Seiju no Kuni no Kinju Tsukai - Chapter 64

Chapter 64 (A grand clock tower, and underground altar)

When Claris-san and I waiting in front of the main gate, one carriage comes toward us. 
Then the carriage stopped in front of us. 
The door of the carriage then opened. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting." 

Makina-san comes out from the carriage while holding her hair which swayed by the winds. 

"Now then, get in." 

I boarded the carriage and sat beside Claris-san. 
I sit face to face with Makina-san. 

Then the carriage began to move. 

"Wah, this is really fun, isn't it. just, what kind of thing awaits I wonder?" 

Claris-san looks cheerful like a child going on an excursion. 
While saying "It really is fun," I greet Makina-san who is having a wry smile. 

"Emm, Makina-san." 
"Nn?" 
"About Kyurie-san matters, Thank you very much." 
"Don't worry about it. I also obtained a profit out of it after all. If it's mean that I can borrow her power then, something like that is nothing." 
"But, because of that, I thought that your work would increase, and your mind and body fatigue will also increase..." 

She opened her eyes wide. 

"Mia is it?" 
"Ah, Noー" 
"You don't have to cover it. after all, that girl is quite sensitive in that regard." 

Makina-san breath out a sigh. 

"It might be a bothersome thing, but I must do what I should do. if it's something troublesome then just about everything in society is troublesome, though surprisingly it also comfortable." 

*Fuun*, Makina-san breath out while speaking out the irony. 

"If there's anything that I can help, please do tell me alright?" 
"I guess so, well then, next time shall I ask you to relax my body then?" 

Relax her body? 
Is it a massage? 

"S-Sure... I don't know if I can do it properly, though." 
"Good." 

Unn... 
Are her shoulders stiff I wonder? 

"And also..." 

She looks troubled as to how to say it; Makina-san looked at me with upturned eyes timidly. 

"About the previous morning..." 
"Previous morning?" 

Ah... 
By any chance... it's the day when I saw the dream about the forbidden spell king? 

"For me to say those words and then immediately entered my house... how should I say it, emm, please forgive me." 
"About that... I don't care about that." 

Nn? 
Somehow I feel something bad. 

"Ah no, forget it... let's talk about this later." 

Like that, Makina-san broke off the talk. 
She assumed the attitude that the matter and talk have ended. 
Because there was no help for it, I also no longer mention the topic. 

After a short time, the conversation has come to an end. 
However, it does not feel uncomfortable. 
It feels like having a rest. 
Speaking about Claris-san, she looked excited as she watches outside the window. 

After a short while, Makina-san leaked a lovely yawn. 
And then she began to look outside the window absentmindedly while she leans her head against the window. 
By the time the carriage arrived at the end of the slope, Makina-san had already leaked sleeping breath. 

As expected, she must be exhausted. 
I put my finger on my lips and whispered to Claris-san. 

"I feel sorry to wake her up. let's be quiet until we arrived." 
"I understand." 

Like this, we decide to wait until we arrived at the clock tower in silence while we feel the vibration transmitted from the seat. 

................................................ 

"The underground altar, is it?" 

Glasses wearing middle-aged man scratches his head. 

"Yes. There's something that I want to check." 

A grand clock tower is standing tall near the imperial city center. 
Currently, we're inside of it. 

Makina-san woke up at the time we've arrived here, she descended first from the carriage and led us. 
Claris-san and I followed right behind her toward inside the clock tower. 
The clock tower was made of stone; a unique old-fashioned fragrance entered my nose. 
On the first floor, there's a space that looks like an office, from the inside of it came out a middle-aged man greeted Makina-san. 

The middle-aged man gazed at me and Claris-san in turn. 
Suddenly his gaze stopped at Claris-san. 

"Aah, I see... the usual person who likes investigate things..." 

Makina-san nodded while folded her arms. 

"Indeed..." 

The man seems to know Claris-san. 
Furthermore, she appears to have left a very great impression. 
Since he seems to be able to guess what matter we've come here for just from looking at her. 

"You need to the permission from the sacred royal family, you see." 
"I have no intention of giving you guys any trouble. if it's really a must for us to get the permission, then I will bring all the document next time." 
"Well... if it's you then it should be all right I guess. however, let's write the official document first?" 
"I understand." 

Makina-san then turned around 

"Well then, can you both wait here for a bit?" 

After she said that, Claris-san and I wait for her. 
Makina-san went inside the office with the man. 
As usual, her degree of authority, or rather, her power with that position always surprises me. 

Accidentally the stairs near the office caught my attention. 
The stairs went spiral toward upward. 
It seems like they only use stairs to go up. 
The people who do maintenance for the clock have it rough huh. 

I looked up. 
From the top floor, I can hear metallic sounds coming from it. 
It sounds unusual yet powerful. 
Word of admiration escaped from my mouth unintentionally. 

"Amazing..." 
"Do you find something interesting?" 

Looking at me, Claris-san has a smile on her face. 
Ah. 
Damn it... 

"Fufufu, this grand clock tower has a long architecture history, you know~?" 
"L-Look, Makina-san seems to be about to return!" 
"The headmistress seems to have a chat inside the office though?" 
"M-Makina-san~!" 

However, help never come to this cry for help, what come to my eyes is Makina-san figure talked with the men's behind the office glass. 
Somehow they offered some sweets and drinks one after another. 
Or rather, what's wrong with that popularity!? 

"Now then! Let me tell you the history behind this grand clock tower as long as time permits! Originally this grand clock tower you see, the previous kingー."  

In the end, I received the lecture about this large clock tower architecture history from Claris-san until Makina-san returned... 

......................................... 

"So here is the underground altar huh..." 

I, who have become a professor after Madame Claris give me the lecture about this clock tower, examined the surrounding while brushing my chin despite I have no mustache and beard. 

Previously, after Makina-san returned from inside the office, she lead us toward the stairs leading down on the corner of the first floor,  from there we walk straight ahead through a passage. 
The altar appeared after we opened the stone door from the passage earlier. 

Currently, we're inside the altar room. 
Stone walls surround the room, and this room has a dim lightning. 
The atmosphere is quite similar to that of sacred ruin. 
Or rather, if I take the consideration that the sacred ruin is spread under this royal capital then, this is a room inside the sacred ruin? 

"It's there..." 
"Yes..." 

Makina-san pointed toward the direction and Claris-san affirmed. 
Behind the arranged altar. 
Just like what Claris-san had said, there's a shield-like crest engraved on the old door. 

To begin with, this altar, there's no clear answer as to why this altar have been built. 
I head from Claris-san that it was something which being found at the time when they constructed the clock tower but, 

"Was it said that goddess Lunezret is being enshrined in this altar?" 

I try to throw the information which I got from Claris-san earlier to Makina-san. 

"Indeed. That's why it is under the management of the sacred royal family thus we can't enter it bluntly, however, to the end of it, it's just a formality. There's the thing about the sacred tree religious organization pride as well after all. Probably, the sacred royal family thinks that no body 's take an interest in the secret of this altar." 

While saying that, Makina-san ask me to hand over the sacred cursed sword. 
While Claris-san with high spirit followed from behind. 
I also follow her. 

Makina-san while looking at the keyhole, began to speak, 

"It seems to be a match in size..." 

Makina-san then pointed to the sword that she held and asked, 

"This, you get this sword from the fifth layer of the sacred ruin right?" 
"Yes." 

Though the situation is slightly unusual. 
Makina-san turned around toward the keyhole once again. 

"Well then... for now let's try it out." 

Saying that, the sacred cursed sword crystal began to emit green light. 
Makina-san seems to have poured magic power into it. 
And then, she inserts the sacred cursed sword to the keyhole. 

At that moment, 

A magic pattern appeared on the door surface. 

The magic pattern emits light. 
I shade my eyes due to the intense light. 

"Ah, the door is..." 

The door opened slowly. 
And the light emitted from the magic pattern settled down after the door fully opened. 

"I-It really is being opened... the unopened door." 

Claris-san said that dumbfounded. 

"I'm really surprised. To think that this is really the keyー eh?" 

Toward Makina-san line of sight. 
The sacred cursed sword has changed to gray color in her hand. 
And thenー it began crumbling. 
The sacred cursed sword which becomes something like a lump of clay, collapsed. 
It's as if saying that it has finished its duty. 
Makina-san looked down to her feet where the sacred cursed sword has crumbled down. 

"I guess, it's only one time use huh..." 
"Rather than that, please look at that!" 

Claris-san pointed toward inside the door. 
In there, there's another altar. 
Also, the room is completely different on that side; a dark red room tinged with an ominous atmosphere. 

"......................." 

Ah... 
I see. 
I thought that I'd seen this scene before... it is something that I'd seen when I fought against blue goblins. 

"Since it seems to be dangerous, that's why I will enter first." 

Makina-san stepped forward. 
I also stepped my foot inside the room while prepared to use the forbidden spell immediately when needed. 

The room area itself is small. 
Probably around six tatami room. <TLN: around 10 square meters.> 
The ceiling is also not that high. 
Rather than impressive pillars, or a goddess statue sculpture, inside here, there's only a worn-out shrine. 

We stood in one line in front of the altar. 
Claris-san who stand in the center began examining the altar at once. 

"Hohou, this really gives a good feeling isn't it." 

On the altar, there's a carvings reminiscent of a demon. 
And, on the top of the altar, there's an oblong box enshrined on it. 

"A coffin... considering that, this is a bit too small though." 

After she judges that there seems to be no danger, while paying attention to the surrounding, Makina-san finally opened her mouth. 
I also began to observe the oblong box. 
Now that you mention it, this doesn't look like a coffin. 

Fumu... 
I didn't see any keyhole. 
I guess, if we want to open it, we can just open it as is? 

"This, can we open it? It's fine right? Right?" 

Claris-san demanded permission. 
Her face as if saying 『please leave the opening to me』. 

"There might be some trap laying around. temporarily weー." 
"Tou! if we die, we die together!" 

Although Makina-san is in the middle of talking, Claris-san nonchalantly opened the box cover vigorously. 

"Waiー." 

Astonished, Makina-san took a step backward. 
On the other hand, Claris-san line of sight directed inside the box. 

"W-What is it? Is there something inside?" 

Makina-san is looking at her with worry, took a step forward and stretch her neck to peer in. 
Then, 

"T-There's nothing..." 

Claris-san said in trembling voice. 

"I-It's emptyー..." 

She seems to have taken a great shock that her eyes turn white. 
Though usually, she looks beautiful... this is quite a regrettable scene. 
I drop my shoulder though it has a different meaning compared to Claris-san, I peeked inside the coffin. 

"Huh?" 

In there, I noticed something. 
Under which seems to be a powder, though it looks empty, there is somethingー 

"Wait..." 

Makina-san seems to have noticed it as well. 
She put her hands inside the coffin gently. 
Then she picked up something. 
The powder that had been covering it falls. 
Then Makina-san leaked small "Ah..." voice. 
After pondering for a short while, she hands over the things that she had picked up with her hand to me. 
Eh? I pointed at myself. 
*Nods*, Makina-san nodded. 
I take it timidly and then checking it. 
E-Emm, what is this? 

"『I, The forbidden spellー." 

........................................... 
Eh? 
This isー.