Chapter 21: Chapter 21 - Hidden Item (5)
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—Knock!
"Master, it's Isana."
Isana's soft voice resonated as she knocked on the door of the main building where the owner's shadow resided. Moments later, sensing a presence behind the door, she gently pushed it open, slipping inside without a sound. Paine's shadow still occupied the room, its form transformed from the previous short-haired man to that of a woman with long, straight hair and graceful lines.
Facing the shadow, Isana respectfully bowed and greeted. "I've escorted him to his guest room, Master. I've heightened my senses, so any suspicious movements should be detected immediately."
"Hmm, good job. Ah, Isha. Can you take a look at this?" The shadow responded to Isana's words, gesturing lightly towards the paper placed in front of it.
Just as the shape had changed, the shadow's voice also changed, now resembling that of a woman with delicate features. Isana picked up the paper and scanned its contents. "Edwin requested specific herbs, but I lack knowledge in that field as well. I initially claimed to know, but can I really procure them?"
"Moonroot grass, three-pointed star flower, nine-stranded thorn...?" Isana mumbled, studying the list. "I'm sorry but I'm not well-versed in herbs either, so I'll have to seek advice from the apothecary. But Master, how could Edwin be aware of these herbs? Did he know and ask for them? From the way he asked for them, they don't seem to grow in the lands of the Westerners. Also, how else did he know that our land was in a severe drought and made such an offer to you, Master?"
"Hoo-hoo, I don't know. If that's the case, how did he even learn about our identity in the first place? If we want to raise objections, we need to start from there. I couldn't dig too deep because Edwin was so tight-lipped, but the fact that he was so tight-lipped only made me want to know more. He is truly a mystery," Paine smiled lightly, acknowledging Isana's concerns.
"Master, I can't help but remain anxious. If he has even the slightest ill-will, this base and even our land could be in danger. In the worst scenario, even your safety…..!"
"Stop it. Isha. Your worries are not lost on me. But if you speak to him directly, you'll see he's not that kind of person. Trust me, not a single word he uttered today was a lie. And it's also true that relying solely on our power won't yield sharp results. Isha, you know better than anyone else. How Mother Earth is drying up right now..." Paine cut off Isana's words with a firmness unlike her earlier, recalling what Edwin had said to her earlier.
'At this point in time, there is only one person in the world who knows of your existence and clearly understands your identity - me, Edwin Reed. And that number won't increase unless I choose to reveal it. I have no intention of telling anyone about it.'
Edwin had even offered to seal this pact with an oath of silence, but Paine vehemently dissuaded him, deeming it unnecessary. In fact, now that she thinks about it, she wondered if that was the right thing to do to reduce the risk, but since Edwin showed his trust in them first, it would be the right thing for them to repay him with something corresponding to him.
And what she just said wasn't just to reassure Isana.
Due to her experience of living in hiding for a long time, Paine prided herself on being adept at discerning people's hidden intentions.
And Edwin's eyes, filled with confidence, appeared more sincere than anything Paine had ever encountered.
"And Isha, Edwin has asked for directions to Falana... I think you should be the one to take care of it. What do you think about going with him to gather the herbs he requested as well?"
Earlier, Edwin had asked himself if there was a place called Falana nearby — Falana was the name of a low mountain a short distance from the residence of the Varda clan, to which Paine belonged.
Edwin even knew about a cave within the mountain. Rather than asking, it felt more like confirming a fact he was already certain about. How on earth did he know such trivial details?
"Falana. Huh. How did he know about that place? Very well, as per my Master's orders, I'll be his guide, perhaps even better, so I can keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
"Isha..." Paine ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head in disbelief. Unlike herself, who was probably more intrigued than suspicious, Isana was still very much distrustful of him
"Rather than that, Master, isn't it time for your class? Can you remain like this?"
"Ugh, actually, since I was so engrossed in the conversation with Edwin earlier that I missed my attendance time... It's alright. One or two absences won't affect my studies, and I've spent my time on more important things. I should go soon, though. Even if it's like this, two consecutive absences are a bit much, to say the least. Isha, you should go about your business, too, and I'll call you if I need you."
"Understood, master. I'll take my leave."
"Yes, Isha. Bye~"
"Huh? Master, what was that..."
"Hehe, it's a greeting that Margaret told me about today. Apparently, it's quite popular among the ladies in the capital these days. How did I do?"
"Ha... I'll go back."
"Chet, that's boring..." Paine pouted and grumbled, but Isana didn't pay any attention and walked backwards out of the room.
As the door closed with a thud, the surrounding area was instantly immersed in silence. Paine fell into thought for a moment, taking the silence as a background.
'Edwin Reed.....'
No matter how much Paine pondered, Edwin appeared to be an exceptional individual.
Isana had reported that despite her attempt to intimidate him by removing her disguise, Edwin showed no signs of agitation. It was remarkable that he could treat them casually even after witnessing their true selves.
That was the complete opposite of what Paine was accustomed to.
Her people have lived in the nearest lands to the Westerners for generations. And there were quite a few people who hid their appearance and blend into western society, living a life of enjoying the culture and advanced civilization.
However, these efforts often ended in tragedy.
Westerners suppressed anything that seemed to have anything to do with demons, and those who happened to be exposed were regarded as demons who had descended into the world without any exception, and were executed and died miserably.
That's why their real appearance was shocking to the people of the west.
Anyway, as such tragedies were repeated, the culture of going to the West Continent disappeared, and now, only Paine and a handful of loyal retainers continued to maintain this way of life.
It was fortunate that their land, filled with demons, remained inaccessible to westerners.
In addition, the Trinity religion, which many of them believe in, designated this place as a Forbidden Land, preventing any approach. This isolation provided comfort and safety for their community.
However, recent years brought unprecedented droughts that challenged their generations-long way of life. This year's situation was particularly dire, with over 60% of the total area left uncultivated, and their food stockpile was depleting rapidly. In the midst of this crisis, an unexpected lifeline appeared—a lifeline named Edwin Reed.
***
Earlier, when Edwin revealed his identity, Paine seemed to have heard the name somewhere, and after a while, she remembered the source.
She didn't know much about it because she wasn't interested, but he was quite famous among this year's freshmen; he had many nicknames, but his notoriety was so extreme that none of them were positive.
One of the nicknames Paine recalled was 'Lady Iris' only blemish. The last she had heard was that Edwin was involved in harassing a commoner student in a group, leading to security guards raiding the scene, and eventually receiving a 60-day suspension and a class demotion from the disciplinary committee.
Judging from that period, it seemed clear that the Edwin who visited East Hall and the Edwin he had heard about were the same person.
'But he is so different from the rumors... ?'
Edwin, as Paine saw him face-to-face, appeared to be entirely different from the arrogant Edwin described in the rumors. The man she encountered was open-minded and unbiased, a far cry from the disdainful figure depicted in the stories.
So, were the rumors wrong?
However, in the bulletin published by the disciplinary committee, his crimes were detailed and clearly proven, leaving little room for doubt.
So, did he change after being disciplined?
That probably wasn't it either. No matter how severe the punishment, it was absurd for a person to fundamentally change in such a short period of time.
So, what on earth is the truth?
"Hehehe... That's amazing..."
That wasn't the only thing that puzzled her.
Earlier, when Isana came in and left the map, Edwin clearly understood the greeting she gave in her language and made it as a subject of praise.
This left her startled for a moment and she almost lost her composure.
Paine had never seen or heard of a Westerner in her life who could recognize a single letter, let alone speak their language.
"Ah...I'm looking forward to it...I'm really curious about this..."
Paine was deeply intrigued by Edwin's identity, which became more and more difficult to grasp the more she thought about it.
"My junior Edwin, I hope your suspension ends soon. How many days are left? Will I be able to see you at the academy? Or I first... Margaret, wait a minute! I'm changing clothes! Oh, oh! Wait a minute! Hey!!!"
While Paine was talking to herself, someone interrupted her, and the shadow disappeared in an instant, akin to a candle extinguished by a gust of wind.
Now, only a gently swaying veil remained, as if suggesting that some entity had occupied that space just moments ago.
The room now fell into complete silence.
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