Chapter 72: Beneath the Earth: A Chilling Revelation

At precisely ten o’clock in the morning, all search teams had completed their deployment. After a thorough headcount, each squad fanned out, using the camp as their central point.

Roalsa’s squad, primarily composed of wind mages, naturally moved with the swiftest pace. While other teams were still forging paths through the tall grass, her unit had already meticulously scoured the entire perimeter of the camp, now beginning their steady advance into the forest’s deeper reaches.

“Captain, are you certain we’ll actually unearth any clues?”

“The Commander previously launched several large-scale searches, but they all proved fruitless, essentially ending in vain.”

Beside Roalsa, who bore a greatsword, a tall, robust woman with dark skin, her axe in hand, chattered incessantly as they walked.

Though both were burdened by weapons weighing over a hundred pounds, neither displayed the slightest hint of fatigue; rather, their steps were light, and their conversation flowed with easy laughter.

From the moment roll call began, this woman had been openly engaging everyone in conversation, her mouth seemingly incapable of rest.

Fortunately, Roalsa herself was not one to hold her tongue, and thus their rapport was quite good, their conversation having flowed without pause since they departed the camp.

“I don’t know, but we must at least try,” Roalsa replied.

“If we simply allow those bandits to continue their wicked ways, what will become of the innocent young men, as delicate as flowers?”

“You see, it is a knight’s duty to protect vulnerable boys.”

“The thought of those young men encountering bandits, their eyes wide with terror and despair, their desperate cries echoing—it leaves me restless, unable to eat or sleep.”

A hint of melancholy colored Roalsa’s eyes as she casually plucked a rose from her waist and offered it to the woman.

“Those boys are just like this flower, aren’t they?”

The woman took the flower, examining it from left to right, then gave it a few perfunctory sniffs before tucking it into her pocket.

She continued to shoulder her axe, following closely behind Roalsa.

“Captain, please don’t take offense,” the woman said, her voice gruff.

“I’m a simple person; I don’t quite understand the ways of you cultured folk, nor do I harbor grand ambitions.”

“Flowers, protection, all that—it’s beyond my grasp.”

“But I do have a son and a wife, and I certainly don’t want them to face danger everywhere they go when they step out onto the streets.”

“That’s my sole purpose for joining the Knights; there’s nothing more to it.”

“Oh, my, so you’re a family woman!” Roalsa exclaimed.

As if by magic, Roalsa produced two more flowers from her sleeve, placing them into the woman’s hands.

Roalsa always carried an abundance of flowers, offering one to whomever she met, earning her the affectionate title of ‘Princess’ in many hearts.

“How wonderful—a lovely child and an excellent wife,” Roalsa said warmly.

“Consider these a gift for your family; please, you must accept them.”

The woman expressed her gratitude, then carefully took the flowers in her hands.

A wide grin spread across her face, and she began conversing with Roalsa with even greater enthusiasm.

“My boy just loves flowers,” she recounted.

“Every time I leave, he insists I bring back a bouquet of lilies or something. I don’t get it—white lilies, blue lilies, all that.”

“To me, they’re just flowers, but they can list off a whole bunch of varieties, always making my head spin.”

“A child who loves flowers so much must surely be like a flower himself, wouldn’t you agree?” Roalsa mused.

Roalsa listened, smiling, to the woman’s words, betraying no hint of displeasure or impatience.

When speaking of her child, the woman erupted in hearty laughter, her eyes narrowing into mere slits, revealing a missing front tooth.

Her axe, still clutched in her hand, nearly slipped to the ground.

“Not to brag, but my son—he’s incredibly handsome,” she boasted.

“Back when he was in junior academy, girls would chase after him in droves! But he was too young then, and we worried.”

“Later, after he started learning to make steamed buns with his father, he’d draw a crowd every day, people circling him, making the bun shop impassable, so packed you couldn’t even squeeze a needle through.”

As she spoke, the woman suddenly extended her calloused hand and slapped Roalsa’s shoulder several times with considerable force.

“Even within the Knights’ Order, girls around your age, Captain, often inquire about my boy.”

“It is human nature to appreciate beauty, and this merely proves how captivating your son’s charm truly is.”

The woman burst into another peal of laughter, her pace quickening significantly.

She strode forward with such lengthy strides that Roalsa found herself struggling to keep up.

“Slow down, slow down,” Roalsa called out.

“Watch your step.”

Following closely behind, Roalsa anxiously cautioned the woman.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the woman dismissed.

“This place has no major undulations; it’s perfectly safe.”

The woman continued to walk and laugh, paying no heed to her footing.

Consequently, no sooner had her words faded than she suddenly cried out.

Roalsa swiftly rushed forward to investigate.

The woman’s leg had plunged into a deep pit, held fast by the dark maw of the hole.

Sitting on the ground, she clutched her leg, but no matter how hard she pulled, it refused to budge.

“My ankle seems to be sprained,” the woman winced.

“Wait, don’t move,” Roalsa instructed.

“Let me take a look.”

Roalsa stepped forward, grasped the woman’s leg, and attempted to pull it free several times.

However, she quickly realized the opening was far too narrow to extract the leg, and any further attempt would only exacerbate the woman’s already sprained ankle.

“Can you use Earth magic?” Roalsa inquired.

Roalsa stepped back slightly, drawing the sword from her waist, as green energy began to coil around its blade.

“It’s fine, let me handle it,” the woman insisted, waving her hand.

“I know a bit of Earth magic.”

Waving off Roalsa’s offer of help, the woman took a deep breath, pausing for a few seconds.

As deep brown energy swirled around her hands, she then slammed them forcefully onto the ground.

Immediately, dust billowed upwards, and a cloud of smoke rose from the ground, dislodging sand and mud.

Just as Roalsa expected the woman to finally free her leg, a deep pit suddenly materialized beneath her feet.

Before she could even retreat, the woman tumbled into the newly formed chasm.

“Hey! Can you hear me? Can you hear me?!”

Disregarding the dust stinging her throat, Roalsa lunged towards the opening, shouting into the dark abyss.

“If you’re alright, just respond! I’ll rescue you immediately!”

As Roalsa called out, she simultaneously gathered her magic, preparing to use wind to lift the woman from the pit.

However, the woman’s swift reply soon dispelled Roalsa’s plan.

Just as Roalsa was about to unleash her magic, the woman’s loud voice echoed from within the pit, responding to her at the opportune moment.

“Wait! Captain! Come down first! There seems to be a passage here leading somewhere!”

“Are you certain?!”

Upon hearing this, Roalsa immediately retracted her energy, then knelt at the edge of the pit and shouted down.

A definite affirmative echoed from within the hole.

Without hesitation, Roalsa summoned the wind and leaped to the bottom of the cavern.

The cavern floor was vast; compared to the insignificant dirt pit above, it was spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

It was strewn with thatch and ladders, and even a pile of expired food.

Before this decaying sustenance lay a deep, dark passage, and scattered across the ground were burnt-out torches, silent testaments to past visitors.

Evidently, this was no beast’s lair.

“Are you alright?”

Roalsa extended a hand, pulling the woman up from the ground.

“I’m fine,” the woman replied.

The woman flexed her foot, and energy surged around her ankle.

“In that case, how about we venture inside together and see what lies ahead?”

The woman assented, briefly healing herself with magic, then picked up her weapon and brushed the dust from her clothes.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she followed Roalsa into the tunnel.

The tunnel stretched long and winding, and in the absence of any natural light, Roalsa was forced to rely on a magic stone she carried, using its faint glow to navigate the perpetual darkness.

One bend, two bends, three bends.

The twisting, winding tunnel seemed endless; no matter how far Roalsa and the woman walked, they could not discern its end.

Moreover, as they delved deeper, beyond the burnt-out torches, Roalsa and the woman began to sporadically discover dried bloodstains and scattered, splayed-out bones littering the ground.

“Captain Roalsa, this isn’t some monster’s lair, is it?” the woman asked.

A sense of danger permeated the air, yet the woman remained utterly unconcerned; she had witnessed such sights too often to be affected.

“But few monsters would dig a lair this deep, would they?” she continued.

“This must have been artificially excavated.”

Roalsa continued to press forward, having never encountered a magical beast capable of excavating such a profound cavern.

Furthermore, the walls of the cavern were remarkably smooth, and in some sections, even adorned with decorations, further suggesting an artificial origin rather than a natural formation.

“Why dig a hole this deep?” the woman pondered.

“Could it be that the end of this tunnel leads to the bandits’ hideout?”

“I don’t know,” Roalsa replied, touching her waist.

“But if it is, then we’re in luck today.”

“By the way, did you bring enough flare stones?”

“Don’t worry, I have them all on me,” the woman assured her.

“If we find bandits, you are to immediately return and fire a flare stone, summoning everyone,” Roalsa instructed.

“Have one team search for other exits, while the rest apprehend the bandits. Understood?”

The woman, without a moment’s thought, slapped her chest and agreed with a hearty declaration.

Their exploration into the cavern’s depths continued, and the further they ventured, the more the surroundings changed from mere bloodstains and bones.

As the earth grew increasingly damp and the surrounding walls became rougher, a putrid stench began to pervade the air, its pungent odor causing both Roalsa and the woman to wrinkle their noses repeatedly.

“It stinks!” the woman exclaimed, holding her nose and waving her hand in front of her mouth.

Roalsa, meanwhile, activated her magic, using wind to disperse the foul odor, clearing a path forward.

“Thanks to you, Captain Roalsa,” the woman gasped.

“Otherwise, I surely would have suffocated.”

The woman wiped her nose with her hand, then curiously surveyed her surroundings.

Beyond the increasingly soft, damp, red-stained earth beneath their feet, a scattering of feathers now appeared everywhere.

Some were mixed with the mud, while others clung to the walls, creating a pervasive mess.

“Are there birds down here?” the woman wondered aloud.

“Who knows?” Roalsa murmured in reply.

Continuing their advance, Roalsa abruptly halted at a darkened corner.

The woman, caught unawares, crashed headlong into Roalsa’s back, but fortunately, Roalsa’s strength was sufficient to push her back with a firm resistance.

“Ro… mmph.”

Just as the woman was about to inquire what had happened, Roalsa clamped a hand over her mouth, making a gesture for silence, then pointed towards the corner.

The woman instantly understood.

Once Roalsa had cleared a path, she quietly moved to the corner, her back pressed against the wall, then cautiously peered around, meticulously observing the environment beyond the turn.

The woman could clearly discern a pitch-black chair beyond the corner.

A shaft of light, piercing through layers of tangled vines above the seat, illuminated a small, dark-haired girl perched upon it.

The girl’s eyes were closed, and a pair of enormous wings gently fluttered behind her.

Two small dragon horns, one on each side of her head, curved forward.

The girl appeared to be sleeping soundly.

Beneath her feet lay a White-haired Young Woman, a chain fastened around her neck, her body barely clothed and covered in vast, raw wounds from which blood slowly trickled down.

The girl’s feet rested upon the White-haired Young Woman’s back, and she slept blissfully, while the White-haired Young Woman could only remain prostrate, subjected to the girl’s whims.

Disturbingly, two horseshoes were nailed directly into the White-haired Young Woman’s feet.

“Captain Roalsa, this is—”

Before the woman could finish her sentence, Roalsa pulled her back, shaking her head.

“Quiet,” Roalsa whispered.

“These two seem incredibly powerful.”