The underground investigation is being carried out by a single soldier at a time.

First, the investigator descends, and then the investigation tools are lowered down by rope from above.

The method is simple: the rope is tied to stakes, and at every turn, a stake is driven in to extend the rope along the way.

That said, the narrow paths twist and turn so much that it’s difficult to accurately measure distance or direction. This might be the only viable method they have.

And while I did think their internal investigation procedures were excessively cautious, it turns out they were being careful not only because of monsters—but also because of oxygen.

That underground facility functioned essentially like a massive magic tool, automatically circulating air and such. But with the core stone pillar destroyed, that functionality had ceased.

Back when we went down there, Teresa had been mindful of that, and more importantly, the facility was still operational, so there wasn’t much need to worry. But now…

That’s exactly why they were being so careful—checking for oxygen with a torch in hand, descending alone to avoid unnecessary oxygen consumption. It all makes sense now.

Then, each investigation cycle was strictly kept to one hour. After completing both the investigation and the return within that timeframe, the soldier on the surface would rotate in and the next soldier would descend.

Luckily, no monsters have appeared, and oxygen levels seem stable. There didn’t appear to be any physical health issues. But even for the seasoned members of the 1st Unit, spending an hour alone investigating a dark, cramped underground tunnel is clearly draining.

After reporting their findings, they would slump down, completely spent.

I tried casting 【Prayer】, but it didn’t seem to have much effect on mental fatigue, and it took them some time before they could move again.

I have 【Water’s Garment】, so I feel like I could manage the oxygen, and I’ve got 【Floating Orb】 too.

It feels like I’d be perfect for the job… but if something goes wrong, there’d be no way to recover.

That’s why I’m staying back.

That said, thanks to the soldiers’ dedicated efforts, the investigation is proceeding smoothly.

Based on the underground mapping, we’ve been drawing corresponding lines on the surface as well, and we’re beginning to get a good grasp of the layout and location.

It starts at the well, and the goal is the site where the orphanage once stood—but getting there is… well.

Every few meters, the path turns again and again. Including the small rooms along the way, it covers nearly the entire area of this now-leveled ground.

Sure, it took us time to reach that far back room during the battle, and I’d figured it was a long distance—but seeing it laid out visually like this is overwhelming.

Whoever built this… seriously, what were they thinking? I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

It wasn’t just me—the soldiers around me were also gradually rendered speechless as more data about the underground came in.

As I was thinking “What a mess…” and staring out at the flattened land, a soldier called out from behind.

For the past few days of the investigation, he had been standing by my side like a secretary, issuing instructions to the on-site soldiers. He’s probably pretty high-ranking himself.

“Sera Vice-Captain, I was thinking we should wrap up for today once the underground structure is fully identified. Would that be acceptable? I believe the next shift will reach the end.”

He said this while looking at the lines drawn on the ground.

“Yeah, yeah. Pushing beyond that would just make things messy. Besides, I’m sure they could use a break too.”

After all, the goal of this investigation isn’t just to map the underground structure.

It’s to map it out, dig into the ground, destroy it, and bury it.

Today’s investigation has given us a solid grasp of the structure, and we now know where the passages are buried.

The surface buildings have already been demolished and cleared, so tomorrow we can begin the excavation phase.

There’s no need to overexert ourselves today—we can call it here.

Upon hearing my answer, he began giving instructions to the surrounding soldiers.

They then began preparations for withdrawal.

Glancing around, I noticed that the onlookers who had crowded the street on the first day had grown bored with the mere demolition work and disappeared completely.

At best, a few passersby would stop briefly to glance at the progress before moving on.

Less like onlookers—more like casual pedestrians.

Starting tomorrow, the work will likely get a bit more dramatic, but at this rate, we probably don’t need to worry too much about the locals.

Ah… but once we move into the next phase, the Adventurer Guild will get involved.

Which means… well, I’ll think about that tomorrow.

I raised the 【Floating Orb】 to gain a bird’s-eye view of the area.

Even from up here, I could see the lines on the ground, though they didn’t form any particularly meaningful shape. Doesn’t seem like there’s any need for extra caution.

There’s plenty of distance from the city walls, too, so there’s no worry about the excavation work damaging them.

At this rate, the work might be completed faster than expected.

“Hmmmrrmmm…”

As I observed the scene below, a groan escaped me.

It would be great if we could finish before the cold weather sets in, but…

I still haven’t come up with a design for the memorial monument.

I need to come up with something decent before the burial work is complete, or I’ll end up inconveniencing everyone.

Maybe when I get back to the mansion today, I’ll dig through some materials and references…

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera ・Blessing・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Water’s Garment】 ・Blessed Item・【Floating Orb】+1 【Shadow Sword】+1 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 【Fairy’s Eye】 【Lesser Dragon’s Lung】 【Amber Sword】 【Danrem’s Thread】 【Serpent’s Tail】 【Ankle Bracelet】 【Amber Shield】 【Purple Wings】 【Red Sword】 【Monkey’s Arm】・8 cards

Seriana・【Range Identification】・【】・0 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】 【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards