〈 Chapter 298 〉 Encounter (2)

*

Raniel van Trias.

To this self-righteous mage with unusually narrow human relationships, Kyle Toven is a special existence. It can’t be helped. He’s now the only remaining person from her hometown.

The sole survivor of the village turned to ashes.

The only person who knows her before being a mage.

Thus, Raniel often showed a light attitude towards Kyle. She had been like that even before they set out on their journey. In front of everyone else, Raniel was a respected next Master of the Tower, but in front of Kyle, she was merely a boy who loved to joke around and had a bit of a rough tongue.

Those were truly joyful times.

Now, reflecting on how things have changed, she wonders if it was truly a pleasant memory. Raniel looks at Kyle before her. Then she sees herself, now transformed.

A lot of time has passed.

As much as time has flowed, many things have changed, and the man standing before her is no longer the Kyle she once knew. The boy who yearned to be a hero and shouted to catch the Demon Lord is no longer there.

crunch

Raniel can’t look at the changed Kyle nicely. Even if she has wrapped up her feelings towards that bastard, facing him now makes her irritation rise. Just as she’s about to snap back at him, she manages to hold herself back.

Huff, she takes a short deep breath.

After calming her breath several times, she brushes her hair off nervously and takes a few steps forward, standing before Kyle.

“It’s been a while.”

“······.”

Even though she extended her hand, he glares back at her instead of grabbing it. What a rude bastard.

“Where’s Raniel?”

Kyle finally spoke.

“Where’s Raniel? Has she not arrived yet?”

I’m right in front of you, you bastard.

Just as she was about to snap back, Raniel becomes conscious of the eyes around them. There’s no way she wants to reveal her identity in front of all the warriors watching.

“Follow me.”

Raniel waved her finger as if indicating to him to come.

Kyle blatantly ignores that signal.

“I have no conversation to share with you. Where is your master, Raniel van Trias? She will come here too.”

Raniel felt a sense of discomfort from his voice.

It wasn’t an act. She could genuinely feel that he didn’t care about her even a little bit. Why? It didn’t seem like he was like this during their last meeting.

“So, I said to follow me.”

Raniel snapped nervously and reached out to grab Kyle by the collar. As she tried to pull him along, Kyle suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“Let go.”

Kyle roughly shook her hand off.

Raniel looked at the mark left on her wrist. Then she turned to look at Kyle again.

“What’s up?”

“I want to ask.”

Kyle narrowed his eyes at her.

“Are you trying to command me to act like yourself in front of me, Raniel? It’s been too obvious since the last time.”

“···What?”

“It’s unpleasant. Cut it out.”

Kyle spat out those words as if truly annoyed.

“Just stop with the unfit act.”

What kind of nonsense is that?

Raniel blinked in shock as if she had been hit on the head. She couldn’t understand what Kyle was talking about.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Kyle remained silent.

“Hey, what do you mean by that?”

No matter how many times she questioned him, there was no answer.

Now, acting as if he had completely lost interest, he roughly pushed past Raniel and walked over to Sara. Turning her head, Raniel watched Kyle pass by her.

What in the world is happening?

Something felt off.

Something had gone terribly wrong. In this unexpected situation, Raniel felt a sense of embarrassment. Looking at her, Sara shook her head and mouthed only a few words.

See? Didn’t I tell you?

2.

While walking with Kyle, Sara carefully asked.

“Kyle, why are you being so cold?”

“Because it’s unpleasant.”

“What is?”

“Because he’s pretending to be someone else. An act that doesn’t suit him at all. He can’t even pull it off properly.”

“···An act?”

Sara blinked.

“What act?”

“He’s pretending to be that guy. Even though he’s not, he’s doing it. Is he trying to confuse me? I don’t get his intentions.”

That was a surprisingly unexpected way of thinking.

Sara, feeling flustered, asked back.

“…Then what initially sparked your interest?”

“Because he resembled Raniel. I thought there was a possibility it could be him. Star said otherwise, but you never know, so I was suspicious.”

But then, Kyle said.

“No.”

He spoke with a voice full of conviction.

“He’s absolutely not Raniel.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

Kyle didn’t say anything more.

He just continued walking in silence. His steps showed no consideration for those following him. Sara had to almost run to keep up with Kyle.

“He can’t possibly be her.”

Kyle kept mumbling that.

As if he was fixated on something.

*

In the guest room of White Night Castle.

Raniel looked at the handprint left on her wrist.

She recalled Kyle’s words directed at her. The more she thought about it, the more questions arose.

“Has he gone mad?”

Is he really insane?

Raniel couldn’t comprehend Kyle’s sudden outburst about her acting and his nonsensical tirade.

One thing was sure.

“This is a complete mess.”

Things have become rather complicated.

Since coming to the North, what Raniel had imagined was precisely when she would reveal her identity to Kyle; that was her main concern. Kyle must have been suspicious about her identity too, and she thought it would only take revealing it.

But what’s the reality?

The premise is completely flawed.

Kyle perceives her as a person separate from Raniel. And he does so very strongly. She has no idea what basis his reaction is based upon.

“…Did I lie too well?”

Was the lie she spun when they met in Arcadia too compelling? Did she have a talent for deceiving others?

Raniel also knew this was a ridiculous theory.

If she was too good at lying, she wouldn’t have ended up being discovered by so many people. Now, there were nearly double digits of people who knew her true identity.

‘Master, Kalt, Cardi, Belnoa, Black Tower Master, Lac, Draka, Kelharlem, Ancient Dragon, Galahal, Sara, Chloe…’

Thinking of each relevant individual, Raniel folded her extended fingers until she realized she had no more fingers left to fold, and she brushed her face in exasperation.

‘Damn, over ten…’

At this point, it’s practically a public secret.

「Do you plan to keep your identity hidden? Ashen.」

「You certainly advertise it rather well, senior.」

「Honestly, I had a hint of suspicion already…」

The words of those who recognized her true identity flashed through Raniel’s mind. What kind of actions did she take in front of them that led to her being discovered? As she thought about it, she mumbled.

“Still, why can’t Kyle figure it out?”

If it was anyone else, she would let it go.

But hadn’t she been rather blatant when facing Kyle? The moment she saw his face, her irritation took over, and she had no intention of hiding her identity.

And yet, he still hasn’t recognized her.

That fact irritates Raniel for some reason.

Until now, she was relieved, but when the moment came to reveal her identity, that irritation boiled over.

“Damn it…”

While sitting on a chair, Raniel kicked the innocent wall with her toes. After a while, someone knocked on her door. When the door opened, it was Sara who entered.

“…What are you doing?”

“Thinking.”

“Looking like you’re frowning?”

“Didn’t you know I usually have a dirty expression?”

“That’s the past. Now you look more ridiculous than threatening with that scowl.”

Sara sighed and fully entered the room.

She then sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at Raniel.

“What have you been up to lately?”

“I haven’t done anything.”

“Yet Kyle has been obviously irritated by you. He wasn’t like this before?”

Not long ago, Kyle had shown a lot of interest in a girl named Rania, as if he were responding to things related to Raniel.

“It seems like you’ve definitely done something.”

“So I haven’t done anything! The last time I faced him was in the ruins.”

“…What about at Galahal’s funeral?”

“I don’t know. I was out of it then.”

Watching Raniel respond casually, Sara sighed and continued.

“I’ll try to arrange a place for the two of you to meet. Given the current situation, we should prepare quickly. Anyway, it seems Kyle will be staying in the North for a while.”

She shook her head, crossing her arms.

“Honestly, while it’s busy planning to repel Death’s Blade, do we have to waste time on this…”

Raniel shot a half-lidded glare at Sara.

Never thought I’d hear this from you in a lifetime. With a look that seemed to say that, Raniel opened her mouth.

“Are you dying soon?”

“Why are you suddenly saying something so morbid?”

“They say when a person changes suddenly, they’re about to die.”

Mumbling that, Raniel sighed.

“Anyway, understood.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I’ll try to talk it all out. If I blow up in front of you, maybe then you’ll get it.”

Even though she hadn’t been recognized in Arcadia, at least she tried.

“Something will work out.”

Raniel declared confidently.

And three days passed. Nothing happened, and of course, nothing worked out.

3.

Three days later, Lac arrived in the North.

As Lac arrived in the North and made his way towards White Night Castle, the first thing he saw was Rania sitting on a chair in the warriors’ training area, resting her chin on her hand and shaking her legs.

thump thump

The atmosphere around her was unusual. She seemed very uncomfortable.

‘Hmm.’

Although Lac had no clue about reading the mood, he could sense the awkwardness lingering around someone who looked displeased. Especially since that person was Professor Rania, who could smash things if things went wrong, it heightened the sense of danger.

‘She looks really upset…?’

Lac followed his gaze to where she was looking.

There was a figure lightly swinging a sword among the warriors. That figure looked familiar. Though he hadn’t seen him in person, he had encountered images of him through newspapers and portraits.

The Hero, Kyle Toven.

The one called the ultimate strongest.

“Wow…”

Lac couldn’t help but gasp.

Then, he turned to head for Kyle, but paused abruptly, his instincts warning him that it wasn’t a good choice to walk past Professor Rania.

‘Something… feels really…’

It looked dangerous.

gulp, Lac swallowed hard and glanced at Rania for a sign. When their eyes met, the spark in Rania’s eyes was reminiscent of a predator finding its prey.

“Lac.”

The predator spoke.

“Come here for a moment.”

Startled, Lac flinched.

*

“Lac, let me ask you one thing.”

“W-What is it?”

“What do you do when the words aren’t getting through?”

“W-When words don’t… get through?”

“Yeah. When someone shows no intent to listen and keeps ignoring you. Makes you feel horrible. What should I do with that kind of rotten person?”

The scene was utterly ridiculous, as the teacher sought advice from the student, and Lac rubbed his chin while pondering.

“…Um, I don’t really know.”

The warriors had given him a piece of advice that was similar.

When Lac said that, Rania nodded as if urging him to tell her. Lac cautiously continued.

“The warriors said that when words aren’t getting through, you have to engage in a physical conversation. If fists start flying, then the words will start to flow too…”

It seemed doubtful whether such advice had come from individuals whose minds were entirely made of muscles. If it were any other moment, Rania would’ve laughed it off…

“Wow…”

Considering the methods that had repeatedly failed, those words suddenly seemed quite attractive to Rania.

“Indeed, if words don’t work, does it mean to hit them like a beast…?”

“Eh? That doesn’t seem like what I meant…”

“That definitely sounds like a plausible idea.”

Rania smiled.

“Thanks for the advice, Lac.”

From that smile, Lac sensed a hint of madness.

*