71
The carriage that entered the capital secretly stopped in front of a tavern in a quiet alley. A shabby wooden signboard with the tavern’s name swayed above their heads.
Soon after, a man wearing a fedora pulled low stepped down from the carriage. Then, he extended his arm towards the inside of the carriage to escort someone out.
A woman grasped his sturdy arm and stepped down. She was careful with each step, wary of tripping on the hem of her dress on the short makeshift steps attached to the carriage.
“Your Excellency, I’ll open the door.”
A knight in armor, who had approached unnoticed, briefly bowed to the two and then opened the wooden door of the tavern. A creaking, gloomy noise echoed in the middle of the quiet alley.
The knight entered first, followed by the noble couple, and behind them was a child wrapped carefully in a cloak. Finally, the coachman who had parked the carriage closed the tavern door and stepped inside.
Creak, thud.
Unlike the bright daylight outside, the scene inside the tavern was filled with a characteristic darkness. At the same time, the woman let out a big sigh and grabbed the hat she was wearing.
“It’s hot…!”
With those words, Yeon Ji-ho swiftly removed his hat. Of course, it wasn’t just the hat; he also removed the long, straight-haired wig that had been tormenting his neck and back.
“Ji-ho, here.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
Set, who was beside him, quietly offered his handkerchief to Yeon Ji-ho. It was the handkerchief that had been naturally tucked into his chest pocket, given his choice of attire as a noble gentleman.
Yeon Ji-ho was busy patting his forehead with the handkerchief and fanning himself. The spring weather in the capital Asterra had been tolerable at first, but after some time, sweat was trickling down his forehead due to the long hair and the hat he had worn.
“I wondered why Gorgon had brought a woman.”
Yeon Ji-ho’s head turned towards the unfamiliar voice. It was a peculiar voice, awkward if called high, yet high-pitched if called low.
“Well, well. And what’s that? Where did you pick it up?”
The man’s corsage pinned to his hair was the first thing that caught the eye. At first glance, the person with the flashy corsage and net draped over his head looked like a woman, but upon closer inspection, from the Adam’s apple to the body lines, everything was male.
The man approached Yeon Ji-ho with a stiff gait and asked with a low laugh:
“What bizarre and pitiful story do you have that made you choose to become a beast?”
Just as the man raised his hand to grasp Yeon Ji-ho’s chin, the Beasts of Gorgon beside Yeon Ji-ho all moved simultaneously.
Shango drew the sword at his side, Apophis emitted a blue light from his hand, and Chronos blocked in front of Yeon Ji-ho. Set had already twisted and gripped the man’s wrist.
“This is not someone you can treat carelessly, Chain.”
“Oh my? Oh my, my?”
“Step back while I’m asking nicely.”
Even Apophis added a word, and the man called Chain stepped back with a sulky face. Then he roughly shook off his right wrist that Set had grabbed.
“Tch, how ominous. Nen! Bring a wet towel here.”
At Chain’s call, someone flowed out of the inner darkness as if splitting from it. They thrust a wet towel in front of Chain and retreated back into the darkness as soon as Chain took it.
Yeon Ji-ho felt unpleasant at the man’s attitude, which seemed to consider Set’s touch dirty. However, Set didn’t rebuke this, and merely closed his mouth as Chain stepped back.
“So, is this the child? The one who wants protection?”
“Yes. The reward is what you wanted.”
When the reward was mentioned, a smile appeared on Chain’s lips as if painted. There must have been a previous conversation about the reward, as Chain didn’t ask more about it.
He only asked something else.
“What if you fail?”
“From that moment on, the Beasts of Gorgon will consider all dogs and wolves as enemies.”
“Oh? Is this connection so precious? Darling, isn’t the opponent a prince… no, an emperor? So what makes you trust me enough to entrust this child to me?”
Dogs and wolves referred to Chain and all the children under him. Chain’s expression changed noticeably at the statement that they would abandon all the connections built between the two groups if the mission failed.
“I’ll leave Apophis here.”
“Ah, Apo… What, that precious magician?”
“So the dogs and wolves don’t have much to do. You’re just meant to buy time for Apophis and Ji-ho to escape in case of emergency.”
“This is quite disappointing…”
While saying he was disappointed, Chain showed no sign of disappointment on his face as he twirled his short hair.
“That aside, if you leave the magician here, how do you plan to infiltrate the imperial palace?”
“That’s none of your business, is it?”
“My, my, I get scolded even when I worry. Fine! I don’t care either.”
With those final words, Chain turned around abruptly. As Yeon Ji-ho was wondering if he should follow him, Set grabbed Yeon Ji-ho’s shoulder and pulled him towards himself. Set’s face filled Yeon Ji-ho’s vision.
“Ji-ho. Listen carefully.”
“…Yes.”
“Above all, you must prioritize your own safety first.”
There was no trace of anxiety or impatience anywhere on Set’s expression. Only the expressionless face that occupied his entire visage conveyed how heavy this situation was.
“Apophis or Chain are individuals who can easily preserve their own lives. But Ji-ho, you’re different.”
“That means, in other words…”
“Even if danger befalls them, you must not go to rescue them.”
That would only endanger everyone.
Set’s added words stabbed deep into Yeon Ji-ho’s heart. Even if those protecting him were in danger, he shouldn’t step forward. Yeon Ji-ho firmly engraved this in his mind.
“And I will definitely come to get you.”
“Definitely…?”
“You don’t have to wait. There’s no need to wait. Because I will return to you.”
Set, who had been gazing intently into Yeon Ji-ho’s eyes, pulled him into his arms. Despite Set’s arms embracing him as if enveloping his body, Yeon Ji-ho didn’t resist and relaxed his body.
Set whispered in Yeon Ji-ho’s ear:
“And then, let’s go back together.”
“…To our home.”
He wanted to conclude this long journey together with Set. No, not just Set, but with all the Beasts of Gorgon who had accompanied them. Right now, Set was leaving for his sake.
Finally, Set separated from Yeon Ji-ho and turned around. Shango and Chronos followed behind him, and soon after, the wooden door of the tavern that had opened when they entered creaked again, opening and closing with a thud. Simultaneously, silence fell.
“Mr. Ji-ho, we should go inside now.”
As Apophis, who had remained alone by Yeon Ji-ho’s side, spoke gently, Yeon Ji-ho finally tore his gaze from the door and turned around. The two flowed into the darkness where Chain had disappeared earlier.
“Where exactly is this?”
“It’s an entrance connected to the underground of Asterra. It’s commonly known as… the black market.”
Apophis simply manipulated the door in front of them to show how it opened. At the same time, stairs leading downward appeared, with torches hanging on the walls at regular intervals. Far away, at the end of the stairs, buzzing noises were rising up.
“The black market is generally a place for those who have no status or are living in hiding due to circumstances, so there’s no more suitable place to hide.”
“Ah, I see…”
“And Chain is in charge of the overall management of the black market.”
As they reached the end of the stairs, a wall densely stacked with solid bricks appeared. A strange blue light shimmered faintly over the wall. Apophis stood in front of the wall and said to Yeon Ji-ho:
“You’ve probably seen something similar in the wardrobe before. Now, hold my hand and come over.”
As Apophis first extended his small hand, Yeon Ji-ho grasped it without refusal. Then, Apophis unhesitatingly stretched his foot towards the stone wall.
Yeon Ji-ho followed him inside. Suddenly, the noises that had seemed distant rushed to their ears.
“Welcome.”
Chain, who they thought had gone ahead, was waiting for them in front.
“Welcome to this pitch-black darkness.”
Chain greeted Yeon Ji-ho, gently placing his right hand on his chest. Behind him, scenes completely different from the above-ground Asterra were welcoming them.
Literally pitch-black darkness, torches embroidered instead of sun and stars. A bustling and chaotic street market, and people mostly hiding their identities wearing robes and hats.
“I really, really hate sunlight.”
Chain, grumbling to himself, turned around and headed inside first. As Apophis was about to follow, sensing the implication to come along, Yeon Ji-ho quietly called out to stop him.
“Um, Mr. Apophis.”
“Yes? Yes? What is it?”
“I’m curious about something… How do people here usually confirm if they’re pregnant?”
Apophis stroked his chin at the unexpected question. After pondering for a moment, he answered without hesitation:
“They can go to the temple to be confirmed by the seeds of the god, but since it’s quite expensive, most people usually confirm through a potion. There’s a potion that changes color when a drop of blood is added if the person is pregnant.”
“I see…”
Yeon Ji-ho’s voice took on a strange tone. Because he asked such an unexpected question, Apophis quietly inquired:
“But why are you asking about this?”
“I think I might need that potion too.”
“Pardon?”
Yeon Ji-ho rustled through his belongings. From under the wide hem of the dress he had not yet taken off, a familiar object to Apophis emerged.
It was the money pouch that Apophis had handed over before they left.
“So, could you use this money to get me that potion?”
“Um… Mr. Ji-ho, what do you… Who is going to use it?”
Yeon Ji-ho’s eyelids, which had been lowered for a moment, lifted. He looked directly into Apophis’s eyes, which were staring at him with a puzzled face, and said:
“I’m going to use it.”
