Chapter 318: Sarevo Abandoned Temple

The temple’s door was so badly damaged that it no longer functioned as a door at all. It looked like we could simply walk straight inside.

I had been worried about what we would do if the door was locked, but somewhere deep down, I had also been hoping that it would be. Because of that, I felt a little disappointed.

“Looks like we can get inside right away! It’s pitch-black even though it’s daytime!”

“I’ll illuminate it with magic. If there are monsters inside, they may come toward the light, so Shoji, please be ready to defend us.”

“Leave it to me! I’ll block anything that comes!”

After making sure everyone was prepared, Yui-san lit up the inside of the abandoned temple with magic.

Because of the warning beforehand, I was on guard as well, but there was no sign of any monsters attacking us.

In fact, there wasn’t even the slightest sound coming from inside the building, so at least around the entrance, there might not be any living creatures.

“Not a sound. If there was something in there, it would move even if it didn’t attack us, right?”

“I don’t sense anything either, so I think it’s safe! But just in case, I’ll go in first!”

Mika-san said that casually and entered the abandoned temple without any hesitation.

After confirming that it was safe, she called out to us, inviting us inside.

I followed her in, but……I was left speechless by the sight before me.

The detailed decorations on the exterior walls had already surprised me, but the walls and glasswork inside looked as though they had been crafted by the finest artisans.

And yet, there was almost no furniture such as chairs or tables. The only thing left behind was a broken wooden chair.

The completely empty interior created a contrast with the meticulously designed exterior, making the place feel incredibly eerie.

“There’s nothing here at all! Were there only wooden chairs inside?”

“I suspect that everything else was stolen. Considering how magnificent the exterior is, there must have been valuable items inside.”

“I see. We heard that there were thieves and bandits around here too. No wonder nobody comes here anymore.”

Although there was something strange and unsettling about it, the weathered building, stripped of everything, gave off none of the mystical atmosphere it must have once possessed.

In modern Japan, this place might have become famous as a haunted location, but in this world, real monsters existed, so there was no such thing as ghosts or anything similar.

It was obvious that the rooms ahead would probably be just as empty, but turning back was not an option.

Yui-san and Shoji-san took the lead, while I stayed in the middle.

Mika-san and Ren-san guarded the rear, creating an extremely safe formation as we proceeded deeper into the abandoned temple.

Immediately past the entrance was a chapel, fitting for a temple, where people presumably once gathered to pray to their god.

However, the chapel was also completely empty. The fact that even the statue of the god that had likely once been displayed there had been stolen was evident from the grand pedestal that now stood bare.

As a sort of tourist attraction, it was interesting, but the dangerous monsters we had been wary of were nowhere to be found.

While speculating about what each room had once been used for, we slowly explored the abandoned temple.

It was a very large building, but the construction was surprisingly simple, and since there were only six rooms in total, our exploration ended quickly.

Ren-san and the others, who had come here hoping for an adventure, looked dissatisfied, but I was extremely satisfied that I had been able to experience something so rare without any danger.

We were about to leave and head back, but Mika-san, who still seemed unsatisfied, continued searching every room thoroughly, and then……

She finally discovered something strange.

“Hey, hey! Come here, come here! I felt like there was air flowing from underneath the pulpit, so I checked, and it looks like there’s a hidden door!”

“You’re right. There is a slight draft coming through. Mika, how did you notice that?”

“It was just a feeling! I think there’s probably some kind of switch somewhere…… Let’s all look for it!”

“If we can’t find it, let’s just break it open! It’s a ruin, so nobody’s going to get mad if we destroy it, right?”

“Shoji, that is not acceptable. Just because this place is lawless does not mean intentionally destroying property can be overlooked.”

“Yui, you’re seriously strict!”

I agreed with Yui-san’s opinion.

We were guests here, after all, and besides, I personally didn’t really want to venture any deeper.

However, if we couldn’t find the switch for the hidden door, there would probably be an argument, so……I searched as hard as I could.

While randomly patting the walls, I found one spot that seemed slightly loose.

I pressed that area firmly.

After a clicking mechanical sound, the trapdoor slowly opened with a very obvious rumbling noise.

“Oooh! Sato-san, nice job finding it!”

“Sato, nice! Beyond the door……it looks like it leads underground!”

“What should we do? Shall we go?”

“Of course! If we don’t go, I won’t be able to sleep tonight because I’ll keep wondering about it!”

Everyone agreed that we should continue forward, and with Mika-san leading the way, we began descending underground.

My fear outweighed my curiosity, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in what was waiting below.

Protected in the middle of the group, I descended the stairs.