Regulus 45 called them back inside, and Jin and the others stared at the staircase that opened up at their feet.
"......Since Regulus 45's preliminary investigation did not reveal anything, it seems that special wards have been put up as well."
Jin, who was examining the entrance area, concluded.
Such hidden rooms and passageways can be found by acoustic sonar. The fact that they were concealed in such a way suggests that they must be very sophisticated wards.
"I'll go in first to see if there is any danger.
Regulus 45 was quick to say so, and jumped into the entrance that opened on the floor. The sound of running down the stairs becomes quieter and quieter, until it is no longer audible.
The group waited in silence for about five minutes, when they heard footsteps again and Regulus 45 returned.
There is no danger. It is an interesting place.
He reported. It would be better to see what it is.
"Okay, let's go there."
Regulus45, Reiko, Hitoshi, Hannah, Saki, Stearena, and Elsa go down the stairs in that order.
To our surprise, the walls here were covered with etheric luminescent material (AL), which emitted light as Jin and the others proceeded. Considering the fact that they did not glow when Regulus 45 was in the room, it seems that AL reacts to human beings. This is quite a sophisticated device.
There were about 50 stairs, and a rather deep basement floor.
There is a door at the end of the stairs, and Regulus 45 opens it.
"Oh, wow!
"Interesting!"
"Hmm, this is ......."
"What the hell is this?"
"...... is amazing!"
Not three, but five different reactions.
There was a sea of stars.
No, it was a mural and ceiling painting that imitated a starry sky.
Dim starlight. Apparently, this room is hemispherical. It is like a planetarium that does not move.
"<>"
A voice came out of nowhere.
"Who is it?"
"<>"
"...... artificial brain?"
"<>"
In short, it is a being like the "Mere Old Man". It seems that it simply speaks messages.
"What is the fact ...... that you need to tell us?"
"<>"
It was a shocking fact. The people of Leonard's Kingdom have disappeared for a definite purpose. Everyone wanted to know why.
"Let me hear it."
"Let me hear it." <>.
The story told by the mysterious voice was astonishing.
The story told by the mysterious voice was astonishing.
"<<234 years ago, there was an epidemic of an unknown disease in the kingdom. It was named <>.
"Magical Wasting Fever ......"
This is the disease that Jin and Erza had to suffer from just a few days ago. It is said that there have been pandemics in the past.
"<
Fortunately or unfortunately, there were no diplomatic relations with the neighboring kingdoms of Klein, Selroa, and Egelea, so the fire did not spread to them.
"<
Jin wondered if they had arrived in time, but the story was soon told.
"<
"The sky?
"You mean in the sky ......?"
<
A magic circle. A magic circle is a circular arrangement of magical formulas, or in other words, a magical circuit composed entirely of magical formulas. It is possible to amplify the effects of magic by circulating it in a circle, but it is difficult to handle and is a magical technique that has fallen into disuse in modern times.
Jin wondered if this could be a magic circle of transmigration.
"<
"......"
"<
In short, there was an epidemic.
To evacuate, the legendary shifting magic circle was used.
Most of the people were transferred and never returned.
The mysterious voice is a messenger left behind by the remaining magical engineers.
Jin summarized the story in his mind. At the same time, several questions arose.
"Didn't you even check the destination of the transfer magic circle ......?"
Jin thought to himself, "How could that be, .......?
"<
Fearless is a terrible thing to hear. He was the first to flee the country because he was afraid of the plague.
"And even so, just because they didn't come back, ....... It's not simply because there was no way to get back, is it?"
Saki offered a guess.
"<
"Could you have come back if you wanted to?"
If that's the case, the fact that they didn't come back suggests that they were comfortable in the new location. Saki could not argue any further.
"Do you know what kind of magic circle it is?
Jin asked, curious, but the answer was disappointing. But the answer was disappointing.
"<
Well, it was OK that there was a warp gate, but he was still interested in the technology that could transfer only by a magic circle.
More than that, Jin was curious about the reason why he did not come back.
"It would have been nice if someone had come back to let us know what kind of place we were going to," he said.
He wondered if the plague was that terrible and came up with a reason.
"......No way?"
Jin raised his eyebrows. Erza wondered why Jin was so suspicious, and then she guessed why he was so afraid of the plague and came up with a reason.
"......Ji, Jin brother! ......If it's really the moon that you've been to,......the moon is ......the moon is ......true ...... sky......."
Jin nodded silently.
"......Yeah. I thought about that too. I wonder if they didn't think back then that there would be no air in the transition zone."
Saki and Stearina turned pale when they heard Jin's words. Both of them understood science well enough to understand what he meant.
"Jin ...... Jin, that means all the people who transitioned ...... back then."
"Jin-kun,...... if the place you metastasized to was a vacuum,...... that's what you mean,...... right?"
Jin nodded with a sad face.
"If the destination was the moon, that is. I hope it's somewhere far away from this world.
"...... but then one or two people can come back, can't they?"
"...... would normally care about the country of their birth."
"But if they don't come back,......, does that mean that's the case, Jin?"
It seemed to me that the people who had moved on at that time probably lost their lives before they knew what was going on in their new countries.
The messenger does not know and does not have the knowledge to understand such things.
"Is there anything else that we should pass on to future generations?"
Jin, who had regained some of his composure, asked a question.
"<
"I see."
With a slightly downcast feeling, Jin and the others decided to return to the ground. Hannah was the only one who did not understand what was going on, and she wondered why Jin and the others were looking so gloomy.
After everyone had climbed the stairs, the hole in the floor closed again.
Jin used engineering magic to seal the activation stones on the wall again, and went out silently. The other members followed.
Outside, the sky was as blue as it had been in the past.