Chapter 46: Underground City: Retracing Our Steps (1)

Miriam, Dian, Duther, and Dub strolled through the bright hallways, escorting the King to their second manor.

There was an indescribable thing in the air that transformed this simple act of walking into a breathtaking spectacle. The King, and the four children of the house Svarozich pacing their heels on the floor can make such impact, to the point of making the servants kneel only with the sound of their heels. The four heirs of the manor had come together to guide their highly-esteemed guest, whose presence gave such a heavy and cold aura, that despite being dressed in a plain white robe instead of his royal attire, he still radiated a magnificent combination of pressure and confidence. Even with the fatigue etched upon his face, it still served to praise his sharp and imposing facial features, intensifying the overwhelming intimidation and grandeur in the scene.

While the brothers were taking Jian Li to the deeper part of the manor, Dian noticed the king's eyes inch down, looking as though he was focusing on the surroundings.

Jian Li made use of the information he got and pondered in silence. 'They use separate manors? For what reason?' He asked himself, trying to connect everything he had learned so far.

Renovation of the old manor

Adopted heirs

Connected manors to the Underground

He sighed. 'I couldn't ask for more.'

And then he remembered one curious thing from before. 'Is the separate manor and his different name "Levita" somewhat are connected to each other?'

Dian saw him sighing in secret, his mind concerned.

As they were nearing a dead end, Jian Li becomes weary. "What is this?"

A wooden wall was infront of them, golden with how the light shines on its beautifully carved designs. It was a work of pure precision and patience, seeing how it had delicate yet exotic lines, sometimes vertical, horizontal, or spiral.

Miriam saw the unnerved expression of the king, she was worried if Jian Li was uncomfortable. She waved her hand over him and smiled respectfully, "No worries Your Highness, it's just a simple door. Go on Dub."

The tall man immediately obeyed his sister's gentle voice, stepping forward and standing face to face with the wall.

He lifts his right leg up and stomped down the floor which actually turned out to be a pressure plate. In a second, the wall shifted and changed, displaying a hole in the center. Dub stepped back and took off his coronet, placing it down on the space inside the hole.

After a few seconds, the inside of the wall clicked joyously and shifted its shape once more, the crown disappearing from the sight.

Not too long, the coronet appeared again, the wall sparking embers in satisfaction.

"What was that?" Jian Li stood perplexed, watching Dub retrieve his crown and wear it on once more.

Duther raised his wrist to explain. "It was Lord Leviticus' idea that we use our crowns as the password of this passage. This way, only us, the members of the Leviticus family could enter the private manor." He proudly grinned, his eyes glinting with pride of being a son of a brilliant lord.

The wall had split into two and slid open, revealing another place that smelled entirely different and also warm.

What lays beyond the wall was something far complex. It was something that was far unexpected to be seen there, something that was entirely impossible to be in someone's basement.

But it was there.

A colossal tree stood tall, its two trunks firmly rooted on the ground. Its towering height reached around thirty feet, and its vibrant crimson leaves shimmered brilliantly, slowly resembling a blazing tree.

The sight was bizarre yet at the same time, it was ethereal.

Jian Li found himself in a state of bewilderment, utterly astonished by the captivating sight before him. It wasn't just incredibly stunning; around the tree were pristine waters, where lily pads floated delicately, in serenity and stillness.

Overwhelmed by the scene before him, and the overabundance of fabulous details, he was left unsure of where to fix his gaze.

Around the area were dozens of planted torches that lit the basement with golden light. Maybe it was the fire that made the tree look maple reddish, but there was something more to this tree, it appeared to be glowing, or rather, burning?

After a while of observation, Jian Li made a comment: "It doesn't need sunlight but thrives in the presence of fire?" He blurted, walking further inside the basement.

Duther nodded. "As expected of His Highness! You're exactly correct. Lord Leviticus took fancy of the tree one time we journeyed in the west. We accidentally came across this tree and noticed how it withers from the rays of the sun, surprisingly just as some people were to burn the ugliness it brought to their farm, Lord Leviticus saw its trunk turn a different hue. From that day, he has taken care of the tree himself."

"It was named, Langeres."

"A beautiful name." The King muttered under his breath and gazed more, not taking his eyes off of its leaves.

"And, an open pool?" He couldn't resist the urge but step closer watch the water closely.

"Yes My Grace." Miriam nodded happily.

"This is brilliant.."

The four looked at each other in excitement, happy that they were praised. "We are honoured!"

Miriam couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. They were all fully aware of what extremely arduous history Jian Li had fought to live, and ever since he was brought back to the manor by Leviticus, it was the first time they finally see his expressions loosen up.

The four of them had been entrusted with the task of taking care of the King, who had been burdened by the weight of his responsibilities for far too long. They had seen the pain and misery in his eyes, but now, as he looked around the tree with curiosity, a spark of childlike wonder lit up his face. Even though they did not personally know the king, they still feel happy that they could be of some help for him.

She exchanged glances with the other three standing beside her, and they all shared a silent understanding of the significance of this moment.

"Miriam," They bowed the moment they were called by the King. "What exactly is your manor in the Underground City?" The three began walking and stopped in front of the tree.

She looked up and hummed. "It's.. a place for our leisure." "....a sort of place we can let down our guards."

"Relax..?"

Dian raised his arms and stretched, then casually placed them behind his head as he made his way towards the left side of the tree. The rest of the group followed suit.

Unexpectedly, he plopped down on the ground. Wait... the ground?

"Aha~ That's right Your Highness, you will see once we get there!" After saying goodbye with a playful remark, he propelled himself away. He descended down the wooden slide and disappeared into the engulfing darkness. Eventually, Jian Li could discern a chorus of cheering and shouting, indicating that Dian's descent seemed never-ending.

Jian Li paled at the thought of going down to something endlessly deep.

Duther shook his head followed by embarrassed sigh. "Loud as always, brother." He then went second to jump into the slide, this time without any noise but only the flapping of his clothes.

Then it was Miriam's turn. She settled herself on the slide, ensuring her robes were neatly tucked to avoid any hindrance. Before sliding down, she turned back and offered him an encouraging smile. "Please join us. We'll be down there waiting for His Highness." Soon after, she too descended into the abyss.

"Please," Dub shyly bowed and gestured for him to take a seat. "Your Highness."

Jian Li hesitated, his gaze fixed on the slide before him. Thoughts raced through his mind, pondering the safety and propriety of the situation. The etiquettes of the palace echoed within him, but before he could contemplate any more, he fell into a deep silence. The realization struck him that he was no longer within the palace walls, and was already stripped of his former title. Gathering his resolve, he made up his mind and took a seat. "Very well."

Jian Li pushed himself off the slide.

But quickly regretted it.

The sudden fall caught him off guard, causing his heart to pound fiercely within his chest. It felt as if his heart might leap out of his eyes.

The only thing he could feel was the intense wind brushing his hair and the smooth sliding of his body down the slide. While in the middle of falling in fright, the fear turned into thrill. Letting his body adjust to the adrenaline rush coursing through his body.

As Jian Li fell, a gust of wind enveloped him, tousling his hair wildly. He could feel his legs gliding effortlessly down the smooth surface of the wooden slide. As he was gripped by fear, his senses heightened when the adrenaline surged within him. Amidst the fall, the fear transformed into an exhilarating thrill, allowing his body to adjust and adapt to the rush of excitement pulsating through his veins.

With each twist and turn, Jian Li's senses heightened, capturing the sights, sounds, and even the subtle shifts in air around him. The world around him seemed to blur, while his focus remained fixated on the vibrant colors and tiny sparkles that filled his view.

As he reached the end of the slide, Jian Li couldn't help but let out a sigh of joy. The exhilaration and the beauty of the glimmering minerals had left him to feel better.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the smell of pastry somehow brushed past his nose, giving a sense of warmness and cozy ambience. Standing up, the surroundings were dark, but in front of him was a door with lively and bustling voices of children. The three really did wait for him by the side while Dub quickly followed behind him.

Dian paced to the door and swept away the beaded curtains with an excited laugh, gesturing Jian Li, His Royal Highness to take a look of their manor.

Without further ado, Jian Li stepped in the light.

pAAALeeeeEeEeeE....

He froze like he was struck by a lightning. Dumbstruck by what he was witnessing.

"I-isn't this... Its more like... a hideout?.... to be honest.." Thousand droplets of sweats quickly ran down his forehead as he chuckles in disbelief of what his eyes were seeing.

Duther could feel his pain. He also couldn't stand this and could only slap his forehead in embarrassment of his siblings' actions.

A boy in jumpers zoomed to the beautiful, orange-head boy. "BRO DIAN!! Look!!" His face was in total mess, paint and dirt all over his face while he pushes his new invention infront of Dian.

The well mannered nobles were gone. It was just, pure chaos..

Dian ruffled Dernut's curly hair, making it more messy and entangled. Praising him with a huge grin as he try out the flashy thing Dernut made. "oho~!! aren't you amazing my favourite dearie~"

"AAAAAARGH get down!" Torn yelled worriedly to his fellow acrobat sibling who was hanging on the ceiling, laughing hysterically at her brother.

The fleshy boy in brown, Flock, cried out to the second person swinging at their ceiling. "Stop destroying my plants!"

"Be quiet let me sleep please.." Ifrit, the girl who was addicted in studying buried her nose inbetween the piled books infront of her, slamming her head down and snored loudly.

"Oh my god.." Gio shook his head and left the area, absentmindedly fiddling with his ears, repeatedly poking them in and out with his fingers.

"Doesn't my draft look amazing?"

"Let's fight!"

"Duel me!!"

"Anyone want a meal?"

"Heeeeere!"

Jian Li still stood in his place, watching the kids nervously as if in any moment, the whole building would come crashing down. 'The... The atmosphere here is completely different from the upper manor...'

'It's like meeting different people..'

"YOU RASCALS TONE IT DOWN!" Duther jumped into the mess, adding more fuel to the blazing noise.

A cute girl tugged his pitch black cloak. "Duther bro, ya wanna have some tea?"

"...." Duther gulped and made an embarrassed glance toward the King. He tightly shuts his eyes and shifted his gaze down the girl at his feet, reciprocating her smile and accepting the teacup with a short thank you.

"HEY YOUR PAPER TOY LANDED ON MY PLATE!"

"gET OFF THE CEILING!"

"!@?#?@!#?!!!"

Jian Li: "....."

He chuckled lowly, "Are they really the nobles i met the other day.."

"Ah, Lili, you found me." The familiar voice made his head turn as soon as he heard it. He quickly stood beside him and greeted Lev hello first.

"Kids, be quiet." The man beside him instructed leisurely, taking the seat at the long table. With his brief command, everyone ceased their chatter and halted their playful scuffling. They all settled into their respective seats, letting out giggles.

'What the heck.' Jian Li took the seat beside him.

He gazed over Lev and his small smile. 'Just how much power does he hold with these kids..'

Jian Li noticed a proud and satisfied expression on Duther's face, his grin beaming with pride, silently proclaiming, "uh-huh, my father is amazing!"

'Just how much respect does this kid have on Lev-?'