As they made their way down the steep sloping cliffs and into the crevice where the Vault of Nautilus was positioned deep into the rockface, the wind howled, and the sea churned violently.
The stairway was only large enough for one person at a time, the order being formed in order of highest rank to lowest rank.
Therefore, as Aaron descended the stairs only after the Sea King and the Archbishop, he could hear the rough waves below.
Only a few centimeters of additional rock separated him from a plunge a quarter kilometer down and into serrated spikes.
Water soaked the steps whenever a harsh wave sloshed over the wall, and each tricky movement he made was possibly his last.
The sun had reached noon, the burning ball of fire searing his neck that was ever-so-slightly covered in his blond hair.
"I can taste the salt."
Chuckling as he addressed the woman within his mind, he was given a subpar reaction before she responded in full.
『When you enter the vault, there is a non-zero chance that I won't follow alongside you.』
The boy's brow furrowed downward, his footsteps pausing as he thought for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
He hadn't expected nor even pondered the thought of not being able to enter the chamber with his ancient sword.
Furthermore, he had even planned to use her knowledge to the fullest when picking the rarest artifacts he could.
Yet, by her own words, she might be incapable of entry, barring the boy from the easy way out of choosing.
『Since I was once human as you were, my soul is equal to yours in every way, regardless of what I personally believe. That means that you'd need a separate token to allow for my entry alongside yours.』
Aaron rubbed the back of his neck as he listened to her calm words, the logic checking out, and the sly comment about her own narcissism going undetected.
"Well…"
He exhaled hard and continued down the steps to where the Sea King and the Archbishop waited.
"Guess I'll just have to make the right choice then."
…
Drip.
A droplet of water fell on Aaron's nose as he walked through the cavern slowly, the lanterns hanging from the ceiling illuminating his path.
There was a strong smell of salt wafting through the tunnel, the only solid ground to walk on being that of a floating wood bridge held up by terror blubber.
Unlike before, Cauron took the rear of the group, his fingers occasionally shooting out tiny pellets of mana aimed at the walls.
He, of course, was aiming at the miniature spiders that clung to the stony surface, their eight eyes and venomous fangs gleaming in the lamplight.
Each step that Aaron took felt like he was standing on slush, the bridge wobbling and covered in moist, wet sludge.
Only when the Archbishop at the front of the line stopped moving did he gaze forward, another incredible sight appearing before him.
Buried between two massive pillars of rock, a large double door made of an oddly colored wood stood proudly.
Its surface was engraved in hundreds, if not thousands, of runes, each made up of low-level seals harvested from the corpse of a terror beyond comprehension.
There were no handles on the wooden walls, simply a gilded slot in the very center that looked to fit something about the size of a fingernail.
A small stream made its way through the flat ground around the gateway, its source being a miniature waterfall that filtered in from the coastal outcrops on the cliffs that carried the water down tubes and into the cavern's heart.
Furthermore, it wasn't just the Vault of Nautilus that filled the relatively straight tunnel, but rather spiraling caves that split off from the main one, delving deeper under the island.
Ancient magma tubes, as they were called, tore through the rock and mud that encompassed the land, diving deeper than possibly even the pit on Mount Evermore.
And as Aaron Grimstall stared in awe at the magnificent chamber that surpassed his expectations, he saw a man approach from the shadows.
Furrowing his brow in confusion, he squinted his eyes to try for a better look, a set of crimson armor appearing out of the darkness.
Another Knight of Crimson…
He prepared to sigh, however, as the man approached, both the Archbishop and the night beside him fell to their knees, their heads prostrated downward.
"We greet the Supreme Pontifex with our honor on our blades."
Pulling their swords from their sheaths, they gently raked the sharp edge along their palm, a stream of blood leaking from their flesh and onto the cavern floor.
"At ease, Knight Finnigan. At ease, Knight Bromon."
His voice was rigid and cold, his aquamarine eyes falling over the former challengers who now stood outside the vault.
Looking first at Raphael, then to Alaric, to Ezra, and finally to Aaron, he nodded his head slowly, his gaze lingering on the blade at the blond boy's hip.
Leaving Akari without acknowledgement, he walked calmly towards Lord Thorn, who rolled his eyes at the man's presence.
『He's perhaps as strong as that Multimage woman… Maybe stronger…』
Penelope's words echoed in the turquoise-eyed boy's mind as he watched the Sea King and the Pontifex shake hands.
"Welcome, Cauron, to the—"
He was cut off quickly by the orange-haired man, who seemed irritated at the long black-haired man's antics.
"You will address me as Lord or King. Furthermore, you are yet to greet the ones who will actually be entering the vault even after you passed them first."
The tension in the room tightened as the crimson-armored man took a breath, his body slowly turning around to face the former challengers.
"I welcome Aaron Grimstall, Raphael von Steinfeste, Alaric von Steinfeste, Ezra Flock, and…"
He stopped himself before he said Akari's name, a strange look of disgust coming across his face as he eyed the girl.
"I think you are forgetting, Ms. Ayaka, Sir Cadogan."
Cauron Thorn's voice lingered through the cavern, making the Pontifex turn his lip downward, a snide scowl appearing across the black-haired man's face.
"Welcome… Akari Ayaka…"
There was a silence after he said the words, his body language betraying his obvious displeasure even in the presence of a Sea King.
While unknown to the children of the group, the Knights of Crimson were exclusively male and notoriously misogynistic.
Rumors of a stray pirate ship being ambushed by one of their warships and of all the women mysteriously disappearing were common throughout anywhere they were outposted.
Both the Oceanic Association and the Hunters' Guild said nothing of the incidents, however, as the sheer firepower of the organization was far superior to their own fleets.
『I retract my statement. He is truly subpar.』
Holding back a laugh, Aaron watched as the black-haired man straightened his posture, turning his attention back to the Sea King.
"Now then… Since we've gotten introductions out of the way, can I assume that I can hand out the tokens now?"
Reaching into a small pouch attached to his side, he pulled out five tiny coins, each made of a substance unknown to all.
Waiting for Cauron's permission, which came soon after in the form of a nod, he walked over to each teenager, handing them one coin.
"You will go first."
He pointed to Aaron, who was still staring at his token with a confused look on his face.
It wasn't just him who was confused as they gazed down at the object in their hands, but both Akari and Ezra both fidgeted oddly as they looked at the object.
T-this is the same as…
The memory of the coins he found in the Ghostship, drawn once per month, echoed through his mind.
"Grimstall?"
The blond boy snapped out of his trance right as the King of Mysteries was about to shake his shoulders, his body subconsciously taking a step back.
"O-oh yeah…"
Blinking hard and taking a deep breath, he looked around him at the eight people who watched him.
Placing the token in his left hand and his right hand onto the blade at his hip, he turned his head towards the double doors that overshadowed the tiny people in the room.
Beginning his march ahead, he felt the blood rush to his head, a surge of adrenaline washing over him.
He wasn't scared or in any way nervous about the entrance into the vault; rather, excited for the journey into another realm of treasures.
This is already better than the last time I entered one of these things… Dying really ruins the mood…
Cracking a smile, Aaron arrived at the coin slot, his fingers slipping the Draught-shaped object into the slit.
Click. Krrrrrrrrk!
The sound of metal gears turning and an overwhelming surge of mana coming from behind the door erupted outward.
His head became numb, and the voice of the Naelith became quiet, even Penelope's gentle hum being completely severed.
Then, without the doors even cracking open a little, his body vanished from the Dimension of Waves without a trace, the boy known as Aaron Grimstall now utterly and completely erased.