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Chapter 205: Back to the Catacombs (1)

Stopping their footsteps at the giant door in front of them, besides the excited Frey, the rest of the group felt sceptical.

"...did we ever pass through a door?" Raina thought to herself. "Surely... If we were to go back on our original routes, we would be back at the throne room, right?"

"We definitely didn't pass through a door," Ethaniel stated. "I mean, look at the size of this. It almost reminds me of the giant statue's chamber... Or if anything, the entrance to the dens."

"There's an entrance to the catacombs here?" Yer stared blankly at the door. "...is this a joke? Are we being led into some kind of dungeon!?"

"Huh... You're right! Did we even pass through a giant door?" Frey who still had the necklace tilted her head. "If my memory serves me correctly... We just went to that entrance that the slime appeared out of and then we got lost! No way did we pass through some door without us noticing, right? What do you think, master?"

"Um... I was unaware of my surroundings at that time..." Shinto awkwardly stated. "Surely you didn't forget that I was distracted then, right...?"

"Oh right!" Frey uttered out. "If that's the case then... No clue."

"How do you guys even know that we didn't pass through a door?" Erith questioned. "If I remember correctly... Everyone was basically complaining that they couldn't see at all."

"Uhh..." Frey muttered out upon hearing Erith's statement. "...we couldn't see... So how did we know? Uhh... I don't know! It's just a feeling, right?"

"Frey..." Ethaniel sighed. "Even if we couldn't see, we should still be able to tell whether we'd pass through a door or not. After all, we didn't open anything or even hear any mechanism of the doors opening when we ended up in the stupid snowy plains."

"That's true too!" Frey nodded her head. "But like... A thought just came to mind... Uh, what was it about? Oh yeah! Maybe the doors were opened back then and they're now closed?"

"...look," Rustly bluntly stated in Arcos. "This is the right pathway. I'm following Madam Ru's mana this time! If we end up getting lost, again, I'm not to blame."

"...sounds quite hectic," Crowelin muttered out whilst listening in on the conversation between the group. Soon after, she began to scrutinize the patterns on the doorsquickly taking note that the patterns seemed to be familiar to her. "...hmm, what's this?"

"Huh? Crowelin, whatcha thinking about?" Noticing that Crowelin was in deep thought, Hikari slowly walked up towards her as she asked.

"Ah, Hikari?" Turning around, Crowelin tilted her head. "It was just a thought but... These patterns, haven't we seen them before?"

"Huh?" Confused at Crowelin's words, Hikari scrunched closer to the door as she began to look at it in detail. In the next moment, her eyes opened wide. "Hey... Isn't this the same pattern pope Judar showed us when he gave us the quest? 'To know where the hidden village lies, the patterns gifted by the War Angel of Flames will lead you the way,' something like that."

"...wait, you don't think?" Crowelin's face turned into that of excitement. "This is the exact village we're looking for?"

"Hmm... I don't know," Hikari shook her head. "We have to head in to find out. But... I have my doubts."

"Well, it's worth a try," Crowelin stated as she averted her gaze away from Hikari, soon towards the group who had finally settled down and were making their way over to the door to open it. "Quick, before we somehow get lost."

...

As the doors of the catacombs opened, the group immediately entered into it.

"...well, we're back," Rustly stated. "Well... At least from what I think. This route that we took was entirely different from the one I was supposed to take you back to."

"Jee... I wonder why," Reru scoffed. "At the very least, does anyone know which part of the catacombs we're at? Never been here before."

"Neither have I," Erith stated.

"I was asking this earlier... How should I know?" Yer replied.

"...so, do we just wander the catacombs?" Rustly questioned. "Beside's our usual places... Isn't there a few areas the Sleras and Farchu haven't explored?"

"From what I've heard, I think so," Erith nodded his head. "Back then... Our race stood no chance against the evil that lurks deeper into the halls, so we just settled for the middle area with the entrances all sealed off with Madam Ru's spell."

"Wait... You guys have no idea where we're at?!" Frey cried out. "A-And you're saying... There's more to this place?! It was already a long walk from the warrior's room to the guardian's!"

"It is what it is," Reru stated. "It's not like we're going to be heading into the unexplored areas anyways. We just need to find where we were at and then go back to the den from there."

"Huh? We're lost aren't we?!" Frey continued to cry out. "What makes you think we didn't end up into that unexplored area you're talking about?! Like... You all don't know where we are! This is troubling... Ahh! I don't want to fight this soon again! Give me a break!"

"...Frey? What's wrong?" Raina questioned Frey. "What did the slimes say?" Besides only understand Rustly, the rest of the group could not comprehend the slime's language. Thus, they were all reliant on Frey's translation.

"it's terrible! Ahhh!" Frey shouted out. "We might be fighting monsters again! And... It might be monsters far beyond our level, AGAIN!"

"Ugh... Are you serious?" Ethaniel frowned. "Here I thought we'd stop doing that..."

"OI HUMAN! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Reru screamed in Arcos. "I LITERALLY SAID, WE WON'T BE GOING TO THE UNEXPLORED AREAS!"

"... there are unexplored areas???" Ethaniel was filled with confusion at the mention of it by Reru.

"Ugh..." Reru grumbled. "Can you just give the damn necklace to the other humans?!"

"No way!" Frey refused. "I have a mission to fulfil and that's not translating! You can speak Arcane, can't you?! Wait, Arcane? Arca, Arcu, Aku, Arcos!" she shook her head. "You can speak it, can't you?! Then, translate instead!"

"You..." Annoyed by Frey, Reru was near his patience. "Grr! Just head straight and turn right every single time we see an intersection!"

"...will that even take us back?" Raina questioned.

"Don't question and just do it!" Reru stated firmly. "If we're lost, just take a left instead! We're bound to find the den this way."

"Wow... What a way to solve this problem," Ethaniel rolled his eyes. "Does anyone have better ideas?"

"...hey, Zay... Is this group always this chaotic?" Hikari whispered to Shinto.

"Honestly, this is no different from our time together as a party back then too, so..." Shinto replied. "I don't see a problem with that. Chaos... Is alright, I guess."

"Aha..." Hikari chuckled. "I guess you're right."

As the two whispered to one another, the argument continued.

"Huh? Is one giving a better idea??" Ethaniel raised his brow. "Surely, anyone can think better than that kind of random on the spot idea, right??"

"If you think anyone can think better than this idea, why don't I see you giving any ideas?!"

"Bah, I'm thinking alright?! Unlike your brainless idea!"

"Brainless?! You come here right now and I'll show you brainless!" Reru leapt over towards Ethaniel.

"You piece of..." Ethaniel frowned.

"E-Eep!" Frey cried out. "Are you going to start a fight when we're on the verge of encountering more high levelled enemies?!"

"I don't care!" The two replied as they appeared to have started a quick brawl. with their patience now thin as ice.

"Hah..." Rustly glared at the two beings of different races fighting in a fit. "You know what, let's head straight, then turn left at any possible moments. If we're lost we turn right instead. I don't care, decisions final," stating out his sentence, Rustly began leaping forward.

"...how's that any better than Reru's idea?" Raina blinked at the listless Rustly.

"I don't care, I said decisions final, leave them be," Rustly stated as he continued on.

"Well... If we just make way through the catacombs as it is, we're bound to find someplace similar, I guess," Erith shrugged as he followed behind Rustly.

"This is...?" Frey blinked in a dumbfounded manner. "...ahh! Whatever! I just hope we can head back to the den soon! No more intense fights! I want to do quests and get better equipment!!"

"Hah..." Shinto sighed helplessly at the situation. "What do you think?" Turning towards the rest of the bystanders, Shinto asked.

"Meh... You guys know this place more than us, especially those slimes, so I'll trust them," Crowelin nodded her head.

"I'm with Crowelin here," Hikari stated.

"...there's no other choice," Raina sighed. "Let's just hope... Whatever Frey said about the monsters in those unexplored areas doesn't come true. The thought of fighting them is pain..."

"Yeah, you're right," Shinto said as the group began following after Rustly, quickly leaving behind Ethaniel and Reru who were long unaware of their surroundings. "Then we're going."