Chapter 25: Awareness (7) part 3
“Yeah, that’s how it should be.”
Karma gave a satisfied smile, stood up, and grabbed her coat and bag. Ariel’s gaze naturally followed her movements.
“Let’s go get dinner.”
“Now? It’s not even mealtime yet.”
“No, let’s go out.”
“Go out? I can’t leave the base.”
Ariel, who had only recently graduated from being a recruit to a full-fledged soldier, didn’t yet have the right to go out. But Karma was confident.
“Don’t worry, I’m with you.”
“….”
Ariel quickly realized where that confidence was coming from, and she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
* * *
Power was far greater than Ariel had imagined. The permission to leave the base was granted far too easily, almost to the point where it seemed unbelievable.
The two of them had to move separately until they reached the outskirts of the base. Karma, having arrived as a visitor, was able to use magic to leave the base immediately without the usual procedure. However, Ariel had to go through the formalities of receiving leave approval and submitting an application.
They met at the boundary of the restricted area, closest to the western entrance. Karma had been waiting outside, enjoying the sunset, and spotted Ariel approaching from a distance. She waved her hand high, calling out loudly to her. Thanks to the large gesture, Ariel easily saw her.
However, when Ariel stood in front of Karma, her expression was far from pleasant. Karma narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.
“Your expression doesn’t look too great. What’s wrong? Is it bad being out with me?”
“Huh?”
Ariel touched her face with one hand and noticed how stiff it felt. It wasn’t until then that she realized her expression was off. She recalled what had been bothering her on the way here and came to the conclusion that it made sense for her expression to be this way.
“Oh, it’s not that. I was just thinking on the way here about why that guy acted like that…”
“That guy? You mean… Sir Jin Kreuz?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you really bothered by him?”
“….Hmm.”
Ariel hesitated. She had questions, yes, but what troubled her more was the strange sense of relief she felt upon learning that he had no connection to Aynkel’s death.
But, of course, that was also connected to him, so in the end, it was all tied together. Ariel nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Hmm, I get it. If I’m feeling uneasy about it, I can imagine how much more you must be.”
Karma’s gaze suddenly shifted to somewhere over Ariel’s shoulder. Her expression darkened as she looked in that direction.
“Well, still, there’s no need to think too badly about it. After all, it doesn’t seem like he has bad intentions. He’s incredibly skilled, so if he’s watching over you, your safety should be more or less guaranteed.”
“….”
Perhaps because of the way her eyes were directed, Ariel couldn’t shake the feeling that those words were more directed at Jin than at her.
* * *
The northern border train station was about a thirty-minute walk from the western entrance of the military base. The two women walked together. They had dinner at a restaurant near the station, and then took another walk to the train station.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. The sun had completely set, and the streetlights lining the road began to glow. Ariel’s authorized time for leave was three hours. Now, only one hour remained, and the train ticket that Karma had purchased was for a departure in one hour.
A slight look of hesitation appeared on Ariel’s face.
“Hmm, what should I do?”
“What do you mean? Of course, you should go in. It’s fine, just go quickly. When I’m not around, I can’t even use the power of authority to help you.”
Karma waved her hand dismissively and urged Ariel forward. Ariel looked reluctant, but there was no other option. She glanced at Karma with an expression full of apologies. Karma flashed a reassuring smile and waved her off, as if to say it was okay.
Eventually, Ariel left the spot quickly, muttering an apology as she did.
Karma watched her leave with a warm expression for a moment, but then, her face suddenly became cold, and she shifted her gaze.
On the roof of the building with the station sign. Karma, who had been staring at the empty spot, suddenly glared at it with narrowed eyes. She muttered a quiet incantation, and with a flash of light, she disappeared from her spot.
“Hmm.”
When Karma reappeared, it was on the roof she had been staring at earlier. Standing in the center of the roof, she scanned the surroundings with her eyes as though searching for something.
It wasn’t long before her gaze fixed on something beneath the roof. Her round eyes twisted and narrowed sharply.
Karma nimbly leapt down from the roof like a cat, then swiftly reached out to grab the trailing edge of a long robe that was moving through the crowd, yanking it back.
“Wait a minute.”
The loose collar of the robe slipped free, and the owner of the robe turned to look back. The first thing that became visible was the shining white hair, glowing under the lights. A tall man dressed in military uniform turned to face the robe that had slipped from his grasp.
That face was quite familiar to Karma, and it was also the face she had expected.
Jin Kreutz.
Jin’s golden eyes locked onto Karma, his gaze sweeping from her sharp expression, to the way she violently clutched the robe’s cloak.
As though he had already anticipated something, he spoke in a calm, expressionless voice.
“…Did you know?”
“I’m starting to wish I didn’t.”
“Of course, who would want to be caught tailing someone?”
Karma couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation at his casual admission of following her. A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
“I didn’t know, but you certainly have some nerve.”
If it had been anyone else, she might have immediately cursed them out, but knowing who he was, she couldn’t help but soften her words.
“Not to mention, how rude of you. I’m sure that kid would love it if they knew.”
Though she had softened her words, her usual blunt manner still remained evident. For a moment, Jin held her sharp gaze but seemed to lose interest, grabbing the robe from her hand and turning his back on her without hesitation.
As he turned, after a brief pause, he muttered one last thing.
“I don’t care. I’d rather be a little rude and face some complaints than have her get hurt.”
That was the end of their conversation. Jin disappeared right then and there.
“…Huh?”
This time, Karma was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected the conversation to end so abruptly. The presence she had been able to sense until just a moment ago had vanished completely. Surprised, Karma froze for a moment.
But that surprise quickly turned into shock when she realized the full meaning of what he had just said. The discomfort she felt surged through her, more intense than anything she had ever felt.
“What… What did he just say? Is he out of his mind?”
Her shock was evident in the sharpness of her voice, which had slipped out as a muttered exclamation.
