Chapter 164

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 164

Chapter Title: Alcatron, the Prison

-----------------------------------------------------------------

All eyes in the carriage turned to Mael.

"Is that... really true?"

"How could you know that right now...?"

"......"

Innocently asking questions was one thing for Chameli, but in this situation, the one who needed that information most was Prannan.

Mael seemed aware of it too, looking straight at Prannan as he spoke.

"Um... Your Holiness. Do you remember that I'm affiliated with the Relic Society?"

"Of course. If you weren't, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Why do you ask?"

"The Relic Society collects all sorts of records. Zodiac may be the ultimate repository of knowledge, but we have our own vast archives that are no slouch."

"And that ancient text came from there?"

"Yes."

"Here... take a look at this document."

Prannan took the thick sheet of paper, his face puzzled.

"Hm? The Relic Society had records like this?"

"To gather everything on Alcatron, I scoured their library day and night. Among them were quite a few ancient texts whose contents we couldn't decipher. This is one of them."

"Couldn't decipher the contents... Why not?"

"There are several reasons. Texts created for religious purposes are often incredibly obscure. Most fall into that category. They're usually filled with nonsensical sentences and languages that don't match up, rendering them worthless."

"Any other reasons?"

"Well... there are a few more, but in this book's case, there's no matching language at all."

"Hmm... So it exists, but we can't read it?"

"Exactly!"

The two exchanged words that were somewhere between understanding and confusion.

With Prannan's immense scholarly achievements and Mael's knowledge so profound it made one wonder where it ended, the rest of the group simply listened in silence.

"Probably a language so ancient it's been lost."

"What if it's just a regional dialect that's vanished?"

"That's possible too."

Kang Seol glanced casually at the book and asked the twin knights in his shadow space.

'Is that Montora's language?'

The response that came was nothing like what he'd hoped.

'Hm...'

Mael pointed out more suspicious details.

"And the paper's material... doesn't it feel off?"

"You're right. It's a texture I've never felt before. Do you know what it is?"

"Even the Relic Society couldn't figure it out after exhaustive efforts. But... we did discover one thing here."

What Mael showed was a drawing on the paper.

"Is that Alcatron?"

"Yes. One of the illustrations from the excavation site."

"Hm, there's a similar drawing in the book."

"Exactly. Given that they're engraved in front of each sealed room, we assume they indicate the room's purpose."

"But this..."

"Yes. The way the book explains the symbols in a structured format, combined with how they're mixed and matched on Alcatron's doors. Doesn't it look just like... the numbers we use?"

"That's a solid theory. Numbers in front of rooms... and they're sealed?"

Chameli, Kang Seol, Jamad, and Prannan exchanged glances simultaneously.

"A... prison?"

"Can't think of anything else."

"Alcatron could be a prison holding something back..."

"Ugh... The more we learn, the less sense it makes. Even if we know it's a prison, confirming it won't be easy."

"Here... I brought this along."

Mael pulled out something he'd kept tightly wrapped in his bundle.

Squeak... squeak...

It was a monkey in a cage ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a birdcage.

Prannan's expression hardened for a moment.

"Not your average monkey... Don't tell me it's what I think it is?"

Mael grinned.

"Correct. It's an Indulger."

"Impossible... Indulgers are rare even in the Relic Society's collection."

The Indulger—a rare creature Kang Seol was familiar with.

'The Relic Society sent an Indulger?'

Chameli poked Mael's side teasingly.

"Oof... My side's a weak spot."

"S-sorry!"

She'd been wary of the troll when they first met in human society not long ago, but they'd grown close in no time.

"So, what's an Indulger?"

"You don't know, Parish Priest?"

"No, the Relic Society and parish operations don't overlap much..."

"An Indulger is a thinking monkey."

"That's it?"

"If that were all, it wouldn't have a name. Their learning speed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is astonishing. Toss them any material with knowledge, and they absorb it at an incredible pace."

"Oh..."

Squeak... squeak...

The Indulger crunched on the fruit Mael handed it.

"...But why can't it talk?"

"When interest fades, it buries everything in the back of its memory and reverts to a normal monkey."

"What... that's..."

"That's how it can crave new things. You have to empty yourself to fill up again."

Everyone chuckled softly at the monk-like wisdom.

Prannan asked,

"But did the Relic Society really assign you an Indulger too?"

"Yes. Less because of my position and more because they're obsessed with Alcatron itself."

"Those guys would drop their pants at the word 'ancient.' Anyway, has it done anything impressive?"

"No reaction to the records I gave it or other ancient texts, but it responded to one I picked up personally."

"...Personally?"

Thud.

Mael pulled out something else.

"Ugh... What book smells like this?"

Chameli pinched her nose.

"Haha... Bear with it just a bit."

Prannan asked,

"What is that?"

"An old tome from the last excavation. It was just lying there at the site. Written in an unknown language, so I desperately needed the Indulger's help."

"And? Did it work?"

"...Kikiya, what does it say there?"

The monkey stared at the book for a moment, then spoke in human tongue.

"The monkey's t-talking!"

"Quiet..."

"Mmph..."

The Indulger continued.

"This... matches the Relic Society's records exactly."

"Yes. The origin of the name Alcatron started when the excavation team there called it that."

"You don't mean... someone reached Alcatron before the Relic Society?"

"The Indulger will reveal that next..."

That was when it happened.

Screeech...

The carriage procession suddenly halted.

"What's going on?"

"Well..."

As the coachman hesitated without answering, the group stepped outside.

Traces of a campsite, a campfire still warm.

Items scattered haphazardly—things that would cause hardship if left behind.

'A campsite?'

Everyone disembarked from the carriages.

"This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is Alcatron."

"No way... The entrance is gone?"

"Where's the rest of the group? This campsite suggests the bypass team arrived before us."

Prannan slowly stroked his chin, then chuckled softly.

"No need to set up camp from scratch, then. Some of you scout the area, others rest as needed."

"Yes, sir!"

The camp was already well-prepared, so no extra work was required.

If the original occupants returned, they could expand it or plan entry into Alcatron then.

'But... Alcatron vanished?'

Kang Seol knew little about Alcatron in detail.

Just like most in this expedition.

"The entrance disappeared?"

Sato mumbled, but assuming it had collapsed made no sense—yet nothing else explained it.

As everyone racked their brains over the bizarre event, someone shouted.

"A person! There's someone here!"

"It's the Scales mage! The one who went the bypass route!"

"Where?!"

People rushed to him.

The man lay drenched in sweat.

Prannan asked him,

"Yoram, is that you?"

"P-Prannan... sir..."

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Mild exhaustion... I'll recover soon."

"Good thing you call it mild yourself. What happened here?"

"It's... hard to explain..."

The mage named Yoram struggled to speak.

"We arrived here exactly three days ago."

Three days ago.

Yopimba yawned widely as he spoke.

"No way, right?"

"We went through hell to get here, and this is what we find?"

"Exactly... I'm racking my brain too. What the hell? The entrance vanished."

"Hmmm... Is this even the right place?"

"Positive. Excavation marks everywhere. What in the world?"

Alcatron's entrance had disappeared.

Was this even possible?

Yopimba's face grew serious.

'Then where the hell did that old Scales coot go?'

Searching for Scales was an issue, but Alcatron—the site the Relic Society had fully excavated—vanishing entirely threw Yopimba into chaos.

"The ruin's gone..."

"What now? Abandon the search?"

"Will we get paid properly?"

The murmurs grew.

"Set up camp first and wait for His Holiness to decide. He's the one calling the shots anyway."

"Yeah. But what about that Yoram mage?"

"Mage Tower folks are handling him, so don't worry. Even if something goes wrong, it's not on us."

"Pushed too hard? Mages always have crap stamina."

They passed the night without incident. But the next day, trouble brewed.

"...People are missing?"

"Yes, even some night watch."

"No way..."

Yopimba and the mercenary captains responded by doubling the watch. But that was a mistake.

By the next day, when even more had vanished, it was too late.

"Damn it! What the hell is happening?!"

"What do we do?"

"Nobody sleep! Something's happening at night for sure!"

Time snapped back to the present as Prannan asked,

"Yoram, so what happened?"

"Everyone... headed there like they were entranced. I tried to stop them, but..."

"There? You don't mean..."

Yoram nodded weakly.

"Yes... Alcatron. The ruin didn't vanish. It appears at night. And it opens its maw, luring people in. Everyone... went there."

"......So we wait for nightfall. Yoram, can you recover by then?"

"The pilgrims cared for me, so I'll be ready soon."

"Good."

Kang Seol let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

'A ruin that only appears at night?'

Such places existed in Pandea. He'd just never seen one himself, so it was a bit unsettling.

Kang Seol and the group dove into discussion.

"What now? Even if Alcatron appears at night..."

"Any chance the advance scouts come back?"

"Doubt it."

"We've lost half our manpower."

"We can recover inside Alcatron."

"Damn... Tricky situation."

After much deliberation, Prannan spoke meaningfully.

"I'm going in. No point overthinking it."

"Same here. So many brothers headed that way."

"Backing off now would suck."

"Then let's prepare to enter tonight before it's too late."

The meeting ended there.

Kang Seol judged the situation as riding a tiger's back—no turning back.

'Alcatron... what are you hiding? Why did Scales come here?'

He'd come just to settle a debt at first, but the mounting weirdness had him hooked on Alcatron itself.

'Whatever it is, tonight we'll know. What happened to the expedition, and what Alcatron really is.'

The sun dipped low, and the camp sank into pitch darkness.

"Nothing's happening?"

"R-really?"

"Stay alert and don't sleep, everyone."

Quite some time had passed since nightfall.

Contrary to Yoram's words, nothing sudden or strange occurred.

Or so they thought.

Huff... huff...

The torches in the camp began extinguishing one by one.

No wind blew—it happened all too naturally.

"L-look over there!"

"Alcatron! It's Alcatron!"

"The ruin appeared!"

The strangely carved entrance to the ruin emerged.

It led straight underground from the start.

Alcatron had revealed itself, and the group stood before it, laden with their prepared gear.

"Heh... What a memorable twilight adventure this'll be."

"Mael, you nearby?"

"Can't you see me? I'm huge!"

Bitan wriggled from Kang Seol's lantern.

"Don't! I said don't! Someone rein him in!"

Prannan said gravely,

"A few with torches up front, rest stay close! No one knows what'll happen!"

Step... step...

They stepped into Alcatron's maw.

Squeak...

Squeak...

Chameli pinched Mael.

"Wh-what?!"

"Looks like the Indulger translated the next lines."

"Oh? Good..."

"Kikiya, read the next passage?"

The monkey called the Indulger spoke.

"Yes!"

Their expressions darkened at the next passage.

Their footsteps slowly descended into the darkness.