Chapter 708
Clatter, clatter!

Whoooosh!

Cedric crouched low, moving with the horse’s rough gait, glancing upward.

The wizards floated smoothly through the air, their robes billowing behind them like a flock of migratory birds with a clear destination. They maintained perfect formation, evenly spaced and unshaken.

“Is there a problem?”
“…No, none.”

Aerin, running alongside him, asked quietly.

Her brown hair was tied back in a loose knot, swaying elegantly with each stride. If it weren’t for the dark blotches marring her pale skin, she might have looked even more striking. Cedric leaned in slightly and said softly,
“I’m here to escort Lady Aerin, so please speak freely.”

“Huh? What do you mean? I’m just a soldier, and you’re a magic swordsman. It’s you who should be speaking to me like that—I’m a bit taken aback.”

“Honestly, you’re just a trainee. No need to be so formal.”

Cedric said this and glanced ahead at Berrick, who was running just ahead of them. Crazy guy. He was practically keeping pace with the horses.

Will I ever be like that? Really? Somehow, Berrick seemed like a special case. Noticing Cedric’s gaze, Aerin asked,
“He’s impressive, isn’t he?”

“Yes, well… I’d be lying if I said otherwise.”

“They shine brightest on the battlefield. Cedric, congratulations on joining the Imperial Palace Guard. It’s a truly honorable position.”

Honor? Honestly, Cedric wasn’t so sure yet. He was a little surprised when Berrick smashed through the temple’s barrier, but that was about it. Awe and astonishment. Honor was definitely something else entirely.

“You don’t have to answer that, you know?”

“Hahaha. Of course.”

Aerin smiled softly. She had seen, heard, and felt how they had cut down the monsters on the northern plains, how they found a way through the dead ends—and how their very presence was a blessing to Bariel.

Berrick sniffed the air and shouted,
“Ian! We’re almost there!”

“Yeah, I see it.”

Ian responded with a wave.

In the distance, the water spout of Banusa began to come into view. Towering so high it seemed to touch the sky, it resembled a stationary waterspout.

“Ian, what’s the plan?”

“We enter with Berrick leading.”

“Berrick! You go first!”

“Me? Why?”

There are plenty of magic users here—why me?

The wizards scowled in irritation at his question. Lately, he seemed to have ‘why’ permanently stuck on his tongue.

“You’re the one who cut through that thing! You know it better than anyone!”

“That’s Ian’s order, dummy!”

“Oh, so it’s like ‘he who’s tasted the meat eats best,’ huh? Got it! I’ll stick close and follow!”

Whoosh!
Ziiing! Boom!

Berrick unleashed his magic again and leapt forward. Flames roared around him, igniting the ground where he passed, and intense heat radiated outward.

Cedric and Aerin, caught off guard, put distance between themselves and shielded their faces with their sleeves. But—

“What are you doing?!”

“Huh?”

Banusa’s barrier held firm against Berrick’s flames. Where the fire touched, steam hissed and smoke billowed, but that was all.

The cuts weren’t deep enough to breach the temple’s interior, and even if they were, the barrier would instantly restore itself, leaving no gaps.

As Berrick swung his sword repeatedly, the wizards landed lightly nearby.

“This thing’s tougher than I thought! Hey! Guests have arrived! Let’s welcome them!”

“Put some muscle into it.”

“Then why don’t you try?”

It was thick, but just a stream of water. The wizards rolled up their sleeves one by one and began channeling their magic to break the barrier.

Boom! Bang!

The water’s flow was disrupted by their power but quickly returned to its original form. And—

“The thickness is only about ten meters, right? Can’t we just cut through and pass?”

“Are you kidding? It’s some kind of unknown sewage. Look closely inside—the water’s murky, so it’s easier to see.”

“Oh, a whirlpool.”

“If we’re careless, we’ll drown standing up.”

“Hmm. Then what do we do?”

Muttering among themselves, they looked to Ian. The boy stood silently, staring up at the endless water stream. After a moment’s thought, Ian gave an order to Hale.

“…Create a protective shield.”

“How far?”

“Up to above our heads. Aerin and Cedric, come over here.”

Hale stretched out his hand, conjuring a shield that gathered the wizards together. Aerin, Cedric, and even Berrick joined them. Whatever Ian planned, it was wise to stay inside the shield.

Swish.

Ian lightly raised his fingertips and traced a magic circle in the air. Golden lines shimmered and moved smoothly with his gestures.

Cedric’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of a magic circle up close for the first time. The reflected golden light made his pupils sparkle brighter than ever.

“Freezing.”

With a faint touch of his fingertips, Ian barely grazed the sewage barrier. From that point, the water rapidly began to freeze.

The area that had been scorching hot from Berrick’s flames cooled instantly. Aerin instinctively clutched her sleeve and shivered. The energy radiating from the magic was overwhelming for an ordinary person without magic power.

Crack!

As the water solidified, the whirlpool stopped. The wizards immediately understood Ian’s intent, and Hale reinforced the shield above their heads.

“Ian, I’ll handle the rest.”

“No need.”

Stopping Berrick from stepping forward, Ian clenched his fist, charging it with magic, and slammed it down with all his might.

Flash!
Crack! Snap!

The frozen sewage cracked loudly, and sharp shards like needles rained down. They struck the protective shield above, shattering with a satisfying sound.

The wizards watched wide-eyed, worried the shield might break. They glanced anxiously at Hale, who just shrugged with a smoldering cigarette dangling from his lips.

“Ian goes first.”

“Ian! Let me come with you!”

The unfrozen water from the source kept rushing in, filling the gaps. They had to hurry once the barrier cracked. The wizards hurried after Ian, and Aerin and Cedric quickly plunged into the water. As soon as they entered, the shield closed behind them.

“It looks like it won’t disappear until Banusa withdraws its power. Ian, look! The entrance.”

“Berrick, did the last ones you saw enter that way?”

“Yeah. That Raju guy and his men all went in there. No idea where Banusa went, though. Probably still with them.”

Following Ian’s gaze, the wizards watched the entrance. It was eerily quiet, with no sign of movement or obstacles. It was as if they could just walk right in.

“A trap.”

“Damn it, a trap.”

Even if they had eyes in the back of their heads, they’d know it was a trap. The wizards clicked their tongues and cautiously scanned the surroundings.

“Ian, to investigate, we’ll have to go inside.”

“Should we just smash everything? Cause a ruckus and they’ll crawl out on their own, right?”

“No. If we do that, we might not be able to clean up the sewage properly. And who knows—there might be another escape route underground. If that’s the case, we need to pursue immediately.”

Ian stared calmly at the dark entrance, then nodded decisively.

“We’ll form a reconnaissance team.”

“Yes, just give the order.”

“Berrick, Hale, and Tommy, Nakina.”

“Ready!”

“Nakina, you okay? You didn’t seem fully recovered.”

“What do you take me for? Stop worrying. Ian, I’m in top condition.”

At Ian’s call, Tommy and Nakina slipped on their gloves and stretched lightly. Hale did the same, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket and tucking it into his back pocket.

“The recon team goes in first. The rest follow at intervals from the entrance. Cedric and Aerin, you two stay at the rear and guard the entrance.”

It was like forming a line. If something happened to the recon team, the others could quickly share information. The wizards could communicate magically, so even with some distance, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Let’s go, Berrick. Lead the way.”

“Okay. Guess my reflexes really are sharp. I’ll be back! Stay alert, okay? Watch your backs.”

Berrick pointed at Cedric with two fingers, promising to keep a close eye on him. Nakina gave him a playful kick on the backside, telling him to hurry up.

“First fork in the road.”

“We’ll stay here.”

“Good. Jean and Sarga take the central corridor on the first floor.”

“Heading down!”

As the wizards took their positions, Ian’s group continued descending. Berrick, leading the way, started gagging repeatedly at the foul smell creeping up.

“Ugh! Ughhh!”

“Geez, you’re killing my appetite. What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you smell it?”

“What smell?”

Berrick frowned, uncertain. It was familiar, yet utterly nauseating…

“The stench of rot,” he muttered.

He couldn’t quite put it into words.

At Berrick’s murmured warning, the mages tensed, tightening their guard. No matter how foul-tempered he was, his nose was impeccable when it came to detecting smells.

Even without that, this place was dangerous. With the Underlord and Rutherford involved, it was bound to be more than just a trivial threat.

“Second basement level. We’ll hold position here. Please, be careful.”

Tap tap tap!

“Third basement! Report immediately if anything happens. Moving down!”

Thud! Tap tap!

“Ugh! Fourth… fourth floor! We’re the last group.”

“From here on, only the reconnaissance team will proceed.”

“Yes, everyone be careful! It’s pitch dark down here!”

The deeper they went underground, the more the mages felt uneasy. Ian narrowed his brow, minimizing his breathing.

“Huh? Look there!”

It had to be the lowest basement level. Instead of stairs leading down, there was an empty space before them. And in the distance, a faint light flickered—a blue glow shimmering through a half-open door.

“Damn bastards. How far have they dug into the earth?”

“Ian, shall we go?”

With a creak, Hale pushed the door wide open. Beyond it stood a massive wall—a whole side filled with water.

An aquarium? Water behind a glass wall? The strange, astonishing sight left Hale and Tommy Nakina staring up in awe.

“Hah…”

Ian, however, let out a dry, incredulous chuckle. The blue-lit scene was oddly familiar.

‘Isn’t this the Abyssal Sea?’

He had no idea why there was a passage here connected to the sea. Just as Ian stepped forward—

BOOM!

The door they’d entered through slammed shut on its own.

Then, slowly, the priests appeared. They looked down solemnly from the upper floor at Ian and his group.

“Are you Ian Hiel?”

Ian couldn’t tell who spoke, but it was probably the High Priest.

“Yes. I am Ian Hiel.”

“We have waited a very long time.”

“As long as you waited for my mother?”

A faint smile echoed in response.

“Of course. But I never expected you to come here yourself. Were you longing for that day ten years ago?”

The day he had dived into the Abyssal Sea?

The High Priest’s voice echoed around Ian’s ears, but Ian remained calm, unmoved. He simply smiled faintly and stared straight at the sea before him. Then he spoke.

“Yes. I do long for it. How could I forget the day Arsene was dying ten years ago? It was all because of you. Even now, I want to thank you.”

Then, with a sneer, Ian added,

“So, you show yourself at last? Even if you live hidden underground like beasts, aren’t you still human? Or are you not?”