Despite the lingering suspicion toward the witch in his heart, there were still things that had to be done.
Lillian retraced his steps and left the cramped, shadowy cave. The harsh sunlight outside made him squint.
His most urgent task now was to enter the village, since the location of the trial was inside it. However, simply walking in openly was not an option.
Leaving aside how the village's original residents might react to him, Roswaal was also there, and Ram's group had most likely already entered the village as well. The key was finding a way to avoid them. Perhaps… sneaking in quietly?
Looking at the low, modest houses in the distance, Lillian realized it would not be easy to find a place to hide. He would probably be discovered very quickly.
For a moment, he felt troubled. Just then, he noticed more people leaving the village and heading toward the forest.
Like the two minotaur-like demi-humans from earlier, the ones coming out this time were also demi-humans—there were no humans among them. Seeing them reminded Lillian of the words those two had previously mentioned: "Roswaal-sama… has already become like that."
That was what they had said. Roswaal had apparently been injured during the trial, and it did not sound like a minor wound—otherwise they would not have described it in such a tone. Moreover, from the meaning behind the two minotaurs' conversation, the Sanctuary seemed to be divided into two factions. One group sought to pass the trial and break the barrier so the residents could leave—the "leave faction." The other group, like the two minotaurs, believed the outside world was dangerous and preferred to remain within the barrier—the "stay faction."
The conflict between these two sides gave Lillian a reason to intervene. All he needed to do was find a way to contact members of the "leave faction."
Echidna had said, "I grant you the qualification to participate in the trial." The implication of those words was that not everyone possessed such qualification—otherwise she would not have emphasized that she was "granting" it. Those with the qualification must therefore be few in number. If someone like Lillian, who possessed such eligibility, appeared, it would mean an increased chance of passing the trial. Under those circumstances, the "leave faction" should be willing to accept him.
So which faction did these three demi-humans belong to?
Lillian quietly followed them and listened to their conversation for a while. He soon felt that his luck was rather good.
"Sigh… even Roswaal-sama failed. Who else could possibly succeed?"
"It's a pity he's human. This trial… only mixed-blood individuals are qualified to participate."
"Exactly. But even we mixed-bloods don't have Roswaal-sama's strength."
"That's right. Now who knows what will—ah!"
The sheep-headed demi-human speaking was suddenly startled by a figure leaping down from a tree. His two companions immediately reacted as well, shouting, "Who's there?!"
"Don't be nervous."
A somewhat strange voice sounded—muffled, as if wrapped inside a layer of bubbles.
"I mean you no harm."
"… "
The three demi-humans stared at the cloaked figure before them—Lillian, wearing a hooded cloak and a mask etched with spiral patterns. It was impossible for them not to feel tense.
The number of residents within the Sanctuary was not large, and after so many years they all more or less knew one another by name. The three were absolutely certain that this person was not from the village, but an outsider.
"Who are you?!"
"I am someone who came from outside the barrier," Lillian replied. Even to his own ears, his voice sounded somewhat strange.
There was no help for it. His build and appearance could be concealed with a cloak and mask, but what about his voice? His natural tone was rather clear and distinctive—Roswaal, Ram, and the others would instantly recognize him if they heard it. After some thought, he had used the Invisible Will to fill his mouth, allowing his voice to pass through it before emerging. As a result, his clear voice became deep and slightly distorted, making it impossible to associate it with the same person.
"Outside the barrier? A human who wandered in by mistake?"
Lillian's figure did not resemble that of a demi-human at all, so the three instinctively assumed his identity.
Wandered in by mistake… It seems this barrier truly places no restrictions on humans. Does it only limit the entry and exit of demi-humans?
"Listen—I've come to help you," Lillian said. "You want to leave this place, don't you? The barrier has trapped you within this small world, and only by passing the trial can it be removed. I am here to help you accomplish that."
Of course, it was also to help himself.
"How do you know about the barrier trial—?!"
The fact that an outsider knew such things shocked the three demi-humans. They exchanged glances, clearly unable to make a decision on their own.
"Should we take him to Ryuzu-sama?"
"But…"
"No matter what, he knows about the barrier and the trial. Ryuzu-sama must be informed!"
"Right!"
The three quickly reached a decision and said to Lillian, "If what you say is true, we can take you to meet Ryuzu-sama."
Ryuzu…
Lillian had no idea who that was, but judging from their respectful tone, she was likely someone of great authority in the village—someone capable of making decisions.
"Very well."
This step was unavoidable, and Lillian agreed.
The three immediately abandoned their task of gathering firewood and hurriedly led Lillian toward the village.
As they drew closer, more demi-humans appeared, all casting curious glances at him, wondering who this visitor was. What reassured Lillian was that very few of those gazes carried hostility. At the very least, it showed that the demi-humans in this village were not an especially malicious group.
He also noticed that throughout this entire time, everyone he encountered was a demi-human—there was not a single human among them. It seemed this village belonged entirely to demi-humans, all of them mixed-bloods, which was why they were restricted by the barrier and unable to leave.
As for the state of the village itself, its dilapidation had already been apparent from afar. Up close, the impression was even stronger. It resembled the rural settlements of extremely impoverished regions—houses built from simple wood and stone bricks, none higher than two stories. There were no proper roads, only dirt paths, and the clothing of the demi-humans was extremely plain. The luxurious silks and brocades commonly seen in the royal capital's streets were nowhere to be found here.
It made sense. A "utopia," isolated from the outside world, might be free from disasters such as war, yet it also could not benefit from the advanced productivity of the outside world.
Still, Lillian thought that if humans or pure-blood demi-humans were able to enter and leave freely, they could bring goods from outside. Judging from the way the minotaurs had referred to Roswaal earlier as "sama," he should have been responsible for this place.
"We've arrived."
Lost in thought, Lillian looked up when the three suddenly stopped. They had brought him to the front of a wooden house. Compared to the other buildings in the village, this one was nothing special—in fact, it appeared even more modest.
"Ryuzu-sama, there's a human here… wait, you are human, right?" The demi-human announcing his arrival cast Lillian a suspicious glance.
Lillian smiled faintly. He lifted half of his mask, revealing one side of his face.
"One hundred percent pure human."
"Mm." The demi-human nodded and continued to report loudly outside the door, "A human has arrived claiming he possesses the qualification to participate in the trial!"
Creaaak—
The door opened, and someone stepped out.
Lillian had expected some imposing and dignified demi-human to appear. Instead, the one who emerged was a young girl who looked no older than thirteen or fourteen—though that was only her outward appearance.
Her light crimson hair flowed down behind her robe, giving her an extremely youthful look. Yet when one met her azure eyes, the profound depth within them clearly proved that this was a being whose mental maturity was entirely out of proportion with her physical age.
"…Why all this noise? This old one was just about to calm her mind and meditate."
The girl's use of the term "this old one" to refer to herself created a strong sense of incongruity. Her deep gaze settled on Lillian. Though he did not know her exact status in the village, he addressed her respectfully.
"Hello. I am a visitor from the outside world."
"This old one has heard," she replied. "You claim to possess the qualification to participate in the trial?"
"Yes."
"Heh." The "girl," called Ryuzu, smiled faintly. "This old one does not know how you came to learn of the 'trial.' However, only those of mixed blood may challenge it. You—"
"For those who are not of mixed blood, attempting it by force would cause severe damage to themselves, correct?" Lillian said, drawing on the conclusions he had inferred from the minotaur demi-humans' earlier conversation. "If that is the case, wouldn't letting me try make everything clear?"
"… "
"If I am able to challenge it, that proves I am not lying. If I cannot, then the trial will strike me down—I will bear the consequences myself. In that case, you would suffer no loss, would you?"