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[Incident]
We are on our way to the Abyss Hole to rescue Noelia, who has been kidnapped by Vigo.
After finishing a preliminary reconnaissance over the Demon Forest on Dimol as there is a possibility that Vigo has setup an ambush in there, I return to where everyone is at, resting the horses.
Hm? The squirrel clinging to my shoulder is calling for my attention.
It pokes my cheek repeatedly. Maybe Noelia has something to tell us.
“Just a sec, I’ll take out a pen and paper now.” (Frick)
After taking out a paper and pen out of my pouch, I hand them to the squirrel that has come down onto my hand.
The squirrel dexterously picks up the pen, before beginning to write dexterously.
Cinzia had praised her too, but seriously, just controlling an animal with employment magic itself requires insane concentration and adjustment of magic power, and yet she can even have the squirrel she controls to write letters.
As expected of Noelia.
The squirrel, holding the pen, writes with all its might.
Meanwhile, everyone who is taking a break come gathering around us.
“Frick, did you find any signs of the enemy? I sent a golem to the surroundings for recon too, but I only caught glimpses of monsters.” (Cinzia)
“Same when I looked from above, I could only spot some monsters coming and going. More importantly, there’s an information coming from Noelia now.” (Frick)
“Maybe she’s going to tell us the placement of the enemy.” (Cinzia)
“Even Vigo wouldn’t have expected that Noelia-sama could use employment magic to communicate with us, after all. Since it’s her we’re talking about here, it can’t be just about telling us her safety.” (Al)
Everyone’s eyes are gathered on the squirrel who is desperately writing with its front paws.
“It says there is no enemy ambush around the Demon Forest and the Abyss Hole.” (Maribel)
Maribel reads out the letters written by the squirrel.
“I wonder why Vigo didn’t set an ambush. Could he be so in a rush to escape that he didn’t have the time to set one up?” (Al)
“What Al said might be right, but there’s also the possibility that he is focusing his forces in the Abyss Hole.” (Meila)
“If we were to be confined in that facility, I think it would be very difficult for us to fight, too.” (Al)
“Ahh, true. The passages are fairly wide, but it might be frightening if the enemies suddenly jump out of unlighted places. Besides, there are also small rooms where they can hide, and there are many places where it’s difficult to use magic, too.” (Meila)
The two who had been in the facility commented that fighting in it is going to be tough.
“New information has arrived. ‘Besides the entrance that was in my father’s report, there is another huge entrance that leads to a new part of the underground facility’.” (Maribel)
“A different huge entrance!?” (Al)
“The area around Abyss Fall should have been searched all over by adventurers and knights after the facility was discovered. There’s no way they would have missed something like that…” (Meila)
“Noelia wouldn’t give us a false information, so that other entrance definitely exists. It might have a gimmick so that it couldn’t be found. Vigo and his goons have alien technologies, after all.” (Cinzia)
Meaning we could get in from a place other than the entrance made on the wall of the Abyss Hole, huh.
The report stated that many different technologies were used in the equipment of the facility.
No matter what they had set up, it wouldn’t be strange.
“It’s the following information. ‘Currently descending along with the ground toward the underground facility. Vigo is in control of familiar-like things. Our movement is already grasped by the enemy’.” (Maribel)
“Our movement have already been exposed to Vigo!?” (Al)
“Looks like the enemy also uses something similar to familiar, but… Just what on earth is that something, I wonder?” (Cinzia)
Something similar to familiar, huh. But there’s no animal that seems to be moving suspiciously around.
Since she said familiar, it probably means a bird or a small animal.
I scan the surroundings, but I can’t find any creatures that seems to be moving so as to observe us.
But since Noelia’s still alive despite our movements has been exposed, that means Vigo’s aim is really to make a deal with me.
“There’s no ambush in the facility, and Vigo claims that he is waiting for Frick-sama and co’s visit. I can’t tell if it’s a trap— so it says.” (Maribel)
“I wonder if he’s waiting for our visit, or waiting to ambush us.” (Al)
“I don’t know. But we don’t have the option of not going. Even if it’s a trap, we have to jump right into it.” (Frick)
If we don’t go, we can’t save Noelia.
We have no time to——
“Frick-san! Squirrel-chan went somewhere!” (Maribel)
Being told so by Maribel, I look down at my hand, but I can’t see the squirrel who is supposed to be there.
Noelia! Dammit! Something must’ve happened to Noelia!
“Looks like the magic has been cancelled! Something might have happened to Noelia! There’s no time to lose! We have to hurry and beat Vigo up! Diedur, let’s go!” (Cinzia)
After hopping onto Diedur, Cinzia rushes to the Abyss Hole alone.
“Let’s hurry.” (Frick)
“Un.” (Al)
At the same time as everyone starts to run off on horseback, I have Dimol to take off and head for the Abyss Hole.