BE 59

BE

Chapter 59

“Really… the numbers have suddenly dropped drastically.”

Except for a few, the ‘Goschen’ were descending wherever they could be seen.

I explained everything to Kan. Madeline listened in as well.

I told them exactly what I had heard.

[‘I heard the voice of the Goschen.’]
[…….]
[The moment the moon starts to be covered and loses its light, they go to greet someone. Everyone has to gather in the lowest place.]

Kan stared at me, clearly shocked, and stayed silent for a long moment. But given the situation, we had to move quickly.

[Adel is really incredible, right?]

Madeline wiggled her fingers in amazement.

Anyway, the Earth Spirit continued clinging to Kan’s shoulder. Madeline peeked curiously at it.

“They could actually speak…”

Kan muttered to himself, still astonished.

‘No one knew, really.’

It seemed that only I, the “Prophetic Child,” could hear them. However, the prophecy only mentioned that I could hear the spirits—it didn’t say anything about hearing the ‘Goschen.’

Regardless, this was an opportunity.

The ‘Goschen’ didn’t know that I could hear their voices. In other words:

‘I can hear any conversation in advance if I’m careful.’

The ‘Goschen’ surely had plans too, but I could overhear them. They might suspect a spy, but it wouldn’t matter. The “Prophetic Child” could even ask the spirit to erase any trace of scent.

‘This is huge.’

But for now, I focused on the present.

It made sense why there was a window to the sky in this underground place.

Kan looked up at the window. The full moon still shone brightly.

“It’s a lunar eclipse. The guards will be at their weakest then.”

I didn’t fully understand what a lunar eclipse was, but I nodded anyway.

“And there’s about half an hour left until the eclipse.”
“Let’s hurry, we need to save our friends.”

Kan nodded and followed the traces to find the path. Eventually, we stood before a large door.

‘A snake emblem.’

I was certain our orphanage friends were trapped behind this door.

It was the same snake emblem Madeline had seen when she was kidnapped before.

When I turned, Madeline naturally stepped forward. She looked around and knelt.

“Under the <Laurel>, the <Well> that breathes is, surprisingly, dyed in blood.”

It was a formal greeting to Marquis Rozoff, Michael’s father.

Kan and I followed suit, kneeling carefully.

The snake looked at Madeline, its red eyes glowing, then opened the door.

Sss-

I swallowed hard.

Inside was pitch black, so dark it felt like once we stepped in, there would be no turning back.

“We’re going in.”

Kan took the lead.

I held Madeline’s hand, scared, and followed.

The snake-emblazoned door closed with a hiss behind us.

Inside, it was damp and unpleasant, dark like a cave.

We continued downwards until we saw torches. Kan hid behind a wall, but there was no sign of the ‘Goschen.’

“Looks like they’re not here right now.”

Relieved, we descended further with Madeline, holding our breaths.

The children were all tied up, dirty, and ropes lay scattered around. Some were unfamiliar, but most were our orphanage friends.

They were all asleep. Waking them might wake others…

“…Rescuing them without being noticed is impossible.”

Kan said, slightly dejected.

‘We mustn’t be caught.’

Since we were deceiving our fathers and brothers, being discovered was absolutely forbidden.

Kan was right. Everyone was asleep, and waking them would likely cause a commotion. Escaping unnoticed with so many children? Nearly impossible. Anxiety clawed at me.

Then, a lightning realization struck.

“I’ve got it.”
“……?”

Kan turned to me. I opened my eyes wide.

“I have a plan.”
“……What? Somehow, I feel uneasy even before hearing it.”

I pointed to the orphanage children.

“Let’s pretend to be asleep like them.”
“……You couldn’t even fake sleeping when that maid came in earlier. I’ve never seen anyone so bad at pretending to sleep.”
“Let’s be sold too.”
“What?”

Kan’s voice rose. I spoke clearly.

“At the auction earlier, if we time it right, we’ll be in a spot where all the ‘Goschen’ can see us.”
“……?”
“I have an idea.”
“…Adel, does that mean we’ll end up being sold?”

Madeline asked with a tearful face.

I scratched my cheek and held Madeline’s hand, answering for her.

Kan frowned.

“Adel, I’m a bit famous. If I’m in that spot as a slave, someone will surely recognize me.”
“Cover your face with black stuff, no one will know.”
“What?”

I scooped up some black soot near the torch and rubbed it generously on my hand.

Then I smeared it on Kan’s face first.

‘Soft.’

Odd to think about softness now, but whatever.

Kan’s face was successfully dirtied!

He froze, looking as bewildered as someone being pranked.

“You’re really going to do this?”
“Kan, trust me. I’ll save you.”

I had overheard that the auction was about to sell humans. This was our chance. The ‘Goschen’ didn’t know we were here, and they had no idea the “Prophetic Child” had come this far.

Kan said incredulously:

“You’re not saving me, I’ll be saving you.”

He seemed to want to say more but looked at me and shut his mouth.

“Do as you wish.”

I explained everything to the Earth Spirit and dirtied myself as much as possible.

Madeline followed my lead. Kan helped tie us up.

Since I was already in pajamas, it didn’t feel out of place.

We all pretended to be asleep.

Soon, the door creaked open, and the ‘Goschen’ entered.

‘They’ll probably take the ones they see first.’

I pretended to sleep near the third spot to be picked early.

My plan worked—I was among the first five chosen.

‘But I didn’t plan for this.’

The ‘Goschen’ didn’t lift the children manually. Some intangible force lifted us, as if the air itself was moving our bodies. We were placed into metal cages.

The force was unsettling; my whole body shivered, but I endured it.

The cage began moving. Half-conscious, I squinted.

The moon outside the window seemed unusually bright. Only then did I realize how dangerous our plan was.

‘Can I really do this?’

I swallowed hard.

We were moved for a long time, but fortunately, Kan was in the same cage.

Kan’s act of pretending to sleep was impressive. It was a relief to have him there.

Then, did the ‘Goschen’ notice something? It turned back, squinting tightly.

Kan whispered that my act of sleeping wasn’t convincing.

‘Have we been discovered?’

My heart pounded. If we were caught, we’d die. But more than that, we couldn’t save the children or everyone else.

‘Pretend to sleep, pretend to sleep.’

I asked the Earth Spirit to hide in my pocket.

If the ‘Goschen’ realized I wasn’t one of the kidnapped children, and searched my pocket…

“Cough, cough!”
“Ha, sniff, uh, waah…!”

Suddenly, the children near me coughed and cried. I pretended to wake up, careful to act naturally.

Kan was quicker, mimicking waking up perfectly.

One thought ran through my mind: it was time to really open my eyes.

“……Where are we?”
“What is all this?”
“Please… save us!”

The children panicked.

I looked up again. The moon was bright—extraordinarily so.

Masked guests appeared in front of me. They weren’t showing their faces out of modesty.

I gritted my teeth. It was time to focus on the ‘Goschen.’ I looked down.

Exactly as I had planned.

‘The very lowest level!’

Almost all the ‘Goschen’ waited below, likely intending to sell five children as a group.

We were moved to the stage where the goods were introduced.

The ‘Goschen’ who moved us glanced at the window, then headed to the stairs.

The moment had come.

“This time’s offering: five healthy children who won’t cause trouble for the buyer! Carefully selected orphans with no parents! Hear their cries! Listen to their screams! Are they not healthy?”

I wanted to cover my ears.

‘But it’s okay.’

If we could save everyone…

<Adel, now.>

The moon began to be eclipsed.

The bright white moon turned black.

“Starting bid: 50 million gold!”

The auctioneer shouted.

The nobles began raising their signs one by one.

“Now!”

I shouted.

Lunar eclipse.