「It’s finally time!」

We came back to the junction of the waterways.

「Don’t worry, we practiced」

We couldn’t just try it out in the real thing, so we practiced in a place where we could retrieve it if it failed. Anyone with magical power can operate it. However, it is important to be able to imagine what you are doing, so I was the one who was able to do it best. Next was Shia-san and then it was Snow-san’s turn. In magic, imagination is directly related to the power and effect of the magic, so it’s thanks to all the hard work I put in with my auxiliary magic!

By the way, in Snow-san’s case, it was more like sinking than moving. She has a little bit of magic power, but she’s not very good at magic.

「Well, let’s get it going」

A fish-shaped magic machine… floats an underwater probe in the waterway.

「Let’s dive down here and take a look around」

The image of the probe appears on a crystal board in my hand.

「It’s so murky, I can’t see a thing.」
「After all, it’s not an ordinary river」

Thanks to the lack of current, the operation is much easier than in a river, but the visibility is quite poor because it is swimming in dirty water.

「But it’s a good thing no Devilfish came near it」
「If they attack it, we’re in trouble」

My main concern was that the Devilfish would attack it. Fortunately, I don’t sense them coming towards it, although I don’t know if they recognize it as a friend or not, or if they just don’t see it as a living thing.

「It’s a strange structure」
「Yes, it’s not as deep as we thought」

We also found a part of the wall where there were steps, which is suitable for people to go down.

「Are those stairs?」
「Looks like it」
「Around there」

As I approached the spot, I compared the image with what I could see underwater, and even from the surface I could see a thin line of steps leading down to the spot.

「No doubt about it」
「Did they go through here?」
「Don’t know. I’ll try to get the probe going」
「I understand」

The probe proceeds towards the end of the L bend.

「Kya!」
「「Yuan!?」」

Heh, I’ve made a strange noise.

「I-I can’t!」
「What’s wrong!?」

I was watching the images and moving the probe when suddenly a Devilfish crossed in front of it. I was concentrating when that horrible face filled the screen and I screamed in surprise. I can feel my heart beating fast and hard.

「What happened, Yuan?」

Shia-san and Snow-san didn’t see the screen and didn’t know why I screamed.

「The Devilfish…」

It was good that I didn’t toss the crystal board. But I can’t see the screen any more. In the meantime, the probe is sinking little by little.

「I understand. I’ll operate」
「Uu… I’m sorry」

When I couldn’t operate it, Shia-san took over. It’s pathetic and I’m sorry.

「It’s okay, it’s okay」

Snow-san pats me on the head to comfort me.

「Unfair」
「Shia needs to concentrate」
「Muu」
「Shia-san, please do your best for me!」
「…… All right!」

I cheered her on and she responded with an unusually enthusiastic voice.

「What’s the situation like, Snow-san?」
「Yes, it looks like there’s a connection」

As Shia-san is concentrating, I ask Snow-san about the current situation. I’m afraid of seeing another Devilfish on the screen, so I won’t look again, okay?

「It’s like a passage」
「It’s true, it’s like a tunnel」
「Tunnel?」
「So Yuan doesn’t know what a tunnel is. How to say this… mountains and underground caves made for people to pass through?」
「Are you saying that it’s a hole that has been artificially created rather than naturally formed?」
「It’s like that. It’s like the tunnel you see in the probe. It’s designed for people to walk through」

I can’t see any images, but it looks like a continuation of the half-moon shaped hollowed out waterway that was visible last night. It has even been carefully levelled to make it easier to walk.

「Dead end」
「Heh, is that a miss?」
「Look carefully, the stairs lead upwards」

According to Snow-san, the stairs continue like the one over here. And the further we go, the better the water visibility is. Thanks to this, the number of Devilfish have decreased considerably. It’s not a monster that likes clean water.

「Surfacing」
「Carefully」

The probe is getting closer to the surface. At this point, I should finally be able to see the screen.

「Sounds like a hit」
「Un」

When we emerged from the water, we found ourselves in some kind of cellar. Light magic stones are used, and tables and chairs are placed to give the impression of having been lived in.

「Shia, hide!」

Shia-san reacts quickly to Snow-san’s words and submerges the probe.

「People」

Thanks to the increased transparency of the water, we can see the scene on the surface, albeit vaguely, under the water. There is a door in the cellar, through which people have entered.

「That outfit is that of a lord’s guard… right?」

Two men in black armor sat on chairs provided for them. As Snow-san says, it looked like the same armor as the gatekeepers we saw when we entered the city. The men doesn’t notice the probe and are sitting on chairs chatting with each other.

「It’s a pity we can’t pick up the audio」

The probe is not capable of transmitting sound, so we can’t hear what they are saying. It would have been nice to know where they were connected.

「Adequate harvest」
「Yes, it is」
「What do we do now, should we keep going?」
「How?」
「What about with magic?」

We won’t know until we try it, but it will probably be OK.

「More importantly, if there are stairs, then there must be a way through, right?」

That being said, yes.

「Yuan, search for suspicious places」
「Understood」

I’ve been using sensory magic, but there’s a reason why I haven’t been able to find any. The sensing magic I use now was a combination of detection magic to find people and monsters, and danger detection to warn of traps and dangers. It is not possible to search for hidden doors or other suspicious places, as it is a magic that searches for people and monsters. So this time I’m going to use a different kind of sensing magic.

「Now, I’m going to use my sensing magic to grasp the space」

It is limited to small spaces, but it will channel wind magic to the ground. The wind travels around the ground, exploring hard-to-reach places and blind spots. I call it Spatial Recognition Magic… or Recognition Magic for short. It’s magic that I don’t use very often because I need to control the wind and read the information from it, which requires me to concentrate.

「Mumumu. There’s something out of place on the wall near the stairs」
「Where?」

When the three of us examined the wall, Snow-san found something.

「It’s the only place where the texture is different」

The walls of the underground passages are made up of square-cut stones balanced on top of each other. One of them was soft and pliable and made to be pushed in.

「Is this the one?」
「I have a feeling」
「What should we do?」

Presumably, if you press something like this switch, something will happen. Hopefully it will lead to a way forward to the stairs.

「It could be a trap」
「My sense of danger isn’t acting up」
「Do you want to push it?」

I don’t think it’s a trap. However, we cannot deny that we are not prepared to proceed to the stairs. If we were to connect to the place we’ve just seen with the probe, there’s a good chance that the two men on watch would find out.

「Then call for support」
「Who?」
「Anyone」

The only ones who are able to move are the Resistance or the Princess’s knights.

「At least we’ll know where the connection is」
「That’s right…」

If we can find out where they are connected, we may be able to get them to cause a ruckus out front and break in while they are busy.

「Hey, there’s a monster reaction」

As we’re thinking about what to do, I receive a response from the detection spell. The reaction is small and non-threatening, so I told them not to panic.

「Dju!」

I looked in the direction of the reaction, and a Demonic Rat appeared from there. It approached us slowly, watching us.

「Demonic Rat」
「It is」

It’s rare to see a Demonic Rat acting on its own. As I said before, the terrible thing about rats is their numbers. You don’t need to be an adventurer to deal with them if they appear on their own. It’s a bit dangerous if you’re a child, though.

「But there’s something wrong with it」
「Yes, that’s right. It’s quite rational…」

the four-legged rat stands on its hind legs and looks up at us. It is not unusual in its own right, but it is unusually groomed and elegant for a monster.

「Kill?」
「Djiyu!?」

Shia-san’s words startled the Demonic Rat and hid behind me. Then, it started poking my leg with its fingers.

「What is it?」
「Djuddju!」

Follow me. Looking back at us again and again like that, the Demonic Rat started to move.

「what should we do?」
「It could be a trap」
「And I don’t think it’s an ordinary monster」

While we were watching the Demonic Rat, it suddenly started to move in a strange way. It suddenly falls over and makes a beautiful circle on the ground with its claws, jumps on top of it and crouches down to celebrate.

「Does it want to tell us something?」

The Demonic Rat repeats the movement again and again.

「Falling down, circling…」
「Jump」
「Crouch down… and make an entrance?」
「Dju!」

It appears to be a hit. And, before that?

「If it’s an entrance, doesn’t that circle represent a magic circle?」
「Djuddju!」

It crossed its arms and nodded yes. It seems to understand our language and is quite a clever Demonic Rat.

「Summon」
「Djū!」

That’s the right answer! It points to Shia-san as if to say that.

「I’m a bit annoyed」
「Dju!?」
「Now, now, Shia-san, it can’t speak, so it can’t be helped」
「If Yuan says so, I forgive it」
「So, to sum up, it’s been summoned, so follow it?」
「The fact that it fell down before that means…」
「I think it means that the summoner has fallen and it wants us to follow it」
「Djuuu───!」

It jumps up and down with joy at our answers. It looks like we were right. And once again the Demonic Rat began to move.

「What to do?」
「Leave it to Yuan」
「Me too」
「It’s me again… maybe someone needs help, let’s go with it!」

If someone is asking for help, even if it’s an enemy, I should at least listen to what they have to say. Of course, I won’t condone it if they try to harm me, or if they’re just plain evil.

We went after the Demonic Rat. It was a 10-minute walk to a place where there was a crack, barely big enough for a man to fit through. Without hesitation, the Demonic Rat dives into it.

「Mumumu, there’s a human reaction inside」

When I probed the depth with detection magic, a blue dot appeared. It seems that the summoner of the Demonic Rat is somewhere further on.

「Danger」
「No, he doesn’t seem to be moving… wait a minute」

The wind of recognition magic flows through it. The end of the crack seems to be a small chamber-like space.

「I think we’ll be fine」
「I’ll go first」
「Shia, be careful」

With Shia-san in the lead, followed by me and Snow-san, we went through the crack.

「Narrow」
「Yes, it is」
「T-That’s right!」

The space between the crack is narrow. The two of them are having a hard time getting where we’re supposed to go. I…… someday.

「I’m out」

Just as the recognition magic had informed me, we found ourselves in a small room through a crack. From the fact that there was a door, I could tell that the room had originally been used for something. Instead of taking the proper route, we seemed to have broken in here.

「There’s a man down!」

I entered the room and illuminated it with light magic, and saw a person lying face down. I approached the man with caution and called out to him.

Author-san

I wanted to write a girlish Yuan, so this is what I came up with.
On the other hand, it’s hard to keep Snow’s speech consistent.
Usually, Snow has a normal, somewhat reserved girl image.
I’d like to rework it once I get used to the idea so that it’s less uncomfortable.

Thank you for always reading.
Thank you for your continued support.

TL.

I’m sorry for not updating 2 chapters
I have been really busy lately, today especially, and I’m really tired. need sleep
I’ll post the next chapter tomorrow

Oh, and the current schedule is not permanent. After completing all my current work and finally having a lot of free time, I’ll be updating all the novels I’m currently translating everyday.

Thank you for reading on this site. Good night :)))