IBHJ Chapter 970

"They were ambushed?" he raised an eyebrow, "By other adventurers?"

She shook her head. "No. Emiya said the abilities used by their attackers weren't granted by the system. They were more like... traditional magecraft."

"So, magi from the Age of Gods," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"'Sorrow of the Dead', that dungeon..." Morrigan mumbled, a thoughtful look on her face.

"What's wrong, sis? Is there something about that dungeon?" Shirou asked, turning to look at Morrigan. She was the one here with the most in-game knowledge about this Connection Point.

"It's not that there's a problem, It's just... this dungeon is somewhat special."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "When the Holy Land was first explored, 'Sorrow of the Dead' was one of the hidden maps we discovered. Right next to it is the resurrection pyramid. We later found out that clearing this dungeon granted an extra resurrection. In other words, it's like regaining a year of age and intellect."

"Wait, are you talking about that resurrection pyramid?"

She nodded slowly, her gaze flickering to Mordred. "It's the place where the intellect and age of those who have died are stored."

He also looked at Mordred, his eyes filled with concern and determination. The resurrection pyramid wasn't just a piece of game lore anymore—it was their best hope for helping Mordred. He knew they'd have to go there, despite the risks.

After a pause, he turned his head to look at Artoria and asked, "So how did Emiya get away from this Connection Point?"

She gave a small smile. "It's quite a story. He said that in the Sanctuary, they bought a return scroll from a mysterious merchant who only traded in Saint Quartz. They thought it would teleport them back to the Sanctuary. but unexpectedly, it sent them right back to Chaldea."

"A mysterious merchant who only trades in Saint Quartz?" Morrigan raised an eyebrow and looked at Artoria, asking, "Sis, did Emiya say what this mysterious merchant looked like?"

"It was a fox beastman."

"A fox beastman... it must be that swindler," Morrigan mumbled under her breath.

He asked, "You know this merchant?"

She nodded, then said hesitantly, "I'm not entirely sure, but from this description, I can only think of that swindler in our guild."

After a pause, she added, "Back when I thought this was just a game, Gilgamesh and I joined the Emperor Conquest Guild. There's this sneaky accountant in charge of finances. As far as I know, that person works as a 'mysterious merchant' in the Sanctuary, scamming newcomers with low-quality goods and exchanging rare items for spirit crystals."

He asked, "Were there any quests to get Saint Quartz?"

Morrigan thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Not that I know of. I just know this person was deeply involved in the business." She paused, remembering. "I actually tried to trade with her once. I wanted one of her rare items and offered something good in return."

"She didn't accept?"

"No. She only wanted Saint Quartz, nothing else. Back then, I thought it might be a special item from some hidden quest, but now I think that might not be the case."

"Wait, sis," Artoria looked at Morrigan and asked, "This fox merchant... is it the same information broker you mentioned before? The one with the most extensive network?"

He looked between them. "What information broker?"

"Oh, right," Artoria explained, "Before I knew you were Evil Flower, I asked Morrigan to help find you. She told me about this fox beastman in their guild who supposedly knows everything."

Morrigan nodded. "That's the one."

"So, can we get in touch with them?" he asked.

Morrigan shook her head. "That person rarely shows up in the guild, hasn't added anyone as a friend, and has set their status to reject messages from strangers. They only appear when they want to."

Kiara tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face. "She's the accountant, but you can't contact her? Aren't you worried she'll disappear with all the guild's money?"

Morrigan chuckled, shaking her head. "No, we're not worried about that. Our guild leader's got her on a tight leash. No matter where she goes, the boss can track her down." She smirked. "So even though she's a well-known con artist, she's basically become our guild leader's personal piggy bank."

After a moment, Morrigan's expression turned serious. "But don't get any ideas about finding the guild leader either. If anything, she's even harder to find than our sneaky fox friend." She rolled her eyes. "She hardly ever shows up at the guild unless she needs something or can't find a party for a dungeon run."

"Looks like we don't have a choice," he said slowly. "We need to go to the Sanctuary."

The mysterious merchant that no one could contact was collecting Saint Quartz. And Saint Quartz was also carried by the Age of Gods magi who destroyed the village, and Miyu and the others obtained Saint Quartz in the Sanctuary as well. In other words, whether it's the group that attacked Miyu or the group that attacked the village, they all have some connection to the Sanctuary.

Shirou's mind raced, connecting the dots. The UOs, the Emperor Conquest Guild - if they wanted to clear this South American Connection Point, all roads led to the Holy Land. The locals called it Sanctuary, and it seemed to be the key to everything.

He glanced at Mordred, remembering their original purpose. Even if clearing the Connection Point wasn't their goal, they needed to go to Sanctuary for her sake.

Their initial plan had been to deal with the Gandhara situation first, but now... Shirou shook his head, amazed at how everything was connected. Every conflict, every mystery seemed to circle back to that one place.

UO, adventurers, magi from the Age of Gods... Sanctuary was at the heart of every fight in this Connection Point.

He looked up at his party and said, "Looks like our vacation is over. We need to get to Sanctuary as soon as possible."

"Sanctuary..." Mordred bit her lip, a flicker of worry in her eyes.

Just then, a warm hand rested on her head. Mordred looked up into "Shirou's" gentle eyes.

She pouted and swatted his hand away, then hugged her mom's leg tightly.

Sanctuary... She didn't really want to go. It meant she'd go back to normal.

But no matter what, it was a place they had to go.

...

Back at the base.

"How are you feeling, Ayaka? Any better?" Illya sat beside Ayaka's bed, taking her bowl and asking.

"Mm," Ayaka nodded and looked at Illya. "Much better. Thank you, Illya-senpai."

"Hey, no need to be so formal," Illya said with a warm chuckle. She stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "If you need anything at all, just give me a shout, okay?"

As Illya turned to leave, she nearly collided with Hinako and Gao Changgong at the doorway. She stepped back, surprised but pleased. "Oh! Hinako-senpai, you're here to see Ayaka too?"

Hinako nodded awkwardly in response, a bit flustered by Illya's friendly greeting.

Illya, knowing Hinako's introverted nature, didn't press the matter and left with a smile.

As the door closed, Hinako's gaze shifted to Ayaka, her expression unreadable.

Ayaka tilted her head, "Is something wrong, Hinako-senpai?"

"I have a question for you."

Ayaka's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

Hinako paused, her eyes never leaving Ayaka's face. "If I'm mistaken, I apologize in advance."

She took a step closer, her red eyes boring into Ayaka's with an unsettling intensity. "Ayaka, who are you?"

Ayaka was taken aback by the question. She pointed to herself, confused. "What do you mean? I'm... I'm me. Ayaka. Who else would I be, Hinako-senpai?"

"Is that so. Sorry." Hinako's voice was flat, her apology devoid of warmth. Without another word, she turned on her heel and left the room.

Watching Hinako's retreating figure, Ayaka looked down at her own palm.

I—,

Who am I?

Confusion clouded her eyes.