There were still no suspicious signs of monsters or any other things like that in the waterway. Only some fish swimming energetically in the water were seen.
Lan, who was vigilant about the surroundings, checked the inside first as she gestured. Along with her signal, I and Ludger quickly entered the eastern water gate that had been closed.
It really seemed like it had been closed off for quite a while, as the algae and moss grown here and there showed signs of long-term blockage in the area.
“Aha, indeed. Hmm….”
Ludger was checking something using a measuring magical tool which I had seen him fumbling about before entering. Since it was a task only for an expert to do and understand and I had no idea what it was, I just kept silent and remained vigilant around the area.
Eventually, Ludger, not caring about his clothes getting dirty, knelt down and began examining the seam between the wall and the floor closely. His expression looked quite serious for some reason.
“…Mr. Baker?”
“Oh. Sir, I apologize, but could you help me? Judging from this joint, the seam indicates a door mechanism, however, the control device seems to have disappeared.”
“Is there anything we can do to help you?”
“Yes, Yes, normally there would have been a leverage system of some sort to handle the force, but since it’s missing… Instead, we might be able to distribute the weight using Spirit.”
Lan and I understood Ludger’s explanation immediately. It would be impossible with an ordinary person’s strength, but it seemed like it would be manageable if we use our Spirit.
‘It would have been much easier if Ludger had used magic, but he wouldn’t reveal his trump card in front of others.’
As Lan and I simultaneously poured our strength into the command, the door that looked like a wall, began moving. When enough strength was applied, it slid open, revealing the space inside.
‘Oh….’
Beyond the wall, an even damper and more eerie sealed-off space appeared.
Even when Ludger illuminated the inside with a lantern, only the area directly in front was visible, and it was difficult to determine what lay deeper within. It looked almost like a cave.
Ludger nodded lightly.
“This should be enough. Since this is an unknown space, further exploration might be too dangerous.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Yes. However, there are other areas further inside, so let’s explore those and then return.”
“I understand, then….”
As I was responding, I suddenly felt a chill and turned around in surprise.
“Sir Lan?”
Lan seemed strange.
She had been silent for a while, staring intently at the pitch-black space with a vacant expression as if she was going to rush through.
It was uncharacteristic of her, who was usually so quick-witted and alert, so I was about to speak to her. However, she moved faster before I could say anything.
And the direction she was heading…
Was the pitch-black darkness that just opened.
“Sir Lan, you don’t have to venture….”
At that moment, something strange flashed through Lan’s eyes. Her originally blue pupils gleamed red.
Without giving a moment to react to the unexpected change, Lan ran into the darkness.
“Sir Lan!”
As I was about to follow her in shock, Ludger grabbed my arm firmly from behind.
“…It’s dangerous. Don’t move rashly.”
“But Sir Lan is acting strange…!”
“I know. No….”
He elegantly extended his hand and drew a certain pattern with his fingers. Then, a magic circle spread out as if he was embroidering light in the air.
“I’m the only one who can solve this situation, so I’d appreciate it if you followed my lead.”
“What….”
A pure white light enveloped Ludger and me. Although nothing had physically changed, I felt a strangely comforting sensation in my heart.
“It seems that Sir Lan has been affected by a malicious spell. She must have a sensitivity to magical energy.”
“…Is it some kind of illusion spell?”
The way she moved around as if she was possessed by something reminded me of the spell Ludger used when he infiltrated the Sapphire Knights.
“That’s a reasonable assumption.”
“Can you dispel it? Sir Lan’s condition seemed unusual…”
“Of course.”
“Then, does that mean the one who casted the spell is hiding in this space?”
When I asked while firmly gripping the sword hilt, Ludger shook his head.
“No… Instead, the source of the magic, the magic artifact responsible, is likely still inside.”
“….”
“We need to retrieve and purify it. Only then will Sir Lan return to normal.”
For some reason, I vaguely guessed that the reason he came to the underground waterways today was related to the ‘magic artifact’ he just mentioned.
However, Ludger’s purpose was not important to me right now.
“Is there anything I can do to help you dispel Sir Lan’s spell?”
“Yeah. Right now, I’ve set up a protective barrier so that the magic’s energy doesn’t seep through. Therefore, we’d have to move together.”
He continued his explanation while pointing to the pitch-black darkness.
“There’s a high possibility that demonic creatures have gathered due to the influence of that magical artifact. It would be tricky to purify it while also dealing with those monsters, so I’d like for the Captain to provide support.”
“…I understand. Leave it to me.”
“And….”
Using magic to create flames in the air as a substitute for a lantern, Ludger spoke softly.
“Actually, there’s a high chance that something other than the demonic creatures might be the real problem.”
“If it’s something other than the demonic creatures….”
“As the Captain guessed, Sir Lan is under the effects of something similar to an illusion spell. Because of that… there’s a possibility that she’ll attack us aggressively.”
“……Could it be.”
“That’s right. Sir Lan might wield a sword against us in a state of madness.”
“….”
If she was not in her right mind because of the magic, Lan wouldn’t be able to fully demonstrate her abilities.
However, the problem was that she was a Spirit user, which meant we couldn’t attack her recklessly.
“…I understand. Let’s aim to incapacitate her without causing any harm.”
“Are you confident?”
My eyes flashed sharply and the corners of my mouth twisted upward.
“It should be easier than surviving in a place full of enemies.”
***
As soon as we entered the dark and narrow passage, a swarm of bats greeted us.
My sword and Ludger’s magical lightning stunned the bats at the same time. After moving almost perfectly in sync, we looked at each other awkwardly.
“Your Highness, you actually didn’t need an escort today, did you?”
“That’s true. I actually considered coming alone, but unfortunately, using the key magical artifact to the waterways leaves a record when used.”
“Aha.”
After that, a few demonic creatures tried to block our way, but they were defeated in a few seconds.
Honestly, they were so weak that I could have stayed behind without much issue and Ludger could handle them alone.
However, that wasn’t what I was worried about. Would Lan be okay? What if she got hurt by a monster or something in the meantime? My heart swelled with anxiety.
“Sir Lan will be okay.”
At that moment, as if reading my mind, Ludger declared firmly.
“I will definitely restore her to her original state.”
“However, Sir Lan didn’t seem to be simply consumed by illusions. She looked completely out of her mind. Is it really possible to revert her back to her original state?”
“It is indeed possible.”
As he extended his hand, the faint magical flames grew brighter.
“Sir Lan’s mind hasn’t been shattered by the magic; she’s just temporarily under control.”
‘…What?’
I felt a momentary sense of discomfort and narrowed my eyes.
The magic of this world is implemented only within the ‘realistic’ range.
It’s one thing to shatter someone’s mind entirely, but it should also be impossible to temporarily control them like a puppet and then restore them to their original state.
‘I’m not well-versed in magic so my knowledge is limited, but…. Is it even possible to control someone’s mind with magic in the first place?’
However, I didn’t have time to dwell on that sense of discomfort.
At that moment, I felt a massive pressure rapidly approaching us.
I instinctively swung my sword, sending a huge burst of light flying forward.
Clang!
With a sharp sound like swords clashing with each other, my sword energy scattered in all directions.
“…Sir Lan!”
Lan, with unfocused and gleaming red eyes, emerged from the other side of the darkness.
She was holding a sword and staring in our direction.
“Young Duke, I’ll cover this side!”
“Yes! I’ll dispel the magic.”
We quickly leaped in our respective directions.
Clang!
“I didn’t want to have a spar with you like this. Please forgive me, Sir Lan.”
As I shot my sword energy while making a silly joke, Lan defended herself by creating a barrier with her sword energy and deflected it.
Even though she had lost her reason due to the magic, it seemed she could still use the techniques she had learned.
‘I need to figure out the best possible way to knock her out!’
When I attempted to kick her in the solar plexus, she nimbly avoided it. Lan, having read my movements, unleashed a low swipe of her sword energy as if targeting my opening.
Boom!
Had I not leapt into the air, my ankle would have been split in two. A chill ran down my spine as realization dawned over me.
Thanks