Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Back to the City
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The group that greeted Arsen and his companions upon their return was the knights' party, who had attempted the assault first and failed.
Arsen handed over the survivor who still hadn't woken up.
"Pito? Is that really Pito?"
The knight stared at the unconscious survivor with a smile that looked like he might burst into tears at any moment.
After expressing their joy with their comrades for a good while, the knight bowed his head to Arsen on behalf of the group to offer his thanks.
"Truly, thank you so much. No, thank you. I don't know how to repay this grace. Really..."
His demeanor was like reuniting with a brother from whom he'd been separated by death, so Arsen couldn't help but ask.
"Were you that close to him?"
"We've been like family since we were kids. I talked him into going for one big score instead of struggling alone to feed his little siblings, but if I'd been the only one to survive, I wouldn't have been able to face those siblings for the rest of my life..."
At those words, Arsen recalled the survivor's desperate pleas for his life just before his memories were erased.
He'd thought it was a cliché tactic, but who would have guessed it was all genuine.
While surprised, Arsen also felt relieved that thanks to the memory erasure spell, he hadn't needed to kill him.
At that moment, the knight asked cautiously.
"Did you happen to not see the other one?"
It wasn't hard to guess who he meant. Arsen shook his head in denial.
"I'm not sure. We didn't go in properly ourselves."
"Well, looking at you..."
The knight nodded as he glanced at the soldiers standing behind Arsen.
Their packs were no different from when they'd entered. And they'd come out after less than a few hours, so it was hard to believe they'd succeeded in conquering the ruins.
Of course, all the items they'd actually taken from the ruins were stored in Arsen's backpack.
Arsen didn't bother correcting the man's misconception.
"We went in a little way and found that guy, so we brought him out. Seeing him like that sobered us up—we didn't want to go any further."
"You made the right call. If you go deeper, that's when the real hell begins."
In a tone of resignation, the knight shared information about the labyrinth that Arsen hadn't known.
Once you went a certain distance inside the labyrinth, the shape of the walls suddenly changed.
Naturally, you'd get separated from your companions, your existing maps would all become worthless, and methods like following one wall wouldn't work anymore.
It was truly a trap filled with malice toward intruders.
If not for the successor's abilities, Arsen probably couldn't have made it out alive either.
"After hearing that, I feel even more grateful."
The knight nodded emphatically, as if he understood just how terrifying the labyrinth was.
"The sun's almost set already. Where do you plan to camp tonight? If it's alright, we can help you set up."
"We're heading straight back."
The knight asked in surprise at Arsen's words.
"Even though it's almost night? Unless you have awakening stones..."
"We do."
"That's quite a valuable item. Impressive."
Arsen brushed off the knight's admiration with a nod.
"What about you?"
"We're planning to wait a bit longer. We still have one more friend who hasn't come out. We brought plenty of rations, so he might return. We'll wait at least three more days."
But he just couldn't muster the courage to go back in, the knight said with a slight tremble.
Arsen thought of the man he'd seen in the labyrinth who had killed himself.
Should he leave them waiting for a comrade who could never return? After a moment of anguish, Arsen's lips twitched, then pressed shut.
And the words that came out were a natural deception.
"I hope you can look after your last comrade too."
"Thank you."
Arsen exchanged a few more well-wishes with the knight before parting ways.
The knight repeatedly vowed that once he returned to the city, he would definitely repay the favor.
* * *
Arsen's group rode through the night, borrowing the power of awakening stones that allowed their magic beasts to be active at night.
In truth, even with awakening stones, riding all night wasn't something to be recommended.
In darkness so thick you could barely make out what was right in front of you, going slow risked ambushes by bandits, while going fast could lead to tripping over obstacles.
Of course, this didn't apply to travelers who could illuminate their path with magical light.
"Bandits on the right, incoming!"
"Mage!"
A few light bolts of lightning. Screams, then silence.
The bandits drawn by the light were easily dispatched with a handful of simple spells.
Obstacles weren't an issue either, with the path lit up bright as day.
Arsen the knight and Marun rode at the front where visibility was hardest, while the rear secured their view with the light Marun provided.
Normally, chatting while riding at speed was impossible.
Even if you were used to talking while mounted, the noise from the ride required near-shouting to communicate.
Arsen and Eloise could converse freely thanks to the relic's help, free from such constraints.
[So...]
During the ride, Arsen briefly explained the information he'd gathered so far.
That everyone else besides him in the ruins had been classified as "異種族," and in this ruins, the others had been labeled "combat puppets" and "combat puppet variants."
Eloise, who had listened calmly, replied.
[I've heard of combat puppets before.]
[Really?]
Arsen asked in surprise.
Perhaps pleased by his reaction, Eloise smiled.
[Luden mentioned it once. He saw it in passing in an ancient magic era tome. Not much, just usage and maintenance methods.]
[What did it say?]
[The mage's loyal weapon and obedient slave. Without regular fuel supply or repairs when broken, they become unusable forever. A proper puppet master always pays attention to maintenance. Luden thought combat puppets were like moving dolls made from wood or metal. Like self-moving Jins.]
As he listened, Arsen became convinced that combat puppets were a type of living weapon.
Being living things, they required regular fuel—in other words, meals.
If damaged—wounded—and not repaired, the injuries would worsen and lead to death.
Luden had misunderstood their nature due to the terms "fuel" and "repairs," but this description actually proved they were living beings.
And one more thing: since the master had to personally provide food and treatment, it suggested combat puppets lacked the ability to handle these matters themselves.
They might simply be slaves unable to procure their own food, or perhaps, true to the term "puppet," they could do nothing without their master directly controlling them.
Arsen exchanged thoughts on this with Eloise.
[Then.]
Eloise looked down at her own body with an expression of unfamiliarity.
[We're descendants of those creatures mages commanded in the ancient magic era? And Sen is a descendant of the ancients?]
[Probably.]
[But we look just like regular people. And Sen can't even use magic.]
[Maybe we're the same humans, just divided by race or something?]
[Race?]
[You know, distinguishing humans by skin color, hair, eye color, etc. For example...]
[Like Sen's purple eyes?]
Unclear if she could see in the dark, but Arsen nodded.
[Yeah. Northerners' red hair too—people divide over trivial things like that.]
In other words, they were the same humans with minor genetic differences, and Arsen's ethnicity had once dominated Eloise's and others'.
Later, Arsen's ethnicity had been absorbed and vanished, but the genetic traits recognized as "successor" by the ruins persisted rarely.
But this hypothesis had its flaws.
Why had Arsen's ethnicity, prosperous enough to enslave others, almost completely disappeared now?
The rarity of successor traits implied that the dominant ethnicity's genetics had been thoroughly supplanted.
Had some event caused them to lose control and be unilaterally massacred?
Eloise, who had listened silently to Arsen's hypothesis, added her own view.
[Maybe it's because they didn't feel disgust toward mages that they could build superior civilizations with magic?]
They debated fervently, forming several hypotheses, but naturally, they remained just hypotheses—no definitive answers emerged.
With insufficient information, any theory had logical gaps and no way to prove it.
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Arsen sighed and declared the debate over.
[For now, let's gather more data. We got some books from the ruins—read them before selling.]
[Got it.]
Incidentally, Arsen also shared his suspicions about Starburmi that had come to him in the ruins.
But Eloise expressed a negative opinion.
[Aren't you being too hostile toward them? I talk to them more often, but Marun and the other mages don't seem like villains.]
[Maybe... yeah, you're right. I might be overly negative.]
Feeling uneasy yet affirming Eloise's words, Arsen agreed.
Perhaps because he'd felt blindsided when the caravan leader revealed his identity, Arsen had always viewed Starburmi as a malevolent organization and stayed wary.
In reality, though, their detachment had joined Arsen's army without major issues and served faithfully. They'd shown no sinister intentions.
[At least we could casually ask Sir Marun. Or should I ask in passing?]
[...No, I'll ask him directly. That might be better.]
With that, they ended the conversation and kept riding onward.
Until the ruin city of Satien came back into view.
* * *
As dawn broke with the sun peeking over the horizon, they finally arrived at the city's outer walls.
The guards, sensing their exhaustion from their weary faces as they approached the gate, inspected them with unusual politeness.
"Arsen of Belluan, left yesterday... All clear. You may enter."
They probably couldn't have passed so smoothly at night, but since it was just morning, Arsen's group entered without hassle.
They crossed paths with a few night watchmen patrolling the outer district, but as it was their shift-end time, they didn't bother stopping them—just made snide remarks about their diligence.
"It's so quiet. Must be because it's morning."
As Marun said, the outer district, usually bustling with people, was eerily empty.
Given how they reveled in nights lit by magic lamps and all sorts of entertainment, these folks apparently had slow mornings.
Only a few who looked like merchants were hauling goods, perhaps preparing for morning trade—no one else was about.
Finally arriving at the inn, Marun burst through the door excitedly like a child.
"I'm back!"
Greeted by Marun's enthusiasm and the following Arsen was Bazkal, whom they'd left at the inn.
Bazkal, who had been dozing in a chair in the first-floor hall, jumped up and shouted.
"Brother!"
"You're up early? That's not like you."
Ignoring Marun's sulky pout at being ignored, Bazkal spoke in an urgent whisper, as if afraid of being overheard.
"Something big happened. Hard to explain here—go up quick and see."
"What is it?"
"Sir Anun is here. He's not in good shape."