The mountains stretched into the distance, as far as I could see. The morning sky was painted in strokes of blue, orange, and red.

Julian and I were climbing one of the mountains in the Cragian Mountain Range. I didn't know the exact location of the Trials of Tortured Souls, so I would have to search through the region for a long time. But I planned to meet the barbarian tribes first. I didn't want them to misunderstand my intentions and attack me while I was in the mountains. If what I knew was correct, they weren't hostile, and some of them even spoke the common language used in Edrizoudia. I had written barely anything about the barbarians in the novel, but I had gathered information about them after deciding to challenge the Trials of Tormented Souls.

There was also a chance that they knew where the Trails were. If that were the case, it would save me a lot of time.

"Are there mana-corrupted beasts in these mountains?" Julian asked.

"Probably." Mana was denser in areas far away from human civilization. Mana-corrupted beasts only lived in these areas.

KREE!! I heard the sound of a bird screeching and looked up at the sky. A huge eagle was flying above our heads.

"There's the mana beast you're looking for," I said.

We didn't have any way to attack a target so far up in the sky, though. The eagle flew around in circles before suddenly diving towards the ground with its claws outstretched.

KREEEEE! The eagle screeched but didn't fly back up.

"Let's go look." I ran towards where the eagle had landed.

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A group of men wearing lioncloths were standing around a huge mana-corrupted eagle, which had already been killed. It looked like the men had caught the eagle using a trap.

The men turned to me and Julian as we approached.

One of them spoke in a language I could not understand and pointed his spear at me.

I raised my hands to show that I meant no harm. "Is there anyone who can speak the common language?"

No one replied to my question, but the man lowered his spear and said something to his companions. He motioned for me and Julian to follow him.

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Hundreds of small huts lined the path leading up the gentle slope. There were no doors on the huts. Pieces of fabric were hung above the doorway as makeshift curtains.

The tribesman who was leading me and Julian took us to one of the bigger huts.

A girl with long black hair came out of the hut and said something to the man. She was wearing regular clothes, unlike the other people in the village. She held a long object wrapped in a black cloth in one hand.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

After the man replied to her, she turned to me and spoke in the common language. "What do you want?"

I had finally met someone who could speak the common language.

"I'd like to meet the leader of your tribe," I told her.

"There is no leader. The twenty-seven tribes living in these mountains are under the rule of our king."

"Then can you take me to your king?"

"Before that, tell me why you are here," she said. From her perspective, it was natural to not trust an outsider. I was in their territory, though. If I tried anything, I would probably be killed immediately.

"I'm searching for a certain cave that's somewhere in these mountains. If anyone can tell me the location, I'm willing to give them a reward. If not, I'd like to search for myself. I want permission to stay in these mountains." I took out a beautiful dagger I had bought before coming to the mountains. "This is my gift for you."

The girl grabbed the dagger and observed the blade before replying. "I can take you to our king, but I can't guarantee whether he'll agree to your request."

"That's fine. Thank you."

"Your name?"

"Florence." I decided not to mention my last name. "My friend is Julian."

Julian smiled at the girl.

"Lea," she replied.

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A gigantic man was seated on a stone chair. Even though he was sitting, his head was above mine. His arms and legs were as thick as tree trunks. His name was Ur, the king of all the barbarians living in the Cragian Mountain Ranges.

When he turned to look at me, I felt an invisible pressure that seemed to press me to the ground. After a moment, the pressure disappeared, as if I had never felt it in the first place. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"What are you looking for?" he asked after hearing Lea's explanation.

"A cave. You can hear the screaming and howling sounds of ghosts when you get close to the cave. There should also be faces of demons carved into the entrance." I described the entrance to the Trials of Tormented Souls exactly as I remembered it from the novel.

"I might know the cave you're talking about," Ur said.

If he knew, it would save me a lot of time.

"Only one person came back out alive after entering that cave," he continued. "He was the strongest warrior of his time. I'm sure it's because of that cave."

Now I was certain that Ur was talking about the Trials.

"May I ask who that person is?" I asked.

"He was the strongest warrior and the king a hundred years ago. Some say he killed ten thousand people himself in the war with the Edrizoudians. Unfortunately, he's long dead, so you won't be able to talk to him."

I didn't want to talk to the person, though. I was just curious about the person who gained the special power of the Trials of Tortured Souls. Since he was already dead, I didn't have to worry about him.

"I would like to know where that cave is."

"Many strong warriors have entered. Except for that person, none of them returned. You still want to go knowing that?" Ur asked.

"Yes. I need the power from that cave."

"Ho. For what?"

"I don't want to be at the mercy of the powerful."

Ur laughed. "Interesting. Interesting kid. Will you show me your resolve?"

"If that will convince you that I deserve to enter the cave," I replied.

Ur addressed the people around him in a language I didn't understand.

Lea replied to him. "I'll do it, but you have to fight me if I win."

"Alright. Florence, your opponent is my dear daughter. If you show me something good, I'll tell you the location of the cave. If you disappoint me, get out of these mountains immediately."

"Thank you."

"Can I enter that cave too?" Julian asked. Since the circumstances were different from the novel I had written, I was surprised that Julian wanted to risk his life in the Trials.

"And who are you?" Ur asked.

"Julian Haye, sir... Er... your majesty."

"And why do you seek power from the cave?"

"Sir Florence has done so much for me. And my mother, who raised me by herself. I want to protect them with my own hands."

"To protect people precious to you, huh? Fine, but you'll have to prove your resolve too. Someone else will be your opponent."