The question was - how strong was the opposition?

Mila doubted the Military had sent someone formidable to scout out the situation. Getting out by killing a few troops was a good choice. “Isabel.” She called out her girl and prepared to escape into the city.

It was unfortunate. Andrew and Helly were still determined to explore the basement. Whatever was there had messed with her friend's head too much. They both stepped on the stairs and began heading down.

Mila took it as a sign to move as well.

“Wait!” Viola grabbed Mila’s shoulder.

“We have to go.” Mila brushed the woman off. The sound of people entering the mansion was now clear. From what she could tell, at least 5 different people were speaking as they moved through the corridor.

It meant they had to go the other way. The window would serve just as well as the doors. Mila began to open an escape route.

“I said wait.” Viola hissed. “Everyone be quiet. Mila, there is someone from the Ocheon here.”

It took a second for the words to click. Mila stopped her movement midway. “Who and where?” This changed their situation drastically.

“Give me a moment.” Viola sniffed the air. The Iron Swords around her realised the situation had grown more serious. They began checking the surroundings, expecting an attack at any moment.

“How do you know there is someone?” Laura questioned. “Are they an enemy?” The woman gave a few hand signs meant only for her people.

“Shh…” Viola continued to look around. She frowned as she gained more clarity of the scents. “Inquisitor Astra. And the boy as well. Astra is in the air while Oscar is with the soldiers who entered the building.”

“A fucking Inquisitor?” Virr mutered. “Boss…”

“I know,” Laura whispered back. “But we were paid more than enough.”

“Not gonna do much good if we are dead,” Amy grunted while checking her shield.

Raran agreed. “Or branded as heretics. Happened to someone from my village. He didn’t die peacefully.”

“Binny was a heretic,” Ugum quietly added to his brother’s words. “He deserved it.”

“Shut it.” Laura silenced the whispers. “What are the orders?” She looked at Viola, who was now looking in all directions, discerning something intangible.

“With the Inquisitor standing above the mansion, I smell no way out,” Viola admitted. “Apart from…” She watched the basement entrance, where Helly and Andrew were heading down.

Mila doubted Helly and Andrew had heard their hushed but frantic discussion. She looked around for any other option. Perhaps if she was alone, Mila could sneak away. But not with Isabel. “Try again.” She didn’t want to go down. It would inevitably lead to a battle.

“There is nothing.” Viola returned, clearly annoyed.

The strongest person here was Laura. But she wasn’t quite there yet to face an Inquisitor, from Mila’s estimations. And even if Laura could, such a notable clash would lead to reinforcements quickly arriving.

Fighting wasn’t an option - not with the Military’s forces fighting just a few hundred meters away.

Mila exchanged looks with Isabel and Viola. “Then we are heading down.” She loathed being forced like this.

“We are going,” Viola ordered her hires.

“You heard them.” Verte roused the Iron Swords while Laura was looking up and frowning. “Anything?”

“I can’t tell. You, Agata?” Laura turned to her scout, who shook her head. “How can you tell?” She was still doubting Viola’s words.

“Secret.” Viola hurried to step on the stairs and headed down. Isabel and Mila followed, then Mortimer and, in the tail end, the Iron Swords, taking the rearguard position.

They didn’t manage to go unnoticed. Just as the last person entered the stairway, there was a shout above them.

“Here! They are going down!” Someone screamed, alerting the forces gathering in the mansion.

“Shit. Collapse the place, Raran!”

Laura’s voice reached Mila just as she stepped inside the spacious underground chamber. She felt Raran gather mana, and soon, the stones began to move, ruining the foundation of the walls. As the Iron Swrods entered the space, the stairway collapsed entirely.

“That should give us some time,” Laura added.

But not much, in Mila’s estimation. And sure enough, if she listened carefully, there already were sounds of people trying to blast their way down.

“Hey!” Helly was turning back. “What gives?” She questioned their presence, and Viola quickly gave her a rundown of the situation.

They needed a way out. Mila studied the surroundings while stepping further into the place. It was hard to find a place to put down her feet. The bodies littered the ground, and the blood pooled, making the surface slippery. It was nauseating to breathe. The smell of death was hard to stomach - especially for Mortimer, who was puking in one corner.

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Isabel didn’t look much better. Mila’s girl had hardened her heart, but such a horrid sight still left an impact on her. Mila gently took Isabel’s hand, reminding her she was also there.

“Put on the mask,” Mila advised. “It will help.” She followed her own advice. The additional cover helped, but not enough to protect from the thick smell of blood.

“Fuck.” Andrew cursed. His steps were unsteady. If not for the wolf’s help, he would have likely fallen.

Not only were there dozens of dead guards here, but also a proper checkpoint. Mila had thought the passage would be secret and hidden, but no. The opening was so large even Andrew’s wolf would have no issues passing through it.

“They were using this palace to move goods.” Verte studied crates stacked against one of the walls. “Check what’s inside, Virr.”

Meanwhile, Mila walked towards the passage. She narrowed her eyes to try and see in the dark. Here, there were a few torches on the walls, giving light. But in the tunnel? There was nothing.

“Shit!” Virr’s voice startled everyone. “These crates are full of bodies.”

This caught Mila’s attention immediately. “Let me see.” She rushed towards the man and pushed him aside.

There, indeed, were bodies inside the large wooden box - covered in simple linen fabric and stuffed to the brim. Mila pulled the cloth to reveal what lay under it.

A dried-up husk of a once woman showed its face. Mila’s fear was confirmed. “Blood sacrifices.” She announced to the room.

“Literally?” It was Laura who had arrived first. She studied the new discovery with morbid curiosity.

“Yes.” Mila turned away. “We must go. Quick.” She heard more sounds of people trying to get down.

Mila pushed Isabel towards the awaiting darkness. Helly had taken Andrew and had already vanished in it. The woman was driven by her goal. And Mila let her. She wanted Helly to scout ahead. At the very least, she believed when the woman had told them the group of seven would not hurt her or Andrew.

“Fuck. The Inquisition will tear this town down when they find those crates.” Virr was clearly shaken.

“That will happen regardless.” Ugum joined. “The revolt has assured that.”

“Those people had families.” Agata reminded. “They were probably refugees. No one would know if not for this.”

All good points. Mila finally stopped pushing Isabel and took her girl’s hand instead. She was more comfortable with the darkness and would lead Isabel.

Even here, there were corpses. Not as many, but it made their advance awkward. Mila stepped over another body. Behind her, Raran, who clearly specialised in earth magic, collapsed the tunnel.

While Mila was content to walk in silence, Laura had questions. The woman joined Mila and Isabel on the side. The size of the passage allowed it.

“When you said ‘Blood Sacrifices’, what did you mean?”

“Just that.” Mila was trying to formulate an answer. “Someone is trying to power up a ritual magic. And they are using blood. Probably. I am not an expert.” But she had heard of such things. Had even seen results of such magic. In the dreamscape, of course.

“That kind of knowledge is forbidden,” Laura noted. There was no accusation in her voice. Not even curiosity. Just an acknowledgement.

“And for good reason.” Mila realised she was shaken by the revelation as well. “It’s stupid, ineffective and often hard to control.”

“Then why do it?” Laura asked.

“Because life is cheap.” Mila grimly explained. “Especially during a war.”

Behind them, Raran continued to collapse the tunnel. The loud booms made it hard on everyone’s ears as the echoes travelled down the passage. There was no possibility of arriving quietly.

“Someone had to notice.” Verte joined them. “The local temple should have someone who keeps tabs on something like this.”

It was Viola who added information next. “Except, the local temple’s Inquisitor was old and vanished not long ago. The replacement wouldn’t know where to search. Not that quickly.”

“This was planned for a long time.” Laura’s voice didn’t betray any emotion.

It was admirable. Mila steeled her own mind as well. She squeezed Isabel’s hand. This wasn’t a pleasant topic. She wished they moved faster, but Helly was keeping a steady pace and forced those following to do the same.

“For a few months at least.” Viola estimated. “Probably longer.”

“Why only blood?” Verte wondered. “Wouldn’t they need the bodies as well?”

And the man was right. Having fresh lives to harvest would certainly help with the efficiency.

Mila felt the group's attention gather on her. “Efficiency, most likely. Assuming the operation was run for an extended period, there would be issues with keeping the sacrifices alive. They would take up more space and would bring up the risk of being discovered higher.”

“They went for a slower, less efficient and secretive path.” Laura thought out loud. “Does not sound like the Nobles I know.”

“Don’t they? They brought a lot of people into the Noble district before locking it down.” Viola grimly added. “Mostly the families of the City’s guards. But there was probably more.”

“That…” Laura sighed, showing real emotion for the first time. “That will bring sadness. I am fine, Verte.” She added at the end. The man had tried to console his superior.

Perhaps there was history at play here. Mila didn’t know and doubted Laura would speak of it. Not in these circumstances. Neither was it important with the looming threats ahead and behind.

At least, the dangerous situation made the hostility towards Mila and Isabel vanish almost completely.

The new information made Mila speculate again. Were the nobles trying to make a weapon? Empower someone? What was their end goal?

No matter how Mila thought, she couldn’t guess. There was still information she lacked.

As the end of the tunnel neared, Mila was nowhere closer to a satisfying answer. She readied herself for the upcoming battle. The feeble light did little more than reveal more devastation in their path.

“We are escaping as soon as possible.” Mila nudged her girl. “That is our primary goal.”

“I know…” Isabel replied. She suddenly hugged Mila. “We are going to show them who is boss.” Her words were braver than her body language.

“We will.” Mila nodded. She returned the hug and let her girl brush against her hair.

“Okay! I am better.” Isabel let go.

“There are people ahead,” Agata informed.

Mila had noticed that as well. Up ahead, Helly was exchanging heated phrases with someone.

Now, it was up to them to go and see what they would have to face.