“…It must have been really tough for you all this time. Given your human-like appearance, I imagine you’ve faced quite a bit of discrimination wherever you went.”
Having witnessed firsthand the struggles of those directly affected by such prejudice, I understood their hardships better than most.
Setting aside my curiosity for the moment, I looked at her with sympathy.
She seemed momentarily surprised by my reaction, but quickly waved her hand dismissively, as if telling me not to worry.
Then, in a bright voice, she spoke.
“You really don’t have to be so concerned. Sure, in the past, I did struggle because of my appearance and abilities, but now, it’s all just a thing of the past. Besides, thanks to them, I found something only I could do and made it all the way here. So I don’t regret being a spiritist at all.”
With a hint of pride in her voice, she lightened the mood and reached out toward the spirit she had summoned.
Closing her eyes, she seemed to communicate with it.
Then, as if reassuring us, the small golem-like spirit pounded its chest confidently before heading toward the entrance of the sewer.
Of course, I had no way of knowing what exactly was happening, so I simply watched in amazement.
As I observed the golem move its short legs with determined effort, she stood up and gestured for me to follow.
But what she said next left me astonished once again.
“I already sent a request ahead, so all we have to do now is follow the direction the golem points us in. Based on the memories imprinted in the surroundings and the sewer system, it will lead us to the right place. However, since this golem is a spirit summoned from the nearby terrain, it won’t last long if we move too far. But that just means we can summon another one and repeat the process when needed.”
In my fascination with the spirit’s adorable appearance and the idea that mystical abilities were supposedly exclusive to ancient humans, I had momentarily forgotten the true power of spiritism.
Thinking about it carefully, the ability to materialize spirits residing in objects to gain their assistance might not be the strongest in combat, but in an investigation, it was an overwhelmingly efficient tool.
After all, spirits brought to life through this ability acted as hidden surveillance devices, remembering everything that had happened around them.
Not only that, but they had likely seen where our target had gone, making them an invaluable asset for tracking down a well-hidden criminal.
With such a game-breaking ability that essentially allowed us to peek at all the answers, capturing the culprit before sunrise didn’t seem impossible at all.
As I found myself completely reevaluating my impression of Riel, the black-furred beastkin, and marveling at her abilities—ironically, our seemingly smooth investigation hit a sudden roadblock.
***
“…Um, Riel? Isn’t this… way too slow?”
The sewer stretched endlessly before us.
We were running as fast as we could, but with the golem’s short legs, its pace was painfully sluggish.
The moment we stepped inside, another problem became apparent.
Even if we had all the answers in front of us, the sewer system was simply too vast.
If the culprit was hiding nearby, that would be one thing.
But if they were deep inside, even with the golem leading the way, it would take days to reach them.
It was truly a case of one hurdle after another.
While I let out a frustrated sigh at the overwhelming situation, Riel stood deep in thought, her expression troubled.
Then, as if she had come up with a brilliant idea, she suddenly reached out toward the filthy water flowing beside us.
A dazzling blue light enveloped the murky water, followed by a bright flash.
In its wake, a massive, slime-like water spirit emerged.
Given its origins, I instinctively recoiled at its unsettling appearance, but Riel approached it without hesitation.
Just like before, she extended a hand toward it, conveying her intentions silently.
Though I couldn’t hear her words, the spirit seemed to understand her request.
It shifted its form, reshaping itself into something instantly recognizable.
A raft—one you would typically see floating on a riverbank.
Rafts were rarely seen inside the Demon Kingdom, and I had only ever encountered them in illustrations.
Naturally, my eyes lit up in fascination.
After all, for demons, flying was the preferred method of crossing rivers, so boats were mostly considered human tools.
The raft was appropriately sized to fit the sewer’s width, and instead of wood, it was made of compacted filth.
It was bizarre, yet undeniably ingenious.
“The golem will guide us, and this water spirit will serve as our transport. We’ll reach our destination in no time! And no matter how complex the sewer system is, there won’t be any areas without water pathways, so we won’t get stuck midway.”
Riel proudly lifted her chin, completely confident in her solution.
And she was right—this was an impressive feat.
But that thought lasted only a moment before another, more immediate concern crept in.
Awkwardly, I forced a smile and cautiously spoke.
“Uh… So we have to actually get on that?”
“Of course! We have a perfectly fast mode of transportation right in front of us. It’d be ridiculous to refuse just because it’s… unpleasant.”
She gave me a knowing look as I hesitated to approach the raft.
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she stepped onto the filth-formed vessel, as if to demonstrate.
Gesturing for me to follow, she eagerly beckoned me forward.
But for me, accepting her invitation was easier said than done.
As a maid, cleanliness and hygiene had always been my top priorities.
Entering the sewer was one thing—but stepping directly onto a raft made of filth? That was on an entirely different level.
Even though the stench had been magically blocked, my body still reacted with instinctive revulsion.
Faced with this predicament, I found myself deeply torn—until, once again, my mind conjured up an image of Lady Yuria’s elegant dress.
As soon as I barely managed to overcome my revulsion and step onto the raft, the spirit, which had taken the form of a boat, wasted no time in surging forward at full speed.
SPLAAAAASH—!!!
“AHAHA!! YAAAHOO~!!!”
“Ugh, AAHH!! KYAAAH—!!! The filth—it’s on my hood!!!”
The water spirit sped through the endless waterways like a fish in its natural habitat, moving at an astonishing speed.
Riel cheered, thrilled by the exhilarating ride, while I screamed as bits of filth splashed up from the impact, hitting me.
At the very front of the raft, the small golem confidently led the way, steering us at lightning speed through the sewer system.
True to its reputation as a labyrinth, the sewer quickly revealed its countless branching paths and complex structures.
However, against Riel’s spiritism, such obstacles posed no real challenge.
***
About an hour had passed since we began our journey, guided by the spirits.
It was difficult to measure exactly, but judging by our position, we had reached the deep inner sections of Trassion.
That was when the water spirit’s speed started to slow down.
Slowing down meant only one thing.
We were getting close to our destination.
Relieved that this torturous ride was finally coming to an end, I scanned my surroundings with a bright smile—only for that expectation to turn into confusion.
There was only one reason for it.
Despite the raft gradually losing speed, the surroundings looked no different from any other part of the sewer.
The same dim lighting flickered through the pitch-black darkness, illuminating an endless stretch of tunnels.
Narrow walkways lined both sides of the waterway, just wide enough for someone to walk on.
Except for the fact that the entrance was no longer visible behind us, the scene before me was nearly identical to when we first boarded the raft.
While I was still processing this unexpected result, the spirit came to a complete stop.
Mini Golem No. 7, which had been updating its guidance at intervals, no longer pointed in any direction. Instead, it turned its body to face the wall beside us, staring at it intently.
Riel, noticing this, seemed to communicate briefly with the golem before stepping off the raft and landing on the walkway with an intrigued look in her eyes.
“I see… So that’s how it is. No wonder the city’s secret security team couldn’t get any results, no matter how wide they expanded their search.”
“Riel…? What do you mean by that—”
CLICK—!
RUMBLE—…!
I trailed off as she muttered to herself, stepping onto the walkway to follow her.
And in the next moment, I understood exactly what she meant.
The moment she pressed one of the many bricks at the base of the wall, a faint vibration pulsed through the air.
Then, right before my eyes, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
***
“My god… This staircase… Is it a secret passage? Who on earth built something like this?”
“It was probably created intentionally by someone from ancient times. And given the circumstances, there’s only one type of being that would have needed something like this.”
A hidden entrance, previously concealed within the ordinary-looking wall, had now revealed itself.
Beyond the entrance, a long staircase stretched endlessly downward into the unknown.
Staring at the mysterious underground passage that led who-knew-where, Riel murmured in a meaningful tone.
Then, after dismissing the water spirit, she picked up the small golem and began descending the stairs.
Still caught in my shock, I barely registered her words.
By the time I hurried to follow, an unsettling sensation crawled over me, making me swallow nervously.
‘…Maybe it was just my imagination, but I could swear I felt an ominous presence lurking beyond that darkness.’
Thinking that to myself, I took a hesitant step forward.