Chapter 34: The Forgotten Temple (3)

“Th-There really was a hidden door…!”

Miki looked down at the door he had opened with eyes full of wonder.

“…….”

Ibi's expression was also one of disbelief, though in her case, it was more like she was in a daze for a slightly different reason.

Then again, even the usually expressionless Rine looked a little surprised.

“Good job, Miki.”

I lightly patted Miki's shoulder, then turned to the other two and said.

“Shall we go down?”

* * *

Relying on Miki's simple light magic, we descended the long stairs into the dark basement, where we were greeted by yet another door.

However, “This crest…”

--

Michael Irons

[History] Success

--

“It's the emblem of the Church of Stareon!”

It was emblazoned with the symbol of the God of Water, Stareon.

So anyone could tell that this was the entrance to the hidden temple.

“…This is for real?”

However, this time it wasn't hidden like before, and.

“So? Don't tell me this one has to be opened with a prayer too?”

“I don't detect any magic.”

“That’s a f*cking relief.”

It didn't seem to need magic to open either; it was just an ordinary large door.

“Will it just open?”

Miki, having said this, placed his hand on the door and gave it a light push, then.

“…! It seems to be firmly locked.”

He immediately took his hand off, as if he had instantly guessed it wouldn't open easily.

Miki was right.

This door, too, was not one that would simply open.

While the door to get down to this basement required a [Faith] check, this one required either brute [Strength] to force it open or the delicate [Finesse] to pick the lock.

Of course.

“There’s no need for that.”

“Pardon?”

“We can open it with this.”

That is, if you don't have a key.

“Th-That’s…!?”

“Ah, you don't know?”

But as it happened, we already had one.

“This is called a key. It can open locked doors.”

“Oh, ooh…!”

“What kind of a skit is this?”

Watching Miki clap his hands as if something was amazing, even if he didn't quite understand why, Ibi muttered in disbelief.

Then, she seemed to have immediately recognized the key I had taken out.

“That’s the one, isn't it? The one we picked up from that noble bastard in the tomb.”

“Correct.”

The old, worn-out bronze key that we found by searching the nobleman's skeleton in the 「Drunkard's Tomb」.

“That’s the key to this door?”

“Yup.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Just, a bard's intuition, shall we say.”

“Intuition?”

Ibi let out a dry laugh as if to say, ‘how could there be such a convenient story,’ but.

“Whatever it is, we'll know soon enough if we actually try to insert it, won't we?”

Seeing the key I had confidently inserted fit perfectly, she was once again left gaping.

Click!

The moment I turned the inserted key, the sound of a heavy lock being released echoed.

I gestured towards the key as if to show it off, then turned to the dazed Ibi with a grin and said.

“Remember the song I sang last time?”

“How many times have you sung?”

“The one in the tomb, about the greedy nobleman who tried to revive the great warrior, the Drunkard, with necromancy.”

I held up the lute on my back as if to say I could sing it again right now if she didn't remember, but Ibi immediately waved her hands, saying no thanks.

“Long ago there was a great warrior who served Stareon.”

“No, stop.”

Not that I would stop just because she said so.

“We have a new audience member.”

Of course, I had a justification.

Indeed, unlike Ibi or Rine, Miki, who hadn't heard the song at that time, immediately started looking at me with sparkling, expectant eyes as soon as I sang a line.

Seeing this, Ibi pressed her forehead and sighed.

After simply singing about the first verse, I responded to Miki and Rine's seal-like clapping with a light bow, then put the lute back on and said.

“Think about it. If he simply wanted a powerful puppet, did it have to be someone who had been dead for a long time?”

As I said before, according to the lore, the potential of cursed undead was bound to be low.

“No matter how great a warrior he was in life, he was still a dead person. Were there really no one among the living who was stronger than him? I mean, we even beat him.”

Of course, there were extremely rare exceptions, but at least the 「Drunkard's Specter」 we faced was not one of them.

“If that nobleman simply wanted ‘power’, he could have found a stronger warrior without having to borrow the power of necromancy.”

In short.

“There was a reason he had to be revived.”

“Then… could it be that they were looking for this place from the beginning?”

“It wouldn't be strange if they were.”

10 points for Miki!

I didn't say that, but instead, I snapped my fingers and pointed at Miki.

“So, you're saying they tried to ask the person himself instead of the stone slab?”

“That was my hypothesis.”

And that was the truth.

“Orally transmitted songs often contain a lot of history and information.”

That's why I immediately continued.

“So, if that hypothesis is correct, then I speculated that the key we found at that time might also be a key related to this place.”

Then I shrugged at Ibi as if to ask what she thought of that.

“How about it? A bard's intuition isn't so bad, is it?”

“…Ha.”

Ibi, seeing me gloating, let out a dry laugh and turned her head away, but since the result was out, she didn't argue back.

“And well, even if the hypothesis had been wrong, a door without any magic on it can just be picked one way or another, right? We have an expert with us.”

“Am I a master key or something?”

Aren't you?

I, of course, didn't say that out loud, but instead just gave a silent grin.

“What are you smiling at?”

Having come this far, she had no choice but to accept that the legend of the trident was not just a baseless rumor or a prank by ancient people.

“…Seriously.”

Sure enough, Ibi scratched her head and finally reached for the door.

“So you’re certain that the trident, or fork, or whatever, is in here? Let's hurry up and get it so we can get paid.”

“From Mr. Aqua.”

“Ah, right, right. From whomever.”

Creeak──

Then, with a loud metallic screech, the door slowly opened.

At the same time, Miki's 「Orb of Light」 began to gradually push back the darkness beyond the door, and.

“Holy sh*t──”

Ibi, who had let out a curse without realizing it as she opened the door, and Miki, who was controlling the orb of light.

“……!”

And, even Rine, all had expressions as if they were at a loss for words for a moment.

The space beyond the door was, in a word, majestic.

First, in a cave-like space so vast it was hard to believe it was underground, a large waterfall was pouring down with a whooshing sound.

With the waterfall at its back, a statue of Stareon, as large as the one we saw at the great temple, sat in a dignified pose.

Along with the statues of knights lined up on both sides, as if paying homage to Stareon.

Unlike the surface, which was completely in ruins with only about a foundation stone of a pillar remaining, this place still retained its majesty.

「The Forgotten Stareon Temple」.

Worthy of its name.

“W-Wow……”

Miki, who let out an exclamation, looked around as if mesmerized.

“To think there was a place like this… under the cliff……!”

His eyes were filled with pure wonder.

“What is this…?”

Meanwhile, Ibi, who had dismissed everything about prophecies and such as nonsense until now, also seemed to have been inadvertently overwhelmed, unable to close her gaping mouth.

It couldn't be helped.

Even I, who knew everything that was waiting for us inside, couldn't help but stare blankly for a while upon witnessing this sight in person.

For a moment, I completely forgot my original plan to play it cool and ask the three of them for their impressions of seeing such a sight for the first time.

The graphics I had seen through a monitor and the atmosphere of this place, which I was seeing with my own two eyes and feeling with my own skin, were… clearly different.

However.

“…If it’s this much.”

I couldn't just stand there in a daze, admiring this magnificent view forever.

“We have to assume it's no longer just a story from a legend.”

“O-Over there!”

Almost simultaneously with my words, Miki urgently pointed at the statue of Stareon and shouted.

Miki had noticed it quickly despite only having heard the story from us, so there was no way Ibi, who had seen it directly, would have missed it.

The size of the statue might have been similar to the one in the great temple, but.

“…The trident.”

The object it held in its hand was clearly different.

Only then did Ibi seem to snap out of it, and after glancing at us once, she finally looked at me and asked.

“…Don't tell me that's it?”

“No way.”

That was definitely a trident, but it was not a spear that an ordinary person could even carry, let alone wield.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't even a spear.

It was just a model carved out of stone.

In other words, “It must be hidden separately.”

In any case, it was certain that the trident of Stareon was here.

“Then what are you doing?”

At my answer, Ibi, who immediately started walking into the cave with bold steps, gestured for us to hurry.

“Let's go find it quickly!”

Her voice was clearly filled with excitement at the sight of treasure.

“Ah, wait──”

I belatedly tried to grab Ibi, but it was already too late.

──Rumble!

Suddenly, the sound of something shaking filled the cave.

At that, Ibi, who had entered the cave at a fast pace, flinched and stopped in her tracks.

“……Damn.”

It wasn't like I could openly make a prophecy, but I had intended to give a hint in advance, using the excuse of a bard's intuition or something like before.

As I said just now, I was so captivated by this magnificent view that I had missed the timing.

『Welcome, champion of Lord Stareon.』

“A voice…?!”

“W-What? Who’s talking?!”

『You must have set foot in this place in search of Lord Stareon's trident.』

“…It's the statue.”

“What!?”

“I can feel magic… from that giant statue of the god.”

The moment we set foot in this cave… no, this dungeon called 「The Forgotten Stareon Temple」.

『But the trident must only be held in the hands of the worthy.』

A trial.

『First, show your courage, and your strength.』

A battle would begin.

“──?!”

As the statue's voice, which had been resonating throughout the cave, momentarily faded, the cave began to shake again.

And the three of them seemed to have finally realized that the shaking from before, and now, did not originate from the cave floor.

“Wh-What.”

The statues of knights, standing in a row as if paying homage to Stareon, were the source of the tremor.

Strictly speaking, they weren't shaking.

“What the hell are those things──!?”

They had just started to move.

『Prove that you are a champion worthy of the trident.』

Like living knights.

……Well, what's done is done.

“──Ibi!”

I have to do what I have to do.

“Get some distance for now!”

“Ah, f*ck!”

It was a battle that was absolutely unavoidable the moment we set foot in here anyway.

“Miki! To the front line!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

I had intended to beat them all up from the start.

“And, Rine.”

“Yes.”

“It’s 「Delayed Casting」 again this time.”

“Understood. What magic should I prepare?”

I knew how to do it.

“──「Lightning Bolt」.”