Ansu’s gaze lingered on the mysterious traveler in the corner of the tavern for a long time.
After making her atmosphere-dampening comment, the woman returned to silence. She quietly lifted her oak mug and took small sips, as if an invisible barrier separated her from the surrounding clamor.
Although her face remained hidden, Ansu couldn't shake that inexplicable sense of familiarity. He instinctively turned toward Brenda.
"That lady... is she also a member of the mutual aid association?"
"She is not," President Brenda shook her head, looking over with a thoughtful expression.
"She claims to be a wanderer who fled her destroyed hometown. She's staying at a nearby inn for now and has been stopping by occasionally these past few days for a drink."
"That guest is indeed quite mysterious," another member of the association chimed in.
"But from what we've seen lately, she doesn't seem like a bad person. She’s painfully quiet, but I get the feeling... she actually wants someone to talk to, she just doesn't know how to start."
"Oh, so she's socially anxious..." Ansu nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing the members becoming noticeably more comfortable, Vera flashed a friendly smile, hoping to dig for more information for her brother. "The atmosphere of the Northern Magic Mutual Aid Association sounds very inclusive. I really like a place like this!"
"It is," Brenda smiled kindly. "We welcome every fellow mage here."
As the conversation deepened, Ansu realized the organization was far gentler than he had expected. They treated their companions with the harmony of a large family.
Furthermore, President Brenda was full of compassion and tolerance. This was evident from the many demihumans sitting in the tavern; this place gathered many marginalized people who were shunned by society, serving as a sanctuary in the North.
Throughout the conversation, the mysterious traveler seemed to sense Ansu’s gaze.
She lowered her head slightly, pulling her hood even lower, and placed a few copper coins on the table.
A moment later, she silently pushed open the tavern’s heavy wooden door, her figure vanishing into the night.
"Brother?" Vera had already noticed the subtle shift in Ansu’s expression. She leaned in and whispered, "Is there something wrong with that woman?"
She instinctively began to analyze the situation: deliberately hiding her face, acting as a loner, leaving immediately upon being noticed, and appearing in the highly suspicious Northern Magic Mutual Aid Association... she was indeed very suspicious.
"Yes," Ansu withdrew his gaze. "Let’s follow her first. I have some theories I want to confirm..."
He ended his chat with the President and the other members, bid them a polite farewell, and promised to visit again in the next day or two.
Then, he and Vera rose and left the tavern.
...
The summer night streets were busy with pedestrians. Ansu pushed through the crowd, following the dark green figure through two streets.
Finally, in a quiet alleyway filled with discarded wooden crates, he caught sight of her again just as she was about to turn into the depths of the alley.
Ansu and Vera exchanged a look.
A few minutes later, the dark green figure gradually slowed to a halt. At the mouth of the alley, the little girl from the tavern was standing there quietly, blocking her path.
"You're not going anywhere!" the girl said in a crisp voice.
The traveler didn't let her guard down just because of the girl's height or her innocent face. That seemingly ordinary wooden sword was pointed steadily at her, and more importantly...
A pure, condensed aura of Holy Light was gathering on the tip of that wooden sword.
A cleric of the Holy Light?
And judging by that stance... the trait of condensing the power of Holy Light into a weapon belonged to the extremely rare combat clerics.
A paladin?
To think there was such a young paladin. She wasn't even an adult yet, was she?
Soft footsteps echoed from behind, and the dark green figure whipped around.
At the other end of the alley stood the young mage who had been the center of the tavern's discussion—the one who claimed he could solve magic pollution. He was walking toward her with measured steps.
"You two..." She frowned slightly, searching her memory for a moment, but she didn't recall offending any humans. "I don't believe I know you. What do you want?"
"We mean no harm," Ansu stopped, staring at the half of her face visible under the hood.
"I’m just curious about what you said earlier... why don't we find another place to talk?"
A cold, detached scoff was her response.
"You mean no harm, yet you 'invite' me like this?"
She cast aside the coarse cloth wrapping her weapon, revealing an elegant wooden longbow carved with intricate patterns.
She didn't reach for an arrow. Instead, she drew the string back against the air. The mana drifting in the surroundings instantly converged, forming an emerald arrow that radiated an aura of nature.
"Step aside!" She slowly raised the bow, her voice cold and threatening.
Ansu was well-prepared; a translucent Shield spell had already formed in front of him.
His casting speed was incredibly fast. Even as he shielded himself, he was already chanting a low, ancient syllable.
At just the beginning of this magic incantation—
A terrifying deathly aura, one that felt as if it could annihilate every living thing, suddenly erupted from him.
The dark green figure’s heart jolted.
For a split second, she truly felt that if he finished that incantation...
she would die.
But she lacked the confidence to kill him first with a single shot...
Undoubtedly, this was a powerful mage, far stronger than the President of the association. But when had she ever provoked such a high-level existence?
Her fingers remained tense on the string, but the emerald arrow never flew.
"A smart choice," Ansu said with a slow smile, abruptly ending the incantation.
The terrifying deathly aura receded like a tide, as if it had never existed.
【Disintegration (Conjuration, 6th Circle magic)】
This was the most lethal magic Ansu possessed, and likely the most intimidating black magic for mages of this era, because 【Disintegration】 was utterly merciless when it came to instant kills.
The woman was an expert; the moment she realized what he was capable of, her gaze cleared instantly.
Seeing Ansu stow his lethal magic, the dark green figure slowly lowered her bow, though her eyes remained filled with shock and suspicion.
"As I said," Ansu’s voice was calm again, as if the previous threat had never happened, "Ma'am, I really just want to talk."
She remained silent for a moment before finally letting out a helpless sigh. "Ask then."
"Are you also investigating the Northern Magic Mutual Aid Association?" Ansu went straight to the point.
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes beneath the shadow of the hood.
How... did he know?
"Do you know about 'Safe Magic Crystal No. 1'?" Ansu pressed.
This time, her reaction was even more pronounced.
She looked up, and beneath the hood, her gem-like emerald eyes narrowed slowly.
Rate on N.U.
