36 – Underground (5)
After that, I traversed the underground space for quite some time. How far did you travel?
I feel like 2 or 3 hours have passed, but I’m not sure. Because there is no other tool to check the time.
However, during those few hours, Beatrice and I went on our way, destroying countless traps and installation magic that popped up from time to time.
The section where poisonous water flowed out to form a lake, or the upgraded version of the ‘stone rolling’ pattern, in which large rocks roll back and forth one by one, were atrocious.
Sometimes ignorant methods are effective, so it would be fair to say that Tsumei’s choice was quite successful.
Well, at least in terms of repelling intruders.
Anyway, I guess the exit to this second stage won’t be too far away.
If you estimate the number of excessive traps, I wondered if the end would be visible at this point.
‘But I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because the gap between reality and the game hasn’t caught on yet…….’
Anyway, at this point, it seems like we’ve shaken off all the ideas that can be used to make traps, so an exit will come out soon.
It was a time when I was thinking of thinking about that and trying to spur my slow pace again.
“You know.”
Since she moved with me, of course Beatrice, who was quite tired, cautiously removed her words.
Tapping lightly on the stone wall on her side, she glanced at me.
“I have a question.”
“What are you curious about?”
At my question, Beatrice weakly frowned.
It looked like he was worried about something.
“This trap area. I mean, the area you called stage 2. From any point of view, it’s not a scale that can be simply dismissed as an ‘underground space’…… Even if it passes.”
After a pause, Beatrice lightly touched a protrusion on one side of the wall with her hand.
Knock-
If I had to question it, it was the trigger of an obvious trap, and of course I knew about it, but I didn’t bother to warn Beatrice.
It didn’t seem like she didn’t know and didn’t press it either.
Shock!
With a rather sharp noise, an arrow was shot from the opposite wall.
Pu-wook!
“…… Look at this.”
Beatrice dodged the arrow with a slight nod of his head, and continued speaking again in a non-serious tone.
“Isn’t that strange? I know it’s an area full of traps, but I think it’s a bit excessive. Rather than a space created simply to seal the demonic sword, uhm. Rather… ….”
The moment she put her chin on her chin as if contemplating what to add next, I immediately received the following words.
“Rather, isn’t it more like a ‘dungeon’ or a ‘labyrinth’?”
“…… ! That’s right! That’s it.”
Beatrice raised his head suddenly, expressing her affirmation.
“It just feels that way. Right now, when we come down through the warehouse upstairs. If you were really determined and didn’t want to allow intrusion, there would have been many better ways…….”
Beatrice crosses her arms as if in doubt.
“Actually, the entrance was vaguely hidden and left alone, and there were only a variety of traps, so I could see a lot of strangely clumsy sides. It’s a little laborious, but should I say it’s a level of ordeal that allows me to cross the appropriate line?”
After she said that, she looked up at me with a look that subtly demanded an answer.
‘Do you know anything?’ She asked with a look in her eyes.
“Um.”
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After a short deliberation, I chose to speak the truth calmly.
“I don’t know exactly what you’re thinking, but it probably fits. You guess.”
It’s because it’s not a very important story, and in fact, it’s also a part that needs to be pointed out at this point.
‘Was it rather good?’
There were times when I was slightly worried about how and when to speak up, but now that it’s like this, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to unravel the bundle of stories.
I resumed my stopped steps and gestured toward Beatrice.
“In fact, if it is natural, it is natural. When was the academy created? Not only the upper basement floor, but also the deep floor were completed long ago, before the thing called Flügel’s demonic sword was even born.”
“That means…… ?”
Beatrice followed me and asked me, and I replied briefly.
“The basement of the academy was not a quarantine space created to seal the demonic sword.”
“Uh… ….”
Beatrice squeezed her lips and let out a sound mixed with a little embarrassment.
Since the demonic sword is located in the depths of the underground, it seems that it was natural to think that the entire ‘underground space’ was created for the demonic sword.
It wasn’t too strange. Whether it’s the Holy Church or Beatrice, from their point of view, they probably won’t know exactly when the demonic sword of Flügel started sleeping in this underground nest.
“Well, to sum it up.”
I shrugged lightly and added a few words of explanation.
“The space that was originally prepared for a ‘separate purpose’ was changed over time by the Tsumei family. Big hmm So, the dean just started using it for a different purpose. That’s why the structure around here is reminiscent of a labyrinth or dungeon.”
“…… Mmm.”
Beatrice put on an expression as if she understood my explanation, but she kept glancing at me as if the question hadn’t been fully resolved yet.
Even though he didn’t say anything, his intention to pressure me was clearly visible, so I sighed and laughed.
“Okay, so you want to know what that ‘separate purpose’ was after all?”
The question that Beatrice has must be that part.
I wonder why it was necessary to turn this vast underground space into a dungeon full of traps, for what reason?
“I’ll free you. That curiosity.”
It was something I had to tell you anyway, so there was no need to procrastinate.
I immediately took out the main title and listened to it.
“The Day of Gaebyeok.”
Perhaps it could be said to be common sense in this world, a single event with the largest scale in the present era.
As she mentioned the name of the Continental War decades ago, Beatrice’s expression hardened slightly.
“Generally, academy students don’t know much about the wars of that time, but… ….”
I hung my tongue slightly and met Beatrice’s gaze.
“Your situation is a little different, Richie.”
And I asked the reverse. Compared to other students, don’t you know relatively much?
“… ….”
Beatrice neither affirmed nor denied, but that slightly displeased expression was, in some ways, nothing different from a definite answer.
Beatrice Louise. She was a saint
Even compared to the Emperor, the head of the Divine Church, her nominal authority is not much different, and her actual position within the organization is not far behind.
In a way, it was a very natural thing.
She was chosen by a goddess and was nicknamed the ‘Saint of Innocence’ because, in fact, she is no different from an apostle of God.
No matter how large the organization is, the Holy Church is basically a religious group.
There was no reason why the daughter of a goddess could not have an absolute position within such a church.
She can’t be called the head simply because she’s still young, because she’s still immature, and because of her lack of experience, but she has the right to see all the major secrets within the Holy Church.
“Now then, let’s take a moment to check our saintess’ knowledge.”
“…… Yes?”
Ssiik-
I smiled mischievously.
Beatrice, who seemed flustered for a moment, immediately raised the sentence ‘What nonsense are you talking about all of a sudden?
“In this world, there is a race called dragons who are endowed with very strong powers. Is that correct?”
Beatrice’s eyes scanned me with a mysterious light.
“Does this have to be set in tune?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t really want to respond, but… ….”
At my affirmation, Beatrice averted her gaze with a slightly awkward expression.
“Uh huh.”
“…… Ha.”
I urged her on with her stern demeanor, and in the end Beatrice reluctantly expressed her consent with her sigh.
“You seem to have plenty of room. Okay, let’s hear what the hell you want to talk about.”
“Good posture.”
That was a very satisfactory answer. I nodded sweetly.
The look on his face still showed a hint of displeasure, but that was none of my business.
Recalling the time when I was perusing the official setting book at the time, I happily threw the first question to Beatrice.
“The dragon race is almost extinct at this point, but a significant number of individuals survived until several decades ago. And among them, there were four particularly special dragons…… !”
“Dragon Emperor, Death Dragon, Sky Dragon. And it’s an extinct dragon. OK, then the next question.”
“… ….”
No, to be precise, I ended up being happy.
He cut me off.
“I haven’t finished the question yet… ….”
“So, what? Is the answer wrong?”
“…… No, let’s move on to the next problem.”
The tension suddenly sinks.
My voice instantly calmed down.
“Mmm.”
I scratched my cheek shyly and took out the second question I had prepared.
“Then, as for the next question, which color lizard is the biggest contributor to the Gaebyeok Day incident among the four lizards?”
“…… That’s right, it’s a dragon.”
Beatrice answered right away as if this question wouldn’t be difficult, but the timing of giving out such an answer was somehow half a beat late.
Did I start to wonder about my true intentions? Despite not asking further, Beatrice voluntarily continued to provide supplementary explanations.
“The dead dragon Bahamut. It was an unknown dragon that ignited the wick of the Day of Gaebyeok, but I know that it was a dragon that actually acted as a fuse. In fact, an existence that is on the same level as Tsumei has run amok.”
“That is also correct.”
I lightly snapped my fingers and affirmed her answer.
The truth of the situation on the Day of the Gaebyeok was like that.
Four dragons that are on the same level as Tsumei, called the Slayer Dragon, one of them, the evil dragon Bahamut, runs rampant.
Detailed reasons: Anyway, the day of Gaebyeok was created by overlapping various bad news, starting with the riots of the lower rank dragons affected by the runaway.
That is why the keywords to focus on are ‘the fall of dragons’ and ‘four dragons’.
Especially in the case of ‘Four Dragons’, it was a very important setting in the game, even though Tsumei is the only one alive among the four.
To the extent of that, it is safe to say that all the stories of this worldview began because they were all entangled and intricately tied up with the four mythical beings.
For now, there is nothing to say about Tsumei. Because she’s one of the main characters.
Saryong is no different from the starting point of the Day of the Gaebyeok, and Sky Dragon has a deep relationship with Beatrice, another main character.
I don’t need to say more with just these three, but what if ‘that’ Dragon Emperor is added?
That’s how I got to the point where I was confused as to whether the game I was playing was an academy game or a dragon game.
‘Should I say it’s a riding dragon, but it’s roughly like that.’
…… Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now.
“So, about that evil dragon’s rampage.”
The reason this story came out was in the basement of the academy.
What was Tsumei thinking of creating such a large-scale underground space, and borrowing the structure of a dungeon to set up a lot of traps?
“Even if you say runaway, you honestly don’t know, right? As for the right cause.”
I said that while looking back at Beatrice.
She was still looking at me with her face that said she didn’t know why, but for now, I managed to continue the conversation with an attitude that she would continue to listen.
“But first of all, you should know that dragons are a problem. Well, that means he’s trying to destroy the demonic sword as well. From the eyes of the church, it’s like a huge bomb that doesn’t know when it will explode…….”
-I must have received an oracle.
Even though he stretched out his words, he didn’t say anything behind the scenes.
That was information that I couldn’t do anything good about right now.
“Um, that’s right.”
Instead, I only briefly convey what I was originally going to say.
“In conclusion, this depth is an arrangement for the future prepared by the dean decades ago… ….”
Until then, Beatrice hadn’t shown any significant change in expression.
To be more precise.
“It’s a reserve for the Gold Dragon, in case of an unexpected situation.”
“…… I beg your pardon?”
That was until I said one more word.