Chapter 237: The Sanctuary’s Secret Initiative

It wasn’t long before the group arrived at the same familiar intersection that branched into three different passages. Two had already been explored and, in one way or another, had once determined their fate, while the last remained unexplored and shrouded in uncertainty.

Even now, as they looked toward the leftmost passage, the one furthest from them, none of the exiles showed the slightest inclination to investigate what might lie beyond its darkness.

After all, their last two experiences had already taught them a valuable lesson to never meddle with these passages.

The crypt and the ruined temple had given them more than enough reasons to heed that warning. Whatever secrets the final tunnel concealed, they had no intention of discovering them merely to satisfy their curiosity.

They had learned the hard way that curiosity, when exercised in the wrong place, could easily become another word for recklessness.

"So, which tunnel leads to the crypt?"

Aelric’s question came the moment they reached the threshold of the intersection.

The green-eyed youth’s expression was strangely serious.

There was none of his usual languid amusement, none of that careless composure that often made it seem as though nothing in the world was important enough to warrant his full attention. Instead, his emerald eyes carried the focused intensity of a seasoned archaeologist who had finally stumbled upon the ruins he had spent years searching for.

It was an expression that surprised the exiles more than they cared to admit.

Aelric was eccentric.

That much had become painfully obvious during their time with him. He possessed a peculiar disposition that seemed to surround him with an aura of playful indifference, as though he could lounge beneath a tree and watch the world burn without feeling particularly compelled to intervene.

His words were often casual, his actions unpredictable, and his attitude so lackadaisical that anyone meeting him for the first time might easily take him unseriously.

And yet, beneath that eccentric exterior was someone surprisingly perceptive.

Aelric himself tended to view the world with an almost unnerving astuteness.

Still, throughout their journey through the tunnel, something about him had changed.

He had unconsciously shed much of his usual eccentricity.

From the moment they began walking, Aelric had taken his time examining nearly every inch of their surroundings. His eyes wandered across the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and every peculiar feature they encountered, as though the entire tunnel were an ancient archaeological site waiting to reveal its secrets.

It had taken the group by surprise.

They didn’t know precisely what the green-eyed youth was looking for, but they could clearly see how fascinated he was.

This expedition mattered to him and perhaps that was even the reason he had agreed to accompany them in the first place.

Hearing his question, Regaleon gestured toward the middle passage and answered. "That way. If we continue down that path, we’ll eventually arrive at the crypt."

The moment Regaleon answered, Aelric’s emerald gaze swept toward the other two passages.

"And the other two? Where do they lead?"

"The passage on the right leads to the land above the waterfall, to the ruined temple." Regaleon answered. "Though we don’t really know what that place is. Based on the geographical layout of the area, however, I suppose it’s reasonable to make the assumption that it is an extension of the Crimson Forest itself."

Aelric nodded quietly. Regaleon then turned his head toward the leftmost passage.

"As for that one..." His brows furrowed. "We have absolutely no idea where it leads."

The darkness beyond the entrance seemed almost unnaturally deep. Even after everything they had experienced, none of them could shake the strange feeling that something unseen lingered beyond it.

"We took our time trying to figure out everything we could about the first two tunnels," Regaleon continued, his voice becoming more solemn. "But what we experienced in them was enough to dissuade us from venturing into the last one. You know... to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

His golden eyes remained fixed upon the tunnel. "Also, we weren’t about to take the same risk again without knowing exactly what we might be getting ourselves into."

Aelric didn’t immediately reply, rather, he simply nodded. Before beginning their descent toward the waterfall cave, Regaleon and the others had already explained everything they had experienced within the crypt and the ruined temple.

And judging from their descriptions, Aelric understood that their experiences had been extremely unpleasant and dangerous. Nevertheless, despite their warnings and repeated expressions of apprehension, he had still resolved to explore the crypt.

Somehow, he had a subtle yet persuasive feeling that descending into that place would lead to a fortunate encounter.

How accurate that intuition would prove to be, he didn’t know.

But Aelric had never been someone who shrank from a challenge simply because fear and apprehension told him to retreat.

He was an exceptionally instinctive and intuitive individual. For that reason, he had always made a habit of following his gut, even when doing so meant stepping into situations that most sensible people would avoid.

Meanwhile, Aelric continued asking Regaleon several detailed questions regarding the intersection when Vaelorin’s voice suddenly interrupted them.

"Guys..." The red-haired Pyromancer sounded unusually hesitant. "I really don’t think we should go through with this."

The others turned toward him.

"I mean, remember the angry Terracottas and that terrifying six-winged knight? Don’t you think we should turn back by now and just leave the cursed crypt alone?"

Once again, Vaelorin attempted to make the group recognize the folly of their actions but once again, he was largely ignored.

"Oh, come on, Vaelorin."

Kaeloris looked at the failed Pyromancer as though he were staring at someone who had just repeated a warning everyone had already heard several times.

"It’s not as though we haven’t been here before." He adjusted his glasses. "And trust me, while I do respect your warnings and observations, I still want you to understand something. The only reason we found ourselves in that terrible situation before was because we were merely Awakeners."

His gaze swept over the group.

"But now?" Kaeloris smiled faintly. "We’re full-fledged Etheryeans."

His words carried an unmistakable confidence as he added. "The circumstances aren’t the same anymore. Besides, this time, we aren’t alone."

His eyes shifted toward Aelric.

"After all, Aelric is with us."

Kaeloris’s words might have sounded conceited, particularly because of their newfound strength, but Vaelorin knew that wasn’t entirely the case.

In truth, even the red-haired Pyromancer had to admit that some of what Kaeloris said was correct and possessed considerable merit.

Still, knowing all of that didn’t make Vaelorin feel any calmer. The memories of those six-winged knights and the Terracottas remained far too vivid.

Nevertheless, he chose not to argue further.

Eventually, after several moments of discussion between Regaleon and Aelric, the green-eyed youth finally decided to proceed through the middle tunnel.

For now, he would set aside his curiosity regarding the other two passages.

His decision, however, wasn’t born from some whimsical impulse.

Rather, he was weighing the significance of each tunnel against what they might reveal about a secret investigation of his own.

In truth, the entire reason Aelric had decided to temporarily abandon his journey and accompany the group on this expedition stemmed from what they had told him about the crypt.

For some reason, after hearing their accounts and detailed descriptions, Aelric couldn’t help but associate the crypt with a secret mission issued to every scout by the Sanctuary.

The thought had been growing inside him ever since.

Somehow, he couldn’t shake the suspicion that this place—which the group had likened to a land of death—might actually be connected to one of the Sanctuary’s most important investigations.

And that possibility explained his unusual interest in the expedition...

The group crossed the intersection and entered the middle tunnel and it wasn’t long before their surroundings began to change.

The familiar outlines of the knightly figurines slowly emerged from the darkness. To the others, this was nothing new as they had seen these statues before. Because of that, they remained completely impassive and unsurprised by their appearance.

Aelric, however, was different. The sight was practically a revelation; his footsteps slowed and his emerald eyes moved from one statue to another, taking in every detail.

The knightly figures stood in silent rows along the passage, their ancient armour preserved despite the passage of countless years. Their bodies were rigid, their weapons held in positions of solemn readiness, and their faces concealed behind expressionless helmets.

But more than the statues themselves, Aelric was focused on the inscriptions engraved across their chest plates.

The moment he noticed them, his brows furrowed imperceptibly; the movement was so subtle that none of the others noticed.

As they walked past the array of knightly statues, Aelric’s gaze lingered on them slightly longer than necessary.

At first, his actions were barely noticeable but the longer it continued, the more apparent his interest became.

He was still engrossed in studying one of the inscriptions when Aureleah’s detached voice came from behind him.

"Aelric, is there a problem?"

The silver-haired Assassin’s eyes were focused, carrying a faint trace of suspicion as she asked the question.

Aelric turned toward her with a small smile appeared on his face before replying. "Not at all."

He glanced back toward the statues.

"I was simply admiring the craftsmanship. I mean, I couldn’t help but become fascinated by their intricacy."

Aureleah stared at him for several seconds, then she nodded. Letting out a slight hum, she turned away. However, that didn’t mean her suspicions had disappeared.

Somewhere within her mind remained a quiet sense of distrust.

Aureleah couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Aelric’s decision to accompany them than met the eye.

The green-eyed youth seemed to be hiding something... Something important. Yt she had no proof and without proof, suspicion remained nothing more than suspicion.

Perhaps she was simply overthinking things.

With that thought, Aureleah dismissed the nagging feeling and continued walking.

Unbeknownst to her, however, Aelric’s emerald eyes had already returned to the inscriptions. And this time, there was no trace of amusement within them...