Teresa and Fiora were on the 【Floating Orb】, while Seriana and I rode the 【Small Orb】—a slightly different formation than usual, but in any case, the four of us were descending into the well.

Ordinary wells in this world are typically reinforced with stone and straight in shape, but this one was different…

When we looked in from above, it had seemed that way, but apparently that wasn’t quite right.

“It’s paved.”

Since we were descending cautiously and slowly, we took the time to observe our surroundings, and the more we looked inside the well, the more unnatural it seemed.

Rocks jutted out and receded in places—so much so that it looked like it could collapse at any moment. Yet, it remained completely intact.

As Fiora mentioned, it appeared to be properly paved and constructed in this way on purpose.

It’s almost like…

“This looks like the underground passage back home.”

“Yes. The scale is different, but there’s no doubt this was manmade.”

Seriana must have felt the same way.

That’s right… the interior of this well does resemble the underground passage beneath the mansion, or the walls of the hall before a dungeon.

Both make use of monster materials and are designed to absorb mana, increasing their durability.

“With how narrow it is, it’s hard to believe it was paved after being dug out. I don’t know when it was made, but it clearly serves a specific purpose.”

Seriana said this while surveying the well’s interior.

This well is just wide enough for a single adult to squeeze through while carrying luggage.

Maybe they constructed the passage first, then embedded the rocks as a final touch.

Still… regardless of whether Undead were involved or not, this narrowness alone would’ve made it difficult for the Knight Order to investigate.

We hovered in place for a while, observing our surroundings before resuming our descent.

Looking below, I could see our lights reflecting off a surface.

So it’s not a dry well after all…

“Other than the paving, there’s been no real change so far… But maybe something’s hiding behind those protruding rocks? Milady, do you sense anything?”

“There are some presences deeper inside, but none nearby… Sera, how about you?”

“Hmm, I don’t feel anything in particular…? The mana’s a bit thick, so even borrowing Akame and the others’ eyes, I might not be able to tell. But the closer we get to that area, the denser it gets, so maybe it is behind those rocks like Fiora said.”

“I see… everyone, stay alert.”

“Okay.”

I think I read somewhere that wells tend to be cold inside, but I’m dressed warmly and also have 【Water’s Garment】, so the surrounding temperature shouldn’t affect me.

Even so, I feel an inexplicable chill.

Could this be miasma?

I quietly warned the snakes to stay alert, then steeled myself.

“…There it is. A side passage.”

Teresa, who had gone ahead, reported from beyond the rocks.

It was just a few meters from the water’s surface, but it seemed there really was a passage behind the stones.

“Be careful. The mana is quite thick here.”

Fiora cautioned us as we descended.

As she said, I could see the mana visibly wafting from the passage.

Though, that’s likely because I can see through the snakes’ eyes; the others are probably sensing it on instinct.

Mana… now that I think about it, in this world, it’s the mysterious energy that serves as the source of magic, magic tools, and monsters.

But the mana gathered here is far thicker than in any dungeon or magical domain I’ve seen before.

To think that such an incomprehensible space existed right beneath where I used to live…

◇

The passage within the well was narrow—about two meters high and one meter wide.

Like the well, it wasn’t just crudely dug; it had been paved properly. It looked like just another horizontal tunnel, but nothing had collapsed, and despite being close to the water surface, there was no noticeable dampness or dust.

Blue lines glowing faintly stretched from the ceiling along the walls toward the passage’s end, gently illuminating the entire corridor.

Even without additional lighting, walking through might not be an issue.

But still…

“Hey, shouldn’t I take the lead? There’s something there.”

The passage turned sharply about five meters in, making it impossible to see ahead.

More importantly, now that we were this close, the mana interference had lessened, and we could tell something was lurking deeper inside.

There was no life response from 【Fairy Eyes】… it was likely an undead.

Up until now, Teresa and the others were on the 【Floating Orb】 while we rode the 【Small Orb】, but we were currently in the middle of switching places.

And if we were switching anyway, it would be better for me—with my shield and ability to block a surprise attack—to go ahead, rather than Teresa who didn’t have a shield.

“No. Princess, please support Lady Fiora.”

“Hmph… are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yes. Leave it to me. Also, I’ll be swinging my sword, so please follow a bit behind.”

Smiling at my concern, Teresa drew her sword.

“Be careful. If a Undead gets close, I’ll call out, so fall back immediately.”

“Understood. Everyone, are you ready? Here I go.”

With that, Teresa carefully began walking deeper down the passage.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera ・Blessing・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Water’s Garment】 Blessed Items・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】+1【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy Eyes】【Dragon’s Lungs】【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・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards