116 - - I found a cave.Where does this cave connect?






----Ugh...... annoying...... annoying...... already! ----



 I wondered how long I had been asleep before I felt a jolt from below and jumped out of bed.

 For a moment, it sounded like something was collapsing.



"Are you all right?"

"Mr. Locke ......"



 Shannon looked at me with a worried face, wondering if the earthquake had woken her too, but Margret, who was nearby, was sleeping comfortably, despite our worries. This may be a normal occurrence in this village.



 The earthquake subsided soon after.

 We checked the situation outside just to be sure, but there were no dragons running amok or anything like that.



 Returning to the room, I found that a part of the back of the cave had collapsed, which I had not noticed at the time of my arrival. I guess I did not notice it because the room was a little dimly lit. It seems that this was the place where we had heard the sound of the collapse earlier.

 A slightly musty smell came from inside the cave.



 Fortunately, there was no one in the collapsed area, but when I checked inside ...... to be sure, I found a natural staircase and what looked like an underground passage below it.



"What is this place?

"Is it a passageway?



"Is it a passageway? Is it there? Ugh ...... my head hurts. Mr. Locke, can I have some water, please?

 Guitin woke up with a start and asked me for water, so I gave him some water. He got up and gulped down the water in one gulp.





"Thank you very much. I think I drank a little too much, even though I was fine when I was younger. The passage there is a hidden passage between the villages of Anesa and Colon. The path Mr. Locke took today seems to be an outsider's."



I didn't know there was such a path.

It's a path for emergency evacuation. So we don't usually tell outsiders about it and they won't find it unless something like this happens. I think the reason why the village head is so relaxed is because of this road. The residents are trained to evacuate immediately if they are attacked.



Can you get there quickly through this road?

Yes, it's a straight road. You'll be there in no time.



What about this hole here? Should I close it?

No, leave it open. No, we can leave it open. We don't use this room very often and if they attack tonight, it would be better to have an entrance to the basement. If there is no attack, we can fill it up afterwards. Luckily we don't have to work for a while."



 Guitin gave me a rather happy smile, but the next moment he was back with a headache and a bitter look on his face. Moderation is always the best.



 Still, I would not have helped him if it was a night attack or if ...... all of them were like the village chief, but I would like to help them somehow.

 Not all the people in this village are bad.



"Don't worry, Mr. Locke. If there is an attack, we will help you, and if you feel the way you did today, we can help you ......."

"Yes, I agree. Suidu is probably safe but the problem is the other one.



 I remembered the voices of the dragons we had heard when we first came to this village.

 Domorte and Margret's magic seems to work, but ...... that's assuming the dragons are asleep.



 If the dragon really wakes up, it is hard to say whether it can be controlled or not. Dragons are not creatures that can be controlled by human beings.



 As it became brighter and brighter, the people who had been sleeping in the room started to wake up.

 Mr. Gargoyle ...... was still a little sleepy, or maybe he was just talking in his sleep. Gargoyle is supposed to be made of stone, but he can get drunk on alcohol too.



"Well, last night was fun. We could have a party here too. Maybe it's better here than over there."

"I'm glad you found something new. By the way, do I have to stay locked up in this room for the rest of the night?"

"Oh, nominally, I'd appreciate it if you did."



 Guitin pointed at the newly opened hole.



"If you're not busy, you can go to the next village to play since the chief doesn't come here. It's just down the road." "When we first met," he said.



"And did you use this cave when we first met?"

Yes. Yes. How did you know?



 I remember there were not many footprints on the way to this village. If it had been a day trip, it could have been more heavily trodden. Was this what I felt strange at that time?



"Where are we going to end up if we continue on this path?

"You will reach a rocky area near the village of Koron. People from the village of Koron don't go near there, so it's okay.



"Even if you are found, the chief of the village over there knows this information, so don't worry about it. But, it is not good for ordinary people to find it. By the way, it's okay to just run away. The road there was collapsed by accident, so we'll pretend that we don't know anything about it.



"Don't worry. I'll come back. What's Domorte doing today?

I'm going to go to the village to look for something I told you yesterday.



Okay. What about Ivan?

"Can I go to the next village with my ...... brothers? I've never been out of this village.



"Yes. I've never been out of this village.

"Ha-ha-ha, Ivan, are you going out?"

 Margret got up and gulped down a cup of tea she had on hand, which was cold and not very tasty.

 Ivan is standing by Margret's side, patting her back.

 He seems to be a very gentle boy.



I'm going to go see the outside world. "I'm going to go see the outside world, Grandma.

"Yeah, be careful."



 Margret hugs Ivan tightly.

 It's a big gesture, even if it's not the hug of a lifetime.



Ivan has never been outside before?




"Oh, not at all. I'm sure she'll give you some trouble, but please take care of her."



"There's no need to worry about that. I'm just going for a short walk to the next village.

I'm just going for a walk to the next village. Since his parents died, I've been a little more timid than I should be about letting him out of the house. Ivan, go on."



"Well, we'd better get to work. Mr. Locke, I had a great time with you yesterday. Now let's just hope Mr. Locke's story is not unfounded. If it does, you can rest assured I'll get you out of here.



"Yeah, I think it's best if I don't get attacked."

 Everyone in the village left the room and Domorte went to retrieve the black crystal.

 Patra and the others went into the box garden, leaving Shannon and Ivan alone in the room.



"Shall we go then?"

"Yes, ......, Mr. Locke, I'm sorry I was so disruptive last night."



"That's okay Ivan. We all have our moments.

"Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I'm sure you're right.



 Shannon patted him gently on the head.

 Ivan smiled a little shyly.

 We headed straight to the cave for the village of Koron.