I woke up to the feeling of something cold touching my chest.

I opened my eyes and saw Lea applying some sort of green paste to my wounds. "You’re awake," she said.

"What happened?" I tried to move and found that my body didn’t hurt.

"Stay still. I’m almost done." Lea said. "Don’t worry. Ur gave you permission to enter the cave. Your wounds are also almost healed."

I glanced at the slash wound on my chest. It was starting to heal. Scabs had already formed over the other cuts on my body.

"How many days has it been?"

"Three days," Lea said and finished applying the green paste on my chest. "Water?" She gestured at the small pot she had placed on the table beside the bed.

I realized how dry my mouth was only then. I poured myself a cup of water.

I was surprised that my wounds were healing so fast. It was probably thanks to the medicinal paste Lea was applying to my wounds.

"Where did Julian go? Did he already enter the cave?" I asked.

"He’s sleeping in the other room. You don’t have to rush. You can stay here till your wounds completely heal and go to the cave later."

She was correct. Now that I had gotten permission to stay in the Cragian Mountains, I could take my time and challenge the Trails later. I wasn’t planning to stall for a long time, but if it was a week or two, it wouldn’t be a problem.

"Thank you, Lea."

"If you’re thankful, fight me again after you get out of the cave," she replied before leaving.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I had barely won against her. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I only won due to luck. It might be different after clearing the Trials, but if possible, I would prefer to fight with wooden swords if there was a next time.

----------------------------------------

In the early morning the following day, Lea, Julian, and I were gathered around Ur’s stone throne. Ur had called us, saying that there was something important to tell us. Around us, there were other tribe members talking among themselves. It might’ve been my imagination, but they seemed nervous about something. I couldn’t understand the language, so I could only guess, but when I glanced at Lea, She looked pale.

"There is not much time, so I’ll keep it short." Ur said. "Yukretia has sent at least a few thousand soldiers to these mountains."

Yukretia Theocracy?! I was stunned. Was it the First Priestess? If it was a few thousand, that was at least one full order of Divine Guardians. The only person who could mobilize an army of such size in Yukretia was the First Priestess.

"The Retul village in the East was attacked. We’re currently gathering the tribes to form an army." Ur continued. "Julian. Florence. The two of you are outsiders who have nothing to do with our tribes’ affairs. I’ll keep my promise and let you two enter the cave anytime you want. You can leave these mountains and come back later, or you can enter the cave now. It’s up to you. But I can’t spare any men to protect the two of you if you remain here."

I thought about the situation that I was suddenly faced with. I could leave the mountains and come back later to take the Trials. That way, could avoid the army from Yukretia. However, Yukretia was a lot more powerful than the barbarian tribes, which could not use magic. Each of their Guardians was proficient in magic and trained in combat. They were nothing like the Edrizoudian army that invaded the Cragian Mountains a hundred years ago. A few thousand Guardians against the Cragian warrior tribes. I couldn’t say for sure which side would win, but I knew the odds heavily favored the army from Yukretia.

There was only one problem with leaving these mountains and coming back later: If the Yukretian army won, there was a high chance that the Cragian Mountian Ranges would become a part of Yukretia. If that happened, the Trials of Tortured Souls would be discovered by the First Priestess. If that happened, there was no telling how she would use the Trials. It wouldn’t be strange if Yukretia started producing more powerful Guardians who could wield the powers from the Trials and also use divine magic. Yukretia would become too powerful, and the balance between the major nations of the continent would crumble.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

If I entered the Trials now, I would have to finish them quickly before the Yukretian Army defeated the tribes. If not, I would be like a mouse trapped in a cage when the Cragian Mountains became a territory of Yukretia. How long could the barbarian tribes hold against two Guardian Orders? How long would it take me to finish the Trials?

"Father, let me lead our warriors. I’ll crush these invaders from Yukretia." Lea said.

"You will not participate in this war." Ur replied.

"Why Father?! Are you saying that I’m not strong enough?"

"Lea. Among all of your siblings, you are the one with the most potential."

"Then why?"

"Listen to me. You will definitely become strong. You might even achieve your goal of becoming the strongest warrior one day. But that’s in the future. Your time is not now. Don’t waste your talents here." It seemed that Ur was thinking the same thing as me. He knew how powerful the Guardians from Yukretia were. That was why he was trying to get his daughter to safety.

"Are you saying that the safety of the tribes is not important? Why do I have to run away?" Lea asked.

"No. I’ll do my duty as king and protect our people. You have potential, but right now,you are nowhere near strong enough to participate in this war."

Lea looked extremely frustrated. "Then... where am I supposed to go?"

"Head north. From now on, you should live with your mother in the Loxearyn Empire. I’ll write a letter to her. You are half Loxearean, so with her help, you’ll be able to cross the border and live there."

"What mother? She left me with you and never even came to see us. That kind of woman is not my mother."

Ur sighed. "It can’t be helped. Like I told you many times, she can’t come visit us because of her—"

"That’s enough!" Lea turned and walked off.

I was quite surprised to know that Lea’s mother was someone from the Loxearyn Empire. How had she even met Ur?

"Will she be okay?" Julian asked.

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll convince her again later. So Florence, have you made your decision?"

I had already come to a decision while Ur had been talking to Lea. "I would like to enter the cave now."

"Oh? Are you not afraid of the army from Yukretia?" Ur asked.

"I am. That’s why I’m trying to get stronger."

Ur laughed. "No wonder you are the first young man to take a win against my daughter. If we are alive after this incident, let’s drink together."

"I’d be happy to." I answered.

"Julian, you too. It’s rare to see a man as loyal and honest as you."

"It would be an honor, Your Majesty." Julian replied.

"Alright. Enough talk. This is what I promised the two of you."

"Thank you." I grabbed the rolled-up parchment from Ur. It showed the location of the Trials of Tortured Souls.