IS THIS IT?
DID I PASS THE TRIAL?
EPISODE 7
...I GUESS NOT.
I WAS ALWAYS SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T QUITE FIT IN ANYWHERE.
IT'S NOT THAT I NEVER TRIED TO BECOME CLOSE WITH PEOPLE.
THERE'S JUST AN INVISIBLE WALL BETWEEN ME AND OTHERS.
LIKE I WAS BORN WITHOUT A SMALL, BUT IMPORTANT GEAR IN MY BRAIN THAT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO POSSESS.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW?
LISTEN, YOUR LORDSHIP. THE BOY IS TOO WEAK. HE'S GOING TO SLOW US DOWN!
PLUS, HE'S WEIRD. DOESN'T HE GIVE YOU THE CREEPS?
MAYBE THE OLD MAN WAS RIGHT. THE BOY IS CURSED BY SHADOW GOD!
SHOULDN'T WE GET RID OF HIM JUST IN CASE? HE CAN'T GO ON FOR MUCH LONGER ANYWAY!
DON'T BE TOO HASTY, MY FRIEND.
THE BOY MIGHT PROVE USEFUL LATER ON.
THAT'S ENOUGH.
YOU. BOY.
AREN'T YOU SITTING TOO FAR TO WARM YOURSELF?
COME A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE FIRE.
ONCE THE SUN RISES, WE WILL GATHER WHATEVER FOOD AND WATER WE CAN FIND AND GO BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
WHY SHOULD WE GO BACK?
TO BE PUT IN CHAINS AGAIN?
WE CAN GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS ONCE WE LEAVE THE MOUNTAINS.
OR WOULD YOU RATHER RISK YOUR LIVES CROSSING THAT DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN WITHOUT PROPER SUPPLIES?
THAT'S...
WE CAN'T GO BACK DOWN.
WHAT?
DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, YOUR LORDSHIP.
THIS BOY IS, UH, TOUCHED BY THE GODS. HE'S CRAZY, IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
THE TWO OF YOU ARE ONLY ALIVE THANKS TO THIS CHILD'S BRAVERY.
AREN'T YOU ASHAMED TO BADMOUTH HIM SO?
I, FOR ONE, WOULD LIKE TO HEAR HIS REASONING.
TELL ME, WHY CAN'T WE GO DOWN?
BECAUSE THE MONSTER ISN'T DEAD.
IT'S WAITING FOR US.
WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?
THE MONSTER JUMPED FROM AN INCREDIBLE HEIGHT TO LAND ON THIS PLATFORM.
YET IT WASN'T HARMED AT ALL.
DO YOU REALLY THINK...
... SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD DIE JUST FROM FALLING?
I CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT THE SPELL DIDN'T CONGRATULATE ME ON SLAYING THE CREATURE.
HOPEFULLY THIS REASONING WORKS.
SO IT'S PROBABLY STILL ALIVE, SOMEWHERE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
BY GOING BACK...
WE WILL BE DELIVERING OURSELVES INTO ITS MAW.
WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPOUTING?!
IT FELL FROM THAT HEIGHT WITH THE WAGON - THERE'S NO WAY IT SURVIVED!
NO.
THE BOY'S WORDS MAKE SENSE.
WHY DIDN'T I REALIZE MYSELF?
IF THE MONSTER IS TRULY STILL ALIVE, THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF RESTING HERE ALL NIGHT.
WE MUST FOLLOW THE ROAD THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN PASS AND GET AS FAR AWAY FROM HERE AS POSSIBLE.
OUR REST WAS BRIEF.
WE HAD TO QUICKLY GATHER SUPPLIES TO SURVIVE ANOTHER DAY.
THE OTHERS GATHERED FOOD...
FIREWOOD...
AND LOOTED CORPSES.
I WAS TASKED WITH COLLECTING THE REMAINING WATER FLAGONS.
HUH?
THIS MAN...?
HE'S DYING... HOW IRONIC.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THIS? WHY?
ARE YOU GUYS LIKE VIKINGS?
LONGING TO DIE WITH A WEAPON IN YOUR HANDS?
WELL, IT MIGHT AS WELL DO.
AFTER ALL, I PROMISED TO WATCH YOU DIE.
GHK-
MY FIRST KILL.
I THOUGHT I'D FEEL GUILT... OR FEAR...
I FEEL NOTHING.
MAYBE MY CRUEL LIFE IN THE REAL WORLD...
...HAD ALREADY PREPARED ME FOR THIS MOMENT.
A boy questioning whether he passed the exam explains that he cannot feel like he belongs with people. While those at the campfire find him weak and cursed and want to get rid of him, the lord protects him. Opposing the plan to go back down, the boy says the monster that jumped from a height unharmed is not dead and is waiting below. The lord finds him right and decides to advance through the mountain pass. While supplies are being gathered, the boy, looking for a water flask, kills a dying man and feels nothing at his first murder.
