"Alright. Be careful," Lawrend replied.
He and Amene stopped in their tracks and watched her enter.
Aezel looked around the moment she entered. It was spacious inside the temple. There was nothing besides a crystal floating in the center at the top.
"Master, I think it's safe," Aezel said.
"Okay. Let's enter, Amene," Lawrend replied.
He and Amene walked side-by-side as they entered inside. He immediately noticed the floating white crystal at the center. It was so white that it was almost blinding to look at.
"Is that the soul shard?" Lawrend asked.
"Lawrend, that's my soul shard!" Daisy shouted.
"There's no doubt!" Eleanor said in agreement.
"Huh. It looks like I can easily take it, but I doubt that it's that easy," Lawrend muttered as he stared at it.
"What do you mean, Master?" Aezel asked in curiosity.
"Before I acquired Eleanor or Daisy, there was always a catch," Lawrend replied.
Suddenly, as he said that, the white crystal flickered.
"Oh, a human, a demihuman, and a… fallen angel? Welcome. I have been alone in this place forever," a calming heavenly female voice sounded.
"Hello, my name is Lawrend. This is Aezel, and this is Amene," Lawrend said to introduce themselves.
"There is a puzzle written on the floor below me. Read it and tell me your answer," the voice said calmly.
"A puzzle? Sure." Lawrend nodded his head and walked under her. He was pretty confident in himself right now. He got Eleanor to help him, after all.
He crouched and looked at the various symbols on the floor. They were unfamiliar to him.
"I can't rea—"
Just as Lawrend was about to say, he was interrupted by Eleanor.
"There is a king on death row. To relieve him from death, you could kill 100 people. Would you do it?"
Lawrend turned to the soul shard and asked, "Why is he on death row?"
"He was conquered by a race of divine beings," she answered.
"What is a divine being?" Lawrend asked again.
"..."
She stayed silent.
"Then who are the 100 people?"
"His friends, family, and the most innocent and pure people in his kingdom— children," she replied.
"Okay. I have an answer now," Lawrend said.
"What is your answer?"
"Lawrend, don't answer yet. Tell me," Daisy said to him hastily.
He closed his eyes and communicated with her inside his body.
'I would kill the king.'
'Wrong. Your answer is wrong, Lawrend. I can feel it,' Daisy replied.
'How is it wrong? 100 innocent lives are better than one,' Lawrend argued.
'I don't know, but you're definitely wrong! Think of something else,' Daisy insisted.
'She's the kindness soul shard, most likely,' Eleanor said.
'A whole soul shard for kindness?' Lawrend asked in surprise.
'Yes. I'm not too sure, but I have vagued memories inside me that I was very kind back then,' Eleanor replied.
'Kind enough that I was betrayed by my fiancé!' Daisy continued with a voice filled with anger.
'So… should I kill the 100 people?' Lawrend asked in confusion.
'That won't work, Master. Similar to Daisy, I can feel that your answer is wrong. It's something I can't describe,' Eleanor replied.
'Then what's the answer? The two of you are making me confused!'
'We don't know, Lawrend. Think, just think. Tell us your answer and we'll judge if it's correct,' Daisy said.
With that, Lawrend opened his eyes, frustrated. If both answers were wrong, then there shouldn't be any possible answer.
"What is your final answer?" the soul shard asked in her calming voice.
"Give me time. I'm still not certain," Lawrend replied.
"Master, shouldn't it be easy? Just kill the king," Amene said.
"It shouldn't be that easy, Amene."
He trusted Eleanor and Daisy. After all, the two of them were the ones who would benefit if he answered it correctly.
"Fufufufu. Let him think on his own, Sister Amene. Master has his own plans," Aezel said.
"Then what is the answer-nyaa?" Amene asked with a confused look on her cute face.
"I'm not sure yet. Let me think for a while," Lawrend replied.
He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
Kindness. The word kindness means acting generous, compassionate, and helpful to others. How would that be connected to saving a king or 100 innocent people?
Those were the things filling Lawrend's mind right now.
'If I can't choose either, then I'll choose none,' Lawrend thought to himself.
'...'
'Is that wrong?' Lawrend asked after realizing that they were silent.
'I'm not sensing anything, Lawrend,' Daisy said.
'Me too,' Eleanor added.
'If the two of you don't think it's wrong, then it should be the correct answer, right?' Lawrend asked.
'No clue,' Eleanor replied.
Lawrend could only open his eyes and look at the soul shard.
"What will happen if my answer is wrong?" Lawrend asked.
"You will all be kicked out of the temple. A powerful Earth Mage barrier would be stopping you from entering again," she replied.
"So that means that this is my only chance to acquire you?" Lawrend asked.
"...Yes."
She was silent for a while before she was able to reply.
Suddenly, the white crystal rotated.
"Please… Help me… The magic array won't let me leave," a weak and frail sounding female voice said.
It was similar to the earlier one, but it was filled with emotion.
"That's the true her, Lawrend! So that's why she felt cold and collected," Daisy said.
The white crystal rotated again.
"So what is your answer?" the soul shard asked in the previous soothing and calm voice.
"Master, you can do this!" Aezel said in support.
"You're the best, Master!" Amene said similarly in support.
Lawrend turned his head to the two of them and stared at their faces. He looked away and closed his eyes.
'I think I know the answer,' Lawrend said in thought.
'I also believe in you, Lawrend. Even if you fail, I won't mind,' Daisy said.
'Me too. That would only mean me spending time with you,' Eleanor said.
'Thank you, but I don't plan on failing,' he said in reply.
He opened his eyes and stared at the soul shard before saying, "My answer is…"