Chapter 7 (2/2)
Though it was said that a portion of the Magus Machines had been reproduced, or so Luru had learned from the books in his home, it really was just a portion, and they probably couldn’t be found that often on the market.
He wouldn’t say that all Magus Machines outdid Magic Tools, but it was clear nonetheless that this ruin was filled with a great many convenient things.
Their consumption of mana was different too, so if they had to try and manufacture a great deal of one, the Magus Machines would be better.
Luru had considered one day creating some Magus Machines and selling them on the market, but going by the trend of the information, it seemed that doing so would just create troubles for him.
Of course he couldn’t make a final decision based just on his chats with his father and Gran, but he was thinking that perhaps it would be better not to do so.
There were a few Magus Machines in the pa.s.sageway, but they didn’t attack Luru and Gran.
It was because Luru had set them as such when he had come into contact with the central installation.
He had a.s.signed them all to maintainance duties, so they were completely indifferent to Luru and Gran who were doing nothing but walking about.
It seems that Gran just couldn’t get used to it, and each time a Magus Machine went past, he would prepare his greatsword in caution, but Luru was smoothly walking forward without a trace of tension.
Watching Luru act like that, Gran spoke.
“…I really can’t tell if it’s bravery or recklessness.”
Luru just knew that it was neither.
The Magus Machines would just act according to settings.
And right now, those settings had been set to no attacks.
That’s why the two of them were safe.
That was all it was.
However, he couldn’t very likely explain this to Gran, nor would Gran likely understand it even if Luru did.
Since Luru understood this, he just smiled without a reply, and continued further into the ruins.
“Is this as far as it goes?”
Having travelled to the end of the straight path, Gran stopped his feet and voiced that question.
In front of his eyes was a ma.s.sive double door that overlooked the two of them oppressively.
It was perhaps made of… metal?
No aging could be seen on the smooth silver doors, and considering that it had withstood such a long period of time, its durability could probably said to be very high.
Touching and pus.h.i.+ng on it to investigate but finding that it wouldn’t open, Gran seemed to shake his head in acceptance, and turned to Luru to speak.
“It’s no good. This thing won’t open.”
“It’s a door, so there’s no way that it shouldn’t open, but…”
Being told that, Gran stopped to think for a little, before saying,
“I heard this from Yuumis, but in a lot of ruins there are doors that won’t open unless you fulfil some kind of requirements. This is probably one of those types too… It probably won’t open unless we fiddle with the equipment in that first room you were in, right? …Wanna head back?”
So proposed Gran.
Certainly there was a chance that it would open if they returned there.
But Luru had investigated the central installation to his limits just a while ago, and didn’t find that sort of function.
However, he had told Gran that he had just randomly fiddled with it, so he couldn’t explain the controls in too much details either.
His story was that he had just coincidentally managed to stop the Magus Machines.
“Nah, it’d be a pain to head there and back. There’s no saying that it’ll open once we head back there. Shouldn’t we look around for a bit more?”
Gran who thought about Luru’s proposal for a little while suddenly seemed to gasp a little, and then said,
“Well yeah, but… how about I try chopping it down?”
Though it wasn’t anything like ‘a flash of inspiration’, Luru did think that it was a simple method with promise.
Moreover, if it didn’t work, then it didn’t work.
“…That might be good too. Gran, mind giving it a go?”
“Aye.”
With that, Gran began to refine the mana that was set up in his greatsword.
It looked like he was simply swinging his sword, but perhaps because he was a first rate adventurer, it possessed considerable might.
Enough that you’d start to think that maybe he really could chop the doors down.
“Uoraaaaaaaaa!”
And so with a shout, the running Gran swung his sword downwards.
The greatsword had certainly headed towards the doors, and the blade had come into contact with them.
However,
―GAKIIN!―
The sound of metal on metal, together with flying sparks.
“…No use, huh.”
Said the dejected Gran.
He touched the place his sword had cut, but,
“…Not a single scratch. I’m seriously gunna lose my confidence…”
From Luru’s perspective it was also quite a powerful blow, but this probably meant that the doors’ durability had won.
They were probably created with the demon race’s highest cla.s.s techniques.
With this, they had no choice but to challenge it fair-and-square, but returning to the central installation was useless too.
Just what could they do…?
Luru neared the doors, and tried touching the edges of those silver doors.
When he did, mysteriously, they could hear a voice.
It was something he had often heard in the past from Magus Machines; the sound of an artificial voice.
It resounded, with some parts of it a little blurred.
『……Mana……wavelength……confirmed……searchi……Match……100th……n King Luruslia Nord……rights……Release……the first……Great……Lock?』
There were many parts with crackling noise mixed in, but mixed in were worsd that he couldn’t ignore.
However, right now that wasn’t the issue.
It seemed that Gran had also heard it;
“…Is it saying that it’ll open up?”
he muttered, whilst he stared up at the ceiling.
It wasn’t as though the voice was coming from the ceiling, but he ended up looking at the ceiling since he couldn’t tell where it did come from.
As Gran said, the artificial voice was probably asking if it should open the door.
Moreover, it had called out Luru’s name as the demon king.
It had recognised Luru as the demon king himself.
Though Luru had certainly also wondered what was going on, considering that he was a human now, he determined that what he needed to do now was answer the voice, so he shouted,
“Open it!”
Since it had asked if they wanted to open it, just those few words should have sufficed.
As expected, it seemed that they had heard it, and the artificial voice replied just,
『……Understood……』
Then, from the large doors in front of them, the sound of a lock turning could be heard, and then even though they hadn’t so much as touched the doors, they began creaking open by themselves.
Gran and Luru watched this in shock for a little while, and then when it seemed that the doors had completely opened, ―THU-THUMP― it rang, as it stopped moving.
“…It seems the doors have opened, so… shall we head inside?”
With Luru words, Gran nodded in a fl.u.s.ter and replied,
“Y-, yeah… But seriously, this ruin won’t stop giving me surprises…”
With that, the two of them headed inside with the clucking of their shoes.
Beyond the doors was a considerably wide room.
The hemispherical ceiling covered the entire place.
It somehow gave off a solemn atmosphere, and it felt like the room was overflowing with stillness.
And in the centre of the room was a cylinder made of transparent material.
It was probably just large enough to fit a single person in there.
And seeing this, Luru immediately understood.
That was a Capsule.
It was a long term sleeping device created in the past by the demon race.
However, when Luru had died, it still wasn’t applicable for practical use yet, but despite this, it was there before Luru’s eyes.
Was there somebody inside?
Did one of Luru’s comrades from long ago, having crossed over these thousands of years, still sleep there?
Wondering this and feeling a incredible longing for his companions, Luru clumsily rushed over to the Capsule.
So strong was the feeling, that it seemed something would break in him were there n.o.body there.
So I’m begging you, anybody, please be in there.
I’m begging you.
He thought.
And then, having mustered his resolve, Luru peered inside.
―――And what lay there was a single girl, quietly sleeping.
/Chapter 7 END
<script>