Chapter 28

28. The Jester, the Hero, and the Parrot (10)

Creak - Squeak - Grind.

A rather large door opened with a metallic sound.

It was the door leading to the path toward the tomb of the Holy Sword.

"This is a restricted area, but there's no choice. I'll keep it open until the investigation is over using my authority as the vice president of the student council."

Rodelin, who had put away the bunch of keys, said.

"Once we go in, don't touch anything recklessly. This place is like an archaeological site."

Rodelin is convenient to have as a companion.

During gameplay, if she's not on the companion list, you have to crawl through a small hole to pass through here.

'There's even a penalty of a 20% decrease in health.'

He slowly examined the tomb of the Holy Sword.

A round plaza, surrounded by pillars.

Four statues of goddesses facing the center from the four directions.

In the center of the floor, there was a deep groove.

'The place where the Holy Sword was once embedded.'

It's similar to what he saw in the game, but seeing it with his own eyes, he felt its grandeur.

'This is one of the places users love. To see it with my own eyes...'

His heart swelled with emotion...

"Friend! Friend!"

"Y-Yes, we are friends."

The parrot flapped its wings on Raymond's shoulder.

It seemed they had become friends.

Perhaps Raymond thought he couldn't be outdone.

Luna slightly raised her head and said,

"Hmph! There's no choice. I'll be your friend too."

"..."

The parrot turned its head sharply.

Its incessant chatter came to a halt.

"Hey, why are you avoiding my gaze?"

"..."

"I'm offering to be your friend!?"

"No!"

"T-This! Zero, turn up the heat! Dinner is chicken tonight!"

Luna grabbed the parrot and started shaking it.

"Stop it!"

Raymond held Luna with his whole body.

The two, engaged in a physical struggle, and a parrot.

They bumped slightly into the statue of the goddess to the east.

Bang!

Crash!

"..."

The vase held by the statue.

It fell to the ground and shattered.

Everyone's gaze slowly moved from the vase to where Rodelin was standing.

"I said, be careful, didn't I?"

Rodelin's words were broken.

At the same time, her expression alternated between demonic and normal.

"I'm sorry."

"......I'm sorry."

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"Accidents always happen when you let your guard down. On the contrary, you need to be more careful at such times..."

The two humans and one bird, kneeling in a reflective mode.

And Rodelin, lecturing them.

It was a good sight.

After taking out a camera from the subspace, he captured their appearance.

Click.

* * *

We were engrossed in the search for a while.

But we couldn't find any trace of the demon, let alone any signs of erosion.

"Hmm, Zero. It seems our theory was wrong."

"This place has a higher probability than others. Let's search a bit more."

"Right. I'll request help from the student council. If we search one place each week, we'll find something. Well, even if we don't find it, it's not bad. It means there's no demon."

Rodelin was more focused on the search than anyone else.

Muttering, "We also need to find the missing student... This is a big problem."

But Rodelin won't need to request help from the student council.

This is the only path the demon's fragment can take.

'And we can meet the missing child there.'

He gave a hand signal to the parrot.

The parrot flew to the top of one of the pillars and flapped its wings.

"Everyone, look over there. It seems the parrot has found something."

"Hmm?"

Everyone's gaze turned to that spot.

On top of the pillar where the parrot was, a small lever protruded.

"A lever?"

"Why is there a lever there..."

It's because it's part of the game's setting.

"Is there some kind of mechanism?"

"It could just be decoration. We need to investigate. But it's in such a place..."

Rodelin started to figure out a way to get to the top of the pillar.

I subtly pushed her towards the center.

When we were densely packed around the place where the Holy Sword's traces remained.

" Demon!"

The parrot, seeing my hand signal, pulled the lever.

At the same time.

Crackle!

"Magic circle!?"

"......Oh no! It's too late to escape! Everyone, come to me!"

Before Rodelin's words were even finished, the magic circle activated.

The ground disappeared, and we all floated in the air.

And so, we began to

plummet underground.

* * *

Parrot's Diary #3

"Winner! Lutherus!"

"Friend, we won! It's our victory!"

"Friend! Victory!"

Lutherus ran over, cheering.

Eek, if I get caught, it'll be at least an hour.

I quickly flapped my wings to put some distance between us.

"Friend! Come here! We need to celebrate our first victory!"

"No!"

The team practice drills that had been ongoing since the beginning of the semester.

It was also a subject where Lutherus, who had no friends, consistently scored zero.

"Teacher! Is this even fair? How can you team up with a beast?"

"That's also a skill. If you're jealous, do the same."

"Such nonsense!"

The children shivered.

They had been avoiding Lutherus every day. Serves them right.

"Friend, let's take a picture."

"Picture!"

Click.

The camera rattled and started to produce a photo.

This is such an amazing device.

To stop the movement and time of living beings and turn them into an object.

It's clearly what humans call magic.

"Hehe, a photo to commemorate our first victory."

Lutherus showed the photo.

A photo with "First Victory Commemoration" written on it.

I liked photos. Because I could recall this moment whenever I wanted.

"Handling beasts... He's definitely the child of a demon."

"That's right. Why doesn't the academy kick out such a guy?"

Winning the team play mission wasn't entirely a good thing.

Another ominous rumor started to follow Lutherus.

"It's okay, just that. It would be hard to endure alone... but now it's okay."

We are two. So it's okay.

Lutherus was saying that.

"It's okay. Heroes always face trials."

Lutherus smiled.

Hero.

Lutherus's dream and goal.

He always said he wanted to create a world where children could laugh happily.

Dreaming even in such a situation.

My friend was truly an amazing child.

'Can I become a hero too?'

My friend's dream was so strong that it sometimes influenced me.

Probably impossible. I'm a parrot.

So.

'Being a hero's friend and staying by his side.'

That's now.

My dream.

* * *

"Kyaahh!!"

"Please, save me!"

Luna and Raymond hugged each other and screamed.

They were best friends now, despite their usual bickering.

"Zero! Make physical contact!"

Rodelin's urgent call.

Though her explanation was a bit lacking, I reached out and grabbed Luna's wrist.

I knew her intention.

Thump!

Rodelin then hugged me with her whole body.

My face was buried in her chest. At the same time, her necklace glowed.

"Levitation!"

A soft yellow sphere enveloped us.

At the same time, our falling speed noticeably slowed.

Thanks to the floating magic embedded in the artifact.

'Rodelin's necklace has three spells stored in it.'

Indeed, a noble family. Their magical artifacts are top-notch.

Rodelin is top-notch... cough.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

When we were almost on the ground, the floating magic disappeared.

Luna and Raymond groaned, failing to land properly.

"Is everyone okay?"

You need to let me go first to talk.

I'm currently in a princess carry position in Rodelin's arms.

Breathing is difficult for various reasons.

Realizing this, Rodelin gently put me down.

"Hehe, thanks to you, we survived."

"Fortunately. Still... it doesn't seem we can go back up."

We were in what appeared to be a common area.

The walls emitted a faint light, so the area wasn't dark.

"Based on illusion magic and object change magic, it seems. I didn't notice it. At least a 6th circle mage."

"Hehe, how about using that artifact to go up?"

"It won't work. Floating magic is different from flying."

Rodelin looked up.

An immeasurable height.

Indeed, with our current means, escape was impossible.

" Demon! Demon!"

"You bastard! You almost got us killed! I'll really turn you into chicken!"

"Whimper! I'm too scared!"

Luna started to fuss.

With the parrot's screams and Raymond's crying.

It's a complete mess.

"There doesn't seem to be any lever or any device here."

Despite the chaos, Rodelin remained calm.

She surveyed the surroundings and assessed our current situation.

"Given the special mechanism, it's clear someone used it. So..."

"Hehe, there must be an exit somewhere."

Only Rodelin and I were normal here.

Well, I'm relying on game knowledge.

"Unfortunately, rescue is unlikely. We have no choice but to move forward and find an exit."

"Excellent judgment."

"Even in this situation, Zero remains calm. Impressive. If we return safely, I'll give you a reward."

I don't need a reward.

I plan to get something better from here.

Rodelin approached the children.

"Calm down. I understand your fear, but now is not the time to argue. Especially not the time to cry."

"Sniff... But..."

"We are students of the Empire's top academy, Anwood Academy. This level of trial is nothing."

Rodelin's ability to control the situation was beyond imagination.

She instantly boosted morale.

Luna's eyes filled with determination, and Raymond's with hope.

"I will protect you. I swear it on my name, Rodelin de Lucid!"

It seemed a halo was shining behind Rodelin.

Luna and Raymond looked at her and clasped their hands.

They were almost ready to worship Rodelin as a deity.

"However! Don't touch anything recklessly. Parrot, you too!"

Rodelin's warning.

The parrot stared at me.

'What, this bird. You pulled the lever, not me.'

The parrot flapped its wings, as if to say it was wronged.

Of course, Rodelin couldn't understand its meaning.

"Let's move forward. I'll lead the way."

Rodelin took the lead.

There was no risk of getting lost. It was a single path.

"Ah, light."

We soon arrived at a new place.

A rectangular space.

A door with a strange atmosphere was in front, and an unknown pattern was drawn on the right wall.

"Hmm, it seems to be a pattern with a rule... but it's damaged."

"There seems to be a movable space."

"Right. A puzzle?"

Rodelin confirmed there were no traps on the door and tried to push it hard.

But it didn't budge.

"It seems we need to solve a puzzle to open the door. This is a big problem. We don't even have food or water..."

Rodelin clutched her head and groaned.

Despite seeing the puzzle structure, she didn't panic.

Rather, she seemed to take it for granted.

'Well, that's the game's world.'

The reason demons torment humans is to derive pleasure from the process.

Puzzles are one of them.

Perhaps they are toys created by demons to see humans suffer.

Roughly, that's the concept of the world.

So Rodelin is naturally engrossed in the puzzle.

"Groan... It's a structure I've never seen before. It will take at least four days."

It seems steam is coming out of Rodelin's head.

But she didn't back down. Instead, she focused intensely.

Probably due to the responsibility of protecting her juniors.

'Cute.'

I subtly pushed Rodelin aside and put my hand on the puzzle.