“Tir, Auguste is here, isn’t he?”
『Umu. That’s right. It seems that while I was turning my back, those guys had gathered.』
I looked up at the aforementioned place from on top of the rooftop of a building.
Before our eyes, the majestic appearance of the cathedral which touched the sky was towering above us.
Today, there were many dragons around the cathedral.
The winged dragons were flying around the cathedral or perching on the steeple.
Dragons without wings were also crowding tightly in the square in front of the cathedral.
When compared with the dragons surrounding Auguste when the mental interference began, they had a somewhat empty look.
If I looked closely, I could see dragons that had fainted.
『If that blonde prince is causing this situation, that guy seems to possess a power that exceeded human domain.』
Admiring words spilled from Tirnanog’s mouth in amazement.
“By the way Tir, if you also received such strong mental interference, wouldn’t it be terrible?”
『That’s a foolish question. I am not as insensitive as you are, but I am also from Aurelia. It is easy to block the mental interference.』
“What a relief.”
We got off to the square and approached the cathedral.
If it was dangerous, we intended to return to a higher place using Leap once more.
However, the movements of the dragons that were trying to block our path were somewhat slow and easy to avoid.
The closer we got to the cathedral, dragons who fainted and dragons with sluggish movements were increasing.
Without much difficulty, we got into the cathedral.
“I thought for sure that we would get much more intense disturbance.”
『Perhaps the prince actually wants to be rescued……or rather, even dragons’ heart cannot tolerate this strong mental interference for a long time.』
“Then, we have to find him before it’s too late.”
『Umu. That’s right. Let’s hurry. The suspicious presence gradually getting stronger. I can smell the pungent stench of the beast.』
Tirnanog led me through the inside of the cathedral.
Small dragons were entering the building, but all of them fainted and fell down.
It saved me some trouble, but I became worried about Auguste and the dragons.
If the dragons couldn’t enter, then wouldn’t he be alone right now?
As we were getting closer to Auguste, the interiors and the exhibits of the cathedral becoming more and more eerie.
It was a dreadful picture of Hell as if it implied what was going to happen.
Originally this was a locked route, but all the doors were unlocked by Auguste who came in here first.
I knew this route as well.
I unconsciously touched my wand holder and the alchemists’ silk gloves to confirm their existences.
How was I going to deal with this unexpected situation with my prepared supplies?
Right now, I was lamenting my preparation internally such as, ‘I wished I had kept it like that at that time’, or ‘I should have prepared that too.’
『Do not be afraid. I will be there for when you couldn’t get through this.』
“Yes, I’m counting on you, Tir.”
And then, we opened the last door.
There, it was the only mural painting depicting God’s figure in this cathedral.
To the illusion as if I had been glared at by the grotesque-looking sun, cold chills ran through my spine.
There was only Goldberry in the center of the God’s mural painting room.
She fainted while being wrapped in a black riding jacket that Auguste was wearing when I parted with him.
I hurriedly rushed over to check her, but to my relief she was still breathing.
Goldberry seemed to just fall into a deep sleep.
But, there was no Auguste.
From the presence of Goldberry and the jacket, there was no doubt that he came here once.
Where did he go?
Why did he have to go through this mural painting room, which was a dead end?
『Erica, the smell of the prince is cut off in this room……because the stench of the beast is too strong, I do not know his exact location.』
“No, that information is more than enough.”
I thought that it might be unnecessary, but I also brought the wands for exploring the ruins as a precaution.
I opened my bag and took out the Wand of Glam Sight.
First of all, the standard routine in case of trouble.
Shook the Wand of Glam Sight and a sparkling magic circle was converging on my eyes.
In the field of view through the magical sight to see traces of magical power, there was no evidence of dubious magic.
『It seems that it isn’t a magical gimmick.』
“It would be better if I have Urd Sight……”
Urd Sight was a joint development product with a mage who could use space manipulation magic.
For that reason, it was a pretty rare item and the price was high.
Even though I got along with my older brother, I had to give up because I felt daunted by the expensive cost.
Since it couldn’t be helped, I had to think of something else.
This was also the ironic rule of alchemists.
I took out another wand from my bag.
This wand was a set with a scroll.
The scroll was made of parchment in which the grid was burned.
On the stick head was a magnetite in which a compass relief was engraved.
The material of the shaft was the keel of a ship which had sailed without sinking for more than ten years, and the one used for the core material was a star crystal which was carved into the figure of a sextant.
At the butt end of the wand hung a miniature anchor which was made by melting an actual anchor into a miniature anchor.
It was the Wand of Magic Mapping.
It was a relatively new kind of wand made by combining Auto Scribing for manuscripts with Siren’s Echo which was produced by people of Aurelia who were voyagers to sense reefs.
This wand had the power to pass through obstacles to some extent and revealed the structure of the building.
“Light of the star, light up my destination.”
Shook the Wand of Magic Mapping.
Pale yellow light was lit from the head of the wand, and a magic circle of the same color expanded in a circular form.
When the magic circle was able to spread to a radius of about 5 meters, the magic characters that composed the magic circle broke and became an anchor shape and splashed all over the room.
The pale light that was lit on the head of the wand became soaked in ink, and she pressed it against the scroll.
When the shape of the compass was pressed against the scroll like a stamp, the light of the wand moved to the sign of the compass.
The light spreading in the room converged on the scroll’s compass and burst in a flash of light like a lightning.
The ink automatically ran over the parchment from the compass sign, and the structure of this building was drawn out by magic.
“I found it! Below this, there is a hidden space!”
『So it is not magic, it was hidden by a mechanic trick.』
The place where there should be a hidden space seemed to be just under the mural painting of God.
—The contract beast sleeps under the sun.
Auguste said that there was such an old poem.
Ignitia’s only god was the God of Sun.
“Below, there is the contract beast……but, how did Auguste go under this……”
Should I have bought Urd Sight even if it was somewhat expensive?
This was the time when that magic became convenient.
While I held my head in regret, Tirnanog came forward to the mural painting.
『I am here for moments like this.』
“I see. That’s right. Since it’s bad if we destroy the mural painting, please destroy the floor.”
『Leave it to me. Erica, release my limiter.』
I nodded and cast a command word to control the star steel armor.
“Cage, hold, chain.
For a short while, unravel that commandment, enclosed it in iron and awaken your memory.
Cover my friend’s arms and armor, show us the gallant figure engraved on his body.”
Responding to my words, the armor that covered the arms of Tirnanog began to emit light.
Tirnanog, who was wearing star steel armor that could expand infinitely by absorbing magical power—changed his appearance to the shape set instantly by the magical power of the Philosopher’s Stone.
When the light went out, both arms of Tirnanog became bigger and his nails were sharper and became longer.
『The inside is filled as well.』
“Yosh, go ahead and do it!”
『Roger!』
Tirnanog’s arms flashed like a black gale.
Every time, he swung his arms, the stone floor was torn apart and went flying.
In ten seconds, there was a hole for people to pass through and I could see a staircase hidden inside.
“You did great, Tir!”
『Umu. This armor, it’s pretty comfortable……now then, Erica. It looks like this is it. Not only the stench of the beast, but I also feel a devastating magical power.』
“Yes……I could barely see it.”
Through the Glam Sight, I could perceive the magical power that was shining like a red mist drifting.
It seemed to be high-concentration of pure magical power which couldn’t be analysed for detailed information.
I took out a star crystal lamp that didn’t radiate heat and put it on my belt, and put the Wand of Feather Falling and Levitation in the wand holder as precaution.
Then, Tirnanog and I went down the steep and dark staircase.
Next to the spiral staircase, coffins with several lids opened were placed.
I was frozen for a moment because the inside of those coffins seemed to be visible.
However, the coffins weren’t stuffed with dead bodies and were stuffed with white flowers instead.
The empty coffins were carved with names.
Some of them were names that I knew.
Founder King Guillaume, Severe King Jean……both of them were the kings of Ignitia who were praised as gods.
『It seems that this cathedral was once the royal castle, is this the Kings’ Tomb?』
“No. Ignitia’s dragon knight kings do not sleep under the ground. When they die, they will be going back to the sky.”
According to the knowledge I got in preparation, there was no tomb for the kings of Ignitia.
The prideful Ignitia’s dragon knights were buried by dragon funeral.
Their dead bodies were eaten by the dragons they used to ride and their souls would become one with the dragon.
The dragon who ate the King was the grave in the sky for the King who they loved.
They were referred as Throne.
As long as they were still alive, there would be a Sky Throne to protect the soul of the King in Heaven.
The Throne of the Founder King was still flying through the Ignitia’s sky.
Therefore, it was not necessary for Ignitia to have an underground tomb for their kings.
The stairs were over and we reached the bottom of the cathedral.
A coffin was also placed in front of the door where the contract beast was supposed to be.
The coffin that seemed newer than the other coffins was not yet filled with flowers.
Looking at the name engraved on the new coffin, I felt blood drained from my face.
—Auguste Ignitia.
The name of the boy that I was looking for was engraved there.
☆
I hid myself halfway behind the wall while holding a wand, and Tirnanog opened the door.
It was a room that was slightly narrower than the mural’s room, it was roughly shaped like a cube.
On the walls, ceilings, and the floors, grooves imitating sketches of eyes and eyelids were carved.
Somehow the grooves were faintly radiating lights.
Apart from the grooves carved on the surface, there was no other feature in the room, no statue nor painting.
In the center of the room, there was Auguste who was standing with his back turned against me.
