Chapter 81: Entry
Chapter 81: Entry
Marbas stroked the surface of the castle with an expression of rapture.
"I am glad it seems to please you."
"Satisfied? That word hardly does it justice."
He sniffed it, pressed an ear against it to listen, and even licked it to taste it.
Eugene recalled something Marbas had said before.
-Ever since I became a summoner, I've always sensed the Wandering Castle's presence. It felt like it was constantly sending me letters.
Marbas trembled at the energy emanating from the castle, the power of hell he had spent a lifetime trying to distance himself from, yet he could not quell his thirst for knowledge.
Now and then, whatever he sensed made him recoil with a start. But an instant later he clung to the castle again, as if drawn by a magnet.
"Mages, honestly."
Passing knights frowned at the sight, which seemed to verge on madness.
The guards privately agreed. They had grown so accustomed to the dignified Varda that they had nearly forgotten—those who wielded magic were never entirely in their right minds.
"Marbas-nim."
"What is it?"
"I'm only saying this in case it gives you some peace of mind."
To Eugene's eyes, Marbas looked like a man whose arms were seized by terror on one side and curiosity on the other. It was almost pitiful, the way he was stretched taut as a rope in a tug-of-war.
"If anything goes wrong while you're investigating, call me anytime. I'll come running and wash it away for you, whether it's heat or cold."
"...Ho ho ho."
Marbas paused for a moment, then laughed.
"That's reassuring. Thank you. I think I got a little too excited."
Had Eugene's words helped him regain a little composure?
The summoner's vaguely frightening air disappeared, and his usual kindly expression returned.
Varda's return took several more hours.
She looked somewhat tired, as if she had used a major spell. The mercenary accompanying her carried empty reagent vials and spent scrolls.
"What kind of magic did you use?"
"Among forest magic, there's a spell that detects heat through objects. It's used to find pests hidden beneath trees or crops."
'So it detects infrared.'
It could even see through objects. Magic really was incredible.
"Isn't scanning a castle that size pushing yourself too hard?"
"I thought it was the most urgent information."
"That's true."
Duke Ismar and the other vassal nobles wanted to know what was inside the castle.
For now, with it sealed off on all sides, it was merely a mysterious relic. But there was no telling what might be lurking inside.
In the worst case, the castle gates could suddenly open and monsters could come pouring out.
"And what did you find?"
"The entire castle reminds me of one enormous fish. The outer wall is its shell facing the cold seawater, while the inside is filled with flesh through which warm blood flows."
Eugene recalled a dream he had once had at the House of Knights—the warmth of the stone walls against his hands and feet.
The castle had even spoken to him, so it would not be strange if it were alive.
"So there's no way to tell what's inside."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."
"Shh... It makes me sad when you say things like that."
Eugene held out his arms to help Varda down from her horse.
-I run through forests. I'm used to moving around and working up a sweat. I can handle it myself, so there's no need to wait on me like I'm your liege.
Early in the journey, Varda had hopped on and off her horse as lightly as a ballet dancer.
But these days, she demurely drew her legs together and waited for Eugene to help her down. They had both come to want it that way.
Several days later, Eugene joined the investigation as well.
He was no proper mage, so he had his limitations, but he possessed something special: the key he had received from Decimus, the guardian of the ancient ruins.
The express delivery North Fork had sent after receiving his carrier pigeon had finally arrived.
Brrrrr.
The key in Eugene's hand resonated as they approached the Wandering Castle. Varda's golden eyes gleamed with interest.
"I can feel the mystery flowing from the castle connecting with the key. The Summoner would probably want to see this too."
"I felt bad waking him."
Marbas was sleeping soundly in a nearby tent.
"He was investigating the castle until late at night. He said there were mysteries you could only see after sunset."
The mysterious connection to the key led the group to a certain spot on the Wandering Castle.
Hummm.
The farther they followed the flow, the stronger the key vibrated.
"Here it is."
At last they reached their destination: an unremarkable spot on the outer wall.
"I don't see anything that could be called a door."
"Should we look for somewhere to insert the key?"
At Eugene's nod, the guards spread out.
FLASH!
At that moment, the key burst into brilliant light, as if relieved that all those annoying foreign objects had finally fallen away.
"Huh?"
"S-Sir Knight?"
When the mercenaries who had spread out to search the outer wall turned around in shock, it was already too late.
Eugene, Varda, and Homi had all vanished. Only their warhorses remained behind.
Prrr—?
NEIGH!
The horses whickered in alarm at the sudden disappearance of their riders' weight.
Clop, clop.
They nosed at each other's stirrups and glanced about, but for all their admirable effort, they could find nothing.
Naturally, Eugene was far more startled. In a single instant, everything—the scenery, the temperature, even the smell—had changed.
The bright spring outdoors vanished, replaced by a broad corridor enclosed on all sides.
It looked exactly like the corridor from his dream—the interior of a spacious, luxurious stone building.
The only difference was that this time he was clothed and equipped, and he was not alone.
"That key..."
Varda pointed at Eugene's palm.
The key, which had lost its luster, was crumbling away like ash.
"Looks like it was disposable."
"It wasn't meant to be inserted and turned. I think the key itself was a teleportation device."
While the two mages calmly analyzed the mystery they had just experienced, Homi stood frozen stiff.
She had a human body and intellect, but her senses were extremely close to those of a wild animal.
Not a single familiar scent reached her, and danger signals she had never encountered before were assaulting every one of her senses.
"Homi?"
Her tail stood rigid at an angle, every hair bristling.
Eugene had seen her like this only once before—when Homi, still a child, had gotten lost alone in the mountains at night and cried.
Eugene firmly clasped Homi's hand.
"Hk!"
"Calm down. As long as I'm here, nothing will hurt you."
Squeeze.
Varda took her other hand.
The warmth of the two people she trusted most in the world, their affection flowing through their interlaced hands, calmed her heart.
"Magical lighting. It's incredibly precious, yet they've installed so much of it."
Though the corridor was sealed, transparent glass tubes overhead emitted light that drove back the darkness.
"It's been a long time since I've seen daylight-colored light."
"'Daylight color'?"
"I mean clean white, not the yellowish-red of a campfire or torch."
"It's light you can get only from the sun or magic. In darkness, it's a luxury even a king would struggle to enjoy."
"And they've plastered the whole place with that luxury."
Eugene looked over the glass tubes lighting the entire long corridor.
"You can tell a lot from one detail. I can't imagine how much wealth went into this castle..."
"They even had a civil war while building it."
It was around then that Homi released both their hands.
"Are you okay now?"
Homi nodded twice.
A squire could not become a burden to her knight in an emergency.
Homi drew the air deep into her lungs and focused her attention on assessing her surroundings.
Her lord had nothing to fear in a fight, so all she needed to do was serve as his eyes and nose.
"The air seems clean."
Even though the place seemed sealed, the air was fresh and free of even a speck of dust, as if it were constantly being circulated and purified.
Varda smiled at the sight of the knight surveying his surroundings with keen interest.
"I knew you had nerves of steel, but I didn't expect you not to bat an eye."
"I've been here before, though not in reality."
"In that dream at the House of Knights?"
"Yes."
Eugene clenched a fist and tapped his breastplate, then his sword hilt.
"Back then, I was naked and bare-handed. What do I have to fear now?"
A knight was the kind of creature whose courage shot through the roof the moment he had a decent weapon in hand.
CRACKLE!
In that instant the corridor's lights wavered.
A group of undead soldiers appeared around the corner and advanced toward Eugene's party.
"They're quick. They've already noticed the intruders."
They exuded a malevolent aura, but they were different from wights. The soldiers wore the dress of the ancient kingdom, yet had neither flesh nor bone. All that filled their armor was a black, wavering haze.
Yet they leveled their weapons and radiated unmistakable hostility.
"Living armor. Beings created when a mage's magic or a vengeful spirit inhabits a piece of equipment."
"This time, it must be the latter."
"Yes. This place is both a fortress and a spiritual prison. The mana flowing through it is collected without any waste. It's no surprise the souls couldn't escape."
That meant that if Eugene and the others died here, they could end up much like those suits of living armor.
CRACKLE.
The magic lights flickered in time with the living armor advancing in formation.
"They seem to sustain themselves by absorbing the surrounding mana. That must be why the lights are unstable."
"This much light is enough. Homi, take care of Varda-nim."
Eugene drew Last Autumn and stepped in front of them. Its silver blade looked unusually radiant.
"Why does it feel different from usual?"
"This place is saturated with mana. The Etherje blade seems to be affected by it too."
Eugene leveled his sword at the living armor.
CLANK.
Was it because its demon-breaking power had grown stronger? The creatures convulsed for an instant, as if they could already feel the magic composing them unraveling.
Rex, having finished his report at the tribal council, flew into a rage the moment he arrived in Rostock.
"What the hell were you doing guarding him?!"
"We're sorry."
The tribal warriors dared not raise their heads.
-The sole salvation lies within the cradle. Seek the greatest knight. By him shall the custom of hospitality be upheld.
He had proven himself by felling countless mighty foes, possessed the key that led to the castle, and had even dreamed of being invited within. And at last the Wandering Castle had manifested.
With every piece of the prophecy assembled, disaster had struck. The circumstances suggested that Eugene had been drawn into the castle, whether by his own will or another's.
No matter how formidable a knight, entering that vast unknown place without an army was far too perilous.
"How many supplies did he have with him?"
"Nothing besides his personal equipment."
"Damn it."
Eugene had grown accustomed to the dark elves' nomadic culture while traveling with them.
He normally kept emergency rations and a full waterskin for emergencies, but they were tied to his saddle.
It was an immense relief that he at least had his armor on and the Etherje sword in hand. He could cut down monsters and ghosts with equal ease.
"Having the mage and the squire with him is some comfort, but without supplies..."
Rex bit his lip.
The two women were certainly powerful fighters, but without food and water, they could become burdens instead.
"Opening the gate?"
"We tried, but failed."
Other survey parties and mages had already tried every means to enter.
-It's an ancient work. There's no way to open it from the outside.
As the dwarf noble who had come to look had said, the tightly shut gate did not budge.
A battering ram—or even a boulder hurled from a catapult—would have trouble leaving a scratch.
"Set up camps in a ring around the castle. Watch every spot that looks like a balcony or window. Someone inside might try to signal us."
Eugene's mercenaries and Marbas joined in as well.
"I'll speak to Duke Ismar and the guards maintaining the cordon."
"Please do, Summoner."
THUD!
Eugene watched the last of the living armor collapse and inspected his blade.
"Are you all right?"
"No problem. The edge doesn't get damaged even if I use it more roughly."
"I meant you, not the sword."
"I didn't take a single hit, so don't worry."
Even after single-handedly defeating dozens of living armors, Eugene was not even out of breath.
The corridor was wide enough that a few slipped past him, but Homi's kicks sent every one of them flying.
"They were easy once I got the hang of it."
At first he had crudely hacked them apart, but he soon realized there was no need.
Simply passing the Etherje blade through the black haze purified the resentment inhabiting the armor.
-!!!
After that, Eugene gripped his sword in both hands and used nothing but rapid thrusts, darting in and out.
THUNK!
A hole punched through the armor.
SWISH!
Or the blade slipped smoothly through a gap in the armor.
Either way, the living armor, stripped of its spiritual energy, collapsed into a mere heap of scrap upon the floor.
"We should start looking for somewhere to stay. It feels like it must be night by now."
Even Eugene needed rest. He could not sleep in an exposed corridor like this, so they needed somewhere safe.
But at the four-way intersection, he had no idea which direction to take.
CRACKLE.
The line of magic lamps along one side of the corridor flashed violently, then began to go dark, starting from the farthest end.
CLANK!
THUD! THUD!
New presences approached from the darkened far side. Their sound and presence were altogether different from the living armor soldiers moments before.
"Damn."
The moment Eugene cursed, a whisper reached the group's ears.
[Follow my guidance.]
"...!"
Varda and Homi looked around in surprise.
Eugene, by contrast, remained composed. He had heard that voice once before.
It was the voice that had told him to sit on the throne and begged him not to leave.
A line of magical energy appeared on the corridor floor, trying to guide Eugene like a signpost.
"It might be a trap laid by some malevolent spirit. This is a place where all manner of things can appear."
"Probably not."
Eugene remembered the desperation in the voice begging him not to leave in his dream. At the very least, he believed it did not want him to die here.
"If we have to move with danger on every side, I'd rather take the path I know something about."
"As you wish."
At the authority in the knight's voice, Varda and Homi obediently followed. Eugene was their leader, after all.
Even as he followed the magical guide along the floor, Eugene kept his senses sharpened for an ambush.
But the magical trail ended at a wall. Eugene, who had expected some kind of solid door, was momentarily confused.
'Was it a spirit's prank, like Varda-nim said?'
RUMBLE.
Thankfully, as though to reassure him, the wall began to move of its own accord.
"A stone door disguised as a wall. Well, I suppose it's not strange for something like this to exist."
Varda, who had seen many castles, nodded. Most castles had at least a few secret passages known only to their lords.
Considering how chaotic the final years of the ancient kingdom had been, it would not be strange for places like this to be scattered throughout the castle.
As the stone door opened, a refreshing scent wafted out.
THUD!
After the three stepped inside, the stone door closed again.
[Here, you are safe.]
A second whisper reached them, more cautious than the one in the dream.
The scent of grass and the sound of running water greeted them. A small, beautiful artificial garden spread out before the group.
Unlike the corridor, where a faint hostility seemed to lurk in the silence all around them, this place was filled with pleasant sounds and peace.