The Ancients' Forward Base
We left the temple's grand library with a touch of regret. Still, the knowledge that we would be staying nearby for the foreseeable future and could slip back in whenever we liked helped soothe that disappointment.
“How was it? Did you find anything extraordinary?”
“I learned one thing for certain. A tremendous secret is hidden here, and that secret is going to bring us incredible benefits.”
Rather than speak of the library that could spark a diplomatic clash between the Holy Empire and the Deltrack Empire, I focused on the immediate gains. It was more than enough to capture the party's full attention.
“A tremendous secret?”
“It seems this place was once a forward base built inside the Labyrinth by our ancient ancestors.”
The leader picked up smoothly after Princess Reciel’s words. “We don’t fully understand it yet, but there appears to be a way to enter this location regardless of the terrain shifts that occur every three months. Our task now is to discover exactly how.”
“If we can come and go freely, surviving inside the Labyrinth will become far easier, won’t it?”
“It will give us an overwhelming advantage. To be honest, I’ve always wondered how the Labyrinth could be sealed when its geography changes so drastically every three months. But if a forward base like this exists, it suddenly seems entirely possible.”
We all shared the same thought. The Labyrinth held far more unknowns than knowns, and the questions it raised were countless. Among them was the very method of its sealing. Today, we had taken one solid step closer to that hidden truth—purely by luck, it seemed.
“Do you think we’ll find it while searching the ruins?”
“We must find it by any means necessary. The secret this place holds.”
I had the distinct feeling that our current Labyrinth expedition had both begun and would end right here.
It wasn’t as if no exploration logs from our ancestors three hundred years ago existed at all. But the passage of so much time, coupled with the wars that had raged in between, meant many records had been lost. Only the Holy Empire still possessed a significant number of those ancient documents, and they had profited from that knowledge several times before.
Now, with the Labyrinth reopened and drawing intense interest, efforts to locate any records of past expeditions had grown remarkably active. A book containing even the slightest mention of the Labyrinth could fetch an absurdly inflated price.
“I thought the most valuable discovery would be the archive we found. But now it seems the entire site itself was the real treasure.”
After finishing our search of the temple, we began exploring the wider ruins with the rest of the team. That was when we discovered a fully intact teleport gate standing boldly before us. We still didn’t know how to operate it, but simply finding a teleport gate installed inside the Labyrinth was shocking enough.
“But no one can just use something like this, right?”
“It’s too expensive for ordinary people to operate.”
The farther the distance, the greater the energy required. These teleport gates used extremely rare and costly mana stones as their core material. They must have operated the same way three hundred years ago. Yet I couldn’t help wondering whether anyone could have afforded to use such an extravagant device frequently.
“If they built a forward base in the Labyrinth using these, I’m a little disappointed.”
The installation cost was one thing, but the operating expenses would make anyone hesitate. Of course, in an emergency they would use it, but still…
“I was hoping for a different method. It’s a shame.”
“Unless the price of mana stones drops dramatically, the future we imagined won’t materialize.”
Even so, installing a teleport gate inside the Labyrinth was an astonishing feat. I didn’t know the details, but I had heard that fixing the coordinates was extraordinarily difficult. If it had been easy, teleport gates would surely exist all over the world.
“Moreover, since this was installed three hundred years ago, an expert will need to come and verify whether it can even be activated.”
The various buildings we had assumed were simply ruins appeared to have been forward bases managed by different nations. Rather than belonging to any single country, this was a shared neutral space much like the Labyrinth City itself, used jointly by multiple nations.
Once this fact became known, other countries would almost certainly demand their share.
“This place is going to become a powder keg.”
Even Princess Reciel’s expression had grown weary as the potential global impact of the site became clear.
“Still, it’s fortunate we gained something from all this.”
For some reason, these former forward bases of various nations were packed with supplies. What surprised me most was the sheer quantity of mana stones. It’s possible the reason they became so rare is because they were all buried here.
I had assumed the teleport gate would be unusable due to the prohibitive cost, but after exploring the ruins we discovered an enormous stockpile of mana stones. If we took them outside and sold them, we would never have to worry about money again in our lifetimes.
The problem, of course, was the origin of these stones.
“If we try to keep them all for ourselves, it’ll cause an uproar, won’t it?”
“It’s not a scale one country can swallow alone. Other nations are involved too.”
“It’s so valuable I might not be able to sleep at night.”
It would be nice if the Deltrack Empire and the Holy Empire could simply claim it all, but I doubted things would end so peacefully. The other nations weren’t fools; they would keep their ears open and view every move by the Holy Empire and Deltrack with deep suspicion.
Discovering this location is only a matter of time. Once they learn it was once used by every nation, they’ll demand their rightful shares.
And what would happen then? That was exactly why Princess Reciel looked so exhausted. Of course, she also knew this discovery would greatly benefit her.
Leaving the weary princess behind, I approached Melody. She had been staring intently at one spot for some time.
“Why are you examining that mural so closely? Do you see some deeper meaning in it?”
“An angel sprinkles the contents of a jar over suffering humans, freeing them from pain. What do you think was inside that jar?”
“Divine Power. The Sun God granted humanity the ability to wield Divine Power, and that brought us salvation.”
Before Divine Power existed, human lifespans had barely reached thirty years. But once the Sun God bestowed Divine Power and priests capable of using it appeared, human longevity increased dramatically. Unlike the past when illness meant certain death, people now had the strength to fight disease and win.
“Yes, but about that jar.”
“The jar?”
“Yes. Have you never wondered about it?”
“About the jar?”
I had assumed the important element was the Divine Power, but it seemed Melody had been focusing on an entirely different aspect.
“Are you familiar with the passage that says the Sun God took pity on humanity and sprinkled the ‘Divine Power’ contained in the jar upon them?”
“Of course I am.”
It was one of the phrases I had memorized while studying theology as a child.
“Then what exactly was that jar, that it could contain Divine Power scattered throughout the world?”
“Do you believe the jar actually exists?”
“Yes. I suspect it may be a Holy Relic.”
Holy Relic. We had quite a painful memory connected to one. Though I could only guess, it had likely fallen into Prince Loras’s hands. It had been a corrupted Holy Relic, but even now the memory stung. If I could turn back time, it was one mistake I would correct without hesitation.
“You think the Holy Relic is here?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to search the temple a little more thoroughly.”
“Was there any record of it?”
“No. There is no information about a Holy Relic connected to a jar. However…”
Given the Divine Power flowing through the temple, it wouldn’t be strange at all if a Holy Relic were present.
“I plan to search the temple more carefully tonight.”
“Then I’ll…”
“Normally I would say it’s fine, but since this concerns a Holy Relic, I must ask for your help.”
“Understood. I’ll search diligently. I don’t know if I’ll be of any use, though.”
It was extremely rare for Melody to ask for assistance. Perhaps because of what had happened last time, I found myself hoping desperately that we would find the Holy Relic.
Zzz— Zzz— Hack! Zzz—!
Faint snoring echoed from every direction. By now the sound felt almost comforting. The team members had spent the entire day fighting monsters and trekking through wetlands; they were exhausted. I couldn’t blame them for snoring so loudly in their fatigue.
When enough time had passed, I rose quietly from my spot.
“Where are you going?”
Even though this place was safe, we couldn’t sleep without a night watch. The team member on duty must have sensed my movement, because he approached and asked.
“I’m going into the temple to pray for a while.”
I wasn’t suspicious of the team, but it wouldn’t be good if more people learned about the possible existence of a Holy Relic.
“Goodness, in the middle of the night?”
“I had a bad dream.”
“Ah! Then please, go ahead. Is there anything I can help with?”
“It’s all right. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”
“Go on in. If you need anything, let me know right away.”
“Thank you.”
What priest would stop another from going to pray after a nightmare? Melody had probably slipped into the temple without anyone noticing, moving silently as she searched.
Once inside, I spread out the items needed for prayer in a suitable spot. Telling the team I’d had a bad dream should be sufficient cover. Prayer itself wasn’t difficult, so I decided to pray properly first and then begin searching for the Holy Relic.
Did I choose a bad spot?
I had been deep in prayer for some time when my face began to feel strangely hot, as if someone were staring at me. The only thing nearby was the statue carved in the Sun God’s image. I wondered if I had simply picked an awkward position and tried to brush the feeling aside.
The silence that should have felt familiar today seemed oddly heavy, and the strange sensation was likely because my mind was distracted by thoughts of the Holy Relic instead of focusing on prayer.