Chapter 104
“Lawyer, I think we need to start considering the possibility that those two might not make it back.”
After Emmy and Hose left, Knox spoke to Harrison. Harrison, who had been staring silently into the fireplace, finally turned to look at him.
The scenario where Emmy and Hose failed to return, following Cherry and Eden.
Harrison adjusted his glasses and replied.
“Naturally, we’ll have to head out on a search ourselves. Along with you.”
“With me?”
“Should an emergency arise, wouldn’t we need your expertise as a doctor?”
“I suppose that’s true.”
Knox was quickly convinced. After watching the nodding Knox for a moment, Harrison smoothly shifted the subject.
“More importantly, I heard you’re looking into a way to plant the Elphinus herbs in the underground passage.”
“That’s right.”
He hadn’t told Harrison directly, but it was something the man needed to know regardless.
“As I told Miss Cherry, Elphinus is a plant that doesn’t require photosynthesis. So, don’t you think the underground prison at the police station would be the perfect spot?”
“It sounds like a sound plan. It’s underground, and there’s plenty of space to be secured… That would be the safest method.”
Nodding in agreement, Harrison pulled the box of Elphinus seeds Cherry had entrusted to him from his jacket pocket. He shook the box toward Knox and gestured toward the fireplace with his chin.
“Then, while Emmy and Hose are away, we should go scout out a place to plant these seeds.”
It was a welcome suggestion, as Knox had been finding it difficult to sit still. He immediately set down the book he was holding. Standing up and stretching his limbs, he joined Harrison in front of the fireplace.
Behind them, a thin, trembling voice called out.
“Our Lady Cherry… she’s going to be alright, isn’t she?”
Emma was standing by Cherry’s bedroom door. Beside her, Susanna and Victor also wore expressions of deep concern.
As the owner of Happy House and the person responsible for gathering everyone here had been gone for so long, it was only natural for them to wait for her like lost puppies.
“She’ll be safe.”
Knox reassured them with a gentle smile before stepping into the fireplace with Harrison.
I hope nothing has gone wrong.
If Emmy and Hose didn’t return within the hour, he and Harrison had resolved to go out searching, so they decided to wait just a little longer.
Though they felt an underlying anxiety, they chose to focus on the task at hand.
In a situation like this, this was the only thing they could do for Cherry.
Sinclair Hotel, Kintne Branch.
The underground passage Eden and Cherry had traveled through connected to the first-floor laundry room of this hotel. Opening the laundry room door and passing through a short corridor led straight to the hotel lobby.
The lobby was so vast that avoiding the armed guards to reach the second floor wasn’t difficult. The problem was that the second floor was crowded.
There were twenty guest rooms on the second floor, and every single one was occupied. Furthermore, people were frequently passing through the hallways.
I need to find the room directly above the laundry room.
Moving through the corridors while avoiding prying eyes, Eden finally found a supply closet that he estimated to be directly above the first-floor laundry room. However, an armed guard stood watch in front of it, making entry difficult.
Why are they guarding that spot? Is Miss Cherry inside?
Eden stood at the corner of the hallway and scanned the surroundings. Fortunately, since it was located at the very end of the second floor, the area around the supply closet was quiet.
He pulled out the baton hanging from his waist and gave it a flick.
Clack.
The baton extended. He moved swiftly toward the guard protecting the door.
“…Huh?”
The guard discovered Eden too late and raised his rifle in surprise, but Eden was faster, striking the man’s neck and knocking him unconscious.
Thud.
The rifle the guard held was equipped with a shoulder strap. Eden slung the rifle over his shoulder and opened the supply closet door.
Click.
The interior was pitch black. Eden dragged the fallen guard inside, set him down, and closed the door.
What is that smell?
An overwhelming stench wafted through the room. Eden wrinkled his nose and fumbled through his pockets. In the windowless room, he pulled out the lighter he had used to light the lantern earlier.
Flick— flick—
With the sound of the flint wheel turning, a flame sparked to life. His field of vision brightened to about the size of his face. He carefully used the lighter’s flame to illuminate the room.
As expected, he saw the linen chute opening on the left, but Cherry was not there.
He slowly moved the light to the side. Then, through the flickering glow, he saw people lying there.
Flick.
Startled, his grip weakened. The lighter went out, and his vision plunged back into darkness.
Eden swallowed hard. He hadn’t hallucinated what he just saw. They were definitely people. No, piles of people.
Flick, flick. Whoosh—
He lit the lighter again and surveyed the area.
The circular light first fell upon layers of tangled legs. Raising the light a bit more, he saw human torsos, and further back, bloodless faces.
Cough.
Eden coughed at the surging stench and furrowed his brow. This was the rot emanating from a pile of corpses.
Why on earth are there bodies here…
It made sense that they wouldn’t want to move bodies outside where they would attract monsters, so burning them inside seemed like a logical step—but there were far too many corpses for that to be the only explanation.
What could possibly happen in a single building to result in this many bodies?
Oh, wait. What if Cherry…
Eden rushed toward the pile of corpses, checking to see if Cherry was among them.
No. It can’t be.
He tried to shake off the ominous premonition, but his fingertips trembled as he reached out toward the bodies. By the time a bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple and dripped from his chin, Eden confirmed that Cherry was not in the pile.
Haa.
Only then did relief wash over him, and he let out a shallow sigh.
She wasn’t here. Cherry had moved to another location. Or had been moved.
Leaving the supply closet, Eden cautiously scouted the second floor, hoping to find any clue regarding Cherry’s whereabouts.
However, listening to the conversations of those passing by, they seemed oblivious to Cherry’s presence or the recent commotion.
She’s not on the second floor either.
He would tear this damn Sinclair Hotel apart, but only after ensuring Cherry’s safety. Eden paused as he vowed that if they so much as touched a hair on her head, he wouldn’t let a single one of them live.
It made it seem as if… Cherry had become someone precious to him.
Well, strictly speaking, she’s an important person.
Someone important to Eden himself. That was why. That was why he held her so dearly.
I need to find her and get back quickly.
Room 205. Someone just happened to be coming out. They didn’t seem to have a key, as they didn’t lock the door.
Eden slipped into the vacant room and stood on the balcony. He was tall enough that if he jumped, he could likely grab the railing of the floor above.
As he was gauging the height and looking toward the third floor, someone appeared on a balcony on the very top floor.
Eden quickly hid inside the room and peeked out, looking up. Judging by the height, it was the fifth floor, and about two or three rooms over from where he was.
Looking at the number of windows, there didn’t seem to be many rooms on the fifth floor. That meant the rooms were much larger than the ones below.
Is that where the leader of this camp stays? Is that man Elliot? What, he’s ugly.
A man was out on the fifth-floor balcony. After touching the railing a couple of times, he suddenly ripped it off. The detached railing transformed into a ladder shape, and with a light shove from the man, it descended.
…?
It was an interesting device, but what was he planning to do by lowering it now?
Eden’s gaze followed the ladder downward.
Monsters were swarming in the first-floor courtyard where the end of the ladder reached. Hearing the sound of the ladder descending, the creatures scrambled toward it, reaching out frantically. Some even managed to grab hold of it.
The man on the fifth floor who had lowered the ladder panicked and tried to pull it back up, but it wasn’t easy.
Bang— Bang!
Another man joined in, firing his gun to knock off the monsters clinging to the ladder. Then, they made a noisy fuss as they hurriedly pulled the ladder back up.
Are they idiots? What are they even trying to do?
It was absurd, but Eden waited patiently for the men to finish retrieving the ladder and disappear back into the room.
As soon as the two heads vanished from the balcony, he reached out, grabbed the railing of the third-floor balcony, and vaulted himself upward.
It was then.
Crash!
The sound of a heavy impact echoed. It came from the fifth-floor room where the men had been just a moment ago.
A man came flying out from inside the room and collapsed after hitting the railing. It was the same man who had been struggling with the ladder.
It looked as if someone inside the room had sent him flying.
Wait, sent him flying?
There was only one person capable of throwing a grown man like that and knocking him unconscious.
Cherry Sinclair.
He felt he should be more worried about the well-being of whoever was with Cherry than about Cherry herself. Moreover, he was starting to get worried about what kind of outrageous stunt she might be pulling this time.
She’s really something. Honestly…
Eden couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
After a moment, he regained his composure and finally pinpointed Cherry’s location. It was the room at the very end of the fifth floor. Now that he knew where she was, it was time for him to do his part.
There was a plan he and Cherry had discussed in advance for a moment like this. To execute that plan—
I need to assess the enemy forces here first.
Krawaaargh!
Screeech!
Suddenly, the sound of monsters rioting broke out from somewhere. Intrigued, Eden turned his gaze toward the source of the noise.
The entrance of the Sinclair Hotel came into view. Near it, he saw two heavily armed men moving in a panic.
The men were carrying massive bags. They were enormous, as if packed to the brim with something. Perhaps daily necessities, food, or maybe even weapons.
The problem was that they had failed to move stealthily, and every monster in the vicinity was swarming toward them.
As Eden watched, the two men were eventually surrounded. Panicking, they threw off their heavy bags and fought desperately to escape.
One of them narrowly managed to flee into the hotel after a harrowing struggle, but the other met a gruesome end at the hands of the monsters.
Amidst the horrific scene, one peculiar detail caught Eden’s eye.
The monsters were lunging at the abandoned bag on the ground as if they had lost their minds.
Furthermore, there was only one bag visible among the monsters.
There had definitely been two at first, so it seemed the man who managed to escape into the hotel had successfully retrieved one of them.
Just what on earth is in there?
