Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

Volume 7 Chapter 8

Following Leyla, they left the inn and instead, they entered a building that looked like a storage house. No other person could be seen inside, and after walking past the boxes and containers, Leyla pulled on a handle to reveal a path underground.

“This is…?”

“It leads to the underground road. It’s dark down there, so be careful.”

With the light in one hand, Leyla started descending the stairs, followed by Kyle and his group. The road was much wider than they anticipated, continuing for longer than they could see.

“This is…heading to the center of the town, right?”

Underground, your perception might get twisted rather easily, but Minagi was sharp enough to realize, as she pointed this out calmly. Finally, after walking amidst the heat, they reached a larger open space. There was a stone wall, lit up with lights, and the chairs matching the altar showed that this was a temple of sorts.

“It’s a chapel for Mera cult followers. No matter how forgiving Sura may be, they can’t worship their faith in public, so they’ve been given this small area.”

From the looks of it, this must have been built several hundred years ago.

“So the temple above ground is…”

“Just a fake to attract attention. Even with all the bad examples the Mera cult has provided, there will be no discrimination on this holy ground of Sura. I don’t know the details. There’s also the story of the temple for the ‘God of Darkness whose name has been forgotten’ or something like that.”

This was referring to a god who is even more resented than Mera. A god who created the demons…but its temple should still exist somewhere in Sura.

“An underground chapel…Didn’t think I’d see this here. I feel like I’ve entered a whole new secret world…But, nobody’s here?”

Kyle looked around, wondering if they had come at the wrong time.

“This isn’t our goal. Just a mid-way point.”

Kyle thought he’d finally get to see this Holiness, but Leyla just kept on walking down another path. Kyle didn’t like it, but he had to follow her.

“We’re heading up.”

After a bit more walking, they reached another set of stairs, leading them back above ground. The blinding sunlight forced them to shut their eyes for a moment. After they got used to it, they realized they were inside a garden locked off on all sides, decorated with vases and pots with flowers. The building surrounding the garden did look familiar…because they had seen it from the outside.

“This is…the inside of the Sacred Palace we saw yesterday, right?”

The Sacred Palace—-Where the royalty of Sura lived.

“Yes. It matches with the distance and direction we walked in,” Minagi muttered, having guessed her position correctly.

Listening closer, they could hear the same distant noise of people watching from afar, so they were certain it had to be this place. And more proof of anything was the tower in the center of the plaza.

“The Tower of Beginnings…”

Looking at it from up closer, it really wasn’t that tall of a tower. But at the same time, the material it was made of definitely seemed irregular. It was sturdy, yet soft at the same time, so it didn’t feel like the tower was made of stone or metal. Pair that with the odd beauty inside this garden created by the tower, and it felt quite otherworldly.

“No way…Are we going inside the Tower?”

“Only those of the royal family normally are allowed inside, but there is an exception. And this exception counts right now, so right inside with you guys.” Leyla approached the bottom of the Tower when a door suddenly opened that she used to get inside.

All this seemed so natural, it became clear that this wasn’t her first time entering the Tower.

“E-Even if she says that, I don’t…”

Kyle and the others hesitated. This was the Tower created by the gods. The most important place in the whole world, so hesitation was definitely not unfounded. Kyle looked around, wondering what to do, but no other person could be found.

“What now…Come on, hurry up.” Seran rushed the others now in Leyla’s stead, but nobody took another step.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. There’s a spell cast on this tower that anybody who approaches it feels dread and fear,” Leyla said as she had just remembered. “But don’t worry. Just take a deep breath, and keep it in your mind. Eventually, you’ll be able to keep going.”

Kyle and his friends looked at each other, did as they were told, and took a deep breath. It definitely wasn’t a pleasant sensation, but not so much that they couldn’t keep going.

“Something like that exists? But I don’t feel anything.”

“Well, you’ve always been one dense bastard…” Leyla grumbled at Seran’s comment.

“Still, I didn’t feel any magic when coming here.”

“Because it’s not magic in the first place,” Shildonia answered Kyle’s question.

This doubt of his was dispelled right after when they witnessed the next surprise.

“Huh? What is that…?” Lieze asked in disbelief, but the others had the same reaction.

From the outside, Kyle anticipated they would be heading up a set of stairs. However, what greeted them was a linear path. Even further than they could see. Let alone a tower, this couldn’t possibly fit in the Sacred Palace. However, Leyla didn’t comment on any of this and just started walking once more. It was a simple path with no decoration whatsoever, no windows to be seen and yet it was bright as day. The walls gave off a faint shine. Even though there was no left and right, having but a single path made them feel restless.

“Space is…being twisted here. Put simply, this path was being pushed into the tower. In here, your common knowledge won’t apply,” Shildonia gave a nonchalant explanation as she followed after the group.

She didn’t seem shaken by this situation in the slightest. But before Kyle could ask, they seemingly reached their destination. It was a relatively large room, changing from a hallway to a reception area. A chair with a desk, a furnace, and paintings of scenery on the walls. But that normal look was what made it stand out even more.

“I brought them, your Holiness,” Leyla declared to the one individual present in the room.

The woman with silver hair, sitting on the chair, showed a warm smile as she looked at Kyle and his friends.

“…?!”

The moment they saw her eyes, they suffered a shock to the point their hearts almost stopped. They had just seen that very face yesterday, and Kyle somewhat had expected he would find her here. But of course, he was referring to Sakira, who he had just met. A small bruise on her forehead spoke more than enough of that. However, only her appearance was the same, but everything else, just like the inside and outside of the tower, couldn’t possibly be compared. Kyle immediately understood that this was not the Sakira he met. Just being in her presence made it feel like his soul as a whole was shaking, making it harder for him to breathe.

“Ah…Oh…”

He tried to say something, but he could only let out groans. He hadn’t even experienced this when dealing with Dragon King Zeurus or the Demon Lord Luiza, so this existence in front of him must be of an even greater level. But even that, it wasn’t absolute terror he felt that made him unable to move. His friends seemed to be feeling the same way, as even Seran just stood still. As all the attention was on her, most likely guessing these emotions, the individual looking like Princess Sakira slowly spoke up.

“Nice to meet you. I’ve been waiting to meet you, Kyle-chan.”

Just as yesterday, she spoke with a cheery tone, filled with friendliness. The moment he heard that, he understood what Leyla was talking about when she said she’d understand it all. At the same time, he could follow Cordi’s statement that his whole world would change. After a lot of preparation, Kyle finally managed to squeeze a few words out of his throat.

“You are…the Goddess Mera, right…?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

It was an insane assumption to make, and yet the answer came back in a matter of seconds. Leyla mentioned an exception in order to enter the tower like this. And that was the biggest hint. The one governing the Mera cult wasn’t some Holiness…it was the Goddess Mera herself.