Chapter 98: A special way (1/2)
In the cover of the thick shrubbery and the treeline, the group of three were making their way towards the western section of the city walls.
If someone were to look at the trio, they would probably think they are some sort of attraction in a circus. The youth in the middle, a man with long ebony hair fluttering in the gentle wind, was wearing a white, oval-shaped faceless head mask. His golden eyes practically shined through the two small eye holes.
To his right, an elderly lady was following along wearing red, ragged garbs. She had a large dark red patched hood providing cover to her face.
To the left, a middle-aged, feminine figure could be seen, who was half a head taller than the boy. Similarly to him, she was wearing a black faceless mask, similar to the color of his eyes, making the mask the perfect cover of hiding every feature of her face. The dark blue suit she was wearing was very tight-fitting, unable to hide the modest curves she was blessed with. The cloth belt that tied together her tunic and pants gave her a unique and distant feel to it.
(AN: I just realized 98 chapters in, that I never really described Number 3's battle dress, only her casual clothing. Imagine her in traditional ”Japanese” assassin (aka ninja) garbs. Haori for tunic and Hakama for pants. She is not wearing the Tabi, as that would fit well with the setting, but the rest of the dress is pretty much what I was aiming for.)
Leaving the cover of the trees, they increased their pace, and not long after they reached the city walls, continuing, seemingly searching for something.
After a couple of hundred meters, the feminine figure on the left halted her steps causing both the elderly lady on the right and the boy in the middle to follow along.
Looking at the woman, the boy in the middle asked in a low tone.
”Is this it?”
To him, there was nothing special with this particular section, it looked and felt just like the rest.
”Hm.” was the curt response from her.
Walking a few steps ahead, she faced the city wall and in quick succession, she touched several bricks seemingly randomly. As soon as she touched the last, the bricks she gently pushed on, slightly subsided against the rest, while the ground in front rumbled, as a hidden panel revealed a set of stairs leading underground to a dark tunnel.
The boy and the elderly lady watched in astonishment as all of this unfolded before their eyes.
”Interesting… Does your group have similar entrances to every city in the kingdom?” the elderly lady asked with a tinge of shrewdness in her tone.
”Does it matter? What's important, is that now we have a way into the city.” the figure replied with annoyance, as she walked ahead, slowly descending into the darkness ahead.
The elderly woman did not reply, and even if she was cunningly smiling under the cover of her baggy hood, nobody could see.
The boy silently followed after the figure, with the elderly lady in the rear.
”Try not to lag behind too much, there are multiple routes you could take and end up at different sections of the city. I will get us into the Slums.” The feminine figure, Number 3, in the front said.
She followed it up after a brief moment of silence while they continued their path along the long, dark corridor.
”Also, we have another problem.”
”What? Did something happen to Lily?” The boy, Aiden immediately asked with concern and agitation in his voice.
”No, nothing like that, calm down Aiden. The problem is different in nature, and I wasn't sure if I should mention it… actually I'm still not sure if it's a good idea, but I don't want to keep information from any of you.” She answered.
Halting her steps, she turned around, and while there wasn't any light, Aiden could clearly see her with his [Dark Sense]. Granny also stopped as if she also weren't entirely blind…
”What is it? Please tell us, Master!” Aiden asked, looking at the feminine figure.
”Huh, interesting, I never knew you could see… Anyways, the problem, or it's better to say, the potential problem I was referring to was that there's a second artifact in the city.”