Chapter 136……………………………………………..
“Gasp… that’s not allowed.”
No matter how we met, I couldn’t just fumble like this and go home without even bringing up the main point!
I shook my head and quickly grabbed his hand.
Then the man burst out laughing loudly again.
“You still don’t know the bitterness of the world. You act so cautiously, yet a single word can destroy everything you’ve built up.”
…Should I pull my hand back now?
“It’s okay, Cici.”
While I was genuinely worrying, Per seemed to sense my feelings and spoke softly.
“I don’t sense any intention to harm you from him, and more importantly…”
“More importantly?”
“Even if he did have such intentions, we could deal with it then—”
“Ahahaha! Hahaha!”
Before Per could even finish his sentence, I jabbed him in the waist with my elbow.
‘Not that story again.’
Even if Per truly had that kind of ability, there’s no way I would talk about it so openly in front of Grandpa(?)!
‘I’ll need to give him special training later.’
For the sake of our smooth future together.
“Hm.”
Unlike me, who was flustered by Per’s words, the man fixed his gaze on Per and gave a meaningful smile.
His dark brown eyes seemed filled with curiosity.
“To carry something like that so casually… my granddaughter is indeed extraordinary.”
Somehow, that sounded like a rather rude comment too.
“Don’t call it ‘something like that.’”
With a firm gaze, I spoke sharply.
“I’m not ‘carrying’ anything. Per is my friend, that’s why he’s with me.”
I’m not a child anyone can look down on!
Per can only get mad at me!
“You’re loyal even at a young age. Well, maybe that’s because you’re young.”
The man smiled faintly at my words.
“In any case, I like people who are loyal.”
“…….”
“My motto is exactly this: ‘Keep your loyalty.’”
That’s actually a motto I kind of like.
“In any case, I don’t think we have time to keep joking around in a place like this.”
The man then turned his gaze toward the subordinate nearby.
The subordinate nodded once, bent down, and started feeling along the ground.
Soon, he picked up a long rod.
Or more precisely… a rusty poker.
‘Why is there a poker here?’
No, more like… why is he picking it up?
“Now, then.”
Just as I tilted my head in confusion, the subordinate tapped the floor several times with the poker.
And at that moment—
Kugugung—
A deep rumble came from beneath the ground, followed by a strong vibration.
Not long after, a deep tunnel appeared beneath the angel statue missing one arm.
The man helped me maintain my balance and smiled broadly again.
It was almost like he was showing off to me.
And watching this whole scene, I thought—
‘Somehow, I feel like I’ve seen this before.’
Overwhelmed by a strong sense of déjà vu, I widened my eyes.
Yes, that’s right.
‘I’ve seen something like this.’
The entrance to Pardsis opened in the same way.
It looks incredibly similar.
“Does this world have something inside angel statues?”
I don’t think I can look at angel statues in cemeteries with innocent eyes anymore.
I’d start suspecting they hide some kind of mechanism…
“Haha.”
The man laughed loudly and shook his head at my question.
“Well, I did get some inspiration from there. There’s no rule that only they can make such amazing devices, right? Though, of course, I couldn’t replicate the magic.”
“‘From there’…?”
“Weren’t you talking about the secret passage in the royal palace?”
Well, yes, technically.
“How… do you know that?”
When I went to find the entrance to Pardsis, I thought no one else was there.
Surprised, I stared at the man with my mouth wide open, and he laughed again.
“For a device that old, the information eventually leaks out.”
“…….”
“Of course, I didn’t see the device open myself. I only heard about your actions.”
Then how exactly did you hear about it?
‘Now I finally understand why the dads were searching so hard for this man.’
He even knows the highly classified matters of the royal palace.
“Now, then.”
While I was still tongue-tied, the man led me toward the tunnel and spoke.
The wind rushing up from below made me instinctively squint my eyes.
“I will invite you to our home.”
When the wind subsided and I squinted to see, there was a very deep and dark hole in front of me.
A faint light shone from below, giving it an even more mysterious feeling…
“To the underground city, the Catacombs.”
The man’s words about the “underground city” were no exaggeration.
Because…
“Wow.”
This place truly resembled a city.
“Big, isn’t it?”
Hearing my astonishment, the man shrugged and spoke.
“There’s a school, a chapel… and of course a hospital.”
“Here?”
How many people live here for it to have such facilities?
It is indeed spacious.
“In this underground city, from a few thousand to tens of thousands of people live.”
As if reading my thoughts, the man continued while walking.
“People fleeing pursuit, people expelled from their families… those who cannot see sunlight for their own reasons. And even their descendants live here together.”
“Gasp…!”
Then security must be terrible.
“Haha.”
The man chuckled softly.
He probably realized what I was thinking from my expression.
“Of course, those who committed unforgivable crimes cannot come here. Law exists even in this underground city.”
“…….”
“But, little one, know this: some crimes are created and vanish arbitrarily depending on the times and circumstances.”
“Arbitrarily….”
I vaguely understood what he meant.
I nodded slowly.
‘So Kyle’s dad grew up here.’
I don’t know the full circumstances of my dad, but if he had no choice but to grow up here, he must also be connected to those “arbitrarily defined crimes.”
“Watch your step.”
As I walked, lost in thought, the man pulled me along and spoke.
“Do you know what ‘Catacombs’ means?”
“No…?”
I shook my head slowly.
At that moment, Per seemed ready and answered instead.
“It means tunnels, but also an underground cemetery.”
An underground cemetery?
“Yes, that’s right.”
The man nodded and smiled playfully.
“So if you misstep, you might step on someone’s remains.”
“U-uhhh!”
You should’ve told me that in advance!
