Chapter 34

“Hey, what kind of tone is that to address His Highness?”

Felix held back his subordinate, who had stepped forward in anger, and looked at Kanis as if she were something peculiar.

He seemed intrigued.

Kanis, noticing the reactions of those around her, furrowed her brow slightly, though she tried not to let it show.

“No, it’s just… you’re younger than I expected.”

Felix smiled faintly.

“Age doesn’t matter.”

“…….”

“Will you tell me what brought you here?”

“I came because I heard you’re going to kill the Demon King.”

Her blunt tone chilled the atmosphere.

It wasn’t unheard of for reckless youths to show up, disrupting matters with their naive bravado.

Felix’s expression turned serious.

“Why?”

“Does one need a reason for such a thing?”

“Do you know? There are plenty of people who want the Demon King dead. But not all of them come here.”

“…….”

“Why?”

Kanis stood silent, her expression stubborn. But Felix knew she would answer eventually.

“I just… thought it would be good if there were no more people like me.”

“…….”

“If I can help it, not even one will remain.”

That was the conclusion she had come to after much thought.

If she couldn’t escape despair herself, she wouldn’t let anyone else fall into it.

Felix refrained from asking what she meant by “people like me.” He didn’t want to make that mistake.

Instead, he simply smiled enigmatically and extended his hand toward Kanis.

“Welcome to the team, Kanis.”

“Your Highness!”

“You shouldn’t accept her so easily—.”

Kanis, locking eyes with Felix, clasped his hand.

“She’ll be quite useful.”

Felix’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.

Kanis, however, did not smile at all, her brow furrowing slightly.

It was then that Renoah finally saw it.

The face of Kanis Riventi he knew was there.

The same indifferent, cool, yet inevitably kind face that hadn’t changed in three hundred years.

***

Snowflakes were swirling in the air.

Kanis was crossing the barracks when she stopped and looked up at the sky.

From a distance, some passing soldiers gestured toward her and whispered.

“Is that her?”

“She still looks like a kid, but she’s pretty. Give her a few more years—.”

“Don’t even start. Are you into girls who’ve been through hell and back? And haven’t you heard the rumors?”

“Oh, you mean how she used to run with a gang of criminals, doing all sorts of shady things?”

“They say Sir Pendal got injured a few years back because of her. Why would His Highness accept someone like that into the team…?”

Kanis showed no reaction, making it unclear whether she had heard their words.

But given her heightened senses, it was unlikely she had missed such clear remarks.

At that moment, a soldier walked past Kanis, striding purposefully toward the two gossiping men. He stopped in front of them.

“Did you see it?”

The two seemed momentarily intimidated by the man, who was taller than them by at least two hand spans. But they quickly regained their confidence, noting his shabby, standard-issue chainmail.

He was clearly a low-ranking soldier from a poor background.

“And who are you?”

“Care to explain exactly what you mean by ‘running with a gang of criminals, doing shady things’?”

“Well, we only heard bits and pieces, so we don’t know much….”

“Is that so?”

Even after responding, the man didn’t move aside.

Feeling the unspoken pressure, one of them opened his mouth to explain.

“It’s true Sir Pendal got injured. And you weren’t even in the barracks back then, so why—.”

“Did you know?”

“Know what?”

“They say Sir Pendal is one of the top three fighters in the expedition.”

“…….”

“So, three years ago, are you saying a thirteen-year-old managed to injure someone like Sir Pendal?”

“…….”

“Since Sir Pendal is supposedly ‘third,’ does that mean you two are ‘first’ and ‘second’?”

His tone suggested that unless they were, they had no business running their mouths like this.

Though his voice was smooth and his pronunciation refined, it was clear he was mocking them.

“They say intelligence includes knowing exactly who to fear.”

“You, you bastard—!”

“I’m saying, if you’re going to be afraid, be afraid of the right person. Because no matter how hard you try, you’ll never even reach her shadow.”

The two glanced nervously toward Kanis, where the man had gestured, then hurriedly left without another word.

As the soldier turned around, Kanna pointed directly at him and muttered.

“That guy… that guy.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s Michael!”

Kanna pressed her forehead, her eyebrows drooping in disbelief.

“He’s really here.”

“…….”

“What’s he doing, looking like that?”

When Kanis lowered her gaze from the sky and started walking again, Michael quietly followed her at a distance.

…What on earth is he doing here?

But that wasn’t even the real issue.

“Why doesn’t His Highness recognize us?”

“…….”

“Is it even possible to break the spell cast on him?”

Renoah, who had tried everything from dancing in front of Michael, shouting at the top of his lungs, crying desperately, and even clinging to Michael’s trousers until he was dragged across the ground, finally collapsed as the vision shifted. Clutching the dirt floor, he asked:

“At this rate, all three of us will be stuck here forever. Isn’t there another way out?”

Even Kanna was bewildered by Michael’s condition, which was unexpected.

Such reactions were typical of those who didn’t want to leave the vision.

Despite the painful and distressing memories, they felt so consumed by the melancholy emotions that they convinced themselves they were “happy” enough. They believed that leaving would only bring greater misfortune.

Just like Kanis Riventi had, three hundred years ago.

That day, when she barely escaped the dungeon, Kanis had poured every ounce of her strength into building the Mage Tower.

To ensure no one could enter and nothing could escape.

“There is a way.”

“Tell me! I’ll do anything!”

Kanna smiled at Renoah’s earnest face.

Some misfortunes couldn’t be prevented, no matter how much you prepared.

When the time came, you would realize what mattered most in your life.

Kanna checked the remaining mana within her body.

“I really didn’t want to get caught.”

She had planned to disappear quietly before anyone noticed.

So that to everyone, “Kanna” would remain just a small, ordinary child.

So she wouldn’t have to see their kind faces twist into something else.

Because those were things Kanis could never have.

She had always been afraid of those kind faces.

Afraid they might twist at any moment, because she loved them.

Kanna placed both hands on Renoah’s shoulders as he sat on the ground.

“Let’s never meet again, Renoah.”

“Miss Kanna?”

But it was better to see those faces than to see them hurt.

Kanna’s eyes glowed a vivid blue.

Renoah noticed the magic circle forming beneath the dirt and grabbed Kanna’s arm.

“Wait!”

“You’re just in the way.”

As the magic circle expanded, drawing concentric patterns, a fierce wind roared outward.

As long as one was aware that this was a vision, it wasn’t impossible to force them out.

Cracks began forming beneath Renoah’s feet.

It wasn’t the dirt floor cracking—it was the vision itself.

“Then… then what about you, Miss Kanna?”

Kanna smiled faintly.

Her short silver hair fluttered in the wind.

“I don’t need your help.”

The tiny amount of mana she had left was already depleted.

The blood vessels on Kanna’s forehead bulged.

“But, but—.”

Renoah lost his grip on her arm and began sinking into the magic circle.

Blood dripped from Kanna’s nose.

Her entire body trembled as her muscles tensed.

Kanna maintained her focus to ensure Renoah was safely ejected.

With a thunderous noise, Renoah vanished, and the magic circle dissipated.

At last, the vision returned to its original, mundane landscape, as if nothing had happened.

It should have been like this from the beginning.

Kanna buried her face in the ground, trying to catch her breath.

Next was Michael.

Staggering as she walked, Kanna collapsed again. Her vision blurred.

She could barely make out Michael, watching her from a distance.

Kanna decided to use her final move.

If she could escape the vision three hundred years ago, she could do it again now.

Even if it meant returning to that time.

Because you’re there.