Leading a small team of fully armed guards, Agatha left the advance point established by the church troops. They passed through several temporary fences built with simple fortifications and shooting positions, and passed through an intersection illuminated by gas lamps, and finally arrived at the deepest part of a branch corridor.

The gas lamp embedded in the wall made a slight hissing sound. The ancient pipe system had an unstable gas supply, making the light seem a little swaying and dim. But under the dim light, one could see a dark and heavy alloy door standing quietly at the end of the corridor.

The sound of cane and heels hitting the ground echoed hollowly in the corridor, and Agatha came to the big door. Perhaps because so much time had passed, the sealing of the door had actually become problematic. A narrow gap could be seen between the two gates, and the lead block that was originally sealed on the bolt seemed to have suffered an unknown impact, with obvious signs of stretching and tearing in the middle.

On the nameplate on one side of the gate, you can see the stamp left by Frost City Hall.

This was what the exploration team had discovered deep underground, the strange gate she and Archon Winston had mentioned, located in the central area of ​​the Second Waterway.

The City Hall sealed off the place, but the Archon himself knew nothing about the existence of this door - the information related to this door had been lost, and it might be traced back to the chaotic era when the Queen's era just ended. The turbulent situation made this door and the secret behind it disappear from everyone's memory.

Is this the lair where the Annihilation Cultists hide? Or is it the mystery left by the Frost Queen Lenora?

Agatha stretched out her hand and gently touched the rough and heavy alloy door panel. The sense of touch from her fingertips seemed a little dull and numb for some reason, only the coolness was particularly clear.

"Do you want to open this door?" A black-clad guard stepped forward and asked, "The Archon's permission has been granted..."

"Mr. Winston did give permission, but this door that has been sealed in the dark for many years cannot be opened rashly," Agatha shook her head slightly, "There may be something dangerous sealed behind it - I will go to the other side to check the situation first."

The nearby guards immediately understood their commander's intention and stepped back.

Agatha raised her head, looked at the crack between the two door panels, and then reached out her hand.

Nothing happened and she frowned in confusion.

A black-clad guard looked over curiously: "What's the problem?"

"...No, no problem." Agatha shook her head and then focused again.

A gust of wind finally picked up in the open space, and her figure turned into a gray mist in the wind. The gray wind circled twice in front of the gate and then drilled into the narrow gap.

"Stay alert and wait for the gatekeeper to return."

The captain of the black guards confirmed that Agatha had passed through the gate, breathed a sigh of relief, and began to instruct his team members to set up guard positions in the corridor.

On the other side, the grayish-white whirlwind passed through the gap in the gate and entered a dim space. The wind swirled for a moment, and Agatha's figure emerged from it.

The gatekeeper turned around and took a look at the gate he came from, then lowered his head to check his condition and frowned subconsciously.

Why... the magic that I'm used to on weekdays feels a little awkward today? Even my body's response speed seems to be a little slower?

After a moment of confusion, Agatha shook her head and temporarily returned her attention to the matter at hand.

She looked around. The lantern at her waist emitted a dim light, dispelling the lingering darkness. There seemed to be many things lurking in the shadows on all sides, but when she looked intently, the darkness became quiet again.

It was a damp and dark passage, with dirty soil and metallic stones everywhere. In the dim light of the lantern, one could see the beams and pillars supporting the passage, as well as some debris scattered around the nearby stone piles.

Agatha frowned. She judged that the scene here did not look like part of the second waterway - the normal sewer corridor was not of this structure. The space behind the gate... looked more like a long-abandoned mine tunnel.

Mine tunnel?

Agatha raised her head and looked thoughtfully at the damp and dark rock ceiling above, but her gaze seemed to penetrate the thick rock and soil, straight up to the layers of passages, shafts, machinery and ramps.

Boiling gold mine.

This second waterway is located in the center of the city-state. Its underground branches crisscross around the boiling gold mine. A considerable portion of the sewers were even part of the mine drainage system in the Queen's era, and the closest place to the mine in these passages... may indeed be separated by only a door.

She walked slowly forward along the mine tunnel, with more and more doubts in her mind.

This is just a mine tunnel, and it doesn't even seem to have been completely swallowed and distorted by the darkness, because boiling gold is a sacred metal, and the trace amounts of boiling gold contained in rocks and soil are enough to resist erosion like light and steam - why would such a mine tunnel be solemnly blocked by such a big door?

It was sealed underground, and even this generation of consuls was unaware of its existence - if it was really the first generation of city hall after the end of the Queen's era that issued the blockade order, then what was so special about this place that made them so nervous?

And this mine has obviously been abandoned... Why is this? It is clearly not polluted, there are no monsters, no illusions, and no...

Boiling gold.

Agatha suddenly stopped and glanced at the excavation layer below the slopes on both sides of the mine tunnel. She finally gradually realized the source of the sense of disharmony she had always felt.

There is no boiling gold here.

※※※

In the dome office on the top floor of the City Hall, which was once the Queen's Palace, the portly Governor Winston, wearing a blue coat, slowly fiddled with the delicate machine in his hands.

The brass mechanical model made a slight clicking sound in his hands, and the gears and connecting rods turned. Every meshing and rotation was accompanied by a precise and cold beauty.

A creation of wisdom, a crystallization of engineering, an achievement of civilization - the rotating gears are the medals and ribbons of mortal civilization.

Winston placed the mechanical model in front of him and nonchalantly used the decorative ribbon on his clothes to wipe a greasy stain near the base of the model. After wiping it clean, he nodded slightly, with a look of satisfaction and admiration on his face as if he was appreciating a work of art.

"Boiling gold is the blood of Frost, and mining machinery is the heart that pumps blood..."

As if talking to himself, or as if talking to the exquisite little machine in front of him, Winston fiddled with the tiny brass gears with his fingers and muttered softly.

"Fifty years... it's like a dream..."

He slowly stood up and walked to the windowsill.

Outside the wide glass windows was a thick fog that permeated the entire city. In the rising fog, all the buildings and roads had blurred outlines and boundaries, as if they were about to melt into this city-state. Even the towering church opposite the open space had become a hazy shadow in the fog, and those towering towers and spires looked like giants suffocating and dying in the fog.

Winston was gazing at the fog outside the window with a calm expression. He could hear the alarm bells ringing from across the square, as well as the sounds of the City Hall Guards and the Sheriff's Force gathering and dispatching in the square.

Such a thick and strange fog would certainly alert the city hall. Even without the order from the consul himself, the city-state's guard force would take action according to the predetermined procedure - however, maintaining order in the thick fog might be just the easiest part of the process.

Winston stood at the window for a moment, then turned and walked to a nearby place.

A small round table was placed near the windowsill. Wisps of mist seeped through the window cracks and floated around the round table. In the smoky mist, he saw two things on the table.

One was a pile of yellowed and brittle documents, the other was a beautifully crafted revolver.

The document was written and produced in a classical format, with exquisite and intricate printed lace on the edges of the fine paper, exuding the unique elegance of the Queen's era.

"Early warning of the depletion of the Boiling Gold Mine", "Investigation report on abnormal mine passages", "Analysis of the inspection results of samples taken out of the mine"...

Most of the documents were dated between 1840 and 1845.

The reviewer was signed as Leigh Nora.

The revolver is from the personal collection of Archon Winston. It is a classic model from twelve years ago. Even today, it is still sturdy and reliable. The well-maintained handle and bolt are glossy and shiny, and it looks like it can serve for another twelve years - or even longer.

Winston's eyes moved from the papers to the revolver.

He reached out and picked up the heavy steel, feeling its cold touch. He opened it and checked the gun's cylinder, then snapped it back into place.

He slowly raised his right hand and placed the barrel of the gun, which had been carefully maintained by its owner, against his temple.

After a few seconds, the gun was lowered.

"This is a good posture. Let's use it next time." Winston said softly, then checked the safety of the bolt and put the revolver neatly into the holster at his waist.

There were hurried footsteps coming from the corridor.

"Your Excellency, the fog in the city is getting worse..."

"I know. I'll come."