The Cleaner's Sanctuary
The cold air outside the lodging brushed my face.
In the lower tier at night, lights were scattered everywhere.
Each building had glowing billboards, and mana lamps were lit over the stalls, but these lights faded quickly as you moved even a little off the main streets.
Below the broken pipes and sealed passages, the darkness was so thick that even one person squatting there would be hard to notice until you passed by.
It wasn’t a good neighborhood even during the day.
At night, it became even more obvious.
“This way.”
Narin led the way.
She was holding my bag in one hand.
Just a moment ago, she had been hugging it to her chest and even sniffing the scent, but now outside, her face was expressionless as if nothing had happened.
However, she still held the bag close to her body.
Every time the alley curved, she would take a few steps ahead, then stop and wait for me to catch up before moving again.
She was doing it for my protection.
There was no need to ask her to slow down.
I got used to the path from half a step behind.
Whether the house was spacious or had good facilities was a problem for later.
How far to the main street.
Where the nearby station was.
More importantly, whether it would be easy to come and go when I needed to move outside.
At least for now, even if I relied on Narin, I would have to find places to get treatment and ways to earn money myself.
“How long will it take?”
“About fifteen minutes.”
“Walking?”
“Yes.”
“The nearby station?”
“The closed one?”
“Yeah. The one that still runs.”
Narin thought for a moment.
“About twenty minutes.”
“That’s fine.”
It was a bit away from crowded areas, but not so far that movement would be inconvenient.
It was rather suitable for hiding my body for a while.
Crossing one main street, the height of the surrounding buildings noticeably decreased.
In their place, rusted iron pillars lined the road.
Looking up, the high-speed railway that had stopped running long ago stretched long into the darkness.
Broken wires hung in the middle, and under the rails, makeshift shelters made of tents and metal plates were packed tightly together.
“That?”
“Yes.”
“Is the control room up there?”
“A bit further.”
Three men who had been talking ahead spotted us.
At first, there was no reaction.
Then, the moment they recognized Narin, their voices cut off.
One of them even secretly hid the cigarette he was smoking behind his back.
Narin walked past without looking back.
After seeing this reaction a few times, I was no longer surprised.
The fearful or hesitant glances were already familiar.
It would be even better if the incidents of provocation decreased like before.
“Narin.”
“Yes.”
“People avoid this area near your home too?”
“They don’t come anymore.”
“Why?”
“Once they come, they don’t come again.”
“... What does that mean.”
Narin turned to me.
“I like it quiet.”
That was the end of the explanation.
I didn’t need to ask how she made it quiet.
There were few people, and Narin’s name was well known in the area.
What I needed to know was enough with that.
After walking a block or so, Narin suddenly stopped.
I stopped too.
“Why?”
Instead of answering, her gaze turned to the right alley.
I saw nothing.
A narrow alley without light.
A few seconds later, a small metallic sound came from inside.
Followed by footsteps quickly retreating, as if something had been touched by mistake.
“Is it someone you know?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“I was being watched.”
“What?”
Narin closed her mouth for a moment.
“You.”
I looked inside the alley again.
Eventually, no one was visible.
But I wasn’t particularly surprised.
Probably someone sent by Noona.
She said she wouldn’t touch me if I lived quietly, so I didn’t think she would just let me go.
Since she had saved one family member, she would check what I was doing.
This was expected.
Moreover, seeing her follow so obviously, it seemed she had no immediate intention to do anything.
“Should I kill them?”
Narin looked like she didn’t like that idea.
“No.”
Before the answer finished, she cut in.
“Just leave them. As long as they’re just watching, it’s fine.”
“... Yes.”
The answer was given, but Narin’s gaze stayed on the alley for a while.
If she noticed them first from that distance, there was definitely one bodyguard.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Narin, who had started walking again, this time didn’t lead.
She stuck close to my side.
The distance was closer than before, and every step, her sleeve occasionally brushed against me.
She didn’t seem to intend to pull away, but I didn’t say anything.
As long as she noticed danger first, it was fine wherever I stood.
After walking a few more minutes along under the closed railway.
A large structure appeared above the high-speed railway.
It was more like hanging in the middle of the tracks than standing between buildings.
Most windows were blocked with metal plates, and faint remnants of the old line number remained on the outer wall where it had been erased long ago.
Narin stopped.
“We’re here.”
I looked up.
At least from outside, it didn’t look like a place where people lived.
“You live here?”
“Yes.”
It was hard to believe even after seeing it again.
Looking at the old steel beams and walls, I wondered if it would collapse if touched.
On the contrary, that was not bad.
Since there was no sign that anyone lived there, it was good for hiding.
“Where is the entrance?”
“Here.”
Narin headed toward the pillar below the tracks.
Before getting close, it looked like just a rusty wall, but on the side, a handle was cleverly hidden.
When Narin raised her hand, faint light entered the dark wall.
Beep—.
A short authentication sound.
Soon after, sounds of the lock unlocking came from inside one after another.
Click.
Click.
Metallic sounds ringing one after another.
There were more than one or two.
“How many locks?”
“Seven.”
“... Why so many?”
“To be safe.”
“Seven?”
“Yes.”
It was sincere.
Narin’s standard was that I would lose if I tried to understand.
When the door slid to the side, a narrow staircase appeared.
The inside was dark, but the moment Narin stepped in, lights along the ceiling turned on one by one.
Contrary to expectation, there was almost no dust or mold smell.
“Did you fix it yourself?”
“Yes.”
“You know how to do this too?”
“A little.”
The wiring along the wall was neatly arranged, and between the old facilities, parts that looked relatively new were installed.
It wasn’t a makeshift facility.
It didn’t seem like it had been touched for just a year or two.
“How long have you been living here?”
“A long time.”
“How long?”
“About nine years.”
“Quite a while.”
“Yes.”
Thirteen years had passed since we were separated, and nine of them living here.
It had been attached longer than I thought.
Of course, I didn’t need to ask about those years.
What mattered was how long I could use this place.
“Did the city government not touch it?”
“They don’t come.”
“Not even once?”
“A few times.”
“Then?”
“They left.”
“You?”
“Those people.”
The foot that had been climbing the stairs stopped for a moment.
“How?”
“I told them to go.”
“Just by words?”
“... Yes.”
I briefly looked at the back of Narin’s head.
“... I see.”
I wonder if it was just words.
Anyway, since they didn’t come back, it seemed effective.
There was no need to inquire about the details.
At the end of the stairs, there was another door.
This time, Narin didn’t grab the handle but lightly tapped the wall.
Tap. Tap.
After a while, the ceiling corner opened, and a small lens came down.
Whirr—.
Red light swept across Narin’s face.
Soon the lens turned toward me.
“Stay still.”
“What are you doing?”
“Registration.”
“Already?”
The red light scanned my face once.
After a while, a small text floated beside the door.
[Unregistered Entity]
Narin brought her hand and pressed the screen several times.
[Permission Added]
[Top-Level Entry Permission]
“Wait.”
“Yes.”
“Top-level?”
“Yes.”
“I came here for the first time today?”
“Because you’re the Young Master.”
She said it as if it was natural.
It seemed a bit fast.
But I had no intention of lowering it.
During the time I stayed here, it would be much easier to have my own authority than calling Narin every time I opened the door.
“Are other people registered?”
“None.”
“Only me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came unusually fast.
Narin stared at the registration info floating on the screen for a while.
Then, the corners of her mouth slightly lifted.
Adding one entry permission was that good?
Click—.
The inner door opened.
Beyond that was wider than expected.
It seemed like it had been a place where several employees worked in the past, with a long console left in the center, and an old line map still attached to one wall.
The inside was so clean that the word abandoned facility didn’t fit.
There was almost no dust on the floor, and the lights were working.
On the old console, a modern terminal was connected, and inside the windows blocked with metal plates, there was an additional lock.
“Surprisingly clean.”
“I fixed it.”
“You can do this alone?”
“Yes.”
With nine years, there was nothing she couldn’t do.
But this was too good to use as a place to sleep for a few days and leave.
The entrance was also not easily noticeable, and from the outside, it looked like a completely abandoned facility.
Most importantly, people around didn’t come close because of Narin.
It was quite good conditions to use as a temporary base until I found ways to continue treatment and sources of income.
“Other entrances?”
“There are two more.”
“Earlier you said one.”
“Other people can’t use them.”
“You can?”
“Yes.”
“Then there are three entrances.”
“The Young Master can’t use them.”
“Why?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“How?”
“If it falls, you die.”
“You?”
“I don’t fall.”
Only now did I understand what she meant.
For me, it wasn’t an entrance.
“Tell me the location only in emergencies.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why.”
“I can take you out.”
There was no hesitation.
Considering the movement a moment ago, it didn’t seem like pretense.
There was no reason to insist on memorizing the dangerous path.
“Okay. Do that yourself.”
“Yes.”
Narin nodded her head satisfiedly.
My bag was still clutched to her chest.
“Is it not heavy?”
“It’s not heavy.”
“You’re carrying it all the time?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the Young Master’s.”
Was the explanation given?
There was no need to argue since she wasn’t asking to return it.
I slowly looked around the central space.
On one side, there was a small kitchen with water coming out properly from the faucet.
Several cooking utensils were visible.
On the opposite side, there was a bathroom and storage, and even a communication relay connected separately between the old facilities.
“Electricity?”
“It’s on.”
“It’s an abandoned facility?”
“I brought it.”
“From where.”
“From the nearby power line.”
“Is it illegal?”
“Probably.”
“Water too?”
“I brought it.”
“... I see.”
It might be strange to question that in the lower tier.
I wasn’t paying the fee either.
All I needed to do was check if it could be cut off at any time.
“If the power is cut off?”
“There’s a backup power.”
“How long?”
“About three weeks.”
“Food?”
“There is.”
“If we eat two people?”
Narin thought for a moment.
“About a month and a half.”
“That’s enough.”
At least, I didn’t need to go out for food and sleep issues right away.
During that time, I could find ways to continue treatment.
I didn’t have to keep eating the hidden money for living expenses.
Securing a place of this level just three days after the family collapsed wasn’t a bad start.
“Is the communication stable?”
“Yes.”
“If someone finds out this location?”
“I’ll know before they come.”
“If I can’t notice?”
“There won’t be such a thing.”
Her confidence was great.
But even so, thinking about what Narin showed today, it didn’t seem like mere pretense.
I looked around once more.
It was hard to find from outside, and the entrance was limited.
With almost all living taken care of inside, it seemed there would be no problem holding out for a while as long as I secured treatment and income separately.
“This is fine.”
“... Really?”
Narin turned around immediately.
The expressionless face from when she was explaining the facilities became noticeably bright.
“Yeah. It’s much better than I thought.”
“Where are we going?”
“Why are you asking so detailed all of a sudden.”
“I’m curious.”
“Hmm.”
She was looking at me waiting for an answer.
It was similar to when I was little and something went well and was evaluated.
I looked around again.
“The security is the best.”
“... Security.”
“It doesn’t show from outside, and it’s hard for anyone to come in. Power or communication seems no problem for a while.”
“Yes.”
“You did well.”
The corners of Narin’s mouth slowly rose.
At the same time, faint red light seeped out from behind her waist.
“Huh?”
The light stretched thinly.
At first, I thought it was a bit stronger mana, but before a few seconds passed, it formed a familiar shape.
A translucent red tail.
The tip was spreading with faint light and then gathering again repeatedly.
Swish.
The tail moved once.
And again.
Swish swish.
“...”
Just looking at the face, it was the usual Narin.
Except for the tail swishing behind.
In the past, when emotions rose, such things would come out.
In severe cases, ears would appear, and sometimes just the tail like now.
When the mood calmed, the mana-created form would naturally disappear.
“Narin.”
“Yes.”
“The tail came out.”
“...”
The swishing tail stopped abruptly.
Narin slowly turned around.
“You didn’t see?”
“I was looking.”
“I didn’t see.”
“... I see.”
I didn’t press it.
But the tail didn’t seem to intend to disappear.
Instead, when I raised my hand, the tip moved slightly again.
So that’s it.
Before I put my hand on my head, Narin lowered her upper body first.
The top of her head naturally slid under my palm.
“Good job.”
I stroked her hair a couple of times.
“Yes.”
Swish swish.
The tail behind moved faster than before.
Her face looks calm, but she’s too honest.
“You seem to like this a lot.”
“Yes.”
This time, she didn’t deny it.
After stroking a few more times, the tail moved for a while and then slowly faded.
The red light gradually loosened and disappeared without a trace.
Narin looked up with a slightly regretful face as I took my hand away.
“End.”
“... Yes.”
She listens well.
Up to now, that was enough.
With this level of shelter for free, and Narin attached to protection, there was almost no loss on my side.
There might be a little more hassle, but for now, surviving and rebuilding my base was the priority.
“Then, where should I sleep?”
“There is.”
“An empty room?”
“Yes.”
The answer came too fast.
“Was it originally a storage place?”
“No.”
“Then, the room you used?”
“No.”
“Then, why is there an empty room?”
This time, the answer didn’t come immediately.
Narin looked at my face for a moment.
“It’s just there.”
“... I see?”
It was a bit strange.
But if she had lived there for nine years, there might be one empty room.
The control room itself was also wider than expected.
Narin headed into the central space.
I followed her into a short corridor.
There were three doors.
I passed the first door as is.
The second was the same.
In front of the innermost door, Narin stopped.
“Here.”
“The room I’ll use?”
“Yes.”
Narin put her hand on the handle.
But she didn’t open it right away.
She looked at my face once.
Then looked at the door again.
The expression on her face was of a different kind of tension from when she was shaking her tail earlier.
“Why?”
“... Nothing.”
“Not that kind of face.”
“It’s fine.”
The hand holding the handle gained a little strength.
When showing the whole house, she hadn’t been like that.
What was inside that she was tense about.
“Can I go in?”
“Yes.”
The answer was given, but the door was still closed.
When I reached for the handle, Narin slowly opened the door.
Click—.
Faint light seeped through the gap.
I tried to look inside but stopped for a moment.
Because Narin was looking at my face, not the room.
As if waiting for some reaction.
“This is the Young Master’s room.”