Inside the altar, torches lit the structure.
A square hole led underground, with a right-angled spiral staircase along the inner wall.
The mercenaries were already two loops down the staircase.
Thinking there might be a second gate, Shirone's group hurried to catch up.
Mercenary Leader: "Tch! Sneaky brats."
The leader was annoyed that these kids had freeloaded off the information he'd paid a fortune for.
But for now, he had to focus on his goal, so he set aside thoughts of fighting.
The archer asked Shirone.
Archer: "Are you out of your minds? What are kids like you doing in a place like this?"
Shirone: "Then why are you here, mister—uh, sir?"
Archer: "What? You mean you followed us without even knowing?"
Shirone: "Yeah, we don't know."
The archer looked incredulous.
But on second thought, it made sense. The existence of a hidden door in the ruins was an open secret.
There's something underground in the ruins. But no one knows what.
That was as far as most people's curiosity went.
Shirone: "Since we're already here, you can tell us. What's down here?"
It was a reasonable request, but for the mercenaries who had worked hard to find this place, it felt unfair.
Moreover, the password was high-level information, costing 20 gold. Of course, now that they were inside, it was meaningless.
'This is so annoying.'
Suddenly, the archer had an idea.
Archer: "How about this? You getting in here means you cracked a high-security password. That's worth at least 100 gold. So, I'll sell you the information. 5 gold per question. How about it?"
Shirone didn't hesitate.
Shirone: "No thanks. We'll find out once we go down anyway."
The archer's face turned red.
Money aside, he felt mocked by these kids.
'These disrespectful brats…!'
At that moment, the leader stopped.
As the front of the group halted, the others slowed down as well.
Mercenary Leader: "You know what? That sounds good. Do you know how much effort we put into finding this place? You can't just freeload. If you want to go further, pay up."
Shirone glanced at Amy. She shrugged, and he turned back to the leader.
Shirone: "Then we won't go down. We'll stay here while you handle your business."
Mercenary Leader: "You little…!"
The leader couldn't help but flare up.
All the effort they'd put in, even burying their noses in bowls at the bar, was for this moment. And now, they'd been outmaneuvered.
Shirone: "But if it's 1 gold per question, I might consider it."
Mercenary Leader: "Huh? 1 gold?"
The leader's mind raced.
Since they couldn't recover their initial investment, even a few gold coins would be better than nothing.
Mercenary Leader: "Fine. 1 gold per question. Pay first."
Shirone took out 1 gold.
In truth, they could have investigated on their own, but his friends seemed to understand his intentions and followed along without protest.
'It's not a loss.'
Information could always be gathered, but their safety wasn't something money could buy. If they could gauge the danger level with a reasonable amount, it was worth it.
Shirone handed over the gold and asked.
Shirone: "Why did you come here?"
He went straight to the point to avoid vague answers.
Mercenary Leader: "To meet the natives. Satisfied?"
Though his tone was mixed with emotion, Shirone wasn't easily swayed.
Shirone: "That's an answer, but you need to explain. If it's like this, I won't ask more."
The leader realized his mistake.
If Shirone stopped asking, they'd be the ones at a loss.
The mage quickly added.
Mage: "We don't know much either. We really just came to meet the natives."
Shirone: "Hmm."
It was still an evasive answer, but it gave him an idea.
They were here to meet the "natives."
'Not the Kergo people at the tourist spot. The ones they're trying to meet must be…'
Shirone asked again.
Shirone: "Why do you want to meet them? Here's 1 gold."
The archer, having received the gold, hesitated.
It was honestly a bit embarrassing to share.
Archer: "To buy loops. They're sold on the black market, but here you can get them in bulk for much cheaper. We plan to sell them to fund our travels. There, satisfied?"
It was honestly shocking.
If the mercenaries' goal was loop smuggling, did that mean the ruins' secret was nothing from the start?
'No, it's too early to conclude. They only found this place with fragmented information. Besides, loops are ritual items for the natives, not drugs. Buying them in bulk means…'
Shirone finished his thought and asked.
Shirone: "Is there a passage at the end of this underground that connects to the native autonomous zone?"
Archer: "What? How do you know that… Oops!"
Realizing he hadn't been paid yet, the archer grimaced.
Shirone took out 1 gold. He hadn't intended to deceive anyone; he had simply asked in a hurry.
Shirone: "Ah, here's 1 gold. Sorry for asking first."
The archer stared at the gold coin with a look of self-reproach.
Of course, 1 gold was a significant amount, but for a mercenary with some experience, it wasn't enough to make them tremble.
Archer: "Tch! Forget it. It was my mistake."
Shirone: "It wasn't a mistake. That's how contracts work."
Archer: "I know! This is about my pride. Making such a mistake in front of kids… I still have a long way to go."
Shirone felt no particular emotion.
Shirone: "Then I'll consider the last question a freebie."
Archer: "Tch, you can't even speak properly."
The archer was furious at Shirone's shamelessness in pocketing the gold coin. At some point, he had started being swayed by this kid.
Archer: "But let me ask you something too. How did you figure it out? The autonomous zone is top secret."
Shirone: "The loop is a ritual tool of the natives. It's probably a specially treated item, and if the profit margin is high enough to make a fortune, it would require permission from someone with authority among the natives. Naturally, that person would have to be from the autonomous zone."
Archer: "..."
The archer was speechless.
He had racked his brains to find something profitable and stumbled upon the Kergo ruins. After staying up all night researching the loop's route and scouring the information market, he had reached the same conclusion that Shirone had summed up in a few words.
Archer: "Tch! You've got a sharp mind. Any more questions?"
Shirone: "No. Now I need to go down and check."
The archer forced a bitter smile.
Shirone wasn't asking more questions because he had already realized that no matter what he asked, the archer had nothing more to offer.
For the next 20 minutes, they descended the stairs. Even considering the spiral structure, the depth was staggering.
At the end of the stairs was a single hallway, and 10 meters ahead stood an iron gate.
Two natives stood guard, but unlike in tourist areas, they were bare-chested and barefoot.
Shirone (thought): 'So that's their tattoo.'
The tattoo, which started at the navel and branched out all the way to the face, looked intimidating.
Shirone doubted that the area beyond the gate was the autonomous zone. At the very least, they would have to walk several kilometers to enter the jungle of Mount Toa.
The mercenaries were visibly tense.
The archer, who was acting as the interpreter, exchanged a few coded words in the Kergo language with the natives. One of the natives pulled a switch, and the iron gate opened sideways with the sound of grinding gears.
Shirone: "Wow..."
Shirone's eyes sparkled at the unfamiliar world.
The octagonal room was carved from stone, and on the opposite side was another iron gate guarded by three men.
In the center of the room was a flat octagonal altar, identical in shape to the outer wall. At each of the eight corners floated a sphere about 30 centimeters in diameter.
Shirone stared at the spheres, trying to recall where he had seen something like them before.
Shirone: "Huh? That's…"
The archer turned to him, puzzled.
Archer: "What's wrong? Do you know what that is?"
Shirone: "That's definitely the labyrinth's…"
The mercenary leader cut in.
Leader: "Hah! What do you know, kid? Did you think of the bells hanging between your legs or something?"
The leader, who had disliked Shirone since the tavern, snapped at him, but the natives reacted immediately.
Native: "Labyrinth? Did you say labyrinth?"
Even Shirone, who didn't understand the language, could recognize the word "labyrinth." The archer, curious about the situation, added more interpretation.
Archer: "He's asking if you know the labyrinth."
Shirone: "Yes. I've encountered it before."
When the archer relayed this, the native's expression twisted.
The tattoo on his face contorted, making him look like a goblin from a legend.
Native: "You've encountered it? That's impossible."
Shirone, hearing the translation, insisted more firmly.
Shirone: "No, I really have."
Native: "..."
After a moment of deep thought, the native relaxed and spoke.
Native: "I will not judge you. Only the eyes of the angels will watch over you."
Leaving behind these cryptic words, the native closed the iron gate from the outside.
Shirone also turned away, swallowing his disappointment. He thought to himself that this was just the beginning.
As the mercenaries approached the central altar, one of the natives from the opposite gate approached.
It seemed that two of the three men were gatekeepers, while this man had a different role.
The difference in tattoo color was evidence.
While the gatekeepers' tattoos were red, this man's were white.
White-Tattooed Man: "This is the Chamber of Achievement and Sacrifice. The eight eyes of the angels will judge you. To enter Kergo, you must pass through the spacetime of the labyrinth."
Shirone: "Huh?"
Hearing the word "labyrinth," Shirone looked back at the archer, but the man kept his mouth firmly shut.
Shirone: "What did he say?"
Archer: "Hey, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not your interpreter. Why should I explain everything to you?"
Shirone: "You'll tell your comrades anyway. Just tell me quickly."
Archer: "No. Let's not bother each other from now on. We're here to do our job."
The white-tattooed man crossed his arms and watched Shirone and the archer argue.
Realizing they were asking for translation, he looked around and asked.
White-Tattooed Man: "Does anyone among you know the ancient language?"
The archer stepped forward.
Archer: "I know a little."
White-Tattooed Man: "Then translate. The opportunity is fair for all. The eyes of the angels are watching from the spacetime of the labyrinth."
Shirone still didn't understand the meaning, but he instinctively knew this was high-level information.
Archer: "Why should I? They're not part of our group. I don't know what this opportunity is, but we were here first. Separate them from us."
White-Tattooed Man: "No. From the moment you entered this chamber, you are one. Will you achieve, or will you sacrifice? Those are the only choices you have."
The archer clicked his tongue.
Archer: "Damn it! We're stuck with these brats. What are we supposed to do with them?"
As the conversation dragged on, the mage pressed him.
Mage: "What's he saying? Hurry up and explain."
Reluctantly, the archer relayed everything he had heard to everyone, including Shirone.
Realizing the situation, the mercenaries also grew annoyed. If they had known it would get this complicated, they would have shaken off the kids from the start.
The mage rested her chin on her hand.
Mage: "Hmm, verification and proof are common during first contact with another civilization. The 'eyes of the angels judging' likely means evaluating our abilities. Kergo is a warrior tribe, after all. But forcing us to work with these brats puts us at a disadvantage."
Amy: "Hey, you keep calling us brats, but how do you know we're not capable?"
Mage: "Hohoho! Oh, really? You're not planning to freeload off us, are you? Let me make this clear: if you mess things up, you'll regret it."
Amy: "Do as you please. We weren't planning to stick with you anyway."
The mage smiled coldly.
Mage (thought): 'You've got some nerve.'
She was a rising star in the mercenary world, a rookie mage gaining attention.
She didn't associate with low-tier mercenaries, and her comrades were all around her age and skill level.
On the other hand, these naive kids were clearly students who had learned swordsmanship and magic somewhere.
Mage (thought): 'The difference between school and real combat is like heaven and earth.'