Chapter 184 - What Was Not Where It Should Be
"What is this place...?"
"There were no notifications, so perhaps it's a continuation of the Ancient Ruins?"
"Ah, right. If it were a different Ancient Ruin, there should have been a discovery announcement."
"Yes."
A quick look around showed a path wide enough for two or three people to walk side-by-side. On both sides were cliffs, or rather, stone walls, clearly showing signs of human construction.
However, weeds grew profusely from the gaps in the stone walls and Stone Pavement, giving no impression that anyone was using it.
Well, if there were people here, it wouldn't be an uninhabited island, would it...?
"Lupi and Sweee, you wouldn't happen to know this area, would you?"
In response to my question, both shook their heads silently. Figured.
For Lupi to come all the way here from her old den, she'd have to cross mountains, and it's even questionable if Sweee was on this island in the first place...
"Mion, sorry. What time is it now?"
"It's just past 9 o'clock."
"Thanks. Then, I'll explore a little more and head back once it's past 10."
Even if it's not that far from the Mountain Cabin, it's problematic if it takes a lot of time to come here every time.
On the mainland, I envy how the shared carriage service can save time...
"Woof."
"Yeah, be careful."
The path was mostly straight, so Lupi led the way slightly ahead.
What appeared at the end of the gentle uphill slope was...
"Whoa..."
"This is... was it a church or a temple or something?"
"Ah, it gives off that vibe."
A rather large stone building appeared before my eyes.
As Mion said, it felt church-like? A spire, or something, caught my eye.
Just as I thought about getting a little closer, Sweee tapped me on the back of the head.
"What's up?"
"~~~♪"
"Hmm? That way... oh!"
A cluster of reddish-purple fruits hanging from a tree about my height.
I dashed over and used Appraisal!
[Grapeful Fruit]
"The fruit of the Grapeful plant. The skin has an astringent taste, but the inside of the fruit has an exquisite balance of sourness and sweetness.
Cooking: The juice can be used as a beverage or seasoning. Material Processing: A raw material for alcohol and vinegar."
"Grapes!"
"You did it!"
"~~~♪"
Sweee, as if on cue, immediately plucked one and bit into it whole.
I quickly followed suit...
"Ah, this is delicious..."
Grapes for eating fresh and grapes for processing are supposed to be different, but I wonder if they're the same in IRO.
Anyway, I should be able to make wine with this, right? And if I make Dried Grapeful, I can start a yeast culture and make bread too...
"Woof!"
"Sorry, sorry. Here, Lupi. It's delicious!"
Lupi ate the Grapeful Fruit from my hand, wagging her tail furiously.
It's a good time, so let's take a short break.
I picked a bunch and sat down on the ground.
"There are plenty, so eat as much as you like."
"Woof~"
"~~~♪"
Lupi's fine, but where is Sweee, with her tiny body, digesting all of this? No, no, this is a game, right...?
"Ugh, it looks so delicious..."
"Hahaha. Why don't you ask Tsubaki-san to buy some for you?"
"I will..."
She'll probably buy some ridiculously expensive grapes...
Even so, there are quite a few things around here I haven't seen before.
Hmm? Is that a well? The structure that was there seems to have decayed, but that means people used to live here.
"Is this the back of that church-like building?"
"Yes. It seems like this place and that cave are the only accessible areas."
"In that case, beyond that would be the front side..."
If I circle around, it should be about the right time.
I'd like to check inside the building, but if monsters appear, I might not have enough time.
"Alright, let's go."
"Woof-woof."
"~~~!!"
"Ah, yeah, for souvenirs for the other Fairies. I'll harvest them on the way back."
I answered Sweee and calmed her down.
Lupi has that "can't be helped" look on her face...
"Then, the left side is narrow, so let's go from the right."
"Okay."
This space, leveled after being carved out of the mountain face. Looking from the back, the right side of the building is quite wide.
The building itself seems sturdy, but all the windows are blocked with wooden shutters, so I can't see inside.
"This is... a stable, or maybe a horse shed."
It's wooden and decayed in many places, but the pillars, roof, fences, and even what looks like a manger are still there.
I don't know how long ago, but someone used to keep horses here.
Continuing to the front...
"Whoa..."
"Amazing..."
In front of the building, beyond that, was a large iron gate.
Nestled between a break in the cliff and sturdy stone gateposts, it looked like something from a Western castle.
"This island is quite large..."
Beyond the gaps in the iron gate, a gently descending path intersected with a river, and several houses could be seen in that area.
However, the path was overgrown with weeds, and all the houses seemed to be dilapidated, making me hesitant to go check immediately.
"Can the door be opened?"
"I wonder. Or rather, how do you open it?"
"Shou-kun, use Appraisal."
"Ah..."
Because it's full-dive, I tend to forget it's a game.
I performed Appraisal carefully...
[Ancient Magic Great Gate]
"A large gate locked by ancient magic. Used for castle gates and similar structures."
"It looks like an amazing door, but I wonder if it's the same mechanism as the one underground."
"Do you want to open it?"
"No, I don't have time today, so I'll do it when I'm more settled."
"Ah, right."
The area beyond this great gate is definitely a different one, so maybe this door is to prevent monsters from there from getting in?
If so, I first want to secure the safety of this location. Looking back... it really does look like a church.
"Huh? Is this door one of the usual ones?"
"It is. The one without the Unlock Code."
"They used it for buildings too..."
I thought it was exclusively for ruins, but it's a door, so of course they'd use it for important facilities.
Then, as usual...
"Sorry. Just a moment."
My MP was already full, so I requested the Spirit's Blessing. And I asked the Light Spirit for light, so I guess that's good? If anything appears, I'll use Stealth...
"Alright, I'm opening it."
I exerted force and answered "Yes" to the usual query.
Slowly opening the double doors... no reaction from Presence Detection.
The interior, illuminated by the light, had two rows of long benches, looking like a chapel.
"Looks safe."
"I'm relieved. This really does look like a church."
"Yeah. The inside is surprisingly clean, or rather, just dusty, and the benches look perfectly usable."
I canceled the Spirit's Blessing and looked up; the ceiling was high. From the outside, it looked like a two-story building, but there was just a corridor high up.
Slowly approaching the altar, a sense of incongruity gradually...
"Didn't places like this usually have a statue of a god at the very back?"
"I think so. Is it different in IRO?"
"I guess I'll ask about this tomorrow too."
The altar was in a prominent position, raised a step.
And further back...
"I feel like there used to be a statue of a god, or rather, a Goddess, placed here..."
"You're right."
An obviously unnatural space.
There was a circular space on an even higher level, with only a pure white pedestal remaining.
"Maybe that's it. When they moved out, they properly took the Goddess Statue with them?"
"Yes, I don't think they'd abandon a Goddess in a deserted place."
Hmm, I thought I might be able to get Holy Magic, but it seems a bit difficult...