Chapter 26
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Chapter 26
I stared at the man blocking my path.
After studying him intently, I smiled and asked in return.
"And?"
A flicker of agitation crossed the man's eyes.
He clearly hadn't anticipated such a response.
And rightfully so.
In the Underworld, whenever the Master was mentioned, no one remained unaffected.
I had been prepared to yield and step back.
"How presumptuous."
Had he not summoned me in such a manner, that is.
The Underworld residents who had fled in panic at my appearance were already hidden in safe places, watching this spectacle unfold.
The mere fact that Lichesia had returned after so long was thrilling enough....
But the Master was actually searching for me!
For Underworld residents intoxicated by such sensational entertainment, this was a moment worth witnessing even at the cost of their lives.
With everyone watching, I could not afford to appear weak.
The moment I meekly lowered my head here.
My hierarchy would be instantly determined.
This was a world where the weak were devoured.
I had to appear strong, even if it meant bluffing.
The reason I, a fairy, had deliberately chosen an axe as my weapon stemmed from this necessity.
If I didn't act ruthlessly enough, I would be looked down upon.
In this situation where I didn't even know who had taken Hata, I absolutely could not afford to be underestimated.
I swept back my falling hair and spoke.
"Just because you call, I have to come?"
The man nodded slightly.
Immediately, dark figures appeared atop every shop roof.
Wrapped entirely in black cloth from head to toe like the man, they numbered in the dozens, and each held a crossbow in hand.
The taut arrows of the crossbows all aimed directly at me.
The man declared coldly.
"If you refuse, I'll take you by force."
"By force...."
I burst into laughter.
As if hearing something truly amusing, I laughed aloud for a long moment.
"Ha ha.... It's been a while since someone said such things to me. Recently, no one has dared."
I smiled radiantly at the man and asked.
"Do you know why?"
The man slowly backed away.
It was an action that occurred before he even consciously realized it.
I approached him slowly.
Before I knew it, thorny brambles that had grown among the flowers ensnared the man's ankles.
He flinched and tried to wrench his foot free, but he was already caught.
Butterflies that had been fluttering about landed on his shoulders and head.
Immobilized, he could only watch as Chesa approached.
Chesa stopped directly before him, letting the axe hang at her side while she placed a hand gently against his chest.
Then, with a bright smile, she whispered.
"I've killed them all."
The man's bloodshot eyes widened.
Just as he sensed death and was about to scream.
"Wait."
A man in a sleek suit fell from the sky.
He wielded the whip at his waist, slashing through the brambles.
The man tangled in the thorns scrambled away in panic.
Chesa regarded the newly arrived man with a sideways glance.
As the man gathered his whip, his appearance was striking.
Lean and tall, he wore his gray hair long in a single braid, his eyes covered by cloth embroidered with intricate patterns.
'Can he even see?'
That was my first thought, though he seemed to manage well enough.
The man looked directly at Chesa and apologized.
"I apologize on behalf of my subordinate's rudeness. A miscommunication in orders led to this breach of courtesy."
Chesa laughed silently.
There was no way the orders had been misunderstood.
She'd tested him with a quick strike to seize the initiative, and since he wouldn't be easily dealt with, he was simply cleaning up the situation swiftly.
Remaining silent with a knowing look, he revealed his name.
"I am Jahan."
"...!"
Hearing the name, Chesa was taken aback.
Jahan—I knew of him.
He was the Master's direct subordinate.
The man, doll-like in his emotional restraint, was known throughout the Underworld as a symbol of misfortune.
Though I wasn't certain why, it seemed most who encountered Jahan ended up dead.
Jahan made a polite request of Chesa.
"The Master has commanded that I bring Lichesia to him. Would you permit me to guide you?"
"I've lost my puppy. Finding my puppy comes first."
"That matter is also connected to this."
Hata's disappearance was related to this?
Chesa, who had been about to dismiss him, gave Jahan her attention.
Jahan made his request again in a flat voice.
"The matter is grave, and the Master has made the exceptional request to meet you in person. I humbly ask for your cooperation."
I had wandered the Underworld for a long time, yet had never once met this being.
In truth, most inhabitants of the Underworld never encountered the Master in their entire lives.
The demoness Lichesia was no exception.
Despite her notorious reputation throughout the Underworld, she had never once glimpsed even the Master's shadow.
'Why is he suddenly summoning me?'
Though suspicious, the moment Hata was mentioned, refusal became impossible.
Chesa withdrew the flowers and butterflies.
The path once overflowing with blossoms reverted to bare earth, leaving only the lingering fragrance of flowers in the air.
Chesa scattered the axe itself into flower petals.
Then she tilted her chin toward Jahan.
"Fine. Lead the way."
***
The Master's residence was not officially disclosed.
Yet among Underworld inhabitants, there was one place they suspected to be the Master's dwelling.
The place where the most verdant plants flourished on otherwise barren, dust-swept earth year-round.
A mansion inhabited by someone wealthy enough to waste resources hauling water to cultivate vegetation—a pointless extravagance.
Though no guards stood openly, the moment one crossed a certain distance to approach, crossbow bolts fell from nowhere at one's feet.
The tale of reckless fools who once gathered in mobs to raid the mansion, only to fall riddled with arrows like porcupines, was infamous.
Underworld inhabitants never dared venture near the place.
Chesa had only glimpsed it in passing before; this was her first time seeing it up close.
Upon entering through the main gate, an exotic Garden unfolded before her.
The Garden, adorned with lanterns throughout, was hauntingly beautiful, yet Chesa felt a chill creep down her spine.
'This is all money.'
Contemplating the fortune spent cultivating each plant, she could only marvel.
Those who frequented this place must naturally feel intimidated from the moment they entered the Garden.
"This way."
Following Jahan's guidance, she entered a quiet chamber.
A table in the room held liquor and simple refreshments.
Of course, she had no intention of touching anything, nor of sitting.
Chesa gazed toward the far end of the room.
There hung a black curtain.
It was thick enough that she could not even discern the silhouette of the person beyond.
"...."
In the quiet chamber, a faint sound emerged.
It was the ticking of a clock's second hand, clicking steadily somewhere.
Chesa opened her mouth expressionlessly.
"Where is my puppy?"
Then laughter echoed from beyond the curtain.
It was a voice altered by magic.
The voice, distorted beyond recognition of gender or age, called out Chesa's name.
"Lichesia, you demon."
Chesa crossed her arms and posed the question.
"Are you the Master?"
"Yes. And thanks to you, I've become thoroughly vexed."
The one called Master chuckled softly once more.
"Now that I see it firsthand, I understand why such a thing would occur."
Like Jahan with his eyes covered, Master too seemed able to see beyond the cloth.
Either he commanded subordinates who wielded magic.
Or he himself possessed knowledge of the arcane arts.
Mages were scarce across the continent, making them easy to trace back to their source.
'I should be able to uncover his identity readily enough.'
Chesa kept her thoughts concealed and responded with irritation.
"What nonsense is this? Stop wasting time with useless talk and get to the point."
Chesa spoke with eyes wide open.
"Where is my puppy?"
If he was stalling with lies, she intended to brandish her axe first and ask questions of Master or whoever else later.
"Calm yourself. That is precisely why I summoned you."
"Speak quickly!"
Even as Chesa stood ready to swing her axe at any moment, he began his preamble at a leisurely pace.
"First, allow me to pose a single question."
If he spouted more trivial nonsense, she would genuinely draw her axe.
Master asked the sharp-eyed Chesa in an exasperated tone.
"Why are you having a lovers' quarrel in the Underworld?"
Chesa, a beat too late, let slip a stupid response.
"...What?"
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