HTWBB Chapter 4

It was an ancient relic from an era when artisans who could make them and mages who could imbue them with magical power to move still existed.

Normally indistinguishable from natural scenery, it would persistently attack only targets that violated specific conditions. Even when magic flourished, they were naturally mainstream for defense or protection.

Therefore, this diligent tomb keeper awakening and moving around meant someone besides Rietta had satisfied the conditions.

A heavy sigh came from where the voice had been heard moments ago. Rietta shifted her gaze to what appeared to be the golem's shoulder. A somewhat familiar robe hem swelled greatly, and a hand gripping a short sword rose high.

Rietta instantly wrapped her remaining magic around her legs and kicked off the ground, rising up. It was right before the sword embedded in the golem's body. Without delay, she reached out and grabbed the man's collar.

"You...!"

He reflexively turned around and stiffened as if surprised.

"Be quiet."

Ignoring him as he opened his mouth to say something, she put strength into her hand and flung him downward. The man, who landed precariously inside the forest, touched the ground effortlessly. His hood, unable to overcome the momentum, slipped behind his shoulders, and his black hair swayed softly.

Just then, the golem slowly turned what appeared to be its face with sluggish movements. Rietta, who landed before him a breath late, immediately grabbed the man's collar and pulled him close. His body, dragged without resistance, came down to the same height as her.

"...What are you doing?"

"Don't open your mouth yet."

The man closed his mouth. The golem, which resumed movement as if something was strange, looked around slowly nearby, then gradually moved away toward the center after a moment.

Confirming some distance had opened up, she released the strength from the hand holding the man.

"If you don't know anything, stay still."

"What don't I know?"

"The rules of places where golems are guardians."

"There were rules."

At the casual answer, Rietta stepped back and looked him over. The man was as handsome as she'd expected from the jaw revealed beneath the hood.

His moderately full red lips and straight nose could have seemed overly delicate, but sharply extended eyebrows and a distinct jawline perfectly balanced the overall impression.

The eyes trapped in his sharp gaze looked directly at her. The word handsome was insufficient. He was a stunningly attractive man.

When their eyes met, he slightly lifted only the corners of his mouth to create something resembling a smile. It was similar to what she'd seen at the inn.

"We meet again."

Rietta exhaled lightly.

"You seem to have no talent for smiling."

"That's the first time I've heard that."

The man, who had been lost in thought briefly, curved his eyes faintly.

"Would this be enough?"

Rietta, feeling no need to return an answer, threw out a different question.

"Did you hear from the beginning?"

"At the inn?"

"Yes."

"If you mean from going to Mount Tarun."

Rietta considered. The fact that he'd eavesdropped on the conversation wasn't a big problem. Ordinary people or most treasure hunters would have gotten lost starting from the willow tree at the middle slope anyway.

However, the suspicious man before her eyes had not only passed through that illusion barrier but even set foot in the aerial tomb.

Seeing how he attempted to attack the golem without looking very tired, he hadn't used much strength coming in.

"This is troublesome."

Rietta muttered. Not only was it clear they wanted the same thing, but whether he was a mage or swordsman, he was a man with high potential to be a hindrance.

As she gauged how to deal with him, the man raised both arms as if surrendering.

"Let's cooperate."

"Cooperate?"

"Go to where the necklace is together, and whoever grabs it first gets it."

"Why should we?"

When the man grinned, his violet eyes half-disappeared. This time it was a much more natural smile.

"Because I don't know how to avoid that annoying golem, and you don't know what the inside of the tomb looks like, so two is better than one."

She didn't trust the man at all. Not knowing what dangers existed inside was the same for both of them.

His way of speaking, omitting one or two pieces of information to make her guess arbitrarily, made the nonexistent trust disappear completely. In fact, even his formal speech, which was as awkward as ill-fitting clothes, had been like that from the start.

He was someone who had never lowered himself from birth. Unless it was a position to press down from above to below. However, Rietta gave him an affirmative answer.

"...I suppose so."

The thudding sound had stopped at some point. The golem had completely returned to its place. If the man woke the golem that had gone back to sleep again, entering the tomb would become distant.

Above all, she'd depleted too much strength to confront him right now. Having reached a conclusion before long, Rietta extended her hand.

"Rietta. And you?"

He grasped the hand extended toward him as if he'd been waiting for it.

"Please call me Abel."

* * *

Rietta stared at the square structures placed here and there among the beautiful flower beds. The pure white, neatly cut stones were scattered everywhere at irregular intervals. It was an arrangement somewhat out of place with this location that showed painstaking care.

"How did you get in?"

"You mean the forest surrounding this place?"

"Yes. There wouldn't have been a path."

"If there's no path, you make one."

It was an answer matching her expectation. Rietta nodded. He'd clearly broken through a path similar to hers in a completely different way.

In that process, not only plants but perhaps animals couldn't have remained unharmed either. After damaging something, he stepped on the flowers here, so the golem naturally had no choice but to awaken.

Abel muttered softly.

"That seems to have been the problem."

"Don't touch anything else."

He looked down at his feet. The shallow forest thick with trees where they now stood, and the flower garden where all kinds of scents mixed with just one step forward. The two places had different soil and even different weeds growing, as if a boundary had been drawn.

However, the difference was subtle enough to pass by carelessly if one didn't pay attention. He stared at a rose trembling finely even without wind, then opened his mouth.

"Because I stepped on flowers?"

"Yes."

Rietta's explanations weren't the kind type. Nevertheless, Abel quickly grasped the situation from several clues. He accurately pinpointed that the tomb recognized him as a pest from his earlier actions, and the flowers served as an alarm.

Rietta glanced at Abel and pointed to the stone with the delicate cross-section she'd been looking at.

"Step on the stones and go to the tomb entrance."

"If I don't?"

"Do you know a way to stop the golem?"

Abel closed his mouth. If destruction were the answer, Rietta wouldn't have chosen the current method either. It would have been cleaner to wait a day or two for magic to recover, then dispose of it without a trace before entering.

Of course, there was a somewhat complex but moderate breakthrough method. But it wasn't something the current Rietta could do. Again, Abel, who understood on his own, nodded.

"I just need to step only on those stones?"

"Can you do it?"

"That much is easy."

Rietta added.

"You need to move me along with you."

"...What do you mean?"

Rietta grabbed her hanging hair and lifted it. As expected, it was mottled from the visible parts. More than half had changed color, so the original color would be showing sparsely in the back.

Since he'd talked with her at a fairly close distance at the inn, it would be strange if he didn't notice something odd.

However, Abel said nothing. Not prying was actually more comfortable. She couldn't freely reveal matters like magic depletion.

"Don't you want to?"

"I'm not keen on it."

"If you can't do it, say so honestly."

"I never said that."

Abel, who had been observing Rietta, raised both arms as if to carry her, then eventually turned around and bent his knees slightly. Rietta, who had unconsciously hardened her face when he took a carrying position, relaxed her expression.

She climbed onto his visible back without delay. His body hidden under the robe was larger and more solid than expected.

"I'm going."

Abel, who spoke quietly, leaped high. Despite carrying Rietta, his movements were extremely light.

The intervals between stones he actually stepped on were wider than they looked, but it wasn't a problem at all. The tomb grew closer with each repetition of descending and floating in the air.

Rietta realized Abel was using the absolute minimum of strength. And also that he wasn't using any magic at all.

"Abel."

He slightly turned his head as if answering the call.

"Why are you looking for the necklace?"

The scenery rushing by quickly finally stopped. The destination had come quickly. She got off Abel's back, who gave no answer, and headed straight for the entrance.

The imperial tomb seen up close was far more magnificent. Rietta took one step toward the only black door in the very center of the pure white stone building.

The firmly closed door without even a lock gave off a strange sense of oppression. Abel, who followed slightly late, carefully examined it.

"Should we go in?"

Crackle! He, who had carelessly placed his hand on it, flinched and stepped back. The skin that had touched the handle reddened and soon bled. It was an excessive amount for having pulled away in an instant. When he shook off the blood, a messily torn-looking wound had formed on his palm.

"Did you use magic?"

"I didn't do anything."

Abel, who muttered as if unable to understand, examined the door. His face showed he hadn't expected it at all. Rietta hadn't felt anything different either.

Since nothing was revealed on the outside, there was a possibility some device had been placed inside. She placed her hand on the same spot Abel had touched and applied force. Even if one arm became unusable, it was more beneficial to open it and enter.

However, her judgment was correct with much better results. Click. The door opened with a very heavy sound. She felt slight resistance, but it was only due to weight, different from how it had rejected Abel. Rietta threw the door completely open.

"Did you do something?"

"Nothing at all."

An incredulous look turned toward her. Rietta silently entered inside and moved aside. Abel checked the thick door and pitch-black interior once more, then moved his feet.

And right before entering, he suddenly stopped. He twisted his lips up crookedly.

"It seems it won't let me in."

Rietta shook her head.

"There's no such device."

"Isn't it on the same level as the golem attacking?"

"No."

There was no need to doubly apply a device already placed on the golem, and as she'd checked moments ago, there was no magic on the door or walls.

The incident of sparks flying when Abel touched it, and the situation of being blocked like a barrier when trying to enter, was more like divine power resisting demonic energy rather than magic...

Rietta, who had unconsciously continued her thoughts, stopped her contemplation and immediately stepped back outside. Then she carefully observed Abel, who was looking at her questioningly. Since he was more than a head taller, she had to step back a few paces to see all of him.

"What?"

"Wait."

Rietta recalled the conversation she had with Melian at the inn. The boy had described Abel, whom he had seen only once, as 'foreign.'

Nymphs were a race close to nature. Even mixed blood's innate abilities in their bloodline would weaken but not disappear. Rietta's eyes shone bright blue.

"This place seems to be more than just shaped like a temple."

Even if not a real temple, it was clear that faint divine power was drifting about.

Rietta knew this was her opportunity. Leaving this man behind, who was bound to be troublesome, would be best. Many problems would certainly be solved if she went in alone.

However, her feet wouldn't readily move. It wasn't loyalty or mercy. As he'd said, she didn't know how the interior might be constructed, and if more complex magic than expected was in place, proper response would be difficult with her remaining magic.

Of course, her magic would recover sufficiently if she rested for a day or two, but Melian was waiting below the mountain. Having reached a conclusion before long, Rietta continued speaking.

"Don't be offended and listen."

"I'll decide after hearing it."

"I'm going to cover you with my magic."

Abel immediately frowned.

"That's offensive."

"Bear with it."