Aisha and Shaheed were left above ground as Vermeer, Fonke, Isotta and Yuusuke started descending into the basement. A rope ladder was used due to it’s reliability.
The pit hole was about 1 meter wide, surrounded by thick cobblestone. Under the ground it looked like a buried old mansion’s room’s ceiling.
“Apparently, this hole seems to be man-made.”(Vermeer)
Vermeer led the way so as to ensure that there was enough light around where we were walking and he pointed out the places where there were potholes on the stone pavements. Unexpectedly, the hole looked like it was naturally caved-in, but somehow there was parts of a rope ladder around the place, and one could speculate that this hole was probably made in this location.
Although the town is made up of stones reinforced through earth arts, it is not difficult to drill by force using the same kind of earth arts. Of course, it is against the law to drill a hole without prior notification to the department that manages the city.
“Maybe a Blue garden’s spy who was lurking around had dropped into it?”(Fonke)
“....indeed, it doesn’t seem impossible.”(Yuusuke)
“Hiii….., the second coming of Gearhawk Fortress….”(Isotta)
The place where Yuusuke and his gang landed looked like a corridor of the filled up part of an old mansion. A stairs leading down was visible ahead of them, as it seemed like they were on the corridor that was either the 2nd or higher floor. As a matter of fact, since Vermeer’s flame arts was the only light source, the light could not reach places that were in total darkness.
The cold musty air, which felt so nostalgic.
“Isotta, are there any human presences around?”(Yuusuke)
“There isn’t anyone around…..ah, but, half a day ago…...someone, passed through here.”(Isotta)
“Hmmm……”(Yuusuke)
He immediately opened his customization menu to examine the structure of the house, it seemed like the whole house has been reinforced with stone to become one of the pillars for the city above. Seemingly, one could move around this indoor passage, and along the hallway there was only one stairway leading down further underground.
“It seems like one straight path. For the time being, let’s move out. Fonke, movement speed increase.”(Yuusuke)
“Roger that.”(Fonke)
They began heading deeper into the old underground mansion, as they came to the decision to check the place to a certain extent first and later discuss on the number of people they will bring tomorrow.
While descending the stairs, a large and open room, like an entrance hallway, could be seen. It seems that one of the corridors which extends to both sides was sealed up, with only white cloudy windows and the surfaces of stones could be seen. So they began to proceed down the corridor which wasn’t blocked towards the stairway that descended further down into the darkness.
“What’s up, Isotta?”
“.....There isn’t people around the area, but there are sounds….of footsteps at a distance. I am not sure of it myself…..”(Isotta)
Yuusuke used his customization menu to confirm whether there wasn’t any kind of trap planted and at that rate, they slowly descended deeper underground, at the end of the stairs was what looked like a garden in ruins.
The once wide space would have been spread out with a green lawn, which now had dried up grass, and rows of gigantic pillars which seemed to continue on forever. It was a magnificent sight.
“This is amazing!”
“Once upon a time, this place seemed to be located in the noble district.”
The large building had been integrated with a huge support pillar of the city above, although it seems that smaller buildings have been left intact between the pillars.
By opening his customization menu, Yuusuke was able to locate his current location in the vicinity. Not only that, he is able to escape this place by using the skill instant movement. Having his concern of escaping settled, Isotta began searching for signs of people through her wind arts, as they then proceeded forward towards the back of the pillars.
Along the way, there were places that were submerged underwater, using his customized skill, Yuusuke created scaffolding to the opposite side, although there was one small boat at the location.
“Ah…..there is someone nearby!......It feels like the earth arts wave.”(Isotta)
“Like I expected, it was an earth arts user…...the boat just now was made out of earth arts, and most probably it’s just for the use of one person.”(Vermeer)
“So does that mean it might be the same person who drilled the hole?”
As there is only one boat that was lurking around, Vermeer came to the conclusion that there wasn’t anyone else. It seems that the person who had created the hole was someone who is able to use manufacturing earth arts. Incidentally, although one can reinforce materials by increasing the hardness, they can also cause it to become brittle if their process is reversed, and there are a lot of architects who could use these manufacturing earth arts.
Just to be safe, Yuusuke prepared a defence wall stance, as Isotta points out the location where she will be calling out to.
“OOOOIIIII, IS THERE ANYONE OVER THERE!!!!”(Isotta)
“......who is it?”(man)
Just ahead of them, a vigilant voice of a man sounded out without showing his face. For the time being, Vermeer became the representative to negotiate with him. He began explaining that they were from the soldier corps and since they were being told that a suspicious hole was found in the alleyway of the city, they had come to investigate. And then ~~
“Wa,What! Soldier Corps? Wait a moment, I am not a suspicious person.”(man)
The owner of the voice was followed by the sound of hasty footsteps, where he showed his face from the windows of the building in between the pillars. That place seem to be the entrance/exit, as the middle-age yellow hair man came out from it.
“Halt, your name and affiliation, and why you are here.”(Vermeer)
“I-I am from the middle class district, working at an accessories shop manufacturing for them. My name is Sorzak, this is my hobby to come and examine the histories of the city.”(Sorzak)
He seems to be aware that it was illegal to open a hole without permission, as he fearfully answers Vermeer’s interrogation. Looking at his appearance, Yuusuke tilted his head in confusion, as he tries to remember where he had seen him before.
“Ng, where did I see this person……”(Yuusuke)
“Captain?”(Vermeer)
In the dark, Sorzak was not aware of the existence of the person until Vermeer’s lights shone onto Yuusuke. When he saw Yuusuke’s appearance, he showed a shocked expression and involuntarily let out his voice, “AH!”
“You….the black hair youth who was with Mr. Zeshald!”(Sorzak)
“Ng? Ah I Remembered! You are the person I saw when I came to the city for the first time.”(Yuusuke)
It was during the time when Violet exposed Yuusuke’s black hair by burning his hood, as she had suspected he was the evil god. Due to that, the fire god corps were causing an uproar, thus Zeshald began explaining his findings about the legends of the evil god and it’s shrine, this middle aged man was the person who wanted to hear more about it.
Prior to their meeting, he had already been going underground, spending his days researching the old city structures.Thus, he did not know that Yuusuke was appointed as the leader of the Darkness God corps and Zeshald’s returned from a recent infiltration mission in Blue garden..
It seemed that he had been surfacing only to shop for food when it is exhausted, only to dive back underground to continue his daily research.
Thus he became the rumored, “suspicious person with old-fashioned looking clothes”, as he was wearing an old design of clothes that had been sold a few decades ago.
Incidentally, the funds for research was acquired when one day all of a sudden, there stood a indistinguishable sightseeing tower and many merchants were recruiting manufacturers of earth arts to make souvenirs of the tower. It was there where he obtained his funds through participating in it. Thus he striked it rich.
“Old buildings, things of rare architectural style. It is so fun studying the old buildings of the previous era, located on an old map.”(Sorzak)
“Well…..It’s good to do research, but if you do a proper report, it’s very troubling.”
“Okay, at least that explains that you are not a suspicious person. Next time, listen to what people have to say….”
“Is there any other curious researchers that came down here other than uncle?”
So the identity of the ghost in the alley was just a hobby researcher, as the daunting Vermeer began to loosen up, he prompted Yuusuke and Fonke for their opinion of who was beside him and about ”the identity of the voices”, while Sorzak pointed out to him, ”isn’t that because of the city children?”
“This place is on the opposite side of the district, now it is a place with a no longer used drainage system underground.”(Sorzak)
“What’s that? I haven’t heard about this story before.”(Vermeer)
This huge city with a long history, even the soldiers from the department that were managing the city doesn’t know of such places and problems that Sorzak had just mentioned.
“For example, the ghetto slum in the conspicuous location? In the commoner district, where the divine arts users live, the presence of such place was being allowed.”
“Isn’t that good, now tell us about all the underground entrances you know of.”(Vermeer)
Vermeer had no intentions to notify this to the administrators of the city, as he requested information about the locations of the problematic areas. Without a moment of delay, Sorzak realized that it poses a matter of trespassing and condones to the information.
“.....well, that is all?”(Sorzak)
“Yea, isn’t that good. It will be hard to examine everything anyways.”(Vermeer)
So what now? As Vermeer turned his eyes towards Yuusuke while waiting for him to issue an answer of permission. That means that if Sorzak were to find something which would cause serious problems as he examines the underground city, he could approach the palace knight’s captain to deal with the problem in discretion.
After Yuusuke and his gang obtained the information, once they reached the street level, they were to dispatch people to locations where there were problems. On a later date, an appropriate policy to apply for this mission will be made for the architecture craftsmen.
“Wow, I didn’t realize, I was mistaken for a ghost….”(Sorzak)
Based on Sorzak story, there were people who had settled down in a place where it was a relatively shallow layer. It was also a place where field singers* uses it for business. There were animals that were being kept underground as some of the children’s family didn’t allow pets at home, thus it became a playground for them. There were also bird livestocks which seemed to have escaped from the farm and ended up here. While he was explained about it, a bunch of feathers flew pass by them.
The round shaped appearance, which was distinctive to a bird livestock. It could have wandered in here through a small hole.
“Well, in any case it will be tomorrow. And this will dispel the rumor of the spector.”
“Alrighty, ah when we get back let’s have grilled chicken.”
“But, to vacate those people who have settled in the basement….I am not sure whether to dispute on it.”
“That’s just great, we could make use of those idling young lads of the guardhouse to do some work.”
The tension from descending into the underground lair was no longer there, as the bunch of darkness god crops became like self-indulgence researchers while chatting along the way up towards the street level. When they reached the street, it was already dusk as the night sky was twinkling with stars.
“Mooh! Captain is terrible, you didn’t even try to contact once….”(Aisha)
“.....I’m tired.”(Shaheed)
While Yuusuke and his gang went down underground, Aisha was forced to wait in the eerie dark alley, and in order to draw her attention away from the fear, she had been garrulity to Shaheed, thus Shaheed became completely exhausted.
After the identity of the ghost was explained to Aisha, she immediately began nagging and preaching Sorzak.
“Now now, because he is able to improve the town problem area, just forgive him.”(Yuusuke)
“Captain….I understood, I will follow what captain has judged.”(Aisha)
“Kukuku, it definitely is very frightening, I say.”(Fonke)
“Fonke!”(Aisha)
Using his movement speed increase wind arts, Fonke escaped from Aisha who was flushed red in anger. Yuusuke and his gang began laughing at the lukewarm sight of the usual comedy duo. Sorzak, who felt uncomfortable with the current state, observed the members of the darkness god corp with a curious look.
The reason he felt uncomfortable with the darkness god corp was a strange feeling that didn’t exist with the other soldier corps, an intimate communication which ignores the differences in the hierarchy of the gods.
In the general populace, it is an often sight, but for a royal knight captain to have done this, it felt thoroughly out of place.
“The captain of the darkness god corps, is it because he is special, or……”(Sorzak)
Around this time, at the observation tower which height exceeds the palace in the commoner district, the appearance of many [Artless] working around the city could be seen compared to previously. A change in Sanc Adiet could be felt.
Although Sorzak was disinterested with the trends of the world, he could feel that the darkness god corps will change the trend of the times.