The underground river under the Karnak Mountains is almost as abundant in the rainy season as the Vinz River. The river is divided into many tributaries of various sizes in a complex watercourse, some of which eventually rush out of the surface and others that disappear into the ground.

"There's even a waterfall in there!" Tess gestured to Naria with her arms outstretched, "I've never seen a waterfall that high on the ground...... It fell all the way down into the darkness for an unknown amount of time, and it might have fallen into another world - like hell or something. ”

Niah said that hell is not actually underground. Naria stirred the potatoes in the saucepan and replied casually.

“...... I hate this Niya. Tess grimaced in displeasure.

"Why?" Naria gave her a strange look, "Honestly, he's quite like you, small, energetic, and always talking......"

"That's why I hate it!" Tates complained aloud, "there is only one thief in the world as smart and lovely as me, and so well informed and skilled!"

Naria couldn't help but laugh and looked up and touched Tess's head.

"There's no one cuter than you. She said sincerely.

The corners of Tess's mouth curled up, and she frowned again, as if she didn't know whether to be happy to be praised as "cute" by someone younger than herself, and finally had to snort angrily and steal a piece of meat and throw it into her mouth, burning her teeth and grinning.

Ed crouched to the side and watched them giggle - he had almost forgotten what a joy it was to "go on an adventure together". Although the first adventure of his life was also related to the Dark River, and it didn't turn out to be wonderful...... But now in retrospect. It's still so nostalgic.

They were going to enter through the exit where Isis and Narya had left the underworld a few years ago. According to Norvi's map, that would allow them to reach the fork of the two main tributaries as quickly as possible.

The place where they found the Aurora Shield was near another, smaller exit to the northwest. From there, the water rushing out of the ground splashes down the cliff and falls into a stream in the valley. Meandering between the mountains to the Corinthian plain, it forms a small intermittent river that flows into three lakes, including Starnestle.

Norway and Tess had searched several channels in the direction of the current, but found nothing, and they had all been cut off from one of the two tributaries to the west. Further up from the fork, the still raging water blocked their way. But now, the river, which had risen up because of a heavy rain, had probably receded.

Even if not. They can also swim over. The potion provided by Eren has been depleted, but Ed's spells can still come in handy at times like these.

In order to make it easier to move, they had to leave behind Akan who was likely to get stuck in a crack and Xiao Mo, who began to get nervous as soon as he got close to the water's edge, so Tess, who was extremely lonely, became more and more clingy.

"It shouldn't rain again in the last few days. ”

Before going underground. After looking at the sky for a while. Norway told Ed, "But we still have to get as soon as possible." It's impossible to know what's going on outside, and it's almost summer...... A rainstorm fills every corner of the earth, making it difficult to avoid it in time, and even if we can breathe, we may be washed on rocks and injured or washed into nowhere. ”

"Anyway, if he says 'run'. It's not wrong to run to the heights. "You don't even know where the water is going to come from. ”

Ed nodded vigorously. But he wasn't nervous - it was just water, and water wouldn't hurt him...... He wouldn't let it hurt his friends either.

The sunlight that came through the hole faded behind her, and Tess lit a torch. After walking some distance, Naria suddenly grabbed Ed's hand without a sound.

"This is it. She whispered.

"What?" Ed didn't react for a moment.

"It was here that Iss and I last met that...... Skeleton Knight. Naria looked around, still seeming to be in her mind, "Although I have dealt with the undead later, that ...... It always feels different. ”

"What's the difference?" Tess asked, looking back curiously, "Do you look particularly underwhelmed with a round skull and large eyes?"

The bits of gloom that had just been born vanished without a trace in an instant, and Naria chuckled and let go of Ed. The little bit of temperature left Ed in a daze, but he could only keep up with the elf's footsteps without a sound.

The roar of the river grew clear, sounding like a dragon roaring somewhere underground. The mark of the cat's head left by Eren and them is still faint, but it is much more blurry than Naria's memory, and maybe in a few years, it will disappear completely under the wash of the current.

Norvi chose a path that was not the shortest, but the easiest to walk, but it was also inevitable to jump up and down, crawl up and down slippery rocks, or wade through thigh-deep, icy water. It's not easy and comfortable, but it's very smooth.

Most of the time, the elf doesn't even have to look at the map at all, as if every path he walks is firmly engraved in his mind.

When he was about to reach his destination, Norway suddenly stopped, looked around hesitantly, and took out his map and studied it for a while.

"Are we lost?" Tess asked, tiptoeing to look at the map in the elf's hand.

“...... That's impossible. The elf frowned slightly.

"Oh, there's nothing to be embarrassed to admit even if you're lost. Tess comforted him graciously, "You are an elf, but this is underground. ”

"No, I mean, it wasn't supposed to be that way here. Norway pointed to the left, "It was just a rock......

But now, in the direction he was pointing, there was a passage large enough for the two of them to walk side by side.

No one doubted that he had gone the wrong way or remembered something...... But the entrance was so obvious that it was impossible not to see it.

"Maybe the water washed away the rocks that were stuck there or something?" Naria guessed.

Norway was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"Anyway, that's not where we're going, so leave it alone. ”

He left a mark on the map and led them to the right.

The narrow passage leads to the water's edge, and a little further north along the water's edge is the fork in the river, and from there there is a place where neither Norvi nor Tess have been.

But before they could reach the water's edge, they were forced to stop.

They could hear the still fierce roar of the river nearby, but in front of them, the gray rocks were firmly blocking their path.

It wasn't a rock that had collapsed because it had been washed away by the water, but it was like it was a dead end, and there was never a single crevice.

Ed reached out and pressed it against the damp rock. He can make the rocks disappear and the roads again, but ......

I could feel a slight tremor in my palms, as if there was some tremendous force, constantly hitting on the other side of the rock.

“...... The water level seems to have risen. The elf said.

That meant that if Ed broke through the rocks, they would be immediately swept away by the rushing current.

"Hmm...... Someone seems to prefer us to go the other way?" Tess looked indifferent...... No, her eyes lit up and she looked more interested.

Ed looked down in thought. It had never happened to Norway and Tess when they explored the place, and as soon as he appeared, he had inexplicably one more path and one less path - whether it was a trap or some kind of guidance, it was clearly aimed at him, and even the sudden appearance of the Aurora Shield was probably a decoy, maybe he should......

He glanced at Norway unconsciously, and suddenly remembered the elf's words that made him panic, "Am I no longer worthy of your trust?"

No. When they come here, they should continue to walk together, whether backwards or forwards. If you let them leave at this time to avoid putting them in danger, go it alone...... That's not protection, it's an insult.

"Then we'll go the other way. He said, smiling at each of his friends, "How?"

"Agreed!" Tess held her hands aloft, "I hate nothing to come back, and I hate to be tricked the most! Whoever it is, I'm going to drag him out and put a few holes in it!"

Norway smiled slightly, and Naria shrugged, and no one objected.

The passage to the left descends widely, gently, thoughtfully hewn out of the slippery rock, but it looks like it was completely natural.

It was undoubtedly the effect of the spell, and it made Ed even more hopeful that it would be Icabold who would guide him - the priest definitely had a way to do that.

The oncoming wind grew stronger, and Tess grumbled as she extinguished the torch that nearly burned her own hair, and Ed lit a flame of light to lead the way.

“...... Stinky. Tess snorted.

Ed didn't say anything. His sense of smell wasn't as sharp, but there was a faint smell of fish in the wind...... It was a familiar smell of his.

He exchanged a glance with Norvi, and the elf nodded to him, unfolded his crossbow, accepted the blessing of the water god, and walked forward silently.

At the end of the passage, the sound of howling wind and endless darkness rushed in the face. There is still no road ahead...... There is only a huge abyss that seems to divide the whole world in half.

(To be continued......)