"Ah... this is delicious. Thank you."
Gulp, gulp.
Jibin, standing stiffly, drank the drink Jun handed to him. He seemed very tense about something. Jun and Jibin were sitting on either side of Ken's bed, while the women were seated a bit further away by the window.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I only got shot on the arm, and with facilities like these, there's no reason not to be okay."
"You're tough."
"...Can I ask how you ended up here?"
Ken asked Jun while lying on the bed.
"Well, it's a coincidence that you and I arrived at Ironwind at the same time. However, since you got injured due to the incident I was involved in, I came to check on you, at least for a courtesy visit. My wife there had something to attend to with that lady over there."
"Involved in an incident?"
In response to Jibin's question, Jun told the truth.
"Let's just say, I have nothing to hide, and I'll tell you everything. My name is Jun Lee. The 17th clan master of the Lee Clan of the East Ocean Empire."
"Cough!"
Jibin choked on his drink and coughed loudly. Ken, in his reflexive habit, tried to sit up but Jun stopped him.
"Oh, it's alright. Lie down."
"...Nice to meet you, sir."
"If you're a Lee, does that mean you're from the clan with that guardian wearing transparent suits?"
Jibin asked Jun, catching his breath.
"Yes, that's correct."
Upon hearing Jun's response, Jibin intuitively realized that there had been some kind of secret agreement among the high-ranking individuals involved in this incident.
"Just a moment... Jun Lee? Jun Lee..."
Jibin's mind was suddenly flooded with questions about where he had heard Jun's name before and whether he should flee from here immediately. At that moment, Jun made a proposal to Ken.
"Ken, I have a proposal for you."
"A proposal, you say?"
"It's a joint proposal from the United Mining chairman and myself. Thanks to your intervention, we were able to prevent additional casualties. If you agree, we'd like to publish it as a newspaper article."
"Do you really need my consent for that?"
Jun replied with a smile.
"Neither the chairman nor I are inclined to proceed with something without the consent of someone who's not an enemy."
"Uh... well, it doesn't matter."
Then, as if remembering something important, Jibin spoke to Jun.
"Oh, Jun Lee! Could it be that you were a crew member of the Red Chamber 15 years ago?"
"Oh, yes. It's been 15 years since I last operated as a runner, and you recognize that."
Jibin exclaimed excitedly.
"I read about it in a book covering the lumen cave expeditions, which included the Red Chamber, the vessel crew that discovered numerous lumen caves, including the lumen ziggurat, in just three years. You were my role models. Here... if it's okay with you, could I have your autograph...?"
Jibin pulled out his tablet and handed it to Jun.
"You won't use this for anything strange later, right?"
As Jun signed it, Jibin shook his head and said, "No, I'll just keep it as a memento. But, um, lady over there, is she by any chance...?"
"If you're thinking she's the captain of the Red Chamber, then yes."
"Wow... can I also get her autograph?"
"I think you should ask my wife about that, not me."
"...Jibin, were they really such a famous exploration team?"
In the midst of their conversation, Ken whispered, and Jibin replied,
"Of course! Naturally. I can't believe I didn't immediately connect it when I heard you mention Jun from the East Ocean. I feel foolish."
"Hmm, I was just surprised to hear the name Lee Clan. The Lee Clan is known as the closest associate of the East Ocean Emperor, and it's said to be the wealthiest clan in the East Ocean."
"Is that so?"
While the men conversed, the women engaged in a slightly different conversation.
/
"#108... No, what should I call you? What's your name?"
The two women were pulling chairs by the window and having a conversation. In response to Layla's question, Eda answered while gently soothing Yen, who was nestled in her mother's arms and sleeping.
"Edalune Grant. Call me Eda."
"Grant... so Master Red adopted you. I was... #119. My name now is Layla."
"Oh, #119. Right, it's all coming back to me now."
A face popped into Eda's mind. She had no friction with her, but neither did they have any interaction—a fellow student whose face she just recognized. At that time, Eda had strongly remembered all the children in her class because she wanted to make friends, so hearing the number #119 now triggered her memory.
"I recognized you the moment I saw you, but it seems hearing the number jolted your memory. Well, it's only natural."
"Was I that memorable?"
As Eda spoke, Layla replied as if releasing a grudge.
"It's hard not to remember. You were the center of attention for everyone, with your exceptional talent... and then losing your witch apprentice qualification after injuring your throat. Even when Master Red took you in as her disciple."
"... "
Eda listened silently.
"How is Master Red now?"
Being confined within Ironwind, Layla, who was unaware of external news, asked Eda with a faint sense of hope.
"Master went missing. A long time ago."
"Oh... I'm sorry..."
As Layla apologized, old emotions stirred within her. Back in the days of the Witching Tower, she hadn't actively participated in Eda's ostracization, but neither had she helped. She had simply stood by. As she grew older, she realized it was a wrongdoing and had thought about apologizing if they ever met again. Now she realized that this was her chance.
But the words didn't come easy.
"..."
"Mom..."
As the men next to them made loud noises, Yen stirred in Eda's arms, as if waking up.
"Yen, you can sleep a little longer."
"Yes..."
As Eda stroked her head, Yen fell back asleep. Layla looked at Yen and said to Eda, "Is she your daughter? She's adorable."
"Yeah, my youngest daughter. Yen. I scolded her yesterday and keeps clinging to me, not letting go. Please excuse her."
Eda smiled and continued to stroke Yen's head.
"Oh, well... it's fine. Is that man her father?"
Recalling the talk about the Lee Clan master and noble titles coming from the men's side, Layla turned to Jun and asked.
"Yeah. His name is Jun, he's from the East Ocean."
Nodding at Eda's response, Layla asked her as if there was something odd.
"By the way, didn't you injure your throat?"
"Oh, that? It's already healed. I can even sing now."
"Oh... I see. Congratulations."
Talk of nobility came from the men's side. Layla glanced momentarily at the large mirror on the wall without realizing it. She saw the face of a woman who had weathered the storms of time and labor, wrinkled and worn.
It was hard to say her skin was in good condition. She turned her gaze to Eda's face. Though she remembered herself being younger, if she were to stop a passing person and ask, they might mistake Eda for her niece. Eda had not a single blemish on her face.
the appearance like early twenties, being Red's disciple, her current situation, and her natural talents—Layla suddenly felt that there was nothing about her former colleague in front of her that was not superior to herself.
Having lost her witch apprentice qualification, #108 had married a wealthy nobleman and was living well, but now she felt a sense of deprivation about her current situation. And jealousy towards her counterpart. The jealousy she thought she had left behind in her naive years surfaced once again.
The thought of apologizing for her childhood actions had long been forgotten.
"...Are you here to tease me?"
"Huh?"
Eda looked at her as if she had suddenly said something unexpected. While Layla started to think that she shouldn't have said this, she continued to let out the bubbling emotions inside her.
"I'm stuck in this place, working myself to the bone to survive because I don't want to die. And you, the former top student, get to enjoy leisurely walks here and your fortunes have clearly turned around."
"What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Are you comfortable living well because you married well? Your skin looks like you've received extensive care, you must be very happy."
Although Eda had never received any beauty treatments, Layla, who didn't know that, continued to express what she wanted to say.
"You've always been like that. I tried my best as a witch, sacrificing my sleep to transcribe the Terra hymnal, but you effortlessly surpassed me."
Layla began to realize that she was making a mistake, but the words that had already burst out didn't stop.
"And I don't know how, but even after injuring your throat, you were chosen as Master Red's disciple. Even though your throat was injured, were there something geniuses could recognize? I was struggling to survive among moron-like witches, but you were comfortably living under her teachings.
And now, you even married a nobleman and live comfortably. Are you feeling good about seeing your former colleague, who was in a worse position? I... found solace only in that book..."
A sense of regret filled Layla's face after she had let out everything she wanted to say. She shouln't said these things. Then, Eda, who had been quietly observing with a calm expression, spoke up.
"Book?"
To Layla, who had expected Eda to retaliate with insults or somehow take back her words, it was a somewhat unexpected response.
"Uh... 'Red Reflections: Witches & War,' written by Master Red himself..."
"Oh, you read that book? How was it?"
"It... deeply resonated with me... It made me feel like I could be a better person by being honest with myself... But my fellow witches didn't like the book, so I didn't read it much."
Layla's words trailed off, unable to properly conclude her thoughts. She couldn't fathom why Eda had brought up the book talk after her outburst of unwarranted criticism in front of Eda.
"You're just like the old me. But you're much better than I was."
"What?"
"You're struggling with yourself. You seem to be making efforts, as mentioned in the book by my master, but it's hard because of the environment around you. Just earlier, it was clear on your face that you didn't really want to say those things."
"What do you know about me..."
"After being under the master's wing, I ventured into her medical plant trading. When master disappeared, I searched Thousand Peaks with my sister to find her. We thought she was stranded in one of the lumen caves.
That's when I met my husband, who was a runner from the East Ocean. We eventually found out where master was, but it was too dangerous to approach, so we had to return. After that, I followed him to the East Ocean and got married. It was only then that I truly understood myself. I finally realized what my master had tried to teach me."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I didn't even know what master was trying to teach me when the conditions were favorable, but you're figuring it out on your own. If you had met her back then, you might have become her disciple too. No, I'm sure you would have. Master didn't take me in because of my talents. What use would a witch be who couldn't even sing?"
Layla felt ashamed. She had poured out all her accumulated emotions earlier, intending to make herself feel better, but the other party had calmly received her words and even comforted her in their own way. Thus, Layla decided to be truly honest with herself, just as depicted in her favorite book.
"Sorry..."
As Layla bowed her head, attempting to apologize, Eda remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"Actually, I've been wanting to say this since I met you. I'm really sorry... for just standing by and watching when others were mean to you when we were kids. There's no excuse for that. And for what I said earlier, it was all my fault. I'm truly sorry..."
There were excuses she could make, like being young and not knowing any better, or not directly participating in the bullying. But Layla decided not to offer any. The flower within her heart advised her not to say such things.
"I understand. I'll accept your apology."
Truthfully, Eda hadn't thought much about those childhood incidents. Even at the time, her dislike for herself for not being able to sing was stronger than any resentment towards the other kids. Since then, so much had happened that any feelings towards her peers from back then had faded away. Occasionally, she wondered what they might be doing now, but that was about it.
The comment Layla made earlier did bother her a little, but it was just that—bothersome. She noticed at a glance that Layla didn't look very good, so she felt pity rather than displeasure. Eda couldn't help but sympathize, wondering how difficult things must have been for her to say such things.
So, she accepted Layla's apology without hesitation. It was essentially a gesture of comfort for Layla's peace of mind. Furthermore, Eda had also accomplished her true intention in meeting Layla.
"R-really?"
Surprised, Layla lifted her head, expecting to be rebuffed or dismissed.
"Yeah. Really."
"Thank you... Thank you so much..."
Layla murmured words of gratitude, unsure to whom she was directing them, as she sank back into her chair. It seemed like some of the tension in her heart had eased.
"Then, how about singing a starsong?"
"What?"
Layla was puzzled by Eda's sudden suggestion.
"I mean the starsong of Ironwind. Give it a try."
"Um... okay."
Unable to refuse Eda's suggestion due to the recent events, Layla decided to comply with what Eda asked.
"..."
Layla closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Although this place was within Ironwind, it wasn't easy to feel the cohesive starsong of Ironwind itself because there were too many facilities around using lumen. Taking some time to focus, Layla opened her eyes and started singing as if she had gotten the hang of it. The melodious tones of ancient deities flowed from her lips.
" ~~ ~ ~~"
Although she didn't sing loudly, it was certainly audible to the people in the room. Men conversing nearby turned to look at her.
"You sing well."
Clap, clap, clap.
When Eda applauded, the men also clapped along without understanding what was happening. Except for Ken, who has a hurt arm. Yen, who was sleeping, perhaps awakened by the clapping, also joined in with a hazy, sleepy face, clapping.
In Eda's view, while Layla's singing might have diverged a bit from the true cohesive starsong of Ironwind, it was still much better than most witches wandering around Thousand Peaks. Eda patted Yen's head and said,
"With that level, if you were to go out... Yes, even if you were to join the lumen exploration crew, you could definitely make a difference."
"What?"
Before coming to the infirmary, Eda had asked Bones to do a little research on Layla. And she had noticed that Layla might want to leave this place right away.
She is part of a group of witches whose nature is entirely incompatible with her. There wasn't a single friend she could confide in. Moreover, the working environment was a mess. Eda suspected that the reason she hadn't left yet was simply because she had become too deeply involved to extricate herself on her own. All that was needed was confirmation.
"Sure, I came to find you undoubtedly to confirm if you recognized me. But the main purpose was to see for myself what kind of person you are."
Layla, unable to grasp what Eda was saying, widened her eyes and looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I wanted to confirm if you really hate being here and want to leave. My assumptions could be wrong. If you felt uncomfortable, I apologize."
"Huh? No, it's not like that..."
"Do you want to leave here?"
"...Yeah. Of course."
In response to Eda's words, Layla slightly bit her lower lip and replied. And what followed from Eda was something Layla hadn't even imagined.
"Then I'll talk to the Chairman. While the Chairman doesn't have much influence in matters related to witches, excluding one person should be entirely possible."
Layla jumped up from her chair, surprised. Her expression hardened. Glaring at Eda, Layla said,
"...Are you kidding me?"
"I'm not kidding."
"You're on good terms with the Chairman?"
"Yeah. We just spoke earlier."
Layla turned to Jun. Then she remembered the conversation she overheard from the men earlier.
It was clear, her husband had mentioned being the clan master of a prominent clan in the East Ocean. Though Layla didn't know much about East Ocean affairs, it was probably akin to high nobility. It didn't seem like an empty thing to know that she is acquainted with the chairman.
Layla stared into Eda's eyes, conveying her will, each word punctuated firmly.
Even as Layla thought she shouldn't get this angry, she couldn't stop herself. It should've been as simple as just accepting it, but suddenly, her useless pride got in the way.
"Hey... are you sympathizing with me just because I'm worse off than you?"
"It would be a lie to say there's no sympathy, but that's not the only reason."
"Then what? Just because I can't leave here officially means I can't leave at all? If I set my mind to it, I could escape in the dead of night and seize an opportunity. I just haven't felt the need to do that yet. If I get caught, it'll be a real problem. So, just tell me. Why bring this up?"
"Because you're trying to follow my master's will."
Layla stopped her defiance and fell silent. Eda continued her explanation.
"I wanted to support you in reading my master's book and trying to follow her will in your own way. But it seems difficult for you due to the environment, so I've decided to help you with what I can. As a disciple of Master Red, I want to assist you in continuing her teachings elsewhere."
...
Layla slumped into her chair, no longer having a reason to refuse. She conveyed her heartfelt gratitude to Eda.
"...Thank you."
"If you're thankful, then live diligently from now on. Serve none but your flower within."
/
After the men applauded, they watched the women discreetly. Despite the distance and the women speaking quietly, it was evident that they were having some serious discussion.
"Hmm... I wonder what they're talking about?"
"It seems there's a lot to talk about regarding Ms. Layla. She's presumed to be a contemporary of my wife during her time at the Witching Tower."
"The world is indeed small."
The three men exchanged hushed words, careful not to be overheard by the women. Suddenly, when Layla abruptly stood up, they were all taken aback.
"...Are they fighting?"
"Shouldn't we intervene?"
"Eda can handle it on her own, I'm sure."
As Layla slumped back down, Ken and Jibin turned to Jun, saying, "Wow..."
"You were right."
"I just trusted my wife."
A while later, Layla approached Ken and Jibin with a sheepish expression.
"Um... is that suggestion from earlier still valid?"
And so, Ken and Jibin managed to secure the witch colleague and additionally obtained the autographs of Eda and Jun.