The Burning Granary (2)
The low streets, the sewers, and the ancient ruins beneath the main headquarters of the Holy Knights.
Since inhabiting this body, I’ve ventured into these labyrinthine structures countless times.
Dalen’s heightened senses and intelligence, honed over time, were enough to navigate the low streets without much assistance.
But reducing the number of times one gets lost from ten to one or two is a far cry from never straying off course in a place you’ve never been before.
The former can be achieved with exceptional senses and intelligence alone, but the latter requires deep knowledge and understanding of the labyrinthine structures themselves.
“And among the countless superhumans, the one most knowledgeable in that area is Rakita Ackerman, the creator of this skill.”
A treasure hunter. A labyrinth conqueror. The legendary tomb raider who plundered the underground palace of the Dream King and excavated nearly ten tombs of the ancient desert dynasty.
Rakita Ackerman was a superhuman who left behind numerous achievements and names, yet all of them were often overshadowed by his final accomplishment.
That was mapping the fourth floor of the labyrinth, known as the “Silent Ink Moon Ridge,” a labyrinth within a labyrinth.
Given the caliber of the person who left behind such a secret, it’s no wonder the skill was rated C-grade, even though it wasn’t directly related to combat.
And now.
“Dalen! A hundred meters ahead, take the right alley! The door on the right!”
Ackerman’s mapping technique was fundamentally altering Dalen’s concept of “path.”
“The shallow, wide void beyond the ceiling is the result of corrosion. It’s a trace of water leakage as it flowed through. It means the main sewer passage was once connected here.”
“The space between the walls is too wide to be considered a typical sewer. It’s highly likely it was designed with human habitation in mind from the start.”
“The stench from the giant sewer rat’s fur. They’ve nested here for a long time. Giant sewer rats need at least three entryways to settle. There must be a passage leading outside.”
“Through the door on the right… No, Dalen! The door on the right…!”
Crash—!
For the first time, Dalen completely ignored Siena’s guidance and smashed through an innocent sewer wall to open a passage.
A musty smell rushed out from the empty space inside. Dalen lightly leaped into the old rat burrow that stretched upward.
Crash!
With a casual swing of his fist, the old inner wall crumbled, revealing new passages.
Siena, who followed quickly, rolled her eyes and spoke.
”…Unbelievable. This is like creating shortcuts. Dalen, have you ever considered working as a sewer cleaner?”
“Not a chance.”
“Too bad.”
With a lighthearted joke to lift the mood, Siena resumed her guidance.
Dalen, leading the group, followed her directions, occasionally altering the path to create faster routes.
His keen senses and intuition absorbed the surroundings.
And Siena’s knowledge of the sewers and low streets was invaluable.
The new logical structure of mapping used these two elements as ink, filling the blank canvas in his mind with dazzling brushstrokes.
It was an art that went beyond merely observing the size and structure of the space and the connections of the passages.
If interpreting maps and finding shortcuts was the limit of map reading.
Then twisting existing paths to create new shortcuts and even forging paths that didn’t exist was the realm of map drawing.
And as they progressed, it became clear that Siena’s knowledge of the sewers was deeper than he had imagined.
“Even after breaking through walls and ceilings more than ten times, she never once got confused about our location.”
As soon as they arrived at a new place, she would unhesitatingly adjust the route and guide them.
It was a familiarity akin to navigating one’s neighborhood, yet realistically, she couldn’t have set foot everywhere.
Instead, it was more like she quickly narrowed down the possibilities by observing the flow of air, the altitude felt by her senses, the smell, and the density of magical winds in the environment.
Siena was a mage with a talent not just for being sensitive to environmental changes but for analyzing and utilizing them.
“Indeed, if she wasn’t that capable, we wouldn’t have sought her out in the first place. There’s a reason she was at the top of the recruitment list.”
For some reason, Dalen felt a sense of relief. He laughed out loud.
Who would have thought that the decision he made in the corner of an inn room more than half a year ago would play such a decisive role?
The end constantly reached beyond his expectations, but the same was true for the other side.
Caught in the trap of the evil gods and running around to thwart their schemes was the current reality.
But the chaotic wave of this apocalypse didn’t just feel like a desperate struggle on their part.
Srrng—
Dalen stopped in his tracks, a fierce grin spreading across his face.
With the holy sword drawn, he gripped it with both hands and leaped lightly.
The tip of the sword pointed toward the ceiling of the low street.
It was time to head to the surface.
Crash—!
The stone slab shattered, and the dirt floor erupted. The soil that had surged up fell back like a waterfall.
Emerging from the settling dust were four people.
A female knight in the garb of a holy knight, a boy, a mage in a wide robe, and a hulking warrior.
”…It’s quiet.”
The holy knight, Lucia, spoke. Her blue eyes glowed with divine light in the darkness.
“The sinister magic hasn’t disappeared. In fact, it feels even stronger than when we were below. The vine witch and the dark mages have already begun their activities.”
“Right. The magical winds are unstable. It means a large-scale summoning is being prepared or has already occurred. Either way, we need to hurry.”
Siena added. Dalen nodded and sheathed his sword.
Between the towers rising about five stories high, the narrow streets were deserted.
Overturned boxes and barrels. Abandoned money pouches lay scattered.
Farming tools were left half-organized, strewn about.
There were signs of a hasty evacuation, but no direct traces of battle.
It’s certain that a fight broke out in the western district, but its impact hasn’t reached here yet.
“Siena. Lead us toward the main road.”
“You think they’re targeting the warehouse areas?”
“Yes. Considering the number we encountered in the low streets, there must be at least thousands of vagrants addicted to the dark mages’ drugs. At that scale, it’s no longer just a drug smuggling incident.”
With the witch’s involvement confirmed, Dalen no longer saw this as a simple methamphetamine case.
The drug smuggling was merely a middle step.
The alliance of the two evil gods was undoubtedly to achieve greater objectives.
”…Yes. This is a war.”
Siena, with a somber gaze, echoed Dalen’s conclusion.
War.
Though the demon army hadn’t yet invaded the surface, this was a clear declaration of war against the labyrinth city.
And regardless of how it started, the group now found themselves in the eye of the storm.
After a brief regrouping, they moved swiftly. The place they reached after breaking through the ceiling of the low street was the western district of the Bronze Zone.
According to Siena, this area was specifically District 54, where mushrooms were cultivated.
Judging by the mushrooms rolling around in boxes and the round towers about five stories high, it seemed accurate.
“Inquisitor, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask what those towers are? From what I’ve read, the western district of Falcion is specialized in agriculture.”
Despite his mature appearance, the curiosity typical of his age was evident.
At Parne’s formal inquiry, the group couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Those are vertical farms, Parne.”
“Vertical farms…? So crops grow inside them?”
“That’s right. Wheat, barley, even fruits. Since this is a mushroom cultivation area, I suppose mushrooms grow there. It’s my first time seeing it myself.”
“Wow…”
“Let’s save the tour for later and focus on the mission for now.”
Parne, who had been wide-eyed and slack-jawed, snapped back to attention with a sharp “Yes, sir.”
Even that made Dalen chuckle inwardly. He surveyed the surrounding towers, his smile unwavering.
“Falcion’s vertical farms. One of the pinnacles of platinum street’s magical engineering.”
Vertical farms.
The equivalent of smart farms in 21st-century Earth.
Vertical farms were one of the key reasons the labyrinth city of Falcion could serve as humanity’s bastion and ark.
No matter how vast Falcion was, it was impossible to feed millions of people with traditional agriculture.
Relying solely on external supplies, like other cities, was problematic due to the underdeveloped transportation of this era.
The founders, who foresaw this issue over a thousand years ago, created vertical farms to ensure Falcion could be self-sufficient in food.
By using magic as a power source, it became possible to cultivate crops with minimal light, water, and soil.
“Advanced science is indistinguishable from magic, they say. Perhaps this is the reverse.”
Rumble…
At that moment, a faint tremor was felt beneath their feet. Dalen shook his head, dispelling his thoughts.
Lucia was right. Expanding one’s horizons could wait.
If they didn’t hurry, the very places they needed to explore might vanish entirely.
Before long, the group found themselves on the main road.
Unlike the district filled with vertical farms, this area was a bustling marketplace.
Except for the fact that there were twice as many food stalls, it wasn’t much different from the southern district.
And that scene was engulfed in flames.
”…Looks like it’s already been ravaged,” Lucia murmured, staring at the buildings consumed by fire.
Around the burning structures lay hundreds of bodies.
Most were the corpses of vagrants, but here and there, the bodies of guards could also be seen.
Their eyes, unable to find peace even in death, suggested they had been half-eaten alive.
”…”
Dalen gazed at the empty eyes for a moment before turning his head toward the burning buildings.
Thankfully, not every building was on fire. Most of the structures along the main road were tall and not made of wood.
It didn’t seem like someone had intentionally set the fires. Judging by the addicts they had seen fighting in the lower streets, it was doubtful they had the intelligence to wield torches.
“Ughhh…”
A faint groan reached their ears. It came from inside a half-collapsed two-story building.
Dalen pushed aside the debris and entered. Clearing the wreckage further inside, he found a wounded guard slumped in a corner.
Despite severe burns and chunks of flesh missing, the guard clung to his broken sword.
Lucia used her healing powers, and the guard quickly regained consciousness.
With focus returning to his eyes, he looked at Dalen and spoke.
“We… we must stop them…”