I stepped into the narrow passage that had appeared along the side of the stairs, following Jude, who had gone in first without a word.
Click, clack.
The moment I entered the passage, the sound of the stone floor striking the soles of my shoes echoed out, and at the same time, the musty smell unique to caves seeped into my nose.
“Ahem! It smells really musty in here.”
“Ah, the place we’re in now is a passage leading underground, so that’s probably why.”
“Underground?”
“Yeah.”
Jude stopped for a moment, confirmed that all of us had entered the passage, then spoke to Isil, who had come in last.
“Over there, kind junior. Could you close the open passage?”
“...How?”
“Just push the door that’s open inward and close it. Then it’ll shut perfectly, without even a seam.”
At Jude’s explanation, Isil groped around for a moment, caught hold of the open door, and immediately pushed it with her arm.
Grrrk, thunk.
When Isil pushed the door, the passage closed with the same faint grinding sound as when it had opened.
“...I can’t see anything.”
As soon as Isil shut the door, I looked around at the area now covered in complete darkness and spoke in a troubled tone.
“We can’t move like this.”
“There’s a way. The lights are about to come on, so don’t be startled.”
Whoosh!
Along with Jude’s words, the surroundings suddenly brightened, and before long, light filled the dark passage.
When I looked closely at the source of the light, I saw transparent-looking gemstones arranged at regular intervals along the passage.
“...What are these?”
“Reaction stones. Rare minerals that react to aether.”
Jude pointed at the reaction stones, which emitted a light that somehow felt both cold and warm at the same time.
“As long as those reaction stones are there, you don’t have to worry about the area getting dark. They’re minerals that emit light almost semi-permanently. They’ll still be shining even after you all grow old and die.”
“How fascinating. Though they look different, to think there is something similar to a night pearl even here. Are these expensive?”
“Well, I don’t know exactly what that night pearl is, but reaction stones this clean are quite expensive. If the Academia main building ever collapses, try sneaking some out and selling them somewhere like the black market. You might end up with enough money to live extravagantly for ten years.”
At Hwaryeong’s question, Jude tossed out a mischievous joke and began walking ahead through the passage illuminated by the reaction stones.
I followed after him, and then noticed Hwaryeong’s face as she came up beside me.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Hmm.”
When she gave no answer to my question and merely let out a shallow breath, I smiled and said to her,
“Don’t tell me you took Senior Jude’s joke seriously?”
“Hmm.”
“...You didn’t, right?”
“...”
As I looked at Hwaryeong, who neither denied nor confirmed it despite my persistent questioning, I suddenly recalled the characteristics of beastfolk I had read about in the newspaper.
Beastfolk generally did not lie much because of their sense of face, but when they were at a disadvantage or wanted something, they had a habit of keeping silent while subtly pretending otherwise.
That was why the current affairs section of the newspaper had said that if a beastfolk stood before you without saying a word, then either that beastfolk wanted something from you, or you had done something wrong without realizing it.
It had also said that since beastfolk tended to keep their word to the very end, it was extremely important to obtain a definite answer from them before making any agreement.
“...Just so you know, theft is considered a rather serious crime in human society. You know that, right?”
“Hmph, I know that without you telling me. I was simply pondering how that act called theft would be discovered in human society.”
“Oh, what? So you knew full well—huh?”
“Oh dear, they’ve already gotten that far ahead. Let us follow them.”
Hwaryeong answered my question as if it were nothing and walked forward with quick steps.
Was it just my imagination that she seemed to have left in order to avoid answering me?
“...Jin, why are you standing still?”
“Isil.”
“Yeah.”
“You mustn’t look at Hwaryeong and learn from her.”
“Huh?”
Seeing her puzzled expression, so innocent in response to my words, I nodded as if reassured and said,
“Please grow up to be a good child.”
“...Stop saying weird things and hurry up. We’re going to lose them at this rate.”
At my worried gaze, Isil got irritated and lightly pushed my back.
Right. I guess I don’t have to worry just yet.
A little while later.
After walking for about the amount of time it would take to slowly chew and swallow a palm-sized cookie, we arrived at the end of the passage.
There, a metal door that looked slightly taller than me stood proudly blocking the way.
“...Why aren’t you going in?”
“Hm? Ah, I can’t open this door myself. That’s why I need you.”
Jude moved away from the door as naturally as if he were stating an obvious fact, then gestured toward Isil and me.
“To open this door, you need someone who can resonate with aether, you see. Why don’t you try grabbing the handle?”
“Wait. What does that mean? Did you not clearly say you would tell us where the secret space was?”
“I did. The secret space is right behind here. Once you open the door, a cozy space where you can comfortably lay yourself down will appear right away.”
“I cannot trust you.”
Step.
At his words, Hwaryeong moved and placed herself between Jude and us.
Then, exuding a threatening air like some enormous predator puffing itself up, she menaced Jude.
“You open the door.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Have we not already come all this way under your guidance? Those who lay traps usually spring them at decisive moments like this.”
Hwaryeong rolled her eyes, carefully examined the passage, then looked at Jude with a fierce expression.
“There does not seem to be any physical trap nearby. However, the angle of the passage we descended and the position where we are now standing are slightly misaligned. You clearly said this was a passage leading underground, but the place where we stand is somewhat too high to be called underground.”
Slide.
Hwaryeong lightly stretched her foot forward and, using the tip of it, drew a shallow line between Jude and us.
“Do not cross that line. Open the door. I will not accept objections.”
“Haha, aren’t you being too tense? Why would I go out of my way to lure you into a trap?”
“There is an old saying that a virtuous man does not come easily, while an evil man comes with a smile. Why did you approach us?”
“To help you.”
“Then why us?”
Hwaryeong pointed with her chin at the metal door behind Jude and asked,
“Did you not need beings capable of opening that door?”
“I’ll say we need each other’s help.”
“Why can you not open that door?”
“I told you, didn’t I? To open that door, you need someone who can resonate with aether.”
“Then how do you know the space beyond that door is a comfortable one?”
“...”
When Jude fell silent at Hwaryeong’s words, she moved little by little, taking up a position advantageous for attacking.
So that if anything abnormal happened, she could strike at any moment.
“Tell us everything here and now, without hiding anything. What you are, with what intention you approached us, and what will happen if that door is opened. All of it.”
“...Why are you asking that now? If you were going to be that wary, you shouldn’t have followed me from the start.”
“Because I thought that only now, at this moment, would you reveal your true identity.”
Hwaryeong looked at Jude, who somehow seemed lonely, and spoke clearly.
“The mere fact that there exists a being capable of approaching me while deceiving my senses means I cannot move freely. So at the very least, I must know for certain what you are and what intentions you have. Only then can I decide.”
Whether to eliminate you or not.
At Hwaryeong, who had revealed her true feelings first, Jude stared at her in silence for a moment.
Then he let out a faint sigh and spoke to Isil and me, who had been quietly watching the situation from behind her.
“Do you two think the same as this beastfolk junior?”
“Well, yes? After all, Senior, you don’t seem to be a living human. I need to know what you are before I can respond comfortably too, don’t I? Whether that means exorcising you or ignoring you.”
“Why do you think I’m not a living human?”
“Why?”
Because I couldn’t hear the sound of your footsteps from the beginning.
At my words, Jude closed his mouth.
“...”
“Your appearance and attitude look like those of a living person at a glance, but here and there, you lacked the behaviors a living human would naturally show.”
For example, the chest rising when a living person unconsciously breathed in, or blinking, or swallowing saliva—those kinds of natural actions.
From the moment we first met, Jude had not done those things even once.
Even though the time we spent with Jude had not exactly been short, he only consciously acted like a living person whenever we stared at him openly.
Even then, the lack of footsteps gave him away.
“...It can’t be helped. I knew I’d be found out, but I thought it would be during our next meeting.”
“What does that mean?”
“Phew. This batch of juniors is sharp, isn’t it?”
At that moment, as Jude let out a sigh, his body began to blur.