Lao Tzu and Ann step into the interior. It is dark inside, but both Lao Tzu and Ann can move around without any problem.
"......This is ......"
The floor is made of quartz tiles and the walls are granite. The ceiling was solidly made of basalt-like stone. The outside was slightly crumbling, but the inside was completely intact.
"The outside and the inside are built differently. The outside was probably an afterthought. This construction was common ......300 years ago."
Anne is based on an automata that was made 300 years ago, just before the Magic War. She has more experience than Lao Tzu.
"This pattern is the pattern of hiding something under the floor, isn't it?
Ann kicked a regular pattern of quartz tiles of different colors with the heel of her shoe,
"...... there's a cavity under here."
It seems she has found a basement.
"...... should we go any further?"
Ann wondered if she was overstepping her bounds.
"No, I think it would be best to discuss this further with the master.
I agree.
* * * * * *
Fritz and are still clearing away the rubble of the villa in order to find the basement.
Now the last of the rubble is removed.
"Oh? That's ......!"
A hole has been found that seems to lead to the basement. The door that had covered it had been shattered by the debris, and now there was a gaping hole in the floor.
"I'll try there."
Fritz turned to go. Reinhardt hurried to stop him.
"Fritz, it's too dangerous. I'll send my black knight."
"...... I agree."
Fritz accepted the advice.
Reinhardt's Schwarzlitter Noir stepped into the hole.
There is a staircase that seems to lead down without danger.
Five minutes have passed since Noir disappeared.
"Whoa!
Noir comes back with the Dauphin Cesar on his back and King Richard in his arms.
"Your Majesty! Your Highness!"
Kirk Atkinson, the Dauphin's bodyguard, rushed to the scene. He was seriously wounded, but thanks to Erza's healing magic, he is recovering. His crushed arm is still in the process of healing.
He should not be able to move yet because he has lost a lot of blood, but he rushed to them out of loyalty.
"There are still two injured people. They do not seem to be seriously injured, but please help them as soon as possible. There doesn't seem to be any more danger of collapse inside.
After saying these words, Noir carried them to the guesthouse's infirmary.
As Noire had said, two maidens were lying in the basement. They had been hit on the head by a piece of the collapsed ceiling and seemed to have fainted.
I examined them and found that their wounds were minor. Luckily, they were near the solid gold golem of Count Galana and the statue of Venus de Jin, so they were not crushed by the collapsed ceiling.
The solid gold golem was deformed and the statue of Venus made by Jin was half destroyed. .......
Nevertheless, almost all the survivors were rescued in this way.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Erza-dono, can you help us?"
Ludlord Coles, the third seat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom of Celuloa, bowed his head.
Since the top ministers such as Ramburo, Secretary of the First Ministry of the Interior, Bojoly, Secretary of the First Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Latant, Secretary of the First Ministry of Technology, were all injured, he was in overall command of the disaster site.
"Understood."
Erza was accompanied by Jin and Reinhardt.
Then the emperor came to the scene.
"You have to clean up this mess. After all, she is the king.
There are many things that people from other countries cannot interfere with, so it was urgent that the king or the crown prince be restored to consciousness.
Dirt and other contaminants on their bodies were wiped clean.
The king did not show any external injuries, but the dauphin had a bruise on his head, which seemed to be caused by a blow.
After examining him, Elsa first casts a healing spell on the crown prince.
She heals the wounds that seem to have been caused by the debris, and regulates the condition of his internal organs and other parts. The effect is immediately apparent.
"...... uu?"
The crown prince Cesar had regained consciousness.
"Your Highness!"
Ludlord, the third seat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, shouted in joy.
The Dauphin Cesar slowly sat up. Then he let out a mumble as if remembering.
"...... I ...... see, the ceiling collapsed ...... yes, father!"
Cesar's face turned sad as he looked at his father, Richard, lying next to him.
"Are you all right, Your Highness? Does your head hurt?"
Elsa asked with a worried look on her face. Cesar turned to Elsa.
"Yes, I'm fine now. My head is clear. You're the one who patched me up. I thank you."
"...... well, thank you. So, what can you tell us about Your Majesty? I've examined you and there's something wrong with you.
Strange?
Yes. He doesn't seem to have been knocked unconscious by the trauma.
"I see. ......
Cesar closed his eyes, made a gesture of remembrance, and opened his mouth.
"At that time ...... my father was bleeding from the nose and seemed to be delirious."
His tone was pained.
"I knocked him out with a blow to the head right after I had ordered <> to go on a rampage."
"Oh, I see."
Only the sound could be heard in the hall of the detached palace. The situation had become clear.
"My father was clearly insane at that time. If left unchecked, he could have given a terrible order to all the battle golems."
"...... I understand."
After hearing the explanation, Elsa examined King Richard again. This time, she focused on the brain.
"<>"
She then applied the highest level of surgical healing magic.
But the king never woke up. After examining him again, Elsa reports with a slumped shoulder.
"......I did all I could do. ......"
Elsa said.
"...... honestly, there is a high possibility that the brain is damaged," she said.
"I see. ......"
Cesar looked sad and Elsa asked again.
"Did you have any bad habits, Your Majesty?"
The question was immediately answered.
"I can't say it was a bad habit, but my father always liked to drink wine. I told him that he should stop drinking in the daytime because he drank in the morning, but he didn't listen to me. It was a specialty brand from the Korin area, I believe.
The fact that she was a regular wine drinker was a little disturbing to Elsa.