“Wha, what is this?”

“Didn’t they say she had lost her sight?”

She didn’t look blind at all.

Everyone’s faces gradually widened in disbelief, unable to reconcile what they had just heard with her appearance.

Meanwhile, standing in the center of the semicircular council chamber, Rosha swept her gaze around the room with a meaningful smile.

‘…What’s going on?’

Meeting her gaze, Marquis Lycaon flinched, instinctively sensing something was amiss.

However, before he could react, an impatient council member spoke up.

“What’s the meaning of this, Lady Roshanak? The imperial physicians just submitted a report stating you had lost your sight.”

“…Wasn’t I summoned here to inquire about the second trial?”

“Well, yes, but… does this mean those were all baseless rumors then? It’s not like the physicians are all quacks to make such claims…”

The room grew noisy with disjointed chatter.

Listening to the unorganized voices, Rosha calmly replied:

“The rumor itself wasn’t unfounded. I did lose my sight for a few days.”

“But, but how could you regain it so easily? Sight isn’t something that recovers simply with time, is it?”

“You’ll understand more quickly if you learn about the second trial. Haven’t you not been properly briefed on the details until now?”

As far as she knew, that was the case.

According to imperial knight Sir Joel, when asked about the participants of the second trial, he had testified:

-Lady Roshanak, Cassis Aper the second son of the Aper County, Duke Echerzen, and two of his subordinates entered the rift.

Joel had been unaware of Heres Lycaon’s presence, which is why he had mentioned two subordinates of the Duke.

Of course, sending a summons to Froy wouldn’t have made him attend the council.

As for Cassis…

‘He tore up the summons.’

While an extremely rude act no matter how one looked at it, she had let it slide as her unconscious brother.

Naturally, they couldn’t have heard the proper details of the trial’s contents.

However…

“Be that as it may, at the point Lady Roshanak resolved the trial, isn’t the important thing what she obtained there, rather than the trial’s contents? So please hear the reason for her regained sight.”

“In any case, I heard this trial took place inside the rift and ended without any significant incident. At this rate, it likely won’t cause as big a stir as the first trial.”

The council’s focus was on Rosha, not the trial itself.

This was because she would soon become the rallying point for ability users.

The established powers represented by the council versus the newly emerged force of ability users brought forth by the trials.

While the growth of ability users’ influence was an inevitable trend, the original powers naturally sought to suppress the birth of this new force.

This manifested as hostility towards Rosha.

“First, answer the council’s inquiries. Since you’ve attended this session, it’s only proper to show us due respect as council members, is it not?”

“Has your arrogance grown from associating with those who ignore the council’s summons?”

“Now I see. There was a reason Cassis Aper ignored the summons.”

“Lady Roshanak. Remember that the First-Class Guardian Medal bestowed upon you was based on the council’s support. As the Empire’s Guardian Knight, you have an obligation to properly respond to the council’s legitimate demands.”

With each exchange, they grew more aggressive.

It wasn’t a reasonable response, but opposition for the sake of opposition – a power struggle to suppress the ability users trying to seize a slice of their limited authority.

‘…How disrespectful to those who risked their lives fighting.’

However, the fundamental reason the council adopted such an attitude was due to the ability users’ scant numbers.

In other words, there were few to assert the rights of ability users.

‘Innate abilities are not only inborn but also require a special trigger to awaken.’

Unlike abilities, martial arts and magic could be learned to a certain level as long as one had the will to do so.

Of course, the foundations of magic had yet to be properly established in this world, but…

‘The more people gain the strength and will to face the trials, the less such situations will occur.’

This was Rosha’s reason for planning this event.

“An obligation to properly respond to the council’s legitimate demands… Very well, allow me to explain.”

She opened her mouth calmly.

“I obtained a healing elixir called ‘Elixir’ from the secret shop inside the trial. Thanks to that, I was able to regain my sight.”

It was a lie, but the part about the elixir restoring sight wasn’t false.

Hearing her words, the stunned council members asked:

“You regained your sight? You’re saying this elixir thing cured your blindness?”

“Yes, exactly. Can’t you see my current state?”

As if to show it off, Rosha spread her arms wide and met each council member’s gaze one by one. Unable to find any signs of blindness no matter how they looked, they could only blink in momentary silence.

Meanwhile, Rosha also mentioned the secret shop inside the trial.

She explained that items from the secret shop could only be purchased with a currency called ‘Pass’, which only those who contributed to resolving the trial could obtain.

However, upon hearing that the Pass was an intangible asset only verifiable at the secret shop, the constantly murmuring council members eventually opened their mouths with displeasure.

“A currency that can only be obtained by contributing to the trial’s resolution… how can we believe that?”

“…Do you even realize the potential repercussions of what you just said?”

“From the outset, the very existence of such a healing elixir is hard to believe. It makes more sense that you intentionally feigned losing your sight, only to appear here and claim a miracle.”

…It was now clear.

The current council members had no understanding of the trials, nor any intention to understand.

Belatedly realizing what was happening, Duke Feriel abruptly stood up and admonished them.

“So you’re saying Lady Roshanak is lying? For what reason?”

“Hm, there could be any number of reasons, couldn’t there?”

“Those would just be reasons fabricated for your own convenience. She has no need to lie when everything will be revealed in the next trial.”

As if chastising himself for nearly losing faith in the rumor of Rosha’s blindness, Duke Feriel unleashed a sharp rebuke.

The few council members on his side also chimed in to support him.

However, being outnumbered was unavoidable.

Watching this calmly, Rosha spoke up.

“Then how about I show you proof that it’s not a lie?”

It wasn’t a particularly loud voice, but surprisingly, all the quarreling council members turned to look at her.

It was proof that despite trying to intimidate her, they were acutely aware of Rosha’s presence.

“Proof? What proof are you talking about?”

“Indisputable proof of the secret shop and elixir’s existence that all council members can acknowledge without any doubts.”

…Did such a thing exist?

The council members shook their heads as they exchanged glances.

Even if such proof really existed, couldn’t they just flatly deny it?

“If you have something like that, please show us. We’ll judge it for ourselves.”

In response to their words, Rosha shrugged as if telling them to have expectations. Then, she abruptly called out to someone outside.

Soon after, a strange man opened the doors to the council chamber and appeared.

Like Lady Roshanak, he was a youth with reddish-brown hair and crimson eyes.

It was Cassis Aper, who had previously ignored the council’s summons, wheeling something into the chamber.

Seated in the wheeled chair he was pushing was an emaciated old man.

At first, no one could recognize him.

However, one by one, they began to realize as time passed.

“No, you can’t be…”

“How, how is this possible…!”

Duke Feriel, knocking over his chair as he abruptly stood up, rushed out into the side aisle, his pupils fully dilated in shock.

The other council members weren’t much different.

And for good reason.

The one who had appeared in the council chamber was none other than the head of the Count Aper household and a council member who had been in a coma for nearly 6 years.

MacLennan Aper, Rosha’s grandfather.