Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

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“Let’s see, this one first.”

Crave then reached among the various parchment sheets and pulled one out, unfolding it.

It depicted a structure made of stone with branches, roots, and leaves protruding from various parts of the building.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a replica of the ruins the research team uncovered, and one of the team members there produced a duplicate of the actual structure as closely as possible.”

“How about accuracy?”

“Renaldo, who is a talented artist by nature, is the one who drew this, therefore you may put your faith in him for accuracy. I can vouch for that.”

“Oh, you mean the guy who is a B-level adventurer and people say he ought to be an artist for a living?”

“Right, that’s him.”

“Then, he’s reliable.”

Hmm. If Crave, Tax-san, and Gorky are all trustworthy, then I suppose the content of this drawing is credible.

Therefore, Pumpkin looked at the drawing again, and when everyone was convinced of the drawing’s reliability, Crave proceeded to the next part of the conversation.

“Now, the place the research team investigated this time was located a day or two northeast of Samsara Egg Village. And I should tell you that we only checked the outer area because we lacked the necessary equipment to conduct a thorough investigation.]

“I get it. Please move on with the story.”

Pumpkin continued to look at the drawing as he listened to Crave’s explanation and picked up on a strange detail about the building in the drawing.

“Neither I nor the research team has any knowledge about the identity or period of this building. But according to the Spalpkin… Anks, who accompanied the research team this time, the concentration of magic power around this building is thicker than in other places, and there is a possibility that powerful magical beasts are inhabiting the area, which may be influenced by the magical power. It is highly probable that useful materials can be obtained there. In fact, the various materials the research team brought back from the area around the building this time were of superior quality compared to the same kind of materials found in the area around the Samsara Egg Village.”

“Hmm. That’s an exceptionally lucrative story.”

“As an adventurer, that makes me all the more thrilled.”

“But the specifics of the structure are unknown, it will be extremely nerve-racking. We have no way of knowing what might be lurking in there.”

“Bunbubu, bububun. (The magical beasts around the building seem to be ferocious too.)”

Crave continued the conversation while watching their facial expressions.

And all the while, Pumpkin remained focused on the drawing, trying to ascertain what it was that was making him feel so uneasy.

“Yes. The research team has determined that the magical beasts around the building are indeed more potent than the ones in the Sansara Egg Village because they have more magical power stored within them. And because of that, they only did a survey of the outer perimeter. So…”

“Ah!?”

[[[!?]]]

It was then Pumpkin finally realized what the sense of discomfort was.

Right. What was strange about this building was…

“Crave. This building is made of stone, correct?”

“Y-Yeah. The research team said it was supposed to be made of stone.”

“If so, why are there no joints? With the construction technology of this world, surely a building made of stone would have joints, right?”

Crave seemed perplexed when questioned about the joints before responding, “The research team pondered it as well. Consequently, they were now discussing inviting a specialist who was knowledgeable about the ancient era. I wanted to see whether you guys knew what this thing was and if you would be willing to support a larger-scale expedition than we had in the past.”

“Oh, I see. In that case, I have an idea of a substance that is similar to this. It’s concrete.”

[[[Concrete?]]]

Everyone in the room tilted their heads at Pumpkin’s words.

“It was a material that was frequently utilized in constructions in my former life. I have no idea how it was created, but it was often used in large buildings because it was easy to handle.”

“Hmm? But there is no knowledge of concrete at present, is there?”

“Yeah, so at least it existed in the prehistoric era. If it is not right, it could have been built at an earlier time. Crave, if we were to investigate this, it might be too much for the average scholar to handle.”

“Ah, alright, alright. I’ll take that into consideration when I form a research team.”

Scratching the back of his head, Crave replied to his words.

It was likely that he had no idea how ancient those kinds of things were.

In fact, concrete was not even found in Senko Country even today, so perhaps he did not expect it could belong to a time before prehistoric times.

However, the subject of this story predated the establishment of Senko Country. Every civilization that flourished and existed before Senko Country was apparently on the verge of annihilation, at which time a vast amount of knowledge was lost.

It has been confirmed by some scholars that this type of destruction has occurred over and over again.

In truth, the preceding era’s downfall likely originated from the “Kage-Ochi,” as mentioned by the wind spirits the other day, and Pumpkin suspected that the “Kage-Ochi” was to blame for this catastrophe.

“I’m not sure how to say it, but it looks like you are having a blast. Pumpkin.”

“Hmm? Oh, I’m sorry. At any rate, the Samsara Egg Village is sure to cooperate fully. I really need to find out more about this.”

“Well, as long as you’re willing to cooperate, I don’t mind.”

It seemed that his face was grinning and Crave pointed it out to him.

But this was inevitable. A building so close by that retained its original form = one that might reveal insights into the “Kage-Ochi,” made Pumpkin excited.

Well, he felt bad for disrupting the flow of the story though.

A research team, comprising Crave and Gorky, who had made preparations, set out to investigate the ruin with a few scholars after nearly a month had elapsed.

Now, it will be fascinating to watch what kind of results will be obtained.