Going Against the Grain

"Long time no see. May I meet your boss?"

The moment that voice rang out, the old man behind the counter pulled the trigger first.

But Heka had anticipated it. He merely crouched where he stood, neatly dodging the crossbow bolt whose height he had long since figured out.

The crossbow was fixed beneath the counter, its bolt aimed roughly at the upper abdomen of an adult. That area usually lacked sufficient armor, and a hit there would leave someone either dead or unable to fight.

The instant the bolt nailed itself into the pillar behind him, Heka lunged forward.

He lightly pushed off the stool before the counter and leaped in front of the owner.

Heka extended his sharp dagger, its blade coming to a steady halt just before the old man's wrinkled skin.

"I didn't expect you brat to dare show your face here again. What are you planning? Find them, hand over the money, and beg for a way out alive?

"That's not a bad road to take."

Feeling the blade held steadily before his throat, the owner immediately raised his hands and stopped struggling.

If it had been a novice, the blade would have trembled slightly. That would mean their control over the weapon was not yet refined enough. Against such a novice, perhaps one could divert their attention and strike back.

But against a veteran like this, striking back was useless.

"Not them. You people. You only need to build me a bridge. This afternoon, private room three at Vivian Bathhouse. I'll be there."

"Who told you?"

The old man raised a brow. Hearing those words, he actually relaxed. After all, this person still needed him to pass along a message. His life should be safe for now.

"You opened this shop here about two years ago. The Black Mountain Merchants arrived about a year ago."

"That's all?"

The old man raised a brow. That explanation was far too far-fetched.

"I guessed. But it doesn't matter. Your admission is enough."

Heka gently pushed the dagger forward. The blade lightly cut open the old man's skin, only stopping when beads of blood slid down either side of the blade.

"You're opening up smuggling routes. Since the roads don't work, why not try the sewers?"

After extending the olive branch, Heka turned and left.

Only after that little brat in the tattered cloak had left the shop did the old man finally let out a breath.

The other party had felt like those executioners within the gangs who specialized in dealing with traitors. Those cold eyes had convinced him that Heka truly would have struck.

The old man instinctively felt for the crossbow mechanism beneath the counter, only to discover in horror that it had been stolen at some point. Cold sweat instantly covered his neck, turning his formerly dry clothes sticky and clammy.

Fortunately, he had feared the other party might jump over the wall in desperation, so he had not killed him outright over the rumor of thirty gold coins. Otherwise, his head would likely have already moved house.

The chaos still lingered, but it was nearly over.

Taking advantage of the final stretch of confusion, Heka entered the sewers once more and vanished into the crowd.

He had just seen that gang members had begun forcibly controlling some of the entrances. It seemed the person who had leaked the information was not in league with the gangs. Otherwise, things would not be this chaotic.

But after a little longer, the sewer entrances and exits would be completely locked down.

Although most connections between the sewers and the surface were recorded, some more concealed locations were known only to a handful of people, such as Heka.

"Have you ever been to a bathhouse?"

Heka turned to Tuft of Hair, who was following beside him.

"I've seen the boss go there, but it costs ten copper coins each time."

Tuft of Hair followed close at Heka's heels.

"It's fine. I know a little path. If you come with me, you won't need to pay."

Heka led Tuft of Hair around the main group, then crawled into an extremely narrow hole. Seeing Heka crawl straight inside, Tuft of Hair hesitated for a moment before following him in.

"Where are we now?"

Tuft of Hair looked at the walls around him, which had already become unfamiliar, then turned toward the narrow opening behind them.

"Location-wise, we're probably beneath a blacksmith's shop."

Heka paused before replying.

"Is there somewhere here that leads to the surface?"

Tuft of Hair froze, then pressed curiously. They had been winding around in here for quite a while. If there were no corresponding route to the surface, how could Heka name their exact location so accurately?

"No."

Heka continued feeling his way forward. Ahead was a fork to the left, and going upward from there would lead to a relatively spacious area.

There was a small tunnel there that went up to a well opening, and above that was the bathhouse's storage room.

When the bathhouse had been built, its builders had likely taken a fancy to the construction materials and some of the existing space in the underground world. In truth, more than half of the bathhouse had been built upon the underground structure.

Heka had previously ground away one of the bars on a grate leading outside. Going up from here, they could enter the bathhouse directly without passing through the facilities outside.

As they continued onward, the humidity in the air gradually began to increase. By the time they reached the very top, visibility in the surrounding environment had shrunk to seven or eight meters.

The hot air above collided with the cold air from the sewers, and the milky-white vapor turned into streams of water flowing across the ground.

Tuft of Hair watched as Heka skillfully pried open the grate ahead, then brazenly entered a warm space.

Heka blew out the torch in his hand, which was already nearly extinguished, and placed it near a corner. Flickering lamplight could be seen ahead. That was their destination.

After passing through another doorway that had nearly rotted away, Heka led Tuft of Hair into a storage room piled full of bathhouse supplies. Come to think of it, Heka's bucket and washbasin had both come from here.

As for the tunnel below leading into the underground world, Heka guessed it might have been a clever little touch from the designer during construction—a back door left for himself.

There were guards at the bathhouse entrance, while citizens who had come to bathe filled the corridors.

Heka had examined his previous body. The repeated infections caused by malnutrition had left him with many scars and pockmarks.

The people here were at least of the citizen class. Their bodies might not necessarily be smooth, but they were far better than those of a malnourished little beggar.

It was impossible to enter here wearing a cloak; the chances of being discovered were too high. That was why he had never used this place as an entrance to the sewers before.

But now? After adding a little constitution, he at least no longer looked too shabby.

Heka signaled for Tuft of Hair to wait for the moment. He stripped off all his clothes and swaggered into the bathhouse corridor.

This was the boundary between the hot-water pools and cold-water pools. Heka looked like a child, and although several guests along the way gave his naked body sidelong looks, no one stopped him.

As Heka passed a cart set by the roadside, he took three towels from it. He wrapped one around himself and carried the other two back to the room where they had started.

"Come on. I'll take you to have a bath."

Heka wrapped Tuft of Hair in a bath towel, then led him into the cold-water pool.

"We'll be discovered, won't we?"

The moment Tuft of Hair stepped into the bathhouse, he became extremely uneasy. The buildings around them were constructed from huge blocks of stone, and even the floor was paved with slabs as mirror-like as glass.

Within the resplendent hall were relaxed people and attendants carrying trays.

Pools large and small, filled with clear water so transparent one could see the bottom, lay scattered between the stairs and pillars.

"We won't be discovered. The strong are the first to enjoy the world.

"Think bigger. We're vicious criminals being hunted by the entire city right now. Are you still afraid of a bathhouse owner?"

Heka made the pose of a starving tiger pouncing on prey, instantly making a man bathing a boy in the cold-water pool before him laugh.