"I'm going to open the treasure chest now, but both of you stay alert. There's no way Elsie hasn't prepared some kind of trap."
Nyau issued her warning as we stood before the chest.
"Eh? But Ryune and Kiskacchi already defeated her," Ryune said.
"Ah, I see." Nyau nodded, appearing to reach a realization. "If that's the case, let me tell you this first: Elsie is still alive."
What? Elsie was still alive?
"I don't know what happened between you and her, but I am certain she lives. It's entirely possible she'll come popping out of this treasure chest. So, both of you, keep your guards up."
"B-But..."
Ryune started to object, but Nyau opened the treasure chest before she could finish.
"Rawr!"
A Bugbear costume popped out of the chest. I recognized it immediately. The person who had been inside that thing before was—
"Oh my. I expected everyone to be more surprised, but your reactions are a bit thin."
With those words, she stepped out from within the Bugbear costume.
It was exactly as Nyau said. Emerging from the chest was the Second Prince's servant Elsie—the woman Ryune and I were supposed to have killed. She stood before us perfectly intact, wearing a brand-new maid outfit.
"The truth is, as you can see, I was alive all along! Hmm, I really thought you'd be more shocked than this."
"That's because my master already told us..." Ryune said, looking bewildered.
It was true—if Nyau hadn't warned us, I might have jumped out of my skin.
"Oh? So the Lady Sage Nyau saw through everything?"
Elsie shrugged and let out an exaggerated, disappointed sigh. Even so, her expression remained playful, which was as eerie as ever.
"Elsie, enjoy your smugness while you can. I’ve already seen through your objectives and your methods," Nyau declared with a dignified air.
I couldn't help but find the sight of her back reliable. If she could state it so decisively, she must have immense confidence. If I just left things to her, everything would likely be resolved.
"Is that so? Then let us check our answers together, Lady Sage Nyau."
Elsie looked at her with a provocative gaze, refusing to be outdone. However, Nyau showed no sign of intimidation.
"At first, I mistakenly believed that you had created this Otherworld Space and were able to manipulate it at will. That assumption was my initial error."
"Huh?" I almost let the sound slip out.
Elsie had been wielding power like a god until now. Was that really a mistake?
"You didn't create an Otherworld Space. You've simply trapped us inside a dream, haven't you?"
Inside a dream? What did that mean?
Elsie didn't deny it; instead, her lips curled into an impressed smirk.
"If we're in a dream, it's only natural that you can do whatever you like. But there's no longer any reason to be afraid. No matter how much you interfere with our minds, you cannot interfere with our physical bodies themselves."
I couldn't quite grasp what Nyau was saying. She couldn't interfere with our physical bodies? Then what had all our life-and-death battles been for?
"You appeared before us and claimed to be immortal, even going as far as to stab yourself in the chest. But when you think about it, it’s obvious why you didn't die. This is a dream. You can't kill someone in a dream. And that applies to you too, Elsie. As long as we're here, you can't kill me. The same goes for Ryune and Kiska."
Elsie had called herself a god and tormented us. If all of that had happened inside a dream, did that mean our struggle had been for nothing?
"It seems the two behind me didn't realize it, though. This is why I wasn't worried about you," Nyau explained, looking back at us.
It made sense now. She hadn't seemed particularly relieved when we reunited; she’d remained perfectly composed. It was because she knew we couldn't actually die.
"Escaping this place won't be difficult, then. Now that I know it's a dream, I just need to wake up like I always do," Nyau declared triumphantly.
If everything she said was true, then Elsie—who had felt like such an overwhelming threat—wasn't scary at all.
"I'm impressed. As expected of the Lady Sage Nyau. Yes, it's true—this space is merely a dream. Now that you've caught on, I suppose my hands are tied."
"She's admitting it so easily..." Ryune remarked in surprise beside me.
To me, it looked like Elsie had accepted defeat. Does that mean the danger is over?
"However, Lady Sage Nyau. Our little session isn't over yet, is it? Have you forgotten something important?"
"I know that without you telling me. What I've said so far was just an explanation of the space itself. The more important matter is your objective. But I’ve known that for a long time. Your goal is to steal my mana, isn't it?"
Come to think of it, Nyau had mentioned something about her mana being drained when we were first sent here.
"I am a Sage, a title only the highest order of mages can claim. You can't just take mana from someone like me. I can feel you trying to drain it, but I can block it simply by focusing. However... there is one condition under which you could steal it. You have to shake my composure."
Making Nyau lose her cool was the condition for stealing her mana? With that in mind, I thought back on Elsie's behavior.
"At first glance, your actions seemed chaotic and random. I couldn't understand what you were thinking. But if your goal was to use every possible means to agitate me, then a consistent pattern emerges."
First, she had killed the Village Chief during their meeting for no apparent reason. Then she'd tried to frame us. Then she'd pulled us into this dream. If it was all to unsettle Nyau, it made sense.
But what about the Bugbear costume? Was that just another attempt to surprise and agitate her? And making her wear the maid outfit—was she trying to use a sense of shame against her?
What about separating me and Ryune? I still couldn't see how that would rattle Nyau. We'd struggled to reach the treasure chest, but I didn't think Nyau would be shaken regardless of what happened to us.
"Full marks! Mana is inextricably linked to the spirit. A mage who is psychologically cornered loses control over their mana, after all. So, I wanted to subject the Lady Sage Nyau to all sorts of stress to break her. I wasn't sure which method would work best, so I've been trying a bit of everything."
As usual, Elsie admitted it readily.
But I still wasn't entirely convinced. Why was it necessary to drag me and Ryune into it and pull us away from her?
"So, Lady Sage Nyau. How are you feeling? For my part, I would be delighted if you were feeling psychologically distressed..."
"Do I look distressed to you? Why on earth would any of this rattle me? I've already seen through your goal and your methods. I have nothing left to fear."
Nyau stood tall as she spoke. It felt like a declaration of victory.
She was right. If she could be this confident, everything had to be fine. Besides, I couldn't think of anything that could actually shake Nyau's composure anymore.