Chapter 277: Atrocities Committed in the Ruins

Atrocities Committed in the Ruins

* * *

Going back in time a little, this is a room located a few staircases down from the room where Mitran and the others are conducting their investigation.

It’s commonly known as the “Giant’s Room.”

The origin of that name lies in the large mural painted on the wall of this room.

That’s right… unlike the previous rooms, the walls of this room have a mural of a giant painted on them.

If I were to somehow describe that mural in detail, it would be something like “A giant wearing armor with six arms and several thorn-like protrusions coming out of its body, exhaling smoke”… well, something like that.

The reason I put “somehow” at the beginning is because the mural can’t be said to be skillfully painted, even as a compliment.

It barely looks like such a thing is depicted.

That’s the kind of mural it is.

“Ugh, ugh… ugh…”

Now, Korenuzhinu, a solo 7th-grade scout-type adventurer, was currently in front of that giant’s mural.

His body was in pain, and his consciousness was hazy.

Why?

“Hey! Don’t space out!!”

“That’s right! Hurry up!”

“Hehehe! Hehehehe!”

It was because he had been brutally tortured by the group currently making a commotion behind him.

Megzam, a large man with a beard and a machete at his waist.

Ander, a man with a long, thin face and an eyepatch.

Tappa, a man with a square face, also wearing an eyepatch.

And one more person.

Although he never participated in the torture, a man who seemed to be giving orders to the aforementioned Megzam gang and manipulating them from behind.

A man wearing well-tailored clothes, clearly different from the trio, with a deep-brimmed hat, occasionally flashing his sharp eyes in a frightening manner… Ibrabarleg.

Korenuzhinu was kidnapped by these cruel villains, subjected to torture, and… the secrets of these ruins that he had obtained were completely taken from him.

Korenuzhinu deeply regretted his thoughtless behavior.

He was one of the adventurers advancing the exploration and conquest of these ruins.

These ruins become a complex maze from the middle levels onward, and the one who first broke through that maze was Korenuzhinu.

And it was also Korenuzhinu who reported to the Adventurer’s Guild that a hellish path full of terrifying traps began from the lower levels.

The structure of the lower levels of these ruins was truly terrible.

Each floor had numerous deadly traps, and it was unknown how far those trap-filled floors continued.

It was absolutely impossible to have enough lives to get through.

Therefore, the conquest of these ruins had stopped at the entrance to the lower levels, and no progress had been made beyond that point.

However, Korenuzhinu was.

The only adventurer who could open a loophole in this situation.

Because when he was exploring the maze of the middle levels again.

He found it.

The existence of a detour that could bypass the dangerous path of the lower levels and safely reach the deepest part!

And the key needed to use that detour!

That key was enshrined in a hidden room in the maze, and it was even politely written in ancient magic characters how to use it.

“Insert this key into the hole in the center of the giant’s picture. Then, the path to our treasure will be opened,” such content was written on the stone wall of the hidden room.

Korenuzhinu was an amateur archaeologist, befitting of someone who volunteered to investigate the ruins, and deciphering ancient magic characters was his specialty.

Korenuzhinu was excited about this new discovery!

However, by that point, three days had already passed since he started exploring.

The Giant’s Room was in the upper levels, so he decided to return to the town of Nebo for now, take a break, and then find the detour.

Korenuzhinu made that judgment and left the ruins.

That decision itself was by no means wrong.

However, his actions after returning to town were not good.

He cheerfully drank at the tavern and accidentally let slip.

The secret he had discovered.

And it was overheard by sharp-eared villains… the worst bunch, the Megzam gang and Ibrabarleg.

On his way back to the inn in a slightly drunk state, he was swiftly kidnapped by this group and subjected to torture that he was hesitant to put into words.

And the secret fell into the hands of the villains.

* * *

“Ugh, ugh…”

Korenuzhinu’s will to resist the villains had been completely broken by the torture.

Therefore, at the behest of the villains behind him, he inserted the secret key into the hole in the center of the giant’s picture.

Then, the next moment!

“Oh!?”

“Whoa!”

“Amazing! Hehehe!”

“…………”

The outlines that made up the giant’s picture began to emit a supernatural light!

“Hmm, I see, so that’s how it is.”

While the Megzam gang was surprised and flustered by this sudden change, only Ibrabarleg remained calm.

He took out a notebook from his chest, flipped through it, and then gave Korenuzhinu the next instruction in a cold voice.

“Now then, next, Mr. Korenuzhinu. While this giant’s picture is shining, touch the six fists of this giant in the order I instruct you.”

“Y-Yes…”

“Top right, middle right, bottom left, middle left, bottom right, top left.”

“R-Top right, middle right, bottom left, middle left, bottom right, top left…”

Korenuzhinu didn’t know on what basis these instructions were given.

In other words, these instructions were based on information that Ibrabarleg had independently gathered.

This Ibrabarleg was not a mere thug like the Megzam gang.

He had an extraordinary obsession with conquering these ruins… or rather, with the relics that were likely hidden in the deepest part of these ruins.

Even before these ruins were discovered.

To the extent that he would not hesitate to commit any atrocity to get his hands on them.

Clank clank clank!

Well, when Korenuzhinu followed the instructions, the floor in front of the giant’s picture cracked with a small sound, and a bucket-like stone vessel rose up from below.

“Oh? Mr. Ibrabarleg, what is this?”

Megzam picked his nose and pointed at the vessel.

“Hmm… kukuku, I see, I see, this is in good taste.”

Ibrabarleg stroked his neatly trimmed beard and smiled as he deciphered the ancient magic characters written on the stone vessel.

And he directed that cruel smile… at Korenuzhinu, who was sitting on the ground trembling.

“My, my, Mr. Korenuzhinu. I’m so glad we brought you along. I had a hunch there would be a mechanism like this. It was easy to predict from the contents of the ancient documents I collected.”

Ibrabarleg had a gentlemanly tone and deep intelligence, but his body was well-trained.

Ibrabarleg grabbed the slender Korenuzhinu by the neck, easily lifted him up, and threw him at Megzam.

“The vessel had this written on it… ‘Fill it with the blood of your own kind’…”

“Hii…!”

Realizing his fate, Korenuzhinu desperately struggled and tried to escape from Megzam!

But in his weakened state from the torture, he couldn’t shake off Megzam’s thick arms…!

“Hey, you guys.”

“Yes, sir!!”

Megzam gave instructions to his two subordinates and had them restrain Korenuzhinu’s body.

And he drew the machete at his waist, swung it high, and…!

…No further description is necessary.

Korenuzhinu died.

The vessel was filled with blood.

Then.

BOOM!!

Rumble rumble rumble…!

Making such a sound, the giant’s picture split left and right… and behind it, stairs leading further underground appeared!

“Ooh!”

“Hehehe! Amazing! Amazing!”

Ander and Tappa rejoiced at the sight and clapped their hands, laughing.

“Now then, mister. Is the thing you’re after beyond this point?”

Megzam fiddled with his shaggy beard and sent a sharp glare at Ibrabarleg.

“That’s right, Mr. Megzam. However, we can’t go straight there. There are probably guardians waiting to battle us. And a few other mechanisms. I’m counting on you, my business partner.”

“Oh, of course. We’ve already received the advance payment! We’re not going to betray you when we’ll get even more reward, right? Right, you guys!?”

“Yes! We won’t betray you!!”

Ibrabarleg and Megzam stared each other down for a moment.

The atmosphere became tense.

“…Kukuku.”

Then Ibrabarleg laughed softly, turned his back on Megzam, who was holding the machete, and started walking towards the newly appeared stairs.

Seeing that, Megzam sheathed the machete at his waist again and followed.

The two subordinates followed suit.

But at that moment!

“Hey, wait, you guys! What in the world… did you do!?”

That shout stopped the villains in their tracks!

When Ibrabarleg and the others turned around, standing there out of breath was a gentle-looking archaeologist with braided silver hair.

And chasing after him in a hurry was a beautiful girl wearing a boy’s adventurer outfit.

【Megzam】

Appeared in Arc 2 and Arc 5.

The boss of Tappa and Ander.

In the 【Story of the Red-Haired Hero】, he is treated as a mere “bandit defeated by the hero at the very beginning,” a small fry role, but that’s only because the hero is very strong. Megzam is also normally strong.

Quite a villain.