Chapter 678 - Standing at the Northern Edge
"Hup."
Night. I returned via the Transfer Magic Circle and...
"Woof!" "Brrr!" "Nya!"
I met up with Lupi, Rigel, and Shal's group, who had been watching the place. I had finished various preparations after school, so after a solid meal, we would aim for the Tower of the North End. Six Ghillie Dhu soon appeared with Rake as their leader, and a little later, Mion and El-san arrived.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Did something happen?"
"Altena-chan just woke up, so I was preparing her meal."
I had asked Emeraldia-san to stay behind and watch over things, but the White Dragon Princess had woken up too, so it had taken a bit of time. In the end, it seemed Sweee would be staying behind as well.
"I am sorry."
"No, no."
Personally, I wanted to take it easy a bit more, but October would bring midterm exams, so I wanted to have things settled by then. If we could clear the north forest and reach the Tower of the North End, we'd have the full picture of the island, and that would be a good place to pause.
"Okay, then let's have a meal before we head out."
"Yes."
We all sat in a circle. Today's meal was curry bread, which was easy to eat and filling. Thinking about the balance, I made pickles of Carrota (carrot) and Kyuka (cucumber) as a side dish. Considering what was ahead, the meal buffs were perfect, and...
"How is it?"
"It is delicious." "Woof!" "Nya~"
It was good even when cold, so it was well-received by the heat-sensitive Shal and the others. After we finished eating, we shared the goal for today while taking a breather. The goal was to reach the tower at the north end, avoiding combat as much as possible even if there were enemies.
"Yes." "Understood."
Everyone was full of motivation, so I figured it was about time to leave.
"Okay, let's go."
"Woof!"
...
With Lupi's group in the lead, Shal's group and I followed, then Mion, El-san, and Rigel. As soon as we entered the forest, Rake and the others moved into the trees and began scouting the area.
"Is everything okay over there?"
Yes.
Since I couldn't check with a loud voice, we talked using our Guild Cards. To be honest, I was most afraid of a back attack, but there didn't seem to be any problems. Lupi's group in the lead was also alert, but they were moving along smoothly as if nothing was wrong.
After advancing for a while, Lupi stopped dead in her tracks. I raised my right hand in response. When I gave this signal, everyone was to be careful not to make a sound until I spoke. Lupi turned around, so I used Shared Presence Detection to check... it seemed the Black Hyenas I'd seen before were watching us from a distance.
"Lupi."
I beckoned Lupi over, speaking in a low voice. They had fled in fear of Lupi and Rigel before, so we wouldn't lose, but it would just be a hassle to deal with them.
"Let's avoid them by going a bit to the right."
"Woof."
If they attacked anyway, we'd have to deal with them, but they'd probably just watch from a distance.
"We're changing course slightly."
Yes.
We had been heading straight northeast toward the Tower of the North End, but we changed to east-northeast. The hyenas didn't seem to be following us, and the forest gradually began to brighten.
"The east side seems fine."
It feels that way.
I felt like there might be something on the west side of the forest, but the tower was the priority for now. When the sea came into view, we changed course to the north, and what finally appeared was...
"So the part that looked like a tower from below the cliff was part of a building..."
"It looks like a castle."
"Yeah. It's small, though."
There was a solid stone wall, and a grand gate stood tall in its center. I couldn't see what was inside, but given the distance between the manor and the tower, there seemed to be a reasonably large courtyard.
"Shall we look inside?"
"If the gate opens... we still have time, right?"
"Yes. It just passed ten o'clock."
Then I'd investigate until ten-thirty and go back using the Transfer Magic Circle. First was whether this castle gate would open or not...
"Okay, everyone stay back a bit."
"Yes."
Just Lupi and I approached the castle gate. For a gate this size, it would normally be impossible to open by hand, but if it was an Ancient Ruin, one person should be able to open it.
[Access for Blessed One confirmed. Top-level administrator authority confirmed. Unlock?]
"Yes."
Alright, it worked. Uh, Western gates usually opened inward, so it should open if I pushed.
"Whoops."
It was lighter than I expected, so I quickly backed off on the power. I carefully pushed it open just in case something was there, and Lupi slipped through the gap and inside.
"Woof."
"Okay."
Since there seemed to be no abnormalities, I threw both doors wide open. The first thing that caught my eye was a large fountain in the middle. However, no water was coming out, and it looked dried up. Beyond that was... the entrance, I guess. At the end of a gentle slope, I saw the door to the manor. Looking left and right... it was quite overgrown.
How is it?
"Ah, yeah. It seems fine, so you can come in."
Once Mion and the others were inside, I closed and locked the gate. Could we settle down for a bit now?
"Woof?"
"Yeah, please."
""Bow!""
Lupi and the others wanted to check the area, so I gave them the okay. Mion and Rake's group were investigating the overgrown flowerbeds, but since El-san and Shal's group were also on guard, it should be fine. Just then, Rigel went to the fountain... and tilted his head.
"Ah, do you want a drink?"
"Brrr!"
I asked the water spirits, and Rigel drank the water that poured into my hands with great relish. The overflowing water fell into the fountain basin, but the bottom stones were cracked, so it didn't look like it would hold any water.
"Woof!"
"Welcome back. Lupi and the others, come have some too."
I was curious about the manor and the tower in the back, but the remaining time was cutting it close if we wanted to see everything. Hmm, for now, should I just check if the manor's entrance door would open? If it didn't, this courtyard would be safe, making future exploration easier.
"Mion. I'm just going to see if the entrance door opens."
"Ah, I will come too."
"Woof!"
At the top of a short flight of stone steps was a familiar Ancient Magic Door. In Mion's view, it was a door that required administrator authority, but I decided to check anyway.
[Access for Blessed One confirmed. Top-level administrator authority confirmed. Unlock?]
Alright. I answered "No" here and decided to save the rest for tomorrow.