A Resplendent Era (7)

At first, Freugne doubted her own ears, but shook her head.

The voice, intonation, and subtle accents she had heard for years.

Add to that the unique pronunciation of the Belfast dialect, still not quite mastered, slurring the ends of certain words.

She knew it all – no one knew it better than she did, so how could she not recognize it?

This initiated a dilemma:

‘Should I go and check it out myself?’

She had confirmed the future where she safely returned to her home in Londinium. As long as she didn’t act in a way that would influence that future, it would come to pass.

Perhaps staying put was the right answer.

She hadn’t made any particular preparations for such a situation, lying in this hospital bed with little she could do.

However, if she did intervene? Then there was a possibility of achieving a better outcome, but conversely, a small chance of an unfavorable result emerging.

Whenever faced with such situations, Freugne had always resolved them the same way.

Rather than agonizing over it, she simply peeked at the newly updated answer sheet.

Someone knocked on the room door. When she told them to enter, contrary to her expectations, it wasn’t the staff member who had left earlier, but an unfamiliar doctor with a shaggy hairstyle. Although she had never seen him before, the white coat indicated he worked at this hospital.

The doctor approached the bed and asked, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes, but what’s the matter?”

Regardless of who the other person was, she needed to check the future.

As the doctor approached the slightly messy bedside table to tidy up some medical tools, Freugne took aim and extended her finger.

While confirming the future would leave her even more fatigued from lack of sleep, she still needed to verify it. Softly, so lightly it could barely be felt, Freugne’s index finger tapped the back of the doctor’s hand.

“It’s nothing, I’ve come instead of the staff member I sent out earlier. He told me to let you know that the noises from outside are nothing to be concerned about.”

“Nothing to be concerned about? I heard the sounds of breaking wood, and flashing lights too.”

“Isn’t there a raging storm outside right now? You must have mistaken that for something else. As for the occasional shouts, he said it’s just some drunks causing a ruckus.”

It was possible she had misheard due to fatigue. Still, since Edan was involved, she wanted to be certain.

“In that case, do you know who’s causing that commotion?”

Her head spun dizzily, and the world seemed to swirl before her eyes.

Freugne sensed that if she closed her eyes now, she wouldn’t wake up until well past noon the next day.

“Why, just the ordinary citizens of Antrim, I’d wager.”

“Well, it did sound awfully familiar to me, but…”

After confirming the future, Freugne trailed off.

Simultaneously, her heart raced, and she struggled to catch her breath.

Yet she couldn’t let it show.

“…it must have been my mistake.”

“It’s possible. What a storm we’re having this winter, eh?”

The person pretending to be a doctor was still before her.

---

The future Freugne had initially expected to see was herself the next morning.

More precisely, her unharmed self, safely welcoming the next morning without incident.

Even in the most extreme scenario she had anticipated, it would have been Edan sustaining minor injuries from a street brawl.

In short:

‘Got him well secured. He’ll do just fine as a hostage.’

In an unfamiliar, confined space, Demonic Tribe members boldly displaying their wings and horns pointed at someone, saying those words.

‘Ah, right. No need to worry too much. It’ll be enough if we just disable his magic.’

‘Mmph! Mmmmph!’

And the fact that the person they were referring to was herself, tightly bound to a chair with a gag stuffed in her mouth, was something she had never anticipated.

The nearer the future, the more detailed and prolonged the vision tends to be.

Her terrified gaze, the inescapable situation, were vividly etched into her mind.

‘That should do it, for that guy.’

‘Edan, the dumbass bastard.’

‘Ah, yes! Edan. It might be good to lure him here too. He’s been so elusive, it’s been difficult to capture him.’

‘But wait, upon closer inspection, he’s not actually her son by blood. Would he really come just for some kid?’

Finally, the mocking words spoken by the surrounding Demonic Tribe:

‘Of course he will. If we just wait a little longer, he’s bound to show up.’

Knock knock

‘Ah, there! He’s arrived, as expected.’

She knew full well that Edan was indeed the type of person who would do such a thing.

Gazing at the doctor before her, Freugne muttered softly.

Merely acting unconcerned and unfazed was itself a struggle.

“…You.”

“Yes, why do you say that? If you’re feeling unwell, shall I double check?”

Freugne bit her lip tightly. It seemed the only way to keep herself from losing composure. A faint, metallic taste of blood.

There was no time to dwell in the afterglow. Most crucial now was to avoid arousing any suspicion, to not appear suspicious.

“No. If nothing’s amiss, then that’s a relief. Please convey my gratitude to that staff member.”

“If you require anything else, feel free to call me anytime.”

Unlike most doctors who kept their hair neatly trimmed, his was unusually long – no doubt concealing a horn underneath.

The person pretending to be a doctor gave a slight bow and left the room.

Creak, thud

“…Phew!”

After the sound of the closing door and receding footsteps, Freugne finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

The sheer fatigue had already overloaded her mind, and this additional complication threatened to unhinge her remaining composure.

This couldn’t go on. She had no recollection of witnessing such a future.

The future could change, but not to this extreme – this was akin to an entirely new creation, not mere alteration.

If so, she needed aid, but from whom? And how?

For Freugne, seeking help from others was an utterly foreign concept.

If she needed something, she acquired it directly. If she couldn’t obtain it alone, she mobilized organization members. The world had always unfolded similarly to the futures she foresaw, enabling her autonomy.

Hence, situations deviating from her visions was an experience she had not encountered since her powerless childhood.

With no experience dealing with unanticipated circumstances, sound judgment eluded her. Freugne’s mind went blank.

‘What, what should I do?’

Alright, first thing’s first. Let’s go out there.

She knew that during emergencies, the normal protocol was to remain in one’s room.

However, she was certain these Demonic Tribe members had targeted her specifically, and who knew how many more had infiltrated the hospital by now.

Freugne decided not to dwell on the fate of the staff member she had dismissed earlier. Hesitating would likely lead to a similar outcome.

The Dark Queen capable of manipulating the council with a mere finger snap was not present here.

All that remained was Freugne, an ordinary foreign girl whose sole talent was the use of magic.

Acknowledging this reality left her with few options.

Either await capture by the Demonic Tribe while comfortably sleeping, or…

‘Try something, anything.’

This was the third floor. Jumping recklessly would undoubtedly result in injuries, but with caution, the height was escapable.

Physical movement was second nature to her. It wasn’t as if she had taken a brief respite from her nomadic childhood scampering through treacherous factories.

In fact, she had directly confronted the man in the white suit, a Demonic Tribe member. She was well-versed in basic combat, confident she could hold her own against any random person plucked from the streets, even if outright victory wasn’t guaranteed.

But the Demonic Tribe was another matter entirely.

With their inherently superior physical attributes compared to humans, she needed every advantage, yet her current resources were scant without Sithe or Ulr present.

In a one-on-one confrontation, even fleeing would prove arduous. Hence, a stealthy escape was imperative.

‘It might be possible now.’

This moment, while they likely remained unaware of her realization, presented an opportunity.

Freugne removed the curtain from its rail and wrapped it around her body. She then quietly opened the window and straddled the sill. The drizzling rain pattered against her legs.

A chilly winter breeze caressed her slightly damp skin, causing her to shiver. Despite being fully covered by the available cloth in the room, the chill persisted.

Next, she gripped the window frame and extended her legs, but couldn’t reach the sill below.

Fortunately, a thick bush lay directly beneath. While her legs would dangle, she didn’t anticipate serious injury.

Anything was preferable to being captured by the Demonic Tribe, leading to Edan’s eventual capture, and their collective delivery to the Dark Lord – or worse, death.

After taking a deep breath, Freugne released her grip.

Thud

Crunch!

Scraping against branches, Freugne inadvertently let out a small groan of pain.

There was no time to tend to the stinging ache. She immediately rose and hurried away at a brisk pace.

Not long after, shouts echoed from the window she had emerged from.

Someone leaned out, frantically scanning the surroundings.

“Hah… haah…”

Concealed in the darkness, Freugne caught her ragged breath.

Having already noticed her disappearance, her eventual discovery was inevitable.

No amount of daring leaps could spare her legs from the impact, and while she could manage a brisk walk, running was arduous. She needed aid, from anyone.

Carno, Ulr, Sithe, and countless other candidates flashed through her mind, but none seemed immediately accessible.

Moreover, the Demonic Tribe had infiltrated even the trusted hospital premises. Conventional methods would not suffice now.

Eliminating her usual options left her with a singular choice.

‘…Uncle.’

Back to that powerless childhood.

The sole person who had willingly answered her plea for help from within that burning, collapsing factory.

And even if she were captured by the Demonic Tribe, the one who would undoubtedly come for her.