REFDL 101

Idim, who had been panting with a bright expression like a puppy on its first snowfall, now had a tearful expression. He looked at the woman with a pitiful face, but it didn’t seem to work.

She looks like she wouldn’t let a single needle through.

Kaelus thought for a moment and then gestured toward Idim.

“You mentioned subversive thoughts. From what I hear, it seems your whole group shares those ‘subversive thoughts.’ Am I right?”

The other four people froze in shock. They looked at Kaelus, doubtful. His reaction was clearly different from what they had expected, and they seemed unsure of what to do.

“That! Well, if you just listen to the circumstances, your mind will surely—”

“Enough.”

The woman snapped her fingers twice and stopped the one who was talking.

She remained calm despite Kaelus’s cold reaction. She smiled softly.

“You don’t need to test us. I’ll tell you everything. However, this place is difficult. The soundproofing isn’t very good, and we don’t know where a rat might be hiding.”

“That’s different from what I heard. I was told everyone who works in this building hates the Ilba family.”

“Every group has exceptions and traitors.”

“…….”

The woman snapped her fingers again.

The rest of the people, who had been huddled together to stop Idim, took off their clothes and began a messy display of affection.

……I couldn’t understand what was happening even though I saw it with my own eyes.

Kaelus did what he had to do quickly, unlike me, who was stunned and couldn’t even make a sound.

His palm covered my face like a flash of light.

Kya!

I couldn’t see anything at all because he cupped his palm and grabbed my head.

……He could’ve left at least a small gap.

“It’s better to be certain. It’ll raise suspicion if no sound comes from the room of a person who’s supposedly having a good time. I already told you, this brothel only looks decent. The materials are cheap, so the soundproofing doesn’t work.”

“…….”

“Go downstairs if you want to hear more details.”

“Downstairs?”

The woman’s light purple nails pointed at the floor.

“I mean the sewers.”

***

“I didn’t know such a place existed underground.”

Kaelus climbed down the iron ladder and marveled at the sight. My impression was similar.

The rotten water in the center, the foul air, and the swarming rats were unavoidable, but the structure was certainly impressive.

It was a pipe-shaped passage with a high ceiling. New passages continued to branch out in many directions after just a short walk. It was many times more complex than the city’s network of waterways. It was a complete maze.

“We might get lost if we’re not careful.”

[There are many ladders that lead up. I don’t think it’ll be a big problem as long as we can reach the surface.]

“…….”

Kaelus’s expression remained serious.

He put me down on the floor to prepare for a fight. He looked back at me every three steps as if he didn’t feel safe.

[The sun will rise at this rate…….]

“…….”

We could finally enter the interior properly.

Kaelus wore dress shoes to match his uniform, but he walked like a ghost and made no sound.

Instead, the small pitter-patter of my own footsteps sounded louder. I felt nervous and paid more attention to the noise.

Kaelus spoke quietly.

“……I had a private meeting with His Majesty before I came here. I heard then that there were subversive movements in the capital.”

He told me to watch the situation since there was no decisive evidence, but to contact them if possible.

“Tortan said ‘a report of subversive movements came in,’ but he didn’t tell me exactly what kind of movements they were. I naturally thought it was some kind of deal between the capital and Denos, but maybe it’s not—”

Clack!

Snap!

Kaelus shut his mouth at the sudden noise and pressed himself against the wall.

I ran to the same wall at almost the same time and pressed my front and back paws against it.

“…….”

Kaelus had an expression that said he had a lot to say, but he quickly regained his focus and peeked his head toward the sound.

It was far away, at a spot where five sewer openings overlapped.

Voices grew louder from a hole that turned slightly to the left in a wide, plaza-like area.

The loud noise from before had come from there too.

I exchanged a glance with Kaelus. He placed his hand on his sword’s hilt and nodded.

We approached the mysterious presence quietly and with more caution.

***

The encounter was sharp.

There must have been a skilled person on the other side, because they noticed Kaelus’s presence.

“Who is it!”

The other side attacked first. Kaelus had no choice but to respond.

He tried to subdue them as gently as possible. However, in a sword-to-sword fight, blood would splatter and flesh would tear. Furthermore, the opponent’s skill was so advanced that subduing them proved difficult.

“You son of a bitch!”

There were six people in the group.

Five were subdued somehow, but the last one was a problem.

It was the person who had noticed Kaelus’s presence.

She was strong.

She was a middle-aged woman with one eye, and her swordsmanship was excellent.

Their swords emitted a bluish light after only a few exchanges. Kaelus decided he couldn’t win if he didn’t take it seriously.

I watched the fight anxiously while I kept an eye on the unconscious people. I even prepared to return to my original form if Kaelus was pushed back.

The space wasn’t very large, but [unauthorized copy]I could probably transform without destroying the tunnel if I curled my body.

Fortunately, my turn didn’t come.

The duel ended with Kaelus’s victory. It was a very small margin, but he had the upper hand in skill.

Clang!

Kaelus sent the sword flying and held his blade to the fallen woman’s neck. The woman blinked, her chilling aura fading away.

“……Are you Duke Irelion? Are you really Firmus’s Duke Irelion?”

“I am.”

Her hostility faded slightly.

“Why is a man who’s a duke in a place like this?!”

“I met someone at the Violet Brothel. They told me to come down here if I wanted to hear the details.”

“…….”

There was a brief silence.

The woman stuttered as she asked again.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

She screamed, “Ah!” and grabbed her head with both hands. She didn’t care about the sword on her neck, and the movement caused a small cut to her chin, drawing blood.

A startled Kaelus moved his sword a bit away from her. He didn’t pull it away completely.

The woman still didn’t care. She muttered in a hollow voice after she shook her head for a long time.

“Oh, Meili…… please! It’s always like this. It’s always like this! Please send someone to tell me about such important matters…….”

She wiped her face and took a deep breath. She straightened her body like a spring, brushed herself off, and introduced herself.

Her name was Meina. She was forty-five years old.

She was the leader.

She led the ‘Western Force’ that dreamed of the system’s overthrow and the Ilba family’s downfall. They wanted to end the family’s tyranny.

Simply put, she was a resistance fighter.

I exchanged looks with Kaelus. Meanwhile, Meina kicked her unconscious comrades to wake them up. ……She visit our sitehit them to wake them up if they still didn’t move.

They panicked as soon as they saw Kaelus and pointed whatever they could grab at us.

A piece of rotten wood, half a carriage wheel, a punctured…… top hat?

“Ha…….”

Meina facepalmed and pointed her chin toward us. She took us to one of the temporary hideouts they had built in the sewers.

Meina got straight to the point without any testing or measuring, as if Meili’s words about wanting to contact Duke Irelion were true. The point was that she wanted him to help with the system’s overthrow.

The reward was an ‘Ilba Archipelago that’s friendly to the Empire.’

“We don’t have anything yet, but we’re merchants at our core. We keep our word, and we never forget a favor. If a memorandum or a contract isn’t enough…… well, should I cut off an arm for you?”

Meina swung her left arm around. I thought it was a joke, but nobody laughed. Meina’s tone was light, but her expression was serious.

[…….]

Who are these people? They’re scary.

My cowardly heart reacted for the first time in a long while.

“What’s wrong with the little dragon? [visit our site]Is he cold? He’s shaking a lot all of a sudden.”

“…….”

Kaelus seemed to know why I was shaking, but he didn’t say anything and just gently stroked my back with his palm.

“I have a few things I want to ask.”

“Oh, of course. Checking the goods is a trade’s basis. You can ask anything you want, Your Excellency.”

Meina, who had been swinging her arm, sat down and placed her chin on her hand with sparkling eyes.

“……First, about the riot that happened over ten years ago…….”

“Is there a non-scheduled ship among the Denos ships that travel to the Archipelago…… any suspicious people or strange phenomena…….”

“……Strange phenomena? What specifically do you mean…… is that true?”

The conversation lasted longer than expected. Kaelus asked questions with a serious expression, and depending on the topic, Meiba either banged her fist on the table or laughed cheerfully, sincerely answering his questions.