To the Depth of Abyss

Chapter 86: Plot in the Underground

Conor seems to know who Diana is. As a fellow Legend Hunter, it is normal to know each other. 

"But, I'm sorry, I don't know you."

"Haha, don't worry about it. Like I said, I'm just your unlucky colleague." Conor then back again to Ars. "Can I say, Ars is the Greedy Young Master everyone was talking about?"

The news about the Greedy Young Master has spread even to the slum of the Underground City. 

Even though the room is bright now, Ars' Eyes of the Dragon shine even brighter. That sight gives a goosebump to Liam. Because that just shows how strong Ars the Greedy Young Master is.

Ars return his back to the chair. "Well, I think that is enough for what I need from you old man."

That is quite surprised. They just come in not long ago, find a disable Legend Hunter, and get home casually. 

"Hey, didn't that just rude!"

Elisa stopped Ars before he can get out from the house. 

"Well, because only that what I need from that old man? Why are you mad?" asked Ars casually. 

"Because that just rude! You cannot just get in to someone's house, staring at him for long, and just go home like that! You need to show him respect, especially when he is older than you!"

That little girl just scold Ars because he casually being impolite to other people. That scene gives a thought to the three people who watch them. 

"Is she his mother?" 

Conor gets a feeling that there will be a fight between that couple if he doesn't do something. 

"You don't need to be that mad, Elisa," said Conor. 

"But, sir..."

"Instead, I have to thank Ars because he just give us more than what I can give to him."

That words confused Elisa. 'What Ars gives?'. She looks at the room once again, then looks at everything that didn't exist before they come. 

A nice looking-comfy chair, one bright luminous stone-lamp, and a tiny parcel in the chair. 

Now Elisa understands what Conor means about Ars gave them more. That makes her want to look at Ars, but Ars didn't allow that by grasping her face, then he walks out from the house. 

"Hey!" 

Elisa wants to pursue Ars, but before that, she bows to the house owner first. 

"Thanks for letting us visit, Sir Conor!"

"No problem. I should be the one who thank for visiting us."

They exchange smile, then Elisa gets out from the house, running to chase Ars. 

It is Diana's turn to get out. But she gets out first before saying goodbye.

Conor, assisted by Lim, escorted their guest home. 

When they are outside, Diana faces the young man and his father once again. 

"It must be hard for you, eh?"

"Well, everyone has their own challenge in life. We just need to face that while moving forward."

The two Legend Hunter exchange smile like an old colleague. They never meet before now, but the two of them had shared the same burden in the past. That is why they at least understand each other feeling for a little. 

"Oho, it looks like the badman actually have a good side, eh?"

Quite far from them, Elisa begins to tease Ars, like a mother who finds a different side of her son. But the difference between them is, Ars can counterattack Elisa, like grasping Elisa's head, and made her suffer.

"Ouw! Ouw! Ouw! Ouw! Ouw! That hurts! Stop!"

That scene made the people who saw them laugh. 

"Well then, good luck to you, mate."

"Good luck to you too, Lady of the Wind."

Diana begins to walk, but she gives Conor's young man message first. 

"Take good care of you father, young man."

That message startled Liam, but he quickly recovers and gives an enthusiasm response to Diana. 

"Yes, mam!"

That night, the city sleep in peace after a day hard work. Except for Conor. 

When his son already sleeps, he remains wake for some reason. Suddenly, somebody knock on his door. He takes his stick, gets up, then walks to the door. 

Outside, there are few people dressed in black coat, waiting for Conor.. 

"Now is the time," said one of them. 

That is a sign of something so important. 

Conor takes a deep breath, then changes his kind expression to deep-angry face. 

"Let's go."

______________

Blackish Mountain / Underground City 

Mine Cart Terminal / Morning 

"Why are you seem off, Elisa?"

Elisa and Diana want to go around Seven Mountains before they continue their way to Shield City. But when they about to go, Elisa shows a gloomy face. 

"I'm still thinking about what happened to Mr. Conor and Liam."

"Oww, you don't have to worry about them. Conor has been through harder times than this. They will make it this time too."

Diana knows what a hard time is in the past. Conor must know that too, because both of them are Legend Hunter.

"Thank you, Miss Diana." That makes Elisa a lot better and focuses on herself. "Then, why are you following us?"

Beside Elisa, stood Ars, who wants to go around with them too. 

"A little girl can't decide what an adult want to do."

Ars' answer makes Elisa's tension going up high. She holds her staff tight, feels like want to hit Ars with that. 

After watching a fight between Elisa and Ars a few times, Diana finally gets used to it, and she just laughed in amusement watched them fight. When suddenly there is a certain young man running toward them. 

"Sir Ars!"

It is Liam. He looked as if he had just run around town, searching for them.

"Thank God, you are still here!"

"We were just about to leave. So actually you don't have to follow us."

"Ars!?" Elisa displace Ars to face Liam. "What is wrong, Liam?"

Liam wants to answer. "Pleass.. help!" But he is panting. "My dhad..!" And he finds it hard to talk. 

Diana comes to help. "Easy, young man. Set your breath first. Then talk."

Liam does what Diana order him to. After calming down, he begins to talk. 

"Please help! My dad got kidnapped!"

"Your dad?!"

It shocked them. Conor is just a disable old man without having any valuable thing with him. 

"Why he got kidnapped?"

"I don't know! We really didn't have anything with us! Unless..." 

Unless Conor secretly has one thing that Liam didn't know. 

"Importantly, let's get back to your house first."

Diana leads them back to Liam's house. But there is one more person who just stand still when they started walking. 

Elisa realized that person and turned around. "Ars?"

Ars looks like does not interest in helping Liam. He just stand still on his feet in his casual expression. 

Liam feels guilty because he troublesome someone he just met yesterday. Diana cannot do anything with that, because Ars is an independent, strong man.

The only one who can persuade him is Elisa. 

"You will come with us, right?"

Elisa didn't use 'help Liam' but used 'come with us' instead. That choice of words is a strong and sharp one. Elisa also gives a frank, but firm expression. She asked Ars sincerity towards her, not others. 

Ars somehow cannot refuse that. That makes him took a deep breath, then start walking to follow them. 

They get back to track to Liam's house. 

On the way, Diana feels something is off. "Aren't this fog is so thick even though it's already about noon?"

"Yes, it is."

The Underground City activity is still busy, like usual. But because of the thick fog, everyone gets troublesome when doing their work. 

"Hey, watch where you put that!?"

"Walk slowly when you think you can see far!"

"Why the fog haven't gone yet!?"

It is actually normal for Underground City to have a fog in the ground, especially when it was dawn. But the fog should be gone when morning wind ventilated the Underground City. 

They have arrive to Liam's house. 

"Tell us, Liam, why did you believe that your father got kidnapped? Didn't he just gone somewhere without telling you and will be back later?"

Liam made a complicated expression when Diana guessed that. 

"This past one month, there are several records reported that few disable Legend Hunter is disappeared. We believe it's a work of kidnapper. But we still don't know their motive on why they kidnapped them?"

"Why did they kidnap poor men like them?" asked Elisa, feeling sorry. 

That information was new to them because they just come to this city yesterday. 

Diana has a few guessed, but she cannot tell that to the victim son.

"Ars, can you come with me for a second?" asked Diana. 

"Oho, you finally want me to " "I'm sorry, youngster, but we have to talk in private for a moment."

Diana and Ars moved away where the two youngsters can't hear them. 

"Listen, Ars."

"I'm listening."

"I heard that there is Black Hunters movement in this city. If that connected with the kidnapped record, then those two cases is related on one another."

"Then?"

"Most likely, Black Hunters have their mission in this city. But what do they need with the kidnapped disable Legend Hunters?"

"Because they are part of the mission? Or even the part of the Black Hunters group?"

Ars's prejudice gave Diana chills. 

"No, we can't decide that yet. First, we need to go to Major Office. Then we talked about this later."

"Why bother helping one child when there are already few cases of the kidnapped? What makes it different?"

Diana, has just learn something new about Ars' side. But she didn't want to debate their value of view now. 

"For now, let's just did this because Elisa asked us to."

Diana walks back to worried Elisa and Liam. 

"How is it, Miss Diana?" asked Elisa and Liam. 

"We will go to Major Office first. That's why, Ars! Ars?"

Ars has gone somewhere without them knowing. 

"He may have started on his own, I believe," said Elisa. 

If Elisa had said that, then they don't have to worry about him. 

"Then let's go to Major Office."