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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Test of Courage
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And that night.
“Captain, demons aren’t real, are they?”
asked Romeo, who was standing to Lellia's right. He looked up at the darkening sky, anxious.
“They’re not.”
“Really? So the priests are lying?”
“Well, not exactly lying… It’s more that they *believe* they exist. I don’t think they do. If you think they don’t exist, then they don’t. So you should just decide they’re not real and stop being scared.”
“…Does everything happen just because you think it will?”
“Romeo. That’s just how the world works, you know? It’s all about perspective. If you think everything will be fine, it usually will be. But if you think, ‘Oh, I’m doomed!’ then that’s what’ll happen.”
“……”
“Of course, that’s not always the case. But thinking this way puts your mind at ease. So you should choose the option that makes you feel better.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Romeo’s expression seemed to say, *What nonsense.* Lellia just shook her head.
‘Was that too grown-up for them?’
Oh, dear. I must have sounded far too mature.
While Lellia was reveling in her own maturity, Oscar, standing to her left, spoke up.
“I-I’m not scared of demons. I, uh, don’t think they exist.”
“See? You too, right? Did you hear that, Romeo?”
“…Yeah.”
Romeo frowned, looking at Oscar.
‘If a pathetic coward like him isn’t afraid of demons, then there’s no reason for me to be.’
That’s what Romeo was thinking.
But Oscar had his own reason for not believing in demons.
It was because he knew of an existence far more terrifying than any demon: his own father.
“Alright, you’re supposed to go in pairs, so you two will go together tomorrow.”
“What about you, Captain?”
“Me? I’m going alone, of course.”
Her confident words made both boys’ eyes go wide.
“W-Will you be okay?”
“Of course. Which means you two can do it, too.”
Lellia patted them on the back.
“C-Captain, are you n-not scared of the dark?”
“Why would I be scared of the dark? I’m not scared at all.”
When Lellia answered so confidently, Oscar looked at her with admiration. Romeo, however, wasn’t so easily convinced. He narrowed his eyes and watched her.
“Listen, children. There are many things in this world far scarier than a dark night.”
Like being hungry… or being hungry again…
How many years had she spent all alone in that deserted tower? There was no way she’d be afraid of a little darkness.
To Lellia, the greatest fear was hunger.
“Anyway, you two are going together.”
“…Alright.”
“O-Okay, Captain.”
The two boys replied as if they had no other choice.
This was a good opportunity for the two of them to get closer.
‘Though I’m not sure if it’ll even happen tomorrow…’
The chances were higher that it wouldn’t. Still, the event wouldn’t be canceled entirely. The priests would just be more careful.
Lellia’s group was scheduled for the next day.
Today, she had come to watch the other groups depart.
‘More importantly, I have to prevent the accident that’s going to happen tonight.’
Among those departing today were people Lellia knew.
One of them was Calix Ascad.
Lellia watched Calix from a distance.
“Captain, we’re done watching. Let’s go back.”
“I have something to say to the priests, so you two go on ahead. You can hang out in my room if you want.”
“Fine, whatever.”
At Lellia’s words, Romeo gestured to Oscar with his chin. After a moment’s hesitation, Oscar followed him.
He glanced back at Lellia, but her promise to return soon reassured him, and he left.
Lellia stood in a corner with a serious expression before approaching a priest.
In truth, this test of courage prepared by the priests was a long-standing tradition for young novices entering the temple.
‘To erase the fear of demons, one must first erase the fear of the dark.’ That was their logic. And so, they made the children climb the mountain late at night.
The mountain in question was a small one behind the temple.
Though they called it small, it was a formidable distance for children. That’s why the priests had set up a destination at a lower point, about halfway up.
The task was simple: reach a small hut midway, light a candle as a ritual to purify demons, and then return.
The participants always departed in pairs.
It was a win-win for the priests teaching the young novices, as it could foster cooperation and friendship while also eliminating the fear of demons.
The mountain path was very narrow, but it wasn’t dangerous at all.
It was a mountain the priests climbed daily, inhabited only by small animals like rabbits and squirrels.
‘That was true this morning… or at least, up until now.’
But Lellia knew.
Tonight, someone would deliberately release a wild beast to harm a child.
“Excuse me, Priest.”
“Ah, Your Highness Prince Leo. What can I do for you? Your turn isn’t until tomorrow.”
“I came because I wanted to watch in advance. But… is it really not dangerous?”
“Yes, of course. The priests climb this mountain every day. Please don’t worry.”
The priest spoke as if Lellia were a cute little coward.
Lellia bit her lip.
There must have been a tacit agreement between a high-ranking priest and someone else about what was to happen tonight.
‘So what should I do?’
If I tell them a beast is going to appear, no one will believe me. In fact, it’s more likely I’ll draw the attention of the people who planned this.
‘And then the emperor who sent me here might find out.’
It was a dilemma.
She wanted to handle this maturely and intelligently. But in the body of a seven-year-old, she couldn’t ponder such difficult and deep matters for long.
Perhaps that was why no solution came to mind. It was just frustrating.
‘How can I stop it?’
Honestly, she could just ignore it.
Lellia could just worry about her own life and let the rest of the story unfold as it did in the original, regardless of what happened to the characters…
But…
‘How can I just stand by and watch when I know a child’s life is about to be ruined?!’
Lellia chewed her lip anxiously, her hand reaching into her pocket to finger something she had stolen earlier.
It was a whistle used by the priests.
‘No choice. I’ll just have to face it head-on.’
The sky grew dark, and the final turn arrived.
The last ones to depart were Calix and Griffith. Both were children who would one day become heroes and defeat the Mad Dragon.
After the final pair set off, Lellia snuck past a slacking priest and followed them.
‘I really underestimated this…’
This is so tiring. They said they made a rest stop halfway, but I feel like I’ve gone way past the halfway point…?
‘Don’t tell me they used magic to alter the path?’
If so, this was serious. Lellia stared at the small figures of the two boys in the distance.
Just then, there was a loud thud.
Calix had missed his step and fallen.
‘Huh? No! Why did that idiot have to trip and fall while just walking?!’
Of course, she herself was the character who missed a step, fell into a pond, and died in the original novel. Still, she had to say her piece.
In any case, when Calix fell, the lantern he was holding shattered, and the surroundings were instantly plunged into silent darkness.
Calix muttered a small curse.
“Damn it, what do we do?”
“Only an idiot would drop it.”
“What? An idiot? Hey, what did you just call me?”
The two boys glared daggers at each other. They had never exchanged a single word until now.
Their first conversation was an insult. And then…
“You bastard!”
“You’re the idiot here!”
The two boys soon started throwing punches. As the situation took a turn for the worse, Lellia wanted to scream.
‘Those stupid ten-year-old brats!’
In the dark mountain woods, with only the faint moonlight to guide them, the brats were grabbing each other by the collar and rolling on the ground.
Along with the chirping of birds in the quiet forest, the sound of fists hitting flesh—*thwack, thwack*—and grunts of “Ugh!” could be heard.
‘You stupid idiots! Stop fighting!’
Lellia wanted to shout, but she knew that yelling suddenly in the darkness would startle the two boys.
They were already on edge from the test of courage, so she shouldn’t provoke them. Even in this situation, Lellia’s first thought was to avoid traumatizing the children.
‘Ugh, stop fighting, you brats… please!’
Lellia was going crazy with anxiety. In the original novel, all she had seen of this incident was a brief line of dialogue and a short flashback.
She didn’t know the specific details. Already afraid of when the beast might appear, she grew even more anxious when the two of them started fighting.
Just then, Griffith spat out a curse and started heading back the way they came.
“Yeah! Go on, get out of here! You coward!”
Calix yelled at Griffith’s retreating back.
‘So that’s what happened to Calix… after Griffith left him alone…’
Lellia, hiding behind a tree, watched Griffith’s figure disappear into the distance.
The truth was, Griffith was born with sacred power, but he didn’t yet know how to use it.
His sacred power would play a huge role in the fight against the Mad Dragon, but not now.
For now, he only possessed the ability to see clearly in the dark.
Still, he would awaken his full abilities before leaving this neutral territory.
‘That Griffith… he can see just fine, but he still picked a fight over a dropped lantern. Ugh, seriously. Boys.’
But even for Griffith… could he really make it back safely?
A wave of worry washed over Lellia.
‘I think they’ve created a barrier you can’t escape from, so they can release the beast…’
That must be why the path seems to repeat itself no matter how much you walk, and why the hut never appears.
‘Well, if Griffith can’t find the way, he’ll eventually come back.’
Lellia waited until Griffith was a good distance away.
And after some time had passed, she trudged forward, guided by the bright moonlight that emerged from behind the clouds.
Calix Ascad was sitting slumped over by himself.
‘He must have hurt his leg, it’ll be hard for him to walk.’
He must have sprained his ankle badly when he fell.
As Lellia drew closer, Calix scoffed.
“What, why are you back? Got scared trying to go alone?”
“I’m not Griffith.”
“…What?”
Lellia realized her mistake.
“I’m…”
“Aah! It’s a demon! Demons are real! Damn it, get away! You damn demon!”
She was about to say she wasn’t a demon, but Prince Leo…
Calix thrashed around on the ground.
“Aah!”
Thanks to Calix, who was making a huge scene, Lellia was kicked and fell to the ground.
“Kuaaaaaaah!”
And Calix, having kicked Lellia with his injured foot, also let out a piercing shriek.
