Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 316

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 316 – The Secrets of the Ruins and the Roar

Warren’s dispatch of a large force was successful. Two detachments, led by Batz and Leonard, were authorized by the council and sent in the direction in which Tigre was reported to have been taken.

Due to the potential presence of the Red Dragon, the group rode their horses while employing highly mobile magical weapons. Significant reinforcements were also expected to arrive from the port town of Roundheart within a few hours.

Half a day and several hours had passed since Elena’s letter arrived from Roundheart. It was late at night in the subtropical region, cloaked in a quieter, chillier winter compared to before.

Breath didn’t turn white, but a uniquely humid, excessively cool late-night wind blew.

Batz reined in his horse and spoke up.

“Leonard! Can you hear any dragon cries?”

“Of course not, you fool! If we could hear such a sound, we wouldn’t be calmly scouting like this!”

The surroundings were dark marshland with nothing but trees.

The knights on horseback probed the area, diligently sharing information. Some busied themselves maintaining the magical weapons they had brought.

Unlike the large magic stone cannons used in the Heim War, the magical weapons this time were small, horse-drawn carriages. Instead, they resembled small horse-drawn carriages pulled by two horses. The metal tubes resembled fallen logs, about two meters in diameter. Their color was a deep blue reminiscent of the ocean depths. Several barrels protruded from each side, pointing skyward. Though the shots fired from these barrels were small, they were unmistakably modeled after magic stone cannons.

They had brought dozens of these cannons, and every single one was intended solely for countering the Red Dragon.

“Excuse me, Commander Crim. All the magic weapons are in perfect working order. We found no abnormalities in the loaded magic stones either.”

One of the mechanics approached Batz.

“Ah, then have them ready to fire at any moment.”

“Yes, sir!”

Then, after seeing the mechanic leave, Leonard spoke.

“Still, technological progress is astonishing. If we had had such weapons during the Heim War, our knights would have suffered far fewer casualties.”

“Yeah… They may fall short of the original magic stone cannons, but they still pack considerable firepower. With Roland involved in the core development, that guy’s pretty impressive, too.”

“Yeah, that’s certainly true—wait a moment.”

Just as the mechanic had reported to Batz, a knight on horseback approached Leonard.

“Commander Fors. We’ve found a trace, a possible lead.”

“R-really!?”

“Yes, hoofprints different from ours were discovered. They appear to be heading towards the ruins further in.”

“So they’re taking Tigre to the ruins? But I don’t get it. Why would they flee to a place like that? It’d be the perfect hideout, though.”

“The enemy numbers probably aren’t that high. Judging by the dry hoofprints… But that’s just my guess.”

“…Batz, what do we do?”

“The worst case is getting surrounded by the enemy. The next worst thing would be us, the commanders, getting killed, especially since that Red Dragon could very well be lurking nearby.”

Should they evacuate for now, then? Just as Leonard was about to ask that,

“But, you know, considering the impact they had on Father’s fortress, our forces should be sufficient. Right?”

He sought confirmation from the knight who had come to report. The knight pondered for over ten seconds. Pressing his hand to his mouth, he nodded several times on horseback, ruminating to ensure he was correct.

Eventually, the knight nodded firmly.

“Yes, Commander Crim is correct.”

“Then that’s settled. Frankly, with this terrain, deploying more forces would be difficult anyway. Unless we burn down all the trees to create more open ground, that is.”

“I must agree with you once more. Any additional forces beyond this point would make little difference unless they included someone of exceptional strength.”

“Exactly, Leonard. By the way, when I say ‘individual of exceptional strength,’ think of the people around Ain.”

Unable to nod readily, the knight gave a wry smile and looked down at Leonard.

His bangs stirred in the marsh’s unpleasant wind as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“So we’re launching an attack?”

“That’s the plan. I’d like a knight with scouting experience to check the surroundings first. Can you handle that?”

“Yes, sir! I’ll report back shortly!”

Within a few dozen minutes, the knights led by the two men began their advance.

Was this force too large just to save Tigre? No one questioned it because of their caution toward the Red Dragon.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

In the past, when they had visited together, the space had merely been dimly lit. Today, however, was different. Within the nearly pitch-black ruins, the tension of everyone present dissolved into the air.

Aside from the mysterious murals, the purpose of the ruins remained unexplained.

The sound of gravel crunching underfoot echoed several times across the stone pavement.

“It doesn’t seem like they’re trying to lure us in. It’s like they’re so relaxed that they don’t even need to be careful.”

“…Hm?”

“If I were a sea dragon, would I care about little fish swimming in the ocean?”

“So they think they can take us down at any time?”

“More like they don’t seem scared of being attacked either.”

“Either way, it doesn’t feel good.”

The silence of the ruins gave no hint of any living presence nearby. Their vigilance against lurking enemies was pointless; the area was disappointingly empty.

Still, Batz didn’t let his guard down just because of that.

“This is an adventurer’s magic tool. Leonard, use it immediately if things get dangerous, okay?”

“Yeah, I know.”

He pulled a fist-sized crystal orb from his pocket. It was a magic tool like the one Kaizer had used to test Ain, containing spells such as binding magic.

Everyone had been ordered to abandon the ruins and fight while retreating outside if the Red Dragon appeared.

Suddenly, the knights halted in the direction the two were heading.

“Quiet! I hear voices.”

The two fell silent and strained their ears. A woman’s voice drifted from the deepest part of the ruins.

It was faint, perhaps due to the distance, but as they drew closer, step by step, it became distinctly clearer.

“…I’m returning to Ishtar as is. You two continue the mission.”

Batz immediately recognized the unfamiliar armor as that of the former Kingdom of Heim.

They watched, concealed, as the speaker gave orders to several knights.

Tigre was seated before the altar they had seen before. His posture was awkward, likely because his arms were bound behind his back.

Several knights and the robed figure who had spoken surrounded him.

“I would be most pleased if Your Highness would soon change your mind.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve said it many times; I’m not—”

Leonard’s eyebrow twitched sharply.

“Tigre, is it? He seems unharmed.”

Relieved, they waited for the right moment to attack. Throughout this, the speaker continued to address Tigre.

“I believe Your Highness should become the king of the world. The man who killed Grint will eventually meet the same fate…”

“Ha… Hahahahaha! What nonsense are you spouting? Camilla… You simply don’t understand reality.”

“…What exactly?”

Camilla snapped back irritably. Though Batz and the others couldn’t see her face, Tigre could tell that a vein was throbbing on her forehead. Still, he pressed her with reality.

“You want to kill Ain. I know. But how do you plan to defeat that man? A hero who single-handedly slays sea dragons, no less.”

“Why do you think I acquired the Red Dragon? Besides, there’s still the legacy left by Shannon-sama. Soon, I shall gain dragon power that surpasses even the Red Dragon’s.”

[T/N: It seems the author really changed the name according to the light novel now. Shannon should be Anon in the web novel before.]

“Well, that’s nice. Given my position, I’ve heard a lot from Warren-dono. If you truly have the strength to kill Ain, I’d rather see you demonstrate it.”

Upon hearing Tigre’s words, Batz let out a “Kuku…” and Leonard smirked. The knights standing near them were stunned yet smiled too.

“No matter what you say, I will accomplish this! I won’t rest until I avenge my son’s and husband’s deaths and humiliate the woman he loved!”

“…Sigh.”

Tigre let out a huge sigh. It carried all the way to Batz and the others standing some distance away.

“Please don’t say that in front of Ain. Sorry, but I’d rather not deal with anger powerful enough to wipe out the entire continent.”

“Oh, Your Highness? I was wondering what you’d say, and then you go and mention wiping out the entire continent—”

“Let me repeat: I can’t afford to have the entire continent turned into seaweed, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say that to him.”

“Hmph… What could a mere Crown Prince possibly do?”

“At the very least, I can say that Ain possesses the power to destroy the world within his body. Understanding that is enough; there’s no problem beyond that.”

Whether exasperated or simply worn out, Tigre’s tone became rough. His words became blunt, and he turned away as if the whole thing bothered him.

Shortly thereafter,

The knights of Ishtalika, having finished surveying the area, gave the signal and charged inside all at once. In an instant, they surrounded Tigre and Camilla. The former Heim Kingdom knights drew their swords and took up defensive stances.

Knowing Tigre was their hostage, the Ishtalika knights kept their distance, their eyes sharp and ready to attack at any moment.

“Chatting away without any guards? You’ve got a lot of nerve, don’t you?”

Batz addressed Camilla.

She glanced at the opposing forces, let out a sigh, and said,

“Your Highness, let us resume our conversation on that continent. It seems we’ve been interrupted here.”

“If only I could. How do you propose we break through this encirclement?”

“Oh, so you will accompany us?”

Unable to fathom Camilla’s defiant smile, Tigre dismissed it as mere bravado. Yet, Camilla calmly approached the altar and drew a stone from her bosom. It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

Its surface was covered in a lustrous sheen reminiscent of marble and emitted a pale blue glow. It was a material that Ain had seen several times before.

“I heard about the ruins from Ed-dono. What’s needed is material from that dungeon and a creature with high magical power nearby. So, Shannon-sama didn’t use these ruins.”

“Huh? What the hell have you been talking about?”

“Still, this ruin gives me the creeps. That Second Princess… I wonder what secrets she’s hiding. She’s truly a nasty woman.”

Camilla muttered in the direction of the mural. It was the same mural that Leonard and Batz had previously photographed and reported on.

Her expression was gloomy and damp as she spoke, devoid of vitality and unapproachable. Yet she immediately composed herself and continued.

“Ah, we accepted the attack without guards because our safety was guaranteed. So, we’re leaving now. You lot can burn in dragonfire.”

“You—what the hell are you—”

Everything had been going smoothly. Camilla’s words conveyed her intent.

She gently flicked the stone she held, sending it clattering twice, thrice across the altar with a dry, hard sound.

Then—

“Wh-what… Camilla, what are you doing!?”

Tigre’s eyes widened in shock. Batz, Leonard, and the others were speechless. A blinding radiance erupted from the ground around Tigre and the others near the altar. A circular flash of light pierced the stone pavement with such force that it seemed poised to pierce the heavens.

By the time their eyes had adjusted and they looked around, Tigre and the others were already gone.

“What the hell is going on?! Leonard!?”

“I don’t know! I thought the light had faded, but then Tigre and the others disappeared…”

“I know that already!”

“Then why did you ask… For now, we have to search the area.”

Leonard was just about to give the knights orders when—

“You two! Something’s coming! Get back!”

A knight standing nearby shouted. A growl echoed from the wall behind the altar. Everyone could sense something approaching. The growl was ominous, followed by a deafening roar that shook the ruins themselves.

Faster than the official knights, Batz shouted,

“Everyone, hurry out of the ruins! We’re retreating from here!”

Everyone ran. They ran desperately without giving Batz’s words a second thought.

Forgetting the blinding light from moments before, they dashed straight for the exit.

Shortly after they left the great hall where the altar stood, they heard the sound of the rear wall of the altar collapsing and debris falling. Even more piercing than that, Leonard’s face paled at the dragon’s roar.

Batz slapped Leonard’s back with a reassuring, almost scolding gesture.

“Well, well, here you are. Don’t trip rushing so fast! I’m not carrying you on my back to escape!”

Why the smirk? In stark contrast to his words, Batz’s fingertips trembled slightly, a quiver only he could perceive.

“Gwa… AAAAAAAAAAAA—!”

Not a single person turned to face the roar behind them.

Everyone instinctively avoided the foolish act of stopping.

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