A Former Child Soldier Who Uses a Magic Sword Wants to Live with an Older Sister of a Former Enemy E

Apparently, the staircase leading to the basement used to be concealed by a statue on top of it, but now, that statue had crumbled, exposing the passage.

With a torch to illuminate the inside, Jake entered first, followed by Seto and Satis, and they all went underground in a single file.

[I wonder if this place was used for some kind of ceremony. It’s not very wide and there’s not much stuff here, but there might be a clue.] (Seto)

What they found at the far end of a circular room was a pitch-black water spring.

It was surrounded by a fence, and there was a pedestal resting on a stone altar before it.

[It’s very creepy here, and my friends also try to stay away from this place. Satis-san, do you understand anything about this room?] (Jake)

[Thank you, Jake-kun. I’ll check it out.] (Satis)

Satis approached the altar and began inspecting every nook and cranny of it.

Seto contorted his face in a weird way as he and Jake observed the spring from the fence.

The water was black, as if someone had poured a large amount of black paint into it, and it even looked kind of sticky too.

Seto picked up a rock and threw it lightly into the spring, and to his surprise, right after landing on the water, it shattered instantly.

He reflexively turned to Jake, and Satis shouted a warning at him.

[Hey! Don’t break anything.] (Satis)

[Ah, sorry. But Satis, the rock I just threw in it got shattered into pieces. How’s that possible?] (Seto)

[…Ohh, so that’s what I heard just now. You’re right, this is strange. Perhaps ‘this’ has something to do with it. Please come and take a look.] (Satis)

Set and Jake walked to the altar and looked at the part of it Satis pointed to, where there was a stone tablet on the pedestal, with words engraved on it.

The message was written in ancient letters, saying that “Four evil spirits animated by death, known as wraiths, lie in here. Only those who are also possessed by death may enter this spring.”

[Only the chosen ones are allowed to enter this spring. Maybe this is where the trial takes place.] (Satis)

[What do you mean by trial? …Seto, what are you here for?] (Jake)

[To save the world. …No, it’s a bit of an exaggeration to call it that, but it’s for something similar. There’s this one guy who’s really strong, and I can only beat him if I undergo this trial.] (Seto)

The trial of Ahas Patel, the Wendigo of Death.

The dark and sinister water source was eerily wavering on the surface upon the arrival of the three visitors.

Jake tried holding his torchlight over its surface, but there was no reflection at all.

It was not even clear how deep the water was, and it was obviously no regular substance considering it shattered a rock into gravels in an instant.

Staring at it continuously made you feel as if it was going to suck you in.

At the bottom of this abyss lay mysterious monstrosities known as wraiths.

Perhaps they used to be humans who, much like Seto, were haunted by Ahas Patel.

As the boy pondered that thought, he felt like he heard a curse coming from the bottom of the spring.

The sensation that someone was beckoning him to hurry and come to them while sneering at him made Seto’s heart quiver.

However, there was no hesitation in his eyes, and he immediately took action.

[Okay, I’m going then.] (Seto)

It was then that he climbed up the altar and was about to jump into the dark spring in front of him.

[Wai-! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it! I said don’t!] (Satis)

[Whoaaa! Seto, stop! Don’t be reckless! Calm down!] (Jake)

Satis and Jake restrained Seto.

From an onlooker’s point of view, they looked as if they were trying to stop him from drowning himself.

Upon suddenly being grabbed from behind, Seto got flustered.

[Hey! Okay, I get it! Just let go of me!] (Seto)

The other two pulled him down, and made him sit down.

[What in the world were you thinking!? Trying to dive into this water? That’s dangerous!] (Satis)

[She’s right, Seto! You saw what it did to that rock earlier, didn’t you? What if it did the same to you?] (Jake)

[But I can’t take the trial if I don’t dive into it, right? Unless you know another way, that is.] (Seto)

[Well…] (Satis)

Satis’ expression turned timid at Seto’s words.

The boy had a point, there was no other way, and the bottom of the water was the only suspicious place left to check.

If the things written on that stone tablet were true, then those wraiths were the hint to the trial Seto would undergo.

He seemed to have made up his mind early on.

[This may turn into a battle. I’ll be going on my own, but don’t worry. I’ll be back.] (Seto)

[Seto…] (Satis)

Satis’ worries were not lost on him.

The thought of him going to an unknown place by himself and having to fight made her heart ache.

Seto smiled at her and took her hand.

[I promise. I’ll definitely make it back. Probably not unharmed, though.] (Seto)

[That’s what I’m worried about. Just the thought of you getting hurt…] (Satis)

[If I’m hurt when I come back, you can heal me while I rest on your lap.] (Seto)

[Gosh, please don’t say such weird things at a time like this. …Fufufu.] (Satis)

[Hehehe.] (Seto)

As they were looking at each other and giggling…

[Err… Ahem!] (Jake)

Jake, who was holding the torch, cleared his throat somewhat gruffly.

[…Erm, it’s great that you two are in such a good mood, but please don’t forget that I’m here too. I know I’m kind of an outsider to you guys, but still.] (Jake)

[Ah, sorry. You’re not an outsider to us or anything like that. You’re our benefactor who got us this far. And we’re grateful to you for it.] (Seto)

[Ahaha… Sorry about that, Jake-kun.] (Satis)

[Ah, it’s okay, don’t mention it. Sooo, you’re going in, Seto? Make sure you don’t push yourself too hard. Because… Unlike us, you have someone waiting for you.] (Jake)

[Jake…] (Seto)

[Now that I’ve seen how wholesome you are, I can’t recruit you even if I want to. Be sure to make it back alive.] (Jake)

[Yeah, I promise. I don’t plan to bite the dust either. Also, Jake…] (Seto)

[Hm? What is it?] (Jake)

[When I return, will you… be my friend?] (Seto)

Jake was as surprised as Satis at what Seto demanded.

It was the first time she had heard him say the word “friend” since he helped out Osiris back in Ulaine Donagh.

Seto scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment and looked at Jake.

[…Are you sure you want to be friends with a guy like me? Even though we’ve only known each other for one day, and I tried to make you join our revolutionary army…] (Jake)

[That doesn’t matter. So what do you say?] (Seto)

[…Okay, sounds good. I hope we’ll get along.] (Jake)

The two shook hands.

Seto never shook the hand Jake offered when he invited him to join the revolutionary army, but he gladly did it as a sign of friendship.

Jake was satisfied with that.

[Godspeed, Seto. When you get back, please make friends with the rest of us. I’m sure they’ll be happy about it.] (Jake)

[Of course. ────Well, I’ll be diving into the water now.] (Seto)

His expression turned from cheerful to stern, like a soldier.

Seto relaxed his muscles by doing arm circles and swinging his legs, and went up to the altar once again.

[Seto, make sure you’ll definitely come back. …Make sure of it, okay?] (Satis)

Seto nodded in silence, took a deep breath, and dove into the pitch black spring water in front of him.

There was no splash, and Seto’s silhouette disappeared into the darkness, as if he had fallen into a pit.

And this marked the beginning of a thrilling feast for the monstrosities lurking in the abyss.