Chapter 177 - The common delve
Scarlett and her companions ventured down the path she had chosen at random, their steps gradually taking them deeper into the winding tunnel. It was a peculiar experience, since when gazing ahead, the corridor seemed to stretch on infinitely, offering no discernible progress as they walked. A glance over their shoulders, however, revealed that they were indeed moving away from the central chamber.
Magic did strange things sometimes.
What amazed Scarlett the most was the very existence of a hidden underground place like this. She couldn’t help but wonder how the deacon responsible for it had managed to keep its existence a secret. Excavating it the traditional way would have taken ages and an army of laborers. She supposed magic was the answer to that as well, but that raised further questions. To her knowledge, there weren’t actually any dedicated construction mages or similar professions. It felt as though such roles should exist, but maybe the spells required for such a task were too advanced for it to become a thing on a larger scale. It would require manifest spells, at the very least, which wasn’t something every mage could learn.
Perhaps some of the mage towers had specialized divisions for things like that, though. She imagined there must be a decent demand for such services, particularly from groups like the imperial army. It might be worth looking into in the future, even if she personally had no immediate need for it.
“This place is starting to give me the same vibes as that haunted mansion did,” Allyssa said as they continued through the endless passage. “All that’s missing is a ghost or a creepy doll leaping out at us from the walls.”
“Sounds like you have had some rather intriguing experiences,” Raimond remarked, walking near the front of the group alongside Fynn. The blond-haired priest turned to Allyssa, back facing forward momentarily. “Let’s hope that we don’t encounter any errant spirits of the dead today, shall we? We are in a place of faith and spirituality, after all.”
“But it sure would add some excitement to things,” Rosa chimed in.
The man chuckled. “I suppose it would.”
Allyssa looked around. “What can we expect here, if not ghosts and the like?”
“It’s difficult to say,” Raimond replied thoughtfully. “One can never be too certain with these old shrines and ossuaries left behind by those who pioneered our order. You wouldn’t believe some of the things that the Ecclesiastical Congregation of Sacraments has encountered throughout its existence.”
Scarlett cast a curious glance his way, turning her attention away from the path that continued ahead. So was he part of that congregation, or was it just a temporary cover? She wasn’t familiar enough with the inner workings of the Followers of Ittar to know whether a deacon could also be a member of its various branches, or if the Quorum remained separate from everything else. Maybe he had been a member of the congregation before becoming a deacon.
As she eyed the man, it took her a moment to realize that the rest of the group’s attention had shifted to her, as if waiting for her to answer the question instead.