Agate arrived at a hill.
A cool breeze blew against his face. He had no idea what the sight before him truly meant.
He had entered through the castle gates, yet somehow found himself in a scene like this. Was it an illusion, or some kind of "reality"?
Agate held a large blade in his hand, constantly prepared for any enemies that might appear. He knew that even in a place like this, he faced unpredictable danger.
Yet after a long while, nothing happened.
Beyond the hill lay a cliff. Half of it was split open, revealing a vast gorge so deep that its bottom could not be seen. There was no telling what might be inside. Agate understood that if he fell down there, even if there was water below, the tremendous impact would smash his body to pieces. No miracle would save him.
Yet the opposite side was a full thirty li away. As a human, no matter how powerful his jumping ability was, he could not possibly leap across it.
If the way ahead was the end, then only by crossing it could everyone escape this place...
Agate crouched down and thought hard. His mind was not as crafty as Estelle's, nor was he as clever and nimble as Tita. It would have been natural if they had a solution, but what could Agate possibly do?
He was just a simple musclehead. Other than using force, he did not know how to do anything else.
A bird flew past his eyes. Its cry was shrill and irritating, and Agate felt annoyed. "Get lost!"
Yet the bird kept circling above Agate's head.
"Get lost!" Agate lost his temper. He picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at the bird.
But the bird flapped away, avoiding