In front of the cliff that seemed to have been cut away,
Anna and Bell were surrounded by trees that had been pulled out by the roots and were lying in a miserable state, with broken fragments scattered here and there.
At the center of this place, which felt almost cold,
“….”
Gulp. Anna’s tense throat moved slightly, and Bell could only tremble without wiping the cold sweat off her brow.
Their actions were as if they were facing a disaster.
And the one who had put them in this state was watching them.
“Hmm.”
The name of the person Anna and Bell had come to see and to persuade or hunt down was Cheon Ha-rang, or Cheonma (Master).
“Is it Anna and Bell….”
Standing at the top of the cliff bathed in moonlight, Cheon Ha-rang squinted her eyes and tapped her wooden sword on her neck while letting out muffled sounds.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound produced every time the wooden sword struck her nape was as regular as the ticking of a clock.
To put it mildly, it was so unnatural that it felt unsettling.
“Hah… hah….”
It made the listeners anxious.
Feeling like her heart was being squeezed, Anna clutched her chest, while Bell was exhaling breaths that were rough enough to be concerning.
They were both thinking the same thing.
Even though they had come to confront Cheon Ha-rang, they wanted to escape this place.
They wanted to escape the pressure weighing down on their shoulders and the dreadful chill as soon as possible.
But.
“Harang-nim… it’s been a while….”
“…Have you been well?”
Anna and Bell did not act on their thoughts. No, to be precise, they couldn’t.
“I’m sorry for coming without notice.”
If they showed any sign of misunderstanding, they felt like their heads would roll on the ground.
The cold aura radiating from Cheonma made them feel like their bodies would freeze.
They couldn’t run away.
“Hmm….”
And whether this choice was the right one,
“It’s truly nice to see you after such a long time.”
Cheon Ha-rang welcomed them with a smile.
“Hah… haha… I’m glad to hear that.”
The cold air that was gnawing at them and the pressure on their shoulders began to slowly ease.
“Phew….”
We’re safe.
That was the thought that popped into Bell’s mind as she sat down on the ground, relief washing over her.
Meanwhile, Anna maintained a calm expression while observing Cheon Ha-rang, carefully checking for any signs around her.
‘The footprints of the imperial army were cut off here. And the one who welcomed us is Cheon Ha-rang.’
Then a conclusion naturally arose.
‘…She must have wiped out the imperial army?’
It was highly probable, but she couldn’t assert it as a fact.
There were two main reasons.
Firstly, she was trying to converse without harming them. Secondly, there was no sign of blood or weapons around.
But then, another question arose.
‘Where did all the imperial soldiers disappear to?’
Clearly, before they arrived… at least before the sky fell, there had been a significant life presence here.
Yet, at this moment, other than Bell and Cheon Ha-rang, there wasn’t even a single ant around.
‘Does this even make sense…?’
According to Anna’s understanding, it was impossible.
Moreover, there was always someone’s unique magic involved in situations that defied common sense.
‘…Could it be that someone with space transfer magic is under Cheon Ha-rang’s command?’
As Anna pondered closer to the answer, lost in thought,
“Anna.”
Cheon Ha-rang’s voice broke the silence,
“Did only you and Bell come here?”
With a smile, she added, making Bell unable to help but ask back in a confused manner.
“Y-Yes…?”
It was clearly probing.
“…Then.”
Like Bell, Anna was also chewing on her lips, pondering her answer.
‘…What should I do?’
It might be easiest to just answer honestly, but…
‘Is that okay?’
Just thinking about it made her second-guess saying something like she was here to hunt her down.
Was she supposed to lie instead?
‘…I don’t know.’
She couldn’t make a decision.
Whether Harang would believe their words or, even if she did, what would happen afterward?
What about the others who might still be alive?
Is there any meaning in living a disgraceful life filled with lies?
‘I don’t know.’
Her instincts were screaming for an immediate response, but the answer eluded her.
What on earth would be the right thing to say?
If she said she’d come here with the imperial army, what would happen to them?
If she agreed with her words and lied, what would happen to them?
What was the right answer?
‘What… should I say?’
While she struggled, frozen in place,
“Ha.”
A deep sigh suddenly broke the tension, snapping Anna out of her thoughts.
‘…Oh dear.’
Had she been lost in thought for too long?
Or maybe it was clear that her expression showed she was having difficulty responding?
Where had the smile she wore just moments ago gone?
“I mentioned that I don’t like repeating myself.”
Cheon Ha-rang said, furrowing her brow, and the seated Bell was trembling in dread.
It seemed she had become frightened by the sudden shift in mood.
“…”
Anna felt the same way.
At this moment, her mind was seriously contemplating whether she should draw her sword or flee right now.
But surely, there wouldn’t be a law against dying?
“Well… even so.”
Cheon Ha-rang let out a sigh before she shrugged lightly and added,
“I have no intention of harming you, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
Cheon Ha-rang, showing her harmlessness outwardly, narrowed her eyes and asked,
“So let me ask again—”
*
“Who exactly did you come with?”
She asked Anna, crossing her legs.
It was about the earlier inquiry regarding Anna and Bell’s companions.
“…Uhm, Harang-nim.”
Faltering and mumbling, Anna steeled herself and added,
“Are we allowed to tell the truth?”
“…What?”
That was quite a ridiculous response for someone who had just come to a resolution.
“In that case, should I say to lie…?”
Cheon Ha-rang replied with a look of bewilderment at Anna, who maintained a serious expression. Yet, Anna still didn’t brighten up.
That only made Cheon Ha-rang more perplexed.
‘…Why are they acting like this?’
Why wouldn’t Anna just say who she was with? Why hesitate?
In the first place, she hadn’t used the ‘misleading way of speaking’ that the Nameless always pointed out; she had asked directly, so why the awkwardness?
Hmm… could it be there’s still a chance for misunderstanding?
Thoughtfully tilting her head, Cheon Ha-rang went over the question she had posed, but….
‘No, that can’t be.’
It was clear there was no room for misinterpretation.
She had simply asked who she was with.
‘…Anyway, this is too much.’
She just wanted to know if Lucius, Elia, and Camilla were with them.
‘Who knew it would be so difficult….’
Feeling wronged, she pouted her lips slightly.
“W-Well, there were only the two of us that came here….”
Surprisingly, the answer didn’t come from Anna, but from Bell.
Well, it didn’t matter to her who answered, but she found herself sitting next to Bell, resting her arm on her shoulder.
“Did you come alone?”
“Eek!”
“What’s wrong? No follow-up?”
Shivering at that, Bell squeezed her eyes shut and quickly continued.
“Up until we reached the mountain range, we were with the c-c-county!!!”
“You mean the imperial army?”
“Oh, you’re talking about the empire…”
Well, that was obvious.
They had just encountered those kids who had the imperial lion emblazoned on their chests.
So, that’s not the answer she wanted.
Grinning, Cheon Ha-rang leaned closer to Bell and asked again.
“Well, was that all?”
“E-None beyond that?”
Hmm, did that make it confusing?
“Right, were there any… you know, some symbolic figures?”
“We-Um… were there…? I don’t think there was anyone you’d know…”
“None, huh…?”
“Eek! I-I’m sorry!!!”
“…Hmm? You shouldn’t be apologizing.”
Waving her hand lightly at Bell’s overly sensitive reaction, Cheon Ha-rang let out a small sound of regret.
Bell must have known that she had a connection with the hero’s group, so if they had come, they would have informed her.
‘…I figured they would surely come.’
It seemed that because she had given them a tricky choice, they ultimately chose to dodge the decision.
“No, that’s not right.”
She shouldn’t phrase it as dodging.
They hadn’t fled; they made a choice. They opted not to persuade or subdue her with words.
“Phew.”
As the situation cleared up, a smile unconsciously escaped her.
“Thank you for answering.”
“Hehe…”
Gushing with a sheepish smile, Cheon Ha-rang ruffled Bell’s hair and stood up.
“Now, you two can rest.”
“Y-Yes…?”
In other words, there was no one to oppose her.
Regrettably.
