How to Tame That Gentle Hero - Chapter 10.3

Eldis felt a bit regretful that he couldn’t capture this scene with a vision stone. A barrier in the holy land prevented the use of magic, so surpassing one’s limits was only possible through a Sword Master’s own power.

This is because the power of Sernaus, who governs light but is also the god of warriors, strongly influences this place. Considering that those who are aware of magical power first manifest their power at the Blether Enosis Magic Tower, the first magic tower, it could be seen as a well-balanced arrangement.

“…Water. I wonder if it rains here occasionally.”

The trickling stream was crystal clear. The divine beast lowered its head to the water and lapped at it with its tongue. Seeing this, Eldis drank the water from his canteen and then immediately filled it with water from the flowing stream.

“Securing drinkable water here…”

The divine beast perked up its ears while looking at Eldis, then raised its head and began to walk again. Its long, snow-white deer-like legs looked cute, making Eldis smile as he followed behind.

“…This is a cave.”

When Eldis examined the cave, strangely, no insects were visible. Spider webs could have formed among the ivy vines, but there were no bugs in the cave, only a cool feeling from the shade. As the divine beast began to move with its slender legs, Eldis slowly walked behind it.

“…I can rest here at night. Fortunately, I won’t need to set up a tent.”

With a satisfied smile, Eldis approached the divine beast and stroked its back.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I found a place to rest. Finding a resting place before facing the trial to test my limits was necessary… Thank you, Lirameki.”

At that, the divine beast purred and raised its nose bridge toward the sky. The gesture seemed so human-like that Eldis burst out laughing. After stroking the divine beast’s soft back for a while, Eldis put down his backpack inside the cave and began organizing his belongings.

He set down the light for the night and laid out the bulky sleeping bag in advance. Fortunately, a campfire wasn’t necessary since the climate was always warm. After all, he couldn’t carelessly cut down trees in the holy land.

‘I’ll complete the trial and return within ten days in this holy land. If I’m later than that, Resena will worry too.’

Eldis looked forward to how Resena would welcome him when he returned.

She was Resena who had to let him go despite knowing she was sending him into danger. But it couldn’t be helped. Eldis was keenly aware that his nature wouldn’t be easily corrected. Now he was instinctively following Resena’s advice, recalling it whenever necessary, but as time passed, those words of advice would gradually be forgotten.

Therefore, for that advice to become the key to completely changing him, he needed to push his experience of relying on that counsel and depending on his senses to the limit. All of this was to prevent the world from being destroyed because of him, so it was something he absolutely had to do.

“Are you going?”

The divine beast looked back at Eldis as it left the cave. Its staring expression seemed to ask why he wasn’t coming, making Eldis smile as he followed. After walking for quite some time behind the divine beast Lirameki, the altar in the central area appeared beyond the distant horizon.

“This time, I’m not here to obtain Sernaus’s power. So there’s no need to go to the altar…”

The divine beast paid no attention to those words and continued walking. Eldis quietly followed behind. After walking for some time, a building that looked like a sanctuary built with white marble appeared.

“…I couldn’t see it at all because it was hidden by the trees, but such a place was here.”

The divine beast wagged its tail and entered the sanctuary. Its movements seemed familiar, as if it had been there often, making Eldis smile as he went inside. The sanctuary, hidden by ivy vines, was wider inside than expected, with stairs going up to the third floor.

“I didn’t know a place like this existed. Hmm…? This altar is similar to the one in the central area. …Though the ancient language inscribed is slightly different.”

Eldis met the eyes of the divine beast standing next to the altar. The divine beast shook its head and exhaled through its nose. At the gesture that seemed to tell him to read it, Eldis knelt on one knee and slowly read the ancient language entwined with ivy vines on the altar.

“You who have come to overcome the trial. Speak your name before this altar.”

When Eldis stood up after reading, the divine beast just quietly watched him. Eldis had a gentle expression, but soon drew the sword at his waist.

It seemed he would have to face the trial while the divine beast watched. Since Sernaus was the god of warriors, the trial would likely need to be overcome with a warrior’s senses and strength.

“Very well. I’m ready.”

Eldis declared proudly.

“I, Eldis Jude Crevasta, wish to undertake the trial!”

And in an instant, white fog swallowed him.

***

“…So? What happened next?”

In response to Resena’s question as she listened to the story with great interest, Eldis chuckled. Then he elegantly took a sip from his teacup to moisten his throat.

“You look very curious, Resena.”

“Of course I am. I’m extremely curious.”

Resena said that and placed her hand on Eldis’s cheek. The soft touch was like feeling silk, and Resena looked at him earnestly with the corners of her eyes curving. Eldis smiled at Resena’s attitude, closed his eyes, and deeply inhaled her scent from her hand.

“What happened after that was…”

Eldis, with a satisfied expression, kissed her palm and continued speaking.

The ice cubes floating on the surface of the cold tea began to sweat and melt again.

***

Eldis was enveloped in white fog and couldn’t see an inch in front of him.

Cautiously, he stepped forward, wary that a trial beast or demon might jump out.

However, strangely, the place where he stood had no walls, unlike where the altar had been earlier.

‘I must be under an illusion.’

His previous experience with mental illusion magic, which he had undergone to prepare against black mages’ spells, proved helpful.

Eldis moved carefully, holding his sword without letting his guard down. Then, from the direction he was facing, a tremendous roar and screams rang out.

“Kraaaah!”

“P-p-please spare me!”

‘Is this an illusion? But it seems quite real. Like reality…’

Eldis hurriedly moved toward the direction of the sound. Surely what would appear ahead would be an illusion, so there was no need to struggle to save someone. But as the screams became more desperate, his heart grew urgent, and his instinct signaled that he should save the person.

“Aaaaargh! Don’t eat me…!”

At last, the source of the sound was revealed.

A giant sand lion, like something from an Amarast-related illustration, was playing with a skinny man, rolling him with its front paws. Its handling had been so cruel that torn clothes and flesh hung from its claws, showing the man was near death.

‘Covered in blood… One arm is broken. Judging by his build, he seems like a knight… Did he become a toy because he couldn’t face that demon alone?’

Eldis tensed. Even to him, it seemed too real to dismiss as a simple illusion, so he gripped his sword tightly. If this was the trial, he would have to choose between saving that person or killing the lion.

“Look over here!”

Having quickly made his decision, Eldis decided to draw the sand lion’s attention to himself first. The sand lion, which had been playing with the thin man by rolling him with its huge front paws, bared its teeth as it looked in his direction. Seeing the drool dripping from its wide-open mouth, Eldis tensed and coated his sword with aura.

“Kraaaaaaang!”

His heart was screaming to save that man. So, he responded to it. After all, the purpose of this trial was to further activate his senses and distinguish someone’s malice.

“Grrrrrr…!”

The sand lion howled toward the sky with a “Kraaa,” then lowered its body with sand flowing down, removing its front paws from the man. Eldis coated his entire body with aura, just in case, preparing for the coming attack.

And in that moment, the lion flew.