Chapter 60: The Great Tunnel

After calming down Tiana, who kept repeating excited words, I pushed her into the carriage.

"It might be boring, but bear with it. Once we're inside, make sure to lower the bolts securely. We'll give the signal when it's safe to open."

Phew. Looking back, everyone seemed to be fully prepared.

When Gina chanted a spell, a bright light emanated from the crystal on top of the carriage. After receiving the signal that everyone was ready, Zeigt was the first to enter, confirming safety before moving the carriage inside. Once everyone was inside, they closed the door, and there was a clicking sound as it locked.

Inside the tunnel, due to being sealed off, it felt gloomy and humid. The road descended at a gentle slope. Zeigt casually handled the reins, with Comba, Eilia, and Gina positioned around the carriage, and I took the rear. For some reason, Nix came close to me, seemingly second only to Tiana in favor.

Hey, you've bitten my leg before, you know. But you're still wagging your tail with that same foolish look. Perhaps it's because Tiana is taking good care of him, but he doesn't make mistakes, and he might be surprisingly clever. Since this journey started, he's been quietly following us without running off somewhere.

We descended a somewhat gentle slope, barely a slope at all. There were still no side passages opening left and right. Maybe that's why Zeigt was maintaining a similar speed to outside, running the horse-drawn carriage down the middle of the road, which was wide enough for three carriages to run side by side without any trouble.

We had been traveling in the same monotonous scenery for a while, making it difficult to gauge how far we had come, but after a while, black gaps began to appear on the left and right. These were the entrances to side passages. We might encounter monsters soon. Like dungeons, the deeper you go, the stronger the enemies become, so we should still be okay, but I couldn't help feeling tense.

I don't know what Zeigt has in mind, but in my assessment, we're significantly lacking in front-line combat power. With the carriage in tow, the area we need to protect is extensive. While the part where Zeigt is located is secure, I'm honestly concerned about the rest. After all, I lack the experience, and there are likely many unknown monsters, increasing the risk of making a mistake.

However, much to my surprise, nothing appeared despite my concerns. During a brief pause, I casually spoke to Zeigt.

"Well. I'm here, after all. I don't think we'll encounter anything for a while."

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, where there's a tiger, wolves won't show up. Even monsters value their lives."

I was overwhelmed by his overflowing confidence. Well, he's a Holy Knight, after all. I've had limited opportunities to witness his swordsmanship since Zeigt became a Holy Knight, so I don't fully understand it myself, but he undoubtedly possesses that level of skill.

As Zeigt had predicted, a considerable amount of time passed without encountering anything. The monotonous scenery continued. I estimated that we had covered about half the distance of the descent, and it seemed like this grand tunnel consisted of mostly equal parts descending and ascending slopes. Since the deepest part is equivalent to the fifth layer of a dungeon, we were roughly at the level of the third layer.

Up to the third layer, there are many monsters I can handle. Depending on the individual, you might not come out unscathed in a fight with a werewolf, but you can manage with a little effort. Giant ants are a different story. However, I wouldn't want to face tree treants, which wander and are difficult to inflict fatal wounds with my shortsword.

Zeigt, however, didn't seem worried.

"Enemies!"

I looked in the direction of his voice. Zeigt was approaching something that was about twice the height of a person, with sharp, jutting teeth around its mouth, and it was swinging a club overhead, but it was incredibly slow. Zeigt unsheathed his large sword on his back and swung it before the giant could react.

Despite its massive size, the giant's movements were so slow that Zeigt easily cut it down. As Zeigt's sword came down, there was a metallic clang from the front right. I circled around the back of the carriage and emerged on the right side. Another giant was trying to attack, but Comba's shield intercepted the swing of its club.

Even though Comba was strong, his opponent was much larger. However, the giant was relatively narrow compared to its height. Even so, it was impressive. If I were to be hit by the giant's massive club, I would probably be blown away. However, I would jump to avoid the damage, so I wouldn't be completely unscathed, but I would likely be thrown back at least ten paces.

Comba was trying to push them away with all his strength. I readied my favorite knife and threw it toward the giant's eyes. The giant was not moving, so it was quite a distance, but I managed to hit it. The giant let out a scream that echoed through the tunnel. The giant reached for the knife with its free hand and tossed it aside. Clang. The knife bounced off the stone floor.

Comba didn't miss the opportunity. He used his shield to deflect the giant's club and then swung his battle-axe down on the giant's knee. There was a dull sound as the knee shattered, and the giant fell sideways. Comba circled around to the unprotected neck side of the struggling giant and swung his battle-axe down on the vulnerable neck. He swung it again, and the head fell off with a thud.

Comba stepped back and observed the situation. Even after losing its head, the giant's body was still moving, but its movements gradually grew weaker. While remaining vigilant of the surroundings, I approached and picked up the knife that had fallen to the floor. The knife was stained with blood up to the hilt. I gave it a sharp swing to flick off the blood.

"Brother, thanks for the help. You did a great job hitting it from that distance."

"Well, it was a stationary target. You did well to withstand the initial attack."

"I staggered a bit, though. I managed to endure it somehow."

"That's not something I could do."

When I praised him, Comba scratched the tip of his nose happily.