Kazuma Sato 1

The final brace settles, but before the party can leave, hoofbeats and wagon wheels approach along the eastern road. An empty pair of wagons emerges through the fog.

A mud-streaked middle-aged man hurries beside them, lean beneath a soaked brown coat. His thinning black hair clings to his forehead, and one sleeve is dark with blood.

The surrendered goblins recoil from Harlan instead of recognizing him. One points toward the road with trembling hands, while another stares at the sealed hatch.

Harlan sets a small iron case onto an empty wagon bed. Mud hides most of its surface, but beneath it gleams a faint black insignia shaped like a claw.

While Harlan faces the surrendered goblins, Kazuma slips along the wagon's far side. Fog veils his hands as he lifts the iron case from the bed without disturbing its muddy covering.

He tucks the case beneath his cloak and steps back into the shadow between the wagons. The faint black insignia vanishes from Harlan's view.

Harlan turns toward the wagon bed and freezes. Mud remains where the case rested, but the iron container itself is gone.

The surrendered goblins scatter their attention between Harlan and the fog, while Darkness raises her shield and Aqua demands an explanation. Kazuma retains the stolen case beneath his cloak.

Kazuma's question cuts through the fog. Harlan's gaze flicks from the empty wagon to the sealed hatch, then settles on the cloak concealing the stolen case.

Harlan lowers his voice while the surrendered goblins listen uneasily. His wounded sleeve trembles as he points toward the road beyond the bridge.

Behind the wagons, Kazuma works the iron case free of its mud-caked clasp. The cold metal briefly numbs his fingers, then the lid opens with a soft click.

Inside rests a folded black-fang map, three silver coins stamped with an unfamiliar crown, and a thumb-sized crystal pulsing with dim violet light.

The crystal's glow strengthens near the sealed hatch, revealing fine red lines beneath the mud on the wagon boards. They form a route from the bridge to the chamber.

Kazuma lifts the thumb-sized crystal from the case and carries it toward the sealed hatch. Its violet pulse reflects across the fog and wet stones.

As he approaches, the red route beneath the wagon boards brightens, tracing itself toward the iron-bound entrance and ending at its central lock.

Kazuma holds the crystal above the braced hatch. Violet light sinks through the ash, and matching lines flare across the iron without disturbing the stones.

A dim image forms across the hatch: the bridge, the eastern bend, and a circular mark beneath the road. Beneath it, three words appear in fading violet script: AWAKENING AT MOONRISE.

Kazuma rotates the violet crystal above the glowing lock, watching how its pulse aligns with the red lines. The hatch's iron symbols separate into three interlocking rings.

He turns the crystal through the marked positions and presses it into the central lock. The brace loosens without shifting the stones, and the hatch opens inward on silent hinges.

A narrow stair descends into dry darkness, its walls lined with old silver wards. The crystal projects a clear violet path down the steps, revealing no traps along its length.

Kazuma descends the silver-warded stairs with the violet crystal held before him. Aqua, Darkness, and Harlan follow, their footsteps fading into the dry darkness.

The stair opens into a circular burial chamber. Stone shelves surround a black altar, while silver coins, jeweled rings, sealed scroll tubes, and a crystal-lined coffer rest untouched beneath a film of dust.

Kazuma inspects the shelves and altar carefully, finding no disturbed dust or active ward. The violet crystal illuminates a small bronze key beside the coffer.

He takes the key and opens the coffer. Inside are gold crowns, cut gemstones, an ancient silver amulet, and a black-fang ledger listing payments and moonrise deliveries.