LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 96
I walked along the path between the white buildings.
After walking for about five minutes while keeping an eye out for other living beings…
“Oppa!!!”
Thud thud thud!
Hug!
“Hehe. It’s my big brother Aren.”
“Y- Yeriell?”
With bouncy footsteps, Yeriell ran to me calling me oppa and hugged me tightly.
I should have been overjoyed to find out who the subject of this trial was, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Because Yeriell… had become much younger.
Not just a year or two younger, but she looked like she had turned back into a little kid.
She was no longer the newly adult Yeriell but a mini Yeriell.
‘It’s cute, but what kind of trial did she get that turned her into this little munchkin?’
I watched Yeriell, who was rubbing her cheeks against my leg and grinning widely.
────
[Yeriell]
[Strength: E+] [Agility: D-] [Durability: D-]
[Stamina: D] [Magic: D] [Luck: C-]
[Traits] (Fold)
Mastery of Holy Law
Innate Luck
Devoutness
Overcoming Weakness
Touch of Light
Silver Cross Sacred Combat
Greed Challenger
────
Greed? That doesn’t fit at all.
Maybe it’s because it’s some kind of curse granted solely for the trial, just like before.
The details of the traits didn’t open up, so I figured that confirming the name was the best I could do for now.
‘How far does the category of greed go? If it’s the greed of the seven deadly sins, doesn’t it usually mean gluttony? But I doubt this tiny body would be greedy for food.’
“Oppa! Do you want to go play with me?”
“Play? Right now?”
Was it better to respond with “okay” instead of probing further?
When I asked out of surprise, Yeriell immediately began to whimper.
“I want to play with you, oppa… sniff.”
Yeriell lay down on the ground.
“Ahh! Let’s go together! You have to play with me! Just tell me you’ll go quickly!”
Looking at Yeriell flailing her short arms and legs on the ground, I broke out in a cold sweat from the awkwardness.
“Okay, okay! Where do you want to go with this good big brother of yours? Let’s get up now, alright?”
“…Are you really going to go?”
“Of course! Just hold my hand and tell me where you want to go! No? Do you want to lead the way?”
“Uh. Yeah.”
Yeriell popped up as if she had never thrown a tantrum and wiggled her fingers.
“Can we play dragon on the way?”
What’s that, Yeriell…
Having already asked once and knew what would come of it, I answered that I understood first.
When I asked what the dragon game was, seeing her smile made me curious again.
Well, it sounded very similar to the airplane game I knew.
The difference is that instead of stopping after two or three swings, you had to keep swinging Yeriell’s body back and forth continuously.
“Zoom~ Little dragon is flying~”
“Eeeek!!! More, more!!!”
Mini Yeriell squeaked with joy.
While her happy screams filled the air, we dashed towards the direction she pointed.
After running non-stop for ten, then twenty minutes, we finally reached our destination.
This was a cathedral, right?
“Huff. Huff. Hah.”
I was panting for a completely different reason than when I was with Lumia.
‘Ugh. This is exhausting. I’m running out of steam.’
I had become weaker in every sense, so just lifting and shaking a little kid for half an hour was strenuous.
As I gasped for breath, Yeriell tugged at my sleeve.
“Aren… are you really tired?”
Looking awkwardly up at her with her lips pouting, how could I say that I was exhausted?
“Pfft, not at all. There’s no way I’d be tired from this much!”
I gently stroked Yeriell’s puffed-up cheeks in an attempt to soothe her.
“Princess. Don’t worry about me. You’re so cute!”
“Hehe. Hehe.”
Even though my body was tired, her bright smile somehow filled me with energy.
‘It’s time to wrap up the small talk and start thinking.’
The conditions for passing the trial of the Greed Challenger with Lumia.
Although it wasn’t clearly stated within the system, it was something I could guess through the various processes.
It was probably about resisting lust while dealing with periodic distractions.
In other words, capturing a certain number of monsters that had transformed into my appearance without giving in to their temptations.
‘If that’s the case, what about Yeriell?’
Resist greed? Until I realize I’m in a trial, should I ignore everything she wants?
If not, maybe I should meet all her desires.
Or provide everything she wishes to have or eat, to the point where there’s nothing left to be greedy about?
‘For now, I’ll lean towards fulfilling her wishes. Honestly, if she starts whining in this state, I feel like I won’t be able to hold back.’
I realized once again that I was weak against children or anything cute.
Yeriell pointed at the entrance of the cathedral.
“Let’s go there! Let’s study the doctrine!”
“Studying sounds great! Shall we hurry in and study hard?”
“Yup! After that, we have to pray and take a nap!”
Not only studying the doctrine of the Light Church, but also praying and taking a nap.
I let out an unconscious sigh but quickly masked my expression.
*
After finishing the schedule Yeriell planned and following her out, we arrived at a modest two-story house with a white roof.
Thud.
“Mom! Dad! Siiister!”
As the door opened, Yeriell’s booming voice brought out a middle-aged man and woman who welcomed us brightly.
“Oh, who’s this? Ah. Are you the big brother Aren that our cute little Yeriell was talking about? You look as handsome as she said.”
“Dad!! Don’t say that!!! I can’t live because of you, you know!”
“Come on, honey! Just ignore the silly dad and come to mommy!”
Thud thud thud!
Hug.
“Hehe. Mommy!”
“Of course! Am I not the one and only lovely mommy for my sweet daughter?”
“Eww. I’m going to get a kiss from my daughter again, it seems! Oh dear! By the way, why does your face look so grim? You look like you’ve seen something you shouldn’t have.”
Of course, because Yeriell’s parents had been killed by human hunters more than ten years ago.
‘Is there really such a terrible trial? I never imagined it would drag the dead out from my memories.’
I was furious at this cursed trial, but for now, I had to put on a smile fitting the mood.
“It’s nothing serious. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I am…”
So I introduced myself, and before I knew it, I was drawn to sit at the dining table and participated in a warm meal.
“By the way, why isn’t Ivelyn coming down?”
“Oh dear. She’s in a sulky mood these days. Just let the poor kid be. It’s the age when it happens.”
“Well, if you say so. Kids do grow up fast after all. Yeriell, can you bring some snacks to that little missy upstairs later?”
“Okay! I’ll take care of it!”
It seemed like a happy and cheerful family.
But somehow, my heart ached.
I knew well what would happen after the trial ended.
It felt like I was before a glass mirror about to shatter into a million pieces.
“Alright! Eat up. You should enjoy the meal. My wife’s cooking is the best in the world! Haha!”
“Oh, don’t say that! Hoho, take your time and enjoy.”
“Thank you. Then, I will eat well.”
…
After finishing the meal and dozing off in the guest room, I thought.
I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t just waste more time like this.
“Hmm. I’ll think later, let’s just sleep now.”
In this way, a week passed without me being able to move on to the next trial.
*
Today, after doing everything Yeriell wanted and eating whatever she craved, we were on our way back to her waiting family.
“Oppa. Carry me.”
“Sure. Hop on.”
“Whee!”
As I carried her, she started bouncing and asked,
“Did you think of anywhere else you want to go before heading home?”
“…?”
“Yeriell?”
“Ah, yeah. Let’s go.”
For some reason, she pointed in a downcast direction, and we walked slowly.
*
“We’re almost there!”
“Wow… this view is incredible. How did you find such a place?”
“It’s a secret! Hehe.”
We stood at a prime spot, overlooking the white buildings of the city.
I admired the view, feeling dazed.
While I was zoning out, Yeriell was strangely quiet.
Unable to stand the awkwardness any longer, I started to speak, but Yeriell did so faster, almost as if she had made up her mind.
With precise pronunciation, I felt as if I was talking to the 20-year-old Yeriell instead of the little girl.
“Aren. Actually, I’ve fully come to my senses. I remember everything, even standing on the magic circle at the end.”
“What? Since when?”
She had clung to me like a baby while I was walking with her, and now this?
Yeriell twisted around shyly.
“Uh, since after our first meal together.”
Wow. Let’s think back to when that was.
So, she was pretending to be a kid from the second day on?
“Anyway! I know that it’s all fake and I enjoyed the days until now. Hmm. I don’t know how you got in here, but you don’t have to be worried about me anymore.”
What do you mean not to worry? There’s still that lingering sentiment in your eyes.
Wuuuhhhh—
Was it because of what I just heard, or was it simply the right time?
My body started to radiate, but I ignored it and spoke.
“Yeriell. Are you really alright? You don’t seem like it at all.”
“Hey. Of course! I’m fine!”
The high buildings and the clear sky behind her,
The white birds flying and her bright smile melded into a beautiful painting, but my heart felt anything but happy.
Yeah. It was sad.
Surely, when I saw her smile with her eyes closed tightly, my heart should have been lifted.
But the thought of sending away the parents she had just met back into the recess of memory struck my heart.
After feeling just how wonderful they were for an entire week, I couldn’t help but feel a sting in my eyes and a lump in my throat.
I pulled myself forward to hug Yeriell, who was trying hard to smile.
“Hehe. Hey, Aren?”
“It’s a lie. I don’t want to part.”
Her forced smile dropped, her body shivering slightly.
“It’s okay to cry as much as you want. It’s just us here.”
“No. I… I’m fine… sniff. Sob. Waaaah!”
It started to rain.
“Honestly, I… knew from the very beginning that all of this was fake… it’s been a week already… but still!”
From deep within her heart, the rain poured down.
“I just wanted one more day, even just an hour, to be with you! I didn’t want to leave my mom and dad alone!”
The sorrowful raindrops flooded my chest.
“But, but—! I cannot stay here alone. I have to hold it back for everyone, right?”
“Yeriell.”
“I’m an adult now too. I’ve outgrown the age of throwing tantrums… So I’ll do my best. Can you just stay quiet like this… with me for a little while?”
With her whisper, we held each other tightly in the enveloping silence.
“Next time we return, let’s go greet your parents together with Master. They’d be so happy.”
“…Okay.”
Just quietly. Until the storm passed.
Until her small greed flickered out and vanished.
*
“Heh. I feel really energized now!”
“Do I not need to see you one last time?”
“Yup. You should throw away your lingering feelings quickly. Honestly, it’s really cruel. Creating wishes based on my memories to trap me endlessly.”
Indeed, the trial of greed truly lived up to its name.
At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder what the others were up to.
“Did I tell Lumia that I already visited?”
“Yeah. The order isn’t something I get to decide.”
I bit my tongue at the thought that Yeriell had personally chosen her order to end up at the back of the line.
“Then let’s go—”
Whoosh!
“See you later. Ah.”
It started again.
But now only Veronica remained.
‘Yeriell and Lumia must have gathered themselves and safely passed their trials. Let’s see how this one goes.’
As I turned my head to check the surroundings,
“Don’t!”
The world slowed down.
“Now die, Fourth Prince.”
Thud!
A blade lodged itself in my heart.
Gah!
What is this?
“Armies’ Nyasiless Veronica. The Fourth Prince will die because you couldn’t protect him. Relive this moment for the rest of your life.”
The assailant who had stabbed me from behind vanished without a trace after saying that.
In place of that, Veronica, biting her lip, staggered over and embraced my cooling body.
“Next time, I must. Absolutely!”
Her eyes glistened with the fiery rage of a beast.
With blood and despair, my eyelids began to droop.
The last image I saw before I died was Veronica stabbing her own throat with her sword.
Thud.
…
…
[Trial Challenge Failed.]
[Time will be rewinded.]