Hasten, who had been speaking, closed his mouth. Aiden's expression was too bad to be criticized.
"What's going on?"
Selena and Hasten, sensing something was wrong, brought Aiden into the room. They sat him down on a chair and gave him some warm tea to calm him down.
"Explain it calmly."
"It seems like my younger siblings followed the Lamberda people."
Aiden told everything that had happened, including the stories he had heard while searching for his brothers.
"A green carriage and a black carriage. They were trying to trick the children by separating them."
Hasten frowned.
"Since the children in the black carriage haven't come back, it seems that all the children we've seen so far were the children in the green carriage."
"They even prepared children to testify separately so as not to arouse suspicion from the outside. What on earth did they do to be so thorough?"
Hasten made a face that said he was fed up.
"Please save my brothers."
Aiden said earnestly.
"Yes, we'll find out where your siblings went. You don't have to worry about anything and just go back."
Selena tried to coax Aiden back, but Aiden shook his head vigorously.
"That can't be!"
His face looked like he absolutely could not just wait quietly in a situation where his siblings were gone.
"Dino and Philip will be waiting for me."
Looking at his stubborn expression, it seemed like he wouldn't listen if she told him no. Selena sighed.
"I must contact the Archduchess. immediately."
***
"Revals, I have a letter from 'that place'."
"Give it to me quickly."
As if he had been waiting, Revals quickly unfolded the letter his adjutant had handed him and read it.
"Hmm. Yeah...?"
Revals' expression, which had been bright at first, gradually became distorted at some point.
"Why are you doing that?"
The adjutant, after checking Revals' expression, asked.
"Fortunately, he seemed to like the magic stone."
"Then isn't that a good thing?"
"He wants to personally check the inside of the mine to see if the magic stones he's going to send out are the same as they are now. He said he'll send someone soon."
"Ah..."
The adjutant looked defeated. The current mine's magic stone mining was barely meeting the deadline. This time, they met the quota and sent it in as if there were no problems, but the next deadline was a problem. Even that was not easy, and the fact that people were coming from there made the situation even more difficult.
"Things are starting to get annoying."
Revals clicked his tongue. If they found out that he was using children to mine magic stones, they might laugh at him for asking if he really needed to use children's help. Or else, he might be labeled incompetent and fall out of favor with the boss. Revals was deeply troubled.
"You must prepare thoroughly so that we don't get caught."
"I will keep that in mind."
"What is the current mining situation?"
"We have miners working during the day to make it look like they are mining copper. Accordingly, we are putting the children to sleep during the day and waking them up at night to mine magic stones."
"Yes. When people come from there, gather them all up and put them in a remote place so that we won't be caught using the children."
"Yes."
"Never let it come out."
"All right."
***
Mikhail, who received a call from Selena saying that the children had been kidnapped, secretly came to the flower shop with Karina. All five of them, Selena, Hasten, Aiden, Mikhail, and Karina, gathered in the room. Karina's face became serious after hearing the story to the end.
"So, that means they only picked out the kids who wouldn't cause trouble and took them somewhere."
"That's right."
Aiden's eyes were red.
"It's because of me. I should have taken better care of my younger siblings."
Tears welled up in his eyes. But he seemed to be struggling to hold back his tears.
"Aiden, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault."
Karina comforted Aiden.
"But..."
"You're still a kid"
"Yes, kid. There are things in this world that children cannot do. This is one of them. No, in conclusion, it is something that even adults cannot stop."
Hasten intervened.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of this. Your siblings will all be fine."
Mikhail patted Aiden's head. Aiden swallowed his sobs and nodded with a look of faith. Even though he said that everyone was anxious. The children were kidnapped without knowing the other person's purpose. Time was of the essence.
"Let's go to the mansion on the outskirts where they're taking the kids right now. We need to go there and see for ourselves what they're doing."
As Karina spoke, Selena agreed.
"I agree. I don't know where the black carriage is headed, but I can't just waste time there."
As everyone stood up, Aiden also jumped up and shouted.
"Please take me too!"
"No."
Karina gave a firm expression and said no. Then Aiden pleaded desperately.
"Please! If I go, it will help."
"...I don't think that's wrong."
Selena, who was next to Karina, opened her mouth.
"If the children are taken to a strange place, they may be more wary and fearful of unfamiliar adults. Unless you go in front of them and confidently bring them in, it might help to have Aiden go."
Even so, Karina was reluctant. Then Hasten added.
"There is no time for this. Right now, the most important thing is to get the children back as quickly as possible. If they are sold at auctions or other places through human trafficking, it will be even harder to find them later."
"He's a smart guy, so he wouldn't do anything reckless."
Mikhail also took Aiden's side. Karina, who had been struggling, reluctantly gave her consent.
"If everyone thinks that way, then there's nothing I can do."
Aiden's expression brightened.
"And just in case, it would be a good idea to have at least one person stay here. We might need outside help during the tracking process."
Hasten suggested it. When Karina heard it, it wasn't a wrong idea.
"Your Highness, please stay here."
When Hasten saw it, the most appropriate person to leave behind was Karina. She was the Archduchess, who had no defensive power to protect herself or offensive power to subdue her opponents, but who was in a position where she could most easily obtain outside help. However, Mikhail immediately opposed it.
"That won't work. If Karina is here, then I have to be here too."
"What?"
Hasten asked back with a look at what he was talking about.
"I am Lady Karina's escort. It is natural for me to move as one with Lady Karina."
Mikhail returned the look that Hasten had made.
"..."
Hasten made a sheepish expression.
"Then I will stay."
Selena raised her hand and volunteered.
"Hasten and I. If one of us has to stay, I'd rather stay than Hasten. Hasten has experience as a mercenary, so he'd be better off than me. If you need anything, just let me know."
Selena glanced at the magical communication device on the shelf below the window. It was the magical communication device that Mikhail had initially installed in the flower shop to report the results of requests and use as a means of communication.
"Once it's decided, let's go right away."
At Mikhail's one word, everyone moved quickly.
In the middle of the night, when the darkness was deep, black figures hid in Lamberda's villa. As expected, the mansion was heavily guarded.
"I confirmed that a black-draped cart was parked behind the mansion."
Hasten reported after a quick look around the mansion.
"Any traces of children?"
Mikhail used wide-range cognition magic on the mansion and searched its interior thoroughly.
"There are no children inside the mansion right now."
"They said that the children who played and ate at the mansion would be sent back in the evening, so l guess they have already been sent back."
What they were looking for was the whereabouts of the children who had gone in the black carriage. Karina was at a loss as to what to do. At that time, Aiden stepped forward.
"I'll go. If there's a child who looks like an orphan wandering around nearby, they'll definitely take me to where they are."
He was saying that he would be the bait.
"It's not that simple. What if you think I ran away and tried to harm me right away?"
Hasten objected.
"That's right. It's too dangerous, so you can't do that."
Karina agreed with that and cut him off, but Aiden persisted.
"But there's no time. There's no other way."
Certainly, the blind search method was taking up too much time. Mikhail proposed a mediation plan.
"Do as Aiden says. If Aiden is in danger, I will step in."
Mikhail spoke reassuringly as if telling her to trust him.
"This is the best way for now."
"..."
"The longer we delay, the more dangerous it becomes for other children."
Karina groaned and urged Aiden on.
"Okay. But promise to put your safety first. If you feel like you're in danger, run away immediately. Okay?"
"Yes!"
"Don't worry."
Aiden replied cheerfully.
***
A few torches dimly lit up the area around the tunnel passage.
"Move quickly! Keep moving your hands without stopping!"
A man with scars all over his face yelled at the children.
"There's still a long way to go before we reach our quota! We have to fill it up within the time limit, so hurry up!"
"Ugh, ugh."
Dino moved the stones diligently as they told him to. He had to crouch down in one spot in the narrow passage and keep passing the stones that were handed to him from the front to the back. His legs and arms felt like they were going to cramp up from the repeated movements.
"Cough! Cough!"
The dust stung his eyes and he kept coughing. His cold, frozen hands scraped against the rough stone surface, leaving cuts and wounds. Blood flowed from the wounded areas.
It stung and hurt, but there was no time to rest. The other children also did as they were told, with tearful faces. The man with scars on his face was watching the children work every moment, scrutinizing the narrow passages with eagle eyes, at that time.
"Keuk! Kkeuk! Gulp! Gulp!"
Philip, who was next to Dino, coughed heavily after breathing in the dusty air. The coughing sound was unusual.
"Philip! Are you okay?"
Dino, startled, grabbed Philip. Then, the boulder that was falling in front of him started to get pushed away from Dino.
"Take it quickly!"
"Hey... Wait a minute! My little brother...!"
"They keep coming from the front! I told you to hurry and get them!"
When Dino didn't accept it, the child in front finally started to put rocks down on Dino's feet. The rocks he was moving continued to pile up around Dino and Philip. The one behind him was urging him to hurry up and give him rocks.
"Cough! Cough! Knock! Keuk!"
Now Philip began to gasp for breath.
"Philip!"
It was a total mess.
"What the heck! What are you doing instead of moving quickly!"
An old voice burst out from the man who was watching the children outside.
"If you try to trick me, I won't let you stay still! You can't move quickly!"
The children, frightened by the shouting they heard outside, urged him on again.
"Hey! Give it to me quickly! If you don't, I'll hit you!"
But once Philip's cough started, it wouldn't stop.
"Ahh...!"
As Dino was floundering, not knowing what to do, a scarred man came to check on the situation inside the tunnel.
"You over there!"
The man pointed at Philip, who was still groaning, with the end of the club in his hand.
"Come out here right now!"
"...!"
Dino held Philip and spoke in a trembling voice.
"My brother did nothing wrong! He's too young to be doing this...There's too much dust here...!"
But the man didn't listen to everything Dino said.
"Where are the kids here! Where are you guys coming up with such ridiculous excuses! Come out now!"
A man with a grim expression reached into the passageway and grabbed Dino, who was holding Philip, by the scruff of his neck.
"Ugh!"
Dino tried his best to resist being dragged away, but he was no match for the strength of a grown man. Dino and Philip were dragged outside. The man with the scarred face threw Dino and Philip onto the hard, cold ground.
"Ugh!"
Dino didn't let go of his arms around Philip. Philip was still coughing and not coming to his senses. Dino was trembling while holding Philip tightly.
"You have to show them an example so they will understand!"
The man raised his club high as if he was about to swing it at Dino and Philip.
"Hey! Over here!"
At that moment, a soldier came in from the mine entrance carrying a child.
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