12 First Underling (2)

"... I've been here my whole life."

He spoke in a nonchalant tone.

My eyes immediately went wide at his shocking statement.

"You mean--"

"Yeah. I was born here and I'm going to die in the same place I was created. So don't bother me."

He warned me to leave. His tone turned slightly threatening at the end of his sentence.

I wasn't bothered by his tone at the slightest and merely narrowed my eyes at him as I sighed deeply before opening my mouth and asked,

".. Have you ever seen the sun before?"

"No."

He immediately answered my question with a short word as he was not interested in this conversation.

I stayed quiet afterward.

My eyes were staring at him willingly to know what he experiences around him more as my questions continued towards him.

".. See the sky at least?"

"No."

".. Have you seen what the reality of the surface is?"

"No."

"Do you want to see it?"

"I do not. Leave me alone."

I looked at him while standing in my place.

I didn't move an inch as my expression towards him slightly changed.

'Pitiful.'

Since I came here, I have always been feeling that emotion the whole time for everyone that I have met before.

I showed them towards Chester, Azrael, Gray, the citizens that are trapped inside this kingdom, and even myself about this situation.

Now, I expressed them in front of the boy that was locked in a room his whole life named Cristo.

It's suffocating that you feel like you just want to yell at everyone and let all those feelings out.

'... But I can hardly do it.'

I sighed before facing Cristo again.

I don't want to waste any opportunity I have with him.

"...Why don't you want to see it? Aren't you curious about the outside?"

"I don't want to. I have no interest in seeing it."

"Why don't you want to?"

"..."

He was silent. He was displeased, I'm sure.

Maybe he's tired of answering my neverending questions, but even so, I dare myself to look straight into his lifeless emerald eyes that held no hope.

He stared at me back as he had finally chosen to speak.

"Why are you here? Why are you asking me all those questions?"

He answered me back with more questions.

"... I don't get you."

He added one more sentence.

My lips curved into a small smile as I raised my hand and crossed it across my chest.

"To be bold, I want the strength of your mana."

".. So, do you know about my mana?"

"So you do know you have mana."

I looked at him in the eyes as curiosity flowed inside me.

He looked at me half-interested before slightly looking away from me.

"Even though you wished for my power, it's completely useless for your needs."

He gazed downwards, finding the floor more interesting than meeting my eyes.

"Cristo, what is your magic specialty?"

".. Flame Generation."

My eyes went wide.

'.. That's really impressive. Not to mention every human originally was blessed with mana before the Directive Order appeared.'

"Can you show it to me?"

He raised his head as his emerald eyes met my aquamarine ones.

He lured his hand out with his palm open.

In a flash, his hands created average red flames that were clearly alive.

I was stunned by the bright sight.

".. If you leave now, I won't kill you."

I looked at him with wide eyes as I tried to spot some jokes hidden behind those words as he threatened me.

".. Ha."

I chuckled bitterly after hearing his statement that made him confused about my reaction.

"That's new."

I exclaimed after the long pauses, making him raise his brow and withdraw the flames on his hand.

".. What do you mean?"

He looks at me with his dead eyes.

"It's been a while since someone threatened me this way. It's kind of refreshing."

I chuckled to myself.

".. You're weird."

I smiled.

"I know. If you want to work under me, I will promise you something."

".. I don't want anything."

"No, I know you want this."

"What?"

I stepped closer to his figure and bent down, looking straight at his lifeless but, hopeful emerald eyes.

"Freedom."

"..."

"This kingdom is bound by cruel rules under the name-"

"Directive Order."

He finished it for me as I smiled, knowing that he would know about Directive Order and be aware of it as I don't need to explain it any further.

"I promise I won't make you do much. But I can't promise myself to prevent your death."

I reasoned him softly while looking at him.

"Besides, you are way older than your appearance. So I'm sure you're as mature as we are to decide on this decision."

He immediately breaks our eye contact and gazes somewhere else.

"Or...  you can choose to stay here until the Directive Knights find you and kill you?"

I wondered playfully while looking at him as his eyes went wide.

".. I don't want to die. At least promise me I won't die."

I sighed deeply after I heard about his heavy conditions and came to a hard decision,

".. I, Dorothy Lucretia O'bell, promised Cristo to prevent his death before he got his freedom. Will this work?"

Much to my surprise, he slowly nodded his head while playing with his fingers as I could see a small, visible smile formed on his lips.

'Geez, if he really wants to go outside, just say so.'

When I thought of that, a certain question popped inside my mind.

"Cristo. Why don't you go to the surface by yourself before?"

"It's because I can't get out of here."

"Why?"

"Every day, the shape and structure of this basement change. I don't know my way."

Cristo spoke his reason as I understood why.

'This basement does felt like a never-ending prison for him.'

I looked at him rather saddened before I took a step closer to him and hold both of his hands as I looked at him tenderly.

"I still remember the way out. So trust me on this."

I plastered a reassuring smile towards him.

He stares at me for a second before he nodded.

'I'm sure we'll be fine since it only happens once a day and our conversation hadn't lasted that long.'

We both wandered the hall after leaving his room as we were guided by the artificial light of the lanterns.

After a long walking through the maze and rooms, at last, our eyes finally met a familiar staircase.

At the sight, I cheer up victoriously as I succeed in retrieving Cristo.

'.. Azrael should compliment me on this.'

"Let's release you from this basement, Cristo."

".. Yeah."

I started climbing up to the room as I was followed by Cristo.

We both reached the room as I sighed in relief when the door is still locked.

I unlocked the door to reveal the hall of Gray's household and looked around the room as I found myself sighing in relief.

'There were no Directive Special Knights now.'

We both walk outside the house as we went to the carriage.

The coachman was confused by the sudden presence of a boy he doesn't know but I guess he decided to stay quiet about him.

'.. Well, that makes things easier for me.'

I also make sure they were no Directive Knights near our area so I could secretly sneak Cristo to the carriage.

'I still have to be conscious of them. They clearly have no information file about Cristo. Because of that, they would suspect him for sure because he practically hasn't confirmed his existence.'

I thought as I sighed before focusing on the current situation.

When we are both inside the carriage, the coachman started the horse as the carriage slowly move.

I notice that Cristo has been looking outside the window for as long as he can.

In his lifeless emerald eyes, I could see a little bit of light as he gazes at the sky.

I decided to stay quiet about it because it's his first time seeing a bright blue sky.

It was all smooth sailing until the carriage suddenly stopped.

"What happened?"

"Greetings, Your Highness."

I was stunned when I heard an unfamiliar voice.

I look to my window as I saw a figure standing tall through it, shadowing over me.

My heart dropped the moment I realized it was a Directive Special Knight.

'When did they appear? Why now even though we almost succeed!'

My eyes widened as I stared at him silently, hiding the panic that is rising inside me.

"Pardon for the stopping abruptly to your carriage ride, Your Highness, but Your Highness was held for suspicion of violating Directive Orders."

They exclaimed.

'.. What?'

I still stayed silent as I observe his appearance.

He was wearing his mainly white attire like the Directive Special Knight I encounter before, Althea Genetta Third Order.

Only the design is slightly different and like the way they talk and the deep tone, they must be 'male'.

".. What kind of suspicion?"

I asked but I already know the answer.

"...That boy beside you. Someone saw him exiting the sinner's, Gray Oswald's household along with you. What makes the matter more concerning was that the citizen did not recognize his appearance and role in this capital city."

He answered my question as I could feel his intense stare towards Cristo as he pointed at him.

Cristo subconsciously back away from the window as he gazes below to the floor didn't dare himself to look directly at the knight.

"Your Highness, who is that boy beside you?"

I stayed silent as I didn't have the rights words yet to answer him.

'One mistake and I could endanger both mine and Cristo's life.'

My eyes looked at him in fear as I tried to calm down myself and find a solution to it.

'Think fast!'

Feeling impatient, the knight asks again with a colder tone.

"Answer or you'll be named as a sinner to be punished by death by burning."

I immediately sweatdrop while looking for the right answer to prevent mine and Cristo's death.

"Well?"

.

.

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