Chapter 146: Encounter at the Ruins

「Whoa, the interior is amazing too… 」

I found myself in a vast area of corridors and space upon entering the ruins.

The walls and ceilings were adorned with beautiful decorations.

Although old and partially crumbling, the construction was solid enough to offer a glimpse of its original beauty.

「Indeed, this is incredible. 」

「Even the ornaments in the corners of the rooms don’t look inferior to modern technology; in fact, they seem to be of even higher quality. 」

Both Lily and Fitis were astonished by the sights inside the ruins.

As they walked down the corridors, they peeked into several rooms, finding weapons, armor, ornaments, and even works of art, clearly valuable items, left lying there, covered in sand and dust.

Both Lily and Fitis showed signs of excitement each time they saw something.

Well, unexcavated ruins like these were a treasure trove of excitement for adventurers and heroes.

I myself got excited every time I saw such treasures too.

But my goal right now wasn’t these treasures.

「Dad, this way! 」

Rock started walking, leading the way whenever we stop to walk.

To avoid being left behind by Rock, we quickened our pace slightly as we headed deeper into the ruins.

It seemed Rock was more drawn to something deep within these ruins than I was.

As proof, Rock’s pace gradually quickened, and before I knew it, she was running single-mindedly towards the depths of the ruins without hesitation.

「Rock…She’s more serious than ever… 」

Lily murmured, noticing Rock’s newfound seriousness.

Indeed. Could it be that she was really that curious about something deep inside?

Thinking about this, we descended the stairs to the basement, where a massive door appeared.

「This is… 」

「Looks like this is the deepest part. 」

Nodding in agreement with Lily’s words, I make Rock step back from the door and tried to push it open, but it wouldn’t budge.

「Kyou, step back. I’ll do it. 」

This time, Lily put her hands on the door instead of me.

The door slowly creaked open as she put all her strength into it.

Wow, as expected of one of the Seven Great Heroes. I mean, she was really exceptional when it came to strength.

「Okay, it’s open. …Wait, you’re not thinking about something rude, are you? 」

「No…no, not really. 」

Lily glared at me with narrowed eyes as if she’d read my mind.

Anyway, putting that aside, we immediately stepped through the open door.

What we saw there was beyond our wildest imagination.

「This is… 」

「Amazing…what is this… 」

It was a vast hall-like space. In fact, the entire space was made of crystal.

The floor, ceiling, and even the pillars were covered in crystals as beautiful as ice, yet it wasn’t cold at all. Rather, the crystal space, which changed into a multitude of colors with even the slightest light, was so beautiful it was as if the aurora borealis had been captured within.

「Is this… some kind of crystal? 」

It was certainly not the crystal I knew of, and I suspected it was a crystal unique to this world. As I placed my hands on the floor and pillars, Fitis, who was behind me, spoke.

「Isn’t this perhaps a sealing crystal? 」

「A sealing crystal? 」

「It’s said to be a stone that seals the power of monsters. However, it’s considered an ancient relic, and I hear that very few have been found. And yet there’s so much of it… Perhaps the Ishtar civilization created this stone. 」

I see. It was like an item that weakened monsters, often found in RPGs.

Looking closely, Lily, Rock, and Jack all looked uncomfortable, their faces contorted in discomfort.

Perhaps, we shouldn’t stay here any longer. The moment I thought that…

「Dad, look at that. 」

Rock tugged at my sleeve, pointing to a particularly large crystal at the back of the room.

The moment I saw it, which was clearly larger than the others, I was inexplicably drawn to it and approached it.

And I saw something inside as I got closer to the crystal.

「What’s this…! 」

There was a human figure…someone was inside the crystal.

「Hey! Lily, Fitis! It’s terrible! There’s someone inside this crystal!! 」

「What!? 」

「Is it true, Lord Kyou!? 」

Startled by my shout, Lily and the others immediately approached, and upon seeing the figure inside the crystal, they let out cries of disbelief.

「If this…is really a person, shouldn’t we let it out…? 」

「That’s true… 」

I agreed with Lily and Fitis’ murmur.

However, how could we break such a massive crystal?

Since sealing a monster’s power seemed beyond Lily and the others’ capabilities, I thought we’d have to rely on Fitis, and the moment I touched the crystal…

「…“Crack”…」

The crystal glowed faintly, and I could see a crack appearing from the spot where I touched it.

I hastily pulled my hand away, but the crack immediately spread throughout the crystal, and the crystal itself began to vibrate slightly.

「Hey, Kyou! What did you do!? 」

「I…I didn’t do anything! As you can see, I just touched it, and suddenly the crystal glowed, and then it cracked…! 」

While I was responding to Lily’s protest, the crack covered the entire crystal, and the next moment, the crystal glowed exceptionally brightly, and then, as if unable to withstand the internal pressure any longer, it shattered into pieces.

「…! 」

The brightness and the impact of the shattering crystal caused us all to cover our eyes with our arms, but once the light and vibration subsided, we lowered our arms and looked again.

「… 」

Reflected there was a girl with silver hair and tanned skin.

Her slender figure gave her a delicate appearance, but at the same time, it gave her a fleetingly beautiful impression, reminiscent of a fairy or angel, a being that seemed otherworldly.

Her breathtaking beauty left not only me, but everyone present gasping and speechless.

Then, as the girl emerged from the crystal, her eyes opened, and our gazes met.

Her eyes were the color of a deep ruby ​​red.

A blood-red yet somehow possessing a beauty like a sunset. The moment she looked at me…I couldn’t look away, as if I was under a spell.

Or rather, I felt as if I had seen her somewhere before the moment I saw the girl.

As I was wondering if I had ever met a woman so beautiful, almost divinely alluring, the girl smiled.

「…Kyou. 」

「Huh? 」

For some reason, the girl called my name.

This was our first meeting…right? Then, she approached me, and I hastily caught her as she nearly fell. At that moment…

「…」

I thought I heard the girl whisper something.

But something even more shocking happened before I could even process it.

As I caught her, the girl pressed her lips against mine.

「…!?」

I froze, utterly shocked by her actions.

And it seemed everyone around me felt the same; they were all staring at me with horrified expressions, frozen in place.

The girl immediately pulled her lips away from me and lost consciousness, but Lily grabbed my shoulders even faster.

「Wha…Wha…Wha…What are you doing, Kyou! Hey, you! Wha…Wha…What was that!? 」

「No…No, no! What do you mean, what am I doing? What…!」

「Ugh, shut up! Don’t make excuses! 」

「Lo…Lord Kyou, with me here, and you’re doing it with a woman you just met…! 」

「It’s a misunderstanding! 」

I didn’t notice at the time because I was distracted by everyone’s commotion.

A single tear was rolling down the cheek of the girl I held in my arms.

Previous | Next

*In Old Norse, Hræsvelgr signifies ‘Corpse Swallower’. This figure is a giant that transforms into an eagle in Norse mythology. Located at the northernmost edge of the heavens, he represents a formidable, wind-generating force of nature.