Chapter 428: Jane
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 428: Jane
“Savior. May I enter?”
At the sound of the voice, Choi Seulgi turned her head and spoke.
“Oh. Is that you, Ahyeon?”
“Yes. It is.”
A look of delight instantly spread across Choi Seulgi’s face. Unlike their slightly awkward first encounter, a single meeting had turned them into the kind of inseparable friends who would die for each other. Even the notoriously jealous Baek Ahyeon became a gentle lamb in front of Choi Seulgi, which said it all.
It seemed they had grown even closer while talking as they gazed upon the Great Temple of the East Continent, and while joining forces to dispose of Jang Jaehyun, whose face was now a distant memory.
To top it all off, Jung Hayeon had recently joined them, giving birth to a fearsome trio. I had no way of knowing what they talked about when they gathered, but one thing was certain: their meetings were anything but wholesome. They were sharing strange items and using artisans to give their creativity free rein.
If Jang Ye Ri had been by my side right now, she likely would have scowled at the sight of Baek Ahyeon. She was still holding a grudge about having the Ring of Covenant taken from her.
“Enter.”
As I spoke, the massive doors began to slowly swing open. Choi Seulgi slipped out of my embrace and gave Baek Ahyeon a little wave of greeting. Seeing the two of them exchange glances made me feel a mix of unease and pleasure.
“Savior… D-Did you witness the glorious holy battle?”
“It was quite a spectacle.”
“Th-Thank you!”
Baek Ahyeon’s face immediately brightened. After greeting me, she turned to Choi Seulgi.
“It’s been a while, Ms. Choi Seulgi.”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes. Thanks to you… I’ve been well. How have you been lately, Ms. Choi Seulgi?”
“Me? Same as always.”
Choi Seulgi was naturally lively, but Baek Ahyeon was not. The only time she showed a bright side was when it involved me. That expression she wore now, holding hands with a friend she truly connected with—that was probably the real Baek Ahyeon.
I shifted my gaze and saw the figures standing on either side of her.
Elia and a priestess from the West Continent. It seemed that since they were coming to see me, she couldn’t let the priestess arrive looking like a beggar, so she had her properly dressed. It was as if all the suffering she’d endured had been a lie. Having been neatly healed with holy power, she hardly looked like someone who had been undergoing torture just moments before.
Seeing her tremble with a nervous expression, it was clear she was afraid of Baek Ahyeon, or perhaps she was afraid of the situation itself. I spoke slowly.
“Name.”
“It’s… It’s Jane.”
“Your position?”
“I… I don’t have an officially assigned position. I belong to a s-small clan, but…”
“Hmm…”
I had a rough idea of her type. She was the kind of person who enjoyed moving in small groups or disliked being tied to any organization. With her formidable holy power, she wouldn’t need to latch onto any particular faction; in fact, she was probably the type to feel burdened by people approaching her.
What was a little surprising was that she didn’t scream or call me a fiend. She seemed to have a good grasp of her situation, and for that, I was starting to like this woman.
Priests are rare on our continent. Although the Pagans can use holy power, with the exception of Baek Ahyeon and a few other Inquisitors, the holy power this woman possessed was on a considerably high level. It was possible Baek Ahyeon could even convert her into a follower. The only flaw seemed to be that her strong holy power was matched by a strong mind, but I thought that with time, she might be converted.
It sounded absurd, but Baek Ahyeon made such things possible.
As I tapped the Iron Throne, lost in thought, Jane began to watch me nervously. Just a few hours ago, she was a person suffering unimaginable pain in a place that was like hell itself. It was only natural for her to react this way upon meeting the leader of her enemies.
I spoke slowly.
“Have you eaten?”
“N-No.”
“Let’s have a meal together.”
“Elia, prepare a meal… She is a guest, of a sort, so I’d like her to be treated appropriately.”
“Yes. Understood.”
A look of bewilderment flickered across Jane’s face as a table was suddenly set, regardless of her own intentions. Of course, I hadn’t arranged this for her sake. It was because I happened to be hungry, and I felt this kind of atmosphere was better suited for asking questions than an oppressive one.
A long, rectangular table and chairs appeared in the empty hall, and dishes began to be served, prepared more in the style of humans or elves than Green Skins. We usually ate Green Skin meals, but it seemed they had prepared the table this way because I had mentioned treating a guest.
“Choi Seulgi, Baek Ahyeon, join us.”
“Okay.”
“Yes. Th-Thank you! Savior.”
Sitting in her chair with a bewildered expression, Jane held a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, staring blankly at me. She seemed to be constantly weighing her options: what was happening, whether the food was poisoned, if she could end her own life with this knife.
“There’s no poison, so eat at ease. And for the record, it would be best not to entertain any foolish thoughts of killing yourself.”
“Y-Yes.”
“You look like I just read your mind.”
“N-No, that’s not it. Th-Thank you for your consideration.”
I began to cut the meat that had been served, speaking slowly. Jane’s expression had caught my eye.
“Are you surprised?”
“N-No…”
“This isn’t how we normally eat. It would be more accurate to say we eat like the barbarians the people of the West call us. I, too, am more comfortable eating that way, but since we have a guest, I’m just matching the mood.”
“Yes…”
As I slowly cut my meat, Baek Ahyeon and Choi Seulgi began to chat excitedly, looking as if they were having the time of their lives. The atmosphere was quite relaxed. It was rather amusing to see Jane sneaking glances at the smiling Baek Ahyeon, as if she couldn’t believe it was the same person.
I turned to her and spoke slowly.
“Let’s exchange a few questions.”
“Yes…”
Her eyes said it all: Here it comes. She clearly thought I was giving her this treatment to extract information.
“I… I don’t know anything…”
“Let’s agree that you don’t have to answer questions you can’t answer. In fact, this is quite a big concession on my part. Any information you people have will soon be ours anyway…”
She probably knew what I was talking about. The only reason her fellow believers hadn't spilled everything they knew was because we hadn't asked. To lessen their own suffering, even by a little, I was sure they would sell out their comrades next to them.
“The only reason I went through the trouble of arranging this is because I’m curious about you as a person. It’s not in a romantic sense, so you don’t need to get any other ideas.”
“Yes…”
Only then did Jane give a slight nod. She had the most stereotypical appearance I could imagine when thinking of a Westerner. Not only did she have blonde hair and blue eyes, but she also had what one might call a hot body.
“I’ll go first.”
“Y-Yes.”
“By the standards of the West Continent, how many humans are there at your level?”
It was an ambiguous question to answer, as it was tantamount to asking her to reveal their military strength. Of course, it wasn’t exactly top-secret information. I could easily find out how many strong individuals there were and who the famous ones were just by beating it out of the prisoners we currently held. The reason I asked her this question was to test her a little.
“I-I’m not sure what standard you’re judging by, but… about… fifteen people.”
Fifteen people with the strength of a Blood Dagger Clan executive. Among them, there were probably some who were close to the level of a continental chieftain. It wasn’t a small number, but it wasn’t a large one either.
“Your turn.”
When I gave her the opening, Jane began to glance at Baek Ahyeon. She was wondering if it was really okay to ask a question. She was clearly worried that an impertinent question might lead to repercussions. I nodded as if to say it didn’t matter, and finally, Jane’s lips slowly parted.
“Wh-Why… are you doing… this?”
A foolish question, for all the thought she put into it.
“You were the ones who provoked us first. I hope that answers your question.”
If she knew the details of the situation, she would have nothing to say. A woman in her position couldn’t possibly know how the continent was run. I couldn’t confirm whether she, living far from the centers of power, had a choice in the matter, but seeing her remain silent, it seemed she was aware of the terms.
After that, a series of rather meaningless questions were exchanged. I already had a rough grasp of the situation in the West. The Green Skins gathered from all over the continent were constantly collecting information for us, and we had already established our own independent routes. The questions I was asking now couldn't be called prime intelligence.
She, too, was being cautious from her position as a prisoner.
“Is… is there any chance you might release us…”
“No.”
“…”
I almost wanted to praise her for not demanding to be treated as a prisoner of war or prattling on about inhumanity. And so, the end of the meal slowly approached.
“Let’s call it a day.”
“Yes… Savior.”
“Don’t be disappointed, my follower. I will arrange another time for us.”
Baek Ahyeon nodded with a look of disappointment. It seemed the conversation with Jane had been quite entertaining, and she was sad that she didn’t have more time to talk with her. The interesting thing was that Jane wore a similar expression. For her, this time must have been incredibly sweet. Not even a full day had passed since her capture, but she surely knew what it meant to be sent to the “prayer room.” In an instant, her face began to fill with terror and anxiety.
Naturally, I had no intention of sympathizing with her. It was her choice to crawl into this place, and if we had been defeated, the humans and I would have been in the exact opposite position. But wanting to see her reaction, I slowly raised the corners of my mouth and spoke.
“Come to think of it, I forgot about dessert.”
As I muttered this, a pleasant smile began to form on Baek Ahyeon’s lips.
And of course…
The same was true for Jane.
‘…’
She was undoubtedly grateful. Whatever the reason, she was currently finding her time with me quite comfortable, and she was thankful to me for keeping her here. She wouldn’t want to go back to that hell. It was a natural reaction for a human, but seeing her show such a side even to me was quite unexpected. The relaxed atmosphere I had created during the meal must have been effective.
‘This might go even more smoothly than I thought.’
It was just as I thought. Drawing her over to our side might be even easier than I had anticipated.
There was Jane, cautiously sipping her tea; Baek Ahyeon, looking at me; and Choi Seulgi, who wore an expression that said she had a pretty good idea what I was thinking. In the midst of them, I slowly turned to Baek Ahyeon and spoke.
“From now on, have her sent here once every five hours. Before you send her, she is to be bathed in warm water and dressed in fine clothes.”
“What? Y-Yes…”
For a moment, just a fleeting instant, Baek Ahyeon’s brow undoubtedly furrowed.