Was this also an effect of ‘Cave King’?
<<Yes. Caves that are dug through ‘Cave King’ are protected from environmental alterations by those other than the crest holder and servants.>>
I see… So it protects the cave from outsiders who might try to break it.
<<However, as it is only a protection feature, it does not completely insure preservation.>>
So, it’s not actually impossible for someone to break it.
After all, the lizard had been able to break enough for its mouth to fit through.
Damn it. If I only knew this in advance, I wouldn’t have had to worry about the caves collapsing… But then again, the Advisor said that it wasn’t perfect, so maybe those safety measures weren’t a waste.
The lizard lowered its arms in defeat and then looked at me.
“What is going on here… And your magic. You clearly aren’t normal. Who are you?”
It could detect my magic?
Well, I could do it too. And so I knew that it also had quite a lot of magic energy. And we both used Magic Detection.
But it wasn’t just that.
I felt that the words were echoing from its mouth, even when it wasn’t opened.
At the same time, it seemed that its energy depleted.
I once heard that there was magic that could translate speech. Maybe that’s what it was using?
In any case, it seemed like it wasn’t the kind of creature that would attack us.
We should be able to discuss the matter.
“I am Heal. The lord of this island.”
“Heal…huh… Well, I’m called Roydon.”
The lizard that was called Roydon then politely offered me his monstrous claw.
As it seemed like he wanted me to shake it, I held the claw and obliged him.
“Still, this is a great surprise. I heard that everything above me is the sea. And so I did not expect to meet someone that is not my own kind.”
“This also my first time meeting someone down here that can talk… Do you live somewhere below us, Roydon?”
“No, no. I… I traveled from the opposite side of the great land. It took me a month to get here. If I go just a little farther, then I would have traveled halfway around this star.”
“The opposite side? …Half way around?”
I didn’t really understand what it meant. But it was clearly that it wasn’t from around here.
“…Well, never mind. By the way, you. Do you have anything rare?”
“Anything rare… Well, I think there might be a few things like that on the surface.”
“Wonderful! Do you think we could trade items then?”
“Trade?”
“Aye! I happen to be a fledgling merchant, you see. And I will soon be able to reach the Earth Dragon homeland up ahead, so I can restock. Now, if you have any products, let me see them!”
A merchant… I had expected that we’d be encountering merchants soon enough. But it was a great surprise to meet one underground and not at sea.
Roydon lifted the great brown bag from its back and showed it to me.
I didn’t know what was inside, but it was taller and wider than I was.
It must have been stuffed with all kinds of things.
On closer inspection, Roydon had smaller bags hanging around its waist and was dressed very much like a merchant.
Roydon had traveled from some other place for a whole month to reach us.
In that case, surely there were items in that bag that Kamyu would not be able to acquire.
“Of course. We welcome the opportunity. But, if you don’t mind, why don’t you eat with us while we talk?”
“Oh, do you mean it? Well, I would be very glad to!”
And like that, Sheorl Island had its first merchant visitor.