kscans

Chapter 301 - The Battle for the Fortress and Exploring the Castle

"I feel like I've just seen something I shouldn't have," Myra said with a deep sigh.

We had left the great hall and were now in a corridor. Torches adorned the walls, so we had no worries about light. On either side were staircases leading up and down, and several doors lined the corridor. Considering its length, the building seemed to be as large as it appeared from the outside.

"So, where do we start exploring?"

Mizuki asked, her eyes widening as she looked at me.

"What's wrong? Your face is red again."

"I-it's nothing!"

I quickly covered my face with my arm. It had nothing to do with what Myra said, but ever since Nephi kissed me, I hadn't been able to look her in the face properly. And my head felt fuzzy, as if I had a fever.

"Well, if you're okay... but if you're not feeling well, let me know, okay?"

I gave a vague nod to her words and slapped my cheeks to steel myself.

"Alright, let's focus our search on the first floor and the basement. We're looking for an exit and a shrine. They shouldn't be on the upper floors."

"A shrine?"

"Did you forget why we came to this fortress? The replacement for the Jar of Holy Oil is supposed to be sealed here. I don't know what's happened to it since this place turned into a dungeon, but..."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

Mizuki touched her chin with her fingertips and gave a slight nod. We all started walking and stopped in front of the first door. Famu pressed her ear against it.

"Master, I can hear a woman screaming inside."

"It's fine. I can hear it too."

I figured it was just another Banshee, but I couldn't rule out the possibility that it was someone captured by the Crimson Brigade. With a sigh, I placed my hand on the door.

We finished exploring the first floor after several more battles. From every door we approached, we could hear a scream that could have been either a cry of sorrow or a shriek of terror. Each time, Famu would look at me as if seeking my judgment. At first, her expression was tense, but it gradually turned into one of weary resignation. In response, I couldn't bring myself to say we should just leave it, so we would barge in, and a battle with a Banshee and its entourage would ensue. Each room was of simple construction, with exposed stone blocks and wooden beams. A room that looked like an indoor training ground had a door leading outside, but it wouldn't open. Visually, the door had a solid texture, but touching it only gave the cold sensation of a wall, like touching a fresco. Thanks to this, we managed to get a few Mana Seeds, but the repeated battles were draining our stamina. And since the Banshee had a human-like appearance, somewhere between an old woman and a child, it left a bad taste in my mouth every time we had to kill one. Back in the corridor, we took a breather. I clutched the Mana Seeds we'd collected and offered them to Marmi.

"...Is it okay for me to use these?"

"I'll leave it to you."

As I nodded in reply to her question, I noticed Nephi staring at me.

"Wh-what is it?"

I couldn't help but stammer. Come to think of it, while her skill with the staff was prominent, she was also a mage.

"Can you handle Mana Seeds too, Nephi?"

"No, I'll pass."

She shook her head at my words. Cecily couldn't use them either. It seemed that just being a mage wasn't enough to learn how. You either had to grow up in an environment like Marmi's or learn from someone at a place like a magic academy. Nephi smiled. It was her usual smile, but I couldn't help but overthink what lay behind it. And my cheeks grew hot.

"...Mash?"

Marmi was waiting, her hand outstretched to receive the Mana Seeds. I snapped back to reality and placed them in her palm.

"...So where to next?"

"The basement."

The staircase was also lit. The first-floor corridor had been dim and creepy, and this was no different. But with each step down, a damp, cold air crept up from my feet. We turned at the landing and continued down, a musty smell hitting my nose. We arrived in a long, dim corridor. On both sides, ten statues of knights in plate armor were lined up at equal intervals. They were clad in metal from head to toe. They gleamed with a dull silver light, but some parts seemed rusted, perhaps due to the humidity, giving them an eerie appearance. They held bastard swords in front of their stomachs, pointed toward the ceiling, and were also equipped with large metal shields. At the far end of the corridor lined with statues, I could see something like a stone altar.

"Is that the shrine?"

Mizuki murmured. I gently placed my hand on her lower back and gave her a light push toward the altar.

"Hey! Why are you pushing me?!"

"I think that's the shrine we're looking for, but it's too dark to see clearly, so I want you to go check it out."

"Wait. You have a feeling the armor is going to start moving, don't you? Why are you trying to send me alone?"

"You have your special skill, Mizuki. You'll probably be fine."

"What do you mean, 'probably'?"

I put more force into my push, but Mizuki dug her heels in and refused to go any further. I looked to the other members to see if there were any brave souls among them, but no one made a move. With a sigh, I prepared to go myself, checking my weapon.

"Master, I will go," Famu said, stepping forward.

"No, if it means sending you, Famu, then I'd rather go myself."

"Hey, why is your answer different from when it was me?!"

Mizuki retorted, but I'd be in trouble if Famu got hurt, and I figured Mizuki would be fine, so it couldn't be helped. I drew my sword and prepared for battle. Famu stood in my way.

"Master. I insist, I will go!"

With that, she dashed toward the altar before I could stop her. The sound of her footsteps echoed on the stone tiles. After she passed, just as I'd expected, the rusted metal scraped with an unpleasant sound, and the suits of armor began to move.

"Kuh, so they did move!"

Perhaps it would have been better to advance slowly, taking down the animated suits of armor as we went. I thought as I readied my sword. It was then that a tremendous roar echoed, a flash of lightning ran through the air, and my vision was painted pure white.

The smell of burnt metal hit my nose as my vision returned. There stood Marmi, holding her wand.

"Did you use a Mana Seed to cast that lightning?"

Marmi gave a small nod. The lightning was several times more powerful than usual. All but a few of the animated plate armor knights had been vaporized. The surviving monsters raised their swords and were about to close in on Famu. Mizuki, Myra, and Nephi rushed to support her. Another flash of lightning shot through the gap between them. The bolt struck one of them, and its armor peeled off, revealing a hollow inside. Then, the monster vanished. Famu and the others were now attacking the remaining two monsters. It was four against one. And the monsters' movements were heavy and slow. They wouldn't need magical support, and the cleanup would be over soon.

I poked Marmi on the head.

"You and Famu planned this, didn't you? You should have told me beforehand."

"...Because you've been weird today, or at least, right now, Mash!"

As I listened to her, one of the monsters vanished. It seemed Mizuki's special skill had activated.

"You think so too?"

"...I want to cast that kind of spell on you too, Mash."

"A spell?"

Marmi nodded.

"...Well, it's not really a spell."

Marmi, still holding her wand, started walking down the corridor. The four of them had surrounded the one remaining monster. Famu slashed at it, but her blow was deflected by the thick armor with a dull metallic clang. The monster, having forgone defense, swung its sword down. Famu twisted her body to dodge the blow and spun around, swinging her sword. A high-pitched metallic sound rang out, and the monster's helmet was sent flying. The inside of the plate armor was visible, and as expected, it was hollow. The knight of armor staggered as if to chase after its own head. Nephi thrust her staff into the empty space. The monster's movements slowed, and it collapsed. As its body vanished, sand poured out from within.

"Did you use Earth Magic to fill its body with sand...?"

"Yeah. I was just trying to stop it from moving," Nephi answered with a nod as I approached.

I didn't quite understand the principle by which the knight of armor moved, but then again, I didn't really understand the concept of magic either. And for some reason, I found her incredibly cool. I avoided her gaze and looked around. We had defeated all the knights of armor, and there was no sign of new monsters appearing. I turned my eyes to the altar.

On a stone foundation, golden candlesticks were arranged in a circle. The candles in them were unlit, making the area feel dark. Come to think of it, the lights in the corridor had stopped midway, and only a faint light reached the altar. In the center of the altar was a pedestal, raised a step higher, on which sat a golden jar. It was a plain jar with a thick body and a narrow mouth, about fifty centimeters tall. It was too big to carry around easily, but not excessively so.

"Is this the Jar of Holy Oil?"

Myra asked, coming to stand beside me and looking at it intently. The jar was covered in intricate patterns carved with fine grooves. It looked like a pattern, but also like text, though I couldn't read it. Myra brought her face closer, trying to decipher it, but eventually gave up and shook her head.

"It looks like writing, but it's too dark to see clearly."

"Blaming the darkness for not being able to read is the first sign of old age, you know?"

I meant it as a simple joke, but Myra puffed out her cheeks.

"H-how rude! I'm still young! Are you saying you can read it, Mash?"

"I can't even tell if this is writing in the first place."

As we bickered, a wand with a small flame lit at its tip was extended between us. Marmi began to light the candles one by one. When she had lit all six, the jar reflected the flames, its dull gleam transforming into a golden sparkle. But nothing else happened.

"There doesn't seem to be any writing like what was on the stone monuments in Famu's village or Lily's Village," Mizuki said, walking around the altar and observing it, but she didn't seem to find anything. I wanted to pick up the jar, but I was afraid of traps. The whole thing was gold, but it could just be plated. I also wanted to avoid a situation where I'd poke it from afar, it would break, and something unknown would spill out, like in the myths. As I was thinking, I noticed the floor at my feet was illuminated by a golden light. The golden jar was reflecting the candlelight, drawing a magic circle around the altar.

"Watch out! It's a trap!"

My shout was drowned out as the scenery around us distorted. When I came to, I was standing in an unfamiliar place.