Rows of bookshelves stood in neat lines, leading to a large desk and a fireplace at the far end. With its towering ceiling, the room was vast, rivaling the size of the Lion Sanctum’s training grounds. As he walked across the plush carpet laid straight toward the back, Ren scanned the bookshelves on either side.
"Does it pique your interest?"
"On the contrary, isn't it piquing yours, Ragna-san?"
"It certainly is. If I let my guard down for even a second, my spirit of discovery would run wild, and I’d likely end up taking home every single document I could carry."
"But you aren't doing that, are you?"
"Heh, you can tell, can’t you?"
Ren nodded as he sharpened his focus.
The space was eerily silent. Given the sequence of events that had led them to this hideout, he couldn't imagine it was truly empty.
"I’m already picking up a reaction from an unidentified magic tool."
Whether it was meant for defense or to conceal something remained to be seen. Moreover, there were likely other magic tools present that didn't give off any detectable reaction at all.
"I’m a bit late in saying this, but do you understand why I came alone, despite being in such a rush?"
"Because you thought something like this might happen and didn't want anyone acting carelessly? Looking at the situation, a small group of elites seems better suited for this."
"Correct. In exchange, I’ve brought along a collection of magic tools that represent the culmination of the Ministry of Mysteries' wisdom. They are items of such value that just thinking about the cost gives me a headache."
Ragna stood before the large desk and surveyed the surroundings once more.
He activated a magic tool shaped like a wristwatch and used another device from his large bag to examine the environment more thoroughly. There was no sign of any defense magic tools activating, but...
"One can never be too cautious."
Ragna moved behind the desk and looked at the chair.
A soft white cardigan was draped over its back. There was no doubt it had belonged to Muedi. A half-used pen sat on the desk, the ink on its tip completely fossilized. Ragna picked up a stray piece of paper and chuckled.
"This was written by someone quite intelligent."
Ren picked up a random sheet as well, but he couldn't make head or tail of it.
"I... I can't read this at all."
"That is Elven script. The content... seems to be a poem about a journey through the Western Continent."
Besides that sheet, there were papers written in various other languages, every one of them filled with text. According to Ragna, everything written here consisted of snippets of daily life, almost like a diary.
They had been looking for information regarding Cecil Ashton—and they found it.
A letter written in a language Ren could understand, one still used today, was sitting on the desk. Furthermore, it appeared to have been written by Cecil Ashton himself.
『The other day, I sent some Dragon Eater seeds to Jeno, but he told me not to send any more. Since the seeds are large enough that it takes several adults to lift them, I guess they really were in the way.』
That was all the letter said, but beside it was a single piece of paper with a reply in progress.
『Make the next seeds smaller. Don't embarrass me, your master.』
The handwriting was the same as the Elven script Ragna had read earlier. This one was written in the language of Leomel, which Ren could read, but the latter half of the sentence was particularly intriguing.
"Muedi was... Cecil Ashton’s master?"
"How does it feel to learn that your ancestor’s master was a legendary figure who left her name on history?"
"I was surprised for a moment, but honestly, so much has happened that I’m past being shocked."
When it came to the Adventurer Ashton, Ren had been in a state of constant surprise ever since learning about the man's past battle against Asval.
"Though, I have a feeling it wasn't just because of the size of the seeds..."
After a final glance at the correspondence between his ancestor and the legend, Ren returned to the search.
Before searching the bookshelves thoroughly, Ragna’s eyes turned toward a drawer built into the desk. He reached out in one smooth motion. Of course, he had already investigated it exhaustively to ensure there were no traps.
The drawer slid forward without any resistance. Inside was a decorative wooden box with a silver keyhole. Next to it lay a crudely folded piece of parchment, which Ragna picked up and spread open.
"Now, this is quite rare."
"The emblem and the text next to it?"
"This is the emblem of Micel, God of Games. Written beside it is 'Desire, sing, the game of Micel,' in Dragon Tongue."
"...I see?"
"When you make that face, Ren, it means you don't really understand."
Ragna didn't find it a bother and explained it to Ren, who gave a wry smile of confusion.
"As the name implies, Micel was a god who presided over games. It is said he gave trials to those who desired them and divine rewards to those who overcame them, though that’s just a piece of mythology."
"That such a god existed..."
"Also, Dragon Tongue is the language used by the Dragon Species who lived for eons. It is dangerous in itself because it harbors mana, so it won't hurt to remember that."
"Is it okay? You just read it out loud, Ragna-san."
"It’s fine if I translate it into modern speech. At that point, it’s nothing more than the Common Tongue."
Having said that, Ragna tucked the parchment into his coat.
"Still, I don't get it. Why would such a phrase be paired with Micel’s emblem...?"
Thinking about it here wouldn't provide an answer, so Ragna proceeded to reach for the decorative wooden box. He did so without hesitation, as if he had finally found what he was looking for.
"I hear Muedi was a person well-versed in academia. Her understanding of theology must have been deep; perhaps she found this during her travels."
"I heard she traveled all over the world. Maybe she learned of it somewhere and made a note."
"Perhaps. In any case, this could be important research material. Let us borrow it."
Just as Ragna spoke, the air within the cavernous basement suddenly warped.
"Wha—"
"Ragna-san, is this...!?"
The path they had taken to get here seemed to recede into the distance. Even the stairs leading back to the surface were now far away. The surrounding scene transformed irregularly, as if the very space were being twisted and pulled like soft candy.
『—That said, there don't seem to be any traces of the space being warped.』
The words Ragna had spoken outside flickered through Ren’s mind.
This was an ancient technique that had not been preserved in the modern era. It was brought about by a formula requiring ultra-high-level technology that only a handful of people could construct—a rare product of human creation that was not inferior to the highest-grade magic that influenced space.
"Don't... mess with me!"
The Bag Traveler became uncharacteristically enraged at the situation.
"Even after preparing and investigating this so cautiously, does it still surpass modern wisdom? Milim Altia!"
Despite not letting his guard down and conducting the investigation with the maximum technology and wisdom available, all his preparations had collapsed in an instant. This was the work of the technology of the Seven Heroes, Milim Altia.
With every passing second, the path back narrowed. It looked as if the space itself were twisting to swallow them both. From the walls of the distorted basement, several magic swords glowing deep purple appeared, closing in from all directions.
The moment he sensed the anomaly, Ren drew the Mithril Magic Sword he carried at his waist. He intercepted one sword and shouted.
"Ragna-san!"
"I know! We’re retreating!"
Realizing they couldn't stay any longer, Ragna signaled his agreement.
The number of fired swords increased. When Ren knocked down one, it became two; when he knocked down two, it became four. The multiplication seemed infinite.
"What incredible power..."
Even for a Sword Saint like Ren, the blades were heavy, sharp, and fast. There was no end in sight; if one existed, it would only be met by the death of the intruders. The exit grew even further away as the space continued to distort.
The security device left behind by the legendary figure also contained the power of the hero Milim Altia.
"Sword Wind."
It was magic created by one of the Seven Heroes, Lino Archayse. Lino Archayse was a Great Witch; Ren understood this well after witnessing her descendant's prowess in Windea, but this Sword Wind was clearly an imitation. Likely just a counterfeit that couldn't compare to the original.
"This must also be the work of Milim Altia!"
"It would be crazy if anyone other than her could make a magic tool that seals magic like this!"
"Honestly...! It’s an honor to behold the magic of the Seven Heroes in a place like this!"
Ragna laughed while breaking into a sweat, manifesting magic chains around him.
"Even if it is just a degraded sham!"
Ragna knocked down the magic swords just as Ren did, but his power could only defend him for the moment. An intense pressure dominated the area, hindering their progress at every turn. Though it was an imitation, it certainly harbored the essence of a hero. It was an incantation sealed since ancient times, yet it made Ren realize how great a threat the real thing would have been.
However... Ren suppressed them.
He took a deep breath and sharpened his five senses. Just as he seemed to stop for an instant, he took the numerous approaching swords into his full field of vision.
"Hyaaaaah!"
With a roar, he swung his Mithril Magic Sword in a sharp horizontal sweep. Even if generated by a magic tool, magic was still magic. Now that he had gauged the timing, he could cleave it.
The sword pressure from the horizontal sweep surpassed the approaching wind. Everything it touched returned to glowing particles of mana, and before they knew it, the swords closing in around them had vanished.
However, Ren noted that Star-Cleaver felt slightly weaker than usual. He felt the subtle lingering effects of his injuries, but that was all. Since the distorted path had not returned to normal and continued to block their way, that was where he needed to focus.
"Let's hurry!"
Even after escaping the Sword Wind, they continued to move with all their might. Once they left the room and reached the stairs, the situation beyond that point remained calm.
Just to be safe, they ran all the way up to the house on the ground floor, where the gentle sunlight streaming through the window greeted them.
"Phew... It seems the basement was set up to seal itself automatically."
"...You're right. It looks different from when we went down."
When Ren peered back down the stairs, he could see a shimmering wall like a glowing mist. It seemed impossible to go any further.
"It looks similar to the mist that used to cover Roses Kaitas. If we mess with it carelessly, a trap even worse than the one before might activate."
"I’d like to investigate more, but that seems impossible now."
"Yeah. Looking at this, even if we had taken more time to prepare, it would have been in vain."
It was obvious from what had just happened, but Ren was concerned that Ragna didn't seem particularly frustrated. Strangely, he appeared almost satisfied.
(Maybe he’s just giving up because there's nothing he can do.)
Usually, Ragna would show more regret. Given the situation in the basement, it wasn't unreasonable to think there were no other options.
"Confronting Milim Altia's technology to that extent is almost impossible for us right now."
"I agree," Ren said. When he opened the door of the hideout and stepped outside, he was hit by a wave of heat that hadn't been felt inside the house.
"By the way, I’d like to know how you were able to determine it was Milim Altia’s magic tool."
"The magic tools she made have common traits. Something about the way the mana flows... or some other fine detail. It was the result of a joint investigation between the Altia family and the Ministry of Mysteries nearly a hundred years ago."
"I see... That’s why you were saying those things inside."
Ragna put the magic tools he had brought back into his bag one by one, while the valuables he had borrowed from the hideout's basement were placed into a sturdy-looking box before being packed away.
"I suppose this is enough for souvenirs."
"You did make sure to bring the letter and that box."
"I feel bad for the owner, but I borrowed them without permission. Considering why we came here, going home empty-handed would make all our efforts until now pointless. Besides, I wouldn't understand the meaning of all that preparation otherwise."
Ragna said with a wry smile and turned his gaze toward where Muedi's hideout stood.
"Though it's not my place to say, I thought there was a chance you’d say you wanted to keep exploring, Ren."
"Depending on the situation, I might have, but..."
Ren was actually a bit embarrassed to say it. There was no way he could admit his true reason.
(Because I’d just make those two worry again.)
They had only just escaped after everything that had happened. Asking for more would be greedy.
"But what?"
"—No. There were more traps than I expected, so I think that was the right call."
"True. I’m of the same opinion."
While they were talking, the door of the hideout closed on its own. The hideout was enveloped in light, just as it had been when it appeared, and vanished as if it hadn't been there from the start. The Jewel Familiars also disappeared in the same way.
He would be taking a different path home than Ragna, but he expected to hear from him again soon. On the train back, Ren shared every single detail of what had happened in the hideout with Licia and Fiona.