CH 69

The mist begins to lift in some places.

The surroundings are still enveloped in thick fog, with poor visibility.

However, only one spot in front of me is now clearly visible.

It feels like the fog is avoiding the area to the left and right.

A small cabin stands by a lake that is not particularly large.

If it were in town, it would be an ordinary cabin that no one would pay any attention to.

Why am I so drawn to it?

As if the cabin is beckoning me to come over.

“――!”

I took a step forward and then stopped there.

To my surprise, my feet seemed to be drawn in, and I took three steps back hastily.

“What’s with this house…”

A little bit of fear grows within me.

A feeling of helplessness from being separated from Yuren-kun and the fear of the unknown world.

The two blend together, causing the fear to increase.

This is clearly strange.

It may not be unusual for a cabin to be in the forest, but it is unnatural for it to be in a place like this.

A forest inhabited by many monsters, where people don’t approach.

Surrounded by fog that cannot be seen through in all directions, only this area is clear.

“I should go back after all―― but…”

How should I get back?

The area behind me, after turning around, was covered in mist and I couldn’t see what was ahead.

If I were to leave this place, I would only wander in the mist again.

I couldn’t even hear Yuren-kun and the others’ voices; perhaps I had strayed too far away.

If that’s the case, moving too much might be dangerous.

Besides, I have some preparations in case of emergencies.

“… Should I go take a look?”

I made up my mind and approached the small cabin in front of me.

Strangely, as soon as I decided to go, the anxiety deep inside my heart eased.

That’s what it felt like.

Thanks to that, my footsteps were light, and I reached the vicinity of the cabin.

There was only one entrance.

I stood in front of the old but well-maintained door.

Knock, knock, knock.

After knocking three times, I called out loud inside.

“Excuse me, is anyone there——.”

Before I could finish my sentence, the door creaked open with a groan.

No one pulled it, it just opened on its own.

There was no one in front of the open door.

However, a woman was sitting back inside.

“Welcome, Young Lady. Please come inside.”

Her voice was as beautiful as a clear stream.

She was the most beautiful person I had ever met.

Should I say “bewitching”?

Her hair was a light purple color, and her eyes were a deep blue.

Her skin was so fair that it seemed to turn red with just a little bit of sunlight, and her body was delicate.

Above all, her atmosphere made her seem not human.

“What’s wrong? Come inside instead of staying outside forever.”

“W-Well…”

“It’s okay. I just have a request for you. Once we talk about it, you can quickly reunite with the others.”

“T-The others, Yuren-kun and the others?!”

Does she know?

Where Yuren-kun and the others are now.

As if being pulled by his name, I stepped into the hut.

Once my body was completely inside, the door closed on its own.

I turned around at the sound of the latch, but no one was there.

Of course, I didn’t close it.

“I’m sorry to surprise you. But it’s dangerous outside, so let’s have our talk indoors.”

“Is Yuren-kun and the others in danger?!”

I feel uneasy.

I wonder if anything unfortunate happened to them without my knowledge.

I want to ask if she knows anything about it.

Then she replies calmly.

“So his name is Yuren. Don’t worry, they are safe. They can’t go to dangerous places while they are in my mist.”

“My…mist?”

Why would she phrase it like that?

It’s like she’s saying that she’s the one generating this mist.

The mist that occurs due to a sudden drop in temperature is a natural phenomenon.

You can reproduce it on a small scale, but it’s impossible to generate a large-scale mist like the one enveloping the forest.

At least not for us humans.

If such a thing were possible——

“Magic?”

“Yes. I made this mist.”

She smiles.

The trigger to my memory is what His Highness Ash said.

He said he had the power of a magician.

If the magic I heard about is a power beyond human knowledge, then maybe it can cause this phenomenon.

But…

“You are…”

And then I remembered something else.

The name that the people around me used to call me when I started working at Yuren-kun’s royal palace.

I asked the woman in front of me fearfully.

“Um, who exactly are you?”

If she was the person I had in mind.

If she was that person.

I had to be prepared for the worst.

Sweat dripped from my forehead, and my throat was dry.

I cleared my dry throat as if to pretend I was getting a drink, then took a deep gulp.

And then——

“I am Nebel. I was once called the Witch of the Mist.”

She answered.

Clearly and without hesitation.

The name of the worst person I had expected.