Riley thought about the possibility that all purple colored humans might have the ability to control corpses. He then tried to figure out the next puzzle.
‘Young Master, the people with pitch-black eyes were… some kind of sacrifices. My Master was also a sacrifice.’
Riley thought about what Ian said. While he was tracing Rebethra’s back, Riley furrowed his brows as if something was icky.
‘A sacrifice…’
While Riley was thinking about what Ian said and was furrowing his brows, a horrible stench went past his nose. Riley stopped thinking about it and looked at where Rebethra was headed.
‘Lower Solia?’
After making the people from the Holy Temple to go to the Solia Castle, Rebethra was going through the Main Plaza and heading to Lower Solia. Riley wondered why as he rolled his brain continuously. In that moment,
“… Hand over the information about that lass.”
Having heard the voice, Riley stopped the thought and tuned in to the voices.
“That lass?”
There was another voice that could be heard. Riley thought it sounded familiar, so he looked toward the direction of the new voice.
The voice belonged to the current Head of the Magic Tower, the one who Riley knew well.
‘That’s Peruda?’
It seemed he wondered around Lower Solia for a long time. From the tip of the shoes to the top of his head, he was a mess. He was not in a good shape.
“I’m talking about the lass that you Magic Tower bastards dragged to the basement and experimented on!”
Having heard the sharp remark from the man standing in front of him, Peruda flinched. As if he felt wronged, Peruda talked back.
“Why do you want that…”
“Aren’t you curious what’s happening outside?”
“… Kuk.”
The man was not going to forgive Peruda for talking back. The man threatened Peruda. Having heard the threat, Peruda’s face crumpled desperately.
“If you are talking about the people who were e… experimented on… There were so many of them, so even if you ask me, I would not know…”
“… Nainiae.”
“…?”
“Nainiae. You should know that lass very well?”
The homeless who was standing in Peruda was Hamil. Having heard the name of the girl, Peruda opened his eyes big and faced Hamil.
“How do you know her… No. Why are you looking for her?”
Peruda steadily stared at Hamil’s face. It seemed Peruda just remembered the face. He pointed his index finger at Hamil and mumbled,
“Wait, you are?”
“…”
In the past, under Astroa’s order, Peruda had been charged with selling the Magic Tower’s broken or disposed failures to nobilities, merchants or mercenaries in secret. Peruda started to break cold sweats.
“Back then… that…”
Peruda was remembering the time at Lower Solia where he sold a girl with limited life span.
“If it is that child, you should know her better?”
Now, Peruda crumpled his face and glared at the homeless that purchased Nainiae with money last winter. Peruda asked,
“Why are you asking me that?”
That girl did not have long to live. Her appearance and mind were in pieces. She was full of injuries and wounds. She had nowhere to go. She was literally waiting for her moment of death. The one who purchased her was the homeless who was standing in front of Peruda’s eyes.
“Actually, I want to ask you. What child… What happened to that child? Is she still alive? If she is…”
“… Why?”
“…?”
“Why!!”
Hamil’s eyes were filled with murderous intent. He was glaring at Peruda and shouting at top of his lungs.
“How could you not know! According to that runt, you would know where that b*tch is!”
“Ugh?!”
“Tell me! You are hiding here, aren’t you? Tell me!”
Hamil grabbed Peruda by the clothes near his throat and shook him. Peruda cringed one of his eyes as he looked around. While minding the others, he started to fiddle with his fingers.
“… Looks like you abandoned her.”
“What?”
“You abandoned that child. Isn’t that why you are asking me? You guys said you needed her and bought her, and then you abandoned her. You guys always complain that the world abandoned you, yet in the end… You are becoming of the trash in Lower Solia.”
“Ugh, Ugh!!”
“As you said earlier, I did have many conversation with that child. That’s why I’m even more certain that… she would not have done anything wrong first.”