I was now going down the stairs. Notwithstanding the fact that I was given the day off, there was something I had to do.
I halted my descent at the second basement level. On this level, there was a room called the shelter. Aside from the reinforced structure made for resisting heavy siege weaponry and siege-class spells, this room had an hidden escape route.
The only evacuation route in this entire fortress.
**Tonight, this kingdom's most essential non-fighting subjects will be gathered in this shelter.**
This escape route was a necessity and so, I was spending some of my precious time off to inspect it.
With the tip of my fingers, I brushed the dust away from the stone wall to reveal an unnoticeable symbol inscribed into the stone. Indeed, because the basements level were dug directly into the bedrock, this side of the shelter had a cold granite wall. On another note, the symbol was a simple triangle with another upside-down triangle within.
It didn't mean anything, it just looked pretty cool.
Accordingly, this motif had an additional use. It was a magical seal, preventing any un-authorized personnel to open it.
To unlock it, one needed a certain mark with a unique magical wavelength attached to it.
Otherwise, the seal was inviolable.
I knew this with absolute certainty, because, in fact, I created the seal myself.
At that time, I only gave the necessary marks to the members of the current royal family: the king, the queen, the princess Tanya and the prince Leopold.
**Tonight, the prince, the princess and the queen will be hiding in this shelter. If an emergency occurs, they will lead the way through the path and escape to a safe location with as many citizens as they can bring.**
With my hand still in contact with that wall, I compelled the seal to open before me. I didn't have the mark I mentioned earlier, but as the creator of this seal, I didn't need it. The seal was made from my own mana, so I could unsurprisingly manipulate it at will.
A thin crevice appeared in the wall. Promptly, it grew into an opening large enough for a person. Beyond that opening, a set of stairs was leading down into the darkness. The sinister passage seemed to be showing the way toward the abyss.
Suddenly, the moment I stepped inside, hundreds of torches lighted up the path. For an instant, it seemed like the ominous aura retreated further down into the tunnel.
I ran my fingers across the side of the tunnel to feel the flow of mana and the general structure of the rock.
**The mana barrier is still solid. I don't see any signs of the underground tunnel caving in. The walls are dry too, so it shouldn't get flooded anytime soon, considering that the passage passes right under the canal. Good.**
"Acceleration"
I sped up and I soon surpassed the pace of a galloping horse. With the effect of this Acceleration spell, I would reach the ending of this passage in short order. And I did.
I climbed up a ladder and pushed open a wooden cover to find myself in a familiar building.
Hundreds of casks filled with aging wine were lined up in a few rows and gave the room a pleasant aroma.
Raindrops could be heard trickling on the metal sheets of the roof. Narrow holes in the wooden boards would allow thin rays of light to illuminate the barn faintly.
As I exited the barn, an old man recognized me and waved while walking toward me.
He wiped the sweat drippling from his forehead. Whether he sweated due to his walk just now or due to a physical work he executed before was unclear.
"Lynch! What do I owe this pleasure?"
"Well, you know, the Army of Hell and stuff… I thought you were already informed of the situation, Humfrey"
This man used to be a high-ranking official of mankind's armies. After the Insurrection, he was exiled here due to his close ties to the former king.
Actually, exiled might be a strong word for his situation, considering he's peacefully cultivating a vineyard with his grandkids. He was also entrusted with guarding the exit of the shelter's evacuation route.
A fair distance away, I spotted a young girl leaving a stable while riding a small horse. She was most likely his grand-daughter. In addition to their vineyard, they were also raising horses. And so, in the unlikely event that this evacuation route was used, the refugees would have well-trained mounts to ensure their escape.
"I wasn't… Anyway, this looks pretty serious, should you really talk about it so casually?"
"Eh, they'll be wiped out by this evening, so you don't have to worry about it."
"Is that so? Well, I've seen you fight before, so I'm not truly worried."
"I'm not worried either. Alright, I'm done here. Make sure to hide your family somewhere safe tonight, and keep the exit cleared, just in case."
"Sure thing, Lynch. Also, one last thing, how's our Warden doing?"
"Hum, physically he looks fine, but that senile geezer is losing his mind. In any case, I don't see why you would worry about him, didn't he betray you during the Insurrection?"
"His decision was right, and it's not like such a tiny disagreement could break our long lasting friendship."
"I see… Then, I'll be on my way. Gotta save the world and stuff."