Episode 17

Kledson hurried to ascertain whether the footprints indeed belonged to Caerina or not. And indeed, they were Caerina’s traces.

"Cut down and eliminate any grass or trees blocking the way! We must follow these footprints!" commanded Kledson, hoping for his daughter's safety.

The knights swiftly moved to clear the tall grass obstructing the path. Then they arrived at a three-way junction. They became puzzled about which direction to choose since Caerina's footprints vanished in the middle of the road.

"Which path should we take? It’s strange to see Miss Caerina’s footprints just disappear midway."

In the midst of their confusion, Caerina appeared from the opposite direction, waving her hand.

"Father!" Caerina’s voice resonated loudly.

"Caerina!"

Kledson ran toward his daughter. He embraced Caerina. It was evident how much fear Kledson had felt upon hearing the news of Caerina’s fall from the cliff.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Kledson turned Caerina around to check for any serious injuries on her body.

"Calm down, Father. I’m fine. Look, I can still move freely. I’m so relieved you found me."

"How did you come from that direction?" inquired Kledson.

"Oh, I had heard someone crying for help because they were attacked by undead. So I went there and found a settlement. They took me in and then escorted me here. Let me introduce- huh? Where did they go?"

Caerina was astonished when she turned around to find no one there. She clearly remembered that there had been three people who had escorted her.

"Caerina, are you delirious? Father saw you walking alone over here," said Kledson.

"No, Father! There were three people who brought me here. Didn’t you see them before?"

Kledson touched Caerina's forehead. "You must be feverish, hence hallucinating. Let’s head back now."

"Why won’t you believe me? I’m not imagining things or anything like that. There’s a settlement over there. Please, believe me," insisted Caerina, trying to convince Kledson.

"In a forest like this, a settlement can’t possibly exist. Don’t talk nonsense, even a child knows it's impossible to establish a settlement in such a wilderness."

Caerina pulled Kledson's hand; she wanted to prove that her words were not mere babble.

"I'll show you that I’m not lying. I really found a settlement."

The knights felt perplexed by Caerina’s behavior, but they had no choice but to follow the child’s wishes.

Caerina turned to stone when she saw the settlement she had found was now nothing but ruins.

"Look! There’s nothing here. You're just hallucinating because of the shock from the fall."

"It can't be... I can’t be mistaken, they really talked and made contact with me earlier."

The situation was beyond logic. Caerina stood frozen, her mind slowly filled with opinions difficult to accept by reason. Then Caerina's sight caught a white object trapped under the ruins.

She eagerly pulled the item out from the ground. It turned out to be a human skull.

"Those people... are they dead? So, what I encountered earlier were the spirits of the settlers that used to live here?"

Kledson approached Caerina. He still didn’t understand why Caerina appeared to be so shocked.

"If Father remembers correctly, this place was once indeed a settlement. They were few, and this territory was outside the palace's supervision. It is said that their ancestors were immigrants in these parts."

Caerina was snapped out of her reverie at Kledson’s words.

"Then what happened here? Why is the settlement destroyed? And where did the inhabitants go?" Caerina bombarded Kledson with questions.

"This happened fifteen years ago. A conflict arose between Count Delmo and the inhabitants here because they refused to surrender the salt mine they had well hidden."

"The greedy Count Delmo sought to find where they had concealed their salt mine, but he never found it. Eventually, death claimed these people."

"It is suspected that Count Delmo unleashed the undead here to attack the residents, leading to their demise and the destruction of their homes. Nothing remained from this place's occupants. Even the palace couldn’t do anything, as this place was beyond the Emperor’s jurisdiction."

Kledson detailed the events that had befallen the settlement's inhabitants. No wonder there were many human skeletons buried under the soil and rubble.

"Count Delmo... that old scoundrel causing trouble again."

Caerina stood up from her squatting position. Without a word, she ran to the entrance of the hidden salt mine.

"Where are you, Caerina?!" Kledson chased after his daughter who had begun acting impulsively.

Beneath the thickets, Caerina discovered a secret door to the salt mine. She then felt around the wall for the button to open it.

"What are you really trying to do?" Kledson asked.

"Just watch closely, Father."

A door opened instantly after Caerina pressed the button. Kledson and the knights were astounded to see the secret door.

"A door leading where?"

"Come with me, Father. There’s a surprise waiting for us beneath."

Kledson complied. They carefully descended the dark staircase. The air was also very moist. And then they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"What is this? Are these all salt crystals?!"

Kledson was shocked to see the heaps of salt crystals there. Who would have thought that Caerina had found the salt mine concealed for so many years.

"Father, this is the salt mine Count Delmo wanted to seize. It’s so extensive, no wonder the old scoundrel wanted it," said Caerina.

"But how did you know the mine's hiding place?"

Caerina scratched her neck which didn’t itch. Even if she explained to Kledson, her father would hardly believe her.

"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how I found it. What matters now is that we will manage this salt mine. I don’t want Count Delmo to take over. Please help me get the Emperor’s permit to make this mine ours," pleaded Caerina.

Kledson couldn’t refuse his little girl’s request.

"Alright, we’ll take care of this salt mine. Don’t worry, Father will ask the Emperor for a mining management edict. And if the Emperor refuses, I’ll lead a rebellion against him."

Caerina laughed stiffly; she was still unaware of the nature of the relationship between Joubert and Kledson. Yet, from what she could see, their relationship seemed far better than Caerina had imagined.

"Thank you, Father."

After that, Caerina exited the mine and directed the knights to help her collect the human skeletons left in the old settlement. Subsequently, they buried the remains not far from that place.

Caerina clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in front of the graves of the settlement's inhabitants.

"I will help protect this salt mine. I’ll ensure Count Delmo endures suffering in the future. Rest in peace; don't worry about anything happening here."

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