A storm of thoughts surged through my mind.
"What are you saying, you bastard?" Seren barked. "Was it you? The one who has been sending me creepy letters since I got here? And now you're even throwing in threats?"
Her irritation ruled out one possibility—the two of them weren't accomplices.
I sighed in relief. If Seren had been pretending to be clueless while hiding her true intentions, and I had fallen for it, I wouldn't have had the courage to face Fourth Senior Brother.
Seren continued, "I don't know who you are. But if you are tired, stop talking nonsense and go get some sleep."
"You don't know who I am?" Hariba asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"No," she replied flatly.
"Why?" he pressed, his tone growing more intense. "I've only thought of you since that day and acted only for you."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Seren shot back.
Hariba's voice dropped. "I was the one who made Luan Badniker sell the sword."
What?
Even I was taken aback by his words. Of course, I had no memory of receiving the sword from this lunatic.
"I bribed the servant by his side and ensured that information about the sword reached his ears," he admitted. "At most, I thought he would steal it and run away. I never expected him to sell it."
Wow!
I never imagined I would uncover the truth about my past life. Yet, as I glanced around, the pieces slowly fell into place. This man had been scheming on his own, acting without request or orders, convinced he was helping Seren by backing me into a corner.
What was I even supposed to call this?
"Are you a pervert?" Seren asked, her voice laced with disgust.
This was a fitting question.
Hariba's tone softened, almost pleading. "My Seren, don't say that. Your engagement with that loser was broken off because of me, right?"
"What are you saying, you crazy bas—"
Hariba suddenly cried, "Why?!"
I flinched.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he demanded.
At this point, I narrowed my eyes. There were certain types of people in this world that one should avoid, and the worst of them were the mentally unhinged—like Hariba.
"You know, I always make this face when I see scum like you," Seren said coldly.
"Don't say that," Hariba pleaded, his voice trembling.
"I refuse," she replied.
The tension was escalating, but I didn't reveal myself. I figured it was best to wait and see how things unfolded.
At least, that was my intention. However, this was the Badnikers' territory, and while I didn't feel any particular attachment to this family, seeing someone from the Goodsprings getting tangled up in my family's affairs didn't sit right with me. Thus, I stepped forward.
In the middle of their serious conversation, they both turned to me simultaneously and exclaimed, "You!"
Their attention made me uncomfortable, but I greeted them first. "Yes, it's me."
"Why are you here?!" they demanded.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that? This area is off-limits to outsiders," I shot back.
Of course, it wasn't just outsiders. It was probably off-limits to me as well, but they couldn't know that.
As expected, Seren fell silent, unable to refute my words.
I looked at Hariba. "I heard you clearly, you son of a bitch. You looked like you wanted to kill me so badly your eyes were about to roll back."
"Luan," Hariba muttered.
"Yes."
"Luan Badniker," Hariba growled.
"What is it?"
For some reason, it felt like we'd had this exact conversation recently.
"Luaaan—!" Hariba suddenly let out a strange cry, his body contorting unnaturally.
What was wrong with him?
His body emanated a chilling sound, like bones and sinews twisting.
"Luaaan—!" he screamed again.
What the hell is going on? Does he have some kind of grudge against me? Wait, maybe he does.
Soon after, Hariba's body swelled up grotesquely, as if it were inflating like a balloon. I was utterly baffled.
This isn't a curse, is it?
Despite the bizarre phenomenon, I sensed no evil energy from Hariba. If he were a demonic human, he wouldn't have been allowed into the Badnikers' main house. So what was happening to him?
At that moment, Seren lunged forward. A gust of wind swirled around her as she moved—a power I recognized well. Seren was now using her blessing.
The fallen leaves scattered violently in her wake.
Hariba's gaze remained locked on me, but he hadn't completely forgotten about Seren, who had closed the distance in an instant.
In the meantime, he swung a fist, swollen to several times its normal size, at Seren. If it landed, the injury would be far from minor.
Seren seemed to think the same, as she deftly avoided the attack instead of meeting it head-on. Her hood fell off with the sudden movement, and her silver hair swayed behind her.
She spun around to avoid Hariba's fist, then rushed into the space between his arms and delivered a clean roundhouse kick.
Bam!
The strike was clean, its power evident from the sound alone.
But Seren's expression darkened. She retreated instantly, grabbing my wrist without warning.
I was caught off guard.
"Come here!" she barked.
We sprinted through the forest, leaving Hariba behind.
"Luaaan—!" His persistent, grating cry echoed behind us, refusing to fade away.
***
How big exactly was the Badnikers' main house?
Only the family head and the Council of Elders knew the exact size. However, it was common knowledge that the estate was so vast that residents sometimes needed a carriage to reach distant buildings. This sprawling layout left me disoriented, unsure of my exact location.
I heard that the northern part of the territory might not even have an outer wall.
Walking in that direction, one would eventually leave the main house and enter the Butterfly Forest. The area was overgrown with plants and trees, feeling more like wilderness than a cultivated garden.
"Where is that bastard?" I muttered. "I can't see him anywhere."
"Alright." Seren finally sighed and released my wrist, leaving a faint handprint from her tight grip.
I rubbed my sore wrist and asked, "Why did you run away, anyway?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?" she shot back. "Did you want to fight that monster?"
"I'd need to assess him first," I replied. "Running away could always come later."
"No," she said firmly. "By then, it'd be too late."
Seren looked at me, and I could almost read her thoughts.
Does she see me as a burden?
As ridiculous as it seemed, from Seren's perspective, it was natural. So far, I'd only shown weakness in front of her, like when Hector humiliated me. She probably judged it too risky to fight Hariba while protecting me.
"Hey, I know what you are thinking," I said, breaking the silence. "But I am not that weak. I'm actually strong."
"What a load of bullcrap," she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Her blunt response left me speechless.
"Do you think one blessing makes you invincible?" she continued. "Did you see that guy's twisted body? He makes an ogre look cute. If you want to live, keep quiet and follow my lead."
Sadly, I couldn't argue. No matter what, now wasn't the time to prove my strength by fighting Seren. Even if I insisted, she wouldn't believe me.
Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that Seren was different. She was kind, though her rough language masked it.
Deep down, she didn't seem like a bad person. Earlier, she could've fled alone but chose to drag me along, despite being a Badniker—a family the Goodsprings despised.
She is unique in many ways, I thought.
It was said that Goodspring children risked their lives to maintain their dignity and nobility, but Seren showed almost no sign of that.
Even her appearance lacked that characteristic Goodspring refinement. The way she spoke could make her pass for a mercenary. Could there be more to her story?
Well, everyone has their own struggles, I reminded myself.
I chose to trust her, not only out of gratitude but because she was destined to become the hero known as Silver Moon. This was before she had fully stepped into that role. I wanted to see how she would handle the crisis.
"By the way, where are we?" she asked, glancing around. "It feels like we've completely left the house."
"Not quite. This is probably the northern area," I replied.
"What is the northern area?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A place you can't enter without permission," I explained. "I overheard the servants say a witch lives here."
Seren scoffed. "A witch on family territory? As expected of the gloomy Badnikers. There are rumors about everything. I bet the Iron-Blooded Lord just let it slide."
I doubted the rumor's truth, but the northern area's neglect was puzzling. If it were just a forest beyond the fence, that would be one thing—but this was still part of the main house's territory.
Seren seemed lost in thought before murmuring, "Going back is risky. We might run into that pervert again. But we can't just stay here..."
I watched her for a moment before asking, "By the way, you—"
"What is it?" she snapped.
"Do you really not remember that guy?"
At my words, Seren hesitated, then let out a deep sigh. "It isn't that I don't remember him."
"Then why pretend not to know him?" I pressed.
"It's not like I wanted to pretend," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "I just feel bad."
What was going on?
I squinted, urging her further until Seren reluctantly spoke. "Was it two years ago? At the First Prince's birthday party. We met then. That's all."
"Really?"
"I think I nagged him because his hesitation annoyed me, but I don't really remember," she admitted. "I have no idea what's wrong with him."
"I see."
Was it love at first sight? It wasn't absurd. After all, Seren was pretty.
"In any case, in this situation—"
Suddenly, I raised my index finger to my lips and said, "Wait, be quiet."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Do you hear that?" I whispered.
"Hear what?" she replied.
"Listen carefully," I urged.
Seren frowned but fell silent, listening intently.
The harsh sound of metal clashing echoed unnervingly.
Seren, now aware, was startled.
Without a word, we ducked behind a large tree. Moments later, the source of the unpleasant sound emerged.
Clink... Clink...
A knight in black armor shuffled through the forest with an unnatural gait.
What? This is...
I squinted at the knight, and Seren whispered, "Hey, this—"
"I know," I interrupted.
The knight's armor looked as though it might collapse at any moment. No living person with bones and muscles could move like that. Meanwhile, ominous black smoke seeped from the joints of the armor.
An undead? Here in Badniker territory? And not some low-quality creature, either. If we get caught, it will be dangerous.
Fortunately, its senses seemed dull. The creaking knight slowly moved away.
"How did you hear that? I didn't notice a thing," Seren said, her expression uneasy.
"I have sharp hearing," I replied. "The situation is worse than I thought. This place seems really dangerous."
"I agree." Seren paused, then added, "But if we hang on, won't your family come to rescue you?"
"Why would they?"
"Why? A Goodspring descendant and a Badniker descendant are missing," she countered.
"True. But you didn't attend the banquet today," I pointed out.
Seren blinked, confused. "That is true, but—"
"Or did you inform a servant before you left that you'd be out for a while?"
"No," she admitted.
"Does anyone check on you before you go to bed?" I pressed.
"I dislike that sort of thing," she answered.
"Then they won't know you're gone until tomorrow morning," I concluded.
"But I... You—" she stammered.
"Haven't you seen what I am like?" I cut in. "The Badnikers' incompetent, insignificant, crazy bastard who sold the family's treasure sword. They won't even notice I'm gone."
Seren was at a loss for words.
Strictly speaking, that was a lie. Even if no one else cared, my mother, Arjan, and Kayan would realize that I was missing.
"We should leave on our own," I suggested.
"Isn't that too risky?"
"I disagree. It's far more dangerous if we stay here," I replied.
"Why?"
I hesitated. This was a place where entry was strictly prohibited—not just to outsiders but even to family members. The atmosphere was unnervingly gloomy, the land showed no signs of maintenance, and an undead roamed freely within the family's territory.
How could the Badnikers not notice such a situation? More likely, they were aware of it but chose to ignore it.
If we're caught entering without permission, Seren—and possibly even I—will be silenced.
This notion was unsettling.