NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: Red Smoke
Kyle's eyes lit up with silence. He recognised that prying into another's life would inevitably provoke curiosity about his own. The three were friends and had already exchanged fragments of confidence among themselves. For instance, Na-Ri carried many secrets that remained concealed from him alone.
As for himself, the others knew nothing whatsoever. There was no possibility they could extend complete trust towards him on such terms, unless they were naïve. He understood that clearly, yet the thought of unveiling his own history was something he had no wish to attempt.
Because, unlike Adela, he lacked the resolve to set out his past… nor did he feel liberated enough, despite the bond between them, to expose the chains that still clung about his neck. Perhaps if they discovered the truth, they would recoil in fear and withdraw from the connection altogether.
…That was precisely what he feared.
Adela had turned her attention away from him, yet she still expected an answer. Kyle, however, remained silent and unwilling to speak.
Before the pause could stretch further, the handsome youth called out softly to alert them that the meat was ready, breaking the conversation at last. The two walked over to join Na-Ri and Orion, who sat beside the campfire.
"Take this one… Looks good, doesn't it, foodie?" Orion joked, passing Kyle two portions of roasted meat and even helping him cool one as though feeding a child.
Na-Ri mirrored the gesture with Adela, and soon the four of them bit into the meal together.
The flavour proved surprisingly rich, more savoury and oily than even the Spinnars' meats. It deserved at least a silent nod of approval for the fallen creature. The food left them a little stronger afterwards, which was only natural once hunger had been satisfied.
After they had eaten, Na-Ri extinguished the campfire with a touch of ice and carefully erased every trace of it. Orion and Kyle stretched out side by side, ready to snatch a little more sleep, while Adela and the beautiful stranger chose to remain awake in case of danger, which was likely enough.
Not long after, the two boys drifted into slumber on the hard forest floor as a cold breeze moved through the trees with a faint, howling sound. Despite the chill in the air, neither of them stirred. Fortune was with them too, for no winged pests circled overhead to trouble their rest with stings and welts.
Across from them, Na-Ri and Adela sat facing one another. Adela's eyes lingered on the stranger's armour, tracing the elegant lines of its design. It was finely made, almost regal in appearance. When Na-Ri lifted her gaze and caught the look, she gave a thin smile before speaking with a trace of mischief:
"You want the armour?"
Adela's eyes lit with sudden brightness, and her cheeks coloured at once when she realised she had been caught by her favourite person. She quickly waved a hand in denial before lowering her head with a faint smile.
"It looks amazing on you, all the more fitting."
Na-Ri gave a slight shrug, her fingers tracing the etched lines across the chest plate, before replying curtly, "Hm. Maybe cute, too…"
The grey-haired beauty raised her head slowly, blinking twice. She had not expected such an answer. What drew her most to the stranger was not merely her appearance, but her quietness, the weight of the burdens she carried, and the strength with which she still endured them.
When Na-Ri had left the Settlement, Adela had found nothing to hold onto, and the world around her had seemed to crumble. The beautiful stranger had been a source of quiet strength, an anchor she had leaned upon.
Orion's arrival had given her some measure of comfort as well, though more as a jester than a confidant, brightening her days with careless humour when nothing else could.
It was always different with Na-Ri; she did not need to say a word before Adela found herself smiling. When she had first learnt the reason Na-Ri left the Settlement, Adela had wanted to follow her, but Na-Ri had refused on account of her weakness. At least, that was the reason the beautiful stranger had given.
'I wonder what happened to you in the past, Lee…' Adela thought, staring at the beautiful stranger's face as Na-Ri stared off into the distance.
She raised her hand and pointed in that direction, prompting the grey-haired beauty to turn her gaze as well.
"Uhh… That's a red flare," Adela murmured as she caught sight of the smoke rising in the far distance.
The column confirmed the suspicion that either a ritual was under way or a distress signal had been fired.
Yet, knowing the zealots who occupied the island and their obsession with the colour red, both girls understood it could only be the former.
"I believe they were conducting a ritual, and if we could get a closer look we might pick off a few of them," Na-Ri said at last, rubbing her hands together. "Of course, it would be dangerous to approach."
Adela nodded quietly as she looked towards Orion and Kyle, who slept deeply. They could not leave the two alone in the forest while they slept and go to investigate the zealots. Who knew what might find them, and they had chosen to keep watch.
They also now knew the zealots were close, and the only real obstacle was mobility.
Some time later, as the sky brightened, Na-Ri summoned her sword and rose to her feet. Adela stirred and watched her, alert to her movements.
"Where are you going, Lee?" she asked.
The beautiful stranger turned her gaze towards the north and pointed the blade in that direction before replying with a steady voice:
"I am going to hunt. If I encounter the zealots, I will take my first step towards killing a human. It will not trouble me, and we might gain rank advancement in the process. Eh?"
Adela's face went suddenly ashen at the stranger's cold words. She wore a serious expression and showed little sign of hesitation.
Could she really kill a human so easily?
"...Y-you do not mean it, do you, Lee?" Adela stammered.
Na-Ri smiled faintly and took up the sword as if it were a dagger, then began walking northwards, towards the area Kyle and Orion had traversed when they encountered the Cursed-rank Madorana.
"Of course. I was only teasing… probably," she said. "Keep a careful watch, and tell Kyle and Orion where I have gone. If I do not return within an hour or two, leave this place without looking for me."
With that, Na-Ri continued on until she vanished from sight. Adela whispered a plea for her to be safe, then looked down at Kyle and Orion.
'Wait… isn't he...'