CHAPTER 26………………………………………………..
Adamas shut her eyes tightly. Rough grains of sand brushed past her lips and grazed her nose.
It’s suffocating. Is Sappheiros okay? Was this really the right choice?
At that very moment, as all kinds of worries swirled through her mind, the ground beneath her suddenly gave way.
Adamas flailed in shock.
“Waaaah!”
“Um…”
“Ughhh…”
“M-Mas, stop struggling. You can open your eyes now.”
“H…huh?”
At Sappheiros’ words, Adamas cautiously cracked her eyes open.
She saw Sappheiros steadily supporting her waist, lifting her up.
The two of them were slowly descending through the air.
A refreshing breeze tickled her hair. It was Pantheon’s power.
“You’re coming down quite dramatically,” Pantheon remarked in a strangely sarcastic tone as their feet touched the ground.
“Ah… thank you, Pantheon.”
Embarrassed that she’d been carried down in Sappheiros’ arms, Adamas quietly expressed her gratitude.
“So there was a place like this,” Sappheiros murmured.
“Yeah…”
Adamas felt relieved, yet her mouth tasted bitter.
If they found nothing during the desert expedition, she wouldn’t be able to face the Marquis.
But then again… it was also a problem if something like this appeared.
“Haha… this is unexpected.”
A hollow laugh escaped her.
This place had none of the blazing sun, nor the violent winds of the desert.
Instead, there were bizarrely tall stone pillars standing on solid ground, and beyond them, a cave.
The inner cave walls were dim, but clearly emitted light at regular intervals.
Glowstones.
They came to explore the desert, and a dungeon appeared? A place that could only have been touched by human hands?
A dungeon entrance buried beneath the sands, with no clue whether there was even an exit…
Was there really some mad wizard down here? So it wasn’t just some hollow ghost story told in every territory?
Adamas slowly scanned the surroundings.
Aside from what the group had carried in on their clothes, there wasn’t even a handful of sand.
Stefan pointed at the dark ceiling.
“You guys suddenly fell from around there.”
At his words, Pantheon drew a dagger from his chest.
BANG!
Empowered by the Sylph’s force, the blade flew straight toward its target and embedded itself in the ceiling with a loud crash.
Pantheon stared up, then clicked his tongue in irritation, flicking his hand to pull the dagger back out.
He alternated his gaze between the dagger and the ceiling, then tilted his head.
“Strange.”
Not even a scratch remained on the perfectly intact ceiling.
Pantheon turned to Stefan.
“That really was the spot?”
“You saw that couple come down too, didn’t you? Are you saying I’m wrong?”
“Enough, both of you. It looks like it won’t open from inside anyway,” Privetina interrupted, stopping the brothers before they could argue.
“Then there’s only one path left,” Sappheiros said, pulling out tools from his bag to light a torch.
Standing beside him, Adamas quietly ignited the wick with magic.
“It seems like a cave beneath the desert, but the fire lights easily and we can breathe comfortably. That means there’s definitely ventilation. Since we can’t leave through the ceiling, let’s head inside.”
As Sappheiros spoke, Privetina replied with an uneasy expression.
“It feels like we’re being lured in. I don’t like it.”
“Let’s push through a little more, Tina,” Adamas said, meeting her eyes.
Privetina nodded.
“Alright, everyone. Let’s move inward.”
Adamas called out.
Adjusting their packs, the group began walking slowly.
Inside, Adamas whispered a small prayer.
Please let there be a proper exit. And please let Sappheiros endure.
She exhaled and pressed herself close beside him.
“Are you okay?”
“Hm? About what?”
Sappheiros answered while looking into her eyes.
“I mean… it’s a cave. You don’t like cramped places.”
Adamas whispered near his ear.
“…I’m okay. For now.”
Maybe the breeze tickled his ear—he covered it and whispered back.
Was he really okay? His face was already slightly flushed. He didn’t look well.
“Are you really alright?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine. It’s bright here.”
He glanced at the glowstones embedded along the walls.
Once, while searching for magic stones, he had collapsed in a mine.
Not just fainting—he’d hyperventilated, suffered claustrophobia, even shown self-destructive behavior.
Hearing him insist he was fine, Adamas forced a smile.
I wish I could actually believe you.
From experience, she knew too well how strong his patience was.
She quickly swept her gaze around.
The biggest difference between this place and the mine was simple:
There was no retreat.
Even if Sappheiros collapsed again, they didn’t know the way out.
They had no idea what lay ahead, but they had to keep moving forward.
If Sappheiros fainted in this situation…
Would breaking the Black Opal be the only way?
Adamas brushed her fingers over the earring on her left ear, praying that never happened.
Just then—
“Which way do we go?”
A fork in the road appeared.
The group stopped, each lost in thought.
Minutes passed.
“Left,” Stefan declared.
“Then I say right,” Adamas shot back immediately.
Stefan glared at her.
Adamas elbowed Sappheiros hard in the side.
“…Ghk! I-I also vote right,” Sappheiros said weakly, clutching his ribs.
Pantheon cut in coldly.
“Obviously left. Stefan’s ability is real. Only ignorant people doubt it.”
Ignorant people? As expected, that unpleasant man was definitely a noble.
“How rude, Pantheon. Stefan—if you really are a descendant of the Golden Lion, then that means you have the same ability as the first Emperor Shuon, correct?”
“So what?”
“That means it’s that power from the founding myth, right?”
“How many times do you have to ask? Yes!”
“That’s exactly the problem. Right now!”
Stefan frowned, as if he had no idea what she meant.
Pantheon and Stefan were certain about the existence of this hidden desert dungeon.
All because Stefan was supposedly a descendant of the Golden Lion.
The Golden Lion—Shuon, the founding Emperor of the Francis Empire.
The tale of the three Golden Lion brothers was something every citizen knew.
A bedtime story parents read to children.
The Founding Myth
The three Golden Lion brothers, with their beautiful manes, wished to become emperor.
Every night, they prayed to the gods.
And the gods spoke:
“I will bless the lion who brings me the most precious thing in the world.”
So the brothers set out on a journey.
At a forked road…
The bravest eldest chose the left.
The wisest second chose the right.
But the youngest stayed still, unmoving, year after year.
Many versions of the brothers’ adventures were published, but every story ended the same:
The first and second brothers never returned. They died.
After a long time, the god came to the youngest and asked:
“Why do you not leave?”
The youngest replied:
“I am protecting the most precious thing in this world—life itself.”
With his gift of foresight, he had seen the god’s trials:
Thorns, fire pits, hunters.
The god was moved by the youngest brother’s insight and blessed the land where he stood.
That blessed land became the Empire’s capital—Francisco.
And that youngest lion became the first Emperor:
Lion King Shuon.
“If Stefan’s ability is real, then I want to go right even more,” Adamas said firmly. “We didn’t come to the desert for sightseeing. Shuon’s power is for protecting oneself—avoiding danger.”
They came to uncover the truth about the golem.
There was no reason to avoid danger.
Adamas quietly extended her hand toward the cave wall.
“We’re going to meet whoever placed these glowstones. No objections.”
An awkward silence followed.
“…Then I’ll go right too,” Privetina said slowly, raising her hand. “I’m a hired mercenary, after all.”
Three to two.
With the majority choosing right, Pantheon finally relented.
“Fine. Right it is.”
He shot Stefan a sharp look.
Stefan sighed and reluctantly nodded.
“Alright. Right. Damn it. But I’m leading.”
Kicking at the ground, still scowling, Stefan agreed.
“Good. Then let’s move out again.”
The group resumed walking.
Stefan, Pantheon, Privetina, Adamas, Sappheiros—in that order.
Adamas adjusted her shoelaces and quietly asked Sappheiros:
“Why do you keep looking at Stefan?”
“I feel like I understand… but also don’t.”
“What?”
“The relationship between those brothers.”
“Huh?”
“There was something more important than blood.”
Sappheiros shrugged with a faint smile.
More important than blood? Such a thing existed?
“…Jewels?”
“You really…”
“I’m kidding, idiot.”
Adamas stuck out her tongue and winked.
Sappheiros laughed, shaking his head.
“It’s better not to worry about it right now. What matters is the golem. Watch your step—it’s dark.”
“Mhm.”
After nearly thirty minutes of nonstop walking, a vast open chamber appeared.
“Looks like a plaza,” Stefan sneered. “Put a fountain in the center and have an angel spray some water, and it’d be nice.”
He was still bitter about choosing the right path.
“Ugh, so childish. Even Tina isn’t like that. Right, Tina?”
“Ah… right. But… there really is nothing here.”
On Privetina’s small face, disappointment and relief mixed together. The tension she’d carried melted all at once.
Pantheon leaned against the wall, tapping his injured leg, silently observing.
Only Adamas and Sappheiros continued scanning the wide space with determination.
They couldn’t return to the Marquis empty-handed.
“There,” Adamas said softly. “Look up, Ros.”
In the ceiling of the chamber, a single massive glowstone was embedded, illuminating the entire cavern.
