I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 44

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 44
When Theodore and Kenneth turned back after completing the boarding procedures, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
“Where did they go?”
Claire and Ebon were nowhere to be found. They hurriedly scanned the surroundings, but the two had vanished without a trace.
“Damn it.”
Four hours remained before the swift vessel bound for Laten Plain departed. Their relief at securing passage on such short notice was fleeting—the very people who needed to board had simply disappeared.
‘Should I ask the Guild for help?’
Kenneth bit his lip. A wave of self-reproach washed over him for letting his guard down, given how drastically Claire’s appearance had changed.
‘I didn’t want the Guild to know my destination.’
Yet unlike Kenneth, lost in contemplation, Theodore’s reaction proved surprisingly composed. Though clearly startled, he neither rushed about frantically nor glanced around in panic—he appeared to be someone who trusted in something.
“You know something, don’t you?”
Kenneth seized Theodore’s forearm. Since they were both concealing their identities, there was no need for formality. Theodore didn’t push away the man who had drawn close and nodded nearby.
“If Claire is with Ebon, I have a way to track them.”
He withdrew a small mechanical device resembling a pocket watch from his breast. It was a type of artifact that House Voltier had painstakingly obtained following the Gregory incident.
“It detects the flow of mana within abilities. It can sense the ability that clings to its owner.”
When he opened the cover, the interior resembled a compass. The needle that had been spinning tautly pointed in a single direction.
“That’s the direction where Ebon, who used his ability on me, is located.”
Kenneth, who had been staring blankly at the lingering traces of the scar Gregory had left on House Voltier, soon nodded.
“Then let’s move immediately. It’s been a while since we separated from Ebon, so the ability placed on us might be wearing off.”
The two moved as quickly as possible while taking care not to draw attention from those around them.
* * *
“Claire, are you hurt anywhere?!”
To Theodore’s urgent words, Claire shrugged her shoulders in response.
“I’m perfectly fine. It’s impressive that you managed to find this place.”
On the ground lay Bunjeon, his cheeks swollen like watermelons, completely unconscious and sprawled out.
“Wow, did the Young Master do all this alone?”
Kenneth let out a hollow laugh as he surveyed the devastated Black Market. Though Claire stood at the center of the chaos in disguise, he could almost see her true form—the one that so closely resembled Veronica’s.
“It wasn’t difficult.”
Theodore, relieved to see Claire unharmed, glanced toward the entrance.
“Well, let’s discuss the details outside for now. Some of the black market dealers who fled when we entered will call for reinforcements.”
The swift vessel’s departure time was imminent. If other enemies appeared and delayed the departure, they might be forced to live as fugitives until the following week.
“Right, the swift vessel heading to Laten Plain will depart in just a little while.”
But it was an unexpected person who reacted to those words.
“Laten Plain?!”
The bundle of clothes Ebon was holding wriggled, and soon a small head popped out with a sound like “puh-ha.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re going to Laten Plain, please take me with you!”
The child pleaded desperately. Theodore’s eyes widened as he recognized from the child’s appearance that it was a beastkin. The two perceptive men quickly realized what the primary merchandise of this Black Market had been.
“Your home is near Laten Plain?”
“Yes! If I can just get there, I can go home!”
At the Child’s words, Claire’s expression grew serene. She reached out and brushed the sweat-dampened hair from the Child’s forehead, speaking softly.
“Let’s take them with us.”
A beastkin she’d never encountered before, save for her mother. Sensing an unspoken kinship in her demeanor, Theodore found himself nodding in agreement.
“What’s your name?”
“Anthony! I’m Anthony!”
With their new companion secured, they pressed forward to escape the Basement. Kenneth released rare beasts throughout the underground—everything except monsters—to sow confusion among their pursuers.
‘Perhaps some will manage to flee alive.’
Claire watched the creatures scatter in frantic haste before quickening her own pace.
* * *
Fortunately, they reached the Harbor and set sail before any pursuit could catch them.
“Ah.”
A sleek, swift vessel cut through the waters without hesitation. Claire’s eyes sparkled as she beheld the Grand Canal for the first time.
“Where’s Anthony?”
At Kenneth’s question, Claire lifted her robe slightly. Nestled in her arms, a small white owl slept soundly, breathing in gentle rhythm.
“Well, we didn’t have time to properly register another crew member, but somehow I feel apologetic about it.”
“It’s fine. Anthony seemed more comfortable keeping their form hidden anyway.”
Claire adjusted her robe once more.
“Shall we head inside?”
As the sun descended, the Ship Deck grew cold in moments. Thinking it too harsh for a child, Claire made her way to their assigned Ship Cabin. She and Anthony would share a single cabin, while the other three rented a four-person cabin together.
“The Young Master should rest comfortably, after all.”
Kenneth winked playfully, as if the charade hadn’t yet ended.
‘It wouldn’t really matter if we all shared the four-person cabin.’
Claire led Anthony into the cabin and tucked the child into bed, soothing them gently. The soft, rhythmic breathing suggested it would be quite some time before they woke.
She slipped quietly from her cabin and made her way to the three men’s room.
“You came?”
Theodore, freshly washed with a towel draped around his neck, greeted her. Claire stepped inside, closed the door, and checked the soundproofing.
Confirming no one lurked nearby, Claire turned to face Ebon directly.
“Now then, shall we hear your account?”
In the quiet room, only the sound of Ebon swallowing hard echoed.
“I want to hear first why you abandoned your post so suddenly.”
It was Theodore who broke the silence, his voice cold and measured—a stark contrast to how he spoke to Claire.
“There had better be a compelling reason.”
After all, Ebon had been brought along for their safety during the journey. Yet his reckless action had instead endangered Claire.
Theodore had no intention of forgiving him without substantial justification.
“Sigh.”
Weighed down by the heavy atmosphere, Ebon exhaled deeply. In that moment, all four of them reverted to their true forms. The crude wooden masks with their enigmatic expressions appeared once more after so long.
Ebon abandoned the silence he’d maintained until now.
“I’ve been searching for my twin sibling.”
“A twin?”
“Yes, a wretched sibling who made poor choices and fell into becoming a merchant of the Market.”
My voice carried a troubled undertone, sounding younger than I expected.
“It has been a long time since we had a lead on the Black Market, and I allowed personal emotions to cloud my judgment. I assure you, such a lapse will not occur again.”
Ebon bowed deeply. Kenneth and Theodore’s expressions grew sharp as they studied the dark-haired man’s sincerity.
“Wait a moment. What exactly is this Black Market?”
Claire voiced the question that had been nagging at her since the conversation began.
A peculiar marketplace hidden in the Basement. Merchants wearing masks peddling suspicious goods, creatures being trafficked. She had gathered that illegal activities like smuggling and human trafficking occurred there, but what they described sounded far more organized than that.
“Well, the Black Market is…”
Kenneth hesitated before speaking.
“Think of it as the underworld’s version of a Guild, if that helps? Though Guilds aren’t exactly clean either, the Black Market engages in every dark deed imaginable.”
“Dark deeds?”
“Assassination, kidnapping, imprisonment, assault, smuggling, loan sharking… essentially everything on the wrong side of morality.”
Kenneth shrugged awkwardly.
“The difference is that the Guild is a single organization with a clear hierarchy, whereas the Black Market is like mold spreading through the underworld—a decentralized network.”
The Empire’s Guilds were currently dominated by Arcadia, the massive organization to which Kenneth and Angela belonged.
With its Information Division, Mercenary Division, financial operations, and commerce—each with independent departments and institutions—Arcadia wielded tremendous power under Imperial patronage.
“Decentralized?”
“Yes. They certainly have superiors controlling them, but they always sever their tails and vanish before we can trace them.”
But the Black Market operated differently from the Guild. A mad organization that sometimes assassinated and tortured even nobles. While there was certainly a leader, the compartmentalization of information beneath the top meant that capturing one operative yielded little about the rest.
“Even the Black Market branch we destroyed today would know nothing beyond their own operation.”
No matter how much was cut away and erased, the Black Market’s insidious nature was that it bloomed again like mold, feeding on shadows.
“For now, we’ve resolved this situation, so we’ll address accountability once we return to House Voltier.”
Theodore pressed his throbbing temples as he summarized the situation. They were nearly at their destination. The rescue operation loomed more urgently than interrogation.
“Understood.”
Claire, now wearing a different appearance, returned to the Cabin. Anthony remained fast asleep.
The next day, the swift vessel docked at the Harbor.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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