Ch.70Sunken Village (4)

The next morning.

After recharging our energy and waking up refreshed, we mounted our horses once more and finally reached the peak around noon.

We rode up the road, tied our horses, and began sorting through our belongings to take only what was necessary before forming our battle formation.

“Don’t move too quickly; we mages have weak stamina.”

“I know. Just make sure you mages provide good light.”

After this casual exchange, we entered the facility with heightened tension as the mages began casting spells to create light.

“Rathom!”

*Flash!*

Bright spheres of light emerged from the mages’ staves, and we proceeded forward with expressions of relief at finally being able to see.

Our formation had those of us with wide-swinging weapons like greatswords and halberds—myself and Raisha—at the very front, followed by shield bearers equipped with shields and short swords, axes, or maces.

“Stay alert. If we’re facing artificial intelligence, there’s a high chance of ambushes and surprise attacks.”

“I don’t see anything yet…”

In facilities like this, scoundrels typically don’t take the lead.

While detecting traps is their job, ancient ruins often have mechanically hidden traps that can’t be found with magical detection. Moreover, a scoundrel’s flimsy armor means instant death from even a glancing blow.

Therefore, in such ruins, scoundrels serve as rear support with their quick mobility, which is why they’re often considered nice-to-have but not essential for ruin exploration.

*Clank… clank…*

Only the footsteps of heavily armored battlers echoed through the space, and soon I could see something approaching from the distance.

“Halt!”

I signaled the formation to stop and raised my sword to the high guard position, preparing for a potential attack.

*Whirrrr…*

“Is that… a drone?”

Like the drones I’d seen a few times at the harbor in Parcifal, where owners would desperately wade into the water to retrieve them…

Except this one was much larger, heavier, and more advanced as it approached us.

*Creeak… creeeak…*

Heavily rusted, with cables protruding, and flying so unsteadily it looked like it might crash at any moment, the drone approached me at the front of the formation.

[この 場所は、帝国の 国家 保安 施設です。 すぐに 退去しないと、武力を 使用します。]

“What’s it saying?”

“It says it will use force if we don’t leave immediately…! Prepare for battle!”

At Simon’s translation, everyone raised their weapons, and the drone, after scanning us, spoke in a static-filled mechanical voice.

[武装した 侵入者たちを 発見。 警備 部隊 出動。]

*Beep-! Beep-! Beep-!*

Suddenly, red emergency lights began flashing on the ceiling, and a loud siren started blaring.

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

“They’re coming!”

In the distance, red mechanical eyes began approaching, and we tightened our grip on our weapons.

*

[侵入者 発見。 殲滅 開始。]

*Vroooom!*

*Crash!*

“Damn it!”

We were facing security robots.

About thirty robots, each around two meters tall with massive chainsaws attached to both arms, were advancing on us.

*Vroom! Vroom!*

*Clang! Boom!*

I swung my sword vigorously and took down one of them. Those of us in the front line—myself, Raisha, and others wielding heavy weapons—could manage to land effective blows and destroy the robots, albeit with difficulty. However, the battlers in the rear with shorter weapons were struggling just to avoid the viciously swinging chainsaws.

*Crash!*

“Urgh…!”

*VROOOOM!!!!*

*Crack!*

“AAAAGH!!! My arm! My arm!!!”

The security robots’ chainsaws cut through shields like tofu, and those who had their shields strapped to their arms suffered the catastrophe of losing both shield and limb.

*Clank! Clank!*

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

“Oh shit…! More are coming!”

If it were just these, we might have been able to push through with sheer numbers, but as soon as about ten robots ceased functioning, dozens more arrived as reinforcements, accompanied by the sound of something rising from the distance.

“Don’t panic! Scoundrels, retrieve the arms and hands of the battlers and move the injured to the rear! Rangers! Arcing shots are useless against these things! We’ll cast enhancement spells, so shoot straight through them!”

“Move quickly!”

“Handt!”

As the mages cast enhancement spells on the rangers’ arrows, they began to pierce the robots’ thick armor like arrows into well-dried wood.

The robots began to falter under the barrage of arrows, and I swung my sword widely, cutting two robots in half.

*Crash!*

The sound of steel clashing against steel echoed loudly, and then Simon shouted for us to clear a path. As the battlers split to either side, magnificent spells from the mages began flying through the gap.

*Crackle!*

*Boom!*

*Crash!*

Sparking, burning, crushing.

In the overwhelming torrent of magical power that neither machine nor flesh could escape, the ancient imperial machines trembled, scorched, and crumpled, gradually losing their form.

*Whoosh…*

When the magical storm subsided, we reformed our ranks and continued deeper into the facility, now littered with ashes and debris.

No more security robots appeared, and the drone that had broadcast the warning to us was half-burned, stuck in the pile of robot ashes like a decoration on a cake.

“The power of magic!”

I muttered as I cast Lumines to create light, keeping my sword ready for any potential second attack.

My sword was an extra-large greatsword, making it uncomfortable to swing in such narrow spaces, but switching to a dagger would lack the striking power and impact I needed.

“Walk carefully. We don’t know what traps might be here.”

“Ah, damn…”

Walking through such a facility was like walking on thin ice.

One moment of carelessness could send you to Karyl’s side in an instant.

*

However, such worries proved unfounded—there were no unmanned turrets shooting lasers or traps that would flatten three-dimensional objects with protruding walls.

“Well… thinking about it, it makes sense. No matter how much of an imperial direct facility this is, it’s just an observation facility, not a research or military installation… this level of security is sufficient.”

“They control weather satellites from a facility like this?”

“The ancient empire could.”

“Tsk.”

When he puts it that way, I have nothing to say.

We had entered the control room of the facility, and the mages were busy tapping away at computers covered in thick layers of dust from tens of thousands of years ago, searching for something.

“I don’t think this is the right file.”

“You inserted the wrong command, you idiot. The last file modification time was 270,000 years ago, so you need to use the code from that time.”

“Sigh… this is why I hate ancient ruins!”

…..

They seem to be arguing about something, but honestly, I have no idea what they’re talking about.

“Lord Victor, aren’t we going to collect any spoils?”

“We’ve already collected what we need. Don’t worry.”

“Huh? When did you collect them?”

“I’m planning to take these computers.”

“Ah, I see…”

Computers were quite heavy and bulky compared to their value, so adventurers who cared about “cost-effectiveness” often ignored them.

However, I had a spatial storage that was quite spacious. Therefore, if packed properly, I could sell more than thirty computers as complete sets with monitors, towers, keyboards, mice, headsets, and cables, which would fetch a good price in Fernheim where we were headed.

Although Fernheim was a city of warriors, most of those warriors funded their fighting through adventure, so the commercial sector was as developed as in other cities.

And since historical places like Fernheim often preserved various ruins and artifacts, there were quite a few historians around, meaning these “artifacts” wouldn’t be sold at bargain prices.

*Tap-tap-tap… tap… tap-tap…*

In the distance, the mages were furiously typing on the powered-up computers, and finally a shout of success was heard.

“Got it! We’ve gained control!”

“Shut it down!”

“Command entered… transmission… done! The satellite has now ceased operation!”

As the mages shouted excitedly, the adventurers who had filled their bags with loot also raised their hands in celebration.

Those without hands raised their arms, and those without arms raised whatever they could.

Our quest was now complete.

By now, the rescue team sent by the guild would have started reconstruction work in the village. Karvington would rise again, and the torrential rain would no longer fall.

“So why was there torrential rain in the first place?”

“Obvious, isn’t it? A bug occurred, and with no one to fix it, the system malfunctioned. Now that we’ve shut it down, it’ll probably fall from orbit after a few thousand more years when its lifespan ends.”

“I see.”

At this simple explanation, I nodded and began bundling the computers into sets to store in my spatial storage.