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TL: ALT
Chapter 65 – Day 10 of Exploration
“Does everyone know about the Holy Knights?”
I asked over breakfast about the suspects in the ancient murder case.
“You didn’t know about them?”
Hel asked me.
“I didn’t have much of an education.”
“You didn’t talk to any of the adventurers?”
Jennifer asked me.
“There weren’t many adventurers around.”
When I said that, Chel patted me on the shoulder and said, “I’ll be your friend for two gold coins a day.” For now, I decided to push Chel’s eyeball in with my finger.
“What are you doing? Stop it! You lonely adventurer!”
“Sorry, my body just did it on its own. What should I do, Chel? You don’t seem to feel any guilt.”
“Well, everyone has to learn things for the first time. I think Sylvia can explain the Holy Knight best.”
Sylvia, who had been quiet until then, was surprised when Hel turned to her and said, “M-m-me?”
“That’s right. You’re the descendant of a family saved by a holy knight.”
“I-I-I understand. M-m-my family, that is, my vampire clan, was not treated as human. M-m-my family was treated as demons, as monsters.”
“Discrimination?”
“Y-y-yes, there were demon hunts, and there were many rebellions. Then, a holy knight called for the abolition of discrimination against all races and suppressed the rebellion single-handedly. With holy power.”
“Is there really such a thing as holy power?”
“I don’t know. There was a time when it referred to light magic, but there were also scholars who said it was the power to control the emotions of the masses.”
As always, Hel knows everything.
“Hmm? Does the abolition of discrimination between all races mean that discrimination against elves and demon races is also abolished?”
“It was decided that basic human rights would be equal. That excludes slaves, of course.”
“The elven leaders agreed. However, it was decided that there would be a distinction between the races.”
Jennifer and Hel explained.
“Even the demon tribes?”
“Uh, well, I think the story is different for the demon tribe.”
Chel replied, looking up at the sky and seeming reluctant to say it.
“How is it different?”
“How does it end for the Holy Knights here?”
Chel ignored my question and asked Sylvia.
“H-h-how do things end? I don’t know.”
“How about in the story of the elves?”
“I’d have to look into it to find out, but it’s not something that’s been handed down.”
Hel finished her sandwich and replied while making some bitter tea.
“So the Holy Knights are people from about a thousand years ago, right?”
“That’s what they say.”
“I think the Holy Knights are the ones the Demon King is executing in the dungeon.”
Chel said, giving a thumbs up for some reason. As always, the gestures of the demon tribe are strange.
“Are there records of this?”
“Yes. I read in a book that he came from across the sea to ‘end discrimination,’ but the Demon King of that time executed him in a dungeon. But executing someone in a dungeon is a pretty respectful way to kill them.”
“I see. It takes a lot of courage for a human to go to the Demon King’s country.”
“No, was he human? It wouldn’t be strange if the Demon King got something from him.”
“In the history books of the elves, I heard that the Holy Knight was a mixed-race person…”
“The Church says that they came from a noble family of pure blood.”
“T-t-the birth of great people is told in a way that suits everyone.”
After all, there seem to be different stories, but it is probably true that there was a person who tried to eliminate discrimination called the Holy Knight.
“So it’s possible that such a Holy Knight committed mass murder in the demonic land?”
“At that time, it was not a demonic land, but the magical kingdom of Yggdrasil.”
Hel replied as she drank her tea.
“Oh, I see. If there was so much mass murder in the country, surely someone would have noticed, right?”
“It says in the historical records that people suddenly disappeared in large numbers without warning.”
“That’s right, there was such a description!”
“Did the historians have to turn a blind eye to the crimes of the Holy Knights? Or was there another reason? Hmm…”
“Anyway, since there are ruins, there must have been a road leading to the building, right? Why don’t we try digging through it?”
Jennifer made some tea in a ceramic cup.
“Wait a minute. Did you two make the cups?”
“Yes, we made the plates and cups. Help yourself.”
It seemed that Hel had been using the kiln without my knowledge.
“I can also deliver the healing potion. What do you think?”
It seems that she also made pottery, so she also made healing potions to replace the rent.
“You can sell them after the hut is built. They won’t go bad, will they?”
When I asked, Hel nodded.
“Speaking of which, I heard they were going to build a hut, but is it progressing?”
“If the monsters get in the way, it won’t be just a hut.”
Jennifer and Chel talked as they put the dishes away.
“I-I-I wish there was a bed of sleeping flowers around the hut.”
“Let’s take Sylvia’s nice idea.”
Sylvia gradually became more open and began to express her own opinion.
“All right, Sylvia, you can take care of the hut.”
“Huh? M-m-me?”
“Because you’re the one who had the idea. Get some of the guys who look like they have time to spare and go plant some sleeping flowers around the area where the hut is going to be built. It’s near the entrance, so watch out for any traps.”
“W-w-will do.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”
Sylvia looks a little unhappy when Jennifer calls to her. Jennifer is very particular about details, so working with her can be difficult because she’s always saying this and that.
“Chel.”
“Hmm? Oh, I’ll help too.”
Looking at Jennifer and the others, Chel seemed to have guessed what was going on and stepped in to play the role of mediator.
“Chel-san, please don’t sleep in the flower garden!”
“I’ll try my best~”
While saying this, Chel made a sandwich from the leftovers in her lunch box.
“So, are you going to excavate today, Makyo?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Then I’ll take a break.”
“Well, don’t say that, and come with me.”
“No, I’ve already given you the rent money. Wait! Hey!”
Holding the extra Hel in my hand, I went to the excavation site.
The buried human bones were covered with large butterbur leaves to protect them from rain and wind.
“Whenever I come to an archaeological site, I can’t help but feel the urge to dig.”
Although she says she wants to rest, Hel’s motivation to excavate the ruins is strong.
“Shall we examine the burial offerings today?”
“No, I want to look for a road to the south.”
“There is only desert to the south.”
“That’s why. If the giant magical beast had been appearing for a thousand years, I thought there might be a shelter in the desert. On the other hand, if there is no way to the south, the reason why the magic country of Yggdrasil was destroyed might have something to do with the giant magical beast, right?”
“I see. Let’s check it out. But, Makyo, if you have too many prejudices, you might distort the facts and chase after illusions. That’s how I wasted a lot of time.”
It seems that the elf scholar has made mistakes before.
“It can happen. No, excavating ruins is important, but I was wondering if we could borrow some wisdom from our predecessors.”
“So that’s what you want. That’s so typical of you.”
Saying this, she took a red, narrow petal from her robe and said, “I wonder if I have it.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
“What are you doing?”
I asked Hel who was heading for the tomb where the human bones were buried.
“You need a guide, don’t you?”
Hel scattered the petal and muttered an incantation.
“What kind of flower is it?”
“Licorice radiata. It’s a poisonous plant the dwarves call the red spider lily.”
“Does it have any significance?”
“It’s a flower that’s put into the ground when someone is buried to keep insects away and animals from digging them up. The spirit of the person has already found peace, but the spirit of the animal that was kept as a pet can’t find peace so easily.”
As Hel explained, the trees around us began to sway strangely.
“Look, it’s come. It can’t stand not being able to smell its master, can it?”
The spirit of the dog stood facing us to the south of the ruins. A red light shone from its eyes, and a magic stone was embedded in its chest where its heart used to be. It was a monster called the Ghost Dog.
“Hey, stop it. I’m not good with ghost-type monsters.”
“Do you think bones that aren’t even buried can last for 1000 years? You’ll just have to get used to it.”
I looked at the approaching Ghost Dog and suppressed my disgust.
Hel cast a spiritualism spell on the Ghost Dog, but it was easily blocked.
“Makyo! Throw it a small monster!”
“Huh? What?”
As I was told, I grabbed a small monster about the size of a kitten, called the Big Rat, that was trying to run away at my feet and threw it at the Ghost Dog.
The Ghost Dog caught the Big Rat in its mouth and turned to run.
“Even if they don’t have a physical form, they can still eat monsters?”
“They can be touched, they make noise, and they smell. Ghost-type monsters just don’t have a physical form. Let’s go after them!”
Hel ran after the Ghost Dog. I followed behind.
The Ghost Dog, which has no substance, also passes through the area where the sleeping flowers grow. It burns the sleeping flowers with its fire wand to make a path for us to follow.
A Green Tiger and a Golden Bat attack us from the forest, but I can handle the monsters with substance. I easily hit the Treant and the plants that shoot mucus.
The monster’s blood splattered, and pieces of flesh flew away. The branches and vines that attacked were burned, and the trunk was gouged.
“This life is starting to be fun.”
Hel laughed as she ran.
“If you’re not careful, you’ll get eaten.”
The rock she was about to jump over opened its mouth wide and tried to swallow her. It seemed that the rock was a Rock Crocodile in disguise. I kicked it in the side with all my magic power and blew it away. The Rock Crocodile rolled over, and there was a hole in its belly.
“Now, even if it eats you, you can get out of its belly.”
“You should have helped me sooner.”
Hel laughed and started to run again. The Ghost Dog had hidden in the trees of the forest, but Hel seemed to know where it was, and there was no sign of hesitation.
“Do you know where it is?”
“It’s making so much noise, you can’t tell?”
Even when she said that, all I could hear were the strange cries of other monsters and the sound of fruit falling from the trees.
“Makyo hears too many sounds. You should pay attention to the sounds that don’t sound right.”
As usual, she knows a lot of strange things.
“Even if you say that, I’m still bothered by the strange sound of the water.”
“The sound of the water? I don’t hear anything like that.”
“No, it was there all the time, wasn’t it? From the ground.”
“Makyo, wait a minute!”
Suddenly, Hel stopped.
“Do that thing you do. The original magic that lifts the ground.”
“Here?”
“Yes, right now.”
When she said that, I put my hand on the ground, trying to interfere with the force that would lift the ground, but there was no such force in the ground.
“No good. Something soft is interfering. What is it?”
“Looks like we’ve been led to a strange place.”
Hel said, looking around at the ground and the surrounding vegetation.
“Has the vegetation changed?”
I noticed something strange as well.
“This is a water surface covered with aquatic plants. All the trees around here are aquatic plants with their roots exposed above the surface.”
“Now that you mention it, it feels like it’s swaying.”
“As expected of the demonic land. It’s better to be careful than to rush. We know where the Ghost Dog is, so let’s go slowly.”
“That’s right.”
Even as we were talking, long, narrow fruits fell and poked into the water plants on the ground.
“Is this a lake or a river?”
I asked Hel, slapping the fruits away with my fist.
“I think it’s a pretty big river. Otherwise, the trees wouldn’t grow so big due to the lack of oxygen. But that’s not the only thing…”
“What?”
“I think it probably floods a lot. Maybe the ground we’re walking on now would be washed away in a regular flood.”
“Yes, because the giant magical beast is coming. There should be a big storm every three months.”
“I see. Since the giant magical beast is a disaster class, it’s only natural for the environment to change accordingly.”
After walking for a while, the trees suddenly stopped, and the sky opened up. Green water plants spread all over the place.
“The ground has sunk quite a bit.
Every time I step on the ground, it sinks up to my ankles.
“I think the water plant layer is getting thinner. Look, the Ghost Dog is over there.”
Looking in the direction Hel was pointing, I saw the Ghost Dog trying to dig its paws into the waterweed about 100 meters away.
“It’s trying to hide its prey. I think that’s where the dogs that the ancient people kept lived.”
“So you’re saying the settlement is buried underwater?”
“Yes, the environment must have changed in the last 1000 years. If we were to excavate it, we would either have to dam the water or divert the flow.”
“Either way, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a shelter.”
“That’s for sure.”
“What about the Ghost Dog?”
“It will disappear eventually. It’s just that I woke it up with my spiritualism.”
We continued to watch the Ghost Dog for a while as it continued to dig up the water plants.
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