From the outside, the cave looked completely ordinary.
Normally, the place stood out because there were many wooden houses nearby, and people of all kinds wandered the streets.
But now, it was almost empty.
A group of beggars followed an old man who was confidently heading straight for the cave.
It looked like a simple stone passage.
In the past, there were always four guards in heavy armor standing at the entrance.
But now, there seemed to be no guards at all.
Yet Gloomer squinted and saw a shadow.
A human shadow.
He was sitting with his arms crossed, a sword resting on his lap.
His aura.
Even from afar, Gloomer understood—this man was unimaginably strong.
The stranger immediately noticed the old man.
He slowly stood up and narrowed his eyes slightly.
— Well, well… old man? Of all people, I didn’t expect to see you. Haven’t you kicked the bucket yet after all these years?
The old man frowned, blinked a couple of times, and even removed his helmet.
— And who might you be? I don’t remember any brat like you.
— Well… don’t worry, considering your age, I’m not surprised.
The stranger stepped out of the shadows.
Black markings covered his body—even his neck, forming patterns of strange creatures Gloomer didn’t recognize.
His black hair was neatly styled—the rain seemed to avoid touching it.
Ordinary clothing, with no hint of armor.
Is he really that confident in his strength?—the thought flashed through Gloomer’s mind.
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— Doesn’t matter. Let us in quickly, I need to speak with Zenon, — the old man said, stepping forward.
But he was stopped immediately.
The stranger, with a smooth motion of his sheathed sword, blocked his path.
— What do you think you’re doing?
— Carrying out my duty.
— You’ve chosen a poor approach.
— Then prove it.
Both of them grabbed the hilts of their swords.
Gloomer and the others watched in silence.
Everyone was in terrible condition.
And now, on top of that, this fight.
But these beggars had no choice but to stand and watch.
Gloomer clenched his teeth.
How he hated this feeling.
Helplessness—he could only observe.
Was his life really worth nothing?
Gloomer didn’t know what the others were feeling, but he himself was boiling with rage.
Damn you all! If you want to hack each other to pieces until morning—fine, but let us in first!—he screamed in his mind.
The battle was about to begin at any moment.
But…
A sudden voice shattered the tension.
— Stop!
Both of them turned.
As did the entire group.
Eight people were approaching from the entrance.
Leading them—a woman.
Her elegant armor gleamed, fitting her figure perfectly.
Light hair, blue eyes. The appearance of an angel.
— Doni… — she said in an icy voice. — You were stationed here so you wouldn’t slack off.
— Such a useless bastard… You nearly ruined everything.
Doni immediately let go of the hilt and sat back down, not even trying to justify himself.
Just the woman’s tone alone—and he was crushed.
Her status was instantly obvious.
The old man frowned.
— So, you’re Doni? In five years, you’ve changed a lot. Like a completely different person.
— And you’re still the same trash you always were, — Doni retorted sharply.
That ended the conversation.
The old man bowed his head to the woman.
— You’ve brought as many as nineteen people. But more importantly, you clearly didn’t come empty-handed. You’ll surely be rewarded.
— No need. It’s my duty as a knight.
— I have seven more with me. Combine them and send them to Dara. She’ll handle it.
The old man bowed again, gathered the people, and went further inside.
Inside, the cave was completely different.
Blue, glowing crystals. Magical herbs. Various platforms.
No torches were needed.
People, busy with their work, watched these beggars as they passed.
Gloomer wondered.
I wonder… Do they know what’s happening outside?
The group was led into a hall.
The old man spoke with a few people, but Gloomer didn’t hear anything.
He only glanced around.
The others were already starting to recover.
The beggars, who had barely been able to stand moments ago, were noticeably calmer.
And so was Gloomer.
The old man, having finished his conversation, left without even saying goodbye.
They were given shoes and old clothes left over from others.
But most importantly, they were at least somewhat warm.
And then came—their annoying questions.
The usual ones: how did you meet the old man, and so on.
After that, they were finally given rooms. Four people per room.
They had correctly assumed that rest was necessary.
The room was small, but they didn’t care.
Lark collapsed immediately, completely exhausted.
And this time—he wasn’t the only one.
Everyone was dropping from exhaustion.
This nightmare is over. Right?—thought Ars.
But Gloomer thought differently. He wanted to tell them what working here was like but realized there was no point in ruining their peaceful night.
— What now? — Lark muttered sleepily.
— We’ll find out tomorrow, — Vale replied.
They fell asleep instantly.
Morning came quickly.
But there were few people in the hall.
Here, in the most spacious part of the cave, they had gathered miners, loaders, and everyone who needed to hear an important announcement.
Standing before them was that same woman.
— Yesterday, the Dark Island appeared near your island. And it brought many troubles…
She exhaled.
— The troubles have only worsened. From this day forward, it is forbidden to go outside without permission.
These orders mainly concerned the middle and upper classes, who were engaged in more delicate and responsible work.
For ordinary workers like Gloomer, going out without permission was already forbidden. In the past, as a useless child, he had been removed from his duties, which ultimately allowed him to leave the mine unnoticed.
— This applies to lower-class guards as well.
Murmurs of protest spread through the crowd.
But Gloomer wasn’t listening.
He was looking for someone.
He glanced to the left.
There sat the workers, watching the proceedings with weary eyes.
And then, he caught a familiar gaze.
That person looked at him, too.
Gloomer smiled.
And let out a relieved sigh.
— Naomi… I’m glad you’re okay.