And that night.
"Captain, there really aren't any demons, right?"
Romeo, standing to Lellia's right, asked. He looked anxiously at the darkening sky.
"There aren't."
"Really? Then the priests are lying?"
"Just, well. It's not so much lying... those people believe they exist. I think they don't. If you think they don't exist, then they don't. So you should just think they don't exist instead of being scared."
"...So everything happens the way you think?"
"Romeo. The world is just like that. You only see what's in your eyes. Everything will turn out well. If you think that way, things usually work out. But if you think 'Ah, I'm doomed!' then that's what happens."
"......"
"Of course that's not always the case. But thinking this way at least puts your mind at ease. So you should choose the path that at least makes you feel comfortable."
"I don't understand what you're saying at all."
Romeo's eyes seemed to say 'stop spouting nonsense.' Lellia shook her head back and forth.
'Was that too much of an adult thing to say?'
This, this. I must have been too mature.
While Lellia was immersed in her own maturity, Oscar who had been standing on the left spoke up.
"I-I'm not scared of demons. I-I think they don't exist."
"You too, right? Did you hear that, Romeo?"
"...Yeah."
Romeo frowned as he looked at Oscar.
'If that pathetic coward bastard isn't afraid of demons, then I don't need to be afraid either.'
That was what Romeo was thinking.
But Oscar had a different reason for not believing in demons.
It was because he knew something even scarier than demons. His own father.
"See, I'm telling you to go in pairs, so tomorrow you two go together."
"Then what about you, Captain?"
"Me? Obviously I'm going alone."
At Lellia's confident words, the two widened their eyes.
"W-will you be okay?"
"Of course. That's why you two can do it too."
Lellia patted the two on their backs.
"C-Captain, aren't you scared of the d-dark?"
"Why would I be scared of the dark? I'm not scared at all."
At Lellia's confident answer, Oscar sent an admiring look. However, Romeo didn't easily believe it. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Lellia.
"Children. There are many things in this world scarier than the dark night."
Like being hungry... and also being hungry...
How many years had she spent alone in that deserted tower at the edge of nowhere. There was no way she'd be afraid of mere darkness.
Lellia's greatest fear was hunger.
"Anyway, you two go."
"...Understood."
"Yeah, Captain."
The two answered as if they had no choice at Lellia's words.
It was a good opportunity since these two might get closer at this chance.
'I don't know if it will proceed tomorrow though...'
The probability of it not proceeding was probably higher. Still, this act wouldn't disappear entirely. The priests would just be more careful.
Tomorrow was the turn for the group Lellia belonged to.
Today they had come to watch the other groups set off.
'Above all, I need to prevent the accident that will happen today.'
Among those belonging to the group departing today, there were people Lellia knew.
One of them was Calix Ascard.
Lellia looked at Calix visible in the distance.
"Captain, we've seen enough, so let's go back."
"I have something to say to the priests, so you go ahead. You can go to my room and play."
"Alright, got it."
At Lellia's words, Romeo jerked his chin at Oscar. Oscar, who hesitated for a moment, followed him.
He glanced back at Lellia but, reassured by her words that she'd follow soon, he turned back.
Lellia stood in the corner with a serious expression then approached a priest.
Actually, this courage test prepared by the priests was a tradition consistently performed when young priests entered the temple.
Their logic was 'To eliminate fear of demons, one must erase fear of darkness.' That's why they make them climb the mountain late at night.
The mountain in question was a small mountain behind the temple.
Actually, calling it a small mountain, it was an enormous distance for children. So the priests had prepared a destination around the middle at a lower point.
All they had to do was arrive at a small cabin in the middle, light a candle which was a ritual to purify demons, then return.
Those departing always went in pairs of two.
It was killing two birds with one stone for the priests teaching the young priests - they could cultivate cooperation and friendship between two people, and also eliminate fear of demons.
The mountain path was very narrow, but there was no danger at all.
It was a mountain priests climbed every day, and only small animals like rabbits and squirrels lived there.
'Until this morning, no, until now that would be true.'
But Lellia knew.
Tonight, someone was going to make a beast appear intentionally to harm a child.
"Priest."
"Oh, Crown Prince Leo. What brings you here? Your turn should be tomorrow."
"I wanted to see it in advance. But is there really nothing dangerous?"
"Yes, of course. This is a mountain priests climb every day. Please don't worry too much."
The priest spoke as if finding Lellia cute, treating her like a coward.
Lellia chewed her lips.
There must have been an implicit agreement between the high-ranking priest and someone about what would happen today.
'Then what should I do?'
Even if she said a beast would appear, no one would believe it. Rather, there was a high possibility of being noticed by the people who planned this.
'Then the Emperor who sent me might find out.'
It was a dilemma.
She wanted to solve this maturely and cleverly. But with a seven-year-old's body, she couldn't agonize over difficult and deep concerns for long.
Because of that, no method came to mind at all. It was just frustrating.
'How can I stop it.'
Honestly speaking, she could just ignore it.
No matter what happens to characters in a novel, Lellia could just look after her own life and let the rest flow as the original story intended...
But...
'A child's life is going to be ruined, how can I just watch when I know!'
Lellia chewed her lips anxiously, then put her hand in her pocket and fiddled with something she had stolen in advance.
It was a whistle used by the priests.
'Can't be helped. Let's just face it head on.'
The sky grew dark, and the last turn came.
The last to depart were Calix and Griffiths. Both were children who would become heroes who defeat the Mad Dragon.
After the last two departed, Lellia followed them secretly while the priests were slacking off.
'I took this too lightly...'
It's too hard. They said they made a checkpoint in the middle, but it seems like they've passed even the middle now...?
'Did they change the path with magic too?'
If so, that's a big problem. Lellia looked at the two people's backs visible small in the distance.
That's when it happened. A loud crash was heard.
Calix had tripped and fallen.
'Huh? No! Why is that idiot falling when he was walking just fine...!'
Of course, she was someone who died by tripping and falling into a pond in the original work. But she still had to say something.
Anyway, because Calix fell, the lantern he was carrying broke, and in an instant, quiet darkness descended on the surroundings.
Calix spat out a small curse.
"Damn, what do I do?"
"Dropping that like an idiot."
"What? Idiot? Hey, what did you just say?"
The two glared at each other as if to kill. They had never exchanged a single word before.
Their first conversation was curse words. Following that...
"You bastard!"
"Acting high and mighty when you're an idiot bastard!"
The two soon started throwing punches and fighting. As an even worse situation unfolded, Lellia wanted to scream.
'Those stupid ten-year-old kids!'
Those kids were rolling around grabbing each other's collars in a dark mountain forest where they could only rely on faint moonlight.
Along with the sounds of birds in the quiet forest, the sounds of punches exchanging and groans of 'ugh!' could be heard.
'You stupid bastards! Stop fighting!'
Lellia wanted to scream, but if she suddenly screamed in such a dark situation, those two would be very startled.
They would be sensitive during the courage test so she shouldn't stimulate them. Even in this situation, Lellia's first thought was that she shouldn't give trauma to young children.
'Ugh, stop fighting you bastards... please...!'
Lellia was anxious to the point of going crazy. Actually, what she saw in the original work was just vague dialogue recalling this day's event and short flashbacks.
She didn't know such specific details. In the situation where she was already fearing when the beast might appear, she became even more anxious when those two started fighting.
Then Griffiths spat out a curse and started going back the way he came.
"Fine! Go, go! You coward bastard!"
Calix shouted at Griffiths' back.
'So it was after Griffiths left alone that Calix ended up like that...'
Lellia, hidden behind a tree, looked at Griffiths' retreating figure.
Actually, Griffiths was born with divine power from childhood, but he didn't yet know how to use that power.
His divine power would play a big role when fighting the Mad Dragon, but not right now.
He just had the ability to see properly in dark spaces.
Still, he would awaken his ability before leaving this neutral zone.
'That Griffiths guy... he can see but he's fighting over dropping a lantern. Ugh, really. Boys.'
But even if it's Griffiths... can he return properly?
Worry washed over Lellia.
'It seems they made a formation that can't be escaped to release the beast...'
That's why the same path seemed to repeat no matter how much they walked, and the cabin didn't appear.
'Well, if Griffiths can't find the path either, he'll eventually come back.'
Lellia waited until Griffiths was quite far away.
And after some time passed. Relying on the bright moonlight that emerged after the clouds cleared, she walked steadily.
Calix Ascard was sitting alone over there.
'He won't be able to walk because his leg is hurt.'
Having fallen properly, he must have severely twisted his ankle.
As Lellia approached, Calix sneered.
"What, why did you come back? Did you get scared trying to go alone?"
"I'm not Griffiths."
"...What?"
Lellia realized her mistake.
"I am..."
"Aaah! Demon! So demons really exist! Damn, get lost! You demon bastard!"
She was going to say she was Crown Prince Leo but...
Calix thrashed about lying on his back.
"Aaah!"
Thanks to Calix making such a huge scene, Lellia got hit by his kick and sat down.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
And Calix, who ended up kicking Lellia with his injured foot, also screamed in pain.