Elysion Online ~The Dragonewt and The Summoner~

After finishing dinner, I logged into the game and headed to the Cait Sith Village with Lily, Ion, Koihi, Nowa and Wako.

"Ah, Matatabi person! We've been waiting for you!"

D'Artagnan is coming. I'm a Matatabi person...but the village is in a festive mood.

"Did you bring the matatabi?"

"I did"

"Thank you! There's a woodpile in the middle of the town, I want you to put the matatabi in it! I'll show you around!"

D'Artagnan led the way and there was firewood arranged in the shape of a well. It's a method often seen in campfires. You know what I mean.

I put in the matatabi and D'Artagnan led the way.

"The Matatabi Festival will now be held! Everyone, please!"

『Nya~!』

The Cait Siths lit the seed at once and the festival began.

It was supposed to be...but now the Cait Siths are rolling around on the ground.

"Happy nya~..."

D'Artagnan has also dropped out. It seems that the Matatabi Festival is a festival where the smell of matatabi makes the Cait Siths feel happy. There's no benefit to us at all. Rather, Koihi and Wako are being harmed by the smell of matatabi.

Just as I was thinking that, a strong wind blew and a lot of fire sparks flew up. For a moment, I was worried about a fire, but then the flames formed a line and gathered in the sky.

『Beautiful...』

The girls said and it was such a fantastic sight. And the lines that gathered drew a being I knew well. It was a famous divine beast from ancient Egypt.

It was the guardian of the pyramids, the tombs of the kings, and it was also the power to defeat the enemy.

Its name is Sphinx.

Incidentally, the Sphinx has many different forms. Some are male, some are female and I have heard that some have wings.

The depicted Sphinx became its true form and descended before our eyes.

"I am the Sphinx. My name is Abul Hall. I am the protector of the great Pharaohs"

Apparently, it's modeled after the Great Sphinx of Giza. But is it okay for a guardian beast to come here?

"You performed the ritual to summon me, didn't you?"

It was a ritual to summon the Sphinx.

"So you want to go into the desert?"

"Yes"

"Then you must undergo the trials"

There is a famous story about the trials of the Sphinx.

"If you can answer my riddles correctly five times in a row, you will be considered eligible to enter the desert"

I knew it. The information is coming.

『The special quest 『Trial of the Sphinx』 has occurred』

Special Quest 『Trial of the Sphinx』: Difficulty E

Reward: Sphinx's Medal

Answer the Sphinx's riddles correctly five times in a row.

It's not very difficult. Well, it's only answering riddles, so it's not surprising that it's low.

"What do you want to do?"

"I challenge you"

"All right, then. Each person has one challenge. If you answer incorrectly, you will be punished"

So there is a punishment game...but I think I made a mistake with my lineup. I don't think Lily and Koihi are good at riddles. No, they might have a hidden talent.

"Takuto, what's a riddle?"

...Well, let's start with an explanation of riddles.

"Who would like to challenge first?"

"Yes, yes! Lily first!

"All right. Let's start with the first question"

Now, what riddle do we get?

"Lily took 100G and went to buy something worth 50G. On the way, she loses 80G. What's she missing?"

"It's a simple question"

"No, not really"

It's a famous riddle.

"Emm...emm...50G!"

Lily's answer made us and the Sphinx freeze.

This is a tough one. The usual answer is wrong. It must be hard for the Sphinx to give the right answer.

"Unfortunately, the answer is incorrect. The correct answer is Lily's attention span"

"Really!?"

Lily's honest acceptance was dazzling...by the way, there are many answers to this riddle. Including money and luck.

"Now for the punishment"

Lightning strikes Lily.

"Kyaaaa!"

『Lily!?』

We rushed over to see Lily, who had turned into a cat-eared and cat-tailed girl.

"Oh? What's wrong, nya?"

Even the end of the word is in cat language. Wait a minute, is this going to happen to me too?

"Lily, the ending is strange!?"

"Eh? What ending, nya? Ion-nyan"

"Who's Ion-nyan"

Lily seems to be completely oblivious to it. But I don't think it's too bad of a punishment. Then the Sphinx says,

"Don't you forget what's going on in this village right now?"

As the Sphinx says this, Lily collapses and starts rolling.

"Nyahahaha! It smells so good! I'm so happy nya~h"

It's the matatabi effect!

"Then, shall we continue with the riddle?"

I'll have to finish this quickly before the damage spreads. If I try to go, Ion will stop me.

"Not good! You're the summoner, so let me handle this!"

"You should stop it? Ion. You don't want to end up like Lily, do you?"

"I, I'm fine! I know what it's like!"

I think it's better to stop. This is probably the worst possible match for a type like Ion. But the surprisingly stubborn Ion took up the challenge and gave a brilliant and honest answer.

So, what happened?

"Takuto-nya~h. I want you to touch my tail nya~h"

She stuck out her butt and begged me. If Ion finds out later, she'll explode.

"Ion-oneechan...you're so bold!?"

"We can't do that~"

But since Lily and Ion challenged it, Koihi had to challenge it too.

Then she hugged me and started licking my face.

"Nya~. Takuto-nyan, it's delicious. Peropero"

Come to think of it, cats do lick their hands. But Koihi, I want you to remember what you just said.

Since Koihi challenged it, her older sister, Wako, also challenged it...needless to say, the result was.

I was pushed down by the cat-turned-Wako, and she curled up on my chest.

"Takuto-nyah, it's so warm...guroguro"

My chest is not an electric carpet. And Wako´s older sister character is falling apart, okay?

Finally, there was Nowa. She was reluctant to take on the challenge, but quickly gave up and became a cat. It's just like Nowa.

Nowa who became a cat, comes in front of me.

"...Nyaa"

That's all she said and curled up in a remote place. I thought that Nowa was the one who resembled a cat the most in my mind.

"You're the last one, right?"

"Yes"

"Then, first question, I have 200 grams of 300G of meat, how much is a kilogram?"

"It differs"

How much is it? It's a common riddle.

"Correct answer. Now, the second question. Where do you always put on your shoes?"

"My feet"

I was about to answer the front door, but I think it's usually my feet.

"Correct answer. Now, the third question. How do you write a red house and a blue house with an ink brush?"

"You can write red house and blue house with letters"

The ink in this world may be colorful, but my answer should also be correct.

"Correct. Now for the fourth question. Tulips, roses and cherry blossoms. Which one of these flowers has thorns?"

"None"

None of the flowers have thorns.

"Correct answer. You've done it...now for the final question. There are blue, yellow and red houses. What's between the blue and the yellow?"

"と"

What lies between the blue and yellow is the hiragana と. I also knew this kind of riddle.

"Well done. You deserve to move on. I'll give you this"

The information came.

『You have completed the special quest 『Trial of the Sphinx』』

I take the medallion with the sphinx on it from the sphinx. I appraise it.

Sphinx's Medal: Important Item

If you have it, you can enter the Sandwall Desert.

While I'm appraising it, the Sphinx will fade away.

'If you have it, you can enter the Sandwall Desert. But be careful. The Sandwall Desert is the land where the gods sleep"

It still feels like an Egyptian model.

"If you continue your adventure, you will meet them eventually...until then, farewell"

The Sphinx turned invisible and disappeared. Wait a minute, where are Lily and the others?

I looked at them and they were back to normal. But there was something wrong. They're scurrying around.

『O, Oh?』

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...but..."

"What's wrong? Takuto-san?"

They don't remember this...I see...they don't remember that...I tell Ion.

"Nothing"

"Why are you speaking only one word? There was definitely something wrong, wasn't there!?"

"Ion...I think there are things that are better left unknown"

"Wh, What did you do? I...I'm so scared!"

Ion pursued me, but it was too difficult for me to tell her.