Chapter 30: VOLUME 13: CHAPTER 6
The fragmented memories extracted from the Red Bear unfolded before everyone.
Like a broken kalrane stone, the lights would flash, flicker, and hover in the air, displaying the memories, before dissipating.
This method wasn't perfect, but it was enough for Senator Sima to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
"I see," muttered the Senator. "The buck tooth kid concocted a potion capable of masking the scent of humans, fooling the senses of arachnias."
It was an amazing discovery.
Even Senator Sima was surprised when the arachnias ignored Zenith completely.
And when the platinum-ranked explorers reached the third floor of the dungeon, deafening silence fell in the room.
The High Magistrate.
The Head of the Senate.
The Senators.
Even the soldiers, mages, and Inspectors.
Everyone stared at the images slack-jawed.
The light flare thrown by a member of Zenith illuminated the surroundings, revealing a massive ancient city slumbering beneath the Republic.
By estimate, it was larger than even Quraso, the capital of the nation.
Senator Sima trembled in excitement.
The other Senators behind him started muttering to themselves, "It, it's true! The dungeon this time is a true entrance!"
"I was skeptical when Senator Sima said there's an ancient city sleeping below the Republic, but to think it's real!"
"Now, if we manage to get our hands on the artifacts in that city, we'll finally be able to get our revenge on the damn Empire!"
"Not just the Empire! The pirates, too! And the resistance groups trying to overthrow the government!"
"Hahaha! I look forward to that day!"
Even Senator Sima couldn't help but grin.
Excitedly, the officials continued watching the extracted memories.
After looting the buildings near the outskirts, the explorer group traversed the massive main road and headed toward the city center.
Upon reaching a structure, that seemed to be a temple, the explorers met the ancient city's residents.
"There are people living in the ancient city?" muttered Senator Sima in amazement.
"S-Senator Sima, the walls of the temple itself! It's made of gold!"
"Oh god, and the statue at the entrance! It's cut from a massive gemstone!"
Senator Sima frowned.
They'd already seen how many treasures were in this city.
Why were these old fools getting distracted by the irrelevant things?
What mattered right now weren't the treasures, but the unknown figures the explorers met during their dungeon dive.
The hooded figures started speaking with the members of Zenith. Sadly, extracted memories didn't transmit sounds.
The High Magistrate said, "Is there a way to hear the conversation between them?"
Senator Sima shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. This is the limit of memory extraction."
Senator Sima started wondering if killing the Red Bear was the correct decision. If he was still alive, maybe they could somehow extract information from him regarding the conversation they had with the ancient city's residents.
Well, it was too late now.
One of the Senators muttered, "Eh? They're going back? Just like that?"
To everyone's surprise, after speaking with the hooded figures, the members of Zenith peacefully turned around and went back.
Of course, the explorers grabbed all the precious loot they could from the abandoned buildings on their way back, but that was it.
Senator Sima felt that something was amiss. But since they couldn't hear what the hooded figures said to the explorers, he had no way of knowing what it was.
"Senator, we've reached the end of the extracted memories."
The fragmented memories shown by the artifact started becoming unstable. Light flickered repeatedly, and the artifact finally shut down.
The mages who operated the artifact almost fell down to the ground from exhaustion.
The forbidden spell consumed a lot of mana.
"The kid shown in the memories of the Red Bear," said Senator Sima. "Bring him to me immediately."
The soldiers saluted, "Yes!"
The kid was the key to entering the ancient city.
Without his concoction, it would be nearly impossible to reach the third floor even if they dispatched the army and the Inspectors.
Based on what they'd seen, the number of arachnias that had made the second floor its nest reached double digits.
They would surely suffer tremendous casualties if they tried brute forcing their way through those giant spiders' territory.
The old senator added, "And bring two more members of Zenith. They might know the identities of those hooded figures."
"Understood, Senator Sima!"
After the guards left, Senator Sima flashed a business smile to the High Magistrate and his fellow senators.
"It will take some time before the remaining members of Zenith reach this place," said Senator Sima. "Why don't we wait over there, while the servants prepare refreshments?"
"Haha, surely you jest. How can we relax at this point in time? We're also curious about the identities of those hooded individuals."
"I'm still trembling from excitement! I'm sure everyone else is the same!"
"That's right! This is such an amazing discovery! We've confirmed that there really is an ancient city underneath the Republic!"
"And there are people living in it!"
"Why don't we just send soldiers to the dungeon! I know arachnias are calamity-class monsters, but if we send enough people! Surely!"
"I agree with you! And we have the Inspectors, too!"
Senator Sima silently clicked his tongue.
Often times, he wondered if he made the correct decision of giving power to these fools.
Senator Sima was the reason these people became Senators of the Republic. Through his schemes and machinations, he manipulated the perception of people, leading them to vote for these incompetent bastards.
These Senators were easy to lead on, giving him absolute power in the Legislative Branch, but Senator Sima wished they weren't this dumb.
Senator Sima looked at the High Magistrate.
'As unreadable as ever.'
Just like before, it was nearly impossible to read the expression on her face.
Did she find the other Senators annoying? Disgusting?
Did she share the same sentiments as them?
Senator Sima wished to know, but he was afraid of overstepping his bounds, especially during such a crucial situation.
Although the High Magistrate agreed to cooperate with them, it didn't mean they'd become allies. Senator Sima, with his decades of experience as a politician, knew this more than anyone.
"Senator Sima! How about it! Let's send our soldiers right away and secure the ancient city!"
Senator Sima did his best to prevent his face from contorting from rage.
These stupid fools!
Didn't they already talk about this before?
Even if they sent half of their soldiers to the dungeon, there was no assurance they would be able to reach the third floor!
"Everyone." After much struggle, Senator Sima managed to smile. "Let's wait for the kid from Zenith first. We all saw it, didn't we? His method is capable of fooling the senses of those giant spiders! Why unnecessarily send our soldiers to their death if there's a better way to tackle the problem!"
The Senators looked at each other.
After digesting what Senator Sima said, they bobbed their heads.
"Senator Sima is really wise."
"Haha! As long as we follow your lead, we'll reach the ancient city in no time!"
No, you're all just dumb – Senator Sima nearly spouted these words out loud.
The High Magistrate stared at the Senators. She then turned her gaze to Senator Sima.
In a lowered voice, she spoke, "I believe replacements should be in order."
Senator Sima understood what she was saying.
"Haah, it's not that easy. This is the only way to solidify my power. I'm sure you understand what I mean, High Magistrate."
The High Magistrate seemed to have something in her mind, but she decided not to speak more in the end.
After waiting for more than an hour, the guards finally returned, bringing Aster, Karlo, and Raiga with them. They were, respectively, the guide, ranger, and shieldbearer of the party.
Like the Red Bear, all three were tied with mana-suppressing shackles.
"You are before the High Magistrate and the Lords of the Senate. Kneel."
Although reluctant, the three knelt when the guards commanded them to do so.
"You're finally here," said Senator Sima happily.
Karlo looked around. With his keen senses, he realized that their leader had been here before.
"Where did you take our Boss?" said Karlo.
Raiga snarled, "What did you do to the Boss! Answer me!"
The Senators frowned.
"How uncouth. As expected of explorers."
"Tsk, tsk. This is why children should be educated at a young age."
"Let me handle this, gentlemen," said Senator Sima. He approached the explorers. "We've just finished speaking with the Red Bear. He was surprisingly compliant when we promised him freedom, you see."
"Don't lie," said Aster. "The time I spent with the Boss maybe short, but I'm sure he's not that kind of person!"
Senator Sima didn't expect the buck-toothed kid he'd seen from the extracted memories to be quite bold.
"Haha, it's true though? Your Boss told us about everything that happened in the dungeon. How you concocted medicine capable of fooling the senses of the arachnias, and what you've seen in the ancient city."
The three members of Zenith looked at each other.
Everything the old Senator said were information only the members of their group should know.
Did the Boss really spill everything?
No, he wasn't the type to just readily agree to the demands of these people.
But how did Senator Sima know about the things that transpired during their dungeon dive?
"Look, we promised your Boss freedom, and he grabbed it," said Senator Sima.
"This fucking snake! Stop lying!" roared Raiga.
"We also know that you met the residents of the ancient city."
At those words, the members of Zenith froze.
At this point, it was almost certain that their boss confessed everything to the highest-ranking officials of the government.
"Boss… why?" muttered Aster in a disappointed voice.
"Tch. I can't believe this," said Raiga.
Karlo, on the other hand, remained silent. He was still looking at the fresh traces in the chamber. He would have been able to easily infer what happened here if he could use some of his spells, but that was currently not feasible due to the mana-suppressing shackles.
"I promise to let you meet your Boss after this," said Senator Sima.
It wasn't a lie.
They would meet the Red Bear in the afterlife, after all.
"I… No, we just need some information regarding the ruins."
Karlo said, "You said you already talked to the Boss before. I don't see the need for another interrogation."
"Hmm… I understand where you're coming from. Just think of it as our way of verifying things."
Senator Sima looked at his fellow Senators who stood behind him.
It was ironic, but the explorers from Zenith seemed smarter than these old fools.
Fortunately, his fellow Senators didn't speak and chose to leave everything up to him. Senator Sima was worried that they would make a blunder if they participated in the interrogation.
"Hey, old man," said Aster. "Since you've already heard about the concoction, I'll be saying this beforehand."
The naïve expression of the kid was no longer seen. His eyes filled with resolve, he declared, "Let us meet the Boss first! Otherwise, you'll never get your hands on the concoction, I swear!"
Senator Sima started getting headaches.
Had he known these people would be so attached to their Boss, had he known they would be this stubborn, he would have not killed Emyrson.
The other members of Zenith aside, the buck-toothed kid was an integral part of their plan.
They needed his concoction, no matter what.
"I swear I'll let you meet him later—"
"—I don't trust you! Not one bit!"
This kid!
For a moment, Senator Sima had the urge to just extract the memories from him. But the old Senator knew there were limits to this method. Fragmented memories were always imperfect, and it would be impossible to replicate the kid's concoction using it.
"How about this."
Senator Sima decided to take a massive risk just to get his hands on the concoction capable of bypassing the arachnias.
"All of the party members of Zenith. At this very moment, I'll grant them freedom. In exchange, give me the recipe for the concoction you used to fool the arachnias."
Karlo said, "I'm not leaving without the Boss."
Raiga nodded, "Same here."
"Silence!" spat Senator Sima. "That's not for you to decide!"
The offer of freedom for all the members of Zenith seemed appealing to the kid. Senator Sima visibly saw the hesitation in Aster's eyes.
The Senator decided to deal the final blow.
"In addition to their freedom, I'll also return all of the artifacts we've confiscated from your group. With those treasures, you could go to another country if you wish and live a new life. The life of a wealthy commoner, or maybe that of a travelling merchant? Enticing, isn't it?"
"Aster, don't do it," said Karlo. "We still don't know what happened to the Boss."
Aster's pupils shook.
"B-But, you guys are important, too. And the Boss already spilled everything…."
"Don't listen to that old snake! I don't know what sorcery he used, but the Boss will never betray us!"
"That's right!"
Senator Sima inwardly smiled.
It would take time, but this was enough.
He'd successfully planted the seed of doubt in everyone.
Although the ranger and the shieldbearer insisted that the Red Bear hadn't betrayed them, they would change their perception over time. When that happened, he would finally be able to ask them about the ancient city's residents.
And even if their faith remained unwavering, all he needed to do was manipulate the buck-toothed kid. He was the most important person among all of the members of Zenith.
As long as they could bypass the arachnias on the second floor, they could just investigate the ancient city themselves.
"I know this is a difficult decision," said Senator Sima. "So, I'll give all of you time to decide." He said to one of the guards, "Move all of the members of Zenith to the First District's dungeon. It should be more comfortable there."
"Understood!"
Senator Sima smiled, his wrinkled face resembling a snake who'd yet to shed its skin in years.
"I'll visit all of you again tomorrow. I hope to receive a positive answer by that time."
***
One day passed.
Good news reached Senator Sima the moment morning arrived.
According to the guards, the buck-toothed kid agreed to give them the recipe for the concoction as long as the members of Zenith were granted freedom immediately.
The other members of Zenith, on the other hand, still refused to speak about anything related to their last dungeon dive.
"No matter. We can just investigate the ancient city ourselves."
Happily, Senator Sima granted them their freedom.
He knew that those platinum-ranked explorers would take their revenge in the future the moment they learned that their Boss had been murdered by the Senate, but that didn't matter right now.
Ah, how long had he waited for this day?
His lifelong dream of entering Ist' Tamat was finally within his grasp.
Under his commands, the herbalists in Quraso were mobilized to concoct the medicine, following the recipe given to them by Aster.
The materials used were surprisingly simple and commonly found, and it took them less than half a day to supply a hundred elite soldiers and three Inspectors with a vial each.
"Hahaha! Finally, the time has come!"
Senator Sima and the rest of the Senators personally came to the recently discovered ruins to see the expedition group off.
This expedition group was tasked to enter the dungeon and explore Ist' Tamat, which was located on the third floor.
The Senators waited at the camp in the ruins.
What would they discover there?
What artifacts would they return with?
Everyone couldn't contain their excitement.
But to their surprise, half a day hadn't even passed when several soldiers started returning to the camp.
The Senators were dumbfounded by the state of the soldiers that returned.
"W-What's this!"
"What happened to the soldiers!"
"What happened inside!"
Even the Inspector that returned was missing his left leg. The Inspector was so gravely injured that he ended up being carried by the soldiers.
Seeing that the other Inspectors weren't here, it seemed they'd been killed inside the dungeon.
"S-Senator," said one of the soldiers. Fear and despair were seen in his eyes. "T-The concoction...!"
Senator Sima's eyes widened.
He realized his mistake.
How could he make such a blunder?
Out of sheer excitement, he forgot to consider the possibility that the buck-toothed kid could betray them.
The damn naïve-looking kid gave them the wrong formula!
"They should still be in Quraso!" roared Senator Sima. "Capture the members of Zenith!"
Immediately, the soldiers were dispatched to capture the members of Zenith.
But to Senator Sima's dismay, the group had already fled the city.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone