Late that night, two figures who had departed the district earlier returned under the cover of darkness, arriving right near the familiar Cumberland mansion.
Jeanne looked up at the dimly lit estate and sighed silently to herself. What on earth are we doing? They had driven far out of the area earlier that day, only to trek all the way back tonight.
When Talulah mentioned that their real target lay underground, Jeanne assumed the location was nowhere near the aristocrats' estates, so she had driven as far out as possible to set up camp.
"Do you think we overshot our mark earlier?" Jeanne asked, glancing back at Talulah, who was carrying a distinctly unamused expression.
After being driven so far out into the countryside only to be hauled all the way back into the city, Talulah was holding back her irritation through pure willpower. She hadn't eaten a single bite all evening.
"If I knew the entrance was right here, we could have just rented a place nearby," Jeanne mused aloud. "Would've saved us a ton of time and trouble."
Talulah refrained from lecturing her. Finding the route was a task only Jeanne could accomplish; whether she brought them straight here or took them on three redundant laps around Londinium, Talulah simply had to accept it. Of course, that didn't stop her from making a mental note to buy Jeanne ten pounds of math workbooks later, locking her in a dark room until every page was solved without dinner.
"Alright, we're at the entrance," Talulah said, pointing to a obscure passageway. "Though I have to admit, it's suspiciously close to the Cumberland estate. I suppose that speaks to why House Cumberland was the Aslan King's most trusted line."
Jeanne glanced toward the Cumberland estate, where a few faint lights still flickered in the windows. To build a secret passageway practically next door to a noble's home required absolute royal trust.
"Ever-Pure Cumberland," Talulah shrugged, keeping her commentary brief. "It's hardly surprising."
The two locate a hidden stone staircase descending deep into the earth. Their destination lay far below: the legendary underground mausoleum where the ancient monarchs of Victoria were laid to rest—the place where kings sleep.
Tap, tap, tap, tap...
Their footsteps echoed softly through the damp underground tunnels. Surrounding them were massive industrial conduits pulsing with unknown fluid—the iron veins of the city, pumping vital resources to keep the surface running. The distant hum of pressurized liquid echoed off the stone walls.
"Are you certain it's down here?" Talulah frowned, scanning the heavy iron pipes surrounding them. "This looks like a subterranean utility grid, not a royal tomb."
"Think about how many centuries this city has existed," Jeanne explained as they walked. "Over the years, layer upon layer of infrastructure was built over the old foundations. If I were a Victorian monarch, I'd build the city grid right over the tomb and keep a single private entrance for myself."
As they spoke, young Fafnir snoozed peacefully on Jeanne's back, completely unbothered by the quiet chatter.
They could have left the young dragon back at their temporary shelter, but Jeanne hadn't had the heart to leave her alone in an unfamiliar place, so she had carried her along.
"What you say... actually makes sense," Talulah admitted.
As they descended deeper, a strange, solemn feeling settled over Talulah's chest—an overwhelming sense of quiet reverence that weighed on her spirit.
She couldn't tell if it was an instinctual reaction or something lingering in the air, but the solemn pressure expanded within her heart. It was a rare, humbling sensation.
"What do you think is waiting inside?" Jeanne asked, glancing back at the sleeping child on her shoulders. "Fafnir was practically clamoring to haul away the gold from your ancestral tomb earlier. Keep a close eye on her once we get inside, or she'll start stuffing her pockets."
Ever since learning they were visiting a Draco mausoleum, Fafnir—who consistently struggled to differentiate between literal dragons and Dracos—had insisted on bringing a small canvas sack along to hunt for glittering treasure.
"How would I know?" Talulah rolled her eyes. "Wei Yenwu only handed this key to me recently. When I asked Kashchey what it unlocked, he gave me a vague answer. Who knows if there's any gold down there?"
She cast another flat look at Jeanne. Had Jeanne not casually mentioned it was a Draco royal tomb, the young dragon wouldn't have brought a sack along to collect loot.
"Still," Talulah added quietly, "if there happens to be something of value down there, we can let Fafnir keep a little piece. Since it's the resting place of my own ancestors, I ought to have the final say on minor matters like that."
"Look at you, being so generous!" Jeanne teased. "Is this what they call taking your friends out to grave-rob your own ancestors? If you're ancestors learned of this, they'd call you a terribly unfilial descendant!"
"If you don't have anything useful to say, keep your mouth shut!" Talulah snapped back, her cheeks flushing with annoyance.
She was coming here to pay her respects and quiet her mind, yet somehow, in Jeanne's mouth, her pilgrimage sounded like a shady grave-robbing heist with accomplices!
"Alright, alright, I'm quiet!" Jeanne surrendered immediately with a grin. Annoying the person holding the key to their next move was a bad idea.
The trio continued their descent down the winding stone passage.
After an indeterminate length of time, just as they began to wonder if they were passing under the very bedrock of Londinium, the cramped passage suddenly opened into a vast, breathtaking underground cavern.
Standing before them was a towering, fortress-like structure forged entirely out of cold metal. Bright, golden luminescent lamps illuminated the exterior, casting a brilliant glow that felt almost blinding in the subterranean dark.
To find such powerful, active lighting running deep beneath the city was unexpected, but it confirmed beyond a doubt that they had reached their destination.
"Woah... this place is massive," Jeanne gasped, taking in the towering metallic facade. "I thought we'd find a few modest headstones, but your ancestors and the Aslan royal line built an absolute monument down here!"
Looking at the multi-century-old structure, Jeanne couldn't help but feel a thread of awe at Victoria's historical wealth and engineering power.
To erect a massive metal mausoleum deep underground centuries ago proved just how formidable Victorian industry had been. Even in modern Terra, construct a comparable structure entirely out of refined metal deep underground would pose a serious engineering challenge for many nations—such as Kjerag.
"I didn't expect it to look like this either," Talulah murmured, her eyes fixed on the metal fortress. "Though I suppose it makes sense. They were the monarchs who held sway over all of Victoria; an undertaking like this was well within their reach."
A complex wave of emotions washed over her. Staring at the grand metal hall, that strange, solemn instinct surged within her once more, bringing a sudden sting to her eyes.
Here rested her ancestors. Even without the grand metal architecture, this place carried immense weight for her bloodline.
"Woah! Look at that huge door!"
Fafnir seemed to catch the scent of treasure, instantly sliding off Jeanne's back and scurrying forward. Her instincts told her that a place with a door this big was bound to hide shiny gold inside!
"Jeanne, Jeanne! Hurry, let's go inside!" Fafnir bounced up and down beside Jeanne, proudly holding up her canvas sack. "I can already smell the shiny treasure!"
Thump!
Jeanne delivered a light knuckle chop straight to the young dragon's head, prompting Fafnir to drop into a defensive squat, clutching her head in dramatic fashion.
This child is really testing her luck, Jeanne thought. This is Talulah's ancestral tomb—talking about looting it right in front of her is a bit much!
Talulah looked down at the squatting dragon and suddenly let out a soft laugh. The solemn gloom hanging over her heart vanished into thin air. Looking at her companions, she felt a quiet sense of warmth.
"Come on," Talulah said, stepping forward with a soft smile. "Let's go see what's hidden inside. If there's anything nice, you can keep a little piece, Fafnir—but no taking everything, got it?"
Talulah figured that if they found some historical artifacts, selling a few items off to help fund the relocation of the Taran workers wouldn't be a bad idea...
Wait, does that mean I really am planning to loot my ancestors?
With mixed feelings, the trio stepped toward the grand metal gates of the mausoleum—looking less like solemn pilgrims paying their respects, and more like a crew gearing up for a high-stakes tomb raid.