## Chapter 927 – How Long Has It Been?

This unidentified dungeon was discovered in the central region of the Karga Kingdom.

Detailed information is scarce, but judging by its size, it seems dangerous, so the Holy Crusade Exploration Team has requested the creation of a Holy Allied Forces. Of course, since they have a history of defeating the Demon King decades ago, each religious order is discussing it positively.

The reason why so many dungeons are being discovered in the Karga Kingdom is, of course, because the Karga Kingdom is the largest among the human kingdoms.

The Merqudia Kingdom, which borders it, is also large, but not comparable, and the smaller kingdoms scattered behind it are even smaller.

Among them, there is a place called the Holy Kingdom, considered a religious sanctuary, but the Holy Maiden doesn’t seem to think much of it.

It’s not a place that requires much attention.

I heard it’s a small country ruled by a king of priests who calls himself the Holy King. Major religions acknowledge his authority to some extent, but he doesn’t have real power, so there’s no need to worry about it. It seems to run on donations and the production of religious goods.

Anyway, if you go past those small kingdoms, you’ll find the kingdom of the dwarves. Dwarves are rare even within the kingdom, and unlike their image, not many of them seem to be blacksmiths.

Also, if you go south past the Merqudia Kingdom, you’ll find the Shurdic Great Desert, where Claudie came from.

And if you go north from Mirkesha, you’ll find the frigid mountains, home to the Sasquatch. If you go beyond that, you’ll find the Northern Empire covered in snow, but again, there isn’t much information.

Naturally, ancient dungeons and buried shrines, remnants of the Idol War, are also being discovered in these foreign lands, but accurate information is lacking because they are foreign countries. It’s not like we live in a world with phones or the internet.

In any case, exploration and research are being conducted more actively in the Karga Kingdom than before, and many professional adventurers are moving around to make money, so ancient facilities are often discovered.

“Lehu.”

Anyway, the three of us, Claudie, Risha, and I, set off in that direction.

Winia, Karin, and Sister Liz are currently negotiating to sell the skeleton of the monster king and the scraps of rare metals we acquired this time. Liz is good at making money, and Winia is an expert in magical materials like these. With Karin, the thug, it’s perfect.

It’s a bit of a shame about Hilde and Ari.
So, the three of us ended up going.

The journey to the central region didn’t take long. It wasn’t too far from the capital, so we could get there quickly by traveling day and night.

Holy Crusade Exploration Team… No matter how hard I think, I can’t get a good grasp of what kind of group it is. Maybe it’s a bunch of crazy old men like Barkerel x100, with gleaming eyes, wandering around like field mobs.

That place was a kind of hellish paradise.

As people get older, their thinking inevitably becomes fixed, and they can only act as they have lived and believed. The thought of those crazy human weapons, filled with fanatical beliefs, digging into dungeons made me feel a chill.

I had some expectations like that.

“Ugh… Have we arrived yet?”
“It doesn’t seem too far from the city.”

Claudie and Risha, standing in front of the sign, stretched. Both were wearing hooded robes over skin-tight leather clothing.

“It seems to be around here.”

When we rested for a day in a nearby city, we learned that the Holy Crusade Exploration Team was resupplying and operating in this city.

It’s been quite a while, so that’s why we came here.

「Holy Crusade Exploration Team Headquarters ↑」

The sign clearly stated that.

This place wasn’t too far from the city, so we left the carriage behind. At this distance, we could commute to the city. Anyway, according to the sign, if we go straight in, we’ll find the headquarters.

“Let’s go in.”

So, the three of us pushed our way through the forest path.

* * *

Before long, we discovered something.

ㅡGleaming.

It was a muscular, white-haired old man wearing splendid brass armor. His white hair and muscular body seemed to prove his strength and experience.

In the case of muscles like that, you can see them even when wearing armor. More than anything, the armor wasn’t in normal condition, and parts of it were destroyed and lost.

But the most unusual thing was that he was emitting real light from his eyes, without lying. Emitting a blue light, he strode towards us like a field mob, a preemptive one at that.

I was momentarily flustered.

Is this old knight a paladin of the Holy Crusade Exploration Team?
Judging by the armor, he belongs to the Brass Holy Knights.

“Hmm? Isn’t that armor a set of equipment for combat priests?”

ㅡTzzzz.

The old knight, turning off the blue light, pointed at me and tilted his head.

Wait, does that have an on/off function?

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“What brings you here? More than that, you’re a very tall young man.”

Standing in front of me, he looked over 185cm tall, but he was shorter than me.

“And an extremely well-trained warrior’s body… A combat priest wouldn’t have a body like that, would he? Why didn’t you become a paladin instead?”

He poured out words in the manner of an old man, patting my shoulder. I was momentarily flustered, but immediately bowed.

“Nice to meet you, Holy Knight of the Holy Crusade Exploration Team. I am Kim Kat, a paladin directly under the Holy Maiden.”
“What? A paladin directly under the Holy Maiden? Not directly under the Order?”
“Yes. Look.”

I immediately took out the order and the paladin seal from my pocket and showed them to him, briefly explaining how I came to wear this armor and my identity.

“Ah, so that’s how it is. So, the Holy Maiden ordered you to provide support? Then I welcome you! If you’ve come to help, there’s no reason to refuse!! Hahaha!!”

The old knight, laughing loudly, hugged me and patted my back strongly.

“Ugh.”
“In dungeons like this, ancient monsters can be dormant, so if strong forces are added, it’s all the better!! Actually, about twenty years ago… During an exploration, an ancient monster suddenly attacked, and a member almost lost their life!”
“That’s a very scary story…!”

Even though it was twenty years ago, it’s a very strong monster if it threatened elite holy knights.

“It was a very strong monster… Ah, that’s right!!! I haven’t introduced myself yet!!”

Pushing me away, he finally began to introduce himself.

“I am Jaynant, the vice-commander of this Holy Crusade Exploration Team!!”

Vice-commander?

“Currently, everyone is at the exploration site. I was guarding this area alone. Because heretics and grave robbers might come.”
“They come even though the Holy Crusade Exploration Team is here?”

What crazy bastards.

This is the same as a serial killer wanted nationwide walking into the police station of their own volition.

“There are many stupid people in the world, you see.”
“Ah.”

I understood.

“Since you’ve come, I should give you a tour. But, who are the people behind you?”
“They are my companions.”

At those words, Risha and Claudie bowed lightly. Jaynant also bowed in return and began to walk ahead.

“Then let’s go. Follow me.”
“Yes.”

So, we followed Jaynant.

As we followed, we soon began to see tents and temporary buildings. It was quite well organized, so this must be the headquarters.

“This is the headquarters, and if you go that way, you’ll find the exploration site. At the site, members of our Order and members of other religions are cooperating on the work.”

He explained.

“Last time, reinforcements came from the Radiant Cross Society, and now they’re sending us some too. But they’re only sending one person. That’s a shame.”

There’s a reason for that.

“That’s…”
“Hmm?”
“Currently, an otherworldly structure has appeared, and the holy knights have gone there.”
“What? An otherworldly structure has appeared?”

I briefly told him about the otherworld dungeon. He listened to my story with a very serious face and nodded.

“Such a thing… That’s serious. Then the reinforcements will come after that matter is finished.”
“Probably.”
“Anyway, I need to go and tell the commander at the site. Follow me.”
“Thank you.”

He immediately guided us, and we followed him again.

We talked about various things along the way. The recent atmosphere within the Great Temple and other trivial things like that. It seems he’s been away from the capital for a while and has many questions.

As we talked, the story of the Demon King came up.

“Sir Jaynant, did you participate in the Demon King subjugation war?”
“I was young back then. It was something from my youth, but it was the most valuable thing in my long life.”

I was able to hear the story of the Demon King from him.

“The Demon King’s name was Zetamono. He was a very hideous-looking being.”

That’s a unique name.

“I still remember it vividly. His muscular body was very large, and the carapace and horns that sprouted from his body were like personified hatred, and his long neck and the head on top of it were also very nightmarish. First of all, he had so many eyes.”
“How terrible…!”
“Not only that. He had wings on his back. And he had a total of four long arms, and his fingernails were very destructive.”

It was a very terrible and huge monster.

That’s pretty much what Demon Kings are.

Sometimes the commanders of the invaders from the Demon Realm are called Demon Kings, but sometimes these powerful monsters are called Demon Kings. But this distinction isn’t systematic, and it changes from time to time, so sometimes a Great Demon is called a Demon King.

Anyway, it’s extremely inhuman, so if Hilde heard this story, she might scream and faint.

“Still, it was fortunate that we were able to strike the scene just as the seal was being broken and he was reviving.”

That was lucky.

“The heretics who broke the Demon King’s seal resisted fiercely, but they couldn’t stand up to our Holy Allied Forces, who were facing a global crisis. Of course, even the Demon King, who had just been released, couldn’t be our opponent. Of course, the damage was very great, but it was a victory that was more valuable than that.”

Holy knights become stronger in the face of such crises.

“Oh… That’s a very sacred story.”
“It was a truly holy thing.”

No matter how powerful an ancient Demon King is, if he’s just been released from the seal, he can be killed.

Even if you sleep too much and wake up dizzy, the seal is even more serious than that. A being that has just been released from the seal is bound to be a complete idiot until it regains its power.

In human terms, it’s even more serious than just waking up, being super tired, sleepy, and unable to open your eyes properly, while also being extremely thirsty and needing to pee. It would be similar to having a cold, fever, and body aches in that state.

There’s no way a Demon King in that state could beat holy knights armed with murderous justice.

“At the same time, it was an infuriating thing.”
“Why is that?”
“It was a kind of passing the buck. It was like our ancestors in the days of the Idol War passed on an enemy they couldn’t handle to us descendants.”

Well, that’s what sealing is.
If you can’t do it now, you pass it on to the future.

“They sealed it because it was too difficult to deal with even with the technology of the time. If something like that were properly released and regained its power… It would have been very difficult to handle in the current era, where all technology has regressed from that time.”

Could the Holy Allied Forces have faced a complete ancient Demon King?

Jaynant seemed to think negatively.

“The reality is that such things exist all over the world. It’s sad, but it can’t be helped. It was such a huge war that we couldn’t handle it. That’s why our Holy Crusade Exploration Teams are important. We have to discover them `first` to win.”
“I understand. It’s a very noble mission.”

Even if you win against them right after they revive, it’s really dangerous if those guys regain their full power. So, you have to discover them first and take action.

That’s why these heretic bastards are a problem.

They try to revive such beings in exchange for power, status, or the afterlife. If they succeed, they can become servants, gain great power, and enjoy luxury. But if you’re going to try to get ahead like that, just try to work hard normally, you bastards.

“Ah, we’ve arrived. It’s over there.”

We arrived at the site.

“Ooh.”

A scene like an archaeological excavation site unfolded.

Holy knights in armor seemed to be on guard, musclemen wearing only undershirts and pants were digging in the ground, and scholars and other workers were moving very orderly.

I immediately scanned the place.

But.

“Oh…!”

I couldn’t help but be surprised!

Ascetic Crusaders!!!

There were Ascetic Crusaders over there!!

The true berserkers of the Radiant Cross Society, wearing black underwear, grotesque iron protectors, and demon-like helmets, were standing in hunched postures!!!

As expected! Of course, they came too!

ㅡThump, thump.

My heart started beating.
If there are Ascetic Crusaders… Could Elise be here too?

Thinking that, I expanded my senses.

“…!”

When I discovered a nun with red hair.

“ELISEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”

I couldn’t help but scream.