Chapter 289: Chapter 286: Planting a Mine for the Sect

Rorschach used [Mage’s Hand] to scoop up a bit of water, and the Count instinctively took a few steps back.

He first used his [Resuscitation Skill] to reactivate some of the microorganisms, ensuring his demonstration would succeed. Then, he sprinkled in a bit of sugar. Just as expected, the small ’Living Water Body’ began to thrash about wildly again.

"Is that some kind of Magic Powder? Something from the Sect?" the Count asked, watching Rorschach warily.

Rorschach guided the orb of light to illuminate the white sugar. "No, it’s just ordinary sugar. Since you’ve had such a fruitful harvest before, Mr. Elgin, I imagine you aren’t short on these kinds of supplies."

"You mean..."

"See? You don’t need any powder to stimulate the ’Living Water Body’—and the effect might even be better. How you use that information is up to you, Lord Earl of the Semi-submerged Area. I just hope Mr. Elgin won’t go groveling to the Sect."

The Count thumped his chest. "Of course! I will always be the Lord of the Semi-submerged Area. I won’t submit to some sneaky bastards. Besides, look! I’ve already fed their leader and followers to the monsters. There’s no turning back now!"

’There’s no shortage of boomerangs these days,’ Rorschach thought. ’I just hope he doesn’t fall to his knees too quickly. It’d be best if he used the idea I gave him to cause more trouble for those lunatics...’ Rorschach didn’t dwell on the man’s oath, instead turning to the matter of payment. "Count, you asked us to investigate the Sect within your Domain and look into the Living Water Body. We’ve more than completed our mission; we took care of everything for you."

"Impressive. So, what do you need?"

"We’re heading to the other areas. Do you have a map of the Shadow Realm? Also, if we go to that... Marquis’s Domain, will we need any sort of identification?" ’Since everyone is so insistent on rules, I should at least figure out what they are,’ Rorschach thought, ’whether I follow them is another story.’

Elgin laughed as if he’d heard a hilarious joke. "Identification? For the dregs who could fall down here at any moment? Mage, you’ve misunderstood. We don’t need to collect a head tax from those rats, so why would we bother with a census?"

The Count didn’t explain his source of income, though in truth, the Semi-submerged Area didn’t have much of an economy to speak of. He grudgingly fulfilled Rorschach’s first request, pulling a piece of parchment from his coat.

Rorschach took the scroll the Count handed him. It was called paper, but it felt more like hide that hadn’t been properly treated to serve as a writing surface. When Rorschach unrolled it, he saw a map of the Shadow Land drawn in a deep blue ink that looked almost like a tattoo.

The map was very crudely drawn. There was no scale, only a compass rose in the top-right corner. It showed the Jiaomao Peak District, the Semi-submerged Area, the Dark River, the Core Area, the Deep Diving Area, and the Ancient Ruins Area, with some sections overlapping. Both the Core Area and the Jiaomao Peak District had small clusters of houses drawn in, and a crown was marked over one of the clusters.

There were other cartoonish markings as well. For instance, in the bottom-left corner, Rorschach saw... a lot of sheep?

"My Lord..." the old coachman began, looking anxious, but the Count waved him off. "I don’t need it anyway! It’s what the Mage has earned." He turned, ready to head back to his private railcar. "I’m tired. Let’s go."

The sound of wet, slapping footsteps echoed through the sewer tunnel as the Count and his entourage disappeared into the distance.

Rorschach was still studying the map. After a moment, he spoke, pointing to it. "Good, we’re right on the edge of the Semi-submerged Area. If we follow this tunnel further down, we can get to the other areas."

Freddy ruffled Little Coal Ball’s hair. "Alright now, it’s time for you to find your real family! Go through the Jiaomao Peak District and you’ll see a towering Garbage Mountain. Your people are there—an entire Mouse Speaker Kingdom!" As he spoke, the Minstrel glanced at Singrev, the Dwarf who had almost become a King.

Little Coal Ball’s face went pale (if you could even tell under all the soot). "Scorched. Scared! Danger."

Jiaomao Peak was indeed an eerie place. A mixture of deathly stillness and the stench of burning hung in the air, and the wandering Old Empire soldiers there were like Undead Creatures.

"The road is definitely dangerous. How about we split up? I can take Little Coal Ball to Garbage Mountain. This Minstrel happens to be able to speak with the Mouse Speakers, so I can guarantee her clan will accept her." ’In truth,’ Freddy was thinking, ’the first part of the job is mostly done. Going any deeper is just asking for trouble. This is the perfect chance to slip away.’

"We still haven’t found Lady Caroline, so the job isn’t finished. If you leave, you don’t get the rest of your payment," Rorschach said. He thought Freddy was a decent guide.

To his surprise, Little Coal Ball wrapped one arm around Freddy’s thigh, hooking her legs around it as well. Then, she reached out with her other hand to grab the hem of the Dwarf’s tunic. "Little Coal Ball doesn’t want to split up. No Garbage Mountain..."

Seeing his two employers hesitate, Freddy pressed his point. "The Core Area and the other regions ahead are even stranger and more dangerous. Are you really going to let a child slow you down?"

"Little Coal Ball is not a child!" The former maid let go and whistled. A bat came fluttering over. "Little Coal Ball can talk to flying mice."

’True,’ Rorschach thought, ’being able to communicate with small animals is quite useful in this environment. She could have the bat navigate the underground tunnels for us, even use its sonar to map out the area...’ "I’m suddenly thinking Little Coal Ball is more useful than you are, Freddy."

"Huh?" The Minstrel, feeling scorned, quickly brandished his little lute. "I can rally your spirits in battle, and I can fight up close! See? Mages are afraid of close combat, aren’t they?"

"First of all, it seems I’m immune to the buffs from your songs." The Minstrel’s playing did indeed stir the Magic Power in the environment, a principle similar to how the Nobility induced ether resonance. However, his performance had a smaller range and a more pronounced effect, but it was useless on Rorschach, who could control the Magic Power inside his own body.

"I don’t feel nothin’ either. All that noise just makes it harder for me to hear enemy footsteps," the Dwarf said, scratching his head.

"As for close combat..." With a wave of his [Mage’s Qilin Arm], Rorschach blasted a large crater into the tunnel wall. "I won’t trouble you."

Freddy finally accepted his situation. "Fine. Then I shall reluctantly take on the role of group strategist. So, where to next?"

’...So much for being the group strategist,’ Rorschach thought, looking at the map. "According to the information from the Count, we’re heading to the Core Area to find this so-called Marquis."

The Dwarf pulled out his compass, and the four of them set off through the complex network of pipes, heading in the general direction of the Core Area.

"Haven’t we been here before?"

The Dwarf scratched his head. "The compass is working fine, isn’t it?" He used the light from Rorschach’s orb to check his gear and the map again. "We should... we should be... Are we already there?"

The four of them fell silent. Down in the earth, the sewer system was incredibly complex. The dark tunnels and endless junctions formed a labyrinth that the crude map failed to depict clearly.

Just as Rorschach was debating whether to use his [Stone Shaping Skill] to forge a new path, the bat suddenly chirped twice at Little Coal Ball.

"Up... there’s something moving overhead!"

Rorschach sent the orb of light floating up to the arched ceiling, revealing a rusty, cast-iron ladder leading to a manhole cover.

Once they quieted down, they could occasionally hear, over the sound of dripping water, the manhole cover rattling slightly, as if something was passing over it.

"Let’s move the cover and get out through there."