Chapter 17: Questions (4)
Chapter 17: Questions (4)
“Ariel Elias! Are you here?!”
Startled, Ariel instinctively sprang to her feet. Her gaze whipped toward the source of the voice that had called her name.
“Y-Yes!”
“Oh.”
The owner of the voice was a young woman clad in a military uniform, hastily thrown on as if she had rushed out in a hurry. Her violet eyes gleamed sharply as they locked onto Ariel. Striding forward with brisk, confident steps, she approached Ariel.
Thud, thud – the sound of her heavy military boots grew louder. Her long, wavy, cherry-blossom pink hair, tied up high, swayed lightly in rhythm with her footsteps.
On her chest, a golden eagle insignia gleamed beneath two stars. Even Ariel, who knew little about military ranks, recognized that emblem.
A commander.
Although the highest-ranking officer in the military had unofficially taken a step back due to the current presence of the great mage, Jin Kreutz, in the northern region, the position still held immense authority.
As the high-ranking officer with an imposing demeanor approached, not only Ariel but also her teammates, who had been eating nearby, stiffened with tension. They hesitated for a moment before cautiously setting down their utensils and food.
A hush fell over the dining hall. Everyone, except for the commander, held their breath. Unfazed, she strode forward, exuding an air of unshakable confidence. As she reached Ariel’s table, her gaze met Ariel’s before slowly lowering.
Her deep, abyss-like purple eyes swept over Ariel from head to toe, pausing at the book resting on Ariel’s lap – Rayner. After staring at it intently for a brief moment, she soon lost interest and lifted her head to meet Ariel’s gaze once more.
“Meet me after the meal. Wait at the barracks, and someone will come to fetch you.”
“Huh…? Understood.”
Though she had no idea what was going on, Ariel instinctively responded. Satisfied with her answer, the commander turned on her heel without another word.
“See you later, then.”
Only after she had left the hall and disappeared completely outside did the room, which had been deathly silent, come back to life.
* * *
“Ariel Elias!”
The commander arrived at Ariel’s barracks precisely as lunchtime ended.
As Ariel stepped out in response to the call, she finally had the chance to get a proper look at the woman before her. What stood out most was her striking, cherry-blossom pink hair – a stark contrast to her dull grayish-brown military uniform. Beneath that, her sharp purple eyes gleamed coldly, befitting someone of her rank.
Her overwhelming presence naturally sent a shiver down the spine of anyone who looked at her. Her name was clearly inscribed beneath her glimmering insignia: Michelle Frey.
“Pardon me, but I need you to come with me for a while.”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
Michelle spoke curtly and, upon hearing Ariel’s response, turned away without hesitation. With long strides, she moved ahead, and Ariel followed closely behind.
* * *
Michelle remained silent as they walked, distancing themselves considerably from the barracks. The lack of conversation only made Ariel’s nerves pile up.
Just as her anxiety reached its peak, Michelle finally spoke.
“I heard you performed remarkably in training. I wanted to see you for myself. There’s no need to be so nervous.”
Ariel flinched slightly, tension gripping her shoulders.
“Ah, that’s not because of me. It’s because Rayner is an incredible book.”
“Rayner? Ah, the book from the rift of space and time?”
“Yes.”
“Well, considering it chooses its own master, that makes sense. But being chosen by such a book is an achievement in itself. That alone makes you impressive.”
Though still tense, Ariel managed to speak without faltering. Feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment, she hesitated before replying.
“…Thank you for saying that.”
A brief, awkward silence followed, but it didn’t last long. Michelle soon broke it.
“I have a question. May I ask?”
“Yes.”
“What is your relationship with Sir Kreutz?”
“Pardon?”
The unexpected question jolted Ariel into full alertness. It was so out of the blue that it caught her completely off guard.
Why was his name coming up here? Her mind spun in confusion.
As if she wasn’t already preoccupied enough with his inexplicable actions, now even in this situation, she had to hear his name?
Yet, she was merely a trainee, and Michelle Frey was a commander. The gap between them was as vast as the sky and the earth. Unlike with Joshua, Ariel couldn’t even afford to feel resentment toward her.
Suppressing her irritation, Ariel steadied herself and responded as calmly as possible.
“I’m not sure what you mean by that…”
“Did you think I summoned you here just to observe you? If that were the case, I could have simply watched you train.”
Ariel furrowed her brows slightly, not understanding Michelle’s intent. Noticing this, Michelle quickly added,
“I was asked to bring you. Though I was personally curious about you, I am merely running an errand.”
‘An errand?’
As Ariel tried to trace the meaning of the oddly unsettling word, her gaze wandered over the surrounding landscape. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her. While she struggled to grasp its source, Michelle’s voice broke through her thoughts once more.
“Sir Kreutz has requested to see you. We are on our way to his barracks.”
At that moment, realization struck Ariel like a bolt of lightning. She had walked this path before.
Michelle’s steps came to a halt. She turned to look at Ariel, who also stopped in her tracks. Ariel’s eyes widened, unable to mask her shock, as she stared blankly at Michelle.
Michelle, however, paid little mind to her reaction. Instead, she cast a fleeting glance up and down Ariel before speaking again.
“The one he summoned at dawn… That was you, wasn’t it?”
“…”
“I’ve never seen him take a personal interest in anyone before. Normally, unless it’s something urgent, he doesn’t even spare others a glance.”
Michelle’s violet eyes bore into Ariel’s as if demanding an answer. But Ariel had none to give.
If she knew the answer to that question, she wouldn’t have spent all this time agonizing over it.
What exactly was the relationship between Jin Kreutz and Ariel Elias?
No one wanted to know more than Ariel herself. She shook her head.
“I have no idea why he’s paying so much attention to me.”
“…Is that so.”
Michelle scrutinized her with a doubtful gaze. Ariel met her stare head-on, unflinching. It was the truth. There was nothing to hide.
After a pause, long enough to be noticeable but not drawn-out, Michelle finally seemed to accept her words.
“Hearing that only makes me more curious.”
“I’m sorry I can’t give you the answer you’re looking for.”
“There’s no need to apologize. Even if you did know, it’s a personal matter. You wouldn’t be obliged to tell me. It’s fine. Let’s keep moving.”
With a small wave of her hand, Michelle brushed off the conversation and turned away, resuming her pace toward their destination.
For the rest of the walk to Jin’s barracks, not a single word passed between them. Michelle accompanied Ariel only as far as the entrance to Jin’s barracks. Ariel had assumed she would go in with her, but Michelle had no such intention.
“I’d rather not provoke Sir Kreutz. You may be an invited guest, but I am not.”
With that, Michelle left without hesitation.
Now stranded alone, Ariel stood stiffly before the door, frozen like a statue.
Should she just walk in? Should she knock? No, more importantly, why was he doing this? He didn’t seem inclined to explain anything. Her body remained rigid, but her mind churned in turmoil.
As she hesitated, staring at the closed door, she heard a soft click, the doorknob turning.
The door slowly creaked open, revealing a towering silhouette clad in a military uniform. Startled, Ariel instinctively tensed her shoulders and lifted her gaze just enough to peek at the figure.
The moment her eyes met his golden irises, she stiffened. Jin’s piercing gaze locked onto her with startling clarity, holding her in place. A faint ripple stirred in his otherwise icy eyes.
Then, with a sudden motion, Jin swung the door fully open and turned away. Silky silver hair veiled his face from view.
“You’re here. Why didn’t you come in?”
His voice was dry, but the end of his sentence was oddly muffled, betraying the slightest hint of unease.
That subtle waver in his tone only deepened Ariel’s confusion. Her brows knitted together as she followed him inside, her unease mounting. But even after she entered, Jin remained silent.
His back stayed turned toward her.
Ariel stood a few steps away, watching him, waiting for him to speak. But he didn’t. He didn’t move an inch.
As the silence stretched on, she began to wonder if she was looking at a person or a statue.
Then, finally, his hand moved, slowly trailing up to his nape, brushing past his jawline before falling back down. A heartbeat later, Jin suddenly turned around. Their eyes met across the distance. He took a slow step toward her.
Crunch. The soft sound of his boots against the ground.
Another step.
And another.
Until she had to tilt her chin up slightly to maintain eye contact.
He stopped just short of invading her space, as if he had read her instinct to step back and halted deliberately. Jin’s eyes lingered on her face, scrutinizing every detail. His lips parted with the faintest exhale.
Then, he averted his gaze, tilting his head toward the ceiling. When he finally spoke, his voice was lower, wearier than before, like a sigh heavier than a sigh.
“Must you really be here, in this dangerous place? Do you think those who’ve gone before you would want this? You have every opportunity to live in peace.”
The weight of his words struck Ariel like a physical blow.
They yanked her thoughts straight to the memory she had been trying so hard to bury – the death of her younger sibling.
She had fought to suppress it, to keep herself moving forward. But his words were the spark that ignited the emotions she had long kept locked away. Her tightly furrowed brows smoothed out, and her eyes wavered violently.
Tears welled up before she could stop them.
