Chapter 40

Part 15: The Soaring Phoenix (3)

The underground passage had been a long one, but walking above ground, it didn’t take long at all. Before an hour had passed since we entered the forest, we arrived at the abandoned village. The village looked no different from the last time I saw it in my previous life. The houses were collapsing and blending into the forest, and the fields showed no trace of cultivation. The well was the same, too. The well from which Adria and I had escaped in my previous life was still half-collapsed and overgrown with weeds, clearly untouched for a long time.

First, I tied the rope I had prepared to a tree next to the well and said to Juan, "As I mentioned before, I’d like you to stay here and keep watch."

Not knowing what might come out, it was better to have fewer people who knew the secret. Juan, as always, knew his place well.

"Yes, I understand."

His short answer was very satisfying. He didn’t ask why we were here today or how I had met the phoenix hunter. Whether it was because of his trust in me or because he considered me a benefactor for paying his mother’s medical bills, he was at least a reliable and tight-lipped person.

It seemed he had something he wanted to ask, though.

"Then, how long should I wait?"

He was asking for a deadline for his wait.

"Until sunset."

"Understood. If you don’t return after sunset, I’ll inform the mansion immediately."

I nodded in agreement. Since we were entering the exit rather than the underground part of the fortress, this amount of time would be sufficient.

Juan and I tied my sword to the rope and lowered it into the well.

Thud.

A moment later, the sound of the sword hitting the dry well bottom reached us.

Whoosh.

I jumped into the well first.

"Ah! If you don’t hold the rope, you’ll—"

Juan’s surprised voice came from above, but I continued to push off the walls and fall down. After all, in my previous life, Adria and I had climbed this well without any equipment. My skills had improved, and my body was in better condition, so there was no reason I couldn’t go down.

As expected, the phoenix hunter followed me, leaping into the well. She fell straight down, unlike me, who slowed down by pushing off the walls.

Whoosh!

She landed next to me, kicking up dust.

Bang! Splash!

A loud noise accompanied the water on the ground splashing high.

Thud!

I landed on the ground next. The water splashed everywhere, but the cave connected to the well was still in the same place as in my previous life.

"Is this the way?"

"Yes."

She lit the torch she took from her pocket and entered the cave, holding it in one hand. As we got closer to our destination, her excitement became more evident. She spoke less and moved more hurriedly. Despite being curious about how I found this place, she didn’t ask.

I untied my wet sword from the rope and followed her, dragging the sword. As we passed through the cave, we encountered several creatures, as in my previous life. They weren’t monsters but had quite different appearances from surface creatures. Many insects and animals with degenerated eyes avoided the light from her torch, but some attacked us. However, they didn’t slow us down at all. Thanks to her swinging her sword diligently, I didn’t even need to draw the dagger I had in my pocket and just followed her with my large sword.

After a while, we arrived at the iron door blocking the cave. The iron door had a large emblem, the emblem of a soaring bird.

'Ah, I didn’t see this the last time because we came from the opposite direction.'

The phoenix hunter gently stroked the emblem on the iron door. I stepped back instead.

The last time, we came from the opposite direction and easily opened the door, but I didn’t know how to enter from this side.

'Since she has a sword with the same emblem, she must know how to enter.'

Even if she couldn’t, I could enter the side passage of the fortress’s underground and open the door for her, so I wasn’t too worried.

Fortunately, she knew how to open the door.

'Is she channeling mana into the door?'

She wasn’t just stroking the emblem. Her hand, which was emitting mana, was tracing the emblem in a specific pattern. Starting from the feet, then the spread wings, and finally the head and eyes. When she pressed both eyes with her hands, a click sounded from the door. Then, she pushed the door with force.

Creak.

The iron door slowly began to open. I approached and helped her push the door from the side.

The door opened wide, and a musty smell wafted out.

"Really, it’s here..."

The woman beside me looked at the old tomb with a dazed expression. The tomb was as expected, just like in my previous life. The square stone walls and the large coffin on the empty central altar.

While the phoenix hunter approached the coffin, I looked at the crack in the wall. A crack wide enough for one person to pass through. However, I knew that the cave connected to this crack became narrower, and only small people like Adria and me could pass through.

While I was recalling the events from my previous life, a sigh came from the center of the tomb.

"Ah..."

The phoenix hunter had already reached the coffin. She gasped at the sight of the empty coffin.

She looked up at me with a sudden realization.

"Was there nothing in this tomb when you found it? No, how did you even know about this tomb? Who told you?"

Realizing the tomb was empty, the questions she had put aside resurfaced. She seemed to have been somewhat confident that the tomb would be empty.

Indeed, she was the descendant of the tomb raiders who had looted this place long ago. That’s why she knew how to enter the tomb and had a sword with the emblem.

I must have been thinking too much. Suspicion appeared on her face.

I quickly spoke before she could break the contract.

"I didn’t hear about it from anyone. I just discovered a narrow passage connected to the underground of the Majorca fortress while exploring."

I pointed to the crack in the wall.

"Ah... There was a crack? I haven’t heard about that..."

Perhaps the story wasn’t properly passed down or was intentionally hidden.

"When I entered this place, it was exactly the same as now. I just confirmed it was empty and went home. I only saw your sword with the same emblem in the Duke’s territory."

Of course, I had come here in my previous life, so there were no traces of my passage in the cave or the fortress.

If she examined closely, she might realize I was lying, but she wouldn’t go to such lengths.

"Then, it’s really empty..."

Look at that. She immediately became dejected, believing only my words.

She lowered her head, looking like she was about to cry.

Is she really a mercenary? Her skills were undeniable, but she didn’t seem like a seasoned mercenary.

It was an interesting sight, but I couldn’t let her stay like that if I wanted to proceed with the task.

"Did I not see it properly before? Is there really nothing in the coffin?"

"There’s nothing. Some clothes, bone fragments, and bone powder. Just traces of the tomb’s owner."

"Is that so?"

I approached the coffin. The inside was as she described and as I had seen in my previous life.

'Adria found it first back then...'

Unlike Adria, the phoenix hunter couldn’t touch the inside of the coffin carelessly.

I bent down and swept the bone powder on the bottom of the coffin with my hand.

Sweep, sweep.

"Ah, don’t touch it so carelessly..."

As I swept the bone powder, she exclaimed but stopped mid-sentence, her mouth agape.

The emblem of a soaring bird and a keyhole were revealed on the bottom of the coffin.

"Hey? What’s this?"

I feigned surprise as if seeing it for the first time.

'Hmm, a bit awkward?'

It was a disappointing act, but the surprised woman didn’t notice at all.

She looked at the emblem and the hole, then at her sword.

It seemed Adria’s prediction was correct. From her expression, I didn’t need to guide her.

Swoosh.

She drew her sword. The bird emblem on the blade glowed brightly thanks to the light from the torch in her other hand.

She stared at the hole with the sword in hand.

If I left her alone, she would likely insert the sword into the hole immediately.

Before that, I spoke up.

"I’ve told you everything I know. At least, could you tell me the story behind this tomb before you insert the sword?"

"Ah!"

She gasped in surprise at my words.

She seemed to have regained her composure.

"Ah, sorry. I was distracted."

She sighed and began to speak.

"I never imagined I’d find it like this. This place was where our ancestor gained power. He was one of the heroes, but unfortunately, he passed away during the Great War, and not much of his story was passed down. The story of this tomb was only partially passed down through oral tradition, and other details were lost."

She looked at her sword with a wistful expression.

"Perhaps only this sword was properly passed down."

She gripped the sword tightly again.

"Others in my family gave up, but I couldn’t. I had other responsibilities, but I couldn’t stop searching for the lost traditions. With little time left, finding it like this..."

Indeed, she wasn’t an ordinary mercenary. A descendant of a hero... Even if the traditions were lost, she must be of noble birth.

As she spoke, she became excited again.

Seeing her flushed face, I subtly hinted.

"It might be empty."

"No, something must be left. The traditions mentioned a door that could be opened with a sword."

If that was true, it wasn’t a dead end, and it was good news for me.

"Then, can you try opening it?"

I nodded and subtly stepped back.

I didn’t plan to enter immediately even if a secret door opened. I intended to move only after receiving a message.

However, she immediately raised her sword and inserted it into the hole.

Swoosh. Click.

The sound of a mechanism unlocking was heard.

And then.

The entire altar collapsed.

Crash!

She, who was in the center of the altar, and I, who had taken a step back, fell down with the collapsing altar.

Despite stepping back, I was still caught up in it.

There’s a huge difference between a door opening and an altar collapsing!

I couldn’t understand why the incomplete traditions matched this situation.

And Murphy’s Law continued to apply in this world.

A message appeared in front of my eyes as I fell.

Damn! It seems this is the point where I died with my future sister-in-law Adria in my previous life.

The gods of this world must hate me.