Rotell climbed another long slope, pushing past a final stretch of dense foliage before stepping into the open. The trees had gradually become thinner, and the thick undergrowth gave way to scattered bushes, then long stretches of grass that slowly swayed beneath the wind.
Soon, Rotell was washed by light.
The sky was clear, and the clouds flowed like waves.
Ahead of her, the Trial Pillar, a towering structure dozens of meters tall, finally appeared in full.
Rotell stopped.
The enormous structure rose from the peak of a vast grassy hill, towering over the surrounding region. Its surface seemed old and weathered, yet the faint light surrounding it gave the entire structure an almost ethereal presence. Runes carved from every language were engraved upon it, each filled with the light of spiritual energy. A faint mist permeated the pillar's surroundings, and the black chains intertwined around it chimed with the breeze.
The moment she looked at it, some information seemed to slide into her head. This was about the purpose and test of the pillar, as well as its origins and history.
She finally understood how people knew so much…
Rotell narrowed her eyes.
Although she had warned herself beforehand, the moment she arrived, all her attention was drawn toward the enormous pillar. Fortunately, no one attacked her during her momentary distraction.
Looking around, she realized she wasn't alone.
Dozens of practitioners were scattered around the foot of the large hill. Some rested beneath trees or atop rocks, while others treated their injuries in groups or duos. Several teams sat together waiting for missing companions, ranging from a few individuals to dozens, and a select group of special people stood closer to the Pillar, or at least the hill it was located atop, seemingly preparing themselves before entering.
A few voices drifted over…
"Damn this trial, that's the thirtieth failure today…"
"I already failed three times. There must be a trick!"
"How has anyone not passed yet?"
"Do you think any of the other pillars have been passed so far?"
Complaints mixed with conversation occasionally drifted through the air…
Rotell snapped out of her daze, then swept her gaze past the surroundings. What she saw were dozens of camps, all set up for a long stay. It seemed as if they had already been here for some time and had no intention of leaving anytime soon.
She took a step, her pace relatively quick as she cautiously walked around.
After getting a good grip on the initial situation, Rotell's footsteps slowed. Instead of immediately approaching, she remained near the edge of the forest and took another moment to carefully study the gathered participants more closely.
Her hand unconsciously rested against the stolen sword at her waist. Her free hand, deceptively relaxed, was also ready to reach toward her stone dagger at any moment. Rotell was not only skilled with swords; she had also practiced dual wielding and hand-to-hand combat—the lethal kind that could throw an opponent into a chokehold, then pin them down before ripping a target into ribbons with any number of blades.
Mm, perhaps it wasn't that extreme, but Rotell did possess the training to grapple a grown man onto the ground and attack with a weapon at the same time.
After several seconds, finding nothing immediately suspicious, Rotell finally stepped forward.
She entered the fray.
The Trial Pillar, casting a long shadow, loomed above her head.
Her face hardened.
She had arrived.
-
Rotell spent the next twenty minutes slowly walking around the base of the hill.
The closer she came to the Trial Pillar, the stranger the atmosphere became. There were people everywhere, yet very few seemed willing to approach the Pillar itself. Some participants gathered in small groups, quietly discussing their plans, while others stood alone, staring up at the enormous structure with complicated expressions.
They were all watching, waiting…
Rotell understood that countless people had already tried, but due to the fact that those who failed would lose their memories, none of them understood what they had faced. The only thing certain was that after failing, you would be thrown back down the hill. This happened after approaching and entering a daze-like state, during which you would slowly walk toward the peak. Perhaps touching the pillar in this dazed state was all it took to complete the test, but whatever was encountered during this period was impossible to remember.
So far, the furthest anyone had gotten was around the halfway point. After failing, however, that person was not just thrown down the hill, they were violently hurled down, their fall much faster than any of the previous attempts. In addition, this person seemed to have suffered some kind of mental shock. Although they weren't injured too badly, at least physically, their mental state had completely collapsed. All they could do was mumble gibberish, clearly having encountered some kind of tragic situation, but they were unable to remember it, leaving them trapped in a state of severe mental confusion.
It was like when your heart felt hollow, only you didn't know who had died.
Hearing this, Rotell could only lament.
She felt as if the trial must take place over quite a long period of subjective time. After approaching and entering that daze-like state, it was possible that an individual's perception of time would warp. When they began their dream, they could experience a lifetime of events in a mere matter of moments.
Rotell had no evidence to back this up, she just felt that if she were going to design a loyalty test, this kind of trick would be a pretty standard practice.
Soon, Rotell slowed her steps.
"…Just what is happening inside?" she muttered, her voice low.
Her bright blue eyes landed on the pillar. Although it could match her imperial aura, there was a certain level of difference between the two. If Rotell had the aura of a noble, then this pillar was like a desolate throne, one unclaimed by anyone or anything.
Such a presence gave her a strange feeling, as if it were almost calling out to her…
She frowned, not knowing what to think.
She could already feel that something was wrong, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.
A few voices drifted over from behind. At the same time, they seemed to be answering her question, while at the same time talking to each other.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I told you, I can't remember!"
"Then can't you just try again?"
—Just try again?
Rotell turned her head to look.
Nearby, a young woman sat on a rock with her head lowered. Her companions surrounded her, repeatedly asking questions, but she could only shake her head. "I remember entering…" she muttered. "Then I remember coming back out. No, I remember being thrown back out, but I can't remember what threw me out…"
"Nothing else?"
The woman hesitated, then shook her head. "…I was crying, a-and… I seemed to be begging for something…"
"Why?"
"I don't know! I can't remember."
"That's kind of ominous, isn't it."
"Hehe, don't tell me you're scared?"
"Ha! Me, scared? Don't be ridiculous!"
Rotell's eyes narrowed. Turning away, she continued walking for a while.
As she continued to wander further ahead, she soon passed another group, and another man arguing with his companions.
"I was betrayed! I'm certain of it!"
"By whom?"
"I don't know! That's all I can remember!"
"Then how do you know you were betrayed?"
"I just do!" The man grabbed his head in frustration. "Damn it, why is it all so blurry?!"
Rotell looked at this from the corner of her eye, then she shook her head. This was not the first time she had heard people talking about betrayal, but she didn't understand how that had anything to do with loyalty. If the loyalty test really involved betrayal, then was it still a loyalty test?
Not far away, another participant insisted that absolutely nothing had happened while he was inside.
"I feel as if there were no enemies. No, that trial, there's something very wrong with it! I-I-I—!"
"Then why were you unconscious when you came out?"
"…Was I?" The man closed his mouth, not responding for a long time.
Rotell's footsteps gradually slowed down.
Strange…
The memories disappeared, but the emotions remained. Fear, grief, anger, and betrayal. They remembered entering, and they remembered leaving, but everything that gave those feelings meaning had been erased.
Was this intentional?
It must be…
This is where the true trick should lie…
Rotell looked up at the towering Trial Pillar.
The previous conversation in the forest returned to her mind.
—Maybe forgetting really is part of the Trial?
Then that could only mean that the trick was related to a twist of some kind. She couldn't imagine it, so her hand unconsciously rested against the sword at her waist. Whatever happened inside that Pillar… she would have to be careful.
She made a mental note of this...
-
Rotell exhaled. She was actually really tired.
If not for her current circumstances, she would want nothing more than to return home and jump into her big, bouncy bed. Although she was a tomboy through and through, who didn't like a life of luxury? In the past, Rotell had left the capital and gone on adventures with her swordsmanship teacher, but those excursions never lasted very long. It could be said that the Grand Gathering, followed by the events in the west, marked the longest period she had ever been away from the southern region.
But at least during those times, she had a large force to back her up.
Currently, Rotell felt as if she had suffered setback after setback.
She was exhausted!
Now, after everything that had happened, the simple act of finally reaching her destination filled her with a sense of relief that was difficult to describe. Her eyes swept across the gathered participants, but as she looked—she froze!
Not far away, four familiar figures were already standing together, waiting for her...
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Rotell muttered with a slight stutter, "…You guys?"
For several long seconds, she simply stared in stunned silence. They were here! All four of them, already waiting for her! They had actually arrived before her!
The tension that had remained buried inside Rotell's chest for the past several days finally loosened. With one more large step forward, the tightness in her shoulders relaxed, and before she even realized it, a faint smile had appeared on her face.
One of the four figures seemed to notice her. Their head turned, then another, and then, almost simultaneously, the remaining two looked over.
Their eyes met.
"Rotell!" The familiar voice immediately washed away the last of her hesitation.
She jogged over happily.
"You're finally here!" Qucell exclaimed.
"Princess, where have you been?" Mellia asked.
Cirsen grinned. "We've been waiting forever!"
Old Man Roe remained silent, merely offering a nod.
Rotell laughed. "You're asking me?! Do you have any idea what I've been through?"
She immediately began walking toward them. The four figures also approached, and soon, they returned to their initial state, all five of them together again.
She scanned the group. They seemed to have been through a lot. Old Man Roe had changed clothes and was actually wearing a robe that covered his upper body. Qucell was slightly injured, leaning against Cirsen's huge frame like a delicate woman. Meanwhile, Mellia, that little biter, had a wide smile on her face as she spent the most time interacting with Rotell, eagerly catching up.
There was a strong sense of harmony as they talked.
Yet, after a long series of questions and answers, Rotell was thoroughly spent.
After falling from the plateau, being hunted through the forest, losing nearly everything she possessed, and spending days wondering whether her companions were even alive, the four familiar faces before her were enough. She had been alone for too long, and now that they had reunited, she suddenly felt a lot weaker. She actually wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she knew that now was not the time. Although her exhaustion was affecting her brain, her body could still move, and she didn't want to hold the others back.
She followed them without hesitation.
Behind her, the enormous Trial Pillar continued to shine.
As Rotell walked away with her four companions, none of them asked what had happened after they had separated in the forest, no, not a single one.
Shutter!
Rotell stopped for a moment, then looked back. It was as if she suddenly felt something flash, but she didn't seem to catch the streaking green light. She shook her head.
For the first time in what felt like forever, her shoulders finally relaxed completely.
Seeing that she fell behind, the four familiar figures looked back at her.
Then, almost simultaneously—
They smiled.