Ch.318105. I Don’t Know This Person (2)

After exactly 14 hours, Eliya arrived at the city across the way and immediately went to a nearby hospital for surgery.

“How… how did this happen?”

“……”

Her hand was covered in black shadows, as if time had frozen right after it was damaged, preserving its mangled state. Thanks to this, she was able to receive proper surgery, but because her hand was completely crushed, the operation alone took half a day.

“When I see cases like this, I wish we still had the holy arts of the ancient saints and the church. Modern technology requires not only skilled intervention but also the passage of time to normalize something like this. Back then, they could easily heal even fatal wounds for pocket change…”

“Perhaps that’s why everyone longs for the past?”

Even the privilege of complete healing through white magic was now practically exclusive to the wealthy in modern times. Because of this, Eliya, having just awakened from anesthesia and wincing from the pain in her left hand, couldn’t afford the luxury of an extended hospital stay.

“Take your medication with you. And please avoid alcohol if possible…”

After listening to the precautions and collecting two weeks’ worth of medicine, she was about to leave the hospital when—

“Eliya.”

“…You’re here early.”

She finally met Mikeran, the leader of her exploration team. A large man with brown hair and patchy facial hair on his nose and chin, his face and exposed forearms were covered with scars.

“Eliya, I’ll handle everything regarding Bern, so you…”

“No. I was the one at the scene. I should at least explain what happened…”

Eliya and Mikeran got into the passenger seat of a van. They headed straight for Bern’s lodging, which they had contacted in advance.

His sister had already arrived at the small one-room villa. Eliya expressed her condolences and told her that she would essentially transfer all of her upcoming allowance to her.

“He was a witty friend.”

She couldn’t quite call him reliable, but he had certainly been a good colleague. Afterward, Eliya returned to her own lodging.

Since it wasn’t walking distance, Mikeran gave her a ride, during which she verbally summarized the report content. The written documentation would be handled by the team leader…

“Haah.”

After swallowing the medication containing painkillers, the pain subsided slightly. Along with it came the fatigue that had been building up, and she immediately collapsed onto what served as both her bed and sofa.

“……”

What had happened? A promise? What promise?

The mysterious boy who had disappeared after saying just a few words. What he had urged her to do came back to her mind as if in a dream.

[The time has come. You must go… and find…]

When she opened her eyes, it was already getting dark outside. Checking the time on her device, she saw it was nearly dawn.

“Those who chase the black star?”

This was the first she’d heard of it. Go to the Seven Peaks Mountain Range and find the descendants of those who chase the black star, then claim the legacy left for you.

“Saving you is… the way to save the world?”

It was an abrupt and contextless riddle, but… Eliya simply couldn’t ignore his plea.

She immediately began gathering information, moving from place to place without rest.

Of course, she couldn’t find anything about him.

And trying to figure out who he was based on his appearance was even more impossible.

‘Should I go?’

The Seven Peaks Mountain Range. She discovered that the area now called the Bastante Mountains was known by that name hundreds of years ago.

…It would be a day’s flight, but traveling by bike or car would take several days. And even after arriving, that wouldn’t be the end of it.

The area had been a restricted zone for hundreds of years. In the past, because of a being known as the Monster King. Now, it was the headquarters of the Black Star Cult.

And he wanted her to go there? Without any clues or context, let alone a specific destination?

“I must be crazy.”

Yet somehow, she couldn’t help but follow his instructions. It wasn’t just because he had saved her…

Though she didn’t know exactly why, she felt that if she didn’t go, something terrible would happen. Despite the objections from those around her, Eliya immediately began preparing.

And just as she was about to depart—

“Eliya Minerdia. Is that you?”

Men in formal suits surrounded her.

“What do you want?”

“As a third-class citizen, you are not permitted any questions or objections.”

…

Taken away in an impressive car, she was brought to the headquarters of the famous Esdina Potionomics, commonly known as E.P. Unexpectedly summoned to this major corporation, she was immediately escorted to the top floor.

After taking the elevator and walking for quite some time, they stopped in front of a door. Everyone gestured for her to go in alone, without following or monitoring her.

‘Here…’

There’s no chance of escape. The corridor was completely sealed off.

Walking down the mercury-colored pale corridor, she involuntarily swallowed as she stood before a pitch-black door. It felt ominous, like the boundary between life and death.

Why did they call me here? There’s no connection or relationship…

As she approached within a certain distance, the door swung open. It looked like an old-fashioned hinged door but operated automatically.

Inside was much more spacious than the corridor, with an open view. While it might not be visible from the outside, from within one could observe and survey everything outside.

As she entered, she stepped onto a purple carpet decorated with golden flowers of various designs. And there, Eliya saw an elven woman and a middle-aged man with red short hair.

And then… from the blue silhouette of someone’s back, she felt something so exotic and unsettling that it took her breath away—a presence that could only be described as magical.

Eliya was mesmerized. Even though the woman was only showing her back, she dominated the room with just that.

She wore a blue shirt dress. It didn’t look particularly expensive or rare, but…

Even her blue long hair, which slightly covered the nape of her neck, left a profound impression.

“So you’ve come.”

The middle-aged man… the current CEO of E.P. And the current head of the Esdina family, a noble house renowned since the days of the old Berk Empire.

The Esdina family was known as a heroic lineage that had saved the continent, but after dying during the Demon King’s invasion, they were honored as meritorious subjects yet were nearly driven to ruin by the Enzul family—a noble house with an unfortunate fate. Nevertheless, a woman who had risen to become empress also belonged to the Esdina family, though her name wasn’t widely known.

The reason was that she had once been excommunicated. Moreover, she had tried every trick to kill Elimion, the legitimate heir of the Brendiar family who would later become emperor, and as a result, her existence was completely erased from imperial records. What remained in history was merely the stain of an infamous villainess and witch.

“Come here.”

Eliya swallowed again and reluctantly moved to the empty seat the middle-aged man offered. The silver-haired elf sitting a seat away from her glanced at her with tired eyes.

“The characteristics match.”

Characteristics?

A small murmur.

“Is that so?”

“Enbrave.”

The silver-haired elf responded lightly to the middle-aged man’s question.

“The bloodline of the Radiant Emperor has unique qualities. From the color of mana… to a distinctive gambler’s temperament.”

“…?”

While Eliya froze in confusion, pondering these doubts—

“But the fallen Enbrave family now barely maintains its lineage, doesn’t it?”

“Those are just shells.”

The silver-haired elf snorted.

“Eras, you should know better. You’ve been opposing them.”

At the elf’s words, she finally turned around.

Then came into view those deep blue eyes. A woman with blue long hair and blue eyes glared at Eliya with her arms crossed.

“…Your eyes, they resemble someone so much.”

“……”

The silver-haired elf remained silent. The middle-aged man was simply maintaining the atmosphere.

“Why… did you bring me here?”

Tension aside, she had to ask what needed to be asked.

“Your parents?”

“…They passed away long ago. Did a company of this caliber really bring me here without any investigation?”

This isn’t a government summons or an interrogation, so what is this? Still, not wanting to offend E.P., she had followed along tactfully…

“We did investigate, as expected. I apologize for that first.”

The middle-aged man expressed his apology first. …Though the woman glaring at her showed no such intention.

Hostility? Animosity? Or perhaps even killing intent?

“The current Enbrave bloodline is not normal. More precisely, there is no legitimate line.”

“…?”

Is that so? But why tell me this?

“Then you were discovered.”

“Me? What about me?”

“You don’t know, I see.”

Is she playing dumb? Acting? However, the blue-eyed woman, as if seeing through her thoughts, let out a hollow laugh.

“Recently, an Enbrave-specific mana wave emanated from nearby.”

Enbrave? Specific?

“…Without a satellite observing the area, detection was delayed, but it was definitely captured. And the only organic life form active in that area was you.”

“……”

Organic life form? What a terrible expression. Do people who live immersed in experiments and drugs see even humans in such a way?

“You faced a life-threatening situation. We received the details from the Explorers’ Association. It happened when you infiltrated a vampire territory on a commission from one of our subcontracted companies, correct?”

“……”

“What were you looking for? And what did you see, what did you experience?”

Though she hadn’t expressed everything in her report, there were certainly things she had concealed. Was what she experienced then related to this? More importantly, is my bloodline really Enbrave? The bloodline of the Radiant Emperor?

“But my parents had no connection to such…”

“It must be atavism. Just because the traits didn’t manifest in your parents doesn’t mean you’re an exception.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. We’re here to help you.”

Eliya didn’t believe it. If that were the case, why would they forcibly bring her here without even asking for permission, so rudely?

“……”

Still, she was uncomfortable with how they might react if she were uncooperative.

“I heard you were preparing to go somewhere? Despite your colleague’s death, you weren’t particularly close friends. And though you may have realized or understood something, is that reason enough to hasten your journey?”

What have you discovered?

“Eras, don’t press her.”

“Lady Geornia, pressing her? How could you say that?”

“…Don’t forget that I’m here because I’m concerned you might extend your demonic claws.”

“My, aren’t we all comrades? For someone who received his seal, even if it was erased, to scold me like this…”

“Stop with the unnecessary talk.”

Eras let out a small chuckle. The elven woman seemed quite displeased with her attitude, biting her lip.

“My child, I promise. There will be no danger to you. The help… is not a lie. The current world is facing some kind of danger… and to overcome it, we once again need the Enbrave, the bloodline of the Radiant Emperor. That’s why we’ve been continuously searching for children like you.”

“…And what guarantee is there that I’m of the Enbrave bloodline?”

She belonged to the poor class, let alone the middle class. Her parents were good people, but that was it. And even they passed away quickly.

The Enbrave bloodline was said to have abnormally excellent physical abilities and quick thinking throughout generations.

But what about Eliya herself? She had none of that.

All she had was the perseverance to work hard and endure… Just the temperament of a stubborn person.

“Finding that out isn’t so difficult.”

Eras brightened her eyes with a smiling face. For a moment, it seemed as if a dark shadow enveloped the surroundings, but—

Crash!

Soon after, like a gust of wind clearing away all curtains, all the shadows that had filled her vision were swept away and removed.

“Look. The inability of demons and malevolent forces to invade. That… is the strongest characteristic of that bloodline.”

“……”

Of course, Eliya was still puzzled.

“Even during your exploration work, didn’t you particularly excel in negative or dark areas? This time too.”

“…Are you saying that’s related?”

“Yes.”

Thinking about it, it made sense. In areas frequented by ghosts, spirits, or undead, she had been uniquely unhindered.

At first, she thought she was just lucky, but later she accepted it as normal. But hearing it from others, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

In other words, when she accompanied them, there were notably fewer incidents. But Eliya’s absence directly translated into increased burden and danger for them.

‘So it wasn’t coincidence.’

And that was because of her bloodline?

“You got involved with a Sentinel, right? At that level… there would be no reason to fear your blood vaguely. After all, it’s a fellow who received blood from a vampire.”

At the very least.

“But you escaped from it? That shouldn’t be normally possible. Your survival is proof of that.”

“……”

The middle-aged man remained silent, and the silver-haired elf continued her silence with arms crossed.

“Now, answer me. What happened? And what change of heart did you experience? We might be able to help you, so tell us.”

Like a devil’s whisper, it was truly sweet. A beautiful and attractive woman, with an overwhelming and majestic, old-fashioned atmosphere, subtly and implicitly urging her on. Coaxing her.

Yet Eliya, though slightly moved, wasn’t greatly tempted. Rather, her heart raced dangerously at the woman’s ominousness.

“……”

But. Perhaps this could be another clue.

So Eliya asked.

“…I almost died. But suddenly, someone burst in and saved me.”

“Who?”

A serpentine urging.

“I was trying to find out myself. So…”

Black hair with eyes like gold. And a face that was incredibly beautiful. The appearance was too feminine to be called handsome, so “beautiful” would be the right description.

…Probably?

“I don’t know what he did or how. But in an instant, the Sentinel… turned to ashes.”

“……”

For some reason, the expressions of the blue-eyed woman and the silver-haired elf looked far from normal.

“Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?”

Unlike the blue woman, the elf clutched her head as if denying the situation.

“That can’t be. It can’t be. No, maybe it’s a similar being. It absolutely can’t be him. No, this, this is…!”

Suddenly, a gloomy voice that seemed to press down on the space spread out. From the blue woman.

“Lady Geornia. It’s too early to jump to conclusions.”

“……”

The elf’s eyes, which had been trembling as if about to burst into rage, sank back into depression. She seemed to have calmed down and was regulating her breath, but her shoulders and cheeks were still twitching.

“So, what did he tell you?”

“……”

Eliya revealed part, but not all. For instance…

“Those who chase the black… star.”

That they were related to it?

She explained vaguely, as if she didn’t know everything herself, but—

With just that, the expressions and complexions of everyone except Eliya became a mess.

“Here, is Kariel popping up here again?”

Kariel? At that name, Eliya narrowed her eyes. Why was that name suddenly being mentioned?

“Kariel? Are you referring to the founder of the Black Star Cult, the Great Black Sage?”

While maintaining an attitude of unfamiliarity and curiosity—

Eliya recalled again and again.

He mentioned a promise when he saved me, didn’t he?

Her head ached even more. What promise? What could I have promised someone like you?

“How much do you know?”

To Eras’s question, Eliya explained only what she knew.

“I think I’ve seen somewhere that before becoming the Radiant Emperor’s clan, he was the eldest son of the hero Rueld Brendiar of the Radiant clan.”

“…You know quite a bit.”

Is that a lot to know?

“To explain would take more than a day or two.”

From the tired tone of the silver-haired elf called Geornia, Eliya had a reasonable suspicion that she might know him.

“So you know him well?”

“Why… are you curious about that?”

“Well, it’s just…”

Eliya displayed her wit.

“In novels, the story of the Demon King and the hero’s son coming together—could that actually be based on truth?”

“Absolutely not! How dare you utter such nonsense!”

“?!”

Geornia’s rebuke made Eliya flinch and tremble.

“It’s not completely unfounded, is it?”

“…Don’t be ridiculous. That child, though he called her master, never referred to her as a lover…”

Master?

In this short time, Eliya had learned quite a lot. And it made her even more curious.

Along with her current situation… why had he appeared, mentioned a promise, and left such an urging for someone like her…

She felt like she had heard something, but nothing came to mind now. Like forgetting a dream she had just had.

For now, everything felt unfamiliar and empty. Like a night fog that simply wouldn’t clear.