By Zephyria “But are you sure we’re supposed to meet here? What if he’s waiting at the station?”
Leonardo, who was leading the way down the long corridor, turned his eyes at Signe’s question. They had just entered the castle interior along the piloti that connected to the central garden. It had been about 10 minutes since they started wandering around inside, but there was no sign of anyone.
Habitually scanning the passage behind him, Leonardo continued moving along the corridor carpet.
“There was no one at the station except us. And he’s not the type to show up in such a public place.”
His reaction sounded rather cold. Signe tilted her head at his remark of calling their appointment a ‘guy.’ Nevertheless, she busily followed the receding figure.
Whether it was due to the gravity or something else, her legs felt much lighter than when they were wandering through the field. Thanks to this, it wasn’t difficult to catch up with him, but the inside of the castle was so vast and complex that it was easy to get lost if she wasn’t careful. Nevertheless, the man ahead moved forward without hesitation, as if strolling through a familiar space.
The corridors of the castle that the two were crossing were surprisingly clean. If a building had been abandoned for centuries, it would be natural for it to weather and corrode. Ivy should have infiltrated the interior, and the entire floor and walls should have been stained with cobwebs and mold.
But here, if they just wiped away the dust, it wouldn’t be strange if nobles and servants opened the doors and appeared right away. Even the curtains next to the windows visible in the occasionally opened rooms had hardly any signs of wear, only slightly faded.
He had heard that it used to be run as an inn, so they might have reorganized the interior, but there were no traces of renovation work at all, such as antique furniture, magnificent pillars, or animal sculptures that seemed to be alive. It simply retained the traditional and splendid beauty that suited that era. Perhaps the rumors that the innkeeper was cursed were just a fabrication to prevent access.
Signe, who had been diligently rolling her eyes, was itching to ask about the swelling questions. She was curious about how this space was being maintained. However, the person she could talk to had become increasingly silent since seeing the stone tablet hidden among the statues earlier.
He hadn’t even explained the contents. He seemed to have suddenly become lost in thought, so she was just following him without knowing their destination.
After maintaining silence and accompanying him for another 5 minutes, a crossroads of corridors divided into three appeared before the two. It was Leonardo who stopped first and opened his mouth.
“Signe, what time is it now?”
“Huh? Um… 03:00 by Westforce time.”
The time they were wandering through the field was between 00:00 and 02:00 AM. Signe’s words that not much time had passed since then were true. But if they continued to wander around like this, they might not be able to get out on time.
Leonardo bent down and looked at the carpet covered in dust. Spreading his palm on it and concentrating, a light hot wind blew, and his hair shook finely. Soon, a red Magic Circle outlined itself on the red carpet, and a Divine Beast burning with fire sprang out of it like lightning.
“Wh-What is it?”
Signe, startled, waved her arms and legs and stepped back.
Kkyuung?
As if not caring about her flustered reaction, the Divine Beast, boasting the majesty of a legendary animal, ran to its owner and rubbed its head against him.
Its richly blazing tail was raised high, and only the tip was slightly tilted as it trembled. It was a signal that it was feeling quite good.
Leonardo accepted the Divine Beast’s affection with both hands and said to Signe,
“It’s my Divine Beast. I’ll assign this guy to you, so let’s move separately from now on. It’s inefficient to move together.”
“What? You want me to wander around alone? No way!”
“I’m assigning the Divine Beast to you, remember?”
The Divine Beast standing on four legs was much taller than Leonardo. It was so large that it filled the wide corridor, and it even emitted a powerful aura. But Signe stared at the Divine Beast as if she didn’t trust it. It was just big, and its appearance and cry were only cute, so it didn’t seem very helpful.
“What if we encounter some dangerous demon beast or… hopeless treasure hunters? I’ve heard stories lately about people pretending to be treasure hunters on the outside but actually killing people and extorting valuables.”
“…Are you scared of that? If I were that guy, I think I’d be more scared of you in your military uniform.”
“It’s not that I’m scared—, I mean, it’s safer to be two than one! And what if we get sucked into a Portal again and can’t meet again?”
“Then get on this guy’s back. It’s made of my Magic Power, so it instinctively senses where I am. Unless it’s a place where Magic Power is blocked, it won’t disappear and will stay by your side even if you’re separated from me. Think of it as walking around with my alter ego.”
Leonardo said that and patted the upper part of the Divine Beast’s tail. The Divine Beast stretched and raised the tip of its tail high. Then, suddenly, three of its nine tails separated, and the connected body was also divided into 1/3 the size of the main body, standing on either side of Leonardo.
Signe made a bizarre expression as she looked at the two Magic Power masses that had fallen off like cookie dough. Leonardo pushed his Divine Beast, which had become much smaller, towards her.
“A total of three. One per tail, take them. And… while you’re walking around, look for ‘a turtle riding a train.'”
“…A turtle riding a train? What’s that?”
“I don’t know exactly, but the guy we’re supposed to meet here told me to find it. Think of it as a new riddle. That guy is crazy about riddles. Any form is fine. It could be a statue, a painting, or a similar shape.”
“……”
“And like I’ve said before, going back alone is an option. You’ve done your part just by bringing me here. There’s no need for you to waste time with me here.”
He made it sound like he was giving her a choice, but Leonardo was hoping Signe would just say she’d wait quietly outside or go back. Now that they were inside, it would be much easier to go alone. He also wondered if it was okay to drag a third party this far into his business.
If this place belonged to the first Emperor, just being inside could be a problem. The existence of the ruins discovered on the peninsula and the purpose of the structure have not been made public even now, after the subjugation was over. The Council probably decided that it could cause confusion. The Imperial Family wouldn’t be happy about information related to the first Emperor.
This Romang Castle itself is hidden within a maze and preserved, but Signe, her sister, the magic item shop owner, and Alex Siles, four or more people, know of the castle’s existence. Information could leak out at any time, and it’s not a safe place to be.
In other words, Signe should back out at this point. To avoid getting caught up in any possible trouble.
But the confident and brave her didn’t let him down this time either.
“What are you talking about? I came all the way here with you, so I’m leaving with you. That’s loyalty.”
Leonardo chuckled and replied.
“Yeah, I thought you’d say that. If anything dangerous happens, just stick close to this guy. He’ll protect you. He may seem docile now, but he’s quite fierce in front of enemies.”
“He just whines, how can he be fierce… I feel like I’m the one who has to protect him―“
At that moment, the fur of the Divine Beast, made of flames, rippled, and its body swelled up as if a firestorm was spreading, and it roared. A gust of hot wind that seemed to suffocate her rushed towards Signe’s eyes. The appearance of the Divine Beast, which had only been cute, was chaotically distorted.
As it transformed into a hideous demon with a torn mouth, Leonardo stroked the Divine Beast’s neck and back as if to calm it down. Then, the flames that had been raging like water had been poured on them subsided again. Leonardo shrugged and added.
“See? This guy has a lot of pride, so he gets angry if you ignore him.”
Signe nodded stiffly, her eyes wide.
“O-okay….”
The Divine Beast lightly shook its body, circled around Signe, sniffing her, and then sat next to her, breathing hot air. Leonardo met its gaze and winked.
“Then, take care of her. See you later.”
After parting with Signe, who seemed reluctant, Leonardo immediately moved to the opposite side of her to create some distance. Three of the Divine Beast’s nine tails were sent with Signe, so a total of six tails remained with him. He divided five of them to search for Alex Siles or other presences.
The last one had become small enough to fit on Leonardo’s palms. The Divine Beast naturally climbed onto its owner’s body and settled on Leonardo’s left shoulder, wrapping his neck like a scarf with its full tail.
“You seem to be in a good mood today? I thought you’d hate being sent with a stranger.”
When Leonardo stroked the Divine Beast’s head, it shook its body again. He wondered if it was happy to see him after a long time, but it had only been a few weeks since he last summoned it. It seemed unusually excited today.
“Lure Signe out to the outside. You felt it too, right? There’s something suspicious in here.”
Kkiung―
Leonardo glanced down at the Divine Beast that answered and arrived at the door he had been eyeing earlier.
The door looked more rugged than the other doors lined up in the hallway. It didn’t even have the usual decorations, and it was much smaller. What caught his attention was the thick medieval padlock on the doorknob.
He wondered if it was a warehouse door, but who knows. Leonardo rummaged through the small bag across his chest and took out a thin wire for lock picking. He put the end of it in the Divine Beast’s mouth, and it bared its teeth and chewed on it. Before long, the end of the wire was bent and the surface was bluntly melted, like a key.
Without delay, he pushed the key into the hole of the lock. After repeating the process of turning and pulling it out a few times, the heavy lock clicked open. When he released the latch that followed, the door opened on its own.
Creak―
“…I knew it.”
Leonardo chuckled at the sight that unfolded before his eyes.
The height of the hallways and rooms in the castle he had been walking around in so far was about 6m. Moreover, they were all luxurious, but they weren’t spaces that royalty would use. Maybe the places where the servants from noble families who served him resided.
But the height of the room inside the newly opened door seemed to be at least 20m. Moreover, the state of preservation was on a different level.
It radiated light without a speck of dust, and the carvings on the walls and ceiling were so sharp that they seemed to cut if you touched them with your finger. They were elaborate without any worn or faded parts, and the space was filled with the subtle scent of wood and the sparkle of chandeliers instead of the musty smell of dust.
It was as if he had gone back to a time a thousand years ago. The fact that it had endured unchanged for such a long time could only be explained by the power of magic.
Leonardo looked up at the straight space and the high ceiling and took a step inside with the lock in his hand. The door closed on its own without needing to be closed. Just in time, the Divine Beast, which had been crouching on his shoulder, jumped down to the floor.