"Hmm…"
Ryuzu pondered for a moment, but ultimately shook her head.
"You, an outsider, suddenly appeared here. No matter how indolent this old one may be, I cannot allow someone of unknown origin to approach the sanctuary at will."
The refusal was perfectly reasonable, and Lillian knew he had been somewhat impatient. However, he had no other option—delaying further served no purpose. He needed to resolve matters as quickly as possible.
"Nevertheless, since you are a guest of the village, please come inside and speak," she added.
"Very well."
Lillian followed Ryuzu as she turned and entered the house.
Inside, the room was empty and bare, with only a few wooden chairs placed in the hall. The girl sat upright in one of them, her staff laid horizontally beside her. Her movements and bearing carried a sense of age and experience that could only come from the passage of years—something a child could never imitate through mere performance.
Though he did not know her actual age, Lillian had no interest in asking such a meaningless question. He sat in the wooden chair opposite to her and once again expressed that he bore no ill intent.
Ryuzu nodded slightly and said calmly, "First, please introduce yourself, honored guest. It has been a long time since this village has received outsiders. Before that, allow this old one to explain—my name is Ryuzu Meyer, and I am the one who speaks for this village, responsible for its affairs."
Lillian bowed his head slightly in respect and replied, "My name is Eren Yeager. I come from Lugunica."
"If you are a guest, there is no need to conceal your face with a mask," she said.
"Well…" Lillian let out a soft chuckle. "To be honest, my appearance is rather unsightly. It would be best not to frighten you."
Hearing this, Ryuzu did not press the matter further nor insist that he remove the mask. After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "Then this old one wishes to know—how did you learn of this place, and how did you come to know of the 'trial'?"
Lillian had expected this question. He decided to take a gamble.
Reaching into his cloak, he withdrew a gospel book.
"Do you recognize this?"
As the Sanctuary was the tomb of the Witch of Greed, every demi-human living here knew of Echidna's existence. While most might not know about Echidna's "Book of Wisdom," someone like Ryuzu—who served as the village's leader—should at least have some knowledge of it.
Sure enough, the moment she saw the gospel book, Ryuzu's pupils contracted slightly.
Now that he had confirmed she recognized it, the rest became easier.
"The gospel book guided me here and granted me the qualification to challenge the trial. It is the guidance of fate—I believe I cannot defy it."
That the gospel book possessed a certain ability to reveal the future was beyond doubt. However, rather than being literal prophecy, its predictions were more like calculated projections of the future based on vast amounts of data.
It was similar to how shopping or social media applications on Earth collected user data. After analyzing that data, they could "predict" your preferences and push targeted advertisements.
Sometimes, just as you were thinking of buying something, you would open an app and find it recommending that exact item. That could hardly be called prophecy—it was merely inference.
In Lillian's view, Echidna's "Book of Wisdom" worked in the same way. It simply possessed far more data and a far more precise and powerful "algorithm," allowing it to produce predictions so realistic that many mistook them for prophecy.
Another characteristic of the gospel book was its unique script, which could likely only be understood by its owner. Lillian himself could not read it now, since the book was not his—but Ryuzu did not know this. Thus, when he claimed he could understand it, she had no way to verify or refute his words.
"The witch's guidance… is it?"
As Ryuzu gazed at the gospel book, for some reason a fleeting trace of sorrow flashed in her eyes. The next moment, she nodded.
"I understand."
"Then your decision is…?"
"Do not be impatient," Ryuzu said. "Before you arrived, this old one received word that several other outsiders have also just reached the village."
"… "
"This old one originally intended to go after finishing meditation, but since I have been interrupted, so be it. Come with me now. All of you arrived on the same day…" Ryuzu said thoughtfully. "Perhaps there is some connection between you."
"I see. If it's such a coincidence… then so be it."
Lillian's attempt to avoid meeting the others had failed. This Ryuzu was not easily deceived—she could not be fully convinced by talk of "fate's guidance." Moreover, the fact that two groups had arrived on the same day was indeed too much of a coincidence. If there were no connection between them, it would truly be strange.
At this point, finding further excuses would no longer work. Lillian rose and followed the girl outside.
Along the way, demi-human villagers who saw Ryuzu showed her great respect, yet Lillian also noticed that some of their expressions toward her were rather complicated.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind: the three demi-humans who brought him here clearly belonged to the "leave faction." The fact that they had taken him directly to Ryuzu might mean that the village's leader herself also belonged to the "leave faction." If that were the case, she would likely be more supportive of his attempt to challenge the trial.
Now was not the time to dwell on such matters—he absolutely could not reveal any flaws or slip up later.
With that in mind, Ryuzu led him to a house. From inside, the voice of Subaru could be heard.
"If demi-humans lose consciousness when they touch the barrier, then why not just have unaffected humans carry them out instead?!"
When the door was pushed open, everyone inside immediately turned to look.
Present in the room were: Roswaal, lying in bed with severe injuries; Ram, pushing a wheelchair; Rem, seated in it; Emilia and Subaru standing to one side; and a young blond, green-eyed demi-human man.
Their gazes first fell on Ryuzu, who had entered ahead, and then on Lillian, who followed behind.
No matter how one looked at it, Lillian's tightly concealed outfit drew attention.
Roswaal, lying on the bed, narrowed his eyes slightly, while Lillian stood calmly. He was not worried about being recognized. Not only were his appearance and physique concealed, but the aura surrounding him was also completely sealed by the Invisible Will enveloping his body.
Others might sense a witch's aura from him, but they would never detect Lillian's original presence. Moreover, that witch's aura itself ruled out the possibility that he was Lillian—after all, before his "death," Lillian had possessed no such aura. He only gained it after killing Petelgeuse and inheriting the Sloth Witch Factor.
"Who just proposed using humans to carry the mixed-bloods out?" Ryuzu asked. "This old one has no desire to see the villagers reduced to empty shells without souls."
"Huh?"
"And you are…?"
Some present did not recognize Ryuzu, so she introduced herself again.
"This old one is Ryuzu Meyer, and for the time being I am the one who speaks for this village. As you see—these are merely the bones of an old body."
No matter how one looked at her, she hardly resembled an old woman…
Lillian thought this to himself, while Subaru had already bluntly voiced the same sentiment.
"A loli grandma? I figured I'd meet one someday in this other world, but I still got fooled by the first impression!"
"To call someone an old woman upon first meeting—how very rude," Ryuzu said, glancing at Subaru.
"But I added 'loli' in front!" Subaru replied cheerfully. "Back where I come from, that's actually a compliment. Really!"
The others could not quite grasp what he meant. Ryuzu did not pursue the matter and ignored him, instead turning to the energetic demi-human youth.
"Young Gar, were they brought here by you?"
"Ah—Ram brought them," he said, then addressed the others. "Listen up! This great me is Garfiel Tinzel! Don't use that old lady's way of calling me!"
"Who would use such a cheesy nickname?!" Subaru scoffed, then suddenly remembered something and asked Ryuzu, "Right, you said my idea wouldn't work. Why not?"
"Yes… what exactly did you mean by 'soulless shells'?" Emilia asked curiously.
"It means exactly what it sounds like," the girl replied calmly, her expression still and tranquil. "When those of mixed blood come into contact with the barrier and lose consciousness, what truly occurs is that the barrier repels their souls."
"Repels…?"
"In other words, if a mixed-blood forcibly attempts to leave the barrier, their soul and body will separate. Only the body can cross the barrier—the soul remains trapped within."