Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Ancient Ruins (2)
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“Yeah. They actually look strong.”
“I agree.”
Shirone and Amy concurred. It wasn’t just because of the tattoos. Their keen senses could feel the latent power within the men.
But Rian had a different opinion.
“Hmph, glaring won’t give you strength you don’t have. No need to be scared.”
Rian’s senses were duller than others, which was why he couldn’t open his Schema, but Shirone found a sense of reassurance in that. No matter how frightening the situation, Rian would steadfastly be his friends’ shield.
“Alright! Let the ruin exploration begin!”
Passing through the ticket booth, their investigation officially began.
The Kergo Ruins were a temple dedicated to a god, forming a square structure two kilometers east to west and two kilometers north to south.
After crossing a 200-meter moat via a land bridge, a long gallery unfolded, and they had to walk another 500 meters along the worship path to reach the central temple.
“Wow, this is huge. Are you telling me this was really built thousands of years ago?”
“I heard from some people earlier that this is only what’s visible after being buried in volcanic ash. Apparently, it’s actually several times larger.”
Shirone looked down at his feet. Since the volcanic eruption happened 500 years ago, the ash layer would be formed below the surface.
Amy, who was walking ahead, turned to Shirone and shouted.
“Shirone, what are you doing? We have to check out the central temple.”
Shirone didn’t answer. He was simply smiling faintly, engrossed in something.
Puzzled, Amy walked over to him.
“What’s wrong? What is it?”
“Amy, enter your Spirit Zone.”
“Spirit Zone? Why all of a sudden?”
The moment she asked, realization dawned on Amy, and she slapped her palm.
“Ah, I see!”
Mages could extend their senses through the Spirit Zone. If something was hidden beneath the ruins, it was bound to be picked up by their synesthesia.
“Alright. I’ll give it a try.”
Amy entered her Spirit Zone. As she scanned the underground with her synesthesia, her brow gradually furrowed. After about five seconds, she released her Zone as if she had realized something.
“Shirone, this is…”
“Yeah. I can’t feel anything. There should at least be bedrock, but nothing’s registering.”
“Isn’t it because the layer of volcanic ash is thick? What if we try to go really deep?”
That was exactly what they were struggling with. But after a moment of thought, Shirone caught on and exclaimed.
“Aha, there’s a way.”
Amy could do it. Her specialty among the four-way systems was the Target Type, which boasted a long range.
The Target Type, also called the Cross Zone, placed the mage at the intersection of two lines, which could be rapidly rotated to quickly strike a specific target.
But that wasn’t all.
Having entered her final year, Amy chose her major and developed her Target Type into Sniper Mode.
Sniper Mode, where the Spirit Zone took the form of a perfect straight line, was characterized by the mage positioning themselves at the end of the Zone to enhance its range.
This form was called a Directional Zone. While it had the disadvantage of slow rotation, it could achieve a range at least four times longer than the Target Type.
Even if the Zone’s radius was extended to just 500 meters in diameter, it would exceed 1 kilometer in the Target Type. From there, entering Sniper Mode would allow one to strike a target a staggering 4 kilometers away.
Currently, Amy’s basic radius was 68 meters in diameter. Switching to Target Type made it 143 meters, and entering Sniper Mode pushed it past 500 meters.
“Alright, I’ll do it.”
Amy entered her Zone while simultaneously performing a sequence calculation. The four-way system transformed at high speed, and she stood tall as a cross with its axis tilted 90 degrees.
‘Sniper Mode!’
Amy’s Zone began to plunge downward as if pouring out from her. A groan escaped through her clenched teeth.
The longer the Zone, the weaker its durability. It wouldn’t be a problem if there were no obstructions, but her Zone was bending and twisting, unable to get its bearings in the unknown terrain below.
Amy pushed through even more desperately.
And the moment she thought she had finally touched something, her Zone shattered, and her consciousness wavered.
“*Gasp! Gasp!*”
“Amy! Are you okay?”
Shirone rushed to support Amy. Beads of cold sweat had formed on her forehead.
“I’m fine. But this is going to be tough. I broke through to 300 meters, but any deeper is impossible. From that point on, it’s like tossing a thread into the sea; it just floats around.”
Shirone could imagine how powerful the force at play was. Amy’s Zone was by no means weak in durability. For her to compare her Zone to a fragile thread spoke volumes.
“Still, you found out that there’s *something* down there. That alone is amazing.”
“It’s an achievement, I guess. But it’s not enough. Unless it’s someone who can maintain durability while extending their Zone—at least a top-level Zoner—exploring with a Spirit Zone will be impossible.”
Shirone felt that without someone of that caliber, they couldn’t even dream of exploring the depths of the ruins.
“I should have told my brother Ares about this. The exploration team he’s on would have a Zoner capable of exploring this place.”
“Or we could ask Ms. Etella.”
Etella, true to her clerical training, was a Zoner who specialized in durability. She would be the perfect person to explore this kind of terrain.
“Ms. Etella might be able to do it. I don’t know how deep it is, but she could easily break through to the point I reached.”
Rian chimed in.
“But if that’s the case, we wouldn’t need to investigate it ourselves, right? I heard the Headmaster gave you a hint. Doesn’t that imply he wants you to find out on your own?”
Shirone and Amy looked at each other and fell silent. Sometimes, when focusing only on efficiency, they would lose sight of the meaning behind their actions.
Amy admitted it honestly.
“Rian’s right. But it’s such a waste. If we can just get through here, we won’t even need to investigate the ruins. Why don’t we just keep thinking in this direction?”
Shirone understood Amy’s feelings. They had set out on this journey to find a hint about Miro, not to play explorer in some ruins.
“For now, let’s consider all our options. It’s not something we can do right away. Now that this has happened, I’m even more curious. I don’t think I’ll be satisfied until I see it with my own eyes.”
Leaving behind a vague image of what lay underground, Shirone’s group continued their exploration.
But the Kergo Ruins were truly nothing more than a common tourist spot.
As if mocking their serious investigation, men chatted idly, and children ran around spinning pinwheels.
“Amy, we are trying hard, right?”
“Don’t ask. I’m feeling pretty pathetic myself right now.”
After touring the final route to the central temple, the group finally halted their investigation. They couldn’t find a single unusual thing in the surface ruins.
“I don’t get it. The Headmaster said we’d know if we came here. But what does a thousands-of-years-old ruin have to do with Miro?”
“In any case, it’s clear there’s something underground. Don’t you think our only option is to explore it with a Spirit Zone?”
Rian’s eyes lit up as if he’d had an idea.
“I have a great idea. If we can’t break through with a Spirit Zone, why don’t we just dig our way in? We’re bound to find something, right?”
Shirone and Amy stared at Rian with incredulous expressions before continuing their conversation.
“What about making contact with the natives? Since they live with the locals, there must be some who can speak the common tongue.”
“Hmm, you’re right. But I doubt people like that would know anything important. We should probably get an interpreter…”
Rian shouted, feeling wronged.
“Hey! Why aren’t you answering me? I said let’s dig!”
Tess interjected.
“You idiot, even the autonomous government can’t touch these ruins. How do you plan on sticking a shovel in the ground? If you did that, you’d get a heavy sentence for damaging cultural heritage.”
After chiding Rian, she turned to Shirone.
“So what now?”
“I don’t know. Questioning people seems like the best bet, but that’ll be difficult right now. We need to find an interpreter and get a permit to enter the indigenous autonomous district.”
“Really? In that case, I have a method we can try right away. Want to hear it?”
“Oh, really? Tell me! What is it?”
Rian, not wanting to be embarrassed alone, made a sour face and said.
“Don’t tell me you’re suggesting we dig in secret?”
Tess desperately suppressed her anger and continued.
“…Anyway. Here’s what I was thinking. While you guys were focused on the ruins, I was looking around at other things. And I noticed something peculiar.”
“Peculiar? What is it?”
Tess’s gaze swept over the surrounding scenery.
“Look closely at the people. Most of them are tourists, but some aren’t. They move in groups, they’re armed, and they don’t seem very interested in the ruins.”
The three of them looked around. It was true. There weren’t many, but there were definitely armed individuals wandering about.
“Aha! I see!”
“Exactly, they’re mercenaries. Why would mercenaries be wandering around a tourist attraction? Some of them look quite strong. It means there’s something to these ruins.”
“And the mercenaries know what it is?”
“That’s it. Contacting the natives will take time, and they might not even talk. But mercenaries are different. The very fact that they’re here means they know something.”
Shirone was impressed by Tess’s sharp eye. While everyone else was focused on the ruins, she alone had been observing the external situation.
Knowing Tess’s background, it was to be expected. The Eljain family had historically produced numerous commanders and diplomats. But their true strength lay elsewhere.
Spies.
Of course, from an enemy nation’s perspective, they were spies, but the intelligence they sent back after infiltrating various countries around the world made a massive contribution to the Tormia Kingdom’s diplomatic strategy.
‘That’s a good idea. No, for now, it’s the only idea.’
Shirone decided to adopt Tess’s strategy.
“Alright. So, should we start tailing the mercenaries now?”
“Tailing them? Hmm, I’m not confident, honestly. If a high-level mercenary catches us, it’ll be a headache. Especially if they have a sensory-type Schema, we’re bound to get caught. If I were to tail them alone, I might manage, but…”
“So that’s a problem. I don’t even know how to hide my presence. What should we do then?”
“Hehe, do we really need to go looking for them? Isn’t there a place just crawling with mercenaries?”
“Huh? There is? Where?”
Tess winked and pointed somewhere.
“How about a drink?”
* * *
Along the southwestern inner wall of the ruins, a series of shops made from plank houses stood in a row.
There was a restaurant, a bar, and a grocery store. Although shabby compared to regular shops, they did much better business.
Despite being inside the ruins and having high prices, people flocked to them for the sheer convenience.
Shirone’s group entered the bar. They wondered how many people would be drinking in broad daylight, but all but two tables were occupied.
The group chose a corner. Amy sat next to Shirone, and across from them sat Rian and Tess.
“Are you going to drink?”
“I guess we have to order something, since it’s a bar. But let’s focus on the food. It’s better to have lunch here.”
Tess placed their order. The traditional liquor of Galliant Island arrived, along with hot noodles and minced meat.
The four, who had eaten a light breakfast, paused their conversation and focused on eating.
Just then, a chuckling sound came from the side. At first, they tried to ignore it, but the irritating snickering continued, and they couldn’t help but get annoyed.