Observing the solemn expression on Riley's face, Balros realized that he may have misspoken.
"Myros… has been burned alive; it is said that half his skin was flayed off."
Riley leaned closer to Balros's ear and whispered, her voice barely above a murmur, yet Alan heard every word clearly.
"My mentor, Myros, instructed me that if I were in danger, I should follow the instructions on this note to open the contract, and then… then recite the words on this paper to the demon."
Grellia handed the note to Riley, still too frightened to meet Balros's gaze directly.
Alan too acknowledged that Balros's visage was indeed somewhat terrifying, nearly rivaling his own.
Balros glanced at the words on the note and exhaled in relief.
"Not bad… It does not contain any outrageous wishes. If this little girl had been momentarily greedy and wished for 'immortality' or 'lifelong luxury,' we would have encountered serious trouble. For now, we merely need to escort her out of Byronwell, and the demon will naturally return to the abyss."
"But it is still a demon; who knows if it might suddenly turn violent? After all, you mentioned it has already killed over thirty people."
"Alan… Alan is only trying to protect me, so…"
"That does not matter; it is too dangerous…"
Riley attempted to voice her concerns, but Balros interrupted her.
"Not at all. As long as its contract remains in place, it cannot harm its master. Moreover… I sense it is unlike what we imagine, right, big fellow? I think you need to clarify this."
With that, Balros produced a piece of charcoal from his pocket, while Alan understood and found a relatively flat stone among the rubble, scratching away with a flurry of movement.
This series of actions left Riley utterly astounded; she had never envisioned that a 'foolish,' 'bloodthirsty,' 'mad' little demon from her books could actually write!
Finally, after much hustle, Alan flipped the stone over, revealing the clearly written message: 'Damn woman, ungrateful.'
To be labeled as 'ungrateful' by a demon…
Riley felt she might be the first person in a hundred years to earn such a title.
Strangely enough, a peculiar sense of guilt inexplicably welled up within her.
"Do you see? This demon should be capable of communication, and as long as we escape, it will vanish on its own."
"But… didn't you come here on a commission to…"
Riley asked cautiously.
"In that case, you cannot remain in Byronwell."
Upon hearing Riley's words, Balros chuckled.
"Byronwell will only deteriorate further—first witches and sorcerers, then non-human races, followed by our learned scholars, and ultimately, those who oppose King Bortan. Soon, the only ones left will be King Bortan himself and his cook... As a demon hunter, I have lived for over four hundred years—I've grown accustomed to wandering and do not care where I reside."
Rustle…
It seemed Alan sensed something, hastily writing on the stone again.
'No idle chatter; there's the scent of torches. They are coming.'
Balros's expression grew serious upon reading those words.
"A demon's nose can detect scents from kilometers away. If it has caught wind of something, it means the witch hunters have begun to block the sewer exits and are searching for us."
"What should we do? There are only a few exits to the sewers in Byronwell, and… I don't know what has happened to the mages on the ship. Could they possibly…"
As Riley spoke, her words quickened, clearly realizing that had it not been for her impulsiveness, she and all the fleeing mages might have already been on their way to the Polyia Isles.
Now, not only had she become a sitting duck, but those mages might have already been captured and subjected to torment.
"Calm down, listen to me."
Balros made a hand sign toward Riley, and Alan's brow furrowed; yes, this was the 'induction technique' he had just learned.
Sure enough, after a subtle glimmer of light, Riley's previously agitated demeanor began to settle.
"I came here long ago, shortly after Byronwell was established. Back then, the original inhabitants were dwarves… The sewers were twice as large as they are now. After humans occupied Byronwell, they sealed off some of the tunnels to save on maintenance costs. If we can find those hidden pathways, we might be able to escape."
As Balros spoke, he glanced at Grellia, then seemed to sense something, pulling his hood further over his face.
"Little girl, keep your demon in check. Although it appears relatively rational, there are still risks. If it becomes uncontrollable, use your contract to restrain it."
"Um…"
Grellia nodded as she looked up at Alan.
'Sure, act quickly.'
"You might want to sniff this; it may help us locate the sewers once built by the dwarves."
With that, Balros produced a small vial from his waist—inside was a yellow liquid that, when opened, emitted a pungent odor strong enough to nearly overwhelm Alan, who was near it.
"What is this?"
Alan glared at Balros.
"It's merely a bit of dwarf bodily fluid… These fellows always seem to leave their essence at the end of their tunnels. The fungi that grow from their fluids tend to exude a similar scent—why they consider these mushrooms their 'signature' is beyond me."
Damn it, calling it 'bodily fluid' makes it sound so benign; Alan could tell just by the color that this substance was the dwarves' waste.
Nonetheless, at least there was a lead.
With that thought, Alan closed his eyes and began to discern the scents in the air.
Torches… sulfur… witch hunters.
The stench of blood… from the humans he had just slain.
Oily and fishy odors… likely from the moat they had just crossed.
Just as Alan was about to give up, a faint, pungent scent wafted into his nose.
Stronger than that of humans, it was identical to the noxious odor that had nearly knocked him out moments earlier.
Having confirmed his suspicion, Alan opened his eyes and pointed toward the passage on the left.
"Is that the way?"
Balros inquired.
Alan nodded.
"Very well, in that case, keep an eye on the walls around you. If you notice any signs of recent construction, it should indicate a sealed dwarf tunnel."
After speaking, Alan turned to grasp Grellia's hand but found that Riley had swiftly taken the initiative, pulling Grellia to her side while casting a wary glance at him.
"I… will carry her."
"No, I will not allow Grellia to be near a demon… As a friend of her mentor, I have an obligation to guide Grellia on the right path."
With a fervent gaze and righteous conviction, Riley left Alan speechless.
Clearly, in her eyes, he remained a 'dangerous figure attempting to lead others astray.'