Seeker 305

Test

Chapter 305. Riddle

"Answer the guardian's riddle. The path to the true treasure is open only to the wise."

Encountering the stone tablet with these words inscribed, was when we left the room with the treasure chest and proceeded down the passage for a while.

Now before us stands a door blocking our path.

Inserted into that door is a stone tablet bearing similar wording as before.

However, this alone gives us no clues.

Fūon, leading the way, grabs the door handle and pushes it open towards the back.

Beyond the door lies a large room.

Built of plain stone, the back wall hosts two doors side by side.

At the far end of this spacious room, in front of the two doors, sits a being that seems to be the guardian.

It has the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and a face resembling a human man.

Wearing headgear reminiscent of ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

It had been lying on the floor in wait, but upon our entry, it slowly rose and gazed intently at us.

A sign that the door behind us is closing automatically.

As the door clicks shut, we find ourselves trapped in the room.

A human face speaks and utters words.

"I am the Sphinx, guardian of the true treasure. Seekers, if you seek the Mirror of Truth, answer my riddle."

Indeed, this is the "guardian" mentioned on the stone tablet.

Yuzuki leans in and whispers to me.

"Senpai, I tried [Monster Appraisal], and that guy's strength is pretty serious. Not as intense as the Kraken, but definitely stronger than dragons or giants we've encountered before."

"For real?"

"Absolutely."

It'd be quite risky battling it with that level of strength.

Assuming we'll protect Princess Lulu and Nasel, fighting on that premise will be quite difficult.

Since it's a riddle challenge, I don't think an immediate battle will ensue.

It's a monster after all, huh?

It's an exceptional monster like the Unicorn that can speak.

But a riddle, huh...

Challenges where brute force doesn't work are tricky since leveling up won't help much.

"W-What should we do, Daichi-kun? What if we can't answer this?"

"Who knows? Will it attack us?"

"Uh-oh, this is bad. Even if they call us heroes or brave, we're just average folks. We can't answer super difficult questions."

We gulp nervously and await the Sphinx's next words in tension.

After a moment, the Sphinx speaks.

"Then answer this—In the morning it walks on four legs, at noon on two, and in the evening on three. What creature is it?"

"Eh?"

Surprise escapes from me, Kazane, and Yuzuki.

My mind is filled with question marks.

Meanwhile, Queen Lulu and Nasser show contemplative gestures.

"In the morning, four legs, noon, two legs, evening, three legs... what could it be?"

"We might need to think of puzzles. But the starting point of thought..."

They murmur and ponder, the Queen and the warrior showing a puzzled demeanor.

On the other hand, we're simply bewildered.

"Um, umm... Daichi-kun, could the answer be, um, 'that'?"

"No, that's just..."

"But maybe 'that' could work?"

That answer seems way too far-fetched to be valid.

But how should we approach this...?

"...? Daichi-sama, do you have a possible answer that might be correct?"

Queen Lulu looks at us curiously.

Nasel also seems intrigued.

I exchange glances with Kazane and Yuzuki, then quietly tell the Queen and Nasser-san a plausible answer.

I thought they might laugh at us, but something seemed off.

When I only convey the answer, Princess Lulu asks with a puzzled look, "Why do you think so?"

This reaction is indeed strange.

So I try to explain the reasoning.

Upon hearing it, Queen Lulu and Nasser widen their eyes in excitement.

"Daichi-sama, that's amazing! That must be the correct answer!"

"You guys are sharp! Impressive."

Huh?

We exchange puzzled looks but conclude that it must be okay given their reactions.

"Princess Lulu, may we present that as our answer to the Sphinx?"

"Yes, of course! It's definitely the right answer!"

Princess Lulu's eyes sparkle.

They resemble the eyes of a sage. How did this happen?

And so, I step forward as the representative to deliver the answer to the Sphinx.

The Sphinx's face bears a somewhat smug expression, seemingly underestimating us.

I take a deep breath and speak the answer aloud.

"The answer is 'human'."

"...!?!"

The Sphinx's face shows astonishment and confusion.

A drop of snot even drips from its nose.

"Why do you think that? Without explaining the reason, it cannot be considered correct!"

The Sphinx appears incredibly flustered.

Um...?

"As babies, they crawl on all fours, then walk on two legs as adults, and finally, they walk with a cane as elderly, hence three legs."

"Ridiculous! How dare you! Guwaaaah!"

The Sphinx screams.

Suddenly, a large pit-like hole opens in front of where the Sphinx was standing.

The Sphinx jumps into the hole it created.

Its dying screams echo down below, and soon the hole in the floor closes.

Almost simultaneously, the left door among the two doors lined up at the back of the room opens.

"Umm... was this okay?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it worked. The door opened."

"Is this also called using modern knowledge cheat?"

The door on the right that didn't open must have been the path if we couldn't answer the riddle and access the true treasure.

Feeling unsatisfied, but without a better option, we move forward.

That was our adventure.