The Astra Trading Company was located in the general commercial district.
It occupied an entire, rather tall building.
Creak.
As I opened the door and walked in, I noticed the bustling employees.
“Welcome…!”
“What brings you here…?”
Was it because the maids had dressed me up before I left? When I strode in confidently, the employees cautiously glanced up at me.
Well, considering what the maids had said about how I looked like a noble knight, it made sense for the regular staff to be somewhat intimidated.
Amidst those employees, I spotted a woman with red hair in her mid-30s.
She was standing right at the center counter, wearing the same expression as the others.
I approached her directly and spoke.
“I’m here as a proxy for Lowell.”
“Ah, you’re the one we were expecting today.”
Her expression shifted immediately.
Not just hers—even the other staff, whom I thought were just ordinary workers, quickly changed their demeanor and started focusing on their tasks.
…Were they all just acting earlier?
Wow, scary. Is this the Boyd family’s secret intelligence agency?
Well, anyway.
“This way, please.”
Following the woman’s lead, I moved deeper into the building.
Although I’d only noticed stairs leading up to the second floor, she activated a mechanism, revealing a staircase descending below.
The underground area was surprisingly well-maintained. As we descended, a reception room came into view.
“Are you the one filling in for Lowell?”
Inside, seated on a luxurious sofa, was a middle-aged man in an elegant suit.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“You’re younger than I expected. I was told you were a seasoned Aura user, so I assumed someone closer to my age would show up.”
He had close-cropped gray hair bordering on white and wore a monocle over one eye. His expression was cold.
“I’m Lorenz, the branch manager of Astra Trading Company’s capital office. What’s your name?”
“Rain.”
“Alright, Rain. Nice to meet you.”
Though his expression remained neutral, it wasn’t dismissive. He seemed to regard me simply as a young man sent in Lowell’s stead.
He might appear middle-aged, but if he had the skill to be the capital branch manager, he was probably older than he looked.
“Follow me. I’ll introduce you to the team.”
I followed Lorenz further inside, where a group of armed men and women awaited.
About twenty of them. They seemed highly skilled.
“These are my direct subordinates. They’ll be joining the mission.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Yes, likewise.”
Each of them stood in a line, holding their respective weapons. They felt more like special forces soldiers than intelligence agents.
…Being assigned to work with people like this must mean the mission would involve more combat than exploration.
“Do you have any equipment with you?”
“Ah, no, I don’t.”
“…An Aura user without personal equipment?”
“Is that a problem?”
Lorenz gave me a look like he’d encountered an unusual specimen but quickly responded.
“Then we’ll provide you with some. Heinz, get this man outfitted.”
“Yes, understood.”
Heinz promptly fetched the gear for me.
“Here’s your equipment.”
“Ah, thank you.”
I put on the gear Heinz provided.
A leather vest reinforced with chainmail, sturdy leather gloves and boots, and a well-crafted longsword. The outfit looked quite formidable.
It was the first time I’d been properly armed like this since the Colosseum event matches.
Back then, I’d barely worn anything resembling armor, and at the mansion, there was no need for it.
“Does the gear fit well?”
“Yes, it seems sturdy.”
The protective equipment wasn’t overly cumbersome, allowing for easy movement, but it still looked effective.
For someone like me, who often relied on my body, this gear would likely be a significant advantage.
It might even cut down on how many hits I’d take by half.
“Alright, let’s begin the briefing.”
“Yes, sir.”
After I donned the gear, Lorenz provided a concise briefing about the mission.
The team consisted of twenty highly trained members, including an Aura user like me. Our target was none other than the kingdom’s underground facilities.
Apparently, remnants of the Lugar Kingdom, which had attacked the Boyd family two years ago, and demon worshippers had been detected operating within the underground facilities.
No wonder the team was packed with combat specialists—they clearly anticipated conflict.
“Let’s move out.”
Anyway.
After the briefing, we headed straight for the underground sewer system.
“This area is restricted….”
“We’re here under royal authorization for an investigation.”
“Oh…! Understood!”
The guards stationed at the sewer entrance on the outskirts of the city stepped aside after hearing Lorenz’s explanation.
“Let’s go in.”
The sewer was exactly as expected—damp and dark. I raised the lantern I’d been given.
“By the way, did we really get authorization?”
I had assumed we’d sneak in, given that this was a secret organization, but they were so brazen about it that I couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t we? The Boyd family conducting an investigation is reason enough for the royal family to grant permission.”
“Ah… I see.”
So, being part of a secret organization didn’t mean everything had to be shady.
I suppose the Boyd family’s position meant they could request investigative authority from the royal court openly.
“Well then, let’s start with a quick scan.”
After we had delved quite deep into the sewers, Lorenz raised an arm clad in black gloves.
And then—
Ziiing—
A glowing blue magic circle emerged in the dim underground.
Sssshhh—
Blue lines extended from the magic circle, spreading along the walls of the sewer.
“This is…”
“A simple detection spell.”
“That’s incredible.”
The only magic I’d seen before was things like shooting fireballs.
This was my first time witnessing such a practical spell.
As Lorenz continued to channel the magic briefly, he soon lowered his hand and spoke.
“There’s nothing detected for now. Let’s proceed.”
“Understood.”
I had heard during the briefing that he was supposedly a strong mage.
A fully matured Aura user, an exceptional mage, and twenty highly trained individuals.
It was almost like we were preparing for a high-level monster raid rather than an underground investigation.
Clearly, the remnants were considered a significant threat.
With caution, I followed Lorenz deeper into the underground.
**
We passed through the first and second levels before halting in front of a massive door.
“This is…”
“The entrance to the third underground level. Normally, access is strictly prohibited.”
Honestly, I wouldn’t even have known it was a door if Lorenz hadn’t placed his hand on the wall.
His subordinates cleared away debris, revealing the doorway.
“There’s a locking mechanism here.”
“We’ll just break through it.”
“Is that allowed?”
“We have permission. Once we’re done, someone will seal it back up.”
Wow.
Having pre-approved authorization really speeds things up.
After forcefully breaking through the lock, we entered the third underground level—a space entirely different from what we’d seen so far.
As I shone the lantern around, the moss-covered and aged features of the facility became apparent. However, compared to the sewers above, the level of technology here seemed worlds apart.
“This place is…”
“An ancient empire’s waterworks system.”
…Now it made sense. I’d heard that the Adel Kingdom reused the ancient empire’s underground waterways.
If this place was the main hub of the water supply system, then sealing it off and only using up to the second level still allowed the capital to manage its wastewater.
It sounded implausible, but…
Thinking about ancient Rome from my previous life made it more believable.
If there was once a superpower that ruled the entire continent…
And considering this was a world with magic, it was no surprise their technology was advanced.
“Everyone, stay alert. It’s highly likely the remnants are hiding nearby.”
“Yes, understood.”
Lorenz cast another simple detection spell before we began our exploration of the third level.
The deeper we went from the entrance, the clearer the facility’s scale became.
The high ceilings, the surrounding pillars, and the structures—it felt less like a sewer and more like an entirely different space.
Some buildings even seemed like they could have been used as lodging.
…What kind of technology did the ancient empire have?
Judging by its decrepit state, it had clearly been abandoned for an incredibly long time.
And yet, the surface world’s technology had regressed during that time.
How medieval.
As we continued exploring, I noticed a massive door and a very old iron rail system ahead.
“This is…”
“The way down to the fourth underground level. It connects to an abandoned mine.”
“Isn’t it dangerous to have a mine beneath the sewers?”
Excavating this deep underground was risky enough.
But a mine below that?
What kind of madness was that?
“It was dangerous, yes, but the resources were so abundant that they poured all their technological prowess into constructing these facilities during ancient times.”
“…That’s truly incredible.”
The ancient empire’s technological omnipotence seemed to make such feats possible.
“No wonder scholars are desperate to uncover their technology.”
“I’d be tempted as well.”
“The current empire has made significant progress in restoring it. If you get the chance, you should visit and see for yourself someday—”
At that moment, as Lorenz and I casually talked while approaching the door—
BOOOOM!!!
An explosion suddenly occurred at the door.
“…! Take cover!”
Lorenz reacted instantly, deploying a magic circle.
I focused on the area where the explosion had occurred and noticed a shadowy figure.
The hidden enemies had finally revealed themselves.
As fascinating as the exploration of the ancient empire’s underground was, I couldn’t deny that I’d been itching for action.
Even amidst the sudden ambush, I couldn’t help but feel a little excited as I drew my sword.
