Belobog’s underground hollow-city district was known as the Underworld.
Old-world ruins and buildings were buried within the towering rock walls, while enormous support pillars connected the underground to the surface.
Miners gathered here in large numbers.
They were responsible for extracting the rare energy ore known as Geomarrow, which supplied thermal energy to both the upper and lower districts.
Now that the cold wave had receded and the Fragmentum had been sealed, Geomarrow’s purpose had shifted from heating to industrial use.
There was still a great need for miners to extract it.
And when there were more people, there was bound to be more disorder.
So after Lucian liberated both districts, he left Natasha in charge of the Underworld and allowed the Wildfire organization to continue managing the area.
Cocolia handled the upper district.
Natasha handled the Underworld.
And Lucian simply took the role of a hands-off leader, overseeing the bigger picture.
Rivet Town was the most populated area of the Underworld.
There was a clinic here.
It was also the only clinic in the entire Underworld.
A purple-haired young woman approached the clinic with a medical case in her left hand and a huge scythe resting on her right shoulder.
She looked every bit the heroic warrior.
“Hmph!
I’ll definitely be back!” Bang!
The clinic door was suddenly thrown open.
A tiny figure came rushing out.
The little girl wore a black hat, and her whole body looked round and chubby.
“Hook?” The purple-haired girl called out.
Little Hook turned her head and glanced at her before continuing to sprint away.
She looked as though she had suffered some tremendous injustice.
“Seele, come in.” A slightly helpless voice came from inside the clinic.
The purple-haired girl named Seele entered and placed the medical case on the table.
“Did Hook get into trouble again?” “She was playing with the tunneling machine at a friend’s house and smashed through their wall, so I confiscated it.” The one answering was a mature woman in a white lab coat with an impressive figure.
It was Natasha, the person Lucian had dumped the responsibility of managing the Underworld onto.
Seele glanced at the tunneling machine in the corner, which was shaped like a giant mole’s paw, and couldn’t help chuckling.
“Heh.
Its destructive power isn’t even one-tenth of mine.” “By the way, Seele.
There’s something else I need you to do,” Natasha said.
“Go patrol the surrounding area.
Especially the places where the Silvermane Guards are stationed.” Seele asked in confusion, “Wasn’t the Underworld liberated?
Why waste energy keeping an eye on them?” Natasha spoke earnestly.
“Even though the crisis has been resolved, we should always keep a backup plan.
Lucian is undoubtedly a hero, but you can’t guarantee that everyone else won’t make some small moves behind the scenes.” “To put it bluntly, what if we eventually discover that Lucian has become a tyrant?
At least we’d still have this place to shelter in.” Seele nodded, then shook her head.
“I don’t object to keeping an eye on the Silvermane Guards, but I don’t want to be suspicious of Lucian.” “He saved every one of us.
He saved the entire world.
In my eyes, he’s a good person—a hero.” The girl’s determined gaze left Natasha speechless.
She gave a bitter smile.
“Seele, your black-and-white way of looking at things really needs to change.” Natasha had watched Seele grow up.
She understood her personality very well.
When it came to people or things, Seele always saw them as either good or bad, as though there were no shades of gray in between.
“There’s nothing wrong with seeing things as black and white.” Seele shrugged and teased, “Lucian saved the Underworld, so I think he’s a good person.” Natasha waved her hand, no longer wanting to argue.
“Fine, fine.
He’s a good person.
Now go patrol the district.” Seele raised her chin, hoisted her scythe onto her shoulder, and walked away.
Meanwhile.
Lucian leisurely made his way into the Underworld.
After passing through a massive iron gate, the residential buildings came into view.
Compared with the bright and prosperous upper district, this place was much darker and damper.
Glowing crystals could even be seen embedded in the distant rock walls.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a small figure dashed past Lucian.
Then it quickly turned around and came rushing back.
“You’re Lord Lucian?!” Lucian looked down.
It was a little girl.
He knew her too.
It was Hook.
“I know you.
You’re Hook the Great, the Darkness.” Seeing her adorable appearance, Lucian crouched down to meet her at eye level.
Hearing her title come from the mouth of the widely revered Lucian, Hook became incredibly excited.
She almost wanted to gather everyone around just so they could hear Lucian call her Hook the Great.
“Hehehe!
I knew it.
You’re exactly the kind of important person I like!
I was just about to come looking for you.” Hook grinned and began rummaging around inside her clothes.
After searching for a long while, she finally found a sheet of drawing paper inside her hat and generously held it out to Lucian.
“What’s this?” Lucian took the paper and unfolded it.
He could barely make out that it was supposed to be a person.
A person with long hair, holding a giant syringe… As for everything else, it was impossible to tell.
It was far too abstract.
“This is a picture I drew of Big Sister Natasha.
I’m giving her to you, but you have to promise me one thing.” Hook’s serious expression immediately piqued Lucian’s curiosity.
“What?” “I want you to become Big Sister Natasha’s husband.” “?” Lucian was completely dumbfounded.
How could such a ridiculous request come out of this little girl’s mouth?
“Why?
I want to know the reason.
Otherwise, I refuse.” Lucian handed the drawing back.
That immediately frightened Hook.
She hurriedly shoved the picture back into Lucian’s arms.
“Because that old witch is too scary!
She always makes me stand facing the wall as punishment.” “Uncle Sampo told me that once the old witch finds a husband and her husband keeps her under control, she won’t be so scary anymore.” “I think you’re the most handsome and the strongest, so you’ll definitely be able to control the old witch.
Then she won’t punish me anymore.” Hearing Hook’s innocent reasoning, Lucian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
That Sampo… All he knew how to do was teach children bad things.
“Pleeease~ I’m begging you, I’m begging you!
Help Hook out~!” Hook unexpectedly began acting spoiled and cute, even promising him an official position and generous benefits.
“As long as you become the old witch’s husband, I’ll personally appoint you as an honorary member of the Moles!” Lucian took off Hook’s hat, gently rubbed her head, and laughed.
“Alright.
I accept.
In a few days, I’ll become her husband.” He was only joking, just trying to placate the child.
But to Hook, those words were a solemn promise.
Her wonderful days were finally about to begin!
“To thank you, I’ll give Big Sister Seele to you too!” Hook pulled another photograph from the back pocket of her clothes.
It showed a picture of herself together with a purple-haired girl, with the upper district in the background.
“This is a photo of me and Big Sister Seele from when we went upstairs a couple of days ago.
I’m giving it to you.” Hook grabbed Lucian’s hand and stuffed the photograph into his palm.
“I’m going to tell the Moles this great news first, so bye-bye!” With that, Hook hopped and skipped away.
“At such a young age, she already has the makings of a professional matchmaker.” Lucian watched Hook’s retreating figure and muttered to himself.
He stood up and glanced at the photograph in his hand.
He had to admit, Seele was extremely photogenic.
She looked very beautiful, with a level of beauty comparable to Bronya’s.
“A photograph… should be something I can Disarm too…” (End of Chapter)[Thanks for Reading!]