Exploring the Secret Passage

  The rubble had been hiding the rest of the secret passage.

  It didn’t look like it had been hidden on purpose.

  “I think it was just hidden by accident.”


  “Indeed.”


  We moved the rubble away and proceeded.

  “I wonder where this leads to?”


  Luchila seemed quite excited. It was like we were on an expedition.

  “Cluck-cluck.”


  Gerberga clucked quietly in my arms. He hadn’t tried to move away ever since he had been scared.

  Milka looked at him and said,

  “I have been curious about it for a while, but what even is that Lord Gerberga chicken thing?”


  “Yo-you…”


  Luchila was about to explode with rage, but I stopped him.

  And then I whispered so only he could hear.

  “There are still people trying to target Lord Gerberga. It is better if people think he is a normal chicken. The secret is not likely to spread if fewer people know about it.”


  “I see…in that case…”


  Luchila was satisfied with this answer.

  It was true that the secret should not be known by too many people.

  I should know it, as someone who exposed his true identity a little too much.

  “Are you fine with that, Lord Gerberga?”


  “Cluck.”


  It seemed that he agreed. Or so his eyes seemed to suggest.

  And so I smiled at Milka and said,

  “He is just a very adorable little chicken.”


  “Oh? So he is not tomorrow’s breakfast?”


  “Of course, not.”


  “Lord Gerberga is part of my family! I would never think of turning him into a meal!”


  Milka seemed a little disturbed by Luchila’s passion.

  “I don’t understand rich people at all!”


  She said.

  After that, we walked down the secret passage for some time.

  “It’s longer than I thought.”


  “Yes.”


  “…This may be an annoying request…”


  “What?”


  “Would you allow me to sleep in this passage?”


  Milka’s request was most surprising.

  “You want to sleep here?”


  “You aren’t using it, are you? I can hide from the rain down here… And it doesn’t smell like the sewers as much. And no frightening adults are nearby.”


  Milka was a girl, in spite of not talking like one and having a very rough attitude.

  It must be tough to live out there.

  “I won’t decide on anything until I find out where this leads.”


  “I see. But please consider it!”


  Milka said and started to walk faster.

  “Hey, don’t walk on ahead.”


  “Oh? But why?”


  “There could be traps. You wouldn’t like that, would you?”


  “Oh, oh.”


  “I will walk in the lead, then Milka and Luchila.”


  “Understood.”


  “Cluck.”


  As we advanced in this order, Milka began to mutter.

  “If you had me walk in the front, it would be me who got stuck in the traps…”


  “Obviously. And what of it?”


  “I was thinking that you would run away while I was trapped…”


  “Do I look like such a terrible person to you?”


  “No-no…but aren’t rich people just like that?”


  “Did you only know rich people who were cruel?”


  Perhaps the only rich people Milka knew were the money lenders who had taken her house.

  It couldn’t be helped that she didn’t have the best impression then.

  “I do not care to sacrifice children.”


  “I see. So you are a decent rich person.”


  “Besides, I am also a Scout. I can find simple traps easily enough.”


  “That’s amazing…”


  We continued on smoothly after that, without encountering any traps.

  And then we finally hit a dead end.

  “This wall looks very hard.”


  Luchila said as he inspected it.

  “I don’t understand rich people. Who would make a path and nothing else?”


  “Maybe they weren’t finished yet?”


  “Oh, I see!”


  As Luchila and Milka talked like this, I looked at the wall carefully.

  “No, this passage continues further on.”


  “But it just looks like a sturdy wall to me…”


  “There are traces of it having been blocked. And with magic as well. They were very thorough.”


  “Is that so?”


  Luchila was a Sorcerer, and he looked surprised.

  “See, look at this part. You can touch it.”


  “Oh, you are right. I do feel a little magic.”


  “I don’t know anything about magic, but if it is only a little, does that mean the magic cast on the wall is weak magic?”


  “No, it is very strong magic.”


  I continued to inspect the wall.

  “Let me see, yes…I would put it in the same class as the treasure room in the king’s palace.”


  “That much!”


  Luchila said in shock. He looked a little disappointed.

  “And yet I didn’t even notice it…that’s embarrassing.”


  “There is no need to be embarrassed. The traces were covered very carefully. It would not be easy to see it.”


  “That’s impressive. It really does look like an ordinary wall.”


  Milka said as she ran her fingers over it.

  A powerful magic had been cast on it, and then very advanced magic had been used to conceal it.

  A novice, no, no ordinary Sorcerer could have done this.

  Even a first-rate Sorcerer might have missed it without inspecting it carefully.

  That’s the level that it was.

  “If it is the same level as the king’s treasure room, does that mean there will be amazing treasure behind it?”


  “There must be!”


  “Cluck-cluck!”


  Milka and Luchila were getting excited.

  Even Gerberga was eager.

  “I guess I should disarm it and see what’s on the other side.”


  “Yes!”


  “I can’t’ wait!”


  “Cluck!”


  I put a hand on the wall. I would be using a simple Unlock spell.

  However, it was going against something very intricate.

  While it was only unlocking it, it would not be easy to make it succeed.

  And so I carefully read the flow of magic and deciphered it.

  Then I activated the Unlock spell. At the same time, the wall of rock crumbled without a sound.