Zara spent multiple days as a guest of honor at the temple, and he was allowed to observe the monks in training. Then, one day, a sudden development occurred.
According to Patagamon’s explanation, which he delivered with a face twisted by fury, it had been decided that the two-to-two deadlock between the two candidates would be decided by a duel between two converts in the Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts.
Patagamon said that converts were martial artists from outside the temple who admired the temple’s valor and had sworn to protect its doctrine. The spirits of the four sacred beasts resided in the Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts, and they monitored the fight for any wrongdoing and declared a winner.
Ragalat nominated a man named Jarr Dol Baza. Jarr Dol Baza was a swordsman who headed a training hall in Aldana, and though he was approaching old age, word of his valor had spread throughout the continent, and he was called the Divine Blade to match his noble personality. Jarr Dol Baza had been named a convert by the keeper of Yarts’s Bracelet, so he was a reasonable selection.
After this declaration, Patagamon decided to hold off on naming his challenger. He considered picking a young swordsman convert who lived in Peza, but he was unable to make up his mind. It would take a while for Jarr Dol Baza to arrive from Aldana, so Patagamon thought he had the time to prepare carefully.
However, a moment ago, Ragalat had entered the General Affairs Division with a sudden announcement.
“Jarr Dol Baza is already waiting in the Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts. Hurry up and prepare your convert.”
Patagamon was dumbfounded. Then he realized what had happened.
Jarr Dol Baza arrived too quickly to have been summoned from Aldana. He had probably visited the temple by coincidence for the purpose of training. The reception of visitors seeking training was the jurisdiction of the Clerical Division. Ragalat must have secretly put Jarr Dol Baza on standby, steered the meeting toward the decision to end the deadlock with a duel of converts, and then sent Jarr Dol Baza to the Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts.
“I never would have imagined a monk of this temple would use such a dirty trick. He deceived me.”
“Can you delay the duel until you have your representative prepared?”
“The four keepers of the bracelets agreed that this case will be determined by a duel in the Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts, and now one challenger is already in the shrine. If half a day passes without the other challenger entering the shrine, the first to enter is declared the winner.”
“Is it possible for you to hurry and get a challenger to the shrine in time?”
“No. If I went to the Adventurers Guild and was fortunate enough to hire a sorcerer capable of teleporting to the temple, I could save a few hours, but even if I could manage to get a challenger here within half a day, they would not be able to get through the Trial Corridor. There is nothing I can do.”
“What is the Trial Corridor?”
“It is a corridor that encircles the Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts, and you cannot enter the shrine unless you have cleared it. Jarr Dol Baza has been through the corridor before, so he doesn’t need to enter it.”
“What is in this corridor?”
Patagamon told him that there were statues placed throughout the corridor to ward off evil that came to life and attacked when they sensed humans. The Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts and the corridor were built by the sect founder, Jan’Majar, himself with the help of a dungeon maker.
“So you can’t delay the duel.”
“I cannot. Ragalat becoming the new abbot is unavoidable. However, the other three keepers are also shocked and angry at Ragalat for his methods. I will drag him off the seat of the abbot no matter what it takes. Once Ragalat is appointed, though, he will be sure to use uncompromising methods to maintain his position. A conflict will be inevitable.”
“Master Patagamon. If you have no chance of winning this duel, can you appoint me as a convert and make me your champion?”
“What did you say?”
“Truthfully, I wanted to meet Jarr Dol Baza and ask him to give me a lesson. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Hmm. But—”
“I also have this.”
Zara pulled out Bolton’s Charm and showed it to him. After appraising it, Patagamon was astonished, immediately appointed Zara as a convert, gave him a number of warnings, and then guided him to the Trial Corridor.
✦ ✦ ✦
Zara took off running as soon as he entered the corridor. He had Bora’s Sword and Bolton’s Charm equipped. Bora’s Sword had a blessing that increased movement speed, and Zara himself possessed a skill that quickened his movement as well.
Zara ran swifter than the wind. The stone corridor was narrow, and stone beasts were lined up on both sides at regular intervals.
The beasts looked simultaneously like lions and like bears. They were standing by the support of their back legs and tail, and they were kicking out their front legs in a threatening stance. Large fangs emerged from their half-open mouths, and a long mane grew from their heads.
Their limbs were thick, and their claws were sharp. They would surely put up a tough fight. But the stone beasts remained asleep and didn’t show any sign of waking up.
That was thanks to the invisibility effect of Bolton’s Charm. This charm’s blessing allowed Zara to move through the corridor without being noticed by the statues.
The exit came into view. Zara sprinted through it with lightning speed. Ignoring the dumbfounded monks, he stored Bora’s Sword and Bolton’s Charm in his Treasury and entered the Shrine of the Four Sacred Beasts. Blessed items could not be taken into the shrine. If you did so, you would be immediately disqualified for breaking the rules. Also, special storage such as Treasuries and Bags did not function within the shrine.
“Wait a moment, Zara.”
Patagamon pressed the index finger of his right hand to Zara’s forehead and filled him with fighting spirit.
Zara immediately felt his body relax. It seemed that running through the corridor had taken more out of him than expected.
“May fortune favor you.”
Zara returned Patagamon’s firm look with a determined nod, then calmly passed through the entrance to the shrine. That he was able to do so proved he had completed the trial and earned the right to enter. The door closed behind him as he walked forward.
The monks who thought there was no way a challenger would reach the shrine in time were surely astonished. But the real fight was yet to begin.
He walked through a small passage and entered a large room. The walls were circular, and the ceiling was dome-shaped. There were four idols that looked like combinations of man and beast embedded in the wall in each of the four cardinal directions. They were probably the four sacred beasts and the guardian deities of this temple. Until the four sacred beasts determined the battle had reached a conclusion, no one would be able to leave.
A single man was seated in the middle of the room. His hard, wrinkled face made him look like a sculpture. He appeared to be meditating with his eyes closed, but as soon as Zara reached the center of the space, he opened his eyes and stood up.
“My name is Jarr Dol Baza,” he said with a warrior’s bow.
“My name is Zara,” responded Zara, returning the gesture.
There were two longswords set on the ground in front of the man. He motioned for Zara to make the first pick. When Zara grabbed one, the man took the other.
“Begin,” reverberated a disembodied voice.