Chapter 499: An Enemy of the Past
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 499: An Enemy of the Past
The sky was a sea of gray mist. As the fog surged, the faint silhouette of another towering, inverted city could be seen.
Everything was shrouded in endless darkness and deathly silence. Ghostly shadows flickered occasionally in the depths of the gloom, accompanied by the echoing sounds of chaotic roars and whispers. The city's outline loomed like a terrifying, dormant demon.
Muen looked up. They truly seemed to be in a city nearly identical to Belland; at the very least, he recognized the Favran Street they had just traversed.
However, this place looked as though it had been ravaged by time. Everything was dilapidated, with rust and moss crawling over the walls and doors. The shattered windows held no sign of life.
At the end of the alley, he saw mist dividing the space like a wall. Beyond the mist lay nothing but a void.
As Celicia had said, this place was broken. It was no longer the complete Shadow of Belland, but likely just a fragment of what it once was.
Yet, the fact that such a place still existed—and had fallen into the hands of the Inner Council—was entirely unexpected.
"Heh, the more we explore, the more alarming it becomes."
Celicia looked up. The sign above them was weathered, but the words were still legible.
Favran Food Processing Factory. It shared the same name as the street.
This was likely the reflection of the actual food processing factory, and the place where those people hid their secrets.
The sewers.
The abandoned black market trading grounds.
A factory where no one actually worked.
And then... this place.
One layer of camouflage after another. Had she not been the Princess of this empire, capable of accessing the complete sewer blueprints and knowing the location of the abandoned black market—and had she not possessed an ancient artifact to bypass the heavy security—they never would have found it.
And had Muen not possessed the ability to read information directly from souls, uncovering hidden traces, anyone else would have simply wandered through the layers of deception and found nothing.
"There shouldn't be many guards here, right?"
"Likely not. This place is completely isolated from the outside world and very secure. Besides, for those people, the fewer who know about this place, the better."
"Makes sense."
Without further hesitation, the two walked side-by-side toward the depths of the facility.
Although they had left no traces at the secret door or the stairs, the death of several guards would eventually alert the mastermind.
However, there was one advantage to this place being so deeply hidden and known by so few: even if the guards outside discovered an intrusion, they wouldn't immediately think of this location.
In fact, it wasn't just that they wouldn't think of it—the ordinary guards likely didn't even know this hidden world existed. Muen had only detected the secret door through fragments of information gleaned from souls. As for the Shadow of Belland... the number of people who knew of its existence was likely minuscule in the truest sense.
Therefore, it would take time for word to reach the people in charge.
"Let's pick up the pace."
"Mm."
They shared a look, and Muen reached out to push open the dilapidated courtyard gate.
The rusty iron gate groaned, the sound exceptionally eerie in the silent, dark city. They quickened their steps.
They passed through the main entrance and moved through a winding corridor, heading deep into the interior.
As Celicia had noted, this was the shadow of Belland, so the layout of this factory was no different from the real Favran Processing Factory.
Seeing how familiar Celicia was with the terrain, Muen realized she must have conducted a very thorough investigation of the factory that produced those small cakes.
He wondered if she had been interested in the factory itself or just its cakes. She might have even visited in person using some excuse or disguise.
This girl really loves her sweets.
Should I try to bribe her with sweets later? Maybe I could get her to let me touch those black-stockinged thighs or something?
Muen stroked his chin as he considered the thought, then immediately snuffed it out.
He probably couldn't beat Celicia in a fight right now. The only outcome of teasing her with sweets would be her snatching the cake and then trampling him underfoot.
...Actually, that didn't sound too bad, but he wasn't a masochist. As the Princess's future husband, he had to show some backbone occasionally.
The road to being on top was long and arduous.
Muen sighed inwardly, noticing that Celicia had stopped.
"We're here."
"This is it?"
Muen immediately went on high alert, scanning the surroundings.
There was still nothing unusual. The small room nearby, likely a duty room, was empty. The plaster was peeling off the walls, and a small blackboard hung there with blurred, illegible writing—likely a duty roster.
Before them stood a tightly closed door.
The door was completely out of place with its surroundings. It appeared to be made of some kind of metal, reflecting a cold glint that suggested it was incredibly sturdy.
"A dilapidated factory wouldn't have a door like this. It wasn't in my records, either."
"It looks new."
"Exactly. This door was clearly built later. This shouldn't be another 'trap within a trap.' The secret we're looking for is hidden behind it."
Celicia's eyes flickered as she looked at Muen. "Can you open it?"
"Of course." Muen smiled. "Didn't I tell you? If it's a door, I can open it."
Celicia nodded slightly, watching Muen crouch down to tinker with the door. Judging by his practiced movements, it wouldn't take long.
Meanwhile, she remained vigilant.
In truth, neither she nor Muen had let their guard down for a second. They were in enemy territory, after all; they couldn't afford to wander around like they were on a picnic just because of a few logical deductions.
"It's open."
Sure enough, a click soon echoed from the door.
Muen stood up and let out a sigh of relief.
After working through the night, it was finally time to uncover the secret.
He and Celicia exchanged another look. Increasing their vigilance even further, he placed his hand on the door.
Then... he pushed.
"Sss..."
In that instant, Muen's hand snapped back from the door as if he had been electrocuted.
"What's wrong?" Celicia immediately focused her attention, a faint layer of frost beginning to cover the ground beneath her feet. "A trap?"
"No, I'm fine."
Muen suddenly clutched his chest and held up a hand to stop Celicia, signaling her to stay calm.
"I just... had a sudden, inexplicable palpitation."
"A palpitation?"
"An instinct."
Muen frowned. In that split second, his Death Warning—the alarm that had remained silent since before his transmigration—had suddenly twitched.
But only once.
It was as if a shadow of danger had flickered across his heart, impossible to grasp, before drifting away.
His premonitions were usually spot on. His Death Warning, forged through countless brushes with mortality, had saved him more times than he could count.
But this was the first time it had merely given a faint, mysterious twitch before returning to silence.
"It's nothing. Let's go."
Though he was suspicious, there was no way they were turning back now. He signaled Celicia to be even more cautious as he pushed the door open.
It was dark inside.
But for Muen, that wasn't an issue.
He sent a flicker of Glimmer into the room.
The space behind the door wasn't a laboratory or research facility as Muen had guessed after seeing the men in white coats. Instead... it was a very ordinary-looking room.
Ordinary and simple.
There was no bed, no table, and no other decorations.
It looked somewhat like a tatami room from his previous life. On the far side of the empty room, there was only a censer burning incense and a prayer mat.
The censer was wreathed in smoke, its intricate patterns suggesting it was a ritual object. Muen could tell at a glance that it wasn't a product of the Leopold Empire; it likely came from another country.
And on the prayer mat sat a figure.
The figure was visibly emaciated. At first glance, it looked more like a long-dead skeleton.
However...
As the Glimmer gradually illuminated the figure's face, and as that unfamiliar yet deeply etched, gaunt face came into view...
Muen's previously flickering Death Warning suddenly began to toll like a great bronze bell. A violent sense of crisis, accompanied by sheer terror, sent his heart rate skyrocketing. The cold reality of death crashed down upon him, even causing a sudden wave of intense nausea.
"He..."
Celicia's eyes narrowed.
No words were needed, nor any extra warnings.
As if she had sensed Muen's abnormality at the exact same moment, Celicia didn't hesitate for a second. She struck at the figure on the prayer mat!
Crack.
With a wave of her hand, the moisture in the air was instantly extracted and transformed into rapidly spreading ice. With the speed of a thunderbolt, it froze the figure solid.
Celicia didn't hold back. She used her Divine Blessing power immediately, opting for a total freeze—a ruthless, decisive strike that left no room for error.
Under the power of a Divine Blessing that commanded the laws of the world, the figure had been completely turned into an ice sculpture, as silent as if it had been dead for years.
Perhaps under such extreme cold, death was the only logical outcome for the figure.
But...
The firefly-like Glimmer flickered, the ice reflecting a deep blue light.
In that light, Celicia clearly saw the figure's eyelid twitch.
Like a person in a deep sleep about to wake up in their own bed.
It was so... natural.
"To think I would have guests at a time like this."
The man opened his eyes. His pupils, which seemed incapable of reflecting any light, were filled with the weariness of ages. His calm gaze fell upon Muen, seemingly seeing through his elaborate disguise in an instant. He let out a soft sound of surprise.
"So it's you. It has been a long time, Muen Campbell."
"...Yes, it has."
Muen didn't attack immediately, but his hands were already gripped tight around his hilt. He practically spat the figure's name through gritted teeth:
"Indra King!"