“Wake up. Grandson.”
…Is it dinner time already? I opened my eyes and met the gaze of Maria staring at me. My biological grandmother was glaring at me, furrowing her brows, and said,
“It’s clear you look like your mother. That brat’s features are a bit annoying though…”
“…So, my father was the son-in-law, huh.”
“That brat was garbage.”
After spouting that, she closed her eyes and gently patted Teddy’s head in her arms. It looked like she was trying to calm the boiling anger inside her, so I kept my mouth shut and waited for her to say something next.
“…Grandson, let’s go.”
“Ah, yes.”
I stood up and followed her as she walked ahead. We didn’t exchange a single word throughout our journey to the cafeteria.
It seemed like my grandmother didn’t want to talk much, and every time she looked at my face, she seemed to recall unpleasant memories, her brows knitting together.
And so, we arrived at the dinner hall.
“Ah, we’ve arrived. Did you rest well?”
“Thanks to you, I rested well.”
“Good to hear. Your seat is here.”
I sat down at the chair Edmund pointed to. The long table, suitable for nobles, was laden with many dishes. Some were familiar to me, while others were not.
“Grandson. Don’t eat that.”
“Is that… bell pepper?”
“It’s not tasty.”
…Well, being picky at that age is a bit much, isn’t it?
I thought of pointing that out, but I decided it was unnecessary to upset her, so I kept my mouth shut. She seemed to interpret my silence as a sign of agreement or simply ignored it and started eating with her fork and knife.
What should I try first? I should start with what I’m familiar with if possible.
Picking familiar foods one by one onto my plate, I shredded the chicken and stuffed it in my mouth.
It’s ordinary, isn’t it?
Honestly, the sight of the people sitting at this table was almost Halloween-level bizarre; I wondered if the food might taste strange, but unexpectedly, the taste was pretty normal.
After all, since they’re human, the meal isn’t much different from what humans eat.
“Grandson, you’re casually eating bugs?”
“It’s good for the body.”
Caterpillars are really nutritious! I speared a plump caterpillar with my fork and popped it in my mouth.
Mmm, savory!
“Looks like you’ve had a tough life… eat plenty.”
Did she feel pity seeing me eating bugs so casually? My grandmother piled a heap of meat onto my plate.
“…Thank you.”
I devoured everything she added. Since I was not eating that quickly, by the time I finished, the dinner was almost coming to an end.
“Everyone, pay attention! The protagonist of tonight has finished their meal, and I have an important announcement to make!”
Edmund’s voice echoed in the cafeteria, and everyone turned to look at him. I joined the collective curiosity, waiting for him to speak.
The protagonist he mentioned must be me, of course.
“Tonight! A candidate for inheriting the legacy has appeared right here! Johann Quartz! Please stand up!”
I pushed my chair back and stood up in response to his words. At the same time, I felt all eyes focused on me.
I wasn’t nervous, but with all these peculiar humans gathered, the atmosphere felt like I was in the midst of cosmic horror.
Especially the woman in the restraining suit… was her name Lega? She had her neck stretched out entirely to look at me.
“He will be taking a test tonight! His joiners are Maria Quartz and Vulcanus Quartz! And Lumi Quartz!”
No sooner had he finished his words than I heard the scraping of chairs.
It seemed the joiners were also standing up.
“Let us give applause to the descendants of the Quartz family and the joiners participating in the test!”
Clap clap clap clap clap…
The cafeteria was filled with applause. Lega, with her arms restrained, couldn’t clap, so she made applause sounds with her mouth. After the applause time ended, Edmund spoke again.
“Now, we will head straight to the exam. If you wish to visit the restroom, now is the time. It’s right across the dining hall.”
“I’m fine.”
“Well, then… follow me. Of course, joiners as well.”
We all left the cafeteria together. As we emerged into the corridor, Edmund smiled and said,
“Follow me.”
What kind of test will it be?
Curiosity bubbled up as I quietly followed behind him. The joiners behind me trailed along silently like they had swallowed honey.
Thanks to that, the corridor was filled only with the sound of footsteps.
“This is the place.”
Edmund stopped at a spot where a door was visible right away, unlike the others. Was this place incapable of hiding? Just as that thought crossed my mind, the door opened on its own.
Strangely, I couldn’t see the layout of the room inside. It felt too dark to see anything at all?
“Come in.”
Although it looked like the entrance to an abyss and felt a bit uneasy, nothing would happen as soon as I entered. I stepped into the room, following Edmund.
“A temple?”
“This is the altar of Quartz, our ancestor, and a pillar protecting this world. Approach the altar with a reverent heart.”
I walked slowly towards the altar under Edmund’s guidance. The temple was quite spacious, taking me about three minutes to reach the altar.
So, this is the altar.
The altar looked like it needed a sacrifice, standing as I assumed it would, with a gigantic statue likely representing an outsider Quartz behind it. Maybe it was just my feeling, but it seemed like the statue was looking down at me.
“What must I do now?”
I looked at Edmund, who was standing next to me at the altar.
“Listen carefully. From now on…”
He began explaining step by step what I needed to do, from the order of the ritual to the actions required and even the posture I needed to take.
After a brief coaching, he pointed to a bowl in front of the altar and said,
“You need to spill your blood into this. It’s a process to prove you are of the Quartz bloodline.”
Outsiders, huh? This ritual feels a bit… psychic.
Without hesitation, I bit my finger and let the blood drip into the bowl.
I managed to fill about half of the dish, which was roughly a hands-width in diameter. Edmund took my hand and pulled it down. I guess that was a sign to stop. He lifted the dish filled with my blood and shouted solemnly.
“O, our beginning and end! Your descendant has arrived! Bestow upon him the trials he rightly deserves!”
“Descendant of Quartz! I pray that Johann Quartz becomes your successor!”
“Descendant of Quartz! I pray that Maria Quartz becomes Johann Quartz’s joiner!”
“Descendant of Quartz! I pray that Vulcanus Quartz becomes Johann Quartz’s joiner!”
“Descendant of Quartz! I pray that Lumi Quartz becomes Johann Quartz’s joiner!”
I heard the sound of knees hitting the ground, and following what Edmund instructed, I knelt, bowed my head, and closed my eyes.
A few minutes passed.
[Lift your head, outsider.]
I opened my eyes to see a solemn yet gentle, soft but cold peculiar voice, looking up at him.
“…Are you my ancestor?”
Despite clearly seeing him sitting on the throne above, I couldn’t ‘understand’ him.
It felt more like I couldn’t precisely recognize him as if everything was mosaic-ed. I knew he was a humanoid life form, but… how did he, a non-human, have a child?
Just looking at his size, he seemed to be almost half the size of a dragon.
[Correct. I am the cause of your existence.]
Cause… As an outsider, it seems like strange words come out.
He rested his chin thoughtfully and observed me slowly. At least that’s how I felt.
How long did it take? He slowly opened his mouth.
[Descendant, you came to take the test?]
“That’s right. My ancestor.”
[You are an intriguing one. An outsider’s soul residing in the body of the Quartz family. Such a thing is normally impossible… But anyway, all conditions to take the test have been met, so you are eligible to take it. Very well. I hereby grant you permission to take the test.]
“Thank you.”
[However, first, I will grant you one opportunity to withdraw. Once you take the test, you cannot revoke it, so choose wisely.]
An opportunity to withdraw…
He spoke as if he was very graciously giving me the right to choose, which left me unable to respond right away. Edmund hadn’t told me anything about the nature of the test.
But do I really have a choice?
If I end up fighting an outsider, I’ll ultimately need the Quartz family’s blessing.
It would be extremely difficult to confront an outsider without the assistance of another outsider, after all.
It didn’t take me long to make my decision.
“…I will take the test.”
[The test is simple.]
The outsider snapped his fingers.
—————-
“Where is this…”
It’s unfamiliar. No, should I say it’s familiar?
I blinked my eyes while standing in a place I had buried in my memories, a place where I lived for ten years.
Deserted island?
[To fight against outsiders means confronting beings that never existed in this world unlike those living here. Can you assure victory against them?]
“I’ve defeated countless enemies up to now. I believe I can do it.”
[The time limit is one day. Survive or defeat your joiners.]
What?
A chill ran down my spine, and I immediately turned around.
My joiners… are the enemies?!
[Do you think Edmund casually prompted those three?]
“Grandson, I’m sorry, but it’s an order from the ancestor, so there’s no choice.”
“You’re a great artisan, so you should be able to handle this easily!”
“I’m not into fighting, but I guess it can’t be helped.”
The three of them slowly spaced away from me, preparing to fight.
By the way, it looks like I’ll be fighting after a long time without Rue or any of my other comrades.
“…I’m sorry, but I’ll be going all out.”
I’ll somehow manage.
Letting out a deep sigh, I decided to use my signature martial arts move for the first time in a while.
“Crafting.”
