"What do you mean by that?!" Dimas shouted, his voice rising in pitch.
"Just read the letter yourself!" I replied, handing him the letter I had just read.
My mind was in turmoil. My hands trembled as if I were cold, but in truth, I wasn't. I leaned my head back against the sofa and closed my eyes, as though I could forget the words that had just entered my mind.
The letter was from Indra, who was now stationed in the capital of the kingdom, Lurivia. After heading there to join the military, he had sent Shella letters frequently to stay in touch. Normally, these letters contained stories of life in the capital, about how Indra and his comrades trained hard. But this letter was far from the usual, and it was not something I could read with enthusiasm.
The letter stated that an elite cavalry unit had been dispatched to the city of Glafelden, and Indra was among them. Their mission was to forcibly retrieve "a certain person" from the city. Indra stated that the likely target of this mission was me, as the commander had accidentally mentioned something about a half-blood creature.
Of course, I was utterly shocked. How could they have uncovered my presence?
I had been so sure that I had blended perfectly with the other humans in the city, interacting normally with the townspeople. I had done my best to act inconspicuously, trying not to appear suspicious. The only ones who could detect my true identity were Elvians like Almira, who could sense Esze's presence.
Could it be that a normal human could detect Esze's presence and report it to the capital?
Or perhaps the capital had an Elvian informant stationed here as a spy?
Or could it be...
"This must be the work of that Elvian prince!" Dimas said angrily, his hand gripping the letter tightly.
"How can you draw that conclusion without any solid proof?" I protested.
"It's not hard to figure out."
Suddenly, Grussel's voice rang out from the doorway. It seemed the wooden walls of this house weren't soundproof. The news had reached the ears of that old bastard, who was now standing in the front porch. He took the letter from Dimas's hand, stretching it back out to read after Dimas had crumpled it in frustration. The old man cleared his throat and approached the sofa.
"So this is what it says," he said after reading the contents of the letter. "If I had to draw a conclusion, I agree with Dimas's statement."
"Could you explain your reasoning to me?" I clenched my fists, feeling a little frustrated and angry at the two of them for accusing my savior without clear evidence.
"Think about it, Anggi! Your prince might not be the crown prince, but he is still a royal child. Why do you think someone like him is being so kind to you when all the Elvians look down on anyone who is not of their race?"
"Of course, because he's genuinely kind and doesn't discriminate against others."
"Are you sure about that?" Grussel retorted, one eyebrow raised like a curled green caterpillar. "Don't be so naive, kid! Of course, he's being kind to gain your trust as a Haier-Elvian. This is just speculation, but I suspect that the one who leaked your existence to this kingdom is that prince of yours."
"By doing so, the Lurivia Kingdom will hunt you down, forcing you to rely on that Elvian prince to escape from their grasp. It seems that prince intends to lure you into his game by showing that only he can protect you. You need to remember, Haier-Elvians possess stronger Esze control than anyone. If you're by his side, that prince will have a powerful position. He could use you as a tool to take the crown prince's place from his brother."
"That's a lie!!" I shouted, startling everyone in the room. "Prince Keylan would never do such a thing!"
Grussel fell silent for a moment, watching me with his sharp gaze. The longer he stared, the more uncomfortable I felt. I also began to feel guilty for shouting in his presence and assuming that he was lying.
However, what he said was truly nonsense without proof. It felt nearly impossible that Prince Keylan would be two-faced. The kindness and sincerity he had shown me felt very real. Back in my dark days at school, I could easily tell who was two-faced and who was genuinely kind. There were many people who pretended to be kind and defended me when I was bullied, but in reality, they enjoyed watching me suffer like it was a circus show. I even became familiar with the behavior and mannerisms of sycophants.
With that experience, I couldn't see any signs of a sycophant in Prince Keylan.
Grussel stood up from the sofa and walked toward me. His large hand patted my right shoulder lightly. "Whether you believe it or not, that's up to you. Just keep what I said in mind. The truth is, you can't stay in this city anymore. An entire elite squad is after you, and that means they won't just pick you up nicely. You need to leave immediately."
"But... where should I go?" I asked in confusion. If I could no longer stay in this city, I had nowhere else to go.
"Didn't you say you wanted to embark on a journey before? That's why you and Dimas have been intensively training. There's no better time than now, right?"
"It's impossible. I'm not strong enough to begin that journey."
Grussel grabbed both my shoulders and spoke plainly. "Listen, I think now is the right time! Maybe there is a squad chasing you, but because of the agreement between the two nations, they can't enter Elvian territory because it would be considered an invasion."
"Just play along with your beloved prince's little game, but don't let your guard down. He might deceive you at every opportunity. I know you're still green to start this journey, but you have to do it. No matter what obstacles you encounter, I'm sure you can overcome them."
I froze for a moment. My body trembled, trying to distance myself from Grussel. My mind was a mess, unable to think clearly. There was a squad hunting me down, while ahead, there was a journey full of dangers. This situation was dire, as if I were being confronted by two revolvers aimed at me from different directions.
Sweat began to soak my back. I felt as though all my strength had drained away from my body, and I nearly fell backward. Thankfully, Dimas was quick to support me. I truly wanted to rest and, if possible, forget all of this.
"You have to make a choice, kid! Now or never!" Grussel insisted.
"Are you okay, Anggi?" Dimas asked, his face filled with concern. "You look so pale."
But I ignored him and stared at Grussel with a weary look. "I... will try to do it." I then tried to rise from the floor with Dimas's help.
"Hey, you clearly don't look okay!"
"Don't worry about me! Grussel is right, I have to start this journey," I murmured quietly.
"Well then, let me protect you. I won't let you face danger alone again."
I immediately stared at Dimas, shocked by what he had just said. We were so close that I could feel every breath he took. His eyes were so firm, without any trace of hesitation. His words seemed resolute and calm.
Indeed, I had always known Dimas would join me on this journey. But I didn't expect him to say it so plainly. It was a bit embarrassing, but also made me feel happy. A warm feeling suddenly melted inside my heart. It chased away all the anxiety and fear that had been surrounding me. For some reason, he shone in my eyes, like a candle in the darkness. I couldn't help but feel happy. My hand clenched tightly around his. If we had been alone in the room, I would have hugged him.
"Thank you."
The words that came out of my mouth felt so sincere from the depths of my heart. I had never been so grateful to anyone as I was to Dimas. He truly was my companion through every moment. I was thankful to have been given such an incredible blessing by God.
Yes, I would cherish this bond for as long as I could.