We walked for quite a while after that. But it wasn't boring.
With everyone chatting boisterously, the walking didn't feel like a chore.
Right now, we were climbing a pretty steep staircase.
Only Mineha was riding on my shoulders. Cheater.
"Come to think of it, I just remembered. That server at the dining hall earlier—she's Rel's sister."
Hoss said all of a sudden.
"Huh!?"
"What!?"
"She is!?"
The three of us stopped in our tracks without thinking.
"She's Lady Dova's and Lady Shesh's sister!?"
"...!"
"Well, well, so that's how it was. No wonder she looked familiar."
She did look somewhat familiar. So that's it—Rel's sister. That made sense.
"So she's Jushii's older sister?"
"Well, that's me. I told you—I figured it out from the name. Rel's letters mentioned 'Thunder Fang' all the time, so it stuck."
"If she's Rel's sister, she's a Tassan, right? A marquis's daughter working at a commoner's shop."
Bid laughed ruefully. Honestly, a bit late for that.
"I know it's late to be saying this, but the Tassan family really is free-spirited."
"So so, what was her name again?"
"You asked her, right?"
"Samarnia Tassan, I reckon."
Samarnia, huh. She wore glasses like Rel did.
Rel was the same way, but those silver-framed glasses really made you look smart.
When I finally managed to climb the steep staircase, the view suddenly opened up.
I could hear the sound of waves. Buildings lined the shore of Lake Riev, facing the main street.
At the far end of the lake side.
On the left, there was a blue rectangular building and a black rectangular building.
Right in the middle of those, there was a tall, narrow, three-story white building.
It had windows spanning all three floors.
Ah, that's it. No mistake. That narrow building.
That was my uncle's hideout.
"That one, right? The hideout—that white three-story one."
"That's right."
Mineha seemed to have figured it out too.
Hoss looked at the map and nodded.
"That's right. Both of you got it?"
"How come?"
"Because they look similar."
"It's just like the Hydrangea place. Buildings on both sides, entrance right in the middle. A perfect match."
Now that I thought about it, those buildings on either side... were suspicious.
"Well, well, let's just go in and see, shall we? Young Wof. You've got the key, right?"
"Yes."
I stood before the hideout's entrance—a narrow, three-story white building's door.
I slid the key that had come with the letter into the keyhole. It fit.
I turned it slowly and heard a click. I placed my hand on the doorknob and pushed.
The door opened with a heavy groan.
A rush of musty air flowed out.
"Whoa!"
"It hasn't been used in years."
Before my eyes, the hideout's interior revealed a staircase.
To my surprise, the stairs leading up were in an open atrium—there were no rooms on the second floor.
On the second floor, corridors stretched to both ends, with doors on either side.
From there, a return staircase continued up toward the ceiling.
The third floor looked like it had rooms.
The doors on the left and right were set into the walls of the white building.
That meant they led into the buildings on either side—meaning those buildings were part of the hideout too.
"Just as I thought."
"If it were just this building, it'd be too narrow to stay in, but if the buildings on both sides are the same, it looks like we could spend our time here in the hideout. Plus, it'll be worth cleaning."
"………………"
Chardina and Mrs. Annakreutzer were both brimming with enthusiasm for their maid duties.
"Let's explore first, shall we?"
"Indeed. Let's split up to look around, and then regroup here."
So we split up to investigate the hideout.
"Hmm, hmm. This building has several rooms."
The witch entered the black square building on the right.
Hoss climbed the stairs to the third floor.
Mineha and Bid entered the blue square building on the left.
"It's inconvenient being small, isn't it?" — with that, Mineha grew larger.
As for me, what should I do?
While I lingered on the first floor, my knife belt trembled.
"Huh?"
Daga, who had been sleeping in knife form, woke up. He shifted, flew lightly, and landed drowsily on a shelf.
On the first floor, besides the stairs, there was a small white trinket shelf, and behind the white staircase, a wooden box.
"Hey!"
Daga noticed a letter on the shelf.
I picked it up, surprised. It was addressed to me. To top it off, the letter was sealed with wax.
I broke the seal.
"To Wof. If you're reading this, it means you arrived safely. This hideout is a property I had built after winning a contest with young Miss Seiran from Zen-Zera when I was young. It's mine, including the surrounding land, so rest assured. Now, this hideout holds a secret of immense importance for the trading city of Hydrangea—not for me. If you want to know that secret, go underground. I've hidden the entrance to the underground in the wooden box behind the stairs. It's locked, but the key is the same one that opens the door. Before you do that, Hydrangea isn't called a city of delvers, but a city of 'exterminators.' Do you know why? If not, keep reading this letter. Unlike Hydrangea or other cities, Hydrangea doesn't have dungeons in the city or its surroundings. What it does have is the Great Hydrangea Forest to the west across the Hydrangea Plains. It's a treasure trove of monsters—specifically, dungeon monsters. All sorts and attributes of dungeon monsters lurk there in vast numbers. Because we exterminate them, in Hydrangea, delvers are called 'exterminators.' Now, you're probably thinking: wait, isn't that Great Hydrangea Forest a dungeon itself? Like that infamous forest where the dungeon manifested? You're exactly right. Furthermore, deep within the forest lies the dungeon's entrance. However, the deeper you go, the stronger the monsters become. More than that, the fog thickens, and you can get lost. Especially the lord in the deepest part is the greatest obstacle. If you plan to challenge it, you'll need to be at least First-Rank, or it's impossible. Now, with that in mind, go underground. What you do after learning the secret is up to you. I'd be happy if you enjoy the hideout and Hydrangea. — Your Uncle"
"...So Hydrangea's secret, huh."
I really wish he'd stop dropping bombshells like they're nothing.
Oh wait, there's a second page to the letter. What's this?
P.S. Give that second page to young Miss Seiran from Zen-Zera. You can read it if you want, but you'd better take full responsibility for that. —Your Uncle
"..."
Zen-Zera is one of the three great families of Hydrangea. The Zen-Zera family, right.
"Young Miss Seiran" just reeks of trouble. And like anyone's going to read it.
For now, I tucked the letter into my pouch.
"Na!"
Dagaa was tapping on the wooden box behind the stairs. Ah, right—that thing.
From the dry, hollow sound it made when tapped, the box felt like it was empty.
"Let's wait until everyone gets back, then head underground."
"Na!"
After that, Dagaa and I rummaged through the shelves.
There was nothing particularly noteworthy.
Eventually, everyone gathered.
I gave them the gist of the letter.
"Underground, huh."
"Well, well. Hydrangea's secret—now that's quite the get."
"Seriously, who even is this uncle of mine."
"So this is the entrance?"
The wooden crate was already out of the way.
On the floor was a round manhole-like cover with a keyhole next to the handle.
I inserted the key. Turning it produced a clunk as the lock released. I gripped the handle and pulled—
The cover swung upward. It wasn't a removable lid — it had heavy hinges attached.
Like a submarine hatch.
I descended the built-in ladder into a brick-walled room.
There was nothing particularly notable. In a corner, swords and axes had been tossed into a box without any care.
And there was a staircase leading further down. It spiraled, descending to the level below.
"We're about three floors underground now."
"What is this place?"
What we arrived at was a stone corridor.
Something luminous was embedded in the gaps between the stones, filling the passage with an odd brightness.
"Hmm, hmm. Old passageway, all right. But this... is actually quite interesting."
"What do you mean?"
"No mistake about it. These are dungeon walls."
Hoss touched the wall as he said it.
A murmur of commotion rippled through the group.
"There are no dungeons in Hyzen, right?"
"That's what I heard too?"
"But if that's the case... this is going to be absolutely insane!"
"............"
"This is truly Hyzen's secret!"
"If — if that's really true..."
"Hmm..."
I groaned. Mineha's words. If that were true.
"Well, well, why don't we put the conclusions aside and keep moving forward?"
"Yeah. Let's just keep going for now."
With the oddly calm witch and Hoss's suggestion, we decided to press on.
We reached a dead end, and the passage turned right and continued onward.
"...?"
That was when I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
This right turn. Somewhere I'd — no way. The moment I realized it, I was already running.
"Wof!?"
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"What's the matter?"
"My, my, young Wof?"
"Wof, sir! It's dangerous!"
We hit another dead end and turned left... and the passage suddenly opened up into... ah. So that's how it was.
"So that's what it was."
It all made sense.
I had arrived. This was unmistakably it. The great secret of the trading city Heizen.
"This really is something no one could ever tell anyone about."
Towering mounds of junk, piled high throughout a vast open space.
They were broken swords, spears, and axes. Shattered shields. Destroyed armor and other equipment.
I could also see rings and necklaces buried among them.
These must have been the belongings of Heizen's delvers.
In other words, this was Heizen's Junkyard.