The mist remained impenetrable.
Even the power of her Mystic Eyes couldn't pierce the temple's defense. Hishiri Adashino replaced her glasses, her expression grave.
After a moment of thought, she gave the command.
"Bring the ship alongside the temple."
Wayland stripped off his diving suit and handed it to one of the first team's support staff.
After offering a quick word of thanks, he saw Elena approaching. She spoke in a low voice. "Wayland, Hishiri is undoubtedly going to send us into that temple. Given your rank, you should stay on the ship and handle the logistics. Let Arisa Kano take your place in the vanguard."
Wayland blinked, momentarily surprised. "I have a genuine interest in the secrets of Morgan le Fay's temple. Besides, with the appearance of those Divine Age Runes, there might be a need for my expertise inside."
Elena looked at him. There wasn't a trace of fear on his face. She privately thought that with such a temperament, he would have been a perfect fit for her own Archaeology Department.
She offered a small nod, choosing not to press the issue. "Just be careful. Stay close to the rest of us. And... have you given any thought to joining the Archaeology Department later? We're always looking for talent."
Wayland was taken aback. "Why the sudden invitation?"
"Because in our department, you get the chance to explore all sorts of ruins. The Spirit Tomb Investigation Bureau is always looking for students with a background in archaeology."
Wayland felt a flick of genuine interest. If he weren't already committed to the Fifth Holy Grail War, he might have seriously considered it.
"I'll think about it."
"If you decide to join, you can file a transfer request with our office."
"Understood."
The cruise ship gave a subtle lurch as it came to a halt, hovering about ten meters from the temple.
Wayland looked ahead. He could clearly see the mist swirling within the structure.
It was gray, heavy, and absolutely opaque.
It felt like a void.
Somewhere deep within that darkness, Wayland felt that some creature was watching him--a gaze from the abyss, waiting to tear him apart and devour him.
"How are we supposed to get up there?"
The temple was suspended in the air, nearly twenty meters above the surface of the sea. Even if they used inflatable boats to reach the base, there was no obvious entrance.
"I have a plan, but I need to scout first."
Elena stepped forward and offered a quick nod to Hishiri. She spread her hands, 'tearing' a rift in the space before her. An oval-shaped portal manifested in the air.
She opened her right palm and spoke a single syllable.
A small, brown bird appeared in her hand. It had a chestnut-red forehead and a beautiful, crested crown.
"Go."
As she spoke, Elena's own pupils shifted, her orange irises turning a deep, solid black--the enlarged eyes of a bird.
It was a lark--one of her many familiars.
Wayland's perspective shifted abruptly.
By sharing her familiar's vision, Elena was able to see the world as the bird did.
The lark spread its elegant brown wings and flew into the portal of Imaginary Space.
The blue blur of the shortcut was gone in an instant, replaced by the towering facade of the temple.
From this shorter distance, the details that were invisible from the ship's deck became clear.
The white columns hidden in the mist were now partially visible. Even though they couldn't see the entire structures, the patterns etched into the exposed stone were unmistakable.
Ancient, curving lines formed the image of a war chariot.
It was drawn by two blood-red horses, and the figure standing within was also rendered in crimson. The style was crude compared to modern art--more like the prehistoric petroglyphs found on cave walls--but the sense of impending doom it radiated was profound.
As a specialist in archaeology and intelligence, Elena recognized the image immediately: it was Morgan le Fay.
In Celtic mythology, Morgan often appeared as a valkyrie, charging across the battlefield on a chariot drawn by red horses.
Confirming once again that the ruins were indeed connected to Morgan, Elena directed the lark to circle the edge of the temple. Finding no immediate danger, she sent it deeper into the structure.
Her field of vision was severely restricted.
She estimated she could see less than a meter ahead; the rest of the world was a featureless wall of gray mist that filled her with a profound sense of unease.
Suddenly, she felt a jolt of pure terror from the lark. It was the instinctive panic of a creature that had just encountered its ultimate predator. The bird's mind was filled with a single, overwhelming thought: 'Escape.' No matter how Elena tried to command it, the familiar refused to take another step forward.
The instincts of an animal for danger were far sharper than those of a human.
Elena withdrew her consciousness.
As her eyes returned to normal, she dismissed the familiar and looked toward Hishiri. "The perimeter is safe. But about thirty meters past the entrance, the lark sensed something... something terrifying."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]