That was the end of the explanation.
It was more or less what Mia had expected, so she wasn't particularly surprised. The only thing she was curious about was whether she would be able to resolve things through conversation when she faced the unicorn—or whether it would end in a fight.
"Have you finished reading?"
"Yes."
When Mia nodded in response to Roland's question, the king looked at her with concern.
"If you feel this is too harsh, you may refuse. We can find another—"
"No, I'll do it. I have no problem with it."
Mia replied confidently. A unicorn? Please. If push came to shove, she could just cut it down with the sword Leca's father had given her. Not that she wanted to kill an animal—but if it came to that, she wouldn't hesitate.
"Are you certain? No one has returned unscathed from a battle with a unicorn."
"And you're assigning such a dangerous trial to someone who might be your future queen?"
At Mia's words, several of the ministers shouted again and flailed in protest. Jakiel raised his staff.
"Silence, please. And you, maiden—from another world—we ask for your understanding. In our kingdom, a queen's qualities are assessed through many trials. The contents have simply changed in your case because you are not one of our kind. It is not meant to trouble you."
Sure it's not. Mia resisted the urge to stick a finger in her ear and answered calmly. Jakiel continued.
"All you need to do is cut off a small piece of the unicorn's golden mane. Do not try to deceive us with the hair of another beast—it can be easily detected."
"Understood. Then, may I take my leave?"
"No. There is one more rite of passage."
Jakiel's silver-gray eyes flashed coldly. Even the king looked startled.
"One more?"
The aged vizier curled his lips into a smile. It was hard to tell if it was a grin or a grimace. Deep wrinkles furrowed his face.
"The unicorn trial alone is not enough to properly gauge this maiden's capabilities, Your Majesty."
The king pressed his lips together in thought. Some of the ministers whispered among themselves, and a few nodded in agreement.
"If she is truly pure, the unicorn may cooperate without a fight. In that case, how would we assess her magical abilities?"
"Couldn't that simply be tested with the instructors?"
The king frowned slightly. At that, Jakiel's silver eyes widened like a wolf's, as if the king had said something dangerous.
"Life is war, Your Majesty! Have you forgotten? Historically, every queen of our kingdom has possessed magical power equal to the king's—if not greater. Whether it was materialization, combat, foresight, or healing—each queen had at least one such ability at the level of a high mage or beyond!"
The king slowly closed and opened his eyes. He was thinking of his late queen, who had passed away last year from illness. She had been a brilliant healing mage, yet in the end, could not save herself.
After her death, the king had aged rapidly and fallen ill himself. He believed it was a sign—that he was to follow after her.
"Then what is the second rite of passage?"
The Grand Vizier did not answer immediately. The murmuring ministers fell silent, and heavy tension settled over the chamber. Jakiel, pleased by this silence, bowed deeply.
"I propose the Trial of the Demon God."
"The Trial of the Demon God?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
No one spoke. The room was as still as if cold water had been poured over it. Eventually, the king asked quietly,
"…And what does that entail? I can't even imagine it."
"Then, Your Majesties and Lords, please observe this."
Jakiel raised a massive diamond into the air. The jewel glowed brighter and brighter until the inside became as clear as glass, illuminating the entire chamber.
"You, step closer."
Jakiel's sharp, commanding voice was directed at Mia. She approached the diamond.
"The contents of the rite are sealed within this. Touch it with your hand."
Doing as instructed, Mia placed her fingers against the cool, transparent surface. Immediately, a scene began to unfurl inside the diamond like frost forming on glass.
A man was walking down a dark path, his back turned. A black forest stretched out around him. It was the dead of night, and the trees were so tall and thick that they blocked out the moon and stars.
Creatures—beasts or perhaps fiends—suddenly lunged at him from the shadows. It was too dark to make out their exact forms. Some he dispatched with ease, others took more effort to fend off.
After what seemed like a long walk, the world around him began to glow faintly blue. Dawn was breaking. The man suddenly soared into the air and thrust his sword into a spot in the sky, where the light was strongest.
Then—
The sky and forest collapsed like shards of glass, and the entire landscape transformed. The black woods vanished, replaced by a white field swirling with blizzards.
The man continued walking across the snow. Eventually, a sheer cliff came into view, and across it, a narrow ice bridge—barely wide enough for one person—stretched toward the opposite cliff.
At the end of that cliff stood an ice palace. Carefully, the man crossed the narrow bridge. It looked treacherous, but he made it to the other side without falling.
At the entrance of the palace, he knocked. A woman emerged, bundled head to toe in white fur and wearing a hat of the same snowy hue. The man seemed to speak to her.
In response, the woman pulled a white feather from her coat, scribbled something on a piece of parchment, and handed it to him.
He tucked the letter into his coat and began walking again.
After a while, a massive fly—with thick, bristly legs—descended from the sky and landed in front of him. He climbed onto its back, and the fly took off, soaring through the air until it dropped him off atop a craggy mountain.
The sky here was red, and the surroundings were molten with lava. The man took the letter from his coat and tossed it into the lava. Instantly, the lava cooled and hardened into black stone.
He carefully descended the volcanic slope. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the stone beneath him split open, revealing a staircase spiraling into the earth. The man stepped down.
Though visibility was poor, the bottom of the stairs glittered with immense piles of gold and jewels—so bright they nearly blinded him. Once he reached the bottom, the stone above closed shut with a thunderous roar.
As if someone had turned off a projection beam, the vision within the diamond came to an end.
"…That place…"
A look of astonishment crossed the king's face. The ministers were equally shocked—even the court mage Roland wore a stunned expression. Jakiel, on the other hand, looked pleased with the reaction his vision had provoked.
"Yes. It is the dwelling of the demon god Beelzebub."
"You're saying this rite of passage… involves going to Beelzebub?"
"To be precise, it is to retrieve an ancient treasure that he took."
Now the king looked not just shocked—but dumbfounded.
"How in the world is that girl supposed to do what countless heroes of the continent have failed to accomplish?"
"And that's exactly why she may succeed, Your Majesty! The old texts say that Beelzebub only relinquishes his treasure to those who approach him with pure intentions—not to greedy warriors or mages driven by desire!"
"So… you're saying she has a chance?"
"Of course, Your Majesty. What could be a purer motivation than undertaking the journey as part of a rite of passage to become queen?"
Mia clicked her tongue inwardly. This old man's on another level. Now he wants me to visit the lord of hell?
"But it's far too dangerous."
"As you saw, there was nothing dangerous at all. A few minor beasts in the black forest—that's all! Thirteen-year-olds in training with Instructor Rodolphe take on more than that."
"But once she's gone to the demon god, how is she supposed to return?"
The soft-spoken minister with the garnet on his forehead asked the question. Jakiel shrugged nonchalantly.
"Beelzebub is not some irrational fiend or mad spirit. He will understand once he sees a royal letter from Your Majesty."
This time, the minister adorned with turquoise spoke up.
"Traveling to the demon god's lair and returning is a monumental feat in itself. Even if she fails to retrieve the treasure, the mere fact that she makes the journey should more than prove her worthiness as queen."
"…True, but she'll still need something to prove she was there," said Roland, the court mage.
Mia eyed the two old men from the Diamond bloodline—were they possibly twins?
At last, King Minophon spoke again.
"We shall consider it further. What the Grand Vizier says is not without merit, but this is a burden too great for one so young. Let her first face the unicorn trial. If she returns safely, we'll decide then."
Jakiel paused for a moment before bowing deeply.
"Glory to His Majesty."
Then he turned to Mia.
"From this moment on, you will be given two days to prepare. The trial will be held on the third day. But during these two days, you are forbidden from seeing Leca."
"…Why?"
Mia's voice rose in surprise.
"Why do you think? If he hears any of this, he'll run straight to his father begging for help."
Jakiel's cold eyes scanned her from head to toe. A chill ran down Mia's spine.
Scary old man. No wonder he's the Grand Vizier.
The king raised his hand.
"Everyone, you may withdraw. I wish to rest now. And you, human maiden—stay a moment longer."