Parish held back Arthur, who was heading straight for the ruins, controlling his speed while scanning the surroundings of the manor.
Although during the afternoon discussion, Nighthawk had mentioned that the patrol teams of the Human Alliance were stationed in the two mansions flanking the Rose Manor—likely thanks to the owners of these mansions agreeing to lend them out—no one could guarantee that there weren't any patrol members lurking within Rose Manor itself.
Arthur appeared anxious, but his concerns were different from Parish's. He worried about Nighthawk's safety. Arthur wasn't fully aware of Nighthawk's capabilities but understood that the northern district of Brighton City was heavily fortified. Even with most of the forces now dispatched to towns near the Talley Plains, the Arbitration Office alone would be enough to give any intruder a hard time.
The two slowly moved to what used to be the main hall of the manor's central building. Broken bricks and shattered columns were scattered around, with unidentified vegetation growing over the debris. Only the faint brown stains on the ground hinted at the brutality of the Hebrew Massacre that occurred here eleven years ago.
Arthur silently touched everything within his reach, allowing himself to feel the residual sense of kinship coursing through his veins. Regardless of the heights the Hebrew family once achieved or whether they had individuals comparable to deities, all that remained in the present day was desolation—perhaps the ultimate destination for all civilizations.
"Arthur Hebrew, over here."
Parish had somehow left the hall and was now speaking from the top of a broken wall.
When Arthur brushed aside overgrown weeds and climbed over a fallen stone column to reach Parish's side, he saw a wooden door with a small pull ring hidden amidst the tangled grass on the ground. "Is this it?" Arthur knelt down, carefully brushing away the sand and dust on the door as he asked cautiously.
"Don't jump to conclusions yet. This door is far too obvious—it's easy to find. The Human Alliance must have discovered it already, so this can't be the hiding place of the secret."
"Then hurry up and search! We're running out of time. If something happens to Nighthawk, the patrol teams will return," Arthur snapped, annoyed by Parish's attitude.
"Do you think we haven't been noticed already? Nighthawk is only diverting the main forces; the patrol teams wouldn't have completely abandoned this area so easily."
Arthur was genuinely stunned by this revelation. He hadn't felt like they were being watched at all. Standing up, he scanned their surroundings again. Apart from the endless darkness, there was nothing visible. For now, he and Parish could only rely on the light coming from the houses flanking the manor to discern their environment.
Parish sighed, thinking to himself that Arthur was still too young. He opened the wooden door, stirring up a cloud of dust that choked both of them. Parish continued, "There's no need to be so tense. They haven't rushed in to capture us yet because they want to use us to confirm the location of the Hebrew family's hidden secret—or they already know the location but can't obtain the artifact themselves."
Arthur felt that Parish was insane. Even if they found the Hebrew secret, the patrol teams would trap them underground, leaving them no choice but capture.
"Are you worried about an escape route?" Parish asked as he descended the wooden staircase revealed beneath the door. "The more I say, the more dangerous it gets. Your only option now is to follow me."
Parish was right—Arthur had no other choice. After Parish disappeared into the underground passage, Arthur glanced once more at the mansions on either side of the manor. This time, the windows facing Rose Manor seemed to have more silhouettes than before, confirming Parish's earlier claim that they were being watched.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur reopened the wooden door Parish had closed behind him and slipped inside.
Once underground, the heavy dust and bone-chilling cold made breathing difficult for Arthur, who coughed uncontrollably. Parish, shrouded in the darkness, snapped his fingers and muttered a few words. Instantly, the oppressive sensations disappeared, leaving only a cool, water-cleansed feeling.
Now they could talk properly.
"It's so dark here. What do we do?" Arthur said, clutching the wooden stairs beside him. If he let go, he'd be utterly lost in the darkness. His whole body trembled, perhaps from the cold or something else.
A glowing orb lit up in Parish's hand, the sudden light causing Arthur to squint.
Parish narrowed his eyes, using the orb's light to examine their surroundings. The underground chamber had three paths, each supported by wooden beams, with dusty torches mounted on the excavated dirt walls, now covered in cobwebs.
Once Arthur adjusted to the dim light, Parish handed the glowing orb to him. It was a medium-sized glass sphere with what appeared to be a writhing type of grass inside.
"A goblin-made lightweave sphere," Parish briefly explained before stepping to the center of the three paths. When Arthur finished examining the orb and joined him, Parish crossed his arms and pointed at the three routes with his index finger. "Your turn—choose a path."
Arthur frowned. He was here for the first time and couldn't understand why Parish, always so enigmatic, would let him pick. Just as he was about to protest, a familiar voice called to him from the leftmost path. It echoed with the words he had heard before losing consciousness: Elikrom.
Arthur stared dazedly at the left path, and Parish, noticing his reaction, pushed him gently toward it.
Arthur, half-dazed, allowed Parish to guide him forward. The voice calling Elikrom, Elikrom! grew louder and louder as they walked. The path led to another underground chamber, identical to the previous one, with three paths and wooden supports. The only difference was the presence of two rotting corpses near the dirt walls.
Arthur took one look before turning around and vomiting. The acrid stench was unbearable. Parish also covered his nose, waved his hand to summon water, and washed over the decomposing bodies, releasing a swarm of insects from the remains.
Not wanting to get too close despite the cleaning, Parish reluctantly approached the bodies, using his collar to cover his nose. He carefully examined the nearby iron shield and sword, along with well-preserved boots, confirming the corpses were from the military.
"These are soldiers, Arthur Hebrew," Parish said.
Still retching, Arthur managed a few incoherent words before shouting, "Let's get out of here already!" Plugging his nose, he sprinted toward the rightmost path.
Parish, also nearing his limit, hurried after him. Before leaving, he noticed markings or symbols on the dirt wall opposite the corpses, but with Arthur running far ahead, he didn't have time for a closer look.
Once again, they arrived at a chamber, this time with four paths instead of three. Scattered military uniforms and weapons were strewn across the ground.
Trembling, Arthur wiped the corners of his mouth. He had already vomited up everything from his midday meal earlier. At least this time, there were no rotting corpses to contend with.
"Who were those people?" Arthur asked.
"I'm not sure," Parish replied, "but they were likely sent here to uncover the Hebrew family's secret." He paused before adding, "Now I understand why they've never given up on this place—it seems there are still people trapped down here."
Elikrom! The cry reverberated in Arthur's ears, louder than ever. The sudden onset of tinnitus forced him to crouch down, hands over his ears.
It seemed their escape wouldn't happen within the next half hour. Parish picked up a sturdy iron shield from the scattered weapons, brushing off a scorpion clinging to it. Holding it in front of him, he said, "Arthur Hebrew, I suggest you prepare for battle."