Sakura didn’t seem to be convinced by what Kagali-san said, but she made Kagali-san promise her, “Please tell it to me when I grow up.”
We walked along a paved path, surrounded by forest. No one was around, so it was quiet.
Sakura is riding on Swaying Bear, and I am riding on Hugging Bear.
“So, where are we going?” (Yuna)
“It’s the place where the head of the serpent is sealed.” (Kagali)
She said there are five locations of the seal, the four heads, and the body. We’re heading for one of the sealed heads.
“Oh, by the way, Kagali-san was the one who’s managing the seal, right? Didn’t you notice that the seal was weakening until Sakura noticed?” (Yuna)
According to my memory, Sakura’s prediction said she noticed the seal weakening.
”That’s…….” (Kagali)
“That?” (Yuna)
“I was sleeping.” (Kagali)
“You were sleeping?” (Yuna)
“Etto, Kagali-sama can go asleep for several days straight.” (Sakura)
“I am a fox, not a human. When I sleep, I sleep for days. And on the other hand, I can also stay awake for days. And this time, I drank too much and slept for a month.” (Kagali)
A month?! Isn’t that too much sleep? Also, getting dead drunk while on duty monitoring the giant snake.
“When we came to wake her up, she said, ‘One more month’.” (Sakura)
One more month, she said. How much longer do you want to sleep?
And she said that she had slept for several years in the past.
So, are you really overseeing the condition of the seals?
“I can’t say about the others, but I’ve had my moments of peace too.” (Kagali)
Well, if nothing happened for a few hundred years, that might be the case.
=====
After walking for a while, we saw a temple-like building similar to where Kagali-san stayed.
“In here.” (Kagali)
Kagali-san opened the door and went inside. Inside the building, there’s an ample space and a staircase in the center. Kagali-san touched the magic stone on the wall, and the stairs lit up.
“Sakura and Shinobu……” (Kagali)
Kagali-san said their names, thought for a moment, and then looked at Ruimin.
“…And Ruimin, you three wait here.” (Kagali)
“Why? You didn’t say that when I was here before.” (Sakura)
“Things have changed. It may not be pleasant to look at this time. In which case, bear girl, I don’t think you should see it either, but if you really want to fight the serpent, you should look at it.” (Kagali)
If it’s disgusting, I don’t want to see it either.
“Shinobu, keep an eye on Sakura and Ruimin to make sure they don’t move from that spot.” (Kagali)
“Swaying Bear, Hugging Bear, please keep an eye on Sakura and Ruimin too.” (Yuna)
“Ku~u ~ n”
Well, I don’t think the seal will suddenly be lifted, but just in case.
Leaving the three behind, Mumroot-san and I descended the stairs with Kagali-san in the lead. As we descended the stairs, we found another large space.
“That’s the hole you guys dug.” (Kagali)
Mumroot-san looked nostalgic. Perhaps it was a hole made by a fellow adventurer from those days.
Kagali-san walked to the center and touched something that looked like a magic stone buried in the ground. Then a large magic circle appeared in the basement. The magic circle was several tens of meters in size. Then the magic circle glowed reddish-black and started to flash slowly. The red-black color looked disgusting.
It’s definitely not something I’m comfortable looking at.
As I looked at the magic circle, I felt as if it had moved.
Do magic circles move?
I thought I imagined it, but I wasn’t.
A large, black, circular object inside the magic circle moved.
I stood my ground.
“Is there something…?” (Yuna)
Kagali-san immediately answered my question.
“It’s the eye of the serpent. It glares at you when you come near it.” (Kagali)
The Eye of the Serpent?
Their eyes glimmered and seemed to be watching us.