Chapter 592: The Temple of Night
I quietly sneak into the temple.
I don’t think I’ll get in trouble for entering. But if I just barge in without a care, it might turn into a free-for-all.
If everyone outside were to come in, they’d definitely say, “It’s too noisy!” We had already settled for a feast outside after asking Wanwan and Asas for their hopes.
I was called by Haulon, along with the Kanum members. I join Dinoss and Dean in the shadows.
By the way, it seems Shiva also received an invitation, but the children were too excited about the rare food and entertainment—nothing inappropriate, mind you—so Haulon’s request was ignored. Only Dinoss came as the representative of the family.
As I step out from the back entrance into the corridor leading to the temple’s hall, the flames of the torches and bonfires reflect beautifully in the flowing water of the room.
The ceiling is high and dark, mostly hidden from view. However, there are several openings in the roof, illuminated by moonlight. I hadn’t noticed during the day, but there are countless twinkling lights in a pale golden hue.
“It’s beautiful…!” Chris slowly looks around and exclaims.
“Are they using Spirit Moonstone for the ceiling? That’s quite extravagant,” Dinoss sighs, gazing upward.
“Spirit Moonstone?”
“It’s a relative of Spirit Gold. The moonstone, a gray stone, is favored by Spirits, and when infused with Spirit’s Power, it shines under moonlight. It seems to be relatively common on this continent, but in Nakahara, it costs about the same as Spirit Silver and Spirit Gold,” Dinoss explains.
Isn’t Spirit Gold extremely expensive, even in small amounts? My understanding of the value of Spirit-related items has become quite muddled.
But I see now; during the day, it looks gray. That’s why I didn’t notice it.
“It seems that during the Era of Fire, the gods of the moon and stars were quite popular,” Retze remarks, looking up at the ceiling.
“Is that a star motif? If so, wouldn’t it be better to just remove the ceiling altogether?”
It hardly rains here, and when it does, it dries quickly without any risk of mold. An open ceiling might be just fine.
“The desert has a beautiful starry sky. It’s better to see the real thing than to decorate with fakes,” Dean agrees.
“Wouldn’t that make it difficult during the day?” Ash tilts his head in confusion.
“Ah, that’s true,” both Dean and I nod in agreement.
The blazing sun of the desert; you’d die without shade.
“Ash-sama…” The Butler lets out a disappointed sigh.
“You guys, Lady Soleil will cry,” Retze says, sounding exasperated.
“Whether it’s from nature or human hands, beautiful things are simply beautiful!” Chris says dreamily.
Sorry, my sense of aesthetics seems to have gone on vacation somewhere.
“…Let’s go,” Dinoss says reluctantly as Fandor and the others urge him forward.
“They went through the trouble of adjusting things so I could see the Spirits. It must be something important, or something has gone awry,” Retze continues.
By the way, it seems that what Retze sees isn’t their true forms but rather illusions layered over them. It’s as if there’s an illusion of Fandor where Fandor is present. Probably, only Retze can see the illusion.
Looks like the Great Sage had a bit of a hassle adjusting things.
We arrive at the large stone door at the end of the hall, just after climbing a short flight of stairs. Water flows up the stairs, trickling in through the gap of the door.
“Hey, is it possible that someone is drowning inside?” Dinoss asks.
“Eh!? Is it safe!?” Chris panics.
“Since the Spirits of Lord Haulon are doing this, it should be fine. They might be submerged up to their chests, though,” the Butler says ominously.
“Well, let’s open it!” Dinoss places his hands on the door and attempts to push it open.
The door slowly creaks open. It’s massive, so I doubt anyone but Dinoss, Haulon, or Karn could manage it.
“Looks like there’s no water pooling inside, right? No, wait, I can see about ten centimeters of water! Why isn’t it flowing this way!?”
“Well, it is flowing up the stairs,” Chris peeks through the gap, starting to panic, while Retze calmly points out the obvious.
Yeah, it seems like water is pooling inside, making a splashing sound as if there’s glass stuck in there.
“Dinoss-sama, it seems that it opens automatically,” the Butler states just as the door swings wide, causing Dinoss and Dean—who was helping—to stumble into the room.
They light a fire in what looks like a Sacred Fire Stand beside the door, revealing Fandor’s surprised face.
“What kind of mechanism is this?”
“It made a sound for something related to Spirits.”
“Hmm? The power of the Fire Spirit, water, and air, with pulleys and weights?”
“What kind of mechanism is this?”
Retze and I eagerly bombard Fandor with questions.
“Both of you. I understand you don’t want to go inside, but please give up,” the Butler admonishes.
After all, I can hear Es’s voice and Asas’s scream-like shouts from within. Plus, Haulon’s vague explanations.
From the fragments of conversation, it seems Asas started to flirt with Baylis and Shahira as a greeting, and then Es arrived…
That scene where the water seems to chase after Karn was pretty cool, but wasn’t that the order of entry into the temple?
I remember the first time I met Karn; I was so engrossed in the Spirit Lamp that I made him wait. How nostalgic…