Chapter 717 - Chapter Sixteen: Testament Exploration Part 2
This time, Sianya had brought ten stones of the Knight Order. This time, since Erikson-sama was here, she brought only the best soldiers from a thousand years ago, including the commander.
"To receive an audience with the Grand Archbishop like this, and moreover to be granted the protection of your person, is an honor beyond words. Although our Knight Order's primary duty is the protection of Sianya-sama, since Sianya-sama has ordered us to protect your person as well, we shall protect you with all our souls. Please rest your heart, Grand Archbishop."
"I-is that so. My apologies then."
Surrounded by ten ghost knights on one knee, Sianya and I are also there. On the contrary, Erikson-sama is the one surprised.
The Wetlands Knight Order also seems to have had their equipment renewed by the Primordian King, as they have quite a magnificent appearance. You can tell at a glance they are wearing brand new steel armor and helmets. They are also equipped with brand new weapons. The crest of the Western Church is drawn on the shields and surcoats. Some are flashing 'bika-bika' with excitement, perhaps because they are in the presence of the Grand Archbishop.
If it's like this, I thought there was no need for Erikson-sama to go, but he wouldn't listen. He chose three ghost knights including the commander and got on the magic circle.
"Well then, I'm off."
Erikson-sama, holding the stones of the three knights, raised one hand.
"Take care."
Perhaps because everyone is seeing him off, he looks strangely proud.
"Let us go, to the path of the release of Testament. Testament!"
I don't know who thought of it, but Erikson-sama, who chanted the cliché password, disappeared as the field of vision distorted slightly.
After waiting for about half an hour, Erikson-sama and one knight returned.
"How was it?"
"It seems there's no problem. It was like a very ordinary underground passage."
When Eleanor-sama asked, he answered lightheartedly. It really seems there's no problem.
"There was a paired magic circle on the other side. Just as Eleanor-dono expected. Now, the commander and two knights are securing safety. Let's all go."
As expected. It's a heavy-weight version of the simple magic circle that doesn't specify the location. No, to be precise, this is likely the original Teleport.
If so, all fourteen of us get on at once. If it's as expected, everyone should be able to move.
Since the ghosts will glow, we probably won't need lights.
The place we jumped to was indeed an underground passage. It's made of stone. The width is enough for two people to walk side by side. The ceiling is unexpectedly high, about one and a half stories. We jumped to a place that was slightly wider than the passage, at the tip of that underground passage.
Immediately, I chant Sense Living. No reaction at all. Not even mice or slugs seem to be there.
"There's no reaction at all."
"Then, shall we go ahead?"
The Wetlands Knight Order volunteered to be the vanguard. Strongest. Harold-sama, who was about to call out to us, also remained silent.
"Sianya-dono, is it alright?"
Henry-sama confirmed, and since he got approval, five Wetlands Knight Order members go ahead. The commander and the remaining four formed a circle around Sianya and Erikson-sama.
"Hey, why don't we merge while we're at it?"
At this point. I call out to Sianya, and we each merge. Sianya with the Wetlands Priestess. I with Fiona.
"Umu. Then, Wilson. Shall we stick together?"
There's someone using a slightly different way of calling out, but the appearance is quite magnificent. Centered around Wilson-san, they began to illuminate the surroundings brightly with a bluish-white light.
"Th-this is... magnificent."
"This is also quite something. You don't see such spiritual pressure often."
"Ah, it's not inferior to the two who live on our border."
"With this much spiritual pressure, most magic probably won't work, will it?"
The four princes are watching with admiration.
Wilson-san is a Revenant, so his magic defense is already high. In addition, there's Erikson-sama's spiritual pressure. Isn't he really invincible in a magic battle?
As we proceeded slowly through the bluish-white light of Erikson-sama, the five ghosts who had gone ahead returned.
"There are magic beasts in the hall ahead. Cerberus. The number is dozens. Moreover, they are Revenants."
That's quite something. For a skirmish, isn't the number too many?
The distance is apparently about a hundred steps. The knights say they will fight if they have orders, but holy magic would be faster. I think they all returned because they know that.
"Since not even a growl can be heard, they are likely ordered to repel those who enter the hall. Let us priests work hard for once."
It's Harrison-san. He rolls up his sleeves and readies his staff. No matter how you look at it, he only looks like a warrior like Matilda.
"What is beyond the hall?"
Price-sama asked.
"It looks like a dead end at first glance, but there are several hidden passages. There must be some kind of mechanism."
"Then, first, let's send those Cerberus to heaven."
What we do is simple. Only the priests ride in a medium-sized bowl with a hole and fly. Since the hole is covered with a wall of Light, they won't be easily defeated. On the contrary, it must be painful, because they are running around. We chased them around, and Price-sama, Harrison-san, and Sianya fired Purification and turned them all into soil. We move and our defense is perfect. The other side fired fireballs while barking, but we blocked them all. If anything, the cheers of Erikson-sama and the Priestess were louder than the Cerberus.
When I swung the lantern around to let the waiting allies know, the followers flew over in Eleanor-sama's bowl.
Next, exploration of the hidden passages. It's divided into three directions from the Cerberus hall. One passage is connected to each wall, including the one we entered from. Here too, the ghosts were active and scouted through the walls, but there was a problem.
"There's a Stone Golem in every passage. A little past the corner. In other words, you can't attack unless you get close."
The commander explained the gathered information to everyone while letting out a sigh. If the opponent is a mass of stone strengthened by magic, the steel swords held by the knights probably won't work. Humans have to work hard.
However, they will likely attack as soon as we turn the corner. Extremely dangerous. Prominence would be one shot, but if magic is fired at close range, we'll also be damaged. Not an easy opponent.
"What are the opponent's weapons?"
"Silver longswords."
When Roberts-sama asked, a terrifying answer came back. If we don't stop its movement in one shot, we'll take a terrible counterattack. We can't block it because it's incredibly strong. Our heads might be sent flying along with the blade we used to block.
Is there no choice but to illuminate with Fireflies to dazzle it and create an opening...
"Then, it's my turn. I'll use Dark."
The Priestess said with Sianya's voice. I wonder if there's a chance of winning with Dark?
"Well then, here I go! Dark!"
The black mist proceeds. Since she told me to illuminate, I had Eleanor-sama fly one Firefly to illuminate. The Priestess also became ultra-high-level. Until now, the place illuminated had become thin, but it's pitch black. It means magical power that can't be countered by a single Firefly is being used.
The mist proceeded slowly. And when it reached the back of the passage, it stayed there. Apparently, the tip is toward the Golem.
"Yossha! Uryaa!"
With a shout, the Priestess clenched both palms she had thrust out all at once. As she was, as if crushing something she was holding, she crossed both arms in front of her chest. She must be putting in quite a lot of effort, because she's flashing 'bika-bika'.
The mist all went toward the Golem and became invisible.
"Nnnnnn!"
She seems to be putting in quite a lot of effort, because her face turned bluish-black.
"A-are you okay?"
"Don't talk to me now!"
"S-sorry."
What on earth is she concentrating on?
While I was watching, wondering what would happen. The Priestess, while huffing and puffing, finally opened both arms slowly. However, she is thrusting them out in front of her chest as if firing magic.
"It's okay now."
She's smiling while sweating on her forehead.
Sianya is wiping her forehead with a handkerchief as if she knew this would happen.
"Good job."
"Thank you, Sianya."
"Then, shall we ask everyone now?"
"Right. Those with silver weapons, go. I'm stopping the Golem's movement, so stab the chest or gouge it to make a big scratch on the magic stone. Then, you can dismantle it."
While looking suspicious, Gwyn-sama, who drew his silver sword, was the first to run out. Next, Harold-sama and Bonnie followed in order.
Gwyn-sama at the lead, at the same time as approaching, gradually slowed his pace, and finally walked sideways with his back stuck to the wall. And he jumped out all at once in the direction where the Golem was thought to be. At that time, he was already readying his sword.
Gwyn-sama's movement stopped, and then Harold-sama and Bonnie jumped out and stood on Gwyn-sama's left and right.
The three of them started laughing. As they were, when Gwyn-sama thrust out his sword, a sound like a stone wall collapsing was heard. Harold-sama raised his hand and signaled to us.
"It's okay now. It was a magnificent magic."
When we all went over, stones and such thought to be the materials of the Golem were rolling around. A magic stone is stuck on the tip of the sword Gwyn-sama holds.
Apparently, the Golem was hardened by the mist while exposing its weak point, the chest.
"It was just like this."
Gwyn-sama took a posture of standing at attention. The Priestess must have hardened it. It was apparently as if it was trapped inside pitch-black ice. Only the chest part was visible.
"Golems are muscle-brained, so if you harden the mist and stop their movement, it's easy."
The Priestess says proudly. Unlike light, mist seems to cling to objects. It's a feat possible because it can cover completely.
"Dark magic is amazing, isn't it?"
It seems like it could catch and restrain anything.
"What are you saying. Originally, it's an application of Jeanne's light walls and swords. When I was alive, I never even thought of it."
Come to think of it, did I teach her?
The Priestess held out two more times and defeated the remaining two Golems. While defeating the others, the knights who went ahead to scout as they were defeated found that all three were connected in one place. The place where the Golem was is like a place between a corner and a corner, but from there, it turns several times 'kaku-kaku' and is connected by a four-way intersection. Since there are four, there is a passage not connected to the Cerberus room. There was a Golem there too, and the Priestess defeated it with her fourth effort. Even if one Golem was defeated, you'd bump into another. Quite thorough.
And beyond the fourth Golem, there was a slightly wide room. However, that room had no exit. Even when the ghosts and scouts investigated, there was nothing.
"This is difficult, isn't it?"
For some reason, Harold-sama's voice is bouncy. By any chance, is he happy?
"Now then, where is the escape route. Or was it wrong from the start?"
If it's wrong from the start, does the magic circle Erikson-sama was protecting itself become a trap?
"There should be one more place with a Golem."
According to Erikson-sama, four is strange, and five is correct.
"A Golem is, so to speak, a gatekeeper protecting holy magic. There's no way there are four gatekeepers."
"Then, there is one more somewhere, isn't there?"
"Umu. It should be so."
Harold-sama looks at Price-sama. Price-sama said 'I see' in one word.
"Then, we must search for it."
Seeing Price-sama's reaction, Harold-sama also seemed convinced.
Since Bonnie is drawing a map, we all look at it. The bluish-white light of the ghosts at such times is really convenient.
We look for one point of a pentagon from the locations of the Golems already defeated. A point near a point extended perpendicularly from the passage is exactly that.
"Here, huh. Was there anything unusual?"
Harold-sama, who is asking, and of course the ghosts, have passed through. There shouldn't have been a place that could be passed through.
"Ah, I see. There was a wall illuminated by Light somewhere."
I remembered. The ghosts were active in the silver mine of Regnentes too, but they couldn't pass through a wall that wouldn't disappear unless it was Light.
"Hmm. Did the four Golems serve as a blind?"
Harold-sama is happy, saying 'you're quite good'. A mysterious person.
We actually go to the place thought to be the fifth location.
We arrived, but the Golem might attack as soon as the wall disappears. It takes a little time to harden with Dark. The opponent is a mass of stone with high magic defense. Magic would need to be ultra-high-level, but it's too narrow and we'll also be damaged.
"Then, we have no choice but to fight."
Roberts-sama swung his spear once. Thinking it was narrow in the passage, he handed the spear to Eleanor-sama and drew the sword at his waist. Silver.
"Finally, it's our turn as warriors. Edward, let's do it."
"Oh!"
Eowyn-sama drew the greatsword on his back, and Edward-sama responded to it. Henry-sama offered to hold Edward-sama's spear, which he had already defeated several with.
They intend to let the next generation do it.
In any case, I have to illuminate with Light at full power. Against the place thought to be the disappearing wall, I stood in front, and Gwyn-sama and Eowyn-sama crouched in front of me. Roberts-sama stood on the front right, and Edward-sama stood on the front left. The knights were put into the stones just in case, and Wilson-san is a little away, stuck with Erikson-sama. The other people are in front of them.
"Well then, here I go. Light!"
I fire it in a hemispherical shape centered on the front.
Bullseye. The wall in front starts to disappear from the bottom.
A muffled voice like a Golem's can be heard.
"It's there, in front."
Gwyn-sama's voice, crawling on the floor, can be heard. A hit.
The wall gradually disappears from the bottom. In a crawling state, an effective attack cannot be delivered. The warriors all took low postures as if about to take a knee, and readied their swords.
It was when it disappeared up to about knee height.
"Usshyaa! Jeanne, I'm counting on you! Dark!"
The Priestess, sitting cross-legged in front of the wall, chants Dark. She intends to harden at least the feet to stop the opponent's movement. In the meantime, I adjust the Light so that the wall disappears up to below the knee.
The Priestess is holding out. The Golem is long-bodied and short-legged. Moreover, it's thick. In a narrow passage, its movements are limited. The four warriors said they could manage somehow if they just stopped the feet.
"Nnnnnnn, ei! Somehow."
The Priestess is holding out.
"Alright, I'm going first."
The nimble Gwyn-sama enters inside as if rolling in.
"I've taken the rear!"
He seems to have dodged the Golem's sluggish movement and held its back.
A loud sound 'dokan' is heard. The Golem apparently jumped while trying to change direction.
"You! Be quiet! Now, there!"
When the Priestess swung both hands horizontally, a particularly loud sound was heard. She apparently tripped it at the moment it jumped, making it lose its balance and hitting it against the wall.
The sounds 'gakin-gakin' are probably Gwyn-sama slashing. Next, Eowyn-sama jumped in. From here on, it's just disappearing the wall. Roberts-sama and Edward-sama are ready.
And when the back of the Golem, which was lying sideways and slashing at the two in the back, was visible, the two large men jumped in with a roar.