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127 Chapter

“Damn it! Where the hell did this guy come from? Why is he here? Is he trying to interfere with me? Is he related to the bomb?”

My mind was a chaotic mix of confusion and suspicion. Time was running short, and the Zigmund in front of me was not someone I could just brush aside.

Zigmund looked at me without even glancing at the sword pressed against his neck. I still didn’t like the look in his eyes.

“……I don’t plan on fighting today.”

For a moment, we stared at each other with a gaze filled with sharpness, then Zigmund raised his hands. It was a perfect gesture of surrender that made my eyebrows twitch.

‘What’s he thinking?’

Suddenly appearing out of nowhere and surrendering without reason.

There seemed to be no reason for a fight between Zigmund and me, so I couldn’t figure out his goal in surrendering.

“So I don’t know why I was captured. Did you want to ruin my mood by sticking your ugly face into this festival?”

‘Well, whatever the reason is, it doesn’t matter.’

Tsk, I clicked my tongue, sheathed my sword, and turned away from Zigmund.

Even if he was trying to reveal some secret, I didn’t want to hear it.

Just as I was about to move again in search of the bomb, Zigmund lightly grabbed my wrist and turned me back toward him. His swift movement left me no chance to escape.

‘What the hell is this guy doing?’

With my eyes wide open, I seriously considered whether he was some secret agent dispatched to give me high blood pressure. Just when I was about to tell him to let go, he said, “You’re looking for a bomb.”

I froze at his whisper, which felt like a breath.

It was spring in the festival square, yet in this narrow alley where he and I stood, it felt as if winter was waiting just outside. The cold air sent chills down my spine, freezing me in place.

I took a breath a beat too late.

‘How does he know about the bomb? Is he part of the terrorist group? Did he come to stop me? If so, why did he say he doesn’t plan on fighting today? How does he know I’m looking for a bomb?’

My brain was spinning at a dizzying speed, threatening to overload. Thoughts tangled and consumed each other.

‘Could he be fishing for information?’

Suddenly, the thought snapped me back to reality.

Grasping the strands of reason firmly, I suppressed the brief panic and scowled, acting as if I knew nothing.

“A bomb? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No need to pretend. I already know everything.”

‘……Damn.’

There was a certainty in Zigmund’s eyes. I sensed that things had gone significantly wrong and prepared myself for a fight.

The large hand gripping my wrist pulled me gently, behaving like a madman while maintaining an oddly delicate touch.

As my body leaned toward Zigmund, I caught a strong scent of winter emanating from his neck. Before I could reflexively kick him in response to the romantic tension, he whispered close to my ear, “I’m on your side, Shushu.”

I halted at that voice, which felt like a secret meant to be kept from everyone else.

The low, sticky tone clung to my ear and sank into me, tightening around my heart.

For a moment, my mind filled with confused thoughts, but it was fleeting.

‘What the hell.’

I had no intention of easily trusting Zigmund. I could trust everyone in the world, but not that guy.

“You want me to trust you……”

“I can help you find the bomb.”

‘What?’

My eyes widened, and I tilted my head, focusing on Zigmund.

As always, he wore a mask of emotions layered upon layers, hiding his true feelings, but his eyes were serious. He even looked like he was pondering something.

“What do you mean, how can you help? Just tell me quickly!”

Despite my suspicion that he had some ulterior motives, I was in desperate need of any help, even from a passing bug.

“……You’re still the same.”

After a moment of staring at me while I pressed him, Zigmund muttered something indistinguishable and pulled something from his pocket.

‘……A compass?’

What he pulled out was a black compass radiating an ominously strong aura.

“What is this?”

“It’s a compass that points to places with dark magic. If you follow it, you’ll easily find what you’re looking for.”

‘Does such a thing even exist?’

Across the continent, the crafting and trading of dark magic objects were strictly forbidden. But a compass tracking dark magic?

I accepted the compass with a mix of disbelief and surprise, turning it over in my hands.

“The principle is just like a regular compass. It contains a powerful dark stone. That stone detects the dark magic in the surroundings and tries to point toward it.”

Noticing that I was still unconvinced, Zigmund quickly explained.

‘Definitely, I can feel a strong aura of dark magic from the compass. Moreover, it points to the same direction I was heading.’

Trusting Zigmund was incredibly unappealing, and my instincts were screaming alarms, but it didn’t seem like the compass was lying about finding the bomb.

‘Really, this is annoying……’

I looked up at Zigmund with mixed and complicated feelings.

He’s untrustworthy and unpleasant, but with many lives on the line, I had to set aside personal feelings and think logically.

“……Alright, I’ll accept that. The compass must be able to sense dark magic. But I have some questions. How did you know about the bomb?”

I asked, wanting to clarify what I already somewhat suspected. Zigmund, watching me with his calm violet eyes, sighed and exhaled.

“You must have seen me last time. I work for the House of Cypros. I’m quite close with the family…… The terrorist attack was orchestrated by the House of Cypros. I heard about it from the Count himself.”

Zigmund’s calm explanations made sense. While not detailed, they didn’t raise any red flags.

‘But…… why is this so frustrating?’

It felt like a puzzle being forcibly shoved together. The picture was drawn clearly, but something was still off.

I pressed the throbbing pain in my head and focused on the present situation.

“Let’s say that is true. But according to you, you’re in league with the terrorists.”

I narrowed my eyes sharply, glaring at Zigmund.

“Why the hell are you helping me?”

This was indeed the biggest problem.

Zigmund had no reason to help me.

As time was running short, I sent a sharp look, urging him to answer, and Zigmund’s red lips slowly opened.

“I haven’t forgotten the days I spent here with my mentor.”

A heavy rock seemed to drop on my heart at those words.

Ridiculously, I felt a stirring at that one sentence. Thankfully, Zigmund was looking toward the festival square, so he didn’t seem to notice my reaction.

“I used to walk this path often. With my mentor, you, and me, the three of us. Whenever we were close, we would always have to keep my mentor in between us. You stood to the right of him, and I stood to the left.”

Even in a volatile situation where the terrorist attack could happen at any moment, Zigmund spoke in a nostalgic tone. His gaze focused on the square, and I caught a hint of longing in his eyes before it vanished.

The familiar path we walked together with our mismatched paces. All the countless conversations we had as we walked along the changing seasons.

This place was etched with numerous memories.

“As you know, this is a place my mentor loved.”

‘You may not feel the same way, but…… I really love this place. It’s full of life and people. I always think how lucky I am to walk here with you guys.’

I squeezed my eyes shut. Zigmund’s words intertwined with something she once whispered as if confessing.

I could still vividly remember the bright smile she had when she said those words.

“I don’t want to see this place that my mentor loved be destroyed. That’s all.”

If Zigmund had said he was helping to save the people gathered here, I wouldn’t have hesitated to throw the compass away and leave. He was selfish, unscrupulous, and cold-hearted, so that was unlikely.

But from the moment he mentioned his mentor, the scales of reason in my mind cracked. Between the cracks flowed emotions that I couldn’t even grasp, like fine sand, throwing the scales off balance.

Karasho represented that meaning to me. It broke down my reasoning, shaking my foundations, a crystallization of attachment.

“Why the hell would he do that……!”

The atmosphere quivered with a wave of dark intent.

I glared at Zigmund as if I would burn him alive, gripping the hilt of my sword tightly. I managed to contain the surge of emotion that spilled out, but my feelings remained unresolved.

I stared at his violet eyes that revealed nothing.

I had so many questions and couldn’t make a deal as I wanted. Though part of me wanted to end this right here.

“……Fine. I get it.”

Today was not that day.

Instead of continuing my words, I let out a sigh to disperse all lingering feelings and turned my body toward the direction the compass pointed.

Zigmund was the greatest enigma of my life.

I despised him. I didn’t trust him. Yet, despite the urgent situation, I chose to follow his compass because I held on to the last shred of belief that he wouldn’t carelessly mention his mentor.

“……I will protect this place. Not for you, but for the people. And for my mentor.”

With a cold tone, I threw those words out like an afterthought, turning away from Zigmund without hesitation and bolting in the direction the compass indicated.

I felt his gaze follow me until the end, but I refused to look back.

There were only about twenty minutes left. Just as I desperately ran in the direction indicated by the compass.

‘What the…….?’

I had no choice but to halt abruptly in front of a narrow alley.

The needle of the compass Zigmund had given me spun wildly, unable to find its direction.

Boom!

The erratically spinning compass suddenly made a small explosion and completely stopped working. My face contorted in various ways as I hoped it could somehow be repaired and turned it over to check the back, but the inside was all melted, rendering any components unrecognizable.

‘Why did it suddenly break?’

It wasn’t due to external shock. It must have been a self-destruction that happened inside the compass.

Since I was in a deserted alley where the atmosphere of the events happening in the square had faded, I could at least track it by instinct, but just as I stood there shocked by the sudden situation—

“……Shushu?”

“Shushu? Is that you?”

I froze at the familiar voices that I absolutely didn’t want to hear in this place.

“My family, Cal and Aria.”

 

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