Surviving in a Damn Fantasy World

Astra Trading Company was located in the general commercial district. It was a company that occupied an entire tall building. *Creak.* As I opened the door and walked in, I saw busy employees. “Welcome…!” “What brings you here…?” Maybe it was because I was all dressed up by the maids before leaving? As I confidently walked in, the employees cautiously glanced at me. Well, according to the maids, I looked like some noble knight, so it’s no wonder the regular employees were a bit intimidated.

Among those employees, I spotted a red-haired man in his mid-30s. He was standing right in the center of the counter, wearing the same expression as the others. I walked straight up to him and said, “I’m here as Lowell’s representative.” “Ah, yes, you must be the person we were expecting today.” At that, the woman’s expression immediately changed. Not just her, but the other employees, who I thought were just regular staff, also changed their expressions and started doing their tasks. …Were they all acting? Wow, scary. Is this the Void Family’s secret intelligence agency?

Anyway. “I’ll guide you inside.” Following the woman’s lead, I went inside. There was only a staircase leading upstairs, but when she touched a device, a staircase leading downward opened. Even though it was underground, the facilities were quite clean. As I went down, I saw a reception room. “So, you’re Lowell’s substitute?” Sitting on the sofa in the reception room was a middle-aged man in a fancy suit. “Yes, that’s correct.” “You’re younger than I expected. I thought someone of my age would come, given that you’re a mature aura user.”

He had grayish-white hair, wore a monocle on one side, and had a cold demeanor. “I’m Lorentz, the branch manager of Astra Trading Company’s capital branch. What’s your name?” “Rain.” “Alright, nice to meet you.” He looked at me expressionlessly, but it didn’t feel like he was ignoring me. It was more like he was just looking at a young guy who came as Lowell’s substitute. He looked middle-aged, but if he’s skilled enough to be a branch manager in the capital, he’s probably older than he looks.

“Follow me, I’ll introduce you to the team.” After getting up, I followed Lorentz deeper inside, where I saw a group of armed men and women. About twenty of them? They seemed pretty skilled. “These are my direct subordinates. They’ll be joining us on this expedition.” “Nice to meet you.” “Yes, nice to meet you too.” They were all standing in a line, each holding their own weapons. It felt more like seeing a special forces unit than a secret intelligence agency. …If I’m going with people like this, it means this investigation is more focused on combat than exploration.

“Did you bring any equipment?” “Ah, no, I didn’t.” “…An aura user with no personal equipment?” “Is that a problem?” When I said I didn’t have any equipment, Lorentz looked at me like I was some weirdo, but then he said, “Then we’ll provide you with some. Heinz, get this person some equipment.” “Yes, understood.” He spoke as if he was giving me a lot of equipment. “Here’s your equipment.” “Ah, thank you.”

After that, a man named Heinz handed me the equipment. I put on a leather vest with chainmail underneath, tough-looking leather gloves and boots, and a high-quality longsword. Now I looked properly armed. This kind of serious equipment was something I hadn’t worn since the Coliseum event matches. Back then, I usually wore minimal protection, and at the mansion, there was no need to arm myself.

“Does the equipment fit well?” “Ah, yes, it seems sturdy.” It wasn’t so bulky that it hindered my movement, but it definitely looked like it would provide decent protection. I tend to rely on my body in most situations, so wearing this kind of equipment would probably help a lot. It might reduce the number of stabs I take by half.

“Let’s start the briefing.” “Ah, yes.” After putting on the equipment, I listened to a simple briefing about the investigation. A team of twenty well-trained members, including an aura user, was going to investigate an underground facility in the kingdom. Apparently, remnants of the Luger Kingdom and devil worshippers who had attacked the Void Family two years ago had been spotted in the underground facility. No wonder there were so many combat personnel. They were expecting a clash.

“Let’s head out.” Anyway. After the briefing, we immediately headed to the underground sewer. “This area is off-limits…” “We’ve received permission from the kingdom to investigate.” “Oh…! Understood!” There were guards at the entrance of the sewer near the outskirts of the city. When Lorentz mentioned that we had the kingdom’s permission, they immediately opened the entrance. “Let’s go in.”

The sewer was damp and dark, just as expected, so I held up the lantern I was given. “By the way, did you really get permission?” I thought we were a secret organization and would sneak in, but I was surprised by how confidently we entered. “Of course. The Void Family is directly involved in this investigation. The royal family has no reason to refuse.” “Ah, I see…” So, secret organizations don’t just do shady things all the time. Well, given the Void Family’s status, it’s only natural they’d boldly request investigation rights from the royal family.

“Let’s do a quick scan first.” After going deep into the sewer, Lorentz raised his gloved hand and said that. Then, *zing—* A blue magic circle appeared in the dark underground. *Whoosh—* A blue line from the magic circle spread out along the sewer walls. “This is…” “A simple detection spell.” “Impressive.” The only magic I’ve seen before was shooting fireballs, so this kind of practical magic was new to me.

After using the spell for a while, Lorentz lowered his hand and said, “Nothing detected for now. Let’s head down.” “Yes.” Hmm, during the briefing, I heard he’s quite a powerful mage. A mature aura user, an excellent mage, and twenty skilled personnel. No matter how I look at it, this feels more like a high-level monster raid than an underground investigation. They must really consider the remnants dangerous.

Staying alert, I followed Lorentz deeper underground. **

After passing through the first and second underground levels, we stopped in front of a massive door. “This is…” “The door to the third underground level. Normally, entry is strictly prohibited.” I didn’t even realize it was a door at first. Lorentz touched the wall, and his subordinates cleared the debris to reveal the door. “There’s a lock here.” “We’ll just break it.” “Is that okay?” “We have permission. They’ll seal it again after we leave.”

Well, well. Having permission sure makes things easier. We broke the lock without hesitation and entered the third underground level, which was completely different from the previous areas. Shining the lantern around, I saw moss-covered walls and outdated facilities, but compared to the sewer we’d been through, the technology here seemed on a whole different level. “This place is…” “An ancient empire’s water supply facility.”

…I heard that the Adel Kingdom uses the underground waterways of the ancient empire. They sealed off the main water supply system here and only use up to the second level, yet they can manage the entire city’s sewage? That sounds absurd, but… If I think of ancient Rome, it makes sense. If there was once a superpower that dominated the continent, it’s plausible. Plus, this is a world with magic, so it’s not surprising that technology was highly advanced.

“From here on, everyone be careful. The remnants are likely hiding nearby.” “Yes, understood.” Lorentz used his detection spell again, and we began exploring the third level. The further we went from the entrance, the more the facility’s overall structure became visible. The high ceiling, the pillars, and the buildings around us made it feel like a completely different space. There were even buildings that looked like they could’ve been used as dormitories.

…What kind of technology did the ancient empire have? Despite the decay, it’s clear this place was abandoned for a long time. Yet, during that time, technology above ground regressed. Typical medieval fantasy world.

As we walked around for a while, I noticed a massive door and some old iron rails ahead. “This is…” “The way down to the fourth underground level. It’s connected to a closed mine.” “Isn’t it too dangerous to have a mine under the sewer?” Digging this deep underground is already risky, but having a mine underneath? That sounds insane.

“It’s dangerous, but the resources were so abundant that they used all their technology to build the facility back in the ancient era.” “…That’s impressive.” The omnipotent ancient empire’s technology must’ve made it possible. “No wonder scholars are so eager to uncover their technology.” “I’d be tempted too.” “The current empire has made significant progress in restoration, so if you ever get the chance, you should visit…”

As we chatted, we approached the door. Suddenly— *BOOM!!!* An explosion erupted from the door. “…! Everyone, take cover!” Lorentz reacted swiftly, deploying a magic circle. I also kept my eyes on the door where the explosion happened, and I saw a dark figure. Finally, the hidden enemies have shown themselves. The ancient empire’s technology was fascinating, but my body was itching for action. Despite the sudden ambush, I felt a bit excited as I drew my sword.