A Message of Betrayal in Paestum
It was absurd...
< p > The words escaped her lips like a blade drawn in the dead of night, sharp and unbidden. The woman stared at her companions, her voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and raw emotion.
“ What? Return to Paestum? ”
< p > It had been a sleepless night, her eyes wide and unblinking as dawn crept over the horizon. Megus had gathered her group that morning, her voice steady yet laced with uncertainty as she proposed the idea.
“ To the very place where we abandoned that porter... the land we left behind. ”
< p > Riel’s eyes were dull with fatigue as she asked the question, her hand resting lightly on her sword hilt. Megus answered without hesitation.
“ Yes. We must verify whether our thoughts are true or false. ”
< p > “ Is it truly necessary? The porter has never once killed a wanderer. Even if he bears the same symptoms as someone under a deep curse... it’s still just our speculation. ”
< p > “ That’s true. But we cannot continue living with our eyes turned away like this. ”
< p > The seeker had an unyielding drive to face hardship head-on, even if it meant turning back. Riel knew that well. This time, though, the urge to expose the truth felt more like a bitter regret than anything else.
“ What do the others think? ”
< p > “ We have to find out. As Riel said, the porter has never killed a wanderer, yet he looked like someone cursed. ”
< p > If it were true, it was no small matter to overlook. Olivia insisted they return to cut down the variables that could bring disaster.
“ Luckily, we have plenty of gold—more than enough, in fact. That amount could sustain a hermit with nothing but herbs to chew on. So let’s determine the truth... ”
< p > “ If our hypothesis is correct, we should seek forgiveness for him, even if it’s late. For treating him coldly. ”
< p > Olivia let her sentence trail off, and Lora stepped in to finish it.
< p > Regret.
< p > She had never been faultless, but never had she committed such a sin.
[ That man was truly cunning. If he was like this from the start, why didn’t he reveal himself earlier? ]
[ I can’t imagine how he concealed his true nature all this time. Truly impressive. ]
[ ...I’m disappointed. ]
< p > Every dismissive remark they had hurled at him during their journey resurfaced now, like echoes in a hollow cave.
< p > The man they had pitied for his scheming ways on the harsh road was nothing but a dumping ground for their own grief and rage.
< p > If Edgar truly had been lazy, pretending, and deceitful, there would be no issue. They could even say it was justified.
< p > But the possibility had begun to dawn on them.
< p > If their assumption was indeed correct...
< p > The more they thought about it, the more a dark, wet vortex churned in their chests.
< p > Who knew what lay inside the box of truth? It could prove their illusions false... or it could be the opposite.
< p > And Megus was not the type to turn away from a box.
< p > Even if the contents terrified her, she would open the lid.
‘ It would have been better if I had never heard of the curse. ’
< p > Then she would never have known about the box, and she could have lived quietly and happily.
< p > Riel looked at the firm resolve in Megus’s eyes and the two women who had agreed to follow her, and let out a silent sigh.
< p > They set off on horseback without delay, heading straight for Paestum.
< p > It was not a journey of abandoning their possessions, but a brief return.
< p > All of them intended to return to their former lives once they confirmed the truth.
< p > There were no obstacles blocking their path.
< p > Thanks to that, they rode faster than ever.
< p > They traveled almost day and night.
< p > The anxiety and unease about glimpsing the hidden truth had even pushed fatigue from their minds.
< p > Thus, they reached Paestum.
“ First, find an inn. ”
< p > Megus headed directly to the inn where Edgar had stayed, upon entering the city.
< p > If he had left, they would question the innkeeper to uncover the truth.
< p > The rest would search separately.
< p > But...
“ That man? He didn’t even pay his room bill and suddenly vanished. ”
< p > The innkeeper’s sigh mixed with shock froze Megus solid.
< p > It was absurd.
“ Vanished... and died? ”
< p > Megus asked, and the innkeeper nodded.
< p > He had no room for anger in front of the great seeker.
< p > He feared her, and he respected her.
“ Yes. At least he didn’t eat much of my day’s wages. It’s already been several months. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t remember, but the way that coughing man spoke... it stuck in my mind. ”
< p > “ Did you happen to learn anything else? ”
< p > “ Anything else? Well... ”
< p > What could there be?
< p > The innkeeper crossed his arms in thought, then suddenly gasped.
“ Oh! Now that I think of it, a strange woman did arrive. She wore a robe that hid her entire body. ”
< p > “ A woman? ”
< p > Megus’s eyebrows furrowed instantly.
< p > For some reason, the news that a woman had come unsettled her deeply.
“ Yes. Even though she was covered, her figure and the long hair spilling from her hood were unmistakable. An unusual color, I remember it clearly. ”
< p > “ What color was it? ”
< p > “ Ah... a soft pinkish shade? Something like that. Anyway, the woman came out of nowhere and asked for the room that hadn’t been paid. I showed her the way, and she picked up her luggage and left in a flash. ”
< p > “ What? She just left it like that? ”
< p > Megus asked, utterly bewildered.
< p > How could she come straight to the room, take Edgar’s belongings, and leave them untouched? It made no sense.
< p > The innkeeper recalled that moment and shook his head in disbelief, answering in a flat tone.
“ Indeed. And strangely, I never thought to complain. I even wondered if it was part of a group. ”
< p > He regretted not receiving the money, sighing heavily.
< p > “ Do you know where the woman went? ”
< p > “ No. I don’t think I do. ”
< p > Yeah. There was no way to know.
< p > Megus left the inn with a heavy heart full of regret and emptiness.
< p > Even so, she took money from her pouch and paid the overdue bill in his place.
< p > Perhaps for her reputation.
< p > Or maybe just because the innkeeper looked so pitiful.
< p > Or perhaps out of some sense of justice.
< p > Either way, Megus’s already troubled mind grew even more tangled.
‘ He didn’t die. ’
< p > Megus walked slowly down the street, sorting through her complex thoughts.
< p > Having overcome countless hardships, she regained her composure quickly.
< p > The suffocating emotion in her chest remained, but she could set it aside for now.
< p > She reached the central square where they had agreed to meet, and before she could fully arrive, a sigh escaped her.
< p > “ Who could it be... ”
< p > She had spoken her thoughts aloud, but she also mulled them over in her mind.
< p > Before long, time had passed, and the dispersed members began to gather around her one by one.
< p > “ I couldn’t get any information. ”
< p > Riel, who had started from the southern gate, returned empty-handed.
< p > “ Me too. ”
< p > Lora, starting from the western gate, was in the same situation.
< p > “ I’m sorry. ”
< p > Olivia, who had been in charge of the north, returned with nothing as well.
< p > Ultimately, the only one who had heard any potentially useful news was Megus.
< p > “ Everyone worked hard. ”
< p > Even without results, the effort was immense, so Megus offered words of comfort first.
< p > After that, she recounted the story from the inn.
< p > “ A woman with light pink hair? ”
< p > Olivia tilted her head, furrowing her brows.
< p > She had never seen Edgar close to any woman.
< p > He avoided private matters entirely, except for when he relieved himself or slept.
< p > “ That man with a woman? Strange. Was she someone he knew before? ”
< p > There had been no time for such things during the journey, but before they left, perhaps.
< p > Riel murmured in that direction, and Lora shook her head.
< p > “ As far as I know, there was no such person. Moreover, even if there was, it doesn’t match. For one thing, light pink hair isn’t common, and it’s difficult to match the irregular schedule. ”
< p > “ Maybe she just happened to be there? ”
< p > Riel asked, grasping at straws.
< p > Of course, they could not completely rule out the possibility.
< p > Yet Lora’s voice showed no wavering.
< p > “ The village where Edgar lived was in a mountainous region, self-sufficient. Like every other village. There’s no way he would have come all the way to Paestum. And there’s no city nearby. ”
< p > “ That’s... true. ”
< p > Riel nodded in agreement, with nothing more to say.
< p > She had no counterargument and thought the same.
< p > “ Then... where exactly did he go? ”
< p > They still could not know the porter’s whereabouts.
< p > They had come all the way to Paestum.
< p > It felt like walking through darkness where even the next step was unknown.
< p > What if he had truly endured the pain we should have shared alone?
< p > And still said nothing?
< p > What expression should I make, what words should I say?
< p > Despair gripped her chest like a vice, and Megus’s vision blurred.
< p > The others felt the same.
< p > At the very least, a clear conscience.
< p > Unimaginable accusations.
< p > The arrogance of labeling an innocent man as a slacker.
< p > All dark thoughts pressed down on their shoulders.
< p > The feeling was born of the hypothesis slowly turning into something real.
< p > “ For now... let’s return each to our proper places. ”
< p > “ What? ”
< p > Lora asked in surprise, and Megus strengthened her resolve.
< p > “ Right now, we can’t even tell where the porter disappeared to. So let’s go back to our own places and find out slowly. I’ll do it my way, and you each do it your way. ”
< p > “ ...Yes. Megus is right. If you return to the temple and the knights, you can use your influence. ”
< p > Olivia, who had been thinking the same, spoke up.
< p > Influence.
< p > The word, short and powerful, etched itself deeply into everyone’s minds.
< p > Even if the hypothesis seemed true, it was still just that.
< p > Nothing was certain yet, but using the influence she mentioned should cause no harm.
< p > They could even use the excuse of seeking treatment.
< p > Still everyone felt heavy-hearted, Riel forced a calm tone.
< p > “ Let’s go back. To our places. ”
< p > Without imagining that the man they had searched for so long was in the seeker’s land.