Chapter 146: The Invitation to Stroll
…!
My heart suddenly sank.
She said she knows me, she really knows me…
What the heck…
What the heck what the heck what the heck…
I put on a poker face, even tilted my head in confusion, trying my best to look perplexed, but my facial muscles were stiff, and I knew I must look pretty unnatural right now… My heart was racing, my right toe tapping nervously on the ground, lightly shifting my ankle, ready to spring into a Moon Step at any moment…
“I’m here, waiting for you.”
“…Waiting for me?”
She means…
She knows I’m looking for the Little Boy…?? Wait, how does she know that? Has she really been watching me all along…?
My head was buzzing, bits of sweet pastry sliding off the corner of my mouth and onto the ground. I instinctively asked, “Why are you waiting for me…?”
“Miss Silvya, the performance is about to start, please don’t waste my time.”
“……”
!!!
I opened my mouth but had nothing to say.
d*mn…
In an instant, a million thoughts raced through my mind.
How did she recognize me? Was it because of that little skirmish earlier? Has she had her eyes on me since then? Should I signal Daniel and the others? But I hadn’t spotted the Jester yet! Had I blown my cover too soon? What should I do what should I do what should I do…
The paper bag in my arms was making a “crunch crunch” sound from the pressure I was applying, and Ryan’s distant questioning became fuzzy: “Are you okay? Wh-what’s wrong…?”
“Let’s go, let’s get out of here…”
It seemed…
There was no good pretending anymore. Before I even noticed, she’d already set her sights on me! She was coming for me—she knew who I was from the start, and she had something to discuss.
…The Gate of Truth, what could it want with me?
Is she really…
A heretic…?
“Ha—”
I let out a breath, not looking back, and tried to keep my cool, lowering my voice to Ryan: “Get away, keep your distance. Remember what I said before.”
No matter what, this woman didn’t seem to want anything to do with Ryan and the others.
She didn’t seem inclined to fight…
“…Okay.”
Ryan didn’t ask anything further, thank goodness. He didn’t hesitate or do something foolish at this time.
“Hey, you guys, time to go! Go get Little Bernie some pastries!”
Ryan called out to a few youths, his voice a little tense. He knew my identity, and given the situation, he probably understood some of it. Maybe he was just stuck on the thought of “Little Shay seems a bit on edge, and Miss Meiser’s identity might not be simple,” but that was enough for him. He started calling the other youths, leading the way back the way we came.
“Ah, wait for me, Ryan!”
“Why are we leaving so soon…?”
“Miss Meiser and… and my little sister want to talk, come on, read the room a little!”
“But…”
“Brother, I want some goat cheese snacks…”
Little Bernie tugged at his brother’s sleeve with puppy dog eyes.
“…Fine, fine.”
The red-haired young man scratched his head, his gaze flicking to Miss Meiser’s stunning face illuminated by the firelight, then back to me, looking reluctant to leave, wanting to say something. His mouth opened and closed, but in the end, he followed Ryan: “Wait up, why are you rushing off?!”
After a few steps, he turned back to shout, “Miss Meiser, I’ll be cheering for you during the performance! I came out just to see you tonight!”
“Thank you.”
The woman replied softly.
“We all came to see you…”
“Good luck, Miss Meiser!”
Finally, the youths all left…
The footsteps and laughter behind me gradually faded away. I dared not turn around to verify; my eyes locked on every movement of the woman… Well, she hardly moved at all, just standing there, watching the youths leave, her silver hair floating in the breeze, blending perfectly with her flowing white attire.
Time passed.
The night was quiet, and in the barn below the cottage, the long mournful calls of cows and the clucking of chickens occasionally broke the silence. The odor of livestock filled the air, not exactly the most pleasant of scents. In this desolate corner of the village, rundown and stink-riddled, it wasn’t exactly poetic or picturesque…
But that woman stood there, her clothes billowing, luminous amidst the chaos, her lightly made-up face glowing in the flickering firelight—her graceful figure, seemingly drawn with the finest brushwork, possessed the most perfect lines. Even without dancing, without even a tiny movement—
She simply stood there, feet in the mud, head under the moonlight; that posture, in this humble, filthy corner of a little town, somehow managed to make even the faint whiff of livestock’s scent seem elegant and fresh.
She was a woman who felt entirely out of place.
There was something otherworldly, something indescribable about her…
Somehow, I found myself staring at her, and that peculiar thought popped into my head.
The woman was looking at me too.
Two pairs of bright eyes, one dark, one blue, met under the moonlight, just like that night in the Royal City, the night sky silent overhead, distant lights flickering, and in my gaze, the expression on the unknown dancer’s face was neither happy nor sad, her deep pupils matching the clear blue sky.
Time ticked away, second by second.
“You…”
Finally, I couldn’t help but speak, breaking this eerie silence: “You need something from me?”
Ryan and the others must have walked far away by now…
If she were to make a move here, I would have a chance to use the power of Order to lift her into the sky before any injuries could occur, and take her away from this town.
I did have a chance…
Thinking that, my emotions slightly eased.
I popped the last bit of sweet pastry into my mouth, slowly chewing as I stretched my wrists and ankles, keeping my guard perfectly alert, closely observing every move of hers—if she made even the slightest wrong reaction, I’d have to give up the remaining nineteen pieces of sweet pastry in the bag.
…But until then, I could still eat a couple more.
I quickly grabbed another piece of pastry and took a bite.
“…Let’s take a walk.”
Just as I bit into it, the woman made her move—she actually turned and headed toward the west side of the barn.
“Uh…”
I was a bit dazed.
She said… let’s take a walk?
What does that mean? A stroll?
With her?
“Chew… chew… what do you mean.” I frowned and asked.
The woman didn’t look back, simply extending her fair hand, pointing toward the brightly lit central square before retracting it back into her long sleeves.
“I’m just trying not to delay the performance.”
…Delay the performance?
Does she actually care about such a trivial performance? Seriously?
“What if I don’t go?”
“Then that would be your loss.”
The woman replied, her wind-swept silver hair dancing in the breeze: “Since you’re here, you must have noticed the movements of your enemies, but only vaguely. Right now, your enemy is here, right before your eyes… Without life-or-d*ath stakes involved, don’t you think this is a great opportunity? An opportunity to understand your enemy.”
I don’t think so…
So, this woman admits to being the Gate of Truth, huh?
In a town heavily guarded by the Church?
…How arrogant.
I scoffed coldly to myself, feeling disdainful about walking alongside her, yet curiosity got the better of me. After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to follow her.
