Sara raised her right hand.

They stood atop a large boulder. They hadn’t even reached the halfway point, but the fog had already swallowed up the surroundings, reducing visibility to a white void.

It was quiet, and the only sound Selyse could hear was her own labored breathing.

Selyse remained silent. So did Serika and Sophie. When Sara called for them to stop, it meant something was amiss. She might not have had any concrete reason to stop, or it might just be her intuition warning her, but her animal-like instincts had saved their lives countless times, and they trusted it.

Selyse heightened her senses, ready to draw her sword at a moment’s notice.

“Yeah, I’m nyot sure,” Sara said casually.

“Not sure? What do you mean?” Selyse asked.

“I feel like something’s there, but no matter how hard I try to sense it, there’s no one around. No trace. No footprints, no scent.”

“Should we turn back?” Selyse suggested quickly.

They had come here to prove their innocence, but if there was any threat to their lives, she wouldn’t hesitate to retreat. To Selyse, that’s what it meant to be an adventurer. She believed adventure and caution to be two sides of the same coin.

Searching for hostiles and detecting danger was Sara’s job, and if she said she couldn’t sense anything, then it was a possible danger.

“No, it’s not that serious. I’ll just take it slow for now.”

“Understood.”

With that, the Four Eastern Stars continued their climb, but Selyse couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that this mountain might be more treacherous than they had initially thought.