How to Live as a Knight After the Ending - Chapter 68
Only Noblemtl
Episode 68. The Underground
“Who are you?”
When Ossian reacted sharply, the Plague Doctor’s Mask raised both hands and expressed his opinion that he had no intention of fighting.
“I hope you don’t look at me like that. I am not your enemy.”
“How can you believe that?”
“If that were the case, I would have launched a surprise attack and not revealed myself so openly in front of you all.”
Orlea hid behind Ossian’s back and held the hem of his coat tightly in her hands.
At that sight, the plague doctor’s mask slumped its shoulders.
“Oh. It seems I provoked you unintentionally. Hmm. Then how about this? I’ll show you the way so that you can escape this place safely.”
“Road? What does that mean?”
“The underground waterways of Tirna are as complex as a maze. They are not simply two-dimensional, but extend upward and downward, reminiscent of a three-dimensional maze. There are traps, cliffs, and scary monsters living in the sewers. Also, if you accidentally cross the ‘boundary,’ the residents below will react sensitively. If I were your guide, you two wouldn’t be in that situation.”
“Who are you to do that?”
“I’m sorry for the late introduction. My name is Jiha Jigi.”
“Underground keeper. What an unusual name.”
The underground guard smiled softly at Orlea’s words.
“Haha. That’s funny. Of course, that’s not my real name. Underground Guard is just a title for my role.”
“… … .”
Orlea’s face turned red with embarrassment.
“You may not know this, but the underground of Tirna is huge. As I said before, there are residents there.”
“Resident?”
“The sewer association, the sewage treatment unit, the hazardous waste cleaners. There are quite a few. There is a society of its own here, and it is bigger than you think. Among them, I am in charge of the underground janitor. My role is to detect outside intruders and prevent threats in advance, or to guide the lost.”
The underground keeper said this, placed one hand on his shoulder, the other on his back, and bowed politely.
“It is an honor to meet Princess Orlea and the famous Lord Ossian.”
“You seem to know me well.”
“The underground keeper is quite sensitive to news. He has to be more sensitive than anyone else to the news coming from above. So it’s safe to say that he knows most situations.”
The underground janitor pointed to the ground with his finger.
“Of course, I am aware of the series of events that are currently unfolding above.”
“Knowing that, you still want to help us?”
Orlea snapped in a wary voice.
It was a natural reaction for Orlean, since at the time she was in a position where she couldn’t trust anyone.
“I understand. The princess is currently in a life-threatening situation. Aside from Lord Ossian, she doesn’t know who to trust around her, so it’s understandable that I would be suspicious. However, on the other hand, I have no reason to kill the princess.”
“Why?”
“In the first place, the aboveground and underground of Tirna are completely separated. No matter what happens aboveground, it doesn’t affect the underground. That’s why we are always in a position of complete ‘neutrality.’”
“If it’s neutral, then there’s no need to treat us well, right?”
Orlea’s point was quite sharp.
The underground keeper let out a low laugh at that reaction.
However, at that moment, Ossian felt that the underground keeper’s gaze was on him and not Orlea.
I don’t know what treatment was done to the lenses of the plague doctor’s mask, but the pupils were not visible, but I could still feel the gaze itself.
‘what?’
Ossian felt a strange sensation from that gaze.
The gaze of the underground keeper looking this way contained absolutely no hostility.
Rather, I even felt a strange sense of favor.
“Would you do me the honor of showing me the way?”
Ossian and Orlea exchanged glances.
Orlea looked like she was really wondering if it was okay to trust the underground keeper.
Ossian thought for a moment and then answered.
“Give me guidance.”
The underground keeper smiled brightly as if he was pleased with those words.
I couldn’t see his expression because he was wearing a mask, but I could definitely feel it.
The underground guard bowed his head politely.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Orlean didn’t really open her mouth.
Although I was still suspicious of the underground station, I decided to follow Ossian’s advice since he thought it was okay.
Ossian and Orlea followed behind the leading underground keeper.
Although it was a complex underground waterway where it was difficult to tell where it was, the underground machine moved around without hesitation as if it were its own living room.
Occasionally, as I walked down the street, I would hear people screaming in the distance, echoing like an echo.
Eww!
Aaaah!
Orlean shivered at the eerie, rumbling sound.
Ossian also narrowed his eyes, knowing that it was no ordinary scream.
“It’s noisy around here. Is this how it’s usually like this?”
“Haha. That’s possible. It’s a fairly quiet place in terms of underground water. However, it seems like there are a lot of uninvited guests today.”
“Guests. Are you here to capture us?”
“If you just enter the culvert without any care, that’s what happens. That’s why this is a place where a guide is essential.”
The screaming, which seemed like it would stop any moment, continued for quite some time.
It didn’t stop there, the sounds of gunfire and bombs exploding began to mix together.
It meant that the opponent was not just taking the hit in vain, but was also counterattacking.
“Don’t worry too much. They’ll never get to where we are. This is the kind of place it is. Oh, and by the way, it’s a little lonely on the way, so would you like to talk?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The current situation. It seems like the higher-ups are looking for you two. What do you plan to do?”
“From the way you speak like that, do you have any good ideas?”
“Oh, my. An opinion? That’s too much for someone like me.”
“You are being too humble.”
At Ossian’s suggestion, the underground clerk stroked the lower part of his mask with his hand.
“If you want to hear my opinion, I’ll try to squeeze out a little wisdom.”
The underground worker who was walking ahead raised his finger.
“First, I need to double-check the current situation. The forces currently targeting Princess Orlea are the kingdom and the military. The military wants to expand its budget through war, and the kingdom also wants to obtain weapons information through deals with the military.”
“You seem to know quite a lot for an opinion.”
“Because it’s where it is, there are a lot of stories to be heard. People worry about being eavesdropped on by others, but they don’t consider eavesdropping from below ground.”
The underground guard continued speaking, laughing softly.
“The situation is hostile on all sides. However, it is not entirely unfavorable for the princess. The military’s opinion is different from that of Tirna as a whole. The mayor of the district where the incident occurred is currently leading the guards.”
One side to protect Orlea.
One side is to kill Orlea.
“Perhaps other military figures who were watching the situation will also make a choice. Since the assassination of the princess failed, they will try to cut off the tail. If they join in, the assassination force will be suppressed quickly.”
So the answer was simple.
This side was just buying time until the situation outside was over.
“I will guide you to the safe house. There are several safe areas in this basement for refuge from external attacks.”
The underground janitor even offered to provide a safe place.
As Orlea glared at his back with even more vigilant eyes, Ossian asked directly.
“You are being too friendly to us.”
“Is that so? It was actually said with a calculating mind, hoping to buy a favor.”
“But it’s not honest.”
At those words, the underground clerk paused for a moment, but then continued speaking naturally.
“I sincerely want to help you. There are no traps or anything like that.”
“I know.”
Ossian answered immediately.
It was understandable to suspect that it was a trap, but the answer was so firm that the underground guard who brought it up seemed slightly embarrassed.
‘Because the danger alarm didn’t even sound in the first place.’
Ossian trusted the abilities he had discovered through this incident.
Should we say that we can visually recognize the danger?
‘Just now, as I was passing through the culvert, I noticed that some areas were overflowing with a red aura.’
The color was very similar to that of the bullet that was aimed at Orlea.
That means, he had developed an intuition that could sense a kind of crisis.
And the underground keeper didn’t give off any red aura.
I don’t know if it’s something that’s only revealed to those who are hostile, or if it’s something that can’t be known if you hide your feelings.
However, even if it was a trap, Ossian’s judgment was that it was ‘not dangerous’.
“… … Ahem. So I think it would be better for me to stay in the safe house until the situation outside is over.”
The underground keeper’s judgment was correct.
Anyway, if we just waste time, the enemies will destroy themselves.
There was no need to take risks.
but.
“No.”
Ossian mouthed the words of refusal.
And that too, very firmly.
Was that unexpected?
Orlea opened her eyes wide and looked up at Ossian.
The underground guard stopped walking and looked back at Ossian.
“Of course, my opinion is only for consideration. But I would like to ask why.”
“Even if you waste time in a safe house, the root cause won’t be resolved.”
“If it’s the root cause… … .”
“Let’s say we escape from here safely. Where will she go then?”
“Well… … .”
The Underground Guard and Orlea realized what Ossian was trying to say.
“I will return to the kingdom. Since I have experienced the threat of assassination, I will remain as if I were trapped in the palace.”
“So you’re saying that we’re still exposed to the threat of assassination?”
Will the assassination attempt, which failed to kill her, just leave Orlea alone when she returns to her home country?
Ossian decided that would never happen.
Rather, I heard that they tried to kill me even more viciously.
“Or, on the contrary, it would be possible for you to stay in Tirna. You say you are mentally and physically exhausted from the threat of assassination.”
“That is also nothing more than a waste of time. One day, your body will recover, and the kingdom will use that as an excuse to demand the princess’s safety. If not… … .”
“They will use that as an excuse to exert influence again.”
“okay.”
Ossian nodded.
“In the end, it’s just a stopgap measure to cover up the problem. So we have to make a different choice.”
“If that’s true, then it’s a bit difficult.”
“I have an idea.”
At that, Orlean asked.
“Thinking? Do you have any plans?”
“Of course. But this is a very dangerous thing. If you’re not careful, you could lose your life. Even if you survive, things might not go as well as you thought.”
Orlean swallowed hard at the mention of losing her life.
Something that is uncertain and has a high chance of failure.
An extremely dangerous situation where you could easily die in vain if you’re not careful.
“The choice is yours. Will you do it anyway?”
Ossian asked.
After all, she held the key to this time.
To the one who runs away from death, walk the path of death again.
Even the party is asked to make a decision for the young girl.
It was a very harsh thing.
Orlea’s eyes trembled.
The memory of the near-death experience still lingers in my mind.
Just thinking about it makes my blood drain and my legs start shaking.
still.
“If you come with me.”
If you’re not alone.
If only someone was there for me.
I will do it.
Orlea answered like this.
At those words, Ossian smiled gently.
It was a smile that didn’t match his cold impression, as if flowers were blooming around him.
“If it is your wish, Princess, I will gladly serve as a knight.”