East Road Quest

Chapter 68: Children of the Underground

In Ruby’s eyes, the children inside the prison were visible through the darkness, but Ruby was not yet seen by the children.

The pale ants guarding the passage were startled by Ruby’s arrival and hid inside the holes in the ceiling and walls.

“Change your mind, Ruby! Embrace Lord Gotran as your emperor. You could have a rank equal to, or perhaps even higher than mine.”

The tyrant shouted again, and the children, terrified by the devilish voice echoing through the darkness, fled to the corners of the prison.

“Shut up. You’re scaring the kids.”

As Ruby approached the prison holding the children, the ants crept out again from the holes in the walls and ceiling. The largest hole revealed an ant the size of a bull, which crawled out and took the lead.

Ruby recognized it immediately and said,

“That one must be the guard captain here.”

“That is the underground emperor appointed by Lord Gotran himself! Surrender now, and I will plead for your life to be spared.”

The tyrant declared.

“No need! I wasn’t going to tell you about Baltian, but here’s a taste. Do you know why Baltian started the war? It was to protect the children!”

Ruby, while keeping one chain wrapped around the tyrant, began to twirl the other chain.

“It was the western kingdoms that started it. Slave traders were taking Kun tribe children. Children are valuable as slaves; they’re easy to teach and train. So Baltian gathered the tribes to create a guard force to protect the children.”

Ruby threw the chain, catching the ant captain by the neck, and with a swift pull, smashed its head with a single punch. With that, the ‘underground emperor’ the tyrant spoke of was dead.

The other ants rushed in all at once, trying to bite Ruby, but with a swing of her chain, she swept them away in an instant.

“As the Kun tribe’s resistance grew stronger, the western kingdoms increased their forces. In response, Baltian also expanded his army and built an empire.”

The noisy battle in the darkness made the children scream. However, only fragments of ants flew towards them.

“Baltian never believed that the nomadic people, who preferred a wandering life, would maintain the Gran empire for long. But by establishing an empire this way, he knew the western kingdoms would not underestimate them again. History would fear them.”

An ant broke through Ruby’s chain attack, leaping to bite her neck. Ruby grabbed its mandibles with both hands.

“Of course, that might have been a method taught by the elves. Baltian was smart and learned quickly.”

The ant clenched its jaws, trying to sever Ruby’s neck.

Instead, Ruby spread its jaws apart, shattered them, and stabbed the extracted mandibles into the ant’s head. With a strange scream, the large ant writhed.

A few more ants attacked, but after she disposed of them, no more dared to approach.

“That’s why I said it. Fighting like this, the western religion will demonize you. And after sleeping for five hundred years, I woke up to find it had really happened.”

Ruby dusted off her hands and continued,

“But in truth, that’s what Baltian wanted. Even after Baltian’s death, the western kingdoms never touched the Kun children again. Why? They feared the rise of a second Baltian.”

Ruby wiped the ant fluid from her face with the back of her hand and asked the tyrant,

“What does that goat fight for? What grand purpose does it have to dare to make me a subordinate?”

The tyrant, terrified by Ruby’s appearance, was speechless.

“There is no one in this world whom I would serve as king.”

Ruby added one more word to the tyrant and moved closer to the prison.

The children were huddled in the corner of the prison.

Ruby pulled at the door. It didn’t open, caught on something. Upon closer inspection, a heavy latch that even adults would struggle to lift was in place.

Ruby lifted the latch with one hand and tossed it aside.

The latch fell on the tyrant’s head, breaking the already fractured skull once more. The tyrant’s screams echoed in the darkness, but Ruby ignored them.

Ruby intensified the light of her chains, revealing herself to the children. Then, in the Kun language, she spoke to them.

“Your fathers sent me. Does anyone know Varshu, Chakan, Hur?”

The children murmured, and two girls stepped forward.

One child spoke clearly,

“Varshu is my father.”

“I’ve come to rescue you.”

“The ants are guarding outside.”

“I’ve killed them all.”

“Really? These ants don’t die. Even if their heads are pierced with a spear, they don’t die.”

“If pierced with a spear, they don’t die, huh? But when I crushed them with my fist, they died. Want to see?”

Ruby stepped on one of the remaining ant heads, crushing it.

“See? I’m strong enough that even a thousand ants like these can’t beat me. Want to see that talker too? I can defeat such a creature with just one finger.”

Ruby pointed towards the tyrant.

The children were terrified just by looking at the tyrant.

“That monster eats people too.”

Varshu’s daughter said.

“Not anymore. I’ve pulled out all its teeth.”

Ruby explained.

“But even now, they are watching us,” said the Angel Chief.

The tyrant was glaring at the children, but when Poe turned to look, he quickly averted his gaze.

“Then shall I pluck out your eyes so you can’t glare at them anymore?” Poe threatened.

The tyrant hastily closed his eyes.

Poe spoke gently to the children, “See? No need to worry now. If that guy opens his eyes even once, I’ll pluck them out and pop them right in front of you. In fact, I’ve already cracked two of his eggs. Adding two more to that wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”

The tyrant trembled with his eyes shut tight.

Poe, still binding the tyrant with a single chain, extended another chain to the children.

“It’s dark, so everyone grab this.” The children lined up and took hold of the chain. Being frightened, their actions were sluggish, and they hesitated to move properly.

“If you’re hurt, tell me. I’ll carry you. Look after the person next to you. We’re all going home together. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Poe reassured each child, taking care to check on them one by one.

Once everyone had a grip on the chain, Poe said, “I have very good eyesight, so if you stumble while walking, I’ll notice right away. When that happens, I’ll stop, and you all should stop too. I’ve memorized all your faces and won’t leave a single one of you behind, so don’t worry.”

Poe continued calmly, “This chain and shackle will never lose their light until we leave this place. They will never break, and I will never let go of this chain. You might fall about ten times before we get outside. When that happens, don’t panic; just find the chain. Then grab it, stand up, and walk. Did everyone understand?”

The children either said yes or nodded their heads.

“Will I see my father when we get out?” Baltian’s daughter asked bravely. “Of course. You’re all having an incredible experience today. When you grow up, you can exaggerate the story a bit. Who knows, one of you might even become a descendant of Duor.”

Poe pulled the tyrant along roughly with one hand and gently led the children with the other, moving forward.

“Now, let’s head outside.”

♦

Baltian and Ricardo, the two hunters, ran almost in a straight line.

Riding without rest, Jade found it a torment again. His thighs, where the saddle touched, were numb. But given the situation, he persevered.

Mitchel followed effortlessly. Unlike Jade, who gripped the reins tightly for fear of falling off, Mitchel barely held them. He seemed to just keep them from swinging.

‘Anyone would think Mitchel was a nomad born and raised on the grasslands.’

As dawn’s faint light rose in the east, the two hunters gradually slowed down and stopped their horses.

Jade approached and asked, “Have we lost the tyrant’s trail?”

“It’s not the tyrant’s trail we’ve been following,” Baltian replied. “Even as skilled hunters of the grasslands, we can’t track hoofprints in this darkness.”

“Then what have you been following?”

“The trail of a chain.”

“Poe’s doing?”

“It seems he left a trail on purpose, as if telling us to follow. But the trail stops here.”

Baltian explained, and Ricardo added, “We realized on the way here, there’s an old village of Duor, Ramtel, nearby. It’s buried in the dirt now, so the exact location is unclear…”

Jade, puzzled, asked, “A village of Duor? Wasn’t the city he founded Gran?”

“The westerners are mistaken. Gran is the city Duor built after establishing the empire. Ramtel was his first dwelling…”

As Ricardo explained, the sound of dogs barking came from somewhere.

The horses startled and moved abruptly, nearly unseating Jade.

“Over there.”

Mitchel spoke as if he had spotted a passing squirrel.

Jade saw dozens of wildcats approaching.

“This way!”

Baltian shouted, urging his horse forward.

They all followed, but in that direction, wild horses blocked the path. There seemed to be about fifty of them.

Baltian quickly changed direction, but goats with horns lowered charged from another direction, blocking the way.

Jade mindlessly followed Baltian’s horse until, at one point, he realized they were merely spinning in place.

They were surrounded by the beasts of the grassland.

‘I thought the army of wild animals was just a figure of speech for their numbers, but this coordinated movement is like a real army.’

The sight of black shapes of animals filling the space in the dawn light was both despairing and eerie.

Sweat filled Jade’s hands gripping the reins.

A large, unpleasant voice approached with a black figure. It had the face of a pig and the protruding belly of a pig’s body but stood upright on two legs. However, its hind legs were short and hooves pointed, making its gait awkward.

Though only as tall as a man, the creature felt larger due to its massive girth. In the pig’s hand was a spear, held in place by the cloven hooves of its forelimbs, which served as fingers. The ill-fitting leather armor it wore was clearly pilfered from a Kun tribe soldier.

“In broad daylight, had this creature appeared alone, one might have laughed it off.”

But now, behind the beast, hundreds of its kin lay in wait, making laughter impossible.

Barsh and Hur were paralyzed with fear, unsure of what to do.

Jade approached the pig calmly, driving her horse forward.

“Do you speak the tongues of Rome or Parens?”

At Jade’s inquiry, the pig snorted derisively in response.

“To think you’re reinforcements from Rome is laughable. Just two of you? Moreover, one’s a female! Who dares enter the realm of Gotran, the king of the plains?”

“My name is Jade.”

“I am the commander of Gotran’s First Legion, a warrior of the plains, the destroyer of all! My very name strikes terror into the hearts of all humans on the plains… I am Pigda!”

Jade nearly burst into laughter.

She glanced at Saph and asked quietly,

“His name isn’t really Pig, is it?”

“For now, at least, no name appears,”

Saph replied in a hushed tone.

“He’s clearly a lower demon. I just had to ask.”

Jade cleared her throat and then shouted at the pig,

“I cannot converse with a lowly demon like you. Summon your king.”

“How dare a mere human seek an audience with the emperor? You are utterly insignificant!”

The pig slammed its spear into the ground and began to approach on two legs.

Jade pulled out a book.

The pages turned on their own, stopping at a passage that obliterated demons of darkness.

The dawn light was too faint to read by, but Saph illuminated the text from behind as if on cue.

The pig advanced towards Jade, spear in hand.

“My mission is to kill all humans, so you shall be the first to die.”

Jade dismounted and reached out her hand.

“Saph, keep using the light. If he’s not of the dark demons, we’ll need to switch pages immediately.”

A white light poured from Jade’s hand. Even without direct contact, the spear-wielding pig was flung backward. It struggled to rise, but from its snout down, its face began to burn.

“Argh, what is this? Grrr…”

In seconds, the pig was reduced to ashes on the spot.

Jade looked at her palm, still faintly glowing, and murmured to herself,

“The light feels stronger. Could I be facing the ‘Mage’s Trial’ that Ruby spoke of?”

The other beasts were taken aback but maintained their formation.

“A being capable of killing a demon,”

a deep voice boomed from somewhere within the army of wild creatures.

Jade scanned beyond the army but saw nothing. She checked behind and to the sides, but the source remained hidden.

The startled beasts quickly regained their composure at the sound of the voice.

“Then I shall have to intervene.”

The voice seemed to come from the ground.

A large door, five steps wide, swung open, revealing stairs connected to it. Another horde of creatures began to emerge in an orderly fashion.

First, about ten sheep with large horns like spears took the lead, followed by another ten horses, their eyes glowing yellow. Unlike the pig that had just been annihilated, these walked on all fours.

They stood like guards on either side, creating a path down the middle. Through it walked the largest creature Jade had seen on the plains thus far.

‘No need for introductions. This must be Gotrking.’

When Jade first heard the name ‘Gotrking,’ she imagined a large goat with fierce eyes. But Gotrking walked on two legs like a man, standing nearly twice Jade’s height. His shoulders were as broad as a horse laid sideways, and his chest muscles bulged as if they could break rocks.

In his hand, he held an ax-spear as tall as himself, with a blade wide enough to cleave a bull. Twisted horns sprouted from his head, spiraling upwards. Including the length of the horns, Gotrking’s height would require two Jades and a Saph stacked together.

Behind Gotrking, more sheep emerged, their shoulders swollen like muscular men. These also walked on two legs like Gotrking.

Leopards and lynxes, each larger than the average wild animal, were interspersed among them. Any one of these guardian beasts, if dropped into the streets of Rome, would likely cause a massacre. Yet, even these formidable creatures seemed like tame pets compared to the imposing figure of Gotrking.

“Are you the one who killed Pig?”

Gotrking’s gaze fixed on Jade.

“Yes.”

Jade replied nonchalantly, though inside, she was seized with fear.

‘This is bad. The pressure is so intense that even Kraukrux and Beishufer would seem mild by comparison…’