Chapter 399: Karmic Fire (Part 9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 399: Karmic Fire (Part 9)
Within the dim tunnel, Muen followed the nimble Rabbit as they moved quickly into the depths.
The passage was narrow, once again forcing Muen to stoop just to pass through. Fortunately, it was no longer a series of vertical drops and climbs; the path was level, suggesting that as long as they kept moving forward, they would reach their destination.
Upon closer observation, Muen began to believe that this tunnel had indeed been dug by the little girl before him.
The walls were covered in pickaxe marks. Each stroke was nearly identical, clearly the work of the same person using the same tool. Judging by the degree of weathering, the further they went, the older the excavations seemed to be.
This entire intricate network of tunnels appeared to have been carved out bit by bit over a vast stretch of time, using nothing but the girl’s spindly, reed-thin arms and the rusted pickaxe in her hand.
As her dirty white dress fluttered ahead of him, an image formed in Muen’s mind: a stubborn little girl, hacking away at the earth with a pickaxe and laboriously hauling away soil and stone with her tiny hands.
Time flowed on, day after day, without rest.
"Hey, Miss Rabbit," Muen suddenly asked. "How long have you been digging?"
"I don't know," Rabbit replied without looking back. "It must have been a long time. I can't remember."
"Did no one help you?"
"No." Rabbit shook her head. "Once, those people thought I was doing something stupid. They thought I was desecrating the Goddess, so they wouldn't let me dig. Um, that was before the round moon came out."
"The Goddess... do you remember her Honorific Name?"
"The Goddess is the Goddess. What's an Honorific Name?" Rabbit turned back, looking confused.
"Oh." A subtle light flickered in Muen’s eyes. He gave a small nod and smiled. "Just assume I’m talking nonsense again, like before. To continue our conversation—they didn't let you dig back then, but what about now? After that round thing appeared?"
"Now... everyone is stuck here and can't leave, so they don't bother me anymore. But they still think I'm doing something stupid."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Rabbit tilted her head. "Maybe what I'm doing just looks really stupid to them."
For no reason at all, Muen’s heart tightened.
Rabbit’s expression remained calm, as if she were answering a question that had nothing to do with her. Her cheeks were puffed out as she sucked on something, making her speech slightly muffled.
It was the pit of the fruit from earlier. She hadn't been willing to spit it out, keeping it in her mouth like a piece of candy. But Muen knew that the pits of most fruits weren't sweet; they were usually quite bitter.
"Then... may I ask why you're digging this hole?" Muen asked cautiously, looking into Rabbit’s pitch-black eyes.
After all this time, he couldn't help but ask.
"Why am I digging?" Rabbit’s small face went blank, as if she hadn't expected anyone to ever ask her that. She stopped walking and scratched her head, sinking into a long, distant memory.
"I have to think about that. It must have been a very, very long time ago... Ah, I remember now."
After a moment of reflection, Rabbit’s dark eyes suddenly brightened, as if a warm light had shone into their depths.
"I want to see the sun!"
"The sun?" Muen froze. "Which sun?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Muen wanted to slap himself.
Which sun could it be? It had to be the warm sun that shone upon all living things outside this kingdom. Because here, there was no sun.
"Mama told me once that the sun has the rind of an orange, the warmth of a furnace, and the kindness of an old man. I don't know what an orange or a furnace is, but they must be very wonderful things. So, I want to go see it."
Rabbit’s eyes blinked. Her previously numb face now wore a smile full of hope. Even the grime and dust on her seemed a bit more endearing.
"So..." Muen was silent for a moment. "You've gone through all this hardship, digging this tunnel, just to catch a glimpse of the sun?"
"Mm-hmm!" Rabbit nodded vigorously. "If I can, I want to see the moon too. Mama said that although the moon isn't as warm as the sun and doesn't have an orange's rind, it carries people's longing. People watch the moon together when they reunite. It’s a very gentle thing."
"The moon..." Muen’s lips trembled. He wanted to tell her that she had already seen the moon—that round thing she had mentioned.
But the moon in Rabbit’s heart was something as beautiful as the sun. How could it be that cold, indifferent, fake thing currently hanging in the sky, looking down upon this kingdom?
A little girl chasing a sun she had never seen... it was like something out of a fairy tale.
"Can I give you a hug?" Muen said suddenly.
"Eh?" Rabbit didn't seem to understand.
"I want to hug you," Muen repeated, making his expression as gentle as possible.
Rabbit stared at him blankly. "You have a scent on you that I hate."
"Ah..."
"But," Rabbit smiled, "I don't hate you."
Muen smiled back, leaned down, and pulled the little girl into his arms.
"It’s so warm," Rabbit whispered, nuzzling against Muen’s chest. "Is the sun this warm?"
"No." Muen held her, stroking her hair with pity, and answered with certainty, "The sun is even warmer than this."
*
"We're here."
The rest of the path wasn't long. Rabbit led Muen through the final stretch of the tunnel to the exit.
The exit was very crude—just a weathered wooden plank set against a back door, serving as a makeshift entrance. However, the last person to pass through seemed to have forgotten to close it properly. The door was slightly ajar, and a cacophony of noise—like the wailing of damned souls from hell—grated against the nerves.
Muen silently scanned the marks in front of the dilapidated door and nodded. "Yes, Liya was definitely here."
"Then my job is done."
"Yes. Thank you, Miss Rabbit," Muen thanked her sincerely.
Rabbit looked at him for a long time. Just as he was about to step forward, she couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to ask about anything else?"
"Anything else?"
"Yes. About us, about what's inside... about the Indigenous People." Rabbit’s gaze seemed to pierce through the simple wooden door, yet it also remained fixed on Muen. "I know a lot about those things. Since you gave me so much fruit, I can tell you."
Muen was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "No need. I’ve probably already guessed it—about you, the Indigenous People, the Church’s intentions, and... about what lies beyond this door."
Muen’s hand gripped the edge of the door. "So, I don't need to ask those questions. I only have one regret."
"Regret? Do you regret coming here?"
"No. I regret letting Liya come here alone."
Listening to the chaotic, soul-shredding noise echoing in his mind, Muen spoke softly, "The sights inside must be terrifying for someone as kind as Liya."
"Do you like that person called Liya?" Rabbit asked, tilting her head.
"Yes," Muen replied. "Just like you like the sun."
"Then you mustn't give up." Rabbit brandished her pickaxe like a general wielding a sword, baring her teeth like an agitated bunny. "I don't know if the sun is waiting for me, but she is definitely waiting for you."
"What do you know, you little brat?" Muen teased with a laugh. "Do I look like the type of person who gives up?"
No, of course he wouldn't give up. Because he had told the girl: Wait for me.
So, even though he knew how terrifying the things inside were, he still stood there.
"I said I would make you the Saintess."
Muen pushed open the door, greeting a world of darkness and light.
"I’ve come to fulfill my promise, Liya."