"No," I answered briefly.
The kneeling knight's shoulders trembled slightly, but I pressed on before he could react, "Don't be too discouraged. There's a reasonable reason I refused."
"A reason?"
"The fundamental question is—why should I trust you?"
Peron tilted his head. "Do you distrust me because I was once a church member?"
"That's part of it," I admitted. "But I realized it during the first test. There's no one here I can fully trust. It's not just you. Lorcan, standing dumbly beside me, isn't any different."
Lorcan shot me a sharp glance, but I ignored him. "Of course, as a former church member, you already deceived us in the first test. That makes you naturally more suspicious than Lorcan. In short, I think your suggestion is either a trap or another test."
"That's not true," Peron protested.
"Sure," I said, cutting him off. "You can say anything. But would you believe it if you were in my position?"
Peron fell silent. His experience as a church member and hero made him perceptive, and my words seemed to have an effect. Still, it was frustrating to leave matters unresolved.
I suspected this was a trap, yet I couldn't ignore the possibility that he was sincere. Honesty alone didn't obligate me to follow him, but since we were in the same group, I couldn't treat him as a ticking time bomb. At the very least, I had to find a way to test him.
"So let's change the conditions," I suggested.
Peron and Lorcan exchanged puzzled looks.
"Until this test ends, and until we return here, you must prove that you are trustworthy. Only then will I accept your suggestion."
"You mean I have to prove my trustworthiness? How?" Peron asked.
I explained, "You don't have to do anything dramatic. We'll each focus on our tasks without interfering with one another, like mercenaries bound by a temporary contract. If the three of us cooperate, those rat and bat monsters shouldn't pose much of a threat, right?
"If you demonstrate trust through cooperation, we'll tolerate your actions. At that point, all you need to do is share the information about the third test. Deal?"
It was a renegotiation of sorts. Instead of demanding the shortcut to the second test, I relaxed the conditions.
Honestly, if he refused after this concession, I would have no choice but to remain suspicious. Was he a spy from the Hero Society sent to make us fail?
By some stroke of luck, Peron hesitated only briefly before nodding. "Let's do that."
"Okay. Sign the contract. Let's cooperate fully until the end of this test."
I wasn't even curious about the content of the third test. The reason I persuaded him so easily was simple: I wanted Peron to remain predictable, at least through the second test. What he did afterward—whether he killed Verita or attempted something else—was a secondary concern.
I kept this from Peron on purpose. Another reason I approved so readily without showing much reaction was that, at his level, he couldn't kill Verita even if he were resurrected.
Behind me, Lorcan muttered admiringly, "You are a negotiating genius."
I waved him off. "It's nothing."
***
We formed a temporary partnership and pressed deeper into the cave. I took the lead, relying on my sharp eyesight to navigate the darkness. Peron moved in the middle, and Lorcan brought up the rear.
This formation was ideal, even in combat. I fought at close range with my fists, so leading made sense. Peron wielded a sword, positioned centrally for versatile offense, while Lorcan, armed with a chain scythe and capable of covering the widest range, guarded the rear. Naturally, whether we would truly sync in battle remained to be seen.
We trudged through the darkness for what felt like thirty minutes, though with no light or changes in the surroundings, it could have been ten minutes or an hour. As Peron had explained, the Biotes were massive bats, or more accurately, a grotesque fusion of bat and human.
"We have to take them out before they use their ultrasonic attack!" Peron warned, sharing crucial intel.
We nodded, trusting the judgment of the experienced fighter.
Five Biotes appeared in total. I left the three in front to Peron and Lorcan and charged at the two trailing behind.
The front three didn't hesitate. They lunged with claws, only to be intercepted by Lorcan's chain scythe, which ensnared one, while Peron blocked the other two with his shield. He pressed forward, striking with calculated force.
Peron's shield strikes were devastating, capable of shattering iron armor. A sickening crack echoed from the Biote struck head-on. The other, caught in the chaos, collided with its companion and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Oh? My deliberately reckless action was meant to test Lorcan and Peron's judgment. They immediately caught on to my intent and responded without hesitation.
To my surprise, they exceeded expectations. It was only a temporary partnership, yet we already worked like a real team.
The two monsters in the rear clung upside down to the stalactites despite their enormous size. I drew the Seven Sins Sword. The hilt felt strange in my grip—unfamiliar enough to sharpen my focus, yet familiar enough to feel right.
Still, I couldn't deny that it dulled my senses slightly. I had planned to cut both monsters down in a single sweeping strike, yet while I struck one cleanly, the other slipped away with startling speed.
Darkness washed over my vision as the unscathed one spread its wings. Calling it a bat seemed almost insulting; its wingspan tripled its body size, filling the cavern. Worse still, a foul stench rolled out from it, sharp enough to make me grimace.
"You stink, you bastard."
The Biote's demonic expression grew more grotesque, as if it understood the insult. It shrieked, and I rammed the Seven Sins Sword straight into its gaping maw. The blade tore through tongue and brainstem, and I swept the sword sideways in a clean arc.
Purple blood sprayed as the Biote collapsed. Since their bodies were said to carry venom, I took care not to let the fluids touch me.
When I glanced back, Lorcan and Peron were finishing off the three ahead. Lorcan crushed one Biote's skull with his chain scythe, then looked my way.
I laughed and said, "Aren't we a pretty good team?"
Neither answered. They seemed to have no sense of humor.
After this, we kept cutting down Biotes in a steady rhythm until we had slain about twenty. Only then did a change occur.
"Huh?"
"This place..."
The cavern suddenly widened into a vast chamber. The oppressive darkness lifted, replaced by a faint glow from the walls, as though fireflies or hidden crystals illuminated the stone.
"It's quite spacious," Lorcan remarked.
"That's right," Peron agreed. "If the jar is hidden anywhere, it would be in a place like this. And I don't see any Biotes nearby."
I nodded. His reasoning made sense.
Then I caught a strange sound echoing farther in.
"Get down a bit," I whispered.
"Why?" they asked.
"I hear fighting. The sound of metal striking metal," I replied.
"You mean..."
"Yes. People are fighting," I finished.
The Biotes' claws were hard, but they never made a sound like this.
Both of them crouched at the same time and mirrored my movements. As a mercenary and a former church member, they knew how to move in silence.
We traced the noise to its source and stumbled upon an unexpected scene. As I suspected, people were clashing, but not just a skirmish. Two groups had cornered a single side, pressing them hard. Among the outnumbered, I recognized familiar faces.
Verita, the silent mage, and the young nobleman stood together. It was the first time I had seen others turn their blades on them. Could these be the ones who skipped the first trial and entered directly into this one?
The skill on display was undeniable. All six assailants fought at Lorcan's level. I hated using him as a measuring stick, but the comparison was accurate. Even so, Verita's side fought impressively, managing to hold out against superior numbers.
Has this clash dragged on for a while? All nine looked battered and disordered. But why would participants turn on each other?
The answer came quickly. I spotted an ugly jar behind Verita.
"Hey, this situation works in our favor," Lorcan observed.
"Yes," I agreed. I didn't know the reason behind their brawl, but as outsiders, we could take advantage of it.
Truthfully, I had no desire to fight Verita or the others.
"What are you going to do?" Lorcan asked.
"Let's see..."
I wanted to step in myself, but Verita's presence complicated things. She seemed unusually alert, as if she already sensed me watching.
I turned to Lorcan. "Can you throw your chain scythe, wrap it around the jar, and pull it back?"
"There's nothing I can't do," he replied with a smug grin.
"Won't the jar break?"
"You underestimate me. I can reel it in without a scratch, even if it's fragile glass."
"I see."
"Of course, I'll need to get closer," he added.
His confidence made it worth the risk.
I nodded. "Good. We grab the jar and run. Understood?"
"Understood."
Unlike Lorcan, Peron gave no answer. His one remaining eye stayed fixed on Verita, a storm brewing in its depths.
I paused to gather my thoughts. He had noticed Verita and the jar at the same time. That complicated our contract. Proving his trustworthiness no longer mattered—there was no guarantee he wouldn't snap and strike Verita outright.
Peron looked straight at me and asked, "Hey, can you trust me now?"
The ending was sealed the moment he uttered those words.
I held back my sigh as I replied, "That is a bit..."
The instant our eyes met, Peron sneered and drew his sword like lightning.
I pulled out the Seven Sins Sword and shouted, "Lorcan! Secure the jar first!"
"Got it!"
Peron's sword came down. I intercepted it, steel clashing with steel. Sparks scattered as the impact reverberated through my arms. His sword was heavier than I expected. Was he hiding his strength all this time?
"Step aside. You're not the one my sword should be pointed at," Peron said.
"Let's calm down and talk it out first. If we think this through, we can take the jar and still reach your goal," I countered.
"Out of my way!" Peron's half-mad eye burned as he drove the sword forward.
The strike caught me mid-sentence, hurling me back against the cave wall.
"You son of a bitch." Pain shot through my back as the impact cracked the stone, spraying fragments that cut across my skin. I had wanted to settle things peacefully, but now the situation had collapsed into violence—and my patience was wearing thin.
Forget the test. Maybe I should smash him now and sort out the rest later. Just as that thought took hold, the presence before me vanished. Peron had thrown me aside and was charging straight toward the battlefield. His target was clearly Verita.
Peron's sword glowed with an immense surge of mana. Sword Qi erupted from the blade, casting such a brilliant hue that it seemed to warp the very color of the surroundings.
"Die!" Peron roared as he swung his sword at Verita.
What happened next was beyond belief. He actually cut her.
"What?" I blurted out.
This should have been impossible.