The Trials of the Silent Chamber

The narrow passage soon came to an end. Once I fully emerged, the interior opened up wide again, just like at the beginning. Unlike the corridor, it was enclosed on all sides, but the ceiling was so high and the space so vast that it didn’t feel stifling. Once again, light rippled across the ceiling—though unlike the sunlight-bright glow from before, this was a dim, bluish hue.

Surveying the surroundings, I let out a hollow laugh at the sight of the massive statues looming ahead.

The statues were so colossal that I had to tilt my head all the way back to see the top. I wondered if I would even reach the height of their insteps if I stood beside them. Both statues had shattered faces; the one that once sat at the highest point was split in half, and the fallen fragments were splintered beyond recognition.

Between the two statues—one holding a spear and the other a book, facing each other at an angle—was a door.

Since it was massive, it was bound to be thick and heavy. I scanned the door, the statues, and the ceiling in turn. First, I had to confirm if this was actually a door. I couldn’t afford to waste time on a trap where I’d struggle to open it only to find the real entrance was elsewhere.

What would a cunning sage do? There was no need to rack my brain over it. When it came to this, the man destined to be Pisa Tecon’s successor was a better bet than I was.

“Is that the entrance?”

“It should be. I can feel mana coming from inside… and well, elderly mages tend to be obsessed with the literal meaning of language. They believe a ‘door’ must be something that opens, and something must exist beyond it…”

I pointed at the statues.

“Can you clear those away with magic?”

The statue on the left held its spear as if it were about to drive it into the floor at any moment, and the angle of the right statue’s hand was equally ominous. It was obvious. If I approached that door without preparation, I’d be skewered—or more accurately, crushed—by the spear, or some magic would trigger.

According to Cedric, Pisa Tecon had to use this path as well. There had to be a way in. Since the old man couldn’t possibly open a door that size with brute force, the method was likely magic-related.

Cedric tilted his head, his eyes narrowing.

“No.”

“No?”

Was he playing games again because he felt the “rewards” were insufficient? When I shot him a suspicious look, Cedric put on a pained expression as if hurt that I would doubt him.

“I don’t think the Principal made these… they feel very… foreign.”

Cedric slowly approached the area with the statues and the door. Still holding his hand, I was led along with him. As we neared the door, the water on the floor increased, making a splashing sound with every step.

“Yeah. This isn’t the kind of magic used these days.”

He read the ancient script near the door and reached out. A small sphere of light popped from his hand and flew toward the door. Upon touching the wall-like surface, the light seeped in and spread through the narrow crevices. As the tiny letters and patterns traced by the light stretched further up and down the door, one side of it began to open slowly.

Contrary to my prediction that even opening the door would be an ordeal, it was remarkably easy. I entered, eyeing the door warily. I couldn’t figure out why only one side had opened, but the passage was only half the width of the total entrance.

THUD!

Startled by the sudden, booming sound, I whipped around. Cedric, who had been right behind me, was nowhere to be seen, and the entrance was blocked by a massive spear. My heart hammered against my ribs. He wasn’t crushed under that, was he? I rushed toward the spear. I didn’t see any fabric or blood peeking out from underneath, but I couldn’t relax.

“Are you okay?!”

I didn’t exactly view him with affection, but I didn’t want the guy who followed me to help to get seriously injured or die. I placed my hands on the spear and pushed. It tilted slightly, but I couldn’t move it completely. Biting my lip, I took a step back. If it came down to it, I was prepared to cut through it.

“Cedric! Answer me!”

“…I’m fine.”

His voice sounded normal. Relieved that he wasn’t crushed, I slumped against the wall. Why the hell did he take so long to answer?

“It seems we have to enter separately. Um, go ahead… I’ll take the other side.”

It appeared the path branched off for each side of the door. Did that mean only two people could enter at a time? Even if a larger group had come to join forces, they would have been stalled here.

The corridor wasn’t long. I soon arrived at a square-shaped room. More accurately, it was two squares joined symmetrically. The walls and floor of the room were transparent, but it was so dark outside that I couldn’t see anything. Only a few rocks were visible beneath the floor.

Between the two rooms stood thin, long pillars like window frames at wide intervals, and at the front of the room was a statue holding a sword with both hands. This statue was only slightly larger than a human, unlike the ones guarding the exterior.

Hoping for a way through, I approached the pillars, but as expected, I couldn’t reach across. It felt as if I were hitting a barrier; it wouldn’t budge.

I poked around every corner, but nothing triggered. The room seemed designed for two people. Did I have to wait for Cedric? If so, did Pisa Tecon usually come down here with someone else?

Before long, Cedric entered his room. He was dusting off his clothes with a rather irritable attitude until he spotted me and blinked.

“…….”

He said something, but all I heard was a muffled humming. The rooms were completely soundproofed. Since Cedric’s movements were always slow and minimal, it was hard to lip-read him. I pointed to my ears and mouth, then crossed my arms in an ‘X.’ Realizing the situation, his face contorted into a scowl.

After a moment of thought, he fired a spark as if he’d found a solution. I was impressed by the flames carving letters into the air, thinking magic really was useful—but the feeling was fleeting. Cedric’s message cut off at ‘Break thi…’. The flames sputtered out as if deprived of oxygen.

Cedric blinked slowly and tried summoning ice. The result was the same. Metal, electricity, wood—all sorts of magic burst from his hands, but the outcome never changed.

I let out a dry laugh. That old Principal. He went around with such a vacuous face, but he didn’t hold his position for nothing.

‘Magic sealed?’

I tried to mouth the words clearly, focusing on simple vocabulary. Cedric nodded, understanding me. Despite his slumped, dejected shoulders, there was a faint look of annoyance on his face. From the Eneros to the door and now this room—nothing was going his way, and he looked ready to throw a tantrum.

[Who dares attempt to trespass upon this holy ground?]

The statue finally activated and began to speak. Its low voice vibrated through the room, sounding even more imposing. The statue shifted its grip on its sword with a metallic clatter. Even in the dim light, the blade gleamed with a lethally sharp edge.

[You entered of your own accord, but you shall not pass, nor shall you return.] [Foolish invaders shall perish in frozen Leng.] [Never again shall you behold the light.]

Although there was only one statue, the voice echoed from both sides. The thunderous rumbling was strong enough to feel the vibration.

[However, he who is wise,] [He who knows the truth and can answer,] [He who finds the solution,] [Shall move forward.]

Five crystals floated up in each of our rooms. Looking at the crystals hovering just above my head, I guessed the rules. Like a sphinx, the statue would pose riddles, and we could pass if we solved them.

The reason it separated us and blocked our sound was to prevent us from consulting each other—we had to answer individually.

I was a man of action, not a man of riddles. Even before the first question was asked, my blood ran cold. If a question appeared that only a mage could solve, I was finished. I wondered if Pisa Tecon could really be that heartless, but at this point, expecting fairness seemed like a reach.

[This is something anyone can change. Yet, no one can change it. What is this?]

Fortunately, the riddle wasn’t a complex mathematical formula. Even so, the answer didn’t come easily. I scratched my head while watching Cedric’s reaction. He seemed to have come up with an answer easily. He tried to give me a hint, but as if it had been waiting for that, the space between the two rooms turned opaque, like frosted glass.

While I paced anxiously, one of the crystals began to shrink. There was even a time limit. It shrank slowly at first, but then it accelerated. In the end, before I could even open my mouth to guess, the crystal vanished.

The statue vibrated and raised its sword high. I braced myself for an attack, but the sharp, crashing sound didn’t come from my room.

In the room where Cedric stood, the sound of something collapsing rang out. The ceiling showered down as if it were breaking apart. If his barrier had disappeared a moment sooner, he might have been impaled right then and there.

A chill ran down my spine, snapping me into focus. Failing to find the answer didn’t put me in danger—it put the other person at risk. This was incredibly malicious.

Without waiting, the statue posed the next riddle.

[What is the coldest thing of all?]