Chapter 181 - Fifth Story: Church Underground Passage Exploration (7)
=== CHAPTER 181 ===
Now then, from here on, it's time to earn money.
No subjugation reward will be issued, but since quite rare magical beasts appeared, a sufficient profit can be expected.
Dune and Mel are with us on the way back.
It might be okay even if a dragon appears now.
The preparations for mapping by Secretary-sama's hand are also perfect.
Let's open every single door we find!
I left the room with the books with great enthusiasm, but the Dwarf was lying down at the end of the passage.
"Is it over already? That was fast."
Huh?
"As promised, I'll have the monsters you defeated butchered and transported to the warehouse at my place in the Western Plains, so don't you worry."
Umm, what do you mean by that?
"You reached the altar, didn't you? The way back is fast. It's made so that the record room, this place, and the last door are connected. You don't have to take any unnecessary detours."
I wanted to take those detours, though...
"That's impossible. Give it up. It would be a disaster if you got done in by monsters on the way after you finally received an oracle. It's well-considered."
I explained the situation and asked if we could go one more time, but it was no good. Apparently, that's the contract.
What a disappointment.
"You went straight in a line, huh. The shortest distance. That means one viper, twenty gray wolves, three Chat-Palus, one Basilisk, and one Fenrir."
When he asked how we defeated them, the Headmistress explained in detail.
"As expected of someone who defeated the Demon Lord. In that case, there'll be little damage, so the price will be good too. Except for the wolves, they're D-rank. Well, let's see... I'll give you a service so it can be split among eight people, and make it about 160 gold coins."
He said it's also possible to have the Dwarf side sell the fur and fangs and just have the money sent.
Since it was a hassle, we decided to have them do that.
But 160 gold coins, huh.
That's an incredible amount.
Even if split among eight people, it's 20 gold coins per person!
So that huge lizard is called a Basilisk...
Apparently, it sells for a good price along with the Fenrir.
Let's take a detour when we come for the main investigation.
While we were all saying that with beaming faces...
"Once you pass, there won't be any more monsters."
Oh?
"It's the same as the door just now. Once you pass the test, from now on, as long as Jeanne or someone who came with Jeanne is here, you won't encounter monsters anymore, so rest easy."
Apparently, it's a consideration to bring the Priestess safely.
Does that mean... what? If I hadn't proposed that we proceed in a straight line at the beginning, could we have earned a bit more?
"No, not necessarily. I put the good earners in the middle. I also had foxes, boars, and huge rats prepared, and there are places with traps and dead ends. If you want to earn efficiently, a straight line is the way."
In that case, it was good. I thought I had missed a great chance.
"But why did you make it a straight line? If it's been the same for a long time, everyone would choose that, right?"
It's certainly as Beatrix says.
"Listen. This is a place for testing. It's enough if we can confirm you have a certain level of strength. If you follow it well, there's even a route where you only have to deal with the first snake and the last Fenrir. The goal is to get to the altar, isn't it. You lot are the only ones thinking about defeating everything to earn money."
We couldn't help but look at each other and laugh.
"However, thanks to that, I've had a good experience. Both Kevin and I do nothing but desk work. If we don't experience actual combat once in a while, we'll end up just running away when the time comes."
Doesn't a normal Archbishop run away?
Between the Headmistress and the Bishop of Fiona's island, are there only aggressive Bishops?
"Gatekeeper-dono. If you have the time, would it be possible to let us fight monsters here for training?"
How much does he love training.
Dune told him to rest, didn't she.
"I can't do that. We're neutral. Think about it the other way. If, for the sake of fairness, we took a request from monsters, caught humans, and gave the monsters a place for training, what would you do?"
He was left speechless. Is being neutral such a harsh thing?
"This is a place for receiving oracles, so it's specially under the protection of what you lot call the Goddess-sama. Don't get the wrong idea."
Even the Archbishop-sama was apologizing, saying "please act as if you didn't hear what I just said."
In any case, we'll be able to return safely.
It's just around lunchtime.
"Jeanne. We will prepare lunch at the church, so would you like to join us? Of course, we will treat the spirits and the ghost equally. I'll have them prepare the guest meals instead of the usual cafeteria food, so the taste shouldn't be too bad."
I've had the food from the kitchen during the festival.
It was delicious...
While pointing at the corner of my mouth, Dune pulled my sleeve.
This is bad, I drooled again.
But it goes without saying.
Apparently, there's also good honey.
Of course, there's also the sun-warmed water for the plants.
Since the Headmistress and Katherine-sensei were also going to be present, I decided to accept, saying "Since you've offered."
"Gatekeeper-dono. If your time permits, how about you too?"
He's even inviting the Dwarf.
"Is it okay?"
His face broke into a smile, and his participation was decided.
In the end, a lively luncheon was held at the guest seats.
On that spot, it was decided that if there was a request for the main investigation, only I would participate from Nakanohara.
After all, it's another country. We can't go in a large group.
"The investigation here starts first, right?"
"I wonder. Adjustments with Medioland are necessary, and that side might be prioritized."
"Um, the order of investigation might be decided."
"Is that so?"
The palace barrier started from Dune's gaze, then followed the trees planted in an arrow shape, the arrow on the roof of the shrine, and then the stone slab with complaints. There were no arrows around the stone slab or on the hut on the ground.
Since I couldn't say the contents of the stone slab, I only explained the arrows, and it was decided that they would convey it to the Royal Capital.
"Why is the order decided?"
When the Archbishop-sama asked the Dwarf, he looked away, saying "I don't know."
It seems the gatekeeper is only informed about the gate he protects.
"Well, if you say there are other altars, go and see. You'll understand something if you go. First, try investigating the records here."
He said it quite simply, but I suppose it can't be helped since he's a gatekeeper.
"Speaking of those records, they were protected by a barrier, weren't they? What kind of mechanism is that, exactly?"
When the Archbishop-sama asked the Dwarf, he leaned forward, saying "I'm glad you asked."
"That is one of the Dwarf's masterpieces. It was made so that only those who can use light magic can read the contents, right?"
"Why is that?"
"A history book is meaningless unless it's correct. People who alter it or spread false history will surely appear. So, you just have to show that the real thing is here. That part has to be protected by a barrier. Otherwise, you don't know what unscrupulous people might do."
I see. Certainly, the church was hiding it.
The Archbishop-sama looked down, but he seemed to have pulled himself together.
"Who is keeping the records?"
"Dwarves. Humans shouldn't write human history. Because there are liars."
Once again, the Archbishop-sama looked down.
"Then, who writes Dwarf history?"
The Headmistress went on the counterattack.
"Dwarves write Dwarf history. We don't tell lies. However, only the Creator can write the history of all spirits."
"The Creator? You mean the Goddess-sama?"
"The Creator is the Creator. The root is different from the object of your human faith."
"I believe the myths passed down were the same for Elves, Dwarves, and humans, right?"
"That's right. Although there are two kinds."
"Two kinds?"
"The myths of the lot we're hostile with."
"I see, there was the Demon Race."
Apparently, the Demon Race refers to so-called demons.
The Demon Lord is said to be one.
"Was the Demon Lord not the king of monsters?"
That's certainly what's said.
"In this world, yes. In other worlds, there are various races that flourish like the humans in this world, and in one world, it seems the Demon Race flourishes. There, humans are treated like livestock, except for some privileged classes."
"Is that so?"
"An old parchment was discovered. Apparently, something like that was written there. I don't know if it's true or false, though."
When the Headmistress, who answered, looked at the Dwarf, he was nodding.
"The Demon Race cleverly entraps others. You should take what they say with a grain of salt, or rather, suspect everything from the start."
There are some troublesome people out there.
"There are those called devil worshippers or Demon Lord worshippers. It is also the assertion of such people."
The Archbishop-sama said.
Come to think of it, there were people like that.
In that sense, Williams-san was better for not doing such malicious things.
At night, I decided to have the participants of the Class of 175 gather in my room.
"Hey, what do you think about this time?"
When I asked Beatrix, she said there were various things she didn't understand.
That's certainly true.
"First, it's about why they went out of their way to make it underground."
That's exactly right. Even if they were newcomers, they were on the ruling side, so they should have been able to build it openly on the surface. In fact, now one can receive an oracle in a room in the church.
"We won't know that unless we investigate the era before King Griffith."
I was told to "do my best." Even if it's only once a month, I have to read the Chronicles aloud to the priests who come for the investigation.
"Doesn't Dune know anything? The barrier was magic that Jeanne uses. You said the First King was the first human you met, but there seem to have been people who used light magic before then. Was there no one who tried to break through the mist barrier?"
When Beowulf asked Dune, she replied that some did come.
"The barrier has a limit on the number of people. Ten people. I mean, I don't want to let people who bring ten or twenty soldiers with them when coming to someone's house into my home."
That's certainly true. Everyone agreed.
"Also, there were some who got scared and ran away once they reached the other side. Those who tried to set fire to the trees protecting the island and burn them, I chased away by making waves. There were also those whom the birds didn't choose."
Apparently, the first one to break through without such things was the First King.
"Was King Griffith no good either?"
"King Griffith?"
"Yes. He gave me this Black Stone. He was polite and a good person. He might have had his face painted blue."
The joke was a bit harsh, but I didn't feel unpleasant.
"The birds didn't choose any of the blue-faced lot. You have to come with your real face."
I see. It's a shame since he was a good person.
Painting one's face blue is apparently the formal dress for going to rituals or war, so to speak, but it seems it worked against them. If everyone living in that area was blue-painted, then they were all out.
Dune probably doesn't know about the ancient people. After all, the lake was created after the newcomers met the Goddess-sama.
"Doesn't Mel know anything?"
"When I came, a Fire Dragon had settled in. People who entered the cave or approached the mountain were all killed or chased away by the Fire Dragon."
I wonder how she could think of living in such a place.
"Wyverns aside, the Fire Dragon only comes as far as the middle of the mountain. Since I'm only at the top. Sometimes we'd get into fights when we both crossed the middle, but basically, we had separate living areas."
I see. There was a reason for it in its own way.
"When was the Fire Dragon defeated by humans?"
"I think it was about six hundred years ago. After that, a temple was built and people started coming, but two or three hundred years before that, the Fire Dragon blocked the entrance to the cave at the foot of the mountain, so no one came inside."
"Was the first human Mel met the King of Medioland?"
"There were a few people before that too. Priests working at the temple, I think. Those people didn't try to climb to the top, and we just happened to run into each other in the forest and talk."
Apparently, the entire area of the sacred mountain is a no-hunting zone.
Unless there's a strange person like Paul-san, they probably wouldn't think of trying to climb it.
"How many people actually broke through the barrier?"
"Excluding Jeanne and the others, three people."
"Three people?"
"Yes. One person who came with the person I gave the ring to first. Surely, it's the First King of this country you lot talk about. Another person said they came from Finis."
It's a country at the northern tip. Usually, we don't even meet people from Finis.
They're dangerous people who are always at war.
"That person apparently made a vow to God that they would climb all the high mountains. After spending two or three days at the summit, they went home."
"Did you give them a ring?"
"I didn't. They only talked about mountains. It's boring."
Well, that's true. Mel likes the wind, not necessarily mountains.
"About when was that person here?"
When Beowulf asked, she replied "four hundred years ago."
Was it right around the time the temple was built?
"Did another person not come? About six hundred years ago."
"They didn't. Why?"
"I tried counting the years when people who use light magic are born. Now there's Jeanne. Nearly two hundred years ago was the First King. Four hundred years ago was the mountain-climbing lover Mel met, and eight hundred years ago was King Griffith. In short, one appears about every two hundred years. But there's no one six hundred years ago, right?"
Hmm, there's that way of thinking too.
But then, there might have been someone a thousand years ago or twelve hundred years ago too. I wonder if they were done in by the Fire Dragon?"