CHAPTER 254: THE UNDERGROUND VILLAGE

The men all started talking at once while staring at Dominic with wide grins. To Dominic, though, they seemed far more rugged and masculine than he did.

Living in such harsh natural conditions had clearly shaped these people into what they were. Their brown skin was darkened by the snow and sun, their arms, legs, and chests were strong and well-developed, their faces sharp and confident.

Dominic could tell they must be excellent hunters, these men forged by survival itself. If they ever became soldiers, they would surely be formidable ones.

He followed the men carrying their loads deeper into the cave and passed through one of the doors in the back.

"We live together in family groups," one of the men explained. "Each household is centered around its head. During the long winter, we can’t go outside, so we spend most of the year down here."

The underground passage, carved out of solid rock, had been worn smooth over time, both the walls and the floor shining faintly under the light. Along the way, several rooms opened up, the storerooms filled with neatly arranged bags of grain, clothing, and other supplies.

At a crossroad where the passage split into several directions, the men began to separate, each of them heading toward his own family’s quarters.

The man with the dark brown hair, the first who had spoken to Dominic earlier, turned around and gestured for him to follow.

"My name is Krios," he said. "I’m the third son of the Pallas family, one of the clan heads."

"I’m Dominic de Beaumont," Dominic replied. "You can call me Dominic."

They stopped at a door blocking the way and stepped through it.

The path beyond sloped downward, turning into a stairway carved from packed earth.

At the bottom, the corridor split again and the doors lining both sides.

Krios led Dominic down another flight of stairs to the right.

At the end of the descent, they entered a large room. It was well-lit by several glowing magic stones set into the earthen walls. The soft animal furs covered much of the floor and thick cushions were scattered around.

Inside, a man who looked much like Krios, two children, and a woman with light brown hair were relaxing together. When Krios entered, they all turned toward him at once.

"Krios, you’re home!"

"Welcome back!"

"Father, you’re home!"

The children ran to him with bright smiles, but when they saw Dominic, they stopped abruptly, their expressions turning cautious.

"This is our guest," Krios told them. "Treat him well."

The children grabbed onto their father’s clothes and hid behind him while peeking out their headsshyly. The adults, too, seemed flustered; their faces turned red and they moved awkwardly as though unsure what to do.

"This is my younger brother, Kronos, and his wife, Foibe," Krios said. "And this is our guest, Dominic."

Dominic gave a polite nod and the couple quickly bowed back, though their movements were hesitant. Both of them seemed dazed, as if their thoughts were far away.

Dominic removed his coat, after getting Krios’s permission.

The room was surprisingly warm. It was warm enough to make him sweat, even though there was no fireplace in sight.

Foibe stepped forward and took both Krios’s coat and Dominic’s, as well as his outer cloak, to put them away neatly.

The room was enclosed by earthen walls, but Dominic didn’t feel suffocated.

There seemed to be some kind of ventilation, as he could sense a faint flow of air moving through the space.

He set his traveling gear down on the floor, and Krios gestured for him to sit and relax.

"I’m afraid I can’t stay long. As I mentioned before, my lover is somewhere in this settlement. I need to see him as soon as possible," Dominic said, urgency in his voice.

"You mean the merchant selling black agate stone ornaments in Hesio Village? Who went there from our settlement?" Krios asked.

Kronos, Krios’s younger brother, tilted his head thoughtfully before answering.

"I think it was the Leto family who went there," he said.

"The Leto family, huh?"

"Koios, the elder’s son, must have gone down to the village looking for a bride," Kronos added.

"A bride?"

Krios explained in response to Dominic’s question.

"Yes. Within this settlement, the families are closely related by blood. Occasionally, someone goes out to neighboring villages to find a bride or groom. When they do, they sell ornaments that young women like. It’s when daughters from the village gather together," Krios said.

"Please, take me to the Leto family!" Dominic urged, his desperation growing.

Normally, Shiao Yi would be more than capable of holding his own, but there had been no contact at all.

Something serious must have happened.

At worst, Shiao Yi might be completely unconscious and unable to move or respond.

Seeing Dominic’s urgent determination, Krios seemed to understand. He gestured toward a door in the room.

The door led to another flight of stairs going downward. As Krios started descending, Dominic called out.

"I need to go to the Leto family!"

"This is the way," Krios said without slowing.

Dominic hurried after him, following down the stairs into another corridor with side passages and more stairways.

The passage was slightly wider than the ones above and the residents they passed gave him curious, cautious looks.

"This area is shared by everyone. Further down, there are communal kitchens and meeting spaces. These corridors connect all the homes," Krios explained.

It was like an ant colony.

Their lives seemed to exist entirely underground.

As they descended further, the warmth increased noticeably.

The residents wore lighter clothing and Dominic who is dressed for winter was already sweating.

He realized how people could live in such a harsh frozen region.

They continued down the corridors, turning and twisting through the maze-like passageways, when suddenly, loud noises reached Dominic’s ears. It was a screams, shouting, and angry voices rising from somewhere ahead.

The narrow corridor quickly opened into a slightly wider passage.