Chapter 47 (1/2)

Underground City of the Ancient G.o.ds 6

They entered the castle. Undead monsters wearing maid and servant outfits stood still. Will they attack if they sensed a living human being? Hikaru thought, but he didn't want to find out.

The stone-build castle was easy to walk in as they went down the hallways. There were figures of people who worked in the castle here and there.

It's really strange. There's too few guards and knights around.

Although not entirely zero, there were barely any around. Other than the Dead Knight and Draugrs out front, not a lot of them could be seen. They couldn't possibly defend the castle like this.

Hikaru closed in on a lone Dead Knight roaming about. His dagger couldn't pierce through its plate armor, so he looked for an opening. The undead, however, was wearing full-body armor, and while its face was exposed, Hikaru couldn't see its neck.

Will a stab on its face do it? …Nah, I don't think so.

His one point on Instinct was telling him it wouldn't work. In the end, he gave up on the idea as he really didn't need to kill it anyway.

When they got close to the location of the treasure, Hikaru knew where it was right away. One area was teeming with mana like the ones in the n.o.bles' houses. There would've been no point in coming here if it couldn't be opened, but Hikaru had a plan.

「So this is the keyhole…」

A huge, double-door loomed in front of him. Made of white stone, a dragon-like monster was carved into its surface. The keyhole was just at his eye level.

「The room's guard should have the key…」Hikaru said.

「I think so…」

「Is that it over there?」

「I think it is.」

A Dead n.o.ble stood beside the door, wearing what might've been a dazzling attire six hundred years ago. A bunch of keys dangled on its right hand. Hikaru inched closer to the undead, killed it with one strike, and took the keys. He then thrusted what looked like the right key into the keyhole.

「What was that undead doing here? It's all too convenient.」Lavia said.

「You have a point. Anyway, the key fits, but I can't open the door.」

Hikaru pulled out the key and tried the other ones, but they didn't fit. He was sure the first one he used was the right one. The material used for the key matched the door's as well.

「There's a dent in the middle.」

There was indeed a dent in the key's handle. It looked like something had to be embedded in it.

「b.u.mmer. I thought I'd find a great weapon in the treasure room and then use it to fight the boss. I guess it's never that easy. In fact, maybe the boss has the thing that makes this key work.」

「Boss? You mean like a higher-up?」

Hikaru used a gaming term without thinking, making Lavia confused.

「Ah, let's see… This place's boss would be the king himself.」Hikaru said.

They returned to the front of the castle. First they made their way to the audience chamber where the king would most likely be. After climbing a lengthy set of stairs, they arrived at the door to the s.p.a.cious audience room.

The carpet was covered in dust, like a blanket of snow, from years of neglect. It was impossible to discern its original color. The hallways didn't have as much dust as the undead regularly roamed about.

「…He's here.」

Hikaru's Mana Detection saw him.

「Should I turn off the light?」Lavia asked.

「It's okay. There are only Dead n.o.bles around.」

「…If you say so.」

Lavia was not completely convinced, but she left the lamp on and turned it towards the room.

Dead n.o.bles stood in a row on both sides. Up a few stairs was the throne where a lone undead was perched. Resting its chin on one hand, its empty eye sockets was turned in their direction. Diamonds were sewn into its loose robe, which never lost their gleam after six hundred years. Even covered in dust, they still shone bright.

「…—…—–………」

「—–…—」

「…—…..-」

「.—..–」

Hikaru could hear voices like the sound of a violin on the verge of breaking. They came from the Dead n.o.bles lined up. The voices were faint, but in this silence, he could hear them quite clearly. He drew closer to one of them and listened carefully. Like the Dead Citizens, all they could do was groan.

「Wh-What's going on?」Lavia, who was dumbfounded at first, finally came to her senses.

「I think they're having a discussion with the king.」

「I can see that, but…」

What they were discussing, he didn't know. Was it something that's been going on for six hundred years? Or did the topic change every time? The king just glared at them, seemingly bored.

「The king's ring…」Hikaru muttered.

「What?」

「It looks light it fits the hole in the key.」