CHAPTER 29: DOPPELGANGER-THEMED ORDEAL [2]

Eden came up to me and grabbed my hand, making a fuss.

"That’s amazing! As expected, the clan of heroes who saved the empire from the crisis of war is unique in its mental strength. It’s a great honor for me to be able to take the exam in the same group as you. I thought that if Zeil hadn’t been there, our group might have been eliminated this time. I’ve felt it before, but you seem to have extraordinary powers of observation and judgment. How about taking on the role of leader of our group? I think we need a representative to lead the group in order to successfully pass the remaining exams."

"I also agree."

Aside from being a leader, at this point I didn’t like the excessive praise and flattery. At first, I thought it was just me being sensitive, but my doubts gradually turned into certainty.

’Okay. Let’s take a look. Even though your actions seem sincere, am I just misunderstanding, or are you acting like a stupid and naive person on the outside while having some kind of plan on the inside?’

"... Great."

"Uh, but where is Charlotte?"

"If it’s Charlotte...."

Now that I think about it, I was so distracted by Dullahan that I couldn’t pay attention to her.

I looked around and saw Charlotte lying in the same spot where I was earlier. She looked quite pitiful.

It seemed like she had already come to her senses since Dullahan had disappeared, but she was doing her best to act like she had fainted.

Eden, who was oblivious, shook her as hard as she could and made a fuss.

"Charlotte! Charlotte! Are you okay? Did you faint? Your face is pale. Could something be wrong?"

Then he noticed a clear liquid near her buttocks and said with a serious face,

"What is this liquid that wet the floor?"

"... ...."

I didn’t say anything.

"Liquid?"

Frey, who knew nothing about the situation, simply asked the question innocently.

"I wonder if this is a big problem...."

Eden put his finger on the liquid on the floor with a very serious expression.

At that moment—

"Aaaahhh!!!!"

Charlotte let out a loud scream and jumped up.

"Charlotte! Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?! It’s okay, so go to the temple!"

"Huh?"

"Oh, go to the temple! Don’t complain about what I said, just go!"

Eden, who was taken aback by Charlotte’s sudden outburst, left the room with an embarrassed look on his face.

"... Ah. Yes, sorry."

While watching the scene, my eyes met Charlotte’s.

I burst out laughing without realizing it. I couldn’t hold back the laughter that escaped.

"Phew."

Charlotte, who was glaring at me without saying a word, muttered in a very quiet voice.

"... If you laugh, I’ll kill you."

’Huh? Are you out of your mind?’

I mouthed silently.

[Say.]

Her eyes, which had been staring intently, narrowed, and she soon became tearful.

"Charlotte seems to have woken up too, so let’s go. Our group’s goal is to recover the Mandrake."

"Yes, leader!"

"Captain? What is this about?"

When Charlotte asked, our friendly Eden briefly explained what had happened so far.

"... It’s really annoying."

After hearing all the explanations, Charlotte became even more upset.

---

We walked back into the forest.

It seemed like we had entered quite deep, but unlike at the beginning, there were no monsters in sight.

It was just that the surrounding scenery kept changing. The unpleasant, cold sensation grew stronger, but it wasn’t too bad—perhaps because I thought the end was slowly approaching.

"Let’s take a break here for a while."

I couldn’t taste, touch, or smell, but I could feel hunger. It was natural.

Therefore, rest was a necessity, not an option. I ate porridge mixed with unknown weeds and sap.

Just looking at it, it seemed like it came straight from hell.

I wondered if it was really food that people could eat, but Eden confidently told me that this was how they usually ate it in his hometown, so I finished my meal quietly.

Is it just my imagination that abstaining from certain senses seems to be more useful?

I closed my eyes for a moment and was about to get up when I heard Eden’s voice from far away.

"Uh? Captain, is there some writing here again?"

There was a large stone slab standing where he pointed.

[There is a mirror in front of here.]

Three paths spread out in front of us.

"What should I do?"

Even just looking at it, it had an ominous aura. Since they had encountered Dullahan immediately after discovering this type of writing before, the party members seemed quite wary.

’A mirror and a three-way road... Is it possible?’

After finishing my thoughts, I opened my mouth.

"Looking at the situation, it seems like we have no choice but to split up. I’ll go left. Eden and Charlotte will go to the center, and Frey will go to the right."

Eden answered energetically.

"All right."

Frey also nodded with a serious expression.

She seemed quite nervous due to the memory of her encounter with the Dullahan.

Charlotte glanced at me with a sullen expression and then quickly turned her head away.

I spoke to my companions.

"You already know. Everything you encounter here is nothing more than an illusion created by the Chairman’s magic. So, as long as you hold on tight, there won’t be any major problems. Also, don’t panic if you encounter any monsters or trials inside. This forest is a space prepared to test us. There is no problem we cannot solve.

Then I will go first."

After speaking, I took the left path without hesitation.

As I walked a little further, a mirror suddenly appeared in the middle of the path.

’If my prediction is correct, this place....’

The ’me’ reflected in the mirror looked at me and smiled.

After a while, a voice came from the mirror.

"Hello, Zeil Sieghardt. No, is it Abel Croy? Either that or...."

Forest of Mirrors.

"Jay■■?"

It was a doppelganger-themed ordeal.