Chapter 93

【Marine City Aineson】 is located approximately 300 kilometers northwest of here.

There, in that place, is the location of one of the seven great labyrinths that Miledi Lysen mentioned in the past: the underwater ruins of Melkine.

However, when Miledi told them, there wasn't much time left, so she only said to follow the guidance of the "Moon" and the "Proof of Guren," without providing detailed coordinates.

Therefore, Aichi and the others, based on the general direction and distance, advanced into the vast ocean. However, during the day, they explored the target sea area but found nothing special. The idea that there might be some traces left of underwater ruins was too naive.

Still, comparing the water depth within a 100-kilometer radius, it seemed that the water around the target location was indeed shallower. Aichi believed that the place itself was correct.

With no choice, they ended the exploration and, following Miledi's instructions, waited for the moon to appear at night. It was now just around sunset. On the horizon, the sun, burning red, was only half visible, illuminating the world with its last rays of light. The sky and the sea were dyed red and orange, and the sunlight reflected on the sea created a line of light on the horizon.

No matter where in the world, the scenes created by nature are always beautiful. Aichi, on the deck of the moored submarine, stared blankly at the setting sun and suddenly thought, "If I just head towards the path of light leading to the sun, I could return to Japan, right?" It was an impossible thought. Then, he smiled bitterly to himself, thinking, "What am I thinking?"

"What's wrong?"

Noticing Aichi's appearance, Kaori greeted him.

She had just taken a shower in the ship, as evidenced by her wet hair. Not just Kaori, but Yuki, Tia, and Sia had also come to the deck. They had all taken showers in Aichi's proud ship, their cheeks flushed, their wet hair sticking to their necks and faces, looking very alluring. The equipped bathroom had a design where warm water flowed directly from the ceiling, so all four could enter without any problem.

Incidentally, Aichi was watching the sunset on the deck to avoid the possibility of being accidentally dragged into the bathroom.

When they were about to take a shower, Tia invited Aichi, and all of them crawled over to him. Kaori and Sia, without a doubt, and Yuki, of course, agreed. Aichi, who did not intend to embrace anyone other than Yuki, clearly conveyed that he had no intention of being naked with other women.

However, Kaori and the others, with their smiling faces, ignored Aichi's words, their cheeks flushed, and they tried to persuade him. While Yuki watched coldly, Kaori and Tia worked together to hold Aichi down, and Sia, from behind, raised her dorugen to knock him out. Aichi, sensing the danger, seriously escaped to the deck... "Is it really a man's shame to not eat the meat put in front of him?"

Aichi thought, "This question is really stupid," and shook his head to clear his mind before answering Kaori's question.

"Just thinking about Japan a little. The natural scenery is the same here."

"…Is that so? Yeah, it is. It's the same sunset we saw in the sea over there… I feel nostalgic. Even though it hasn't been half a year yet."

"The days here have been so profound."

Kaori, sitting next to Aichi, looked into the distance and agreed with his words. She must have been nostalgic for the days they spent in Japan.

Aichi and Kaori talked about topics that only they understood, and Yuki, feeling lonely, approached Aichi with her feverish body, quickly taking a seat on his lap. Despite the heat, she leaned back against Aichi's chest, looking up at him.

Her eyes clearly expressed her desire to join the conversation. Feeling lonely, she also wanted to ask about Aichi and Yuki's homeland. While being touched by Yuki's cute appearance, Aichi also noticed that Kaori was about to turn into a banshee, so he gently touched her soft and elastic face to calm her down.

Just by doing that, her mood improved, and Aichi felt a complex emotion. "Why would she go to such lengths for someone who doesn't accept her…" he thought, but did not say it out loud. It would be too disrespectful to her feelings.

Gently pressing Kaori's cheeks, this time, Sia leaned over from the other side, her eyes shining brightly. It was clearly a signal of wanting attention. Aichi stroked her rabbit ears with his free hand. "Hehe~" Sia laughed.

Behind him, Tia was leaning. She had no special requests, just quietly leaning against him. She seemed to relax just by feeling Aichi's weight from behind. Aichi thought that if she had any perverted requests, he would throw her overboard, but now he was somewhat surprised.

However, did she sense something from Aichi's aura? Tia suddenly shivered, her breathing becoming slightly rapid...

On the vast sea, Aichi and the others leaned against each other. It was still some time before the moon's light would illuminate the night sky. To pass the time, Aichi began to talk about his homeland.

Yuki and the others listened intently to Aichi's stories, and Kaori added to them with a smile. Enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, time passed quickly, and the sun completely disappeared behind the horizon, replaced by the moon's light.

It was about time, so Aichi took out the pendant-shaped Proof of Guren from his chest. The design inside the frame was of a woman holding a lantern, with a hole connecting both sides of the lantern.

While staying in Aineson, he had tried multiple times to raise the pendant to the moon and infuse it with magic, but there was no special change.

What should he do with the pendant to the moon? Aichi tilted his head in thought and decided to raise the pendant to the moon first. The moon could be seen through the lantern part.

He gazed at it for a while, but there was still no special change. Still unsure, Aichi sighed and was about to try another method.

At that moment, the pendant changed.

"Wow, light is accumulating in the lantern. It's really beautiful."

"Really... It's mysterious. It's just a hole..."

Sia was amazed, and Kaori's eyes sparkled in agreement.

As they said, the lantern of the pendant seemed to be absorbing the moonlight, accumulating light at the bottom. Gradually, the hollow part was filled with light. Yuki and Tia also watched the pendant Aichi held up with great interest.

"I tried this last night too..."

"Um, Master. Maybe it has to be done in this place?"

Clearly, Tia's guess was correct. Soon, the light accumulated in the lantern made the entire pendant glow, and a beam of light shot out from the lantern, pointing to a spot on the sea.

"…It's quite a beautiful performance. Very different from Miledi."

"Right. The impressive fantasy technique, I, am a bit moved."

The romantic landmark of "following the moon's light" not only moved Aichi but also Yuki and the others, who exclaimed, "Oh~" in admiration. Especially Sia, Aichi, and Yuki, who had seen the entrance of Miledi's "Lysen Great Labyrinth," were deeply moved.

Not knowing when the light from the pendant's lantern would disappear, Aichi and the others immediately followed the guidance and started the submarine.

The night sea was dark. Or perhaps it was more appropriate to describe it as black? Although the moonlight on the sea was still bright, as they followed the guidance, they quickly descended into darkness. The submarine's searchlight and the light from the pendant cut through the darkness.

Incidentally, the light from the pendant, through the submarine's front windshield, or rather, the crystal porthole (made of transparent minerals, quite sturdy), pointed to a spot on the seabed.

It was a rocky area of the seabed. Numerous twisted rocks were connected like a mountain range. They had explored this area during the day, and at that time, there was nothing...

As the submarine approached the spot where the pendant's light pointed to the seabed rocks, a rumbling sound echoed, and a tremor like an earthquake began.

The sound and tremor were caused by the moving rocks. A part of the rock wall split into two, opening like a door. Inside was a dark tunnel leading to the depths, inviting one to the underworld.

"Indeed... No wonder we couldn't find it. I thought we might get lucky and find something, but it was a foolish idea."

"…Anyway, it was fun."

"Right. Exploring the seabed in another world, isn't it a precious experience?"

Realizing that the exploration during the day was in vain, Aichi was a bit disheartened. Yuki and Kaori, however, seemed to be enjoying it.

Aichi maneuvered the submarine into the crack in the seabed. The light in the pendant's lantern was about half full, but it no longer emitted light. The only light illuminating the dark seabed was the submarine's searchlight.

"Ugh, when I heard about the underwater ruins, I thought, if there wasn't this 'Shallow Water Hall,' ordinary people couldn't even enter the labyrinth."

"…A powerful barrier is necessary."

"Also, air and water, and the ability to control water currents to a minimum."

"But, since we have to come here after conquering the