Shirone: "Amy, are we really investigating the right place?"
Amy: "Don't ask me. I'm already feeling a sense of futility."
After finishing their tour of the central temple, the group finally decided to halt their investigation.
They found nothing unusual about the above-ground ruins.
Shirone: "I don't get it. The headmaster said we'd find answers here. But what does a labyrinth from thousands of years ago have to do with anything?"
Amy: "But another possibility has emerged. Maybe there's something truly incredible hidden underground. What do you think? We'll have to use the Spirit Zone to explore, right?"
Rian slammed his palm on the table.
Rian: "I've got a great idea. If we can't break through with the Spirit Zone, why don't we just dig our way down? The four of us can dig 500 meters."
Shirone didn't respond.
Tess: "What about contacting the natives? They live here, so some of them must speak the common language."
Amy rested her chin on her hand.
Amy: "Hmm, that's true. But people from civilized areas might lie. Maybe we should find an interpreter…"
Rian snapped.
Rian: "Hey! Why aren't you responding? I said let's dig!"
Tess scolded him.
Tess: "Idiot, even the autonomous government can't touch these ruins. How do you plan to dig here? If you try, you'll be charged with cultural heritage destruction."
Then she turned to Shirone.
Tess: "We need to decide soon. What are we going to do?"
Shirone: "I don't know. Interrogation seems like the best option, but that's not feasible right now. We'd need an interpreter, and more importantly, a permit to enter the native autonomous zone."
Tess: "Really? Well, I have one idea we can try right now. Want to hear it?"
Shirone's eyes widened.
Shirone: "Really? Tell me. What is it?"
Rian, not wanting to be left out, asked with a sour expression.
Rian: "You're not suggesting we dig secretly, are you?"
Suppressing the urge to snap back, Tess got to the point.
Tess: "…Anyway, here's what I'm thinking. While you guys were investigating the ruins, I looked around a bit. And I noticed something strange."
Shirone: "What is it?"
Tess glanced around.
Tess: "Look at the people. Most are tourists, but some aren't. They move in groups, are armed, and show no interest in the ruins."
The three of them surveyed their surroundings.
Sure enough, there were armed individuals wandering around, though not many.
Shirone: "Ah…"
Tess: "See? They're mercenaries. Why would mercenaries be wandering around a tourist spot? Some of them look pretty strong. In short, there's some kind of secret here."
Amy: "And the mercenaries know about it."
Tess: "Exactly. Contacting the natives would take time, and they might not even talk. But through the mercenaries, we can get information."
Shirone was impressed by Tess's insight.
While everyone else was focused on the ruins, she had been observing the external situation.
'Truly worthy of the Elzain family.'
Though the family was known for producing diplomats, their true strength lay in espionage.
Members of the family, trained in professional intelligence-gathering, were still infiltrating countries worldwide to collect crucial information.
'It's definitely a good idea. In fact, it's the only idea we have right now.'
Shirone decided to go with Tess's strategy.
Shirone: "Alright. So we just need to tail the mercenaries?"
Tess: "Hmm, tailing might be risky. If we're caught by a high-level mercenary, it'll be a headache. Especially if they're sensory-type schemers. If I were to tail them alone, I could manage."
Shirone: "True. I don't even know how to hide my presence. So what should we do?"
Tess: "Hehe, do we even need to go looking for them? Mercenaries are everywhere, aren't they?"
Shirone: "There's a place like that? Where?"
Tess winked and pointed somewhere.
Tess: "How about a drink in the afternoon?"
Along the southwestern inner wall of the ruins, makeshift shops made of tin sheets lined the streets.
There were restaurants, bars, and grocery stores. Though small, their accessibility attracted many tourists.
Shirone's group entered a bar.
It was hard to believe anyone would be drinking in the middle of the day, but aside from two tables, the place was packed.
The group took a seat in the corner. Shirone sat next to Amy, while Rian and Tess sat across from them.
Shirone looked over the menu and, after some thought, asked:
Shirone: "Are you… going to drink?"
Tess: "We probably should, right? It's a bar, after all. Let's focus on the side dishes. It's better to have lunch here."
Tess placed the order.
Traditional drinks from Galliant Island, hot noodles, and minced meat arrived.
As they focused on filling their stomachs, a loud burst of laughter came from the next table.
Feeling a bit irritated, Shirone turned his gaze and saw four people with a large spread of alcohol.
Rian: "I think the people at the next table are talking about us."
Tess: "Don't pay attention. They're just drunk."
It was common for mercenaries to blow off steam at bars, but it rarely ended well.
Mercenary 1: "The world's gotten soft, kids walking around armed. Hey, hey, you'll get yourselves killed like that."
Mercenary 2: "That sword's ridiculously big. Can you even swing that thing? You might as well carry a rock around."
Rian's eyes narrowed as he turned to look.
Meanwhile, Shirone remained unfazed, recalling what he had observed earlier.
According to what he had seen when they entered, there were four mercenaries at the next table—three men and one woman. One seemed to be an archer, and the woman, who had no visible weapon, was likely a mage.
'An archer and a mage.'
Having two specialists in their group meant they had a fairly balanced team.
Mercenary 1: "What? You looking at me? I've had a rough day today. Want to spill some blood here?"
Mercenary 2: "Ugh, cut it out. Is picking on kids fun for you?"
The woman, presumably the mage, pretended to stop them, but her sincerity was questionable.
Rian found it even more annoying, but he couldn't flip the table before Shirone made a move.
'You've got a lot of patience, huh?'
Shirone, slurping his noodles, showed no particular emotion in his eyes.
Even Amy was calmly eating her food, so Rian eventually turned his gaze back.
Rian: "Tch!"
With all channels of communication closed, the mercenaries, having lost their fun, began to prepare to leave.
Whether it was because they had drunk too much since noon or talked too much, their expressions weren't great.
Mercenary 1: "Ugh, my head hurts."
Mercenary 2: "Hey, you kids are lucky today. Keep living like that, and you'll live long."
As the mercenaries paid their bill and left, the bar owner clicked his tongue and approached.
Bar Owner: "Are you guys okay? Those troublemakers. Picking on kids like that…"
Shirone spoke for the first time.
Shirone: "Do you know those people?"
Bar Owner: "They've been coming here a lot lately. I don't know why, but other mercenaries have been frequenting the ruins too. Those guys live by risking their lives, so they're always looking for a fight. You handled it well. Those guys have no limits."
Shirone: "Hmm, they come often…"
Shirone found that statement意味深长.
Staying for several days meant they had a special purpose.
Tess: "You did well. I was worried you'd cause trouble, but you held back surprisingly well."
Rian: "…It was dangerous. But we'll see them again, right? That's why I waited."
Shirone stood up with a smile.
Shirone: "Right. Let's get going."
As they left the bar, they saw the mercenaries heading toward the central temple.
Shirone's group chose to observe from a high vantage point instead of tailing them directly. Since most of an archer's sensory skills were perception-based, closing the distance risked being detected.
From the fourth floor of the temple building, they observed the mercenaries—a young party, none older than thirty.
The leader seemed to be a well-built swordsman, and the sword at his waist was a renowned masterpiece, its design alone enough for Tess to recall the name of its blacksmith.
Tess: "Of course, it's not a limited edition."
Next to the leader was a burly man with a blunt weapon, followed by a long-haired man and a woman in robes.
Shirone: "Two warriors, one of them a swordsman. One archer, one mage. That sums it up. Even though it's a tourist spot, they're maintaining formation. They're an experienced party. Not tailing them was the right call."
The mercenaries headed toward the stepped altar east of the central temple.
Shirone remembered the place. It was unusual because it was guarded by natives, which had struck him as odd.
The archer approached a native and began speaking. He seemed to know the Kergo language.
The native looked around sternly.
Clearly concerned about drawing attention, Shirone's group quickly moved.
Shirone: "Now's the time! Let's go!"
As the native activated a mechanism, a rectangular crack appeared on the altar, and they were pushed inside. A thick stone door slid aside, revealing a dark entrance.
Shirone, who had arrived in the meantime, shouted.
Shirone: "Wait! We're coming in too!"
The mercenaries turned with hardened expressions, recognizing Shirone's group and scowling.
Mercenary Leader: "What the hell? When did you follow us?"
Shirone addressed the archer.
Shirone: "Mister, can we come in with you?"
Archer: "Get lost! Do you know how we found this place? And I'm not a mister!"
Shirone: "Come on, just…!"
As Shirone tried to plead again, the leader drew his sword.
His draw speed wasn't particularly fast, but it was clear he had repeated the motion countless times.
Mercenary Leader: "You kids want to die? You think we're pushovers? If you don't leave, I'll cut all your throats right here."
Shirone calmly looked at the tip of the sword.
The contrast with the bar made him feel even worse.
Shirone: "These bastards…!"
The native guarding the altar intervened.
Native: "Are they with you?"
The leader, startled, turned to the archer, the only one who could translate.
Mercenary Leader: "What's he saying?"
Archer: "He's asking if they're with us."
Mercenary Leader: "With us? Tell him we're dealing with them now."
When the archer relayed the message, the native's eyes hardened.
His face reddened as if insulted, and he spoke in a high-handed tone.
Native: "Warriors do not fight here. Those who defile this sacred altar with blood may not enter."
The archer translated reluctantly.
Archer: "We should stop. He says if we fight here, he won't let us in."
The leader sheathed his sword.
Mercenary Leader: "Tch! Lucky brats. You've escaped death twice now."
With that, he entered the altar, and the rest of the party followed.
Shirone's group stayed back for a moment, gauging the situation.
They could have pushed in behind the mercenaries, but the native's sharp gaze made them hesitate.
Native: "If you wish to take the trial, enter. The eyes of the angels will watch over you."
Tess: "What's he saying?"
Rian: "Not sure. Sounds like he's saying we should relax and enjoy ourselves? If he wanted to kick us out, he would've closed the door."
Shirone didn't fully believe it, but he made a decision and stepped forward.
When the native showed no further reaction, the other three followed into the darkness.
No tourists noticed that eight people had disappeared.