Chapter 188: Unexpected Exit and Future Difficulties

I hugged Birga beside me with my right arm, jumped onto the golem hugging Gejia with my left arm, and jumped into the hole in the floor the golem made.

I landed on the crumbled cobblestones, descended to the ground along the wall and immediately started running.

There is no guarantee this is the royal capital underground.

There is no time so I have no choice but to run anyway.

Until we come out to a place I remember or come out above ground.

"Uwa! Uwa! Uwa! Uwa!"

Birga I held in my right arm shouted something while looking forward.

"Be quiet! You will bite your tongue!"

I cautioned Birga.

Still I am glad I held Birga.

If we ran together we could not run fast.

When I glanced at Gejia I held in my left arm she seemed conscious but was limp.

As expected that is quite tiring.

It was the same with Yuki too...

Anyway I will let her rest once we get out of here.

I immediately shifted my consciousness to the surroundings... and immediately stopped my feet.

"Wa! W-what’s wrong!"

Birga looked up at me.

"No, I thought it was a place I have seen..."

I slowly raised my left foot I stopped just before stepping on the ground.

Then I looked at the surroundings lit by the illumination of the dagger Birga holds.

As I thought.

This is...

"The secret passage to the castle... no, the secret passage from the castle..."

It is the underground passage we used when we infiltrated the royal castle.

Connecting here... I see!

The reason there was no impact from the meteor strike magic Hein and the magic squad released at that time is because we were in the Demon World then!

The reason those guys easily surrendered the royal capital is also because they had this.

I think it will be fine for a while since we stopped the magic circle but... I should tell Helene quickly.

"Is it okay not to go quickly?"

Birga prompted me to advance quickly.

But...

I stepped back several steps, lowered Birga, and tried throwing a stone that had fallen on the floor I almost stepped on earlier.

"Kyaa!" "Uo!"

The instant the stone hit the ceiling directly above it fell.

Naturally if we had stepped on the floor we would have been flattened.

I and Birga looked at each other.

"D-did something happen?"

Gejia looked up at me looking languid.

"N-no, nothing."

I held Gejia I had been holding with one arm with both arms again.

"Birga can walk."

"Eh? I-I’m fine but..."

Birga looked up with an anxious face.

"Nn? What’s wrong?"

"I cannot see through traps like this..."

Birga for some reason dropped her shoulders and looked forward.

Then the fallen ceiling slowly rose zuzuzu.

Cold wind blew in from the depths.

"It’s fine. Follow behind me exactly as I say."

Saying that I started walking carefully.

That there is such an elaborate trap means we can consider this the royal capital underground without mistake.

And now we are tracing the reverse of when we snuck into the royal castle.

So avoiding traps is quite difficult.

"Etto, when we came from the other side it was right so from this side it is left."

"Wa-wait, are you okay?"

When I advanced slowly confirming while talking to myself Birga asked from behind in an anxious voice.

"It’s fine so be quiet a bit."

When I am thinking if I am spoken to I get distracted.

I gently cautioned Birga then while lighting the surroundings with the dagger illumination again I advanced matching with the memory of that time.

Then...

"Oshi! This is it!"

When I advanced carefully through water up to my knees we came to a place where a rope hung from above.

Looking up a round hole was open in the ceiling and a rope hung from its center.

"First I will climb and check the surroundings. In that time I want Birga to tie Gejia to this rope. When preparation is done pull this rope twice. Then I will pull Gejia up. Then Birga comes up... no, if you also tie Birga to the rope I will pull you up."

I talked the procedure to Birga.

When I said at the end for Birga to climb by herself she made a face that looked about to cry so I restated that I will pull her up.

She is quite afraid of high places.

No, I might have made it worse...

I should apologize again later.

"Then let’s go."

I entrusted Gejia to Birga, held the dagger granted illumination in my mouth, and climbed along the rope.

I easily climbed suru suru to the well edge then slowly put my face out and peered around.

There are no enemies or monsters but if a person comes out from such a place they will be suspected and above all it is better no one knows there is a royal castle secret passage here.

And if we are found by someone who knows this is the royal castle secret passage we might have to fight even though they are not enemies.

So I peered around but fortunately or as expected there was no one.

There is no presence either so they are not hiding.

I quickly crawled out of the well then pulled the rope.

Immediately the rope was pulled twice.

Apparently Birga tied Gejia to the rope while I was climbing.

This kind of place is as expected I guess.

I pulled the rope and pulled Gejia up.

Then I lowered her beside the well and untied the rope.

The rope was tied so as not to burden Gejia and also easy to untie.

I threw the untied rope into the well.

After a little the rope was pulled twice again.

I pulled the rope again and pulled Birga up.

I lowered Birga to the well edge and untied the rope but Birga was trembling gachi gachi.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I’m fine, i-it is, higu"

Contrary to her words Birga had tears accumulated in her eyes and her shoulders heaved.

"...Sorry."

I felt guilt and hugged Birga stroking her back while apologizing.

...

"Are you really okay?"

"Yes, I have calmed down already."

I asked Birga who stood up straight.

Certainly her knees were not trembling and her legs were firm.

"I did not think the well was that high."

Birga answered while making a sullen face.

"I can also somehow walk."

Gejia who had been limp had now recovered enough to stand while I supported her.

The three of us left the house with the well we came out of.

Outside it is already dark.

Around 2 in the morning perhaps.

"I will go to the castle now. Then I will talk about this."

Birga said to me.

"I will go too."

"No, you please go straight home. If someone sees that it will be terrible."

Saying that Birga pointed at Gejia.

"What do you mean?"

"From wherever you look she is a monster right!?"

Birga answered my question while irritated yet suppressing her voice.

Certainly horns are growing and at some point bat-like wings also grew on her back.

They are folded but quite conspicuous.

"That’s right, I will lend you this. It is what I attached to avoid filthy water when we passed the sewer."

Birga took a cloth from her bosom and passed it to me.

When I spread it it was a hooded mantle but the length is quite short.

When I put it on Gejia it barely hides to her waist.

The important places are fully visible.

Probably if Birga attached it it would hide to around her knees.

"The horns and wings are hidden so it is fine!"

Perhaps because I compared Birga and Gejia Birga yelled suppressing her voice.

No, this stands out more.

Well but outside is dark.

Only one moon is out and it is a new moon.

"Well then I leave the castle side to you."

"Understood. You also be careful."

Birga answered that then ran toward the castle.

"Shall we go too."

"Understood, Master."

I and Gejia also set out on the way home to the house.

Now the plan was only to eat breakfast but it took until this time.

Muriel and the others are probably angry.