The place was decorated with colorful tiles in geometrical patterns, and at one far end stood a fountain from which several streams of water trickled out.
"A garden?" Agnes said.
In truth, there were no flowers or trees because the soil of the Abyssal Dunes had the tendency to kill living things, not nurture them. It was a place not even cacti could survive, yet this room was designed to appear like the imitation of a small garden, just as Agnes had remarked.
There were flowers and trees made of gems, reflecting the light from the luminescent stones on the walls. They sparkled beautifully, while the sound of water drops landing on their petals and leaves gently rang throughout the room like the soothing strum of a harp.
Standing in front of what looked like an exotic garden built on an oasis, I could hardly stop myself from being enchanted by the display.
"I have to say, this is remarkable."
"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right," Agnes said.
The tiles made of baked dirt were particularly eye-catchingâunlike the stained-glass of the Vatican, their opaque brilliance was mesmerizing and beautiful.
â¬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering advises that they're made in arabesque style.â
I walked through the room at a sedate pace toward a lovely pavilion located at the center of the lifeless garden, which had geometrical patterns carved into its roof. I had to cross the pavilion in order to get to the other side, but as I was about to step into the shadow under the roof, Agnes' voice made me pause.
«Ailette.»
She did not speak in her usual casual and relaxed mannerâit was a quiet but effective tone that instantly served as a warning.
Someone is here. I took half a step back and heightened all of my senses.
Step, step...
I heard relaxed footsteps approaching. Just as I became quite certain that the unknown person was deliberately delaying their reveal, a shadow appeared from a blind spot behind a pillar. Finally, their silhouette escaped the darkness as it came under the light of the luminescent stone, taking on shape and color. Realizing how familiar this figure was, my eyes grew larger than ever.
The person remarked, "Allie."
It felt as if a bright, white moon had entered the night sky, suddenly lighting the darkness that had surrounded me. From his silver hair that looked like it was spun from starlight, his eyes that called out to me like an oasis in the desert, to his white holy knight's uniform that reflected his faith and morality, his mere presence lit the room in a warm, familiar glow. As if he had emerged from my dreams, Tesilid Argente now stood before me.
But... how? My eyes projected my curiosity and confusion, but Tesilid merely offered me his usual serene, impossibly beautiful smile in return. A short moment passed until Tesilid spoke again, his voice carrying over to me like the lilting notes of a string instrument.
"You're finally here, Allie."
Evidently pleased to see me, he approached. I quietly watched him get closer and closerâthree steps away, two steps, one step... When he was but half a step from me, he gently reached his right hand out and attempted to cup my cheek with it as his charming face came closer.
At that moment, I noticed something peculiar.
"No ring, no cufflinks?" I asked. "A bit careless, don't you think?"
"Ah, well..." His response escaped him like a sigh, but I wasn't sympathetic to his feigned embarrassment. Regardless, he didn't step back, maintaining the close distance between us, enough so that we could feel each other's breath.
Somewhat dryly, he explained, "I wanted to see how much you'd let me get away with. I guess you don't mind me at this distance when I'm wearing his face."
"What do you want?" I snapped.
As the tension between us rose, I could confirm his identity without a doubt. Both of us stated the obvious at the same time.
"Reed."
"Ailette Rodeline."
Only then did the charming and handsome man put distance between us again as he jokingly said with a smirk, "If only you stopped me a little bit later..."
"..."
I didn't reply because I couldn't tell whether he was truly disappointed or if he was mocking me. And anyway, there was a more pressing issue at hand.
â¬The Voice that Shapes the World is aghast.â
â¬The Advocate of Confidentiality is confused.â
â¬The Scale that Judges Souls doesn't know what to think.â
I, too, was utterly shocked, for the man standing in front of me looked like a faithful and handsome man with silver hair and ocean-colored eyes.
«But... how? How can Reed look like this? He's the master of the demonic sword! Death is the only way the ownership of the Holy Demon Sword can be changed, so why does he look like that? Did he use magic to alter his appearance?»
Agnes rambled as she expressed her confusion, stumbling from one question to another. Meanwhile, I analyzed Reed as he completely ignored my chattering necklace and fixed his eyes on me. This was when I realized something.
I see.
You can't hear Agnes' voice, Reed. I'd learned something new again today, and just as I was worried whether I'd forget it if I didn't hang onto the thought for longer, I corrected myself and cleared my mind. Indeed, now was not the time to let my mind linger on unnecessary information.
Pulling myself together, I asked, "How come you look like that?"
"This is what I originally look like."
"Not if you became the master of the demonic sword." The demonic sword's ability to change its master's appearance was absoluteâit was far more overpowering than any magic or artifact.
To this, Reed stretched his lips into a smile and replied, "I thought you knew everything."
"..."
"I guess I'm doing a good job."
Indeed, Reed was clever. He directly pinpointed my weakness and changed the topic at the same time, but what he mentioned next was more meaningful than I expected.
"Take a guess. You're smart, so I'm sure you'll figure it out before I die."
"..."
"I can't wait to see the look in your eyes when you find out."
"..."
Perhaps I was overthinking this, but he seemed to have hoped that I knew the answer, even though he avoided telling me directly. I couldn't put my finger on what his intentions or expectations were, which was a reminder that he existed within a blind spot of the original story.
That's when he muddled my thoughts even more by jokingly remarking, "Ailette Rodeline, why don't you come to me?"
"What?"
"I will treat you like a queen."
I almost blurted out that he was out of his mind, but cautiously stopped myself and ignored his ridiculous suggestion by changing topics.
"So why have you come to see me?" I asked. "Have you not learned that nothing good happens when we meet?"
"Nothing good, huh? I believe that's a contradictory statement given your current circumstances," he replied, peering at me intently.
When I frowned in confusion, he chuckled, sounding almost exasperated, and then turned away from me.
"You're on your way to the Altar of Chaos, right?"
"So this was all a part of your plan."
"Follow me. I'll take you there." Reed immediately took the lead. I thought about the implications as I watched him get further away from me.
He showed me his back on purpose to let me know that he's not hostile right now. Then... is this a temporary suspension of the disaster he's been inflicting on the world? I quickly caught up to him without complaining, but the way we walked shoulder-to-shoulder felt like we were walking separate paths with no connection point to come.
Whoosh. Soon, Reed shed his deceptive appearance as his silver hair instantly elongated and turned black, while the refreshing blue of his eyes bled crimson. He tore off the holy knight uniform he was wearing and incinerated it, recovering his demonic energy and presence that he held as the Chaos and Evil. It was this quick return to his original identity that allowed me to breathe steadily again.
"This way."
Reed took me to a dead end, but there wasn't a cat bronze relief who asked riddles this time. Instead, a wrought iron chamber came crashing down as soon as we reached the end.
Clang!
"...!"
I was now unexpectedly trapped in a small cell with Reed, and I jolted with shock when the space we were at was completely separated from the hallway.
Rattle!
Suddenly, the floor slowly sank down and revealed fleeting images of the lower floors quickly passing by on the other side of the bars.
I didn't know the building had an elevator... My movement on the map quickly changed to one that was vertical, and just as I waited for us to arrive with my eyes fixed forward, Reed's deep voice rang in my ear.
"Come to think of it, did you know?"
"Know what?"
"I met that bastard at the Dark Tower last time."
That bastard... It was obvious who he was referring to.
"You met Tez?"
I instantly reacted and turned my head to notice that he was already staring at me.
"Yes, I did. I was going to kill him, but he fled into a dungeon that was closing."
That made me recall a written conversation I had with Tesilid before.
â¦I'm stuck in the Demon Realm dumpster. I entered a dungeon called the Great Library of Eternity to find out where you are, but had a problem. I'll tell you the details when we meet.â§"
The problem he encountered was running into Reed? The belated news made my heart sink with shock, but the topic Reed raised next hit me like a bucket of ice water.
"He had become an aura master." When I didn't respond, Reed goaded, "Isn't it interesting? Hm, you seem pretty tense right now."
I didn't like how easily he was reading me, so I decided to probe and gain some information for myself.
"What did you talk about at the Dark Tower?"
"It'll be more entertaining if he tells you himself."
"Do you realize how humorous it is, the same person talking about himself like you're two different people?"
"I wouldn't call it humorous. And anyway, we're not the same person. We went down completely different paths," Reed explained with a sneer, then added, "Also, I'm way better than him."
I didn't dignify this with a reply.
"But there is something I can tell you..."
Screech!
When the elevator came to a halt, the gate opened to reveal a hallway.
Stepping into this new space, he finished smugly, "He's not the young, naive Tesilid from Loop Seventeen you think he is."
I know that. I continued to grumble to myself internally as I followed Reed.
â¬Â«System» You've arrived at the [Labyrinth of the Deep].â
"This is a textbook basement of a demon castle."
The lowest floor was made of a confusing maze, the view to the exit blocked by high walls that stretched almost to the ceiling. Snapping my head back to see the top, the place reminded me of the labyrinth of ancient mythology that Minotaur was trapped in.
Is there a monster he wants to trap in here? Instead of voicing my thoughts, I asked a different question.
"Do you know the way?"
"Of course."
The maze looked too complicated, even for Reed, but his answer was unquestionably self-assured. It was what he said next that lowered my confidence in him as a reliable guide.
"Although... I wouldn't mind getting lost in here with you."