Chapter 45

The next day, at noon.

After roughly finishing lunch, Woojin lay down on the grass, using Rex’s broad torso as a pillow.

“…There’s nothing to do.”

So he busily shaved a block of wood with the dagger in his hand. Just to pass the time, he was thinking of making a pair of wooden chopsticks.

He would have liked to go hunting, but ever since the purification, the seeds of demonic beasts had all but dried up. As a result, Woojin and the wolves had been spending their days in idle boredom.

“Um… are you perhaps busy?”

A voice suddenly called out. When Woojin looked up, he saw Cindy standing some distance away, hesitating.

It seemed she was too intimidated by the wolf beasts to approach any closer.

“You lot stay here for a moment.”

Saying so, Woojin casually tossed the half-carved piece of wood onto the ground. The wolves yawned and nodded as if they understood.

He walked over to Cindy. She wore an expression as though she had steeled herself.

“I’ll promise. As you requested yesterday, I won’t act beyond my role.”

“A wise decision.”

Cindy had accepted the condition. Now it was Woojin’s turn to pay his part of the bargain.

“Let’s talk over some tea.”

“Sure.”

They headed toward the Order’s Alliance building. Since he had given prior notice, a priest led them to the reception room without complaint.

Various drinks and refreshments were arranged on the table. Woojin poured a cup of tea and passed it to Cindy, while he himself chose apple juice.

Cindy looked puzzled.

“Why drink cheap juice when there’s black tea? It seems like high-quality leaves.”

“I guess I have a simple palate. Even if it’s expensive, it doesn’t suit my taste.”

The world of fine dining was surprisingly difficult to understand. He had tried luxurious cuisine in the city a few times, but Woojin preferred straightforward, inexpensive flavors.

In any case, that wasn’t what mattered.

“I promised to tell you about the witch.”

“Yes.”

Woojin organized his thoughts briefly, then began. He had already prepared a version of the story in his head for this very situation.

“I once had a friend. His name was Enoch. He lacked talent, perhaps, but he was a diligent mage.”

He didn’t want to lie…

But if he claimed he had inherited memories after consuming an inner core, he would undoubtedly be treated as a madman. So Woojin adapted the events slightly as he recounted them to Cindy.

The mage Enoch, the black potion, the witch, and the deaths of Golden Maggot Volf and his two sons…

“…And that’s how I came to meet you. Is that explanation sufficient?”

The long account came to an end.

After listening, Cindy wore a blank expression. She seemed to mull over the story for a moment before cautiously asking,

“If she can mimic other people’s appearances… how do we find her? If she blends into crowds, we won’t be able to identify her.”

“It’s not impossible.”

The witch’s talent wasn’t omnipotent. No matter how thoroughly she altered her outward appearance, the essence she carried would not change.

‘The inner world.’

Exceptionally skilled mages and clergy could glimpse another person’s inner world—similar to Bow’s discerning eye.

Dark-aligned priests bore twisted and distorted inner landscapes. Because of this trait, the Order’s Alliance had identified and burned many of them at the stake.

But in modern times, such inspections were rarely conducted. Dark-aligned priests were believed extinct, and exposing one’s inner self to others was not something most people welcomed.

“Then… couldn’t we solve this by using Lord Bow’s eye?”

Cindy quickly reached a logical conclusion—the simplest and most direct method. But there were problems with that as well.

“That cunning witch would never show herself where Elder Bow is present.”

It was highly likely the witch kept track of Bow’s whereabouts. If she were caught by his discerning eye, her life would end on the spot.

Moreover, Bow was bound to the Third Pioneer City due to the expedition. It would be difficult to ask him to assist in a witch hunt that might not even materialize.

Cindy let out a faint sigh.

“So… there’s essentially no solution?”

“It’s fine. I can recognize the witch.”

“…How? Do you perhaps have an ability like the discerning eye as well?”

Of course, he didn’t.

“Something similar.”

He didn’t bother denying it outright. It seemed easier for both of them to let the matter rest that way.

In short, to summarize the situation—

“Once we know the witch’s location, it’s over.”

And the witch was likely operating somewhere a major incident was bound to occur.

“Can you think of any such place? You’re better informed about these things than I am.”

A capable merchant hears news faster and in greater quantity than others. Cindy had inherited Golden Maggot Volf’s wealth and network; she would be even more adept in gathering information.

Without hesitation, Cindy replied,

“As it happens, there’s a significant event coming up.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know Archbishop Conrad? He belongs to the Order of Wisdom.”

The name was familiar. The mayor of the First Pioneer City—Woojin had spoken with him before.

“I know him. Why?”

“To celebrate the successful progress of the first expedition, Archbishop Conrad plans to host a banquet personally. But according to rumors… there’s said to be a very powerful figure involved.”

Woojin’s curiosity was piqued.

“You mean someone of even higher rank than Archbishop Conrad is attending?”

“That would seem to be the implication. I don’t know the details myself. I tried to investigate through my informants, but there was little to gain.”

The only confirmed information was that a renowned and influential figure would attend the banquet—something Conrad himself had hinted at during an official gathering.

Pretending to let something slip in order to draw attention was an old, classic tactic. Cindy, too, had been intrigued—but she had no real desire to attend the banquet, so she hadn’t investigated further.

“How about we go together? Just in case, I did secure an invitation.”

That alone would be enough to draw the witch’s interest. Woojin agreed in principle, but one concern lingered.

“…I’m a bit worried.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Conrad once gave me a recommendation token. I ignored it and left… I wonder if he might still hold a grudge.”

Cindy’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“You… rejected the Archbishop’s recommendation? I mean—you turned it down?”

“Yeah. I did.”

“Why would you do that? He’s the most influential figure in the Pioneer Cities. There’s even talk of him becoming a cardinal.”

Setting aside her pursuit of revenge, Cindy was a merchant by nature. She looked visibly agitated. In her eyes, Woojin had thrown away an opportunity worth a fortune.

Why had he done it?

Woojin folded his arms and retraced his memory of that moment. It didn’t take long.

“…I just had a bad feeling. So bad that I didn’t even think it was a waste to refuse.”

Even if he could turn back time, he doubted he would change that decision.

After a bit more discussion, the two ultimately decided to attend the banquet.

The event was not far off. Though Woojin had only just returned from his assignment the day before, he now had to leave again for the First Pioneer City.

‘I’ll have to leave the wolves behind.’

Regrettably, Rex and the wolves would remain in the Third Pioneer City. Cindy was afraid of dogs, and bringing them along would attract far too much attention.

Many guests would be arriving in the First Pioneer City for the banquet. Taking wolves before such a crowd was risky. And since the expeditionary forces were active, releasing them into the forest wasn’t an option either.

‘It’s my first time traveling without the wolves… but I suppose I should experience it at least once.’

Though he felt slightly uneasy, there shouldn’t be any real problem leaving them here.

The Order of Harmony regarded wolves as sacred animals. Even if they merely sat around yawning, they would be showered with treats.

“Lord Bow. Please take good care of them.”

“You certainly move about busily… I’ll take responsibility, so go without worry.”

With monks and wolves seeing them off, the two left the Third Pioneer City.

Cindy looked around with curious eyes. The forest, drained pale and lifeless—fungi and trees bleached white—resembled a snow-covered woodland.

“There might be profit in forest restoration. They’ll have to clear the dead woods and plant new trees.”

Even now, she seemed less interested in sightseeing and more in spotting business opportunities.

“Why did you come alone?”

Woojin asked suddenly.

He had expected her to bring at least one attendant—a maid or a butler—but Cindy carried only a single travel bag.

Traveling alone together, she responded casually,

“It’s inefficient otherwise. I didn’t bring much, and you’re acting as my escort. There’s no need to increase our numbers.”

“…True.”

He found it difficult to argue.

“It’s a long journey. Don’t you have any interesting stories?”

Cindy spoke easily, almost familiarly.

Woojin felt slightly taken aback. For some reason, she seemed noticeably friendlier than during their last conversation.

Had something changed in her state of mind? Whatever the reason, it was a positive development.

“Shall I tell you about Hunter Hector?”

“You’re acquainted with him as well?”

“I was fortunate.”

Chatting leisurely, the two continued steadily toward their destination.

…

***

Several days later.

Woojin and Cindy arrived at the First Pioneer City. Perhaps rumors of the banquet had spread—the streets were more crowded than ever.

“It might be hard to find lodging like this.”

Woojin muttered to himself. Cindy waved her hand dismissively.

“I inherited a building here under my name. Don’t worry about trivial matters—let’s prepare for the banquet first.”

“Prepare how?”

Cindy’s gaze swept over him once—particularly the outer garment crudely stitched from beast hide.

“…Just follow me.”

Dragged along by Cindy, Woojin visited several clothing shops. The garments she examined were far removed from his personal taste.

Tunics adorned with excessive ornamentation.

People in this world seemed to find such clothing stylish, but from Woojin’s perspective, they belonged in a museum.

“If I wear something like this, won’t I stand out?”

“Others will dress the same. In fact, being too plain would draw more attention.”

She had a point.

‘I should just follow her lead.’

Cindy clearly had far more experience in this area. Since it was territory unfamiliar to him, Woojin complied without complaint.

In the end, she purchased one tunic and one dress, along with two masks.

“Are we going to a masquerade?”

“Not exactly, but some people do wear masks at events like this.”

Woojin had a minor issue with Conrad, and Cindy preferred not to reveal her face. For those reasons, they planned to attend masked.

Woojin examined the mask. It covered the area around the eyes, with a raised ridge over the nose shaped like an owl’s beak.

“…I’m really trying all sorts of strange things.”

He let out something close to a sigh. He wasn’t some musical actor—yet here he was, about to wear such attire in reality.

Cindy glanced at him curiously.

“Do you dislike going to banquets? Opportunities like this are rare… My family and those around us all enjoyed such events.”

“It’s just not my taste.”

Just as he preferred cheap juice over fine tea, Woojin would rather stroll quietly through open fields than attend lavish gatherings.

‘…But the witch would enjoy something like this.’

Stepping into a banquet hosted by the Order was risky. Yet with countless outsiders flooding into the city, the sheer number of people created the perfect environment for infiltration.

Could the witch truly ignore such an opportunity?

They would soon find out.