Kays Translations

Chapter 22: The door that remains closed is destined to be opened.

The great shield used by Kaito Leonardo’s ancestors, one of the Seven Heroes, sleeps deep within the cave.

There are various theories about why it lies there. It is said that after Kaito's ancestor returned from the battle with the Demon King, the shield always remained in his possession, but it was never passed down to the next generation. It's unclear whether it was stolen by thieves or ended up sleeping in the depths of the cave for some other reason.

In the Leonardo family, it is believed that the hero laid the shield to rest after fulfilling its purpose. Perhaps the shield is seeking to reveal its existence once more due to the rise of the Demon king’s cult.

Vane and the others continued on, heading outside the town without noticing. They rode on prepared horses and hurriedly made their way to the cave along the coastline.

"Since the weather is nice, we can enjoy the journey. Leave the directions to me." 

Fiona said.

The three of them strolled leisurely, enjoying the scenery. Even though the old town and the coastline were relatively close, they were unlikely to encounter Vane and the others. They would probably stay inside the cave for a while during their exploration.

They continued along the road, exchanging casual conversations for a while. Eventually, they saw where the road came to an end. The sunken old town drew near and Ren reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. He unfolded the map of the old town he had received from Ragna the previous day as they walked.

Fiona and Licia peered into it almost simultaneously from both sides.

"Is that the location of the sealed door marked in red?"

"Amazing. It's indeed a map made by the Mystery Agency."

Ren nodded.

"Ulysses-sama said we could look at it as we pleased, but now that I think about it, we can't do much except view it from up close since it's mostly submerged, right?"

"Not necessarily. Depending on the location, we can go all the way to the bottom under the water using magic tools that are still functioning.” 

I remember, Ragna had a similar story too.

"Do you mean swimming under water?"

"No, that's not the case. There are still many active magic devices down there, and there are places with breathable air too. The Mystery Agency has set up magic tools to expand the area, so walking around is a piece of cake."

The sunken old town had numerous air membranes created by magic tools. They served as a defensive system for the buildings, allowing people to walk in some parts of the submerged structures without any special equipment, just like on the ground.

The entrance to the old town, where people would have stepped into the town at that time.

Ren looked down at the submerged town from above, observing the old streets and buildings. The sight was entirely different from the previous time when he had viewed it from the roadside.

Fiona says next to him and Licia.

“Look over there.”

When closely observing the bottom of the sunken town in the water, it is indeed there.

In the water where fish swim, there are areas covered with a film of air. Here and there, large spherical spaces filled with air can be seen. There are also similar scenic paths connecting one sphere to another.

At the center of each sphere, there are still functioning magical tools. It's not easy to see from here, but there are metals about the size of a street lamp's lamp portion and magic stones inside.

"If you go there, you can see the old town from the bottom of the water."

"By the way, is there a way to go to the bottom of the water without getting wet?"

"Yes! Let me guide you!"

Near the three of them, there is a brand-new pier with several boats moored.

They board one of the boats, and following Fiona's guidance, Ren starts rowing with an oar.

Licia murmurs while looking down at the old town spreading directly below.

"It looks completely different from the last time we saw it."

The other day, we only observed it from near the highway and didn't view it directly from above.

The old town spread below us, and the fish swimming through the water created a mysterious world.

The submerged town, surrounded by water, gave off a strange atmosphere as if we had wandered into a different world. The damages caused by the attacks were evident in many completely or partially destroyed buildings, revealing the scars of battle.

As he rowed the boat, Ren recalled his conversation with Ulysses.

"I have to do the security job as well, right?"

"I also heard about it from my father this morning. It involves checking the conditions of the surrounding monsters and making sure there are no monsters underwater, right?"

"And also, if necessary, he mentioned the possibility of subjugating them."

After rowing the boat for more than ten minutes,

“Ren-kun, we are here.”

Fiona pointed out the location to Ren.

The boat stopped at the site of the library before the old town sank. There was a circular observatory on the high roof, and now that it was sunken, it was just the right height to park the boat.

The dirty gray stone bricks are covered with moss here and there.

Ren stood up before the two of them and left the boat to the observatory.

He lent them a hand and made them climb to the observatory.

“Thank you.”

First, Fiona took my hand with a slightly embarrassed look, and with a light step.

"Thank you, Ren."

Next, Licia shyly followed Fiona to the observatory.

The observation deck was built in a circular structure to allow a panoramic view from all directions, and a spiral staircase leading to the lower levels was installed at the center.

From here, the space was filled with air all the way down to the bottom floor.

Once again, Ren walked ahead, escorting the two of them. The inside was dimly lit, and occasionally, faint light from outside reached through the windows, with water in between. One had to be careful not to misstep and fall.

This area, too, had been affected by the aftermath of battles, and many places were in ruins, but it was relatively well-preserved compared to others.

"I've heard that the Mystery Agency set up magic tools to allow people to walk around here,"

 Fiona said.

"Yeah... But if they can do something like that, they could have just drained the water entirely from the beginning."

"Ren, the cost of setting up those magic tools would be quite high."

"Fufu, as expected of Licia-sama. If we were to install magic tools everywhere, it would inevitably cost too much money."

Fiona's words matched Licia's expectations. It was understandable since the magic tools they were talking about had a wide range of effects, and covering the whole area would have been costly.

Ren nodded in agreement.

The spiral staircase was surrounded by railings, but apart from that, there were no walls, providing a view full of openness. As they reached the broadest level of the former ground floor, they arrived at a spot with neatly arranged bookshelves.

The walls were fan-shaped and followed the shape of the building.

However, there were no books on the shelves. They had either burned or washed away, and the surviving books were stored securely in another location.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

"I think it was around here..."

Yesterday, Ulysses received a report of light being observed underwater. Since they heard the location from Ulysses yesterday, they are heading towards the vicinity.

The boundary between air and water is calm, with light patterns reflecting on the gently rippling water surface, making it feel like they have entered a different world.

"Ah..."

Ren, who was looking at the map, stopped and turned his gaze in a certain direction. Among the old town filled with stone buildings reminiscent of Eupheim, there stood one building with a red mark left by Ragna on the map.

Coincidentally, that was the same location where light was observed yesterday.

"Ren-kun, is it possible that the location where the light was seen is beyond this point?"

"It seems so. However, since the map shows a red mark at this location, even if there is a building, we may not be able to enter and confirm it."

"In that case, should we just look at it from the outside?"

"But Ren, what if the entrance opens?"

Instead of considering what to do if it opens, Ren was puzzled. While Licia's question was valid, before addressing that, he asked.

"Wait, why do you think it will open?"

"Just a hunch, there's no particular reason," 

Licia replied with a laugh, hinting that her words weren't entirely sincere.

She was probably just teasing.

"If it looks like we can enter the building, that's fine. For now, let's get closer."

He wanted to confirm the place from up close.

Following Ren's suggestion, he led the two girls, who agreed, and walked ahead. A fish outside the air membrane swam around, observing them with curiosity.

"It's a beautiful town. If not for the Demon king’s attack, it might still be flourishing." 

Fiona remarked.

"That's possible. The area we are walking on was where the nobles lived back then. If it was as lively as Eupheim nearby, it would have been much more bustling than it is now."

After passing through the old aristocratic district, they arrived in front of a quietly standing building amidst the submerged houses.

It looked like a church, but it was too hidden for that.

Ren stopped before a stained glass above the entrance, which depicted a scene resembling a holy painting or something similar. It showed someone, possibly a young girl, walking on a lush lawn.

Like the library, it was in relatively good condition, but the aftermath of the battle was still evident, with cracks visible in the stained glass.

The three halted their steps on the weathered stone pavement.

"It looks like a church... here."

"That's what I thought too... However, there should be a temple of the Elfen Faith not far from the old town..."

"Then, it might be a temple dedicated to a different deity... but it's small."

Although there were numerous gods, most temples were quite large and far beyond the scale of ordinary noble residences.

Licia speculated that it was a church, but the building was smaller in size compared to regular temples and churches, giving it a cute appearance.

The iron gate didn't seem to be related to magic tools, so even Ren could open it.

They followed the stone-tiled path lined with the grass in the garden, and stood in front of a dark brown door that hadn't corroded much.

"Here, it looks like an orphanage."

Fiona noticed while surveying the surroundings.

She saw playground equipment in one corner of the garden and read the signboard placed nearby and the surrounding letters.

They all looked at the name of the orphanage.

“Geno…?”

 It wasn't on the map, but the Mystery Agency investigation had revealed that it was an orphanage.

Of course, the map Ragna provided didn't contain such information.

"Fiona-sama, is it alright for me to touch this door?"

"Yes, it's fine."

After learning what kind of place this was, Licia reached out to the door.

While the door was twice the size of an average commoner's house, it was still smaller in scale compared to regular temples or churches, giving it a charming appearance.

Licia touched the metal knocker next to the doorknob.

Kang, Kang---

She tried knocking on the door, but obviously, there was no response.

Although Licia knew it wouldn't happen, she hesitated to turn the doorknob all of a sudden.

It might not be necessary to be polite here, but she felt like it.

"...It won't open."

As expected, she couldn't turn the doorknob. It was locked with a magic tool, and it didn't budge even slightly.

"But why do you look dissatisfied, Licia?"

"Well, I was hoping it might open just a little. But, there's no way a door that has never opened before would suddenly open, right?"

"Indeed, it won't open."

Although Licia pouted slightly, she wasn't serious.

She quickly smiled and let go of the doorknob, then looked up at the top of the building. It wasn't as high as the library, so even though the air membrane covered the entire building, the space inside wasn't very large.

Licia's gaze soon turned to the stained glass.

I wonder what kind of picture it is? 

“Do you guys have any memories related to that stained glass?"

"I don't."

"Sorry, I'm also seeing it for the first time."

"But Ren, isn't the Mystery Agency the one that checked what kind of picture it is on that stained glass?"

Despite that, they were curious about the picture, and both girls looked up at the stained glass.

In search of a more easily visible place, the two moved away from the closed door and looked up.

"A door that won't open, huh?"

Meanwhile, Ren was looking at the knocker next to the doorknob. The yellow metal knocker had a stone embedded in it that emitted a color similar to sapphire. It was probably a magic tool.

It still functioned as a defense mechanism, preventing anyone from entering.

The air membrane was originally a byproduct of the construction, serving a role similar to a barrier.

"There used to be an orphanage in a place like this."

"Nowadays, there aren't many of them. What about in Clausel?"

"Clausel doesn’t have one either. There were no real poor people, and my father took care of the children who lost their families due to accidents."

While listening to their conversation, Ren didn't hear their words but perceived them as sounds. He hadn't anticipated the door opening either. He comforted his restless right hand, thinking that the reaction of the magic tool was not uncommon.

"Just knocking like this won't do anything—"

*Kang, Kang.*

An unexpected change occurred when he knocked on the heavy door.

"Huh?"

Ren let out a surprised voice as he saw the stone on the knocker flashing.

Noticing the blue light, Licia and Fiona rushed over.

"Ren?! What did you do?"

"Ren-kun!? Did you know how to open it?"

"I-I don't know! I just knocked the knocker—"

In fact, he couldn't say anything else.

While the three bewildered individuals stared at each other and the door.

Kachan, there's a sound coming from the door.

With a creaking sound, the door makes a noise. The door opens on its own, emitting a dull sound of wood rubbing against wood. Everyone gazes in astonishment at the space that lies beyond for several seconds.

The door that was not supposed to open has now been left wide open.

Strangely enough, it opened suddenly when Ren touched it.

With his hand still on the knocker, Ren found himself two steps inside the building, where he shouldn't have been.

"Let me ask again," 

Licia said, looking at Ren's profile.

 "What will you do now that the entrance is open?"

"I wonder what the right thing to do is in this situation." 

Ren replied.

Fiona made a suggestion.

"As the lord's daughter, I should probably check it out a bit, considering the sudden opening of the door."

While the investigation was the main focus of the Mystery Agency, the Ignat family managed the place. It wouldn't be right to let Fiona handle it alone.

Ren and Licia were also interested in this orphanage, and they were curious about why Ren was able to open the door, so they thought it was a fortunate situation.

They decided to be cautious not to disturb anything and just have a quick look inside the orphanage.

Looking around the inside, they found a large hall with several big tables and scattered dishes, giving it a warm feeling despite its cold stone structure.

It had been hundreds of years since footsteps echoed in this orphanage. The sounds of the three sets of footsteps were the first in a long time.

While keeping a distance not too far from each other, they observed the interior.

"That way seems like the place where the children lived." 

Fiona pointed out, referring to an arched entrance with no door.

She and Licia peeked into the living space visible beyond.

Meanwhile, Ren, while standing close to them, was looking around the vast hall. It seemed that the children were having a meal here as there were scattered dishes on the floor.

At the time of the Demon king’s army attack, were the children in the middle of their meal?

However, there were no bodies, which relieved Ren as it indicated that they might have evacuated.

At the back of the hall, there was another door, a white door with a strong yellowish-white color.

"Licia, Fiona-sama."

 Ren called, and they turned to him.

"Let's go over there as well."

"Okay."

"Understood."

Following Ren's lead, the girls walked a few steps behind him, avoiding the shattered pieces of dishes on the floor.

They reached the door at the back of the hall, which looked like it might be locked. Just like the outer door, Licia tried to turn the doorknob, but it only made a rattling sound, and there was no sign of it opening. The same thing happened when Fiona tried.

"If Ren touches it, it might open again," 

Fiona said with a chuckle, and Licia nodded in agreement.

As for Ren, he pondered. 

"Doesn’t this use a physical key?"

There was no knocker, and he couldn't see any other magic tools around. Since there was a proper keyhole in the doorknob, he thought that inserting a key straightforwardly might work. Even though there were no keys lying around, Ren still touched the doorknob after the two girls.

*Kachan,* 

The sound came from the doorknob, and then it turned.

For an instant, there were glowing particles of magic energy floating around Ren's hand, just above the keyhole.

"............"

"............"

Licia and Fiona stared at Ren with fixed gazes, as if they had agreed to do so.

Even Ren couldn't catch up with their understanding, and in truth, he had no idea other than the fact that the door had opened.

Feeling unsure of what to do, Ren began to scratch his cheek.

"Ren, did you really do something?"

"Ren-kun... please tell us honestly."

"Unfortunately, I didn't do anything."

That was the only answer.

Ren stepped into the open door first.

Inside was a room that overlooked a large window, like an office. Several bookshelves lined the walls, and in the center, there was only one old desk.

They couldn't see outside through the large window. Perhaps this room was special, as the magic barrier on the window glass blocked everything except sunlight. It was a strange technology that only the three of them couldn't comprehend.

The floor, walls, and ceiling were all made of the same stone as the hall.

There was a fireplace on one side of the wall, a rocking chair and a carpet placed nearby.

On the back wall of the room, there was a painting similar to the stained glass outside. There was also an altar in front for offering prayers. A small canvas-like frame that looked like a picture frame was placed on the altar, and it had fallen over.

The three of them felt a sacredness in the painting on the wall.

Eventually, Licia noticed the presence of drawers on the desk and pulled one out.

Inside were several pieces of stationery and another item—a black, corroded coin, just like the one they saw in Ragna’s laboratory.

"Licia, let me see,"

 Ren said, extending his hand, wondering if there was anything set up with it.

The letter didn't seem to be any kind of magic tool; it just looked like ordinary paper. Inside was a folded parchment that appeared old.

Upon opening it, the contents were not particularly confidential, but rather a casual letter.

"Geno, I wonder what you meant by that letter the other day. You said you liked hearing about my adventures. So, I thought I'd send you a souvenir or something. But well, never mind. By the way, my journey to the Sky Continent is already over."

The first page ended there.

It seemed that the recipient of the letter had something on their mind, as there was a slightly wrinkled crease at the edge of the letter.

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