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Side Story 5

4. Igrit's memories

The first time I met 'him' was inside the irregular space created out of my liege's power. My mission was to test the human about to enter this place.

Although my liege said that he wished to find out if this human was fit to become his vessel, I knew the truth, somehow.

I knew that this order might be the last one my liege would ever give me. My liege had lost all interest in warfare after forgiving the Rulers. From that point alone, I knew that he had harboured a deeper meaning in why he was so focused on this rather unremarkable human being.

I began guessing that I'd soon bid farewell to my liege. However, the command issued by my liege was still absolute. I had no thoughts of questioning his motives or changing his mind. All I could do was to comply with his command.

That was all I could do.

And so, after most of my powers were sealed away, I was made to stand all alone in the space where the testing of that human would take place.

'Humans of this world call spaces such as this one dungeons, don't they?'

At the far end of this imaginary dungeon shaped to resemble an audience chamber of a king's castle, I saw a large throne. I combed through my fading memories of the time when I was still human and studied this place.

'As expected.... You have certainly created quite a detailed stage with my liege's power, haven't you?'

I continued to touch and feel each large pillar lined up from the entrance to the plinth where the throne was and expressed my admiration towards the abilities of the architect, who had created all these.

As the fruit of this meticulous planning, that human's body would continuously be modified to accept my liege's power.

It was then.

I sensed the presence of someone approaching this place.

'He's here already....?'

I panicked at this unexpectedly fast arrival of the test subject and ended up sitting down on the throne.

However....

"....."

After I settled down on the throne, I began wondering if me sitting here would be seen as a bit 'insolent'.

The consciousness of my liege had already taken root within the human I was supposed to test, so I couldn't help but wonder if me sitting on a throne like this, in front of my master, would be seen as me being disrespectful.

'.....'

In the end, I judged that I should refrain from displaying any uncouth sight and hurriedly climbed off the throne to hide behind the nearest pillar.

Geuh-gugugugu-!!

With a truly gobsmacking timing, the massive entrance opened up, but thanks to the surroundings being too dark, that human failed to discover me panicking grandly like that.

What a relief that was.

It'd be no good to make this serious test my liege had planned out into a farce with my mistakes, now would it?

I inwardly spat out a sigh of relief and when the human was about ten steps away from me, I slowly walked out from behind the pillar to block his path.

'....!'

Through the still air, I sensed his nervousness.

He was a young man.