The Unaware Harem Adventure Tale of the Strongest Enchanter ~~I Don’t Know My Companions’ Faces or Identities, but I’m Pretty Sure They’re All Guys~~ - 9. Backflow Ruins (1)

9. 9. Backflow Ruins (1)

The Guild Master handed me a report.

I took it, read through it, and leaned back against the sofa.

“Just as I thought.”

“It seems the Dullahan came from outside, just like you predicted.”

I felt something was off about the last Dullahan’s appearance. So I had asked the Guild Master to examine its armor and sword. This is the result.

“A belonging of the Mirdia Territory’s Royal Knights… Mirdia, as in *that* Mirdia?”

“The land now ruled by the Undead King.”

Three years ago, the northern territory of Mirdia was attacked and taken over by monsters.

The monster’s name is the Undead King—an undead with high intelligence and massive magical power. It also commands many followers.

The people and land were taken from us by the Undead King and have still not been reclaimed.

“They haven’t been defeated yet, right?”

“One S-rank party, three A-rank parties, and several other groups either got wiped out or counter-killed.”

“That’s terrifying.”

“You’re free to try, you know?”

“You’re kidding.”

I turned him down with a smile.

There’s no point in going up against something strong enough to defeat S-ranks.

They haven’t made a move in three years. So it’s better to leave them alone.

Eventually, some stronger person will deal with it.

I tossed a cookie from the table into my mouth and drank the now-lukewarm tea in one go.

“There’s a new request I want you to take. You know about the Backflow Ruins?”

“That’s the unexplored dungeon discovered a few months ago, right?”

“The guild headquarters started investigating it. But the investigators they sent in haven’t returned for several days. Also—this isn’t confirmed yet—but apparently the ruins might be something built by demons.”

“If that turns out to be true, then even tentatively, the difficulty is A-rank or higher.”

Demons—residents of another world.

It’s said that even a hundred mages together couldn’t defeat one.

They are powerful and terrifying beings.

Demons left behind many ruins and relics.

All of them are known for being highly artistic, functional—and extremely dangerous.

Structures said to be built by demons are usually considered A-rank or above. They’re filled with traps and monsters that match the difficulty.

Of course, the higher the danger, the greater the reward.

Demon ruins often contain high-rarity magical tools.

If they’re useful, they help with adventuring. Even if not, they can be sold for a high price.

“The request is to search for these missing investigators. You don’t have to find them all—just locate and protect any survivors.”

“Us? I mean, no offense, but wouldn’t Silver Blade be a better pick?”

“They said they want to prioritize a request they took first and turned us down.”

“Oh. Must be nice to be in a position where you can pick and choose work. But honestly, only two of us are available right now too. Grannaughts is out on a solo job, Silk’s off wandering somewhere like always, and Zain is on one of their regular shut-in cycles.”

So basically, only Felice and I can go.

Searching inside a dungeon with just the two of us is a bit tough. It’s not impossible, but it’s not a guaranteed success either.

Still, we’re a little short on cash this month.

It’d be nice to get a big payday right now.

“This request comes from the guild headquarters. The reward is five hundred gold coins.”

“I accept!”

Can’t beat the shine of gold.

All we gotta do is find the investigators.

Should be a piece of cake.

◇

The rocking covered wagon.

Lying in the cargo bed, I looked out at the peaceful scenery along the gentle road.

“It’s been a while since I’ve left town.”

“Yes. It would’ve been even better if it weren’t for a request.”

Sitting right next to me, Felice seemed relaxed too. He was enjoying the calm view.

This request came directly from the Guild Master.

The objective: Find the investigators and protect any survivors.

There were six missing investigators.

If they’re all dead, then at minimum, we need to bring back their bodies or personal effects that can confirm their identities.

But they’re not amateurs—they were skilled former adventurers.

It’s hard to believe they’d die that easily.

“—So, why are you guys here too?”

In my line of sight was the rookie party.

The swordsman girl gave an awkward smile, the mage girl was leaning on her shoulder asleep, and the thief girl tilted her head in confusion.

They were already on the wagon heading to the ruins before us.

“We’ve got a request near the ruins.”

“Devil Bat extermination. Big bat. Hunt it.”

Oh, that. I remember hunting those a long time ago.

The swordsman girl and mage girl were sitting with their knees up.

From here, I could see their panties.

Nice view. Breathtaking, even.

“He’s looking at our panties…”

The thief girl glared down at me with cold eyes.

Not that she tried to hide hers. Even though her knees were up too.

“Eh!?”

The swordsman girl quickly covered herself with both hands in a panic.

Looks like we’re arriving soon.

I slowly sat up.

“It’s not polite to peek at a lady’s underwear, you know.”

“I’m shorry…”

Smiling, Felice pinched my cheek.

He’s surprisingly strict about these things.

Even when I talk about b00bs, he just gets embarrassed and won’t join in.

Bet he’s secretly repressed.

“Where’s your request for the Devil Bats from?”

“A village near the ruins.”

Hearing the swordsman girl answer, Felice nodded in understanding.

“Apparently they sometimes come to the village and eat livestock. They’re about the size of an adult man. So we figured we could probably take one down.”

“With Bell the mage, it should be manageable. I’ve fought them a few times too. They’re fast. But if you can block their attacks properly, they’re not too threatening.”

“Getting advice from you, Felice-san, is such an honor. We’ll do our best to slay them!”

The swordsman girl clenched her fist enthusiastically.

They should be able to handle it. They’ve got decent skill and talent.

If anything happens, the village is close. So we can help out.

Meanwhile, the thief girl kept staring at me—*staaaaaaaaare*.

She didn’t blink once. Her half-lidded eyes locked on me like a doll.

I gave up and looked away first.

Still not good with that girl.

◇

We split from the rookie group at the ruins’ entrance.

Felice and I headed to the front where tents were lined up and met the person in charge.

“We’re Lux and Felice from the Unknown.”

“We’ve been expecting you. I’m Klein, leading the investigation team. Just the two of you?”

“The others are away on different business. But don’t worry, we’ll handle the request properly ourselves.”

“I see. That’s reassuring. With two S-ranks here, we might actually find those missing team members. Let me give you the information we’ve gathered so far.”

The investigation team leader gave us a copy of the first floor map.

Then he shared details about the monsters and discovered relics.

“Some magical tools have been found—mostly bronze to silver tier. Judging by the age of the ruins, there’s a chance we might find gold-tier or even illusion-tier items.”

“So the guild has high hopes for this place too.”

Magical tools are items imbued with magic.

My own magic storage is one of them.

There are six ranks:

From bottom to top — Bronze, Black Iron, Silver, Gold, Illusion, and Divine.

Silver-tier and below can still be made today.

Gold and above are impossible to reproduce.

Divine-tier tools are said to have been created by the gods themselves—beyond human understanding. Only a handful exist in the world.

Tools made by demons can include illusion-tier.

Even gold-tier items are considered national treasures.

Find an illusion-tier one and you can live in luxury forever.

Their effects are also absurdly powerful.

Before the country moves in, the guild wants to find and secure them first.

Not because they want to fight the country with them, of course, but because they can use them as bargaining chips.

I’m sure the big shots are already having friendly little power games behind the scenes.

“Your job is to search for the missing investigators. If possible, find out why they disappeared.”

“May I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Should we assume there will be no backup from the guild headquarters?”

“Reinforcements are already on the way. However, it’s unclear how long the survivors will last. We want to rescue them as soon as possible.”

The guild headquarters is far from here.

That’s why they sent the request to the town of Avantale, where the nearest S-rank adventurers are.

He may be calm, but he’s probably quite desperate inside.

Still, this is a life-or-death situation for us too.

We want to help the survivors. But rushing would be reckless.

We’ll take the time we need.

“There’s a room prepared for you in the nearby village. Please use it for rest and meals.”

“That’s helpful.”

So we’ll be staying at the same place as the rookies.

Hope the food’s good.

—

“It feels like this ruin was buried and has only now been uncovered.”

“The demons are said to be fond of pranks, meticulous, and secretive. Their tendency to hide structures is the same as always.”

We were able to enter the ruins through a collapsed part of the rocky wall.

The discoverer was apparently a villager. A villager happened to peer into the rock wall that had collapsed during a storm. And he discovered an artificial structure within. He reported it to the Adventurers’ Guild, and an investigation began.

Crossing the fissure in the rock face, we entered a stone passage.

I drew a short staff and created light.

The area illuminated was a fairly wide corridor made of smooth stone.

Advanced processing techniques, precise design, and a strange, lingering atmosphere—

These are all elements common to ruins created by demons.

As we advanced, we quickly reached a large room.

There, fifty teleportation magic circles were lined up on the floor.

The magic circles were small in size.

They weren’t the type that could transport you very far.

At most, they could only be used to move within the structure.

I let out a sigh.

“What do you think?”

“The worst. Among the mechanisms I had imagined, this is one of the worst kinds.”

Teleportation mechanisms are dangerous, difficult to understand, and a real headache for adventurers.

Sometimes they’re hidden and used as traps. And sometimes—like now—they’re placed as a means of movement.

From experience, this is both. A trap, and a route deeper in.

I crouched down and touched the floor near the magic circles with my finger.

“Footprints. They’re still damp.”

“They seem to have been made quite recently.”

“Probably the investigators’.”

“Shall we follow the footprints?”

I shook my head.

“Let’s turn back for today. For the teleportation mechanism, we need *that*.”

“Ah, *that*, right.”

Yes, *that*.