Chapter 92: Tenorio (4)
Your Highness, may I speak freely?
Go ahead.
I opened my mouth but my words had to be cautious. This place was the tombs of emperors.
Suggesting we look for a secret area could be taken as wanting to desecrate the tombs like grave robbers.
I sense there is a hidden space here.
A hidden space?
Yes. Its directly behind the founding emperors statue. Since no one else has probably touched it, it may be something the founding emperor left for his descendants long ago.
I was able to bring this up because of the empires customs. Emperors leave this world with nothing when they die.
Its to follow the founding emperors intent to return as bare spirits after living glorious lives.
Therefore, nothing is buried alongside them in Tenorio. It shows its not desecration.
Erendil nodded, also knowing this.
That makes sense.
Luckily Erendil looked curious rather than displeased. After the boring life at the palace, she seemed interested in something exciting.
Of course, I felt the same. I would never easily find something like this again. And it belonged to the founding emperor no less?
I can sense the space is there but I dont know how to enter it. Shall we look for clues together?
Due to the Great Magic, I couldnt extend Winds beyond it despite sensing the space.
It meant I had to find a way to open the door directly.
Lets do it.
Erendil nodded and looked around the interior, pondering what action she should take.
Have you had experiences like this before?
Not often but I do have some experience.
How did you typically find clues to open doors?
It depends on the situation. Sometimes theres a button hidden somewhere, other times meeting certain conditions or performing actions is necessary.
Erendil smiled.
What kinds of conditions or actions?
For example, since this is Tenorio, only those of imperial blood can open the door, or touching items that seem irrelevant from the outside.
I understand what you mean.
Erendil spoke resolutely. She seemed confident she would find it soon.
In truth, things didnt flow so smoothly. Even knowing something was there, being unable to open it was useless.
Since many have visited before us, it likely wont be easy.
I see. We felt it directly but others who wondered if something was here werent lacking either.
Perhaps someone has already taken it.
Hmm. I didnt hear about that learning history but its possible. Anyway, lets look.
Erendil immediately walked toward the statue. She wanted to find clues up close since it was behind it.
When I observed the room earlier with winds, I didnt sense any odd structures. It meant we had to examine it with our eyes.
I went in the opposite direction, toward the entrance.
I planned to scan the entire room from there to avoid confusion later.
Like that, after searching the room briefly I couldnt find anything in particular. Just the golden path and statues.
Erendil had flailed about in vain as well. It wouldnt be opened by smashing behind the statue.
Your Highness, have you perhaps heard any unofficial histories or legends about Tenorio?
Well.
Erendil pondered briefly then shook her head.
I dont recall hearing anything like that.
Hmm. I wracked my brain. There might be clues in the past history.
The statues of the founding emperor and his comrades.
Could it be touching them in the order the founding emperor met them?
Your Highness, what if you touch the statues in the order I describe?
Erendil touched the statues in order but there was no change. Hmm. This is frustrating.
How do you open it?
Wait. Could it be because Im here? The founding emperor drove the devils from this continent.
And Im not of imperial blood, and have Devils Blood. It was a real possibility.
Your Highness, could it be because Im here?
You?
I dont have imperial blood.
But there was still no change after I left the building. It didnt seem to be touching the statues.
I re-entered and examined the interior again.
All that was there was the golden path and statues. With no clues in the historical records about this secret space either.
Erendil was also frowning in deep thought.
Suddenly the statues form entered my eyes. The founding emperor was thrusting a spear forward.
I knew because I had seen it in the palace. It was the pose of piercing the great devil.
Could it be smearing blood on the spear tip?
It would be cliche if so. I had seen that scene countless times playing various games.
Smearing Erendils blood on it could potentially open it.
But I wondered if no one had done that in all those years.
I couldnt be certain. I shouldnt assume no one tried just because I hadnt thought of it.
Your Highness, could it be smearing blood on the spear tip?
Blood?
Only imperial blood may be able to enter this place. A descendants blood could be the key.
I see.
However, it involved wounding Erendils body so there was cause for concern. It was sacrilegious.
Would that be alright?
Lets try it.
Erendil held out her palm. I was the only one holding a sword after all. Strictly speaking, it was an action I couldnt take as a bodyguard, but I had no choice.
It was better for me to do it than give Erendil the sword. I had to minimize the wound.
Please forgive my rudeness.
Its fine.
I lightly cut Erendils palm. Warmth spread over the tiny slit wound, and a few drops of blood seeped out.
Erendil narrowed her brows.
Will this be enough? Cut a little deeper.
This should be sufficient.
Its better than failing because of insufficient quantity.
As I cut a little deeper, Erendil didnt so much as blink once. Quite a bit of blood flowed.
Erendil went up to the statue and smeared blood on the spear tip.
However, there was no change. After silently watching for about 30 seconds, it was the same when I left the building.
I felt apologetic toward Erendil.
How unfortunate.
Im sorry.
No, you just gave your opinion. Im the one who accepted it.
May I see your hand?
Erendil held her hand out to me. The fair, delicate hand was dirty from touching the spear.
Since I didnt know when something might happen, I carried a small amount of hemostatic and bandages.
After wiping Erendils hand with a cloth, I immediately applied medicine and wrapped it.
Luckily the wound wasnt deep since I had cut neatly.
Youre skilled.
Ive had to do this frequently.
I dont think Ive ever seen anything you couldnt do. I dont know a spys life but it must have been difficult for you too.
In Erendils eyes, I saw empathy. At first, I didnt understand.
But Erendil must have had a rough childhood, so thats why she was like that. Lacking a suitable response, I just smiled.
Wait.
Suddenly something flashed through my mind. The founding emperors statue was in the pose of piercing the great devil.
Could it be not imperial blood but Devils Blood that we should smear?
The founding emperor had killed the devil on this continent. If he wanted to leave something for his descendants
It would be for descendants capable of obtaining that power.
It was just conjecture so I couldnt be certain. But there was no time for hesitation. It was my blood anyway.
I cut my left palm with the sword. Warmth spread over my palm.
Wha, what are you doing?
I couldnt directly state the reason. Since I hadnt thought that far, I hastily continued.
In case my blood doesnt work
I couldnt lie either, so it was a clumsy response but not that important.
I grasped the spear tip.
Thud-
And at that moment, the statue reacted. It rose about 10cm and the wall behind it opened up.
Th, this is
Erendils mouth fell open. My hunch had been right. Separate from that, I was also dumbfounded.
That damn founding emperor Profanity naturally slipped out.
How do you open this?
I could grasp the founding emperors intent. It must have been a legacy left for descendants who killed the devil.
But that was practically impossible. Because the founding emperor had driven the devils from this continent.
It reacted because of the Devils Blood flowing in my body. Otherwise, no one else could have opened it.
Moreover, even realizing Devils Blood was needed would have been difficult.
Even if they killed a devil, could they have thought to bring that blood to their ancestors tomb?
I may have opened it but I couldnt understand the rationale behind creating it this way.
Please enter.
What is this?
I tried just in case I also didnt expect it would really open.
Since theres two of us, it requires both our blood?
Muttering to herself, Erendil let out a hollow laugh. In the end, she was full of satisfaction.
The revealed space wasnt very big.
The immaculate, tidy white room of about 20 square meters had nothing in it.
Except for the white spear in the center of the room.
Could that be
Yes. It looks like Temes Spear.
The white shaft and gem-like spearhead.
It was the fabled spear said to have pierced the great devils chest when the founding emperor drove it off long ago.
The indestructible, unbreakable spear still gleamed despite the passage of an immense span of time.
Its form was different. It looked more noble than any weapon I had seen and I felt a singular power from it.
So it really existed.
Temes Spears whereabouts were obscure after the founding emperors death. There were no records about it either.
Personally, I thought it was probably a fictional weapon from the heroic mythology of being born from an egg. I wouldnt have imagined it was here.
It was an unbelievable discovery. I didnt know if the spear would help against devils as in legend but
This brought me at least a few steps closer to making Erendil emperor, not just one.
It was the founding emperors weapon. And not just any weapon but the spear that pierced the great devil.
Just having this spear would make many want to serve Erendil as emperor. Erendil walked forward as if entranced.
May I hold it?
Its yours, Your Highness.
As Erendil reached out, the spear started glowing. The small room lit up brightly.
And at the end of that light, the spear had transformed into a bracelet.
Is this also Great Magic?
It seems so.
I didnt know the exact reason either. Whether it was an innate function or magic.
In an instant, the bracelet in Erendils hand changed back into a spear.
Did you know how to handle it?
Yes, I understood immediately in my mind.
You wear it on your arm normally. Its too conspicuous.
Is there a need? There are many benefits to showing it.
I shook my head.
Revealing your hand to the opponent first is not good. It invites criticism and gossip. It would be better to show it at the right time.
Even if it was genuine, it came from Tenorio. There would be attacks calling it grave robbing or a fake spear.
It had to be used at pivotal moments.
Ill do that. Following your advice has never led me astray.
Thank you.
After changing the spear back into a bracelet, Erendil looked at me. She had quite an excited face.
I could see a smile seeping out even as she tried to control her expression.
I found this spear also thanks to you. Amazing. How do you keep astonishing me?
Pleased by the praise, I simply smiled.
The entire way down the mountain, Erendil kept fiddling with the bracelet. She seemed pleasantly surprised yet incredulous.
I felt the same.
I wouldnt have imagined obtaining Temes Spear.
Frankly, when playing the game I didnt even know if it existed. I only learned about it after coming here and reading the records.
I even thought it was fictional. It was unimaginable.
At the foot of the mountain, Faorn was waiting for us. He immediately looked at the bracelet.
That bracelet is new. And youre injured.
Faorns tone was heavy as he said this. His expression was the same.
It was seriousness I hadnt seen earlier. His slightly furrowed brow appeared quite grave.
Could he know what that bracelet was? That we shouldnt have taken it out?
Did you perhaps find something inside Tenorio?
Author's Thoughts
Want to read ahead of the scheduled release? You can check the Novel page on the website (or press the next chapter button) and buy an advanced chapter with only 20 Honeys! (100 Honeys is only 5$! So you can basically read 5 advanced chapters ahead of schedule!)
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.๐ฌ๐ธ๐ถ