(Golden beetle, is it?)
Taking a glance at the colorful bug hieroglyph, Botan recalled her knowledge from books. In the Dark Continent, it was treated as a symbol of resurrection and immortality, and there were curses that utilized it as a medium.
"...? Wait. Could this be... a map?"
Suddenly realizing this, Botan hastily instructed the bear to approach the wall. She stared at the carved inscriptions and started to read.
"Eh? I-Is this... writing? And it's a map!?"
"You can read such chaotic characters easily, huh..."
"Please be quiet. Even I have only superficial knowledge. I can't decipher it without concentration."
In response to the words from the companions behind her, Botan issued a warning. She concentrated her attention on deciphering the inscriptions.
"This is... the passage, and this is where we are now? Ah, this section is not important. It's just a poem. ...A hall and... a treasure room? Barracks, and this is a trap. So the exit is..."
As was typical in such places, Botan sighed at the unnecessarily embellished and complex writing, reading only the essential parts carefully. Some of the inscriptions had traps that would curse the reader as soon as they were read, so she had to be cautious while deciphering the content. Then, her gaze shifted to a certain passage, and she stopped.
"Library..."
As she searched for the exit, Botan murmured upon seeing the characters with that meaning.
She only knew from books that the Dark Continent's pyramid tombs had libraries where records of ancient... no, primordial, ancient times' wisdom were stored along with treasures. The former Western Empire and the current exiled empire had sent numerous large-scale expeditions to secure those records, often at the cost of many sacrifices.
(They might just be appearances, and I shouldn't expect much...)
While she had no interest in the treasures, Botan couldn't help but feel drawn to the books. Her innate curiosity and her desire to find a way to control her life made her extremely eager in that regard. Furthermore...
(Were the royal tomb's books mostly related to souls and gods? ...That man might want to cling to them too.)
Thinking up to that point, Botan frowned in annoyance and shook her head. What was she even thinking? The state of that servant was troublesome and bothersome enough; she didn't need to bring up such things here.
"If I had the time, it would be nice to collect some of them... Huh? Is this... a gate?"
Scoffing, self-mockery, and ridicule. Trying to return to the task of finding the exit, she once again found herself puzzled. She tilted her head at a poem that modified the most crucial part of the inscription.
"However... before that gate, no, even ahead... no respite, thou... thou art faced with chaos... the end... crawling, mud?"
As the writing became extremely difficult, Botan's speed in deciphering it rapidly declined. She tried to concentrate harder on reading the inscriptions carved intricately along the way... but she couldn't.
'Hissss!!'
"Huh...!? What is it!?"
When the cat youkai on her shoulder growled, Botan was brought back to reality. Immediately, everyone present sensed something amiss and became alert to their surroundings.
In the darkness, there was a sound of something rustling.
"W-What!? Is there something here!?"
"Be quiet... we shouldn't make noise."
Botan scolded the agitated Tamaki and urged her to be quiet. Then she listened intently, trying to detect any presence. And she noticed something peculiar about the wall.
"Wait!! Burn them!!"
Immediately, releasing fire sings along the wall turned out to be the right move. Fist-sized golden beetles crawling along the wall were engulfed in flames, screaming one after another.
...Burning youkai golden beetles that ate human flesh to a crisp.
"Nonsense, how could you come so close to... what!?"
Amazed, Botan witnessed the characters embedded in the wall fall onto the floor along with trembling golden beetles. Crushed jewels revealed the creature that had sharp fangs and looked like a youkai insect.
'Grrruu!!'
The creature, happy to recognize the presence of Botan's group, tried to rush at them, but the demon bear preemptively stomped on it with force. The golden beetles, which could easily bite through human flesh, seemed to find it impossible to break through the tough skin of the great youkai.
"Tch...! I see, they were pretending to be dormant youkai spirits! [Boundary]!!"
Clicking her tongue, Botan placed a boundary behind them. It was a colorless, transparent boundary that repelled malevolent energy. The young youkai, golden beetles, collided with the boundary and shattered one after another.
However...
"Using sheer numbers of youkai in narrow spaces is a classic tactic...!! Run!"
Upon witnessing the swarm of golden beetles approaching like a creeping darkness from the shadows, Botan shouted. While shouting, she continued to form a boundary. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the dark corridor.
"Genbu, hold on!!"
'Grrruu!!'
Even further ahead in the advancing corridor, more golden beetles embedded in the walls woke up one after another. The resolute bear unhesitatingly pushed forward, crushing multiple creatures crawling on the ground with its massive feet and effortlessly blocking the bugs that lunged at it with its tough fur and thick fat. Any bug that tried to bite into its muscles was instantly crushed by the bulging fibers. The pitiful cries of the tiny monsters echoed in the air.
"I don't want to waste any more time... 'Joushoku Jigoku (Steam Inferno)'!!"
In response to the shattered barrier behind them and the approaching, terrifying cries, Botan made an instantaneous decision to use another talisman. She directed a burst of superheated steam behind them.
The talisman she used to crush the swarm of mummies earlier had another mechanism. By releasing the residual hot air within the talisman, the oppressive heatwave boiled the approaching golden beetles alive. It was a steaming, bug-grilling technique. After all, these were just numerous but simple young youkai, which screamed one after another and soon perished... momentarily halting the torrent.
"'Kai (Open)'!!"
Tossing a talisman onto the stone door in front of her and giving the command, the heavy stone door opened with a creak. The demon bear charged ahead with Botan in its arms.
"Hurry up!! Kasui Baku (Fire-Water-Explosion)!!"
Botan shouted towards Tamaki and the others, who were keeping a distance and following them. She used the water blade and a talisman that released bursts of steam, further exhausting her resources here. The talismans were fired like arrows. The talismans passed right by Tamaki and the others, who were close by, and then plunged into the swarm of bugs... and exploded.
Water vapor was a state of water, and water as a substance contained the explosive factor... hydrogen. The large amount of hydrogen contained in the water vapor from earlier combined with the fire talisman, and the pursuing swarm of bugs was blown to pieces in an instant.
"Shimamare (Close)!! I can't believe I had to use two valuable talismans...!!"
As Tamaki and the others passed through, Botan shouted, and the stone door closed with a creak. The bugs had no chance of catching up anymore. With her back turned to the closed door, Botan exhaled.
According to past research records, this vast labyrinth was filled with various curse-tools, but the majority were worthless... no, overwhelmingly made of stone or rubbish. There was no guarantee that the curse-tools found here would be the right ones or powerful items without traps. It wasn't something she actively wanted to use. She could only trust her own tools. Especially for a spellcaster-type exorcist like Botan, equipment depletion was a matter of life or death. It was natural for her to feel frustrated.
"Huff... Huff... Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Huff... That was close. We almost got eaten. It's frustrating, but thanks."
"..."
On the other hand, Tamaki and Shishimai, who had been running away from the bugs, were catching their breath, leaning against each other, sitting on the floor. Botan checked on them in silence, ignoring their words altogether.
Shishimai snorted with displeasure, and Tamaki tried to soothe her with a wry smile. But Botan showed no interest in that either; she just surveyed the room they had reached. And she immediately recognized what it was.
"Library..."
Looking at the dusty scrolls stored in numerous shelves or heavy metal plates, Botan was sure of it.
"As I thought, the nest of monster grimoires..."
These were probably valuable in their own way, but they seemed to be evil monster grimoires, different from the records of primordial wisdom. That discovery left Botan feeling slightly disappointed.
"...And beyond this is the so-called 'King's Chamber'?"
"Uh... um..."
"You must be tired. It's fine to take a short break there. Don't worry; I won't leave you behind. ...Go, Genbu."
Botan responded to Tamaki, who seemed to want to say something, with a flat tone and ordered the demon bear to carry her as they advanced. They must have passed over twenty bookshelves. Finally, they arrived at that room, right next to the room where the stone coffin was placed.
"What could be inside the coffin... and is this the gate?"
Staring at the stone coffin sitting in the center with a cold gaze, Botan glanced at the gate before her. It was a literal pitch-black gate with an unknown destination.
