Raon trembled as he saw the black heart pulsating at Rensia's waist.
'What is that....'
The black heart was alive, breathing and emanating a faint anger. Just looking at it made his chest tighten.
"Ah...."
Dorian seemed severely flustered, dropping the bag he was holding and falling to his knees.
"Rensia, you...."
Krein was also too shocked to continue speaking, only mumbling Rensia's name.
"You saw it, didn't you?"
Rensia lowered her top to cover the black heart protruding from her chest. Judging by her reddened cheeks, she seemed embarrassed despite her confident tone.
"As sir Kayden said, there's never a life of constant happiness. Montiro may seem full of smiles and joy on the surface, but inside, a pitch-black shadow is rising. It's an enormous shadow that can't be erased with money or power."
She shook her head, saying it was something neither she nor anyone else could solve.
"Can you tell me what that is?"
Raon pointed to the black heart still visible on Rensia's waist.
"You know what oysters are, right?"
"Yes. We bought some when we went to your house too."
Rensia hadn't really wanted to buy them, but Raon had brought some himself, thinking some of her siblings might like them.
"Oysters have the ability to purify water, so they're called the cleaners of the sea. If you put them in a dirty tank, they'll make the water clear in just a day."
She suddenly brought up the story of oysters, with a clouded smile.
"It's the same as that."
"What...?"
Raon asked, unable to accept Rensia's words. In truth, he seemed to understand her meaning, but didn't want to think about it.
"I heard that this black heart we have absorbs the negative energy flowing from this land and sends it elsewhere. Sir Kayden, we are not humans."
Rensia grasped the black heart protruding from her body with trembling hands.
"This Montiro is a huge tank, and we are merely oysters purifying that tank. We can only live here by consuming the dirty energy."
She pressed her lips tightly, with a tear hanging at the corner of her eye.
"Surely, it can't be..."
"That's right. As you can guess, sir Kayden, all residents of Montiro except those with status have this heart like mine. Even my siblings."
Rensia lowered her head, saying that even her youngest sibling, who had just turned six, had received this heart transplant.
"That's why I made the clothes. So their skin wouldn't itch...."
She let out a deflated laugh, explaining that was the reason she knitted clothes.
"Those bastards!"
Krein, unable to contain himself, clenched his fist until it bled.
"How could humans...."
Dorian trembled with disbelief in his eyes.
-Summon this king immediately.
Wrath furrowed his brow and shook his shoulder.
-I'll tear apart those lowlifes who use demonic energy in such a way.
Even he seemed to be in severe anger, with powerful aura bursting from his blue eyes.
"...."
Raon took a deep breath as he looked at Rensia. He wanted to get angry like the others, but now was the time to gather as much information as possible.
"By people with status, do you mean the hotel manager or those so-called heroes?"
"That's right."
Rensia nodded, saying those people were the supervisors.
"And everyone else has a black heart...."
Raon closed his eyes tightly, recalling the residents of Montiro he had met so far.
'Now all the questions are answered.'
The Black Tower had used the residents here to create a barrier to hide the demonic energy, which was why not even the slightest demonic energy or death energy could be felt.
-Yes. With humans of this scale sacrificed, not even a speck of demonic energy or death energy exists.
Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if in disbelief.
-Those Black Tower or whatever fellows are not worth living.
He raised silver frost emanating killing intent, as if wanting to storm the Black Tower right away.
"But the residents didn't have hearts protruding like that?"
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at the part of Rensia's body where the heart was still protruding. Being a beach, there were many shirtless men, but he had never seen such a heart.
"Most have it attached next to their actual heart. But I've had two surgeries, so when I get angry, the heart protrudes out like this."
Rensia shook her head, saying she was the only one whose heart came out like this.
"So when you met Felix...."
It seemed that the reason her anger had spilled out when she encountered Felix, the leader of the Hochang Division, was because her heart had protruded like that.
"That's right. That person...."
Rensia nodded, grasping her trembling wrist.
"He put this heart in me and my siblings...."
She lowered her eyes, saying Felix was the one who implanted the black hearts.
"So that's why you wore that backpack. To hide the black heart in case it protruded." (E/N: I am getting confused about where this heart is protruding from...)
"Yes...."
Rensia nodded, confirming that was correct.
"That bastard! I didn't like how he looked down on us from the start...."
Krein gritted his teeth, showing killing intent towards Felix.
"This time, I'm more angry than scared too."
Dorian clenched his fist tightly, saying he felt the same way.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
Raon looked at Rensia, suppressing the urge to rush out and cut down those so-called heroes.
"About once a month, it really hurts a lot, but unless the heart is protruding like this, it's not too painful."
Rensia nodded as if it was fine. If what she said was true, it meant she was in severe pain right now, but there was something that had to be done for future plans.
"I'm really sorry, but could I touch that heart?"
"What?"
Rensia opened her eyes wide, as if not understanding what he meant.
"It's the last thing I'll ask."
Raon bowed his head, saying it was something he had to do.
"Then I'll set a condition too. I'll let you touch it, but please leave this place right away."
Rensia raised her top again, saying that was her condition. The child closed her eyes tightly, seemingly from embarrassment and pain.
'There's no choice.'
He had to examine the black heart directly to know where the Black Tower was and how to remove it. Even if he didn't know, it was necessary to pass the information to Chamber.
"I'm sorry."
Raon reached out with a steady hand and grasped the black heart protruding from Rensia's waist.
"Ugh...."
Rensia bit her lip as if in pain, but didn't say anything.
'It's demonic energy and death energy.'
-Yes. Now I can feel the demonic energy. But it's moving from this child's body to somewhere else.
'Is the direction downward?'
-It's downward, but this isn't physical. It should be seen as another dimension.
Wrath shook his head, saying it wouldn't come out even if they dug into the ground.
'In the end, it's up to Chamber.'
This wasn't something he could solve alone. It seemed he needed to return to headquarters and consult with Chamber.
'Then what I need to do is....'
He used his upper dantian and Ring of Fire to the extreme, perfectly memorizing the movement of the black heart and the flow of mana.
"Thank you."
Raon patted Rensia's head and then stepped back.
"Yes...."
Rensia lowered her top with a tired sigh. Sweat ran down her forehead, seemingly from the strain.
"Are you okay?"
Dorian took out a handkerchief and wiped Rensia's forehead.
"You'll leave now, right?"
Rensia raised her trembling hand, asking them to keep their promise.
"Why do you keep telling us to leave?"
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking into Rensia's green eyes.
"There was someone like you before, Kayden. They tried to save the sister who raised me, and that person and their entire family were erased from the world. And my sister too...."
Rensia covered her eyes and forehead with her hand, as if recalling past events.
"So that's why you're taking care of the children...."
"That's right. Just as my sister helped me, I'm taking care of the children. So please leave us alone."
Rensia bowed her head, pleading. Her emerald eyes were wavering with various emotions and concerns.
"Grr!"
"Rensia...."
Krein twisted the handle of his greatsword as if struggling to contain his anger, while Dorian finally let the tears that had been welling up in his eyes fall.
"It's not just us, but you and the Merchant Association could disappear too. No matter how much money you have, you can't beat the people who control this Montiro."
Rensia bent her waist, saying please leave now.
"I see."
Raon rubbed his chin and stood up.
"I promised, so I should keep it. We'll leave this place as soon as morning comes."
"What? No, Association Head!"
Krein's lips trembled, as if he hadn't expected Raon to say they would leave.
"Young Master!"
Dorian also called out his old title, his eyes wide.
"Shut up."
Raon ignored Krein and Dorian's protests and took out a gold coin from his shirt pocket.
"You've done well."
He nodded slightly and flicked the gold coin to Rensia.
"...."
Rensia put the gold coin she received from Raon in her pocket and bowed her head.
"Thank you. Please make sure to leave tomorrow."
She left Raon's room with those words.
"Phew...."
Rensia leaned her back against the wall and took out the gold coin she had received from Raon. She looked at the gold coin preciously before putting it in her inner pocket and then shouldered the backpack she had put down.
'This is right.'
This is the way to save everyone. Rensia put on a fabricated smile as if she had never been sad, and walked down the brightly lit corridor humming a tune.
* * *
As promised to Rensia, Raon left Montiro and then took a detour to return to the headquarters created by Chamber. The swordsmen who had infiltrated Montiro around the same time as him had all returned and were resting.
"You're here."
Chamber summoned a chair for him to sit on with a bitter smile.
"...Good work."
Karoon also slowly nodded, saying he had done well.
"You both saw it, right?"
Raon clenched his fist, pointing to the necklace Chamber had made for him.
"Yes. Thanks to you, we learned everything."
A cold aura rose over Karoon's red eyes.
"I realized once again that the demonized humans of the Black Tower are not worth keeping alive."
He twitched his long fingers as if he wanted to go out right now and annihilate the Black Tower.
"I knew the demonized humans were dirty bastards, but I didn't expect them to exceed even my expectations."
Chamber bit and crushed the lollipop she had in her mouth.
"Damn it! I want to go out right now and kill them all!"
Martha messed up her hair and stomped her feet.
"We should freeze them so they can never come out...."
Even Runaan lowered her eyebrows, uttering harsh words she wouldn't normally say.
-I agree! Our ice cream girl knows what she's talking about!
Wrath raised his hand, saying the ice cream girl was indeed the best.
"My role is to restrain you, but I don't want to do that this time."
Even Burren let out a sneer, unable to contain his emotions.
"Raon. Did you check the movement of that black heart?"
"Yes. It's difficult to explain in words, so I'll show you using aura."
Raon took Chamber's hand and conveyed everything he had felt when touching the black heart.
"As expected."
Chamber nodded, taking out the stick that remained from her lollipop.
"That black heart is a very small dimensional gate that absorbs negative energy like demonic energy and death energy and sends it to the Black Tower."
She smiled deeply at Raon.
"Then can we open that dimension?"
"It would normally be impossible, but thanks to you telling us the movement and flow of the black heart, we should be able to trace it back and reach the Black Tower."
Chamber said it should be possible now and drew a large circle with her finger. With a clap of her hands, the magicians of Balkar, including Jayna, gathered with dazzling eyes.
"Are you ready?"
Chamber looked around at the magicians with a deep smile.
"Now it's our turn to move."
* * *
The door creaked open as Rensia carefully opened it after slinging her blue backpack over her shoulder. Though she hadn't applied much force, the sound was unavoidable due to the house's dilapidated state.
"Sister?"
"Are you leaving already, sis?"
Her siblings woke up at the sound of the door opening, rubbing their eyes as they got up.
"Yes, I have to go to work. I've prepared food, so eat slowly."
Rensia waved lightly to her siblings and left the house. As she was leaving the shantytown to go to Montiro's entrance, a red spear tip suddenly appeared before her eyes.
"Ah...."
Rensia's lips trembled as she saw the spear blocking her path. She could feel the black heart protruding from her waist pushing against the strap of her backpack.
"Fortunately, it seems that's not the case."
Felix, the leader of the Hochang Division and the dark doctor who transplanted the black hearts into the residents, slowly shook his head.
"What? What do you...."
"The Kayden you guided a month ago returned to his Merchant Association and is enjoying a decadent life, throwing parties. I was worried you might have said something unnecessary, but that's fortunate."
Felix's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Well, having seen your sister die, you wouldn't do anything foolish."
He lowered his spear shaft as if it was only natural.
"Continue to live diligently for our sake. You have much to protect, don't you?"
Felix disappeared towards the hill after leaving those words.
"Yes...."
Rensia couldn't move from that spot for a long time even after Felix had left. She forcibly put on a doll-like smile to go to work and descended from the shantytown.
"Haah...."
However, it was particularly difficult to suppress her emotions today. When she raised her trembling hand to touch the gold coin from Kayden in her inner pocket, she felt a little better.
'It's okay. This is for the best.'
It had already been a month since Kayden left Montiro. At first, she had worried he might suddenly come barging in, but fortunately, that hadn't happened.
'Fortunate... is it?'
To be honest, part of her had hoped Kayden would come back. He had reminded her of the sister who had raised her, seeming indifferent but showing kindness at important moments, so she wanted to see him again.
That's why she had an even stronger desire for him not to come. The darkness that had engulfed this Montiro was too vast for anyone to erase.
'Nothing has changed. I'll protect the children instead of my sister.'
Rensia wiped away the moisture in her eyes and ran to Montiro's main gate. She had too much to protect to dwell on sadness. She approached the tourists coming through Montiro's gate, bowing her head and asking them to use her as a guide.
However, they seemed to be frequent visitors to Montiro and didn't want to use a guide, with most hiring children even younger than her.
"Welcome!"
Rensia maintained a smiling face despite her heavy heart and approached people who looked like travelers.
"Is this your first time in Montiro? I'm a local, so I can guide you to all the best places!"
She greeted them brightly, just as she had when she met Kayden, calling out to hire her.
"You say you can guide us anywhere?"
The man who seemed to be the center of the group tilted his chin.
"Yes! There's no place in Montiro I don't know!"
Rensia pounded her own chest with expectation.
"Alright. We'll hire you."
The blonde man nodded and tossed her a silver coin.
"Thank you!"
Seeing him flick the coin reminded her of Kayden, making her heart flutter, but she maintained her smiling expression and bowed her head.
"Please take these first."
Rensia distributed the flower necklaces she had made to all six of them and then grinned.
"Where would you like to go first?"
"We'd like to see the sea first."
"Okay! I'll guide you!"
Since most tourists went to the sea first, she nodded and guided them to the nearest beach.
"This is Montiro's pride, the emerald sea! You can see right through it, can't you?"
Rensia spread her arms wide, saying swimming, surfing, and fishing were all possible.
"Nothing much has changed."
The blonde man clicked his tongue, muttering that it wasn't interesting.
"How could it change in that time?"
The slightly chubby man let out a hollow laugh.
"Oh? Have you been here before?"
"Yes. A month ago."
The blonde man raised his gaze as he said he had come a month ago. His blue eyes resembled the emerald sea, but strangely, they reminded her of someone she had seen a month ago.
"No way...."
"It's been a while."
Kayden. The one she had shown her secret to and tried to send away safely had returned to Montiro.
"Why...."
Rensia dropped the gold coin she had been holding in her pocket onto the sandy beach in shock.
"Why did you come! You promised you'd leave!"
She shattered her doll-like smile and shouted, asking why he had come back.
"I promised I'd leave. I didn't promise I wouldn't come back, did I?"
The man whose name she didn't even know smiled gently.
"Are you stupid? I told you it's dangerous here. Even after I said that...."
"I am strong. No, we are strong."
Golden flames rose in his blue eyes. (E/N: I assume the eyes color his hidden right now)
"We'll break this tank called Montiro."