Chapter 399: Cave of the Duke

Chapter 399: Cave of the Duke

A pair of soldiers were waiting to escort Dallion and Eury to the Dukes estate. It was all very civilized, one could say, even polite. The major difference was that the guards in question were both awakened, and as such didnt have the limiting echoes Dallion had found to be present in the rest of the locals. There was no question that compared to this place, Nerosal could be considered a free city.

The guards led the pair to one of the entrances to lower Croya. This was the closest thing to modern infrastructure Dallion had seen in the world so far. A wide paved road went beneath the surface. Light crystals were placed on the walls and ceiling every six feet, making sure that everything was visible. There even were metal signs giving directions to the various districts one might want to reach.

First time underground can be uncomfortable, the gorgon said. It was clear that it was for her.

Its not that, Dallion replied. It reminds me of home.

For a moment, Dallion imagined what it would be like if Earth was on the other side of the tunnel. This was the first time he thought about it. Up till now he hadnt missed his home particularly. Half his memories being of this place, he didnt have a reason to.

They went on to a small guard station at the entrance, where the rest of the hunting party sat waiting.

Nice to see you got the invitation, Largo said. There was no hint of mockery or sarcasm in his words. Incidentally, he didnt have a cutling head either.

Wheres the trophy? Eury asked.

Being inspected. Hopefully, well get a little extra for it.

We will, dont worry.

Vow to the Moons that you wont harm his grace or anyone else in his presence, one of the guards said. By the way, he did it, this wasnt his first time.

I vow we wont attack unless provoked, Eury said.

The answer made the guard pay a bit more attention, though not enough to be alarmed. After a few moments of consideration, he nodded.

Lets go. Ill take you to the third level.

The Montagne estate ended up being on the fifth and lowest level of the city. The initial set of guards only escorted them to the third, after which the party was handed over to a new set of far more pompously dressed guards. These too, only took them one level lower, there the personal guards of the duke were expecting them. Unlike all the ones before, the final set of guards were dressed in clothes of red and gold luminescent fabric with the Montagne crest embroidered on the left side of the chest. Also, they were dwarves.

Take this, one of the guards handed Eury a staff with a light crystal on top.

Whats that about? Dallion asked Nil.

Dark vision is one of the races benefits, the echo explained. I suspect that since the lowest level is inhabited predominantly by dwarves, they have gone without the light fixtures.

But why is Eury the only one getting one?

Clearly, they consider her the leader of the group.

That was both unexpected and alarming. As far as the town was concerned, Largo should have been seen as the leader. The local duke had more than a few skills up his sleeve.

The tunnels were wide and dark, though filled with the sounds of forging and drilling. Dallion was even able to recognize some of the tools used. True to expectations, this was the industrial part of the townthe heart that beat with a thousand hammers. There were moments at which Dallion was tempted to ask some questions regarding the local process, and from what he could see thanks to his music skills, the guards would have gladly answered. However, this was Eurys show, and he didnt want to undermine her authority before the meeting with the duke.

After a while, the hunters were taken to the face of a large mansion etched in the rock itself. Upon arriving, one of the guards knocked on the massive iron door three times. There was a slight delay, after which the door opened, bleeding bright white light into the cave. For a moment, it felt almost as if they had reached a magic portal to the surface. When Dallions light adjusted, however, he saw that the entire ceiling was covered in light crystals.

This way, the man said. One could instantly tell that he was a noble, potentially in his mid-thirties. Thin and elegant, he was wearing a finely crafted uniform of white and red, covered entirely with a golden motif. Other than that, his appearance seemed quite average. And remove that ridiculous hood. He eyed Euryale. We know perfectly well what you are.

As I said, were only passing through, Euryale said. We can look into it if we pass through on our way back.

That would be unfortunate. The dukes expression remained unchanged, but one didnt have to have music skills to tell that he wasnt pleased by the answer. The task is rather time sensitive.

All tasks usually are, the gorgon held her ground.

I can force you to do it, you know. This is my domain and not even the Moons have dominion here.

The Moons have dominion everywhere, Dallion couldnt stop himself. Strangely enough, that seemed to lighten the mood.

Ah, the hero of Nerosal, the duke noted. Quite the honor to have you here. Although, I didnt appreciate you looking in the minds of my subjects.

Your subjects have limiting echoes.

On their own volition. Limiting echoes are part of the price for living in Croya. Iron grip in a velvet glove, as they say. It makes things a lot more efficient, not to mention that everyones happy.

The excuses were the same the general in Nerosal used as well. There, the man claimed he was giving purpose to the homeless furies that served him. Here, the duke explained away the limiting echoes by suggesting that they improved efficiency.

Now I understand why Aspion was afraid of the cities, Dallion thought.

Not all cities are like this, Nil countered. Croya isnt even in the empire.

Maybe not all, but some clearly are.

A compromise, Jiroh said all of a sudden. Half will continue with our original task and half will deal with your task. That should be adequate.

Three go, three remain. The duke put a finger on his chin, thinking. Will three be enough for the task?

Depends on the task, Eury took over.

Sanitation, the noble said. Theres some creature thats been collapsing side tunnels. Nothing that cant be handled, but its getting annoying. And as I said, one can never have enough thrill or comfort in life.

We dont do jobs in the realm. Youll have to find other awakened for that.

Thats not what I heard. The duke frowned.

An air of tension emerged as several more snakes turned in the direction of the noble, engaging in a stare off.

Not that it matters. Surprisingly it was the duke who gave in. The creature jumps between the two just long enough to crack a few walls, then hides again. Its more a nuisance than anything else. Carls tried to take it, but there was a sigh. Let's just say that theres a lot to be desired regarding his services.

Largo. A cluster of Eurys snakes focused on the hunter. Can you handle it?

A jobs a job. How do we split?

You take Rei and Shai. Ill take care of our other job.

I love it when a plan comes together. The duke smiled.