Chapter 106

(1)

1.

A girl smiling brightly right in front of me.

With her teal hair dancing in the wind and her bright yellow eyes resembling ginkgo leaves.

Delia’s eyes widened.

“Laurea?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

After finishing her response, Laurea walked over to Delia, who still looked confused.

“Why are you here…?”

“I told you, didn’t I? We would meet again.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

Just as Delia frowned.

Laurea answered back.

“Well, I’m curious.”

“Curious about what?”

“I’ve never seen a monster in real life, you see.”

Since her time as a Saintess Candidate, Laurea had been the center of attention and special care.

Leaving the monastery was strictly prohibited, and even if she did manage to sneak out, she was followed by the Knight Order’s strict security.

So, she never had a chance to encounter a monster or a demon beast. Meanwhile, Delia frowned at her response.

“… That’s a pretty privileged thing to say.”

Coming from someone from the Arpen Duchy, where fighting monsters was a way of life, Laurea’s statement sounded like something a greenhouse flower would say.

As she was giving her a sharp glance.

A voice echoed from afar.

“Alright, everyone, attention!”

Professor Stella stepped onto the platform and surveyed her surroundings. After exchanging a glance with Laurea, she continued.

“Today, we will practice hunting in pairs, and each team will dissect their prey to analyze its weaknesses.”

The hunting ground would be the Northern Forest.

The very place where the Abyss Worshipper incident occurred. But there was no need to worry about a repeat of the same event.

After the incident was reported.

Thanks to the Rubens Empire and the Kingdom Alliance significantly increasing patrols around the outskirts of Arsen Academy.

Five times the existing troops were deployed to repeat the patrols, and a high-ranking knight squad was placed at every intersection.

In other words, unlike before, the Northern Forest had become a very safe place. Therefore, Stella resumed practicals since last week.

“By the way, since this is Laurea’s first monster hunt, I’ll specially pair her with the strongest hunter here.”

“Wow, really? Who is it?”

“He’s right behind you.”

As soon as those words were said.

Delia immediately grimaced.

There was only one person behind Laurea and herself. It was Ulan.

“But, Ulan is with me…”

“Sorry, but not this time.”

At that moment, Stella spoke firmly.

“You’ve been paired with Ulan during midterms too, haven’t you? So this time, you’ll team up with a different student.”

“…”

Delia made a displeased face.

However, she couldn’t refute it.

It was true she had never teamed up with anyone but Ulan. Leaving Delia behind with a pout, the pairs were swiftly organized.

“Alright then, off to your designated zone!”

With Stella’s lively shout as the signal.

The monster hunt began.

2.

After stepping into the Northern Forest.

Laurea walked briskly along the forest path.

Thud! Thud!

Perhaps due to the rain the day before, she stepped on the damp earth while glancing at Ulan’s back as he walked ahead.

‘Surprisingly considerate.’

Since the start of their expedition until now.

Ulan had been swinging his axe, clearing dense brush and branches. He was likely being considerate of her following behind.

Feeling a strange sensation,

Laurea recalled her personal goal.

‘The reason I partnered with Ulan.’

In fact, this was something Laurea intentionally arranged. She wanted to obtain additional information regarding the Abyss through Ulan.

‘Since we’ve walked far enough…’

Should I start asking questions?

Just as she thought to part her lips.

Suddenly, Ulan spoke first.

“Laurea.”

“… Yes?”

“You can talk comfortably now.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Caught off guard, her eyes widened.

A look of confusion on her face. Ulan continued with his blunt tone.

“I’m saying you don’t have to use honorifics.”

“Hmm, I find it comfortable this way.”

After a moment’s thought, Laurea smiled brightly.

If someone who didn’t know her saw it, they would believe it was a genuinely innocent smile.

But Ulan wasn’t fooled.

He knew that expression was a mask, so he spoke without hesitation.

“I know your true nature.”

“What do you mean all of a sudden…?”

“I know you find the honorifics a terrible hassle, and I know what your original personality is like.”

The calmly delivered words.

Ulan answered quietly.

“So just behave as you normally would in front of me.”

There’s no one watching here.

After his response ended, Laurea closed her slightly parted lips. She quickly erased the smile she had been wearing.

A little while later.

She stared at Ulan with dry eyes.

“…”

She didn’t say anything.

Just continued staring at Ulan.

Oddly burdened, yet Ulan didn’t avert his gaze.

As their silent staring contest continued.

“Hmm.”

Laurea was the first to speak.

With her arms crossed behind her back, she spun around and started walking delicately. She circled around Ulan while muttering slowly.

“I thought so from the first time I saw you…”

At that moment, Laurea’s eyes sparkled like stars.

As if she had discovered something intriguing.

“You’re truly an interesting person.”

Her tone completely changed from a moment ago.

It wasn’t just the shift from respectful speech to casual banter. The timbre and tone of her voice had calmed significantly compared to before.

This was Laurea’s true self.

Seeing this, Ulan grinned.

“This suits you much better.”

This was the image of Laurea he remembered.

Meanwhile, Laurea still looked confused and asked.

“But, how do you know so much about me after just seeing me yesterday? Did you perhaps look into me?”

A barrage of questions followed.

But Ulan didn’t respond.

It wasn’t that he was intentionally being tight-lipped.

The moment he faced her true self, memories of his past life had unexpectedly surfaced, causing him to miss her questions.

“Well, it’s fine.”

When Ulan didn’t reply, Laurea judged that he was reluctant to share the reason.

So, she shrugged.

As if she didn’t care at all.

“If you’re not going to say anything, that’s okay. I can find out later myself.”

There was no hurry.

They could ask again later, or she could request a probe from the Holy Nation’s Intelligence Department.

Just as she was about to resume walking.

Suddenly!

Ulan’s steps halted.

She realized he had spotted something. Noticing this, Laurea quickly asked.

“What is it?”

Did a monster appear?

As that thought crossed her mind, Ulan grasped his axe. Without taking his gaze away, he whispered.

“Wait here for a moment.”

“What? But…”

“It’ll be fine. Just for a minute.”

Concluding his nonchalant reply.

Ulan walked away alone.

A strange tension lingered. Laurea swallowed hard. But just for a moment, her eyes widened in amazement upon witnessing the spectacle before her.

“Huh?”

It was due to Ulan’s strange behavior.

Arriving at the thicket, he suddenly stuck to a tree and started climbing to the top. He quickly swung the axe he had pulled out earlier.

Bang! Crash!

The loud noises seemed like stones falling to the ground. A moment later, Ulan returned to the ground, holding a large batch of fruits.

“…”

They thought he would be off fighting some dangerous monster, and yet, it turned out he was merely picking fruits.

As Laurea wore a dejected expression.

Ulan had already approached, handing her the fruits.

“Here’s a gift. It’s for you.”

“… What is this?”

“It’s the fruit that helps with hangovers as we discussed before.”

Briefly finishing his response.

Ulan added further description.

“You can eat it the next day or consume it alongside alcohol. It will ease the hangover symptoms as well as any stomach discomfort.”

After presenting all the fruits.

Laurea stared at him with her mouth closed.

Her eyes filled with strange curiosity. Meanwhile, Ulan seemed to have not noticed this, swiftly turning his back.

“Let’s move again.”

He intended to resume the original goal of monster hunting.

However, not long after, Ulan had no choice but to stop again.

“Laurea?”

This was because Laurea had not followed, standing still in the same spot.

Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?

With a puzzled expression, she suddenly looked up. Then, she quickly closed the distance and opened her mouth.

“I have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been curious about something since yesterday and today. How did you notice?”

“Notice what…?”

“That I suffer from hangovers.”

Laurea stared intently at Ulan.

As if she couldn’t hold back her curiosity.

In response to her question, Ulan replied with a nonchalant expression.

“You can tell by looking in the eyes.”

“My eyes?”

“Yeah, the eyes tell everything.”

Right after finishing his response.

Ulan gazed deeply into her eyes.

The distinction was surprisingly simple.

On days without a hangover, her pupils were clearer, and on days with a hangover, they were just hazy.

Then, Laurea pulled out a hand mirror from her possession and started a staring contest with her reflection.

“I look the same as usual to me?”

“That’s probably because you never go a day without drinking.”

“…”

Upon hearing that, it made sense.

Laurea nodded without objection.

Then suddenly, recalling a new question, she turned to Ulan again to speak.

“By the way, you’re quite peculiar as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, usually, someone who’s destined to become a Saintess wouldn’t be drinking every day. Most would ask why.”

Why does she drink so much?

This was also the case for her escort, Ian. He asked her almost immediately why she drank every night once he found out.

“Aren’t you curious? Why I drink?”

“Not really.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“I already know the reason.”

Hearing that, Laurea couldn’t help but chuckle.

There’s no way he could know.

The reason she drank was special.

In other words, unless she revealed the reason first, no third party could possibly understand.

‘He’s probably just saying that.’

That’s what Laurea thought.

Before hearing Ulan’s answer.

“It’s because of the voice of the stars, right?”

“…?!”

The indifferent reply Ulan gave.

Upon hearing that, Laurea gasped as if she had seen a ghost.

Shock, confusion, and astonishment filled her.

He recalled tales from the past life about a certain Saintess.

‘Divine Being.’

The deity worshiped by the believers of the Holy Nation and the assembly of many divine beings supporting the world.

Among them, the Saintess, known as the divine messenger, serves the divine being closely and is an extremely special existence.

Could that be it?

Saintesses who serve the divine being are granted immense divine blessings and various abilities.

The ‘voice of the stars’ that Ulan just mentioned was one of them.

‘When night falls and the stars rise, the gods call out to them in turn.’

On the surface, this could just sound like a mystical and sacred ability.

Hearing the voice of the god as a Saintess was a tremendous honor.

‘And I’ve benefitted from this before.’

The divine being would warn the Saintess of looming ominous futures or offer counsel.

Thanks to this, the hero parties had survived several crises.

‘But…’

There lies a critical problem.

They incessantly chatter the moment night falls, and there’s no way to stop this divine interference.

Even when trying to sleep, they would keep talking, making the struggles of the Saintess unimaginable.

‘So that’s why she drinks.’

To find a way to fall asleep even if it meant relying on alcohol.

Furthermore, that’s why the personalities of Saintesses may end up being a bit problematic.

From the moment they were chosen to become the next Saintess until they step down, they must endure the voice of the god every night.

Meanwhile, at that moment,

Laurea still looked shocked.

Naturally. These were truths that no one except a few insiders knew.

‘But how on earth…’

Did he know about it?

Feeling a surge of questioning, Laurea bit her lip tightly.

Then she shot Ulan a glare and asked.

“… What are you really?”

“You won’t believe me if I tell you.”

Ulan hesitated in his response.

Similar to what she heard at the dining hall.

Yet, this time, she wasn’t going to back down easily.

“No, I believe you.”

Shaking her head vigorously.

Laurea wore a serious expression.

“First, let me share my secret. I have a special ability. I can see through the essence of others and tell apart lies from the truth.”

She spoke of the Reflective Eye.

A secret she only barely managed to convey in her last life after months, flowed from her lips now.

“And from the first time I met you until now, you have never lied once. That’s why I can trust your words.”

“…”

“So tell me.”

What is your identity?

Laurea looked at Ulan with sincere eyes. But when there was still no reply, she prompted him again.

“If it’s because you don’t trust me, then I swear on the divine being’s name…”

“No, you don’t need to swear.”

At that moment.

Ulan shook his head.

“I trust you.”

A faint smile spread across his lips.

A confident grin.

Her heart fluttered as she was taken aback by such strong trust from someone she had just met yesterday.

“If I can’t trust a comrade who fought alongside me against the Abyss for over a decade, then no one in the world is worth trusting.”

“Abyss? Comrade?”

What was he talking about all of a sudden?

Laurea looked flustered.

Her bewilderment wasn’t solely based on his sudden comments. It was because Ulan’s recent words had turned out to be true.

At that moment.

Ulan’s expression became serious.

“If you’re curious about my identity, let me tell you.”

He steeled himself.

For two reasons.

First, Laurea possessed the Reflective Eye.

If she could tell truth from lies, she would easily accept Ulan’s secret.

‘And the second reason is…’

Ulan needed comrades.

If another Abyssal Rift were to burst open again, then facing it alone would surely be impossible.

Thus, he thought to share his secret with his old comrade and propose cooperation. Ulan had decided to select Laurea for this.

After casting aside all hesitations.

With a blazing resolve in his eyes, Ulan continued to speak in a low voice.

“I am Ulan Bator. A great warrior born on the prairie, who has fought on battlefields, and I am a hero who has battled the Abyss alongside you for over a decade.”

“… What?”

Laurea asked, utterly dumbfounded.

Ulan said he had fought alongside her for more than a decade. And once again, his words proved to be the truth.

“Wait, hold on! Just a minute.”

Such a ridiculous story.

However, the Reflective Eye accepted it as the truth.

She felt as if her understanding was running dry for the first time. So she interrupted Ulan’s words and tried to piece together the information.

“What do you mean we’ve fought together for over a decade? We met just yesterday, and….”

In the midst of her jumbled words,

Ulan grabbed Laurea’s shoulder.

Pleased to see the bewildered look in her eyes, he whispered the name of someone.

“Ireah.”

Upon hearing that name.

Laurea’s mind went blank.

Because the name Ireah was the real name Laurea had used before she became a Saintess Candidate, her ‘true name.’

“How do you know that name…?”

A secret only she and her mentor remembered.

The name spoken by Ulan, one that even Ian didn’t know, caused Laurea’s voice to tremble uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Ulan remained unfazed.

He observed the fiercely turbulent gaze of Laurea and softly repeated the secret that only he knew.

“I have come from the future, thirty years ahead.”

An absurd declaration.

Yet Laurea couldn’t laugh.

The reason was simple.

There wasn’t a single lie in Ulan’s words encountered through the Reflective Eye.

Faced with a confession that was solely the truth.

Her mind turned blank as whiteness enveloped it.

Chapter 26. Secrets