Chapter 70: Ruins investigation!
Without any communication from Yukurishisu, the season came round and became winter. In these several months, the messenger from Zakurion empire arrived and peace was negotiated, while the definition of devil beast was changed.... All beings living in the other continent are called demons and the beings inhabiting our continent are called devil beasts. Among general people, the peace treatment with the demons created various commotions...around there, the knight order seemed to work hard to hold them down.
Even though we defeated many Treants in the north, Lime and Rin didn’t evolve. However, Shadow-san evolved and that is an achievement.... After all, I want Lime to evolve as quickly as possible. Ruu changed to a human at war, because she killed masses of demons at a dash. Here, she will evolve normally, but it requires a considerable amount of time. It might be very fast. Now that I remember, Shadow-san has no divine protection.... I can't help it.
And while we regained the land from the demons, it wasn't sure yet how it was divided between the countries. Old material was brought and they insist on the territory, though they do it in various ways...regardless of me. Well, it wasn't be a problem that could be left indefinitely either, therefore I think that they will decide it slowly. Other places might exist, too and because there might possibly be new kind of devil beasts, I want them to decide it by this coming summer vacation.
“Ehh, then everyone who takes the history class. Concerning the ruins investigation, we would like to begin detailed explanation”
The survival class doesn't have a second class, so I took the history class. And among that, we will visit ruins as practice. That's why the explanation is now being given.
"It has been verified that in this continent, there was another country in the past. It is said that this country had advanced technology and were able to possess devil beasts. The technology has been lost now, but the ancient buildings remain as ruins. In this training, we participate in the investigation of the ruins of the former kingdom. The knight order has already searched the inside, especially it was confirmed that there is no danger"
Hee, ancient ruins.... It had an enormous knowledge about technology in the past, perhaps it was good in case of this world. Are there artifacts...expectation isn't possible. Even if there are these kind of things, the knight order might have collected it.
"Please finish your preparation, because we start 5 days after holidays begin. And because the practice will take nearly one month, please pay attention to the things left behind"
One week movement, two weeks to one month investigation...there seems to be no danger, so it might be an easy practice.
“Lucas, didn't you take the history class? Then, I'm the only one who goes to the training” (Tsuchio)
“Good luck! And don't exert yourself so much investigating the ruins” (Lucas)
“What is done at the ruins investigation?" (Lucas)
“First of all, the inside is examined and investigated in detail. We are allowed to see the specialists' work while they are doing the investigation actually" (Tsuchio)
“Tsuchio, do you want to become a specialist?” (Lucas)
“There is no such reason...though I'm slightly interested in the ancient magic technology” (Tsuchio)
Talisman art has become obsolete now, was it also so in the past? Even if it was so, it would be more developed than now. Somehow, I'm interested.
“"I think that it developed wonderfully...a magic tool is rarely found and the effect is entirely higher than the ones now” (Tsuchio)
“As expected, that one...do you want to find such one?” (Lucas)
“I think “Take it”, because they have no owner” (Tsuchio)
“Then you need to hear! It's said that when you find an ancient magic tool, you will be a billionaire! You can drink expensive liquor until your stomach is full!"
“Like a dwarf..."
Normally, you want to become a billionaire and drink expensive alcohol...but in my case, I want to build a house and live a loose life with my familiars. Ah, then I would drown in lust if I do so. After all, I shall save my money safely. By the way, if there is something that Ruu or the others want, I will buy it as long as it is necessary.
“"Maa, they wouldn't be found so easily. I will see to what extent they could be found when I'm at the ruins” (Tsuchio)
“Take care of yourself and don't injure yourself” (Lucas)
Now, lets finish the preparation quickly. Well, I don't need to pack my luggage because of Shadow-san, so I only need to decide what I need. Moreover...there is still no communication from Yukurishisu-san. But because of the peace treaty, the revolt would be a success.... As expected, I′m worried, because there is still no news or life sign. It could be that she forgot it...and that's entirely better than being injured. I also seem to be able to make contact, but...should I wait a little more? I don't want to bother her busy place after the rebellion. Therefore, if she still does not contact me until spring, I shall contact her myself.
The ruins are in a forest in the southwest of the kingdom. It is comparatively near from the academy and you can go there in a week. The ruins seem to be newly discovered and the enemies inside were just cleaned up by the knight order, so that our research team can start.
"And with such a reason, this ruins are surveyed today. Academy students, please go to your selected groups”
The commander of this research team informs us at this moment. It's the big building behind me that is covered by ivy. There are a lot of one floor houses in this world, while this ruins are three floors. Apparently, they had developed construction skills in the past.
It seems that adventurers had found this ruins. While they hunted in this forest, they seem to have discovered a new road. They followed the road and reached this ruins at the end. And although they had entered inside, they were attacked by strong and strange monsters, so that they ran away for their life. Next, the knight order, who received this information, searched through this ruins and defeated all monsters inside and cleared the three floors. I′m really interested what kind of strange monsters were there, but not even the people from the research team heard what kind of monsters were here. Well, they were already annihilated, so it was worthless even if I heard about them. I wish they would have left one.... However, lives can't be replaced.
The group that I entered was entrusted with investigating the first floor. Following the researchers, we students also enter the ruins.
The entrance of ruins is wide, so wide that even Rin can enter. I begged the group leader very much, that Rin can also enter inside. From the entrance, this ruins look like a hospital. It became like a lobby with a collapsed counter on the inside. The walls were cracked and there were also places into which ivy entered from the outside. And no light entered these ruins, so that it was dim and dusty inside.
We keep going inside, after we parted from the other groups. Because some passages have expanded from the lobby, we divided into several pairs and act like that.
The first room that I found and entered was a room with many shelves. Perhaps, it was a room where documents were gathered. Although most shelves were empty, I found paper with letters that I didn't know.
"This is an ancient language, most of the documents that remain in this ruins have these characters. Your study is also quite developed, so you're quite able to read it somehow"
“Hee...should I look for such one?"
“Yes. The first investigation collects something to understand directly about such antiquity. Furthermore a more detailed investigation of this building is done with the next investigation”
I see, do I look for an ancient legacy first? Su, Such paper is often left behind from the ancient time. I think they rot indeed...perhaps, magic is applied in this building.... Maybe, there is a barrier.
We visit several rooms and collect the things inside these rooms. Even though we can’t take the desks and shelves, we take small articles. Most of the rooms have nothing inside. Maa, it might be the work of the next investigation to check these rooms.
The room which we are searching now, there is a big shelf and an office desk and it seems to be the director's room, though it wasn't expected that some important material would be present.... There was nothing on the shelf, the desk was empty, and the shoulder carving was also nice.
"There seems to be nothing in this room either.... Let's move to the next room”
The researchers and students go out of the room. I, who was seeing the working desk at the door, attached my hand on the wall and stood up, too.
“Wh, what happened, Tsuchio? Standing up and applying your hand on the wall”
“...Magic is passing through this wall”
“...?” Purupuru?
"I think it's probably set up with some device. Something is drawn...this, it is a magic circle”
When touching the whole wall with both hands, I understood that it was some kind of magic circle. There was a small circle in a big circle...for now, shall I touch the center?
I touched the center of the magic circle, but nothing happened to the wall. And it was only me who touched the wall and not a researcher. Uhh...let's try infusing magic.
When I touch again with magic applied on my hand, a new magic circle appears on the wall. And the wall disappeared. Oh, after all, there was a hidden room! Among that, an iron cage enshrined on the magic circle. There was a pull door, but I don't open it now.
“What is... this?”
“Do you not understand?”
“Although I think it is an iron cage, because it's hidden in this way, it wouldn't be a ordinary cage. I'm also worried about the magic circle beneath it..."
“Bururu”
“Is it so...isn't there a trap inside? Look, a trap to catch a thief”
In this case, Shadow-san and I enter the room alone and we begins to examine it feeling after the floor, wall and the cage. After a while, I confirmed that there was no trap. No, shadow-san did it. Because she is substanceless, I don't worry about traps and we search around.
“Alright, shall we search this cage now?”
“...?” Purupuru?
“Well, it is so. Shall we inform the investigator...well, it wouldn't be too late if I check it first. There are no traps"
“Is that so? Then, let's enter”
Next, Ruu, Lime and Rin enter the inside. Then, let's go to look around.
As soon as we entered the hidden room, the entrance wall reappeared and the room was wrapped in darkness again....It has been done!
“Eh, no way!? What, a trap!?”
“...It would be different. Perhaps, it might be a past mechanism. Isn't there a magic circle where the wall is opened from the inside?"
I am thinking about how I shall search this room, but a light lights up in the four corners of this room. Briefly, I check the remaining walls, floor and ceiling, but there is no magic device found.
“Then, this cage is checked at the end. If we can't go out like this...I have no choice but to dig through this wall. The building might collapse, if possible I don't want to do it..."
“This cage, what is it? Every time, I only can think of shutting something in”
“...” Purupuru
“I'll enter...dangerous. I may be shut in....This is a magic tool as expected. Shadow-san, aren't there any traps? Then, I will enter with Ruu. When the time comes, Ruu will destroy it from the inside. Lime, Rin, please call the investigators and destroy the wall, if we can't go out”
“If so, isn't me alone good enough?”
“Ruu, wouldn't your firepower increase when I was here? I don't want you to experience such a dangerous situation”
“You don't need to worry about that...if I experience danger and Tsuchio is still safe, I would be happy to experience that danger!"
“I don't like that....Ah, this magic circle. it's the same as drawn on the wall”
“Buru, Burururu?”
“It is so.... Then, this cage seem to fall down”
For now, I'll enter inside only with Ruu. Nothing abnormal happens, because the door doesn't close without permission either. Apparently, I think that there is no magic tool for shutting the door. Lime and Rin also enter inside. This cage is so wide that there is still space even when Rin entered. How do I do, shall I close the door for now.... When I close it, will it be a case where I can’t open it anymore? Just in case, we should examine this room.
I check the cage’s floor and after I went through the floor, I sensed magic from the bottom with my devil′s hand. Hey, is that? Is it an elevator? A elevator which looks like a cage and has been seen in some western movies.... This here is the basement. If the elevator door closes, does it get off?
“In this way, there is no helping it. For now, let's close the door. How many ways are there to be able to come outside”
“Other than coming out by force”
“As the final means, it wouldn't be good to break the ruins”
Although it should be left unused for a long time, the iron door, which isn't rusty, is pulled and closed. When the door closed with a clash, the magic circle below shone and a hole opened on the floor. And the cage begins to fall down the hole slowly. It is an elevator after all...but what on earth is there underground? Judging from seeing, there was no entrance to the underground, so it might be a place that was concealed. I wonder what might be asleep here from the magic technology that was developed by the ancient civilization. I hope that it wasn’t something dangerous.
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