Chapter 209

Empire Engulfed (X)

The underground of the underground was surprisingly similar to the ‘above’ underground; though Cain wanted to say so out loud, he could practically see the look in Senna’s eyes that told him to ‘keep it tightly shut deep below’. Another humble pun he chose to pass on with a whistle.

The set of tunnels was rather wide, spacious enough for at least three people to walk side by side without hitting each other, but the dirt was soggy and wet for the most part, making it fairly easy to slip and fall if not careful. According to Anna, it was due to the set of under-underground rivers that fed their artificial farm fields, but nobody quite knew exactly where those rivers actually stemmed from.

Nonetheless, Cain didn’t think too much of the bizarrely-shaped world; after all, if he started applying Earth’s logic to the Tower’s vistas, he’d have likely gone insane a few hours into the whole ordeal.

Just as Anna said before the group of three -- with Mina staying behind -- descended, the entire set of tunnels was like a maze; it was virtually impossible to distinguish one path from the other, and with the only source of light being whatever those walking there could conjure up, the whole world looked far too samey to orient properly without someone who knows what they are doing.

Anna and Sebas, though, clearly knew what they were doing as they used these very tunnels to escape undetected from the immediate circle of the Palace before boarding that carriage. The duo guided Cain and Senna in silence, and the macabre feeling was rather heavy; after all, this was almost like doubling down at being buried alive.

“How long are these freakin’ tunnels?” Senna asked with a groan as they reached yet another crossroad with three forks. “Rather, who the fuck even built them?! Even with modern tech, this shit would be impossible!”

“Ah, yes, let’s equate modern tech and magic,” Cain said with a chuckle. “Because that makes sense.”

“Hey! Don’t you know that saying? High-end science is basically magic!”

“I agree,” Cain nodded. “It’d be a bit sad if our high-end science didn’t include high-end sex robots, though.”

“...”

“...”

“If I poke,” Senna said with a strange look in her eyes. “You’re just gonna say something stupid like ‘then, I could make hundreds of Emma-replicas and enjoy the best harem ever envisioned by anyone ever’, right?”

“Aah, it’s father’s pride to have his kid understand him so well,” Cain pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes while Senna rolled hers. “Anyway, Anna, can you tell us more about your family? Is it really that bad?”

“It is,” the woman replied, glancing back. “It has been for a long while now, even before this generation. My Father, the King, fought two wars of succession against his brothers and sisters and barely eked out a victory. We have inherited, in many ways, the same mindset; of the 9 siblings, all but three view the throne as the penultimate life and are ready to die for it.”

“You included?” Cain probed.

“... me included,” Anna nodded with a sigh. “You may think me a greedy woman, Sir Cain, but in this world... one has to be. My younger sister wasn’t; she merely looked at the reality and pointed out our faults -- yet, we were ready to behead her for it.”

“Regardless,” Senna said. “You can’t be that greedy considering you jeopardized your life trying to save your sister.”

“It was more of a calculated power play, to be completely honest,” Anna said with a sorrowful look in her eyes. “I stood no chance of inheriting the throne through the usual means; I am a middle child, not particularly clever or strong or beautiful. Though I had a few supporters, they were mostly low-end merchants too poor to latch onto my older siblings. By standing up for my sister, I believed I might draw to my side those willing a change.”

“It’s not bad to want power,” Cain said. “What can be bad is how you’re willing to use it.”

“Well said,” Anna nodded. “Though I shan’t claim to be a saint, I hardly want to harm my own people.”

“Unlike the Third Prince?” Cain probed with an interested look.

“... I do not think it is the harm he desires,” Anna said after a brief thought, frowning. “Third Brother has always been... a bit off, so to say. I cannot recall the number of Maids that either ran away from the Palace or killed themselves due to his perversions from when he was as young as twelve. If it were just ordinary pleasure I hardly think most of those women would have minded it, but it was more. Much, much more. He’d hurt them, you see; hurt them terribly.”

“...” Senna was already gnashing her teeth, regretting not having killed the Prince when they fought him, while Cain maintained his indifferent expression.

“But... it wasn’t even that hurt that he desired,” Anna elaborated further. “But what came after -- how the Maids reacted. How the world around him reacted. He would sow the seeds of chaos and watch them ripen. I believe that is what he is after; as I said, of the 9 siblings, only three do not desire the throne. And... he is among them. He does not care about reigning, but the unrest he can articulate in the process of succession.”

“Sounds like an interesting character,” Cain said. “What about your Eldest Brother, the Crown Prince?”

“Izirdul?” Anna said, arching her brows. “Unlucky, I’d say, that he was born first. Not only does not desire the throne, he arguably hates it. This is also why he is beloved by a lot of people; somehow, someway, the infernal halls of the Palace have not managed to corrupt his mind. He still somehow maintains his kindness, even after all these years. To be honest, he is the only one I wouldn’t mind supporting if he were to take the Throne.” Hmm, so the ‘system’s description of Eldur finally makes sense, Cain mused inwardly as the conversation died down.

He was likely compared negatively to his brother since early childhood and developed the warped personality as a defense mechanism, it wasn’t exactly hard to figure that out. And then it just sort of stuck and persisted. But that sense of inferiority likely remained rooted. Hmm... is there a way to play this off? Anna seems fine enough so there’s no need to shuffle over to the Crown Prince, especially if he’s reluctant to take the throne.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Senna asked.

“About how cute and adorable you are.” Cain replied instinctively.

“Ye, ye, ye,” Senna shrugged it off though her cheeks still blushed faintly. “Now, on a serious note...”

“... on a serious note,” Cain chuckled. “I’m wondering how to best exploit this situation.”

“Ah, ever the opportunist.”

“Ever the dreamer, actually.”

“Don’t even go there. So, what’s the plan?”

“I don’t know yet,” Cain shrugged. “It’s not like I can immediately fabricate an entire plan out of thin air. I’m great, but not that great.”

“You ain’t even great, old man,” Senna clicked her tongue. “Maybe have Anna marry Izirdul or something?”

“...”

“...”

“I’m terrified that you thought of that,” Cain’s face suddenly turned into one of horror as he continued. “You... you don’t plan on making moves... moves on your s-sister, right?!”

“--JESUS--MIGHTY--FUCKING--CHRIST DUDE!!!” Senna exploded in anger, embarrassment, shame, and even more anger, startling Anna and Sebas so much that the duo slipped and actually fell. Shit, Cain thought as he saw a fist flying toward his face; he didn’t even bother dodging as, in many ways, he deserved it... and much more. I always take it not just an inch... but somehow a whole fuckin’ mile too far... a good whack in the head woke him up as pain streamed through his nerves; he didn’t fight gravity and fell down gracefully as his nose broke open and began to bleed. Just how fuckin’ sick am I to even suggest that? Aah, this brain of mine... this brain of mine...