pearl of wisdom

[Season 2] Chapter 42 - To the Crescent Moon's Shimmer

"Alright, now, shall we talk about something important, Son of Arlen?" Gustang started. Baam stood on air in front of him, looking up at the family head as you stood between them.

"Um. . . But. . . why would someone as great as you, being the leader of a family have to ask me for a favour?" Baam asked. Gustang hummed, "Hm. . . You're right. This isn't actually so much of a favour as. . . Well- I want to test you."

"Test me?"

"That's correct. The truth is Gustang wants to test whether you are the savior Arlen spoke of and whether you were really worth waiting for." You placed a hand on your chest, "It's your choice, of course."

"He knows about my mother. . .!!"

"Of course! I'm one of the ten family leaders. I even went on a journey with Arlen once." He crossed his arms, "We really suited each other, because I was unfriendly and she got along well with everyone."

"Then. . . what about my father!?"

A cold glint passed in the family head's eyes, ". . . I won't talk about your father. He was the absolute worst person that I ever met."

Baam flinched, "T-the worse person!? What do you mean. . .!?"

"You'll find out eventually. Anyway, before I tell you about my favour, if there's anything you want from me, say it." Gustang offered, outstretching a hand, "I'm an expert in the science and medicine of this tower. I will grant you any favor that you have."

"W-whatever I want?" Baam made an expression of reluctance, "Then-!!"

- -

Dense shinsu buzzed all around the bubble you, Baam and Gustang were in, the element's vivid color glimmering before your very eyes. The sealed thorn's power seeped into your limbs, more and more evident the more you sank to it, under the intersection of three flowing waterfalls.

"Is this. . .?"

You nodded to Baam's inquiry, "The spirit room, the innermost part of the foundation where three waterfalls flow."

"I had no idea there was such place inside the foundation. . ." Baam admitted. Gustang spoke, his expression just as motionless glaciers were, "Ordinary people can't enter here because of the powerful pressure of shinsu flowing here."

"Can you feel it?" Gustang asked Baam, "What's in this place?"

It's only after a second does the thorn's presence reach him, "This feeling. . .? The thorn!!"

"That's right. The thorn fragment is in there. Just so you know, it's still sealed." The family head spoke. You nodded, "Gustang and I came to conclusion that he'd provide and unseal the thorn for us. In return, he'll receive a valuable item in the Hidden Floor."

"The Hidden Floor. . .!! So it really exists!?"

"Of course. It's a simple but difficult test. 'It' is something I've been trying to get for ages. But Zahard hid it in the most difficult part to reach in the regular's area so I haven't been able to obtain it. You just have to obtain it and bring it to me." Gustang explained, "Those who clear the entire train earn the privilege to record their name and a trace of themselves in the train's system. Then that clear data and their personal details are all recorded and saved. They remain in the train's system like a kind of artificial intelligence. And they all come together to form the virtual floor, which is created by the system within the Hell Train."

"Although the virtual floor doesn't exist in reality, of course. But it forms a massive world, like an entire floor. And those who clear the train earn the privilege to temporarily sync themselves with the version of themselves in that place."