Hero's Coffin Chapter 26

Chapter 26

#Part 5. 13%

The next night.

Harenir really rested for a day and only moved the following day. Although handing over the scammers to the guards was quickly done, he deliberately refrained from trying to enter the sky island.

He guessed that Harenir had probably waited because it would be troublesome if he, already tired from using his ability once, collapsed in the sky island. While he didn't know what the inside of the sky island would be like, it was a place that required caution from the very fact that it had risen. It was fortunate that his necromancy was still considered an efficient means for Harenir.

As soon as they arrived at the inn, all tension seemed to drain from him, and he fell asleep as if collapsing. He must have been unconsciously holding on, not wanting to pass out in an unfamiliar space with weak children around. While he slept as if unconscious, when he woke up briefly, there was a potion on the bedside table.

Maybe Noi had given it...

With a hazy mind, he drank the potion and went back to sleep. After a full day passed like that, he was in a state where he could walk, and only then did Harenir say it was time to depart.

The first place they arrived at was the 'site' where the first emperor's tomb had been located. The place they headed to, avoiding the watchful eyes of the relic caretakers, was the exact opposite of the path he had taken yesterday. The bewildering self-deprecation that he had completely misread the direction paled in comparison to the shock he faced in front of the empty lot.

He had heard that part of the empty lot created when the first emperor's tomb rose had been filled in to build the historical hall. So he had thought they had deliberately left the site for preservation as a relic, and thus imagined the scene he would face would be just a slightly sunken ground, but...

The ground was completely hollowed out.

This wasn't intentionally left, but something they couldn't fill in to begin with. The pitch-black cavity was so deep that its bottom couldn't be seen. It was like looking into an abyss, and the wind sound that occasionally echoed as if stagnant there was chilling. He instinctively felt a revulsion, not wanting to approach.

Probably to prevent accidents, there was a fence around the area, and he felt tense even just walking at a distance. He casually asked Noi,

"...How deep is this thing?"

"Huh? The depth of this place has never been measured. We've tried various instruments, but none of them worked. Even when we tried lowering ropes, at some point the ropes would just snap and we couldn't retrieve them."

Is it a sacred space? He looked up at the sky with a dazed feeling. No matter how hard he strained his eyes, of course, the tomb wasn't visible.

Harenir, checking his reaction, asked,

"Can't you find any special clues? Like seeing souls?"

"...There's nothing like that at all."

It seemed they had visited this place first to find clues on how to enter the sky island. This was probably the first place all adventurers checked as well. But unfortunately, he shook his head as he couldn't feel any energy at all, and Harenir accepted it quite readily.

The place Harenir headed to next was the historical hall.

"I thought we'd go to the relic exhibition hall."

"Ah, I looked around there yesterday, but there wasn't anything special..."

"No, not the area open to the general public, but a bit deeper."

"...?"

"Shouldn't we touch the relics directly?"

The empire's hero is trying to damage the empire's treasures right now.

Moreover, it seemed he was planning to infiltrate a restricted area, not a space he could enter simply with his status. While it was surprising, on the other hand, it appeared he had guessed the application of necromancy from the beginning. He had only realized it after seeing the status window, but had Harenir known about necromancy in advance?

While he was in a daze, Harenir lightly moved his steps.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No Entry Except for Authorized Personnel

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Such warning signs were no obstacle to him at all. No, rather, they might serve as signposts indicating he was heading in the right direction. His movements in avoiding the occasionally patrolling caretakers were extremely graceful.

He had felt it since they were sneaking into the relic site, but Harenir's movements and his expression...

"...You look like you're enjoying this?"

"Yes, it's a bit fun."

His answer came readily. He looked at him with a very bewildered expression. Having been bound by all sorts of regulations since becoming a holy knight at twelve, had he developed some rebellious spirit? It was fitting for someone who had gone to play in the Encroachment Zone when he was young.

However, unlike him, Noi and Kalterik were anxiously looking around and whispering.

"Will this be okay...?"

"O-o-of course it will!"

Kalterik's cry, which didn't sound certain at all, was amusing. He followed because he trusted the commander, but was inwardly nervous. Maybe living a moral life all this time made such actions prick his conscience more. If he thought about it this way, it would mean that Harenir, who was calm now, had no conscience, but that was probably right.

However, Harenir's steps, which had been moving smoothly, stopped in front of a certain door.

"Hmm. This place has a surveillance barrier around it."

"Can we make a 'gap' like last time?"

Previously, in the main hall, Mela had cut through the barrier placed to protect the holy sword with her sword to create a gap. So he expected the same method to be used this time, but Harenir shook his head.

"The barrier in the main hall was to prevent 'intrusion'. But this is for 'surveillance'."

"...What's the difference?"

"To explain it simply, in the main hall, it was fine once we broke through the door, but here there's a barrier monitoring malicious energy throughout the entire space. There must have been various attempts to rob the historical hall over time."

Ah, he understood. If they had only briefly left the main hall empty then, hastily blocking just the entrance, this time it was like having all sorts of infrared sensors inside the room. In his mind, he played out a spy movie scene of crossing lasers filling the room.

So how did he intend to enter? Harenir just touched the door a couple of times and made a "Hmm" sound, but judging by his relaxed face, it seemed he had a solution, so why was he pondering? Wanting to continue the spy movie in his head, he asked,

"So how are we going to get in?"

"Actually, it's simple. If you completely envelop your entire body in holy power, you won't be caught by most barriers. The belief that beings who can use holy power won't commit unrighteous acts is unnecessarily firm."

The latter part of his words had a somewhat mocking tone, which was puzzling, but holy power...? He blinked, and he felt all the other companions looking at him. It was the look of people staring at someone who obviously couldn't use holy power.

Wait a minute, Noi couldn't use holy power in the Encroachment Zone last time either, so why was he the only one receiving these looks?

"Let's do it this way."

Soon, Harenir shrugged lightly. As if he had reached a conclusion to the problem he had been pondering since checking the barrier, he spoke in a very refreshing tone.

"We'll enter by surrounding you with holy power."

"Ah, by wearing a necklace like last time?"

"No, the energy contained in an object isn't enough. I'll have to hold you as we enter."

"..."

He fell silent, and his companions were silently shocked. No, Kalterik tried to let out a cry of astonishment, but Mela, as if anticipating it, covered his mouth with her hand.

Meanwhile, Harenir gave instructions very calmly.

"Noi will hold Sir Kalterik, and I'll hold you as we move."

"Why, why...? Rather, with him..."

"Commander! I'd rather hold that guy...!"

Kalterik and he cried out almost simultaneously. If they had to be held to move, they wanted to switch partners, but just then, their eyes met, and they both made disgusted expressions at the same time. Ugh! Though they both disliked it, he found Harenir more uncomfortable.

However, Harenir firmly shook his head.

"Since Isaph is larger than Noi, more holy power will be needed, and even when we go inside and he uses necromancy, he'll need to be constantly enveloped in holy power. Can you concentrate that long, Sir?"

"Th-th-that's...!"

"The moment your concentration breaks, it's all over."

It was a point that Kalterik, who particularly abhorred his necromancy, would be prone to lapses. Ugh, he grimaced and looked for other candidates. But the only person left now was...

The moment he met Mela's calm navy blue eyes, his mouth clamped shut. Not only was there the issue of different genders, but he also had no memory of properly exchanging even a single word with her. She was generally quiet and only acted on the commander's orders.

Harenir, seeming to guess the meaning of his gaze, said,

"Mela isn't possible. She doesn't have much holy power."

It was strange that a vice-commander of the Holy Knight Order had little holy power, but more than that, he felt despair about what was to come. The meaning of those words was that he was the only one who could use enough holy power to cover Isaph's body.

Moreover, it seemed he would have to be held in his arms not just while passing through the door, but the entire time inside the space. Hah, no wonder Harenir had explained the barrier in detail. All the moments when he answered his questions were uniformly not positive.

Haaah, as he let out another long sigh, Harenir smiled gently. While smiling a smile that looked so beautiful, kind, and good.

"I'm not thrilled about holding you either."

"...Yet you manage to endure it well."

"I'm quite good at enduring terrible things."

He wanted to punch that mouth just once.