Chapter 92

Today, an update ('ω')

"Ah, welcome back, Nibelun-sama. How was the outside world?"

"…Who are you?"

The expedition to 'Glad See-Im' with Roon, despite its twists and turns, finally secured the permission of Maniera and the Duke of Bedivoire and was carried out. And now, here, it is being proven that this has brought some kind of progress to us. It was Rouge who greeted us, Roon and I, upon our arrival at 'Vodan Castle.' Roon, trembling at the old man's strange appearance, made Roug laugh with delight.

"Oh, to forget me? No, no. You should forget. It would be better if you forgot everything."

"Rouge. Hilde told me to have you tell me everything. Tell me, what has happened here, and what will happen to our world from now on?"

The old man's eyes sharpened slightly at the mention of Hilde's name.

"I see. Hilde entrusted you, did she? Well, there is not much that this old body can say. Hee hee hee."

Rouge laughed, his hunched back shaking. It might be a sign that he knows but won't tell.

"However, if you have brought Nibelun-sama, you will be allowed to know. This way..."

Rouge moved smoothly, leaving only the sound of his robes rustling. Here and there in the beautifully maintained garden stood twisted knight armor monsters, casting long shadows in the red light of dusk.

"Yue-kun, what do we do?"

"We will follow Rouge. At the very least, he is the only being in this labyrinth with whom we can communicate."

With that, we followed the old man. It doesn't seem like we can communicate with him, but at least we can understand his words. And this time, he responded to our request for the first time. It seems that Roon is a special existence for this 'Glad See-Im.' Bringing her along was the right decision. However, at the same time, we have encountered a troubling fact.

– 'The creatures of the labyrinth cannot leave, nor can they be taken out.'

That was supposed to be the rule. When we rescued Roon, we judged her to be a civilian who had gotten mixed up, based on this rule. But it was wrong. If Roon is a survivor of 'Glad See-Im,' then she is a creature of the labyrinth, yet we were able to take her out. This means that the labyrinth is in a dangerous state, allowing for a 'spill out' of its contents. We don't know when, where, or what kind of 'rampage' it might cause.

('Have you seen 'Glad See-Im'? It will cover the entire world. The twilight and the distorted, enlarged will eventually cover the world.')

Hilde's words suddenly echoed in my mind. Covered by twilight? Wait a minute? This twilight light... I feel like the area it reaches in the underground waterway is gradually expanding. I thought it was due to the time of entry, but it's different. Remember, the first time and just now. No doubt about it. The twilight light is reaching much deeper into the underground waterway than it did during the first exploration.

"...Is something wrong?"

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice. There was Rouge, his mouth twisted into a smile. Ah, damn it. This old man knows.

"No. So, where are you taking us?"

"To a place where you can learn what you want to know."

Rouge pointed to a spot with his cane. The entrance to the castle, which we couldn't find no matter how much we searched, was right in front of us. It wasn't there the last time we searched. A narrow metal door, just big enough for one person to pass through. And it was wide open.

"Please, this way."

The old man went into the darkness that spread inside. Lucient's gaze turned to me, and I nodded in response.

"We're going in."

"If it's a trap, it would be bad to be caught all at once... Master Mori, come with me. The rest, secure this area. Miriam, go and inform the other party about this place."

"Understood."

Miriam, who is also a 'Thief' and a deputy of 'Scordia,' ran off. This is what makes Lucient, who aspires to be an adventurer, so great. Despite being an adventurer, he doesn't pursue his own interests too much and doesn't lose sight of his goals. The possibility of monopolizing many treasures by stepping into the royal castle, yet prioritizing the labyrinth's exploration, is not something anyone can do easily.

We stepped into 'Vodan Castle,' with Roon in the center to protect her. The sensation was like passing through a sticky membrane.

"This is..."

"Yeah. It feels similar to the 'Colorless Darkness,' doesn't it?"

"Yes. The presence has become more intense since we entered the castle."

Rain checked the surroundings with <Magic Perception> and muttered. Silk, as usual, was tense and on guard.

"Your party members seem to have a very sharp sense of the labyrinth, don't they?"

"Is that so?"

"Master Mori. They have delved quite deep. It's only natural."

Lucient's words made the old mage touch his beard.

"To get this feeling, I had to delve quite deep. Indeed, the growth of the young is remarkable."

"Can you sense it too, Mori?"

"Of course. It resonates with my old bones, this pressure filled with rejection."

Moria replied with a gentle smile to Marina.

"Rejection... Yes, that's it. This is a feeling of rejection."

I nodded in agreement with Rain. Indeed, this clinging tension and sense of wrongness is a feeling of rejection. The world is rejecting those who step beyond it.

Feeling this, we proceeded down the narrow corridor lined with carpets. Dozens of feet ahead, the old man's back stopped. There was a large door. Opening it, Rouge smiled slyly. We entered as we were prompted, and found a place filled with a large number of books and scrolls.

"What is this?"

"The Royal Archives. Unfortunately, I am not much of a talker."

"No, that's not it."

Rouge, with his fake smile, received a sharp look from Mori.

"You are avoiding 'cognitive recognition through words,' aren't you?"

"What do you mean, Master Mori?"

"Yue-dono, if you are a mage, you should understand. Words arise from cognition, and powerful words manifest phenomena through magic. This person must be harboring a very strong magic or curse, to the point of being reluctant to speak directly."

It's about the incantation of magic. You imagine what you want to do, perform the incantation, and complete the magic by channeling it with magic power. However, before that, there is the concept of 'word spirit.' It's a superstitious idea that speaking something aloud makes it come true... but, yes, it might be something like magic.

"This person wants to speak. And he has hidden the words he should speak here. Come, the joy of adventure... let's begin the collection of knowledge."

How was it? ('ω')

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