Chapter 7: Truth is Above

“The moment I saw him again, I passed out.”

“When I woke up, I was already in a strange room.”

In the Kingdom of Soth, it was mainstream aesthetics for adult men to have mustaches.

Donahue Bobby’s words did not arouse suspicion from the others present, except for Rosie.

She couldn’t help but think of what she had experienced not long ago: the bizarre sound from beyond the door, and the solemn crisis hidden behind the curtain that had never been drawn open from start to finish.

Could the man with the small mustache that

Donahue Bobby saw be “himself”?

What about the original owner?
Did she also see something before she fainted?

D*mn it, she couldn’t remember any of the key memories.

Rosie complained inwardly.

“A man with a small mustache.”

Hannah quietly repeated Donahue’s words, frowning and shaking her head.

“Men like that are too common in Glenn City, Mr. Bobby. Do you remember any other features?”

“For example, the color of his hair or eyes, his age, height, and so on.”

Donahue gave a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry, Miss Carter, that’s all I remember.”

“No, compared to us, Mr. Bobby, you have already provided very useful information.”

Hannah nodded slightly, then turned her head to look at her friend and struck up a conversation.

“Rosie, after you woke up, have you seen Janice?”

Janice.

Rosie reacted to this name.

The image of a graceful young girl about her own age appeared in her mind.

She was Hannah’s personal maid.

Rosie shook her head.

“After I woke up, I walked along the path behind me all the way here. I haven’t seen anyone else besides you all.”

“I see…”

Hannah first touched her forehead and chest, then laid her palm flat on her left shoulder and said sincerely, “Truth above all, may fate protect her.”

Donahue followed suit.

“Truth above all, may fate protect her.”

Even a cold-faced, reticent man like Dennis Sandek made the same gesture.

This time, no corresponding memory or knowledge appeared in Rosie’s mind, but she reacted quickly enough and fit right in.

‘Truth? Looks like it should be a church.’

‘Is it the mainstream faith in this world?’

Rosie acted as a pseudo-believer without any psychological burden while speculating in her mind about the information hidden behind this gesture.

After the brief prayer ended, Hannah lowered her hand, integrated the current intelligence, and proposed.

“The few of us came from the three different directions of this crossroads. Now, the only path left is the one in front of us.”

“I think it’s best we stick together and explore forward. I don’t know what you all think, or if you have any suggestions.”

When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up.
This bodyguard, Mr. Dennis, looked like the type of man who was ruthless and of few words.

Rosie naturally wanted to slack off behind the big shot, so she immediately stated her position.

“I think what you said makes a lot of sense, Hannah.”

The mustached man also expressed his agreement.

The four of them temporarily formed a small team to advance and retreat together.

On the way, to alleviate the tension, the group kept talking in low voices.

Thanks to Hannah’s solid social skills, there were no awkward silences.

After walking straight for about ten minutes, the group reached the end of the long corridor.

There was a stone wall built of gray bricks.
On the left and right ends of the wall were two brass-colored metal ornaments, shaped like two lions with open mouths.

Each of their mouths held a burning wooden torch.

And between the glows of the fire was a wooden ladder leading to the upper level.
At the top of the ladder was a slightly old, iron-rimmed wooden push-door.

An exit, or a trap?

Rosie looked up at the push-door and frowned.

“Miss, please step back first. I will open the door.”

Dennis Sandek, who had been silent all this time, bowed slightly and requested.

“Alright, thank you for your trouble, Mr. Sandek.”

The man nodded, took out a long, stick-like tool from the open collar of his black coat, similar to a police baton from her previous life.

He held the weapon in his left hand, and without rushing to climb the ladder, he tapped it a few times to confirm its quality before climbing up hand over hand.

Amidst a series of grating creaks, Dennis Sandek climbed to the top of the ladder.

He reached out one hand to support the wooden door, and with a push from his biceps, the door opened a crack, slowly widened, and was finally pushed fully open.

Unlike the torchlight below, it was pitch black outside the door.

The bodyguard, looking as if he had seen it all, unhurriedly stepped onto the ladder and stood in the darkness to observe.

After a while, he called down.

“No danger, Miss Hannah. You can have Mr. Donahue climb up first.”

The order of climbing the ladder was, of course, well-considered.

Both ladies present were wearing skirts, and the ladder was high.

It would be difficult to avoid exposure while climbing.

Therefore, having the other man go first could effectively avoid embarrassment.

Donahue had no objection either.

He took a step forward, about to move, when a clear, sweet voice reached his ear.

“Mr. Bobby, I wonder if it would be convenient for you to take this up?”

He turned his head and met a pair of eyes as hazy and mesmerizing as a galaxy of stars.

Those misty-blue, light-colored eyes held an apology, and the slightly upturned corners carried a hint of probing, looking at him with a little bit of expectation.

Of course, all this over-interpretation of her gaze was from Donahue Bobby’s own perspective.

Rosie was just holding the candelabrum normally.

After all, it was pitch black up there, while the torches below provided light.

She thought it would be better to light up the top sooner.

‘Truth above all, Donahue, you cannot betray your sacred marriage!’

“Alright.”

He hurriedly took the candelabrum, turned around, and immediately started climbing the ladder.

Hannah then turned her head to face her friend.

Her tone was much more relaxed.

She asked half-jokingly, “Rosie, later, do you want to give me a hand, or wait for me to give you one?”

Rosie had always felt a sense of guilt for occupying the cuckoo’s nest when facing the girl before her.

Hearing this, she took on the task of bringing up the rear.

“You go up first, Hannah.”

Hannah nodded and didn’t say much more.
After Donahue went up, she followed him up the ladder.

“Rosie, come on up. I’ll hold you.”

“Okay.”

Rosie replied.

As she stepped onto the wooden ladder rungs, a glance from the corner of her eye revealed that, unknowingly, the burning torches on both the left and right ends had burned down to the bottom, leaving only a short stub.

And the lion statues seemed to have come to life.

Under the encroaching darkness, their brass-colored metal bodies revealed patches of dark red.

‘Not good, something’s happening!’

‘The torches are about to burn out!’

‘What will happen when darkness falls?!’

Rosie had no interest in exploring that.
She gritted her teeth and used both her hands and feet to quickly climb towards the bright spot where the candelabrum was.

But that ladder, it seemed to grow longer and longer, with no end in sight.