Lacius informed the group of our plan.
“We’ll need to take the lamp to find our way, but don’t worry. Alajah, who can heal, and the warriors will stay here.”
The people who had finally stopped trembling turned to each other and exchanged anxious glances. Kun warriors nodded in agreement, and Daphne also looked like she agreed. But it was then.
“W-What if you leave us behind and escape by yourselves?”
With a clear conscience, an unimaginable question was thrown at me. I was a bit taken aback, wondering if I had heard it wrong.
What did they say?
“That’s right. You’re strong and have the ability to use strange magic and spells; if things get dangerous, you might just abandon us and leave!”
Hmm, is this an old-fashioned “work and bow” situation?
When someone asked you not only to work but also to bow to them, heeding their every request?
The deep irritation rising up inside me threatened to overwhelm my good nature for a moment, but I managed to swallow the harsh words. Barely.
If people are anxious, they can act like that. They don’t know I’m even willing to sacrifice my lifespan to get them out of here. I should respond as kindly and righteously as Daphne would—
“So take one of us!”
—but I can hear my patience threatening to snap. There are timid voices chiming in with agreement.
They were panicking at the thought that the two of us, who seemed to be the people who possessed the strongest power here, would abandon them. That’s something I have to understand, and if I didn’t have any ability, perhaps I would also say something like that in this situation.
‘No, I wouldn’t have said it that way. I would have just volunteered to come along.’
Suddenly, I felt a wave of kindness slipping away, but I had to hold back.
Lacius quietly squeezed my hand and spoke up.
“Very well. Who will go with us?”
It could be dangerous; you could even die. If they stay here, they might be rescued. But on the other hand, this could be their best chance to get out quickly. The people exchanged fierce glances, engaging in a brief but intense battle of wits.
Then suddenly,
“Haha, I’ll go then. Is that okay?”
A young man, who had been silent from the beginning, raised his hand.
His demeanour was cheerful, and his tone of voice was friendly. The young man seemed to have quite a positive personality and did not lose his smile even in this situation. He has light brown skin and black hair. And his eye colour…
‘Ash grey?’
What clan could he be from??
“My name is Hon Giogio, and I’m not particularly good at anything, but I’m pretty good at finding things.”
Giogio introduced himself and offered his hand for a handshake, a polite gesture that set him apart from the people in front of him.
“Let’s go.”
But Lacius did not accept the handshake. I turned away from Giogio and looked at Lacius in surprise as he started moving while still holding my hand. Hon Giogio smiled shyly and slowly followed behind us.
“So, where are we headed?”
“Not sure.”
“Oh, come on. You must have some idea. How about we check under the stone walls? Maybe that’s the reason we couldn’t find another path earlier.”
Giogio was a talkative man. Even without a response, he kept talking, but at least he wasn’t boring.
“It’s noisy.”
However, Lacius didn’t seem to like Giogio at all. I’d never seen him react this way to anyone before, and I was starting to get a little nervous.
Was there something like a knight’s instinct?
On the surface, he may seem like a nice, harmless civilian, but he may not be. Since I was standing at the front of the line holding a lamp, I couldn’t see Giogio’s face. What kind of expression is he making?
“Hold on.”
Pieces of stone fell with a clattering sound. Lacius stopped me and looked around.
“After four laps, I know for sure. The wind is blowing in around here.”
“Really?”
“Probably… near the ceiling over there.”
There was no light seeping in, but if there was air, there had to be an unseen gap. It was worth a try.
“I need you both to step to the side for a moment.”
I took my pen and drew a large painting on the wall. It’s a very simplified painting, like the Nazca geoglyph*, but it’s enough to carry me and Lacius and fly upward.
*(See picture below for reference.)
I saw Giogio looking over Lacius’ shoulder, tilting his head, and watching me. And every time that happened, Lacius will move one step to block Giogio’s gaze.
‘Giant bird, please fly us up there.’
It wasn’t long before a bird appeared with a bright light.
“This is only for two. We’ll come back, so you stay here.”
I spoke firmly to Giogio, who looked excited to ride too. Then Lacius and I climbed onto the bird’s back.
“Lashin, will this ceiling not collapse?”
“Yes. The side we fell from is made up of rocks jammed together so that if one falls out, the whole thing collapses, but this side seems to be a natural occurrence.”
“Look between the stalactites over there. I think that’s where the cool air is coming in.”
It wasn’t directly overhead but slightly off to the side. Even if stones fell, we should be safe.
“Right. It’s worth a try.”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to prepare a safety device as well.”
I moved the bird and drew a huge spider on the wall of the cave. Likewise, it has a huge and simple shape, like the Nazca geoglyphs.
“Come forth, spider. Make a spider web around here.”
After receiving the command, the spider bobbed its head and spewed out thread from its tail. It wasn’t long before a beautifully shaped spider web was created. Meanwhile, the bird lost its strength and started to descend slowly. Before it got dangerous, Lacius held me and jumped down, and the bird disappeared without a trace.
“If we carefully create a hole large enough for one person to squeeze through, we should be able to escape without much trouble.”
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