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Chapter 116. A Suspicious One

"Take it slow, okay?"

"I know... but once we reach the top, we won’t have that luxury."

"That’s then; this is now."

"Don't just say what's convenient for you!"

After that, we searched everywhere, but found nothing. Now, Elixira and I are being pulled up by Vanessa. We're going slowly so that we won’t get spotted by the Naglfar—too fast, and it could be trouble. Still, I never thought we’d be fighting our way through a swarm of them. According to Vanessa, though, the castle ruins are right ahead, so we shouldn’t have far to go.

It takes a few minutes to cover just a few meters, slowly ascending until we’re out of sight from the Naglfar. Then we speed up, and I release my grip to dive into the swarm.

"Let’s make it flashy!"

My job is to cover Vanessa and Elixira so they can land safely. So far, I've succeeded in diverting the beams away from them. Using [Demiurge]’s mana-repelling cloak, I ignore the beams from behind, while [Yaldabaoth] absorbs the beams from the front.

Just standing here for a few seconds absorbs a ton of mana, and the grimoire quickly warns me it's overheating. So, I release it all in one shot, scattering the Naglfar around me. At this point, collateral damage is the least of my worries… survival comes first.

"…You really went all out."

"Well, yeah."

The blast from the grimoire wipes out dozens of Naglfar while tearing apart the buildings around us. I didn't want to damage the ruins, but with this many enemies, there's no other way. With the surrounding Naglfar cleared, Vanessa and Elixira descend. But I notice more Naglfar slowly approaching from behind. Thankfully, none are coming from the castle ruins up ahead… better to press on.

Without any formal signal, Vanessa, Elixira, and I dash toward the castle ruins. Elixira, as usual, struggles with the pace, so I pick her up.

"Wha—!?"

"Hold still."

"They’re coming!"

Just as we near what looks like the castle entrance, a Naglfar charges from behind, readying a beam.

"I'll handle this!"

"Hey, wait!"

If I stop to intercept here, more enemies might appear. But I can't ignore attacks from behind. Targeting the Naglfar as it charges with a beam, I prepare to release a mana blade from Verethlagna, but right as it nears the castle gate, the Naglfar powers down, tumbling forward and landing right in front of me.

"Huh?"

The momentum carries the deactivated machine forward, leaving it battered, though not fatally damaged. Other Naglfar behind it also start powering down the closer they get to the gate.

"What’s going on?"

"Elixira, did you do something?"

"I… didn't do anything."

Right. She's been in my arms this whole time; there’s no way she could have cast some powerful spell out of nowhere. Besides, she’s been conserving mana and hasn’t even activated her mystic tome, Raziel.

"…Could it be that they're blocked from entering through the gate?"

There aren’t any guard posts near the gate, so it seemed pointless… but maybe it's meant to keep the Naglfar out? Could it be that the civilization that created these machines was at odds with the Simbhal Empire? I have no idea… what’s going on here?

I can figure that out later. For now, it’s a relief we won’t be chased by Naglfar inside the ruins. We can explore the castle in peace… though I doubt it’s trap-free.

After all that running and fighting, we take a short break, then step into the ruins. The castle’s back half has been blasted away, and the front half is crumbling. It’s definitely ancient, but its construction isn’t much different from buildings in the royal capital. Even though the Simbhal Empire was around 2,000 years ago, the techniques seem almost unchanged—odd.

The castle, built with white stone, shows signs of destruction in places. Some areas look like they've been bitten by a massive creature, while others have tiny, bullet-like holes. Naturally, there are no guns in this world, so it’s probably the result of magic… but it still feels strange.

"It’s been destroyed from the inside, hasn’t it?"

"Looks that way. But this side was wrecked from the outside."

"…This place reeks of unsettling mana."

I can’t sense the unsettling mana Vanessa mentioned, but Elixira’s spot and mine show distinct signs of damage from the inside and outside. Something definitely doesn’t add up.

"Are those… letters? They look more like symbols than ancient script."

"…Could it be a code? You wouldn't write such short phrases otherwise."

"Even if it's a code, why write it on a castle wall?"

"Who knows?"

If scholars can’t figure this stuff out, there’s no way we can, even with a bit of book learning.

"I thought I heard a commotion outside, but visitors? How unusual."

"!?!"

"[Raziel]!"

As we enter the crumbling hall, a woman sitting in a chair at the far end speaks. I instinctively draw Verethlagna, Elixira activates her grimoire without hesitation, and Vanessa stands frozen in shock.

"Who are you?"

"That’s what I should be asking… but fine. My name is Zenki Kyoushi ni Mouretsu (繝ｫ繧ｷ繝輔ぃ繝ｼ, 螟ｩ譌)."

"What did you just say? I couldn't hear a word of it."

"Speak properly… Theodore?"

Zenki Kyoushi ni Mouretsu (繝ｫ繧ｷ繝輔ぃ繝ｼ, 螟ｩ譌)?