"Phew, I believe that’s the last of the inheritance collected."
Noah nodded after finishing stowing away all the treasure.
The haul was truly impressive, filled with numerous forbidden art tomes and forbidden tools, many of which were types I had never seen before. Good job, William.
The contents would apparently be scrutinized once we returned, but unable to wait, I was already stealing glances at a few of the volumes.
Incidentally, the Divine Dragon remained asleep during the entire process. It seemed to be peeking at me every now and then, but that was probably just my imagination.
"All right, let’s head out. Hey, you! You can check the treasure after we get back!"
"...Fine, fine."
Gazel had caught me trying to sneak a read. Tsk.
"It can't be helped. Come now, let's head back, Lloyd-kun."
Just like me, Connie had been rummaging through the forbidden tools; she dragged me along as I reluctantly prepared to rejoin the others—but then, she stopped.
Connie came to a sudden halt.
"...Lloyd-kun, did you hear a voice just now?"
"No, I didn't hear anything in particular."
Maybe she was just hearing things. Grimo and Jiriel also shook their heads.
However, Connie seemed bothered by it and walked toward the wall. Just as I thought she had crouched down to examine something, the wall suddenly crumbled away with a loud rattle.
"Th-That surprised me..."
Connie’s eyes went wide. Beyond the collapsed wall, a path continued further in.
"What? A hidden passageway appeared out of nowhere!?"
"This is a path even we didn’t know about... What on earth could it be?"
Apparently, it was a path unknown even to Noah and Gazel. That said, the two of them likely only knew about this place through inherited records; it wasn’t strange for a dungeon several centuries old to have secrets.
A path buried as if to hide it... how suspicious.
"Of course we're going, right?"
"U-Um... wouldn't it be dangerous...?"
"We’ve come this far, it’s a bit late for that now!"
Noah wavered at my suggestion, but Gazel slapped him on the back to encourage him. Exactly. There might be even greater treasures ahead. Turning back wasn't even an option.
"Well, it’s not like we’re particularly exhausted."
"We shall protect you no matter what happens. Rest assured, Master Lloyd."
Having obtained permission from Albert and Sylpha as well, we proceeded further into the depths.
However, the path was shorter than expected and came to a dead end in no time. Placed there was not treasure, but a shrine for sealing away demons. The only difference was the size; compared to the stones where the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Army had been sealed, this one was several times larger.
"To think a seal would be in a place like this... and this size is extraordinary. A seal requires a size corresponding to the strength of the target being confined. I wonder what kind of monster is sealed within..."
"Our ancestor probably sealed it and then hid its existence, thinking we wouldn't be able to handle it. Look, an incredible amount of mana has been poured into it to ensure the seal lasts semi-permanently."
Noah and Gazel groaned as they looked up at the seal. It certainly had an imposing atmosphere. I felt a slight leakage of mana, but its quality was unlike anything I had ever felt before.
"Th-Th-This is bad, Master Lloyd! Something terrifying must be sealed in here!"
"M-m-my trembling won’t stop! I feel like I might be obliterated just by standing in this room!"
Grimo and Jiriel were shaking violently. It seemed an incredibly formidable individual was sealed here. I didn't feel that much pressure myself, but it must be painful for the two of them, as they were magic bodies.
"W-Well, if it's not doing any harm, shouldn't we just leave it alone? We've finished our business, so let's get back quickly."
"Yeah, you’re right. It’s chilly in here. It’s a bit much for a girl with poor circulation like me. Ahaha."
Birgitte jumped on Ren's suggestion. Looking around, everyone else was trembling as well, and they all nodded in agreement.
Everyone, that is, except for Connie.
"...I wonder. It’s a strange feeling."
Saying that, Connie placed her hand on the sealing stone. In that instant, I thought I heard something like a heartbeat coming from within.
"Do you feel something, Connie?"
"Yeah, I don’t really know... but somehow, it feels... nostalgic..."
Connie seemed preoccupied with the seal, but the others were already trying to leave. It couldn't be helped. Maybe I'd sneak back in later to investigate.
Thinking such thoughts, I turned to leave the room. At that moment, I thought I heard a dry crack from behind me.
In the darkness, three figures—the resurrected members of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Army—were staring into a crystal ball. They seemed stirred up by what they saw.
"H-Hey! That sealing stone—could it be the Demon King’s!?"
"There’s no mistake. I wondered where it was, but I never imagined it would be hidden in a place like that."
"Umu. Furthermore, it seems a crack has formed in the seal due to contact with the vessel. The Demon King’s mana is definitely flowing into her."
The three were momentarily excited, but their expressions soon turned grim.
"But... with a crack of that degree, the amount of mana flowing out is too small. At this rate, the vessel's lifespan will run out before the Demon King can be resurrected."
"Yeah, in the worst case, he might be resurrected in a state weaker than us."
"That would be problematic. However, that seal is too robust to be destroyed. If we, his subordinates, could make contact with the vessel, the awakening might be accelerated, but..."
The three spoke in heavy tones, their gazes fixed upon the boy standing beside Connie—Lloyd.
"...This brat is in the way."
"He’s the one who defeated Vilf with ease... Even if all of us attacked together, we probably wouldn’t win."
"Indeed, that is so. ...Hmm."
After one of them pondered for a while, he spoke.
"What do you say, everyone? How about leaving this to me, Ganjit of the Emerald?"
The man who identified himself as Ganjit said this and closed one eye with a smirk.