Carrying the overseer’s limp body, I followed the waterway back the way I’d come. The bubble that held me began to rise, lifting me smoothly from the depths into open air.
Below, I saw Mia-san, Felix-san, and Nils-san, all gazing up with worry and relief. As I landed beside them, the bubble gave a soft pop and vanished.
“Wan!”
Sylph let out a bright sound of triumph, and Undine offered a graceful bow.
In the next moment, both spirits dissolved into light—Sylph returning to the crystal short sword, and Undine to the crystal set in my gauntlet. When the glow faded, only I remained… and the unconscious overseer, lying quietly on the cold stone floor.
“Geh—! Cough, cough…”
The overseer convulsed and spat up water, gasping until his breathing steadied. He must’ve been underwater for quite some time, but it looked like he’d pull through. I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Just to be safe, I used the blessing of the Medicine God, closing the small wounds that mottled his skin before binding his hands and feet.
Nils-san stood a few paces away, staring at us as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
“…You were fighting underwater? Against monsters?”
He rubbed his chin, studying me with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
“You and your companions—no, you, Rion… just who are you?”
I met his gaze and smiled softly.
“I think there’ll be time to explain everything later. For now…”
My gaze shifted to the far end of the chamber.
The wall there glittered faintly—a cluster of pale-blue crystals, all tightly packed together. Those are spirit stones. But in several places, the crystal had fractured away, exposing the raw rock beneath. The openings were large enough for a grown man to slip through, and from the center of one crack, a soft, pulsing light bled outward.
“Rion… you don’t mean to—”
Felix-san spoke, his voice taut with realization. I met his eyes and gave him a silent nod. Then, for just an instant, I looked toward Nils-san.
If I unsealed that wall here and now, he’d see it—my ability.
That wasn’t something I could reveal lightly.
“I’ll handle this.”
Felix-san said quietly, stepping forward and planting his staff on the stone floor.
Nils-san frowned, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
“What are you planning, Priest?”
Felix-san’s tone softened, deliberate and calm.
“Nils-dono. I would ask that you visit the Temple of Odis tomorrow. There are… secrets we wish to share with you—things best spoken of within holy walls.”
Nils-san’s expression tightened. Felix-san must have noticed it too—his eyes drifted distant, as though recalling a memory best left untouched.
“.…I’ll send someone to escort you.”
Felix-san added.
“That would help”
Nils-san replied calmly.
Ah—right. He’s terrible with directions.
Mia-san planted a hand on her hip, half exasperated, half amused.
“So much for a dramatic moment.”
Felix-san coughed into his fist, trying to regain his composure.
“A-hem. So, what do you say?”
“Of course, I’ll comply.”
Nils-san answered, his tone firm. His golden hair swayed as he smiled, breaking through his usual stoicism.
“I’m searching for my sister as well. If our goals align, then I’d be glad to work together.”
I exchanged a glance with my companions before turning back to the wall.
If we’d be seeing Nils-san again after tomorrow, there would be time enough to share information—and to decide what needed to be kept secret. He watched curiously as I placed my hand against the stone.
I spoke softly, “What I’m about to show you is one of those secrets.”
“Wake up!”
Light scattered across the wall. The surface, studded with spirit crystals, began to crack and splinter, radiant fissures spreading like veins of light.
Then, with a resonant crash, the rock shattered—revealing a door hidden within.
An unexplored zone, without a doubt. Not even the slave traders had set foot here. The seal itself had kept them out until moments ago.
“A hidden door…in the wall of the dungeon?”
Nils-san’s voice trembled.
“This is my power. I can awaken the seals on these dungeons.”
“A seal…? Your sword skills were impressive, but who exactly are you?”
Mia-san stepped forward, her red hair shaking.
“We can tell you more about it later. Anyway, let’s focus on what’s in front now.”
I nodded and pushed open the thick door.
The room beyond was dark. Still, I could sense a cool presence, knowing there was ice there.
The gold coin trembled.
『That’s strange.』
“…Solana?”
『I sense a god’s presence.』
I swallowed hard.
At the very end of the chamber stood a massive block of ice.
And within it is a figure. Not a monster. I didn’t know how, but even from a distance, I could feel it. A sacred presence sleeping there, something divine.
“Let’s go!”
I sprinted forward.
Encased in the crystal-clear ice was a man. His features were so striking, so beautiful, that for a moment I mistook him for a woman. Long golden hair fanned around him like ripened wheat, calling to mind the word harvest.
In both hands he gripped a longsword, the blade angled upward in eternal readiness.
『…Freyr.』
Solana’s voice rang in my mind, and I caught my breath.
I was taken aback by Solana’s words.
“…Is he the god we came here to look for?”
『Yes. But it’s strange that he’s on such a shallow level…?』
We could only stand there, staring up at the giant ice.
The trapped god looked as if he’d open his eyes and begin fighting at any moment. It was as if he’d just fallen asleep.
『Perhaps he had ascended to the upper floors to fight… He cherished his sister, the goddess Freyja, above all else.』
Sigris muttered.
I see…
So even this god had a sister. What must he have felt, I wondered, as he fought—and then faced his sealing? My thoughts drifted to that distant cataclysm a thousand years ago, the Great Seal that had swallowed the world in silence.
『What about the horn?』
It was the God of Hunting, Uru, who prompted me. I reached into my pouch and drew out the Horn of Awakening, Gjallarhorn.
But it remained unchanged—no tremor, no gleam of light.
『But for such a powerful god, his senses seem weak.』
Loki muttered thoughtfully.
『Maybe he used up most of his strength during that battle a thousand years ago. Look around—do you see any monsters nearby?』
He was right. Within this chamber, the only thing encased in ice was the god himself. No signs of creatures lurking in the shadows, no tracks, no trace of hostility. Had the monsters been slain long ago—or was this place always meant as a sanctuary, a resting ground for the divine?
Loki continued.
『Judging from the residual aura, he may still be emanating a faint spell that repels monsters. That could explain why the nearby unexplored zones have been safe enough for those slavers to occupy. In that chamber earlier, perhaps the scattered ashes nullified the effect.』
Solana interjected,
『Hmm? But Loki, if the god’s power is sealed, how can such an effect remain?』
I found myself sharing Solana’s question. If the Great Seal still blankets the world, then no god should be able to wield their power—at least, not freely.
『Think back, remember how the slave traders managed to open that door just now? The dungeon of Flocia isn’t like the one in the capital or in Alvis. It’s already beginning to wake up. Bit by bit, the divine power sealed within is stirring once more.』
I lifted my gaze to the frozen figure again. The vast waterways, the secret chambers known only to the traffickers—all of it pointed to the same truth: this dungeon wouldn’t behave like the others.
My foot pressed harder against the ground, as if to anchor myself.
Move forward—or turn back?
It’s the question every adventurer faces, time and again.
“Let’s go back now.”
I turned back to the others.
Mia-san and Felix-san nodded in agreement.
“I agree.”
“Yes. It seems this dungeon is more complicated than we thought. If we tackle it with a small group, we might lose any progress we’ve made.”
We turned our backs on the ice to return to the surface.
Except for one person.
“…Nils-san?”
Nils-san looked up at Freyr, the god of fertility.
A cold glint dwelt in his brown eyes.
“Is something wrong?”
“Nothing. Just a surprise.”
Nils shrugged and caught up with us. And so, the first day of exploration came to an end, with both success and secrets.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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