Chapter 38

1 The dark passage seemed to go on forever. It didn’t shift up or down; it just continued on ahead. Though it was a relief to know they didn’t have to worry about getting lost, there was nothing to suggest they should turn back, either. They just continued trudging through the darkness. Shuno walked in front with Ix trailing behind, same as when they’d set off. Shuno had seemed nervous initially but must have gotten bored of the place after a while, because they’d started chatting with Ix. “That’s right, you worked at the front of a wand shop… Must have been tough,” said Shuno with a serious nod after asking about Ix. “You could say you were born into being a wandmaker. Guess that’s the opposite of me.” “So you only recently became Marlan’s apprentice?” asked Ix in surprise. “Well, I’m not sure ‘recently’ is the right way of putting it…,” said Shuno, leaving a lot unsaid in their embarrassment. “For a long time, everyone thought I’d take up the family business. I apprenticed under my dad. But our line of work wasn’t doing so great. After waffling for a bit, I suddenly made up my mind and switched careers to wandmaking. That’s why I notice my attitude is usually a bit different compared to the people around me. I’ve never had that devotion to wands so many start out with.” Ix could hardly believe his ears. How could someone with their history become such a gifted craftsperson? Up until now, Ix had assumed Shuno had been studying for ages. “So then…why’d you become a wandmaker?” asked Ix. “I’m sure there were plenty of other options.” “It didn’t come down to anything serious. I guess I had a bit of a rivalry.” “Rivalry?” “Man, this passage is so long. I know I’m the one who suggested we go, but I can’t believe nothing’s changed yet…” Shuno sighed. “Where the heck does this lead?” “Estosha, probably. It’s heading in the right direction.” “Uh… Ummm, the kitchen faced that way, and the building faces that way…,” muttered Shuno as they crossed their arms, then brought a hand to their forehead. “If it goes directly to town, then yeah, it’s going to be pretty far.” “We walk this distance back and forth all the time. And since it’s direct, it should be a bit shorter. If there’s an exit on the other end, that is.” “Don’t say such horrible things.” Shuno slumped their shoulders. “You know, Ix, I bet you were thinking the same thing as I was, but I’m honestly doubtful now.” “Why now?” asked Ix with a frown. If a craftsman were shut up in an underground room, it would be quite plausible for him to escape via a secret passage. “Just look at it. There’s no way a single person could dig a tunnel as long as this on their own. And it would take time. You’d need a significant amount of authority and money to build this. And the fact that one entrance is from the monastery means someone with influence in the Church probably commissioned it. You wouldn’t do all this to save one measly craftsman. I’m more inclined to believe it’s a passage for the lord to escape. This city is on the edge of the kingdom’s border. It could become the target of a siege at any time,” explained Shuno like it was nothing. “And most importantly, this passage is so boring! It just screams ‘for military use.’” “Which would mean the other end spits out at the lord’s manor or thereabouts?” “Exactly. There’s no sign it’s been used until now, either…,” said Shuno, sounding bored. “But there is one thing I don’t understand: How did they dig this passage?” “…There is that.” Ix nodded. Ix hadn’t noticed it until Shuno pointed it out, but they were right. He really didn’t know how someone would go about making such a long and straight passage. It would take incredible amounts of labor if done by hand, but you would imagine it would result in some slight curves at least. The workers would run into rocks and other obstacles. While digging a perfectly straight tunnel wasn’t physically infeasible, it made you wonder why they went to the effort of finishing the passage. “What about with magic? Would that be possible?” asked Shuno with a raised finger. “Depends on the period,” replied Ix. “If it was with wands made in the past couple of decades, then yes, it’s conceivable. Any further back than that, though, and the efficiency wouldn’t be good enough.” “Right…” There was almost nothing in the passageway, save for some rags and broken wooden boxes. But after continuing on for a while, they came across a row of medium-sized wooden casks lining the walls of the tunnel. Curious as to what was inside them, the pair got closer to take a look and found that one of the lids was broken. The crate had been filled to the brim, and a small portion of its contents had spilled out. Ix scooped up what had fallen to the floor and cocked his head. “Is this sand?” he asked. He couldn’t make out what color it was due to the darkness, but it felt exactly like sand. It was damp and contained a few hardened lumps but still had a distinct gritty texture. Why was this here? And how much was there? It was a complete mystery. But as Ix stood there confused, Shuno brought some of the substance to their nose to sniff it, then suddenly backed away from the casks, the flame of the candle in their hand wavering. “Ooooh…that scared me,” said Shuno, their back pressed hard against the opposite wall and holding a hand over their heart. “Does it smell that bad?” asked Ix in confusion. “Or is it dangerous?” “Uh, w-well, I guess so. Though, not really. It just surprised me. Let’s go, Ix.” “Huh?” By the time he turned to look, Shuno had already left him behind and was walking ahead. The flame of the candle was fading into the distance. “What’s going on?” asked Ix as he rushed to catch up. “Aren’t you curious, Shuno? Who would put that stuff down here?” “Figures you would keep thinking about it…,” said Shuno, their voice trailing off. “This place is protected from the wind and rain down here, so I bet some people stumbled on the passage and just started living here. Though it’s pretty dark for that.” There were no sources of light in the tunnel. They could only rely on the glow of their candle. But they also didn’t know when a breeze might blow through and snuff out the flame. If it came down to it, Shuno could light a spark with basic magic, but their training as a wandmaker wouldn’t change the fact that they were a beginner at magic. The duo couldn’t get too comfortable. “The heart of defense is below…?” remarked Ix, suddenly remembering something. “Huh, what are you on about?” asked Shuno, glancing at Ix. “It’s something Riess said before, that the heart of Estosha’s defense is below. I don’t know if that referred to the room under the Chapel or this passage, but I bet whoever coined that phrase does.” “Huh… By the way, who’s Riess?” “What?” Shuno should have met her at the monastery, but maybe they hadn’t asked the girl her name. “But anyway, defense…” Shuno continued, clearly more interested in the previous topic of conversation than Riess. “If, say, invaders took over the city, the people of Estosha could do more than flee with this tunnel. They could also launch a counterattack from here. It’d throw the enemy off if Estosha soldiers showed up out of nowhere in the city.” “Are you saying that this tunnel could allow Estosha to rebound from being sacked?” “Well, I’m not sure… But this is an absurd line of defense. There’s no way the labor that went into this thing is justified.” Ix agreed with that. He didn’t think the passage would be all that useful in war. Shuno had probably been right when he’d speculated about it being a way for the lord to escape. Or that it was constructed for some other purpose… After going ahead for a while, Shuno cried out. “Oh, that section’s different from all the others!” They examined the wall and found that one section was a different color from the rest. At first, Ix thought it was just a trick of the light, but upon closer inspection, he realized it really was distinct. In fact, this was… “A door, it’s definitely a door,” muttered Shuno as they brought the flame closer. Before them stood a small door designed to blend into the wall. There were narrow slats cut into it at eye height and near their feet. Unfortunately, however, it was pitch-black inside, so they couldn’t see anything. The entrance didn’t have a doorknob, but it would defeat the purpose if it had been designed to be pulled. Shuno placed a hand on the section of wall, and it swung inward with surprising ease. “Oh, it’s open,” they said, stepping inside. Ix had assumed there would be a tiny chamber on the other side, but it was actually quite large. The candlelight alone wasn’t enough to reveal the entire space. “This is amazing. What is it?” echoed Shuno’s voice from farther in the room. The walls and floor had been carved out of stone. “Get in here, Ix.” Ix stepped in, and the door swung shut by itself. It must have been set on an angle. A quick investigation revealed that the chamber was circular in shape. It wasn’t exactly huge, but it was equivalent in size to a room in a fancy manor. However, there wasn’t much in the way of furniture, just a small bed and table, along with some small wooden boxes attached to the walls. Actually…that wasn’t all. In the middle of the room—in the dead center of the circle—was a pillar. The thing was crooked despite being made of stone, and it had a strange, slouching form. Considering the size of the room, it had to be holding up the roof. Or so Ix and Shuno thought at first. But once they approached it, they saw that some of the stones of the pillar had been chipped away to reveal the interior. They brought the light closer and stared inside. In the center of the pillar was a very neatly worked, long, thin log. “Is that…,” started Shuno, like they couldn’t help themselves, before trailing off.