Nervous yet exhilarated, he followed after his master. The once-dark tunnel began to show signs of light ahead. At last, they reached the end of the confined passage. What lay beyond was a sealed-off paradise—worthy of being called an underground world.
“Whoa...”
Sansui couldn’t stop himself from gasping in awe.
“This is a hidden realm formed by the Voidspace Art. It is a rare technique—observe it well.”
He couldn’t tell where the light source was, yet the place was as bright as midday. The ground curved upward like the inside of a sphere, reaching all the way to what should have been the ceiling, yet every surface pulled “down,” as though possessing its own gravity. This, too, was likely the result of space being distorted.
“There are houses on the ceiling, forests along the sides... Even rice paddies. This is truly a realm outside of reality.”
“How nostalgic. In ages past, I visited here with Eckesachs... Nothing has changed.”
After an eternity, Suiboku had returned to a place he once knew. The fact that nothing had changed was enough to fill him with deep emotion.
“Does it rain here as well?”
“Aye. In principle, the climate matches that of the location where the entrance lies. Day and night too.”
“I see—so it’s not completely isolated.”
The two chatted casually, but from the perspective of those around them, they were intruders. Since there was only one entrance, and two strangers had boldly walked through it, alarm bells began clanging throughout the settlement.
“Mmm.”
“Oh.”
Only now did the two realize they had arrived without any prior notice. Not that they could have arranged anything from such a distance, but even so, the fault lay with Suiboku and Sansui, not the people of the hidden land.
“Who are you?!”
“Did you follow the Consecrated Maiden warriors when they returned?!”
“I told you all we should’ve relocated sooner!”
Rugged farmers burst out as though they had dropped their fieldwork on the spot, brandishing their farming tools like weapons. With fierce expressions, they surrounded the two Immortals.
“A child...? No, even if he is, we can’t just let them leave!”
“That’s right—if they go around telling people, we’re finished! We take them down right here!”
The enraged farmers began stirring their inner ki and blood. It was the first time Sansui was seeing the secret Rare Arts passed down within this hidden realm.
“Master, what shall we do?”
Sansui, visibly uneasy, asked his teacher how they should respond. Since he had been told not to behave discourteously, and since they were clearly at fault for intruding, he could not raise a hand.
“Now, now—wait a moment. The commotion will settle soon enough.”
Suiboku’s demeanor was utterly composed. It was as if he were saying that so long as one remained calm and dignified, matters would resolve themselves without trouble.
And indeed, that was exactly what happened.
“Wait a second... Don’t tell me you two are Immortals?!”
Just before the attack could begin, one of the agitated farmers suddenly realized it. Perhaps it was the sight of the pair standing unfazed while surrounded by murderous adults—it was strange enough to make him guess their true nature.
“Immortals—long-lived beings who practice the same Arts as the Tengu!”
“Come to think of it, their clothes look similar to Lord Fukei’s...”
“No, wait... The Consecrated Maidens said they met Suiboku’s disciple...”
“Then these two are—?! The legendary monster and his disciple?!”
The murderous tension dissolved into chaos and confusion—but at that exact moment, a voice amplified by Immortal Arts echoed from the center of the underground world.
“That is correct.”
At the sound of that voice, everyone except Sansui dropped to one knee. Even Suiboku turned toward the voice’s direction and bowed with deep reverence.
A moment late, Sansui knelt as well.
“It’s been a while, Suiboku. What, about twenty-five hundred years?”
“It has been far too long, Great Tengu.”
“And that young one over there—that’s your disciple, the one who looked after our little runaway?”
“Indeed. I have come today precisely to introduce this disciple.”
For an outsider, the sight of Suiboku humbling himself so completely would have been shocking. No matter how ancient the other party was, given Suiboku’s previous behavior, it was almost unbelievable.
“Well, talking without showing my face isn’t ideal. I’ll send someone to guide you. Come on over.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Great Tengu—the unseen ruler of this sealed world—had spoken. No one dared raise a complaint, and the situation settled at once.
Before long, several flustered young girls came running. They were the shrine maiden priestesses who, just recently, had been coerced into aiding Queen Sukreen during the failed coup attempt in Magyan. The girls appointed as guides bowed their heads to the surrounding farmers before approaching the two and offering their greetings.
“It has been a while, Lord Sansui. Lord Suiboku, it is an honor to meet you for the first time...”
“The Great Tengu has ordered us to guide you. Please, come this way...”
Their smiles were stiff—clearly forced. Having gone so far as to borrow money from Sansui just to return home, they were likely being treated as criminals even here in their own village. The gazes cast upon them were harsh.
“Very well, we are in your hands. Come, Sansui.”
“Yes, Master.”
Their destination was the center of this hidden land: a large hermitage atop a mountain that rose like a pillar.
They approached a sharply towering peak, where the Great Tengu Cel awaited them. A spiraling mountain path wrapped around it like a coiled staircase, forcing them to circle the mountain again and again as they climbed. And the higher they climbed, the lighter their bodies became.
In this sanctuary called Cel, the “ground” was the walls of the sphere and “up” was the center. Walking on the surface created no noticeable difference, but climbing a tall mountain meant drawing closer to the center, where gravity from all directions balanced out, making one feel lighter. Confused by this strange phenomenon, Sansui continued ascending with his master and the guides. Once they reached the end of the steps and arrived at the summit, the shrine maiden priestesses came to a halt.
“This is as far as we may go. Please forgive us for not accompanying you to the end.”
At the top stood a single-story house—wooden, plain, seemingly containing only one room. It seemed the Consecrated Maidens were not permitted to enter.
“Thank you for guiding us here. Come, Sansui.”
“Yes.”
From the presence he sensed emanating from the building, Sansui understood the reason. Beyond this point, no mortals were allowed—this was a realm for the long-lived alone. The two who possessed that qualification stepped solemnly into the hermitage.
The wide hall with its wooden flooring was filled with Tengu seated in rows. Around ten of them—boys and girls in appearance, though all long-lived beings—sat directly on the floor without cushions. Each wore attire reminiscent of ascetics, and from their bodies radiated a palpable aura of immortal energy. For Sansui, who until now had seen no long-lived being other than his own master, encountering ten of them all at once was nothing short of astonishing.