Chapter 93: 93 Ancient Underground Passage

Following the dwarves, I entered the mine shaft. The guiding dwarf smiled, acting friendly.

"My name is Basilbeard!"

"Nice to meet you. I am Lucian Vane of Ravenscoft."

"To think I’d see the son of the famous Hero Reiner. Hahaha, well then, I must boast too. This mine shaft you’re going through right now is the biggest one here!"

Basilbeard spread his arms wide as if truly boasting.

Nevertheless, the size of the mine shaft was immediately apparent. It was almost twice as large as other shafts.

"I see. If we continue this way, will we find a secret path?"

"Yes. Not just any place, but the Ancient Underground Passage will appear, I tell you!"

The Ancient Underground Passage was so deep and vast that it could connect to an underground city that only existed in legends, making the current underground passages incomparable.

It also appeared in the game after the mid-point, and there were times when I’d get lost doing quests here and couldn’t clear them all day.

It was also one of the reasons why the game I played became my personal favorite game.

"The lore was really solid, and the character modeling was legendary. Haa."

Well, didn’t I come here trying to raise its rating and protect it?

Anyway, it’s still a mystery. Why did I have to come here? Though it’s good, I suppose.

"Wait."

We arrived in front of an enormous iron gate. It was massive and magnificent, as if only giants could pass through it.

Basilbeard shrugged his shoulders.

"As you all know, the superiority of the underground passages is singular. They cross rivers, traverse mountains, and are built in straight lines, enough to even profane the heavens."

"Which way should we go?"

"Take this."

He held out a medal. It was a copper medal plated with silver on the outside. It was a cheap item that wouldn’t fetch much even if sold.

"A medal? This wasn’t in the original story?"

As I tilted my head, Basilbeard chuckled.

"That’s a navigation medal! It’s set to Myra, your capital, and it will glow green if you go in the correct direction."

I held it against the iron gate. The medal glowed green for a moment.

It was amazing. Getting lost in an underground passage is troublesome, but the dwarves developed something like this?

"Dwarven technology is the best in the world!"

I couldn’t help but cheer inwardly.

Seeing the green-glowing medal, the party members also admired it.

"Oooh! It really glows! Like a jewel!"

"Oh my, it’s radiant♥"

"It’s not as crude as I thought, and I can feel the intricate craftsmanship."

I stared down at the medal for a long time. Lumina tilted her head, seemingly having a question.

"What if we go in the wrong direction?"

"It will glow yellow. Remember these two... Ah, there’s one more, but never mind that."

Basilbeard shook his head. Saying that just makes me want to hear it more, doesn’t it?

My auntie looked down at Basilbeard and asked. Ah, this downward angle, I love how my auntie’s slender jawline shines!

"What’s the other one?"

"No. You don’t need to know that, and you don’t have to. You just need to go in the right direction. Then there will be no reason for it to glow red!"

What on earth was he trying to say? This just makes it ominous for no reason. Isn’t he setting up a flag?

Aki smiled contentedly.

"I have a rather unsettling premonition♥"

Clank, Creaaaaak! Rumble!

Finally, the iron gate swung open ponderously. Dust billowed for a moment before settling.

A gloomy and primitive underground passage, made of earth and stone, came into view.

The damp feeling and strong smell peculiar to underground spaces were present, but a different, old yet mysterious scent also wafted in.

This is the Ancient Underground Passage? Awesome.

We immediately got into the carriage and set off. Basilbeard waved his hand, bidding us farewell.

"Farewell! If you ever return here, just come straight back the way you came!"

"Yes, thank you! Basilbeard, Dwarf sirs!"

I replied with all my might, then looked straight ahead again. Lynn also began to trot lightly at a moderate pace.

As we continued straight, the medal glowed green.

"Whew, this place is cleaner than I thought?"

Lumina’s words made me laugh. It was ambiguous whether it just looked clean or if it was truly clean.

I looked out the window. The underground passage was larger and wider than expected.

It was as tall as the first floor of an average mansion, and so wide that five carriages could pass side-by-side.

And honestly, I was amazed. To actually pass through a place I had only seen in the game.

Even the air I felt on my skin felt special.

"It feels like my hobby has become my profession."

Even if the meaning was largely different, reaching something I liked was probably similar.

Now, if only we could continue like this, without anything happening.

"Hmm?"

As we proceeded leisurely, something appeared on the walls and ceiling.

Here and there were stone tablets inscribed with unknown characters, luminous pearls, and lamps emitting strange orange light.

I tilted my head, then was surprised. Why were these here? Like fragments of ruins.

"What’s written on that stone tablet?"

At my question, the carriage stopped. My auntie took a quick look, then shook her head.

"These are characters I’ve never seen before. Roughly, they seem similar to the script used by Dark Elves."

Script used by Dark Elves? Why would that even be here?

Since it’s an Ancient Underground Passage, it probably existed since ancient times. Things from ancient times could be found here. If we’re lucky, there might even be treasure.

Still, it was strange. With such stone tablets here, why would the dwarves leave them untouched?

"Haa, I’m starting to miss the Dark Elf nun."

It was a shame. Such a shame that my insides burned as if my guts were boiling.

I should have brought Laurel. There wasn’t really a good reason to bring her, so I left her to keep an eye on Weaverpool.

If she had been here, would she have figured something out? We set off again.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

As we went, I noticed many branching paths here and there. There were also places that seemed to have been original paths but were now blocked. Aki made a serious expression.

"The more I see, the more amazing it is. To think the dwarves opened all of this."

I responded.

"Not all of it, I think. Some parts might have existed originally, or been revealed by chance."

My auntie, while tidying her golden rosary, interjected into our conversation.

"To think such a place exists beneath the ground we commonly tread. I can’t believe it. I never learned about this even in the capital."

The more I saw, the more I was filled with admiration. Do the people living above know that such a place exists?

They probably wouldn’t even dream of it. And we’re traversing such a place.

"It feels like we’re on some kind of tour."

Once, when I was a student, I visited a place where North Korea had dug underground tunnels. They were truly deep. I was surprised by the fact that such a deep place had become a tourist attraction.

Thump.

Huh? What was that?

I asked Lumina.

"Lumina, did you feel a vibration just now?"

"What are you talking about? I don’t know? By the way, don’t you smell something burnt? It’s not exactly similar, though."

"Burnt smell, suddenly?"

"Hmm, was I mistaken? It’s damp down here in the underground."

Lumina tilted her head. By the way, was it just my imagination?

"I definitely felt a vibration, though?"

Thump.

Huh, look at that. I feel it again?

I swallowed dryly and waited. Will it happen again? Again?

Thump.

After two minutes, it rumbled again. This was undeniable.

"It feels like the vibration is gradually getting closer?"

I just stared out the window. Maybe it was just my imagination. Because I was unnecessarily excited, thrilled.

"We’re not the only ones using the underground passage, after all. But if it’s making this much noise, is there an earthquake happening somewhere?"

Or perhaps a battle was taking place on the surface. But still, this was a bit questionable.

As I tilted my head, something seemed to be on the tip of my tongue.

"Wait a minute, didn’t something happen to the protagonist in the original story while going through the underground passage?"

I tried hard to remember. Because I had a premonition that something big would happen if I couldn’t recall it.

But strangely, I couldn’t remember.

"Fuck, what was it? It was definitely an important branching event, wasn’t it?"

"Hey, everyone! Don’t you smell something? Really? Is it just me?"

Lumina asked loudly. Thanks to her, my concentration was broken.

"What smell?"

"No, not at all."

"There’s just a moldy smell, is that what you’re talking about?"

At our replies, Lumina sighed as if the ground would collapse.

"Nooo! How should I put it? It’s different from mold. Ah, it’s hard to describe. There are so many things mixed in."

"No, more importantly, don’t you feel the vibration? Really?"

"What vibration, again? You’re not trying to talk about a mana-tech dildo, are you? You crazy bastard?"

A chuckle escaped me. Why would dildos come up here, for fuck’s sake.

"You’re the crazy one. Do you have a uterus lodged in your brain? Why would I talk about something like that?"

"But why do you keep making vibration jokes?"

"Ah, shut up. You stop with the smell jokes!"

It seemed both Lumina and I were feeling something. Only, for me, it was a vibration.

Smell? I’m not sure. Though there’s quite a basement smell.

Time passed as we laughed and chatted. As we continued without incident, suddenly, our view widened significantly.

"Huh? This place?"

A messy open space, originally used as a shelter, appeared. I suggested,

"Let’s rest here for a bit! We don’t know how long we’ve been running."

It felt like we had been running for quite a while, but the time was unclear. Everyone got out of the carriage.

The vibration was still felt at long intervals. My auntie, beside me, was surprised.

"There are stone tablets here too. Oh my, the floor itself is made of stone tablets?" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

I looked down. Stone tablets of a size difficult to measure formed the floor.

There were many stone tablets on the walls too. Anyone seeing them might think someone left a guestbook entry at a popular restaurant.

"Huh, is it really not a guestbook? And we’re just mistaking it for some grand historical record?"

I hope not. That would be too foolish.

Aki brought out a notebook and recorded the stone tablets one by one.

"Aki, what are you doing?"

"I’m going to show these to someone who might understand them later! It might be poetry, you know? Fufufu♥"

Aki likes poetry too. I wondered if she wasn’t truly textbook material for a Japanese-style heroine.

Though it’s good when she goes wild during sex.

"Everyone, let’s rest for about an hour. Lynn, you rest too!"

I stroked Lynn’s head, letting her rest. I looked around a bit more, then sat on the floor and leaned against the carriage.

I had been sitting comfortably in the carriage, but I was strangely tired.

"I should try to recall my memories here. Ah, why can’t I remember?"

It was truly strange. I could recall most things, whether from the game or the original story.

Why was it different this time?

As I was deep in thought, my auntie came and sat beside me. She pressed her body close, leaning her head against me.

Her scent, despite the fatigue from the journey, felt fragrant.

Yes, this is happiness. Having the people I like as my adventure companions.

Smiling silently, I put my arm around her shoulder.

＊＊＊

Inside the carriage.

The medal Lucian had left behind was lying on the floor. That medal slowly, but surely, began to glow red.