By Zephyria The alleys of Libertas were so complicated that outsiders could easily get lost. This was not only because there were many alleys branching off, but also because tents and subsidiary materials to block the rain were scattered about in a chaotic manner. It was a situation where another alley was hidden within an alley.
Therefore, it was the perfect environment for criminals to enter to avoid the law, shake off pursuers, and settle down. Due to the recurring situation, the nearby garrison and the Council branch had even declared a large-scale war against the slums. But if that had been successful, the current situation, where illegal extensions form a huge fortress, would not have occurred.
When the plan failed, some factions changed their stance, calling the existence of Libertas, that is, Dooms Ark, a ‘necessary evil.’ This meant that if the den of evil disappeared, the criminals gathered there might come out into society and do something terrible. The lights of the pleasure district, also known as the street of entertainment, would also go out, so merchants and some nobles who were making a good amount of money on the side strongly protested.
In the end, this city, which seemed to have been formed simply by the gathering of society’s shadows, still stood strong, harboring tangled political views.
It had been almost a year since Leonardo, who periodically moved his hideout, had settled here. Even though he visited twice a month, it was still hard to tell where was where because of the ever-increasing layers of planks and iron bars. If the white Butterfly hadn’t come to greet him, he would surely have gotten lost.
He climbed onto the basement’s tin roof at the corner of the alley. Concealing his footsteps, he squeezed through a gap that was neither a door nor a window.
He seemed to have entered the building for a moment, then came out through the door of the next building, about 30 meters away, and leisurely headed in the opposite direction. After passing through a tangled path, Leonardo arrived at a lane where the distance to the front building was wide enough for sunlight to shine through.
Luminari Street, 13-1. It was a place where old but neat shop signs were neatly arranged. Among them, Leonardo stopped in front of a jewelry shop. It was structured so that you couldn’t see inside from the outside, making it hard to believe it dealt with jewels.
This lane could only be entered by coming down from the sky or by climbing buildings like Leonardo, and even if you followed the road to the vicinity, outsiders couldn’t enter at all. Nevertheless, after checking left and right to make sure no one was around, Leonardo knocked on the black oak door with a Butterfly on his shoulder.
Knock, knock. Knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock….
He knocked with an irregular rhythm, and at the end, he tapped the door with the back of his hand.
After that, there was a 10-second silence.
“…….”
A small hole at eye level on the door slowly opened. A rag doll briefly revealed its appearance through the gap.
“Five, sun.”
A grotesque mouth painted with bright red paint recited half of the password. Leonardo answered without hesitation.
“Eight, rampant.”
“Footprints?”
“Annihilation.”
The button eyes that appeared through the gap scanned the disguised old man’s appearance up and down. Soon, it closed the small window at eye level, and the sound of unlocking several locks came from inside.
Before long, the wooden door opened carefully, and a quiet air greeted Leonardo. He looked outside one last time, then quickly entered the store.
Contrary to its appearance, which seemed to have been closed for a long time, the interior was full of traces of people, as if a jeweler would pop out at any moment. A polishing machine, tongs, and scales placed on a walnut table. A display case filled with junk, and rows of jewelry polishes and pieces of cloth lined up in the cupboard.
Things that you would really handle in a jewelry store filled the old store. Leonardo scanned the familiar interior, then looked down at the rag doll lying on the sofa next to the door.
This guy was the one who opened the door just now. It was a bit ambiguous to call it alive, and it was a thing with a story that had some kind of magic on it.
They were the only ones who came in and out of here, but he wondered if they had to make the doorman’s face like that.
“I’m afraid I’ll see it in my dreams.”
The rag doll shook its drooping limbs as if mocking his words. Leonardo sighed, touching the back of his neck, and went inside the store and pushed the display case with all his might.
Creak―
A hidden staircase was revealed, similar to any other secret space. Leonardo floated a Light Ball in the air and strode inside. When he stepped on the platform in the corner, the display case made a creaking sound again and returned to its original position. Only the rag doll, left alone, guarded the quiet store.
“Why isn’t he here yet? Did something happen? Should we go pick him up?”
“He’ll come on his own, so just wait―. You’ve said that for the tenth time already.”
“But… they said he came through the Gate, and it’s already been 15 minutes.”
“Maybe there are some guys he needs to shake off nearby.”
“He was released, but there are people chasing him?”
The woman with her orange hair braided into pigtails paced back and forth in the same spot, looking anxious. A worn-out pair of overalls, black boots, and thick industrial gloves seemed to form an unnatural harmony. The overalls and gloves were stained with something, making the colors mottled.
“They’ll try even harder now that he’s been released. They want to bring him to their side. Is it all a lie that you’re smart?”
A man was lying on a luxurious sofa that didn’t match the interior atmosphere, wondering where he had picked it up. He had a handsome appearance, but the long scar that ran vertically across the corner of his lips and his way of speaking made his impression fierce.
“He’ll come when it’s time, so just stay still. You’re making me dizzy.”
“Tsk….”
The man put his clasped hands behind his head and closed his eyes tightly. When he scolded her, the woman distorted her freckled nose. Then, she plopped down on a rattan chair with holes in it and grumbled in response.
“Terju, you were the one who jumped down from the top floor as soon as you heard what Miraile said. You liked him the most.”
“I’m waiting quietly. And can’t you hear the floor creaking because of you? Are you going to take responsibility if our location is exposed?”
“With this much noise―!”
“Judy, Terzio is right.”
A brown-haired man sitting in a rocking chair in front of the window slowly took off his glasses and interrupted. With a gentle and kind impression, he put down the book he was reading for a moment and got up from his seat. Then, he put firewood in the fireplace and slightly pulled back the curtain to look out the window.
“We must always be careful. There could be listening ears anywhere.”
“…Okay.”
The woman called Judy tucked her gloved hands into the front pocket of her overalls, her shoulders drooping inward. Even so, she turned her head to the aviary where dozens of Butterflies were flying around. She stared at the woman standing in front of it for a while, then carefully asked.
“Miraile, he’s coming, right?”
The woman, who had many Butterflies on her arms and was stroking their wings, suddenly raised her head at Judy’s question.
“He’s here.”
“What?”
The moment the people inside asked at the same time, the sensors lined up on the left wall lit up. It meant that the store door on the first floor had been opened. Then, the detection sensors installed in several sections of the secret passage began to blink in turn.
They turned their eyes to the huge iron door in the center of the room. The shape of a Magic Circle appeared on the surface, and the outline gradually became clearer. Soon, the Magic Circle emitting golden light rotated counterclockwise, and the door slowly opened.
All four people who were sitting stood up. Among them, two people ran to the front of the door in an instant and shouted.
“Leo―!”
A blond young man who had erased the face of an old man revealed himself through the half-open door. He seemed a little surprised by the loud voice, but he raised the corners of his lips and greeted the two who ran to him with a nonchalant expression.
“I’m here.”
At the relaxed gesture of shaking his hand, all four people who had been nervous smiled brightly. It was the moment when Judy was about to hug Leonardo’s waist first. Terzio, who had been pretending to be indifferent all along, intervened and pushed Judy’s forehead away, quickly taking Leonardo’s side.
“Oh, Prince. Why does your face look so bad? Were you tortured in the dungeon?”
He might have hated the cheesy title, but Leonardo narrowed his brows as if he was used to it and replied to him.
“What are you talking about? It’s because I was beating up demon beasts in the peninsula. Is that all you have to say as soon as you see me?”
Judy rubbed her forehead, which had been pushed away by his palm, and glared at Terzio, but she quickly changed her expression and approached him, as if her joy at seeing Leonardo was greater.
“Leo, are you hurt anywhere? How did you get caught?”
“…It’s a long story, but just a moment.”
After stroking Judy’s head, which came up to his chest, Leonardo passed the two of them and leisurely crossed the common space of the residence. A brown-haired man was standing where he was heading. It was the same hair color as ‘Terzio’, the low-ranking merchant he played in the frost territory. However, the appearance and physique were completely different.
“Leo, welcome.”
The brown-haired man greeted him with a soft smile. Leonardo also smiled brightly, curving his eyes.
“Andrew.”
As if they were about to have a reunion hug, the two approached each other.
But it was only a moment when Leonardo raised his right arm as it was and punched Andrew’s smiling face.
Thump―!
“Leo!”