Noticing the way Finn's thumb twitched, Fron understood instantly.
----------------------------------
"Achoo!" Without any warning, Bete suddenly sneezed, looking utterly bewildered.
As a beast-human, and a werewolf known for his sharp sense of smell, sneezing was something far too foreign to him.
"Ugh, who's badmouthing me behind my back?" he muttered irritably.
What he didn't know was that the all-female search team on the surface was, at that very moment, discussing a certain topic , love.
Hmm, the fastest way to build a bond with unfamiliar girls was, of course, through shared topics.
Even Filvis was no exception.
Yes , Filvis had appeared on Daedalus Street, joining up with Lefiya and the others.
She claimed that since her god, Dionysus, was an ally of Loki, she was obligated to help. Whether that was true or not... only the gods knew.
Meanwhile, back with Bete's group,
"Tch… something doesn't feel right. What's this weird shiver running through my body?" Raul, carrying a portable magic stone lamp at the front, visibly flinched.
"Yeah, I feel it too. It's like a chill just crept up from my feet," said Finn.
Fron grinned. "If you're getting that feeling, maybe Tione said something again?"
Finn rolled his eyes helplessly.
As their exploration of the underground waterways deepened, the team had gradually spread out and tightened their formation.
This was a mid-sized squad of fifteen adventurers, quite different from those patrolling the surface streets of Daedalus Street. The underground sewers were far more dangerous, abandoned for ages and shrouded in darkness.
After the incident in Melen, especially when all the executives weren't around, the Loki Familia had clearly come well-prepared this time.
Even if enemies suddenly attacked, the team's current fighting strength could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
"According to Niord's information, this should be the exact underground sewer where he first encountered that gloomy, suspicious man, right?"
As they searched, Finn spoke thoughtfully.
Fron checked the mental timeline in his head and nodded. "Yes, but that was a long time ago. According to Niord's testimony, it happened five years ago."
"Five years, huh?" Finn chuckled lightly.
"The Dark Era ended five years ago. That's when we and several other Familias wiped out the Dark Evilus. Looks like after their defeat, some of them quickly found new hiding places , and have been secretly rebuilding ever since."
"Bete, you've been here before with Loki, right?"
Walking at the front, Bete turned back impatiently.
"Tch. Who knows where Loki got her intel, we came here before and found nothing. Well… except for two scents. I remember one belonged to Dionysus, and the other to that sly elf."
Raul frowned slightly. "If this place was already searched, then why are we back again, Captain?"
Finn smiled knowingly.
"You've never directly dealt with the Evilus, Raul. Remember, finding intelligent humans and finding mindless monsters are two completely different things."
Fron picked up where Finn left off, explaining further.
"Finn's overall plan is to limit the search to Daedalus Street and the underground sewers. With our manpower, it's impossible to search all of Orario. But just one district? That's doable. If the enemy really is hiding nearby, no matter how well they cover their tracks, traces of living are bound to remain."
As soon as Fron finished speaking, Bete, who was leading, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Raul almost didn't react in time, the magic lamp in his hand shaking violently.
"Bete, what is it?"
The whole group tensed instantly.
Fron narrowed his eyes, focusing his sharp vision, enhanced by his 'Reader' skill and incredible dynamic perception, toward the side wall of a branching sewer ahead, barely illuminated by the dim light.
"There's a stench here. A putrid, rotten smell… like that of the Violas." Bete bared his fangs, frowning deeply as he spoke in a low, cold tone.
Hearing that, everyone's expression changed. They quickly formed a combat formation, weapons at the ready.
Splash!
Bete's metal boots splattered water as he turned a corner, stepping into an area that was clearly part of the waterway.
With a rusty creak, he pushed open the corroded double metal gate. The group crossed an old stone bridge overgrown with moss, quickening their pace.
And then,
A scene unfolded before their eyes.
"Heh…"
No one knew why Fron let out a short laugh, but they didn't have time to wonder. The sight before them demanded full attention.
"Is that… a staircase leading to a hidden passage?"
It was located at the far end of a narrow side path in the old underground waterway, a place so remote it could hardly be found by accident.
Moreover, the entrance above ground had a refined mechanical door, clearly an engineered passageway.
Holding up the lamp, the group took in the details of the anomaly.
Grace, the dwarf warrior skilled in mining and construction, crouched by the hidden passage and ran his hands over the stone. His voice grew serious.
"These slabs have friction marks , looks like they've been moved often. Seems this stone surface is actually the entrance to the hidden passage. You could even call it a lid."
The hole was large enough that even a monster the size of a Violas could pass through easily.
"Calling it a people's passageway isn't quite right, it's more accurate to say it's a cargo tunnel."
"Indeed," Finn said with a satisfied nod. "We've finally caught the enemy's trail."
But Bete frowned. "When I came here with Loki last time, this thing wasn't here."
Fron lifted an eyebrow and smirked arrogantly.
"Isn't it obvious? The enemy's inviting us right in. The door's even open, such a warm welcome. So, Captain, are we going to be their honored guests or not?"
"…Interesting." Finn licked his finger, then gestured sharply.
"Gather everyone. Seal off this passage completely. Cruz, run and inform Loki of the situation!"
"Yes, Captain!" While Finn began issuing orders as commander, Gareth busied himself at the tunnel.
The dwarf gripped his massive double-edged axe, running his hands over the stone surface again, frowning as he analyzed something.
"Fron, come look at this… these markings… don't they look like Orichalcum?"