Chapter 96
“How do we even get there? Through those damn monsters?”
Emmy asked, her voice laced with horror at Eden’s suggestion.
I shared her sentiment. It was doubtful whether we could even make it that far alive.
Moreover, what Aurora had said when we were previously connected on the phone weighed on my mind. She had mentioned that the roads were blocked at Westmore. I quietly brought up that fact.
“I was told the roads are blocked at Westmore, so even people in the capital can’t get out. Reaching Notium via the surface might be impossible.”
“Who did you hear that from?”
In response to Knox’s question, I explained the phone call I had received from Aurora earlier today.
Soon after, I brought over the blueprints for Happy House and spread them out on the table. Not the front page, of course, but the back.
<Things to remember at all costs.
Number 1 is Brunel, 3 is Spring, 6 is Haig, 8 is Notium.>
“But everyone, look at this. What if these notes are describing a path connected by the underground tunnels?”
I explained the hypothesis I had been mulling over alone to the group.
“There wasn’t just one or two paths in the tunnels. There might be even more hidden paths further ahead if we keep pushing through.”
Silence fell over the room as my explanation ended, everyone appearing deeply shocked. Eden, his expression now extremely grave, muttered quietly.
“So, you’re saying there are at least eight paths.”
“Yes. And as you can see here, one is Haig and one is Notium.”
“If we can just find the connecting tunnels, we wouldn’t just be able to bypass the roadblocks at Westmore; we could reach Notium in the capital all at once.”
Eden was right. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have to leave alone, and we could even enlist his help in clearing the tunnels.
‘And…’
Benton is backed by the Rubilt Mountains to the north and surrounded by rivers on three sides.
‘Did they build the tunnels under the river?’
I didn’t know how they’d managed it, but if it truly connected all the way to the capital, the scale of these underground tunnels was enormous.
Could a project of this magnitude be completed simply by putting in enough time? Surely it must have required the help of someone else with vast capital or power.
Or perhaps it wasn't Baron Ruskin, but someone else entirely who had created the tunnels.
“Who on earth made these tunnels, and why? The more I think about it… the more suspicious it is.”
“And it’s a bit scary. I can’t even imagine what they intended to do with this.”
Victor and Emma stared at the back of the Happy House blueprint with uneasy faces. There sat the note in question, written in Baron Ruskin’s handwriting.
“Miss Cherry, is there any guarantee that these tunnels are safe?”
Knox spoke, his brow deeply furrowed. As he looked up at me, everyone else’s eyes turned toward me simultaneously.
“Who would think to build something like this in a rural village, in an abandoned house like this, and for what purpose?”
Eden, who had been listening quietly, voiced his doubts once more.
“But thanks to these tunnels, we successfully took control of Brunel Village, didn't we? We were able to expand our radius of survival. If we use them well, they might actually be a help.”
The room went quiet for a moment at my counterargument, then one by one, they began to nod.
“I understand why you’re worried. But think about it. Is there any place in this world right now that is perfectly safe?”
After driving the point home, I asked for everyone’s opinion once more.
“Then, do you all agree that we should explore the underground tunnels further for now?”
At my question, Emmy raised her hand high and nodded.
“Honestly, we don’t know how much longer we can hold out here anyway. We might find a safer place through the tunnels. I agree with Big Sister Star Candy.”
Emmy’s words seemed to be the deciding factor. After hearing her, everyone nodded firmly, expressing their agreement to explore the tunnels.
“It really does seem like luck follows Miss Cherry around. Yeah.”
Eden nodded, muttering to himself again.
In any case, since my hypothesis held a certain amount of credibility, a plan was quickly established.
We decided to divide into teams to manage the tunnels and clear the paths. We also needed to create a map—a map of the underground passages.
Only after Harrison returned and swapped out with Eden, and Jose, who had been on lookout on the roof, swapped with Knox, were we able to convey the situation to them as well.
The plan was proceeding smoothly. It would have continued to go smoothly if those damn Kintne bastards hadn't started being a nuisance.
‘I’ll have to show them a taste of my temper; this won't do.’
We had already taken Brunel; there was no reason we couldn’t take Kintne too.
