Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1948: Ancestral tomb (3)

The door swung open to reveal nothing more than an empty corridor.

Navigating this facility was proving to be every bit as tedious as I had anticipated.

In fact, the difficulty of the journey was starting to exceed my expectations.

Upon entering the hallway, Ariel and the Merman King moved toward opposite walls. They stood flush against the stone and lifted their hands, seemingly preparing to trigger another mechanism.

However, pressing their palms against the surface didn't seem to cause an immediate reaction this time.

The Merman King only gestured for us to follow him once they had finished this specific task.

I watched him with a look of visible confusion, unable to hide my bewilderment.

Noticing my expression, the Merman King clarified, "There’s a trap here that needs to be disabled before we head down this corridor."

A faint, wry smile touched my lips as he spoke.

First, we had to activate the main entrance, then another door required triggering, and now there was a hidden trap that needed to be disarmed just to walk forward.

The security measures were undeniably thorough, but moving through the place with all these layers of defense was a genuine hassle.

"We didn't actually design these defenses; they were already present. Our predecessors simply took advantage of the existing systems and linked the controls to the royal bloodline for our own use," the Merman King added, a wry smile appearing on his own face.

I simply nodded in acknowledgment without offering a further comment.

I was well aware that this was highly classified information, meant to be shared only among the royal family. Being trusted with such secrets was a significant honor, leaving no room for questions.

We continued in this manner, bypassing several more doors and disarming various traps until we finally reached a chamber that resembled a tomb.

Statues of all shapes and sizes were scattered throughout the vast room.

Each sculpture was clearly a representation of something significant. Judging by their appearances, they likely depicted the various ancestors of the royal lineage.

The Merman King, however, paid no attention to any of the monuments.

It appeared that Ariel had reached the limit of her knowledge as well. This was likely the furthest she had ever been permitted to go.

Since this area served as the royal burial grounds, there would be no reason for her to know what lay beyond it unless she was the actual ruler of the nation.

Only the Merman King and the Merman Queen would be privy to the secrets past this point.

Instead of moving forward immediately, the Merman King stood still upon entering, his gaze lingering on the various statues filling the room.

A complex, unreadable expression crossed his face as he surveyed them, as if he were struggling with his own emotions.

It felt as though a part of him was secretly praying that he wouldn't find anything at all.

Discovery here would mean the destruction of the beliefs he had held his entire life. Once those foundations were shattered, his path forward would become uncertain.

The Merman Queen, looking concerned for his well-being, stepped toward him and raised her hand as if to speak.

Ultimately, the Merman King simply shook his head and insisted, "I’m fine, there’s no need to worry."

Though the Merman Queen looked skeptical, she gave a small nod in response.

Taking a restorative breath, the Merman King nodded and signaled for Ariel to join him. She complied, swimming over to his side.

The pair then proceeded toward the far side of the chamber, but the Merman King came to a sudden halt before they reached the exit.

He didn't stop at the end of the room, but rather about two-thirds of the way across.

Positioning himself between two specific statues, he approached the wall located directly behind them.

Having reached the wall, the Merman King signaled Ariel so they could repeat their previous ritual. Standing together before the stone, they placed their hands upon it, causing a new passage to manifest.

This particular entrance was different from the ones before.

The moment the seal broke, a violent surge of mana erupted from within.

This wasn't some minor leak; it was a massive discharge of mana from the inner chamber, more than enough to hint at the treasures stored inside.

The Merman King hesitated at the threshold, seemingly waiting for the air to clear.

After a short duration, the intense pressure of the mana flowing from the room began to subside. It appeared to be a buildup of stagnant mana that had been trapped inside for ages.

The strength of the initial wave suggested that this area had remained sealed for a very long time.

Even as it leveled off, the remaining aura was far from weak.

While the current flow was less intense than the first burst, the lingering mana was still potent, testifying to the power of the artifacts kept within.

The Merman Empire truly possessed a formidable foundation.

However, we weren't here to admire their wealth.

Our purpose was to uncover the fragments of a history that had been intentionally buried and forgotten.