WNC 462

A full day passed until dawn, and we thoroughly searched the deep, wide tunnels.

After Gano Paquin distributed stones imbued with Divine Power to the knights, the rescue operation gained speed.

Knights pulled other knights out of the stalagmites. Then, the rescued knights joined in to help pull others out of the stalagmites. As we scoured the tunnels, if they discovered anything suspicious, they would immediately run back to us and inform us.

The total number of knights rescued this way was around four hundred.

Standing before the tunnel entrance, I counted the long line of personnel with my eyes. I vaguely recalled how many of the Imperial Knights were missing. Several knights from Withrow and Grimsvein were mixed in among the rescued, so the number should have been at least greater than this.

For those who were not here, I couldn’t tell if they were truly dead or if they had been dragged away and bound somewhere else. I should have been grateful that even half were saved, but I was troubled.

The troubles were not limited to that.

Most of the divine items I discovered belonged to Gano Paquin. A spear with a broken tip, a shield with a large scratch, a statue of a beast made of Ebony Wood, a worn quill that the God of Records supposedly used a very long time ago… Each time I touched them, I caught glimpses of the Ninth God’s memories, little by little.

The god’s memories were mostly trivial. When I encountered memories featuring the first human, my entire body burned with pain, but when I absorbed memories of him interacting with other gods or being alone, it only left me feeling slightly annoyed. I even stopped vomiting blood when I glimpsed the final memory.

Each time, Gano Paquin stood by my side, coordinating the situation.

I didn’t want to suspect him. Gano Paquin often smiled in front of us and rarely showed weakness. He didn’t hesitate to accept help, and he was just as eager to do anything more for us.

What could I possibly ask him? Why did he smile while watching me vomit blood? If he denied it, what would I say to him?

Gano Paquin helped prevent contaminated mana from seeping into the other members of our party. Was that truly for our sake?

Or perhaps, among the humans he cared for, I, an outsider, was not included? Why did he, the God of Records and memories, keep showing me certain memories…

As I was deep in thought, Hugh Benson, standing at the far end, raised his hand and called me over.

“Michael! Come here for a moment.”

“Yes?”

“These people here say they’ve discovered a suspicious passage.”

“Ah… Yes. Let’s go.”

The knights here were all potential Sword Masters. If even they were hesitant to enter a tunnel, I figured another divine item might be lying there. With the lingering tails of concern following me, I ran after the knight.

Tunnel 48-2 was located in the eastern corner among Grimsvein’s numerous tunnels. Standing before its entrance, the faint sound of crashing waves could be heard, indicating its proximity to the sea. Even though dawn had broken and the surroundings were brightly lit, the inside of the entrance was pitch black.

The knight standing before the tunnel stepped back half a pace with a respectful attitude. He glanced at my face, his expression filled with an awkward reverence. Were they trying to treat me as a benefactor?

Though it was awkward, incurring a debt of gratitude from them would be helpful when I stood by Ruben’s side later. I deliberately lowered my voice to appear dignified.

“I will go in and check from here. Boulder, use magic.”

“Light Magic? It seems like it would be extinguished quickly here.”

“…Hmm?”

However, Mage Boulder was not one to save my face in front of others.

“Look again. From this tunnel entrance onwards, all of this blackness is contaminated mana. Even if the concentration isn’t vastly different from north of the Yuil Mountains, the space is so narrow that basic magic like Light Magic would have trouble penetrating. This is a place where you truly need to use Sword Energy to light your way. Just do it like you normally do, Young Master Ernhardt.”

“…Hmm.”

All this black, writhing darkness was contaminated mana. I hadn’t realized it because it was too familiar. When I first entered the Magic Territory, I maintained a cautious attitude whenever I encountered darkness of this concentration, but after absorbing fragments of the Ninth God multiple times, I gradually found the energy comfortable and assumed I could handle it easily.

While I was momentarily speechless, Gano Paquin, standing beside me, took out a booklet with his left hand for the first time in a long while. His hurried flipping of pages caught my eye. The sound of rustling paper, which shone brightly, was unusually loud compared to usual.

“…What is it?”

“No… It shouldn’t be. As far as I know, here it’s too… There’s no way he’d be here, it’s a bit…”

“What?”

“Uh huh. You and I both know that a mana concentration equivalent to the Magic Territory south of the Yuil Mountains is unnatural. Since this feels a bit different from my other belongings found so far, I was looking to see if there was something I didn’t know here… but nothing’s coming up.”

“…Does it seem dangerous?”

“Uh huh… Similar to before.”

I had asked a futile question. Until now, we had always navigated through situations that were dangerous for ordinary humans and manageable for me, a Grand Sword Master. He trailed off, his finger rubbing the corner of a page he was flipping.

Hugh Benson, after contemplating for a moment, looked directly at me and spoke.

“We have mostly confirmed all tunnels except for tunnel 48-2. If Lord Ernhardt permits, I will order the evacuation of the rescued knights before we enter this tunnel.”

“…To where, may I ask?”

“Have them wait in nearby civilian homes. Currently, they have no means to prove their identity. Only Lord Ernhardt can prove they are completely free from the Black Magician’s influence. Therefore, bringing such a large number of people into the Empire requires your permission.”

Hugh Benson deliberately addressed me with great deference, bowing his head deeply.

My true intentions had been read clearly. I felt embarrassed and distressed that my attempt to maintain a dignified demeanor, driven by my desire to expand Ruben’s influence, had been exposed, and my voice wouldn’t come out properly. I simply stiffened my expression and nodded once. Hugh Benson then turned to one of the knights.

“Lord Kamael.”

“Yes? Yes!”

“This is a special situation. The Anti-Black Magician Response Unit is scheduled to enter this tunnel within 40 minutes. Please check the remaining personnel with the help of other knights, and relay the message for everyone to evacuate to the nearby old town. I would appreciate it if Lord Kamael could help prevent any unrest among the knights until we return.”

“Yes, I will do so.”

“Also, please have them discuss their last remembered moments and compile and deliver the information later. May I ask for your cooperation?”

“Yes.”

Knight Kamael, who had regained a perfectly upright posture, bowed to me and the others before turning and running down the hill with his companions. As soon as the unfamiliar faces disappeared, Hugh Benson’s demeanor returned to its usual casualness. Watching their retreating backs, Hugh Benson nudged Gano Paquin’s elbow.

“What time is it?”

“…Around seven twenty in the morning.”

Gano Paquin glanced at Hugh Benson with a displeased look and let out a hollow laugh.

“The ‘Anti-Black Magician Response Unit’?”

“Knights tend to be impressed by titles that sound important. Since it would be difficult to just say ‘we’re going in without you guys,’ and he’s quite capable, I just made something up. If you give them a title, they’ll listen better.”

“…Why?”

“Isn’t there something in there? We’re not going in without Benjamin, are we?”

Well…

I opened my mouth without thinking for long.

“I was thinking of going with just Light Magic, Gano and I, the two of us.”

“If you can’t go further, we’ll come out on our own. Take a forty-minute break and then go in. I’m afraid if the tunnel collapses, the ones we just saved might be buried alive.”

“…Yes.”

How could I not understand words spoken out of concern for me?

Ever since Hugh Benson warned me to be wary of Gano Paquin, the others had not left me and him alone. Thanks to them, I could touch the fragments left by the Ninth God without fear in Gano Paquin’s presence.

The more I thought about it, the more reasonable the suggestion to go together seemed.

Benjamin, who had mastered the Hip-Circle Light Cultivation Method, actually benefited from such mana-rich environments. Moreover, if Leon, a mercenary, or Elvin, who lacked eloquence, were left alone among those knights, troublesome situations might arise. And if something unexpected happened, it might be difficult to rescue those I cared about if they were out of sight.

It was indeed better to go together.

We stood by the tunnel entrance, gazing down at the open hillside, letting time pass. After the promised forty minutes had elapsed, we waited another ten minutes before entering the dark tunnel.

Donning an Aura Barrier and lighting our way with Sword Energy, it was walkable.

Gano Paquin led the way, and I followed behind him. Behind us, Hugh, Benjamin, Leon, Boulder, and Elvin followed in a single file. Hugh would watch Benjamin, Leon would watch Boulder, and Elvin would guard the rear. I believed so.

But do tunnels usually widen progressively like this?

It didn’t look like a tunnel dug by humans. Like an overturned teardrop-shaped jewel, we entered through the narrowest opening at the apex and walked, conscious of the increasingly high and wide shape of the cave. Black energy repeatedly brushed against our feet and scattered.

From a distance, I heard a faint, wheezing breath.

The depth of that breath was immense and vast. It didn’t sound like the breath of a small animal. However, Gano Paquin did not stop walking. No, he even quickened his pace, striding forward. Since he rarely ran even in urgent situations, I instinctively grabbed his wrist to stop him.

His face, as if entranced, was deathly pale. His gaze was fixed on something deeper inside the cave. As he twisted his wrist to break free from me, I let go.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“…There, someone I know… I think it’s someone I know.”

“Yes?”

Gano Paquin took a breath, and then, with a more resolute attitude, he walked on. Since he wasn’t running as if about to fall, I followed him obediently.

As the path widened, the companions who naturally occupied my left and right exchanged glances. But what could be done? If you unleash a dog to find the path, a hunter’s job is to trust and follow it.

And then, something enormous appeared before us. Benjamin muttered in a voice that seemed to boil.

“…Lord?”