Chapter 13: Encounter (5)
Chapter 13: Encounter (5)
“Yeah, let’s get along.”
“Phew, that’s a relief! I was so worried you’d hate me after all that.”
“If you were worried about that, wouldn’t it have been better to just introduce yourself properly when you joined the unit?”
“Before I could even think, my body acted first. What’s done is done.”
Joshua, looking quite pleased, grabbed Ariel’s hand and shook it enthusiastically. Ariel humored him for a moment before gently pulling her hand away. Her eyes naturally wandered back toward the bulletin board.
“Where’s your unit listed?”
“My unit? Oh, it’s at the very top. We’re assigned to the northern border.”
“The northern border?”
Ariel repeated his words, her expression sharpening slightly.
“Yes, exactly,” Joshua answered, pointing toward the uppermost section of the board.
Sure enough, in bold, clear letters, the name of the northern border unit stood out, visible even from a distance. The moment Ariel confirmed it, a name she had temporarily pushed aside in the chaos of the day abruptly resurfaced in her mind.
Jin Kreutz. That man was at the northern border.
At 3 p.m. that day, the recruits, now officially designated as trainees, boarded airships to travel to their assigned units. Four airships in total were prepared: one heading to the northern border, another cutting through the mainland, one bound for the southern border, and the last venturing westward across the sea.
Ariel boarded the airship destined for the northern border. She was fortunate to secure a window seat, and the spot beside her was naturally taken by Joshua, who now seemed firmly categorized as her “friend.”
“Wow, all the witches are glaring at me. My back feels like it’s on fire. I’ve never been treated like this before.”
Joshua seemed like someone who instinctively knew how to win people over. Even those wary or reserved around him seemed to lower their guard surprisingly quickly. His sociable nature certainly played a part, but it was hard to ignore his strikingly handsome, gentle features as well.
For Ariel, this was even more significant. His face and demeanor bore an uncanny resemblance to her beloved younger brother, making it almost inevitable that she would warm to him. Though, from time to time, the thought of her brother would resurface, bringing with it a pang of sadness.
“Hey, sis, this is unfair. I’m getting death stares just for sitting next to you. At least talk to me. It’s your fault I’m here!”
Joshua was 23, two years younger than Ariel. Ever since learning her age, he had taken to calling her ‘sis,’ a common way for younger men to address older women in their culture. However, every time he used the term, Ariel bristled. It was the same way Aynkel had addressed her, and hearing it now struck a raw nerve.
Though her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Jin Kreutz, the moment Joshua called her ‘sis,’ all those thoughts were momentarily pushed aside.
Ariel, who had been gazing out the window, abruptly turned her head to look at Joshua. Her sharp eyes held a chilly glint, causing him to flinch and freeze like a statue. The tension between them thickened, a momentary silence falling like frost. Ariel was the first to break it.
“Joshua.”
Her voice, though still carrying an edge, softened slightly, easing the icy atmosphere. Joshua visibly relaxed, exhaling in relief.
“Huh?”
“The commanding officer of the northern border unit. Did you say it’s Sir Jin Kreutz?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Why do you ask?”
“Is there any way someone like us, fresh recruits, could meet him?”
Joshua’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“That’s… unlikely. How could a newbie get an audience with the commander? It’d be easier to request a meeting as a civilian. Not that he’d necessarily agree to see a stranger, though.”
“…”
Ariel fell silent. Joshua’s response left no room for argument. He tilted his head curiously.
“Then again, you’re a pretty notable magician. Maybe he’ll be interested enough to seek you out first. But why are you asking about him all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing.”
Ariel replied dismissively, turning back toward the window. Her curt response clearly signaled she had no intention of continuing the conversation.
Realizing this, Joshua shrugged and leaned back in his seat, sneaking glances out the window himself.
Gray clouds drifted ominously across the otherwise clear blue sky.
* * *
After a five-hour flight to the northwestern border unit and another five-hour journey beyond that, the airship finally arrived at its destination in the early hours of the morning. The recruits disembarked, stepping into the heart of the northern border unit.
The northern border was the most dangerous region in Dantera. Giants, known for their immense strength among the otherworldly races, roamed this area in great numbers. As such, the unit was perpetually in a state of high alert, prepared for the possibility of an invasion at any time. Even in the dead of night, the base was alive with activity.
After unloading the new trainees, the airship silently departed, leaving behind a vibrant military camp bustling under the pale glow of the moon. At that moment, two figures emerged from the shadows, stepping into the light where the airship had just been.
When their forms became fully visible, the gathered recruits erupted in whispers.
“Is that…?”
At the center of that attention—
“The White Mage.”
“Sir Jin Kreutz?”
The silver-haired figure stood out in the moonlight, his ethereal appearance accentuated by the luminous glow of his hair. While there were two figures present, all attention was fixated on him. It was impossible not to notice someone so extraordinary.
Ariel and Joshua were among those stunned into silence, their earlier awkwardness forgotten.
“…I don’t know much about the military, but is it normal for someone this important to greet new recruits?”
“I don’t know either, but it doesn’t seem like it, right? Just based on common sense… or from everyone’s reactions here. What’s going on? It’s like what sis said earlier actually came true.”
“…”
The murmuring grew louder and louder. Jin, however, paid no attention to the noise, his golden eyes darting around as if searching for something. The sunlight-like golden glow in his eyes was cold, devoid of warmth.
When it seemed like the murmuring would spiral out of control, a deep, commanding voice from another officer standing next to Jin reverberated, silencing the crowd.
“Alright, quiet. Sir Kreutz didn’t come here to greet you. It’s already late, so if you want to get to bed early, stay silent.”
His voice carried authority, enough to suppress the trainees’ chatter. Overwhelmed by his presence, the recruits immediately clamped their mouths shut, and silence quickly fell. The officer, seemingly satisfied with the swift compliance, allowed his expression to relax slightly. Then, he glanced at Jin.
“Sir, have you found what you’re looking for?”
“…”
In the stillness, Jin remained silent for a moment. His golden eyes, now calm, continued to scan the surroundings. Then, suddenly, his gaze locked onto a single point.
And at that moment.
“Yes. I’ve found them.”
His voice was as cold as his expression, each word dropping like frost. At the end of his gaze stood Ariel.
At the sound of Jin’s icy voice, even the faint sounds of breathing around them seemed to disappear. The quiet atmosphere grew heavier.
Jin took a step forward. The soft rustling of his footsteps on the ground echoed unnaturally loudly in the silence. Wherever he walked, the people in his path instinctively stepped aside to give way. He moved forward unhindered, unobstructed.
Step by step. His gaze never wavered, fixed entirely on one person.
Ariel Elias.
Most of the others didn’t know who he was looking at. They simply followed his movements with their eyes. But Ariel, even from afar, had a sinking feeling that Jin’s gaze was directed at her.
Her entire body froze. She tried to convince herself, Surely, he’s not looking at me. But like a magnet, her eyes were drawn to him, unable to look away.
As Jin drew closer, his figure grew larger in her vision. The indistinct features of his face became clearer and clearer. He was heading straight for her.
Jin cut through the cluster of trainees effortlessly and stopped right in front of Ariel. Joshua, who was standing next to her, instinctively stepped aside, but Ariel couldn’t move at all. When he came close enough, she was certain. She was the one he was looking for.
And as if to confirm it, Jin’s golden eyes were locked solely on Ariel. He didn’t pass by her. He stopped right in front of her. When everyone else had retreated under the overwhelming pressure of Jin’s presence, leaving only Ariel to face him directly, he spoke.
“Ariel Elias.”
Her name left his lips, cold and precise His voice hammered the confirmation into the air. It was clear, like thunder rumbling faintly in the silence of a storm. Ariel forgot to breathe.
“Come with me for a moment.”
Jin’s tone was emotionless, and though it sounded like a suggestion, it carried the weight of a command. Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked past her, his steps calm and resolute.
Ariel was too stunned to react for a moment, her mind blank from the shock. But she quickly snapped out of it, hastily following behind him as if afraid to be left behind. And with that, the scene came to an end.
Only then did everyone else finally breathe again. Although the entire exchange had lasted barely a minute, to everyone present, it felt like an eternity of icy tension.
……
(T/N: I’m really curious how their story will turn out 🤔)
