Escape (1)

The sound of tomb raiders expressing admiration was heard.

"It's really Leovald's coffin…!"

"Wait. It's better to check inside first. It could be a decoy tomb."

The leader of the tomb raiders calmly suggested. It was hard to imagine how Leonardo felt, as he had just finished nailing the coffin shut, only to have it unboxed unexpectedly. The raiders were all looking to him for a reaction.

Surprisingly, Leonardo appeared rather calm. Without anyone having to say a word, the tomb raiders rushed forward to open the coffin.

"..."

His silver hair glistened, and his lips were firmly closed. His hands, neatly placed, gripped a massive greatsword. His height surpassed the average, and his body was covered in dense muscle.

Perhaps it was because he had always been a hero dedicated to the battlefield, but he lay there as if he had briefly fallen asleep while still wearing his armor and sword. It was as if he couldn't even rest in death, a person who, even now, might rise and strike down any rude intruder that disturbed his peace without hesitation.

The group of tomb raiders murmured in astonishment. They whispered that it was a miracle—how could there be no sign of decay even after all this time?

'Even if he's the main character, this is too much. Is he a mummy or something…?'

Leonardo silently gripped a corner of the coffin. As I moved closer and grabbed hold of the coffin as well, my vision started to be overtaken by words.

[You have encountered the designated target. A scenario sub-quest has been triggered.]

Main Objective: Escape (0/2)

Quest Participants: Leonardo, the suspicious Innkeeper of Sinistra

Successfully exit the sanctuary with Leovald's body (Success condition)

Fail to move Leovald's body and exit (Failure condition)

Time limit: 4 hours, 29 minutes, 55 seconds

What is this?

This quest was much simpler than previous ones. The word 'escape' weighed heavily, and the distinction between success and failure felt somehow ominous. The time limit was also much tighter than before, giving the sense that we were being chased.

"Moving him will take quite a bit of strength…"

The tomb raiders were already estimating the situation like experts. Leovald's tomb had a double structure with a stone coffin and a wooden one inside. The problem was that Leovald's body was too large to simply drag along the floor. The weight of his armour and greatsword only added to the difficulty, so moving the entire coffin was the best option.

Fortunately, there were nine strong men, but the real issue was the passage we had to use.

Leonardo glanced over the tomb raiders and asked, "It would be impossible to carry him out through the passage we entered, wouldn't it?"

"Seems like it."

It was impossible to climb back up that narrow passage while carrying such a heavy coffin. The floor was slippery, connected to a stalactite cave, and the cave entrance was narrower than expected. We might be able to use each other as stepping stones to climb up, but moving Leovald's body as well was out of the question.

At that moment, five of the tomb raiders, who had been busily discussing the situation, quietly slipped away and asked.

"By any chance… how about cutting it up and taking it with us? Even though the body is in good condition, it's been dead for a long time, so there won't be any blood splattering around and it won't be messy."

The blatant disrespect towards the deceased made the colour drain from my face. Surprisingly, Leonardo, who stood beside me, showed no reaction at all. He stood silently, with an expression that seemed to say, "Let's just see what nonsense they're about to say." It was only making me more anxious.

The tomb raider scratched his head and added an explanation.

"It would be lighter, and easier to move or hide."

Now the person in charge is listening to the story right in front of us. I'm going crazy, I don't want to have to go through the horrible experience of chopping up Leovald and carrying it around! On behalf of the silent Leonardo, I absolutely opposed it.

"No. The body must remain whole."

Cutting him up, in front of the person himself? That's like killing him twice.

Surprisingly, the tomb raider leader stepped in to back me up.

"That's right. I've heard that the body should remain intact."

Was it also for that person behind the Viscount Lopez and the Count of Bermont, who preferred the body to stay whole?

In any case, we agreed that Leovald's body must be preserved in its complete form. The discussion was settled, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy as I glanced at Leonardo's face.

Is he… angry?

If it were me, I'd be upset. But Leonardo quickly noticed my gaze, turned his head, and met my eyes. Sensing his possible irritation, I whispered a few words of comfort, hoping to ease his mind.

"Those are some nasty people, huh?"

"Well, for tomb raiders, I guess that's just one way of doing things."

"Still… I can't help but feel a bit guilty."

Looking at Leovald's body, unable to rest even in death, it tugged at my heartstrings.

Every time Leovald was mentioned, the people of Sinistra showed a level of reverence close to admiration, and from the stories I'd overheard, I could imagine what kind of person he had been in life.

He had saved a city during a disaster, dedicated himself to the kingdom, and died young, a national hero.

They said he was still just a boy when he saved Sinistra ten years ago. Even if he had aged, he couldn't have been more than in his twenties. Though the soul of the one who stood beside me, "Leonardo," now inhabited his body and carried on his legacy, it didn't change the fact that death was a real experience he had gone through.

To die, it seemed, was always a lonely affair.

People are born alone and die alone. Even if there is someone born on the same day, and someone who dies on the same day, in the face of death, humans are always alone. No matter how close you are to someone, until the very end, they remain another person.

For a moment, those thoughts flitted through my mind, only to scatter as quickly as they had come.

It wouldn't be strange that I feel some sympathy for him. After all, protagonists are often shaped in a way that allows them to receive the audience's pity or compassion. In that sense, Leonardo would definitely score high marks.

He's a hero who had to fight for himself since childhood, and even after being called a hero, he lived on the battlefield, only to be betrayed by his lord and now reduced to a situation where even his corpse is being desecrated. It's fitting.

'Our backgrounds are so different that, to be honest, I can't really relate, but I do feel sorry for him.'

As I stared blankly at Leovald, who had his eyes closed as if asleep, Leonardo cast a quiet glance my way.

Did I stare too much? I must have delayed for a while, so I spread the map again and feigned indifference. Was there some side path or something?

Then it happened.

[Scenario Sub-quest has been triggered!]

Main Objective: Escape the Labyrinth (0/1)

Sub-objective: Pass through the 4th floor of the underground labyrinth to escape (0/1)

[Map Update: Escape route added] Sinistra Underground Labyrinth, 4th Floor (Unconfirmed Area)

Quest Participant: Leonardo

Time Limit: 4 hours, 21 minutes, 20 seconds

What is this now? Why is some redundant information suddenly showing up as a quest…

'And it's just Leonardo alone.'

The map scroll automatically dropped in front of me. The underground sanctuary of the church is located at the midpoint between the 3rd and 4th floors, and there's a passageway leading to the 4th floor somewhere near the centre of the sanctuary. And on the 4th floor, there's a path that leads back to the 3rd floor, so we should be able to escape through there.

'Is this… forced?'

A disturbing sense of being manipulated by a third party. It felt just like the time I realized the world had been reshot, and the same wave of discomfort rose within me.

For now, there was no other choice. I didn't know what would happen if I failed the sub-quest.

"…How about passing through the 4th floor, reaching the bottom, and then heading back up to the surface?"

Leonardo thought for a moment, then nodded.

"It seems there's no other choice."

And so, the escape route was decided. As the grave robbers lifted the heavy coffin, I checked the scenario time limit again. There wasn't much time left.

The central plaza of the sanctuary, like the other plazas I had passed through, was an open space with sarcophagi neatly aligned. However, the distinctive feature here was a structure resembling a well in the middle of the plaza.

"That's the entrance."

Upon closer inspection, instead of a bucket, there were wooden planks acting as a platform, and the mechanism operated like an elevator, moving by loosening and pulling a pulley system.

It seemed possible to move three or four people at a time, so we set the order. First, I would send two people down along with Leovald's body, then after I descend, Leonardo and I would go last.

"We'll see you below."

Squeak, squeak.

The people who boarded the lift had uneasy expressions. As they pulled the pulley, they slowly sank into the darkness.

Watching that scene, it made me wonder if, once we went underground, we'd just keep throwing ourselves into the darkness over and over again.

Finally, Leonardo and I boarded the lift, and Leonardo pulled the pulley. With a creaking sound from the mechanism, the light grew dim.

In an instant, darkness enveloped us, and the damp air rushed in. I pulled out a lantern, and the flickering light gradually pushed back the darkness.

Creeeak.

The pulley moved, making a sinister and ominous sound.

The lift suspended in the air was nothing more than a flimsy wooden platform, without any railings or walls, swaying precariously. If it tipped over, one would fall straight to their death.

At least Leonardo was holding onto the pulley, but I wasn't. The dizzying feeling made me squeeze my eyes shut and slowly edge closer to Leonardo. I didn't have a fear of heights, but on this untested lift, anyone would feel the terror of death.

Disgusted, I pressed myself against Leonardo, and he removed one hand from the pulley to wrap it around my waist for support.

Leaning on him as a brace, I glanced around the 4th floor. Although it was too dark to see clearly, I could sense something in the centre of the underground area.

I thought I heard the sound of water splashing…

A moment later, the wooden planks landed with a thud.

Thud!

[You have discovered 'Sinistra Underground Labyrinth 4th Floor (God's Vein/Underground Labyrinth)']