Extra in a Romance Fantasy

116 – Arrival (1)

After the shadow monster incident ended.

Our group, along with others, began to venture deeper into the forest once more.

Fortunately, perhaps due to the steady pace we maintained despite the torment of the monster, we were able to reach our destination not long after properly resuming our journey.

In a clearing hidden among the dense trees, we could see a large stone building.

And surrounding that prominent stone structure were large tents lined up in rows.

Without needing to confirm, it was clear that these were the ones who had left Darville before us and arrived here.

Though the timing of the hero’s tomb opening was predetermined, the departure times were mostly close together; however, that didn’t mean that all those people had left Darville at once.

Our group was indeed among the faster ones, but there were those who had set out even earlier than us, and those tents were likely theirs.

“We’ve finally arrived.”

As he gazed at the scene, Max spoke with a hint of emotion in his eyes.

“Right. What do you think?”

He then turned his head directly towards me and asked.

“A rookie mercenary has made it this deep into the forest and is now seeing the legendary hero’s tomb with his own eyes.”

“Hmm… I don’t know.”

Impressions.

To be honest, there was nothing much to it.

It was simply that we had finally arrived.

The tomb was right in front of us.

That was about the extent of my feelings.

However, as I pondered over whether it was appropriate to say that outright, Max clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Anyway, you’re such a boring guy.”

“……”

Well, he was right, so I didn’t particularly feel the need to argue.

“Why are you picking on him like that?”

At that moment, Hector, who had quietly approached, interjected into the conversation.

“What about you? Don’t you have to manage the clients?”

“I left that to the others.”

“…And yet you still collect the fees. I really don’t know where your conscience has gone.”

The two began their usual trivial banter.

“…Well, anyway. We made it here somehow.”

“Yeah.”

It was a journey that could never be described as smooth due to the shadow monster, but aside from that, there were no significant issues.

Even having ventured deep into the forest, our party, along with the group accompanying us, managed to arrive here without any trouble.

Considering that, it might be fair to say that overall, it had been a smooth journey.

Anyway, we finally reached our destination.

*

Upon arriving at our destination, we immediately set up camp in the surrounding area, pitching our tents.

Just as those who arrived before us had done.

Since there was still time before the tomb would open, it was an unavoidable choice.

Our party wasn’t very large, so the task of setting up the tents was completed quickly.

After establishing our temporary shelter, the first thing we did was examine the tomb.

“This is the hero’s tomb.”

Standing in front of the large stone structure, Max said.

“So, what do you think, Max?”

I seized the opportunity and asked him directly.

Max pondered for a moment before responding.

“…Hmm, it’s impressive that something like this was so well hidden?”

“I can’t really say much. Weren’t you the one talking about dreams and all that before?”

“…….”

Max couldn’t muster a reply and remained silent, arms crossed, not taking his eyes off the building.

“Well, it’s not completely incomprehensible.”

I also looked up at the building again as I spoke.

The hero’s tomb was quite a large structure.

It stood out even in the densely wooded forest.

However, no matter how deep in the woods this place was, it was hard not to find it remarkable that such a building had not been discovered until now.

Of course, there was a reason for that.

“It was hidden by a special magic, they say.”

Johanna’s words, which appeared out of nowhere, provided the answer.

This location had originally been concealed by magic.

However, an explorer wandering through the forest happened to discover traces of the magic and, after analyzing it, confirmed that something was hidden. When they put in the effort to dispel the magic, this building was revealed.

Later, when the ‘Scholars of Alundel’ conducted a thorough analysis, they concluded that the original magic was of a transcendent level.

However, that magic had somewhat unraveled over time and due to various reasons, which is why its traces had begun to reveal themselves.

The hero’s tomb had thus come to exist in the world.

“It’s a story about dreams.”

“It’s a suspicious tale.”

“Back to that story again.”

Max’s gaze returned to me.

“No matter how you look at it, there are many strange points. For one, this place is deep in the forest, and honestly, it’s hard to believe that the magic has been maintained from the time when Verhabill was alive until now.”

“Well, that’s true… but still, if it’s ‘Verhabill,’ isn’t it possible?”

Verhabill.

The magician who was a companion and close friend of the hero.

He had reached the level of a grand sorcerer at a young age, and after the hero’s death, he was said to have transcended even that level, possibly witnessing the end of magic, according to legend.

Certainly, if it were Verhabill, there is a possibility.

The possibility that he could create magic capable of being maintained over a long period, even in the depths of this forest where the flow of magical energy is maximized.

However, even so, the questions do not disappear.

“As you said, it’s not without its suspicious points. There are definitely aspects that are hard to accept.”

Max’s expression was not that of someone whose judgment had been clouded by an unexpectedly romantic story.

His face, his gaze, remained calm.

He had known from the beginning.

That there were indeed some suspicious points related to the hero’s tomb.

Even knowing that, he had come here of his own accord.

“So, we need to go in and check for ourselves.”

Diving in despite knowing the risks is precisely what being a mercenary is about.

“To the tomb of the hero, Ferdion.”

*

Hero Ferdion.

A figure who left behind countless achievements and is still spoken of as a legend even after many years have passed.

The reason that name is familiar to me is not simply because it has been passed down through the mouths of people as a legend until now.

I had known that name even before coming to this world.

And it makes sense, as Ferdion is the name of the academy.

Why is the name of the academy, and the name of the city surrounding it, the same as that of the hero?

—

It all began with the hero at the Academy.

The time when Ferdion lived was truly a chaotic era.

Countless monsters from other realms rampaged, and colossal disasters frequently shook the continent.

In that tumultuous age, the hero Ferdion achieved numerous feats and saved countless lives.

The Ferdion Academy was an educational institution established in honor of his accomplishments, founded by his companions and those who followed him.

Many people flocked to the academy, which carried on the hero’s legacy, and naturally, the city that formed one day also bore his name.

Thus, the name Ferdion was quite familiar to me.

I had encountered that name many times, both before coming here and after arriving.

‘The hero…’

I quietly mulled over his name as I surveyed the interior of the hero’s tomb.

The interior of the stone structure, presumed to be the hero’s tomb, was not particularly special considering its size.

In the vast space, there was a small monument, and behind it, a large door.

Aside from that, there were only the usual pillars and walls that one would expect.

My gaze turned to the solitary monument placed in that expansive space.

The language inscribed there was so ancient that I could not fully comprehend it.

There were characters that resembled those of today, but the grammar and vocabulary were so different that interpretation was difficult.

However, I knew what the inscription conveyed.

The “Scholars of Alundel” had announced a statement along with the content of the monument.

The text on the monument was quite lengthy, so I couldn’t memorize it all, but I remembered the general idea.

The writing was from the perspective of one Berhavil, presumed to have created the tomb and the monument.

He expressed a wish that his dear friend, the hero Ferdion, would find peaceful rest in this place.

And he mentioned that he had left behind items that Ferdion cherished in life, including his beloved sword.

Of course, that was not the end of it.

Berhavil anticipated that the tomb would one day be revealed and that the magic sealing the door would be undone.

Thus, he wrote a warning.

A warning that anyone who carelessly entered the hero’s tomb or desecrated it would suffer great harm.

Yet, despite this, countless people from across the continent flocked here, and they continue to do so.

To engage in the very acts that Berhavil warned against.

I found it rather amusing.

—

—

It’s a sight to see people flocking with fiery eyes, eager to desecrate the grave of someone who may have been respected more than anyone else.

…Well, this is all assuming the grave is real.

I still doubted that this grave was genuine.

No, I was half-convinced of it.

With all the suspicious details and my instincts telling me so.

I shifted my gaze away from the gravestone.

The next place my eyes landed was a massive door behind the stone.

No, it would be more accurate to say it was colossal.

The door was of a size one would expect in a grand banquet hall.

What could possibly lie behind that door?

And what is the ‘organization’ aiming for?

The time to confirm that was gradually approaching.