Chapter 83. Submerged Fortress City (4)
I hadn't forgotten the original purpose of coming to Rhodes.
It was to obtain another Sword Saint's sword.
But more things than expected were happening. Leaving aside the sudden appearance of Magical Beasts, there was also the unidentified explosion just now.
These were completely unexpected situations.
If that was the case, at least if I were to find the Sword Saint's sword here in Rhodes, I needed to understand what was happening in this place.
Otherwise, there was no knowing what variables might arise.
"P-Please save us! There are so many Magical Beasts underground, like this...!"
Meanwhile, Emma didn't even care about her uniform or cheeks, which were covered in dirt from falling. She clutched her fists tightly and babbled, trembling.
Enoch's gaze narrowed calmly.
At this rate, a proper conversation wouldn't be possible.
"You said your name is Emma. Answer calmly."
Enoch first bent one knee to meet her eye level. I thought I had heard somewhere that this made the other person feel calmer than talking while standing tall.
Although it felt a bit ridiculously gentle, I needed to do this for now, even if I didn't like it.
'It's not easy to get information.'
In this regard, the folks from the Underworld, who were quite good at grasping the situation on their own after a few punches, were much more to my liking.
Not that I was so out of my mind as to suddenly punch a girl from the Academia who hadn't done anything wrong.
"... "
Anyway, perhaps kneeling and meeting her eye level had some effect unexpectedly.
I saw the wavering look in her eyes calm down a bit as she looked at me.
To reassure her further, I calmly wiped the dirt off her cheek with my sleeve as much as possible, and her trembling subsided enough for conversation.
"...Um, umm!"
Suddenly, Emma grabbed my arm desperately. Then she shouted with an earnest expression.
"I, I know where the upperclassmen are trapped! The Academia will also assist, so if you help us, I will speak with the Academia later for proper com-, compensation...!"
As expected of a student from the Imperial Academia, she stuttered, but she clearly understood the self-interest involved. Enoch nodded.
"Don't worry. We will rescue them. However, we need accurate location information. Can you draw a map of the ruin's internal structure and the location of the stranded individuals?"
"Yes! Th-, thank you! Really!"
When I spoke in a firm tone to reassure her as much as possible, perhaps she finally felt a bit relieved. She kept thanking me with teary eyes.
Just looking at her expression, she must have been quite anxious. She didn't seem like she had ever been in such an extreme situation before.
Perhaps because she was somewhat different from most of the people I had seen rolling around here and there until now, this kind of normal, human reaction felt refreshing.
Just then. A mage from Dionil's squad, who had been listening beside me, asked in a low, puzzled tone.
"So the isolated Academia personnel were also caught in an unexpected explosion. What in the world is happening here?"
"I wonder."
The members of Dionil's squad were slightly unsettled by Enoch's words.
But Enoch himself was quietly staring at the underground of the ruin site.
Rhodes was one of the common farming stages in the original work.
As such, I thought there were no other stories intertwined with this place, except for the fact that Dionil conducted a rescue operation here in the past...
If linked to the explosion just now, perhaps a hint could be found in a completely different, unexpected part. Enoch quietly mused inwardly.
'This might be a development related to a specific character's "Character Story" that appeared in the original work.'
There were grounds for speculation.
While there were various 'types' of magic, the number of individuals who used certain magic was extremely limited.
Especially Explosion Magic, which was described in the original work as having relatively few users.
If so, I might be able to guess who it was.
It just wasn't properly depicted in the game. If the person Enoch was anticipating was truly involved in this rescue mission in Rhodes...
'I might need to make some preparations.'
At least to secure the Sword Saint's sword, I needed to be prepared for threats other than the Magical Beasts that had appeared in the ruin site.
I didn't know if there was such an explosion during Dionil's rescue mission in the original Rhodes. The sudden appearance of Magical Beasts was also the same.
I couldn't know the parts that weren't in the description.
Alternatively, perhaps the fate of Tantalus or the Beast-kin village had changed. It was also possible that due to some cause and effect, the official history had become distorted.
'At least, one thing is certain.'
No matter how many difficulties lay ahead, I could absolutely not give up on farming the Sword Saint's sword.
If so, a minimum response strategy was needed.
And in a way that would allow me to improve my specs as much as possible.
Enoch, who had been endlessly engrossed in thoughts that followed one after another, suddenly raised his head.
Getting deeply lost in thought during a mission where the situation could change rapidly at any moment was not something to be highly recommended.
However, a faint smile was already forming on Enoch's lips, as he had already finished his thinking to a certain extent.
Concrete plans were slowly coming to mind.
Now was 5 years before the original work began, when I knew the developments.
The future ahead. Although I didn't know everything about all the developments for certain, it was clear that I could piece together fragments of puzzles and deduce things.
If so, it should be possible to devise countermeasures.
One idea was already appearing clearly in Enoch's mind.
Not only a way to respond to the uncertain future in this mission, but also a way to spend the farming time in Rhodes most 'productively'.
Enoch turned his head and looked at the girl who had introduced herself as Emma earlier, and opened his mouth.
"Speaking of which, something just came to mind."
"Yes, yes?"
"Just now. You said you would assist the Academia side, right?"
***
"Lord Enoch. You're back?"
Taking advantage of the time Dionil's squad was finishing their analysis of explosives and the ruin's underground terrain through additional investigation.
Enoch returned to the base camp for a moment.
Greeting Enoch upon his return were two members of Dionil's squad who were guarding the place.
Come to think of it, he had mentioned leaving personnel behind to protect the Academia's base camp from Magical Beasts that might attack additionally.
They approached him and said.
"We received a message by communication. You needed to borrow something from the Academia base camp's supplies?"
"Yes."
"Magical Beast perimeter is being handled by other members. We have received the location of the camp's logistics container, so we will guide you."
After guiding him, they glanced at Enoch and Sirocco, who walked past them without a word, and followed behind, continuing to look at them curiously.
Suddenly, Enoch, who had been walking, felt their somewhat burdensome gazes and turned to look back.
"Is there something you need?"
"Ah, no. Nothing."
One of them answered flusteredly and hurriedly. Enoch looked at them and slightly tilted his head.
"Then there wouldn't be any reason to be so flustered."
They flinched for a moment upon meeting Enoch's dark blue eyes, then one of them eventually shook his head with a slightly stiff expression and said.
"It's truly nothing. It's just that we've heard so many rumors about Young Master Enoch these days... We were just more surprised seeing you in person."
"Surprised?"
"Haha, yes. Well, it seems Young Master Enoch has become a different person from the past."
"Hey. You. Watch your mouth."
One of the members coughed, as if realizing he had said something unnecessary, after his companion poked him, having scratched the back of his head and spoken awkwardly.
"Is that so?"
Enoch replied vaguely and turned his head back to face forward. Come to think of it, how much had his impression changed from the past Enoch to elicit such reactions?
After that, only the sound of footsteps echoed for a while.
The place the two members, who had completely shut their mouths, guided him to was the back of the Academia base camp. A corner of the shaded rocky mountain.
A shaded, deep place almost like a cave.
As they walked in so far that their footsteps echoed, one of the guiding members spoke.
"This is it. The Academia Expedition Team's logistics warehouse has security issues being exposed to outsiders, so the Academia's person in charge will guide you."
Going a little further into the rock cave, movable containers were stacked layer by layer.
On the side of the containers, the Academia's emblem and a stamp classifying the goods as [Artifacts for Exploration] were printed in white stencil.
And in front of them, the man Enoch had seen upon arriving in Rhodes earlier greeted him and approached him quickly.
The handover person seemed to be the overall person in charge Enoch had seen earlier. Regrettably, I didn't remember his name.
"Oh, oh, you really rescued student Emma! Lord Enoch. I have already heard the news via radio. We are truly grateful for Elsyde's efforts!"
"There are still stranded individuals. Let's talk later."
Stopping the man who was about to make a fuss. Enoch turned his head and looked at the surrounding container boxes.
As expected, each container was made of quite sturdy alloy. An electronic lock was also installed, making it seem quite thorough in security.
Just then, one of the members behind Enoch asked.
"By the way. Academia's equipment wouldn't be provided to outsiders even for security reasons. Is it alright to permit borrowing support equipment?"
"Well, since we also made a mistake in rushing the schedule... If we can help resolve the situation, we must step forward."
The overall person in charge replied, sweating a bit. Judging by that answer, the situation was obviously clear.
The Academia side had also rushed the exploration beyond the schedule and were foolishly isolated by a Magical Beast horde, and they didn't want to publicly announce that.
Perhaps the person in charge was a person who knew how to handle the situation quite flexibly, more than he appeared.
Just then, the person in charge added a word.
"And above all, Lord Enoch is trustworthy."
"I don't recall doing anything to earn trust."
"How can that be? Besides saving Emma, Young Master, aren't you already publicly recognized? The matter of subjugating the Beast-kin in the last joint mission is already a hot topic."
"...Already?"
"Of course. The Empire's media are famous for their speed, aren't they? If someone like you needs it, lending equipment is naturally possible."
So, in other words, they lent it because I was trustworthy thanks to the reputation I had gained by succeeding in many missions?
Hearing this face-to-face, I felt the fact that my reputation had actually risen on my skin.
Considering it, the leap in logic seemed severe, but it wasn't entirely wrong. Investing because someone is likely to succeed is common everywhere.
The person in charge shrugged and added.
"Well, perhaps I am not the only one or two who place trust in the Young Master. Looking further, large corporations and other Main House territories would likely do the same."
Enoch forced back the expression of being somewhat fed up that was about to show. That was information he didn't particularly want to know.
Fame was still unappealing.
Becoming famous through achievements in the family was also something to be wary of in that sense.
Of course, thanks to such achievements spreading, the Academia side lent him the necessary equipment. So it wasn't entirely bad, but there was a contradiction.
Meanwhile, the person in charge looked around the containers.
"So, which of our Academia's exploration equipment do you need? Since you probably don't know exactly what items there are. If there's something you need, please tell me separately and I will find it..."
"I already know."
Enoch cut him off and approached one of the containers. The person in charge's expression was tinged with puzzlement at his action.
But I didn't care about that.
In the original work, to borrow equipment from the Academia's base camp, one had to meet several conditions even after clearing the prerequisite stories.
I didn't expect to be able to borrow it this easily.
Enoch's impression was only that much.
Handing over the card key beside him, the person in charge added a word with a slightly anxious expression.
"...I don't know where you intend to use this, but whatever equipment you want is mostly available for loan, so please just return it properly."
"I'll try."
Enoch, who had received the container's card key, slowly unlocked the container and opened the door.
Inside the container door slowly opening with a mechanical sound. A familiar artifact from the original work began to appear.
Looking at that, Enoch smiled faintly.
The preliminary preparations to achieve the goal of coming here, improving his specs, were finally nearing completion.
He could be more certain than anyone else.
This was the correct answer to choose in the current situation.
Not only obtaining the Sword Saint's sword in Rhodes.
It would be the only way to spend his time productively without losing spec-up, as planned.