Chapter 53
Liria followed about three steps behind me.
Opening the iron door revealed a hall with high ceilings and an open feel.
Light poured in through large windows, and large-leafed tropical plants decorated the surroundings.
It felt like a resort for nobles.
The first impression immediately revealed that the owner was incredibly wealthy.
A woman with short hair approached me. Soon after, a gatekeeper gave her a hand signal.
After receiving the signal, the woman said to me, "This way, please."
Then she pushed open a golden door in the center of the hall and went inside.
After passing through a dark corridor, an open space appeared.
Immediately, strong herb fragrances and hot steam hit my face.
Large hot spring baths flanked the central corridor we were walking through.
There were huge holes in the ceiling where all the steam was escaping.
It seemed all the enormous amount of steam coming from the building originated from the hot springs.
"Wow..."
Liria looked around in amazement before suddenly ducking her head in shock.
This was because people were enjoying the baths nude.
Though the men's and women's baths were separated by the corridor, the view wasn't completely blocked. The structure allowed peeking anywhere if one wanted to.
Further inside were more luxurious and private hot spring baths.
When we reached the end of the corridor, the short-haired woman guiding us stopped abruptly.
A large door blocked our path.
A huge snake was carved in relief on the door, like the organization's symbol.
"You may enter."
The woman stopped Liria with her hand as she tried to follow me.
"Only the person concerned may enter."
I said to Liria, "I'll be back."
I opened the door and stepped out. There was a courtyard connecting the main building to the annex.
I crossed the courtyard and stood in front of the annex. After taking a deep breath, I opened the door, and hot steam once again hit my face.
Waving away the steam, when my vision cleared, the first thing I saw was a woman's back.
"...?"
A woman without a thread of clothing was soaking alone in the hot spring.
Female guard knights were lined up on both sides of the bath.
On the woman's back, visible above the water, was a snake tattoo identical to the one carved on the main door.
Without looking at my face, the woman spoke, "Welcome."
"..."
"I hear you mentioned Erzsebet's name?"
"...Yes."
"I wonder if you know who I am to tell such an obvious lie. You must be quite bold."
"Your thoughts will change when you see what I've brought."
The woman slowly rose. Through the hot steam, dizzying curves were revealed.
She walked forward out of the bath with her back still to me.
Attendants came with towels to dry her and help her into a robe.
"I'm not interested in such things. It could be stolen goods, you know?"
The woman reclined on a long sofa made of what looked like snakeskin.
Only then did I meet her eyes.
She appeared young, in her early to mid-twenties.
"Are you willing to hear what I have to say?"
"No, I'm losing interest."
Damn. Who is this person? Bath owner? High noble? Merchant?
I never imagined facing such a nerve-wracking situation. I had vaguely expected some eccentric magic scholar running a magic tool shop or research lab.
My judgment was mistaken. If I'd known it would be like this, I would have thoroughly gathered information first.
"If you truly weren't interested, you wouldn't have let me in here at all."
She picked up a pipe from the nearby table and lit it.
After holding it in her mouth briefly, she exhaled a long stream of smoke and said, "Hah, I had some expectations when I heard the great Archmage's disciple had come. But how disappointing."
As expected, she knew everything about my identity.
"What were you expecting?"
"Well, something even I couldn't predict?"
"I just came with a simple request."
"If it was important enough to seek me out, it can't be simple. And you think you can just get what you want and leave? Shouldn't you satisfy my requests too? That's how an exchange works."
"I brought plenty of money..."
"Do I look like I need money?"
"..."
This isn't good. I feel like I'm completely losing this battle of wills.
I took out Silveryn's letter from my chest. I hope this helps with negotiations.
“Teacher asked me to deliver this."
"Hmm."
An attendant took my letter and brought it to her.
The woman threw it into the decorative brazier's flames without even reading it.
"...!"
"...Obvious and boring."
I swallowed hard. This was the first time I'd seen someone show such open hostility toward Silveryn.
She knew my mention of Erzsebet was a lie and seemed to dislike Silveryn, so why did she let me in?
"Then there's no reason for me to stay here. I'll relay your attitude to the professor exactly as it was."
As I tried to leave, the woman spoke, "Who said you could leave?"
SHING!
The guard knights simultaneously drew their swords and pointed them at me.
Judging by her provocative response, she seemed to have some curiosity about me.
"I'm not even free to leave?"
"You've walked into a tiger's den. You need my permission first. Here, I am king, and my word is law."
"If it comes to it, blood will have to be shed."
"I guess you don't care what happens to that cute girlfriend you brought?"
"...What are you planning?"
"That depends on what you do."
So she's going this far, huh?
"What do you want?"
The woman, with half-lidded eyes, exhaled smoke again and smiled as she ordered her maid.
"Call the sewer manager."
The maid nodded and went through a side door, returning moments later with a middle-aged man whose hair hung like seaweed.
The middle-aged man knelt on one knee before the woman and said, "You called, Lady Ella?"
"Give our friend here a tour of the underground sewers."
The man looked me over with snake-like eyes and showed his yellowed teeth in an unpleasant smile.
"Hehehe. As you command."
The man took out handcuffs with a long chain like a leash from his waist and cuffed my wrists.
Then, he started searching my body. He confiscated everything from my chest: the pouch of gold coins, mask, herb list, cloud iron bracelet, candies, and even the Eternia ring.
With knights pointing their swords at me and Liria being threatened, I couldn't resist recklessly.
This was strange. This shouldn't be possible.
"..."
The sewer manager grabbed the chain and pulled me along like a dog on a leash.
"Follow me."
Two guard knights followed behind me with raised blades.
I quietly followed the manager.
We passed through a corridor to an empty bath. When the manager manipulated a magic stone on the wall, one section of the bath wall began to move.
Behind it was a hidden staircase leading underground.
The manager led me down below.
After descending for quite a while, we came to underground waterways with grid-like passages.
The sewer manager bowed to the guard knights and said,
"I'll handle things from here."
The guard knights exchanged glances and went back up.
Thanks to magic stones on the walls, it wasn't completely dark. Steam, cobwebs, rat bones, insects, and mushrooms were visible in the occasional streams of light.
A terrible sewer stench assaulted my nose.
The manager went deeper into the underground waterways and stopped at a point sectioned off by thick iron bars.
The manager unlocked the bars. Then, he suddenly drove his fist into my stomach without warning.
THUD!
"Kuhak!"
A sharp pain spread from my stomach to my back.
Damn, that really hurts.
"Isn't this welcome ceremony a bit excessive?"
"Shut up."
He drove another fist into my stomach.
THUD!
I gritted my teeth and took the punch.
More indiscriminate violence followed.
Only dull impact sounds filled the underground waterway.
After finishing his fist therapy, the manager kicked my back and shoved me inside the iron bars.
I fell forward.
This seems way over the line, doing this to someone who hasn't done anything wrong.
I spat out bloody saliva and said, "...You should be more careful who you punch."
The manager cackled mockingly at this.
"You should be more careful who you run your mouth to."
The manager picked up a pebble and threw it into the deep darkness beyond the iron bars.
The pebble bounced, echoing through the dark space.
Soon after, something in the darkness made an irritated, growling sound as if waking from sleep.
GRRRRRR—
"...!"
"Good luck."
The manager locked the bars and left.
That strange sound echoed through the underground waterway again.
GRRRR
Then, heavy footsteps began approaching me. Soon, its form was revealed in the dim light of the wall-mounted magic stones.
An unusually massive upper body with short legs. Bumpy outer skin like embedded stones. Arms as thick as tree trunks.
It was a magic creature. If memory served, it was definitely a rock troll.
I'd heard some cities used trained rock trolls for digging tunnels.
I never imagined seeing one in a place like this.
GRRR! GRRRRRR!
The rock troll was extremely agitated by the unfamiliar intruder.
The troll glared at me murderously and started stomping its feet as if about to charge.
Is this Ella woman planning to kill me?
Can she really act this recklessly without consideration? Something feels off. What am I missing?
I slowly got up and examined the ceiling and ground structure.
It wouldn't collapse from a little chaos.
First, I need to deal with the immediate threat in front of me.