Chương 179: Chapter 176 - Hidden under your nose

Scarlett and her party trailed Shrine Custodian Stanway down the now-illuminated stairs, venturing into the undercroft below. The descent led them into a long, dimly lit rectangular chamber hewn from stone, its walls bearing intricate carvings depicting various religious scenes. Soft, flickering candles ignited from sconces hanging from the stone—Scarlett noticed Stanway subtly motion with his hand before that—and painted playful patterns on the cool, dark floor.

Within the heart of the undercroft were a row of arched alcoves, each housing what appeared to be tombs adorned with thick inscriptions at their base. At the far end of the chamber stood a modest altar dedicated to Ittar, the wall beyond it covered with murals of writing. The air carried a subtle scent of incense mingling with that of undisturbed dust.

"Please observe proper reverence while in this place," the shrine custodian said as he led them deeper into the room, pausing briefly in front of the central tombs.

"Some of our most venerated and esteemed brethren and sisters who trained at this shrine rest here, and I will not tolerate any tarnishing of their legacy during my watch."

"Fear not, Reverend Stanway, for I hold nothing but the utmost respect for those at rest here." Raimond's eyes seemed to scan the inscriptions on the tombs.

"You have my word that we harbor no intentions of disrespecting these revered figures." With a gesture resembling a prayer, the man joined his hands and momentarily lowered his head. Scarlett eyed him for a second before doing the same. It didn't hurt to make a more favorable impression. Then they moved ahead, past the tombs, and approached the altar. As Raimond continued studying their surroundings, he spoke again.

"If I'm not mistaken, before this underground area became a resting place for esteemed members of our order, its original purpose was a mystery, correct?" The shrine custodian had his hands folded behind him, occasionally casting a glance at Scarlett and her party to ensure they didn't engage in any objectionable activities.

"Your memory serves you well, Reverend Abraham. The venerable Deacon Emberwood constructed this shrine as a place to impart his teachings on the order's young minds. However, the undercroft was not part of the initial plan, as far as we are aware. In fact, it remained concealed for the first few generations after the shrine's construction, and the deacon's writings made no mention of its existence.

It was only during the fourth shrine custodian's tenure that it was discovered, and the fifth decided to make it the final resting place for devoted followers." Scarlett glanced back at the tombs. So, those were possibly a century younger than the rest of this place?

Considering that the original ten deacons lived before and during the founding of the empire, a period known as the 'Renascence' to the Followers—when the faith of Ittar experienced a resurgence after being abandoned for generations—it meant the tombs were likely a bit over two hundred years old. The empire itself was founded nearly four centuries prior, but some of the original deacons lived to a ripe old age, and Scarlett knew that Donovan Emberwood had been quite elderly when the shrine was built.

"If this undercroft was hidden for so long, who's to say there aren't more secrets beyond that?" Allyssa asked.

"You seemed pretty confident we wouldn't find anything today." Stanway turned to her, eyeing the young Shielder for a moment.

"Because since then, each shrine custodian has dedicated at least one year of their initial term to delve into the history of the shrine and search for any such secrets. I am no exception. It has become somewhat of a tradition, yet so far, it has yet to yield any results." As they arrived at the altar, the man lowered his head in silent prayer. Atop the altar rested a gold reliquary, surrounded by the remnants of burnt-out wax candles.

He collected the used candles and placed them in a wooden box next to the altar, then replaced them with fresh new ones. They lit up in another display of what Scarlett assumed was his application of pyrokinesis. Throughout this brief ritual of his, the rest of them remained silent. After finishing, Shrine Custodian Stanway gestured towards the wall ahead of them.

"This is what Deacon Emberwood left behind for us. Here are his teachings and learnings, intended to guide us in the art of the invocations he himself pioneered." Scarlett shifted her gaze to the wall and the text on it. The collection of passages was considerable, etched into the cold grey stone, spanning about five meters in width. Lines upon lines of writings that no doubt offered a wealth of knowledge to those who knew how to apply it. Simply reading through it all would probably take several hours.

Raimond stepped closer, touching a hand to the script.

"I have heard of the Emberwood Murals before, but this is my first opportunity to witness them in person. As they say, it is indeed a valuable treasure left behind by a magnificent man. Ah, it makes one wish that one had visited earlier." Shin also seemed fascinated by the sight, and the young man turned to the shrine custodian.

"You claim the deacon left these teachings behind for you, but you also mentioned that this chamber was hidden for generations. Why would he conceal teachings if he wished others to learn from them?" Scarlett only half-attentively paid attention to the conversation as she stepped back to view the entirety of the wall at once. She pulled out her notebook and opened a blank page.

"The answer to that remains as much a mystery to us as it does to you," Stanway's voice droned in the background.

"The writings themselves make it clear that Deacon Emberwood did intend for his disciples and future acolytes to find it, but there is no mention of its concealment. It is known from other historical accounts that he harbored a deep sense of regret during his later years due to an undisclosed event, and it is believed that he saw hiding this undercroft as part of his penance for that."

While the others continued their discussion, Scarlett furrowed her brows, her entire focus becoming absorbed by the mural before her. Seeing it in person, she could understand why none of the Followers had cracked this puzzle, despite generations of effort. It had been a lot more obvious in the game. She stepped back even further. Rosa and the rest of her party gave her odd looks, but she continued until she stood several meters away from them.

The shrine custodian even narrowed his eyes at her, clearly perplexed by her actions. From this distance, Scarlett had to squint her eyes to make out what the etchings on the wall said, but that didn't matter. She wasn't aiming to decipher the text itself. The Followers had already been doing that for centuries. In her notebook, she hastily sketched out images according to what she saw through some precise applications of her pyrokinesis.

It was both immensely satisfying and more efficient doing it in that way, since it allowed her to write with several 'pens' at once. When she was finished, she examined the results for a few seconds, then turned to a new page with a shake of her head. The focus here wasn't the text's meaning, but its arrangement. In the game, the pattern had been glaringly obvious if you stood in the right spot. However, in this world, it had presumably not been designed for the average person to solve in a matter of minutes.

At least not judging from how challenging it was for Scarlett to identify the pattern right now. She jotted down another sketch and considered it. In this attempt, she had roughly singled out similar text segments on the wall and connected them with lines, but the result resembled nothing more than a chaotic tangle of lines and dots. That probably wasn't the correct shape. Frowning, she retreated even further and started anew on another sketch.

It was a struggle to discern a pattern within the mural when all her brain wanted was to read the words inscribed there. She almost found herself wishing she'd spent more time trying to solve those stereogram illusions that occasionally circulated back in her world. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Minutes passed as she persisted, sketching attempt after attempt, while the others discussed the history of this place.

Scarlett strained her eyes, trying to blur her vision and see the pattern she knew had to be there. Every time she thought she saw something, she painstakingly copied it down and inspected her result to see if it made sense. Finally, after enough tries that her eyes were starting to ache, her efforts bore fruit.

She felt like she made out what might be an intentional pattern among some of the segments, and after glancing at her sketch with the lines connecting each dot, she had something that resembled an oblong sun with streaks radiating from it. That had to be it.

"If you would all step back, please," she announced to the others. Without hesitation, her companions complied, moving to the chamber's far side, away from the wall and altar. Raimond cast inquisitive glances their way, but he, too, followed suit. The shrine custodian, however, fixed his gaze intently on Scarlett.

"What do you intend to do?" he asked, his tone grave.

"Reveal something that I suspect has been overlooked," she replied calmly.

"Rest assured, I will not harm the mural." Well, probably not. Stone should be able to withstand a bit of heat. The man continued scrutinizing her for a few more seconds, then turned to Raimond.

"Reverend Abraham, can you take responsibility for her words just now?" Raimond looked at Scarlett, his expression leaving little to discern. Then a smile crossed his lips.

"Why, I believe I can." Although Shrine Custodian Stanway didn't seem especially satisfied with that response, he eventually stepped aside, allowing Scarlett to proceed. She gave the man an appreciative nod before raising her hand. In the game, you kind of had to awkwardly throw several [Fire Bolts] or similar spells at the wall for this part, but this was one of those rare occasions where it was actually easier in real life.

A myriad of living fires manifested in front of the spots she had pinpointed on the wall, their flames gently grazing the stone. The shrine custodian let out an agitated cry, and Scarlett felt a tug on her magic as if something was attempting to wrest control from her. However, it proved laughably easy to push through, and she maintained the flames. Compared to when Arlene did something similar, this was a breeze.

Stanway turned to stare at her, his mouth opening as if to yell, and that was when the areas where Scarlett had positioned her fires lit up, and the flames themselves seamlessly melded into the stone. Deep red lines emerged, connecting the areas and forming the image of a sun on the expansive mural. The shrine custodian froze, twisting his head to gawk at the sight. Scarlett allowed a minor smile as a small rumble reverberated through the undercroft.

A moment later, the altar in front of the wall shifted, sliding to the side to reveal a narrow passage leading straight down.

"Wha—" Stanway stammered, and Rosa stepped over to pat him on the shoulder.

"No need for the long face, pal. I'll bet ya a few hundred solars that everyone feels this way when they first see her showing off," the bard said. Raimond gently cleared his throat.

"I would like to note that this is technically my first time witnessing it as well. As a man of the vow, I can't indulge in bets, but I will gladly accept a song written in my honor. Just make sure to emphasize my stunning jawline and the lustrousness of my hair, is all that I ask." Rosa blinked at the man, then shook her head with a chuckle.

"Suppose you got me there. I'll see what I can whip up." Shrine Custodian Stanway paid little attention to those two as he turned to stare at Scarlett.

"It appears I was correct after all," Scarlett said, closing the distance towards the altar.

"I hope you can trust me now when I say that we will exercise due caution to preserve what lies beyond here to the best of our abilities, so that you can study it when we have completed our investigation." She paused before the opened passage that led into the darkness below. Although there was no ladder, handholds had been chiseled into the stone, allowing for a safe descent. She turned to Raimond.

"Father Abraham, would you do the honors?" The blond-haired man looked rather amused as he approached her, tucking away some stray locks of hair behind his ears and peering down into the hole.

"You have quite the number of surprises up your sleeve, Baroness. I'm fortunate that I get to observe firsthand the methods employed to retrieve the Chalice of Canon." Scarlett saw no point in mentioning that her contribution to that particular accomplishment hadn't amounted to more than instructing Fynn to run to a certain place and dig up some dirt. It wasn't exactly the most impressive of achievements.

Raimond snapped his fingers, and the darkness within the passage dissipated, revealing a stretch that went down roughly thirty meters or so to an empty stone floor.

"Wait," Shrine Custodian Stanway said. The man seemed to have finally collected himself again as he approached them.

"How did you do this? How did you know about this passage?" Scarlett glanced at him.

"I believe I have already stated that I will not disclose the source of my information. As for how I accomplished this, I simply identified the pattern concealed on that mural." She motioned towards the text-covered wall.

"If you so wish, you can attempt to locate it as well. It should be easier now that you have observed its appearance." The man looked over at the wall for a moment before returning his attention to Scarlett and peering down the passage before them.

"You intend to go down there now?"

"Yes, that was our intention from the start. Do you have any objections?" Raimond stepped over to place an encouraging hand on Stanway's shoulder.

"Fear not, brother. The venerable deacon's legacy will be respected for as long as I am present." The shrine custodian still looked reluctant, but eventually, he took a step back. Scarlett offered him a small nod before gesturing for her party to begin their descent. Fynn led the way, followed by Shin and Allyssa. Rosa came next, and Scarlett used the [Charm of Expeditious Change] to switch from her travel dress to her usual expedition attire.

This earned her a slightly surprised look from both Raimond and the shrine custodian, but she ignored it as she followed Rosa. A few months ago, descending this passage might have been challenging for Scarlett, but now, having actually gotten in some exercise and with various stamina buffs from her items, it was only slightly tiring on her arms. Eventually, she reached the bottom, and Raimond landed beside her shortly after.

They found themselves in a spacious circular chamber with three pathways stretching in different directions, each marked with distinctive symbols carved into the stone above. Unlike the religious imagery in the undercroft above, these symbols resembled more the runes used by mages and wizards in the books Scarlett had read.

"Curious," Raimond commented as the priest walked over to the center of the chamber, inspecting each path.

"It is said that Deacon Emberwood was once a mage in his youth before he started on the path of following Ittar. He even had familiarity with the first emperor at the time. But I never expected him to have left something like this behind after his passing." Scarlett followed his gaze down the tunnels. Even with Raimond's magical illumination lighting up the space, each passage seemed to stretch indefinitely. A trick of the light, most likely. After all, many of the Followers excelled in that, among other things.

Lumomancy was one of the more versatile schools of magic, and being one of the original ten deacons, Emberwood would have been a master in applying it. That said, Scarlett wasn't quite sure which passage they should explore first. It wasn't like she could remember the exact order she took in the game, and the symbols offered little information. She knew those runes were supposed to be used as shorthand among mages, but she wasn't an expert in that field.

Not to mention that these particular symbols were probably outdated by a few centuries at this point. They would simply have to guess. However, this was a dungeon created by a powerful individual from a bygone era. They would have to exercise some caution. While Scarlett and her party should be roughly in the appropriate level range for this place, judging by what they'd been able to clear so far, that only meant they stood a reasonable chance here; it didn't mean they could afford to take things easy.

Although, with Raimond here, they probably wouldn't have to worry about any serious injuries. He was an even better healer than Rosa. Scarlett glanced over at the priest, who appeared to be studying the runes above the tunnels with one hand pressed to his chin, exchanging comments with Rosa beside him. That knowledge was comforting in a way, but she still felt uneasy about his presence here. Regardless of his stated reasons for joining them, he was still a deacon.

Could he seriously have decided to accompany them out of mere curiosity and because of some sense of friendship? They had only met a few times before, and while he was close to Livvi, Scarlett herself wouldn't go as far as to call him a friend. There was a lingering concern that he might have somehow discovered her involvement in the heist at the Sanctuary of Ittar and was trying to investigate further by getting close to her, but that also seemed unlikely.

Beldon Tyndall had already provided her with a pretty comprehensive report on how he had deduced her involvement in that matter, as well as the steps he had taken to prevent others from doing the same. She trusted the man's judgement on the matter. Nevertheless, she would have to keep a watchful eye on Raimond moving forward. She didn't want to become his enemy, if possible.

There were still things she needed the Followers' help with in the future, and having connections to one of their deacons would be incredibly beneficial in that regard.

"In which direction are we starting?" Shin's voice broke her thoughts, and Scarlett turned away from Raimond and Rosa to look at the young man. Taking a moment to consider, she pointed randomly towards one of the paths.

"We will be starting with that one. Prepare yourself." Shin stepped over to Allyssa, who was responsible for the [Bag of Juham] for this expedition, and pulled out his sword and shield. Allyssa pulled down her protective goggles and adjusted the bandolier over her chest as she drew her hand crossbow. With a thought, Scarlett equipped the rest of her gear and advanced towards the passageway she had indicated. It was time to clear this place.