“…I thought it was perfect.”
The sensation is better than I expected.
I didn’t deny Loreliess’s words and released my transformation.
As she said, after subduing the shield and that guy Manus, I was mimicking him.
I came in here to extract information from him and dig up more based on that information, but…
Unfortunately, it seems he noticed me the moment I entered.
However, there’s something I don’t quite understand.
“How did you know? I was hiding my body using Manus’s abilities.”
Manus was stronger than I thought, exceeding even the Commander of Knights.
The clashes were more intense than anticipated, and during that, Manus, cornered in a defensive position, pulled me into another ‘Spiritual World.’
In a complete Spiritual World, he couldn’t defeat me.
After subduing Manus like that, I had perfectly transformed to deceive everyone outside using his abilities.
“Action.”
Loreliess’s long finger pointed to the shield lying beside me.
“Manus is a soul bound to a Mythical Artifact, but he doesn’t lower his head like a creature.”
“Oh.”
So that’s how it is?
It must have been too basic for her to mention.
Loreliess waved her hand lightly.
In an instant, I raised my hammer and summoned some Holy power, but her gesture was aimed at the fallen shield.
The shield floated up and stood next to Loreliess’s chair.
Creak—! Another chair appeared in front of her.
“Sit. You have business with me, do you not?”
“…….”
“There’s no need to be so wary. If I intended to kill you, I would have acted long ago.”
“True.”
I sat down.
I looked at Loreliess.
Her long blue hair and blue eyes symbolized the Celestial Race.
Her clothes were not much different from what high-ranking Celestials wear, and around her, countless invisible Mythical Artifacts swirled.
Manus was probably one of those weapons.
Now that I see it up close, I can definitely feel it.
‘At my current state, there’s no way I can win.’
There’s no hope unless I charge at her with the intent to truly die.
“First, let’s clarify a misunderstanding you have.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“First. This place is not the past.”
I had expected that.
Having experienced it through the Interference Dungeon, it’s likely closer to an IF world where something has changed in the situations of the past.
‘We cannot return to the past.’
“To be precise, it would be more accurate to say this place is ‘separated’ from the past. That goes for me as well.”
“…Separated?”
“My ‘true’ self from long ago made a promise. An eternal promise and vow.”
“I swear it.”
Creeeak.
“That oath wasn’t made with my own power. ‘That Person’ granted me strength, and that strength has remained even after thousands of years.”
“So, the real you is?”
“Already dead. The connection has been severed, so it’s probably certain.”
So, to sum it up…
In the past, Loreliess received power from the existence known as ‘That Person’ and swore an eternal promise.
That oath applied to both the Temple of Loreliess and herself, separating the real from the fake, and it has remained unchanged until now…
“When exactly did the real you die?”
“Three years before the war ended.”
At the point where I had been Lily for 27 years.
And the moment when the Knights of the Loreliess, the Ros Knights, were annihilated by the Demon Race.
It seems Loreliess also died around that time.
“If you’re asking about the war, I can’t answer that. The important thing isn’t that, is it?”
“Right.”
The war is already over, and I’m undergoing the trial of the Multicolored Successor.
What matters is the trial that the fake Loreliess in front of me is about to give.
Seemingly reading my thoughts, Loreliess sighed.
“…Could you not call me fake? Even though the real me is dead, I don’t think of this place or myself as a fake.”
“Because the one who survived is you?”
“Only I walk the great path.”
To keep the eternal promise, Loreliess was split into two.
The separated Loreliess was meant as a ‘backup’ in case the ‘real’ Loreliess was unable to keep the promise, but then the real Loreliess actually died.
As a result, the backup Loreliess, who was merely a substitute, ended up awakening…
“This place is separated from the world, so it wasn’t swept up in the aftermath of the war. But there was a downside.”
“We can’t leave.”
“That’s right.”
The separated Loreliess and a few loyal followers were trapped in the Temple of the eternal promise, unable to escape.
No one knows they’re trapped, except for Loreliess and that Manus fellow.
Their time remains stuck in the past.
“I’ve been awake for a long time, but my memory isn’t very long. The time I clearly remember begins from a few hundred years ago when I started tinkering with the Lower Realm.”
“…….”
A few hundred years ago, that must be from the time Drak first appeared.
Drak first showed up to prevent the destruction of Talikal, created a masterpiece with the powers and materials he received, and gave it to the suitable candidate.
The candidate who received the masterpiece managed to stave off destruction with that power… No, then.
“…Just how many subcontractings have been arranged?”
The existence known as ‘That Person’ first entrusted it to Loreliess.
Then Loreliess entrusted it to Drak to prevent destruction.
Then Drak handed it to the candidate by giving them a masterpiece.
Then that masterpiece was given to another person to prevent another destruction…
“There’s no end to it.”
At my question, Loreliess averts her gaze.
“…The path of greatness is such. Those in great positions cannot act recklessly—”
“You’re just beating around the bush because you don’t want to do it. Just a flick of your finger would be enough.”
“I cannot move except to give power.”
“Why is Talikal helping?”
Someone who receives power from a high-ranking celestial being known as ‘that person.’
Why would such a being help a human? Specifically, a ‘particular’ human?
Loreliess fell silent for a moment.
“…It’s just one of the old promises.”
“What promise is that?”
“I cannot say.”
Loreliess keeps her mouth shut.
So this is how it ends, huh?
I wish I could smash everything to uncover the truth, but capturing Loreliess in my current state is impossible.
No, even if I manage to capture her, knowing about ‘that person’ above Loreliess, I shouldn’t act rashly.
“If only I were an Eight Seat, it would be troublesome.”
The Eight Seats are untouchable, no matter what tricks I employ.
This is the same even if it were in my prime.
After a mental tug-of-war, I finally took a step back.
“Let’s hear the trial.”
“As I said before, this is a space maintained by that person’s power. No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to break through.”
But.
Crack!
The sky of the temple opens.
Light pours down from the opened sky, and a massive white spiral begins to rotate.
Something descends through the gaps of the spiral.
It’s blue…
“Looks like there’s an exception.”
“…System?”
Ding!
[■■■ ■■■]
[■■ 99%]
[Completion.]
[Trial of the Multicolored Successor – Progressing Loreliess’s ■■.]
[Upon clearing this trial, you will receive a portion of Loreliess’s power.]
[You can exit the trial at any time, and the re-entry cooldown is one hour. The cooldown may vary depending on the situation.]
[Loreliess’s ■■ trial progress is at 99%.]
A blue system window obscures my view.
I couldn’t use the system window in the spiritual world, but now, as the gap opened, the delayed windows flooded in all at once.
However, the broadcast still could not relay me.
Still, it seems to be on since the ON indicator is lit.
“By the way…”
“99%? Is it over?”
“Didn’t you see it once already? The trial can be cleared if it pleases the target’s heart.”
Just like when I finished Minoa’s trial with the Celestial Skewers, possessing the Multicolored Successor.
“As long as you can convince me, what does that percent mean?”
“It only needs convincing.”
“That’s right.”
“That’s right.”
“What is the promise?”
“I told you that I can’t tell you.”
“Don’t you need to know to persuade me?”
Clearly, Loreliess must have taken some measures regarding the Multicolored Successor, preparing various arrangements including the Light of Transcendence.
Surely, the failure in enhancement and our meeting were part of the plan, and there must have been some expectations as well.
“If you improve my weapon a bit, I’ll grant you what you want. Whether it’s the destruction of Talikal or some other promise. Isn’t that what you want?”
So that’s why you’re having Drak do all these tasks, huh?
“…….”
Loreliess smiles lightly.
Despite her Celestial race’s beautiful smile, a sense of hostility naturally rises.
“That’s right. You are right. I cannot move, and the promise must continue. I had Drak do it, but who knows how it will turn out.”
“Then?”
“I will grant it. The desired masterpiece. I’ll enhance exactly two of them.”
“Two.”
Two should be… not bad.
One of them can be the white one that couldn’t be improved before.
And the other could be red or blue. Or I could use something else.
I will obtain two Transcendent Masterpieces through the trial of the Transcendent Masterpiece.
It’s practically a business that has no losses.
“What will be the cost?”
“I will make two proposals to you. Neither side will be a loss.”
Loreliess raises her index finger.
“The first is the eternal protection of Talikal. No matter what happens in the future, you must be the first to step up and prevent destruction. Well… if you can’t step up, then you can have someone else do it in a ‘shameful way.'”
“There’s a lingering aftertaste, isn’t there?”
“Well, perhaps?”
Eternal protection, huh…
Though the term “eternal” is annoying, it’s not an overly difficult issue.
After all, I was planning to protect Talikal during the Great Cataclysm, and if I can’t step in myself, I can always move Pharaoh or Lasty.
In fact, being a Celestial, she speaks somewhat sharply, but assigning a role to someone else isn’t a bad thing.
The real problem is not going when the situation allows it.
“What’s the second?”
“The second, time-wise, is incredibly simple.”
Kiaaaak!!
A shriek that tears through the sky echoes loudly.
This was a problem that arose after a ‘gap’ formed in the Temple that had been completely dimensionally separated.
The sky turned red.
“Just catch some demon beasts for me. About ten thousand or so.”
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