Because he could only stay for twenty minutes this time, Shade had to avoid topics that might drive Mister Riddell mad as much as possible and patiently inquire about this place.
Hearing that Shade wanted to know about the room, the bearded, disheveled man lowered his voice. With his swollen, bloodshot eyes, he looked at Shade with a miserable smile:
"Terror Castle has no exit. One can only enter, never leave. But a few beings can help us escape by other means. Sir, look at this!"
He pointed to the square table in the center of the room. The oil lamp illuminated only half of it:
"This looks like a table."
"What is it really?"
"It really is a table! But don't be disappointed. This table is something those Witches call a relic! This table can summon a god! I've thoroughly figured it out. Use this table sealed here to defeat a god in a wager, and you can make a wish to Him. This way, we can get out!"
"A relic that summons gods? Defeat a god in a wager?"
Though he trusted the judgment of the woman's voice by his ear, Shade still instinctively took a step away from Mister Riddell:
"By the way, how do you eat in here?"
He asked casually:
"I'm a little hungry. Do you have any food fit for human consumption?"
"That's easy. During one of my previous adventures, I obtained a relic that can turn any ordinary object into food."
Without the slightest wariness, Mister Riddell took a palm-sized, flat hexagonal bronze box from beneath his robe and handed it to Shade.
Shade hesitated before taking it and confirming that it really was a relic. The lid could be removed, and there were several small biscuits inside.
"This can turn any ordinary