Chapter 7: Resolution (3)

‘Surely not…?’

Yet—

“Isn’t it rude to stare so openly?”

Before her thoughts could reach any conclusion, Jin’s sharp voice cut her train of thought with precision. His icy tone struck just as he finished tying a ribbon around the messenger bird’s ankle, releasing it with a smooth motion.

The bird flew off from Jin’s hand, slipping through the door he’d left ajar. His gaze briefly followed its flight upward but soon abandoned it. His golden eyes locked firmly onto Karma’s face, his head tilted slightly downward to bridge their height difference. His gaze, holding a winter’s chill, bore into her.

“Lord Karma Fereshte.”

Though his expression and tone were composed, a clear reprimand chilled his words. A shiver crept over Karma’s skin. She rarely felt fear, but he was among the few things that genuinely frightened her. The threat he radiated closed her mouth, sealing her words instantly.

An invisible tension stretched between them.

After a brief, cold silence, Karma finally spoke, bowing her head in a respectful apology. Given the circumstances, she knew her actions had indeed crossed a line.

“My apologies for the rudeness. I didn’t mean to.”

“…”

Jin gave no reply. He only watched her as she lifted her head, then turned indifferently and exited the hall without a word.

“Huh?”

Karma froze, taken aback by his unexpectedly cold and dismissive reaction. She had apologized, yet received no response in return. He hadn’t overlooked her words; he’d simply chosen to ignore them and gone on his way.

A moment later, she let out a frustrated sigh.

“Ha?”

She knew Jin was never one to speak without necessity, even during meetings. But this wasn’t a council session—he’d ignored her directly, leaving her no chance to be heard.

“What kind of crap is this? Seriously, he’s got no manners at all.”

Karma could only glare at the spot he’d just occupied, muttering to herself for quite some time.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

It was the morning of the last day of the year.

Ariel, who had arrived at work as usual, was pondering whether to attend the end-of-year gathering announced by the administrative office. But before she could decide, a letter arrived for her. The postman verified her ID and fingerprint, even securing her signature before handing it over.

‘What now…?’

If she had been more herself, she would have realized it was no ordinary letter. But this was the first one she’d received since hearing of Aynkel’s death. Naturally, it reminded her of her deceased brother, and with it came the fear—almost instinctive—that it could bear more bad news.

But her anxiety didn’t last. Realization struck quickly: they wouldn’t demand ID checks and fingerprints for a death notice.

Even so, the letter stirred painful memories, and her mood sank. She looked down at the letter in her hand with a shadowed expression. At the top left corner of the crisp white envelope was a blue ribbon sticker.

Just then, a clear voice emerged from the letter.

[Wow, really, such a sponsorship! Jin Kreutz really is wealthy, isn’t he? This much, and it wouldn’t even make a dent in his vault!]

Ariel couldn’t help but be surprised by the voice’s tone of awe.

‘A sponsorship? From who? Jin Kreutz?’

Her mind reeled. ‘What is this all about?’

With hurried hands, she tore open the envelope and pulled out the contents. Sure enough, it contained a sponsorship certificate. Ariel read through it. Although the sponsor’s name was left blank, the letter had made it clear who it was. Her name, ‘Ariel Elias,’ was inscribed neatly as the recipient.

The certificate stated a monthly sponsorship amount of—

“Ten million…?”

She muttered the figure in disbelief, counting the zeros one by one, afraid she’d misread it. But no, it was the same incredible amount she’d seen initially.

‘Insane…’

Ten million roem. Her salary barely exceeded four hundred thousand roem; this was more than twice that amount. Even in her profession, known for good pay, this was overwhelming.

Staring at the amount, Ariel asked incredulously, “Is this really…for me? From Jin Kreutz?”

[If you are indeed Ariel Elias, then yes.]

“What in the world…”

For a while, all she could do was repeat, ‘What on earth is this?’ in an astonished whisper. She couldn’t grasp what was happening. Her only encounter with him had been a fleeting moment at her brother’s funeral. They had barely met.

So why…? Why would Jin Kreutz suddenly decide to sponsor her?

“Impossible.”

Karma’s earlier words, certain they had no connection, lingered, then faded, replaced by questions. It didn’t make sense that he would offer something like this with no relationship to speak of. Usually, such gestures indicated some form of bond.

So then why had she found no hint of any connection between Jin and Aynkel? And why keep it anonymous? Was there something he wasn’t proud of?

It was almost as if he didn’t want her to know his identity as the sponsor. If she hadn’t been Aynkel’s sister, she might have suspected him only vaguely, having glimpsed him at the grave. But, being who she was, she could be certain.

‘…What is this?’

A sense of unease and foreboding crept over her. His unfamiliar motives, difficult to decipher, darkened her thoughts.

If he wasn’t close to Aynkel, could it be…?

A disturbing hypothesis flashed through her mind, chilling her as it passed. Confusion soon crowded her mind.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The chaotic morning passed.

For the first time in over a month, Ariel headed to the company cafeteria for lunch. Karma, who practically danced with joy at the sight of her, joined her.

They picked up a modest meal: buttered toast with marmalade and a creamy corn soup. It was lighter than their usual fare, considering the end-of-year dinner planned for later.

They sat across from each other, and Ariel began spreading jam over a piece of toast as she broke the silence.

“Kal.”

“Yeah?”

Karma, an unusually gluttonous mage, was drinking her soup straight from the bowl as she responded.

“Is there any way I could meet Jin Kreutz?”

Karma choked, sputtering on her soup. After a moment of coughing, she finally set the bowl down, frowning.

“What, don’t tell me a sponsorship letter flew your way?”

Ariel paused, her hand twitching slightly as she brought the toast closer to her mouth.

‘Did I…mention it to her?’

That was impossible. She’d received the sponsorship letter just that morning, and this was the first time they’d met today. Ariel blinked, nodding in surprise.

“…How did you know?”

“I saw him tying a red ribbon to a messenger bird’s leg after the meeting yesterday. Wow, so it’s really you? Did he owe Aynkel some kind of debt? Though he doesn’t seem like the type who’d let that happen.”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out.”

“Ah, fair enough.”

Karma shrugged as if she’d just realized something.

“He’ll be stationed near the northern border for about a year, so you could try visiting. Though whether he’d actually meet you… Well, with a stunt like that, he might, out of courtesy.”

Thinking back to their tense exchange from that morning, Karma gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Then again, with his personality…who knows?”

Karma left that part unspoken, her eyes simmering with anger as she imagined his infuriating demeanor. She irritably mashed her toast into the soup as though it were Jin Kreutz himself.

“…”

Ariel wondered if something had happened in the meeting but chose not to ask.

“He…is going to stay in one place for a whole year? Has he ever done that before?”

“Never. But there’s been trouble with certain magic-wielding Giants.”

“Oh…”

The magic-wielding Giants—the primary cause behind Aynkel’s death.

Unbidden, Ariel’s thoughts drifted to it. Her mood, which had just started to lift, soured once more. Her stomach churned. She loosened her grip on the bread, and her arm sank slightly.

But Karma, who was too busy torturing her toast in the soup, didn’t notice Ariel’s shift in mood.

“If you’re curious about the details, check Pan-News. They likely reported on the council meeting from a few days ago. It’d be a bit complicated to explain.”

Pan-News was a publication that shared the records of the Elder Council sessions with the public. Anyone could read it for free at the Pantheon Hall.

Ariel resolved to visit the hall that evening, replying, “Got it.”

She set her bread down and began stirring her soup. The effort she’d made to get her appetite back felt pointless as memories of Aynkel dampened it entirely.

Just then, Karma’s voice, sudden and startling, broke the silence.

“Oh, and by the way. I’m off to the army. Today’s actually my last day here. Been meaning to mention it, but things have been so hectic I kept forgetting. Good thing I remembered now.”

Ariel’s knife slipped from her hand, clattering sharply against the plate.

……

(T/N: Aww, Karma’s leaving and Ariel would be left alone 😭)