Became an Academy Self-Inflicted Blackmailer

34 – Underground (3)

There weren’t many researchers.

It’s not a small number, but it doesn’t feel complicated. Rather, it felt a little empty because the space was quite large.

As we had agreed beforehand, we calmly crossed the hallway.

As expected, the researchers didn’t pay much attention to us.

It’s a new face, so even if it’s just a quick glance, it doesn’t seem like he’s going to talk to you.

Because they are very busy with their own work.

It was fortunate for us.

‘Am I following you well?’

Also, Beatrice was running after me.

As I said before, he didn’t do anything to raise suspicions, such as excessively looking around.

Still, I looked around to see if there was anything I was curious about.

It seems that he is trying hard to manage his facial expression, but his gaze and gaze clearly showed a hint of nervousness.

First of all, it is a secret underground space that Tsumei has hidden from the outside.

Apart from being interested, behavior had no choice but to change cautiously.

‘Well, to be honest, if Tsumei suddenly pops out at this time, she’ll be in trouble with me and her.’

I smiled and turned my head back.

Of course that won’t happen.

If I had to argue, the underground laboratory was under the jurisdiction of another subordinate, not Tsumei or Helena, and as such, it was quite rare for Tsumei to come down here in person.

He has hardly ever been directly involved in most of the underground research.

Still, I know that there are occasional visits to check the state of the magic sword, but I’m not sure about the interval or timing.

The episode about ‘Demonic Sword’ rather than ‘Underground’ is supposed to end in some way in the first chapter, and aside from the short period before that, I can’t tell how Tsumei thought of the depths where the Demonic Sword was sealed. Because there is no

Judging from the mention that he didn’t visit the basement often in the first place, it’s just a rough guess.

Of course, if something changed by touching the demonic sword in any form, there was a fairly high probability that Tsumei would notice it, no matter how underground it was.

I didn’t think that even after the plan to steal the demonic sword was truly over, I wouldn’t go undetected by Tsumei. Sooner or later, the moment will come.

‘…… Mmm.’

I gently ran my forearm at the ominous thought that came to my mind.

Actually, it’s like I slapped Tsumei in the back of the head, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid of dealing with it.

I touched the demonic sword, which is nothing else but Tsumei’s biggest challenge, so no matter how good she looks at me, I can’t just ignore it.

Well, it’s not like we haven’t prepared countermeasures, but…….

‘I hope it goes well. Somehow.’

If that doesn’t work, then it just sucks.

Mostly me.

‘I don’t know if I’m doing something too risky for nothing.’

As expected, excessive thrill was not good.

I shrugged my shoulders slightly.

“Huh… ….”

“?”

At the laughter that leaked out that followed, Beatrice, who had been quietly following her, tilted her head.

*****

When entering through the entrance, the first place to fall was, so to speak, the center of the upper basement floor.

As such, more than half of the researchers are gathered there, and we intentionally moved away from the center.

I had to do that in order to find the path to the depths. There’s nothing good about standing out.

Fortunately, the structure of the basement, which I almost memorized while playing the game, has not changed much.

At most, I think the distance goes back and forth a little bit in terms of experience.

The map in 2D has been turned upside down in 3D, so maybe it’s a natural change.

It didn’t matter anyway, as it didn’t have much trouble finding the way.

I recalled the underground map in the form of a slightly maze in my head and slowed down my steps.

Around 20 minutes must have passed since I walked around like that.

“…… Hey. I’m asking just in case, but I’m not sure if I’ve lost my way—”

Perhaps it was a bit frustrating, the moment Beatrice was about to say something.

Stand up!

“I found it.”

I finally stopped walking.

It was near the entrance of a material warehouse located in a corner of the laboratory.

Beatrice cautiously stood next to me and put on a doubtful expression.

“…… Are you here?”

“Yes.”

I nodded, then casually put my hand toward the doorknob in the storage room.

Kikki-

As with most spaces in this basement, there were no special locks.

What you see as soon as you step inside is a mountain of clutter that is hard to explain.

Disposable scrolls, magic stones, magic tools used for daily life content, etc. It’s definitely a sight you’ve seen in games.

At first glance, should we say that they are items that researchers would use in relation to magic?

‘I’m not sure exactly how to use it.’

Anyway, without hesitation, I went straight to one wall of the warehouse.

As I said many times, it was not difficult to find the exact location because I had already been to this place.

The reason I picked up this warehouse right away was because I knew all the places where the entrance randomly appeared (?).

After I got a sense of it, it was easier to find than I thought.

‘Is there really no one this time?’

To be honest, it wasn’t that I couldn’t find the entrance when I was wandering around the basement a little while ago, but the timing didn’t follow me every time. If there is a lot of snow around, I can’t do anything, so it took 20 minutes.

So, I thought I should go to a place where people are rare, so I wandered around a few places that came to mind, and it was here that I finally won the prize when I arrived about the third time.

“…… Maybe it was like this.”

Muttering briefly, I removed a wooden box perched on the wall.

Then I gently stepped on the protruding floor with a strangely unnatural feeling…….

Knock!

“…… !”

Shortly thereafter, one side of the floor disappeared with a sound as if something were snapping together.

Beatrice’s eyes widened.

“Magic…… Are you?”

Then, he tilts his head with a slightly worried expression and asks me.

If this device were made of magic, she would have been able to feel the flow of mana better than I could, but the reason she was seeking answers from me was no different.

To put it bluntly, this wasn’t even magic, let alone mana.

I gave him the correct answer without thinking about it.

“This is an engine. It feels a little different from magic.”

“…… An institution?”

“Yes. Haven’t you heard of it?”

As I stepped on the topmost step of the stairs that seemed to allow me to go down a little further, I motioned for Beatrice to come down.

She hesitated for a moment, then she carefully lowered her stance and stepped down.

Perhaps it was strange that she couldn’t feel any mana at all, her eyes were slightly larger than usual.

“Hmm, I’ve heard of it before… ….”

“I don’t know the details, that’s what I mean.”

Beatrice nodded her head in disbelief.

It wasn’t particularly strange. In this world where mana and magic are active, mechanical devices and science are not so emerging fields.

Just one interesting thing is that.

Ironically, the last survivor of the race with the purest mana in this world dug into the realm of the engine more seriously than anyone else.

Yes. Tsumei, no one else, was the one who created the traps for the mechanical device that was about to begin, and was, in fact, the continent’s only expert on engine explosions.

Well, that doesn’t mean that mana isn’t mixed with the things that are waiting down here, but first of all, the basic frame is made up of organs.

Even the magical sword guard golem she made had its origin in a mechanical device.

“I think I’ve said this many times already, Riche.”

As I slowly descended the stairs, I spat out a few short words to Beatrice.

“From now on, just don’t try to think of anything else. Clear your head and don’t worry too much. Just follow the directions as is. As you hear. Did you understand?”

“… ….”

In normal times, Beatrice would have been displeased with this way of speaking, but this time, she did not express any objections or complaints.

Compared to other cases, the reason seems to be that my voice is completely lacking in playfulness.

Looking back, Beatrice only nodded her head heavily without answering.

…… In the past two days, the two risk factors have been clearly explained.

Traps and golems, make sure you don’t underestimate or be careless.

Apart from being a bit harsh, Beatrice wasn’t the type to listen to others or ignore them out of useless pride.

As much as I’ve been telling you, her vigilance must be raised to an appropriate level.

“We are here.”

It didn’t take long to move through the stairs.

We arrived at the end of the aisle in no time.

There, an old door stood in place.

Kikik…….

Look at how it creaks meaninglessly just because you got a little closer.

It was a familiar sound to me, but from Beatrice’s point of view, I think it might be a little creepy.

‘That’s right, it’s not a haunted house.’

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel that way, apart from being familiar with it just because she’d seen it a few times.

I know that her basement was designed by Tsumei herself at the time when the academy was to be built, but was such a trivial interior also her intention?

TMI, which is too good to be true, doesn’t even appear in the official setting book, so it was an unknown problem at this point.

Knock!

I opened the door.

Nothing complicated.

Unlike the upper layer, which basically seemed to focus on magic, you just have to respond according to the pattern and rules for this second stage and the third stage golem that will be waiting for you next.

Koo-goo-goo-goo…… !

Then the stone rolled.

“Oh… ….”

A little big stone.

No, just rocks.

It’s hot once you start.

Of course I wasn’t taken aback.

Among the many pitfalls, the most representative one was the ‘stone rolls’ pattern, and I prepared a very good countermeasure against various difficulties including this development.

Took!

I shoved the ‘measure’ lightly on the shoulder and shouted.

“Go, Riche! I decided on you!”

“Ha?”

Beatrice looked back at me with an absurd look in her eyes for a moment.

He looked at me as if asking, ‘Are you saying that to me?’, But I didn’t reply.

I just quickly hid behind Beatrice.

So-called, securing a safe zone.

“You… ….”

At that point, Beatrice’s expression distorted into a clear expression of displeasure.

Hwaaak!

In an instant, bright divine power appeared, and Beatrice clicked his tongue and stretched out her finger toward the rolling rock.

“…… You are probably the only one in the entire continent who treats me this way.”

‘No, but my name is a saintess. Heh, heh, huh.” At the same time as a small self-talk leaked out.

Flash-!

The compressed divine power burst out in the form of a flash, and in its own way split a huge rock into dozens of fragments.