The 14th dawned.
The most urgent issue facing the joint survey was what to do with the containers. The leaders of the three nations met to deliberate: Captain Bernardo and Vice-Captain Gloria Allstatt represented the Klein Kingdom; Captain Bruno and the magi craftman Jade Nephroi represented the Kingdom of Egerea; and Major Fritz represented the Shouro Empire.
These five individuals sat huddled together in a strategy session.
"Perhaps we should first discuss the distribution and then let each country decide its own policy for its share?" Bernardo suggested.
Bruno nodded with a troubled expression. "Hmm, that has some merit... Speaking for Egerea, we'd prefer to just dig a hole and dump the contents."
"That would be a terrible waste!" Jade objected. "The fact that the Former Leonard Kingdom sealed these items instead of discarding them suggests they have significant value. We shouldn't just throw them away!"
"That's a fair point," Fritz agreed. "Alchemists would likely jump at the chance to study this."
"But if we do that, we won't be able to repurpose the gold used for the containers," Gloria pointed out, her tone pragmatic. "Doesn't that halve the benefit of bringing them back in the first place?"
In response, Jade Nephroi clarified his position. "I don't want you to misunderstand; I also believe the liquid inside is a threat. However, I’m saying we must weigh that danger against the primary purpose of this investigation."
"Hmm..."
A conclusion remained elusive. Their situation was surely being transmitted to Egerea via the magi-monitor, but the inability to receive immediate feedback was frustrating.
Just then, a startled cry rang out. "Whoa!"
Everyone turned toward the sound. One of the Klein Kingdom knights was staring at the knife in his hand, his face deathly pale. Bernardo and the others paused their meeting and summoned the man to find out what had happened.
"Maltah, what is it?"
The knight, Maltah, straightened his posture and began his report. "After that mysterious liquid spilled and we washed it away with water, I happened to pass by the spot. I noticed a faint smoke rising and a strange odor."
Bernardo nodded, prompting him to continue. "Go on."
"Yes, sir. The smoke was coming from a puddle, so I thought something might be submerged in it. When I probed the water with my issued knife, this happened."
Maltah held out the knife. Its surface was pitted and crumbling; the metal had clearly melted.
"This is..."
"Are you saying the liquid still had this effect even after being washed away?"
"A substance that dissolves iron..."
The captains fell into a heavy silence.
"Is it possible the Former Leonard Kingdom intended to use this as a weapon?" Fritz suggested.
"It certainly seems so," Bruno agreed. "If someone were doused in this, even iron armor wouldn't save them."
"But if that’s the case, why was it sealed away?" Bernardo asked. It was a logical question. If they possessed such a potent dissolving agent, it could have been used to seep through the gaps in enemy armor and inflict devastating casualties.
"Perhaps because it is simply too inhumane?" Gloria offered. She had witnessed the earlier treatment of the injured soldier and seen the horrific extent of his wounds. "His arms and chest were blackened, turned to charcoal. The damage was so severe that mid-level healing magic could barely keep up."
"Hmm..."
In terms of modern Earth, it was essentially a chemical weapon. It wasn't just gases that posed a threat; substances like this were equally terrifying.
"To think it remains this potent even when diluted... how frightening," Jade Nephroi added, looking slightly ill himself.
"For now, before we reach a final decision, why don't we check the contents of the adamantite containers?" Bernardo suggested.
"Wait, shouldn't we consider why they chose adamantite instead of gold for those specific drums?" Gloria asked.
"I suspect something even more dangerous might be sealed inside," Fritz added in agreement with Gloria.
"True, but it’s something we’ll have to verify eventually," Bruno countered. "It’s better to do it here than to risk a catastrophe after bringing them back to a populated capital."
"I agree," Jade said. "There’s no guarantee an accident won't happen during transport."
With a three-to-two majority, the decision was made to proceed. Neither Fritz nor Gloria contested the vote further.
"Then, the question is how to check the interior."
"I will handle that," Jade offered. He intended to open the containers using Craft Magic. Even adamantite would pose no challenge to his techniques.
"Very well, we're counting on you. But first, let's establish every safety measure we can."
About two hundred meters away from the camp, a Golias dug a hemispherical pit roughly ten meters wide and five meters deep. One of the adamantite containers was carried into the center, and Jade Nephroi prepared to work.
Jade was secured with a lifeline so that a Golias could yank him to safety if anything went wrong. Additionally, those capable of attack magic stood ready at the edge of the pit to neutralize any unforeseen threats. The female knights, excluding Gloria, were ordered to wait even further back as a precaution. Every step was monitored and transmitted to the Kingdom of Egerea.
At 3:00 PM, Jade Nephroi activated his magic to pierce the adamantite.
"Forming."
Working with extreme care, he slowly manipulated the metal until a hole about ten centimeters in diameter appeared in the lid. Jade paused.
"And the contents?"
Peering into the opening, he saw a translucent, thick, viscous fluid. If Jin had been there to see it, he likely would have compared it to gyuuhi sweet rice cake.
Jade tentatively poked the substance with a fallen branch, but nothing happened. Emboldened, he enlarged the opening. It was definitely a mysterious, translucent fluid, but it remained inert even when poked with a branch or a knife. It appeared this substance was not a hazardous corrosive.
Relieved, Jade Nephroi proceeded to open the remaining containers. Nine out of the ten held the same jelly-like substance. However, when the final container was moved, it made a distinct rattling sound. It clearly contained solid objects—and from the sound, they were quite hard.
"This one is different. Be careful."
"Understood."
Looking closer, Jade noticed this specific container was slightly smaller than the others.
"Forming."
He opened it with the same caution as the rest.
"What are these?"
Inside were numerous gray stones. They were irregular, jagged shapes, opaque and dull, showing no signs of being particularly valuable.
"Why would they seal something like this in adamantite?"
The group debated the mystery but found no answers. Their final conclusion was that perhaps the contents had simply changed over the last two hundred years, becoming harmless through some long chemical process.
"At the very least, it means we can transport the adamantite containers without fear," Bernardo said.
However, transporting hollow containers was an inefficient use of space.
"Let's dig a hole and dump the contents here," Bruno suggested. "Then we can have the empty containers rendered into ingots through Craft Magic."
"That seems like the most practical solution," the others agreed.
They dug a pit in the center of the survey area and emptied the contents of the drums. Jade Nephroi gave the gray stones one last look, but finding nothing of value, he threw them into the hole as well. The stones sank slowly into the translucent, viscous fluid.
By the time the work was finished, dusk had settled over the ruins.
"Well, it looks like we'll be spending one more night here," Bernardo announced.
The team members began their evening routine. Since the tents were already up, they focused on dinner.
"It's a feast tonight! Stone-grilled sheepa!" the cook shouted, prompting a small cheer from the exhausted crew.
It was the sheepa they had caught two days prior. While the meat hadn't had much time to age, no one was about to turn down a fresh meat dish in the middle of a wilderness survey. They heated flat stones over the fire and laid the meat on top to sizzle. Once grilled to their liking, they ate it with simple seasonings—just salt and a few wild herbs—but to the hungry investigators, it tasted like royalty.
They tossed the bones, hides, and other scraps into the pit they had dug earlier.
"We'll fill the hole back in tomorrow morning before we depart," Bernardo said.
"Understood."
The night was unusually warm for winter, and the team was able to sleep soundly, undisturbed by the cold.