Chapter 304: Back at the City of Bogmoor

According to Hunter Quentin, Gogmurch was somewhere inside the underground tunnels of the House Soak in the city of Bogmoor.

As Ned ascends from the mechanical lift, he oversees the Sudden Plate city below him. It was rather nostalgic with the lights sparkling in the distance as though he was back at the cities of Earth. Instead of the sound of vehicles, there was the soothing sound of the waterfalls beside the lift. Carriage wheels rolling against the cobblestone road of the city, and the crowded intersection of each building. Instead of people drinking beers with other co-workers, there were hunters looking for a party, merchants selling their products along with hunters selling their loot.

Ned witnessed all these through the gaps of the iron bar of the mechanical lift. The lift cranks of iron chains and gear as it ascends back to the city of Bogmoor along with a couple of laughter behind him coming from a couple that was seemed to be hunters judging from their black leather vest with daggers hanging over the waist of the male hunter and a bow slung behind the lady hunter. Others inside the lift, aside from the operator, was like Ned, peacefully minding their businesses.

Ned had to take off the mask, reformed the Silk Road to look like a kid running errands with a brown leather jacket. Although inside the city crowded with both city guards and Hunters, Ned put the pouch inside his ring to not attract attention from unsuspecting robbers together with the broken Butterfly. They might suspect him to someone else if a kid, especially not a hunter, carries a weapon.

Ned arrived at the iron room where hunters and city guards checks who goes in and out of the two adjacent cities.

"Ned of House Sskat." A bald guy with a sword sat before him with a table along with a stack of papers. He held Ned's paper that contains the information about his House.

"I-its just a minor House I received from my uncle, good Hunter-sir." Ned bowed down. Trying to be the most polite kid the bald hunter has met today.

"Lucky you kid."

The bald hunter looked at Ned and back to the paper trying to assess his face. Perhaps, wholeheartedly doing his job since another man was standing behind him clad in heavy armor. The edges were lined with golden metals that sparkles from the lamps attached over the four sides of the room.

This heavy-looking knight nodded to the bald hunter.

The bald hunter then gave the paper-card back to Ned with a slight nod. He then waved for Ned to pass along.

As Ned walked away from the room, he noticed that almost in every corner of the streets, and buildings, even the small merchants on the sides, stood different men clad in heavy armor just like the one Ned saw before. All they do was nothing but sweep their eyes to every suspecting person that passes by. Especially the Hunters that wore masks.

Good thing I took off the mask, Ned thought as he eyed one of the men in heavy armor arguing with a pair of Hunter in masks.

It was also in time that one of the heavily armored men walked past Ned. This time, he took the time to read the emblem carved on the metals of his shoulder.

Surely they were Hunters but also working for the Great House of Soak with the emblem of an amphibian hovering in a swamp along with grasses behind green. This emblem was then etched in a reverse triangle.

"Better not mess with them."

Ned lowered his head as soon as the man in heavy armor passes by. He then proceeds to the nearest exit, somewhere between an intersection and a building where other hunters waited for carriages to carry them to their destination.

Ned wondered why the crowded security? Must be because of the Hunter's Exam. Might as well a magical beast on the loose.

But none of both Ned was correct. As he passes by a group of Hunters, he caught a tiny of their murmurs.

Apparently, a Dark Mage was seen killing two of the city guards near one of the pubs.

Ned questioned the source since it was just a murmur. But the longer he listens, the more the details becoming accurate.

Ned leaned his back against brick as he listened to the Hunters.

According to them, this Dark Mage left a gruesome scene as he burned the two city guards that left them without a face. Even their armor was melted to the point that it mixes with the pool of their darkened blood. Aside from their bones, nothing was left to them.

Ned wouldn't listen to a mere purr, but the details were too detailed that caught his attention.

"No gossip is too detailed."

Ned walked a stair after leaving the building where Hunters waited for their ride.

Once above the elevated ground, he was welcomed by people walking, running, some walked in zigzag holding a bottle of liquor.

On the horizon, there was a dome lit with a bright light over its roof.

"Canton of Commerce." Ned smiled from the view. This was his destination.

Ned wasn't strong enough to barge inside the House of Soak, nor old enough to enter the House and ask if he could be given the chance to go underground and looked for Gogmurch.

The closest he could think of that directly connects to the Great House of Soak was their Canton of Commerce, minor House manors (which was too risky, since he already knew each manor was filled with the House's family members). And if Canton of Commerce was too difficult for an 'espionage', Ned could still check the Royal Stables.

Aside from the monster parts, the Great House of Soak was also training horses on behalf of the Royal House as one of their main source of income.

The land of Bogblot, which was mostly swamps and rainforest, was ideal to train horses since they would be put to a harsh condition and eventually getting used to it. Giving the advantage to the Royal Cavalry since the horses could tread ravaging lands.

Thus, this was one of the closest places Ned could check in-order to get close to the House of Soak.

Ned has been in the streets for over an hour as he was checking each nook of the alley that would lead him to the underground sewers. But as what he had suspected; no entrances going underground. Plausible, since if the House wanted to do their secret, they must as well close all entrances leading to them.

But Ned also suspected that these underground tunnels were also filled with water since the region was surrounded by swamps. Hence, the elevated ground of the city to not let the water flow inside.

Perhaps, the underground wasn't underground at all. Ned was thinking things with his arms crossing over his chest. He's got six days, and in that days, he must, at least, pinpoint where Gogmurch was being kept.

Ned wasn't ready to change his appearance yet. He was checking the layout of each building he was encountered near the Canton of Commerce. The building near the center of the city was built of bricks and cobblestones, wood was used to brace each roof. If the building has another story, another wood was put in the middle, then bricks and cobblestones. These patterns were followed by almost all of the buildings surrounding the Canton of Commerce.

And Ned got the reason why bricks and cobblestones were mixed up. It was to shield the Canton of Commerce from outside attacks. The wall wasn't simply bricks and stones but was layered a couple of times, giving it a thick accent.

"So, from here on was already a defensive line against the invaders."

What could be put inside the Canton of Commerce to increase its defenses? Ned thought and soon heard a clanking of metals against the ground followed by a cry.

"Kid!"

A city guard clad in heavy armor; a knight.

"Knight-sir. I-I was just—"

"Leave. You're not supposed to be here."

"Y-ye—"

"I said... leave."

Grumpy old man, Ned thought as he smiled politely to the Knight.

After leaving the alley in between the buildings, Ned thought of one thing.

"Security is too tight."

Ned hissed from his statement.

After giving up on finding the entrances to the sewer, Ned had no other choice but to proceed with the plan he thought of first.

He needed to register Barbo and Mina as temporary blacksmiths of the House Sskat.

After cutting through another alley, Ned proceeds to a crowded place where stalls were erected even though it was late in the evening. There were merchants on the wooden stalls, and hunters laying their loots on the ground.

This place was far from the same back in Sudden Plate. Hunters here sell loot of used items, potions of murky liquid, and chipped armors. Stale herbs, and broken weapons. These were like relief goods on sale.

Ned can't help but smirk at what he was seeing.

"Looks like the House of Soak wasn't tending their citizens properly." Ned looked around for an exit.

As he went far from the Canton of Commerce, Ned was surrounded by shabby buildings, ropes tides to each side of the building with clothing hung to dry even at the gloomy night. He was in the slummy part of the city.

How long Ned walked to reach the slum area of the City?

But Ned wasn't about to find out as he heard a wail behind him.

A kid, somewhere 7 or 8 years of age was surrounded by other kids, much bigger than around Ned's age, and started to kick him one after the other. There were four kids all with sturdy bodies against a near to death little boy.

Ned wasn't a hero nor someone's savior. But does he need a reason to help a kid on a brink of death?

None. Any normal being would have a tingling sensation inside them to help someone in need, especially a kid being bullied.

Ned tsked and went straight to the group of the bullies only to be tapped on the shoulder by a hand heavy enough to let him turn around and met the latter's eyes.

"Stay where you are. I got this," said the man.