Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: City of the Fallen (3)
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***
Following Ballagu's guidance, they arrived at a sewer entrance made of surprisingly solid concrete.
Considering the rumor that this city had been built with Soviet investment, it wasn't all that strange, but the problem was the size of the sewer.
"...We're going in there?"
The sewer, with unidentified green liquid oozing through it, was much smaller than Yeo-myeong and Seti had imagined.
Precisely, it was narrow.
Barely wide enough to squeeze a human body through.
Ballagu shrugged at Seti, who recoiled in disgust.
"That's how manholes are supposed to be."
While Seti debated kicking the brazen orc's calf, Yeo-myeong stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Once we're in the city, let's find a decent inn first. Somewhere we can take a bath right away."
Ballagu nodded in agreement, and Seti pouted her lips but dismounted the camel and gathered their luggage anyway.
The chest full of gold bars, the sacks of gold coins, and their individual weapons.
"But what about the camels? If we leave them like this, won't they starve waiting for us?"
Seti asked, slinging the gold sack and warhammer over her shoulders at the same time, but Ballagu replied that there was no need to worry.
Camels were clever creatures that would find their way back to their clan or a new owner on their own.
Besides, camels were valuable livestock, so someone else would surely take them in.
By the time Yeo-myeong had sorted out those thoughts, Ballagu had already entered the sewer first.
His orcish bulk made it look like he was forcing his way in, but he vanished beyond surprisingly quickly.
It seemed his claim of being a guide wasn't entirely empty talk.
In any case, Yeo-myeong stepped aside from the manhole to let Seti go first.
But instead of entering, Seti gave him a strange look, and just as he tilted his head, she said this.
"Really? You really want to stare at my butt?"
"...."
"I'd rather follow a familiar butt than an orc's. What do you think?"
Instead of answering, Yeo-myeong swept a hand over his face, tied the chest to his waist, and entered the sewer ahead of Seti.
Contrary to his worries, the inside didn't smell as bad as he'd feared.
At least, from the perspective of a back-alley cleaner.
But Seti, following behind, seemed to have no time to admire any butts as she struggled to hold back dry heaves.
"Seti, you okay?"
"Not okay... Urp, hurry up!"
They exchanged such words as they crawled through the sewer for a while.
Just as Seti muttered that it might've been better to just kill all the guards outright.
The group emerged from the narrow sewer pipe into a wide main drain.
Another surprise? The sewer system inside was hardly inferior to the academy's state-of-the-art facilities.
It was vast enough that even Ballagu and Yeo-myeong's combined heights wouldn't reach the ceiling, complete with railings along the walls for workers to traverse.
While Yeo-myeong inspected the sewers in surprise, Ballagu wrung out his clothes, climbed onto the railing, and said.
"If we hustle to the central district with the inns, we can get there in an hour or two. Let's go."
The two followed him onto the railing and quickened their pace, anticipating a place to wash up soon.
But their expectations didn't last long.
Less than an hour later, they ran into an unexpected figure.
***
The old man remembered the old days.
When the Magic Tower and the Empire's order ruled the world, and this city's palace truly belonged to His Imperial Majesty.
But the world had changed, and the old man had adapted to the transformed world.
Precisely, he had been forced to adapt.
He had to grant rights to vermin who couldn't even sense mana under the Earthlings' guns.
He had to stand by as the once-beautiful and noble palace turned into a four-story pile of trash.
He had to watch as vagrants who didn't even know His Majesty's face called themselves 'Palace Lords.'
That was the world, that was the era.
But now, that world was coming to an end.
Just as the one called the Demon King, Stalin, had fallen overnight, now the rightful 'old rulers' would return...
Screeech.
The sound of a door opening interrupted the old man's reverie.
He peeled himself from the plush chair and checked the person entering his office.
"What is it? Sir Dovan?"
The visitor called Dovan was a fresh-faced youth who had only just reached adulthood.
He rolled his eyes anxiously and bowed to the old man.
"Um... South Palace Lord? Earlier at the south gate, we spotted some people entering the city, and... they seemed to have the gold coins you mentioned last time..."
"...Sir Dovan."
The old man's firm voice cut off Dovan's thoroughly cowed tone. His fierce gaze swept over the young knight in his armor.
"Didn't I tell you not to call me 'South Palace Lord'? Have you forgotten already?"
"...."
"Don't forget that I am the one true, legitimate Palace Lord in this city. Especially you, my subordinate."
Only then did Dovan realize his slip, shrinking back.
"S-Sorry! I still have habits from my back-alley days..."
Seeing that pathetic sight, the old man wanted to hurl an ashtray at his head, but he desperately suppressed his anger.
For now, he still needed to use trash like him.
He only had three knights left under his command, including this fool.
"Enough. Get to the point."
"Y-Yes! The guards at the gate think they spotted coins engraved with magic."
"When?"
"About... two or three hours ago."
"...."
Before the Palace Lord could yell about why it was only being reported now, Dovan blurted out an excuse.
"Th-There was a human boy and girl, so they couldn't use the tracking magic tool in time..."
"...A human boy and girl? From the demon wastes? Crossing the desert without orcs or beastkin?"
"No, there was an orc in their group... but we haven't confirmed the details... Gah!"
Having heard that much, the Palace Lord could no longer hold back and hurled the ashtray.
Thwack! Dovan staggered, clutching his forehead where the ashtray had struck.
Blood trickled between his fingers covering it, but the Palace Lord ignored it.
"Have you tracked where they went?"
"Th-They headed west... leading camels..."
"West?"
"According to a guard familiar with the area... they're probably entering the city through the sewers..."
The Palace Lord searched for something else to throw instead of the ashtray, then realized everything on the desk was worth more than that wretch and slammed it instead.
"Then why haven't you sent men into the sewers yet! Go reclaim my gold that bastard Dagall stole right now!"
"Um... Palace Lord? But the sewers are occupied by those guys. You specifically said last time not to send troops down carelessly..."
"...."
Those guys. The Palace Lord scowled, thinking of the 'rat bastards' who had taken over the sewers under his watch.
"...It was about time to clean out the sewers anyway. I'll authorize armaments. Take all the guards and head down."
Sir Dovan swallowed the words 'there'll be casualties.' The Palace Lord's hand was reaching for a vase.
He bowed and left the room, and the old man alone glared at the door for a long time after.
Then, as silence enveloped the office, he turned and walked to the window.
"Trash of a trash city... Not much time left."
No one heard the old man's mutter as he looked down at the city.
***
Urban legends abounded that the lowest level of Dreiterial's sewers hid all sorts of things.
Alligators and ghosts were tame; there were tales of monsters, ratkin... even nukes sleeping there. What more was there to say?
Of course, it was all just people's imaginations. Dreiterial wasn't some demon realm; this was a place where people lived.
The most you'd encounter in the sewers were homeless vagrants or criminals fleeing the guard detail... or so Ballagu explained as they walked for just a few minutes.
Then Yeo-myeong's group ran into some unexpected vermin.
Squeak, squeak— H-Humans— human scent.
Scent, strong! Female scent!
Human female, de— delicious! I, wa— wanna eat!
In the darkness of the sewer, ratkin pups with glowing green eyes.
They were bigger than average children, and aside from standing on two legs, they were just the common sewer rats.
"...Weren't ratkin an urban legend?"
Yeo-myeong said upon spotting the ratkin ahead in the sewer, and Ballagu scratched the back of his head.
"There weren't any back when I escaped."
"...."
It was a good thing Yeo-myeong had sensed them first with his superhuman senses; if they'd blundered into them unaware, who knows what would've happened.
Seti kicked Ballagu's calf, demanding he cough up the gold coins she'd given him.
Crack! Hit by a mana-infused kick, Ballagu teared up and said.
"No, I'm really innocent! The Palace Lord wouldn't let the sewers rot like this unless he lost his mind..."
"Cut the crap. How long to backtrack from here to the inns?"
"...We'd have to retrace our steps and take another route. About three more hours?"
"...."
Fight the ratkin to save three hours, or avoid the needless battle and waste three hours.
The answer was obvious, but Yeo-myeong hesitated for Seti's sake. They hadn't changed clothes in days—could they really afford a few more hours?
Noticing his dilemma, Seti poked his side.
"What're you hesitating for? Just three hours. Let's head back."
"...Okay. But from now on, I'll carry Ballagu and use Flying Leg Art."
The moment they agreed, Ballagu turned first toward the opposite direction from the gathered ratkin.
Or tried to.
But just before he turned his head, a chilling sound targeted the group's backs.
Click.
Unfamiliar to Ballagu, but all too familiar to the Earthlings Yeo-myeong and Seti.
Yeo-myeong belatedly spread his mana to confirm: at least a dozen automatic rifles trained on them.
As Seti and Yeo-myeong simultaneously drew up mana and reached for their weapons.
"Don't move."
A familiar voice issued the warning, one they'd heard somewhere before.
It wasn't just familiar to Yeo-myeong. Seti knew it well too.
The two exchanged glances simultaneously, eyes asking 'Is that who I think it is?'
The next moment, they both nodded.
With suspicion confirmed, Yeo-myeong turned his head back and called the voice's owner's name.
"...Joseph? The Incheon Joseph, right?"
The name of Incheon's top weapons smuggler on the black market.
Perhaps not expecting that name from Yeo-myeong's mouth, the gun barrels in the sewer darkness twitched all at once.
"What? Who are you, and how do you know my name?"
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