Ch.78Return to the Beginning (3)

The market officials rushed into the bedroom after hearing the mayor’s screams.

They too began screaming.

“Call the guards immediately!!!!!!”

The Odelin City guards were thrown into chaos over what appeared to be an attack on the mayor.

A horse’s head found in the bedroom with no signs of external intrusion.

The official residence was surrounded by thorn fences and patrolled by guards.

Even if someone had managed to bypass all surveillance, how could they kill a horse without making any noise?

Moreover, cutting off a horse’s head in one stroke was nearly impossible.

This was truly an absurd incident.

“What kind of madman would do this?!”

“Mayor, I have a suspicion about this.”

As the mayor pounded his desk while shouting, the deputy mayor quietly whispered.

“Such an act would be impossible without significant grudge. I wonder if this might be related to what we did to Starting Village…”

“Starting Village?”

“Yes. We’re currently blocking the road to that place, which must be causing them considerable damage. Could this be intimidation because of that?”

“Hmm… that’s possible… What should we do?”

“Why don’t we pretend ignorance and set a trap? We have suspicions but no physical evidence.”

The mayor responded by sealing off the city, deploying guards for thorough inspections, and strengthening security at the official residence.

They deliberately left some entrances poorly guarded and stationed soldiers in ambush there.

The next day.

“Son of a biiiiitch!!”

The mayor screamed until his throat was raw when he found another horse’s head thrown onto his bed.

All guards stationed at the residence were summoned for questioning, but none had spotted any intruder.

The extremely angry mayor wanted to throw the guards in prison, but the deputy mayor dissuaded him.

After careful consideration, given the current guard deployment, it should have been impossible for anyone to slip through.

This meant the intruder was no ordinary human.

A wizard? A vampire? Or perhaps a dark mage?

This seemed beyond what the city could handle.

“Mayor, we should request help from the royal palace. Something sinister seems to be at work here.”

“Lift the blockade immediately!”

“Pardon?”

“Starting Village is taking revenge on me because we blocked the road! Lift the blockade!”

When the Odelin mayor began foaming at the mouth in a fit, the deputy mayor shook his head.

“We can’t do that, Mayor. We should request help from the royal palace and determine who’s right and wrong…”

“M-M-Mayor!”

A pale-faced official ran in, stammering frantically.

“The h-horses! The horses!”

Hearing this, the Odelin mayor rushed to the stable.

“No…!”

Seeing all the horses dead in a row, the Odelin mayor collapsed as his legs gave out.

“Lift the blockade… If you don’t, I’ll follow the horses…”

* * * * *

The Odelin City blockade was lifted.

Eshna returned without saying much and gave me back the Shadow Coat.

“How did you do it?”

“Just as instructed.”

After receiving thirty gold coins, Eshna left the city hall without looking back.

Bellamy, who had been hiding behind me the whole time, sighed and said:

“I hope something like this never happens again…”

“It won’t. The Odelin mayor loves his horses like his own children.”

“But how did you know the Odelin mayor was that kind of person…?”

“I heard it through various channels. Nothing special.”

Well, now the blockade issue is resolved, but the next problem is:

Adventurers heading south aren’t returning, so we might need to block the road ourselves until the cause is discovered.

While people are free to go where they want, it’s not easy to keep the road open when the situation seems suspicious.

It would be like saying we don’t care whether people live or die.

If this were the Age of Exploration from my previous life, I might just let it be, but this is a game world.

We can’t rule out the possibility that people going to the southern continent might be disappearing due to some bug or glitch.

Hmm, I need to think about this…

* * * * *

“Sigh, are we really going the right way?”

Apprentice wizard Kameni clung fearfully to Alreina’s back.

“This place feels ominous.”

Holy Priestess Amila also looked around nervously.

“We should be on the right track.”

Alreina answered while flipping through her strategy guide.

They were at the entrance of The Doomsday Site.

Straight, neat metal structures that seemed impossible to have been made by humans stood like ancient trees.

Above them, these metal structures extended high and connected in a grid-like pattern, forming a strange ceiling. Below were abandoned square buildings that didn’t seem to belong to this world.

Though cracked and covered with moss and vines, these buildings looked sturdy enough to last another hundred years.

There wasn’t a single living creature to be found, not even a mouse, and strange, repetitive noises echoed from somewhere.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, rumble, rattle rattle…

Occasionally something seemed to shine in the darkness, but upon closer inspection, it never shone again, making it feel like an illusion.

“What was this place used for?”

“I’ve heard something about this place before.”

Amila began speaking ominously.

“This is where all the garbage of this world gathers.”

“I don’t see any garbage though.”

“Of course, ordinary trash is processed elsewhere. What comes here isn’t ordinary garbage. It’s real garbage. All kinds of evil and filthy things that have fallen to the bottom of the world.”

“Eek?! What does that mean?!”

“For example…”

Suddenly, the sound of something collapsing came from somewhere, causing Amila to jump into Alreina’s arms in terror.

Held in Alreina’s arms like a princess, Amila rolled her eyes around, looking toward the source of the sound.

“What was that?!”

“I don’t know. You’re heavy, please get down.”

“Oh, sorry. Hehehe.”

As Amila got down, Kamila grabbed Alreina’s waist and asked in a trembling voice:

“But is there anything we can find out here? There doesn’t seem to be anyone to ask.”

“Let’s go in a bit further. There must be something.”

The strategy guide’s description of this place was as follows:

‘Absolutely forbidden area.’

Something terrifying that destroys human minds lives here.

It knows many principles of the world, but knowing too much has turned it into an abyss.

Interpreting this differently, there must be an entity here that can answer all questions.

Though its danger level was unknown, Alreina and her two companions should be able to subdue it.

She planned to beat it until it was willing to talk.

“This seems endless…”

As they continued deeper inside, Kameni was almost crying as she clung to Alreina’s arm.

“I think it’s over there.”

Alreina pointed to a massive tomb-like structure ahead.

Though she wasn’t sure if it was actually a tomb, there was a low mound with a square iron door that looked very much like an entrance to a tomb.

“Let’s go in. Kameni, create some light.”

Just as bright spheres began floating from Kameni’s hand, Alreina quickly drew her sword.

In the light of the glowing spheres, several humanoid creatures appeared.

“What are they? Monsters?”

“Wait! Don’t attack!”

As Amila summoned her holy power, one of the creatures raised both hands and shouted:

“Don’t attack! We’re humans!”

“Amila, use your holy power. They could be monsters disguised as humans.”

At Alreina’s command, Amila immediately fired a holy attack at them.

However, the creatures showed no reaction to the holy power.

“Are they… human…?”

Amila turned to Alreina as she extinguished her holy power.

“They seem to be human, but I can’t believe humans would be here.”

Still holding her sword, Alreina glared at those standing across from them.

This was The Doomsday Site. A place where living beings shouldn’t casually enter.

Then one of the humans from the other side stepped forward.

“You still seem to doubt us, but I’m a wizard. You know that only intelligent beings can use magic, right?”

The self-proclaimed wizard drew magical power and created several letters in the air.

‘We are shipwrecked. Please help us.’

“That’s definitely magic. And quite advanced too.”

After Kameni confirmed this, Alreina finally sheathed her sword and spoke.

“Who are you? Who are you to be in a place like this?”

“I can’t answer that question. Because we don’t know why we’re here either.”

“You don’t know? Then how did you get in?”

“We don’t know that either. It’s hard to explain.”

The wizard, looking troubled, snapped his fingers.

“But you have a holy priest with you, right?”

“I’m the holy priest.”

When Amila raised her hand, the wizard brightened.

“We have injured people here. If you don’t mind, could you help us?”

“Should I help them?”

When Amila asked, Alreina nodded.

“We’ve confirmed they’re human, and no humans can overpower the three of us. Let’s go help them.”

They entered the massive tomb with the stranded people.

Inside, the tomb extended into a neat rectangular corridor.

There were mysterious iron doors on both sides. Peering into a half-open one revealed iron desks, chairs, and walls filled with what looked like broken glass.

“It’s such a relief. Meeting a holy priest here of all places.”

The wizard leading the way spoke.

“We were exploring the southern continent. Then suddenly we fell here. Several people were injured in the process…”

“Wait! Did you say southern continent?!”

Alreina shouted, and her voice echoed through the corridor.

“Yes. We were exploring the south.”

The wizard opened his eyes wide at Alreina’s sudden reaction.

“Southern exploration… Are you from the Hans Adventure Guild? From Starting Village?!”

“Ah, yes. You must have heard about the recruitment…”

“Uncle! Is Uncle here?!”

“Uncle…?”

“His name is Jack, and he owns a potion shop in Starting Village. Did he come here with you?!”

“Are you Alreina, the one Jack mentioned?”

“Yes! Is Uncle here?!”

The wizard’s face darkened rapidly.

“Ah, about that… Jack… he’s dead…”