To The Ruin (2)

The next day, we departed from the city, heading toward a sloped mountain that had been visible even from a distance. We utilized a rented carriage and a few rented horses, paid for with a handful of silvers.

Since the novel contained information about the location of the Ruins, I didn't have to worry about getting lost.

Eventually, I brought the carriage to a stop near a small town. You might wonder why I didn't use the Teleporter, it's because not all towns were equipped with one due to its expense. The other day, I was simply fortunate that the town had a Teleporter that I used to reach the city, as it was popular among newbie adventurers.

"Do we really have to walk all the way there?" Reaper complained, her exhaustion evident after two hours of walking with her hefty scythe.

"Well, I did offer to buy you a Pocket Pouch to carry your weapons, but you declined," I replied without looking at her, focusing on the path ahead.

"No way would I ask you for that!" She huffed.

"Why not? Didn't the contract say I'd be your patron? You can certainly ask me for things like that."

Reaper let out muffled frustrations, and I sighed in exasperation.

The shortest member of their group and probably the youngest, Odium, made a calming gesture toward Reaper. "Reaper, don't get too upset with the Contractor. You can use my Pocket Pouch if you'd like." She retrieved a small pouch from her pocket.

"No need. Your rifle is much more important than my weapon. It's a relic," Reaper replied, stepping away from Odium.

Odium's primary weapon was a special-grade rifle. It was mentioned in the novel that she was the last heir of her family, as they were wiped out in a war a few years ago. Her father had given her the rifle before their family's tragic end.

What made her rifle special was that it used her mana as bullets. When reloading, all she had to do was pull the ejection port and infuse a bit of her mana, making it an incredibly efficient weapon.

Occiditis, their leader, eventually spoke in a cold tone. "Reaper, stop complaining and move along. If you're already struggling to carry your weapon for just a few hours, imagine what will happen if the situation becomes dire. You might be forced to abandon it."

Reaper tightened her grip on her scythe. "I won't ever abandon this weapon!"

The two halted and locked eyes in a tense standoff.

Ah...! Sensing things were about to escalate, I retrieved a Pocket Pouch from my pocket and tossed it to Reaper. She caught it, looking at me with confusion.

"It's one of my spares. I knew you'd grow exhausted carrying that heavy weapon for hours without a break, so I decided to get an extra."

"Then-"

"You would've refused earlier if I offered it to you then."

I didn't let her finish her sentence before resuming my walk. I had encountered individuals with her type of personality in my previous life, so I knew how to handle it.

"....?"

I could somehow feel Reaper's gaze becoming intense from behind. Though, I ignored it completely.

"You're the kind of person I hate the most..."

What a coincidence. So am I.

Upon hearing her mumble, I couldn't help but chuckle internally as I continued walking.

...

..

.

After an hour of walking, we finally arrived at our destination. We stood before a broken fountain, and I placed my hands in my pockets while examining it closely.

"What's a fountain doing here...?" Solis asked, her gaze fixed on the strange symbols etched onto the basin and tiers of the fountain.

The others also looked at the fountain with a sense of wonder. Occiditis remained silent, observing me closely from behind.

As my eyes focused on a particular symbol atop the highest tier, I clicked my tongue in recognition.

"Latin..."

'Via ad paradisum.'

Or in English...

"The way to PARADISE..."

The moment these words left my mouth, the ground began to shake, and the earth split apart around the fountain. Before us, a staircase leading to the ruins was revealed.

"This..." Solis became speechless along with the others.

I whistled softly and took the first step, turning my head to address the others.

"Let's go."

***

(Julius's POV)

"Are we getting close?" Seraphina, walking beside me, inquired, her breath labored in exhaustion.

Juliette, my sister, surveyed the surrounding trees and nodded. "Yes, it should be around here somewhere. In fact, we might already be standing right on top of it."

....huh?

Confused, I questioned, "What do you mean?"

Juliette took a few steps forward, her hand resting on a particular tree as she closed her eyes. "For some reason, the entrance was blocked during the earthquake earlier..."

Startled, Seraphina blinked, her worry evident. "So, what should we do now?"

Exhaling deeply, my sister turned to me after briefly glancing in Seraphina's direction. "Brother, the spirits mentioned something to me. They say that there's another entrance from the top. We can use that."

"The spirits, huh..." I mused, impressed. "Then, let's go. We can't afford to waste any time since the next Wave will appear after a week and a half."

And with that, we continued forward.