Ruins City [Ether Lante].
　This is a living relic of the old days, discovered during the construction of an underground road.
　The people used to live in this underground city, but during the Evil God War, the network of communication with the outside world was cut off, and they were buried.
　All the people starved to death, and what was left behind was a literal city of the dead, trapped by demonized corpses and grudges.
　After the city was liberated, a team of investigators was dispatched to the city, and as a result of a large-scale investigation, it was discovered that the city was powered by magical power gathered from the dragon veins running underground.
　The pillars that tower over the city serve as magical power transmission devices that immobilize the bedrock with strengthening magic, and have protected the city until now.
　The management system that supports the living environment has been deemed too dangerous for the current mages to handle, and has been completely sealed off with dozens of protective barriers. The reason for this is because we can't afford to have our defense systems tampered with and our ancient weapons activated.
　The [Arrow of Absolution] that was unleashed on the Holy Priesthood of Metis was caused by an ancient weapon that was inadvertently activated here. Only a few people in the Solstice Magic Kingdom know about this fact.
　Anyway, there are many dangerous things in this ruin city, and the mages investigating it are required to act with caution. Even if they found something, they were obligated to report it.
　And the students of the academy who were dispatched as investigators were also obliged to do so.
　The students were currently assigned to examine the tools found in the ruins.
　Of course, they are mages of the Saint Germain school.

"...... This ring seems to be paired with something. It seems to have an activation formula engraved on it, but I don't know which magic tool it's linked to.
If you don't know, why don't you try activating it?　It might be in one of these, you know?
You've got to be kidding me. What if it's a bad magic tool?
Why don't we just run?　I'd be the first one to run.
That's irresponsible. ......

　In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it for a lot of things.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　By inscribing magical formulas into these gems, grimoires with various effects are created. By looking into the jewel with a loupe and deciphering the magic formula, one can decipher what kind of effect it has.
　However, this process requires a great deal of patience.

If the [magic stone] or [magic crystal stone] is reasonably large, it is easy to identify the magic circle composed of the magic formula.
　However, some of them are as small as the tip of your little finger, and you can barely tell that they are magic circles, but you can't even read the magic formula.
　I don't know how they carved these tiny magic circles, but they were so precise that it made the investigators suffer.
　Only Croisus was happy.

It's amazing ...... how you can build a magic circle in such a tiny size. The old school magic tools are an art form after all.
"Mr. Croisus, ...... how do you keep the tension up ......?　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. We can't tell the difference.
"Well, it's Mr. Croisus. ....... I'm sure this is a holy place for him.
Yes, this is heaven. He could spend the rest of his life studying here and not regret it.
"Are you ...... that happy about it?　All but Croisus are fed up with it.

　In the beginning, the students were as happy as Croisus.
　It's an old-fashioned magic tool, after all. There are not many opportunities for researchers to touch a perfected and elaborate magic tool, and if they are not careful, they may not have the chance to do so in their lifetime.
　There is a mountain of such magic tools right in front of you. You'd be crazy not to get excited by this.
　However, the process of sorting them out was terribly troublesome. If you have the [Appraise] skill, you may be able to identify some of them, but the grimoires of the old era were too elaborate.
　Even the few people with [Appraise] skills have given up, and the investigation has been extremely difficult because all the grimoires are of unknown use. The level of [Appraise] increases, but even so, it is not possible to completely decipher them. Because of his low level as a mage, he was only able to read the effects of magic tools made with advanced technology.
　Until now, those with [Appraise] skills had been given preferential treatment, but this time their confidence was shattered to the core, and they went from a position of being admired to one of being shouted down.
　The frustration of not being able to make progress in their work added to their frustration, and they had many fierce fistfights. In the midst of all this, Croisus is a great man who can keep his own pace.

It's not possible. ......[Appraisal] The skill level has been raised to the maximum, but it does not change to a higher skill. ....... I'm not a mage, I'm too immature!
I'm not sure what to make of that.　I'm not sure what to do.
You go ahead, I'm busy deciphering!　What the hell is that?　Somebody get me a dictionary!
A dictionary in any language! There are thirty-six dictionaries for the Beastmen alone!　Elven, Dwarven, and even some extinct races' languages. ......
I can't read it!　I can't read it! What does "Mahyabolaha" mean?　I can't read it!
Calm down, you might be reading it wrong.

　"Relax, you might be reading it wrong. Anyway, it's a pain in the ass.
　I had to look up just one letter in a mountain of dictionaries and repeat the same action over and over again.
　The time before the Old Age is called the Mythic Age, and it is said that the races of that time used a unified language.
　That unified language broke up into different species, and eventually changed into their own species language. Deciphering was also the act of investigating the unified language itself.
　If we can decipher the meaning of all the magic formulas, we can revive the unified language again. This should have been a historic achievement, but ...... in fact, the work has become increasingly difficult.
　The same word can mean different things to different races. Even if you can decipher magic formulas, you are still a student of the academy and cannot decipher everything.


　It is, after all, a new field that I have started recently. I've been forced to do some pretty crazy things.

"Hmmm, ......, this makes me want a change of pace.
Well, ......, do you have anything interesting to tell me?
I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.　If that's the case, then they were using a unified language during the Evil God War, right?　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
"Yes, it does. It is inconceivable that the tribal languages could have changed so much in just a thousand years. At the very least, the world would have collapsed twice, wouldn't it?
""What the hell ---------?

　During the Evil God War, there was already no unified language among the races.
　At that time, there were already languages unique to each race, and humans needed interpreters to communicate with other races.
　Then, humans were the only ones who used a unified language in the magic formula. Then, the question arises, "Why did we live in such a time? Then the question arises, "Why did we live in such a time?

One possible explanation is the apocalyptic war often mentioned in myths and stories: ....... However, there is no record of such a war in any records. Strange, isn't it?
"In other words, once civilization collapsed, it was divided into two groups: humans who used a unified language and different species who developed their own culture. The humans who developed their civilization united the world again, but their civilization collapsed again in the Evil God War. This time, even the unified language was lost. ...... Is that what you mean?
"Before the War of Evil, there may have been some records left. But if you think that the records were completely lost during the war, then it makes sense.
So, if we look into this city, there might be some records left, right?
Yee Lin, that's impossible. It's possible, but I think it's mostly a fairy tale. Considering the level of civilization here, a lot of time must have passed. I think it's more like the fairy tales we know, don't you?
"I don't think there are any ancient ruins left from the cradle of civilization. It's all beyond time, there's no way to find out.

　As expected, there is no way to look into times older than the Old Age.
　After all, human civilization, which used to abound all over the world, has been completely devastated since the Evil God War.
　Croisus's prediction was that the city that used the dragon vein would collapse, and the vast amount of magic power stored in it would spread into the atmosphere. The concentration of magic in the world temporarily doubled.
　The huge amount of magic power caused plants to grow rapidly and abnormally, which had a negative impact on weak demons and artificially created biological weapons, resulting in unexpected abnormal evolution.
　Advanced civilization was buried in the wilderness, and the wild world was quickly reborn. The world of the weak and the strong has returned.
　The world was swallowed up by greenery in the blink of an eye, thanks to the forests that continued to spread at an abnormal speed and the abnormal fertility of plants and animals that had undergone abnormal evolution due to the high concentration of magical power.
　The only territory that can be inhabited is the plains blocked by mountainous regions. The world was swallowed up by the greenery in the blink of an eye.

"Well, that's just a guess, but that's what I'm thinking. What do you think?
In the mythology, fairy species are friendly.　In mythology, fairies are considered to be a friendly race, but in reality, they're a nasty bunch. I'm not sure what to make of this.
It's true that in the old heroic tales, there are many scenes where the elves make weapons and tools for the heroes, right?　This means that there were other species with knowledge like the elves. ......
And they coexisted with humans until the war described in the mythical period. Then a new civilization collapsed again. ....... Hey, what is an evil god after all?
It's a biological weapon from a bygone era, isn't it?　For example, homunculus, but we can't create them now, can we?　The creation of living things is forbidden on the grounds that it is an abomination against life. What if the cause of this is an evil god?
I see. ...... If that speculation is true, then yes, they would ban it.

　In reality, no one knows what an evil god is.
　But it was reasonable to assume that it was an ancient biological weapon. At least that's what the majority of researchers think. Because most mages are skeptical of the existence of gods.
　Many mages, whose goal is to reveal the truth of the world, do not approve of the vague existence of gods that people believe in. They think that even the four gods are creatures that have evolved in a special way, and it is common knowledge.
　In a sense, they were right, but they were also wrong. Only a few of the reincarnated know that.
　But there is no one here who can tell you that.

"Well, that should take your mind off things. Shall we continue?
"Wow, I wish I'd forgotten about ....... I feel so bad. ......
It would be easier to analyze existing magic. ....... Isn't it wrong to dabble in magic tools when you can't even apply them?
"Croisus, you're very lively, aren't you? ......

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
In the first place, it is unreasonable to have school students analyze magic tools, but there are fewer investigators and more school students who can read magic formulas. The point is that the government's policy is to train students in the field.
　With the exception of one person, this field is as hard as a crab ship.
　No, it may be even more hellish than the crabber ship because there is no end in sight.

　I'm not sure.



　Zveit and the others were also working as mages for the Weasler faction.
　They were mainly looking for rough edges in defense.

There are two ...... gates. There are two gates, one on the Solistair side and one on the Atrum side. ....... I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.
"It would be a problem if there was a rebellion inside, though. The city is impregnable, .......

　Ether Lante is basically self-sufficient.
　It is an underground city, so there are no arrows flying from the sky, and the only people to watch out for are the merchants and mercenaries who come and go at the gates. It is practically impregnable.
　However, people sometimes lose their countries in unexpected ways. There are no absolutes in anything.

You are building soldiers' quarters in front of the west and north gates, right?　There are also guard posts in the city to maintain security. In addition, there are watchtowers on every street corner. It seems they were quite active in security activities in the past, I wonder how many troops they had.
According to the documents, they found a building with a warehouse for storing weapons, so it must have been pretty big.
I've heard that the patrol and the army were two separate commands, so they must have been incredibly organized. How did troops from different chains of command work together?
The guards are also a part of the knight's job, they're effectively the same organization just in different departments, and there's no such thing as an organizational conflict with the Mage Order.
I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

　The conflict between the Mages and the Knights began when the organization was set up.
　Originally, the majority of mages were alchemists. It was an organization that made magic potions and magical tools and provided logistical support to the Order of Knights, which was the official army that maintained security and protected the country.
　Potions are valuable items that can immediately heal injured knights and bring them back to the front line, and they are very useful in an army where recovery magic is not available. After all, the Holy Priesthood of Metis had a monopoly on recovery magic, so the demand for magic potions would inevitably increase in importance. The problem was that many of the knights and mages were from noble families.
　Nobles value honor above all else. Before the founding of the Magical Kingdom of Solistea, mages were treated badly, and at that time, even nobles were considered objects of contempt if they were mages.
　Among those who showed contempt were, of course, many nobles of the knightly class.
　And the mage nobles led a coup d'etat against the tyranny of the king at the time. There were also knightly nobles involved, but in effect the relationship was one of mutual interest.
　The mages aimed for a state that would improve their treatment, while the knightly nobles felt that their country would be destroyed if they were further oppressed. The coup d'état succeeded, and the magical kingdom of Solstair was established.
　At the time, the relationship between the magical nobles and the knightly nobles was not that serious, but eventually a conflict broke out between the mage and knightly nobles. The conflict worsened as the country was divided into the Mage Order and the Knight Order.
　In short, the knights and nobles began to spout the rhetoric of the old state system. In order to make up for it, they limited the number of magic potions, and the situation became even more serious. Mages and knights from the general public were caught in the middle and suffered the consequences. The conflict would continue for a long time until Zveit and his team's plan to reform the organization passed.
　As a side note, Zveit and his team's reform plan was based on ability, and no one from the nobility would suddenly be assigned to an important position. Even now, incompetent people were being weeded out by dismissal.

There is no point in complaining. Let's come to a conclusion: ...... Dio, how would you attack this city?
"I think I'll just pose as a merchant and take my time. You can't take down this city by straightforward means, it's impregnable and you're not obliged to accept single combat.
"Well, you know, ....... I'm in a position to do so. ......
It's tough being a nobleman.

　In this era, royalty and aristocracy had to carry flags with their family crests on the battlefield.
　In addition to the purpose of raising the will to fight, the banner of the nobility was necessary for the smooth execution of the operation in order for the army to work in an organized manner.
　However, in other words, it is like telling the enemy who the commander is, and there is a high possibility of being intensively targeted.
　In addition, mages were not good at close combat. Even if you were a mage, if you were a noble, you would have to face single combat, and if you were of royal blood, it would be even more shameful to run away.
　This was the main reason why the knight nobles despised the magic nobles. When asked to fight in single combat, the magic nobleman struck a blow with magic from a distance. No wonder they thought it was cowardly.
　However, the magic nobleman says, "Why should I fight on the same field as the knight nobleman?　In fact, that's more cowardly. Since their professions are different from each other in the first place, neither side's argument can be reconciled. However, as a relative of the royal family, Zveit is in a position where he has to agree to a fight.
　He is obligated to do so and cannot be killed from afar. It was a very troublesome bloodline.

But ...... at this rate, we won't have anything to do soon, will we?　I was interested in the old cities, but they are too ironclad for defense. ......
There's only so much you can do, whether you're defending ...... or attacking. Especially since Ether Lante is a city that specializes in defense.
Where can I find a place to train ......?

　When I was about to move on to the next place, I found Elomra and Anzu walking together, with the map of the city open.
　This is a very unusual sight, but the two of them are hired guards, and acting without permission is a violation of their contract.
　Elomura, in particular, has been pardoned, but he was one of the perpetrators of the assassination attempt, and before that he was a criminal who was forced to fall into slavery for his foolishness.
　At the very least, he is in a position to ask for permission from Zveit when acting on his own.

Where do you guys think you're going?
"Oh, Zveit!　We're going to explore. There might be some undiscovered tunnels and maybe some combat training?
What, is that true?
That's just ...... Elomra's speculation. So I'm going to go check it out. ......
Hey, Anne!　I'm sure you've heard of it.　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.



　The two of them are reincarnators.
　Naturally, they knew of Ether Lante from Sword and Sorcery, and were on their way to a certain location to verify the difference between the game and the real world.
　When I told him about my purpose, he was more interested than I expected.
　There's only so much you can do to defend or attack Ether Lante, even if you plan your tactics.
　At this rate, the Weaslers will soon be bored. Most of them have never tried to decipher a magic formula.
　Most of them have never tried to decipher magic formulas, since the Weasler School's research is about developing tactical plans for contingencies.

Well, we could be wrong, so don't count on it, okay?
I won't get my hopes up, but where are you going?　Normally you'd ask me for permission, right?
I'm sorry about that. That's where we're going.

　In the direction Elomra pointed, there was a huge pillar stretching to the ceiling.

Why that pillar?　I'm sure you've heard of it.
There should be stairs and an elevator inside. There's supposed to be stairs and an elevator inside, but I hope they're not broken.
How do you know all this?　That's information we don't know either, that's ....... What's an elevator?
I'm sure the Annihilator knows. We don't know much about this city either.
...... Who the hell are you? Where did you get that information from?

　Now Zveit realized the anomaly of Zeroth and Elomra.
　This Ether Lante is a recently excavated urban ruin. They not only know a lot of information, they even know that there are stairs inside the pillars.
　Even Croisus, who somehow had access to information related to the ruins, did not know about the structure inside the pillar. He had never heard that it was possible to go up to the ground.
　Moreover, if Xellos knew more about it, the abnormality he felt with Elomra would be applied to the old man. He knows too much that we don't know.

"No, we're just like that old man: ......
Not knowing is a blessing: ....... Curiosity can kill a Hell Great Cat. You shouldn't care about that. ......
No, I don't want to be told the name of a legendary demon like that. ....... I mean, they'll kill you if they run into you.
...... Don't worry. You're not going to die. I'll protect you. ......
You just left me to protect you and now you're going out, aren't you?
Don't worry about the details, mate. You're gonna go bald.
I'm going bald!　Well, okay. Let me know what you find out at .......

　You're not going to tell me anything, so I'll leave it at that.
　Eromura waved his hand and left, saying, "Okay, I'll leave it to you.

There's something ...... wrong with those two, isn't there?
Oh, ...... it seems they're the same kind as Master, but they're not mages. What's the connection?
Why don't you ask your master?
You can ask him, but I don't know if he'll tell you honestly. He can be a bit of a jerk.

　Zveit, who did not know what was going on with Xelloss and the others, felt a stab in the back of his throat.
　But since I don't know what I'm thinking, I'm not going to pursue anything for now.
　I decided to trust my teacher, who will tell me when I should know.

　...

　Elomra and Anzu had come to one of the towering pillars.
　They could feel a huge amount of magic power flowing in the circuit-like grooves on the pillar, which was probably about a hundred meters high to the ceiling.
　The pillar is surrounded by a 20-meter high pedestal-like structure, but there is no entrance to the pillar.
　There was a massive bulkhead, but it remained tightly closed.

"......, I think it's around here.
If we remember correctly, the door should have been disguised, right?
No. ...... event [The Great Ork Kaiser's March], orcs invaded from the outside.
"Ohhhh, that was one of those events that made new players go 'holy shit' . After that, it was standard practice to go to another city. Well?　Did you find the door?
"Not a problem. ...... There's an entrance.

　It's a slightly curved stone wall, but if you look closely you can see what looks like a groove.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

"Let's see, ......, 'Great is the Saint of Arnukamus'?
"The unlock code has been entered. I will open the door.

　The door was sucked inward and slid to the left about two meters back.


　The door seems to be thicker than expected.

You remembered ...... well. You're a great eromura.
I'm not sure if that's a compliment.　It's more like a disgrace!
It's ...... only about ten percent praise.
That means the other 90% is disparaging!　Do you hate me?　You don't like me?
"I don't care about .......
...... I can cry, can't I?

　In a way, it was better to be told 'I hate you'.
　It was not a matter of liking or disliking, but indifference. Not only did they not express their feelings, but they ignored the existence itself.
　Moreover, this elementary school student does not even try to hide this fact, and is very proud of it.

So let's go to ...... and explore inside. I'll have to have a long talk with Anne later.
"Eromura ...... pedo?
Who the hell do you think you are?
A ...... womanizing ...... pedo.
He assured me ......, but I'm not going to sell the fight. You'll never win .......
"Ero-mura ...... unworthy?　Chickenshit?
Oh, hey!　What do you want to do with me, Anne?

　These were words I didn't want to hear from a schoolgirl.
　The emotionless words of an innocent girl mercilessly cut into the glass heart of Elomura.
　The little tyrant was expressionless at first glance, but his mouth was slightly lifted. It was a small enough change to be missed.
　It seemed that Anne was an S.

Don't play with me. ...... Let's get going.
"Whose fault do you think it is?　It's not my fault, is it?
It's not like a man to make excuses for his eroticism .......

　In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.
　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but I think it's a good idea.

　I'll be back.

"Have you seen ......?
"Yes, I saw ....... I didn't know there was such a trick. ......

　Celestina and Carosti, who happened to be strolling through the city, witnessed Eromula and her friends breaking into the pillar.
　Like Croisus, they were investigating magic tools, but they took a break to take a curious stroll through the streets of Ether Lante. Incidentally, Miska and Urna, being outsiders in their own right, were walking separately.

As mages, we should follow in their footsteps!　You never know what you'll discover!
I agree with you, but our equipment is not designed for combat.　It is possible that there will be a battle ahead of us, and it seems to be an undiscovered place that the survey team has not found yet, so we cannot be too careful.
"So you're just going to let the discovery of the century go by?　The mercenaries might steal the relics without reporting their discovery.
I don't think Anzu would do such a thing, but I don't trust the other ...... Eromont. ...... What should we do?
We have to go. ...... No, we have to go!

　The girls are wearing school uniforms and robes. The only weapons they have are a few wands and a ring, which is a magical medium. It's not much, really.
　Still, as researchers, our intellectual curiosity gets the better of us.
　It doesn't matter, but Celestina's perception of Mr. Elomura seems to be that of an erotic. I'm sure he would cry if he knew.

So, ......, we'll turn back if we decide it's too dangerous.
That's right. This is a survey, and if you find the place dangerous, you can just run away. ......

　I've said it. There's no going back now.
　They nodded vigorously to each other and ran toward the entrance that Elomra and the others had entered.
　Expecting new discoveries, the two girls challenged into the pillar.