episode_0093

The monster is speaking…fine, even granting that a hundred times over, it’s somewhat understandable.

At least, there must be some sort of sound-making organ attached somewhere around its neck.

Thinking about the cat I raised in my past life that made sounds similar to human speech, it’s within a reasonable category to accept.

But…a stone golem speaking?

Why? How?

Why is a lump of rock talking?

There’s a world of difference between a cat talking to you on the street and a brick wall full of holes talking to you.

Something that could happen, and something that couldn’t possibly happen.

Of course, magic makes anything possible.

But why equip a golem guarding a maze with the ability to speak?

Clearly, the creator was lonely and lacked a conversational partner, or perhaps they used leftover budget to tune the golem and create a choir.

Otherwise, there’s no way a mere golem would strike up a conversation.

However, no matter how much I denied it, I could hear it.

“…Why are you doing this.”

Eve stared intently at my face with a serious expression,

and judging by her wavering gaze, she couldn’t hear this voice.

I held the golem’s magic stone in my left hand,

and my mother’s magic stone in my right hand.

I quietly focused on the voice.

Whoosh—

“St- stop”

From the [Rea’s Magic Stone], shining pure white, I felt a non-attribute mana.

My whole body trembled at the pure and intense wave, incomparable to my own.

Closing my eyes, the jewel felt like it was translating the words coming from the golem’s magic stone.

“Send… me…”

Slowly, and gradually,

the voice became clearer.

“Please… send me away.”

This is…not a magic stone.

It’s not an ordinary magic stone.

No, this shouldn’t be possible with a magic stone.

What I feel inside is…a complete human heart.

“It’s been a long time since the King departed… I wish to rest.”

A pure soul.

…

“Eve, can you find the exit to the maze with magic?”

“…I’ll try.”

She stood up from her seat with a dissatisfied expression and spread her hands.

Drawing mana from within her body, she slowly began to mix the necessary attributes.

Red, green, yellow.

She fused the mana of fire, wind, and earth,

focusing it in her eyes.

True Sight, [Act Sight]!

Eve’s two jewels, dyed in a shimmering color, emitted a divine light,

slowly absorbing all the information within the lower level indiscriminately.

Every place her gaze touched respectfully conveyed only the truth,

and soon countless paths in this maze disappeared, leaving only one path in her sight—

“Kugh…!”

—It turned out that,

suddenly, she stumbled, clutching the back of her head.

“Are you okay?!”

“Ugh…”

Blood flowed from her furrowed brow, too much power concentrated on her due to the sudden pain.

“I-I can’t see… sir…”

“Stay still—! Relax your eyes, and breathe slowly…!”

“Hsss… haaa…”

I immediately enveloped Eve’s head in a mana barrier to check her injuries.

I’m not sure exactly what happened, but she seems to have injured her optic nerve.

It seems there was a trap set to automatically intercept anyone using magic to see through the exit.

“Re- Regeneration—”

I grabbed Eve’s hand as she tried to use self-healing magic.

“I told you to stay still.”

This is a bad habit. The fact that she pushes herself instead of relying on others is something I can’t stand.

“Eve…”

Yuri, who had rushed over after hearing Eve’s scream, felt the same way. I extended my other hand to her.

“Let’s do it together.”

And I copied the spell Eve was about to cast, slowly pouring mana into it according to the sequence.

Earth, water, fire.

[Regeneration].

Since head injuries were quite critical, I cast the spell several times more cautiously than usual.

Luckily, the magic itself was high-level and didn’t put a strain on the caster,

and soon she opened her eyes, completely healed.

“…Sorry. I couldn’t see properly. It seems that all detection magic is rigged with traps—”

“Hush— That’s not it.

Like consoling a puppy whimpering and hiding alone despite being hurt.

Supporting Eve’s nape with my hand, I focused my gaze solely on her.

She blushed slightly, turned her head,

and finally opened her mouth.

“…Thank you.”

“Good.”

After finishing the training, I let go. That’s not important right now.

“Detection magic won’t work at all, will it?”

“Probably.”

Hearing Eve’s answer, which she was about 90% sure of,

Nix, who had finished analyzing the map, slowly approached.

“Well, can you see the path now?”

“It’s…”

However, her expression wasn’t very bright.

“It seems the adventurers who came before had a hard time too… The existing map is very unreliable and has many gaps—”

“So, the result?”

Nix, after hesitating for a moment, laughed with a slightly vacant expression.

“After narrowing it down, there are about 500 possibilities.”

“…Understood.”

I rested my chin on my hand and thought quietly.

Detection doesn’t work…the map doesn’t work…

There’s no answer here.

That’s my conclusion.

…

[Rea’s Magic Stone]

– You can borrow some of ??’s power. Using it will incur ?? ??.

Clearly, all of my mother’s name was revealed from the information previously unreadable due to the question marks.

Despite this, the first question mark in that third sentence is unlikely to be my mother’s.

Or it might be another name of hers that I don’t yet know.

It’s something I shouldn’t touch yet.

However.

I was somewhat flustered earlier, but now it’s clear.

This magic stone has two effects.

One is the ‘usage effect’, still full of question marks.

The other is the ‘inherent effect’, undoubtedly exerting power in itself.

It shines brightly in certain situations and resonates with my non-attribute mana.

This is definitely a message my mother left for me.

And the only clue to solving this labyrinth.

I was certain.

“Let’s go.”

With the [Rea’s Magic Stone] firmly in my hand, I walked towards the intersection.

“…Do you have a plan?”

“Wait and see.”

The first five-way intersection we encountered.

Quietly closing my eyes and concentrating, the voice came again.

“Soldiers… time is… up… this.. way”

“Stand.. aside…”

“Don’t… talk back”

“I’m… sorry.”

Gulp—

“Soldiers, clear the way.”

“…Here.”

I walked confidently along the path where the voice was clearly audible.

Those following behind didn’t even know what was going on, but they walked without complaint, following my confident steps.

“The era without the King… was long and arduous…”

“This way.”

“Until her return… to complete Artemis’s mission was my only dream…”

“This way.”

“Was it too much greed…”

“…”

“The forbidden power I foolishly consumed… led the entire nation to destruction…”

“…This way.”

It seemed to continue, it seemed not to continue.

The voice from the stone golem was clearly repeating some kind of story.

Based on my interpretation of the meaning, only one history came to mind, pointed to by the fragmented story.

It was the ‘end of the Artemis civilization’.

According to records, the Artemis civilization was more advanced in magic than any other civilization.

Their advanced techniques were outstanding, but they tirelessly pursued the study of pure mana.

It was a dreamlike world where everyone equally enjoyed magic.

Until they invented the ultimate magic and were destroyed by that very magic.

None of the world’s scholars could find out anything about the magic that brought down the once unshakeable Artemis.

But I had a certain idea.

The ‘Ancient Mana Studies Research Journal’ I obtained as soon as I regained my past life’s memories.

I thought that clearly came from the Artemis civilization.

And now I was certain.

The golem—no, I can’t call it that anymore.

The ‘King’ the souls of the Artemis people kept mentioning.

They researched the power of pure mana.

One day, they left this place suddenly.

And if that ‘wish’ was achieved when all the scholars worked together to invent this power to control ‘souls’…

There was only one answer.

My heart had already reached a conclusion, but I didn’t want to speak it aloud yet.

Thump—

Anyway, everything will be revealed when we go through this door.

…

The special symbol that was also drawn on the basement key.

Two large doors engraved with the Artemis emblem.

I stood before them.

“…Should I use force, or the key?”

“If it’s brute force, I’ll help!”

Everybody seemed restless, but since there was something to confirm,

I stretched out my hand to stop them,

and slowly drew non-attribute mana, flowing it into the large round magic stone on the door.

Then.

Rumble rumble—

With a loud noise, the large, rock-like door slowly began to move.

I waited until there was enough space,

and slowly walked into the innermost room of the lowest floor, where the light was gradually entering.

Empty and wide, with ornaments densely lining the walls that gave an uncomfortable feeling. It was a room similar in feel to the throne room of the Naifrantz palace.

A statue standing tall in the center began to slowly rise.

Rumble rumble rumble—!!

“Intruder—?”

Boom— Boom—

The statue moved its heavy feet, approaching noisily,

and suddenly stopped.

Our ears rang, dust scattered, everyone covering their eyes and mouths,

“…What is that.”

At the sound of Yuri, the first to open her eyes, startled, we all began to open our eyes one by one,

Boom—

What was right in front of me,

“Captain Argos, I greet Her Majesty the Queen upon her return.”

Was the statue with its rock-like knees bent.