Extra in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 124
124 – Intent (3)
“I believe that the one the prophecy points to is you, Andel.”
At that sudden statement, I fell silent.
Then, quietly, I gazed into Johanna’s eyes.
Johanna also looked at me without adding any words.
That awkward and heavy silence was palpable.
“…I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.”
It ended because of the words I spat out.
There exists a group that seeks to bring disaster to the world, and there is a prophecy that speaks of a being who will fight against that group.
It’s a ridiculous tale.
Truly, it sounds like a legend, or something that might be found in an old story meant to soothe children.
However, I cannot dismiss it as mere nonsense.
I not only know of the existence of such a group, but I have also heard similar tales before.
From Sheryl, the last survivor of an empire that perished long ago.
Sheryl had said:
That I, and only I, could prevent the ruin that would come to the continent, to this world.
Had I not met Sheryl, had I not conversed with her, had I not trained with her guidance, I likely would not have truly listened to Johanna’s words.
Setting aside the existence of the “organization,” the very word “prophecy” would have sounded too suspicious to me.
But now, I know.
That it is indeed possible for a prophecy to exist in this world.
Additionally, I have come to suspect the identity of the one Johanna referred to as “Him.”
“The Connected One.”
He is likely the “Connected One.”
That “Connected One” has seen the future that the “organization”—that is, the “cult” Johanna spoke of—will unfold, and he has also seen me, who will stand against that “cult”… that would be the story.
Johanna must have come here after hearing the words of that “Connected One.”
Thus, I could grasp the general flow of events.
However, that does not mean I could simply declare, “I am the one the prophecy points to.”
I still lacked certainty.
Certainty that Johanna, and those she is affiliated with, are not my enemies.
So, I needed to draw out more conversation, more information.
“…It’s hard to believe, but even if everything Ms. Johanna said is true, how can I be the one the prophecy points to? I’m just a rookie mercenary.”
How did Johanna recognize me?
Perhaps the “Connected One” saw the future accurately and then informed Johanna of my image fighting against the “organization.”
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However, I did not hold that possibility in high regard.
The basis for my skepticism was Sheryl.
She had said that only after reaching the pinnacle of magic and becoming closely connected to the source could she see my information.
Yet, the thought that my information, the future I was involved in, could be easily glimpsed did not cross my mind.
If the ‘Connected One’ who provided information to Johanna is indeed someone closely linked to the source…
The likelihood of that is not very high.
If it were, Johanna’s attitude would have been different.
From the very first moment we met, she would have shown some kind of reaction.
So, it must be concluded that she did not know about me, that I was the one the prophecy pointed to.
This means that the figure referred to as ‘He’ could not accurately predict anything about me.
However, this raises another question.
If she originally did not know that I was the one indicated by the prophecy, how did she come to discover that fact?
I needed to hear the reason.
Thus, I posed a question to her.
And finally, Johanna opened her mouth.
“From the very beginning, you were unusually calm for a newcomer. At first, I thought it was just your personality… Even when the monster of the forest appeared before you, or when a sudden ambush occurred, or when a creature no one had ever seen before showed up, you didn’t seem surprised at all. That’s not something that can simply be brushed off as a calm personality.”
“……”
I sighed inwardly.
Indeed, I might not have a talent for acting.
I thought I was putting in effort to act, but it seems I didn’t appear convincing at all.
But.
“Is it just because I didn’t panic like a rookie that you think I’m the one the prophecy points to?”
That alone is not enough.
Being calm in a way that’s uncharacteristic for a newcomer.
That is certainly rare and noticeable.
However.
It’s merely a level of suspicion, not a solid basis for such a conclusion.
“Of course, that’s not all.”
Perhaps Johanna thought the same, as she continued speaking immediately.
“Andel, do you remember the shadow monster?”
“Yes.”
There’s no way I could forget.
It was a recent event, and even if time passed, it was a unique creature that wouldn’t be easily forgotten.
“It was an unusual one. Not just in appearance, but also in its intelligence to hunt people using other monsters, and its growth rate that increased day by day. In many ways, it exceeded the norm. Even the strongest warriors and mercenaries were at its mercy. And… Max was injured as well.”
“…….”
I quietly closed my eyes.
It was because I could anticipate her next words.
“Andel, where were you back then?”
“…….”
I didn’t respond at all.
As she quietly observed me, Johanna continued speaking.
“Max sustained quite a serious injury, yet you didn’t show your face. You only appeared after Max’s first aid was over. At the time, I was too flustered to pay much attention, but it was certainly strange that you revealed yourself so late in that situation.”
“…I was a bit shocked by what happened to Max. I was delayed in dealing with it. As you know, it was the first time I had seen such a scene.”
“That wasn’t the face of someone who was shocked.”
“…I tend not to show my expressions much.”
I tried to add my own excuse, but I knew.
That the excuse was not valid.
“The strange part is that it doesn’t end there.”
Johanna shook her head.
“At that time, the monster’s reaction was clearly odd. It could have easily ended Max’s life with just one more swipe of its claws, yet instead of attacking, it fled. At a speed I had never seen before. As if it were running away.”
“…….”
“And after that, the monster never appeared again. Of course, it’s possible it gave up hunting and moved to another area… but that seems unlikely. It had already surpassed both Max and me, and Max was among the most skilled in that group. With its intelligence, it would have known that we could no longer stop it, so there would be no reason to give up hunting.”
Then.
“Why did the monster suddenly stop appearing? I came up with a hypothesis for that question. Perhaps the monster is dead. Maybe it doesn’t appear because it no longer exists.”
“…….”
“If that hypothesis is true, who killed the monster? Ah, now that I think about it, there was someone who happened to be absent at that time.”
Her gray eyes glinted in the darkness.
“Andel, that would be you.”
In a tone as usual, she spoke calmly.
My reaction to her rather sharp words was.
“That’s quite a leap.”
A straightforward denial.
“To assume that just because I wasn’t visible for a moment, I must be the one who dealt with the monster is a very weak argument.”
Johanna’s words ultimately lacked evidence.
At that moment, she couldn’t monitor everyone’s every move.
According to her logic, anyone who hadn’t entered her line of sight could be a suspect.
In the end, everything was based on her assumptions and mere conjectures, and without any evidence to back it up, she couldn’t push me with mere words.
Even if it were true, that is.
“…Right. There’s no concrete evidence. It’s all just assumptions.”
Johanna herself calmly acknowledged that fact.
“Of course, there’s no way to prove it now.”
So.
“I’ll proceed under the assumption that you are the one the prophecy points to.”
The gray light shining in the darkness settled more gravely.
“The reason I brought this up is simply to collaborate with you.”
“Collaborate?”
“Yes.”
She nodded heavily.
“If you truly are the one the prophecy indicates, then you must have come here to thwart the cult’s schemes as well. We share the same goal.”
At her explanation, I lightly nodded inwardly.
If there was no falsehood in her words, if she truly intended to stop the ‘organization.’
At least our understanding aligned.
However, there were still mountains to climb before reaching the ‘collaboration’ she desired.
“It seems you’re not the only one opposing this ‘cult,’ Ms. Johanna.”
The ‘Connected One’ who would have given her information, and her use of the term ‘we.’
From those, it was clear.
She wasn’t acting as an individual.
“Yes. That’s right.”
Johanna affirmed the question without hesitation.
“We were originally formed to stop the cult. We grew our strength and influence solely with that one purpose in mind. And… finally, the time has come.”
Her face took on a serious hue I had never seen before.
“Now, ‘we’ will thwart the cult’s plans and ultimately erase the ‘cult’ from this world. For that… Andel, I need your help.”
Johanna extended her hand.
“Andel, let’s join forces and fight against the ‘cult.’”