After Triton, that insidious sea god, had left, Livia immediately lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in this place.

It resembled an abandoned castle of a forgotten dynasty—grand yet in ruins—inside a massive stone building.

The suffocating humidity she had felt with every breath was gone. Had she somehow emerged from the water without realizing it? Or was she perhaps dreaming?

She allowed herself a moment of hope, but deep down, she knew better than anyone that it wasn’t the case.

For one thing, the wound on her wrist remained, and the excruciating hunger and thirst were too vivid to dismiss as a dream.

Livia, who had been momentarily dazed, soon realized that this was the ‘first trial’ he had mentioned.

In that case, she had to overcome it.

She gathered strength in her trembling legs and stood up.

The castle, draped in cobwebs, was dark and eerie. There were no sounds of anything living.

What was she supposed to do in this castle? Was some legendary monster going to appear?

With a tense expression, Livia struggled to move forward.

Damn it. Her weakened body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and her mouth was filled with a bitter, sour taste. Her dry, cracked lips were already bleeding.

A bitter realization washed over her.

Could she really fight off some formidable monster in this condition? Even if she was acting recklessly, she couldn’t help but worry about that.

But what choice did she have? She had already plunged into the trial, and she couldn’t afford to be defeated helplessly here.

Driven to the extreme by hunger, her head spun. Just as her sense of direction began to blur, a savory scent of butter wafted into Livia’s nose.

Livia stopped abruptly and hurriedly looked around for the source of the smell. Where was it coming from?

Half out of her mind, she dashed toward the direction of the scent.

Bang!

It wasn’t this room. Then, over there?

She wanted to shove anything down her parched throat. Her mind was consumed with the thought that she had to eat something. Like a beacon of hope, she spotted a light in the distance.

Please, please, please.

As she limped toward the light, Livia’s face lit up with joy.

“……!”

A massive kitchen with a dozen connected hearths awaited her.

Various dishes were boiling or frying on each hearth, and the large dining table in front of them was piled high with delicacies.

The intense aroma of the food was dizzying. Just as she was about to reach out and grab some, Livia froze in place. Her fingers trembled in front of a tempting piece of meat.

She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

…It could be a trap.

A lavish feast laid out as if it were waiting for her.

It looked suspicious to anyone.

Stay calm, Livia. You have to stay calm.

She decided to wait. She didn’t know what might happen, but something could pop out at any moment.

How much time passed like that?

A moment came when Livia could no longer hold back.

Whether it was magic or something else, the food on the stove continued to cook without burning or overcooking, and the dishes on the table remained warm.

Moreover, the aromatic spices that drove her crazy still lingered in the air.

Saliva pooled in her mouth, threatening to drip down her chin like a dog.

Swallowing her spit, she eyed the bread basket on the table. Golden bread that would surely release warm steam when torn open.

…Okay, just one piece.

Just in case. It could be dangerous. So as not to draw attention, just one piece….

With trembling hands, Livia picked up a piece of bread. And just as she was about to bring it to her mouth—

Thud.

Something fell onto the back of her hand. Startled, Livia looked down, and her face turned pale.

“…Uh, ugh!!!”

Dozens of maggots and bugs crawled down her hand. The savory smell transformed into a nauseating stench of rot, and the soft bread was teeming with mold.

Livia Horn recoiled and threw the bread, now infested with bugs, to the floor.

As she quickly looked up, she saw the food on the table. Fortunately, it remained unchanged.

What was this? What was happening? Grimacing, Livia reached for another dish, just in case.

“……!”

But as soon as she touched it, the food transformed once again into a pile of rotting trash, filling the air with a foul stench. The sight of maggots crawling up her fingers made her gag.

At the same time, rats appeared from nowhere, swarming over the rotten food she had discarded. The sound of the rats gnawing on the maggots and decayed food sent chills down her spine.

“Ugh!”

Her twisted stomach heaved, but with nothing inside, all she could do was dry heave, her eyes reddening from the effort. As she clutched her belly and struggled, a voice echoed around her.

“Eat.”

…Crazy. You eat it.

With bloodshot eyes, she shook her head violently and covered her ears.

But as always, the voice gnawed at her spirit rather than her ears. It grew louder and faster inside her head.

“Eat.”

“Eat.”

“Eat.”

Shut up. Shut up!

Swallowing her curses, Livia stomped her foot and glared into the empty air.

Her true ‘first trial’ had begun.

***

Yah-!

Following the strong winds blowing from the west, a white wave rose fiercely.

The wave soon transformed into a magnificent winged horse, and on this celestial steed rode Triton, his silver-blue hair streaming as he galloped across the sea.

A few young sea nymphs, secretly watching him, blushed and giggled.

His slender yet robust figure, his beautiful features reflecting both moonlight and sunlight, and his powerful physique glistening with moisture could compete with any god of the heavens or the earth.

While his appearance might seem blindingly beautiful to some, to his servant struggling to keep up, he was merely a speed demon.

“You’re still too slow, Actius!”

Actius, second only in speed on the sea, gritted his teeth in frustration.

Of course, the fastest was right ahead of him.

“Triton, you are simply too fast!”

“How can you call yourself a servant who protects his master when all you do is chase after my tail? If you can’t overtake me even once, I’ll reveal your hideout to Sion.”

At this threat, Actius shuddered.

Sion!

The fiancée whom the goddess of fate had forcibly engaged him to.

Born on a stormy night in a rocky crevice, she had become a servant of the goddess Athena, fearlessly hunting boars every day with her mighty bow!

Everyone knew that Actius lived hidden in the depths of the sea to avoid his fiancée’s attention.

“The more you evade, the more I want to hunt you, Actius.”

Actius shuddered, recalling her words whispered to him at Athena’s banquet.

He had never wanted it, but someday he would become her husband.

Oh, heavens, they would even have children! The thought of Sion carrying his child was terrifying, but there was no way to avoid it.

Such is fate. Even if one wished to escape it, one could not. It flowed as it should!

However,

“You bestowed a trial?”

His master had wielded that power.

Now, Triton sat lazily, leaning against a forgotten old temple. He nodded languidly.

Actius, who had been tending to the celestial horses, was shocked.

“To whom? Surely you don’t mean that human woman?”

Without answering, Triton picked up a few grapes and wild berries from the worn altar.

The fruits, bruised from being tightly held, didn’t look fresh, but Triton brought them to his mouth without concern. The sweet juice and aroma filled his mouth. As he leisurely chewed, he gazed beyond the sea.

Just then, a couple of sailing ships quietly appeared over the horizon.

Actius was the one whose insides burned with anxiety at Triton’s relaxed demeanor.

“Triton!”

What was a trial, after all? It was the greatest power to influence someone’s destiny.

Destiny was the most potent force against ‘chaos,’ and to meddle with it using divine power was akin to tampering with the law of cause and effect.

In essence, even the ‘god’s destiny’ who bestowed the trial could be shaken.

Actius was confused. Why? Why use such great power on an unknown human woman from the land?

“Quiet down. Look over there, Actius.”

But before he could demand answers to his confusion, Triton pointed toward the horizon.