-- Sora’s Perspective --

Sir Alfred is leading the way along with the previous explorer.

“Michael was it?”

“Yes, uhmm.”

“You can drop down the honorifics, you can call me Sora instead, please take care of us.”

“Is it really ok?”

“You’re giving him too much freedom, Hero-dono. You can call her Hero-dono just like me.”

“I-I see, then I’ll be your guide, Hero… dono.”

The only light we have are torches held by men from each end of the party. The only thing we could hear was our dangling equipment as we walked through the catacombs.

“Since when have you been here, Michael-san?”

The old man didn’t look, he focused his gaze in front of us while holding the torch.

“About eight years ago. I used to guide your men here… though most of them haven’t come back.”

“Mmmm, curious... What do you think happened to them?”

“They were squashed by the Golems while some managed to escape.”

Michael didn’t even flinch while describing what happened.

“What did they see after coming back?”

“The same as I said, killed by Golems. Though there is one special guy who saw a different figure when he managed to go deeper.”

“What d…”

“Shh...”

They all stopped walking, everyone went silent in an instant. Sir Alfred looked at Michael-san and whispered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Golems. It’s best to stay silent when they roam around the catacombs. They won’t come at you if you stay silent.”

We’re already informed by Michael-san before we entered, thus everyone here right now listens to the tremor of the ground. It seems Michael-san knows the patrol routes of the Golems.

“From this point onward, we should all remain silent.”

Michael-san looked at us with a serious face. I guess I won’t be able to ask anymore questions.

“Sir Alfred, send them the signal.”

Sir Alfred made a hand signal, each party leader responded and informed their members silently.

We traversed the tunnel slowly until we reached a huge cave. Looking down, we couldn’t see anything. The ceiling isn’t visible as well, but we could hear some bats squeaking.

“We’ll head down slowly. There’s a ground a few meters below. But don’t stray too far from it, you’ll fall.”

The first one to climb down was Sir Alfred and the rest of the party, I soon followed, next to me was Michael-san.

After half an hour, everyone has touched the ground. I ordered Sir Alfred to plan for the next route before we continue. We did the same thing for the next six days - I think. It is starting to get awfully silent.

“This is as far as my knowledge goes.”

Michael-san said it in a low tone voice and he just plainly looked at Sir Alfred.

“Order our men to set up a camp here.”

“As you command, Hero-dono.”

Sir Alfred bowed to me and began to call the party leaders.

--

Over the campfire, me and the rest of the party sat around together. The other parties of the expedition are a few meters away from us. I could hear some of them laughing from the stories they shared. Most of them are already eating. Some just stare blankly at the fire, the same goes to me.

“Hero-dono, you should eat. It’ll be difficult to fight with an empty stomach.”

“Sorry for making you worry, Sir Alfred. I’m just curious why there hasn't been any conflict since we came here.”

“I agree, Hero-dono, though thanks to Michael, we are able to travel safely. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know what's ahead of us anymore.”

I’m getting bored, I need some stories to make this journey interesting.

“Michael-san, you said someone saw a different figure other than Golems, right?”

“...”

“Michael-san…?”

He just stared blankly at the fire but he finally noticed my call.

“Y-yes, Hero-dono. That person was my great great grandfather.”

“I see. What happened then?”

“My father was saved by a succubus…”

“Really?!”

“It’s true, he described her as a beautiful woman, her smiles were odd and creepy, and her hair was so long that it reached down to her feet.”

“Mmmm…”

“I-I understand it sounds doubtful, I don’t believe it as well, no one would have believed him. But that woman left a mark on my great great grandfather, like someone scratched his face. There is no such beast capable of doing that.”

“Must be a scratch from a bat.”

“No, No, it’s not”

Michael-san shook his head several times.

“Her claws are too big to be considered as a mere scratch from a bat.”

“If that is really true, then why is he still alive?”

“She said to him that she didn’t mean no harm, she attacked him because he’s the first one to attack.”

“That’s odd, why would such a woman, I mean a succubus manage to get here?”

“I don’t know either, but all she said was... she was just paying a visit. He never saw her again after that.”

“Mmmmm, weird.”

The Hero puffed her cheeks and looked away.

I don’t know if Michael-san is telling the truth, but at least I’ve learned something.

We began to resume our exploration. At this point we really don’t know where we’re heading so we made a rendezvous point. Each member of the party holds a string that leads to the rendezvous point, in case we get lost. After that we move to our own separate ways.

An hour has already passed, we are still walking endlessly, the environment changes from a wall of skulls to just plain caves.

“Aaaaahhhhhhhh!”

The whole party stopped after hearing the echo from a far distance.

“Are those Golems?” I asked.

“It might be.”

Michael-san always answers calmly. I wonder what he looks like when he starts to panic.

** dooonnn, tremor**

We felt the tremor far from us. It sounded like someone was bash to the wall.

“Golems.”

That’s all Miechael-san said. We continued despite the horrifying shoutes we heard.

** gabam **

“Gooleeemmmm!”

A three-meter tall Golem appeared from our rear. It came out right inside the wall. It’s body is how they described it - a Golem made out of marble. Its body makes a rattling noise inside, like metals clanging and ticking together.

“Mage, cast it already!”

Sir Alfred is shouting furiously towards the mage. We unsheathe our swords and formed our stance.

** don don don don **

The Golem runs towards us, each step makes the floor tremble making most of us stagger.

“Move away!”

The knight pushes away the Mage. He raised his shield against the impending doom.

** bam **

Debris from the wall and body remains flew all over the place, most of it went to the Mage. The knight was alive and well recently. But right now, he was just crushed like a tin can - dead in an instant.

“Waaaaahhhhhhh!”

The mage made a desperate shout in front of the Golem.

** tick tick tick tick, rumble **

The Golem’s body is starting to make a rattling noise again. It’s attempting to remove his arm stuck in the wall. The falling debris is making our visibility low. I quickly grabbed a sticky slime in my bag.

“Quick, take the mage away from there!”

“Understood!”

A second knight grabbed the mage by her hand and carried her away like a princess. I throw a sticky slime directly to the Golem.

** don don don don **

Did I miss it?

“Hero-dono!”

Sir Alfred shoved me down.

I managed to evade it. It’s arm is once again stuck in the wall.

This is my chance! I quickly grabbed another sticky slime and threw it into his joints, especially into his knees.

** tick creak tick creak creak **

A loud creaking sound was heard inside the Golem’s body. Dust starts to fade away.

“Haa… Haa…”

I was gasping for air after the attack. I glance at Sir Alfred.

“It seems we’re good for now… Thank…”

“...”

I could feel a huge amount of blood pouring in the back of my body, wa… was it from me? No... it seems I’m good. I-I think.

“Sir Alfred!”

A knight came to us lighting our place.

I finally saw it. Sir Alfred’s right arm has been torn off.

“Let’s go before that thing catches us!”

The knight shouted.

“Quick, someone grab him!” I said.

Two knights came forward and grabbed his body, he’s not responding but he seems to be breathing.

With post haste, we moved away from the Golem. We’re just running, I don’t care where we end up as long as we don’t see those guys anymore.

After half an hour, we stopped for a moment.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

We’re heavily gasping for air.

“Quick, tend to Sir Alfred’s wounds!”

“...”

“What’s wrong?”

“The medicine kit is carried by the knight killed earlier.”

F*ck! I-I must remain calm. My hands began to shake. Was it because of what happened earlier or because I’m losing one of my loyal servants?

“Run… you shouldn’t waste your time from a dead weight like me.”

Sir Alfred swayed his hands, pushing me away.

“Sir Alfred, it’s me Sora...”

I tapped his cheeks several times.

“Stay awake! We'll make it out of here...”

“...”

I stopped for a moment and checked on his pulse. I can no longer feel any of it.

I stand up.

“He’s dead. We must move forward.”

I plainly said to the knights. I must act strong in times of crisis, I mustn't show them I’m trembling.

We continued to run again. The only light we have is coming from the knight on our rear and Michael-san who leads the front. He’s awfully calm, though I could see his hands trembling.

Tsk… I was too naive. I shouldn't have brought a novice mage among us. I wanna poke her eyes. She wails everytime she gets a chance. I want to silence her.

Tsk… Oh god, the real me is showing up again.

We suddenly step out to a new place different from the wall of skulls and caves we went before. This place smells familiar…

** shaa shaa shaa **

“Stop! Haa… haa… ha..” I said.

Everyone stopped from running and began to catch their breath. I could see Michael-san still wanted to run away. Hey, you’ll lower our morale if you act like that, don’t make me kill you… Tsk. No, I must remain calm.

“Is this sand?” I asked.

I looked down on my feet.

“It’s mixed with gravel.”

The knights looked down on their feet.

“Overthere! T-there’s a light over there, it might be our way out!”

Don’t shout, old man! This wailing mage is already giving our position! Tsk… I’m losing my mind, if I don’t handle it soon, I might kill these two.

Micha… the old man no longer follows my orders and moves straight ahead towards the light.

“Waaaaa.”

** thud, splack, rumble **

The old man falls to the edge of the sand.

“You, tie this rope to yourself and check on him.”

“Y-yes, Hero-dono.”

“Grab this torch.”

“Yes.”

We all grabbed the knight’s rope. The knight slowly walks towards the edge.

“He’s already dead.”

Ha! Serves you right!

“There’s a wooden dock over there, this place seems to be a lake. There’s a stair nearby, follow me.”

A lake huh, that might be the reason why I felt familiar with the smell.

We slowly went down the stairs, it’s made of stone covered with sand. Right after we went down, we saw the old man’s body pierced by stalagmites. One of the knights grabbed the old man’s torch. It’s still burning.

Since we have nowhere to go, we have to board this boat and move towards the light.

The mage wails once again. Tsk…

“Hey, you... Silence that Mage.”

The knights looked puzzled.

“She’ll give away our location and who knows what might be living under the lake.”

All of them gulp. She cried even more from hearing those orders. One knight locked her arms from the back.

** bam **

One of the knights gave her a solid punch to her stomach.

She went silent in an instant without even making another sound while her eyes turned white.

Ha! Serves you right!

The exterior of the wooden boat is covered with moss.

The new leading knight carrying the old man’s torch was the first one to climb aboard. He checked if the boat was still suitable for travel. He then nodded and looked at us.

“It’s safe!”

We all climbed aboard afterwards. I notice one of the knight Is looking at the unconscious Mage with lust in his eyes. I’ll turn a blind eye for now. The rear knight grabbed the paddle and started paddling.

It was a silent boat trip. All we could hear was the sound coming from the paddle.

Hours ago, I was with Sir Alfred. A day ago, I was with all of them.

It was eerily silent that we could no longer hear the voices of other party members. We all remained silent until we arrived at our destination.