Eventually, who came knocking in his door - or rather, curtain. Was Baron.
Panting heavily with sweat rolling down his face, the elderly miner frantically bellowed outside.
"Hey lad! You there! You better be, cause I have bad news for you. Trust me when I say it's bad, because it's really, really bad."
Inside, Zyro hid his revolver in his waist before steeping out. He welcomed him calmly.
"Good morning. Who exactly and how many of them?"
Baron was dumbfounded for a moment, speechless. Then, he snapped.
His unusually emotional today.
"What's good in the morning, huh! Do you even have any idea what trouble your in right now?" He took a deep breath, and switched to a calmer tone. A difficult expression plastered on his face as he explained.
"Earlier, a dozen Grick came. And I can tell, they are not your average Grick. All of them is as powerful as Boru, in my judgement. One of the might even be a Delta. You're aware of how strong those people are, right? The problem is... The Mine-guards suddenly began looking for a black haired young man." He sighed heavily, looking at him somberly.
"Zyro... the Gricks are probably here for you."
As if already expecting this, Zyro simply walk away without replying. Aware that the Gricks won't spare his life.
Unable to bear watching him leave, Baron asked weakly.
"Why didn't you just kill my brother yesterday? you have time, didn't you? If you did that, then this wouldn't have happened."
True, dead men tell no tales, after all.
Zyro replied without turning back.
"That won't change anything, though. I'll still be targeted."
Without Boru to assist the Gricks investigation, concluding Zyro's suspicious background and involvement to the murder won't be this fast.
However, it won't erase his tracks.
The slaves work every hour in the underground caverns, shackled laborers as they might be. They still have awareness. Zyro walking out of the only path to the crime scene didn't go unnoticed by their weary eyes. And so, testimonies pointing at him won't disappear unless he slaughters every witness. However, doing so will cause a chain reaction, the screams will attract more miners, therefore, additional witnesses.
Unsolved massacre of over a hundred assassins near where the Fallen Knight last sighted are already enough to draw the Gricks. Let alone, an entire Mine being slaughtered. If he did that, it's only right to anticipate the Gricks whole army to come.
It's troublesome to silence every miners. But more importantly, Zyro didn't have the heart to do so.
That's why verbal evidence pointing at him can never be erased. Which include him coincidentally arriving in the Mine, just when their nemesis, the Fallen Knight disappeared. That wide spread factor about him is what made him the most suspicious.
Past history is something out of his control, leaving him without a choice but to accept his fate to be targeted by the Gricks sooner or later.
After much consideration, Zyro decided on the sooner option. The quicker he passes this predicament, the faster he'll join Pert to escort Scarlet back to the castle again. This time, without the overwhelming assassins. Making the road ahead smoother than the last time, hopefully.
"Zyro! Playing chase with them is suicide. Perhaps they might let you go after some interrogation!" Baron is like an anxious grampa, giving futile advice from his senile mind.
Zyro appreciates his worries, but rather follows his own choices. No matter how deadly it is, a plan is a plan. Besides, when do goals come without a risk?
Furthermore, Zyro isn't one to go without feasible plan. It's simple, really. He just needed to flee like a run away slave, and made it seem he luckily evade their gaze by utilizing Depter seal accordingly. Causing them to lose track of him, until they got bored looking for an insignificant slave.
Avoiding other people notice as he navigated through the stone tunnels. Zyro comes across rushing guards and some slaves frantically searching for someone. Fortunately, his cautious enough to move slowly, allowing him to see them first. Thus, avoiding their sights and sometimes he used their blindspots to pass by their backs as he continued on his way.
Eventually, Zyro arrived at the secreted chamber. Although, it was invaded from the outside passage by the assassins. It's existence remained unknown to the slaves. Firstly because its door was located in a secluded area of the Mine, somewhere hard to find. Secondly, when Scarlet, Pert and the numerous assassins rushed broke into a vicious pursuit. Naturally, the innocent workers tend to avoid the source of trouble, afraid of being tangled in their harmful mess. No one is insane enough to eagerly find the assassins sources, keeping Pert's hidden chamber a secret.
He even heard rumors saying that, the pretty hooded lady crossed a dimensional portal to escape the cloaked men's pursuit. Or, they came from no where.
In any case, the secret room are still safe to use.
There, he saw Scarlet and Pert, still preferring to hide here till their journey back begins.
"Are you fine to go now?" Scarlet asked softly, as soon as she saw him. Zyro had been delaying their departure, enabling them to leave this mountain. Scarlet was somehow aware of one of his reasons which was. Strangely, he ventures into the wilderness at midnight yesterday, and came back empty handed. At least, he appeared to be.
Although, this act of lone ventures outside for an unknown reason seemed treacherous. She still trusted him as an ally, considering how he risked his life for her safety two times already.
In truth, Zyro retrieved his commissioned revolver from Depter last night.
As if no one is after him, he nonchalantly scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah... About that. I'm sorry again princess, but not yet. I found some playmates to play chase with, and I'm not allowed to quit. Maybe after I come back, we can go."
Scarlet raised an eyebrow in confusion. Not knowing what to say. Zyro isn't much of a talker. So his rare words are heavier and more meaningful than normal. However, she can't help but think he has a problem in the head sometimes when he speak.
On the side, Pert who is feeding his pet slime - Cat, out of boredom suddenly asked cheerfully, as if wanting to join their fun play.
"Really? Where will you be playing?"
Zyro simply continue heading to the tunnel leading outside, to the luxuriant forest. As he did, he said.
"Outside, it's much more spacious there."
Of course, the kid is not dumb either. The Fallen Knight isn't the type of person to play chase childishly. His the type to make an enemy of all Gricks, slay their prince in their own home and escape their wraths then slayed a hundred fearsome vampires single handily underground.
Whatever he means by playing, surely concerned problematic enemies. However, saying it vaguely with a relaxed tone imply he had to do it alone.
Pert was worried, but knew Zyro can take care of himself.
All he could do is give him a smiled of encouragement. Not like it can do anything, it still gives him peace of mind.
"Oh, that's nice... When will you come back?"
Entering the burrow leading outside, Zyro stopped. For a moment, his voice sounds a little somber.
"Not sure."
Everything has uncertainty, especially in situations involving deadly opponents. Such cases are usually aided with the help of allies to help you in dire circumstances. For a moment, Zyro considered asking Pert's or Scarlet's aid against a dozen Gricks. However, he immediately dismissed the idea.
'No, you brought this to yourself.'
The Gricks were his enemy alone, for he is the Fallen Knight. The young Aster and the Princess had nothing to do with them, giving them no reason to offend the Gricks. Besides, Zyro had defeated a far more powerful group than a dozen Grick before. So what's there to be afraid of?
With nothing else to say, Pert went quiet while Scarlet gave his back meaningful glare. Seemingly understanding what's happening, too. And wanted to say something, but can't.
He continue making his way out through the dark tunnel, crawling due to the burrow modest size.
Staring at the destination ahead with distant gaze. There's nothing but darkness surrounding him, letting him speak honestly.
He mumbled.
"Perhaps, never."
At that moment, Scarlet's distant voice was heard behind him.
"Zyro! Be careful, please!"
His lips curved slightly, finding it odd to hear a princess bid him farewell.
Soon, he emerge from soil. And stood in a vibrant wilderness, breathing fresh air instead of underground oxygen. He look around, checking for predators. Fortunately, he found none around.
The bright sun hang above, illuminating everything. Leafs and grass rustle on the wind, along with some groaning branches. It was daytime, yet he holds no fear. Because he had grown strong enough to not be threatened by beasts populating this forest.
Putting on an act of a desperate runner, Zyro began sprinting away with speed of a average slave. It took a little while, but as expected, the flapping of large wings soon came after him.
"Took you long enough."