We were able to access the sewer system from a section of the Domeili River that flowed through the First Capital. From there, we descended a long staircase, originally for emergency maintenance use, that led to the entrance of the underground fortress of Cidfil. After climbing down what felt like countless ladders, we finally reached the bottom, only to be greeted by a damp, cold darkness.
“Man, it’s dark! And chilly!” complained Tsav with an audible smirk. “Even I can’t see a thing. Bro, could you get us some light?”
“On it.” I activated my sacred seal lantern, and its pale light illuminated the cracked walls, revealing a mazelike passage ahead. “Pretty spacious down here, huh?”
Beneath the First Capital of Zephent lay a vast, subterranean space. It was a relic of the Old Kingdom, known as the Black Fortress of Cidfil, constructed by the semi-ancient king of Zef who went by the same name. It was meant as a place to take refuge in during times of crisis, and the structure consisted of two levels. Remarkably, it had endured the test of time and remained largely intact—a testament to the advanced technology of its builders.
“I sure as hell don’t wanna wander around here at random.” I looked back to Tsav. “Hey, you really know where this hideout is, right?”
“Of course! I’m not Venetim. I don’t lie. I politely asked the Gwen Mohsa guy I captured where their base was, and he told me. It’s definitely around here.”
I doubted Tsav’s methods had been “polite,” but I wasn’t about to ask how he’d gotten the information. His casual cruelty could even put me off from time to time.
“Hmm… It should be west from here… Hey, Bro. You think you could bring that light a little closer? I want to check the map.”
Tsav’s map, which he’d acquired from a group of adventurers, was fairly recent. Exploration of the underground ruins had progressed significantly. While it was believed there were no treasures to be found inside, expanding the map alone could net a decent reward from the Allied Administration Division’s city planning department. It seemed a fair number of people had been delving into the subterranean structure for a little extra cash.
“Man, it’s seriously dark! You sure it was a good idea to leave Teoritta behind? Just having her with us woulda made the place, like, a little brighter, at least.”
“Don’t be stupid. We couldn’t fight the assassins with her around.”
Teoritta had tried to insist on coming with us, but I’d managed to dissuade her. There wasn’t much she could do against humans, and I didn’t want to risk exposing her to attacks. As a result, I’d been forced to come down here alone with the likes of Tsav.
“Speaking of which,” I added, “you’re going to be the one handling most of the assassins, got it? I don’t know all their little tricks like you do.”
The fact that we were up against a group of assassins changed everything. Unlike regular soldiers or faeries, assassins had a unique and deadly skill set. They were likely to employ unconventional techniques that could prove fatal if we came unprepared, and I had little experience dealing with them.
“Heh! You bet, Bro. I am a genius, after all! I’ll take care of every single one of them! Man, what would you guys do without me?! Ha-ha!”
“I know I’m the one that asked you for help, but your condescending attitude is already starting to annoy me…”
“I’m just telling the truth, right? Now, come on! Let’s go!” Tsav folded the map and began walking briskly ahead. “Maybe we should leave a trail of bread crumbs or something, so we don’t get lost.”
“And when the rats eat all the crumbs, then what? It’d be hard to see bread crumbs down here, anyway. I brought some luminescent paint instead. It’s used in place of emergency lights in mines and the like, so it should last us a few days if we need it.”
I dripped the pale blue luminescent paint onto the ground from a vial in my hand and used the toe of my shoe to create an arrow shape, marking the path forward. On our return trip, we’d simply follow the arrows backward.
“Oooh! You seem pretty used to this stuff. Did you use to be an adventurer?”
“I pretended to be one, at least. I’ve explored semi-ancient ruins like this one before.”
After nearly getting lost and dying once, I’d become acutely aware of the importance of such preparations. Lufen had a knack for coming up with ingenious solutions like this, and he’d always made sure we brought along extra rations.
“And trust me,” I added, “we do not want to get lost down here…”
“Yeah, this whole place is like a maze. By the way, have you heard the rumors? They say there’s a monster from the Old Kingdom locked away in the fortress, and it still wanders the ruins…and that some of these passages operate as a secret escape route for the royal family.”
“Really? Wait. Where’d you hear these rumors anyway?”
“Venetim.”
“Are you kidding me? You know he pulled all those stories out of his ass.”
“Heh-heh-heh! Yeah, I guess you’re right!” Tsav’s goofy laughter echoed through the darkness. “But there might still be monsters around, since Gwen Mohsa’s keeping faeries as pets now.”
“Good point. They might even have a demon lord with them. If things get dangerous, we should escape and contact the Holy Knights right away, got it? We’ll let Adhiff handle it.” If a demon lord appeared in the First Capital, that would be their job. With the city’s military to help out, they should be able to handle it. “Now, come on. Let’s get this over with.”
I clenched my left hand into a fist and gave the wall a light tap. A muted thunk came back, its soft echo reverberating up the walls and across the ceiling. My probe seal Loradd was especially useful in enclosed spaces like this. It laid bare the whole place’s layout, as vividly as if I were sketching it out with my fingertips. I couldn’t sense anything stirring within—save for the skittering of a few small creatures. Mice, no doubt, scurrying in the shadows.
“Nothing. Come on.”
“Whoa! That’s some mega-useful seal, Bro! That thing is gonna make this so easy!”
“It helps, but relying on it too much can be dangerous. It won’t help us with stationary traps, and if something’s too small, I could miss it.”
“Even so! I feel like we’re gonna finish this up in no time. Oh! If we get back fast enough, I can spend the rest of the night working on my collection.”
“You’re not collecting dead bugs again, are you? Whatever it is, don’t go showing Teoritta. You really scared her last time. She told me she even had nightmares.”
Tsav had a habit of starting odd collections and keeping weird creatures as pets, so I had to make sure he didn’t get any strange ideas.
But he simply looked me straight in the eye and said, “Dead bugs? Why would I collect something like that?”
“Don’t ask me! You’re the one who did it! And they were disgusting!”
“Huh…? Ohhh! That’s right. I did get into that for a little bit. Bochu, Felence, Tonishe, and Sagonan!”
“You gave them names? You’re probably the first person to ever name a bunch of dead bugs.”
“That was just a phase, though. I’m totally into collecting shed snake skins now.”
Just like that, he’d start some bizarre collection, then quickly lose interest. It was totally obnoxious.
“Ah, I can’t wait to get back and start organizing them.” Tsav whistled a cheerful tune as he walked along. “I’ll show you when I’m done, okay?”
“That’s all right. I’m good.”
This asshole thinks he’s on a picnic, I thought.
And of course, starting a mission out on such a positive note was bound to lead to disaster.