episode_0006

Ian dashed out like an arrow. He didn’t think he could do much against the man leading the hero’s party, but he couldn’t just stand still—so he ran. Cutting through the heart of the village, he arrived at the location Millen had told him about.

Finally, Ian spotted the man Arina had mentioned. Pale skin, a muscular build, black hair, a large backpack strapped to him, and most notably—a horizontal scar carved beneath his eye. His appearance matched exactly, but more than anything, the women standing beside him made it impossible to mistake his identity.

Women fully armed with high-end weapons and armor. The aura they exuded was on a completely different level from ordinary people, making it clear at a glance that they were the hero’s party. The party walked with the man surrounded as if he were a pack mule being escorted. The villagers had also crowded around to gawk, allowing Ian to blend into a spot where he wouldn’t be easily noticed.

The sight of the man laughing and joking while surrounded by women was so distasteful that Ian furrowed his brow. Unexpectedly, however, the pack mule’s eyes met his. Startled, Ian quickly schooled his expression, but the man was already approaching—the village chief had pointed him out.

“This is the young master of our territory, Lord Ian Felix.”

The chief smiled brightly and guided the hero’s party toward Ian. Oblivious to the circumstances, the chief had kindly introduced Ian to the party, never dreaming that his unnecessary meddling was only making things harder for his superior.

“So you’re Baron Ian. It’s a pleasure.”

As if he were the party’s representative, this mere pack mule stepped forward and offered a handshake to Ian, a noble. Though he wasn’t even an officially recruited member of the party and appeared to be nothing more than a commoner, the prestige of the hero’s party standing beside him made it possible.

Gritting his teeth, Ian accepted the handshake. Showing hostility now would be foolish.

But the man’s words, spoken while their hands were still clasped, made it difficult for Ian to hide his animosity.

“I hear you’re acquainted with our mage?”

Disgust surged at the way he casually referred to Arina as “our mage.” Ian desperately held back. Revealing his hostility now wouldn’t help him—or Arina. For now, feigning ignorance was the best course.

“If you mean the mage of the hero’s party, are you referring to Riel Frost? How would a rural noble like me have any connection to the hero’s party’s mage? You must be mistaken.”

“Ah, I suppose it can’t be helped if you don’t know. Riel Frost is actually a woman. If I say ‘Arina,’ does that ring a bell? I heard you were in a party with her until recently.”

According to Arina, after she left the party, Riel Frost had been treated as if he had gone into hiding. The fact that he was a woman was an absolute secret. For this man to suddenly reveal Arina’s true identity to him—what was his intention?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Hmm, this isn’t the best place to explain. Shall we move somewhere else?”

The pack mule rented out the entire village tavern. He used the hero’s party’s funds as if they were his personal allowance. While that might have been fine if agreed upon with the party members, every action of this man grated on Ian’s nerves.

With even the tavern owner shooed away, only the hero’s party and Ian remained inside. Everyone exchanged glances, testing the waters, until Ian broke the silence.

“I still don’t understand. Why is the hero’s party searching for a former member in a remote place like this? What’s going on? I’ve heard the higher-ups are quite disappointed that there’s been no progress in defeating the Demon King for years.”

Though he was subtly mocking them for chasing after a woman instead of focusing on their duty, the pack mule remained unruffled and answered calmly.

“Of course, we also want to defeat the Demon King as soon as possible and bring peace to the world. But that’s only possible with Riel. She left without a word.”

“As I said earlier, I don’t see the connection between Riel Frost and Arina.”

“I suppose I should explain that first. A party member who went to find Riel reported seeing you with her. I assumed you might know something about the situation.”

Had that already reached their ears? Ian swallowed dryly.

“The Arina you know is Riel Frost. The world knows Riel Frost as a man, but that’s false information.”

What nonsense. Ian scoffed.

“Do you really expect me to believe that? That Riel Frost is a woman? Are you saying everyone who’s seen him was hallucinating?”

“You’ve been looking at us with disdain from the start. I suppose you’ve heard some things from Riel.”

The pack mule already knew Ian was aware of their circumstances—and that he was hostile. Yet, the man continued explaining in a measured tone.

His demeanor was so different from the arrogant, flippant attitude Arina had described that Ian felt somewhat confused.

Is this an act?

“I can guess what you’ve heard. That I stole his lover, that one day he turned into a woman, and that I raped him.”

“And yet you still dare to ask me where Arina is?”

The other side already knew everything. Ian no longer felt the need to hide his hostility. But even as Ian’s animosity flared, the hero’s party remained composed.

Under Ian’s hostile gaze, the pack mule sighed and spoke after a moment.

“Everything Riel said is a lie. No—calling it a lie would be too harsh. She genuinely believes it’s the truth.”

“What a pathetic trick!”

Ian rose from his seat, drawing the sword at his waist. Yet, no one else moved a muscle. The lone elf, Erwin, merely fiddled with her bangs.

Their relaxed demeanor suggested they could subdue him anytime they wished.

“Riel is currently delusional. You’ve heard the stories, haven’t you? The more powerful a mage, the more unstable their mind.”

That much was common knowledge even among adventurers, so Ian nodded reluctantly.

“Riel Frost is an unprecedented genius among mages. Even when we first met, her condition was so bad she believed she was a man—but unfortunately, her skills were far too exceptional.”

The pack mule wore a sorrowful expression as he lamented the misfortune of someone so unstable wielding such immense power.

Disgusting.

Suppressing the urge to punch that crocodile-teared face, Ian listened on.

“Riel was mentally unstable, but her utility was undeniable. So the leaders of each nation decided to humor her delusions and ordered her to serve in the hero’s party. Everyone who met Riel did the same. For the sake of world peace, they all lied in unison, claiming she was a man.”

“If that’s true, then you all exploited Arina.”

“It’s shameful, but yes.”

From the moment he sat down, Ian had resolved not to believe a word the man said. But even if he did, nothing would change. Even if it were true, these people had still used Arina for their own ends.

It wasn’t a very convincing lie if the goal was to deceive him. But precisely because of that, it felt uncomfortably plausible.

For a moment, Ian stiffened in shock.

Was I almost swayed?

As the conversation progressed, he’d briefly entertained the possibility that the man might be right. In a way, that was tantamount to betraying Arina.

Deciding he couldn’t afford to be led astray any longer, Ian hurried to end the discussion.

“I can’t tell you where Arina is. She’s already been pushed to her limit. Just talking about you people tormented her! If you truly care about her, let her go.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?!”

“Because she’s indispensable to our party.”

The pack mule, who had been gently persuading Ian until now, hardened his expression.

“In our hearts, we’d love to wish Riel happiness as she seeks her own path. But we can’t. Without Riel, defeating the Demon King is impossible. We need her. Do you understand? Can you comprehend the agony of forcibly dragging a precious comrade to her death—for the sake of the world?!”

His voice rose with emotion as he spoke, ending in a near-shout. But after finishing, he steadied his breathing as if regaining control.

“That’s why Riel Frost is known as a man. Riel, already unstable, fell victim to a mental attack from one of the Demon King’s generals. That’s why she became convinced she was raped and that the hero’s party was her enemy.”

“A well-crafted lie. If you insist this is the truth, then how do you explain trying to force Arina to become your wife?”

“A misunderstanding. The person who said that to you wasn’t me. I’m not in a position to be addressed that way. It was the kingdom’s prince, who had his eye on Riel. When he heard she’d deserted the party, he took matters into his own hands. Of course, I had no intention of allowing that. To protect Riel, we must find her now.”

Ian’s pupils trembled again. The man’s words were more persuasive than he’d expected.

Arina’s mental instability was undeniable—she had seizures at the sight of women, so it was impossible to miss. Moreover, the idea that the more powerful a mage, the more unstable their mind was already a well-documented fact.

By those standards, Arina was relatively stable for someone of her caliber.

If she was already unstable and then cursed, creating delusions, it would fit.

Of course, this explanation alone couldn’t dismiss all of Arina’s experiences as delusions.

But Arina had insisted she was once a man yet couldn’t explain how she’d become a woman.

Her only claim was that she’d passed out and woken up as one. She’d even admitted it was impossible.

The idea that the entire hero’s party had been corrupted by a single man also seemed unrealistic when thought through calmly.

The nonsensical pieces fell into place under one assumption: that Arina had lost her mind.

As much as he didn’t want to believe it, Ian couldn’t find any contradictions in the man’s story. In fact, it was far easier to spot inconsistencies in Arina’s account.

As Ian struggled to hide his wavering resolve, Yuria, the hero, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.

“Please, Ian. Riel is our precious comrade.”

“I…”

The saint, Marika, pleaded earnestly.

“I understand. This must be hard to accept. If you don’t trust us, you’re welcome to come with us. Just tell us where Riel went.”

The elf, Erwin, added sharply,

“You’d better think carefully. This is a matter of the world’s survival.”

The warrior, Leona, crossed her arms and chimed in,

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? What’s the hero’s party doing chasing after someone instead of fighting the Demon King? We’re doing our best to save the world.”

Tormented by their words, Ian clutched his head.

He believed in Arina. He did. But he could no longer tell which side was telling the truth.

Maybe he never should have started this conversation.

If their words were true, helping Arina meant abandoning the world to its crisis. If false, he’d be betraying her. The weight of the decision was too much for him to bear alone.

As he agonized, unable to decide, a woman burst through the tavern door. She wore armor emblazoned with the kingdom’s insignia.

“I’ve found news of Riel Frost! A few days ago, a group of merchants saw a mage calling herself Arina heading south!”

“South? The Great Forest? Is she trying to hide in the elves’ land?”

Someone muttered.

A moment later, chairs scraped as everyone stood at once.

This time, Yuria, the hero, bowed slightly to Ian.

“We must take our leave. It’s regrettable you don’t trust us, but I’ll take it as proof of how much you care for Riel. Farewell.”

With a slight nod, the hero’s party departed, leaving Ian alone. His hands still trembling, he stared blankly at the ground.

After a while, a rustling sound came from the quiet tavern as someone dropped from the ceiling.

“Millen. You were listening?”

“Most of it. That girl… she’s something else, huh? Got yourself tangled in one hell of a mess.”

“What do you think?”

“If they’re telling the truth? Honestly? It sounds plausible.”

Millen tapped her lips thoughtfully, gazing at the ceiling.

“She was a weird one. Lonely enough to show it on her face, but push anyone away who got close. Threw a fit like a rabid dog whenever she saw me. Can’t say she seemed all there.”

So others saw it too. Ian’s chest tightened.

“But she didn’t seem completely insane like they said. Yeah, she was prickly and sensitive, but not delusional.”

In the end, Millen clicked her tongue, admitting she couldn’t be sure. Ian shook his throbbing head and looked up.

There was only one way to find out.

Whether their words were true or false, one thing was certain—he couldn’t abandon Arina.

Strong and beautiful, yet fragile as thin glass. Arina seemed like a being from the clouds, yet also pitifully close to shattering.

No matter what, he didn’t want to see her break.

“I have to find Arina.”

Seeing the determination in his face, Millen smirked.

“Knew you’d say that.”

She handed him a backpack she’d been holding. At his questioning look, she answered,

“I packed it when you ran off to where the hero’s party was. Figured something like this might happen. Glad it’s coming in handy.”

She already had another bag slung over her shoulder.

“You’re coming too?”

“Obviously. I’m a thief. I steal from others—I don’t let others steal from me.”

Millen had always fought with Arina, but she didn’t dislike her. She’d just been wary of losing the man she’d set her sights on.

Even now, as they set out to find Arina, her principles remained unchanged. In a way, her unwavering nature was reassuring, and Ian couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shall we go, then?”

Ian smiled, offering his hand. For now, Millen was content with that.

“Yeah!”