【Adventurer Mitran】Overcome the ‘Trial of Severance’

“Leseida-san, did you find something?”

Emi-chan and I head over to Leseida-san.

Leseida-san is standing in front of a large door with magnificent decorations.

Unlike the surrounding stone walls, the door is made of some kind of metal, and it has a very imposing atmosphere!

“A few things, yes. First, it seems this is a room located in the lower levels of these ruins. Look at this.”

While putting the monocle he wears for research back into his pocket, Leseida-san points to the side of the door.

What was there was......

“Ah, this is...... super-ancient magecraft script?”

Yes, what was there was something like a sign, written using the super-ancient magecraft script we saw in the upper levels.

At the top of the sign, a short phrase was written in relatively large letters, and below that, smaller letters were arranged like a bulleted list.

“Exactly. It says ‘The 18th Trial’ here.”

Leseida-san nodded deeply, and this time he pointed to the large letters at the top of the sign and began his explanation.

“Reports say that the lower levels of these ruins have a number of floors set with traps, and that the entrance to each of those floors is always marked ‘The Nth Trial.’ In other words, without meaning to, we have taken a shortcut past the middle levels and arrived partway along the lower levels' regular route.”

“Eh! That's lucky! Could it be that instead of catching up to those villains, we've already overtaken them!?”

“Hahaha...... Mitran-kun, you are quite positive, aren't you.”

Seeing me hopping up and down with joy, Leseida-san said that with a wry smile and shook his head.

“I can't rule that possibility out, but let us assume it is low. To begin with, the stairs they were about to descend were without doubt unknown ones, never reported before. Those villains went to the trouble of...... killing a man, to use that route. There must have been great merit in using it...... say, that it is a kind of detour that lets one skip these trials of the lower levels.”

“No way......”

“Well, let us set that aside. For now, judging by the state of the dust, the one thing that is certain is that they have not come this way...... but either way, we have no path forward other than to clear this trial.”

Saying so, Leseida-san glared at the large door with a look of determination.

I slap my cheeks too, pan, and get myself fired up again.

That's right, now is not the time to be moping.

I just have to think about moving forward!

“Alriiight...... Exploring ruins, slipping past the traps...... this is adventure! I'm getting all fired uuup!”

I pushed the metal door with all my might, opening the path to ‘The 18th Trial’!

Gi, gi, gi, gi, giiiii......

The rusted door moves slowly, creaking.

Gagon, ga, ga, ga...... katakatakata......

As if linked to that, I could also hear the sound of something beginning to operate.

“What on earth is this......?”

Now then, what lay beyond the door was a long, narrow corridor.

It's so narrow that one person can barely squeeze through.

Magic lamps are set on the left and right walls, just like before, brightly lighting up the corridor.

Completely off my guard, I was about to step into that corridor......

“Wait!”

Leseida-san hurriedly grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and pulled me back!

It was at that moment!

Jagon!!

That a metal blade came down from the ceiling, making that sound!

“Y, yikes......”

Th, that was close!

If I'd kept going like that, cheat body or not, I'd have been sliced clean in two!

W, w, work, you 【Super Intuitiooon】!

“Honestly, Mitran-kun, you are far too careless!”

Leseida-san let out a long sigh and scolded me.

“This sign, how very considerately, even explains what the trial involves. According to it, this place, ‘The 18th Trial,’ is also known as the ‘Trial of Severance.’ You proceed to the end of the corridor while dodging those blades from before, which fall from overhead at regular intervals...... that, it seems, is the trial.”

Jagon!!

Jagon!!

Jagon!!

Even while I'm listening to Leseida-san's explanation, in the corridor before my eyes, metal blades come down here and there, then slowly go back up into the ceiling...... over and over again.

Ehhh...... so in this trial, I have to completely memorize the pattern of the falling blades and proceed according to that!?

“Incidentally, it also says ‘Magic is forbidden.’ Unfortunately, it seems we will be completely unable to use magic in this space. Cheating is prohibited, in other words.”

“......‘O water bullet, come forth, and pierce my foe! 【Water Bullet】!’ ......Huh?”

It's true!

Normally, after the incantation, my magic power would be sucked away and the magic would activate, but nothing happens here!

All I get is my magic power sucked away for nothing!

“This is quite an interesting discovery, Mitran-kun! We in the modern era have already established the techniques for sealing magic after much research, but in fact, there has never been a case of such a mechanism being found in the ruins of the Super-Ancient Magic Civilization. So this, too, is fine evidence of how singular these ruins are, but......”

“Wait, wait, you're getting sidetracked again, Leseida-san......”

After reining in Leseida-san, who was starting to get heated, I turn once more to face the corridor where the blades rain down...... the ‘Trial of Severance.’

This corridor is quite long.

Even with my physical abilities, it seems difficult to dash through it all at once.

It also seems difficult to proceed little by little.

Looking up at the ceiling, I see slits hiding blades, packed in with no gaps at all.

If I let one blade go by, then got relieved and stopped without a plan, a blade would surely come down on my head, and I'd be split in two on the spot.

In that case...... I really have no choice but to seriously memorize the pattern of the falling blades and proceed carefully......!

A trial that tests memory...... that...... is the ‘Trial of Severance’!!

“......Now then, we can't go on dawdling here forever.”

At this point, Leseida-san took out a notebook and began jotting something down.

“Leave this to me. I shall now note down the timing of the falling blades and work out the pattern as best I can. You two, rest for a while, and......”

But it was then.

“............”

Emi-chan, who had been listening to our conversation in silence until then, pushed us aside and stood in front of the entrance to the trial.

“......Emi-kun?”

“Wh, what's wrong? It's dangerous, you know?”

Jagon!!

Crashing down right in front of Emi-chan with a loud noise: a metal blade.

Emi-chan stared intently at it as it hit the corridor floor and was slowly pulled back up to the ceiling, and then......

“......Raah!!”

She punched it with all her might!!

““EHHHHHH!?””

Leseida-san and I can't help crying out in surprise at the unexpected move!

But our surprise didn't end there!

Bakiiin!!

Why, the metal blade Emi-chan punched shatters with a shrill sound and goes flying in pieces!

““EHHHHHH!?””

Without missing a beat, we scream again!

I, I see, so that's it!

Sure, memorizing when the traps go off, turning that into a pattern, memorizing that, and dodging them is a huge pain!

In that case, turn the idea on its head!

All you have to do is destroy every last one of those traps!

......Wait, that's insane!?

“Raah!! Raah!! Raah!!”

Paying no mind to Leseida-san's and my shock and confusion, Emi-chan destroys one metal blade trap after another!

Once a blade is destroyed, that spot naturally becomes safe.

Before our very eyes, the ‘Trial of Severance’ is being reduced to nothing more than a safe, long, narrow corridor......!

No...... no, no, no......

That idea...... it's not like it never, ever crossed my mind too, but come ooon......

“Even if I wanted to do that, even I couldn't...... Emi-chan, just how freakishly strong are you......?”

Watching Emi-chan's back as she marched on ahead, smashing the metal blades, I muttered in spite of myself.

“As an archaeologist...... normally, I would have to consider the preservation of the ruins as well...... but this is no time to be saying such things......”

Leseida-san turned pale and put his hand to his forehead as if he had a headache.