Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 421



Only Noblemtl

421. Freedom Underpass (3)

As we leave Regina, the proper road ceases and a desolate wasteland opens up before our eyes. The hay wagon continues to run through the dark, rough fields.

CLUTCH CLUTCH.

Every time the carriage shook, a cloud of dust rose from the dry ground.

“This isn’t the route that the upper class usually takes. I don’t see any proper landmarks, so I wonder if that coachman really knows the way.”

Marsain looks around cautiously and whispers softly.

As he said, as soon as we left the sleepless city, the people disappeared as if it were a lie. The places where small villages used to be have already collapsed, leaving no house sites, and the land where roads once existed is now a mess of tangled grass and gravel.

“You don’t have to be so nervous, Sir Marsain.”

“But isn’t the North already a lawless zone? We’re passing through this open road, defenseless, how can we not be on guard?”

“hmm.”

Seongjin hugged the moderately heated Demon King’s lamp and adjusted his posture.

“Sir Marsain. Do you see that mark engraved on the corner of the carriage? It’s four small dots in the shape of a triangle.”

Masain looked back at the place Sungjin was pointing at. After looking at it for a while with his eyes wide open, he could vaguely see graffiti that looked like a triangle with a dot in the center.

“It may just be a stain, but does it have any meaning?”

“Yes, it is. As long as it’s there, it means we’re safe.”

“…Why is that so?”

“That’s because there’s a sign that this carriage belongs to the Free Underground. The bandits know very well that it’s no fun to try to loot it.”

The carriages of the Free Underpass, unlike those above, do not carry valuables. The only things they ‘deliver’ are either vicious criminals who cannot set foot in the Empire, or fanatics of underground cults. So no matter which one they touch, it is not good for the bandits.

Although Marsain was somewhat convinced by the explanation, he seemed to have another question.

“But Your Majesty, how on earth could Your Majesty… … .”

Marsain tried to ask a question. Well, he had been looking like he had a lot of questions since a while ago.

But when Seongjin turned his gaze to look into the distance, he realized the prince’s silent rejection and quietly kept his mouth shut.

[I’m bored, Lee Sung-jin. Can I take a walk around the area?]

“Stop it, Demon King. If you suddenly start flying through the air, what will that coachman think of you?”

[Why can’t we just burn the whole carriage?]

“no.”

[Tch!]

The night passed very slowly.

During that time, Seongjin would stare blankly at the starless, cloudy night sky, and sometimes he would quietly converse with the Demon King.

The coachman, who had repeatedly given him annoying hints, didn’t even look back after arguing with Seongjin a few more times. This must have been because he had painfully realized that if he opened his mouth, he would only get absurd criticism and nothing to gain.

Then, towards dawn, they arrived at a small hut standing alone in the middle of the wasteland.

“Open!”

A middle-aged woman who happened to be sitting at the door smoking a pipe, lifted her hat and greeted the carriage when she noticed it. She must be smoking a very bad kind of tobacco, because the smell of smoke is so strong that it can be smelled from afar.

“Hey. Why did you come all this way? The hay delivery is to the Louvels.”

Then the coachman jumped down from his stable and spat on the floor.

“Ah, this delivery is a ‘special delivery.’ Please take over the luggage and transport it to Berdron.”

“Special delivery? Really?”

The woman glanced at Seongjin and his group with a puzzled look. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were unusual people, and their shabby clothes and soot could not hide them.

“That’s rare. I thought I was going to rest a bit today, but it’s all gone now.”

That was the end of the conversation. The coachman disappeared into the cabin, leaving the hay wagon behind.

Meanwhile, the woman came pulling another wagon, a small cart full of oak barrels.

“Did you hear that? Quickly, load the ‘baggage’ over here.”

Hearing those words, Sungjin quickly got up from his seat and moved to the carriage. Owen and Martha followed him and moved awkwardly, and a small strange light flashed in the eyes of the woman who was watching.

“Hoo.”

She climbed onto the horse’s saddle with light movements and spoke to Seongjin in a slightly cheerful voice.

“You seem quite familiar with using the subway? But no matter how much I think about it, it’s strange because it’s the first time I’ve seen you. Kid. Do you know what a ‘special delivery’ is?”

Unlike the previous coachman who completely ignored the ‘baggage’, the woman’s attitude showed a little bit of composure. Seongjin, who was quietly assessing her level of power, responded.

“I know. It’s good to get there quickly without any intermediate stops.”

“Haha, right. Then you must also know that packages that are delivered unusually quickly usually never make it out into the world.”

Shudder.

Sungjin’s eyes narrowed slightly as Owen and Martha tensed at her not-so-threatening threats.

“Well, at least you know this: We’re probably going to be dealing with some pretty high-level middle management, and the first thing they’re going to tell you is that you broke the ‘delivery’ rule.”

“… … .”

“Bethel. Do you know that the middlemen who are fired from the Freedom Underpass usually never come out into the world again?”

“… Oh, I just wanted to scare you a little, but I didn’t get my money’s worth.”

The woman shrugged and took hold of the reins.

“Then shall we start the express delivery? Okay!”

Clunk clunk.

As the carriage began to move, the empty oak barrels that had been loaded on it began to bounce up and down helplessly. Seongjin roughly pushed them aside and spoke to the two tense people.

“It looks like the groom will continue on to Berdron without resting. It will take more than half a day to get there, so both of you should get some sleep.”

“… … .”

Owen and Marsain seemed to have a lot to say, but Sungjin closed his eyes first, hugging the Demon Lamp, and reluctantly each took a comfortable seat between the oak barrels.

And so, in silence again, the party began to be ‘delivered’ quietly for a while. It was at that moment that the text window that Owen had been waiting for appeared before his eyes.

Sharp!

[Sudden Quest – History is Made at Night! (Complete)]

* * *

The autumn morning air was extremely cold.

Nod, nod.

Seongjin, who had been dozing off for a moment while leaning against the warmth of the warm Demon King Lamp, opened his eyes at the sound of Owen rolling his eyes busily.

“…Why are you wandering around like that? If you can’t sleep, at least close your eyes.”

Sungjin’s voice was as small as a whisper. It was probably a measure taken in consideration of the person who was ‘delivering’ them. Unlike the previous coachman, that woman had a fairly useful aura activity.

“Huh? Oh, just… … .”

Owen must have been aware of it too, because he glanced at the horse steer and replied quietly.

“I was looking for your informant. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find any trace of him. Are you okay? Are you following me right now?”

“Dasha?”

Seongjin briefly raised his spirits and checked for signs of Dasha’s presence. Strictly speaking, rather than signs, he sensed an unnatural absence of aura flow.

Soon, Sungjin, who had identified her location, leaned against the oak barrel and spoke.

“Don’t worry. Dasha is a top-notch agent. She’s mastered near-perfect Auror cloaking. It’s strange that you can find her so easily.”

“I see. Auror concealment… … .”

Owen’s expression suddenly becomes gloomy, as if he had been thinking about something.

“By the way, I have something to confess to you. New… Mores. The truth is, what I showed you earlier wasn’t a proper Auror cover-up. I don’t know how it was done, and I can’t guarantee when I’ll be able to do it again.”

It was a fact he already knew. But Seongjin didn’t show it and just listened to him silently.

“So if, just in case, your revised plans involve me in any way, I’m sorry, but you’d better not expect me to be able to pull off the same feat again.”

You seemed to have no energy, but have you been worrying about that all along? Seongjin tilted his head and replied.

“It’s okay. I didn’t really expect that from you.”

“Oh, really?”

Owen’s eyebrows drooped noticeably. Hey, wait. Why is your expression getting worse?

“So, you’re the pagan who’s at the center of this ‘delivery’ anyway, right? That means you don’t really need to hide your presence.”

Seongjin quickly added before he became even more depressed.

“Besides, Auror Concealment doesn’t fit with your Auror usage style. Perhaps, for you, it would be faster to become a Dekaron Knight than to learn Auror Concealment properly?”

“Dekaron Knight?”

“Yes. Judging from your Aura activity, you’ve probably built up about 9 floors, right? So if you train a little more, it’ll be done in no time.”

Then Owen stared at Sungjin for a moment, as if trying to figure out whether or not it was an empty promise.

“why?”

“No, my Aura floor is the 9th floor. But being a Dekaron Knight isn’t something that just anyone can do. New… Mores, do you think I can really become a Dekaron Knight someday?”

Seongjin raised his eyebrows. What the heck, why is this young guy so unenthusiastic?

“Then, were you not thinking of doing it?”

“No, it’s not like it’s easy to think about… … .”

“Why not? You, Inma, should you clear your mind of distracting thoughts and work harder, why do you keep saying such disheartening things? Now that you’ve gotten stronger, I think it’s time to start being lazy.”

Take a cue from Logan. He became a Dekaron Knight long ago, but he still trains with the Lilium Knights every day!

Owen, who had been dazed for a moment by Seongjin’s nagging, laughed lightly.

“…haha.”

But there’s no trace of laughter. Somehow, I wonder if the feeling that the situation was a bit strange all along was just an illusion?

When Sungjin furrowed his brow and looked at Owen, he smiled bitterly and rested his chin on his knees.

“Laziness… Maybe you’re right. I’ve always thought that this level of power would be appropriate. It’s a power that can be quite useful on the front lines, but not so much that it stands out.”

“Why is that appropriate?”

At Seongjin’s question, Owen hesitates for a moment and looks back at Martha, who is sitting across from him.

After confirming that he had his eyes closed and was breathing evenly, Owen answered quietly, his voice muffled. It was in Barsha, which no one else in the room could understand except Sungjin.

“Even if that were possible, what good would it do the Empire for me to become a Dekaron Knight?”

“… … !”

With that one word, Sungjin was able to infer quite a few things about Owen. The reason Owen looked so gloomy. And the real reason why he hadn’t dared to dodge Sungjin’s attack earlier.

Perhaps when Sungjin’s sword swung before his eyes, Owen thought he saw a foreshadowing of a fierce battle for the throne that might occur in the distant future.

Owen was struggling with both hands to hold on to the unexpected happiness that had suddenly come into his life, lest it be taken away from him.

But despite such desperate efforts, they also know full well that the happiness will disappear completely with just the slightest crack.

“…Owen.”

It was a situation where he couldn’t help but have a small sense of anxiety in his heart. Sungjin could understand Owen’s feelings better than anyone else in the world.

“I think you’re mistaken. I wasn’t trying to attack you earlier.”

“Yeah, I know. You didn’t know my identity because I was hiding.”

“That’s not what I meant. What I was trying to get rid of was the strong, alienating medium at the center of that ridiculous concealment.”

“Huh? A medium… …?”

Owen made a puzzled face. No, how on earth do I explain this?

“hmm.”

Seongjin, who was worried, looked at Masain Kyung for a moment.

The image of a loyal knight pretending to sleep while listening to Sungjin’s words, holding the golden Misra in one hand.

The word “Barsha” naturally comes out of Seongjin’s mouth.

“Well, at least know this. Nothing you’re worried about will happen again, Owen.”

Why is it that, at least for now, I wish Marsain hadn’t heard that answer?

“If we were truly family, no matter what happened, we would never point our swords at each other.”

Seongjin, who said that, caressed the corner of his mouth, feeling a subtle sentiment.

Even though I had already said it, it seemed as if the small echo of that answer was still lingering at the corners of my mouth.

* * *

Meanwhile, there was someone that Sungjin and Owen had completely forgotten about. It was the Varsha warrior who was in a state of shock when he realized that Owen had disappeared from the dormitory.

“Ugh… The Delcross people are such godless people!”

Bartoza of Purma.

He bit his dirty fingernails and crawled under the imperial carriage. It was his instinct to hide himself from the imperial people’s sight as much as possible.

“Owen! Son of the Delcross Tribe! Where did you go, leaving Bartoza alone in the ditch?”

As if in response, a box at the back of the carriage shook slightly. It was such a small movement that even Bartoza, who was right below him, didn’t notice it.

… thud!