Chapter 347 - Layered meanings
Scarlett examined their surroundings in silence — the walls, the floor beneath their feet, even the intricately designed ceiling that stretched overhead. She scrutinised it all, taking in the endless glyphs and channels of magical circuitry woven seamlessly into the architecture of Beld Thylelion. Illuminated by the ethereal flames she had conjured to float gently around the party, the patterns seemed impossibly precise, as if the entire structure were a single, colossal enchantment.
It felt less like a ruin and more like a vast, living mechanism — an arcane engine whose true purpose hovered just beyond perception. Even with her grasp of Zuverian script and their fundamental arcanology, Scarlett found it hard to decipher more than a few fragments at a time. Trying to piece together the full significance of this place from these scattered impressions was like attempting to understand a book by glimpsing only a few of its torn pages.
In the game, all of this had served as little more than set dressing. Beld Thylelion’s main function was to house and protect the Tribute of Dominion. Beyond that, it was just another dungeon for players to explore. But here—in this reality—it was clearly more than just a backdrop. The place itself carried weight. It felt far greater than simply acting as the Tribute’s vault.
Scarlett was trying to understand exactly why.
The complex web of arrays and inscriptions wasn’t decorative. They had purpose and intent that hadn’t been obvious in the game. So what was it? Why had Thainnith constructed something of such scale and intricacy just to house the Tribute? Why was the grandiosity so necessary?
She knew at least part of the answer, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy her.
A faint crease touched her brow as she considered the possibilities, her boots tapping softly against the stone floor. The party moved steadily down the corridor in a practised formation — Fynn took the lead at the front, with Shin bringing up the rear. Scarlett walked a few paces ahead of Allyssa and the others, who murmured half-hushed conversation, alert but at ease. Everyone was watching for signs of trouble.
Arnaud was the only one still new to expeditions like this with them. Kat was already mostly familiar with Scarlett’s methods from their previous collaborations, and Arnaud, as a seasoned Shielder, had adapted quickly to the group’s rhythm.
As Scarlett caught fragments of Allyssa and Shin recounting experiences from the Hall of Echoes, Rosa quietly stepped up beside her.
Scarlett glanced at her, then returned her gaze to the glyphwork along the stone. “Was there something you wished to say?” she asked.
“Can’t a girl check in on how her favourite noblewoman is holding up?” Rosa replied, a teasing lilt in her voice. “You were staring so intently at the walls, I thought maybe you were trying to look busy just to avoid seeming lonely.”
“Hardly.”