Leone is a princess? I recalled her image—her features were elegant, and her speech carried a strangely old-fashioned grace. Somehow, it suits her.
Yet her hair was black. Had she dyed it like Perist, or was Verita speaking nonsense?
I regarded Verita with mild puzzlement.
"Brother, could it be that you—" Verita began, then abruptly stopped. She had sensed someone approaching.
Chain Scythe Lorcan appeared, fully armed and outfitted like a mercenary embarking on a long-term mission.
I raised an eyebrow. "What's with that outfit? Moving houses or something?"
Lorcan shook his head in disgust. "Are you going on a picnic? The promotion trial only becomes official in the second round. If it weren't for you, we'd have all failed the first test... This trial's difficulty is unusual."
Judging by his tone, Lorcan had clearly faced several promotion trials before.
After him, the other participants appeared one by one. I had countless questions for Verita, but the heavy silence made it impossible to speak freely.
Normally, nine people gathered together would exchange at least a few words. Yet the awkward tension between us stifled conversation, and the examinees waited quietly for the examiner to arrive.
Meanwhile, I reflected on my earlier conversation with Verita. P rincess... Leone.... The Colorless Demon King....
As those words formed in my mind, another name surfaced—Setitus.
***
The first test revealed how uniquely structured the Hero Society's trials were. I had assumed the promotion trial would measure physical prowess and intellectual ability. In reality, it seemed they were primarily evaluating crisis response and real-world combat skills.
These standards overlapped with those of the orders of knights or mercenaries, but the Hero Society's trial was far more exacting. Which other organization would recruit former church members specifically to strengthen their capacity to handle church-related challenges?
In a way, it is similar to the Badnikers' training camp. Conversely, the Iron-Blooded Lord had likely adapted the Hero Society's approach to his own family's education.
We left the Hero Society's headquarters with the examiner who had appeared shortly afterward and boarded a carriage. The journey lasted about an hour, and by then it was clear we had left Teper behind.
Strangely, the carriages were divided into three. With only nine of us remaining, we split evenly into groups of three. Riding with me were the free knight and Lorcan.
I keep running into Lorcan , I thought. Whether being separated from Verita was fortunate or not remained unclear.
After a while, the carriage halted, and a dry voice called from outside, "Get off."
Stepping onto the unusually dry grass, I took in my surroundings. The carriage had stopped before a massive cave, large enough to allow a house to pass through, its interior shrouded in darkness.
Lorcan asked, "Where are we?"
"You don't need to know. I'm here to announce the second test." The examiner unfolded a piece of paper, which depicted a crudely drawn jar. "You will find a jar somewhere in this cave. Unlike the first test, this one is team-based. Three people form a team, and you share the same objective. There is only one jar in the cave."
"Do you mean we're supposed to compete?" Lorcan asked.
"It's entirely different. The theme of this test is cooperation."
Lorcan blinked, clearly puzzled.
The examiner seemed aware the explanation fell short. "As I said, all teams share the same goal. If any of the five teams retrieves the jar, everyone will pass the test, even those who never catch sight of it. Of course, you must return within the time limit.
"Each team starts from a different point, but you may encounter other teams as you navigate the cave. From that moment, you may choose to join forces to find the jar. Cooperation is not mandatory. If you feel confident, you may proceed alone. Ultimately, the individual who secures the jar will receive the highest evaluation."
Lorcan nodded in understanding. "Got it."
I thought I understood what the Hero Society aimed to test. It is literally cooperation in extreme situations.
Given the nature of the Hero Society, infiltration was a common task. There would be times when I had to work directly within a church, just like my half-brother. In such cases, I would need to share information, cooperate, or even confront other heroes who had infiltrated earlier. Perhaps the Hero Society wanted to observe how we handled those scenarios.
Lorcan spoke up. "I have a question."
The examiner nodded. "Speak."
"You mentioned five groups. You said three people per team, but that number doesn't add up," Lorcan pointed out.
"Yes. The two other teams aren't part of your test cohort. They skipped the first test and went straight to the second," the examiner explained.
Lorcan muttered, almost to himself, "How could that be?"
"Excellent heroes deserve special treatment. Let me tell you in advance: the skills of those six people far surpass yours, and their experience is much greater. If you meet them... Hmm." The examiner shook his head. "I am speaking uselessly. The time limit is until dawn. I will tolerate some conflict during the hunt for the jar, but do not cross the line. Good luck."
The examiner returned to the carriage. It hadn't left yet, suggesting he would wait until the test concluded.
We exchanged a brief look before entering the cave in silence.
The cave was vast, dark, and carried a foul odor.
"It's unpleasantly wet," Lorcan muttered.
I felt compelled to respond. "Yes. It looks like the mouth of a monster."
"That sounds ominous... By the way, how did you find the last church member hiding in the first test?" Lorcan asked.
"I have good eyesight. Thanks to that..." I stared into the cave. "I can see in this darkness as clearly as in daylight."
"Is this the blessing of a Great Family?" Lorcan said, envy flickering in his eyes.
I felt a bit strange. I had always envied those with blessings, yet I never imagined being the object of someone else's envy.
At that moment, the silent Peron suddenly called out, "Are you two aiming to become B-class heroes?"
Lorcan and I replied at the same time.
"So?"
"That's right."
"This cave is dangerous. If you go deeper, you'll encounter demonic beasts called Biotes. They are bat monsters, two meters tall, with claws strong enough to shatter rock and ultrasonic attacks that can rip eardrums. They're highly lethal and carry poison. You could both die," he explained.
We stopped in our tracks.
"Have you been here before?" I asked.
"Yes," Peron replied. "As I mentioned, I'm a former church member. I've taken part in various promotion trials for different reasons. Normally, the Hero Society doesn't assign the same task to the same person, but... because I have multiple identities, their tracking system made some errors."
I merely hummed in response. Was it because he had already lied once? Everything he said sounded like nonsense.
"So what exactly are you trying to say?" Lorcan asked bluntly, clearly sharing my skepticism.
"I know a shortcut through this cave," Peron revealed.
I didn't expect that.
"It's a safe route where no Biotes appear. I don't know if there's a jar at the end, but it will definitely save you more time than other teams. My point is simple: cooperate with me, and I'll guide you through the shortcut and tell you the details of the third test."
Lorcan's eyes shifted at the mention of the third test, but like a seasoned mercenary, he stayed cautious. "And what exactly do you want in return?"
"I will make her pay the price."
"What?" Lorcan snapped. "Are you seriously suggesting we kill someone right now?"
Peron shook his head. "No. I can't do that. But at the very least, she has to end up in the same situation as me."
The same situation... I glanced at the bandage over his eye, stained with blood. "You're talking nonsense. She's a nun from the Seventy-Two Churches."
"Why so serious? I know you wouldn't be fazed by killing one or two people. And it's not like I plan to harm a faithful nun," Peron said, gritting his teeth. "You must've seen it too. That woman isn't normal. It's not just about being a hero. How someone like her became part of the Seventy-Two Churches is baffling. I'm not judging, but she'd fit better in the Dark Church."
Peron was telling the truth, though he didn't realize it.
"Neither of you seem religious," he added. "I thought you'd be easier to reason with than the other rigid types, so I'm making this suggestion. Think about it. It isn't every day you get a chance to become a B-class hero."
Lorcan's stance was firm. "Even so, I won't get involved in something like that."
"You won't be involved. Just don't get in my way. That woman is my problem. If you accept, it'll be as if this conversation never happened."
So even if things go sideways, he'll take the blame alone.
Despite my suspicions, I asked what I most wanted to know. "Wouldn't you be in serious trouble if a former believer harmed a nun from the Seventy-Two Churches?"
"Yes. I'd be the Hero Society's dog for another ten years," he said flatly.
"Are you that upset about your eyeball being stabbed? Whether you are a believer or a hero, getting injured happens all the time," I remarked.
"I'm not doing this because of my eyeball." Peron ground his teeth. "She insulted my benefactor."
"Benefactor? You mean that old man from earlier?"
It had to be Erudi, his fellow church member.
"Yes. Thanks to him, I turned my back on the church and built a new life. He pulled me out of the abyss of evil. He could have retired comfortably after just two more tasks. He had completed countless missions as a hero and fulfilled every duty as a former church member. Even those lifeless bureaucrats at the Hero Society recognized his accomplishments, and he could have spent the rest of his life in peace—" His expression darkened. "But it's impossible now."
"I heard the conversation between the examiner and him. He said he fulfilled the twenty-year contract. Isn't that an honorary retirement?" I asked.
"Retirement is retirement. But he was demoted to C-class. The gap between C-class and B-class is massive. For now, the Hero Society will ignore him. The church never forgives traitors. They will send countless assassins to kill him, and the Hero Society won't intervene even if they know. How long can an elderly man survive in that situation?" Peron growled. "That nun... If that lunatic hadn't broken Erudi's shoulder, none of this would have happened."
Suddenly, Peron knelt down and bowed his head. "Please let me get revenge on her."
At the mention of revenge, Lorcan's expression changed. For a mercenary, revenge carried weight. Whether Peron had spoken intentionally or impulsively, it forced Lorcan into deep thought.
After a moment, Lorcan turned to me. "I... I will follow this friend's judgment."
"What?" I looked at him, puzzled.
"I followed your judgment in the first test. In the end, it worked out. I'll do the same this time," he explained.
"How sly," I spat. "It's just a way to defer responsibility."
Lorcan feigned ignorance, and Peron's gaze naturally shifted to me.
" Hah , really." I laughed while pondering on it.
As I studied Peron's face, one lie became clear.
The same situation, what bullshit. Looking into this bastard's eyes, I was certain he would kill Verita without hesitation if given the chance.
As I had noted before, I had a knack for uncovering the truth in life-or-death situations. Yet this wasn't so bad. Verita's existence was only harmful to me.
A few things still bothered me. The biggest problem was that the person who knew my identity was a church member. According to Peron, even if things backfired later, it wouldn't escalate too far. I could always claim he took the lead, and I had no knowledge of it.
I collected my thoughts and spoke slowly.