Chapter 121 (2/2)
In response to our reaction, Lièvre seemed relieved
If I think about it carefully, she was persuading armed opponents, even if we are only students
While being led by Lièvre, Chloe and I went up the stairs where we came from
Chapter 124: Morgue of the Headless Prince (part three)
When I opened the door following Chloe, there was a descending staircase
The stairs were slightly wider than the door and were large enough for two average adults to walk side by side
It was dark, I couldn’t see anything
I received a star crystal la and illuminated the stairs
After forty to fifty steps below is the landing and the stairs turn to the right froe
After confir the situation, I was a little relieved
This should be the 「Staircase to the Underworld」
The naue, which Chloe’s older brother was involved with
“Chloe-san!”
There was no reply froht of Chloe
But, I wonder if I should rush into a probable location of one of the Seven Wonders without waiting for Klaus and Auguste
『What should we do, Erica?』
“First off all, I will check using the Eyes of OverworldTir, I wonder if you can take it out forto take out the Eyes of Overworld fro, then I put on the lens
I iic loaded into the lens and looked over the entire museum
『How is it?』
“In addition to us, there is one person ahead of these stairsAnd there are three people on the third floor”
The one person on the stairs should be Chloe
Herany physical enhanceuess the people on the third floor are the staff on patrolling duty
At a glance, there are no dangerous creatures in the building
“This staircase looks quite long and deepIt keeps turning clockwise after the same distance and continues like that for about six tis, it is about 12 floors underground, huh』
“There’s a short corridor at the botto over the entirestaircases and open cellars of similar construction
Just what exactly are these structures for?
And why is only this staircase hidden?
I wonder if this is connected to the strange happenings after all
I re the effect of the Eyes of Overworld
I pulled out soht and Leap
“The staircase itself doesn’t seeical mechanism……”
『Even if we leave that woo?』
“YesThat Chloe has finally relied on uard to you, Tir”
Even though it is just a silly trust, I don’t want to betray that trust
I asked Tirnanog to be at the front, and then ent down the stairs while lighting up the ith the lamp
『But, that woman, how did she proceed without any illumination?』
“I wonder if she perhaps enhanced her vision with bio-enhancement……how convenient”
The ed to gray sandstone along the way
It looks like a series of buildings with different construction dates
When we reached the botto corridor
As was observed from the Eyes of Overworld
The old wooden door was unlocked and opened just a few centimeters
Chloe is probably inside
As a precaution, I set the duration effect to a longer tiht
There seems to be no trap around the door
Other than that, there is no sign ofto keep silent and opened the door
Chloe was crouching on one knee in the e her head down because she found nothing?
“Chloe-san! Are you alright!?”
When I called out to her, Chloe finally looked over her shoulder and stood up while dusting off her skirt
“Did you find anything?”
“NoEven though you went out of your way to help me, Ericsan, looks like this rooetically
It was a co placed on the stone floor, and no traces of dirt or anything like that were found
I looked around with Glaic trick
It has also been confir the Eyes of Overworld that there are no hidden doors
I also looked at the area where Chloe was crouching just in case, but still, nothing was found
Why would they hide such an empty room?
“……Sorry, Ericsan”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it, Chloe-san”
Chloe apologized with an air like a dejected puppy
For e hidden roo is better than that
While I was thinking about that, Chloe suddenly turned to look at the entrance
“Who’s there……?”
The door opened with a creaking sound
There, Lièvre the curator stood with a la into a place like this at such a timeThis place should have been sealed so no one could enter”
Lièvre said so in a sory tone of voice
Chloe released her hand frouilty
So it’s not that the door wasn’t locked, but Chloe cut off the seal, huh
“You guys, aren’t you the eager first years who come to the museum frequently? I don’t believe you’re thieves, but what are you doing here?”
“I’ the Seven Wonders of this academy no matter what”
“Seven Wonders?”
“We heard there is so called the 「Staircase to the Underworld」 in the Phantom Beast Museu like thatEvery year, about three or so students with high curiosity would sometiave an explanation with so that will become a trouble later if I lie at times like this
“It’s fine if you’re not specimen thievesLuckily, I’m the only one who noticed; I will not tell the teachers about thisBut still, you really shouldn’t sneak in here in the ht”
“Yes, I’m sorry”
“Sorry”
We bowed our heads obediently
Lièvre let out a sh
“If you understand, you should head back now……it seems there are various proble”
“Proble Lièvre’s words, Chloe became really interested
Lièvre covered herthat shouldn’t be said
“Do you knohat happened?”
“No, that’s……”
“Please tellof it froht?”
Being beaten down by Chloe’s persistence, Lièvre seean to speak
“Do you know about the legend of the Golden Wolf Prince?”
I have read it before in a story book I bought at Knot Reed
If I reic love story of the Eastern Princess who loved the Golden-haired Werewolf Prince」
It was this kind of a story
Once upon a tiest princess of the country of es
However, an evil sorcerer held a deep envy for their love, and cast a curse on the prince to change his face to that of a wolf’s
The princess tried to dispel the curse and restore the prince to his original for that the princess died instead
Ever since then, longing for his beloved princess, it was said that the prince wandered the lands in that for a tale like The Frog Prince or Beauty and the Beast, but it stayed in ic love story between the prince whose face got turned into that of a ith the Eastern Princess?”
When I answered that way, Lièvre nodded
“Yes, that’s hoas transmitted in the WestBut in the North……that’s……”
“By the hand of the Lunatic King Cain, the prince of Lucanrant was skinned alive, and was covered with the head of the as our guardian beastOr rather, he was beheaded and then a wolf’s head was attached on hihoul”
Chloe continued the story that Lièvre was saying
It was a grotesque story close to the historical fact, unlike the folklore
“The Hafan’s e of the royal family, as his fiancée, tried to kill the prince, but in the end, the ht?”
“Even in the North, there are various theories about the endingThere are plenty of variations froion, and it seems even in the historical fact, the life and death of the prince and the princess are unknown”
Chloe nodded absent up to that point, I felt shi+vers running down my spine
Golden Wolf Prince, or the Golden-haired Werewolf Prince
The prince of the for headless and a strong curse
Didn’t I hear so similar fro to this Golden Wolf Prince
Viewed in this way, it is understandable why Chloe is fa with the legend in Lucanrant, she was closing in on the true identity of the headless prince
“I don’t know if it’s directly related to this story, but there was a student who sneaked into this place while investigating the legend of the Golden Wolf Prince o, and apparently, they had caused a violent incident……no, a murder attempt”
More ominous stories were added to the already-o level that is obvious even toability
A murder attempt in school, just what exactly does she mean by that?
“I don’t know the details because it was an incident when I wasn’t at this acadeuess the only people who know the details are the principal and the involved partyBut, I heard rumors that they went mad because they ca?”
‘Went mad’, huh, that keyword is suspicious
Didn’t Chloe’s brother Claude go mad and kill almost everyone in the family?
“There is one more problemIt may be related to the 「Staircase to the Underworld」 that you were looking forThis rooround”
“How does the mechanism work?”
I looked around the rooo, did I overlook souess it’s not exactly this rooh the conditions are unknown, it seeradually drawn further undergroundThere does not seem to be a way to prevent it as the cause lies in the layer of ancient underground ruins even deeper below”
“If it’s that dangerous, why didn’t they bury the museum’s basement?”
“If the base effect will crawl up even above groundIt’s not a final solution, but especially susceptible rooeThat said, there are still students who sneak in like the two of you”
Hearing Chloe’s question, Lièvre shrugged
The reason why there are many mysterious baseainst interference froround ruins
Certainly, this seems to be the true identity of the 「Staircase to the Underworld」
The ruins under the acade period of the Lunatic King
It is probably because there are multiple locations affected by the transition that the activation condition for this particular Seven Wonders is said to be more than one1
In other words, the Phantoue of the Headless Prince」 and the 「Staircase to the Underworld」
It is a paradox of double structure like the 「Infinite Corridor」 and the 「Man-Eating Mirror」 inside the school building
I glanced at Chloe as next toover it
I don’t want to go back just like that after co that we have been found by Lièvre, we have to withdraw
“Hey, Chloe-san, let’s go back soon, okay? It appears to be a place that we shouldn’t approach even if we’re interested”
“……yeah, you’re rightWe better retreat for tonight, Ericsan”
When I warned her, Chloe nodded while eht’ as the condition nonchalantly as the last bit of stubbornness
I feel grateful that Chloe has agreed to return teerous it is, I will take ain
In response to our reaction, Lièvre seemed relieved
If I think about it carefully, she was persuading ar led by Lièvre, Chloe and I went up the stairs where we came from