Chapter 249

Just as Kurt and his party finished their battle with the three Golems.

Someone was watching the scene from a distance, hiding.

It was the knights of the Empire, Albert and Louis.

The two had been secretly observing Kurt’s party as they split up and fought the Golems.

When they first started tailing Kurt’s party, they were unsure how to proceed with their mission and simply followed them as best they could…

But after tailing them, what they discovered was an enormous secret they never could have anticipated.

Even when the party suddenly threw themselves into a water pool after walking through the forest for a while, the two were left utterly baffled.

However, when the members who had entered the water didn’t return for a long time, they followed the party, never expecting such a jackpot.

What unfolded before them was the deep interior of the ruins, a place even the two who had first discovered the ruins had never entered.

From the scattered sounds they gathered, it seemed this wasn’t the end—there was yet another hidden layer deep within.

The scale of the ruins excavated by the Holy Sword Knight Order was already comparable to any other ruins discovered so far, but with the additional layers and hidden areas, it was impossible to grasp just how massive this ruin originally was.

Perhaps this wasn’t just an ordinary ruin but a structure of greater importance in the Ancient Empire.

But their awe didn’t last long.

Not long after they began tailing Kurt’s party, they witnessed the battle with the three Golems that emerged, sounding alarms throughout the ruins.

“Golems of the Ancient Empire… They’re certainly powerful. For mere Golems to possess enough strength to exchange blows with the Master…”

“No. While it’s true the Golems managed to match the Master for a while, that was only because Kurt wasn’t fully focused on them at first, distracted by the other party members. Once he gave them his full attention, the battle quickly turned in his favor.”

“But still, the fact that they could exchange blows with the Master, an absolute being, is incredible!”

“That… is true, but…”

Louis’s words left Albert trailing off, but he couldn’t help but agree.

From what he observed, the Golem’s combat prowess was on par with the Empire’s knights.

Especially the knight wielding a sword and shield—even considering the special artifacts they were armed with, Albert couldn’t confidently claim victory.

The fact that Kurt easily defeated the Golem head-on was impressive, but the Golem’s ability to even create such a scenario with Kurt was equally remarkable.

“When we first dispatched the Holy Sword Knight Order to this foreign city, I didn’t understand why the Empire would mobilize such high-tier forces for relic excavation… But now I think I get it.”

“Yes. Definitely. If we could send even a few of these Golems back to the Empire… No, if we could secure not just the completed Golems but also their manufacturing methods, the Spine Empire’s power could multiply several times over.”

“Indeed… The Emperor must have been planning a future beyond our imagination.”

As they conversed, the two turned their gaze back to Kurt’s party.

“Regardless of what’s inside these ruins, our priority is to keep tailing them.”

“Right. Now that the guardians have been defeated, all that’s left is to see what they discover in the heart of the ruins.”

With that, Albert and Louis turned their attention back to Kurt’s party.

However, contrary to their expectations, Kurt’s party didn’t advance further. Instead, they settled in place and began making a commotion.

.

.

.

After the battle, the party regrouped.

Having defeated the guardian Golems, it was time to investigate the interior of the ruins as planned… but there was one problem.

“Karina! Are you okay?!”

“I’m… fine. Ugh…!”

Karina forced a smile in response to Mari’s concern but soon clutched her side, wincing in pain.

“What do you mean you’re fine?! Anyone can see you’re pushing yourself too hard!”

“Aila. Are you okay too?”

“I’m fine. Ugh…!”

Similarly, Aila tried to maintain a calm expression, but when Daria pressed on a few spots, she couldn’t hold back her groans.

Karina and Aila, who had held the front line to prevent the Golems from attacking the rear, had been injured.

Fortunately, the wounds weren’t life-threatening or likely to cause permanent damage, but…

“It’s best we head back for today.”

“…You’re right. No matter how important the secrets of the Ancient Empire are, it’s not worth risking the party’s safety.”

With the guardian Golems defeated, there shouldn’t be any more obstacles, but if there were, pushing forward in this state would be dangerous for the two.

It’s a shame to turn back after coming this far, but since only we know the secret path to the Ancient Empire’s depths, there’s no need to rush…

The rest of the party seemed to agree, nodding without much complaint, acknowledging that turning back now was the right decision.

Just as the party’s mood shifted toward returning to the village to recover and coming back later…

“No. We’re not going back.”

“I agree with Karina.”

Two voices opposed mine and Daria’s suggestion.

It was Karina and Aila, who had taken the brunt of the damage at the front lines.

“I can’t let myself hold everyone back. Please, let’s continue the exploration.”

“Right. Daria. As a holy knight of the Holy Kingdom, it’s my duty to protect the secrets of the Ancient Empire. I don’t want to turn back after coming this far.”

“You two…”

The two insisted they couldn’t bear the thought of holding everyone back, and while the rest of the party tried to dissuade them, they remained firm.

Watching the two who wanted to press on and the others who wanted to rest and return later, I quickly reached a conclusion.

“Then let’s continue the exploration. It feels like we’re close to the end, and if my guess is right, there shouldn’t be any more obstacles.”

“Kurt!”

“Hey! Kurt!”

Mari and Serena immediately protested my decision.

I wasn’t finished.

“However, we won’t continue exploring right away. We’ll take a short rest first. During that time, Karina and Aila will rest and try to recover. If their condition worsens, we’ll cancel the exploration and head back. If we encounter any other obstacles during the exploration, we’ll turn back immediately.”

“Kurt… Alright.”

“Thank you for indulging me.”

“Well, if you say so…”

“Tch. But if something really goes wrong, we’re turning back, right?”

My proposal was a compromise.

The two were uncomfortable with the idea of holding everyone back, and the rest of the party was worried about their condition, so we’d continue exploring only if their condition didn’t worsen.

With that, we began preparing to rest.

Seiri, the Alchemist with medical knowledge, and Daria, the nun with basic medical skills, began tending to Karina and Aila, combining herbs for emergency treatment. The rest of the party started cleaning up the battlefield and setting up a makeshift resting place.

Meanwhile, I approached the bag I’d discarded before the battle and checked its contents.

“Hmm… Thankfully, nothing’s broken.”

As I spoke, I pulled out a pot from the bag.

“Hey, Kurt, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m preparing to cook.”

Thinking about it, it had been quite some time since we’d eaten lunch before Seiri came to take us to explore the ruins.

The distance from Astram to the ruins was considerable, and we’d walked slowly due to the other party members’ excitement…

It’s still early, but since we’re resting, we might as well eat.

“But what are you going to cook in the middle of these ruins?”

“Don’t worry. I brought ingredients just in case something like this happened.”

As if I’d bring a pot but forget the ingredients.

A good chef and adventurer always carries necessary supplies, prepared for meals anytime, anywhere.

As I explained matter-of-factly, Serena gave me a look that said, “Oh… right,” and went back to helping set up the resting place. Meanwhile, I began cooking slowly amidst the ruined battlefield.