Chapter 70
Even though he claimed not to know much, he answered so effortlessly and naturally.
It was suspicious to no end.
“How on earth do you know all that?”
When she asked with a voice full of suspicion, he burst into laughter.
‘It’s like she’s cursed to keep asking questions.’ he added, as if amused by Eir’s behavior. Yet, he answered every one of her questions as though it were his duty to convince her.
“Well, of course, I know because I was there when Magnus joined hands with the witches. But, like Grandma Hecate, I’m a traitor.”
Haha.
His tone was almost cheerful as he called himself a traitor. Eir narrowed her eyebrows.
“So, your grandmother is a traitor too?”
Thinking back to the grandmother she had met at the funeral, the story didn’t quite add up.
At the time, the grandmother had her face covered with a veil, but she seemed angry for some reason when she saw Hecate’s grave. She also appeared deeply frustrated, as if Hecate had lived a reckless life and died foolishly, so it didn’t seem like she shared the same fate as Hecate.
Besides, if that were the case, why wouldn’t they have met more often? The life of a traitor is harsh, difficult, and lonely.
But Chrome casually confirmed it.
“Well, friends tend to resemble each other. Not all witches are trying to destroy the Divine Empire by siding with Albarm.”
Though many questions swirled in her mind, Eir felt this wasn’t the time. After all, even if Chrome’s words were mixed with lies, the fact that Rubel and the others were in danger remained unchanged.
“Let me down.”
When Eir suddenly made the request, Chrome looked at her in surprise.
“Huh?”
Thinking he might have misheard due to the wind, he even scratched his ear and asked again.
“Let me down.”
Eir repeated her request, and Chrome, looking incredulous, adjusted the reins and faced forward.
“You asked for help. I’m helping you right now. If you do this, all the effort I put into coming here will be wasted.”
“But Grandma’s body is about to be desecrated. How can I just leave peacefully?”
“Desecrated…… It’s not that dramatic.”
At his indifferent tone, Eir flared up in anger.
“Put yourself in my shoes. If the body of someone who saved you was treated like that, could you just leave calmly?”
“Is that really what you’re worried about?”
“What else? Why else would I do this?”
Chrome tilted his head, not understanding.
“But the body is meaningless. Especially in the world of witches. A body is just a body. It has nothing to do with the soul. If you leave now, I can’t guarantee I’ll save you again…… No, I won’t save you at all.”
Eir wasn’t acting out of blind trust that Chrome would help her. But the life she wanted wasn’t one gained by abandoning everything in this situation. She couldn’t just return to the village and live peacefully after such an opportunity.
Peace, after all, is influenced more by internal factors than external ones. At least, that was true for Eir. If she had succeeded in valuing only external peace, she wouldn’t have made the foolish choice to flee the temple.
After much internal conflict, Eir finally spoke.
“You don’t have to save me. In exchange, your grandma promised to grant me one wish. Instead of saving me, tell me how to save them.”
“What?”
The carriage suddenly stopped with a loud clatter, and Eir nearly flew out. If Chrome hadn’t grabbed her wrist at the last moment, she would have been thrown out.
Dazed from the shock, she sat there blankly as Chrome stared at her with a complicated expression.
He furrowed his brows, chewing on the inside of his cheek as if deep in thought, then let out a deep sigh and answered.
“Fine. If that’s what you want, I can’t stop you.”
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