LightReader

Chapter 31 - The mystery of the serpent's path

"Olivia? What are you doing here?"

The woman placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? An intruder came to me last night asking for my guidance. Ring any bells?"

"Oh—right!"

In the chaos of the past day, William had completely forgotten their agreement. Everything had changed, and now a new piece had entered the board. Olivia, of the Drakon tribe—a woman with power great enough to shape the land if she chose—had arrived.

She shook her head. "Unbelievable. Then again, men are idiots. What else did I expect?"

William gave her a sheepish smile. "Geez, you and that sharp tongue of yours."

Nicolas, having sheathed his sword, eyed the woman curiously. "Uh, Master… who's she?"

"This is Olivia. She's from the Drakon tribe."

Nicolas gave a respectful bow. "Drakon tribe? Never heard of it. Those tattoos look amazing! She looks strong too. Is she a ferocious fighter?"

Before Olivia could react, William grabbed the young man by the arm and pulled him aside.

"You don't say that to a woman!" he whispered.

"What? Isn't she strong?" Nicolas whispered back.

"Yes, but that's not how you say it. Not in front of her."

Both turned to look at Olivia. Her tribal tattoos traced intricate lines across her skin, partially revealed by her traditional outfit. Muscular, confident, and calm, her presence dominated the space despite being surrounded by men.

Nicolas scratched the back of his head. "I get it now, Master."

Olivia, meanwhile, was focused on the tunnel ahead. "So, this is the Serpent's Path…"

"Sorry to drag you into this," William said. "I really appreciate your help."

"I'm just here to hold up my end of the deal. I hope you intend to do the same."

"Of course. No doubt about it."

William was relieved she hadn't abandoned him. In fact, she had arrived before they did. Which made him wonder—why hadn't she been waiting at the entrance the first time around?

"Miss Olivia, care to eat?" Nicolas offered.

She hesitated for a moment, then took a seat and accepted the plate. She quietly set the meat aside, eating only the cooked vegetables. Nicolas looked slightly disappointed.

"Not a fan of meat?" William asked for him.

"My people don't eat it," she said. "We believe every life has value."

"I see."

William realized how little he actually knew about her. In his mind, she was always the woman who chased him off when he got too close to her tribe's territory. They had once been on friendly terms when they were younger, but something had shifted. She had changed—and he had never asked why.

Yet here she was, offering her help in her own way.

"Again, I appreciate you being here."

"To be honest, I was coming either way," Olivia replied. "One way or another, I needed to check this place."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"This place is becoming impossible to ignore."

"Is it because of the disappearances?"

Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know about that?"

William gave a wry smile. "I overheard a few of your men talking."

"Good grief… men can never keep their mouths shut."

"Were you sent to investigate?" Sebastian chimed in.

"Something like that," she said. "And you are?"

"My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Sebastian."

He had been silently observing the whole exchange from a distance, evaluating whether Olivia posed a threat to the group.

"He's the one under contract," William explained.

"Specifically by the Reinsfield family," Sebastian added with a polite bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss."

"The Reinsfields, huh? You really do find yourself in the strangest situations, intruder."

William chuckled. "Rotten luck. Comes with the territory of being a merchant."

Olivia shook her head at him. "As you said… Ever since the tunnel appeared, people have gone missing—specifically, from my tribe."

"Could it be the beasts?" William asked.

"That's one possibility," she replied. "But the important part isn't what caused it. It's who's been taken. I'm here for the missing members of the Drakon tribe."

"So only your people have been targeted?"

"Hard to say. The Drakon tribe is the only one that knew about this place. No one else comes near these parts… except you lot. It could just be coincidence. I don't have hard proof yet."

"Surely someone must know about this," Sebastian said.

William shook his head. "No, she's right. If it weren't for the Drakon tribe, I wouldn't have known this tunnel even existed. No one in Aoba has mentioned it."

"Those brave enough to cross the forest never go through the mountains," Olivia added. "They go around. The entrance was hidden in plain sight."

If word spread about a tunnel that could shorten the route through the mountains, it would've caught outsiders' attention by now.

Sebastian rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "Still… would creatures even be capable of creating something like this?"

William shrugged. "They don't seem like ordinary beasts. We can't underestimate them—they might be smarter than we think."

"And if they're strong enough to take out members of the Drakon tribe," Sebastian added, "that says a lot."

"That's exactly why I'm here," Olivia said. "With more eyes, maybe we'll catch what I couldn't on my own."

"I see…" William muttered to himself. "So that's my end of the deal."

Helping Olivia investigate the tunnel would lead them to the other side—and hopefully keep them alive. He had to make it through before the day ended… or face death all over again. But answers still eluded him, and everything kept getting more complicated.

Olivia stood up after finishing her food. She nodded to Nicolas in thanks, then turned her attention to the tunnel.

"I believe it's time we made our move."

She faced the looming entrance, a serious glint in her eyes. Of all the mysteries surrounding the place, something inside that tunnel felt familiar.

"Be prepared. The moment we step inside, we'll be thrown into battle."

More Chapters