As Leroy and I descended into the depths of the stone staircase, the walls and ceiling seemed to press in on me. The air felt cool and lifeless, and smelled of stone. It was quiet here. The only sounds I heard were our own footsteps, as well as fabric scraping against stone whenever Leroy or I brushed against the sides of the staircase.

I never liked narrow, confined spaces like this. They always made me feel stifled and suffocated. I believed this was because of my heritage. As the descendant of a storm dragon, I preferred the vastness of the wide open sky. At least the tiny glowstones embedded into the walls provided us with light. Otherwise, I would have gone insane.

However, as bad as things were for me, Leroy had it even worse. He was taller and bulkier than me, meaning he had to hunch inward to even fit into the stone staircase. This annoyed me. Whoever built this staircase should have made it even bigger. While Leroy was larger than average, there were plenty of other people like him. He wasn't the only one.

"You doing okay, Leroy?" I asked without looking back.

"I will be, Brandon," he said in a strained voice, "Once we reach the bottom."

I nodded, before I increased my pace. The sooner we left this staircase, the better.

After a few minutes of walking downward, we reached the bottom. The staircase led to a small square stone chamber, with a single wooden door embedded in the far wall. A small glowstone lamp hung from the ceiling, filling the chamber with warm yellow light.

Freed from the narrow staircase, Leroy let out a relieved sigh and stretched. Meanwhile, I studied the wooden door. To my eyes, it appeared mundane and ordinary. However, with my mana sense, I realized that the wooden door was imbued with several privacy enchantments. I wouldn't know what was on the other side until I opened it.

Without further ado, I opened the wooden door. The moment I did, a wave of warmth and sound washed over me; a shocking contrast compared to the cold and quiet of the stone staircase. When I saw what lay on the other side, my jaw dropped.

Underneath Icefall City was what could only be described as a small town. A tunnel lay before me, three stories tall and a couple hundred feet wide. Fire elemental crystals embedded to the walls filled the tunnel with warmth. A row of stone pillars ran along the center, supporting the ceiling. In the distance, at the far end of the tunnel, I saw some kind of plaza. However, the pillars obscured my vision, so I couldn't see anything more than that.

Buildings and stalls of all kinds ran along the walls of the tunnel, with the former dug into the very earth itself. Their architecture was unlike anything I had ever seen on Lumina. It somewhat resembled a mixture of ancient Chinese and Korean designs, though that wasn't quite right either. Narrow stairs placed at regular intervals led between the different floors.

Like Icefall City above, this underground town was bustling. There were hundreds of people here going about their business. All of them were either wizards or martial artists. A few dressed in typical Luminian fashion. However, the majority wore robes with designs that somewhat resembled a mixture of ancient Chinese and Korean.

A cacophony of noise filled the air. People chatted to each other in Spirit Tongue, laughing and arguing in equal measure. Stall owners hawked their wares, hoping to entice others to spend their coin. There were even animals down here, cats and dogs for the most part.

Despite all that, this place was very clean. I didn't detect any unpleasant or unsavory scents. Instead, for the most part, it smelled like food. This aroused my appetite further. My stomach growled, demanding to be fed.

"What do you think, Brandon?" Leroy asked, coming up beside me.

He grinned.

"It's amazing," I said, still looking around with wide eyes, "I can't believe something like this exists underneath Icefall City."

Back on Earth, I experienced all sorts of fantastical things. However, that didn't lessen the amazement I felt from finding a place like this. Compared to Icefall City above, entering this underground town felt like discovering a whole new world. To my inner child, it all seemed so magical.

"There are towns and cities like this all over the Solarian Empire and the Lunarian Kingdom." Leroy said. "According to my mother, the largest ones rival Sunheart in size."

I gave him a skeptical look. Sunheart, the capital of the Solarian Empire, was a massive metropolis that dwarfed any city on Earth. It was also the location of the Solar Palace, the home of the Sun Emperor, immortal ruler of the Solarian Empire. I found it difficult to believe that one underground city the size of Sunheart existed, let alone multiple underground cities. However, I decided to keep that to myself for now. Until I saw them for myself, it was best to reserve judgment.

"What is this place called?" I asked.

"To make things easy to remember," Leroy said. "Murim uses a simple naming convention for places like this. Going by that, it should be named Icefall Undercity."

I nodded. That made sense.

"Does every city in the Solarian Empire have an undercity?" I asked.

Leroy shook his head.

"No, but most of them do."

My stomach growled again, loud enough for Leroy to hear.

"Let's get something to eat," I said, "Before my stomach revolts."

Leroy nodded. Together, the two of us headed for the noodle shop that Marilyn recommended. As the middle-aged man who let us in said, it was on the first floor, the third building on the right.

The noodle shop was one of the humbler buildings in the area. It had a plain storefront, a small front room with a few tables, and a small kitchen in the back. The entrance didn't have a door, so we could peer inside without issue. A menu hung from the left wall, displaying the shop's prices.

To my dismay, the noodles here were quite expensive. It made sense, since they had to import their flour, but still. Despite this, all of the tables were occupied, and there was even a small line to be seated. There was little chatter, as all of the shop's customers focused on eating their noodles.

When I noticed the line, I considered eating at a different restaurant. I was pretty hungry at this point, and I was feeling impatient. However, I decided to stay. If people were waiting in line to eat here, then the noodles here must have been great.

It took ten minutes for Leroy and I to be seated. The smell of broth and cooking noodles filled the air, making my mouth water. The noodle shop was run by a middle-aged couple, with the man cooking in the back and the woman taking orders. She reminded me of Marilyn, if a bit chubbier: perky with brown hair, brown eyes, and elfin features.

"Welcome, dear customers!" The woman said after Leroy and I sat down. Like everyone else in Icefall Undercity, she spoke in Spirit tongue. "My name is Richelle. What can I get for you?"

"A bowl of noodles." I said. "I'm too hungry to care what kind at this point." I paused. "By the way, are you related to Marilyn? The receptionist at the Adventurers Guild? She recommended this place to us."

At the mention of Marilyn, Richelle's demeanor grew warmer.

"Marilyn is our daughter." She said, gesturing to the man in the back.

I smiled at her.

"I can see the resemblance," I said, "It's obvious she gets her beauty from you."

Richelle flushed a little at that.

"Flatterer." She turned to Leroy. "And you?"

He nodded to me.

"The same as my companion."

"Very well. I'll be right back!"

Richelle meant it. Less than a minute later, she returned with two steaming bowls of noodles in beef broth. When she placed the bowls in front of us, I noticed they also had large chunks of meat in them. Richelle also placed a small bowl of dumplings on our table.

"On the house," Richelle said. "Since you're Marilyn's friends."

Leroy and I thanked her, before she headed off to take another table's order. After she left, Leroy and I picked up our utensils. Instead of forks or spoons, Richelle brought us chopsticks. This wasn't a problem for me, thanks to Teacher. She insisted on teaching me how to use the damn things. At the time I hadn't seen the point. However, now I was grateful for her stubbornness.

Thinking about Teacher put me in a melancholic mood. I missed her. While she was an ornery old shrew, she was also one of the most important people in my life. A fierce longing filled me. I wanted to see her again.

"Is there something wrong?" Leroy asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You're just staring at your food."

I shook my head.

"No. I was just thinking about someone I used to know on Earth."

Leroy paused for a moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

I gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you for the offer, but no." I gestured to him. "Now eat, before your food gets cold."

I followed my own advice and started eating my noodles. The moments they touched my tongue, I paused to savor their flavor. In a word, these noodles tasted divine. I had never had anything like them before. The wait had been worth it. The noodles tasted even better than the food at Sturm Manor, which I hadn't thought possible.

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I slurped them up, before taking a sip of the broth. It tasted like pure savory goodness. I glanced at Leroy. From the expression on his face, he felt the same way. Next I tried one of the dumplings. While it didn't taste as good as the noodles or the broth, it still tasted delicious.

For the next several minutes, Leroy and I focused on eating our food. Like the other customers in the noodle shop, we ate in silence. When I finished eating, I sat back and let out a relaxed sigh. Leroy, on the other hand, ordered a second bowl. I ordered a cup of tea to wash everything down. Richelle delivered both right away.

While Leroy ate his second bowl of noodles, I sipped my tea and glanced around. That's when I heard a commotion coming from outside. I couldn't see what was going on, because of the angle. At first I ignored it, since it was none of my business. However, a few moments later, I heard shouting.

"You filthy dog!" A man's voice said. "Look at what you've done! My new robes are ruined because of you!"

"Forgive me, Esteemed Master! It was an honest mistake!"

"Mistake? You call this a mistake? I should kill you where you stand!"

I sighed. It sounded like someone had run afoul of an arrogant young master. Teacher had warned me about those. They were very common on First Murim. According to Teacher, arrogant young masters thought that they could get away with being raging assholes because they were born to powerful and wealthy families. They liked to strut around, flaunting their status and bullying the weak.

Now that I thought about it, this wasn't limited to First Murim either. During my first life, I had met a few House scions who acted the exact same way. They were one of the reasons why I had preferred to stay at Sturm Manor instead of going out. I also met a few people like that on Earth as well. I guess arrogant assholes were a common occurrence, no matter the realm.

Everyone else in the noodle shop heard the commotion as well, but they elected to ignore it. After all, there was no point in inviting trouble. The smart thing to do would be to follow their example. However, I never claimed to be the smartest person around.

"I'll be right back." I said, standing up.

Leroy grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Brandon," he said, a warning in his tone, "This is a bad idea."

"I know." I grinned at him. "However, I refuse to stand by and do nothing."

Leroy studied me for a moment, before he sighed.

"Very well." He gave his bowl of noodles a look of longing and regret, before standing up as well.

I paid for our meal, before I exited the noodle shop with Leroy right behind me. Not too far away, I spotted the commotion right away. It was easy to pick out the arrogant young master. He looked a few years older than me, with fair skin, short red hair, and brilliant green eyes. He wore a set of expensive red robes, though they were marred by a small brown stain on the front.

Like me, he had a lean and toned build. He was handsome enough, I supposed, with his delicate features. When I saw his face, I felt as if there was something familiar about him. However, that made little sense. I had never seen this man before in my life. I also noticed that he wore an inventory ring on his finger.

Behind the arrogant young master stood a bodyguard, who was taller and bulkier than his charge. He reminded me of Leroy, with his tanned skin, short dark hair, and dark eyes. In fact, they even had the same thuggish features.

The arrogant young master and his bodyguard stood next to one of the stalls in the area. From what I could tell, it sold skewered meat, though I couldn't tell what kind. I assumed beef, lamb, or goat. The stall owner, average looking by Luminian standards, kowtowed on the ground as the arrogant young master berated him.

No one moved to stop him. They all turned the other way and refused to get involved. Well then. I guess it was up to me. However, just as I took a step forward, Leroy grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.

"We can't." He said in a low, but urgent, voice. "That's your cousin, Lord Andre Leone!"

I stiffened when I heard this. No wonder that arrogant young master seemed familiar. Before she married into House Sturm, Mother belonged to House/Clan Leone. As a House, they weren't anything special. However, as a Clan, they were one of the most influential forces in the whole of Murim. They also bore a grudge against Mother, since she defied them and ran away from home in order to marry Father. On the list of people I needed to avoid the most, Clan Leone was at the very top.

Decisions, decisions. Should I walk away and pretend I saw nothing? Or should I interfere, and risk discovery? Eh, I didn't know why I even bothered asking when I already knew the answer to that question.

"Stay out of sight," I said, "So they don't recognize you. That should prevent the worst possible outcome."

I pulled out of Leroy's grasp and walked towards Andre Leone. He tried to grab me again, but I avoided his hand with ease. I heard him curse under his breath, before he obeyed my orders and hid himself in the noodle shop.

"How do you plan on compensating me for this?" Andre Leone demanded, gesturing to the stain on his robes. "Even if you worked every day for the rest of your pathetic life, I doubt you would be able to afford robes like these."

"Please show mercy, Esteemed Master!" The stall owner said, trembling with fear.

Andre sneered and reached down to grab the stall owner, but I called out before he could.

"Is that really necessary, Young Master Andre?"

Both Andre and his bodyguard turned towards me. The former looked at me with anger and confusion, while the latter eyed me with wariness. The stall owner remained face down on the ground.

"Excuse me?" Andre said. "Who do you think you are?"

I stopped several feet away from them, and gave him an exaggerated bow.

"Brandon Norwood, at your service, Young Master Andre. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation."

Andre sneered at me.

"Leave." He said. "This matter is none of your concern." He nodded to the kowtowing stall owner. "Unless you wish to share the same fate as him."

That wasn't an idle threat. Both Andre and his bodyguard were Second Star martial artists. While I was confident that I could defeat both of them, getting into a fight was the last thing I wanted. That would just make my life more difficult than it needed to be.

"You made it my concern when you made a ruckus and interrupted my meal." I said. "Look around, Young Master Andre. You're causing a scene in public."

Andre looked around. While no one else moved to interfere, everyone in the area was watching the situation play out. Humans, by nature, liked to gossip. It wouldn't take long for rumors of Andre's actions to spread all over Icefall Undercity and beyond.

If the Clans were anything like the Houses, then they valued their reputation a great deal. If Andre crossed the line, then that would damage Clan Leone's reputation, which I doubted they would appreciate. If the rumors became distorted enough, they might even punish him. From the expression Andre wore, he knew this as well. His face flushed red.

"Well, what am I supposed to do about this?" Andre said, gesturing to the stain on his expensive robes. "I have an important meeting soon, and I can't show up looking like this. Nor do I have enough time to change my clothes."

Ah, that explained his anger, though that still didn't justify his actions.

"If you wish, I can help you with that." I said. "I know a cleaning technique."

Andre's expression brightened at this.

"You do? Can you use it on me? I'll be in your debt!"

I blinked at him in surprise. That worked better than I expected. When I made the offer, I never thought he would accept. Was this guy an idiot, or just simple-minded?

"Young Master," the bodyguard said, giving me a suspicious look, "I don't trust this man. How did he know your name? I suggest we decline his offer and return to your abode. It is better to be late than let a potential enemy use some strange technique on you."

Andre scoffed.

"He's just a First Star. How much of a threat can he be?"

Okay, he was an idiot. There were plenty of ways for a First Star martial artist to defeat an opponent stronger than them. Poison, for example. However, I didn't point that out. Unlike my so-called cousin, I wasn't an idiot. Most of the time.

"Young Master…" The bodyguard said, a pained look on his face. I almost felt bad for him.

Andre ignored his bodyguard and gestured to me.

"You there. Brandon Norwood, was it? Go ahead and use that cleaning technique of yours."

While his tone irked me, I let it slide. My goal was to save the poor stall owner. Swallowing my pride was a small price to pay. I stepped closer towards Andre, though I stayed far enough away to avoid provoking the bodyguard.

"Fair warning," I said, "My cleaning technique will leave you a little damp."

"That won't be a problem." Andre said in a dismissive tone.

I shrugged, before I used my cleaning technique.

[Cleansing Mist]

I exhaled a white mist, which engulfed Andre for several seconds. The bodyguard twitched when he saw this, but made no effort to stop me. That didn't stop him from giving me a death glare. When the mist faded away, Andre emerged cleaner than ever. The stain on his robes was gone. However, as I said, the technique left him a little damp.

"This is amazing!" Andre said, examining his body. "Where did you learn such a technique?"

"My teacher taught me." I said. "As an adventurer, I often spend days away from civilization. Small techniques like this make things more convenient."

This was actually true, though this all happened back on Earth.

"Hmm, maybe I should learn a similar technique." Andre said.

He pinched his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face. His bodyguard cleared his throat.

"Young Master, your meeting."

Andre gave him an irritated look.

"I know, I know. Let me dry myself off first." Andre burst into flames for a brief moment. It happened so fast that I barely had time to react. When the flames faded away, Andre was dry. However, his hair was all poofy. He pulled a brush from his inventory ring, which he used to tame his hair. Afterwards, he returned the brush to his inventory ring. "There we go."

I stared at him, a little baffled by his nonchalant attitude. Was this a normal occurrence for him? Or did he just carry a brush around for whenever he needed one? I mean, that was a benefit of having an inventory ring. You could be prepared for almost any scenario.

"As I said, I'm in your debt, Brandon Norwood." Andre said. "However, I shall have to repay it at a later date. Have a good day."

With that, he walked off without another word. His bodyguard gave me one last look, before following him. Soon, they both disappeared from sight. I shook my head, before I walked over to the still kowtowing stall owner.

"They're gone." I said. "You can get up now."

The stall owner lifted his head. When he realized that I spoke the truth, he jumped to his feet.

"Thank you, kind stranger." He said, grasping my hand. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for your help!"

I glanced at his stall, before grinning at him.

"What about free skewers during my stay in this area?" I asked.

I helped out because I wanted to, but I wouldn't say no to free food.

"Of course!" The stall owner said, thumping his chest. He wore a proud expression on his face. "My meat skewers are the best in Icefall City and Icefall Undercity! You won't be disappointed!"

"In that case, give me one of each."

The stall owner nodded, before he walked over to his stall. It was a bit of a mess, no doubt due to Andre's actions, but he gathered three meat skewers and handed them to me. I was right. He sold beef, goat, and lamb. I took the meat skewers and turned to head back to the noodle shop. However, I paused before I took the first step.

"By the way," I said, looking back at the stall owner. "How did you end up staining Young Master Andre's robes?"

From what I saw earlier, the stall owner wasn't clumsy. Not only that, but he was also a First Star martial artist. That was likely his limit, but he was a step above regular humans. With that in mind, I found it strange that he ended up earning Andre's ire.

"I'm not sure," the stall owner said with a frown, his brow furrowed. "I was adding sauce to my skewers, when I felt something bump me from behind just as Young Master Andre was walking by. However, when I turned to look, there was nothing there."

Hmm, odd. I wondered if there was more to this than met the eye. After giving it some thought, I shook my head. If there was something else going on, I didn't want to get involved. It smelled of Clan politics to me. If they were anything like House politics, I'd rather avoid it altogether. Too much hassle.

"Thank you for the meat skewers." I said, before heading back to the noodle shop.

Meeting one of my mother's kin had piqued my curiosity, and I hoped that Leroy could satisfy me.

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