The true origin of Igirid is underground.
It could be called an underground city, but the problem is that no one knows where the city is located.
According to one theory, no matter where you dig underground, you won’t reach the city.
The reason for this lies in the magic that Igirid uses.
This magic, which is completely different from the theories of magic in the ground world (?), does not simply shorten distances.
If you were to ask how it specifically works, no one knows, making it impossible to handle.
However, it is precisely because of these circumstances that Igirid, said to be the weakest species, has been able to continue to exist until now.
In any case, through this mysterious magic, Igirid can appear anywhere in the world at will.
As Kousuke stood before the homeland of Igirid, he let out a sigh of admiration.
“—This is Igirid’s homeland. Considering the location, can I call it spectacular?”
“Undoubtedly so,” Shurein replied, her expression similar to Kousuke’s.
Now, below Kousuke and the others, a city inhabited by Igirid spread out before them.
Although they had to descend a rather long staircase from here on, it was nothing compared to the distance they had traveled so far.
More importantly, the city itself was the issue.
Even though it’s a city, and according to Lang, who guided them here, its size is enough to accommodate about ten thousand people.
Still, considering it is located underground, its scale is unbelievable.
By the way, this is not the only city; apparently, there are multiple such places.
The reason for this uncertainty is that Lang was vague about it, so Kousuke didn’t get specific details.
Knowing the exact number of cities would also provide an accurate count of how many Igirid there are.
It is understandable that Lang would be cautious.
Of course, Kousuke also understood this and refrained from pressing further.
Furthermore, it wasn’t just the scale of the city that impressed Kousuke and his companions.
One of the reasons for this was what could be called the city’s ceiling.
“How in the world do they make that glow?” Kousuke turned his gaze towards the same spot as Floria.
There, a light source, comparable to a giant fluorescent lamp, existed.
Visually, it appeared to be nearly ten meters in size.
However, considering that a single light source illuminates the entire city, it might even be considered small.
As Floria had said, the light source adhered to the underground ceiling, continuing to emit light.
Kousuke’s impression was that it was precisely like a fluorescent lamp, but just like the magic they had encountered on their journey, he had no idea about the principle behind its illumination.
Moreover, he felt no heat emanating from the light source.
Kousuke could barely think of any heat-emitting light sources.
After looking at the light source for a moment, Kousuke shook his head and replied, “There are just too many things I don’t understand. The fundamental principles are completely different, after all.”
“That’s true,” Floria admitted. She hadn’t expected an accurate answer when she asked; she had merely voiced her own wonderings.
Kousuke and his companions stopped at what seemed to be the city’s entrance for only about five minutes.
They understood that remaining stationary wouldn’t resolve their questions.
With that in mind, they looked down at the town from above, much like tourists at a scenic spot.
Lang, understanding this, waited silently without saying a word, until Kousuke and his companions began to move.
The stairs leading down from the edge of the cave had so many steps it was laughable to count them.
Kousuke and his companions descended the stairs relentlessly and were greeted by other Igirid at the slightly widened area at the bottom.
As if to welcome them, a gate-like structure had been prepared, and the fact that it was beautifully decorated was truly fitting for the artistic Igirid.
Around the welcoming gate(?), about ten Igirid were gathered. Lang introduced them as representatives.
However, this did not mean all representatives were present; some couldn’t come, and others had no intention of attending from the start.
Naturally, there were also representatives who opposed Kousuke and his group coming to this underground world.
Nevertheless, there was a solid reason why Igirid was receiving them in this manner, which Kousuke and his companions would learn a little later.
More accurately, Kousuke and his companions had already somewhat guessed, given that the goddesses were involved in the situation.
In any case, the representatives gathered here were welcoming Kousuke and his group.
“My, my, I never expected to welcome other races here, but a hearty welcome to you all.”
“Everyone knows you’re coming today, so please relax and make yourselves at home.”
Other representatives continued to offer welcoming words one after another, but Kousuke couldn’t remember all of them by the end.
It seemed that among the Igirid, representatives held equal standing, and it was their custom to address everyone without distinction.
However, it was also a rare occasion for so many representatives to gather.
In any case, after receiving words from the representatives, Kousuke and his group proceeded to walk towards the center of the town.
There stood the mansion where Kousuke and his companions were scheduled to stay for a while.
Furthermore, for some reason, the mansion was not built to Igirid specifications but was designed to standards that ordinary humans could use.
“I never thought that mansion would be used, but I’m glad it wasn’t demolished and was kept in good condition.”
This was said by a representative of the town where Kousuke and his companions were currently located.
According to the representative’s words, the mansion had existed since the town’s inception.
However, the purpose for which the mansion was built or used was not recorded in any surviving documents or oral traditions.
Listening to the history of the Igirid, Kousuke and his companions safely arrived at the mansion.
It was indeed a wonderous underground city.
