Chapter 156 - Episode 6: To Uminohara (2)
According to Fiona, the Sea Cave could be reached from beneath the floor of the shrine.
"Bishop-sama. I'm sorry, but we'll have to peel up the floor stones of the shrine."
"I don't mind, Fiona. After all, this shrine originally belonged to your family. However, I wonder if I might be allowed to go with you?"
For some reason, the Bishop also ended up going with us.
On the map, there were circles drawn, presumably indicating the location of the inherited items. However, there were three marks. Two might be traps or decoys.
"How wonderful. It's just like a treasure hunt in a fairy tale, isn't it?"
"Life would be boring without such things."
For some reason, the two mages were delighted.
"Indeed. I've always wanted to have an experience like this once."
For some reason, Will was also delighted.
"This is the best part of traveling. This is why I can't stop going on long trips."
"Truly. I'm looking forward to what will happen."
"I didn't think there would be something so exciting at my age. I'm grateful to be allowed to accompany you."
Even the trio of elders was delighted. Why is their curiosity so strong?
"Fiona. For example, are there any mechanisms like traps to prevent intruders?"
"I only heard that there was a secret. I'm sorry. I hope there aren't such things."
I wonder why those who are already dead are the ones worrying about the future.
"First, we have to peel up the floor stones."
It's a relief that Marcelo-san is being calm.
Even if we say peel them up, we don't know which ones to peel. We tried tapping all the floor stones, each about the size of one person, but they seemed to have a certain thickness, and they all made only heavy sounds.
"Shall I find it for you?"
While I was tilting my head, Dune, who was looking with Mel, offered her help. If there's a hole under the stones, water will pass through. If she flows a little water, she can reportedly tell even the slightest movement of the water. As she walked while shooting water from her fingertips toward the floor, she stopped right next to the statue of the Goddess.
"I wonder if we can move this. I think just sliding it to the side will be enough."
When I looked at the Bishop, he nodded. I prayed to the Goddess to forgive our rudeness.
"Well then, here I go."
When Eleanor-sama used Clump Stone to float the stone statue, she moved it slowly. As always, it was a masterful technique.
Furthermore, when we peeled up the four floor stones Dune pointed to, there was a vertical hole under the stones. As expected. She found it just by shooting a few drops of water. The Bishop's eyes were wide with surprise. After praising Dune for a while, we checked the hole. It was just large enough for one person to fit through. The depth was about one basement level, so it wasn't that deep. Eleanor-sama widened the hole with magic. Since the Bishop brought a ladder from the church, I dropped a Firefly and made it shine as brightly as possible, then Paul-san went down first.
"It's basically a single path. It extends to the east. It must be toward the rocky shore. It's wide enough for one person to pass, and the height won't allow for a spear. There doesn't seem to be any particular danger."
Paul-san sent a Firefly further in and explained the situation inside to everyone. Since there was no problem, we went in. The second was Will. Since there was no height this time, she was bare-handed. Her skill in close-quarters combat is quite reliable. Around her arm, she had wrapped the cloth for the throwing knives she uses for rat extermination.
The third was me as the lighting person, followed by Fiona, then Marcelo-san carrying Flora's basket, Beatrix, Eleanor-sama, the Bishop with a lantern, Dune, Mel, and the rear was Henry-sama with a torch. I raised my right hand and illuminated the front over Paul-san's head. According to the map, the cave basically goes straight east, and the path splits into three along the way. The middle path continues straight, while the left and right paths turn east after splitting and then extend straight east, paralleling the middle path. The depth of all three is about the same, and the length to the destination is similar. It's shaped like a three-pronged harpoon. The circles were drawn at the end of each path.
"If there's something, wouldn't it be at the first fork?"
"But would someone go to the trouble of setting dangerous traps for something they're leaving for their own descendants?"
"It's not necessarily a descendant who comes to get it. For example, a villain who stole the map."
"A villain?"
"Indeed. It's a classic."
According to Will, it's a classic in fairy tales for there to be traps in a cave where treasure is hidden. Isn't she overthinking it? Beatrix, who was listening, also shrugged her shoulders.
"There's no way someone who donated land to the church would leave behind money and then leave."
Paul-san said, sounding exasperated.
"No, no, you never know what might be there."
For some reason, the Bishop looked happy. I hope he's okay... I just hope his heart doesn't stop if a giant centipede suddenly jumps out...
Paul-san suddenly stopped and raised his right hand. It seemed we had reached the base of the three-pronged fork. I sent a Firefly and made it shine as brightly as possible at the base. With this, the light should have reached the three paths ahead. We watched for a while, but nothing changed. Paul-san then advanced to the point where the paths split and drew his mountain knife. After stabbing it into the ground several times, he looked around for a while and then said there was nothing.
From the fork, the path becomes a downward slope after advancing a bit, so we couldn't see ahead. A strategy was needed.
"Let's set a guard here and explore one place at a time."
We had bolted the shrine from the inside before diving into the hole. Nothing should come from behind. We should be wary of what's ahead, but if we set a guard at the fork, it should be fine no matter where a monster comes from.
"In that case, let's split into three groups and take charge of one place each. We can just explore them in order. That way, everyone can go to the end of at least one hole. I... let's see. I'd like to be in the group going to the right."
The Bishop answered Paul-san's proposal for some reason. Apparently, just staying behind isn't enough for him. He seems to want to go to the end no matter what. However, since the proposal itself was reasonable, we split into three groups. On the left were Paul-san, Beatrix with Flora's basket, and Will. In the center were Marcelo-san, me, Dune, and Mel. On the right were Henry-sama's group and the Bishop. Fiona would go with all the groups. That way, those with night vision and I, with my Light magic, would be evenly distributed.
"Jeanne's group should go first."
Henry-sama suddenly said that, but it couldn't be helped. It's because I'm the one who will receive something from Fiona. I told myself it would be fine since Marcelo-san was there, and we decided to advance while illuminating the way with Light magic.
With Marcelo-san in the lead, we advanced along the single path and soon reached the end. There was a box, and when we opened it, there were ten gold coins inside. Apparently, this was the harvest. Just in case, we all searched the surroundings.
"This wall is strange."
Mel was putting her ear to the back wall. When I imitated her and put my ear to it, I could faintly hear a sound like a drum being beaten in the distance—thump, thump.
"It's the sound of waves."
According to Fiona, it's the sound of sea waves crashing against the rocks. I see, so being connected to the sea means this. "It must be a sea cliff ahead," Marcelo-san summarized, and we put the gold coins back in the box and decided to return to everyone.
"There were ten gold coins."
When we reported, Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san appraised them. According to the markings, they were quite old, but their purity was high and they were reportedly of sufficient value. Next, the left group departed and returned in about half an hour, just like the center group. The result was the same. As expected, there were ten gold coins. They didn't seem to hear the sound of waves. The wall might be thick. "Finally, it's our turn," "Yes. Bishop, let us go." The last group was quite enthusiastic. One person seemed to be shrugging their shoulders, but I suppose I shouldn't mind. We sent them off with a "Take care."
The Bishop returned with great joy. As expected, there were ten gold coins. "Look, Fiona. It's your money." We piled up the third box.
"Exploring a dark cave and finding treasure. It's just like the fairy tales I heard as a child. Henry-sama. I understand why you often go on long trips."
Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama nodded as if it were only natural. It seems the current King's source of complaints is endless. However, what about thirty gold coins for a family emergency? It's a lot of money, but it seems a bit small for a noble with land. They were the ones who were given preparation money by the former lord and donated land to the church when they couldn't win against Sertoria. Is it greedy to think there should be a little more?
Eleanor-sama was checking the map, but she could only see the three-pronged cave and the words "Sea Cave." I tried looking through it with Light magic, but there was nothing. Oh? Wait a minute.
"How about this?"
Eleanor-sama held the map vertically to the ground. When she did, the three paths were lined up vertically: top, middle, and bottom.
"I see! I didn't notice that!"
"Wonderful! So there's still more!"
Henry-sama regained his spirits. For some reason, the Bishop was also happy. Just in case, we decided to dig a hole. When Paul-san dug with magic, a rock immediately showed its face. It was just past the base of the three-pronged fork, a bit into the middle hole. It becomes a downward slope from right there. When Eleanor-sama lifted it, it looked like an ordinary rock but was quite thin. Underneath it, there was another hole.
"This is..."
Even Paul-san, the scout, was surprised. "They must have carved an ordinary rock to make a lid. How clever. Jeanne, you noticed well." Eleanor-sama praised me. If it were a flat stone, Paul-san would have noticed. Since it was a rock with bumps and hollows all over, he apparently didn't notice. "This smell... it smells like the sea." Mel was twitching her nose. I couldn't tell at all, but the end might really be connected to the sea. "Fiona. Your ancestors seem to have been quite clever." As Eleanor-sama said, it was certainly clever. They weren't lying, and just the three horizontal paths would net thirty gold coins. If I hadn't known they weren't in need of money, I wouldn't have noticed. We returned to our original formation and decided to go down to the second basement level while sending Fireflies.
Since the sound of waves could be heard at the end of the first floor, I thought it wouldn't be that far, but before long we came out into a quite large room. In the back, the cave continued a bit, and something like an altar could be seen. On top of it, something like a small stone coffin was placed. The end of the hole was separated by a pond. It wasn't a distance that could be jumped over. It smelled of the sea. It seemed to be seawater. A large room at the end of a cave, an altar separated by a pond. It's a classic. No matter how you think about it, there's something there.
"Jeanne. Sink a Firefly into the pond."
As Paul-san told me, when I sank it into the pond and made it shine strongly, I saw the shimmer of fish scales. There were also some quite large ones. Something like long, brown tree roots was growing from a crack in the rock. It's rare for trees to grow in the sea. While I was thinking that, the roots began to wiggle and move.
"Jeanne! Give it everything you've got!"
Paul-san began his incantation, Henry-sama and Will stood to my left and right as the vanguard, and Eleanor-sama and Beatrix became the rearguard. Dune and Mel, holding the basket, stood right behind me. Marcelo-san stood as if to protect the Bishop, who had his back against the wall. It was the formation we had decided on beforehand. When I made it shine as brightly as possible, it crawled out from the back of the cave, seemingly disliking the light being showered from below. It was wiggling and moving as if crawling. Its black eyes glared at us. It was quite loathsome. I got goosebumps.
"An octopus!"
An octopus! I believe it spits ink... Apparently, there's no poison in the ink, but if you're bitten, the poison from its teeth will spread. Though it seems it can easily tear off arms and legs. Above all, if you're sucked in by the round things on its legs and coiled around, your bones will reportedly be easily crushed.
"Paul. Please lid the pond with a Wind Barrier so it doesn't escape! Jeanne, illuminate the octopus! Henry, Wilson, you know what to do."
Eleanor-sama, holding her right hand out and sending wind toward the octopus, gave the instructions. Henry-sama held the silver sword he was carrying in a high stance and, with a shout of spirit, swung it down. The air trembled, and a shock-like sensation came. For a moment, my vision shook. One of the octopus's legs was cut! Of course, the blade hadn't reached it. "Splendid!" the Bishop barked. Next, Wilson-san dropped lightning with a roar on the leg that continued to wiggle even after being cut off, and it became charred. It's inappropriate during battle, but it had a fragrant, good smell. "I'm looking forward to what comes after," Dune was already imagining the banquet.
The octopus spat out black stuff as if in retaliation, but Eleanor-sama blew it away with wind magic. The octopus was the one showered in ink. "Class of 175! Do your best!" Henry-sama said that, but what should we do? We don't have the technique of Henry-sama, nor the powerful magic of Wilson-san.
"Holy and lightning. Beatrix, we'll attack in succession. You must not approach carelessly."
Told by Marcelo-san, Beatrix began to drop lightning, a basic magic, on the octopus without an incantation. The octopus's movements were being suppressed by Marcelo-san's Holy. It convulsed every time it was hit. It was doing its best to spit ink, but it was all being blown back by Eleanor-sama's wind. The octopus was becoming pitch black. "Oh! Splendid! Everyone, please do your best!" Successive shots look flashier at first glance. The Bishop was excited. Every time a magic hit, he clapped his hands and raised his voice.
Finally, when the octopus moved to escape up the wall, Marcelo-san's Holy Lance pierced its body, and it fell with a thud. "It's about time. Go. Aim accurately right behind the eyes." After the octopus had been hit by more than fifteen of Beatrix's lightning bolts and more than five of Marcelo-san's Holy spells, and its movements had finally become dull, Henry-sama pointed and handed his sword to Will. "Uooooooh!" Will, letting out a war cry, ran across the Wind Barrier lid over the pond and once jumped to the left wall. It was a move that took the octopus from behind as it raised its legs to intercept. Kicking the wall with her left foot and twisting her body, she thrust the sword she held with both hands deep into the back of the octopus's eyes as she turned. She pulled it out once and thrust it in again. As if the strength had left the legs that were supporting its body, it lay down limply and collapsed onto the ground as if spreading its palms.