Chapter 78

It was the day we had agreed upon, so I took Grace and Ashley with me to the royal castle of Theorem. Sheila and Ilmehilt had declined to come, probably because they didn't want to be in public places too much.

"We have been waiting for you."

As I stepped out of the carriage, I was greeted respectfully by the castle's servants. Just like the last time I came, I entered the king's tower on a floating stone. I was led through a waiting room just before the audience chamber and through a side door.

The spacious corridors were adorned with tasteful decorations and furnishings. They were likely expensive, but compared to the corridors leading to the audience chamber, they were more subdued and placed only at key points.

If they wanted to, they could have made the decorations more lavish, but it was probably due to King Melvin's personality. It might also be because this was a living space for the royal family, not a place to welcome visitors.

As we walked down a large corridor that circled the outer perimeter of the tower, the view suddenly opened up. The outer wall of the tower had been removed to create a balcony from which the night sky and the city could be seen.

Despite being on a high floor, the balcony was filled with colorful flowers, making it look like an aerial garden. It was probably a place for the royal family to enjoy the scenery and the plants.

"I didn't expect such a place to be inside the tower."

"Amazing view, isn't it?"

"The moon is in that position—Is that the East District?"

Grace and Ashley also seemed impressed.

"Maintaining the garden must be quite a task."

"The gardeners say it's fine because there are no monsters mixed in,"

the servant said with a hint of a joke. Well... Indeed, even Evilweed probably wouldn't come here.

"Please wait in this room."

Just past the balcony was a room that seemed to be a dining room. Knives and forks were laid out on the table. We were told to take our assigned seats and wait.

It was spacious, but it felt more like a private dinner. There was no grandeur to show off the royal family's power. The furnishings were modest.

King Melvin soon arrived with his attendants. The queen and other princes and princesses were not with him. The ones who came with him were the head of the knights, Mildred, and an elderly magician. I didn't know who the magician was, but he was probably on par with Mildred in terms of skill. They were certainly here to talk about the labyrinth.

When King Melvin saw us, he smiled.

"Oh, Theodor. Right on time."

"Your Majesty, thank you for inviting us—"

I tried to greet him, but King Melvin stopped me with a smile and a wave of his hand.

"No, no, that's fine. Formalities are for public places. Feel more at ease."

His smile had a friendly air, somewhat like Alfred. This was probably King Melvin's true self. It seemed the resemblance between father and son was more than just physical.

"Understood."

I nodded, and King Melvin and his party took their seats at the table.

"You've met Mildred before. This is the court magician, Richard."

"Nice to meet you."

"Yes, you're the boy who mastered the flying spell. Impressive indeed."

Court magician Richard. According to Prince Albert, he had managed to reproduce the flying spell but ended up vomiting from dizziness. I'll try not to bring that up.

The food was soon served. The main dishes were meat-based, but they were elaborately prepared both in appearance and cooking method. The sauces were colorful, and each one had a rich and complex flavor. I couldn't even imagine what they were doing just by looking, but Grace was analyzing each bite with a serious expression, so she might be trying to incorporate some of the techniques.

Artisanal sweets and candy sculptures were also brought in, making the table quite lively.

"Hmm. You can eat as you are, but listen. I have some good news and some matters to discuss, but let's get the difficult ones out of the way first."

After enjoying the food for a while, King Melvin said this.

"Is it about the labyrinth's seal?"

"Yes. After deciphering the ancient documents stored in the castle... It seems the Moonlight Temple houses something taken from the demons after a victory in battle."

"From the demons?"

"I'm not sure what it is, but from their attempts to reclaim it, it's probably not something we want in their hands."

That's true. It's unlikely to be anything good. The possibility that it could lead to a massive monster outbreak in the future... Well, that's just my speculation, and I have no concrete evidence.

"Do you know about the labyrinth's properties? It's the principle that similar things gather in the same place. The Moonlight Temple is the same."

I see. So, the Moonlight Temple was artificially created using the labyrinth's properties. It was formed by gathering the prayers from the upper levels of the labyrinth to create a sacred layer.

"There was a way to use the labyrinth in the past, it seems."

For example, the castle of Theorem might have gone through a similar process.

"Yes, you catch on quickly. Just like the castle and the temple have their own barriers, the entrance to the Moonlight Temple itself is protected by multiple layers of barriers. These barriers are maintained by the jewels stored in the Four Elemental Spirit Halls, which are behind the labyrinth's seal door."

"The Four Elemental Spirits, earth, water, fire, and wind, right?"

"Yes."

So, there are probably three more seal doors inside the labyrinth, similar to the one I found. I had already suspected this, given that Chester was still exploring the Great Rotting Lake.

But what I don't understand is—why are they searching for the seal themselves when it's so heavily guarded? The demons might find a way to secretly enter the Moonlight Temple, but the human side doesn't know that. It seems unnecessary to risk information leaks by searching for it.

King Melvin answered my question.

"The barriers of the Moonlight Temple, maintained by the jewels, will eventually weaken, according to the ancient documents. It's not a distant future. Before the seal weakens, we need to find a way into the Four Elemental Spirit Halls, retrieve the jewels, and perform a ritual to recharge the spirits' power. The problem is—"

Richard, who was prompted by King Melvin, continued.

"We don't know how to proceed beyond the seal doors. The crucial part of the ancient documents has been damaged by insects."

"Hmm."

The seal doors. The demons couldn't break through the door I found, but they seemed to consider their report a success. They seemed to know more about the situation.

I'll think about it from my perspective. I know things from a different standpoint, like the door in BFO.

Right, the seal was known to weaken eventually. In BFO, the door wasn't a secret door but a gateway to an unimplemented area. It displayed a countdown to when the area would be unlocked.

If the same applies here, the seal weakens over time, and the jewels need maintenance. Combining these, the relief on the door might indicate—

"The position of celestial bodies—"

"Hmm?"

"No, I'm not an expert in astronomy, but the relief was composed of overlapping elliptical lines and circles of various sizes. Could it be that the seal doors to the Four Elemental Spirit Halls open when the celestial bodies align in specific positions?"

If the relief on the door is like the one in BFO, indicating the time until it unlocks. Humans have historically understood calendars through the movement of celestial bodies. If the labyrinth is linked to the moon, it wouldn't be strange for it to be linked to other celestial bodies as well.

"The position of celestial bodies... That's within the domain of the Moonlight Temple. We should talk to them and seek their cooperation."

The Moonlight Temple is knowledgeable about astronomy. This gives us a clearer idea of when the door will open.

"But if that's the case, it's a shame we couldn't stop the demons' report."

"They might send demons to coincide with the alignment."

Mildred crossed her arms and frowned. She was quick to grasp the implications.

"That's right."

"The outer barrier can be bypassed. It's unclear if they can enter the sacred areas of the temple or the inner parts of the castle—"

While not limited to labyrinth cities, large cities have barriers along their outer walls to prevent demon invasions. They seem to have found a way to bypass these barriers, likely due to Linette's research.

"Considering Linette's methods, we should assume they can target the temple and the castle even if they can't directly interfere."

Yes, Linette used undead hydras as familiars. The marine creatures she used for reports were also familiars, and the barriers against demons don't account for familiars.

"In any case, we now know the issues and what needs to be done. We need to coordinate with the temple to determine when the door will open and find the remaining doors to the Four Elemental Spirit Halls. Theodor, the matter I wish to discuss with you is—"

King Melvin closed his eyes. He seemed to be debating whether to say it, but eventually, with a serious expression, he looked at me and said:

"...As a formal request from the royal family, would you be willing to assist in the upcoming battle against the demons?"

King Melvin paused, frowning.

"I know this request is presumptuous. No matter how talented you are in magic—sending a young person like you to the battlefield is a result of my incompetence and lack of virtue. But with the appearance of demons like Zevion—"

"The demons are our enemies. I will fight them even without a request."

"I'm sorry."

My stance remains unchanged. If demons come to Termwillis, I will eliminate them.

But if that happens, it might turn into a contest for the jewels in the Four Elemental Spirit Halls between us and the demons...