Part 33 (1/2)
”Now, let's hurry. The chief elder might stand in our way before we can face off the esteemed highest minister.”
”H... hey, is it okay leaving the knight commander like that?”
I asked after getting beside her in a half-run and Integrity Knight Alice casually spoke with a keen light in her left eye.
”That would be settled if we string up the chief elder, Chudelkin, and get him to release the art... or perhaps if we cut him down.”
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Chapter 11 The Secret of The Chamber of Elders.
The thought that I definitely didn't want this knight back as my enemy crossed my mind as I walked on, enduring the weight of the two swords.
Alice and I stopped upon returning to the ninety-fifth floor, ”Morning Star Lookout”, after running through another five floors worth of stairs, though against gravity this time round.
Unlike me, breathing hard due to the Blue Rose Sword hanging off the right of my waist, the great integrity knight had that unchanging tranquil expression on despite how there shouldn't be much difference between the weight of our equipment. I could practically feel a chil from her snow white skin and blue eyes, fil ed with resolute determination, as she looked up towards the stairs continuing to the next floor.
”...Listen to me while you catch your breath. The elders shouldn't be much different from the common folk in terms of close-range combat with weapons, but their sacred arts usage authority exceeds even ours, the integrity knights'. Even if the air barely has any sacred power like now, they would likely use catalyst crystals gathered from the rose garden and launch an unending barrage of long-range arts at us.”
”For opponents like that... bringing it into close-range, with a sneak attack, would be the norm... huh.
Alice curtly nodded at me when I cut into the conversation while puffing and panting.
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Chapter 11 The Secret of The Chamber of Elders.
”This is no time to worry about how we fight. It wil be best if we managed to approach without their notice, but there is no guarantee we could. If we were to fail in our surprise attack, I'll have you charge in while I guard against their sacred arts with my sword's full control art.”
”...So I'm the one attacking, huh...”
With me showing a depressed look at the prospect of fighting against the magic-type enemies that I disliked, Alice's left eyebrow jerked up and she let loose with that usual sarcasm she had a gift for.
”I won't mind reversing the roles. But in that case, I'll have to ask you to defend against those sacred arts.”
”Yeah, got it, I'll do it.”
Certainly, my black sword was currently recovering its Life and I wasn't sure if it could even use its full control art. If possible, I would honestly like to preserve it until the battle against the highest minister. In the first place, my special skill, summoning that huge, umbra-elemental spear that originated from the Gigas Cedar, was lacking in type of functionality the ”flower storm” from Alice's sword had, even if it might have the destructive might to turn a situation around.
Alice solemnly spoke as I nodded away.
”I might cast a healing art from the back if I get in the mood.
Go berserk all you like, but leave the chief elder, Chudelkin, 252.
Chapter 11 The Secret of The Chamber of Elders.
alive. If he is as I recall, he should be a small man dressed in a jester costume in shades of vivid blue and red.”
”...That's one... outfit that throws all sense of dignity to the wind.”
”That may be so, but don't make light of him. Aside from that terrible ” Deep Freeze” art, he should have many quick and powerful arts under his control... he does have the most capability in the arts in the church, behind the highest minister, after all.”
”Yeah, I know. Those who look like runts at first glance always turn out to be the most troublesome in quests.”
Alice spared only a brief moment to make a wary expression at my words before she turned her pointed gaze towards the ascending stairs and spoke out a ”well, then” with strength.
”-Let's get going.”
What awaited us, upon running up a floor on the grand staircase, silencing our footsteps as much as we could in our hurry, was a particularly narrow, dimly-lit pa.s.sage and a black door that shut off the rest of it.
The breadth of the pa.s.sage il uminated by an eerie green lamp was a meter and a half at most. Narrow enough that two would have to take care when pa.s.sing by each other. The single door further in, too, was small. Alice and I were barely able to pa.s.s through without hitting our heads against it, but well-built 253.
Chapter 11 The Secret of The Chamber of Elders.
men the likes of Knight Commander Bercouli would have to bend over quite a bit, wouldn't they?
This sight simply didn't feel right. Normally, the stronghold of the strongest enemy-the ”last dungeon” in short, would get increasingly extravagant and gaudy in layout and furnis.h.i.+ng the further one explored, wouldn't it? The floors really had been generous with their decorations and floor area usage up until the ”Morning Star Lookout” just a floor below.
So what was with this cramp s.p.a.ce after we had gotten a hair's breadth away from the highest floor?
”...This is the ”Chamber of Elders” that you mentioned earlier... right?”
”I do believe so, but... -We wil know after entering.”
She stepped into the pa.s.sage, her golden hair aflutter, as though to shrug away her doubts.