Seeker 274

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Chapter 274. Assault On The Royal Palace

I quickly gathered crucial information from the merfolk nearby. 

Several Sahuagin, including the Sahuagin King, left the settlement a while ago, swimming towards a distant location. 

Additionally, I learned that the royal family and warriors of the merfolk are apparently imprisoned in the underground dungeons of the palace.

This is an unprecedented opportunity. 

We hurriedly made our way to the palace located in the middle of the settlement. 

Although it's uncertain when the Sahuagin King who left will return, he is currently not within the settlement. 

It's the perfect chance to rescue those held captive in the dungeons.

Swiftly swimming at full speed, we reached the front of the palace. 

The palace, shaped like a gigantic spiral shell, is overwhelmingly massive when seen up close. 

However, there's no time to leisurely enjoy the view.

Guided by Gelark-san, we infiltrated through the main entrance of the palace. 

"Gyaa!? You, what are you──Gwaaaaah!"

A Sahuagin was guarding the main entrance, but we effortlessly defeated it. 

Breaking through obstacles that posed no real challenge, we penetrated the palace's interior.

The palace's interior had an organic design reminiscent of the inside of a spiral shell. 

However, there were partitions dividing floors and rooms, making it somewhat similar to an ordinary tower in that sense. 

Although there seemed to be a passage leading upstairs, we followed Gelark-san towards a different route leading to the underground dungeons.

Descending gently along a spiral path along the outer extension of the shell, we eventually arrived at the desired underground dungeons. 

There were 4 cells in the dungeons, and in three of them, several merfolks were held captive. 

All were bound with seaweed and immobilized.

In the remaining cell, no one was imprisoned, and the coral-made grid door was left open. Sahuagin was nowhere to be seen.

"Your Majesty, I'm relieved to see you unharmed." 

Gelark-san spoke to mature merfolk imprisoned in the back cell. It seems he is the king of the merfolk.

"Oh, Gelark! How did you get here? What happened to Fermina? No, more importantly──"

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, we can discuss the details later. We don't know when that four-armed Sahuagin will return. First, let's focus on escaping from here."

"Right, but the keys to the cells are in their hands. Can you break through this grid, Gelark-san?"

"I'll give it a try."

Using his spear, Gelark-san attacked the coral grid of the cell where the imprisoned Merfolk King was. 

The coral, serving as an iron grid, proved to be quite hard, and it didn't break with a single strike. 

However, with repeated attacks, chips started to fly, and cracks began to appear.

Observing this, Kazane and I used our weapons to attempt to destroy the grids of separate cells. 

Yuzuki supported us with her [Fire Weapon], creating loud noises with each attack on the coral grids.

There's uncertainty about when the Sahuagin King will return. Amidst growing anxiety, we continued relentlessly attacking the coral grids.

Eventually, the grids assigned to Kazane and me were the first to get destroyed, creating holes large enough for a person to pass through. 

Next, the grid that Gelark-san was working on also had a portion destroyed.

I entered through the hole I made and began cutting the seaweed restraining the imprisoned merfolk inside the cell. 

Although the seaweed was quite sturdy, it could be cut with the tip of the spear.

The ones I rescued seemed to be merfolk warriors. One of them spoke, expressing gratitude. 

"We sincerely thank you for freeing us. But who are you all? Are you comrades of the human imprisoned in that cell over there?"

This was alarming news. There was no sign of Rebecca-san, who I thought was being held captive here.

"Was there a human imprisoned there? A woman? About this height, with short-cut bright brown hair, and an optimistic demeanor?"

"Yes, that's likely the person. She was taken away by a black-clad Sahuagin called the 'priestess'."

"'Priestess'? 'Black-clad Sahuagin'? Taken away while unconscious from that cell over there?"

"I don't know. Shortly after the four-armed Sahuagin left, she got taken away while still unconscious."

"We must immediately go after that Sahuagin priestess!"

Interrupting the conversation with that urgent shout was the Merfolk King. 

Unbound by Gelark-san, the merfolk king pleaded with a voice filled with impatience.

"They knew the 'password' to open that door! The 'spear' must not be pulled out under any circumstances! If it happens, everything will come to an end!"

"Uh, Old man Merfolk, I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you speak a bit more calmly?"

Interjecting the merfolk king's incomplete words, Yuzuki, who was releasing the restraints of a woman next to him, made a calm retort. 

Referring to the king as "old man" was quite like Yuzuki, but she had a point.

As Yuzuki suggested, we couldn't quite grasp what the merfolk king was trying to convey. 

However, it was apparent that he was extremely agitated.

With question marks floating above our heads, the Merfolk King continued to shout frantically. 

"Beyond that door, there is indeed the 'spear'. However, that divine spear seals the calamitous monster that once turned this sea into hell! The removal of that spear must never happen!"