Metabasis of Ashen Embers · Chapter 1
The Secret of the Ancient Ruins
Cristelle
*Cough* *Cough Cough!*
Phew... All this dust is rather unpleasant. Haydee, couldn't you have been a little gentler?
I know the entrance was blocked by a pile of rocks, but did you have to smash through without warning?
Look at me. I'm covered in dust from head to toe!
Haydee
...Easy for you to say. If all you were going to do was complain, you could've helped.
Cristelle
Ugh... You're as cold-hearted as ever.
At this rate, poor Cristelle might actually be heartbroken by your icy demeanor...
Haydee
Shut it. Says the one who's smiling the whole time.
Cristelle
Ufufu! Well, how could I not smile?
Haydee, my dear. If fortune favors us today, we may finally uncover the decisive clue Morcerf left behind.
How could I not be delighted?
Haydee
...Hmph. Nothing's been confirmed yet.
Don't get your hopes up too much. What if it all turns out to be nothing?
Cristelle
...What a nostalgic sight. Even the musty smell of dirt and the damp moss-soaked stone bring back memories.
Haydee
It's been a long time since I've been here.
Cristelle
Heh. Indeed, my dear Haydee. The last time was when I found you.
Still... This is strange.
Haydee
Strange? What is?
Cristelle
That gate. I'm certain it was standing wide open when I rescued you.
Haydee
...You're right. Did someone come here after we left?
Cristelle
I don't believe that's the case.
As far as I know, the passage we just came through is the only route to these ruins.
And I sealed that passage myself with a pile of rubble.
The very same pile of rubble you just smashed to pieces!
Haydee
...That was you?
Cristelle
Ufufu! I couldn't very well leave this place open for just anyone to wander into!
Haydee
Anyway, that means the gate closed on its own. But why?
Cristelle
Who knows? I can't explain it, but it's only made me even more excited.
Haydee
Excited? Why?
Cristelle
If no one has entered or left, yet that massive gate closed by itself...
Doesn't that mean there's something here?
Perhaps... she left something hidden inside.
Haydee
...If that's true, we'd better be careful.
We don't know what kind of malicious trap might be waiting for us.
Cristelle
...I'll keep that in mind.
Now then, Haydee. Take out the stone tablet.
Haydee
...Okay.
Cristelle
Haydee. Let me ask you once more...
Are you certain this stone tablet is connected to these ruins?
Of course, Hubble did conclude it was likely made here after considering all the evidence.
Haydee
I'm... sure of it.
Whenever I touch this tablet, I get this strange tingling sensation like it's something I already know.
If I'm right, it should be somewhere this way...
Cristelle
Oh...! Have you remembered something? Come along, Haydee!
Haydee
...Here. I'm sure this belongs somewhere around here.
Cristelle
What a magnificent sight. All these enormous statues gathered in one place. They appear to be... knights?
I imagine they served as guardians watching over the gate.
Do these statues stir any memories, Haydee?
Haydee
...Not really. If my memories were that easy to recover, I'd have remembered something long ago.
Cristelle
Fair enough.
Oh... Haydee, you were right. Look over here.
At the foot of the largest statue. There's a slot that looks like it was made for that stone tablet.
Haydee
...Huh? This feels... strange.
Cristelle
Strange? What do you mean?
Haydee
The closer I get to the statue... the louder the tablet hums. Can't you hear it?
Cristelle
I can't hear anything...
Haydee
That can't be... It's so clear...
Cristelle
Hmm... Then perhaps you're the only one who can hear it.
In any case, never mind that. Hurry and put the tablet where it belongs.
Haydee
...All right, all right. Stop rushing me.
So I just put the tablet here and—
...Huh?
Cristelle
The stone tablet... opened...?
Ah, so you were right after all. Look! The gate is shaking!
Come now, Haydee! Finish inserting the tablet!
Haydee
...W-wait... Could you please be quiet?
...Ngggh...!
Cristelle
...Haydee?
Haydee
Some... thing's...
My head feels like everything's getting scrambled... Kgh...
Ggh... Nngh... My head... It hurts...
Cristelle
Haydee! Are you all right?!
Ngh?! M-my eyes...! They're burning...!
*Huff...* *Huff...* I only touched it...
Just what is this stone tablet...?
Haydee
Aghh! My head... It feels like it's splitting apart... It hurts...!
Cristelle
...?!
That statue! Did it just move?!
...So I wasn't imagining it.
Haydee
Kgggh...!
Cristelle
...You're in no condition to keep going. We need to fall back.
You hold onto the tablet. The last thing we need is for both of us to become unable to move.
For now, it'd be best if you let me carry you on my ba—
...Kgh?!
Kgh... Attacking without warning...?!
Haydee
Nnngh...!
Cristelle
Tch... We're pinned down here...
It's clearly hostile, so we'll have to force our way through...
But even so, defeating that thing by myself is impossible.
Haydee
...*Huff...* Ngh...!
Cristelle
Haydee, you're obviously in no condition to fight.
...Just hold on a little longer. I'll get us out of here at full speed.
Hubble
Oh dear... This is troublesome.
A powerful gatekeeper neither of you can defeat alone... and both of you become incapacitated whenever you come into contact with the stone tablet...
According to our investigation, the stone tablet doesn't contain the Void. However...
Cristelle
Ah. I confirmed that myself. If anything, it seemed closer to absorbing the Void.
But isn't that strange in itself?
An ordinary relic from ancient ruins shouldn't react to the Void at all.
Hubble
That's... a fair point.
Cristelle
I'm certain... there's something still left behind in those ruins.
We have to find out what it is ourselves.
Hubble
In that case, you'll need additional personnel.
Cristelle
Yes. The two of us alone can't make it into the ruins under the current circumstances.
Hubble
Is entry the sole objective of your mission?
Finding a reasonably capable Savior shouldn't be difficult.
But their only job will be hauling the stone tablet back to its place while you keep the statues occupied.
Cristelle
Ah. If we have enough people, all we need to do is hold the statues off until others make it through the gate.
But if it were that simple, we wouldn't have needed to come to you for help.
Haydee
...We can't just choose anyone to help us.
In case you've forgotten, the one we're up against is...
Hubble
I know. We have no idea how far her eyes and hands may already reach.
One wrong move, and we'd be showing the enemy our entire hand.
Cristelle
Which is why, Hubble, our ally must be someone we can trust completely.
Someone we can be certain isn't one of her pawns.
Hubble
Hmm... That's quite a difficult set of requirements.
Someone with no ties to this still-unidentified enemy, yet strong enough to be an asset...
Cristelle
As I suspected, finding such a person won't be easy. Those conditions are rather demanding.
Ufufu! But if we combine the resources of Morrel Ocean Traders with your information network, surely before long we'll find at least one—
Hubble
As it happens, one person does come to mind.
Cristelle
H-huh? There really is someone like that?
Hubble
There is.
Haydee
...Fine. But how can you be sure that person will actually help us?
Hubble
Hmm. Well... Nothing is ever guaranteed. There are very few absolutes in this world.
Fortunately, however...
I believe we do have something that might persuade him to lend us a hand.
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