Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Imperial Tomb
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CLANG!
I had riddled the floor with holes, but the imperial family’s secret tomb was nowhere to be found.
"I’m sure this is the only place. This is strange."
If there was a space in the dormitory that had yet to be found, it had to be beneath this dark, shaded room.
The floor here was lower than in the other rooms.
So much so that it felt like a semi-basement.
"No, am I missing something?"
The plan had been perfect.
I had slipped away using the chaos of the festival and arrived at the planned location undetected.
But finding the secret space was proving to be a challenge.
I scratched the back of my head with the pickaxe blade, lost in thought, but the answer didn't come easily.
'Hanging around like this is useless. If I want the treasure, I have to work for it.'
I shot to my feet and surveyed my old room with determined eyes.
The furniture inside was expensive, but it was a semi-basement so terribly damp that mold was growing.
The face of the damn director who gave me this crappy place suddenly came to mind.
"Ugh! That evil bastard, sticking this great man in a gloomy room? Screw him!"
I swung the pickaxe as if his face were drawn on the wall.
THUD! CRUMBLE!
But this time, a dull thud, completely different from before, echoed out.
Moreover, the shape of the crumbling stone was unusual.
Looking closely, I saw a small hole at the center of the mark left by the pickaxe.
'Th-this is it!'
I was about to let out a cheer but hastily froze.
Step! Step!
The faint sound of footsteps came from beyond the door.
'Who is it? The festival should be in full swing. What are they doing here?'
This semi-basement room in the northeast wing of the old dormitory was famous for being unfrequented.
Whoever it was must have come here with a clear purpose.
Bringing my eye close to the crack in the door, I saw the silhouette of someone loitering in the hallway.
I swallowed my tension and focused on the person's face.
'Huh? That guy is…!'
To my surprise, the person who appeared in the semi-basement hallway was Frantz.
What reason would the Second Prince, who should be busy preparing for the beauty pageant, have for showing up in a place like this?
Unconsciously realizing his intention, a menacing glint entered my eyes.
'You're here for the treasure too, huh? Fine. Just try coming in here. I'll smash your head… Ah, is that too harsh?'
If I struck him with this large pickaxe, even a blockhead like him would die instantly.
I discreetly shifted my grip on the handle.
If I hit him with the shaft, at least he wouldn't die on the spot.
Step! Step!
Just as I expected, Frantz walked toward my gloomy room.
It seemed he had found this place suspicious as well.
But just as he was about to grab the doorknob…
"Interesting. I thought you weren't very interested in things like treasure."
"Hmm…"
Hearing a clear voice from the other end of the hallway, the Second Prince grunted and turned around.
The figure that emerged from the darkness wore a smooth, slick smile.
"Ellington, what are you doing here?"
"And what about you, brother? You said you weren't interested before."
"I just came out of curiosity."
"Not because you obtained some reliable information?"
"Don't jump to conclusions. Since you're here, you won't be able to avoid the same question."
"I'll just be honest. I came to find the treasure. Is there a problem?"
"You clever bastard. I can't deny it now."
Shaking his head, Frantz walked to the middle of the hallway.
With a powerful competitor nearby, the search was as good as over.
'I can't just do all the work for someone else to benefit. So both of you, get lost!'
I inwardly shouted as I watched the princes glare at each other.
"Besides, isn't this place a bit too obvious? Do you really think they would hide it in such an easy location?"
"Probably not. Well, it's not like there's anything here anyway."
At the Third Prince's provocative words, the Second Prince showed his displeasure and left the hallway.
He had realized that lingering here was pointless.
But Ellington remained standing, silently staring at the gloomy room.
'Hey, hey, hurry up and disappear.'
I watched the Third Prince, not letting my guard down.
He could have chased Frantz away with his words only to sneakily rush in and start searching himself.
I gripped the pickaxe handle tightly, but thankfully, I didn't have to swing it.
Soon, Ellington also vanished from the semi-basement hallway.
"Phew! I thought I was caught. I'm running out of time."
Letting out a sigh of relief, I put down the pickaxe.
It seemed I couldn't just continue working like this.
I blocked the entrance with wooden planks and stones.
Now, no one could get inside without smashing the door down.
"I can't let the imperial family's treasure be stolen."
Of course, the imperial treasure wasn't mine to begin with, so "stolen" wasn't quite the right word.
'Who cares? With things like this, it's finders keepers.'
CLANG!
As the pickaxe struck the wall, the small hole gradually grew larger.
With each strike, my anticipation swelled.
Eventually, I managed to create a passage just large enough for one person to squeeze through.
"Yes!"
Exclaiming triumphantly, I pushed my body into the hole, and sure enough, there was a space leading underground.
I pushed the light artifacts I had prepared inside.
Thump! Thud!
The three light sources fell to the floor, brightly illuminating a cavern of immense size.
Surprisingly, there was a gap of about ten meters between the old dormitory building and the underground space.
It was a place that was impossible to reach without going through this secret passage.
"No wonder digging was useless."
It would have taken decades to break through the solid stone floor to get down here.
For a moment, I felt foolish for all the pickaxing I had just done.
Thwip!
I landed on the floor after descending a rope and looked around with a triumphant expression.
"Well, I did it in the end. Doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you reach the destination, right?"
There was no need to be discouraged just because I had to struggle a bit.
Don't they say the power of positivity is infinite?
I placed the light artifacts around, illuminating the entire cavern.
Then, the secret of the Vertos Imperial Family, hidden for a thousand years, was revealed.
"Oh…"
A gasp of pure admiration escaped my lips.
Honestly, for an imperial tomb hidden beneath a dormitory, I had been expecting something small.
"I was expecting a box or two of gold and jewels… but this is quite something, isn't it?"
I narrowed my eyes, stroking a non-existent beard.
The scale of the underground space was far greater than I had imagined, and it held incredible historical value.
The spot where I had landed was the entrance to the cavern.
A little further in, hundreds of statues stood in rows.
Each one was so exquisitely crafted it looked alive, and their condition was perfect.
The statues were all in the form of knights, their plate armor rendered with intricate detail.
'If I just dust these off, I could sell them as is.'
Even Governor Felix of Everdeen, who possessed the Tome of Wisdom, would come running with bloodshot eyes.
He'd probably tell me to take all his gold on the spot.
Of course, getting these things outside would be difficult, but what couldn't be done for money?
I took a careful step forward, contemplating the value of the statues.
Swoosh! Thud.
But no trap was triggered.
In the Tomb of the Bronze King, I went through hell clearing the dungeon, but it seemed like that wouldn't happen here.
"It's this lax?"
I wandered freely among the statues, and it really seemed like there was nothing there.
I laughed in disbelief and continued deeper into the cavern.
But I didn't let my guard down completely.
Danger always strikes when you least expect it.
"What's that?"
As I was heading deeper inside, I suddenly stopped.
Something shiny had caught my eye.
On a high altar behind the statues, a single sword floated in mid-air.
It was constantly emitting a powerful resonance.
Wuuuuung!
'Oh… What is this? The atmosphere is no joke.'
The jet-black blade emanated a vicious sharpness.
Moreover, shrouded in a dark aura, it looked as if it were heralding death.
I thought that if a demonic sword truly existed, it would probably look like this.
As if possessed, I approached the altar and examined the sword.
But I couldn't touch it directly.
"It's surrounded by a three-dimensional magic circle. This is on the level of imprisoning a demon god."
The seal surrounding the sword wasn't just one or two layers.
Tiiing!
When I channeled a bit of mana toward it, a strong repulsive force shot out.
If I had reached out without thinking, my body would have been turned to dust.
'There must be hundreds of them. How long would it take to break through all of them?'
Members of the Riverune family knew how to handle mana and could cast basic spells.
Of course, not being true mages, they weren't skilled at things like dispelling magic circles.
But that didn't mean it was impossible.
It would just take a long time.
"The problem is, there's probably a restoration magic circle installed here."
Even if I managed to break one, while I was working on another, the previously destroyed magic circle would likely restore itself.
Then all my effort would be for nothing.
'Ah, that's a shame. I'll just skip this one.'
I gazed at the sword with a regretful expression, then gave a slight shake of my head.
Of course! A man overflowing with charisma knows when to give up.
I praised myself inwardly and turned to leave.
The imperial treasure wasn't just this sword.
I planned to secure the other items first.
As I was about to descend from the altar, I noticed something seriously different from before.
"Wait, why are these things looking at me?"