"But are you sure this is where you agreed to meet? What if they're waiting at the station?"
Leonardo, who was leading the way down a long corridor, turned his eyes at Signe's question. They had just entered the interior of the old castle, following the piloti that connected to the central garden. Though they had been rummaging around inside for about ten minutes, no human shadow was particularly visible.
Leonardo, who habitually scanned the passage behind them, kept moving along the corridor carpet.
"There was no one at the station except us. And he's not the type to appear in such a public place."
His response sounded rather cold. Signe tilted her head at his use of "he" for his appointment partner. Nevertheless, she busily followed the man pulling farther ahead.
Perhaps the gravity or whatever it was didn’t apply here, because her legs felt much lighter than when they’d been wandering the field. Thanks to that, it wasn’t difficult to catch up with him, but the castle interior was so vast and complex that it would be easy to get lost if one wasn’t careful. Despite this, the man walking ahead proceeded without hesitation, as if strolling through a familiar space.
The corridor of the old castle that the two traversed was surprisingly clean. It’s the natural order for a building abandoned for centuries to be weathered and corroded. The interior should have been overtaken by ivy, with the floors and walls mottled with cobwebs and mold.
Yet this place seemed as if nobles and servants could appear and open doors without it being strange, if only the dust were adequately removed. Even the curtains visible beside the windows through occasionally open rooms showed almost no signs of wear—just slightly faded in color.
Given that it was once operated as an inn, the interior might have been refurbished, but the antique furniture, majestic pillars, animal statues that seemed alive and breathing... There were no traces of repair work at all. It simply preserved the traditional, splendid beauty that suited that era. Perhaps even the rumor about the innkeeper being cursed was just a false story to prevent access.
Signe, who had been diligently rolling her eyes, felt her mouth itching with swelling questions. She was curious about how this space had been maintained. However, the one she might have conversed with had grown notably quiet after seeing the stone tablet hidden between the statues earlier.
He hadn’t explained the content either. He seemed to ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ have a lot on his mind all of a sudden, so she was just following behind without knowing the destination.
After keeping silent and accompanying him for another five minutes, an intersection where the corridors split into three directions appeared before them. The first to stop and speak was Leonardo.
"Signe, what time is it now?"
"Huh? Um... 03:00 according to Westforce standard."
The time they had been wandering the field was between 00:00 and 02:00 in the morning. Signe’s statement that not much time had passed since then was true. But if they kept wandering like this, they might not be able to get out in time.
Leonardo bent his knees and looked down at the carpet, thick with dust. Spreading his palm over it and concentrating, a lightly hot wind rose, ruffling his hair. Soon, a red magic circle revealed its outline on the red carpet, and from within it, a divine beast engulfed in flames leapt out like lightning.
"Wh-what is that?"
Startled, Signe stepped back, flailing her arms and legs.
Kyung?
As if her bewilderment was of no concern, the divine beast, boasting a majestic presence like an animal from legend, rushed to its master and rubbed its head against him.
With its abundantly flickering tail raised straight up, only the tip slightly tilted, it trembled. It was a signal that appeared when it was quite pleased.
Leonardo, receiving the divine beast’s affection with both hands, said to Signe:
"It's my divine beast. I'll attach this guy to you, so let's move separately from now on. Moving together is inefficient."
"What? You want me to wander alone? No way!"
"Not alone. I'm saying I'll attach the divine beast to you."
The divine beast standing on four legs was much taller than Leonardo. It was so large that it filled the wide corridor and radiated powerful energy. But Signe stared at it as if she didn’t trust it. Though it was just big, with both its appearance and cry being only cute, it didn’t seem like it would be of much help.
"What if I encounter a dangerous monster or... hopeless treasure hunters? I often hear these days about people pretending to be treasure hunters on the surface, but actually killing people and extorting valuables."
"...Are you afraid of that? If I were that guy, I think I'd be more afraid of you in a military uniform."
"It's not that I'm scared—, I just mean it's safer together than alone! And what if I get sucked into a portal again or something and we can't meet again?"
"In that case, ride on this guy's back. Since it's created with my mana, it instinctively detects where I am. As long as it's not a place where mana is blocked, it won't disappear even if separated from me, and it will stay by your side. Think of it as walking with my alter ego."
Leonardo said this while patting the upper part of the divine beast’s tail. The divine beast stretched and snapped the end of its tail up. Then suddenly, three of its nine tails separated, and the connected body also split into a third of the main body, one on either side of Leonardo.
Looking at the two chunks of mana that had peeled away as if he’d torn off cookie dough, Signe made a grotesque expression. Leonardo held out his now considerably smaller divine beast to her.
"Three in total. One per tail—take them with you. And... while you're wandering around, look for 'the turtle that took the train.'"
"...The turtle that took the train? What's that?"
"I don't know exactly either, but the guy I'm supposed to meet here told me to find it. Think of it as a new riddle. That guy is obsessed with riddles. Any form is fine. It could be a statue, it could be a picture, it could be a similar shape."
"......."
"And as I've said before, just going back alone is also an option. You've already fulfilled your role by bringing me here. There's no need to waste time together here."
Though his words offered options, Leonardo hoped Signe would say she’d wait quietly outside or go back. Now that they’d come this far, it would be much more convenient to search alone. He also wondered if it was right to drag a third party into his business this much.
If this was once the first Emperor’s property, even entering could be problematic. The existence of the ruins discovered on the peninsula and the purpose of those structures still hadn’t been revealed to the public, even now after the subjugation had ended. This was probably the result of the Council itself judging that it could cause confusion. The imperial family wouldn’t welcome information related to the first Emperor.
This Castle of Romance itself was still preserved, hidden within a maze device, but more than four people—Signe and her sister, the magic supply shop owner, and Alec Siles—knew of its existence. That meant the information could leak at any time, and it wasn’t a space that could be considered safe.
In other words, Signe should withdraw at this point, to avoid being caught up in any possible discord.
But the bold, spirited woman didn’t disappoint his expectations this time either.
"What are you talking about? We came here together, so we'll leave together. That's loyalty."
Leonardo chuckled and replied:
"Right, I knew you'd say that. If something dangerous happens, stick right behind this guy. It will protect you. Though it's docile now, it's quite fierce in front of enemies."
"It's just whimpering—how is it fierce... It seems like I should protect it instead—"
At that moment, the fur of the divine beast made of flames shimmered, and it swelled greatly as if fire were spreading, then roared. An instantaneous hot wind that almost stole her breath surged in front of Signe’s eyes. The appearance of the divine beast, which had just been cute, twisted wildly.
As it transformed into the grotesque shape of a demon with a torn mouth, Leonardo stroked the beast’s neck and back as if to calm it. Then, as if water had been poured, the blazing flames that had been burning vigorously settled again. Leonardo shrugged and added:
"See? This guy has high self-esteem, so it goes wild if you disrespect it."
Signe nodded, her head stiff, eyes wide open.
"Ye-yes...."
The divine beast, which had lightly shaken its body, circled Signe as if inspecting her, then sat beside her and exhaled hot breath. Leonardo met the beast’s eyes and blinked one eyelid as if winking.
"Well then, I'm counting on you. See you later."
******
After briefly parting from the reluctant Signe, Leonardo immediately moved in the opposite direction, putting distance between them. Having sent three of the nine tails of the divine beast with Signe, the tails remaining by his side totaled six. Of these, he sent five, each split off, to search for Alec Siles or any other signs of a presence.
The last one had become small enough to fit in Leonardo’s two palms. The divine beast, which naturally climbed onto its master, settled on Leonardo’s left shoulder and wrapped its voluminous tail around his neck like a scarf.
"You seem in a particularly good mood today? I thought you'd dislike being sent with a stranger."
As Leonardo caressed the divine beast’s head, it trembled again. He wondered if it was happy to meet after a long time, but the last time he had summoned it was only a few weeks ago. It seemed unusually excited today.
"Lure Signe toward the outside, but only moderately. You felt it too, right? There's something suspicious inside."
Kyung—
Leonardo, glancing down at the responding divine beast, arrived in front of the door he’d been eyeing earlier.
The door looked rougher than the others lining the corridor. It didn’t even have common decorations, and its size was much smaller. If anything drew attention, it was the thick medieval padlock hanging from the handle.
It might have been a storage door, but well. Leonardo rummaged through the small bag slung across his chest and took out a thin wire for lockpicking. He put the tip in the divine beast’s mouth, and it bared its teeth and chewed gently. Soon, the end of the wire was bent and its surface melted dull, forming a shape like a key.
Without delay, he inserted it into the padlock’s keyhole. After turning it several times and repeatedly withdrawing it, the heavy padlock released with a click. After undoing the latch, the door swung open by itself.
Creeeeak—
"...I knew it."
Leonardo chuckled, seeing the scene revealed before his eyes.
The ceilings in the corridors and rooms inside the old castle they had been wandering through were about 6 m high. Moreover, though they were luxurious, they weren’t spaces royalty would use—perhaps places where noble-born servants lived.
But the ceiling beyond the newly opened door seemed a full 20 m. Moreover, the state of preservation was on a different level.
Not only did it gleam without a speck of dust, but the carvings on the walls and ceiling had curves and edges so sharp they seemed they’d cut if you touched them with a finger. They were meticulously crafted without any worn or faded parts, and instead of a musty dust smell, the space was filled with a subtle wood scent and the sparkle of chandeliers.
It was as if they had returned to a time a thousand years ago. That it had withstood such a long span without change could only be explained by the power of magic.
Leonardo looked up at the towering space and took a step inside, padlock in hand. The door closed by itself without the need to touch it. Just then, the divine beast crouching on his shoulder jumped down to the floor.
