Seeker 300

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Chapter 300. Elder Rashad

Passing through a curtain-like cloth, they entered a small residence with a triangular roof.

In the middle of the narrow grounds, there was an irori, and an old man sat in the back.

The old man was dressed like a sorcerer or shaman, with colorful ethnic clothing and prayer beads, holding a pipe and exhaling smoke from his mouth.

"Queen Lulu and the guided heroes, please sit. Let's talk." 

The old man said, and everyone timidly sat on the floor.

Although the residence was small, there was enough space for all seven of us to sit comfortably.

"Um, sir. I know this might be rude, but when you say 'guided heroes,' are you referring to us three?" 

Yuzuki, not reading the air, raised his hand and asked abruptly.

Well, Yuzuki actually has better social skills than me, and maybe he's reading the situation in his own way.

"Yes. Who else besides you?"

"Uh, maybe Nasser-san?"

"He's not a guided hero. He struggles against fate, rebels, and sometimes changes it."

"I don't fully understand, but I feel like I get it. Sorry for interrupting the conversation, Luluchi. Please continue."

Yuzuki finished asking what he wanted to ask and handed the lead of the conversation over to Queen Lulu.

But calling her "Luluchi" really?

Anyway, about the "guided heroes".

I have some thoughts.

Like, what exactly is our mission?

Elder Rashad smoked his pipe and exhaled the smoke.

Then he turned to Queen Lulu and spoke again.

"Queen Lulu, who has been ousted. I know everything, but you know nothing. Tell me what you can. What do you want to know?"

"My father, in his last moments, told me to rely on Elder Rashad. I also heard words like 'the tomb of the first king' and 'the mirror of truth'. And he gave me this," Queen Lulu said, taking a brooch from her bosom.

It was a beautifully crafted ornament with intricate decorations, adorned with a purple gem reminiscent of amethyst.

"I'll ask you directly, Elder Rashad. What should I do? I believe I should overthrow my uncle—King Usman—and become queen." 

Queen Lulu said, staring straight into Elder Rashad's deep green eyes.

I thought, is it okay to talk about it so openly? But since we're hearing it for the first time. I guess it's fine.

Elder Rashad smoked his pipe again and slowly exhaled the smoke.

"Good spirit. Ousted one, go to the tomb of the first king and obtain the 'mirror of truth'. The mirror will grant protection to the one who speaks the truth. The tomb lies to the north of this land, in a desert about an hour away."

"That place? You mean the pyramid where the first king got buried. I heard a rumor that its interior has become a 'dungeon' and only royalty can enter. Queen Lulu, any clue?"

In response, Queen Lulu shook her head.

"I've only heard rumors too. When I asked my father about it long ago, he avoided the topic, saying it wasn't the right time to know. But if that's the case—" 

Queen Lulu glanced down at the brooch in her hand.

Elder Rashad nodded slowly.

"Yes, that is the key to the labyrinth. But with no power, you will only become prey to the labyrinth. The help of heroes is needed."

"Powerful heroes... does that mean us?" 

Queen Lulu looked at us.

Right, I expected it to come to this.

To summarize the flow of the story so far, it would be something like this:

To break the current situation where King Usman rules and Queen Lulu is treated as a criminal.

We need an item called the 'mirror of truth'.

We don't know the detailed effects of this item, but it's said to grant protection to those who speak the truth.

So if Queen Lulu speaks the truth and King Usman lies, things will go in a favorable direction thanks to the item's power.

And since we're getting asked to fetch it, its effects must be significant.

Of course, it comes with the assumption of trusting that old man, but the atmosphere seems to be such that doubting him would be futile.

So, the 'mirror of truth' is said to be in a dungeon (what would be called a "narrow-sense dungeon" in this world) inside the pyramid in the northern desert where the first king got buried.

The brooch entrusted to Queen Lulu by the former king serves as the key to opening the entrance to that dungeon.

However, even if someone without sufficient power enters the dungeon, they will only lose their life without being able to clear it.

Therefore, Queen Lulu alone would be reckless in her attempt, so the help of powerful individuals—namely, us—is required.

Queen Lulu turned to face us and bowed deeply.

"Please, everyone, lend me your strength! I cannot offer any reward right now, but if I become queen, I will surely compensate you appropriately. It may sound like a selfish request, but please...!"

Queen Lulu bowed deeply, showing humility.

It's hard to tell who's the royal family with this attitude.

But come to think of it, Fermia of the mermaid tribe was also a queen, wasn't she? I was really casual with her.

And I've been bowed to several times by noble families like Aria-san and her father, and Teia. It's a bit late to think about it now.

Anyway.

With that said, we were headed to the pyramid in the northern desert of the town to overthrow King Usman and put Queen Lulu on the throne.

Looks like it's going to be our first dungeon conquest in a while.