Legend

"This... again, that's a lot wider. Why is this place in the basement?

What Ray saw coming down the stairs was what should be called a vast basement.

Compared to the darkness of the stairs, the stones that make up the basement are blurry and slightly dimmer compared to the outside, but still not inconvenient to look around the basement.

That size is definitely better this way compared to the mansion built on this, if not less.

On the contrary, it would have more than the grounds of the mansion that had been built on top.

Naturally, then this basement should stick out on the premises of other mansions, which would normally be an unacceptable act.

(Does the person next door know about this, too? No, if you knew, you would naturally make a scene... and then you wouldn't know about the area?

While viewing the vast space, Ray questions.

Next to such a ray, three guards look around with their bodies trembling.

This basement is clearly cold compared to inside the mansion.

That's what's out there and... No, it wasn't strange to feel colder in some cases than out there.

Only Ray wears a dragon robe with a simple air conditioning feature, so he didn't look particularly concerned in the cold.

"Hey, what do you think of this?... I think the guy just ran in here too."

"I guess. But look at that."

Guards nod at Ray's words, indicating the basement walls visible in the distance.

There existed a staircase leading up there, just like the Rays had come out.

And there is not only one visible staircase, there are several others.

"Where do you think that staircase leads? Locally, I don't think it's the mansion we're in that's connected to the stairs."

To Ray's words, the three guards nod in agreement as well.

(or the lights illuminating this basement...... stone? That thing feels kind of glowing, but it feels like a dungeon somewhere)

There are a few dungeons Ray has dived in, but the dungeon itself is glowing and doesn't need a light is not such a rare story.

But naturally that's because it's a dungeon, and Ray didn't even know there was such an architecture.

Bring the stones and stones that are glowing from the dungeon, or anything else, it will eventually make the light disappear.

Nonetheless, the basement, currently stretching out in front of Ray's eyes, seemed as if its building materials were shining light intact.

"... In the meantime, it's clear that this basement is an unusual place in many ways. But what do you think I got a place like this for?

"Normally, after all, don't you think it has something to do with one of the Cobolts that's happening this time?

One of the guards answers Ray's question.

The words were so convincing that there was no more.

In the first place, the Rays came here looking for clues that would lead to a mastermind that would be causing only one case of Kobolt.

There was such a meaningful basement in such a place that it would be more impossible not to ask for a relationship there.

"Is it true that something was being done here?... Ray, you know what I'm talking about?

The guard told me, five senses if there was any clue...... I try to concentrate especially on the sense of smell, but there is no residual incense of the smell of blood.

Though Ray's five senses are sharper than normal, it's only a story compared to normal people.

Naturally, the acuteness of those five senses does not extend to Ceto.

"... nothing. It doesn't smell like blood, so there's no such thing as someone dying here."

To Ray's words, one of the guards opens his mouth to see what's going on around him.

"Was something done here calling Kobolt,? Normally, suspicious is some sort of ritual or something like that..."

"But when you say ritual, you don't necessarily have to bleed, do you?

Such a conversation had sounded like Ray, naturally, but as a supporter of the theory that he was using magic items to summon Kobolt - I knew it was a hopeful expectation myself half the time - he couldn't imitate saying anything about it.

"Really? It's a ritual that calls for Kobolt, so I don't think it's weird to use sacrifices."

"Sacrifice?"

To the word sacrifice, Ray sees the sight he saw earlier… recalls many bodies that have become only bones and skins.

Ray didn't even know why there were so many bodies.

But if, as the guards say, they were performing some sort of sacrifice ritual here, it's not that I'm not convinced why.

(Besides, that body was all bone and skin, but nothing else was wounded. If I did some sort of ritual here, those bone and skin corpses... and probably used the redcloth guys, I can also understand that there's no smell of blood here, right?

It was Ray, who was gathering his thoughts as he watched what was going on around him, but one of the guards spoke up toward Ray like that.

"Ray, I was responding to the word sacrifice, is there something?

"Uh... right. Didn't I tell you?"

Tell him so, Ray talks about the sight he saw… a pile of bodies that became only bones and skins.

The guards who hear that explanation give a more unpleasant look to the information than expected.

"Again, I hear this mansion has been a troublesome place for a long time. What the hell were you thinking, trying to imitate that in this mansion?"

"No... normally, you're not that bad of a choice. There's no way it would be so easy to know that you're imitating like that here.... Well, I think it was a big deal that I told Red Cloth about this place, even though it was a public story or a story at the end."

"I guess. In the first place, I wouldn't normally think of a place like this in this basement."

And I just shrugged, and Fu Ray notices.

"Hey, you think this basement was set aside for this one? Or do you think it's been around for a long time?

……

To Ray's words, all three guards silence.

Because if you saw this underground space, you didn't know what to say.

I would normally think that because of a Kobolt case, it would take a lot of effort to create such a vast underground space.

There was undoubtedly a lot of people gathered in the construction of the Gilm's additions, but if we still tried to create this much underground space, it would have been conspicuously natural.

Not to mention, this isn't that far from the aristocracy.

If we gather more personnel to dig holes here, it is inevitable that we will still stand out if we are doing additional construction as well, beyond being away from here.

(When that happens, the only thing I can think of is... after all, it wasn't here recently that this underground space was created, but a long time ago. That's not like a few months or anything like that either, on an annual basis in some cases......)

Ray expects that as he looks around, but then he does, and again, a lot of questions arise.

The biggest question would still be that this underground facility extends outside the premises of the mansion where the Rays are located and even reaches the premises of the other mansions.

You can't possibly tolerate imitation by extending this space to the basement of your mansion if you try to be one of the adjacent mansions.

"Is there any way that the owner of the mansion around here is actually the same person...?

"No."

Ray's words are immediately denied by the guards.

"How can you say all that?

"This is still a guard. Different jurisdictions exist around here, but they are still one of the most important places in the Guild: the aristocratic city. Naturally, I remember the information from the beginning."

"... I see"

If you say so, I have to convince you, too, as Ray.

At the same time, once again, convince the guards of their awesomeness.

At least not much, Ray doesn't bother to remember the area.

"Then what happens? As a matter of fact, the people in the surrounding mansion haven't noticed this underground space?

"That's... well, I don't think it's possible"

While answering that to Ray, the guards are subtly unconvinced by the language.

It is conceivable that this basement space is quite deep and that even if the surrounding mansions are making a basement, they will probably not reach this depth.

But still, it's not surprising that the inhabitants of the mansion would notice any movement here than such a vast underground space exists.

That's what I thought, Ray, I notice.

"Hey, the residents of the mansion around here... or all the owners are different, right?

"Oh. That's why I told you earlier."

"Then. Can't you imagine there's someone further above that resident or owner?

That's what I'd tell you, Ray, but the guards shake their heads sideways.

"Many of the owners of the mansion around this mansion have something to do with each of them: they are aristocrats, kings, or neutrals. Then…"

"I see. Is that impossible?"

"Oh.... of course there's no way to get through that imposition..."

The possibility is that the residents of the other mansion will still not know.

Ray, so told, looks around again.

It is quite uncomfortable considering that it created this much space and kept it completely unnoticed...... on the contrary, perhaps for a long time. I do... but given the current situation, it is also true that we have to draw that conclusion.

"When that happens, for now... what do we do? I'm pretty sure this underground space means something, but the guy I just raided isn't anywhere, and there's nothing else to look into here."

"... when they say that, yeah"

A guard tries to say something to Ray's words... but at the next moment, his mouth is suddenly blocked with palms by Ray.

What did the guards with their mouths sealed and their three companions suddenly do? I tried to point my gaze at Ray, such as that, but regardless of such surroundings, Ray moves as far as the wall as dragging the guards.

Based on how Ray was doing, I guess the guards thought there was a reason they had to do something like that now. Those whose mouths are sealed also do not find themselves particularly dissatisfied, and travel to the interior of the wall with great care.

Move as far as you can without making any footsteps...... and after you arrive to the wall, for a few dozen seconds. I hear something unexpectedly.

I knew immediately what it was.

"Nose song?"

One of the guards whines down with a voice that can only be heard around him.

Yes, that was definitely a nose song.

In the mansion where the Rays were until recently, searches have been carried out by guards and rays, and furthermore, there are Seto and guards around the building to complete the siege so that no one can escape.

Despite that situation, a nose song? And, wondering so much, Ray decides that he won't have a problem letting go of his hand because he was lightly slapped in the arm by the person he was holding his mouth against.

It is also significant that the reason I let go of my hand is because I thought that I definitely needed to capture the Lord and Thought Existence of the nose song.

Either way, Ray and the three guards shut up as they killed their breath... eventually the lord of that nose song shows up.

The place where the person came out is far from where the Rays came down.

At a distance, perhaps the mansion next to the mansion where the Rays went in to check it out...... something like that.

When I saw the person, Ray... and the guard held the thought that the clue had come from him.

But if the person singing the nose holds the rope and sees several men numbered at the end of that rope, you'll wonder what to do.

Not to mention making sure those pearl-connected men are pulled by those with ropes without saying anything in particular, and then nothing dissatisfies them.

On the contrary, he walks still pulled by the rope as if he had no will.

"Ray."

Ray, who was watching the man with the rope and the men being pulled by it, is accidentally pulled a dragon robe by a guard, and is so whispered.

Hey, what's up? and Ray pointing at the guards.

To such a ray, the guard tightens his expression harshly...... open his mouth.

"I recognize some of the men tied to that rope"

If you say so, Ray was also convinced of the meaning of the word.

I mean, it's...

"Red cloth, huh?"

The guard snorted back silently at Ray's whining words.