Berserk: The Prophet

Chapter 316 I took on a troublesome job

Karina glanced at the silver coin in Green's palm, then her fingertips, painted with pale red dye, suddenly grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him into a hidden compartment in a wardrobe.

In the moldy fabric room, the scent of her rose perfume mixed with the smell of rust wafted over: "Three coins to ask for news, two coins to buy silence."

Her breath brushed against Green's ear. "First of all, who told you I have a daughter?"

“?” Green was completely bewildered by her actions.

“Yes… uh, Kadi? Madam, don’t you remember me?”

“Kardy?” Karina knew what that name meant, and gave Green another look.

Then I remembered that three years ago, that guy did indeed bring a little page.

"...I remember you. By the way, how is he? Is he alright? You're here, but where is he? He hasn't come to see me for three whole years!!" Karina's voice suddenly rose, but the last syllable trembled as if it had been cut off.

Green was taken aback by her excited three-question barrage, as if he didn't know where to begin.

Her fingernails dug deep into Green's shoulder, the rose perfume mixed with the rusty smell growing stronger: "Three years ago he said he was going to Juda to take care of some business, and he never came back."

The shadows in the dark compartment flickered across her face, her pale red fingertips unconsciously caressing the multi-functional arm armor around Green's waist. "Bring him to me, and all these silver coins are yours."

Green's Adam's apple bobbed. How was he supposed to tell this woman that he had disfigured her husband? He was probably still rotting in a ditch, or he was close to death.

...Anyway, let's just keep quiet about what happened before.

"Madam, this..."

"Not enough? I'll get you more. You find him for me. He didn't come to see me first thing after entering the city. What was he thinking?!" Karina went out to get her secret stash of money and hurriedly took a bag of silver coins from a hidden box in the room and stuffed it into Green's arms.

Green was also completely bewildered and confused by her hasty actions.

Before I could even come up with an excuse for the previous question, the next one was already looming ahead.

"Was he the one who caused all the commotion in the city recently?"

“...Hmm.” Green nodded mechanically, feeling as if a piece of red-hot coal was stuck in his throat.

Karina gripped his wrist tightly, her nails digging almost into his flesh: "What on earth is he plotting this time? When he left, he said the Juda Empire had something big to do, but later I sent people to investigate..."

She suddenly fell silent, her rosy lips trembling violently, tears streaming down her face: "All the clues have gone cold with Grant."

"Is he alright? The whole city is under heavy security right now. Has something happened that makes him not want to see me?"

As Green gazed at Karina's reddened eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty. This woman's emotions were far too intense for Green; the stinging pain in his arm paled in comparison to the surging guilt within him.

The dark compartment of the wardrobe was unbearably hot, the pungent smell of rose perfume mixed with the scent of rust almost suffocating. He opened his mouth, but heard his own dry voice: "Madam, Mr. Cardi... he..."

"He's injured?!" Karina suddenly brought her face close, stray hairs brushing against Green's cheek. "Was it those nobles who did it? I knew it, he shouldn't have..."

She suddenly coughed violently, her fingers, painted with dark red nail polish, gripping Green's collar tightly. "Take me to see him, now!"

"...There's a curfew outside, and I don't think you'd really like to see him now."

Karina was stunned. "What do you mean? What happened to him?"

Green took a deep breath and said with difficulty, "Madam, Mr. Cardi... he's disfigured."

Karina slowly loosened her grip, the color draining from her face instantly. Her body trembled slightly. "Disfigured? How could this be... how could this happen?" Her voice was choked with sobs, tears welling up in her eyes.

Suddenly, Karina's eyes hardened. "No matter what he becomes, I want to see him!!"

“Madam, please calm down. Mr. Cardi’s situation is complicated, and we need to think about it carefully,” Green tried to dissuade her.

Karina remained unmoved and pulled Green towards the wardrobe. "There's no time. I have to see him now. If you're not willing to take me, give me back my silver coins."

[Side Quest Obtained: Miss Karina's Request - Find Kadi. Quest Duration: 2 days. Quest Rewards: A large bag of money, some experience points, +1 free card draw chance, 10 loaves of bread (50/50)]

[Mission Failed: You will lose all clues related to Gonnie in Wyndam.]

Okay, okay. He was genuinely convinced.

Green sighed helplessly, but since there was a system reward, he figured he might as well do a good deed and followed her out of the wardrobe.

Unexpectedly, the landlady was no pushover either; her room had a secret passage leading directly to the outside world, spanning two streets.

The two carefully avoided the patrolling guards. Green led Karina to a sewer entrance. Fortunately, it was late autumn evening, but although the stench was much less, Karina still almost vomited from the smell.

"...Are you sure he's hiding down here?"

"Yes, the last time I saw him, he crawled down here."

Just as they were about to enter the sewer, they suddenly heard a series of noisy footsteps.

A group of guards carrying torches were rushing towards them.

"Damn it, we're going to be discovered!" Green whispered.

Karina's face turned pale, but she quickly regained her composure. "Quick, let's go through the secret passage."

...but the secret passage they came through had been blocked by another group of guards.

Green made a quick decision, pulling Karina along as they ran into a nearby alley. They twisted and turned through the narrow alley, while the shouts of the guards gradually faded into the distance.

However, just when they thought they had shaken off the guards, a dead end appeared in front of them.

"What should we do?" Karina asked anxiously.

Green looked around and spotted a small window in the wall. He lifted Karina up and helped her climb inside.

They then climbed over the wall themselves and entered. Inside was an abandoned warehouse, filled with a musty, old smell. They hid in a corner, listening to the guards searching outside.

Green reassured him, "Don't worry, we'll go find Mr. Cardi after they leave."

Karina nodded, but she couldn't help feeling nervous.

Once the guards were out of sight, Green began to explore the warehouse, which was probably a hay barn for feeding horses. The outer door was locked, so he had to climb out through the window he had come from.

The warehouse was much deeper inside than it appeared from the outside, so Green had to bring a lot of hay to stand on.

"This place isn't exactly safe either; it's hard to say whether it's a private or official hay storage facility."

"Here's what we'll do. The sewers here aren't far from the secret passage. You go back into the secret passage and wait there. Once I find Kadi, I'll come to your place. Remember to meet us."

Karina gripped the hem of her skirt, her eyes gleaming beneath her silver-gray eyelashes: "You promise you'll bring him?"

"Well... I can't guarantee he's still alive; he's seriously injured." Green was about to say something was uncertain, but seeing Karina's eyes that seemed to want to devour him, he said something more diplomatic.

Karina bit her lip, her eyes filled with worry and stubbornness: "Whether he lives or dies, you have to bring him back."

Green nodded helplessly, then climbed out the window with Karina, settled her in, and then crawled into the sewers of the industrial area.