Sword, Magic and Academic Society
Vol. 1 - Ch. 236 - Ruins (1)

"It's... impossible for all of us huh. Both of you, keep running and don't stop!"

Allen murmured with a quiet but unwavering voice, suddenly slowing his pace.

“What the hell are you doing, boy! Run!”

Dio, momentarily confused by the sudden change, turned around and urged Allen to sprint again with all his might.

It was already uncertain whether they could make it in time… no, they're clearly tethering at the edge of timing, and if he dared to slowed down here—

A strong, uneasy feeling gripped Dio’s chest.

“I said don’t look back, Dio. I’ll make it back alive, I swear!”

Allen declared with a firm face, not a trace of despair in his sharp, determined expression.

“What are you talking about—”

*There's no way he's giving up, right? It's impossible. He had been raised by Cecilia-sama... and there's no way the child of the person he so revered would give up on living!*

But much in despair of Dio, his ominous feeling turned into reality in the very next moment.

Without warning, Allen veered off course, running straight toward the underground lake.

Anyone that's worth their salt could tell why he would do that. He was trying to ensure him and Ignis would survive by making himself the sacrifice.

Immediately, Cecilia's face surfaced at the back of his mind, and entangled between the chaotic  threads of emotion, Dio's pace faltered for a faint moment, but he immediately received a pat on the back from Ignis. 

"You moron! Do not trample on Ren's resolve!"

There was fury in Ignis’ voice; a deep, almost terrifying anger. Yet, that rage wasn't turning toward Dio. How could it be? Ren's action meant he would be getting to live well. And that was due to the 13 year old kid whom he had met just a while ago, the same kid who had so innocently asked him to become his disciple. 

The enemy, blinded by rage, had completely locked on Allen, so it was impossible to take over the enemy's aggro at the present situation. 

Moreover, Allen must have wanted to save Dio, and he just happened to roll into the situation. So, the least Ignis could do was to make sure Allen's resolve met its end. But comprehension was one aspect, he still was deeply bitter at himself that he was so helpless in the situation. He bit his lips so hard a streak of blood ran down his lips. 

On the other hand, with Allen, the main target of its chilling hostility---something that made even Ignis shudder in cold sweat despite not being in its sight---sliding away from the range, Steinfosh's released magic veered off from the sight, and crashed just behind them.. 

An ear-splitting roar echoed through the mine, and even though the spell didn’t hit directly, Ignis and Dio were thrown toward the exit at the resultant shockwave.

The shockwave from the magic caused the mine to start collapsing, and massive rocks began sealing the entrance to Area 81.

"Boy......Boooyyyyy!!!!!"

Dio's cries reverberated like a sharp shrill, attempting to rush toward the entrance despite it being crumbling away. Ignis, however, took him into tight hold to prevent that. 

Of course, the closeup of the entrance meant Allen might not have any way to turn around. Dio, Ignis, and Satowa and Parry's gaze from behind lingered on Allen as an expression of distraught covered them. 

Allen, having been thrown around by the shockwave, somehow regained his footing, and after a brief moment of lowering his gaze, he looked up slowly.

And then—

Once he confirmed the safety of the two, he gave a small, reassuring smile, the tension leaving his face as he turned and disappeared into the deep, cold waters of the underground lake.

◆◆◆

Soon, the entrance of Area 81 was completely sealed away by the crumbling rocks. 

In the face of such a sudden and merciless turn of events, no one could find the words to speak. 

After a moment of silence, Satowa broke the atmosphere with his pained murmur, his hand clenched into fist. 

"That relieved expression... he really must have that much concern about us till the end. He's a real fool, trying to put up devil-may-care attitude as 'Mad Hound,'... but still selflessly caring more about other..."

"...I...I don't know how I would explain to that lady… how I couldn’t even protect her light…"

Dio had crumbled on the spot on his knee, as he let out silent sobs, unable to contain his grief.

After a glance at the solitary back of Dio, Ignis momentarily closed his eyes in reflection, and then spoke in an emotionless tone. 

"Dio... this place might end up going down too."

Nevertheless, Dio didn't budge from his spot. Parry slammed the ground with the butt of his spear, attracting everyone's attention, saving Dio.

"His... the look in his eyes wasn't of someone who's going to die. He's just like that. Just when everyone thinks they've hit a deadend of no saving, he—he will even snatch the meat right from the mouth of the lion even in that situation! He hasn't given up! I have seen his absurdities long enough to say that. As long as there's even a minute chance, he will not give up. So I am not going to give up on his life either!"

Dio, who had been kneeling with his head down, slowly turned around.

There's no way to believe it would be an easy situation when locked inside with a berserk enemy, and with the collapse of that range, they’re bound to take more than a day to re-open the entrance.

The situation was grim. Parry wasn't ignorant to that either. Nevertheless, the light dwelling within those eyes harbored a strong conviction. 

Dio took hold of that conviction, and stood up, clenching the spear in his hand tightly. 

"Boy did say... 'I will definitely make it alive'..."

Satowa, who usually carries the gentle demeanor of a kind civil servant, declared with a stern expression and a low voice.

"We don't have the tools or manpower to reopen this passage. We'll need to return first and request support from all directions... We’ll do whatever it takes to rescue them."

Dio, Ignis, Parry, and all the explorers and stonemasons who remained on-site nodded assertively.

They're not going to give up. They will dig even the deadend until there was no more land left---

◆

Having somehow climbed into the side passage of the underground lake, I kicked aside a few Steinfosh and made my way deeper.

The side passage wasn’t very wide, so that giant frog couldn't fit in here, but the problem would be the water that would soon invade once lake water returned to its usual volume. 

I should have walked at least a hundred meters in, and finally found my target on the track---the rail car of the past. Though it now appeared rusted, mostly a side-effect from being left in the water for so long.

The rail car had something like a metallic human head affixed to it. Even at a glance, the rail car appeared to have a more complex mechanism than you would assume, so I presume the head must be what a cog is to a machine.

"It seems... a type of magic automaton golem? Heh, Fey would go wild seeing that."

I whispered good-nothing, feeling a quiet rush of excitement within me.

Golems were one of the long-lost heirlooms of the Dragoon family. They'd put countless efforts to find them, and yet, none could manage to discover them. However the relic of the past, also the enigmatic lump that just tickled that sense of mystery, was right before me. 

I would've been jumping around in delight had it not for my current situation.

When I first picked up on the corroded rail line-like thing, I wasn't entirely sure. But, it all clicked when I detected this man-made item's presence.

I presume this newly excavated Area 81 must have been a mining spot in the spot as well, having its entrance open from a different point. Then, after an era of being abandoned, the flow of underground water vein should've taken a shift, and became the subterranean lake of Area 81. 

I also thought of it as a mere miracle of nature initially, and didn't think deeply about it, but now that I was looking at it again, I should've realised it was impossible for there to be an underground lake given the tough bedrock layer. 

It was then it came to be that it could be a golem. At the very least, this ruin likely dated back to the time before the founder and hero Moon Dragoon. 

Moon Dragoon had been famous for his golems, whose mechanisms were a mystery even from the modern era perspective, who then passed away without leaving behind his legacy for the future generation. 

I lit my small foldable magic lantern, a constant companion during my exploration stuff, and took a closer look at the decayed golem. The falling light shined the thin, pointed rod connecting the head and the cart section.

This part was likely made of a corrosion-resistant alloy.

“...It looks sturdy. My arrows are running low too, so I might as well take this with me.”

I had no idea what lay ahead, but this could be useful for digging through walls or other obstacles.

Water had already begun flowing, reaching my feet, and continuing to rise rapidly. Alongside it, the inside of the tunnel shook so often, maybe due to the berserk giant fox slamming itself against the tunnel entrance in an attempt to enter. 

I quickly retrieved the heavy rod, a smirk creeping on my face, and then wrinkled my nose and sniffed the air.

"This... is the smell of treasure, ain't it?"

I am not excited. Yes, I am not here to treasure hunt definitely. I quietly whispered to myself, extinguished the magic lamp, and took my step toward the depth of the tunnel at the guidance of wind. 

T/N - Do you know the title of last chapter—I will be back!—was in English. Didn't expect it to become a prophecy for me to. Ahem, this aside, first, I really didn't expect for the update to stall for so long. My health hadn't been quite great last month, and when I finally thought I am alright, it doubled down. Turn out it was typhoid. It had been quite a long wait, but I will try to shorten down it soon. Especially for our dear patreon readers. Can't keep the monthly subscription to nothing, eh?

Right now, it's 2/13 chapters huh.