Mm…. The voice said the trial was starting…, but nothing’s happening? Ah! Over there. A person’s growing out of the ground like grass! According to Treasure Finder, this person’s supposed to resemble someone close to me. She…, she…, isn’t she…!? Yeah, I have no clue who she is. She’s really tall, and her boobs are really big! I’d definitely remember someone like her especially if she’s supposed to be close to me! Wait, could it be? Ten years have passed, so what if this person is the ten-years-older version of someone I used to know…. Softie!? No. Even if ten years have passed, there’s no way Softie’s hair would turn green. Mm. It’s settled. Since this is a complete stranger, and she’s a statue that clearly grew out of the grass, I’ll kill her without feeling any guilt! “Breaking Madness—”

“Wait!”

Eh? Durandal? This is a trick! He’s not really Durandal! He’s a statue copying someone that’s close to me! “Hammer Strike!” Mm? I missed? But he was right there!

“Lucia! I know I told you to wait, but did you have to change your target to me!?”

…He’s talking to me from his weapon body. Was that really Durandal just now? Then, am I really close to this green-haired, big-boobed, tall lady? I don’t think so…. I know my memory might not be great when I drink, but I haven’t drank today. Oh! I know! “Treasure Finder, do you know this…?” Uh…. “Mrs. Feathers?”

“Yes, Boss?”

“What are you doing?” Mrs. Feathers is using Treasure Finder as a club to beat up a person…. I think?

“I’m following your orders, Boss.” Mrs. Feathers swung Treasure Finder by her feet and smashed her head against a crying boy. “This is Treasure Finder’s statue that she has to break. But if I break it for her, it won’t count. That’s why I’m using her body.”

“Oh.” That makes sense. “Do you know who this green-haired lady is?”

“Nope, sorry, Boss.”

“Always asking other people questions you don’t know the answer to, huh? You haven’t changed, Lucia.”

Is that…? “Ilya!? How, how are you here?” She didn’t want to come to the Immortal Continent! So why is she here!?

The barkeep cleared his throat. “Um, Boss, the trial, remember? The statues turn into people close to you.”

Right. I knew that. I was just hoping Ilya actually came…. Hah. “Alright. Then do you know that lady?”

“That’s Vera,” the fake Ilya said. Is she really fake? If she’s fake, how come she still knows the answer to everything? But if she knows the answer to everything, then she must be Ilya even if she’s fake! Mm. I know what to do. “Huh!? U-untie me!”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

If there’s going to be an infinite number of statues trying to kill me, then I’ll capture an infinite number of Ilyas! Mm, it’s weird though. It looks like there’s only one statue per person. Maybe more come after the first one is destroyed? Darn. That means I can only have one Ilya. Wait a minute. It feels like I heard something that I should’ve paid attention to but chose to ignore…. “Who did you say that green-haired lady was?”

Durandal appeared next to me. “It’s Vera,” he said. “Roland’s amulet spirit. My old companion.”

“Companion?” Like … spirit-equipment buddies, right? “Not lover?”

“A weapon spirit has no emotions,” Durandal said with a snort.

The green-haired lady, Vera, stopped a few steps away, just out of reach of my hammer if I were to suddenly pull it out and swing down. Not that I was thinking about doing that. Nope. Nuh-uh. “You haven’t changed at all, Durandal.”

Durandal drew his sword and pointed the tip at Vera’s throat. “No matter how much you resemble her, you’re still a fake.”

“Do you really think so?” Vera asked and smiled while lowering her head. That whore! How dare she smile at Durandal that way!? She’s trying to honeytrap him! “Would a fake know about a certain event that happened at a lake when the full moon was out? You approached me that night and—”

“Enough words.” Durandal swung his sword to cut off Vera’s head. But I blocked him! I’ve seen him cut off so many people’s heads before that I can tell when he’s going to do it! “Why are you stopping me, Lucia?”

“Because I want to hear what you did to her!” That’s right! A lake? A full moon? Being approached by a heroic man like Durandal? That’s like what every guy thinks is every girls’ romantic wet dream! “Did he propose!? He proposed, didn’t he!?”

“Is this your new lover, Durandal?” Vera asked. I looked behind myself to see what kind of expression she was making, and tears were flowing down her cheeks. I knew it! Durandal definitely had a thing with Vera! And that letter Ilya gave him from Vera definitely made him cry! “After all I’ve done for you, you’ve moved on so easily….”

Durandal sighed and rubbed his forehead. Was he frustrated? He definitely was! “Lucia. The relationship between Vera and me is one of rivals. She’s lying to you to turn us against each other. That’s the kind of woman she is.”

“…Fake Ilya, what do you think?”

“I’m pretty sure Durandal lies to you a lot too, Lucia. Do you mind untying me now? Where did you even get ropes that prevent me from casting magic?”

That’s right. Durandal’s a liar sometimes. He enjoys tricking me because he thinks it’s fun! “Mm. Explain yourself, Durandal!”

“Lucia…. Both the fake Ilya and the fake Vera are created by the tomb. Obviously, they’d agree with each other to drive a wedge between us.” Durandal swung his sword at Ilya, but I tugged on the leash I tied around her neck and pulled her over to my side. “You can’t trust this fake Ilya’s words. You should hurry up and kill her to at least try and proceed with the trial.”

“Actually, you shouldn’t,” Fake Ilya said. “Didn’t you hear the voice? An infinite number of statues will appear unless you leave. And I know you don’t understand the concept of infinity. It means an unending number, Lucia. You’ll be stuck here forever. And I bet it’s because you provoked the remnant will of the Slaughter God, so he’s doing this to spite you.”

“Then it’s impossible for me to pass the trial?”

“That’s right.”

If that’s the case…. “Then no one else can pass either! Mrs. Feathers, tie up everyone here!”