225 – Aria’s Trials of the Saints (2)
A place overlooking the trials of the Saints.
I was tied to a chair, staring at Aria’s ordeal.
The Pope and Emperor, who can be said to be the original owners of this place, were also looking down.
The atmosphere seemed quite serious at first glance.
“hehehe. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the face of our saint candidate. I was worried because the report wasn’t good, but I’m glad she looks okay.”
“……”
“Isn’t it very cute and pretty?”
“……”
Despite the fuss of the Pope, who had correctly grasped the concept of a very foolish fool, the Emperor simply remained silent.
‘To be honest, I think my daughter is beyond stupid.’
No matter how you look at it, the way they look at the saint candidate seems a bit dangerous.
Anyway.
The Pope’s appearance may seem quite absurd, but it is clearly a strategic decision.
The emperor’s somewhat distraught look proves that.
It must be difficult.
The leader of an organization cannot insult someone he willingly regards as his daughter.
In addition, it is special in that it shows an event that only the Pope can see, called the ‘Ordeal of a Candidate for Sainthood.’
The atmosphere of this place was clearly led perfectly by the Pope.
He opened his mouth to me this time.
“Ian, what you said may be right. It’s great to see that you overcame the pain so well! I really want to have you as a son-in-law. Huh?”
Or are you really just a fool?
Whatever it is.
I explained things about Aria to the Pope and tripped over her guard.
To summarize, ‘I did well, but he (Dave) ruined my child.’
Now the Pope is measuring angles.
Would you believe me or take Dave’s side?
I will be infinitely truthful in the light of his power.
From the moment I received the title, the trembling in my heart completely disappeared.
So the Pope thinks I am truthful.
However.
He is weighing things by placing them on a scale.
For him, would it be useful to save me, or would it be useful to burn me at the stake?
And the criterion for determining its value is whether Aria passes the sainthood ordeal.
Well, the result is no different from what has been decided.
Because Aria did not receive care, she would not be able to pass the test.
You will break down and be eliminated from the first trial.
That was normal.
Just looking at her banging her head against the wall was like that.
It was going to collapse like that.
But.
“Wow! I can’t believe you passed the first trial so quickly!”
What was seen along with the Pope’s sigh-like murmur was Aria, who was already opening the door.
“……?”
Something that clearly wasn’t going to happen happened.
My eyes widen in embarrassment.
But I saw it clearly.
Aria’s gestures change in an instant.
It means she found traces of something.
‘… This doesn’t make sense.’
The Crucible is not an artificially created space.
A type of relic handed down from ancient times.
Therefore, the trials within are absolute.
In essence, it is a ‘trial of patience’ in which one must find a way out with endless patience.
Aria got over it by feeling something in her.
‘I don’t know what I felt.’
It may not be the feeling of the relic itself.
Perhaps these are traces of another saintess candidate who took the test a long time ago?
Whatever it is…
‘One talent is truly overwhelming.’
Among the heroines of Panta x Aka, the one known to have the highest growth ability is Sharon Pierce.
But I know.
Aria’s potential can overwhelm anyone. It’s just that she couldn’t bloom at all. Her mind is too unstable a vessel to contain her talent.
Therefore, the correct way to attack Aria is not to expect anything from her.
I decided that way too.
‘… But.’
The talent she is showing now is…
I wonder if it’s possible.
I am thinking that if I do this, I will be able to overcome all my hardships.
“Okay, a little more…! Well done candidate Aria. hehehehe!”
Just like that, Aria passed her second ordeal.
At this point I realized something was wrong.
Aria’s mental state.
It looked quite unstable, as I expected, but at the same time…
‘I have a clear goal.’
After passing the third remaining trial and climbing the final trial, ‘Sacred Stairs’, Aria becomes a saint.
Aria was moving forward.
Like a zombie whose reason is rotten but who has a clear goal called instinct.
[Ordeal of Despair]
She walked into the greatest pain.
◆
[Ordeal of Despair]
The final stage as a testing ground.
Aria, who opened the door and entered, had to stop quietly.
“… I can’t see anything.”
A space where everything is pitch black.
At first glance, it seems like a space that is the opposite of the first trial. But.
“……”
Aria took her steps carefully.
Something was strange.
Infinitely empty underfoot.
I was definitely walking, but I didn’t feel like I was walking.
It’s not just the feet.
She felt no sensation throughout her body.
It was as if there was nothing around.
“……”
Aria stopped in her tracks.
This is not the antithesis of the first ordeal, which was infinitely white.
It was pure white, but it existed.
Hard floor. The wall. And sight and touch.
But there is nothing like that here.
Even saying it is pitch black is wrong.
Just.
There was no light.
From Noble mtl dot com
Gulp.
Aria swallowed her saliva.
I heard a sound.
It was a clue that Aria herself existed.
Then she started to look even more sunburned.
Is she standing up now?
Or is she sitting?
Her legs became weak.
Aria said she just thought she had collapsed.
But she felt nothing.
How on earth is she supposed to get out of here?
Need to find an exit?
“… Hmm.”
Suddenly rapid breathing.
Aria’s pupils trembled.
The feeling of becoming infinitely anxious.
She chewed her lips.
There must be some way.
No. There must be.
Because I have to get out of here to meet Ian.
We have to find it somehow.
Aria tried to stand up.
She was used to the dark.
She was Aria, who was always covered in a blanket in a room where there was no light.
— Wei Ying
The sound of the wind penetrated my ears.
It was like the sound of the sea, or rather, the sound coming from a conch shell.
“W-what is it…?”
Aria looked around at the sudden sound.
The sound of the conch shell is often used as a noise to induce hallucinations. Before she could remember that fact, the wind took shape as if to cut off Aria’s thoughts.
It was a man’s voice.
— Aria
A deep and strong voice.
Aria knows the identity of that voice.
Aria opened her mouth in a panic.
“I-Ian…?”
It was definitely Ian’s voice.
Ian’s voice that she had not heard since the day he came to her residence.
That voice repeated over and over again in my head.
She heard it now.
“Ian? Are you really Ian?”
The surroundings suddenly became quiet again.
But Aria’s eyes had already trembled.
Is the location misaligned?
She moved.
She moved around randomly, not even knowing whether she was standing or sitting.
He wiggled her legs and waved her arms.
“Ian, Ian…!”
I could clearly hear it.
Arya twisted and twisted her body.
There was a place somewhere where Ian’s voice could be heard.
— It’s here, Aria.
A voice heard again at the end of that effort.
“Ugh, yes! Ian… Ian.”
This is really Ian.
Aria smiled and muttered.
Tears flowed from her eyes.
She was extremely happy.
Then she became greedy.
She missed him.
Aria remembered Ian.
I felt the wind passing by.
Sleep.
And then the voice began to take shape.
It was Ian’s silhouette.
It gradually took on the appearance of Ian.
“Ah…”
Tears continued to flow from Aria’s eyes. She
She met.
We finally met.
Aria moved toward Ian’s figure as if crawling.
It will hang like this.
Hold on and never let go.
Aria looked up at Ian from a position where he seemed close to being caught.
This is Ian.
But.
“Hey, Ian?”
Aria stopped in her tracks.
Drop, drop.
Something was falling from Ian’s eyes.
It looked like a teardrop, but it was bright red.
It was blood.
“No, your eyes are bleeding, Ian. Just wait. I’ll heal you.”
— No.
“I can do well. Please…”
— It’s okay Aria. I don’t need your help.
“No. I really…”
—They say it’s not necessary.
“Hi!”
Aria flinched without realizing it.
A firmer voice. There was thorn in Ian’s voice.
His mouth opened again.
Blood dripped beyond the parted lips.
—You made me like this.
“Oh, no. I’ve never done that.”
Ian glares at himself, shedding bloody tears.
Aria hesitated and took a step back.
But Ian’s figure also took a step towards Aria.
— You made me like this.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that…”
— You made me like this. It was you who abandoned me.
Arya shook her head and stepped behind her.
She was really crazy at that time.
She was out of her mind.
She was wrong.
Only her unfinished words lingered in her heart.
Ian was looking down at himself coldly.
— Goodbye Aria. Let’s never see each other again. Forever.
At his words, Aria reflexively stretched out her hand.
It was to catch.
But.
Tuk-.
Ian, who was pushed away, almost fell to the floor.
Puck.
His body turned red, and only a puddle remained.
“Ugh…”
Tears continued to flow from Aria’s eyes.