Chapter 44
**CHAPTER 43: The Underground Labyrinth**
In the office of Dongye, the walls were papered with crimson wallpaper, and luxurious decorations adorned every corner, lending the room an undeniably sophisticated atmosphere.
*Scraping sound.*
From behind the desk in that office, a man was diligently handling official business. On the polished nameplate atop the desk, the title of Chief Superintendent and the name Yebak were engraved in large letters.
Not long ago, he had held the position of section chief, but his accumulated service time had finally caught up with him, and the merit of resolving a chain of disappearances alongside Haru’s party had earned him the promotion to chief superintendent several days earlier.
*Knock, knock.*
The sound of someone knocking at the door made Yebak pause his work and swing the door wide open.
“Welcome. Are you Chief Jubern?”
“Yes, that’s correct. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Watching Yebak resolve the request alongside Haru’s party in Dongye not long ago, Jubern had decided he was trustworthy enough to request his cooperation in the investigation.
When Jubern extended his hand, Yebak took it and firmly shook it.
“Please take a seat over here.”
“No, that would be inappropriate. How could I, a mere guest, dare to occupy the head seat?”
“Even so, Chief Jubern….”
“No, Superintendent Yebak….”
“….”
Yebak, who had prepared a simple light meal, tried to lead Jubern to the head seat, but Jubern steadfastly refused.
After exchanging the head seat with each other for a while, they finally sat side by side with the head seat empty.
“I heard stories about you when the group stayed in Dongye before. It is a great honor to meet the new star of Seo-Wang Kingdom in person.”
*Huh…? New star of Seo-Wang Kingdom? What does that mean?*
Jubern asked with a puzzled expression.
“New star of Seo-Wang Kingdom? I’ve never heard of that before. What do you mean?”
“Really? Perhaps you weren’t aware? Didn’t the Western King’s Capital get attacked by bandits last time? The young hero who repelled the assault was widely called the new star of Seo-Wang Kingdom. I heard that it was you, Chief Jubern, from the people there.”
“Heh, heh hem…! Is that so? What an extravagant title. Heh heh heh!”
Overwhelmed by Yebak’s nonstop praise, Jubern could no longer hold back his embarrassment, his face flushing red.
All he had done was stall for time, and the ones who had truly repelled the yokai were Natalie and her allies.
“I also heard that you have deep gratitude toward you from them. As a guard lieutenant, I would like to express my sincere thanks.”
“Haha, Chief Jubern. If anything, I owe you. And I simply did what any dutiful person would do.”
As the conversation flowed, the two developed a deep mutual trust and closeness. Once the moment felt ripe, they finally turned to the main topic.
Yebak, who had no idea that Jubern had secretly followed Haru’s party, recounted every detail he had witnessed and experienced while performing the request with Haru’s group.
Although Jubern already knew the general outline, whenever new information emerged in the middle, he nodded and listened quietly to Yebak’s words without interruption.
What astonished him most was that the hiding place the yokai had chosen was not a simple cave but a surprisingly large-scale structure.
To think that such an enormous underground structure existed on the outskirts of Dongye—Jubern was certain he would find the answers he sought there.
*As expected, it was a good idea to find this person.*
“No need to look further. We should examine the site immediately.”
Thinking that perhaps the matter might resolve more easily than expected, Jubern started to rise, but Yebak showed reluctance and tried to stop him.
“Chief Jubern, I hate to sound like I’m pouring cold water, but investigating the site right now is nearly impossible.”
“Nearly impossible? What is the reason?”
“A strict control has been established under the command of Count Blanser.”
*Count Blanser…? His name appears here as well.*
“Count Blanser—who exactly is that? Could you provide more detailed information about him?”
“Count Blanser is His Majesty the King’s closest aide and the deputy commander of the Central Knights’ Division, one of the kingdom’s elite forces. Not just the royal capital, but one of the real powers governing the entire kingdom. Given His Majesty’s trust, his strength leaves no room for doubt.”
“I see. In that case, the fact that control is being exercised….”
Furrowing his brow, Jubern let his words trail off. Yebak continued from behind him.
“Yes, there was also the request from Haru-nim, and there were too many suspicious points. I had been conducting my own investigations in the meantime. Probably, there exists something that the general public should not be exposed to in that place.”
“Count Blanser is a suspicious individual. It is likely that the information the Dongye side provided us was influenced by his words.”
“…Since things have come to this, Chief Jubern, what do you intend to do from here?”
“Even if control is being exercised, we cannot retreat here. We must confirm with our own eyes what is happening in that place.”
Closing his eyes, Jubern took a deep breath, then slowly rose from his seat and stroked the hilt of the sword at his waist.
“Then I will assist you, Superintendent.”
“Will you be leaving your post to accompany me?”
“If I were still in my position as section chief, it would be impossible, but my current title is chief superintendent. Hehe. Fortunately, I have the freedom to move about as I please.”
Yebak, soaked in pride as Dongye’s chief superintendent, proudly pointed to his own chest.
“I know the geography of the area well, so I will be able to offer you some small assistance.”
“Thank you! With Superintendent Yebak helping, the matter will go smoothly! I’m truly grateful!”
After firmly shaking hands once more, the two agreed on a few simple signals only they would understand, then waited for the night before slipping out of Dongye under cover of darkness.
* * *
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The intense heat that had raged day and night just days earlier had gradually receded, as if promising the arrival of next year.
As night fell and the sun vanished, replaced by the moon, a gentle breeze blew, lightly brushing against their cheeks.
“We’re here. The cave entrance we entered back then is right over there.”
Following Yebak’s guidance, Jubern safely reached the edge of Seo-Wang Kingdom’s territory beyond the Floating Lake.
This place was one Jubern had visited once before when secretly tailing Haru’s party, yet the terrain felt subtly different from before.
All traces of daily life in the area had been neatly removed, and whether intentional or not, the cave entrance had been concealed by overgrown bushes….
*But… why does this feel so sloppy? Is this really a yokai lair?*
It was a far cry from how Teraden had assessed it the first time they visited.
“We should wait here briefly and observe their movements.”
Hidden in the darkness, Jubern and Yebak scanned every detail of the surroundings.
Around the cave entrance, two knights on a rotating shift of two people every half-hour were lying in wait. The two paid especially close attention to their conversation.
“Do you remember the training grounds? That coach guy—what is he doing now?”
“Well, he’s probably living well on his own. By the way, not the first time or second, but doing night duty at an awkward hour, I’m exhausted.”
“This friend really is in big trouble! Is vacation canceled and he wants to take extra training? Since it’s almost over, you should just chat and get through it.”
“Heh hem! Exactly. But I heard the division leader and deputy division leader don’t get along. Do you know why?”
“Parachute? Plus, His Majesty doesn’t tolerate any disobedience in front of him, so the division leader must hate him.”
After several hours had passed, tension eased, and it was time for sleep to overwhelm them.
Even Jubern and Yebak, who had been listening carefully to every pointless conversation, began moving.
“Then let’s move.”
“Understood. I’ll take the lead, Chief Jubern.”
*Pat, pat.*
Exactly one moment before the shift change.
*Thud! Boom!*
Approaching the knights on silent feet, Jubern and Yebak quickly knocked out the two on duty.
They stripped the sleeping knights of their uniforms and belongings, then buried them in the ground so they wouldn’t die.
“These two are named Gray and Baeksan. I will take on the role of Baeksan, so you may play Gray, Chief Jubern.”
Dressed in the knights’ uniforms and covered from head to toe with masks, the two took their places.
Just as they began patrolling the entrance, an unfamiliar presence emerged from deeper inside the cave.
“Stop! Stop!”
Yebak signaled the approaching figure for the shift change.
“Hands up, turn around.”
Unaware that their predecessors had been replaced, the knights followed Yebak’s words without the slightest suspicion.
After exchanging the appropriate signals and completing the handover, Jubern and Yebak successfully infiltrated the cave.
If time passed, their intrusion would eventually be discovered, but by then all would already be finished.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, let’s.”
Holding a torch, Yebak led the way while Jubern followed from behind into the cave.
*Knock, knock.*
As Jubern descended the stairs, he lightly tapped the wall with his fingers, and a dull sound echoed.
*Not only the walls but the floor as well are smooth. It looks like granite or marble was used. It feels almost like a city. Who in their right mind would build something like this for what purpose?*
Jubern walked along the circular stairs that continued endlessly into the depths underground and felt the same odd sensation he had experienced before when Haru had first sensed it here—a maze-like layout.
“The depth we’re descending seems to be at least twenty or so zhang. As you said earlier, it’s truly immense.”
“The stairs have ended, and a corridor should appear soon.”
After the long stairs ended and they passed through a dimly lit corridor, they were greeted by the first chamber filled with strange machines.
Several people in knight uniforms were moving about busily inside, but since they were too absorbed in their own tasks to spare any attention for newcomers, Jubern and Yebak remained unnoticed.
The two still had no idea what the people there were actually doing.
Yebak approached and whispered quietly.
“This… something feels definitely off. There was nothing like this when I came last time. What should we do, Chief Jubern?”
“It would be better to go deeper for now. The timing isn’t quite right to cause a disturbance yet.”
“I understand, Chief Jubern.”
Having agreed on their plan, the two continued to advance further inward.