Chapter 649 - Chapter 3: The Demon Lord's Temple
It's been a while since I was at the Demon Lord's Temple.
Quite some time has passed since the Demon Lord's subjugation, but it was just as it was then. I jumped with the Henry Party, including Harold-sama, to the first floor of the tower connected to the third floor via [Teleport], and I could see the temple where the wall on this side was missing. It was exactly as it was when we defeated the Demon Lord. Incidentally, since this is Demon Lord-related, Fiona is also participating this time.
"We will have Jeanne erase this palace with her [Light] as she did back then, and then we will try digging up the exposed ground. Something might come out."
Eleanor-sama said, but is it really that simple?
"It was originally my idea. I'm sure we'll find something."
Will said proudly, but in a sense, she's the most precarious.
"Where is the basis for that confidence?"
"I don't have any confidence."
Hey! Don't blame me if you dig on your own and get cursed!
"Think about it. When you think of the Demon Lord, it's here. Then we have no choice but to investigate here."
"So that's why we're digging?"
"That's right. Other than that, what else can we do?"
Come to think of it, that might be true.
"That's why we're digging. Since there's no other way, that should be fine."
I see. So there's no room for hesitation.
Even though there's no other way, it's not like we can just erase it and dig. First, we need to investigate the temple itself. It's probably made with [Build]. Maybe we can find where the magic circles are drawn. The temple itself is simple, with only three rooms lined up horizontally behind the hall where the throne is. The rooms are lined up horizontally as seen from the front. There is one door at each of the left and right corners behind the throne, leading to the right and left rooms. The middle room can be reached from the doors of the left and right rooms. In other words, they are in a straight line. In the middle room, which looks like it would have something, there was nothing. I thought there would at least be an altar.
Of course, it's not like we haven't done anything until now. Wilson-san and Eleanor-sama have investigated in various ways until now, but they found nothing. Anyway, because the temple itself is made with powerful magic, there's a mana reaction no matter where they search, and even if they had done something with magic, they couldn't tell.
"Here, I would like Jeanne to use [Sense Living]."
Since there was a request from Eleanor-sama, I actually tried it. There are four rooms including the throne room. When I placed people in each room and chanted it, I couldn't see anything at all. This is the same as the walls of the secret book cave. I heard that this temple cannot be destroyed. That point is also the same as the walls.
Wait? Hold on a second.
"Um, could you dig a hole along the outer wall?"
"Eh? Yes, I don't mind. Is there something bothering you?"
"Yes. It's just a trial. I'll illuminate it with [Light] just there."
"Won't the whole thing disappear?"
"That's also for confirmation."
"I see. I understand."
When we actually tried it, there was no change at all.
"That's unexpected."
"I think it's because it's [Light]."
"What do you mean?"
"What if it were [Dark]?"
"[Dark]... in other words, this is..."
She seems to have realized. Eleanor-sama should know the talk about [Lock], [Make], and [Build]. I haven't told her, but Price-sama and Harris-sama were also there. It must have been included in the report. If a person with the dark attribute uses it, it can be erased with [Light] of the holy attribute. And if a person with the holy attribute uses it, it can be erased with [Dark] of the dark attribute.
"Yes. I think it's the holy attribute."
When I erased the temple with [Light] as told by the Demon Lord, there was no change in the ground. In other words, it cannot be erased with [Light]. Nevertheless, it cannot be damaged by magic or weapons. In other words, it must be protected by [Dark]. The fact that collapses always occur when digging around it is also because some parts that were made easy to collapse are protected by [Dark] so that they don't collapse.
"In other words, the Demon Lord..."
"Yes, couldn't he use both? Or maybe there's someone with the holy attribute among his subordinates."
The Wetlands Priestess could use dark magic when she was alive. So could the Ancient Priestess who lived in Primordia. In an era when mana was not as thin as it is now, and especially in an era of great upheaval. Humans used both dark and holy depending on the individual. The Queen of the Demon Realm didn't say that holy and dark are divided by race. It just happened that the Queen was dark and I was holy. If magic is bestowed by the Goddess, the Goddess wouldn't have made a distinction between holy and dark. Probably, there's just a certain tendency depending on the individual... or rather, the race.
"In other words, it wouldn't be strange if there were those among the Demon Race who use holy magic."
"Yes. Although, it probably wouldn't be very convenient to use."
At most, it would only be effective for diversion. It might be for blinding. It's extremely effective against Revenants, but while it seems to give a certain intensity of pain to ordinary monsters, it cannot give as much damage as attribute magic. It only makes the rats' hair fall out. Surely, it wasn't originally a magic for plucking the hair of caught prey, was it?
That said, just saying it is meaningless. We won't know the truth unless we actually illuminate it with [Dark]. Fortunately, I know several [Dark] users. However, since there's a possibility of using [Light] at full power, I can't ask those three on that side... Wilson-san, the Lich who is a monster researcher. The female demon is out of the question. After that, there's the Wetlands Priestess and Lyudmila, but Lyudmila, who can settle it without involving other countries, is appropriate. In Sertoria, forbidden magic is not prohibited by law. Since there are no priests belonging to the Church, there is no one to stop her. I am a priest, so it's delicate, but since I'm wild, at least I have no obligation.
"I see."
Eleanor-sama's movement after saying that one word was fast.
The investigation for that day was immediately canceled. We went to pick up Lyudmila, who was busy looking after the wheat and turnips, at dusk when the farm work was over. After having a luxurious meal in the guest room of the Royal Palace, and after I cast [Refresh] and [Hand Over] to make her energetic, we decided to head to the Demon Lord's Cave at a good time at night and have her specially release [Dark]. The reward is ten gold coins per shot, which is very generous. Of course, it also includes hush money. Incidentally, Harold-sama finally found out what was going on here. As a result, Harold-sama, who looked happy when he made the Vow of Silence, became displeased when he found out he was excluded from the Ritual of Succession.
"Harold, that Lyudmila can use [Dark] is an absolute secret from the Church... especially Price. Catherine and those here now know it as an exception, but please try not to talk about this. I'm counting on you."
Actually, the Paratroop Jaegers have also been sent far away. If the existence of the ultra-secret weapon Lyudmila were to be made public, there's a possibility that the Sertorian Royal Family would be treated as apostates and excommunicated. Eleanor-sama's tone inevitably becomes extremely serious.
"What? I see, I understand. I won't speak of it even if my mouth is torn. Especially to that guy."
He immediately cheered up and looks happy. He's quite simple. Eleanor-sama, you should stop doing the fist pump too.
The hole has already been dug. Since we dug a fairly large hole along the wall of the temple, we went down in Wilson-san's bowl.
"Well then, I'll try it."
"Don't you need to practice?"
"Ehehe."
In other words, she's been doing it on her own.
"[Dark]!"
Hey, Lyudmila. Even if you've become ultra-high-level, and even if there are no grades for [Dark], it'll be found out that you've practiced many times if you do it without an incantation.
Lyudmila produced a ball with black mist on her palm. It looked like a [Fire Ball] of a different color. When she sent it flying and hit the dirt wall of the temple basement, the dirt where it hit disappeared.
"It's continuing to go further in."
It seems she's digging further and further. The hole is, of course, dark. I can't see how far the black ball there is flying.
"Ah, it broke through!"
I saw light at the back of the hole. The distance was about five or six steps. If it were about the same as a city wall, it could be said to be the foundation of the temple.
"Lyudmila. Can you make it a surface instead of a ball?"
"Yes."
She seems to be able to respond to Eleanor-sama's request without difficulty. She must have practiced considerably.
When she canceled it, the hole slowly filled up. No, to be precise, the place where there was nothing became slightly brown, and then the color became darker and returned to normal. Returning to normal is the same feeling as the wall erased with [Light] returning to normal.
"[Dark]!"
This time, she produced a circular plate like a [Wind Barrier]. The diameter was about twice the height of an average adult male. She moved it as it was. The speed was much slower than the ball. It was like a normal [Wind Barrier] or my wall of [Light].
When that plate hit the dirt wall, the part it touched also disappeared. It proceeded while making a large hole. Even though it's the same erasing, it's quite different from [Light]. In the case of [Light], when the whole thing was illuminated continuously, the whole thing slowly became thinner. Here, the part it hit immediately disappeared.
"Ah, it broke through after all."
Light can be seen beyond the large hole. The [Dark] plate is stopped a little beyond where it broke through.
With this, a clue has been found. It was decided to cancel for now, disperse, and reassemble on Lyudmila's day off.
Four days later, we had Lyudmila open the hole again.
"Jeanne, [Sense Living]."
"Yes."
I chanted it, but there was no particular reaction.
"Lyudmila, please shift the plate slightly. Jeanne, please cast [Sight] on everyone. Henry, aim for the gap Lyudmila made and fire a fire arrow."
Eleanor-sama, who produced a [Fire Ball] for ignition on her palm, fired off instructions one after another. We scrambled to prepare as if pushed by her momentum. While Bonnie was preparing the fire arrow, I cast [Sight]. Harold-sama also took out something like a spool from his bag and started something with Will.
"Well then, I'm firing."
When Henry-sama fired a fire arrow with a "Hyun," it flew beyond the hole. I thought I could see it because it was on fire, but it disappeared.
"It looked like it flew beyond mist or haze."
It was as Harold-sama said; it didn't disappear suddenly.
"But it's strange. If you fire a fire arrow into mist, the surrounding mist should be illuminated by the flame. However, it didn't look like that. it just became thinner."
As expected of a scout. To have seen that much in the short time the fire arrow was flying.
"Henry, next fly this."
Harold-sama said, and what Will held out was an arrow with a string attached.
"I attached a white silver thread. It won't break easily."
That's wonderful. As expected of a former hero and a great noble. I didn't have such an idea. Next time, if I have money... no, I can't buy such an expensive thing. I'll stick to a normal rope.
However, Harold-sama's expensive white silver thread broke midway. The white silver thread did. The tip disappeared along with the arrow. I imagined the opposite side from the white mist, but it wasn't so. If we had rushed in carelessly, we might have died.
"Is it [Teleport]?"
Harold-sama, who pulled back the dangling thread and looked at the broken tip, muttered.
"I don't know. I couldn't sense any activation. Wilson, did you find out anything?"
"That mist is mist made with mana. Even if magic was activated, we wouldn't be able to detect it."
Then what we should do is decided.
"Lyudmila, please use [Dark] again in this state. A disk. The size can be smaller than the previous one. If [Dark] doesn't work, let's try with a wall of [Light]."
Just as I thought. Probably, Eleanor-sama is thinking the same thing as me.
"Is it the Earth Dragon's door? Is it being hidden by mist like the opposite side?"
"Does Jeanne think so too?"
"Yes. If I consider everything I've experienced so far together, that's what it becomes."
"Please explain simply."
"Ah, yes."
The explanation is probably for Harold-sama, who has a puzzled face. Harold-sama was not involved at all with the spirits until now. Depending on the situation, it could be a matter of life or death. It's better for everyone to share information.
Dune and Mel, who cannot use [Teleport], made a barrier with mist. What is a barrier in the first place? It's something that distinguishes between the inside and outside of a barrier. If you draw a circle, a barrier is created just by that. This is because the inside and outside are separated by the circle. And the partitioned spaces are basically not continuous. If a monster like the Headmistress draws a circle while muttering, a barrier that doesn't let low-level monsters in at all is created. And if the Headmistress erases a part of the circle, the barrier can be canceled. If Dune or Mel makes it, a mist barrier that can be canceled with a wall of [Light] or the [Hand-holding Song] is created. If Gnome, who can use [Teleport] freely, makes it, a barrier where the intruder's location changes before they know it is created. The barrier of the door made by the Earth Dragon, who couldn't use [Teleport] that much, couldn't connect spaces far apart well. Then, what if the Demon Lord made it? A barrier that can be canceled with [Dark] or [Light] might be created. In fact, the temple could be canceled with [Light], and the dirt wall could be canceled with [Dark]. If so, the mist barrier spreading beyond the dirt wall should be erasable with [Dark] or [Light]. In other words, if we erase the barrier connected with power about the same as the Earth Dragon's with [Dark] or [Light], we might be able to go beyond it.
"As expected of Catherine's student. Harold, what do you think?"
"Sorry. My son hasn't seen things this far."
"It's okay. Our children are about the same."
It's gratifying to be praised, but I think it's clearly just a difference in experience. In a sense, my experience is special. Well, I have to admit that the Headmistress is strange.
The disk Lyudmila released disappeared into the mist. Since she said she lost the feel of it midway, it must have been jumped somewhere. If so, it's [Light]. Perhaps because the disk disappeared, the hole in the dirt wall was closing, so she opened the hole again. This time, she moved it closer so it wouldn't disappear in the mist. Strangely, as long as she didn't cancel it, the hole didn't disappear even if she moved it outside. This part is also different from [Light].
I made a hemisphere with the same diameter as the disk Lyudmila made. When I advanced it through the hole in the dirt wall while illuminating it at full power, a clean hollow was made in the mist. As a trial, when Harold-sama threw a pebble from the leather bag hanging at his waist, it hit the floor of the hole made in the wall with a clatter and rolled.
"Hmm. It seems there's no problem up to there. I'll go for a bit."
After saying that, he jumped down from the bowl before he could be stopped, landed in the hole in the dirt wall, and went up to the hemisphere of [Light].
"Come, I've found out!"
He turned around and beckoned.
We have no choice but to go. Wilson-san transformed the bowl into a plate, moved it forward, and went right up to Harold-sama.
"It's the sky."
The hole made in the mist was connected to the middle of the sky.
"Look, can you see that?"
Harold-sama, who was crouching at the edge of the dirt wall and leaning half his body into the hemisphere, pointed down.
"That is..."
Eleanor-sama was stunned. It was the first time I saw such an expression. I also peeked out while being pulled from behind by Bonnie.
I could see a forest. Beyond that was a mountain range. The peaks of the mountain range were covered in perennial snow.
"Could those mountains be the Central Mountain Range? And that is the Demon Lord's Cave..."
We were looking down at the entrance of the Demon Lord's Cave from above the sky.