The tunnel fell silent.
The faint drip of water from the ceiling echoed through the darkness.
Hidden within a narrow crack in the wall, the boy froze.
His glowing blue eyes widened slightly.
He hadn't moved.
He hadn't made a sound.
Yet—
That man with the red eyes was **staring directly at him**.
Aldric's grin slowly widened.
"Well now…"
He tilted his head slightly, amusement clear in his voice.
"Are you planning to stay hidden there all night?"
The boy's claws dug deeper into the stone beside him.
His body tensed like a cornered animal.
The others followed Aldric's gaze.
Lyriana looked toward the shadowed crack.
Vaelith's eyes shifted there as well, though her expression remained calm as she held the two children.
The cultist narrowed her eyes slightly.
Then—
Two glowing blue eyes slowly appeared in the darkness.
The boy stepped out.
Slowly.
Cautiously.
His ragged clothes clung to his thin body, and dried blood marked several wounds across his arms and shoulders.
His wolf-like ears were pressed flat against his head.
His tail flicked once behind him.
Aldric looked him up and down.
"…Huh."
His brow rose slightly.
"A beastkin?"
The boy didn't answer.
He only glared back.
His sharp blue eyes were filled with distrust.
Aldric chuckled softly.
"Well look at that."
He gestured toward the corpse Lyriana had just dropped.
"Perfect timing."
Lyriana crossed her arms.
"He has seen us. He also saw what just happened."
Her voice was calm.
Practical.
The boy's muscles tightened the moment Lyriana spoke.
"We should kill him too."
Her tone carried no hesitation.
Just simple practicality.
For a brief moment—
No one disagreed.
The sewer tunnel grew quiet again, the faint drip of water echoing around them.
Aldric stepped forward slightly, his red eyes still fixed on the boy.
"Hmm."
He rolled his shoulders lazily.
"I suppose that would be the simplest solution."
The boy's claws curled slightly, digging into his palms.
He knew what he had just seen.
If they decided to kill him—
He wouldn't survive.
His ears twitched.
Then suddenly—
"I know where there's an airship."
The words came out quickly.
Everyone paused.
Aldric blinked once.
Then slowly smiled.
"Well now."
He leaned forward slightly, studying the boy again.
"Looks like the brat has a **good pair of ears** on his head."
His grin widened.
"And he doesn't seem to be using them too badly either."
The boy stayed silent, his glowing blue eyes watching them carefully.
The cultist spoke next, her voice thoughtful.
"An airship…"
Her gaze shifted toward Draven.
"If we can find a **private airship**, we could simply take it."
She crossed her arms slightly.
"That would eliminate the need for the entire identity-forging plan."
Aldric chuckled.
"Now that sounds like a better idea."
But the cultist added calmly—
"As long as it doesn't belong to a **noble**."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Stealing from a noble would attract far more attention than we need."
The boy swallowed slightly but forced himself to keep speaking.
"It's not a noble's ship."
All eyes turned toward him again.
"It belongs to a merchant."
Aldric raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The boy nodded once.
"There's a **private landing port** near the river that leads outside the city."
His tail flicked nervously behind him.
"I've seen it before."
The sewer tunnel fell quiet again as everyone processed the information.
Then Aldric glanced sideways toward Draven.
"Well?"
He smirked.
"Looks like the little puppy just bought himself a few more minutes of life."
Aldric smirked faintly at the boy.
"Alright, kid," he said lazily. "Lead the way."
But the boy didn't move.
His glowing blue eyes remained locked on them.
"…No."
The single word echoed through the tunnel.
Aldric's brow twitched slightly.
The boy continued.
"I'll only do it if you **fulfill** a request of mine first."
For a moment—
Silence.
Then Aldric's eyes lit up with amusement.
"Oh?"
In the next instant—
His hand shot forward.
**GRAB**
He seized the boy by the neck and lifted him off the ground effortlessly.
The boy's feet dangled above the sewage water as Aldric pulled him closer.
"Brat," Aldric said quietly, his red eyes gleaming.
"You think you're in a position to bargain with us?"
His grip tightened.
"Just do as you're told."
His voice dropped colder.
"And I might consider sparing your life."
The pressure on the boy's throat increased.
"If you refuse…"
Aldric smiled faintly.
"…then you can just die."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And we'll find the airship ourselves."
The boy glared back at him.
His jaws clenched tightly as the grip around his neck tightened further.
He didn't beg.
He didn't struggle.
He simply stared back with stubborn defiance.
Vaelith spoke quietly from the side.
"Even if you kill him…"
She watched the boy carefully.
"…he won't back down."
Draven's calm voice followed.
"That's his only lifeline."
His eyes rested on the boy.
"And he doesn't seem willing to let go of it."
Lyriana crossed her arms, studying the boy's face.
"His eyes show no fear."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Even when he's about to die."
Aldric glanced at them.
Then looked back at the boy.
"…Is that so?"
His grip tightened again.
"Well then."
His grin returned.
"I guess I'll just kill him."
"Since he's so useless."
The boy's body tensed slightly as Aldric's fingers began to close.
But before he could crush his throat—
Draven spoke.
"Stop."
The word was calm.
But it carried enough weight that Aldric's hand froze mid-motion.