Ancient ruins (3)
“ha…….”
When Ailka Wilzed came to, she was stranded in a snowy field with her expedition team. She must have been climbing a rock ruin surrounded by grass, but how could space change so suddenly?
“… … It is a special phenomenon.”
The cold in the snowfield was not easy. It was a bitter cold that bit the flesh, but most of the expedition members were trained in magic and martial arts, so they could handle it easily.
“Please make sure to wear the coat you brought.”
Although Ailka had a lot of money, she had limited luggage and could not prepare for all situations. Who would expect to feel cold while traveling through the desert?
It was fortunate that we had brought enough light coats for each person just in case.
“After investigation, it was determined that this is not a spatial distortion. It is some kind of portal. It is not a spatial distortion, but rather a small ruin that contains numerous spaces in pieces. This means that what appears to be a tall tower on the outside may actually contain a continent.”
“… This is truly unrealistic magic.”
“But it doesn’t seem to be omnipotent. Time has stopped. It looks like snow is falling, but it’s not piling up. If there were plants here, they’d stop growing.”
Ailka brought along some fairly capable magic researchers. The ruins of Kaladan were often covered in mysterious magic, so they wanted to quickly learn about them.
“Time has stopped, but the space is so dirty… … It feels strangely uncomfortable.”
The snowfield was a plain. If it had been a mountain, I would have enjoyed the scenery, but it wasn’t like that, so I couldn’t see anything.
“I’m sure everyone can stand this cold, so let’s move right away.”
Ailka took the lead, warming her body with magic. She was terrified of the strange sensation of the snow sinking deep into her feet.
‘These are not real eyes.’
There was not even that pleasant feeling of snow making contact. Has snow ever felt so unclean and unpleasant on your skin?
“I am trying to figure out a way out, Your Highness. If you give me just a moment to pause and study, I may be able to break this strange spell.”
“… … .”
Despite the wizards’ words, Ailka did not stop walking.
“No, it’s a little different. You said that this space was moved by magic, but not all of it is made of magic. You can’t use teleportation, so how are you going to break this place?”
Yes. The snowfield they were standing on was not a fake created by magic, even though it had been moved by magic. It was a real space.
Escaping from a place like this didn’t require any special magic; the only way was to find a way out.
“But isn’t the question where the escape route is?”
“That’s right, Your Highness. It would be better to take the time to use searching magic to find the location of the escape route… … .”
While the wizards were trying to persuade Ailka,
Kukukuku…!!
A loud noise was heard from behind. The rangers quickly sent their eagles into the sky to secure a view, then shouted urgently.
“Behind, behind, there’s a huge avalanche… … No! Something huge is chasing us!”
“This can’t be happening!”
The belated detection of the wizards also reached there, and their expressions became astonished.
Ailka barely managed to widen her field of vision and looked behind her… … and there was a giant mouth rushing towards her.
It was like a giant hippopotamus. Something so big that I thought it was a distant mountain range, rushing towards me with its mouth wide open!
“… …Can you kill me?”
Ailka asked the woman who was standing right beside her, not leaving an inch to protect her.
She was a 9-star knight who was not joking but actually made it a reality when they said she could cut down mountains with a single stroke.
“We can cut it down. However, if we do that, we won’t be able to protect you and the other expedition members.”
“I can protect my body, but I can’t protect the expedition team. I have no choice but to retreat now.”
Ailka, making a quick decision, ordered the expedition team to run away at full speed. Meanwhile, she ordered her wizards to recite a spell that would transform the snowfield into a rough icicle shape, slowing down the approaching hippopotamus-like monster.
Even as they ran, Ailka constantly thought about how to reduce the damage to the expedition team and deal with the monster.
‘That monster itself is like a trap for the ruins.’
No other ancient site has ever had a trap like this.
At best, there were traps made of magic, cliffs, poison, and gas.
But this place is special. The snowfields, the blizzards, and even the monsters are all just ‘one of many traps’.
There was no way I could safely pass the Kaladan ruins if I were to suffer and exhaust myself to this extent over such a small trap.
‘There’s no time to waste here. There has to be some way to escape from this space…!’
Then a thought suddenly occurred to me.
No matter how much space is carved out, this place is still a trap. Whoever designed the trap would want to prevent anyone who enters here from escaping as much as possible.
“Everyone stop!”
“yes yes?!”
While the expedition members were panicking, Ailka stopped and turned around to look at the monster approaching.
Its terrifyingly large mouth was half buried underground. If it had eaten me, there was no way I could survive.
however.
“… … It’s too slow.”
It’s slow to approach, as if telling the explorers to run away so they don’t get eaten.
It’s like they’re constantly running and running, trying to lose some stamina.
That monster won’t stop.
Never, never, never stop.
However, the expedition team is comprised of superhumans with great physical strength. At least one of them is a 5-star expert.
Would they get eaten by such a slow hippopotamus?
No matter how tired and exhausted I am, I will run and run and suffer for several days.
‘… … That’s what the creator of this space intended. The moment we collapse from exhaustion, we will be placed in another space.’
Ailka had no intention of being caught there. She was confident in her own thoughts.
“Müllen. Can you magically examine the inside of that hippopotamus’ mouth?”
“Joe, if we get a little closer, we can do it. But it’s dangerous if we do that. The distance is too close, so it’ll be difficult to escape.”
“Please trust me and do it.”
The expedition leader and the magicians looked at each other at Ailka’s stern expression. Then they nodded.
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“Yes… … I will follow your orders, young lady.”
If another reckless noble had given such an order in this situation, there would have been an immediate backlash.
But it’s Ailka Wilzed.
Although she was still a young girl in her early twenties, she was smart and not arrogant like other people.
“Even if you tell us to jump into a pit of fire, we will follow your orders.” * * *
A similar situation was happening with Herael’s expedition.
“Are you saying we should go into the sea?”
“Yeah. I looked everywhere else. The beach just goes on forever. So the only exit is the sea.”
The expedition team leader and other members looked troubled by Citrine’s claim.
“If you bring in heavy equipment like this, the machine will break down.”
“It won’t break. There won’t be any water down there.”
“But… … What if you go in and a monster comes out? There are all kinds of sky monsters swarming the beach right now.”
The leader of the expedition team spoke, shaking off his bloody sword. There are corpses of fish monsters everywhere. They have already fought a battle.
“It may be okay if there was a battle on land, but if there was a battle under the sea, the casualties would be enormous.”
“That’s right. But have you seen the monster crawling out of the sea? The fish monsters all came out of the forest on the other side. Don’t you think something is strange?”
“That’s true, but… … .”
Unlike the time of Ailka, the expedition leader was reluctant to believe Citrine’s claims. It was a difference in his usual behavior.
Although she has recently shown quite normal behavior and has gained the trust of those close to her, she was considered a ‘reckless princess’ just five years ago.
Of course, she had only acted it out herself, but the image still remained and held her back.
The reckless thoughts of a reckless princess.
Even though the expedition leader was following the royal family’s orders, this was too reckless.
“Haa… … Okay. Okay. Then let’s do this. I’ll go in there first.”
“… … Huh?! T, that won’t do!”
The royal family values their own bodies terribly. They never do anything that would risk their lives. If their lives are in danger, they will throw away the lives of ten thousand of their subordinates.
Even if those ten thousand people were talented and valuable.
The lives of the royal family are that precious.
That’s how I was educated, and it was natural.
No royal family would take their own life. No royal family would do something that would put them in danger.
Does that seem selfish?
No. That is something that should be done naturally as a member of the royal family. Rather, if a member of the royal family tries to do something dangerous, the subjects should stop them.
The life of a royal family is more noble and precious than the lives of a million people.
They dare not defile their bodies and souls. Their destiny is to live long and spread the fame of the Herael royal family throughout this land.
“That is absolutely not possible!”
“Let go of this. How dare you grab hold of the body of a royal family member?”
“But, but… … Please tell me how! Sir Varanel!”
Varanel Arakelli. She is a 9-star knight of the princess’s personal guard, and is not only the princess’s shadow during this mission, but is also the one who stays by her side 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
However, Varanel quietly draws the sword at his waist and follows behind the princess.
Without saying anything.
‘Oh, shit!’
The leader of the expedition team realized it too late.
Varanel is the shadow of the princess. Even if she does something dangerous that could cost her her life, he doesn’t stop her or offer any advice. As a shadow, he simply draws a sword and follows silently to protect the princess’s life.
Doo doo doo doo doo!!
Just then, a huge sandstorm blew in from the forest outside the beach. This was not a natural phenomenon.
“Damn it! Those fish guys from earlier must have been scouts! A huge number of fish and shellfish are coming!”
“What’s the number?!”
“Even if I estimate, it’s in the thousands!”
It would be difficult to deal with that number of people with less than 100 people.
“… … Damn it, I understand. I will follow Her Highness’s orders! Everyone, prepare to enter the sea! Our lives belong to the Herael royal family! Follow the royal family’s orders!”
“yes!!!”
The expedition members, with fearful expressions on their faces, began to walk into the sea following the captain. Naturally, the princess was at the forefront, along with the captain.
Surely, she would be afraid too.
But he is that confident in his own thoughts.
‘assurance?’
For a moment, the deputy commander changed his mind.
Citrine was shaking her fists. Her eyes were darting back and forth.
Yes. She wasn’t sure, she just thought there was no other way.
However, I believe that sending an expedition team to confirm this at the cost of their lives is not the right thing to do in terms of humaneness, so I want to confirm it myself.
After realizing that, the leader of the expedition team felt something strange.
She is a member of the royal family. This is where those who have dedicated their lives to the royal family gather. If she had given a single command, anyone would have risked their life and gone into the ocean to check it out.
But Princess Citrine did not do so. Even though it was her natural right as a member of the royal family, she weighed the lives of others equally with her own life.
‘Indeed… … Her Highness the Princess is a person of such qualities.’
I thought I knew a lot about Princess Citrine.
She’s a reckless princess.
It was a mistake.
He knew nothing about the princess.
Citrine is, perhaps, more royal than you might think… … no.
I thought that maybe I could become a royal family that thinks of the people more than any other royal family.
With that thought in mind, the leader of the expedition team and Princess Citrine fell into the sea almost at the same time.
At that moment.
Woof woof woof!!
Space distorted and another place appeared.
