Calling the numerous ancient ruins spread across the continent simply ‘ancient ruins’,
And lumping together those who built and lived in them as just ‘ancients’,
Is no different from grouping humans, dwarves, elves, and even orcs or goblins under the term ‘people’.
It’s not entirely wrong, but it’s not an accurate expression either.
Ancient ruins differ completely in style depending on the era and region.
The gap between the Bellepoque era and the Oboe era is much larger than the gap between modern times and the Bellepoque era.
Ancient ruins built in the Oboe era would have already been treated as ancient ruins even in the Bellepoque era.
In this chapter, we will particularly describe the Oboe civilization, which is an especially old civilization.
The Oboe civilization was in the northeastern part of the continent.
It’s a civilization that developed centered around what is now ‘the mountain range’.
The climate at that time must have been very different from now.
The current temperate and fertile central plains were full of dangerous monsters, and rather, the treacherous mountain range would have been the cradle of civilization at that time.
Even then, wyverns existed in the mountain range.
However, unlike now, records state that they had fur and spoke human language.
Since the Oboe people at that time had more hair and larger builds than current humans, we can assume that these characteristics strengthened their relationship with the wyverns.
There are records of exploring Oboe civilization ruins already in the Bellepoque era.
Although it’s hard to find even traces of the Oboe civilization now, it seems there were some preserved things at that time.
The Bellepoque people described the Oboe civilization as:
‘There was a wyvern who married a human.’
‘There was a human who married a wyvern.’
‘In ancient times, it was common because humans and monsters were the same.’
There were such surprising records.
However, a scholar with discernment doesn’t readily believe old records.
Humans and wyverns cannot mate.
This would be true even thousands of years ago.
There is an insurmountable species gap between wyverns and humans.
However, it’s highly likely that wyverns and Oboe people did live closely together.
It would be a relationship involving faith, commonly observed in the relationship between monsters and ancient people.
They offer food to the wyverns.
And the wyverns protect the Oboe people from other fearsome monsters.
We estimate that such a relationship continued…
「From “Ancient Ruin Exploration” by Sage Parvian」
==
“We were chased by wyverns. Those creatures are crazy.”
The adventurer named Jakob said so.
“How fortunate we were to find this place.”
They say they were chased by wyverns.
Apparently, their original group of ten was reduced to five by the ferocious wyverns.
In the midst of that, they discovered this underground ruin.
“If you go straight this way, there’s a large space. That’s the central part of the ruin. I don’t know what it’s for, but it seems there are several passages branching out from the central area.”
They don’t know what it’s for?
As suspicious as the term ‘Wyvern’s Altar’, this ruin seems quite dubious.
I asked Pelerian.
‘Don’t you know anything?’
“I heard the Oboe people lived around here, and that they worshipped wyverns like gods.”
If those ancient people built this ruin, what was their purpose?
If it’s an altar, it seems like it might be a religious facility.
“Did you complete the quest?”
Jerico carefully asked Jakob.
“Almost completed it, we found it.”
According to Jerico, the adventurers had set out to find an artifact from the ancient ruins.
To be honest, I didn’t fully believe that.
“Then why were you still here? If there was a passage, you could have escaped!”
Jerico pointed out.
There was even a hint of anger in his voice.
It’s understandable, he nearly died several times coming all the way here for nothing.
Jakob also shouted, getting worked up.
“Shit, I wanted to go back too!”
“Then why!”
“You’ll see when you go there. Damn it, I told you we needed a mage! Someone who knows ancient languages and can use invisibility magic.”
Setting aside invisibility, there’s a snake here who knows ancient languages and a mage.
But I didn’t bother to tell them that I could understand ancient languages.
It was because these people seemed suspicious.
Instead, I examined the murals.
There were murals on the walls of the passage.
It wasn’t easy to make out what they depicted, but there seemed to be images of leading war prisoners somewhere.
People with bound hands are being led somewhere.
And in the end, they are offered on the altar and eaten by wyverns.
The humans who brought prisoners and offered them to the wyverns are raising their hands high, praising the wyverns.
‘Just looking at this, you can tell it’s suspicious!’
I wasn’t the only one who noticed it.
“The content of these murals is not ordinary.”
Pandan muttered so.
“Well, even if it’s unsettling, what can we do…”
Of course, the adventurers who entered this place didn’t come for fun.
They had no choice for survival.
And soon, we could understand why they couldn’t leave the ruin.
After walking for over an hour, we reached the end of the passage.
It was a round cavity.
There were complex patterns drawn on the floor, and several people were sitting inside them.
“Oh, you’re here!”
However, what was unusual was that there was a cage-like prison in the center of the cavity.
The bars were so close together that you could barely pass a hand through them.
There was a person trapped inside.
“Quick, save me!”
Jerico frowned.
“That’s…”
“Our captain.”
“What? Then that person is Umberto!”
All the adventurers looked surprised.
I need someone to explain.
I quickly tapped Pandan.
Fortunately, Pandan quickly grasped what I wanted.
“Umberto Yuman is an S-rank adventurer.”
‘S-rank!’
They say there are only five S-rank adventurers in the kingdom.
Of course, if you ask whether a higher rank adventurer is always stronger, that’s not necessarily the case.
“Umberto is different. Unlike typical adventurers, he once defeated several knights alone with just a rapier.”
Is defeating several knights such a big deal?
Hmm, well, knights are scary, but I’ve taken down a Holy Knight Order Commander, after all.
“He’s also a user of the Aura Blade.”
‘He was your senior swordsman, I see.’
I immediately understood Umberto’s strength.
But for someone so great, his current state doesn’t look good.
Why is he trapped?
“Damn it, isn’t it funny to see me like this? I messed with the ruin wrongly. So hurry up and get me out.”
That’s what he says.
That’s why you shouldn’t mess with ancient ruins carelessly.
Having broken through Pelerian’s dungeon several times, I was well aware of the terror of trap mechanisms.
“Ugh, the smell.”
Pandan held his nose.
The foul smell was coming from none other than the S-rank senior.
It couldn’t be helped.
He seems to have been trapped in the iron cage for days, and there’s no way there would be a toilet in there.
In one corner, there was a pile of what was clearly his excrement.
Umberto’s face turned bright red.
“Before I throw poop, hurry up and get me out! Where’s the mage!”
Ugh, if he throws poop, I’ll have to zap it with a beam right away.
Someone had to tell this poor adventurer the unfortunate truth.
“Um… Captain.”
The adventurer named Jakob explained.
The Adventurers’ Union didn’t send a mage.
Instead, they sent several adventurers with net guns.
“Sh-shit, how did it end up like this.”
“They don’t listen to us anyway, you know that.”
“I, Umberto, requested it. An S-rank, of which there are only five in our country, requested it!”
It doesn’t look so cool when he says it himself like that.
“Why did only such trash come!”
“Calling us trash is a bit harsh.”
“Shit!”
Umberto really threw something.
