Kays Translations

Chapter 101: Sakura’s Great Discovery

The seven of us began our exploration of the ruins.

First, we planned to go all the way around the outer perimeter along the castle walls.

One thing that immediately caught my attention as I started exploring the surroundings was a large depression outside the castle walls. Though there was no water in the moat, it was undoubtedly a defensive ditch. Most likely, it was used for preventing enemy invasions and as an agricultural water source.

The outside of the castle walls was being eroded by the forest. We couldn't confirm the existence of farmland around, but the sparse density of the forest suggested that there might have been vast agricultural fields in the past.

Next, we investigated the inside of the castle walls. Structures that seemed to be houses were lined up at fairly even intervals. The houses appeared to be made of stones or bricks. Though they had collapsed, it was evident that the area had been properly planned and organized.

Upon examining the remains of the houses, we found broken ceramic plates and stone hearths reinforced with iron. However, we couldn't find anything made of wood as it had all decayed and disappeared.

"Merinard, how's it going on your side?"

"It's certain that a group of beings lived here a long time ago. From the presence of iron and pottery, there's no doubt they had a certain level of civilization."

"How does it compare to the city of Kaemos? Are there any similarities in the buildings or living facilities?"

"It's difficult to judge, given how deteriorated everything is. But I believe the level of civilization is comparable to the present... However, I can't say for sure until we find better-preserved items."

"I'll connect with Rudorg later using telepathy. I'll ask him about the architectural style and the materials used. Being a professional, he might know something."

"Understood. I'll focus on investigating those aspects."

Though we couldn't judge with our amateur eyes, Rudorg might have a better idea. Since I've never been to the city myself, I'm not familiar with the architectural level of this world. Asking the artisans would be the best option.

"Hey, everyone, it's a Minotaur!"

Out of nowhere, Touya’s voice called our attention to a single Minotaur.

As planned, Touya and Drago stepped outside the barrier to engage in close combat. The two of them faced the Minotaur, keeping a certain distance, taking turns attacking and causing damage while evading its attacks.

Against stronger opponents, their movements didn't lag. On the contrary, they seemed to be in control. Ever since they advanced to higher levels, their combat abilities had improved exponentially, demonstrating power beyond just their level difference.

In the end, they defeated the Minotaur easily without much struggle, taking less than two minutes. The other members watched the battle unfold.

"Aren't they amazing? They had a decisive advantage against a stronger foe."

"It's thanks to the skills bestowed by the Goddess. Well, the enemy's movements were quite monotonous as well."

"It can nullify the trump card, the Minotaur's roar, and they even have those magic iron weapons."

Speaking of which, I noticed that Drago was wearing some sort of gauntlets with knuckles? He seemed to equip some weapon I hadn't seen before.

"Drago, are those made of magic iron?"

"Umu, they're splendid pieces! I persuaded Lord Bears-dono to have them specially made for me!"

"By the way, I came up with the idea based on a certain anime character."

"Are you sure about this, Akiho? I've seen this shape somewhere before..."

"Don't worry; I just paid my respects, that's all."

"Well, in this world, no one would complain, I suppose."

"By the way, where did that Minotaur come from? Did anyone see it?"

Sakura's question received no answer, and it remained unclear from which direction the Minotaur had come. Slightly frustrated, we continued our exploration.

As the sun began to set, we concluded the exploration for the day and gathered to report our findings over dinner.

On the first day of exploring the ruins, I was able to investigate up to the point where I circled around the outskirts of the town. From the center of the town, there were wide stone-paved roads extending in the cardinal directions – east, west, south, and north. I also managed to spot faint traces of what might have been gates in the sections of the city walls.

Furthermore, during the exploration, We encountered only Minotaurs as monsters, and I had experienced a total of 10 battles. There was one instance where two of them appeared simultaneously, but the rest were all solo encounters. The levels of these creatures ranged from 70 to 75, and they possessed skills such as "Roar," "Axe Techniques," and "Assault."

"For now, it's confirmed that this was indeed a town. The buildings and the presence of some basic living supplies support that."

"When it comes to tableware and architectural style, they seem similar to those of our Beastman territory. Rudorg-san confirmed this as well, so we can speculate that they were a race close to the Beastmen."

"I wonder how long ago this town was built. Even considering the level of decay, it shouldn't have been several decades ago."

"The wooden structures were in terrible condition, so we might be talking about centuries, don't you think?"

"But where did the people who lived here go?"

"Maybe there was a war in the past, or they were attacked by monsters. We don't know about those details."

Up until 500 years ago, the continent was completely divided into east and west by the Great Mountain Range. It's possible that after the southern part of the range disappeared, they migrated westward through the area where our village now stands. However, the reasons behind this are still unknown.

And then, another point of concern was the "strength" of the Beastmen.

If Beastmen were living here, they should have been strong enough to defeat Minotaurs. But if that's the case, the current Beastmen are too weak. Have they weakened over the long years, or were the inhabitants here not Beastmen? Argh, it's all so unclear...

"In any case, we haven't found any clues related to the Orcs yet. Let's continue the investigation tomorrow."

"There might be something in the central part of the town. It's too early to give up."

◇◇◇

Day 218 in the Otherworldly Life

Morning of the 5th day since departing from the Eastern Forest

Today, the plan was to investigate the central part of the town. Judging from the overall structure, the main facilities of the town should be concentrated in this central area. There was a good chance of discovering new clues here.

As we approached the central area, the debris piles gradually grew larger. On the flip side, this suggested that significant buildings once existed here.

"Today, the search area isn't too large, so let's take our time and look around. There might be traces of a lord's mansion or an adventurer's guild."

"It might be quite challenging to clear away those piles of debris... Also, are we sure about the preservation of the ruins?"

"No need to worry about that. First of all, it's almost impossible for anyone else to reach this far, and even if we preserve it, the question is, who will manage it?"

"True. Then I would do so without hesitation."

After such an exchange, each of them started investigation while dispersing

I immediately began examining the nearby structures. There was a construction right in the middle of the city, where roads intersected. It was enclosed by a circular stone wall with a height only up to my knees. Roads extended in all four cardinal directions from this structure.

(I wonder if this is some kind of fountain-like thing? It seems to have served as a crossroads.)

Though there was no water present, the shape of the stone structure looked strikingly similar to the fountains I had seen in overseas images.

"Hmm? Could it be..."

I entered the enclosed space surrounded by the stone wall and picked up something that caught my eye.

"Just as I thought. This emblem of the moon is from the coins used in the Beastmen Territory..."

"Village Chief, did you find something?"

"Yeah, take a look at this. I think these are coins used in the Beastmen Territory."

"The intricate designs might be different, but... the emblem in the center is remarkably similar to the coins used in the Beastmen Territory."

"So, did the inhabitants here belong to the Beastmen after all? Let's see if we can find more."

After searching with Merinard for a while, we found several copper and iron coins, all of which had the emblem of the moon engraved on them.

To report our findings, we called out to each member nearby in turn. Touya and Akiho, Drago and Haruka, who were together, joined us.

Finally, when we went to Sakura... she was unleashing a massive water spell.

"Hey, Sakura, are you okay? It looks quite flashy..."

"Ah, Keisuke-san. There's something I'm curious about."

"Curious? About this floor?"

"Yes. The floor here seems to be quite sturdy, so I was cleaning it to see what's underneath."

(That spell is too powerful for just cleaning.)

Ignoring that, I looked at the floor and indeed saw something distinct from the surroundings. The bluish-black floor seemed to have a glossy surface without any seams. It looked like a considerably large piece of stone.

While Sakura was explaining, she continued her magic. The surrounding debris was blown away, and the floor was rapidly becoming cleaner.

"Hmm? Sakura, could you stop the magic for a moment? I think I saw some writing on the floor..."

When Sakura stopped her magic, the water gradually receded.

There, clearly engraved, were the common characters of the Beastmen. Since Drago and Merinard understood them without any trouble, it was undoubtedly the writing used by the Beastmen.

"Could this be a stone monument instead of the floor?"

"What's more important is its content. Sakura, you've found something extraordinary."

"Fufufu, even I have my moments of brilliance!"

The words inscribed on the stone monument were not particularly pleasant, but regardless, it was the most significant discovery during this exploration.

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