Chapter 376 - Chapter 14: Hot Spring Ruins Investigation ②
Beyond the centipede we defeated, there was a wall. If we illuminated it with Light, the wall should disappear and we'd be able to enter.
"Once Jeanne illuminates it with Light and we confirm the wall disappears, we'll set up the Simple Teleportation Magic Circle and withdraw for now."
However, having come this far, I was suddenly troubled.
Once we opened it, we might have to conquer it. In the cave under Nakanohara Lake, Alex had said that once it's opened, the contract is to challenge the trial. However, at that time, let alone Henry-sama or Eleanor-sama, even Roberts-sama or James-sama weren't there. They probably didn't know. It was even more so for Wilson-san and Lewis-san.
"Um, if we deactivate it, we might have to conquer it to the end."
"Why would that be?"
"It's just that because of the Vow of Silence, I can't talk about the details."
Even if Wilson-san asked, I couldn't tell him.
"Is it bad if we don't go to the end?"
Beatrix, the only one besides me who knew the interior, asked.
"Our role is to confirm the existence of the wall. Beyond this, we must wait for the arrival of Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama... to be precise, Harris. It should take five more days for the two of them to arrive."
Thinking about it, with the current members, we couldn't write the report to be sent to the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church.
"In any case, we're almost out of time. We must return for now. For the time being, let's set up the Simple Teleportation Magic Circle and ask for the two's thoughts."
Since Wilson-san had the Simple Teleportation Magic Circle, we decided to withdraw according to Lewis-san's words. Wilson-san dug a horizontal hole at a distance from the wall, set up the magic circle, and blocked it with hardened earth blocks. In the meantime, Will and Lewis-san attacked the wall with sword and spear, and Beatrix with magic, confirming that it wouldn't budge.
"Probably, this is the right wall. Assuming the monsters inside are the same as before, can we win?"
When Beatrix asked, Wilson-san thought for a moment, hmm.
"Likely, Eleanor-sama would say to do it if we can. How about it? Lewis. If we get the two's permission, shall we try? If it's dangerous, we can just withdraw midway."
Wilson-san was proactive.
"Let's try as much as we can. With Fiona's wall-passing and Jeanne's Sense Living, we can take measures and fight."
When Beatrix said that, Will nodded. The opponents inside the wall were magic beasts caught by the gatekeeper dwarf, both in Nakanohara and on the mountain. Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama should know that. If so, they would surely say to challenge it.
"Jeanne. What do you think?"
The strongest opponent so far was the Fenril. In other words, it would be D-rank or lower. However, the Fenril is an opponent that deploys a powerful magic defense that almost nullifies advanced magic. Moreover, the magic defense of the main body itself is strong.
"Wilson-san, Lewis-san. With our current selves, what rank of enemy can we fight and win against?"
"If the premise is everyone's safe return, then C-rank at most. B would be impossible."
At Wilson-san's immediate answer, Lewis-san also nodded.
"Let's try it."
If we can defeat C-rank, our name as monster exterminators would be disgraced if we backed down from D-rank.
"Alright, it's decided."
Beatrix patted my shoulder.
Once we returned to the secret base, when Wilson-san sent a letter to Eleanor-sama, she said she would send reinforcements, so wait until then.
"Reinforcements... it must be Hughes-sama, right?"
Beatrix asked Wilson-san and Lewis-san. After all, Hughes-sama's name had been listed as a participating member from the start. Despite that, we hadn't met him yet. I think he's already infiltrated the area around the hot spring town, but I don't know what he's doing.
"Probably. However, Hughes is directly subordinate to the King. Even Henry-sama shouldn't be able to give him instructions. He must get permission from the Royal Palace, and it will take time to get here."
At least, there would be no sortie today.
"Then, shall we make some mid-level Holy scrolls? Jeanne, you have some parchment, right?"
"If we're making them simply, ones drawn on boards will do. They're bulky, but we can make them faster that way."
"Are there boards?"
"We can cut wood and make them. I'll use Wind Cutter. Leave it to me."
The talk was settled between Beatrix and Wilson-san, and it was decided to make boards with the Holy magic circle drawn on them.
Late at night, after an exchange of owl cries, as expected, Hughes-sama came.
"Was the King angry?"
Beatrix was asking. Originally, although Henry-sama and the others' intervention was expected, they probably didn't think they would intervene from the start.
"He wasn't angry. Henry-sama and the others' intervention is within Medioland's expectations. Besides, since Henry-sama and the others are taking conspicuous actions wherever they go with Sir Stephens, it's a good blindfold."
Hearing that, the carriage Stephens-san was riding in apparently had Engrio scouts stuck to it. Stephens-san, for his part, went outside with his wife every time they stopped at a station and bought souvenirs, and of course, Henry-sama and the others were beside them. The four of them were apparently making a fuss while shopping.
"How are Harris-sama and Bonnie?"
"Bonnie doesn't leave the carriage except to relieve herself. Harris Bishop is going to the local church greetings."
Does that mean... am I not even greeting the church? Well, since I'm a rogue, I have no reason to greet them, but it might not be very good.
"That's better. If only Jeanne is hidden, the Engrio scouts will be more easily misled."
I see. There's that way of thinking too. When they're lost, they'll likely just watch. It helps us if they just keep watching.
"Also, it's fine to break through the wall, but the instruction is not to touch the secret books."
The reason would be the report. Wilson-san or Lewis-san couldn't make it. If at least Harris-san isn't there, another dispute might break out at the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church.
The dawn of the next day.
After finishing breakfast, we all decided to conquer beyond the wall. After finishing the Vow of Silence facing the portrait of the Goddess that Hughes-sama had brought, we departed.
Teleportation is a grateful thing, and we reached the front of the wall easily without any danger of cave-ins.
"Light!"
When I illuminated the wall, it began to disappear from the bottom. Each of them was pointing a board with a mid-level Holy magic circle drawn on it toward the other side of the wall. Since there were bugs, the gatekeeper should be functioning. if it were a dwarf, it would be easy.
However, I had thought so, but unfortunately, the gatekeeper who came out was not a dwarf.
He wore a long-hemmed robe and had a hood pulled low. He was just like a priest from the Ruined Town.
"No, that's different. He doesn't have the ring of proof."
Wilson-san said that the Revenant priests of the Ruined Town wore rings indicating their status.
"We are those who follow the Light and seek to explore this cave. Who are you!"
When Wilson-san called out, the hooded figure flipped up his hood and showed his face. The face of a man in his sixties appeared. For some reason, he was wearing a full smile.
"Finally, decent challengers have come. I've been waiting."
Decent challengers? What's that?
The old man who came out was the gatekeeper, and he was a Revenant. He had forgotten his own name, he said.
"'Gatekeeper' is fine. Call me that."
He said that and laughed with a kara kara.
"Why is that gatekeeper in a place like this?"
"Because I wanted to remain in this world."
"But isn't it boring?"
"Not really, since there's plenty to do."
Managing the cave was apparently his job, but he leaves cave-ins alone, and I don't know how or why he's busy.
"Research."
"Research?"
"That's right. Research on monsters."
Ho, that's encouraging. Please, tell us all sorts of things.
"You've come this far. You probably know, but there are monsters ahead. I must select those who can defeat them and reach the goal. However, humans are cunning things, you see; they started thinking that if they just rushed in with a large number, it would be fine if even one could reach it. How could such lawlessness be permitted? Generally, a place like this is..."
I don't know what it was, but he started a speech. He was emphasizing that conquest by a small number of excellent people is desirable.
However, the side that's conquering would be desperate too. After all, there are secret books in the back.
"Therefore, I, as the gatekeeper, placed a restriction."
He was acting pompous.
"A restriction?"
Beatrix asked.
"That's right. If there were more than ten people, I caused a cave-in and drove them away."
This guy is the cause!
"Of course. If it's fine as long as you use numbers, then even stupid nobles whose only merit is that their parents have money would be able to come. Such a thing is absolutely not permitted!"
That, I understand. We've gone through our own share of hardships. I nod emphatically.
"Those who stop coming because they fear that level of cave-in don't need to come. And those who can challenge beyond this point are only one person at a time. Only those who have reached the destination on their own can... oops, I can't say beyond this point."
What a spiteful old man. He was saying outrageous things while smirking. Even if it's D-rank, a Fenril is not an opponent that can be defeated alone!
"Hey, how do you place the restriction?"
"I simply don't let them pass. Authority is given to the gatekeeper, you see. No one can pass except those the gatekeeper has recognized."
"Such a thing is possible!"
Alex hadn't said such a thing. Is it the difference between a dwarf and a Revenant?
"If he does it, it'll be Charm. And the man in front of us is an Illusion."
Wilson-san said.
When I looked at the spiteful old man, he was looking away. So he's a fake.
"It's probably some spirit anyway. Why don't you show your true form? Look, I even brought a souvenir."
When Wilson-san brought out a bottle of fine wine, the old man in black disappeared.
"What. So you do know proper etiquette. You should have said so earlier."
In the end, a dwarf came out from the back of the cave.
We stuck Fireflies to the wall for light and sat in a circle.
As for why he had to do such a theatrical thing, the dwarf had his own reasons.
"The entrance here is quite open, right? There are no barriers or anything, and you just have to move the altar, so you can easily come to the front of the wall. That's why there was no end to the sightseers."
At the worst times, they apparently came once a week as a place for priest training.
"Have you guys conquered somewhere?"
We explained that we had conquered Nakanohara Lake and the mountain.
"What happened after that?"
"In Nakanohara, a priest brings a priestess once a month for a visit; on the mountain, basically no one should be going."
After all, the dwarf on the mountain is acting as an ancient language teacher in between mining the iron mountain.
"The territories of Sertoria and Medioland, huh. That's nice; countries that respect the culture of the ancients. Engrio is being run by the lot who came from the continent, right? They basically ignore the island's culture and traditions. They really have no reservations."
He had no choice but to fill the hole by pretending it was a cave-in.
Since then, sightseers have decreased significantly, and what's more, after the source dried up, no one came.
I think that's lonely in its own way, but the dwarf here doesn't mind.
"Listen, we all came from Sertoria. So, it's fine if we don't conquer it alone, right?"
"No. Once it's decided, it can't be changed. You guys have to do it alone too."
"We'll die."
"Is that so? You guys have one ultra-high-level mage Revenant, three who use advanced magic, and the other two seem quite skilled too, don't they? It seems different from scrolls, but you have magic circles too; why don't you give it a try?"
Arguments of "give in" and "won't give in" were exchanged, but one word from the dwarf decided everything.
"It's not like all of you have to go one by one, right? Just the one who has to go should go."
Everyone looked at me.
"Wait a minute. It's impossible, impossible! I'll really die!"
"Either way, you absolutely have to go. Do your best."
"That's right. It's meaningless unless Jeanne goes. Good luck."
Beatrix and Will said to me.
Honestly, honestly, why does it turn out like this!
Fortunately, since the ghost Fiona doesn't count, the strongest scout ended up coming along. However, since I'll be using Light and [Over Flow], she can't participate in combat even if she has a ring that increases magic defense. After she confirms what's beyond the door, she has no choice but to return to the crystal.
I cast Calm to settle my heart. I double-cast Defend, Shield, and Resist. Furthermore, I had Beatrix cast Mute and Camouflage, and I double-cast Magic Reflection. To be extra sure, I borrowed the Lindwurm shield from Will and cast Camouflage and Magic Reflection on it.
"Listen, despite being able to solidify your defense that much, don't complain."
I was complained to by the dwarf. Hughes-sama was laughing. However, for me, I couldn't possibly go alone without doing at least this much. After all, until now I've been a distraction or a decoy. And the only time I was alone in monster extermination was for a short while during the encirclement operation as a practical combat exercise for the white-to-white battle against mice.
"S-Surely, once I break through once, I'll be able to return immediately, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. So hurry up and go. The support magic you cast will run out."
Treated like I was being brushed away like a fly, I still received the cheers of everyone who came from Sertoria and started walking while letting the Firefly for light float above my head.