Chapter 109: Time Is Money, I

Louis looked dazed, as if unable to believe what he had just heard. “What… did you say?”

“Escape! They made their escape!”

Fin flapped her wings wildly and waved her arms around.

Louis chuckled and shook his head. “Oh no way.”

“I’m serious! I swear it’s true! I saw them!” Fin insisted.

The commotion caught the attention of the twins, who slowly crawled towards Louis.

“Fiiin… Shhh,” one whispered sleepily.

“What about Pablo? Ignoring the boys climbing onto his knees, Louis focused on Fin. “Really? You actually saw it happen?”

“Yes! I clearly saw Pablo running away with Page!”

“Hmm…” Louis crossed his arms thoughtfully.

The twin sitting on his knee looked up at him. “What is it?”

“Did Pablo run off?” The boy didn’t answer hastily.

Is that even possible?

Pablo had promised back in the Winter Continent to go to the Spring Continent together with them. As someone born of dwarf lineage, bound by absolute obedience to dragons, he couldn’t imagine Pablo breaking his promise and acting independently.

Especially since he doesn’t want to become a statue.

Considering how much Pablo despised his own body, it was hard for Louis to believe that he would have fled secretly.

It had only been a few days since he’d last seen them. That’s why Louis didn’t move immediately; instead, he decided to wait and see what would happen.

“Is the tracking potion I left with Page and Pablo still effective?”

“Yes! I’ve been reapplying it periodically!”

“Good job.”

Louis had entrusted his twins’ care to others while creating this special tracking potion for emergencies. He hid some near Pablo so that if anyone tried to take over during Louis’s absence, they could easily find him. As for Page…

I scattered these just in case she might stab me from behind at any time or place.

Thanks to this foresight, even now Louis remained composed amidst chaos, able to act calmly despite the situation.

“Let’s wait then,” Louis said. “He might just be away for a bit.”

Louis gazed out at the darkening sky beyond the window. Meanwhile, the twins had snuggled up against his thighs and fallen asleep.

Two hours passed in this manner.

“Hmm…” Louis stared grimly at the closed door.

Soon enough, dawn would break as darkness receded with time. Yet Pablo still hadn’t returned.

At length, Louis rose from his seat, clearly vexed.

“It seems I must go after him myself.”

If Pablo hadn’t come back even after so long, something must have happened—either some unforeseen circumstance or perhaps…

Or maybe he ran away as Fin suggested.

Louis woke up his twin sons and got them ready.

“Mmm… Louis, where are we going?”

“To catch Pablo.”

“Huh?” The twins sprang up at once when they heard about catching Pablo.

Louis led his sleepy-eyed sons outside.

“Fin, you take the lead.”

“Yes!”

Taking advantage of the darkness, three hatchlings and one fairy hopped over the palace wall.

Thirty minutes later, while the world was still shrouded in twilight—too early for most people to venture out—the streets were deserted, allowing Louis’s group to track Pablo’s movements easily.

“We’re here.”

The sharp end of a small compass-like object pointed towards a run-down bar.

Louis’s eyes lit up at the sight of a sign that read Closed.

“This is it!”

They were currently on the outskirts of the city quite some distance from the palace. Louis cracked his neck as he looked at the shabby shop.

“Pablo… I hope you’re here.”

Not only had this guy made them wait, but he’d also forced them to suffer through the night? It seemed like Louis was about to pull an all-nighter waiting for dinner.

A savage smile played on his lips.

Crack!

He effortlessly snapped off the locked doorknob.

Creeeeak.

The old door creaked open slightly, allowing Louis and the twins to step inside.

Ting-a-ling!

The usual cheerful chime that announced a customer’s arrival now sounded melancholic as it echoed in the room.

Louis scanned the interior filled with empty tables before turning his attention to Fin.

“Is this the right place? There’s nothing here.”

“Hmm…”

Fin checked the direction indicated by her compass and dashed off. She circled around a fireplace that seemed well-used.

“I think it’s this way?”

“Oh?” Louis chuckled at Fin’s mutterings and pushed on one side of the fireplace.

Then…

Crrrunch.

With the sound of rolling stones, the fireplace swung open. At the same time, stairs leading down to an underground area were revealed.

“Wow! Wow!”

“A secret dungeon! The entrance to the dungeon!”

“It’s an adventure!”

The twins’ eyes sparkled brightly at this intriguing situation.

“L-Let’s go!” Leading the way, Louis guided the twins as they began descending the stairs.

At the entrance to the secret underground hideout of Leon’s Revolutionary Army:

“Haaah!”

“My mouth is so dry.”

“Ah, I drank too much yesterday. Can’t shake off the fatigue.”

“Tsk, no wonder you were chugging like there was no tomorrow.”

Two men stood guard against potential external intrusions. This secret hideout had never been breached before, so they casually maintained their vigilance out of habit.

“I’m gonna catch a few z’s. Wake me up when it’s time for my shift.”

“What, falling asleep on duty?”

“Come on, man, you won big with my money yesterday!”

“You bastard… Just today then.”

“Heh heh, thanks.”

With his colleague’s permission, the bald man closed his eyes.

How long had passed?

“Huh?”

The lone guard suddenly blinked as something caught his attention straight ahead. He urgently shook the bald man awake.

“Hey! Hey!”

“What?! Why, what’s wrong?”

”…Hey, look over there.”

The bald man had just dozed off when he was suddenly jolted awake by his companion pointing in a certain direction. He turned his gaze towards where he was being directed and saw something incomprehensible.

”…Kids?”

Three children were walking down the stairs.

“How did those kids get here?” The two men blinked rapidly before tensing up and drawing their weapons.

Soon, Louis’s group arrived in front of them.

“Who are you people?!”

“How did you enter this place?”

Louis answered for his group, “We figured it out ourselves.”

”…”

“More importantly, we’re looking for some dwarves who left home… Have you seen any?”

The bald man couldn’t help but blurt out his confusion at this nonsensical question: “What kind of bullshit is that?”

Hearing this, the corners of Louis’s mouth curled into a savage grin.

On the bed, Pablo’s eyelids fluttered.

Hmm…

As he shifted around, a voice reached his ears.

“Are you awake?”

Pablo’s eyes shot open at the raspy tone.

“What?!” He bolted upright.

He looked around blearily as Page stared blankly back at him.

“Wh-where am I?” Pablo tried to remember what had happened.

I was just…

His mind struggled to recall details when Page chided gently:

“You should’ve thought before charging in like that.”

Her words triggered Pablo’s memory.

“Ohhh…”

Pablo had left his room to fetch a late-night snack for Louis and the twins. Never expecting that he’d be peddling tales of being rescued by a hero just to get food, he grumbled incessantly as he wandered through the palace halls.

After much ado and with the help of some palace staff, Pablo was on his way back to their quarters with the requested snacks when he stumbled upon something peculiar—a strange sight unfolding before him entirely by chance.

“Huh?”

A woman dressed as a maid moved stealthily in the shadows. Her movements were precise yet subtle, not at all typical of someone in her apparent role. This immediately caught Pablo’s attention.

He muttered almost deliriously:

”…Princess Page?”

Her disguise was impeccable; anyone would mistake her for a mere servant girl.

His movements were perfectly silent, as if he had been specialized for darkness itself. Pablo’s senses were particularly strong at this moment.

It was Page.

Is she trying to steal something again?

Pablo, who had grown accustomed to her antics, sprang into action upon noticing the black shadow chasing after her.

“Oh no?!”

Sensing danger, he immediately sprinted towards Page.

“Princess!”

“Mama! Wh-what is it?!” Startled, Page flustered.

Without hesitation, Pablo scooped up Page using his signature “princess carry” and leaped over the fence. As they fled frantically, a figure in a black robe blocked their path.

“Who are you?!”

“That should be my question. Hand over the girl!”

“Not a chance!”

“Wait a moment! Both of you…”

Before Page could utter another word, the mysterious figure had donned a robe and engaged Pablo in combat.

Soon, beads of cold sweat began to trickle down Pablo’s back.

This one… is incredibly strong!

After exchanging just a few blows, Pablo realized his opponent far surpassed him in power. Within moments, he found himself completely overwhelmed.

Bam!

“Ackkkk!”

As consciousness slipped away from him due to a strike on the back of his head,

“Stop it! He’s not our enemy!”

The last thing Pablo saw through his fading vision was Page desperately rushing towards them.

With that, everything went black.

Pablo let out a sigh of relief as everything came flooding back to him.

“Ohhh…” He looked at Page and asked hesitantly, “A-are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…Who’s worried about whom right now?” Page smiled faintly at Pablo’s concern for her.

Flustered, Pablo stammered, “I-I was just concerned because that suspicious man has been chasing after you…”

“So you followed me here?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Haaaah…” Page sighed deeply.

Just then, the door opened, revealing an elderly man who appeared to be in his sixties with a kind face. His hair was gray, his skin tanned, yet he had surprisingly firm muscles for someone so old. The sight of Pablo sitting up caught the old man off guard slightly.

“I see you’re awake already.”

“Wha…?” Pablo jumped at the sound of the old man’s voice.

That voice!

Wasn’t this old man’s voice identical to that of the person who had knocked him unconscious?

Pablo stared back and forth between Page and the old man in surprise.

Page sighed at his puzzled look. “I’d arranged to meet with him separately.”

”…?!”

“And he followed me here to check if anyone was tailing me, like you were, Pablo.”

“Oh…”

So Pablo himself must have been the suspicious figure trailing after Page. His face flushed red as he realized how his misunderstanding had led to all this.

The old man gazed at Pablo as if marveling at something extraordinary. “Your body is surprisingly resilient. I thought I was going to kill you for sure.”

”…It did hurt quite a bit.”

“Hmph… And you call that just ‘hurting’? Most people would be dead from such a blow.”

The old man had truly attacked with the intent to kill Pablo. Despite taking a direct hit, Pablo hadn’t died but merely fainted—a testament to his remarkable physical resilience.

Still groaning, Pablo rubbed the back of his head, perhaps still feeling some pain from the blow.

“I haven’t been unconscious for this long in ages…” he mumbled. “Huh? What?”

Mid-sentence, Pablo abruptly sprang up as if startled.

“What’s wrong?” asked Page, concerned.

“W-What time is it now?”

“Pardon me?”

“N-no… How long was I out?” Pablo’s face turned pale as he grabbed Page by the shoulder and shook her.

Flustered, Page stammered, “Y-you were unconscious for about four hours.”

“F-four hours?!” The blood drained instantly from Pablo’s face at her words. As if hearing a death sentence, he crumpled to the floor, defeated.

Taken aback by Pablo’s sudden reaction, Page asked, “What’s wrong?”

”…I’m ruined.”

“Pardon?”

“Completely… ruined.”

”…?”

“How am I going to face his wrath? I’m as good as dead,” Pablo muttered, half out of his mind, babbling incomprehensibly.

Page stared at him quizzically. “What on earth happened?”

”…I was making a late-night snack run.”

“Huh?”

“I fell asleep here and kept them waiting for four whole hours…” After pondering deeply for a moment, Pablo sprang to his feet. With a resolute expression, he looked at the old man. “Do you happen to know how to wield a knife?”

”…I’m quite confident in my skills.”

“That’s good news,” Pablo replied, leaning towards the old man. “Please end it swiftly.”

”…What did you say?”

“Death here is preferable to being dragged away and tortured!”

The old man could only stare blankly at this absurd situation, as Page shared his bewilderment.

Suddenly…

Grumble-thud!

Their room shook violently.

Pablo immediately tensed up upon hearing the sound.

“It’s coming!” he exclaimed, closing his eyes tightly as if bracing for impact.

I can’t see anything…

Perhaps this endless darkness would be his future after all.

Or perhaps it was a thorny path stained with blood.

Meanwhile, the old man and Page hastily emerged from their hiding spot to assess the situation.

Kug-kung!

The walls of the corridor trembled violently.

At that moment, they saw it all.

“Aargh!”

“Aaah! This crazy brat… ack!”

Members of the Leon Revolutionary Army were being swept away relentlessly.

“Go for the head!”

“Strike at the stomach!”

Among them, silver-haired children pounded out punches without pause.

And then…

“We heard there was a runaway dwarf here. Have you seen him?”

Louis squatted down, interrogating a bald-headed comrade by smacking his head hard.

“Huh?!”

“W-What about those kids?!”

The eyes of the old man and Page widened in horror.