Day 293 of Banishment: Exploration (2)
"It's hard to see without light. Hmm... oh, here it is!"
Marylia searched through a bag that had fallen alongside her and pulled out a simple lamp, a flint, and some tinder. The lamp was a rudimentary design—an unglazed vessel with a handle, filled with animal fat and a wick.
She struck the flint near the tinder to create a spark. The Iron Golem then scooped up the tiny flame with its hand and carefully transported it to the lamp's wick. Its iron hands, impervious to burns, made it an efficient fire handler. How convenient!
"Oh, it's lit. I'm glad we have some light."
With the lamp now glowing, Marylia smiled and took a closer look at the underground room, illuminated by the small flame.
The basement was built of stone, stacked and reinforced with plaster. The floor was damp, as water had seeped in, but being underground sheltered it from the elements, slowing its decay.
"There’s a chair still shaped like a chair! And a table! Oh, and paper too!"
To her delight, the room contained a table and chairs, likely used for writing.
"Well, the paper is fragile enough to crumble at a touch..."
Unfortunately, the paper had degraded over time. Made of plant fibers, it had succumbed to the years. Still, it showed no signs of mold or tears. Its surprisingly intact state suggested it might have been preserved by some kind of magic.
She was reminded of the slave collar she found by the river. Marylia had theorized it was brought from outside the island, as such technology seemed beyond what could be crafted here. But perhaps, whoever had lived here once possessed the skills to make such items locally.
The paper was too delicate to lift, so Marylia simply studied it where it lay.
"Is this... a map?"
The paper appeared to depict a map. Though crudely drawn, likely by an amateur, it offered a vague idea of the surrounding area near the base.
"Oh, there’s a river here, I think. And this area looks like a valley. I see...”
Marylia examined the map with a grin. One of the things she had been looking for—a river—would be easy to locate once she left this place.
"So, to the northwest from here, is it? The main base."
Additionally, the map marked a location that might have been the main base of whoever had lived here.
"I wonder what kind of main base could be built by people who could use this much iron."
With narrowed eyes, Marylia committed the map to memory and decided to head for the main base.
It took some time for the Iron Golems to climb out after breaking through the floor. They managed by stacking themselves or giving one another a boost. Once most were out, they pulled up the remaining golems and Marylia.
Had Marylia been alone, she might have met her end in the basement. The thought was chilling. Though, knowing her, she would have scaled the walls with sheer determination.
"Now then. The map marked a few temporary bases. While I’d like to explore them all, let’s prioritize the main base and only check one nearby outpost along the way."
Marylia shared her plan with Jade, who nodded in agreement. Jade then issued commands to the Iron Golems, and the group resumed their journey in the same formation as the day before. Surrounded by the Iron Golems, Marylia cheerfully trekked through the forested mountains again.
"Oh, there it is! I’m so glad we found it!"
By late morning, they arrived at another temporary base marked on the map.
Judging by the markings, this base had been used for mining operations. The structure was in worse condition than the previous one. However, inside the crumbling house, remnants of wooden boxes revealed stones, though they appeared to be mostly waste rock. Perhaps the nearby veins had been mined out and abandoned.
There were also rusted tools like pickaxes and shovels, as well as carts with wheels. It was evident this had once been a mining site.
And then—
"Oh, there’s a basement here too."
This time, Marylia didn’t break through the floor but found a wooden door leading down. She removed the door and descended into the basement with Jade’s help, lighting the way with her lamp.
"Ah..."
Marylia let out a long "Ah..." as words failed her.
"For now... may you rest in peace..."
There lay a skeletal corpse, still wearing a slave collar.
She had anticipated finding such a scene someday, given the existence of the collars, but seeing a corpse with one still attached elicited a mix of emotions.
Though it must have been from long ago, the sight still stirred a quiet sadness.
After a brief moment of prayer, Marylia began to think.
"Well, with a mine and a base, it makes sense there were miners. Whether they were slaves or not, I wasn’t sure..."
The presence of a skeleton here wasn’t unexpected. The mine likely relied on slave labor, suggesting there were once quite a few people on the island.
While self-imposed enslavement wasn’t unheard of, it was unlikely in this case. There had to have been at least two people: the slave and their master.
"A slave... right? I think it was a slave, but... hmm..."
As she examined the skeleton, Marylia grew confused.
"This... looks like gold. Threads of gold embroidery? Would a slave wear clothing with gold embroidery?"
…… A skeletal corpse still had remnants of fibers clinging to it. In other words, the remains of clothing that had not decayed. Among them was a golden thread. Being incorruptible and untarnishable, the gold remained, but the fact that a slave had worn clothes embroidered with gold only deepened the mystery.
“This is hopeless, I don’t get it at all.”
With that, Marylia stopped thinking about it. No matter how much she pondered, countless possibilities would arise, but no clear answers.
What Marylia needed now wasn’t conjecture, but exploration. Not thinking, but acquiring new information.
Since the base was near the mines, it was unlikely any information about ships would be found. Nevertheless, she searched just in case. Naturally, there was nothing. Of course! If she’d stumbled upon blueprints for a ship in a place like this, Marylia might have fallen over in shock.
“Well, finding what looks like alcohol is a decent result. Seems they brewed it on this island.”
If anything, the discovery of alcohol carried some significance. Inside ceramic jars was a liquid that seemed to be over-fermented alcohol. Apparently, the people here had made and consumed it.
… Producing alcohol requires a fair amount of time and effort. It’s not something you can make without some leisure.
In other words, they had spent a long time here. Moreover, diverting resources to alcohol rather than using them for escaping the island suggested that they originally aimed to settle permanently on this island. Or perhaps, dreaming of escape, they endured such harsh conditions that they needed the indulgence of alcohol to cope.
“… I wonder what kind of people they were.”
The golden thread from earlier and this alcohol—neither provided any clarity about who these people were, their purpose, or why they were here.
Though Marylia felt a sense of unease, she knew she wouldn’t find answers here. Resolving to move on, she quickly set out for the next destination.
After a few hours from the base near the mines, the sun had already dipped significantly. Marylia and her companions had arrived at the mountaintop.
“Phew, we’ve climbed quite high, haven’t we…”
It was quite a hike. Marylia gazed out at the vast sky from the elevated vantage point, sighing as she took in the view.
Although winter was over, the early spring nights were still chilly. As the earth cooled under the darkening sky, Marylia, feeling slightly anxious, scanned the surroundings.
“I think it should be around here…”
Since they had reached the mountaintop, this was likely the destination. The place Marylia had been aiming for—the “site where people once lived”—should be somewhere nearby.
Recalling the map she had studied, she searched the area but found nothing of note. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she continued to look around when…
“Oh, a valley…”
… Peering down from the mountaintop, she noticed a deep, deep valley.
And then—
“… Oh my.”
The valley wasn’t so much a valley as a crack in the ground. It was deep, steep, and sharp.
It felt as though a part of the world’s shell had cracked open, revealing another world within… a chasm so imposing it seemed almost surreal. And what’s more, the sight was utterly baffling.
“Buildings… in the valley?”
There were structures.
A town existed here.
The traces of a once-living populace remained vividly, unmistakably preserved.
For a while, Marylia simply stared at the scene.
The world spread out far below her was too small to discern clearly, but… the architectural style appeared to be about a century old.
And the air was thick with the presence of mana.
“A magical city…”
It resembled a fairy-tale kingdom built and prospered by magic. Perhaps a renowned archmage once resided here.
The town shimmered in the glow of the setting sun… Or perhaps Marylia, deprived of seeing human-made artifacts for so long, found it so stunning. Or, could it be the lingering effects of some magic?
Or maybe…
Roaaaaaar!
… A cry echoed from the sky, prompting Marylia to look up.
“Oh… I see now, I get it—”
And there, soaring through the vast sky, was a magnificent dragon.
“That town’s become a dragon’s nest, hasn’t it? Which means there’s probably a hoard of shiny treasures stored there… That’s why it’s glowing. Mystery solved!”
With a cheerful smile, Marylia…
“All units, retreat!”
… immediately commanded her golems and dashed away at full speed.
Naturally, they didn’t have the firepower to take down a dragon!
What do you think about this chapter?
