30 Years Have Passed Since the Prologue

After wandering among the reliefs and gargoyles, busily scribbling away, Elpheira returned, appearing triumphant.

“I’ve confirmed everything readable! This is a victory monument!”

“Who, and what war is it commemorating?”

“Well… um. That part is a bit ambiguously written.”

Elpheira shouted in frustration at Ivan’s gaze.

“Don’t look at me like that! In the first place, people from the church, whether it’s ancient or modern, consistently cover everything with metaphors as if reciting scriptures, so without specializing in biblical studies, it’s normal not to properly understand the meaning!”

So, it would have been better to bring a priest in the first place.

Elpheira grumbled, pursing her lips.

“Just explain the translated part.”

“Even just by looking at the language, you can tell, but this is a trace of the ancient church. Not from the mythic era, but from the time of the ancient Delen Empire. It’s been about 2,000 years.”

“Even if wars were common in that era, why would the church build a victory monument?”

“Quite a few, actually. It was a time when the church actively practiced death execution, and this site is probably a remnant of that, but, roughly speaking, it says that the crusaders fought against ‘happiness’.”

“… Happiness?”

That seems like a somewhat odd concept to target as a war objective for priests.

As Ivan furrowed his brow, Elpheira shrugged her shoulders.

“That fifth tablet says, ‘And he said, Blessed are the believers in the darkest evil, the whisperer. The blessings of the world originate only in the embrace of the Lord, and outside the peace of the heavens, there is no gospel.’ Hmm… and well, there are quite a few typical Bible verses listed. To sum it up, here. This place seems to have had a cult.”

“…Cult.”

“Heresy. Yes, that’s what it is. They must have been pretty big because this stone tablet itself isn’t from the church.”

Ivan looked around with a renewed gaze. So, this place was the congregation of some cult.

And after prevailing over that congregation, the church, instead of destroying it, used this archaeological site as a victory monument, carving new statues and burying them under the soil…

Isn’t that strange?

“Why bother?”

“Hmm?”

“If they eliminated the heretical sect after victory, why go through the trouble of burying it under the soil? It’s overwhelmingly easier to destroy the entire building, and even if there were religious significance in burying it, there’s no reason to create such complex rituals and statues.”

“Well… the church rituals at that time weren’t really in the realm of actual magic. It might be better to consult a priest specialized in deciphering documents or biblical records. Anyway, that’s all. And there’s no certainty that it was buried directly.”

“Hmm?”

“Well, you know. Over 2,000 years, buildings might naturally sink underground due to erosion. That could be a possibility.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

Ivan shook his head.

He raised his hand, pointing to the massive ceiling supported by the stone tablet.

“If it had been naturally buried over time, this archaeological site should have been excavated as ruins within the soil. But it looks too intact here. And in such cases, there wouldn’t have been a need for large-scale spells to protect this site.”

Seeing that a Dwarven drilling artifact accidentally destroyed the area nearby, and immediately the protective spell installed at the archaeological site activated, it’s clear.

This archaeological site was intentionally sealed.

Sealed. Yes, sealed.

Ivan pondered this uneasy word and slowly stepped forward.

“Can the protective spell be used again?”

“Oh, no, why again?! What are you trying to break this time?”

“It’s not about that. I’m just saying it could be dangerous. If it’s too difficult, just wait behind.”

“Huh? Dangerous? This is just an old archaeological site…”

“No way.”

Ivan armed himself with an axe and a pistol, stating, “There’s a significant possibility that something the church dared not destroy but had to seal beneath the ground may be dormant inside here.”

Calling it common knowledge in the academy might be a bit challenging. But given the circumstances, this is essentially the ‘common knowledge’ of the fantasy genre, mostly of the dark fantasy type.

There might be situations ahead requiring magical interpretation, but it’s not necessary to expose the party to unprecedented dangers until then.

Until reaching this archaeological site, it was within the expected range, at least if his ‘common sense’ was correct. It should have been nothing more than an ordinary treasure warehouse. Protecting it, even for one person, should have been a simple task.

Now the situation is different. If something akin to an ancient demon sealed by the ancient church during the era of the Holy War is dormant here, he can’t guarantee the safety of this little one.

“Wait here. Can you use levitation spells?”

“What does this guy take me for! That’s basic magic.”

“Good. If it gets too dangerous, fly out of this archaeological site using a levitation spell to the waterway. If you get lost on the way, just stay put.”

Elizaveta’s agents should be stationed in the Frechenkaya underground waterway. If he leaves on a mission and time passes, a rescue team will undoubtedly be dispatched.

Sending her in that direction is better. Ivan turned and walked forward.

“Wait, what about you?”

“I have things to do.”

“What? Well, if it seems dangerous, it’s better to just escape and wait for support!”

“This is directly beneath the Saint Jan’s University.”

Ivan continued walking without turning his head.

“With a crack in the Dwarven artifact causing a rift, the sudden appearance of ancient ruins unnoticed for centuries. Can you guarantee safety even after time has passed?”

There was no need for further explanations or reasons.

This is Ivan’s ‘common sense.’ Once a seal is discovered, it will be lifted within a short time.

This is almost akin to fantasy quantum mechanics. Even if you consider that the state is determined at the moment of observation. It’s as if they’ve stumbled upon an encounter.

Unable to explain each detail, Ivan redirected his steps towards the depths of the archaeological site.

“But, but alone over there?”

“I’m used to it.”

While primarily operating in small strike teams, the Cleansup Unit was fundamentally a special forces unit specializing in infiltration and reconnaissance. Naturally, there had been plenty of instances where solo missions were carried out within a designated area.

And, in another sense, it was ‘familiar.’

What is reconnaissance?

Reconnaissance refers to agents dispatched in advance to identify potential threats along the path when allies are heading towards unexplored territory.

So, being in charge of the reconnaissance unit, particularly the reconnaissance unit of the adventurer party, signifies one thing.

Being able to survive in any situation.

Being able to adapt to any situation.

In essence, Ivan had taken on missions assuming encounters with unknown enemies. Until reaching the doorstep of the Demon Lord’s castle.

Therefore, it’s a familiar situation in every sense. Unpleasant, but if it must be done, it must be done.

“Wait!!”

The sound of footsteps rushing approached.

Elpheira stuck close behind Ivan and let out a deep sigh.

“Taking care of inferior races is the duty of elves, and protecting commoners is the duty of nobles!”

“My understanding of elven duties is a bit different.”

“Do you know elves better than I do?!”

“Not really.”

“Starting today, keep this in mind: I find it perplexing that there are numerous proponents of racial supremacy among humans. Could it be linked to their primitive societal culture?”

Isn’t that statement itself a form of racial discrimination?

Ivan briefly entertained such thoughts, but upon seeing Elpheira trailing behind with a frightened expression, he smirked.

Even resembling half of Veolgrin is enough.

Her personality is slightly better than Veolgrin’s.

“Time really makes a difference. You’ve grown well.”

“Uh…? Do I know you?”

“Never mind. Forget about it.”

Ivan chuckled, recalling Elpheira from those days.

Anxiety accumulated on Elpheira’s face.

“When…? When did we meet?”

“Twelve years ago, Veolgrin visited our camp. The leader instructed me to attend to the ‘elf lord’ and emphasized that we should provide him with a proper meal, not just snacks.”

“Uh… Uh…!!”

“Do you remember?”

“Unlike humans!! Elves have… a good memory.”

Elpheira’s face turned intensely red, as if it might burst.

“You’ve… um… changed… quite differently from what I recall… huh?”

“Time marches on.”

“…Indeed. Humans age rapidly, don’t they….”

“…True. Humans age swiftly. That’s the way it is…”

She seemed to hesitate as if there was something she wanted to say, then turned her head.

***

Passing the stone tablet, Elpheira remained silent as they headed deeper into the ruins.

Occasionally glancing at Ivan’s face, she quietly followed him without opening her mouth.

After a while, when they finally reached the end of this colossal temple, Ivan halted his steps.

In front of them, a suspicious giant door lay, and Ivan asked, “Do you sense anything?”

“No. The magical presence… is even fainter than at the entrance.”

“Hmm.”

Ivan cautiously lifted his axe and gave the door a gentle push.

Regardless of any seals or resistances he anticipated, the door smoothly opened as if it had been greased, contrary to his expectations.

*Swoosh.*

A refreshing breeze swept over their faces.

Ivan covered his eyes with one hand, stopping his breath. A sweet scent filled the air.

Is it poisonous?

About to urgently warn Elpheira, Ivan froze in awe at the sight unfolding before him.

“What is this…”

Beyond the door, a vast space appeared, piled with something smaller than a palm, like a heap.

Glistening under the light pouring from somewhere in the ceiling.

Stacked like treasure in a storybook….

“A comb…?

Ivan squinted, inspecting the front. Nothing else was visible.

Combs adorned with pearls, gold, silver, various precious metals, and gemstones were piled up, sparkling.

No, upon closer observation, they were slightly different from ordinary combs.

A bit smaller than regular combs, seemingly intended for a very specific purpose.

‘Beard combs…?’

Ivan stepped back, his eyes narrowing. Suddenly, why would beard combs appear in a place like this? In a clearly suspicious situation, Ivan raised his axe and looked for Elpheira.

Elpheira, standing right behind him, was murmuring absentmindedly with a vacant expression.

“In gold… in a spellbook… in the world, that’s Lorraine…?! Why is that precious thing here…? That… that could extend life by ten years….”

With incomprehensible muttering mixed with Elvish, it seems Elpheira is exclaiming in excitement.

At that moment, Ivan nodded.

“So, this is what happiness means.”

Recalling the inscription on the monument left in the triumphal memorial of the camp, “Blessed is the one who believes in the darkest evil, the whisperer to the believer’s ear.”

And, as Ivan entered the room, a brief glimpse of the past. Memories with the former king.

Words spoken when waking up the unconscious Elpheira. “It was a really good dream.”

It wasn’t a delusion meant to show regret or lingering attachment. It was just an illusion that recreated the moment the person desired the most.

Northern winds and sunlight.

The most formidable adversary is one’s own happiness.

Ivan nodded his head. In that sense, he was fortunate.

In this primitive pre-modern world, apart from beard combs, there was nothing he wished for.

Now, the only thing he desired existed only on Earth.

Faintly remembered family, friends whose names escaped him, hometown food that could be enjoyed anytime, TV, and smartphones. Whatever they had become.

So, that’s how it is.

Ivan chuckled as he looked at the iridescent and splendid beard combs pouring like a waterfall before him.

And then, directly, he slapped Elpheira’s cheek.