Chapter 228 - Clovis, and the Cosmos Beyond the Dungeon
We had arrived at a shrine on the outskirts of the city. It was impossible to guess how long it had stood here, but the stones it was built from were worn down, their corners rounded and their joints ill-fitting. It had lost all trace of its original cut form and now looked like little more than a pile of nearby boulders.
Clovis, accompanied by two guards, headed inside.
"You sure this thing isn't going to collapse?"
I grumbled, but was ignored. The members of Levante walking behind me had also been silent for some time. I let out a small sigh and steeled myself, following Clovis into the shrine. The stench of mildew assaulted my nose, and the stagnant, cold air pricked at my skin. It was a dim space, but cracks in the walls and ceiling allowed slivers of light to pierce the gloom, illuminating our surroundings.
The stone walls and ceiling were covered in mottled stains of crimson, black, and white. Some of it was likely mold, but it seemed the entire chamber had once been covered in paintings. Now, however, they were too faded to stir any imagination.
In the center of the floor was a black circle, about the height of a person, from which dark shadows flickered and rose like flames. Just as I'd suspected, this shrine was a dungeon entrance.
"Hey, we're not going into any dungeon."
"There's no need to worry. This dungeon has only one floor. We will reach our destination shortly," Clovis replied. I couldn't help but glance at Marmie.
"Give me a moment."
After speaking to Clovis, I led her to the wall and pressed her against it, my hands on her shoulders.
"...What?"
Her expression didn't change, but her long ears twitched. Her silver eyes looked up at me.
"The mythology passed down by the elves—is it different from what the human race believes?"
"...It is."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"...I tried to explain several times. Besides..."
"Besides?"
"...I didn't want Maira to hate me. I don't want to be kicked out of the party."
Maira is devout, but she's also an inquirer. She's helping us on this journey to seek the truth of the myths. I figured she must know about the mythologies other races believe in. She wouldn't have complained if Marmie had spoken of them. The fact that neither Marmie nor Maira has mentioned this until now must mean there's something terribly inconvenient about it. Is it inconvenient for the human race? Or for the gods?
"Is it that different?"
She nodded in response to my question. Is it the part where the human race interbred with various creatures to create more races? Even I thought that sounded fishy.
"What do you mean, you don't want to be kicked out of the party? I'm not going to kick you out just for fighting with Maira."
"...But if Cecily and Aira come back, you plan to kick me out, Mash."
"N-no, I'd be conflicted, but I wouldn't just kick you out, Marmie..."
"...That's a lie. In the end, you'll use the excuse that I'm just a child and remove me from the party. I don't want that. It's true I'm a newcomer, but I decided to follow you, Mash. I made that choice. I want to be with you until the end. In times like these, Fam just follows your will, so she's no help. I need an ally."
"..."
I wanted to deny her logic immediately, but she was right. Still, I couldn't give her an answer about that choice right now.
"Let me think about that for a bit. For now, what's the difference between the human and elven myths?"
"...Clovis is about to tell you."
It seemed she had no intention of explaining it herself. Her gaze shifted to Clovis, who should have been behind me. Spurred by her glance, I turned around to find Fam, Mizuki, and Maira right behind me, ears pricked.
"Wh-what are you guys doing?!"
It was a familiar sight, but it startled me all the same. While I was taken aback, they quickly dispersed.
Just as Clovis had said, we were guided to the dungeon's first floor. It was a corridor made of stone bricks. Though dim, it required no light, much like other dungeons. Light seemed to leak from nowhere, illuminating the passage that appeared to stretch on endlessly.
We encountered monsters along the way, but the guards eliminated them. It was only a slime, so it was hard to judge, but their swordsmanship and efficiency made them both seem like seasoned warriors.
It was from their shouts that I first realized they were women. I had thought they had beautiful features, but because they were elves, I'd assumed they were men. Their form-concealing armor had also led to my misjudgment. I'd have to be more careful when observing elves in the future. As this thought crossed my mind, I noticed Clovis had stopped and was looking at me.
"Are you interested in these two? If you intend to stay the night, I will send them to you."
"..."
"Do not concern yourself. They are both my concubines. I wish to observe the children of elves and humans."
My concern was for Fam and the others behind me. If he was going to say something like that, I wish he'd done it when they weren't around. Looking closely, one of the guards bore a faint resemblance to Marmie. Perhaps she had some distant relative with House Starunion blood. With the elven population in decline, it was entirely plausible. As I mulled this over, Fam pushed me from behind.
Clovis started walking again, so we followed. What is he trying to show us? Is he leading us to an Area Guardian's room? As I pondered this, his pace eventually came to a halt.
The stone-paved corridor ended there. Beyond it lay a darkness like outer space. Within that void, countless stone blocks—likely fragments of the ruins—drifted through the air.
"A zero-gravity space? Is this... outer space?"
Mizuki murmured. And yet, we could breathe. This wasn't the first time I'd seen this sight. It was the world I had glimpsed through the crystal walls of the Crystal Palace.
"Outer space... All the transferees call it that. However, I call it the 'World of the Sacred Oil Jar.'"
Listening to him, Mizuki cautiously approached the end of the corridor, her hand outstretched.
"I wouldn't recommend that. The space beyond is filled with Mana, but there is no air."
"The Sacred Oil Jar... And what in the world is this...?"
I finally managed to force the words out.
"This dungeon was destroyed by the Divine Blessing, [Yasakani no Magatama]."
I had always believed that dungeon walls and the walls of Area Guardian rooms were indestructible, no matter the force applied. But it seemed a special skill capable of destroying them did exist.
"Did you come here?"
"This dungeon was destroyed long ago. It is said to have been Okita Soji. But you are aware that there are others with the same ability, are you not?"
So it had been like this since before Clovis was born. The only ones we both knew of were Yuuki and the small transferee, but if they could use that special skill, the battle on the forty-ninth floor of the Crystal Palace would have gone very differently. It wasn't Ema either. Come to think of it, Etowan of the New World had mentioned feeling something was off about the forty-ninth floor. We were searching for the one who had disappeared there. However, the Crystal Palace wasn't destroyed like this dungeon.
Considering that, [Yasakani no Magatama] didn't seem to be a simple dungeon-destroying ability. He pointed a finger into the dark space. Squinting, I could see an entrance gaping open in the distance. It was the continuation of the severed corridor.
"Thanks to this, no one has been able to explore this dungeon since."
"So, what does this space have to do with the elven myths?"
"In the ancient world, born of the Two Pillars of Creation and shaped by the Five Pillars of Genesis, a tribe of the human race known as the People of Light appeared."
Clovis created a small fireball on his fingertip and launched it into the darkness. Like a flame plunged into water, it vanished in an instant. Then, he began to speak of the People of Light. They were a race with advanced technology, he said. They brought writing, agriculture, bronze tools, and even magic to the humans who were still hunter-gatherers.
"Wait, wasn't magic only usable after the Sacred Oil Jar was destroyed and this world was flooded with Mana?"
Perhaps calling the inside of a dungeon 'this world' was a mistake. The world people normally lived in and the inside of a dungeon were clearly separate spaces. To borrow Clovis's term, it was the 'World of the Sacred Oil Jar.'
"That is not entirely accurate. It isn't that this world had no Mana; it's said that trace amounts existed. Furthermore, the idea that the Sacred Oil Jar was destroyed and filled this world with Mana is also imprecise. It is true that during the war of the gods, the amount of Mana in this world increased dramatically, allowing for the manipulation of vast quantities of magical power with proportionally greater effects. However, from the distant past to the present day, the amount of Mana has been steadily, albeit slowly, increasing."
He raised his palms as if scooping up Mana.
"And so, a civilization led by the human race was born. The one who became king of that world began to think. To gather more wealth and riches, wouldn't it be best to increase productivity? And for that, wouldn't it be best to gather more people? He used magic to draw people to the city under his rule. He gathered the inhabitants of his own world, but not satisfied with that, he used magic to summon inhabitants from other worlds as well. These were the other races—the ancestors of the dog-eared race, like Fam, and the flower-kin, like Patricia."
"Then one day, they summoned the Ark."
Instantly, thick clouds blotted out the sun, plunging the world into darkness. Then, calamity struck. Gales, thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes that warped the very surface of the earth.
"They had mistakenly summoned a god from another world. People called it the God of the End. The ones who came to save the perishing world were the Fifty Gods."
He said that the dependents of the gods who appeared at that time were the elves and dwarves. Similarly, the dependents of the God of the End are the demons.
"The battle between the Fifty Gods and the God of the End raged on. Ultimately, they sealed the God of the End by sealing away the Sacred Oil Jar, the staff, and the mirror, which were brought along with the Ark. But the war did not end there. A civil war broke out over the fate of the human race. There were gods who sought to wipe humanity from the world, and five goddesses who opposed them."
"It is said that Lishar was the one who destroyed the Sacred Oil Jar, which created the space of Mana—that is, the 'World of the Sacred Oil Jar.' It served as a boundary between the connected worlds, separating them. This world, the worlds where non-human races lived, and the world where the gods resided."
Clovis finished his story. I suddenly noticed Maira looking at me with a quiet gaze.
"You knew this myth too, didn't you, Maira?"
"Yes. What do you think, Mash?"
"The gods can no longer interfere with this world, so they send transferees to fight their proxy wars for them."
"Yes. But according to this myth, not even transferees should be able to be sent to this world."
The fact that she also knew this meant Clovis's story wasn't his own invention. And yet, she was trying to deny it. In that case, what was the meaning of the dungeons scattered across this world?
"In the 'World of the Sacred Oil Jar,' Mana crystallizes like sediment to become crystal cores, which eventually form dungeons. Considering their structure and the monsters that appear within, it's hard to believe they form naturally from inorganic matter. If you consider that imagination and creation from the outside world are mixed in, then the 'World of the Sacred Oil Jar' doesn't completely sever the connections between worlds, does it?"
Considering that Mizuki and I were transferred here, and that Luche of the five goddesses gave prophecies to the Wandering People, that seemed more natural. It even feels like dungeons are actively incorporating information from the outside world. They have become entrances to the 'World of the Sacred Oil Jar' from other worlds. It's possible that similar passages exist from other worlds besides this one, connecting somewhere. There's a high probability that it's also connected to the world Mizuki and I lived in.
If that's the case, then it should be possible to return to our original world by following those passages. But then, why is Racshell being so evasive about Mizuki's wish to go home? There is still so much I don't understand.
"And the mission given to us transferees is still a mystery. The five goddesses say to defeat the Demon Lord. The other Fifty Gods say they'll grant any wish if we defeat those summoned by the five goddesses. Other than the ten-year limit, there's little compulsion. We're being made to fight in this world for reasons that make no sense at all."
"Do you think it's wrong?"
"No, I don't think I can deny all of it. I don't believe the myth Maira told me was entirely true either. I think both contain some truths and some falsehoods."
Of course, there was the possibility that it was all lies. But I'd keep that to myself for now.
"I see..."
She clasped her hands behind her back and bowed her head. The gesture looked incredibly lonely.
"You're on this journey because you want to know the truth, right? And you're going to see my journey through to the end, aren't you? We're in this together until the end."
Maira re-clasped her hands in front of her chest and looked up. Her smile was radiant.
"Yes! My hero, of course we're together!"
I turned back to face Clovis.
"You have a reason for telling me this story, don't you?"
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, but the expression vanished in an instant, returning to his usual impassiveness.
"I do. I will release Samaim."
"What did you say?"
"In exchange for the woman over there."
He cast his gaze toward Mizuki.
"If you come to our side, you can see Yuuki as much as you like."
I stepped in front of Mizuki, blocking his line of sight.
"That's not happening."
"Then what will you do?"
Just as Clovis asked, the sound of metal striking the floor echoed. Petra had slammed the handle of her warhammer onto the ground.
"Mash, that man is a Linker, or one of their clan."
"Oh?"
Clovis's eyes narrowed.
"In this world, there is a clan that hears the words of the gods and acts according to their will. Beings like the People of Light exist among the elves, demons, and dwarves as well."
"Are there still descendants of the People of Light alive?"
"Have you not noticed?"
It was something I should have understood without thinking. I shook my head.
"Petra, are you one of them?"
"My grandfather and I are not. Unfortunately, we are not of that clan."
She answered, then turned back to Clovis.
"Besides, if we're talking about myths, the dwarves and demons have them too. Each myth has its own secret scriptures. Since you went to the trouble of calling us all the way out here, you might as well let us hear them, don't you think?"
Her gaze was fixed past Clovis, deep into the corridor. Five figures were slowly approaching. Leading them was Samaim. A single horn grew from the head of the female warrior following her; she was likely a demon. The one being carried under her arm with their back to us was that small transferee. The figure struggled, escaped her grasp, and ran to a corner of the corridor. They then crouched down, covering their head as if to hide. They wore an oversized robe. As usual, I couldn't see their face, but their gestures and movements truly seemed like those of a child.
Next, a human man. An adventurer, perhaps. There was little to distinguish him. His cheeks were gaunt and thin. He looked young, but had a quiet demeanor. And finally, Yuuki.
"Allow me to introduce you. They are the Messiah."
Clovis spread his arms, announcing the party's name. Yuuki stepped forward. As if drawn by him, Mizuki also took a step forward.
"Senpai, did you really kill people who came from the same world as us?"
"Mizuki, join us. I'll make sure you're treated well. There are ten of us from the same world here."
"Is a guy named Isaac among them?"
I interjected, earning a glare from Mizuki.
"Please be quiet for a moment. Let me talk to Senpai."
"...Yes..."
After I replied, she turned back to Yuuki. It irked me a little that she used a casual tone with me but formal language with Yuuki, but I decided to watch in silence.
"If you want me to, Senpai, I'll join you. But I don't want to kill people from our world. What exactly are you trying to do?"
"We have Clovis with us. We're going to activate the Ark. We are on the verge of obtaining the power of the three sacred treasures."
"We heard about the events of the myth from Clovis. If you do that, won't calamity befall this world?"
"I can control it."
Mizuki gasped.
"And for what purpose?"
At her words, he took a deep breath.
"I will rule this world. Then, I will connect it to our original world and dominate everything."
His expression was unwavering. What could have possibly led him to such an idea? Is he being serious?
"...If it's about ruling, this man here is in a better position and has more talent. Most of Migul fell into Mash's hands in about ten days. And for some reason, he even has transferee allies."
Marmie muttered. Is she trying to get Mizuki to stay? Or is she simply competing with Yuuki? Still, why did she have to add 'for some reason' to me having allies? I wanted to pinch her cheek.
"Hey, world domination is impossible for me. I can't imagine anyone being happy."
I whispered back to her. However, my voice echoed through the corridor louder than I'd intended. Mizuki sighed, looking exasperated.
"What about you, Mizuki? You were forcibly brought to this world. What are you thinking now?"
"I want to go back to our original world. I want to go to school again, swim, and walk home with you, Senpai. If we have time, I want to go on another outing with you."
Mizuki answered Yuuki. Unlike his ambition, her wish was perfectly understandable. The only problem was that her time with me had been completely erased from the picture. I'd have to make her remember later.
"A world like that doesn't exist anymore..." Yuuki replied.
"What do you mean by that...?"
Clovis stepped in front of Yuuki, cutting off Mizuki's question.
"If you have no intention of joining our side, then you will die here. Samaim."
At his command, Samaim drew her shortsword and stepped forward. In response, Fam moved to stand before me. The blade she held at her waist was Marianne's. She drew it slowly. The blade shimmered as if wreathed in pale blue flames.
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