Chapter 256 - Open World (5)

The Scholar of Destruction's signature fire magic was every bit as vicious as his reputation. Even the countless people who had gathered from across the city could do no more than keep the flames from spreading. In the end, the fire was only brought under control after the masters of no fewer than seven schools joined forces to cast a spell.

SHHHHHHH!

Rain poured down as though a hole had opened in the sky.

“Wooooo!”

As the flames weakened and died, some people cheered, others quietly breathed in relief, and still others sank to the ground as though they lacked even the strength to shout.

For the record, I belonged to that last group.

“... Fucking hell.”

It was finally over.

My overheated body cooled rapidly, and my tension drained away along with the heat. I flopped backward onto the ground.

And immediately regretted it.

“Ha.”

The ground had cooled to a lukewarm temperature. The ash that had drifted through the air all night mixed with the rainwater into a sticky mess. Anyone would have found it unpleasant.

Still, I couldn't be bothered to get up.

How long did I lie there with my eyes closed?

“Ugh, you scared me! I thought you were hurt!”

I opened my eyes to find Raven standing over me.

“... But you really aren't hurt anywhere, right?”

“I'm just exhausted and resting. Don't talk to me.”

“If you want to rest, you should go back and wash up properly—”

“In a little while.”

“All right. You've worked hard...”

I lay there for another few minutes before getting up.

The water had risen all the way to my ears, after all.

So the drainage here wasn't great.

“... You look a mess, too.”

“You're hardly one to talk, Mr. Jandel.”

With black, ashy water streaming off us, we headed toward the undamaged part of the city.

We saw people everywhere. Some desperately searched for missing loved ones, while others sifted through the rubble in hopes of finding survivors.

They all looked much like us.

“By the way, what time is it?”

“Almost noon.”

Noon on the second, huh...

It was a little ironic. Normally, explorers were the only people who looked like this at this time.

“The rain's stopped.”

The mages must have released their spell. The dark clouds filling the sky scattered, and warm shafts of sunlight began spilling through.

At that same moment...

“Bjorn!!”

I spotted Misha in the distance, with Aynar and Erwin beside her.

So they'd heard the news during the night and come here, too. Judging by how they looked no better than us, they had apparently spent the whole night struggling to put out the fire as well.

“... You're not hurt anywhere, are you, nyah?”

I'd worried she might lecture me, but surprisingly, Misha said little.

It was because of the people beside us.

“B-Baronet Jandel...!”

The few survivors I had rescued last night.

Well, she could hardly ask why I'd done something like that in front of them.

“Why are you still around here instead of going somewhere to rest?”

At my puzzled question, the survivors hesitantly expressed their gratitude.

Then they left.

What? Had they really waited all this time just to say those few words?

'If that's the case, they could at least stop being scared of me for being a noble.'

I chuckled and kept walking.

Before long, we reached the intact eastern district, which the flames hadn't swallowed.

First, we found lodgings nearby. We couldn't exactly ride a carriage home looking like this. Besides, home was hours away, and I wanted to rest now.

'Wonder how much a night in Carnon costs...'

As the capital, it was bound to be far more expensive than the commercial district of Commelby, but I wouldn't get to find out today.

It was free.

“The manager has instructed us not to charge anyone today.”

All the lodgings nearby were offering free rooms to the citizens and explorers who had come to help fight the fire.

“Before you go upstairs, you'll need to sign the register here... Baronet Bjorn Jandel...?!”

“That's right.”

“I've heard so much about you. They say no one worked harder than you today... On behalf of this city, thank you.”

I didn't know whether it was because of my title or my fame, but the clerk at the counter gave me the largest remaining suite all to myself.

Apparently, the other rooms had fifteen or so people sharing each one?

With a living room, three bedrooms, and even two bathrooms, our suite had more than enough space for the five of us.

“You take one bathroom for yourself, Bjorn, nyah. We'll take turns using the other one, nyah.”

“Thanks.”

I accepted my teammates' consideration and went into the bathroom to wash. Even going as quickly as I could, it took about an hour.

'I'll clean the borrowed equipment properly and return it later...'

I gathered the equipment I'd taken off into a corner of the room, then lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

The bed was as soft as you'd expect from lodgings in the capital of Carnon.

Exhaustion washed over me all at once.

'Come to think of it, what happened at the Labyrinth? Did the army win? I'd like to know about that, too...'

Well, I could find out tomorrow.

With that final thought, sleep claimed me. And when I opened my eyes the next morning...

“... The army!!”

The royal army that had descended underground had returned.

The sight left me with mixed feelings.

'What on earth happened down there?'

Looking down from the window at the troops following the road toward the palace, I couldn't find the slightest trace of battle on them.

* * *

Deep underground, in darkness untouched by light, tens of thousands of people walked in a long procession, relying on torches.

All of them were from Noark...

“This way.”

A mysterious old man led the way at the very front, with the city's ruler, the lord, following directly behind him.

“My lord, we don't even know who he is. We should head somewhere else while we still can...”

“Watch your words. He's the only one we can rely on now.”

“But how does he know about a side passage even we don't know exists? It's far too suspicious. Perhaps this is some trick by the royal family—”

“Enough.”

The lord cut his retainer off firmly.

He understood being suspicious of the old man. He understood the intense anxiety, too.

But a trick by the royal family?

That was far too great a leap. If not for the old man, they would already have perished along with Noark.

“We have no choice. Let us trust him.”

Murmuring helplessly, the lord recalled what had happened earlier.

[“My lord, the royal army has invaded!”]

The army had arrived just past midnight, precisely when all the city's fighting strength had entered the Labyrinth.

Shattering the barrier that had protected the city all this time, the royal army began its advance.

[“Take all the citizens to the shelter.”]

His mind had gone blank for a moment, but the lord led everyone remaining in the city into the shelter beneath the citadel.

Built by the royal family in the distant past, it could accommodate thousands. After all, the citadel of Noark had once served as the royal castle.

Back when the witch's curse destroyed the world, humanity had gathered from across the continent and built a city underground. There, they had kept their history alive for many years, until they expanded the protective barrier and moved to the surface.

That was also why a Labyrinth portal existed there.

[“Yes, they've set up camp in the plaza and haven't moved. They appear to be waiting for the portal to open.”]

Whether that could be called fortunate or not, the royal army showed little interest in those hiding in the shelter.

The reason was perfectly rational. Once the portal opened, the explorers would emerge.

Eliminating the explorers was the royal army's first priority. They could destroy the shelter afterward without any trouble.

[“Send word to the surface.”]

In the end, the lord requested aid from above, and the Scholar of Destruction set the capital ablaze to draw attention away.

But...

[“Ruthless bastards.”]

The army never returned to the city above. Even the Scholar of Destruction, their last hope, stopped responding altogether at some point, for reasons unknown.

Time continued to pass...

[11 : 41]

Twenty minutes remained until the portal opened and their forces returned from their respective stretches of time in the Labyrinth.

[“Listen, men.”]

Feeling like a man driven into a corner, the lord issued orders to his remaining troops.

It was the best he could do at the time. He had no idea how many would die, but it was the only way out he believed offered even a slim chance of survival.

[“Open the gates!!”]

Just before the hour hand reached noon, the lord led his remaining forces out of the shelter. Desperately fighting through the troops waiting outside, they headed for the plaza.

Seeing it firsthand only deepened his despair.

[“...”]

There were thousands of knights alone, and even more soldiers. Mages and priests were stationed throughout their ranks.

But it was already too late to turn back.

[“The portal is opening!!”]

[“Get ready!!”]

Blue light gathered at the center of the plaza. The portal opened and began disgorging explorers.

[“Wh-what the hell!!”]

[“The royal family! It's the royal army!”]

[“Damn it! No wonder there was nobody inside!”]

The explorers were bewildered to find an army welcoming them home, but perhaps they had sensed something amiss in the Labyrinth, because they quickly grasped the situation.

[“What are you doing? Are you just going to die here?”]

[“Draw your fucking sword already!”]

They immediately drew their weapons and prepared to fight back. Meanwhile, the lord led his troops along the perimeter, drawing as much attention as possible.

He gave only one order.

[“Run! To the surface!”]

The best plan he could choose.

Every person for themselves.

Let even a few survive, so they could plan for the future.

But had his actions caught someone's eye?

[“So this is the face of the leader of those insolent rebels. I'm surprised you look more ordinary than I expected.”]

Before long, a knight stood before him.

The dazzling Aura coating the knight's sword proclaimed his identity.

[“The Knight of Light...!”]

Jerome Saintred, Commander of the First Royal Knight Order.

A warrior of such significance to the kingdom that he bore another epithet: Guardian of the Royal Family.

[“Do not worry. You will not die here. Just to be safe, I'll cut off your limbs first, then make sure to bring you back alive.”]

The Knight of Light swung his sword.

The lord, whose experience amounted to a few years as an explorer in his twenties, reaching only the fifth floor, couldn't even follow it with his eyes.

WHOOOSH!

Light flared along the sword's path, turning his vision pure white.

But...

A flash!

When that momentary brilliance faded and he opened his eyes...

“...?”

Nothing had happened to him.

His arms moved, and both legs remained firmly on the ground, unharmed.

What on earth had happened?

As that question crossed his mind...

[“You still have work to do.”]

The old man appeared dozens of meters overhead.

At some point, the fighting around them had stopped.

Not willingly.

Just as the Knight of Light's wrist trembled with his sword pointed at the lord's throat, no one present could take any action to harm another person.

As though it were a rule governing that space.

[“Well, everyone should be here by now. Let's be off.”]

At a gesture from the old man, an enormous magic circle on the city floor began radiating light.

Mana of a vastness the lord had never felt in his life.

[“Fortunately, this still works perfectly well, too.”]

As the old man murmured, the lord's vision grew distant.

And then...

A flash!

When he came to his senses, the lord was in a dark underground passage.

And he wasn't alone. Everyone from Noark who had been there was with him...

[“Wh-what have you done!”]

[“Mass Teleportation? No, it can't possibly transport this many people...”]

Along with a very small number of knights who had been swept up with them.

[“Moving so many at once must have caused a slight error. Ah, I didn't bring them deliberately, so don't mind me. Go ahead and kill them.”]

As though entranced, the lord obeyed the old man, ordering the knights killed. Then he asked where they were. The old man merely smiled meaningfully and started walking, and the lord followed.

Time passed, bringing them to the present.

“Might you be the person I believe you are?”

A man's voice drew the lord out of his thoughts.

To his surprise, the commander of Orculus had approached the old man first and was addressing him respectfully.

“Well, without a question, there can be no answer.”

“You mean I should draw my own conclusions. Understood.”

The commander, who shared control of Noark's power with him and opposed him on so many matters, meekly bowed his head and withdrew.

The sight was jarring, and it only deepened the lord's questions about the old man.

'Who on earth is he?'

He considered asking the commander. Hadn't he been the one to order his members to stay still and do nothing rash as soon as they were teleported?

He clearly knew something.

But...

'He'll never tell me willingly.'

Instead of questioning the commander about the old man's identity, the lord approached the old man himself. He actively tried to strike up the conversation that an inexplicable unease had kept him from attempting earlier.

Surprisingly, the old man was very friendly.

“Ah, the teleportation? I merely borrowed the power of an ancient magic circle in the city, so don't think too much of it. The same goes for stopping the battle, however briefly. That's how well designed Noark is.”

“I had no idea such a thing even existed...”

“Ho ho, it would be stranger if you did know, so don't be disheartened. Now, is that all you wanted to ask?”

The lord asked him all sorts of questions, and the old man readily answered everything except where they were going.

How much more time passed?

“Here we are.”

The narrow passage gradually widened, revealing an upward slope.

And then...

“What is this place...?”

They climbed the incline and emerged outside.

The lord could say with absolute certainty that he had never seen anything like it.

Sunlight streamed down over a forest and a flowing brook. Birds chirped, and earthworms wriggled over the damp ground.

And above all...

“There are no walls...?”

Whichever way he looked, the walls that should have been there were nowhere to be seen.

Put simply, they were not inside Raphdonia, the city known as the last bastion.

“Wh-where on earth are we...?”

Murmuring dazedly, the lord turned back toward the old man. Beneath his hood, the exposed lower half of his face was smiling.

“Congratulations. You will now go down in history as the first people in thousands of years to step outside the city.”

The second day of the eighth month, in the 154th year of New Beginnings.

It was the day the age hemmed in by walls finally came to an end, and a new world opened.