The Ant Den
A girl with tanned skin and a face dotted with freckles tilted her head at me.
"Hey, you okay?"
She looked about Abigail's age. Her short orange ponytail suited the spirited young girl perfectly.
I smiled at her. "I'm fine. Thanks."
The girl flashed her teeth in a grin. "No problem. I saw those guards chasing you—you're just like us, huh."
"Like us?"
The girl slyly lifted the edge of her vest to show me, her voice low. "I pickpocketed one of those guards chasing you just a little while ago. Bet he'd come running after me the second he spotted me too."
"Ah."
The tent was dim, but my eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly. Her clothes were ragged, carrying an unpleasant smell. Even her cute face was smudged with grime here and there.
So, this girl who helped me was a pickpocket? But I didn't feel repulsed. Her cheerful smile probably had something to do with that—it wasn't off-putting at all.
"I'm Betty Rium. You?"
"I'm..."
I hesitated for a split second about giving Betty my real name. But no matter what, I couldn't reveal my identity. It wasn't that I didn't trust her. I just didn't want to see her friendly attitude change toward me now.
"I'm Ain Serus."
Serus was Annie's family name. Sorry, Annie.
Betty laughed at the makeshift alias and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ain."
"You too."
I took her hand and stood. The tent was so cramped that we had to hunch over once we were on our feet. Betty rapped lightly on the thin plank that served as a door.
"Hey, anyone there?"
A moment later, a small voice asked from the other side, "Password?"
"Croissant stuffed with tons of honey."
"Cleared."
It was a curt but very boyish voice. The plank door slid open silently, revealing the face of a boy much younger than me or Betty.
Betty handed him a small coin like it was routine and ruffled his hair. "Good job."
"Thanks, Betty sis."
The young boy beamed as he pocketed the coin. But his expression hardened when he saw me trailing behind.
"Who's this?"
His attempt at a stern face was downright comical—like a kid forcing himself to mimic an adult.
Betty glanced back at me with a playful tone. "Dunno. New recruit?"
"Her? She's a noble, isn't she?"
It was too dark to make out my face clearly, so the boy scowled as he eyed my clothes up and down.
Betty turned to fully look at me. "You a noble?"
"Uh... no."
I lied again. Admitting I was a noble here might get me chased right back out into the alleys swarming with guards.
"But my family's kinda well-off."
I couldn't hide the quality of my clothes, so I fudged it a bit. Still, the boy clearly didn't like me.
"Boss! Why bring in a girl like her...!"
"Shh."
Betty pressed a finger to her lips and winked at him. She pulled another small coin from her sleeve.
"Look the other way just this once, for my sake."
She tucked it into his waistband, and the boy's scowl softened.
I watched the bribery unfold in real time with wide-eyed fascination.
"Hmph. Just this once."
The boy huffed with exaggerated haughtiness and turned to me with his nose in the air. "Cleared."
"Thanks."
I whispered to Betty as I followed her. "He's cute."
"Right?"
Betty giggled and led the way. We didn't go far before a ladder leading underground came into view. She climbed down with practiced ease, and I followed suit.
"We call this the ant den. It's a network of tunnels connected all over the city."
"Ant den, huh."
She wasn't kidding. I walked along, marveling at the surroundings. The underground passages were crude and filthy, with a strange stench hanging in the air. But seeing how they stretched on endlessly, I could tell a ton of effort had gone into them. And Betty, the one called "boss," was still just a kid. The door guard looked even younger. It was hard to believe children had dug out this hideout.
"You guys made all this?"
Betty burst out laughing as she strode confidently through the dark tunnel. "No way! Merchants dug this out secretly for some shady construction project and abandoned it. They're off in another region now—no chance of running into them—and we've fixed it up nice for ourselves."
"I see."
A massive tunnel system right under the city. Anyone in the know would be shocked.
Betty led me deep inside. I'd only followed her at first to dodge the guards, but now my curiosity about the place was piqued. As I kept glancing around, Betty said in an embarrassed tone, "Kinda embarrassing having a rich girl like you inspect everything."
"It's a great spot."
"Perfect for hiding out."
She winked and cleared some junk piled in a corner before asking, "So, why were the guards after you?"
"Oh."
That jogged my memory of Ren and Ian. I needed to get back to Ren fast. Sweet, innocent Ren was probably still waiting patiently for me. Ian, not so much.
"I was window-shopping and got into it with some drunks."
"But why were they so dead set on catching you?"
"The drunks started it, but my companions beat the crap out of them."
"Pfft—haha!"
Betty threw her head back in hearty laughter, filling the narrow tunnel. I worried the echo might carry to the surface. I glanced up, and she slapped my shoulder.
"I really like you!"
"Thanks."
Betty navigated the maze-like paths with ease until she reached a spot that didn't look like a door at all. She placed her hand on it, and I noticed the subtle difference in color from the surrounding wall. It slid back slowly.
"Here we are. Come on in."
"Whoa."
It really felt like a secret base. Unable to contain my curiosity, I crawled through the narrow opening—it was so tight I had to get on my stomach.
"Boss! Why'd you take so long?"
Inside, contrary to my expectations, the place was crawling with little kids. Betty spread her arms wide toward them.
"I'm back! My siblings!"
The kids swarmed her with cheers of "Whoaaa!"
"Boss, you were gone so long I thought you'd been caught for sure this time."
"Haha, you rascal."
Betty laughed and flicked the mischievous kid on the forehead. I watched from the back, taking it all in. Then a big-eyed little girl spotted me and pointed.
"Who's that big sis?"
"..."
All a dozen or so pairs of eyes in the room turned to me. I'd faced down the intense stares of entire knight orders without flinching, but this made me oddly nervous. Truth was, I wasn't great with kids. And these were mostly toddlers just starting to talk.
"Whoa, she's pretty."
"Is sis an angel?"
"H-Haha."
The kids crowded around with sparkling eyes, and it was overwhelming. Betty just watched with her arms crossed, not planning to help.
Someone tugged at my long hair from behind.
"Um, wanna eat this?"
I pulled out the half-eaten honey bread from my pocket. The kids' eyes locked onto it instantly. But I didn't have much left. No choice—I turned it into a game.
"Not enough for everyone, so rock-paper-scissors."
"What's that?"
"Well, it's like..."
I explained the rules, and they picked it up quick. Soon they were playing among themselves, the room erupting in chaos.
"Rock-paper-scissors! Yes!"
A cheeky boy struck a victory pose, beaming with pride. He turned to me, yelling excitedly.
"Me! I won!"
"Good job. Here."
I handed him the bread. The other kids, fired up by the sight of him munching, dove back in with even more enthusiasm.
"Yay! I won this time!"
The big-eyed girl from earlier giggled wildly and latched onto my leg. "Pretty sis! Me too, me too—bread!"
"Okay, okay."
I gave it out one by one until it was gone. I'd only bought a little to share with Ren—wish I'd gotten more now. Betty jumped in to console the disappointed kids.
"Alright, this rich sis'll bring even more next time. We'll eat tons then, got it?"
"Yesss~"
Ignoring my protesting glare with a cheeky grin, Betty grabbed my hand and led me away. She opened a door connected to the kids' room, and we slipped into the room beyond, leaving the clamor behind.
"This your room?"
"Perks of being boss, I guess."
She lit a lamp, revealing a cozy little space. The narrow room held a rickety desk and chair, plus a wooden bed barely big enough for one kid.
Betty shrugged off her vest carelessly. The free-spirited vibe suited her perfectly. I scanned the papers scattered messily on the desk—sloppy handwriting like writing practice, but all names, scrawled like doodles. Some looked familiar, making me squint in doubt. Were they really who I thought?
Suddenly, a small, tanned hand thrust into my view.
"What?"
"Gotta pay up for the help."
Betty grinned down at me, munching on an apple in one hand and waggling the other lazily.
"I got you all the way here safe. Guards'll give up by dawn. You chill here till then, pay me what it's worth, and we're square. Deal?"
I'd figured she'd ask for money. But learning so much about this place in just a few hours? And letting me go without threats? Unbelievable.
"You're just gonna let me leave?"
"Nah, not without paying up fair. You're loaded, right?"
Betty flashed a knowing smile.
"Isn't that so, Lady Abigail Carpoem?"