Once their conversation ended, they resumed Hizo's mission: rescuing his grandfather.
"Are you sure my grandfather is here? It seems eerily quiet." Hizo muttered, glancing around warily.
Kaizoku responded, "Hmm, he might be in the forced labor area. Though I can't say for sure if that place actually exists."
At Kaizoku's mention of "forced labor," everyone turned to him with a serious expression.
"Yeah… I've heard rumors of that around town, but I don't know where it is." Gabriel put his fingers on his chin for a moments thinking.
He continued his words, "Usually, those captured are held here first, then executed the next day…"
Hizo, realizing his grandfather could be in immediate danger, grew frantic.
"Mister Gabriel! Please… please don't let my grandfather die… I beg you…" Hizo's face was filled with despair, as he saw no sign of his grandfather in the underground prison.
"But Gabriel, we're running out of time. Almost the entire town is hunting us. If we don't leave soon, we'll be caught!" Kaizoku said, a resigned expression on his face, leaving Gabriel to decide between helping Hizo or escaping before it was too late.
Clenching his fists, Gabriel's frustration was clear. "Grrr… You're putting me in a tough spot…"
He paused for a moment, weighing his options. After a few seconds, he finally reached his decision. Although it might anger Kaizoku, Gabriel prioritized saving a life.
"Kai… We have to rescue Hizo's grandfather. We can't leave a life in danger situation."
"Grrr… This will put us in more danger too… But, fine. It's your call." Kaizoku replied reluctantly.
Hizo expressed his gratitude, relieved Gabriel was on his side. "Oh, Mister Gabriel, thank you for helping me… I don't know how I'll ever repay your kindness."
"Don't worry, Hizo. We'll get your grandfather back. But first, we need to split up and gather intel on the forced labor site. Once you find anything, we'll regroup in the back courtyard of this mansion—I've already dealt with all the guards there."
"Hizo and I will search around here, and you two can head upstairs to ask around and gather information."
Kaizoku immediately suprised at Gabriel's plan. "What?! I don't want to go back up those endless stairs!"
Sylphy hit him on the head. "We have no choice, you fool! Do you want to escape this place or not? While we're still dressed in formal attire, we can blend in with them!"
Kaizoku rubbed his head, wincing. "Oww… Fine, this is going to be brutal on my legs."
"Alright, Kai and I will gather intel upstairs. Gabriel, you and Hizo search here. Let's go, Kai," Sylphy commanded, and the two headed back toward the dark stairway.
As they climbed the stairs, Kaizoku groaned from fatigue. "Huff… Why can't we just use Void Walk? That'd be so much easier…"
Sylphy shot him an irritated look. "Ugh! You want me to carry you? Don't even dream of it. Besides, we need to conserve our energy for when it's really necessary…"