The following morning, after spending the night in the shadows of the rocky terrain, we immediately began to move. Our destination was a section of the underground drainage channel that extended beyond the city, woven beneath its streets.
The underground drainage channel was said to be a maze-like network that stretched far away from the city. The reason behind its extensive reach can be traced back to the tumultuous history of the region. Numerous times, drainage channels were planned as part of urban development, only to be washed away by the ravages of war before the surface-level construction could commence. It seems that the human species has had a fondness for warfare since ancient times.
"According to the map, there should be an entrance around here," Marcellus said.
We proceeded along the rocky coastline, searching within the designated area Marcellus had pointed out. It was hard to believe that there would be an entrance to the drainage channel in a place like this, but I decided to investigate as instructed.
Carefully, just as I had done before crossing the river, I lightly tapped the rocks, making sure not to make much noise. I tried to detect the sound of the echoes bouncing back from the rocks.
"…..Is it here?"
"Did you already find it?"
Then, once again, before I could even attempt to detect it, Mika had already found it. I was aware that Mika possessed superior hearing compared to me, but to actually discern it before I could even grasp its vague outline was unbelievable.
While I watched Mika, somewhat skeptical, he started to move aside a large stone at the base of a massive rock on the rocky terrain. And surprisingly, beneath it, there was a dilapidated wooden door.
"Mr. Marcellus I have found it," Mika said.
"Well done! Let's descend then," Marcellus responded.
Marcellus placed his hand on the wooden door and exerted force to pull the handle, but it snapped off from its base. It must have weathered away over the course of many years. Unable to bear seeing Marcellus staring dumbfoundedly at the broken handle, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Hence, I stomped on the door with all my might, causing it to shatter and fall downward.
From the depths of the hole, I could hear the fragments of the door landing in the underground drainage channel. There seemed to be a ladder leading down, but it had long since deteriorated, leaving no footholds. Due to the unfavorable angle of the light, I couldn't see the bottom, but judging by the time it took for the sound to return, the hole itself didn't appear to be too deep. After exchanging a glance with Mika, I leaped into the hole.
As expected, the hole wasn't very deep. I landed immediately after jumping. To prevent the fragments of the door from posing a danger to those descending later, I kicked them aside. Then, I jumped up and reached out my hands to the edge of the hole pulling up my upper body before beckoning the others to follow.
"Here we go."
"After you."
"…Thanks."
First, Marcellus descended, followed by Mika, and finally Rinne. Rinne, who had sealed the surroundings of the hole with her spiritual arts, went last. As she jumped backward, Mika gently caught her body.
Marcellus, once again, had a mischievous grin on his face as he watched the two of them. He always had a peculiar reaction whenever the two of them did something together. Perplexed by his reactions, I tilted my head in confusion.
Though the entrance had been sealed, plunging the drainage channel into darkness, it posed no significant obstacle for demons with night vision like us. However, it was different for Marcellus, a normal human of the Furu race.
Considering this, it would be wise to illuminate the path with the lantern, just as we had done when traversing the underground cave across the river. Yet, there was a potential danger if enemy soldiers happened to patrol the drainage channel. Thankfully, Mika happened to know a spiritual art that enhanced his night vision, and he promptly cast it upon Marcellus.
"Well, next we should turn right," he said.
"…Mr. Marcellus, this seems to deviate from the map. The curve is much gentler," Mika said.
"No way! I didn't make a mistake, did I?" Marcellus exclaimed.
After walking along the drainage channel for a while, Mika and Marcellus, who were at the front, brought up such an issue. The two of them examined the map side by side and concluded that this map prioritized simplicity and didn't take into account the length and twists of the drainage channel.
It seemed that the map should be regarded as a rough guide at best. Nevertheless, having a map was still better than not having one, as it allowed us to make the right choices at intersections.
"Hmm, it looks like another part of the drainage channel has collapsed. Mr. Scorpion, I'm counting on you," Marcellus said.
The drainage channel we were passing through was old and unused, with many areas that had collapsed due to a lack of maintenance. Even if it was the correct path, there were occasions where we couldn't proceed because it was filled with soil and debris.
And in moments like this one, it was my role to clear the way. I used my spiritual power to transform all the soil blocking the channel into smooth sand, before securing the passage by stabilizing the ceiling to prevent further collapse. This process required delicate control over my spiritual power, but it was no exaggeration to say that this was my area of expertise. Hence, I did a thorough job.
After all four of us had passed through, Marcellus instructed me to seal and stabilize the path by filling it with the previously cleared sand. This was necessary to prevent the ground surface area from sinking. If it happened only once, it might be seen as a coincidence by the invading forces. However, if this kept occurring repeatedly, it would become apparent that someone was moving underground. I was also in favor of refilling the drainage channel to avoid unnecessary risks.
"Hold on a moment. I hear footsteps,"
Mika stated as we got fairly close to the Carnela port, his keen ears picking up something. Concentrating, I pressed both hands against the wall and used my ears and limbs to detect the sound. Then I discerned the sound of three sets of footsteps coming from a considerable distance.
Judging from the clanking footsteps, it appeared that the ones approaching were armored soldiers. The rhythm of their footsteps was closely spaced…. they were most likely running. Morever, it didn't seem like they had noticed our presence since they were heading in a different direction from where we were. .
"It seems like they haven't spotted us, but let's proceed with caution from now on," Mika suggested.
"Understood. You heard him, both of you," Marcellus replied.
"Yeah."
"…"
Rinne confirmed briefly in response to Marcellus, and I nodded in agreement. While Mika maintained his walking pace, it seemed he was aware of the situation in the distance through his powerful hearing ability. After that, he advised us many times whether we should continue straight or take a detour to avoid danger, and by following his guidance, we managed to evade the soldiers.
I couldn't do what Mika did. Well, if I took my time, I could assess the surroundings. However, it was impossible for me to do it while walking like he did. I wondered what kind of creature he was truly synthesized with. I was quite intrigued.
"Hmm, this is… Mr. Marcellus, the enemy is closing in on us from both sides, effectively trapping us in between. Given that we're on a straight path, avoiding them is impossible," Mika informed.
"I see. Rinne, use your illusion spiritual art and turn everyone invisible," Marcellus instructed.
"Understood."
If we can't escape, then we could rely on Rinne's illusion art to get through this ordeal. We stopped in our tracks and huddled by the edge of the channel, holding our breath.
Before long, the sound of footsteps could be heard coming from both sides, getting so close that even Marcellus could hear them. Unlike lanterns….the enemy held metallic tubes that emitted a strong light from their tips, making their approach easily noticeable.
The enemies from the right side arrived first, coming dangerously close to us. Rinne's illusion art had the ability to bypass light, so there were no signs of us being exposed. Nevertheless, the fact that the enemies were within arm's reach heightened the tension. Only Mika seemed unfazed, maintaining a calm demeanor.
"■■■■■"
"■■■, ■■■■!"
Contrary to our apprehension, the armored soldiers passed by without noticing us, engaged in casual conversation. Although I couldn't understand what they were saying, their relaxed interaction was no different from that of humans or demons. The enemy was not some mysterious entity but simply another type of humanoid species.
We managed to get past the enemies on the right. Now, we had to deal with the ones coming from the left. The two units seemed to exchange some words before making their way towards us. The other unit also passed by without noticing us… or so I thought.
"￭￭...?"
Just as the second unit passed right in front of us, one of them unintentionally dropped the gleaming metal tube hanging from his waist. It rolled along the floor, creating a clattering sound, before finally halting as if colliding with an unseen barrier. It had struck Rinne's invisible staff.
We were exposed.
In that split second, both Mika and I sprang into action. I thrust my white sword into the gap in the nearest enemy's armor, aiming for his throat, while simultaneously piercing the next soldier's protective gear with the poisonous stinger at the tip of my tail. On the other hand, Mika seized the helmet of the third armored soldier from behind, tilting his head up to expose his vulnerable throat, and swiftly slashing it with a dagger held in a reversed grip.
It was clear that if the three armored soldiers collapsed abruptly, it would create a loud commotion. To prevent that, I carefully laid them down, using my arms and tail for support. Mika also positioned the one he had dispatched on the floor, ensuring he lay face-up.
"…It's my fault. I'm sorry," Rinne apologized.
"No, it would be impossible to anticipate that. More importantly, we were saved by your quick reaction. Both of you did well, thank you," Marcellus responded appreciatively.
Rinne's face turned pale, thinking that it had been her fault for getting us into trouble, but Marcellus calmly reassured her that it wasn't the case before expressing his gratitude. Mika bowed respectfully in response, and I nodded my head, conveying that there was no problem, before I brushed off the blood clinging to my sword and stinger.
However, it was indeed a problem that we had recklessly killed the enemy soldiers. Concealing the corpses was relatively easy, but it was impossible for three members of the armored soldiers to suddenly go missing without raising suspicions among the invading army. Now, what would Marcellus decide to do?
Marcellus, the one who needed to make the judgment, knelt near the three bodies and observed something. After nodding a few times, he stood up and turned towards us. At that moment, a sly smirk, characteristic of someone who had come up with a cunning plan, appeared on Marcellus' face.
"Indeed, this is an unexpected situation. The fact that we have missing people will shorten the time before our infiltration is discovered. However, fortunately, two of the three armored soldiers were men and one was a woman. Their size and number perfectly match with the number of people who can wear armor on our side."
"Mr. Marcellus, Are you possibly thinking of…"
"Yes, it's exactly what you think. After disposing of these bodies, Mika, Rinne, and I will wear their armor and investigate the Carnela Port. As for Mr. Scorpion… What should you do?"
Well, it's difficult for me to answer that. But more importantly, are you planning to fearlessly infiltrate the lace by pretending to be the enemy soldiers? Given that you don't understand their language and their methods, it seems like a risky gamble… However, Marcellus seemed eager and determined to follow suit with his strategy.
It would be hard to stop him. After all, he had already started removing the armor from the corpses, being careful not to make any noise in the process. Mika and I exchanged glances and then we both let out a collective sigh before assisting with the task at hand.