Chapter 89 : Chapter 89

Chapter 89 - Finding a Clue (3)

The condition of the waterway, revisited after half a year, was, of course, a mess.

No longer maintained, the floor was covered in moss, and unfamiliar ivy stretched high up the walls.

As they all entered the waterway, the gate closed automatically, blocking out the light.

The mages immediately lit up the surroundings.

“……They’re gone.”

As the party was about to move, Jeina said with a dazed expression, looking around.

“Ben and Deiker’s bodies are gone.”

Gerard said nonchalantly.

“It must be another place, not here.”

The castle's water facilities spread out in all directions, and naturally, there were just as many waterways.

The waterways looked similar, so it was no surprise that Jeina was mistaken.

“No, this is the place.”

But Jeina immediately shook her head.

“I can feel it. We fought here.”

“On what basis are you saying that?”

“A hunch.”

“……”

Gerard sighed and was about to turn his head, but he froze.

He had found a familiar-shaped indentation in the wall.

“This is……”

There was no way Gerard wouldn't remember.

It was the wall Jeina had been thrown against by the assassin's attack.

“It’s real.”

Jeina had a tendency to vaguely lump things she couldn't explain as a hunch. It was up to the listener to distinguish whether it was a real hunch or something she said after realizing something.

Finding a piece of Jeina’s leather armor, Gerard confirmed once again that this was the place where Jeina had crashed.

But if that was the case, it was strange.

Where had the Hellmorph assassin and the bodies of Ben and Deiker, who should have been here, gone?

“Could they have completely rotted away?”

“Even if they did, the bones should still be there.”

Tersion said.

“Someone moved the bodies. That’s the only explanation.”

Who on earth would do such a thing in a place that had already fallen to ruin?

No one could give a definite answer.

“That’s not the only strange thing.”

Reinard said.

“Aside from the contaminated water, I don't feel any contaminated mana inside. It seems it was never contaminated in the first place.”

“A strange thing indeed. Could it be a trap?”

To Artier, the underground waterway was just a safe zone that had existed since his game days.

But to the other NPCs who didn't know that, it seemed suspicious.

‘No, actually, even during the game days, I didn't know why this was a safe zone.’

The Hellmorphs infected even barren wastelands with nothing in them, so it wasn't that it wasn't worth contaminating.

Why would they leave this place alone?

Artier was also getting anxious.

“It’s getting late. It would be best to check the surroundings and camp here.”

No one objected to Collie’s words.

Everyone took out their camping gear from their inventories, set up tents, and lit a bonfire.

“I can tolerate other things, but the smell of the water is hard to bear. I will use magic to remove the stench.”

“I will set up an alarm magic.”

“Then I will use Camouflage Veil!”

As the three mages used various spells on their own, the inside of the campsite became a comfortable place where the humid air and rotten smell no longer entered.

‘As expected, this world is really convenient in this aspect.’

“Since there’s alarm magic, we won't need a night watch.”

Perhaps because the day’s work was over.

Artier was speaking formally again.

“Everyone get some good rest. I'll see you in the morning.”

“You go to sleep first, brother. I have something I want to check.”

Surprisingly, it was Jeina who said this.

Tersion grabbed Jeina, who was about to recklessly leave the campsite.

“You haven't forgotten that this is enemy territory, have you?”

“……”

Jeina gave no answer.

But her usual smiling and easygoing demeanor was gone, and as she kept silent and looked down, there was a subtle sense of pressure.

Was that why? Tersion also sighed and picked up the bow she had put down.

“Good grief. It's been well over half a year, how on earth are you going to find the bodies……”

“Hehe, thanks.”

“Don’t get me wrong. If we get caught, I'll abandon you right away.”

With those words, the two disappeared into the distance.

Gerard stared at Jeina and let out a sigh of relief.

“It used to be Dina, but now I’m glad we have Bow……”

“Collie, just in case, would you stay up until those two return?”

“I understand.”

At Collie’s answer, Artier closed his eyes in relief.

***

When Artier woke up the next day, Collie was snoring beside him.

He was relieved at the sight, but when he got up and looked around the campsite, Jeina was nowhere to be seen.

“Jeina?”

Just as he was about to hastily grab his sword and go out, Jeina and Reinard appeared at the entrance of the campsite.

“You’re awake.”

“Where have you been?”

“We were scouting the area outside the waterway. What Jeina said last night was bothering me.”

“Last night?”

Jeina scratched her cheek and muttered in embarrassment.

“I didn’t say much. I just said it was clean when I looked around with Bow yesterday.”

“That’s what’s strange.”

Reinard immediately cut Jeina off.

“The places where the Hellmorphs have passed are contaminated. But isn't it strange that the inside of the castle, including the waterway, is clean?”

Huh?

Hearing Reinard’s words, Artier also realized something was strange.

Never mind the inside of the waterway, but the inside of the castle was also preserved.

“Unless they all went crazy, there’s no way they would leave it like that.”

“That’s why I went to check.”

And as Jeina had said, there was no sign of Hellmorph infection inside the collapsed castle.

“Let’s investigate the inside of the castle.”

As everyone finished preparing to depart, Artier immediately left the waterway.

As the entrance opened, the first thing they saw was the wreckage of buildings that had been burnt black.

‘There’s no infection, but it’s still destroyed.’

The miserable sight was enough to make the atmosphere sink.

“They might be ambushing us, so let’s search carefully.”

At Artier’s words, the party drew their weapons.

But not even 10 minutes later, they couldn't help but be flustered.

“There’s no sign of life at all, you know?”

“Is this right? The most recent trace is from 8 months ago?”

Tersion and Collie, who were using their tracking and search skills, couldn't hide their bewilderment.

“I don’t feel any contaminated mana.”

“This just…… feels like visiting an old castle ruin.”

It was the same for Reinard and Gerard.

None of their senses or skills were reporting anything abnormal. They were saying that the Hellmorphs' influence hadn't reached this castle.

“That can't be.”

Reinard immediately denied it.

“It has been 8 months since this place was occupied. It's a distance that takes over 2 weeks on foot. That's enough time for the Hellmorphs to infect it.”

“Isn’t there something here that they don’t like?”

“If there was something like that, this place wouldn’t have fallen in the first place.”

Reinard took out silver powder, clean water, and a small mana stone from his inventory.

“Let's try using an advanced search magic. You two mages, could you assist me?”

‘Oh…… a magic circle.’

Artier watched Reinard, who was sprinkling silver powder, with interest.

Magic circles were an advanced skill that only mages belonging to the Sage’s Tower could learn.

It required an intelligence stat of 50 to learn, so even Artier, who was from the Sage’s Tower, had not yet learned the magic circle skill.

“What should we do?”

“Please read the mana from the location where the incantation is written.”

“I think I know what you’re trying to do.”

“I request a cross-verification based on the Orkhan incantation. This is rough terrain, after all.”

“You brought a truly complex incantation……. I understand.”

The three mages muttered something in a language only they could understand and then stood at the three points of the completed magic circle.

Jeina, who was watching them, shook her head at the warrior next to her and asked.

“Do you understand what that means?”

“No, not at all.”

The warrior with the mace immediately shook his head.

“We also learned holy magic, so why don't we understand?”

“I know, right.”

Listening to their conversation, Artier couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

It was because he knew how absurd their conversation was.

‘Are addition and calculus the same?’

Thump!

Soon, as the three of them simultaneously infused mana, the magic circle trembled and began to emit a large pulse in all directions.

Woong.

Considering that the principle of search magic was to spread mana, it was a natural phenomenon.

The problem was that the pulse was large.

“Uh oh…… at this rate, aren’t the Hellmorphs outside the castle going to detect it?”

As Artier asked, looking around, Reinard immediately answered.

“They certainly will. It would be stranger if they couldn't detect the search magic.”

“……What?”

“It’s a magic that is fundamentally impossible to hide. Even the children of the Empire can detect large-scale search magic.”

“That’s not the problem right now?! They’re going to flock here!”

Tersion shouted in an incredulous tone, but Reinard just looked at her with a ‘what’s the problem?’ expression.

“We just have to hold out until the search is complete. There will be a limit to the number of Hellmorphs in this vicinity.”

“What the hell is that bastard saying right now……?”

“Considering our combat power and the distribution of Hellmorphs in this vicinity, we should be able to hold out until the search magic is complete.”

Everyone froze at Reinard’s unsettling words.

This guy, who seemed like a cool-headed and normal person, was an unexpected wild card.

Master, I think we're screwed. This magic circle will be maintained for 15 minutes even if we cut off the mana right now, you know.

At Collie’s thought echoing in his head, Artier almost let out a string of curses without realizing it.

“Prepare for defense! They’re coming!”

Kroooar!

As soon as the ominous roar was heard, the warriors let out a string of curses and drew their weapons.

“Reinard! Can’t you please explain things to us before you do them?!”

“I know you’re smart, but don’t plan and execute things by yourself!”

Seeing the two warriors shouting, it seemed to be a familiar occurrence.

Artier, who was listening without thinking, suddenly felt a strange pang of guilt.

‘Wait……. Did I look like that to other people?’

Artier, who always apologized after doing something.

Fortunately, his comrades had accepted it, but experiencing it through someone else felt strange.

Perhaps one can only truly understand the world by putting oneself in another's shoes.

Kyaaaak!

While he was contemplating, the Hellmorphs began to swarm in.

[A quest has been generated.]

Search magic has been activated. However, the Hell Guardians who detected the activated magic have begun to swarm. If you can buy time by stopping them until the search magic is complete, you will be able to solve the mystery of this place.

Reward: Acquisition of key information

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