*
The shrine of Tardun is located on the sheer stone mountains known as the Rufus Mountain Range.
The Crown Prince. No, the name of Rufus Grancia, who holds the status of the Crown Prince here, must have come from this place.
The next morning, I took my party and climbed the mountain early.
“Is this the shrine of Tardun..?”
“It seems to be in terms of location.”
I took out the map and found the oddly twisted part of the terrain. As far as I remember, this is the right place. It’s not easily noticeable.
“Kay!! Can you put me down now.. It’s embarrassing..”
“When did you ever ask to be carried?”
Ariel is currently being carried by Kainel. She’s complaining that her legs hurt halfway. She could just use magic, but who knows, she’s probably too tsundere to show her feelings properly.
For someone who’s embarrassed, it’s funny to see Ariel’s face blooming with a smile.
“..It’s kind of creepy, isn’t it?”
After a long time, we arrived at the shrine, which seemed deserted and overgrown with weeds and dust like an abandoned house.
Is there really no one managing it now? I clearly remember it looked much cleaner in the sequel.
The gray-haired lycanthrope who managed it is nowhere in sight. There’s no one here to guard it like Laplace or the Grim Reaper.
I touched the huge wolf-shaped sculpture, which holds a sword. A sculpture representing Tardun.
“To enhance my swordsmanship, this place should be perfect.”
Just like Laplace became a grand mage by accessing the Library of Truth, I believe that if I’m to complete my Demon King kill, this is the only answer.
The structure changes depending on the route the player takes.
Originally, I would have shown a feat of acquiring the Magic Sword Horizon and ignoring all traps with defense, but now I can’t do that.
“..So cute.”
Pina was petting the forehead of the stone wolf. Standing there like a guardian just like Haetae.
Watching that, I suddenly recalled the information I bought from the info broker yesterday.
What does it mean to put the wolf, symbolizing day and night, in the ring? I wanted the power to twist fate to prevent Pina’s forced death event.
Words surfaced that reminded me of Emperor Rock, but upon reflection, he doesn’t possess enough ability to twist fate.
After all, he’s someone who couldn’t pull Queen Bellin from the cards.
‘If it’s information that a loner can’t talk about…. It must be a god ranked above the four gods.’
God of Light and God of Darkness.
These guys that I learned about in class have only left breadcrumbs. It seems like I’m also related to the nameless saintess Pina in the game, so I’ve been searching high and low for her.
The information I gathered is only related to magic swords or holy swords, and it was mentioned that the God of Light is rather taciturn, which might mean I won’t understand much of it.
But what do the God of Light and God of Darkness oversee?
Seeing that Tardun, the God of Will, oversees swordsmanship and Akasha, the God of Intelligence, oversees magic, it does not seem merely about light and darkness.
“This is the entrance.”
Knock knock, I tapped the stone door and checked the emerging patterns. They symbolize the route taken by the player.
Up until now, the route I’ve walked includes the paths of Kainel, Dennis, and Nex…
In the case of Laplace and the sage, unlike in the game, it’s difficult to say they’re allies this time, since we haven’t specifically formed a party to capture the Demon King.
“Wow.. What’s this? A helmet?”
“It’s just a puzzle. Pretty simple.”
Following the buzzing beams of light, the lavender representing the hero couple appeared on the door, followed by the golden primrose indicating the love between the celestial demon and Dennis.
“By the looks of it, the trials will differ based on this.”
Nex, with the sun at his back, resembled a bat.
In the end, if those two are to marry, they must overcome Asha Aureus’s opposition, so it makes sense, right?
Even if this changes, it won’t affect the difficulty. The remaining one is the most crucial.
And the last symbol that appeared. It symbolizes my route with Pina.
“Uh, wait? A blue rose..?”
At the top of the wall. Looking at the softly glowing blue rose, I couldn’t hide my confusion.
Surely, when I visited with the nameless saintess Pina, it was a white rose back then. But now it has changed to a blue rose—what does that even mean?
“Licht.. Did something go wrong?”
Pina, fidgeting with her mana rose hair accessory, expressed her confusion. Perhaps it’s because of that.
Since I saved Pina from being forgotten due to ignorance, it might be the reason the route has changed. The status window indicated as much.
‘It definitely said “named princess” now.. so the saintess route is off the table.’
If I had entered the shrine through the saintess route, countless traps and tricks symbolizing her hardships would’ve unfolded, with a Minotaur chasing behind.
I’d relied on the magic sword’s defense and led the way by triggering all the traps before smashing through with my body.
Gulp, my throat felt dry. I wonder if entering like this is right.
I came here thinking there would surely be a way to train in swordsmanship. But now it feels like anything could pop up.
“Licht. Let’s go in quickly.”
“Pina, just a moment. Aren’t you scared? If this is a place where the Inrang tribe held their coming-of-age ceremony, then there should be some trials.”
“Yeah, as long as I’m with Licht, it’s okay.”
While I hesitated and couldn’t move out of fear, I felt a gentle presence on my arm. Pina, with her arms linked, had slightly rosy cheeks.
Slowly, she seemed to be showing the same bold demeanor as the nameless saintess I knew. Could it be because of me?
A smile escaped me at the thought that the true nature of Pina Grancia could be something like this.
“..Same here. Pina.”
I tried my best not to overlay a different persona, yet here we are.
Putting together the patterns on the wall, I began to decipher the code. As I pressed them in the order I walked the route, the door started to open with a whoosh sound.
“Now, are we ready?”
In the pitch-black shrine, smoke began to drift out.
There were surely traps here to test our will. Suppressing my anxious feelings, I moved forward.
*
I don’t know how much time passed. I heard someone’s voice and opened my eyes.
“Licht, you need to wake up.”
Someone was waking me up while I lay on a fluffy bed. The strange sensation of fingers poking my cheek jolted me awake.
“Pina?”
A girl with black hair gave me a soft smile from beside me. She looked just like Pina Grancia, but something was slightly different.
“What happened to your hair color?”
“What about my hair color..?”
It was black, not white. She looked like a black wolf Pina.
“Wasn’t it originally white?”
“Pfft, Licht. You still haven’t fully woken up. How can you say that when you’re my fiancé?”
What? Fiancé? I couldn’t understand the rapidly changing situation.
The bed was decorated with golden trimmings and extravagant ornaments, just like a chamber in the imperial palace. Cute dolls surrounded me.
Shouldn’t there be monsters or traps popping out to test our will? I glanced around, trying to find the hero couple.
“Where are Kainel and Ariel, Pina..?”
“Kainel..? Who’s that..?”
The black-haired Pina seemed to not know the names of the hero couple I mentioned.
Feeling a strange sensation, I touched my face. The soft touch of my cheeks was immediately noticeable. Even pulling on them didn’t bring pain.
In the distant mirror, my black knight helmet, which I always wore, was missing. So, this means it’s not reality but a virtual space.
‘Is it that in here, Pina and I are set to be engaged..?’
I was still in my academy uniform. Thankfully, I hadn’t shrunk down this time either.
I felt disappointed that the sword I had on my waist was gone, but at least it didn’t seem like a dangerous situation.
“Stop mumbling and wake up. Mother and Father are waiting.”
Thinking of this as a trial of the shrine, I followed Pina.
The sight of her in a black dress, instead of her usual academy outfit, was refreshing.
“I’m late, aren’t I? Licht.”
“Looks like you always keep our daughter waiting, Licht.”
As I went down the stairs, I was greeted by a couple of Inrang with black hair. A sight I can’t forget.
“Emperor Rock.. and Queen Bellin..?”
“Just call us more casually. Why are you being like this?”
Rock Grancia and Bellin Grancia. Seeing them made my blood run cold. I couldn’t move my feet.
Does this even make sense? One of them has been turned into a card by the Magic Hat, and the other sees me as a thief.
“Licht. Let’s sit here.”
Pina slightly pushed the chair next to her, tapping the cushion. A sign for me to sit next to her.
It’s a prickly seat, sitting across from the Emperor and Empress.
“..Understood, Pina.”
“Pfft, our little wolf. You sure listen well.”
Reluctantly, I sat down. I couldn’t refuse since Pina’s previously icy expression was melting away.
“It’s black cow steak. Your favorite, Licht.”
In front of me lay a beautifully grilled steak. Pina took a smaller piece than usual. She clearly was eating much less.
“Eat a lot.. I don’t have an appetite.”
As far as I knew, Pina was a big eater. Even though I’ve tried using different magic or a Dragon Heart, nothing seemed to work.
I should be sensing her presence, but even though she was right next to me, I couldn’t feel her at all. I already somewhat figured it out.
These people are fake.
“Father-in-law.”
I spat out the line I had always wanted to say. For a moment, the temple vein on the Emperor’s temple twitched, but I didn’t care.
“Why do you call me like that, Licht?”
Success. The real Emperor Rock Grancia wouldn’t show me this kind of friendliness.
“What year is it in the Empire?”
I threw a question to gauge their lies.
