Master and Slaves

"No, it will take a little more. I intend to enter from the back entrance."

Saying that Helene this time moved away from the castle.

Then suddenly she stopped in front of a certain private house, slowly opened that house’s door while peeking inside.

"H-hey, Helene..."

At Helene’s sudden action I ended up raising my voice.

"There are... no people, it seems."

When Helene opened the door she went inside.

After a while she beckoned from inside the door.

To me standing dumbfounded Tiria whispered.

"There is a secret path here that enters the castle."

In other words an escape route to let the royal family flee.

But why does Helene know it?

"I was supposed to protect the members of the royal family in an emergency."

Perhaps hearing my inner voice Helene explained that.

Then does Tiria know too?

When I looked at Tiria she nodded.

Apparently she knew.

I faced forward again and followed Helene, who was going into the back of the private house.

Helene advanced to the innermost room.

There it was an earthen floor, and a well had been dug.

Isn’t it quite rare for a private house to have a well?

When Helene took the board off the well she took a rope with a hook out of her rucksack.

Then she attached the hook to the edge of the well and let the rope hang into the well.

"Are we going through here?"

"Yes. As Hiroyuki-sama said before, the well connects the inside of the castle and the town."

Before...?

...Ah, come to think of it I have a memory of saying that.

When I came to this town with Helene and Tiria.

It was when I had still only just come to this town.

Somehow nostalgic.

"At that time I was so surprised my heart almost jumped out."

Helene sighed.

For me it was a few months ago, but for Helene it was fifteen years ago.

She remembers well.

"For me it was a memorable event. After all it was the first time I had been so completely defeated. Now then... it seems fine. I will go first, so please follow."

Helene got on the rim of the well, grabbed the rope, and descended into the well.

"I’ll go last. I think it’s better not to be under Hiroyuki-dono’s Dules."

Better not to be under?

...Ah, that’s right.

Because if you’re below, you can see.

The Dules also noticed. Muriel, Sara, and Sophia hurriedly held down the hems of their skirts.

And so after Helene I would go, then the Dules, and last Baldo would descend the well.

I tried to descend following Helene.

However because my right hand does not move I have to descend the rope with only my left hand and both feet.

"Sophia, isn’t there magic to help Master?"

Muriel, worried about me fumbling at descending, asked Sophia.

"...Uu, I should have learned it..."

Sophia thought a little and muttered as if regretting.

"There was magic to slow falling, but I thought I didn’t need it because I had learned flight magic..."

Perhaps shocked, Sophia drooped her ears and sank.

"That’s it! Why not use flight magic!"

Hearing that Sara raised her voice as if it were a brilliant idea.

"No. That one you can’t go up or down unless you fly sideways."

Sophia answered while shaking her head.

"The magic you used to clear rubble when saving Master and Rina?"

"That one can’t be used on people..."

Sophia sank even more.

"It’s fine. I can descend."

I smiled and said that to the Dules trying to help me somehow, used my elbow for my right hand, and slowly descended the well.

If everyone went down at once the rope would not hold, so we descended one by one.

Below a pale magic light was signaling me.

Helene?

When did she make the magic light...

I went into water up to about my knees and advanced in the direction of the light.

"You mustn’t!"

Someone cried that and the pale magic light split in two.

Helene’s back rose in front of my eyes.

"There are many traps for intruders here, so please be careful."

Helene turned around and cautioned me.

Then she pointed at Helene’s feet.

When I approached Helene and looked at her feet, ahead of that it was a cliff.

Below, the light split in two was gradually growing faint.

This is... deep!

If I had followed the light as I was I would have fallen from this cliff.

I shuddered buru.

"It seems everyone has come here, so let’s proceed."

Helene sheathed the sword she held in her right hand and went back the way we had come.

I also followed behind Helene so as not to lose sight of her.

...

After that it was truly a parade of traps.

While following behind Helene, who had been given a dagger that lit magic light by Muriel, I listened to Helene’s explanations.

"If you step on this floor you will be stabbed by spears from your feet."

"Here the floor falls through, so please be careful."

"If you go that path you will be wrapped in flame midway."

"Don’t touch that! A golem will start moving!"

"Please follow me. Don’t take even one step off. If you step off it is the bottom of the abyss."

And so on.

I also cautioned Muriel behind.

Then is the rear all right?

Won’t it become a game of telephone?

"That’s right. But here you can’t avoid the traps unless you’re in single file."

Again Helene picked up my inner voice and answered.

"What’s the matter?"

Hearing my talk with Helene, Muriel asked me.

"No, I was thinking if we caution the people behind in order, won’t the content change midway."

"Then it’s fine. I’m also telling the people behind with magic."

"Magic? When..."

"When Master entered the well."

Well, that would be the only time.

"...Then it’s fine. Muriel, good work."

"Ah, no..."

At my thanks Muriel answered a little falteringly.

"Um, we’re about to arrive, so please prepare."

From the front Helene said that in a fed-up tone.

"Ah, understood."

"Yes."

I pulled myself together and answered Helene, and Muriel also answered the same way.

Then I drew the sword at my waist with my left hand.

"Does your right hand still not move?"

Helene glanced my way, confirmed the hand holding the sword, and said that.

"Ah, it’s still numb. There’s no sensation either."

I answered looking at my own right hand.

Even if I try to open my hand or close it, it does not move at all.

Even my wrist does not move, and my hand hung down like a ghost.

"I see... You’re not used to swinging a sword with your left hand, so please be careful."

Helene, who had come to a dead end, stopped and turned around and showed consideration for me.

"Ah, thanks."

I answered Helene.

"Then... Beyond this door is already inside the castle. Are you ready?"

Helene put her hand on the door at the dead end.

"Ah, I’m fine."

I answered Helene again in a small voice.

Looking behind everyone was nodding.

"Then here we go!"

Helene slowly opened the door.

Then she quietly put her face out and looked around.

"..."

Helene, still with her face out, moved her hand kui kui.

Then she went outside the door.

I also put my face out from the door once then went outside.

There coffins were everywhere.

This is... a grave?

How should I put it, typical...

While looking around I followed behind Helene.

I occasionally turned around and confirmed that Muriel and the others were following.

However where are Cathy and Rina?

On that parchment it was only written to come to Torrestia’s castle.

Even saying castle it is wide.

"For now let’s proceed. If we go to the throne room we might learn something."

Helene answered that.

Well, Helene and the others’ objective is that way.

But I also think searching at random is questionable, so for now I’ll follow.

Helene opened the lock of the iron grate at the back of the coffin room, and when we went up the stairs...