Chapter 371 – In the Hall of Fire Spirits

On the day the Sealed Door was to be opened—we headed toward the door deep within the Blazing Fortress, together with Ignatius and Lazaro.

The Gargoyles perched atop the pillars recognized their master Ignatius, descended from their posts, and knelt in a salute.

We passed through these Gargoyles and stood before the door.

“As expected, it seems you can command the Gargoyles.”

“Indeed. Well, I can summon them in emergencies too. The same goes for the Golems in the other Spirit Halls.”

Ignatius nodded while stroking his beard.

When you think about it, the combat strength for defending the Spirit Halls is quite substantial.

Ignatius commands Gargoyles and Crystal Golem troops, accompanied by Lazaro, plus the Water Dragon couple… that’s how it is.

“It’s a relief that we can use Gargoyles and Crystal Golems as combat forces.”

“That’s right. They’re quite flexible too.”

Rosemary nodded at my response. Being a Doll user herself, she seemed to genuinely appreciate their usefulness.

They possess combat capabilities and are decent in numbers… but above all, their convenience stands out in various aspects. Gargoyles themselves are flying combat units, they regenerate over time. Additionally, they’re resistant to Miasma Erosion and excel in Defense, making them hard to deplete. They work tirelessly without rest and don’t suffer morale decline—considering all this, they’re generally very manageable in deployment.

“I’d like to work hard enough to be somewhat reliable,” Ignatius said with a wry smile.

“…It’s about time,” Claudia spoke up then. Apparently, it was the moment for the Seal to break.

So far, nothing particularly bad had happened when Sealed Doors opened—but this is the Blazing Fortress. We don’t know what might come out, so we should at least stay cautious.

Light ran across the relief carved into the massive door before us. As the door creaked open—an enormous amount of Magical Power blew out from the gap like a gust of wind.

Compared to the Blazing Fortress’s high temperatures, it felt warm—or rather, a gentle warmth. Through the Monocle, I could see the Fire Spirits—Salamanders—emerging in large numbers, though not fully manifested, and I could sense strong Magical Power.

Hmm. Even though they’re called Salamanders, they don’t look like newts but rather resemble even smaller dragon pups, with a somewhat charming appearance. Flames blaze fiercely on their backs, tail tips, and such.

The Salamanders that came running paid no attention to us, instead attaching themselves to nearby lava pools as they pleased.

Is this… are they consuming heat? I could see the flames enveloping the Salamanders growing brighter while the surrounding temperature dropped. The lava rapidly lost heat, cooling and solidifying. In exchange, the Salamanders’ movements became more active. I saw them scurrying off on their little legs, searching for the next heat source.

“I see. So they’re empowering the Fire Spirits.”

If that’s the case, then secondarily, the Difficulty of conquering the Blazing Fortress should drop considerably upon the Seal’s release. Considering we need to move to collect the Orb, this might be the perfect opportunity for the conquest.

“The phenomena caused by the Spirit Hall’s release… weren’t specifically intended by the Seven Sages,” Ignatius said as we watched the Salamanders run off.

“Is that so?”

“Indeed. The Seven Sages said that while changes might occur due to the Spirit Hall’s construction, they likely wouldn’t act in a negative direction.”

“So the Labyrinth is changing in the direction Claudia-sama desires.”

Ashley smiled and nodded, but Claudia herself seemed slightly uncomfortable, quietly closing her eyes with flushed cheeks. Since it’s not something she’s doing consciously, being thanked so profusely might be embarrassing for her. Watching Claudia, Marlene and Irmhild smiled.

“Yeah. Well, it seems safe to proceed. Let’s just not let our guard down.”

“Yes. Then let’s go.”

We all exchanged nods—and as we advanced through the narrow passage deeper in, the view suddenly opened up.

From a narrow path to a vast space. A single path like a sheer cliff led to the Fire Spirit Hall. A valley floor ablaze with flames—. Yet, even here, I didn’t feel the intense heat like in the Blazing Fortress. Rather, how to put it… just being here warms you from the inside, filling you with vitality.

“Somehow… it’s a mysterious place.”

Grace blinked. Indeed.

“I see… That’s it.”

Scanning the area, focusing on the flames in the valley—I realized what it was. There was a manifested Fire Spirit. A fiery bird curled up asleep—.

Moreover, Salamanders kept scurrying out from deeper within the Spirit Hall… so through the Monocle, the view was quite lively. Well, if I went to see the other Spirit Halls with the Monocle on, it’d probably be similar.

“That itself is a high-ranking Fire Spirit. It seems to have manifested after the Spirit Hall was built… but well, it’s a docile one. Both I and Lazaro get along with it reasonably well.”

“A Phoenix…”

“The Blazing Fortress was originally a place to harness geothermal heat and lava, converting excess heat into Magical Power or resources. By creating a place to summon Fire Spirits there, that Phoenix must have settled in.”

Claudia also explained the Blazing Fortress’s original role. Hmm… Indeed, regarding that Phoenix, it feels neither particularly hostile nor friendly. Right now, it’s just sleeping and not moving. Best to leave it alone.

“This place isn’t just the Spirit Hall, it’s also my sleeping quarters. Along with the Orb, there’s something I must give to you.”

“Understood. Then—shall we take care of collecting the Orb first?”

All of us headed deeper into the Spirit Hall first. We proceeded through the Spirit Hall’s passage and easily reached the place with the Orb. The Salamanders were getting even livelier… but since they showed no sign of interference, we collected the Orb without issue.

“Claudia, any abnormalities?”

“None that I can sense right now.”

She shook her head. I also checked the Communication Device, and reports from outside indicated no issues. If they intended to perform a special transfer inside, Claudia would likely detect it, so perhaps the Demon is still conserving its forces.

If that’s the case… then the final Miasma Orb must be in the Demon’s possession. Or perhaps their strategy is to bring it to Termwills at a different time. We’ll need to pay attention to this going forward.

“Regarding the Orb, I’ll take responsibility and deliver it to King Melvin.”

“Indeed. Then next, shall we head to my home?”

We left the Spirit Hall and headed toward Ignatius’s sleeping quarters.

Though “heading” makes it sound far, it was right next to the Spirit Hall. Going around the side of the Spirit Hall, there were their sleeping quarters.

The architectural style resembled the Spirit Hall. Though much smaller in scale, you could easily believe it was part of the Spirit Hall. The two houses side by side were Ignatius’s home and Lazaro’s home.

It was modest for a king’s house or a legendary knight’s home, but when Ignatius led us inside, it had all the necessary facilities—bedroom, living room, kitchen—and seemed quite comfortable, almost unbelievable for being inside the Blazing Fortress. Well, perhaps because Ignatius usually just sleeps there, there was no sense of daily life.

“This way,” Ignatius said, descending a staircase. A basement, perhaps?

Going down the stairs led to a small room. When Ignatius touched a sphere embedded in the wall, a door at the back opened. …It looks exactly like the device I saw at the Sages’ Academy in Silvatoria. So the technology used is the same, after all.

Following Ignatius through the door—it was a study.

Crammed with books on all sides, simply furnished with a desk and chairs for reading and writing, and a Magic Tool for lighting… but the humidity and temperature were different from outside. Dry, cold air. Probably to maintain a constant environment for long-term book preservation.

Still, it’s a study with a nice atmosphere. Lots of books but appropriately cozy and calming.

Ignatius climbed a ladder, pulled several old books from the upper shelves, came back down, and handed them to me.

“These are the books I mentioned before.”

Books detailing the procedure for the ritual to maintain the Orb’s Seal, and books showing the Spell Formulas for Labyrinth control.

“Then I’ll take them into my care.”

“Indeed. I pray you make good use of them.”

I accepted the books from Ignatius and bowed. Now, regarding the ritual books and the Orb, once we leave the Labyrinth, I’ll head straight to the Royal Castle to deliver them.