When trying to describe the place called paradise, she always feels at a loss for words.
Although Rosha clearly spent a considerable amount of time in paradise, her memories have become drastically blurry, and the only things that occasionally come to mind are admiration for an ideal community.
'It's probably because of the power of delusion enveloping all of paradise.'
Perhaps that's why.
The paradise Rosha directly encountered after passing through the rift evoked a new sense of excitement even for her.
Mild and pleasant weather with soft sunlight.
Lush grass and wildflowers without a single withered part.
Her gaze, which had been on the green hills and neatly laid stone paths, naturally converged on the white city in the distance.
It felt as if everything had been custom-designed for that city.
"Wow, I saw a preview but it's really beautiful..."
Lysithea, who arrived shortly after, exclaimed in admiration at the scene unfolding before her eyes.
Of course, this was Lysithea's first time coming to paradise.
However, since Rosha had even conjured a small illusion to explain before passing through the rift, it shouldn't be an entirely unfamiliar sight.
...It surely shouldn't be.
But somehow... her reaction was unusual.
"...Lysithea?"
"It's truly beautiful."
She couldn't take her eyes off the white city adorned with gold.
It was mostly the same for the others who set foot in paradise after her.
"I feel like I need to go to that city right now..."
"Was the heaven those religious folks talked about actually real? If it's a place like this, I could live here for the rest of my life."
"Somehow I feel like my soul is being filled with light."
What brought them back to their senses was none other than Koko.
"Hey, stop talking nonsense and use your pendants quickly!"
Koko, flapping his wings, pecked at the magic stone pendants hanging around their necks with his beak.
The refreshing magical power contained in the magic stones lightly brushed past their heads. It was a concentration-enhancing magic that activated immediately just by tapping it with a hand.
Lysithea, blinking her eyes a few times, soon came to her senses and said:
"Th-thank you, Mr. Koko."
"Hmph. Keep your wits about you. If you don't want to become a slave of paradise under delusion, that is."
To say it now, the magic stone pendants hanging around the party members' necks were items Rosha had made herself. She had made them thinking they might help against delusion, and it seems they function reasonably well.
However, there were some who didn't use the pendants even in this situation.
'Nox probably has resistance to delusion due to having the former Emperor's blood mixed in, so that's understandable...'
Rosha, taking her eyes off the silver-haired youth with blue eyes, looked at Hajin.
He was staring blankly at the group with his hands in his pockets as if wondering what was going on, but it seemed the delusion didn't have much effect on him.
And one more.
"...Are you okay, Froy?"
Rosha looked up at Froy, who had a somewhat uncomfortable look, and asked quietly.
The man, who had been subtly guarding his surroundings with furrowed brows, soon met her eyes and relaxed his expression.
"I'm fine. I'm not under delusion. But..."
He wanted to explain something, but he couldn't continue as if his thoughts weren't organized yet.
'Did he sense something?'
He was a special ability user with a space-related ability.
Perhaps he had instinctively detected something she hadn't noticed. Someone's ability, or gaze... or something she hadn't even thought of.
At that moment, the God of War abruptly spoke up.
[The humans who were just under delusion would be better off not entering the city if possible. Let's just look around this area with me.]
"You're not going in either?"
[Yeah. I'm a long-standing wanted criminal. I could go in, but there would certainly be a commotion. Wouldn't that be troublesome for you too?]
Rosha stared blankly at the God of War's incarnation.
The woman, who seemed to be about 2 meters tall, was wearing full-body silver armor with a helmet, and her hands were even bound with restraints.
Undoubtedly an appearance that would attract attention.
'...It doesn't seem like she's trying to run away.'
She seemed to be looking forward to this more than anyone else.
Just how the situation would unfold. Whether they could inflict meaningful damage on that ancient city.
A strange glow briefly swirled under her helmet.
Rosha, gauging that look in her eyes, replied slowly:
"But I was a wanted criminal too."
[You'll be fine. It's a rule not to touch promotion candidates until the moment of 'Choice' comes. What matters is after the promotion quest is over.]
"What does that mean?"
Froy asked sensitively. However, the god just smirked without answering.
[You'll naturally know when the time comes. I'll be training these guys outside the city, so signal me if you need anything.]
The God of War disappeared into the forest, leisurely taking those who had just been under delusion with her.
The people who had tasted delusion all followed her without much objection. It seems they felt the need to raise their level to the point where they could withstand mental domination.
As they left, the surroundings naturally became quiet.
Now, only Nox, Hajin, Froy, and Koko remained by Rosha's side.
Except for the last one, they were all quite taciturn overall.
"...How about we enter the city first, sis?"
Hajin, who was relatively sociable, broke the silence and suggested a direction.
He seemed encouraged by the fact that they had finally arrived at the place presumed to be the root of all problems.
If the situation allowed, it seemed he was even thinking of opening a rift connected to 'Korea' to bring in combatants. After all, there would probably be many people on the brink of trials in that world too.
'Maybe... we could meet them.'
Rosha quietly recalled the faces of her old companions that she had tried to bury.
Hajin said they were still alive.
That was enough, the feeling of not wanting to call them for dangerous tasks, and the desire to see them at least once were fighting each other, bickering inside her.
"I think it would be better to go in too. It doesn't seem like we can do much by lingering outside the city."
Froy, who had calculated the pros and cons of entering the city, belatedly chimed in. Nox remained silent, so it seemed he was fine either way.
Anyway, it was as they said.
'Certainly... now is the opportunity.'
According to what the God of War said, she, as a promotion candidate, wouldn't be chased in paradise.
This meant she could find out much more than during the sacred relic trials.
Why all of this was happening.
What paradise was for, and what secrets it was hiding.
"...Alright. Let's go in and take a look first."
Rosha said, staring at the city while quietly summoning her blue window.
* * *
When passing through the rift, she clearly heard a notification saying 'The detailed conditions of the promotion quest are opening.'
As that notification said, a single line of detailed condition was updated in the blue window: 'Experience paradise's additional services in the Hall of Glory'.
"The Hall of Glory..."
On the outskirts of the city.
Rosha, who had naturally sat down in the living room of a house, muttered softly.
Froy and Nox, who had been briefly examining the house, settled in appropriate positions, and Hajin, who was the last to secure the door, asked:
"Is it okay to just enter someone's house like this?"
"It's fine. It's an empty house, so we can move in and live here from today. Food and clothes appear anew every day anyway."
Thanks to this, even when she was being chased by wanted orders, she could usually sleep in a house with a roof.
"...It really is paradise. Well, it's been like that since entering the city."
He muttered quietly, glancing out the window.
"A city decorated with pure white marble and gold, people in bright clothes living leisurely. Without any worries or concerns, overflowing with peace..."
He didn't finish his sentence, and somehow had an expression as if his guts were twisting.
It wasn't that she didn't understand that feeling.
In fact, she understood it more than anyone.
Rosha had been resolving trials for over a decade, and even after returning to her original world, she had been deceived under the name of hardmode.
Naturally, there's no way she could look kindly upon the peaceful paradise.
However.
'...If I keep being caught up in emotions, nothing will get done.'
Hurriedly shaking off her thoughts, Rosha took out a folded parchment from her bosom and spread it out.
It was a map of paradise that she had diligently drawn from memory as soon as the sacred relic trial ended.
"Is this a map of this place?"
Everyone gathered around Rosha at once to examine the map.
A city drawn with outer and inner districts.
The inside was blank white, but the donut-shaped outside was drawn quite delicately.
However, there were rare parts left blank even in the outer district.
A total of four regions in the east, west, north, and south.
"What's this, noona?"
"That... I don't know either."
Hajin glared as if telling her not to joke around, but it was true.
A wanted criminal with a bounty on their head couldn't carelessly approach areas patrolled by 'Guardians'.
Even her note saying 'Where people line up every morning. They say they sell happiness' wasn't something she had seen directly, but just something she had heard somewhere.
But then, Nox, who had been silent until now, opened his mouth slightly.
"The Hall of Glory."
"...The Hall of Glory?"
"Yes. Father told me. The four regions in the east, west, north, and south. That's right."