Chapter 232
“I want to understand what makes it valuable.”
“Why? Thinking of buying it? Don’t even dream of it. Even if you sold everything you’re wearing from head to toe, that thing is—”
The middle-aged man’s scrutinizing gaze abruptly stopped as he looked Jaha up and down. Wondering why, she followed his line of sight.
His arrogant eyes were fixed on the ring on her right ring finger.
Jaha smiled inwardly. She had worn it just in case, and judging by his reaction, it seemed to have been the right choice.
The Ring of Abrixa.
Against an opponent with elitist ideals, the only shield that could protect her—even if from a slightly different field—was this.
“You—what are you?”
But the moment she faced the middle-aged man with his hardened, stiff expression, Jaha was suddenly gripped by unease—perhaps she had chosen the wrong path.
“How did you get that ring?”
The mage’s voice was sharp, almost like a bark. Caught off guard by the sudden interrogation, Jaha faltered for a second but quickly steadied herself.
Just moments ago, she had been the one desperately clinging to his attention. But no longer. Now, he was the one with questions for her.
This was an opportunity.
Of course, the more agitated he became, the greater the risk. In the worst case, he might even resort to violence. But at the very least, they were now on equal footing—a one-on-one exchange.
“If you answer my question first, I’ll tell you.”
Her calm reply twisted the mage’s expression into a scowl. It was understandable—he had been the one dictating the terms just moments ago, and now the tables had turned. But what could he do? They were equals now.
“The ‘Robe of the Vanished World.’ Tell me why it’s so valuable.”
The middle-aged mage glared at her before answering irritably.
“It’s the one and only relic miraculously left behind by a vanished world. Proof that a world that no longer exists wasn’t just an illusion—it was real.”
“What does that even—”
“Now it’s your turn to answer my question.”
Even after hearing his explanation, Jaha was still confused, struggling to grasp its meaning. But the mage pressed her like a loan shark demanding repayment.
“What’s your connection to Lex?”
“Lex?”
The sudden mention of an unfamiliar name left Jaha bewildered. Lex? She had never even heard of that name, let alone met them.
Her wide-eyed stare only made the mage’s already sharp gaze turn even more hostile.
“That is undeniably Lex’s ring. Lex’s magic is imbued in it—don’t even think about playing dumb.”
“There’s magic in this?”
This was the first she’d heard of it. When Rikanan gave it to her, he had only said it was for identification—he never mentioned it being a magical artifact.
‘Did even Rikanan not know?’
Well, he wasn’t a mage either.
It seemed only mages could sense magic. Jaha herself felt nothing from the ring.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’ve never met the person you’re talking about. This ring was given to me by someone I’m… involved with.”
“What? So you’re saying that bastard harmed Lex and stole the ring?”
“Why does it have to be like that? Maybe he sold it because he needed money, or maybe there were other circumstances.”
“Lex, selling it because he needed money? Pfft.”
The mage let out a derisive laugh, as if it were the most absurd thing he’d ever heard.
“You—did you just fall out of another world or something? You really don’t know who Lex is?”
Jaha stiffened. It was like stumbling upon the truth by sheer accident—though of course, the mage himself didn’t actually believe his own offhand remark. But if she kept talking about this, she might arouse suspicion. She needed to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Anyway, I have no connection to that person. More importantly, tell me more about the robe. You said it’s a relic left behind by a ‘vanished world’? Where is this vanished world?”
The mage frowned in irritation at her demand, but after glaring at the Ring of Abrixa for a long moment, he finally spoke.
“There are mornings when you wake up plagued by doubt. Is the world I’m in now truly the same one I fell asleep in? Could it have been swapped while I slept? What if we’re all living in a replaced world without even realizing it?”
A thought process so paranoid, it perfectly suited his personality.
Jaha silently judged him, but then the man’s voice grew more intense.
“And then one day, the world did change.”
“Huh?”
“I opened my eyes, and the world I’d fallen asleep in was gone. That robe is the proof!”
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