Chapter 390: The Unfathomable Abyss (3)
TXE89nThe air was stale. The smell of mold invaded my lungs. When my vision was completely swallowed by darkness, the oil lamp hanging on the wall flickered faintly before my eyes.Dwu3N
98uA flickering light. Landscapes appearing and disappearing. A minimum of air.kbXG3j
OnEPushing through it all, I descended into the depths of darkness.NByCy
QXBYrDownward. Further and further down. I couldn’t tell how many floors this stretched.6Lc
VwGf6EPerhaps it pierced through the very crust of this planet and reached the underground core. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, while at the same time making me wonder if a human being could really survive in such an environment.o6d
VHs“It’s not a sight you often see, Heavenly Sword.”G8c8
S9AThe elderly man with graying hair walking ahead turned to look at me. Altair Auditore.RYyCJ9
A2mX0bThe fact that he was my guide made one thing clear.JFNNoO
DCw“This is the Auditore dungeon.”wRpO
DPRI was in the headquarters of the Auditore da Sicilia family.pthO
6GKAl“It’s a chilling place. Seeing it from the outside, I never would have imagined it was like this.”OTLYpt
6dmOI“When the façade is ostentatious, it’s hard to imagine there’s an underground like this. That luxurious castle is nothing but a smoke screen to hide it.”qo7GH
HNfOwY“I see.”7Kc
9EZH“I regret receiving such a distinguished guest in these conditions, but bear with it a little longer. We’re almost there.”TFnW
TDl“How much farther?”IhGLxk3
1Flh5“About fifty floors further down.”xyuIH0
hH1R“…”bWAUg
MR1pwXThat could really crush my morale.VIwr
IlFTxvI suppressed a sigh. The air was thin. I had to ration each breath. I lowered the sound of my breathing and kept moving.vvl3
w1OMq9xStep, step.iAJ8Y1h
ZwUYFTo sum up the situation — as soon as I finished the call with Knox, I headed to Italy to meet him. And, upon hearing the full story, I understood that the situation was serious.BLRl7
dCQ0E2AWhile I was in the hospital, Chloe had carried out the tracking and pursuit of several big fish from the Villain Union.853Q7u
gCnjMUp to that point, there was no problem at all. Under the pretext of a “villain raid,” all governments were in agreement. But the critical point was that Chloe — that Chloe who sometimes lost her mind — had gone too far.XntLrZ
WhcWhen she became obsessed with something, Chloe didn’t distinguish between friend and foe. Of course, she didn’t act without evidence — with solid proof that Auditore blood ran through her target’s veins, she approached him.DoLnmJ
FAMAccording to Altair, those targets turned out to be people who, to varying degrees, were linked to the Villain Union.FZP6uG
gCIHAFp‘So Chloe wasn’t wrong.’I5x
PWqBut, in the process, she skipped legal procedures. She replaced the judgment of law with personal violence. That was what had enraged the leaders of the 32 OECD countries.SWgJnep
ntvX4lV“It’s not something that hasn’t happened before.”TQKRIR
kKGvSAltair said it as if to ease my mental burden.B6SJNOK
w7V“Has there also been an international wanted order in 32 countries before?”PcFbO3o
fw4“Maybe. About a hundred years ago, perhaps.”POnE
iW4s8U“So before the OECD was founded.”vqc5
IA80“Yeah.”pR8sbcp
VSQo1prHe said it like it was no big deal, even though it was an event that happened, at most, once every hundred years.8QEgahD
ZHoDU“But that’s not the important part.”fJzyV
WXiLike a true Auditore, his sense of urgency was different.A7T
ntNqk“You mean this isn’t a serious problem?”KJF1e5
tfk“It is, but it’s secondary priority. Within the Auditores, only Knox and I know that Chloe is locked in the dungeon. And, as an outsider, only you, Heavenly Sword.”sni
Gkg“The countries that issued the wanted order will find out soon.”YlD8YBi
CyAEQyG“They seem to have already caught wind of something. For the past hour, the supreme courts of each country have been very busy. It’s said that the governments and prosecutors of those 32 countries are jointly pressuring for a court order against us.”9XO
CytTgo7“And even then, this isn’t the most serious matter?”XSpyt0
CeqaDPC“I want you to understand that the immediate problem we face is much more serious… Ah, here we are.”Qp6r
DKR“…Excuse me?”rCK7q
rDiPdAjAt the bottom of the stairs was an open space. No, not exactly — in an empty cavern stood an old well covered in blackened moss, logical in an underground place where no light reached.7tzJ3Zn
Ke4959“Don’t tell me…”8NT
4fk7vkBefore I could finish the sentence, I quickly turned my head. Altair spoke in a dry voice.G9FMEd
gwRaN“It’s not normally used. On the way down, you must have seen doors here and there, right? Usually, if someone causes trouble, we send them there for a few days to reflect.”AjDGED
6If“But you said that, by Auditore standards, Chloe hadn’t done anything wrong.”OE77jv3
DSnsynRMy voice carried a trace of irritation. If Chloe had hurt a civilian, there would be no excuse. But here, right and wrong were clearly defined.O2rEFK
gW5aNP‘The ones above are angry because they feel their authority was undermined.’WGO
wGgPiI thought Altair would understand, but then he added:27o
VZxtC“Hey, you have to listen to people until the end.”exlrgN8
6Em“…?”uik7CB
zhH“As you said, according to the standards of our family in the shadows, Chloe did nothing wrong.”LklXu
VAHm7aAltair approached the well. I followed, but stopped a few steps away.uV3cFt
kYsCreak, creak.yto9
WEMJnAltair pulled on the rope of the winch. The worn sound of wood and metal mixed with the old man’s voice.ppja4c
okwepq“We didn’t lock Chloe up because she did something wrong. We locked her up because her condition is worsening.”GxAhB
FASWJThe rope trembled. Something emerged from the well.7h4
nKKEHvIt was Chloe, tied to the rope. First came her reddish hair, then an eyepatch, then a gag, and finally a straitjacket. They had completely restrained her.60iQMOM
E6iY9“…”wtPZM
FiA34nhChloe’s head hung low. I hesitated to tell if she was still breathing, but was relieved to see that the gag was damp. Then, an unpleasant smell reached my nose. It wasn’t a stench from poor hygiene or from being underground.FtZc
atiOBUIt was a murky smell — the artificial fragrance that arises when a blessing and magic come into conflict. If I had to give an example, it would be like spraying hundreds of different perfumes until you became dizzy.EQez
gf3sX“This is…”TibRbC
K0Nt2f“Exactly.”Wqt8
IPLlTCAltair nodded. His eyes looked very sad.dPNrz0x
pCEpfB“The blessing is awakening.”QXoSM6X
ENgkho“…!”Yk7P1
cK9PLeon, Abel, Ryozo, Rachel. Not even those called the “Golden Generation” had touched that frontier.qysc0h7
PeX5“In all the history of the Auditore, Chloe is the second.”3Oy
kaopChloe was knocking on that door.pRQ2YC
ldFm56***eleVs
DO5After checking only Chloe’s condition, I left the underground with Altair.Wx5klw
h8VUcAccording to the explanation I heard as we ascended, the name of the well was Mugan.4gX1
eXMIt was a sacred artifact where, on occasion, members of the Auditore who were drunk on bloodlust were locked away.atukeFi
5G1DvPIt wasn’t a treasure in itself, but rather, the founder of the Auditore had built the fortress over that well, which had existed even before the beginnings of the family.hhVkaxS
Bpi1s7rIt could be assumed, with high probability, that there was a connection to the ancients. But asking experts about it would have to wait a little. For now, I had to address the concern of this man clinging to my pants — the brother obsessed with his sister, Knox.yhd4ie
Z1d“How was she?”cfHX
mGI1hOoKnox asked me, panting. This man had been waiting for me at the entrance to the dungeon. I gave a bitter smile. Knox had repeatedly requested to meet with Chloe, but Altair had flatly refused.u4owohJ
ulSAWhen it came to Chloe, Knox lost his judgment. He might not be able to bear seeing her like that and end up releasing her, so they had blocked him from entering as a preventive measure.CGi2nV
8XK7wJ‘This is exactly the face of someone dying of curiosity.’l6xFO
k3nI cleared my throat and replied.WdL
qdFEuc5“I think Chloe has discovered a new taste.”Qllw5
IbTZnU“…What the hell does that mean?”st4GGw3
6fVVIt was a joke to lighten the mood, but he responded as if I were speaking seriously, making me look bad.qvXRsa
JpMDjH“The awakening of her blessing is in process, but she’s fine.”dCcM
aTdL“Blessing awakening…? That shortens life expectancy!”skn7fOZ
JOxNWow. It was the first time I’d heard Knox without his archaic tone. He must have been truly distressed.1xIde7j
XtxC“The life-shortening part happens when the awakening of the blessing is already mature. Right now it’s only in process, so as long as we act before then, she’ll be fine.”Abo4T
z6oyN“Heavenly Sword, is this a field you’re familiar with?”fD50Q
oYyz“No.”nHcNv
0V7I shook my head. Desperation was reflected in Knox’s eyes, so I added:yhKHdow
7b6xTGl“But the experts are all in Korea right now.”2DpesnQ
1eqR4DP“Ah.”1PQm8J
2HOQThe Joaquin Graduate School. Chloe’s awakening would be a trial by fire for that institution.lUx
E0ddvA6“Although it feels different from the awakening of a blessing ten years ago, they’ll be able to find an answer.”JES
fCT“…I hope so.”IAzKZm4
KwJn“It’ll be difficult. But even if it is, I’ll find a way to open a path.”BDYdmuM
D8CwToc.qY5ySfO
0trzI lightly tapped his collarbone. Knox’s center of gravity wavered a little.ez76VbU
SVWT9h“In difficult times, let’s trust and support each other.”TKznBk
XEy“…”sJdtzM9
HtkEyw“It sounds corny, but trust your brother.”hCny8tw
HkeZAIKnox took a step back and turned his back on me, moving so quickly it kicked up a gust of air. Was he wiping away tears?xyXED
8y2“I… am the older brother.”i1Wc
SuqreMNow? Were we really going to argue about who was older? It’s not like being older was something to brag about, but strictly speaking, I was far older than him.ezVbf
HwIatyh“…Even so, Heavenly Sword, you are the sun that allows our Auditore family to exist as shadows, so I will trust you…”19X
j5G6Z8I smiled wryly.czS
Kuifj1“Yes, yes. Trust your brother.”mhT
JYL“Now that I think about it, I take that back. Better that I’m the older brother.”8Tr
WOow79“You’re petty. That’s why you’re an obsessive brother.”K1z9
GotIoQ5“O-obsessive? I’m just worried about my sister!”z0jCs
DVPRAltair, who had remained silent, threw out a remark.H2h6v
1gDd3“That’s precisely what makes you obsessive.”e3r
NbcUXJ“H-head of the family!”pPmVa
P4br7qa“Well, it’s just pure attachment to a relative, so I don’t blame you… but I’m concerned that at this rate you’ll never get married.”ufG
sGMfpWhile we were arguing in low voices, a presence quickly approached.EJ65C
z7nIn the next instant, a masked figure appeared before us with a flash of light and knelt on one knee. It was a member of the Auditore I had glimpsed before. Knox’s stepsister, perhaps?irH
GT6cIn any case, she lowered the mask to her chin. She glanced sideways at me before moving her pink lips.i59hUg
dEpgq“I report to the head of the family — just now, the 32 OECD countries issued a summons order for all those who have helped cover up for Chloe Auditore da Sicilia.”Dwq8zpu
HZH1“Hmm.”mgu
7DUB7Altair looked up at the sky. The contrails drifted lazily.DEsj6
hUwzvBG“In the end, things have come to this point. Very well, Flavia. When and where is the summons?”CiCQ4J
rBozAltair spoke with an apparent gentleness. Flavia, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground, hesitated before answering with a sigh.ASIx4
TZWs“…They said they’ll notify us by video call.”23Tei
X0Q7yeAltair’s graying eyebrows drew together. A summons by video call was an open humiliation to the proud leader of the Auditore family.KH0toW
SAiuOIn this world, among nobles, it was customary to send a letter with an official seal. A video call was a blatant way of belittling him.qLx1
gQ9vLprAltair narrowed his eyes in silence. His wrinkles rippled like waves before smoothing out.VoFmP82
fUWmgtQ“Let’s go to the conference hall.”WuMqE
MX7FW5“Yes…”pQl
wgQ2CXFlavia lowered her head even further. Knox looked too indignant to speak.nbfTR9
E8qIt was my turn to step in.06s4cNW
6TKiBG“Then I’ll go too.”Tz0LXzJ
Y26GFlavia’s head snapped up, her eyes trembling with surprise.lUkd38
FQxxB“Heavenly Sword, you are an outsider.”wFPX
Ig4uv“I just witnessed the cover-up of Chloe and I plan to help with it. Therefore, I am involved. I should receive the summons as well.”lw4
zLsuL“…”b07ia
yWBQZZA“Let’s go.”hETR2U
nbGFLI accompanied the three Auditore to the conference hall at the center of the castle.pm9zewC
L1KGJgOA wall covered in screens greeted us. In the 32 divisions of the screen, solemn faces full of authority appeared.h3MDx7
FA63RApparently, the connection wasn’t very good, because they didn’t recognize me right away.X1HVv
RSjThey must have thought I was just another member of the Auditore.gxq
GHCc— Auditore Altair Auditore da Sicilia.EQipW
t6qWmOThe man in the center opened his mouth. It was the President of the United States.Yy06S
ILq— All OECD member countries issue you a summons order.RtT
DhehCrd“Understood…”50jR
75i3l5T— And the people with you are also implicated, so all of you must appear.egsS
Q5BUdIt wasn’t worth listening any further.zxF7Is
nwR5Firm steps.Cqv
zBZiI moved forward. In the material world, they could look down on me.OaFaSuL
b8TS37y“Who dares to order me to come up?”MSK
VFecgB…Dare?K0TxLmc
c3YQiJFrom a cosmic point of view, I was looking down on them from far above.Ovv
GsmTAut“Heavenly Sword.”1U9y
5ls8The screen crackled, as if the noise reflected the emotional impact I had caused.r0B
pjx6— If you don’t want to disappear from the map, then you come here.P53Y
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Shadow Monarch
Mortal🤣🤣mc is using his authority as strongest very well than others🤣🤣